Story of Lewis Alexander Hunsaker
USS White Plains CVE-66
USS White Plains CVE-66
Story told by Lewis Alexander Hunsaker
To Mark C. Hunsaker (his son)
I (Mark C. Hunsaker) am telling this story, that was told to me by my Father (Lewis A. Hunsaker). Who did not record this in his own words. I feel that it is important to retell it in writing before it is lost forever, to his family and those that follow after his death on 18 February 20, 2016. I write this in order to honor my father and those that he served with.
I will try to tell this as if my father was telling it, so when you read I it is as if Lewis Hunsaker is talking.
This story takes place during the Battle of Leyte Gulf,
23 - 26 October 1944.
23 - 26 October 1944.
I remember standing on the deck of the ship, all of the planes were off the carrier, fighting the Japanese, in defense of the fleet. There were 4 other jeep carriers with us. A jeep carrier was the smallest carrier in the navy, the White Plains was also a jeep carrier. We also had the escort destroyers with us. I remember looking out over the horizon, it was starting to get dark. You could see the flames from the Japanese Battelships and Destroyers, as they would fire their guns at us. I was kind of standing alone on the deck of the carrier with a hopeless feeling. Because it looked like the whole Japanese fleet was after our group of ships. The carrier was in a zig zagging pattern, and the only time that we would straighten out was to have a plane land to be refueled and loaded with armament, and then to take off. We had taken some damage from the shells hitting on one side of the ship, that it bowed the ship. So the only elevator on the carrier had been damaged so we could no longer, refuel and load planes. The Destroyers had also left I guess to try an attack on the Japanese ships. So it was down to just the five Jeep carriers, and the White Plains had nothing to fight with but our antiaircraft guns. Again I found myself alone on the deck of the carrier alone, watching a great battle all around. When I realized that a small group of shipmates had gathered behind me. I did not turn around to recognize them. I heard them talking among themselves. One of them came forward, and called to me. Saying “Lew”. I said “Yea what do you want”. Sailor “Well the guys and I have been talking. We have noticed that you don’t smoke, and when on leave you don’t go to the bars, and drink, and you don’t chase women."
I said again, “Yea, so what do you want”. Sailor: “Well we'd like to know, are you a religious man?” I said, “I guess you could say that”. Sailor: “Well the Guys and I would like to know if you could say a word of prayer for us”. I said “What do you think I’ve been doing out here. But if you guys would like to come out here, and join me, I’ll say another for us all to hear. They all came out took their hats off and knelt down around me as I offered a prayer.
This kamikaze apparently "expected to land on the after end of the flight deck." CAPT Sullivan, White Plains commanding officer, avoided a direct hit by ordering a hard turn to starboard: the plane and its bomb exploded just off the port side of the carrier and caused only minor damage; eleven men were injured, none seriously. |
The following is an excerpt from Wikipedia:
Yamato opened fire at 0659 at an estimated range of 34,544 yards, (19.6 miles) targeting the White Plains with her first four salvoes. Yamato's third salvo was a close straddle landing at 07:04. One shell from this salvo exploded beneath the turn of White Plains port bilge near frame 142, near her aft (starboard) engine room. While the ship was not struck directly, the mining effect of the under-keel explosion severely damaged her hull, deranged her starboard machinery and tripped all of the circuit breakers in her electrical network. Prompt and effective damage control restored power and communications within three minutes and she was able to remain in formation by over speeding her port engine to compensate. Fortunately the black smoke resulting from the sudden loss of boiler intake air pressure convinced Yamato and the Nagato, which was also firing her main battery at White Plains at the time, that they had scored a direct hit and they shifted fire to other targets.[1] For the next two and one-half hours, the Japanese force chased "Taffy 3" southward and subjected the escort carriers and their counterattacking screen to a heavy-caliber cannonade. The aircraft carriers' warplanes fought back, even making dummy runs on the Japanese ships to slow the ships' speed of advance after expending all their bombs, torpedoes, and ammunition. During their counterattacks, the USS Johnston, Hoel, and Samuel B. Roberts were sunk by gunfire. Later, USS Gambier Bay was sunk by gunfire as well, while USS Fanshaw Bay, USS Kalinin Bay, Dennis, and Heermann suffered heavy damage.
During the surface phase of the action White Plains's 5-inch gun crew claimed six hits on heavy cruiser Chōkai,[2] causing its eight deck-mounted Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes to explode. The explosion crippled Chōkai, making it vulnerable to air attack. Chōkai was later sunk by planes from Ommaney Bay (CVE-79), an escort carrier of Taffy 2. However, Haguro's detailed action report states that Chokai's immobilizing damage resulted from a bomb hit at 0851,[3] so while this claim is plausible it is not verified by Japanese sources.
The Japanese surface force broke off its pursuit from 0912–0917 hours, and after milling around in apparent confusion for a time, retired northward to San Bernardino Strait. The retreat by Kurita's surface force, however, did not end the ordeal for White Plains and her fellow warships. After a 90-minute respite, they suffered harassment from a different quarter. At 1050 hours, a formation of nine Japanese Navy Zeke fighters appeared and began simultaneous kamikaze attacks. Two of them singled out White Plains as their victim. Her antiaircraft gunners responded, hitting one of the intruders, which immediately changed course and crashed into USS St. Lo, which eventually sank. The other aircraft continued on toward White Plains, but her antiaircraft guns finally brought him down yards astern, scattering debris all over the ship's deck and sides, but causing only 11 relatively minor casualties.[4] In the meantime, USS Kitkun Bay and USS Kalinin Bay also suffered from kamikaze crashes, but neither of these proved to be fatal to the carriers. That attack proved to be the final combat action of USS White Plains. She steamed to the naval base at Manus with the other surviving carriers, arriving on 31 October. After an inspection of the damage, it was decided that the battered escort carrier should return to the United States for complete repairs. Accordingly, she departed from Manus on 6 November and headed to the West Coast, arriving at San Diego Harbor on 27 November; repairs began immediately.
The following is an excerpt from Wikipedia:
Yamato opened fire at 0659 at an estimated range of 34,544 yards, (19.6 miles) targeting the White Plains with her first four salvoes. Yamato's third salvo was a close straddle landing at 07:04. One shell from this salvo exploded beneath the turn of White Plains port bilge near frame 142, near her aft (starboard) engine room. While the ship was not struck directly, the mining effect of the under-keel explosion severely damaged her hull, deranged her starboard machinery and tripped all of the circuit breakers in her electrical network. Prompt and effective damage control restored power and communications within three minutes and she was able to remain in formation by over speeding her port engine to compensate. Fortunately the black smoke resulting from the sudden loss of boiler intake air pressure convinced Yamato and the Nagato, which was also firing her main battery at White Plains at the time, that they had scored a direct hit and they shifted fire to other targets.[1] For the next two and one-half hours, the Japanese force chased "Taffy 3" southward and subjected the escort carriers and their counterattacking screen to a heavy-caliber cannonade. The aircraft carriers' warplanes fought back, even making dummy runs on the Japanese ships to slow the ships' speed of advance after expending all their bombs, torpedoes, and ammunition. During their counterattacks, the USS Johnston, Hoel, and Samuel B. Roberts were sunk by gunfire. Later, USS Gambier Bay was sunk by gunfire as well, while USS Fanshaw Bay, USS Kalinin Bay, Dennis, and Heermann suffered heavy damage.
During the surface phase of the action White Plains's 5-inch gun crew claimed six hits on heavy cruiser Chōkai,[2] causing its eight deck-mounted Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes to explode. The explosion crippled Chōkai, making it vulnerable to air attack. Chōkai was later sunk by planes from Ommaney Bay (CVE-79), an escort carrier of Taffy 2. However, Haguro's detailed action report states that Chokai's immobilizing damage resulted from a bomb hit at 0851,[3] so while this claim is plausible it is not verified by Japanese sources.
The Japanese surface force broke off its pursuit from 0912–0917 hours, and after milling around in apparent confusion for a time, retired northward to San Bernardino Strait. The retreat by Kurita's surface force, however, did not end the ordeal for White Plains and her fellow warships. After a 90-minute respite, they suffered harassment from a different quarter. At 1050 hours, a formation of nine Japanese Navy Zeke fighters appeared and began simultaneous kamikaze attacks. Two of them singled out White Plains as their victim. Her antiaircraft gunners responded, hitting one of the intruders, which immediately changed course and crashed into USS St. Lo, which eventually sank. The other aircraft continued on toward White Plains, but her antiaircraft guns finally brought him down yards astern, scattering debris all over the ship's deck and sides, but causing only 11 relatively minor casualties.[4] In the meantime, USS Kitkun Bay and USS Kalinin Bay also suffered from kamikaze crashes, but neither of these proved to be fatal to the carriers. That attack proved to be the final combat action of USS White Plains. She steamed to the naval base at Manus with the other surviving carriers, arriving on 31 October. After an inspection of the damage, it was decided that the battered escort carrier should return to the United States for complete repairs. Accordingly, she departed from Manus on 6 November and headed to the West Coast, arriving at San Diego Harbor on 27 November; repairs began immediately.