| USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24) burning aft after she was hit by a Kamikaze, while operating off the Philippines on 30 October 1944. Flight deck crewmen are moving undamaged TBM torpedo planes away from the flames as others fight the fires. USS Franklin (CV-13), also hit during this Kamikaze attack, is afire in the distance. Belleau Wood is on fire after a suicide plane dropped a bomb on Franklin, and then crashed into Belleau Wood’s flight deck. The bombs missed Franklin, which had already been hit by suicide planes. In Belleau Wood’s after action report, the ship noted that the Japanese attacker was flying a Mitsubishi A6M 0-sen fighter. After releasing her bomb on Franklin at 1427 Hours, which was 3,600 yards (3,300 meters) from Belleau Wood, the 0, on fire, dove from 2,000 feet (600 meters) striking the flight deck at frame 135, in the midst of 11 fully gassed and ready Grumman F6F Hellcat fighters. Belleau Wood’s crew believed that the strike was premeditated, and the 0 carried a 2nd bomb. Belleau Wood’s crew took 3 hours to extinguish the fires. Wreckage and debris was jettisoned overboard throughout the night. It took 2 days of uninterrupted efforts to treat the wounded, clean up the ship, and salvage aircraft. There were numerous punctures to Belleau Wood’s poop deck. Many compartments were gutted by fire, including the Aviator’s Ready Room, the Arresting Gear Repair Shop, the Gasoline Shop, Machine Gun Belting Room, Radar Parts Stowage, and Squadron Gear Locker, among others. 11 F6F Hellcats were destroyed and 1 Grumman TBF Avenger damaged. Belleau Wood’s crew were able to salvage 5 Hellcats, 8 Avengers, and 2 General Motors FM2 Wildcats. 1 Avenger, soaked by salt water hoses, was believed to be flyable anyway. The kamikazes killed 92 men on Belleau Wood and 56 on Franklin. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1648.jpg |
| Image Size | 752.58 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 3814 x 4090 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Navy |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | October 30, 1944 |
| Location | |
| City | |
| State or Province | Leyte |
| Country | Philippines |
| Archive | Naval History and Heritage Command |
| Record Number | 80-G-342020 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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