The deadly missiles punched through the Franklin’s flight deck and plunged into the heart of the ship. The results were calamitous. The fires and explosions aboard the “Big Ben” were worse than those suffered by any aircraft carrier that survived the Pacific War. Hundreds were killed instantly, probably before they were even aware that the ship had been hit. The attack was so sudden that Captain Leslie Gehres, on the bridge, never caught a glimpse of the plane or the bombs it had dropped.
