We normally flew each day; starting with catapults 45 minutes before sunrise. Two seaplanes would fly ahead of the ship by at least 40 miles to determine if enemy ships or submarines were present. Being shot off the catapult into complete darkness never failed to get my adrenalin running!
Our other basic daily missions were 200 to 300 mile three-legged searches ahead, behind, or abeam of the ship's track to look for enemy ships or aircraft. We also flew close aboard submarine search flights called inner and intermediate search patrols. We normally had intermediate patrols looking for enemy submarines in sectors fifty miles out from the ship, and inner patrols five miles out. If and when a ship to ship battle developed, we were expected to be proficient in spotting for the cruiser's nine 8-inch guns which had a range of about 25 miles.
If radio silence had been imposed, and we had a message to deliver to a carrier in our task force, it would usually be done by message drop to the flight deck of the carrier. Radio transmissions could be intercepted by the enemy and would have placed the task force at risk.
If we got lost while on patrol for enemy ships or aircraft, seaplane pilots were expendable! The ship could not be put in danger by a radio transmission to a lost pilot.
After we were at war, our main operating area was the South Pacific, and Portland's seaplane pilots were issued with maps and flags made of cloth which were called "blood chits". We were expected to carry them with us whenever we made a flight from the ship. If we were shot down or lost at sea, the cloth map was intended to assist us to navigate our rubber life raft to the nearest land using trade winds and currents. The "blood chit" also had written on it in seven foreign languages the following, "I am an American pilot. My airplane has been destroyed. I am an enemy of the Japanese. Take me to your leader. My government will reward you". Fortunately, I never had to make use of mine!