(music is "You Are My Hero)
The CVE-21 Survivors
CVE-21 MORTALLY WOUNDED
CVE
-21 now lies in the 18,000 ft deep chasm of the Manaco Deep at
31 13"N by 23 03" W in the vicinity between Madeira and the Canary
Islands.
(click on picture for a larger view)
PICTURES OF SURVIVORS
CASABLANCA
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Surviving Officers |
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Surviving enlisted |
Pictures taken in Casablanca
The Army provided the survivors with fatigue uniforms so that they could
go into Casablanca, NA to see this unique City.From a Providence RI News Paper.
William H. Davis, 85, of San Diego, who was in his bunk at the time.
“We were told, ‘If you get hit, get off in a hurry because they’ll sink fast,’ ” Davis said.
Davis — was was one of some 25 men who had also survived the sinking of the aircraft carrier Lexington — climbed down nets to the water; others jumped.
Otis Long, just 16 years old at the time, had been playing cards. He leapt from the flight deck after watching a doctor cut a man’s injured leg off with a pen knife.
“A lot of prayers were said in that water,” said Long, of Richmond, Va.
All he could see were the whites of his shipmates’ eyes because they were so covered in oil.
In the History Section of the Website it is shown that aircraft from CVE 21
were in the air at the time of the sinking. One of those pilots was
Lt. (jg) J.G. McDaniel. This Pilot was one that flew to the Canaries Islands
where he was rescued and returned to service. He later went on board the
USS Croatan with the new air group he was assigned for service. Some time
in March 1945, while operating off this CVE, the weather was at its worst so
that it made it impossible for his air group to land back on the carrier. This
pilot then had to fly over 360 miles to Argentina before he could land. Before
leaving the air space of his Carrier he inquired plaintively over his voice radio
"why does this always have to happen
to me"?Pictures have been hard to obtain for publication from CVE 21 because so
many were lost when the ship was sunk. However the following story reflects
on the entire crew of CVE 21. Families are left as the survivors when their
loved ones are lost in battle.Any time that any nation goes to war every life in that nation is placed in
"harms way". Fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, relatives and even the family
living next door. The Japanese took the United States to task when that nation
chose to attack Pearl Harbor under secrecy. While that attack was a huge
victory for the Japanese the words expressed by the Commander of that attack
best depicted the reactions of the citizens of the United States. History shows that
after that attack he called his complete staff together to review what had taken
place. The sake was passed out and there were congratulations and words of
praise being expressed by all concerned. However that meeting was short lived
when that Commander spoke these words "while the attack was very
successful I have a deep concern because I know these people and we
may have just awaken a sleeping giant". A representation of that awakening
that was reflected by the entire nation was shown within the families involved with
the USS Block Island CVE 21 and later the USS Block Island CVE 106.
In a small farming community in Edinburg Texas there was the Owen Family with
three sons and a daughter. This family had just gone through the "big depression"
and while they had deep concerns about the Germans and the Japanese trying to
take over a major part of the world their attitude was not unlike over 85% of the
general public. That attitude was to avoid entering into the war and had actually
maintained an "isolationists" attitude. On December 7, 1941 that family and the
entire nation did "awake" and their actions became a part of history.
James B. Owen was the eldest son and as soon as he was of eligible he enlisted in
the United States Navy and his first duty was aboard the USS Block Island CVE 21
serving as a Petty Officer as an airplane captain. His next younger brother Jack
Owen had gone to the recruiting station with him to also enlist in the Navy but failed
to qualify because of some minor physical problem. However that rejection did not
stop Jack from wanting to serve his country so he enlisted in the Army Air Force.
As soon as the youngest brother Odell was of age he also enlisted in the Navy.
Three sons and all three in the service of that "sleeping giant" that was of great
concern to that Japanese Commander.James B. Owen lost his life when the USS Block Island CVE 21 was torpedoed by a
German submarine in the Atlantic Ocean on May 29, 1944. Because that ship had
taken two torpedoes that ripped many of the ships life rafts and life saving gear off
it's sponsons there was a great need for additional life vests and flotation materials.
Being an airplane captain Jim knew that each airplane remaining there on the decks
had small rafts that were made available to the pilots in case they had to ditch or
were shot down over the water. Jim and other crew members immediately joined in
the task of securing these life saving devices. While Jim was in the cockpit of his
airplane a third torpedo struck the ship just below the water line almost immediately
under the position of that airplane. The explosion ripped through the hanger deck,
lifted the aircraft off the deck and the hole left in the deck was so large that when
the airplane fell it went down through to two decks below. Jim Owen was one of the
shipmates who lost his life in that sinking.
Jack Owen, shown on the left, had just completed inspection of a B-17 (1944). Later Jack was transferred to repair work on the B-29s and trained flight personnel who had taken flight positions in combat without technical training. Being transferred to Seattle he trained the aircrews that were being readied for combat over Japan. He served with both the 2nd and 3rd Air Force during WW2
Jim and Jack Owen when Jim was on leave from the Navy just before the USS Block Island CVE 21 was sunk
The Shipmates of the two Block Islands formed an Association back in 1963 and both
the younger brothers Jack and Odell attend these yearly Reunions as Associate
Members. The following pictures relate to the Owen Brothers with their relationship
to the USS Block Island Association.Odell Owen, the younger brother, was serving on board the USS
Arenac transporting military personnel to the Philippines in preparations for the invasion of Japan proper. He was serving on that ship when the Japanese surrendered. He was serving on board the USS Appalachian when the first Bikini Atoll atomic bomb test was made.
Just before CVE 21 made that last voyage on submarine patrol Jim Owen had gone
on shore leave and was able to visit with his brother Jack. As a memento to his visit
he gave his brother a small Ronson cigarette lighter that was made as a Christmas
recognition of the CVE 21 being at sea on that December Day of 1943. Little things
become such a major cherished item when the "giver" is taken from this earth.
( click on the pictures for a larger view)
The above pictures were taken in early 1943 of the Radio Gang and the Signalmen
Radio Gang and are the only pictures that have been found of an entire operating division
from the CVE 21. In the picture of the Radio Gang note that in the top row, the fifth sailor
from the left, is Louis H. Hellwig. His is an interesting story in that he originally came aboard
CVE 21 as a radioman in the Navy Air Squadron (VC 25) .The Navy Air Squadron went
aboard CVE 21 just after it was commissioned and stayed on that ship until it was transferred
off when CVE 21 was scheduled to transport Army Air Force Aircraft to Belfast. However.
for some reason (although he had been in that Squadron for some time) his personnel records
were not transferred to the ship. Hellwig's story is very much a part of the "Two Worlds" of the
Block Islands. Just prior to CVE 21 going through the Panama Canal, headed for the Atlantic,
VC 25 undertook a mock attack on the Canal Locks (which was very successful) and torpedoed
the locks. This did not change his duties with that Squadron but with no records there was no
pay records and for almost 6 months the only pay he received was emergency funds provided
from what was called the "Chaplains Fund".
When that Squadron was replaced this lack of records became another problem. With
no personnel records his position was put in limbo as to the transfer.
Hellwig had learned radio code work and with the Ships Radio Crew being fairly new
the Ships Radio Communications Officer (Lt. Cairns) became involved in the transfer.
When Lt. Cairns learned that Hellwig knew the code work he asked Hellwig if he would
agree to become a part of the regular ships crew? Hellwig agreed and was then
transferred to the Ships Radio Crew where he remained until CVE 21 was sunk. This
became the second time he served aboard CVE 21. CVE 21 and CVE 106 were in two
different worlds. Actually Hellwig was put in another world that was unusual to the
normal enlisted sailor. Hellwig's ability in proficient code work also played an important
in the history of CVE 106 and the rescue of the POW survivors as is set forth in the
CVE 106 Crews Memories.Hellwig was in three different worlds. While Navy Squadron VC 25 was serving aboard
CVE 21 that Squadron undertook a "mock" attack on the Locks of the Panama Canal
which was being guarded by the Army Air Force aircraft. That "mock attack" was very
successful. Then CVE 21 undertook the task of transporting Army Air Force planes to
Belfast while VC 25 was off the ships undertaking training and actually then served on
the CVE USS Croatan. Hellwig often has wondered how this mock attack went over with
the Air Force in that the Squadron from the very ship that was transporting their aircraft
to Belfast, in theory, blew up the Canal Gates that the Air Force was to prevent.???
He went aboard CVE 106 when it was Commissioned in 1944 (in the Radio Crew ) and
remained there until CVE 106 was taken to the Naval Academy in late 1946.Hellwig actually was put in the unusual position of rubbing noses with the Navy as an
air crewman and as a Navy ships crew , the Army Air Force and the US Marine Corps
on CVE 106..He was still serving on CVE 106 when it was tied up at the docks of the Naval Academy
and at that time (because the War was over and so many officers were being discharged ) the
Navy was short of commissioned officers and the officer trainees at the Academy had no
knowledge of Navy ships, Hellwig was selected and served as the "Officer of the Deck" on
a regular basis. The O.D. is like "being in full charge of the ship" and no mater what their rank,
from apprentice seaman to Admiral, there came that "salute and request permission to come
aboard". Hellwig let it be known that "was kind of neat" after his many years of "just being
a normal enlisted sailor" who followed orders from every branch of the US Services.
Louis Hellwig married his wife Verly just before CVE 106 left San Diego for the Pacific
Fleet Service. When CVE 106 returned from the Pacific and went to the East Coast
Verly followed him to Norfolk, VA. then on to the Naval Academy. The couple ended up
living in Seattle where they raised their family.
Hellwig has been active in the Association for many years and did serve as Host for the
Reunion that was held in Seattle. Hellwig was also very instrumental in promoting this
Website. His boys were in the Cub Pack, the Scouts and the Explorer Scout programs
where the Webmaster was the leader of all three Scout Programs. These two families
(Webmaster's and Hellwigs) lost contact with each other until some time in 1995 when
one of Louis sons taught school in Phoenix and one of the Webmaster sons went to the
same school . While this Earth may be very large the "worlds" are getting closer every year.
Louis (Bud) Hellwig Late 1945
Not all of the CVE 21 crew members were
able to continue in service on to the new
Block Island CVE 106. After the sinking
the majority of the survivors were given
thorough physical examination including
their mental health affected by the sinking.
Many of those mates who failed their
physicals were sent to a rehab facility that
the Navy had taken over in Sun Valley
Idaho. The majority of those mates were
retained in the service but were not assigned to CVE 106. The above picture was taken
of 29 mates at the rehabilitation center that did not make the transfer. Many of the
mates were assigned to non-combat duty and others were discharged from the service.
There was another survivor when CVE 21 was sunk. This survivor, while not being a
human being, was known by every crewmember of both CVEs. This survivor was the
ships monthly publications of "Chips" as the originator's called it "the straight dope
and scuttlebut" information paper for the ship.
"Straight dope" being that which was known to be official and "Scuttlebut" being talk
and grape vine conversations going on within the crews. "Chips" was not a
"happenstance" it was well planned and studied weeks before CVE 21 went into
Commission. Yeomen John W. Price and E.M. Courtney, Radarman Billie R. Keller,
(who was noted for his cartoons) Lt. jg E.D. Charpie and Lt. Roy L. Swift (being the
designated Editor) were all involved. Each Division also contributed designating one
person as a reporter or a columnist. The committee was fortunate that one of their
shipmates was related to Roy Crane, the creator of the comic strips Buz Sawyer and
Rosco Sweeney which were "big time" in the 40's. Scuttlebut had it that Rosco
Sweeney had his prototype in an aviation rate on the "Old Block".
Roy Crane and Billie Keller worked for weeks on development of the "title page"
which all of those involved collectively chose the final title page. Then the decision was
made that an all 'text" bulletin would be sorta "drab" and would be more like the daily
"Plan of the Day" that is published for the entire crew also. Keller and Crane went
through cartoon character after character but could not make any final decisions.
Then came Roy Swift, the Intelligence Officer, who recognized that no aircraft carrier
can exist without a Landing Signal Officer to bring the planes aboard the ship. The first
character was the "normal navy dressed landing signal officer". CVE 21 was not yet
active so Keller, Crane and Swift visited one of the active "big carriers" that was
operating out of Bremerton, Wash. to observe a real live "Landing Signal Officer" at
work. In the process of bringing in a plane for landing on the deck they noticed that
the LSO had to go through every body movement that was possible for the human
body. These gyrations brought about the LSO character that has stayed with the
paper for over 58 years.At the time of it's creation little did any one of the ships crews and the developers of the
paper realize how extraordinarily apt that the title and their "LSO" might become.
However, after the paper was developed the crew was told "if you keep us well supplied
there is no reason Chips can't be the best ships information sheet in the Fleet".
Not only was the publication intended for the ships crew it was also to be something that
the crew members could send home to their folks about the ships activities.
Nothing controversial and no classified information about the ships activities so that it
could pass the censors.The first Volume of Chips printed on CVE 21 was designated "Volume One" and with
a brand new seabag and a happy heart "Volume Two" announced to the Officer of the
Deck of CVE 106 "Sir I wish to report my return aboard" as a part of the official
Ceremony. "Volume Three" became a reality when the USS Block Island Association
was organized and still exist in service to it's shipmates 60 years from the day the first
issue of Volume One was published.
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