JUNE 18, 1944
U.S.S. GAMBlER BAY (CVE-73)

1630 - Air Department at flight quarters, manned & ready.

1634 - Communications reported manned & ready.

1634 - Gunnery -------ditto

1634 - Navigation -----ditto

1634 - Engineering---- ditto

1635 - 0 & R--------- ditto

1635 - Medical------- ditto

1635 - Supply-------- ditto

1635 - All departments reported manned and ready for General Quarters - time five minutes.

1635 - Bogey at 190 - 71 miles.
            Bogey at 231 - 38 miles.

1636 - Bogey at 215 - 43 miles.

1637 - Friendly aircraft 169 - 29 miles.

1638 - Bogey at 225 - 39 miles. Launched CAP - 5 fighters.

1640 - Bogey bearing 225 - course 020.
           Mustache directed to take over fighter control- by Slide Rule.
           Bogey at 208 - 48 miles.
           Bogey at 230 - 31 to 34 miles.

1641 - Talleyho group st 230 - 30 miles.

1642 - Talleyho group at 230 - 30 miles appears to be 35 planes.

1642 - Big raid is followed by six Bettys.

1643 - 12 Tony's and 6 Betties at 260 - 29 miles at 12 thousand feet.

1643 - Night Hawk directed by Fighter Control (Mustache) to launch available fighters as soon as possible.

1644 - Bogey at 235 - 34 miles.

1644 - Bogey crossing at 195 - 35 miles.

1645 - Bogey coming in at 095 - 25 miles.

1646 - Friendly aircraft at 190 - 22 miles.
           Bogey at 200 - 40 miles.
           Raid #2- 195 - 25 miles.
                   #3- 235 - 15 miles.
                   #4- 155 - 25 miles.
                   #1- 225 - ---------

1648 - Watch for low flying planes using flimsies.

1649 - Merged plot at 225 - 23 miles.

1650 - None of bogies within 20 miles so far as can be seen on screen. (CIC) ,

1653 - CORREGIDOR launching CAP - 6 planes.

1653 - Bogey at 196 - 36 miles.

1653 - Bogey at 200 - 40 miles.
           Bogies coming in at 230 - 60 to 70 miles.

1655 - Oak #1 reports 20 minutes gas, coming in to land.

1655 - Bogey at 247 - 24 miles.

1656 - (Mustache) Raid apparently dispersed and turning back, also indication of split indicating bombing and torpedo attack.

1657 - Twelve Tony's and six Betties turned back. CORAL SEA fighters have shot down three (3) enemy fighters.

1700 - Bogey at 150 - 25 miles.

1702 1/2 - Emergency Turn #1.

1703 - Bogey at 160 - 20 miles. Bogey raid at 165 - 22 miles.

1704 - Bogey at 172 - 32 miles. Raid coming in 148 - 8 miles. (12 planes). Raid is coming in low.

1705 - Emergency turn #6. Two to three planes bearing 170 - 19 miles coming in.

1706 - Bogey at 200 - 18 miles.

1707 - Oak # 1 returning to base.
                         (Mustache) Raid #3 at 195 - 18 miles.
                                           Raid #5 at 8 miles coming in low.
                          Bogey at 260 - 35 miles.
                          Bogey split at 180 - 14 miles, 1 group bearing 180 the other at 200.

1708 - (Mustache) Friendly planes stacking up overhead to stop raids.

1708 - Emergency turn #6.
           Raid #3 at 210 - 14 miles.
           Bogey now 10 miles at 200, apparently doing sixty (60) knots,

1709 - Believe two raids coming in at 2000 .
           Raid coming in at 200 - 8 miles.

1710 - Raid now at 4 miles. (Later reported friendly).

1713 - Emergency turn #6.

1715 - Raids openIng.

1718 - No bogey indication at present except TBF's flying in screen. (CIC).

1719 - Very large bogey at 195 - 101 miles.

1721 - Landing one TBM on board ship. (Did not land).

1722 - Bogey at 265 - 58 miles.

1722 - Bogey at 240 - 8 miles.

1723 - (Captain's order to Air Plot) Get our low flying planes up in air
            raid coming in at 8 miles.

1724 - Emergency turn #6.
           Bogey crossing at 270 -57 miles.
           Raid #2 at 230 - 7 miles.

1725 - Emergency Turn #6.
           Oak #1 has eight (8) gallons of gas will have to keep clear.

1726 - Raid #2 may be friendly. --- Cancel Raid #2 (Fighter Director Control- Mustache).

1727 - Emergency Turn #6.

1728 - Holster ordered to land Oak # 1.

1730 - Bogey at 190 - 60 to 70 miles.

1733 - Raid of 20 planes at 125 - 60 miles on course 120.

1733 -- 1738 Landed seven (7) fighters.

1740 - Emergency turn #6.

1740 - Bogies at 165 - 41 miles.

1741 - Bogies at 158 - 38 to 41 miles.

1741 ½ - Emergency #3 turn.

1742 - Bogies at 155 - 55 to 59 miles.

1742 - Raid #1, 165 - 35 miles.

1743 - Emergency #3 turn.

1743 ½ - Raid #1 has split -- 1 group bearing 155 - 35 miles.
                                              1 group bearing 155 - 36 miles.

1745 - Bogey at 150 - 33 to 37 miles, has not merged, into merged plot.

1747 - Ta1leyho at 35 miles -- don't know group of fighters.

1750 - CORAL SEA fighters have intercepted 6 planes.

1752 - Bogies at 140 - 17 miles and 20 miles. Emergency turn #6.

1752 - Bogie at 150 - 15 to 20 miles (12 Tony's and 9 Betties).

1753 - Emergency turn #9. 1754 - Planes coming in - 5 of them.

1755 - Attack coming in on starboard side of ship (starboard beam). Frances appears to be in direct line with bridge coming in fast and very low with port engine bursting into flame as it gains elevation and crosses ship just above bridge, appears to be diving into CORAL SEA, crashes into sea port side of CORAL  SEA. Frances coming in directly across our bow, forward guns appeared to be pumping shells directly into fuselage, plane smoking. This plane downed, crashed in sea on port side. Plane coming in ahead of destroyer crossing bow dead ahead, fighter being launched from this ship appears to have put a burst of fire into this Betty, plane crashes on port side. "Attack was low on flank of this ship, and one fish was observed dropped on starboard beam." One fish was observed dropped on starboard beam of CORAL SEA, this fish landed tail down, skipped and nose dived. Destroyer downed one Betty, destroyer was on starboard quarter of this ship. Attach and firing completed in 2 ½ minutes - four planes downed, fifth plane failed to press home attack.

1800 - One plane coming in for water landing.

1803 - Fighter coming for water landing, crashed in sea dead ahead.

1806 - Three planes in bogey at 168 - 30 miles.
           Bogey at 270 - 32 miles.

1807 ½ - Emergency #9 turn.

1808 - Bogies at 105 - 23 miles.

1810 - (mustache) Expect low flying attack within next three minutes.

1813 - Slide Rule from Dead Lock -- A few of our chickens need supplies to continue good work.
           Hello Dead Lock, this is Slide Rule. Right now is the time to take them aboard. Deadlock            acknowledged.

1822 - Deadlock began landing CAP.

1827 - Bogey over and west ofTimian. 1830 - Ensign shot down Betty right after attack.

1835 - DUGAN now coming down.

1844 ½ - Bogey coming in may be friendly with IFF weak or out.

1845 - Bogey turned into friendly, coming in at 7 miles 040.

1847 - Bogey 277 - 62 miles.

1850 - Unloaded 5" gun.

1853 - Bogey 265 - 61 miles.

1854 - Only bogey on screen is now over Timian.

1855 - Execute turn #1.

1904 - Water landing made by KITKUN BAY plane dead ahead, destroyer moving in to rescue pilot.

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