Evening star., 1945-01-23
Jeep Carriers Prove
Worth in Pacific
Combat Tests
1y the Associsted press.

LUzON ISLAND, Philippines
Jan 23.-America's newest offensive
weapon In the Pacific has passed its
final test. The weapon Is the COM
monplace, comparatively cheap,
quickly built little escort carrier.
There is a whole fleet of them
In conbat-not just convoying-in
the Pacific now under command of
Rear Admiral Calvin T. Durgin of
Palmyra, N. Y.
Never designed for anything but
conveying ships and ferrying planes,
the eve has come of age.
They plunged hotly and success
fully into the Luzon assault after
fighting of vicious Japanese air
attacks on our huge conveys en-
route.
Although they are slower and
much more vulnerable than big
Essex class carriers, nearly all of
them were able to continue on the
job protecting our ships and strik-
ing hard at the enemy in the air
and ashore.
4,a10 SOrtleS IN IL Days.
Most of their 4,478 sorties in the
i2-day action were convoy protec-
ton. Yet despite the big task of
covering hundreds of ships, their
planes also:
Destroyed IA ammunition dumps
and damaged one, destroyed 81 fuel
dumps, destroyed one supply dump
and damaged five, destroyed 107
buildings and damaged II, destroyed
237 military trucks and damaged
98, destroyed or damaged IL tanks
destroyed six bridges and damaged
eight, destroyed seven armored cars
and a half dozen railroad cars, de-
stroyed pillboxes and strafed and
bombed enemy troop concentrations
and artillery positions.
In an area where ground resist
ance is slight, that's a lot of dam
age.
In Lingayen Gulf, where the
Yanks landed on Luzon, the escort
carriers sank 80 small craft and
probably 81 others, and damaged S.
And In the air and aground more
than 100 japanese planes were de-
stroyed. The carriers own plane
losses have been only 18.
Many jeep carriers are still busy
ferrying or conveying. Yet an in
creasing number-several groups to
date-are being used for combat un-
der Admiral Durgin, who commands
all cOfnbatant CEVS' activities in
the Pacific.
Thus the big class carrier force in
the Sd and 5th Fleets now has
counterpo, in the new jeep force.
Like BIZ carriers, the jeep group
can operate separately or united in
one big striking force. They proved
their seaworthiness in the Atlantic
and in the stormy South China Sea
where iron sides buckled and doomed
under the impact of 4o-foot waves.
Flight decks roll and pitch, but sur
prisingly few landing accidents oc-
cur. Several have come through
typhoons, although sometimes even
ordinary storms inf1ict minor dam
age. -...---.-. .+
One of the jeeps' principal values
is to permit dispensing of forces
so no one attack can wipe out all.
Let one bomb strike an Essex class
flight deck and scores of planes are
rendered irnmovable until the dam
age is repaired. Let the same bomb
hit a jeep and less than half as
many planes are made idle.
Speed in Emergency.
Also, as the admiral pointed out,
two jeeps can launch planes twice
as quickly as one big fight deck in
emergencies.
The admiral and his staff are
under no illusions about the jeep
force, however. They realize the vul-
nerability inherent in every small
ship. Although caution took a back
seat for the Luzon assault, the ad-
miral acknowledges that caution