Watch This Haunting Video Of Gunner Being Buried At Sea In Badly Damaged Torpedo Bomber

Updated Dec 1, 2019 7:07 AM EST

Writing about warfare day-in and day-out for years hardens you to the avalanche of conflict-related imagery and video you see on a daily basis, which ranges from gruesome to heroic. This job literally makes you examine the worst and the best humanity has to offer on a daily basis, but once in a while, a piece of media will really move you by surprise. This happened today when @history1history posted a video of a TBM Avenger gunner being buried at sea with his battle damaged aircraft. Apparently, this is the only time this happened during the war.

In the clip, we see the Avenger, which was hit hard by flak, limping back to the carrier. Once it lands, the rear turret gunner’s cockpit is covered up and the aircraft is ceremoniously rolled off the fantail of the ship in a unique burial at sea. You see, Aviation Machinist Mate 2nd Class Loyce Edward Deen’s body was so badly mangled from the anti-aircraft shell that took his life that it couldn’t be removed from the torpedo bomber’s rear cockpit.

Deen was just 23 years old when he died on that fateful mission. The operation he was participating in at the time of his death was the Battle Of Manila. It was two hours into a sortie when his Avenger, which belonged to Torpedo Squadron 15 (VT-15) based aboard the USS Essex (CV-9), was hit by anti-aircraft artillery, killing him instantly.

Before the Battle of Manila, Deen and his Avenger crew flew in many battles, oftentimes returning to the carrier with their aircraft badly damaged. He was wounded on one such mission during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Instead of going and recovering on a hospital ship or land base, he elected to stay with his Avenger aircrew on the carrier so that he could return to flight as soon as possible.

From left to right: Pilot Robert Cosgrove, Radioman Digby Denzek, and rear turret gunner Loyce Edward Deen. This heroic Avenger team flew in a number of Pacific theater battles. , Public Domain

There is a wonderful website dedicated to Deen and his Avenger crew’s heroics during World War II which you can access here . In it, they describe his final day as such:

“Each day, reveille was sounded on the USS Essex’s intercom at 5:30 am. Breakfast was served in the mess hall at 6:30am. Throughout the night, the planes scheduled for the next day’s mission were being prepared. On the flight deck, the Hellcat fighters were in front so they can take off first and protect the group and the carrier. In the rear were the Avenger and Hell Diver bombers and torpedo planes. After breakfast, pilots attended briefings in the ‘Ready Room’ to get their final orders, weather conditions and the plane that was to be assigned to them. That day, Lt. Cosgrove received tail number #93 – a new plane just acquired in Ulithi Atoll a few days ago. Lt. Cosgrove’s orders were to go after the Japanese cruisers in Manila Bay. After the briefing, Lt. Cosgrove joined his crew, Digby and Loyce, and they went topside to their plane. Loyce climbed into his gun turret for the final time. The VT-15 group took off mid-morning and it would take about two hours to get to the Manila Bay and release the ordinance. There, they encountered heavy anti-aircraft fire from a Japanese cruiser and Loyce was killed from two AA shells. In the 2001 History Channel documentary film “Battle Group Halsey” interview, Capt. Cosgrove recalled, “Denzek told me over the intercom that Deen was hit bad. Then, Densek came back up thru the small passageway to sit in the cabin behind me. He stayed there until we landed.” During the attack, the plane and its controls were heavily damaged. Lt. Cosgrove had his hands full and used all his strength and skill to return another un-flyable plane. It was very sad, long and harrowing two-hour flight back to the carrier that included two thunderstorms. Shortly after Loyce’s burial, the USS Essex went into “general quarters” status for the entire evening due to the Kamikaze attacks around them. On November 6th, 12th, 13th and 14th, Lt. Cosgrove courageously got back into a new plane and attacked those same cruisers in the Bay of Manila. On November 15th, Air Group 15 disengaged from combat missions and returned to Ulithi Atoll to be replaced by Air Group 4 from the USS Bunker Hill. At Ulithi Atoll, the surviving 45 members of Air Group 15 transferred to the USS Bunker Hill which was returning to Pearl Harbor for a week. Then, the USS Bunker Hill went to Seattle and brought Air Group 15 home.”

“Each day, reveille was sounded on the USS Essex’s intercom at 5:30 am. Breakfast was served in the mess hall at 6:30am. Throughout the night, the planes scheduled for the next day’s mission were being prepared. On the flight deck, the Hellcat fighters were in front so they can take off first and protect the group and the carrier. In the rear were the Avenger and Hell Diver bombers and torpedo planes. After breakfast, pilots attended briefings in the ‘Ready Room’ to get their final orders, weather conditions and the plane that was to be assigned to them. That day, Lt. Cosgrove received tail number #93 – a new plane just acquired in Ulithi Atoll a few days ago. Lt. Cosgrove’s orders were to go after the Japanese cruisers in Manila Bay. After the briefing, Lt. Cosgrove joined his crew, Digby and Loyce, and they went topside to their plane. Loyce climbed into his gun turret for the final time. The VT-15 group took off mid-morning and it would take about two hours to get to the Manila Bay and release the ordinance.

There, they encountered heavy anti-aircraft fire from a Japanese cruiser and Loyce was killed from two AA shells. In the 2001 History Channel documentary film “Battle Group Halsey” interview, Capt. Cosgrove recalled, “Denzek told me over the intercom that Deen was hit bad. Then, Densek came back up thru the small passageway to sit in the cabin behind me. He stayed there until we landed.”

During the attack, the plane and its controls were heavily damaged. Lt. Cosgrove had his hands full and used all his strength and skill to return another un-flyable plane. It was very sad, long and harrowing two-hour flight back to the carrier that included two thunderstorms.

Shortly after Loyce’s burial, the USS Essex went into “general quarters” status for the entire evening due to the Kamikaze attacks around them. On November 6th, 12th, 13th and 14th, Lt. Cosgrove courageously got back into a new plane and attacked those same cruisers in the Bay of Manila. On November 15th, Air Group 15 disengaged from combat missions and returned to Ulithi Atoll to be replaced by Air Group 4 from the USS Bunker Hill.

At Ulithi Atoll, the surviving 45 members of Air Group 15 transferred to the USS Bunker Hill which was returning to Pearl Harbor for a week. Then, the USS Bunker Hill went to Seattle and brought Air Group 15 home.”

It’s amazing to think that Deen launched off the carrier on another mission that day not having any idea that he would not return to the carrier alive, let alone that his mangled corpse would be rolled into the sea along with the aircraft he was flying in.

The sheer number of lives that were sacrificed, many in a cruel flash of happenstance, to win World War II is truly chilling, but metrics alone, and even still images, can’t tell the story of just how brutal the conflict was and how undiscriminating and sudden tragedy was doled out during it, like this short piece of footage.

An Avenger and its crew getting ready to fly., USN

War is a very nasty business and the glory that goes with it is largely manufactured after the fact. Being blown to pieces and tossed off the stern of a ship inside the broken aircraft that you died in just hours earlier is a somber reminder of that.

Contact the author: Tyler@thedrive.com

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更新于美国东部时间2019年12月1日上午7:07

多年来日复一日地撰写战争报道，让我对每天铺天盖地的冲突相关图片和视频习以为常，这些内容从惨绝人寰到英勇无畏，无所不包。这份工作让我每天都不得不面对人性中最丑恶和最美好的一面，但偶尔，也会有某个媒体作品真正触动我的心弦。今天，@history1history 发布了一段视频，一位TBM复仇者鱼雷轰炸机的炮手与他那架战损的飞机一起被海葬，这便是其中之一。据悉，这是战争期间唯一一次发生这样的事。

视频片段中，我们看到被高射炮火重创的复仇者轰炸机艰难地返回航母。飞机着陆后，后炮塔射手座舱被遮盖起来，然后这架飞机被庄严地从航母尾部滚落，以一种独特的方式葬入大海。原来，二级航空机械师洛伊斯·爱德华·迪恩的遗体被夺去生命的防空炮弹严重损毁，无法从鱼雷轰炸机的后座舱中取出。

迪恩牺牲时年仅23岁。他当时参与的行动是马尼拉战役。在执行任务两小时后，他所在的隶属于驻扎在埃塞克斯号航空母舰（CV-9）上的第15鱼雷中队（VT-15）的复仇者鱼雷轰炸机被防空炮火击中，他当场牺牲。

在马尼拉战役之前，迪恩和他的复仇者战机机组参与了多次战斗，经常带着严重受损的飞机返回航母。在莱特湾海战的一次任务中，他负伤了。但他没有选择前往医院船或陆地基地疗养，而是选择留在航母上与他的复仇者战机机组一起服役，以便尽快重返蓝天。

从左至右：飞行员罗伯特·科斯格罗夫、无线电员迪格比·登泽克和后炮塔射手洛伊斯·爱德华·迪恩。这支英勇的复仇者战斗机小队参加了太平洋战场的多次战役。（公共领域）

有一个很棒的网站专门讲述迪恩和他的复仇者战队在二战期间的英勇事迹，你可以点击这里访问。网站上是这样描述他生命最后一天的：

每天早上5点30分，埃塞克斯号航空母舰的内部广播系统都会响起起床号。6点30分，餐厅开始供应早餐。整个晚上，第二天执行任务的飞机都在进行准备工作。在飞行甲板上，地狱猫战斗机位于最前面，以便它们可以率先起飞，保护编队和航母。后方是复仇者轰炸机、地狱俯冲者轰炸机和鱼雷机。早餐后，飞行员们前往“准备室”参加简报会，领取最终命令、天气状况以及分配给他们的飞机。那天，科斯格罗夫中尉拿到了尾号为93的飞机——这是一架几天前刚在乌利西环礁接收的新飞机。科斯格罗夫中尉的命令是攻击马尼拉湾的日本巡洋舰。简报会结束后，科斯格罗夫中尉与他的机组成员迪格比和洛伊斯会合，他们登上了飞机。洛伊斯爬上了驾驶舱。他最后一次进入了他的炮塔。VT-15中队于上午起飞，大约需要两个小时才能抵达马尼拉湾投放弹药。在那里，他们遭遇了一艘日本巡洋舰猛烈的防空火力，洛伊斯被两枚防空炮弹击中身亡。在2001年历史频道纪录片《哈尔西战斗群》的采访中，科斯格罗夫上尉回忆道：“丹泽克通过对讲机告诉我，迪恩伤势严重。然后，丹泽克穿过狭窄的通道回到我身后的驾驶舱。他一直待在那里，直到我们降落。”在袭击中，飞机及其控制系统严重受损。科斯格罗夫中尉竭尽全力，用尽全力和技巧，驾驶另一架无法飞行的飞机返回母舰。返回母舰的航程长达两个小时，途中遭遇两次雷暴，令人无比悲伤、漫长而又惊心动魄。洛伊斯下葬后不久，由于周围不断遭到神风特攻队的袭击，埃塞克斯号巡洋舰整晚进入“全面战斗”状态。11月6日、12日、13日和14日，科斯格罗夫中尉勇敢地驾驶新飞机，在马尼拉湾再次攻击了那些巡洋舰。11月15日，第15航空大队停止作战任务，返回乌利西环礁，由来自邦克山号航空母舰的第4航空大队接替。在乌利西环礁，第15航空大队幸存的45名成员转移到返回珍珠港的邦克山号航空母舰上，在那里停留一周。邦克山号前往西雅图，把第15空军大队带回了家。

每天早上5点30分，埃塞克斯号航空母舰的内部广播系统都会响起起床号。6点30分，餐厅开始供应早餐。整个晚上，第二天执行任务的飞机都在进行准备工作。在飞行甲板上，地狱猫战斗机位于最前面，以便它们可以率先起飞，保护编队和航母。后方是复仇者轰炸机、地狱俯冲者轰炸机和鱼雷机。早餐后，飞行员们前往“准备室”参加简报会，领取最终命令、天气状况以及分配给他们的飞机。那天，科斯格罗夫中尉拿到了尾号为93的飞机——这是一架几天前刚在乌利西环礁接收的新飞机。科斯格罗夫中尉的命令是攻击马尼拉湾的日本巡洋舰。简报会结束后，科斯格罗夫中尉与他的机组成员迪格比和洛伊斯会合，他们登上了飞机。洛伊斯爬上了驾驶舱。他最后一次进入炮塔。VT-15中队于上午十点左右起飞，大约需要两个小时才能抵达马尼拉湾并投放弹药。

在那里，他们遭遇了一艘日本巡洋舰猛烈的防空炮火，洛伊斯被两枚防空炮弹击中身亡。在2001年历史频道纪录片《哈尔西战斗群》的采访中，科斯格罗夫上尉回忆道：“丹泽克通过对讲机告诉我，迪恩号伤势严重。然后，丹泽克穿过狭窄的通道回到我身后的驾驶舱。他一直待在那里，直到我们降落。”

袭击中，飞机及其操控系统严重受损。科斯格罗夫中尉竭尽全力，用尽全力和技巧，才将这架无法飞行的飞机修好。返回航母的航程长达两个小时，令人无比悲伤、漫长而又惊心动魄，期间还遭遇了两次雷暴。

洛伊斯下葬后不久，由于周围遭到神风特攻队的袭击，埃塞克斯号巡洋舰整晚进入“全面战斗”状态。11月6日、12日、13日和14日，科斯格罗夫中尉英勇地驾驶新飞机重返战场，在马尼拉湾对同一批巡洋舰发动攻击。11月15日，第15航空大队停止作战任务，返回乌利西环礁，由来自邦克山号两栖攻击舰的第4航空大队接替。

在乌利西环礁，第15航空大队幸存的45名成员转移到正返回珍珠港的“邦克山”号航空母舰上，在那里停留了一周。之后，“邦克山”号前往西雅图，将第15航空大队接回了家。

令人难以置信的是，迪恩那天从航母上起飞执行另一项任务时，完全没有想到自己再也无法活着回到航母上，更不用说他那残破的尸体会和他乘坐的飞机一起被卷入大海。

为了赢得第二次世界大战，无数生命被牺牲，其中许多人死于残酷的意外，这确实令人不寒而栗。但仅仅依靠统计数据，甚至静态图像，都无法讲述这场冲突究竟有多么残酷，以及战争期间无差别和突如其来的悲剧是如何降临的，就像这段短片一样。

一架复仇者级潜艇及其机组人员准备起飞。（美国海军）

战争是极其残酷的，与之相伴的所谓荣耀，大多是事后人为塑造的。被炸得粉身碎骨，连同几个小时前刚刚牺牲的那架残破飞机一起抛出船尾，这便是对战争残酷本质最残酷的警示。

联系作者：Tyler@thedrive.com

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