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NavSource Online: Aircraft Carrier Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS LEYTE (CV-32 & CVA-32)

Photos from the collection of Robert Carey, AF2, 1952

"I was stationed aboard the USS Leyte for just about all of 1952. The ship did some operations off the East coast and made a cruise to Nova Scotia with a load of Naval Academy cadets and in mid year we left for a deployment in the Mediterranean. I left the ship in mid December to travel back to Norfolk in time to be discharged a few days before Christmas 1952. My job aboard the ship was to man a station on the starboard side of the flight deck about where the second wire was located and photograph anything unusual that was happening. There were other camera positions that were also used. I took some of the photos [shown here] and I saw many of the events that were photographed, but obviously I wasn't always in the right place to get the shot."

The aircraft landings were shot with a 4"x 5" hand held, electrically driven camera. It was the same camera that in later years became known as the "machine gun camera" and was used by many sports photographers.

Robert A. Carey, AF2,
aboard USS Leyte, 1952

*F6F-5N Hellcat* Crashes, August 1952**
An F6F-5N Hellcat going into the barrier. If you look closely you can see that the hook is missing from the tailhook assembly. I don't know how that occurred but it caused this pilot to have an exciting landing. The plane, BuNo 94481, was assigned to Composite Squadron 4 (VC-4), "Nightcappers." Photos by Robert Carey. (Photos were shot at 2 per second.)
NS-02-cv32-c05 72Kb	NS-02-cv32-c05a 71Kb	NS-02-cv32-c05b 73Kb Man jumping. Note broken tailhook.	NS-02-cv32-c05c 76Kb "Ride em' Cowboy."
NS-02-cv32-c05d 75Kb Brakes locked, tires smoking.	NS-02-cv32-c05e 91Kb Plane hits barrier.	NS-02-cv32-c05f 115Kb Prop stopped.	NS-02-cv32-c05g 128Kb Fully engaged. Tail's up!
NS-02-cv32-c05h 124Kb Going up.	NS-02-cv32-c05i 132Kb Balanced on prop hub.	NS-02-cv32-c05j 129Kb	NS-02-cv32-c05k 120Kb Coming down. He walked away!
NS-02-cv32-c05l 134Kb Back on his wheels.	NS-02-cv32-c05m 134Kb Plane hit barrier at about 80 mph.	NS-02-cv32-c05n 128Kb Almost down.	NS-02-cv32-c05o 120Kb Time to celebrate. The end.

NS-02-cv32-c23 123Kb F6F-5N Hellcat #8. This plane went into the barrier. Four of these planes came aboard at sea. In two days three of them hit the barriers. The other guy flew home.

*AD-4 Skyraider* into the Barrier**
A series of eight photos of an AD-4 that caught a late wire and went into the barrier. There wasn't much damage aside from dents and scrapes so that was a fortunate occurrence. The plane, BuNo 123873, was assigned to Attack Squadron 35 (VA-35), "Black Panthers." Photos by Robert Carey.
NS-02-cv32-c06 69Kb	NS-02-cv32-c06a 73Kb	NS-02-cv32-c06b 91Kb	NS-02-cv32-c06c 104Kb
NS-02-cv32-c06d 395Kb	NS-02-cv32-c06e 422Kb	NS-02-cv32-c06f 443Kb	NS-02-cv32-c06g 403Kb

*AD Skyraider* hits parked AD on flight deck**
January 14, 1952. Location unknown. AD Skyraider of VC-33 squadron (#SS-45) hits parked Skyraider of VC-12 squadron (#NE-41.) (If you have any information concerning this accident, please let us know.)
NS-02-cv32-c18 152Kb	NS-02-cv32-c18a 126Kb

"Return of the Prodigal"
This pilot of an F2H-2 Banshee of VF-34 landed on the wrong ship after an exercise. The next day he came home after a rousing sendoff from the other ship. Latter part of 1952. In all probability the "other" carrier was USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. VF-171 and -172 were the Banshee squadrons aboard FDR at that time. Even *Leyte's Air Group 3 tail code ("K") was repainted to look like that of FDR*'s Air Group 17 ("R".) And if you read the graffiti you'll find a reference to "Miss FDR."
NS-02-cv32-c01 132Kb	NS-02-cv32-c01a 130Kb	NS-02-cv32-c01b 211Kb	NS-02-cv32-c01c 163Kb

HO3S-1 Dragonfly
This Sikorsky HO3S-1 Dragonfly helicopter was assigned to HU-2, "Fleet Angels," squadron. Looks like they are holding a flight deck fire drill: note the smoke grenades that they are using to simulate fires.
NS-02-cv32-c13 480Kb	NS-02-cv32-c13a 460Kb	NS-02-cv32-c13b 494Kb

Blimp landing on flight deck, July 1952
NS-02-cv32-c21 136Kb	NS-02-cv32-c21a 110Kb

NS-02-cv32-c09	144Kb	A group of AD Skyraiders getting ready to be launched. These planes were assigned to Attack Squadron 75 (VA-75) "Sunday Punchers," part of Air Group 7 (CVG-7).
NS-02-cv32-c29	106Kb	AD-4 Skyraider BuNo 123856, #R511, catching a wire, date and place unknown. This plane belonged to VA-175 "Hell Razors," part of Carrier Air Group 17 (CVG-17).
NS-02-cv32-c03	73Kb	The AD-4W "Guppy" was of special interest to the Bureau of Aeronautics because they had a free swinging tail hook that had the nasty habit of skipping over the wires under certain conditions. We had to shoot all of their landings up to the point of hook engagement. I never saw one go into the barrier but I did see a few catch a wire after a skip or two. The plane handlers didn't like to see that happening. LT(JG) Frank E. "Pat" Patrova, a VC-12 pilot aboard *Leyte* in 1952, comments: "Pilots called the vertical fins 'Back Scratchers' for the reason that if you had to bail out one of the fins would probably collide with your back."
NS-02-cv32-c08	84Kb	A F2H-2 Banshee about to catch the wire. According to its markings, this plane was assigned to Fighting Squadron 12 (VF-12), "Flying Ubangis," part of Air Group 1 (CVG-1) in 1948–1955.
NS-02-cv32-c28	185Kb	Gassing an F2H-2 Banshee of Carrier Air Group 17 (CVG-17), date and place unknown.
NS-02-cv32-c04	80Kb	A F2H-2P, the photo version of the Banshee, photographed in April 1952. It carried three cameras in that extended nose. Two were side-looking and the other was vertical. As a little trivia about the Banshee: in heavy seas the planes came in high and cut power and dropped like stones onto the deck. I saw a Banshee drop down and have both wheel struts come completely through the wings.
NS-02-cv32-c07	38Kb	An air to air shot of a F2H-2P Banshee assigned to Composite Squadron 62 (VC-62) "Fighting Photos."
NS-02-cv32-c25	150Kb	F4U Corsair, #A-301, landing. Date and place unknown.
NS-02-cv32-c24	208Kb	F4U Corsair, #K-314, in barrier. Date and place unknown.
NS-02-cv32-c26	127Kb	F4U Corsairs of Carrier Air Group 17 (CVG-17) on flight deck, circa 1951. Plane closest to camera is F4U-4 BuNo 82026.
NS-02-cv32-c27	212Kb	F4U Corsairs of Carrier Air Group 17 (CVG-17) about to take off. CVG-17 (established as CVG-82 in April 1944, redesignated CVAG-17 in November 1946 and CVG-17 in September 1948) deployed twice with USS Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1951–1952, and never deployed overseas aboard *Leyte*.
NS-02-cv32-c33	168Kb	F4U Corsair, side number 305, moving toward catapult. Location and date unknown.
NS-02-cv32-c31	200Kb	A deck full of F4U Corsairs and F8F Bearcats. Location and date unknown, but probably 1951.
NS-02-cv32-c12	256Kb	F8F-2P Bearcat of Composite Squadron 62 (VC-62) above USS *Leyte. A heavy cruiser and a Midway*-class aircraft carrier steam in the background. Possibly taken in 1951.
NS-02-cv32-c16	198Kb	F9F-2 Panther #A-122 landing, date and place unknown. Note jet barrier in position. This plane was assigned to VF-721 "Iron Angels," a reserve squadron called to active duty on July 20, 1950, and part of Carrier Air Group 101 (CVG-101.) On February 4, 1953 VF-721 was redesignated VF-141, and CVG-101 was redesignated CVG-14.
NS-02-cv32-c17	145Kb	Another F9F-2 Panther of VF-721, #A-102 landing and losing its nose wheel, date and place unknown.
NS-02-cv32-c30	174Kb	F9F-2 Panthers of Carrier Air Group 3 (CVG-3), location and date (1950–1951?) unknown.
NS-02-cv32-c15	156Kb	Overflight by 2-engine aircraft, date and place unknown. Note HU-2 "Fleet Angels" HO3S-1 helicopter on deck.
NS-02-cv32-c22	172Kb	This appears to be just a simulated flight deck accident. But working on the flight deck is indeed a dangerous job!
NS-02-cv32-c02	132Kb	Gibraltar, September 1952: USS *Leyte* (CV-32) nicely framed by some trees.
NS09062818	92Kb	USS Hyades (AF-28) and USS *Leyte* (CV-32) at anchor, circa 1950–1952. Location unknown.
NS091909712	133Kb	USS Allagash (AO-97) refueling USS Albany (CA-123) and USS *Leyte* (CV-32), location and date unknown (probably in the very early 1950s.)
NS-02-cv32-c10	219Kb	USS *Leyte* (CV-32) at anchor, date and location unknown.
NS-02-cv32-c11	237Kb	USS *Leyte* (CV-32) underway, date and location unknown.
NS-02-cv32-c19	188Kb	Taking a man aboard from an unidentified destroyer, via high line. Date and place unknown.
NS-02-cv32-c19a	165Kb
NS-02-cv32-c20	116Kb	Loading a 1,000lb aerial bomb, 1952. Norfolk, Va.
NS-02-cv32-c32	190Kb	Air defense drill at sea. Date unknown, but probably 1951.