On October 24, 1944, a lone enemy dive-bomber came out of the clouds above the carrier Princeton (CVL 23) operating off the Philippines. At 1500 feet the pilot released his bomb. It hit between the elevators, crashed through the flight deck and hangar, then exploded. Initial fires soon expanded as further explosions sent black smoke rolling off the flight deck and red flames along the sides from the island to the stern. Covering vessels provided rescue and fire-fighting assistance and shielded the stricken carrier from further attack. At 3:34 pm another, much heavier explosion, possibly the bomb magazine, blew off the carrier’s stern and with it the after flight deck. The cruiser Birmingham (CL 62), alongside to fight fires, suffered heavy damage and casualties. Efforts to save Princeton continued, but at 4:04 pm the fires won. By 5:50 pm she had disappeared, but 1,361 of her crew survived. Included in that number was Capt. John M. Hoskins, who had been prospective commanding officer of the carrier and lost his right foot with her, but who, despite the loss, would become the 1st commanding officer of the fifth Princeton (CV 37).
Posted on: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 21:00:01 +0000
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