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The Marianas
Turkey Shoot
A loosely chronological photo gallery of June 19-20, 1944, in the Battle of the Philippine Sea
The US Navy’s mighty Task Force 58, seen at Majuro in the Marshall Islands on April 25, 1944. (National Archives)
A snapshot of carrier life aboard USS Yorktown (CV-10) late in 1943, aircraft maintenance men work on planes and bombs, while other men watch a film in the background. (National Archives)
A Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber rides shotgun over Task Force 58 en route from Majuro in the Marshall Islands to the Marianas, on June 15, 1944. US ground forces landed on Saipan that day. (National Archives)
A General Motors-built TBM Avenger torpedo bomber watches over Task Force 58 on the fleet’s way to invade Saipan. (National Archives)
Aboard USS Monterey (CVL-26) in June 1944, Avengers assigned to bomb Japanese land-based aircraft Tinian in the Marianas await the takeoff signal. (National Archives)
Grumman F6F Hellcat fighter aboard the Monterey wears a drop tank filled with extra fuel on its belly as it prepares to take off on a bomb raid against Japanese aircraft based on Guam. (National Archives)
Pilots keep busy in a ready room aboard the Monterey during a break, while other pilots are out hitting land-based aircraft. (National Archives)
A Japanese attack plane flies high over the task force’s Task Group 58.3 on the morning of June 19, off Saipan. (National Archives)
An Avenger lifts off from a carrier deck, heading out to meet coming Japanese carrier planes on their way to attack Task Force 58. (National Archives)
A Hellcat rises to confront approaching Japanese fighters. (National Archives)
Anti-aircraft gunners aboard USS Lexington (CV-16) man their posts on June 19, guarding against Japanese air attack, while a Hellcat touches down on the carrier’s deck. (National Archives)
Pilots from Lexington’s VF-16 squadron share stories after returning from dogfights with attacking Japanese carrier planes during the June 19 battle. (National Archives)
Hellcats from VF-16 sit on Lexington’s deck, ready for launching, during the battle on June 19. (National Archives)
Finding rest whenever and wherever they can, busy plane-handlers aboard Lexington flop on deck between take-offs and recoveries on June 19. (National Archives)
Machine-gun bullets kick up water but miss their target as a Japanese plane attacks a Task Group 58.3 ship on the morning of June 19. (National Archives)
A Japanese dive bomber flies off after just missing Task Group 58.2 carrier USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) on June 19. (National Archives)
Japanese plane that attempted to attack Task Group 58.3 goes down in flames on June 19. (National Archives)
Flight deck crewmen of the USS Cabot (CVL-28) watch as a shot-down Japanese plane crashes into the sea just aft of the Bunker Hill on June 19. (National Archives)
A Japanese dive bomber screams down to attack the carrier USS Wasp (CV-18), June 19. (National Archives)
Anti-aircraft gunners aboard the Wasp fight back, firing into the sky at Japanese planes. (National Archives)
A Japanese Kongo-class battleship, already smoking from bomb hits by Task Force 58 planes, takes evasive action to avoid further hits on June 20, during an attack on the retreating Japanese fleet. The circling ship to the right is a Japanese carrier. (National Archives)
Smoke rises from a bombed Japanese carrier on June 20. (National Archives)
USS Hornet’s crew stands at attention during an inspection by Task Force 58 commander Vice Admiral Mark A. Mitscher after the Battle of the Philippine Sea, a victory that left Japan without carrier air power. (National Archives)
