80 years ago today.
A Marine Corps Convair OY-1 Sentinel (Grasshopper) observation plane, 19 September 1944, being manhandled on the flight deck of the Casablanca-class escort carrier USS Petrof Bay (CVE-80), during the Peleliu Operation, codename Operation Stalemate II. Note the motto on cowling: “It flies, don’t it?”
National Archives photo 80-G-378466
With the 30 assorted FM-2 Wildcats and Grumman TBM-3 Avengers of newly-formed Composite Squadron (VC) 76 aboard Petrof Bay since 30 July 1944, there seemed little room on the “jeep carrier” for some Marine Grasshoppers. Still, escort carriers often shoehorned a few OYs on their decks to help spot for NGFS and coordinate the efforts of the Leathernecks ashore. These planes were typically loaded as cargo in crates, assembled at sea, operated from the carrier for a few days during the initial stages of the operation, and then flown ashore when possible.
In early 1944, four Marine Observation Squadrons (VMO) were commissioned as part of an Artillery Spotting Division (VMOs 1 through 4), one for each Marine combat division, each with eight OY-1s and a platoon-sized ground support unit.
By the Spring of 1945, this force had grown to eight VMOs. They saw their inaugural combat in June 1944 during the Saipan operation and were flown ashore on D+2.
These Marine OYs were often the first American aircraft to land at captured Japanese airfields.
Battle for Iwo Jima, February-March 1945. The first Stinson OY-1 “Sentinel” plane piloted by Lieutenant H. Olson taxis down the strip to join his other buddy who flew with him to Iwo Jima. Photographed by Dodds, February 26, 1945. U.S. Marine Corps photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. 127-GW-298-111091
VMO-3’s flight operations, September 1944, Peleliu operation. All planes were brought to the island by CVEs and supported the 1st Marine Division ashore
Petrof Bay’s combat report for the Peleliu Operation records that a VMO-3 Marine OY, plane number “A-7” (maybe tail number “87” as shown in the first image above?), manned by 2nd LT Jeremiah J. Riordan, with LT Clarence E. Emery as his observer, left the carrier for the last time on 23 September to operate ashore from the recently-seized Peleliu Airfield.
All this while the little carrier’s Wildcats and Avengers remained very busy. Some 402 sorties were completed, 269 over hostile objectives, between 15 September and 29 September from the deck of Petrof Bay by VC-76.
As for Riordan, the possible pilot of “It flies, don’t it?”, he would go on to fly Corsairs and later helicopters in Korea, earning the Navy Cross in the process. He passed in 2007, aged 87, leaving behind many children and grandchildren.