TIME LINE WITH PHOTOS
War Time History 1 February To 21 May 1945 With
Time Line by Joseph Pires, former SK3
Supply Department - S-1 Division - 1965-1969
USS Bennington Association and Web Site Historian
And
Photos From the World War II Photograph Collection of
Lt. Roy M. Huffington, USS Hornet (CV-12)
1 – 2 February 1945
BENNINGTON crosses the International Date Line (the 180th Meridian of Longitude) for the first time at approximate Latitude 17-4N.
7 February 1945
At 1218 the BENNINGTON anchored in Ulithi Fleet Anchorage and reported to ComFirstCarTaskForPac for duty and becomes part of Task Group 58.1.
10 February 1945
As a unit of Task Group 58.1 (under Admiral J.J. Clark) BENNINGTON sortied Ulithi for TF 58 attack on the Tokyo area.
16 February 1945
BENNINGTON goes to her first “General Quarters” approximately 80 miles of the coast of Japan.
As the western – most carrier in the five Task Groups, BENNINGTON was the closest carrier to Japan at all times.
Launching aircraft for strikes over Tokyo and Yokosuka, BENNINGTON aircraft were over the target at 0810 and at 0812 radio Tokyo goes off the air.
First combat flight of VB-82, five Helldivers in TG 58.1, Strike One Baker Two, on airfield installations at Nachijo Jima and Nanpo Shoto.
Eight VB-82 Helldivers in the afternoon strike One Fox, against Mikatagahara Airfield at Honshu, Japan. Only one of BENNINGTON’s aircraft was shot down.
17 February 1945
Ten of our planes in TG 58.1, Strike One Baker Two, struck against Mikatagahara and Hamamatsu Airfields.
The Task Force retired during the afternoon.
Click on photo for a larger image.
Beach off Hamamatsu Tokyo Area |
Air Groups near MT Fuji |
HAMAMATSU Air Field |
18 February 1945
Two anti-picket boat sweeps, each with one VB-82 navigator and eight fighters.
Four vessels were listed as probably sunk as a result of the attacks.
An afternoon strike on Chichi Jima shipping facilities and installations.
LT. A.W. Lundblade and 3rd Class, ARM, E.J. Gerber were considered “missing in action”.
Click on photo for a larger image.
19 February 1945
BENNINGTON air group's planes flew continuous beachhead support strikes over Iwo Jima,
where invasion landings were already in progress.
Constant air cover gave effective protection from Japanese planes to the Marines and,
in addition, served as aerial artillery in blasting strong points.
20 February 1945
Aircraft from VB-82, in three flights (totaling 20 sorties) flew in support of the landings on Iwo Jima.
Click on photo for a larger image.
Air Dept. - USS Bennington (CV-20) ... Invasion craft at Iwo Jima
21 February 1945
Ten aircraft from VB-82 (with 16 fighters and 7 torpedo planes) participated in a “special” strike in support of the troops on Iwo Jima.
Click on photo for a larger image.
Iwo Jima
22 February 1945
VB-82 made 20 sorties in support of Iwo Jima occupation operations.
Ensign R.B. Cahill of VB-82 made the 4,000th landing aboard BENNINGTON.
25 February 1945
Second series of carrier strike attacks against Tokyo City, which, because of weather over the target, was aborted.
Bombs from aircraft were jettisoned at sea by order of the strike leader from the USS HORNET.
1 March 1945
Aircraft from BENNINGTON hit Okinawa. One of the strikes was from as Far West as Miayko Shima.
Following this were 10 days at anchor at Ulithi.
Meanwhile BENNINGTON’s planes and pilots photographed the beaches of Okinawa and
the Islands of Kerama Rhetto to determine what beaches offered the best invasion points.
It was while anchored here that a kamikaze plane slipped in one night,
damaging the USS RANDOLPH while she was at anchor a short distance away from the BENNINGTON.
Click on photo for a larger image.
 Miyako Shima-Nansei Shoto NOBARA Air Field |
 Miyako Shima-Nansei Shoto SUKAMA Air Field |
 Miyako Shima-Nansei Shoto HIRARA Air Field |
18 March 1945
The ship headed north again to a position 80 miles off Kyushu on the Japanese homeland.
The prime objective of this strike was the Japanese Air Force - in the air or on the ground.
Fifty-seven enemy planes were definitely shot down or destroyed by strafing on March 18th and the 19th,
while another 35 were counted as damaged by BENNINGTON planes.
Also damaged off Kure was a Yamato class battleship.
Click on photo for a larger image.
Taken from USS Hornet (CV-12) on 18 Mar 1945 - USS Bennington (CV-20); near miss from Jap dive bomber |
 S. Kyushu KANOYA E Air Field |
 Kyushu KANOYA E. Air Field |
Lt Carlyle Newton and ARM2C Eddie Curtin Of VB82 were shot down over Kanoya East in Japan.
They both survived and were repatriated at the end of the war.
Mr Newton died in the mid 90s and Eddie Curtin is a member of the USS Benningtoin Association.
Click on photo for a larger image.
Plane of Lt. Carlyle Newton and ARM2C Eddie Curtin shot down over Kanoya East in Japan
19 March 1945
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 Taken from USS Hornet (CV-12) on 19 Mar 1945 - USS Bennington (CV-20); Jap plane diving at bow of ship |
 Honshu, Japan Hiroshima Wan |
 Hiroshima Wan S. Hiroshima Wan |
Mid-late March 1945
VB-82 aircraft attacked Japanese Naval vessels in the Inland Sea.
A two-engine Japanese “Betty” flew in low and several ships opened up their guns.
The “Betty” was struck by one cruiser’s gunfire causing one of the engines to catch fire.
The plane turned toward BENNINGTON’s starboard quarter in an attempt to hit the flight deck.
All starboard guns opened up and sent the plane into the sea about 200 yards from the ship.
Late in March a Japanese plane joined a landing circle aft of the ship and was stopped short of the fantail by 20mm and 40mm gunfire.
As the month of March drew to a close, the submarine USS TUNNY (SS-282) rescued one flier from the USS BENNINGTON (CV-20) and
two fliers from the aircraft carrier USS INTREPID (CV-11) as those ships took part in the assault on Okinawa.
24 March 1945
Click on photo for a larger image.
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 Jap Torpedo Boat |
 Jap Torpedo Boat |
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25 March 1945
Click on photo for a larger image.
NAKA Air Field
Okinawa
27 March 1945
Click on photo for a larger image.
 VAR AMAI O'SHIMA |
 VAR AMAI O'SHIMA |
 3,000', 28*23'N 129*30'E |
10,000' 28*23'N 129*30'E
1 April 1945
Easter Day, 1945 came on April 1st, the day of the invasion of Okinawa.
The air group's planes were in the air as the first waves of Marines stormed the beach,
beginning an air support operation that was to continue for 70 days.
During this period, stepped-up kamikaze raids provided several "field-days" for BENNINGTON fighter pilots.
Click on photo for a larger image.
VAR. Okinawa
6 April 1945
On April 6th, 31 Japanese planes were splashed with no loss of our aircraft.
A week later, the squadron shot down 34 planes with only one BENNINGTON pilot downed.
A rescue plane later picked him up.
Click on photo for a larger image.
 Taken from USS Hornet (CV-12) on 6 Apr 1945 - USS Bennington (CV-20); Jap dive bomber crashing into sea aft of ship |
 Taken from USS Hornet (CV-12) on 6 Apr 1945 - No information on this photo |
7 April 1945
Over 300 carrier planes went into action a gainst a Japanese task force off the tip of Kyushu on April 7th.
The main target was the huge, modern battleship, YAMATO.
BENNINGTON squadron aircraft participated in Task Force 58’s attacks on the Japanese “super” battleship.
The attacks resulted in the sinking of the YAMATO, one cruiser and four destroyers.
Click on photo for a larger image.
Attacks on the Japanese ships in the East China Sea
7 April 1945
16 April 1945
The squadron (VB-82) participated in air strikes on Okinawa and provided air support during the invasion of the island.
Click on photo for a larger image.
 Taken from USS Hornet (CV-12) on 16 Apr 1945 - USS Bennington (CV-20) and USS Massachusetts (BB-59); during battle action off Okinawa Shima |
 Splashing a Zeke |
 Splashing a Zeke |
 Splashing a Zeke |
 Splashing a Zeke |
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 Downing Jap Planes |
 Downing Jap Planes |
 Downing Jap Planes |
 Downing Jap Planes |
 Downing Jap Planes |
 Downing Jap Planes |
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Downing Jap Planes
20 April 1945
Click on photo for a larger image.
 Taken from USS Hornet (CV-12) UNREP 20 April 1945 |
 TOKUNA Air Field Tokuna Shima Rest. Nansei Shoto |
14 May 1945
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Taken from USS Hornet (CV-12) on 14 May 1945 -
Jap plane exploding after being struck by gun fire of Task Group 58-1;
USS Bennington in foreground
May 1945
Continued strikes against Okinawa and provided support during the invasion of the island.
On the 21st of May, BENNINGTON collides with a “whale”.
