Leyte Gulf - USS Natoma Bay CVE-62

which the ship resumed its previous course. From 1020 to
1040 the third attack was delivered on the enemy force,
now in full retirement to the northwest. The planes, each
carrying 4 500-pound SAP bombs made a glide-bombing
attack, scoring 1 hit among the turrets of a FUSO class
BB, one glancing hit near the stern of the same BB, and
one hit on a heavy cruiser amidships, near the bridge. Two
near misses were noted, one on an ISE class BB, the other
on a heavy cruiser. A particularly noteworthy performance
was given by Lt (jg) L. S. Conner, USNR, during this
attack. He had completed two bombing runs through intense
AA fire to drop his bombs when he saw a torpedo plane from
USS KADASHAN BAY in position to make a torpedo run without
benefit of straffing "interference". When the pilot called
for assistance Lt. (jg) Conner preceded him in his run,
straffing with two .50 caliber machine guns of his TBM-1C.
The KADASHAN pilot's drop was good, scoring a hit almost
amidships in a crippled heavy cruiser, but his plane was
hit by intense AA fire and was destroyed. In this same
attack Ens. J. T. Goodwin, USNR, had difficulty in
releasing his bombs. They did not drop on the run made
with the rest of the strike group, so Ens. Goodwin made
two additional runs on a FUSO BB, alone, getting his bombs
away on the third try. He regrettably reports that the
bombs missed. On his way back to the ship Ens. Goodwin
dropped his life raft to a fighter pilot seen in the
water. At 1118 a fourth strike was launched against the
retreating enemy force. By now there were no torpedoes and
insufficient armor-piercing bombs aboard to arm this
strike with anything but general-purpose bombs, so three
VT were loaded with 4 500-pounders each and dispatched to
the enemy position. These planes glide-bombed the
disposition, but reported no direct hits. A near miss was
scored on a BB, another near miss on a MOGAMI class CA.
Ens. C. H. Boldt, USNR, failed to return from this flight.
The results of his attack are not known. At noon the 12
fighters launched for CAP were landed. Ens. R. L. Walker,
USNR, reported having intercepted an enemy VT (identified
as Jill) carrying a torpedo, enroute to this force, and
approximately 15 miles away. When sighted the Japanese
pilot jettisoned his load and sought to escape, but was
shot down in flames by Ens. Walker.
Leyte Gulf 59