World War II Database

1.  David Stubblebine says:
25 Jan 2018 04:03:58 PM

Other sources list this photo as being taken from the USS Essex showing the USS Lexington (Essex-class) and another (unnamed) Essex-class carrier in Ulithi on 10 Feb 1945. I find this date unlikely to the point of being impossible. Clearly, the carrier seen predominantly at left is the Lexington since she was the only Essex-class carrier painted that way during that period. In checking the Ulithi berthing assignments, we find that Lexington was not berthed near the other carriers in Feb 1945 but she was on 24-30 Dec 1944. Also, in Dec 1944 the carrier berths were near the cruisers with smaller berths (destroyers) in between, as is seen in the image. So if this assessment is correct, this photo was taken from the Hancock in Berth 27 showing the Lexington in Berth 28, the Yorktown (Essex-class) beyond in Berth 29, the light cruiser USS Miami at far right in Berth 146, light cruiser Astoria to the left of Miami in Berth 145, light cruiser Vincennes in the distance to the left of Astoria in Berth 144, and unidentified escort ships in between.

Additionally, the Dec 1944 date makes better sense when we consider who took this photo. Before the war, Jerome Zerbe was a noted photographer of the rich and famous who joined the Navy after Pearl Harbor and became the photographer of Admirals, including becoming Nimitz’ personal photographer. In neither Dec 1944 nor Feb 1945 was Essex a flagship and would not likely have had Zerbe on board while Hancock was McCain’s flagship in Dec 1944 where Zerbe’s presence would have been far more likely.