| USS Flint (CL-97) as the 5th Fleet was departing for the Okinawa operation. 2 aircraft carriers, a destroyer and a battleship are in the background. Photographed from USS West Virginia (BB-48). On March 13, 1945, Flint was assigned to Task Group 58.4, except when USS Enterprise (CV-6), embarking Air Group 90, operated as an independent night Task Group 58.5. Under Rear Admiral Arthur W. Radford (February 27, 1896 – August 17, 1973) Task Group 58.4 consisted of Task Unit 58.4.1, the carrier unit, of USS Yorktown (CV-10) with Air Group 9, flying Radford’s pennant, USS Intrepid (CV-11) with Air Group 10, USS Enterprise (CV-6) with Air Group 90, USS Independence (CVL-22) with Air Group 46, and USS Langley (CVL-27) with Air Group 23. Task Unit 58.4.2, the support unit under Rear Admiral Francis S. Low CBE (August 15, 1894 – January 22, 1964), consisted of battleships USS Wisconsin (BB-64) and USS Missouri (Bb-63) in Task Subunit 58.4.21; USS Alaska (CB-1), USS Guam (CB-2) and USS Saint Louis (CL-49) in Task Subunit 58.4.22. 15 destroyers were assigned to the screening unit, Task Unit 58.4.3. Task Force 58 made strikes on Japan and Okinawa for weeks before United States Marines and Army troops landed on Okinawa on April 1, 1945. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1941.jpg |
| Image Size | 2.56 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 4588 x 5752 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Navy |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | March 1, 1945 |
| Location | |
| City | |
| State or Province | Ulithi Atoll |
| Country | Carolines |
| Archive | Naval History and Heritage Command |
| Record Number | 80-G-K-3813 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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