Talk:USS Wasp (CV-18)

"Can opener"
After sinking the American destroyer Hobson, the Wasp was for forever after irreverently dubbed 'the can opener." A bit of gallows humor. It should be pointed out that the Wasp was not at fault during this tragedy. Student7 (talk) 21:40, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

Question About Sources
My father served on the USS Wasp CV-18 in WWII, and after reading this article, he was most impressed. Brought back lots of memories. He told me that after reading it, there were a few places that he feels either need to be expanded or corrected. I'm waiting on the specific changes from him. So my question is this: My father likely doesn't have any written documentation supporting the changes that he would like to see made--only his recollections. Is this something that should be added? I'd be happy to post his proposed changes here for discussion once he sends them to me. (It may be a short while--at 84, he takes his time....) Jbarr (talk) 15:19, 24 Aug 2009 (UTC)


 * When your father gets back to you will be time enough to decide whether you can find online material to support his proposed changes or additions. But yes, footnotes are really important to these documents. Memories tend to be perishable sometimes, but can certainly be a great starting point for adding material. Suggest adding the ones here for which you cannot find documentation, or anything you have questions about. Not all shipboard memories are encyclopedic!  :) Student7 (talk) 21:55, 25 August 2009 (UTC)

Note To USS WASP Vets & Family
My dad was aboard the USS WASP CV-18 from 1962-1968. He was a boatswain's mate, 3rd class. He has so many humorous stories about is time aboard the USS WASP. He swam in the Cuban's drinking water during the Cuban Blockade, that is one of the funniest. He has a couple of shipmates he has found, though one is now deceased, God Rest His Soul. He would love to hear from other USS WASP vets. He is searching for photos of the hurricane that nearly over turned the ship and information about the UFO that they followed in 1963. I can be reached at littlepeoplebigplay@yahoo.com. If you have pics or stories I would love to relate them to my dad. Thanks! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 166.137.101.165 (talk) 20:03, 9 October 2014 (UTC)

Operation Magic Carpet
My grandfather was a sailor on the Wasp (cv-18). He remembers returning Italian prisoners of war to Italy after the war was over, which must have been part of Operation Magic Carpet, but I haven't found any online source to confirm that. I didn't want to add it to the article without a verifiable source. Does anyone know of one? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 208.253.187.182 (talk) 17:41, 21 January 2010 (UTC)

Wasp Hit by Bomb 19 March 1945
It appears that this article was taken from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS). Both the Wikipedia and DANFS articles are missing info on the damage received by Wasp on 19 March 1945. This action is discussed by Morison in Volume 14, Part II, Chapter VI, Section 4 of his History of United States Naval Operations in World War II; and by Jurgen Rohwer in his Chronology of the War at Sea 1939-1945 (entry for 14-23 March).

Operating as part of TG 58.2, Wasp and other units of TF 58 departed Ulithi on 14 March 1945. Strikes were made against airfields in Kyushu in the morning and afternoon of the 18th. TG 58.4 was counter attacked on both the morning and afternoon of the 18th, with damage to Enterprise, Intrepid and Yorktown. TF 58 strikes on the 19th were directed against targets in the Inland Sea, particularly Kure and Kobe. Around 0700 Wasp had just secured from General Quarters, with about two thirds of its planes airborne. At around 0710 a Japanese plane appeared overhead and dropped a bomb which passed through the flight deck, hangar deck, and 2nd deck, and finally burst on the 3rd deck. Fires broke out on several decks but were extinguished in 15 minutes. By 0800 the ship was again conducting flight operations. Shortly thereafter a kamikaze dove on the ship, just missed the flight deck, nicked an outboard elevator, and exploded alongside. Casualties were 101 dead and 269 wounded. Franklin, another carrier in TG 58.2, was hit by two bombs at 0708 that same morning, and suffered far more damage.

The ship continued to operate with TF 58 until the 22nd when the task force was reorganized. TG 58.2 was dissolved, and Wasp and Franklin proceeded to Ulithi escorted by the light carrier Independence, the battleships North Carolina and Washington, and the cruisers Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Santa Fe, Oakland and Flint.SeymourBears (talk) 01:26, 30 August 2013 (UTC)SeymourBears (talk) 18:04, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

TG 68.1
There are erroneous references to TG 68.1.

30 June 1944 should read TG 58.1 vice TG 68.1.

24 October 1944 and 25 October 1944 should read TG 38.1 vice TG 68.1.

3-5 January 1945 (actually last entry for 1944) should read TG 58.1 vice TG 68.1.

Please see these dates in Jurgen Rohwer's Chronology of the War at Sea.SeymourBears (talk) 01:56, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

June July 1964
An editor has indicated that the DANFS date 3 June 1964 might have been 3 July 1964. We would need a verifiable source on that, perhaps someone has a published source that can confirm one or the other and complies with WP:RS and WP:Verifiability. --Dual Freq (talk) 21:31, 8 April 2015 (UTC)

Possible article errors
I've received a request that there are two errors in this article, neither of which I have the expertise to assess or rectify. - Peripitus (Talk) 10:06, 19 April 2015 (UTC)
 * The first is that the reference to TG 68.1 at the end of the "1943–1944" section (and possibly the other places) should be TG 58.1 as there was not a fast carrier TG 68 at the time. (I can see this perhaps backed up in pages165-166 of US Carrier War 9ISBN 9781848841857).
 * The second is the text "After a kamikaze hit Lexington during the operation, McCain shifted his flag from that carrier to Wasp and, a short time later, returned in her to Guam to exchange air groups.". While this is backed up in print sources, the request states the sources have made a mistake and that Wasp's War Diary for October and November 1944, and McCain's own war diary as the Commander 2nd Fast Carrier Task Force Pacific. According to these McCain didn't transfer his flag until the 17th of November when, as the Comm. 2nd Carr. Task Force's War Diary reported, "At 1600, Vice Admiral McCain, CTF 38, shifted his flag from Wasp to Hancock, in TG 38.2." There is a similar entry in the Wasp's War Diary for this date.Lexington's Action Report (Serial 0390, 22 November 1944) states that "Task Force 38 was under the command of Vice Admiral McCain, USN in the Wasp." It shows that "Task Group 38.3, under the command of Rear Admiral Frederick C. Sherman" was in the Essex, and no flag officer was aboard the Lexington for this engagement.


 * I removed the line about McCain's flag transfer which was a direct copy of the US Navy DANFS Wasp article. I'm no expert, but I do have Fold3 access to war diaries and no mention is made about transferring McCain to or from Lexington in November 1944 in Wasp or Lexington's War diaries. McCain departed Wasp 17 November 1943 to oiler USS Pecos and about an hour later he transferred to carrier USS Hancock at least according to the Pecos and Wasp diaries. I don't think that much detail is needed so I just removed it rather than try to cite primary sources. I don't know where the TG 68 items came from, but I returned it to the original DANFS which was 58.1 for those.--Dual Freq (talk) 15:13, 20 April 2015 (UTC)
 * Thank you for the quick work on this - Peripitus (Talk) 04:27, 21 April 2015 (UTC)

Air Wing
where can I find what types of aircraft carried on 1969 / 1970 ? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 186.137.142.34 (talk) 23:16, 31 January 2018 (UTC)