Japanese plane shot down as it attempted to attack USS Kitkun Bay. Near Mariana Islands.
USS Kitkun Bay (CVE-71) was a Casablanca-class escort carrier that saw extensive service in the Pacific. On 18 June 1944, during the Battle of the Philippine Sea, she came under repeated Japanese air attack as U.S. forces fought to secure the Mariana Islands.
The Japanese launched massive strikes to disrupt the American landings on Saipan. Many aircraft targeted the vulnerable escort carriers supporting the invasion fleet. Anti-aircraft gunners aboard Kitkun Bay and nearby ships shot down several planes, including the one in this photograph, before they could inflict serious damage.
Although narrowly missed on multiple occasions, Kitkun Bay survived the battle. Her aircraft contributed to the overwhelming American victory in the so-called “Great Marianas Turkey Shoot,” where hundreds of Japanese planes were destroyed—crippling Japan’s carrier air power for the rest of the war.
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