| A Japanese bomber explodes as it crashes into the sea near USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24), during an attack on Task Group 58.2. Photographed from USS Essex (CV-9). While raiding Saipan and Tinian to cover for the Eniwetok invasion scheduled for February 17, 1944, Task Group 58.2 consisted of USS Belleau Wood, USS Essex and USS Yorktown (CV-10) with 2 battleships, 3 cruisers, and 8 destroyers. On February 22, the crews were at General Quarters from 0216 Hours and 6 Japanese aircraft were shot down by the early morning. After repeated Japanese air strikes, the Task Group launched aircraft of their own between 0730 and 0800 Hours. USS Belleau Wood shot down a G4M “Betty” medium bomber at 0830 Hours; the plans attempted to crash into the carrier just beneath the stacks, but flew over the flight deck and passed over the SK radar antenna by just a few inches. It spun into the water and exploded but caused no damage. Another “Betty” attacked at 0910 Hours at 50 feet (45 meters) and burst into flames 500 yards (450 meters). The Belleau Wood crew was convinced the Japanese pilots were attempting to deliberately crash into their ship. 2 more Japanese aircraft were shot down by Grumman F6F Hellcats at the same time the 2nd “Betty” attacked USS Belleau Wood as they approached the Task Group. At 0918 Hours, spotters identified an Imperial Japanese Army Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien (“Flying Swallow”) Allied Code Name “Tony” fighter. The “Tony” started a dive on USS Essex. At 1,000 feet (300 meters) the “Tony” pulled out and headed for USS Belleau Wood. The ship’s anti-aircraft artillery hit the engine, and the Japanese aircraft crashed into the sea 400 yards (365 meters) off the starboard bow. No damage was recorded. 3 more Japanese aircraft – Kawasaki Ki-48 Allied Code Name “Lily” – were shot down by the Carrier Air Patrol and ship’s anti-aircraft artillery. The United States Navy carriers believed they rendered the airfields on Saipan and Tinian unusable. They encountered little opposition over their targets. Task Group 58.2 withdrew towards Majuro at 25 knots (28 miles per hour/46 kilometers per hour) | |
| Image Filename | wwii1855.jpg |
| Image Size | 1.73 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 5643 x 4442 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Navy |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | February 22, 1944 |
| Location | |
| City | |
| State or Province | |
| Country | Marianas |
| Archive | Naval History and Heritage Command |
| Record Number | 80-G-218422 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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