On 16-17 February 1944, a violent
two-day aerial assault by carrier-borne aircraft of Task Force
58 wreaked havoc upon the Japanese stronghold of Truk, in the
South Pacific. In just two days the US Navy flyers sank over
200,000 tons of Japanese naval shipping and destroyed an estimated
275 enemy aircraft, totally eliminating all effectiveness of
the Japanese base. Here we see Hellcats of VF6 as they hurtle
across Truk lagoon at masthead height with guns blazing, in the
foreground is the F6F-3 of
Lt. Alex Vraciu, subsequently to become one of the Navy’s
top guns. |