World War II Service and Diary of John R. McKnight - Ex Rd M 3c USN

Without prior notice Jack was transferred on January 11, 1943 to the Advance Base Aviation Training Unit in Norfolk, Virginia and classified as Seaman 2c. Here he was schooled in the new technology of radar.
On April 27, 1943 Jack was ordered aboard the new aircraft carrier, U.S.S. Essex CV 9 and assigned to the V-3-R Division. The Essex was the first of her class and was still going through sea trials since being commissioned on December 31, 1942. In the Combat Information Center Jack worked as a radar striker, joining other young sailors: Dick Streb, Cliff Jones, Jack Flattery, Mitch Kollin, Ezra Kelley, Lyle Hendrickson and Frank Jaworski.
By January 1, 1943 Allied forces in Europe had begun their first offensive actions. The U.S. - French invasion of North Africa relieved the pressure on British forces in Egypt resulting in the surrender of the German North Africa Corps in Tunisia by February. The Soviets initiated an offensive against the Nazi blitzkrieg along the Russian front and by February 300,000 soldiers of the German invading army had been killed or captured.
Since the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Allies had been fighting a defensive struggle to contain Japanese expansion. While the Battle of Coral Sea in May had stopped the Japanese in the southern Pacific, the Allied victory at the Battle of Midway the following month severely damaged the enemy's navy and was the turning point in the Pacific theater.

The victories came with a price. The Japanese inflicted significant damage to the U.S. Pacific fleet. In February of 1942 the U.S.S. Langley CV 1 went down during the Battle of Java Sea. The U.S.S. Lexington CV 2 was sunk following the battle of Coral Sea and the U.S.S. Yorktown CV 5 was lost following month during the Battle of Midway. In the fall of 1942 the U.S.S. Wasp CV 7 and the U.S.S. Hornet CV 8 were sunk in the southeast Pacific. Of the eight largest U.S. carriers only three survived by 1943: the U.S.S. Saratoga CV 3 and the U.S.S. Enterprise CV 6 continued operating in the Pacific, while the U.S.S. Ranger CV 4 was stationed in the Mediterranean. Unlike the Japanese, the unprecedented industrial resources of the United States would produce the massive amounts of equipment, vehicles and vessels necessary to win the war. The Essex class carriers would soon fill the Pacific and destroy Japanese naval power.

U.S.S. Leginton CV 2 - May 8, 1942


U.S.S. Yorktown CV 5 - June 4, 1942
Dates
Pre-diary Notes
Jan. 11, 1943 Assigned to Advance Base Aviation Training Unit, Naval Air Station, Norfolk, Virginia. Reported the following day.
April 25, 1943 Assigned to U.S.S. Essex CV-9: Division V-3-R (C.I.C.), Combat Information Center .
U.S.S. Essex CV-9 The U.S.S. Essex CV-9 was launched on July 31, 1942 in Newport News, Virginia. It was commissioned on Dec. 31, 1942. The new carrier was the first of its class and remained stationed in Norfolk conducting trial operations until May.

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