PHOTO GALLERY
USS BENNINGTON CV-20 - 14 MAY 1945
There has been a lot of comment on this photo.
Some new information has come to my attention
and it is posted near the bottom of the page below.
Lonnie Whittaker
Webmaster USS-BENNINGTON.ORG
September 25, 2009
Link to new information below
US NAVY PHOTO 103-3
NAVY GUNS EXPLODE KAMIKAZE IN MID-AIR OVER CARRIER
USS BENNINGTON, IT'S TARGET. PHOTO FROM USS WASP
USS BENNINGTON
CV-20
14 MAY 1945
Found and Sent By:
Joe Pires
From:
http://www.voodoo.cz/ww2car/pics/benn1.jpg
ALSO From:
Subject:
USS Bennington pic
Date:
Thu, 21 Sep 2000 13:06:19 -0400
From:
nascar3 -nascar3@oburg.net-
Organization:
oburg.net
To:
bennington@uss-bennington.org
Did not know if you would be interested in this picture of the
USS Bennington.
This picture came from my fathers' WW2 Navy memoirs.
He served aboard the USS Independence CVL-22.
Paul
Subject:
Web site photo information
Date:
Mon, 18 Dec 2000 08:56:44 -0800 (PST)
From:
Mike Joseph -MJoseph317@excite.com-
To:
info@uss-bennington.org
Hello,
My name is Mike Joseph & I am the son of a deceased memeber of the USS Bennington (CV20), Edward Joseph. Dad served on the good ship from her maiden voyage until discharge from war duites in 1946. I routinely visit the web site & love it! Dad would've also.
In viewing the photo gallery, the picture entitled "Feb 26, 1945," showing a Kamikaze taking a direct hit from Bennington 5" guns; I have two books with different information. When dad was discharged from duty (April, 1946), he was given a book which is believed to have been published by the ships printers; Our public library knows of only two copies or three copies in the country. This book dates the event as 14 May 1945 @ 0659 hours. While there is no picture, the books desription matches. Further, the picture & discripton was published in the book "Action in the Pacific; As seen by US Navy Photographers during World War 2." Authored by Larry Sowinski and published by Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland 21402. In this book, it lists the carrier which the photographer is on as the Hornet, not the Wasp. It appears on Page 183.
During the period 25 & 26 February, Dad's book descibes the Bennington "ganging up" with the entire task force off the coast of Tokyo, but the weather over the target was poor & attacks were cancelled. 1 March found the Bennington hitting Okinawa before moving to Ulithi from 4 March to 14 March for R & R.
As mentioned I have this book as well as some "Busy B" issues.
Looking forward to your reply,
Mike Joseph
513-661-9033 Home
513-368-7107 Cell
From: Kelle Metz [kmetz268@olywa.net]
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2003 11:30 AM
To: info@uss-bennington.org
Subject: 26 Februay 1945 Photo
Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged
Hello--
I too am having some problem with the date on the photo discussed below by Mike Joseph. I am currently doing a chronological history of my father and his service on the Bennington.
I show that there was no Kamikaze attack on the Benny during February in any of the historical data I have on the ship.
I think that this picture may have been taken in March of 1945 as stated on page 10 of the USS Bennington CV-20, (WWII) Cruise book, "The Bennington headed north again on 14 March and the 18th found us again playing left end for the entire Force, closest carrier to land and only 80 miles off Kyushu on the Japanese mainland. . . . The day's first strike of 16 Corsairs, slated to go against Kanoya East Airfield, was warming up engines when Bennington gunners got their first "kill".
A two-engined Betty flew in low over the screen. . . .
All starboard machine guns which could train opened up with a murderous fire and the Betty hit the sea 200 yards from our starboard beam in a great ball of orange flame."
From this it seems that the first plane shot down by the Bennington was in the month of March 1945, thus eliminating any possible February date for the picture.
:-) Kelle Metz
HOWDY Kelle,
I don't disagree, but the caption, I believe, came from what was on the filed US Navy photo.
That was one of the most publicized pictures of the Bennington during WWII.
It seems to have appeared in several news papers across the country and several published books.
Given the license that some writers and editors take when they print
and publish the "FACTS", it may be that by the time the
Department of the Nave filed the picture, "US NAVY PHOTO 103-3 ",
they adopted the "ASSUMED TRUTH" of the printed and published information.
Thanks for your input
Lonnie Whittaker ( Lonnie@uss-bennington.org )
ETR-3 OE Div.
Oct. 1964 - Dec. 1966
Webmaster WWW.USS-BENNINGTON.ORG
---------------------
For a web site that works:
WWW.LPWE.COM
Lt. Roy M. Huffington, USS Hornet (CV-12)
Log Entries From James F Brady WWII Log Book
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Jap plane exploding after being struck by gun fire of Task Group 58-1 USS Bennington in foreground Three Photo Series 
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