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The United States Navy Memorial

Navy Memorial Honoring the Men & Women of the Sea Services

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Princeton

Ship Designation: 
CV-23
Date Lost: 
Tuesday, October 24, 1944
Air Attack off Luzon
In preparation for the invasion of the Philippines Princeton, in TG 38.3, cruised off Luzon and sent her planes against airfields there to prevent Japanese land based aircraft attacks on Allied ships massed in Leyte Gulf. On the 24th however, enemy planes from Clark and Nichols fields found TG 38.3 and reciprocated. Shortly before 1000, a lone enemy dive-bomber came out of the clouds above Princeton. At 1500 feet the pilot released his bomb. It hit between the elevators , crashed through the flight deck and hanger, then exploded. Initial fires soon expanded as further explosions sent black smoke rolling off the flight deck and red flames along the sides from the island to the stern. Covering vessels provided rescue and fire-fighting assistance and shielded the stricken carrier from further attack. At 1524, another, much heavier explosion, possibly the bomb magazine, blew off Princeton's stern and with it the after flight deck. Birmingham (CL-62), alongside t o fight fires, suffered heavy damage and casualties. Efforts to save Princeton continued, but at 1604 the fires won. Boats removed remaining personnel and shortly after 1706, Irwin (DD-794) launched torpedoes at the burning hulk. At 1746, Reno (CL-96) relieved Irwin and at 1749 the last, and biggest, explosion occurred. Flames and debris shot up 1000-2000 feet. Princeton's forward section was gone. Her after section appeared momentarily through the smoke. By 1750 she had disappeared, but 1,361 of her crew survived.

Lost At Sea Log

Number of sailors in this log: 100

Name Service Branchsort descending
F 1c Adrian Adolph USN
Sea 1c John Lewis USN
AM 3c Donald Hill USN
Bkr 2c Stanley Sedicavage USN
ET 3c Manuel Pino USN
WT 2c William Spencer USN
WT 2c Ralph Zaicek USN
MM 1c John Bentley USN
SM 2c Herbert Lind USN
Ch P Clk Esper Hoecker USN
AMM 3c William Shannon USN
AMM 2c Lucien Pelletier USN
CEM James Steele USN
MM 3c Henry Zlatnik USN
Bkr 1c Fred Bloecher USN
Sea 1c Ralph Milano USN
WT 3c Richard Hirleman USN
AM 3c William Saxton USN
Sea 2c Jimmy Patton USN
AOM 3c Owen Tilley USN

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Prepared by CAPT R.O. Strange USN (Ret.)