The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-07-31
AirGroup
SetsMark
In Pacific

CHARLESTON, S. c., July 80.
- R IF it's in the central or
south Pacific, then we've b e e n
there" say three naval airmen
from the Sixth naval district who
with other members of Air Group
a have just been relieved after
serving aboard a fast light air.
craft carrier since August, 1913
a record for continuous combat
duty by any air group in the Pa
eific.
1t. Robert Page Ross of Lii
Ington, N. c., led the squadron
flights on all detectives Of the
group during its ten months OF &C.
ton, beginning with the occupation
Of Baker island the last day OF
last August up to and including
the current Saipan actions. He has
shot down three planes and shares
credit with another pilot for a
fourth one.
1t. Ross, who was a member
of the first CAA flight class at
North Carolina State college, has
been decorated with the Distin-
guished Flying Cross, the Air S1nd-
al and the Purple Heart. His IA
Their is Charles Ross, chairman OF
the North Carolina state highway
commission, and his wife, Mrs.
Annette Stewart Ross, lives at Cor
pus Christi, Texas.
The air medal has been award
ed to Ensign Isaiah L. Smith, Jr..
of Jacksonville, Fla, for repeated
strafing of Orote field, Guam, in
the face of intense anti-aircraft.
Edward Louis York, aviation ra-
dioman, first class, son of Grady
York of 215 N. Edeworth Street,
Greensboro, N. c., who was a
member of Torpedo Squadron "a,
also wears the Air medal.
The air group is the first to re-
turn from participation in the bat
tie of the eastern Philippines on
June 20, during which the Japa-
nese lost a carrier, two tankers,
had a destroyer sunk, and had
four more carriers, a battleship,
three tankers damaged in their fu-
three tankers damagd in thir fu-
til attempt to save Saipan fr '--4
capture.
When the Nays task force So
came within long range striking
distarce-25O miles-of the fleeing
Jap fleet and the order was given
to man planes and attack, air
group "a had only four torpedo
planes available - the rest being
engaged in other operations. TAX
ing off with six fighter planes of
the group, they were all aware Of
tn extraordinary hazards involv-
ed. The attack had to be launched
Immediately because the Japs
were on the move. It was late
which meant that they
would have to find their way back
to their carriers and land on the
narrow decks in the blackness of
the night, with perhaps but a mea-
ger supply of gasoline.
Notwithstanding, Air Group "a
planes flet to the i enemy fleet
which was divided into three
groups, one comprised mainly Of
tankers and the other two were Of
carrier task groups. Three Of the
torpedo planes famed out to ap-
proach their target-a $4,000 ton
carrier-from as many different
angles so that no matter which
way she turned, she could escape
their torpedoes. A storm of anti
aircraft fire burst around the
planes but their torpedoes hit
home, sending large columns of
black smoke and fire high into the
air. Darkness came and the car
rier was listing badly and when
a vessel standing by in the vicinity
swept the water with its search
lights, it's beam did not pick up
the carrier.
The pilot of the fourth torpedo
TON AV,c nATTEnN