The USS Franklin’s Fight: Courage, Tragedy, and the Will to Survive
USS Franklin (CV-13), nicknamed “Big Ben,” was an Essex-class aircraft carrier built during World War II. Commissioned on January 31, 1944, Franklin served valiantly in the Pacific Theater, earning four battle stars.
However, the tragic events of March 19, 1945, etched Franklin’s name into history. A devastating Japanese air attack nearly destroyed the carrier, resulting in the loss of over 800. Despite horrific damage, her surviving crew managed to keep Franklin afloat, making her the most heavily damaged US aircraft carrier to survive the war.
Construction and Commissioning of USS Franklin
USS Franklin was laid down on December 7, 1942, exactly one year after the attack on Pearl Harbor, at the Newport News Shipbuilding Company in Virginia. Named in honor of Founding Father Benjamin Franklin, the ship was launched on October 14, 1943, with Lieutenant Commander Mildred H. McAfee, Director of the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), as her sponsor. The carrier joined the Pacific fleet on January 31, 1944, ready for action.
Plot Points
Franklin’s Early Service in the Pacific
Franklin began her service with a shakedown cruise to Trinidad before heading to San Diego for training. By June 1944, she joined Task Group 58.2 in the Pacific, serving as the flagship for Rear Admiral Ralph E. Davison.
Her first major operation was the Mariana and Palau Islands campaign. On June 30, 1944, the carrier launched air strikes on the Bonin Islands, hitting targets on Iwo Jima. Her aircraft destroyed enemy installations, sank ships, and provided critical support for ground forces. Throughout July and August, Franklin participated in operations against Guam, Rota, and the Palau Islands.
Battle of Leyte Gulf
As Allied forces prepared to invade the Philippines, Franklin played an important role in the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944. Her aircraft inflicted heavy damage on several Japanese warships and contributed to the sinking of the battleship Musashi.
On October 30, Franklin faced her first major test when a kamikaze crashed into her flight deck, killing 56 men and wounding 60. Despite the damage, her crew managed to extinguish the fires and patch the deck 76 minutes after the strike.
Franklin proceeded to the Puget Sound Navy Yard, arriving on November 28 to repair her battle damage. En route, Captain Leslie E. Gehres took over as the carrier’s commanding officer on November 7. Gehres was a strict disciplinarian whose autocracy was disliked by many of Franklin’s crew.
Following training exercises and pilot qualification operations in February 1945, Franklin departed Pearl Harbor on March 3 to join Task Group 58.2 for strikes on the Japanese homeland in support of the Okinawa landings.
The March 19, 1945 Attack: A Catastrophic Blow
Before dawn on March 19, 1945, the USS Franklin had moved dangerously close to the Japanese mainland, just 50 miles off the coast of Honshu. After a night of relentless alerts, Captain Leslie Gehres downgraded the alert status to Condition III, allowing most of the crew to rest while gunnery teams remained at their stations.
While launching a second wave of aircraft, a single Japanese Yokosuka D4Y “Judy” dive bomber emerged from the cloud cover, unnoticed by radar. The bomber released two 550-pound semi-armor-piercing bombs before the ship’s gunners could react.
The first bomb struck the flight deck, penetrating the hangar deck before detonating and igniting massive fires across multiple decks. The second bomb hit aft, tearing through two decks and exacerbating the chaos. At the moment of impact, 31 armed and fueled aircraft were on deck, ready for launch. The resulting explosions ignited aviation fuel and detonated bombs, rockets, and ammunition, causing a chain reaction of destruction. Of the personnel in the hangar, only two survived.
Thick smoke soon engulfed the engineering spaces. Franklin was left dead in the water, engulfed by fire, and unable to communicate via radio. Captain Gehres ordered the ship’s magazines flooded, but the water mains had been destroyed by the explosions. As the situation grew increasingly dire, cruisers USS Pittsburgh and USS Santa Fe, along with several destroyers, rushed to assist. Some crew members were blown overboard or leapt into the sea to escape the flames.
Despite the overwhelming destruction, Gehres refused to abandon the ship. Sailors from the assisting vessels boarded the carrier to aid firefighting and rescue efforts.
Heroism and Survival Aboard Franklin
The devastation was staggering, claiming the lives of 807 crew members and leaving over 400 wounded, making it the deadliest incident for any surviving US carrier during the war. Amid the chaos and destruction, acts of extraordinary heroism emerged. Crew members fought valiantly to control the fires, rescue shipmates, and save Franklin from sinking.
Dr. George Fox, the ship’s surgeon, was killed while tending to the wounded, earning a posthumous Navy Cross. In total, 21 other Navy Crosses and 26 Silver Stars were awarded for bravery that day.
Two crew members received the Medal of Honor for their valor.
Lieutenant Commander Joseph T. O’Callahan, a Jesuit priest and the ship’s chaplain, moved through smoke-filled decks, administering last rites, comforting the wounded, and leading firefighting efforts. His calm leadership inspired those around him.
Lieutenant Donald A. Gary led trapped sailors to safety through narrow, smoke-choked passageways, saving countless lives.
The fires destroyed 59 aircraft—Corsairs, Avengers, Helldivers, and Hellcats—and left Franklin listing heavily. With assistance from Santa Fe and Pittsburgh, the carrier stabilized. After six grueling hours of firefighting, partial power was restored, and Franklin managed to steam at 25 knots using two of her four screws. The remaining aircraft in the air landed on other carriers within the task group.
Return and Controversy
Under her own power, Franklin proceeded to Ulithi Atoll for emergency repairs. From there, she sailed to Pearl Harbor for additional temporary repairs. As per standard procedure, a civilian harbor pilot came aboard to assist in navigating the carrier to the dock. However, Captain Gehres refused the pilot’s help, declaring he would “take her in” himself. Gehres maneuvered Franklin into the dock too quickly, resulting in a collision. Embarrassed by the incident, he blamed the mooring crew for the crash.
After temporary repairs in Pearl Harbor, the Franklin continued her journey through the Panama Canal to the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York, arriving on April 28, 1945. She had to travel to the East Coast because West Coast shipyards were overwhelmed.
Upon arrival in New York, Captain Gehres accused many sailors who left the ship during the March 19, 1945 attack of desertion, even though they had jumped overboard to escape certain death from the raging fires. Some believed an “abandon ship” order had been given.
During the journey from Ulithi to Pearl Harbor, Gehres honored 704 crew members as part of the “Big Ben 704 Club” for staying aboard during the crisis. However, investigators found that only about 400 sailors had remained continuously aboard the carrier; the rest had reboarded before or during the stop at Ulithi. Eventually, all desertion charges were quietly dropped.
Captain Gehres was relieved of command in July 1945 and reassigned to Naval Air Station San Diego. He later retired with the rank of rear admiral. Despite the severe damage, the ship was restored to good condition.
Reliable Thoughts
The story of the USS Franklin is one of tragedy, resilience, and controversy. The ship endured devastating attacks, extraordinary loss of life, and near destruction, yet managed to survive through the determination and heroism of her crew.
At the same time, Franklin’s legacy is clouded by the questionable leadership of Captain Gehres, whose accusations of desertion against his men reflected a failure to understand the chaotic reality of the attack. Despite this controversy, the crew’s collective effort to save their ship and each other deserves recognition and respect.
Franklin’s survival against all odds is a testament to the courage, sacrifice, and perseverance that characterized the US Navy in World War II. Her story reminds us of the human cost of war and the unbreakable spirit of those who serve.
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