Historical accounts of the Franklin often refer to her as “The Ship That Wouldn’t Die”. Two separate attacks that occurred in October 1944 and in March 1945 illustrate how she earned this name. The first occurred on October 30, 1944. On this day, the Franklin was attacked by three Japanese kamikaze bombers. One bomber struck her starboard side; the second hit the flight deck and caused significant damage, killing 56 men and wounding 60. The third plane narrowly missed the Franklin before crashing into another nearby ship.
After that attack, the ship returned to the West Coast where it was quickly repaired. The Franklin then joined Task Group 58 for airstrikes on the Japanese homeland in support of the Okinawa landings. The Franklin was within 52 miles of Japan when, on the morning of March 19, 1945, a lone Japanese bomber evaded detection and dropped two 500-pound, armor piercing bombs on its flight deck. The bombs penetrated the flight deck and exploded in the gallery deck below. Hundreds of sailors that were in line for breakfast below deck were instantly killed. The ensuing fires spread to the hanger deck where airplane fuel and ordinance exploded. The devastation that followed killed 807 brave men; 487 were wounded. Many others were forced overboard by the fire and explosions. It took over six hours to bring the fires under control. Through the heroic actions of her crew and the grace of God the Franklin survived.
The story of the ship and crew’s incredible survival is documented in the movie, “U.S.S. Franklin: Honor Restored”. This 72-minute documentary can be viewed on YouTube (Actual navy footage of the March 1945 attack on the Franklin begins about 24 minutes into this movie.)
I first learned about the U.S.S. Franklin through photos and newspaper clippings that my grandmother had saved in a scrapbook. Later, in his retirement years, my father wrote a book about his WWII experiences to help preserve those memories for his children and grandchildren. His accounts remind us of the exhilaration of new discovery and the adventuresome spirit of youth. They also remind us of the tragedy of war and the many sacrifices made by all who were touched by World War II. We are thankful for these memories of the past because they serve as powerful reminders of the price that was paid for the wonderful freedoms that we enjoy today.
– James J. Erredge (Son) written on Nov 3, 2016
