(Official U.S. Navy Photo courtesy
of Curtis Grant and Allyn "Flash" Gordon)
In the front
row (starting nearest the camera) are Wasp, Yorktown, Hornet,
Hancock, and Ticondaroga; in the
row behind is the Lexington. These ships were the
epitome of the U.S. Navy's offensive power in WW II.
Never before had so much sea power been gathered at one
place in wartime.
1. Western New Guinea
Operation:
Morotai Landings, 14
September 1944
2. Marianas Operation:
Capture and Occupation of Saipan,
7 - 24 June 1944
First Bonins Raid, 15
- 16 June 1944
Battle of Philippine Sea,
19 - 20 June 1944
Capture and Occupation of Guam,
12 July - 9 August 1944
Palau, Yap, Ulithi Raid, 25 - 27 July
1944
3. Western Carolina Islands
Operation:
Capture and Occupation of S. Palau Islands,
6 September - 14 October 1944
Assaults on the Philippine Islands,
9 - 24 September 1944
4. Leyte Operation - THIRD
Fleet Supporting Operation
Okinawa Attack, 10
October 1944
Northern Luzon and Formosa Attacks, 11 - 14 October 1944
Luzon Attacks: 15, 17 - 19 October 1944;
5 - 6, 13 - 14, &
19 - 22 November 1944; and 14 - 16 December 1944
Battle of Surigao Strait,
24 - 26 October 1944
5. Luzon Operation - THIRD
Fleet Supporting Operation
Formosa Attacks, 3
- 4, 9, 15, & 21 January 1945
Luzon Attacks, 6-7
January 1945
China Coast Attacks, 12, 16 January 1945
Nansei Shoto Attack, 22
January 1945
6. Iwo Jima Operation
Fifth
Fleet Raids Against Honshu and the Nonsei Shoto,
15-16, & 25 February 1945 and 1 March 1945
Assault
and Occupation of Iwo Jima,
15 February - 4 March 1945
7. Okinawa Gunto Operation
5th & 3rd Fleet Raids in Support of Okinawa
Gunto Operation
8. Japan Operation
3rd Fleet Operations Against Japan,
26 July - 15 August 1945
1.
Wake, Marcus, 19 - 23 May 1944
2.
Marianas, Bonins, Palau, 11 June - 27 July 1944
3.
Philippines, Palau, Yap, Ryukyus, Formosa, and Luzon,
6 September - 6 November 1944
4.
Luzon, 14 - 19 November 1944 & 14 - 16 December
1944
5.
Japan Bonins, Ryukyus, 16 February - 1 March 1945
6.
Japan, 18 - 21 March 1945 & 18 July - 15 August
1945
Wasp's
Other Honors and Awards
American Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
Navy Occupation Service Medal - Europe,
26-27 November 1945
Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation Badge,
1944 - 45
Philippine Liberation Ribbon
Wasp's
World War II Statistics, 1943 - 1945
Planes Shot Down * 30
Enemy Ships Sunk * 114
Enemy Ships Damaged * 305
Tonnage of Enemy Ships Sunk or Damaged * 1,187,079
Planes Destroyed on Ground
* 411
Planes Shot Down by Ships Guns
* 16
Other Enemy Ships Probably Sunk
* 52
Sorties Flown in Combat
* 10,200
Tons of Bombs Dropped on Enemy
* 1,816
*
Enlisted Men on Board *
2,573
Officers on Board * 333
Landings on Flight Deck
* 20,110
Gallons of Fuel Consumed
* 23,876,275
Mileage Since Commissioning *
167,000
