Hellcat ace in a day

CHARLIE MALLORY PERFORMED HIS ASSIGNED DUTIES WITH HEROISM BUT HIS COMMANDING OFFICER THREATENED HIM WITH A COURT-MARTIAL!

Charles "Charlie" M. Mallory is one of the few World War Two fighter pilots to become an "ace-in-a-day" and perhaps the only one threatened with a court-martial for three of those victories. On 21 September 1944, in only his second encounter with enemy aerial opposition, the Fighting Squadron 18 (VF-18) photo-reconnaissance pilot assigned to the USS Intrepid was flying a Grumman F6F-5P Hellcat when he shot down a Japanese Betty bomber and two Tony fighters during a morning photo mission. Elated after shooting down the Japanese planes near the Philippine Islands, Mallory's mood quickly changed when the Carrier Air Group (CAG) 18 Commander confronted him. While bracing at the position of attention, Mallory heard, "You're damn lucky I don't, court-martial you!" Fortunately, he recovered from this encounter and added two more enemy planes to his tally later that afternoon!

Charlie Mallory was born in South Charleston, West Virginia, on 30 September 1920. He grew up approximately 35 miles from another West Virginia ace - Chuck Yeager. Mallory displayed many of the fighter pilot attributes Yeager describes in his book Yeager - "good eyes, coordination, staying cool in tight spots" and having "worked my tail off to learn how to fly." His aviation experiences began in late 1941 when a Navy aviation recruiter came to West Virginia University days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The aviator was there to recruit 100 West Virginians to enter the Naval Aviation Cadet Program and to he named the "Flying Mountaineers." Mallory liked the idea and volunteered to become an Aviation Cadet in May 1942. Cadet Mallory successfully completed the standard Navy aviation training program and was commissioned an Ensign and designated a Naval Aviator in January 1943.

DIVE BOMBER TO FIGHTER PILOT

Charlie's first operational assignment was with Composite Squadron 30 (VC-30) as a dive-bomber pilot aboard the newly commissioned light carrier USS Monterey (CVL-26). The Monterey departed Philadelphia in the summer of 1943 for a shakedown cruise in the Caribbean. Also aboard was a young gunnery division officer, Gerald R. Ford, Jr., who later became President.

Established in April 1943, VC-30 was a small squadron of a few fighters, dive-bombers, and torpedo planes. As Ensign Mallory prepared for his first launch off the Monterey in an SBD, he remembers how, "all of a sudden whistles started blowing and people started running everywhere. We had two destroyers as escorts and they broke off and started firing at something. I was then given the signal to takeoff. I guessed that it must be a submarine, so I got to 300-400-ft and headed to where the escorts were going. I could see a shadow in the water where the escorts were homing. I came over it, but in my excitement I couldn't find the release for the two depth charges that I had on the plane. Mistakenly, I dropped some smoke canisters, and the sub got away. Needless to say, I was embarrassed by my mistake and, from that day on, I vowed to know everything about the planes I flew." On its return to Philadelphia, VC-30 was sent to Reams Field in San Diego, California, for additional training. However, the Navy decided it needed fewer dive-bomber squadrons and more fighter squadrons. Consequently, in August 1943, VC-30 was redesignated Fighting Squadron 36 (VF-36). In March 1944, VF-36 was again renamed Fighting Squadron 18 (VF-18) and assigned to Air Group 18.

The young and inexperienced pilots of VF-18 soon afterwards received perhaps their most valuable new member. Lieutenant (jg) Cecil "Cec" Harris was a combat veteran with one aerial victory to his credit. He was assigned as the flight operations officer responsible for the realistic training of VF-18. Harris not only trained the squadron, he led by example - gaining a total of 23 aerial victories, which made him the Navy's second highest scoring ace. Mallory credits most of his success as a fighter pilot to the rigorous training in which Harris, "made you think as to why you were there. He made you appreciate that you were part of a team."

Upon deployment to Hawaii, Air Group 18 was assigned to the fleet carrier USS Intrepid. The Intrepid had participated in two previous combat tours, with the second one ending when a Japanese aerial torpedo caused severe damage to its hull and rudder on 17 February 1944. After limping back to Pearl Harbor, and later to California, the Intrepid was repaired and again ready for action in August 1944. The Intrepid departed Pearl Harbor on 16 August 1944 with Grumman F6F-5 Hellcats in Fighting 18, Curtiss SB2C-3 Helldivers in Bombing 18 (VB-18), and Grumman TBM Avengers in Torpedo 18 (VT-18).

The Intrepid was part of Task Group 38.2, commanded by R/Adm. Gerald Bogan. On 6 September 1944, Air Group 18 launched strikes against the Japanese in the Palaus Island chain. These strikes were in support of the amphibious assault by the 1st Marine Division on Pelielu, one of the Palaus Islands. Lieutenant (jg) Mallory's first combat flight also began on 6 September 1944 when he left the Intrepid's deck for a fighter sweep and photo-reconnaissance mission. Fortunately, he also started a personal journal on that same day in which he recorded his experiences as a fighter pilot throughout his tour aboard the Intrepid. His apprehensions about combat were evident in the journal's first entry on 6 September 1944. "Tried to sleep this morning, but wasn't very successful. There is too much tension in the air."