World War II Service and Diary of John R. McKnight - Ex Rd M 3c USN
On September 10, 1943 the Essex and Yorktown left Hawaii for San Francisco. The carriers spent less than forty-eight hours at the naval supply depot but Jack and his buddies managed a five-hour leave. They spent the time eating and drinking, happy to be in the local restaurants and not the chow lines on the hanger deck. The short respite ended by September 20th and the Essex returned to Hawaii. For the remainder of the year CV 9 went into combat. In October she participated in action on Wake Island, in November Rabaul and the Gilberts, and in December the Kwajalein Atoll. Early 1944 took Jack and the Essex to Wake, the Truk Islands and the Marianas.

Rabaul
"In November 1943, the Essex participated in strikes against Rabaul, one of the principal bases of the Japanese…The Essex made two strikes on 11 November which were very successful. However, the Japanese made a major attack on the of the Essex.ship. This was our first taste of battle for the crew, because the whole battle was fought very close to the shore and almost entirely over our ship…The Essex was the first ship to arrive out there with any reasonable kind of C.I.C. with radar in it…This was one of the earliest uses of an effective air defense…This gave the ship a great deal of confidence. ("Fitzhugh Lee , air office on the Essex 1943 from Carrier Warfare in the Pacific, 1993)
Jack "Weary" McKnight - 1st Year on the Essex - September 1943 to March 1944
Dates
Pre-diary Notes
Sept. 7, 1943 Returned to Pearl Harbor.
Sept. 10, 1943 Left Pearl Harbor with the U.S.S. Yorktown CV-10 for San Francisco, California.
Sept. 13, 1943 Anchored in San Francisco.
Sept. 16, 1943 Left for Pearl Harbor with the U.S.S. Yorktown CV-10.
Sept. 19, 1943 Reached Pearl Harbor.
Sept. 30, 1943 Left for strikes on Wake Island.
Oct. 5-7, 1943 Participated in strikes against Wake Island.
Oct. 11, 1943 Returned to Pearl Harbor
Oct. 22, 1943 Left for Pallikulo Bay, Expiritu Santo Island, New Hebrides.
 
(Click for a larger view.)
Oct. 25, 1943 Essex crossed the Equator for the first time.
Nov. 6, 1943

Anchored in Pallikulo Bay.
Nov. 7, 1943 Left Pallikulo Bay for strikes on Rabaul.
Nov. 13, 1943 Returned to Pallikulo Bay.
Nov. 14, 1943 Left for strikes on Tarawa.
Nov. 18-23, 1943 Strikes on Tarawa. * Battle of Tarawa Nov. 20, 1944
Nov. 25 1943
Thanksgiving Day - Dining on the hanger deck..
         
(Click each for larger view)
Dec. 4, 1943 Strikes on Kwajalein, Atoll.
Dec. 9, 1943 Returned to Pearl Harbor.
Dec. 25, 1943
Christmas Day Menu aboard ship.
   
(Click each for larger view)
Dec. 31, 1943 Jack reach rank of S1c.

(Click for a larger view.)
Jan. 16, 1944 Left Pearl Harbor.
Jan. 17-28, 1944 Strikes on Kwajalein, Atoll. * Battle of Kwajalein Jan. 31, 1944
Feb. 3, 1944 Left Kwajalein for Majuro, Atoll, Marshall Islands.
Feb. 5-11, 1944 Anchored Majuro, Atoll
Feb. 12, 1944 Left Majuro, Atoll.
Feb. 16-17, 1944 Strikes on Turk.
* Battle of Truk Feb. 17, 1944
Feb. 18, 1944 Steamed towards Eniwetok, Atoll.
* Battle of Eniwetok Feb. 17, 1944
Feb. 20, 1944 Changed course to Saipan and Tinian Islands.
Feb. 22, 1944 Strikes on Saipan and Tinian.
Feb. 26, 1944 Return to Majuro Atoll, Marshal Islands.
March 4, 1944 Anchored Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
March 6, 1944 Left for San Francisco, California.
March 10, 1944 Arrived in San Francisco for drydock.
March 12, 1944 Granted leave. Went home to Pittsburgh.

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