Hammond, Keene G, LCDR

Other Memories
Lt Cdr Keene G. "Kagey" Hammond was one of the original pilots assigned to Fighting 4 when it was formed on the USS Ranger in December 1941 following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Fighting Four (VF-4), flying Grumman F4F Wildcats, was the fighter squadron of Air Group 4. Hammond was actively involved in all AG4 operations in the Atlantic.
During WWII, flight accidents were one of the major risks to carrier airmen. Prior to seeing combat in OPERATION TORCH, Hammond survived two crash landings.
On March 18, 1942, Hammond was launched with other F4F fighters from the Ranger for simulated attacks on ships. The group was scheduled to land at Quonset Point, R. I., but the weather turned bad with zero visibility. Some planes did not make their destination. Hammond "flew as far as New Paltz, New York where he crash landed wheels-up, his F4F taking minor damage". (2)
In a routine training hop on September 16, 1942, Hammond was making an approach for landing on the Ranger "in heavy seas and a pitching deck. He was given a fast signal by the LSO (Landing Signal Officer). He throttled back, pulling back on the stick to raise the F4F nose. The Wildcat appeared to stall and the plane hit the deck hard sustaining major damage." (2).
OPERATION TORCH
Hammond led a 4-plane section of Wildcats from the Ranger in support of the Allied landings in North Africa known as OPERATION TORCH. These air attacks against the Vichy French (who were fighting with the Germans) took place November 8-12, 1942.
On November 8, 1942, Hammond led a morning flight of Wildcats on Fedala, 15 miles north of Casablanca. In the engagement he ran low on fuel and had to land on the jeep carrier USS Sawanee. His plane was refueled, rearmed, and launched to fly CAP (Carrier Air Patrol) over the fleet. After this assignment, he returned to the Ranger and later that morning lead a second flight to destroy enemy planes that were attacking Allied troops at Fedala. In the process he strafed an enemy destroyer. That afternoon, he led a third flight. (2)
Hammond was involved in two morning attacks and one afternoon flight on November 9. On November 10, he led a 4-plane section of Wildcats to strafe targets in support of the landings near Casablanca. (2)
The Vichy French capitulated November 11, 1942. OPERATION TORCH cost the lives of 10 airmen from the Ranger Task Force. Four airmen who were taken prisoners were released to rejoin their squadrons following the Vichy surrender.
Fighting Four pilots, including Hammond, had clearly demonstrated their combat capability.
OPERATION LEADER
For the next several months the Ranger was primarily involved in convoy escort duty and anti-sub patrol. The next major combat action was OPERATION LEADER, a strike on German shipping along the coast of Norway. Details of OPERATION LEADER, which took place on October 4, 1943, are posted elsewhere on this web site.
During OPERATION LEADER, Hammond was one of the six Fighting Four pilots assigned to escort the VT-4 torpedo planes, which made up the "Southern Attack Group". The strike was a complete surprise and the Germans failed to send out aircraft to intercept the attacking planes. The VF-4 fighters, flying F4F Wildcats, made strafing runs on the German ships before the torpedo planes dropped their bombs. The combat Action Report states:
"Spanky Carter, Will Taylor, Kagey Hammond, and Bob Cronin strafed the 4,300-ton troop transport Skramstad. Joe Ruddy scored a direct hit on her, as well, as did Lee Hamrick." (3)
After OPERATION LEADER, the Ranger with its Air Group continued to operate in the Atlantic. In April 1944, VF-4 was enlarged to 36 aircraft and its F4F Wildcat´s were replaced with Grumman F6F Hellcats. Hammond was now the Skipper on a well-trained and night-qualified group of fighter pilots. Lt Clifford White, VF-4, stated it this way:
"On March 14, 1944, Lt Cdr K. G. Hammond became our skipper. `Remember now,´ we warned one another, `It isn´t K. G. anymore, it's Captain Hammond. And it was really somewhat difficult to get accustomed to the change. The new Captain stepped gracefully into the driver's seat, however, and had us in such control that he need only a snap of the finger for a whip. He brought us luck, too, for shortly afterward we were all granted some leave, were deattached from the USS Ranger, and exchanged our effete Wildcats for some spanking new Hellcats. VF-4 was finally coming into its own. The fighting war was just over the horizon." (1)