1000 Word Excerpt

Permission was asked to open fire and quickly granted. The five main guns roared as one as salvo after salvo blasted out at the oncoming plane. Everyone topside felt their pulse quicken from a combination of concussion from the main guns and the realization that this was an enemy plane aimed straight at the Callaghan.

The enemy plane was believed to be a torpedo plane as someone said it was carrying a torpedo underneath. After 20 seconds of steady firing the plane suddenly disintegrated from a direct hit. Cheers broke out from some of the sailors who were witnessing their first "kill."

A second plane was spotted at about 3000 feet altitude and fire control switched to it. The plane, identified as a "Judy" dive bomber, was tracked for about ten seconds before the main guns opened up on it. The plane immediately went into a dive causing the gun boss to assume it had been hit. A cease fire was ordered and the guns quit again.

Many of the spectators began to realize that not all the planes out there were Japanese. Two Wildcats were observed following the Judy that the Callaghan had just fired on. Howard Gray, one of the quartermasters assigned to the aft navigation platform, wondered how the Wildcats could possibly come through all that gunfire without getting hit.

The Judy closed to about 2000 yards from the Callaghan and then reversed course with the two Wildcats right behind. At this point the forward 40mm mount on the starboard side opened fire on this plane and continued until the plane flew out of its arc of fire. The two Wildcats were observed at this moment to fire a final burst on the "Judy" and then zoom up out of the fight leaving it to the Callaghan. The mid ship 40mm (mount 43), the aft 40mm (mount 45) and the starboard 20mm's all opened up on the fleeing plane. Fifteen seconds later it burst into flame and crashed into the sea. Credit for this success went to the 40mm guns.

With scarcely time for a breather, a third aircraft was spotted by crewmen on the Port side of the ship and it was taken under fire by the Port midship 40mm (mount 41). Mount 41 stayed on this plane blazing away for 30 seconds when the plane suddenly crashed into the sea about 1500 yards away from the Callaghan.

At the same time this was happening, a Judy was spotted pulling out from a dive over the carrier Fanshaw Bay. The Judy was trailing a faint trail of smoke or oil and flew by between the carriers and the Callaghan. The 40mm mount 42 fired off four rounds but had to quit because the Judy flew in front of the White Plains. Mount 44 fired 12 rounds but had to stop for the same reason. The port 20mm guns then opened up on it because the short range 20mm rounds would fall into the sea before hitting the carrier over 2000 yards away. They pumped out 256 rounds before the plane winged over and crashed into the sea astern of the Callaghan.

Another ship opened fire on a plane that was about 3000 yards away and flying close to the water. Observing this mount 45 was quick to join the action and opened up as well. A little too quick as machine gun control recognized the plane as one of our Wildcats and had to do some yelling to get mount 45 to cease fire. Luckily only a dozen rounds went out toward the plane. 5" mount number five added a couple of its rounds as well under local control before it too was stopped.

It was over. After 15 minutes or so of tense scanning of the skies the men began to relax a little. The Callaghan men had finally accomplished what all those months of training and pseudo combat had been aimed at. Along with the aggressive Wildcat pilots, they had defeated the enemy. The Callaghan was now a proud combat veteran with a record that would continue to build.

But first there was a problem to handle. The Fanshaw Bay had been hit by that Judy that dove on it. The hit was a serious one and the Fanshaw Bay was crippled. The job of guarding and assisting the Fanshaw Bay was given to the Callaghan.

Night had fallen while the rest of the task group steamed off, the Fanshaw Bay gradually slowed down and took on a list. Worried officers and men aboard the Callaghan watched both the carrier and the skies. If any Japanese planes returned to the scene of the action, the first thing they would do is attack the crippled carrier.

Captain Johnson gave orders which sent the Callaghan into a tight maneuver around the Fanshaw Bay. Meanwhile the Fanshaw Bay's Wildcats in the air had to be diverted to another carrier. As 40mm gun crews began to clear away empty shell casings from around their mounts, a discussion aboard the bridge of the Callaghan centered around what to do if the Fanshaw Bay needed direct assistance with fire fighting or the removal of wounded. The mood had changed rapidly from euphoria to one of tension and worry.