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An interview with a shipmate of my stepfather's. The USS Franklin was the worst damaged ship of WWII that did not sink. On 19 Mar, 1945 not far from Japan 798 were killed, and at least 487 were wounded. The losses amounted to the third largest naval disaster of the US Navy in WW2
My stepfather didn't want to talk about it - told my mother that his best buddy died in his arms. He had PTSD never diagnosed-he was afraid of doctors. He was a Navy baker. I accompanied him to Arlington for his disabled brother's Army WWII vet funeral. I also served on a similar vintage carrier Coral Sea off shore Vietnam. See also https://ww2db.com/ship_spec.php?ship_id=386
My stepfather didn't want to talk about it - told my mother that his best buddy died in his arms. He had PTSD never diagnosed-he was afraid of doctors. He was a Navy baker. I accompanied him to Arlington for his disabled brother's Army WWII vet funeral. I also served on a similar vintage carrier Coral Sea off shore Vietnam. See also https://ww2db.com/ship_spec.php?ship_id=386
Posted in these groups: 
WWII World War Two
Military History
Aircraft Carriers
Naval Historical Foundation
WWII World War Two Military History Aircraft Carriers Naval Historical Foundation
Posted 5 y ago
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In the early 1980s, a security guard at this department store I worked at told me that he was aboard the USS Franklin. He was pretty old then and I know he's not alive now. Since I am a war bus, I knew about the USS Franklin.
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SCPO Morris Ramsey
When were deployed on the Coral Sea? I think we followed her around Yankee Station more than once. PO1 (Join to see)
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Historian Joseph Springer’s book, Inferno: The Epic Life and Death Struggle of the USS Franklin in World War II tells the heroic tale of the near-miraculous efforts that went into saving the USS Franklin—from the selfless contributions of the hundreds of officers and enlisted men who voluntarily remained onboard to the assistance of the USS Santa Fe in rescuing crewmen from the sea, fighting the fires, and closing in alongside the Franklin to take off the numerous wounded and nonessential personnel.
On 19 Mar 1945, Nick Turcic, who was at Franklin's bridge after the explosion out of circumstance, observed Gehres running around rather uselessly. "How dare those guys screw up my ship!" Turcic recalled Gehres screaming, but making only few useful orders to control the damage.
"The captain was running around the bridge like a chicken with his head cut off", said Bob Mallgraf, who stood beside Turcic on the bridge. The two men's observations probably were at least slightly biased, however, for records show that by 0725 Gehres had already evaluated the situation and ordered the magazines flooded to reduce fire hazards.
What he did not know, though, was that the water mains of Franklin were destroyed, and the flooding was never carried out. Soon after, Admiral Ralph Davison, whose flag was aboard Franklin, decided to transfer his flag to the nearby destroyer USS Miller, and suggested Gehres to abandon ship.
Gehres, knowing there were still men belowdecks, refused, citing that he would not stand for the possibility that his men would be killed by torpedoes from an American ship. At 1200, about 6 hours after the attack, cruiser Santa Fe sent a message to Davison on behalf of Gehres:
CAPTAIN OF FRANKLIN SAYS FIRES PRACTICALLY UNDER CONTROL. SKELETON CREW ABOARD. LIST STABLIZED. IF YOU SAVE US FROM THE JAPANESE, WE WILL SAVE YOU THE SHIP.
Davison replied "[W]e will do whatever we can." Davison guarded the wounded carrier with all the escorts he could gather, while dispatching five Fletcher-class destroyers from Destroyer Division 104 to search for the over one thousand crewmen floating in the cold Pacific Ocean. When the damage was brought totally under control, instead of being glad that so many men were saved by the destroyers Davison had sent, Gehres immediately looked for scape goats.
During the ordeal, many men were forced to jump ship, while others were simply blown overboard by the force of the explosions. Gehres accused them as cowards. "Disregarding one of the most superb and ongoing rescue actions in the history of the U.S. Navy, the gallant story of the Franklin was nearly tainted", said historian Joseph Springer.
"How many captains would say something like that about his own crew... even if it was true?" Lamented Seaman 2nd Class George Sippel years later.
To further add insult to injury, Gehres toxic leadership created the "704 Club", granting membership to the 704 who remained on board, and later, would deny the honor of medals to those without membership even if fire or explosion had driven them from the ship into the sea.
The story that Joseph Springer tells in the survivors’ words, is the story of the legendary ship’s arduous journey from Okinawa to the Brooklyn Navy Yard which unfolds in harrowing detail. This is a tremendous tale of endurance and seamanship, and unlike any in the proud history of the U.S. Navy.
On 19 Mar 1945, Nick Turcic, who was at Franklin's bridge after the explosion out of circumstance, observed Gehres running around rather uselessly. "How dare those guys screw up my ship!" Turcic recalled Gehres screaming, but making only few useful orders to control the damage.
"The captain was running around the bridge like a chicken with his head cut off", said Bob Mallgraf, who stood beside Turcic on the bridge. The two men's observations probably were at least slightly biased, however, for records show that by 0725 Gehres had already evaluated the situation and ordered the magazines flooded to reduce fire hazards.
What he did not know, though, was that the water mains of Franklin were destroyed, and the flooding was never carried out. Soon after, Admiral Ralph Davison, whose flag was aboard Franklin, decided to transfer his flag to the nearby destroyer USS Miller, and suggested Gehres to abandon ship.
Gehres, knowing there were still men belowdecks, refused, citing that he would not stand for the possibility that his men would be killed by torpedoes from an American ship. At 1200, about 6 hours after the attack, cruiser Santa Fe sent a message to Davison on behalf of Gehres:
CAPTAIN OF FRANKLIN SAYS FIRES PRACTICALLY UNDER CONTROL. SKELETON CREW ABOARD. LIST STABLIZED. IF YOU SAVE US FROM THE JAPANESE, WE WILL SAVE YOU THE SHIP.
Davison replied "[W]e will do whatever we can." Davison guarded the wounded carrier with all the escorts he could gather, while dispatching five Fletcher-class destroyers from Destroyer Division 104 to search for the over one thousand crewmen floating in the cold Pacific Ocean. When the damage was brought totally under control, instead of being glad that so many men were saved by the destroyers Davison had sent, Gehres immediately looked for scape goats.
During the ordeal, many men were forced to jump ship, while others were simply blown overboard by the force of the explosions. Gehres accused them as cowards. "Disregarding one of the most superb and ongoing rescue actions in the history of the U.S. Navy, the gallant story of the Franklin was nearly tainted", said historian Joseph Springer.
"How many captains would say something like that about his own crew... even if it was true?" Lamented Seaman 2nd Class George Sippel years later.
To further add insult to injury, Gehres toxic leadership created the "704 Club", granting membership to the 704 who remained on board, and later, would deny the honor of medals to those without membership even if fire or explosion had driven them from the ship into the sea.
The story that Joseph Springer tells in the survivors’ words, is the story of the legendary ship’s arduous journey from Okinawa to the Brooklyn Navy Yard which unfolds in harrowing detail. This is a tremendous tale of endurance and seamanship, and unlike any in the proud history of the U.S. Navy.
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