Lot 483

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Description:


A great grouping of items from a Marine serving aboard the carrier USS SARATOGA during her last combat mission, the diversionary air attack on Japan followed by her air support of the Marines on Iwo Jima. While providing that air cover, SARATOGA had weak protection from escort vessels and was struck by five bombs in three minutes. The grouping was partly gathered by the unknown Marine's wife or mother, surname 'Hoppenyon' in Minneapolis, although the Marine's name is unknown. Most important is a 13 x 11 in. map of the North Pacific upon which Hoppenyon recorded the SARATOGA's position several times a day, often adding brief battle notes. The vessel is charted as she proceeds with ENTERPRISE to a point east of Yokohama, and a note reads: '509 planes destroyed 1 carrier 1 DD 33 patrol craft'. SARATOGA then proceeds south to a point just west of Iwo Jima where Hoppenyon notes that five enemy aircraft had been downed.
On Feb. 21, he writes: 'Big attack three suicide planes two bomb hits one or two torpedoes'. Also included is an ink sketch, 8 x 10 in. on lined paper, showing top, left and right side views of the SARATOGA and damage inflicted by the Japanese air attacks. Especially interesting is a 1p. 4to. contemporary listing by name of dozens of carriers, battleships, cruisers and destroyers, a total force of over 100 vessels, with a note at bottom: 'THIS LIST TO BE DESTROYED BY BURNING NOT LATER THAN 0900 ON THE 11TH DAY OF FEBRUARY 1945'. The list is apparently one of vessels that participated in the assault and initial campaign at Iwo Jima, and this may have been the draft for a circular prepared by Hoppenyon. There is also a 'U.S.S. SARATOGA Victory Dinner' menu picturing the vessel, Aug. 16, 1945, and listing the senior officers. Finally, there are a few newsletters, a 1943-44 Marine roster and a menu from the Marine base at Klamath Falls, Or., and a few photographs. Overall very good. The carrier force including SARATOGA carried out diversionary strikes on the Japanese home islands on the nights of 16 and 17 February, before the Iwo Jima landings began. The force fueled on 18 and 19 February, and the ship was detached with an escort of three destroyers to join the amphibious forces and carry out night patrols over Iwo Jima and nearby Chichi Jima. Taking advantage of low cloud cover and SARATOGA's weak escort, six Japanese planes scored five bomb hits on the carrier in three minutes; three of the aircraft also struck the carrier. The flight deck forward was wrecked, her starboard side was holed twice and large fires were started in her hangar deck; she lost 123 of her crew dead or missing as well as 192 wounded, with 36 aircraft destroyed. Another attack two hours later further damaged her flight deck. The ship was sent to Bremerton for permanent repairs, and was repurposed as a training vessel.

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October 28, 2020 10:00 AM EDT
Chesapeake City, MD, US

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$100 $499 $20
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$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000