Trench Art Ashtray -Japanese Artillery Shell From Henderson Field Guadalcanal ID’ – SOLD

Description

Brass trench art ashtray -Japanese artillery shell from Henderson Field Guadalcanal ID’D.  Made from an 80mm shell, with markings on the bottom.   Height is 7/8 of an inch, and never had any provision made for cigarette holders.  The ashtray is finely engraved “HENDERSON FIELD / 1943 / GUADALCANAL,” and on the opposite side, “LT.(J.(G.) E. JOHN WEIL, U.S.N.R.”  From Oklahoma, (1923-2000).

When do you see anything from one of the Navy flyers assigned to Guadalcanal just after Henderson Field prepared for Naval aviators?

 

VB-13 – BOMBING SQUADRON 13

Bombing Squadron Thirteen(VB-13) was commissioned on 1 November 1943 at NAS, Wildwood, N.J. Commanding Officer LCDR, USN, Richard L. Kibbee and XO LCDR, USN, Carl “Swede” Holmstrom were Regular Navy, graduates of the Naval Academy- the remaining compliment of 48 pilots were reserves. The senior pilot with combat experience was LT. John H. “Jack” Finroe, USNR, flight officer, who had previously flown off the Enterprise in the South Pacific as a pilot in VS-10 during 1942 combat operations as had more briefly, LT(jg) K.R. Miller. Six LT(jg)s, “Dutch” Bomberger, Milt Bonar, Kilmer Bortz, Joe Eisentuth, Dick Harding, & E. John Weil had just returned from a tour of duty on Guadalcanal, flying SBDs, Douglas Dauntlesses in VB-11 & VS-11. Ensign L.S. Feldner, who had previous experience flying South Pacific WW-II missions off the CHENANGO rounded out the available total of conflict tested aviators! The squadron was equipped with the new SB2C, Curtis Helldivers.

Douglass SBD at Guadalcanal.

 

Navy Cross

AWARDED FOR ACTIONS
DURING WWII

Service: Navy

Battalion: Bombing Squadron 13 (VB-13)

Division: U.S.S. Franklin (CV-13)

GENERAL ORDERS:

Commander 2d Carrier Task Force Pacific: Serial 0768 (January 4, 1945)

CITATION:

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant Edwin John Weil (NSN: 0-121849), United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Scout Dive Bomber in Bombing Squadron THIRTEEN (VB-13), attached to the U.S.S. FRANKLIN (CV-13), in operations against a large enemy Task Force in the northeaster Philippine Area. On 25 October 1944, in the face of continuous and intense anti-aircraft fire and enemy air opposition, Lieutenant Weil scored a direct hit on an enemy aircraft carrier which contributed to its sinking. His courage and skill were at all times in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

 

U.S.S. FRANKLIN (CV-13)

“As part of Task Force 38.4, Franklin next sailed northwest to participate in the Formosa Air Battle from 12 to 16 October, where the U.S. Navy needed to destroy multiple Japanese air bases that controlled airspace from the Philippines to Okinawa to the southern Home Islands. No invasion of Luzon could take place until this Japanese air power was neutralized. On 13 October a Japanese Betty bomber aircraft was shot down, and attempted to kamikaze into Franklin. It did some damage to the flight deck, but slid off the starboard side of the ship. Following this action, Franklin moved into support for the invasion of the Philippines. The carrier’s aircraft hit Manila Bay on 19 October when her planes sank and damaged ships and boats, destroyed a floating drydock, and claimed 11 Japanese aircraft.

On the morning of 24 October, in the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea (for action here -Weil was awarded the Navy Cross), her planes formed part of the waves that attacked the Japanese First Raiding Force.   As further enemy threats seemed to materialize in another quarter, Franklin – with TGs 38.4, 38.3, and 38.2 – sped to intercept the advancing Japanese carrier force and attack at dawn. The distant carrier force was actually a sacrificial feint, as by that time the Japanese were almost out of serviceable airplanes and, even more importantly, very short on trained pilots, but the admiral in charge, William Halsey, took the bait and steamed after them without effectively communicating his intentions, leading to the infamous “the World wonders” communications debacle.”  On the 30th of October, Franklin was hit by kamikases that badly damaged the carrier’s flight deck, and below decks, nearly sinking her, but her valiant crew worked tirelessly to keep her afloat, and managed to get her back to the States for repairs. (Wiki).