The Snapshots in Time Collection
Crashed Grumman FM-2 Wildcat Against Ship's Island, USS Petrof Bay (CVE-80), WWII
This photograph documents a flight deck mishap aboard the escort carrier USS Petrof Bay (CVE-80), showing a carrier fighter aircraft crashed against the ship's island superstructure. Landing accidents such as this were a routine hazard of carrier operations during World War II, particularly aboard the smaller, shorter-decked escort carriers that supported amphibious and anti-submarine operations throughout the Pacific campaign. Project: 218458