The Snapshots in Time Collection
U.S. Navy Official Photograph Caption Card No. 318-7, USS Petrof Bay (CVE-80), 'Gunners Mates Checking 20mm Guns After Crash of FM-2 Bu. 57002,' Dec. 18 1944 — Confidential
This official U.S. Navy caption card accompanied a now-separated photograph documenting gunner's mates inspecting 20mm anti-aircraft guns following the crash of an FM-2 Wildcat fighter (Bureau Number 57002) aboard the escort carrier USS Petrof Bay (CVE-80) on December 18, 1944. Marked 'Confidential' under Bureau of Aeronautics restrictions, cards like this preserved essential context for official wartime photography documenting the routine hazards of carrier flight operations. Project: 218460