Comes with C.O.A.

*ORDER GIVEN TO ATTACK ANY SUBMARINES SPOTTED WITHOUT NOTICE. USN VESSELS ENTERING THE AREA OF OKINAWA. US AIRCRAFT MISSIONS OPERATIONS IN AND AROUND IWO JIMA AND OKINAWA. SOLOMON AND NEW GUINEA JAPANES FORCE PROJECTIONS. GIVES RARE ACCOUNT OF INTEL FROM A CAPTURED JAPANESE SOLDIER.

This rare museum-grade USS Hornet USN Pacific Theater combat report memorandum was printed on the USS Hornet during one of the most intensive air, naval, and land operations in the Pacific Theater. These memorandums were for high-ranking officers to provide them with the most updated intelligence. These memorandums contain confidential and secret information and provide the most updated information on battles in operations in the area.

This memorandum was effective at 16:00 April 12 to 1600 April 13, 1945 during which the USS Hornet participated in the Ryūkyū Islands Campaign (Jan-Jun 1945) and Operation Iceberg (Okinawa Gunto Operation) beginning on April 1st, 1945.

On 25 April 1944, Rear Admiral Frank D. Wagner formed Carrier Division Five when he assumed command aboard USS Wasp and USS Hornet in Pearl Harbor. Rear Admiral Joseph J. Clark succeeded Wagner and commanded the division through 12 months of sustained combat operations in the Western Pacific and waters surrounding Japan, working for both Third Fleet (ADM William Halsey) and Fifth Fleet (ADM Raymond Spruance). This included participation in the First and Second Philippine Sea Battles and the Iwo Jima and Okinawa campaigns. Clark was succeeded by Rear Admiral Arthur C. Davis in July 1945.

Dated April 1945 this original combat report provides an extremely rare look at offensive strikes carried out against the Japanese forces in the Pacific Theater by the Carrier Strike Force. These reports detail some of the most famous battles and offensives of the Pacific and were meant to inform high command and officers for future strategic combat decisions.

USS Hornet WWII Campaign History:

USS Hornet is an Essex-class aircraft carrier built for the United States Navy (USN) during World War II. Completed in late 1943, the ship was assigned to the Fast Carrier Task Force (variously designated as Task Force 38 or 58) in the Pacific Ocean, the navy's primary offensive force during the Pacific War. The USS Hornet CV-12 had a distinguished World War II career that included the invasion of Saipan and the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the amphibious landing on Palau, the Philippines, Iwo Jima and Okinawa and strikes against the Japanese home islands. The USS Hornet and its air groups were credited with shooting down 688 planes, destroying another 742 aircraft on the ground, sinking a carrier, cruiser, 42 cargo ships and 10 destroyers and assisting in the sinking of the Japanese battleship Yamato. The Hornet received seven battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation during World War II.

USS Hornet (CV-12) was awarded nine Battle Stars for Pacific service in World War II:

• One Star — Asiatic-Pacific Raids – 1944

• One Star — Hollandia Operation – 1944

• One Star — Marianas Operation – 1944

• One Star — Western Caroline Islands Operation – 1944

• One Star — Western New Guinea Operation – 1944

• One Star — Leyte Operation – 1944

• One Star — Luzon Operation – 1944-1945

• One Star — Iwo Jima Operation – 1945

• One Star — Okinawa Gunto Operation – 1945

In 18 months of combat operations, USS Hornet CV-12 achieved the following combat record:

• 668 Japanese planes shot down

• 742 Japanese planes were destroyed on the ground

• 1,269,710 tons of enemy ships sunk or heavily damaged: 73 ships sunk, 37 probable, 413 damaged

• Ship’s engines burned 28,437,630 gallons of fuel oil

• Ship’s evaporators distilled 41,231,453 gallons of freshwater

• The ship steamed 155,000 miles (equal to six trips around the world.

Air Wings:

• Aircraft burned 5,644,800 gallons of aviation gasoline

• Aircraft fired 4,878,748 rounds of machine-gun bullets

• Aircraft delivered 17,793 bombs, 5,842 rockets, and 116 torpedoes

• Aircraft flew 18,569 combat sorties

• Aircraft logged over 23,000 arrested landings

Ship’s Guns:

• Fired 7,275 rounds of 5″ ammo

• Fired 115,179 rounds of 40 mm ammo

• Fired 409,580 rounds of 20 mm ammo

1 carrier sunk, 1 cruiser sunk, 10 destroyers sunk, 42 cargo ships sunk and assisted in the sinking of the IJN super battleship Yamato.

USS Hornet (CV-12) was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for the following operations:

• Air Group 2 (VF-2, VB-2, VT-2, and part of VFN-76)

• March 29 – May 1, 1944 — Palau, Hollandia, Truk.

• June 11 – August 5, 1944 — Marianas, Bonins, Yap.

• September 6 – September 24, 1944 — Philippines, Palau.

• Air Group 11 (VF-11, VB-11, and VT-11)

• October 10 – Nov. 22, 1944 — Ryukyus, Formosa, Philippines, Luzon.

• December 14 – Dec. 16, 1944 — Luzon.

• January 3 – January 22, 1945 — Philippines, Formosa, China Sea, Ryukyus.

• Air Group 17 (VF-17, VBF-17, VB-17, and VT-17)

• February 16 – June 10, 1945 — Japan, Bonins, Ryukyus