$12.50 "S. E. Smith's is ' ok. One look at it tells you that. But it Iy ntil you have looked in- side and begin, ad it that you realize its bigness is...
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$12.50 "S. E. Smith's is
But it Iy and begin,
you
that.
side
bigness
is
ntil
ad
it
142927
One
look at it tells you have looked in-
ok.
'
that
you
a matter oi far more than
book
realize
its
size. It is
a
ways that count— in scope, ,in narrative sweep, and in the personal recording made possible by men rising to meet the tests large
in the
of great events."
—John Mason Brown
The United
States
in
World War
Navy II
The One-Volume History, from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay — by Men Who Fought in the Atlantic and the Pacific and by Distinguished Naval Experts, Authors and Newspapermen Compiled and Edited by
S.
E.
SMITH
With an Introduction by Rear Admiral E. M. Director of Naval History
Eller,
Over a thousand pages, embellished with eighteen pages of battle maps and 142 photographs from the National Archives, this
tory of
mammoth
conflict
is
a superb narrative
on and
his-
in the oceans of
the globe. Himself a Navy veteran, S. E. Smith has read prodigiously in the literature of World War II; and, with the complete cooperation of the Navy Department and celebrated contributing authors (for complete list, see back of this jacket) he has selected for this book only those illuminating pieces— many of them eyewitness— which preserve for all time the essence of an action or a campaign. More than that, he has so arranged his material, so ordered it with his own succinct, knowledgeable introductions and continuity that the work is a unified, free-flowing whole, balanced and comprehensive. ,
(continued on back flap)
Jacket design by
s.
a.
summit
"A vivid contribution to the history of World War II, organized in a uniquely dramatic continuity that gives
one an
eerie
and often exalted on
feeling of eyewitnessing events taking place all
the world's oceans
tragic
— which
comprehend."
— events
heroic, stark,
no human eye couk —Sidney L. James, j
ill)
nc
CjJ
•-
•-
THE UNITED STATES NAVY IN
WORLD WAR
II
THE ONE-VOLUME HISTORY, FROM PEARL HARBOR TO TOKYO BAY BY MEN WHO FOUGHT IN THE ATLANTIC AND THE PACIFIC AND BY DISTINGUISHED
NAVAL EXPERTS, AUTHORS AND NEWSPAPERMEN.
THE UNITED
NAVY
STATES
IN
WORLD WAR
II
THE ONE-VOLUME HISTORY, FROM PEARL HARBOR TO TOKYO BAY
BY
MEN WHO FOUGHT IN THE
ATLANTIC AND THE PACIFIC AND BY DISTINGUISHED
NAVAL EXPERTS, AUTHORS AND NEWSPAPERMEN \mA >**
Selected
and edited by
S.E.
Smithy
With an Introduction by Rear Admiral £. At. Eller, Director of Naval History
William Morrow
Company,
Inc.
New
Marin County Free Library ministration
Civic C(
San
Building
Rafael, California
York
1966
Copyright
©
1966-by
S. E.
No
All rights reserved.
reproduced or utilized
Smith
part of this
in
book may be
any form or by any means,
or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the electronic
Publisher.
Published simultaneously in Canada by J. McLeod Limited, Toronto.
George
Printed in the United States of America.
Library of Congress Catalog Card
Grateful acknowledgment
is
made
Number 66-22113
for permission to reprint the
following: Harbor Attack," from BUT NOT IN SHAME, by John Toland. 1961 by John Toland. Reprinted by permission of Random House, Inc. ". And Pass the Ammunition," and "Taking Aboard Lexington's Survivors," from AND PASS THE AMMUNITION, by Howell M. Forgy. Copyright, 1944, by Howell M. Forgy. Reprinted by permission of Appleton-Century. "I Can't Keep Throwing Things At Them," from DAY OF INFAMY by Walter "Pearl
© Copyright .
.
©
Lord. Copyright 1957 by Walter Lord. Reprinted by permission of Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc. "Wake Island Surrenders," from ISLAND 1961 by W. Scott Cunningham with Lydel Sims. Copyright by Lydel Sims and W. Scott Cunningham. Reprinted by permission of Little, Brown & Company. "The Philippine Expendables," from THEY EXPENDABLE, by W.L. White. Copyright, 1942, by W.L. White. Reprinted by permission of Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc. "Scratch One," from The Blue Beetle, by L.A. Abercrombie and Fletcher Pratt, reprinted from Proceedings by permission. Copyright 1944 by U.S. Naval Institute. "First Blood: A War Correspondent Tells of The Marshalls Raid," from TORPEDO JUNCTION by Robert J. Casey, copyright 1942, 1943, by The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc., reprinted by permission of the publishers. "Macassar Merry-Go-Round," by William P. Mack, reprinted from Proceedings by permission. Copyright 1943 by U.S. Naval Institute. "The 'Galloping Ghost'," by Walter G. Winslow, reprinted from Proceedings by permission. Copyright 1949 by U.S. Naval Institute. "Retreat" and "Return," from REMINISCENCES by Douglas MacArthur. 1964 Time, Inc. Used by permission of McGraw-Hill Book Company. "All Gone, Now," from AMERICAN GUERILLA IN THE PHILIPPINES by Ira Wolfert. Copyright 1945 by Ira Wolfert. Reprinted by permission of Simon and Schuster, Inc. "Attack," from ATLANTIC PATROL, The Log of a Seagoing Artist, by Griffith Baily Coale. Copyright, 1942, by Griffith Baily Coale. Published by Farrar & Rinehart, Inc., 1943. Reprinted by permission of Mrs. Elizabeth M. Coale. "Atlantic Slaughter," from SEA
WAKE
©
COMMAND,
WERE
©
NORTH
WAR
142927
1*o.
*hs
©
1956 by Felix Riesenberg, Jr. Reprinted by Felix Riesenberg, Jr. Copyright by permission of Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc. "Wipe the Oil Out of My Eyes!" by John J. Forsdal, from "Ships of the Esso Fleet in World War II." Standard Oil Company (New Jersey), 1946. "Murmansk Run," from BATTLE REPORT: THE ATLANTIC WAR, Prepared from Official Sources by Commander Walter Karig, USNR, Lt. Earl Burton, USNR and Lt. Stephen L. Freeland, USNR. Copyright 1946 by Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc. Reprinted by permission of Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc. "P.Q. 17," from THE HINGE OF FATE by Winston Churchill. Copyright, 1950 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Reprinted by permission of the publishers, Houghton Mifflin Company and Cassell and Company, Ltd. "The Naval Battle of Casablanca," from
HISTORY OF U.S. NAVAL OPERATIONS IN WORLD WAR II, OPERATIONS IN NORTH AFRICAN WATERS, by Samuel
II:
Volume
Eliot Mori-
son. Copyright 1947, 1950, by Samuel Eliot Morison. Reprinted by permission of Atlantic-Little, Brown and Company. "Summit Conference," reprinted from KING, by Ernest J. King, Fleet Admiral, USN, and Walter FLEET Muir Whitehill by permission of W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. Copyright 1952 by Ernest J. King. "U.S.S. Borie's Last Battle," by John Hersey, first published in Life Magazine, December 13, 1943. Copyright 1943 by Time, Inc. Reprinted by permission of John Hersey. "Enlistment Days," "They Can Forget ." from That Island From Now On," "It Came Over the Radio
ADMIRAL
.
PACIFIC
WAR DIARY
by James Fahey. Copyright
©
.
THE
1963 by James
J.
Fahey. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, Houghton Mifflin Company. "The Capture of U-505," from Admiral Dan and the Hog-Tied Pig Boat, by D.V. Gallery, first published in True, August, 1956. Copyright 1956 by Fawcett Publications, Inc. Reprinted by permission of D.V. Gallery, Rear Admiral
"Launch Planes!," from DOOLITTLE'S TOKYO RAIDERS, by Carroll Copyright 1964, D. Van Nostrand Company, Inc., Princeton, N.J. "How Shall We Win?," reprinted from Proceedings, copyright 1942 by U.S. Naval Institute, and "The Battle Analyzed," from The Battle of Midway, first published in Ordnance Magazine, Sept. -Oct. 1955, copyright 1955 American Ordnance Association, both by Ernest M. Eller, reprinted by his permission. "Coral Sea Preliminaries," "The Invasion Is Mounted," and "High Honor To All," from the book THE GREAT SEA WAR by E.B. Potter and 1960 by Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, Chester W. Nimitz. Copyright New Jersey. "Abandon Ship!" from the book COMBAT COMMAND by Admiral Frederick C. Sherman. Copyright, 1950, by Frederick C. Sherman. Reprinted by permission of E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc. "The Gallant Lady Succumbs," from the book QUEEN OF THE FLATTOPS by Stanley Johnston. Copyright, 1942, by E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc. Reprinted by permission of the publishers. "Midway Preliminaries," from HISTORY OF U.S. NAVAL OPERATIONS IN WORLD WAR II, Volume IV, CORAL SEA, MIDWAY AND SUBMARINE ACTIONS, MAY 1942-AUGUST 1942, by Samuel Eliot Morison. Copyright 1949, by Samuel Eliot Morison. Reprinted by permission of Atlantic-Little, Brown and Company. "Slaughter of Torpedo 8," from Torpedo Squadron 8, by Sidney L. James, first published in Life Magazine, August 31, 1942. Copyright 1942 by Time, Inc. Reprinted by permission of Sidney L. James and Time, Inc. "The Target Was Utterly Satisfying," reprinted with the permission of Charles Scribner's Sons from THE FLYING GUNS, pp. 147-161, by Clarence E. Dickinson and Boyden Sparkes. Copyright 1942 Charles Scribner's Sons and The Curtis Publishing Company. "Turning of the Tide," reprinted from CLIMAX AT MIDWAY by Thaddeus V. Tuleja by permission 1960 by Thaddeus V. Tuleja. of W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. Copyright "The Landings," from GUADALCANAL DIARY, by Richard Tregaskis. Copyright 1943 by Random House, Inc. Reprinted by permission. "Astoria's Ordeal," from THROUGH THE PERILOUS NIGHT, by Joe James Custer. Copyright, 1944, by Joe James Custer. Published by The Macmillan Co., 1944. Reprinted by permission of Mrs. Victoria Custer. "Death Boards Vincennes and Astoria," 1961 by Richard F. Newfrom SAVO by Richard F. Newcomb. Copyright (ret).
Glines.
©
©
©
comb. Reprinted by permission of Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc. "Pick Out the Biggest!" from PICK OUT THE BIGGEST by Frank D. Morris. Copyright 1943 by Frank D. Morris. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, Houghton Mifflin Company. "Action Off Santa Cruz"" and "Foray to the Philippines," from THE BIG E: The Story of USS Enterprise, by Edward P. Stafford. Copyright 1962 by Edward P. Stafford. Reprinted by permission of Random House, Inc. "The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal," from BATTLE REPORT: PACIFIC WAR: MIDDLE PHASE, Prepared from Official Sources by Captain Walter Karig, USNR, and Commander Eric Purdon, USNR. Copyright 1946, 1947 by Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc. Reprinted by permission of Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc. "Mush the Magnificent," from FISH, by George Grider and Lydel Sims. Copyright, ©, 1958 by George Grider and Lydel Sims. Reprinted by permission of Little, Brown and Company. "Fire Torpedoes When You're On, Whitey!," by J.H. Clagett, first published in Blue Book, September 1945. Copyright 1945 by McCall Corporation. Reprinted by permission of J.H. Clagett. "Dive-Bombing Attack," from PACIFIC BATTLE LINE, by Foster Hailey, published by The Macmillan Company. Copyright 1944 by Foster Hailey. Reprinted by permission of the Author. "Men and Mud," "The Panzers Were Waiting for Us," by Cdr. W.J. Burke and William Bradford Huie, and "I Got the Pipe You Sent Me," by Chief Carpenter's Mate Dee Hardin, from CAN DO!, by William Bradford Huie. Copyright, 1944, by William Bradford Huie. Published by E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc. 1944. Reprinted by permission of A. Watkins, Inc. "Kula Gulf," from I SAW THE HELENA GO DOWN, by Hugh B. Cave and Lt. C.G. Morris, first published in the Saturday Evening Post, January 22, 1944. Copyright, The Curtis Publishing Company, 1944. Reprinted by permission of Lurton Blassingame. 'PT 109," from pt 109: John F. Kennedy in World War II by Robert J. Donovan. Copyright, 1961, by Robert J. Donovan. Used by permission of McGrawHill Book Company. "Empress Augusta Bay," "End of a Campaign," and "Thank God for the Navy!," reproduced by permission from UNITED STATES DESTROYER OPERATIONS IN WORLD WAR II, by Theodore Roscoe. Copyright 1953, 1957 by U.S. Naval Institute. "Invasion Prelude," from BRAVE MEN by Ernie Pyle. Copyright 1943, 1944 by Scripps-Howard Newspaper Alliance. Copyright 1944 by Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc. Reprinted by permission of Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc. "Underway," from Naval Aspects of the Sicilian Campaign, by Admiral H. Kent Hewitt, reprinted from 1953 by U.S. Naval Institute. "Battle Proceedings by permission. Copyright Stations," from TO ALL HANDS, An Amphibious Adventure, by John Mason Brown. Copyright, 1943 by the McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc. Published by Whittlesey House, a division of the McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc. 1943. Reprinted by permission of John Mason Brown. "Shoot Out that Goddamn Light!," pp. 249-256, STILL TIME TO DIE, by Jack Belden. Copyright 1943, 1944 by Jack Belden. Reprinted by permission of Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc. "PTs At Palermo," by Capt. Robert J. Bulkley, Jr., from at close quarters. Naval History Division, 1962. "She's A Lucky Ship You Hope!," pp. 284-289 from THE CURTAIN RISES, by Quentin Reynolds. Copyright 1944 by Quentin Reynolds. Reprinted by permission of Random House, Inc. "Maelstrom of Ships," from THIS IS WHERE I CAME IN, by Robert J. Casey, copyright 1945 by The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc., reprinted by permission of the publishers. "Naval Guns at Normandy," from NAVAL GUNS AT NORMANDY, by Vice Adm. Morton L. Deyo. Used by permission of Vice Adm. Morton L. Deyo. "The Flag Hung Limp for a Moment," from THE LONGEST DAY, by 1959 by Cornelius Ryan. Reprinted by permisCornelius Ryan. Copyright sion of Simon and Schuster, Inc. "The Morning Was Rather Misty," from 1959 by D DAY, The Sixth of June, 1944 by David Howarth. Copyright David Howarth. Used by permission of the Publishers, McGraw-Hill Book Company and William Collins Sons and Company Ltd. "Voyage to Victory," by Ernest Hemingway, first published in Colliers, July 22, 1944. Copyright 1944 by Crowell-Collier Pub. Co. Reprinted by permission of Alfred Rice,
©
WAR
©
©
©
—
©
©
Atty., Estate of Ernest
Hemingway. "The Longest Hour
in History," first
pub-
Evening Post, July 8, 1944, Copyright 1944 by Curtis Publishing Co., and "Texas Duels Nazi Shore Batteries," from Right Hand Rudder, All Hands Below, first published in the Saturday Evening Post, September 19, 1944, Copyright 1944 by Curtis Publishing Co., both by Martin Sommers. Reprinted by permission of Mrs. Betty Sommers. "Enter Mulberry," reprinted by permission of Dodd, Mead & Company and Anthony Gibbs and Phillips, Ltd., from THE FAR SHORE by Edward Ellsberg. Copyright by Edward Ellsberg and Lucy Buck Ellsberg, 1960. "Ordeal on the Beaches," from Eight Hundred Ships Missing Task Force 128 Still Hanging On, by Leonard Guttridge, first published in Stag, November, 1962. Copyright 1962 by Atlas Magazines, Inc. Reprinted by permission of Leonard Guttridge. "Action Off Komandorski," from My Speed Zero, by John Bishop, first published in the Saturday Evening Post, February 5, 1944. Copyright 1944 by Curtis Publishing Company. Reprinted by permission of John Bishop. "Life In a Japanese P.O.W. Camp," from the diary of Rear Adm. John A. Fitzgerald. Used by permission of Rear Admiral John A. Fitzgerald. "Lieutenant Commander Lyndon B. Johnson Under Fire," from THE MISSION by Martin Caidin and Edward Hymoff. Copyright 1964 by Martin Caidin and Edward Hymoff. Published by J.B. Lippincott Company. "Attack by Night," by Lt. (jg.) Basil Heatter, reprinted from the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association publication, Shipmate, September, 1944, with permission of the Association. "We Better Get Air Support Pretty Soon!" from Farley, Edward I., PT PATROL, Exposition Press, N.Y., 1957, pp. 60-64. Copyright, 1957, by Edward I. Farley. "First Day on Tarawa," from TARAWA, by Robert Sherrod. Copyright 1944, by Robert Sherrod, by permission of Duell, Sloan & Pearce, Inc. "Thunder Mug at Apamama," and "First Strike on Iwo," from I TOOK THE SKY ROAD, by Cdr. Norman Miller and Hugh B. Cave. Copyright, 1945, by Dodd, Mead & Co., Inc. Reprinted by permission of Hugh B. Cave. "Invasion of the Marshalls," by Cdr. Anthony Kimmins, reprinted from the U.S. Naval lished in the Saturday
©
.
.
.
©
©
Academy Association publication, Shipmate, April 1944, with permission of the Association. "Marshalls Mop-Up," and "Marianas Completed," from BAT-
TLE REPORT: THE END OF AN EMPIRE,
Prepared from Official Sources by Captain Walter Karig, USNR, Lt. Cdr. Russell L. Harris, USNR, and Lt. Cdr. Frank A. Manson, USN. Copyright 1948 by Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc. Reprinted by permission of Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc. "Men At Work," reprinted from THROUGH HELL AND DEEP WATER by Charles A. Lockwood and Hans C. Adamson, copyright 1956 by Charles A. Lockwood and Hans C. Adamson. Chilton Books, Philadelphia and New York, pp. 134-147 from "Hellcat at the Turkey Shoot," by Lt. (jg) Stanley Vraciu, U.S.N.R. (June 19, 1944) in GREATEST FIGHTER MISSIONS, by Edward H. Sims. Copyright 1962 by Edward H. Sims. Reprinted by permission of Harper & Row, Publishers. "Philippine Sea: Action and Conclusion," from
©
©
HISTORY OF UNITED STATES NAVAL OPERATIONS IN WORLD Volume VIII, NEW GUINEA AND THE MARIANAS, MARCH
WAR
19441944, by Samuel Eliot Morison. Copyright 1953, by Samuel Eliot Morison. Reprinted by permission of Atlantic-Little, Brown and Company. "He Looks Like a White Man," from ROBINSON CRUSOE, USN: The Adventures of George R. Tweed on Jap-Held Guam as told to Blake Clark. Copyright 1945 by George R. Tweed. Used by permission of the Publisher, McGraw-Hill Book Company. "Leyte Preliminaries" and "Typhoon," from SEA FIGHTS SHIPWRECKS, by Hanson Baldwin. Copyright 1955, 1958 by Hanson W. Baldwin. Reprinted by permission of Doubleday & Company, Inc. "Leyte Landing," by Lt. Stewart W. Hellman, from the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association publication. Shipmate, February, 1945. Reprinted by permission of the Association. "Darter and Dace," from Battle Stations Submerged, by R.C. Benitez, reprinted from Proceedings by permission. Copyright 1948 U.S. Naval Institute, "I Turn North" and "Unconditional Surrender," from ADMIRAL HALSEY'S STORY, by Fleet Adm. William F. Halsey, USN, and II,
AUGUST
AND
©
©
Bryan III, published by Whittlesey House, McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc. Copyright, 1947, by William F. Halsey. Copyright, 1947, by The Curtis Publishing Company. Reprinted by permission of Brandt & Brandt. "They Had Us on the Ropes," from The Japs Had Us on the Ropes, by Vice Adm. C.A.F. Sprague and Lt. Philip H. Gustafson, first published in American Magazine, April, 1945. Copyright 1945 by Crowell-Collier Pub. Co. Reprinted by permisIntercept!" from The Battle as sion of Mrs. C.A.F. Sprague. "Small Boys I Saw It, by Cdr. Amos T. Hathaway, first published in American Magazine, April, 1945. Copyright 1945 by Crowell-Collier Pub. Co. Reprinted by permission of Captain Amos T. Hathaway. "Down Periscope," from SUBMARINE!, by Commander Edward L. Beach, USN. Copyright 1952 by Edward L. Beach. Reprinted by permission of Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc. "First Strike on Tokyo," from AIRCRAFT CARRIER, by J. Bryan, III, published by Ballantine Books, Inc. Copyright, 1954, by J. Bryan, III. Reprinted by permission of Brandt & Brandt. "Iwo Jima Before H-Hour," from THIRTY YEARS by John P. Marquand. Copyright 1945 by John P. Marquand. Reprinted by permission of Little, Brown and Company. "Okinawa Triple Exposure," from Higgins, Edward T., WEB-FOOTED WARRIORS, Copyright, 1955, by Edward T. Higgins, Exposition Press, N.Y., 1955. "The End of the Japanese Fleet," from THE MAGNIFICENT MITSCHER, by Theodore Taylor. Copyright, 1954, by Theodore Taylor. Published by W.W. Norton & Co., Inc. Reprinted by permission of A. Watkins, Inc. "Second Dog Watch," reproduced by permission from 1959 by U.S. SEA, by Arnold S. Lott. Copyright MOST Naval Institute. "Surrender Diary," from THE FORRESTAL DIARIES, by Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal, Edited by Walter Millis with the collaboration of E.S. Duffield. Copyright, 1951, by the New York Herald Tribune, Inc. Reprinted by permission of Princeton University.
J.
—
—
DANGEROUS
Official U.S. Navy permission of Director,
The
©
Emblem is reproduced on the boards of Navy Publications and Printing Service.
this
volume by
CONTENTS
LIST
OF MAPS
LIST
OF PHOTOGRAPHS
xv
xvi
EDITOR'S NOTE
xvn
INTRODUCTION
xix
LAST DAYS OF PEACE
PART 1 PEARL HARBOR TO THE END THE MALAY BARRIER
Harbor Attack
1.
Pearl
2.
".
3.
"I Can't
4.
Wake
5.
The
.
.
And
IN
john toland
11
Pass the Ammunition"
HOWELL M. FORGY, CH C. Keep Throwing Things At Them"
19
LT. CDR.
6.
Walter lord
26
Island Surrenders
REAR ADM. W. SCOTT CUNNINGHAM WITH LYDEL SIMS w. l. white capt. l. a. abercrombie and Scratch One!
43
Philippine Expendables
49
FLETCHER PRATT
55
IX
Contents Blood:
A War
Correspondent Tells
7.
First
8.
Macassar Merry-Go-Round
9.
10.
REAR ADM. WILLIAM P. MACK^, 7 The Galloping Ghost cdr. Walter g. winslow Retreat gen. of the army douglas macarthur
11.
All Gone,
rob&rt
of the Marshalls Raid
PART
THE WAR
II
casey
ira
wolfert
IN
THE ATLANTIC
GRIFFTH BAILY COALE
Attack
2.
Atlantic Slaughter
3.
"Wipe
4.
Murmansk Run capt. Walter karig, AND LT. STEPHEN L. FREELAND P.Q.I 7 WINSTON S. CHURCHILL Cominch Takes a Hard Look at
6.
7.
8.
9.
10. 1.
LT. CDR.
the Oil
Out
60
My
Eyes!"
79 95
105
felix riesenberg, jr. of
73
98
1.
5.
1
Now
j.
john
j.
lt.
109
forsdal
127
earl burton
the U-Boat Situation fleet adm. ernest j. king The Naval Battle of Casablanca REAR ADM. SAMUEL ELIOT MORISON Summit Conference fleet adm. ernest j. king and CDR. WALTER MUIR WHITEHILL U.S.S. Bone's Last Battle john hersey Enlistment Days seaman 1/c james j. fahey The Capture of U-505 rear adm. d. v. gallery (ret.)
131
144 154 162
181
184 197
201
PART III DOOLITTLES RAID TO THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY
carroll v. glines rear adm. ernest m. eller
1.
Launch
2.
How
3.
Coral Sea Preliminaries
4.
FLEET ADM. CHESTER W. NIMITZ AND E. B. POTTER adm. Frederick c. sherman Abandon Ship!
Planes!
Shall
lt. col.
We Win?
213 227 231
238
Contents 5.
Taking Aboard Lexington's Survivors LT. CDR.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
xi
HOWELL M. FORGY
247
Stanley Johnston The Gallant Lady Succumbs Midway Preliminaries REAR ADM. SAMUEL ELIOT MORISON Sidney l. james Slaughter of Torpedo 8 "The Target Was Utterly Satisfying" LT. CLARENCE E. DICKINSON AND BOYDEN SPARKES thaddeus v. tuleja Turning of the Tide rear adm. ernest m. eller The Battle Analyzed
259 263 271
277
284 299
GUADALCANAL AND THE NORTHWARD DRIVE: THE OFFENSIVE BEGINS
PART
IV
3.
The Invasion is Mounted FLEET ADM. CHESTER W. NIMITZ AND richard tregaskis The Landings Astoria's Ordeal joe james custer
4.
Death Boards Vincennes and Astoria
5.
"Pick Out the Biggest!"
6.
Action Off Santa Cruz
7.
The Naval
1.
2.
RICHARD
CAPT.
F.
E. B.
POTTER
320
NEWCOMB
334
frank cdr.
d.
morris
edward
p.
Stafford
WALTER KARIG AND
Mush
9.
'Tire Torpedoes
the Magnificent
CDR. ERIC
PURDON
When
12. 13.
14. 15.
16.
405 You're On, Whitey!"
clagett Dive -Bombing Attack foster hailey Men and Mud william Bradford huie Kula Gulf lt. c. g. morris and hugh b. cave PT 109 ROBERT J. DONOVAN Empress Augusta Bay Theodore roscoe "They Can Forget That Island from Now On" SEAMAN 1/C JAMES J. FAHEY DesRon 23 Doctrine adm. arleigh a. burke lt. (jg) j. h.
389
capt. george grider
AND LYDEL SIMS
10.
345
359
Battle of Guadalcanal
8.
11.
308
312
420 429 441 451 461
476 485 488
.
Contents
Xll
PART V THE MEDITERRANEAN AND FRANCE, VICTORY IN EUROPE
1.
Invasion Prelude
2.
Underway
3.
4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
9.
10. 1 1
12. 13. 14. 15. 16.
17. 18.
19.
ernie pyle h.
—
PART
VI
ALEUTIANS TO THE MARIANAS
1.
Action Off Komandorski
2.
Life In a Japanese
john bishop
P.O.W.
4.
JOHN A. FITZGERALD Lieutenant Commander Lyndon B. Johnson martin caidin and edward hymoff Under Fire lt. (jg) basil heatter Attack By Night
5.
"We First
670 677
682
Better Get Air Support Pretty Soon!" LT. (JG)
6.
659
Camp
LT. CDR.
3.
492
kent hewitt 498 Battle Stations lt. john mason brown 500 "Shoot Out That Goddamn Light!" jack belden 511 End of a Campaign Theodore roscoe 521 PTs at Palermo capt. Robert j. bulkley, jr. 530 She's a Lucky Ship You Hope! quentin Reynolds 537 "The Panzers Were Waiting for Us." CDR. W. J. BURKE AND WILLIAM BRADFORD HUIE 545 "Thank God for the Navy!" Theodore roscoe 553 Maelstrom of Ships Robert j. casey 577 Naval Guns at Normandy VICE ADMIRAL MORTON L. DEYO 587 The Flag Hung Limp for a Moment CORNELIUS RYAN 595 "The Morning Was Rather Misty." DAVID HOWARTH 600 Voyage to Victory ernest Hemingway 603 The Longest Hour in History martin sommers 617 Enter Mulberry cdr. edward ellsberg 624 Ordeal on the Beaches len guttridge 631 Texas Duels Nazi Shore Batteries martin sommers 641 The Big Stuff chief gunner's mate harold clements 653 adm.
EDWARD
Day on Tarawa
I.
FARLEY Robert sherrod
686 691
.
Contents 7.
"I
Got
the Pipe
CH. CARP. 8.
Thunder
Mug
HUGH 9.
10.
1 1
12.
B.
You Sent Me" MATE DEE HARDIN
at
Apamama
cdr.
708
norman miller and 710
CAVE
anthony kimmins capt. Walter karig, Marshalls Mop-Up LT. CDR. RUSSELL L. HARRIS AND LT. CDR. FRANK A. MANSON vice admiral charles a. lockwood Men At Work AND COL. HANS CHRISTIAN ADAMSON capt. Walter karig, Marianas Completed LT. CDR. RUSSELL L. HARRIS AND LT. CDR. FRANK A. MANSON
Invasion of the Marshalls
the Turkey Shoot
cdr.
lt. (jg)
13.
Hellcat at
14.
Philippine Sea: Action and Conclusion
WITH EDWARD
15.
16.
xiu
H.
722
728
739
752
Stanley vraciu
SIMS
REAR ADM. SAMUEL ELIOT MORISON "He Looks Like a White Man" RADIOMAN 1/C GEORGE R. TWEED WITH BLAKE CLARK cdr. norman miller and First Strike on Iwo HUGH B. CAVE
757
767 792 805
PART VII LEYTE GULF TO OKINAWA END OF AN EMPIRE
cdr. edward p. Stafford hanson w. Baldwin Leyte Landing lt. stewart w. hellman Return gen. of the army douglas macarthur Darter and Dace lt. cdr. r. c. benitez I Turn North fleet adm. william f. halsey "They Had Us On the Ropes" REAR ADM. C. A. F. SPRAGUE AND LT. PHILIP H. GUSTAFSON "Small Boys Intercept!" cdr. amos t. hathaway High Honor to All fleet adm. Chester w. nimitz AND E. B. POTTER
Foray
to the Philippines
Leyte Preliminaries
—
815
830 835
839 843
853
864 872 875
JTontents
xiv 10.
11. 12. 13. 14.
15. 16.
17.
18.
19.
"Down
capt. edward l. beach hanson w. Baldwin First Strike on Tokyo J. bryan,. hi john p. marquand Iwo Jima Before H-Hour edward t. higgins Okinawa Triple Exposure Theodore taylor The End of the Japanese Fleet lt. cdr. arnold lott Second Dog Watch sec. of the navy james forrestal Surrender Diary WITH WALTER MILLIS ." "It Came Over the Radio SEAMAN 1/C JAMES J. FAHEY Periscope"
Typhoon
—
.
880 898
909
919 935 947
952 983
.
986
Unconditional Surrender
FLEET ADM. WILLIAM J.
INDEX
BRYAN,
III.
F.
HALSEY AND 992 1001
..
LIST
OF MAPS Harbor
1
Route
2.
Pearl Harbor Before the Attack
3.
U-Boats
4.
North African Landings
165
5.
The
241
6.
Battle of
7.
Maximum Ocean Area Under
8.
Solomon
9.
Action
to Pearl
5
111
in the Atlantic
Battle of Coral Sea
at
Midway
Islands and
15
269
"The
Japanese Control
Slot"
Guadalcanal
305
317 395
479
10.
Action in the Central Solomons
1 1
Sicily
12.
Salerno Landings
549
13.
Normandy
597
14.
Tarawa
15.
Leapfrogging Across the Mid-Pacific
731
16.
Battle of the Philippine Sea
761
17.
Philippine Actions
821
18.
Japanese
513
Landings
Invasion
695
Atoll
Home
Islands
923
.
.•'
LIST 1
-.7
OF PHOTOGRAPHS
Pearl Harbor to the
The
Atlantic
Malay
Barrier,
War
between pp.
72-73
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
between pp. 232-233
3.
The Mediterranean and France
between pp. 552-553
4.
The Mid-Pacific Campaigns
between pp. 776-777
5.
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa
between pp. 840-841
6.
End
between pp. 968-969
2.
Doolittle's Raid,
of the Japanese
Empire
NOTE
EDITOR'S
More
than twenty years have passed since the conclusion of
World War to
manhood
has
little
—a
II,
and
in that time a
generation which, there
three years ago so.
when
Then, as now,
this
book was
ample evidence to
of,
One
—and
did
that this should
that a
war which little
or nearing, the age of combat in Vietnam. This
them about one
Navy during America's
My
—
battle casualties but the incinera-
history has been assembled, therefore, with the to enlighten
concern
feels
conceived
believe,
in the Jap-
by the Third Reich, should be so
tion of six million persons
known by men
first
seemed wholly incongruous
it
produced not only awesome Allied
U.S.
generation has grown
knowledge of those epic events which culminated
anese surrender aboard U.S.S. Missouri.
be
is
new
guidelines were long
hope that
war
vital aspect of that
—
it
will serve
the role of the
four long years of participation.
and firmly established by the distinguished
Rear Admiral Samuel E. Morison, whose multi-volumed History of the United States Naval Operations in World War II was
historian,
written shortly thereafter; by Captain Walter Karig's Battle Report;
and by the U.S. Naval
The substance
Institute's
of the history
volumes, Destroyer and Submarine. is
largely personal narrative with
running commentary and connective. Should the reader detect any flaws
—
if
indeed flaws they are
—they
are the imperfections of
men
whose personal involvement took precedence over mere battle technicalities. Although an old Navy hand might take me to task for omitting nostalgic touches,
and
I
living spaces should
believe that
what happened
in the
wardroom
be relegated to one's memories rather than
included in a serious work. I
owe a profound debt
selfless efforts
Ernest
M.
on
my
of gratitude to several persons for their
behalf. First, to
Eller, Director of
my good
friend
Naval History, for
Rear Admiral
his enthusiastic co-
xvu
Editor's
XV111
Note
operation and assistance in rounding up otherwise unobtainable permissions and for spending long weekends studying the material as
it
was being integrated
it
into
a manuscript; without his
would not have been possible is
also
to accomplish
my
mission.
assistance
My
gratitude
due Mr. Dean Allard of the Naval History Division for
liberal
Navy Archives; Lieutenant W. F. Rope, USN, who chose the photographs; Lieutenant Commander D. K. Dagle, USN, who served not only as coordinator with the Navy Department and Deuse of the
partment of Defense, but
in addition
found time to serve as cartog-
rapher of the volume; and Mr. Walter Greenwood and Mr. Fred
Meigs of the Navy Department Library, Washington, D.C. for
their
always available consultation services; and to Mr. L. Harry Brague,
Mr. Robert D. Loomis, Mr. Alfred Rice and Mr. Noah their unstinting efforts in the J.
roundup
C. Willey, Editor-in-Chief of
esprit
and stout heart
in helping
of permissions;
Sarlat for
and
Wm. Morrow & Company
make
to
Mr.
for his
a difficult undertaking a reality.
S.
E. Smith
New
York, N.Y.
INTRODUCTION Ihis outstanding and dramatic anthology glows with the
man
War
War II, which man has brought
on the great waters. World
in search of ideals
changed history forever, was the largest war that
upon
spirit of
himself. Since the sea inevitably decides world wars,
was
II
also the largest naval
World
war, as this stirring anthology
serves to point up. Life originally
man,
in his
from the
came
to the land
from the
sea. In the
aeons since,
long struggle to be free, has repeatedly sought salvation
sea. Indeed,
and tyranny with
freedom seems inseparably united with the
giant,
land-bound nations. Witness
in
sea,
antiquity
Greece against powerful empires from Asia; England against Napoleon
in the last century; the
the sea against Soviet and
United States and
Red Chinese empires
marks the history of man's struggle
for
its
allies fringing
in Eurasia.
No
period
freedom more dramatically
than the great war that burst like Apocalypse upon the
Navy and
America at Pearl Harbor. Coming to a close, appropriately, on the main deck of U.S.S. Missouri, this war began and ended with a fleet. It
seems most
fitting,
therefore,
that
this
well-selected
anthology
should be devoted to those giant events which took place at sea
had they
failed,
freedom would have
Reading a host of works on the war, the S.
—
for
failed.
skilled
and
prolific writer
E. Smith has wisely selected, for the most part, first-person ac-
xix
XX
Introduction
counts.
They have
stinctive reactions
the large virtues of authentic experience
based on knowledge from years
and
in-
at sea that inevi-
tably forge a man's character.
Stan Smith himself had a concentrated portion of such experience, serving in both oceans as a bluejacket. college in his junior year to enlist. as a
seaman
in a patrol craft in the
On December
He became
7,
1941, he
a part of the sea,
rough North Atlantic, then
left first
in the
where he went up through the important radioAfter the North African invasion, Smith transferred to
battleship Arkansas,
man
rates.
submarines and,
the newly built Lionfish, participated in
in
patrols under Lieutenant
the
Commander Edward D.
famous admiral who led the
Fifth Fleet to
its
war
Spruance, son of
great victories.
Thus, having served afloat most of the war, Stan Smith has an advantage over most writers
He knows
who might
seek to edit such an anthology.
"the real thing" from experience. Hence, these gripping
extracts bring the
war back with a rush of memories
with the beauty of the sea, mixed with errs,
of
memories of the
man. War seems
human
brutality
its
that are filled
ruthlessness for
him who
and cruelty of war, yet of the
to call forth both the best
nobility
and the worst
in the
spirit.
In reading these extracts,
I
was struck by the limited perspective,
who had written years after way men reacted and thought at
usually even of those
the event. This
human.
the time. It
It is
the
is
is
the
way man has always lived and reacted; for only the duty at hand is real. As on the sundial, all we have of life is "the hour on which the shadow stands." If we live the hour well, we have best served. We have ensured yesterdays of no
regrets,
tomorrows of hope.
Hence, few understood the vast scope of the war.
how
individual events
priately
fell
into the
Few
evaluated
pattern of the whole.
Appro-
and necessarily, most saw the tumultuous events, that broke
about them
like the fury of a
storm-torn sea, in the light of only the
immediate need and duty.
Moreover, few had any appreciation of the significance to future
They did not consciously perceive that this cataclysm was part of the ancient war of man's soul against tyranny the yearning to be free that must surely come from the generations of this world struggle.
—
men afloat and ashore had perceived this truth as well as they fought, we would not have made some of the mistakes that caused us, having won the war, to almost lose the peace. Those who fought so gallantly also did not usually understand the
Divine. If enough
Introduction
immense
revolutions in inventions and technology that have brought
new power
to national strength afloat.
have steadily increased the
Steam
land.
For the past century, these
ability of the sea to strike against the
freed ships from dependence
first
on wind and
nuclear energy has solved the problems of frequent
has given ships a resistance equal to
forts.
made them harder
same
time, stereo range-finders,
then radar,
tricity
operating at the speed of of
fire
precise accuracy
—even
The submarine and and
to hit.
At
combined with
the
elec-
and the remarkable "mechani-
control computers, have given warships' guns
speed on the unsteady
the ocean
light,
Now, Armor
tide.
fueling.
Improved engines have
given ships increased speed and
cal brains"
xxi
when
those ships are maneuvering at high
sea. aircraft,
depths of
in taking navies into the
have shaped the true trident of
into the heavens,
Neptune. First heralded as the end of surface navies, by wise integration they
have instead brought the United States Navy incredible
new power. Incorporating aircraft as part of total fleet strength, the Navy developed the aircraft carrier, with its embarked dive bombers, torpedo planes, and
one of the most powerful cham-
fighters, into
—
powerful in World War II, even more powerful today with supersonic planes and guided missiles. The submarine has also steadily increased in deadliness, and since World War II, with nuclear propulsion and polaris missiles, has brought phenomenal new capabilities to the fleet. At the same time, the United States Navy has made large strides to counter similar new weapons of an enemy. Consider the airplane: pions of freedom
all
history records
In the years between the world wars, and with increasing acceleration after Pearl
that
Harbor, the Navy developed a defense against the airplane
became almost
invulnerable. This included the carrier fighter
and attack planes, radar,
fighter direction, voice raido, anti-aircraft
guns, influence fuze, automatic directors that "lock on" the target
and solve the
fire
control problem instantly.
World War I, the crude, anti-aircraft methods progressed to one of the most complex and efficient systems man has ever evolved. Radar measured the range In the quarter of a century following
to
an attacking plane accurately and with the speed of
when
far out of sight.
The
away
even
fire-control computers, parents of today's
electronic brains, solved the target miles
light,
in the sky,
problem of and solved
fluence fuze ensured destruction.
hitting the swift, it
With these
without delay. aids,
invisible
The
in-
by the middle of
—
Introduction
XX11
the Pacific war, hard-hitting, rapid-firing guns of every caliber
United
States'
kamikaze
to switch to those
volume,
no way
in
to
made
warships so safe fronv air attack that the Japanese had
which plane and
tactics
so graphically covered in this
pilot en,de£
up 100 per cent
casualties
win a war.
Since then, advances have accelerated both in the plane and in the missile,
homing
protect against tion.
at supersonic speeds unerringly
The
it.
Navy has
surface
on
target, to
its
not been destroyed by avia-
Because the United States Navy wisely integrated
it
aspects of offense and defense, the airplane brought the fleet
new
all
potential.
This same increase in effectiveness of strength based plies
into
immense
new development
almost every other
to
ap-
at sea
of this century, in
which changes seem to accelerate change and to multiply the advantages of sea-based strength. Atomic energy, and the submarine in particular, point
up
this giant shift in
national strength afloat.
balance of power in favor of
Unlike fixed land defenses, swiftly moving
ships at sea are unprofitable targets for atomic explosives,
and par-
unprofitable for ballistic missiles that must navigate to a
ticularly
precise, motionless point.
Sea power has decided
—and most strength,
A
before.
industry,
all
world, wars since our birth as a nation
nation's or a coalition's total
transportation,
agriculture,
leadership) wins wars; but in a world
war
power
will
(military
of the people,
this total
power can be made up
projected only by the sea, and strength based in ships has
an increasing part of the
this
Allife-
had no comprehension of to
seeking
its
most men who fought
scope or meaning. Their only thought
do the best they could with what they had
more and
Moreover, as
—while
continually
better means.
this
anthology shows, and as
remember, many did not
opened wide
new power
infinite possibilities.
based ashore opens
times, as the accounts in this anthology show,
was
infinite
change had been steadily occurring throughout our
at sea relative to that
though
power. Therefore,
total
realize that
to the United States as the
of freedom. After
World War
I,
in
we who were
World War
II
there
the door
world leader of man's dream
we had shared
this
responsibility
with others, and the country as a whole did not comprehend the
meaning and needs of
this responsibility.
At
the end of
World War
II,
the mantle of leadership passed fully to the United States. Unhappily,
too few Americans
knew
this,
or understood,
if
they did know, the
Introduction
xxiii
Fewer still comprehended that to aswe required a fleet that could reach all
duties such a position implied.
sume leadership
of the world
shores as the binding force of free nations, joined or divided by the sea according to their strength
on
it.
Hopefully, this anthology will help create this awareness. For
if
enough of us are not well aware of our duties and needs, we shall surely fail in our great mission to guide freedom on course through the typhoons of our time.
Stan Smith has therefore performed a true service in presenting tell the story of the great war Though few then understood the meaning and war, the accounts together show that men in-
these dramatic accounts, that together as
men saw
it
afloat.
significance of the stinctively fought
nobly and well for the goal of freedom, toward
which the United States
is
privileged to lead the world. If leaders
today are inspired to serve as
we
will not fail in
selflessly,
as wisely, as courageously,
our mission.
E.
M. Eller, Rear Admiral,
U.S.
Director of Naval History
Navy
(Ret.)
.-'
-.7
LAST DAYS OF PEACE
WITH THE EARLY MANIFESTATIONS OF THE JAPANESE
—
Hakko Ichiu "bringing the eight corners of the world under one roof" we are not concerned. It is sufficient to note that by September 1940, when Japan became a signatory to the Tripartite philosophy,
—
Treaty and Hitler began to push his Oriental partner into a war with the United States, Japan had already established herself as a military power. limitations
For by having thrown
ratio,
off the
rate
she had proceeded to build up her combatant
strength, while correspondingly increasing pressure lies
first
yoke of the 5-5-3 naval
on the future Al-
Yet had our future enemy, by her own
for gains in the Pacific.
peculiar standards, been able to avert a major confrontation, there
less of
consequence," Fleet
told Prince
Kanoye, "I
months or a year, but third years.
help
it.
The
Now
I
is
am told to fight regardAdmiral Yamamoto is reported to have
every likelihood she would have done
shall
so. "If I
run wild considerably for the
first six
have utterly no confidence for the second and
Tripartite Treaty has been concluded
that the situation has
come
and we cannot
to this pass I
hope you
will
endeavor for avoidance of an American-Japanese war."
As
of the
fall
of 1941, there were six essential Japanese
and concessions under discussion
in
Washington:
(1)
demands
no further
United States assistance to Chiang Kai Shek, and to permit Japan to settle
her
own
affairs
with China; (2) no arms build-up of the United
1
2
Last Days of Peace
States
and Britain
French relations
Far East; (3) no interference with Japaneseto Indochina; (4) American assistance in obtain-
in the
as
raw materials by the restoration of free trade between the two countries; (5) no utilization of Indonesia as a base of operations ing
and (6) Japan
against any country except China;
to guarantee the
neutrality of the Philippines.
At
this time, the
United States Pacific Fleet was berthed
at Pearl
Harbor, and Admiral Husband Kimmel was appointed Commandersucceed Admiral J.O.
in-Chief
to
objected
strenuously
Pearl
to
reasons. Politically, however, at
it
Richardson,
Harbor was
a
as
felt that
the
having
latter
base
for
logistical
the presence of the fleet
Hawaii constituted a "restraining influence on Japan," and
despite a questionable condition of readiness,
"ABC-1
the year the
Staff
it
there,
remained. Earlier in
Agreement" was concluded with
Britain,
an agreement which pledged the United States to defeat Hitler
first
regardless of whether Japan attacked the United States. In the event of a Pacific war,
we would launch
a series of tactical offensives,
nothing more. This, too, was the conclusion of the
which
ABD
and
(America,
placed
Admiral
Britain,
Dutch)
Thomas
Hart's Asiatic Fleet under British strategic direction upon
any outbreak of
By January
conference,
hostilities in the Pacific.
1941, the situation between Washington and Tokyo
had worsened considerably, Kichisaburo to
incidentally
Nomura
as
in spite of the
Ambassador
an open break with the United
—
a
appointment of Admiral
man known
to be
opposed
States. Nevertheless, as talks con-
tinued between the future antagonists, Japan began her build-up of military strength in the Marshalls
and Carolines. This
also
was the
month when Ambassador Joseph Grew made a significant entry in diary: "There is a lot of talk going around town to the effect that
his
the
Japanese, in case of a break with the United States, are planning to
go
all
out in a surprise mass attack at Pearl Harbor. Of course
I
informed our government." In Grew's memoirs, one sees Japan mediating in an undeclared war
between Thailand and French Indochina, and gaining for herself not only a monopoly of Indochina rice but also the airport at Saigon, within striking distance of Singapore. Reaction in the Gallup poll to this
latest
Japanese coup indicated a bare majority of American
war with our future antagonist, in order to prevent her from seizing Singapore and the Netherlands East Indies. By chance Congress passed the Lend Lease law the next day. voters sanctioned a
From
this
time,
the
pace of Japan's diplomatic machinations
Last Days of Peace
On
quickened perceptibly.
3
February 13, she concluded a nonagres-
sion pact with Russia, the latter signing because a
German
attack
was
expected, the former because she wanted to solidify her position on the
Two months
Manchurian border.
later,
Japanese merchant ships
were ordered out of the Atlantic and between one and two million conscripts were called up.
Grew was
then informed that Vichy had
agreed to a joint protectorate over French Indochina, meaning free
Japanese rule over the entire colony and a direct threat to the security of the Philippines. President Roosevelt's response forceful: Japanese assets in the
including
oil.
War was
was immediate and
United States were promptly frozen,
inevitable unless the United States reversed
her policy, or Japan halted her southward march and evacuated
China.
As Navy
seen from the vantage point of the White House, Intelligence,
Army and
and the State Department, the events following
July
26 made manifest Japan's aggressive
were
in possession of
intentions.
Because we
our future enemy's codes for the past several
months, we were able to intercept and decipher her consular messages.
But what her precise actions were
Hawaii, at any
rate,
was
C. C. Bloch recalled: "Admiral subject and
I
to
alerted prior to the
be we did not know. Embargo Act. Admiral
Kimmel had
a conference on the
suggested to him the advisability of sending out recon-
naissance planes with the median line of the sector pointing to Jaluit. 1 5 to 20 degrees. And we sent planes out every 500 miles." The die was cast, and both sides during the remaining four months of peace stalled for time.
I
think the sector was
morning
to
Despite the earnest efforts of some Japanese war, Foreign Minister
Toyoda
an intercepted message to
his
officials to
prevent a
spelled out his country's intentions in
Washington representative. The mes-
sage was received by Cordell Hull on August 4, and stated that Japan
"must take measures
to secure the
Our Empire must immediately strengthening chain States."
By now
of
raw materials of the South Sea.
take steps to break asunder this ever-
encirclement by England
the Mid-Atlantic
and the United
Conference between President
Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill was over, having resolved that
"any further encroachment by Japan
would produce a situation" to take
in
in the
southwestern Pacific
which the Allies "would be compelled
countermeasures even though these might lead to war
." .
.
Correspondingly, Japan had set herself a deadline to go "against
America, England, and Holland" during the unless
oil
first
part of October,
inventories were unfrozen. She could not by any estimate
Last Days of Peace
4
afford to wait. In October, because of dissension at her top echelons,
Toyoda resigned and General Tojo formed his cabinet. Several weeks Japan's Army and Navy concluded a "Central Agreement" in
later,
the event of war, which provided - this blueprint of initial
attack:
(1) simultaneous landings of amphibious forces in Luzon,
Guam,
the
Malay Peninsula, Hong Kong, and
Miri, British
North Borneo.
All except the last to be preceded by air attacks; (2)
on the United
attack
carrier air
States Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor; (3) rapid
exploitation of initial successes by the seizure of Manila,
Wake
Mindanao,
Bangkok and Singapore; and (4) occuDutch East Indies and continuation of the war with
Island, the Bismarcks,
pation of the
China.
Renewed "negotiations" (Hull termed the initial meeting an ultimatum) were stalemated, and on November 24 Admiral Harold Stark,
Chief of Naval Operations, sent
Kimmel
at Pearl
message to Admiral
this
Harbor and Admiral Hart
Manila:
at
"Chances of favorable outcome of negotiations with Japan very doubtful. This situation coupled with statements of Japanese
ernment and movements of
their naval
Gov-
and military forces indicate
in
our opinion that a surprise aggressive movement in any direction including attack on Philippines or
Guam
is
a possibility
.
.
.
Utmost
secrecy necessary in order not to complicate an already tense situation or precipitate Japanese action."
Other negotiations followed, with the United States Fleet committed to surveillance in two oceans, simultaneously realizing that
Tojo intended to
strike
was the big question. gravest
when
somewhere
in the Pacific.
On November
Stark sent Hart and
The "where" of it was at its
27, the situation
Kimmel
his
"war warning" mes-
sage.
This dispatch
is
to
be considered a war warning. Negotiations with
Japan looking toward ceased.
An
stabilization of conditions in the Pacific
aggressive
move by Japan
is
have
expected within the next
few days. The number and equipment of Japanese troops and the organization of naval task forces indicates an amphibious expedition
against either the
Philippines, Thai,
or Kra Peninsula, or
possibly Borneo. Execute appropriate defensive deployment pre-
paratory to carrying out the tasks assigned to
WPL 46.
Meanwhile, the two-phase Imperial Japanese Navy's attack operation
had already been
set in
motion.
The
first
phase was opened
CO
a 2 < M Q
CO
2 < fa
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I S
fa
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04
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BOM,B ERS
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to
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attack
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OT 1
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DIVE
HARBOR/>r
routes
PEARL
OAHU
air
o
-
/-,.'
Last Days of Peace
7
when the Combined Fleet began unobtrusively to renTankan Bay in the Kuriles; the second was executed November 22 when Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo's Pearl Harbor
November dezvous
7,
at
Striking Force, built around six aircraft carriers, got
underway on
its
epochal mission. Nevertheless, Tojo's instructions to his diplomats in
Washington were
Although
to continue negotiations.
Pearl Harbor bound,
it
was subject
the United States capitulated,
to recall;
would
it
if
be. Still
on the
his
fleet
slightest
was
chance
under theoretical
dis-
cussion in Japan was the United States' "Basis for Agreement," a final
proposal for peace; although Tojo
flatly
rejected
29, his Washington representatives continued to
over the conference table. its
Washington embassy
On December
to
burn
all
2,
it
November
meet with Mr. Hull
however, Tokyo ordered
codes except one; on the same
day, Japan's Honolulu consul was ordered to report daily disposition
and number of warships
at Pearl
on the
Harbor, and whether
they were shielded by protective nets.
Thus, the string had run out. asked Emperor Hirohito peace, begging
him
On December
in a personal
in the
name
6,
President Roosevelt
message for a continuance of
of humanity to withdraw his forces
threatening "the hundreds of islands of the East Indies," Philippines,
Thailand, and Malaya. Hirohito did not reply.
Next day, December
7, in
accordance with instructions from their
government, Japanese diplomats asked for a meeting with Hull at p.m., or twenty minutes before the hour of the Pearl
Harbor
Because of a delay, the meeting was postponed an hour. By hostilities
had already commenced.
1
attack.
this time,
PARTI
HARBOR TO
PEARL
THE END IN THE
MALAY BARRIER
WITH APPROXIMATELY HALF OF THE UNITED STATES based in the Atlantic against the possibility of a subma-
Fleet rine
war with
was
greater
that
of
one
Against
adversaries.
of the
Japan's combatant strengh as of mid- 1941
Hitler,
than
she
nations
the
hundred
United States Pacific Fleet
and
was
make her
to
twenty-seven
warships
the few ships, primarily
(less
destroyers and submarines, of the widely dispersed Asiatic Fleet)
and
fifty
belonging to our
the Netherlands, Japan
allies,
was able
the British
to muster
Commonwealth and
two hundred and
thirty
combatant
ships
superiority,
Japan possessed two other priceless ingredients for
ing a
war
—
of
every
tactical position
category.
In
and surprise
addition
to
attack. Thus,
"the day that will live in infamy," the Imperial Japanese
numerical start-
by noon of
Navy
held a
Pearl Harbor to the
10
End
Malay Barrier
in the
mastery over the -greatest of oceans that would
last for
the next six
months.
There were two United States Navy task forces
at sea
December
7,
One task force, commanded by Rear Admiral John Henry Newton in the heavy cruiser Chicago, was formed around the aircraft carrier Lexington and was Midway bound on a search and battle 1941.
problem; the other, under the redoubtable Vice Admiral William F.
Halsey
in Enterprise,
deliver a cargo of
was
secretly steaming
Wake
toward
Island to
Marine fighter-plane reinforcements. At
were seven heavy and
light cruisers patrolling to the
sea, too,
south and south-
westward, while the main body of the United States Pacific Fleet, carriers
The
—
eighty-four warships
first
—was based
at Pearl
shot of the war was fired at 6:45 a.m.,
and a quarter
after the old, four-stack destroyer
less
Harbor.
more than an hour
Ward had
sighted the
periscope of a midget submarine operating in a restricted area just Pearl
outside
tenant William patrol
when
Ward was under
Harbor.
W.
contact was made.
By
the time Outerbridge
the warship to General Quarters and had gotten craft
her
had disapppeared. Ward remained sound
gear.
command
the
Seventy-five
minutes
up speed,
called
with
contact
was
later
surface
(He
radioing Pearl Harbor that he intended to attack. firing
had
the strange
in the area, searching
regained and Outerbridge passed the word to his No.
had qualms about
Lieu-
of
Outerbridge, and she was returning from a night's
1
gun, after
quite naturally
on an unidentified vessel although under
orders to do so since the submarine was in a restricted area. )
The
first
round drove the submarine down. Simultaneously, Ward dropped a string of
depth charges over the spot where lookouts had
periscope. Thereafter, Outerbridge informed Pearl that he It
had completed
last
seen the
Harbor by radio
his attack.
was now almost 7 a.m. Japan's
first strike,
launched by aircraft
carriers Akagi, Hiryu,
Kaga, Soryu, Shokaku and Zuikaku
predawn darkness, was
nearing the coast of
The by the
story of the epochal attack brilliant journalist,
is
in the
Oahu.
here told in three parts, the
first
John Toland, whose But Not In Shame, a
documented assessment of the Pacific, stands as a classic of
first
six
months of the war
dramatic reportage.
in the
JOHN TOLAND
I.
PEARL HARBOR ATTACK
cumulus clouds collected around the peaks of the mountain ranges east and west of Pearl Harbor on Sunday morning. But over the great naval base, lying in the valley between, were only a few
Banks
of
scattered clouds. Visibility
was good and
a
wind of 10 knots blew
in
from the north.
At 7:45 a.m. area.
several civilian pilots were lazily circling over the
There wasn't a
single military ship visible. Eighteen planes ap-
proaching from the carrier Enterprise were scheduled to land at Ford Island within the hour.
The only Army Air Corps
planes aloft in the vicinity were the 12
Flying Fortresses from California earmarked for MacArthur. They
were due to land Island, in about
one was on
at
Hickham
patrol. Still
bunched together wing
on four-hour
tip to
wing
Hickham, Bellows and Wheeler
Ewa. Of patrol
all .
.
Field,
several miles south of
an hour. But of the Oahu-based
Army
notice, they
were
tip for security against
Fields.
Ford
planes, not all
tightly
saboteurs at
So were the Marine planes
the military planes in Hawaii, only 7
at
Navy PBY's were on
.
About 25
miles to the northwest Japanese pilots in the leading
attack planes were marvelling at the peaceful green scene below
them.
The
entire island
seemed
to
be lazing luxuriantly in the early
11
Pearl Harbor to the
12
Not even
sun.
mass of ships
End
in the
Malay Barrier
smoke was coming up from
a trace of
the motionless
Harbor.
in Pearl
At 7:49 a.m. Commander Fuchida from
bomber "TO TO TO." Four minutes later the great naval base was spread out below him like a huge relief map. It looked exactly as he had imagined. Still no fighters were climbing up to challenge; nor was there a single mushroom explosion of anti-aircraft fire. It was unbelievable. They had achieved gave the attack signal in Morse £©de,
his high-level
.
.
.
.
.
.
complete surprise.
Even before
TORA
.
.
.
a single
TORA"
bomb dropped he now
(Tiger).
"TORA
radioed:
.
.
.
The repeated word was heard by Ad-
Nagumo. It was also heard directly on board the Nagato, at Combined Fleet Headquarters in Japan. When the message was miral
brought to
The
Yamamoto he
said nothing, his face betrayed
other officers spontaneously cheered
was read aloud. The Nagato was engulfed
"We
decoded meant: Still all
no bomb had
was quiet
At
in the
have succeeded
when
no emotion.
the laconic message
in excitement.
The message
in surprise attack."
Except for the roar of approaching planes
fallen.
Honolulu area
.
.
.
same moment, near the center of the island of Oahu, Japanese fighters and bombers began to dive on the Army's Wheeler that
Field, adjacent to Schofield Barracks.
Second Lieutenant Robert Overstreet, of the 696th Aviation Ordnance Company, was sleeping
in the two-story
wooden BOQ. He was
awakened by a terrific noise. At first he thought it was an earthquake. "Looks like Jap planes," he heard someone shout. "Hell, no," said someone
"It's just
else.
Overstreet's door
Skawold, looked
in.
a
Navy maneuver."
opened and an old His face was white,
friend,
Lieutenant Robert
his lips trembling. "I think
Japs are attacking." Overstreet looked out the window, saw planes circling overhead.
They seemed
to be olive drab.
close he could see the pilot
wing
tips
were flaming red suns.
of the barracks
group of
One dove on
the barracks,
and a rear gunner.
and headed for
He
On
coming so
the fuselage and
finished dressing as he ran out
his organization.
Soon he came onto a
fighter pilots.
"We've got
to get
down
to the line
tards," shouted one, Lieutenant to the burning hangars
and tag some of those bas-
Harry Brown. Another
and the ramp. There the
planes were already ablaze.
pilot pointed
closely
grouped
Pearl Harbor Attack
13
Brown. This was an auxiliary
"Let's go to Haliewa," said
field
on
where a few P-40's and P-36's were kept. Brown and new Ford convertible and left.
the north coast
several other pilots piled into his
Lieutenants George Welch and Kenneth Taylor followed in the
lat-
ter's car.
Hundreds were milling around
in
shocked confusion as bombs
and buildings erupted. Overstreet weaved toward the permanent quarters area.
Howard Davidson,
General
On
the fighter
way through
his
the Circle he
the
fell
mob
saw Brigadier
commandant, and Colonel
William Flood, the base commander, standing by their front doors in pajamas, staring at the sky, their faces aghast.
"Where's our Navy?" said Flood. "Where're our fighters?" "General," shouted Overstreet, "we'd better get out of here. Those
He
planes have tail-gunners."
horror
it
was
ran toward the ordnance hangar.
in flames. Inside
ammunition ticketed for Midway
Island.
At 7:55 a.m
a
Conway
Hickham
flight line at
said,
"Wheel,
it
.
.
and Ted Conway were walking
As
Field.]
"We're going to have an
Gaines noticed something alarm that
.
V-formation of planes suddenly appeared from the
west. [Aircraft mechanics Jesse Gaines
toward the
his
Suddenly the hangar began
an endless row of huge firecrackers
to explode, like
To
were a million rounds of machine-gun
air
from the
fall
they began to peel
off,
show." first
plane.
He
guessed in
was a wheel.
hell, they're
As Gaines
Japs!" cried Conway.
bomb exploded among the The two men began to run toward "Hickham Hotel." Gaines saw some gas
"You're crazy," a
said,
neatly packed planes
on the
field.
the big three-storied barracks,
drums and dove behind them in a strafing attack, their
for protection. Fighters were
machine guns
The Japanese plan was simple but
spitting
now
orange flames
efficient. First, to
.
.
diving .
prevent an air
counterattack, the airfields were being systematically wiped out. In the
first
Army base,
A
few minutes the Navy bases, Kaneohe and Ford Island; the
bases, Wheeler, Bellows
Ewa, were
moment
alerted
all
and Hickam; and the lone Marine
but crippled.
after the first
bomb
fell,
the Pearl
Harbor
signal
Kimmel's headquarters by phone. Three minutes
tower
later,
at
7:58 a.m., the message heard around the world was broadcast by
Rear Admiral Patrick Bellinger from Ford Island: Air Raid, Pearl Harbor This is no drill.
—
Closely on
its
heels, at
8:00 a.m. Kimmel's headquarters radioed
14^
Pearl Harbor to the
Washington, Admiral Hart
End
in the
Malay Barrier
in the Philippines
and
all
forces at sea:
Even as the messages were diving on the main target, Battleship torpedo planes were
Air raid on Pearl Harbor. This going out,
is
no
drill.
Row. Admiral C. C. Bloch was shaving
He thought workmen were
at his quarters in the
Navy Yard.
blasting in the nearby stone quarry.
When
the explosions continued he told his wife, "I'm going outside and see
what that noise plane in flames.
He
is."
He
ran out the front door. Overhead he saw a
went back into the house. "The Japanese are
bombing us. I've got to get to the office. Don't stay down here." At the naval housing unit adjacent to Hickham Field, First Class Metalsmith Lawrence Chappell was in bed. A plane roared overhead.
"What dow.
"It's
are those planes?" asked his wife, starting toward the win-
Bomber
too late for the
Patrol."
"Probably stragglers."
"The Rising Sun! The Rising Sun! Japanese!"
cried Mrs.
Chap-
pell.
"You're
foolish,
go back to bed." Another plane roared over and
Chappell went to the window.
A
torpedo plane swept by, so close he
could see the pilot turning around, unconcerned.
and ran
outside.
billows of black
Now
he heard anti-aircraft
smoke
rising
Kimmel was watching
fire
He
hurriedly dressed
and saw flames and
from Pearl Harbor.
the torpedo attack
from the
hill at
near his quarters. Short was standing on the lanai of his
Makalapa
home near
Fort Shafter watching the billows of smoke in the west and wondering
what was going on
The smoke was
at Pearl
rising
Ford Island where seven
Harbor.
from Battleship Row, on the
east side of
battleships, the heart of the Pacific Fleet,
were moored. They were not protected from
aerial torpedoes
by nets
because of Pearl Harbor's 40-foot depth. This matter had been
consulted.
dis-
Kimmel and Stark. Even the British had been Everyone agreed a minimum depth of 75 feet was neces-
many
cussed
times by
sary for torpedoes.
This unanimous conclusion was surprising since the British themselves
had made a successful plane attack on the
Italian fleet
at
Taranto the previous year with specially rigged torpedoes. The Japanese bombers diving on Battleship
Row
were proving as clever as the
British.
They were dropping torpedoes with
wooden
fins, specially
ingeniously constructed
designed for shallow water.
.-'-
17
Pearl Harbor Attack
Not
far
from Battleship Row,
Yeoman
C. O. Lines of the
oil
Ramapo was in the crew's quarters. Boatswain's Mate Graff down the ladder. "The Japs are bombing Pearl Harbor!" he The men in the room looked at him as if he were crazy. "No fooling," he said. Someone gave
"No
crap.
a
Bronx
rushed yelled.
cheer.
Get your asses up on deck!"
Lines hurried topside to the
Then he heard
as usual.
tanker
He
fantail.
a dull explosion
thought Graff was ribbing
and saw a plane dive toward
the battleship California.
She was the
seven big vessels in Battleship Row.
last of the
torpedoes hit her almost simultaneously. list
and began to
entire lower deck.
minutes
oil
Her
settle.
The
Two
ship took an 8-degree
fractured fuel tanks began to flood an
Bombs now
fell
and
half a
dozen
fires flared.
In
gushing from the ruptured ship burst into flame. She was
surrounded by a wall of
fire.
The word was passed: Abandon
ship.
tandem formation, were the Maryland and Oklahoma. A hit the Maryland because she was berthed inboard, next to Ford Island, and was protected by her mate. But the outboard ship, the Oklahoma, was hit by four torpedoes within a minute. As Ahead,
in
torpedo couldn't
she
listed
to
Commander
port,
Kenworthy,
Jesse
senior
aboard, ordered the ship abandoned over the starboard
officer
side.
He
calmly walked up the ship's side over the blistered ledge and then over the bottom. Soon the ship settled, the water. filling
safe
starboard propeller out of in the rapidly
compartments.
Next West
its
Below more than 400 men were trapped
in
Battleship
Row came
from torpedo attack
.
.
.
THE DAY BEGAN ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT CAR-
AT
SEA,
rier
Enterprise at
first light
rine fighter planes, the
two planes departed Halsey's
another pair, the Tennessee and
Maryland, the Tennessee was inboard and
Virginia. Like the
staff.
when
she sent off her complement of
new Grumman F4U's. Soon for
Ford Island
Twelve minutes
later
back to Pearl Harbor), the other
in
after, at
6:15 a.m.,
member of heading now was
order to land a
(the carrier
aircraft of Scouting Six
the naval base. During the next hour, Halsey shaved fresh uniform in his flag quarters; he
Ma-
was
still
departed for
and put on a
there' at 7:55 a.m.
1
End
Pearl Harbor to the
8
in the
Malay Barrier
when Lieutenant H. Douglas Moulton, his flag secretary, answered the phone from the Radio Room: Pe£rl Harbor was under air attack! Halsey jumped to
dismay.
his feet in
Meanwhile, the planes of Scoutfng 7 Six had started to arrive over
One
Pearl Harbor. carrier's
Radio
was Ensign Manuel Gonzales. In the
of these
Room
where Commander Charles Fox was on duty,
was
the frantic voice of the pilot
Don't shoot! This
is
distinctly
heard:
"Don't shoot!
an American plane!" There was no further com-
munication from Gonzales; nor was there any in due course from eleven other planes of the squadron.
A
heavy cruiser,
Loch
of the
fragmentation
The
New
bomb dropped
Commander Howell
Ammunition."
When
in
the
is
told
"We Reach
when
a
by Presbyterian Chaplain, Lieu-
war song, "Praise the Lord and Pass
the attack opened, Forgy
was
in his quarters
thinking about the sermon he was scheduled to deliver.
cided on
Southeast
were sustained
Forgy, whose legendary conduct during
the battle inspired the popular the
casualties
nearby and shrapnel raked her topsides.
story of the cruiser's fight
tenant
was moored
Orleans,
Navy Yard. Her only
He had
de-
Forward," based on Paul's words, "Forgetting
those things which are behind, and reaching unto those things which are before."
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER HOWELL M. FORGY, CH.
2.
"...AND PASS THE
AMMUNITION"
.
.
.
The heavy
cruiser
to another berth.
of the little
moved
There was
slightly.
A
tug was probably shifting us
noise challenging the tranquillity
little
Hawaiian morning, save a muffled
Irving
boy were running a
stick along
though the
tat-tat-tat as
one of those white picket
fences back home.
The
silence suddenly exploded into the deafening clang-clang-clang
of the general alarm. I
wondered why the
head the I
officer of the
fact that the general
deck could never get into
alarm was
consoled myself with the thought that
its
blunders, would bring the
his
on Sundays.
this "bust," as the
commander on
The clang-clang-clang continued of the bo'sun's pipe
not to be tested
Navy
calls
his neck.
stubbornly, and the
shrill
scream
beeped through the speaker.
"All hands to battle stations! All hands to battle stations!"
"This
But alert
I
is
no
drill!
This
is
wasn't buffaloed.
no
drill!"
We knew
that the
army had been on an
throughout the islands until the previous night. This must be
some admiral's
clever idea of
how
to
make an
off-hour general quar-
ters drill for the fleet realistic. I
bucked a
line of
Marines hurrying up the ladders through the
hatch to their battle stations at the machine-guns and
AA
batteries
topside.
19
C.
20
End
Pearl "Harbor to the
The Leathernecks were
Malay Barrier
in the
on
pulling
their jackets
and panting un-
printable things about general quarters as they scampered upward.
GQ—especially
Every one grumbled about
at this hour,
when
their
Sunday-morning-after-Saturday-night Rberty was interrupted so abruptly.
Down
in the innards of the ship
against the side of the hull. That
could hear a rhythmic thudding
I
meant the
of other vessels in the harbor were firing.
Maybe
tat-tat-tat again. I
it
five-inch anti-aircraft guns
I
was machine-gun
my
sauntered into sick bay,
Behind me, cinching up
I
could hear that
fire.
battle station.
his tie,
ward Evans, senior medical
thought
came Lieutenant Commander Ed-
officer.
His face appeared worried as he
stepped through the door.
"What's
it all
The sound
about,
Doc?"
asked him.
I
of the guns of the other ships kept beating through the
steel sides of the
New
Orleans.
It
sounded
like a
Hollywood version
of jungle tom-toms.
know," he
"I don't
out of the sky. I
told
He
him
noise
said, expressionless. "I just
saw a plane
falling
was burning."
thought that was carrying a
gave his head a
little
pretty far.
drill
twist to the side
know, Padre. This might be the
"I don't
We
I
It
and looked beyond me. real thing."
stood there a minute, just saying nothing and listening. The
was
increasing,
and we knew more ships had begun
firing.
We
pumping of the pompom guns as they joined in They sounded like some one trying to say "pawm-pawm" mouth half-closed.
heard the
fast, dull
the racket.
with his
"I think
I'll
run topside and take a look,
if
you don't mind,"
I
told
him. I
moved
room. I
quickly this time. Faster than
Much
when
I
came down from my
faster.
ran to the well deck, where
I
could get a clear view of the
harbor.
Off our starboard quarter, about five hundred yards, the mighty oily smoke thousands The water around her was dotted with debris and
Arizona was sending a mass of black,
of feet
into the air.
a
of bobbing, oil-covered heads.
I
could see hundreds of
men
mass
splashing
and trying to swim. Others were motionless. Flashes of orange-red flames snapped out of the against the jet clouds ascending
all
AA
along Battleship Row.
guns, bright
and Pass The
cage-like foremast of the Arizona
a crazy,
Ammunition"
the
poked through the smoke
at
—looked
as
drunken angle.
The Weavie
—
that's
21
what we called the West Virginia
though her back had been broken. She was sagging amidships, and
bow and stern angled upward. Forward of the Weavie the Oklahoma's main deck was disappearing beneath the water. She was rolling on her side, and her big bottom
her
was coming up. water.
I
could see hundreds of her crew jumping into the
Dozens of others were crawling along her exposed
side
and
bottom, trying to keep up with the giant treadmill. Off our starboard
beam
heard the drone of airplane motors.
I
a Jap dive-bomber gliding
down toward
Battleship
to be loafing in, deliberately taking his time to pick out just
wanted to the
saw
what he
hit.
my
couldn't take
I
I
Row. He seemed
bombs drop out
eyes off him.
I
followed him
down
until I
of his belly. Sticking out of the cockpit
helmeted head of the Jap
saw
was the
There was something mocking about
pilot.
the big rising-sun balls under the wings of the plane.
Minutes seemed to
tick
away while
the
bombs moved downward.
gaped with a sense of fascinated helplessness.
I
I
couldn't resist trying
bombs before they hit. They were coming down for the big battleship California. The bombs hit her amidships, right by the stacks. A flash, fire and smoke jumped into the air all at once. The Jap opened his throttle wide and raced away from his victim with a terrific roar. Now our own guns began thundering in my ears. The sky all around the plane was laced with streaming trails of tracers. The Jap couldn't get through that stuff but he did. More planes came, one after another. With a sort of abandon, they
to reach out to stop those
—
floated
by
in slow, aggravating glides, right
our noisy barrage of I
wondered
if
through the very center of
AA fire.
the devil himself could have
against our shells.
What was
this
new, horrible,
immuned evil
these planes
power
that turned
Pearl Harbor into a bay of terrible explosions, smoking ships, flames,
and death?
Coming from sloped into It
fleet
its
seemed
the direction of
Diamond Head, another Jap bomber
glide.
as though every
nozzled a cone of
right place this time.
fire at
The
gun of the it.
The
New
Orleans and the entire
wall of exploding steel
plane's dive
became
steeper,
and
was it
in the
tumbled
Pearl Harbor to the
22 ^
out of the sky.
A
End
in the
Malay Barrier
long ribbon of black crepe trailed out behind
the plane disappeared.
crashed
It
it
as
backyard of Naval Hospi-
in the
tal.
We'd
They could be hitf The men around me on
got one!
I felt better.
the well deck and the sweating
gun crews on the quarterdeck above shouted
touchdown of
the day.
I
guess
I
like
freshmen
at the first
shouted and screamed as loudly as
any one.
He
Mike Jacobs, master the string of smoke in
the sky and drawled, "I guess chaplains can
cuss like bo'sun's mates
when they have
Maybe he was
at
arms, was standing near me.
grinned
at
to."
right.
Lieutenant Francis Lee Hamlin, handsome and wiry main battery officer,
moved
alongside me. With the ship's big guns useless against
swarms of Jap
the
drone
in,
drop
planes, he stood as helpless as
their loads,
and scream
off
I,
toward the
watching them
sea.
"Padre," Lee said, grinning under his long, dark-brown hair, "I figure
if
the
Lord
look after you.
If
is
going to look after any one in
you don't mind,
knew Lee was only
I
I'll
this,
He's going to
stick close by."
kidding, but as
ran toward sick bay on the
I
double, he was close behind me.
The passageway below was sounds on the
steel
deck.
dark, and our heels
No
on the dock decided we might want
to get
burst of misguided initiative he had cut
—
ship)
including the
power
under way
all lines
"We'd
better
dog down the ports
we took a hit. The wardroom had
since
from the dock to the
into the
in there,"
I
wardroom.
heard Lee
holler.
port-holes not only invited the machine-gun bullets of the Jap
strafers above, but they if
in a hurry. In a
line.
Far forward we could see sunlight pouring
Open
made weird hollow
were burning, because someone
lights
I
would provide an easy entrance for sea water
a queer, deserted appearance.
had been aboard there were no
linen-covered chairs.
The
felt table
For the
first
time
officers sitting in the white,
tops reflected the sunlight in a
green flood against the gray walls.
Only "Deacon" Smith, the stocky
He was
little
Negro mess-boy, was
in the
work closing the ports and dogging them against the awful panorama outside. Lee and I slammed others shut, and the room grew darker and darker. It seemed there was no one in the world but the three of us. room.
already at
—
23
and Pass the Ammunition
.
Things were running through our heads so rapidly that none seemed
enough for us
to stop long
We
could
it
last
let-
pump-
wondered how
—and how many seconds or minutes
or hours would
we and
pass until
guns, the
We
pompoms, and
long
AA
and the never-ending barking of the big
ting go,
ing
what they were.
to find out
heard the exploding bombs, the burning ships' magazines
the rattle of machine-guns.
the
New
terrifying funeral pyre that
Orleans would become a part of the
now was
Pearl Harbor.
Smith was working feverishly, and as he moved closer
I
could hear I
him singing. The cacophony
of the guns
and so did the throaty,
and bombs grew louder and louder,
rich baritone voice of the
young Negro.
"Swing low, sweet char-iot" the "Deacon" sang
in defiance of the
enemy's chariots swooping down with their deadly loads. " I little
A-comin'
fo' to car-ree
turned to Lee and
me home."
we both
Somehow we found
grinned.
mess attendant's music a beauty and a
"Swing low as his
—
faith
in the
renewed.
boomed out to new heights He had no way to shoot the enemy
" he sang on. His voice
own music
reassured him.
out of the sky, but he seemed to feel he could sing death away. I lost
Lee
and
in the pitch-darkness
felt
I
had seen
is
the real thing."
report to Dr. Evans what
in
my way
those few
bay to
to sick
minutes
terrible
topside.
Doc. This
"You're
right,
He was
pacing back and forth in the room, his face white and
grave.
The
noise from above had told
him more than
His instruments were ready, and so was he. breaking stream of broken into that
little
sick
before, in the First
bay
human
until this
I
could.
He knew
the heart-
beings that would keep coming
war was
history.
World War and during China
He had
seen
it
service.
Dr. Evans was a skilled veteran, ready but not eager for the bloodstained
months ahead.
Outside sick bay
named George. His
I
heard the booming voice of a big gunner's mate
red hair took on an eerie hue under the
dim blue
battle lights.
"Get those zine,"
lines
down
the hatch to the
maga-
he shouted.
Ropes tumbled through
the hatches
from the deck
to the cruiser's
bowels far below.
Suddenly the impact of our helpless, hopeless situation
hit
me.
We
I
Pearl Harbor to the
24
had been under
End
in the
Malay Barrier
temporary overhaul, and the ammunition hoists
a
were without power. The gunners topside were ducking machine-gun
and shrapnel, training
bullets
guns by sheer guts and sweat, and
their
they had no ammunition other than' the few shells in their ready boxes.
The sharp
Wood-
voice of barrel-chested young Lieutenant E. F.
head snapped through the foul clouds of expended powder smoke that were coming below through the
He was ret
gathering every
men, the repair
parties
ventilators.
man
—
in sight
—
the shipfitters, the big tur-
who had no
every one
specific job at the
moment. "Get over by that ammunition shells
hoist," he ordered.
"Grab those
and get them to the guns!"
The
big five-inch shells, weighing close to a hundred pounds, were
being pulled up the powerless hoist by ropes attached to their long, tube-like metal cases.
A
tiny Filipino messboy,
hoisted
it
who weighed few
to his shoulder, staggered a
started the long, tortuous trip
up two
little
more than the and grunted
steps,
flights of
shell,
as
he
ladders to the quarter-
deck, where the guns thirsted for steel and powder.
A dozen eager men lined up at the hoist. The parade
ammunition was
of
endless, but the cry kept
coming
from topside for more, more, more. I
saw a Jewish boy from Brooklyn reach for a shell before he had trip. The sweat from his face was
caught his breath from the previous
no longer coming
in big drops.
Now
it
was a steady stream that ran
along the ridge of his nose, splashed to his chin, and
fell
away. His
buckle under the punishing weight, but he wouldn't
legs tried to
let
them.
The boys were beginning to
tell
putting everything they had into the job, and
it
was
on them.
But no one complained. I
wished
I
good. fire
I
my
could boost one of the shells to
metal of the shell casing against
would be busy, and
my
shoulder.
The
cool
shoulder and neck would feel
feel better inside.
But
a chaplain cannot
a gun or take material part in a battle.
Yet those
devils
—coming
out of the sky without warning and send-
ing to their death thousands of violating every rule of
There was
little
men
of a nation at peace
God and man.
time for more reflection as
the quarterdeck above.
—were
I
climbed the ladders to
and Pass
the
25
Ammunition'
Minutes turned to hours. Physical exhaustion was coming to every
man
in the
human
endless-chain of that ammunition line.
They
strug-
gled on.
They could keep going only by keeping I
faith in their hearts.
slapped their wet, sticky backs and shouted, "Praise the Lord and
pass the ammunition."
PAT BELLINGER'S
Air Raid, Pearl
Harbor— This
is
no
Drill,
was picked up by a West Coast naval radio station and instantly relayed to Washington. It landed on the desk of Admiral Harold Stark, the Chief of Naval Operations, who immedisent at 7:58
a.m.,
Navy Knox. "My God," be true! This must mean the Philipwas no mistake, and Knox called the
ately burst into the office of Secretary of the
exclaimed Knox, "this can't pines!" Stark replied that
it
White House. President Roosevelt was lunching with Harry Hopkins. belief;
The
President's
first
in the
Oval
Room
was shocked
reaction
dis-
then he called Secretary of State Cordell Hull and told him the
news. In Honolulu, San Francisco, Washington, and
New
York, where
Japanese diplomats were frantically burning their secret papers, the reaction of the incredulity.
New
man
in the street
was one of unanimous rage and
But most had never heard of Pearl Harbor.
York's Radio Station
WOR
interrupted
uled broadcast of the Dodger-Giant football
game
its
regularly sched-
to flash the
news
to
listeners. In the same city's Carnegie Hall, announcer Warren Sweeney interrupted the Philharmonic, which was playing Shostako-
its
vitch's
Symphony No.l,
shortly with a record of
Among Row.
"The
who
bulletin.
He
followed this
Star Spangled Banner."
the best of the published Pearl
Walter Lord, ship
to repeat the
recounts in minute
Harbor accounts
is
one by
detail the catastrophe in Battle-
WALTER LORD ,-.?
3-
CAN'T KEEP THROWING
"I
THINGS AT THEM"
Up
in
the Maryland's foretop,
abandoned
his
Seaman
Leslie
Vernon Short had
hopes of a quiet morning addressing Christmas cards.
After a quick double-take on the planes diving at Ford Island, he
loaded the ready machine gun and hammered away
at the first
torpedo
planes gliding in from Southeast Loch. In the destroyer anchorage to the north, Gunner's
Bowe grabbed Tucker and
Mate Walter
a .50-caliber machine gun on the afterdeck of the
fired
back
Seaman George
Sallet
who was Navy Yard.
So did Seaman Frank Johnson,
too.
sweeping near the bridge of the destroyer Bagley
in the
watched the slugs from Johnson's gun tear into
a torpedo plane passing alongside, saw the rear gunner slump in the cockpit, and thought
Others were
firing
it
was
too
—
just like in the movies.
the Helena at
the sub base ... the Raleigh in the
1010 dock ... the Tautog
on the northwest
side of
Ford
Island.
at
Up
Nevada's "bird bath," a seaman generally regarded as one of
the less useful
members
of the crew seized a .30 caliber
and winged a torpedo plane headed
machine gun
directly for the ship. It
was
to be
an important reprieve ...
in
Another plane glided toward the Nevada. Again the machine guns her foretop blazed away. Again the plane wobbled and never
pulled out of
its
turn.
The men were wild with excitement just astern. The
plowed into the water alongside the dredge pipe
26
as
it
pilot
Keep Throwing Things
"/ Can't
Them"
and floated face up past the
frantically struggled clear
time they got him too
at
late.
ship.
27 But
this
Marine Private Payton McDaniel watched
the torpedo's silver streak as
He remem-
headed for the port bow.
it
bered pictures of torpedoed ships and half expected the Nevada to
two and sink enveloped
break
in
at
Just a slight shudder, a brief
all.
in flames. It didn't
Then she caught a bomb by Ensign Joe Taussig was
when
it
Almost absently he
that
way
the starboard anti-aircraft director.
his left leg
doorway,
tucked under his arm.
said to himself, "That's a hell of a place for a foot
and was amazed
to be,"
happen
to port.
at his station there, standing in the
Suddenly he found
hit.
list
Mate Allen Owens,
to hear Boatswain's
standing beside him, say exactly the same words aloud. In the plotting first felt
that
room
was
it
But
phone
circuit that his
The men on to think. She didn't offer
decks below, Ensign Charles Merdinger the drills he
began to seem
times.
it
five
all like
different
when he learned through
roommate Joe Taussig had been
was inboard of the
—
Vestal, but the
at
of
the
hit.
the Arizona, forward of the Nevada, hardly
had time
repair ship
little
home
almost right
nothing could stop the steel that rained
down from
much
—and
away
protection
Fuchida's horizontal bombers
a torpedo struck
now
overhead.
boat deck between No. 4 and 6 guns
Seaman
had been through dozens
—
it
A
came
big one shattered the in like a fly ball,
and
Russell Lott, standing in the antiaircraft director, had the
feeling he could reach out
and catch
it.
Another
No. 4
hit
turret,
scorched and hurled Coxswain James Forbis off a ladder two decks below.
went
The
PA
system barked, "Fire on the quarter-deck," and then
off the air for
good.
Radioman Glenn Lane and
shipmates rigged a hose and tried to fight the
They
fire.
rigged phones and tried to call for water.
No No
three of his
water pressure. power. All the
time explosions somewhere forward were throwing them off their feet.
Alongside, the Vestal seemed to be catching everything that missed the Arizona.
One bomb went through an open
through the ship, exploding as
it
No. 3 hold, and the ship began brig
howled
to be let out,
and
hatch, tore right
passed out the bottom.
settling at the stern.
finally
someone shot
A
It
flooded the
prisoner in the
off the
lock with a
.45.
Forward of
the Arizona and
Vestal, the
Tennessee so far was
holding her own; but the West Virginia on the outside was taking a terrible beating.
A
Japanese torpedo plane headed straight for the
Pearl Harbor to the
28
End
Malay Barrier
in the
casemate where Seaman Robert Benton waited for the crew.
He
torpedo
stood there transfixed
down
He
go'r up
.
.
.
rest of his
gun
couldn't.
The
move but
to
underneath and sent Benton and
hit directly
flying in opposite directions.
slipped
—wanted
his
headphones
ran across the deck
.
.
.
the starboard side of the ship to the armor shelf, a ledge
formed by the
ship's 15-inch steel plates.
ledge, he glanced up,
morning sun, the
saw the bombers
As he walked
bombs looked
falling
aft
Caught
this time.
along the
in the bright
for a fleeting second like
snowflakes.
The men below were spared such sights, but the compensation was Storekeeper Donald Brown tried to get the phones working in the ammunition supply room, third deck forward. The lines were dead. More torpedoes sickening fumes steeper list no lights. Men began screaming in the dark. Someone shouted, "Abandon ship!" and the crowd stampeded to the compartment ladder. Brown figured he would have no chance in this clawing mob, felt his way to the next compartment forward, and found another ladder with questionable.
—
—
no one near
it
at
all.
any higher. Nothing
Now
he was on the second deck, but not allowed
left to
do,
no place
else to
brushed a bunch of dirty breakfast dishes
down
—
go
off a
—he and
a friend
mess table and
sat
to wait the end.
Down
in the plotting
below the water
line
—
room
—
the gunnery nerve center and well
conditions looked just as hopeless. Torpedoes
were slamming into the ship somewhere above. Through an overhead hatch Ensign Victor Delano could see that the third deck was starting
Heavy yellowish smoke began pouring down through the The list grew steeper; tracking board, plotting board, tables, chairs, cots, everything slid across the room and jumbled against the port bulkhead. In the internal communications room next door, circuit breakers were sparking and electrical units ran wild. The men to flood.
opening.
were pale but calm.
Soon
oily
water began pouring through the exhaust trunks of the
ventilation system.
Then more yellow smoke. Nothing
be done, so Delano led
damage
his
men forward
further could
to central station, the ship's
control center. Before closing the watertight door behind
him, he called back to
make
sure
no one was
—
oil-drenched electrician's mates showed up
left.
hurled through the hatch from the deck above. trician Charles T.
From nowhere six somehow been
they had
Then Warrant Elec-
Duvall called to please wait for him.
trouble and Delano stepped back into the plotting
He sounded
room
in
to lend a
Keep Throwing Things
"/ Can't
hand. But he slipped on some
oil
and
at
Them"
29
across the linoleum floor,
slid
men ended
bowling over Duvall in the process. The two
in a tangled
heap among the tables and chairs now packed against the "down" side of the
They
room.
on
couldn't get back
crawling didn't work
—
they
was everywhere. Even
their feet; the oil
still
got no traction. Finally they grabbed
row of knobs on the main battery switchboard, which ran all the way across the room. Painfully they pulled themselves uphill, hand over hand along the switchboard. By now it was almost like scaling a a
cliff.
In central station at lights
The
they found conditions almost as bad.
some
auxiliary
took hold. Outside the watertight door on the lower
side, the
dimmed, went
circuit
last,
water began to
and shooting
rise
out,
.
.
.
came on again
spouting through the cracks around the edges
hose through an
like a
for a while as
hear the pleas and cries of the
men
air-test
opening. Delano could
trapped on the other
side,
and he
Commander J. S. Harper, damage control officer, had to make: let the men drown, or open door and risk the ship as well as the people now in central station.
thought with awe of the decision Lieutenant the
the
The door stayed
closed.
Delano suggested
He was
answer. the ship
and
to
Harper that he and
For the moment Harper
useful topside.
his
men might be more
didn't even
have time to
desperately trying to keep in touch with the rest of
direct the counterflooding that
might save
it,
but
all
the
were dead.
circuits
The counterflooding was done anyhow. Lieutenant Claude V. Ricketts had once been damage control officer and liked to discuss with other young officers what should be done in just this kind of situation.
among
More
or less as skull practice, they had worked out a plan
themselves.
Now
to
work
the knobs
to starboard
and
and
own who knew how
Ricketts began counterflooding on his
hook, helped along by Boatswain's Mate Billingsley, valves.
settled into the
The West Virgina harbor
mud on
slowly swung back
an even
keel.
There was no time for counterflooding on the Oklahoma, lying ahead of the West Virginia and outboard of the Maryland. Lying directly across
from Southeast Loch, she got three torpedoes
right
away, then another two as she heeled to port. Curiously,
many
of the
men
weren't even aware of the torpedoes.
Seaman George Murphy only heard
the loud-speaker say something
about "air attack" and assumed the explosions were bombs. Along
End
Pearl Harbor to the
30 with*
hundreds of other
trooped
armor
down
in the
men who had no
to the third deck,
plate that covered the
Malay Barrier defense stations, he
air
now
where he would be protected by the
deck above. Seaman Stephen Young
never thought of torpedoes either, and he was even relieved when the
water surged into the port side of No. 4 turret powder handling room.
He assumed that someone was finally bomb damage to starboard.
counterflooding on that side to
offset
The water increased.
rose
Now
.
.
.
emergency
the
went out
lights
.
.
the
.
list
everything was breaking loose. Big 1000-pound shells
rumbled across the handling rooms, sweeping men before them. Eightfoot reels of steel towing cable rolled across the second deck, block-
The door of the drug room swung open, and Seaman Murphy watched hundreds of bottles cascade over a couple of seamen hurrying down a passageway. The boys slipped and rolled through the broken glass, jumped up, and ran on. ing the ladders topside.
On
men
the few remaining ladders,
main deck.
compartment,
just a
few steps from open
men would
exploded outside,
surge
down
another crowd that surged up. Soon
only
—one
still
trying.
to
He
move
stood off to
on the corridor
wall, the
machine shop on
way
third
out.
He and some
mates
deck amidships when the
reached 60 degrees. Someone spied an exhaust ventilator leading the
way
to the deck,
reached fresh inside,
air,
an
in
his footing.
L. L. Curry had a better
in the
Every time something
was impossible
foot on deck, the other
way he could now keep
Yeoman were
it
air.
to S Division
the ladder, meeting head-on
Seaman Murphy gave up even
either direction.
the one side
battled grimly to get to the
was a regular log jam on the ladder
It
list
all
and one by one the men crawled up. As they officer
ran over and tried to shoo them back
where they would be safe from bomb
splinters.
That was the
big danger, he explained: a battleship couldn't turn over.
Several
hundred yards aheard of the Oklahoma
alone at the southern end of Battleship
her
first
from
torpedo
at 8:05.
Yeoman
his station in the flag
porthole shut as
it
Row
Durrell
—
— and
moored
the California caught
Conner watched it come office. He slammed the
communications
struck the ship directly beneath him.
Another crashed home farther
aft.
There might
as well
have been
—
more the California was wide open. She was due for inspection Monday, and the covers had been taken off six of the manholes leading to her double bottom. A dozen more of these covers had been loosened. The water poured in and surged freely through the ship. It
swept into the ruptured fuel tanks, contaminating the
oil,
knock-
Keep Throwing Things
"I Can't ing out the
power plant
compressor
station,
right away. It swirled into the
come with them. He and give them
stay here
The other men
air as
room
men
forward
air
meant
is
my
station
—
I'll
long as the guns are going." They
him have
let
With the power gone, men desperately chain of
31
cleared out, calling
yelled back, "This
closed the watertight door and
tasks that were
Them"
where Machinist's Mate Robert Scott was trying
to feed air to the five-inch guns.
Scott to
at
his
way.
tired to
do by hand the
Yeoman Conner
for machines.
joined a long
passing powder and shells up from an ammunition
fumes from the ruptured fuel tanks made
far below. Stifling
work harder, and word spread that the ship was under gas attack. At the wounded collecting station in the crew's reception room Pharmacist's Mate William Lynch smashed open lockers in a vain search for morphine. Near the communications office a man their
Numb
knelt in prayer under a ladder.
men
around him,
to the chaos
"Now
another absently sat at a desk typing,
the time for
is
all
good
." .
.
Around
nobody noticed the
the harbor
From
eyes were glued on the Oklahoma. land, Chief Albert Molter
"slowly and stately ... as
California's troubles his
watched her gradually if
—
leaving her bottom-up
On
had passed
roll
over on her
all
Is-
side,
she were tired and wanted to rest." She
kept rolling until her mast and superstructure
eight minutes
—
bungalow on Ford
jammed
a huge dead whale lying in since the
first
torpedo
mud, the water. Only in the
hit.
Mate Harold North recalled how everyone had cursed on Friday when the Oklahoma tied up alongside, shutting off what air there was at night. Inside the Oklahoma men were giving it one more try. Storekeeper Terry Armstrong found himself alone in a small compartment on the second deck. As it slowly filled with water, he dived down, groped for the porthole, squirmed through to safety. Seaman Malcolm McCleary escaped through a washroom porthole the same way. Nearby, Lieuthe
Maryland
Electrician's
tenant (j.g.) Aloysius Schmitt, the Catholic chaplain, started out too.
But a breviary into the
in his hip
pocket caught on the coaming. As he backed
compartment again
to take
it
out, several
men
started for-
ward. Chaplain Schmitt had no more time to spend on himself.
pushed
three, possibly four, of the others
He
through before the water
closed over the compartment.
Some men
weren't even close to
alive nevertheless.
life
as they
They found themselves
to orient themselves to
knew
it,
but were
still
gasping, swimming, trying
an upside-down world
in the air
pockets that
End
32
Pearl Harbor to the
formed
as the ship rolled over. Seventeen-year-old
Malay Barrier
in the
Seaman Willard
Beal fought back the water that poured into the steering engine room.
Seaman George Murphy splashed about ship's dispensary
ceiling
.
.
.
.
the operating
never dreaming he was looking up at the
.
Topside, the
men had
it
easier.
As
tile
the ship slowly turned turtle,
ending up on the bottom.
roll, finally
of the
floor.
most of the men simply climbed over the starboard with the
room
wondering.. 'what part of the ship had a
.
and walked
side
When and how
they got
was pretty much a matter of personal choice. Some started swinghand over hand along the lines that tied the ship to the Maryland, but as she rolled, these snapped, and the men were pitched into the water between the two ships. Seaman Tom Armstrong dived off on off
ing
this side
—
watch stopped
his
from the outboard
at 8:10.
Tom's brother Pat jumped
Ma-
water after squeezing through the porthole on the second deck.
Gunnery Sergeant Leo Wears slid down a drowned when someone used him as a stepladder rine
launch. His friend Sergeant side of the ship to the it
Norman
slid
As Ingram a
bomb went
down
the
bottom of the
down
He
bomb
the forecastle,
her stack, but later examination showed
set off the
more
a
stalled
the
fire
than a "bang"
—but
—most
of the
men
the concussion
was
motor of Aviation Ordnanceman Harand
pickup truck as he drove along Ford Island.
Molter against the pipe banister of everyone
crashed through
and smoke mushroomed 500
There wasn't so much noise
"whoom"
seems more
intact. It
turret,
forward magazines.
In any case, a huge ball of into the air.
still
landed alongside the second
and
stripped to his
ship.
even the wire screen across the funnel top likely the
flat
into
Ingram climbed onto the
Bill
Arizona blew up. Afterward men said
hit the water, the
right
to climb into a
Currier coolly walked along the
high side just as the yardarm touched the water.
and
and almost
line
bow, hailed a passing boat, and stepped
without getting a foot wet. Ensign
shorts
off
Their third brother Terry was already in the
side.
his
It
say
was
terrific. It
Quisdorfs
hurled Chief Albert
basement
stairs.
It
on Fireman Stanley H. Rabe's water barge.
men
feet
it
knocked It
blew
Nevada Vance Fowler Commander Cassin Young off the Vestal Ensign off the West Virginia. Far above, Commander Fuchida's bomber trembled like a leaf. On the fleet landing at Merry's Point a Navy captain wrung his hands and sobbed that it just couldn't be true.
Gunner Carey Garnett and dozens
of other .
On
the Arizona, hundreds of
men were
.
cut
off the
.
.
.
.
down
ing flash. Inside the port anti-aircraft director
one
in a single, searfire
control
man
Keep Throwing Things
"/ Can't
simply vanished
—
Them"
at
was through
the only place he could have gone
narrow range-finder
On
slot.
33 the
Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd
the bridge
and Captain Franklin Van Valkenburgh were instantly
killed.
On
the
second deck the entire ship's band was wiped out.
Over 1000 men were gone. Incredibly,
some
lived.
still
Major Alan Shapley
of the
Marine
detachment was blown out of the foremast and well clear of the
Though
partly paralyzed, he
swam
to
Ford
ship.
Island, detouring to help
two shipmates along the way. Radioman Glenn Lane was blown
off i
the quarter-deck
He
looked back
and found himself swimming
felt
skinned
his
where conditions were a around the guns there
and crammed
the third deck aft
and the No. 4
He and
thick smoke.
On
there.
alive,
mates
little
too.
finally
life.
room was
filling
moved over to No.
finally
better, but
The deck was
with
3 turret,
soon smoke began coming
in
stripped to their skivvie drawers
around the guns to keep the smoke
ordered them out, Forbis took
off his
shined shoes and carefully carried them in his hands as he turret.
oil.
Coxswain James Forbis
turret handling
The men
their clothes
When somebody
water thick with
Arizona and couldn't see a sign of
at the
But men were
in
blazing hot and covered with
oil.
out.
newly
left
the
But there was
a dry spot father aft near No. 4 turret, and before rejoining the fight,
Forbis carefully placed his shoes there. heels against the turret
—
just as
He
lined
them neatly with
the
though he planned to wear them up
Hotel Street again that night. In the portside anti-aircraft director, Russell Lott in a blanket
wrapped himself
and stumbled out the twisted door. The blanket kept him
from getting scorched, but the deck was so hot he had
to
keep hop-
ping from one foot to the other. Five shipmates staggered up through the smoke, so he stretched the blanket as a sort of shield for
Then he saw
the Vestal
still
alongside.
decks a shambles, but he found someone
men inched particular moment
one by one,
At
that
Vestal.
The
all six
blast
over to the
them
all.
left
her
The who
tossed over a line, and,
little
repair ship.
explosion had
they were lucky to find anyone on the
had blown some of the crew overboard, including
skipper Cassin Young, and the executive officer told the rest to aban-
Seaman Thomas Garzione climbed down a line over the came to the end of it, and found himself standing on the anchor. He just froze there he was a nonswimmer and too scared to jump the rest of the way. Finally he worked up enough nerve, made
don
ship.
forecastle,
—
the sign of the cross, and plunged
down
holding his nose. For a
Pearl Harbor to the
34
End
in the
nonswimmer, he made remarkable time
Malay Barrier
to a
whale boat
drifting in the
debris.
Signalman Adolph Zlabis dived
He and
hovering nearby.
off the bridge
and reached a launch
a few .others yelled encouragement to a
sailor who had climbed out on the Vestal's boat boom and now dangled from a rope ladder five feet above the water. Finally the man let go, landed flat in the water with a resounding whack. The men in the launch couldn't help laughing. Still on board the Vestal, Radioman John Murphy watched a long line of men pass his radio room, on their way to abandon ship. One of the other radiomen saw his brother go by. He cried, "I'm going with him," and ran out the door. For no particular reason Murphy
young
decided to stay, but he began feeling that he would like to get back
home
just once more before he passed on. At this point Commander Young climbed back on his swim in the harbor. He was by no means ready to
the Vestal call
stood sopping wet at the top of the gangway, shouting
swimmers and up
the
men
"Come
in the boats,
it
from
He
a day.
down
to the
back! We're not giving
this ship yet!"
Most hacked
tably, there yelled,
Young gave
of the crew returned and at the
orders to cast
off.
was confusion. One
"Don't cut those
officer
lines."
on the Arizona's quarter-deck
Others on the battleship pitched
and helped. Aviation Mechanic "Turkey" Graham slashed the
in
last
with an ax, shouting ,"Get away from here while you can!"
line
Other help came from an unexpected source. by,
Men
hawsers tying the Vestal to the blazing Arizona. Inevi-
whose skipper and
the Vestal.
They
and towed
their old ship off
safely
sit
When
A
Navy tug happened in many years on
had both put
chief engineer
loyally eased alongside, took a line
from the bow,
toward Aiea landing, where she could
out the rest of the attack. the Arizona blew up, Chief Electrician's
Mate Harold North
on the Maryland thought the end of the world had come. Actually he
was lucky. Moored inboard of the Oklahoma, the Maryland was from torpedoes and caught only two bombs. One was armor-piercing shell
bow, smashing
fitted
with
man
his extinguisher
an old petty
officer,
it
slanted
down
below the water
awnings on
fire.
When
a
15-inch
just off the port line.
The other
a strafer swept
One down a hatch, where it exploded at the who grabbed for a mask, shouting "Gas!"
George Haitle watched the
threw
feet of
—
into her hull 17 feet
hit the forecastle, setting the
by, Chief
fins
safe
firefighters scoot for shelter.
"/ Can't
Keep Throwing Things
at
Them"
35
The Tennessee, the other inboard battleship, had more trouble. Seaman J. P. Burkholder looked out a porthole on the bridge just as one of the converted 16-inch shells crashed down on No. 2 turret a few feet forward. The porthole cover tore loose, clobbered him on the head, and sent him scurrying through the door. Outside he helped a wounded ensign, but couldn't help one of his closest friends, who was wanted Burkholder to shoot him.
so far gone he only
Another armor-piercing bomb burst through No.
Bowen, stationed there
aft.
Seaman
just
dogging the hatch when the
at
S. F.
Just a ball of
all.
bomb
about the
fire,
as a
hit. It
3 turret farther
powder carman, was
wasn't a shattering crash
size of a basketball,
overhead and seemed to melt down on everyone.
It
appeared
seemed
to run
down on his skin and there was no way to stop it. As he crawled down to the deck below, he noticed that his shoe strings were still on fire.
Splinters flew in
all
directions
One hunk ripped the bridge down Captain Mervyn Bennion
from the bombs that of the
see.
He slumped
fense.
across the
hit the
Tennes-
West Virginia alongside, cut
as he tried to direct his ship's de-
sill
of the signal bridge door
starboard side of the machine-gun platform. Soon after he
Delano arrived on the bridge, having
finally
fell,
on the Ensign
been sent up from central
As Delano stepped out onto the platform, Lieutenant (j.g.) H. White rushed by, told him about the captain, and asked him to
station.
F.
do what he could. Delano saw
right
away
it
was hopeless. Captain Bennion had been
took no medical training to know the wound was fatal. Yet he was perfectly conscious, and at least he might be made more comfortable. Delano opened a first-aid kit and looked for some morphine. No luck. Then he found a can of ether and tried to make the captain pass out. He sat down beside the dying man, holding his head in one hand and the ether in the other. It made in the
hit
the
stomach, and
captain
it
drowsy but never unconscious.
moved
the captain's legs to
so
he could do.
little
As
more comfortable
Occasionally
Delano
positions, but there
was
they sat there together, Captain Bennion prodded him with
He asked how the battle was going, what the West Virginia was doing, whether the ship and the men were badly hit. Delano did
questions.
his best to answer, resorting every
now and
then to a gentle white
Yes, he assured the captain, the ship's guns were
Lieutenant Rickets
lie.
still firing.
now turned up and proved
a pillar of strength.
—
Pearl Harbor to the
36 Other
men
arrived too
Jacoby from the
in the
Malay Barrier
— Chief Pharmacist's Mate room 7
flag radio
Johnson from the
End
On
forecastle.
.
.
way
his
Leah
.
.
Ensign
.
Commander Doir
Lieutenant
up, Johnson ran across big
Doris Miller, thought the powerful mess steward might come in
handy, brought him along to the bridge. Together they tenderly
lifted
Captain Bennion and carried him to a sheltered spot behind the
He was still quite conscious and well aware of the He kept telling the men to leave him and save
conning tower.
flames creeping closer. themselves.
In her house at Makalapa, Mrs. Mayfield
had happened. She walked numbly
to a
miral Kimmel's house across the street.
and there was no sign of
closed,
ing It
.
.
.
activity.
would be some
surely there
couldn't grasp what
still
window and looked at AdThe Venetian blinds were
Somehow
sign of
was reassur-
this
was
life if it
really true.
morning when the ad-
didn't occur to her that this might be one
miral had no time for Venetian blinds.
By now Captain Mayfield was lows of coffee, slopping most of carport.
He
roared off as the
in the saucer,
CINCPAC
the admiral's house across the street.
and jumped
steps
in,
He
in his uniform. it
knotting his
tie
took a few swal-
and dashed for the
officer car
screeched up to
Admiral Kimmel ran down the
on the way. Captain Freeland
Daubin, commanding a squadron of submarines, leaped on the run-
moved
ning board as the car shot
down
the
hill
and Captain Earle's
Kimmel was
In five minutes Admiral in the
off,
station
wagon
after them. at
CINCPA
Headquarters
Com-
sub base. The admiral thought he was there by 8:05;
mander Murphy thought
it
was more
a very few minutes of his arrival, the
backbone of
his fleet
was gone
Arizona, Oklahoma, and West Virginia sunk
or immobile fornia sinking
like 8:10. In either case, within
.
.
.
Maryland and Tennessee bottled up by
battleships alongside
.
.
.
.
the
.
.
Cali-
wrecked
Pennsylvania squatting in drydock. Only the
Nevada was left, and she seemed a forlorn hope with one torpedo and two bombs already in her. Nor was the picture much brighter elsewhere. On the other side of Ford Island the
target ship
Utah took a heavy
engineering officer, Lieutenant
Commander
S.
list
to port as her
S. Isquith,
pulled his
khakis over his pajamas. The alarm bell clanged a few strokes and stopped; the
men
trooped below to take shelter from bombing.
Isquith sensed the ship couldn't
deck order
all
last,
hands topside instead.
and he had the
officer of the
Keep Throwing Things
"/ Can't
The men were amazingly cool being "bombed" by the
the
slid
When
every day.
up toward
rail
the starboard side
As he did it a third time, he slid by another seaman who he throw away the cigarettes. To Gilmartin's amazement he
back.
suggested
had been trying
to climb
up the
slanting deck while holding a cartoon
made
of cigarettes in one hand. Relieved of his handicap, he
starboard
As
to
Machinist's
main deck, he found the port
already under water. Twice he crawled
and
37
—perhaps because they were used
Army and Navy
Mate David Gilmartin reached
Them"
at
the
the
rail easily.
increased, the big six-by-twelve-inch timbers that cov-
list
ered the Utah's decks began breaking loose. These timbers were used to
cushion the decks against practice bombing and undoubtedly
helped fool the Japanese into thinking the ship was a carrier unexpectedly in port.
on the men
As
Now
down
they played another lethal role, sliding
trying to climb up.
she rolled
still
further,
Commander
below to find anyone who might
He managed
trapped himself.
still
Isquith
made
be trapped
a last check
— and
almost got
to reach the captain's cabin
where a
door led to the forecastle deck. The timbers had jammed the door; so he stumbled into the captain's bedroom where he knew there was a porthole.
reach
it
It
was now almost
directly overhead, but he
through the porthole, the bed broke loose and him.
He
managed
by climbing on the captain's bed. As he popped
fell
slid
out from under
back, but the radio officer, Lieutenant
Commander
Winser, grabbed his hand just in time and pulled him through. Isquith got to his feet, he slipped and
to
head
his
bumped down
L.
As
the side of the
ship into the water. Half dead with exhaustion, harassed by strafers,
he was helped by his crew to Ford Island. Others never
left
the ship
—Fireman John Vaessen
in the
dynamo
room, who kept the power up to the end; Chief Watertender Peter
Tomich
in the boiler
room, who stayed behind to make sure
his
got out; Lieutenant (j.g.) John Black, the assistant engineer,
jammed
his foot in his cabin door;
men who
Mess Attendant Smith, who was
always so afraid of the water.
Of
the other ships
Detroit were
still
Water swirled
on
keep her
Ford
Island, the Tangier
and
untouched, but the Raleigh sagged heavily to port.
into
No.
1
room, contaminated the gle to
this side of
afloat,
and 2 firerooms, flooded the forward engine
fuel oil,
knocked out her power. In the
no one even had time to
dress.
strug-
As though
went around that way every day, Captain Simons sported
they
his blue
—
End
Pearl Harbor to the
38 pajtfmas in red
aloha
.
.
.
Malay Barrier
in the
Ensign John Beardall worked the port antiaircraft guns
pajamas
.
.
others toiled in a weird assortment of skivvies,
.
and bathing trunks. Somehow they didn't seem even Signalman Jack FoeppeL ;watched Captain Simons in the
shirts,
odd: as
admiral's wing on the bridge, he only marveled that any
man
could be
so calm.
Ford
Island,
where
all
these ships were moored, was
itself in
chaos.
now working the place over, and most of the make themselves as small as possible. Storekeeper Jack Rogovsky crouched under a mess hall table nibbling raisins. The men in the air photo laboratory dived under the steel developing tables. Some of the flight crews plunged into an eight-foot ditch that
Japanese strafers were
men were
trying to
was being dug for gas
lines along the
edge of the runway. This
is
where Ordnanceman Quisdorf's unit was hiding when he and another airman arrived
in the
squadron truck. But they didn't know that
they thought they had been
behind
left
in a general retreat.
decided their only hope was to find a pair of channel, and hole
Nor was
there
up
swim
rifles,
They
the north
in the hills until liberation.
much room
for optimism in the
had
ships at the finger piers, the stern gunners
Navy Yard. On
the
a perfect shot at the
down Southeast Loch, but most of them had The San Francisco was being overhauled; all her
torpedo planes gliding little
to shoot with.
guns were
The
most of her large ammunition was on shore.
in the shops;
repair ship Rigel
was
in the
littered with scaffolding
anti-aircraft
The
little
and
same
fix.
was being
"limited availability" while radar
The
St.
Louis was on
installed; her topside
was
cable reels; three of her four five-inch
guns were dismantled.
Sacramento had
just
come out
of drydock, and in line
with drydock regulations most of her ammunition lockers had been
The Swan plugged away with her two three-inch guns, but a new gun earmarked for her top deck was still missing. A pharmacist's mate stood on the empty emplacement, cursing helplessly. The other emptied.
ships were having less trouble
On
all
these ships the
mates along Battleship Row.
and "big operator"
.
.
.
men had more
On
the
time for reflection than their
New
Orleans the ship's gambler
sat at his station, reading the
New
Testament.
(Later he canceled his debts and loans; threw away his dice.)
young engineer on the San Francisco
—
her boilers were dismantled
—appeared
John E. Parrott, "Thought
I'd
A
with nothing to do because
topside, wistfully told Ensign
come up and
die with you."
Machin-
"/ Can't
Keep Throwing Things
ist's
Mate Henry Johnson on
how
a rabbit felt
at
Them"
the Rigel remarked that
A
and he'd never hunt one again.
39
now he knew
few minutes
later
he lay mortally wounded on the deck. Their very helplessness turned
Commander Duncan Curry, bridge of the Ramapo firing
On
his face.
New
the
many
men from
of the
fear to fury.
an old Navy type, stood on the
strictly
a .45 pistol as the tears streamed
down
Orleans a veteran master at arms fired away
with another .45, daring them to
come back and
fight.
A
man
stood
near the sub base, banging away with a double-barreled shotgun.
A
young Marine on 1010 dock used
his rifle
Japanese-American boy about seven years old
The
butt of his old cigarette
noticed
As he
it.
fired
was burning
on the planes, while lit
his lips,
but he never even
away, he remarked aloud, "If
my
mother could
me now."
see
Ten-ten dock
itself
was a mess,
Helena and Oglala alongside. In the
with debris from the
littered
after engine
room
of the torpe-
doed Helena, Chief Machinist's Mate Paul Weisenberger fought check the water that poured hit
a
a cigarette for him.
had
to
through the ship's drain system. The
aft
also set off the ship's gas alarm;
its
steady blast added to the
uproar. Marine Second Lieuenant Bernard Kelly struggled to get
ammunition scientious
it was a damage or with con-
to the guns. In keeping a steady supply flowing,
tossup whether he had
damage
more
trouble with the
control men,
who
kept shutting the doors.
Topside was a shambles. The Helena's forecastle, which had been rigged for church, looked as
if
a cyclone had passed.
The
Oglala, to
starboard, listed heavily; her signal flags dropped over the Helena's
Row
bridge. Across the channel, Battleship
was a mass of flames and
smoke. Above the whole scene, a beautiful rainbow arched over Ford Island.
Just below
Downes
sat
destroyer
1010 dock, the Pennsylvania and 'destroyers Cassin and
Shaw
in the floating
yards to the west.
Lieutenant
Aboard
—or
there,
in
the Pennsylvania the
Commander James
checked here and
blow came
Drydock No. 1. Likewise the drydock, which was a few hundred
ominously unmolested
Craig,
the
men
ship's
waited tensely. first
lieutenant,
making sure they would be ready when the
at least as
ready as a ship out of water could be.
He
Mate Robert Jones and his damage control party to down on the deck. He warned them that their work was cut
told Boatswain's lie
face
out, It
and
to be prepared for the worst
.
.
.
was much the same on the ships anchored
in the harbor.
Radio-
End
Pearl Harbor to the
40
man Leonard
Malay Barrier
in the
Stagich sat by his set on the destroyer
on a
writing prayers
little
pad. In the transmitter
room
Montgomery of the aircraft
Radioman James Raines sat with three other men booming ^outside. No orders, so they just
tender Curtiss,
the steady
listening to
With the doors and portholes dogged down and the ventilaoff, it grew hotter and hotter. They removed their shirts and took
waited. tors
turns wearing the heavy headphones.
Still
no
They kept mov-
orders.
ing about the room, squatting in different places, always wondering
what was going on
From
outside.
time to time the
squawked meaningless commands to others on made them wonder more. Still no orders. But the most exasperating thing there. It
anchor was
to those at
move
took time to build up enough steam to
two hours for a larger
destroyer,
system
just sitting
— an hour
for a
Meanwhile, they could only
ship.
guns manually, dodge the
fire their
PA
the ship, which only
and watch (to use
strafers,
their
favorite phrase) "all hell break loose."
The
destroyer
Monaghan had
ready-duty destroyer, her
a slight edge
were already
fires
had been getting up steam since 7:50
Commander At
at a
moment
the
others.
time like
the
lit;
and then of course she and contact the Ward.
seemed
this, that
the destroyer
As
to go out
Burford would be able to take her out
Bill
minutes now, but
on the
Helm was
still
in
a
few
forever.
the only ship under
way. Twenty minutes had passed since Quartermaster Frank Handler genially first .
.
.
waved
explosion
low up the channel. After the
at that aviator flying
Commander
Carroll quickly sounded general quarters
swung her around from West Loch
sortie signal
.
.
.
and was now ready
Handler, he said, "Take her out.
I'll
.
.
.
caught Admiral Furlong's
to get
up and
go.
Turning
to
direct the battery."
Handler had never taken the ship out alone. The channel was tricky
— speed
limit
14 knots
most experienced hands.
up
to step her
repeated
it.
to
The
He
—and
the job
was always
400 rpm. The engine room queried ship leaped forward and raced
27 knots. To complicate
left
to the
took the wheel and rang the engine room the order and he
down
the channel at
natters, there wasn't a single
compass on
board; everything had to be done by seaman eye. But Handler had
one break
in his
Helm rushed
favor
—
the torpedo net
was
still
wide open. So the
on, proudly guided by a novice without a
compass
breaking every speed law in the book.
By stride
this
time Handler was
when
at
game
for anything; so he took
it
in his
8:17 he came face to face with a Japanese midget sub.
Keep Throwing Things
"/ Can't
He saw
it
Helm
as the
at
Them"
burst out of the harbor entrance
periscope, then the conning tower.
It
—
1000 yards
lay about
41 first
the
off the
down on the coral near the buoys. The Helm guns roared, but somehow they never could hit the sub. Finally it slid off the coral and disappeared. The Helm flashed the starboard bow, bouncing up and
news
to headquarters:
"Small Jap sub trying to penetrate channel."
up
Signal flags fluttered the
fleet.
From
all
over Pearl Harbor, telling the ships of
West
the bridge of the burning
Delano read the warning and sighed
to himself,
Virginia,
Ensign
my God
"Oh,
—
that
too!"
-^-•^-^--^^•^-^--
SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE STRIKE ON HAWAII, JAPAN Guam, Wake, Hong Kong,
attacked the Philippines, ing as far east as
Kota Bharu
Malaya
in British
Thailand, rang-
in a perimeter of
seemingly half the world; and in that area her naval might was bolstered by convoys in which tens of thousands of battle-hardened vet-
erans of the China campaigns longed to storm ashore and assert the
Emperor's
"Co-Prosperity Sphere."
will for a greater
of these troops
vanced bases
was
Guam
one of our
in the Marianas,
in the Pacific,
One
objective
tiniest ad-
which had been principally used by the
United States Navy for forty-two years as a communications center.
The
officers, five
was composed of 30 naval
officers,
seven
naval nurses, six warrant officers and 246
mem-
entire island garrison
Marine
bers of the Insular police
—
a less than minuscule force
which was
promptly overwhelmed in a few hours.
Next on the enemy's timetable for conquest came Wake Strategically important to
Roi and Namur Islands
Japan because
in the Marshalls,
weapon against them, the capture taken December 8 with a preinvasion air as a
Fleet.
While
this raid
killed several civilians,
for a fight.
The
of three light
it
destroyed it
many
did nothing to
and
of
Island.
was only 620 miles from as such could be used
Wake
strike
Island was under-
by the enemy's Fourth
of the island's facilities
dampen
and
the garrison's ardor
was followed up three nights later by the arrival cruisers and several destroyer transports, lifting 450 raid
and a small number of regular garrison However, accurate Marine gunfire drove off the flagship, light
special naval landing troops
troops.
cruiser Yubari. Closing to within
sustained
hits.
Other Marine
6000 yards
batteries,
of the beach, she twice
meanwhile, worked on the
—
Pearl Harbor to the
42
End
in the
Malay Barrier
destroyer transports with similar results, and the Japanese deferred
The Marine commander, Major Devereux, and
their landings.
opposite number,
Commander Cunningham, were
his
elated.
In Pearl Harbor at this time, a' "Wake Island relief expedition was formed under the command of Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher
some
cruisers
and destroyers screening the
aircraft carrier Saratoga.
These departed December 16 and promptly ran into heavy weather; moreover, Fletcher's destroyers were badly in need of
hour period only three of
his tin cans
had
fueled,
fuel; in a ten-
and heavy seas
had parted several fueling hoses. Whatever the reason, Fletcher decided to abandon the expedition.
Wake fighter
was
Island
left
to fend
On December
and four heavy
from Kwajelein all
with a superb Marine
now
repaired,
Rear Ad-
came with two other
cruisers, plus destroyers, for gunfire support. In
enemy was sending over
the interim, the
had
itself
23, the Japanese returned, and in force.
miral Kajioka aboard the flagship, light
for
squadron and a handful of guns.
in the
devastating
Marshalls, and the attrition in
bomber
strikes
men and
planes
but exhausted Wake's capacity to fight on.
By 2:34
a.m.,
December
23, Kajioka was ready. His force effected
four simultaneous landings with
swarmed ashore and fanned
more than 1000
troops.
The enemy
out.
Within the hour Japanese troops had captured the hospital and the remains of the a con:erted
airfield;
then an air attack began which coincided with
bombardment by
The key events Cunningham and
the naval units.
of the island's capture are told by Winfield Scott his collaborator,
Lydel Sims.
Many
of the notes
which served to refresh Cunningham's memory were jotted down later,
while in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp.
REAR ADM. W. SCOTT CUNNINGHAM
WITH LYDEL SIMS
4-
WAKE
ISLAND SURRENDERS
The invaders grounded two of
Wake and
destroyer transports off the south shore
sent troops ashore
the beach at Wilkes. just east of the
Two
from both.
Two
other landing craft put
barges unloaded onto
men
ashore on
Wake
channel entrance. Other troops, as best can be de-
termined, landed on Wake's inner shore from rubber boats that entered the shallow lagoon from the northwest.
As fell
these landings began, the bulk of the active defense on
to mobile forces
comprised of Marines,
major portion of the defense
battalion's strength
the three-inch and five-inch guns.
toward the
airstrip
sailors
and
was immobilized
Each end airstrip's
The area from Camp One eastward
fifteen sailors,
and a considerable number of
Mate
civilians.
was guarded by machine-gun crews. Near the western end, Lieutenant Kliewer of the fighter squadron of the airstrip
took a stand with three others at the generator which was wired to off the
at
was defended by Lieutenant Poindexter and the
defense battalion's mobile reserve, augmented by Boatswain's
Barnes and
Wake
civilians, for a
mines along the
of the airstrip
strip.
The
set
three-inch gun on the beach south
was manned by Lieutenant Hanna and another Marine
civilians. A defensive line was formed around the gun by Major Putnam, other surviving members of the fighter squadron, and
and three
a dozen civilians.
These were the hot spots on
Wake
as the fighting began.
43
End
Pearl Harbor to the
44^
Hanna and
crew
his
Malay Barrier
in the
gun poured
at the three-inch
rounds
fifteen
one of the destroyer transports within minutes after
into
grounded, and then began
was
it
but the invasion troops
firing at ttje other,
were already swarming ashore. As they advanced on the gun position, Putnam's
defense line fought back, giving ground stubbornly
little
until at last
formed
it
around the gun. Some Japa-
virtually a circle
nese remained to contest the position while others proceeded past the
pocket and into the brush.
At Camp One, landing
approaching the channel were
craft
When
on by machine guns.
fired
they grounded on the reef offshore,
Poindexter, Barnes and others began throwing hand grenades. Barnes
scored one direct
hit just as the
troops began to disembark, but
One defenders grouped and fought Devereux had done it
was
landing, telephone
ing
A
back.
And
after the first
lost with
the defensive line under
Peacock Point.
to
hour
half an
communication had been
Hanna and
Lieutenant
was
maintain contact with his units, but
becoming impossible. Within
fast
Battery
his best to
it
Camp
not enough to stop them. They began to pour ashore as the
Camp
One,
Major Putnam, and
from Wilkes were becom-
reports
more and more fragmentary. We knew only that a considerable had landed there and was being resisted. Later, contact was lost
force
altogether.
From
Peale,
where no landings had been made,
the only area
Lieutenant Kessler reported by telephone that he could use one of his five-inch guns
on a destroyer
off
Wake.
I
him
told
authorized Captain Godbold to send some of his the fighting.
It
there too, but
could have been a mistake
we had
a real crisis
a possible one on Peale.
on
to
go ahead.
men down
I
also
to join
if
troops were about to land
Wake
that took precedence over
Accordingly, a truckload of
men under
Corporal Leon Graves came roaring down the north-south road and
were directed to go
in
confusion they never
up
sive line set
at
support of Major Putnam's group. But
made
it;
eventually they
Major Devereux's command
wound up
in a defen-
post.
In the midst of everything else, a ludicrous problem arose for deal with. as a lord
A
civilian
from
cook came boiling
that evil concoction
into
known
my command
It
post,
as "swipes" about
had been warned before the war began. He wanted tackle the Japs single-handed.
was quite
to
me
to
drunk
which
I
go out and
a while before
him quietly disposed of. Meanwhile the enemy was moving deeper
in the
we could
get
into the island
from
its
beachheads, and beginning to spread out through the brush. Lewis's
Wake
45
Island Surrenders
Battery E, inside the head of the wishbone, had been firing in answer
we were receiving from came under fire from invasion
to the steady shelling
the cruisers offshore;
now
troops.
his position
the point of the wishbone, motar
fire
began to
fall
And down
at
on the five-inch
gun positions of Lieutenant Barninger's Battery A.
At
the machine-gun setup on the eastern end of the airstrip, Cor-
poral Winford
and three
J.
McAnally was
civilians.
An
command
in
of a force of six Marines
hour before dawn he reported the enemy was
beginning to attack strongly up the north-south road that the invasion of our south shore
—
evidence either
had been successful or that the
Japs were landing at yet another spot.
By now
knew beyond doubt that the enemy had landed at three As yet no planes had arrived, but we could expect them by dawn. The offshore shelling continued without I
places and perhaps more.
letup.
Admiral Pye had asked me time to do
so.
At
Enemy on
keep him informed.
to
decided
I
it
was
messaged:
five o'clock I
island. Issue in
This message, interpreted as a
provoke great comment back
final
doubt.
gesture of defiance,
America when
in
it
was
appeared
to
in the
accounts of Wake's defense, but as a matter of fact no bravado was
At
intended.
the
moment
I
began
to write the dispatch, a phrase
read sixteen years before came into France's Revolt of the Angels.
upon
my
He was
mind.
It
I
had
was from Anatole
describing the assault
made
the heavenly ramparts by the legions of Satan. "For three days,"
he wrote, "the issue was
Why
doubt."
in
should have recalled those words at such a time
I
I
do not
know, but they seemed appropriate and even hopeful. In France's story, the victory
had gone
to the side of the angels.
knew we were outnumbered and outgunned, consider the prospect of defeat. the notion actually sank into
make
It
I
was
still
And
while
I
unable even to
would be more than an hour before
my mind
that
we might
not,
somehow,
out.
In one sector our forces were indeed making out, and would shortly
A
do
far better than that.
That was on Wilkes.
force of one hundred Japanese
defenders sailors
—Captain
and
civilians.
Piatt,
to
wipe out the
number
of
The enemy had captured Gunner McKinstry's
three-inch gun emplacements but their
had landed there
with seventy Marines and a
beachhead. Even as
I
sent
had been blocked from expanding
my
dispatch, Captain Piatt
was
reor-
ganizing his forces for a counterattack that, before seven o'clock,
46
Harbor
Pearl
would
was
It
at
killing at least
enemy, but
a substantial setback to the
dawn
Malay Barrier 94 and ending
to Wilkes.
until after the surrender.
one
in the
wipe out the invaders,
virtually
immediate threat
all
End
to the
Among
I
did not
the various reports
I
know
of
it
received was
that Wilkes had fallen.
This word came from observers on Peale, who were about a mile away from Wilkes across the lagoon. When daylight came they could
many places on Wilkes, and concluded had capitulated. As had no reason to question the
see Japanese flags displayed at that the islet
I
assumed
report, the
had to take into account But
Wilkes was one of the considerations
loss of
in sizing
Wesley
brilliantly as
up the
Piatt
I
situation.
had conducted
Wilkes was only a small fraction of the
his operation,
total defense,
still
and even the
truth about conditions there could not have altered the final outcome.
On
Wake, were concentrated most of the defenses and situation was steadily deteriorating. Each group of defenders was pinned down while the enemy enjoyed wide freedom of movement. As the build-up of enemy strength increased the pressure norththe big
islet,
and on Wake the
the defenders,
ward, chiefly against the machine-gun position held by Corporal
Mc-
Anally, Devereux ordered Major Potter to set up a final defensive line
command
south of his
And
as
dawn came,
But the unrelenting pressure continued.
post.
swarmed over
the carrier-based planes
us like
angry hornets.
Devereux and
I
had been
and each time he reported terms.
My own
word
picture even worse.
to
in regular
to
him
me
that
contact throughout the battle,
he described the situation
no
At 6:30, when
relief it
could be expected
appeared that
position not yet overwhelmed, he reported getting heavy
in
enemy
his
made
the
was the only
pressure there was
and gave the opinion that he would not be able
much longer. I knew the time had come
darker
to hold
out
to consider the question that only a
hours ago had been unthinkable. Accordingly, ion.
Would
and useless
I
be
up
loss of life?
to the
course, but
asked for his opin-
order to prevent further
justified in surrendering, in
Devereux evaded a solely
I
few
I
direct answer.
commanding
was not
He
officer.
I
said he felt the decision
was well aware of
was
that, of
willing to act without reviewing the situation as
fully as possible.
We
talked a while longer.
He
asked
if
I
knew
that Wilkes
had
Wake At
fallen. I said that I did. felt
last I
he could hold out no longer,
47
Island Surrenders
took a deep breath and told him I
if
he
authorized him to surrender.
hung up the phone and sent a final dispatch to the Commander in two destroyers grounded on the beach and the enemy fleet moving in. Then I had all codes, ciphers and secret orders deI
Chief, reporting
stroyed,
antenna.
and ordered the communicators to haul down our transmitter It would be too easy for the Japanese dive bombers to spot.
had no more messages to send. Devereux called me again about 7:30 and asked whether I had reached the Japanese commander by radio. I told him I had not He repeated his statement that he could not hold out much longer, and I repeated mine that he was authorized to surrender. He said he was
Besides, I
not sure of his ability to contact the enemy, and asked
promised to see what
But before
I
b
to
could do.
could do anything,
I
me
it
was
over.
all
Devereux
rig.g
and moved south down the road toward the enemy, giving our troops the cease-fire order as he reached them. I became aware that the surrender had begun when white
command
flag, left his
someone reported civilian hospital
I
post,
bed sheets could be seen
that
command post. men in my command
me
ished magazine, tossed
I
truck,
at the
my
I
post and could
talked out of the unfin-
.45 pistol into a nearby latrine, got into
and drove a
went, not south to the enemy, but north to the cottage
occupied in the early days of the defense.
damaged
but,
washed I got
my
It
face,
had been and
living in
put
on
a
debris. I took off the
night and
clean
had
I
was battered and badly
moving mechanically through the
dirty old khakis I
IN
above the
near Devereuxs
looked around
think of nothing to say. In a sort of daze
my
flying
brae
and
-
Then
uniform.
back into the truck, drove down the road, and surrendered.
THE PHILIPPINES
%S
AT PEARL HARBOR .AND WAKE.
first. To enemy ignored Ci:t Navj Yard upon the opening of and concentrated instead on General MacArtr Fai
the enemy's strategy was to destroy United States air power this
end, the
hostilities
m
i
same time marshalling his troop a multi-pronged amphibious invasion whose objective was the capture Faitfrrn .Air Force, while at the
of Manila.
On
the
first
s
day, a strong force of Japanese fighter planes
—
Pearl Harbor to the
48
End
in the
Malay Barrier
and medium bombers attacked Clark and the neighboring
Army
Forty seven American bombers and fighters were
fields.
against seven
enemy
planes.
At noon on December
air
as
lost
10, the Japanese
attacked again in the Manila area;' 'arid although a few P-35's and P40's roared off to engage them, the remnants of
Force were promptly overwhelmed. The Iba,
Nielson,
and Nichols
—were
airfields
Mac Arthur's
Air
north of Cavite
reduced to rubble, and almost
immediately afterwards, Cavite Navy Yard received the
full attention
of the Japanese squadrons.
The
story of this costly attack
lost in the
W.
Navy Yard
alone)
L. White. Uniquely,
fought in the
initial
it
is
is
(some 1500 Philippine
lives
were
recounted by the distinguished author,
told through the eyes of
Philippine battle.
The
first
to speak
PT men who is
Lieutenant
Robert B. Kelly; then Lieutenant John D. Bulkeley, winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor.
—
W.
WHITE
L.
THE PHILIPPINE EXPENDABLES
—
'The big alarm came at noon on December 10 we'd pulled up alongside a mine sweeper for water when word came that a large flight of Jap planes was headed toward the Manila area, coming from the direction of
We
Formosa.
water, and fifteen
—
I
away from the tender, out into open minutes later we saw them several formations pulled
—
counted about twenty-seven to twenty-nine planes in each
two-motor bombers
—
parade-ground formations, com-
lovely, tight,
ing over at about 25,000 feet. But,
thought,
I
when our
fighters get
up
there and start rumpling their hair, those formations won't look so pretty.
Only where were our
fighters?
and then we we felt the vibrations on our feet, even out there in the water, and we knew something was catching hell. But what? Manila? Maybe Nichols Field? Or even Cavite, our own base? We couldn't know." "I did," said Bulkeley laconically. "I was there, at Cavite. The
"The Japs passed on out
of sight over the mountains,
began hearing the rumble of bombs
—only
Admiral sent us a two-hour warning Formosa, and headed on down
in
first
that they
— from
were coming
our direction across Northern
Luzon.
"So we hauled our boats out into the bay. They kept beautiful formations, they
came
all right.
in at
The
first
big
V
and
fifty-four planes in
it,
and
about 20,000, with their fighters on up above to
49
Pearl Harbor to the
50 protect
End
Malay Barrier
in the
—
them from ours only ours didn't show! We couldn't figure it. swung over Manila and began to paste the harbor shipping.
First they
was a beautiful
remember the sun made rainbows on the waterspouts of their bombs'. They were from a hundred and fifty to two hundred feet high, and it made a mist screen so dense you could hardly tell what was happening to the ships. It turned out nothing much was they only hit a few. It
and
clear day,
I
—
V
"But then that big beautiful Cavite
—began
circling
'They were too high see the stuff
it
moved over
pivoted slowly and
like a flock of well-disciplined buzzards.
to see the
bomb bay
we could
doors open, but
drop slowly, picking up speed; only as we watched we
found we had troubles of our own. Because
bombers
five little dive
peeled off that formation, one by one, and started straight
down
for
us.
When
feet,
they leveled
off
and began unloading. Of course we gave our boats
full throttle
they were
and began
circling
down
and
to about fifteen
both to dodge the bombs and to get a
twisting,
Our gunners loved remember Chalker's face;
shot at them. Japs.
I
arkana
—
a shootin' Texas boy.
it
—
50's,
up
their first crack at the
He was
Houlihan,
mate from Tex-
pouring 50-caliber slugs up ice,
when we saw
off
down
who was
firing the
other pair of
a big splash. So
we know
wobbled down
just
the 35 boat got one.
all
at once,
into the drink with
Meanwhile the 31 boat
had shot down two more. After that the planes didn't bother the
MTB's. Guess the Jap
the
word around.
"It certainly surprised
torpedo boat could bring
pilots
back
I
at their
strafing
Formosa base passed
our navy too, which had never guessed a
down an
airplane. Later
message from Captain Ray, chief of
Dear Buck:
it
the plane wobble, and pretty soon she
the bay, weaving unsteadily, smoking, and
two or three miles away, she
at
but that long, straight,
was the same. They'd picked put one plane and were pouring
into the sky,
took
set.
was
it
he's a machinist's
them, cooler than a pail of cracked pointed jaw of his was
hundred
really think
your gang
latest report is that "three dive
over Mariveles Mountain by an
on
I
got a kidding
staff:
is
getting too tough.
The
bombers were seen being chased
MTB."
Don't you think
this is
carrying the war a bit too far?
"About
3
:
30 the Japs
left,
what had happened. They'd
so
we went on back
flattened
it
—
Here was the only American naval base
in to
Cavite to see
there isn't any other word.
in the
Orient beyond Pearl
—
The Philippine Expendables Harbor pounded
We
into bloody rubbish.
51
didn't have time then to
American planes could have been, because the
think about where our
we began loading
place was a shambles, and
wounded
in the
to take
Canacao hospital. The first boatload was all white Americans except one Negro from a merchant marine boat with a compound them
to
fracture
—
—
—
bone was
his shoulder
We
against his black skin.
whimper
did he
—
blood
and
it
looked brick-red
a very brave guy. There was half an inch of blood
on the landing platform feet, for
sticking out
put a tourniquet on him and never once
Canacao
at
—we could hardly keep on our — and aprons
as slippery as crude oil
is
the
of the
hospital attendants were so blood-spattered they looked like butchers.
"We went back big base
Only a piece
you could
of the
a
is
and offered
dock was
left,
see only jagged walls.
was directing the
He
to Cavite
tall
fire
man, a
more wounded. The
to carry
was one sheet of flame except
for the
ammunition depot.
and through the shimmering flames
Then we saw Admiral Rockwell but his head was
fine figure of a sailor,
—
day. In a dead voice he told us we'd better get out zine
was
liable to
—he
apparatus which was trying to save the depot.
go up any minute.
We
down
that the
that
maga-
him with us do what he could
offered to take
Mariveles, but he said no, his job was here, to
to to
save the magazines.
"So we picked up from the gutters and
we knew we would need
cans of food
streets a lot of
—they were from
the
bombed warehouses
stacked them in the boat, and set out."
"The weirdest thing
woman
—every
I
stitch
saw there," said Ensign Akers, "was a native
of clothing
blown
off
by a bomb, running
around screaming, completely berserk. But you could see she wasn't
wounded, and so everybody was too busy to catch her and calm her down. How she got there no one knew or even asked." "I
was back there a couple of days
New
York. "They were burying the dead
ing heads and arms and legs and putting crater
were out,"
later after the fires
said Ensign Cox, a goodlooking yellow-haired youngster
—which them
from upstate
consisted of collect-
into the nearest
bomb
it. The smell was terrible. The Filimuch stomach for the job, but it had to because of disease. To make them work,
and shoveling debris over
pino yard workers didn't have
be done and done quickly they all
filled
the Filipinos
the raid I'd left to
up with grain
was that the week before where
it
it
I'd
alcohol.
The weirdest
locked against a wall. Just for curiosity,
had been and there
thing of
bought a bike, and the night before
it
still
was
—
I
went over
beside the wall, which
—
End
Pearl Harbor to the
52
was only a jagged unlocked
I
it
and yet
ruin,
and
in the
rode
paint wasn't even scratched.
its
"over
all
Malay Barrier
the
watching
yard,
those
maybe dragging a trunk toward a crater, pulling it by its one remaining leg, or eWe rnaybe rolling a head along like over a putting green. The Japs must have killed at least a thousand. staggering Filipinos,
Mostly dock workers
'That raid gave Kelly, "but
it
—
they caught them right at dinner hour."
me my
first
big shock of the war," said Lieutenant
wasn't the damage they did.
From
couldn't see what was happening after the Jap
over the mountain.
I
my
got
—
way home Where was our
over us on their
shock the
I
had unloaded and flew
after they
same
over in Mariveles
bombers disappeared
beautiful tight formations
What could
—not
mean? Didn't we have about one hundred and fifty planes most of them fighters? Were our guys yellow? Or had somebody gone nuts and told them not to take off let the Japs get away with this? It made you sick to think a straggler.
air force?
it
—
—
about
it.
"From over towards smoke
"But in the
Cavite
we could now
see that huge
column of
rising into the sky as the Japs left the scene.
DeLong dropped in knew how bad off we were. He
wasn't until Lieutenant
it
41 boat that
I
base was a roaring blast furnace
—
said the Cavite
the yard littered with those
— and furthermore MTB's —engines and everything— had
gled and scorched bodies for the
at four o'clock
that
Machine shops completely gone. Not so much
man-
our spare parts
all
been blasted to
bits.
as a gasket left to see
us through this war, with the factory halfway around the world.
"Also he said Cavite radio had been
wave voice
stuff to talk
hit.
That
still
left
the short-
with Manila or Bataan or the Rock, but of
course this couldn't be secret from the Japs, so they would be depending on our six boats for courier duty to relay
"So ing
I
all
confidential stuff."
wasn't surprised," said Bulkeley, "when early the next morn-
I
got a hurry call to report to the Admiral in Manila.
boat cleared the mine
Manila
I
fields
As our 34
around Bataan, looking over toward
saw something very queer
—shipping
of
all
descriptions
was
pouring out of that Manila breakwater into the open harbor destroyers, all
mine sweepers, Yangtze River gunboats, tramp steamers,
going hell for breakfast.
And
then
about twenty-seven bombers. By then
we saw
planes in the
air,
I
saw them
I
were
a big formation of to learn that
they would be Japs, not ours.
another formation of twenty-nine, and "If they
—
was beginning
after shipping,
we
still
if
Then came
another of twenty-six.
shouldn't get too close to the other
53
The Philippine Expendables boats, so
I
changed course. They wheeled majestically around the
and each time they passed Manila a load would go
bay's perimeter,
down and presently huge columns of black and white smoke began rising we could even see some fires, although we were still whistling
—
eleven miles away. "
'Where
name
Christ's
our
in hell is
don't they do something?'
me was that these big Jap formations, was a parade maneuver, each time would sail over Corregidor! Didn't they know we had anti-
"But the thing that circling the
bay
like
impudently right aircraft
and
it
really got
it
guns?
"They knew
right,
all
For presently
didn't.
our crew kept asking me. 'Why in
air force?'
made me
from 5,000
to
all
but
knew something
turned out they
it
twenty of Corregidor's 3-inchers opened
one of their
sick to see that every
shells
were as safe as though they'd been home guns didn't have the range.
And
—
it
begin to
Commander Slocum
dawn on me
me
told
When we
said
we were
rarin' to go.
So he said
to stick
hours, and meanwhile to load the boats with forth,
because they were moving headquarters.
but right here on the water front
records,
and so
had escaped so
was too vulnerable
it
we ready?
around a couple of
files,
It
I
re-
was considering
the Admiral
sending our three boats on a raid off Lingayen, and were
We
found out
continued Bulkeley, "Kelly and
headed for Manila and docked about three o'clock. ported,
I
pilots
that the Rock's anti-aircraft
only then did
how completely impotent we were. "When the Japs cleared out,"
Later
in bed.
fire,
was bursting
10,000 feet below that Jap formation. Those
what the Japs apparently already knew
I
—
far,
sure to get
smacked. Through the open door we could see the Admiral conferring with his chief of staff
and half a dozen other high
wall was a chart of the waters off Luzon, and on
it
officers.
On
the
black pins which
represented Jap boats.
"But
my
just then," said Kelly,
arm, which was in a
see the fleet doctor.
sling,
"I
frowned, and said
The doctor took
talk tough. Said he couldn't
arm
"Commander Slocum looked down off the
I
should get over to
bandage and began
do anything, and that
at
I
was
to
to get that
to a hospital as fast as I could.
was dead
set
bring that up, so
I
on
that raid, but
said, 'Aye, aye,
I
decided
sir,'
it
wouldn't be tactful to
and skipped
it.
We
loaded the
boat with records, and then went back to headquarters, where
were told that the Jap convoy
off
we
Lingayen included eight transports
Pearl Harbor to the
54
End
in the
Malay Barrier
and at least two battleships but that we weren't going to be sent. They were saving us for 'bigger things.' " 'My God!' my junior officer said later, 'I didn't know they came .
.
.
any bigger! What do they think we
are?'
"Anyway the Admiral patted Bulkeley on the shoulder and said, 'We know you boys want to get in there and fight, but there's no sense sending you on suicidal missions
"So that was
that,
—
just now.'
and we went on out across the bay, to our
thatched village."*
DISASTER AFTER DISASTER FOLLOWED IN DECEMBER. On the 10th, the eve of the invasion of Singapore, the Allies were dealt a stunning blow
when one hundred land-based Japanese
the Royal Navy's battleship Prince of Wales
Repulse, causing heavy loss of
damage the
life.
Not only did
Allied morale in the Orient, but also
open sea
in
and the
it
aircraft
sank
battle cruiser
this feat grievously
was accomplished on
which capital ships had never before been successfully
attacked.
However, there was one small exception
to
the
long string of
catastrophes that month: Drayton, a Mahan-class destroyer of 1450 tons,
made
history
with the
first
verified
sinking of
a Japanese
in the war. Under the command of Lieutenant Commander Laurence A. Abercrombie, the "Blue Beetle" so named because of her bluish experimental color was on escort duty with a convoy to Palmyra on the afternoon of December 24 when Fate decreed a meeting with a full-sized submarine. Abercrombie received the Navy Cross, one of three he gathered during the war.
warship
—
—
Collaborator
Fletcher
Pratt,
author
warfare, was the military expert for the
*
Sisiman Bay, a
little
of
many books on
New York
cove east of Mariveles Harbor
Post.
naval
CAPTAIN
L. A.
ABERCROMBIE
AND FLETCHER PRATT
6.
SCRATCH ONE!
...
was only a four-ship convoy, a job
It
lot consisting of a
couple of
the old four-pipers converted to fast supply ships and an ex-surveying ship for Palmyra, with one of those
little
interisland steamers for
Christmas, carrying some army engineers and material for a landing strip.
We were all the
in the
first-class
and we had the only sound-gear
my
soundman.
He was money
escort they had,
convoy, which threw a good deal of a burden on Ferrell,
a kid, only nineteen, with a round, boyish face, owing
in quarter
and half-dollar
irresponsible. Not, as
bits to
you might
touches to beer ashore.
He
everyone aboard, completely
think, a lad
who made
these small
never drank anything, but he liked to have
a good time in a shooting gallery or on a roller coaster and forgot to
pay up when he got back to the time that
it
was and overstayed
happened and
ship, just as
he always forgot what
his liberty. I'd give
didn't feel any
had one of the keenest pair of ears
him
extra duty
compunction about I
it,
when
because he
ever saw growing out of a
human
head.
He was on convoy was
just a little south of the islands. It
had him there
when our good thing we
duty at 1440 on the day before Christmas,
too.
He came
was a
rushing out of his box to the bridge.
"Captain, do you see anything on the port bow, bearing 120 true?" he
demanded
excitedly.
55
—
End
Pearl Harbor to the
56 I
picked up
"Well,
sir,
my it
"Not a
binoculars.
must be
in the
Malay Barrier
thing."
a sub then, 'cause
I
have a good sound
contact." I turned to the officer of the *iec£, who happened to be Ensign Simmons, a former cadet from the Merchant Marine who was our sound officer. "Send all hands to battle stations." Dutch Kriner sent an emergency submarine-contact signal to the
convoy. They snapped smoke from their funnels and bore out sharp to starboard at their best speed,
which was about 10 knots for the
interisland steamer, as the sirens shrieked all over the ship.
we had still
to
Of course
have one of those incidents that showed how much we were
amateurs
manned and
in
war. Just as Bing Mitchell reported
ready,
all
stations
someone below got excited and pulled the sound-
gear switch. Ferrell's instrument went dead.
"Contact
lost!"
he shouted through the door.
"Just another big fish," said Mitchell, but before he had finished
saying
it
they got the switch closed again and Ferrell yelled.
"Contact regained, Zero-thirty true, range about 500 yards." This was close quarters. "She's inside our turning circle," said Bing.
"Full right rudder,"
ordered the helmsman; and to Ferrell, "Hold
I
your contact!"
Maybe
I
did the
wrong thing
—some
of those people
who
figure
on the maneuvering board told me afterward that I did but that sub was so close in on our left that we couldn't turn into its track, so I went around the other way, hoping to pick him up. It was things out
a marvel that
we made
it,
but with the help of Ferrell and some
wonderful work by the helmsman we did.
"Contact good,
sir,"
shouted Ferrell as
I
gave an order to steady
her on a course north; then, "Contact closing rapidly." It
was a sub,
merely because
it
all
was
right
—
a
fat,
happy sub, running submerged
daylight, heading for Pearl, probably expecting
little as to find American ships on the way. "Range 400 yards." Simmons had his stop watch out.
nothing so
"Stand by to attack with depth charges,"
ahead
I
ordered. "All engines
full."
"Contact
lost."
Simmons punched
"Stand by to drop!"
his stop watch.
I said.
"Now," said Simmons, bringing down the arm he had lifted. "Drop one!" I said, and as Shelly, the torpedo officer, repeated the chief torpedoman swung the lever. (We didn't have K-guns
it,
in
57
Scratch One! those days,
At
it
was
all
from the racks.) "Drop two! Drop three!"
makes you
that speed the shock of a depth charge
feel
though the whole world were being violently shaken from side to
and down
engine-room their
in the
from the whole ship
feet
go to
sleep.
A
shout went up
around the signal rack to look
as I leaned
as
side,
at
our
wake. In the center of the boiling water where our depth charges had
was welling to the surface with fragments of debris
fallen, oil
middle of I
it.
shouted for the rudder to be put hard
into the slick, dropping three
we swung out point where
more depth
and we charged back
left,
charges.
More
came up;
oil
the sound gear, ranged again, and Ferrell shouted that
he had picked her up,
we had
now
turned and headed southwestward from the
He was
hit her.
a
wonder
to
do
with
it
racket in the gear and well deserved the special letter of tion
in the
from the Admiral
Bing Mitchell
promotion
that he got along with his
said, "She'll
all
that
commendalater.
probably go deep, Captain. Better give
her a deep barrage."
The Commodore had rushed nose
lifted like a bird dog's to
through
it.
and some one
to
"Get a
wing of the bridge with me,
he was shouting. "Get
up a sample of that
often merely debris
He was
ran
a line
the only
and that what looked
like
As we swung toward up
an
oil slick
was
all
too
from the depth charges themselves. the slick for the third time, he lowered the rag
triumphantly from his nose, not noticing that
we were over
oil."
me
his
that frequent reports of depth-charging submarines
in before
towels, picked
we
catch the odor of the slick as
rag, get a rag,"
rag. We'll bring
remember
had come
to the
it
was one of
in the excitement. "Diesel, all right,"
his best
he said, and
the slick again with Ferrell shouting, "Lost sound con-
tact!"
Drop
one, drop two, drop three again, and
Before
we had completed
submarine!" feet of
it,
It
was, too; the
the turn
bow
I
of an
we came
enormous submarine,
pushing up through the water slowly
angle, dripping
oil,
the net cutter at the
and the diving planes
at
its
side
full left.
heard another shout: "Look, a
bow
at a steep
fully
50
70-degree
looking like a set of teeth
showing the characteristic Jap
shape.
"Commence
firing!" I yelled.
Nothing happened. Everybody simply stood there pop-eyed with a mouthful of teeth, looking at the monster as though it were a movie.
"Commence
firing!" I
shouted again, and then ran out into the
End
Peart Harbor to the
58
in the
Malay Barrier
yell at the top of my lungs to Dewey, the "For God's sake, why don't you commence firing?"
wing of the bridge to gunnery I
officer,
heard him
because
They went don't
yell in return to his talker
same moment
at the
hitting her the
sub
seemed
to
open up
row of holes along
right in, stitching a
know whether
but never heard what he said
the':50's
all
they had any real share in
it.
bow, but
that
Even
tilted majestically to the vertical,
at once. I
as they were
then
slid
back-
ward and down with gathering speed.
We
completed our turn, rushed past the spot, and
dropped four more charges into spreading and spreading
from beneath than our
came
it
own depth
till it
it.
just for
covered a
circle a mile in diameter,
the shock of an explosion, heavier
The
charges.
something within the sub
luck
I
Oil boiled out of that pit of sea,
and
and deeper
barrage must have set off
last
itself.
The Drayton had sunk an enemy warship, one bigger than she was. That would have got us double prize money in the old days of the
Navy when
they were
still
paying prize money
.
.
.
DURING THE ENSUING TWO MONTHS, THE UNITED States
Navy's
position
in
she reorganized her forces at
command
tunity to strike a blow, while
significant
essentially
level while awaiting
numerous warships from
steamed through the Panama Canal
But the most
was
Pacific
the
changes
to bolster
at this
W. Nimitz
as Chief of
an oppor-
the Atlantic
combatant strength.
time were the appointments,
during the latter part of December, of Admirals Ernest
Chester
defensive:
J.
King and
Naval Operations and Commander
in
Chief Pacific Fleet, respectively. Frequently described as "so tough he shaves with a blowtorch," King was a firm and uncompromising administrator and leader, whose
first
statement reflected his personal
philosophy in unmistakable terms:
The way The going
to victory will
is
long
be hard
We will do the best we can with what we've got We must have more planes and ships — at once Then
We
it
will
will
be our turn to strike
win through
—
in time.
59
Scratch One!
By
Texan who
contrast Nimitz, the kindly, soft-spoken
restored
confidence to the Pacific Fleet, was beloved by seamen and admirals alike;
it
strokes,
was he who implemented King's
policy.
One
of his
first
bold
which went a long way to restore confidence, was the Mar-
snails operation of
enemy out
February
1
.
While
it
knew
of the Pacific, Nimitz
was not calculated
to drive the
perfectly well the effect such
an offensive operation would have on our sagging national morale.
The was
which gave a delighted Halsey (on Enterprise) a
plan,
free hand,
this:
Halsey was to deliver a
strike
and bombardment on Maloelap and
Wotje, enemy seaplane bases in the eastern Marshalls; the big punch
was to be a torpedo-bomber Kwajalein.
At
same
the
strike
time,
on the Japanese stronghold of
Fletcher
(on
Yorktown)
was
as-
signed to carry out raids on Jaluit, Makin, and Mili to the southeast.
Two bombardment from the
sea.
The
groups were to work over Maloelap and Wotje raid, while not
an unqualified success because of
heavy mists which shrouded one objective, resulted
enemy
ships sunk
and three
in
seven small
others, including the light cruiser Katori,
damaged. For our part (the American forces numbered two hundred warships), damage was sustained aboard the light cruiser Chester
when
the
enemy
A light bomb men and wounded eleven. Rear Admiral Raymond A.
sent over eight twin-engined bombers.
penetrated the main deck and killed eight
Aboard one Spruance's
News war
of the heavy cruisers,
flagship,
Northampton, was the
correspondent Robert
J.
Casey,
who
gifted
Chicago Daily
chronicled the strike.
ROBERT
CASEY
J.
7-
BLOOD: A
FIRST
WAR
CORRESPONDENT TELLS OF THE MARSHALLS RAID February
A
1,
Sunday. At
beautiful day to die
At
this writing
we
Mostly clear with occasional overcast.
sea.
in.
don't
know where one
took a walloping from high-level bombers a direct hit on her well deck.
The
carrier
of our cruisers
Kwajalein
at
slightly
is
atoll
She
is.
and got
damaged. She
just
threw one of her planes overboard after a strafing that made the afternoon one of anxiety and prayer.
commission out of
four.
(We
lost
We one
have only one plane
morning. The other two were shot up on deck by our action.)
but
I
We
now
are
have no
alas
theoretically faith
on our way back
own
Here
is
ack-ack
to Pearl
in
Harbor
these offhand pronouncements by our
in
More than once today we looked at Harbor when we get there when and
guides and guardians. We'll get to Pearl
left in
a landing accident this
in
.
the chronology of a day of battle
—
.
.
as weird a
the bottom. if.
day
I
have
had
slept
as
ever experienced in war.
Commander Chappell woke me
at
about half-past four.
I
through the noise of the alarm clock and he said that he didn't want
me
to sleep
through a
hearty breakfast of surely fashion plugs, paper
I
battle.
ham and
I
went down
wardroom and
ate a
eggs (simulated). After that in a
lei-
my life belt, gas mask, field glasses, ear pen. And I clambered up through the dark
gathered up
and fountain
to the searchlight platform just
60
to the
above sky control on the foremast.
Blood
First
There with Bob Landry sun and eventually
Moon
6 a.m. it
watched the moon
I
full
—
6:15 a.m. Guns of
For a moment a band of cloud
yellow.
But and
the planes begin to gurgle
one
out with a pale
it
lose.
like the belt of Saturn.
off
fight
61
remains
it
too
brilliant,
slips
over
brilliant. Aft,
roar.
swung skyward. The planes
after turrets are
get
and noisy sequence. They are gray
after another in quick
blots against a gray sky with a ghastly blue halo of burning gases
accompanying them.
The sun
6:40.
up through low-lying clouds. Eight
struggling
is
Land
seaplanes go off toward the west in ragged formation.
shape hazily
like a
is
taking
narrow streamer of smoke on the starboard hori-
zon.
6:45. Lookout sings out smoke coming from island dead ahead.
This blackish cloud, round and
hue of the dawn's early 6:59. in
We
swing farther
bombardment.
tions but this
(save for fired
is
We
an
in
toward land and turn loose forward guns
hear no commands.
historic
some ack-ack
moment. This
at Pearl
on an enemy. The island
the breakers along
Some
rolling, is clearly visible in spite of
light.
is
We
first
Harbor) that the
time in this war Pacific fleet has
a typical atoll hardly visible save for
on our starboard, low.
coral reefs. Planes are
its
no unusual prepara-
see
the
is
The carrier planes show from now on is
anxiety until they are identified as our own.
have gone home and for better or worse
this
ours.
7:05. Lookout:
"Ship dead ahead,
going tug, which has
bows
across the
come
And
sir!"
halfway between us and the horizon. ...
A
dawn
blithely out of the
of a destroyer.
A
there
We
bit of irony.
is!
it
About
thing like an ocean-
little
to run squarely
increase speed to
The destroyer keeps on The sea around the Jap is
eighteen knots and turn slightly to starboard.
—and There yellow-white them — which from where
after the unfortunate tub
starts firing.
tufted with white splashes.
Jap's deck
—
several of
has four guns and
is
are
I sit
7:11.
we
lie
A
hunt. There
to blast. is
to our course. result
—
So does the destroyer.
several
salvos
knock down,
toe.
destroyer
back
from the
indicate that he
using them.
7:10. The Jap turns parallel They exchange shots without
drag out, toe to
glares
is
But
spotted on the horizon. it's
The guns
swivel and
one of our own coming back from a sub-
some more to-do about
a wandering plane that turns
Pearl- Harbor to the
62
SBD
out to be an
End
Malay Barrier
in the
somewhere over
returning to the carrier
the hori-
zon.
7:12. A. A. cruiser,
beach fire.
from the
flashed
island.
our associate
throwing out salvos that burst with a green color. The coral
is
festooned with smoke plumes.
is
The
So does the Jap. This
is
The
destroyer continues to
an inspiring duel but
beginning to
it's
look like a bad piece of gunnery.
Our
7:16.
eight-inch batteries go off and wreathe the ship and
surrounding sea with a yellow acrid haze.
minute intervals
my
on
farther than
The
—
face at the
my
We
keep
following the lead of the
first
and so
blast
far
firing at half-
was thrown
I
flat
have been unable to get up any
knees.
and we have a chance
light is getting better
view the fantasy
to
of eight-inch guns painstakingly blowing a mangy, palm-dandruffed atoll to pieces.
The
great battle between the destroyer and the sea-
going barge proceeds with noise and smoke and no end of dangerouslooking
waterspouts.
ginning to bet on the
The Jap
7:26.
We
our
shift
This
fire.
But
is still .
remains
issue
in
I'm
doubt.
be-
up.
.
.
.
Seems
up
likely to stay
indefinitely.
.
.
atoll like so
the
guy.
little
many
of
its
kind in the Pacific
is
really a string of
small islands about a lagoon, remnants possibly of coral erections
on the rim of a volcanic is
to the left of us as
crater.
we look
The entrance
at the island
to the
lagoon of Wotje
but straight
ahead of us the
land dips abruptly into the sea, presenting an opening about a quarter of a mile wide through which
And now, freighter has
like
something
we can in a
see a large part of the lagoon.
worn and hazy movie, an 8,000-ton
steamed out from behind the island on the north of the
opening and into plain view. There
will
be no better protection for
her in back of the south island than she had
theory a moving target shells are
—
is
harder to
hit
when she
smashing into the lagoon alongside her
a vicious bracket. Ack-ack begins to smash
odd inasmuch
as
no planes are near us but
suppose that a five-inch ack-ack
shell
started but in
than a stationary one.
—two
all
over,
around
there's
.
.
Our
us.
This
no reason
won't bother us
if
into the bridge or sky control or, for that matter, almost else
.
two short
it
is
to
crashes
anywhere
above the decks.
7:27.
Somebody
sights
a submarine
moving out
of the
lagoon
toward the south passage. While we are assimilating that one the warning
is
passed to be on the alert for bombers inasmuch as near-by
now be aware
bases must
happening
once
at
Comes
7:28.
—or on
63
Blood
First
of our attack. Everything seems to be
the verge of
it.
You
a terrific mixture of splashes about the Jap ship.
might take the bursts for
bomb
explosions but there are no planes
above. Probably the destroyer crews are putting out something spe-
way
cial in the
of quick
fire.
.
The
ship in the lagoon
is
still
turn loose
and your diaphragm caves for a
moment. Then
gun tubes comes it
has a
run
first
hit.
and
a mist of spray
The destroyer goes on with
its
and interminable work.
The guns
7:32.
have completed our
turn about with the other cruiser.
moving through
smoke. She appears to have been interesting
We
.
.
We
across the face of the island.
stiff
all
at
clears.
an obbligato. This
as
once with a brain-jolting slap
The yellow smoke bolts out the target The hiss of compressed air cleaning the
in.
is
an ideal day for a
wind which we are now heading
into. It's
battle.
enough
But
blow
to
your eyeballs out. 7:33.
and the Jap spitkit comes The destroyer makes a hit on the starboard and two guns. Apparently the Jap commander has one gun left on
The
struggle between the destroyer
to a quick end.
disables
He
the port side.
more clunks
is
listing
badly but he swings slowly around as
on him and churn up the
rain
erratic shot with his
remaining gun.
"Well," says the navigator,
ment
to that
little
7:40. Firing
many
results.
guy
is
We
I'll
He
"if the
sea.
He
fires
one
last
sinks.
Japs want to put up a
monu-
contribute."
fairly regular
can see
now
on the
—
atoll
as the
now
but doesn't show
day advances
— two
more
The one we were shooting at I can't say. One of the around. The other begins to move
ships just over the reef in the lagoon. first is
pair
behind the south island, up or down
now
visible
seems to be turning
southward across the open space. Apparently the crews of both ships
were taken by surprise and they've been started.
There
is
until
something of Pearl Harbor
now
getting the engines
more ways than
in this in
one.
7:41. Destroyer milling about scene of
horizon now.
It
has large bone in
its
teeth
kill
is
far
and seems
away on our on the way
to be
to rejoin us.
7:45. straggly atolls
—
The sun
hits
Wotje's low profile and shows color of
palms and moth-eaten verdure.
It is like all
a top of delicate green, an outcrop of grayish coral
lowish beach. Over the front of
it
its
other south-sea
spin shreds of black smoke.
and
yel-
Peart Harbor to the
64
End
in the
Malay Barrier
7T55. Sky control announces two submarines coming out of the
The
harbor.
open
reef
ship which
now
first
began to move from the trap beyond the
One
swings south to get protection of the south island.
salvo seems to bracket
it
leans over to starboard
—
to "stra.ddltf"
it
and seems about
as they say in the
But
to capsize.
Navy.
it
and steams on with green and blue plumes of bursting
It
recovers
shell in
its
wake.
We
8:15.
are beginning to notice artillery resistance other than the
five-inch ack-ack that has kept sprinkling us liberally. Perhaps they've
been working unobserved
moment we
in the
dim
light of the
morning but
are in no doubt about their being here.
A
are tossing six-inch shells out here with no hint of economy.
between us and the island
is
The
And now and
tufted with them.
at the
couple of them sea
then, in
the fashion of another and better war, they throw a bit of time-fuse
Some
shell at us for adjustment.
the ack-ack.
Our
If
so
of this probably
was mixed up with
wouldn't have been discoverable.
it
They
five-inch batteries have turned loose to strafe the beach.
are probably the noisiest contrivance ever invented by man. Their
mixed with the sickening roar of the main battery produces a
effort
human endurance. Lots
din that nears the limit of
out of the five-inch tubes along with the ashes,
and red
been steady
— and
The
odd
things
come
the ship remaining in sight in the lagoon has
terrible.
the superstructure ful.
of
including odd bits of
fire balls.
The barrage on
8:16.
shell,
comes
a bracket so close that
hidden by an upheaval of water
is
ship starts
Now
down by
like
most of
Old Faith-
the head, shivers, leans over to star-
board. ... In a matter of seconds she
gone.
is
8:20. Firing ceases. Brass shell cases of the five-inch batteries are
dumped
overboard. In the
We
along Wotje beach. far
lull
seem
you have time
to note
to be withdrawing.
numerous
Our
fires
destroyer
is
on the western horizon.
8:25.
I
guessed wrong. The clamor
Almost immediately we
see results.
is
on again worse than before.
There
is
a tremendous black cloud rolls skyward. Oil, a big tank of
it.
Lieutenant Jim Brewer
a burst of red flame
my
would be
in fire control
guess,
and and
announces that
twelve torpedo planes and seven bombers have taken off from a Jap island
— apparently
enough
one where our preliminary attack wasn't strong
to hold them.
of red in
it.
The
fire
burns mostly black with darting spears
Another ship comes across the open space
in the
lagoon
atoll. It's
not so
streaking for protection back of the north island.
8:30.
Our
fire
has shifted to the north end of the
—
Blood
First
spectacular
now
as the bursts
go over the crest but we've been told
from the shore
that three or four naval auxiliaries are in there. Shells batteries are falling nearer
—
65
200 yards
the last batch about
off the
port side and square in deflection.
A group of four
8:35.
water to starboard. We're
shells tosses white
bracketed.
Our turrets are working faster but not on the land battery. Maybe we don't recognize it socially. Continuous concussion caves in your stomach. Five-inch guns rings of burning
your ears
is
throw
firing into the sunlight
vapor that chokes you when
off large
golden
comes back. Cotton
it
in
small comfort now.
The Jap battery is in The range is now perfect. Deflection which has to change as we move is not badly calculated. Over on the island four white plumes are rising wooden buildings maybe. 8:41. Another string of geysers ahead of us.
no hurry
but, boy!
it's
working
well.
—
A
8:35.
group of four
shells tosses
closer to scraping our stern.
ing circle of green
—
From our
over the deep blue water.
Our
bridge
going to do something about
left
—
view of one side of
fantail cuts off the
—which shows how
men
we can see a widenswamp spreading out
platform
an excrescence in a
like
the patch is
white water to starboard. We're
close the shell came. this.
We
.
.
are looking
keep going
We right
on over
astern
Our guns
8 50. :
deck.
fall
into blue water.
A
rolls
and
fire
muzzle burst
But we come up with a jerk
at
shells, all in
So we've come out of the bracket.
to port.
in
we
You'd think the whole thing would
into the drink.
from the
telegraph
over until
our original course and right side up. Four
right angles to
a pattern,
swing about as on a pivot. The top
down
Apparently the
room
relaying an order already sent over the engine
rudder.
.
can hear the telephone
stern.
Gun No.
There
is
from the
a crash
8 of the five-inch battery.
tube miraculously held together although
it
flight
The
bulged to a bottle
is
shape, and nobody was hurt. Shells begin to pile
battery
is
up on the end of the
flashing at us.
We
are doing a sort of
cumbersome adagio
movement you might expect Our wake, a broad path of light
dance, the sort of
bayonet
drill.
.
.
.
white on a stretch of calm cobalt, rolling English
drunkard made the
is
a glittering corkscrew.
second battery has been working on her. She
to
short of her.
be working
The Jap
firing is accurate
at the limit of their
of an elephant in
blue with fringes of .
.
.
"The
rolling English road. ..."
8:52. Geysers around the cruiser ahead of us.
falls
where the land
island
range
—
.
shifts.
.
.
A
Apparently a second salvo
enough but the guns seem
there are few overs.
a
66
End
Pearl'Harbor to the
We
8f5 3.
loose a fine salvo at a ship in the lagoon which seems
let
already headed for the beach. hat for study
if
Five guns fired
I
shalKmake a note of
—
nean
smashed
turrets;
pause for a reply.
8:53. Another black
and north of
it.
two
made an
fifth
.
.
.
went over, two
shells
error of
to
fifty mills
into the coral right at water level, hit a subterra-
storage and started the biggest
oil
Pacific. I
my
to paste in
says anything- about the law of averages.
two forward
the
were short and very near and the the right,
it,
ever have to go to a gunnery school again, or to
I
when anybody
consult
Malay Barrier
in the
.
.
The
.
fire
ever seen in the south
ship goes on toward the beach.
from the previous column of smoke
fire starts
Almost immediately two smaller blazes spring up
to
the north of that.
The
air is filled
with beautiful
or flying
like butterflies
come out from
again. In the sunlight they look
fish.
we
a pleasure to report that
It is
white birds that
little
away
the land to look at us and go
now maneuvering
are
well out of
range of the shore batteries whose efforts continue to pockmark the
ocean between here and the shore.
A
8:54.
third fire of
first
magnitude but with more red
in its black
plumes has burst out well toward the north end of the north island
—
column
right of the
far to the is
now hundreds
of feet high
toward the south over the 8:55.
We
and spreading out
that
makes
the ship lean back
and
turn about.
The northernmost
fire
it
now
A
into the telephone.
.
.
"Our plane!" bawls
down
he puts
The
it
—
the
mixture which
one
off
fine
bursts of red
on the platform below
—bearing
two-
this one, repeats
.
the lookout
and Brewer repeats
pompom
ack-ack
outfit.
that.
"Our plane!" he
We
may
all
Then calls.
the characteristics of oil except for the gray
indicate explosives,
draw away.
We
are
I
hope.
now about
ten miles off Wotje.
Bursts are leaping up on the south end of the island. still
in
to the Marines."
island fire has
9:00.
water
the telephone and signals for an orderly to inform the
Marine battery "Tell
in the
ignite.
lookout announces: "Plane approaching
five-oh." Lieutenant Brewer, it
smoke with high
erupting gray and black
where hot gases belatedly
8:57.
sideways
slide
—
and the one we touched
middle of the island seem to have combined
in error in the
in
cloud
plaster the land batteries with everything we've got
smash
is
in a
atoll.
—and
blaze. It
The smoke
other principal blazes.
in there firing incessantly. It
probably went
The destroyer
is
in close to finish off
First the ships inside the lagoon.
my
guess that the
are
first
A
headed mostly south. ...
on our halyard, another
of signals breaks out It's
We
phase of the show
is
string
burst alongside amidships.
no answer
to
on the
A
went to look
detail
—
like a
into the matter but
unless the five-inch battery has
it
string
over.
9:05. Here's a startling mystery. There was an odd noise
there's
67
Blood
had another
muzzle burst.
The far-away
9:10.
atoll
now seems
to
have no height.
It is
white-green streak on the horizon with flame running over
smoke plumes
a couple of black waterspouts balanced
like
There are occasionally three one gray
—
all
a long
and
it
on
it.
columns of smoke two black,
distinct
about three hundred feet high.
9:30. "Periscope dead astern!" Thus the lookout. Speed and twist!
Speed and
twist!
The
destroyers leap like flying
fish.
Thud go
the
depth charges. 9:35. "Periscope off port beam." Speed and twist! Speed and twist!
The periscope
Who can
couldn't be a half-filled five-inch shell casing, could
9:40. All planes returning.
Our
You can
destroyer seems to have finished
fox terrier with
see the rendezvous far astern.
job and
its
is
coming up
to pick
up
like a
in the air.
its tail
10:00. Planes overhead but only seven. Eight took
down
it?
say? Speed and twist!
Four go
planes.
to the other cruiser.
We
off.
So
slow
one of
it's
ours that's gone. Which?
10:10.
The missing plane comes
streaking in
from the west.
Cheers.
10:16. Last of the trio that
jinx.
He
came back
first is
taken aboard. So
who apparently is still heads down into the slick on
learn that the late-comer circles about,
is
Davis
flirting
we
with a
the starboard
side.
down
10:20. He's
.
.
.
heads
Davis gets the signal to cut
in.
The signalman
off too late.
He
isn't
very deft and
slides too far
and
his
engine conks. Before he can start again a wave throws him against the side of the ship.
A wing crumples.
The plane is astern with Davis and his radio-man sitting on the wings of it. The floats are submerged. 10:24. So begins a ponderous maneuver to launch a powerboat. The key to the winch is missing. Find it. There's no plug for the 10:23.
bottom of the boat. Whittle one. winch?
Why
10:25.
Why
doesn't
someone
start
the
not?
The
ship
is
moving about
the plane in a narrowing circle.
—
End
Pearl" Harbor to the
68
The
cockpits are under water now.
The
rubber boat and are preparing to getinto 10:29.
A
The
aviators have inflated their it.
The boat crew
destroyer goes by.
dling with the gear.
Malay Barrier
in the
is still
hopelessly fid-
destroyer- seems to be awaiting a signal
before going in to pick the lads up. In the meantime their situation getting critical.
There goes
.
.
is
.
10:30. General Quarters with bells and bugle! Eight planes re-
ported about fifteen minutes away and heading toward us. The can left
to
is
do what can be done about picking up Davis.
bow
10:42. Plane off port
flying erratically.
10:43. Plane identified as a bird.
.
.
.
The captain came from
report of the approaching Japanese planes
which we ought
to be picking
up presently
— and
says that the the carrier
that fighter planes
are being sent off to deal with the situation. All seems well and yet this
would be the time
to feel
uncomfortable
we intended
if
to.
10:44. Lookout sings out: "Plane approaching bearing two-two-
We
oh!"
10:45.
The
zigzag.
nothing of
plane,
if
any, takes off somewhere.
We
The captain has
to attack another atoll
received a report that the cruiser which
was severely bombed
steaming back to the rendezvous she's not seriously
had
was supposed
into something.
to be without air defense. It
plenty.
10:55. I
now
speed which would indicate that
at a
damaged. She apparently stepped
island she attacked
is
left
She
for nearly an hour.
got one hit on the well deck which killed about eight men. She
The
see
it.
"Two
planes off port beam!" Invisible to me. After a while
make one
could
of
them
out. It
seemed
Wotje whose smoke plumes are
to be heading in the direcvisible
above the hori-
10:56. Lieutenant Brewer calls into telephone:
"Find out how
tion of
still
zon.
many
how few are going in or coming out." three fighters 10:58. He gets his answer or
—
likely ours.
know
The
air of
uneasiness
over the island. Very
getting noticeable. Obviously
on the prowl but with our planes up
that the Japs are
difficult to tell
is
we it's
where they're prowling.
11:04. Ship on horizon. She's identified as our carrier. All this identification business
the horizon at
all
is
done by the lookouts.
I
can't see anything
except a wisp or two of smoke from Wotje.
11:15. Near-by planes identified as friendly.
looms up over the rim of the sea as as big as the
on
Queen Mary.
we
The
carrier
now
zigzag toward her. She looks
First
The
11:20.
the oil fires
atoll is
is still
more warships
are
69
Blood
completely out of sight but the smoke of
now
thickly visible sixty miles
coming
Two
above the horizon.
into sight near the carrier
—
also quantities
of planes.
Report
to the bridge
from the
get off during the attack
carrier: Eight
on Kwajalein
lowed our bombers back to the
Jap planes managed to
—heavy
bombers. They
fol-
carrier. Carrier fighters got four of
them. 11:25.
The
So do we.
carrier swings northeast.
We
are
at
still
general quarters.
11:58. Secure from general quarters.
down
electric-light globes
other
A
tired, dirty
the iron ladders. Details start out to clean
back
and
in their sockets
up the
mob
to take mirrors
and
The
first
glassware off the floor, and to turn on the water.
flat
lieutenant's detail goes
troops
ship, to put
around inspecting damage which
is
consider-
able as a result of detonation.
12:20. peaches. 1:15. 1
:45.
I
.
.
Beans,
luncheon:
Buffet .
meat,
cold
pickles,
stewed
Very acceptable.
go to bed feeling as
if I
could sleep for a week.
Bugle and bawl of Donald Duck to general quarters. "Planes
approaching!" This time there's no fooling about
1:50.
bombers
—come
2,000 feet and first
time
I
slanting out of the overcast
it.
Five planes
which
—
big
thick above
is
start in a long glide straight for the carrier.
This
is
the
have ever seen dive bombing attempted by two-engine
planes the size of a Douglas transport. All the ack-ack in the group lets loose.
At It's
less
than 2,000 feet they straighten out and drop their clunks.
a fine job of bombing.
Water
rises to a height of
covers the carrier for her entire length. of her should be
200
feet
and
seems impossible that any
It
left.
But the water comes down and the mist disperses and we see that the carrier has spun about.
when
the planes
was somewhere our fighters are
The bombs
precisely
fell
where she was
came out of the cloud. But by the time they hit she The planes come back for another glide. Where
else. I'll
never
2:00. Four more
tell.
bombs
starboard of the carrier as streaks out of the clouds
Maybe
—
I'll
never know.
half -ton clunks
—drop
we come about
on a long
glide.
plane seems almost to stop in midair as
it
continues on toward the deck of the carrier.
astern and to the
parallel.
Another plane
Our ack-ack
The Then it
blasts.
bursts into flames.
—
70
End
Pearl Harbor to the
We
?
know whether
never
ll
plane
came
know
that his attempt failed.
deck,
all
and
to
its finish.
Malay Barrier
was
the pilot
dead when the
alive or
In either rase he probably had no time to
The
momentum
right, its
in the
big
bomber
hit the
virtually spent.
It
end of the
flight
crashed one plane
over into the sea.
slid
The marine gunner who accomplished most of this miracle looks startled: "He was there and now he's gone," he said. Which is true. There's no trace of him or his crew 2:10. This
— not even
a spot of
oil.
the fastest I've ever traveled except in a speedboat
is
somewhere on a calm lake. We are sticking our nose into it and flinging spray up over the bridge. Our wake looks like a waving green stair carpet
with white fringe and no particular pattern on a blue
floor.
The
2:30. in
radio continues to report planes
going on
all
The
day.
strafed by landplanes
The other
3:00.
price
you pay
which are
3:10.
Now
we
that
you
get
— about four
salvos of ack-
and then the cans on the horizon do some shooting.
don't
know what happened
you don't mention anybody but
is
competition.
see.
3:20. Black bursts low on horizon that
for raiding bases
difficult
cruiser lets off a blast
ack for no reason that we can
is
—obviously Japanese
various quarters at no great distance. Obviously this will keep
battles in
yourself.
a torpedo attack.
or
how
it
is
getting low,
The
trouble
Apparently
out.
as they don't affect
worries are particularly your own.
3:30. Radio announces two or three planes
inbound. The sun
came
war so long
this
Your own
—
fifty
making observation
miles
away and more
to the west
and more 3:45.
difficult. The sky is covered with spotty clouds. The atmosphere aboardship reminds me of the
similar situation.
There
is
the vibration of the hard-driven engines. There
gun crews man
their
is little
motion as the
guns and the fire-control details stand with heads
bent and their hands clapped over their headphones.
made one
out there are the Japs. They have
and have
lost face.
And
Valiant in a
no sound save the throb of the blowers and
They
will
Somewhere
attack and have missed
have to make another attempt.
The lookout sings: "Two planes approaching bearing two-four-oh. They seem to be heavy bombers." There is a clamorous conference among the observers: a moment's 3:59.
here
they come.
excitement and then calm again. well filled with
4:00.
The
.
.
.
After
all
the air has been pretty
Grummans.
first
lookout
calls:
"They're just coming out of a patch
First
There they
of cloud.
Most
bombers.
"Enemy
approaching
Then
another
lookout
shock and plunge of the
feet with the
my
Two bombers came carrier.
4:02.
another: aircraft
feet."
Then sky control: "Commence firing." Once more bedlam. I was on my knees under searchlight platform when the riot started. I had the bell and battered
and
"Enemy
approaching bearing two-five-oh."
6,000
at
71
Both of them. They certainly are heavy
are.
certainly!"
aircraft
Blood
ship. I
bones on the
over
rails
5,000
at
the ship's bell
on the
trouble getting to
my
my head against my knees.
smashed
and skinned
usual toward the
feet, sailing as
Their shooting was pretty good.
Four bombs drop near the
ahead and no great distance
carrier.
The water
off.
One
piles
bursts almost dead
up on the
carrier
deck
but apparently there's no damage. 4:04.
ack-ack
It is
isn't
from the position of the bursts that our five-inch bothering the raiders much. Their altitude is beyond the plain
range of machine guns and minor ack-acks. But as in other combats of the sort I've seen, they continue to fire anyway.
4:05. climb.
Two
We
of our fighters
and a destroyer. The off after the
bombers
It is difficult It
come from somewhere and begin
to
cease firing save for a few odd shots from the other cruiser fighters get altitude with
amazing speed and take
to the southwest.
comes now.
to get yourself adjusted to the silence that
has been a weird afternoon
—
everything you could ask for except a
cavalry charge.
4:10.
We
sit
down
again to wait. So long as the Japs have bombers
—
and even to fly we shan't be safe for the rest of the afternoon sundown won't bring complete respite. We'll have a full moon in a reasonably clear sky. to attack they'll
It's
most
the rule that your
obvious, however, that
likely
bombing
do is
it
The carrier's planes begin 5:10. The bridge has received shot down one of the two bombers. I
start
down
the gunnery officers.
the ladders
He
to
come back and
in a dogfight with
land.
a message that the carrier planes
from
my
perch and run into one of
says a message has just been received that a
torpedo plane has been intercepted about
now
They were taught
before six o'clock.
better by day.
5:00.
5:20.
the Japs are going
if
our planes.
.
.
.
five
What
miles dead astern and
a day!
.
.
.
is
Peafl Harbor to the
72
End
Malay Barrier
in the
LET US FOR THE MOMENT JURN AGAIN TO THE PHIL1POther than the appalling
pines.
Navy Yard
loss of life, the attack
Navy one submarine, two yard
cost the
motor torpedo boat spare first-class installation.
miral
subsequent actions, an explanation
Thomas
Pacific Fleet,
C. Hart's
it
command was
was not of
of primary responsibility latterly, the
it.
had
countries of the
It
was an
Malay
entity unto itself
—
Barrier. its
targets for Japanese
the
While Adarm of the whose area
China Station and,
Inasmuch
as part of this
commander a month December 8, there were
astute
before the war, and part on the night of
no prime
telling of the Asiatic
necessary:
is
technically an
elsewhere
lain
minuscule force had been deployed by
practically
tugs, a supply of
230 precious torpedoes and a rather However, the main body of the Asiatic Fleet, parts,
about 40 warships, escaped unscathed. Before Fleet's
on the Cavite
bombers.
arm at sea was Rear Admiral W. W. Glassford, December 8 from the China Station and was
Hart's strong right
who
on
arrived
promptly shipped on to the Netherlands East Indies.
On
January
7,
Glassford, with a small cruiser-destroyer task force in Soerabaja, Java,
was advised up
in
that a large Japanese
Macassar
Strait, the
amphibious invasion was making
gateway to
oil-rich
Balikpapan, Borneo, the
enemy's objective. That same day, Hart arrived
in the
submarine Shark
command of the ABDA Command. This organization,
from the Philippines and assumed naval (American,
British,
Dutch, Australian)
command
under overall
of Field Marshal Sir Archibald Wavell,
been designed to protect the
interest of the four
had
allies.
Glassford's striking force, consisting of the destroyers Ford, Pope, Parrott, Paul Jones
green
light
and the
Marblehead, was given the
and break up attempted enemy landings
attack
to
light cruiser
Balikpapan. But only the four destroyers sortied
Marblehead fouled her bottom and was forced resultant battle
a tactical
on January 23
American
victory.
—
—
at the last
to retire.
at
minute
However, the
a furious night torpedo slugfest
—was
The landings were broken up and
three
transports, probably more, were sunk.
William
P.
Mack,
at
present a Rear Admiral, was a young chief
engineer aboard Ford that night action for the
first
time.
when
the Asiatic Fleet went into
A
captured Japanese photograph taken during the attack on Pearl Harbor, 7, 1941. Navy Department.
December
Panoramic view of Pearl Harbor under
attack.
Navy Department.
Burning and damaged ships at Pearl Harbor. From right to left: USS Tennessee, and USS West Virginia. Navy Department.
USS
Arizona,
The USS Arizona (BB-39). Navy Department.
A
Japanese drawing from a plane shot down at Pearl Harbor. Translation: "Hear! The voice of the moment of death. Wake up, you fools." Navy Department.
-
T:
(U%
ft*
of Oahu during action Japanese two-man submarine beached on the island Department. Navy 1941. 7, December Sunday, forces, with U.S.
A
:
-
E March of Heath. Bataan. about May. 1942. These prisoners— from left Samuel Stenzler, Frank Spear. James McD. Gallagher— were photographed along the March from Bataan to C ahanatuan, the prison camp. Their hands are tied behind their backs. Defense Department Photo. I
ho
to right,
Honor from President Lt Cdr John D. Bulkeley receives the Medal of Three during Squadron Boat Torpedo Roosevelt for his leadership of Motor Department. Navy waters. Philippine combat operations in
fafc-SS
Ships in North Atlantic convoy, 1942.
Navy Department.
Ships in convoy, 1942, location unknown.
Navy Department.
4.
*
.
Hw '>;; :
;
;^,.
* t
>s
lT'-Au
£
A
depth charge fired by the USS Murphy (DD-603) explodes. Round No. 600-lb. charge, depth 50 feet, speed 20 knots. Navy Department.
Plane attack on two
One
sub,
German submarines by planes
damaged by
Lt. (jg) Sallenger
of the
and unable
1,
USS Card (CVE-1 1 )
to submerge,
was believed
sunk after four successive attacks. The larger U-boat, a 1600-ton minelayer supply boat, remained on the surface and soon two TBF's (Lt. C. R. Stapler and Lt. (jg) J. C. Forney) and two F4F's (Lt. N. D. Hudson and Lt. E. E. Jackson) arrived and continued the attack on it. Navy Department.
German submarine U-402 sinking after an attack by a patrol team from the USS Card-F4F pilot Howard M. Avery and TBF-1 pilot Ensign B. C. Sheela. TBF-1 dropped a 500-lb. bomb. Navy Department.
A
U.S.
Navy blimp over
a
convoy
in the Atlantic, 1943.
Navy Department.
The USS Borie (DD-215)
is
bombed by TBF's
of the
USS Card (CVE-11)
H. Hutchins, gave the order to abandon ship.
after her skipper, Lt. Charles
The destroyer was damaged beyond possible salvage as a result of ramming a Nazi sub on the morning of November, 1943, at 0153, just after she had encountered and sunk another enemy sub in the vicinity. In the hour's battle 1
second contact, the Borie rode up over the starboard bow damaging the destroyer's port side forward and flooding her forward engine room. The U-boat's main battery was put out of commission with the Borie's first salvo at a range of 40 feet. The results: the second Nazi sub sunk. The Borie's losses: 27 officers and men. Navy Department.
which followed
of the sub, thus
this
by the
at. work aboard captured German submarine U-505. Photo USS Guadalcanal (CVE-60). Navy Department.
U-505
lying alongside the
Salvage crew
USS
Guadalcanal.
Navy Department.
%
t N, J%
A$X*tn
taken
REAR ADMIRAL WILLIAM
P.
MACK
8.
MACASSAR
MERRY-GO-ROUND
Finally
it
came. The Ford had been monotonously patrolling
Postillion Islands, at the southern entrance to
knew
the Japs were coming.
Macassar
Borneo was next on
off the
We
Straits.
their timetable after
Manila and Davao. The planes of Patwing Ten had been sending reports of a growing Jap Force at Davao. This Force could have only
one objective, Balikpapan, on the eastern cost of Borneo, fronting on
Macassar
Our
Straits.
"Make
orders were clear,
a night attack
on
a Japanese Force
heading for Balikpapan." Reconnaissance reports began to trickle
The job was going
to be tough.
ers, several cruisers."
We
"Twenty
transports, twelve destroy-
figured that the Japs
ships there they'd never notice us. That's exactly
We
started
arrive off
up the
Balikpapan
we had
straits
at
in.
would have so many what happened.
that evening, timing our
approach to
about 2:00 a.m. The seas were extremely
make 27 knots to get there. The result was something even old William Cramp would have shuddered at. He built well when he put those boats together. They bucked mountainous seas heavy;
to
that threatened every minute to strip the bridges right off their hulls. I
could only
moan
sure they'd never
every time fire
when
my
guns went under green water.
I
was
the time came.
The long run up the Straits gave us time to organize for battle. weren't much, but we were full of fight, and what's more, we were
We the
73
74
Pearl
Harbor
to the
End
Malay Barrier
in the
"Fighting Fifty-ninth." Destroyer Division Fifty-Nine was under the
command
Commander
of
composed
P.
John D. Ford,
of the
column
the Paul Jones in
H. ^Talbot,
U.S.
flagship, the
Pope, the Parrot t, and
Navy,
We'd made many
in that orgler?
was
and
a practice
night torpedo attack, but never one' with the chips down. In fact,
we
were to make the
my
mind
the lofty
first
War
one ever made.
remember running over
I
College comments on the expected
stroyer in a night action.
I
remember whether
couldn't
sured in seconds or minutes, but
knew
I
it
wasn't
much
of a de-
life it
was mea-
of either.
crews were well trained, tough, and eager for action. Our
were the same, and as experienced as any were confident, but we made
showed 300 miles
charts
knew we'd have to survive
and
a long walk south if
sunk.
pills,
I
sewed a box
my
as best
firing circuits
I
have to in
the
them what
tell
at
to do, just
know.
in
stacker that
is
making 27 knots
crews, fight.
I felt I
didn't
I
the East since
Dewey
it.
I
still
don't
you can get on a four-
rough
in a
Alarm awakened me at 1 :00 p.m., and as we passed up the straits in 1
life
could between sub-
my gun
a person felt before battle.
asleep, or as near to sleep as
fell
I
how
my
when. They were about to take part
Manila Bay, and they were proud of
always wondered
I've
in
pistol belt. After
were spoiling for a
American naval engagement
first
fought
My men
of fish
full
and Dutch money
mergings and giving last-minute instructions to
was ready for anything.
I
any of us were fortunate enough
if
we were
compass and knife on
my gun
We The
preparations just the same.
all
hooks, twine, razor blades, quinine
checking over
officers
peace-time Navy.
in the
Our
of trackless jungle south of Balikpapan.
get ashore
jacket an tied a pocket
in
sea.
When
the General
the sea had calmed considerably, the lee of Celebes, the sea
was
almost calm.
Again
I
checked
time to think now.
was able
to
repair party rations,
my
guns, mustered
and then reported ready
instructions,
make
As my
eyes
my
crews, passed last-minute
to the bridge.
became accustomed
out our division mates astern.
was assembling
its
gear, the cooks
I
had plenty of
to the darkness
Down
1
on deck the
were passing out cold
and the torpedo tube mount crews and gun crews were mak-
ing last-minute inspections.
We
down to that last-minute wait, familiar to any athlete. only way I can describe it, just like that gone feeling just kick-off. For more than an hour we plunged on through the
settled
That's the before the
night, alert, ready, hopeful. Shortly before
midnight the spotter
in the
Macassar Merry-go-round
75
foretop sighted an intermittently flashing light on the starboard bow.
For a moment
I
thought
it
was a
showed
from a burning
of a Jap
convoy reportedly bombed by our
In half an hour
ship. Its position
we had
we made
searchlight, but soon
as flames
left it astern,
to
it
it
out
be near a part
air force that afternoon.
monument
burning as a
to the
accuracy of some bombardier.
At 2:00 a.m. we came abreast of Balikpapan. The loom of gigantic fires became visible. The Dutch, we knew, were busy destroying everything burnable to deny
20 miles
at sea.
it
Using these
We
to the Japs.
fires as
beacons,
could smell burning
we turned west and
oil
set a
its mine fields, where At 2:45 a.m. I saw my
course to the area just north of Balikpapan and
we suspected
Japanese ship.
first
remember
to land.
can't describe the feeling
I
gave me.
it
I
could
the hours I'd spent studying silhouettes of Japanese war-
ships. Suddenly, here
—
would attempt
the Japs
was one, a
a big, black, ugly ship.
We
silhouette
passed
neither of us could take any action.
it
all right,
but not a picture
so close and so fast that
Our plan was
to fire our tor-
pedoes as long as they lasted and then, and only then, to open up with our guns. That way we could conceal our presence as long as possible.
Consequently, we couldn't
train
our torpedo tubes
We
fast
fire
enough
didn't have long to wait for
our guns to bring
and couldn't
at this ship,
them
to bear
on him.
more game. A whole division of oil smoke on our port bow
Jap destroyers burst out of the gloom and
and steamed rapidly across starboard. objective
in front of us
and
off into the
Again we kept quiet and attempted was something
more important,
far
darkness to
to avoid them.
the troop
Our
and supply
know why these destroyers didn't see us. Possibly several of their own destroyers were patrolling in the vicinity and they mistook us for their own forces. Maybe that was why the first ship we sighted had not fired on us. Suddenly we found ourselves right in the midst of the Jap transladen transports farther inshore.
ports.
Down on
the bridge
tion port, action port,"
I
I
don't
could hear Captain Cooper saying "ac-
and Lieutenant Slaughter, the torpedo
giving quick orders to his torpedo battery.
swung
to follow his director.
Back
aft the
officer,
tube mounts
"Fire one," he said. "Fire one," re-
peated his telephone talker. Then came the peculiar combination of a muffled explosion, a whine, a swish, and a splash, that follows the firing of a torpedo. I
watched the torpedo come
and then dive again as
it
steadied on
its
to the surface
once
run. Astern, the Pope, Paul
Jones, and Parrott were carefully picking targets and
our second torpedo. So did the ships astern.
My
firing.
talker
We
fired
was calmly
76
Harbor
Pearl
counting
seconds
off
"Mark," he shouted, Nothing happened. ing, ear-shattering
End
to the
our
as
torpedo ran toward
first
came
as the time
Malay Barrier
in the
for
We
knew our first had missed. Then came a blindexplosion. One of'oiir torpedoes had hit. The ex-
plosion of a torpedo at night at close range
The
blast
can see anything
at
an awe-inspiring
is
sight.
comes the concussion wave, which
blinding; then
is terrific,
you gasping for breath.
leaves
target.
its
to hit. Seconds passed.
it
It is
seconds before your dazed eyes
all.
Close on the heels of the crippled ships began to
list
through the convoy again,
and
firing
came other
close range hit
first
sink.
We
The
hits.
reversed course and ran
torpedoes on both sides as transports
By now there were only three of us, the Paul Jones having lost us as we came around the last turn. At one time I could count five sinking ships. A third time we reversed course and ran through the demoralized convoy. Once we had to veer to port to avoid a sinking transport. The water was covered with swimming Japs. Our wash overturned several lifeboats loaded with Japs. Other loomed out of
the dark.
ships looked as
clambering
they were covered with
if
down
their sides in panic.
flies.
Jap soldiers were
was becoming
It
had already been torpedoed. Again
keep from
firing at transports that
we turned
for another run through the convoy. So far
we were
Japs had not discovered that
torpedoes to submarines and believing
Down on the bridge I Now only the Pope was
thing.
I
believed the
in their midst, attributing the
we were
their
own
destroyers.
heard "Fire ten." Just two torpedoes left
astern of
torpedoes at a group of three transports. mine.
difficult to
us. We fired Now I knew
our
was from peace-time
Academy over shells. I didn't
the
relative
we
loomed
trained on and
how
remember
still
had studied
at the
the
Naval star
use any of the complicated
fire-
of
searchlights
draw shooting
out of the dark at ranges of let
the real
but
and
control apparatus installed. This was targets
I
effectiveness
use either, nor did
could
firings! I
sonorous arguments of the publications
two
the stage was
Many a time I had fired at target rafts, but this was "Commence firing" rang in my earphones. I was ready
different this
left.
last
go a salvo or two, sights
500
at its best.
to 1,500 yards
set at their
lower
using the illumination furnished by burning ships. Finally
we
As we
limits,
sighted
we had passed it. The projectile explosions were tremendous. Deck plates and debris flew in all directions. When we last saw her she was a transport far
enough away
on end, slipping slowly under.
to let us get in three salvos before
We
had sunk the
first
ship to be sunk
)
77
Macassar Merry-go-round by American gunfire since Manila Bay!
on
that fact because a transport
on
her, but before
we could
grew and spread around the
began
only had a minute to reflect
I
silence her a shell area.
Over
had
my
turned
firing at us. I
hit us aft.
the telephones
I
guns
Flames
could hear a
— "four men wounded,
the after
deckhouse wrecked, ammunition burning." Thirty seconds
later the
burning ammunition had been thrown over the
wounded
torpedoman describing the damage
cared for, and the gun crew was
By now
the
Pope had
also lost us,
and we were
more transport we mauled badly, then
On
at.
the bridge
withdraw. Back
Later
last
trials.
give the order to
knots, faster than the
In the east the sky was growing
was
fortably bright. Astern of us the sky fires
shoot
ounce of speed out of the old boat.
we were making almost 32
learned
I
Commander
left to
blowers began to whine even louder as the
Chief Engineer squeezed the
had gone since her
One
fighting alone.
was nothing
there
heard our Division
I
aft the
side, the
firing again.
also bright, but
Ford
uncom-
from the
of burning ships.
For almost 30 minutes we ran south before dawn came. All hands strained their eyes astern for signs of pursuit that ble.
We
bow
and Pope. Proudly they
done,"
Down it
All that
that
we knew
astern of us,
fell in
on the bridge a
to be the Parrott, Paul Jones,
flag hoist
and we sped south
said.
morning we kept a wary eye cocked astern and overhead,
Our crew
their guns.
to-
whipped out smartly. "Well
we never saw
but the Japs must have been licking their wounds, for Jap.
inevita-
could see none. The only ships in sight were three familiar
shapes on the port
gether.
we thought
more than 10
ate in shifts, refusing to get
Only when we started
in the
mine
fields off
feet
a
from
Soerabaja next
day did they relax and drop
off to sleep on deck. up at Soerabaja with barely enough fuel to make the dock. On the way in we had put a canvas patch over the hole in our after deckhouse and had cleaned up the ship* as best we could. The Dutch met us in grand style, and Admiral Hart came aboard to inspect us. The Dutch provided men to help us fuel and provision
At noon we
ship.
tied
That done, every
man
in the
(Editor's Note: Unhappily, later,
it
crew
when
slept
16 hours
the facts were
.
.
.
known
six years
was ascertained through Japanese records that the three
American
tin-cans
and only one patrol
had sunk only 4 transports out of a possible craft.
12,
Pearl Harbor to the
78
End
in the
BY THE END OF FEBRUARY..
Malay Barrier
4942,
WHEN THE LAST
ABDA
was fought betwe'en the dwindling forces of the Command and Admiral Kondo's massive Java Invasion
Force, a
number
great sea battle
of other calamities
fending the Malay Barrier.
had befallen the
The Japanese were
both sides of the South China Sea,
in
Macassar
allied nations de-
firmly established Strait
on
and on the Cel-
ebes side of Molucca; moreover, after Singapore's surrender on Feb-
ruary 15, the
ABDA Command
had disintegrated, and both Wavell
and Hart were now gone from the scene, the
latter
having
There remained only a handful of United States warships
retired.
to join the
combined American-British-Dutch task force under the petulant
Dutchman, Rear Admiral K. W. Doorman, whose main mission was
all
sacrifice;
he was to oppose the most formidable sea force
gathered by the enemy since Pearl Harbor.
The is
sinking of the heavy cruiser Houston in the Battle of Java Sea
recalled
who
by one of her survivors, Commander Walter G. Winslow,
spent ten hours in the water until rescued by a Japanese destroyer.
COMMANDER WALTER
WINSLOW
G.
THE GALLOPING GHOST
...
I
stood on the quarterdeck contemplating the restful green of the
Java Coast as solace in
it
slowly behind us.
fell
beauty, but this night
its
and banana palms that had
lost all
it
Many
times before
I
had found
seemed only a mass of coconut
meaning.
I
was too
tired
and too
preoccupied with pondering the question that raced through the mind of every
man
aboard,
"Would we
There were many aboard who
expended eight of
its
get through
Sunda
Strait?"
a cat, the
felt that, like
Houston had
nine lives and that this one last request of fate
would be too much. Jap cruiser planes had shadowed us
all
day and
it
movements were no mystery to the enemy forces closing in on Java. Furthermore, it was most logical to conclude that Jap submarines were stationed throughout the length of Sunda Strait was
certain that our
to intercept
and destroy ships attempting escape into the Indian
Ocean.
we were when the odds were stacked and we had somehow managed to battle
Actually there wasn't any breathing space for optimism, trapped, but there had been other days heavily in the Jap's favor
through.
Maybe
cal outlook
but
I
it
was because
and maybe
it
I
had the Naval Aviator's philosophi-
was because
I
was
just a plain
couldn't quite bring myself to believe that the
run her course.
It
was with
turned and headed for
my
this feeling of
stateroom.
I
damn
fool,
Houston had
shaky confidence that
had
just
I
been relieved as
79
Pearl Harbor to the
80
End
in the
Malay
Barrier
Officer-of-the-Deck and the prospect of a few hours rest was most +
appealing.
The wardroom and
the
of the
interior
ship,
through which
I
walked, was dark, for the heavy metal battle ports were bolted shut
and
were not permitted within the darkened
lights
beams
blue
feet. I felt
my
on
door.
I
Only the
eerie
my
of a few battle lights close to the deck served to guide
my way
through the narrow companionway and snapped
flashlight briefly to seek out the
As
ship.
coaming of
stepped into the cubicle that was
look around and switched off the
light.
my
room,
my I
stateroom
took a brief
There had been no change,
it had for the last two and a half months. There had been only one addition in all that time. It was Gus, my silent
everything lay as
head
friend, the beautiful Bali
I
had purchased
weeks before
in
wooden expression
to
six
Soerabaja.
Gus
sat
on the desk top lending
cramped atmosphere
the
of
my
his polished
stateroom. In the darkness
felt his
I
presence as though he were a living thing. "We'll get through, won't
we, Gus?"
found myself saying. And although
I
couldn't see him,
I
I
thought he nodded slowly. I
by
slipped out of
my
my
shoes and placed them at the base of the chair
desk, along with
them quickly
in
my
men who were
their battle stations.
our
I,
last airplane left
get in
my
hat and
an emergency. Then
exhausted body sink into the few
tin
its
luxury.
I
life
jacket,
rolled into
where
I
could reach
my bunk
The bank was
and
let
my
truly a luxury, for
permitted to relax lay on the steel decks by
being an aviator with only the battered
aboard, was permitted to take what rest
shell of I
could
room.
Although there had been four days,
I
little
sleep for any of us during the past
found myself lying there
in the sticky tropic heat of
my
room fretfully tossing and trying for sleep that would not come. The constant hum of blowers thrusting air into the bowels of the ship, the Houston's gentle rolling as she moved through a quartering sea,
and the occasional groaning of her
steel plates
into
my mind
of events that
the
mad merry-go-round
combined
to bring
had plagued the
ship during the past few weeks.
Twenty-four days had elapsed since that terrifying day
in
the
it was haunting me again as it would for the mind pictured the squadrons of Jap bombers as they attacked time and again from every conceivable direction. After the first run they remained at altitudes far beyond range of our anti-
Flores Sea, yet here rest of
my
life.
My
The Galloping Ghost aircraft guns, for they
had learned respect on that
was a perfect
the Houston. It
first
salvo almost finished
and the force of those big
straddle,
though a giant hand had taken the ship,
as
lifted
away from her
bodily from the water, and tossed her yards
her
original
There had been no personnel casualties that time but our
course.
main
anti-aircraft director
ing
useless,
it
run when one
was blasted from the sky and several others were
of their planes
obviously hit and badly shaken. But that
bombs seemed
first
81
had been wrenched from
its
track, render-
and we were taking water aboard from sprung plates
in
the hull.
That day the crew had only the steady barrage from the aircraft
anti-
guns and Captain Rooks' clever handling of the ship to thank
Davy Jones. But there was one horrible period during that afternoon when the Nips almost got us for keeps. A five-hundred pound bomb, and a stray at that, hit us squarely amidships aft. Some utterly stupid Jap bombardier failed to release with the rest of his squadron and Captain Rooks could make no allowances for such as him. The salvo fell harmlessly off the port for keeping
them from
the realms of
quarter but the stray crashed through two platforms of the main mast
exploded on the deck
forward of number three
before
it
Hunks
of shrapnel tore through the turret's thin
just
were paper, igniting powder bags
hands
all
Where
in the turret
bomb
the
spent
and its
below which waited the almost to a man.
our
of
It
shipmates
in the hoists. In
in the
hellish battle
and
it
one blazing instant
was blown
in the
deck
They were wiped out
after repair party.
killed
turret.
though
as
handling rooms below were dead.
force, a gaping hole
was a
armor
which ended with forty-eight
another
fifty
burned
seriously
or
wounded. I
strove desperately to rid myself of the picture of that blazing
turret
—
dead sprawled grotesquely
the bodies of the
pools of
in
blood and the bewildered wounded staggering forward for medical aid
—but
I
was forced
to see
it
through.
Once again
I
heard the
banging of hammers, hammers that pounded throughout the long
men worked
night as tired
shipmates lying
in little
steadily building coffins for forty-eight
groups on the
fantail.
the followng day, that stinking fever ridden
We
little
put into Chilatjap port on the South
Coast of Java. Here we sadly unloaded our wounded and prepared to bury our dead.
played as
It
seemed that
Death March
—
in the
hum
of the blowers
I
detected
same mournful tune that the band we carried our comrades through the heat of those sun-
strains of the
the
Pearl Harbor to the
82
End
burnetT, dusty streets of Chilatjap.
Malay Barrier
in the
saw again the brown poker-faced
I
natives dressed in sarongs, quietly watching us as in the little
Dutch cemetery
what those slim brown men thought oLafl
The scene
shifted.
through the mine raid sirens
bombers on
fields protecting the beautiful
whined throughout the
in the distant sky.
We
wondered
city
anchored
port of Soerabaja. Air
and our lookouts reported
Large warehouses along the docks were
black smoke and orange flame. calling card.
I
this.
was only four days ago that we steamed
It
and a burning merchantman
fire
we buried our dead
that looked out over the sea.
in the
lay
on
its
side vomiting dense
The enemy had come and
left his
stream not far from the smouldering
docks where we watched Netherlands East Indian Soldiers extinguish the
fires.
Anchored there barrel.
Why
in the
shelter
air
raids.
stream we were as helpless as ducks in a rain
our gun crews didn't collapse
They stood by
guts and brawn.
pouring
we experienced
during the next two days
Six times
a tribute to their sheer
guns unflinchingly
their
shell after shell into the
is
in the
hot sun,
sky while the rest of us sought what
available in the bulls-eye of a target.
is
Time and
again
bombs
giant bullwhip exploded
our decks. Docks
less
deep throated swoosh of a
falling with the
around
spewing water and shrapnel over
us,
than a hundred yards away were demolished
and a Dutch hospital ship was
yet the Houston,
hit,
nicknamed "the
Galloping Ghost of the Java Coast" because the Japs had reported
many
her sunk on so
When
similar occasions,
still
rode defiantly
at
the siren's bailful wailing sounded the "all clear,"
anchor.
members
band came from their battle stations to the quarter deck where we squatted to hear them play swing tunes. God bless the of the Houston's
American
sailor,
you can't beat him.
Like Scrooge, the ghosts of the past continued to move into little
room.
saw
I
us in the late
out of Soerabaja for the lands
Navy was
the light cruiser
Netherlands
my
afternoon of February 26, standing
last time.
Admiral Doorman of the Nether-
command of our small De Ruyter, was in the
in
light cruiser, the Java.
striking force. His flagship,
Next
lead, followed
by another
came
the British
in
line
heavy cruiser Exeter of Graf Spee fame, followed by the crippled Houston. Last
in the line of cruisers
was the Australian
light cruiser
Ten allied destroyers made up the remainder of our Slowly we steamed past the ruined docks where small groups
Perth.
force.
of old
The Galloping Ghost men, women, and children had assembled to their
men who would
to
wave
83
goodbyes
tearful
not return.
Our force was small and hurriedly assembled. We had never worked together before, but now we had one common purpose which every man knew it was his duty to carry through. We were to do our utmost to break up an enemy task force that was bearing down on Java, even though
it
meant the
loss of every ship
and man among
us.
In us lay the last hope of the Netherlands East Indies. All night long
we searched
for the
enemy convoy but they seemed
have vanished from previously reported positions.
to
at battle stations the
We
were
still
when at 1415 reports from air enemy was south of Bowen Island,
next afternoon
reconnaissance indicated that the
and heading south. The two forces were
less
than
fifty
A
miles apart.
hurried but deadly serious conference of officers followed in the
wardroom. Commander Maher, our gunnery
officer,
explained that
our mission was to sink or disperse the protecting enemy
My
and then destroy the convoy.
heart
fleet units
pounded with excitement
for
known as the Java Sea Battle was only a matter Were the sands of time running out for the Houston who manned her? At that moment I would have given
the battle later to be of minutes away.
and
my
all
of us
soul to have
known.
In the darkness of
my room
the Japs
came again
just as
though
I
were standing on the bridge ... a forest of masts rapidly developing into ships that climbed in increasing
numbers over the horizon
.
.
.
those dead ahead, ten destroyers divided into two columns and each led
by a four stack
bow came
light cruiser.
Behind them and
off
our starboard
four light cruisers followed by two heavies.
The odds
weigh heavily against us for we are outnumbered and outgunned.
The Japs open
fire first!
Sheets of copper colored flame lick out
along their battle line and black smoke momentarily masks them
from view.
body
My
heart pounds violently and cold sweat drenches
my
is on its way. Somehow those big wonder why our guns don't open up,
as I realize that the first salvo
shells all
seem aimed
but as the Jap shells that the range
is
me.
at fall
I
harmlessly a thousand yards short
yet too great.
The
battle
from which there
I
will
realize
be no
retreat has begun.
At twenty-eight thousand yards the Exeter opens fire, followed by the Houston. The sound of our guns bellowing defiance is terrific, the gun
blast tears
the deck.
my
steel
helmet from
my
head and sends
it
rolling
on
End
Pearl Harbor to the
84
The range
closes rapidly
Malay Barrier
in the
and soon
close
Now
registered.
Four more
and the lack of a of us,
Our
luck
is
cruiser.
We
We
fly
The
a row,
900 yards
Perth,
astern
she too steams on
yet
close to the last Jap
an explosion aboard her. Black smoke
is
and a
breaks out forward of her bridge.
fire
as she turns out of the battle line,
first
Commander Maher,
smoke.
hit
have her range and suddenly one of our eight-inch
into the air
draw blood
but not a
holding out.
bricks strikes home. There
and debris
We
salvos in succession straddle the Houston,
from our guns are observed bursting
Shells
an
is
comes with a wild
it
us. It's a straddle,
hit gives us confidence.
straddled eight times in
is
unscathed.
heavy
around
shells that fall all
falls
found the range.
last
stand tensely awaiting the next salvo, and
screaming of
fight.
one
starboard followed by another close to port. This
to
ominous indicator that the Japs have 7at
is
on the
cruisers are in
all
Salvos of shells splash in the water ever closer to us.
making dense
directing the fire of our guns
from
his
station high in the foretop, reports our success to the Captain over the
A
phone.
up from the crew
lusty cheer goes
as the
word spreads over
the ship.
Three enemy cruisers are concentrating her
shift targets to give
relief,
shells find their
mark and
smoking and on
fire.
Jap
shell rips
is
bow
just aft of the port
and out the
The other
and ruptures a small
on Exeter.
We
a light cruiser turns out of the Jap line,
several decks
without exploding.
oil
tank.
shell, hitting aft, It
too
hit twice.
is
One
anchor windlass, passes
side just
above the water
line
barely grazes the side
explode.
fails to
to this point the luck of our forces is
their fire
not long after this that Exeter
Despite the loss of two cruisers, the intensity of
through the
down through
there
it
does not seem to diminish. The Houston
fire
Up
but
had held up
a rapid turn of events as the Exeter
is
hit
well, but
by a Jap
shell
now
which
does not explode, but rips into her forward fireroom and severs a
main steam
line.
This reduces her speed to seven knots. In an attempt
to save the Exeter, all
make smoke
whose
loss of
speed makes her an easy target, we
to cover her withdrawal.
The
thing has gone wrong, are quick to press their destroyers,
under heavy support
fire
Japs, aware that some-
home an
from the
advantage, and
cruisers, race in to
deliver a torpedo attack.
The water seems
alive with torpedoes.
Lookouts report them ap-
proaching and Captain Rooks maneuvers the ship to present as small a target as possible.
At
this
moment
a Netherlands East Indies de-
The Galloping Ghost stroyer, the Koertner, trying to
change
stations,
torpedo intended for the Houston. There
amidships by a
hit
is
85
and a
a violent explosion
is
great fountain of water rises a hundred feet above her, obscuring
but small portions of her
back into the sea
settles
bow and
When
stern.
becomes apparent
it
all
the watery fountain
that the
little
green and
bow and A few men
grey destroyer has broken in half and turned over. Only the stern sections of her jackknifed keel stick
above the water.
scramble desperately to her barnacled bottom, and her twin screws in their last propulsive effort turn slowly over in the air. In less than
minutes she has disappeared beneath the give the
few survivors a helping hand
No
sea.
two
one can stand by to
for her fate
can be ours
any
at
instant. It
is
The
nearing sundown.
surface of the sea
clouds of black smoke, which makes is
it
is
covered with
spot the enemy.
difficult to
It
discovered that Jap cruisers are closing in upon us, and our de-
them
stroyers are ordered to attack with tropedoes in order to divert
and give us time of the attack
engagement
Although no
hits are reported, the effect
gratifying for the Japs turn away.
is
is
to reform.
broken
off.
The
decisive results; however, there
At
this point the
no
daylight battle has ended with is
we
the convoy, which
still
will
attempt to surprise under the cover of night.
We
check our
The
sunk.
American
The Koertner and H.M.S.
who have expended
destroyers,
running low on still
losses.
Electra have been
crippled Exeter has retired to Soerabaja, escorted by the
fuel.
in the fight, but
The Houston,
Perth,
showing the jarring
Only two destroyers remain with
us,
their torpedoes
De
and are
Ruyter, and Java are
effects of
continuous gunfire.
H.M.S. Jupiter and H.M.S. En-
counter.
The Houston had only
fifty
fired
303 rounds of ammunition per
turret,
and
rounds per gun remain. The loss of number three turret
has been a great handicap, but there are no complaints for the
Houston has done
well.
The Chief Engineer
reports that his force
is
on the verge of complete exhaustion and that there have been more than seventy cases of heat exhaustion in the afternoon's battle.
plenty
more
We
fire
rooms during the
are in poor fighting condition, but there
is
to be done.
During the semi-darkness of
from the enemy
in
twilight
we steam on
us under observation into believing that
darkness descends
a course
away
order to lead any of their units which might have
we
turn and head back.
we
are in retreat.
When
Pearl Harbor to the
86
End
in the
Malay Barrier
Shortly after this H.M.S. Jupiter, covering our port flank, explodes
We
mysteriously and vanishes in a brief Jbut brilliant burst of flame. are
dumbfounded, for the enemy
we
not to be seen yet
is
race on
puzzling over her fate and blindly seeking the transports.
An
hour passes with nothing intervening to interrupt our search,
and then high ness.
in the sky
above us a
Night has suddenly become day and we are illuminated
targets in a shooting gallery.
we have no such
We
thing as radar,
out, following
We
cannot
enemy
it
with another and
know
and the plane merely flare after the first
still
circles outside
one burns
itself
another.
for sure, but certainly
closing in for the
is
like
are helpless to defend ourselves, for
our range of vision to drop another
the
dark-
flare bursts, shattering the
it is
Blinded by the
kill.
assume that
logical to
we
flares
wait
through tense minutes for the blow to come.
On
will give
our
men speak
the ship
bow
in
hushed tones as though
words
their very
our position away to the enemy. Only the rush of water as knifes thrbugh the sea at thirty knots,
and the continuous
roaring of blowers from the vicinity of the quarterdeck, are audible.
Death stands by, ready thoughts dwell upon
The
We
to strike.
No
one talks of
it
although
all
it.
fourth flare bursts, burns, and then slowly
are enveloped in darkness again.
No
the sea.
falls into
attack has come and
passes
it
becomes evident
that the plane has gone away.
derful
is
the darkness, yet
how
How
terrifying to realize that the
aware of our every move and merely biding
as time
wonenemy is
his time like a cat playing
with a mouse.
The moon has come up
to assist in our search for the convoy. It
has been almost an hour since the
pened this
to indicate that the
last flare,
enemy has
period Ensign Stivers has relieved
and nothing has hap-
us under observation. During
me
as officer of the deck. I
climb up on the forward anti-aircraft director platform and sprawl out to catch a hardly close
my
shouting men.
The water
is
tongue which
I
bit
of rest before the inevitable shooting begins.
am back on my
feet in a hurry
dotted with groups of I
I
eyes before there comes the sound of whistles and
men
and look over the
yelling
in
cannot understand. H.M.S. Encounter
side.
some strange is
ordered to
remain behind to rescue them.
Now we
are four, three light cruisers and one heavy.
through the eerie darkness. Suddenly out of nowhere in the
We
plow on
six flares
appear
water along our line of ships. They resemble those round
87
The Galloping Ghost smoke pots
burn alongside road constructions with a yellow
that
What
flame.
exactly are they, and
how
did they get there?
Are they
some form of mine, or is their purpose to mark our path for enemy? No one dares to guess. Either eventuality is bad enough.
As
we
as
fast
We
alongside.
nomenon
leave one group astern, another group bobs
cannot account for them, and
bewildering as
it is
there,
flares appear.
We
is
to follow
is
marking our track on the
of flares
zig-zag lines lanterns.
this oriental deviltry, is as
None of us has ever seen such a phecontinue to move away from them, but other
uncertainty of what
back and
up
confusing.
We
before.
groups of floating
The
the
leave
nerve wracking.
which rock and burn
them on
We
look
oily surface of the sea, are
the far horizon and
like
goulish jack-o-
We
no more appear.
welcome At approximately 2230, lookouts report two darkness.
are again in
ships to port, range 12,000 yards.
hundreds of miles of
unidentified
large
There are no friendly ships within
us, therefore these are the
enemy. The Houston
opens up with two main battery salvos, the results of which are not determined, and the Japs reply with two of their
water over the forecastle. With pear in the darkness and
need
all
this
exchange of
we make no
effort to
own which throw
fire
the Japs disap-
chase them, for
we
of our ammunition to sink transports.
There
is
no relaxing now.
We
are in the area where anything can
happen. Hundreds of eyes peer into the night seeking the convoy, as
we
end of our mission
realize that the
During the night the order of ships
De
Ruyter
still
is
approaching.
column has been
in
Houston, followed by the Java and Perth
A
half
shifted.
in that order.
hour passes without incident, and then with the swiftness of
a lightning bolt a tremendous explosion rocks the Java astern of the Houston.
spread rapidly
dead
The
maintained the lead, but behind her comes the
aft.
in the water,
900 yards
Mounting flames envelop her amidships and
She loses speed and drops out of the column to
where sheets of uncontrolled flame consume
lie
her.
Torpedo wakes are observed in the water, although we can find no enemy to fight back. The De Ruyter changes course sharply to the right,
and the Houston
similar to the one that
is
just
about to follow when an explosion
doomed
the Java
is
heard aboard the
De
Ruyter. Crackling flames shoot high above her bridge, quickly enveloping the entire ship.
Captain Rooks,
in a masterpiece of
seamanship and quick think-
End
Pearl Harbor to the
88 ing,
maneuvers the Houston
feet
on
to avoid torpedoes that slip past us ten
Then joined by the Perth, we race away from the and the insidious enemy that no one can see. How
either side.
stricken ships
horrible
Now
Malay Barrier
in the
it is
that
our
to leave
allies,
but.we 7are powerless to
Admiral Doorman has gone down with
the Captain of the Perth takes
command,
Rooks, and we follow the Perth as he
What an
for he
sets a
them.
is
senior to Captain
course for Batavia.
and how lucky we are
infernal night,
assist
his blazing flagship,
to escape. It
seems
almost miraculous when the sun comes up on the next morning,
February 28, for there have been many times during the past hours when
would have sworn we would never see
I
The Houston was had played merry had
fifteen
it.
a wreck. Concussions from the eight-inch guns
hell
with the ship's interior. Every desk on the ship
drawers torn out and the contents spewn over the deck. In
its
were torn from their hangers and pitched
lockers, clothes
muddled
in
heaps. Pictures, radios, books, and everything of a like nature were
from
jolted
their
normal places and dashed on the deck.
The Admiral's cabin was
a deplorable sight.
At one time
it
had
been President Roosevelt's cabin, but no one could have recognized
now
as such. Clocks lay
it
broken on the deck, furniture was over-
turned, mirrors were cracked, charts were ripped from the bulkhead,
and large pieces of soundproofing bulkheads and overhead were thick
The
ship
itself
by near
hits in
leaking.
The
had come loose from the
that in the
rubble on the deck.
had suffered considerably. Plates already weakened
previous bombing attacks were
glass
now
windows on the bridge were
badly sprung and
shattered. Fire hose
strung along the passageways were leaking and minor floods
made
it
sloppy underfoot.
The Houston was wounded and there
was
still
practically out of
fight left in her, plenty of
ammunition, but
it.
These events accompanied by many others played upon in the
minutest detail, until at
last
my
senses
my mind
became numb and
I
relaxed in sleep. It
was nearly 2400 when, Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!, the nerve Alarm" burst through my wonderful cocoon of
shattering "General sleep
and brought me upright on both
months of war in
that gong, calling
deadly earnest.
battle station
It
all
meant only one
and get ready
to fight.
feet.
hands
Through two and a half had rung
to battle stations,
thing,
"Danger"
—man
your
So thoroughly had the lessons of
The Galloping Ghost war been taught found myself
in
gong that
as to the sharp, heartless clanging of that
my
89 I
shoes before I was even awake.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! The sound echoed along the steel
bulkheads of the ship's deserted deviltry
we were mixed up
grabbed
my
when
me
tin
hat as
against the bulkhead.
inch bricks and I
flashed
We
knew
I
my
wardroom and
serted
wondered what kind of
room and was
I felt
putting
it
depressed. I
on
them but they
boys weren't wasting them on
that the
light to assist
me
through the de-
in passing
passageway
into the
didn't
seem
at the other end,
know what we had run
to
and climbed the ladder leading I
head
were desperately short of those eight-
group of stretcher-bearers and corpsmen were assembled.
As
my
from the main battery roared out overhead, knocking
a salvo
mirages.
the
I left
interior. I
now, and somehow
in
one
getting to be
hell
asked
I
into. I left
them
to the bridge.
climbed there was more
the five-inch guns were taking
where a
firing
up
from the main
battery,
and now it
was
On
the
the argument. I realized that
of a battle and
I
started running.
communication deck where the one-point-one's were getting into action, I
passed their gun crews working swiftly, mechanically in the
darkness without a hitch, as their guns
Momentarily
They were Before
The
I
I
pumped
out shell after
shell.
caught a glimpse of tracers hustling out into the night.
beautiful.
reached the bridge every gun on the ship was in action.
noise they
made was
knockout punches.
How
vals, the blinding crash of the
main
it
was
all that,
to hear, at
measured
inter-
battery, the sharp rapid crack of
the five-inch guns, the steady methodic
one-point-one's; and above
The Houston was throwing
magnificent.
reassuring
pom, pom, pom, pom, of the
from
their platforms high in the
foremast and in the mainmast, came the continuous sweeping volleys
machine guns which had been put there
of fifty-caliber
weapons, but which
now suddenly found
as anti-aircraft
themselves engaging enemy
surface targets.
As
I
stepped on the bridge the Houston became enveloped in the
blinding glare of searchlights. Behind the lights I could barely discern the outlines of Jap destroyers. for their
heavy units which
They had come in close to illuminate from the darkness. Battling
fired at us
desperately for existence the Houston's guns trained on the lights, and as fast as they
were turned on,
just as fast
were they blasted
Although the bridge was the Houston's nerve center, to find out
what we were up
against. This
I
out.
was unable
was mainly because the
90
End
Pearl -Harbor to the
Malay Barrier
in the
man
tempo* of the battle was so great and every vitally
concerned with
his
immediate^ duty that
I
such a time and ask a question that had
in at
What we had
stationed there so
was reluctant to butt
little
relative
We
loaded transports, twenty destroyers, and six cruisers.
middle of other's
this
mass of ships before
fire
in the
wounded by
mortally tinued to
fire
and Houston immediately
ships, the Perth
and turned sharply
an
to starboard in
However, the fury of the Japs was not
effort to
to be denied
break
free.
and the Perth was
torpedoes. Lying dead in the water she con-
with everything she had until Jap shells blasted her to
and she sank.
bits
When the
were
was aware of the
either side
presence.
Suddenly surrounded by
opened
meaning.
actually run into was/Jater estimated to be sixty fully
Captain Rooks realized that the Perth was finished he turned
Houston back
face of
At
no escape
into the heart of the Jap convoy, determined in the to sell the
close range the
Houston
dearly.
Houston pounded the Jap transports with every-
thing she had, and at the
same time fought
were attacking with torpedoes and
shellfire.
off the destroyers that
Jap cruisers remained
the background, throwing salvo after salvo aboard
The Houston was
taking terrible punishment.
our after engine room, where
it
A
and around
in us.
torpedo penetrated
exploded, killing every
man
there and
reducing our speed to fifteen knots.
Thick smoke and hot steam venting on the gun deck from the engine
room temporarily drove men from their guns but in spite of it. Power went out of the
back and stayed there
which stopped the flow of five-inch
empty magazines.
Men
hand, but debris and spite
from numerous
in the
fire,
hits
came
shell hoists
from the almost
attempted to go below and bring
fires
of this they continued to
stowed
shells to the guns,
they
after
shells
up by
blocked their way. In
using star shells which were
ready ammunition boxes by the guns.
Number Two
turret,
smashed by a
flames flashing up over the bridge.
direct hit,
The
blew up, sending wild
heat, so intense that
it
drove
everyone out of the conning tower, temporarily disrupted communications to other parts of the ship.
when
The
fire
was soon extinguished, but
the sprinklers flooded the magazine our last remaining supply of
eight-inch
ammunition was ruined, which meant
was now without a main
Numerous
fires
Houston
that the
battery.
were breaking out
increasingly difficult for the
men
to
all
over the ship and
it
became
cope with them. Another torpedo
The Galloping Ghost plowed
into the
Houston somewhere, forward of the quarterdeck. The
force of the explosion
ized then that
we
Slowly
made
we were done listed to
the ship tremble beneath us,
to fire, although
it
was obvious
and ordered him
down
to
still
that the his voice
commission continued
in
end was near.
was strong
the ladder which already
ing; instead I
jumped over
must have
summoned
had
I
did not wait to go
a capacity crowd, with
the railing to the deck below.
probably a fortunate move, for just as bridge, killing several men.
It
as he
sound "Abandon Ship."
heard the words "Abandon Ship"
I
I
jumped
I
this, for five
Despite the fact that
I
last airplane
would come
figured
on the
in
spread
and a
handy, but
its
bottle I
was
people were there ahead of me.
we were
still
the target for continuous shells
and the ship was slowly sinking beneath
Men
wait-
That was
a shell burst
useless wings in the darkness. It contained a rubber boat
of brandy, both of which
men
on the port catapult tower
trotted out
where the battered and unflyable hulk of our
not alone in
I real-
for.
torn at the Captain's heart, but
When
and
starboard as the grand old ship gradually lost
steerageway and stopped. The few guns
the bugler
91
us, there
was no confusion.
went quietly and quickly about the job of abandoning
ship.
Fear was nowhere apparent, due possibly to the fact that the one thing
we
feared most throughout the short space of the war had
happened. Captain Rooks had come down
goodbye
to several of his officers
off the
bridge and was saying
and men outside
when
his cabin,
a
Jap shell exploded in a one-point-one gun mount, sending a piece of the breach crashing into his chest. Captain Rooks, beloved by officers
and men, died
When
in their arms.
Buda, the Captain's Chinese cook, learned that the captain
had been
killed,
he refused to leave the
ship.
He
simply sat cross-
legged outside the Captain's cabin, rocking back and forth and ing "Captain dead,
Houston dead, Buda
die too."
moan-
He went down
with
the ship.
During
this
time
I
made my way
to the quarterdeck.
sprawled on the deck, but there was no time to find were.
Men
hangar
in
floats that
from
an
my
Dead men lay out who they
division were busily engaged in the starboard
effort to bring out a seaplane
pontoon and two wing-tip
we had filled with food and water in preparation for just If we could get them into the water and assemble them
such a time.
92
w# had
as
End
Pearl .Harbor to the
Malay Barrier
in the
so designed, they would
make
a fine floating structure
around which we could gather and work from. hurried to the base of the catapult tower where
I
worked rapidly
I
to release the lifelines in order that we, could get the floats over the side
and into the water.
I
uncoupled one
Up
moment
until that
oil
and
me,
when
must have been too fascinated with the
I
sudden torrent of fuel
this
could think of was
all I
found myself
I
salt water.
unreality of the situation to truly think about
ened, but
heard no explosion,
us. I
me and
but the deck buckled and jumped under
suddenly engulfed in a deluge of fuel
and was working on the
line
second when a torpedo struck directly below
fire. It
and become
it
fright-
and water poured over
oil
was the most
helpless sensation I
my life. Somehow I hadn't figured on getting was gripped with the sudden fear of blazing person and covering the surface of the sea. I was
ever had experienced in hit
now
or killed, but
my
on
fuel oil
panicked, for
have been
I
I
could figure no escape from
it.
The same thought must
minds of the others, for we
in the
raced from the
all
No
starboard side to the shelter of the port hangar.
sooner had we
cleared the quarterdeck than a salvo of shells plowed through
it,
ex-
ploding deep below decks.
Events were moving
and the Houston
fast,
about to go down. There was only one idea
was
her death throes was
in
left in
my
mind, and that
who were going over the side in increasing made my way to the port side and climbed down
to join the others
numbers. Quickly
I
the cargo nets that were hanging there.
edge
I
dropped
warm Java
off into the
was aware
above the surface
I
by many men,
swimming
all
When Sea.
I
reached the water's
When my head came
that in the darkness
I
was surrounded
for their lives. Frantic screams for help
from the wounded and drowning mixed with the shouts of others
make of men
attempting to battleground
swam
to get
I
had no desire
few hundred yards away
the death of
had come
my
ship.
in close
The
sea
was an
I
ship's suction.
As much
my
deliberately firing
I
turned, gasping for breath, to watch
and illuminated her with searchlights as they raked fire.
Many men
struggled in the water
near the ship, others clung desperately to heavily loaded to
as
to join her in a watery grave.
She lay well over to starboard. Jap destroyers
her decks with machine-gun
and then
oily
pitted against the terrors of death. Desperately I
beyond reach of the sinking
loved the Houston
A
contact with shipmates.
horror,
I
life
realized that the Japs were coldly
on the men
in the water.
The concussions
rafts,
and
of shells
93
The Galloping Ghost
swimming men sent shock waves through the water that slammed against my body with an evil force, making me wince with pain. Men closer to the exploding shells were killed by this bursting in the midst of
concussion alone.
Dazed, unable to believe that
all
was
this
real,
Japanese searchlights
I
saw the Houston
roll
floated there,
I
By
watching as though bewitched. The end had come.
the glare of
slowly over to star-
board, and then, with her yardarms almost dipping into the sea, she
paused momentarily. Perhaps
I
only imagined
but
it,
seemed
it
though a sudden breeze picked up the Stars and Stripes
two blocked on the mainmast, and waved them gesture.
Then with
one
in
as
firmly
still
last defiant
a tired shudder she vanished beneath the Java
Sea.
The magnificent Houston and most but in the oily sea around their last battle.
me
of
Hundreds of Jap
soldiers
the flotsam of their sunken ships; and as
swim
for their lives,
I
my
shipmates were gone,
lay evidence of the carnage
and I
wrought by
sailors struggled
amidst
watched them drown or
smiled grimly and repeated over and over,
"Well done, Houstonr
THE LONG, HEARTBREAKING STRUGGLE pines
sula
drew
rapidly
to
a
close:
Corps were hemmed
II Philippine
and were
Wainwright's in
on both
left
of
it,
PHILIP-
decimated
I
and
Bataan Penin-
sides of
pushed down toward Mariveles Bay,
steadily being
fronting on the beleaguered fortress of Corregidor.
was
THE
IN
The Navy, what
consisted of a few auxiliaries and motor torpedo boats
under Rear Admiral Francis W. Rockwell, Commandant of the
purged Cavite Navy Yard. Food and water were dire that General
MacArthur
in dire supply, so
offered bounties to Philippine guerrillas
who would brave General Homma's hordes
to bring
Japanese promptly countered by threatening to
kill
them any
in.
The
guerrillas
caught smuggling. With the situation worsening by the hour, President Roosevelt ordered MacArthur to leave the Philippines and as-
sume command in Australia. With March 11, 1942.
regret the General
and
his family
departed on Certainly
little
introduction
is
necessary for MacArthur.
preme Commander of the Allied Forces the architect of the
campaign
in the
to drive the
South
Pacific,
enemy from
his
As Suhe was newly-
94
Pearl
Harbor
to the
gainecl strongholds in the
End
in the
Malay Barrier
He had begun the war as Army and, simulPhilippines. He was the recipient,
Southwest
Pacific.
a retired Lieutenant General of the "United States taneously, as Field Marshal of the as
was
his father before him, of the' Congressional
Few Americans
in history
Medal
of Honor.
have garnered more honors during a
life-
time of service to their country.
MacArthur's evacuation from "The Rock" until quite recently,
when
his reminiscences
is
an oft-told
story.
were published,
it
But
was
never narrated by the controversial MacArthur himself. The "Buck" to
whom
Bulkeley,
he refers
who
is
of course the ubiquitous torpedo boat officer,
evacuated the General's entourage.
GENERAL OF THE ARMY DOUGLAS MACARTHUR
10.
RETREAT
Darkness had now
from the
and the waters were beginning
fallen,
faint night breeze.
tering silence
had
fallen. It
was
The
stench of destruction.
The enemy
as though the
smell of
filth
dead were passing by the
thickened the night
raised
my
feel a
sudden, convulsive twitch in the muscles
someone
cap in farewell
ask,
gruff reply. I
"What's
salute,
and
could
I
my face go of my face. I
feel
his chance, Sarge, of getting
in five."
FT-41. "You may
Buck,"
cast off,
air.
I
white,
heard
through?" and the
"Dunno. He's lucky. Maybe one
stepped aboard
to ripple
had ceased and a mut-
firing
I said,
"when
you are ready." Although the its
size
flotilla
consisted of only four battle-scarred
was no gauge of the uniqueness of
its
PT
mission. This
boats,
was the
desperate attempt by a commander-in-chief and his key staff to
move
thousands of miles through the enemy's lines to another war theatre, to direct a
new and
intensified assault.
Nor
did the Japanese them-
selves underestimate the significance of such a
movement. "Tokyo
Rose" had announced
I
gleefully that,
hanged on the Imperial Plaza
in
if
captured,
would be publicly
Tokyo, where the Imperial towers
overlooked the traditional parade ground of the Emperor's Guard divisions. Little did I
the as
first
dream
that bleak night that five years later, at
parade review of Occupation troops,
I
would take the
salute
supreme commander for the Allied Powers on the precise spot so
dramatically predicted for
my
execution.
95
96
Pearl,
The
Harbor
End
to the
Malay Barrier
in the
at Turning Buoy just outside the Then we roared through in single file, Bulkeley leading and Admiral Rockwell in PT-34 closing the formation. On the run to Cabra Island, many -white lights were sighted the
tiny
convoy rendezvoused
minefield at 8 p.m.
—
enemy's signal that a break was ade.
The
engine
is
noise of our engines
Several boats passed.
it.
get rough. Spiteful
As we began
The
sea rose and
waves slapped and snapped
it
evi-
began to
at the thin skin of the
was becoming poorer.
boats; visibility
grew
PT
had been heard, but the sound of a
hard to differentiate from that of a bomber, and they
dently mistook
little
attempted through the block-
bfeing
closing
on the Japanese blockading
fleet,
the suspense
tense. Suddenly, there they were, sinister outlines against the
curiously peaceful formations of lazily drifting cloud.
hardly breathing, for the
first
Ten
identify ourselves.
Twenty.
seconds.
A
We
waited,
would summon us
burst of shell that
full
minute.
No
to
gun
spoke; the PT's rode so low in the choppy seas that they had not spotted us.
Bulkeley changed at once to a course that brought us to the west
and north of the enemy and again,
was
this
craft,
and we
slid
by
in the darkness.
Again
to be repeated during the night, but our luck
held.
The weather
deteriorated steadily, and towering waves buffeted our
war-weary, blacked-out vessels. The flying spray drove against
tiny,
our skin
like stinging pellets of birdshot.
down
would
in
space as though about to breach, and then
would break away and go forward with a experience afterward as what
it
rush.
must be
to take
by 3:30 a.m. the convoy had scattered. Bulkeley hours to collect the others, but without success.
It
own,
his
rendezvous just
was a bad night
a trip in a
down
off the
tried for several
Now
uninhabited
each skipper
Cuyo
Island.
At dawn, Lieutenant (j.g.) V. E. saw what he took for a Jap de30 knots through the early morning fog. The
for everybody.
Schumacher, commander of stroyer bearing
describing the
I recall
like
The four PT's could no longer keep formation, and
concrete mixer.
his
a
the other side.
seeming to hang free
was on
fall off into
up the near slope of a steep water peak, only to The boat would toss crazily back and forth,
trough, then climb slide
We
at
FT -32,
torpedo tubes were instantly cleared for action, and the 600-gallon gasoline
make
drums
jettisoned to lighten the vessel
a run for
"enemy" was seen
it.
Just
before the
to be the
PT-41
signal
—mine.
when to
the time
fire,
the
came
to
onrushing
97
Retreat
The first boat to arrive at Tagauayan at 9:30 on the morning of March 12 was FT-34 under the command of Lieutenant R. G. Kelly. PT-32 and Bulkeley's FT -41 arrived at approximately 4 p.m. with
FT -32
running out of
aboard were placed on the two other
fuel; those
A
already crowded craft.
submarine which had been ordered to join
We
us at the Cuyos did not appear. intensified,
still
waited as the day's
on the water camouflaged
spots
stifling
heat
as well as possible
from the prying eyes of searching enemy airmen. Hours passed and last
we
could wait no longer for Ensign A. B. Akers' PT-35
arrived two hours after
ward
into the
we
left). I
Mindanao Sea
for
gave the order to
move
at (it
out south-
Cagayan, on the northern coast. This
time Rockwell's boat led and FT-41 followed.
The
night
was
clear,
the sea rough and high.
Once more, huge and ahead through the dark. Instantly
we
hostile,
We
cut engines, cleared for action
ticked into minutes, but
no
signal flashed
steamed slowly westward across our path.
we had been mistaken safety
loomed dead
a Japanese warship
were too near to run, too
—
late to
dodge.
and waited. Seconds
from the battleship If
for part of the native
as she
we had been seen at all, fishing fleet. Our road to
was open.
We made
it
into
Cagayan
together the officers and style," I told
at
men
7 a.m. on Friday,
of both PT's. "It
them. "It gives
me
March
was done
13. I called in true
great pleasure and honor to
naval
award
the boats' crews the Silver Star for gallantry for fortitude in the face of heavy odds."
THE LAST GASP OF THE PHILIPPINES PT SQUADRON came on April 9
at
Cebu.
New
Jersey-born Lieutenant
Richardson, executive officer of PT-34, stout
little
warship. After working his
now
way
tells
(j.g.)
Haf
of the death of his
into the hills,
Richardson
ultimately became a Major in the Resistance and there remained until repatriated in 1944. His collaborator, Ira Wolfert,
Prize for his
news dispatches from Guadalcanal.
won
the Pulitzer
IRA
WOLFERT
side
and Cebu
.
II.
ALL GONE,
The entrance
to
on the other and
Cebu is
NOW
Mactan Island on one
City has
bordered by shoals. Navigation
is
further compli-
when even-
cated by the fact that, particularly at night in wartime thing
blacked out. there are no distinctive points there that can be
is
used for
When you've seen one much seen it all. It
fixes.
you've pretty itself
.
We It
.
just
Island,
runs on and on repeating
.
went into the wrong channel and ran aground on a
worried
us.
the Filipinos
One
past time
had taken us
when we had run aground
for Japs
ashore in the Thirty-Four s punt to if
Cebu
part of the coast of
and shot holes try to dig
jut of coral.
close to shore,
So
into us.
I
went
up a tug and. anyway.
that failed, to block off whatever shooting there might be with the
morning sun. But by the time railroad station there
—
the tide
Four s crew had gone over
I
got a telephone
had started
to
—
come
at Minglanilia. the
in
and the Thirty-
the side and rocked her off the coral and
taken off south in the direction where they thought Cebu
lay.
took Kelly time to figure out he was going wrong and backtrack.
It
didn't get into the approach to Cebu City until dawn. By then was standing on Pier One with an ambulance, waiting for the Thirty-
and he I
Four I
to tie up.
could see the Thirty-Four working busily towards
air-raid alert sounded.
9fl
Then
I
saw four Jap
us.
float planes
Then
coming
the in.
All Gone,
Now
began
99
jump up
looking for whatever had pickled their cruiser.
I
and down. "Jesus,"
ran back and forth a
I
said,
"For Christ sake!"
Army
way. There was an
little
lieutenant
I
to
standing there,
a
tall,
powerfully built middle-aged man. "What's the matter?" he asked,
and
"Why,
I said,
I'm not on
for Christ sake, they're going to get
the
way
could
I felt. I
he knew by the excited way he
tell
looked around to see what could be done about anything to be done. But I felt
boat and
it."
He knew
how
my
I
—Jim Cushing,
liked
him
away
right
a fellow about thirty-five
been a wrestler once and then a chromium miner
it.
There wasn't
way he knew years old who had
for the
in the islands before
joining the war.
The Japs came on in a "V". They then peeled out of the "V" one to dive. They dove strafing and they dove right into the fire of
by one
the Thirty-Four. But torpedo boats in those days weren't
are today,
and we had only two
what they
on board and two lousy
twin-fifties
Lewis guns. The boys dished out what we had and the streams of tracers crossed each other in mid-air while at
myself and letting
flat
and
He
didn't
still-seeming.
I
change course
groaned
the water near by
mouth. Then
I
saw
it,
just
my voice. He knew what he was
until the last possible splinter of a at all to
The boat kicked
on the port
my
at the top of
right.
all
second so as to give the Jap no time flipped the boat over.
ran up and down, tearing
out and saw the boat rigid under
Kelly was an iron-minded man, doing.
I
noises run out of
bomb coming
the fat, yellow
held there
little
change aim. Then he
to the right
and the bomb
hit
side.
rail. That's the way it looked from The whole world stopped for me. White water stood up and hung there suspended. Smoke curled out of it while it stood there. The smoke curled like spumes of snow blown off a snow-smothered tree. Then the small, dark green Thirty-Four weaseled through, all motors roaring, and I shouted, "Missed! Missed! God-damn, if he didn't make them miss," and looked full at Cushing and he grinned
I
thought
where
back
I
at
But
it
had
hit
on the
was.
me
—
with
as I
all his
found out
strength. later
—Harris
smack altitude
that
into the Jap.
The Jap had
on the pull-out from
one Jap plane crashed
its
started to smoke.
dive.
(J.
It
couldn't gain
(Later verified reports proved
to the south
got one," Harris yelled to Martino
W. Harris, Torpedoman He had been putting bullets
(P.
2/c) on the port turret was already dead.
and west of Cebu City.) "I
Martino,
CTM)
on the
star-
End
Pearl Harbor to the
100
boarcl turret. "See
See
it!
Did you
it!
see it?" turning his
and following the plane fron>starboard
yelled
and neck stretched to receive the bomb
him
let
Malay Barrier
in the
finish
what he was
and drove up behind
Then
saying. Tfreff
splinter.
it
head
to port with
went
as he
head high
The bomb
splinter
under
his chin
in right
his face into the flesh of his brain.
more bombs and more strafings. One engine went another. The starboard turret stopped working when a machine-gun bullet in the thigh. The Lewis gun forwhen Hunter (C. M. Hunter, CMM) had his upper arm bullet. One of a stream of bullets ripping open the
there were
out and then
Martino took
ward stopped broken by a
canopy of the forward compartment
can opener went into the
like a
wounded below, and knocked up through his pelvis and bladder and intestines. The last gun on the boat went out of commission when a Jap bullet tore it right out of Ross's hands (W. L. Ross, QM 1/c), the bullet caroming off the gun and opening his thigh. And now Kelly was in trouble up to his neck and over that,
groin of Reynolds, lying
up
to his ears
and the
no guns
hairline of his forehead, with
left
with
which to fight back and only one engine with which to maneuver.
saw him sputter and wallow out of
sight
I
behind Kawit Island. Then
he did not reappear.
jumped into Cushing jumped 1
a car.
me.
in after
and we tore on down with hand on
don't
I
to
know how
He
baroto
took
—
was too
any reason.
didn't have
He
to Kawit.
excited. just did,
We
drove
us.
had gone away.
a dugout canoe
I
I
horn and foot pressing the gas pedal through the floor-
airplanes
it,
it.
Tanke, the nearest point
board, the ambulance piling after
The
got
I
—
there
I
ran
down
somehow,
to the I
beach and got a
don't remember, just
suppose, and paddled with Cushing for the sound of the
Thirty-Four's engine.
We
could
still
hear
it
going.
Then we saw the Thirty-Four aground behind one of those native
bamboo see
it
fish traps.
The
flag
was
still
there. It
flapping sluggishly in the breeze as
suppose your country
is
always
if
like that. It
made me
feel strange to
nothing had happened. goes on and on in
its
I
own
way whatever happens to you, but it made me feel strange to see the flag flapping away in the same old way, and then I scrambled over the stern and I remember the engine blowing fumes in my face and my and then there the whole thing was wrinkling my face up "whew!"
—
flat
before me.
A
sieve, that's
what
it
looked
like, the
deck there, a
mangled-up sieve of bullet holes with blood dripping through them. Kelly had got the
wounded ashore on Kawit. They had
lit
out so
—
All Gone, fast they hadn't
They had
had time
to shut off the
the dead behind.
left
I
Now
101
still
working.
one engine
found Harris lying quietly below,
laid him, KIA, certainly that, oh absolutely that Torpedoman 3d Class, United States Navy. I remember
where they had
KIA:
Harris,
running topside after
that, thinking
who'd ever have thought Harris
would be a KIA, and then seeing Kelly come wading back. "Congratulations, Mr. Kelly,"
"Well," he said, "well,
.
.
."
words, and then said, "Hell,
I
I said,
on
his
being
alive.
and stumbled around a
little bit
in his
wasn't worried about me. Hell, they
can't get me. I'm too tough." I
was so glad
absolute truth,
him
to see
I
told
him
wounded ashore on
Mrs. Charlotte Martin, an American
"Oh
table.
true, that
the
lived at
was the
dead and the
Cebu with her
Reynolds became con-
"I'm going to be very
That was the only thing he
no," she told him, "only for a
Then
who
at the hospital helping.
on the operating
said to her.
was
floating
the doors to the forward compartment.
husband, "Cap," was scious
that
and then we got busy
sick, ain't I?"
he
said.
little
while."
she leaned forward to stroke his forehead and saw he was
dead.
We had
tried to save the Thirty-Four. After all
their pair of pliers
Dad
and ten-pound hammer.
Cleland's boys
Tom
Lt.
Jurika
still
made
the inspection. There were two pilot boats for the party. There were a
help and other people
lot of Filipino soldiers to
—
including Jurika
and Cushing. Then two Jap planes interrupted them with a sneak attack.
They chopped
off their engines
and came gliding soundlessly
out of the sun, then cut their engines back in with a Godawful grind
and came on shooting.
They cut the Number Two pilot boat just about in half. Then they came back for the Number One boat. Everybody was trying to wade ashore. They were spread out in a rough line about forty-five feet on getting ashore. There were about
long, all intent
water and four inches of slimy
whether
came
it
was
into the
guns going hitting
at
faster to
Number One once
sounded
— one
mud
under
it.
You
swim or wade. Then boat behind.
It
fifteen inches of
couldn't figure out
the explosive bullets
sounded
like
two machine
from the plane, and the explosive
just like there
bullets
was a machine gun working on the
pilot boat.
Then the planes went for the men. They strafed Some tried to dive under the water. They saw
line.
the center of the the white-beaded
Pearl Harbor to the
102 line of
End
in the
Malay Barrier
bubbles from the bullets, but they couldn't stay under. They
couldn't keep the water over positive
them bs
buoyancy there because
Incidentally, those
it
who swam
a cover.
There was too much
was so shallow. got- td the
beach faster than those
who waded.
When
the attack
third fellow
was
over, there were
who had squeezed
compartment
in front of the
been clasping
his
cabin of the
knees and legs to
been to the diving plane.
A
out through a lower right
fit
bullet hit rib,
two dead and there was
a
himself for safety in a small forward
Number One
boat.
He had
himself in there. His back had
him
in the right shoulder,
came
and then went on through the thigh
bone, coming out just above the knee, and after that had gone leg, breaking the shinbone on the way out. him and four major bones broken by the one
through the calf of his
He had
six holes in
bullet.
And
the Thirty-Four
tree, hopelessly
was on
fire.
She was burning
like a
Christmas
and beyond redemption.
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE DOOLITTLE TOKYO RAID, first
of the strikes on the enemy's homeland, the end of April 1942
marked
the lowest ebb of America's fortunes in the Pacific; never
again would they sink so low.
PART
II
WAR
THE
IN THE
ATLANTIC
WAR CAME
AS LESS OF A SHOCK TO THE EAST COAST. IN
effect, hostilities
between the United States and Germany had begun
several
months before Pearl Harbor.
tember
4,
A
de facto war had erupted Sep-
1941, when U-652 fired torpedoes
was en route
at destroyer
Greer, which
to Iceland. President Roosevelt reacted bitterly, terming
the attack ''piracy" and declaring that "from
now
on,
if
German and
war enter the waters the protection of which is necesAmerican defense, they do so at their own risk." Thus ended the "short of war" policy. It had been inaugurated soon after Dunkirk Italian vessels of
sary for
with the controversial exchange of
fifty
old destroyers for British
bases in Newfoundland and the West Indies, and had been continued
with
little
significant change, other than
sures, until the 1st
Task Force 16
Marine Brigade was
in June, 1941.
At
hemispheric defense mealifted to
this time, the
Newfoundland by
United States Navy
undertook the escort of convoys to Iceland (by Admiral King's nition within the
on a regular
Western Hemisphere and therefore
basis.
Now
a second destroyer, Kearney,
in
defi-
our purview)
was attacked by 103
104
The War
in the Atlantic
a U-boat, and on October 31, a third,
Reuben James, was torpedoed
and sunk with a heavy
disaster brought
loss of
life.
The
impact of the vicious submarine warfare
Noted
home
the full
in territorial waters.
and muralist ^Griffith Baily Coale, a reserve in the next convoy astern of the doomed Reuben James. In his memoirs, he speaks of the fateful night. illustrator
Lieutenant
Commander, was
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER GRIFFITH BAILY COALE
I.
ATTACK
Half awake because of the unusually easy motion of the ship, in the
unaccustomed quiet
am
I
conscious of the monotony of her listening
tubes.
A
sudden loud explosion brings
that
is
a torpedo and not a depth charge. Spring from
it
jump
upright.
Know instantly my bunk,
for the bulkhead door, spin the wheel releasing the dogs,
land on the deck in a It is
me
not us.
A mile
split
second, with General Quarters
ahead a
rising cloud of
black loom of a ship. With a
and
rasping.
still
dark smoke hangs over the
terrific roar, a
column
of orange flame
towers high into the night as her magazines go up, subsides, leaving a great black pall of
smoke
licked by
moving tongues of orange. All the
ship forward of No. 4 stack has disappeared.
upon
We move
rapidly
down
and
slides
her, as her stern rises perpendicularly into the air
A
moment, and two grunting jolts of her depth charges toss debris and men into the air. Suddenly my nostrils are filled with the sickly stench of fuel oil, and the sea is flat and silvery slowly into the sea.
we know it, we hear the cursing, praying, and hoarse shouts for help, and we are all among her men, like black shiny seals in the oily water. The Captain leaps to the under
its
thick coating. Before
engine telegraph and stops her, rushes to the bridge side, sees glance,
and
gives a sharp order to put her slowly astern, for
all
at a
our way
has carried us through them and over the spot where she just has been. In a minute
we have backed our way
carefully
among them and 105
The War
106
in the Atlantic
stopped again. Orders calmly barked, and every
Cargo nets rigged over
precision.
"We
ing.
are the
Reuben James' men!" comes
and then we know.
The
crisis.
But the bobbing blobs of
blown up and choking with caught in molasses.
by a vast
We
are
work
for heav-
from one
in shouting in
raft,
men
more
are
and water, they are
oil
now
is
in a
Thrice
pitiful.
animals
like small
black circle of water, surrounded
in a
The men
lines are slipping
unison
and organization
to initiative
isolated
silver ring of oil slick.
and the hove
us
a chorus
huddled greasy forms, packing the overloaded
magnificent and their team
example of quick return
a fine
acting with cold
7
•
spirit of these
life rafts, is
man
made ready
the^side, lines
toward
to port are drifting
through their greasy,
oily hands.
Soon many eager hands are grasping our cargo net, but our ship's upward roll breaks their weak and slippery hold. Instantly officers and men are begging permission
to
go over the
side,
on a
three of our officers are ten feet from the ship
and several chief petty
make
lines
fast
and
no time
in
reeling raft,
are clinging to the net, trying to
officers
around the slimy bodies of the survivors so that
dozens of strong arms above on the deck can heave them aboard.
The
first
man
from the
is
oil.
Forward
man below me and
hear his
hauled over the amidship
an isolated
lofty bridge I see
rail
vomiting
choking curses. Half blind, he sees the bridge above him. His cursing ceases
— "A
line, please, Sir!"
hove and he side,
I
is
I
my
cup
towed amidships to the
see the obscure
cigarette lighter
it
line is
Crossing to the starboard
mass of another loaded
and waves
A
hands and shout.
nets.
in the darkness.
raft.
One man
They shout
ignites a
in chorus,
They are drifting away to leeward. We shout through megaphones: "Hang on! We'll get you!" One man alone is trying to swim toward us. "Come on buddy!" I bellow, "you can make but our lines
fall short.
it!"
But the
line
course of their
hove with great drift.
It is
skill falls
a lengthy
— and we
chart the
short
and desperately hard job
to get
men aboard. Our men are working feverishly, but less than half have come over the rail and thirty-eight minutes have passed. The
these
horizon light
is
dull red with the
makes
the mass of our
coming of the dawn, and the increasing
inert ship
an easy target for the submarine
which must be lurking near. One of our destroyers is continually circling us, as the Captain bellows from the bridge: "Get those men aboard!" After sixty-five minutes a few exhausted
our
side.
The Captain
says to
me "We :
men
still
bob along
are in great danger.
I
cannot
107
Attack and her company much longer."
risk the ship
Now
A
contact directly astern with a submarine!
phone buzzes
in
the wheelhouse
left.
There all
is
nothing for
We
it.
—
The
the other destroyer gets
tele-
too!
it
order the ensigns on the raft aboard with
haste, the engine telegraph
is
snapped
full
We
leaving two survivors to swirl astern.
ahead, and
we
away and
roar
We
water tinged with blood color in the dawning.
leap away,
the other de-
stroyer lets go a pattern of depth charges, the white rising
columns of
search, lose contact,
and the other ship picks up eleven men while we
and
return,
We
hope she got the two we had
back
two or
there are
...
three
to leave!
A
circle her.
comes
third destroyer
and we
to relieve us with orders to search the spot until noon,
with thirty-six survivors, and the other rescue ship, catch up with the
convoy
fleeing
at twenty-five knots.
"Secure from General Quarters!" Ten-thirty and
Hot
breakfast!
coffee
—Lord, The
since five twenty-three!
ladders are covered with
two
to see
perfectly
wardroom,
oil
ship
is
and the smell of
and ears
we can go
—her
it.
decks, rails and
At lunch
I
still
plastered with oil in spite of
and the men's clothes are piled along the decks
men
learn that
all
we had many
Two-ten p.m.
—
friends
officers'
We
bunks.
up of the forward part
among them. The
the peremptory rasping of General Quarters!
lookouts have sighted five ships. British corvettes
jackets,
life
black and soggy
in
with hemorrhages are put into
the officers died with the blowing
of the ship, and
am amazed
into the holy precincts of the
the scrubbing that they have given themselves! Ropes,
masses. Four
and they give
to
have been on the bridge
a mess
naked ensigns walk
their eyes, hair,
We
nectar!
it's
When
nearer they turn out to be five
At nine
satisfactory signals.
o'clock,
with intermittent moonlight, the gunnery officer high above the bridge
has picked up what he thinks sion to
fire star shells,
five shots.
a sub on the surface.
is
and with
splitting roars
Hardly has the whine of the
He
last five-inch
when
the whole surface of the distant horizon
burst,
and we make out an English corvette,
asks permis-
our No. 2 turret
off
shell
brightly
is lit
fires
ceased
by
their
her station. In the
dark wheelhouse the Captain turns to me: "Is today more than you bargained for?" "No, Sir!" "Well,
he says with a air to
grin.
At
that
I
eastward, followed by heavy
General Quarters! to investigate,
Two
corvettes
and report
hope
moment two
to us
firing.
it's
close
enough for you,"
star shells burst high in the
Again the dreary
rattle of
and one of our destroyers dash
off
by phone that a couple of escort ships
had seen two German subs on the surface sneaking
in
towards us, had
The War
108 openetl
fire,
So for the
made them
last
battle light in
dive,
and dropped ash cans where they were.
time that day, General*Quarters
twelve o'clock.
eerie
in the Atlantic
I
grope my way down from
my
Hallowe'en
hall, into is
my
is
over and
turn in at
I
the bridge past the
sealec^up cabin, post
my
dim
—and an
log
ended.
WITH THE U-BOAT WAR IN SPATE BY DECEMBER
7,
1941, Nazi submarines rampaged along the East Coast with almost total impunity.
where;
Torpedo death came without warning and was every-
shipping
losses
mounted
precipitously.
270,000 tons of Allied merchant shipping were next it
month
In
lost to the
the figure soared to 427,000 tons; and three
exceeded 600,000 tons, despite the best
efforts
some
January
U-boats;
months
of the
later
United
Navy.
States
The
ordeal of our merchant service
is
ably described in the follow-
ing excerpt by the prolific Felix Riesenberg, Jr., author of several
books about the sea and a reporter for the now defunct San Francisco
News
at the
conclusion of the war.
FELIX RIESENBERG, JR.
2.
ATLANTIC SLAUGHTER
Winter gales that lashed the North Atlantic
in
early January
had
blown themselves out by the eleventh of that month when a group of twenty
German U-boats
stations off seaports
filed
down
from Halifax
bother these submariners the
way
to it
the East Coast to take assigned
Miami. The freezing cold did not
would
their victims
:
they were
veterans of the northern convoy route or had fought the
Royal Navy
in
RAF
Channel waters. Here were the world's most
all
and
skillful
underseas fighters; no one of them would miss eight shots at a ten-
knot tanker or need even a small part of one hour to sink some
unarmed World War I freighter. America was about to witness a slaughter that would make Japanese submarine operations seem amateurish for
all
their deadly toll.
Closing with the shore, the
Germans tuned
meter wave-band and were amazed
by the coastal defense
at the
into the six-hundred-
information being given out
stations of a nation at war.
Rescue work was
in
progress as a result of the recent blow and ships at sea were freely
The
was releasing not only the
announcing
their positions.
route of
planes but also the time schedule.
its
easier for the
air patrol
To make
U-Boats the glow of brightly lighted
cities
things even
showed
far
Each German commander waited impatiently for a signal. This was to be the code word Paukenschlag (bang on the kettledrum) which would be flashed by Admiral Karl Doenitz to open the ravage against American merchant shipping. off shore.
109
The War
110
in the Atlantic
Doenitz, then forty-nine years of age and a former submarine officer, fall
was
complete control of
in
of France he
had moved
his
U-Boat operations. After the
all
headquarters to a
Kernevel
villa at
overlooking the Bay of Biscay near #re Concrete sub pens of Lorient.
Here
in the big operations
room Doneitz and
his staff
had worked
top speed for a month to organize Operation Paukenschlag.
The Harbor attack had come as a surprise to the Germans, so it was necessary to recall U-Boats from the Mediterranean, South Atlantic at
Pearl
and Arctic. Details of assigning
making
stations,
ments and correlating intelligence were done morale of the
refueling arrange-
in record
time.
The
and seagoing personnel had never been higher
staff
was
the neutrality restriction
as
Doenitz expected to show the
lifted.
world a splurge of sinkings that would never be forgotten.
So
far in the
almost
war German U-Boats had sunk 1,017
five million tons.
Only
sixty-six subs
had been
ships totalling
and these
lost
were being more than replaced by the twenty new boats delivered each month. In March the effectiveness of the underseas be greatly enhanced by the addition of the
thousand-ton tanker submarines.
U-Boats
main
On aces.
to return
homeward
indefinitely off
the eve of the
It
first
fleet
would
"milch cows," the one-
would no longer be necessary
for
and torpedoes; they could
re-
for fuel
United States seaports.
American campaign Doenitz had
Gunther Prien who made the spectacular
lost a
raid into
few of
his
Scapa Flow
was buried under the Mediterranean along with Karl Endrass who had earned the Oak Leaves to the Iron Cross. But there were many experienced commanders,
men
Many
Hardegen, Gengelbach, Reschke carrier
Ark
of the submariners were former merchant marine
offi-
and Guggenberger, who sank Royal.
like
Britain's
new seventy-plane
cers whose knowledge of commercial shipping was invaluable in hunt-
ing and recognizing cargo prey.
While waiting for the chance to attack American
man submarine command agents.
Some
of these
were
ships, the
sailors
Street restaurant with information
who
drifted
up
to
an Eighty-sixth
which was transmitted via short-
wave radio by German American Bund members. In the
German
Ger-
had been receiving regular reports from
New
Orleans,
consul, an ardent yachtsman, forwarded charts of the
passes out of the Mississippi to which were added special markings. did not matter that in
January ten seamen found
were given long sentences by a carry on the work.
New York
court.
guilty as
It
Nazi spies
There were others to
>/-,?
—
113
Atlantic Slaughter
The U-Boats poised
known
for attack that winter were
as
Type
VII C. These 770-ton boats were 220-feet over all, twice the length of the wooden Sub Chasers of World War I that were sent out to challenge them; their surface speed was seventeen knots and submerged they could make to catch all
they
These speeds enabled the subs
eight knots.
but a few American ships of that day; even under water
moved
average convoy.
faster than the
Between 1940 and 1945 the German yards
built
that ranged
up
to eighty-five
hundred
659 of the VII
and men on voyages
C's which carried a crew of forty-four officers
miles. Before the
end of the war
they were equipped with "schnorkels," radar, anti-surface raiderdefenses and complicated plotting tables for automatic aiming.
At
the
beginning they were comparatively simple and depended mostly on the skill of personnel.
The
early killers were pierced with four
bow
torpedo tubes and one
Each carried either twelve or fourteen of the one-ton missiles, and mounted one 20-mm. anti-aircraft cannon and Twin Flak on deck. These were the sea wolves whose commanders received stern tube.
—on
Paukenschlag
the flash
the twelfth of January with
commence
attack set for the following day.
Admiral Doenitz, a
restless
man, paced the gleaming
floors of his
eyes lifting continually to the big wall charts of the world.
villa,
Gold-headed pins marked the U-Boat clusters of
kills;
soon he expected to see
them between Newfoundland and Florida Straits. In a trial, for Hitler and his closest advisers were as
sense Doenitz was on
land-minded as the policy-makers of World
War
I.
After a quarter of
a century the judgment of Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz on the
high
command was
German
again true: "They do not understand the sea."
But the Fuehrer would understand
figures
on destroyed tonnage.
Paukenschlag opened one day early and for Doenitz the smashing start
was dramatically
been a British ship
—
apt. In
1914
his first kill as a
the Cyclops. That
was
also the
commander had name of the ten-
thousand-ton freighter blasted without warning on January twelfth south of Halifax.
To
sunk
and the Latvian Ciltvavia went under within
Cape Sable went ninety-four men. The same day a Pan American tanker was in the north
their death in the frigid waters off
Cape Hatteras. Radio broadcasts were
interrupted through the next two days and
newspaper extras carried banners Boats.
A
sight of
to
big British freighter and a
announce the arrival of the UNorwegian tanker were sunk off
The War
114
in the Atlantic
Long-island. American seamen ready to
or coming on the coast,
sail,
knew what they could expect. The first American victim was to be the Esso tanker Allan Jackson, bound toward New York from Cartagena, just passing Diamond Shoals off Cape Hatteras at one thirty on the dark morning of January eighteenth. Deep in the water with a 72,870-barrel cargo of Colombian crude sea.
The
the ship
oil,
was pounding out ten knots over a
flat
bridge watch sighted ahead, on lookout for Winter Quarter
Lightship.
Captain Felix W. Kretchmer lay on his settee
arm propped on a
injured
wheelhouse and
pillow.
He
engines lulled him.
He was his
when he dozed
praying for luck
bank across
off.
Then
to the inboard bulkhead.
Shocked awake, the skipper had
mendous explosion sounded
with an
bells strike in the
rhythmic throb of the
his tired eyes closed as the
he was hurled from
fully dressed
heard three
just gained his feet
close below; this time he
through a doorway into the bathroom.
Two
when
a tre-
was catapulted
torpedoes had ripped into
the Allan Jackson.
Before he could
came
rise a
sweep
of solid flame
second time, Captain Kretchmer saw a gust
his cabin.
the hiss of spreading
fire
He was
From
trapped.
out on deck
and the grind of twisting metal. The
He
deck canted sharply; the skipper grasped a shower stanchion.
moved
could feel the ship sagging and unconsciously
his feet
on the
hot deck. Paint began to peel as the flame tongues from the cabin
An
licked toward him.
Instinctively he
his
head toward the porthole behind him.
headed that way. Hampered by
desperately to get through the port and finally
A
raging
oil fire
lit
from the boat deck
agonizing, shrill scream
caused the skipper to turn
his
fell
bad arm he fought
out on deck.
the sea around the foundering ship for three
hundred yards. Ladders, decks, the metal boats and even heavy davits
had crumbled. Purple water sloshed over the
Above
bridge deck. night as
men became
ined such a Still
bridge.
fishplates
on the lower
the noise of the holocaust shrieks pierced the living torches.
No
one aboard had ever imag-
hell.
master of his ship, Captain Kretchmer clawed toward the
The
vessel's papers
the engine room:
hands had
—
a radio message
distress
flares
—
call
thoughts raced through the skipper's mind. His
just gripped the ladder
loose. In the next instant
was surprised
—
at its
rail
when
they were wrenched
water rose up to his armpits and at
warmth: the ship was
in the
first
he
Gulf Stream. The
115
Atlantic Slaughter
water swirled and a great sucking noise drowned out the roar of the inferno; under the sea
went the skipper.
With a mighty lung-straining
effort
Captain Kretchmer struggled to
By some
the surface clear of the burning water.
touched a small length of board. As he clung to
bumped
debris
him.
He
miracle his hand
it,
a large piece of
did not shout for help because the
first
object
he sighted was the hull of a large U-Boat, metal sides glistening in the flicker of the fire.
The
hours and fought
off
in the
man, kept
faith
through seven
morning.
The
torpedo to strike the Allan Jackson had been spotted just
first
one
after
skipper, a brave
unconsciousness until a destroyer picked him up
thirty
from the bridge by twenty-five-year-old Melvin A.
Rand, Second Mate. He saw the creaming phosphorescent wake 125 feet off
and shouted, "Hard
left!" to the
Rand was knocked
then
off his feet,
tossed overside. With
man
at the wheel.
Before the
was ripped open amidships. Mr.
ship responded to her helm, she
lifted
on a deck grating and
him went Third Mate Boris A. Vornosoff. They officer, Francis M. Bacon who leaped. The
shouted up to the junior three
and
men
lashed themselves to planking and tried to
legs clear of the
Drifting off they their bodies
drifted off
Back
Clausen and they
felt
their
arms
water when sharks were attracted to the scene.
saw pain-maddened men writhing blindly on deck,
enveloped
still
aft,
lift
in flame.
Before daylight Mr. Bacon died and
lashed to his spar.
where the crew berths his
men had been
in
a tanker, Boatswain Rolf
playing cards in the
messroom when
the forward part of the Jackson jerk from the two explo-
By the time they reached the deck, No. 4 Eight men quickly launched the starboard boat; sions.
Engineer was lowered into flames licked at them.
They
it.
No
lifeboat
was
afire.
the injured Chief
sooner were they water-borne than
struggled to get clear of the side and were
saved from cremation by the discharge of a condenser pump. But the force of the stream pushed
propeller which
was
still
them astern
into the
back bent. By great good luck they ratched later they
backwash of the
turning over. Oars dug into the oily water, clear. Fifteen
minutes
picked up Stephen Verbonich, the Radio Operator. In the
morning they were picked up by the destroyer which found the two mates and the captain. Cruising fished the bodies of four
in the area, the
naval vessel also
dead from tangles of blackened wreckage.
One of these was young Carl Webb, be named two years later.
a wiper, after
whom
a ship would
The War
116 Ashore
in the Atlantic
that morning,
still
men
vors gave newspaper
suffering
from extreme shock, the
survi-
the "eyewitness" accounts. These were a
preview of what lay ahead for unarmed merchant ships, a sample of the experience through which any mai? might expect to pass
men
hazardous waters. Twenty-two
sailed these
if
he
lost their lives in the
torpedoing and burning of the Allan Jackson.
The Germans
struck again off Hatteras in the pre-dawn darkness
of the following day and sent
Savannah Line
two torpedoes
into the thirty-year-old
freighter City of Atlanta. Ancient plates buckled; the
sea poured in so fast that the vessel heeled over on her
The starboard lifeboat hung Eighteen men who scrambled into the
before she lost way. inboard.
dumped
as
capsized in the
it
three survivors were picked
The
at
swaying
port boat were
men were
killed.
Only
daybreak by a Seatrain Texas
ship.
falls.
up
beam ends
useless,
Forty-four
A tlanta
had scarcely settled when a U-Boat slipped up Malay and boldly opened fire with its deck gun. Brave men stood by in the engine room when Captain John Dodge called down that he was going to run. The tanker was bound from City of
astern of the tanker
Philadelphia toward Port Arthur in ballast; a shot into her gas-filled
hods would blow the ship to pieces.
The
sixty-nine-year-old skipper
bounded
in
and out of the wheel
house yelling course changes to the quartermaster. shelter as the
U-Boat raked
the decks
and were put out; the
Fires started
riddled; cordite
Men ducked
from two hundred yards after
for
astern.
house and funnel were
fumes choked the men who huddled
in the passage-
ways, ready at any instant to leap overboard.
The
stern chase continued for
where the U-Boat turned away. Captain Dodge care-
close inshore fully felt his
two hours and the Malay was driven
way
off
soundings, then shaped a course for Old Point
Comfort and radioed the Navy. The danger seemed averted when the
Malay was suddenly hit amidships by a torpedo. Unnerved men lowered a boat while the tanker was through the water and made falls;
two were thrown overboard
The Malay limped
plowing
as the boat
was whipped around.
into port.
U-Boats sank the Frances Salman and the Norvana days along with Allied vessels so that the Atlantic Coast
still
the mistake of releasing the forward
was twenty
ships sunk,
toll in
in the next
two weeks
two hundred merchant
dead. In addition there had been a dozen
collisions
two
off the
sailors
and several
groundings when ships and some navigational aids blacked-out. The
117
Atlantic Slaughter press, sea unions
Why
Washington.
and steamship companies demanded action from don't
we put guns on our merchant
ships?
Where
is
Navy? Months would pass before the U-Boats were seriously challenged. To the Germans Operation Paukenschlag was less demanding, and far more sport, than training exercises in the Baltic. The bright lights of Boston, New York, Atlantic City and Miami Beach were friendly the
reminders of Berlin. They also served to
make
excellent silhouettes of
and
ships that were so carefully blacked-out. Night-club, restaurant
theater owners insisted
on flashing
neon
their
invitations: in
war
re-
laxation was necessary to keep up morale.
To make
things even easier for themselves, the
U-Boat comman-
ders resorted to guile. In the darkness of January twenty-fourth, off the Virginia Capes, a
U-Boat sank
a big foreign tanker
and from
its
glow picked up the outline of the ore carrier Venore. The submarine raced ahead for an hour then stopped to wait in the path of the
oncoming American This
The
is
vessel.
the lightship.
You
are standing into danger.
bridge watch of the Venore snapped to the attention as the
blinker message
was
read. Captain Fritz
Duurloo rubbed
and
his chin
scowled.
Direct your course to pass close to me,
came
the followup
U-boat whose commander peered into the darkness.
from the
He watched
bulk of the ship begin to swing and gave the order to
fire
the
One and
Two. Deafening explosions thundered around the Venore. Ears ringing, wits dulled
by
When
way.
fear, the
crew
tried to
launch boats before the ship
survivors were rescued next morning twenty
lost
men were
missing.
As
the
month
were bagged.
two
off
of January neared an end
On
two more American ships
the twenty-sixth the Francis E. Powell was cut in
Delaware Breakwater with a
loss of four lives.
Four days
later
a U-Boat surfaced in the path of the Rochester a few hours out of
New
York. One of the lifeboats ran afoul of the submarine and
fended
off,
then rowed with
all
their
might
in fear of
being machine-
gunned. Tough young Germans jeered at them and opened blank
fire
point-
at the ship.
U-Boat commanders gave their crews a chance firing the deck guns. There were many stories war of boat crews being machine-gunned, but there is no
Whenever to
men
blow
off
during the
possible
steam by
The War
118
in the Atlantic
substantiated record of Americans being so slaughtered by the Ger-
mans.
It
was the Japs who were
this atrocity
.
.
proved to have committed
definitely
.
Public indignation increased as the^U-Boat blitz continued un-
The Navy
checked.
established a system of defense based on the
1929 Coastal Frontier Forces and placed antisubmarine
officers,
in
command
the best of
its
Admiral Adolphus Andrews. The new Eastern
Sea Frontier, responsible for the safety of merchant ships sailing
between Canada and Florida, had only the most antiquated equip-
ment with which
to fight a fleet of
Ten World War
thirty.
I
submarines then estimated
surface units were supported by four blimps and six
This force did not even
at
subchasers joined three seagoing yachts. The
Army
bombers.
alone engage, the enemy.
sight, let
Available naval vessels in the opening months of the war had
been ordered to transatlantic convoy duty. Guns and armed guards
went
to ships
bound
for
England and Russia. All
aircraft
were being
The Royal Air Force refused to release a number of American-built bombers that were about to be flown to Britain on Lend Lease. Merchant seamen were as expenddirected to higher priority theaters.
able as the soldiers fighting against hopeless odds on Corregidor:
other group of the Nation's citizens were Hitler reminded the world of this
month
of February opened.
He
left in
when he came on
no
peril.
the air as the
ranted the threat that the U-Boats
and that American ships and seamen would
were only
just beginning
soon
the full might of his submarine
feel
any such
blitz.
He
attempted to
frighten sailors off the sea with the warning that any so foolish as to sailors stood scant
The Fuehrer's
chance of ever returning. threatening prophecy was almost immediately car-
ried out in a sinking that brought as
tragedy as any disaster of
The Standard launched
in
Oil
World War
Company
of
much
suffering
and human
II.
New
Jersey tanker,
W. L.
Steed,
1918, was logging no better than eight knots on February
second as she drew abeam of the Delaware Capes. The ship was low in the water, carrying sixty-five
thousand barrels of
oil,
and seas that
broke over the forecastlehead swirled above the well deck to cover the catwalk. A strong northwest wind brought a driving snowstorm;
men who had been burned by the Caribbean sun two were now bundled up and shivered as they looked out manes
days before at the
white
of angry seas that broke under the blizzard.
The nerves
of
all
hands were on edge.
A
submarine had been
119
Atlantic Slaughter
and had been seen at intervals up until sunset At seven that night a suspicious light showed astern and the master was called. Captain Harold G. McAvenia, a veteran of World War I, changed course. When the danger seemed past, the ship was brought about to buck the gale again. All boats were swung out; sighted two days before
February
first.
most of the men drank coffee through the
room wearing
life
night,
huddled
mess-
jackets.
made
Eight bells struck for midnight and the Third Mate
Rough Log
in the
entry for the
first.
Wayland, Second Mate, who
The watch was
relieved
the last
by Sydney
gave an account of the events from
later
twelve forty-five a.m. onward. Here are extracts from that officer's report:
Without warning of any kind the ship was suddenly struck by a torpedo on her starboard
side,
forward of the bridge,
at her
No.
3
tank, setting the oil afire.
At
was proceeding generally
that time the vessel
erly direction,
about 80 miles
off the
two miles
The next
thing
I
a northeast-
Delaware Capes. The sea was
bad, with a strong northeasterly wind. ing the visibility
in
It
was snowing hard, mak-
at best.
heard was the engine being stopped by the
captain in the pilot house and the general alarm sounded. ter
ordered
me
The mas-
two amidships boats ready for lowering.
to get the
Second Mate Wayland carried out
his orders
and took No. 2 boat
which he successfully launched into the heavy sea with fourteen men. His report told that
all
boats cleared, leaving no one aboard, but that
he never again sighted any of them. to see
From
his
boat the
two big U-Boats which shelled the Steed
men were
until she
able
blew up. His
account continued:
Weather conditions were
fierce,
with the snowstorm and dan-
gerous northwest seas running. Everyone in the boat was suffering
from
cold,
due mostly to lack of clothes.
The men in lifeboat #2 died one after another until February 5, when Chief Mate Einar A. Nilsson and myself were the only ones alive.
On
the
6, Nilsson showed signs of weakAt about 9:30 A.M. I sighted a steamer and made every effort, waving and hailing, to
morning of February
ness and extreme fatigue.
coming
close to us
get her attention, as she
seemed
to
go past, but
around, headed for us, and picked us up.
finally she
hove
:
The War
120
in the Atlantic
This was the British freighter Hartlepool which continued on her
voyage and landed the two
They were
Halifax on February and Mr. Wayland concluded his /-,?
officers ^at
sent to the hospital
ment:
Mr. Nilsson died the following day.
I left
the hospital
ninth. state-
on Febru-
ary 28, after recovering from the pains and suffering experienced.
Another account of the sinking was given by Able Seaman Ralph Mazzucco who was in No. 3 boat with Joaquin Brea, the Boatswain, and Able Seamen Raymond Burkholder and Louis Hartz and Ordinary Seaman Arthur Chandler. of the sinking Steed, they
As
they were swept around the stern
had the
first
sighting of
one of Doenitz's
newest U-Boats Just
then
a
large
submarine,
estimated
about 2,000 tons,
at
painted a light gray, with guns forward and abaft her conning tower, appeared on the port side.
Men
immediately manned the
guns; the forward one appeared to be a 4-inch and the after one a trifle
smaller.
They
started shelling the ship.
The seamen watched
the
German
lob shells into their ship with
astonishing accuracy despite the heavy seas that clawed at the gun-
They then
ners.
tried to
make
contact with the other boats but were
swept by a walloping cross breaker that carried away oars together with the
their
Soaked by
tiller,
rudder,
sails
icy water they bailed frantically to
all
but three of
and boat hooks.
empty the
boat.
The
report from No. 3 continued:
After struggling a couple of hours
we had
the boat bailed out
and then went under the canvas boat cover for protection from the heavy spray and strong wind. Some of us kept joking and talking through the night to keep lay
down
tried to
in a life preserver
wake him and
the forward
and
up our morale. Finally Chandler fell asleep. The next morning I
realized that he
was dead.
We
carried
him
to
end of the boat.
The same morning Burkholder became delirious. Shortly after noon he died and was also carried forward. It was so bitterly cold that we decided to start a fire. The lamp in the boat being broken, we poured oil from it on some wood we had chopped up and placed it in the water bucket. The fire burned steadily and helped to dry our wet clothes and thaw us out to some extent.
Perhaps
it
saved our
lives.
By
cutting
up
the thwarts, stern
121
Atlantic Slaughter
forward sheets, bottom board, and one of the oars, we
sheets,
managed
to
night until
keep the
fire
going the rest of the day and during the
we were picked up by
a
Canadian auxiliary
cruiser,
HMCS Alcantara. Brea, Hartz and Mazzucco were taken to Halifax and although
badly frozen they
A
recovered.
all
report on the disaster reached Standard Oil from
final
Town, South Africa, following the arrival there of Raby Castle. She had picked up a boat on February hundred miles to seaward of the position
Cape
the British vessel twelfth
some four
which the Steed was
at
men in that boat but only Elmer E. He had been Second Assistant Engineer and
torpedoed. There were four
Maihiot,
was
Jr.,
alive.
died three days after being rescued.
Only four men survived the ordeal while the
list
of the dead could be
To
thirty-four perished.
added other frightening
statistics to
show
war projected through the loss of a single vessel. The cargo of the W. L. Steed, broken down into a retailing unit, amounted to more than one quarter of a million gallons of oil or one
the course of
On
million quarts: close to five hundred thousand dollars.
her war-
time voyages the ship had carried forty-five times that value of crude oil.
Had
she continued unmolested through the war, this single vessel
would have delivered
six million barrels.
seas, the
U-Boats
Many were
attacked
While the open boats of the Steed battled winter
upped
two ships a day.
their sinking average to
so close to shore that Florida and
New
Jersey residents
came down
to
the beaches to watch the carnage. Travelers in commercial aircraft
were witnesses to daylight attacks
Morgan, a
retired
watchman
and Gulf. Timothy
in the Atlantic
of Sarasota, Florida, never forgot the
strange experience of seeing a tanker burst into flames five thousand feet below.
'The boat looked
"We circled
while the pilot called shore to get help and
a toy," he recalled years later.
like
low enough to see the submarine dashing black smoke.
Then
tiny white boats
from the burning boat
off.
—four
of
we came down much them crawled away
I
never saw so
—
like little bugs."
Frantic calls to the
Navy by passenger
airliners
brought only belated help; Eastern Sea Frontier in still
without adequate equipment.
and spectators
late
February was
The onshore wind
menacing boom and crack of gunfire and drove
White beaches became covered with petroleum scum and dead
fish,
sodden
life
jackets
carried
in a pall of oil
and smashed boats,
rafts
the
smoke.
littered
with
and decking.
:
The War
122
in the Atlantic
among
Small boys searched the shore and parts of
human
ica in the
bodies. This was the^ unprotected coastline of Amermonths of January, February and March of 1942.
Into the seaports half
the things they found were
naked.
showed the
came
Many wore strain of a
exhausted,' 'unnerved dirty
men, oilsmeared and
bandages over horrible burns. All
wretched experience. But old
lifetime of sea service, together with teen age
men
boys on their
with a
first trips,
showed a common defiance. "Give us guns," they continued to demand. Their answer to the stock reporter's question was, "Hell yes, I'm shipping out again." There was no braggartism and few asked for
more than a drink or might be sea they
drifters,
a cigarette. In ordinary times
many
them
of
troublemakers, drunks and brawlers; under stress at
showed great courage and
ship, their clothing or
later a fierce pride.
Without
their
any possessions, they proclaimed the dignity of
man.
The waterfront bars and
restaurants frequented by sailors were
plastered with warnings:
A SLIP OF THE LIP
MAY
SINK A SHIP
THE ENEMY
DON'T BLAB
IS
LISTENING
Nazi informers were everywhere and U-Boats were being fed
infor-
let them make the best use of their torpedoes. The Germans chided men in lifeboats for being a few minutes late or early at their rendezvous; officers were astonished to hear U-Boat commanders tell them their destination and the cargo they had been carrying.
mation that
From the decks of the big gray submarines motion pictures were now being taken of the burning ships under shell fire as crews scrambled into the boats. Machine guns were trained on the survivors to bring out a realistic look of fear while the cameras ground. Later,
audiences in Berlin would have no doubt about victory over so less
spirit-
and ragged an enemy.
Navy communiques were handed
Enemy submarine of
activity
out to the newspapers
continued
last
North America from Cape Hatteras
southward to the Florida
Straits
.
.
week to
off the
East Coast
Newfoundland and
.
Strong counter measures are being taken by units of the Navy's
East Coastal
Command.
123
Atlantic Slaughter In Paul's Bar and the Dutchman's on Eleventh Avenue,
and
between there and the Ship's Light on Charles
in all the bars
New
Street,
Orleans, seamen shrugged
Out
the true count in February.
when
his legs.
Men
and
Navy
off the coast.
San Pedro a
in
ticket, lifeboat certificate, identification
on
they read a
had been sunk
that claimed twenty submarines
tattoed
New York
sailor
release
Zero was
had
AB
his
numbers
social security
shipping out went "schooner-rigged," taking
only bare necessities and checking valuables at the union halls or
Seamen's Church
Institute.
Good-byes
to wives
and families took on
the aspect of finality.
At
when some
the height of the sinkings,
was
sort of coastal patrol
USNR,
so badly needed, Captain Arthur O. Brady,
privately voiced a
many who were old enough to rerum runners these days?" he knew every inch of water fellows "Those asked, half humorously. from Florida up to the Bay of Fundy." Veterans of the Jersey Coast, Long Island and Florida beaches, suggestion that had occurred to
member
Prohibition.
"Where
where they smuggled booze
But
boats.
are the
in the 'twenties,
in the spring of
had operated
1942 those of them not
fast,
armed
in prison
were
playing the black market or cargo filching along the waterfronts.
Through
the
the pattern of
month U-Boat
of February the public because familiar with
Most
attack.
survivors told of surprise and
shock; the tanker disasters brought explosions and burning.
Men
could not remain on the scorching decks but usually the only place to
jump was
into a sheet of flame.
overlaid with searing
To
the U-Boats the merchant ships were like
a hunt. great
Here was the paradox of
Each commander was out
enough
to earn
water
him
the
commencing on February Reached operational
game
to be
bagged
in
to get a tonnage-destruction figure
Oak Leaves
an extract from the log of U-504 as
it
to the Iron Cross.
Here
is
swept the waters of Florida
twenty-first:
area.
Fired double salvo at tanker steering
south in ballast. Hit fore and
chased a merchant ship but later
icy
fire.
aft.
lost
Ship sank by stern. Next evening her in a rain squall. Half an hour
sank a four-masted ship in night attack. Ship turned
Steered south for Jupiter. Attacked large tanker. plosion and ship at once burst into flames.
turtle.
Tremendous
ex-
She was carrying
12,000 tons of petrol. Picked up destroyer noises. In the bright moonlight sighted enemy and dived.
Was
attacked with depth-
charges and pursued for three hours, but although
enemy passed
The War
124
in the Atlantic
overhead several times he did not attack again, and
A
off.
later
little
made submerged
from heavy seas which impeded
7, 000- ton
action. Set course for
Bombay
slow speed. Sank a ship making for
motor
on a
daylight attack
which blew up. Serious damage sustained on deck
petrol tanker
of
finally cleared
cars.
Ship blown to
bits.
.
home
at
carrying deck-cargo
.
.
This cold account described what by that time was a commonplace slaughtering in the ocean jungle off the sandy coast of Florida. the
Merchant Marine Naval Reserve
of wartime sinkings
list
possible to write the obituary of the ships that
The were
killed
fell
was the tanker Republic,
ship caught
first
From it
is
victims to U-504.
whose crew
five of
by the explosion. The four-masted ship was a Cuban
vessel,
and the tanker reported
Jupiter
was the
Cities Service
to
have burst into flames north of
Empire. All her lifeboats on the
star-
board side were smashed; twenty-three of the crew huddled on one
and seven men were burned
raft,
The merchant
to death.
ship that escaped in the rain squall on February
SOS was
twenty-second was the Green Island. Her
America's
first
Pacific-bound convoy out of
escorting destroyers raced ahead but
New
picked up by
York. One of the
was rammed by the Green
land which mistook her for a sub in the fading
light.
A
second de-
stroyer
made
The bound
petrol-tanker caught just before the sinking of the vessel
the depth-charge attack
was
Is-
on U-504.
BombayAt the time of her torpedoing Sumner addressing delegates to a Pan American
Brazilian.
Welles was in Rio de Janeiro defense conference.
Operation Paukenschlag reached
March when for a
little
more than two months was 145
dred thousand tons and
Marine
furious
a
Institute
comparative
climax midway
the U-Boats sank twenty ships in one week.
six
hundred
attempted
to
lives.
impress
in
score
ships totaling eight hun-
The American Merchant the
public
general
the average freighter carried an
statistics:
The
cargo equal to four trains of seventy-five cars each!
A
with
amount
of
standard tanker
loaded enough gasoline on one voyage to supply the holder of an "A" ration
sent to
book with gas
more submarines
commission the
Fuehrer a
total of
for thirty-five thousand years! Admiral Doenitz to the
first
American
station
and was getting ready
tankers and supply boats.
two hundred
ships,
He
promised the
one million tons, by April
first.
On
the last day of
March
the compilers of ship losses
made
an-
:
125
Atlantic Slaughter
other record entry: in slightly over twenty-four hours the U-Boats
sank
six vessels: City of
New
York, Tiger, T. C. McCobb, Menomi-
and Allegheny.
nee, Barnegat
New York
Thirteen days after the City of
went under Robert "Pat"
how
Peck, an ordinary seaman, came into a Delaware port and told the big
American South African Line motor ship was slugged one off the coast as she bucked a head gale and waves that
hundred miles
ran twenty feet from trough to crest. Only one of the ship's four boats cleared and in
old
girl,
it
were crowded twenty persons, including a three-year-
her mother and two other women.
men
Half the for there
died in the next ten days.
were no weights
The
were hideous
burials
which would
to sink the corpses
just float
who had sobbed constantly since the abandoning, hysterics when her mother died. "Please don't throw my
away. The child,
gave way to
Mummy in the water.
Please don't."
U-Boats, lurking between the
number
Down
East coast and Florida
was necessary for them
Straits,
to
burn
at night.
They
refueled or took on ammunition and supplies without fear;
com-
had so increased
in
that
it
navigation lights to avoid collisions
manders even exchanged
on deck
stretched out
Miami
In
visits.
when they surfaced
In Southern waters the Germans
to acquire sun tans.
there were rumors that U-Boats were receiving regular
milk deliveries from a local dairy.
It
was said
that ticket stubs
from a
Flagler Street movies had been found in the pockets of submariners
captured offshore. The
FBI
boats refueling the enemy,
men
investigated five
all
of
them
hundred reports of small
false alarms. J.
Edgar Hoover's
did capture saboteurs near Ponte Verde, just south of Jackson-
and twenty-seven
ville,
Miami Naval Air
aliens
Station at
were rounded up
in the
lee
Opa-Locka. These German,
of the
Italian
and
Japanese aliens were operating with radios, cameras and binoculars.
The United
Navy was being sharply criticized, even by its Commander-in-Chief who was then carrying on a confidential correStates
spondence with Prime Minister Winston Churchill
.
.
.
Roosevelt
wrote .
.
.
My Navy
marine war officers
has been definitely slack in preparing for this sub-
off
our coast. As
have declined
than two thousand tons.
We
still
have to learn
the
West
Indies.
I
need not
it.
tell
you, most naval
terms of any vessel of
You learned the lesson two years ago. I expect to get a pretty good By May
less
coastal patrol working
I
in the past to think in
1
from Newfoundland
to Florida
and through
have begged, borrowed, and stolen every vessel
The "War
126
in the Atlantic
of every description over eighty feet long a separate
command
"Roosevelt's
them
Navy" was under
politicians
—and
I
have made
who had
attack by
many
amateurs, some of
screame'd against prewar appropriations.
Enemies of the Administration pointed accusingly to the from Britain and longed for the
islands leased
this
with the responsibility in Admiral Andrews.
string of
exchanged de-
fifty
stroyers.
and lubberly ad-
While pundits of the shore offered caustic vice, the
Luxury
Eastern Sea Frontier battled delays, red tape and selfishness.
lighting at
Miami and West Palm Beach
did not go out until
convoy escort
the end of the winter tourist season; sufficient ships for
were not delivered
merchant ships
and the
until April,
—from Hampton Roads
first
to
protected
Key West
—
movement
of
started in mid-
May. After hundreds of merchant seamen had died, most of them in night attacks, daylight coastal navigation sailing
was put
into force. Ships
between Maine and Delaware Bay anchored overnight
ton and
New
Bos-
in
York. Because there were no such convenient stopping
places south of Hatteras, artificial ports were constructed. These were
pens built out of huge booms and submarine nets, spaced 125 miles apart. Freighters fields;
and tankers were herded
in at sunset
through mine
during the day they were escorted by 1918 destroyers released
from Iceland convoy duty.
The "leap-frog" convoys at the start were far from effective and the U-Boat sinking average remained at better than two per day. But Admiral Doenitz did not
like
even the mildest opposition and in the
spring directed his U-Boats to the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. In these unprotected waters the
Germans promptly
new
established a
slaughter record.
The problem America speed, was one of
how
faced,
and needed
to replace
LEAVING THE NAVY AS monumental
struggle
ahead,
let
to solve with the greatest
merchant ships and crews
IT us
.
.
.
SHAPED UP FOR THE turn
to
the
events
aboard
an Esso tanker at sea during the U-boat invasion. Able Seaman John J. Forsdal of R. P. Resor was aboard the 12,875 ton merchant-
man when sixth
she
voyage to
survivors.
It was during her fiftywas one of her few Forsdal and Kingdom, the United
fell
prey to an enemy submarine.
JOHN
FORSDAL
J.
"WIPE THE OIL
OUT OF MY
On
EYES!"
February 19, 1942, the R. P. Resor, commanded by Fred Marcus
and with Chief Engineer Travis L. Lumpkin
in charge of her engine-
room, left Houston, Texas, with a cargo of 78,729 barrels of fuel
oil,
bound, via Baytown, for Fall River, Massachusetts.
She carried a merchant crew of 41
Navy gunners
ensign and 8
complement of instructions
of her
and men. With the
armed guard, she had a
50. Sailing without escort, she followed
and maintained a
About two days out zigzag courses
officers
total
blackout
of Baytown, Captain
—long courses on each
at
Navy
night
.
total
routing .
.
Marcus began Mexico and
steering
leg in the Gulf of
shorter courses, of 15 minutes each, north of Miami. In addition to the crew's lookout watches, the
and
night, posting
gun
aft.
one
man on
armed guard maintained lookouts day the
monkey
bridge and another at the
On the night of the 26th, Captain Marcus was in the wheelhouse when Third Mate Graham P. Covert took over the 8 to 12 watch Ordinary Seaman Orville R. Hogard was stationed as lookout on the .
.
.
wing of the bridge.
The evening was
fine
and
clear.
There was a
light northwesterly
breeze, small ripples on the water, and a long, moderate, lazy easterly swell. It
was a
brilliantly lighted
better than half a
moon
showing.
moonlight night, there being a
The sky was
little
cloudless and the night
127
The -War
128 was
clear
st>.
Jersey shore.
I
in the Atlantic
New
could distinguish the individual lights on the
The evening was cold and
it
was necessary
to
wear
heavy clothing and ear muffs.
From
Seaman JForsdal was taking his trick at The Resor was then steering a base course of 30 degrees
8 to 10 p.m. Able
the wheel.
by gyro-compass and zigzagging
and
speed 15 degrees to the
at full
A
right of that course at intervals of 15 minutes.
was on lookout duty atop the on the
house and a seaman stood watch
pilot
The wheelhouse.was blacked out and
foc'sle head.
was not showing navigation
left
Navy gunner
When
lights.
Forsdal
the vessel
the bridge at
left
10 p.m. the ship was steering the zigzag course heretofore explained.
From 10 hour
p.m. to 11 p.m.
proceeded to the
I
I
foc'sle
was on standby
At
duty.
the latter
head and relieved Ordinary Seaman
Hogard. The Resor would soon be about 20 miles east of Manasquan Inlet,
N.
J.
Just before 7 bells,
Suddenly
I
was standing
I
on the port bow. Although not
points
was
indistinct. I did
due
to the
walked
slightly to port of the stem.
sighted a dark object lying
low
far distant
along the port side toward the
few seconds
from the
vessel,
after I sighted the vessel,
I
immediately turned and
bell, to
which
I
report the craft.
could see that
I
her white light was about 5 feet above her green and red side lights
A
thought might be a
small fishing boat, she turned on her navigating lights.
The
it
not hear any engine or a motor exhaust, possibly
sound of the Resor's bow waves.
aft
water about two
in the
lights.
were then about 200 to 300 yards away and were heading
for a point
midway between
the stem of the Resor
and the break of
the foc'sle head.
A
second or so after the strange vessel showed her navigating
lights, I
rang two strokes on the
bell
and then reported by voice
to the
bridge: "Small vessel about two points on your port bow, sir!"
bridge answered: "Aye! Aye!" craft until I reported
As
I
it,
From
the time
I
first
The
observed the
only 10 to 15 seconds had elapsed.
turned to walk forward,
I
saw
that the lights
were about
three points on the port bow. They were too dim to show any part of her hull and after a few seconds she switched them off. Thinking that
she was a fishing boat because of her small outline and not realizing that a submarine
would venture so close
to shore,
I
resumed
my
lookout without giving further thought to the vessel, which had
disap-
moon was
either
peared
in the darkness.
At
this time, as I recall, the
aft or on our starboard quarter.
"Wipe the Oil Out I
my
had continued
My
of
129
Eyes!"
lookout for a minute or two,
when
of a
all
sudden I felt and heard a violent explosion on our port side. Within what seemed a fraction of a second the Resor was aflame from her bridge aft and debris was hurled high into the air. I was thrown to the deck and lay there momentarily
in a
myself from falling fragments
I
foc'sle
dazed condition. Then to protect
crawled under a platform on the
head which had been constructed for a gun.
up and went down to the fore deck. In was now clearly visible, about 400 to 500 yards distant. The enemy four points on our port bow and vessel, without lights, appeared to be on her way to the Jersey shore and I could hear the noise of a heavy Diesel exhaust. Then she disap-
When
it
seemed
safe, I got
the light of the flames, the submarine
peared from view.
Removing my
lifebelt
and heavy overcoat,
put the
I
lifebelt
on
again and proceeded to the foremast rigging on the port side, where tried to size
that the fire
found a
line
up the
whether
situation to see
was too
severe.
Then
could go
I
decided
aft. I
released the portside
I
I
life
raft,
hanging over the side and lowered myself into the water,
which was icy cold.
When heavy
shoulder ship
about 50 yards from the ship, as
oil,
was
I
I
I
kept on swimming in
heard a second violent explosion. Looking over
saw
that the oil floating
afire. I
had
to
swim out
on the water
in the vicinity of the
to the sea at least
20 minutes
away from the burning oil. About this time I heard a voice and paddled toward
A
my
it,
to get
shouting.
man calling nearer by. It was Radio Operator Clarence Armstrong and I swam in his direction. Sparks shouted to me and to the other man in the water, whom I could not identify: 'Come over here so we can be together.' He also moment
told us he
later I
heard another
had a
life raft.
Jersey shore and
I
The Resor was then between
us and the
could see the mass of flames growing steadily
worse.
Covered with more and more strong, answering
oil,
I
struggled hard to reach
him each time he shouted. In the
Resor, after a period of time
I
cannot estimate,
which was about half a mile distant from the around the tion. I
lifelines I rested for ten
Sparks was hanging to a
I
ship.
light of the
up on the
raft
flaming
arrived at the raft,
Hooking my arms
minutes or so in a state of exhaus-
lifeline
on the other
side of the raft.
was heavily weighted down with cold and clinging
tion of climbing
Arm-
taxed
my
oil;
the exer-
strength so seriously that
I
The "War
130
was unable seemed
to
in the Atlantic
do anything but
While lying on the
Guard
my
to be paralyzing
down. The cold and the heavy
took to be a Coast
I
patrol boat. I told Sparks to'-keep his chin up, that help
could locate
was was shouting toward the boat so they she passed us she turned around and put a
When
us.
on the
searchlight
managed
I
I
Then
raft.
my
to get
was thrown, attached
a lifebuoy
arms through the ring but sea.
grasp. I
I was hauled off the raft into the headway pulled the life ring from my
return slowly to the raft, but as
attempt to climb aboard not reply
when
I
Soon afterward
I
warmer
in the water, I did not
still
hanging on, but did
had died.) a rope was put under my arms. came along and the line secured to my cannot remember what happened after that
came over
to
me and
a picket boat
body was passed until
I felt
Armstrong was
talked to him. (Forsdal did not know, at that time,
that the radio operator
small boat
it.
to a
as the vessel
Then the patrol managed to
went ahead boat's
A
oil
r
observed what
raft I
coming. At the same time
line.
lie
body.
to
it.
I
found myself on board the boat, which landed
me on
the
New
Jersey coast.
Another man had been hauled out of the water by the picket boat before they rescued me.
He was
a
member
of the
Navy armed guard
named Hey. According of the
to Chief Boastwain's
Mate John W. Daisey, commander
Coast Guard picket boat that rescued the two survivors,
"Forsdal was so coated with thick congealed his clothes
with
oil
blob of
we
and
his life jacket off with knives.
couldn't get
him aboard. Even
his
oil that
we had
They were mouth was
to cut
so weighted filled
with a
oil."
THE NORTH ATLANTIC WAS FRAUGHT WITH DISAGREEable duties and by far the worst was the
Murmansk Run.
while under the aegis of the Royal Navy, was our primary
Russia and Sea.
States lost
some twenty percent
of her
war shipments
on the Murmansk Run, because of the combined attack of
U-boats and the Luftwaffe. The
stirring
and Lieutenant Stephen L. Freeland.
Murmansk is reCommander Earl Bur-
drama
counted by Captain Walter Karig, Lieutenant ton,
with
extended from Iceland and Spitzbergen into the Barents
The United
to Russia
This route, lifeline
of
CAPTAIN WALTER KARIG,
LIEUTENANT EARL BURTON AND LIEUTENANT STEPHEN L. FREELAND
MURMANSK RUN
At
first,
Navy.
armed guard duty was the
A
normal greeting extended
least
to
coveted assignment in the a
shipmate
who
received
orders to the Armed Guard was "Well, so-long fish-bait. It was nice knowing you." An exclusive society was projected, "The Bitter Enders," whose membership was limited to Armed Guard personnel surviving a torpedoing.
Someone
Armed
originated a paraphrase that the
Guard ironically adopted as its war-cry: "Stand by. Prepare to Fire. Abandon ship!" Or, even more to the point, after "Sighted sub: sank same" became "Sighted sub. Glub! Glub!" famous, was the Armed Guard version
—
Men
— and boys—who had never seen
turned from one
Armed Guard
salt
spray in their lives re-
cruise veterans of both the sea
and the
war.
There was one run that became wardroom and
was
told
and retold by those that lived through
liberty legend. It
to tell
it.
And
the
men
who had been on it were forever considered a little higher in the Armed Guard veterans. It was the "Murmansk run." The German armies were at the very gates of Moscow by the end
echelon of
of 1941. Relief, in the
form of American war
supplies,
had
to get
through to the Soviet forces. The shortest practicable route for
this
material was over the Arctic Circle and around the North Cape of Norway down to the port of Murmansk or into the White Sea to
131
a
1
The War
32
in the Atlantic
Archangel. Bitter weather and a ruthless enemy combined to
most dangerous of voyages.
that the
make
r
Not only was there danger from enemy submarines, based all along Norwegian coast; German airfields* were close at hand, and more serious potential menace than either the heavy units of the
—
the
—
German
fleet,
the
Von
Tirpitz, the Hipper,
and Scheer and Lutzow
together with squadrons of destroyers lurked in the deep rugged Alten Fjord, a constant murderous threat against anything smaller than a battleship daring to pass near their
To combat
lair.
these heavy craft, the British
Home
Fleet
had
tain a constant patrol of the waters with ships of similar
armament. More than Russia-bound convoy. ready taken serious
the
this, It
Home
Fleet
was a heavy duty
losses.
had
for a
main-
to
armor and
to protect each
navy that had
Help was needed, and help was
al-
forth-
coming.
On March
26, 1942,
Task Force 99, under the command of Rear Jr., USN, sailed from Casco Bay, Maine,
Admiral Robert C. Giffen, for
Home
Scapa Flow, to operate with the
his flag
Fleet.
The Admiral
flew
from the battleship USS Washington (Captain Howard H.
Benson, USN, commanding)
and
his
J.
force comprised the carrier
Wasp (Captain John W. Reeves, Jr., USN), the cruisers Wichita (Captain Harry W. Hill, USN) and Tuscaloosa (Captain Norman C. Gillette, USN), and the destroyers of Desron 8 (Captain Don P. Moon, USN). The Wasp was detached from the Task Force for a special mission upon her
arrival,
and the remaining ships took up
their share of the
burden of keeping the big German vessels bottled up out of harm's way. Late in June a special job came up, one which promised action and, possibly, a chance to end the threat of the
German
vital
"fleet-
in-being." Reconnaissance and intelligence agreed that the Tirpitz
and the Nazi
cruisers
were being readied for
sea.
At
the
same time
one of the largest and most important convoys was heading for Mur-
mansk.
The Tuscaloosa and Wichita were
assigned to the Cruiser Covering
Force to escort the convoy from Iceland around the North Cape
under the
command
of
Admiral Hamilton, RN. The Washington
joined the heavy units of the
Home
Fleet under the
command
of
Admiral Tooey, RN.
The prime mission
of the Cruiser Covering Force
was
to get the
Murmansk Run
133
convoy through, with the secondary mission of luring or delaying any heavy units of the Nazis into range of the big boys of the Allied force.
German
and submarine attacks were expected
air
Murmansk which made Hitler angry. The
in great strength; a
convoy had got through with
previous
particular convoy,
PQ
little
damage,
17, being cov-
ered represented some seven hundred million dollars' worth of arms
which made the Nazis anxious.
for hard-pressed Russia,
Germans was convoy
prize for the
mansk, scheduled
PQ
to pass
1
PQ
13,
An added
outward bound from Mur-
7 to northward of North Cape.
was lured out together with one or two cruisers (reports do not agree), a large screen of destroyers and a whole fleet of covering aircraft. She eluded the heavy ships of the Home Fleet, and,
The
Tirpitz
while she never struck at either convoy, her presence in the area
caused the Cruiser Covering Force to be withdrawn. The convoy
and found
scattered
way
its
to
Murmansk
as best
could under
it
continued heavy air and undersea attack.
"Heavy
air
daily entry in
and undersea attack" could well have been a standard any log of an Armed Guard officer. It would have
fitted naturally
and normally
after that other standard entry
"Steam-
ing as before."
One
Murmansk run is Lieutenant Robert B. Gainesville, Georgia, now skipper of a destroyer
of the veterans of the
Ricks,
USNR,
escort,
who was awarded
Armed Guard
of
the
Medal presented
Silver Star
first
to an
officer.
Lieutenant Ricks was assigned to SS Expositor in February, 1942.
Even by
this
time there were not enough
gun crew. To man
full
—machine
caliber striker
his
guns, Ricks
"striker" in
men
to give every officer a
one 4-inch 50-caliber gun and four 30-
had only four seamen and a signalman
Navy language meaning an
enlisted
man
study-
ing for non-commissioned promotion.
At nine o'clock left
in the
morning of March
Pier 98 in Philadelphia and headed for
4,
1942, the Expositor
New
York. Here, a cargo
was taken aboard which caused the Armed Guard crew shivers against
which
their
few
pea jackets were no protection.
The cargo was 5,000 rounds
mm.
to feel a
shells and 5,000 cases of
of
75-mm.
TNT. With
shells,
5,000 rounds of 37-
this lethal
load aboard, the
in a convoy bound for the Clyde Loch Long off Gourock, Scotland. At 2:30 in the March 27, the ships dropped anchor in that great convoy
ammunition ship was incorporated
Anchorage morning of
in
berthing spot. But the Expositor was not unloaded.
On
April
1,
they
The" War in the Atlantic
134
were on the move again,
in company with three other American SS Lancaster, Alcoa Rambler and Paul Luckenbach. The morning was clear and the weather was fine. The water of Loch Long lapped gently on the gray stQfte seawalls of Gourock. The gun crew watched the brown hills of Scotland fade in and they swapped
merchant
ships,
wise cracks about April Fools' Day. Their destination was certainly the Soviet Union,
and on
whom
would the joke be
they didn't
if
make
it?
At four o'clock that afternoon the lead ship in the convoy began to A message had been received from the British Admiralty ordering the convoy to return to Gourock. Anchored again in Loch Long, the reason for the return was made known. The DEMS Office (Defensive Equipment for Merchant Ships, the counterpart of the Navy's Armed Guard) had decided the ships were insufficiently armed. To the men of the Expositor, this was another certain proof that they turn.
were embarking on the hazardous Murmansk run.
Next day additional guns arrived on board, two 20-mm. Oerlikon
AA
machine guns and one twin-mount Hotchkiss machine gun.
was an embarrassment of
riches.
The
been complicated before with only
battle bill for the
five
men
to
man
It
gun crew had
five guns.
Now,
with additional guns, volunteers from the merchant crew had to be drilled in their use.
On
April 7, the quartet, under Admiralty orders,
which now consisted of twenty-five sian, its
left
Lismore Island, Scotland. Three days
of Lorn, off
ships,
for the
later,
Lynn
a convoy
American, British and Rus-
steamed out of the Lynn of Lorn bound for Reykjavik, Iceland,
on the way
last stop
to
North Russia.
On
the
15th the ships
arrived off Reykjavik harbor and were ordered to Iceland's convoy
anchorage area, Hvalfjordur Bay. Their only excitement en route had
been watching the destroyer-escort explode sixteen floating mines by gunfire.
There the ships remained for ten days, surrounded by grim, brown cliffs from whose tops bristled anti-aircraft artillery. It was remote from Reykjavik's few urban attractions, and the crew heard with relief that they were to be on the move again, even though it was
lava
now
officially
Then
at
announced: "Destination, Murmansk."
0800, April 26, the convoy began to move.
On
the second
day out of Iceland, lookouts reported what was to be a continuous hazard
The
all
the
third
way
to
Murmansk
—
floating mines.
day was stormy. The sky was low and goose-feather-gray
—
—
Murmansk Run and occasional snow
blotted out ships ahead.
flurries
morning when a plane was heard,
seemed
By
flying very high.
It
135 was
still
the sound,
it
to be circling.
"One
God-damned
of those
vultures," a veteran
merchant seaman
growled.
The plane kept
"He's radioing our position, speed and
circling.
course," the seaman added knowingly.
knows enough for
it
to
"And
keep out of range. He's
he's smart.
The bastard
just a spotter. We'll
be in
in a little while."
"What do you mean?" "Bombers,
that's
a novice asked.
what."
The Expositor plodded along with
the convoy. All hands grew as
fond of snow as a small boy with a new with the
flurries,
"I don't says.
was
Thus
reviled.
remember how many planes
"We had
just
sled.
Sunshine, alternating
and then
for four hours,
there were," Lieutenant Ricks
passed through a snow squall and were in the
when we saw them coming in on our starboard bow." The signal to commence firing was hoisted. The entire convoy seemed to open fire at the same time. The planes roared over the firebelching ships, their bombs falling off to the starboard side of the convoy. The bombers climbed higher and disappeared into the
clear
clouds.
Nobody had
a chance to say "scared 'em
the planes screamed
aimed
down through
from the merchantmen stant.
the clouds
at the lead ship in the port
guarding the convoy opened
It
fire
fire
hey?" before one of
on a dive-bombing run
column. The anti-aircraft cruiser
with every gun on her deck.
in the first three
was a blanket of
off,
such as no
German
expected to face. The bomber never came out of
about 150 yards
dropping
its
That was
The
off the port side of the
bomb
its
pilot
in-
had ever
dive. It crashed
number one column without
load.
all.
Expositor's
baptism of
Guns
columns joined on the
fire.
Armed Guard crew had had
Not very
Buzz
exciting at that.
its
indoctrinating
—whoosh— bang
bang! But the old-timers muttered something about "luck" and won-
dered aloud what the next time would be
"We
felt
pretty
good about
it,"
like,
and how soon.
Lieutenant Ricks
recalls.
shot down one of the planes, there was no damage done
had driven
off the others. Spirits
The convoy wallowed along
"We had
to us
and we
were pretty high."
resolutely,
and without molestation.
The War
136
Then
3:30 the following afternoon, two more "vultures" were
at
sighted.
Again the
gun range. They five
in the Atlantic
hours
later,
spotters carefully^avoided flying over the
convoy
in
They were still there mamcaifie up from evening mess blink-
circled far out of firing range.
when
the last
ing at the bright arctic sun. Then, as
the pilot
if
had spent
all
that
time building up courage, one of the planes suddenly streaked toward
As
the port wing of the convoy.
bomber
range, the
screening clouds.
the anti-aircraft fire began to find the on a wide track and climbed high into
tilted off
A
moment
later
it
flashed over the
second try and again the anti-aircraft
convoy for a
forced the plane to seek
fire
cloud refuge. The pilot seemed determined to have at least one shot at the ships.
The
third time he
came out It was
at the port wing of the convoy.
poured into the plane and followed
it
of the clouds in a steep dive his last.
as
The companion bomber made no attempt
it
Streams of tracers
crashed into the ocean.
to attack. It straightened
out and disappeared over the horizon.
Gun
crews remained
in flurries
at their stations
and there was the
on watch.
It
was
feeling that something else
still
snowing
was going
to
happen. It
lacked about an hour for sunset, which
o'clock in the morning
when
Commodore
the
is
to say
it
was one
hoisted a signal.
"Expect attack!"
Three planes were slanted
opened
in
toward the starboard and the ships
fire.
"This was our
first
glimpse of torpedo bombers," said Ricks. "The
three planes continued their approach in formation toward us.
looked
like
an attempt to pick
in low, flying
Then
about
fifty
off the leading line of ships.
or seventy-five feet above the water."
the torpedoes began to drop.
eyes on the planes.
It
They came
Above
The men
at the
guns kept their
the ear-splitting chatter of the ordnance
they heard the hollow, reverberating explosion that even the novices
knew meant torpedoes had found targets against hulls. The starboard plane of the trio crashed in flames, as its companions sheered off into the clouds. Then the gunners could look around. They saw the SS Bothaven, the Commodore's ship, plunging bow first
into the water while
men
spilled from the decks and swam had been launched. Where SS Cape
toward Corso had been was a flame-shot column of smoke. "The explosion of that ship sent flames five hundred the three lifeboats that
air,"
feet in the
said Lieutenant Ricks. "The entire mid-section seemed to blow
Murmansk Run up.
The
ship
was a flaming mass.
It
sank
in
137
about thirty seconds, and
no survivors." SS Jutland, steam pouring from her vents, was dead in the water and its crew taking to the boats from decks that inched closer and
there were
closer to the sea.
"Three ships sunk by two torpedoes?" somebody demanded. submarine must
And,
as
if
"A
have got one of them."
in confirmation, the Expositor's
lookout shouted: "Sub-
marine!"
"Where away?" The sea beyond the convoy's perimeter was empty. The lookout was correct fantastically correct. A conning tower was
—
convoy and
rising in the very center of the
just a
few yards from the
Expositor's starboard quarter!
"The periscope was only about ten or fifteen feet away from the Lieutenant Ricks, "and the submarine was surfacing. It was so close aboard that none of our guns could be brought to bear, no machine guns, no broadside guns, no nothing. And noship," reminisces
body
else in the
convoy could shoot
at
without hitting us
it
—loaded
TNT. It One of the cooks aboard the Expositor was standing on the fantail by the stern gun when the sub's conning tower bubbled up under his bulging eyes. The man stood there, unable to believe what he saw. Then he turned to the mute gun, which had been depressed to its lowest trajectory. The mess hand rushed over to the piece, grabbed it was kind of embarrassing to say the least."
with
by the barrel and
tried to tug
it
into position to fixe, grunting
and
groaning as he pulled.
The submarine continued
to surface until the
conning tower was
awash, while the Expositor widened the distance from
By
it.
the time the submarine was 25 yards away, the 4-inch gun
could be brought to bear on the
The gun was
still
tower, at 30 or
too high.
40
German
craft.
The second was
yards.
The
first
a direct hit on the conning
was blown completely
It
shot missed.
off.
After the second shot, the submarine appeared to be sinking.
Water boiled up watched the yelled:
The of her
oil
in a great froth of air
and bubbles. As the man
spreading over the submarine's grave the lookout
"Torpedo track
off port
bow!"
ship jolted as her screws went into reverse.
bow
the torpedo hissed
"I think the submarines
its
and
operation on a job like this,"
way
A few
feet in front
to nowhere.
aircraft
worked
in
very close co-
Lieutenant Ricks calculates. "The
re-
The 'War
138
in the Atlantic
connaissance planes did nothing but circle the convoy, evidently radioing to the subs, or to where the message could be relayed to them,
our position, course and speed. Then the subs would
convoy and
as
submarine that hurt by
some
lie
ahead of the
we came by would - lei us have it. This particular came up in the center of the convoy was evidently
had been dropped by Cape Cor so was hit." This marked the end of enemy action for that day. But as the ships fell into their convoy position, filling up the gaps left by the torpedoed, a fourth casualty was discovered. A British corvette had the
DEs and
of the heavy depth charges that
corvettes after the
disappeared in the melee, wiped out by a torpedo.
The only casualty aboard the Expositor was a seaman's dungarees. The deck hand, his arms full of 40-mm. ammunition, was on a ladder path of the 4-inch gun's
in the
'The concussion ripped Lieutenant Ricks
recalls.
there in a daze for a
deck
to the
blast.
his pants off,
"He
and
moment, and then dropped
after them.
I
literally
didn't have a stitch
Somebody ran
to pick
his shells
him
mean
on him.
He
and tumbled
up. There wasn't
any more of a scratch or bruise on him than there was pants. just dazed, and he couldn't quite figure out
off,"
stood
He was
why he was mother-
naked."
May
3
was almost logged
as an uneventful day, but a
few minutes
before midnight the attack signal was again jerked up the halyards.
This time the Germans changed
tactics.
Two
torpedo bombers ap-
They launched the flotilla. It was
peared, one on each wing of the convoy.
their tin fish
simultaneously against both flanks of
a clean miss
the
all
way around. No torpedo found
its
mark, nor did a shot from
the anti-aircraft guns.
Although evidences of submarine
activity
continued for the re-
maining week of the voyage, there were no further engagements with
Germans. The Armed Guard crew could not loaf the time away, however. Watches had to be maintained at any cost and the men the
worked with
On May
little
rest
and
less sleep.
6 the convoy anchored in the harbor of Murmansk. The
port could accomodate only about ten ships at the docks, which had
been bombed and rebuilt many times with timber.
As
the Expositor berthed, a sailor standing near Ricks
made
in-
quiry about liberty ashore. "I've dated
all
women me a date
kinds of
observed. "I'd like to get
in the
world except Russians," he
with a Russian."
Murmansk Run He
leaned over the
rail to
woman
watch a Russian
up
ing along the pier below. She stopped to pick
139
stevedore walk-
a length of piling
obstructing the path and nonchalantly tossed the 120-pound log out of the way.
The
"On second
sailor spat reflectively into the water.
thought," he said, "I don't believe
I
care to meet
women."
these
Now
the weather sided against the Germans.
so hard for two days that the vessel's stern
The
bridge.
blizzard
hampered
grounded the Luftwaffe
and with
it
that curved
the
skimming
was
snowed
It
from the
invisible
Then
the sun
it
came
out,
low
hills
close over the ridge of
around the harbor.
Twelve of the big multi-motored
The gun crews went
ducks.
snowed.
unloading considerably but
until the third day.
the bombers,
It
headed for the
aircraft
everybody
into action;
sitting
else scattered for
shelter. It
seemed impossible that the Germans could
miss.
They
did; the
gunners didn't. Only nine of the bombers flew back toward Finland,
two brought down by gunfire and one by a Russian
fighter plane that
buzzed up to meet them. After the Expositor unloaded she traded places with an
ammuni-
tion ship. "I don't
know whether
that
ammunition ship had been spotted or when we had taken
not," said Lieutenant Ricks, "but that afternoon
her anchorage out in the stream
by
six dive
we were
the target for a direct attack
bombers.
"Bombs dropped
fore
and
aft
and
missed by about a hundred yards.
bombs, but we weren't
to both sides of us, but they
We
hit."
The next day, about the same time in the early bombers came again. This time the misses were nearer. "In fact," Ricks recalls, "the spray from the
obscured the
ship.
The
British destroyer that
prepared to answer 'No damage' a second
came heading for us. "The bombs fell so near like a
dog shakes a
The twenty-two
afternoon, the
bomb
sitting
Just as
flight
completely
on our
of dive
bombers and
rat."
bombThe men were anxious to New buildings were all made
ships were unloaded in twenty days, despite
Murmansk was
star-
our signalman
that the concussion lifted the ship
ings, blizzards and inadequate wharfing.
leave.
first
was
board quarter signaled to ask 'What damage?'
shook her
all
were completely circled by
a pile of rubble.
The "War
140 of
wood
in the Atlantic
so that they could be reconstructed quickly. There
was the
International Club, open to everyone, for hot tea, chess and tattered
old magazines in six languages, but the ship was the most comfort/n 7 when off duty.
able place to stay
On May
21 the convoy
Twice
left for Iceland.
in the first three
days submarine contacts were made.
Late in the afternoon of the third day the sun
—
a reconnaissance plane began
firing range. Presently a
above the ued.
Then each dropped two green
were dropped, signals But, as
if
vulture-like circling
beyond vigil
tantalizing surveillence contin-
flares.
Ten minutes
later red flares
a Hurricane fighter plane was
flares,
catapulted from a British ship.
It
bomber. Both planes disappeared evidently lost
by the clocks, not by
to lurking submarines.
response to the
in
its
late
torpedo bomber joined in the circular
For three hours the
ships.
—
started in pursuit of the torpedo
cloud bank, where the fighter
in a
prey, because ten minutes later the Hurricane re-
its
turned and started to close in on the second
German
plane. Seconds
torpedo bomber popped out of the cloud and turned to join
later the
But
the fight.
was too
it
savage burst of
late to save the
reconnaissance plane.
from the Hurricane sent the
fire
first
A
Nazi crashing
into the sea. The bomber fled, and the Hurricane streaked after it. The pursuit vanished over the horizon. The convoy churned on, the empty ships riding high. Then a shout went up from the decks of the watching ships. The Hurricane was
returning
—
alone.
a boat put out to
It
it.
pancaked on the water near
The men crowding
A
the pilot taken aboard, his plane abandoned. flutter of flags
in
mother ship and
saw
little
while later a
broke out on the Englishman. The pilot had died of
wounds. For the remainder of the day
mast
its
the rails of the other ships
honor of the
fighter
who had
all
flags
given his
were flown
life
at half
to save the ships.
Next day the now familiar shores of Iceland were
sighted.
The
voyage was almost over. There was the sub-infested water between Reykjavik and
New York
to cover, but after
ready been through that seemed almost a
remained
in
of the ship
and the Armed Guard
chore.
officer
The
ships
official
were permitted to go ashore,
business only.
June 10 the confinement was broken. The ships
escort. Eight
long
humdrum
al-
Iceland for two dreary, chafing weeks. Only the master
and then for the transaction of
On
what the men had
days
later the
way from home.
A
men were reminded
that they
left still
under
were a
steamer on the edge of the convoy was
Murmansk Run torpedoed. Four
aboard other
men were
Two
ships.
141
the rest taken
killed in the explosion,
days later another was torpedoed and sunk.
Both times the attackers escaped, undetected. the Expositor dropped anchor just off
At one o'clock on June 28,
New York
the Statue of Liberty in
had returned with
all
116 days, the ship
miles,
One Armed Guard crew
harbor.
hands intact from the Murmansk run
— 12,000
and the metaphorical scalp of one
safe,
submarine nailed to the mainmast.
was
It
—
just
another voyage;
tougher than most, easier than some. Ricks's adventures were probably duplicated scores of times.
They
are related here not because they are exceptional, but because they
And
are illustrative. gantlet to
The
tell
not
all
gun crews survived the German-Finnish
their stories.
route to Archangel was,
anything, worse than the
if
Murmansk
run for being longer. Consider the experiences of Lieutenant Albert
Maynard, USNR, Armed Guard
officer
on SS Schoharie, which
brought a shipload of tanks, ammunition and food to
convoy that numbered
forty ships at sailing,
Murmansk
in a
and twenty-seven upon
arrival at the subarctic port.
The convoy was one
of the
more important,
in the constant line of
supply to the Soviet Union. Stalingrad and Leningrad were in what
seemed
to
be the
last stages of siege
and destruction. To make
deliv-
ery of the desperately needed supplies as secure as possible, the British
provided the convoy with an escort of a converted aircraft carrier,
a light cruiser,
two
antiaircraft cruisers, twenty-one destroyers
small fleet of corvettes, minesweepers and trawlers itself.
It
And
yet, a third of the
convoy was
was on Sunday, September
Iceland, that Lieutenant
—
and
a
a task force in
lost.
13, 1942,
on the seventh day out of
Maynard looked over the side in the course merchantman instantly blotted out
of
gun inspection
in
steam and smoke. Before the signal to scatter could be raised, a
to see a British
second ship was torpedoed.
The
superstitious in that
taste for the
number
13.
pack of submarines ran
convoy had reason
to confirm their dis-
Before that September day was done, a wolfriot inside the
thirty-seven Heinkel torpedo planes
convoy's columns, a swarm of
made an
attack at 25 feet above
the water, and a half dozen Ju-88s subjected the ships to a dive-
bombing right,
down
attack.
others later
left
A
total of ten
merchantment was sunk, some out-
crippled with corvette protection only to be sent
by the Nazis'
aerial rear guard.
The War
142
in the Atlantic
Lieutenant Maynard, with desperate sincerity, described the
lulls in
the battle as the unforgettable parts of the daylong fight with an
enemy who alternately dropped from the sky or rose from the ocean depths. The business of fighting off- dive bombers above, torpedo planes at deck level, and submarines,
too wholly occupying to
is
permit mental note-taking.
"During the attacks our reaction was not bers.
"But
of us
was not downright scared."
in the
letdown periods of quiet,
The view over
may
the side
fright,"
it
Maynard remem-
would be
silly to
was not cheering. Cargo ships
say one
in
convoy
not pause or break the established pattern to rescue the ship-
wrecked. That job
for the escorting warships.
is left
Armed Guardsman to own ship passes through
But
men
it
does not
boost the morale of the
see
the icy brine as their
the flotsam of battle;
when
they are humanly prone to wonder
it
will
struggling in
be their turn to cling
with numbing fingers to a shattered spar and see the ships go by.
"There were men
"Some
recalls.
of
sticking out their slid
in lifeboats,"
Maynard
them swearing, some praying, and some mockingly
thumbs and
by not a hundred
Monday was
and men
in the water,
feet
calling 'Going
my
way, mister?' as we
from them."
inaugurated by the torpedoing of a tanker early in the
morning. At noon thirteen torpedo planes came out of the clouds and concentrated on the carrier, whose
own
fighters shot
down
six of the
enemy without loss. Half an hour later twenty Heinkels swarmed over One of them torpedoed an ammunition ship which disintegrated just as the plane skimmed over the stricken vessel's masts; the horizon.
and
the explosion blasted the Nazi plane
Day
in,
crew
to atoms.
day out, the Heinkels and Junkers plagued the convoy. The
thirteenth ship flotilla
its
was
stood in for the
fight off attacks
Finnish dive bombers just as the battered
lost to
straits of the
White Sea, but the convoy had
to
every day at sea of the four remaining, and for the
four moonlit nights of unloading at Archangel.
"And
that," Lieutenant
pened on our
had
trip to
Maynard concludes,
Archangel," a
to grab a fifty-caliber
boring in on the
nard muses.
about
all
that hap-
during which he himself once
train
it
against a
Schoharie. The plane disappeared
and smoke, and tumbled "I think that
trip
gun and
"is
Voss-Ha 140
in a blur of flame
"just like a ball of fire" into the sea.
was the most fun
I
had on the
entire voyage,"
May-
Murmansk Run
143
THE PROBLEMS POSED BY THE DISASTROUS RUN OF convoy
P.Q.
Churchill, of the
17
Great
to
Murmansk
Britain's
most imposing
The
formidable
figures of the
ing the event he reveals Stalin.
are
his
discussed
wartime
by
Sir
leader
Winston
and
Twentieth Century. In
one
recall-
correspondence with Roosevelt and
strain of Churchill's grave responsibility
is
evident in the
following excerpt, one which also gives us a penetrating glimpse of Britain's ineluctable strategist at work.
WINSTON
CHURCHILL
S.
.•'•
P.Q.17
In view of the disaster to P.Q.17 the Admiralty proposed to suspend the Arctic convoys at least
till
the Northern ice-packs melted and
receded and until perpetual daylight passed.
I
felt this
would be a
very grave decision, and was inclined not to lower but on the contrary to raise the stakes,
Prime Minister
on the principle of
to First
Lord and
First
'In defeat defiance.'
Sea Lord
15 July 42
Let the following be examined:
Suspend the stant.
sailing of
P.Q.I 8 as
now proposed from
See what happens to our Malta operation.
If all
18th in-
goes well,
bring Indomitable, Victorious, Argus, and Eagle north to Scapa, together with
air
ice,
results so
144
much
If
at least
we can move our armada
at least a
able to fight our
hundred
line,
fighter aircraft
way through and out
twenty-five de-
again,
and
in
convoy under
we ought if
fight
to be
a fleet action
the better.
could not however persuade
kind of
and
but seeking the clearest weather, and thus
out with the enemy.
an umbrella of
I
'Didos'
umbrella and destroyer screen, keeping southward, not
hugging the it
available
Let the two 16-inch battleships go right through under
stroyers. this
all
my
Admiralty friends to take
which of course involved engaging a
vital force to
this
us out
145
P.Q.17
of proportion to the actual military importance of the Arctic convoys. to send the following telegram to Stalin, about
I
had therefore
I
obtained the approval of the President beforehand. 17 July 42
Prime Minister to Premier Stalin
We
which
began running small convoys to North Russia
in
August
1941, and until December the Germans did not take any steps to
From February 1942
interfere with them.
the size of the convoys
was increased, and the Germans then moved a considerable force of U-boats and a large number of aircraft to North Norway and
made determined
attacks
on the convoys. By giving the convoys
the strongest possible escort of destroyers
and anti-submarine
craft
the convoys got through with varying but not prohibitive losses. It
Germans were dissatisfied with the results which were being achieved by means of aircraft and U-boats alone, beis
evident that the
cause they began to use their surface forces against the convoys.
Luckily for us however at the outset they
made use
of their heavy
surface forces to the westward of Bear Island and their submarines to the eastward.
The Home
Fleet
an attack by enemy surface sent off the Admiralty
severe
if,
as
was thus
warned us
that the losses
We
An
tack. In the case of
their surface
decided however to
loss of one-sixth, chiefly
P.Q.17 however the Germans
manner we had always
forces in the their
would be very
attack by surface ships did not materialise,
convoy got through with a
prevent
May convoy was
was expected, the Germans employed
forces to the eastward of Bear Island.
the convoy.
in a position to
forces. Before the
from
at last
sail
and the air at-
used their
They concentrated
feared.
U-boats to the westward of Bear Island and reserved their
surface forces for attack to the eastward of Bear Island. story of P.Q.17
convoy
is
not yet clear.
At
the
The
final
moment only four Nova Zembla
ships have arrived at Archangel, but six others are in
harbours. time. I
At
The
latter
must explain the dangers and
ations
when
We
do not think
Bear Island or where
powerful
attacked from the air at any
difficulties of these
the enemy's battle squadron takes
extreme north. of
may however be
the best therefore only one-third will have survived.
German
it
it
right to risk
shore-based
Tirpitz
our
convoy operstation in the
Home
Fleet east
can be brought under the attack of the aircraft. If
few most powerful battleships were
damaged while
its
to
one or two of our very
be
lost
or even seriously
and her consorts, soon to be joined by
The War
146
Scharriftorst , tic
in the Atlantic
remained
in action, the
would be [temporarily]
by which we
live,
our war
many
as
and the building up of a
of the Atlan-
Besides affecting the food supplies
effort
would be crippled; and above
American troops ?across
the great convoys of
presently to as
lost.
command
whole
80,000
the ocean,
all
rising
month, would be prevented
in a
really strong
Second Front
1943 ren-
in
dered impossible.
My
naval advisers
German
surface,
to
me
that
if
they had the handling of the forces,
air
present circum-
in
would guarantee the complete destruction of any
stances, they
convoy
tell
submarine, and
North Russia. They have not been able so
make
out any hopes that convoys attempting to
perpetual daylight would fare better than P.Q.I 7.
with the greatest regret that
we have reached
attempt to run the next convoy, P.Q.I
8,
far to hold
the passage in It is
therefore
the conclusion that to
would bring no
benefit to
you and would only involve dead loss to the common cause. At the same time, I give you my assurance that if we can devise arrangements which give a reasonable chance of
at least a fair
you we
of the contents of the convoys reaching
again at once.
The crux
of the problem
German warships
as dangerous for
what we should aim
at
Meanwhile we
some
sian Gulf
convoy.
.
.
make
them
make the Barents Sea make it for ours. This is
to
is
as they
doing with our joint resources.
to send a senior officer of the
with your officers and
proportion start
will
I
should like
R.A.F. to North Russia to confer
a plan.
are prepared to dispatch immediately to the Per-
of the ships which were to have sailed in the P.Q.
.
You have
referred to
combined operations
in the North.
The
obstacles to sending further convoys at the present time equally
prevent our sending land forces and air forces for operations in
Northern Norway. But our
officers
gether what combined operations tober,
when
better
if
ours will
there
is
a reasonable
you could send your
come
should forthwith consider to-
may be amount
possible in or after
of darkness.
officers here,
but
would be
this is
impossible
we we can
beat back
if
to you.
In addition to a combined operation in the North,
how to help on your Rommel we might be able ing
tumn
It
Oc-
to operate
on the
left
southern flank. to
If
send powerful
of your line.
The
are study-
air forces in the audifficulties of
main-
taining these forces over the trans-Persian route without reducing
your supplies
will clearly
be considerable, but
I
hope
to put de-
147
P.Q.17 you
tailed proposals before
beat
first
am
I
Rommel. The
sure
battle
would be
it
in the
in
is
our
We
near future.
now
intense.
common
.
.
must however
.
interest,
Premier
Stalin, to
have the three divisions of Poles you so kindly offered join their compatriots in Palestine, where
we can arm them
would play a most important part
fully.
in future fighting,
These
as well as
keeping the Turks in good heart by the sense of growing numbers to the southward.
I
hope
value, will not fall to the
this project of yours,
which we greatly
ground on account of the Poles wanting to
bring with the troops a considerable mass of their
who
children, soldiers.
are largely dependent
The feeding
burden to
us.
We
women and
on the rations of the Polish
of these dependents will be a considerable
think
it
well worth while bearing that burden for
the sake of forming this Polish army, which will be used faithfully for our
common
selves in the
bring If
it
advantage.
We
are very hard
Levant area, but there
is
enough
up for food our-
in India
if
we can
[from] there.
we do not
get the Poles
we should have
to
fill
by
their places
drawing on the preparations now going forward on a vast scale for the
Anglo-American mass invasion of the Continent. These prepa-
rations have already led the
Germans
bomber groups from South Russia nothing that
is
we and your grand struggle. The
which geography,
interpose. I have
shown
need scarcely say
President and
I
this
is
I
are
salt
water, and the enemy's air-power
telegram to the President.
got a rough and surly answer.
23 July 42
Premier Stalin to Premier Churchill I
me, there
the Americans will
searching for means to overcome the extraordinary
ceaselessly
I
withdraw two heavy
to France. Believe
useful and sensible that
not do to help you in
difficulties
to
received your message of July 17.
drawn from
Two
conclusions could be
Government refuses to continue the sending of war materials to the Soviet Union via the Northern route. Second, in spite of the agreed communique concerning the urgent tasks of creating a Second Front in 1942 the British Government postpones this matter until 1943. 2. Our naval experts consider the reasons put forward by the it.
First, the British
British naval experts to justify the cessation of convoys to the
northern ports of the U.S.S.R. wholly unconvincing. They are of the opinion that with goodwill and readiness to
fulfil
the con-
I
The War
148
in the Atlantic
tracted obligations these convoys could be regularly undertaken
and heavy it
losses could be inflictecr^on the
also difficult to understand
enemy. Our experts find
and to explain the order given by the
M the P.Q.I 7
Admiralty that the escorting vessels
should return,
whereas the cargo boats should disperse and try to reach the Soviet ports one by one without any protection at
Of course
all.
do not
I
think that regular convoys to the Soviet northern ports could be effected without risk or losses.
But
in war-time
no important under-
taking could be effected without risk or losses. In any case,
never
I
expected that the British Government would stop dispatch of war
moment when
materials to us just at the very
Union
the Soviet
in
view of the serious situation on the Soviet-German front requires
more than
these materials
ever. It
obvious that the transport via
is
Persian Gulf could in no way compensate for the cessation of
convoys to the northern ports. 3.
With regard
to the
ing a Second Front
with the seriousness
second question,
Europe,
in
it
am
I
i.e.,
afraid
Taking
deserves.
the question of creat-
it is
fully
present position on the Soviet-German front,
most emphatic manner
hope you
not feel
will
frankly and honestly
my own
into
account the
must
state in the
Government cannot acqui-
that the Soviet
esce in the postponement of a Second Front in I
I
not being treated
offended
that
Europe I
[have]
until 1943.
expressed
opinion as well as the opinion of
my
colleagues on the question raised in your message.
These contentions are not well-founded. So
war
'contracted obligations' to deliver the
had been particularly stipulated
at the
from breaking
far
supplies at Soviet ports,
them
that the Russians were to be responsible for conveying sia.
All that
we
did beyond this was a good-will effort.
allegations of a breach of faith about the
aide-memoire was a solid defence. while to argue out willing until they
all this
gle could hardly spare a
The
Second Front
with the Soviet Government,
Hitler,
word
and who even
As
Rus-
to the
it
worth
who had been
totally destroyed
in our
common
strug-
of sympathy for the heavy British and
losses incurred in trying to send
them
aid.
President agreed with this view.
Former Naval Person agree with you that your reply
President to I
to
in 1942, our
did not however think
were themselves attacked to see us
and share the booty with
American
I
it
time of making the agreement
great care.
We
to Stalin
have got always to bear
in
29 July 42 must be handled with
mind the
personality of
149
P.Q.17 our Ally and the very
No
fronts him.
and dangerous situation that con-
difficult
one can be expected to approach the war from a
world point of view whose country has been invaded. should
in the first place, quite specifically that
course of action in 1942.
I
I
think
we
he should be told
try to put ourselves in his place. I think
we have determined upon him
think that, without advising
a
of the
precise nature of our proposed operations, the fact that they are
made should be
going to be
While
told
him without any
qualifications.
think that you should not raise any false hopes in Stalin
I
relative to the
Northern convoy, nevertheless
we should run one
there
if
any
is
agree with you that
I
possibility of success, in spite of
the great risk involved. I
am
still
we can put air-power
hopeful that
Russian front, and
would be unwise
am
I
discussing that matter here.
ate.
I
have a feeling
was
them
if
they
believe
it
that
urgent and immedi-
would mean a great deal
it
the Russian people
fighting with
is
I
on the
on condition
to promise this air-power only
the battle in Egypt goes well. Russia's need
Army and
directly
knew some
to the Russian
of our Air Force
manner.
in a very direct
While we may believe that the present and proposed use of our
combined Air Forces
is
strategically the best, nevertheless I feel
that Stalin does not agree with this. Stalin,
mood
to
engage
I
imagine,
in a theoretical strategical discussion,
is
in
no
and
I
am
sure that other than our major operation the enterprise that would suit
him
the best
is
direct air support
on the southern end of
his
front. I
therefore let Stalin's bitter message pass without any specific
rejoinder. After
the
all,
campaign was
the Russian armies were suffering fearfully and
at its crisis.
*
At a conference the Fuehrer
of the
*
*
German Naval Commander-in-Chief
on August 26, 1942, Admiral Raeder
Evidently the Ally convoy did not
our submarines and voy, have forced the
aircraft,
which
enemy
to give
sail.
We
can thus assume that
totally destroyed the last
up
with
stated:
con-
this route temporarily, or
even fundamentally to change his whole system of supply
lines.
Supplies to northern ports of Russia remain decisive for the
whole
conduct of the war waged by the Anglo-Saxons. They must preserve Russia's strength in order to keep
The enemy
German
forces occupied.
will most probably continue to ship supplies to North-
The War
150
em
in the Atlantic
Russia, and the Naval Staff must therefore maintain subma-
same
rines along the
be stationed
in
The
routes.
greater part of the Fleet will also
Northern Norway. The reason for
making attacks on convoys
possilple,
besides
this,
3s the constant threat of an
enemy invasion. Only by keeping the Fleet in Norwegian waters can we hope to meet this danger successfully. Besides, it is especially important, in
man
view of the whole Axis strategy, that the Ger-
'Fleet in being' tie
after the
down
the British
heavy Anglo-American losses
The Japanese
the Pacific.
Home
in the
Fleet, especially
Mediterranean and
are likewise aware of the importance of
measure. In addition, the danger of enemy mines in
this
home
waters has constantly increased, so that the naval forces should be shifted only for repairs
and training purposes. *
was not
It
Russia.
until
By now
*
*
September that another convoy
the
scheme of defense had been
set off for
revised,
North
and the
convoy was accompanied by a close escort of sixteen destroyers, well as the
new
of the
first
fighter aircraft.
As
intervene, but result
enemy
left
to the attack.
German
was provided by the
surface ships
fleet.
made no attempt to The
the task of attack to the aircraft and U-boats.
was a particularly aircraft
escort carriers, the Avenger, with twelve
before, strong support
This time however the
as
fierce battle in the air, in
which twenty-four
were destroyed out of about a hundred which came
Ten merchant
ships were lost in these actions
more by U-boats, but twenty-seven way through.
in
and two
ships successfully fought their
Not only did almost the whole responsibility for the defence of fall upon us, but up to the end of 1942 ... we provided from our strained resources by far the greater number of aircraft and more tanks for Russia. The figures are a conclusive answer to those these convoys
who
suggest that our efforts to help Russia in her struggle were luke-
warm.
We
gave our heart's blood resolutely to our valiant, suffering
Ally.
The year 1942 was
not to close without
the thankless task the Royal
Navy had
its
flash of
triumph upon
discharged, and
we must
trench upon the future. After the passage of P.Q.I 8 in September
1942 convoys
to
North Russia were again suspended. Later major
P.Q.17
151
operations in North Africa were to claim the whole strength of our
naval forces in
home
Russia, and the studied. It
on
waters.
means
was not
until late in
hazardous voyage.
its
But supplies accumulated for delivery
to
of protecting future convoys were closely
December
It sailed in
that the next
two
or seven destroyers, and covered by the
parts,
Home
convoy
set out
each escorted by Fleet.
The
first
six
group
The second had a more eventful passage. On the mornDecember 3 1 Captain R. Sherbrooke, in the destroyer Onslow, commanding the escort, was about a hundred and fifty miles northeast of the North Cape when he sighted three enemy destroyers. He immediately turned to engage them. As the action began the German heavy cruiser Hipper appeared upon the scene. The British destroyers held off this powerful ship for nearly an hour. The gun-flashes of the action drew to the scene Admiral Burnett with two British cruisarrived safely. ing of
ers, Sheffield
and Jamaica, from twenty-five miles away. This
racing southwards, ran into the
German
force,
pocket-battleship Liitzow,
which, after a short engagement, disappeared to the westward in the twilight.
The German
admiral, thinking that the British cruisers were
the vanguard of a battle squadron, retired hastily.
running
fight followed.
During
this brief
German destroyer at close The two German heavy ships and
engagement the Sheffield sank
a
range.
A
their six
escorting destroyers struck at the convoy which Sherbrooke guarded.
But
this stroke failed.
The convoy
arrived safely in Russian waters with the loss of one
more than slight damage to one merchant ship. who had been severely wounded in the early stages but continued to fight his ship and personally to direct operations, despite the loss of an eye, was awarded the Victoria Cross for destroyer and no
Captain Sherbrooke,
his leadership.
Within the German High
Command
were far-reaching. Owing to delays
Command
High
first
the repercussions of this affair
in the transmission of signals the
learnt of the episode
from an English news
broadcast. Hitler was enraged. While waiting impatiently for the out-
come
of the fight his anger
bitterly of
was fostered by Goering, who complained German Air Force on guarding
wasting squadrons of the
the capital ships of the Navy, which he suggested should be scrapped.
Admiral Raeder was ordered
to report immediately.
On
January 6 a
naval conference was held. Hitler launched a tirade upon the past
record of the tion
if
German Navy.
'It
should not be considered a degrada-
the Fuehrer decides to scrap the larger ships. This
would be
The War
152 true only
he were removing a fighting unit which had retained
if
A
full usefulness.
of
in the Atlantic
parallel to this in the
Army would
cavalry divisions.' Raeder was ordered to report in writing
all
he objected to putting the capital ships out of commission. Hitler received this
memorandum
he treated
meet
his
demands.
A
bitter conflict
why
When
with derision, and
it
ordered Doenitz, the designated successor to Raeder, to to
its
be the removal
make
a plan
between Goering and Raeder
raged round Hitler over the future of the
German Navy compared
with that of the Luftwaffe. But Raeder stuck grimly to the defence of the service which he had commanded since 1928. Time and again he had demanded the formation of a separate Fleet Air Arm, and had been opposed successfully by Goering's insistence that the Air Force
could accomplish more at sea than the Navy. Goering won, and on
January 30 Raeder resigned. tious
He was
Admiral of the U-boats. All
replaced by Doenitz, the ambieffective
new
construction was
henceforth to be monopolised by them.
Thus allied
fought by the Royal
this brilliant action
convoy
to Russia at the
Navy
to protect an
end of the year led directly to a major
enemy's naval policy, and ended the dream of another
crisis in the
German High
Seas Fleet.
AT THE HEIGHT OF THE ATLANTIC WAR ADMIRAL King,
who was charged
ing together
all
of our
combatant sea
with the Secretary of the
boat
activities
with the solemn responsibility
Navy
in
and countermeasures.
A formidable at the
naval
officer,
Ohio-
outbreak of the war. Dour,
and a "book" man, one scarcely associates Cominch moments, and yet there were numerous occasions when
straight
with lighter this
forces, filed a progress report
which he candidly summarized U-
born King was sixty-three years old
ramrod
of weld-
man, who had come up through submarines and naval
aviation,
could turn outward on a far different level from successful pursuit of the war.
One such occurred
beset with problems,
student school.
who was
He
in the chaotic winter of
was the
recipient of a letter
took time
have your
you have
to
off
letter of
do
when King,
from an eighth grade
writing a biographical sketch of the Admiral for
from the war
Dear Harriet: I
1943,
my
January 6
to reply:
— and am
interested to learn that
biography as part of your English work.
—
P.Q.17
As I
to
your questions:
drink a
little
wine,
now and
I
smoke about one pack
I
think
movie
153
I like
then.
of cigarettes a day.
Spencer Tracy as well as any of the
stars.
My hobby is cross-word puzzles —when they are different. My favorite sport is golf— when I can get to play it
otherwise,
Hoping
I
that
am
fond of walking.
all will
go well with your English work,
Very E.
J.
I
am
truly
yours,
King
Admiral, U.S. Navy
Let us return to King's report.
FLEET ADMIRAL ERNEST
J.
KING
/-,7
6.
COMINCH TAKES A HARD LOOK AT THE U-BOAT SITUATION The submarine war
.
.
.
has been a matter of primary concern since
the outbreak of hostilities. Maintenance of the flow of ocean traffic
has been, and continues to be, a vital element of
Operating on exterior front, the
lines
of
all
war
plans.
communication on almost every
United Nations have been dependent largely upon maritime
transportation.
The
success of overseas operations, landing attacks,
the maintenance of troops abroad and the delivery of
war materials
to
Russia and other Allies concerned primarily with land operations has
depended ability to
factor
—
to a large extent
keep
it
the availability of shipping
often the controlling factor
which the Allied High
The
upon
principal
and the
moving. Shipping potentialities have been the major
Command
menace
—
in
most of the problems with
has had to deal.
to shipping has
been the large
fleet
of sub-
marines maintained by Germany. Our enemies have employed the
submarine on a world-wide
scale,
but the area of greatest intensity
has always been the Atlantic Ocean where the bulk of
German U-
boats have operated.
The German U-boat campaign is a logical extension of the submarine strategy of World War I which almost succeeded in starving Great Britain into submission. Unable to build up a powerful surface fleet in
preparation for World
War
II,
Germany planned
submarine campaign on a greater scale and to
154
this
to repeat her
end produced a U-
Cominch Takes a Hard Look
155
U-boat Situation
The primary mission
of this underwater navy
to cut the sea routes to the British Isles,
and the enemy undersea
boat
was
at the
fleet
of huge size.
work on this task promptly and vigorously. The United States became involved in the matter before we were
forces went to
formally at war, because our vessels were being sunk in the transAtlantic traffic routes. Consequently, in 1941,
Royal Navy
assist the
to protect
detail elsewhere in this report these
50 old destroyers assignment of our
on threatened
own
to
measures included the transfer of
—
in the latter part of
1941
—
the
naval vessels to escort our merchant shipping
trans- Atlantic routes.
The submarine close.
and
to the British,
we took measures
our shipping. As stated in more
was improving
situation
as
1941 drew toward a
Escort operations on threatened convoy routes were becoming
more and more
effective. British aviation
had become a potent
factor,
by direction action against the U-boats, and also by bringing under
German over-water air effort that had augmented the submarine offense. Our resources were stretched, however, and we
control the
\
could not, for a time, deal effectively with the change in the situation
brought about by our entry into the war on 7 December 1941. Our
whole merchant marine then became a legitimate boats,
still
sufficient
remaining
numbers
immune. Our
erto
full
target,
and the U-
pressure on the trans-Atlantic routes, had
to spread their depredations into wide areas hithdifficulty
was not already engaged
was
that such part of the Atlantic Fleet as
in escort
duty was called upon to protect the
troop movements that began with our entry into the war, leaving no
adequate force to cover the
posed to possible U-boat
many maritime
The Germans were none too quick opportunity. It was not until more than of
war
that U-boats
move took
first
January 1942.
the
We
traffic
areas newly ex-
activity.
began
form
expand
to
in taking
a
month
advantage of their
after the declaration
their areas of operation.
The
of an incursion into our coastal waters in
had prepared for
seaboard our scant resources
this
in coastal
by gathering on our eastern antisubmarine vessels and
number of yachts and miscellaneous Navy in 1940 and 1941. To reinforce
aircraft, consisting chiefly of a
small craft taken over by the
group the Navy accelerated
program of acquiring such fishing boats and pleasure craft as could be used and supplied them with such armaments as they could carry. For patrol purposes we employed all available aircraft Army as well as Navy. The help of the this
its
—
Civil
Air Patrol was gratefully accepted. This heterogeneous force
The War
156
was useful ships. It
in the Atlantic
in keeping lookout
may have
and
sunken
in rescuing survivors of
Some extent with the freedom of heavy losses we suffered in coastal waters
interfered, too, to
U-boat movement, but the
during the early months of 1942 gay'c abundant proof of the already well
known
opponent
fact that stout hearts in
as
The Navy was deeply teered by the
make and
men who
courageously risked their
them no
effort
force of adequate types.
which had been early in 1942.
was spared
British
had
lives in
to build
means,
up an antisubma-
began
to
come
into service
and Canadian Navies were able
vessels to
order to
to be better
Submarine chasers, construction of
initiated before the war,
The
some antisubmarine escorts were it
grateful for the assistance so eagerly volun-
the best of available means, but there
to provide
rine
boats can not handle an
little
tough as the submarine.
work with our
robbed to reinforce coastal
areas.
to assign
Ocean
coastal forces.
These measures made
possible to establish a coastal convoy system in the middle of
May
1942. Antisubmarine aviation had concurrently improved in quality
Army
and material and training of personnel. The volunteered the services of the First especially trained
The
and
effect of these
outfitted for antisubmarine warfare.
measures was quickly
Frontier (the coastal waters from they were
first
Air Force had
Bomber Command which was
applied.
Canada
felt in the
Eastern Sea
where
to Jacksonville)
With the establishment of the
initial
coastal
convoy (under the command of Vice Admiral Adolphus Andrews,
Commander
of the Eastern Sea Frontier) in the middle of
May
1942,
sinkings in the vital traffic lanes of the Eastern Sea Frontier dropped off nearly to
zero and have so remained. While
ble to clear those routes completely
—
there
it
is
has not been possi-
evidence that nearly
always one or more U-boats haunt our Atlantic Coast in that area long
When began
—submarines
ago ceased to be a serious problem.
the Eastern Sea Frontier
to spread farther afield.
became "too
hot," the U-boats
The coastal convoy system was ex-
tended as rapidly as possible to meet them in the Gulf of Mexico
(under the
command
of
Rear Admiral
J.
Admiral
J.
Commander command of Vice
L. Kauffman,
Gulf Sea Frontier), the Caribbean Sea, (under the
H. Hoover, Commander Caribbean Sea Frontier), and
along the Atlantic Coast of South America. The undersea craft
made
a last bitter stand in the Trinidad area in the fall of 1942. Since then coastal waters have been relatively safe.
The problem was more
difficult
to
meet
in
the
open
sea.
The
Cominch Takes a Hard Look
at the
submarine chasers that do well enough
157
U-boat Situation
in coastal
waters are too small
and other ocean escort types could
for ocean escort duty. Destroyers
not be produced as rapidly as the smaller craft. Aircraft capable of
long overseas patrol were not plentiful, nor were aircraft carriers. In
consequence, potection of ocean shipping lagged to some extent.
By
come under con-
the end of 1942, however, this matter began to
trol,
as
our forces slowly increased, and there has been a steady
improvement ever
The
since.
Atlantic antisubmarine campaign has been a closely integrated
international operation. In the early phases of our participation, there
was a considerable mixture of were met as best they could
forces, as the needs of the situation
be.
For a time some
British
and Cana-
dian vessels operated in our coastal escorts, while our destroyers were
brigaded with British groups in the Atlantic and even occasionally as far afield as north
power and balance,
Russian waters. As Allied strength improved it
became
in
possible to establish certain areas of
national responsibility wherein the forces are predominantly of one nation. This simplifies the
but there
still
are
forces of two or
and always there
problem of administration and operation,
—and probably always
will
be
more nations work together is
close coordination
in
—some
areas where
in a single
command,
deploying the forces of the
several Allies.
There
is
a constant interchange of information between the large
organizations maintained in the Admiralty and in the United States Fleet Headquarters (in the form of the Tenth Fleet which coordinates
United States anti-U-boat
activities in the Atlantic)
to deal with the
problems of control and protection of shipping. These organizations, also, in
keep
in intimate
touch with the
War
Shipping Administration
the United States and with the corresponding agency in Great
Britain.
Command
of antisubmarine forces
—
air
and surface
—
that protect
shipping in the coastwise sea lanes of the United States and within the
Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico
is
exercised by sea frontier
manders, each assigned to a prescribed area. The
Panama area where the naval sea Commanding General at Panama.
except in the
under the
command
frontier
is
as a closely knit team,
well as other naval operations forces in a single
command
in
it
is
—
to
the policy
—
in
weld together
each area.
naval
commander
Since aircraft and surface combatant ships are most effective
working
comis
when
antisubmarine as air
and surface
The War
158
in the Atlantic
In the Atlantic Ocean, beyond the coastal area, anti-submarine forces
—
and surface
air
command
—
are part
of Admiral Ingersoll.
ctf
One
the Atlantic Fleet under the
of the units of
Admiral Inger-
the South Atlantic Force '(Vice Admiral Ingram
soll's fleet is
manding) which guards shipping
com-
in the coastal waters south of the
Equator and throughout the United States area of South Atlantic. Vice Admiral Ingram's command includes highly efficient surface and which country has wholeheartedly joined our team
air units of Brazil,
of submarine hunters. This team, incidentally, turns
face raiders and other bigger
game when
guns on sur-
its
enemy provides
the
the
opportunity. It
appropriate to express her appreciation of the services of
is
Netherlands antisubmarine vessels which have operated with exemplary efficiency as part of the United States Naval Caribbean Force
ever since
we
entered the war.
Antisubmarine warfare
is
primarily a naval function, but, in ac-
Army and
cordance with the general policy of working together,
Navy need
forces that are available turn to together arises.
Thus
happens that there are instances
it
aircraft join in the
when naval
Army
make
example of
Air Force Anti-Submarine
members antisubmarine specialists. It operated, (now Major General) T. United States and abroad until last November
,
is
regretted that
details of
in
of Brigadier General
W. Larson, in the when the Navy obtained enough equipment ( 1 943 ) tasks so well performed by this command. It
this is
Command
its
command
under the
An
phases of
1942, which was given the equipment and training
the spring of
necessary to
in the early
resources were inadequate.
the formation of the
Army Army Air
which
in
submarine hunt. The assistance of the
Force has been of great value, particularly the war,
on the enemy when
it
is
to take over the
not possible at this time to go into the
our antisubmarine operations in
great pleasure to recount the
this report. It
would be
many praise-worthy exploits now would jeopardize the
antisubmarine forces, but to do so
a
of our
success
The U-boat war has been a war of wits. The weapon of stealth, and naturally enough the German
of future operations.
submarine
is
a
operations have been shrouded in secrecy.
It
has been of equal impor-
tance to keep our counter measures from becoming known to the
new
tactics
of forces working against the submarines as well as
on the
enemy. There
on the part
is
a constant interplay of
part of the submarines themselves,
new
devices and
and an important element of our
Cominch Takes a Hard Look
enemy from knowing what we
success has been the ability to keep the are doing and what
we
159
at the U-boat Situation
are likely to
do
in the future. It
is,
also, of the
utmost importance to keep our enemies from learning our anti-
submarine technique,
lest
they turn
it
to their
own advantage
in
operations against our submarines.
ALTHOUGH THE U-BOAT MENACE WAS
STILL
FAR FROM
under control, an American offensive was launched November 1942, which secured for us North Africa
—
the
first
step
8,
on the long
road to the eventual storming of Hitler's Fortress Europa. This was Operation "Torch," undertaken two weeks after the British
commenced
winning drive from Egypt westward. Aimed
its
Morocco, with a secondary invasion
in Algeria,
both operations under the same high
background of
With the
Army French
at
"Torch" (embracing
command) opened
against a
political intrigue.
of France in 1940, control of that nation's govern-
fall
ment devolved on Vichy. However, Marshal Henri Petain and
commander
military
in
his
North Africa, General Maxime Weygand,
were erroneously thought to oppose collaboration with Germany.
Keenly aware of
this,
President Roosevelt planned diplomatic
moves
calculated to prevent the powerful French Toulon fleet (as distin-
guished from the Casablanca
from
fleet)
falling into Hitler's hands.
Admiral William D. Leahy and Ambassador Robert D. Murphy were ordered to work on Weygand's sympathies, while General Charles
de Gaulle of the Free French lent additional support. Roosevelt's vent hope was that the Toulon
would remain
fleet
Allied invasions were launched, and with a
was a
minimum
For even
as
Murphy
strove to
of bloodshed.
form a nucleus of French
loyal to the cause of freedom, collaborationist
Hitler in Berchtesgaden and signed
known
inactive while the It
order.
tall
Tunisia.
fer-
When on
in
pro-German
treaties
to
visited
regarding
July 25, 1942, the Darlan-Hitler liaison
London, plans were made
officers
Admiral Darlan
became
go ahead immediately and to
secure a foothold in North Africa before anything else developed. In strategic 1.
concept the joint plan envisioned the following:
"Establishment of firm and
(a) between
Oran and Tunisia on
mutually supported the Mediterranean,
lodgments"
and (b)
in
The War
160
in the Atlantic
French Morocco on the Atlantic, tinued and intensified
in
order to secure bases "for con-
ground and«ea operations."
and rapid exploitation of these lodgments"
"Vigorous
2.
air,
"in
order to acquire complete control" pi. French Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, and extend offensive operations against the rear of Axis forces to the eastward.
"Complete annihilation of Axis forces now opposing the BritWestern Desert, and intensification of air and sea
3.
ish forces in the
operations against the Axis in the European Continent."
On
August
14, Lieutenant General
appointed Supreme
Commander
Dwight D. Eisenhower was
Allied Expeditionary Force.
His
headquarters was at Norfolk House, London, where planning for the
combined operation was already in progress. One month later "Torch" assumed its final form: Task Force 34, under Rear Admiral H. Kent Hewitt, included a Western Task Force, U.S. Army, which the redoubtable Major General George United States
Army
in
Patton and 35,000
S.
troops were embarked from the United States; a
Commodore Thomas Troubridge, RN, with about 39,000 United States Army troops underway from the United Kingdom to Oran; and an Eastern Task Force under Rear Admiral Sir H. M. Burrough, RN, with about 33,000 (British and American) Army troops, bound from the United Kingdom to capture Algiers. Center Task Force under
For our purposes it is not necessary to go into the preliminary work done by the Amphibious Force Atlantic Fleet; we need only discuss the invasion, focusing attention on the Western Task Force until the stage
is
set for the Battle of
Casablanca. Aggregating one
hundred and two warships, transports and sea, the
auxiliaries
when
Western Task Force got underway from Norfolk on October
24, despite a caustic prediction from Patton that the
break down
at the last crucial minute.
"Never
place. If
within one
you land us anywhere within
week
of
D-Day,
I'll
fifty
go ahead and win
Navy would
in history,"
"Blood and Guts", "has the Navy landed an army
and
united at
at
observed
the planned time
miles of Fedahla and ." .
.
These chicks came home to roost as the United States Navy, after a circuitous voyage in clear weather with no incidents marring the
passage, arrived at
deadline ern,
the
—
its
destination at midnight August 7
—
exactly
on
and the Western Naval Task Force broke up into South-
Northern and Center Attack Groups
North African
coast.
The
off assigned targets
along
landings at Fedahla, fifteen miles north
of Casablanca, were punctuated by misadventures and
stiff
French
Cominch Takes a Hard Look resistance.
The epochal day dawned
ground swell and
The
at the
gifted
fair
light offshore winds.
Rear Admiral Morison
U-boat Situation
161
but hazy, with a moderate
The
invasion was on.
details
the explosive
D-Day
events at sea. Twice winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Morison under-
took his formidable naval history as the result of an interview with President Roosevelt and Secretary of the
missioned him a Lieutenant
ment of
his
choice
our Navy at war.
United
He
Commander
—documenting
Navy Knox, who comwith the writing assign-
and interpreting the story of
served aboard eleven different ships and covered
States' participation in every theatre of war,
Combat "V." The following is the first of three distinguished work which appear in this volume.
and was awarded
the Legion of Merit with
selections
from
his
REAR ADMIRAL SAMUEL ELIOT MORISON <-.7
7-
THE NAVAL BATTLE OF CASABLANCA
From
the
enemy showed
moment when
resistance
it
was
ceased,
light
enough
to launch planes, until all
carrier-based
the
of
aircraft
the
Navy
the utmost fight and aggressiveness. U.S.S. Ranger, the one
big carrier in
Task Force 34, took
some thirty miles northwest 0615 when it was still her fighter Squadron 9 (Lieutenant station
of Casablanca and began shoving 'em off at
Nine Wildcats of
quite dark.
Commander John Raby) when over
aircraft fire
received their "Batter Up!" from anti-
the
Rabat and Rabat-Sale airdromes, head-
quarters of the French air forces in Morocco. Without loss to themselves, they destroyed
seven grounded planes on the one
field,
fourteen bombers on the other. Four planes in their second
which took flight that
off at
and
flight,
0845, shot down an enemy plane. In their third
day they destroyed seven enemy Dewoitine 520s fueling on
M.
the Port Lyautey field, but lost one plane with Ensign T.
The fourth flight, taking off at The fifth, departing at 1300, which began
at
145, found no
1
enemy
Wilhoite.
to the eastward.
strafed shore batteries;
on the
sixth,
1515, four planes strafed four French destroyers
while five planes strafed and
bombed an
anti-aircraft battery near
Casablanca. Fighter Squadron straight for
Les Cazes
41,
taking off from Ranger
airfield
patrolled by ten Dewoitine 520s
162
and
six Curtis
0700, made
at
near Casablanca, which
it
found
to be
75-As. In the ensuing
The Naval
163
Battle of Casablanca
dogfight three of the former and five of the latter were shot down, and
fourteen planes were destroyed on the ground. Four Wildcats failed
day the same squadron made several more
to return. Later in the
destroyed grounded planes on airdromes,
flights,
French destroyers sortied
and strafed the
when
(effectively their officers admitted)
they
first
from Casablanca.
Ranger's
SBD
squadron, consisting of eighteen Dauntless dive-
bombers, was orbiting 10,000 feet
the air over Casablanca by
in
0700, waiting for the "Play Ball!" With the Jean Bart and aircraft batteries
on the harbor
had, these planes
bombed
anti-
throwing up everything they
the submarine basin in the inner harbor, as
well as various installations. rest before
jetties
They were recovered
in
time for a brief
being sent out again to stop the cruiser Primauguet
when
she sortied at 1000.
Suwannee,
meantime, commanded by that famous Cherokee
in the
Indian Captain "Jock" Clark, maintained combat and anti-submarine air patrol for the
Center Group. Her only trouble was the prevalent
wind on D-day. Frequently she had
light
where
to seek areas
ruffled
water indicated a better breeze. Most of her planes were recovered with only a 22-knot wind over the deck, which would have precluded flight
operations in time of peace.
Ranger
in
bombing
Her Avengers joined those
of
missions.
These are typical examples of the unremitting
activity of the
Navy
carrier-based planes. There were probably 168 French planes available in in
Morocco on
by the four
the
and
the date of our arrival; 172 of ours were brought
carriers.
These shot down about 20 enemy planes
in
and destroyed a considerable number on the ground. Prompt
air,
effective aggressiveness of the
Naval
fact that a considerable part of the
landing,
made
air
French
arm, combined with the air force
welcomed
the
aspect of the Battle of Casablanca rather one-
this
sided.
Air protection to the landing forces was far from complete;
can be. At
least five times
on
8
November French
it
never
fighter planes flew
over the Fedhala beaches and strafed our troops; and, on the ninth, high-level
bombers made
on the whole, the
enemy
fruitless passes at ships
and no
to protect
air
and beaches. Yet,
opposition was very well taken care
aircraft interfered with spotting planes
cruisers,
it
air
bombs
hit the transports.
of.
No
from battleships and
The value
of aircraft
amphibious operations was conclusively demonstrated; and
was immensely heartening
to the
Army
to see our
own
planes
—
The War
164
in the Atlantic
overhead instead of those with enemy markings. Moreover,
and driving
tion to destroying
delivered effective strafing and
and shore
batteries in the naval
The Naval
in addi-
erremy planes, the naval aviators
off
bombing
attacks
on French warships
combats of 8 and 10 November.
Battle of Casablanca
was an old-fashioned fire-away-
Flannagan between warships, with a few torpedo attacks by the enemy, and air attacks by us, thrown in. Lasting from dawn almost until late afternoon 8
November,
it
developed out of an action that
commenced
before sunrise between French batteries in Casablanca Harbor and airplanes of Rear Admiral "Ike" Giffen's Covering
Group. This group consisted of battleship Massachusetts on her shake-
down
cruise,
heavy cruisers Tuscaloosa and Wichita, screened by
destroyers of Captain rant,
Don
Moon's Squadron
P.
Wainwright,
Rhind and Jenkins. Their mission, besides covering
Task Force against a possible in
8,
sortie
if
the entire
by the formidable French ships
Dakar, was to contain the enemy vessels
destroy them
May-
and when they showed
in
fight,
Casablanca Harbor,
and neutralize shore
batteries in or near Casablanca.
During the approach on 7 November the Covering Group steamed
on a course about ten miles southwest of the Center Attack Group,
in
the general direction of Casablanca. Naval tradition, since time im-
memorial, requires the "skipper" to make a speech to his going into battle; nowadays
it
is
men
before
done over the ship's loudspeaker
system instead of by straight voice or speaking trumpet. Accordingly at
1415 November 7
by the commanding
this
message from Admiral Giffen was repeated
officer of
The time has now come
each ship. to prove ourselves
placed in us by our Nation.
If
circumstances force us to
the French, once our victorious ally, let
conviction that
men who
the
we
it
fire
trust
upon
be done with the firm
are striking not at the French people, but at
we fight, hit all. Good luck.
prefer Hitler's slavery to freedom. If
hard and break clean. There
Go
worthy of the
is
glory enough for us
with God.
To which
We
Captain Whiting of the Massachusetts added:
—
commissioned the Massachusetts only six months ago; never I seen a more responsive and hard-working ship's company
have than
this one.
You
have met every demand
the finest ship's spirit possible.
We
I
have made.
are ready. If
it
We
have
becomes our
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The Naval
167
Battle of Casablanca
fire tomorrow, never forget the motto of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts whose name we proudly bear. That motto is: Ense Petit Placidam Sub Libertate Quietem, With the
duty to open
Sword She Seeks Peace under with
we
Liberty. If
wield the sword, do so
the strength in this mighty ship to destroy quickly and
all
completely.
At 2215 November
7 Admiral Giffen's group turned
away
to the
Southwestward, and during the night steamed over a trapezoidal course whose base ran parallel to the coastline, about twenty-one miles off shore. After completing the last corner of the trapezoid at
0515 November
big ships continued
8, the
and
Light, turned westerly for spotting
on
NW
eighteen-fathom shoal bearing 14 miles
168° course to the
a
N
by
from El Hank
0610 proceeded to catapult nine planes patrol. The shore batteries at Fedhala Giffen was too far away to Admiral but
at
and anti-submarine
were already opening
He
hear the report.
fire,
caught Admiral Hewitt's "Play Ball in Center"
over the wireless telephone at 0626, but
this did
not apply to the
Covering Group. Catapulting planes from a cruiser or battleship in early morning twilight
is
one of the
finest sights in the
poised on the catapult, snorts blue
fire
modern Navy. The
from
its
plane,
twin exhausts.
The
ship maneuvers so that the plane will shoot into the wind. Flag sig-
made from
nals are
the bridge and rhythmic
plane dispatcher on the rushes headlong
down
overboard. Just as
charge
is
heard.
it
fantail.
A
arm
nod from the
the catapult like
signals
pilot,
from the
and the plane
some hagridden diver going
leaves the skids, a loud crack of the explosive
The plane
falls
a few yards towards the water, then
and flies off and away. Immediately after launching their planes the Massachusetts, Witch-
straightens out
ita
and Tuscaloosa ran up
battle ensigns, bent
on twenty-five knots,
battle formation. The four destroyers steamed in a halfyards ahead of the flagship, whch was followed in 3000 moon about column by the two cruisers at 1000-yard intervals, their "long, slim 8inch guns projecting in threes from the turrets, like rigid fingers of
and assumed
death pointing to the object of their wrath with inexorable certainty."
had reached a position bearing about west northwest from Casablanca, distant 18,000 yards from Batterie
At 0640, when El
the formation
Hank and 20,000
began an easterly run, holding the same range. Ten minutes one of the flagship's spotting planes reported two submarines
harbor, later,
yards from battleship Jean Bart's berth in the
it
The War
168
in the Atlantic
standing out of Casablanca Harbor, and at 0651 radioed: "There's
me from
an anti-aircraft battery opening up "on
came within twelve tered "bandits" at
bow one
0652 and
The
? Am coming
signaled-:
with couple hostile aircraft on in front!"
my
The
salvo,
in
on starboard
—
Pick 'em off
tail.
I
am
the
up on these planes with their 50701, and shot one down. The other retired; and
inch batteries at
first
burst
big ships opened
almost simultaneously battleship Jean Bart and El firing.
One
beach.
Batter up!" Another spotting plane encoun-
feet.
Hank commenced
coast defense guns straddled Massachusetts with their
and
five
or six splashes from Jean Bart
fell
about 600
yards ahead of her starboard bow. Admiral Giffen lost no time in giving his group the "Play Ball!" Massachusetts let go her
first
16-
inch salvo at 0704. Actually Jean Bart was shooting at the cruisers astern; she never saw, or at least never recognized, Massachusetts
during the action; so our mighty battlewagon making her fighting
debut was reported to the Germans via Vichy as a "pocket battleship."
Jean Bart, the newest battleship of the French Navy, almost 800 feet
long and of about the same tonnage as Massachusetts, had never
been completed. Although unable the
Mole du Commerce
in
to
move from her
birth alongside
Casablanca, her four 15-inch guns in the
forward turret and her modern range-finding equipment made her a
harbor,
defense
On
On
Hank promontory, just west of the was a battery of four 194-mm (approximately 8-inch) coast guns and another of four 138-mm guns facing easterly.
formidable shore battery.
El
the other side of the harbor toward Fedhala, at a place called
Table d'Aoukasha, was a somewhat antiquated coast defense battery.
We
had assumed
had been
laid.
that the approaches
The
would be mined, but no mines
sea approaches to Casablanca were, however,
nicely covered
by gunfire. For several minutes Massachusetts and Tuscaloosa concentrated
on Jean Bart, commencing
fire at
ing out to 29,000. Wichita
opened
of 21,800 yards, using her
own
a range of 24,000 yards and openfire
on El Hank
at
0706
One
penetrated an empty magazine.
A
made
five
second penetrated below
the after control station, completely wrecking large hole
range
plane spot. Massachusetts fired nine
16-inch salvos of six to nine shots each at Jean Bart, and hits.
at a
it,
and the nose made a
below the waterline. The third and fourth did not meet
sufficient resistance to detonate
about 0720,
hit the
an armor-piercing
forward turret (then
firing
shell.
The
fifth, at
at Massachusetts),
ricocheted against the top of the barbette, and then into the city,
The Naval where
was recovered and
it
ralty building.
The impact
turret in train, silencing
eight hours. Thus,
guns
at
set
up
169
Battle of Casablanca
French Admi-
as a trophy at the
jammed
of this shell on the barbette
the
Jean Barfs entire main battery for about
one of the primary defenses of Casablanca, whose
extreme elevation might have been able to reach the transport
area off Fedhala, was eliminated in sixteen minutes.
Throughout
this action,
and splashing
setts
heavy
stuff
was whizzing over Massachu-
in the water close aboard.
Admiral Giffen and
Captain Whiting disdained the protection of the armorcased conning tower, and directed battle from the open flying bridge.
The Admiral
once remarked, as an enemy salvo passed close overhead, "If one lands at
my
feet,
I'll
be the
first
to line
up
to
make
a date with Helen
of Troy!"
Tuscaloosa concentrated on the submarine berthing area in Casablanca, then shifted to the Table d'Aoukasha shore battery, while
Wichita, having fired twenty-five 9-gun salvos at El
lenced
Hank, and
si-
temporarily, took over the submarine area in the harbor at
it
0727. The range was then 27,000 yards. At 0746 the Covering Group changed course to 270° and commenced a westerly run past the targets, firing on El
Hank, Table d'Aoukasha, and
harbor. This action was broken off at
telephone message relayed from the quit firing
Army
—you
—you
are
killing
our
0835
Army
own
are killing townspeople,
in
ships in the
consequence of a
ashore, "For Christ's sake
troops,"
and "This
is
from
no opposition ashore." Subse-
quent investigation proved that these casualties were caused by the
Cape Fedhala, when firing on our troops at the upper edge of Beach Red 2. Up to that time, the only certain damage inflicted by either side was on the Jean Bart. The French scored no hits on the Covering Batterie
du
Port,
Group, although they made several straddles and near misses, and one
shell
passed
through
the
flagship's
commissioning
pennant.
Around 0745 bombing planes' and warships' projectiles sank three merchantmen in Casablanca and also three submarines, Oreade, La Psyche and Amphitrite. Anyway, somebody sank them at anchor. Yet, in spite of all the efforts by Covering Group and carrier planes, eight submarines sortied successfully between 0710 and 0830, and some of them were shortly to be heard from. The shore battery at
—whose guns were described by French only vieux" — was du y
Table d'Aoukasha as "tout ce qu'il
a
a
plus
silenced
officer
temporarily,
and the modern El Hank battery remained completely operational. The Covering Group had become so interested in pounding Jean
—
The War
170
Hank
Bart and El
in the Atlantic that
its
mission of containing the
enemy
ships in
Casablanca Harbor was neglected. Ar0833, when they checked
fire,
Massachusetts, Tuscaloosa and Wichita had reached a point about sixteen miles northwest of the harbor entrance,
from our ships engaged
and twenty-five miles
unloading troops at Fedhala. Admiral
in
Michelier, anticipating that this westward run would place the big ships at a safe distance, ordered the destroyer squadrons under his
command
from Casablanca and sneak along the coast
to sortie
break up the landing operations ate
at
to
Fedhala. This was his one desper-
chance of defeating the "invasion."
Beginning
0815, the following French ships sortied from Casa-
at
blanca:
Destroyer Leaders of 2500 tons, 423 feet long,
five
5V2-inch guns,
four torpedo tubes, 36 knots
MILAN ALBATROS
Capitaine de Fregate Costet Capitaine de Fregate Pedes
Destroyers of 1400 tons, 331 feet long, four 5.1 -inch guns, six
torpedo tubes, 36 knots
L'ALCYON
Capitaine de Corvette de Bragelongue
BRESTOIS
Capitaine de Fregate Mariani
BOULONNAIS
Capitaine Corvette de Preneuf
FOUGUEUX FRONDEUR
Capitaine de Corvette Begouen-Demeaux
Capitaine de Fregate Sticca
command
This force was under the
Lafond
in
of Contre-Amiral Gervais de
Milan. Light cruiser Primauguet sortied
commenced he was been ordered to
still
the
0900. Adfirst sortie
ignorant of the nationality of the ships he had
Other
fight.
last, at
when
miral Lafond later informed Admiral Hewitt that
officers later
confirmed
this surprising
fact.
Spotting planes reported the sortie to our Center Attack early as 0818. transports.
strafed
Wildcats
and
and bombed the
Dauntless
dive-bombers
ships, but they continued
knocked one of the bombers down; is
Group
as
There then began an anxious twenty minutes for the
its
entire
on
from
their course,
crew was
only twelve miles by sea from Casablanca, not
Ranger
much
lost.
and
Fedhala
to cover for
destroyers capable of thirty-six knots; and the transports at that
mo-
ment were so many sitting ducks for a torpedo attack, or gunfire for that matter. At 0828 the French destroyers began shelling landing boats that were seeking Beach Yellow west of Cape Fedhala, making
The Naval on one, and
a direct hit
also firing
patrolling a few miles to the
salvo that started a
0834 was
at
hit
fire
by a
on Wilkes and Ludlow, who were
westward of the Cape. Ludlow delivered a
on the Milan, then
back on the
fell
cruisers.
Swanson
to intercept the
French
force.
was dispelled by what one of
The French
"the most
main
and
Wilkes
Anxiety on board the trans-
their officers
The four
beautiful sight he ever saw."
pronounced ships
to be
went tearing
pack of dogs unleashed: Wilkes and Swanson with
into action like a their
24,000
to
must have believed that they had us on the run.
Admiral Hewitt now ordered Augusta, Brooklyn, ports
and
which took her out of action
fires
and straddles followed her out
yards range, and Wilkes too sailors
retired at flank speed,
which entered the wardroom country and
shell
exploded on the main deck, starting for three hours. Splashes
171
Battle of Casablanca
batteries yap-yapping, dancing
ahead
like
two fox
terriers,
followed by the queenly Augusta with a high white wave-curl against her clipper bow, her 8-inch guns booming a deep "woof-woof '; and finally the stolid,
like ten
make when
scrappy Brooklyn, giving tongue with her six-inchers
couple of staghounds, and footing so fast that she had to
At 0848,
a 300-degree turn to take station astern of her senior. the
enemy was not more than four
18,500 yards, rapidly closing to 17,600; French
action opened at
came uncomfortably
shells
miles from our transports,
close but failed to hit; at about
0900
range was opened by the enemy retiring toward Casablanca, to draw us under the coastal batteries.
Admiral Hewitt
at nine o'clock
care of the French ships.
and
at
0918 opened
and Brooklyn broke the
fire
fire at
off
19,400
in at
27 knots,
yards, closing to 11,500.
and returned
to
Augusta
guard the transports, while
support destroyers engaged the Batterie du Port on Cape
Fedhala, which had reopened time.
ordered Giffen to close and take
The Covering Group came
fire,
and quickly silenced
it
for the third
In meantime the French destroyers sent up a heavy
smoke
screen and followed the excellent defensive tactics of charging out of it
to take a crack at their formidable
off the spot
enemy, then
planes and range finders.
credit," reported the
gunnery
in again to
throw
"Our enemy deserves much
officer of Tuscaloosa, "for
superb sea-
manship which permitted him to maintain a continuous volume of
fire
his light forces while exposing them only momentarily. One wellmanaged stratagem observed was the laying of smoke by a destroyer on the unengaged bow of the enemy cruiser, which effectively ob-
from
scured our 'overs'
"
These French destroyers did indeed put up a
fight that
commanded
^The War
172
the admiration of off;
in the Atlantic
all.
The Covering Group was unable
them
to polish
hurling 8-inch and 16-inch ammunition at these nimble-footed
light craft was a bit like trying to hit a gr^ss hopper with a rock. At 0935 Giffen changed course to 280° "because of restricted waters,"
and began another run
to the
westward, exchanging shots with the
French destroyers and El Hank.
The minutes around 1000 were
the hottest part of this action.
Several things happened almost simultaneously. light cruiser
Primauguet (7300 tons, 600
and twelve torpedo tubes) sortied which peeled
off
French
beautiful
guns
two of
to assist the destroyers,
from the smoke screen group and headed north on the Covering Group. Massachusetts,
deliver a torpedo attack
range of about
The
feet long, eight 6-inch
and Tuscaloosa,
miles,
1 1
to
at a
landed a
at a little less,
couple of salvos on the van destroyer Fougueux. She blew up and sank in lat. 33°42' N, long. 7°37' W, about 6% miles north of Casablanca breakwater. About the same the flagship's
Within
body.
moment
Massachusetts
minutes
three
wakes about 60 degrees on her port bow, yards.
The
big battleship
of the spread,
Hank
a shell from El
hit
main deck forward and exploded below, injuring no-
and
just
sighted
distant
four
under one thousand
was maneuvered between Numbers
made
away along her starboard
it;
side.
Number 4
torpedo
3
and 4
passed about fifteen feet
Four minutes
later four torpedoes,
from submarine Meduse, narrowly missed Tuscaloosa; and
1021
at
another torpedo wake was sighted, passing 100 yards to port. The
French
just
missed sweet revenge for their too impetuous Fougueux.
While the Covering Group was making
this
run to the westward,
sinking ships and dodging torpedoes, three French destroyers began to
edge along shore toward the transports. Our big ships were
Hewitt
0951 ordered
at
cept the enemy.
his
When
now
area, so
Admiral
two cruisers and three destroyers
to inter-
well below the horizon, as seen
from the transport
the Brooklyn received this order, she
was
operating to the eastward of the transport area. Captain Denebrink in his eagerness steered a straight course for fifteen minutes,
managed
at
1010, by a timely 90-degree turn, to dodge
from the submarine Amazone, sand yards. Augusta, General Patton and
who was
staff
fired at a
five
just
range of about three thou-
fueling a plane
and preparing
to set
ashore, catapulted the plane, cut adrift the
waiting landing craft and stood over to support Brooklyn, as a bridal
and
torpedoes
handsome
bouquet with her guns spouting orange bursts of flame.
The second morning engagement, which commenced
at
1008 when
The Naval Battle one of the French destroyers opened eral
when Augusta came
in at
1020.
fire
on Brooklyn, became gen-
On
the one side were the
by Wilkes, Swanson and
cruisers screened
cruiser Primauguet,
two destroyer
173
of Casablanca
Bristol;
leaders,
on
two
the other, light
and four destroyers. Au-
gusta and Brooklyn steered radically evasive courses: ellipses, snake tracks,
and
figure eights
—dodging
every few seconds, and foot-
shells
ing so fast that their screening destroyers with difficulty kept out of the way. Brooklyn gusta.
"Her
was very impressive, reported an observer
followed by one or more fire lasting
in
Au-
consisted of ranging salvos with one or two guns,
fire
full salvos,
spotted,
and then a burst of rapid
Her adversary was then
a minute or so."
steering north-
westerly to open the range, so as to give her guns the advantage; at
seven and a half to nine miles from the
more than black specks merging
in the
enemy one could
of ships constantly emerging
see
little
from and sub-
smoke, and gun flashes snapping out of the screen. At
1046 Brooklyn received the only
hit suffered
by either
cruiser, a 5-
inch dud.
So intent was Brooklyn upon the task the Covering
at
hand
appeared over the horizon to the westward,
firing,
off
and large geysers
had been dodging, shot
of green water, far higher than anything she
up
that she forgot about
Group; and when the superstructures of three ships
her starboard bow, officers on the bridge thought for a few
seconds that the enemy had led us into a trap the Richelieu, Gloire and
—
were
that these ships
Montcalm from Dakar. It turned out that Hank, making a few passes at Brook-
the green splashes were from El lyn,
and that the three ships hull-down were, of course, the Covering
Group
returning. Great relief
on the bridge! At about 1035 Massaon Boulon-
chusetts signaled her re-entry into battle by opening fire nais,
who,
hit
by a
full
salvo
from Brooklyn,
rolled over
and sank
at
1112.
By 1100 Massachusetts had expended approximately 60 per of her 16-inch ammunition, and decided that she
came
balance in case that bad dream, the Richelieu,
cent
had better save the true.
Accord-
ingly she pulled out of range with three screening destroyers, while
Captain Gillette
in
Tuscaloosa assumed tactical
command
heavy cruisers and Rhind, with orders to polish
They closed range
to
two
enemy
fleet.
light cruisers
were
off the
14,000 yards, closer than our
of the
at the time.
At about 1100, action, cruiser
just before the
reduced Covering Group swung into
Primauguet took a bad beating from Augusta and
The War
174
in the Atlantic
Brooklyn. Holed three times below the waterline, and with an 8-inch shell
the
on No. 3
turret, she retired
toward" the harbor, and anchored off
Roches Noires. Milan, with
followed
Almost
suit.
at the
five hits, at least three of them 8-inch, same moment, destroyer Brestois was hit
by Augusta and a destroyer. She managed to make the harbor
The planes
Ranger
from
near
her
strafed
the
jetty.
with
waterline
Holed below the
.50-caliber bullets, but did not hasten her end. waterline, she sank at 2100.
There were now only three French ships
They formed up about 1115, apparently with a torpedo
delivering
of
reduced the
fire
action outside the
Frondeur and L'Alcyon, and destroyer leader
harbor, destroyers Albatros.
in
to
attack on the
behind
zigzagging
ineffectual
cruisers,
the intention
smoke
a
soon
were
but
from El Hank. After a number of straddles and near misses, shore battery scored one living
hit
on Wichita
at
compartment on the second deck,
them
of
seriously; the fires
same
later the
cruiser
by
screen
and Wichita. They had good support, however,
of Tuscaloosa
1
this
128, which detonated in a
injuring fourteen
were quickly extinguished.
men, none
Ten minutes
dodged a spread of three torpedoes from one of
the French submarines. Wichita and Tuscaloosa, however, gave back far
more than they
down
at
strafing.
got.
Frondeur took a
the stern; like Brestois, she
Albatros was
hit twice at
hit aft
and limped
was finished
off
into port
by
aircraft
1130, once below the waterline
forward and once on deck; with only three of her guns functioning she zigzagged behind a
smoke
screen, shooting at Augusta.
At
that
moment Ranger's bomber planes flew into action, and laid two eggs amidships. The fireroom and one engine room were flooded, and the second engine room was presently flooded by another hit from Augusta. Albatros
Immediately
went dead after,
in the water.
around 1145 or 1150, action was broken
reason of two rumors, one false and the other misleading.
off
by
News
reached Admiral Hewitt from a plane that an enemy cruiser had been sighted southwest of Casablanca, and he ordered Wichita and Tusca-
loosa to steam
down
the coast in search of her.
munication teams ashore came word
Army
"Army
From one
of our
com-
officers conferring with
Cape Fedhala. Gunfire must be stopped during this conference." Such a conference was being held, but Admiral Michelier knew nothing about it, and the senior French officer French
officers
at
present, a lieutenant colonel,
had no authority
except to surrender Fedhala, where
all
to decide anything
resistance had already ceased.
The Naval
Battle of Casablanca
175
the eight French which took part in this
morning engage-
ment, only one, L'Alcyon, returned to her berth
undamaged. But
Out of
Admiral Michelier had a few cards
still
up
his sleeve,
and proceeded
to
play them well.
The eighth of November had developed into a beautiful blue-andgold autumn day, with bright sunlight overhead, a smooth sea almost unruffled by light offshore wind, and a haze over the land to which
smoke from
gunfire and
smoke screens
contributed. Sea gulls with
black-tipped wings were skimming over the water, and so continued
throughout the action apparently unconcerned by these strange antics
human
of the
race.
At 1245 Brooklyn and Augusta were and
ports;
their crews,
who had been
hours, were trying to grab a
had managed chose
this
to get
little
patrolling
around the trans-
at battle stations for twelve
cold lunch. General Patton at last
ashore from the flagship. Admiral Michelier
opportune moment, when the Covering Group was chasing
a ghost cruiser to the westward, to order a third sortie from Casa-
blanca, led by a aviso-colonial
resembled a
light cruiser.
named La Grandiere. At
a distance she
She was followed by two small avisos-
draguerurs (coast-patrol minesweepers) of 630 tons, armed with 3.9 guns, called La Gracieuse and Commandant The three vessels steamed along the coast as if headed for the transports. The French, as ascertained later, were simply trying to pick up survivors from the sunken destroyers, but their course then looked aggressive. At the same time two destroyers who had not yet sortied, Tempete and Simoun, remained near the harbor entrance, milling around temptingly in order to attack some of our vessels under
inch
anti-aircraft
Delage.
the
fire
of El
Again
it
Hank. Albatros was
still
outside, but
dead
in the water.
was Brooklyn, Augusta, destroyers and bombing planes
the rescue. Action closing to 14,300.
which the cruisers
damaged by one
to
commenced at 1312, range 17,200 yards, rapidly Again the enemy put up a smoke screen, through were unable to find their targets. La Grandiere was
of the
bombing
planes, but returned to harbor safely,
and the two small avisos were not touched. During
this short action a
tug was observed towing in Albatros,
who was bombed
brazen
little
and strafed on the way, and
finally
beached
at the
near the Primauguet and Milan. This was a bad
Roches Noires
move on
the part of
the French, because in that position they were easily attacked
from
seaward by carrier-based planes who were not bothered to any great extent by the harbor anti-aircraft defenses. Primauguet that afternoon
^The War
176
in the Atlantic
bombings and strafings from Ranger's planes, and her whole forward half was completely wrecked. A direct hit on suffered several fierce
her bridge killed the captain, the executive, and seven other officers;
Rear Admiral Gervais de Lafond was*
seriously
wounded, but recov-
ered.
By 1340
the Covering
Group was coming up again
fast
from the
westward, and for the third time that day Admiral Hewitt handed over the duty of engaging the enemy to Admiral Giffen, while Captain
Emmet's command resumed
patrol duties. Massachusetts fired one
salvo at the small ships, and was promptly engaged by El
ceased
minutes
after ten
firing
Hank, but
order to conserve ammunition.
in
La
Wichita and Tuscaloosa stood in toward the harbor, and engaged
Grandiere and
At
A Ibatros.
the height of this action Colonel Wilbur, accompanied by a
French guide and Colonel Gay and driven by Major F. M. Rogers,
made
a second auto excursion into Casablanca in the
suading the French from further resistance.
them pass under
flag of truce after
army headquarters
in
in
The advance
dis-
post
disarming the party. They called
let
at
Casablanca, and after ascertaining that the
Colonel's friend General Bethouart was in
was
hope of
command, proceeded
jail,
and that Michelier
Admiralty on the waterfront. As
to the
they passed through the streets of Casablanca, flying the American
waved and cheered, and a friendly crowd gathered whenever they halted to ask the way. About 1400, word was sent in to Admiral Michelier requesting an interview. An aide came flag,
the population
out, saluted,
remained
at attention,
refused to receive them. his best
and declared
that the
As Major Rogers was beginning
Harvard French, El Hank
let fly
Admiral
to argue in
a salvo at Wichita. "Voila
votre reponse!" said the Admiral's aide.
The
last
ruse of Admiral Michelier had succeeded.
Tuscaloosa, although not
hit,
from El Hank that they broke
Wichita and
were so frequently straddled by gunfire off action at
1450. Dive-bombers from
also engaged this shore battery, but inflicted no lethal damAt 1530 Admiral Giffen signaled Admiral Hewitt, "Have seven loaded guns and will make one more pass at El Hank." So this day's furious shooting ended in a well-earned tribute to "Old Hank," as the
Ranger
age.
bluejackets
The
final
named
this
French shore
battery.
score of the battle of Casablanca
United States Navy suffered one
hit
is
very one-sided.
The
each on destroyers Murphy and
Ludlow, cruisers Wichita and Brooklyn and battleship Massachusetts.
The Naval Three men were
177
Battle of Casablanca
on board Murphy and about 25 wounded, by
killed
40 landing boats were destroyed by enemy action, most of them by airplane strafing when on the beach. The Army casualties ashore that day were very slight. The the Sherki battery. Approximately
French Navy
4 destroyers and 8 submarines sunk or missing;
lost
Jean Bart, Primauguet, Albatros and Milan disabled. Casualties to
French armed forces were stated by the
vember
490
to be
Fedhala were
in
Casablanca were
War Department on
and 969 wounded. All coast batteries
killed
all
23 Noat
our possession at the end of D-day, but those at still
in
Admiral Michelier
French hands, and operative.
had
still
his
two principal
assets, the four 15-
194-mm and four 138-mm coast As long as these, and the several
inch guns of Jean Bart and the four
defense guns of Batterie El Hank.
mobile and fixed batteries of 7 5 -mm
were undamaged, the Admiral was French naval and
air
aged, but the main
from being
power
in
American
attained;
and
in a
guns around Casablanca,
good position
Morrocco had been
to bargain.
irretrievably
objective, securing Casablanca,
until
ships into Casablanca they
field
we could
get the transports
were highly vulnerable
to
dam-
was
far
and cargo
submarine or
air
attack and also in danger of foul weather damage.
In general,
it
may be
was the
ering that this
said that the results were respectable, consid-
first
major action of the Atlantic Fleet; but no
more than might reasonably be expected from American local superiority in
gun and
air
power. Nothing had occurred to upset the princi-
ple that coastal batteries have a great advantage over naval gunfire.
Brooklyn to be sure had done a good job on the Sherki, but even her
bombardment technique could not have silenced a determined and The value of naval air power was well
well-trained crew of gunners.
demonstrated; for the speedy destruction and driving planes
left
down
of French
the cruiser-based planes free to spot fall of shot, while
carrier-based
bombers and
fighters delivered attacks
on ships and
shore batteries.
The French observed
their traditional
economy
in the use of
am-
munition; but the American ships were lavish, considering that they
had no place Roads.
If
to
replenish their magazines that side of
the dreaded
Dakar
fleet
questionable whether the Covering shells to defeat
Of
Hampton
had turned up next day, it is Group would have had enough
them.
individual ship performances, that of Brooklyn
intelligently directed
was
typical for
and courageously sustained aggressive
action.
The War
178
in the Atlantic
Her men- remained at battle stations from 2215 November 7 to 1433 November 8, with a single forty-minute interval at noon, and no hot
The teamwork and morale of that ship was outstanding. Even the smallest mess attendant, when questioned after the action as to what he had done, since the anti-aircraft gun for which he passed ammunition had food, without showing signs of discouragement or fatigue. ,
never
fired, said, "I
awful
lot of that!"
mostly kept out of people's way,
Equipped with the
latest devices to
sir
—but
I
did an
keep main battery trained on
a target while steering evasive courses at a speed of thirty-three knots,
Brooklyn delivered an amazing shower of
projectiles,
and
as she zig-
zagged and pirouetted, delivering 15-gun salvos and continuous rapid fire
from her main battery, her appearance, with great bouquets of
flame and smoke blossoming from her 6-inch guns, was a delight to the eye,
if
not to the ear. Brooklyn went far to prove, in this action, that
the light cruiser
is
a
most useful all-around
almost 1700 rounds of 6-inch
fighting ship.
common and
She expended
about 965 rounds of 6-
inch high-capacity, on this joyful day of battle, without a single misfire.
At
the end of the day Admiral Hewitt sent this message to
Captain Denebrink: "Congratulations on your gunnery as evidenced
by silencing Sherki battery and on your aggressive offensive action
shown throughout Augusta
the day."
also put in an outstanding performance.
her space and communication
facilities
Athough much
of
were taken up by the two staffs, Captain Gordon Her 8-inch guns could not,
admirals and two generals on board, and their
Hutchins fought his ship cleverly and
well.
of course, shoot as rapidly as the 6-inch of Brooklyn, but they prob-
more damage. The Covering Group destroyed the Jean Bart as a fighting ship, and probably accounted for the Fougueux and Boulonnais. Massa-
ably did
chusetts,
on her shakedown
morale; her turret
cruise,
men showed
was
full
of fight and tip-top in
unusual endurance in handling the 16-
inch shells for hours on end; out of her 113 officers and 2203 men,
only three were in sick bay during the action. to the battery
on El Hank,
carried only armor-piercing
gaging enemy battleships.
would be of
(HC)
slight use in
that
If
she did
little
(AP) 16-inch shells, with a view to enIt was well known that AP projectiles
shore bombardment, for which high-capacity
shells with instantaneously acting fuses are required,
miral Hewitt's staff
made
damage
was because of her ammunition. She
and Ad-
every effort to procure a supply of these for
The Naval her; but at that time the
AP
Bureau of Ordnance could furnish none. The
simply drove the gunners of El
direct hit
179
Battle of Casablanca
Hank
temporarily to cover; only a
on one of the emplacements could have silenced the battery
permanently.
The
They acted
destroyers too were well handled.
utility ships,
shepherding
as all-around
the landing boats to the line of
departure in
dangerous proximity to the shore batteries, delivering accurate and powerful
fire
on ship and shore
and transports from torpedo
ships
appear again and operations.
One
and screening the capital
targets,
attack.
Many
of their officers will
again in this history, especially in Pacific
commended by
of several
tenant Franklin D. Roosevelt
Jr.
USNR,
their skippers
gunnery
Ocean
was Lieu-
officer of
Mayrant,
"for controlling and spotting main battery with skill and good judgment under highly adverse spotting conditions." These conditions were partly
due to the inexperience of plane
sunlight
pilots, partly to the glare of
on the water between our ships and
their targets.
Perhaps the best story of the battle comes from destroyer Wilkes, when screening Brooklyn and Augusta in their fight with Primauguet
and the French destroyers. The
engine-room telephone
officer at the
heard loud reports, and more speed was called
up there?" he
inquired.
"Enemy
for.
"What's going on
cruiser chasing us,"
Before long he was almost thrown
off his feet
was the
reply.
by a sudden change of
more speed was called for. "What's going on now?" he asked. "We're chasing the enemy cruiser!" course, and even
WITH THE NORTH AFRICAN INVASION ACCOMPLISHED and the Tunisian campaign begun, the way was clear for expansion of the Allied lodgment. Although heavy fighting was to continue at Casablanca until the 11th,
we had
the "soft underbelly" of the Axis and were
nevertheless penetrated
on the long road
to victory.
Before turning to another aspect of the North African campaign, let
us touch briefly on the international political situation. General
Marshall's
official
comments
are pertinent:
General Eisenhower had announced that General Giraud would
be responsible for
civil
and military
the French military officials to
affairs in
North Africa, but
on the ground were found
to
be loyal
Marshal Petain's government. President Roosevelt's note to
The War
180
in the Atlantic
the French Chief of State had assured Marshal Petain of our desire for
ing.
a liberated France, but the
Our ambassador was handed
Vichy answer was disappointhis passport on 9 November,
and orders were dispatched from 'Vichy to resist our forces,
to
French Africa units
which by then had already accomplished
their
missions except on the Casablanca front.
Unexpectedly, Admiral Jean Darlan, Petain's designated successor and
commander in
Algiers. ...
He was
chief of
all
French
forces,
was found
taken into protective custody, and
to
when
be it
in
was
found that the French leaders stood loyal to the Vichy government, a series of conferences immediately followed with the pur-
pose of calling a halt to the French resistance against General Patton's task force in the vicinity of Casablanca.
morning of
11
November, the Germans
When, on
invaded
the
unoccupied
France, Admiral Darlan rejected the pseudo-independent Vichy
government, assumed authority
in
North Africa
Marshal Petain, and promulgated an order
manders
in
North Africa to cease
hostilities.
Casablanca a few minutes before the
final
be launched on the early morning of
1
An
1
to
in the
name
of
French com-
all
This order reached
American
assault
was
to
November.
important sequel to the North African landings
by Walter Muir Whitehill, King's biographer.
is
described
—
FLEET ADMIRAL ERNEST
AND
CDR.
J.
KING
WALTER MUIR WHITEHILL
8.
SUMMIT CONFERENCE
In the days following the North African landings
it
became
clear to
the President that a conference to determine strategic plans for 1943
would
shortly
become
necessary. Late in
November, Mr. Churchill
proposed that Marshall, King and Hopkins repeat
down
of July, but the President felt the need of sitting
the Russians either in Cairo or
Moscow. As
it
London
visit
at a table
with
their
appeared that free
discussion with the Russians could take place only on the highest level,
Stalin himself
gested a state velt's
new
housed
was
invited to participate.
Mr. Churchill sug-
Atlantic Conference in Iceland, with the three heads of in ships lying together in Hvalfjordur,
comment—
but Mr. Roose-
"I prefer a comfortable oasis to the raft at Tilsit"
turned plans toward North Africa, which offered a more suitable climate at this season. In the end Casablanca in French
Morocco was
chosen. Although Stalin never came, the President, the Prime Minister,
the
Combined Chiefs
of Staff, and other governmental representa-
assembled there for a ten-day conference, designated by the code word SYMBOL. Tremendous precautions for secrecy were obtives
served during the outward journey, particularly as the President had
had declared war nor flown since he became President. Leahy, who accompanied him, was stricken with bronchitis early in the journey, and so, to his keen neither left the country since the United States
disappointment, was
left
behind
at Trinidad.
181
The War
182
On
^January,
in the Atlantic
advance of the President's party, King
in
left
Wash-
ington by air for Borenquen Field in northwest Puerto Rico. Generals
Wedemeyer accompanied him
Somervell and nold, and Sir
John
Brazil, off the
crossed the equator for the
was spent
at
first
Landing
Marrakech
at
Moses Taylor, and to see sights
terized in
The next
the South Atlantic by night to Bathurst,
in
as far as
French Morocco on the afternoon of villa
after dinner strolled in the city.
—not even
by Mr. Churchill
Gam-
Agadir where they flew
12 January, they spent the night in a handsome
mood
flight
of the Para River, King
time in his sixty -four years.
and skirted the coast of Africa
inland.
mouth
Belem, before the party continued to Natal, Brazil.
The planes then crossed bia,
During the
Dill traveled in another plane.
from Borinquen toward night
while Marshall, Ar-
owned by Mrs.
King was not
in a
the bazaars of this ancient city, charac-
Sahara"
as "the Paris of the
—
for he felt that
such matters he had done his duty adequately in the course of his
European
cruises of
1899 and 1903. During the hour's
flight to
Casa-
blanca the following morning, Sir John Dill accompanied King and reminisced about his duty in India and Palestine.
Casablanca had been chosen for the ence
largely
of the
site
SYMBOL
Confer-
because convenient and secure accommodation was
The Combined Chiefs, with Anfa Hotel, some four miles south of
were lodged
available there.
their staffs,
in the
the city, while the Presi-
dent and the Prime Minister each had an attractive
The teenth,
Joint Chiefs of Staff
and again early the following morning
King
basic
concepts
at
near by. thir-
to lay their plans for
once suggested that world-wide strategy and
the conference. strategic
villa
met on Wednesday afternoon, the
should
be
discussed
first,
and
strongly
stressed the need of determining the proportions of the total effort that should be delivered against
urged that we
resist
any
effort
Germany and
on the part of
from a discussion of world-wide
against Japan.
He
the British to deviate
strategy in favor of any particular
operation until the basic strategic concepts had been settled.
He was
greatly concerned at this time with preventing the building
up of a
large excess force of troops in
North Africa with no immediate pros-
pect for their useful employment. In this he was in full accord with
Mr. Churchill, who several weeks previously had observed: "I never
meant the Anglo-American Army spring-board and not a sofa."
to be stuck in
North Africa.
It is
a
183
Summit Conference
WHILE DOENITZ EXPANDED HIS U-BOAT OPERATIONS TO meet the
crisis of
the
still
invasion in the Mediterranean, the Atlantic was
principal
scene
submarine
of
warfare.
Early
1942
in
Rear Admiral Jonas H. Ingram's South Atlantic Fleet, built around four light cruisers operating from Recife, Brazil, beat down stiff opposition from U-boats which had taken a heavy
toll
the Trinidad-Recife grid. Another impressive group
Wing. After mopping up apex,
it
German
in
of shipping in
was Fleet Air
Iceland-Greenland-Newfoundland
the
Bay
shifted operations to the
of Biscay
and the Azores.
shipyards, however, turned out U-boats as quickly as they
were sunk (by war's end 810 had been produced) and when one area got too hot for Doenitz he moved elsewhere. From October to De-
cember 1943 U-boats concentrated
in the Central Atlantic to feed
Allied convoys, and the pressure there increased accordingly.
juncture
the
enemy introduced
which drew a bead on a
the
acoustic
ship's propellers.
torpedo,
At
on
that
Zaukoenig,
However, the Navy coun-
tered with "Foxer," a device of parallel rods which clacked together
when towed and was
calculated to lure Zaukoenig from effectual
attack.
But the best antisubmarine weapon devised was the Killer-Hunter Group; a merchantman converted
to a
baby
flattop, or "jeep carrier",
screened by several destroyers. The raison d'etre of this outfit was to kill
submarines, and
it
did.
The procedure
called for the carrier's
planes to find the U-boat on the surface and either destroy
bombs, or
if
it
with
the submarine dove, to coach in a destroyer. This
was the case on the afternoon of October 3 1 when U-91 was spotted and bombed by a Block Island Avenger. As the hour was growing late, Captain A. J. "Buster" Isbell sent destroyer Borie surging ahead to search.
An
old flush decker, the tin can reached the area after
dark and soon obtained three solid contacts on her sound gear. A depth charge attack was launched, after which the destroyer's crew heard and
A 1812
felt
heavy explosions below. But the night was not over.
swashbuckling story which is
Hersey.
told
by the
is
strongly reminiscent of the
brilliant Pulitzer Prize
Presently Master of Pierson College
Hersey covered the war
in the Atlantic
and
War
of
winning novelist, John at
Yale University,
Pacific for Life
Magazine.
JOHN HERSEY
LAST BATTLE
U.S.S. BORIE'S
In a black,
windy night of October 1943, the U.S.S. Borie, an
numbered 215, was making \l l/i uncomfortable knots through the Atlantic seas. She had just sunk one submarine and was looking for another. It was 1 :53 a.m. old destroyer
A
kind of electric shock
hit the Borie's
blacked-out bridge as a
voice announced contact with an unidentified craft bearing
190°,
west of south. That contact was the beginning of one of the
just
strangest ship-to-ship contests in the history of fighting at sea.
The commanding officer of the Borie was standing just to the right of the helmsman in the wheelhouse. He was Lieut. Charles H. Hutchins, at 30 one of the youngest destroyer captains in the U. S. Navy and one of the very few
in this
war
while only a lieutenant.
When
he learned of the contact he lowered
his
head and raised
with
a
his
arm
club in his hand
to
be given charge of a destroyer
in a characteristic gesture
—
like a
about to strike an adversary
man
—and
he
shouted: "Flank speed!"
As
the Borie gained speed she began to pitch and
pound very hard.
Destroyers are wet ships, and they are wettest at high speed. The
waves that night ran 15 and 20
feet high,
and by the time the Borie
reached 27 knots, black water was knocking at the highest towers of the ship.
So heavy was the
the bridge
184
— 30
feet
sea's
above water
impact that four of the portholes on level
— were smashed. The portholes
—
185
U.S.S. Bone's Last Battle
were of 34 -in. into the
glass, 15 inches in diameter.
After that water splashed
wheelhouse through the broken ports. The temperature of the
water was 44°Fahrenheit, 12°above freezing. In a short time the Borie lost surface contact with the target. Lieut.
Hutchins
at
once assumed that the enemy had submerged.
the sound apparatus
—
He
ordered
the device which hunts for underwater objects
by means of echoing sound waves
—turned
on.
Soundman Second when every-
Class Lerten V. Kent had only sent out a few impulses
one on the bridge,
listening to the
ping, heard a clear
and
sound machine's slow ping-ping-
solid echo.
Soundman Kent waited
for a
second echo before he roared: "Sound contact! Bearing one nine oh."
The Borie moved
Soundman Kent reported every twist The "talkers" on the bridge men with
in slowly.
—
submarine's bearing.
in the
power telephones
and engine rooms
to guns
—
quietly told the
what was happening. All through the ship the men were
had gone through
excited.
crew
They
dull months. After the first cruise escorting the
converted merchantman carrier U.S.S. Card, some of the Borie's
crew had hung a service indicating that they
had
flag for
finally
men
transferred to other ships
gone to war.
As the old destroyer closed the range on her quarry, Chief Torpedoman Frank G. Cronin got the "ash cans" of TNT set on their racks
When
aft.
the Borie got directly over her target, Lieut. Hutchins gave
the order to drop an orthodox deep pattern. Instead of the usual
small
one
number
for a pattern, depth charges
after another in
began
flying off the stern
an almost endless procession. Something had
gone wrong with the depth-charge-releasing mechanism. Soon Sound-
man Kent
could hear the rumble of
the sensitive sound stack. ins
ordered a floating
The depth-charge accurate.
It
To mark
many underwater
explosions in
the point of attack, Lieut. Hutch-
flare to
be dropped.
attack
was not only on a grand
forced the submarine to the surface.
scale:
Lieut.
it
was
Hutchins
thought the submarine might surface on his right and behind him.
Therefore he ordered his 4-inch guns trained on the starboard quar-
But the wily German turned around underwater before surfacing. This was the first of a series of tricks on both sides which gave this ter.
duel
its
The
man
weird quality. first
man
First Class
to see the
U-boat on the surface was Fire Control-
Robert Maher.
When
the submarine
popped up
to
The War
186 and
port
astern,
Maher
screamed: "There yards away.
As
if
by
It
in the Atlantic
it
is
—
forgot his
formal naval vocabulary and
just to the fight of the flare!" It
was 400
was huge and almost white.
reflex,
momentV thought,
without a
Lieut. Hutchins de-
cided that he could swing his ship around faster than the gun crew
could train their 4-inch guns around, so he put his head down, raised his right
arm
in his
clubbing gesture and roared to his helmsman,
Seaman Third Class James M. Aikenhead, to put the wheel hard right away from rather than toward the submarine. Lieut. Hutchins ordered the searchlight turned on. This lit up the sleek gray target, but it also gave the Germans something to shoot at. The Borie got the first shot in, with the No. 4 gun, astern, about halfway through the circling turn. It missed. Then all the Borie 's guns opened fire. Men on the Borie could see Germans scrambling out on the conning tower and manning the machine guns there. The Borie straightened out and went after the submarine, verging
—
up she would be broadside
to the right so that as she caught
to the
enemy. The submarine could make about 12 knots, and the Borie
was now pounding out 27
The gun their big
again.
duel was one-sided.
The Germans never attempted
to
man
deck gun, for the U-boat's deck was awash and great waves
were breaking over the gun. In any case the second or third salvo
from the Borie
Men
lifted that
gun
of the Borie later said they
Soon the destroyer began
off the
saw the gun
to pull
Americans could see Germans
deck and threw
clearly
but underwear
others in dungarees.
The long
When
Some were
in midair.
and
The U-boat had Germans were obviously
close-to.
the conning tower in nothing
dressed
Many wore bandanas
in
sweaters and shorts,
of green, yellow and red.
hair of those without bandanas disgusted the Americans. the destroyer's
German guns a
They came out on
pants.
in the sea.
up alongside the submarine, and
apparently been surprised, because several straight out of bed.
it
fell silent
machine guns found the conning tower, the
and never
fired again.
machine gun he would be horribly
killed.
As each German ran
to
There were times when no
Germans were visible. Then, in response to long training to pick out some specific target, whether human or not, gun captains began screaming: "Bend up their guns: get those goddam guns bent up." The U-boat commander, seeing himself out-gunned, tried to outmaneuver Lieut. Hutchins. He swung left and aimed his stern, which carried the sting of torpedo tubes, at the destroyer. Lieut. Hutchins
swung
left too, at first gently,
hoping to stay broadside to the U-boat
on the outer of two
aimed
made
187
But the German kept
his stern
parallel curves:
Borie and fired a torpedo, which missed. Then Lieut.
at the
He had Aikenhead
Hutchins tricked the German. This
U.S.S. Bone's Last Battle
German
the
rudder.
left
UGerman
think the Borie was going to cut across the
and come up inside
boat's stern
turn full
curve. Therefore the
its
straightened out. Lieut. Hutchins turned hard right again and the
was
situation
just
ships running
a
what
it
on roughly
had been a few moments before
—
the two
parallel straight courses, with the destroyer
behind the U-boat but catching up.
little
For the next few minutes the Borie' s guns drummed the submarine.
The
yard, but to
gun stopped working. Gun
electric firing circuit of the forecastle
Captain Kenneth it
J.
Reynolds
gun once by pulling the lan-
fired the
broke. Rather than take the time to find a piece of string
make new
lanyard, he began to trip the firing pin with his hand.
could not get his hand out of the way
so that his forearm and wrist were
swelled up to three times normal
He
time to beat the 25-in. recoil,
in
brutally
size.
pounded, and
later
All the time the heavy seas
were breaking over the forecaste gun and a Negro mess attendant, Steward's
it
Mate Second Class Ernest Gardner, twice grabbed and just as he was being washed overboard.
man
saved a
The Borie caught up with the German and began to pull ahead and was time to ram. The men of the Borie had dreamed, as all de-
stroyermen dream, of ripping into the side of a U-boat and putting
down.
Many
times, at the wheel,
Helmsman Aikenhead had
it
talked of
ramming. Just three days before, Lieut. Hutchins had jokingly taken a piece of chalk and
drawn on
the center porthole, directly in front of
and two
the helmsman's eyes, three concentric rings their center.
Now,
He
called
it
the Borie 's
ramming
therefore, Lieut. Hutchins put his
lines crossing at
sight.
head down and
lifted his
clubbing arm and shouted: "All right, Aikenhead, line her up. Get the sight on."
Aikenhead spun the wheel and right
sir, I
in a
few minutes said quietly: "All
got her on."
Lieut. Hutchins shouted an order to be passed
on
to the crew:
"All stations stand by for ram!"
The
talkers bent their heads
parroting, singsong voice of
all
and said talkers:
into their
phones
in
the
"All stations stand by for
ram."
The German seemed danger.
Men
It
to be holding his course, as
appeared that there would be a
if
unaware of
his
fine collision.
on the destroyer braced themselves for the pleasure and the
The War
188
in the Atlantic
shock. Lieut. Hutchins rushed out into the open on the the bridge and held tight to the windscreen there.
braced the wheel. Gunnery Officer Lieut. Walter H. Dietz
on the director platform, it
tight.
Everyone was
fell in
wing of
left
Aikenhead emJr.,
topside
love witrpthe range finder and hugged
set.
Then in the last few seconds the German swerved sharply left and a huge wave lifted the Borie. These two things made the moment of impact a disappointment to all hands. There was no shock. No one could hear a crunching noise. The wave lifted the Borie's bow high and put it gently on the deck of the submarine, just forward of the conning tower.
Momentum and the bow slide for-
30° angle imposed by the German made the Borie's
ward on
the submarine's. There
craft. In the Borie's
had met
And
until the
was scarcely any damage
to either
forward engine room no one even knew the ships
down came to
order came
so the two ships
to stop all engines. rest,
bow
over bow, at an angle,
locked in a mortal V.
Disappointment
when
the
men on
at the collision at
the destroyer
down. Lieut. Hutchins worked
once gave way to a crazy elation
saw how they had the German pinned his
clubbing arm as
one's brains out and roared: "Fire! Fire! yelled: "Yipee!"
—over and
over.
Men
Open
if
beating some-
fire!"
Then he
on the bridge threw
their
just
arms
around each other and danced, shouting, "We've got the sonofabitch, we've got the sonofabitch!"
The
searchlight bathed the conning tower
and
all
guns which could
bear opened up at a 30-foot range. For their part the Germans did not lack a
mad
courage.
They kept coming up out
tower hatch trying to get to their guns, even
man
their hopeless guns.
The
sight
in
of that conning-
death agonies trying to
was a horrible one. One German
20-mm. shell. His head and shoulders flew one way, his trunk another. Some shells took Germans and pitched them bodily overboard. One U-boatman stood there a second was
hit
squarely in the chest by a
without a head.
The situation affected different men Seaman First Class Carl Banks,
ator
boy, finding himself
now
variously.
Range Finder Oper-
ordinarily a shy, quiet, gentle
with nothing to do since range had been
reduced to zero, marched up and down the director platform shouting: "Kill the bastards! Kill 'em! Kill! Kill! Kill!"
seated and laughed loudly and cracked jokes.
Edward N. Malaney walked
to
the
left
Other
men were
Seaman Second
wing
of the
Class
bridge and,
189
Bone's Last Battle
(7.5.5.
amazed at the size of the submarine, said: "My God, what's that? The Bremen?" Other men went quietly about their work. Chief Quartermaster William Shakerly kept taking thorough notes in his log, and in the
chartroom Executive Officer Lieut. Philip Brown methodically
completed
Then
his plot of the course of action.
in the
middle of the bedlam Lieut. Brown went out on the
bridge and reported to the captain. the plot,
sir.
The
hell
He
saluted and said: "I've secured
with charting this battle. All the essential facts
are right underneath us."
And
Lieut.
Brown went
to the flag bags,
where small arms were stowed, and picked himself out a tommy gun.
Gunnery
Officer Dietz looked
form a few minutes
later.
down on him from
He saw
the director plat-
his quiet-spoken friend standing
German torso tommy gun like a
there, with his rimless glasses on, waiting cooly until a lifted itself
on deck across the way, then
raising his
professor raising a pointer at a blackboard, and pulling the trigger
and
killing
another man.
All through the ship,
came
"people's war"
men.
He
men
acted
own. The phrase
their
mind
as he
watched
his
men responded to the months of Brown had given them, and to their
gave very few orders. The
careful training Executive Officer
own
now on
into Lieut. Hutchins'
initiatives.
Everyone found something
to do.
Standing on the galley deckhouse only about
1
5 feet
away from the
conning tower, Fireman First Class David F. Southwick pulled a inch knife out of
its
sheath and threw
running for a gun. The knife
German went
hit the
it
German
at
a
five-
German who was
in the
stomach, and the
overboard. Chief Boatswain's Mate Walter C. Kurz
picked up an empty 4-inch shell case weighing nearly 10 pounds, waited for a
German
to climb out of the
case, hit the target squarely
and had the
tower hatch, threw the
satisfaction of seeing
shell
him
fall
Mate Richard W. Wenz, the strongest who could pick up huge depth charges alone and set them in their racks, now could not be bothered to find the key to the small-arms locker, so he broke the wooden door down with his fist. into the sea. Chief Gunner's
man on
the ship,
He distributed tommy guns to
.45-caliber all
ney, unable to find flares
could not
kill
pistols,
12-gauge
shotguns,
rifles
and
Seaman Second Class Edward Malaany other weapon, fired a Very pistol whose signal free hands.
but could burn nastily.
The gun crews worked as automatically as their weapons and with greater flexibility. Some machine guns should not have fired because
The War
190
in the Atlantic
they had steel splinter shields between them and the submarine. crews, at great risk to their tearing
them open, and
Loaders were injured by
had
the guns thereafter
from
flying steel
gun decided that ammunition was not coming climbed into the seat of the
climbed out, ran for another
way.
Among
the
all
shell
him
20-mm. machine guns
fast
enough, ran
shell, thrust
— and kept
fire.
Negro
loader on No. 4
who had been
firing pointer,
fired,
first
to
deckhouse racks, grabbed a heavy
to the after
clear fields of
the splinter shields.
Cook Christopher Columbus Shepard,
Officers'
The
guns through the shields,
lives, fired the
his
it
home,
blinded,
gun going
that
there were only two jams
during the whole battle, and each was cleared in a matter of seconds.
Gunnery son:
"No
Officer Dietz
at the
captain can do very wrong
enemy"
of an
— who
—had
if
drop of a hat
we
He had
will
killed
this
was eager
word:
"We
to
will
not board."
The
a reason for this order.
very well. At least 35
fight
Germans had been
above decks was going
killed.
Nobody had been
on the Borie. But serious reports were coming up
talkers
quote Nel-
he lays his ship alongside that
trained a boarding party, and he
board the submarine. But Lieut. Hutchins passed not board,
will
from the bowels of the
to the bridge
The engine rooms were
ship.
flooding.
The German enemy had not done this to the Borie: the weather The high seas had twisted the two ships, had reduced the V until
had.
and had banged the two
the enemies lay nearly parallel, gether.
The submarine,
pressures,
was better able
whose skin was only
%
hulls to-
withstand tremendous underwater
to
built
to survive the grinding than the destroyer
6 of an inch thick.
Water began pouring
into
both engine rooms. In the after one, a damage control party was able to stuff the leaks
enough so
that
pumps could keep
the water down.
But the forward engine room became hopelessly flooded. There the water crept up, waists,
and
to the
first
men's knees, then to their
finally to their chests. Since the
engines were steam-tight
from within, they were, of course, watertight from outside, and they kept going even
when submerged. As
water tore every mobile thing sloshed around the
and other
debris.
and Fireman behind some
and soon the men were being
room along with floor plates, gratings, small casks Machinist's Mate Second Class Edd M. Shockley
First Class live
free,
the ship rolled and pitched, the
Mario
J.
Pagnotta crawled and floated
steam pipes dragging mattresses behind them, to
to plug the holes; but their efforts
washed
out. Chief
in
try
Engineer Lieut.
191
U.S.S. Borie's Last Battle
Morrison R. Brown ordered everyone to
He
leave.
stayed alone to do
what he could. ramming, the two ships worked
Finally, 10 minutes after the
The
of each other.
free
and maneuver began
incredible contest of wit
again.
The submarine
pulled ahead and out to the
could see that the enemy intended to get his again,
and
more torpedoes. That made
to fire
Officer Ensign fired.
But
a
He
own.
to fire torpedoes of his
Lawrence
heavy sea threw the aim
The U-boat went the
two ships traveled
boat had
its
the proper calculations and
aimed
tail
too.
But
destroyer's
and
and the Borie did
Most
of the time the
straight at the destroyer.
torpedo room and prevented
A
U-
good 4-
may have
pene-
the firing of any
more
inch hit on the submarine's starboard Diesel exhaust trated to the
missed.
was smaller than the
in concentric circles.
threatening
Lieut. Hutchins decide
The torpedo
off.
into a tight left circle
the submarine's turning radius
on the destroyer
ordered the tubes manned. Torpedo
Quinn made
S.
Lieut. Hutchins
left.
tail
torpedoes. Lieut. Hutchins felt frustrated
than the enemy.
He
by
his ship's inability to turn shorter
kept having the illusion that his ship was going in
a straight line, while the submarine
want
his right
her
was turning away. He did not
to lose his victim at this late hour.
left,
arm
He
kept beating the
air
with
and shouted over and over: "All right, Aikenhead, bring
dammit, bring her
left."
Helmsman Aikenhead, who weighed
130 pounds and was
only
very tired from the stiffness of the Borie's wheel, kept saying in a
pleading voice: "But, Captain, Lieut. Hutchins
I
am
left, I
compass which was moving around very
how many had
in the
am
left."
would not believe Aikenhead
times the two ships
back of
his
mind
made his
fast.
until
he looked
at the
Hutchins did not know
that dizzy circle. All the time he
planned rendezvous next morning
with the Card and her other destroyers, the Goff and the Barry. did not want to lose his position, so
turned in those merry-go-round nal floating flare.
moved The
The
ships
it
circles, to
was a
relief,
He
as the Borie
catch glimpses of his origi-
had made many convolutions but had not
far.
circling
was of no advantage
tricked the submarine again.
He
to the Borie, so Lieut.
turned out his
light,
Hutchins
hoping that the
U-boat would count on shaking the destroyer by sneaking out of that tight circle
and away. The submarine did
just that. Lieut.
Hutchins
The War
192
snapped on the
in the Atlantic
and soon found the
light again
streaking off in a northeasterly direction.
U-boat
glistening
Range was 400
The
yards.
Borie pursued. All through the battle so far Xht } Bo?ie had been to the right of adversary. Lieut. Hutchins decided to break through to the other
its
side, so while
he chased the enemy he pulled
an order which helped to win the
Aikenhead was about
shallow.
helmsman
tain ordered the
stroyer pulled
up
time, the
left.
he gave set
Cap-
relieved.
ramming, sinking the enemy by
first
an obsession aboard the Borie. The de-
to the left of the U-boat. Lieut. its
Hutchins ordered a
course until the
away
time, instead of turning sharply
German
And now
ordered depth charges
The submarine again held
collision course.
moment. This
still
He
to collapse at the wheel, so the
In spite of the failure of the
crashing into him was
battle.
as he
had the
last first
turned sharply toward the Borie.
This brought up something entirely unexpected: the U-boat captain
had decided
stroyer.
With her
down and ram
to pull the temple pillars
the de-
thin skin the Borie stood to lose everything
by being
rammed. had one of
Lieut. Hutchins
genius.
To
helmsman
combat
his instantaneous flashes of
everyone's puzzlement on the bridge, he ordered the to turn hard
left,
new
and he ordered the starboard engine
stopped, the port engine backed
full.
This had the effect of throwing
the ship into a skidding stop, with the stern end swinging to the right
toward the oncoming submarine. At precisely the correct moment Lieut. Hutchins lowered his
head and raised
his non-existent club
shouted to his Depth Charge Officer Ensign Lawrence Quinn
:
and
"Okay,
Larry, give 'em the starboard battery."
Ensign Quinn flicked three switches. Three round shapes arched the
wind and
fell
within feet of the submarine
Borie 's flank.
Men
side
in
and
The submarine lurched out mammal and came to a stop very close to the
one on the other. They went of the water like a hurt
— two on one
off shallow.
on deck said that
if
there
had been another coat of
paint on either ship that would have been a collision.
Somehow like a
the
German submarine managed
dying animal
in the very act of
—
like a
good Spanish
this
was and
to start
dying refuses to admit that he
around astern of the Borie and shot
By
again. It
bull that refuses to die
off at
is
up
dying.
It
slipped
an angle.
time the Americans, though for the most part unhurt, were
dazed by the stubbornness of the enemy. The
officers
on the bridge
193
U.S.S. Borie's Last Battle
have a very hazy
memory
what happened
of
next.
There were various
zigs and zags. Apparently the Borie closed in to a convenient range.
Now He
at last the
up
sent
moment
—
was beaten.
to realize he
white, green
and red Very
flares.
A
later Lieut. Hutchins saw an answering signal from the hori-
He went
zon.
U-boat captain seemed
distress signals
compass and checked the bearing of
right to the
this
other enemy-220°.
The 4-inch gunners gave
the U-boat
its final
They
crippling blow.
The submarine dropped to The Borie got in really close. The Germans seemed to be trying to abandon ship. They huddled
hit the
starboard Diesel exhaust again.
four knots.
on the conning tower. In before the order reached
who was It
still
which he
a compassion
understand, Lieut. Hutchins ordered stations
all
all
Gun
later did not quite
guns to cease
Captain Kenneth Reynolds,
gun painfully by hand, got
firing his
blew the bridge structure, with
all its
But
firing.
off
one
last
round.
occupants, right off the
U-
boat.
Water from
bow
lifted
the hole by the exhaust poured into the submarine. Its
dripping out of the rough sea.
The
ship slipped under the
waves and exploded horribly underwater. After one hour and four minutes of admirably tenacious fighting, the submarine sank.
At once
had had enough
fighting for
The Borie was
maximum
He and
Lieut. Hutchins turned his ship away.
one
night.
Only one engine would
in serious trouble.
speed was
now 10
knots, which a
could easily exceed. The ship was generators were out.
the Borie
still
Her
run.
surfaced submarine
The
taking water forward.
The water condensers were impaired
so that the
turbines were not getting the absolutely pure, saltless steam they
needed. Lieut. Hutchins reported by radio to the Card: "Just sank
number two ming.
May
in
combined depth-charge
attack,
gun
and ram-
battle
have to abandon ship."
Lieut. Hutchins tried desperately to get the ship to the rendezvous,
which was
set for just after
dawn.
He
gave the order to lighten ship.
Everything that could be was thrown over the side their chains,
:
both anchors and
ammunition, machine guns, torpedoes and
mounts, depth charges, the searchlight, range finder,
hundreds of smaller things. let
over the side to sink
afloat
it
—
A
for
fire
hole was cut in the lifeboat and it
had the number 215 on
might identify the Borie to the enemy. During
conscientious storekeeper
first
class
named Joseph San
huge
their
director
it,
this
and
it
and
was
if left
process a
Philip
came
to
The War
194
in the Atlantic
the bridge holding the Title list
B Book
in his
hand. This book contains a
of things aboard ship for which "the captain has
had
to sign his
personal responsibility. Storekeeper Philip said: "Sir, who's going to take the responsibility for
all this Title"
B
we're throwing away?"
stuff
Without saying a word Lieut. Hutchins took the the storekeeper's hands and
Dawn
The
it,
from
too, in the sea.
its
The emergency
fuel so that the Borie
officers sat
gasoline generator for the radio had
was now
silent.
around the radio room, wondering what
Someone took out a cigaret and lit it with a Lord remembered having seen some lighter desk.
B Book
broke overcast: the Card's planes would have a hard time
finding the Borie.
used up
dropped
Title
Word was
fluid
passed through the ship to send
to do.
Robert H.
lighter. Lieut.
on another
officer's
all lighter fluid
to the
The generator worked long enough on these contribuRadio Operator Cameron G. Gresh to send: "Can steam
radio shack. tions for
Commencing to sink." much salt had built up in
another two hours.
At 9 a.m. so
the turbines that the blades
locked and the destroyer went dead in the water.
The only hope now was Borie.
If
that planes
from the Card would
the Borie could send out radio signals the chances of their
doing so would be
much
better.
Someone thought
sick bay. After being cut with kerosene right.
find the
Radioman Gresh
three dots
and a dash
to stand for Victory.
worked the generator
it
sent: "Getting bad."
—
the letter which in
And
of the alcohol in
Then he
all
Allied lands has
a plane rode that letter in
all
sat tapping out
come
and found the
Borie.
The Card,
the Barry and the Goff steamed
Card inquired by signal light how replied: "I want to save this bucket
up
at
about noon. The
things were going. Lieut. Hutchins
But things went from bad spected the ship.
if I
to worse.
This took as
can. Give
me
a few hours."
Executive Officer
much courage
Brown
as the battle
itself.
in-
He
forced himself into most of the ship's compartments, never knowing
which hatch would be the
would be hopeless
Toward dusk
last
he opened. His report indicated that
the
Card and her
escorts returned.
for a rescue ship to go alongside the Borie,
time for to
men
to be transferred
do but have them After his
it
to try to save the ship.
off,
was too rough
by breeches buoy. There was nothing
get into the bitterly cold water
men were
It
and there would not be
Lieut. Hutchins
went
and
cling to rafts.
to his
room and
—
195
U.S.S. Borie's Last Battle
found a
flashlight.
And
then the young captain went, alone and miser-
through the various deserted compartments of his
able,
and engine rooms, the commissary
into the firerooms
messing compartments, into finally
back
dark and
to his
silent.
first
officers'
own domain,
ship
and
stores
country and the wardroom, and
the skipper's cabin.
The
ship
was
all
All hands had abandoned her. So the captain went
out on deck and, with the battle flag of the U.S.S. Borie under his
arm, slipped over the side into water only 12° above freezing. in the fight but in that water that 27 men were lost. For who were lost it must have been much as it was for Gunnery Officer Dietz, who was very nearly lost. A slender man, he had never It
was not
those
thought himself strong. thought
it
would
Goff drifted
kill
When
he
him. But he
down on
it.
He
first hit
that breath-taking water he
managed
grabbed a
to cling to a raft until the
life-line
and pulled himself up
so that his hands held the edge of the deck and of safety. But his
hands were so cold that he could not hold on.
He
water. belt
—
a
He
slipped along the side of the ship, held
mere rubber tube under
back
into the
up by
his life
fell
his arms. Life lines
caught at his
The Goff's framelike propeller guards hit him in the head and pushed him under. He thought: "I must get away from this and wait." He pushed away from the ship. But when he tried to paddle back his arms would barely move. His mind refused to admit defeat but kept shielding him from fear. "They will come after me," he kept saying to himself. He fainted. Luckily for him his head fell backward instead of forward. A few minutes later hands pulled him aboard the throat.
Barry.
The margin
of luck
Ensign Richard E. into the Goff
who were
St.
was not quite so wide
for the
27 who were
John had pulled himself halfway up a
when he dropped back
into the water to help four
too far gone to help themselves.
They made
it.
lost.
life line
men
Ensign
St.
John was caught under the destroyer and drowned. Engineering Officer Lieut.
Brown, who had
tried bravely
engines going in water up to his neck, was
and alone
lost.
to
keep the
So was Ensign Lord,
who had probably saved the ship by thinking of lighter fluid for the radio. The enlisted men who were lost were: Alford, Blane, Blouch, Bonfiglio,
Cituk, Concha, Demaid, Duke, Fields, Francis, Kiszka,
Lombardi, Long, McKervey, Medved, Mulligan, Pouzar, Purneda, Shakerly, Swan, Tull, Tyree, Wallace, Winn. Lieut. Hutchins could not stand
Goff
in the
up when he was taken onto the
darkening evening. Later he took a hot shower and shook
The "War
196
in the Atlantic
under the steam. Then he had a rubdown, some hot chocolate, a sip of brandy and a little exercise. He "spent most of that night on the bridge, waiting for
At
men
dawn and made
sunrise the Goff
face
down
a glimpse of his ship. a last
in their preservers.
sweep for survivors. She found 10
Then
she went to the Borie.
The
destroyer had drifted about 20 miles and had settled badly. Lieut. Hutchins stood
a
Grumman Avenger
second plane
hit
on a strange bridge and watched
attacked with a heavy
her amidships.
A
his ship as
bomb and missed.
third holed her again, badly.
Borie, her back broken, lifted her protesting
bow and
A
The
then settled
fast.
THE COUNTRY'S CALL TO ARMS WAS ANSWERED BY THE flower of our youth, and
Fahey
of
among
the eighteen-year-olds
Waltham, Massachusetts, who
October 1942 and was assigned
enlisted in
was James
the
Navy
in
to the light cruiser Montpelier.
Contrary to regulations, Fahey assiduously kept a war diary and
was fortunate interruption.
in
that he jotted
down
his thoughts
without
official
SEAMAN 1/C JAMES
J.
FAHEY
IO.
ENLISTMENT DAYS
October
Navy
1942:
3,
got the makings of a
and cannot
get carsick I
my
took
Navy today. It very poor sailor when they
enlisted in the U.S.
I
ride
looks like the got me.
I still
on a swing for any length of time.
physical examination at the Post Office Building in
Boston, Mass., a distance of about ten miles from Waltham, Mass. fellow next to told
him
me was
the Sea Bees
the old trolly car
October ton,
on
7,
and
1942:
my way
to
rejected because he
would take him.
felt like I
the Fleet
On
was color
the
way home
I
A
They
blind.
relaxed in
Admiral himself.
got up early this morning for
my
Great Lakes Naval Training Station
trip to
in
Bos-
Chicago,
Illinois.
Before leaving It
I
shook
my
was a clear cool morning
headed for the bus
father's
as
my
at the corner of
hand and kissed him goodbye. Mary, brother John and I
sister
Cedar
Street.
car were crowded with people going to work.
Post Office Building in Boston
goodbye.
.
.
I
trolley
reached the
shook John's hand and kissed Mary
.
After a long tiresome day of hanging around
way
The bus and
When we
to the train station.
The group was very
we were large
finally
on our
and they came
New England states. With a big band leading the way we marched through downtown Boston before thousands of people. It took about half an hour to
from the
reach the North Station and at 5:30 p.m.
we were on our way. 197
The War
198
When and
in the Atlantic
the train passed through
could picture the folks at
I
an empty place
me
easy for
we should
city
it
was beginning
home having some
at the table for
to feel sad
my
supper. There would be
time. It
would have been very
and lonely with fhese thoughts
not give in to our feelings.
my mind
in
we always gave
If
our judgment we would
feelings instead of
to get dark
in to
but
our
by the wayside when
fall
the going got rough. It will
two to a
be a long tiresome
October
8,
1942
nowhere today. last century.
and
:
and our bed
The long troop
looked
It
like a
we
be the seat
will
sit in,
train
stopped
in the
middle of
scene from a western movie in the
All you could see was wide open spaces with plenty of
and a small railroad
fields
trip
seat.
station. It felt
good
to get
some
fresh air
change after the crowded conditions on the
stretch our legs for a
train. Some of the fellows like myself mailed letters and cards home. The postmark on the mail was Strathroy, Ontario, Canada. It was a warm sunny day so we sat on the side of the tracks while waiting for
the train to get started again.
At Great Lakes: On
the evening of Oct. 9
we
pulled into the
stockyards at Chicago and stayed there for some time.
another chance to get some fresh
air
ground for a change. All the people were
at their
At
windows looking was on
last the train
dirty lot
when
its
in
gave us
and walk around on
solid
the big tenement buildings
at us. final leg of the
We
journey.
the train finally pulled into Great
ing Station in the early
It
were a
tired
Lakes Naval Train-
morning darkness. The weather was on the
chilly side.
They
got us
up bright and
of a large drill hall.
We
early after a few hours sleep
were far from being
physical examination but that was the
took a long time.
We
went from one doctor
downstairs and from one
head our
to toe
first
We
room
to another.
and even asked us our
shower
in
way we
some
religion.
in
on the
floor
condition for a
started the day
and
to another upstairs
and
They checked us from At last it was over and
time. It sure felt good.
spent four weeks of training and lived in barracks.
Our com-
pany number was 1291. A Chief Petty Officer was company and our chief was liked by all. Some of the Chiefs are hated because they go out of their way make it as miserable as possible. They enjoy getting the fellows up in
two
in the
morning and have them stand
long time with very
little
it
clothing.
charge of each
to at
at attention in the cold for a
Enlistment Days
The
who
instructor
recruits.
He
taught us judo enjoyed taking
from
sent one of the boys
it
my company
out on the new-
to the hospital in
Our chief was boiling mad and if he could have hands on this punk he would have done a job on him.
gotten his
a stretcher.
You
learned that your days of privacy were over while you were in
the
Navy and
life
again.
they would not return until you were back in civilian
When you
one enjoyed sleeping
tight. It
going to
you
was
like sleeping
fall
out
We there
will
if
on a
never forget our
was no hair
to cut. It
hammocks because
tight clothesline.
you turned
You
over.
all
first
you were always
etc.,
alone.
in the
on your back
can't sleep
took a shower,
ate, slept,
you were never
part of the crowd,
No
199
You
felt like
you were
on your back but
safe
felt
they were too
night.
haircut.
When
was shorter than
the barber got through
was funny
short. It
to see
a nice looking fellow with a beautiful crop of hair get into the barber's chair
and leave with no hair
Great Lakes
at all.
the largest naval training station in the world and
is
they also have one of the best football teams in the country.
I
had the
pleasure of talking to Bruce Smith the ail-American back from Min-
He was the number one football player You could not help but like him. He slept
nesota.
1941.
We
in the
country in
in our barracks.
always marched to the mess hall for our meals and kept in step
by singing loud and strong. I
had
to
go to sick
call
one day because of a bad blow to the
received in a boxing bout but they did not do anything for
though the pain was he goes to sick
We
killing
call, that
he just wants time
were kept on the go
over. It
me. They think everyone
at all times
was home sweet home for
us.
off
and
We
is
ribs I
me
a faker
even
when
from work. at last
our training was
were very proud of our
uniform as we boarded the train for home. After a nine day leave we returned to Great Lakes and stayed here for two days before leaving for Norfolk, Virginia, our next stop.
Late Friday evening Nov. 21, a large group of us boarded a truck for the pier. It
the ship with
was
my
a great feeling as
sea bag in one
with blankets, mattress, is
the U.S.S. Montpelier.
and a warship
We
slept in
staggered up the gangway to
my
a light cruiser.
It is
The name of At last I have
shoulder.
the ship a
home
at that.
our
hammocks
were assigned to divisions. division.
over
etc.,
I
hand and the mattress cover loaded
I
in the
went
mess
hall at first
but then
to the 5th division. It
is
we
a deck
The "War
200
in the Atlantic
some time before we know our way around this large ship. It is over 600 feet long and ha£ many decks and compartments. Today at eight in the morning we left Norfolk for the Philadelphia /-< 7 Navy Yard ... It will
take
KILLER-HUNTER GROUPS REMAINED ACTIVE IN THE ATlantic for yet
clined.
On
another year, and U-boat sinkings correspondingly de-
June
4,
1944, a Group built around the jeep carrier Gua-
dalcanal found U-505 about one hundred miles off the coast of
Africa and
commenced one of the most daring attacks of the war, the enemy submarine was captured intact. The saga of
only time an
Guadalcanal's hunt
who
is
recalled by
served as the carrier's
Rear Admiral Daniel V. Gallery,
commanding
officer.
REAR ADMIRAL
D. V.
GALLERY (RET.)
II.
THE CAPTURE OF
"Frenchy to Blue Jay!
As
I
1
have a possible sound contact!"
reached the bridge the Chatelain was wheeling out of our
destroyer screen, a long creamy
and "emergency"
rine"
U-505
wake
boiling
up
the mike and broadcast to the
I
"submagrabbed
Task Group: "Pillsbury and Jenks help
Frenchy (code name for destroyer Chatelain)
We
astern, the
whipping from her yardarm.
flags
—
others follow me!"
reversed course and got the hell out of there at top speed.
carrier
smack on
the scene of a sound contact
—
room brawl! she'd who have work to do.
the middle of a bar
room
for the boys
is
better
like
move
an old lady fast
A in
and leave
squawk box: "Put those two Wildcats we've got in the air on Frenchy's contact!" Then, with the Flaherty and Pope scurrying after us, we swung into the wind, sounded general quarters, I
hollered into the
and scrambled
A lain
to battle stations to launch
more
planes.
salvo of twelve depth charges arched into the air
from the Chate-
and splashed
ocean rumbled,
quaked and erupted would have
Seconds
into the sea.
into great white
later the
plumes of water. Ordinarily we
to wait for several anxious minutes while the ocean's
reverberations died out, and then have the tin cans begin a wary
search of the area sibly
—hunting
for
oil,
another sound contact. But
the blasts, a Wildcat pilot
wreckage, a dead whale, or pos-
this time,
almost immediately after
named John W. Cadle sang out on
the
201
The War
202
in the Atlantic
radio, "Sighted sub! Reverse course
Frenchy and head where I'm
shooting."
Cape Blanco, Cadle could
In the clear Atlantic waters off
see the
long dark shape of the sub running completely submerged and ma-
neuvering to go deeper and shake
off the destroyers.
Cadle pushed
over and cut loose with his four .50 caliber guns. These couldn't
damage it
the
submerged sub, but the
showed us where
bullet splashes
was.
Chatelain swung around and dropped another salvo.
As
the depth-
charge plumes were subsiding, Cadle shouted, "You've struck
oil,
Frenchy! She's coming up!"
Half a minute later the huge black shape of the U-505 heaved
up from the depths, white water pouring
off
itself
Our quarry was
her sides.
at bay.
When
a sub surfaces like
this,
you never know exactly what
it's
going to do. She might be coming up to surrender, but she also might be planning to get off one
bottom with
her.
To
play
salvo of torpedoes and take you to the
last it
safe,
you should clobber her with every-
thing you've got.
This time, however, we were going to try something different.
our
last cruise
smack
in the
On
we'd gone after the U-515 and she'd surfaced right
middle of the Task Group. We'd been forced to throw
everything but the kitchen sink at her before she finally up-ended and sank. After we'd fished her skipper out of the water, he told us that his only
purpose
in surfacing
was
to get his
gone out of him. We realized then that
crew
off
we could
if
—
get
the fight
had
on board the
sub quick enough, we might be able to prevent the scuttling and capture ourselves a U-boat. Accordingly, the orders had gone out that
nobody was
to hit the sub with
enough time keeping her
any heavy
afloat without
stuff, as
we'd have a tough
blowing a hole
in her our-
selves.
Not
since
1815 had an American naval vessel captured and seas, but we were going to U-505 broke surface and her hatches popped the task group, "I want to take this bastard
boarded a foreign man-of-war on the high try
it.
open,
The moment I
the
broadcast to
alive!"
Small black figures scrambled out of the hatches and swarmed onto the decks of the sub. Pillsbury, Chatelain and Jenks
.50 caliber and 20 millimeter guns, and the
opened up with
men who
weren't hit at
once dived into the water. Within a few moments her decks were
The Capture
—nothing was moving. She was running Unless was loaded with armed men — booby-trapped, abandoned
about 8 knots,
at
fully surfaced, in a tight circle to the right.
barked from the squawk boxes on
firing!"
she was mined,
a sitting duck.
she
or
"Cease
203
U-505
of
all
bridges, fol-
lowed by an electrifying cry that hadn't been heard on a U.S. ship for 129 years:
"Away
Whaleboats plopped
all
boarding parties!"
into the water
I
manned by
Lt. Albert
and took
wounded
ing U-boat like harpooners after a boat,
Navy
David and
1 1
off after the flounder-
whale.
As
the Pillsbury's
overhauled the sub
sailors,
broadcast over the TBS. "Heigho, Pillsbury! Ride 'em, cowboy!"
Not very salty, but it got the message across. David and his boys had every reason to believe there were still Nazis below decks, setting time bombs and opening the scuttle valves. Even if all the Germans were gone, the U-boat was settling rapidly by the stern and looked as if she was going to up-end and sink any minute.
I
my men
suppose
thought about these things as they plunged
through the choppy sea toward the dying ship, but the
moment
their
whaleboat touched the U-boat they leaped out on her slippery decks. It
was the
men had
time any of these
first
ever set foot on a subma-
rine.
"Follow me!" David
scrambling up the
yelled,
toward the conning-tower hatch
—an
superstructure
opening about the
size
of a
sewer top that leads straight down 20 feet into the U-boat. A dead man was lying at the top of the hatch, his glazing eyes staring emptily at the men as they started down. David glanced quickly down into the
dark hatch, knowing that almost anything could be waiting for them
down and
in the blackness below.
S.
E.
Wdowiak,
He
gestured to two men, A.
and they plunged
down
into the
W.
Knispel
bowels of the
ship.
Instead of a burst of gun of engines,
still
fire,
driving the sub
their only greeting
was the
eerie
hum
in her crazy circle to the right.
As
soon as he realized the Nazis were gone, David ran for the radio
The sub gave a shudder and her stern raised slightly. Any minute she might make her last dive, but he knew the risks were shack.
justified
if
he could find the Nazis code book.
The primary
books before abandoning the 1,000 miles, and
when
It
was a 100-1 chance.
orders of any Naval skipper are to destroy his code ship,
we had been
even
if
breathing
there
down
is
no enemy within
the U-boat's throat
she surfaced.
David burst
into the radio shack, looked quickly around,
and saw
—
The War
204
in the Atlantic
had paid
that his long shot
Everything was intact
off.
cipher machines, charts of the EnglislTChannel mine
and
tion signals,
men
all
—code book,
fields,
recogni-
He and
submarines.
tactical instructions for
his
quickly passed everything up the' "hatch to the whaleboat. This
would turn out
be the greatest intelligence windfall of the U-boat
to
war.
While David and still
had
circling,
his
boys were removing the secret
settled another ten degrees
by the
files,
stern.
the sub,
Time was
running out, when another lad, Zenon Lukosius, motor machinist
mate
first class,
was pouring and pipes
in.
in
decided to see what he could do about the water that
Surrounded by the bewildering maze of gauges, valves
the
main control room, and
under him, while water swished past the leak. Finally he found
it
— an
his feet, he carefully
around
The cover was gone. Luke bent down, fishing
off.
the floor plates.
mass of wreckage and sea water, and found the
in the swirling
He jammed
it
back
in place, set the butterfly nuts,
the inrush of ocean.
Had
he taken one minute longer,
cover.
been too
it
would have
the Guadalcanal had a whaleboat alongside the sub, with a
handpicked party that included our only submarine "expert"
own
—
my
pig boats and could
tell
U-505's paper work
about the
Chief Engineer, Earl Trosino, and
a lad
who had been a yeoman on one we wanted to know
us anything
and
filing
system.
though never aboard a submarine before, was our
one of those engineers who know machinery musical instruments.
He can walk
quick look around, and rest of the
men
are
As Trosino and
still
came
circling sub,
smashing the
like
is
Toscanini knows
room, take a
order out of chaos while the
trying to figure out
his party
Trosino, even
real expert. Earl
info a strange engine
start bringing
which way
is aft.
alongside, a large swell picked
up and dumped them, whaleboat and deck.
and checked
late.
By now
of our
looked for
8-inch stream of water spouting
through a sea chest with the cover knocked
The water was now above
feeling the ship settling
them
on the deck of the stillwhaleboat and spilling them all out on the all,
They pulled themselves together and scrambled down
the con-
ning tower.
Trosino said abruptly to David, "I'm going to stop these engines
up on deck and stand by
you
get
and
started above.
But,
when Trosino stopped
rapidly by the stern
—
to pick
the
up a towline." David nodded
motors, the sub began settling
the only thing that
had kept her
afloat
was the
The Capture
When
planing effect of the hull.
Trosino
felt
of
205
U-505
the floor plates tilting
under him, he slammed the switches back and the sub forged ahead
and rose again
me
in the water. Earl told
later that as
he played with
those switches, any one of which might have been booby-trapped, his hair
was standing on end
myself next day
booby
when
I
as
as wire.
stiff
I
had the same feeling
went aboard the sub to disarm a suspected
trap.
While Trosino was stopping the motors, Gunner Burr was doing a
We knew
job with a very short future.
that every
Nazi sub had 14
demolition charges scattered throughout the ship and designed where the switch was, so Burr went rooting around uncovering charges and
He
ripping the wires off of them. thirteen.
We
found and pulled the fangs on
didn't find the fourteenth until two weeks later in Ber-
muda, but by
we had
that time
had goofed and
left it
on
located the firing switch
safe, so the
—somebody
charges couldn't have exploded,
anyway.
The
now attempted
Pillsbury
to take the
runaway sub
steamed up alongside on the outboard arc of the heaving
line
aboard
The
bow
flipped a long underwater gash in her
Pillsbury hauled clear
and radioed
they have to be towed to stay afloat, but
can do
we
to
me, "Sub says
don't think a destroyer
it."
That dumped the job
my
in
lap.
didn't like the idea of taking
I
clumsy, water-logged tow
when
have to land soon, but
didn't have
finally laid
I
and we
the switches again
and
She
and put a
this
alongside and the sub's thin plates.
in tow.
cowboy roping a runaway steer. But steers U-boat. The destroyer crowded too close
like a
have horns and so did
circle
dead
had planes
I
much
in the air that
choice. Trosino pulled
down
held our breath as the sub slowed
all
in the water.
on a
would
She was down by the stern about
20 degrees, her conning tower was almost awash and she seemed be
settling
lower every minute.
she might be gone
when we
when and
if
thrifty as possible
you come
it
to land planes
to
by ear as you go along, crossing each it.
I
told the planes in the air to be as
with their gas supply, and
spot where the sub was wallowing like its
now
got back.
In such a spot you just play
bridge
took time out
If I
to
we steamed over
a drowning dog trying
to the
to
keep
nose above water.
We
laid
our stern within heaving
line
range of the U-boat's snout,
got a messenger line over, and the boys hauled our inch-and-a-quarter
wire aboard, working knee-deep in the green seas that broke across
—
206
The War
the deck.
When
in the Atlantic
they reported
As we picked up speed then
kicked the engines ahead.
I
the sub rose again and took a better trim, but
noticed that she was
I
secured
it
still
circling.
She swung way out on our
starboard quarter and hung there witlj.'our big wire taut as a fiddle-
Trosino to put the rudder amidships, and he an-
string. I signaled
swered, "Electric steering gear
because after torpedo room
I
had four planes
in the air
we
with "Junior" (as
is
NG.
Can't get
prayer, and brought the planes
U-505)
booby trapped."
reluctantly
into the wind, said a short
We
were smack in the
middle of the U-boat lanes, had been hanging around for hours,
and we had every reason
off a report
on our
position.
gas, so
dragging her
Since there was no strain in doing
in.
immediately launched a couple of others.
this I
hand steering gear is
which would soon be out of
called the
on our starboard quarter, we swung
heels
at
flooded and hatch
to
this
one spot
suppose that Junior had gotten
There would be a
full
moon
that night
submarines and very bad for aircraft carriers with subs in
ideal for
tow.
At sunset we brought our boarders back and I got a first-hand report from Trosino. He said he had pumped some of the water out, didn't think any more was coming in, and that unless we hit bad weather he thought we could save our prize. That night our sonar operators let their imaginations run riot. According to their dope
They had
fleet.
several
we were surrounded by
"possible sound contacts"
reported
the whole Nazi U-boat
all
over the place, and
"submarine screw noises." The radar operators
caught the fever and spotted disappearing radar blips by the dozen.
Some
of the lookouts even sighted
scopes." I
I
guess
steamed too
maybe fast
I
what
I
began calling "Porpo-
got nervous at that, because during the night
and parted the towline.
We
drifting sub until sunrise, keeping track of her
had
to circle the
by radar. Early next
morning we got another towline aboard, and Trosino and a few others and I went over to look into that booby trap. I was an ordnance post-graduate and
felt
that
I
knew
quite a bit about fuses and
firing circuits.
The booby
trap
was on the watertight door leading
into the after
torpedo room. This door had been dogged shut when our ing party went aboard, and that way. after
The Nazis
in
first
deference to the trap they had
boardleft
it
that we'd fished out of the water claimed that the
torpedo room was flooded, and the stern trim seemed to confirm
The Capture this,
we had
but
to get in there
we were going
if
207
U-505
of
to straighten out the
rudder.
The booby open
was a fuse box with the cover accidentally jarred
trap
such a way that you couldn't move the main dog on the door
in
without closing the fuse box cover. There were dozens of circuits leading out of that box, and any one of
explosion charge. led to perfectly
I
of,
it
looked
we knew
looked
baby wasn't loaded.
They shook
we
for a
few minutes,
The men watched me, not speaking. booby trap the Nazis would think
much
time
—
and that
considering they would have
to flood the torpedo
they hadn't put out any other traps.
"Well,
box
at the
that they'd gotten off in a hell of a hurry,
had only a few seconds
said.
I
like the type of
wouldn't have given them
And
led to an
traced a few of the circuit wires, and found they
normal places.
thinking over the possibilities.
While
them could have
looked
I
can't stand here
up
all
set the trap.
decided that
this
"What do you think?"
to you, captain."
day looking
slammed
I
I finally
at the other boys.
their heads. "It's
"Here goes, boys!"
room and
damn
at this
thing," I
the fusebox cover shut.
Nothing happened.
We
carefully eased the
door open, ready to jam
it
shut again
water squirted out, and found the torpedo room was dry. bled
if
scram-
connected up the hand steering gear, and put the rudder
in,
amidships. Trosino pleaded with gines, charge the batteries, I
We
wished
later that I'd let
me
to let
and bring the sub
him do
it,
him in
start the diesel en-
under her own power.
but at the time
I
was
afraid he
might open the wrong valve and lose her.
He found let
him
a
way
and persuaded me sub's
to recharge the batteries,
run the diesels.
propellers
to
He
tow
at
even though
motors. Trosino had set the switches to
up
pumps
to
wouldn't
10 knots. This high speed turned over the
which spun the armatures of the sub's
make
generators, and they in turn charged the batteries. to use the sub's
I
disconnected the clutches on the diesels
empty the
electric
the motors act as
We
after ballast tanks
were thus able
and bring her
to full surface trim.
Back on board the Guadalcanal, I went down to sick bay to see the Nazi skipper, whose name was Harald Lange. He had shrapnel wounds in both legs and was propped up in a sitting position in his bunk. Lange was a big angular man of about 35, and looked more like a
preacher than a U-boat skipper.
208 I
^Doolittle's
walked
in
and
Raid
to the Battle of
Midway
my name is Gallery. I'm commandHe bowed respectfully but said nothing.
said, "Captain,
ing officer of this ship."
"We have your U-boat He looked up quickly,
in
tow,"
I said.
his face as
"No!" he
cried. I pulled out
his cabin,
and he lowered
some
shocked as
if I
had slapped him. from
pictures of his family, taken
his face into his hands, muttering in perfect
English, "I will be punished for this."
him
tried to cheer
I
"The Nazis
up.
"A new government
said.
will take over,
"I will be punished," he said.
him saying he had
are going to lose the war,"
and
this will
Four years ago
I
be forgotten."
got a letter from
good job on the Hamburg docks, so
a
I
his fears
were apparently unfounded. After getting the sub
away on
now
—
worry
left
didn't
have enough
I
Bermuda. Nothing running out of a tow, but rescue.
pumped
He
to
left
in this
split off a
just
world can make a skipper look in the
one big
fleet
alone
let sillier
than
water waiting for
(Commander-in-Chief Atlantic) came
tanker and the
and
fuel oil,
reach even the nearest port,
and wallowing around dead
oil
CINCLANT
we squared
out and fully surfaced,
Bermuda, 2,500 miles away. I had had stretched the glide too far on my
a course to
my
to
tug Abnaki from an Africa-
bound convoy and we rendezvoused with them in mid-Atlantic. The Abnaki took over the towing job and, after a long swig of oil from the tanker,
On tional
we headed
for
Bermuda.
June 19 we steamed into the harbor entrance with the
broom proudly
tagging along behind.
tradi-
hoisted at our mast head, and Junior obediently I
turned her over to the commandant, U.
Naval Operating Base, and got
his official receipt for
S.
"One Nazi U-
boat No. 505, complete with spare parts."
People often ask me,
"Why
did the
U-505
give
up so
easily?"
Actually, she didn't give up any easier than most of the other
Nazi subs that were sunk fatally
wounded,
it
at sea.
When
a skipper thought his boat
was standard operating procedure
give his crew a chance to escape and be rescued. ately surfaced
was
going down. the
I
was and
sub ever deliber-
under attack unless her skipper was convinced that she
finished, but
subs remained
No
to surface
600
I
knew dozens
afloat for hours,
of cases in which these
abandoned
under heavy bombardment, before
think the real answer to
U-505 with such comparative ease
why we were able to capture that we caught her by sur-
is
prise.
Something
like
pounding depth charges can be pretty damn unnerv-
—
The Capture put
ing, to
know
mildly.
it
From
209
U-505
of
apprentice seaman to skipper, they
all
they've only got seconds to decide what to do. If they blow
may make
their tanks in time they
it
and get
to the surface
off
before
down
the boat takes her final plunge. If they wait too long, they go
When
with her.
shock waves are smashing against your
hull, you're
being slammed crazily about in the water, your lights are out, and
men
your
are screaming that your pressure hull
to think calmly.
Lange believed
ruptured,
is
men were
that his
right
hard
it's
about the hull
being ripped open, and came to the surface. Scores of other U-boat
made
skippers have
the
same
decision,
and
if
my men
hadn't been
able to pull off a crazy stunt never before attempted in submarine
U-505 would have gone
warfare, the
to the
bottom
just like the other
600.
For extreme heroism Lieutenant David got the Congressional
Medal
Honor, Wdowiak and Burr got Navy Crosses, and the
of
rest
of the Pillsbury's original boarding party received the Silver Star.
Perhaps the most remarkable part of
this fantastic
business was the
Germans never found out that we had captured the Uwe learned that she'd been listed as sunk, just like all the others that had failed to return. The Nazis continued to use the codes we'd taken off the U-505, and we read every order they sent fact that the
505. After the war
out to their U-boats. This was the main reason for our high rate of
The Nazis changed
sinkings during that last year.
their codes every
few weeks so that we wouldn't get too familiar with their pattern, but the key to
all
these routine changes
and we adjusted
The main 3,000
back a
men
to
changes
to their
credit for keeping the
in
our task group.
We
Bermuda and explained
hunch
that
some
in
in the
U-505' s code books,
we
the vital importance of secrecy.
it,
I
had
had picked up souvenirs, so
anything they'd taken off the sub.
out that a souvenir's no good unless you can show
about
did our own.
Germans in the dark belongs to the got them all together on the way
of the boarders
asked everyone to turn
was
just as easily as
and any bragging would endanger
it
I
I
pointed
around and brag
security.
Not only
that,
man who disobeyed my order. I anWashington had told me that the stuff would all be
but I'd throw the book at any
nounced
that
returned after the war.
Next day we were swamped with the damndest I'd
ever
seen
—
pistols,
everything but torpedoes. collect all that stuff
cameras,
How
from a sub
officer's
caps,
collection of junk
name
plates
they had the time and patience to that might sink any minute
I'll
never
210
know. Anyway,
to the Battle of
Midway
shipped all the souvenirs off to Washington, and anybody saw of them? The chairborne commandos the Pentagon glommed onto them for keeps. Now, whenever I
was the
that in
Raid
Qoolittte's I
last
meet one of the lads who was what
his first
oculars you
words
will
made me
be
in that Jjoafding party, I
— "Captain, where
know
exactly
the hell are those bin-
turn in?"
AT LAST THE U-BOAT MENACE HAD BEEN CONTAINED, and no longer posed a threat to our very left
to fight with; only
survival.
new boats and green
Germany had
little
crews, and few of these
with the stomach for aggressive submarine combat.
Now
attention
shifted to the Mediterranean, Mussolini's
"Mare Nostrum," and
next phase of the struggle against the Axis.
We will
the
return to the Medi-
terranean theatre after a look at the developing war in the Pacific.
PART
III
DOOLITTLE'S RAID
TO THE BATTLE OF
MIDWAY
ON APRIL the news
Toyko
18,
that
a
1942,
AMERICAN MORALE SOARED WITH
flight
of
B-25 Mitchell bombers had attacked
in a spectacular daylight raid.
Considering the staggering suc-
cession of catastrophes which
had befallen the Allied nations since the outbreak of the war, the psychological value of the strike was incalculable.
Briefly,
this
is
the story behind the daring mission:
Early in 1942 King and his operations
officer,
Captain Francis
J.
Low, decided upon a blow against Japan designed to uplift the spirits of the American citizen. With the cooperation of General H. H. "Hap" Arnold, Commanding General of the Army, their plan envisioned sixteen B-25 Mitchells embarked in a United States Navy task force to a point several hundred miles from the enemy's mainland. From there the bombers were to hit Tokyo. However, as
211
—
212
the planes
to the Battle of
Midway
would not be able
to friendly
fly
Raid
_ Doolittle's
dangerous for
to return to the carrier, they were to China and land thereT The mission was extremely
all
concerned, but particularly for the Navy, as Japanese
search planes and patrol boats were --vectored out to seven hundred miles from the mainland.
But accepting the
risks
(subsequent arrangements were made with
General Chiang Kai Shek) sixteen bombers, aggregating two hundred officers
and men under the command of Brigadier General James A.
Doolittle,
were given a month's training
out on the
airfield.
Then
at
from a
practice takeoffs were conducted
Eglin Field, Florida, where
marked
carrier "flight deck''
planes were equipped with special
the
launching gear and flown to San Francisco to await the arrival of the carrier Hornet.
So secret was the mission that not even Captain Marc
A. Mitscher, her commanding
officer,
knew anything about
On
cious cargo until a few days before loading.
the pre-
April 2 Mitscher
joined up with Halsey in Enterprise, the flagship, and cruisers Nash-
and Vincennes, four destroyers and a
ville
force got
underway
fleet oiler,
and the task
Enterprise providing the combat air patrol.
"Cheers from every section of the ship greeted the announcement," stated Mitscher's Action Report,
"and morale reached a new high,
there to remain until after the attack well clear of the
With the
combat
persistent
ing his sea voyage, a
was launched and the ship was
areas."
memory
of the sunken Prince of Wales disturb-
wary Halsey
led his
Task Force 16 through
rough seas to a launching point considerably farther out than he wished, because of the presence of Japanese patrol boats
dred and sixty-eight miles from the heart of Tokyo.
On
—
six
hun-
the morning of
April 18, a gray and windy day, Halsey launched the planes.
The
psychological effects of the Doolittle Raid were minimized by the fact that
Tokyo was conducting
a
mock
the planes arrived over the city at
air raid the
same day, and when
noon Japanese
citizens
assumed
they were part of the show.
Thirteen bombers singled out the enemy capital and the other three
continued on to blast targets in the Osaka-Nagoya area. of the extraordinary mission
is
now
told
by
USAF, an aviation writer of note and He presents the tense drama at sea before
Lt.
Col.
An
account
Carroll V.
Glines,
a highly-rated
pilot.
launching.
combat
LT. COL.
CARROLL
V.
GLINES
I.
LAUNCH PLANES!
Each passing hour was now more fraught with danger. The tensewas evident everywhere. It could be felt in the wardroom,
ness
the crew's mess, on the bridge and in the engine room. to
Japan could they go without being spotted?
No
How
close
one knew.
To
add to the uncertainty was an English-speaking radio-news program "Reuters, British news agency, has anin Toyko: nounced that three American bombers have dropped bombs on Tokyo. This is a most laughable story. They know it is absolutely impossible for enemy bombers to get within five hundred miles of Tokyo.
originating
Instead of worrying about such foolish things, the Japanese people are enjoying the fine spring sunshine and the fragrance of cherry
blossoms."
The sion as
log of the Enterprise for April 16, shows the increasing ten-
Task Force Sixteen plowed
"0501
—Launched
first
into
enemy-dominated waters:
inner air patrol of 6 fighters, followed
5, 4 and 6 fighters each. No Launched first scouting flight of 13 scout bombers to search sector 204-324 to distance of 200 miles, followed in the
throughout the day by patrols of contacts.
afternoon by scouting
flight of 8
204-324
150 miles.
to distance of
torpedo planes to search sector
No
Activity increased the next day.
contacts.
At 5:37 A.M.
the Enterprise
213
:
214 ^
Doolittle's
Raid
to the Battle of
Midway
launched 18 scout bombers for three-hour search missions. During
pumped aviation gasoline and fuel oil aboard and then, along with the Cimarron, topped off the cruisers and destroyers. At 2:45 P.M., the destroyer Nonssen and both tankers
the morning, the Sabine the Big
left
E
the formation to await the return of the larger ships after the
A
25's were launched.
detached.
The two
B
short time later the other destroyers were
carriers
and four
cruisers left
now
increased their
speeds to 20 knots. Hardly had the destroyers and tankers receded
from view when the wind picked up and increased
to gale force.
Meanwhile, the B-25's had been spotted on the deck for
The
lead bomber, Doolittle's, had
Lieutenant
left
takeoff.
feet of clear deck; the last one,
Farrow's, hung precariously out over the stern
Bill
of the carrier.
467
Two
white lines were painted on the deck
—one
wheel and one for the nose wheel of the bombers.
ramp
for the
If the pilots
kept their plane on these lines they could be assured of clearing the
wings by about
carrier's "island" with their right
The excitement aboard
the Hornet increased
Up
completed and the Mitchells positioned.
Hornet, Mitscher and Doolittle huddled over a
"Jimmy, we're
the
in
when
its
refueling
was
on the bridge of the
map
table.
enemy's back yard now," Mitscher said
calmly. "Anything could happen from here on
our
six feet.
in. I
think
it's
time for
ceremony."
little
Doolittle agreed
.
.
.
When
the Enterprise
had merged with the
Hornet's force, mail had been exchanged and Mitscher had received
some
correspondence from the Secretary of the Navy, Frank
official
Knox. Enclosed were some medals which had been presented Vormstein, John B. Laurey, and Daniel
men,
to
commemorate
Knox
at the time,
"attach
it
had asked to a
bomb and
return
to
it
Pennsylvania, on
"Following the lead of you,
Sir,
their
my
March
former
Japan
in that
manner."
home
ally find its
way back
in
fleet
Knox had forwarded
me and
mates in forwarding thru
a
bomb
trust that
bomb Kojimachi Ku
company with
throne of the 'Son of Heaven' in the
it
to
Tokyo,
will
I
eventu-
that will rock the district of
Toyko."
the medals to Nimitz at Pearl Harbor, asking
that the request be complied with at the appropriate time.
propriate
in
2
Jap commemoration medals via
herewith enclose the one issued to
Navy
January 26, that Secretary
in the letter of
Quigley, formerly of the U.S.S. Kearsarge, wrote from his
McKees Rocks,
H.
the visit of the U.S. Battle Fleet to Japan in
1908. Vormstein and Laurey, both working in the Brooklyn
Yard
to
Quigley, ex-Navy enlisted
J.
time seems to have
come
"The ap-
sooner than they realized,"
Launch Planes!
215
Mitscher said, grinning. "Let's get your boys together and comply with these instructions from on high."
Over the loudspeaker came port to the flight deck!"
When
"Army
the announcement,
crews, re-
everyone had gathered around a
bomb
had been brought on deck, Mitscher made a short speech about the medals and handed them to Doolittle. Lieutenant Steve Jurika, that
having heard about the ceremony, added the medal he had received
from the Japanese
in 1940.
The group posed for pictures and kidded each other goodnathem wrote slogans on the bomb like "I don't want to set the world on fire, just Tokyo" and "you'll get a BANG out of this!" They knew the time for departure was drawing nigh. Dog tags turedly. Several of
were checked and
last
innoculations made. Already their survival
equipment had been handed out and the eighty men who were going
on the raid had been loaded down
like
Boy
over-eager
Each
Scouts.
crew member had been issued a Navy gas mask, a .45 automatic, ammunition, a hunting knife,
clips of first
aid
kit,
canteen, compass and
life
flashlight,
emergency
rations,
jacket. Besides their clothes,
most had added an assortment of extras
B-4 bags such
to their
candy bars and extra razor blades. "Shorty" Manch,
cigarettes,
foot, six-inch co-pilot
on Bob Gray's crew, planned
as
six-
to take along his
phonograph and records. "Sally" Crouch, navigator on Dick Joyce's crew, ever mindful of the lectures about the lack of cleanliness in the Orient,
jammed
rolls of toilet
paper into
his bags.
They were hoping
and
their lightheaded-
for the best but being prepared for the worst,
ness soon
became forced
as each
man wondered
about his personal
chances for survival.
Mechanical hourly.
On
difficulties
had been croping up on every plane almost
the 16th, Lieutenant
blower while he was running
up
a platform so an engine
it
Don up.
Smith's right engine cracked
Navy
its
carpenters hurriedly rigged
change crew could remove
it.
It
was taken
below decks to the machine shop, quickly repaired and replaced.
Gun
turrets did not function correctly, hydraulic lines
still
leaked,
spark plugs fouled and gas tanks dripped. The anxiety of the crews
mounted
as Doolittle
and inspected
went from plane
broomstick guns in the
to plane, questioned the crews,
from the nose wheel
their planes rear.
On
tires
to the false
the afternoon of the 17th, he called
the crews together.
"The
time's getting short
now," he told them. "By now every
were originally supposed
to take off
single
the alarm
is
sounded.
We
on the 19th but
it
looks like
it'll
one of you knows exactly what to do
if
-
216
Raid
Doolittle's
be tomorrow instead. This
to the Battle of will
be youp
Midway Be ready
last briefing.
to go at
any time.
"We
however,
well,
you
rest of
as a
should have plenty of warning jfjwe're intercepted. I'll
Tokyo
take off so as to arrive over
will take off
two or three hours
at
The
my
fires
and can use
later
goes
If all
dusk.
homing beacon."
Doolittle reiterated the plan in full and, for the last time, gave the
men a chance to back out. Again, no one took him up on his offer. He then gave instructions about the 5-gallon gas cans which were to be stowed in the rear compartment. "Don't throw out the empty cans as
you use them," he cautioned. back toward the Hornet.
directly
holes in
"If
When
you do,
them and throw them overboard
all at
leave a
you'll
the cans are
all
same
the
trail
empty, punch time.
Now,
any questions?"
There was one question
that
had bothered many of the men but no
it up. One of the pilots, however, decided that he know what the Boss's answer would be so he asked, "Colonel, what should we do if we lose an engine or something else goes wrong and we have to crash land in Japan?" Doolittle's answer was quick. "Each pilot is in command of his own plane when we leave the carrier," he answered. "He alone is responsible for the decision he makes for his own plane and crew. Each man must eventually decide for himself what he will do when the chips are down. Personally, I know exactly what I'm going to
one had yet brought
wanted
to
do."
The wardroom group asked,
"Sir,
fell silent.
what
will
Doolittle didn't elaborate so one of the
you do?"
"I don't intend to be taken prisoner," the scrappy
swered. "If
my
plane
is
any target
I
my crew
your twenties and
if
I
decision. In the final analysis,
each
man
letters,
to decide
will
an-
full life.
what he
it's
up
Most
to
it,
full throttle,
do the most damage.
were you, I'm not sure
same
He
out and then dive
can find where the crash
I'm 46 years old and have lived a in
man
crippled beyond any possibility of fighting or
escape, I'm going to bail into
little
of I
each
you fellows are would make the
pilot and, in turn,
will do."
then cautioned them to get rid of any and
all
identification,
orders and diaries that would link them with the Hornet, their
unit in the States of their training.
The B-25 crews labored all day on the 17th preparing their planes Ammunition and bombs were loaded aboard. Last minute engine run-ups were made and crew survival equipment placed in
for battle.
:
217
Launch Planes! each plane.
thoughtfully climbed on board the Hornet
Doc White had
in San Francisco with 80 quarts of bourbon
—
man
a quart for every
going on the raid. During the voyage, he exchanged
it
with the
Navy
medics for pints of medicinal rye. These would be easier to carry in the B-24 bags he reasoned and, if they had to bail out, could be stuffed into their flight jackets.
He admonished the group again to now an air of extreme
take care of cuts they might get. There was
urgency that was
by
felt
all
on the Hornet.
Commander Apollo Soucek, the Hornet's Air had issued "Air Department Plan for Friday, 17 April 1942":
Earlier that day, Officer
The Big Bombers on the flight deck will be loaded with bombs during the day. The sequence of events in connection with loading and respotting
will
be as follows
Complete fueling
( 1 )
ships; tanker shoves off.
(2) Push #02268 and #02267 clear of number 3 elevator. (3) Bring incendiary bombs to flight deck via number 3 elevator;
commence
loading on accessible airplanes.
bombs
(4) Start bringing heavy
commence
elevators;
(5)
When
all
elevator
3
enough (6)
One
and
bomb
loading on accessible airplanes.
bombs
incendiary
to flight decks via regular
pull
are on flight deck, secure
number
#02267 and #02268 forward
far
for loading purposes.
half
hour before sunset, respot the deck for
Note: All loading
will
take-off.
be done under the direct supervision of
Captain Greening, U.S.A.
By
sunset, loading
and positioning were complete. All planes
had been fueled; only personal baggage had Twenty-four hours gone.
later,
As had been
started
if all
went
well, the
to be stored aboard. 1
6 bombers would be
the practice during the voyage, poker
games
below decks the instant work was done. The night of April
17 was no exception.
At midnight on relieved Ensign
J.
the Hornet, Ensign Robert R. Boettcher
A. Holmes on watch as
officer of the
noted in the ship's log that the Hornet, in company
Deck.
had
He
with Task
Groups 16.2 and 16.5, was steaming darkened on a course of 267° at 20 knots. The ship's bell chimed off the half hours as the midnight-to-four shift went about its routine chores. Boettcher's task was to stay alert for signs of any enemy sea or air activity and keep the Hornet knifing ahead on course.
When
the six bells signalling 3 a.m. were chimed, Boettcher
218
^
Doolittle's
Raid
to the Battle of
Midway
yawned and asked for a^cup of coffee. He had drained when a message was flashed from the Enterprise that knotted his stomach: "Two enemy surface craft reported." The Big E's radar had Spotted two enemy ships off the stretched,
the last waning drops
port
bow
at a distance of
twenty-one thousand yards. All watch
hands stared into the inky blackness; two minutes
later a light
appeared on the horizon.
The
Enterprise's short range, high frequency radio crackled out
a curt order for detection.
As
station.
A
ships to
come
right to a course of
the ships obeyed, general quarters
man on
every
all
way
the six ships fought his
half
hour
later, the
enemy
350° to avoid
was sounded and
to his assigned battle
ships faded
from the radar
screen and the westerly course was resumed at 4:11 a.m. For the
Task Force, the day had begun even though the been sounded to
resume
had
to their cabins
their interrupted sleep.
dawn
search
F4F Grumman
fighters
At 5:08 eight
The B-25 crews went back
at 3:41.
"all clear"
the
flight
and
and three
fighter patrol consisting of
SBD
Douglas scout bomb-
ers took to the air
from the Enterprise
two hundred
Three more scout bombers were launched for a
miles.
to search to a distance of
combat air patrol above the Task Force. The weather, which had been moderately rough during the night, was worsening. Low broken clouds hung over the area; frequent rain squalls swept over the ships and the sea began to
bellow up in 30 foot crests. Gusty winds tore the tops off the waves
and the spray blew across the decks of the
ships,
drenching the
deck crews.
The
three
SBD
pilots
climbed to the bottom of the broken
clouds in a "single plane relative search."
O. B. Wiseman sighted a small patrol
craft.
At 5:58, Lieutenant
He
quickly reversed
course for the Enterprise. Fixing his position as best he could on his small plotting board,
Enemy
surface ship
276° true
—42
—
he jotted
latitude
down
a message:
36-04N, Long. 153-10E, bearing
miles. Believed seen
by enemy.
Wiseman handed the message back to the gunner in the rear seat and made a throwing motion with his hand. The gunner knew what to do. He reached in his pocket for a bean bag message container, stuffed the paper inside and peered over the
219
Launch Planes! side as
down
SBD
Wiseman dived
for the Big E's flight deck.
and the gunner opened the canopy.
to slow his plane
was
Wiseman put
directly overhead, the
flaps
When
the
message plopped down on the deck
and was scooped up on the run by a deckhand and delivered
to
Halsey on the bridge. Halsey's reaction was immediate.
He
ordered
220°
all
Task
ships in the
The question uppermost in everyone's mind was whether or not Wiseman had been seen. About an hour later, at 7:38, another enemy patrol Force to swing
vessel of about
to
left
thousand yards away.
It
to
avoid detection.
150 tons was sighted from the Hornet only twenty
was every reason and reported.
a course of
If
the
Hornet could see the small
to believe that the
became a
certainty
when
the Hornet's radio operator
intercepted a Japanese message which had originated
where close by. J.
Still
vessel, there
Task Force had been sighted
further confirmation
came
at
from some-
7:45 when Ensign
Q. Roberts sighted the enemy vessel only twelve thousand yards
away.
The moment
of decision
had come. Halsey ordered the Nashville
to sink the patrol boat. In the log of the Enterprise
was noted the
following:
By
agreement
previous
mander
with
Lt.
Col.
Doolittle,
flight
com-
16 B-25 planes on the Hornet, the plan was to
of the
launch one plane from a position approximately 400 miles east of
Inuboe Saki
at a
time to permit arrival over
Tokyo
at sunset.
The
other planes were to be launched at local sunset to permit a night attack on Tokyo. However, in case the presence of the force detected,
it
diately. If at
launched from 550 miles from Inuboe Saki, the arrival
arranged destination was remote possibility.
point in excess of at
650
miles,
it
If
launched from a
was calculated impossible
Hushan, the arranged destination. These factors were
ered and as our position was patrol
was
was understood the planes were to be launched imme-
vessel
previously
known
contacted,
to
to arrive
all
consid-
have been reported by the
Adm. Halsey ordered
the
planes launched.
The message Halsey
flashed to Mitscher
on the Hornet was sent
at
8:00 a.m.:
LAUNCH PLANES X TO COL. DOOLITTLE AND GALLANT COMMAND GOOD LUCK AND GOD BLESS YOU.
220
Doolittle's
Raid
Midway
to the Battle of
on the Hornet's bridge when the message came, hurshook hands with Mitscher and leaped down the ladder to his
Doolittle,
riedly
cabin, shouting to everybody he saw, "O.K. fellas, this
is
Let's
it!
go!" At the same time, the blood-chilling klaxon sounded and the
announcement came over the loudspeaker: "Army planes!"
pilots,
man your
The B-25 crews had not been fully aware of the drama going to this point. Some had finished breakfast and
on around them up were lounging eat; several
were shaving and preparing to
in their cabins; others
were
A
asleep.
still
few had packed
most were caught completely unawares when the Although
their collective goal
"Shorty"
differently.
He grabbed
his portable
He had
minute to ask
his
call
B-4 bags but
came.
was the same, the 80 men
Manch had
and a carbine.
their
his
phonograph
own
ideas about
buddy, Lieutenant
cake
Bob
tin
reacted to take.
two .45 caliber
as well as
his records in a
all
what
pistols
but decided at the
Clever, navigator
Lawson's "Ruptured Duck," to put the precious
platters
last
on Ted
under
his
Clever reluctantly agreed.
seat.
Doc White
hurriedly passed out the two pints of liquor to each
man. Lieutenant Dick Knobloch ran from plane
to plane
handing up
bags of sandwiches he had gotten from the galley.
Army and Navy men ingly wild confusion. stuffed
up
poured
all
Engine and turret covers were ripped
into the rear hatches.
chocks pulled away.
over the Hornet's deck in seem-
A
off
and
Ropes were unfastened and wheel
"donkey" pushed and pulled the 25's
into
position along the back end of the flight deck.
The Hornet's speed was increased and her bow plunged viciously The deck seemed like a crazy seesaw that bit
into the towering waves. into the water
bow
each time the
Once each plane was
position, the job of loading could be
in
completed. The gas tanks were
bombers back and filled
all
forth to break
they could pour in a few quickly
dipped.
topped
off.
up any
air
more quarts
Navy crews rocked
the
bubbles in the tanks so
of precious gasoline. Sailors
the ten 5-gallon gas cans allotted each ship and passed
them hand-to-hand up
The Hornet's
into the rear hatches.
control tower displayed a huge blackboard which
noted the compass heading of the ship and the wind speed. As the crews
up
jammed
their personal belongings aboard,
Hank
into the forward hatch of each plane, wished the
and
said, sadly, "I sure
wish
I
Miller climbed
crew good luck
could go with you guys.
I'll
be holding
—
Launch Planes! up
a blackboard to give
glance before you
On
Doolittle
signal,
warmed them
up.
you any
your brakes
let
in
minute instructions. Give
last
me
a
off."
the lead plane
Near the bow on
Osborne stood with a checkered
221
engines and
started his
Edgar G.
the left side, Lieutenant
He began
hands.
flag in his
to swing
the flag in a circle as a signal for Doolittle to ease the throttles
forward. Osborne swung the flag in faster and faster circles and
Doo-
pushed more and more power on. At the precise instant the deck
little
was beginning
its
Doolittle's wheels
upward movement, chocks were pulled from under and Osborne gave him the "go" signal. Doolittle
released his brakes and the Mitchell inched forward.
Ted Lawson,
waiting his turn in the "Ruptured Duck," described
their leader's takeoff:
With
full flaps,
motors
at full throttle
and
his left
wing
lunged slowly into the teeth of the gale that swept
His
wheel stuck on the white
left
wing, which had
line as
if it
far out over
waddled and then
the port side of the Hornet, Doolittle's plane
down
the deck.
were a track. His
right
barely cleared the wall of the island as he taxied
and was guided up
to the starting line,
extended nearly to the edge
of the starboard side.
We watched bow.
If
him
hawks, wondering what the wind would do
up more speed and held
Hornet
lifted
up on top
speed, Doolittle's plane took his ship almost straight
whole top of
of a
off.
up on
wave and cut through
He had its
yards to spare.
props, until
it
we could I
at full
He hung see the
watched him
a tight circle and shoot low over our heads line painted
on the deck.
log of the Hornet for April 18 records that Colonel Doolittle
was airborne hours
run toward the
to his line, and, just
B-25. Then he leveled off and
his
come around in straight down the The
off in that little
he couldn't, we couldn't.
Doolittle picked
as the
like
and whether we could get
to him,
at
8:20 a.m. ship time. Instead of following him three
later, as originally
planned, the second plane, piloted by Lieu-
tenant Travis Hoover, had to take off just five minutes later.
"Hoover kept
Hank
his
nose in the up position too long," Lieutenant
Miller recalls, "and nearly stalled the plane. After the third
plane took
off, I
"STABILIZER IN NEUTRAL" on they saw and took my advice.
put the words
the blackboard. I'm pretty sure
"Succeeding take-offs were
all
good except one
—Ted Lawson's
222 ~
Doolittle's
Raid
because he either forgot
to the Battle of
Midway
his flaps or inadvertently
away with
the 'up' position instead of 'neutral.' But he got
'The
put them back into it.
on three other planes were/ up as they maneuvered into but the flight deck crew caught them before take-off. The
flaps
position,
only casualty to the planes themselves was a cracked nose glass on Lt.
Don
Smith's plane
one ahead of took
it.
when
was rammed
it
into the tail cone of the
There wasn't enough damage
worry about so he
to
off in order."
The
last
plane on the deck, piloted by Lieutenant Bill Farrow,
seemed earmarked
from the
for disaster
start.
Since
its tail
was hang-
ing out over the end of the deck, the loading of the plane's rear
compartment could not be completed
until the
15th plane, Smith's
had moved forward. Six deck handlers held down on the nose wheel while Farrow taxied forward. Just as Smith revved up his engines,
and the men moved away from Farrow's nose wheel, Seaman Robert
W.
Wall, one of the
six,
lost his footing.
The sudden
caused him to lose his balance and the combination of the slippery, pitching deck threw
him
gust of air
air blast
ler.
There was nothing Farrow could do. The prop chewed
left
arm and threw him
and carried him time
aside.
to sick
and
into Farrow's idling left propelinto Wall's
His deck mates quickly rushed to him
bay where
arm was amputated
his
a short
later.
Farrow's plane was Doolittle
off at
9:20, exactly one hour after Doolittle's.
had 620 nautical miles to go
to reach
Inuboe Saki, the
nearest point of land; Farrow's distance was calculated at an even
600 miles with
Hornet's position
the
officially
fixed
at
35° 55^,
153°19'E.
While the Doolittle crews had been getting ready on the Hornet, the cruiser Nashville
began pumping
shells at the patrol vessel
Ensign
Roberts had sighted. Roberts made a glide bombing attack and
dropped a 500-pounder but caliber
it
missed.
He
strafed with a lone .50
machine gun but could see no damage being done. Other
planes joined the attack.
The War Diary
of the Nashville describes
the action this way:
0748—Enemy
ship bore 201
°T
at a
—Received order from Adm. same. 0753 — Opened with main 0752
range of 9,000 yds.
Halsey to attack vessel and
sink
fire
9.000 yds.
battery firing salvo
fire at
range of
223
Launch Planes!
0754—Shifted 0755
0756
to rapid
— —Resumed Checked vessel.
fire.
fire.
Target could not be seen.
firing.
Bombing planes made
They returned
guns and a
light
the
enemy
attack on
machine
of the planes with
fire
cannon.
—Enemy headed toward 0801 —Bombing This on enemy made another enemy. returned by 0804 — Opened This was returned but enemy 0809 —Bombing planes made another Changed course enemy. order 0814 — Increased speed 25 0819 — Commenced 0821 — Steadied course 095T. Enemy on 0823 —Enemy 0827 — Commenced maneuvering Attempts pick up one man proved 0846 — Went 25 knots 0757
the Nashville.
planes
attack
ship.
the
fire
shells fell
fire
fire.
short.
attack.
to the
to close the
left in
knots.
to
firing salvo fire.
a
vessel
fire.
vessel sunk.
survivors.
to
to rescue
to
The skipper
unsuccessful.
sighted
to rejoin mission.
of the Nashville, Captain S. S. Craven, added an addi-
tional note in the log to explain
why
had taken so long to sink the noted that "938 rounds of 6"
it
small, apparently fragile vessel.
He
ammunition were expended due
to the difficulty of hitting the small
target with the
which
heavy swells that were running and the long range
was opened. This range was used
fire
in
at
order to silence the
enemy's radio as soon as possible. The ship sunk was a Japanese patrol boat
and was equipped with radio and
anti-aircraft
machine
guns."
As soon
as the 16th
B-25 had
left
the deck, the entire task force
reversed course to the east and proceeded at the
Navy
calls
full
simply "getting the hell out."
own
speed in a maneuver
The Hornet, now
di-
planes up on deck and
vested of
its
load of bombers, brought
assumed
its
aerial role of scouting in collaboration with the Enter-
prise.
The
fact that the
enemy
its
patrol vessel
had gotten
before being sunk probably meant that every
its
message
enemy plane and
within range of the American force would be searching for
off
vessel
it.
The
assumption was well founded for aircraft were spotted on the radar screen of the retreating Enterprise but none miles.
The low clouds and poor
visibility
came
closer than
were proving to be
allies.
30
224
Doolktle's Raid to the Battle of
At 11:30, Ensigns R. M.
Midway
Elder, R. K. Campbell and
Bomber Squadron Three were launched from
of
single-plane searches to the southwest.
W. Arndt
ant R.
make
to
first
a contact.
Two
deck.
dive
later,
bombing
firing
surface
sighted a 150-foot patrol
radio antenna towering above
tall
attacks were
Campbell pressed the attack
Lieuten-
enemy
Ensign Campbell was
force.
At 11:50 he
boat painted dark gray with a
C. Butler
the Enterprise on
few minutes
led a three-plane flight off to attack
58 miles from the task
vessels reported
the
A
J.
made but no
hits
its
were scored.
both the .50 caliber and .30 caliber
guns but only minor damage could be seen.
A
few minutes
after
Campbell's attack, Lieutenant Arndt and his
two wingmen attacked another
Three 500-pound and
vessel.
five
100-
pound bombs were dropped, again without success. As the War Diary of the squadron wryly noted, "there was no apparent damage from bombs except for one 100-lb. bomb near miss which evidently stopped the
fire
on one small caliber
used radical maneuver and returned
beal"
AA gun AA fire
located
time.
was about 125
It
behind.
The enemy
gun."
Ensign Butler, searching another sector, sighted boat.
aft.
with what appeared to
He made
feet long
three separate
still
a third patrol
and was towing a smaller boat
bomb
bomb each 500-pound bomb
runs, dropping
The two 100-pound bombs were duds but
the
one
landed close aboard on the port side causing fragmentary damage. After the bombing, Butler strafed both boats until his ammunition
was gone. He thought he had sunk the smaller boat and damaged the larger one. After landing he reported that hits
from enemy
fire
— not
"own plane
received three
serious."
What Arndt and his squadron mates could not do, the Nashville As soon as the scout bombers retired, she opened fire on the
did.
bobbing patrol boat
at forty-five
hundred yards. Firing
off
and on for
the next twenty minutes with her 5-inch and 6-inch guns as she closed
Overwhelmed by the quanup a white flag and the Nashville circled, the enemy boat
the distance, she finally obtained results. tity
of lead that filled the
Nashville ceased
firing.
air,
the Japanese ran
While the
slowly sank. Five survivors were spotted and quickly hauled aboard suffering
from shock, immersion and
fright.
Only one, Seaman Sec-
ond Class Nakamura Suekichi, was injured
wound
slightly
with a bullet
in his cheek.
men aboard the patrol boat, the Nagato Maru, Suekichi. He reported in a letter to the author that ".
There had been according to
1 1
.
.
Launch and
the waves were high that day
70-ton Nagato
Mam
interrogators that he
went below
and
said,
could not help worrying that our
I
would capsize
at
any moment."
to rouse his skipper, Chief Petty Officer
in his cabin.
there are
"Sir,
He
told
Navy
had spotted some planes while on watch and
The skipper assumed they were Japan and stayed
225
Planes.
the usual
A
Gisaku Maeda.
morning patrol planes from
short time later Suekichi tried again
two of our beautiful
carriers
now dead
ahead."
This time
Maeda was wide awake. No Japanese
posed to be
in his patrol
He
area.
from
"At
his sea bag, put
it
to his temple
that time," Suekichi said,
the Fifth Fleet, that the
sadly,
He went below
beautiful but they are not ours." pistol
rushed on deck, studied them
and said
intently through his binoculars,
were sup-
carriers
and pulled the
"we radioed
enemy had been
"Indeed they are
to his cabin, took a trigger.
the Kiso, the flagship of
sighted.
When
the
American
shells. The enemy became more severe, but we really doubted whether they could hit us, so we pointed our small gun at the enemy. Looking back on our actions now, we acted foolishly. But, after all, we thought we were fighting for the great spirit of Nippon. Since we had communicated the discovery of enemy ships and planes, we were positive that no damage would occur in Japan."
cruiser fired
on
us,
I
could actually see the approaching
airborne attack by the
While the Nashville was completing the action, the planes returned to the Enterprise to re-arm.
Smith, however, could not
One of them, piloted by Lieutenant L. A. make it. Without warning, the SBD's en-
gine began to lose oil pressure and he had to ditch. His plane had
been
by the small caliber
hit
gunner,
AMM2C H.
fire
from the picket
ship.
He and
his
H. Caruthers, were rescued shortly thereafter by
the Nashville.
The excitement
of the day
was not
yet over.
marine was sighted and attacked before
it
A
small
enemy
sub-
hurriedly submerged un-
damaged. Other Japanese patrol vessels and freighters were sighted but not attacked. staff,
the
number
When of
the day's activities were studied by Halsey's
enemy
vessels
found was surprising. Halsey
ported that "in addition to the radar contact with two craft
0310, actual contact
showed one submarine, 14 PY's
re-
made
at
(patrol vessels)
and 3 AK's (probably "mother ships" for the patrols) concentrated in
an area about 130 miles by 180 miles.
A
similar concentration
was
reported by a submarine just returned from patrol in the East China
Sea which stated that 65 sampans had been sighted in an area just
)
226 ^
Doolittle's
about the same the degree to
Raid
Midway
size as that mentioned above. These are indications of which the Japanese are using these small craft for
patrols
and screens around
tion of
enemy land-based
these planes
to the Battle of
Halsey made no men-
their vital areas."
patrol planes which
had found the task
force, there
had
is
also
been seen.
If
no doubt they would
have attacked the carriers offensively, which the patrol vessels could not.
at
The escaping task force steamed at full speed during the night and dawn the next day began its patrols again. No more enemy ships
were sighted but one scout bomber from the Hornet, overdue from
morning
the
patrol, ditched in the water out of gas only seven miles
from the Enterprise. The plane, piloted by Lieutenant G. D. Randall with radioman T. A. Gallagher aboard, sank in 30 seconds. Neither the plane nor the
men were
recovered.
took Task Force Sixteen exactly one week to the hour after
It
launching the B-25's to reach Pearl Harbor. Before docking, Halsey sent a "Well Done" to his skippers and termed the mission a success. "The Japs chased us all the way home, of course," Halsey wrote later. "Whenever we tracked their search planes with our radar, I was
tempted to unleash our to reveal
fighters,
but
I
knew
it
was more important not
our position than to shoot down a couple of scouts. They
sent a task force after us; their submarines tried to intercept us; .
.
.
and
even some of their carriers joined the hunt; but with the help of
foul weather
and a devious course, we eluded them ..."
(Not one B-25 was and others landed
in
lost
over Japan; some splashed off the coast
China; only two pilots were captured by the
enemy and subsequently
executed.
INSPIRATIONAL ARTICLES, LIKE SEA VICTORIES, WERE precious few that dismal spring.
The
best of
them appeared
in the
Proceedings and was written by an idealistic young commander, Ernest M. Eller, who went on to a distinguished war career after service on Admiral Nimitz' staff in early
Naval
Institute
lieutenant
1942.
A
gunnery expert,
Eller's
Cincpac was the preparation of
primary area of responsibility with
fleet
war reports and
training. Later,
commanded an attack transport and participated in the landings on Makin and Okinawa, for which he received the Legion of Merit with Combat "V," He is presently the Director of Naval History. Eller
REAR ADM. ERNEST M. ELLER
2.
"HOW SHALL WE
We
suffering
the
win
shall
the
war
that
idealogies
of
WIN?"
brought
has
nations
and despair unequalled since the vast upheaval ending
empire
of
We
Rome.
destiny of world leadership that of the United States.
We
on
and go
win
shall
the
to
grand
the opportunity and the duty
is
must win or decline
dishonor and death of a nation that
is
to
futility,
to the
given great strength, great
vision, great opportunity to direct earth's fate, but fails to stand
to
its
We
part.
shall
win but
it
will
not be by material.
It
up
will not
be by warships and planes, tanks and guns, or soldiers and sailors alone. It will not be
have and
all
by training and morale. All these things we
are necessary; but
all
and
are useless
all will fail
shall
without
leadership. It
was not from lack of material, however much
that France
was crushed
in the disastrous
this
was
at fault,
days of 1940. She was
badly led and badly inspired, in war and preparation for war, just as the English since.
had been up
The material
to that time,
deficiencies
though they have learned much
that
entered into France's defeat
have, however, been played up to such a point that they whitewash
and hide a gland and
far this
more
serious deficiency.
There
is
danger
in
both En-
country of placing such reliance on material that
shall forget the soul of war, forget that material
is
only for
men
we to
227
228 ^ use,
is
Raid
Doolittle's
given
Midway
to the Battle of
only by men, and even then has
life
wise and courageous direction of
little
value without
menln command.
we must hold in our hearts constantly as we go unknown future. We must not,' in recognizing one cause for defeat, make material our god the body rather than the life. We must remember constantly that although material, preparation, and such truths
It is
into the
—
all it
similar things will aid in winning the war,
—weak
We
leadership.
to the highest degree
can
and
still
other elements of strength
all
The most stupen-
for lack of leaders.
fail
dous factory output may not be
may be
have
one thing alone can lose
utilized, the strongest military
might
allowed to rot away and our proposed colossal material
strength be wasted for lack of moral courage in a few men, perhaps in
one man, when the day of
crisis
War
comes.
a contest not
is
of
machines but of men.
That God
on the side of the strongest battalions, as Napoleon
is
once cynically remarked, merely
may
numbers, as was
in
may
or
his fate to
prove
in his declining
wisdom having
leadership when, inspiration and rely
not be true; but strength
on mass of numbers. That strength
is
in Italy
not
years of
he came to
not merely in material was
also Napoleon's destiny to reveal, glowingly,
campaigns
failed,
is
and Austria with ragged,
by
his early
ill-fed,
amazing
and ill-equipped
armies that were irrestible when led by him. Military strength
measure
many
as so
difficulty of
is
not a tangible quality that
we can weigh and
tanks, guns, planes, or even men. This
war games and the error of many people
about our nation's future role
in the present
component
resolution,
and energy of men
Leadership
is
has
in it)
the soul of
come from
in posts of
all
human
a
world upheaval. In every
fateful period of history the ultimate balance of strength
the largest
is
in thinking
(and usually
the integrity of purpose,
high responsibility.
endeavor.
It is
the flame that
enabled the French under Clemenceau, Joffre, and Foch to stop an
unstoppable it.
It is
the
German Army in 1914, because these men willed to stop magic of German success so far in this war, and of the
unexpected Russian resistance.
It is
burned low and sooty, that France It is
upon
it
that
we should
for lack of this flame,
fell in
place our
which had
1940. first trust,
upon man's moral
courage, upon his irresistible determination to win, to drive his purposes to a conclusion, to strike on past
all
concentration of intent that knows no barrier.
hazard with ceaseless It will
be the power of
leadership that must and will direct us into the great future; and
it
'How
Shall
We
229
Win?"
alone will be the decisive and concluding force in this titanic struggle
between the
hope and darkness.
faiths of
France suffered the crushing defeat of 1940 because she was led by
men who
believed in the
German
sap
power
of the defensive. She placed her faith
blockade and the Maginot Line, which were supposed to
in walls, in
strength until economic
strike the killing blow.
remaining strong by
sitting.
leon's admirals a century
and
English Navy would wear out idling.
How
How
false!
mind. The great heart of ness
comes
to
a half earlier in their struggle against port, they thought the
in
fleets
use while their
in
own gained
strength
patently untrue to any but a timorous
man grows on
privation and danger. Flabbi-
muscles not from use but disuse. Weathering the hard-
ships of continuous sea keeping, the British Fleet
sinewy and proud of that
would
collapse
spiritual
She was as fatefully wrong as were Napo-
English sea power. Mooring their
by
and
She was fattening herself on an easy war,
its
strength to endure.
It
grew strong and
was the French above
declined, deteriorated in material, in discipline,
fleet
all
in
morale and confidence. Under similar conditions the French armies of today
weakened sleeping behind
man Army,
ceaselessly
on the move
strength in the school of action.
Man his
brings his ruin
own mind. Ruin
is
Maginot Line, while the Ger-
the
upon
.
.
in
drill
and attack, gained
.
himself. Defeat or victory
always deserved.
How
fatally a
comes out
of
may
in
people
three short generations learn their error, achieve great deeds, and
then sink into inaction again!
How much
people, their fortunes, their lives, resolute or indolent souls of a few
IN APRIL,
their futures
all
men
the destiny of a whole
.
.
.
hang upon the
!
WHILE THE UNITED STATES MAINTAINED A war
defensive posture in the Pacific, Japan, according to a three-fold plan, prepared to
move toward new conquests
:
to Tulagi in the lower
Solomons, and Port Moresby, southernmost Allied outpost in Guinea, for the purpose of achieving Sea;
to
Midway and
the
air
supremacy
in
the Coral
Western Aleutians for the purpose of
strengthening her defense perimeter and forcing a decisive
gagement with the United Slates Navy; and
Samoa chain
New
to the
for the purpose of severing the line of
New
fleet
en-
Caledonia-
communications
between the United States and the Anzac nations. The enemy was
230 -
Doolittle's
soon challenged
Raid
in the first
to the Battle of
two areas, and
Midway
as a result the third opera-
came about. The Imperial Japanese Navy began Operation "Mo," the first offensive, with carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku, borrowed from Nagumo's Carrier Striking Force based in Ceylon and from Vice Admiral Inouye's Fourth Fleet based at Truk and Rabaul. The rest of tion never
the
"Mo"
force consisted of a Tulagi Invasion Group,
Group bound
for the Louisades.
command was
and
a joint
a
Support
Covering Group. Overall
exercised by Inouye in Rabaul. near the northern ex-
tremity of the Solomons.
Fortunately United States
Army
cryptographers, working closely
with Naval Intelligence, had broken Japan's secret code and as a result
Nimitz by April 17 knew the enemy's precise intentions. After
hastily conferring with
MacArthur. who was able it
indeed a major enemy thrust and
to be
was
supply about
was decided
three hundred Allied land-based aircraft, it
to
met with
that this all
was
available
military power.
The
Battle of the Coral Sea which followed, the
carrier-air conflict of the war.
is
first
exclusively
told in four parts: the preliminaries
by Nimitz and naval historian E. B. Potter, Chairman of the Naval History Department at the U.
by men who participated
S.
Naval Academy, and the other parts
in the battle.
FLEET ADMIRAL CHESTER W. NIMITZ
AND
E. B.
POTTER
3
CORAL SEA PRELIMINARIES
The Japanese wanted Port Moresby and
New
their positions in
ing airfields in northern Australia, of
their
advance
projected
in order to safeguard
Rabaul
Guinea, to provide a base for neutraliz-
and
toward
in order to secure the flank
New
Caledonia,
Fiji,
and
Samoa. They wanted Tulagi, across the sound from Guadalcanal in
the lower Solomons, to use as a seaplane base both to cover
the flank of the Port
Moresby operation and
quent advance to the southeast.
Moresby was
To
to support the subse-
the Allies the retention of Port
essential not only for the security of Australia but also
as a springboard for future offensives.
In the Japanese plan a Covering Force built around the 12,000-ton carrier
Shoho was
first
to cover the landing
on Tulagi, then turn back
west in time to protect the Port Moresby Invasion Force, which was to
come down from Rabaul and around
the
tail
of
New
Guinea
through Jomard Passage. There were close support forces for both landings,
and
in addition a Striking
and Zuikaku was
to
Force centered on the Shokaku
come down from Truk
to deal with
any United
States forces that might attempt to interfere with the operation.
Land-
based aircraft were counted on for scouting and support. Altogether there were six separate naval forces engaged in this dual operation.
Such complex division of forces was throughout most of the war. So
typical
far, against a
of Japanese strategy
weak and disorganized
231
232 ^
Raid
Doolittle's
enemy,
had worked
it
to the Battle of
well,
and
tration so long as the forces
together
close
ciently
it
was not inconsistent with concen-
were properly coordinated and
render mutual
to
Midway
support.
suffi-
But when the
Japanese disregarded these two important conditions they met with disaster.
In the Coral Sea, Japanese coordination was to be provided by a
command. Vice Admiral Shigeyoshi Inouye, Commander
unified
Fourth Fleet, was to direct
all
from
forces, including land-based air,
Rabaul. The Allied
command was
was to be fought
General MacArthur's Southwest Pacific Theater,
but
it
in
was understood
not so well integrated.
The
was
result
that Allied land-based
and naval forces were under separate commands without
air
battle
would remain under Ad-
that any fleet action
miral Nimitz' strategic control.
The
effective
coordination.
Since the Pearl Harbor attack, the United States had broken the
Japanese naval code and thus possessed the enormous advantage of
and rather detailed
accurate plans.
Even
so,
meet the threat
it
Sound undergoing ary.
the as
was no easy matter
to gather sufficient forces to
Moresby. The Saratoga was
to Port
enemy's
concerning the
intelligence
damage
repairs for the torpedo
still
in
Puget
sustained in Janu-
The Enterprise and Hornet did not return to Pearl Harbor from Tokyo raid till April 25. Although they were hurried on their way
soon as possible, there was
little
likelihood that they could reach
The only
the Coral Sea in time to play a part. available were
Admiral Fletcher's Yorktown
the South Pacific for
some
time,
carriers immediately
force,
which had been
in
and Rear Admiral Aubrey W. Fitch's
Lexington group, fresh from Pearl Harbor.
From Noumea, New
edonia came the Chicago, while Rear Admiral
J.
C.
Crace
Cal-
RN
brought H.M.A. cruisers Australia and Hobart from Australia. The Japanese, overconfident from their long series of easy successes, as-
sumed
that a single carrier division
was
sufficient to
support their
new
advance.
The two American
carrier groups,
which had been ordered to join
under Fletcher's command, made contact
on
May
1
.
Two
in the southeast
Coral Sea
days later Fletcher recieved a report of the Japanese
landing on Tulagi. Leaving the Lexington group to complete fueling,
he headed north with the Yorktown group, and during the 4th series of air attacks
nese naval craft.
two groups on
He May
made
a
on the Tulagi area that sank a few minor Japathen turned back south and formally merged his 6.
The two
carriers
were to operate within a
Maj. Gen. (then Lt. Col.) James H. (Jimmy) Doolittle wires a Japanese medal bomb. The ceremony took place on the deck of the USS Hornet (CV-8), from which the Army bombers took off for the raid on Japan, 18 April, 1942. Navy Department. to the fin of a 500-lb.
An Army part in the
off from the deck of the USS Hornet on U.S. air raid on Japan. Navy Department.
B-25 takes first
its
way
to take
%*3 >
v
33£ "V
> The Yokosuka, Japan, Naval
Base, taken from a B-25 during Doolittle's raid
on Tokyo, 18 April, 1942.
The Japanese aircraft carrier Shoho, after being torpedoed Coral Sea, 7 May, 1942. Navy Department.
••
in the Battle of the
Hi
W&Bm
The
final stages
of the sinking of the Shoho, taken by a plane of the
USS
Yorktown (CV-5). Navy Department.
The
aircraft carrier
USS Lexington (CV-2) burning Navy Department.
Coral Sea, 8 May, 1942.
following the Battle of the
r
The USS Lexington abandoning
ship.
The burning Lexington
hands have abandoned
after
all
Navy Department.
ship.
Navy Department.
>
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.
;
'
Damage on Midway 5, 6,
in the
$$
at**'-
Island before the Japanese raiders were repelled, June 4, hit by Japanese bombs. Gooney birds
The burning oil tanks were foreground. Navy Department.
1942.
During the Battle of Midway, Japanese planes try to escape an A.A. barrage. carrier at the right is the USS Yorktown (CV-5). Navy Department.
The
*
&* .*»
^w* jp
* i
*
i
The Yorktown under
«*#
pf
h—ia&
The
photo shows yior/:/ow/i just as she susattack. Heel is due to turning. Navy Department. The second photo was taken just as a second torpedo struck the Yorktown during the second attack. Note the Japanese plane which has just crashed into the water. Navy Department. attack.
first
tained a hit in the uptakes during the
first
#
9^W
#
%
i
anti-aircraft fire, four Japanese bombers come in low Guadalcanal Island to attack U.S. transports. Black bursts show the intensity of the U.S. A. A. fire. Navy Department.
Running a gauntlet of at
from two enemy planes set on fire by the USS President Adams Guadalcanal, 12 November, 1942. To the right is the USS Betelgeuse (AK-28). Navy Department.
Smoke
rises
(AP-38)
off
The sinking of
the
USS Wasp (CV-7)
off
Guadalcanal.
Navy Department.
A
Japanese bomb splashes astern of a U.S. carrier as the enemy plane pulls out of its dive above the carrier. The Battle of Santa Cruz, 26 October, 1942.
Navy Department. *
*£
.ggggjjfc*
M
lb*
^
An American
from the air in the Battle of Santa on the right is turning sharply. The U.S. destroyer Smith (DD-378) has just been struck by a burning, falling Japanese plane. On the left two screening vessels are seen. Navy Department.
Cruz.
A
task force being attacked
carrier
The USS Smith
after being struck by a falling Japanese plane. After the plane struck the ship, a torpedo attached to the plane exploded, causing casualties
and damage. Navy Department.
f_^3^ rm
The USS Hornet (CV-8) under attack the USS Pensacola. Navy Department.
in the Battle of
Santa Cruz. Taken by
Japanese torpedo bombers attacking the USS Hornet. She was sunk in engagement at Santa Cruz. Navy Department.
t$mu*>^
this
Lt.
John F. Kennedy,
USNR. Navy Department.
Task Force 17 maneuvering to evade attack by Jap planes in the Second Battle of Santa Cruz. Taken by a plane from the USS Hornet (CV-8).
A. A. Burke on the bridge of the the ships of
DESRON
23.
USS
Charles Ausburne (DD-570), one of Beaver Squadron insignia on the Photo.
Note the
side of the bridge. Official U.S.
Navy
Little
233
Coral Sea Preliminaries
and destroyers. Admiral Fitch, be-
single circular screen of cruisers
cause of his long experience with carriers, was to exercise tactical
command
during air operations.
Fletcher's uniting of his forces
and Zuikaku with
their escorts,
was
Shokaku
luckily timed, for the
having swung around the southeast-
The Japa-
ern end of the Solomons, had just entered the Coral Sea.
nese Striking Force was commanded by Vice Admiral Takeo Takagi,
with Rear Admiral Tadaichi Hara in
commanding
coming around the Solomons, hoped
riers in a sort of pincer
movement.
He
the carriers. Takagi,
to catch the
American
car-
almost succeeded, for on the
evening of the 6th he was rapidly overhauling the American force, then refueling, and was actually within 70 miles of the Americans
when he turned north. At dawn on May
7,
the
American task force was
cruising
on
a northwesterly course south of the Lounisiades, which form an extension of the
New
Guinea
tail.
A
little
before 0700, Fletcher detached
three cruisers and three destroyers under
them
to
Admiral Crace and ordered
push on to the northwest while the carriers turned north. The
detached vessels were to prevent the Port Moresby Invasion Force
from coming through Jomard Passage, regardless of the fate of the American carriers, which Fletcher expected would come under attack during the day. In sending Crace forward however, Fletcher was depriving a part of his force of carrier air cover and at the same time further weakening his already
Thus
far neither
weak
carrier anti-aircraft screen.
Takagi nor Fletcher was sure that the other was
in
the area, though Fletcher had information that three Japanese carriers
were involved
in the operation.
Takagi was depending on land-
based searches which actually sighted the American carrier force but Fletcher's air searches were defeated by
failed to get
word through.
bad weather
to the northeast,
where the two Japanese heavy
carriers
were operating.
To
the northwest
however the weather was
the 7th reports began to
ing in this direction.
come
At 0815
clear,
and early on
in from American scout planes search-
a pilot reported
"two
carriers
and four
heavy cruisers" not far north of Misima Island, whereupon Fletcher ordered attack groups launched from both his carriers. The 93 planes
were well on their way before the scout returned and
it
was discov-
—
ered that the report was an error due to improper coding scout had meant to
Fletcher
made
that the
report two cruisers and two destroyers.
the courageous decision to let the attack proceed,
234
^
Doolittle's
Raid
to the Battle of
Midway
probably thinking that with the Japanese Invasion Force nearby there must be some profitable targets. His boldness was rewarded at 1022
by a report which placed an enemy carrier with several other vessels only 35 miles southeast of the point t6ward which the strike had been
The
sent.
attack group had to alter course only slightly for the
new
target.
The Americans came upon the Shoho about 1 1 00 and, in the first made by American pilots on an enemy carrier, smothered
attack ever
bomb and few minutes. Upon
her with a
1
3
seven torpedo
which sent her down within
hits,
their return, Fletcher decided to withhold a
two enemy carriers were located. Moreenemy knew his position, and it seemed he would soon come under attack.
second strike
until the other
over, he suspected that the likely that
The Japanese series of errors
on the
failed to attack Fletcher
on the 7th only because of a
which by evening reached the
Before 0900
fantastic.
7th, Inouye, directing the Japanese operation
from Rabaul,
One was
Fletcher's; the
had reports of two American
carrier forces.
some 45 miles to the west, was in fact Crace's cruiser-destroyer force. Then came a report from Takagi of a third American carrier in the eastern Coral Sea. This last was actually the oiler Neosho, which had been detached from Fletcher's force the evening before and was other,
proceeding with the destroyer Sims toward a rendezvous.
At 0950 Japanese navy planes took
off
from Rabaul
westernmost of the United States forces. The Japanese
to attack the
pilots returned
with reports that they had sunk a battleship and a cruiser. Actually Crace's force survived without
damage both
by B-26's from Australia, which mistook
The
identification of the
Neosho
Japanese operations, for Hara
at
this attack
and another
his vessels for Japanese.
as a carrier
had a serious
once launched a
full
effect
upon
attack
on the
The Sims with three hits went down her crew. The Neosho took seven but remained afloat
hapless oiler and her escort.
with most of until
her crew was taken off four days
This erroneous attack tion.
As
mined
later.
Tagaki and Hara facing a
night approached, the weather closed in, but
to destroy the
damage
left
American
Hara was
deter-
carriers before they could further
the Invasion Force. Selecting 27 pilots best qualified in night
them out at 1615 estimated the American carriers lay. operations, he sent
It
critical situa-
was not
a
bad gamble,
in the direction in
for in the foul weather
which he
and poor
the Japanese actually passed near Fletcher's force.
visibility
The American
235
Coral Sea Preliminaries
combat
air patrol,
planes and shot
vectored out by radar, intercepted the Japanese
down
An
nine.
hour
later several of the returning
Japanese, mistaking the American carriers for their own, actually
attempted to join the Yorktown's landing circle until American gunners shot
down one and drove
showed planes
circling as
off the others.
The Lexington's radar
for a landing about
if
30 miles
to the east,
which seemed to indicate that the Japanese carriers were very close indeed. Of the Japanese striking group, ten had been shot down,
and eleven others went on
their carriers.
The
into the water in attempting nightlandings
Hara recovered only
six of his 27.
American
pilots of these planes reported the
carriers only
50
60 miles away. Thus each of the opposing commanders was aware of the proximity of the other. Both seriously considered a night surto
face attack,
weaken
and both abandoned the idea because they hesitated
their screens with
Battle of the Coral Sea
to
an enemy near. Thus the main action of the
was postponed another day.
Actually the distance between the two forces was greater than either
commander imagined,
for postwar plots
show
were
that they
nearly a hundred miles apart.
Thus
had been together in the Coral Sea for two had twice come within a hundred miles of each other
far the antagonists
days, and
without exchanging blows.
On
the evening of
May
7 each of the
opposing commanders felt that the enemy was uncomfortably close. There was every likelihood that a decision would be reached the next day. During the night Fletcher withdrew to the south and west, while
Takagi moved north. For both commanders everything depended on locating the
enemy
as
promptly as possible on the morning of the
Both launched searches a
little
reported the other almost simultaneously a
The
contest of
May
8 started
8th.
before dawn, and the scouts of each little
after
0800.
on curiously even terms. Each force
contained two carriers. Fitch had available 121 planes, Hara 122.
The Americans were
stronger in bombers, while the Japanese enjoyed
a preponderance in fighter
and torpedo planes. The Japanese
had more combat experience, and
their
torpedoes were
pilots
better.
another respect the Japanese enjoyed a significant advantage.
In
By
moving south through the night Fletcher had run out of the bad weather area in which he had been operating, and on the 8th his force Japanese remained within the
lay exposed
under clear
frontal area,
under the protection of clouds and rain
skies, while the
Essentially the battle consisted of a
squalls.
simultaneous exchange of
236
^
strikes
by the two carrier
Doolittle's
Raid
Midway
to the Battle of
Between 0900 and 0925 both Amer-
forces.
That of the Yorktown,
ican carriers launched their attack groups. consisting of
24 bombers with two
with four fighters, departed
and nine torpedo planes
fighters,
About 1030
first.
the dive
bombers found
the Japanese carriers with their escorts in loose formation. While the pilots took cloud cover to await the arrival of the torpedo planes, the
Zuikaku disappeared
into a rain squall.
Hence
the attack
fell
only
on the Shokaku.
When
SBD's began
the torpedo planes approached, the
Although the attack was well coordinated, successful.
was only moderately
it
The slow American torpedoes were
bombers succeeded
dive
their dives.
easily avoided, but the
two bombs on the Shokaku. Of
in planting
the Lexington group, which departed about ten minutes later than the
Yorktown's, the 22 dive bombers failed to find the target. Only the eleven torpedo planes and the four scout bombers found the enemy.
Again American torpedoes were ceeded
in
adding another
Shokaku. These three being; because the
to the
hit
damage
The Japanese had fighters at
two already sustained by the
deck prevented her recovering
to her flight
succeeded
tance of 20 miles, ers, the
to
sent off their group of
proceed to Truk.
70 attack planes and 20
about the same time as the American launching. Although
American radar picked them up
fighters
but the bombers suc-
put the Shokaku out of action for the time
Takagi detached her, ordering her
planes,
the
hits
ineffective,
in intercepting still
at
70 miles away, only three
them before
the attack.
At
having met no interference by American
a disfight-
Japanese planes divided into three groups, two of torpedo
planes and one of bombers.
The two American circle
were together
carriers
of screening vessels,
in
the center of their
but evasive maneuvers gradually drew
The screen divided
them
apart.
circle
undoubtedly contributed to the Japanese success
NOW THE
fairly evenly,
.
.
.
JAPANESE DEVELOPED THEIR ATTACK ON
Yorktown and Lexington,
the former
spread and instead taking a
bomb
combing the wakes of a torpedo
hit,
which did not seriously im-
pair her fighting effectiveness. But the slower it.
but this breaking of the
This phase of the battle
is
vividly
"Lady Lex" was
in for
recounted by the carrier's
Coral Sea Preliminaries skipper, Captain Frederick C. Sherman, one of the officers in the
Navy, who rose
wrote feature
articles
True to naval
doomed
vessel.
to full
237
most decorated
Admiral and upon retirement
on naval subjects for the Chicago Tribune.
tradition,
Sherman was
the last
man
to leave the
ADMIRAL FREDERICK
C.
SHERMAN
,'•
4"
ABANDON
At 10:14
a
SHIP!
Yorktown
fighter
on combat patrols spotted a Kawanishi
four-engine flying boat and promptly shot
radar showed a large group of
it
down. At 10:55 the
enemy planes approaching from
the
northeast.
At 11:13 the Lexington's lookout sighted the first of the atThe battle was on. The weather was bright and sunny, with hardly a cloud in the sky. The Japanese had no difficulty in finding us. On the sparkling, tropical sea, we were visible from miles away. Our move to the south the night before had given the enemy this advantage, but it also meant that they had no cloud cover to mask their approach. The clear tackers.
visibility
gave our anti-aircraft guns
Fighter direction was
still
in its early stage of
was on board the Lexington for were 17
in
all,
eight
full play.
development. Control
the fighters in the
all
with Lieutenant "Red" Gill as fighter-direction early
There
air.
from the Yorktown plus the Lexington's officer.
model radar we had on board picked up the enemy
The
nine,
single,
aircraft at a
distance of 68 miles, but gave no indication of their altitude.
those old radars
enemy
planes.
We
it
was
felt
also
that
if
distinguish friendly
from
our fighters were sent far out on
inter-
difficult
ception, they might miss the contact,
and thus be wasted.
We
On
to
owing
to differences in altitude
were also influenced by the
belief that the
torpedo planes represented the greater hazard and that they would
238
Abandon come
239
Ship!
we kept our fighters close in overhead, at 10,000 feet, ready to attack when the enemy groups arrived at their "push-over" point. The Dauntless dive bombers on anti-torpedoin low. Accordingly,
plane patrol were stationed at 2,000
learned in this battle that to break up an air attack to intercept
at
it
remembered
a
much
that this
it
was necessary
greater distance from the carriers.
was the
first
We
6,000 yards out.
feet,
carrier duel in history,
It
must be
and we were
learning our tactics by experience. Nevertheless, our defending planes
did a magnificent job.
Five Lexington fighters were vectored out at
oncoming
craft.
group of 50 to
1 1
:
02
to intercept the
They made contact 20 miles away and reported one 60 planes stacked in layers from 10,000 to 13,000
with torpedo planes in the lowest level, then fighters, then dive
feet,
bombers, then more
Two
fighters in this group.
had been sent low
to look for torpedo
other three fighters in the intercepting unit climbed madly
and dashed
for altitude
down
and 24
of our five fighters
The
planes.
There were approximately 18 torpedo
fighters.
planes, 18 dive bombers,
in to attack.
Engaged by the Zeros, they shot bombers before they started
several but were unable to stop the
The two low
their dives.
dropped down for
torpedo planes as they
fighters attacked the
their part in the battle, but
were unsuccessful
in
stopping them.
The in
air fighting
with the
now became
enemy and
the sky
a melee.
Our own
was black with
planes were mixed
flak bursts.
The Japa-
nese spent no time in maneuvering, but dived straight in for the
The huge Lexington dwarfed
kill.
the other ships in the formation and
bore the brunt of the attack.
was
It
roaring
beautifully coordinated.
down
in steep dives
From my
bridge
from many points
I
saw bombers
in the sky,
and torpedo
planes coming in on both
nothing
I
bows almost simultaneously. There was could do about the bombers, but I could do something to
avoid the torpedoes.
As
I
straight
thin
saw a bomb leave one of the planes, for where I stood on the bridge. Had
armored shield?
no use dodging, and
had work
The
to
ideal
do
if
If it
to
my name on
not, there
to try to
way
had
was no need
I
seemed
better
it,
I
to be
coming
duck behind the
thought, there was
to worry.
At any
rate, I
evade the torpedoes.
drop torpedoes was for groups of planes to
simultaneously on both bows. In this method,
toward one group to parallel to the other.
it
The timing was
its
torpedoes,
vital.
it
if
let
go
the target ship turned
presented
its
broadside
The enormous Lexington was very
240
^
Doolittle's
slow in returning.
When
over.
It
Raid
Midway
to the Battle of
took 30 to 40 seconds
she did start to turn, she
put the rudder hard
just to
moved
majestically
and ponder-
ously in a large circle. Maneuverability was greatly improved in later carriers.
As
I
seemed
saw the enemy torpedo planes coming to
me
They were approaching
in
and the din was
1,000 yards away,
I
McKenzie, for hard
motioned left
all
to the
rudder.
it
we
seemed an
It
of anti-aircraft
full
helmsman, Chief Quartermaster
seemed
around
was
air
considered
the planes to port were about
enemy planes
in all directions
were also dropping
The
When
terrific.
started to turn, just as the
The water
on both bows,
steep glides, faster than
practicable for torpedo dropping. bursts
in
that those to port were closer than those to starboard.
eternity before the
bow
started disgorging their fish.
of torpedo wakes.
full
Bombs
Great geysers of water from near
us.
misses were going up higher than our masts, and occasionally the ship
shuddered from the explosions of the ones that In less than a minute, the
first
hit.
torpedoes had passed astern.
We
quickly shifted rudder to head for the second group of planes. These split
up
Then
it
on both bows, the hardest maneuver for us
to fire
became
a matter of wriggling
as best we could to remember seeing two beam, and there was nothing I
and twisting
avoid the deadly weapons heading our way.
wakes coming
straight for our port
to counter.
I
could do about them. The wakes approached the ship's side, and
braced myself for the explosion. Nothing happened.
I
I
rushed to the
starboard bridge, and there were the wakes emerging from that side.
The torpedoes were running too deep and had passed completely under the
My
ship.
on the bridge was Commander H.
air officer
S.
Duckworth,
"Don't change course, Captain!" he exclaimed. "There's a torpedo on each side of us running parallel!"
50 yards on
Enemy
either
beam and both
planes were being shot
We
held our course with a torpedo
disappeared without
finally
down
right
and
around us was dotted with the towering flames of casses. still
One
plane turned upside
slung on
its
belly.
framework around the explained
why
Before
it
missile's
down
as
sank,
we
left,
hitting.
and the water
their burning car-
hit the water, its
torpedo
noticed a peculiar
wooden
it
nose and propeller mechanism. This
the Japanese were able to drop their torpedoes at such
high speeds and altitudes.
The cushioning
devices permitted
them
to
enter the water without excessive shock to the delicate machinery. It
was a scheme Japanese
still
at least a
undeveloped by our ordnance experts, and gave the
temporary superiority
in
torpedo warfare.
•
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Two
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Abandon Five
243
Ship!
bombs had landed on the Lexington. Two torpedoes exploded The water spouts of three near misses which
against our port side.
splashed water on the deck were also thought at
first
to
be from
torpedoes, but subsequent examination showed only two actual hits
by
this
weapon.
One bomb had cabin. It
gun
gallery just outside the Admiral's
wiped out most of the gun crews
In addition,
fires.
hit the port
it
Commander
killed
Commander
Trojalkowski, our dentist,
just inboard,
and communications men
Bombs
who were
in
in the
Fragments killed men One bomb passed between the
in
and started passageway
an adjacent room.
started fires in other parts of the ship, but
cially serious. aloft.
in that vicinity,
Gilmore, our paymaster, and
none was espe-
one of the fire-control stations
bridge and the funnel and sev-
ered the wire pull on the siren, setting
it
off to
add
its
sorrowful wail
to the ear-shattering din.
was as though some hidden direcThe Japanese planes were no longer in guns had stopped shooting for lack of targets. The sea was
Suddenly
all
was quiet
had signaled
tor
sight, the still
again. It
for silence.
dotted with burning planes; our
own
aircraft
were seen
in the
But the enemy
distance, assembling to be ready for further action.
were through. I
looked
utes. It
at
my
watch. The entire attack had lasted just nine min-
seemed hours
since
we had
first
sighted the
Off in the distance to the southeastward,
enemy
we could
town, a column of black smoke rising from her
flight
planes.
see the
York-
deck. Evidently
she too had been damaged. She had been attacked by both torpedo planes and dive bombers, but with her greater maneuverability had
managed to evade all torpedoes and was hit only by one large bomb, which had penetrated the flight deck and exploded in a storeroom down below. It had killed 37 men outright and wounded many others. Near misses had caused several fragment holes in the hull along the water line. Otherwise the Yorktown was undamaged. Taking stock on the Lexington, we found things not so bad as they might have been. The small fires down below were being fought by the damage-control parties, who reported that they would soon have them under control. No smoke from the flames was showing above decks. The ship had taken only a seven-degree list from the torpedo hits, and this was rapidly being corrected by shifting water ballast. The engine room reported full power and speed available if I wanted it.
Our
flight
deck was
intact.
We
felt like
throwing out our chests
at
244 ^
Doolittle's
Raid
to the Battle of
Midway
our condition after the attack. But our satisfaction was soon to be
changed to apprehension.
We
proceeded to land our planes whjph were
out of ammunition or gas after their air battles.
ammunition of our guns and
refilled
the
and
in the vicinity,
We
replenished the
ammunition
hoists to
be
Commander was down in
ready for another attack should one come. Lieutenant
Damage
H. R. ("Pop") Healy, our
Control Officer,
Central Station, below the armored deck, where directions for
damage
control were issued and reports received.
me
the bridge to inform
that
have another attack," he side, since
both torpedo
At 12:47,
He had
damage was under
all
said, "I'd like to take
it
just
all
phoned
control. "If
we
on the starboard
were to port."
hits
was suddenly shaken by a
the Lexington
explosion which seemed to
come from
terrific internal
the bottom of the ship.
It
rocked the huge structure more violently than had anything we had received during the battle.
Smoke began emerging from around
edges of the elevator on the
flight
We
called Central Station
tion broken.
The rudder
the
deck.
on the telephone but found the connec-
indicator
on the bridge was
also out. All
telephones were dead except a sound-powered one to the engine
room. However, reports of huge
fires
Central Station were soon received.
A
few men had escaped from
who
it;
breaking out in the vicinity of
The
station itself
was an
inferno.
others were rescued by volunteers
risked their lives in the flames, but the majority, including Healy,
had been
killed outright
by the
terrific
explosion. Its cause
was
later
established as the insidious accumulation of gasoline vapor, leaking
unsuspected from our gasoline storage tanks, which had been weak-
ened by the torpedo
had no idea Raging
that
fires,
it
hits. It
was
was an unexpected blow, but
as yet
we
to cost us the ship.
fed by gasoline, broke out from ruptured vents and
The water main was broken in the area of making the work of combating the flames extremely risers.
the explosion,
Long
difficult.
hoses had to be led from the far after part of the ship, and only very
low water pressure could be maintained. the beginning, but
we
did not
know
it
It
was a losing
then.
We
fully
battle
from
expected to
save the carrier. I
remained on the bridge
to direct the handling of the ship
and to
receive reports. Commander Mort Seligman, the executive officer, was everywhere, advising and encouraging the fire fighters. Small
explosions of ammunition were occurring frequently in the vicinity of the
fires,
and Seligman was more than once blown
like a
cork out of
Abandon
245
Ship!
a bottle from watertight doors through which he
was passing. He
brought to the bridge frequent reports of conditions
down
were out and the damage-control
lights
ness except for
hand
would grow hot from
men
The decks where they were working
flashlights.
on the decks beneath.
fires
Despite the loss of our rudder indicator on the bridge, to steer
from there for a
was during
while. It
out and
Then
lost.
we
went completely
the electric steering gear
we had to steer by maneuvering the engines, room over the one telephone still working. hand
able
and which we
late
giving orders to
We
the engine to use the
we were
period that
this
landed the torpedo squadron which returned so
had feared was
below. All
complete dark-
toiled in
were unable
below for lack of communica-
steering in the station
tions to give the steersman there his course.
The
fire
curring,
continued to spread.
More
frequent explosions were oc-
and the surface of the elevator
A
ning to glow a dull red. that the forward
report
in the flight
came from
deck was begin-
the engine control
room
engine-room bulkhead was getting white hot, and
had
that the temperature in that vicinity
asked permission, which
I
160 degrees. They
risen to
promptly granted, to abandon the forward
engine room and use only the after engineroom space.
Then it
the one telephone began to get weaker.
was only
did,
I
a matter of time until
realized, there
engine rooms. Unless
trapped by
fire
it
I
Over
men to secure the engineering we were unable to hear any
hemmed
We now
all
of
in
it
by red-hot bulk-
the weakening phone,
plant and get reply,
ordered these
I
up on deck. Although
presently the sound of steam
escaping from the safety valves assured
cling fires to safety
that
When
ordered them to leave, they would stay there,
heads, until they perished.
message. Eventually
was apparent
would be no way of getting the men out of the
around them, and
all
It
would go out completely.
them found
me
their
they had received the
way through
the encir-
on the topside.
had no power and the ship
pressure on the main,
we were
lay
dead
in the water.
helpless even to fight the
destroyer alongside to send over
its
hoses, but the
fire
fire. I
Without called a
pumps on
the
small vessels in those early days were of such low capacity that only a trickle of
water could be obtained from
this source. It
rageous that we could do nothing to put out the
fire
seemed outand save our
ship.
At
this time,
efficient,
boys
about 5:00 p.m., Admiral Fitch, unperturbed and
leaned over the flag bridge and told
off the ship." It
was heartbreaking, but
me it
I
had better "get the
seemed
to be the only
246 ^ thing
Doolittle's
Raid
to the Battle of
do. Reluctantly
left to
the hardest thing
I
I
Midway
gave the order to abandon ship.
have ever done. Nevertheless,
if
It
was
we could
not
prevent the loss of the Lexington, saving^the lives of her crew was of
utmost importance.
The
and men were as reluctant to leave
officers
order them to go. Most of the
We
as I was.
wounded were lowered
alongside, the remainder going directly into small boats
Some
other ships.
below to the service
it.
in the fire area.
They
filled
cream and stood around on the
flight
deck
store,
which was not
into the water.
Some
of
them
orderly fashion on the deck before they
There was not the
return.
from the
Knotted ropes were dropped over the side for the men to
down
slide
to
of the crew, while waiting to disembark, went
their helmets with ice
eating
had
to a destroyer
up
lined as
left,
if
their shoes in
they expected to
slightest panic or disorder. I
was proud of
them. I
gun
noticed one crowd waiting to go over the side at the port after gallery.
led by
As
approached to see what was delaying them, the men
I
Marine Sergeant Peyton, gave "three cheers
for the Captain."
Their loyalty was inspiring. Finally, just after sunset,
all
crew were
the
off.
The water around
was black with bobbing heads of swimmers. Small boats from our escorts, cruisers and destroyers were busy picking men out of the water and transferring them to the other ships. After making a the ship
last inspection to insure that there
Commander Seligman
my
at the stern.
duty and privilege to be the
water.
I
While
were no I
stragglers, I stood with
him
directed
one to go.
last
He went down
I
was pausing
there,
was
into the
a tremendous explosion took place
amidships by the elevator. Planes and debris of
Ducking under the edge of the decided
falling pieces, I
my
it
stood on the great ship alone.
into the air.
do
to leave, as
stint of
it
swimming
was time until
my
to go,
turn
and
came
all
flight slid
to
kinds went high
deck to avoid the
down
the rope to
be picked up by the
rescue boats.
ABOARD New
Orleans
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER HOWELL
Forgy, the cruiser's Presbyterian Chaplain, recounts the drama to rescue oil-covered survivors of Lexington and the efforts to assuage the wounded.
We
have met him before.
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER HOWELL M. FORGY
S-
TAKING ABOARD LEXINGTON'S SURVIVORS
"Send up your badly wounded
first."
the side of the cruiser to the bobbing in the
choppy
clipped the words over
motor launch
rising
and
falling
sea.
The coxswain,
cautiously inching his craft toward the hull of the
big ship, turned his head
"They're
Woody
all
upward and shouted back.
badly wounded,
sir."
Nearly twenty wire baskets were crowded into the boat. In each basket, helpless under tightly-buckled straps,
was a wounded man
from the Lexington.
A
seaman fought
against the hull of the
to break the impact as the waves
cargo eight or ten feet into the
No-Boat with a boat-hook
lifted the
air,
launch and
then smashed
it
its
pitiful
downward and
against the side of the cruiser.
pawed the air to catch the The helpless look in the eyes
Sailors in the launch side
from the
on one of the fast at his
cruiser.
stretchers stabbed through
head and
feet
me
lines tossed over-
of a
wounded lad were made
as the lines
and he began the treacherous transfer
to the
cruiser.
You knew what
he was thinking.
go to the bottom of the sea
swim
—not
for these fellows
like
If
a line should break he would
a rock.
There was no chance to
bound hand and foot
inside a metal
cage.
247
248
^
Doolittle's
Raid
to the Battle of
"Easy there!" Woodhead barked. "Ease his
head up a
bit
.
.
.
that's
it.
Easy does
Midway
off
on that
Bring
aft line.
it."
Dr. Harry Walker reached up to the basket as the seamen eased to the deck.
He
spent no
man from
seared
been painted
in
tion of merciful
"Take him corpsmen
more than thfeVseconds looking
the carrier.
mercurochrome.
It
to sick
at the
his forehead a large pink
told us he
morphine before leaving
flame-
M
had received one
had
injec-
his dying warship.
bay immediately," Dr. Walker ordered a pair of
at his side.
Another casualty was on
You
On
it
way up from
his
the undulating launch.
could see he was unconscious. Soggy splotches of red oozed
through the white gauze that bandaged his head. Another wide bandage covered a portion of his naked abdomen.
Walker looked
calculatingly
down
at the
launch and then toward
the other boats pushing toward the cruiser.
"Bring
all
these
men down
sick
to
bay as
fast
as
they
come
aboard," he ordered. Harry knew what to expect, and he ran to join Dr. Evans in sick bay to begin the dreadful task that was to keep
on
him
his feet for the next thirty-six hours.
The
rolling clouds of jet
just five
hundred yards
off
smoke coming from
the Lexington
our port, hid most of her bridge. Her
now flight
deck, leaning in a twenty-degree list, was crowded with more and more men. Some of her crew stood at the edge of the deck, pinched their noses with thumb and forefinger, and leaped feet-first to the sea. They looked like kids at home jumping from a diving-board. The perilous task of getting the wounded down to the motor whaleboats and launches went on and on. The rows of stretchers on the flight deck grew longer and longer as more casualties were
brought topside from the inferno inside the I
watched the men who leaped
carrier.
into the water. Their
arms moved
as
though they were swimming, but they seemed to struggle, unmoving, in the
same
spot. Little spots of bright yellow
began appearing here
and there about the burning carrier as men pulled the rubber
from the Lex's planes, threw them
into the sea,
and jumped
life rafts
in after
them.
About
fifty
of the carrier's proud planes huddled with folded wings
like frightened birds at the
end of her deck
poked through the black smoke and
felt
as orange fingers of fire
about the
flat
landing area
some place to grab hold. Between the No-Boat and the Lex the sea was dotted with
for
little
Taking Aboard Lexington's Survivors
bumps
black
that
were the heads of struggling
and the destroyers moved back and
cruiser
from the water. Distance seemed but a short
city
men
the Lexington
249
Boats from our
sailors.
men
forth, pulling the
The No-Boat
at sea fools a lot of people.
many
of
with no trouble.
A
block from the stricken flattop, and
thought they could swim
it
couple of them came aboard the cruiser hale and hearty; most of
them
and exhausted,
to the deck, half-drowned
fell
from the
after being pulled
sea.
Lines dangled from the No-Boat deck to the water about every ten feet
on the port
men crowded about
Five or six
side.
the deck at each
line.
Twenty
feet off the side of the cruiser a figure splashed almost
but
it
He had swum
water.
listlessly in the
all
seemed the energy necessary
just lay there,
moving
He pawed his
way over from
He appeared
remaining few feet had been spent. rather than swimming.
the
at the
arms and
the carrier,
body the
to propel his tortured
to be treading water
water intermittently and then
legs only
enough
to
keep
nose
his
above the surface.
"Keep coming, mate.
Just a
shouted one of the sailors
They hauled grabbed
the
in
at the air,
raced for a
life
from
make
it,"
it
short,
fell
outward toward the
lifted
his
arms and
hung on the surface a couple
One
of
them
preserver.
the
The No-Boat men made over the
man you
the
side. It
with the rope encouraged the
line.
His
fists
pitiful
this time."
life
preserver fast to the end of the line
splashed into the water and sent a green-
white spray over the bobbing head.
grasped the
you'll
sight.
figure in the water, "We'll get
it
more and
the deck hauled the line back feverishly.
"Keep coming, Mac,"
and hurled
bit
The swimmer
water.
but the line
of seconds, then sank
The men on
little
top of a line near me.
the line to the deck and tossed
man
struggling
at the
I
watched the man's hands as they
clenched about the rope with the strength of
steel vises.
"Hey, Mac! Put your leg through that one of the
men
life
preserver and hang on,"
from the deck.
called
The swimmer obeyed automatically. Eagerly the men pulled him aboard. They grabbed each side of his dripping body as he came over the side
The
and shook the lad, a short,
life
preserver from his
leg.
two-hundred-pound Filipino cook, collapsed
to
250
^
Raid
Doolittle's
to the Battle of
Midway
the deck with a soggy thud. His brown, tropical skin
seemed
glow a
to
weird bluish color.
"He full
couldn't be that fat," observed one of the sailors.
^
of water."
There was no time
to call for
islander to his stomach.
"He must be
?
corpsmen. One
Another pulled out
man
rolled the portly
tongue and adjusted
his
the man's head on his limp arm.
The water-soaked
was nearly dead.
Filipino
straddled his back and began
When
artificial respiration,
a husky sailor
unbelievable vol-
umes of water gushed from his nose and mouth with each stroke. "Keep pushing," one of the sailors encouraged the man on Filipino's back.
The half-drowned of times.
I
the
"That guy's got about half the Coral Sea aboard." figure
on the deck grunted and coughed a couple
leaned close to his face and heard him breathe and
moan
softly.
"He's going to be
all
right,"
I
said to the sailors
working on him.
"Good work. Get him in a blanket as soon as you can." As I walked forward to the well deck the scene was being repeated a dozen times. The sailors lining the side of the ship looked like an excursion of fishermen during the mackerel run. They stood there tossing their lines into the water
and hauling
their catches
back
to the
deck. Artificial respiration was being applied to prone bodies scattered
A
all
along the deck.
rugged, swarthy master-of-arms from the Lexington
came up
over the side from a rescue boat. His heavy crop of black hair clung
wet against the stubble of
As he stepped
his square,
to the well
deck
unshaven
his eyes
face.
caught sight of Pope, the
No-Boat's chief master-of-arms.
"Ye Gods!" Don't
tell
the dripping Lexington
me you
belong to
man
bellowed. "Hey, Pope!
this ship!"
Pope's face broke into a broad grin
when he heard
the voice of an
old friend and former shipmate. Before he could reply, the newlyarrived survivor turned to the
"Throw me back Pope laughed
men about
him.
into the ocean!" he thundered.
at the affectionate insult,
husky carrier man, and steered him
to a
threw his arms about the
bowl of steaming
coffee.
Cooks and mess attendants were pouring to the deck from the galley with huge kettles of coffee and stacks of soup bowls.
The bedraggled
survivors clenched their white, water-wrinkled hands tightly about the
warm bowls and emptied them
rapidly.
Flames, bright orange against the black smoke, were racing
aft
on
Taking Aboard Lexington's Survivors
251
Only a few men, most of them
the carrier's flight deck now.
officers
who had been directing the abandonment, remained on the deck. They were clustered in a little group at the bow. They were too far away for me to make out faces or rank insignia, but I knew Captain Sherman of the Lexington was among them. He would be the last
man
to leave the ship.
The flames worked bunched together brightly a
way back to the half-hundred planes One of the planes caught fire, blazed
their
at the stern.
few seconds as the flames ran through
its
wings, then
exploded. Plumes of burning gasoline shot like rockets into the air
and
upon
fell
the other planes. There
another, as each plane
let
go with
was another explosion, and then
fiery anger.
could hear the sharp
I
crackling of the dry, tinder-like warbirds as the after portion of the
Lexington became a huge mass of red and yellow.
The
figures at the front of the carrier dived
and jumped
into the
water as fuel tanks from the blazing aircraft sent streams of
fire
spitting across the
deck as though they came from the deadly nozzles
of flame-throwers.
A
moved
boat
in close to the carrier to
pick
up
the
handful of survivors.
final
"Sick bay
is all full,
informed me.
mate,
Chaplain," MacFarland, the chief pharmacist's
"We're
up
setting
temporary bay
a
in
the
hangar." I made my way through the crowded deck. There were hundreds of men from the Lexington jammed aboard the New Orleans now, and
A
more were coming.
couple of dozen of them, wrapped in blankets,
huddled about a steaming coffee
pow-wowing around
Indians I
pot.
They looked
like
blanketed
a campfire.
Doc and
reported to Dr. Farquhar in the hangar.
a
corpsman
were going down the long rows of the wounded, stretched out on the
They were spraying
deck.
burned hands and in a
paraffin solution
legs of the
from
Flit
guns upon the
Lexington men. The paraffin hardened
few seconds and protected the horrible wounds from
God
we had found "What do you need, Doc?" I inquired.
thanked
for the paraffin
in that
infection. I
grocery store.
"Blankets, Padre. Lots of blankets for these fellows. We've used
up
all
the medical department's supply."
With below.
a party of
We
men
I
ran
down
to the sleeping
grabbed every blanket we could
for the formality of requisitions or orders.
the cots
and hurried them up
The long rows
of
find.
We
compartments
There was no time
just ripped blankets off
to the hangar.
wounded extended from
the after part of the
252
-
Raid
Doolittle's
to the Battle of
hangar forward through the hangar
Midway
an,d across the well
crew's galley. There were about one hundred and
fifty
deck to the
men
lying there
on the deck. Many of them were suffering from sheer physical exhaustion and immersion. They were nauseated and shook under ter-
They coughed up
rific chills.
gallons of sea-water to the deck beside
them. There were far too few basins. Others sat upright and held out
hands with palms upraised. They said nothing, but there was a
their
pleading in their eyes as they waited for corpsmen to
spray the soothing paraffin on the seared raw meat
burns when they
slid
down
the lines
from
their
come along and left
by
friction
mortally-wounded
carrier.
Most of cases.
the
Among
men
emergency
in this
them, though, were
sick
many
bay were so-called mobile
seriously
wounded men who
should have been in the main sick bay below. But there was no room
down
there.
heard a low, continuous
I
moan and moved down
pain to a young marine gunner.
He
didn't have to undress him.
of his uniform
left
away from
A
the long
row
of
corpsman working on the boy
merely pulled the shreds of what was
the lad's charred skin
and threw them
to the deck.
The Marine had been
bomb exploded
near-by.
an AA gun crew on the Lex when a Jap The six-thousand-degree heat generated by
in
the blast seared nearly half of his body.
The corpsman explored through until
the charred cloth and burned flesh
he found a space of clear skin where he could inject a dose of
morphine Dr.
to
deaden the suffering boy's pain.
Farquhar knelt alongside the young fellow and examined
him.
"Take
this
man below
to sick bay," he ordered.
room down there, sir," the corpsman replied. make room!" Farquhar snapped back. "This lad needs
"There's no more "Well,
blood plasma and needs
and
will
probably die
if
it
badly. He's got a
you don't
get
Two corpsmen picked up the four He grunted in short, pitiful
marine.
one of the wire mesh "Easy,
fella,"
40 per cent body burn
him down
there quickly."
corners of the blanket under the
spasms as they moved him into
stretchers.
one of the corpsmen said
whisper. "You're going to be
The Marine fought back
all
in
a reassuring hoarse
right."
the desire to scream to the full fury of the
excruciating pain that ripped through his body.
Taking Aboard Lexington's Survivors I
253
followed the corpsmen and their sorry load through the hangar to
the well deck. ton,
flame,
I
paused for a moment there and looked
Her
riding high in the water.
still
and angry tongues of
Suddenly the great
flight
fire
Lexing-
at the
deck was a long row of
flight
entwined her superstructure.
deck of the carrier opened up amidships
tremendous explosion. Huge flames squirted into the sky, and
in a
enormous chunks of debris went
hundreds of
sailing
feet into the
air.
"Take cover!" some one near me shouted great detonation reached us.
tween the
New
I
saw several men
Orleans and the exploding Lex
Huge pieces of wreckage plummeted into The lethal hailstorm included big portions I
in a small fall
boat be-
prone and cover
heads with their hands.
their
steel
just as the noise of the
the water from the sky.
of the flight deck and
bulkheads.
my
crawled back to
and continued below.
feet
Before we got to sick bay
I
could smell
it.
The air was blue with The near-by marine
the stench of burned flesh, ether, and vomit.
compartment had been commandeered by Dr. Evans, and every cot in there
was
filled.
Temporary
outside sick bay proper.
cots
had been
set
Corpsmen were busy
up
in the
passageway
putting bandages
on
shrapnel wounds, applying compression pads to stop the dangerous flow of blood, and rigging plasma bottles above the cots. see the natural
their horrible burns.
die of shock
home
A
is
—
You
could
plasma of the men, a watery substance, oozing from
When enough
of that leaves their bodies, they
unless the bottled plasma from the blood of people at
injected into their veins to replace
corpsman jabbed
it.
a long needle into the
arm
of a lad in front of
me. The hollow needle was linked by a long tube to a plasma bottle swinging from the overhead. with adhesive tape and
He
moved on
secured the needle to the boy's arm to repeat the process for the
man
in
the next cot.
Inside sick bay of
I
saw the white
figures of Dr.
corpsmen working on a young seaman.
A
Walker and a couple
large piece of shrapnel
had entered one
side of the boy's neck, severed his
jugular vein, and
come out
ishly
the other side.
windpipe and
Harry was working fever-
about the boy's throat while a corpsman with forceps picked
piece after piece
of shrapnel
out of the patient's chest
and ab-
domen.
A
big,
husky man cried feebly and reached for some object he
254
Doolittle's
-*
could not
—and
never will
Midway
to the Battle of
—be
The shrapnel
able ^o see.
head ripped through the optic nerve.
into his
minutes when hell
He
that tore
white teeth
bit his
keep from screaming^s he lived over again those
into bleeding lips to
I
Raid
itself
broke loose upon him.
recognized Lieutenant Nixon, an aviator from the Lexington,
on a cot with
sitting
when
his
head buried
had met Nixon
in his hands. I
shipped from California to Pearl Harbor to begin
I
my
duty
aboard the No-Boat. "Hello, Nixon,"
I
"Do you remember me? I'm Chaplain
said.
Forgy."
He
looked up at me, puzzled.
"Nixon. Nixon. That's
Nixon. Yes,
right,
isn't
My
it?
name
Nixon. Yes,
is
remember you, Chaplain."
I
"How do you feel?" "How did I get here? Say, where am I?" ." "You're aboard the New He interrupted me with that impatient, .
.
pleading voice.
my name
"Pardon me, Chaplain. What did you say
was? Oh,
yes,
Nixon." I
was
told
him
that he
New
was aboard the
Orleans, that everything
all right.
"What's the matter with the Lex, Chaplain? She got Say, pardon
did you say
me again. I think you my name was? Oh, yes
The thread young a
memory,
of
told .
.
me
sure
.
before, but .
.
.
hit, I
didn't she?
forgot.
What
thanks."
blasted thin by extreme shock, dangled the
on the brink of amnesia for hours. Over and over again
officer
hundred times he pleaded for answers
was he? Where was he? What did you say
Two corpsmen
to the his
same
questions.
Who
name was?
stepped from the operating table with the
silent
form of the boy with the bad shrapnel wounds. They placed him gently in a cot.
"What chance has he
got,
Doc?"
I
Harry Walker frowned and shook "I've
done everything
depends on the Tirelessly
Man
and
I
asked Walker. his
can for him, Padre," the doctor
looked
beckoned
at
to
ceaselessly,
hour
after hour, the like
corpsmen moved
automatons.
one of the wounded boys lying motionless
me
said. "It all
Upstairs now."
about the white cots and did their jobs I
head negatively.
with his eyes.
I
walked
to his side,
through the covers and took hold of mine.
in a cot.
and he
slid a
He
hand
"
Taking "How're you
A board
feeling, lad?"
255
Lexington's Survivors
asked him.
I
"I don't feel so good, Chaplain.
A
machine-gun
30-calliber
from the Jap
bullet
had gone
strafers
through his chest and lodged next to his spine. Quite frankly and simply he looked up, without expression in his face.
"Chaplain," he asked, "would you say a prayer for me?"
squeezed his hand a
I
bit tighter.
"Let's both say a prayer, fellow,"
my
shut
I
him again relief
on
opened
I
suggested.
eyes in silent prayer for a
his eyes
and forced a
his eyes
I
"Amen"
said
little
the boys
up
"They'll be
in the
all
at
and the boy
quietly,
smile to his thin, blue-gray
I moved on down the bay from bed to bed talking to wounded men who were conscious. Some time later Dr. Farquhar walked into the room.
how
looked
I
were closed. There seemed to be an appearance of
troubled face.
his
moment. When
lips.
those of the
asked him
I
hangar were getting along.
right,"
Doc
He
said.
paused a moment, looking
at
me.
"But you'd better go topside, Padre," he added. asked
I
if
something had gone wrong up there.
"No," he smiled, "but you look a followed him, conscious
I
now
bit green.
that
by the sickening stench of sick bay. out into the well deck to discover
was racing southward through the
better.
said
None
but
we
sat
dead
all
distant
it
had been nauseated for hours
was surprised when
I
stepped
was nearly dark. The
cruiser
sea.
even realize we were under way,"
"I didn't
Doc
I I
C'mon."
we had been under way
for
I commented. more than an hour.
of us dared tempt fate by talking about
it
I
felt
at the time,
were uncomfortable during those hours when the No-Boat
in the
range,
water during the rescue operations. couldn't
have missed a
big,
A
Jap sub, even
unmoving
target
at
like
that.
Miles
off
Lexington
in
still
the purple distance
I
went down
could see the flames of the
burning against the tropical horizon.
thought. She's taken
and hours, and
I
she's
all still
to the
What
a ship,
I
those torpedoes, has been burning for hours
on top of the water.
wardroom
for a
the tables were several dozen officers
cup of
coffee.
Crowded about
from the Lexington. Most of
them wore clothing borrowed from men of the No-Boat. They were clad in everything from dungarees to dress blues.
-
256
Raid
Doolittle's
Midway
to the Battle of
Suddenly the ship jumped under a yiolent whip. There was a
mendous report
/
rattled noisily in their saucers.
"Sounds
We
from me exclaimed.
the table
-»
one of the cans has been torpedoed," an
like
tre-
of a great explosion. Coffee spilled, and the cups
officer across
ran to the deck but could see
nothing in the darkness.
The bridge reported
had been blown
that her fantail
A
by a torpedo.
off
few moments
another message came from the same ship. She hadn't been
later at
receiving a message from one of the destroyers
It
all.
was the Lexington blowing up
was so great
away from
and
carrier,
it
the it
as she sank.
lifted the stern of the little
Lex
—
clear of the sea.
the blast
felt as if
—about
ten miles
fifteen miles
from the
destroyer
We
were
came from
hit
The explosion
a depth charge at our
side.
The molten
and her white-hot
steel
Lex-
boilers exploding as the
ington slid beneath the surface detonated hundreds of thousand-
pound bombs and torpedoes We thought that was just was going down
to the
was so tremendous five-mile radius
in
one mighty explosion.
like the great carrier.
bottom of the
Commander Hayter
stepped to
He
The body's
in the
said the sailmaker
been within a
to eternity with her.
my
"Padre, you've got a job to do. sick bay.
.
sea, but her final, farewell salute
that any Jap subs that might have
most certainly went
.
.
Proud Lady Lex
side
One
and spoke
quietly.
of the boys has died
way. Can't wait
till
down
in
morning."
would have a sack completed
in
about
thirty
minutes. I
made my way
slowly back to the stench and horror of sick bay.
Harry Walker was beginning
his twentieth operation of the night.
A
stretcher party finally arrived with the canvas sack, weighted with
lead in the lower end.
It
was not
in
keeping with the traditions of
the navy to short-cut the full ritual of burial at sea to give this lad a
deep I
six in the darkness of midnight, but as
I
looked around the room
could see that there was no alternative. Life and space were pre-
cious.
I
called for six volunteers
from among the Lexington survivors
to serve as pall-bearers for their shipmate.
reverent seriousness of their faces lad's burial
I
knew
When
I
saw the
intent,
the lack of ritual in the
would be more than compensated
for by the true feeling
of his surviving fellows.
The
stretcher paused a
outside sick bay.
We
moment
as
we
entered the passageway just
draped the canvas form with the American
flag
Taking Aboard Lexington's Survivors and continued our long trek
to the well deck.
Lexington and No-Boat
men stopped whenever we encountered them They stood
and reverent as
silent
all
that
257
the passageways.
in
remained of a
fallen
com-
rade passed.
The
we stepped on to the well deck. The made their way to the starboard side where they the stretcher poles on the gunwale. We bumped into
night was pitch-black as
stretcher-bearers rested the foot of
one another clumsily as
I felt
darkness for the body.
in the
There was no opportunity to read the burial service cave of the night.
began
I
the resurrection and the
found the words
mind was crammed
How
hand on the
flag
in this Stygian
and from memory
to recite the committal service.
am
"I
my
rested
I
strange,
seemed
to
..."
my mouth
left
different
all this
He
My own
almost mechanically.
thoughts. This
full of
from what
I
was
my
first
burial at sea.
My
had expected.
go out into the black emptiness of the universe.
up beyond or had
how
life
horrifying blackness, looking
words
Was God,
down upon
this lad,
turned His back upon this whole day of inhumanity
wherein brother rose in deadly battle against brother? I
found myself saying
Mine was
ritual.
He would
there for this lad
I
prayer within the prayer of the
a pleading prayer that
God would
look down, that
take the spirit of this body to dwell in a heavenly mansion
which Christ had gone
believed
my own
to prepare. Surely there
who had
made our cause
given his
just
couldn't see the other
and
men
all
must be a place up
for those ideals
which we
right.
standing there, but
hushed, subdued, and thoroughly sincere voices as
I
heard their
we repeated
to-
gether the Lord's Prayer. ".
.
.
forever.
For Thine
is
the
Kingdom and
the
Power and
the Glory
Amen."
"Hold the flag, boys. It doesn't go down." The men began to lift the poles at the head of the stretcher. ". We therefore reverently commit this body to the deep." The men lifted the stretcher high now until the ends of the poles were above their heads. The canvas sack quietly disappeared in the darkness. There was no splash. The swishing of the sea as the cruiser .
.
cut through the waves buried the sound and the body. Miles below the surface of the Coral Sea, soul rest, too.
we knew,
it
would come
to rest.
May
his
^
258
One
Doolittle's
Raid
to the Battle of
of the boys beside
me was
Midway
folding the flag he
had removed
from the body.
"Who was I
gulped.
who was
I
he,
Padre?" he asked.
wanted
ripped by shrapnel and scorched like a sailor
.
.
no one
will ever
know
There was no means of knowing with a body
in that sack.
"He was
-, t
to cry like a child, for
.
his.
and some good mother's son," was
all I
could
SEA, TOO,
WAS
answer. Quietly
we made our way
SWIMMING
IN
below.
THE OPALESCENT CORAL
war correspondent Stanley Johnston, who somehow managed
to sal-
vage his notes. Here Johnston, as a survivor in one of the cruiser
New
Orleans' whaleboats, describes the carrier Lexington's last
ments.
mo-
STANLEY JOHNSTON
6.
THE GALLANT LADY
SUCCUMBS
was 6:30 p.m. now and almost dark, as night descends quickly in the tropics. The sun had dropped into the sea and the rescue work was nearly over. Our whaleboat was filled with weary swimIt
mers,
some of
whom
were very
ill
after
having swallowed sea-
water on top of ice cream, and was disembarking the
men
except Ensign George
Markham and
its
the boarding netting dropped from the cruiser's deck
was another
terrific
All
cargo.
myself had climbed
explosion, one of the heaviest of
all,
when
there
aboard the
Lex. The 16,000 to 20,000 pounds of torpedo war-head guncotton finally
had detonated.
"Everybody take cover," came the shout from the deck George and and
particles,
I stole
one look
airplanes,
going up into the
air
at the
plates,
in the
officers.
poor old Lexington and saw
planks, pieces large
bits
and small
all
midst of a blinding white flame and
smoke.
We
cruiser,
hugging her for seconds while the debris splashed into the sea
pressed lovingly against the heaving steel sides of that
for hundreds of feet around.
But even then the apparently indestructible old Lex didn't Instead she began to burn harder than ever.
The
flight
deck was
sink.
now
ripped wide open from stem to stern. Apparently this last blast had
ruptured great holes in the
oil
and
fuel tanks, for the flames
now were
shooting hundreds of feet high up into the air where they were
crowned by thick black smoke.
259
260 ~
Doolittle's
Raid
to the Battle of
In the deepening twilight
wrung
the hearts of
all
I finally
went down to the
dry to get myself thoroughly dried. 'There
who was
washed and
My
dried.
I
—
and pants while
who loaned me at my own scorched and
charge and
in
one that
sight of awful majesty,
who watched.
After clambering aboard i
was a
it
Midway
cruiser's laun-
met a
friendly
own
suggestion
his
Marine
—
shirt
torn uniform was being
had bought
shoes, a favorite pair I
London
in
while covering the Battle of Britain, were put into a hot air drier.
I
got them back within an hour none the worse for the soaking.
While
I
my
drying them in the laundry's steam presser
my
grateful to find that
hen tracks were
These were the only items ing,
from
my
black notebook.
By
was waiting for a dry change of clothing
pockets sheaves of loose leaf notes and
typewriter,
my
I
little
legible
My
though blurred.
watch, money, cloth-
valuable toothpaste tube
Washington, D.C., when
fished
saved every one and was
I
still
had salvaged.
I
(six
weeks
later
in
buy a tube I was refused because I couldn't produce the old one) and my favorite straight razor had gone down. I
I tried
to
then went back on deck. Night had fallen.
starry night
—but none
from the Lexington hid
of us could all
The
tell.
feebler light
might have been a
It
leaping, towering flames
from the
skies.
Every
bit of
flotsam and every outline of the great ship showed up in a blinding glare.
Around her
contrast.
Two
was the deeper
the velvety tropic night
for the
destroyers were easing slowly around her burning bulk,
nosing in here and there to be sure no one was
left in
the water.
At 7:15 p.m. Admiral Fletcher aboard Carrier II gave a signal for the fleet to re-form and move away. We had been lying there immobile for at least three hours the best way of asking for trouble in
—
submarine-infested waters.
moved
We
off slowly as
It
was time
though reluctant to leave their gallant comrade.
didn't leave her entirely alone.
circling
One
destroyer stayed behind,
around her now cherry-red hull and the maelstrom of
within her bosom. sinking.
for us to go but the ships
What
It
fire
was evident that she might burn for hours before
a signal beacon in the darkness she
made! Japanese
subs or snooper planes could see her for 100 miles or more and pinprick our position on their charts without any difficulty.
So the Admiral gave orders
That
to sink her.
lone, remaining destroyer did the job.
—
yards her crew sent four torpedoes coursing
board
side.
Their explosions were almost
created by her
fires.
But
their effect
was
Standing
this
off
1,500
time into the star-
lost in the terrific updrafts
not.
The Gallant Lady Succumbs She had been keel.
Now
settling slowly
261
through the hours, almost on an even
she shook herself as the torpedoes pierced her
last internal
ramparts.
Clouds of steam began
to hiss
Her whitewater caused them to shrink
upward with the
hot plates groaned and screamed as the
and buckle. Inside her there were new
—
flames.
blasts, rumblings,
concussions
as pressures caved in bulkheads, as gasoline vapors exploded.
now
the settling
Still
ally the
rapid.
she remained upright, dipping neither
waves folded over
watching over.
was more
She
And
her.
One
bow nor
Gradu-
stern.
of her officers standing beside me,
murmured: "There she goes. She didn't turn going down with her head up. Dear old Lex. A lady to
this final act, is
the last!"
ALTHOUGH SPORADIC ACTION CONTINUED THE NEXT day, the
main engagement ended with the sinking
of the
carrier
Lexington. Both sides withdrew, licking their wounds. Often called the battle of blunders, Coral Sea
was a
tactical victory for the
nese and a strategic victory for the United States. the invasion of Port
Moresby was
More
decisively turned
Japa-
to the point,
back
—and
in
that one finds a degree of compensation for the loss of a carrier.
On
Shoho and the
air
the other side of the coin, the Japanese
had
lost
groups of the damaged Shokaku and Zuikaku were sorely depleted,
enemy
thus depriving the
of the conceivable "difference" in the up-
coming Battle of Midway.
Now
let
us discuss the second and greater advance building up at
this time, the
one into the Central
Nimitz even more. Japan viewed
which quite
Pacific,
Midway
—
rightly
Hawaiian chain, and some 1,135 miles from Pearl Harbor sentry for Hawaii."
It
was the king pin
in
alarmed
the outermost link of the
Yamamoto's grand
—
as "a
strategy
for the conquest of the United States. Less than six miles in diameter,
Midway was
discovered by an American sailing master in 1859 and
shortly thereafter
wanna. The island
was claimed for is
guarded by two
this
country by U.S.S. Lacka-
islets,
Sand and Eastern, through
which one approaches a deep green lagoon. Over the years until 1942 Midway's principal occupants were "gooney birds" (a variety of albaJapanese feather hunters, a Pan-American Airways terminal, and the Navy, including a small contingent of Marine fighter planes. With the island in Japanese hands, Yamamoto's carriers would have tross),
)
-
262
Doolittle's
Raid
to the Battle of
much
a fixed fueling base and a
Midway
desired point from which her forces
could draw the United States Pacific Fleet into a decisive engagement.
The Japanese formula
was
for victory
as follows:
1) a diversion-
ary raid by her Second Mobile Force in the Western Aleutians to
confuse Nimitz; 2) an
on Midway by the Carrier Striking
air raid
Force to soften up the island for a 5000-man invasion; and 3) the
Midway and
the Aleu-
These were the
essentials.
Aleutians force to take up a position between
Nimitz came out to
tians in the event
Yamamoto assumed thus giving
that Nimitz
him a chance
fight.
would not
let
Midway go by
default,
to exploit the superior firepower of the
Imperial Japanese Navy. Correctly anticipating his opposite number's strategy, Nimitz hastily
arranged his sea power. Of his carriers, Yorktown, having re-
turned
May
27 damaged from the Coral Sea, was
not available until
May
in
drydock and was
31, after fabulously swift repairs by the yard.
Enterprise, just returned from the Doolittle Raid,
was available with
a trained air group. Hornet's air group lacked battle experience, while
Saratoga was
still
the battle of his
on the West Coast. Moreover Halsey, who missed
life,
was
in a Pearl
Fletcher, senior to Spruance, of the ironies of the battle staff, let
Harbor
hospital with a case of
(Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance took over
hives.
is
was
Officer in Tactical
his
post;
Command. One
that Spruance, a non-aviator,
had an
air
while Fletcher, also a non-aviator, had none. Nimitz therefore
the junior admiral exercise independent
command.
Nimitz formed and positioned a Northern Pacific Force consisting of five heavy and light cruisers and ten destroyers.
Midway's meager defenses with muster and sent the
rest of the
as
many guns and
He
then bolstered
planes as he could
United States Pacific Fleet
in
two task
forces to sea: three carriers, eight heavy and light cruisers, seventeen destroyers, twenty-five submarines,
and two
fleet oilers.
Along the
outer Hawaiian chain Nimitz stationed ten picket ships and a
Fueling group of two destroyers and an
Yamamoto's
oiler.
three forces aggregated five carriers, eleven battle-
light cruisers,
fifty-eight
more than two score this force, including
Yamato,
18.1 inch
ships, including the
and
Battle of
Midway
carrier,
is
heavy
destroyers, seventeen submarines and
ships of the train.
one
his flagship, fourteen
However, a substantial part of
was assigned
to the Aleutians Diver-
sionary Attack.
The
Midway
recounted in
five parts.
REAR ADM. SAMUEL ELIOT MORISON
MIDWAY
The
first
Kakuta's
surface
Second
PRELIMINARIES
way was Rear Admiral to the Aleutians. Of Midway, with which we are immediately con-
group
those destined for
cerned,
get
to
Mobile
Force,
Nagumo's Carrier
under
assigned
Striking Force
sortied
from the Inland
Sea of Japan on the evening of 26 May. Yamamoto. with the Main
Body, followed them two days
later.
The
transports of the
Midway
Occupation Force departed Saipan the evening of 27 May, Kurita's Close Support Group of four powerful heavy cruisers and two destroyers left
Guam
at the
same time and steamed 75
to
100 miles
ahead of the transports; the seaplane carriers tagged along behind.
Yamamoto was
suffering
from stomach trouble and "seemed
unusually low spirits," but the
Main Body
as a
in
whole was feeling very
snug and secure behind the 18.1 -inch guns of Yamato and the 16-
war
inchers of the other fast battleships. All hands were "singing
songs at the top of their lungs," confident of annihilating the Pacific Fleet. Sailors
whose
until the 1
much exercise were put much sun-bathing topside
duties did not involve
through daily calisthenics and there was
Main Body entered
the weather front on the afternoon of
June.
Commander
Striking Force
tactical superiority.
was
feeling
none too easy despite
His carriers had returned to
April after their Indian
Ocean
raid
home
his
waters on 23
and so had had barely
a
month
for
263
264 -
Raid
Doolittle's
upkeep and repair of and
to the Battle of
ships, refreshes training for anti-aircraft
more than Fletcher and Spruance
Nagumo
crews
That, to be sure, was three weeks
flight training for aviators.
tion," wrote
Midway
after the
hacj '3Ve participated in the opera; battle,
"with meager training and
without knowledge of the enemy."
Of course he knew where
to find
Midway,
his first objective. Strik-
ing Force orders were to "execute an aerial attack on
destroying
enemy
all
air forces stationed there"
ration for the landing
ment, and the high
on the
5th. This
command was
Midway
on 4 June,
.
.
.
in prepa-
looked like an easy assign-
so confident of success that
it
provided the Occupation Force with new Japanese names for the two islets
and for Midway
June." So
it
itself,
the last
meaning "Glorious Month of
was, but not for them!
Midway was so crowded with Marines, planes, supply and dumps and other installations that there was scarcely room for
oil
the
"gooney birds," whose hoarse dissent from these goings-on could be heard above the
humming
surf.
Captain Simard and
their
hands
full
of plane motors and the staff,
with defensive preparations such as mining
approaches and landing beaches. Radio to be
booming
Colonel Shannon and his
traffic,
"housekeeping" on an immense scale kept everyone busy.
was tested shortly before the
tion plan
had
likely
ships,
A
and
demoli-
and somewhat too
threw the wrong switch and 400,000 gallons of
aviation gasoline went
and over
battle,
all
most of which had
coded or decoded, air-search operations, unloading
realistically; a sailor
of the
staff
up
in flames.
half a million gallons
The
were
fire
left;
was kept under control
but thereafter
all
planes,
including B-17s, had to be refueled by hand from 55-gallon drums.
The first consideration was air search. It was imperative that the enemy be discovered at the earliest possible moment in order to prevent him from sneaking within plane-launching distance and "pulling a Pearl Harbor" on Midway. Beginning 30 May, 22 Catalinas searched daily the sector SSW to NNE 700 miles out, and another
PBY
took
off
during the graveyard watch in order to be at the ex-
pected launching position of the enemy carriers at dawn.
As
Intelli-
gence had reported that two enemy forces would rendezvous 700 miles west of
by
Army
Midway,
there
was added a
daily search-attack mission
Flying Fortresses, to arrive at that point around 1500 each
day. Nothing
was sighted
About 300 miles to the north"weak front," rendered almost sta-
until 3 June.
westward of Midway there was a
tionary by a large high-pressure area centered northeast of the island,
—
Midway and affording perfect cover for Nagumo's they could hear the motors of
carriers.
More than once
American search planes
above them; but most of the Midway-based
around the Japanese Striking Force
at
miral
Nagumo
own
Midway had been
Adwhen
that
ships; at 1330,
his staff navigator figured that the designated point for a
course toward
was so
visually. It
noon 2 June
thick
with his
in the clouds
were not yet
aircraft
equipped with radar and could pick up ships only
lost visual contact
265
Preliminaries
change of
reached, the Admiral had to break
radio silence to give the order.
Rear Admiral Robert H. English, Commander Submarine Fleet,
had charge of deploying the 25 submarines
Pacific
disposal.
at his
Twelve boats were collected for a Midway Patrol Group by sending
some out from Pearl between 21 and 24 May and
pulling in others
from the Mandates and elsewhere. These were assigned patrol
Midway. Three more, the "roving short-stops"
tions west of
disposition, patrolled a scouting line
chain and halfway between
200 miles north
Midway and Oahu,
sta-
of the
Hawaiian
of the
in case the
enemy
should attempt a diversionary attack on Pearl Harbor. Four submarines were sent to patrol about 300 miles north of Oahu, and six more supported the Aleutians Force. Admiral Spruance's Task Force, built around Enterprise and Hor-
May
departed Pearl 28
net,
"to hold
Midway and
inflict
maximum
damage to the enemy by strong attrition tactics." Admiral Fletcher's Yorktown force sortied at 0900 on the 30th, with orders "to conduct target practice and then support Task Force 16." Spruance on the
met
oilers
day of
last
Cimarron and
May and
Platte
Fletcher on the
and had
the battle. Spruance then doubled back to
32°N,
2 at
lat.
The
carriers
meet Fletcher
to protect themselves.
miles out
on
1
of
Hornet flew a search mission 150
on account of bad weather. The enemy weather
all
carriers
planes returned
were
still
An
behind
front.
That day, Admiral Spruance made the following visual the ships of his
Midway.
air searches
June, with no contacts; Enterprise searched the sector
west to northwest on the morning of the 2nd, but
their protective
of June
1600 June
at
173°W, about 325 miles northeast were now beyond the scope of land-based long.
and had
early
first
their last fueling until after
signal to
Task Force:
attack for the purpose of capturing
attacking force
may
be composed of
all
Midway
is
expected.
The
combatant types including
266
^
Raid
Doolittle's
to the Battle of
Midway
four or five carriers, transports and train Task Forces 16 and 17 remains unknown
make
able to
surprise flank attacks orj
vessels.
If
presence of
enemy we should be enemy carriers from posito
Midway. Further operations will be based on damage inflicted by Midway forces, and
tion northeast of
result of these attacks,
enemy movements. The successful conclusion of operation now commencing will be of great value to our counShould carriers become separated during attacks by enemy
information of the try.
aircraft,
First
they will endeavor to remain within visual touch.
air
contacts on the
enemy were made by Midway-based
planes on the Occupation Force. Ensign Jack Reid was flying a Cata-
almost 700 miles from
lina
sector covered the point at
Midway
shortly before
it
draw straws
to see
dawn. Reid had run down to the end of
at
westerly bearing from
3.
His
which Intelligence expected two Japanese
forces to rendezvous; the pilots used to fly
0900 June
Midway.
It
was time
who would
his arc,
on the
to turn back, but he
decided to go on for a few minutes. Suddenly he sighted 30 miles
ahead what appeared
to be the
ture ships in a backyard pond. co-pilot.
"You're damned right
main enemy fleet, looking like minia"Do you see what I do?" he asked his I
do!" was the reply. Popping in and
out of clouds, they tracked the force for several hours, and by 1100
were able to report eleven ships making 19 knots to the eastward. This was probably the combined transport and seaplane groups of the
Midway Occupation drill
including the arming of flame throwers. United States N^arines
will learn cial
Force, which was then indulging in a final battle
with envy that their opposite numbers of the "Kure" Spe-
Naval Landing Force,
cases of beer after the
Captain Simard
at
drill,
in
and got away with
Midway
port, sending out nine B-17s.
they found the transports, feet)
bombing
one transport, were supplied with ten it all.
reacted immediately to the contact re-
At 1624
made
the
same day, 570 miles
three high-level
(8,000 to
out,
12,000
attacks and reported having hit "two battleships or
heavy cruisers" and two transports; but actually these planes made no hits.
Next, four amphibious Catalinas, each armed with one aerial
torpedo, were sent to attack this formation.
A
radar contact at 0115
June 4 led them to where the transports were
set forth
in bright
moonlight. At 0143 three torpedoes were dropped and one hit the oiler
Akebono Mam. The
explosion killed or
wounded 23 men and
slowed the ship temporarily, but she regained formation.
Midway The
was on. 'The whole course of the war
battle
267
Preliminaries in the Pacific
may
hinge on the developments of the next two or three days," recorded
on receipt of
the Cincpac annalist to
this
news.
The
It did.
be joined was one of the most decisive of the war.
At 1800 June
3,
after the
and Hornet were
prise east
(and a
steaming
little
a
good 300 miles their
Admiral Fletcher had received the
enemy in good Main Body of
Yorktown, Enter-
transports,
ENE
of
Midway, 400 miles
south) of the point where Nagumo's carriers were
25 knots toward
at
planned plane-launching point. reports of contact with the
first
He
enemy
would be approaching Midway from the northwest, attack on the atoll at
dawn June
And
4.
was doing. So Fletcher changed course
200 miles north
attack against
Nagumo's
known
He
to the
that
launch an
air
Nagumo
southwestward (210°)
by break of day
Midway, whence he could
of
at
fly
a
an
provided their position had been
carriers,
correctly
to
trusted his
carrier force
exactly what
is
to the
3 with the object of arriving
position about
until
as the
the Japanese Fleet, he correctly estimated that our
planes had seen only a transport group with escort.
ascertained.
him
season; and although they were reported to
original Intelligence report to the effect that an
1950 June
made by
attacks had been
air
first
Midway-based planes on the Japanese
at
action about
assumed
that
presence was
his
still
un-
enemy, and that he might avoid detection next morning
Nagumo's planes were already winging
their
way
Midway.
to
Thus, during the night of 3-4 June, the opposing carrier forces were
approaching one another on courses which,
have crossed a few miles northwest of the
Thursday, the Fourth of June, a day victory,
began to break shortly
0457, there was a gentle southeast,
after
(force
3)
if
maintained, would
atoll.
fatal
to Japan's
By
four o'clock.
0800
up, but by
the
loss of distance.
wind had
fallen
sunrise,
at
tradewind blowing from the
enough for launching planes against an enemy
ward without much
hopes of
Everyone hoped
away
mere
to
it
to the west-
would breeze
light airs
(4 to 5
knots) which forced the carriers to steam at 21 knots away from the
enemy in order much too good
to launch or recover. Visibility
— 35
to
40 miles
—was
for the carriers' health; the air temperature through-
out the day was pleasantly cool, 68° to 70° Fahrenheit.
As SBDs
it
was Yorktown' s turn
to search, at
0430 she launched
to cover the northern semicircle to a radius of
ten
100 miles, a
proper precaution against being jumped by the planes of unlocated carriers.
At
that
moment, Nagumo was about 215 miles
to the west-
268
^
Doolittle's
ward, sending
Raid
to the Battle of
off his first strike
the matter of weather;
Midway
on Midway. He
from Kaga's log
it is
still
had the breaks
in
evident that the Striking
Force was not yet out of the "front." Yet^despite a low (50 per cent) cloud cover and visibility of only 15 r miles, American search planes
from Midway managed
At 0534 June
to spot their fast-approaching
Enterprise:
"Enemy
carriers." This
a searching
PBY
its
to
was an intercepted message from
base at Midway. Next, at 0545 came a plain
English dispatch from the same source
Midway
enemy.
long awaited word was received on board
4, the
"Many enemy
:
planes heading
bearing 320° distant 150." Then, at 0603,
"Two
carriers
and battleships bearing 320° distant 180 (miles from Midway) course 135° speed 25." That position was about 200 miles of
WSW
Task Force United States
The
These were the
16.
command
position given
first
afloat as to
indications received
where the enemy
was incorrect by about 40 miles and only two of
the four flattops were sighted; but at least Fletcher
knew
by any
carriers were.
and Spruance now
the approximate whereabouts of the Striking Force.
Admiral Fletcher wished and await further the ball to
to
recover Yorktown's search mission
intelligence before launching a strike,
and so passed
Admiral Spruance. At 0607, only four minutes
after re-
ceiving the last contact report, he ordered Spruance with Enterprise
and Hornet
when
to
"proceed southwesterly and attack enemy carriers
definitely located,"
and promised
to "follow as soon as planes
recovered."
Thus, only ten minutes before the
menced, Fletcher sparked loss of four
Japanese
air battle
carriers.
ABOARD HORNET WAS TORPEDO SQUADRON in naval history for its
battle
we
almost total
sacrifice.
For
8,
this
REVERED
phase of the
turn to the gifted Life war correspondent Sidney L. James,
now an
executive of Time, Inc.
refers
of course Lieutenant
is
Midway com-
over
off the train of events that resulted in the
his life in leading the attack
The "Skipper"
Commander John
on the Japanese
the sole survivor of the squadron.
to
whom
he frequently
C. Waldron,
carriers;
who gave
Ensign Gay was
1
>> fli
"fl •
*<
H «
2
*H p
O »! Q «
^^ *a al
« i
^
;"
;
r
SIDNEY
JAMES
L.
8.
SLAUGHTER OF TORPEDO
At 3:30 a.m.
the pilots of
room, there to
sit
through a
ceilinged, white-walled steel
toward the illuminated chine. Projected
Torpedo
8
.
.
.
gathered in the ready
critical
dawn. As they entered the low-
room,
their practiced eyes turned first
3 ft.-by-3
ft.
PBY
patrol planes
last
As
Midway
at
1
they settled in their comfortable leather chairs they hauled
out their
flight charts
the neat columns visibility, silent,
message that
had made a moonlight
torpedo attack on a Japanese occupation force near a.m.
ma-
screen above the teletype
from the machine below was the
had been received: four
8
dew
and copied
off the
data that had been chalked in
on the blackboard up
point,
front: wind, course, speed,
nearest land, etc. But the teletype remained
and soon most of them had pushed the arm button on
chairs so that they could spend the remainder of their
watch
their
in their
usual semireclining position. Whatever tension there was relaxed with
them. After daybreak,
when
it
was announced
that the ship
was secure
and they were dismissed by the Skipper, Abbie, as usual, moaned, "I'm hungry," and they went to the ward room for breakfast, where Rusty Kenyon ordered
his usual plate of beans, for
usual ribbing from the rest of the boys. brilliant
By
8,
which he got
the sun
was up
his
in a
sky and most of them were back in their quarters. Scarcely
had they got themselves
settled for their after-breakfast rest,
when
the
271
272
^
Doolittle's
Raid
Midway
to the Battle of
loudspeaker barked for their attention: "All pilots report to ready
room."
When
they got to the ready
and a
flurry
of
gloves,
and the
room
new message on the teletype screen: "Midway was attacked this morning by Japanese aircraft and bombers." There w'as a scraping of wood on wood as each man jerked open the drawer built into the bottom of his chair, commotion
as
they found a
they hauled out helmets, goggles,
and hunting knives which the Skipper had
pistols
made "must" equipment for them against a forced jungle landing. Then they began to copy off the latest flight data from the blackboard. Presently the teletype began tapping again.
And
all
The
pencils stopped.
eyes turned up to the screen to read the message, letter by
as it was projected: "E-N-E-M-Y N-A-V-A-L U-N-I-T-S S-I-G-H-T-E-D W-I-T-H-I-N S-T-R-I-K-I-N-G D-I-S-T-A-N-C-E. E-X-P-E-C-T-E-D S-T-R-I-K-I-N-G- T-I-M-E 0-9-0-0." Then, after letter,
"L-O-O-K-S L-I-K-E T-H-I-S
a pause, of almost breathless silence: I-S I-T."
Pencils began to scratch again as the pilots put every last bit of
information onto their
grin.
"Good
luck," he whispered, as he ex-
the aisle to meet Gay's. "Pilots
As
planes," ordered the loudspeaker.
Skipper addressed them: "I think
man your
the boys rose in silence, the
they'll
change
check your navigation, don't think I'm getting
As
leaned over toward
flight charts. Ellie Ellison
Tex Gay with a broad tended his hand across
their course. If
lost, just
follow me.
you I'll
room and climbed up the word was spoken. Their silence was the grim silence of a football team that has been given the next play by the quarterback and is moving up from
take you to 'em."
they hurried from the
ladder to the flight deck, not another
the huddle to the line of scrimmage. Before stepping onto the ladder,
Tex Gay sidestepped quet,
to the sick
which he stuffed into
bay nearby and picked up a tourni-
his pocket.
When
they got on deck, their
The mechanics were busy and the whine of the inertia starters drowned out the clatter of their trotting feet on the deck. Tucked neatly under the belly of each planes were already there in neat rows.
Douglas Devastator was a white-nosed torpedo preferred to call them.
about the Japs for a
When
split
their Devastators off the
—
a pickle, as the boys
they saw the pickles, the boys forgot
second, for never before had they wheeled
deck with a
hit the seats of their planes,
live pickle in
they were giving
they were carrying than to the
tow. Thus, as they
more thought
enemy they were going
to the load
to carry
it
to.
273
Slaughter of Torpedo 8
When
the
"Twelve-minute delay
horn blared,
bull
Whitey Moore climbed out on the folded wing of to
Gay who was
take
"Tex,
off:
in front of
if
him and due
you'll test the wind,
stand-by order was shouted and
to be the
in
take-off,"
his plane
and called
first
of the group to
it
At 9: 12, a was lost in
after the other the
signalman
I'll
test the
weight."
anything else was said
if
One
the roar of the spinning motors.
waved off the scouts, the fighters and the dive bombers. Finally, Torpedo 8 was waved up and Tex Gay took his plane off with no difficulty.
After they rendezvoused in the sky, the Skipper took the lead and the 15 planes of
Torpedo
8
into the prearranged formation in
fell
which the Skipper had chosen
to take
them on
their first adventure.
Flying in six sections of two and a seventh section of three, with bringing up the rear, the Skipper led at
300
them on a course south
Gay
of west
ft.
After an uneventful hour, the Skipper's voice broke the radio lence: "There's a fighter
on our
What he saw proved
tail."
cruiser plane flying at about 1,000
ft.
It
fleet
be met by a reception committee of
They kept the
to their course
oil.
When
the stick to his
left
had probably
fighters.
and the
flight
continued uneventful until
the windshield
reached outside with a rag to wipe
it
and that they would doubtless
motor of the plane Plywood Teats was
began to spurt
si-
be a
flew by without paying any
apparent attention, but the Skipper and boys knew radioed an alarm back to the Jap
to
it
flying, in the last section,
was obscured, Plywood
As he did so, he his thumb pressed
off.
hand. Unwittingly,
transferred the trigger
button on the stick and sent eight or ten rounds whizzing past Abercrombie's plane. Quick to understand what had happened, Abbie
mopped his brow in mock panic and then grinned broadly wood, who appeared to be roaring with laughter. Almost another hour had passed
since they
had seen the Jap plane
when two columns of smoke were sighted beyond Skipper dropped down low and the boys followed. forward
the horizon.
Now
The
they roared
skimming the waves. When looked as if the entire Jap fleet was
at torpedo-attack level, barely
they burst over the horizon, before them.
They
burning vessels carriers,
at Ply-
about
identified the carrier
set afire the
six cruisers
away from Midway,
it
Soryu and a cruiser as the
day before, and counted
in all three
and ten destroyers. The ships were moving
as the Skipper
had guessed, and the
carriers
were
loaded with planes which apparently were being refueled and re-
274
^
Raid
Doolittle's
to the Battle of
Midway
armed. The Skipper immediately broke radio silence to send his contact report
Then
back
to the
U.
S. carrier,
began. Anti-aircraft
boys had been waiting for
Some 30 Zero
shells.
above the
signal for the boys to follow,
fighters that
had been
awaiting their arrival, began to dive.
fleet,
But the Skipper paid no attention
As
the.,
went up from the ships and the surface guns
fire
began hurling explosive circling high
giving position and strength.
and
the action the Skipper
He
to them.
wiggled his wings, as a
and opened up the
throttle.
swooped down on them, the Squadron's rear gunners opened up, making a terrific racket of machine-gun fire, punctuated the Zeros
by the louder,
explosions of the cannon on the Zeros.
less rapid
By
the time they were within eight miles of the Jap fleet they were caught
barrage of
in a
When
the
fire
first
from the
ships.
plane plunged into the water the Skipper, apparently
forgetting to press his intercockpit
communication button, was heard
asking his radioman, Dobbs, in the rear seat:
Dobbs answered Zero.
It
was the
When
was not heard, but
his voice
first
"Was in
that a Zero?" If
any case
was not a
it
plane of Squadron 8 to go down.
Radioman Bob Huntington spoke
the second went down,
from the back of Gay's plane. "Let's go back and help him, said.
"To
Gay
hell with that,"
the Skipper got
it.
His
left
sir,"
gas tank
hit, his
plane
he
Then
blurted, "we've got a job to do."
burst into
literally
Tex Gay could see him stand up and try to get out but it was The waves that had been lapping at his undercarriage claimed him and Radioman Dobbs. Dobbs, a veteran enlisted man, had been ordered back to San Diego to become a radio instructor for the flame.
no
use.
duration, after this engagement.
The barrage from aimed
to hit the
Jap ships grew deadlier. Surface
the
ocean
just
water which licked the
bellies of the planes. Anti-aircraft filled the air
with acrid black smoke.
down. Flying so close
One by
to his
one, the planes of Torpedo 8 went
to the water, they
when
crashing into a stone wall
back
shells,
ahead of them, were throwing up spouts of
they hit
might as well have been
it.
Tex Gay's mind
flashed
childhood for a comparison with what was going on
around him. There was a peelings in the water
far-off
day when he had tossed orange
from a speedboat.
It
reminded him of
that.
The
planes hit the water and they were gone, as though they were moving in the opposite direction
There was one plane
him and below
to
Gay's
left,
the nose of his plane.
close by,
He
and another
in front of
lowered the nose to see what
275
Slaughter of Torpedo 8 plane
was and
it
it
was gone.
Now
When
he looked to the
that plane
left,
The Skipper had lost his hope of "a favorable tactical situation." "The worst" had "come to the worst," and there was "only one plane left to make a final run-in." Tex Gay doesn't remember whether at the moment the Skipper's message actually flooded through his mind again, but he was gone
too.
was only Gay's plane
there
had seen the Skipper
left.
and he was determined "to go
die
in
and get a
hit."
Then
Radioman Bob Huntington came into his ears intercom from the rear seat. "They got me," it said. "Are bad?" asked Gay. "Can you move?" There was no answer.
the voice of
over the
you hurt
Tex took his eyes off the waves long enough to see that Huntington was lifeless, his head limp against the cockpit. As he turned back, he felt a stab in his upper left arm. The hole in his jacket sleeve told him what had happened. He
machine-gun slug from the wound with
sleeve, pressed a
seemed
like
his
something worth saving, so he sought to put
When
pocket of his jacket. his safety belt his
shifted the stick to his left hand, ripped his
thumb. it
It
in the
he found his pocket openings held shut by
and parachute straps and
life
jacket, he
popped
it
into
mouth.
He
kicked his rudder to
the Zeros.
had picked
He was out.
for the port
his
plane
and skid so
slip
as to avoid
heading straight for the carrier that the Skipper
The
bow forward and
make
ship turned hard to starboard, seeking to put
avoid his torpedo.
He swung
to the right
bow, about a quarter length back.
When
its
and aimed
he pushed the
button to release his torpedo nothing happened. Apparently the electrical releasing
was
equipment had been knocked
practically useless
from the
bullet
out. Since his left
and a shrapnel wound
arm
in his
hand, he held the stick between his knees and released the torpedo
By now he was only 800 yd., from the ship and close to the water. He managed to execute a flipper, turning past the bridge of the carrier and clearing the bow by about 10 ft. As he passed over the flight deck he saw Jap crewmen running in all directions to avoid his crashing plane. He zoomed up and over but as he
with the emergency lever.
sought to turn back, four Zeros dived on him.
knocked out
his left
An
explosive bullet
rudder pedal and he careened into the sea, a
quarter of a mile from the Jap carrier.
The impact slammed his hood shut He opened the hood and rose to
sink.
surface, he heard the explosion of his
tightly
and the plane began
As he reached torpedo striking home on
the surface.
to
the the
276 Jap
^
Doolittle's
Raid
to the Battle of
him was a^black rubber
carrier. Floating beside
a deflated
seat cushion
and
rubber boat. Apparently the Jap bullets had broken the
which held them secure. Afraid 4hat the Zeros would dive
straps
Tex held
again and machine-gun him,
Two
Midway
the seat cushion over his head.
steamed close by him and a destroyer
cruisers
down. The white-clad
all
but ran him
on the destroyer saw him and ran to the However, he was unmolested. In about ten
sailors
deckside to point him out.
minutes the dive bombers from his carrier, apprised of the Jap location by the Skipper's contact report,
bomb
in.
As
fleet's
they ex-
more came in. The Jap fleet was in utter air arm trapped on the decks of the where they had been refueling. For two hours the bombers
hausted their
loads,
confusion, with most of carriers
swooped
its
dived, sending their destructive loads into ship after ship.
Thus, with
of
all
pilots killed in its first
part to rout, for the
15 planes destroyed and
but one of
its
engagement, Torpedo Squadron 8 had done
its
its
first
all
time in the war, a Japanese
fleet. It
had also
kept the planes which were refueling on the carrier's deck from taking time to meet the attack.
off in
Had
the Skipper not played his
hunch
with his faithful boys following his wake, the planes that were caught refueling
on the decks of the Jap
carriers
the air again to reverse the tide of battle
.
might have had time to take .
.
OF FORTY-ONE TORPEDO PLANES LAUNCHED ALMOST simultaneously by the three American carriers, only six returned.
However, nese
their
carriers,
fighter
sacrificial
effort
was not
in
maneuvering desperately, had
and firepower on the torpedo planes
vain, to
—with
for
the
Japa-
concentrate
their
the result that the
when the incoming Dauntless divebombers from Hornet screamed down to the attack virtually unZero
fighters
were
at
low
altitude
opposed; also the Japanese carrier decks were loaded with refueling planes which proved a boon to Lieutenant
Commander
Clarence
Mc-
Cluskey's thirty-six Enterprise dive-bombers, next over the targets.
This phase of the battle son,
is
told
by Lieutenant Clarence E. Dickin-
by the war's end a three-time Navy Cross winner. His collabo-
rator,
Boyden Sparkes, was a
free-lance magazine writer.
LIEUTENANT CLARENCE
DICKINSON
E.
AND BOYDEN SPARKES 9-
WAS
"THE TARGET
UTTERLY SATISFYING"
Our squadron
flew in six wedge-shaped sections, inverted V's, three
planes in a section, two sections in a division.
We
were
step-down
in
formation, both as to sections and divisions; and the second and third divisions
were kept closed up
just as tight as
was leading the
skipper, Gallaher,
had the second and Charley Ware, third.
Our
we could manage. The As executive officer I
division.
first
was leading the
as flight officer,
eighteen gunners, as they sat in their cockpits, facing to the
men would be sitting on a flight of steps. Any making runs down on us from the rear would thus confront the muzzles of thirty-six .30-calibre machine guns About a quarter past twelve Lieutenant Commander McCluskey at rear,
were spaced as
enemy
fighters
.
.
.
up the enemy some forty or We headed for them as fast as
the front and top of the formation picked
ahead and to the
forty-five miles
we could
go.
left.
What McCluskey had
to the far horizon,
mere threads, chalk-white. Japanese ships
.
.
.
distinguished
Because
He I
was
less high, I
This was the Japanese striking force. ships that
looking at
it
but
on the skipper's
I I
knew
it
was
was obliged
almost halfway
thin,
white lines;
knew those must be the wakes
minutes after McCluskey saw them that
many
first,
on that dense ocean blue were
their
to
was not
until
about
could see them, too I
could see a huge
main body.
make
division ahead of
it
sure
I
wanted
we kept
me, watch out for
of the
.
.
five
.
fleet,
to
so
keep
close formation
my own
pilots
277
278 and
Raid
Doolittle's
m
where we were
at the altitude
left to
get
.
.
.
We made
had an intoxicating view of the whole Japanese
Among
culmination of our hopes and dreams.
my
those ships,
parently they leave the decks either the natural
them a
dark blue sea
like
saw a
I
position
my
light yellow.
I
Ap-
heart went lower.
came
on the
that yellow stood out
The southwest corner
of the
I
I
saw
fleet's
Suddenly another long yellow
area.
A fourth carrier!
sliding out of that obscurity.
could not understand
fighters
color or possi-
had expected to see only two and when
was obscured by a storm
rectangle
But
wood
I
could see
nothing you have ever seen. Then farther off
third carrier.
the third
I
right
This was the
fleet.
long, narrow, yellow rectangles, the flight decks of carriers.
bly they paint
a
on a course that would bring us ahead
of the enemy. Consequently, within a few minutes, off to
two
around
flying,
expected them and kept looking around
feet. I
change to the
slight
Midway
keep an eye out for enemy planes. The enemy combat patrol
also
should have been up
20,000
to the Battle of
why we had come
swarming over and around us
this far
without having
like hornets.
But we hadn't
seen a single fighter in the air and not a shot had been fired at us.
Every ship
in that fleet
tleship, cruiser
bore a distinguishing mark
and destroyer advertised
marking painted on the forward
itself
The
turret.
.
.
.
each bat-
as Japanese with this
turret top
appeared as a
square of white with a round, blood-red center. But on the deck of
each carrier,
bow
or stern, the marking was exactly like that which
appears on their planes ...
On
the nearest carrier
symbol probably would measure
I
could see that
sixty feet across; a five-foot
white, enclosing a fifty-foot disk of red.
An
of
enticing target!
There were planes massed on the deck of each carrier and clearly see that the flight decks
this
band
were undamaged,
in perfect
I
could
condition
to launch.
"DeLuca, stand by
for anything.
There ought
com-
to be fighters
ing."
"I've got everything under control
back here, Mr. Dickinson." The
calmness with which he spoke pleased me.
"Okay, DeLuca. We'll be going down
The of
its
fleet
few seconds."
was passing under us now; we were almost
position.
Some
our own
at the
middle
of the craft below us were recognizable because
on our own ships we had nese ships;
in a
collections of scale
kind of voodoo.
I
Sometimes, to get a dive bomber's view
models of many Japa-
had studied them thoroughly. I
had placed
a
deck and then, standing on a chair, looked down on
model on the it.
So
I
was
"The Target Was Utterly Satisfying" confident
279
could recognize at least some Japanese ships of war that
I
made
never before had seen. Certain characteristics of her silhouette
me
feel sure that the
most
distant, that fourth carrier
coming out of the storm area, was the Hiryu and between 15,000 and 16,000
through
my headphones was
The next
feet.
on the
right. Earl,
were
thing
at
an
heard
I
the voice of McCluskey.
"Earl Gallaher, you take the carrier on the the carrier
seen
first
guessed one of the
Now we
nearer ones to be her sister ship, the Soryu. altitude
I
had
I
I
and Best, you take
left
you follow me down."
Lieutenant Best, assigned to the other target was the skipper of
Bombing
Six.
I
had been unaware of
third carrier in our force,
arrived at the
it
Bombing Three, from a after we left. They had their commander had picked but
had been launched
same time and fortunately
the one uncovered carrier in the group of three below us.
amazed by our luck. We had dreamed but none of us had ever imagined a situation
I
continued
of catching Jap carriers
to be
like this
where we could
prepare for our dive without a trace of fighter opposition;
supposed the Jap not understand
would be coming
fighters
why
at
us from
all
milling about, close to the water
.
saw some of
I
attack at
did
noon
.
.
their fighters
they were finishing a job
.
.
torpedo squadrons, one from each of the American
I
I
they were not, because those bright yellow decks
below were absolutely unblemished. Then
made an
we had
angles.
.
.
.
our
had
carriers,
.
saw McCluskey's plane and those of
his
two wing men, nose up
and we passed under. Right after the skipper and his division had started rudders back and forth to cause a ducklike twitching of
was the
signal for
my
division to attack. In
nose and in a stalled position opened
my
my
turn
flaps.
We
I
I
kicked
my
tail.
pulled up
always do
my
This
my this,
throw the plane up and to the side on which we are going to dive, put out the flaps as brakes and then peel-off. I was the ninth man of our squadron to
By
dive.
the grace of
carrier target
ever made.
below
God, in
as
I
We
last
my
plane to see the
nose
down
said all
it
I
had
was the best dive they
I
was watching over
bombs land on that yellow deck. when I felt sure I was enormous. The Kaga and the
her fighters were taking off and that was
recognized her as the Kaga; and she
picked up our
directions on the port side
Going down
first
I
was making the best dive
were coming from
of the carrier, beautifully spaced.
At
I
The people who came back
had ever made. the nose of
my
put
front of me.
-
280
Doolittle's
Raid
Midway
to the Battle of
Akagi were the big names in the Japanese fleet. Very likely one, or more, of their newer carriers was better, but to us those two symbolized that which we had trained ourselves to destroy.
The
was racing along
carrier
at triirty knots, right into the wind.
She made no attempt to change course.
on the left-hand
astern,
see
the planes ahead of
all
By
side.
me
was coming
I
the time
was
I
We
in the dive.
at her a little bit
12,000
at
feet I could
were close together but
;
no one plane was coming down
back of another as may
in
easily
happen.
The
target
was
utterly satisfying.
This was the absolute. After
The squadron's
dive was perfect.
anything would be just anti-
this, I felt,
climax. I
saw the bombs from the group commander's section drop. They
The explosions probably
struck the water on either side of the carrier.
grabbed
man
at her like
to drop.
I
an
ice
man's tongs. Earl Gallaher was the next
learned later that his big
among
the flight deck,
point
I
As
I
where
began
to
its
I
at the
was aiming,
saw the deck
had picked
my
sight
.
.
dropping point
my
point of aim the
.
saw a bomb
I
that white circle with
rippling,
and curling back
great section of the hanger below. That it
as
band of white up on the bow. Near the dropping
watch through
was almost
I
struck the after part of
and made a tremendous
the parked planes
explosion which fed on gasoline. big red disk with
bomb
its
hit just
in all directions
bomb had
explode about four feet below the deck.
I
knew
take 1
me
little
abaft the
beam on
I
exposing a
make
a fuse set to
the last plane
taken off or landed on that carrier for a long time to come.
coming a
behind
blood red center ...
the port side on a course that
I
had
was
would
diagonally across her deck to a point ahead of her island.
dropped a few seconds
you must wait
the drop
bomb
after the previous
explosion. After
a fraction of a second before pulling out of
make sure you do not "throw" certainly as when you jerk, instead of
bomb,
your aim
the dive to
the
as
squeeze, the trigger of a
spoil
rifle.
I
had determined during that dive
Japanese carrier kicked stall.
my
So
bomb
I
hit
I
was going
rudder to get
my
to see
tail
my bombs
out of the
was simply standing there right abreast of the
that since
to
island.
I
was dropping on a
hit.
After dropping
way and put my plane
watch
it.
I
I
in a
saw the 500-pound
The two 100-pound bombs
struck in the forward area of the parked planes on that yellow flight
deck.
Then
I
began thinking
there and try to get back alive.
it
was time
to get myself
away from
"The Target Was Utterly Satisfying" realized that
I
my
during
some
had seen three Zero
I
As
dive.
I
far
.
.
pulling
up
his
after a
You do
to the right.
nose he could
kill
or above but
in a position in which, simply
me
passed underneath me, going to the derneath and went to the
Kaga
saw them again
.
any one of those three below was
gone
me and
I
unmoved DeLuca had seen nothing coming from behind
not see Zeros
So
fighters taking off the
pulled out over the carrier
three or four hundred feet below
281
by
very easily. However, two had left.
When
the third passed un-
took a deep breath. The other two had
left I
group of our planes already
group might well deal with them but
retiring
from the
action.
The
quite naked. This third
I felt
He went rapidly astern and started a run on us from the rear and above. He started firing when he was 800 yards away, which is much too far. When he was closer, six
And how
Zero climbed.
they climb!
DeLuca threw
or seven hundred yards away, quit at once
Over on
and went
my
He
of me.
would
play with something
was shooting
right a destroyer
at
The Jap
else.
me.
He had my
range
bursts were popping about a thousand yards ahead
right but his
all
off to
a burst at him.
could correct that
pull up, then
duck
For some reason
I
had believed possible
So each time he would shoot
easily.
right
down
was outguessing him even more
easily than I
my
looked at the
at the
speed of
plane.
Then
I
instrument panel. Instead of making between 220 and 250 knots
was crawling.
was
I
only doing about ninety-five! I
and discovered with a shock that
Undoubtedly this
did
some
around told
me
later
demonstrating
my
was
grabbing.
on that
my
I
looked around
landing flaps were down.
to
Some them
after
my
dive but at
of our people it
seemed
Douglas dive bomber. Landing
diving flaps were opening; activity
my
had grabbed the wrong handle
I really
time
still
I
I
to the water.
flaps
wheels were up and
as
who were if
I
were
were opening;
down and my
Finally everything was closed somebody put a couple of small bombs on the was shooting at me. But I did not know that right
like a three-ring circus.
and, happily for me, destroyer that then.
Another
fighter
had passed
to the right of
me and had
slowly
drawn ahead. He was stalking a group of our planes that were crossing my course, and his. When this fighter was only a short distance ahead of my fixed guns, I must admit I caught myself thinking, "If I miss him he'll be alive and awfully mad at me." But he was too good an opportunity to let go. I took a good bead on him and began shooting. I fired ten or twenty rounds from each of the guns, two
282
^
Doolittle's
armor piercing been
hit
Raid
bullets for
each visible
because suddenly
down, spun
into the water,
Midway
to the Battle of
The Jap
tracer.
his plane fell off
on the
pilot
must have
wing and went
left
and disappeared.
DeLuca had seen that plane go by us and had heard my guns firing. He yelled over the radio: "Do you think you got him, Mr. Dickinson? Did you
get
him?"
"Yes, DeLuca,
I
think
I
did."
"That's good, Mr. Dickinson."
"Can you
see any
take care of the rear.
more back there? I'll take care of the front. You For Christ's sake keep a good look out."
"Sure, Mr. Dickinson. I'm looking out mighty good
As we went away from middle of the Japanese
The destroyer
cruiser.
Kaga
the
One was
fleet.
that
could see
I
me was
at
and smoking heavily amidships where her boilers ploding.
looked back when
I
and
They were burning was no more than
had landed on the Kaga. She was on
saw her blow up
I
at the
are.
lying
From
middle.
ball of solid fire shot straight up. It
a
fire
still
But the three
fiercely
and ex-
was a couple of miles away. In
I
the succession of incidents this
my bombs
.
either a battle ship or a big
had been shooting
biggest fires were the carriers.
." .
five big fires in the
spite of
few minutes
from end
to
after
end
right abreast the island a
passed through the fleecy lower
we estimated to be 1200 feet above the water. Some of who were up higher saw this solid mass of fire as it burst up
clouds which
our
flyers
through the clouds, and they said the feet
still
sions
I
higher. Probably that
was seeing
fire
was gasoline but many of the explo-
in those three carriers
bombs parked below on
rose three or four hundred
were,
I
think,
from
their
own
the hangar decks in readiness for planes to
be rearmed. I
could not afford to wait another second.
My
gasoline gauges had
suddenly assumed an importance greater than the blazing, ruined
was dubious about our chances from here on. There was no plane for me to join on the flight back towards our carrier. Those carriers.
I
who had been behind me in the dive had passed me during that interval when my flaps were down. I could see some of our planes ahead of line to
me
streaking for the carrier but
I
couldn't afford the gaso-
go wide open trying to catch up with them.
When
I left
the
enemy my inboard tanks registered, each one, thirty gallons. If we had to go more than 150 or 175 miles on the return flight sixty gallons ought to be enough,
aboard but
it
would get
was
I
if
me back
.
.
.
careful. It
might not get
me
"The Target Was Utterly Satisfying" Trying to bring myself
home
the right-hand tank, which
I
kept watching
I
was
from
been only thirteen gallons
in that tank as
enemy.
had
I
as
if
the devil
gas gauges. But
using, suddenly quit.
registered seventeen gallons. Seventeen
I felt
my
thirty
we
—
283
Yet the gauge
there
started
must have
away from the from me.
just stolen seventeen gallons
switched to the left-hand inboard tank and then immediately began
to
worry over how much there
really
was
in that one.
AMONG THE FINER ACCOUNTS OF MIDWAY IS THADDEUS V. Tuleja's minute-by-minute narrative of the death of the Japanese carriers.
His account of the closing phases of the decisive battle
at the point
when Lieutenant Commander Maxwell
squadron took
off
from Yorktown.
F. Leslie
starts
and
his
THADDEUS
TULEJA
V.
TO.
TURNING OF THE TIDE
.
.
.
been
(Leslie), leading his squadron of seventeen dive bombers, flying
on a course of 225 °to 230°, driving hard
point of interception with
Nagumo's
had
for the expected
carriers. If the
Japanese were
not sighted at this hypothetical position of contact, he was instructed to turn to the right earlier
and
fly
up the
Leslie's flight
bearing of the
had begun with mishap. His
been equipped with new
electrical
the practice for each pilot to the carrier
and moved
trigger device in the
enemy reported
striking
its
target.
own
electrical
arm
aircraft recently
bomb-release mechanisms.
his
bomb
after the
into formation. This action
bomb's nose fuse so that
When
signalled his squadron to his
last
by search planes from Midway.
it
It
had was
squadron cleared
would cock the
would detonate upon
Leslie reached an altitude of 10,000 feet he
arm bombs, and then leaned over
to
throw
arming switch. Either because of faulty wiring or
failure, Leslie's 1000-pound bomb, away and dropped harmlessly into the sea. Feeling his craft suddenly become lighter, Leslie turned in dismay to Lieutenant (j.g.) Paul "Lefty" Holmberg, who was riding in the squadron's Number Two position, just to Leslie's left. Holmberg
perhaps because of mechanical instead of arming,
made
fell
signs with his
hands to
tell
Leslie
what had happened, and then
ordered his gunner to signal the mishap to Leslie's rear-seatman.
For a few moments Leslie
284
either could not understand or
would not
285
Turning of the Tide accept
meaning of Holmberg's
the
Schlegel, flying
making
cally,
had
lost his
on
Then Ensign Paul
gestures.
began to wave
Leslie's right side,
painfully clear to the squadron
it
his
hands
commander
franti-
that he
bomb.
For Maxwell Leslie
this
was a
He had been
bitter twist of fate.
in
the naval service for twenty years, twelve of which were spent in the air
arm
and
of the
fleet.
He had
flown fighters, bombers and scout planes,
times during his career had been attached to the
at different
carriers Lexington, Ranger, Enterprise, Saratoga
Pearl Harbor he had trained for this
squadron test
into a state of splendid
war
and Yorktown. Since
moment and had whipped
readiness.
Now
his
with the supreme
awaiting him, he was entering the battle without a bomb.
bad news was confirmed," Holmberg was later to skipper made many frustrating motions with his hands and
"When
write, "the
this
lips, as if to
say his luck was damnable." Within a few minutes Leslie found out that three other aircraft of his
dents,
which meant
at all cost
that he
squadron had suffered arming
had only
thirteen planes with
acci-
bombs. But
he had to maintain the discipline of the squadron, and he
decided to lead the dive anyway and
assist in
whatever way he could
with his fixed machine guns.
He
continued to climb until the squadron reached an altitude of
20,000
and
feet,
it
was from
this height that
he eventually sighted
smoke smudges on the horizon to the right of him and correctly assumed that they were from Nagumo's fleet speeding northward toward the American carriers. Immediately he signalled his squadron to wing over
to the right to a northwesterly course,
and by 10:20 the
Japanese ships were only a few miles ahead of him. The mass of clouds which had previously concealed Leslie
now and he
what appeared fighters
to
Naguma were
all
to the left of
could see a number of large enemy ships starting
be full-speed evasive turns. Since the Japanese
had been busy
at
low altitudes for almost an hour butchering
the torpedo planes, there were none at the upper level where Leslie
was.
He
therefore
carrier almost
had plenty of time
to pick out his target
—
a fat
dead ahead of him.
In the meantime McClusky, having missed the Japanese force at the point of interception because of
continued southward for a
had decided
at
Nagumo was way proved
little
Nagumo's change
about 9:30 to turn to the northward, hoping that
to the right of him. His eventual turn
to
of course,
while. Finding nothing in sight, he
away from Mid-
be a masterful stroke of judgement, for
it
closed the
286
„
Doolittle's
Raid
Midway
to the Battle of
range between himself and the Japanese carriers. However, he was not able to see the
smoke which had
alerted Leslie because, being to
the southwest of Yorktowris dive bombejs, the cloud cover blocked his view.
He
might have flown over an empty ocean
made
out and then, after jettisoning his bombs,
ward
to crash land
on the
Had
sea.
Nagumo's
Clusky represented It
The planes
fleet alone. all
that
was
left
had been more than an hour
off the last of
Midway's
down-
the long glide
to face the full
American
earlier,
while
power
and Mc-
that rode with Leslie
of the
gave
happened, Leslie, with only
would have had
thirteen effective dive bombers,
of
this
until his fuel
air strike.
Nagumo was
driving
that the submarine Nautilus,
air attacks,
having tried unsuccessfully to torpedo a Japanese battleship, came
under a ferocious depth-charge attack by enemy destroyers. While the attack
was going on, Nagumo turned
his Striking
the area, leaving one destroyer behind to hunt
Force away from
down
the
American
submarine. This lone warship was the Arashi, skippered by
mander Yasumasa Watanabe. When
ComWa-
an intensive search
after
tanabe's sonar operator failed to regain sound contact with the Nautilus,
he decided to give up the hunt and
for
He was now many
set
course to overtake the rest
Nagumo and he rang up FULL SPEED AHEAD. The Arishi's bow plowed into the
of the
fleet.
miles behind
waves.
Watanabe was was heading
on
driving hard
a northeasterly course;
to the northwest. Their course converged
when McClusky glanced down through the Arishi's white
trail.
He
could
tell
moment, he was doing
saw
was making high speed at that crucial
—
catching up with the rest of the Japanese
Quickly he estimated the destroyer's course and put
seven dive bombers on
at 9:55,
a break in the clouds, he
that she
and guessed that her captain was doing exactly what, force.
McClusky
and
it.
So
at
was closing
in
on the Japanese
was closing
in
from another.
his thirty-
10 o'clock that morning, while Leslie
carriers
from one direction, McClusky
Admiral Yamamoto, mastermind of the whole operation, had tioned himself to the northwest of
Midway
sta-
with a force including
three battle ships, one light cruiser, a light carrier and nine destroyers.
This
fleet,
had
it
been
in a position to
help
Nagumo, could have
brought an assortment of well over two hundred anti-aircraft guns to battle with the instincts
which
American dive bombers. But Yamamoto, acting upon will forever confound naval analysts, positioned his
287
Turning of the Tide fleet
hundreds of miles to the west of
Nagumo and
therefore could
commander when he needed it most. Leslie came upon the Japanese carriers just at the moment they were breaking formation to avoid Massey's torpedo planes. The bring no support to his carrier
Akagi, carrying her bridge island on the port side, had been steaming
westward for several minutes
at full
speed and was
now
astern of the
Soryu, whose sister ship Hiryu was far to the north and barely
The Kaga, with her bridge
on the conventional starboard
northward and was almost abreast of the Soryu's
side, rolled
board beam.
When
the dive
the south. In the meantime,
hard and spun around Leslie
structure
bombers appeared, Akagi made
Kaga and Soryu put
in a tight
left,
so he studied the
star-
a dash to
their rudders over
clockwise turn.
had already descended
to
14,500 feet and was preparing to
attack with the bright morning sun at his back. distant
visible.
two
carriers
The Akagi was
to his
ahead of him, both of
which were turning to the south. These radical course changes, besides being evasive, indicated that the
ready to launch an
enemy
air strike, since their
were getting
carriers
bows were now faced
into
the wind.
to
The 26,900-ton Kaga, even from Leslie's great height, looked huge him when contrasted with the 10,000-ton Soryu. "Our target was
one of the biggest damn things that officers said later. right, Leslie
Using only a
I
slight
had ever seen," one of
change of course to the
left
or
could have attacked either carrier, but the Kaga, because
of her great size,
was marked
for destruction.
Leslie patted his head, a signal which told his
putting his bombless plane into a dive.
down
Leslie's
From
wingmen
that he
level flight
70° angle, with the wind rushing past
was
he dove
at 280 Holmberg arched over, a 1000-pound bomb beneath his fuselage. Then came the others. The large carrier was squarely in Leslie's sights. He saw dozens of planes spotted for takeoff, and forward there was a large red sun painted on the carrier's flight deck on which he took careful aim. At 10,000 feet he opened
at a
his
wings
knots. Within seconds
fire
with his machine guns, peppering the deck and bridge with 50-
At 4000 feet his guns jammed; he pulled out and climb. Behind him came Holmberg, who could now see the
caliber bullets.
began first
to
flashes of gunfire
from the
fringe of the Kaga's flight deck. His
dive was perfect as the red disk on the flight deck
loomed
Shrapnel tore at his plane. At an altitude of 2,500
feet,
in his sights.
he pushed the
288
Raid
Doolittle's
to the Battle of
Midway
bomb-release button and immediately jerked
electric
make
release lever to
There was a tremendous burst of
fire
near the superstructure.
Pieces of the Kaga's flight deck whinTed'in the into the
manual
at the
sure that his bonfb got away.
wind was blown
a Zero taking off
air;
was a shambles of
into the sea; the bridge
twisted metal, shattered glass and bodies. Captain Okada, his uniform
torn and burned, lay dead amidst the smoking wreckage of his
mand
Then came
post.
over the
side, tearing
which spread
to the
three
more
huge holes
com-
vicious explosions, hurling planes
in the flight
deck and starting
hangar deck below. Screaming
sailors ran
fires
around
aimlessly, trailing flames. Officers shouted orders against the deafen-
ing blasts. Gasoline poured
and some of the first
bomb
The decks.
blast
fire
who had
were cremated
Men
not been lucky enough to escape the
at their controls.
trapped behind blistering bulkheads were roasted
officers
in a frantic effort to
and men,
their
alive.
hold back the flames caught
fire.
uniforms smoldering and their faces
blackened by smoke, were driven back to the edge of the
and from there they leaped
bomb
tanks,
fuel
raced along rivulets of gasoline, spreading disaster below
Hoses rolled out
Some
pilots
from the planes' ruptured
into the sea.
Then
the
fire
flight
deck
traveled to the
storage lockers. Suddenly there was a thunderous detonation, steel were ripped like so much tin foil from the The hangar deck was a purgatory within a few clouds of black smoke rose from the Kaga, carry-
and sheets of glowing bowels of the
ship.
minutes, and great ing with
them the smell of burning
and human
wood, rubber
gasoline, paint,
flesh.
Less than two minutes after Leslie's bombers transformed the
Kaga
into a flaming cauldron,
McClusky's squadron was ready to
pounce on the Akagi and Soryu. The destroyer Arashi had led the Enterprise's dive
Even before
bombers
Leslie
had winged over into
picking out his victims. the
wind
directly to the Japanese Striking Force.
He saw two
his dive,
to launch aircraft. Dividing his flight into
called out targets
and then signalled
his descent.
ward
first
of McClusky's 1000- and
their targets.
in
It
sections,
flight
he
pushed
was 10:26.
500-pound bombs whistled
One bomb crashed near Akagi' s
detonated with a hellish blast
two
One
over toward the Akagi, the other toward the Soryu.
The
McClusky was
ahead turning into
carriers just
after elevator
to-
and
number of The shock wave
the hangar, where a
planes were waiting to be lifted to the flight deck.
exploded torpedo warheads, tearing
men
to bits
and
starting dozens
289
Turning of the Tide of gasoline
Damage
fires.
late the flames,
control parties struggled heroically to iso-
but clouds of hot black smoke enveloped them and
bomb
one by one the men collapsed from the fumes. Another the flight deck, scattering planes
and
struck
Within a few
pilots into the sea.
minutes the flagship was a floating pyre.
Because of the inferno, damage reports were slow
in
coming
to the
bridge, but the Akagi's skipper, Captain Taijiro Aoki, hearing the dull
thunder below decks, had no illusions about the fate of his ship;
nor did Rear Admiral Ryunosuke Kusaka, Nagumo's Chief of
Both men understood
that the
bomb
were
hits
fatal
Staff.
and that the
Akagi was doomed.
Nagumo, however, was battle
was
him
politely told
unwilling to accept the fact that the tide of
such appalling speed in his disfavor. Aoki
shifting with
was finished and would have
that the ship
to be
abandoned. Nagumo's anger flared up. The situation had to be brought under control; he would not leave the ship. Kusaka,
Nagumo's
well acquainted with
fiery
who was
temper, tried to intervene as
diplomatically as possible. "Sir,
our radio
is
smashed and we cannot communicate with the
other ships. Should you not transfer your
command
to another vessel
so that you can continue to direct the battle?"
Nagumo
still
refused to abandon ship. Finally
several officers to take the
By now
from the bridge
The scene on
make
their escape
everywhere. The
the
flight
deck was grotesque:
unmanned machine
to spray bullets in all directions.
from deep
destroyer
From
line
hang-
officers
craters
guns, heated by the
Now
and then a
belching
and men scattered fires,
dull explosion
began
came
inside the ship.
came
Akagi and took the Admiral and Nagara, from whose mast Nagumo broke his
alongside the
his staff to the cruiser flag.
by a
structure.
smoke, twisted wreckage, and the bodies of
A
him away.
pull
the fires were swirling around the bridge, blocking their
descent by ladder, and they had to ing
Kusaka directed
Admiral by the hand and
her bridge he watched his splendid
command
disintegrate.
The Soryu had been bombed too. Her engines were stopped, water poured into the bilges, the pumps failed to work, and hundreds of scorched sea.
sailors, fleeing
Soryu' s
before the flames, threw themselves into the
commanding
officer,
Captain
Ryusaku Yanigimoto,
A
destroyer pulled along-
stood resolutely on his blackened bridge. side
and an attempt was made
to
persuade him to leave the
doomed
290 _ ship.
Doolittle's
He
Raid
Midway
to the Battle of
refused to be rescued and was last heard calmly singing the
Japanese national anthem,
while
clouds
of
smoke closed about
him. All three carriers were fiery derelfcfs now, and left
on board fought a losing
from the Kaga were swimming
came
apart, the
their
warhead sinking and the buoyant
hung
burning ship.
after section float-
swam
over to the float-
on.
The Kaga burned twilight
sailors
struck the Kaga's side at an angle and then
it
ing free. Immediately several Japanese sailors ing part and
parties
Many
water when a torpedo
in the oily
from an American submarine streaked toward Instead of exploding
fire fighting
battle against the flames.
fiercely
was a gigantic torch
throughout the entire afternoon and by lighting
up the evening
sky.
At 7:25 she
was shaken by heavy explosions, and slipped beneath the waves with hundreds of her crew. Akagi's
fire fighters
were able to do no better against the searing
flames which gutted their ship. At 5:15 that evening Captain Aoki
ordered the Emperor's portrait removed. With a solemn ceremony,
was unhooked from the bulkhead, carried through an
the picture
honor guard, and then placed on board a destroyer which carried away.
Two
hours later the raging
and Aoki ordered
his
crew
to
fires
it
had reached the engine rooms,
abandon
ship. All
through the long
night she drifted, throwing her flickering light against the black sky.
She was
still
drifting the next
finally sent to the
day when dawn broke, and she was
bottom by a torpedo from a Japanese destroyer,
in
order to prevent her from being boarded and salvaged by the enemy.
She went down about twenty miles
to the westnorthwest of
many of her crew were saved. The Soryu, last to be hit during
the
was the
first
to go.
Flames engulfed
rolled under, carrying her captain
Kaga, but
morning dive bombing
her,
and
at
attack,
7:13 that evening she
and over 700 of her crew with
her.
She went down only twenty-five miles to the northwest of Kaga.
Although the three carriers managed
to stay afloat for hours the
had early been decided by Leslie and McClusky. The dive bombing attack had taken place between 10:24 and 10:26, and in battle
those two crucial minutes carrier force
— marking
Nagumo
lost seventy-five percent of his
the beginning of the
end of Japan's imperial
ambitions in the Pacific.
However, even while tried to wrest
the three carriers were burning, the Japanese
an ultimate victory from defeat. While
Nagumo
shifted
291
Turning of the Tide his flag to the
Nagara,
tactical
command was assumed
temporarily by
Rear Admiral Hiroaki Abe, who rode in the cruiser Tone. At 10:50 he informed Yamamoto and Kondo, commander of the Midway invasion fleet, that fires were raging aboard the Akagi, Kaga and Soryu, but that he planned to attack the Hiryu. This Japanese carrier, the
American dive bombers
enemy
carriers with the surviving
because she had been so
arrived,
far north
when
was not immediately sighted and
therefore enjoyed immunity for another six
and a
From
half hours.
Tamon Yamaguchi. carriers, Abe
her masthead flew the flag of Rear Admiral
While several destroyers circled about the three burning signalled ships;
Yamaguchi
to launch
an
air attack against the
American
Yamaguchi, a forceful and farsighted individual, had already command. At 10:40, just sixteen minutes after Leslie had
given the
own
led his
attack against the Kaga, eighteen Japanese dive bombers,
under Lieutenant Michio Kobayashi, with a
light fighter escort,
were
11:00 they were
taking off from the Hiryu 's flight deck, and by
speeding northeastward. The bombers climbed to 13,000 feet and
took their heading from several American planes which were returning
from
their recent attack, unwittingly leading the
enemy
to their
carrier.
The American the
carrier
which Admiral Abe decided to attack was
Yorktown, for the Japanese scout planes which sighted Task
Force Seventeen did not discover Spruance's two o'clock that morning, the
Yorktown,
hull
down
carriers.
At
11
to the northwest,
was spotting ten planes for a reconnaissance flight which was to fan out from 280° to 020° (for Fletcher was still convinced that there
was a fourth enemy
carrier
somewhere
to the northwest). Following
the launching of the search group, the Yorktown' s hangar deck
was
spotted with seven aircraft fully gassed and loaded with 1000-pound
bombs. Thirteen more were readied on the
flight
deck for immediate
launching, while a dozen fighters rose into the wind to orbit above the
Yorktown's wake on combat air patrol. These planes had just been launched when two bombers from the Enterprise attack group, with tanks almost dry, touched down on the Yorktown 's flight deck. They had been badly shot up below.
Then four
of
in the action
Yorktown 's own
engines and wobbly wings.
wrong
carriers; but they
While these
aircraft
and were immediately struck fighters
Some exhausted
were the lucky ones.
landed with sputtering pilots
Many
landed on the
never got back.
were winging homeward, Lieutenant Michio
Kobayashi's eighteen dive bombers and six Zeros were dropping
292
^
down
to lower altitudes to avoid detection
cisely
at
Doolittle's
Raid
Midway
to the Battle of
11:59 the Yorktown's radar
by enemy lookouts. Pre-
Vance M. Bennett,
officer,
watched a group of phosphorescent "pips" moving the scope. Their speed told
him
in
from the
left
that tKey were returning echoes
on
from
approaching planes. For a few seconds he tracked them. They were forty-six miles
bring
them
away, coming in on a course of 250°, which would
directly to the
bridge, warning both
the
impending
Yorktown. Immediately he called to the
Admiral Fletcher and Captain Buckmaster of
At
attack.
moment
that
there were several fighters
On
being gassed. Refueling was stopped instantly.
was an auxiliary
stern there
Buckmaster ordered
gasoline.
were drained and then i
i
refilled
dumped over
it
Yorktown's
the
800 gallons of aviation
fuel tank holding
the side. Fuel lines
with carbon dioxide gas under twenty
pounds of pressure. Watertight doors were slammed shut and dogged down, and the
fighters
which had been
Yorktown
circling over the
were vectored out to meet the incoming Japanese. Lieutenant
Commander
bombers triumphantly form a combat craft
fire.
who had
Leslie,
already
into the carrier's landing circle,
air patrol
and
to stay clear of the
led
their
weapons; and damage control
out the ship, were poised for the
first
Yorktown's
to
anti-air-
large chart
and plotted
about him buttoned up their
and tucked trouser
On
shirts to the neck,
into
legs
gunners
their
the flag bridge
his head,
move, while the
his next
in;
parties, stationed through-
explosion.
Admiral Fletcher, helmet pushed down over
sleeves,
dive
Doctors and pharmacists mates rushed to the wardroom,
where they waited for wounded shipmates to be carried cocked
his
was ordered
pored over a
officers
and men
down
rolled
their
socks as a precaution
against flash burns.
In a few minutes the
Yorktown was ready
and destroyers were maneuvering
at
for action.
Her
25 knots into an
cruisers
anti-aircraft
2000 yards away from her. Every gun that could be trained toward the western sky was fixed on the tiny cluster of Kobayashi's planes rising from the distant sea. American fighter pilots, with guns blazing, intercepted the Japanese squadron when it was still twenty miles to the west of the Yorktown. Captain Buckmaster, through his binoculars, could see a long trail of black smoke screening formation,
with a bright spot of flame leading
it
downward
to the sea.
Then came bomb-
others as his fighter planes lashed furiously at Kobayashi's ers. !
Marc
Mitscher, staring northward from the Hornet's bridge, could
293
Turning of the Tide
also see the falling planes. Suddenly he sighted several aircraft head-
ing for his ship
and braced himself for an attack; but
moments they were in fact, planes
from
Leslie's
Yorktown because
the
after a
few tense
American dive bombers. They were, flight which, having been waved off from
identified as
on the Hornet before
of the Japanese attack, were trying to land all
deck for them, but one
was gone. Mitscher cleared the
their fuel aircraft,
landed with such force that
all its
flown by a wounded
machine guns began
pilot, crash-
firing, spatter-
ing the bridge and deck with .50 caliber bullets which killed an admiral's son
and four
enlisted
men and knocked down
twenty others to
the deck.
Far away on the horizon Yorktown' s
took a heavy
fighters
of
toll
Kobayashi's bombers. Eleven plummeted into the sea, and only seven of the original eighteen were able to break through the patrol
and the
anti-aircraft fire
from the
and destroyers. As the Japanese planes approached tion,
Captain Buckmaster had his 5-inch guns
ing for their
maximum
ing the rudder
from
speed of 30.5 knots,
left to right to
the lead plane arched over to begin
Everyone dropped
throw
its
combat
air
carrier's screening cruisers
their diving posi-
firing, his
and
his
off the
engines turn-
helmsman
shift-
enemy's aim. Then
dive.
instinctively as the first
bomb came down,
but
it
missed the Yorktown, throwing up a geyser of gray water on the
The
carrier's starboard side.
leveling off, he flew close his
nose
at the
pilot released his
bomb
never pulled out of his dive. After
aboard the port side of the
Yorktown 's
he plunged into the sea
pilot
bridge.
A
off the carrier's
falling
just before his plane
guns in
in the flight deck.
this area of the ship
Many were
and
drove through a witherits
flight,
part of
on the Yorktown' s deck. The bomb crashed on the
board side of the ship near the Number
huge hole
thumbing
bow. The second Japanese
ing anti-aircraft cross-fire and disintegrated in
wing
ship,
bullet ripped into his tail
Two
its
star-
elevator and tore a
men who were manning the and bomb fragments, spatter-
of the
killed,
ing the deck below, started fires in three stored aircraft. Lieutenant A.
C. Emerson, the hangar deck officer, sprinkler
system,
releasing
made
a desperate lunge for the
a curtain of water which doused the
flames.
The next bomb came down
in a perfect trajectory, ripped
through
the flight deck and detonated with a hollow roar deep inside the
smoke
stack.
The sudden
flash of heat
was
intense. Shards of burning
paint flaked off the stack; photographic film in the ship's dark
room
294 ^
Doolittle's
Raid
to the Battle of
Midway
caught fire; flames spread into the Executive Officer's compartment, and the uptakes were ruptured. Clutching the weather screen of the
Commander Walter G.
bridge,
flag
Sqhindler,
Fletcher's
Gunnery
watched the attack with d British naval observer, Com-
Officer,
mander Michael
B. Laing, who, between
bomb
down
drops, jotted
hasty notes.
The
and
third
last
bomb
Yorktown speared through the The terrific heat generated
to hit the
starboard side and exploded below decks.
by the detonation started wild
fires
stowage compartment
in a rag
which was alarmingly close to the forward magazines and gasoline
The
tanks.
fuel storage
compartment was quickly bathed
dioxide and the magazines flooded. Meanwhile ties tried to
smother the burning
damage
in
carbon
control par-
rags.
This was the extent of Kobayashi's spirited attack. His decimated flight
returned to the Hiryu, while smoke billowed from the York-
town. The retreating Japanese
bombers and three
fighters,
away, for he had fallen
air strike consisted of
and
it
only five dive
was not Kobayashi who
led
them
in flames.
The second bomb had stabbed
its
way
into the very bowels of the
Yorktown. Three uptakes, which carried combustion gases away
from the
fire
rooms, were severely shattered; two boilers were com-
pletely disabled,
and the
and choking, acrid smoke
up the
ladders.
fifteen, ten,
The
then
officers
The
fires
under three others were snuffed out;
in several of the fire
ship's
rooms drove personnel
speed dropped abruptly: twenty knots,
six.
and men
in
the
Number One
boiler
room sweated
behind their gasmasks. With two burners working, they managed to
keep a head of steam limited
amount
in the boiler, restoring to the battered ship a
of her former strength.
gines stopped and the
Yorktown came
At 12:20, however,
all
en-
to a halt.
Admiral Fletcher now faced the same unpleasant necessity which
Nagumo had hit.
faced less than two hours before
The Yorktown's radar was
when
the
Akagi was
crippled, leaving her blind; planes in
the air, in need of refueling, were directed to land on the Enterprise
and Hornet; and Yorktown 's immobility, which transformed her a sitting duck, rendered her useless as a flagship. tive for Fletcher to transfer his flag to
direct
the
battle
and
maintain
It
another ship so that he could
communications
with
Spruance. Reluctantly he signalled Rear Admiral William Cruiser
Group Commander
into
became impera-
riding in the Astoria, to take
Admiral
W.
Smith,
him
off the
—
295
Turning of the Tide burning carrier, and then he ordered Spruance to send
air
cover to the
Yorktown.
While Fletcher rounded up several key people of
motor launch was lowered
Astoria's
through the
his staff, the
bucked
to the water's edge, then
below the massive
slight swells, finally positioning itself
gray wall of the carrier's side. Manila lines dangled from the flag
men began
bridge to the launch and officers and five-foot descent,
hand over hand. Admiral Fletcher put a
weather screen, got a grip on the "I'm too
A
damn
said, "Tell the
was another
looped around his waist, and he
line,
flag bridge.
Once on board
the Astoria, Fletcher
Portland to take the Yorktown in tow." The Portland
cruiser attached to
Task Force Seventeen.
Admiral Spruance, whose Enterprise was
down on
hull
had sighted the smoke pouring from Fletcher's
the hori-
and
flagship,
12:35 he signalled the cruisers Pensacola and Vincennes, both
own
screen, plus
two of
his destroyers to strengthen the
Japanese
anti-aircraft barrage in case another
And one
air attack
fast scout plane to take off
American
force. This pilot
the Hiryu attack group
—
Yorktown's developed.
fell,
Nagumo had
managed
to see thing
had missed. Kobayashi's
the only one the Japanese
was smoking and dead
ordered a
from the Soryu and shadow the which the
pilots of
after
bombing
fliers,
the Yorktown, reported enthusiastically by radio that the rier
at
of his
did.
Before Leslie's and McClusky's bombs
new,
it.
the descent to the launch with several sailors paying out the line
from the smoking
zon,
leg over the
and then thought better of
line
old for this sort of thing," he said. "Better lower me."
bowline was tied in another
made
the long seventy-
knew anything about
enemy
at the
car-
time
This news, of course, cheered the
in the water.
Japanese admirals, but only temporarily.
When
the pilot of the Soryu
scout plane returned from his search mission and found his carrier in flames, he immediately landed
the bridge
on the undamaged Hiryu, rushed
and informed Admiral Yamaguchi that
his radio
to
had not
been working and he could only now report that the American force
was composed not of one
carrier but three!
Yamaguchi immediately decided there were only ten torpedo planes
to
and
ate take-off. Feeble as the strike was,
moment,
for he
had
they crippled him.
The
strike
launch another attack, but six fighters
ready for immedi-
Yamaguchi could not waste a two American carriers before
to cripple the other
He
ordered the
flight
launched without delay.
was put under the command of Lieutenant Tomonaga,
296 ^
Doolittle's
who had
led the attack
Raid
to the Battle of
on Midway
Midway
earlier that
that for full
him
had no
this flight
of holes over
return. His left
Midway and he
with only his right tank topped
At 12:45 Tomonaga's
wing tank had been shot
roared off the Hiryu's
was heading eastward while the York-
flight
the charred wreckage and patched
deck.
By
fires,
up the holes
cleared
in the flight
:40 that afternoon the jagged holes in the exhaust uptakes
were closed
and repairs deep
off
inside the ship
were well enough
A
along to allow the engineers to cut in four boilers.
from the
lip
the foretruck since the attack,
room
coppery haze
of the Yorktown's stack. Slowly she began to
move; men cheered; the blue and yellow breakdown the engine
deck
flight
off.
away
drifted
climbed
must have known
town's repair parties, with feverish speed, put out the
1
He
morning.
into his cockpit with Oriental calm, although he
from
flag, flying
was hauled down with a
jerk,
and then
"We're ready to make twenty knots or
reported:
better."
Fighters
on combat
air patrol
were called down for refueling, and
the ship turned majestically into the wind. Leslie
had been waved
off
during the
Only moments before, forced to glide
and
his
attack were
down near
cruiser's launch.
and Holmberg, who
now
signalled to land.
had run dry and they were
their fuel tanks
the Astoria, crashing into the sea. Leslie
gunner climbed into
up by the
first
their
rubber
raft
and were soon picked
Holmberg, who made a
despite the fact that one wheel
would not
water landing
fine
retract,
stepped out on
the wing of his plane with his chartboard and parachute. His gunner
dragged out the rubber just as the
raft, inflated
it,
and they both stepped
plane sank. The raft had been punctured by a piece of
shrapnel and within a few minutes both
However,
them
inside
men were
the launch arrived quickly, hauled
them
treading water. in
and brought
to the Astoria.
Fighters had already landed on the
Yorktown and were being
fueled when the ship's radar operator picked up another
planes on a bearing of 340°, thirty-three miles away.
re-
flight
of
The alarm
clanged throughout the ship, fueling was stopped, guns were manned,
and Buckmaster braced himself for another were again drained and
refilled
Gasoline lines
with carbon dioxide; six fighters orbit-
ing overhead were vectored out to eight of the ten fighters
attack.
meet the incoming
on board, each with a
little
attack,
and
more than twenty
gallons of gasoline in their tanks, began rolling off the flight deck and
climbing into the bright northwestern sky.
297
Turning of the Tide Tomonaga's
air strike
was intercepted when
from the Yorktown. While the American
Tomonaga ordered the
from
carrier
engaged the Zeros,
torpedo planes to break formation and attack angles.
different
Two
or
three,
with
spattered
bullets,
crashed before they could launch their torpe-
Tomonaga was
able to drop his only an instant before his plane
machine-gun does;
his
was about ten miles
it
fighters
took a direct
hit
and exploded, scattering pieces of wing and fuselage
over the sea. The encircling cruisers and destroyers looked like a
mass of flame
The
last
gun
as every
Yorktown
fired at the attackers.
fighter to take off
was
in the battle before
wheels were cranked up. The pilot banked to the
right,
opened
its
on
fire
a torpedo plane, climbed and was hit in turn by a diving Zero. With his aircraft
the water
out of control he looped over, bailed out, floated
and was rescued by a destroyer
after
down
he had been in the
to air
only about sixty seconds.
Of
the five
fairly accurate
enemy planes which survived the attack, four made torpedo drops. The Yorktown twisted violently and
avoided two torpedoes, but the other two crashed into her port
There were muffled explosions, those on deck that the
like rolling thunder,
Yorktown had been
lifted
and
it
and
darkness.
electrical
The whine
power
failed,
seemed
to
a foot or two out of
the water. Paint flew off the bulkheads, books toppled racks,
side.
from
their
plunging the lower decks into
of the generators petered out; the rudder, turned
to the left at the time of the explosions,
was jammed
tight,
and the
steam pressure which had given the Yorktown a momentary reprieve vanished.
Men
stared at each other; a few looked over the side,
dumb-
founded, and saw beneath the yellowish haze of the explosion a pool of black oil which
was pouring from the Yorktown's ravaged
The deck was no longer clinometer showed a increase until officers'
it
list
of seventeen degrees,
glided along the deck
against the port bulkhead, It
was
they tried to find a
of a
this
continued to
and tumbled
and the pots and pans
difficult to
their bearings in the darkness
flight
and
reached an alarming twenty-six degrees. Chairs in the
wardroom
a rakish angle.
side.
even. Shortly after the torpedo attack the
way out
walk and many
in disorder
in the galley
hung
at
sailors could not get
below and bumped into one another as
of their listing compartments.
Up on
the
deck hoses were being run out, and a mess attendant, member
gun crew, was running around with a 5-inch
his arms.
projectile cradled in
-
298
.Doolittle's
Commander
Raid
to the Battle of
Midway
damage control officer, inwithout power for counterflooding
C. E. Aldrich, the ship's
formed Captain Buckmaster that
he could do nothing to correct the Delaney, the engineering
rooms were dead and
all
Hs.tr,
Eieutenant
Commander
had already reported
officer,
power
lost.
The
that
the waterline,
Yorktown's side
into
fire
had diminished the
list
Yorktown's righting moment and the flooding reduced her
The torpedo had plowed
F.
J.
the
all
stability.
fifteen feet
below
and the concussion wave warped the quick-acting doors
on the third deck.
Many
of the living compartments on the fourth
deck were flooded, and gurgling sea water had already reached the platform level in the forward and after engine rooms. She was
first
heeled over so far to port turtle in a
the
word
now
that
Buckmaster
few minutes. Wearily he turned to an
to
abandon
she might turn
felt
"Pass
officer nearby.
ship," he said.
WITH THE IMMEDIATE SINKING OF THREE OF YAMAmoto's carriers
Midway
—
the fourth lingered a bit before going
down
—
the
operation was cancelled. In addition to these losses, 350
Japanese planes were destroyed and the best of her naval aviators
were dead. The next day, June
5,
dive-bombers and torpedo planes
from Hornet and Enterprise found heavy cruiser Mogami and sank her.
As
the battered
armada steamed
described Fleet Admiral
to sanctuary,
Yamamoto: Dazed,
an
air
glassy-eyed,
officer
"he sat
sipping rice gruel helplessly on the forward bridge."
The United
now
States victory
realized that
hoped
to
Japan had
had turned the
Yamamoto Pacific. He had
tide of war.
lost the initiative in the
win the war within one year, or before American industry
could attain peak war production, and the conquest of
been the key factor
in his overall plans. Its loss,
loss of his first-line carriers
and trained
pilots,
Midway had
but particularly the
which required more
than two years to replace, was the essence of Yamamoto's setback.
Midway clearly presaged Japan's beaten Combined Fleet was never
ultimate defeat; her hitherto un-
again to sortie for such grandiose
purposes.
Rear Armiral Ernest M.
met him
before.
Eller analyzes the great victory.
We
have
REAR ADMIRAL ERNEST M. ELLER
II.
THE BATTLE ANALYZED
.
.
Japan
.
still
had overwhelming numerical superiority; she need of destroying the
could have succeeded in her
first
rier heart of the Pacific Fleet
and winning the
can be
laid to crucial errors
Pacific.
still
aircraft car-
That she
failed
by the Japanese admirals as much as to
the genius of leadership of Admirals Nimitz and Spruance and the sacrificial
heroism of the resolute
air
groups of our three lonely avail-
able carriers: Enterprise, Hornet, and Yorktown.
Some
of the gross Japanese errors were:
Failure to allow for the unforeseen, the likeliest event of war.
They
fatuously depended on surprise and lack of fleet opposition as at Pearl Harbor.
They did not allow
for the possibility of codes being
They had no submarines Harbor. They stationed submarines south of Midway too late to warn of the passage of Fletcher and Spruance's carrier task forces. Even after being sighted approaching Midway, they did not send out a vigorous search on the read or submarine reports of
reporting U.
fateful
S.
carrier
morning of June
fleet sorties.
movements
4,
at Pearl
1942.
Division of force. Despite every other error, Admiral
might
still
force concentrated. His split his strength into
in a
Yamamoto
have retrieved the day and won Midway had he kept
complex
plan.
main goal was "decisive
many fragments from
fleet
his
action" yet he
the Aleutians to
Thus dispersed were four smaller
Midway
carriers with
299
300
^
Raid
Doolittle's
combined
two heavies. What
air strength equivalent to
they would have
Midway
to the Battle of
made had
a difference
they been near by on June 4th!
His main force of seven battleships^ and seven cruisers cruised
hundreds of miles from the
in
adequacy of
anti-aircraft
Over confidence. This entered caused the Japanese to omit the
way
operation.
On May
training" to
On
added sorely needed
into the foregoing errors.
air
group, but was not used since
it
enough shipboard
effective.
the other hand, Yorktown, with
bomb damage
estimated to
take 90 days to repair, reached Pearl Harbor the afternoon of 27th, was repaired by 1,400 yard
took on a new
and
night,
and
sailed just in time for
workmen
May
feverishly working day
group drawn from three other groups,
air
Midway on May
Overconfidence led to the After launching the
also
It
Zuikaku from the Mid-
fine carrier
to give the replacement personnel
make her
S.
armament.
20th she reached Japan undamaged from the
Coral Sea, except for a depleted
was "impossible
carriers of
Japanese were inferior to the U.
anti-aircraft protection, for the
Navy
That deprived him of night
fast carriers.
engagement chances and deprived the
31st!
final nail in the
Midway
strike
Japanese coffin of errors.
early
on June
4th,
Admiral
Nagumo had ninety-three planes standing by armed for possible ship targets. He had started to rearm them for shore attack when a search plane reported our ships. Although involved in repelling shore-based air attack
and recovering
partial strike against
hits)
and
at
Midway shore-based
attack by
last
his first strike,
our carriers
that of the
first
he could have launched a
any time aircraft
in the
hour between the
(fifty-two airplanes,
carrier torpedo airplanes
.
.
no
.
Regardless of their numerous disastrous errors, the Japanese might still
have
won
except for the timely, aggressive, and resolute action of
the U. S. Navy.
Commentators on
the Battle of
the United States success against
much
and reading the Japanese code. This the code
Midway have
far
ascribed
to
breaking
oversimplifies.
Reading
larger forces
was undoubtedly a key; but the Japanese might have been
transmitting false information as a ruse. It
took great courage for Admiral Nimitz to pull his
first
team from
the South Pacific where Japanese success ran at flood tide.
It
took
courage to send his ships against numerically overwhelming odds. took the utmost vigor and audacity the odds.
The
issue long
hung
our side by the heroism and
in action of the
in the balance
skill
and was
It
crews that faced finally tipped to
of a handful of carrier pilots.
The Battle Analyzed
A
large reason for our victory
was the
cool, resolute,
301
and unerring
leadership on the scene by Admiral Spruance.
He
for retiring to the east during the night of
June 4th and for not
has been criticized
pushing to the west after June 6th. Those then on Admiral Nimitz' staff
know
that the "fog of
were not sure of victory or
war" hung heavy and dark. For long we its
extent.
An
even thicker haze shrouded
those in the middle of the melee.
But all
mind Admiral Spruance weighed Twice Admiral him. Twice Admiral Spruance outwitted
in his calm, accurate, daring
factors
Yamamoto
and played tried to
his
trap
strength to the utmost.
him: "Toward sundown on June 4th," he says, "I decided to
retire to
the eastward so as to avoid the possibility of night action with superior forces.
day's action
had a
.
.
feeling,
far to the
.
The Japanese
did order a night attack.
on June 6th was over ... we were short of
"When fuel,
the
and
I
an intuition perhaps, that we had pushed our luck as
westward as
it
was good for us
." .
.
S-.7
'
PART
IV
GUADALCANAL AND THE
NORTHWARD
DRIVE:
THE OFFENSIVE BEGINS
THE UNITED STATES TOOK THE OFFENSIVE FOR THE first
time
when on August
Guadalcanal and Tulagi
campaign
in the
and cost the were sunk
7,
in the
1942 the Marines stepped ashore on remote Solomon Islands. The violent
South Pacific which followed lasted more than a year
lives of
thousands of Allied seamen; dozens of warships
in the black, shark-infested waters,
where
six
major naval
engagements were fought. Even today, with a perspective of
odd
years, the
thirty-
names "Watchtower" and "Ironbottom Sound" retain synonymous with death. Guadalcanal, dis-
a grim, trenchant clarity
303
304
m Guadalcanal and
Northward Drive
the
Don Alverado Medana
covered by the Spanish explorer at the
five
hundred and
sixty miles
on a northwest-southeast
which flows the narrow, deep-water
named The
1568,
in
lower end of a double-stranded island chain extending
lies
Slot
by American
New
track, through
Georgia Sound, aptly nick-
sailors.
Almost nothing was known of the Solomons when Admiral King and Vice Admiral Robert L. Ghormley sive,
which was designed, among other
discussed the offen-
initially
things, to protect
communication with Australia. Informed that he was
—
our
lines of
Com-
to be
mander South Pacific Force and Area "an important and difficult task" Ghormley was ordered to establish headquarters in Auckland,
—
New to
Zealand, and an advance base in the
mount an amphibious invasion
in
Fijis;
Daniel 1
J.
to
fifty officers
form
to prepare
early autumn, using the
Marine Division. Subsequently Ghormley Personnel for
and he was
a staff,
1st
on the Bureau of
called
headed by Rear Admiral
May
Callaghan and Marine Brigadier Dewitt Peck, and on
he departed for the South Pacific.
From
the
start
colossal
problems plagued
Watch-
"Operation
maps
tower," and one of the worst perhaps was securing current the target area
—
maps
the only
available were
of
German, dating back
to the turn of the century. This ludicrous situation
was eased
course by a great number of interviews with Anzacs
who had
in
due
lived in
the islands. Persistent intelligence officers and cartographers began to arrive at a picture of the Solomons,
and the picture was
far
from
sanguine. Guadalcanal, ninety miles long and twenty-five wide, was
muddy and
malaria-infested, and
it
rained
more
often than not; for-
bidding mountain ranges rose eight thousand feet above the sweltering floor of the jungle; vast fields of shoulder high kunai stretched out for miles
on the
plains.
A
few prospectors lived
in the ridges
and
scratched the alluvial sands for grains of gold, while below there was
an occasional copra planter.
By
contrast, Tulagi
under British
rule,
was almost pleasant.
A
community formerly
with an Australian Air Force base, copra planta-
tions,
a Lever Brothers trading post and even tennis courts, this
island
was the
seat of civilization in the Solomons. Its shopkeepers
were predominantly Chinese, descendants of the four hundred who
had swum across Savo Sound when the schooner
St.
Paul fought
it
out with King Solomon's shoals in 1865, and lost. Because of its good harbor, the Royal Navy established a coaling station here
twenty years
later,
and soon a few missionaries came
out.
1
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* 2
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c«
8 » o 0)
O
fl
N 5! * H g
- ^ £ ftp d < S *% +
B "S
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Ss§
CO
p
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Cfi
307
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
Up rule
to this stage of the conflict, the principal
had been Australian coastwatchers
intrepid souls
who
They reported by inter-island at
opponents of Japanese
—those
risked instant death spying out
extraordinary
and
enemy movements.
tele-radio to their headquarters in
Sydney via an
network which the Imperial forces were unable to silence
any time during the war. They were aided by woolly-headed
Melanesians, the local defense force and one of the better reasons for
our success in that otherwise soporific emerald inferno.
The many-faceted
story of Guadalcanal
of distinguished authors.
We
have
first
is
presented by a number
Nimitz and Potter,
who
tell
us
something of the problems of strategic decision which preceded the invasion,
and of the mounting of "Operation Watchtower" on
crash basis.
a
FLEET ADMIRAL CHESTER Wt NIMITZ AND
POTTER
E. B.
.-'•
I.
THE INVASION
MOUNTED
IS
After Midway, both Admiral Nimitz and General MacArthur were of the opinion that the counteroffensive should be launched
were
difficulties.
Pacific
them
Nimitz, as
Ocean Areas,
Commander
in
.
.
.
There
Chief Pacific Fleet and
controlled the marines, the transports to carry
beachhead, and the carriers and gunnery vessels needed
to the
to support them.
The Solomons however were
within MacArthur's
all
Southwest Pacific Area. Accordingly, Nimitz and MacArthur each, with some reason, insisted that the entire campaign should be under his
command. The
latter
attain the objective.
Marine Division,
Rabaul
moreover had
Give him the
said
fleet
his
and
own its
idea about
carriers
MacArthur, and he would go
in
how
and the
to 1st
and recapture
in a single uninterrupted operation.
There
is
much
to be said for
MacArthur's bold
strategy.
Rabaul
more formidable. With each month of delay it would be harder to capture. Once it was in Allied hands, the Japanese in the Solomons and on Papua would be hopelessly cut off, the threat to Australia and United States-Australia sea communications would was growing
steadily
be entirely removed, and the way would be open for an Allied ad-
vance on the Philippines. But the Navy was unalterably opposed to sending scarce carriers and
its
single division of
amphibious troops
across the reef-strewn, virtually uncharted Solomon Sea into the teeth of a complex of enemy air bases. Later on, with more carriers and
308
.
The Invasion
Mounted
309
— and
more amphibious troops at their disposal naval strategists could afford using them
—
would
Is
more experience in be more daring. They
to
amphibious assaults on the most strongly de-
in fact stage
fended enemy positions using
air
support from carriers only. But
in
the present circumstances they favored the step-by-step approach as
the
more
likely to achieve success
and avoid
disaster.
They
insisted
moreover that Pacific Fleet forces should remain under naval control.
Here was an impasse
that could be settled only in Washington, for
Nimitz and MacArthur was each supreme
was another of the many
in his
difficulties resulting
own
area.
Here
also
from divided command
within a single theater. Should the entire Pacific have been put under a single officer?
There were convincing arguments for such a move.
There were equally strong arguments that with a military front extending from the Aleutians to Australia, the strategic problems of the various areas were on too large a scale for one officer to grasp.
Proponents of the
latter
view decried uncritical adherence to the
command. These advocated
principle of unified
command
unified
only within a geographic entity that gives coherence to operations.
Their opinion
prevailed,
Southwest Pacific Area and Nimitz' Pacific separate and independent
Chiefs of It
MacArthufs Ocean Areas remained
and for better or worse,
commands, responsible only
to the Joint
Staff.
was within the Joint Chiefs
that the differences
a series of conferences, General Marshall
were resolved. In
and Admiral King reached
1942 issued a directive that substantially followed the Navy's proposals. The opening operations, seizure and agreement and on July
2,
occupation of the Santa Cruz Islands, Tulagi, and adjacent positions,
Admiral Nimitz. To
would be under the
strategic control of
command problems
in this first step, the
Pacific
and the Southwest
Pacific
facilitate
boundary between the South
Areas was shifted westward
to
159°
East Longitude, just west of Guadalcanal. As soon as a suitable base
had been secured
in the Tulagi area, the strategic
pass to General MacArthur,
Solomons with a second thrust
who would
—up
the
command would move up the
coordinate a
Papuan Peninsula
to
Salamaua
and Lae. The two Allied advances would then converge on Rabaul. Target date for the
initial
TOWER,
August
was
set for
invasions,
called
Operation
WATCH-
directive,
had almost
1
Admiral Nimitz, anticipating the Joint Chiefs' completed basic planning for Operation
WATCHTOWER by
the
first
310 ^ week
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
in July.
Vice Admiral Ghormley^ as Nimitz' deputy
would exercise
Pacific Area,
with Vice Admiral
strategic control,
Frank Jack Fletcher, of Coral Sea^antf Midway fame,
command
of the Expeditionary Force.
From
South
in the
King's
in
tactical
where he
staff,
had headed the War Plans Division, came Rear Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner to command the Amphibious Force. The 1st Marine Division, which would make the assault, was to be commanded by Major General Alexander A. Vandegrift, who had learned the busi-
ness of fighting in the jungles of Nicaragua and the theory of amphibious warfare on the staff of the Fleet Marine Force.
A
month was
of course an uncomfortably brief period in which to
assemble forces, work out hearsals
for
details,
and complete training and
complex an operation
so
as
an amphibious
Moreover, adequate reinforcements and proper port were hard to
come
November, had top
by.
The invasion
air
re-
assault.
and surface sup-
of North Africa, planned for
priority for everything.
MacArthur's three
sions, assigned to the protection of Australia,
divi-
could not be touched.
South Pacific bases would have to be stripped of part of their defense forces to provide garrison troops to follow
wonder
the
somewhat
up the marines.
baffled participants in
TOWER soon began calling
it
Operation
Little
WATCH-
"Operation Shoestring."
While Fletcher and Turner were conferring with Nimitz
at Pearl
Harbor, there came the
startling
had sighted an
under construction on Guadalcanal. This
airstrip
news
that an
American
formation put a more urgent complexion on the project.
patrol plane in-
WATCHTOWER
Obviously Guadalcanal would have to be included
in
the
Tulagi-Santa Cruz plan, but King and Nimitz would allow no more
than one additional week to prepare for the expanded operation. D-
day was
set definitely for
August
7.
before the Japanese could complete
The airfield had to be captured Whoever first put it into opera-
it.
tion might well be the victor.
In the latter part of July the situation took another turn
when
a
Japanese convoy landed 1,800 troops near Buna, on the Papuan Peninsula directly opposite Port Moresby. This invasion
was a source
of
grave concern to MacArthur, particularly as the Southwest Pacific
Forces had been on the point of occupying the Buna area themselves.
But
in the
South Pacific the news was received with a certain measure
of relief. Japanese attention was focused on the old target of Port Moresby, not upon the end of the Solomons chain. Rabaul was look-
ing southwest instead of southeast. Surprise was possible.
The Invasion
Is
Mounted
311
Steaming from points as widely separated as Wellington, Sydney,
Noumea, San Diego, and the
Pearl Harbor, the various components of
Watchtower Expeditionary Force, some 80
sea on July 26 south of the
aboard
Fijis.
at
Admiral Ghormley, then
Noumea, could not be
He
at
no
over which he exercised a distant control or met
all
shifting his headquarters to fleet
met
all,
Here Admiral Fletcher held council
his flagship, the carrier Saratoga.
time saw the
vessels in
commanders
present.
to discuss operation plans.
After a less than
satisfactory landing rehearsal in the Fijis, the fleet
steamed westward.
his top
In the Coral Sea
it
shaped course due north and headed for Guadal-
canal through rain squalls that grounded
aircraft, including
all
Japa-
nese search patrols.
Guadalcanal, part of the drowned volcanic mountain range forming the Solomons, rises steeply in the south flat.
Only on the north
enough
to provide level
are there plains broad
side of the island
ground for
from a narrow coastal
Here on Lunga
airfields.
Plain,
mostly rain forest traversed by numerous creeks and small rivers and
broken here and there by coconut plantations and grassy
fields,
the
Japanese had landed and begun their airdrome. This was the main Allied objective.
The secondary
objective
was the Japanese seaplane
base in the Tulagi area, 20 miles to the north
.
.
.
RICHARD TREGASKIS, WHOSE GUADALCANAL DIARY was published while correspondent, was
Guadalcanal.
He
its
author was an International
News
aboard one of the transports standing
reconstructs D-Day.
Service in
to
RICHARD TREGASKIS
2.
THE LANDINGS
Friday, August 7 It
was no trouble
to get
benefit of alarm clock, for
up
at four o'clock this
my mind
morning, without
had been trained for
this
day for
a long time.
Everyone was calm our objective by
at breakfast.
this time,
under the Jap shore guns. without any action
made
probably
And
We knew we
must be very near
moment passing that we had got
at the
the fact
us feel strangely secure, as
if
directly this
getting
up
far at
four o'clock in the morning and preparing to force a landing on the
enemy shore were morning
in the
the perfectly normal things to
South Seas.
We
had
a
do of an August
heavy breakfast and passed a
normally humorous conversation.
Up
on the deck the
situation
was the same. Everyone seemed ready
jump at the first boom of a gun, but there was little excitement. The thing that was happening was so unbelievable that it seemed like to
a dream.
We
were slipping through the narrow neck of water between
Guadalcanal and Savo Islands; we were practically inside Tulagi Bay, almost past the Jap shore batteries, and not a shot had been
On
the deck marines lined the starboard
rail,
fired.
and strained
their
eyes and pointed their field glasses toward the high, irregular dark
mass that lay beyond the sheen of the water, beyond the silently moving shapes that were our accompanying ships. The land mass was Guadalcanal Island. The sky was
312
still
dark; there was yet no pre-
313
The Landings dawn
mountains were quite
but the rugged black
glow,
distinct
against the lighter sky.
There was not much talking among the usually vivacious marines. The only sounds were the swish of water around our ship, the slight noises of men moving about on the forward deck.
Up on
the bridge
I
found the
calm than the
ship's officers less
marines. Theirs was the worry of getting the ship to anchorage with-
out her being sunk, and they seemed high-strung and incredulous. "I can't believe it,"
one lieutenant said to me. "I wonder
can be that dumb. Either they're very dumb, or
But there was no and the sky began
the Japs
any tricks as we plowed on into the bay,
sign of
to
if
a trick."
it's
throw
light
ahead of
us,
and we could see even
the misty outline of Tulagi and the Florida group of islands squatting to the east
Now
and north.
the rugged
mass of Guadalcanal Island, on our
right (to the
south), was growing more distinct, and the sharp shoulders of the
high mountains could be seen. But there was no sign of any firing
from shore, nor were any enemy planes spotted. Suddenly, from the bridge,
I
saw a
brilliant
yellow-green flash of
on our starboard bow.
light
coming from the gray shape of a
saw
the red pencil-lines of the shells arching through the sky,
cruiser
flashes
on the dark shore of Guadalcanal where they
later I
heard the b-rroom-boom of the cannonading.
been ready for
that,
but was nervous enough, so that
struck. I
I
A
I
saw
second
should have
jumped
at the
sound.
Our
I
Two firing. off,
way The time was 6:14.
naval barrage, which was to pave the
begun.
looked at
minutes
my
watch.
later, a cruiser astern
and
to
There were the same greenish-yellow
the
shells struck shore, a terrifying
had
our starboard side began flashes as the salvo
same red rockets arching across the
where the
for our landing,
went
sky, geysers of red fires
rumble and
boom
of the
explosion.
Now, into the
and
fore
aft,
the
two cruisers were hurling salvo
Guadalcanal shore.
It
was fascinating
to
after salvo
watch the apparent
slowness with which the shells, their paths marked out against the sky in
red
fire,
curved through the
air.
Distance, of course, caused that
apparent slowness. But the concussion of the
our ship and
stirred
firing
shook the deck of
our trousers legs with sudden gusts of wind,
despite the distance.
At 6:17,
straight,
slim lines of tracer bullets, a sheaf of them,
showered from the bay
in
toward the shore, and simultaneously we
)
314
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
heard the sound of plane motors. Our planes were
though
we could
in the half-light
not
strafing,
make out
we knew,
the shapes of the
aircraft.
Then
more showers
there were
and- sheaf s of tracers needling into
and we could see the red
the dark land-mass,
lines
forming into
shallow V's, as after they struck into their targets, they ricocheted into the
A
off
hills.
moment
later
my
heart skipped a beat as
saw red showers of
I
machine-gun tracers coming from low on the shore and apparently
Was
shooting seaward at an angle toward our ships. ing
fire
of the Japs?
Was
this the
answer-
Was
this the
heavier firing going to follow?
beginning of the fireworks?
The answer was not seconds
later,
it
looked more
Whatever the
firing
When
clear.
was,
was repeated a few
the firing
like ricochet
than
it
had before.
stopped shortly after that, and from
it
then on, there was no visible Jap resistance.
At 6:19 another later other
cruiser,
dead ahead of
us,
began
warships joined, and the flash of their
firing.
firing,
A
moment
and the arcs
of their flying shells, illumined the sky over a wide span ahead.
Other ships of our force turned to the
left
—
the group under Gen. Rupertus
—had
toward Tulagi, and there were the heavy reports of
cannonading coming from them now.
At 6:28,
noticed a brilliant white spot of
I
and watched fascinated, wondering what
it
into a spreading sheet of red flame. Planes
forth like "It's a
flies
"They were
Now fiery
it
was, while
it
burgeoned
were moving back and
ship's officer standing next to
were leveled on the flames. "Planes did
it,"
me. His he
said.
strafing."
the sheet of red flame
and then
on the water ahead,
over the spot.
Jap ship," said the
glasses
field
fire
was creeping out
into a long, thin line,
was mounting higher and higher
into a sort of low-slung,
we watched
the flames while the din
pyramid. For long minutes
of our thundering naval guns increased and reached a climax around us.
Ahead
of us, to the
left
of the
still
brightly burning Jap ship,
a bright, white pinpoint of light blink into existence.
head
light riding
It
I
saw
was a mast-
atop the Australian cruiser which had led our pro-
cession into the bay. (The Canberra, sunk in subsequent naval action
Solomon Islands area. ship was still moving forward, however, and the flaming ship ahead was growing nearer. In the light of the red-orange flames we in the
Our
315
The Landings could see that Possibly
deck
it
was not
was 120
it
and that
a large ship,
feet long.
"What kind
it
was low
of ship
in the water.
is
it?"
it
was
asked a
I
officer.
"They say
But
a torpedo boat," he said.
it's
schooner which had been carrying a load of
fact
in
and gasoline
oil
a
—whence
the flames.
Our dive-bombers were swooping low over
the beach. In the grow-
you could see the color of the explosions where bombs
ing daylight
were landing. Some, which struck
edge of the water, had a
at the
bluish tinge. Others, hitting farther back in the sand and earth, were
darker.
As
The incandescent
the planes dived, they were strafing.
their tracers struck into the
ward the sky
Our
to
lines of
ground, then bent back ricocheting to-
form the now-familiar shallow V.
ship and one other, the vanguard of the transport
and stopped. Immediately, the davits began
fleet,
slowed
to clank as the boats
were lowered away. There were a hubbub of shouts and the sound of
many men moving about
the ship.
engine began to chuff and puff.
It
On
the forward deck, a
donkey
was time for the beginning of our
landing adventure. It
was
daylight, but
ahead the mass of flames that was the burning
Jap boat glowed as brightly as explosions, as
A
burning
we watched,
oil slick
the thought crossed
ship
fire
—probably
my mind
that
there
if
alive
had been anyone
and the other transports had swung bow-in toward
to the tune of clinking davits. All
the muffled
thrumming
around
that each boat carried a small
American
It
sailor
leaned over the
landing boats to
come
and out
rail
was cheering
at
to see
flag at the stern.
Troops, a mass of moving green uniforms,
A
More were on the us, we could hear
of engines; boats were cutting in
every angle, circling, sliding close alongside.
deck.
And alive
now.
Guadalcanal, and landing boats were in the water.
way down
gasoline tanks.
spread across the water astern of the boat.
aboard that ship, he certainly was not
Our
dark of night. There were new
in the
within the
jammed
with a signal
the forward
flag,
beckoning
up beside the rope nets that served as dis-
mounting ladders. There was something peaceful about the bustle of activity.
For
a
moment one almost
forgot about the Japs
be waiting on shore with machine guns and
who might
artillery to blast us
we came in for a landing. Our accompanying cruisers, which had stopped
out of
the water as
firing for
moments, were opening up again. One, lying astern and
to
a
our
few star-
316 ^ board
was sending salvo
side,
column shells
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive dark point of land.
after salvo into a
A
smoke was rising from the spot where the And as we watched, the base of the column
of dense black
were landing.
glowed red and orange, and the boom of a distant explosion came to us.
We knew
dump had been
a gasoline or oil
flames continued to soar at the base of the
new
time to time there were
hit,
because the red
smoke column, and from
explosions, so that the flames leaped
momentarily higher into the sooty black smoke.
walked among the troops gathered on the forward deck, and
I
found them
which had
much
silent
filled
and nervous
—
the few preceding days. There did not
to say, although a
and song
a contrast to the gaiety
seem
to be
few lads came up with the inevitable, "Well,
this is it."
The
first
of our marines clambered over the rail and
the rope nets into the boats.
The boats
pulled
swung down
away and more came
•
up, and the seeping waterfall of marines continued to slide over the side. I
got
word
around the still
that
ship.
it
was time for me
pasting shells into the landscape.
where the bombardment had fire
to debark.
Toward Guadalcanal
shore,
On
I
I
took one
look
could see the cruisers
the point of land
set afire a fuel
last
dump,
(Kukum) a new
was
there
now: two columns of smoke instead of one. From Tulagi-way,
across the bay, one could hear the sounds of heavy cannonading.
The
landing must be going ahead there.
THE FIRST OF THE BLOODY SEA BATTLES OCCURRED ON the night of August 9 in Savo
inflicted
vaders,
upon
— narrow body — and was worst
Sound
between Guadalcanal and Tulagi
the
of water
defeat ever
the
the United States Navy. Determined to oust the in-
Rear Admiral Gunichi Mikawa, Commander Outer South down a task force of five heavy cruisers, two
Seas Force, brought light cruisers
and a destroyer from Rabaul,
his
headwaters of the Solomons. Simultaneously, the 25th Air Flotilla were sent
Mikawa took two days Slot into
to
mighty base near the
all
available aircraft of
off for
repeated air strikes.
make
the voyage, emerging
Savo Sound shortly before midnight of the
can transport George F.
Elliot,
9th.
from The
The Ameri-
which had been struck by bombs and
<'
..
7
319
The Landings
prematurely abandoned by her merchant crew, provided an excellent
beacon for the enemy task
American communication to with a vengeance.
The
half the crews
erally,
formation
at the
ternately took
Aided by
its
glow and by countless
Mikawa's expert gunners turned-
Allied warships were at Condition II (gen-
at
Battle
Stations), patrolling in
a boxlike
approaches to the Sound. Undetected, Mikawa
al-
on our Southern and Northern Forces, shattering our
cruisers with torpedoes fire
force.
failures,
and simultaneously with
that sank heavy cruisers
HMAS
a terrific
volume of
Canberra, as well as Astoria,
Quincy and Vincennes. More than one thousand seamen went
to their
deaths.
Caught by
ing
on the Southern Group, during which he torpedoed Chicago
fire
and turned
HMAS
surprise, the ships never
Canberra
hours) into a floating pyre,
(this
had a chance. After open-
warship and Astoria lingered a few
Mikawa engaged
the unsuspecting North-
ern Force and his gunnery was equally effective.
We
have two narratives of the savage
correspondent Joe James Custer, toria,
battle;
by United Press war
who was aboard
the ill-fated As-
and by newspaperman Richard Newcomb, who gives
matic account of the events aboard Vincennes and Astoria.
a dra-
JOE JAMES CUSTER r
ORDEAL
ASTORIA'S
I
was awakened by the
of the loud-speaker in I
just I
went
~,7
strident, rapid notes of the bugle blaring
my
cabin, and
I
out
Why,
thought: "G.Q. already?
to bed!"
was warm and relaxed and comfortable under
hesitated to get up;
I
the sheets,
and
I
never did for the routine pre-dawn General
Quarters, anyway.
—
The bugle ran on it sounded perhaps a dozen notes, then smash! The ship lurched violently under a crushing impact.
TORPEDO!
My head jerked off the pillow, A vivid, yellow flare flashed
with that thought.
through the openings of the green
curtain over the door; almost simultaneously, the yellow flash slats
lit
the
of the porthole.
in action! The Japs! Even as my bare feet hit the deck, I concentrated on the most rapid way to dress. Pants first: I pulled them off the chair, wiggled into
We're
them.
head
I
I
reached for the flame-proof jacket, and as suddenly "knew" something:
"knew" something It
was
else, too:
there, as vivid
I
I
"knew"
"knew"
and clear
as
that
I
would get
hurt. I
would not get
killed.
clear
had a vague hope, perhaps a prayer, that
320
I
it
though someone had told me;
was so I
my
pulled
I
gone.
grasped frantically
over
I
that
at the thought:
Where? But it
it
it
was
might be around
321
Astoria's Ordeal
my
somewhere; that would be
hips,
be a permanent
less likely to
injury.
The premonition accomplished something: and calm: What is to be, is to be. I
fumbled
pushed I
my
my
dark for
in the
shoes
I
— no
was suddenly cool
I
stepped quickly out onto the deck and into the blinding glare of a
searchlight. Vaguely,
I
was conscious of bodies huddled on the deck,
mumbled
of an overtone of muffled sounds, like
prayers.
There was the crash of an exploding shell right around and the sudden me,
As
time for socks.
feet into them, the ship lurched again.
rat-tat-tat of
couldn't see them, but
about I
could hear them whistling by and spattering
I
overhead.
I
ducked
I
must
—
dead stop
and realized how
instinctively,
my
get
jacket,
life
the half-dozen steps to
and
make
the Astoria
my
steel
—but
amidships! Less than
fire,
on the catapults, shrouded
There were
The Jap
ship
life
had
He'll
know what
jackets near by,
shifted her searchlight a
flood of light
was now
on the No. 2
turret.
slightly
The
enemy. Her silhouette suggested a
wondered
if
my
at a distance
it,
I
do
.
.
.
I
turned back.
feet; its bright
made out
cruiser.
white
the
She was
dim
slightly I
to
be
lines of the
forward of
judged.
and the flames belched out of her guns;
eyes were playing tricks:
Our forward guns
fierce crackling; the
about 5,000 yards,
see the shells in mid-air, red blocks
smoke, floating toward
feet
was powerful, appeared
searchlight
fired again, just then,
few
to a
fifty
forward of the superstructure, playing
perhaps a thirty-six-incher; behind
our starboard beam,
to
came
in flame.
remembered, so
I
took
quickly.' I
the turn around the cabin and
was on
McKnight! Where's Mac?
gesture was.
futile the
helmet
away, the flames were leaping high; there was a outlines of the planes
She
all
ears,
popcorn sprayed up against the inside walls of a cage.
like steel
off the
unseen fragments ricochetting
my
I
thought
wrapped
in
I
I
could actually
an aura of burning
us.
roared, and there was the earsplitting crash of
the massive eight-inchers.
The flames appeared light; I realized that
bright yellow in the glare of the white search-
was what
I
saw
in
my
cabin, our guns going
off.
The deck heaved from the concussion, and the acrid smoke of gunpowder filled my nostrils. Behind me, I sensed, rather than heard,
322
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
someone
man on
falling; I
turned around to
make
out the shadowy form of a
his knees, struggling to regainHiis feet
on the heaving deck.
Mac! I
u
stepped over and grabbed his arm:
"No,
that
you?"
me, Ray. Ray Woods."
it's
"You
Mac,
hurt, kid?"
"No, I'm
all
right."
He was up on
now, and steady.
his feet
shouted in his ear:
I
"Where's Mac?" "I don't
know,
haven't seen him."
I
"I'm going in to get a I
life
jacket. Better
come
along."
walked quickly into the radio shack, caught a glimpse of a
towering mass of flame just ahead of the Astoria; a gigantic ball of
matchbox had been
crimson flame.
ignited,
it
seemed
as
though
and mushroomed into one vast
learned afterward that this was the Quincy, as
I
a torpedo crashed into her ammunition hold.
There were a half-dozen men where officer.
Johnny Datko was
down?"
He
I
and
there,
strung up on the bulkhead,
suggested to the
was
I
was, and a young junior
I
glad.
noted with
I
"We
officer.
The
relief.
life
jackets were
"Better get them
might be needing them."
pulled out a jackknife and climbed up on the settee to reach the
bundle.
We
huddled
in a
group below, waiting for them.
"Anybody hurt?" Johnny "Yeah,
I
think
I
asked.
got a scratch," one striker said quietly.
Apparently Johnny didn't hear him, for he asked again: "Anybody hurt?" I
nudged Johnny and pointed
The j.g. was still Would he never get
to the youngster.
fumbling with the cords binding the
life
jackets.
them down? Johnny pulled the pointed his flashlight.
gleam of
light,
striker's
A
shirt
down
off
his
right
arm, and
shiny bit of shrapnel reflected an angry
then the blood covered
it
up from
little
sight.
"Just a scratch, you'll be O.K."
We
jostled against each other,
and
I
had the
feeling the ship
wheeling to port; an explosion near by shook us up. The jarred off the settee, and the
life
j.g.
was was
jackets cascaded after him.
Simultaneously our lights went out, and Johnny switched on his flashlight,
again.
By
gave cool, calm orders. In a few minutes the that time
we
lights
went on
noticed that the Jap searchlight had penetrated
—
323
Astoria's Ordeal
room: the starboard porthole had been sprung by the concus-
into the sion.
As we
struggled into the
kapok
power
jackets, the
failed again;
once more the room was plunged into darkness. "Secure the watch
on the equipment," Johnny ordered.
"It's
failed."
We were wedged in tightly, shoulder to shoulder, Datko on my left, Tommy on my right; I was struggling into my life jacket when there was an
earsplitting crash
Tommy
moaned.
Johnny pointed
and the room
I felt
with flying shrapnel.
filled
his hands jerking
his flashlight at the
up
to clutch at his back.
we caught
sound, and
he started slipping to the deck, laid him out on the
were
glassy;
kidneys
through pain-tightened
he
lips
the sailor as
His eyes
settee.
"Kidneys
gasped:
." .
.
we turned him on his extreme pain told its own
Pulling his shirt up out of his dungarees,
stomach. There was no blood, but his story.
Six inches to the
Just then as
on the back of
left,
I
bent over
I
my
from a switch had blown shell
exploded.
back;
I
would have been me.
some
felt
my
it
hot, flaky substance
burned, then stopped
hands went around
my
neck;
I
couldn't
"Flying bits of shattered tubes, probably."
Johnny was busy with
sailor's
Tommy,
it
neck; for a second or two
abruptly. Apprehensively, feel anything:
thought, and
its
his flashlight: off its
he found a cast-metal cover
mounting on the bulkhead when the
That undoubtedly was what had penetrated the round, smooth contour explained
why no blood had
shown. "His ribs
may be
broken, though,
1 '
Johnny whispered.
"Lungs?" "Guess they're O.K. He's quieted down considerably. Let's get
him
Tommy made
it,
wobbly, but indicating he could travel under his
own power. There was another
casualty, but a
minor one: a
shrapnel in a striker's arm, just above his shoulder. off attention: "I'll
A
try to
to his feet."
The
bit of
kid shrugged
be O.K."
rapid glance told us what had happened: a shell had penetrated
the steel bulkhead
on the starboard
large chart desk, then continued
crossed
my mind
that
some
side,
completely wrecked the
on through the portside bulkhead.
of us, in this group, might die;
by a miracle that we had survived, for the
shell
it
It
was only
might have exploded
324
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
in the
room and wiped
us
out.
all
The Japs were using
hard-steel,
high-penetration shells which ripped through steel plates like cheese
before exploding. There was a gaping hole, large and terrible, where
had entered; through
the shell
we 'saw
it,
the darting flames of the
fire
raging on the gun deck below.
"We'd
better get out of here,"
we go?" he
"Where'll
was
suggested to the
I
j.g.
one place
retorted, his tone indicating that
good, or as bad, as another, considering the circum-
just as
stances.
persisted: "Apparently they've got the range
I
main deck,
the side from the
We in the
And
any other place can't be worse.
ture, so
moving
started
in
if
we have
an orderly group, inching forward to the hole
trapped. But nothing happened, so
by the
shell, the
unknown even
jagged opening
still
to himself,
the deck again,
I
wondered
we squeezed through
warm
if
we were
the hole
left
For some
to the touch.
Datko crawled through the wreck-
age of the door, which was crumpled by the
Out on
on the superstruc-
be easier to go over
to."
bulkhead, wary of possible explosions.
reason
it'll
we saw
fires
blast.
raging
about
all
us,
on the
decks below. Amidships, the Astoria was one mass of flame.
A
congestion developed on the ladder, and there were warnings:
"Take
it
easy,
now; take your time
In the dark,
we
Johnny turned on
"Turn out
felt
—no crowding."
our way from one step down to the next;
his flashlight.
that light!" a voice yelled
from below. "Want
to give the
Japs a target?"
"With the whole ship on
fire,"
Johnny muttered,
flicking his light
out.
There was
little
conversation, and that was carried on in low,
disconnected whispers, as though even voices might attract Jap
There was a tering over
bastards
On
little
swearing, too.
and over: "The
I
could
Goddam
make out
shells.
Curley's low mut-
Japs, the bastards!
The
dirty
." .
.
the communications deck, at the foot of the ladder, a bottle-
neck developed as the the superstructure.
sailors
huddled close together
There was no place
in the shelter of
to go.
Off our port quarter, a Jap warship had her searchlight playing on us,
and her guns were
shells fell short.
One
illumination charges.
flashing.
Geysers of water spouted where the
them was a vivid blue; somebody was using Our heavy guns were answering, again and
of
325
Astoria's Ordeal
and the Astoria shook with the concussions. The acrid smell of
again,
gunpowder was heavy;
could hear the crackling of the
at times, I
flames amidships.
A crimson
string of tracers
and arched over
ship,
reached out from somewhere
to the Japs
— and
another.
aft of
our
Then an answering
rosary of death spurted from the enemy's decks.
The onds walls. air,
Jap's heavy guns continued firing
later,
Then
by detonations,
—red
flashes, followed, sec-
thunder through closed
like the clap of
the massive, shapeless blotches of crimson floating in mid-
and again
I
wondered was :
I
actually seeing shells in mid-air?
some men were on
Directly in front of us,
the move, to the forward
part of the ship. Davidson, the communications officer,
and paused
directly in front of
forward: "How's
He
me,
me
moved
in the din, so I
look?"
it
answered something
I
couldn't hear, and
moved
off,
back for the shelter of the superstructure, when
started
by,
his eyes searching the superstruc-
him, but he didn't hear
ture. I called to
came
I
forward.
I
noticed a
on the edge of the communications deck kneeling: he was
sailor
playing a hose on the gun deck below.
moved forward and looked
I
over his shoulder.
A
"ready box" was
afire.
and containing
of steel,
About
the size of a steamer trunk, built
shells for the five-inch guns,
with a rubber mat which was smoldering.
on the mat, but and
was covered hose
off.
The
sailor
moved away
with the hose,
edged forward for a better view of the flaming gun deck
I
below
.
.
.
There was a tremendous white crimson spurts
flaring
shrapnel on
sides
pain in
all
my left
Perhaps
I
eye
.
.
.
.
in .
I
all
flash
—
directions.
and suddenly
.
a huge sheet of flame I
I felt
a hot, piercing stab of
I
don't know. But in that instant
was hurt
—my
my
I
knew
eye.
stood there stolidly for a long moment, then
slowly moving up to
— then
heard the whir-whir of
shooting stars sprayed in violent streaks.
cried out,
what had happened. I
it
sailor played the
few minutes the stream grew feeble, stopped
in a
power was
altogether; the
The
face, hesitantly, for I
I
was
felt
my
hands
afraid to find
out.
My cheek.
fingers felt the "I'll
warm,
sticky blood,
never see Hawaii again
In that instant,
I
remembered
and
I
wiped them down
my
turned
my
." .
.
the flying shrapnel, so
I
—
326 ^
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
back on
towards the group
my
felt
I
I
had
just left.
hands contacting the human wall, and
arms: "Are you hurt?
was Datko's
It
my arms
and walked unseeing ahead, reaching out with
it
Who
voice,
my
on
fingers
^"' is
it?"
and
was glad of
I
we had been good
that;
friends.
me, Johnny. Custer."
"It's
my
realized
I
so that his ear brushed
Johnny. Think
it's
my
my
lips; I
good
deeply;
my
to hold onto
was
I
still
more
me and
aware there might be another explosion, and kept
was glad
I'd
If
it
came,
it
would be
picked up the kapok
"Serves you right, not having a helmet."
once that a helmet would have done
comes only part way down stood there, and lost
shoulders,
My
again. .
."
.
... And I
that
I
I
jacket; that
life
berated myself:
I
realized almost at
good, for the protection
track of time, with the
if
my
arms on Datko's
shrapnel would strike is
how
it
feels to die
rebuked myself for being a sentimentalist:
I
wasn't going to get killed, I
easier to catch
the forehead, does not cover the eyes.
all
apprehensively wondering
premonition
And
me no
thoughts began to wander: "So this
Angrily,
all right."
stood there inhaling
I
might stop some shrapnel. But no helmet
I
"Custer,
loudly:
hold on. You'll be
something firm, and
back toward the gun deck.
in the back. I
it
repeated,
eye."
"Here, put your arms around It felt
down
voice was a low whisper, for he bent his head
I
remembered; and
as
knew
I
recalled the
I
grew calm again, steadied down.
suddenly became angry and
ler!" Instinctively,
my
bitter:
"That sonofabitch Hit-
madman
resentment was against him: "That
paperhanger—-murderer! The dead, the suffering
all
over the world
the sonofabitch!"
There was a movement as the group surged forward a hissed over his shoulder: here."
Immersed
in
my
"Easy, take
thoughts,
I
it
easy; there's a
.
.
.
eyes
when
thoughts:
it
came
cally, I felt all right;
pain around
to going over the side?
"How do
my
your legs feel?" They
no
dizziness,
forehead, but
there in silence, waiting.
it
hurt
." .
.
began to wonder, then, about what lay ahead: how would
around,
my
man
was only vaguely conscious of the
undertone of queries, and the answers: "The reporter I
Johnny
bit;
Johnny seemed felt
I
get
to read
strong, firm. Physi-
no nausea. There was a rim of
wasn't severe.
Then Datko spoke
We
continued to stand
to the group:
"We'd
on moving out of here pretty soon,
better figure
dying
down
a
fellows; the fires are
little."
His voice was steady and reassuring; he took pains to
move
every
in
advance: "Think you can walk
move forward, around Hold on
the fo'c'sle.
my
shoulders and
me, and take
to
it
few minutes
seamen followed later,
arms on
easy. Here, put your
with me."
and
Carefully, he shuffled backward,
ing of feet as the
I
moved
ahead, trying to
heard the scrap-
I
us.
Johnny halted: "Right before us
is
a big crack
about a foot wide. Be careful to step clear over
in the deck,
of
somewhere near
the deck house, and try to get
move
me
tell
right? Fine. We'll
all
from a mental picture of our position; behind me,
A
327
Ordeal
Astoria's*
you
it,
could twist an ankle."
had an
I
down and briefly, I
idea:
"Wait a minute." While he held me,
caught a glimpse of a jagged tear in the deck.
with one long step.
We moved
.
.
.
behind the No. 2
had seen with
I
my
my
eyes
around: "Sit
down
it." It felt
was conscious,
steel. .
here.
You're
good
.
perhaps everything was
di-
to rest
was conscious of a vast
I .
then Johnny
feet,
almost under
right eye
everything would be
more
on, a few
me
back against the heavy
I
head
right eye:
shut
I
turret,
stopped again and backed rectly
too:
my
and with Johnny holding me by the elbow, cleared the crack
again,
my
my
put
I
with both hands tried opening the eyelids of
relief,
all
right
all right.
too, that the ship
had not stopped shuddering;
explosion after explosion rocked the Astoria, there was a constant
shock of concussion.
I
couldn't
were being still pummeled by Jap gunpowder fumes, and it became breathe. In the background, fires
on the
I
our guns were
tell if
shells.
The
if
we
was heavy with
air
more
increasingly
or
firing,
difficult
to
could hear the roar and crackling of
ship.
"I'm going to leave you for a few minutes," Johnny trying to cut
down some
life rafts,
and
I'll
give
them
"They're
said.
Be
a hand.
right
back." I
felt
he came close to adding, "Don't go away," but checked
himself.
He
away very
wasn't
activity
long,
and he brought news: "There's a
on the main deck below, around the No.
bringing the
wounded down around
for you. Here, let
A moment
me
later,
there,
help you up. We'll try
he told
me we were
and
I
1
turret.
think
it'll
lot of
They're
be better
it."
going
down
the side. "There's
328 -
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
a boom right here, under your feet, peel it? We'll climb down on it." He placed my feet on the bar. "Now, take it easy, I'll hold on to you." The boom slanted at a steep arigk, but by carefully sliding one foot after the other,
moment
made
I
brushing by. "Look out for
were
my
open again dungarees
to
gauge the
sitting
me
to I
on the deck,
still
of
a
men
words
to be careful
pried
my
and saw a tubby, round-faced
steps,
eyelids
sailor in
bare legs stretched out before him
his
hung by shreds, below the knee;
the right leg
stood
leg," a voice said, near by; the
immediately before us;
sitting
We
difficulty.
movement around me,
Johnny whispered
tense, filled with pain.
going past the sailor
—
without
it
to get our bearings; I felt
dungarees were
his
blood-soaked.
My me
stomach turned within me;
my
shut
I
We made
carefully, shuffling along.
was a sudden crushing explosion
and Johnny steered
eyes,
a turn to the
We
right over us.
— and
left
other tightly, as the deck heaved and shuddered under our
thought
we were going down,
there
held on to each feet.
I
but Johnny tightened his grip on me,
and we remained upright, swaying. There was a ringing vibration that pulsated in painful waves.
We
in
my
ears, a
waited fearfully for an-
other blast.
None came, and we resumed our slow
shuffling.
Johnny backed me
my
back resting against a heavy
chain; a few minutes later, he prodded
me forward and slipped somemy backbone and the anchor
and
into a sitting position,
I
felt
thing that felt like a pillow between chain.
we were goners, that time," he said. "Guess the No. 2 just as we were right under the barrel. Boy, I couldn't see
"I thought turret fired,
a thing, and
As
I
couldn't hear a thing.
opened
I
my
eyes
pantomime, soundless ally the
were
boom! boom!
still
firing,
and
I
the
My
ears are
still
ringing."
panorama before me appeared
at first with the ringing in
my
ears, but gradu-
of gunfire began to penetrate again.
wondered
if
the shells
in
The Japs
would come our way.
Tracers hung from our fantail to the Jap, and back again; star shells
exploded spasmodically
—
the
big guns
belched flames, again and
again. I
how
wondered it
seeing
I
the Japs
would rake our
fo'c'sle,
and
I
wondered
would feel to have my head torn off, sitting there and not Death come roaring through the darkness. If I have to go, I
thought, end,
if
let it
be
like that
recalled that that
—
quickly.
.
.
.
Feeling that this might be the
was the time your
life
was supposed
to pass
329
Astoria's Ordeal before you in swift retrospect, and so
beach
had
Waikiki
at
clear-cut
—and
—nothing
prompted
to
right
—
seemed
else
my
imagination; but
to
nothing more
register,
abandoned the attempt. More strongly than
I
was going
the feeling that everything
had
to
be
ever, I
all right. I felt
that
it
end sometime, and that was a comforting thought: "That's has to end sometime,
it
There was constant
my
I
could grasp was a vague mental picture of the palm trees and the
all I
open for
eyelids
it
can't go
men, many of them lying on
moaned, but more
on forever."
movement about me, and occasionally I pried brief glimpses. The fo'c'sle was jammed with their
was
often there
backs.
Occasionally,
someone
"Look
out, take
a quiet reminder:
—
this man's hurt." gun roared somewhere. Suddenly, the Jap searchlight went out and the sea was black again where it had been bright in the spotlight and the lightning of gunfire. In the new darkness, the flames from
it
easy
A
amidships leaped high, and
caught glimpses of them licking the
I
superstructure. I
that
wondered reminded
anyone
if
the after part of the Astoria
me
of the superstructure
up there?
alive
It
was
silent
had been shot away, and
and the bridge
:
could there be
and ominous; what about the
skipper?
Voice near by: "There's no water pressure,
you
the
some rescue crews organized at once! Go Captain's cabin and remove the wounded! Remove them
down below
to the
before the
fire
the skipper
shrill,
was
get
down
spreads
His voice was
know
all
the Captain's voice, out of the darkness of the bridge: "Will
officers
down
we've tried
mains must be out."
valves. Fire
Then
sir;
there!"
anxious; but
it
was comforting
to hear him, to
alive!
There were hurried orders about
Johnny whispered: "I'm going
down
us,
and the
to help; be
shuffling of feet.
back
as soon as I
can."
The
Captain's voice again:
brigades, and help check these
Again hurried orders, the absence of gunfire bustling of
raged.
A
"Some of you officers organize The water mains are out!"
fire
fires!
clattering of feet. I sat back,
and the
everything seem more cheerful, the wondered how long the battle had had no idea; I was just thankful it
somehow made
men, more hopeful.
half-hour?
An
hour?
I
I
was over. I
had the uneasy thought that perhaps the Japs were even then
* Guadalcanal and
330
the
a
maneuvering
to close in
on
Northward Drive
us, to
come
alongside and shell at point-
blank range.
Then
I
began
to realize that I was^aeJiing all over; I felt hot
and
The acrid smell was deep in my nostrils, I began to nauseated. As Johnny returned, I grabbed his arm. "I'm gonna cold in turn.
my
sick to
"You
stomach. Get
can't
me
over to the
move," Johnny
feet.
Again I
.
"There
said.
get
quick!" a square foot of
isn't
—
all jammed with wounded. Here, get to Open your mouth. Take a deep breath. Another one.
space anywhere around here
your
rail,
feel
."
.
stood gulping and gasping, and the choking in
although the
was
air
my
throat subsided
and heavy with gunpowder and burning
foul
paint.
"The flames
"We
are under control around the fo'c'sle,"
used buckets and helmets and everything
And you
hands on.
should have seen the helmets!
were so badly smashed up they had no shape he was knocked cold, and
chunk are
his
helmet twisted
of shrapnel or something
shot away.
Every gun
I
—but
saw
is
it
said.
saw three
I
One guy
at all. all
Johnny
we could
else
told
lay
that
me
out of shape, by a
saved his
All the rafts
life.
a shambles,
the five-inchers,
too."
On
his
way below
to help with the
he could barely stand
it,
wounded, the decks were so hot
and he wondered how the injured could
hold up. In the Captain's cabin the smoke was thick, and he had to stick his
inside;
head out the door and gulp
some
of the
men were wearing
"I stumbled onto a cot with a
unconscious.
in fresh air before
Somebody
said he
gas masks.
wounded man on
he seemed to be
it;
had a badly injured back. Both
hands were badly burned, the top layers of skin peeled
Johnny motioned
up
the cot
to stop
to a couple of sailors for help,
and headed for the door; but
and take out the end
must have been wanted us
terrific
—he
to hurry, hurry!
he could duck
sticks; the
it
off
.
and they picked
was too narrow:
man came
his
." .
to,
"We had
and the pain
kept waving his arms as though he
Or maybe he wanted
to help get the cot
through, but of course he couldn't. God, he must have been in awful pain!"
After what seemed like ages, they
passageway, out to the
fo'c'sle,
made
it
up the narrow iron
and deposited the cot
there.
"There's a destroyer coming up alongside," Johnny interrupted his
331
Astoria's Ordeal
"Probably to take the wounded
story.
Here,
off.
get going.
let's
I'll
get
you aboard."
He moved me my
cautiously backward, step by step, and
to tie up, then suddenly
and started
went
off.
felt the
I
"Came alongside, Maybe they think we'll
back. But the destroyer had
railing against
left:
blow up and take 'em with us." That was something the
No.
locker; a
there could
fire
no desire for a
"We may
ammunition depot for
directly beneath us.
blow
"The smoking lamp
passed:
make
else to think about: the
was almost
turret
1
is
whole bow. The word was
off the
out."
So was the paint
meant nothing
It
me
to
—
had
I
cigarette.
have to swim for
Johnny observed. "Think you could
it,"
it?"
"Where's the nearest land?"
He
turned
me
about-face, and
my
opened
I
moment:
eyes for a
perhaps three miles away, the outline of land was dimly discernible.
Guadalcanal? Johnny thought I
thought
But
ship
make
could
my
legs felt strong,
from
.
foe.
And
—
we
yet
my
head
clear.
perhaps Japs mopping up.
moving about
ships were those vague forms
telling friend .
it;
might be, although he wasn't certain.
was a dismal prospect: sharks
it
Whose
No
I
it
.
"Don't you worry about anything," Johnny advised. with you in the water. Here,
let's
see
His investigation revealed that the "horse-collar"
put
it
By and
darkness?
in the
couldn't stay on the burning
on
if
your
life
inside. Patiently,
jacket
my
had put
is
on
right
tight."
jacket on backward:
he untied the
strings,
and
I
correctly.
this
let
was
I
"I'll stick
time
it
was
raining, a cold, driving rain.
the water run
down my
on
face and
refreshing. I recalled the saying that
it
I
my
opened
my mouth
tongue, cool and
generally rains after a battle:
the concussions of the big guns disturb elements in the atmosphere
much
as thunder
was welcome, for
and it
lightning.
Whatever the cause, the downpour fires might be quenched
provided hope that the
aboard the Astoria. For about an hour,
it
rained,
and
controlling the fires topside. It grew steadily colder, too,
it
did help
and
I
found
myself shivering and chilled.
Johnny had
left
to
help with the bucket brigade and first-aid
groups, and returned with a corps
on the
fo'c'sle,
man who was
with the aid of a flashlight.
treating the wounded The corps man swabbed
332
my
^ Guadalcanal and
Northward Drive
the
eye with a wet cloth, then painted carefully with iodine;
stung
it
briefly.
"The Bagley
come alongside pretty soon," he said. "Get them bandage on when you go 'aboard. You're all right for
put a
to
will
now." leaned back against the railing and relaxed. The Bagley:
I
grand and glorious thought, comforting. about going over the
Johnny was
side, into the shark-infested waters.
wondered what time
off again. I
"How
near by asked:
it was a had been apprehensive
I
was, and someone
it
And
long before daylight?"
I
recognized the
voice of Lieutenant Bates. "Oh, three-four hours, maybe." There was a calmness in his voice,
Things could be
much
Johnny returned
a cheerfulness
that
instilled
confidence.
worse.
in a little while:
"The Bagley' s coming
alongside.
Get ready."
The destroyer beneath ing
pulled
us. Sailors
them
up on our starboard bow, almost
began helping the wounded to
in their cots.
There were several dozen before me, and with them;
was O.K. on
I
blacked out,
men on
my
feet.
my
told
I
Johnny
to help
The destroyer was completely
her deck flashing a light briefly to get bearings
on each
patient, then working swiftly by touch Johnny came back, panting: "Damn near
fer.
directly
their feet, or carry-
complete the trans-
to
fell
in the drink; lost
footing. Well, let's get going."
We
went over the
below.
A
"Here,
this
was the
I
notebook
first I
crammed
and he handed me down
side,
Marine held me as fell
knew
hands
out of your pocket." That was a surprise;
that
I
had
a
notebook
in
my
flame jacket.
my arm
and we started moving down the deck.
I
around
—not abandoning
The Marine and and then tion.
He
I
ship!"
A
mess
hall,
my
"Here, drink
forehead, over this,"
my
left
the Bagley's fantail,
converted into a
The corps man examined me, applied more
age around
men
spontaneous cheer went up.
made our way back towards
into the seamen's
his
heard Greenman's
voice again, from the Astoria s bridge, far above: "Able-bodied stay aboard
it
into his pocket.
it
wanted a drink of water. The Marine pulled
waist,
to waiting
stumbled onto the Bagley' s deck:
I
first
aid sta-
iodine, tied a band-
eye.
he said, mixing something into a thick coffee
cup. "This'll settle your stomach." It
had an
evil smell
and
taste,
but
I
downed
it
in a gulp.
My
guide
333
Astoria's Ordeal put his
arm around my
rail
...
We
I felt
much
and we started forward; but as we came up in my throat; I leaned over
waist,
the fresh air the concoction
better, after that.
stopped to see the doctor, in the
into a sick bay. Charley
took one look inside:
it
naked bodies, the red
officers'
wardroom, converted
Gorman, the Marine, opened the door, and I was like a butcher shop: naked and partially
flesh
and bone showing where the blood had
man on
been washed away. The doctor was bending over a
One look was enough: an emergency
We
ing the doctor.
backed out
you a bunk
"Ill get
hit
the
the table.
operation, no time to be bother-
quietly.
in the
CPO
quarters,"
my
guide said.
As we
went below, Gorman said that the Bagley had thrown four torpedoes at the Japs.
Below, the bunks were
with wounded; red splotches seeped
filled
through some of the sheets.
I
went into the
on a bench, while Gorman disappeared
CPO
to
wardroom and
sat
empty
search for an
bunk.
Some burn sat silently,
lumpy
cases were sitting around, their flesh black and
with the thick applications of
smoking
jelly
patted there by corps men.
and
cigarettes,
I
realized that
I
had yet
They
to hear
anyone complain, or so much as moan. Some of the more able-bodied
managed
Two
to smile occasionally.
buddies, reunited, one as patient
as nurse, kidded: "What the hell, you're not hurt! Have new in no time, you old so-an'-so." Datko came in, tired and pale. "You look pretty good," he said. "How about some chow? I'm
and the other
you good
as
starved. All right
if I
raid
your icebox?" he asked aloud.
The Bagley men waved their invitations. Datko poked around, came to the long table with a bowl of canned tomatoes, crackers, butter, and coffee, and ate ravenously: "I don't know when I've tasted anything
Gorman kicked
off
eons ago
more
returned:
my
shoes,
when
I
delicious."
"Found
a
bunk
and discovered
I
for you."
hadn't tied
put them on aboard the Astoria.
dreamless sleep before
my head
It
was an upper;
my
I fell
touched the pillow.
I
shoelaces, those into a sound,
RICHARD
F.
NEWCOMB
/-,;
4-
DEATH BOARDS
AND
ASTORIA
The Vincennes, pounded by shells about eighteen minutes. The first and each
One
VINCENNES
shell,
it
as
few other ships
in history, lasted
salvo whistled in about 1:51 a.m.
seemed, had been
clipped the bridge and killed
intelligently
Commander
aimed
at a vital spot.
Miller, others hit the
carpenter shop (aways a fine spot for fires), the hangar (best spot of all), Batt
II,
directing guns,
communications. Short of an open magazine
all
fire
and the antenna trunks, severing hit
no attacker could
ask more. Out went radio and searchlights, battle phones, and power
on the
mains ruptured and the planes went up
turrets; the fire
bright blaze amidships. In one salvo the Japanese
by and the ship was slashed She
still
to less than
had
50 per cent
set a fire to
in a
aim
efficiency.
had steam and Captain Riefkohl ordered 20 knots and a
course change to the
left,
turning
down
to help his friends in the
Southern Force, should they ask him. They never did, and further-
more they never heading
told
him anything.
down between
But they were, and they While she
lasted, the
2
enemy
How
could he
know he was now
columns just waiting to smash him?
did.
Vincennes got
off a
second main salvo and
Commander Robert R. Craighill thought he saw the target turn and disappear out of control. It was the Kinugasa and she was hit all right, but not that badly. The Japanese searchlights snapped Lieutenant
off,
334
but not for the reason the Americans thought. They thought
335
Death Boards Vincennes and Astoria they had shot them out, but the truth was the Japanese were
range and needed no more
now on
light.
Salvo after salvo slammed into the Vincennes, 8-inch, 5.5-inch, 4.7-
and even machine-gun
inch,
the
from somewhere. Fire broke out
fire
movie locker, the cane fender storage, and the searchlight
in
plat-
form.
Commander James D. Blackwood had
In forward battle station
Negro mess attendant on the
table,
a
sewing up his jaw, when a 5.5-
inch shell exploded in the room. Dr. Blackwood, twenty-two years in the
Navy and
a fine old gentleman in his sixties,
along with every
member
of the medical
was
killed instantly
team around him. The mess
attendant bounded from the table holding his jaw together with his
hand and ran from
room with only
the
Captain Riefkohl, frantic
now
a leg scratch.
with
fire
raining in from both sides,
turned hard right again. Trying to escape, he rang for 25 knots, but the speed never exceeded 19.5
and
slashed through the port side.
A
Lieutenant
(j.g.)
less
I
and
perhaps
3,
torpedoes
main battery control
aft killed
J.
Fama,
the control officer there, hits were
II,
and
was not yet two
Victor
scored on Turrets
in the turn 2,
hit in
it
o'clock, the battle
than nine minutes old.
Steering steering
power
aft.
A
failed in the pilothouse
forward steam
line
and control was shifted
to
burst with a terrible hiss and
Boatswain C. F. Baker flooded down the forward magazines. Captain Riefkohl tried a frantic
left
was no response. He sent
turn by stopping the port engine, but there
a messenger,
Shortly after 2:00 a.m., by
two more 6-gun not, however,
in train,
never returned. the
salvos, their last, firing at
go out.
Vincennes and the
jammed
who
some miracle
Two more
shells fell
and
main battery got
searchlights picked out the burning
without mercy. The forward director
shells hit the
machine shop, forward mess
starboard catapult tower, well deck, and radar room. colors were carried
away by
that the age of gallantry
Chief Signalman George life in
that hail of steel,
off
a searchlight which did
shot,
hall,
The Vincennes
and Captain Riefkohl, unaware
had ended, ordered another
set
hoisted.
Moore and a chief quartermaster, risking raised a new set on the starboard yardarm, J.
using the last remaining halyard.
The Japanese gunners were
delighted.
They thought
admiral's flagship, and they redoubled their blast shells
gun
smashed Turret
in service.
Lieutenant
II,
fire.
it
signified
an
In one last great
top and side, and silenced every last
Commander Robert Lee Adams,
the gun-
336
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
nery
was forced
officer,
guns to
fire
we have
to report, "Captain,
with. Everything
"All right," the captain replied, "you
below from exposed positions and
absolutely
no
*
out."
is
tell
see" if they
the
men
to get
down
can seek cover." Cap-
never forgot his men, and he ordered messengers sent
tain Riefkohl
along decks and below to order the
men
out
— those who were
left.
The slaughter finally ceased and the Vincennes was left alone to die. The list increased steadily between 2:15 and 2:30, and the captain ordered all life rafts put over the side. The wounded were helped
Commander Samuel A. Isquith and LieuW. A. Newman, medical officers, stayed on duty at aft and
into life jackets. Lieutenant
tenant
amidships dressing stations until the end.
It
was not long
in
coming.
Captain Riefkohl gave the order to abandon ship about 2:30 A.M.,
and was washed
an upper deck about 2:40. Ten minutes
off
Vincennes sank, only a mile or two from her
Known
they drew up the Vincennes' List of least
56 large-caliber
hits
the Quincy.
Hits later,
and many more probables, not
When
showed
it
to
at
mention
half-dozen torpedoes.
at least a
The Astoria died the battle the ship
a stubborn death, in
had been cut
severance of communications. there
was no one
things
demanded
While the
mence
sister,
later the
alive aft,
As
two
by
distinct phases. Early in
amidships and by the
fires
far as Captain
Greenman knew
and he feared the worst. But many other
his attention.
fiasco
firing,"
in half
of
"Commence
firing,"
"Cease
firing,"
"Com-
was being enacted on the bridge, there was no lack of
action elsewhere. In Turret
II,
Raymond
Ensign
C. McGrath, just out
Academy, got the word on his phones, "Flares on the port The Australia is firing." (The Australia did not fire a shot
of the
quarter.
that night). Turret II got off three salvos
(Turret
was
I
failures in the
and then heard a
terrific jolt
finished, temporarily). Turret II fired again, despite
powder and
shell hoists, but then
came
On
to the limit of
train to port
and had
only the
and center guns fired, but then she got off 3 barrels, 2
left
and another
again, 3,
Director
I
trainer to
Quincy
2.
around
to starboard.
shell.
fifth
salvo
McGrath ordered
bear on what he thought was an enemy fortunately
the
She was done, as main battery control and
were out, due to smoke and
— and
fainting
to swing
all
power
—
to port
failed in the turret.
now from smoke and fumes, and McGrath
led
it
the
was the
Men them
were out.
Ordered back to flood the magazines, he led his turret captain and gunner's mate to the control panel and pressed the buttons. Nothing
—
Death Boards Vincennes and Astoria happened, and
337
they went below and opened the valves by
finally
hand.
On
Spot
a searchlight
— and
trainer appeared rets II
and
W. W. Johns somehow
Fire Controlman First Class
II,
missed the word to evacuate.
picked up a target
fired
—
fired,
but the third time only Turret III light
A
Japanese cruiser appeared, but
jammed, Turret
sight setter
A
second salvo was
came on and
moment
at that
reported no power, and Plot said
III
and
went on for Tur-
doning due to smoke. Johns quit then and took
The record
4,000 yards
lights
a 6-gun salvo.
fired.
at
A
turned to find himself alone.
from somewhere, the ready
and Johns
III,
He
men
his
that
was
the Director it
was aban-
out.
No
of the Astoria's 5-inch guns told her story.
1
got
off
twelve rounds, No. 2 one round before the barrel was
six
rounds, No. 4 ten rounds before the ready service ammunition
blew up, No. 5
six
service exploded;
No. 7
8's
rounds, No. 6 seven rounds before after seven
rounds was
hit
by a
No. 3
hit,
ready
its
shell,
and No.
ready service went up on the tenth round. Altogether, 8 guns and
only 59 rounds, a tribute to the power and accuracy of Japanese
gunnery.
Lieutenant Donald E. Willman, putting on his phones in Sky For-
ward, heard the bridge say, "Don't It
fire,
was too bad, because there was very
confusion cut
mence
it
firing,"
even shorter.
When
he was able to get
they
may
be our
little
time
this night
off
his 5-inchers to tell
sion broke his
McCloy was
there,
Lieutenant
officer,
man
arm and
them
to
cut his leg
"Com-
only 2 to 4 rounds before his it.
He
started
down
go to local control, but an explo-
and he
fainted. Lieutenant R.
bloody and dazed, and (j.g.)
ships."
and such
he received the order,
Director was smashed and he had to abandon
among
own
finally a
G.
5-inch battery
Vincent P. Healey saved the gunners, Will-
rousing long enough to give permission to abandon the gun
deck.
In Sky Control,
phones on "cease
his
Seaman
First Class
head and the
first
Lynn
F.
Hager had
words he heard
after the
were "Fire every damn thing you've got." The
fire,"
he heard was, "Get those
damn
searchlights."
the bridge
erroneous last
order
Between those two
orders, seemingly only minutes apart, lay the whole battle.
Lieutenant George
Main Radio lanterns
decoded.
and It
M. K. Baker,
just as the lights in their light
went
Jr.,
out.
the radio officer, reached
He snapped on
the battle
read a contact report that had just been
placed the Japanese force of 3 cruisers and 3 destroyers,
338
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
previously reported earlier in the evening, slightly farther south of
He had no
Bougainville.
time to reflect on
the contents exactly, for the force
two 8-inch
sent
hapl -no*w
to verify this
One
room.
communications
the
to
and
arrived,
shells into the Astoria's radio
bulkhead near the door
remember
or even to
this,
pierced the the
office,
other
passed through an armored door into the coding room, exploding in a
The rooms were
blinding orange flash.
and bodies, smashed desks and I
man Third
Muskus
Class Joseph T.
Samuel R. Gladden was
shambles of blood
instantly a
Of those not
chairs.
lost
yet dead, Radio-
wounded, and Electrician C. F.
terribly
O'Neill was
hit.
Muskus'
and gave him a hypo. There was nothing
leg
Chief Pay Clerk B. Q. Swinson put a tourniquet on
Gladden, but he wanted a cigarette, so Swinson his
Radioman
Chief
a leg,
to be
done for
one and put
lit
it
in
mouth.
Two more final one.
shells hit
Radio
followed by another pair, and then a
I,
The room was shot to pieces now, and all the able-bodied move the (hopeful) wounded out to the deck, where
could do was
they might have a chance.
was much the same everywhere topside, the
It
an express
relentlessly with a roar like
The
train.
boring in
shells
highest intensity
came between 2:01
and 2:06 a.m., and thereafter the shelling
tapered off until 2:15,
when
Lieutenant nothing but
and bodies the
Commander
fire
it
stopped as suddenly as
coming out
Truesdell,
to the bridge
and told
had begun.
saw
directly over his
head was
his
afire.
Very
well, said
Captain Greenman, he would take station forward of Turret
communications deck, and he wished
down
I,
way through fire Captain Greenman he should leave, worked
topside. Appalled, he
ammunition room
it
of Director
wounded men
all
to
II
on the
be brought
to the forecastle. Truesdell offered to search all topside stations
and assure that
all
Commander Topper
men
still
alive
were brought
out.
reported there seemed to be no
Astoria's second deck, and Lieutenant
fires
Lieutenant
below the
Commander Hayes
said the
engineering spaces were watertight. There was just a chance the ship
might be saved. As to what was happening
mander Hayes
said he
had no
idea, but he
aft,
Lieutenant
Com-
assumed the ship was
afire
to the stern. It
was not quite
as
bad as
the executive officer, leaped aft,
putting
on
station, Batt II,
his pants
that.
from
and
Commander Frank bed
his
shirt
at
E. Shoup,
Jr.,
general quarters and ran
over his pajamas. At his battle
he found only his talker, Quartermaster Second Class
339
Death Boards Vincennes and Astoria J.
U. Walker, and no one else ever arrived. Shoup saw nothing to
starboard, but stepped out on the port-gun platform in time to greet
an arriving
hands and
shell,
his
Almost immediately the boat deck, well deck, and
face.
gun deck were
which blinded him temporarily and burned
hit
and broke out
in flames.
The
began to
ship's boats
The
burn, and Walker reported he had no contact with the bridge.
announcer system went dead and suddenly Batt
was on
II
with
fire,
down to the fantail. men from the mainmast section and they they could. Monkey lines had been rigged aft
flames blocking both ladders Fire was driving
all
scrambled down as best
of the machine-gun platform
and
down that way, satisfied that all moved had escaped the caldron. Mate
Machinist's
boat davit, surrounded by
moved.
Class
Third Class Wyatt
Norman
was saved only by the
They saw him pinned under
fire
C. Watkins raced
Louttrell
J.
in,
Fireman Second Class it
followed by
and Water Tender Second
On
J.
the
way out
of the flames they picked
now had
a
that the after magazines
some part
up
R. Bene and dragged him to the fantail too.
Forward, Captain Greenman was under increasing
of the hull
unchecked, with every
men were gathered on many dead.
A
hand
were awed by the courage of these men.
noted that the Astoria
that
his
R. Touve. Standing in flames they forced the davit Sells free.
Those who saw
mean only
the whale-
and apparently dead. Then
Shipfitter First Class C.
up and pulled
and wounded who could be
First Class O. S. Sells
intrepidity of his shipmates.
Shipfitter
Shoup and Walker went
finally
living
fire
list
of
some
strain.
He had
3 degrees. It might
had been flooded, but more
was open
to the sea. Fires
likely
were raging
main ruptured. By 3:00 a.m. some 400 70 of them wounded and
the forecastle, about
bucket brigade was organized, with the faint hope that the
fire
might be forced back amidships, but flames belched from every pas-
sageway and ventilation duct. The main fear was the 5-inch magazines.
Captain Greenman was if
might be blown to
bits.
The bucket
brigade, dipping water
on the starboard
pump was
side of the
magazines had
up every man on from the
sea,
the forecastle
worked slowly
aft
gun deck, and a gasoline handy-billy
puny stream seemed ludicrous against the Fire had now reached the lower ammunition hoists,
rigged, but
wall of flame.
satisfied that the 8-inch
the 5-inch went
been flooded, but
its
- Guadalcanal and
340 and
1.1
and 5-inch
the
Northward Drive
moment might bring real disaster. Captain Greenman dared not delay ,longer, and ordered
the Bagley
be brought alongside. The destroyer, reached by blinker
to
had been ordered
Any
could be^heard exploding below.
shells
to stand by. Eerie lights blinking
earlier,
from the forepeak
Com-
of the burning cruiser signalled the Bagley to approach and
mander Sinclair brought his vessel (bow to bow, like mare and foal
into a very smart Chinese landing
The ships were lashed wounded being lifted across first. and finally Captain Greenman and his nuzzling).
together and the transfer began, the
men
Able-bodied officers
jumped
into the destroyer, leaving the Astoria, they thought,
for the last time.
As and
followed,
was 4:45 a.m.
It
the Bagley cast
flashing lights
off,
Greenman
for the first time Captain
back
there.
The Bagley
would be picked up shipwrecked sea dozens of
began
to fall
sailors,
signaled
later.
The
backed
it
ship, that the fires
seemed
men were
alive
learned that
had been seen and
jammed
with
wounded and
and began pulling from the
off slowly,
to
stern
that they
destroyer,
men who had been and
them
winked out from the
forced off the 3 cruisers.
A
soft rain
Captain Greenman, as he looked at
amidships might be dying. Thus ended Phase
his
I
of
the Astoria's ordeal.
MIKAWA BROKE OFF THE MAIN ACTION AND TURNED north, completely disregarding a precious opportunity to get at the
American
transports.
Yamamoto was
But Japan had gained a great sea victory and
properly grateful.
He
courageous and hard fighting of every will
expect you to expand your activities
messaged:
man .
.
."
of your organization.
Mikawa
altogether unscathed, however. Submarine S-44 off the coast of
New
John R. "Dinty" Moore
was on war patrol
close aboard, Lieutenant
fired a
and down she went within
five
Meanwhile, Fletcher with
Noumea and Turner
I
did not escape
Ireland the following morning and as the
ward bound task force passed
toward
"Appreciate the
spread of torpedoes
at
home-
Commander cruiser Kako
minutes. his
three carriers began a retirement
followed a few hours later with the other
ships at Guadalcanal. Vandegrift
was
furious.
He had been
barely enough supplies for thirty-seven days; had been
picturesque language, "bare ass."
The only
left
with
left in his
own
thing he did have was the
Death Boards Vincennes and Astoria
341
Navy's solemn promise to bring reinforcements and supplies as soon
But now the unpalatable prospect facing the Marines was
as possible.
apparent: Japanese
surface and submarine forces
air,
would
shortly
manifest themselves in great numbers, and the Marine general braced himself. in part.
On August
15 Ghormley's promised reinforcements arrived
The Marines were cheered by
Calhoun, Gregory,
the sight of destroyer-transports
and McKean closing the beach through
Little,
Ironbottom Sound (the dolorous nickname for Savo Sound.) Aboard
were bombs, aviation gasoline and approximately one hundred and fifty
men
of
Cub One,
a
Navy
construction battalion,
help build the airstrip which the Marines subsequently
derson Field, in
memory
who were to named Hen-
Midway. Much
of a pilot lost at
of the
Corps' bitterness since Turner's pullout evanesced in a welter of
full
stomachs and feverish unloading of cargoes. Again, on the 20th, three
APDs
steamed into Guadalcanal waters to bring the Marines
one hundred tons of supplies. In Rabaul, meanwhile, Lieutenant General Haroushi Hyakutate
had arrived fresh from Tokyo's tea houses
to
command
the Nine-
Army. Unlike Vandegrift, Hyakutate was a book soldier who lived by the Imperial manual. The manual told him that "the character of the American is simple and lacking in tenacity and teenth Imperial
battle leadership
.
.
and
."
"if
they have a setback, they have a
tendency to abandon one plan for another
was then gathering
army.
his
It
was
.
.
The Japanese
."
composed
to be
units stationed in China, the Philippines, Singapore
on paper Colonel
it
numbered some 50,000
Kyono
Ichiki's
of crack
general
combat
and Borneo, and
troops. Already
on hand was
detachment of nine hundred and sixteen
men. By the process of simple deduction,
this
appeared enough to
begin chewing up the estimated 10,000 Marines.
On
August 21 Marine patrols found thirty-one
soldiers of Ichiki's
force along the sandy banks of the Tenaru River; thirty-one were killed.
battles
This was only the beginning of the fought on Guadalcanal.
narrow sandbar barely
fifty
It
first
opened
at
of
many
great
Marine
1:30 a.m. Along a
yards long, two hundred bayonet-fixed
Japanese raged across toward Marine positions, screaming and shouting in a typical banzai charge.
who charged
They were
led
by saber-waving
officers
imperviously across the shallows into the teeth of
machine gun and grenade ber of the officers and
fire
men
—
withering
fire
rifle,
which cut down a num-
but did not stop the charge from crossing
the river. Marines fought bayonet to bayonet, knife to knife, smash-
—
342
**
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
ing and hurling back the insanely shrieking enemy. By daylight every enemy soldier who attained the Marine position was dead, and those who managed to crawl away into a nearby coconut grove were later
by a Marine charge
killed
late in the afternoon. Ichiki,
found dead
with a bullet in his brain, had burned his colors at the end of the
biographer of the Marine Corps, remarks that
battle. Fletcher Pratt,
was found: "August 17. The August 20. The march by night and the battle. August 21. Enjoyment of the fruits of victory ..." The Tenaru River battle was in the colonel's diary a precise schedule
landing.
written into Corps history as a
Marine
On
fortitude
.
.
model
.
August 20 the converted merchantman Mormacmail, now the
jeep carrier
Long
steamed
Island,
in with
Wildcats and Dauntless dive-bombers. prise contributed her entire
end of the month flew
still
another
The pitched and
in.
On
complement air
two Marine squadrons of August 24
carrier Enter-
of dive-bombers.
And by
somehow
often-lopsided battles of these few against
Navy
held their own, for everything depended on keeping
Henderson Field operational. had been threatening ern Solomons.
the
group of the Combat Air Transport
countless Zeros and Bettys were many. Yet the Marine and pilots
and
of coordination, firepower
It
since
On August 24
Mikawa's
another sea
battle,
which
victory, took place in the East-
was an unqualified American
victory,
which not
only consolidated our position on Guadalcanal but saw the end of
Japanese carrier Ryujo and a 10,000 ton transport brimming with troops.
But the very next day the destroyer-transports Calhoun and were sunk by Japan's 25th Air covering a run, press
—
Flotilla
down through The
Slot, of the so-called
Little
was Tokyo Ex-
from Rabaul, while
it
the enemy's destroyer-transport ferrying service to Guadal-
The raison d'etre of the Express was to bring in troops despite American efforts to the contrary, a never ending supply. Usually coming down on the dark of the moon (nights were normally of twelve hours' duration), the Express became the nemesis of our destroyers and PT boats patrolling in The Slot. For the Navy this was a period of parry and thrust, with a third canal.
major naval engagement looming on the horizon. For the Marines
was a time of waiting, attack from the 4,000 general's
list
enemy troops estimated
of grievances
dwindling aircraft and
it
for Vandegrift fully anticipated a large scale
was growing
human
casualties,
to be
in inverse
on the
island.
The
proportion to his
and he was not only angered
Death Boards Vincennes and Astoria
343
command under whom
he oper-
but alarmed. So was the naval high
We
ated.
had started
this
desperate campaign on a shoestring, with
than the Japanese, and our losses had
less strength
able margin even greater. Everything possible
would be
The
Navy took blow
as the
the unfavor-
was being done and
punching hard
in return.
fought campaign of knock-down, drag-out battles on the
bitterly
and
sea, ashore
after blow,
made
in the air,
has no parallel in the war.
No more
gallant
epic can be found in the Navy's long role of heroic service to the
country.
Although Vandegrift
enemy Lunga pany
strengthened
his
eastern
flank,
attack developed on the night of September
a
major
12 along the
com-
River, which pushed back Captain John B. Sweeney's
1,500 yards of Henderson Field.
within
to
The screaming
charges were punctuated with cries of "Roosevelt die! Marine pigs!"
The demoniacal ended
fury of the attacks against a curtain of
Marine
fire
death for most, while survivors were hauled off into the
in
jungles before daylight. (Coincidental with banzai charges, Japanese
warships roamed the waters off Guadalcanal with impunity, lobbing in shells
At
and dropping green
flares for the troops.)
September 15 was a bad day. Carrier Wasp was
sea,
tor-
pedoed by an enemy submarine and was given a coup de grace by a destroyer
when
all
attempts to save the ship failed.
Reinforcements for both sides steadily poured into Guadalcanal:
Hyakutate with the
first
of 25,000
men, and the United States Army's
164th Infantry Regiment of the Americal Division, which had been stationed
in
New
To
Caledonia.
cover the arrival of the
164th,
Ghormley scraped together everything he could find to provide an escort of three task groups; one of these was the cruisers and destroyers under Rear Admiral Norman Scott. Simultaneously, the enemy stepped up his air raids on Henderson Field.
October
1 1
Scott's
Task Force 64 received
a large cruiser-destroyer force
speed.
WE WILL
ACTION,
On
the afternoon of
intelligence indicating that
was moving down The
Slot at high
INTERCEPT. ALL SHIPS PREPARE FOR
signaled the admiral.
The enemy force coming down was Rear Admiral Arimoto Goto's Bombardment and Guadalcanal reinforcement groups aggregating three
heavy
cruisers,
eight
destroyers
packed with reinforcements and
At 10 p.m.
Scott's force
Esperance, the northernmost
and two seaplane
supplies for the Imperial
was
carriers,
Army.
patrolling in the waters off
tip of
Cape
Guadalcanal. The flagship, San
344
^ Guadalcanal and
the
Northward Drive
Francisco, was at the head of the cruiser column, followed by Boise, Salt
Lake City and Helena;
in the
van were destroyers Duncan, Laffey
and Fahrenholt; and Buchanan and McCalla brought up the
rear.
At
10:28 p.m., Scott ordered a course change which put Task Force 64
on a
Savo Island, where he hoped
line with
p.m., the
first
to intercept.
At 10:52
of a series of sighting reports from Scott's float planes
reached the flagship's bridge:
ONE LARGE AND TWO SMALL
VESSELS X WILL INVESTIGATE X Scott closed steadily, confident in his battle plan.
At 11:52
p.m.,
during a night described in dispatches as "black as spades, punctuated by occasional flashes of heat lightning," Helena's
new radar
reported a contact twenty-seven thousand yards distant. This was
by Boise's report of five "pips." Helenas Captain Hoover requested permission to fire, and a moment later Captain Edward C. "Iron Mike" Moran of Boise asked the same. swiftly followed
Gilbert C.
Permission was granted instantly, and the battle broke out. Helena's
first
salvo
drew blood, her 8-inch
shells raining
down
in
profusion on the unsuspecting Japanese force; Salt Lake City took on a cruiser four thousand yards off her starboard satisfaction of seeing her shells
rip
bow and had
the
into Goto's flagship at almost
point-blank range, while the destroyers flailed away at anything they
could
find, big
or small.
The
story of Boise's battle
D. Morris, the biographer of the celebrated warship.
is
told by
Frank
FRANK
D.
MORRIS
S-
OUT THE
"PICK
.
.
.
The
night
was moonless and the
BIGGEST!"
solid blackness offered the Japs a
perfect opportunity for sneaking in their ships
The same black cloak covered
ments.
task group and, as the
could barely
make out
men
ble pool of darkness,
the
of the Boise's
topside stood at their battle stations, they
the silhouettes of the other ships.
on deck from below stepped into what
became
and troop reinforce-
movements
bumping
at first
seemed an impenetra-
blindly into shipmates, but as eyes
adjusted, details began to emerge
from the
soft,
First the familiar outlines of the deck; gradually, the
and behind the Boise; and
Men coming
finally, after
warm
gloom.
masts ahead of
long minutes, the blurred and
deceptive shapes of the other ships of the task force. There was no
sound
in all the blackness except for the sharp hiss
and wash of the
water
spilt
hum
of her powerful
by the Boise's sharp prow, and the
machinery far below. Earlier in the evening, that blackness
had been sundered by an
accident that, for a time, threatened to spoil the whole surprise party.
An
observation plane, on being catapulted from one of the other
cruisers,
had crashed
into the sea
and caught
sink immediately, but stayed afloat for
column
fire.
what seemed
of flame, fed by high-octane gas,
lit
The plane
didn't
like hours.
A
up the sky
tall
for miles
around. For a while it seemed almost certain that this fiery, revealing beacon would be detected by the enemy ships the Boise group were
345
346
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
hoping to intercept, giving them a chance to get away. But nothing happened.
Seven
The Boise men had been
Eleven-thirty.
bells.
Quarters for hours now. Captain
Moran
flying bridge, looking straight ahead.
General
at
stood in the center of the
Behind him, wearing a phone
headset under his dishpan-shaped steel helmet, stood Mr. Laffan, the
gunnery
officer.
At Mike's
On
also wired for sound.
right
was
Bill Butler, the anti-aircraft boss,
the Skipper's other side, Ensign Davis, the
Boise's signal officer, waited for orders.
In a lofty perch just abaft the bridge,
Sam
Forter, a
young
lieu-
tenant just two years out of Annapolis, presided over the forward
main
director of the
him
His director crew was crowded around
battery.
in the tiny space allotted
them. Most of the room was taken up
by the range-finder and other instruments and
men
occasional niches just big enough for the
their accessories, with
themselves.
Lieutenant Forter was a kid with dark hair, brushed straight back,
and narrow, piercing job
—
enemy
to locate
As
eyes.
director officer he held a strategic
and
targets
In a recent night battle practice,
remarkable proficiency
And aboard
motion the wheels that would
set in
establish almost instantly the direction
and distance of those
Sam had
with a
in locating targets
the Boise he
had another
targets.
distinguished himself by his
minimum of error. his home town
distinction
—
was Boise, Idaho. In a director station just below and forward of the forward director
were the
An
'eyes' of the five-inch
assistant
California,
gunnery
was
in
officer,
guns of the Boise's secondary battery.
Lieutenant Dave Edwards, of Piedmont,
charge here. These directors, plus two similar
directors aft, did the actual 'seeing' for the Boise's gunners.
The
subsequent brainwork, after the target had been sighted, was done in the plotting
room below
waited with gaping
maws
mated range, direction of With Buck Rogers
decks.
Here mammoth,
intricate calculators
for a lot of figures to be target,
efficiency
thrown
in
—
speed of both ships, windage,
and speed
this
esti-
etc.
jumble of figures was
mechanically translated into a precise solution to be punctuated a few
seconds later by the roar of the Boise's guns. The whole system of directors, 'plot' first
The tively this
and spotting (checking up on
rounds are fired),
is
hits
or misses after the
called fire control.
Boise's fire-control
men were on edge
tonight.
They
instinc-
sensed that another night battle practice was imminent, only
time
it
wouldn't be practice. The
men
in the turrets
and
at the
347
'Tick Out the Biggest!"
broadside batteries also had a hunch. They were responsible for keep-
Now,
ing in shape the steel muscles that did the actual punching. the
dim
in
by the deck mounts, they waited
light of the turrets, standing
impatiently for the punching to begin.
William Garfield Thomas, turret tiny cubical waiting for a
were "Commence
the
now
Turret One, sat up in his
The words he wanted
ship.
wardroom; no one could ever
to hear
more
in the service a little
a junior-grade lieutenant.
aboard
J. L.'s
officer of
call.
had been
firing." Bill
than two years and was the most popular
phone
He was
one of
His disposition was famous in
ruffle
The boys
him.
called
him
'Beaverhead' because he wore his hair close-cropped. 'Beaverhead' was proud of his turret and of the crew that he had trained to
man
so well that
it
it
had become one of the Boise's
Tonight he wanted to add a couple of
turrets.
J's
—
honor. Hours before, he had reported, 'Turret ready.'
Now he
The men forward,
Gun
E
to that
One manned and
was waiting for further orders.
stationed at the five-inch guns on the
Captain King tested
and the resulting
'ping'
was
open deck were
This won't be a
dummy
run."
and ammunition-passers
all
side
primer for the fifteenth time
his
satisfactory.
Over
his
Around him
phone, King heard
word from gun
a soft chant, repeated several times: "Pass the
ers
—
same expectant mood. At Gun One on the starboard
the
in
for Japs
the
first
shifted their weight
to gun.
and second load-
from one foot
to the
other as they talked in low tones. "Boy, this looks like our chance to get in some real licks. Come on, Yamamoto, bring on those ships!" The invitation, directed to Admiralty Headquarters, was sincere. About twenty minutes before midnight that invitation was answered. The task force had scouted the waters in the vicinity of Cape Esperance, where enemy ships would be most likely to be encountered,
and had approached to within a couple of miles of Savo Island
before puttting about on a west-northwest bearing to intercept any Jap ships that might be
coming down from
their bases to the northeast.
Lieutenant Forter, up in his director, was space
when suddenly he blinked
visible
"On
at a distant
still
staring into black
group of objects barely
on the Boise's starboard bow. the target!"
"How many gunnery
"Seem
Sam
spoke into his headset phone.
ships?" Iron Mike's question was relayed through the
officer,
now
standing beside him.
to be five, sir."
"Pick out the biggest and
commence
firing!"
348 -
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
Down
was an^instant tautening of nerves and Mike Moran's order was relayed to the pointers and train-
in the turrets there
muscle as
ers seated beside their guns.
The
turrets^shook as fifteen guns fired in
a single tremendous blast, lunging 'backward in swift recoil before
forward again. Breeches flew open, the next
sliding
of the hoists and
rammed home
the turrets shook
this
:
shells
were out
with beautiful precision, and again
was the rhythm of
fire
for
which these men had
trained so long.
Other cruisers
and found shells shot
their searchlight
clear and pulsating, sliced through the darkness
Then
their targets.
the five-inch guns crackled and star
out into the sky, to burst and hang like fiery flowers behind
them
the Jap ships, silhouetting
The
column had opened
in the Boise's
The beams,
shutters.
first
salvo was a direct
hit.
Iron
Mike knew
that the follow-up
aimed when he saw the
target start blazing
in the brilliant light of that blaze,
young Sam Forter's
salvos were just as well
amidships and,
clearly.
choice was justified.
The
Nachi or Kako
mounting eight-inch guns against the Boise's
class,
victim was a Japanese cruiser of either the
The middle-weight Boise had climbed
inchers.
light-heavy and had scored a knockout in the
For four
solid minutes the Boise's
The
into the blazing Jap. in flat arcs, their
had
started
first
round.
main battery poured hot
pointers and trainers
saw
their shells
Other ships
their
way, seemingly moving slowly across the
beams before dropping on group were also pounding away
in the task
the target. at the Jap.
of the hits were amidships and the explosions and resultant
damage gradually
A
steel
go out
ends reddened from the heat of the explosion that
them on
night through the searchlight
Most
six-
into the ring with a
series of fires
cut her in two like a blow-torch slicing an iron bar.
was blazing away on the heavy cruiser now, her guns
were silenced, and her internal explosions were popping
Her bow
crackers in a tin can. She broke in two.
waves, and the screws were
still
slid
like
fire-
under the
turning on her up-ended stern as
sank separately. As she went under, the Boise
men saw
the
it
smoke
of her destruction form a wreath over her grave.
"Cease
firing!"
The Boise blood
—
—
Jap blood.
nouncement over those
Mike rang
the
who
Reluctant
Round One.
Dragon
The men on deck were
—had
jubilant.
drawn
first
Below, an an-
the ship's loudspeaker system broke the
news
to
couldn't see the show. There were cheers and yells of glee.
The Hollywood for more.
the bell ending
erstwhile
sailors
pounded each other on the back and shouted
349
"Pick Out the Biggest!" "Shift target to his
gunnery
and resume
firing!"
Again Iron Mike barked an order
That order, passed on
officer.
to Lieutenant Forter,
had
that gentleman instantly
was hardly necessary, for trained on a second target,
his director
and the Boise's starboard
a Jap destroyer,
secondary battery of five-inch guns was starting to work
Other ships
on a
in the Boise's task
cruiser,
group had been concentrating
over.
it
their fire
which now was ablaze and was exposing the destroyer
target beautifully.
The range was
now
closing rapidly
as the
two
opposing columns of ships approached each other and started swapping short jabs.
Again the
first shells fired
by the Boise's guns
There were occasional splashes
hit true
and hard.
water on either side of the Jap
in the
can, but in between these splashes were direct hits as the four sec-
ondary-battery guns on the Boise's starboard side spat out their inch parcels of destruction.
and neither Gun Captain King nor the other gun
in a steady stream,
captains were wasting
deluge of
fire
five-
Ammunition was coming up from below
it.
They ended
was too much
for the Jap
broke in two and disappeared. over a year to build
this ship.
It
round very quickly. The
that
and
in less
than a minute she
probably had taken the Japs well
The Boise had disposed
of her in less
than sixty seconds. Iron
Mike and
the other officers
Signal Officer Davis
on the bridge were fascinated.
had never seen a more
thrilling
sight in his
twenty-three years in the Navy. "She looked just like an automobile
going over the brow of a
and went out of
To
the
hill,"
he said happily. "She
rule
under
sight."
gun crews and the men on the directors
pleasantly monotonous. "Sighted Jap.
groove.
just slid
The months
this
was
Sank Jap." They were
getting in the
Mike Moran's relentless one target became a shat-
of daily gun drills under
were understandable now. As soon as
tered clay pigeon, another
loomed up
in their sights
waiting to be
hit.
The Boise was no longer on other ships
in the
shelling of the cruisers
several inviting targets
feeling her
way along
in the dark.
Blazes
Jap force had been started by the accurate and destroyers of the task group. There were displayed in this glare and now, between
rounds, Mike crouched down in a huddle on the flying bridge with Gunnery Officer Laffan and Bill Butler. "Which one shall we get next?" The grin on Mike's face didn't
conceal his excitement.
"How
about that destroyer over there
—
she's
nearest."
Laffan
350„
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
pointed at another Jap destroyer. The can was silhouetted against the blazing ships around her.
Mike reached
"Let's get her!"
on the Boise's next
and trained them
for rns binoculars
victim. "Shift target
and resume
firing."
Both main and secondary batteries opened up on the Jap destroyer and both were on the beam. Before many rounds had been fired, a chain of explosions and fires aboard her vividly showed the Boise gunners where their
had landed. The heavy
shells
blast of gunfire
from Mike Moran's men was too much for her thin
sides. The desmoke pouring from other destroyers in her force and she never came out of it. When the smoke had lifted, she was no more. There was plenty of illumination over the Japs then. Three of their
stroyer slid behind a curtain of
them with two
ships were ablaze, one of
were
all
was
that
had missed one
left
of the original force of
in his initial report.
but some of their guns were
The Boise
burning brightly. These
fires
still
firing
and
herself wasn't shellproof.
Lieutenant Forter
six.
The remaining
ships
About
had been
hit,
damage.
inflicting
this
time the signal
bridge reported splashes on both port and starboard sides, close
enemy heavy cruiser some disstarboard bow. And as Mike Moran's men
aboard. These were salvos from an tance ahead on the Boise's fired
on
her, the
Jap cruiser returned the
fire
with gusto. Splashes
from her salvos came nearer and nearer, throwing
salt
water over the
Boise's decks, superstructure, and anti-aircraft guns. Finally one
of these
shells,
an eight-incher, smacked into the
Boise's starboard side, forward, just above the waterline. in the crew's
mess
hall.
Two
lighter shells,
It
exploded
probably five-inch,
hit the
starboard side of the superstructure, and another pair pierced the side of the ship setting
it
and
afire.
let
go
in the Captain's cabin,
wrecking the interior and
"Tell the gentlemen I'm sorry
Mike murmured when news
of
I
wasn't at home," Iron
what had happened
to his cabin
was
relayed to him.
Topside, the Boise's deck gunners were bearing the brunt of the
enemy's return
fire.
hurled to the deck
Gun
Captain King and his entire crew were
when Gun One,
the
first
five-inch
gun on the
starboard side, was struck by a Jap shell and put out of action. Shell
fragments and hot empty
shell cases
from
their
own expended ammu-
nition showered around them as they struggled to their
Joe
man, had just yanked one of these empty powder from the gun when the explosion knocked the case out of hand. It bounced up, struck the overhead, and started to fall back.
Vignali, a "hot-case" cartridges his
feet.
"Pick Out the Biggest!" Vignali was an agile cuss the
same
hit,
— although he had been knocked down by
he was up on his knees in an instant and actually caught
the hot case in his arms as
it
descended. "Never dropped one yet," he
yelled above the din. "Ain't goin' to start
Another member of the gun crew, so lucky.
When
A
351
now!"
First Class
Seaman
Pitzer, wasn't
large shell fragment struck his knee, mangling
it
badly.
he tried to get up, he found he couldn't, and he subsequently
was carried
off to a battle dressing station.
Sightsetter
Lowry, on
Gun Three
near-by,
felt
a sharp spray
against his leg, but he stuck to his post during the remainder of the action. After he finally collapsed
Boise's doctors
showed him
dug thirty-two pieces of
the tin hat he
two inches across
—
off,
one of the
shell out of this leg
had been wearing. In
it
and
was a jagged hole
a souvenir of that shell blast.
Mike Moran's men had been off the three
and was carried
Jap ships that
it
so occupied in their job of knocking
hadn't occurred to them that the Boise
One of them, a chief named Schermerho'rn who acted as trainer on Sam Forter's director, was surprised and indignant when that barrage of Jap shells found their mark. "What the hell!" he herself might be hit.
"The sons of bitches are shooting back at us!" Below decks, the results of that shooting were keeping many people busy. Where the Boise had been hit, solid bulkheads split wide open, paint was burning, and gas from the exploding shells swept aft, bellowed.
choking everyone
From
it
encountered.
Central Station,
and repair
parties to
Tom
Wolverton was dispatching
damaged
areas of the ship. Telephone circuits
connected him with his 'branch tioned forward,
aft,
offices'
—
separate repair parties sta-
and amidships. His job now was comparable
that of a prize-fighter's second.
His
men
to
work between champ ready for the
did their
rounds, moving quickly and surely to get the
next
fire-fighting
bell.
Commander Wolverton had Most
also taken
upon himself another
of the ship's personnel were closed off
below decks
job.
in sealed
compartments behind dogged hatches and, naturally, were missing
most of the
real excitement.
They could hear the muffled roar of the enemy shells bursting omi-
Boise's guns and the occasional sound of
nously close, and that didn't help much. So the Officer volunteered to
man
Damage
Control
a microphone on the ship's loudspeaker
system and broadcast a running account of the battle from reports
him by phone from observers on deck. When Mr. Wolverton had first passed the word
relayed to
that the
enemy had
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
352-*
been engaged, he noticed that most_ of the
men around him
Central Station had suddenly gone tense.
Grim
in the
expressions were
frozen on their faces and hardly a wqrdjiad been said.
He
recognized the symptoms immediately. These men, as brave as
any aboard, were facing an enemy they couldn't see and
their nerv-
ousness was natural. Their reaction reminded him of a remark his four-year-old son had made, the for a ride
of the
on a
first
had heard
when the car was approaching the top The men with set faces stationed around him and had chuckled over it. Now, Wolverton de-
roller-coaster,
steep dip. this story
was a good time
cided,
crowded Central
Station,
to
remind them of
deep
out ridiculously in baby talk:
The
time Wolverton had taken him
first
In the stillness of that
it.
boomed home now!" dozen faces as men
in the Boise's interior, a voice
"Daddy
—
I
want
to go
was magical. Grins spread over a
effect
settled
back and relaxed. Psychology Professor Wolverton then
sumed
his
other jobs as
Damage
re-
Control Officer and radio an-
nouncer.
There were no sealed envelopes This damage control problem was
"Carpenter Thomas cabin.
Lay
this time,
no prearranged
plot.
real.
—Carpenter
Thomas. Fire
in
the Captain's
with your repair party and report!"
aft
When Thomas
and
his
men
reached Iron Mike's living quarters,
they found a flaming shambles. Apparently the shells had landed
room before they exploded. As they
squarely in the center of the
dragged their sion
fire
hoses through the five-by-three foot hole the explo-
had made, the repair-party men saw a twisted mass of metal
furniture
on the deck. Everything inflammable
in there
was
ablaze.
The deck and bulkhead had been punctured and gouged as the shells burst into a thousand flying fragments. Over in one corner, Mike's bunk was going up in smoke, and the place was a mess. A ship's clock had been knocked from
now was at five
lying
position
on top of Mike's desk and
broken on the deck, face up. The
blast
had stopped
it
minutes before midnight.
Trying to put out a raging shells
its
is
Thomas
fire in
a ship
still
no choice assignment, but within
being rocked by enemy five
minutes Carpenter
reported to Mr. Wolverton that the blaze was under control.
Meanwhile, a second
fire
farther aft in the
mess
hall
had been doused
even more quickly by another repair party.
The Jap cruiser Her heavier
price.
responsible for
all this
eight-inch guns were
damage was now paying
still
throwing
steel
the
haymakers
"Pick Out the Biggest!" at the light cruiser,
them hammer
but most of the Boise's guns
group — were
other ships in her
this fourth target,
marksmanship of
the
up on
spring sions.
plus those of the
answering in kind. As he watched Iron
Mike had reason
gun crews.
his
—
353
be proud of
to
saw a
First he
series of fires
the Jap's deck, then there were several violent explo-
That was the beginning of a very quick end for Target Number
Four.
The crews
They had
Captain's cabin.
hits in the
on
of the starboard deck guns
Gun One,
putting
had borne the brunt
carried
away
of the
the electrical leads
temporarily out of action, but the crews of the
it
other three five-inch guns, although tossed around by the blast, were
back on the job almost immediately. At the most, they missed only one
A
salvo.
stand-by
man jumped
and everything continued
to function as
a young reserve lieutenant
secondary battery the spot
saw Frank Hurst, a
chief boatswain's
to
had disabled
—who was
feet
mate and battery
unscramble himself from a
One, trying
away from
to his feet, he officer of
empty
pile of
a
Gun
shell cases.
gun had thrown him against a bulkhead,
his
and the empty cases showered around him
and bounced back
'40
had landed. As he was getting
shell
The
hit that
—Brown,
had been standing twenty
officer,
where that
Three,
smoothly as though there had
been no interruption.
Dan Brand,
Gun
into Pitzer's place at
as they hit the
overhead
to the deck.
Chief Hurst, a plank-owner, had been in gunnery for thirteen years.
He
sized
up
the situation immediately.
splintered deck, so the
first
thing he did
hoist of all live shells while
on the
two other men
A fire to
had started on the empty the ammunition
in his
blaze. Luckily the ammunition-passers
round posed
was
trip
from
at the
Gun
hoist to gun, so there
time of the
crew played a hose
had
was no
just
live
completed a
ammunition ex-
hit.
his mount. The damage to the electrical meant there would be no more director control. King spent all two minutes testing and inspecting the rest of the mount and went
Captain King checked
leads of
into a quick huddle with
"I think
we can
fire it
Brand and Hurst. manually. I'm going to try kicking them out,"
he told them.
Lieutenant Brand watched anxiously as the
and rammed by hand. try to fire
it
after
it
He knew what
first shell
was loaded
can happen to a gun when you
has been disabled. Injury to the barrel or breech
mechanism might cause
the
gun
to
blow up and
kill
everyone
in the
354
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
vicinity.
But he and Chief Hurst
had complete confidence
also
in
King's gunnery ability, which was backed by five years of experience.
He, too, had been aboard the Boise since her commissioning and he was as familiar with each of her^guns as a mother hen with her chicks.
The
He
gave the order to
five-inch
fire.
gun spoke sharply and the message
on the enemy heavy cruiser
direct hit
—not bad
it
was a
carried
And
for a cripple.
as
I
round
after
round was "kicked out" by King, Brand and Hurst had the manually operated weapon score a
satisfaction of seeing the
total of
three punishing hits on the Jap before the "Cease firing" order came.
King himself
didn't see these hits.
He was
too busy trying to get
more.
was now almost midnight. The not so Reluctant Dragon had
It
been
in action less
in her task
than a quarter of an hour and, with the other ships
group, had disposed of four
had had guns heavier than the
enemy ships. Two of Mike stood on the
Boise's. Iron
these flying
bridge and watched tracer shells from his main battery crisscross
from the secondary as they plowed their way toward the Jap The range was almost point-blank now. Both forces were now steaming on 'collision' courses that ultimately would bring them totracers ships.
gether at the apex of a huge V. Signal Officer Davis realized then
joined the
Navy
skeet shoot. Fix your sights
—
it
was for
on the 'pigeon'
this
To him
moment it
was
just released
he had
just like a
and
—bang!
disappeared, shattered. Turn half-around and there was another
pigeon. Bang!
One had
it
twenty-three years before.
— no more
pigeon.
Turn and shoot! Turn and
of Lieutenant Forter's assistants in the
quit his job as butcher in an A.
Ronald Eagle was now a
fire-control
&
main battery director
store to join the
P.
man,
shoot!
third class,
and
Navy.
tonight's
fireworks display reminded him suddenly of the mine feuds and ac-
companying gunplay he'd seen down Harlan' County in Kentucky.
Now
in
his
home town
'Bloody
in
Ronald was complaining to
his
boss.
"Gee, Mr. Forter, they keep yelling for ranges. give 'em ranges
when
the
damned
How the
hell
can we
targets disappear so fast?"
"That's easy, Eagle. Just find another target."
Eagle was watching the second Jap heavy cruiser disintegrate
under the
shell-fire the
ing on
decks and
its
mass of white-hot
Boise and her accompanying ships were pour-
sides. steel
Most
of the Jap ship's length looked like a
and, in sharp contrast, the bow,
still
un-
"Pick Out the Biggest!"
355
touched by the bombardment, was a dark gray. Eagle could even see her two anchors jutting from their hawsepipes. Amidships, her twin stacks
and two plane catapults were outlined against a flaming back-
ground.
The
many
fourth round was ended in as
saw several explosions break the Jap order to cease firing. Then he went shoulder huddle with his gunnery
Boise
around with her
more Jap
all
shipments of
For two of
Laffan and Butler. The
She had been lugging
left.
for just such a party.
Mike reasoned:
let's
it
There were
send them a few
minutes the Boise had immediately available
were heaved over the
cases, cluttering the
deck around each gun
and the debris caused by the hits on was cleared away. The gunners would
ship's side
the cruiser's starboard side
need plenty of operating room when they resumed sweetish odor blanketed the ship
ammunition
we
"Well, what'll
targets.
spent the time cleaning up around their mounts.
empty cartridge
of rounds of
Mike
steel.
full
The deck gun crews Dozens
months
these
ships out there,
Iron
into another arms-around-the-
officers,
had tons of ammunition
still
When
minutes.
cruiser into pieces, he gave the
—
firing.
A
heavy,
cordite fumes from the hundreds
fired.
Mike put
get next?" Iron
it
up
to his assistant
coaches huddled with him on the flying bridge. "There's one burning over there.
How
about him?" Gunnery Officer
Laffan pointed toward a Jap destroyer that had just burst into flames, evidently the result of a hit by one of the Boise's companions.
"Okay," Mike
"Let's get him. Shift target and resume
replied.
firing."
Mr. Laffan had Sam Forter, high
in the
forward director, on the
wire and was indicating the ship on which the Boise was
now
to train
her main battery. Forter had also seen her blaze up and in no time at all
he had the range.
five-inch guns
A
were whamming away
few whams were wasted.
opened
fire
very few seconds
on
Two
later, the
Boise's six- and
at the Jap destroyer,
and very
minutes after Mike Moran's
men had
their latest target, there
was one
less
Japanese de-
stroyer for the editors of Jane's Fighting Ships, the Bible of the
world's navies, to record.
Even Gun One was
still
in there
punching. She was operating on
Gun Captain King kicking them out. "Gun One. Sky Forward testing. Gun One. Sky Forward
local control with
was Lieutenant Edwards
calling
from
his director.
testing." It
356^
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
"King speaking."
"How
you making out?"
are
"We're doing
all right, sir.
The
gun's a
wobbly, but she's
little
still
firing."
"Nice work
.
.
but be careful."
.
Carpenter Thomas and his repair party were
Some
Iron Mike's cabin.
fire in
the deck of the radio shack, directly above,
catch
when
Others were busy stopping up the hole
fire.
mopping up
still
men had been
of his
the
sent to douse
threatened to
it
in the Boise's side
above the waterline. Mattresses backed by bedsprings were
just
jammed
into the opening as a
temporary patch to prevent flooding of
the
compartment by the bow wave the galloping Boise was kicking
up.
The
made
that
shell
this
hole had completely demolished the
quarters of a half-dozen of the cruiser's junior officers, and the repair party
men working
had
in that section
to fight their
way through
the
wreckage.
"Enemy destroyer
.
destroyer contacted .
.
She
sunk by gunfire."
.
.
.
The Boise has opened
blazing in several places
is
Tom
.
.
.
was a godsend
engine and
men
fire
destroyer
Wolverton's blow-by-blow narrative over the
loudspeaker system was getting hotter than a Joe Louis cast. It
on the
fire
Enemy
to the
men cooped up
below.
fight
broad-
Down
in the
rooms there was comparative quiet and calm. The
stationed there were interested primarily in keeping
up the steam
pressure so that the Boise could maintain her speed. Extra boilers
had been
lit
increases.
There was
provide for power for possible emergency speed
off to
little
excitement here.
One man walked around and reporting them
the steel catwalks, taking bearing temperatures to the officer
on watch. All through the action he continued
this
prosaic assignment as placidly as though he were making a regular
run on the Staten Island ferry.
Midnight had passed and Mike Moran, with Laffan and Butler,
was looking about for another Japanese
target.
For the moment there
was none handy, and Sam Forter was training 'searching' course, trying to in the
make
it
six in a
magazines and handling rooms the
ammunition topside needed
rest.
in
row
his
director
for the Boise.
men who had been
on a
Down
shipping
wholesale quantites were having a much-
Gunner's Mate Paul Kunkel had been feeding an
nition hoist in the forward handling
room and was
still
ammu-
standing by,
but the hoist had been shut down. His powder-handling crew consisted of a half-dozen
dants.
They stood
Guamanians and
several colored mess atten-
there now, immobile, their bodies glistening with
357
"Pick Out the Biggest!"
sweat from their recent exertion and the heat of the below-decks space that by
At
now reeked
with powder fumes.
minutes after midnight, Iron Mike was startled by a cry
five
from the
signal
bridge:
"Torpedo approaching ship on starboard
bow!"
A
signalman with eagle eyes had sighted the white foam of the
torpedo track.
ALTHOUGH JAPANESE TORPEDOES SLASHED command was now
Now battle
AROUND
definitely out of action.
us look back at the other
let
IN
them missed. However, Moran's doughty
their flaming target, all of
American warships. When the
opened, Task Force 64's favorite target was Goto's unsuspect-
Aoba, which was promptly inundated with
ing flagship, caliber
shells.
forty large-
The Japanese admiral was mortally wounded and officer, took over. Mean-
Captain Kijuma, the flagship's commanding
and Fubuki were holed and sunk, while
while, destroyers Furutaka
Duncan (soon
abandoned) was caught
to be
ripped into the chart house, bridge and gun there,
was a
crossfire:
director, killing
shells
everyone
while others battered her communications center and radar
became
plotting rooms; the forward third of the ship
More
in a
landed below
shells
lost.
a glut of flames.
her forward engine room, and
in
all
power
At the same time American destroyer Fahrenholt, victim of
communications
failure,
was caught
in
a crossfire.
Shells ripped
through her thin-skinned hull, flooded her gun plot, and wrecked her fire
control wiring; others struck below, causing a loss of
releasing a hits while
murderous
jet of
power and
Lake City absorbed
steam. Salt
a few
engaging an enemy cruiser, and San Francisco, leader of
the group which had pumped heavy
came away
fire
into
Kinu^asa and Aoba,
relatively unscathed.
While the
battle
was
a clear-cut
American
victory,
removing some
of the sting of Savo, the Japanese reinforcement groups did manage to land their troops
and supplies on the
Navy's fortunes were
in the
Only two nights
island.
Nevertheless, the
ascendancy.
after Scott's victory,
Japan sent down a mighty
bombardment group formed around the battleships Haruna and Kongo to maul the defenders of Henderson Field. While the Marines cowered in their foxholes, some nine hundred 14-inch shells pum-
358
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
meled the
airstrip in the
worst assault of the campaign. For eighty
uninterrupted minutes the Japanese" ranged with impunity along the coast hurling their explosives, until a squadron of newly-arrived
boats sneaked out of Tulagi to give7 battle, tangling with a whale.
noyed that he broke
much
PT
a mosquito
as
However, Admiral Takeo Kurita was so anoff his bombardment. In his wake he left a
burning, chewed-up airstrip and a good
number
of thoroughly shaken
Nimitz
in Pearl
Marines.
So desperate was the served: "It
now
situation that
appears that
we
Harbor ob-
are unable to control the area in the
Thus our control of the expense to us. The situation is not
sea around the Guadalcanal area. will
but
only be done it is
at great
positions
hopeless,
certainly critical."
Cape Esperance another major confronappeared imminent as Yamamoto's forces, numbering four
Scarcely a fortnight after tation
carriers, five battleships, fourteen cruisers
and forty-four destroyers,
were poised for the capture of Henderson Field. Opposing the Japanese armada were two carriers, two battleships, nine cruisers and
twenty-four destroyers divided into three groups.
United States forces were
Solomons, when a
PBY
off the
flying boat
On
October 23
Santa Cruz Islands, east of the
"snooped" an enemy carrier and
reported her position. Task Force 16, under Rear Admiral C. Kinkaid in battle-scarred Enterprise, launched a
and
strike.
Thomas
combined search
Heavy weather, however, prevented accurate reconnais-
sance and the battle did not break out until the morning of October 26. Although in the ensuing
engagement the United States
Hornet and suffered damage
to several other warships,
Shokaku and Zuikaku were so heavily damaged the war for months. But, most important, the American
victory,
for
the
thrust
enemy
that they battle
lost carrier
carriers
were out of
was
a tactical
on Guadalcanal was decisively
we gained precious time to reinforce and prepare. Commander Edward P. Stafford, biographer of Enterprise, narrates
turned back and
the events of Santa Cruz.
COMMANDER EDWARD
P.
STAFFORD
6.
ACTION OFF SANTA CRUZ
At 3:00 p.m. on a sweep
threatening
By
combined task force began
the twenty-third, the
between Guadalcanal and the
to the northwest to interpose
enemy
fleet to
the northward.
destroyers and barges at night and an occasional daylight land-
ing, the
Japanese had slowly
Their strongest naval forces since
—Shokaku, Zuikaku, cruisers
up
built
their forces
Midway were
Zuiho, Junyo
—
eight
on Guadalcanal.
at sea; four carriers
heavy
cruisers,
two
and twenty-eight destroyers. The goal of the Japanese
on Guadalcanal and the Navy a few hundred miles
Henderson
The Army was
Field.
light
Army
to the north
was
to capture the field. Carrier planes
once. Caught between the carriers and Henderson,
would
fly
U.
naval forces would be sunk or forced away and the U.
S.
in at
Marines, cut
off,
priceless island
could be
mopped
would be back
American counter-attack up to cut the U.S. -Australian
in
up.
The
S.
evil-smelling, worthless,
Japanese hands, the threat of an
Solomon chain ended, and the march line could be resumed. But first it was
the
life
necessary to capture Henderson Field.
October 22 was selected as the date on which the all-important
would change hands. The Marines upset the schedule by driving back tank and infantry attacks. They upset it again around mid-
airport
night of the twenty-third.
Pearl to double U.
S.
By
this
time the Big
E had
arrived from
naval strength in the Solomons.
359
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
360^
By the twenty-fourth the big enemy sea forces had been circling between Truk and Guadalcanal for nearly two weeks. Oil and patience were running low. Admiral Yamamoto in Truk radioed the
Army commander on Guadal
Henderson Field could be
that'll riles s
delivered quickly, naval forces could be counted out. Fuel would be
too low to risk battle.
Army announced Hen-
In the small hours of the twenty-fifth, the
derson in Japanese hands and Yamamoto's
enemy
daylight the
soldiers
fleet
turned southeast. At
were no longer so sure about Henderson,
and Kinkaid was approaching head-on at 20 knots with Enterprise and Hornet SBDs fanning out ahead. Unless the Japanese retreated committed
hurriedly, they were
to action,
Henderson or no Hender-
son.
At
ten minutes of one on the afternoon of the twenty-fifth
Kinkaid, then some 250 miles east and a
Cruz
Islands, learned the
had found two
Espiritu
whereabouts of
carriers
left
out of
at
nearly
fifty
miles each hour, 12
Enterprise at 2.30 p.m. covering from west through
north out to 200 miles. off
A PBY
360 miles ahead steaming southeast
25 knots. With the range closing
at
armed SBDs
enemy.
his
Admiral
north of the Santa
little
An
hour
later the air
group commander led
an attack group of 12 more Dauntlesses and 7 Avengers escorted
by 16
ing. It
carrier.
The
fighters.
and well
to the
was an hour
Many
search extended beyond the Santa Cruz Islands
northward over the darkening after sunset
when
of the younger pilots
landing. Lieutenant
Pacific. It
had never made
Frank Miller flew
found noth-
the planes got back over the
his
a night carrier
Wildcat into the sea forty
miles from the ship and was killed, probably as a result of insufficient
oxygen during the long, high-altitude
SBDs used
flight.
TBFs and
Three
three
the last of their fuel in the landing pattern and ditched.
Destroyers picked up
horizon as the
last
all
the crews.
The moon was
just clearing the
plane caught a wire and was snubbed to a stop on
the Big E's blacked-out deck.
All night Admiral Kinkaid's ships zigzagged northwest toward the
enemy
at
20 knots.
Every man
in
with the enemy.
away from out the ship
Enterprise
knew
the next
The brand-new, eager
air
day would bring action group was
just ten
days
the classrooms and training flights of Kaneohe. Through-
new men wondered how
they would act under the
bombs
or guns of the Japanese and the old hands went carefully about their duties
assuring
themselves
that
their
particular
equipments were
— a
:
Action Off Santa Cruz ready for the morning and, to the best of their
minds
to the
coming
361
ability, closing their
battle.
Commander John Crommelin wardroom. While they
sat
called
his
pilots
their open-collared
in
together in
the
khaki along the
green-covered tables with coffee cups before them and the smoke flattening out
them the
among
the trunks and cables on the overhead, he gave
words they needed
straight, true, vigorous
to hear.
They had
been carefully and thoroughly trained, he told them; they knew
all
how
to
them
drop a
to
do
bomb and have
just that.
The
long, miserable struggle for
on how well the Big E's for waste,
and miss, States
he
damned
If
in their
pilots their
There was no room
they were going to get out there if
they had stayed back in the
bunks and a crack
Crommelin's Alabama accent thickened as he made the lights
well expected
Guadalcanal now depended 100 per cent
would have been better
and given good
And
and success of the Marines
pilots did their duty.
no excuse for misses. it
hit.
it
safety
on the low wardroom overhead
at the
enemy.
his last point
glittered
on
his
and
sandy,
He hoped no one had any illusions about being overworked. The men in that room were a major part of all that stood between the Japanese and Guadalcanal. And on Guadalcanal depended the war in the South Pacific. He would use them however and
graying hair.
whenever necessary and the better they were the better
He would
use them over and over and over again.
and knock those sons-of-bitches
rest
their chances.
Now
they were to
off the face of the earth in the
morning.
knew Crommelin's combat record, had Kaneohe at a hundred feet to give them knew he was requiring nothing of them he
All the Enterprise pilots
seen him slow
across
roll
confidence in their planes,
was not well able and ".
.
fell .
to
perform himself and they went to
their
bunks
asleep with his words stringing across behind their eyes
over and over and over and over again."
Before daylight on the twenty-sixth being served to sailors with faces
still
—while
early
breakfast was
creased from their bedding,
—
armed and rechecked and pilots briefed message was received from the headquarters of the commander, South Pacific Force, at Noumea. It was in a familiar style. Three
while aircraft were being
words
ATTACK. REPEAT, ATTACK
Only one man could have sent Bill
Halsey was back
in the
it
war.
and the Big E's men knew him
well.
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
362,
Halsey had taken over as commander, South Pacific Area and South Pacific Force, on the eighteenth and
was by
it
his order that
Kinkaid's task force was engaged in the northwestward sweep which
had found the enemy.
A
new confidence
stirred
through the Enter-
prise.
At 6:00 a.m., twenty-three minutes before lesses left the
morning sea from southwest through north
A
few moments
Combat Air
sunrise, sixteen
Daunt-
Big E's deck and fanned out in pairs to search the
later eight
Patrol and six
to a distance of
200
miles.
Wildcats clawed steeply up to establish a
more SBDs
circled out
on the watch for
subs.
The
had been chosen.
battlefield
It
was a thousand square miles of
the South Pacific lying just to the northward of the fiercely malarial
Santa Cruz islands. The sea was calm except for the long ground swell that
breeze.
is
never
still
From 1,500
to
and the friendly ripples of a 2,000
clouds covering nearly half the ceiling
and below
visibility
feet
drifted white
dawn
sky.
ten-knot
six- to
and gold cumulus
Above them
was no
there
was unlimited.
Like exploring fingers the Big E's scouting sections probed west-
ward across the sea that had to hold the enemy. Welch and McGraw of Bombing Ten passed
Eighty-five miles out,
first
enemy made the
a single-float
scout on the opposite course, and twenty minutes later they
contact, the strange pagoda-like superstructure of a Kongo-class
battleship breaking the
clean
line
of the
horizon ahead. The two
SBDs
pulled up into the bases of the low clouds and circled the
enemy
force at ten miles, alternately in the bright sunlight and the
gray turbulent insides of the cumulus. At 7:30
"dans" of Welch's contact report beeped
room with
TWO
the unhurried clarity of a
A.M.
the "dits"
loudly into the Big E's
communications
and code
drill:
ONE HEAVY CRUISER, SEVEN DESTROYERS. LATITUDE 8 DEGREES 10 MINUTES SOUTH, LONGITUDE 163 DEGREES, 55 MINUTES EAST. COURSE NORTH. SPEED TWENTY KNOTS Bareheaded and short-sleeved among the Big E's helmeted and lifejacketed bridge crew, Admiral Kinkaid paced and fretted. The adBATTLESHIPS,
miral stopped for a minute to watch the big bedspring antenna of the air-search radar slowly sweeping the sky, then walked to the
looked for the twentieth time
at the
loaded
rail
and
SBDs and TBFs crowded
together on the flight deck. Ducking through the crowded pilothouse to the starboard
around
his
wing of the bridge, he
lifted the
binoculars hanging
neck and saw a bigger deck load of planes ready on the
n
363
Action Off Santa Cruz
Es
Hornet ten miles away. This was the Big
The
with a small strike.
At hear.
real
radios in the coding
room came
alive again
could recognize the firm clear hand of Chief
Commander
Lieutenant
J.
to search
and follow
what he had been waiting
ten minutes of eight Kinkaid heard
The
day
punch was on the Hornet.
I.
and the watch flying with
A. Sanders,
"Bucky" Lee, skipper
R.
to
Scouting
of
Ten:
TWO
CARRIERS AND ACCOMPANYING VESSELS, LATITUDE 7 DEGREES
5 MINUTES SOUTH, 163 DEGREES 38 MINUTES EAST The admiral stepped into Flag Plot and looked closely at the chart. Two hundred miles to the northwest. The bright flags soared out of
yard arms and the shutter clattered on the 36-inch
their bags to the
signal searchlight trained
knots and the
bows swung
on the Hornet. Force speed went up
Fifteen miles east of the Japanese carriers, Lee and his
W.
report three
wingman,
more times
hammered out
Chief Sanders
to be sure
it
his contact
was received and then dropped
key and swung his guns up to the ready. Below them the enemy
ships, as at
27
E. Johnson, noses up and throttles forward, struggled for attack
altitude. In Lee's rear seat
his
to
into the northwest.
though
in terror of the
two
thintailed
SBDs, turned westward
high speed and fouled themselves with thick
smoke. From high overhead two four-plane spiraled down to attack. Lee and Johnson into fighters with guns at both ends,
and
clouds of black
sections of the Zero
CAP
turned their Dauntlesses in
a
wrapped up, heavy
gutted, low-altitude swirl of wings and props and stringing tracers,
with the horizon usually vertical and the ocean frequently overhead, shot
down
three of the overconfident Zeros before ducking into the
friendly cumulus. In the desperate aerial
followed, Lee and Johnson of approaching the
enemy
game
of hide and seek that
became separated. There was no chance com-
ships again, alone, and, their mission
pleted, they returned singly to the ship.
Lieutenant Birney Strong, with Ensign Charles Irvine on his wing,
were
at the tip of the third of the
Big E's probing fingers to the
northward, a hundred miles from the two carriers reported by Chief Sanders.
They had believed John Crommelin's words and absorbed Garlow
the aggressive, determined spirit in which they were spoken.
and Williams
in
their
two rear
seats
had copied Welch's contact
report on the battlewagons. Obviously the action
was
all
to the south.
Here the 500-pound bomb they each carried was wasted, the two loads of fuel and ammunition lugged around the sky for nothing.
364 ^
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
Strong could hear John Crommelin's confident voice loud in the
wardroom: "There
Working
is
no room for waste, no excuse
for misses!"
he plotted the Japanese battleship position on his
fast,
board, drew the course
line, figured Briefly in pencil off to the side,
glanced at his fuel gauges and motioned to Irvine, close on his wing.
The
two Dauntlesses tipped up sharply
right wings of the
turned south. Both pilots as they started climbing on the
RPM
eased back their mixture controls, watching the intently to the engines.
out of the gas
as they
new
and
course,
listening
They would need every yard they could
left in their
now
tanks
that they
had added
get
to their long
search a climb to attack altitude, an extra hundred miles, and a fight if
they could find
When had
it.
Lee's report on the carriers
to alter heading only a
came
in a
few minutes
later they
few degrees.
Lieutenant Stockton Birney Strong had no illusions about the twoplane attack on a task force that he was planning.
war began. The Gilbert Island
carriers since the
and the August
battle off the Eastern
plus raids on Tulagi and the
He had been on
Solomons were
Lae Salamaua area
Coral Sea
strikes,
off
all
New
behind him, Guinea. At
Eastern Solomons he and Ensign Richey had located the Ryujo, carefully
and accurately reported her
position,
course, speed and the
composition of her force but had not attacked through the fighters
and the
flak.
Strong had been thinking about that since the twenty-
fourth of August and every time he thought about
had been a mistake. He would not repeat
it,
he thought
it
it.
In the bright sunlight at 14,000 feet the four
men
in the
two slim
Dauntlesses stalked the heart of the enemy's naval strength.
The
carriers that
Lee and Johnson had found were Shokaku and
CAP
Zuikaku. Their
was up,
their
guns loaded and trained out.
A
heavy cruiser and seven destroyers surrounded them.
Although they had been navigating only between careful
visual
searches and checks of engine instruments and fuel gauges, guessing at
wind
drift,
Lee's contact report and Strong's interception were
exactly accurate.
At 8:30 a.m. Strong picked up two narrow yellow
decks sliding toward him far below. They were Shokaku and the carrier Zuiho. Zuikaku, a few miles away,
was out of
sight
light
under a
cloud.
Chuck pilots
Irvine
same time and moved in close. Both guns. Garlow and Williams clicked the safeties off
saw them
charged their
at the
their twin 30s. Strong led the section in a left turn,
heading for an up-
365
Action Off Santa Cruz
sun attack position. Below, the small yellow rectangles disappeared
The Zeros and
occasionally under puffs of cloud. due. Strong
knew
that luck alone
ments and he was not a
from Zuiho, the nearest
man
AA
the
were over-
was providing him with these mo-
he patted his head to Irvine, pulled
up, split his flaps and rolled into the long dive that since
had become the purpose of followed down.
Still
up-sun
to question the gift. Directly
carrier,
his
there were
life.
A
thousand
December
feet behind, Irvine
no Zeros. Unruffled by any
dive was as smooth as a training exercise.
The gunners
flak the
on
lay
their
backs wondering at the empty sky, waiting for the bouncing of the
AA
while the two pilots leaned forward, sweating with pure concen-
an eye pressed to the tubular scope where every pressure of
tration,
hands and toes moved the crosshairs on the expanding deck.
right
There was time
to notice that both decks
were empty, that the enemy
groups had been launched. In succession
air
at
1,500 feet their
left
hands went down and forward, found the release handles and pulled. It
was done. And
bombs
as the
Zeros closed from
all
fell
But
directions.
plunged into the enemy
flight
away it
AA
came up and the was too late. Both bombs the
deck near the stern and opened
wide
it
with two splintering blasts rapidly followed by a pouring of black
smoke.
Then
the
SBDs were
flat
the Zeros.
down on
AA
twisting under the lash of
With mixtures,
fire
the white caps, slipping, jerking,
from the ships and repeated runs by
throttles
and prop controls
all
pushed
for-
ward over the end of the control quadrant, bombs gone, the pilots dodged and weaved and tried to cover each other. But Garlow and
hammering
Williams, with their swinging,
hope of getting the section back
real
careless.
One
of the
first
to attack ceased
away, showing the plane's defenseless oughly with lead during the instant
.30-calibers, held the only
to base. Occasionally a
it
firing
belly.
Garlow
later
A
thor-
few moments
so closely.
But the Zeros
still
came
on, banking in from astern,
prop disk and wings with the guns blinking along the leading
edges.
And
wing and
they could not
tail,
was important
melin)
know
all
miss. Holes appeared in Irvine's right
slowing him. Strong, seeing the holes and remembering
his depleted fuel supply, it
sea.
it
the fighter
Williams got one too and after that the attacks were not pressed
home all
stitched
was exposed, and
exploded into flame and rolled inverted into the
Zero got
too soon and banked
that
of the
doubted that they would make
it
home. But
Admiral Kinkaid (and Commander Crom-
damage
to the carrier.
So with the Zeros
still
366 _
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
and Garlow doggedly giving them burst for burst, he opened up on his radio and announced the two hits, giving position, course and speed of the enemy force. Then he repeated it. The task attacking,
commander had to have the "tactical information and John Crommelin had to know that with two SBDs they had put two 500pound bombs on the target two out of two. No waste of bombs or force
—
planes or gas or training.
could get
home
You
couldn't do any better
—
you
unless
too.
The two Dauntlesses took
scattering clouds
to the
and
at
nine
o'clock after a forty-five-mile chase, the last of the Zeros turned back.
Now
it
was only a problem of
flying
home. But home was a hunted
maneuvering on unknown courses
carrier,
maintaining radio silence some
at
unknown speeds and
150 salt-water miles away. With
nearly empty tanks and shot-up airplanes only a direct and perfect
course would provide a chance of success. At 10:26 a.m., Robin Lindsey's paddles the
pass,
first
waved Strong and
and with
Irvine aboard the Enterprise
insufficient fuel for another
had
it
on
been neces-
sary.
Every
SBD
the ship. Half
of the sixteen-plane
dawn
search returned safely to
had made contact with the enemy. They had shot down
seven Zeros attempting interception and
left
a carrier and a cruiser
burning.
Now
it
was time
Thomas Kinkaid
for
to strike his
enemy.
It
was,
in fact, past time.
A
Hornet
strike of
29 planes went
off first.
Enterprise followed
with every flyable plane aboard except for 20 fighters of the
and another Hornet group of 25
fell in
behind.
CAP,
Loaded with bombs
and torpedoes and with the target 200 miles away, the various formations could not wait to join up, but departed immediately rately in the direction of the
The Enterprise
and sepa-
enemy.
strike consisted of eight
bomb
Avengers, heavy with the
SBDs with 1,000-pound bombs and an escort of eight Wildcats. Behind and above, Commander Gaines, the air group commander, controlled the flight from a ninth TBF. With six Dauntlesses at the bottom of the sea after last evening's long search, six more on antisub patrol for the task force long torpedoes in their
bays, three
and sixteen straggling back from the morning scouting
E was The
To
flight,
the Big
desperately short of dive bombers. attack group, conserving fuel, climbed slowly out on course.
the right and
left,
ahead and a thousand
feet above, the
two four-
367
Action Off Santa Cruz
plane divisions of Wildcats weaved gently back and forth, throttled
back
to avoid outdistancing the
slower Dauntlesses and Avengers.
Navy Cross winner Lieutenant Commander James Flatley, the skipper of the "Grim Reapers" of Fighting Ten, led the right-hand division, Lieutenant John Leppla the left. Lep had been hand-picked by Flatley out of a Dauntless squadron on the old Lexington where he and his gunner John Liska had also
won
a
Navy Cross
Coral
at
Sea.
Twenty minutes their guns,
and about
after take-off
6,000
ship, the fighter pilots at
wondering what
lay
feet
ahead of them and how they would
conduct themselves. Below and behind them,
Avengers had not yet turned on
phones of
all
from the
forty-five miles
were getting around to charging
at
4,000, some of the
The
their radio transmitters.
the pilots crackled gently. Nothing
was on the
ear-
air.
Jim
Flatley led his division in another shallow turn to starboard and held
Then slowly he turned back and glanced over his left shoulder at the formation. The TBF piloted by Lieutenant Commander John A. Collet, the CO of Torpedo Ten, was spinning, it
for about a minute.
smoke pouring from the engine and back over the second Avenger was slanting toward the sea, the canopy
with flame and cockpit.
A
shattered and the pilot slumped in his seat. Behind and below, the
four Wildcats of the other division were locked in a series of tight turns and climbs with a dozen Zeros.
from the action ing toward the left
turn; the
in
Two
black ribbons of smoke.
TBFs
Zeros were falling away
Ahead another was
for a second run. Flatley attacked in a diving
Zero turned
right
and pulled up but Flatley recovered
above him and attacked again with a long burst
The Zero began
to
smoke but continued
attack the fighter skipper
When
turn-
hammered
it
at
maximum
straight ahead;
on
range.
his next
into the sea.
the seemingly endless string of Zeros flashed
down
out of the
sun and through the torpedo plane formation, Ensign Dusty Rhodes reacted like the others in his Wildcat division, with shocked disbelief for about
two seconds and then with a hard
right turn
toward what
was left of the other group, shucking his drop tank, charging guns, jamming throttle, RPM and mixture into the stops in an attempt to close the dangerous speed advantage the diving Zeros held and to keep them off the remaining bombers. The heavy, rugged F4F required an altitude advantage, which its weight could quickly convert to speed, in order to match the maneuverability of the Zero. Here the Zeros had caught the Wildcats slow
368
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
-*
and committed
to the altitude of the
they could not even dive
away
bombers they were
to gain speed
and
fight
While Leppla's division closed up under
altitude.
turned in to the enemy, the Japanese' fighters
and through
making run
their formation,
out at low
power and
full
looped around
literally
after
escorting, so it
run until the blue
wings were pocked with holes from the 20-millimeters and 7.7s, canopies were smashed, pilots wounded.
Rhodes and Reding had opposite kinds
of
huge blow torch under
like a
away but when
down
ing
it
his wing. Reding's
Rhodes
built-in fire, covering
set
it
flaming
tank released and
him
did his engine stopped, leaving
trying to restart while
both bad.
trouble,
Rhodes' drop tank would not release and enemy tracers
fell
helplessly spiral-
circled over
him with
his
and receiving repeated runs by the Zeros.
In this sudden nightmare of looping, swirling fighters, of flame and
and engines screaming under wide-open
tracers
everywhere except horizontal, his
pushed-up goggles shot
with the
throttle,
G
abdomen and the horizon Dusty Rhodes had his canopy riddled,
wrapped-up turns tugging
forces of
off the
at his
top of his head and his instrument
panel so completely shattered by gunfire that his electric gunsight
swung by
wiring before the empty space where
its
somehow in the midst of the holocaust ber how impressed he had been with
his
Dusty did not see Al Mead Reding, and the
last
this
had been. And to
remem-
the bullet hole in Machinist
Runyan's instrument panel which he had seen on Big E, and to hope he could get
it
mind had time first
reporting to the
one back to show the guys.
after leaving the
formation to cover
he saw of John Leppla was Lep
against one Zero and with another
on
his tail.
in a
head-on run
Later he caught a
glimpse of a half-opened, streaming chute dropping seaward and
thought
must be Lep. Then Chip Reding got
it
and Dusty's
internal tanks,
fire
burned
fuel in his drop tank, and the two
itself
his
engine going on the
out with the
F4Fs joined up
last of the
against the cloud of
Zeros. 1
Rhodes radio was shot and Reding's whole
hand
to pieces along with his instrument panel
electrical
system was out, including radio, but, by
and an understanding developed out of long hours of maneu-
signal
flying together, they joined to execute a defensive, scissoring
Jimmy Flatley and his friend Jimmy Thach which be known as the Thach weave. Neither pilot could
ver worked out by
was beginning see his
own
Reding's
to
tail
left.
but each could see the other's. Rhodes started out to
Reding saw a Zero begin a run on Rhodes'
tail
and
at
369
Action Off Santa Cruz once turned
left
toward Dusty to bring
his
Rhodes, seeing Chip's turn and knowing toward Chip to draw the Zero into Chip's
guns onto the enemy. meaning, turned right
its
line of fire.
The Zero turned
away and the two F4Fs leveled out again, having reversed position, with Rhodes now on the right, ready to execute the same maneuver again. They worked the weave together for minutes that passed like hours and the Zeros usually turned off when the Wildcat noses began to bear on them. But there were too many. While Dusty and Chip were weaving against a couple behind, several more were making runs from ahead or the flanks. Then, at about 2,500
engine stopped,
its
bearings burned out and fused together, the prop
not even windmilling
—
just stationary before
keep his speed and started a turn upwind not finished. Another one his
came
in
him.
He
set
bered an old chief
it
down on below
five
Zeros were
from behind and Dusty
He
felt
both
thought he
and elevator and he remem-
ailerons
in flight training
a thousand feet, but well
nosed over to
to ditch, but the
rudder pedals go slack as the control cables parted.
might be able to
Rhodes'
feet,
who had
said never bail out
hundred. Dusty Rhodes,
below
in nearly
a single explosive motion, hurled back the shattered canopy, stood in the cockpit,
booted the
stick full
forward into where the instrument
panel had once been and pulled the ripcord of his chute.
Wildcat with
its
up
The
riddled
dead engine shot under him, the parachute opened
and snatched him
erect,
and as he swung down under
it
he
hit the
water.
He
hit
hard and went deep but going down he released the snap
hooks that held clear of
it.
his chute
and when he broke the surface again he was
Overhead, he could see Chip Reding's
with three Zeros behind
it
and
in the
F4F headed
south
sudden watery silence he could
hear the whine of the four engines under
full
power.
He
noticed that
one of the Zeros was smoking.
When
he rejoined the Big E's strike group, Flatley found
The enemy ambush,
it
halved.
driving straight out of the sun so close to friendly
had destroyed outright two Avengers, including the squadron commander's, forced a third to ditch and sent a fourth back to Enterforces,
prise with a
damaged
engine. Three of Leppla's four fighters
down, and the survivor, Chip Reding, dazed and shaken overwhelming attack and heavy tled his riddled
The Big
losses,
had gone
at the
sudden
outran three Zeros and gen-
Wildcat back toward the Big E.
E's best
punch was now reduced
three Dauntlesses with a four-Wildcat escort.
to four
Avengers and
Commander
Gaines,
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
37(L
made
unnoticed or disregarded by the enemy,
a radio report of the
action and continued with the reduced attack group.
At 10:30 a.m.
enemy
the
and cruisers came
battleships
in sight,
ploughing northward between the Spreading shadows of the cumulus.
For ten minutes the planes clouds for the carriers.
Avengers
Then Lieutenant Thompson,
after the loss of his skipper,
go another ninety miles
fuel to
searching behind the building
circled,
fighters decidedly did not.
asked Flatley
if
leading the
he had enough
search of the carriers. Flatley
in
Having shucked
off their
?
s
wing tanks to
counter the Zero ambush, they had barely enough to return. Accordingly, the
The
Big E's strike took on the enemy battleship force instead.
three
SBDs (Bombing Ten
planes flown by Scouting
crews) lined up on a Kongo-class battleship. Richey put his big
Ten
bomb
water close aboard the starboard bow, Henry Ervin got a
in the
hit
number two turret and Estes planted his amidships on on the starboard side. The big battlewagon shook and smoked but the top of
flush
plowed ahead on her mission. While Jim Flatley's strafing runs, the
They bored
fighters kept the
Avengers circled
the
combined
into the
the
way
way home
gunners busy with repeated
low to attack a heavy
and dropped the big
in close
skipper was able to evade them
On
in
cruiser.
but the enemy
all.
a single Zero pilot
fire
fish straight
of the three
made
SBD
the last attack of his
life
gunners, and two-thirds of
back, the Big E's eleven planes passed directly over shouting,
whistling,
waving Dusty Rhodes, seated uneasily
half-swamped one-man
raft
some 165 miles north
in a half-inflated,
of Santa
Cruz and
east of the Stewart Islands, nursing a bullet nick in his left leg,
and
was
still
full
of salt water and a feeling of
amazed
gratitude that he
They did not see him. The dive bombers of Hornet's first strike did much better. They avoided contact with the enemy air until nine Zeros tangled with the escort Wildcats over the battleships. None got through to the SBDs, alive.
and
10:30 they found Shokaku and Zuiho. Even from 12,000
at
feet they
Zuiho's attack,
could see smoke coming from two holes in light carrier
flight it
deck. With Zuikaku under a cloud at the
was Zuiho
that Strong
and Irvine had
hit.
moment
of
The Hornet's
bombers fought through the enemy CAP and put several 1,000pounders into Shokaku. They left her burning from stem to stern and barely
making steerage way.
The torpedo
planes of that
first strike,
and her
entire
second wave,
371
Action Off Santa Cruz like the
Big E's battered attack force, never found the carriers but
made some
on a
hits
cruiser.
Admiral Kinkaid's morning attack was over. Shokaku and Zuiho were out of the
battle, a battleship
and a cruiser badly battered. But
Zuikaku and Junyo were untouched and, worse, unlocated and now launching
strikes.
The Zeros five miles
and shot up the Big E's
that surprised
from her deck were part of a
sixty-five-plane attack
from Shokaku, Zuikaku and Zuiho, which the United States task force in sight.
Task Force 16 were formed
into
The
two
strike only forty-
group
minutes later had
fifteen
fighting ships of Kinkaid's
tight,
gray circles ten miles
Each circle, with the flat rectangle of a carrier at the center, raked the morning sea with parallel white lines at 27 knots. High overhead and westward in the enemy direction thirty-eight Wildcats apart.
circled, controlled
through the eye of radar and the voice of radio by
the Enterprise fighter director officer.
As
close
around the Big E's priceless deck as high speed and
rudder would allow were a cruiser. ships.
new
and an
battleship,
full
anti-aircraft light
Eight destroyers formed an outer ring around the heavy
One
of
them was
the Shaw, a ship that
had had experience with
Vals flown from Shokaku and Zuikaku. They had caught her helpless in
dry dock and blown off her
bow
in Pearl
December. The same skipper and some
Harbor on the seventh of
sixty of the
same men were
aboard.
Hornet, flying the two-star flag of Rear Admiral George Murray, the Big E's old skipper,
two heavy
cruisers
and
was protected by two
Shortly after ten o'clock, her deck the
air,
anti-aircraft cruisers,
six destroyers.
empty and every
flyable plane in
Enterprise, at the center of her armored circle,
was passing
under the base of one of the big cumuli that covered more than half the sky. sailors.
Warm
rain rattled in her
Radar had enemy
divisions of Wildcats It
was too
late
The enemy rain squall
on the scope close
down through streams.
tracer
steeply,
was able
in the
shadow
of her
out, diving, to attack the Hornet. Enterprise
and Hornet Wildcats scrambled desperately shifting
and several
fighters out of position.
group missed Enterprise
and spread
following them
in
were ordered to intercept.
and most of the
strike
gun tubs and on the helmets of her
aircraft
to slow
after the
enemy
Lieutenant Stanley
W.
Vejtasa,
planes,
and the
the thickening five-inch bursts
climbing
one down with a long burst from
his six
372
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
guns just before the enemy pilot reached his push-over point. Lieutenant Albert D. Pollock, carefully conserving his ammunition and firing
only two of his outboard guns,, silenced the gunner of an
dive
bomber with
dive
on the Hornet, he turned on
enemy
of the
his first burst, then, with the
plane.
He had
to pull
Ensign Steve Kona of Pollock's sign
Donald Gordon on
his
first
guns and burned the belly out
up hard
flight
to avoid the wreckage.
got one in the same dive. En-
second attack blew up a torpedo plane ten
feet off the crests of the swells
force. "Flash"
all six
enemy
Japanese well into his
Gordon was
and
just a
few hundred yards from the
ten days out of
Kaneohe and
this
was
his
action.
But most of the bombers got through. Over George Murray's task group the automatic weapons of the new five-inch guns of those
anti-aircraft cruisers
and the
and the other ships poured tons of hot
and high explosive into the
sky.
Many
steel
of the Japanese planes,
still
unmistakable with their obsolete fixed landing gear, suddenly caught fire in their
dives and twisted out of control. Others, hit by the five-
inch, disintegrated in a flash
and a
ball of yellow flame
and black
smoke from which large and small pieces fell. But there were too many, and they dived in close and made their drops courageously and well. The commanding officer of an enemy bombing squadron, already badly
hit,
drove through the Hornet's
deck with two big
flight
bombs. Four more bombs and two torpedoes stopped her and her
afire
set
and a torpedo plane flew into her port bow.
At 10:25, when Enterprise turned eastward
men
cover her search planes, the
into the
wind
to re-
topside could see Hornet off to the
southwest dead in the water at the base of a slanting column of black
smoke. Hornet's four big bronze screws had made tion,
and the deck from which Colonel
Tokyo would
rest that night
below the Big E's
keel.
Enterprise was
now
Doolittle's
their last revolu-
B-25s had flown to
on the dark mud of the abyss three miles
the only effective United States aircraft carrier
west of Oahu.
The Japanese may not have known she was the only one
had two untouched
At eleven
left to
that,
carriers, with their strikes
knew very
well
And Nagumo
still
but they
cover Guadalcanal.
on the way.
o'clock Enterprise radar reported large groups of hostile
planes at twenty-three miles, closing. Again the Wildcats flew to intercept, finally
and again they were mostly below and behind when they
saw the bombers. Frequently the leader of a four-plane
divi-
373
Action Off Santa Cruz
F4Fs would be
sion of
told to "look
bow." To a
the starboard
pilot miles
on the port quarter" or "look on
away and frequently out
of his task force, such directions based
on the
of sight
heading
ships'
at the
moment meant better
the
nothing, and the division leaders would have done had they simply been stationed high above the force and out in
enemy
direction, provided with radar data
well, but
poor use was made of the information
Some two minutes
after radar's warning,
over the task force with three F4Fs of his
Dave
CAP
it
and
aircraft
own judgment. The
permitted to act according to their
formed
on enemy
radar per-
supplied.
Pollock, orbiting
one
division, noticed
of the destroyers dead in the water beside the bright yellow oval of a
rubber
life raft.
A
was being rescued and Dave hoped he was
pilot
one of the Big E's
fliers,
watched there was some hundreds yards ratically just
a mile
off the destroyer's
beam. Something was
under the surface and leaving a wake.
up Dave could make
it
would be hard
to see.
He had
contact only with the
FDO
busy circuit to
relay.
He
with his guns.
He knew
him but
at least
he could
from her
opened
fire at
few
to
warn
circling er-
torpedo.
knew
that
From from
thirty-five-foot bridge
the ship but he
had radio
and there was no time on the already too-
decided to go
down and explode
the jittery shipboard gunners call attention to the
torpedo.
the lead and dived his Wildcat for the water. stroyer
A
out well enough, but he
the low deck of the destroyer, or even it
As he
missing on the morning strike.
sort of activity in the bright blue sea a
As
the tin fish
would
He
fire
on
turned over
expected, the de-
once, and her sisters joined in viciously. Pol-
lock, cursing, tried to ignore the tracers
and made repeated
strafing
runs on the circling torpedo, his bullets churning the sea around
it.
After the second run, the surface gunners saw his friendly markings
and ceased
fire.
The destroyer simultaneously recognized
and her screws began in a
to
churn
just as the
torpedo exploded amidships
towering burst of white water and tumbling debris. Pollock sadly
pulled
The
up and rejoined
his division.
destroyer was the Porter. She completed the rescue of Lieu-
tenant R. K. Batten and his gunner R. his
his warning,
Avenger
after the
S.
Holgrim. Batten had ditched
morning ambush of the Big E's
strike.
The
enemy so close. Batten and Shaw when she came alongside to take and watched fromiier deck as she sunk the wounded
Porter could not be salvaged with the
Holgrim jumped across off survivors,
to the
Porter with her five-inch guns.
While the badly positioned, poorly directed Wildcats were strug-
374
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
gling for a shot
Big E's
and Pollock was trying
in vain to save the Porter, the
controlmen were working hard to bring the new
fire
fire-
control radar onto the approaching enemy. Theoretically and in controlled
the five-inch guns firing under the direction of this
tests,
equipment could knock down targets
from the ship
in clouds or darkness.
up the incoming planes. At 11:15,
and
at long ranges
Now
invisible
scopes would not pick
its
as at Eastern Solomons, the
of Enterprise could see the shining dive
bombers
of the Imperial
Navy plunging out
of the clear sky directly overhead.
flashes of silver that
made
small popping noises.
At
men
first
They were they seemed
and unmoving, but they looked unmoving only
ridiculously small
because they were moving straight toward the eye of the looker. Then swiftly they
began to grow, and on
opened
One
fire.
thought the San Juan had been
commenced
all
the waiting ships the gunners
of Flatley's Reapers, glancing
with
firing
all
hit
down
at that
moment,
and exploded, but she had simply
her guns.
On
South Dakota a hundred
steady mechanical unison and the dark brown powder smoke sprang from her decks and superstructure and drifted
muzzles flamed
out astern.
in
The Portland and every destroyer But
steel into the sky.
down
pointed
in
hammered
Enterprise Orlin Livdahl's gunners had the
For them there was no
easiest shooting.
in the screen
deflection.
Each plane was
was the
bull's-eye of the
the barrels of her guns. She
task force target.
On
the bridge Captain
with his
bombers
left
hand
twisting
down on
to spoil their aim.
battleship
the
matched
wingman
Osborne B. Hardison held
as he looked straight
A
his ship,
his every turn,
at
his
remaining
helmet on
the chain of dive
and maneuvered with
scant thousand yards
full
rudder
away 45,000 tons at the
Big E's side
of
like
in a flight section.
Enterprise staggered through a storm of
The
up
bombs and
falling planes.
sea spouted into columns around her and her hull jarred and
rang with the water hammers of submerged explosions. For four it
out with the seasoned, determined Japanese
less
than two hours off the decks of her old ene-
minutes she fought
airmen
who were
Shokaku and Zuikaku. Half of them were caught and dismembered in the shifting web of tracers and became momentary flares of mies,
gasoline on the broad surface of the Pacific. Others were harrassed by the rising metal into dropping early and turning away, often into the
guns of Flatley's frustrated Wildcats. Through the measured booming of the five-inch
and the steady hammering of the smaller guns the
375
Action Off Santa Cruz
men
enemy engines which
topside could hear the mounting roar of
faded suddenly as they pulled out across the deck. Below, their feet
E
Big
wide on the
heeled to
oily gratings of the
rudder,
full
men braced
engine and fire-rooms as the
one way, then back. The men of the
first
had checked and rechecked that the 662 water-tight compartments were buttoned up tight, with every hatch and door and scuttle not used to fight dogged down solidly. Now they sat on the repair parties
decks of passageways and small compartments with their tools
steel
and apparatus around them
came
It
in the
dim red
battle light,
would give them something
the clank and the blast that
and waited for to do.
11:17. John Crommelin, standing life-jacketed and
at
helmeted on the open bridge and watching the incoming dive bombers with professional detachment, suddenly announced, "I think that sonof-a-bitch
going to get us." The 550-pound
is
bomb
ripped through
the forward overhang of the flight deck just to port of the center line,
was
in the clear again for
deck and then
left
open
air just
fire in
above the ocean surface and
from a quarter of an inch
starboard
bow was blown
Davis Presley, a
fo'c'sle
the vitals of the ship, detonated
Fragments sprayed the side of the sizes
went through the
fifteen feet,
the ship again through her portside. Its delayed-
action fuse, intended to the
some
first
it
in
close to the port bow.
ship, leaving jagged holes of all
to a foot.
A
overboard. With
Dauntless parked on the it
to his death
class aviation machinist's mate,
went Sam
manning
the
twin 30s in the rear seat.
Another man was tion Finder
Room.
killed
A
and several wounded
tank was flooded with
Another
SBD
caught
fire
Radio Direc-
A
small
fire
and others burned below
licked the edges of the hole in the flight deck in the holds.
in the
salt water.
and gasoline ran from
its
pierced wing tanks to feed the flames. Machinist Bill Fluitt, the gasoline officer,
charged forward on the
He
help as he ran.
took
down
flight
deck, yelling and getting
the guard rails and, as the attack
went on and enemy gunners swept the deck with machine-gun fire, pushed the burning plane and its rapidly baking 500-pound bomb overboard.
Ralph Baker, a tures of the action
first
class photographer's mate, calmly taking pic-
on the forward edge of the
flight
deck, had his
index finger severed and his camera deeply dented by a
ment
as he held
it
a few inches
from
In the same minute, another
bomb
left
frag-
his head.
bomb
hit
just
aft
of the forward
elevator in the middle of the flight deck and broke in half. Part
376 ~
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
.
exploded
hangar deck, destroying two spare planes lashed to
in the
more below them. The nose
the overhead and five
two more decks and detonated
Number Two was
Party
half
went through
in tira officers' quarters
where Repair
stationed.
Repair
Two was
wiped
was the medical party which had been manning the station there. Forty
Stubborn
blast.
men were blown
out.
So
battle dressing
apart or fatally seared by the
up in bedding, clothing and the personal whose quarters had been demolished. Light,
fires flared
effects of the officers
power and communication aged. Salt water
lines
were
cut.
The
fire
mains were dam-
from the ruptured mains mixed with blood and
oil.
Pieces of men, internal and external, slid back and forth as the ship heeled, and the choking
smoke poured
through the small neat hole above. Smith's
Of
damage
four were killed.
came
hanger deck and out
From forward and
aft
Herschel
control parties closed in on the flaming shambles.
men
the six
into the
room crew adjacent
in the handling
The
to
Repair Two,
other two were knocked out by the blast and
to in the dark, smoke-filled
wreckage
littered
with the torn
bodies of their shipmates. Jim Bagwell, a third class gunner's mate,
groped
his
way, only half
tered hatch painfully
let in light
up the short
alive,
through the flames to where a shat-
from the hangar deck above. As he started
vertical ladder,
William Pinckney, a third class
officers'
cook and the only other survivor, found the same hatch. In
the
seconds after the bomb, the burnt area was worse than any
first
imaginable inferno. Flames towered out of the smoke that burned the eyes and lungs. There were dark holes where the steel deck had been.
Even a
man
half-conscious
could smell gasoline enough to blow the
whole deck again any second. Carefully, der, but
little
when
at the top
colored Bill Pinckney helped Bagwell up the lad-
the gunner's
unconscious. With
fires
hot enough to sear the to breathe,
few
still
in
his
hands on the hatch combing fell
back
to the
deck
above and below, the hangar deck hatch was
flesh.
Nearly blind with smoke and barely able
shock and his ears ringing from the
away a few seconds him through the hatch
feet
lifted
mate got
he yelled sharply with pain and
bomb
ago, Pinckney picked Bagwell
blast a
up and
to safety before he climbed the ladder
himself.
The
battle did not stop to let Enterprise dress her
chain of Vals as
the
it
still
unwound down
flashed overhead.
Sho and Zui's
smoke and they were eager
wounds. The
the sky, each link lashing viciously pilots
could see the holes and
to complete the
kill.
Their bombs
377
Action Off Santa Cruz
men from
threw tons of water on the Big E's deck, knocking her
their
throwing the guns out of position. The bullets of their gunners
feet,
On
searched her decks and gun positions.
and 20s the Big E's men
their five-inch, 40s,
and angrily returned the
steadily
1.1s
And
fire.
South Dakota supported them with a beautiful seamanship which kept her close, and a constant, effective
Japanese aircraft
fell
bombs dropped. At
fire
a single instant three
E's bridge, bright flares streaking black
The
was
cost
left
visible
after eleven there
to the
aboard the
feet
wounded, driven ship shook the so violently that any given point
and a
half,
ment were
full
her
to
aft
standing on
The
deck.
length of her eight hundred feet
whipped up and down through a foot
flicked
from
their foundations.
the starboard side.
overboard; a
little
The
farthest
in the air
SBD
carrier turning
and equipment secured
and banged down nearer
gun
gallery.
Tools
overhead crashed down onto the
to the
spilled
it
forward and to starboard went
farther aft another landed in the
hangar deck. Mercury
from the big master gyros. The
foremast rotated one-half inch in the
With the
deck slanted to starboard, and each time
flight
whipped, the parked planes rose
all
man
every second for several seconds. Machinery and equip-
hard to port, the
ment
Emperor.
was a muffled explosion
was knocked
Enterprise
the sea.
only carrier the
finish the
of the island on the starboard side and almost every his
from the Big
smoke down toward
and give Guadalcanal back
At nineteen minutes
hundred guns.
a
were
bomb might
high, but just one
Americans had
from
out of the sky at the rate of one to every two
its
entire
socket, throwing out of align-
complex antennas mounted on
it.
The
after-bearing
pedestal on one of the high-pressure steam turbines which drive the ship
was cracked.
A
fuel tank
began to leave a broad
empty 1
fuel tanks
trail
was opened
of oil for the
were flooded and she
and Enterprise
to the sea
enemy
to follow.
Two
listed a little to starboard.
At
1:20 the attack appeared to be over.
Loading crews cleared the hot the guns.
Some
piles of
empty casings from around
of the 40-millimeter crews, working fast, changed
barrels; the used barrels hissed briefly in the cooling tanks.
On
the bridge Captain Hardison stood close to his talker, receiving
reports of
damage and
Smith and George Over
corrective action being taken in Central Station.
He
mission to counter-flood as necessary to take the
frowned
at
news of the heavy
casualties in Repair
Admiral Kinkaid hunched over
his chart in
from Herschel
quickly granted perlist
off the ship
and
Two.
Flag Plot with his
staff
378
'Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
and
made
listened to radio reports of the attempts being
to save the
Hornet. Admiral George Murray was shifting his flag to the cruiser
Pensacola since radio communications' ~hb longer existed in Hornet.
Northampton was attempting to take her in tow. Enterprise was showing less smoke as the fire-fighting crews from forward and aft converged on the fires around Number One elevator. Her propulsion machinery, except for the cracked bearing pedestal, was undamaged and she maintained a steady 27 knots. But battle dressing stations,
the senior medical
Chief Pharmacist's Mate Adair and other medical personnel
officer,
worked drugs,
Commander John Owsley,
in the
steadily against pain
and
applying tourniquets
and
blood and death, injecting
loss of splints,
dressing
burns,
suturing
wounds, amputating shredded limbs.
And down on
the
first
platform deck ten
men were
trapped in the
ammunition handling rooms for the forward guns. The only
five-inch
way out was through
the access trunk directly above which
eight feet deep with salt water
now was
from the hoses which battled the
fires
One of the men trapped was little twenty-year-old Vicente Sablan of Guam, who at Pearl Harbor had known the Japanese to be "very bad and tricky. But we Americans too smart. We catch him and give him hell." Sablan had grown much older in the ten months overhead.
since those
words were spoken and most of
booming
now
hammering
his aging
had been
to
of the guns
on deck and the huge
of near misses in the deep handling
room where he was
the sound of the remote
sealed with nine other men, three Caucasian, four
Negro and two
Filipino.
At 11:27 and the Big
a lookout reported a periscope off the starboard beam,
E
leaned hard to put her stern to
it
before
it
was
identi-
fied as a porpoise.
At there
1 1
:
44 another periscope was reported
was no time
from both bows
to
in the
same position but
maneuver. Fifteen torpedo planes were boring
to catch the Enterprise as they
in
had done the Hornet,
whichever way she turned.
Admiral Nagumo had launched these torpedo planes with his dive to attack at the same time,
bombers from Sho and Zui. They were dividing the lessly the
fire
problem of evasion. But they had arrived
the bombers,
shining Kates, drops.
of defending guns and complicating almost hope-
and now flat
it
half an hour after
was the guns of the task force against the
on the water, holding
their torpedoes for close-in
Action Off Santa Cruz
The
379
spaced black five-inch bursts building neat rows
regularly
close to the surface flamed one plane five miles out. Briefly the spray
smoke where he went
rose above the greasy
held his ship on course, waiting for the
which group of planes dropped
see
bow
AA
Captain Hardison
in.
to take effect, waiting to
their torpedoes
On
first.
either
smoke to take enemy and take the torpedoes
the destroyers increased speed with chuffs of
position between the carrier and her
themselves
if
necessary.
The guns were
was no problem of loading
The
the bright sky. planes.
trained horizontally and there
at high-elevation angles
skimmed
tracers
and
straight
or squinting into to
flat
meet the
Three miles out a Kate on the port bow pulled up suddenly,
rolled inverted
Two more came
and crashed.
the 20-millimeters
opened up
at
two
miles.
the five remaining Kates on the starboard
apart and skidded in as
Then,
in
quick succession
bow made
and
their drops
turned away. Captain Hardison looked quickly to port; four more
were coming
in
but had not yet released.
ahead now he could see the together and
moving
beautiful drop
and
fast,
parallel
starboard and a
wakes of three torpedoes
the middle one slightly ahead.
the Big
if
To
E
It
little
close
was
continued on course they would
a
hit
her amidships and rip out her insides. For a second the bridge watch
was
silent, poised.
The quartermaster
at the
helm, the seaman at the
engine order telegraph, the officer of the deck, waited for the skipper's
command. At
the end of that long second
"Right
full
rudder."
"Right
full
rudder, sir!"
The helmsman spun
his wheel, pulling
with his right hand, letting ing
up for another hold,
it
came.
over the top and
down hard
carry around to the bottom, then reach-
getting his
downward
it
back into
it,
bending
his
knees a
The gray pointer slid down the right side of the rudder angle indicator mounted by the wheel until it stopped at 35 degrees right. Back in the steering engine room the starboard ram was all the way aft, the full gleaming length of the port ram exposed. The three-story rudder with its top ten feet below the little
hull
with each
was angled
pull.
far out to starboard
screws poured onto
it,
increasing
slide across the sea to the left,
and the wash of the starboard
its effect.
The Big
E's stern began to
and slowly the bow came
right
the bubbling echelon of the torpedo tracks, as though to
The
flight
deck with
having done
all
its
smoldering holes leaned
that could be done, Captain
down
toward
meet them.
to port and,
Hardison stood on the
380 -
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
port wing of the bridge to witness
its
Kinkaid came
him.
Now
silently to stand beside
success or failure. Admiral
there were only a few hundred? yards separating Enterprise
and the three bubbling
lines
on the
bow swung
increase speed as the
sea's surface.
They seemed
to
onto them and then from the bridge
they were out of sight under the port overhang of the turning deck as
"Rudder amidships" and the quartermaster spun The Big E straightened up from her turn and
the captain ordered: the wheel
down
to port.
the three torpedoes, running straight and true, passed ten yards
down
her portside, parallel, at 40 knots.
moment from the most threatening of now headed straight for
Enterprise, safe for the
the
torpedoes launched against her, was
the
destroyer Smith, which already had enough trouble without being run
down by
a carrier.
under control
An enemy
straight into her
torpedo plane, smoking and barely
with a pair of Wildcats, had flown
tangling
after
forward gun mount. Flames shot up higher than her
mast, engulfing her bridge and superstructure, and as they were be-
ginning to recede the Kate's torpedo had baked off with a roar,
making everything forward of the stack untenable. Somehow, the destroyer had stayed on course and at
hammer away
continued to
fleet
speed, and her after guns
En-
protectingly at the planes attacking
terprise.
Captain Hardison came
left
again and cleared the Smith, which
dropped back and then moved up astern of South Dakota and buried her burning
bow
in the high
minutes her
fires
were out and her skipper returned to the bridge and
resumed
of the battlewagon. In another few
his duties in the screen.
But Enterprise was
still
the starboard bow. There
in trouble.
Another torpedo was sighted on
was no room
this
time to turn inside
The bow was already Once again Captain Hardison came hard
was too close and too course.
wake
fast.
it.
It
across the torpedo right,
and the Big
E's stern skidded clear to port as the "fish" passed thirty yards to starboard.
A
half-mile farther
up the fading torpedo wake, Enterprise
plunged past the wreckage of the Kate that had dropped
it.
From
the
up in hatred. more Kates, fast and low on the water, position. Like Gene Lindsey attacking the
debris two half-drowned oriental faces looked
From dead
astern
now
five
maneuvered for attack Kaga at Midway, but with
far faster aircraft, the Japanese pilots
swung wide for a shot at the Big E's port beam. Like the Kaga's late commanding officer, Osborne Hardison kept swinging to starboard,
Action Off Santa Cruz
381
presenting only his narrow stern as a target while the task force guns
And,
blasted steadily at the circling torpedo planes.
Midway, the
was
tactic
as
had been
it
at
successful. Within a mile of Enterprise, three
were shot down
in rapid succession
from every gun
in the force that
by the storm of 20-millimeter
would
dropping point, pulled up sharply, releasing turn, then continued in a diving left
The
bear.
bank
fire
fourth, nearly at
torpedo in a climbing
his
The
to the sea.
fifth
made
a
good drop from nearly dead astern and Captain Hardison paralleled the torpedo attack
and watched
it
pass his ship to port.
There would have been eleven more to deal with
if
had not
it
been for Lieutenant Vejtasa.
Swede Vejtasa was the leader of a division of four F4Fs launched 9:00 a.m. to augment the twelve Wildcats already on Combat Air Patrol and to intercept the enemy dive bombers. With him were Lieutenants Harris and Ruehlow and Ensign Leder. Although caught at
underneath the incoming well,
was able
to
the Hornet. Since he
bombers, he led their drops
raid, Vejtasa,
knock down
was too
a
late
his division in
and were
by climbing hard and shooting
Val before
it
could begin
and too low
its
dive on
to intercept the other
an attack on two which had completed
Both flamed and
fell off
into the sea.
For a long time, under orders from the FDO, Vejtasa's
flight circled
at
retiring.
10,000 feet searching the sea for torpedo planes, while more dive
bombers came
in
overhead to attack Enterprise.
Shortly before noon, fighters out to the
Just as the
FDO
Swede heard
warned
in a stepped-up
section at the rear.
Zeros,
own
order another in the
same
made
column
out eleven dark-green, shiny Kates
of three-plane
Ruehlow and Leder,
after a
Vs
with a two-plane
brush with a pair of
had spotted the Kates and were already
side attack.
to
make
their runs
on Enterprise.
pass Vejtasa and Harris each set a Kate explosively their speed to overtake
one of the three-plane Vs
On
afire,
just as
it
high
fast,
The enemy torpedo planes were already close and
250 knots
With
attacking.
Harris close on his wing, Vejtasa pushed over in a steep,
ing in at
flight of
direction.
that the incoming aircraft might be friendly
search planes returning, he
below
FDO
the
northwest and led his
slant-
their first
then used entered a
large cumulus. In the turbulent gray belly of the cloud Harris
angry
at the misdirection of the
FDO
but he was clear and cold in his head.
and the chances
The Wildcat
lost all
in his
the smooth stock and grip and trigger of a familiar
and
He was
Vejtasa became separated but Swede did not lose the enemy.
morning
hands
felt like
And
he was
rifle.
382
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
careful
and absolutely accurate.
the V.
He
He began
with the left-hand plane of
him up with two
flew in close, directly astern and blew
short bursts of his six guns. Methodically, Vejtasa kicked rudder and slid
his
Wildcat to the right in behind the leader. His
brought the Kate's rudder soaring up and over the
enemy began
the
left.
set
him on
and he
fire
away
it
from engine back
it
second
as
in a spiral to
Roman
gray
can-
over behind
Swede's
six
to tail in a single long rattle of bullets
flamed violently and nosed abruptly downward.
In the shredding fog above him and to the
shadow failed to
of another Kate and he pulled
up hard
AA
at
Vejtasa saw the
low
side run but
once took over. Swede could see the enemy was
too high and too fast for an effective drop and this
left,
in a
knock him down. He followed him out of the cloud where
the task force
was
fell
damp of the cloud, Vejtasa eased remaining enemy who began a shallow right turn.
guns raked
and
yaw
In the cloud the tracers glowed like accelerated
dles. Still in the
the
to
burst
first
his head, his
let
the
AA have
him.
It
plane that crashed the Smith.
Vejtasa circled at 3,000 feet outside the ring of destroyers and with the last of his
ammunition shot down a
fifth
attempting to retire low on the water after
its
torpedo plane as
it
was
run.
Thus did Swede Vejtasa, on a single-combat flight, shoot down two enemy dive bombers and five torpedo planes with one more probable. Out of the eleven Kates which he discovered deploying for an attack on his ship, he personally destroyed five and led his wingman on a run that accounted for a
and
fled
and
it
sixth.
Three others jettisoned
was the opinion of Vejtasa's
Flatley, that "the other
their torpedoes
commanding
officer,
two were so demoralized that they were
Jim in-
effective."
Captain Hardison, by clear,
fast thinking
and flawless timing, had
evaded nine torpedoes dropped with the same determined skill as It is improba-
those which had just reduced Hornet to a drifting hulk. ble that without
Swede
Vejtasa's help he could have evaded eleven
more.
At noon, under
the low broken clouds, Enterprise was
making 27
knots at the center of her bristling task group. South Dakota,
still
on
her starboard quarter, could see she was down by the bow. Black smoke streamed aft from the holes in her flight deck. Within a radius of twenty miles, almost her entire air group circled in small formations or singly,
low on
Hornet's successful
fuel
strike,
and ammunition, waiting to come aboard. having laid Shokaku open like a sardine
383
Action Off Santa Cruz had only the Big E's damaged deck on which
can,
But
to land.
Enterprise could receive no planes on her holed and smoldering deck,
with the raw ulcer of
bomb damage below and
bogies
still
showing on
her scopes. With her guns trained out and ready, her radars and binoculars searching the sea and the sky, she concentrated on repair-
damage and saving the lives of her men. The second bomb had ruptured three decks just
ing her
elevator
on the Big E's center
line.
A
aft of
Number One
tangle of broken planes
was
down
into
burning in the hangar deck and flaming gasoline had run the forward elevator
pit.
On two
decks staterooms, washrooms, dress-
ammunition handling-rooms were de-
ing stations, gear lockers and
molished. Flames licked at severed electrical cables, wrecked equip-
ment and
rubble in the smoking darkness. Doors and hatches
steel
were blown open, decks and bulkheads blasted out of shape, piping slashed,
damage,
machinery scored and riddled.
ammunition
in the
runs, were Sablan
and
from
fuel tanks and,
the worst of the
handling-room for the forward five-inch Aft of them were the five-inch
his nine mates.
powder magazines, on both
And below
sides
narrow void spaces separating them
on the other
side of a solid watertight
bulkhead
forward of them, workshops and elevator machinery. Below them
was aviation gasoline and above were smoldering storerooms under the
bomb
directly
explosion point. There was only one access to them,
a vertical trunk leading up through the storerooms to the wrecked living quarters.
There was a firmly closed watertight hatch
trunk on the overhead of their compartment.
above
in the
deck of the demolished
by the bomb. The trunk was eight cal
foam from
the
deep
feet
battle telephone
was dead. Paul Petersen,
and Howard teria.
his air.
light
officer in charge.
— and Schwarb,
off
water and chemi-
—
electrician's
little
air.
The
mate second
With him were Carl Johnson
five officers'
Cordon, Taijeron and Sablan
son,
in salt
and dangerously
There was no
(another electrician's mate),
had been blown
above and clogged with wreckage and
fire fighting
was senior petty
similar hatch directly
living space
parts of bodies.
class,
A
in the
cooks
—Bagsby, Richard—Ramentas
two mess attendants
a seaman. There
was no panic, or hys-
Petersen conserved the batteries in his battle lanterns and told
men to remain quiet in order to use a minimum of the valuable One man kept on the headset of the silent phones, hoping that
they would
come
ing sounds of the
alive again. fire fighting.
Overhead they could hear the encourag-
The two
electricians
knew how
the ship
384
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
<~
was organized for damage control they would be rescued.
The
ten
ancj that
men
if
she survived the action
waited in the dark.
In Central Station, Herschel Smith, ^and George Over
damaged area on
their big schematics
and repair
fighting
men were
parties.
A
marked
and received reports from
few minutes
the fire-
after the explosion scores
work to minimize its effect. The combined labor of the repair parties began to show below decks. The fires went out under salt water and foamite, and blowers were rigged to suck out the smoke and provide fresh air. The wounded were taken out and emergency lighting strung. The battle of
at
telephone connections were repaired and Chief Forrest got in touch with Petersen below.
"For
Christ's sake," he told him, "don't
on top of
eight feet of water it's
going to take a
At
little
it.
Just relax
open that hatch. There's
and
we'll get
you
out, but
while."
a quarter past twelve John Crommelin began to take aboard his
no holes, damaged or not. Back on the port corner of Robin Lindsey signaled them in with his eloquent paddles. ever had more difficult conditions. Many planes were dam-
planes, holes or
the deck
No LSO
aged and not under rarily stuck in the
deck
less
full control.
down
Number Two
position, leaving a
elevator
was tempo-
huge square hole
in the
than three hundred feet from the stern. With continuous
reports of bogies and periscopes
coming
in,
Enterprise twisted under
the low clouds, her deck heeling each time the rudder was put over.
To
the incoming pilots the narrow, smoking, shifting deck with a
yawning
pit in the
landing area looked impossible. But they
remem-
bered Lindsey's competence and their empty tanks and grimly came
on
in.
One
after another,
answering Lindsey's signals, they snarled in
over the wake and dropped onto the extreme stern. The arresting cables pulled out reluctantly and stopped each plane aft of the stuck elevator.
Then with
a roar of throttle they taxied around the hole and
forward out of the way.
Only a few
pilots got
others rolled
up
opened up
12:21.
at
Twenty more
their
of
aboard before a third attack came
in.
The
wheels and banked away as the task force guns
Nagumo's dive bombers slashed
dropping suddenly out of the cloud bases clouds sheltered them at
first
in
at the
Big E,
45-degree dives. The
fat
from the searching gunfire but, when
they broke out, their shallow dives were terribly vulnerable. E's seasoned, angry gunners chopped
down
eight
The Big
and riddled others
385
Action Off Santa Cruz
so that they dropped short and turned away. Robin Lindsey threw
down
his
SBD
paddles and jumped into the rear seat of an
landed to empty
up
misses threw
its
he had
their familiar water spouts
around the
ship.
Enterprise leaning hard to port in a tight starboard turn, one
glanced
just
remaining ammunition into the attackers. Near
With
bomb
her exposed starboard side below the water line and
off
detonated eight feet away and fifteen feet below the surface, dishing in her side
The
and flooding two void spaces through breaks
in the skin.
ship lashed throughout her length, her decks again whipping a
Number One elevator jammed in the The damage controlmen sweating under jury lights on
foot for several seconds.
full
up
position.
the third deck were
knocked sprawling
and
into the blood
oil
and torn
metal underfoot. Petersen, Sablan and the others tensed in their dark hole where water, leaking down through broken vent trunks, was by now nearly up to their waists. Some two hundred feet above the sealed-off, slowly flooding handling room, the whiplashing near misses
damaged
main antenna
the Big E's
and enemy
strafing
that her search radar
Without her radar, Enterprise could see only as
had so
was blinded.
far as the eyes of her
lookouts, which were thwarted by clouds, haze, dazzling sunlight and
shadow. She was helpless to control her Williams was the radar so designated.
knew
fighters.
officer, in fact the first, in the
More even than
Lieutenant Brad U.S. Navy, to be
Williams
his admiral or his skipper,
the capabilities of his equipment and the odds against the sur-
vival of a radar-blinded ship
under those enemy infested
skies.
He
climbed the mast with a loaded tool box and went to work at the highest and most exposed point on the ship while Captain Hardison
and his
gunners fought
his
off the
hands was granular with
to hold strongly to
and
its
drive
it
enemy
salt
planes.
The painted metal under
and sooty with stack gas and he had
with one hand while trying to repair the antenna
motor with the
other. It
was not a single-handed job and
Williams finally had to lash himself to the antenna and work with both. If he noticed the continued strafing or the near misses or the violent swinging of the radar platform as the Big turns,
no one below could
five-inch muzzles that
when they
tell it.
He
E
leaned into her
could almost look
were answering the
strafing of the
down
into the
Vals and
feel
The 40s and 20s along the deck edge barked steadily and their tracers soared past him to meet the enemy. The bomb that glanced off the Big E's starboard side missed him so closely that for a moment, as he looked up, its blunt torpedo shape the heat
fired.
386
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
was foreshortened
to a ball. The bomb's blast destroyed his hearing weeks and would have knocked him off the mast but for his lashings. Working hard and fast, hampered by bolts jammed with
for
paint and salt corrosion, Williams finished the job. In the radar
below
was evident
that Enterprise
would
room
"zain. E~£er to set back into operation, a technician switched on the antenna training motor and Brad Williams revolved a dozen times at the masthead, his it
>ee
angry shouts swamped by the voices of the guns, until an
office:
3D
the bridge noticed that his majestic sweeps around the horizon wane
apparently unintentional.
There were perhaps three minutes
men
::
tense
and busv
silence for :he
topside and of relative relief for the sailors trapped in the dark-
ness below- before the repaired radar picked
up another
strike in-
bound. Coached on by radar, the high-power
teles.
I
the for-
ward range-finder found it seventeen and a half miles away at 17.000 feet. There were fifteen Vals in two groups with an escort of nine Zeros above. After nearly two and a half hours of attack and the threat of attack, the defending Wildcats were out of
low on
fuel.
Now
it
ammunition and
was up to Orlin LivdahTs gunners and
their
determined supporters on South Dakota and the other ships of the force.
At eleven miles, still only high flecks of sunlight in the sky. the enemy raid disappeared behind a rain cloud. For two minutes the many barrels swung silently and the thousands of young eves s:ared upward, trying to penetrate the clouds and outstare the glaring sun.
Then
the Vals were overhead, steep in their dives,
blasted into action again.
who
By
this
and the guns
hour of the early afternoon, the kids
gripped the wide handle bars of the 20-rriilimeters and peered
through cartwheel sights to follow the tracer sat in the farm-tractor seats of the
flight,
and the ones who
40s rotating with their
humming
mounts, were true veterans. They had seen that their weapons could kill
the
damage
enemy before he could of the bombs.
Now
kill
them, and seen too the bloody
they were cool and steady and Orlin
LivdahTs careful training was paying could see him high
in
deliberate, completely competent.
third time that day.
off.
Glancing up. most of them
the island at Sky Control
As
—
exposed, calm,
the Vals strung
LivdahTs tracers rose
to
down
meet them,
for the
shifting
and
converging steadily with no breaks as the loading crews worked
smoothly and the well-kept guns had few jams or officers shifted targets to take the
failures.
Batten"
most threatening enemy under the
387
Action Off Santa Cruz heaviest
Big
E
fire.
Chief Turret Captain Willson alone probably saved the his five-inch mount bomber which had already missed but was turning back
from serious damage when he directed
asainst a dive to crash
on board.
In South Dakota a
bomb
detonated on top of the forward turret.
which was so well armored that most of the gun crew didn't know
wounded
the hit, but a fragment seriously
and steering control was
shifted to the executive officer aft.
moment had no communication Dakota,
so
magnificently
with the helm.
Big., fast,
handled throughout
the
who
for a
heavy South
headed
battle,
and Captain Hardison turned away
straight for Enterprise,
of
the battlewagon's skipper
just in
time.
San Juan took a heavy
bomb
that
went through
bottom before
ing and out through her
it
all
her light deck-
exploded. The blast shook
the fast but fragile cruiser so fiercely that circuit breakers protecting
her steering mechanism popped and she too lost control of her rudder in a
high-speed starboard turn. The ships of the task group saved
themselves by scattering until she regained control.
At 12:45 p.m. radar
finallv
showed
a sky clear of the
enemy and
Enterprise began again to take aboard her planes. Fighters and dive
bombers were given precedence over the longer-legged Avengers but even so there were many ditchings. The pilots who survived the skips of time to get out their rafts while
and dragging splashes had plenty the planes floated nose cells
down, held up for a while by the empty
fuel
in the wings. The destroyers were kept busy with rescue work.
Number One
elevator, the farthest forward,
strike
seemed permanently was impossible
to
any below, and by four o'clock the Big E's long deck was
so
jammed. With planes landing over the other two.
jammed
with Enterprise
and Hornet
aircraft
it
that
Robin Lindsey
could bring no more aboard. Slim Townsend's flight-deck crew, after the long
morning
of
work and
action,
fell
to
again.
By
lowering
planes on the after elevators, and launching thirteen Dauntlesses for Espiritu. they
made enough room
to get the last air-borne
Avenger
aboard.
enemy had made his last attack. Probably he He had lost 100 planes in the attacks en Enterprise and Hornet and in the defense of his own ships. Two of his carriers were out of action. More planes must have gone down It
had
from
seemed
little
left
that the
to launch.
fuel exhaustion
and accidents.
Admiral Yamamoto ordered
his carriers to retire to the
northwest
388 ^ and sent ten
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive fast surface forces in for a^night attack.
But Kinkaid, with
months of experience with the Japanese, outguessed him and The enemy destroyers found only the burning,
pulled off to the south. listing derelict that
had been the Hornet and quickly
long tumble to the bottom
.
.
sent her
on her
.
THE STRUGGLE FOR GUADALCANAL DRAGGED
ON.
BUT
by November, with reinforcements pouring onto the island and with
Navy punching back at Japanese positions at Point Cruz and the Umasani River, the key naval engagement loomed on the horizon. One of the best versions of the somewhat confused but decisive the
Naval Battle
for
Guadalcanal was written during the war by Captain
Walter Karig and
Commander
Eric Purdon.
We
have met the gifted
Karig before; collaborator Purdon was a former Midwestern news-
paperman.
CAPTAIN WALTER KARIG
AND COMMANDER ERIC PURDON 7-
THE NAVAL BATTLE OF GUADALCANAL
.
.
.
There was no
The Japanese line
respite for either side.
intensified their efforts to cut the
and step up the capacity of
their
American supply
own. With the former they
achieved considerable success, but with the latter they were not so fortunate. Their only press,
means
was by the Tokyo Ex-
of reinforcement
and twenty-four of our submarines made
submarines sank
at least six ships,
its
periodic journeys
November and damaged seven more of
through the Slot hazardous. During the
first
half of
the as-
sorted classes.
On
land,
nese back. ers
Navy and Marines were
On
October 30 the
bombarded enemy
co-operating to push the Japa-
light cruiser
Atlanta and four destroy-
positions back of Point
Cruz
for eight hours.
The next morning the 5th Marines struck across the Matanikau River, and on November 3 our troops had advanced beyond Point Cruz. Our offensive had to be checked here, because the previous night Japanese cruisers and destroyers had managed to land 1,500 men and artillery east of Koli Point. On November 4 the San Francisco, Helena and Sterett bombarded this new force, and destroyed stockpiles of newly delivered stores and ammunition. Only about 700 Japanese were left alive. They escaped to the jungle, where the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion met them, and so there were none.
By November, United
States air defenses
on the island had been
389
390
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
greatly improved.
The development
landing strips around
T)f
Army
proceeded rapidly, and both Marine and /-v 7 to the enemy's discomfort.
On
Lunga
aircraft
were adding
enemy
light cruiser
the 7th, Guadalcanal planes attacked an
and ten destroyers. They scored one bomb and two torpedo hits on the cruiser, damaged two destroyers and shot down sixteen planes.
The Japanese continued to try to lighten the pressure on the deThe darker the night the more certain the Marines could be that enemy units by squads and platoons were being sneaked fending forces.
PT
ashore. In counteraction,
On
the night of
November
damaged on other
boats from Tulagi attacked repeatedly.
were
nights.
Such reinforcements dribbling far
Two more
6-7 they sank a destroyer.
from adequate and the cost
in to the
beleaguered Japanese were
was
in transportation
profligate.
Japanese realized that they would have to make another major
Again they gathered and concentrated a
fleet
in
The
strike.
the Rabaul-Buin
area.
This time, the Japanese said in
we won't be
effect,
stopped. Noth-
ing the Americans can bring together will be strong enough. roving, watchful reconnaissance planes,
the United States, counted sixty
enemy
And
emblazoned with the
the
star of
ships in anchorages of Buin,
and Tonolei.
Faisi
They included four
two
battleships, six cruisers,
three destroyers besides
more than a score
carriers,
and
of transports
thirty-
and cargo
ships.
Vice Admiral William F. Halsey,
Jr.,
Commander South
Force and South Pacific Area, had no force rier,
the Enterprise,
like this.
was near-by, and she was
in
Pacific
Only one car-
Noumea
being re-
The Big E could not possibly be ready to fight again until the week in November, the wounded ship's bedside report had it.
paired. third
But news of impending
The
battle hastened recovery.
some reinforcements from Efate on November 6. Now seven more United States transports were scheduled to sail from other ports with much-needed Allied forces on Guadalcanal had received
supplies
and men. These would have
to
be protected and, probably, a
major enemy offensive simultaneously would have to be beaten back. If
we
couldn't accomplish that, the Solomons campaign would be
finished
— and with
it
our position
in the entire
South Pacific would be
dangerously compromised. In
all,
about 6,000
men were
to be put ashore
from the seven
The Naval transports.
For
their protection
Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner had
a force of only twenty combatant ships: light cruiser,
two
New
three heavy cruisers, one
anti-aircraft light cruisers,
These were based
and fourteen destroyers.
Noumea, New Caledonia, and
at
391
Battle of Guadalcanal
Espiritu Santo,
Hebrides.
Task Force TARE's Noumea section
November
of Sunday,
morning, with the
on the afternoon
sailed first
Espiritu Santo Section 2
8.
followed next
section leaving early Tuesday. All were to
first
rendezvous on Wednesday morning,
the
11th,
southeast
San
of
Cristobal.
By
the afternoon of
Monday, November
9, there
was no longer any
doubt that the Japanese had started a vast amphibious offensive. Reconnaissance and intelligence reports led Admiral Turner to
mate that the enemy planned
to use
two
esti-
two
to four carriers, possibly
to four fast battleships, as well as cruisers
and destroyers,
northward of Guadalcanal. As protection for
at least
to the
one division of
troops in eight to twelve transports, the Admiral reasoned, two heavy cruisers,
two
He
and
to four light cruisers, twelve to sixteen destroyers,
several light minelayers
would probably operate eastward from Buin.
anticipated that land-based planes
would
start
bombing Guadalbombarded
canal on Tuesday, and that the airfield would probably be
Wednesday night. A continuous and concentrated carrier air attack on Henderson Field would probably take place on Thursday, with further naval bombardment and landings, perhaps after midnight, on Thursday night near Cape Esperance or Koli by surface
craft
Point.
Although no eses
carriers
were
directly involved,
many
of these hypoth-
were accurate.
Since the
enemy invasion force was expected in the Guadalcanal November 13, it was very important that our trans-
area by Friday,
ports should have finished unloading by that time and be well out of
danger.
Therefore they would have to finish by Thursday.
combatant ports,
ships,
would then be able
According
The
no longer charged with the protection of the transto carry the fight to the Japanese.
to the original plan,
Espiritu Santo were due off
on Wednesday, November
1
Admiral
Scott's cargo vessels
from
Lunga Point, Guadacanal, at 5:30 a.m. The forces under Admirals Turner and 1 .
Callaghan were to reach Indispensable Strait that night, after which the
Noumea
transports
the unloading point
would pass through Lengo Channel and reach
Thursday morning. Admiral Callaghan was
to
392 -
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
precede the transport group with his^hree cruisers and
and arrive
There he was
to
for three destroyers detached as anti-aircraft
and antisubmarine pro-
tection for the three Espiritu Santo transports.
was
During the night he
Savo Sound and
to
strike
any
forces he might find, with attention to any possible transports
in their rear. If
none were found he was
unloading during the day. all
Channel
to pass through Sealark
enemy
six destroyers
end of Sealark Channel two hours before midnight. be joined by Admiral Scott's fighting ships, except
at the
As
to return
and cover the
far as the landing itself
was concerned,
the troops were to be put ashore
first,
carrying two days' rations
and ammunition. Those who were on the beach were uously at unloading the boats.
As Admiral Turner
to
work
contin-
said, the safety of
the position of the troops ashore on the island depended entirely on the rapidity with which the ships were emptied.
Admiral
were
Scott's ships
canal at 5:30 on arrival they
Had
right
on schedule, reaching Guadal-
Wednesday morning. And four hours
their first air attack.
after their
Nine Aichi type 99 bombers
escorted by fifteen Zeros chose the transports as they peeled off from
10,000
feet.
Rocked by heavy
anti-aircraft fire,
rine land-based fighters, the
bombers dropped three bombs near the
Zeilin,
flooding her No.
slightly
damaged by other near
that
had survived the
close
on
1
hold.
The Libra and Betelgeuse were Then the half of the bombers fire roared away with our fighters
hits.
anti-aircraft
their tails, falling
and pounced upon by our Ma-
one by one as they
tried to escape.
Unloading operations were promptly resumed. At 11:27 a twenty-five
medium and heavy
caused another
alert.
level
bombers, protected by
flight of
five Zeros,
These planes, however, occupied themselves
with the ground installations on the island. the combined fury of ack-ack,
Ten more bombers
and the Marine
fighters
fell
lost
to
one
Grumman. At twilight Admiral Scott's ships retired to Indispensable Strait for the night. The Zeilin's damage required that she return to Espiritu Santo, so the Lardner was detached to escort her.
Meanwhile, Admiral Turner and Admiral Callaghan's combined forces were approaching
on schedule.
On
the
morning of the 11th the
Portland's four seaplanes had been sent back to Espiritu Santo, be-
cause the battle of Savo had shown that cruiser planes on board during action are a serious
fire
hazard. Although air search from
Guadalcanal had detected no enemy surface vessels
in the vicinity,
The Naval Battle Admiral Callaghan wanted to be
393
of Guadalcanal
he sped ahead of the trans-
sure, so
and made two thorough sweeps through the waters to the
ports,
and west of Savo
Island.
He
east
rejoined Admiral Turner's transports at
dawn on Thursday. Admiral Turner's four transports anchored
Kukum
off
Point at
Thursday morning and the Libra and Betelgeuse anchored two miles east of Lunga Point. Combatant vessels were half past five
formed
two protective semicircles about them.
in
At 7:18
up on Betelgeuse
a Japanese 6-inch shore battery opened
and Libra. The Helena, Barton, and Shaw turned
their
guns against
and blasted that menace. Neither of the cargo ships was debarkation was not interrupted.
pared with the
The
fifty
alert didn't
What was one
bombers expected
come
to arrive at
hit,
it
and
shore battery com-
any minute?
a good three-quarters of
until afternoon,
an hour warning enabling our ships to up anchors and get into previously designated formation to repel attack. Just after ers
two o'clock two dozen Mitsubishi type-1 torpedo bomb-
and eight Zeros roared
they dipped
down
transports at
low over Florida Island. Over the beach
in
close to the water's surface,
200 miles an hour,
terrifying charge of aerial cavalry, but
blank
skimming toward the
in a long line it
abreast. It
of the screening ships so devastating that four or five
fire
planes were immediately blasted from the air and as
was holocaust. In a desperate attempt
ablaze. It
was a
ran headlong into point-
many
enemy
others set
to avoid destruction
the formation split into two groups, one swerving across the
bows
of
our ships and the other swinging around astern. So violent was the
maneuver
that their
torpedoes were jerked haphazardly into the
sea.
But the attempt
Army
and
now
to escape
fighters, five of the
was
The land-based Marine
fruitless.
Zeros already bagged on the approach,
eliminated every remaining
bomber but
one. But the attack had
drawn blood.
A the
Mitsubishi which dropped
McCawley was
set afire
its
by that
torpedo on the starboard side of ship's guns.
The
pilot
swerved
his
blazing plane in a suicide course for the San Francisco. Although he
was
practically parallel to her
managed
to strike Battle II
and disintegrating under her guns, he
and the
after control structure with
one
wing, and sideswipe the ship like a scythe of flame before diving into the water. Several fires broke out, lives
all
had been mowed down and three
soon extinguished, but after
20-mm. guns on
thirty
the after
~ Guadalcanal and
394
.
the
Northward Drive
man
superstructure demolished. Their crews were killed to a
as they
steadfastly stood to their guns, firing until the plane hit them.
The
transports anchored again at .about 3:25, two hours' unload-
ing time
By
lost.
late afternoon
it
was calculated
reports of three strong close
enough
enemy
that the transports could be
Then scouting
per cent unloaded before nightfall.
90
aircraft sent in
forces steaming toward Guadalcanal,
to arrive during the night
if
they kept to their course.
They were not accompanied by transports. Obviously their mission was to attack our transports and bombard our positions ashore. Admiral Turner did some quick calculations. He decided to withdraw his transports to safer waters and to send Admiral Callaghan to meet the Japanese. Leaving only one damaged destroyer, two low-fuel destroyers, and
two minesweepers Callaghan
to cover the transports, he assigned to
five cruisers
two
tee for at least
and eight destroyers, as a welcoming commit-
battleships, three cruisers, eleven destroyers
two seaplane tenders, with more perhaps
we something task force prise,
To
in the offing too.
in the offing. Well, so
the southwest,
was steaming toward the
area,
and had
Admiral Kinkaid's
and the invincible Enter-
her wounds patched, was with him. They wouldn't be near
enough for action 13th,
Admiral
would be
this night,
but the following morning, Friday the
in fly-off position at
There was no moon when the the 13th,
Guadalcanal.
showed
ships' clocks
November, 1942. Nor were there any
it
was Friday
stars, for the
sky was
overcast with ink-black clouds. In a single column, Admiral Cal-
Lengo Channel
laghan's thirteen ships entered
for a search of the
"Baker One": the
Savo Island area. They were
in Battle Disposition
Cashing leading, followed
order by the destroyers Laffey, Sterett
and O'Bannon, the
in
cruisers Atlanta,
San Francisco, Portland, Helena,
Juneau, and destroyers Aaron Ward, Barton, Monssen and Fletcher.
Only
five of these ships
were equipped with search radar: Portland,
Helena, Juneau, O'Bannon and Fletcher. Their antennas revolved, sending out probing beams of microwaves through the inky dark.
The Helena's The report was
clocks said 1:24
when
blots
appeared on her scopes.
flashed to Admiral Callaghan
on the
flagship
San
Francisco: Three groups of ships off the port bow, at distances ranging
from
thirteen to fifteen miles!
Course was changed
to
head
directly for the
enemy. The two
closed rapidly and the warning eye of radar showed
that
fleets
now
the
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The Naval enemy was told there right
split into
light cruisers
on
either side of our ships. All
and several destroyers;
and two or three destroyers
cruisers
battleship, Hiyei,
somewhat
four groups
were between eighteen and twenty Japanese
were two
two heavy
397
Battle of Guadalcanal
to
ships.
To
to the left
be met
first,
the
were
then a
and three or four destroyers. To the north and
to right
was another
battleship, Kirishima,
and escorting
destroyers.
At 1:45 Admiral Callaghan ordered the task force to stand by to open fire at a range of 3,000 yards. At this point, the cat's eye of radar showed enemy ships on both sides of our column, but the opposing forces were invisible to each other. The seconds ticked by as the yardage decreased. Suddenly the Americans tense on deck saw the Japanese flash recognition signals
and then
at
—red
over white over green,
once realizing their mistake, they flared their searchlights,
port and starboard, illuminating the United States force as
on holiday
display.
enemy salvos. The time was
Then, down the track of
board, even to port!"
The guns
"Odd
of the task force
free-for-all fight with little
abandoned
sail, in
steel
opened up, and so
which had not been fought
hit their
own
ships.
estimate, the Japanese could throw three times
At a conservative
much
ships fire to star-
which ships fought independently and
both sides had to exert care not to
as
first
semblance of co-ordination on
either side, a fantastic battle, the likes of
since navies
were
1:48.
Coolly, Admiral Callaghan sent the order.
began a
if it
screamed the
light
They could also pound and from ahead. The American fleet was in
per broadside as the Americans.
our ships from both sides
a box. But the Japs had not expected to fight a surface engagement.
They had been ordered especially the airfields
to
and
landing, and so their guns
bombard our
positions
supplies, to clear the
and ammunition
hoists
on Guadalcanal,
way
for another
were loaded with
bombardment ammunition. Despite the initial Japanese accuracy of fire, the amount of damage caused the American ships by the lighter shells was low. Immediately as the enemy illuminated, what was believed to be a light cruiser two miles to starboard came under fire from the San Francisco and Sterett. Seven main battery salvos from the San Franblew up in a gaudy a large destroyer cisco, and the Japanese ship
—
—
display of firewords.
Now,
The job was accomplished
a searchlight
is
a two-way affair, and
in
if
one minute
flat.
our ships were
lit
up,
398 the
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
•*
beams
On
led back to their source.
the port side, the Atlanta,
Juneau, Helena, Aaron Ward, Barton, Fletcher, Laffey and O'Ban-
non opened up on illuminating
The Atlanta and Juneau
vessels, concentrating
Barton and Fletcher attacked a heavy into flame fire to
and
on two
in line.
blasted a light cruiser, while the
Helena,
Both enemy ships burst
cruiser.
Seeing her target out of action Fletcher shifted
retired.
the next ship in line which she reported as either "a Natori- or
Tenry w-class cruiser." She was joined by the
which
Sterett,
fired thir-
teen salvos. Both Japanese ships were thought to have sunk almost
immediately. In the same area "an
two others were seen to be on
The
destroyer exploded" and
fire.
odd-numbered
Atlanta, an
enemy
had been unable
ship,
to starboard as ordered because our destroyers
While she was shooting
were
to
open
in the
fire
way.
Japanese
at a cruiser to port, a division of
destroyers crossed half a mile ahead of her. Concentrating her for-
ward guns on
the last in line, the Atlanta put twenty shells into her
and she "erupted guns continued to
The Atlanta
into flame fire at
and some 3-inch from the
around the bridge, and twelve 5-inch she was fighting cruiser
group of
after
was not unscathed. By now she had sustained
herself
thirteen 5-inch hits
and disappeared." The
the cruiser until she, too, vanished.
forward. Then, as the
fires
light cruiser,
mostly
from the destroyers, and
hits
enemy ceased
fire,
the
was struck by one or two torpedoes forward from a destroyer
to port. All
power was
was jammed
left.
lost,
except the auxiliary diesel, and the rudder
The Atlanta began
to
circle
back toward the
south.
The San Francisco saw
a "small cruiser or large destroyer farther
ahead on the starboard bow," and shifted her
the vessel which
fire to
main battery salvos and set afire throughout her length." The range was 3,300 yards. At about the same time, as nearly as can be judged, "a heavy cruiser" came up in the dark on "was
hit
with two
full
Atlanta's port quarter and opened
3,500 yards, bearing 240°
fire
relative.
against her at a range of about
The Atlanta reported
that nine-
teen hits were scored on her with 8-inch armor-piercing ammunition.
Although many of the
projectiles failed to explode, her hull
several times, and her
damaged bridge was
Samuel
The shells were As the first shot
shattered.
loaded with green dye, the San Francisco's color. struck, Captain
was holed
P. Jenkins of the Atlanta rushed to the port
side to get off torpedoes.
When
he returned to starboard, Admiral
Scott and three officers of his staff
had been
killed, as well as a large
The Naval number
The foremast
of others.
where, and the
A tlanta was
dead
399
Battle of Guadalcanal
collapsed, fires were blazing everyin the water.
The remodernized Japanese battleship Hiyei was being engaged by O'Bannon and Aaron Ward. The O'Bannon's guns shot out the battleship's searchlight and started several blazes. Then
the destroyers
the
San Francisco took the Hiyei under
line
with two salvos.
The engagement had now become temptation was to shoot
first
and
fire
and scored
at the water-
a battle royal, in which the
The
identify afterward.
sea
was
crosshatched with torpedo tracks and plumed with geysers of shell
When
splashes.
San Francisco
the
shifted her fire to the Hiyei, that
vessel did not shoot back. Instead, mistaking foe for friend, the battleship frantically blinker-signaled the
Admiral Callaghan had order. firing!"
code for "error."
to get his
ships in
some semblance
of
Over the short-range voice radio, TBS, he broadcast: "Cease The order did not get through to the other vessels, but the San
Francisco stopped
firing at the Hiyei.
The enemy battleship, probably thinking her down on the destroyer Laffey, which put on a managed
to cross the
signal obeyed, bore
burst of steam and
enemy's bows with a few feet to spare. As the
destroyer slid by she swung out her tubes and fired two torpedoes, but the range
was too short and the
missiles bounced,
unarmed. Simulta-
neously the destroyer blasted the battleship's bridge with
guns she
all
could get to bear, before a salvo from the Japanese smashed her
own
bridge as well as her No. 2 turret.
Meanwhile,
1:52,
at
ripped into one of the the
Portland's second salvo
the
enemy
American column, but
it
destroyers
to
starboard
making a torpedo attack on
was a poor exchange because the Port-
land herself had a screw sheared off by a torpedo, and the cruiser
Juneau and the destroyer Laffey were mortally wounded. Lieutenant Roger W. O'Neill, a doctor aboard the Juneau, jolt of
had I
the torpedo's
sufficient
hit.
"I can assure
and entered the
armor
belt.
broken by that
he
felt
the
said. "It
From what somewhere between frames 42 and 45 forward fireroom on the port side. The hit was below .
quoted as having
seemed
terrific,"
.
.
.
.
.
hit
All hands, approximately seventeen, inside this
forward fireroom were killed immediately.
ship
was
it
concussion to cause the deck to buckle.
could gather, the torpedo
the
you
.
.
.
The
chief engineer
said, in his opinion, the keel of the ship
initial
to rise
torpedo
and
settle
hit.
Immediately following the
deeper and
listed
somewhat
was
had been hit,
the
to the port
- Guadalcanal and
400
side. All lighting
lost all
guns.
Northward Drive
the
forward of the after mess
hall
was
We
lost.
had also
our engine room generators for power and we couldn't .
.
We
.
immediately
injured to the extent that
left
we could
not
fire
fire
our
we were
the scene? of action because
and there was nothing
left
for us to do."
At 1:54, with
the battle only six minutes old, Admiral Callaghan
again gave the order to cease to their
pedoes
TBS, and
One minute
a friendly ship
all
when
firing six tor-
her guns, except her 20-mm., out of com-
later the
Barton stopped to avoid colliding with
in
ten seconds, the loss of
tragically
life
a destroyer astern, and herself under attack, tore
through the Barton's swimming survivors
—
because of damage
and was struck with one, and then two torpedoes. She
broke in half and sank
At 1:56
it
The Gushing
the melee continued.
cruiser salvos that put
increased
but few heard
Hiyei and was immediately blasted by destroyer and
at the
mission.
fire,
at high speed.
eight minutes of the battle
gone
—
the
O'Bannon closed
to within half a mile of the burning battleship Hiyei,
readied her
torpedoes, and fired a spread of three at the colossus. There was a
tremendous explosion on the enemy pletely covered her.
swung north
Burning particles
ship, fell
From
to avoid colliding.
and a sheet of
her decks five burning ships
could be counted astern, whether friend or enemy none could
Now,
the
San Francisco again had the blazing but
on her starboard bow, with the
same course.
On
com-
fire
on the destroyer, which was
still
tell.
firing
Hiyei
battleship heading parallel
on the
enemy
cruiser
the flagship's starboard quarter an
was groping for her range, and a Japanese destroyer cut across her bow, turned hard
The San
left
and raked her port
side, all
guns blazing.
Francisco's predicament was called out to the
fleet
over
voice radio, and the Portland responded, asking for directions.
Ad-
miral Callaghan, broadcasting the appeal to get "the big ones," told the Portland to concentrate
can cruiser
made
fired four
on the Hiyei, a shining mark. The Ameri-
main battery salvos
fourteen hits on the
enemy
at a
battleship.
range of two miles and
The San Francisco
also
gave the Hiyei everything she had in one grand broadside just as the
enemy
cruiser found her range
her bridge, killing
and the Hiyei' s
third salvo
smashed
Admiral Callaghan and mortally wounding Captain
Young.
The San Francisco kept
firing at the
Hiyei as long as the main
battery would bear, and the Japanese battleship threw two or three more salvos before the duel was broken off. The San Francisco had
The NavaLBattle
401
of Guadalcanal
received fifteen major-caliber hits and uncounted lesser ones. Twentyfive separate fires
were aggravating that damage. The
officer of the
Commander Bruce McCandless, was conning the while Lieutenant Commander Herbert Schonland,
deck, Lieutenant
damaged
ship,
who had succeeded
to
command, continued
to fight the fires below.
After just fifteen minutes of battle, most of our ships were seriously shot up. Target for twenty direct hits, the destroyer Gushing was lying helpless.
The Laffey and Barton had sunk; the Sterett had lost her O'Bannon was slightly damaged. The cruiser Atlanta
foremast; the
was burning, and the San Francisco and Portland were badly holed.
The Helena had received minor
injury.
the scene of action, her back broken.
The Juneau had crawled from
Only the Aaron Ward, Monssen
and Fletcher were untouched.
The Aaron Ward's immunity was cruiser she received three 14-inch,
and was put out of
Then
action.
In pursuit of a
short-lived.
two 8-inch, and
the Sterett
five smaller hits,
was caught
in a cross fire
while pumping torpedoes at the Hiyei and sustained several 5 -inch hits
on her bridge.
At twelve Helena
past two, twenty-four minutes after the opening gun, the
at
American
units.
Most
headlong retirement,
firing
haphazardly
tried to reassemble the scattered
Japanese ships had turned
in
each other as they withdrew. The
age, closed with a limping
Sterett, despite
enemy destroyer and
set
of the
her serious dam-
her
afire
with two
torpedoes and two 5-inch salvos, before the Jap was able to return a single shell.
When
the Japansee destroyer blazed up, the light
the explosion revealed the Sterett to other
mediately took her under eleven more direct
stragglers
hits, setting
ready-service
still
powder
afire.
serviceable; her remaining
pedoes were jammed in their tubes. But the engines were the Sterett
managed
to get
away
Monssen, one of the two ships shells.
make
Believing them to have
left
lit
all
Now
the
two
tor-
right
and
at flank speed, just as the near-by
unscathed, was illuminated by star
come from
a friendly vessel trying to
formation, the destroyer flashed recognition
searchlights
who im-
and the courageous destroyer absorbed
fire,
destroyer had only two guns
enemy
from
lights.
Immediately
her up and a salvo of medium-caliber shells hurtled
down, putting her out of
action. Steering
was
lost,
and her upper
works became a mass of flames. Without guns, torpedoes or power, the ship
was ordered abandoned. The commanding on the bridge, but managed
others were trapped
water from the
rail, all
suffering serious injury.
officer
to
and several
jump
into the
402
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
•*
At
last,
though, the Helena instructed
all
the ships to form on her
and head eastward. The only means of communication Francisco was a flashlight, and by
it
The Cushing was
Callaghan's death.
left to
the San
news of Admiral
she signaled the
and her crew abandon-
sinking,
ing ship. The Fletcher formed up, and shepherded the Helena and San Francisco out of Sealark Channel, meeting up with the damaged
Juneau
in
Indispensable
The O'Bannon and
Strait.
Sterett retired
through Lengo Channel and joined the four others in a limping procession toward Espiritu Santo, none
knowing
that the
Juneau would
never get there.
Daybreak found
the battle area
dotted a sea foul with
Two
oil
smoking. The Portland was Dead men, and some still living,
still
circling, her steering out of control.
and wreckage.
miles to the south lay the Atlanta, her
and the Monssen were burning
fires out.
The Cushing
and north, and pres-
to the northwest
up and sank. The Aaron Ward was dead
ently the latter blew
in the
water seven and a half miles to the north. Northwest of Savo Island the battered Hiyei
was slowly steaming,
her steering also
circling,
shot away; a destroyer was standing by the stricken giant. Six and a half miles
from the Portland, south of Savo,
lay a Japanese destroyer
with two small boats alongside.
The
crippled ships glowered at each other. Then, suddenly, angrily,
the cruiser Portland
The
last
pumped
six
6-gun salvos
Jap destroyer.
at the
one exploded the after magazine and the destroyer sank.
According to Admiral Nimitz, while steering was
still
this destruction of
an enemy vessel
out of control was "one of the highlights of the
action."
Half an hour
later the
Japanese battleship,
striking in final fury, hurled eight
which was about
to be taken
from Guadalcanal
At
dying rattlesnake
at the
Aaron Ward,
under tow by Lieutenant James L.
Foley's tug Bobolink from Tulagi. for out of the sky
like a
2-gun salvos
Then
the Japanese firing stopped,
was descending a formidable antagonist
to give her the
ten o'clock the Atlanta
—
planes
coup de grace.
and Portland were
still
helpless off the
enemy-held shore. The Bobolink returned from taking the Aaron
Ward
to Tulagi,
fruitless
and took the worse-hurt Atlanta
to
Lunga
Point, a
labor because salvage operations proved to be of no
avail,
and a demolition party led by Captain Jenkins himself sank the cruiser that night.
In the afternoon the sturdy, homely, tireless Bobolink
came back
—
—
The Naval Battle for the Portland.
Towing was slow and
403
of Guadalcanal
difficult
and
it
took until the
following morning, almost exactly twenty-four hours after the battle, to berth the Portland in Tulagi.
During
and sporadic shooting during the daylight
that salvage
all
following the engagement, survivors were being picked up by small craft
and taken
to Guadalcanal.
So ended the
phase of what naval history
first
will
record as the
Battle of Guadalcanal.
In thirty-four minutes of slam-bang furious action a vastly inferior
American force had, and turned
it
back
at great cost,
stopped Japan's South Pacific
in staggering retreat.
to blast a hole in the
That
fleet's
fleet
mission had been
Americans' grip on the Solomons through which
would be poured the army of veteran troops even then bearing down on Guadalcanal.
The
battle cost us five ships
—
the
new
anti-aircraft light cruiser
new destroyers Barton, Laffey, and Monssen, the modern Cushing. The heavy cruisers San Francisco and Portland were severely damaged, the light cruiser Juneau more so, Atlanta and the older but
her sister ship Atlanta
less.
Three destroyers had been hurt
in
varying
Aaron Ward, Sterett and O'Bannon. Only the Fletcher came through relatively unmarked by the most savage fleet action of modern times. The Japanese, fully aware of the presence of the American cruisers degrees of severity
Guadalcanal waters, admittedly did not believe that
and destroyers
in
the light force
would challenge Nippon's superiority
power. The enemy once more suffered than did the victors cruisers again.
battleship
in ships
less material
was
FOLLOWING
.
.
field
American
American accomplishment, no matter the cost, and
on Guadalcanal. The mission to prevent that
fire
damage
lost the
object of the Japanese fleet was to flatten the
they succeeded
and
and two destroyers sunk, two
and three destroyers damaged. But he had
The
positions ships
— one
much
of the handful of
.
HIS
MID-NOVEMBER VICTORY AT
SEA, HAL-
sey was quickly to consolidate his gains. In aid of Vandegrift's seri-
ously depleted 1st Marine Division, his transports brought up the
164th Infantry Division and the 8th Marine Regiment, and plans
were made to bring up the 6th Marine Division and the 182nd
)
404
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
Infantry from
New
Caledonia. Meanwhile, Vandegrift followed up the
victory by pushing to the westward of the
and
enemy
fifteen
at
Point Cruz.
By
and engaging the land forces
tfr'e
3 0th
Guadalcanal's defense force. At
mand, desperate
to supply
this
were
tender Jamestown
time the Japanese High
more reinforcements
formed a task force of eight destroyers and this
PT
replacement motor torpedo boats had arrived to bolster
five cruisers
Com-
for the land fighting,
six transports.
Opposing
and four destroyers under command of Rear
Admiral Carlton H. Wright, newly arrived
in
the
South
Pacific.
The two forces clashed at Tassafaronga, where American sailors met Rear Admiral Raizo Tanaka for the first time. Although the United States Navy was superior in ships and firepower, Tanaka displayed his brilliance in night torpedo attack by inflicting far heavier
damage than he sustained: he sank a heavy cruiser, Northhampton, and put three others out of action for nearly a year as against the loss of one destroyer.
As
the year ended Japan
seemed more than ever resolved
to recap-
ture Guadalcanal. In Rabaul, ready to launch an all-out attack,
was
General Hitoshi
Immamura
PT
Tanaka's destroyers were becoming commonplace.
battles with
with 50,000 troops. At this time nightly
The Japanese began to move their troops by barge from Munda, a new staging area in southern New Georgia. Meanwhile, American submarines were taking a heavy striking distance of the
One
toll
of Japanese shipping within
Solomons, with destroyers as the prime
target.
such "hot" war patrol was conducted by Wahoo, with big,
—
Commander Dudley W. "Mush" Morton a legend among submariners in command. (Executive Officer, Lieutenant Commander Richard O'Kane later won the Congressional Medal of Honor aboard the submarine Tang. affable Lieutenant
—
Captain George Grider and collaborator Lydel Sims describe a typical
f
Morton
patrol.
CAPTAIN GEORGE GRIDER
AND LYDEL SIMS 8.
MUSH THE MAGNIFICENT
He had done a thorough job of Wahoo and its crew during the second
Everybody liked Mush. quainted with the
was always roaming the narrow quarters, examine equipment,
to
his
The
tiny
on that
patrol,
He
He was
and he had been one of
wardroom always brightened when Mush squeezed
massive shoulders through one of the narrow doorways and
He was
found a place to
sit.
Once he and
got into an
coffee,
I
and he put a
Something for
patrol.
hands reaching out
his big
his wide-set eyes missing nothing.
largely without responsibility
the boys.
getting ac-
in the
built like a bear,
half nelson
back of
my
and
as playful as a cub.
impromptu wrestling match on
me and
bore
neck popped, and
weeks afterward. Even today
it
my
down head
after
just a
our
little.
listed to port
comes back occasionally, and
I
always think of Mush.
The crew loved him. Submarines
most democratic cramped confines there simply isn't room for echelons of rank and dignity. Even so, for many officers the transition from camaraderie to authority is a jerky and awkward one, so that their men are never completely at ease. It was of
all
are perhaps the
military units, because within their
not this
way with Mush. His
pended on sudden
authority
was
the control room, swapping
tall tales
and never deWhether he was in
built-in
stiffening of tone or attitude.
with Rau, the chief of the boat,
or wandering restlessly about in his skivvies, talking to the
men
in the
405
406
•*
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
torpedo and engine rooms, he was
were not merely ready
were eager
men
baby. The
asr relaxed as a
to follow him, they
to.
But there had been times on the second patrol when
his casually
expressed opinions suggested the absence of any reasonable degree of caution. It
and
it
one thing to be aggressive, and another to be foolhardy,
is
would be a mistake
hide.
Most
who
in sub-
never thought of his
own
of us, in calculating the risk, threw in a mental note that
we were worth more and children
as well.
to the
Navy
than dead
alive
— and
over
it
at
to our wives
But when Mush expressed himself on
only risk he recognized was the risk of not sinking
Talking
man
to think that the average
marines was a fire-breathing buccaneer
Paradise Beach, Roger and
I
tactics, the
enemy tonnage.
were mildly con-
cerned.
Another thing that worried us was that Dick O'Kane, the exec, clearly
had no reservations about Mush. The two were
on everything. And we great deal
—
how much
still
reckless, aggressive talk
of
it
was no more than
had grown harder rank on his junior
—
talk.
and
He
was natural
to
was
far
how would
One day he would be
from reassuring. With Mush and Dick
the
Wahoo
eagerly to the prospect
Even before we skipper was ties;
felt.
left
fare? Nevertheless, .
.
wonder
one minute and pulling
attitude
in the saddle,
we looked forward almost
.
the harbor at Brisbane, the impact of our
Meals
his
a martinet,
and the next he would display an overlenient, what-the-hell that
talked a
During the second patrol Dick
to live with, friendly officers the next.
it
agreement
in
weren't too sure about Dick.
in the
wardroom took on
instead of staring at our plates
and
new
the nature of par-
fretting over
our responsibili-
we had grown accustomed to doing, we found ourselves led along by a captain who was constantly joking, laughing, or planning
ties, as
outrageous exploits against the enemy. Overnight,
it
photographs of Japanese ships that had been pasted
Wahoo even
in the head,
came down
—not
seemed, the all
over the
by order, but through
—
some unspoken understanding that Mush would approve and in went some of the finest pin-up pictures in the U. S. Navy. Identification of silhouettes is a useful occupation, but some silhouettes are more rewarding than others. their places
Our don't
instructions
remember
were
to
proceed to the Carolines.
exactly where
we were supposed
To
to go,
this
day
I
because we
never got there. But there was one sentence, almost incidental, in our
Mush
orders that was to have considerable significance. to reconnoiter
To
407
the Magnificent
En
route,
we were
Wewak harbor.
reach the Carolines
we would
follow the northeast coast of
New
sail
north from Brisbane and
Guinea upward, past Buna, where
General MacArthur's troops were even then driving back the Japanese,
And somewhere along Wewak that might hold
and on up along the enemy-held shore.
there, reports indicated,
was a harbor
called
enemy ships. We were to see what we could find. If we hurried, Mush decided, we could spend more time there than our operation order had allowed. So as we moved along the New Guinea coast, we stayed on the surface for greater speed. It was a strange and unfamiliar experience to see enemy land lying black and sinister on the port hand, to feel the enemy planes always near us, and yet it was invigorating. Contrary to all tradition on the Wahoo, we kept to the surface during daylight hours for six days, submerging only for one quick trim dive each morning, though we were almost never out of sight of land and often within close range of enemy airports.
The Wahoo's combat
attitude
had changed
in other ways.
Now,
instead of two officers, four lookouts, and the quartermaster on the
when we were on
bridge
the surface,
we
and three lookouts, but somehow we
we had never been so well bunk previously installed for conning tower. When he was ready for sleep, he
And Mush had removed
guarded.
the skipper in the
went down to
his
the
stateroom and slept like a baby, leaving no doubt
that the officer of the deck that he
cruised with only one officer
felt
was thoroughly
in
was on
his
own, that he was
command
trusted,
and
unless or until he asked for
help.
Only occasionally did Mush intervene. One day he wandered up for a bit of conversation
we
talked
we
time, the radar picked
dived
when
I
was on the bridge, and suddenly as About the same
sighted a plane about eight miles away.
when we
it
up and confirmed the range.
sighted a plane in the past, so
Mush's big hand landed on the back of
my
I
We
had always
turned for the hatch.
collar just as I reached the
ladder.
"Let's wait I
till
he gets
in to six miles,"
he said
turned and went back. Great Lord,
command
We
of a
I
softly.
thought, we're under the
madman.
stood and watched as the plane closed the range.
half miles his course
began
to take
him away from
us,
At and
six
and a
in a
few
- Guadalcanal and
408
minutes he had faded from
the
Northward Drive
By gambling
sight.
that he hadn't seen us,
Mush had
saved us hours of submerged travel, but even though
worked,
wasn't sure
I
was
I
Wewak
Meanwhile, as we neared the area where
became
chart problem
acute.
Our
had
should be, the
orders gave no hint of
New Guinea
and none of our charts of the it
it
in favor of jt.7
showed
coast
its it
position
by name;
unnamed spots. How could we we didn't know?
could have been any one of a dozen
reconnoiter a harbor whose location
At first, most of us had considered this only a minor problem. If we didn't know where Wewak was, we didn't know. We could take a look at some of the more promising spots, and make our reports, and be on our way. Then one night in the wardroom a different light was put on the matter. Mush, Dick, Roger, Hank Henderson, and I were looking at the charts, speculating on which tiny dent in the coast
Mush asked
might be Wewak, when to be the I
may have hammed up
"Why,"
I said, "it
the answer a
means we take
is
to
go
right into
Roger and Hank and it
was
I
it
looked
"The only way you can recon-
and see what's there." each other
at
clear that our captain
but not much.
little,
submerged."
grinned. "Hell, no," he said.
noiter a harbor
Now
we understood
a cautious look at the area, from
far out at sea, through the periscope,
Mush
innocently what
meaning of the word "reconnoiter."
in sheer consternation.
had advanced from mere rashness
For a submarine, as anybody knew in those was a deep-water ship that needed broad oceans and plenty of water under its keel to operate. And harbors are often treacherous at to outright foolhardiness.
days,
best,
even when you enter them
enced
pilots
for the
location
in surface ships
equipped with the very
Wahoo
to
would be madness
submerge and enter an enemy harbor whose very
on the map we
didn't
know.
Later, submarines penetrated other harbors, but at that time,
handled by experi-
latest charts. It
none of us knew about
it,
and
it
if
any had done so
was against every
up on the Wahoo. Yet here was this skipper of ours, grinning at us under his jutting nose as if he had just told a funny story, assuring us we were going to do it and we'd tradition that
damned
had been
built
well better find out which harbor
pick the most likely one and go
was
Wewak
or he'd just
in.
After word of this attitude of Mush's got out, the search for a chart
Wewak
And
was BirdDog Keeter, the motor machinist's mate who had sighted the Wahoo's of
harbor increased markedly.
in the
end
it
Mush who came
victim,
first
room one
engine
to the rescue. I
when
night
my
looked up, grabbed
"Hey, Mr. Grider,
I
409
the Magnificent
was making
a tour through the
found Keeter poring over a book.
He
arm, and yelled over the roar of the engines: the
is this
Wewak
we're going to?"
was an Australian highschool geography book he had bought while we were on leave, and he opened it to a page that showed a map of New Guinea. Sure enough, there on the northeast coast was a tiny spot marked WEWAK. A couple of months before, the idea of entering an enemy harbor grabbed the book out of his hand.
I
It
me
with the help of a high-school geography would have struck
Now
ridiculous even to be funny.
I
as too
almost hugged the book and
charged forward to the wardroom with
it
as
were the key to the
if it
destruction of the entire Japanese Navy.
Mush
took one look
room began
One
to
hum with
at
it
and reached for our
The ward-
charts.
activity.
of our charts did have a spot that
seemed
to correspond with
Wewak as shown in the book, but much better off. On our big chart, the Wewak
the latitude and longitude of
then
we
weren't
covered a space about the
you need
for entering a harbor.
and Mush's determination
had seem a
lot better
We
to enter
—hardly
were on the track now, though,
Wewak,
his quartermaster, a
regardless,
made what we
man named
Krause, took
Krause made a tracing of the area from our chart onto a
over. First,
piece of toilet paper. Next,
we took my
old Graflex camera and rigged
as an enlarger, using the ship's signal lamp as the projector
We
clamped
this rig to the
wardroom
table
deck. Then, with
all lights
projected lines on the
at
new
light.
and projected the en-
larged image onto a large sheet of paper spread on the
made
area
the detail
than nothing.
Dick O'Kane and
it
card
size of a calling
even
wardroom
turned out, Dick and Krause traced the sheet,
a cartographer shudder, but
and we had a it
might have
chart. It
was a long way ahead
of
no chart
all.
What we saw was
a rough drawing, not of a harbor, but of a
protected roadstead with islands on
name
for
was taken
my
one of the
as a positive
Graflex,
I
was a camera his friend
action,
islands:
that
Elliott
And
four sides.
of
good hunting.
could not help reflecting that
had been used
and fellow
and
omen
all
there
was a
Mushu. In the general triumph,
flier Elliott
in
it,
And too,
World War
Springs.
My
I
father
this
as I reassembled
was an omen. It by my father and had been
had saved the camera and given
it
to
killed in
me
as a
410
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
-*
memento.
I
had always treasured
named
myself
something special and had got
it a§_
photographer
it along on the Wahoo. When I thought that a chart^fashioned with the help of an ancient camera used by my father more than a quarter of a century before on another side of the world in another war would lead us into
Wewak
ship's
harbor,
in
order to bring
too began to believe there was
I
some kind
of guiding
destiny behind the Wahoo's third patrol.
we planned and discussed and we had been able to get about our chart. From what we assembled, it
So, in the limited time remaining,
prepared. Every scrap of information
Wewak was
transferred to
appeared that
it
might be plausible after
all
to penetrate the harbor.
There was plenty of room; the harbor was about two miles across
most
places,
hundred
uncertainties
water,
and we believed the depth might be
feet in
we
if
most
areas.
Mush was
it
much as two He ignored the
as
delighted.
we would have deep was, and unmistakable landmarks, if we
and concentrated on the stayed where
in
fact that
could spot them in time to use them.
was summer
It
in that
hemisphere, and the sun rose early.
Wewak
adjusted our speed to arrive at 24.
At
just before
we
dived,
two and a
and proceeded submerged toward
Wewak
The harbor extended about
harbor.
Dick could see anything
We
This
time
we ducked down, waited the
bay beyond, but before
he spotted two torpedo boats
periscope, headed in our direction. This
small boats, so
sure of only
approached around the western
to investigate the else,
we were
nine miles in from this point, making
a dogleg that obstructed the view.
end of one of the islands
was
half miles off the entrance,
Actually, there were several entrances, but one.
dawn on January
three-thirty in the morning, just as the eastern horizon
beginning to gray,
We
was no time
awhile,
torpedo boats were
gone.
and
to
in the
be seen by
tried again.
There was a small
tug in the distance with a barge alongside, but no other shipping in
We
sight.
islands,
poked around
into another area, a strait
the far side of a third island. better look, but this time a reef
We
that
showed up
to block
our way.
spent the entire morning nosing around that harbor, trying to
find out light
between two of the
may have been radio masts on Mush suggested we go around for a
and Dick saw something
what was
in
it
and where the
safe water was.
As Dick
spotted
patches of water in the scope, he called off their locations and
we noted them on our chart as shallows. From time to time we could pencil in landmarks. One of these we called Coast Watcher Point.
A
strong southward current had been complicating our problems
Mush we
ever since
entered the harbor, and
responsible for the
naming
close to the point that
of Coast
it
the Magnificent
411
was
was
Watcher
this current that
Point. It swept us so
of us in the conning tower, taking turns at
all
the periscope, could see a Japanese lookout, wearing a white shirt,
under a coconut
sitting
in fact, that I street
am
sure
point.
We
would recognize him
if I
on the
tree right I
saw him so
clearly,
passed him on the
tomorrow.
Except for
made
this
chance the
rest of us
the periscope observations.
all
had
to look,
Mush had
Dick O'Kane had
a unique theory: he
believed the executive officer, not the captain, should handle the peri-
scope throughout an approach and attack. This, he explained, skipper in a better position to interpret
all
left
the
do a
factors involved,
and make decisions more dispassionately. There is theory, and it worked beautifully for him, excellent no doubt it is an but few captains other than Mush ever had such serene faith in a better conning job,
subordinate that they could resist grabbing the scope in
moments
of
crisis.
Right now, hot on the
Mush was
trail
we managed
within us,
in his element.
He was
in danger,
and he was
was happy. For all the tension his mood. The atmosphere in the
of the enemy, so he to reflect
conning tower would have been more appropriate to a fraternity raiding party than so deadly a reconnaissance.
joking
when we
Mush
even kept up his
almost ran aground.
This happened because of the dual nature of a periscope. very precise instrument with two powers of magnification:
It is
a
a low
and a half times, to give you about the same impression you would get with the naked eye, and a sixpower magnification to bring things in very close. So everyone was
power
that magnifies objects one
Dick called from the periscope: "Captain, I believe we're getting too close to land. I have the periscope in high power, and all I can see is one coconut tree." If
concerned when, on one of
his looks,
only one coconut tree, even magnified six times,
then
we were dangerously
filled
his
scope,
close.
"Dick," said the captain in a tone of mild reproof, "you're in low
power." In the electric silence that followed, Dick flipped the handle to high
power and took an incredulous
"Down can see
look.
periscope!" he yelped. "All back emergency!
is
one coconut!"
We
My
backed away from there
God, in
all I
record
time.
By
early afternoon,
Mush was
beginning to lose his good humor.
412
-*
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
We
had spent half a day looking for a. target worth shooting at, and none had showed up. But we had got a good idea of the harbor, and now we went in farther, to where we, could get a good look around the dogleg and down the bight, and there at the very end of the dogleg Dick saw what appeared sight,
he reported
it
At
to be the superstructure of a ship.
looked
like a freighter or a tender of
first
some
sort, at
said,
"we've
anchor.
somebody
"Well, Captain,"
reconnoitered
Wewak
the conning tower
in
harbor now. Let's get the
report there's a ship in there."
We
knew
all
much we wished it weren't. "Good God, no," said Mush, coming
to
hell out of here
was a
it
and
however
joke,
"we're going to go in
life,
and torpedo him."
Dick asked him
come over and
to
and the two of them stood there through the scope each time
At
of vessel lay ahead.
last
it
help identify the potential target,
like a
was
couple of schoolboys, peering
what kind
raised, trying to decide
they agreed, and
Mush looked
happily
around the conning tower. "It's a destroyer,"
Much battle. It
he
said.
has been written about the changes great fighters undergo in has been said that
when General Nathan Bedford
Forrest,
the great Confederate cavalry officer, went into battle, his face be-
came
a deep, mottled red, his voice altered,
pitched, and his whole countenance took fierceness.
Mush Morton
becoming
shrill
and high-
on a look of indescribable
changed, too, but in a wholly different way.
Joy welled out of him. His voice remained the same, but
his eyes
lit
own way was as fearful as Forrest's countenance must have been. Here, we were to realize before the Wahoo's third patrol ended, was a man whose supreme joy was liter-
up with a
ally to
delight that in
its
seek out and destroy the enemy.
ing magnificence as a submarine
It
was
commander,
him to terrifymake him a legend
to drive
to
within a year, and to lead eventually to his death.
Now,
as the rest of us worried about the depth of the water, the
pull of the
unknown
our target, he smiled
currents, the possibility of reefs
between us and
at us again.
him by complete surprise," he assured us. "He won't be expecting an enemy submarine in here." Mush was right about that. Nobody in his right mind would have "We'll take
expected
We
us.
went
to battle stations.
The conning
tower, already crowded,
Mush
413
the Magnificent
became even more so. Roger Paine took his post at the Torpedo Data Computor, the mechanical brain mounted in the after corner. Jack Jackson, the communications officer, supervised the two sound opera-
As assistant approach officer, I turned over my diving duties to Hank Henderson and crouched near the top of the control-room ladder, manipulating a small device known as an "is-was" a sort tors.
—
of attack slide rule used in
working out distances and
There were also two quartermasters, a
man, and a couple of others Dick made far
enough
in the tiny
controlman, the helms-
fire
compartment.
up only
his sightings cautiously, easing the periscope
to see the tops of the masts of the destroyer.
a speed of only three knots.
condition that
The
sea above us
makes periscopes very easy
was
as
We moved
calm
at
as glass, a
to see. All unnecessary
auxiliary motors, including the air conditioning,
we were
directions.
were shut
now;
off
rigged for silent running. Voices dropped to whispers, and
perspiration began to drip from our faces as the temperature rose
toward the 100-degree mark. side,
and nothing
else.
We
We
had the element of surprise on our
were now
six miles inside
an uncharted
harbor, with land on three sides of us, and in a minute or so the
whole harbor would know we were
The opened.
there.
outer doors on our six forward torpedo tubes were quietly
We
were approaching the range Mush had decided on, three
thousand yards.
It
was a
little
long, but
it
should keep us in deep
water.
"Stand by to
fire
One."
Dick O'Kane, crouched around the periscope
thumbs up
to indicate
barrel, flipped his
he wanted the scope raised one
last time.
The
long cylinder snaked up. Dick rode the handles, clapping his eye to the eyepiece as soon as
it
was
clear of the floorboards.
He
let
the
scope get about two inches out of water and took a quick look around.
"Down
scope." There was an urgency in his whisper that brought
tension to the breaking point.
"Captain, she's gotten under way,
headed out of the harbor. Angle on the bow ten port."
Now
our plan to catch
this sitting
duck was gone a-glimmering.
She was not only under way, she was headed almost directly
The only reasonable could get a shot
at
thing to do
full
rudder!"
at us.
to get out. Later, perhaps,
her in deep water. But
reasonable.
"Right
was
Mush was
in
no mood
we
to be
414
-*
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
„
Without a moment's pause, he was
Now we
would run
our stern tubes at her as she passed
The conning tower twirling
shifting to a
new plan
of attack.
and
at right angles to the destroyer's course
knobs on the
down
burst into action. Periscope
TDC
.
.
Mush crouched
.
fire
asterrr. .
.
Roger
.
middle of the
in the
conning tower, breathing heavily, spinning the disks on the is-was orders being shouted
now
rather than whispered.
The
.
.
.
destroyer's
speed, increasing as she got under way, could only be guessed
at.
Roger cranked a reading on the TDC, which would automatically
The
generate the correct angles for the gyros. right.
Within one minute we were ready to
"Up periscope Mark! bow forty starboard." Now bow. More frantic grinding .
speed
—
fifteen
"Ready
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
swung hard
ship
Target has zigged
.
to the
fire. .
.
.
Angle on the
the destroyer was heading across our of knobs,
another quick guess
his
at
knots this time.
Stand by to
fire.
.
.
.
Fire One.
.
.
.
Fire
Two.
.
.
.
Fire
Three."
The boat shuddered
as the three torpedoes left the
"All ahead standard."
The bow had begun
to rise
forward tubes.
under the
loss of
weight forward.
Steam torpedoes leave a wake as wide as a two-lane highway and a There was no point now in lowering the periscope, for at that range the enemy could simply look down the wakes to where x lot whiter.
marked
the spot.
Dick brought the periscope up
to full height
and
watched. After a couple of centuries, he spoke.
"They're headed for him."
Torpedoes run
and
hitting
at
about
knots, but the interval between firing
fifty
seems endless.
"The first one missed astern. The third one missed astern." Groans sounded
in the
.
.
.
The second one missed
conning tower.
We
astern.
.
.
.
had guessed too low on
his speed.
"Get another setup!" There was a
fierce
urgency in Mush's voice.
"Use twenty knots." "Ready." "Fire Four!"
Again the boat shuddered, and Dick's eyes remained glued to the scope. And again the news, given to us piecemeal between long pauses, was bad.
"Target turning away."
Mush "Damn!" "The fourth headed
The
missed.
.
.
.
on around.
She's swinging
.
.
.
Now
she's
right at us."
situation
had changed
drastically.
three torpedoes, the destroyer
first
415
the Magnificent
Warned by
had begun a
the wakes of the
determined turn
fast,
now she was headed toward us, ready for revenge. A destroyer is named for its ability to destroy submarines, and this one was coming at us now with a deck away from
us, continuing
depth charges.
full of
had four more
it
We
for
had
until
fired four of
our
in our stern tubes, but
and even longer
to fire them,
270 degrees
forward
six
would take too long
it
to reload our
fish.
to
We
swing
forward tubes.
"All right," said Mush. "Get set for a down-the-throat shot."
We but
had talked about down-the-throats doubt
I
if
such a shot. while he effective
in
it
wardroom
what the name
would
directly
No
toward you.
be, because as far as
I
one knew for sure how
know
there
obvious virtue, and two staggering disadvantages. didn't
have to know the
the other hand, the target
missed, case,
it
would be too
we would be
speed
target's
would be
late to
in
implies, a shot fired at the target
our submarine records of anyone's having tried
you
bull sessions,
any of us had ever seriously expected to be involved
It is
coming
is
in
at
if
its
plan anything
was then no case
it.
On
But
it
had one
the one hand,
the angle
was zero; on
narrowest, and else.
if
you
In this particular
shooting a two-ton torpedo at a craft no
more than
twenty feet wide, coming toward us at a speed of about thirty knots.
A story
few minutes before, I
would have
bered with
I
had been thinking fatuously what a
fine
Ann and Billy on my leave. Now I remhad left my will ashore at the beginning of the
to tell
relief that I
patrol.
"Ready." From Roger, "Stand by to
at the
TDC.
fire."
"Range eighteen hundred." "Fire five!"
"Periscope
is
under water. Bring
me
up."
Hank had momentarily lost control, under the impact of the firing, and we had dropped below periscope depth with that destroyer boiling down on us. "Bring her up, Hank, boy, bring her up," the skipper called down the hatch. An agonizing wait, then, with Dick clinging to the periscope.
"Captain,
we missed
him. He's
still
coming. Getting close."
416
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
-~
It is
strange how, in such situations,
can occupy rectly
some portion
mind
of your
with coolly impersonal analyses of factors not di-
itself
own hide., I found part of myself marvelhad come over Dick O'Kane since the attack
connected with your
ing at the change that
had begun. found.
was
It
as
had been
before, he
He was
if,
lost,
during
served that the conduct of
from
example
I
their
It
everyday actions, but
man
"When "Wait
she
first
time
I
had ob-
it
was the most dramatic
transformed under pressure from
prime fighting machine.
to a
Captain?"
fills
four divisions in low power."
"Captain, she already
Even Mush was
fills
eight."
jarred. "Well, for Christ's sake," he yelled, "fire!"
"Fire Six!"
From
We flooded
negative and started down, and
Dick.
and took over from Hank.
Mush echoed him I
with,
"Take her deep!"
went down the ladder
I
it
help to strike an uncharted reef. But
down
dared, to ninety feet, and
we
I
took her as far
wouldn't as
I
rigged for depth-charge attack.
were no longer the aggressor.
torpedoes had run out, and
we
couldn't take her really deep, because
had no idea what the depth of the water there was, and
We
was
it
opinion of him
fire Six."
shall I fire,
till
now
cannot be predicted ac-
fire
what seemed most adolescent petulance "Stand by to
My
was not the
men under
was ever to see of a
months
the talkative, boastful
calm, terse, and utterly cool.
underwent a permanent change. curately
all
seeking his true element, and
we were
Now
our time as well as our
could do was grab on to something and stand by for the charging of the U.S.S. Wahoo.
we
helpless to fight back. All final
depth-
Our time had come, and we waited
for
the end almost calmly.
The
first
explosion was loud and close.
A
couple of
broke, as they always do on a close explosion, and ing in a detached hull
way
began to flake
We
I
light
bulbs
remember watchWahoo's
as the cork that lined the inside of the
off in little pieces.
waited for the second blast, each
man
lost
within himself,
looking at objects rather than at other men, no eyes meeting, as appropriate for the final
And
moments
of
is
life.
the silence continued. Ten, twenty, thirty seconds, until
I
looked up and saw other eyes coming into focus, faces taking on expressions of wonderment. i
that
broke the
"Jeez,"
it
It
was a voice from the pump room
spell.
said,
"Maybe we
hit
him!"
Mush
There was something ridiculous, almost hilariously
Up in
voice.
the conning tower
Mush
heard
it,
so,
maybe we did," he responded, his roar. "Bring her back up to periscope depth, George." Almost frantically, we wrestled her back up.
Mush
"There she
left
is.
the scope to Dick.
Broken
He
about the
and laughed.
"Well, by God,
Again,
417
the Magnificent
voice
now
a
took a long look.
two."
in
Bedlam broke loose on the Wahoo. waved to Hank to take over in the control room, grabbed my Graflex, and shot up the ladder. Mush had named me ship's photogI
rapher, and
I
was going
to get a shot of that target
one way or
another. It
wasn't easy.
man
in the
Even Mush wanted
the skipper turned aside. But at last
The
to take a look at this,
crowded conning tower was
destroyer was almost
bow
beam
my to,
fighting for a turn
and every
by the time
chance came.
broken
in
two
like a
match-
already settling. Apparently, her skipper had lost his
stick,
her
nerve
when he saw our
last
rudder over to try to miss
torpedo heading toward him and put the
it,
and by swinging himself broadside
to
it
he had signed the destroyer's death warrant. Now, as she began to sink, her
crew swarmed over
the superstructure,
the periscope, at the
all
some
her,
hundreds of men,
over her decks.
it
as she
struggled for positions at
of the destroyer's crew returned to their places
forward deck gun and began
continued
As we
in the rigging, in
firing at
our periscope. They
sank slowly beneath the waves.
Somehow I got a few pictures and moved out of the way. And now Mush, who was almost a tyrant when it came to imposing his will on us in emergencies, returned to the democratic spirit he always showed
when something good happened. "Let everybody come up and
take a
look," he called.
The whole crew came up by turns, overflowing every inch room and the conning tower, each man shoving his way
control
of the to the
scope and bracing himself there for a long, unbelieving look before
away with whatever word represented the extreme limit of his I heard some remarkable expletives that day. We were still celebrating when a bomb went off close aboard, and it dawned on us that there was a long way to go before we were out of the woods. Down we went again to ninety feet, realizing there was an airplane up there on lookout for us, and started to pick our way turning
vocabulary.
out.
418
•*„
In a
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
moment we began
to hear the^propellers of small boats, buzz-
ing around the water above us like waterbugs as they searched for us,
was
and we realized the only way to./geFout of Wewak harbor safely to keep our periscope down. In addition to the unknowns of
we had another unknown. Now we must run silent, which meant even the gyrocompass had to be turned off. The only compass we could use was the magnetic compass, never too reliable inside all that steel. We had to make four miles, take a turn to the right, and go about two more miles before we got to the open sea, and if we turned too soon, we were going to run into the island where we had seen the coast watcher sitting under the coconut tree. If we didn't turn soon enough, we were going to hit the reef ahead. On the way down the dogleg before the attack, I had noticed a current and depth,
young
sailor
on the sound equipment,
though he wasn't particularly needed
listening with great intensity, at the time.
Now
he spoke to
Mush.
we were coming
"Captain," he said, "as noises
on that
None
island.
I
think
I
can
of us in the conning tower
were. Since then,
tell
in,
I
could hear beach
from them when
knew
exactly
things, particularly shrimp,
make
abeam."
what beach noises
have read that oceanographers say
I
it's
all
sorts of
noises in the ocean, and shrimp in
common in shallow man on the sound gear
large beds are
water in that area. Whatever
was,
thought he could help, we were
if
the
ready to
listen.
So, relying
on him, we prepared
for our turn.
reported the sounds were abaft the beam, then
holding our breaths and hoping, and
We
it
it
We
waited until he
we made our
turn,
worked.
surfaced after dark, about two miles outside the harbor, and
looked back. The Japanese had built bonfires on almost every point,
on the shore and on the have been sure we were
islands, all along the roadstead. still
They must
in there, and waiting for us to surface.
1
have always been grateful, mistakenly or otherwise, to the shrimp along
Mushu
Island
and Coast Watcher Point for getting
out after our reconnoitering of
Wewak
safely
harbor.
PT BOATS FOUGHT A PITCHED BATTLE WITH TANAKA'S December
and again on the
Tokyo express on
the
night of
night of January 2.
We
have the word of Captain Yasumi Toyama,
11,
Mush Tanaka's Chief
of
that
Staff,
419
the Magnificent
enemy destroyermen evinced no down The Slot. "We are
special fondness for their nightly sortie
more a
Toyama
convoy than a
freighter
"The
recorded.
Tokyo Express. stupid thing!
.
.
We .
transport cargo to that cursed island
Our decks
which are roped together.
.
.
are stacked high with supplies
ammunition supply must be cut
We
in half.
Our cargo
approach the
board and run away. The idea until
squadron these days,"
fighting
damn Yankees have dubbed
is
is
island,
us .
the
What
a
and our
loaded in drums
throw them over-
that the strings of barrels will float
our troops on the island can tow them ashore.
It is
a strenuous
and unsatisfying routine."
But the Japanese destroyers fought cargo, and January 2
is
with ten destroyers taking on eighteen of the ett,
well,
even with deckloads of
a fine case in point.
PTs
off
was a donnybrook, Cape Esperance. One
It
motor torpedo boat skippers was Lieutenant
who
brings us
PT
warfare at
its
grimmest.
(jg)
John Clag-
LIEUTENANT (JG)
J. H.
CLAGETT
9-
TORPEDOES
"FIRE
WHEN YOU'RE ON WHITEY!"
It
was black dark. Guadalcanal faded from view, except
illumination of the lightning. Savo
for the eerie
was a shadow. The wake
rolled
back, glowing green.
"Lots of phosphorescence tonight," muttered Whitey.
"Yes."
A
faint
hum
to the north
skimmed again low were the objects of
grew
into a roar,
and the two planes
across the dark bowl of the sky. this search,
We knew we
and almost ceased to breathe as the
planes circled twice, then vanished.
Up
on the mountain over Esperance the three
The quartermaster touched my "There they
And line
they were.
A
number sea,
out.
of dark
shadows moving over the dim
on the starboard bow.
"Come right. Whitey, you fire 'em." The bow swung to the right. I gave I
winked
are, sir."
between sky and
Hardly had
lights
shoulder.
finished the terse phrases
the alarm over the radio.
when another
voice joined:
"Josephine. Off Aruligo! They're close!"
And
another: "They're coming around the north side of Savo.
Two
destroyers."
The gunner's us, this side of
420
voice came, with a strained accent: "Skipper! Behind
Savo!
Some more
of 'em!"
When You re On,
"Fire Torpedoes
"Jesus Christ!" whispered Whitey.
We were
prayer.
wasn't profanity;
It
421
Whitey!" it
was a
completely surrounded.
The One Eleven moved would be the troop
toward the middle column. They
steadily
carriers.
They were heading
Ac-
for Esperance.
and the world seemed suspended in an eternity as the range closed. My knees were weak, and my stomach was heavy and cold. tion
My hands were wet, my
fought to keep
and the heavy glasses nearly slipped from them.
I
voice steady.
"Speed up a little, Kinlaw. We want make 'em good." The pulse of the engines stepped up
a good shot at 'em.
slightly.
Seven hundred yards. Silence, and the
We
got to
The range narrowed.
soft beating of great black
The green white wake at the bow of seen now. Thunder muttered louder. I
wings. Six hundred yards.
the
landing ship was plainly
sat
my
back on
little
on the cockpit.
seat high
hundred yards. The gunner
My
legs
shook a
forward turret sighed.
in the
little.
It
Five
could be
heard in the quiet. "Fire torpedoes
when
"Three and four,
you're on, Whitey."
fire."
The boat
lurched.
other two fish hit the water.
A
Two
torpedoes threw up
"One and two,
spray and vanished, trailing green wakes.
bit of excess oil in
fire."
The
one of the tubes
The boat turned abruptly about, and the wake rose and spread. Red
flared up. I groaned.
the engines
flares mushmoved up the scale, roomed out from the leading ships. Shells rumbled overhead. Searchlights came on. Tracers streaked. The engineers opened the mufflers, Kinlaw shoved the throttles, and the One Eleven tore through the exploding water at full speed. Her bow climbed, and the wet spray
shot back.
noticed oddly that
I
my
sleeves
were
thought of the hell Westy would raise over that. the leading Jap explode in a tower of
forty-five
and
fired
two
shots, the
rolled up,
and
dream
saw
in a
I
fire.
bow. The boat pitched.
Shells landed near the
still
As I
whipped out
my
emergency smoke-signal. Mike had
been waiting. The smoke rose in a billowing cloud. The boat turned
and leaped. through the
"Hard flame!
It
Shells burst air,
left!
was
and fragments We're It
hit!"
on the starboard now, cracking shrapnel
and dazzling Left!"
hot,
I
us.
shouted.
And
and sulphur was
flew,
and
I
the world turned to glaring
thick.
The bow dropped, flame
heard myself crying, "Oh, Jesus Christ!
and thinking simultaneously, "That's a
was searing
hot;
and then
it
was black
fog,
trite
thing to say!"
and piercing the black
"
422 ~
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
.
came
a terrible scream. "Oh,
stand
it
The black
fog
greedy flames.
me.
I
lifted. It
hotness
buckled, and
The
pain!
can't
I
and the flames leaped about
my
was devouring.
pain!
except for the crackling of
.quiet,
in the cockpit,
tried to walk,
I
that
one thought
to escape this
my
walk,
couldn't
I
knees
crawled on hands and knees through a wall of flame,
I
over a deck where
fire
mare, when you're
in
It
was oddly
was alone
I
was standing.
terrible
I
my God! The
—
oozed through the cracks.
some
was
It
like a night-
invisible morass, with death at
your
heels.
thought of the thousand gallons of hundred-octane gas beneath me.
might go
any second. At
at
welcome blackness. The cool, cool water, closed over me.
my
last ride in
My numb
I
delicious
and
side presented,
The
steel
me
I
my
to the
helmet was heavy on
neck, but failed.
I
my
when
felt
my
reached up
I
hands to
they wouldn't work; and
they touched the rough canvas of
unbuckle the
tried to
swollen and dark, and long
them and
Face and hands
heavy seven-fifty binoculars from around
about me.
all
head.
my amazement
fingers
tried to take the
was
surface.
The One Eleven swung around, broad-
wouldn't function, and pain forced ing boat
in its coolness,
thought crazily: "That's
I
saw the length of the deck covered with flames,
agony shot through the I
and unbelievable
side.
unbuckle the strap, but to
the strap.
edge of the deck.
heaved down into the
boat."
dragged
but there was no pain.
and the shattered
at the
last strength, I
sank into the coolness.
PT
a
life-jacket
was
last I
my
Without hesitation, and with
held
I
strips,
floated in the water.
The
me
pistol belt, but the fingers
to stop. Light
my
hands up
white
from the burn-
in
it.
in the firelight,
air started to
They were hung from
burn, and
I
my
slid
hands beneath the water. "I'm burned!"
My
face too
I
said to myself. "I'm
was burning.
dipped
I
burned bad as it
hell!"
into the water.
The burning
stopped. Nature brings an anesthetic with severe injuries. great pain, and felt like
A it,
somehow
fear
seemed
a muffled
I
no
thing.
I
a spectator.
shape drew near to the edge of the
and
felt
I
and useless
heard a faint
a few feet away. interested.
I
rattling.
More
A flurry
flashes,
light.
Red
and more
little
hell out o' here!
They're shooting
spouts.
at us!"
from
from the water I
was mildly
heard a familiar voice from a hundred yards away.
Whitey.
"Get the
flashes burst
of splashes rose
It
was
'Tire Torpedoes
A
me.
dull panic filled
The
use.
When
my
rolled to
I
resignation overtook
me
423
You're On, Whitey!" and
side
The
again.
swim.
tried to
firing
No
continued spas-
modically for a while, and then the Jap, forsaking pleasure for busi-
The flames from
ness, fled into night.
about the bay
and PTs were burning
ships
The helmet was growing back for a while, and then
my
strength and thrust it
I
looked
glowing where
fires,
fiercely.
heavier. I'd roll
pounds would slowly force
would push
the boat died, but as
could see five other separate
I
my
With an
over on
could stay on
effort I
my
The
face.
face under water.
my
helmet's two
would gather
I
head back. Then again the unceasing weight
slowly beneath the surface. This seemed to go on
forever.
heard Whitey shouting the names of the crew, and listened to the
I
answers.
When Whitey
summoned enough scorched but
still
Are you O.K.?"
called, "Skipper! Skipper!
strength
"I'm
answer:
to
A
right.
all
I
little
Everybody accounted for?"
kicking.
The answer came back: "Everybody here except
Nobody's
Phil.
seen him. I'm afraid he never got into the water. Sparks
is
hurt awful
in him, and he's out now. Some of the Nobody else seems bad." More ages passed. The little wavelets slapped my face. I pushed it from the water. The helmet pushed it back. Someone in a great black
bad. I've got
some morphine
other guys are hurt.
cloak drew the rim of
across
it
my
and the
eyes,
fierce
scene of
burning ships faded away.
came
I
tight
my
to again, choking. I
enough, and
eyes.
in the
was very low
my
in
was slowly slipping out of
I
They were
swelling shut.
water beneath me.
I
saw
described a
It
a
it.
lifejacket. It wasn't It
was hard
to
circle.
A
shark!
I
choked back
me and
a panic that tried to rise at the thought of the depths beneath the thousands of dead I
raised
my
men
there.
Was
I
to join
them?
sounded almost normal, and
voice. It
open
gleam of phosphorescence
was surprised
I
at its strength.
"Oh, boys! Boys! Where are you?"
A hail came back:
"Over
"I'm afraid not, fellows. helmet
off,
and
my
jacket pretty quick.
here, Skipper.
My
Are you
eyes are swelling shut, and
Can
all
hands are burned and
a couple of
I'll
right?" I
can't get
be out of
you swim over here and
my
this life-
give
me
a hand?"
The voice came back: "Hang Keep yelling so we'll be able
jiffy.
I
continued to
yell,
on, Skipper. We'll be with you in a to find you."
and the friendly anxious voices came
closer.
424 -
_
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
when I thought I couldn't hold my head up another minute, Long and Elsass swam out of the darkness and grabbed my life-jacket
Just
They
with strong hands.
tore off thejielmet, let the glasses sink into
my
the water, and took off
me on my
turned
They
forty-five.
retied the life-jacket,
back, and started towing toward Savo, two miles
away.
'That was
"You
just in time, boys.
should'
"Not so
Thanks a
lot. I'll
yelled sooner, Skipper.
a'
hot, boys.
You
How
never forget
it."
are you?"
haven't got something you can hit
me
over
the head with, have you?"
"Nothing
I
lighter than a forty-five, Skipper.
Have
though.
the light canteen.
The
covered ear.
how
hadn't realized
open.
It
Long was
throat.
my
little
soft folds.
its
I
became even harder to The black robe awakened to concussions in my eyes
on
eternity.
water to scare
was burning up. Thirst grew
in. I
my
burning
chin. It
was
and
lips,
had emptied
off the sharks,
an unbearable
to
No
all
letting
I
water, but
could do to refrain from
down my
coolness run
the
heard Whitey dimly.
Damn
dead. We've got to leave him.
is
Why
those Japs!
someone come?"
doesn't
More
black ages, scarlet-lined with
thirst.
Then Walter Long shook
gently.
"Skipper, we've found a floating coconut, and I've got
We're not hurt, and we don't need
Almost gasping
in eagerness, I
bark of the nut on
my
it.
it
open.
Here, open your mouth."
threw back
my
head,
felt
the rough
and drank deep of a nectar that dashed drove madness from my blood, and gave the power lips,
my veins, open my eyes and murmur
through to
water,
Something restrained me.
"Sparks
me
My
life.
But there was no water. That was a mockery.
opening
a
until I discovered I
firing his forty-five in the
cool water lapped
I
brought new
again with
which were closing thing.
was
thirsty I
night stretched on for eternity
me
We've got
a drink."
The minutes crawled
by.
broken thanks.
There was no
light.
Once
a
PT
boat
searching untiringly for survivors passed close enough for us to hear the engines.
We
passed us by. friends
fired
It left
would keep
at
and screamed, but weren't heard, and the boat hope it all
in its
night,
wake though. Each man knew and
all
the next day
if
his
necessary.
The cold of the water seemed to creep all through my body. Sharks came again, to be frightened off by the concussion of forty-fives fired close to the surface. They weren't really hungry. Luckily none of us
three were bleeding.
I
me, and dragging
my
at
could
425
When. You're On, Whitey!"
"Fire Torpedoes
feel the
dead of Iron Bottom Bay
calling
feet dangling helplessly in the water. Just in
time the dark Someone
came
my
to
rescue again, and
I drifted off
into unconsciousness.
When
I
the bay. It
forced
was
my
like
eyes open,
it
was dawn.
waking from a nightmare
A
clear light covered
—and
finding the night-
mare still with you. It was wonderful to be able to see again, and I seemed dully numb. Nothing hurt much, and nothing seemed worth worrying about. The clinging dead men seemed to have sunk again to the dark bottom. I tried to realize that Phil and Sparks were now
among them.
I
couldn't keep
my
eyes open for
sank into a half stupor. The water burns and
more lie
I
made them
now
my And
floated the sweet smell of the islands, of flowers
"Where
we haven't Even in
we were, Skipper. The made much headway." the deep lassitude that
feet,
Even
something dry to
me and
the sharks
over the water
faintly
and black
earth.
They could have let me go, and been ago, but they had fought on, through life.
tide's pretty strong,
me
was on
thing of the devotion and unselfishness these
chance for
it
are we, boys?"
"Just about where
could realize some-
I
on good dry land hours
safe
Walter Long, ship's cook.
.
and
two men had displayed.
the long night, to give .
you read these words some day,
If
soothed the
on, to go to sleep on, something between
and waiting monsters of the black depths.
man:
a minute. I
but
bearable. I longed for water to drink.
longed for something solid beneath
down
more than
felt cold,
.
Mike just
me
a
Elsass, torpedo-
Thank you,
this:
friends.
The sun climbed above the horizon. It turned the water to gold, and new hope warmed us with its rays. Long said, with a gulp of thanksgiving: "Here comes a PT. She's heading for us. Get out your forty-five, Mike. Everybody splash and
Two
forty-fives
threshed
my
feet in the
hope brought with pense, and then
"They in
yell."
cracked in unison. Mike and Walter yelled.
it.
water and was surprised
I
at the strength that
There were a few minutes of unbearable sus-
Mike announced
quietly, but in a
see us, Skipper! They're
coming
happy voice:
for us! We'll
be out of
this
a few minutes!" It
was too much
for me. Everything
eyes again, the side of a
PT
went dark.
When
towered high above
height from the surface was surprising.
us.
I felt as if I
I
opened
Its
would
my
apparent kiss the
:
426
"*
boards knees.
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
-
if I
could move. Then
was
I
lifted
slowly into the
my
Mnes beneath
I felt
air,
shoulders and
out of the water that seemed to
hold on with clutching fingers to the/prey that was escaping then the blessed dryness, and the solidness of the so protectingly beneath me.
my
the valve in
sighed and relaxed
brain to which
had held
I
scream, and cry, and grow
lest I
A
I
warm deck
my
though
"Good morning,
fellows.
A canteen was held sweet water poured
"How this
...
Thanks
gently at
my
a lot. lips,
I
happened
else
have
I .
forgot everything as the .
.
we're sorry
to you."
who had been
killed. I didn't
had seen that Jap explode, and
till I
a
Got any water?" and
down my parched throat. Want some morphine? Gee,
at least the credit of
"Not
eyes.
managed
thought with longing of the morphine and sleep. But
I
my
stiff.
are you, Johnny?
bered the two boys
one
huge and
lips felt
mental grip on
opened
fear. I
ring of familiar, anxious faces bent over me.
smile, even
was
through the dark hours
all
mad from
my
And
it.
that
remem-
wanted Phil and Sparks to
having taken some Japs with them.
my
can make
I
I
know whether any
report.
I
don't feel so bad.
It just feels like
something awful heavy on top of me." "Here's Mr. Westholm's boat coming over.
and
he'll fix
Doc
Lastreto's aboard,
you up. They're coming alongside now."
Things went black again. The next impression was the kind face of the
Doc bending
over me,
grim beneath the Groucho Marx
lips
mustache, of gentle hands, and the "Hello, Clag, old boy. I
Doc
How're you
answered something, then drifted
giving
my
ing that
saying:
feeling?" off again.
Next
I
remembered
report to someone, slowly and painfully, but with the feel-
when
it
was
form of themselves.
I
finished,
I
could sleep. The words seemed to
was conscious of someone working over me
talked, of cooling things
on
my
arms and hands.
I
as I
finished, paused,
and then whispered
"Thank Long and boys."
I
didn't feel
I drifted gratefully
it
Elsass for me. Say hello to Whitey and the
when
away
the
morphine needle pierced
my
held by the warm, soothing clouds of the merciful drug. night I
was
had
arm, but
into wonderful sleep, in utter comfort, up-
My
dark
over.
faint
memories of being carried
in
a stretcher along a surface
wooden dock, and open vehicle. Then came an
that resounded hollowly, like a
of being trans-
ported in some sort of
interval of fiery
.
When
'Tire Torpedoes
427
You're On, Whitey!"
discomfort as someone with a soothing voice hacked and sawed away
my
at
and
time, It
Naval Academy
was
now, but
it
could be fixed. Familiar
my past. The blackness
drifted
There followed a long and hazy time,
was kept
real. I
A
mind. Mostly, though,
it
did queer things to
falling
lifted at a
comforta-
was dark.
sharp angle. Then
I
I felt
my
beneath me, and there was a roar in
.
long time later
My
cot.
again.
my
but
.
down
was a
which nothing seemed
me
myself being carried, and then
ears.
in
that
with dope, which kept
ble,
something rising and
was vanishing
life
filled
felt
it
after a long
hang onto something
a strong desire to
I felt
material link with
completely
came away
ring
mustered the energy to ask that the ring be kept with me.
I
in pieces
away, and
The
class ring.
I
awoke
again,
eyes didn't open, but
Santu, and Solace.
I
I
and was
ward on a
in a hospital
heard someone mention Espiritu
was very confused. More time passed,
lots of
it.
My
mind seemed to be getting hazier and to be splitting in two. Several times I met myself walking down a gray street. Then somehow the dull heat that seemed to surround me conmelted away.
stantly,
felt
I
the bed heaving and there
My
taking the cradle of the sea. smell salt girl
air.
Then one day
bending over
She myself.
lifted
my
me
I
mind became
opened
my
with a glass of water.
head.
It
frightened
me
clearer,
thirstily. It felt
and
I
could
eyes to see a brown-haired .
.
.
to feel that
I
my
took the glass tube between the center of
I
was no mis-
couldn't do lips
it
and drank
cold and good.
'Thanks. Where
am
I?"
"You're on the hospital ship Solace, and we're halfway to Zealand. They'll
fix
you up
as
good
as
new
New
the big hospital
in
there."
"When "It'll
will I get
back
to the
Solomons?"
be a long time, Lieutenant. You're slated for transfer to the
U.S."
Home.
It
hadn't been so long, but
again into darkness, but
IN
it
it
seemed
like centuries. I
seemed reassuring now.
.
.
sank
.
JANUARY JAPAN DECIDED TO ABANDON GUADALwas in January, Rear Admiral Waldron L. "Pug" Ainsworth and a cruiser-
canal, despite her substantial troops at Rabaul. It too, that
428
-*
.Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
destroyer force
bombarded
the enemy'^ staging area of
pouring some 3,000 rounds of 6-inch and into the
Munda
sector. This
Guadalcanal campaign, and while, General Alexander degrift,
it
M.
was th§
Georgia,
offensive action of the
much to elevate morale. MeanUSA, who had relieved Van-
did
Patch,
Using the 2nd and 8th Marines to clean up the Matani-
kau, he launched his other troops at
Henderson ance.
ftrst
New
rounds of 5-inch
prepared to mount an offensive calculated to push the enemy
off the island.
The
ended;
fifteen
Field,
drive began
this
Mount
Asten, three miles from
where there were strong pockets of enemy
meant a
on the 2nd, and did not stop
total
resist-
until all resistance
mop-up, including the 25,000 troops of the
Japanese Seventeenth Army. The interim period was marked by other furious battles with
22/23
Tanaka and another bombardment on January
of the enemy's positions at Vila. Then, a few days later, the
Battle of Rennell Island developed
when
it
that another reinforcement of Guadalcanal sult of the
ensuing engagement the
Navy
appeared to Halsey's
was
in the wind.
lost the
As
staff
a re-
heavy cruiser Chi-
cago, plus two destroyers severely damaged.
Despite efforts to the contrary, the enemy's evacuation continued.
Some 12,000 men were
pulled out by the indomitable Tanaka, leav-
ing 14,800 killed and 1,000 prisoners. However, the full
of fight, as
is
enemy was
still
evidenced in the following excerpt by Foster Hailey,
New York Times war
correspondent.
FOSTER HAILEY
IO.
DIVE-BOMBING ATTACK
By February enemy out of
1
the ground forces his
on Guadalcanal had driven the
former headquarters
at
Kokumbona
Village, ten
miles west of Henderson Field, and across the natural defense line for several miles. a force to the south of
Poha River, the last The decision was made to land
Cape Esperance and
start a drive
from both
directions.
To Captain
Briscoe's destroyer squadron
safely escorting the
LCT's and
the cape to a landing near
was given the task of
the small destroyer-transport
Nugu
Point.
We
around
had gone out west the
night before to sweep the area for hostile submarines or surface vessels, as the operation
a delay, and
it
was
after
was scheduled
dawn
before
to begin at 2 a.m.
we picked up
There was
the small trans-
port train and started past Savo. It
was a hot morning, with
high,
broken clouds, and we cursed the
slowness of the LCT's as they waddled along deep in the water, their
sunken decks chock-a-block with trucks and supplies and men. As we cleared the passage with the destroyers patrolling on either side of the line of LCT's one of the LCT captains must have decided he knew more about the course than the leader, because he took off in a direction that eventually would have landed him on the Russell Islands. The squadron leader had to steam ahead and shoo him back. The lateness of the start forfeited any element of surprise for the
429
430
-Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
expedition, as
we were
clearly visible
from
the enemy-held beach of
Guadalcanal. They were undoubtedly in touch by radio with their
air
bases on up the Solomons and the fle^t units that had been reported
maneuvering south of Truk.
bombed out of us," one of the telewe stood on the shaded wing of the bridge
"We'll probably get the hell
phone
talkers said as
watching the slow progress of the
own
train.
There were several of our
we thought we would have
planes around, however, and
plenty
of protection.
The
first
troops were just going ashore at 11:30, several hours
behind schedule but apparently without opposition, when headquarters
announced an
air raid
"Oh, oh. What did hat from
its
coming
I tell
in.
you," the talker said as he dug out his
tin
storage place in the flag locker.
For some reason, the planes did not attempt
to interfere with the
landing operations but centered their attack on Henderson Field.
From
twenty miles away we could see the black anti-aircraft bursts
against the white clouds over the island.
The
first
few LCT's and the destroyer-transport were
the beach by then,
in nuzzling
and the Nicholas and the Radford turned back
sweep astern of the
stragglers.
Some
to
three miles astern of us were the
squadron leader and the DeHaven.
We
were steaming along on a northerly course when two miles
ahead and
at
about
five
thousand
feet altitude a large
two-motored
bomber burst out of a cloud bank. There was a moment's thought
it
hesitation, as
was one of our own PBY's.
one of the
officers yelled
own satisfaction and ordered fire "Wham, wham," "wham, wham," the two forward guns began control to open
to his
he
Finally, the skipper identified
it
up on him.
to
bark.
Before the shells had reached the plane's position, Lieutenant
Johnny Everett, who shouting that shooting.
it
had
originally
identified
was one of our own planes
The captain ordered
The Radford meanwhile
fire
also
it
at
as a
control to check
had opened
fire
PBY,
again was
which the guns were fire.
and was pouring out
her 5-inch projectiles at a fast rate.
We
waited anxiously for the shellbursts. Directly ahead of the
plane one blossomed, then a second. Both had exploded within what
looked to be ten yards of the plane.
was
just too bad.
If
it
was one of our own planes
it
.
"My God, moaned
down one
we've shot
as the big airship,
431
Dive-bombing Attack
own
of our
Johnny
planes,"
looming black against the white cloud
nosed over and plummeted straight for the water.
As
it fell
any doubts the water
directly as to
we saw
a door
the plane
'01. Just before
open and someone plunge
it
hit
out, then a spurt
other shellbursts from the Radford blossomed in
fell,
the area where our
radio circuit
was a Mitsubishi
was no explosion.
of flame, but there
As
on our course, we got a good look and dissolved identity. It
its
own two had
exploded, and over the short-wave
someone on the Radford
"We
yelled,
got him.
We
got
him."
Immediately there was an indignant howl from our bridge, and Skipper Hill strode purposefully to the microphone.
"We we
got that plane," he said.
"We were
the
first
open
to
fire,
and
claim him as ours."
"We opened first,"
the
Radford
retorted.
"Knock off the chatter," ordered the commodore. The Nicholas by that time was passing the spot where had
fallen.
num
There was
wreckage. Only a gasoline tank,
two or three bodies
in the area.
popped out
subishi '01
we knew
Sure enough,
of a cloud.
and he was smoking and wabbling flying. It
like
in a
there
must be other
moment, another Mit-
Again the Nicholas and the Rad-
ford both opened up. Black bursts were
still
alumi-
in life jackets.
did not stop to investigate, as
enemy planes
but
its
and shining, a few scraps of wing and what looked
bright
We
little
the plane
all
as he
around the Japanese
ducked
seemed doubtful, however,
pilot,
into another cloud,
that he ever
would
get
home.
A soon
whole flock of Zero after,
fighters
also passed
but they were flying high and
fast,
astern of the force
made no
passes at us,
and no one opened on them.
A
soon as the raid was over, we turned back to the scene of the
crash of the
now ahead
first
plane.
As we had countermarched,
of us instead of trailing,
the
Radford was
and Captain Briscoe ordered her
to investigate the wreckage.
We
took the commodore's
command
Radford's claim that her guns had shot
The whole Nicholas crew was server, I offered to
make an
as tacit acceptance of the
down the Japanese bomber. As a wholly unbiased ob-
in a fret.
affidavit to the effect that the
good
St.
432
.Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
"*
Nicholas had
first opened had shot him down.
"You know what from the
I
fire
on the enemy and
it
was her guns
think?" said a^young lookout, grinning
fire-control platform just
that
down
above the bridge. "I think we
ought to anchor alongside the Radford tonight and go over and talk over with them, say about three hundred of us." For two-and-a-half more hours anger bubbled among the Nicholas's crew. Then there came more important things to think about. this
The first LCT's to land had completed their unloading at 1 p.m. and headed back for Tulagi. The Nicholas and the DeH avert were The squadron
assigned to escort them.
leader and the Radford were
to bring the others.
We
headed north toward Cape Esperance and then turned east
through the passage between the cape and Savo Island. The skies
were beginning to
clear,
and there were only a few
There was much plane
clouds.
Two
activity.
fleecy white
Airacobras swept past
on a reconnaissance of the enemy-held beaches. High over Henderson Field
we could
see four or five planes circling, apparently
on routine
high patrol.
The LCT's,
rid of their load,
were chugging along
than they had taken going out; but
it
still
at
a better pace
was slow, uninteresting
work. The two destroyers were maneuvering on either
side.
Shortly after 1430 (2:30 p.m.), headquarters again warned of an
approaching
air attack,
but canceled
stroyers,
which had rung
dropped
to a slower pace.
it
for flank speed
five
minutes
when
later.
the alarm
The
was
de-
given,
At 1443 headquarters again came back on. His voice sounded more urgent this time as he announced that "the condition is red," and Captain Hill ordered enough turns put on to take the Nicholas up to a faster speed. As all hands scanned the skies for the enemy planes,
we
noticed that the
DeHaven
still
was meandering along
slow speed. Apparently Captain Toland thought
this
at
too was a false
alarm.
There was no sign of unusual
activity
over Henderson Field.
We
some twenty thousand feet of up. There was another large group planes somewhat to the north of the island, headed our way, but they were too far away to be identified. The planes circling the field seemed to be paying them no attencould see the planes
tion, so
We
we thought
still
circling over
it,
they must be friendly.
were almost through the south passage, with Savo on the port
:
433
Dive-bombing Attack quarter,
about
when out
six
Haven. Lieutenant fire
and
of a small cloud just ahead of the force
thousand
we saw a plane diving Commander Lou Snider, spending his
at the
feet altitude
last
at
De-
day
in
control before turning over the job to Lieutenant Mitchell ordered
our guns to open
fire.
The enemy plane must have been from the DeHaven because we saw fire
DeHaven' s
out.
Then her
auto-
dove, at a steep angle, to within
flier
than one thousand feet of the
and straightened
faster beat.
on the diving bomber.
and true the enemy
Straight less
same time
a bubble of white froth at her
began to thrash a
stern, as her propellers
matic weapons opened
sighted at about the
There was the
bomb
can, then dropped his
little
flash of
an explosion between the
by a billowing cloud of black-and-brown
stacks, followed
smoke.
Other enemy planes were diving and
Then
there
all
our guns were yammering.
was a shout from one of our signalmen
"Plane diving on us, starboard quarter."
Out of the
of the corner of
my
eye
I
saw another explosion on the
DeHaven, and then my whole
attention
stern
was centered on the
plane diving at the Nicholas.
The Nicholas was
turning flank speed, the
wake
boiling high above
her fantail as she squatted like a running horse and tore
along
through the glassy water.
The enemy bomber came over
the edge of the cloud and started
down. His front view silhouette was as
distinct as in a drawing.
was the round cowling of the motor, the two wings
like pencil
There
marks
protruding on either side and, sticking out below, the two wheels with their
wind pants.
"An
Aichi,"
said to Ensign LaSalle,
I
who was
standing beside
me.
"Looks
like it,"
he agreed.
Captain Hill had swung the ship hard right when the the
bomber
over as she
first
report of
diving was received, and the destroyer was heeled far
made
the turn. Every
gun on the ship was
tracers of the 20-millimeters arching
up
nose of the enemy bomber. LaSalle grabbed up a the bridge wing
and
The Japanese
firing,
to a converging
the red
cone
Tommy
at the
gun from
started firing that.
pilot
was aiming
were standing. There was a
straight for the bridge
flicker of fire
from
his
where we
wings as he came
within range and opened up with his machine guns and then, out of
~ Guadalcanal and
434
and
had a
I
tiie
we saw
wheels,
bomb
his
start to fall.
feeling of detachment, whic^isrnot
me, as
told
Northward Drive
from behind
the belly of his plane, release
the
I
watched
come down.
it
I
uncommon,
was sure
others have
was going
it
to hit. I
was standing near the pilot-house door under what protection the apron of the fire-control platform gave, and the view
aft so
however,
that
saw
I
bomb
lost the
I
was going
it
just before
to miss, but
flag
box cut
By
hit.
it
off
my
that time,
by a very narrow margin.
The first bomber had not yet released his bomb when the report came that another was coming in on the port quarter. In not more than three or four minutes eight of them dove at our destroyer, which was twisting and turning
at flank
speed
six
thousand feet below them.
Big John Stone, the lieutenant in charge of the 1.1 battery just
number two "It
none of the eight bombs missed the ship by
stack, said
more than twenty or
thirty feet.
was almost miraculous
to get out of the
aft of
way," John
to see
our stern swinging
just far
enough
said.
Suddenly the guns stopped yammering and the usual sounds of the ship, that
had been obscured by the cacophony of war, were heard
again, the blowers sucking the air to the boilers, voices
Somewhere
From
a
man was
under the
just
we could
the bridge
arm and
1.1
on the bridge.
crying like a heartbroken child.
battery.
half the trunk
It
see one really
seemed
man
lying
on the small platform
was only a piece of
A
to be gone.
a
man. One
gunner's mate was
standing by one of the 20-millimeters nearby looking in puzzlement at his right
hand, from which blood was streaming to the deck.
men were helping a third into the Dr. W. J. Doyle was taking care lying
after dressing station,
of the
where young
wounded. Several men were
on the deck.
The
ship
was steaming
steadily
at
high speed, apparently
damaged. The engine room had reported water coming hole in the side, but they soon had
been
Two
lost for a
restored.
it
little
through a
plugged. Steering control had
few seconds on the bridge, but
The shock
in
of one of the near misses
it
had been quickly
had broken a connec-
tion.
Before going
damage, the
I
aft
to
check on the dead and wounded, and the
swept the immediate vicinity with
DeHaven and
the LCT's.
The
little
my
glasses to check
fellows were
all right,
on
circling
near where a great cloud of black smoke rose up from the sea to a
—
435
Dive-bombing Attack height of hundreds of feet.
could see no ship at the base of the
I
smoke.
"Gone," said Captain
who saw me
Hill,
her just forward of the bridge. zine, for there
doubt
was a
looking. "I saw a bomb hit must have penetrated to the maga-
explosion and she broke right in two.
terrific
anyone came
if
It
off the bridge.
The explosion
just
blew
it
I
to
pieces."
The
attack obviously being over, Captain Hill had turned back
toward the smoke that was the DeHaven's funeral pyre. As
we saw
to thin
it
began
the sea covered with debris, and a great circle of
that glinted like a
rainbow
oil
in the afternoon sunlight.
In evading the attack at high speed we had traveled several miles away from where the other destroyer had gone down, and the LCT's, their forward ramps in the water, already were nosing through the
wreckage pulling oil-covered survivors aboard when the Nicholas
ar-
rived and put over her whaleboat.
In half an hour
it
was certain
all
the living
had been found, and
some of the dead, floating in their life jackets, so Captain the LCT's to come alongside and transfer the wounded to There were surprisingly few.
Many
It
was
live or die
Hill ordered us.
on the DeHaven that
and ten survivors did not have a mark on them. Almost two hundred men had died. day.
of the one hundred
One of the most stoical of the survivors was Chief Machinist's Mate R. C. Andrews. He was a big man in his late forties, with a thick black moustache. As he clambered aboard the Nicholas he used only one hand. The other was badly torn. One finger was hanging only by a piece of skin.
He examined
his injured
Doctor Doyle was caring for the worst cases his
first
hand
—then
critically
reached in
pocket for his knife.
"Here, son, cut
this off,"
he said to a young seaman standing by
him.
"Aw,
I can't,
doc can save
"Nope,
Pop," said the youngster. "Let
she's too far gone," the Chief said;
were cutting
it
alone.
Maybe
the
it."
off a
chew
and
as casually as
of tobacco he severed the piece of skin
if
he
and
tossed the finger over the side.
One
of our
own men, Gunner's Mate
3/cl.
almost as casual about his shattered hand. Doyle,
who
He
Lewis Samuels, was reported to Doctor
cleaned and bandaged his hand, gave him a tetanus shot,
and told him
to
lie
down.
436 ^
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
"I can't
"You
Doc,
sit
got to get back to
I
down
there; never
my gun,"
Samuels answered.
mind your gun. YouVe
lost a lot of
blood." "I
had
to take care of another r/atient then,"
later.
"The next time
when
the doctor found
Doctor Doyle said
I looked around Samuels was gone." Samuels helped get the DeHaven wounded aboard and was busy, with his one good hand, tidying up around his 20-millimeter mount
him an hour
come
the Higgins boats that had
later
and ordered him into one of
to take the
wounded
to the
navy
hospital.
Just as
we were
getting the last of the
wounded aboard, the squadThe squadron leader
ron leader and the Radford came boiling up.
took aboard the uninjured survivors, and then the three destroyers
headed for Lunga Point task force,
at high
speed to put them ashore.
A
Japanese
reported as consisting of two heavy cruisers, two
and sixteen destroyers had been sighted coming down "the
lights,
slot."
first
There was no time
The squadron and able to stop them.
"Are you
"Two
all
to
We
mourn
the dead or comfort the living.
PT
boats were the only force avail-
dozen
half a
had
to be about
it.
commodore asked Captain
right?" the
Hill.
dead, one dying, sixteen injured, and one gun out," was the
answer. "Otherwise, O.K."
"Disembark survivors and wounded men and
join," the
commo-
dore signaled.
As we the
DeHaven
hurriedly put the
and turned away
DeHaven
Samuels, his
"Keep her
to follow the
men gave a cheer hand now in a sling. s
floating,
survivors into the Higgins boats
squadron leader back out past Savo, for the Nicholas.
you guys," he yelled
at his
Leading
was
it
shipmates lining the
rail.
We
saw him waving with
his
good hand
as long as
we were
in
sight.
At dinner uproar,
that night,
we put
all
a
subdued meal
in
contrast to the usual
had
the stories together and decided that six planes
dived on the DeHaven. Three of them
hit her.
Eight had dived at
us.
Although some observers reported seeing as high as seven enemy planes go into the water,
it
was
four or five had been shot down.
from a
carrier.
They had an
Haven's crew had been
lost,
finally
We
decided that not more than
thought the group probably was
escort of Zeros. Two-thirds of the
including Captain Toland,
who
De-
a few
437
Dive-bombing Attack days before, when
asked
me
to
I
was preparing
come aboard
to shift
from the O'Bannon, had
Only three of her eighteen
his ship.
officers
had survived.
man
Lieutenant Mitchell resolved the question of the
was Hector Constantino, Chief Radio
crying. It
Hector was a chunky
had come war.
to the
Two
spoke with an accent.
United States from Greece just before the
through the war he in the navy.
the
still
last
He
world
days after he arrived he was robbed of his savings by two
countrymen.
fellow
man who
little
had heard
I
Electrician.
left
He had
most deeply
Hector enlisted
army.
the
in
After
serving
the service for a few months, but then enlisted
been
patriotic
men
I
He was one
navy since that time.
in the
ever knew.
To him
of
the United States
meant everything he cherished. "It's
no pose with Hector," Mitch explained. "He
he hears of one of our ships being the message
lost.
He
whenever
did the other night
He
the Chicago.
just
happens
when to be
way."
built that It
came through about
cries
was an emotionally and physically exhausted crew that took the
Few of them had had any sleep we had been out on patrol all the previous night. They had seen their shipmates killed and wounded and a sister ship destroyed in exactly six minutes. The deck was still slippery with
Nicholas out west of Savo that night. for forty-eight hours, since
blood in places. There had been no time to clean up. going out to intercept the All other
American
and the escorts
Months
Tokyo Express. Three
ships in the area
—had been ordered
later, in
my
notebook,
set early
freighters, tenders, corvettes,
found if it
this:
comes
"The mighty Davids off!"
behind a bank of clouds, and the dark came
down. Heat lightning was playing along the horizon. Far as
we
they were
to leave. I
go out to tackle Goliath. What a story
The sun
—
Now
ships against twenty.
to the left,
cleared Savo, were visible the hilltops of the Russell Islands.
Thirty miles to the northwest loomed the bulk of Santa Isabel. Be-
tween the two lay "the
slot,"
empty, quiet, ominous. Back up
its
250-
way down, was the enemy force. commodore, led us out the north passage
mile length, somewhere on the
Captain Briscoe, the
and then southwest toward the Russells. squadron leader,
in
We
were
in
column, the
advance, then the Nicholas, and behind us the
Radford. If
there were 8-inch-gun
force, as
was the
first
and 6-inch-gun
report, the only
cruisers in the
enemy
chance for the three outgunned,
438
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
outnumbered American cans was
enemy and be within we were
to surprise the
torpedo-launching range, inside ten thousand yards, before discovered. Tt would be suicide to go; in Against the
fire
of the heavy
guns.
Before leaving the vicinity of Tulagi, Captain Briscoe and the
PT
squadron commander had agreed on search areas. The destroyers were to cover the approach from the south, and the PT's the approach from the north. Search planes were up "the
As
the early hours passed with
slot" to watch.
no further report on the enemy,
it
appeared possible they had turned back. They were almost past Savo at
midnight before we saw them. At almost the same time the
boats, sweeping the north channel, ran
"My God, it's the whole young PT skippers exclaim.
smack
PT
into them.
Japanese navy," we heard one of the
The Japanese ships opened fire as the PT's attacked, sinking two of them and so damaging a third that it had to be beached. But not before they had scored a hit on one destroyer, which caught fire and burned for some time before also joined the fight,
an hour with the
it
sank. Dive
bombers from Guadalcanal
and the clouds above Savo were lighted for
flash of
guns and bombs and the
flares
half
dropped by
the planes.
When
Captain Briscoe made contact with the enemy force,
now
identified as twenty destroyers,
he turned the squadron north and
headed for the Japanese
They were about twenty thousand
ships.
yards away at this time.
Planes had been around
all
the evening, but
none had attacked,
and we did not know whether they were enemy or squadron turned toward the Japanese
ships,
friendly.
As
the
however, the planes
turned toward the three destroyers and started dropping flares to
mark our
course.
The commodore turned away.
For two hours the Japanese force stayed inside Savo, losing two more ships either to our planes or to mines, which had been sown off Tassaforanga Beach in anticipation of
just
such a
visit,
and then they
pulled out at high speed.
When
commodore saw them coming out he again attempted to enemy planes probably warned their ships of our approach, and again we turned away. Circling, we followed them up "the slot" for several miles, but we the
close, but again the
never got close enough for a torpedo attack. Planes from Guadalcanal
still
were harrassing them as they
retired.
At
daylight other
—
439
.Dive-bombing Attack planes took up the chase. hit
on one and a near
At
the time
it
hit
They found
sixteen destroyers,
and scored
a
on another.
was thought the enemy force was bringing reinforce-
ments in to the dwindling Japanese garrison on Guadalcanal. Instead
The men were left to die. As we steamed past Savo the next morning en route to Tulagi we saw many abandoned Japanese small boats in the water and debris from damaged or sunken Japanese ships. they were evacuating the officers.
That afternoon the commodore, whose
now had dwindled
destroyers
recommended
slug
on
it
suicide missions
was
five
damaged,
of those
The commodore's
that the squadron be withdrawn.
logical evaluation of the situation
to use
and one
to three,
squadron of
original
that his ships
were too valuable
and the force wasn't big enough
to really
out with anything the Japanese would send down. Admiral
Halsey must have agreed with him, for orders came for the Nicholas to return for repairs
cruisers
said
and for the others
to join
up with a force of
maneuvering south of the Solomons. Late that afternoon we
goodbye
to Tulagi with
no
regrets.
THE ADVANCE FROM GUADALCANAL BEGAN FEBRUARY 21, in the Russells, sixty miles to the northwest. "Extensive preparations were
now
being
made
for the invasion of
New
Georgia,"
wrote Admiral King, "and although there were no noteworthy naval
engagements for some time,
aerial operations
were
intensified in the
South Pacific area. Japanese raids were frequent and heavy even
though carried out
at severe cost to the
enemy. During
this
period of
stepped up air operations, our advance base in the Russell Islands
by our planes." By April Guadalcanal, although
was
in constant use
still
constantly under air attack, was considered
rear guard base
where
tired destroyer officers
and
little
PT
more than a
skippers could
drink their beer in relative comfort at the Club de Slot, a thatched roof hut overlooking Savo Sound. Guadalcanal, too,
—wizened,
was the haven
of
Rear Admiral Marc A. "Pete" Mitscher, one of the most formidable flag officers of the later war who commanded all Navy, Army, Marine Corps and New Zealand harried Comairsols
aircraft
and
taciturn
pilots in the area.
Notwithstanding Mitscher's endeavors to build up his attacks
on Guadalcanal continued through
May
air defenses,
and June.
On
the
440
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
16th the island was subjected to one of the most devastating air
A
enemy aircraft estimated at one hundred and sixty fighters and bombe*s7was engaged by more than one hundred American fighters from the Army, Navy and Marine Corps. One hundred and seven enemy aircraft were destroyed at a strikes of the
campaign.
force of
cost of six fighter planes, one lighter and one cargo ship. of June
29 Rear Admiral A.
Stanton
Merrill
On
the night
bombarded
Vila-
Stanmore and the Buin Shortlands near the southeast end of Bougainville, preparatory to the invasion of
New
Georgia the following
day.
The landings air
base of
at
Rendova and
the struggle to capture the Japanese
Munda on New Georgia
novelist William Bradford Huie.
are reported by
war correspondent-
—
WILLIAM BRADFORD HUIE
II.
MEN AND MUD
It
was a wet dawn
in the
Solomons, July
Rendova. Through murky Heavy,
krrump
flat-bellied
—
as they
half-light,
1,
1943. D-Day, rain
tropical
tank lighters battered
down
fell
H-Hour
the waves
at
sheets.
in
krrump,
pushed from the transports toward East Beach. In
Marines and soldiers (Amphibian Task Force 31, composed of the 24th Naval Construction Battalion, the Ninth Defense Marines and the 172nd Infantry Combat Team) the boats tight-lipped Seabees,
crouched by the wet flanks of bulldozers and watched the palmfringed beach edge closer. After eleven
months of conquest and con-
solidation at Guadalcanal, our forces were at last reaching "slot" of the
Solomons for the big Jap
Georgia Island.
air
base at
From Rendova, Munda would be
up
the
Munda on New
within reach of our
heavy howitzers.
The high whine
of Jap .25-calibers cut across the water as the
bandy-legged rats in the palms began sniping at our coxswains. The
men
cursed, crouched lower, gripped gunbutts harder.
rain
weren't enough,
salt
churned through heavy dropped; there was a left
alive
water drenched the
surf.
The boats skidded
brief, fierce skirmish;
men
As though
the
the
boats
in soft sand;
ramps
as
and the Japs who were
faded back into the coconut groves. Automatic-weapons
troops pushed in two hundred yards to form a defense arc, while the
Seabees began furiously unloading trucks, tractors, heavy guns, am-
munition and supplies.
441
442
•*
.Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
The Jap ground battle
ble Jap bombers.
had been dispersed
forces
was joined; the
battle against nature
Men
Now
the real inevita-
and supplies are Vulnerable while they are
landing craft; they are even
on the open beach. So
are
easily.
and time and the
more vulnerable during
in every
in
the period they
beach operation the Seabees must
drive hard to get ashore; drive even harder to unload; then exert the last
drop of energy to get the supplies
off the
beach, dispersed and
hidden.
Leading the Seabees was 48-year-old Commander H. Roy Whittaker (Civil Engineer Corps,
USNR,
Philadelphia, Pa.), a pint-sized
He
construction veteran with the energy of a jackhammer.
described
the action.
"Where we landed
was unbelievably marshy," he
the soil
"The mud was deep and
getting deeper.
just
back of the beach, and we had
had
to be transported
shells
A
to cut
from our beach over
could be hurled across the narrow
said.
swampy coconut grove lay a road through there. Guns to
West Beach so
strip of
that
water onto the Jap
Munda. And still that rain poured. "All day long we sweated and swore and worked
positions at
heavy
ashore and hide
stuff
it
to bring the
from the Jap bombers. Our mesh,
designed to 'snowshoe' vehicles over soft mud, failed miserably. Even
our biggest tractors bogged down
in the
muck. The men ceased
to
look like men; they looked like slimy frogs working in some prehis-
As
toric ooze.
they sank to their knees they discarded their clothes.
They slung water out
of their eyes, cussed their mud-slickened hands,
and somehow kept the
stuff rolling ashore.
"A detachment under USNR, Monmouth, 111.) The ground was so The Japs were still
Irv
fought to clear the road to West Beach.
soft that only
our biggest cats could get through.
sniping, but in spite of this the
the coconut palms, cutting
gating the road.
Lee (Lieutenant Irwin W. Lee, CEC,
Our
them
into
men began
felling
twelve-foot lengths and corru-
traction-treaded vehicles could go over these
logs, but the spinning
wheels of a truck would send the logs
and the truck would bury
itself.
To
pull the trucks out
we
flying,
lashed a
bulldozer to a tree, then dragged the trucks clear with the 'dozer's
winch.
came we had unloaded six ships, but the scene on beach was dismal. More troops, Marines and Seabees had come
"When the in,
night
but the
mud was
about to
lick us.
Foxholes
filled
with water as
rapidly as they could be dug. There was almost no place near the
beach to
set
up
a shelter tent, so the
men
rolled their exhausted,
Men and Mud mud-covered bodies
would
kill
them with trench
"Next day,
bomb
and
in tents
during the night, the
infiltrate
boys holding our
We
firing
"The
first
it
grove
on
came
in with
with what guns had been set
in the
lie
open on the beach and
our hands and noses while the
tried to dig trenches with
Japs poured
would
knives.
bays open. All of us began
it.
the Japs
line in the
1330, without warning, the Jap planes
at
up, but most of the Seabees had to
take
mud. As
slept in the
Army
443
us.
bombs out two main
mud and One bomb landed
dumps, and we had
fuel
to lie
there in the
watch our supplies burn while the Japs strafed
us.
almost under our largest bulldozer, and that big
machine
up
just reared
man among
our dynamite went
That soggy earth
"When
and disintegrated. Then every
like a stallion
A
us thought that his time had come. off,
just
jelly
under
on that beach. In our
ammunition they flew
their
I'll
two of our best
outfit
nearest
it.
us.
leaving us to put out the fires and treat our wounded. the scene
men
exploding the eardrums of the
quivered like
had exhausted
the Japs
five-ton cache of
off,
never forget
officers (Lieu-
W. Stephenson, CEC, USNR, Klamath Falls, Ore.) and twenty-one men were dead. Many more were wounded, others were missing, and a number were out of their heads. Our galley equipment, most of our supplies, and all the men's tenant Lee and Lieutenant George
seabags and personal belongings were destroyed. " 'Okay, men,' let's
I
yelled, 'we got nothing left but
what we got on, so
get back to work.'
"All that night Doctor Duryea
Duryea, Medical Corps,
(Lieutenant-Commander Garrett
USNR, Glen
wounded. The biggest job was
Cove, N.Y.) worked with our
to get
them
clean. That's
one thing
down
with anti-
about being a Seabee. Aboard ship you bathe, wash septic,
and put on clean clothing before an
you can take a bath before you take he's usually
When we
die
on a beach
we
mud.
in the
die in the
off.
action. In the Air
But when
Mud
a
Force
Seabee gets
hit,
seems to be our element.
mud.
"Next day, while we worked
in relays, chaplains
from the Army
and Marines helped us bury our dead. Three more had died during the night.
Not one
of those boys
as a hero, but I felt
would have ever thought
proud to have been
They were construction men, most
Oklahoma the
mud
of
their
of himself
commanding
them from
officer.
the oil fields of
and Texas, and, with never a complaint, they had died in
trying their
damnedest
to get a job done.
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
444 "By
morning of the fourth day we had opened the road
the
Beach, but what a road
155's through two miles of
We
up.
We
was!
it
had
literally
West
to
snaked those big
mud, ancflhe Marines began
them
setting
were also developing a storage area some distance from the
beach and were trying desperately to reduce our hazards on the beach.
It
takes
out air cover.
men
with real guts to unload on an open beach with-
Our men had been under
constant strain for ninety
them were running high temperatures from constant exposure to mud and water; they could only jump between gasoline drums and powder barrels when the Japs came over; and the hours; at least
of
fifty
beach, as always, was a potential torch with ammunition, Diesel
and gasoline everywhere. The
work
they'd
mud
in the
in
areas, the
bucket-brigade fashion. For hours
that way, passing the
heavy packages back into the
camouflage area and sinking deeper into the handled a package.
And
still
oil
To move men had to
too deep for trucks.
back into the storage
the inflammable stuff
emplace themselves
mud was
mud
each time they
the rain poured.
"Late that afternoon we got our
first
big
thrill.
From
Beach the Marines opened up on Munda with the
over on West
155's.
Our men
stopped work and cheered almost insanely. The others stationed with
West Beach joined
bulldozers and winches along the road to
No
cheer.
begin
firing. It
back
received
some
had only enough
tents
was a tonic
to us.
The men
still
sufficiently
would
nothing else to do but wrap yourself
exhausted you can do
that,
in the
we continued
the fifth day
we
sick quarters.
a few shelter tents, but the tents
whatever you could find and sleep
"On
have
additional equipment, but that night
have one helluva time getting up
I
firing
to
those 155's were giving
and cots for our expanding
The men had tried to pitch sink in the mud. There was in
The
now
in the
guns to
to unloading furiously.
"We had still
be strafed by Japs; and
to the Japs with interest.
went back
in order for
American construction men down deep
hurts
mud and
to lie in it
group of men had ever endured more
mud. When you are but after you pass forty you in
the
morning.
to
unload troops, supplies and
equipment. Our storage areas became more congested, due to our distribution difficulties to our positions
on
and also due
New
to delays in transhipments over
Georgia Island, from which we were also
attacking
Munda. The Seabees
help the
Army and
sent
many
small working parties to
Marines, yet our beach condition grew worse
under the continuing heavy
rains.
At 1400
the Japs
bombed
us heav-
Men and Mud
damage was much lighter because of the furious The Army and Marines had many guns set up by this
but this time the
ily,
anti-aircraft
fire.
and the Seabees helped man the guns on twenty LSI's and two
time,
LST's us,
445
beach.
at the
We
were able to prevent the Japs from
and seven Jap planes crashed
in
strafing
our immediate area.
"Seabee casualties were only one
man
wounded
missing and one
in
this raid,
but our number of psychopathic cases had begun to mount.
We
to evacuate ten
had
men who had become
As men
hysterical.
grow physically exhausted, they become more and more susceptible to nervous collapse
"By most
under bombing.
the sixth day the 155's were pouring shells onto
incessantly,
and we
still
had
seemed more impossible than
position
Munda
al-
the supply road open, but our
None
ever.
of us could
remem-
mud and bombs. The rains seemed to get heavier. But somehow the men kept working. Word came that 5000 troops had been landed on New Georgia near Munda. Munda was doomed if ber anything except
we could
this as well as it
we
did, so at
1315 they came
Our own now, and our planes came
was a
fight
hold out and keep those 155's
just
different story.
air forces in
firing.
The Japs knew
at us again.
But
this
time
were ready to take up the
and tangled with the Japs
right
over our heads.
"We battle.
own
lay in those
Since
we
muddy
couldn't
planes, there
foxholes for an hour and watched the air
fire
the
was nothing
AA
else for us to
stand seats and count the falling Japs. into flames our exhausted,
guns without endangering our
do but
Each time
lie in
a Zero
our grand-
would burst
mud-covered men would leap up and cheer
wildly.
"Knowledge
that
we now had air cover improved our morale on we had managed to borrow three stoves from
the seventh day. Also
the
Army and
men. Three
Marines and were providing the
air battles
first
hot food for the
were fought over us during the day, but our
planes didn't allow the Japs to get close enough either to strafe us.
bomb
That night the Japs came over three times, forcing us
the water in the foxholes, but most of us
or
to hit
had given up hope of ever
being dry again.
"On
the eighth day
we continued
to
unload supplies, repair landing
boats and haul the ammunition through the
Marines kept up the shelling of
enemy
air attack in the
Munda
mud
to the 155's.
almost continuously.
afternoon lasted for
planes were opposing the Japs constantly, and
fifty
we
The
One
minutes, but our
suffered
little
dam-
446
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
-*
During the day we evacuated ^seven additional cases of war
age.
hysteria.
"On
That night we had
our damage was
that night
we had
"On
air
cover was
now
functioning perfectly
evacuated three more cases of war hysteria, and
bombed
to hit the water three times as the Japs
us
But our bombardment continued, and our roads were
rather heavily.
open
Our
slight.
We
except at night.
still
to hit the foxholes twice.
the ninth day the Japs attempted four large-scale raids, but
in spite of the continuing rain.
we had
the tenth day
additional cases of
war
enemy
five light
hysteria, but
make
possible the shelling of
water, at Segi Point,
New
as furiously playing
its
Commander
J.
its
long ordeal at Rendova,
Munda,
across forty miles of
Georgia, the 47th Seabee Battalion was just
Munda drama. The 47th, led by (CEC, USNR, Wagoner, Okla.), had been
role in the
Lyles
S.
and evacuated
morale continued high."
While the 24th Battalion was suffering helping to
raids,
assigned the task of ripping an airstrip out of the jungle so that our
bombers coming up from Guadalcanal depended on the speed with which first
wave
bomb Munda
to
could have
over the target. Success of the whole operation
fighter protection
this airstrip
could be
The
built.
1010 on June 30, Rendova.
just
as a sneak operation. It
was
of the 47th began landing at Segi at
twenty hours before the 24th began landing
The landing
at Segi
had been planned
hoped that the battalion could could get a head
start
facilitate this strategy,
Wilfred L. Painter
from native
Commander
on the
get ashore
at
unobserved by the Japs and
airstrip before the
a Seabee scouting party led
(CEC, USNR,
fishing boats
Seattle,
To by Commander
Japs attacked.
Wash.) had slipped ashore
on the night of June 22. The following day
Painter selected an abandoned coconut plantation
overgrown with jungle laying out the
as the site for the airstrip,
now
and the party began
field.
Lieutenant Garland
S.
Tinsley
(CEC, USNR, North Charleston,
S.C.) was acting as lookout for the scouting party, and on the second
day he saw Japs approaching the shore from two directions. One bargeload of Japs landed a mile west of the proposed bargeloads landed a mile and a half east of the
airfield
and two
field.
Tinsley reported Condition Black, and the party got set for a
However, by lying doggo Japs,
who took
had the
for forty-eight hours, the
to their barges
field laid out,
and disappeared.
fight.
group eluded the
On D-Day
the scouts
ready for work to begin, and they were standing
on the beach to direct the landing.
Men and Mud Thanks
advance survey, when the 47th's big
to this
HD-12
dozers and power
battled time
ment "unraveled"
strip.
From
that
A
boats as needed. Supplies were unloaded
off the
bivouac area was cleared.
guard posted. And, above
mo-
and the jungle around the clock. Equip-
and dispersed. Floodlights were ready before darkness on the night.
bull-
shovels rolled off the boats, they at once began
pushing down the coconut palms, clearing the
ment the 47th
447
all,
AA
first
guns were manned; exterior
work proceeded on
the airstrip with
all
possible speed.
Construction of the strip involved the clearing of an
250 by 3500
feet;
initial
grading and draining the area; covering a
area of
minimum
area of 100 by 2500 feet with twelve to eighteen inches of coral; and
then laying the steel pierced plank, or Marston mat, on a
2500
surface of 75 by
minimum
safe surface
This 75 by 2500 feet
feet.
from which our
mum
"fighter strip" in the shortest possible time;
up
regarded as the
can operate. Our
aim of producing a mini-
airstrips are thus built in sections, with the
ing and widening the strip gradually
is
fighter craft
minumum
and then lengthen-
to the
300 by 5000
feet
necessary for heavily loaded four-motored bombers.
At 0822 on July plane
down on
the pilot of a
1 1
the strip in an
himself and his ship.
Navy Corsair
fighter
brought his
emergency landing which saved both
He pronounced
the field ready for use, and the
exact time was recorded: 10 days, 22 hours, 12 minutes after the
first
landing boat had ground ashore! While the Seabees have restored
captured Jap
much
fields in
then stood as a world's
less time, this
record for converting jungle into a landing area.
Amazingly, the Japs«did not discover the
activity at Segi until the
seventh day. This was due both to their preoccupation with our forces
Rendova and to a clever arrangement for handling the lights at Whenever Jap planes would take off from the Munda field at night, our forces at Rendova would flash the warning to Segi. The at
Segi.
47th would then douse activities in the
its
lights
and continue limited construction
dark until Rendova reported that the Japs had re-
turned to Munda. Here's what the speed record at Segi meant to the tion:
It
was
fighter planes
aerial pressure
the
bomb Munda,
bombers over the
Munda
opera-
relieve the
Jap
at Rendova. The when our bombers came up from Guadal-
on the men-in-the-mud
stood at Ready Alert, and canal to
from Segi which helped
Segi fighters
the Segi fighters roared into the air to escort
target. Conversely,
it
was the Seabees, Marines
:
448
-*
and
.
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
soldiers
on Rendova who, with
their shelling, so
had
attention of the Japs that the 47th
monopolized the
their field virtually
completed
before the Japs got on to the fact that^jtWas there.
"When
the Japs did discover us,"
got a severe pounding.
They
hit a
Commander
Lyles reported,
"we
dynamite dump, one of our fuel
dumps, and peppered our bulldozers and trucks with shrapnel. But they arrived too late with too
little.
"In at least one way the Japs helped us set our record. On our fifth day we got the news that twenty-three Seabees had been killed over at
Rendova. Our men redoubled
working eighteen-hour stretches
During the eleven days fourteen inches of rain
Three weeks
fell at
after the
of
them
insisted
on
in order to rush the air cover."
which the 47th was
setting
its
record,
Segi Point!
opening of the
airstrip at Segi, the last
Jap
Munda. On August 9, 1943, advanced platoons of 73rd Seabee Battalion began work on the blasted Jap air base.
had been the
in
Many
their efforts.
killed at
The Japs had been unable to operate the field for eight weeks, but Commander Kendrick P. Doane (CEC, USNR, Forest Hills, N. Y.), leader of the 73rd, was ordered to have the field in operation by
August
On
18.
additional units of the 73rd arrived, and Com1 mander Doane ordered round-the-clock operations. The weather gods smiled at last, and a full moon came out to make artificial lighting unnecessary. In just two more days the men had repaired the north and south runways, and American planes began landing at Munda on the afternoon of August 13. During that night the battalion completed additional hardstands off the runways, and on the 14th the field
August
1
received forty-eight additional planes.
On
August
1
5 the 24th Battalion, which
had fought the
mud
battle
Munda; and the two battalions set to work to The Japs had dug an elaborate tunnel system in the coral, and many of them had died in the tunnels from our flame-throwers. The Seabees cleaned out the Japs and converted at
Rendova, arrived
make Munda
at
a major base.
the tunnels into de luxe living quarters.
In
November, 1943, Admiral
Bill
Halsey declared that
the finest air base in the South Pacific.
Doane
A
citation for
Munda was Commander
read, in part
"Prior to his
commencing work
at
Munda
the airfield and taxiways were unusable due shelling of the area
by our forces prior to
there were to the its
no roads, and
bombardment and
capture. In spite of
Men and Mud
449
shortage of personnel and equipment, and faced with a task of great
Commander Doane was
magnitude,
make
serviceable the
Munda
by virtue of
able, nevertheless,
and working 'round the clock' to
his planning, leadership, industry,
airfield
on August
14, 1943, a
good four
days ahead of the original schedule. Though subjected to shelling and
bombing, both
Doane and field at a
On
camp
area and on the
men have expanded
phenomenal
the size and facilities of the air-
rate."
Commander Doane commented: "It's perform construction miracles with men like the Seabees. Courage
is
innate with
they want
is
a chance to
are the world's finest construction men.
them. They volunteered to do a job, and finish that
To
support
damnedest stories,
their
claim
all
When we
job as soon as possible.
put them into one organization,
On
Commander
airfield,
receipt of his citation
easy to
They
his
in the
we loaded being
to
took
men
like this
the
toughest,
don't-give-a-
Seabees have accumulated
outfit in the service, the
and
the dice against the Japs."
many
both factual and apocryphal.
a certain Pacific island,
remaining Japs.
One day
it is
Japs, but the natives hesitated to
had brought
to the island.
said, natives
were mopping up the
a group of natives wiped out a party of kill
a strange animal which the Japs
The animal was
a goat,
and
after observing
the goat curiously, the natives returned to their chief for instructions as to
whether or not they should
"What manner "Oh,
he's
fierce eyes,
of beast
is
kill
the strange beast.
it?" the chief asked.
very strange, majesty," the natives replied.
"He has
long horns, a shaggy beard, will eat anything, and stinks
like hell."
"Spare him," the chief ruled
"Don't
at once.
kill
him. He's what
the Americans call a Seabee."
While
this story
may be
apocryphal,
it is
a fact that several Seabee
battalions have billy goats as mascots.
DURING THE AMERICAN ADVANCE UP THE SLOT, THE Tokyo Express made
nightly runs through Blackett Strait
Gulf to supply and reinforce the Japanese troops
morning of July 5 Ainsworth, embarked and destroyers, intercepted the enemy
in
at Vila.
and Kula
Early on the
in a task force of cruisers
Kula Gulf. In the subsequent
action Japan lost two destroyers sunk; the
Navy
lost light cruiser
450
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
was a battle of American gunfire versus Japanese torpedoes, two of which struck Helena almost simultaneously. One who survived the night was Lieutenant C. G. Morrisvtne warship's radio officer, who Helena.
tells
It
of the vessel's last engagement. His collaborator
Cave, Saturday Evening Post war correspondent.
is
Hugh
B.
LIEUTENANT
MORRIS
C. G.
AND HUGH
B.
CAVE
12.
KULA GULF
As
radio officer,
went over the
I
ship,
rounding up the department
heads and reading them the dispatch. They were relaxed, some of
them
sleeping,
all
of
Now
them
tired
from our job
New
Georgia.
ness.
There were quick conferences. The sleepy,
the ship
Kolombangara and
at
came awake with almost comical quicksatisfied
Helena be-
came magically a beehive of fighting men. She was tense again, on tiptoe.
giant
felt it on foc'sle and quarterdeck, throughout the ship. A was doubling up, knuckles whitening for combat. Turbines
You
fist
and men vibrated together. I
wondered, as we passed Guadalcanal with the sun setting redly
into her 9000-foot peaks,
how many more
see that familiar shoreline again.
months
it
had been a background
Helena had played a major security, the
times,
if
had hated the
ever,
we should
island once.
for violent actions in
For
which the
No man had ever expressed a yearnNow the hated island was a symbol of
role.
ing to see Guadalcanal again.
we
We
most familiar and therefore the most profound symbol
possessed.
We
watched
in silence as the
Helena steamed west-
ward, past Savo, past the Russell Islands.
The weather had roughened; wanted
that.
mation now ing
up The
was time
the sky
was overcast and dark.
Darkness was a thing we prayed in
hand and the
entire ship
Slot to intercept the
for.
And
with
all
We
infor-
informed that we were mov-
Tokyo Express
in
Kula Gulf, there
for praying.
451
452
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive was seven p.m. Relieved
It
and
hit the
and
third
of further duties,
my
sack for three hours, and read
Psalms over
Ninety-first
by
afraid for the terror
and ten thousand
night.
...
A
to
my room Twenty-
Bible. I read the
d'nd over.
.
it
"Thou
.
.
thousand
thy right hand, but
at
went
I
shalt not be
shall fall at thy side,
not
shall
come nigh
"
thee
Those are comforting words. When thumbing worn pages of the
little
Toughened old seadogs, veterans
went on deck,
I
Bibles that
of
many
many
of
I
saw men
them
carry.
and many a crap
a battle
game, were unashamedly praying. Some listened with solemn concentration while others read aloud. Afraid?
too glib definition and search
its
often give
By
it
a fuller meaning.
ten p.m. the order
incredible
you
The Helena was not to
dog
strip the
and
word
of
nobility that so
afraid.
all
doors and stand by
blackout now, the ship rushed through the
equipment was manned,
all
amount
instructions. I fed
if
broad boiling wake of a ship ahead. In Radio
night, following the
battle station,
Not
for the courage
had been given
at battle stations. In a total
my An
it
of stuff poured in
to Captain Cecil
it
—
all
I,
frequencies covered.
information, battle plans,
on the
we
fighting bridge as
neared our destination.
That night could not
last forever,
even with each of
its
hours drawn
endlessly through the teeth of tension and the Helena racing at full
power through the dark. The Japs were due
New
of
in.
We
had passed the
came the telephoned report that we were entering Kula Gulf. The ship held its breath. Kula Gulf was Jap; it was treacherous area, night-shrouded now, in pen.
The men were
quiet. Silence
ship, thickening, solidifying, until
The next hour was no
tip
Georgia some time ago, and now from the navigating bridge
contact.
the longest.
moved on
its
effect
We
a tricky,
which anything might hapcat's feet
over the entire
was uncanny.
were inside Kula Gulf and
still
—
For hours there had been no talk on the TBS talkNow, over Radio Fs communication circuit, came the Russell Gash, of the Helena. He was calm and almost
between-ships. voice of Lt.
matter-of-fact as, on
TBS, he
called the flagship. His
message was for
—Rear
Adm. Walden L. Ainsworth, USN of Wonalancet, New Hampshire, who was awarded the Distinguished
Admiral Ainsworth Service
Medal
Kula Gulf defeat of the Japs.
for his
"Enemy sighted" The palms of my hands .
.
.
itched and
I
stood up.
No
one spoke.
Men
453
Kula Gulf
who had
held their breath
let it
out in unison, and the sound was a
vast sigh of relief.
Quiet orders were issued over
and the
ready,
a.m., the order
TBS
were prompt.
replies
was given
the formation changed
as
The admiral asked each
course and closed range.
to
open
fire.
A
ship
few minutes
The Helena
if
she was
1:55
at
later,
go her Sunday
let
punch.
She had plenty. She had always had plenty. This 10,000-ton ingest ship in the
Navy" was armed with
fifteen 6-inch guns,
"fight-
and they
spoke with a thunder that shook the night apart. The Helena shuddered, rearing on her haunches to spit out like that before.
steel.
She had never
fired
She seemed to know that the show tonight was of
A
special importance.
know such
ship can
a thing.
In the radio shack there was a steeling of minds against the thought that
some Jap
which we were
how
to you,
might come screaming through the
shell
hemmed
in.
by
But you know what such thoughts can do
quickly they can shake a man, crack him, and you have
shut them out so often that
not mental
steel plates
— and
men
the
it
now becomes automatic
—muscular,
are outwardly quite calm. There
is
a con-
tinuous deafening thunder from the guns, while the ship leaps
like a
shingle in heavy seas.
Just thirty seconds after the
first
defiant bellow, a report reached us
from the bridge, "One down!" The speaker might have been watching
workmen Later,
trees in a forest.
fell
we
learned
how
they were enveloped in a
"Two down!
.
.
.
There goes another!"
those Japanese ships had gone down. literal
hurricane of continuous
fire
How
and were
torn apart in a matter of seconds. Other ships in the American task force loosed their thunder in salvos, but the Helena's fire
was contin-
uous and for nine minutes not a heartbeat of silence interrupted the bellowing of her guns.
An enemy shells,
She sank
flames.
the destructive
she
fled,
Then trated
destroyer, smothered under that avalanche of 6-inch
came apart
though made of paper and burst into raging
as
matter of minutes.
in a
fire
A
Jap destroyer sped from
of the Helena's secondary batteries,
and blew up.
.
.
was ranged
as
.
the Helena's batteries, both
on two more of the Emperor's
main and secondary, concenships, mauling them severely
while Jap destroyers darted through the inferno to launch torpedoes.
In nine minutes the Helena's veteran gun crews fired
more than
1
000
454 ~
.
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
rounds, an all-time record, and the devastation to the Japanese
fleet
was unbelievable. Suddenly, in the radio room, roar.
At 2:09
the Helena
deck of the shack believe
I
vyas flung into the air
I
had caught
looked about
we had been
hit.
a Jap torpedo. In a
my
sprawled on the deck. The ship was trembling
radiophone;
—
young
tremble, almost dainty, like that of a
heap on the
bewilderment, unable to
in total
reached for
I
by a louder
it
was
a curious, fluttering
frightened in the
girl
dark. I
picked myself up slowly, and so did the others, piled atop of one
another in a fantastic heap. The Helena silence
was a smothering thing
that
I
my
post, stiff-legged
The
and strange,
The
In that
difficult.
the soft and stealthy settling
it
TBS had
silent.
the terrible trembling of the ship, and tion of being afraid.
back on, and now returned
as a
man
Not
nothing for
now
becoming calm
that,
us.
No
one had
There was only
for the first time a sensa-
of the Japs, but of the
were getting over
to
learning to walk again
others went back to their posts too.
spoken. The radio was
We
—
firing.
by the torpedo's impact.
had located the earphone and put
after a shock.
guns had ceased
made breathing
whole room there was but one sound of dust disturbed
s
—
unknown.
—
waiting,
I
think, for
someone to speak and break the spell when the second torpedo hit. The explosion slammed us to the deck again in the same grotesque heap. But no one cried out. The lights died and for a moment we struggled in darkness to extricate ourselves. Then the battle lights came on, a dim, weird glow through which the shaken dust swam redly in space.
The Helena was done explosion had cleared
had
for. I
my mind
knew and
it.
I
We
all
to be official before orders could be issued,
be sure. She was
listing badly,
the quarter-deck, midships. attention, awaiting the
knew
it.
saw things very
The second
clearly.
and so
I
But
went out
it
to
her back broken. There was water over
Men
stood at their stations, restlessly at
command
to
abandon
ship.
The
ship herself,
trembling in torment, struggled to warn us time was short.
Returning to the radio room, strapping on
money
belts
I
found the men there on
and fastening
life
jackets.
their feet,
They were
bruised, shaken, their eyes glazed, but none needed assistance.
We
went about destroying important papers and publications. When I ordered the bulkheads undogged, officers and men filed out as they
had
a thousand times before
just eleven
minutes after the
when going first
torpedo
off hit.
watch.
It
was then 2:20,
455
Kula Gulf
The abandon-ship order had been given when but there was no panic, almost no noise.
I
stepped on deck,
And now,
strangely, there
seemed
less
need for haste. That warning tremble in the ship had
ceased.
Men
picked their way carefully through the piles of ammuni-
tion cans strewn over the deck. Others
hundreds of heads
in the sea
were lined on the
Some had gone
ing the battle in the distance.
—
as
men.
was harder
It
I
saw
small white blurs bobbing about in
the black night, seemingly suspended in space.
them
watch-
rail,
overside and
was hard
It
to realize that the
to think of
Helena was no longer
Beyond us the battle of Kula Gulf raged to its climax, and horizon was garlanded with looping streamers of fire. Like
in action.
the
Brooklyn Bridge,
The
I
thought.
was sinking midships, her bow and
ship
ging, but there
was no hurry.
display of fireworks
I
stood at the
rail,
over there across the
thunder of the guns made
me
feel better
stern high, belly sag-
gazing at the eerie
gulf,
and the echoing
We
about the Helena.
were
giving the Japs a beating.
There's time enough,
you want. The ship
I
room
thought, to go to your
had
herself
said so. She
was
for the papers
not trembling.
"Go
way was cluttered. I had to go slowly, with hand half lifted in front of me. On the starboard side of the foc'sle I came upon a man sitting cross-legged on the deck, and I said, "Well, it's all over." He didn't know it was all over. He was dead. ahead," she said. But the a
My I
room was
at the
bottom of the ladder, forward of No. 2
reached for the ladder and caught myself
just
backward and stood shaking, cold and scared and
lurched
Another step
should have fallen into the sea, headlong. Because nothing was
I
there now.
The Helena's bow had been blown
had been. The torpedo had gone through feel, I
thought,
when you come home one
of ashes where the house foolish feeling of security. off
in time,
again.
turret.
my
off just
night
had stood. And the Get
off the ship, I
where
room. This
and
is
my room how you
find only a
fear took
away
heap that
thought frantically. Get
now.
She was
really going
down
fast.
were trying to cut away the big to help.
We
On
some of the men ran to them and tried
the foc'sle,
life rafts,
and
I
got the rafts into the water while the sea swirled in an
ugly, oily whirlpool over the quarter-deck. It
up
was time
my
life
to go. Before leaving the radio
room
I
had snatched
jacket and officer's cap, and now, automatically,
the cap hard on
my
The water was but
five feet
I
jerked
was not a tremendous jump. or so below the deck. And it was warm,
head and leaped.
It
—
456
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
almost pleasant. But
mouth with
filled
oil.
my
A man
water,
jumped on top
heels bit deep
below the edge of
For a moment
I
Around
me deep
weight carried
warm
with the
into
and when
it,
was not clean and
it
my
but foul
with heavy shoes, and his
crf'irie
my
salt,
cap.
The pain was unbearable.
blacked out.
the bow, where
ship was greatest.
had jumped, the suction of the sinking gripped and clung, exerting a steady downward
It
I
With every gasping breath you drew the sickening oil into your stomach, and up it came with a rush. As we struck out to one of the
pull.
life rafts,
we
some
Not many, but
On all,
of the
men were
We
terribly sick.
helped as
many
as
could. Others, exhausted by the agony of vomiting, went under.
the raft
a few.
we had more
to the ship,
and cut
it,
but
The
trouble.
toward the Helena's sinking still
We
hull.
suction pulled us, raft and
found a
the suction held us.
the deck, the raft had turned in mid-air and the paddles lashed beneath
holding us fast
When thrown from
was now upside down,
In that sea of
it.
line
oil
no man could
stay
under long enough to release them.
And
so,
as senior officer,
organized a hand-paddling detail
I
"Push, paddle, kick! Push, paddle, kick!"
—which took
us
away from
the danger.
We
saw the Helena
What does one slick. Just
in the
was
go. It
was a
sad, an unbelievably sad
moment.
say? Not what you might expect. Nothing smart or
the so-called corny phrases
movies or read
in fiction:
you have heard time and again
"She was a grand ship." "She sure
swell."
She went down gracefully and quickly,
like
the queen that she
in that
crowded, night-black
was.
There were hundreds of us somewhere
sea, clinging to rafts or bits of debris, floating in life belts or
ming aimlessly and looked
raft
alone, deserted,
And ship.
in the dark. at the place
and
little
group clung to the overturned
where the Helena had vanished, and
was the end of
all
felt
the world.
then the sea began bubbling, boiling, above the grave of our
We
watched
lurched a strange, ing,
it
Our
swim-
it,
wide-eyed and alarmed.
awesome shape, a metal
the sea pouring from
its
sides as
it
rolled out to bring us
its
it
wet and gleam-
loomed above the sea
and the waves from
message.
from the depths
emerged.
Fifteen feet high, this gleaming thing
dark, while the sea rocked
Up
island, all
its
in the
resurrection
a
457
Kula Gulf
was the Helena's bow, her white "50" proudly standing out
It
against the wet gray steel.
Down
there
on the
Kula Gulf,
floor of
under forty or more fathoms, our ship had broken in two. The strakes or keel holding her together midships had
proudly encased in
ship's spirit
numerals
identifying
—had
steel
let go.
much
This
and bravely holding
We
returned to comfort us.
of her aloft
— her
were not
alone.
Those of us who
clung to the raft gazed at her in silence. Here
still
was something no man could not a question of religion. to
be sure of
that.
By
I
whatever his
fail to feel,
faith. It
men
have talked to some of those
recalling lessons in ship design
mentation, one can explain readily
why
came
she
up.
was
since,
and compart-
But there
in the
darkness of Kula Gulf, surrounded by death and loneliness and fear,
such material explanations were inadequate It
.
.
.
was with a sense of gratitude and humiliation that we pushed
and paddled our rafts, too,
toward the risen remains of the
raft
sought security in the Helena's presence.
ended, the Helena would be missed.
come seeking
Other
the battle
destroyers would surely
her.
Ringed about
some
Our
ship.
When
we made ourselves as comfortable as possible, some on the rafts. Lt. Comdr. James Baird, the
her,
in the water,
was little to do but wait. was 2:30 a.m. the sea calm, the water warm, the oil thick and
senior officer present, took charge, but there It
and
slippery
Without
The
it,
strangling.
But we did not curse the
battle continued.
American and Jap
the darkness,
and Jap
tently as the
hours passed.
four hours of the raft,
I
had
too bitterly.
on Kolombangara thundered intermit-
batteries I
ships hurled shells across
was not conscious of
fear.
For about
clung to a short piece of rope which hung over the side
and was not aware of exhaustion or even of any great
expenditure of fingers
oil
there might have been sharks.
effort.
But when
stiffened so rigidly
at last I tried to let
about
it
that they
go the rope,
had
my
to be pried
loose.
The
battle ended.
Admiral Ainsworth's force had wiped out
two of the Japs, and those two had dark part of the strange peace.
We
gulf.
The
Our
all
but
away into some There was silence and a
stealthily slipped
ships retired.
flagship asked for a roll call.
roll call. One by one, the ships' names were read over TBS and checked off. But there was silence when the Helena's radio name in that engagement was spoken. Again
learned later the story of that
a
458
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
and again the
went
call
out.
Then
TBS
In a heavy voice, the
at last the truth
had
to be faced.
"I'm sorry to report,
officer said,
sir,
doesn't answer.'
Twelve times
doesn't answer.
math roll.
of major engagements the Helena
This time
On
—
in the
triumphant
after-
had promptly answered the
silence.
orders from the admiral, a pair of destroyers slipped back into
the gulf, feeling their
way through
the dark.
On
the alert for the two
Jap ships thought to have escaped destruction, they circled the area
on a sweep. Before
one of them sighted the bow of the Helena.
long,
What happened then was not the fault of no one's fault. The object which had been Helena; it
had
it
was too
small. Since nothing else
the destroyer men.
It
was
sighted could not be the
American was
in the gulf,
to be Jap.
One
destroyer opened
crowded on the lashed
fire.
been unaware of any movement guns opened up on
us.
screamed into the sea
Some enough
all
Huddled about the Helena's bow,
or hanging wearily in the water,
rafts
in the
Then
the night
about
us.
was ripped by flame.
No
of us groaned. Others swore. to identify the ship,
We knew
what that meant,
Navy had done
to the
if
we had
darkness until the destroyer's Shells
man's eyes were sharp
and most of us thought she was Jap. she steamed up to us. After what our
Emperor's
fleet,
there
would be no prisoners
taken tonight. Machine guns on that swift black shadow would be trained
A
on
little
us.
while ago, despite weariness and the fatalistic feeling that
we were not going to be rescued, the men had been amazingly cheerful. They had swapped names, told where they came perhaps, after
all,
from, helped one another to fight off the increasing weariness. There
had been the sharp, witty exchange of gags and double-talk.
Now
the night
was a thundering
tortured with explosions.
about which we were clustered. Our apart.
hell
and the sea
crashed into the
Shells
little
all
about us was
steel
monument
world was being hammered
There was no panic, even then. One or two men
let
go and
struck out into the darkness, the rest stared steadily at the black hulk of the destroyer.
Was
she a Jap?
Or was
she one of ours, confused by
the floating remains of the Helena?
What took
place then was a kind of town meeting of the sea
destruction that
felt
—
and without undue haste, despite the for us from the ship's batteries. There was calm
polling of opinions, orderly
—
459
Kula Gulf
we
discussion of the several possibilities. If
American, would she believe us?
Commander Baird called for one "ayes" won it. One man
—
lously,
was
it
Jap,
If
only
—had W.
reached the fingers of Lt. Comdr. V. cer.
On
And
signal or not?
The
a flashlight and, miracuit
went
until
Communications
Post,
it
Offi-
Post was raised to the shoulders
light blinked
message, Five Zero.
its
we waited. There are no new ways of saying how long a minute can be. It was long time, a very long time, because we didn't know. If our luck had
Help!"
a
Commander
a lurching raft
two sturdy men, and the
of
we
a vote. Should
strafe us?
working order. From hand to hand
in
and she was
signaled,
would she
then
run out, the answer to our signal would be not the small red flashes for which
we prayed, but almost
destroyer's guns
Jap
—men
certain death in the roar of the
against a wall of sea, facing a firing squad of
4.7's.
We dark.
waited, and the answer was a series of quick red blinks in the
And
then
we
cheered. But there was
ness of the gulf, the two escaped Jap ships
still
danger. In the dark-
had
laid in hiding, await-
ing an opportune time to slip out and run for safety. These two ships, giving
up the
fight,
had undoubtedly crept close
to shore
and sought
knew of their existence, but not where they were. Kula Gulf is big. The night was dark. No doubt there were some Jap chuckles when American shells menaced the lives of the Helena's survivors. No doubt. Jap heads came together, scheming. Now, as our two destroyers steamed up and security in silence.
Our
task force
stopped dead in the water to take us aboard, the sea about the Helena's
bow was
suddenly alive with torpedoes. Those Jap ships
and probably some lurking enemy submarines also
—were
seeking
revenge. It
was a
ticklish business.
stationary targets.
Our
The Japs had only
to point their tubes at
destroyers could not linger long in such a
perilous area; they could but rush in, snatch a few of us
and speed out again, with
all
feathers of phosphorus in the
hands
wake
of
enemy
fish.
they raced in and out again, while the Helena's
from the sea telltale
white
Time and
again,
alert for those
men scrambled up
ladders or clung to trailing lines and were pulled aboard.
Then
the Japs, recklessly bold,
my
showed themselves
in a
dash for
was dangling on a line midway between the sea and the deck of the destroyer, which had slowed in passing to take me aboard. Suddenly, the gunners on the freedom.
It
happened
as
turn came, and
I
.
460
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
American's deck found an enemy cruiser tering challenge at her.
The swung
little
in
range and hurled a
blis-
7
destroyer reared in
the'" water like
a kicking mule,
and
I
there against her throbbing plates, helpless, battered, hanging
on with God knows what. But forward
that, too, passed.
speed to pursue the fleeing Japs,
As
the ship leaped
was hauled aboard and assisted to the wardroom, where others from the Helena had found haven before me. There we sat, aware now of what we had at top
I
gone through. Aware, too, of the awful noise of the destroyer's guns, as she
and her
sister ship
engaged not one but both of the enemy.
was almost more than we could endure. But it ended, as everything else had. There was a skirmish in the dark
—our two American
It
brief, violent
cans slugging
out in a
it
running battle with the Jap cruiser and destroyer. The torpedoes that streaked through Kula Gulf were American now, and our destroyers'
gun crews were superb they
in their
marksmanship. The Japs were sunk as
fled.
When
these
two Japs
settled to the floor of
was over. There were no more of the enemy
.
.
Kula Gulf, the
battle
.
A SECOND BATTLE FOR KULA GULF FOLLOWED SWIFTLY as the
enemy attempted another reinforcement run to Munda. On Tokyo Express met Ainsworth's cruisers and destroyers.
July 12 the
Because of a torpedoes,
TBS
failure at a critical juncture,
cruisers
St.
Louis and Honolulu
and accurate Japanese
and
New
Zealand's
Leander sustained severe damage, while destroyer Gwin was
set afire
Navy
lost the
and had
to be
cruiser Jintsu ing.
On
abandoned. Against
this the
Imperial
and four destroyers. But the Tokyo Express kept com-
the night of
August 2 the Japanese supply
tioned in the area,
Kennedy's 109
..
.
train
made
a high
American torpedo boats were staand one of them was Lieutenant (jg) John F. later immortalized by Robert J. Donovan.
speed run through Blackett
Strait.
ROBERT
T
J.
DONOVAN
3-
?T 109
When
the "Express" reached Vila around 12:30 a.m. the Hagikaze,
Arashi and Shigure lay to in lower Blackett Strait a thousand yards
from shore
to unload.
The Amagiri, which
enly Mist," dropped off behind
through the narrow neck of the
Arundel
them strait
to
in
Japanese means "Heav-
guard against any attack
between Kolombangara and
Island.
From Kolombangara dozens
of barges
and landing
craft
swarmed
out around the three drifting destroyers like junks around freighters
Hong Kong
in
harbor. Sailors heaved cases of food and ammunition
overboard onto their decks. Soldiers swung down landing
nets.
The whole operation took place under the most intense pressure for haste. With their engines dead the destroyers would be easy targets for enemy ships, planes or submarines. Also, the sailors, looking ahead, wanted to get away as quickly as possible so as to be out of range of American fighter planes when daylight came. "Hurry, hurry!" they kept exhorting the debarking troops. The stumbling about on dark
stairs
and decks, resented the
abrupt treatment they were getting.
Why
should they be in a vast
soldiers,
hurry? They weren't going back to Rabaul. In spite of the grumbling and confusion the unloading was carried off
with dispatch in darkness broken only here and there by down-
ward-pointed masked flashlights
in the
hands of petty
officers.
On 461
462
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
each of the three destroyers four parties of twenty-five
went
sailors
to
work on
the stores of cargo. These crews were stationed fore and aft
on each
side of the ships. Barges 'lined
would
sailors
Then
toss
at these stations.
The
along boxes and crates until a barge was
full.
the loaded barge
would
up
and another would move up
pull out
in its place.
On
each ship's lamp masked in a
hour
hooded
the bridges of the destroyers were
after their arrival the
"Let's go
signal lamps, with
different, identifying color.
dim red lamp on
home." Nine hundred
Less than an
the Hagikaze signaled:
and more than seventy tons
soldiers
way
of supplies were already ashore or on their
to the
shore in
barges.
The destroyers' engines were started. After allowing five minutes warming them up, Captain Kaju Sugiure in the flagship Hagikaze
for
gave the signal to get under way. Although there was every reason to
suppose that
PT
boats would
still
Japanese nevertheless preferred of
Kolombangara
be lurking up
this
to the risk of going out
meeting destroyers or cruisers. They did not
was waiting north of Kolombangara with ence suggested as much. harassed by
PT
in Blackett Strait, the
route around the southern shore
To whatever
through Kula Gulf and
know
that Captain
six destroyers,
Burke
but experi-
extent Japanese sailors were
boats, they preferred to deal with
them than with
the
heavy guns of cruisers and destroyers.
The
forty-five
minutes or so that the other destroyers had spent
Vila were anxious ones for
Commander Hanami on
the
at
covered
bridge of the Amagiri. Cruising back and forth across lower Blackett Strait,
a
PBY
he was constantly worried that a
PT
boat, a destroyer or even
would discover him.
While the islands around him were held by
his
narrow waters were treacherous for Japanese turned
Commander Hanami knew
might be waiting. Navigating the reefs. There were
in the
that
own
ships.
troops, these
Anywhere he
an American man-of-war
dark was dangerous because of
no adequate charts for
this
area of the Solo-
mons. Furthermore, the Amagiri carried no radar. To a degree disadvantage was
offset
this
by a group of trained lookouts who searched
the darkness through ten affixed, wide-angle night binoculars. It
was with great
relief that
Commander Hanami
finally received a
from Captain Sugiure that the Hagikaze, Arashi and Shigure were starting back up the Kolombangara coast. He immediately or-
signal
PT dered the coxswain to head northwestward
109
463
at increasing
speed to
rejoin them.
Approximately
Kennedy
path several miles distant was
in his
PT
109, with
away from Kolombangara in a westerly direction PT 162 and PT 169. Kennedy had no orders patrol off Vanga Vanga and to look for whatever he
steering
toward Gizo, following other than to
could
find.
His mission boiled
down
to a matter of guessing
where
in
the impenetrable blackness he might find a target.
Encountering no sign of enemy ships in the middle of Blackett Strait, Kennedy made a fateful decision. He overtook Potter and Lowrey and suggested that the three boats reverse their direction. He believed they would have a better chance of rejoining the missing
boats
if
they returned to the vicinity in which they had
all
been
The other two skippers agreed. The three boats turned about and with Kennedy now in the lead headed toward scattered in the
first
place.
the southeast, the direction
from which the Heavenly Mist was blow-
ing at a speed of thirty knots.
Commander Hanami
from the starboard
strained forward
side of
the Amagiri's bridge, impatient for the broader passage of Vella Gulf.
Captain Yamashiro paced the port Hiroshi Hosaka, the torpedo ness of his
own
side.
officer,
Between them stood
The wheel was
crews.
Lt. (jg)
constantly checking the readiin the
hands of Coxswain
Kazuto Doi.
The
ship
was
on general
still
quarters.
Lookouts hunched against
the binoculars. Lt. Nakajima, the medical officer, waited in his quarters
behind the bridge. Petty Officer 2/c Mitsuaki Sawada gazed out
an open window
would make
it
in the
back
forward gun
to
Kanazawa, a gunnery
turret,
Rabaul without officer,
wondering whether they
trouble.
Lt.
(jg)
was poised on the cover
Shigeo of
the
bridge.
Aboard PT 109 Ensign Ross was standing on the foredeck by him was Kennedy at the wheel. At
37-millimeter gun. Behind skipper's right
was Maguire and
Marney
in the
forward gun
cockpit,
was Ensign Thorn,
just
turret.
lying
the the
beyond and above Maguire was
On
the skipper's
left,
outside the
on the deck. Standing behind the
Kennedy still hoped to meet some of the other dispersed PT boats that must be wandering about the strait, Mauer was peering through the night for a familiar form. Albert was on watch amidships. Harris, off duty, was sleeping on cockpit was Mauer.
Aware
the deck between the
day-room canopy and
that
a starboard torpedo tube.
464
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
He had removed
McMahon was
kapok jacket and was using
his
on watch
in the engine
as
it
a pillow.
room. Johnston was dozing on
the starboard side of the deck near the engine-room hatch. Zinser
was
standing close by. Starkey was the lookout in the after gun turret. Kirksey, off duty, was lying aft on the starboard side.
The boat was moving
so quietly that Ross, scanning the dark,
could barely hear the idling engine above the soft sound of the breeze
He had
and the splash of water against the bow. gliding in a sailboat,
and he was
the sensation of
gratified that they
enough water that we would not have
were
worry about
to
in
deep
reefs for a
while.
Commander Hanami.
"Ship ahead!" a lookout shouted to
"Look "Ship
again," at
Hanami
ordered.
two o'clock!" Marney shouted
to
Kennedy from
the gun
turret.
Kennedy glanced obliquely
starboard bow. Ross was
off his
al-
ready pointing to a shape suddenly sculptured out of the darkness
bow wave. For
behind a phosphorescent
Kennedy thought
it
was one of the scattered
So also did some of the crews of the
Amagiri
at
a few unregainable
PT 162
PT
and
boats.
PT
So did Mauer.
169,
about the same time or perhaps seconds
boat.
either
On PT 169
who
earlier.
shape grew, Kennedy and Mauer quickly recognized that
PT
moments
it
sighted
As
the
was not a
Potter called a warning on the radio, but
was not received aboard 109 or
"Lenny," Kennedy said
it
else arrived too late.
in a matter-of-fact voice,
"look at
this.
Ensign Thorn stood up.
What or
followed took place within the span of perhaps forty seconds
less.
In the
Amagiri 's forward gun
turret Petty Officer
Sawada received
an order: "Fire!" The destroyer was already so close to the smaller boat, however, that he could not depress the guns in time to aim.
On
the foredeck of
PT 109
Ross
frantically
grabbed a
shell
and
rammed it at the 37-millimeter. It slammed against a closed breech. He knew he would never have time to load. Commander Hanami, now recognizing the American vessel as a
PT
boat, decided that his best protection
would be
to ram.
"Hard a-starboard," he called. Coxswain Doi, informed just
that the object
ahead was a PT, expected
such an order on the strength of what he had heard discussed
about the best
tactics in
10 degrees to starboard.
such a situation.
He
turned the wheel about
PT To Ross
the destroyer originally appeared to be traveling
Now
parallel course.
PT
465
109
on a
he distinctly saw the slender mast heel toward
109, indicating that the destroyer was turning in his direction.
"Sound general quarters," Kennedy
told Maguire.
Maguire turned around, took a couple of and
yelled,
steps out of the cockpit
"General quarters!"
"We're on general quarters," Albert said to Starkey. Starkey's battle
station
the port
Back
was the
gun
turret
after starboard torpedo, so
he climbed down from
and started across the deck.
Maguire fingered a Miraculous Medal
in the cockpit,
pended from a chain around
his neck.
sus-
Ross crouched under the bow
gun.
On
the bridge of the
torpedo crews to
fire,
Amagiri
Lt.
then decided
Hosaka considered ordering his would be useless. PT 109 was
it
too close. Torpedoes would pass under her.
Kennedy spun his wheel in an instinctive attempt to make a torpedo attack on the Amagiri. The torpedoes, however, would not have exploded even if they had struck the destroyer, because they were not set to fire at
such a short distance. Moreover,
single engine,
was moving so
maneuver against the
PT
sluggishly that there
109, idling on a
was no chance
to
swiftness of the destroyer.
Seeing what was coming, Maguire grasped his Miraculous Medal
and had begun
to say,
when
prow
the steel
starboard side of
"Mary, conceived without
of the
PT 109
Amagiri crashed
at a
sin,
pray for us
." .
.
sharp angle into the
beside the cockpit.
Harold Marney, the newcomer, the youth who was taking the
wounded Kowal's place in the forward turret, was crushed to death, probably at the moment of impact, and his body never found. The wheel was torn out of Kennedy's grasp as he was hurled against the rear wall of the cockpit, his once-sprained back
against a steel reinforcing brace. It
was the angle of the
slamming collision
alone that saved him from being crushed to death with Marney. destroyer, smashing through the
the cockpit only several feet
gun
turret, sliced diagonally
The
behind
from the prostrate skipper. Helplessly
looking up, Kennedy could see the monstrous hull sweeping past him
through his boat, splintering her and cleaving the forepart away from the starboard side of the stern.
In the engine
room McMahon had had no warning
of danger.
He
was standing among the engines, casually touching the manifolds to make sure they were not getting too hot and regulating the scoop controls,
which fed sea water through the cooling system. From time
466
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
to time, as a
means
optimum
of getting
would
functioning, he
alter-
nate the engine on which the boat was running.
Something on one of the guages caught climbing over machinery to look at
him sideways
it
his attention,
when
against the starboard bulkhead
sitting position alongside
and he was
a tremendous jolt flung
and toppled him
into a
an auxiliary generator. In disbelief he saw a
room from the day room. was impossible because a hatch sepa-
river of red fire cascading into the engine
His reason told him that
this
rated the two rooms, and he himself had dogged
the bulkhead had been sheared
him away and
day room had been ignited by
friction sparks or a
leaving Rendova.
It
did not occur to
down
it
that the hatch
before
and most of
the gasoline tanks over the
broken
electrical
cable.
The
river of fire rose about him.
It
seared his hands and face and
scorched his shins, exposed by his rolled-up dungarees. breath to keep the flames from his lungs.
world of blinding tion he
light
was immersed
He was
fairly
He
held his
engulfed in a
and roasting heat and then without any in a
transi-
watery darkness, his lungs almost bursting.
Sheared away by the destroyer, the flaming stern was pulled down
by the weight of the engines. Without the sensation of descent, Mc-
Mahon found
himself under water fighting to get to the surface, which
appeared from below as a wavering orange at last in his
kapok, he emerged
was spreading across the water
in a
sea of
in a garish
glare. fire.
Bobbing
The burning
fire,
gasoline
patch of light that could be
seen by Lt. Evans on his hilltop a few miles away. ship must be on
to the top
He knew
that a
and he supposed he might hear more about
it
in
time.
Johnston's plight was scarcely less desperate than McMahon's. In his sleep
Army shoes, steel He opened his eyes to
he was knocked into the sea in his heavy
helmet, blue
shirt,
socks, dungarees and kapok.
see the sliding hull of the destroyer.
Looking up
in
shock he saw
Japanese sailors running on the deck. As the Amagiri's stern swept by
him
the suction of the screws
downward churn
yanked him under the
of the water spun
like a piece of clothing in a
Johnston wondered
if
him head over
surface.
The
heels into the depth
washing machine.
he was doomed.
He
did not pray, but he
As the descending currents released way upward. The struggle seemed hopeless. He did under he was. He decided to give up and die. Then
thought of his wife, Nathalie. him, he pulled his
not know how far he thought that his wife would consider him a coward, and he
PT resumed light,
The pain
his toil.
he feared he was
was excruciating. Seeing no
in his lungs
near the bottom. Giving up would be easy
still
now, even desirable. Again, however, the thought crossed
"Nat
will think
I'm yellow."
ladder. Faintly the orange
Now
467
109
He resumed
his
mind,
the climb on his watery
glow flickered above
his straining face.
determined to survive, he thrashed his way to the top, gasping
and beating the flames away with
for breath
As
the
his hands.
PT 109
Amagiri ripped through
Captain
Yamashiro
smelled something that reminded him of smoldering cotton.
Hosaka could zaki, a
feel heat
Lt.
on the bridge. Petty Officer Yoshitaka Yama-
medical corpsman, had been crossing the deck to the sick bay
when he heard someone shout thud, saw a burst of flame and
Americans had
PT
that a
boat lay ahead.
He
felt
a
was stabbed with the thought that the
torpedo into the Amagiri.
fired a
"What's happened?" Petty Officer Masayoshi Takashima called
from
his
torpedo station.
"The port
side's afire,"
Shigeo Takemura shouted up to the bridge.
Takemura, a communications man with a torpedo crew, thought that the enemy's torpedomen had succeeded in doing what the Amagiri s
had
He
failed to try.
supposed the flames were pouring out of the
destroyer.
In the starboard engine
room
Petty Officer Shigeo
Yoshikawa
felt
a
shock. Lt. Shigeru Nishinosome noticed that the ship's engines were starting to
shake.
In the port engine
room
Petty Officer Yoshiji
Hiramatsu heard a scraping noise against the hull and feared the
Amagiri had
was
hit a reef.
He
observed that the starboard propeller shaft
vibrating. In the auxiliary engine
room
Petty Officer
Takao Tan
heard a thud and hastened up to the deck, thinking they had been hit
by a torpedo.
As
the Amagiri swept
both missed.
By now
on she
fired
the vibration
two shots back
was
so severe that
at
PT
109, but
Hanami had
to
reduce his speed to investigate the trouble. Part of a blade of the starboard propeller had been sheared Also, the ever,
bow
and no one was
Hanami found could
sail
off,
causing the shaft to shake.
was dented. This was the extent of the damage, howhurt.
that
by lowering
his
speed to twenty-eight knots he
without excessive vibration. In answer to an inquiry from
the Hagikaze about the
had sunk a PT
boat.
fire
he radioed to the other three ships that he
Wild cheers swept through the Shigure. Their
mission a complete success, the four destroyers returned to Rabaul.
468
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
Though hurled about by Maguire were
Mauer and
the crash, Kennedy, Ross,
on the bow, which was kept
still
afloat
by
watertight
its
compartments. Mauer was thrown 'to the deck, bruising shoulder. Maguire
off in
As
his
brow, but he pried
time to see the Amagiri passing through behind him.
the impact of the destroyer tilted the deck sharply to port, Ross
go of the loose bow gun for fear
let
right
was flung out of the cockpit back against the day-
room canopy. His helmet was pushed down on it
his
He
carry him to the bottom.
would topple overboard and
it
mistook the
first flare
enemy was about
bright search light. Thinking the
of flames for a to fire
them, he slipped
off the
shade of the
Gasoline fumes choked him, and he fainted.
hull.
up from
Pulling himself
down on
starboard side into the water and hid in the
the corner of the cockpit, Kennedy's
first
thought was that a gasoline tank might explode from the heat. "Ev-
erybody into the water," he
yelled.
"Wait for me," Maguire pleaded. His rubber
An
inflate.
being
left
extra
kapok was
in the charthouse,
lifebelt
had
failed to
but he was afraid of
alone aboard. Kennedy waited until he had fetched
then, putting his
hand on some
and Mauer went
in
debris, vaulted overboard.
it,
Maguire
with him. Kennedy did not feel any pain, and at
washed
the point where he entered the water the flames had been aside by the Amagiri' s wake.
As
the three
a
left
swam
battered,
out a safe distance, the forepart of
deserted
hulk,
drifting
in
PT
109 was
two hundred fathoms
through the glare and hiss of flames. The stern had already disappeared.
Andrew Jackson
Kirksey,
the
quiet
Georgian with the strong
premonition of death, had perished with Marney. Kirksey had been lying
on the starboard
ward the
stern.
He
side
into the water or he might stern.
No
from which the destroyer came and
to-
might have been killed on impact and hurled yards
have been crushed and gone down with the
one knew. Ensign Thorn, McMahon, Johnston, Albert,
Harris, Starkey and Zinser were, like Ensign Ross, floating about in
some
them unconscious. Harris, his head pillowed on his kapok on deck, had been awakened by a shout to worse than a nightmare. He saw what looked to be fire
or fumes,
of
an enormous prow knifing straight
at
him only
feet
away.
He
sprang
up and dived sideways over the torpedo tube, and while he was the air the Amagiri crunched into
PT
109.
Some
still
in
part of the boat,
perhaps the tube, snapped up and struck him in the
left thigh,
pain-
PT
469
109
knocking him several yards beyond where a dive would have
fully
carried him. Somersaulting through the dark, he could see fire break
Then he landed
out.
in the
water
in a sitting position, astonished
and
thankful to find that he had his kapok on, untied.
A
moment
around
before
his chest,
had been
it
keeping him
up and diving he must have pulled doing
so.
Shaking the
salt
his pillow.
afloat. it
Now
it
was wrapped
In the instant between jumping
on, but he
had no
recollection of
water out of his eyes he saw the stern of the
destroyer vanishing into the dark and heard two shots.
Neither Zinser nor Starkey ever saw the Amagiri.
On
deck Zinser
heard the cry of "General quarters" and the next thing he knew he
was
through space. For a
flying
fainted.
While walking toward
moment he could
torpedo tube, Starkey was sent reeling.
by a
His helmet knocked
shell.
Then he
see flames.
his battle station at the after starboard
He
off,
thought they had been
hit
he toppled into one of the
smashed quarters, which was lighted up by flames. He thought that this
was what
hell
must be
like,
and then he lapsed
into unconscious-
ness.
As
the
fire
on the water around the boat subsided, Kennedy con-
He and Maguire and Mauer bow of the boat and climbed up on the deck. At Kennedy's direction Mauer got out the blinker, a two-foot-long tube cluded that there would be no explosion.
swam back
to the
with a light inside, and started walking around the hulk, flashing the light periodically as a still
be alive
beacon
to
any members of the crew
who might
in the water.
Apart from Maguire and Mauer, Kennedy did not know what had
He was
become
of his crew.
his aid,
but they never appeared. Just before the collision
impatient for the other boats to
PT
come
to
162 had
attempted an attack on the Amagiri, but Lowrey's torpedoes did not fire,
and he turned away
169
fired
two torpedoes
to the southwest. Just after the collision, to
no
PT
whereupon Potter moved out
effect,
of
the vicinity. Presumably skippers of other boats thought that the crew of
PT 109
had perished
and that Blackett Estrait was no
in the flames
place for loitering with Japanese destroyers steaming through.
hours
— and years
bitter that they
any one
man
As soon
for that matter
—
passed, the
were not rescued, yet
As
the
men on PT 109 were
their bitterness never focused
on
or any one boat.
as
his shoes, shirt
Mauer was ready with
the blinker,
and sidearms and dived overboard
to search for the others.
He was
to
be
in the
Kennedy removed in a
rubber
lifebelt
water approximately
470
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive next thirty-six hours. Fortunately,
thirty of the
calm.
^
On
the hulk
when
"Mr. Thorn
calling,
7
Maguire and Mauef received the
others were alive
He
tied
one end
swam toward
on what was
left
to a
line
from the rope
broken torpedo tube and
With a prayer he stepped
into the
the sound of Zinser's voice, leaving Mauer,
shipwrecked for the second time afloat
inkling that
drowning. Bring the boat!" Dreading to swim
is
the other end around his waist.
water and
first
they heard Zinser's voice in the darkness
back into the fumes, Maguire nevertheless got a locker on the bow.
was warm and
it
of
PT
months, a solitary figure
in three
109.
Ross, having fainted in the bright light of the flames, awoke in
As
darkness, wondering where he was and what he was doing.
head cleared, he saw two men not
far
them, he found that one was Zinser,
whom
from him. Swimming over
his
to
he did not know by name,
and the other was Thorn. Zinser was moaning. Thorn was gibbering.
When Ross shook
him, Thorn reached out his huge arm and tried to
climb up on him as
if
"Lenny, Lenny,
me!" After some sparring
came too,
it's
and appeared
to
and they
he were a
to be in
Fending him
log.
off,
in the
Ross
cried,
water Thorn
good condition. Zinser was
all
right
started to shout for the others.
Maguire was swimming toward them. The gasoline fumes nearly suffocated him, and he prayed that he would not faint. difficulty finding the
"Are you "I'm
all
men because
all right,
right,"
He had no
of their voices.
Mr. Thorn?" he asked.
Thorn
said.
"Can you keep going?" "I can make it." Maguire could see that Zinser did not need any help beyond an occasional tug he was getting from Ross. Guided by the blinking of
Mauer's
light,
Maguire, Ross, Zinser and Thorn
swam
slowly back to
the boat, where Albert presently splashed out of the night to join
them. After leaping into the water just in time to escape being crushed by the Amagiri, Harris drifted off alone. left
leg
At
first
from the blow he had received while
grew numb and he could not use
it.
he
felt
severe pain in his
diving, but in time his leg
Bobbing about
in his
kapok,
Harris supposed that he was the sole survivor. This thought haunted
him
until
With
his
he saw someone drifting out of the flames sixty feet away.
own
left leg
dragging, Harris
swam
laboriously toward the
PT man,
whom
he could not recognize because he was floating with his
helmet partially covering his face. The state of
471
109
man
evidently
was
in
such a
shock that Harris could not even recognize his voice,
though he could make out that the
man was
al-
saying that he could not
use his hands and was appealing for help to get his helmet
off. It
was
when Harris pried the helmet loose that he recognized Pat McMahon. The night was too dark for Harris to see well, but he could only
that McMahon was in serious condition. Not knowing what to do or where to go, Harris treaded water by McMahon's side. Once the fire had burned out, the night was blacker than ever. Harris believed that he and McMahon were the only two alive, and he could not imagine what would become of them. The thought that the others were dead had taken such a hold on him that tell
he was startled when he heard voices somewhere.
"Mr. Kennedy!" he
"Over here,"
"McMahon
yelled.
"Mr. Kennedy!"
he heard Kennedy
call
back.
badly hurt," Harris told him.
is
"I'm over here," Kennedy shouted. "Where are you?" "This way," Harris called. nedy's arms and legs.
pause and
call
It
"Where
He
sounded
could hear the splashing of Ken-
far off. Periodically,
are you?"
here." Harris heard the splashing
Kennedy would
and Harris would answer "Over
grow louder, and then he saw Ken-
nedy's head coming out of the dark.
McMahon
lay helpless in his
kapok. Despite the cooling effect of the water his whole body
felt
warm.
"McMahon "All right, still
is
I'll
too hurt to swim," Harris told Kennedy. take
him back," Kennedy
said.
"Part of the boat
is
floating."
Kennedy did not mention any other names, but in the distance lifted Harris's spirits.
out hope.
He
could not use his arms at
the sound of voices
McMahon, however, was
with-
all.
"Go on, skipper," the crew's "old man" mumbled to Kennedy. "You go on. I've had it." Kennedy clutched McMahon's kapok and began towing him toward the boat, which by
this
time had drifted a considerable dis-
The men aboard kept calling to give their position, and Kennedy followed the sound. At first Harris stayed abreast of Kennedy and McMahon despite his numb leg. Then, his strength on the wane, he dropped behind. "Come on," Kennedy urged tance from the swimmers.
him. Harris resumed swimming, but the burden seemed unendurable.
472 His
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive left
back
He was
leg dragged.
kapok and
in his
nedy would heavy arms
call
to
back
swim
drift.
drowsy.
Drawing
jacket
his
awhile. Then, tiring, he
and
a
would
shoes anchored him. "The hell with
no longer could hear Kennedy, but
it."
of his
had
a sweater
and
clothes
on his
He make anv
he would say to himself.
this
did not seem to
him any more. When he had
difference to
lifting his
drift again. It
nap he had pulled
The weight
shin.
his
and farther away, Ken-
and he would respond bv
to him.
been cool on deck and before taking above
luxurious just to slump
felt
It
farther
strength he
the
swim: when he did not. he would go limp and say ""The
would
hell with
it." It
seemed
though he was alone for a half-hour or longer before
as
he again heard Kennedy splashing toward him. you. Harris " can't go
calling.
As Kennedy reappeared. Harris
are
wearily told him. "I
any further."
"For a guy from Boston, you're certainly putting up Harris cursed and swore
nedy did not
Kennedy
realize
a great exhibi-
Kennedy snapped.
tion out here. Harris."
on."
"Where
at
Kennedy. He was aggrieved that Ken-
how much
persisted.
his leg troubled him.
"Well,
come
Harris asked the skipper to hold him up
while he took off his kapok to shed his sweater and jacket.
Kennedy
gripped his arm and held him precariously on the surface.
Had
the
exhausted and dispirited Harris slipped from Kennedy's grasp he
might have gone down
like a stone.
But with
his
heavy clothes and
shoes off and his kapok back on. Harris found he could the water,
and he and Kennedy swam slowly back meanwhile,
Thorn, Johnston.
When
his
move through
to the boat.
was having even greater
rescuing
difficulty
Johnston had come gasping to the surface after es-
caping from the churning propellers, he swallowed gasoline and inhaled fumes. Retching forced more fumes into his lungs. His brain
became clouded. He was confused, he called out.
violently sick
and semiconscious.
floating bow and men on it. When Thorn heard him and swam to his side. By this time,
His neck was burned.
He saw the
however. Johnston was almost helpless. At Thorn's urging he would
was so much
easier to
say. shaking him.
Johnston
kick a few times or try the dog-paddle, but
it
sleep.
"Come
on. Bill, let's go."
would kick
for a while
Thorn would
and then
fall
back
to sleep, not caring
whether
he ever reached the boat. "Let's keep paddling."
Thorn pleaded. He himself was only
a fair
PT swimmer, and
473
109
took him a long time to drag Johnston to the floating
it
bow. Starkey was
among
the last to
make
it.
The
which he had been flung by the crash quickly floated free.
The thought
that he
was
all
part of the boat into
filled
with water and he
alone surrounded by Japa-
"Oh my God. Oh being able to make up
nese frightened him. So did the danger of sharks.
my God,"
he kept saying.
He
floated without
mind what he should do until he saw some debris near him. He climbed up on a mattress. His face and hands were burned, though not severely. As he lay on the mattress, he thought of his wife, Camille, and four-year-old daughter, Shirley, and he remembered the day he had enlisted after Pearl Harbor. Then he saw the dark outlines of the boat. It looked a couple of hundred yards away at least, but the sight gave him courage. He took off his shoes and swam to rejoin the his
others,
on
who were
either lying
on deck or
drifting in the water,
hanging
to the hull.
Kennedy called the names of the crew. Everyone answered but Marney and Kirksey. He inquired whether anyone had seen them or had any idea what had happened to them. No one had. Kennedy called, "Kirksey Marney ..." From time to time during the night others kept repeating the call, but there was never any answer. All the survivors seemed to be in fair condition except McMahon and Johnston. Both of McMahon's hands were covered with third.
.
.
degree burns, and his face, arms, legs and feet were burned. In the
men lifted him up He took off some of
water the burns had glowed warmly, but when the
on deck he
felt as if his
whole body were on
his clothes to relieve the friction terrible surface heat,
the wet clothing
on
his
fire.
burned
Despite the
skin.
however, he became so cold that he had to put
back on.
Johnston was alternately unconscious and wracked by vomiting.
He
did not speak, and the others were at loss to
spells
know what
was the matter with him. Maguire thought Johnston was dying.
to prevent Johnston
felt
from being carried
that there
to the
should suddenly sink. In the end some of the
him
was
into the
long discussion in the dark, because others
way
It
him from rolling down the slanting deck Someone suggested lashing him to the boat, which provoked
a problem to keep water.
of
men
a
would be no
bottom
if
the boat
held lines around
them down. During the long hours of darkness most of the men had climbed up on the hulk and reclined with their feet braced against some fixture to for a time, but did not tie
474
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
keep them from
sliding off the deck.
They spoke in low voices about Some thought PTs would re-
the prospects of rescue after daylight.
turn for them; others guessed that a
When dawn
broke over
PfeY would pick them
up.
Wana Wana
they could see Rendova Peak They knew almost exactly where they other boats would be back at the base now,
thirty-eight miles to the south.
were.
They knew
that the
Lumberi would be their absence would set
that
to their rescue.
stirring with the
in
morning's activity and that
motion a search that should lead speedily
There was already some cause for
this
optimism.
CONSOLIDATION OF UNITED STATES CONTROL OVER the sea lanes and Japanese losses
made
it
enemy
necessary for the
Kolombangara by barge traffic at night, running along the shores of Vella Lavella. But Japanese impatience with
to support
its
forces at
these token measures brought a cruiser and three destroyers, escort-
ing transports, into Vella Gulf on the night of August still
another surface action in
this area, for a task
6.
This led to
group under
Com-
mander Frederick Moosbrugger interposed itself and took the Japanese by surprise. The resulting engagement, lasting about forty-five minutes, cost the enemy three destroyers severely damaged against none for the Navy a resounding victory which paved the way for the invasion of Vella Lavella on August 15, and New Georgia on the
—
25th.
September was spent
in the consolidating of
surface action took place until October 6
our position.
when
a task
No
major
group of three
destroyers under Captain F. R. Walker sighted a superior force of
enemy
ships south of Choiseul.
The enemy was disposed
in
groups, outnumbering us about three to one. At 10:30 p.m.,
two
when
enemy was almost dead ahead, Walker engaged. Selfridge, O'Bannon and Chevalier fired torpedoes. O'Bannon's target, destroyer Yagumo, quickly burst into flames. Scratch one. However, this was offset when an enemy torpedo hit in under the No. 2 gun the
aboard Chevalier, blowing the bow forward of the bridge cleanly
Out
of control,
the destroyer plunged
into
the next ship
O'Bannon. Then Selfridge caught a torpedo. Thus abruptly the ended
—
off.
ahead, battle
the Japanese racing for sanctuary, while a destroyer put a
torpedo into the floating hulk of the
one hundred
lives
were
lost this night.
doomed
Chevalier.
More than
PT
109
475
Meanwhile, our advance toward fiddle-shaped Bougainville had already begun. Daily air strikes by Mitscher's forces since October 26
had softened up were ready
to
Kahili, Ballale
and Karu. The amphibious forces
disembark on November
1
when another
task force
under Merrill bombarded enemy positions on Bougainville preparatory to the landings. Following the to patrol north of Vella Lavella,
bombardment
Merrill
route to disrupt landings. This was the background of
Empress Augusta Bay,
detailed
was ordered
and to intercept enemy warships en by Theodore Roscoe.
The
Battle of
THEODORE ROSCOE :'
w7
14.
EMPRESS AUGUSTA BAY
When word
reached Admiral Koga
at
Truk
Americans had
that the
dared to put foot on Bougainville, he radioed instructions to
strike
the interloper and strike hard. Rabaul's air strength was mustered,
and with
air
power
to
back him up, Rear Admiral Sentaro Omori
out from Rabaul late in the afternoon of thirsty surface force. Mission: to blast the
November
with a blood-
1
Americans
set
at
Cape Toro-
kina.
In Omori's force were heavy cruisers cruisers Sendai
and Agano, and
Myoko and Haguro,
six destroyers.
light
Five troop-carrying
assault transports sortied with the force, intending to land a thousand soldiers
on the Torokina beaches
But these APD's were
late for the
sub was sighted near
St.
to give battle to the U.S. Marines.
rendezvous, and after an American
George Channel, Omori was glad
to send
them home. He wanted freedom for fast maneuver. He needed it. Halsey had the word on his sortie, and ComSoPac had lost no time in dispatching Rear Admiral Merrill's task force to intercept the
southbound
signment his cruisers were the strenuous
B. L.
Jap's. off
When
Merrill received this flash as-
Vella Lavella, enjoying a breather after
bombardment work
of the previous day.
Commander
("Count") Austin was on hand with DesDiv 46. Captain
Arleigh Burke's DesDiv 45 was refueling in Hathorn Sound at the
entrance of Kula Gulf, but these destroyers topped off with dizzy
476
.
477
Empress Augusta Bay speed, and by
2315
in the evening of
November
1,
Merrill's force
was
racing headlong to meet the warships of Admiral Omori.
Omori
did not expect to encounter a cruiser-destroyer force.
He
expected, perhaps wishfully, to encounter a transport group. Bearing
down on Empress Augusta Bay, he had
his Imperial naval vessels
disposed in a simple formation with heavy cruisers
and Haguro
Samidare, and Shiratsuyu to port; light cruiser
Merrill's force
column
was disposed
to starboard
(flagship)
Sendai and destroyers Shigure,
in the center; light cruiser
Naganami, Hatsukaze, and Wakatsuki
Myoko
Agano and
destroyers
to starboard.
in line-of-bearing of unit guides. In
were Burke's van destroyers: Charles Ausburne
(Commander L. K. Reynolds); Dyson (Commander R. A. Gano); Stanly (Commander R. W. Cavenagh); and Claxton (Commander H. F. Stout). In center
column steamed
Cleveland, Columbia, and Denver.
cruisers Montpelier (flagship),
To
port steamed Austin's rear
(Commander H. J. Armstrong); Thatcher (ComLampman); Converse (Commander D. C. E. Hamberger) and Foote (Commander Alston Ramsay) Omori's force suffered the first blow when an American plane, detecting the Jap approach, planted a bomb in the superstructure of heavy cruiser Haguro. That was at 0130 in the morning of November 2. Lamed by the hit, Haguro reduced the formation's speed to 30 knots. Then one of that cruiser's planes reported Merrill's task force destroyers: Spence
mander
L. R.
;
coming up. The airmen erroneously and three destroyers were
notified
in the offing.
was informed by another
air
Omori
When,
one cruiser
that
a few minutes later, he
scout that a fleet of transports was
unloading in Empress Augusta Bay, he sent his formation racing southeastward,
hot for
massacre.
a
Apparently the
"transports"
sighted were destroyer minelayers Breese, Gamble, and Sicard, at that
time working along the coast under escort of destroyer Renshaw.
The
night was black as carbon. Several of Omori's warships car-
ried radar apparatus, but he put
more
reliance
on binoculars. Ameri-
can "Sugar George" radar was to out-see Japanese vision on
this
occasion. Merrill's cruisers
made
the initial radar contact at 0227.
He had
already decided to maintain his ships in a position that would block the entrance to
Empress Augusta Bay. Once action was
joined, he
intended to elbow the enemy westward, thereby gaining sea
which would enable him to
fight a
room
long-range gun battle with least
chance of danger from Jap torpedoes. But
his destroyers
were to open
478
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
proceedings with a torpedo attack, ancl the cruisers were to hold their fire until
the "fish"
had opportunity
These plans were carefully verse,
laid,
to strike the foe.
and they were known, chapter and
by Captain Arleigh Burke, leader of DesDiv 45. Commander
Austin and DesDiv 46 were not so well versed in the
were new
to
Task Force
They
detail.
39, and Austin was not thoroughly ac-
quainted with Merrill's battle techniques.
As soon
was
as radar contact
established, Merrill
headed
his for-
mation due north. After a brief run, Burke's van destroyers sliced
away northwestward
to deliver a torpedo strike as planned. Merrill
then ordered a simultaneous turn to reverse course. Austin's destroyers
were instructed
to countermarch,
and then
hit the
enemy's south-
ern flank with torpedoes as soon as they could reach firing position.
While
Merrill's cruisers
were swinging around the hairpin turn,
Burke's destroyers were tacking in on Omori's portside column. At
0246 Burke shouted the word over TBS, "My guppies are swimcruisers, and Omori was
ming!" But the Japs had sighted Merrill's
turning his formation southwestward. Because of this sudden turn, the barrage of 25 "guppies" sailed
on
into silence
and oblivion, and
Burke's briskly executed attack failed to score.
Meanwhile, the Sendai column launched torpedoes can
But Merrill had not waited for
cruisers.
C.I.C. informed cruisers to let
booming
him
Ameri-
at the
this counterfire.
When
of Omori's southwestward turn, he ordered his
go with gunnery.
I. J.N.
Sendai was chief target for
this
fusillade. She caught a cataract of shells just as she was
swinging to starboard, and the explosions blew her innards right out
through the overhead.
Sendai 's abrupt come-uppance threw her column into a jumble. In the ensuing confusion, destroyers Samidare and Shiratsuyu collided full tilt,
Shigure
and went reeling
off in precipitous retirement.
That
left
the
by herself, and she chased southward to join the Jap
all
cruiser column.
Myoko and Haguro made the
a blind loop that tangled
Agano column. Although Jap
a dazzle, the
maneuvered daze,
heavy cruisers
failed to sight
right into a tempest of
Myoko slammed
tion of that
starshells
American
into destroyer
them up with
had turned the night into Merrill's ships, and they shellfire.
Steaming
Hatsukaze and ripped
in a
off a sec-
DD's bow.
Meantime, Burke's
"Little Beavers," having
launched torpedoes,
became separated. And they did not get back into battle until 0349, when Ausburne spotted Sendai and hurried the vessel under with a
;-
1
Empress Augusta Bay Then Samidare and
volley of shots.
had
collided,
DD's which
Shiratsuyu, the two
showed up on the radar
481
Burke took
screen.
off after
these departing enemies at top speed.
Commander
DesDiv 46 destroyers had run
Austin's
Destroyer Foote misread Merrill's signal to turn, and
into hard luck.
out of for-
fell
mation. While racing to rejoin Austin's column, she was hit in the stern ers.
by a Jap torpedo which had been aimed
American
at the
cruis-
Cruiser Cleveland swerved just in time to miss the disabled
by 100 yards. But destroyer Spence, farther down the lucky. Swinging hard right to give the cruiser fire,
clear line of
The 30-knot brush
Thatcher.
she sideswiped destroyer
column a
DD
was not so
line,
sent
sparks and sweat-beads flying, and removed a wide swath of paint,
but both DD's kept on traveling at high speed. Then at 0320 a Jap shell
punctured Spence' s hull
fuel tank,
contaminating the
the destroyer's speed. division, Austin's
As
DD's
if
at the waterline. Salt oil,
this
and
fired
chance to
so,
reported the targets were American. So the cost something
A
moment
more than a
later
what was what.
the radar screen; Austin
torpedoes at 4,000 yards or
one
Thatcher,
sideswiped
the bridge to see
for
Myoko and
strike at
flagship
his
Commander Austin dashed out on Some bright "pips" blossomed on have
water got into a
slow poison soon reduced
was not enough misfortune
lost a fine
Haguro with torpedoes. When
this
would
but the C.I.C. officer scrape with Thatcher
little
paint job.
Spence made contact with cruiser Sendai. At that
time the Jap vessel was a staggering merry-go-round, but her guns
were
still
firing,
and she was
wounded
as dangerous as a
Austin maneuvered for torpedo
fire,
—Burke's
eight "fish" at the cripple.
They did not
would presently perform
that chore. Austin's three
northwestward in an
By 0352 Spence,
effort to catch
leopard.
and Spence and Converse flung sink her
destroyers
DD's raced on
Samidare and Shiratsuyu.
Thatcher, and Converse had overhauled the two
Jap DD's, and 19 American torpedoes were fanning out to catch each
by the
fantail.
The 19 torpedoes scored a
perfect zero.
Some may
have been improperly adjusted, but the zero probably had in
its
source
improper fabrication. In counterattack, Samidare and Shiratsuyu flung shells and "fish"
at Austin's three destroyers. If the
at least
had an excuse
for
Jap "fish" missed, the marksmen
poor torpedo work
were dodging to escape a tempest of been badly damaged by
Now
—
shell fire,
the
two Jap DD's
and both ships had
collision.
Spence was running low on
fuel,
and what
little
she had was
482
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
contaminated by
mand
salt
com-
water. Autstin^ relinquished his tactical
Thatchers skipper, Commander Lampman, and veered away with Spence to disengage. The' 'maneuver brought his flag deto
from Arleigh Burke's fast-shooting
stroyer into line for a salvo
At 0425
sion.
a pack of projectiles
slammed
into the sea
divi-
around
Spence
Over the TBS Commander Austin shouted
plea to
a
Burke.
WE'VE JUST HAD ANOTHER CLOSE MISS HOPE YOU ARE NOT SHOOTING AT US Captain Burke's answer was a classic of Navy humor. SORRY BUT YOU'LL HAVE TO EXCUSE THE NEXT FOUR SALVOS THEY'RE ALREADY ON THEIR WAY Austin
made
haste to get Spence out of the vicinity. In dodging
Burke's ebullient
fire,
Spence picked up a good target
in
Jap destroyer
Hatsukaze.
Hatsukaze was the
no condition
DD
which
Myoko had rammed, and
dodge well-aimed
to
salvos.
4,000 yards while her gunners pumped
she was in
Spence closed the range to
shells into the disabled Jap.
Hatsukaze was soon flaming and wallowing, her engines dead. Austin yearned to
finish off this foe,
but Spence's ammunition was running
low, so he put in a call for Burke's destroyers to complete the execution.
Thereupon an avalanche of 5-inchers from DesDiv 45 buried
Hatsukaze. About 0539 the ship rolled over and descended into the grave.
Spence joined up with DesDiv 45 as Burke ordered a retirement.
Unable
to catch
Samidare and Shiratsuyu, destroyers Thatcher and
Converse were also already headed his
retiring.
As day was making, Admiral
cruiser column eastward. While
trying to tag fleeing Japs, Merrill's cruisers
Merrill had
his
DD's were
had been maneuvering For over an hour
across the seascape in a duel with the Jap heavies. the opposing formations had
dodged about
like
gamecocks
in a pit,
neither side able to score a death dealing blow. Convinced that he
had
Omori pulled out at Bougainville. The American
tangled with no less than seven heavy cruisers,
0337 and
fled
northwest up the coast of
cruisers chased until daybreak, then Merrill turned back, anticipating aircraft
from Rabaul.
Around 0500 Burke's destroyers were
still
voice
came
cheerfully over the
to the west of Merrill's cruisers,
TBS. His
and he requested
permission to pursue the fleeing Japs. According to Captain Briscoe, Merrill's
answer
to this was,
Empress Augusta Bay
ARLIE THIS
IS
TIP
483
FOR GODS SAKE COME HOME WE'RE
LONESOME So Burke came steaming south with
"We erman
his
seven DD's to keep the
company.
cruisers
were glad when those destroyers showed up," another
"As we pulled away from Empress Augusta Bay
recalled.
radar screens broke out in a rash of aerial pips. blizzard
cruis-
It
looked
the
like
a
coming down from Rabaul."
Destroyer Foote, with her stern blown open, constituted a problem at this crisis.
Claxton was ordered to take the disabled ship
in tow,
while Ausburne and Thatcher steamed as escorts. Vectored into position
by a fighter-director team,
1
5 Allied aircraft flew to intercept the
Jap planes racing down from the Bismarcks. Some 100 Jap carrier planes were too
upon
Merrill's
much
for the Allied 15,
The forma-
the Jap aircraft attacked the retiring ships.
tion roared right over
Foote, some ten miles astern of the
damaged
Lamed though
No bombs
fell
weary gun crews.
About 0800 cruisers.
and bulk of the defense
she was, Foote put up an umbrella of flak.
were dropped upon her, and she saw a plane plunge into
the sea.
Five minutes force.
He had
later, the
Jap birds swooped down on Merrill's task
AA
the force disposed in a circular
bombers came over, he maneuvered and the destroyers opened up with Merrill described
The scene was
it
in his
to bring
main
AA fire at about
the
batteries to bear,
14,000 yards.
Action Report:
of an organized hell in which
As
speak, hear, or even think.
it
was impossible
the ships passed the
of their turn in excellent formation, the air filled
As
formation.
.
.
.
to
90 degrees
seemed completely
with bursting shrapnel and, to our great glee,
a severe state of disrepair.
first
enemy
planes in
Planes were in flames as they passed
over the flagship, exploding outside the destroyer screen.
.
.
.
Ten
planes were counted in the water at one time, and seven additional
were seen to crash well outside the formation.
At
the height of the battle, Merrill ordered a
360° turn which kept
the warship carousel steaming clockwise. All the gunners seemed to
be catching prizes from the
and landed almost blew up
in the
air.
Three Japs bailed out
in the center of the
in parachutes
wheeling formation. "Bettys"
sky and exploded in the water. Of the 70 or 80 planes
which attacked, perhaps two dozen were shot down (Jap
figures
were
484
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
never forthcoming). The Japs landed only two pelier,
damaging
broke
off the
hits
on cruiser Mont-
and wounding one man. At 0812 they
a catapult
attack and ran northv7a?d, pursued by Allied fighter
planes.
The over.
Battle of
On
Empress Augusta Bay and and
the sea
thrashing.
A
light cruiser
abled, heavy cruiser
severely
in the
damaged
the
its
aerial epilogue
enemy had taken
were
a colossal
and a destroyer sunk, two destroyers
Myoko
dis-
dented by collision, heavy cruiser Haguro
—Omori's
Merrill's force destroyer
air
force slunk
home
in
sorry defeat.
In
Foote was the one serious casualty, and even
she would live to fight again. Cruiser Denver and destroyer Spence, with minor damage, would lose
little
time on the binnacle
list.
LIGHT CRUISER MONTPELIER ARRIVED IN THE PACIFIC at the end of November. We meet again the young diarist, Seaman First Class
James
J.
Fahey.
SEAMAN 1/c JAMES
FAHEY
J.
15
"THEY CAN FORGET THAT
Friday, I
November
ON."
19, 1943: Things are pretty quiet at Bougainville.
guess the Japs' back
now
NOW
FROM
ISLAND
is
broken. They can forget that island from
on.
They allowed
a few
men from each
division to go
afternoon, for a few hours of recreation. There
but jungle and swamp. There
is
on the beach
this
nothing over there
a native village further inland but
is
only officers are allowed there.
men who visited the Denver while she was in port said men were killed and many were wounded. The wounded consisted of men with broken backs, eyes blown out, bodies Some
of the
twenty-five
that
crushed,
etc.
The flooded compartments have sailors One of their dead, a chief, still had
mouth. The odor from the bodies, ing.
They cannot of the
men
,
1943:
We
his pipe in his
sealed aboard,
retrieve the bodies until dry
Sunday, November 21
many
still
are
are washing their blues.
dock
still
We
is
around
floating
in their waters.
is
overwhelm-
reached.
at Purvis
Bay.
A
great
have hopes of being
in
We had movies on the forecastle for all was too hot below. Our regular movies were held in the hangar deck but because of the extreme heat, this was impossible. Today I went to church services on Tulagi. This was the first time Australia by January of '44.
hands as
it
on the beach to sing in
in
over a month.
grammar
school.
It
We
sang hymns. The same ones
brought back memories.
I
I
used
could hear
485
486
Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive
the birds singing in the jungle.
This time
It's
much
better here than at Purvis.
Marines were fighting the Japs on the same
last year, the
was a nightmare. Now peace and quiet has returned. The Japs are buried close by. Many are sealed
spot.
in
The
fighting that took place here'
caves that are not too far away. They refused to surrender.
much
them
easier to seal
in their natural
made
losses. All of the huts are
graveyard than risk huge
of big leaves cut from the jungle.
doesn't take the natives long to build a hut.
made '
living
same substance. Bamboo quarters. The floors are generally of the
are intelligent in appearance.
was
It
A
is
The
little
church
It
also
is
also used in these crude
As
dirt.
large cage
is
for the natives, they
teeming with birds.
I
never saw such striking colors before. The birds were captured by the natives
from the
jungle.
Some were
of
enormous
had
size while others
a resemblance to parrots. I
spent quite a bit of time talking to a fellow
invasion barges in action
mowed down
Bougainville.
at
over 300 Marines
in
nothing
who was on one
He flat
of the
Japs
that the
said
while they were at-
tempting a charge on the beach. That we were only taking a small
enough for our
part of Bougainville,
airfields.
The Japs were
pushed back into the jungle and there they would
starve.
If
to be
an
at-
tempt was ever made to clear the island of Japs, the process would take years to accomplish. There are thousands of Japs there and
many
them are veterans
of
of the
China War.
When
the airfield
is
in
The Japs will be forced Truk approximately 700 miles away.
operation, Rabaul will be rendered useless.
back to
their powerful island of
Truk
the Pearl
is
set foot tress,
on
left
of the Japanese Empire.
over twenty-five years.
Truk can boast
and waiting I
Harbor
this island in
to
of
defend
its
its
No
A
white
man
has
formidable for-
thousands of troops stationed there, ready
shores.
returned to the ship after church services on Tulagi.
The Denver
for the States today.
Wednesday, November 24, 1943:
we took on hope
so.
Nothing
morning.
Sitting at
fuel today. Espiritu Santo in a fit
It left this
to eat in
over a month.
A
will
come back
crippled for
life.
in Purvis is
Bay,
the word.
I
troopship arrived this
afternoon for Bougainville.
the Fiji Islands. This will be the last ride for
Some
anchor
few days
It
steamed up from
many
of those troops.
Going, they are young and
in
the best of health. Returning, they are old and beaten shells that once
were men. Troops are transported there nearly every day. Crowded landing barges are usually their lot. The barges are very small and
"They Can Forget That Island From
many
Now
of the troops are stricken with seasickness.
are herded below where the heat
On
rainy days they
unbearable and no
is
487
On."
air
reaches
them. Yesterday, the destroyer Foote
was blown
It
off.
happened
left
its
bow
battle.
The
for the States, half of
at Bougainville in
our sea
patch job was a credit to the Navy. Jap torpedoes were the damaging agent and
A
it
was a
number
sight to behold.
of the
grand old time
until
men were
diving off the side of the ship having a
an
happened
officer
Twenty new "boots" port.
No
movies
we have viewed
No
diving
on board today. They arrived by
on account of
rain.
while here was Edison,
One
.
.
.
trans-
of the movies that
The Boy. Mickey Rooney
was enjoyable. month from now, summer begins. It's hot enough as it is. can imagine what we will be in for weather-wise. For now, darkness
was the
star. It
About
I
are
last night
by. Result ...
a
creeps in at about 7 p.m. Listening to the news report, the invasion of
Tarawa
in the
Gilberts has begun.
miles to the north of us, north of the equator.
invasion
.
.
gave no date of the
SUMMED UP THE FIGHTING
of the extraordinary
Commander, and by Staff,
over 1000
.
FIVE CLASSIC LINES ophy
It
learned that
I
It's
PHILOS-
squadron leader, Arleigh A. Burke, then a
war's end Admiral
a much-decorated hero
who
Marc
Mitscher's Chief-of-
eventually rose to
only three-term Chief of Naval Operations.
become
the
"ADMIRAL arleigh
a.
burke
/-,7
16.
DESRON
DOCTRINE
23
If
it
will help kill
If
it
does not help
Japs kill
—
it's
Japs
important
—
it's
not important
Keep your ship trained for battle! Keep your material ready for battle! Keep your boss informed concerning
readiness for battle!
THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR MARKED THE BEGINNING OF the effort to capture Rabaul, and the climax of the drive
The campaign finally ended 1944 when American troops landed in
the Solomons.
in victory
15,
the
Green
up through
on February Islands,
one
hundred and twenty miles from Rabaul.
Behind of
lay bloody
Guadalcanal
American bravery and
488
sacrifice.
— an
epitaph, an enduring symbol
PART V
THE MEDITERRANEAN
AND
FRANCE,
VICTORY IN EUROPE
IN
JANUARY
1943,
TWO MONTHS AFTER THE NORTH
African landings and six months before the successful conclusion of the Tunisian campaign, a preliminary plan tion
"Husky"
—
that such an assault
Italy
would be forced
Germany would undoubtedly have
to
for
Opera-
on the assumption
would extend Allied influence
nean to the point where war, while
was drafted
the invasion of Sicily. Predicated
in the
Mediterra-
withdraw from the
to divert a
number
of
troops from the Russian front, the plan for "Husky" (ultimately set for July 10,
1944) envisioned an American force assembled
in
North
Africa and a British force assembled in the Near East, converging
on the mountainous, triangular-shaped island a few
from the
statute
miles
Italian mainland.
American naval might was again under Admiral H. Kent Hewitt,
489
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
490 now
three-stars,
who
Europe
in
established headquarters in Algiers on
March
17 and shared a suite of offices with ranean, Fleet
Commander in Chief MediterAdmiral Cunningham, RN. While the two worked to-
gether on rough plans "like brothers",
Supreme assault
On
front.
was
Command
was
reached a
to be effectuated,
it
was not
final decision as to
how
13 that
the ambitious
by eight divisions over a hundred-mile
that day Hewitt learned that his
to attack the south coast
May
until
Western Naval Task Force
between Licata and
Scoglitti,
while the
Eastern Force (British, under Vice Admiral Sir Bertram C. Ramsey)
was
to attack in the
Gulf of Noto and along the Pachino Peninsula.
Other measures were calculated to provide complete containment of the Italian
fleet,
air
supremacy,
and the seizure of Pantelleria
in order
to provide a base for fighter planes. After establishment of a
beach-
head, American and British troops were to capture Augusta, Catania
and Gerbini
and thence move across the island and
Airfields,
seize
Messina, a primary objective of the invasion.
Charged with landing Patton's Seventh Army, the Western Naval
Task Force was divided
Task Force 81 John
(DIME
Force) was commanded by Rear Admiral
F. Hall, with the 1st Infantry Division
embarked (Major Gen-
Terry Allen), one combat team of the 2nd Armored Division,
eral
and a Ranger ers
into three Attack groups:
and the
battalion. This force
light cruisers
was supported by
thirteen destroy-
Savannah and Boise, and was responsible
for landings at Gela.
Task Force 85
(CENT
Force) under Rear Admiral Alan Kirk,
with the 45th Infantry Division embarked (Major General Troy Middleton) was scheduled for landing at Scoglitti. In support were sixteen destroyers and the light cruiser Philadelphia.
Task Force 86 (JOSS Force) under Rear Admiral Richard L. transported the 3rd Infantry Division (Major General
Conolly,
Lucian K. Truscott
— "You
name
in his face."),
light
cruisers
are about to meet the Boche. Carve your and two Ranger Battalions. Eight destroyers and
Birmingham and Brooklyn
offered
support for the
Licata landings.
The
British (Eastern
right flank of
Eighth
Army
Naval Task Force) were positioned on the lifting five divisions of Montgomery's
Task Force 85,
for landings between Pozallo
Thus was convened
the greatest
and Cape Murro
armada
in history
than at Normandy. Excluding landing craft
lifted
—
to
di Porco.
greater even
the invasion
The Mediterranean and France, Victory aboard
ship, there
in
Europe
491
were more than 4000 British and American com-
bat ships and beaching craft. Practically speaking, Sicily's defense
was
in the
hands of four
Ital-
number of German E-boats and Italian motor torpedo boats. So far as Mussolini's "fleet-on-paper" was concerned, it fortunately remained comian divisions, two Panzer divisions, and an undetermined
mitted to the defense of the mainland.
Aboard Conolly's
flagship
Biscayne
was
interest
stories
filed
for United Features
forty-three-year-old Pyle
was famed
as a
told the GI's story but also shared his shell craters.
From
snuffed out by a invasion,
we have
Bizerte,
when
air raid.
his
corre-
warm human-
Syndicate, thin,
balding,
newspaperman who not only unhappy
foxholes and
lot in
war memoirs, written a year before his life was sniper's bullet on Ie Shima during the Okinawa his
a rare glimpse of Pyle aboard ship.
that harbor
was subjected
He
JOSS Force
recounts the
set sail
from
to a particularly severe
Ger-
events from D-5, prior to the time that
man
beloved
the
spondent Ernie Pyle. Esteemed by GI Joe for
ERNIE PYLE /-.?
i.
INVASION PRELUDE
The
sailors
battle
the
went
into
.
.
lull in
action just as soldiers go into the
.
— outwardly calm but
inside frightened
and
first
sick with worry. It's
the last couple of days before starting that hits so hard. In
the preparation period fate seems far away, and once in action a
man there
is is
One
too busy to be afraid.
of the nights before
we
sailed
forward deck helping half a dozen
Some
apple.
of the
men
involved would be
hit.
it
sat in the
darkness on the
can of stolen pine-
of the group were hardened and mature. all
was touching. The older ones
law of averages made
I
sailors eat a
Others were almost children. They gravity
couple of days when
just those last
It's
time to think too much.
talked
seriously
tried to rationalize
unlikely that our ship out of
They spoke
all
and
their
how
the
the hundreds
of the inferiority of the Italian fleet
and argued pro and con over whether Germany had some hidden Luftwaffe up her sleeve that she might whisk out to destroy
Younger ones spoke but
They talked
little.
to
me
us.
of their plans and
hopes for going to college or getting married after the war, always winding up with the phrase "If
As we
sat
around our pineapple can
Even
I
get through this fracas alive."
there on the hard deck
the dizziest of us
—
knew
it
all
—
squatting like Indians in a circle
struck
excellent chance of being in this world
492
me
that before long
no more.
somehow many of us
as
I
pathetic.
stood an
don't believe one of
493
Invasion Prelude us was afraid of the physical part of dying. That isn't the
The emotion the future.
I
suppose
that's splitting hairs
under the heading of
and that
Yet somehow there
fear.
is
it
really all
many
things
it is.
up comes
a difference.
These gravely-yearned-for futures of men going into so
way
rather one of almost desperate reluctance to give
is
—
battle include
things such as seeing the "old lady" again, of going
to college, of staying in the
Navy
for a career, of holding
on your
whom
you've never seen, of again be-
coming champion salesman of your
territory, of driving a coal truck
knee
once your
just
around the
streets of
these
When we
little
worry
kid
Kansas City once more and,
yes,
even of
it
was
total of
our
huddled around together on the dark decks,
hopes and ambitions that made up the sum
at leaving, rather
just
New
sun once more on the south side of a house in
sitting in the
Mexico.
own
than any visualization of physical agony to
come.
Our deck and the shelf-like deck above us were dotted with small men talking. I deliberately listened around for a while. Each group was talking in some way about their chances of survival. A knots of
dozen times about
up, and
overheard
it,
single
I
look at
this it
same remark: "Well,
this
way.
If
I
don't worry
your number's up then
come through no matter what." person who expressed himself that way was
if it isn't
Every
knew
I
because
it
it's
you'll
but, hell, a
guy has to say something.
I
a liar and
heard oldsters
offer-
—
make bets at even money that we wouldn't get hit at all two to one we wouldn't get hit seriously. Those were the offers but I don't think any bets actually were made. Somehow it seemed sacrilegious to bet on our own lives. Once I heard somebody in the darkness start cussing and give this answer to some sailor critic who was proclaiming how he'd run ing to
things: "Well, little I'll
more
put
And
I
in his
figure that captain
up there
in the cabin has got a
noggin than you have or he wouldn't be captain, so
my money on
him."
another sailor voice chimed in with "Hell, yes, that captain
has slept through more watches than you and
I
have spent time
in the
Navy."
And
so
it
went on one of the
anybody say anything talking.
last nights of safety. I
patriotic, the
way
There was philosophizing but
I'm sure no
man would have
it
was simple and undramatic.
stayed ashore
chance. There was something bigger
in
never heard
the storybooks have people
if
him than
he'd been given the the awful dread that
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
494
would have made him want was an
thing probably historic naval
egoism
movement. With others
that some-
in seeing myself part of
think
I
Europe
me
on land. With
to stay safe
irresistible
in
it
was
an
just the applica-
tion of plain, unspoken, even unrecognized, patriotism.
For the best part of
week our
a
had been lying
ship
far out in the
harbor, tied to a buoy. Several times a day "General Quarters" would
sound and the crew would dash
to battle stations, but always
it
was
enemy photo plane, or perhaps even one of our own planes. Then we moved in to a pier. That very night the raiders came and our only an
1
ship got her baptism of it.
I
fire
had got out of bed
—she
at 3
lost
her virginity, as the sailors put
a.m. as usual to stumble sleepily up to
the radio shack to go over the
news reports which the wireless had
picked up. There were several radio operators on watch and we were
around drinking coffee while we worked. Then
sitting
around four o'clock General Quarters sounded.
The whole
dark.
ship
came
to
life
It
all
was
of a sudden still
pitch-
with a scurry and rattling, sailors
dashing to stations before you'd have thought they could get their shoes on.
Shooting had already started around the harbor, so we knew time
it
was
real.
I
this
kept on working, and the radio operators did too,
work. So many people were going in and out of we were in darkness half the time, since the lights automatically went off when the door opened. Then the biggest guns on our ship let loose. They made such a horrifying noise that every time they went off we thought we'd been hit by a bomb. Dust and debris came drifting down from the overhead to smear up everything. Nearby bombs shook us up, too. One by one the electric light bulbs were shattered by the blasts. The thick steel bulkheads of the cabin shook and rattled as though they were tin. The entire vessel shivered under each blast. The harbor was lousy with ships and every one was shooting. The raiders were or rather
we
tried to
the radio shack that
dropping
flares
from
all
over the sky and the searchlights on the
warships were fanning the heavens. Shrapnel rained decks,
The
making fight
went on for an hour and a
everything was added up
Our
casualties
—and
down on
the
a terrific clatter.
we found four
aboard were negligible
—
half.
When
it
was over and
planes had been shot down.
three
men had been wounded
had suffered no damage except small holes from nearmisses. Best of all, we were credited with shooting down one of the planes.
the ship
495
Invasion Prelude
This particular raid was only one of scores of thousands that have
been conducted
Standing alone
in this war.
wouldn't even be worth
it
show you what a taste of the genuine thing can do for a bunch of young Americans. As I have remarked, our kids on the ship had never before been in action. The majority of them were strictly wartime sailors, still half civilian in character. describing. I'm mentioning
They'd never been shot
at
to
it
and had never shot one of
their
own guns
except in practice. Because of this they had been very sober, a
unsure and more than a lay so near
little
ahead of them.
little
worried about the invasion ordeal that
And
then,
all
within an hour and a half,
they became veterans. Their zeal went up like one of those sky-
when
rocketing graph-lines
business
is
machinery
butterfingers were loading shells like
when
became
it
real.
good. Boys
who had been
after fifteen minutes,
Boys who previously had gone through
their
"Dammit,
can't
routine lifelessly had yelled with bitter seriousness,
you pass those
shells faster?"
The gunnery
officer,
in these gleefully robust
One
my
of
making words:
his official report to the captain, did
we
"Sir,
friends aboard ship
got the son of a bitch."
Street,
day before and he told
talking together the
Miami.
We
me how
had been
he'd studied
journalism for two years at the University of Georgia, and
live
to get into
through
it
after the war.
I
could get
yelled,
came running up
to
me
he I
full of
"Did you see that plane go down smoking! Boy,
off the train at
meet me
there to
how
noticed he always added, "If
it."
Just at dawn, as the raid ended, he
steam and
it
was Norman Somberg, aerographer
1448 Northwest 62nd
third class, of
wanted
all
I
Miami
right
now
with the folks and
couldn't be any happier than
I
my
was when
I
if I
girl
saw
we'd got that guy." It
was worth a month's pay
day long the
how
he did
it,
to be
on
that ship after the raid. All
went gabble, gabble, gabble, each
telling the other
what he saw, what he thought. After
that shooting, a
sailors
great part of their reluctance to start for the
unknown
vanished, their
guns had become their pals, the enemy became real and the war came them, and they didn't fear
alive for
had
of sailors soldiers
and
just
it
so
much any more. That crew
gone through what hundreds of thousands of other
sailors already
had experienced
—
the conversion
from
peaceful people into fighters. There's nothing especially remarkable
about
it
When
but I
it
was a moving experience
first
went aboard
I
to see
it
happen.
was struck with the odd bleakness of
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
496
the bulkheads. All paint had been chipped
and very unbecoming type of
Europe
in
thought
off. I
it
realized that this strange effect
was merely part
I
Navy procewere many other
of the
dure of stripping for action. Inside our ship there precautions. All excess rags and blankets
was a new however,
interior decoration. Shortly,
had been taken ashore or
stowed away and locked up. The bunk mattresses were
set
on edge
against the bulkheads to act as absorbent cushions against torpedo or shell fragments.
The Navy's shoes, shirts,
were to be
traditional white hats
duration of the action.
and pants
The
entire
— no working
of the danger of burns.
No
left
crew had to be
in shorts or undershirts
Men who
because
white clothing was allowed to show on
worn during en-
deck. Steel helmets, painted battleship gray, were
gagements.
below for the
fully dressed in
stood night watches were awakened forty-five
minutes early, instead of the usual few minutes, and ordered to be on
deck half an hour before going on watch.
It
takes that long for the
become accustomed to the darkness. Before we sailed, all souvenir firearms were turned in and the ammunition thrown overboard. There was one locked room full of German and Italian rifles and revolvers which the sailors had got eyes to
from
front-line soldiers.
court-martial offense.
around
in case of
Food
Failure to throw
The
officers didn't
away ammunition was a
want
stray bullets whizzing
fire.
hampers and stored
supplies were taken from their regular
all
about the ship so that our entire supply couldn't be destroyed by one hit.
All movie film
was taken ashore.
inside
went
flashlights,
not even hooded
Doors opening on deck had switches
ones, were allowed on deck. the reverse of refrigerators
No
—when
out. All linoleum
the door
was opened the
just
lights
had been removed from the decks,
all
curtains taken down.
Because of weight limitations on the plane which had brought to the ship,
the
Navy
I
had
issued
left
me
also presented with
a
my Army
gas
mask behind. Before
Navy mask, along with
all
one of those bright yellow
me
departure,
the sailors.
Mae West
I
life
was pre-
servers like the ones aviators wear.
Throughout the invasion period the statuses ters" full
is
—
entire
crew was on one of two
either General Quarters or Condition
the
Navy term
duty until the
for full alert
crisis ends. It
forty-eight hours. Condition
Two. "General Quaris on
and means that everybody
may be twenty minutes
Two
is
or
it
may be
half alert, four hours on, four
Invasion Prelude hours
off,
but the off hours are spent right at the battle station.
merely gives the
A
men
mimeographed
a
little
chance to
sailing.
and warnings was distributed
ended as follows: "This operation
It
be a completely offensive one. The ship will be
ters or
Condition
Two
throughout the operation.
It
is
General Quarextend over a
come very often. when this
sure that you will have something to talk about
over. This ship
The
at
may
long period of time. Opportunities for rest will not
You can be
It
relax.
set of instructions
about the ship before will
497
must do her
night before
man propaganda
we
stuff."
sailed the
crew listened as usual to the Ger-
radio program which featured Midge, the
who was
American
them and depress them. As usual they laughed with amusement and scorn at girl
turned Nazi,
her childishly treasonable
trying to scare them, disillusion
talk.
In a vague and indirect way,
I
suppose, the privilege of listening to
your enemy trying to undermine you out to face him
—
expresses what
we
—
the very night before you go
are fighting for.
WITH THE INVASION UNDERWAY, LET US LOOK IN ON The scene aboard Monrovia, in which Patton and is one of constant movement from communibridge; of messages being coded and transmitted. The
Hewitt's flagship. his staff are
embarked,
cations office to
bridge
is filled
about the
with anxious officers peering at sky and sea, worrying
air cover.
Screwed up
study in concentration.
A
in his
admiral's seat, Hewitt
Vermonter and a
is
a
recipient of the Distin-
guished Service Medal, the Admiral remains calm even on D-l (doing
double acrostics!), while the forces are headed northward and the
weather begins to make up.
ADMIRAL
H.
KENT HEWITT
2.
UNDERWAY
By 1630, when Gozo had been sighted from the Monrovia, the wind was blowing from the west with a force of about 6/7 ... It would make the coast on which we were to land, which had a NW-SE trend, a lee shore.
We
could not, of course, anticipate the sort of surf
might have encountered on the Moroccan coast
chop might cause considerable that General
difficulty.
in
TORCH,
Subsequently,
it
we
but the
was learned
Eisenhower and Admiral Cunningham, on Malta, were
so concerned with the weather as to have been on the point of post-
poning the operation. Luckily, they held on. At the time,
worry was that the landing unduly their arrival
which was
at
craft
their
destination.
effectively taken care of
my
principal
might be so slowed as to delay This was a contingency
by Admiral Conolly, who dashed
about in the Biscayne, shepherding his convoys, and having them cut corners, with the result that they were exactly
adverse conditions.
When
I
on time
in spite of the
observed the rolling of some of the Brit-
I could not but wonder how some of the troops were at first going to be. But perhaps they were all the more willing to get ashore. The Eastern Task Force, fortunately, would have a lee for its landing. My mind was greatly relieved by the prediction of my efficient
ish
LCI(L)s,
as they
rounded Gozo,
effective
aerographer, Lieutenant surf conditions off
Commander
Morocco
in
R. C. Steere (whose forecast of
TORCH
had been so accurate),
that
the wind would probably subside greatly by 2200. This prediction
498
499
Underway
As darkness fell, the shipping around Gozo made quite an inspiring sight. Ahead were our landing craft, inshore of us was British KMF-18, slightly behind schedule, and again proved to be correct.
numerous section,
British landing craft. Astern
Also coming
area.
was Admiral Kirk's second
which was then detached to proceed to the
from the westward were the
in
CENT
assault
cruisers of the
Covering Group, proceeding to take stations with their assigned assault groups.
Much had already been accomplished by the strategic bombing command in attacking enemy air fields and in softening the beach defenses. To avoid premature disclosure of the point of attack, and .
.
.
consequent concentration of the defense,
had been necessary to
it
bombing program, with only casual
follow initially a very general
attention to vital objectives, until the last
landing. This
was a
in the Pacific
where, with the enemy cut
situation quite different
day or so prior to the
from small island attacks by
off
sea, the defenses could
be bombed and shelled for days on end prior to an actual landing.
As we neared visible in the
was
the coast, evidence of our air attacks
A. A.
clearly
the flares, and the conflagrations noted at
fire,
The
various points along the beach.
British
beacon submarines were
picked up on schedule, the transports arrived in their areas, and the
work
of getting out boats
menced. Some
of our
own
and disembarking the troops was comvessels
were illuminated and silhouetted to
us by searchlights played from the beach, but they did not
have been sighted by the
enemy
.
.
seem
to
.
LET US PROJECT THE NAVY'S SUCCESSFUL ADVANCE TO the point where
all
forces have arrived at their assigned beaches
Off Scoglitti, aboard Kirk's flagship, the presence of Lieutenant
man
turned naval
signed his post as
is
.
.
.
keenly aware of
John Mason Brown, celebrated newspaper-
In 1942, at the age of forty-two,
officer.
drama
Ancon, one
critic of the
New York
applied for a commission. Urbane, erudite and witty, he was the flagship for his unique broadcasts to of what was happening on the
all
Brown
re-
World-Telegram and
hands
known
to
—informal accounts
Sicilian and, later,
Normandy beach-
heads.
Here, Brown,
who
continually sought
reviews the approach and
bombardment
out combat assignments,
of Kirk's
CENT
force.
JOHN MASON BROWN
/- !LT.
3-
BATTLE STATIONS
11:30 p.m., July 9
"H"
hour, the hour of hours,
and the attack
When we
is
scheduled to begin
passed Malta
dle of the afternoon,
island
was
Sicily.
the darkness. Scoglitti
on
almost here.
is
We
It will
Sicily's
at
It is
now 11:30
2:45 a.m.
— unconquerable Malta —toward
and
later
came
p.m.,
to
are near Sicily now,
not be long before
the mid-
Gozo, we knew our next still
moving towards
it
we reach our anchorage
in off
southern shore.
Already we have had our hints of "D" day's approach. Throughout
from time
the afternoon the gray sky has been filled of Spitfires. Several convoys have
come
to time
by coveys
within sight on the lunging
waters. Six aircraft, said to be hostile, were reported twelve miles
away from us and
flares
in the late twilight.
these guns and fires that the extra slab of ice a pleasant
Then,
just
about an hour ago,
were seen ahead, and distant guns were heard.
way
we
are steering.
cream on the
The enemy
It is
is
pie after tonight's steak
of our being told that something extra
fires
towards
Even dinner was
there.
was soon
to be
expected of us.
Let the cynical laugh, but we have seen something of a miracle tonight. All afternoon our hearts
have grown the heavier with the
increasing heaviness of the sea. Things have looked bad for us
500
—very
501
Battle Stations
bad
—
these past eight hours or so.
storm we have had this
in the Atlantic
By some
ugly mischance the
first
or the Mediterranean overtook us
afternoon when, having traveled so
we were
far,
at
last
so
near.
By 2:30 p.m. the Mediterranean was being swept by a 30-knot wind. As the waves rose under sullen skies, they subjected the little PC boats now with us to a terrible beating. The destroyers were surfbathing uncomfortably. Even the largest transports were wobbling.
One by
one, three of their barrage balloons were blown
them, as easily as a child's balloon
slips
away from
through his fingers in the
came
on,
the waves swelled into more and more sizable mountains. The
PC
park.
By
5 o'clock the gale had increased until, as darkness
boats were by then egg-shelling their way, not so
much through
as
on
the heavy seas. The prospect of trying to send landing craft into the
beaches against such odds was disturbing, to put
Many want
of
us remembered
remember
to
it,
the Spanish
we
but
Spanish Task Force, dashed
when
scattered them, shores.
We
were a
in full
did. its
mildly. fate.
We
did not
Nature had undone that formidable
on the rocks, and
galleons to pieces
and proud array
far larger
it
Armada's
it
had reached England's
armada. Would we be the victim of the
same misfortune?
The weather
reports were encouraging.
midnight," Lieutenant
"The sea
will
Commander John Corry had when the seas
beginning and kept on saying, even
calm before
said at
from the
hand grew
rougher.
Then suddenly, occurred. it.
No
a
little
while ago, the miracle of which
matter where you
may be
The wind died down almost
over the sides
moon, which
now is
stationed,
as abruptly as
in the faint light left
it
spoke
I
you must have
had
started.
felt
Look
by a storm-clouded quarter
nearing the horizon, and you will find the Mediter-
choppy, still tossed by a heavy surf, but, compared to was only a short time back, as quiet as if God had put his hand on it. This ought to be the best of good omens. Some transport planes, carrying our paratroops, were reported off
ranean
what
still
it
to starboard shortly before
place for this
I
stumbled down from the bridge to find a
microphone on the
Chart Room. Although their motors, full of
I
floor of a
darkened passage
could not see the planes,
power,
full
of defiance.
I
off the
heard the roar of
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
502
in
Europe
Midnight, July 9
Perhaps you can hear
it.
time has greatly increased.
The distant gunfire of which The fires* are still burning on
I
spoke
last
the beaches
we have been pushing quietly in to our anchorage. They cast a glow in the sky the way a city does at night. They are not easy to make out as yet. One of the fires ahead.
anything, they are brighter, because
If
looks as
if it
were a
be the outlines of a lighted
These
fires
enemy
tive
mean
shape
bit inland. In
is
it
rectangular enough to
which of course
airfield,
it is
that our planes have been busy.
searchlights
not.
So do the
inquisi-
which have been sweeping the sky from the
beaches to the west.
our objective, must be about
Scoglitti,
Our convoy
the darkness just now.
five miles
reaching
is
its
away from us
in
destination safely
and without confusion. our
If
on
first
plans, the
coming.
see, there
a reason for this.
is
According to
Northwest African Air Force was scheduled to conduct an
air offensive
Axis
sight of Sicily has consisted of fires burning in the night
we cannot
a land
By
throughout the whole Mediterranean area prior to our these heavy air attacks the Allies have sought to compel
withdraw from
air forces to
in Sicily in
fighter range of the desired
order to maintain their
own
cities, industries,
beaches
armies, and
air bases.
to
morning a heavy bombing attack
Before daylight
this
be made on
Sicilian airfields,
fighter
all
group of approximately
maintained over each of fighter
thirty-six planes
main
Sicily's three
scheduled
is
supposed to be
airfield centers.
American
squadrons will be based on Malta and other near-by islands.
Those paratroopers we heard heading inland dropped with others during the night to our west.
the Italians will
is
and for the balance of the day a
in the
will
have been
area of the Task Force
The guns we hear at first will not necessarily mean that and the Germans have spotted us. Most probably they
be anti-aircraft guns, called into action by our paratroopers and
our transport planes.
12:45 a.m., July 10
That crunchy, bumpy noise you may have heard
was our anchor on the way down.
Our
ships are
conspirators.
still
We
It's
minutes ago
blacker than coal up here.
They are gathering we can feel them, the way
slipping into position.
can't see them, but
five
like in a
503
Battle Stations
dark room you know someone or
is
standing next to you.
A
searchlight
from time
has entered,
else
to time cuts the sky
few tracer bullets are being batted out, enemy's shore
batteries.
The sound
of ours.
hear the sight of
I
will
to get
it
above the beaches.
A
by the
like hot baseballs,
of ack-ack can be heard inland.
Don't be alarmed by the submarine
wandered out on deck
creeping past you,
is
just off
our port
side. It's
He had
cost a soldier his dinner.
some
and see the show
air
one
which he
in
soon take part. Tonight's second slab of ice cream and the see-
sawing of the Mediterranean had not been getting along too well. The soldier
was holding
his
head
in his
hands when, to
one of
open to discover the periscope, the conning tower, and
his eyes rolled
finally the whale's
back of a submarine loom out of the tar-colored
waves beside him. "Jesus Christ! he
same time
his horror,
that he said
is
good-by to the
reported to have said, at the
ice
cream and raced below.
under control.
Everything else
is
A
of planes
1:30 a.m., July 10 great
wave
— our
planes
—has
swept over
us.
They
were our transports coming out. Although only a few of them could be seen,
all
of
them could be
felt
and heard. They mean that our
82nd Airborne Division paratroopers have been landed and are
al-
ready at work.
The darkness up here has grown.
It's
hard to make out the person
next to you on the Admiral's Bridge, unless in passing he just hap-
pens to be silhouetted against one of those
fires still
burning on the
beaches.
The
small boats should be in the water by now.
One
of ours has
returned with Captain Mitchell, from some errand in the night.
From
transport after transport these small craft are being lowered.
They
must be
filled
with anxious men; the small boat
men who
are the
point and glory of this Force. Shortly before
I
came down, another wave
of probably
fifty
of our
transport planes has roared above us, heading out from Sicily, their
mission completed, their paratroopers landed in the blackness of an
unknown
land.
Before the thunder of their motors could be heard, a to have settled
on the shores ahead. Then came the
the approach, and
them.
some
tracer bullets rose skyward,
lull
appeared
first faint
no doubt
drone of to greet
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
504
Europe
in
2:40 a.m., July 10
We "H"
are within five minutes of what sjiould have been the time for
"H" hour has been delayed until 3:45 Commander of Transports. Blame the choppy
hour. But
of the
and
at the request
seas for this,
they have caused in getting the small boats out. So
difficulties
take time off to get your second wind.
Don't think that things have not been happening above,
Do
this delay.
in spite of
you remember those enemy searchlights which
I
have
mentioned several times? Well, they have given us some uneasy moments. There's a hell of a
when they
between our searchlights
lot of difference
are looking for the enemy, and
enemy
when
searchlights
they are looking for us.
As
far as
I
can
make
out, there
sweeping from the shore.
after
we reached our anchorage,
raking
it
back and
white fingers didn't
seem
forth,
know we were
forth, sticking
They were
after
and even
stealing in,
they swept only the sky.
back and
darkness.
in the
to
have been three of these search-
When we were
lights
up
They kept nervous
like
our planes then, and
here.
Even when they followed the transport planes out, these searchlights swung far above us which was precisely what we kept hoping
—
they would do.
One
toward the horizon port.
Then
anything of
This
of these beacons, however, carried
until
lowered
its
up
in
blinked and went out, apparently not having spotted
it
made
us breathe the easier. in a
few minutes those searchlights
motion again. The same one that had blinked before, woke
in alarm.
sky,
search
its
hovered over our ships to
interest.
But only for a while. Because were
light
When
which was
still
it
came
all
on,
it
was aiming
right with us.
Then
it
out to sea, lower and lower each time, until
waves. In
its
sweep
it
straight
above
began
circling
it
started
landed on one of our ships lying
it
at the
its
light
skimming the at
an angle.
paused there for an awful time before starting to move again. Then
It it
swung slowly past the other vessels ahead, seeming to halt for the same awful time on each one of them, icing them with light or showing them up as silhouettes, as neat and black as you will ever find on any Ship Identification cards.
came just the way it used to in school. Waiting for it wasn't pleasant. The light cut closer and closer until it was full upon us, blinding us when we looked straight at it. It wasn't hard, then, to make out the faces on the Admiral's
The beacon
finally
reached
us.
Our
turn
—
"1
505
Battle Stations Bridge. the
would have been hard not
It
men up
up under
there looked the
a spotlight.
way an
You know
make them
to
thought they had found us.
couldn't see
I
faces of
actor's face does without
Even
that sallow look?
gray was lighter than the sun at midday had ever I
The
out.
make-
the ship's
made it. how they had missed
us.
"Can they
see us?"
I
asked Captain Wellings, our Gunnery Offi-
cer.
We
"No.
can see them
all
they can see us on a night like
he smiled, "but
right," this.
Anyway we
don't think
I
are out of their range
of vision."
This was good news.
With such
enemy beacons screaming
targets as these three
for
our gunners must be going crazy. But so far they have
attention,
managed
It still is.
to hold
being here
—
on
to their itchy fingers
if it still is
and keep the secret of our
a secret.
Those guns, those deep-throated, distant guns you may hear, don't belong to us. They are British and come from the east coast. From them the show must be on
the sound of
there.
And on
in a big
way.
3:15 a.m., July 10
The
searchlights are
still
at
it.
When
I
got back to the bridge,
it
moment as if a gunner on a near-by ship had blown one of them out. Since we are said to be outside their seeing range, the moment this gunner let go wasn't an entirely happy one. His wanting to fire was human enough. There was the beacon ahead, begging for looked for a
attention.
And
there
was the gunner eager
been
as simple as that
away
the secret of our being here.
As
by releasing
if,
he had not given
these tracer bullets arched through the sky,
almost as hot
—
would have
to oblige. It
his tracers,
some words
shot out on the bridge.
For a few minutes the
light
went
beacons came on, sweeping the ships the third. Before long the
first light
again, like a lightning bug.
out.
Then another
in earnest. It
blazed out,
was followed by
now on
The gunner had missed
of the three
his
again,
now
mark.
He
off
has
been answered by tracer bullets coming out from the shore.
At 3:10 fearful
there
moment
it
was a big explosion on the beach ahead. For a blew the darkness away as if it were smoke, putting
fire in its place.
Since
I
made my
last report, the
huge British guns have continued
I
506
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
** .
booming
The sky has become
to the east.
in
Europe
Some
fairly active.
red and
white tracers have been chasing one another inland, following a high,
arched course. Three enemy parachute? flares, dropped from a plane or planes coming in from west of Scoglitti, have been
hung
our
off
starboard bow.
The
orchestra
warming
is
scheduled to go up
in a
The
up.
stage
is
set.
The
curtain
is
few minutes now. 4:15 a.m., July 10
The Fourth
was never
of July
like
this!
These are the biggest
Our guns have really been speaking up, and much more than just big talkers. The sky is as
fireworks I've ever seen. it
looks like they are
summer parasol with the sunlight streaming through it. The darkness is fighting a losing battle. Light is everywhere. Never for long. Always changing. Always in the swiftest motion. Then the night seeps back, only to be driven away again. Overhead it's all dots bright as a
and dashes dots
that
you can
see, quivering as they race to rise
and
fall;
and dashes, and streamers of heat, and rockets overtaking
rockets.
The
Light and noise. the froglike
glump
noises are as different as the lights. There's
of flak as
it
thuds through the water after a brief
splash. There's the staccato stitching of the 20-
There's, a sigh, a whine, and a whistle
don't
know and
all
little
guns, medium-sized guns
them demanding
of
to be
British to the east.
They sound
— water and — all
Under
this
it
the
exploded in
But once
them
of
flaming cover the small landing boats have been push-
ing into shore. Bright as the sky
been able
all
The big guns bellow in a full, way a goldfish bowl might sound your tummy.
on shore, or the
damp,
dull tone.
—
heard from, whether they
Task Force ahead, with the enemy
are on the ships around us, in the
if
—
what.
There are big guns, fluent,
and 40-millimeters.
coming from something
to see the
is,
the sea
is still
so dark that
Viking outlines of only a few of our
in a while, in the din, the sputter of their
little
I
have
boats.
motors has been
heard.
Our big guns appear They have been snuffed that scored a bull's-eye
time to wink. Then
it
to
have got two of those prying searchlights.
It was a cruiser, I think, on one of them. The beacon scarcely had
out for quite a while.
was done
for.
507
Battle Stations
4:45 a.m., July 10
Those planes are enemy
many
Although there don't seem to be
of them, there are enough. So far as
toward us
forth,
can make out, they came
I
uppermost darkness, under which
in the
sandwiched. During the
and
planes.
last half
the lights are
all
hour they have been hurtling back
heard but not seen, and not leaving us unseen.
They headed
Then they
for our beaches, dropping flares over them.
turned wheel for us, particularly for our cruisers,
The flares have been both hung right over our Force room table. They are strange things,
to port
still
these
flares.
and starboard. One of them has
an old-fashioned
like
dropping
German
light
over a dining
flares; disturbing
but com-
pletely undisturbed. All the other lights are twitchy, nervous, explo-
But these
sive, darting.
flares
more than
chutes supporting them do as
calm and unmoving
The other
as
if
These
hang
para-
They doze
there,
air.
momentary. These appear to be
lights are
just
on the
rest
The
serenity.
they were beyond the law of gravity. eternal.
The
them with sparks, and then dash on or
others kindle the air around out.
have a fearsome
like fixtures.
shadows on the bridge, which up
They
until
are bright
now
enough to
cast
has been dark, except for
by the beacon. They burn singly, these flares. Without warning a street lamp comes on, far up in the sky, blinding enough to be burning a whole city's current, and the sea below lights up the way Broadway used to look. This street lamp stays on for what seems an eternity, almost that stab
When
without moving.
again, another street
some yards below sor,
because
again,
and
is
it
this
at last goes off
it
lamp
the
—
the twin of
anything
first. If
nearer.
Then
the
and you begin to breathe parent
its
it is
—
bursts into light
brighter than
its
predeces-
same thing happens again and
necklace of light gradually extends
itself,
showing
its
stones one by one, until the final pendant dangles just above you.
The Germans
can't be accused of leaving us in the dark.
they have only shed
light.
We
arching on these flares from hill to
have done our
all sides.
And
bit, too.
a big fire
Our is
But so
far
tracers are
burning on a
starboard.
5:15 a.m., July 10
Good
news.
Word
has just been received that
been accomplished on
all
initial
landings have
of our beaches, and that, in general, slight
opposition has been met with from the ground forces of the enemy.
508
"*
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
.
This means that the in,
wave by wave,
boats from
little
all
Europe
in
our transports have pushed
and
to their designated landing places
that our
we shall by now a
troops have established themselves on-shore. For the details
have to wait. What matters
that the Sicilian invasion
is
is
fact.
The sky is still noon-bright up here in splotches. There have been more flares. More enemy planes, too. One of these has falconed down towards the Spelvin,
its
motors angry, as
rumble, a roar, a rumble again fact,
if
dive-bomb
to
us. It
was a
—and bad moment. As a matter —waiting—has given us a
being anchored here in the light
bad moments; though, thank God, so
of
a lot of
far only to think about.
6 a.m., July 10
dawnish up here now.
It's
shape.
It is still indistinct; still
daylight
is
part of the vanishing night. Far inland,
mountain Mount Etna might
to starboard, the kind of
were within seeing range,
The pink-blue
coast line has begun to take
Sicily's
is
slowly working
down
creeping
way
its
be,
booming
You
might
to the beaches.
of the big guns on our cruisers
and that near-by British monitor. The shore
now and
line also
it
dawn.
expect to hear birds. Instead the sky rattles with anti-aircraft the hurried
only
if
into the
fire
and
and destroyers, rumbles every
then with battle sounds like a kettledrum.
The Admiral's Bridge was dark
the last time
I felt
my way up
to
where Lieutenant Burton was standing. But only for a minute. At 5:20, directly ahead of us, a great blob of light bleached and red-
dened the sky, tearing the night into shreds.
It
was followed by a
more sullen and deafening than any we have saw scattered across the sky was a ship from west of
We
so far heard. the
blast
What we
Task Force
to the
us.
had scarcely been able
to say,
"Look! They got one!" when the
German
planes which had done the getting could be seen flocking
towards
us.
Again there were not many. Again there were enough. trail of big splashes behind them in the
Say, six; flying low, leaving a
water where their bombs had
fallen.
our bow, barely missing the cruiser
One
off
of
them slanted down across
our port
While these planes have swung back and watching the sky for more than them. for those
promised British
We
Spitfires to
side.
forth,
we have been
have been waiting, waiting,
come
to us
from Malta and
give us cover.
They must have been
a
little
late.
They were due over us
at 5.
509
Battle Stations
They would have been welcome then. They were no less welcome only a few minutes ago, when they were sighted off our stern.
They
are equally
welcome now, when,
like
birds of deliverance,
they have flown across us, high, high up in perfect formation, sweeping the copper-colored sky.
As some
a matter of fact I'm afraid they
of our gunners,
who knew
just
were too warmly welcomed by
enough about
tion to be sure that anything with wings
No
the Spitfires were out of range.
We can
all feel
must be a
aircraft identificatarget.
Fortunately
less fortunately they are
with us.
the more comfortable now.
6:30 a.m., July 10
You can
now
see Scoglitti
to port.
a group of drab white
It's
houses clustered around a church tower. The beaches on either side of
could be any beaches seen in the freshness of an early morning,
it
if it
were not for the
little
boats nudging into them and the swarming
dots visible through binoculars on the sands. hills
The
backing these beaches could be any peaceful
were not for the smoke them. Even
so,
Contour Maps, increased
The
rising here
and there from
they look almost as tranquil as in scale
and come
to
and
fields
hills
and
fires if
slight
fields, if it
burning on
they were the
life.
They are full of war. The ships in They look refreshed by the morn-
sea and the sky are different.
our Task Force are
all
around
ing sun, and are unhurt.
us.
Our gunners continue
to pivot, covering
whatever passes in the sky. quieter
It's
away
at a
up
here, though one of our destroyers has been blazing
shore battery that has been firing on her from one of the
hills.
The unloading
shuttle service has started.
7:15 a.m., July 10
We
are weighing anchor
The
Spitfires
now
to
move
closer in to shore.
have been patrolling once more. They have come
back again and again,
in spite of their
warm welcome.
Everyone topside has been nibbling on or the better for coffee, with
Most
its
at
"K"
rations
and
feels
illusion of breakfast.
of the shore batteries are silenced by
ular accuracy of Naval gunnery.
now, due
One by one
to the spectac-
they have been snuffed
out like candles.
Some
jeeps have
been lowered into the landing boats panting
510
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
** .
And
alongside of us.
the
and crowded with boys and are holding given
fire
LCT's
are
now
it
does
so,
inland target, and a big
fire is
whom
quite a bit
look seasick
have been escorted and
Army
one of our cruisers
Europe
in, rolling
few of
their heads. These./ LCT's
cover by our destroyers. The
numbers. As
going
in khaki, only a
in
is
is
leaving us in large
thundering away at an
burning on the beach to port.
8 a.m., July 10
For the moment, after shaking
all's
quiet.
We
have
just
dropped anchor.
hands with the Admiral, General Middleton of the 45th
Division has gone ashore. In the same boat with
Lee, the INS correspondent. Fires are
and guns rumbling
The tion.
chief
A
And
news
still
smoking
him went Clark off the beaches,
intermittently. is
that there
seems
to
have been no serious opposi-
message from shore says, "Considerable
artillery
and
pris-
oners taken."
THE GELA LANDINGS COMMENCED FOR REAR ADMIRAL Hall's DIME Force at midnight of the 10th along a 5000-yard Aboard transport Barnett was Col. John W. Bowen's 25th Regimental Combat Team and the gifted novelist Jack Belden. When the first wave of LCVP's struck out for Beach Blue, a long, rough ride from the line of demarcation, Belden was present.
stretch of beach.
JACK BELDEN
4-
"SHOOT OUT
THAT GODDAMN
"Go
to
The
your debarkation
LIGHT!"
stations.''
voice on the loud-speaker rang with a harsh metallic note
through the wardroom.
The men them
It
up and blinked
and for a moment
their eyes,
stared at each other with expressions that
is it."
from
sat
Then
a few of
their chairs
.
.
them broke out
seemed
in foolish grins
all
of
to say: "This
and rose slowly
.
was pitch-dark
in the
passageways. In the inky blackness
men
stumbled against each other, but no one uttered a word. In silence we
made our way toward
the bulkhead door through which a
little light
from the boat deck outside shone. As we passed through the door, a
hand reached out and squeezed each one
of us briefly
on the arm.
"Good luck," said a voice. It was the chaplain. The moon was still shining dimly on the deck, but though we could now see, we clung close to each other for fear of becoming separated. From every passageway men, shuffling in dreary, silent attitudes, were coming out to swell the waves. They faces
made
tide of those
a depressing sight
—
going in on the assault
a composite of
and drab bodies loaded down with military
the corner of a bulkhead, the
man ahead
of
gear.
me
dead and
halted hesitantly
before a boat which was swinging violently back and forth,
ward
the deck and then
away from
it.
dull
As we turned first
to-
Several voices behind us
511
512
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
-*
Europe
in
shouted and tried to allay any feelings of doubt we had. As we
"Get
hesitated, they shouted cheerfully:
for?"
,„
in.
What
These words, spoken to show us that we were paused on hearing those words, raised
hands
his
and called back to the others: "I can't get
men back
of us yelled as
at the right boat, did
The man who was
not produce the action desired.
are you waiting
y
in."
leading our group
in a helpless gesture
As he
they were going to throw a
if
said this, the
fit.
The
leading
however, remained adamant and made no move to get
soldier,
in the
boat.
From my refusing to
coming
away
vantage point,
do
so.
The boat was rocking
The only way
short knotted line and drop
would be
suicidal.
One
to
and fro on
moment and
to enter the boat
But
in.
was
to attempt to
slight slip
was quite
that he
close against the ship's side at one
at the next.
ing boat
was evident
it
right in
swinging far
to slide
drop
would mean
davits,
its
down
a
in that swing-
down
a plunge
which was slapping now with a loud and menacing
into the water,
sound against the
ship's side
below
us.
So both the
remained standing where we were, looking the swinging boat and the ship,
at the
making no attempt
soldier
and
I
dark void between to get in.
The crowd behind us, growing impatient, again yelled imperatively Goaded by the angry voices, the soldier by me said: "Goddamit, there's no one here. Where the hell's the navy?" At these
at us.
words, the
men behind
us transferred their disapproval from us to the
whole American Navy.
"Dammit! Get some sailors!" one officer yelled. As yet the delay had not been serious, but in our overwrought of
mind
it
state
assumed exaggerated proportions, increasing our nervous-
ness to a state of shaking, angry doubt.
"God!"
said an officer
who had come up
our boats launched from the ship, what's water when they
The
soldier
start
by
my
beside us, "if it
we
can't get
going to be like in the
shooting at us?" side laughed bitterly. "Snafu! That's us.
Always
snafued."
At
last
two or three
sailors arrived, the
the soldiers slid one by one
down
boat was secured firmly,
the knotted ropes, and the boat
descended past the ship's side into the choppy water.
As we drew away from away from us
the ship, our
as quickly as
it
moment's
irritability
dropped
had come. There was an immediate
sense of gladness at getting started and a heightened awareness.
When
.-"
"Shoot Out That
we
Goddamn
515
Light!"
away from the shelter of the fleet, this feeling, however, soon gave way to another. We became sick. The rocking of the small landing craft was totally unlike anything we had experienced on the ship. It pitched, rolled, swayed, bucked, jerked from side to side, spanked up and down, undulated, careened got
and insanely danced on the throbbing, pulsing, hissing itself
flew at us, threw the
swashed over us
The
in the air, then, as
The sea came down,
sea.
it
in great roaring bucketfuls of water.
ensign standing on the high stern of the boat ordered the sailor
bow
by the
helmsman
He
bow
ramp. As he moved to do
to close the half-open
in the stern yelled: "I can't see.
did not finish his sentence.
At
.
that
moment
hissing sound, then a dull squashing crash,
down
cascaded through the ramp, throwing
so, the
." .
there
was
a loud
and a wave of water
who were
those
standing
on the deck and overrunning the boat with water. "Bail with your helmets!" called the ensign in a voice of extreme irritation.
Kneeling
now
of the boat, the
in the
puddle which sloshed up and
men scooped up
gered uncertainly to their
went down on
feet,
down
the length
the water with their helmets, stag-
threw their load overboard and then
their knees again to repeat the process.
Meanwhile, the ensign kept the boat zigzagging over the water searching in the sea for the boats of our assault wave.
time he would shout out to another boat:
wave?"
When
loudly,
turn
From
time to
"Are you the second
he would receive a negative answer, he would curse boat
the
in
another
direction
and begin searching
again.
For a long time we coursed back and forth over the water, picking up one boat here and another round and round boat was present,
in the
there.
shadow
we broke out
Then we went
of our fleet
till,
into a circle, going
certain that every
of the circle formation and headed in
a line toward a blue light, which, shining to seaward,
and down some distance ahead of
The uneven motion
of
the
Hemmed
in
crouched
like beasts, shivering
between the high
with imminent sickness.
boat was steel
now
almost unbearable.
bulkheads of the boat, the
from the cold spray,
One by one
heads away from their loosely clasped
man clambered up
was bobbing up
us.
silent,
men
but uneasy
they vomited, holding their rifles,
and moaned
softly.
One
the side of the boat and crawled out on the narrow
ledge running around the top and clung there like a
monkey, with one
516 -
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
m
Europe
in
hand clasping the boat and the other tumbling at his pants. The boat was rocking heavily; the man was swaying with its motion, and it seemed momentarily as if he would fall into the sea or a wave would
wash him overboard. The ensign to get
in a sharp voice
commanded him
back inside the boat.
"I have to
move my
bowels, Sir," the
man
said in a tone of dis-
tressed pain.
Someone
tittered.
"Jesus! What's so funny about that?" said a soldier,
and he got up and grasped the man, who was now half-hanging over the side by his shoulders. "Here, Joe," he said, "hold
From
on
to
me."
became a The boat had gathered speed bound from one wave crest to the next
that time on, our dash toward the unseen shore
nightmare of sickness, pain and
now and we were
beginning to
fear.
with a distinct shock. There were no thwarts, no seats of any kind in the boat; only the deck itself to
sit
on and the
steep, high hull of the
boat to lean against. The motion of the boat threw us
My
another.
hand
in bracing
my
on the shoulder of a young boy.
to rest
that he
was holding
ing. "It's the
his
head
in
"Oh, his
all
sure.
looked
down
at
him and saw
I said.
the ship. You'll get used to
it.
right."
The motion. You
ain't kiddin'.
I'll
head down, a sudden spasm contracting
spewed from the mouth. "Oh, I
against one
both of his hands and quietly vomit-
motion that gets you,"
"The what?" the boy said. "The motion. It's different from on You'll be
I
all
body had accidentally come
rolling
sure,
I'll
be
be
all right."
He
his shoulders,
bent
and he
right."
all
stood up and took a quick look over the boat's side. Astern our
great fleet fled, diminishing, sinking beneath the waves.
begun
to pitch
The boat had
and shudder now, swooping forward and down,
almost stationary for a moment, then
lifting
shot of spray smashed aboard over the
bows
jolting
and swooping again; a like a
thrown bucket of
I knelt down again. The boat pounded on. It rolled us against iron pipes, smashed us against coils of wire and jammed us on top of one another, compounding us with metal, water and vomit. There was nothing we
water, and
could do but wait, herded helplessly between the high, blank walls of the boat, huddled together like blind
men
not knowing where
we
were going or what was around, behind or ahead of us, only looking at
one another with anxious
eyes.
That not being able
to
tell
what was
"Shoot Out That ahead of
even one
us, to catch
slight
Goddamn
517
Light!"
glimpse of the universe outside
our tossing, rocking world, was almost unbearable, leaving us, as
manner
did, prey to all
of nighttime fancies.
wholesome motion of the boat, churning the bare
and opaque walls of the
was
and
fantastic
stomach into an uproar,
hull, shutting
out everything but the
my mind
a picture of the world
vault of the sky overhead, evoked in
outside that
my
terrifying.
Instead of feeling myself
part of a group of
American
planned invasion,
saw myself and the men
I
flung out across the
maw
it
The unnatural and un-
soldiers going ashore
on a carefully
phantoms
as strange
of the sea, into the blackness of eternity,
away from any kind of world we ever knew. I felt as if we had been caught up in some mysterious rocket, and that we were being borne onward in this bouncing projectile of machinery toward a fast revolving
nether-world goal as incapable of taking
command
own
over our
destinies as a squirrel in a cage.
In a
moment
of hollow doubt
I
my
stood up, edging
eyes over the
gunwale and looking out into the comparative world of
The
us.
side
light
around
sea was sparkling with tossed spray. Ahead, and on
either
were dodging and twisting through the choppy
of us, boats
waves, and from their sterns, waving from side to side with the
mo-
tion of the boats, showers of gleaming water streamed out behind
like
the plumes of birds. streak of light.
It
What was
of incandescent yellow that off to
our
causing the water to gleam was a wide
sprang like the
tail
of a stationary
was shining on
comet from a
ball
the edge of the blackness
left.
Suddenly, the light swung across the water, fastened on our boat
and illuminated us
on a darkened stage. In the glare, and their bodies huddling
like actors
I
the green, pale faces of the soldiers
against the hull.
"Why
Then
the light shot past and over us.
don't they shoot out that
voice from the
saw
close
depths
of
the
drowned without knowing what
goddam
searchlight?" growled a
cavernous boat.
be
We'll
"Jesus!
hit us!"
"Steady there!" said the voice of Captain Paul Carney. "Take
it
easy."
Again
I
craned
my
neck upward,
just getting the top of
my
above the hull and looking out with fascinated eyes. The
now swung onto from
balls,
had
a small group of boats which were thrashing wildly
side to side trying to escape off into the darkness.
where ahead
helmet
light
faint red flashes
began to
From some-
flicker like fireflies.
Then red
describing a high arc like a tennis lob, arched over our heads
—
518 and
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
-
down toward
fell
shake
off the
in
the illuminated^boats which could not
hunting glare of the searchlight. At this
breath and involuntarily
Below me, from the
Europe
I
seem
drew
I
to
my
in
shouted: ^They're shooting at the boats."
soldiers crouching with their heads
bottom of the boat, floated up an echo: "Shooting
toward the
at the boats
Jesus!"
Above me, and
Abruptly, our boat slowed down. right,
hung a blue
slightly to the
seemingly suspended in the
light,
Dimly
air.
I
discerned the outlines of a naval patrol vessel. Out of the darkness
above mysteriously came a metallic voice: straight ahead. You'll see a small light
Look out was
It
for mines. all
Good
very eerie
Our engine gave
Land
there.
luck."
—rocking
calling out of the black
right.
Go
ahead!
"Straight
on your
above
there
us.
But
on the sea and hearing a voice I had no time to think of this.
a sudden full-throated roar as the ensign cut off the
underwater exhaust. The boat leapt forward. The other boats behind
we sped forward like a we can only ramp and a broadside of
us raced around to either side of us, and
charging football
make
it!"
The
"Hurry!"
line.
thought. "God! If
I
sea cascaded through the
water catapulted
down on
us.
The boat shuddered, bucked, then
plunged onward in a confident show of power. All thrill
was
my
senses were not alerted to the straining point.
and excitement shot through me
like flame. It
A
flush of
was wonderful.
It
exhilarating.
Smash! Pound! Roar! Rush!
Wheee!
My mouth was
open and
—toward I
the goal.
Here we come!
giggled with insane laughter.
The sailor by the bow tapped me on the shoulder. I peered around. The boy was pointing. Ahead directly ahead two strings of dotted red lights were crossing each other. They came out from right and left,
—
—
like
two necklaces of strung red and black beads, and crossed each
other in the air
some distance before
"Machine guns!" the light
us.
The
sailor shouted. "Theirs."
little fireflies
of
were growing very close now. "Going right through them!" the
sailor shouted.
He made
a gesture with his
hand across
his throat.
"Right through them." Snap! I
I
heard a sharp cracking sound. Snap! Snap! Snap!
ducked down below the
side of the boat.
Then
I
was on
fire
flesh jerking. It
was
the deck, huddling low with the rest of the soldiers. inside, but outside
I
was
not from excitement.
cold.
No
I
could feel
longer did
all
I feel
my
any
Jittering,
half slid, half fell to
thrill.
I
The boat was
"Shoot Out That
Goddamn
pitching and rocking like a roller coaster.
Gasping for breath ing
my
I
my
pull myself together
Dimly
chin.
I
told myself
merry-go-round. Dazed,
had
I
wished that a
I
to
lips,
sick.
draw-
My
his head.
all
to
gesture
be of some use. But
I
no
to be spinning like a
would come along and
shell
we could only
horror, wetness and misery. If
this insanely
my
I
The boat seemed
longer cared about anything.
all this
now and was
knelt
and sidled over and held
was almost automatic.
end
I
sputum from
strings of
saw the boy beside me on mouth wide open and his head bent down. I tried
sleeve across
fours with his
wiped the
519
Light!"
get out of
rocketing prison. If the boat would only stop for just a
moment. Soon
I
was almost beyond
knew was
feeling. All I
that
we were
enclosed in an infernal machine, shuddering through the darkness,
toward the edge of the world, toward nowhere. slow down. felt
was a
terrible
I
neither heard nor
Then
violent shudder.
throbbing roar. At
boat came to a
saw men
first, all I
was a
and a
jerk
bump and
"Open ramp!" shouted
the ensign at the stern.
bow
of the boat,
huge jaw opening. Halfway down
down,
like a
would
see nothing.
Only
I
saw
it
swinging
stopped, stuck.
it
if
fascinated. Grappling at the
side of the boat, they pulled themselves to their feet,
and peered
uncertainly out into the darkness through the ramp. For a brief
ment they stared
No
at
one moved. farther until
nothing could be seen.
Still
it
was
level
with the water.
no one moved.
Major Grant's voice was imperious. one moved.
"Get
No
mo-
each other, then bent their heads down, shuffling
The ramp jerked down Still
We
a half-open hole.
soldiers stared at the hole as
their feet.
the
halt.
Glancing fearfully toward the
The
At
heard the engine break out into a
I
there
last,
did not feel the boat
I
get to their feet.
off!"
"Jump
off!"
he hollered again.
"You want
to get killed here?
Get
on that beach!"
With these words he a coil of wire followed.
happened I felt I
to those
leapt out into the darkness.
The
if
Another man with
waiting to see what
who had jumped.
would go crazy
vanced to the ramp. "Here
The water
others hesitated as
struck
me
if it
I
stayed in the boat any longer.
comes,"
I
like a shock. I
I
ad-
thought and jumped. kept going down.
"It's
over
my
"*
520
head,"
was
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
.
I
thought.
My
the air near by. There
sound
push forward.
Finding
I
wasn't
My
chin
sharp crackle burst
was a whine- and whizz overhead. Then a if something was striking the boat. shallower.
I
bent
helmet-covered head above the water.
shield.
A
as
The water was growing
my
Europe
sank dowrr and touched bottom.
feet
just at the water. I started to
metallic, plunking
in
realized the
hit, I
surprisingly light. "Hell!"
I
my
I felt
knees, keeping only
as
if I
were wearing a
machine-gun
said to myself, "this
fire
was so
far
not as bad as the
is
Mareth Line." It
was dark. The
fires that
be seen here. Ahead of slight slope. Figures
had been
me
I
made
visible
were crawling on hands and knees up the
Every few moments they halted and lay
now
the water
was
really shallow.
I
the beach. Bullets snapped overhead.
At
last, I
was on dry
from the ship could not
out a sandy beach, rising in a
flat
on
By
up and dashed for
straightened I
slope.
their stomachs.
threw myself
flat
on the sand.
land.
AXIS REACTION TO THE MULTI-PRONGED INVASION was
swift
and
violent,
shore
with
and Hermann Goring tanks
batteries,
dive-bombers
effecting the loss of several ships
personnel carriers. Minesweeper Sentinel was sunk, the victim of an
Stuka
enemy dive-bomber
among
the
first
at Licata. In Gela,
and
to be
where
Darby's Rangers made a splendid stand with the help of Navy pinpoint gunfire, the Nazis hurled shells from
100-mm
coastal guns
eased in tanks for support. There at 4:58 a.m. destroyer
took a Stuka
bomb under
pletely
demolished her
loss of
life.
An
officer
and
Maddox
her starboard propeller guard which com-
stern.
She sank two minutes
later with a
heavy
on a nearby ship described the explosion:
"A
great blob of light bleached and reddened the sky, tearing the night into shreds. It
anything
was followed by
we have heard
a blast
more
sullen
and deafening than
so far." Fierce land fighting and unique
Navy
versus tank battles characterized the Scoglitti landings. In the British
same type of fighting was experienced, toll was heavier. Subsequent events at Sicily were marked by increased Axis air activity and fierce tank engagements, of which we are told by Theodore Roscoe, whom we sector,
where
air activity
essentially the
was
greater,
have met before.
and the
THEODORE ROSCOE
END OF A CAMPAIGN
Had some prewar
class in destroyer
gunnery been informed that DD's
might one day tangle with enemy tanks, skeptics might have answered with an incredulous, "Oh, yeah?" Yet as World
War
II
progressed,
destroyer gunners found themselves shooting at practically everything
on the
sea,
under the
sea, in the air
—and on
land.
In the American sector of southwest Sicily the able
some 60
these crawling
Around 0830
tanks.
armored monsters
Goring Panzer Division Gela, lumbering
way
across the
—were
down from
—
At
of
spotted on the upland roads above
the foothills, eager to gore
that hour the assault forces
that date possess
And
to
their
"alarm" was the word for
had not yet landed
weapons which could
Hermann Goring models. of the
and chew
"Dime" area beachheads.
American
1st
their anti-tank
did the
Army
readily demolish
these
guns or the heavy artillery to cope with such tanks. at
avail-
D
Day morning about 30 of members of the famous Hermann
Spotting planes flashed the alarm. it.
Even tanks. Germans had
Nor
In the path of this rumbling herd, troops
Division were directly threatened. Something had
be done to stop the enemy tanks, and stop them soon. The
went out for Navy
call
gunfire.
Cruiser Boise and destroyer Jeffers took the leading tanks under fire at
0830. The cruiser's salvos ruined
disabled others. However,
some
at least
one tank and perhaps
of them, scattering, nosed steadily
521
522
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
"
forward
reached Gela's outskirts, and others debouched
until they
across the coastal plain at the
Then
Europe
in
mouth
of the Acate Valley.
Commander
destroyer Shubrick (Lieutenant
L. A. Bryan)
hurled shells at a tank column on the Gela-Ponte Olivo road. Other
"Dime"
moving
destroyers,
Hermann Goering
beach, blazed away at the
opened
after the destroyers
some 800 yards off the specimens. Not long
to firing positions
fire,
the tanks turned
tail
and returned,
leaving several burned out hulks behind them.
They were back again
the
morning
after
D-Day. To the destroyers
Boise relayed the word from her spotter, and the DD's once more
squared
off for a tank-shot.
This time the anti-tank gunnery featured the marksmanship of destroyers
C.
Laub (Commander
On
Whiting).
J.
J.
F. Gallaher)
and Cowie (Commander
fire-support mission in the joint
"Dime-Cent"
fire-
support area, the two DD's flung pinpoint salvos at the Goerings as they
came
snorting across the Gela plain.
Scorched by
shellfire, the
tank group turned
this
way and
that in a
desperate effort to find cover. Several tanks were exploded by Others, disabled, sat
down on
their
demolished tanks were counted on the
field
retreated and the cruiser-destroyer barrage
Laub was
hits.
haunches and burned. Fourteen
by the time the enemy
was
over.
credited with the destruction of at least four tanks.
commended as a big-game hunter. And "Nimrod" honors were divided among the other destroyers in on the shooting. So Gela, in American hands by D-Day afternoon, remained in American hands. Excerpt from the Action Report of Admiral HewCowie was
also
itt:
The amphibious The only serious 1st
assaults
threat
Infantry Division
(at
Sicily)
were uniformly successful.
was an enemy counterattack
when
a
German tank
the Gela plain to within one thousand yards of the
The
.
.
.
against the
force drove across
Dime
beaches.
destruction of this armored force by naval gunfire delivered
by U.S. cruisers and destroyers, and the recovery of the situation through naval support, was one of the most noteworthy events of the operations.
Tanks were not the only enemy at Gela. In the morning twilight Axis aircraft struck the "Dime" area with cyclone fury. During this raid, the transport Barnett was hit, and two other transports were clawed by fragments.
:
End About 1415
enemy again roared over
the
Campaign
of a
the coast.
And
523 later in
the afternoon a flight of Heinkels and Focke-Wulfs attacked. Liberty
Rowan, heavy-laden with ammunition, was hard hit. to the rescue of survivors. About two she was disabled, the Rowan blew up like a gargantuan
ship Robert
McLanahan steamed
Destroyer
hours after
bomb, and part of her wreckage, in shallow water, served beacon for enemy bombers that evening. Between 2150 and 2300, Axis aircraft struck The planes dropped magnesium flares to
in a series of vicious light the targets,
attacks.
bombs
fell
on the "Dime" ships
in cascades,
as a flaming
and
clumps, and clusters.
Cruiser Boise and every destroyer in the area, with the exception of Jefjers, were shaken by close straddles. Shrapnel of a near miss
Murphy, and McLanahan was shaved by
closely shaved destroyer
close one that
bounced her
manning rardi
the
stern out of the water.
doom which smote Maddox,
Mindful of the
AA
the destroyer gunners
up a sky-searing
batteries put
and Shubrick scored during
Another destroyer
a
Ghe-
aerial barrage.
this battle.
in the thick of the action
was Benson. In com-
pany with Plunkett and Niblack, she had that afternoon been screening
some minelayers while they buoyed
set she joined the destroyer screen
anchorage. At 2155 of
the
destroyer,
enemy
a minefield off Gela.
At sun-
around the threatened transport
planes dropped three flares directly astern illuminating
brilliantly
Benson and several
the
nearby transports.
At once
the ships in the vicinity
opened
fire
on the
flares
with close-
range automatic weapons. In the heat of excitement, elevation safetyangles were disregarded.
around the ships son's
main battery
jectile,
and the
Hot
steel
sang, whipped, and ricochetted
in a wild fusillade that
director-shield
blast
endangered
was struck by
knocked out her
FD
planes, Benson's gunners restrained their
a stray
hands. Ben-
20mm.
Unable
radar.
fire, if
all
to see
pro-
any
not their vocabulary.
Benson's Action Report was eventually endorsed with
this
warm
notation
The
20 mm. guns
indiscriminate use of
at
unseen targets or
targets out of range has resulted in injuries to personnel terial in
adjacent ships.
must be continuously
About 2200
several
.
.
.
Strict fire discipline is
and ma-
necessary and
stressed.
medium bombs
blasted close aboard Benson,
slashing her starboard side with shrapnel.
The
destroyer's captain,
a
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
524
Lieutenant
wounded
Commander
R.
all
Woodarhan, and 18
shooting at 2306
still
destroyers in the area were ordered to lay
measure which brought down the curtain on that
Grimed and sweaty,
—
gunnery
Europe
of the crew were and a succession of dive-bomber onslaughts which
in this
J.
ensued. Benson fought off the planes^ and was
when
in
Navy gun crews had
the
smoke screen
—
night's air battle.
learned a basic law of
that friendly projectiles, recklessly fired, can be as danger-
ous as enemy bombs.
The
terrible impartiality of projectiles
when 24
the early hours of the 12th,
shot
down by American
was demonstrated again
in
Allied planes through error were
naval batteries and shore guns.
By
a ghastly
blunder the planes had been sent on a course which differed from the
one that had been announced
many
—
a fatal error which cost the lives of
British paratroopers.
While "Operation Husky" was featured by crack sharpshooting, also
it
emphasized the drastic need for careful gunhandling, target rec-
ognition,
and a
strict
adherence to scheduled moves through zones
otherwise subject to friendly
By
fire.
the evening of July 12 the Americans had a solid foothold on
southwest lished
"Husky"
Sicily, the British
on the
island's eastern coast,
starting the return run to ish troops battled their
forces were equally well estab-
and the emptied transports were
North Africa. Then,
way
perimeter of the island to
as
American and
inland, Allied warships
hammer
at
Brit-
moved around
the
shore installations and to pre-
vent the Italians from landing any reinforcements.
From
captured
Pozzallo,
Noto,
and Syracuse, General Mont-
gomery's British and Canadian divisions hooked northward toward
Mount
Etna.
A
wing of Patton's
Army
drove westward along the
coast to Marsala. Another wing pushed directly northward into Sicily's
mountainous
interior.
And
a third raced
island to seize the strategic port of
the troops reached
all
the
way
Palermo on the north
across the
coast.
When
Palermo on July 22 they slammed shut an Axis
escape-hatch, and American destroyers were rushed to the port to
keep
it
locked.
Group 80.2 8. The under command of Captain C. Wellborn, Jr., task group contained destroyers Wainwright (Commander R. H. Off Palermo in the afternoon of July 25 arrived Task
ComDesRon
Gibbs); Mayrant (Commander E. K. Walker);
Rowan
(Lieutenant
Commander R. S. Ford); and Rhind (Lieutenant Commander O. W. Spahr, Jr.). The group's roster included 12 mine vessels and four
End
of a
Campaign
525
patrol craft, the "miners" assigned to the important task of sweeping
the approaches to Palermo. Captain Wellborn rode in Wainwright.
Upon
on
station
Palermo
arriving in the
group immediately took
area, the
and the mine group began
a patrol line off the seaport,
exploratory sweeping. Evening and night of the 25th proved quiet.
But the destroyermen suspected
this
was the
lull
before the storm.
In the morning of July 26 the storm broke. Mayrant saw at
0931 when her radar picked up
minutes the planes were
As
in
view
—
Another flew
came
plane
One
of the Junkers broke
dragging a long
off at a tangent,
coming few
three Junker 88's.
the destroyer steamed across the water her gunners
with two ready 5-inch 38's.
it
aircraft five miles distant. In a
tail
up
opened
fire
into shards.
of smoke.
The
third
on.
Mayrant's Action Report vividly describes the destroyer-versus-
Junker battle that ensued.
Speed was changed put over to
Before the ship had even begun to swing, a
full right.
or 4
stick of 3
25 knots, and the rudder was
to flank speed
bombs was dropped on
the starboard side, dis-
tance about 150 yards, by a plane approaching from
had not been previously
astern,
was immediately followed
sighted. This
by a plane attacking from the port quarter, which had not been previously sighted. This was or two
time
believed that
it is
all
dropped
bomb 102^.
his stick of
guns which were manned were
second
40
of about
4 bombs which straddled the Mayrant.
bomb
yards.
At
that instant the ship
and nearly
all
on
One
beam at frame beam at a distance
off the port
landed off the starboard
was accelerating and had
swung through approximately 50 degrees listed heavily to port
firing
However, one of these planes
landed approximately 5 feet
A
of the ship
contact group. At this
in the initial
the initial contact on the port bow.
also not
followed by a stick of one
bombs dropped approximately 500 yards ahead
by one of the three planes
which
of her turn.
The
ship
personnel were thrown to the
deck or against bulkheads. All
dead
main and
auxiliary
steampower
lost,
Mayrant was
sorely hurt,
water without steerageway, her forward engine-room and
in the
after fireroom completely flooded,
and the forward fireroom and
after
engine-room flooding rapidly. The emergency Diesel generator took over the ship's electrical load for a minute or two, then
power was
lost as the generator's cooling
system
failed.
all electrical
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
526
Helping the wounded,
men groped
their
way out
in
Europe
of the black pass-
ages and flooded compartments belp_w Water engulfed the after 7 engine-room at 0945 and simultaneously rose in the forward fireroom to within four feet of the waterline.
Commander Walker,
at
0953,
ordered the whaleboat overside, and directed the jettisoning of
all
topside guns and gear that could be torn loose.
But the destroyermen did not abandon. Although the ship had no
more than 14 inches
of freeboard and a 4 degree
list,
the compart-
ments which were not flooded showed no sign of leakage, and the vessel
remained stubbornly
When seriously
afloat.
Wainwright and Rhind came up to stand by, Mayranfs
wounded were
transferred by whaleboat to Captain Well-
born's flagship. After the
wounded were
transferred, the boats fetched
pumps and hoses from Rhind, Wainwright, and minecraft At 1046
The
With
up alongside
Strive snugged
power
furnish
guns.
Skill
and
which were on the scene.
Strive
the disabled destroyer to
pumps and for Mayranfs came up to give a hand.
5 -inch and
for the
Skill also
and
Strive alongside
Skill tugging
on a tow
line,
destroyer was started for Palermo at 6 knots. But three
bombers came
drilling
down
40mm.
the half-sunk
more enemy
the sky at just this critical time, and
once more Mayranfs gunners raced to their mounts.
Roaring over
Rhind
at
for targets,
The destroyermen one
aircraft
It
high noon, the planes picked Wainwright and
and bombs
fell
close aboard the zigzagging DD's.
elevated a fiery canopy that burnt the wings of
and brought
it
down
crashing
—
a
kill
credited to Rhind.
would seem the bombers missed an opportunity by
failing to
attack disabled Mayrant. Perhaps not. Although her engines were
paralyzed, her the
enemy
AA
guns were not, and they were
firing all-out
when
fled.
Mid-afternoon found Mayrant
off the
entrance to Palermo, after a
15-mile tow. Strive and a subchaser jockeyed her into the harbor.
Reporting the episode, Mayranfs
mention of the
"fine
Commanding
Officer
made
special
seamanship and invaluable assistance" which
Strive contributed that day.
He
concluded that without help from the
minecraft, the destroyer might have gone down.
Mayranfs battle casualties were two men lost, 13 wounded. the wounded was a young lieutenant, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr. A large segment of the American public remained unaware of the
Among
:
End fact that the President's son striper in a destroyer off
Also serving
in
Campaign
527
had been injured while serving
as a two-
of a
Palermo.
Mayrant were Lieutenant
(jg)
bombs
Donald E. Craggs,
M.
U.S.N.R., and Chief Machinist's Mate Harold
Steeves.
When
the
struck the ship, the blast wrecked the forward engine-room.
F. F. Decker, a Machinist's Mate,
violence that broke his legs.
stunned and helpless.
was hurled across the
Water plunged over him
And Decker would
tenant Craggs fought his
way
partment to drag him to
as
he lay
have drowned had not Lieu-
across the swirling, steam-choked
At
safety.
com-
same time Chief Steeves
the
clawed through the wreckage to rescue R.
Mate who was trapped
floor with a
W.
Peterson, a Machinist's
smashed machinery, plunging
in a snare of
water, and scalding steam. Steeves, Craggs,
Mayrant on the batteries,
young Roosevelt
surface. These,
her pumps,
—
these were the
men who
kept
and the men who manned her gun-
her bridge.
And
her skipper,
Commander
Walker.
Then rick.
at
there were the destroyermen
She was the second American
who manned
DD
to
the U.S.S. Shub-
undergo a severe blasting
Palermo.
During a raid delivered on August
ammunition
1,
enemy bombs set fire to an drums stored on the
blew up damaged destroyer Mayrant under repair at the dock. Another raid hit the port about 0400 in the morning of August 4th. At that date and time the warships of Task Force 88 were anchored in the outer harbor. Among those present was destroyer Shubrick a cargo of gasoline
ship,
wharf, and
(Lieutenant
When
Commander
the alert
occupy a screening
station
on the starboard bow of cruiser Savannah
headed for open
as the latter
Report, here
L. A. Bryan).
was sounded, Bryan got his ship under way to
is
sea.
As
related in Shubrick's Action
the account of her ordeal
Various speeds (5 to 10 knots) were used to maintain position while endeavoring to avoid creating a phosphorescent wake. During this ally
period aircraft flares were being dropped on aircraft
all sides.
Occasion-
motors were heard, and numerous bombs dropped
near-by, close enough to shake the ship markedly.
however, to see the
aircraft,
and
AA
fire
It
was impossible,
was directed
at
the
side,
and
sound.
At 0430
a plane
was heard diving from the starboard
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
528
was accordingly taken under a stick of three
bombs
shook violently and
fire.
it
was
at
pounds struck
just aft of the
hit,
passed over,
it
one over. The ship
once apparent that the
The bomb, estimated
serious one.
Immediately after
landed, one short, one
Europe
in
to
hit
was a
be either 500 pounds or 1,000
torpedo tube,
at
frame 101, three feet 30° from
to port of the centerline, direction of travel to port about
the vertical.
It
penetrated the main deck just inside the electrical
workshop and detonated
in the vicinity of the shell plating at the
turn of the bilge, about 5 feet forward of the bulkhead between
forward engine-room and after fireroom. The explosion ruptured this
bulkhead, creating a hole about 15 feet by 10 feet in the shell
Both spaces flooded immediately. Steam
plating.
tured in both spaces, severely burning All light and
power was
lost
were rup-
lines
personnel present.
all
immediately.
Due
to split-plant
operations, the flooding of the two engineering spaces and the in-
heat of the
tense
escaping steam,
it
was impossible
sufficient repairs to use the port engine.
dead
The
to
effect
was therefore
ship
water although the bulkheads held water out of the
in the
forward fireroom and after engine-room and steam was bottled up
one and two.
in boilers
No
further air attack
Medical assistance was rushed cruiser Philadelphia
had perished
the
this ship
critically;
Mayranfs
But, as in
of Shubrick's
Of the 17 men who were seven would die in the hospital.
case, the Shubrick
developed.
destroyer from
disabled
and destroyer Knight. Nine
in the blasting.
were wounded
vessel
to
on
remained
afloat.
and a subchaser tugged the disabled destroyer
crew
injured,
A
14
mine
into the inner
harbor where she was tied up to the Mayrant alongside the salvage vessel Chamberlin.
When
the blockbuster struck, the Shubrick 's after fireroom
was
transformed into a torture chamber. Live steam, invisible and murderous, spurted from broken pipes. in blindness
.
.
.
Men
and floundered
slipped, slid,
sea water rushed in with a roar
.
.
.
they were
trapped, suffocating, drowning.
Chief Water Tender assistance.
A
J.
W. Daugherty, US.N.R., went to He cut down this
blackout device blocked his way.
and forced an entry
their
gear,
into the fast-flooding, steam-fogged compart-
ment. Shouting orders and encouragement, he reached the imprisoned
men. For
Navy
this heroic
Cross.
endeavor, Chief Dougherty was awarded the
End He was
of a
Campaign
529
joined in the rescue effort by Chief Water Tender
J.
J.
W. W. Pemberton. Together these and drowning to fight their way into the fireroom
Dennison, and Machinist's Mate
men braved and release
scalding
their shipmates.
This rescue might have been impossible but for the action of Chief Machinist's
Mate
F.
M. Borcykowski, whose
quick-thinking and
damage-control work met emergency requirements immediately after Shubrick was bombed.
And skill
all
wounded might have died but
of the critically
for the
and professional acumen of Lieutenant G. M. Caldwell, U.S.N.R.,
ship's Sterile
Medical
The
Officer.
destroyer's light
had been extinguished.
water was lacking. There were no hospital anesthetists ... no
laboratory
facilities
Someone fetched
... no
Someone held
blankets.
shipmate's arm, preparing
it
wounded
lights.
Someone scrubbed
suffering
a
and expertly he
for injection. Quickly
maimed, those
treated the burned, the of the desperately
operating room. Caldwell improvised.
from shock. Seven
pulled through.
But there were many of that kind of men
in the
Navy's Destroyer
The foregoing episodes were related in some detail to give an picture of destroyer damage and ship-saving which was typical
Service. inside
rather than exceptional. Typical of both the ships and the
served in them
.
.
men who
.
THE FIRST AMERICAN NAVAL FORCES TO ENTER PAlermo, on July 23, were eight boats of Lieutenant ley Barnes'
MTB
Ron
night with orders to set
secured.
By
15,
which had
sailed
Commander
Stan-
from Bizerte the previous
up an operating base
as
soon as the port was
that time elements of Patton's Seventh
Army were
enter-
ing the city.
The
story of Barnes'
PTs
is
told
by the squadron commander
himself as seen through the eyes of Captain Robert historian of that service arm.
J.
Bulkley,
Jr.,
CAPTAIN ROBERT
J.
BULKLEY,
JR.
/-7
6.
PALERMO
PTS AT
"At dawn ... we were
off Ustica
boat putt-putting toward
Italy.
.
.
.
First thing off
we saw
a fishing
Going over we found a handful
of
very scared individuals crawling out from under the floor plates hopefully
waving white handkerchiefs. This was the
Admiral that he
at
was
The only reason we didn't getting down to the dock and
Trapani. late
staff of the
get the
Italian
Admiral was
his staff said to hell
with him. In addition to a few souvenir pistols and binoculars
captured a whole
fruit crate of thousand-lira notes
tantly turned over to the
Army
authorities later.
While
on, one of the other boats spotted a raft with seven feebly paddling out to sea.
The boats put Arbuckle,
into
USNR,
216 (Lt. Eugene S. A.
led PT's (jg.)
in
We
(jg.)
at
was going it
0800, and that night Lt. Ernest C.
W. Knox
(Lt. (jg.)
Cecil Sanders,
Clifford,
this
Germans on
picked those up too."
Palermo
PT 209
we
which we reluc-
USNR)
USNR)
USNR), PT 204 (Lt.
Eldredge,
and
eastward to the Italian coast
just
north of the Strait of Messina, the narrow strip of water separating Sicily
from the toe of the
boats had undertaken a
Italian boot.
new mission
—
On
arrival at
to prevent
Palermo the
enemy supply and
evacuation of Sicily by patrolling the northern approaches to the Strait of
Messina.
Half a mile
off the coast
the 8,800-ton Italian
530
near Palmi the boats found a tug towing
merchant ship Viminale. Sanders scored a
tor-
PTs pedo
on the
hit
teries, the
As
water.
ship,
and then under
boats strafed the tug until
Palermo
at
ineffective fire it
531
from shore bat-
was smoking and dead
in the
the boats retired they saw the Viminale sink stern
first.
Later, the tug also sank.
Two
nights later Lieutenant Mutty, in
PT 202
Robert D.
(Lt. (jg.)
McLeod, USNR), with PT 210 (Lt. (jg.) John L. Davis, Jr., USNR) and PT 214 (Lt. (jg.) Ernest W. Olson, USNR), had the squadron's first encounter with F-lighters. The F-lighters, which from this time on became the principal prey of the Mediterranean PT's, were somewhat similar to, but considerably larger than, our LCT's. They were 170
about 120 tons, and
feet long, with a cargo-carrying capacity of
were so well compartmented
their hulls
PT's to sink them with anything learned after their
first
foolish to try to fight
heavily
armed than
less
that
it
was impossible
than a torpedo
The PT's
hit.
few engagements with F-lighters that
them
the PT's
with guns; the F-lighters
and
for
was
it
were far more
far less vulnerable to gunfire.
Mutty's division found seven F-lighters in column northeast of
Stromboli and sneaked in to 500 yards. Each boat fired two torpedoes, and at
300 yards
started to turn away.
second lighter in column sent up a fire.
flare,
During the
turn, the
apparently a signal to open
All of the lighters immediately opened with a great
volume of
76mm., 20mm., and machinegun fire, which the PT's returned. Alit was felt that two torpedoes hit home, German records show that they all missed. A few seconds later it became apparent that the fire from the PT's, while hitting the F-lighters, was also giving them a point of aim. The PT's ceased fire and laid smoke, and the enemy fire though
became
inaccurate.
The 202 had
holes in the hull, and one
a punctured gasoline tank, several
man wounded. The
other boats were not,
hit.
On 218
the following night, July 28/29, Lieutenant Arbuckle, in
(Lt.
(jg.)
PT
Donald W. Henry, USNR), with Olson's 214 and MAS boats. The
Reade's 203 made a torpedo attack on three Italian
torpedoes were well aimed but passed under the enemy without ex-
The PT's idled away and Arbuckle decided to attack again, making a gunnery run with the 218, while the other two boats maneuvered for a torpedo attack. He closed to 100 yards and began to ploding.
strafe the lighters. "This," said the action report,
returned with a heavy volume of directed principally at
20mm. and
PT
fire
from
all
218. The boat was
suffered considerable
"was immediately
enemy hit
vessels
.
.
.
repeatedly with
damage which included
the holing
~
532
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
Europe
in
of the vessel below the waterline forward, puncturing of both forward
The engagement was broken
gas tanks, and disabling of one engine.
Edmund
Arbuckle, Henry, and Ens. officer of the
Jacobs,
F.
USNR,
218, were wounded. Henry and Jacobs were
the deck, but Arbuckle, painfully self
;
;'~
off in confusion."
up and organized the crew
wounded
in the heel,
The
to save the boat.
second
on
flat
propped him-
crew's quarters
were flooding, one engine was knocked out, and several hundreds of gallons of gasoline
had drained
Under Arbuckle's
into the bilges.
direction the crew partially bailed out the flooded
compartment and
plugged the biggest holes. Three hours later Arbuckle brought his boat alongside the destroyer Wainwright at Palermo. Then he collapsed.
On
Lt. (jg.)
Devol's
Richard H. O'Brien
PT
firing six
lighters forced
MAS
ing the
in Clifford's
PT
F-lighters. This time
204, with Lt.
them
MAS
to retire.
boats before heavy
The
Norman
MAS
207, engaged two F-lighters escorted by four
torpedoes and strafing the
one of the
said
met
the night of July 29/30, PT's again
boats,
from
fire
command-
Italian officer
boats in this action was later interviewed in Capri.
one F-lighter had been sunk and one
badly damaged that
MAS
was abandoned and sunk by the other
it
He
boat had been so
MAS
boats. "It
enemy
seemed
after that
engagement," Barnes
last
finally got the idea that
we
weren't going to
let
"that the
said,
them make
that
northern run any more. They confined their future efforts almost exclusively to running back and forth inside the strait below Messina
where nobody could get During
this
at
them except
aircraft."
period the squadron continued to undertake special
missions for the Office of Strategic Services. '
tenant John Shaheen,
USNR,
"A team
under Lieu-
arrived quietly and mysteriously for a
venture called 'Operation MacGregor,' " Barnes said. "Essentially the idea
was
to get a letter
Rear Admiral it
quits
from our Government through
in the Italian
Navy
to a certain
suggesting that the Italian
and offering certain inducements
to that end.
Our
Navy
call
part of the
operation was to land and recover an agent with the letter and to bring someone out for a parley.
gave O'Brien the job of putting the
He trained with members of the team while waiting for dark moon period, teaching them to handle and navigate
thing over. suitable
I
rubber boat. The
first
a a
attempt (August 10, 1943) at landing in the
PTs
at
533
Palermo
Gulf of Gaeta failed when the boats ran into numerous fishing or patrol craft
which made an unobserved landing impossible but the
second attempt (August 12) was successful. The agent never did
meet the rendezvous although the boats were there waiting for him.
As
it
turned out the
somewhat
late,
reached the proper hands and, although
letter
apparently had considerable influence on the subse-
quent surrender of the Italian Navy."
At
end of
the
July,
Rear Adm. Lyal A. Davidson arrived
Palermo with Task Force 88
—two — support
cruisers, several destroyers,
an assortment of landing craft Lt.
Gen. George
to
15/16 August,
night of
six
enemy E-boat
DuBose, commanding the northern PT group,
USNR), PT 215
(Lt.
George A.
PT 216 (Lt. (jg.) Cecil C. Sanders, USNR) to two German E-boats off the Italian coast. "The Germans opened
a heavy
On
Sicily.
the
"Fire was returned with
all
attacks. Lieutenant
PT 205
Steele, Jr.,
(Ens. Robert
USNR), and
sighted and gave chase
and accurate
20mm., and smaller guns and headed south reported.
support and a
fire
northern coast of
PT's were assigned to screen one of these
landings at Spadafora from possible
T. Boebel,
and
the eastward advance of
Army by
Patton's Seventh
S.
series of leapfrog landings along the
at
at
fire
with
40mm.,
high speed," Barnes
guns that could bear
overtaking chase and the range closed to 400 yards.
in the
The enemy
turned away, laid smoke and dropped depth charges, employing every
The PT's were handicapped by their inmake more than 25 knots, the 216 lagging the other PT's to
possible evasive maneuver. ability to
such an extent that
it
was unable
to take part in the
any length of time. ... All PT's were
hit
engagement for
repeatedly but miraculously
no serious damage was incurred. Four men were wounded on the 216. Subsequent interview with an Italian
E
boat
flotilla
after the capitulation of Italy revealed that in the
German E-boats suffered heavy casualties totalling the German flotilla commander who was killed." Lack
of speed prevented the Pt's
E-boats but, in forcing
them
14.
PT
commander
engagement the These included
from conclusive action against the
to retire, the PT's
accomplished their
primary mission of protecting our assault forces from E-boat attack.
None
facilities
ance
make more than 27 or 28 knots The boats were overloaded, maintenance
of the squadron's boats could
during the
summer
of 1943.
were limited, and the engines would not give top perform-
in the heat of the
Mediterranean summer.
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
534
Two and
a half hours after the
205 intercepted six Italian
sailors
Europe
PT
engagement with the E-boats,
a small sailboat and captured a
merchant
in
who had been
German
and
officer
enroute to Italy from the
island of Lipari, one of the Eolie group to the north of Sicily. Ques-
tioning of the sailors indicated that islands
and that the
no Germans remained
Italian inhabitants
in the
would welcome a chance
to
surrender to Americans.
Accordingly, under orders from Admiral Davidson to effect sur-
DuBose
render of the Eolie Islands,
morning of August 17
PT 216
(jg.) Sanders'
carried an
Army
in
military
Army
enlisted
7
The
the squadron.
from Palermo on the
PT
215, with Lieutenant
and Lieutenant DeVol's
American
officer,
set out
Lieutenant Steele's
PT
217. The boats
government representative,
men, and 17 extra
1
other
men from
enlisted
destroyer Trippe was assigned as a supporting
force for the PT's.
The boats entered Lipari Harbor without opposition and found Naval Commandant of the islands waiting for them on
Italian
dock. Within 10 minutes he had surrendered unconditionally the
the the is-
lands of Alicudi, Filicudi, Salina, Stromboli, Lipari, and Vulcano.
While the military government establishment of a
new
civil
officer negotiated with the
government for the
rounded up 19 prisoners, and
after the
commandant had
messages demanding concurrence of the other islands render, put the radio station out of commission.
mayor
for
PT men
islands, the
sent radio
in
the sur-
Only the
island of
Stromboli refused to agree to the surrender.
The PT's occupied Stromboli
late in the
that an Italian chief petty officer and his
barracks and confidential papers.
afternoon.
They found
30 men had destroyed
The PT men took 19 more
pris-
oners, destroyed a radio station, and the military government officer
advised the mayor of the agreement reached at Lipari for istration.
Then
fallen that
day
ON JULY
civil
admin-
the PT's returned to Palermo to find that Messina .
27,
.
had
.
TWO DAYS AFTER
MUSSOLINI
HAD BEEN
ousted and placed in protective custody by the Italians themselves, ;
traffic. It was at this time that Rear Admiral Lyal A. Davidson's Task Force 88 (Support Force)
Palermo harbor was opened to Allied
PTs was organized by Hewitt and Patton's Seventh
up
to render gunfire missions for
Savannah and
working over by a
a fierce
welcome
strike of
Trippe,
destroyers,
five
Gherardi and Nelson, and a few hours
Jeffers,
535
Palermo
Army. Davidson entered Palermo harbor with
Philadelphia,
ship
sent
at
later
Focke-Wulfs.
to a "hot" zone, a prelude to a strike
Knight,
was subjected
Mayrant and
stroyer
obliterating
to
was a proper
It
by forty-eight German
bombers which slipped through the radar defenses on August blasted Palermo harbor, further
flag-
1
and
damaging the already-damaged dean ammunition train. On August 4
the Luftwaffe struck again; destroyer Shubrick
was the
victim. Raids
continued during the enemy evacuation of the island, and there was
even a brief
by two
sortie
and Eugenio
coli
Italian light cruisers,
At Patton's request, Ludlow performed bombardment missions from
miles
Raimondo Montecuc-
which were fortunately intercepted
di Savoia,
Sicily.
Philadelphia, at Brolo,
thirty
Bristol
and
and shot down a
half-dozen Focke-Wulfs. But the Italian evacuation, organized by
Admiral Barone, was a complete success
manner
of craft, including
German
though Davidson covered Patton's
— 7000 men escaped
and motor launches. Al-
ferries
last attacks
on the enemy's rear
Spadafora, the evacuation was completed by the 16th.
campaign
men
—
of the
a limited, costly venture
—was
over,
The
at
Sicilian
and more than 3000
combined Allied forces were dead.
Soon decision was reached Messina
of crossing
major objective, Salerno.
as to the next
In the meantime Montgomery's Eighth
ment
in all
Army was
Strait to the Italian
given the assign-
mainland. Only once
before in history had an invasion "up the boot" of Italy been accomplished
—fourteen
centuries earlier
when
the
Emperor
Justinian sent
General Belisarius to the shores of Rhegium, and thence to
his
Naples.
Under cover
of a fierce artillery
bombardment, backed by
Royal Navy guns, Montgomery's Eighth crossed the tember left
3
and
swiftly
moved
inland.
On
Strait
Bizerte and steamed for Taranto, occupying that port
on Sep-
Navy
the 8th a Royal
force
and accept-
ing the surrender of an Italian cruiser force. (Italy was, in effect, out
of the
war
as of
September
3;
officially
quently, a large portion of her fleet
on September
8.
Subse-
was attacked and destroyed by the
Luftwaffe while attempting to surrender.)
Operation "Avalanche," headed for Salerno, got underway Sep-
tember
8,
with assault convoys leaving from Algiers, Bizerte, Oran,
Palermo, Termini and Tripoli and approaching the Italian mainland through the Gulf of Salerno. The principal
Army
contingent in the
536
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
in
Europe
United States Navy's Southern Force was the 36th Infantry Division,
commanded by General Mark was the
brilliant,
Clark.^Avalanche's naval
commander
omnipresent Admiral H. K. Hewitt.
Aboard Ancon was Quentin Reynolds, roughhewn champion uninhibited reporting. sea.
He
of
takes us aboard Hewitt's flagship and out to
QUENTIN REYNOLDS
7-
SHE'S
A LUCKY SHIP-
YOU HOPE!
It
was a
nice, large ship,
communication that
I
and so
felt if I
full of
apparatus for detection and
down
sat
in
any given chair
I'd
be
was the headquarters and flagship in the previous two invasions and there was some reason to believe that the Germans had spotted it. However, that was a chance we had to take. We were going to take a lot of chances in this operation right from the beginelectrocuted. It
ning but, as the ball players say,
"You
can't get a base hit
you don't
if
take your bat off your shoulder ..."
We that.
spent the night tied up to our dock in Algiers, and
The
night before I'd
Fighter Wing, and they had told the following night. This
my
had dinner with
was the
me
I
didn't like
pals of the
Second
they expected a raid on Algiers
night.
When
they raid Algiers they
We
had a couple of pretty good sluggers alongside of us: H.M.S. King George V and H.M.S. Howe, Britain's newest fashions in battleships. They could ignore the city and concentrate on the harbor.
throw up a tremendous amount of
flak,
but I've never had
confidence in even the excellent Algiers brand of
flak.
much
The odd plane
or two can always get through. But nothing happened.
We up
slipped out so quietly at 7 a.m. that
at ten,
Navy was
had a
salt
all right.
I
never
woke
up.
I
did get
then a fresh shower and decided that the U. I
went
to the
wardroom
for breakfast
shocked to find that the navy stopped serving breakfast
S.
and was
at 8:30.
This
537
The
538
Mediterranean and France, Victory in Europe
was indeed a blow
to a person
who
believes that nothing worth while
ever happens before 10 a.m., whether on land or sea. But there was
always coffee, the Negro mess attendants told me. There was beautistrong American coffee, and
ful,
I
went
They
six cups.
on
living
didn't
that coffee
made
was drinking
I
of acorns I'd been
we'd had in
in Russia, or the miserable chickory coffee
Godawful imitation French
Sicily or the
The longer
giers.
know about
and clowned
into the galley
with the mess boys, hoping they wouldn't notice that
stay abroad the
I
American
to think that everything
some
terpart. In
cases
more is
better than
may be wrong
I
coffee they gave us in Al-
provincial I become.
I
begin
European coun-
its
—but not about
coffee.
resemblance between French, Russian, or British coffee and our real coffee
is
entirely accidental.
After breakfast
found
it
filled
trip after
and
all.
briefed.
thought
Any own
I
investigated the ship's library and, to
with detective
stories. It
would,
my
delight,
decided, be a good
I
Then we were called to the operations room forward Until now we didn't know where we were headed. We
Italy,
but
might be Sardinia or Corsica.
it
might be Taranto or Naples or most anywhere
If
were
it
We
else.
Italy
it
were told the
whole story of the operation by Commander Richard English, one of the naval planners,
was to be Salerno, spot.
We
were told
and a G-2
officer,
and an
air force colonel. It
thirty-five miles south of Naples. It that,
was the
undoubtedly, the Germans knew
logical
we were on
our way. The audacity of the plan subdued us considerably, especially when we realized the problem of air cover. Our fighters would all have to come from Sicily, 1 80 miles away. That meant about a forty-
minute
flight
because of
its
for a Spit or a P-38.
We
realized that the Spitfire,
lower fuel capacity, could stay over us for only a short
The P-38s, with their longer range, could stick around for about an hour. However, we were to have four British converted aircraft
time.
carriers carrying Seafires
But
still
our
—
air protection
Spits modified to land
was going
Then General Mark Clark off the bridge. sit
Lanky,
likable,
to
be mighty
called for us.
Mark Clark
We
on
carrier decks.
thin.
went
grinned
to his cabin just
when he
fold us to
down.
"How do you like our plan?" he asked. "My God, it's daring!" I blurted out. "My God, it is daring," he laughed. "Sure, the lion's mouth.
We know
it.
we're spitting right into
But we have to do
that.
We
had
several
Lucky Ship
She's a alternate plans
and we studied them
all
— You Hope!
539
seemed
carefully. This
to be
the only real answer."
"Do you
expect either strategic or tactical surprise?"
asked
I
him. "Certainly not strategic surprise."
and made himself comfortable any
stretched out his long legs
"And
a port in Italy. Naples after
it
good
isn't
would
is
we
from the beaches north of Naples or go
They know,
we know,
as
get
could
into Salerno as
They know
stretch our air cover to the breaking point.
that landing there
There
is
no doubt
on the Salerno beaches." He looked
"We may
we
that the coastline north of Naples
for landing an assault force.
and added,
We
the obvious port for us to go after.
that they figure us to land
ous,
if
German G-2 is good. They we have studied them. They know we want and need
of Italy as
are doing.
doubt
I
have studied these
tactical surprise.
maps go
He
in his chair.
get hurt, but
you
seri-
can't play with fire
without the risk of burning your fingers.
"By
the way," he said, turning to me, "I have a message for you
from Butch.
I
had dinner with him
last night."
"Butch" was Commander Harry Butcher, Naval Aide to General Eisenhower.
"The message was," General Clark quoted,
my watch wet.' I
looked
watch
guiltily at the wrist
I
to get
Clark. "But to get this
"He
my I
feet wet,
much
hope Butch
was leading the
"Making
isn't
—
left
first
watch
lent
me
Butch's watch,"
his. "I I
don't even
said fervently to
sucker enough to think he's ever going
that's all,"
and
Clark I
we had
And if it Army would
said.
marveled
at his
real invasion of the continent.
composure.
He
was, he told
Montgomery's
the play designed to be the pay-off; the
was the Sunday punch. into
He
Messina was merely a quick quarterback
play. Or, in terms of the ring,
jab; ours
everything
My own
the longest end run in history." General
Our end run was
touchdown the
less
easily,
slash across the Straits of thrust.
to get
watch back?"
has vague hopes
Clark sat there talking
us,
Quent not
was wearing.
had broken the week before and Butch had want
" 'Tell
"
Montgomery's attack was We were going to throw
it.
missed? Clark, as
be the goat.
A
Commanding General
general has to win battles
excuses are accepted. This was Clark's there relaxed, smiling, confident.
first
of the Fifth
—
or else.
No
big chance, and he sat
540
-
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
"Are you apprehensive about what
Europe
in
will
do?"
"Ihft Scared stiff of
what
their
air
asked
I
him.
"Apprehensive?" he exploded. but
will do,
we hope
to
have two of
D
by
their air fields
their air
plus 2 and
then our fighters won't have that long pull from Sicily."
"When do you expect to establish headquarters He shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows? If cording to plan
We
want
—and
it
never does
—
to get this ship out of the
far too vulnerable.
Yet
communications are
When we
left
may
I
ashore?" everything goes ac-
I can't establish
General Clark we
headquarters ashore until our
a
felt
better because of his
little
— He make mistakes — and he was
at
.
.
.
dinner (the navy has dinner at noon)
the Catholic chaplain, Lieutenant Ballinger.
deck
at four-thirty
acts the
every afternoon.
Pope ever did
I
He
to give
Mass any time up
Jimmy Sheean had
said,
and
the gun
last official
our army and navy
to 7 p.m. I
opposite
I sat
Mass on
said
suppose one of the
America was
for
chaplains permission to say Ballinger what
that.
if
Eisenhower had
large units in combat, but
picked him. General Eisenhower didn't
Mark Clark
It is
up."
set
had never commanded
That noon
plus 2.
harbor as soon as possible.
quiet air of confidence. Clark at forty-six looks thirty-six
sold on
D
on
get ashore
I
told Father
suggested that he in-
corporate a special prayer for good weather in his Mass that day.
Had
any one of
his Jersey City parishioners ever suggested that to
Father Ballinger in pre-war days, he probably would have laughed.
But he
was
didn't laugh this time. Gradually, a thin gauze of tension
wrapping
itself
around the ship and around each one of
creeping up on Salerno, and keeps. Father Ballinger
The weather was
we
all
nodded and
real
knew
that this
said quietly,
us.
was a
We
were
fight for
"Not a bad idea."
Mediterranean weather
at its best.
The sun
tinted the sea with gold and, because of the varying depths of the
water,
it
took on hues of blue, aquamarine and indigo and, where the
water was very deep, emerald green.
now ships were all around us. Our convoy moved smoothly
We
had kept a rendezvous, and
in parallel lines,
three hundred yards from the one in front and a
those on
either side.
some could be
Most
identified as
little
further
from
of the ships were large troop ships and
former luxury
coast, for our next rendezvous
for dinner that night
each ship perhaps
was
and peach
liners.
off Bizerte.
pie
and
all
We We
were hugging the
had roast turkey
the coffee a
man
could
She's a drink.
ahead of the game. months. Our navy rule
— You Hope!
was the best food
It
good
is
made by former
had
I'd
was
I
seven
in nearly
except for the childish
to travel with,
Secretary of the Navy, Josephus Daniels, the
(some twenty-five years ago,)
prohibitionist
541
no matter what happened from now on
figured that
I
Lueky Ship
that
could be served on any American naval vessel.
I
no alcoholic drinks think that to be one
of the
most un-American orders ever enforced on our armed
There
is
absolutely no reason for
forces.
beyond the fanaticism of our
it,
former Secretary of the Navy. The navy of every other country in the world serves drinks, and
happened
ships' officers
rooms of
wagons, and
Royal Navy
A
in three I
never recall a battle being lost because the
warships,
British
all
I
to be drunk.
on the
It
U.S.S.
ward-
in the
gunboats up to battle
little
and a half years of frequent traveling with the
have never seen any
drink tastes mighty good
hour watch.
Drinks are served
from
officer or
man
when you come
would have been pleasant
Ancon, having a
to
the worse for drink.
off a bitter-cold, eight-
sit
around our wardroom
cocktail before dinner
and a Scotch
and soda afterwards. I
resent the implication that
it
all
is
right for British officers to
drink on board their ships because they handle liquor well, but right for
all
our
own
naval officers
it
isn't
to drink on board because they
might run their ship on a rock. American naval
officers
have too
much pride in their ships and their uniform ever to disgrace either. Our naval officers feel rather ashamed of the absurd rule, but they obey it implicitly. In many ports our sailors have made bad names for themselves because when they do get ashore they go to town on that grog as though they were never going to get another drink. In British
wardrooms (and
RAF
stations)
chits for every drink they buy.
looks over the chits.
too
many
If
an
commanding
We
officer's bill
shows that he has been buying
up very quickly before the doesn't happen often. However, it
drinks, he will be hauled
and measures taken. But the
no money is passed. Men must sign Each week the commanding officer
this
officer a perfect check.
lay about twenty miles off Bizerte that night.
evening
I
was on the bridge talking
of the whole
Bizerte
CO. gives
to
amphibious part of the show.
was having an
During the early
command Hewitt told me that
Admiral Hewitt,
in
air raid.
"Twenty plus are reported en route," he said. "I hope they don't spot us on the way home. By the way, have you heard the news from Italy?"
" The Mediterranean and France, Victory in Europe
542
"Not
all
of
had any news
it," I
said cautiously, jUst fishing, of course.
hadn't
I
of Italy.
"Well," Hewitt said, smiling,
"it's
we may
^trittly hush-hush, but
have some good news soon." "Italy might fold?"
a
rumor
in Algiers
I
was
surprised, because there hadn't even
been
about any capitulation. Only smart Herbert Mat-
thews had believed that Italy would surrender.
I recalled his
remark
of a few days before. "I have every confidence in the Italians," Her-
had
bert
Germans
The
said.
"Yes,
I
just as they've
am
confident that they will double-cross the
double-crossed everyone else."
night and the next day passed pleasantly.
pletely sold
on
my
was one of the
"But
men
she's a lucky ship,"
Van
passed Sicily and then
We
I've ever met.
invasion,
D
it
was
we have a lucky skipper." headed north. By now, of course, we
Mediterranean.
onions,
It
can't hide a fleet of
was, in the language of
that night:
3:30 a.m.
at
H
Hour.
cream of celery soup,
steak,
called Zero Hour.
had a magnificent meal
com-
the
laughed, "and
minus one. The landing would take place
In that other war
We
in the
fifty,
around and
had two very narrow escapes.
had been spotted by reconnaissance planes. You hundreds of ships
sat
The Ancon had been
ship in those operations, too, and
We
was com-
I
two cabin mates. Big Van Alystyne, nearing
friendliest
talked of the two previous invasions.
mand
By now
Now
it is
merely
mashed potatoes and apple pie. You couldn't help but think "The condemned man ate a hearty meal." The men
of the old cliche,
were greatly disappointed, however. "In the other two invasions,"
I
heard one of them grumble on
"we had apple pie and ice cream the night before. Yeah, and on show we each had two lumps of ice cream." Each member of the crew was given a mimeographed sheet during
deck,
the Sicily
dinner.
U.S.S.
ANCON (AGC4)
PLAN OF THE DAY FOR THURSDAY During Thursday, 9 September be in the transport area, operating
it is
its
9
SEPTEMBER
expected that the
1943
Ancon
will
landing boats, as directed, to
debark certain army personnel and equipment; the crew General Quarters to repel enemy attack by
air
and
will
sea. It
be is
at
ex-
pected that the ship will be hove to for a while and then anchored,
She's a
Lucky Ship
with the anchor at short stay ready to with a
full
steaming watch on and
During the time the crew feed
hands
all
and bakers
at
is
steam
To accomplish
be excused from ammunition
543
moment's
slip at a
full
General Quarters
at their stations.
will
— You Hope!
notice,
the throttles.
at
proposed to
it is
cooks
ship's
this,
and
details
will oc-
cupy themselves with the preparation and serving of food under the direct supervision of the Supply Officer. to
General Quarters stations
ammunition
parties.
an early breakfast
at
in
Food
food carriers by
detailed
Troops going ashore on Thursday 0100,
in the crew's
under the supervision of the
from
be fed
will
messing compartment.
In general, boats will be loaded by details from parties
be brought
will
men
damage
First Lieutenant
control
and Boat-
swain.
Subsequent employment of the crew
will
depend upon develop-
ments and the local situation. In general, boats' crews from the
2-A Division
man
will
the boats and will lower their boats
as
directed.
All hands are directed to have with them, throughout the day
and
night, helmets
and gas masks. Boat crews
will
have with them
such uniform and equipment as has been furnished them.
D. H.
SWINSON,
Comdr.,
USNR.
Executive Officer
NOTE: When at
this vessel is in the
General Quarters,
tables will not
Army
be
set
Field Ration
their stations.
Sufficient
up
K
is
it
combat zone and
all
hands are
expected that for several meals mess
for the service of meals. In lieu thereof the
will
Paper cups
be served to both
will
officers
and men
at
be provided for the hot coffee.
cooks and stewards, stewards' mates and commissary
personnel will be secured
when
directed by the
Commanding
cer to act as runners for serving the rations. Lt. (jg)
Knowles
Offiwill
supervise the service forward of the crews messing compartment
and rees,
Lt.
Comdr. Nicol
aft.
Runners
keeping the body covered at
Gun
all
will
wear helmets and dunga-
times.
platform crews will provide three fathoms of manila line
for hoisting
and lowering 10-gallon Aervoid coffee containers.
After dinner the Captain of our ship asked
crew on the
we were
ship's public-address system.
me
to "brief" the
The crew had no
going and they were getting slightly
whole
idea where
jittery.
"Give them the whole works," the Captain
said.
"Where we're
* The Mediterranean and
544
.
landing, fact,"
"I
how many
I
and so -Km. And you might
divisions,
he added casually, "that our
hope you're
"So do
I,"
France, Victory in Europe
air
cover
is
stress the
going to be excellent."
right, sir," I couldn't. -help saying.
he answered grimly.
spoke from the bridge and loudspeakers
the story to the crew.
I
drew
slightly
on
all
my
over the ship carried
imagination and dwelt
on the 200 Beaufighters which would be over us all night and the 500 Spits and Lightnings which would cover us by day. I
cheerfully
became
so enthusiastic
I
almost believed
it
myself
.
.
.
ONE MUST THINK OF THE GULF OF SALERNO AS A twelve-mile arc, divided in half for the purposes of invasion.
Northern half
is
to
The
be occupied by the British; the Southern half by
the Americans. Behind the beaches are the foothills, rolling back to a
sweeping mountain range which
is
dominated by 3556-foot Mount
Soprano. The American beach, divided into Green and Red, fronts on the village of Paestum.
bombardment begins
Commander W.
J.
It
is
Burke,
who
craft
rator in the following account
the beach in Burke's ill-fated
sandy shore that a prolonged
black of D-Day.
in the
aboard one of the landing
off this
is
led a contingent of Seabees,
bound
for
Green Beach;
was
his collabo-
William Bradford Huie. Let us close
ramp
craft.
COMMANDER W.
BURKE AND WILLIAM BRADFORD HUIE J.
8.
"THE PANZERS
WERE
WAITING FOR
US."
About 0320, As we lay to
in the
the beach,
was
in pitch darkness, the rocket craft let
it
go their barrage.
calm water of the bay some four
to five miles off
a fascinating sight to watch, through field glasses,
the terrific discharge of the rocket batteries.
They were
in
fired
bunches, enveloping their craft in brilliant sheets of flame, then soaring high up, over and
down toward
where thunderous
the beach
explosions took place.
At 0330
—
'FT
Hour
—
landed in their small craft
the .
.
first .
waves of the assault (troops)
followed by waves of
LCVP,
.
.
.
LCI's and
LCT's. The theory was that a few hundred assault troops should seize
enemy
the beachhead and squelch
resistance prior to the
main
assault
landing of the LST's which would follow at about sunrise. Sometime
around 0430, shortly before dawn, four German
artillery shells fell in
the water close to the causeway. Shrapnel fragments
fell
over the
causeways and pounded against the sides of the LST. Twenty-two of our
men and Warrant
exposed to
fire,
At 0525 our was ordered
YM
Officer
Dick Look were on the causeway,
but fortunately no one was ship, with
into
causeways rigged for 'momentum beaching'
Green Beach.
We
were following the course of the
mine sweepers when, about a mile
mine which had been swept in the
path of the ship.
fully
hit.
off
shore a large size Italian
to the surface, but not exploded,
The forward lookout saw
the
loomed
ominous round
545
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
546
shape and a frantic
effort
was made
Europe
in
to veer the ship to port, but not
enough. The curved end of the inboard causeway
hit
and rode up
over the mine which bounced along uncler the bottom for about 70 feet before
explosion house.
I
My
going
was
off against the side of the ship.
on some sand buckets
sitting
At
the time of the
in front of the pilot
blinding impression was of a terrific explosion for-
first
we had been
ward. Thinking
hit
by an
bomb,
aerial
the deck to avoid shrapnel and fragments.
I
threw myself to
There was a blinding
flame, water towered up, objects were hurled aloft, then a blast of air
and a deluge of water and
out, although
how
the
oil fell
on
Luckily
us.
did not break
fire
numerous gasoline tanks of our cargo escaped
being ignited will always be a mystery. The explosion ripped into troop quarters killing and seriously injuring a
number
of British sol-
diers.
The
ship
was
under way, but the causeways were gone and
still
dim
rapidly drifting astern. In the
toon or two drifting
but
free,
we
light
it
was possible
did not at
first
to see a pon-
realize that those
shadows piled up on the forward weather deck were pontoons blown from the
sea. Fortunately a
couple of small craft were in the vicinity
which went to the assistance of the Seabees aboard the wrecked
We
causeways.
found out
the explosion for the
men
way where, although
was
later that there
to run to the
extreme
they were violently
sufficient aft
warning of
end of the cause-
stunned by the
terrific
detonation, only two were killed; a big, strapping farm boy from Iowa
named Jim Achterhoff, and a chap named Jones who had married the day he came into the Navy. Dick Look's eardrums were punctured and several others were seriously wounded.
We
did not
to reach the
know whether
beach as she was
the ship
would
listing badly.
enough
stay afloat long
We
grounded about 0600,
without our causeways, some 250 feet off the shore line with about feet of
1 1
the beach
water
at the
bow ramp.
It
was immediately apparent
had not yet been taken. Batteries
of 88's
the range of the beach and kept up the shelling
When
the extent of the mine
was found
that the ship
and attempt sets of
would remain
to put our
and mortars had through
D
finally ascertained,
afloat,
it
was decided
combat cargo ashore over one
Day.
and
it
to retract
of the other
causeways or via LCT's.
When we laid
damage was
all
that
down
a
were about a half mile
off the
beach, a British destroyer
smoke screen which protected us from
the shore and enabled us
to
anchor
further
in the transport area
fire
from
between the
"The Panzers Were Waiting
547
for Us."
Biscayne and the Monitor Abercrombie, transferring our cargo to
LCT's.
The second LST
be readied for the run to North Beach was the
to
(CEC, USNR, Salem, 111.), was officer-in-charge of causeways. The other Seabee officer was Ensign M. T. Jacobs (CEC, USNR, Hopkinsville, Ky.). Jacobs,
one on which Lieutenant Harry Stevens,
Jr.
modest, ruddy-cheeked, a former engineer for the Tennessee Valley Authority, told the story.
—0330—our LST had moved
"At H-Hour
Red
of the
men
we had
in to within three miles
"We were
North Beach," he explained.
Hampshire regiment
of a
tank deck carriers,
section of
of the 46th British Division.
Shermans, with a
six
carrying
lot of half-tracks,
On
the
Bren gun
and ducks. The weather deck was loaded with half-tracks
and supply
trucks.
was
It
no
a clear night with a million stars but
moon.
"The 16th Panzers were ready for us. When the small craft began Panzers opened up with everything they had. Big guns, 88's and machine guns. Our warships including the cruisers hitting the beach, the
Savannah, Boise and Philadelphia, were with the Southern Attack
Force
off
Paestum, and they returned the
The Savannah had LST, and she was
fire.
pulled in to within a few hundred feet of our
German bombers
blasting with everything she had.
And
right at that
moment we
started
God,
over, so even the guns on the LST's started firing.
it
coming
was
hot!
got the order to prepare to launch
causeways.
"The Hampshires were about the causeways as in watching
as interested in watching us launch
all
the gunfire.
We
have those cause-
ways secured by many cables and turnbuckles; and when we prepare to launch, the first thing
Chopping blocks
three.
we have
to
do
is
remove
all
and three men stand by with axes waiting for the
Can you
the cables except
are rigged under the three remaining cables,
cut a steel cable with an axe? Sure,
when
signal to launch.
the cable
is
as taut
as those cables are.
"At 0415 we dropped the
we dropped
first
one another. The Germans had sort of half-light officer lines,
causeway, and
the second one. All this time
from
it.
After
set
we had
fifteen
one of our tugs
we drop
while the junior officer and twenty-four rig
them
afire,
so
we had
a
the causeways, the senior
LST to handle men get down on
and ten men stay on the weather deck of the
causeways to
minutes later
to shout like hell to
for the run to the beach.
the the
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
548
"We opened an hour to
the
bow
doors and lefout our duck.
sections are plenty heavy in
and
were popping
around
all
you don't mind
so busy
and have nothing
We
ride the causeways.
and began maneuvering
section Shells
We
had asked
for
we had rush orders. Those 175-foot the wa'terT As junior officer, I had to
causeways, but
rig the
direct the rigging
Europe
in
it
so
toward the other side of the
it
ship.
but while you are rigging you are
us,
much.
when you
It's
do but hold on and pray
to
hitched the duck to one
—
start in to the
beach
when you
really
that's
get scared.
"At 0530 we had
finished rigging the causeways into the slide-rule
formation alongside the port side of the ship. Mine sweepers had been
working lying
in front of us, so
up
to look
at the
we
around and see what was going on.
"All twenty-five of us
who were
on the causeways were
lying
dressed in two-piece coveralls, helmets and
life
teens and 45's on our belts; no other arms.
You
to tell
was
started our run for the beach. I
forward end of the causeway, and had plenty of time
you
exposed
to
lie flat
on that causeway, because you
in the
whole harbor.
that's just
to crawl
under
it.
most
feel like the
what you
look at a Stillson wrench lying in front of you, and
enough for you
had can-
don't need anybody
man
And
We
jackets.
You
are.
looks big
it
Honestly, you get the idea that that
wrench gives you some protection. "Off to
my
left
as
we were going
in,
I
could see another
her set of causeways. That was Lieutenant
Commander
LST
with
Burke, our
and Look. Firing and bombing were
officer-in-charge, with Mitchell
When we were about a mile off the beach, the by Look and his men hit a loose mine, and there
going on incessantly.
causeways ridden
was one helluvan explosion.
We
could see
it
in the half-light
from
where we were riding. Their duck, which was running alongside the causeways, was swamped and sunk. The LST, with her bottom stove in,
continued but was unable to effect a landing.
"Look and most
of his twenty-four
ways by that explosion.
It
was
located, since they were picked
explosion, that
me and my
several days before
up by various
fellows lay
minesweeper that was going
"About 0620
—
just before
we
all
of
After
them were
we saw
that
in front of us.
sunup
—we
hit the
beach
full
speed.
We
was holding. The beach condion up to the water's edge, and
that our LST slid right need the causeways for her. All we had to do was throw a
was such
didn't
craft.
off the cause-
on our causeways and prayed for
cut the causeways loose, but our luck tion
men were blown
/-,7
"The Panzers Were Waiting few sandbags under her ramp and spread the mat.
551
for Us."
We
were held up
about ten minutes while the British engineers grappled land mines,
We
but the Seabees used that ten minutes to good advantage.
long-handled shovels on the causeways with which to
we grabbed all
around
"The
those shovels and dug
fill
had
sandbags, so
trenches. Shells were bursting
slit
us.
first
vehicle to
come
off,
of course,
was our bulldozer. Prob-
on the continent of Europe was a Seabee bulldozer driven by Raymond J. Calhoun, Machinist's
ably the
Mate
American
first
first,
of Troy, N.Y.
the beach about left right
vehicle to land
fifty feet
Calhoun came down that ramp,
up
behind a small tractor which had been landed in a small
by the Commandos. Just
craft
rolled
through the mine markers, then cut to the
mine and was blown
at that
second the British tractor
to hell, killing the driver.
straight back, head-over-heels, off his bulldozer,
hit a
Calhoun was blown and
it
was a miracle
that he didn't break his neck.
"We began
LST and had
unloading our
her unloaded by 0800.
had the causeways standing by, with the duck hitched end and the bulldozer hitched any
LST
and
all
beach
to the
We
to the floating
beach end, ready to hook up to
hung short of the beach. But three more LST's came in, of them made it clear to the shore line. That was the best that
we'll ever see for
LST
operations.
"The Hampshires had pushed on 16th Panzers. Shellfire from 88's was
About 1000
1
in
and were tangling with the
still
bothering us on the beach.
witnessed the goriest sight of the war for me. Seven or
Hampshires decided that they'd brew up a spot of tea on the beach. They built a fire and had the water boiling when one of them eight
called to
me:
" 'Say, chappie,
come and have
"I started walking
when
a spot o' tea.'
toward them and was within
a land mine went off right under that
knocked
me
flat,
and when
I
got up every
of them The explosion
fifty feet
fire.
damn one
of those
Hamp-
was dead and mangled. "Three of our causeway platoons had reached Red Beach by 0700. Only Mitchell's platoon, which had hit the mine, had been turned
shires
back.
The LST
that
McGrath and
Butterfield
came
in with
was
hit
eleven times on the run-in, and one shell hit her elevators so that
nothing could be unloaded off of her weather deck. They unloaded her tank deck; then she retracted.
"Late that afternoon our
men
established a bivouac about
300
552 ^
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
yards from where
we had
We
landed.
in
Europe
stayed there on the beach for
ten days during which the bombing, shelling and fighting continued
almost constantly. The
crisis
was op' •the'
appeared that perhaps we were going
to
those Britishers finally turned the tide. casualties
on the beach, but we had some
fifth
and
sixth days,
when
it
have to pull a Dunkirk, but
We
Seabees had no further
close calls.
"Red Woodmancy (Charles W. Woodmancy, Carpenter's Mate
who had won the Legion of Merit in slit trench. He boasted that he could sleep through any barrage the Germans could lay down. He had set up a cot with a mosquito netting over it. One night he slept through an air raid, and next morning he found that a bomb fragment had come inside his mosquito netting and broken the frame of his cot second, Mirror Lake, N.H.)
Sicily,
refused to dig himself a
without waking him up
.
." .
THEODORE ROSCOE COMPLETES THE STORY OF THE long, tough "road to
through the landings to the
capture of
victorious est
—
Fifth
the variety
Rome," which at
Anzio
Rome
in
in
for the
Navy
led from Salerno
January 1944 (Operation Shingle)
June
1944 by General Mark Clark's
Army. The destroyers are Roscoe's special interof enemy weapons they had to counter, and the many
blows they dealt out
in return,
destroyer force on the eve of
both on land and sea.
D-Day
We
join the
at Salerno.
r
Ack-ack
fire
during a night air raid, Salerno.
Navy Department.
Allied transports meet rough water in the Mediterranean near Malta enroute to Sicily.
m
View from USS A neon (AGC-4). Navy Department.
fc3 **j^
The USS Birmingham (CL-62) firing 6" guns July, 1943 campaign. Navy Department.
A
Agrigento, Sicily, during the
Guard combat photographer caught Germans defending the shore a jarring
U.S. Coast
giving the
off
this
American warship
blast during the early
morning hours of the invasion of Salerno. U.S. Coast Guard.
soldiers wading ashore under heavy machine gun fire. These dramatic photos were taken during the first waves of the invasion. U.S. Coast Guard.
American
"**4n
inn
i*r
iiaA
when Nazi machine gun fire exploded a hand grenade, Coast Guard-manned LCVP, packed with troops, was piloted safely to the Normandy beach on D-Day by a 23-year-old Texan, Coast Guardsman Delba L. Nivens, coxswain, of Amarillo. Nivens unloaded his cargo of invaders and, assisted by his engineman and bowman, put out the fire and made the run back to his assault transport in a hail of German machine gun and mortar fire. U.S. Coast Guard. Bursting into flame
this
Heavy seas, threatening to demoralize the Normandy landings soon after D-Day, beat against a barricade of sunken ships a half mile offshore. In a carefully planned operation carried through in the wake of the liberation day form an improvised breakwater behind which landing craft were unloaded on the French beaches. U.S. Coast Guard.
landings, 23 freighters, loaded with cement, were "scuttled" to
~*itf§
*l
THEODORE ROSCOE
9-
"THANK GOD
FOR THE NAVY!"
Through darkness which was warm and
The The water inshore
fragrant, the invasion fleet
was a
entered a gulf as calm as Peace.
Italian coastline
in black velvet.
lay almost breathless,
silhouette its
gentle
swells like the quiet breathing of untroubled sleep.
On
schedule the
first
assault
waves moved
in.
The second waves
soon followed, meeting indifferent opposition. Then, as the third
waves approached the shore, the Salerno volcano exploded.
From hidden
pillboxes, redoubts,
poured shot and
craft in the shallows.
gun
crossfire.
and gun emplacements, the Nazis
DUKW's, and
shell at the LCI's, the
other landing
Troops on the beaches were flayed by machine-
Big Krupp guns
let
out a basso roar and
Mark VI
tanks
charged out of nowhere.
On some
of the beaches the
American and
laded, were driven back to water's edge.
On
British troops, enfiseveral,
the
combat
teams were slaughtered to a man. Nazi aircraft swept over to
and
strafe the
reeling landing forces.
shallows were a crimson sludge,
My
and
it
bomb
midmorning the Salerno appeared as though the
invaders might be literally blown from the beachhead.
At this point Admiral Davidson's First Support Group stepped in. The bombardment ships had been held at bay by the maze of minefields,
and so they were
late in taking station in their assigned fire-
support areas. But about 1000 of that
critical
D-Day morning
the
553
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
554
in
Europe
and destroyers moved shoreward, and by noon they were They were just in time.
cruisers
all
in position.
By
hour the Salerno beaches" looked
that
had
artillerymen
guns, and these
*
rifles,
emplaced on
deathtraps. Nazi
like
which included 88mm.
rolled forward big batteries
were pounding the sands
ridges,
Germans
with a devastating barrage. General Clark described the
"looking
down our
throat."
On
as
one beach a herd of Nazi tanks had
advanced to within 200 yards of the American foxholes. And at Green Beach counterattacking Nazis broke through and gained foxholes only 80 yards
Then
from the water.
the fire-support ships
were unable to repeat
opened up. The
their sharpshooting
cruisers and destroyers "Husky" performance.
Shore fire-control (SFC) parties had become scattered in the bedlam
Some
SFC men had been
killed; some had lost their damaged radio sets. However, two and one destroyer managed to establish communication with
of battle.
of the
or been marooned with
gear,
cruisers
fire-control parties ashore.
And
in spite
of the fact that
most of the
bull's-eyes
were not
spotted with exactitude, cruiser and destroyer salvos began to land on target.
Nazi machine-gun emplacements were wiped
were blown action.
A
Crashing
off their wheels,
railway
from the
in
their tracks,
battery
was
was naval
out.
either
Mobile guns
were put out of
artillery units
knocked out or
silenced.
stopped Nazi tanks
shellfire
in
blowing a goodly number out of existence.
By D-Day evening fire
sea,
and heavy
the Nazis were falling back. Although the Naval
support could not be scored in precise certified
statistics, its effectiveness
by the following message from General Lange (5th
Army) to Admiral Davidson: THANK GOD FOR THE FIRE OF THE NAVY SHIPS X PROBABLY COULD NOT HAVE STUCK IT OUT AT BLUE AND YELLOW BEACHES X BRAVE FELLOWS X PLEASE TELL THEM SO Even
as
the
"Avalanche" forces pounded on the doorstep
to
Naples, a small diversionary force steamed northward to capture a small chain of islands in the Gulf of Naples
some 40 miles west
of the
great seaport.
The Jr., It
diversionary
in the destroyer
force
was led by Captain C. L.
Commander and enough men
Knight (Lieutenant
included two Dutch gunboats,
islands of Ventotene, Ponza, Procida, Ischia,
Capri.
J.
Andrews,
C. Ford Jr).
to capture the
and the postcard
Isle of
"Thank God
On
Ventotene the
At Salerno
A
force
elected to fight, but were soon either dead or
Company
captured. Knight and
and the Navy had
555
Navy!"
Italian garrison cheerfully surrendered.
some 90 Germans
of
for the
a base in
hand
quickly scooped up the other islands, for the Naples drive.
the assault forces gained ground on the morning after
D-Day, although the Luftwaffe unleashed an almost continuous of air raids. Allied carrier aircraft
German
fought the
planes.
and Sicily-based
Army
Again the Navy moved
series
fighters
dog-
with
fire-
in
support for the ground troops.
Admiral Davidson's group had
lost the services of
H.M.S. Aber-
crombie; the ship had been disabled by a mine on D-Day. During the
on September
action
10,
H.N. M.S.
F lores was
crippled by
bomb
explosions close aboard. These were the group's only ship casualties.
By
the evening of the 10th
American destroyers
in the
screening positions around
Oran
—
seemed
it
feasible to assign
11
of the
group to convoy duty. At 2215 they took
Convoy SNF-1
to escort the formation to
a task which was to prove infinitely
more dangerous than
the
fire-support mission.
The day
after Davidson's task
Hewitt's flagship staff
Ancon
group was broken up, Vice Admiral
entered Salerno Bay, and General Clark and
went ashore. The beachhead now seemed well
nately, the situation
in
hand. Unfortu-
was deceiving. During evening
twilight of the
13th, Nazi reinforcements stormed into the area.
VI Corps was
fearfully
Once more
the U.S.
mauled and nearly dislodged from the beach-
head.
This time the Navy's cruisers and destroyer
pump
the Strategic Air Force to defer inland railroad the
beachhead
battle.
Air bombings supplement-
ing naval barrages, the Nazi counterattack
was battered
Salerno would not be secured for several
retreat.
Kesselring's
forces
to
and guns. General Eisen-
salvos at the enemy's tanks, troops,
hower now ordered bombing and to join
Mayo moved up
into a Nazi
more
days, but
could no longer hope to reverse the tide of
"Avalanche." Again, the destroyer accomplishment assess.
As
in Operations
at
Salerno remains
difficult to
"Torch" and "Husky," the DD's working
in
"Avalanche" were members of a great amphibious organization containing
all
the size
types of ships on
and
all
manner
of missions.
efficacy of their fire-support effort
is
following excerpt from a report by Admiral Hewitt:
But something of indicated by the
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
556
Europe
in
The enemy was ready and waiting for the Allied assault when made at Salerno. Without the support of naval
the landings were
gunfire, the assault of the beached could not
have carried, and the
Army
without
could
have
not
naval guns
of
support ships engaged a gets.
53%
remained ashore
and bombing
minimum
the
On D-Day
aircraft.
support
alone
fire-
of one hundred thirty-two
Ammunition expenditure was reported on only
tar-
seventy, or
of the targets, but the weight of explosives hurled at about
more than equaled the weight that twenty105 batteries of -mm. howitzer, firing 400 rounds per battery, could have fired had they been ashore and in position. The Army position was precarious on D-Day, and continued so until after the one-half of the targets
two
heavy
and naval bombardment on
air
beachhead was secured on
D
plus
8.
D
plus 6 and 7, until the
Naval gunfire continued on a
By the 28th of September, more than the equivalent of 71 ,500 150-mm. field artillery projecttiles had been fired at 556 or more targets. heavy scale
No
less
until the
19th of September.
an authority than the German military savant, Sertorious,
attributed the loss of Salerno to General
Von
Kesselring's inability to
cope with naval bombardments.
By
the end of September, Salerno
paid a heavy price for the prize.
had been
ican soldiers
destroyers had been
had been won. But the
Some 7,000
slain in the fighting.
downed
in action.
British
Allies
had
and 5,000 Amer-
And two
United States
was the U.S.S.
First victim
Rowan. Late in the evening of September 10, 1943, the destroyer (Lieutenant
Commander
R.
S.
Ford) took
Rowan
station in the screen
was forming around the empty transports and cargo
vessels of
which
Con-
voy SNF-1, bound from Salerno to Oran.
Over the inner reaches
of Salerno Gulf the night sky
the crimson breath of angry guns.
The
was flushed by
distant foreshore resembled
a dark grid on which embers smoldered, while smoke coiled and fumed over the glowing coals. The ridges above the shore were
charred backlogs festooned with splashes of flame.
By
contrast the
outer reaches of the Gulf seemed cool, the channel there was quiet
and shadowy, and a
ship,
heading seaward, might draw a deep breath
of relief.
Rowan had
joined the convoy screen at 2240.
—nothing
pacing along
to report.
A
moment
At midnight she was
later her startled look-
"Thank God
for the
557
Navy!"
outs glimpsed a phosphorescent streak racing through the water on the ship's bow.
TORPEDO! The alarm
sent
hands
all
to battle stations.
The torpedo passed
Commander Ford turned the destroyer and drove her down the torpedo's track.
harmlessly ahead. Lieutenant
on the proverbial dime,
As Rowan charged on her radar screen trol,
on one
target to
by
full
radar con-
2,000 yards. Then, while swinging
was apparently struck
turn, she
in the offing. Firing
opened up on the enemy. Guns blazing, she closed
the destroyer
the range
across the water, a flicker of "pips" appeared
—E-boats
in the port
in a fast
quarter by a torpedo.
Crash of the explosion was instantly followed by a ship-shattering blast that ripped
open the destroyer's
deck and superstructure skyward. The
stern first
and blew segments of
detonation had exploded
the after magazine.
Men
and
officers
were hurled into the
sea.
Gunners who had been
standing at their mounts found themselves clinging to mats of wreck-
found themselves swimming desperately through
age. Sailors
nous
a fog of steam.
oil in
stroyer
Rowan was nowhere
had vanished. Forty seconds
under the
gluti-
The
de-
after the explosion, the ship
was
in sight.
sea.
Loss of
in
life
this
sinking was excruciatingly heavy.
speeding to the scene could find only too few survivors, and these were wounded.
Heroic lifesaving work
could not prevent a tragic death
toll.
Rescuers
many
of
by destroyer Bristol
She picked up 72 of
Rowan
s
complement. It
has never been ascertained that
E-boat.
One
Rowan was torpedoed by an
of her signalmen declared that he sighted the killers
through a spyglass, but no one else saw or heard of them. Although
an E-boat torpedoing seemed highly probable, there remained the possibility that the ship
Among
the
Rowan
had struck a mine. survivors
was her captain, Lieutenant Com-
mander Ford. Reporting the disaster, he praised the initiative of a bluejacket, Torpedoman Second W. F. Garrigus, who had managed to set the
saved the
The man's quick action undoubtedly many swimmers struggling in the swirl where the
depth charges on lives of
safe.
ship went under.
Rowan was
the
first
American destroyer
lost in
"Operation Ava-
lanche." In the embattled seas off Salerno she was to have
pany.
com-
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
558 Not was
far
in
Europe
from the spot where Rowan went down, destroyer Buck approaches to Sale/no. This was the night of
patrolling the
October 8-9, 1943. The Americans nad entered Naples on October
1,
only to find the harbor a shambles. Retreating, the Nazis had blown
up wharves, demolished docks and marine machinery, and blocked
And
the bay with a sargasso of sunken ships.
while this wreckage was
being cleared, invasion shipping continued to
Hence
make
port at Salerno.
the patrol in that locality by such destroyers as U.S.S. Buck.
Midnight, and precision.
tively to the
was
all
Down
The watch changed with mechanical
well.
engine-room an ensign listened atten-
in the after
good drone of dependable
turbines.
Radar and sonar
crews concentrated on their instruments.
Then suddenly
was changed.
all
A
surface radar contact had been
made. Buck's captain, Lieutenant Commander M. General Quarters.
And
watch
—
at that
hour
hands sprang as one
who had
J.
Klein, sounded
whatever the preoccupation of those on or
odd
coffee, or sleep, or
man
to battle stations.
job, or reminiscence
off
—
all
These were the same men
taken the measure of Italian submarine Argento.
But while Buck was tracking the enemy that morning of October
9,
the foe drew a deadly bead on the destroyer. Destroyermen thought
they saw a dim silhouette across the water
Two
torpedoes
struck
the
Smashing explosions burst the compartments, and
let in
—
a ghostly conning tower.
bow
destroyer's
with killing violence.
ship's hull plates,
wrecked her forward
the flood.
In a turmoil of smoke, flame, and steam, the ship sloughed to a halt.
Four minutes
after she
was
hit,
Buck plunged
for the bottom.
A
depth-charge explosion blasted the swirl where the vessel sank. Then
thunder and tumult were abruptly swallowed by the
and
oil
spread across the surface, and with
it
sea.
Wreckage
drifting rafts,
and the
gagged shouts of swimming men.
Steaming to the rescue, destroyer Gleaves and British picked up 57 survivors. Lieutenant the rescued. In an action that
Commander
had taken the
lives of
Buck's good company, the captain had gone down with
On
the chart
Rowan's grave
is
marked
14-18 E. Near-by, within 15 miles,
lies
at lat.
Buck.
LCT
Klein was not
170
among
some 150
of
his ship.
40-07 N., long. 14-
Two
destroyers lost in
the Salerno campaign.
But the invasion of fortnight the effort
Italy
was only
would claim
still
getting
under way. Within
another American DD.
a
In mid-October, 1943,
"Thank God
for the
roads led to
Rome.
all
559
Navy!"
In particular,
all
transport highways in the Western Mediterranean were leading to
Rome. The Rome haul was a long haul and a tough haul, beset all the way by brigandage and murder and war's legalized high piracy. In early autumn of 1943 the nearest Allied terminal was Salerno. But the
Rome
work
haul would eventually get through, largely aided by the
of such stalwarts as the U.S.S. Bristol.
On
the night of October
12,
1943 Bristol (Commander
A.
J.
Glick) was with a destroyer squadron steaming as screen for a trans-
The convoy was on
port division.
Mediterranean road which
a
lowed the coastline of Algeria. The evening was
fine
weather and placid seascape under a sky powdered with
At 0400
the
in
morning the convoy was
off
about midway between Algiers and Tunis. The
A
anything, improved.
golden moon, high,
full,
fol-
—clement
stars.
Cape Bougaroun, night had,
fine
and
if
bright, laid a
luminous path across the water. Visibility was excellent. Patrolling at 15 knots
paced
like a restless lion.
on the port
side of the formation, Bristol
Topside lookouts scanned sky and water
with steady scrutiny. At their sensitive instruments, radar and sonar operators watched and listened. For eternal vigilance was the price of
on
safety
this
Mediterranean road.
Yet vigilance and
all
sometimes frustrated
the detection devices of
— and
when
least
modern
expected
—by
science were the
cunning
enemy. Under some conditions of water density and temperature, sonar's "echo-ranging"
beams might peter out or be
undiscovered ambush a submarine might its
presence
first
Bristol's case
At 0423
—
fire
From
—
betrayed by a streaking torpedo wake, or
as in
a whisper in the sound gear.
the destroyer's sonar watch heard the
of a torpedo.
deflected.
with deadly suddenness,
The
low, rushing whistle of an
hydrophone
oncoming 88 mm.
effect
shell
might have given the ship more warning. Scarcely was the alarm flashed topside when, ten seconds after
it first
was heard, the torpedo
struck Bristol.
Smashing
in
on the
ship's port side at the
blast stopped the destroyer
forward engine-room, the
dead with a broken back. Men, guns,
fragments of gear and machinery were strewn by the violent explosion.
Mortally stricken, Bristol sagged in the moon-washed sea, and
began
to settle
under a surge of smoke.
There was time to launch get overside in
life rafts,
to give the
"Mae Wests." Not much
time.
wounded
A few
a hand, to
minutes after she
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
560 was
in
Europe
two and sank. Wainwright and Trippe
struck, Bristol broke in
soon arrived to rescue survivors. Dawnlight presently aided the rescue work, and the lifesaving went swiftly forward. All saved. But in spite of brave ties
work by
The submarine is known
241 men were
survivors and rescuers, casual-
were heavy. Fifty-two of the crew were
so far as
told,
lost
with the ship.
responsible for the sinking was never sighted, and it
eluded the hunt and escaped.
It
may have
fired a
long-range shot from periscope depth, and then gone deep into some
whale-hole ambush to
The road
to
wait for another convoy.
lie in
Rome was
a hard
and dangerous road for the De-
Rowan, Buck and
stroyer Service, as loss of
Bristol
is
evidence.
And
before the autumn was out another American destroyer would go
down on aircraft
that death-stalked
and
their victim
By November,
"Appian Way." The
killers
were German
was U.S.S. Beatty.
1943, engineers and Seabees laboring like giants
had cleared some of the Naples wreckage. Booby-traps had been exploded, a few port paired,
had been replaced, others were
facilities
and channels were open
in the bay.
re-
Naples was shaping up as
way through Italy. November was a great Allied
a base for the Allied ground forces fighting their
Bound
for Naples in the
ship-train,
first
Convoy KME-25A,
week
of
Army
thousands of troop reinforcements for the Clark.
Assembled
American and
of General
British transports.
These heavy-laden
were screened by a powerful destroyer task group,
command
supplies and
Mark
United Kingdom, the convoy contained 15
in the
eight
war
transporting tons of
of Captain C. C.
TG
vessels
60.2 under
Hartman, ComDesRon 15...
In addition to the seven American DD's, the screen included three British destroyers,
two Greek destroyers, and the
anti-aircraft vessel
H.M.S. Colombo. After the convoy entered the Mediterranean and headed eastward for the Tunisian War Channel, the task group was augmented by two American destroyer-escorts from Mers-el-Kebir.
The DE's were Frederick
Goepner, U.S.N.R.), and Herbert C. A.
Commander O. W. Jones (Lieutenant Commander
C. Davis (Lieutenant
W. Gardes). Steaming along the Algerian coast, the convoy followed the sea
road which led to the narrow waist of the Mediterranean. Too large to pass through the Tunisian
each
—
War Channel
the favored formation
—
in
columns of three ships
the convoy was strung out in less
maneuverable seven- and nine-ship columns.
"Thank God The convoy's 6, as
vulnerability
the ships, having
became
all
for the
Navy!"
561
November
too manifest on
Algiers far astern, were approaching Phi-
left
Traveling at 12 knots, they had reached a point on the
lippeville.
road not far from Cape Bougaroun, the scene of the Bristol ambush,
when
the
enemy
Time: 1800.
struck.
Visibility poor.
Diving out of
the dark and the daylight, the Luftwaffe descended like a flock of vultures
on unsuspecting game.
This game, though, could fight back, with sweeping scythes of antiaircraft fire.
A
mixed force of some nine bombers and 16 torpedo planes, the
Nazi aircraft attacked
1804. Speeding in at low altitude, a plane
at
slipped a sharpshooting torpedo into the water, and at 1805 ican destroyer Beatty
was
In the ensuing battle the screen destroyers of Task
up a worthy
defense.
The
attackers
—destroyer-men
Group 60.2 put
identified at least
one Heinkel 111, a Dornier 217, and three Junker 88's aerial thickets of ack-ack.
down
Amer-
fatally hit.
—ran
into
Davison shot down a plane. Parker shot
a plane. Tillman shot
down
a plane. Destroyer-escort H. C.
Jones shot down a plane. So did British destroyer
Hay don and one
of
the transports in the convoy.
Poor
favored the aircraft, however, and they had the
visibility
advantage of high-speed raiders versus large, slower moving targets.
They struck
at
the van destroyers of the screen, at ships
convoy's port flank and on
its
quarters.
on the
Then they concentrated on
the quarters of the formation. Fire-spitting
half
dozen
drops, and
AA
down a make long-range But bombs and tor-
guns broke up the attacks. They brought
aircraft.
They forced torpedo planes
bombers
to
remain
at a
high
level.
to
pedoes were not the only weapons wielded by the In this onslaught on
new killer. At first
Convoy KMF-25A
glimpse, destroyer gunners
the
who had
took the thing for a midget airplane. Then,
fast-flying
enemy.
Germans unleashed never seen
at close range,
a
it
before
it
resem-
bled a winged rocket, a streak of red light with a flaring green
tail.
Released from a high-flying bomber, these phantasmal comets would
swoop across the
sky, then abruptly
plummet down on a
target in a
screaming dive. Radio-controlled glider bombs!
employed on Allied invasion shipping at Salerno, the glider bombs had appeared as a lethal menace to anchored vessels. Now First
they gave
Convoy KMF-25A and Captain Hartman's
task group
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
562 some came
spine-chilling
moments. They di3 not
strike
any ships, but they
devilishly close.
Dangerous garoun,
were the
as
glider
bomfe
in the battle off
transports were fatally torpedo-stabbed
When
the S.S. Aldegonde.
—
off,
two Allied
the S.S. Santa Elena and
the aircraft droned
behind them a sea splotched with
ships
Cape Bou-
torpedoes were the weapons which wrought the
aircraft
havoc. Before the Nazi planes were finally beaten
left
Europe
in
fire
away
in the
dark they
and wreckage
—burning
and demolished planes.
Six planes for three ships
.
.
.
From Commander
After the battle a call for assistance was flashed to Algiers. that port
on November
7,
Destroyer Division 32, under
C. Sowell, steamed to the scene to conduct rescue and salvage
J.
Champlin (Commander
operations. This division contained flagship
Commander B. P. (Commander A. R. Heckey), and Ordronaux
C. L. Melson), and destroyers Boyle (Lieutenant Field, Jr.), Nields
(Commander R. Brodie, Jr.). The two transports which had been torpedoed remained afloat until the 7th. But the ships were not to be saved. Nor did the rescuers arrive in time to save destroyer Beatty. Long before they reached the battle scene, she
When
had gone beyond
Beatty was
hit,
all
possible salvage.
she was maintaining her position in the
convoy formation. Stationed on the starboard quarter of the rear ship in the right-hand
was
column, and about 3,000 yards out, the destroyer
target for the first attack
Lieutenant
had time
which roared
in
through the
Commander W. Outerson and
twilight.
others topside scarcely
to set their teeth before the killing torpedo struck the ship.
With a stunning
blast the
warhead burst against the starboard
side at
the after engine-room. Beatty shuddered to a halt and sagged in the
water with a broken keel.
She did not go down
off
Cape Bourgaroun without a
decks her damage-controlmen fought
measure
fire,
fight.
Below
steam, and flood with every
available. Topside, her gunners battled the Luftwaffe.
Torpedoes rushed past
her,
bombs thundered
in the
water near-by,
and glider bombs rocketed overhead. But though Beatty could beat off
her assailants, she could not win the fight for buoyancy. Steadily
the water rose below decks, stifling her
power
plant,
drowning
vital
machinery.
Her damaged
hull could not stand the strain of flooding.
With
a
"Thank God sudden lurch the ship broke
and
aft sections sank.
BeaUy rafts
Under a
in two.
pall of
floats,
and
wounded man
cer and six enlisted
make good
to
the fore
use of lifesaving gear. Casualties
The
died after rescue.
men
—recovered from
Rescuers found the Beatty
men
other
lost with the ship,
wounded
set
by Sam
U.S.N.R. Manning his battle station
— an
offi-
their injuries.
a tough, enduring
pace for endurance and pluck was 3c,
smoke
The time was about 2305.
were consequently few. Eleven bluejackets were
and a
563
Navy!"
crew had abandoned smartly, with opportunity to launch
s
and
for the
S.
Perhaps the
lot.
Poland,
at a starboard
Radarman
depth-charge
thrower, Poland had been standing practically on top of the spot
where the torpedo smote Beatty. Hurled overboard by the
was flung
into the sea with a double
All evening and leg.
When
ermen
all
his cries
compound
blast,
he
fracture of the left leg.
night he remained afloat, in spite of his broken
were
finally heard,
of the U.S.S. Boyle,
and he was sighted by destroy-
—
typical of
was no longer a
potential
Sam Poland was swimming
the never-say-die spirit of the Destroyer Service.
By December 1943 Fascist lake.
the Mediterranean
But the Nazis were doing (and under)
flying over
its
their best to
keep the Swastika
waters. While they concentrated
on the
Tyrrhenian storm center, they did not neglect Algiers and Gibraltar traffic lanes.
However, the U-boat and Luftwaffe menace was gradually being stifled
by an unremitting
A/S and
anti-aircraft
campaign. This dual
campaign entailed continuous sweeps and round-the-clock patrols which, often unproductive in the Algiers and Gibraltar areas, were particularly tedious for destroyermen
"You worked your
shirt
on the U-boat hunt.
out at the elbows and you seemed to said.
"Most of those anti-sub
boresome
as a cop's beat in Flat-
accomplish nothing," a destroyerman patrols off
North Africa were
as
Murder Inc. was out there. You had all the excitement you could use when you ran into those gunmen." In mid-December destroyer A/S teams killed two U-boats in the Western Mediterranean. The first was downed on the 1 3th by U.S.S.
bush. But
Wainwright and British destroyer Calpe.
The two DD's were conducting a sub-hunt in company with deand Benson. They were sweeping an area northwest of Algiers and about midway between the North African coast and the coast of Spain when Wainwright left the group to investigate a
stroyers Niblack
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
564
"sub sighted" report. That was
Aware
that they
were
"it"
boaters promptly ducked.
Europe
in
at
0120
in
a 'game of hide-and-seek, the
in the
morning of December
Wainwright steamed
this
way and
U-
that,
probing with sonar, but her electronic fingers were eluded by the needle in the haystack. At 0229 H.M.S. Calpe arrived on the scene to
team up on the hunt.
The search continued through daybreak and Doggedly the two destroyers kept
at
it
sunrise
—no
success.
while the clock ticked through
the morning, through noon, into afternoon. Persistence paid
off.
At
1408 Wainwright' s sonar instruments registered a contact. Her captain,
Commander W. W.
Strohbehn, directed a booming depth-charge
Calpe picked up the contact
attack.
at
1423 and promptly
Wainwright regained sound contact
depth charges.
coached her British team-mate up to the
target.
at
let
go with
1435, and
Calpe distributed a
pattern of depth charges at 1440, and this blasting rang the bell.
Seven minutes
came spouting The American
after the last
to the surface
depth charge was dropped, a U-boat
some 1,800 yards from Wainwright.
destroyer opened
fire.
Two
minutes of that, and the
German submariners came out of the conning tower to abandon. As the Nazi crew sprang overside, Strohbehn ordered the destroyer gunners to cease fire. Then he sent a party across the water to pick up survivors. The destroyermen had time to board the damaged U-boat and bring out men who were calling, "Kamerad!" Calpe joined in the rescue of these frantic submariners who preferred a Prisoner-of-War camp to entombment in a sunken U-boat. At 1530 Algiers.
On
the two destroyers with their prisoners set a course for
Behind them on the bottom they
the afternoon of
convoy
off
December
Cape Falcon,
16,
left
the U-593.
1943, a U-boat ambushed a
Algeria. Torpedoes
smashed
into the S.S.
Then American down the sub. Under the command of Captain H. Sanders, ComDesDiv 13, the destroyers were Woolsey, Trippe, and Edison. The last named did not
John
S.
Copley, and there was death in the afternoon.
destroyers steamed out of Mers-el-Kebir to track
get in
on the U-boat
kill,
but she assisted in screening and in picking
up the U-boat survivors. Sanders' flagship, the Woolsey
(Commander
H. R. Wier), and destroyer Trippe (Commander R. C. Williamson) did the shooting.
They reached
the
vicinity
of the
torpedoing about
1715,
and
"Tharvk started the
A/S
God
565
Navy!"
for the
search about 1730. Within 45 minutes of the hunt's
beginning Woolsey's sonar put the finger on the skulking enemy.
As
on the
the destroyer jockeyed in
and the hunters held
their
attack, the contact evaporated,
depth charges in leash, waiting for a
sharper materialization of the target.
At 1837 Woolsey regained
sound contact, and the destroyermen were able
to execute a delib-
erate attack.
Thundering around the submarine, Woolsey's depth charges dished in the hull, pulverized light bulbs,
The
fixtures.
to a
and knocked out various
electrical
blasting also caused leakage, a casualty obviously fatal
submarine
not soon mended. But persistent leaks
if
a submarine long before they flood
through a damaged gasket
may wet
A
it.
may
paralyze
spray shooting in
salty
the vessel's electrical cables
cause arcing, flashing, and the worst sort of
fires
down permanently
or later a leaking submarine must go
and
and fumes. Sooner or be
brought to the surface. The Captain of leaking U-73 ordered the crew to
blow
all
ballast
and take her
to the surface.
Whereupon Woolsey's SG radar snared range of 1,900 yards waiting water.
for.
As
opened ets
—
They shot
precisely
Hot
at a
the ray of a powerful searchlight across the
the spotlight fastened
fire.
dead ahead
a "pip"
what Woolsey and Trippe had been
on the submarine, the Nazi gunners
steel whistled across
Woolsey's deck; two bluejack-
were wounded. The submariners were to regret
this folly, for
both
destroyers immediately replied with a hot and accurate fusillade that
lashed the U-boat into sinking wreckage.
Some 27 Nazis went down
The destroyermen picked up 34 survivors. Thus another Mediterranean marauder was eliminated. There were more where that one came from. But the Allies were driving forward, and the calendar was moving into 1944, and the days of Hitler's with the boat.
U-boats were numbered.
had been tough.
Sicily
Italy
was a
lot tougher.
selring pulled his troops out of the southern
established
the
rock-ribbed
Nazi General Kes-
end of the peninsula and
"Gustav" and "Adolph Hitler"
athwart the peninsula to block the Allied drive for
northward from Naples, the American fenses at
Monte
Army
crashed into the de-
Cassino, and was brought to a halt.
side of the peninsula the British
the year turned on
were stopped
lines
Rome. Fighting
at the
1944 the Allied invasion was
On
the Adriatic
Sangro River. As
stalled.
Meantime, German paratroopers had snatched Mussolini from prison,
and the
Allies
had suffered a catastrophic setback
at
Ban,
r-
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
566
where the Luftwaffe (on December
2,
in
Europe
1943) smashed the Adriatic
port with a lightning raid that sent sixteen, transports to the bottom of the harbor.
With Naples and the important southern American strategists were inclined
air
possession,
base at Foggia in
to favor a holding ac-
tion,
but Churchill argued persuasively for a continued offensive in
Italy.
Because head-on attacks against the enemy's "mountain line"
were proving extravagantly
costly, the British Prime Minister promoted an amphibious landing on the Tyrrhenian coast at Anzio. Such a move would outflank the Nazi position at Monte Cassino, and put
Allies troops
55 miles behind the "Gustav"
miles south of
line at a point only a
Eisenhower cautioned that the move would be chill's
few
Rome. risky, but
Chur-
strategy prevailed. Reinforcements were found for the
Anzio
As General
operation, which was given the code-name "Shingle."
Eisenhower was leaving for England to become Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Forces, British General Maitland Wilson
hence was
in
assumed the
charge of the Italian theater. "Operation Shingle" was
to go full speed ahead.
The
over-all
Henry Mediterranean command, Sir
D-Day was
set for
January 22, 1944.
landings were to take place on beaches in a sector which
extended from Nettuno, a holiday resort some thirty miles south of
Rome,
to a point just
target sector
was the
below the Tiber estuary. Bull's-eye
little
in
this
port of Anzio.
The invasion shipping assembled in the Naples area, the U. S. Navy and the Royal Navy teaming up with that cooperation which had brought them from the coast of Canada to this Italian littoral. The American naval forces (Amphibious Task Force 81) were commanded by Rear Admiral F. J. Lowry. British naval forces were under Rear Admiral Thomas Troubridge, R.N. The "Shingle" armada contained many of the amphibious vessels and fire-support warships which had carried the Allied invasion to Sicily and Salerno.
Newcomers were
also in the invasion fleet.
A
number
of French,
Dutch, and Greek warships, out to give the gunfire a United Nations tone.
And two American
destroyer-escorts,
soon to show
sundry that bantam DE's could put up a giant-size Mission of Task Force 8 1 was to establish
battle.
Army
.
.
all
and
.
Forces ashore on
beaches near Cape D'Anzio for an attack on the rear of the enemy's right flank.
The warships were
to cover the landings, furnish all nec-
essary fire-support, and bolster the attack wherever possible.
Following a misleading course which headed
in the general direc-
:
"Thank God tion of Corsica
and then swung back toward Cape D'Anzio, the inva-
Anzio about midnight of January 21. H-Hour
sion fleet approached
was
567
Navy!"
for the
0200, morning of the 22nd.
set for
moved
Closing the coast, the ships
in
on headlands and foreshore
that looked as quiet as scenery in a painting.
The dark foreshore remained
and
fixed
silent as the
landing craft
started in. Just before the troops reached the shallows, rocket boats
By 0400
sprayed the beaches with a preparatory barrage.
the van-
guard had a solid footing on the beachhead, and scouts were probing inland. Still
no reaction from the enemy.
Watching from offshore, picture
was bound
who remembered Salerno Gulf phenomenon. Unfortunately the
sailors
were surprised and pleased by to change.
this
With the morning
light, gunfire
began to
thud and sputter behind the beaches. Presently the Luftwaffe put
in
an appearance. The battle for Anzio was on.
Yanks and Tommies skirmished
into
afternoon, but the seizure of these
Caught
ginning.
off base, the
Anzio and Nettuno on D-Day
little
coast towns
was only a be-
Nazis rushed men, guns, and planes to
the area to contain the invaders.
German 88mm.
shells
began to
pound the Anzio-Nettuno beaches, and clouds of Swastika came roaring down the sky over the cape. As Admiral Lowry "Initial
from
bombings during D-Day were
D
alerts, of
An
The
plus one.
ten days
which thirty-two resulted
average of three
destroyers screening
work.
first
More than
air raids
in
fill.
stated
but increased in intensity
light,
had approximately seventy red
bombing
attacks."
per day for ten straight days.
Task Force 81 had
their
aircraft
their
fill
The
of anti-aircraft
Morning and night the gunners were kept
jumping by dive-bombing and high-level bombing onslaughts. Heaviest raids
were
at
evening twilight, at which time the Luftwaffe gen-
erally struck with
—a
dive-bombers, torpedo-planes, and glider
vicious combination.
They managed, however,
bombs
to get in only
one
surprise attack.
Meantime, the
Army on D-Day had begun
and the destroyers had begun sometimes
in
to give
it.
to call for fire-support,
Singly and severally, and
company with heavier warships, they moved along
the
coast to shoot at targets designated by shore fire-control parties.
Confusion might have resulted from the fact that American shore fire-control parties
were operating with British warships, British shore
fire-control parties
were working with American warships, and U.S.
Army
Air Corps fighter
pilots,
spotting for both British and
using
Army
American
artillery
ships.
procedure, were
But communications
"
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
568
were exchanged with a glibness that brought factory.
in
Europe than
results better
satis-
7
Lowry
In his report Admiral
stated:
As revealed by dispatch from VI Corps Commander to Commander Task Force 81, prisoners of war reported that naval gunfire was very effective and demoralizing to German troops. .
.
.
.
Probably the most important type of port units
was
form of interdiction
in the
.
junctions,
the use of certain
enemy, our forces were able to organize
strategic points to the
their position before
on road
fire
By denying
highways, crossroads and bridges.
.
delivered by naval sup-
fire
enemy
reserves could be assembled to chal-
lenge the beachhead.
One U.SS.
of the
first
bombard enemy
to
head.
destroyers to give fire-support at Anzio
Mayo (Commander
On
A. D. Kaplan).
on the
positions
this
she was
this
Thanks
to
Mayo,
Anzio beach-
still
at
it.
The
lambaste the Anzio beaches,
way
across
the Nazis were stopped
on the
cover a Nazi force was trying to
the Mussolini Canal.
towpath of
to
was the
she steamed in
right flank of the
the following day (January 23)
Germans had moved up heavy guns and under
On D-Day
fight its
waterway. "The speed and accuracy of her
fire,"
Admiral Lowry noted, "kept the Germans from counterattacking across Canale Mussolini.
Mayo
continued to shell Nazi targets until the evening of January
when she was disabled by an underwater explosion of unknown origin. The blast, which occurred at 2001, may have been the work of a mine or an unseen, circling torpedo. The explosion mashed in the 24,
starboard side of the vessel, wrecking and flooding the after engine-
room and
after fire-room, rupturing the
bulkhead between the two
compartments, bulging the main deck, and breaking the starboard propeller shaft.
With
six
men
killed, a
man
missing,
and twenty-five
wounded, the Mayo crew fought her battle-damage, and kept her repairs, and
above water. She was towed to Naples for temporary eventually sent
home
to the States.
Another destroyer which contributed hot fire-support to "Shingle" was U.S.S. Ludlow (Commander L. W. Creighton). At 1019 in the morning of January 26 she answered a call to shoot up a Nazi strongpoint in Littoria. Steaming to the area, she opened fire and lobbed
267 rounds at the target going. No more Littoria."
—enough
to
win her the message: "Nice
"Thank God Ludlow,
was struck
too,
at
Anzio.
On
for the
February
569
Navy!" 8,
while steaming
off the coast, she was hit on the director deck by a 6-inch (or larger) shell.
Luckily the projectile was a dud. But before
about the deck,
it
injured a bluejacket, exploded
it
stopped spinning
some ready ammuni-
and a fragment of the rotating band slashed Commander Creighton's leg, felling him with a severe wound. The hot projectile,
tion,
which was
spilling
explosive charge, was picked up and heaved
its
overside by Chief Gunner's
—
tenant P. Cutler, U.S.N.R., assuming temporary
command
Mate James D. Johnson a nervy action which prevented more damage. Ludlow went on her way with Lieuof the
ship.
"Shingle"
Sufficient evidence of the able fire-support loaned the effort
by
the destroyers
may
be found in the records of the U.S.S.
Edison (Commander H. A. Pearce). In action fired
Anzio
at
this
destroyer
1,854 rounds of 5-inch 38 ammunition at twenty-one separate
targets.
With 101 rounds
fired
on January 29, she turned a parade
Nazi trucks and armored vehicles into a roadside junk
pile.
of
From
exuberant shore fire-control parties she received one congratulatory
message
Here are some verbatim
after another.
extracts.
Fire effective very very good brassed off a bunch of Krauts
Many enemy Pilot said
troops killed by your
your
fire
was very
fire
effective
good work you were
artillery pieces
you were
Effect of fire
machine-gun emplacement
hitting right
on the
firing at
building totally
de-
a tower being used as an observation post
you
in
stroyed
Your
last target
demolished
it
completely
Bombardment by destroyers they did
all
was
at
missions were not the only ones deftly accomplished
Anzio.
sorts of jobs,
were conducting
As was usual in an amphibious operation, some routine, some odd. For instance, some
A/S sweeps around
the transport area, and keeping
an eye out for possible E-boats. Some destroyers were guiding incomtraffic, and some were escorting empty convoys over the seaward
ing
horizon. These latter destroyers in J.
P. Clay,
itself.
A
ComDesRon
were dealt duties
paramount duty was the covering
anti-aircraft protection. effort at
7,
Task Group
Most
81.6, under Captain
as various as versatility
of invasion shipping with
of the destroyers participated in this
one time or another.
In fact, this task kept the destroyermen busier than any other detail
:
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
570 at
Anzio.
opposition.
German artillery and The big Krupp guns
paign, but the Luftwaffe
in
Europe
the Luftwaffe constituted the chief
did not^arrive until late in the cam-
was already* on the
job.
Enemy
air raids
averaged three a day for the ten days immediately following D-Day. Destroyers watched the sky with vigilant radar, raiders with flak,
hammered
and rushed about laying smoke screens
the
to cloak
threatened shipping. All ships and craft in the area had some sort of
smoke-making apparatus.
It
was used
to
good
effect
during twilight
when flashing AA batteries might otherwise silhouette the ships. German aviators, stunting through heavens of fire, were forced to drop their bombs more or less at random on seas and after-dark
raids
of smudge.
But the Heinkels, Junkers, and Dorniers got
in a
few savage
licks.
Early in the battle against the Luftwaffe, Captain Clay's flagship, destroyer Plunkett, was hit. The ship, which was skippered by Commander E. J. Burke, was sorely wounded. The attack occurred on January 24 in the shadows of evening the
—
Luftwaffe's favorite hour.
It
was one of those
triple-threat onslaughts
which featured torpedo-planes, dive-bombers,
Some
eight or ten aircraft participated.
fied as
Junker
88's. Plunkett 's
The
and
glider
bombs.
planes sighted were identi-
Action Report describes the attack's
development
The
action opened
ing in
which marked 88's
when two
glider
on the port beam. They were their trajectory.
were observed
bombs were observed com-
identified
by a pale green
light
Almost simultaneously two Junker
at a fifty-foot altitude,
one to port and one
was opened and speed turn was made toward the glider bombs.
crossing ahead from starboard to port. Fire
increased to 27 knots.
These bombs
From
this
hit the
A
water about 200 yards astern of the ship.
time on the ship was turned so as to keep pointed
the low flying planes.
at
The forward 20mm. gun crews reported
seeing a plane at low altitude drop a torpedo at about 800 yards
range which paralleled the track of the ship. During the next ten
minutes these planes were intermittently sighted trying to obtain
bombs fell, missing the ship bombs were believed to have been
favorable positions and at least five
from 20
to
200
yards. These
dropped by dive-bombers although the bombers were not seen. The silhouette of the ship must have been outlined by the continuous firing at the low level planes.
One enemy
plane was seen to
"Thank God
another 1,000
seen heading away trailing
One was
smoke. About twelve minutes after the action hit on the 1.1 -inch gun mount by a bomb. .
Estimated to be a 250-kilo job, the
571
Navy!"
beam and
crash about 1,000 yards on the port
yards on the starboard bow.
for the
.
bomb
started this ship
was
.
detonated with a huge
explosion that swept the deck with molten iron and
Men
fire.
perished
number were hurled overside or The flames touched off ready 1.1 -inch and
instantly in the face of this blast; a
by
slain
flying debris.
20mm. ammunition near
the gun mount, and the wild fusillade added
Her port engine
to the carnage.
disabled, the destroyer staggered
The starboard engine was stopped
veered.
fanning flames over depth charges
While desperate hands fought
For
aircraft.
wind from
aft.
fire
and explosion, the gunners
mm. mounts
forward 5-inch and 20
to prevent the
and
at the
blazed away at the attacking
more minutes the ferocious battle continued; then was brought under control, and simultaneously the
five
the holocaust aft
planes sped off in the night. Barbarously mutilated, Plunkett limped
out of the battle area. lives in the blasting;
Some
fifty-three
Group
ComDesRon
sent
to
command
of
Task
81.6.
damaged and
other ships were
A
weight of
air
bombs, torpedoes, and
at
Anzio
that a pair of
of
H.M.S.
when balanced against the bombs which the Nazi
glider
aircraft flung at Allied shipping in the first three
was
number
several were sunk, including
Spartan. But losses were relatively light
it
Captain H.
Palermo.
Woolsey, assumed
13, in
Plunkett was not the only Luftwaffe victim at Anzio.
And
lost their
twenty were wounded. Under escort of destroyer
Niblack the maimed warship was Sanders,
destroyermen had
weeks of "Shingle."
DE's nipped the
glider
bomb
in the
bud.
Hatched glider jet
bomb
—was
in
—
dark secrecy it
in
the recesses of Nazi
Germany, the
might have been more appropriately called a robot
a dwarf descendant of the murderous "buzz
bomb."
It
did
not have the "buzz bomb's" range, nor carry as big an explosive charge, but militarily
it
was
far
more dangerous, and
its
potentialities
were appalling.
The
big "buzz
bomb" was
destructive power, but glider
bomb, on
as a small
it
was
weapon with enormous as a berserk butcher. The
a demolition as senseless
the other hand, could be aimed. In effect,
it
operated
"buzz bomb" having rocket propulsion and a sentient
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
572
in
Europe
control-mechanism which answered fhe directives of a radio
Launched by a and sent
trol,
high-level
bomber,
it
into a meteor-like dive* straight for the target.
weapon possessed
signal.
could be guided by remote con-
That
this
was obvious
great propensities for slaughter
to
who saw its introduction at Salerno and its use against Convoy KMF-25A. Something had to be done to counter it. But what? those
Anti-aircraft guns were not the answer. Like comets the robots '
came rocketing down
the sky, too fast for accurate
for snaring in a net of flak.
At Salerno
AA
the only antidote
fire,
too small
seemed
to be
an aircraft counterattack on the high-level bombers which launched the glider bombs.
Convoy KMF-25A, without
had been
air cover,
compelled to sweat out the robot onslaught.
may
It
be remembered there were two DE's in the task group
which escorted that embattled convoy C. Jones and Frederick C. Davis. In in the screen, the
the glider
two
bombs skimmed
much pair
less anti-glider
was dedicated
destroyer-escorts
Herbert
the other vessels
ships did their share of sweating
when
into view. Originally constructed as
A/S
little
vessels, destroyer-escorts
—
company with
were not as a type dedicated
bomb, warfare.
It
to anti-aircraft,
appeared, however, that this
to that specific endeavor, for the
Action Report of
Frederick C. Davis, contains the following:
On
21 January
this
vessel departed
from Naples. ... At
this
time and for three months previously, this vessel together with
H. C. Jones had comprised Task Group 80.2 whose mission was the investigation
and development of countermeasures against radio-
controlled bombs.
As
visualized in advance, therefore, the primary
function of these vessels in Operation Shingle was the protection of
shipping from this type of missile.
When first
Davis (Lieutenant
Commander
R. C. Robbins,
reported for duty with the eighth Fleet,
(Y-team) was placed on board investigation of glider
Army men,
enlisted
U.S.N.R.)
for service in connection with the
bombs. This team was composed of three
men who were
technicians in the radio
radio technicians? Because the rocket glider-bomb trolled.
Jr.
an interceptor unit
Radio was the key
field.
Why
was radio-con-
to the robot's performance, the "brain"
which worked the steering mechanism and sent the bomb diving down on the target. And someone with quick perception had seen that this "brain" could also be an Achilles' heel.
For
that
which was guided by radio might also be misguided by
"Thank God
—by jamming
its
would throw
the air waves with broadcasts that
ra(jio
573
Navy!"
for the
radio-directed steering gear out of true.
Hence
special intercepting
and jamming equipment was rigged on
board the F. C. Davis; the Y-team was prepared to scotch the robot's signals,
A
if
that
were possible.
Y-team with
similar gear
was placed on board destroyer-escort
H. C. Jones (Lieutenant Commander R. A. Soule, Captain Sanders' flagship, Wier), also carried
this
jamming would do
No
type of apparatus.
the trick, but
determined to make the
U.S.N.R.).
III,
destroyer Woolsey (Commander H. R.
one was certain that
hands involved
all
in the effort
were
try.
So "Shingle" found destroyer-escorts Frederick C. Davis and H. C. Jones stationed
at the
raid after raid, they
anchorage
Anzio beachhead. Day
off
were there on duty with
Other ships flung up spectacular screens of
were ble.
in there firing, too, but their
most
while the
TNT
were spraying
fire.
was bringing down Nazi
were
invisi-
TNT,
these
transmissions.
And
the sky with
with radio
it
Davis and Jones
effective barrages
Whereas other warships were spraying
destroyer-escorts
AA
after day,
equipment.
their peculiar
aircraft, the radio
broadcasts
were bringing down glider bombs.
Woolsey participated
ment was not
in this special
as effective as that
work, but her Y-team equip-
on board the DE's. Jones and Davis
fought the lion's share of the weird battle. They also starred as air raid wardens, detecting the Luftwaffe's ings.
of
it's
performance, Lieuten-
it should be said that the work Commander Robbins stated, ". one of these men was truly remarkable, with the result that, prior the establishment of shore-based radar, Davis was much the best
ant
to
approach and issuing warn-
Complimenting the Davis Y-team on
and most
.
.
reliable source for early
warnings against enemy aircraft
attack."
But the master accomplishment of Davis and Jones the battle reports of
—
bomb as is indicated by Task Group Commander Sanders:
the frustration of the glider
During the period 22 January-2 February,
at
Anzio was
excerpts from
1944,
there
were
some 26 bombing attacks by the German Air Force. Radiobombs were dropped during four of these attacks. The efficiency with which F. C. Davis and H. C. Jones jammed radio-controlled bombs is an outstanding achievement on the part
controlled
of these vessels.
.
.
.
574
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
-
During the period of
in
(2-1 February, 12-14 February,
this report
1944) there were some thirteen bombing attacks area.
.
.
attacks.
No
F. C. Davis
were
ships
and H. C. Jones and
their flight path
The above the
—
break
off
sea.
lines one may discern some moment when the DE's first tried when a bomb was deflected the
—
realized that a
DE
What
could stand out like a sore thumb. little
On
by Woolsey.
to suddenly
in
Between the
the cheering
men who
bomb
bombs by jammers
to a lesser extent
and plunge into the
are samples.
jamming gear
the idea these
feature of the glider
bombs were seen
nerve-wracking drama: the tense
sober faces of
A
...
hit.
effective deflection of the
the last attack two glider
from
the Anzio
in
Radio-controlled bomb's were noted in two of these
.
was the
attacks
Europe
if
with her radio prattling those Nazi bombers got
wrench
ships were throwing a
in the robot
ma-
chinery?
One day when
the Luftwaffe
was
Davis Y-team overheard an enemy "Let's
gossip."
radioman of the squadron mate,
A
concentrate on Frau Maier."
all
German
in the sky, a
pilot call to a
sent the listener's hair up.
The
listening
knowledge of everyday
"Frau Maier"
is
slang for "old
radioman had an idea that "old gossip" was the
Frederick C. Davis.
And no
sooner had the intercepted message been reported to the
bridge than four
enemy planes peeled
off
Thirteen
bombs
geysers.
Davis rolled and shook. Not a
shrapnel
left
fell
around her
and made for the DE.
in a tight circle, ringing the ship with
bomb
hit
her,
but flying
her with the only casualty she was to suffer during 142
days of "Shingle."
"Frau Maier" continued her gossiping. She was attacked by torstrafed. She was jolted by
pedo planes; she was dive-bombed; she was
was given a
near-misses. She
weapon except one
—
close shave by practically every aircraft
the glider
bomb. Frederick C. ("Frau Maier")
Davis simply talked the robot down. Excerpt from endorsement on F. C. Davis Action Report by Captain J. P. Clay,
After
Anzio landing,
mained
enemy
Commander
at the
anchorage
aircraft
Destroyers Eighth Fleet:
the
F.
off the
C.
Davis or H.
C.
Jones
beachhead most of the time.
bombing and radio-controlled
missile attacks
re-
Many were
delivered on the convoys and beachhead anchorage while these
"Thank God
Their work in investigating
destroyer-escorts were present.
quencies and jamming the radio
Then
the
As a mans
practically ceased using
punch
bombs has been
hold the
it
February.
in this area after
Anzio beachhead, German General Kesselring man-
at the
280mm.
line.
outstanding.
counteraction against the weapon, the Ger-
aged to pin the Allied forces to the Anzio-Nettuno winter huge
fre-
line:
result of the
Raging
575
Navy!"
for the
railroad guns were
vicinity.
moved up by
Late in the
the Nazis to
Abetted by these Big Berthas, the German forces
in the
area dead-stalled the Anzio invaders. Finally,
when winter melted
by mass Allied
into spring, the stalemate
was broken
which smashed up German communications
air raids
lines as far north as Florence,
and
virtually obliterated
Monte Cas-
Storming forward, the Fifth and Eighth Armies linked up near
sino.
Anzio on
The
May
25, 1944.
Allied armies
marched
into
Rome
on June
4. Fall of the first
Axis capital shook the world. For the Allies, ultimate victory was
now
within sight. For Nazi
Germany and Samurai Japan,
defeat
the horizon. As for Italy, Fascism was in its grave. American destroyers and destroyermen had played no small part
loomed on
in
bringing about that dramatic victory.
AT THE ONSET OF JUNE men were assembled Hitler's Fortress
(Operation
in
1944
MORE THAN A MILLION
Great Britain for the long-awaited assault on
Europa. The plan for the invasion of Normandy
"Neptune-Overlord"),
originally
conceived
by Eisen-
hower two years before, had finally come to fruition. Joint strategy had envisioned an initial landing along a front of from twenty to fifty miles,
from the Cotentin Peninsula on the
Orne; and
this
was
east coast to the River
to incorporate the best features of an airborne
assault with an attack
by
five divisions.
Admiral Alan Kirk, long
experienced in amphibious warfare and with a background of bassy service at the outbreak of the war, was given
command
Western Task Force. Later he recalled: "For an invasion of
we had
to
have a plan.
beautiful one!"
You have
to
Em-
of the
this size
have a plan, and we had a
For more than a year amphibious rehearsals had
576 -
.
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
in
Europe
taken place at Shepton Sands and Torquay, Devonshire, to simulate landings at Omaha Beach even to the point of mock bombardments. The enemy was kept guessing as to e^act target date and location; the
Army
cooperated by collecting a full-scale force on the east coast to
main Channel
give the impression of a Calais,
Army
which resulted
in the
pinning
for a considerable time after
German
assault through the Pas-de-
down
of the
German
Fifteenth
D-Day.
command
defenses, under the tactical
of Field Marshals
Erwin Rommel and Karl von Rundstedt, comprised the Seventh Army, including fourteen divisions behind a defensive Atlantic Wall consisting of a million land mines, beach obstacles, and casemated
and mobile guns. There was a strong difference of opinion between
Rommel and von and the "fighting
Rundstedt, the former relying heavily on his wall to begin at high water
mark", the
latter trusting in
mobile infantry and armored reserves posted to the rear to counterattack where needed.
During the conferences.
first
four days of June there were twice-daily weather
The weather was bad,
incessant rain pounding
the locked-in troops aboard the landing craft.
made now,
down on
decision had to be
or there would be the risk of a forty-eight-hour delay.
Eisenhower listened
The
The
best of these
to the
gloomy predictions of
was "moderating west
his meteorologists.
to northwest
winds backing
southwesterly; overcast with base at one thousand feet and two-foot
waves." At 4:15 a.m. he made his decision:
"O.K.
On
We
go."
News correSouthampton. He awoke when the
the epochal morning Robert
spondent, was aboard an
LST
at
J.
Casey, Chicago
skipper burst into his living space and announced,
with Hitler. Get cracking!"
"We
have a date
ROBERT
CASEY
J.
IO.
MAELSTROM OF
SHIPS
Almost immediately the hook was up and we were moving. on deck without knowing why
I
went and stood
looking out over the same scene that
A
and the day before
that.
moving away from
their
seemed
to
those
slid
like
moorings
who was
nothing so
LCT
by an
much
over the
went up
at the
day before
in
a series of formations that
Now
as always,
Southampton
as the cradle of chaos.
rail of
which leaned a sergeant, one of
presently to toss the dice: his
life
against the peace
and happiness of the world. But there was no look of ecstasy eyes.
wet.
wind
in the cold
had looked
queer-looking ships were slowly
have no pattern nor purpose.
Water looked
We
lot of
I
I
He was raising hell with somebody who had let He paused to look at me as we passed almost
in his
his blankets get
within touching
distance.
"Looks
like we're
on our way,"
I
said, just to
make
conversa-
tion. "I'll
believe
it
when
I
get there," he said.
And
he returned to the
discussion of his blankets and the intimate details of
some
corporal's
ancestry.
This was D-day, and to most of a million there
was a new job
somehow
all
to be
men
it
signified only that
done somewhere. The
start of
it
had
the panoply and thrill that you might associate with the
blowing of the eight-o'clock whistle.
577
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
578
For a moment
The
fear!
was
air
anything a
clear
Channel
we
The
timing,
was
I
that
floundering.
A
bridge to
me
A
this
day was
this
if
the swells to the
time they actually meant to go
it.
you granted
tell
way through
battered our
began to look as
it
could see,
I
worse than yesterday. But, so help me, as the
little
minutes rolled on and
through with
Europe
seemed that the^sea might be moderating. No and crisp at sea level, with scurrying cloud
it
rack above. The wind was roaring. So far as if
in
have been
willing to admit, couldn't
we might be
once
able to get across the Channel without
signalman came up as
Rome had
that
better,
I
clung to a stanchion by the
fallen to us that morning.
destroyer streaked past us. She turned out to be an old French-
man moving up
to a merited place at the
head of the column. Some
hospital ships broke dimly through the haze over to starboard but
even
and
at a considerable distance
in
bad
light I
them. They were old Channel ships, commanded, the
told later, by same skippers who had been taking them back and forth through
A
these waters for years. to
could recognize
was
trip to
I
Cherbourg or Le Havre wasn't going
be any novelty to them.
Once we got under way Davidson and came down
the captain left the bridge to Lieutenant
to the cabin which, as I
was the only place on the ship where he could to spread out a
major lay
where
He and
map.
The major wanted
to
know
might be.
his action station
other ship
enough deck space
the radio lieutenant and the artillery
belly-flat to study the chart.
"On any
find
had been warned,
think I'd like to be in bed," he said. "But
I
don't like to think of a deck between
me and
the outside
I
when I'm
traveling in this one." "If said.
the
you can work an Oerlikon gun you might "That ought to keep you out
Germans discover
in the
try that," the captain
open most of the time when
us."
"In that case," said the major, "I might as well
abandonship station
is,
know where my
too."
"Stand on the deck," the captain suggested, "and when the water gets
up
to
your navel, get
There was a
lot of
off."
conversation during the morning about such
things as our prospects.
I
don't think anybody put
much
value on
them.
At 11:30 we had
to slow
ahead of us was an hour
late.
down because
the group supposed to be
579
Maelstrom of Ships "The ever-normal foul-up," said the captain ter start figuring tide and drift for all hours
"We'd
resignedly.
bet-
of the day and for a
couple of extra days."
But afterwhile the ships that were supposed tearing by into position.
to be
could hardly believe
I
ahead of us came
We
it.
poured on a
more coal and went out past the Needles into a sea that looked like Niagara laid out flat. The boat began to roll from one beam-end to the other and I was glad to see that the ports had steel plates to
little
augment the
glass.
In spite of the discomfort, not to mention danger, of our position, still
had plenty of incentive
Behind
to look at the scene.
I
vague
us, a
procession in the mist, the destroyers were coming out, an endless
them, well spaced and
line of
Among them time
made out
I
stately, like the
man. Here
Another Pole was behind her and
column were a Dane, a Norwegian and a Dutchany rate was some of the pageantry I had expected to
down
farther
at a ball.
the Slazak, the Polish ship in which for a
sailed the Mediterranean.
I
grand march
the
at
see.
We
couldn't pick a course through the murk.
It
seemed that the
whole Channel was strewn with mines and we were going to have to zigzag
all
way
the
over.
By noon
the roaring sea
was worse. The
barometer had dropped another couple of points.
About 7:00 p.m.
the captain
"They must know what don't. This is
breaking It
came
in
from the bridge.
He was
dog-
and obviously puzzled.
tired
is
they're doing," he said.
"But
I
certainly
the worst weather we've had out here for months. Stuff
down
all
over the place.
was breaking down
." .
inside, too.
.
The deck was
littered
with
all
the
detachable junk in the cabin.
"A hell of a night," You wouldn't think it
said the captain.
"And
possible, but
going to be worse."
it's
it's
going to be worse.
He was
right.
Somehow
I
got to sleep. But not for long.
At 1:30 a.m.
I
awakened by an infernal row with the engines, which seemed starting
and stopping every few minutes. There'd be a
and a dimming of
lights, a
and
I
in the
trough of the waves
braced myself to keep from falling out of bed. clothes (I
went up on deck.
hum
rumble and growl and a phut and then the
same thing over again while the ship rode
more
starter
was
to be
was already
all
I
got into
some
dressed except for an overcoat) and
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
580
The Channel was covered with
Europe
in
—
dim twilight the moon As my head came up through the An LCT'\vas bearing down on us. We a sort of
spread out thin by the cloud rack. hatch
looked
I
lurched.
I
off to port.
slipped and caught myself and found myself looking off
LCT
was bearing down on
to starboard.
Another
seemed
with ships, ahead of us, behind us,
filled
scores of ships
The world
us.
abreast of us,
charging without any more purpose or direction
all
than logs suddenly released from a jam.
For our and
filling
part,
we seemed
be running around
to
and scooting forward through holes
up on top
of vessels that ever tried to pile
no clearance between
virtually
units
in circles,
backing
in the weirdest
phalanx
of one another. There
was
now. They were shipping green
water over their bows and around them, and around us a frothy sea
was boiling with
On
a cold phosphorescence.
the bridge everybody
was calm
—outwardly
at least
—and Lieu-
tenant Davidson volunteered an explanation.
"We course, I
mine
are crossing the great
have to be made to head into if
we can
looked
get
him
at
in
them
is
these crates are going the
"They're a
little
field,"
he
said.
"And
these ships
properly. There's a swept channel, of
to take it."
amazement.
"But what direction
straightened out
it
it
in?" I bawled into his ear.
same
confused," he said, "but
...
if
"No two
of
direction." I
think
they don't sink us before
we can get them we get the job
done." I
told
him
possible to
I
hoped
so.
His calm acceptance of the situation made
come even out
of a mess like
this.
But
it
didn't
carefully calculated military operation of all all
it
hope that the miracle might happen and that order might
seem
likely.
The most to show
time had begun
the prescience and organization of a salmon run.
Davidson had been conservative were confused. The odd
in saying that the
performance that
I
LCT
skippers
had seen when
came on deck had been bad enough. That was when they were ing in straight lines. But before
I
I
first
travel-
reached the bridge they had begun
way that made tomorrow's possible interference on the part of the Germans look like a waste of time. Now and then searchlights blinked. Loud hails were
to twist about
and cross one another's bows
in a
bawled from every quarter:
"Keep sunk
in the
"
swept channel.
.
.
.
Follow the buoys or
you'll be
581
Maelstrom of Ships I
went below wondering how
just too sick to
it
was
on deck and
stay
come
going to
all
was
out. I
begun to quit caring what
I'd
happened or when. In an hour or so the captain came down. "It looks a little better,"
group that was
But anyway
at
been something to look
officer,
"Yes," said the captain. "It it
gets
is.
much, does
"After last night nothing
"This
We
is
D-day!" about
talk
it
for a couple of
it?"
observed the senior
officer.
ever going to look like much," said the
is
"But I'm glad I'm here. In another few hours we may have
some idea about how I
us. It's
around to happening."
"It doesn't look like
captain.
caught up with a
maelstrom of ships."
at ... a
"So," remarked the senior
years and then
"We
he said dubiously.
and a group that was early caught up with the moment we're all going the same direction. late,
is
going to
come
looked out through the dim
light of
breaking day to discover that
this
war
somehow happened
the impossible had
Our own group,
a dozen
stretched out on our
.
.
.
LCTs and some
port, their
bows
out."
nondescript craft, were
as perfectly aligned as
if
they
had been breasting a dock. "D-day!" the captain repeated. "And we're
all
here.
And
we're
here on time."
The
little
bridge was packed with men, including the artillery major
and a couple of
his radio operators,
teries, transmitters, receivers,
space to operate the ship
I
never could
At 6:00 a.m. flares began They hung motionless in the five
minutes.
It
seemed
and instruments no end
—
bat-
antenna rods. Where the captain found
to
tell.
bloom out
of the gray ahead of us.
sky, illuminating nothing, for perhaps
likely that
Heinie had finally got wind of our
presence.
We
were headed straight south. Somewhere
in the
gloom
in that
direction lay the beach.
The
flares
from shore,
were
flying
still
burning when a squadron of Spitfires came out
low over
us.
And
then suddenly, six bursts churned
up the water almost immediately ahead. of a still
good bracket.
We
in perfect order,
It
looked
like the short limit
kept boring steadily in at five knots, our LCTs,
wallowing along beside
us.
LSTs ahead of At 6:05 two bombs smashed us and off the port side. The smash of them came back to us eerily distorted by the howling wind. Over on the left of our sector some in front of the line of
flak
began
to shred the clouds.
582
•
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
There was considerable ack-ack beach lay
—ack-ack
and Very
is
6:12.
More
came over. medium bombers came
streaking
up behind
but not enough for us to see
little
who
The
us.
they were
were directly overhead, and we greeted them with our
until they
down
necks pulled well
later
down an
to us presently like coal rolling
guessed from the timing that
sand yards
They went on into the gloom we saw orange-green flashes.
into our collars.
shoreward and a few seconds
Echoes came back
The
7
/-
Spitfires
sky was clearing a
I
ahead of us where the
the timetable of an amazing morning:
6:15. Forty
chute.
Europe
and fireworks that looked
lights
like starry flowerpots.
Here
directly
in
we must be
iron
a couple of thou-
beach.
off the
ships were getting closer together now.
The forward
units
were
slowing up. Those in the echelons, including our own, were moving
—
There was no sky save
By 6:20 we had daylight or as much daybut we couldn't see anything but ships. the mottled canopy of cloud. The horizons
were hidden behind the
ever-drifting, ever-changing planes of blue
up and
filtering
light as
we were going
through.
to get
—
and white. There was no sea save the tossing feathers between your craft
and the
6:30. like a
We
next.
up another few hundred yards through what seemed
slid
moving-picture fade-in and began to leapfrog the infantry land-
ing ships.
They had come their
launches.
swarmed us
into position, well
of
Strings
these
on time, and were putting
jammed
boats,
little
in a serpentine course, scraping
our
sides,
with
off
men,
dodging under
men waved cheerily as them appeared to be seasick. They were moving so fast that I thought we must soon lose track of them in the mist. But the dead empty gray of the sea was changing. An oddly diffused light was trickling through it and the launches our counter. The
they passed. Amazingly none
of
never got out of 6:35. There
memory
sight.
is
no need for a diary entry
to
mark
this
forever. Across the thinning gauze of the mist
moment
in
ahead of the
charging infantry launches appeared a dim, horizontal streak. France! I
was seeing
it
for the
first
time since
bridge in the great retreat four years ago.
about
it
but right then
I
was having a
we went over I tried
the
Hendaye
not to be sentimental
lot of difficulty dissociating
583
Maelstrom of Ships
from the crowding memories of that desperate
the historic present past.
"That's Ver-sur-Mer ahead of us." tain
had spoken
"Oh, yes,"
to
me
became aware
I
that the cap-
twice.
I said.
"That's the beach where Admiral Byrd
came down
at the
end of
his transatlantic flight."
"He
reported that
"I guess
was," said the captain. "But
it
We're going to blow
it
So we were going
I
remembered.
we won't be
able to check.
down."
to
was going
that there
was a very nice place,"
it
blow
it
down.
I
wondered how much more of
be before we got through with
to
mess.
this
It
was ironic that this green and pleasant land which had suffered so little
damage
physical
victory.
.
.
in
defeat
was
likely
be obliterated by
to
.
Evolved from nowhere by the
shifting light, a line of cruisers
destroyers suddenly appeared ahead of us and, as to
what the captain had
said,
began
if
to fire rapidly
to give
and
emphasis
and continuously.
Flame, sickly-looking orange plumes, began to fringe our advance
and spread the dank
The
noise at
first
air
with choking brown smoke.
was not noticeable
in competition with the
and the rumble of hundreds of marine motors. Then reached us with a dull wet echo: "Whup!
guns to sound 6:40.
We
Whup!"
I
all
at
wind
once
it
had never known
like that before.
came
past a slowly
moving
cruiser of the
County
class
only a couple of hundred feet off our port. "She's feeling her way," the captain said, "She's not far from
scraping the bottom right now."
As we passed she let go both turrets forward. The greenish flame for a moment blotted out everything else in our line of vision and white water boiled around her as she leaned back into the sea. The concussion was enough to upset a stomach even less squeamish than
was conscious of her blasting long after we had gone by. Major Loveday took over the microphone from one of his operatives and called to the artillery in the LCTs. "All ships," he called, giving the code numbers. "Be ready to open mine.
I
6:45.
fire in
three minutes."
6:48.
They
fired.
6:48V4. "Boy," said the captain, "we
made
it
in time!"
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
584 For
The
Europe
minutes the din was indescribable. Nearly a hundred
five
none of them very
tanks,
in
mounted
tanks,
far
from
six to a
us,
were
blasting at once.
all
7
landm"g craft, could shoot over each
other but could not traverse their guns. Deflection was taken care of
by maneuvering the ships torpedoes, and
was
it
would be done by submarines
as
startling to see
able scows responded.
They were
how
rolling
the long line of
firing
unmanage-
and flopping up and down
in
swells at least ten feet high but they never missed an order or failed to
make
a change in direction in perfect timing.
a ballet, something.
"It's like
ingly.
"The dance
I started to
them
of the hippopotami out of Fantasia."
say that
they were rocket ships you might refer to
thought better of
I
it.
couldn't, then, see the effect of the barrage that
But
inland.
puffs of white
horizon. It looked to
We
me
we
went.
The
about us and ahead of
once they were
if
we were on
to three knots little
us.
was screaming
were spreading over the black zone on the
as
had slowed down
firing as
at
if
as Rockettes, but
We
..." the captain murmured admir-
We
the target.
and were plowing forward,
infantry launches covered the sea
couldn't see where they
just there, passing us like a
came from.
all
All
pack of hounds toward
the beach. In the near distance they looked like whitecaps and as
numerous.
There was no
retaliatory
fire.
The
had got the short
battery that
end of a bracket on us had either been knocked out or called
was surprised
to discover that
I
couldn't
remember when
it
off.
I
had quit
firing.
Out
in front of us the
beach and
cliffs
and houses of Ver-sur-Mei
were beginning to loom up greenish and wet
like
something dredged
up from the bottom of an aquarium. The shore line was yellow, rising up through green shadow to a ridge. Roofs and angular planes and spires stuck
up out of
the artillery major
up the
7:05.
hill in
More
One
of these,
had mentioned
Our barrage was ing
it.
plainly visible
I
judged, was a lighthouse that
last night as
now and
it
a particular target.
was a good one, march-
a line of smoke.
planes
came over and disappeared
inland.
see whether or not they were dropping any bombs. raising too
much
other group of ently they night.
We
disturbance ashore for a
LCTs came
were a were
The
couldn't
artillery
to be noticed.
was An-
abreast of us and went into action. Appar-
little late
in the
bomb
We
—
as well they
might be after so foul a
middle of a congestion
like
Main
Street in
585
Maelstrom of Ships Christmas week and guns were popping literally
on
all
sides of us.
We
rode
through masses of flame.
7:06.
one that if it
off
had
A
German
raised only a puny
port. It
was a small
water but big enough to
finish us off
ahead of us and to
shell burst
jet of
hit.
7:07. Another one hit in the
same
place. It burst with a
sound
like
tearing canvas.
7:08.
A
7:10.
was almost on top of a destroyer
third one. This
screen to the
left
The
in the
massed LCTs.
of the
fourth slug screamed over us and smashed behind the
destroyer. Bracket!
At
7:11.
least
waited for the
one of us on the bridge stopped breathing and
finish. It didn't
been squarely under the
good
I
know why. We must have battery. The shooting was as
don't
sights of the
any professional could ask. Another salvo could have
as
some
ished
come.
fin-
But there was no other
of us off with noisy dispatch.
salvo.
The rocket
7:15.
from which they could I
have ever seen
300
at
came
ships fire
They
let off
came back from on a tin roof. Off to the
—not
They
A
—
murk
trailing
rose with the rush of a hurricane plus
a noise that
seemed
to shatter until
it
the end of their flight like the echo of gravel falling
left
that
into spots
banks of 200 or
a time and the projectiles shrieked into the
a wail right out of the pit
7:77.
way
and turned loose the most amazing display
in the artillery business.
parallel streamers of fire.
screen
up, elbowed their
the destroyers were laying
we seemed
shell barely
need
to
missed the
it
in
rail
down
a heavy
weather as soupy as
smoke
this.
of the leading destroyer.
commander on the beach apparently was still in business. 7:19. More rocket ships more fingers of flame clawing the
The
battery
off to port.
of
smoke 7:20.
A typhoon
rolled
Two
sky
of noise
went with them and smothering clouds
to hide the ships.
air bursts
cruiser to port.
somewhere
back
—
We
in the
from small guns
spread out black and menacing above the
waited for the rest of the salvo but
smoke and
at the
the noise of our
own
head of the advance began
never caught a glimpse of the plane they were
to
guns.
it
7:22.
It
was
light
enough now
all
lost
tracers
bead the sky.
We
firing at.
7:21. Six shells burst in the water to port between our
the destroyer screen. Clean misses,
was
Red
LCTs and
of them.
to see villas
and summer hotels on
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
586
the shore immediately ahead.
The
in
Europe
lighthouse was plainly visible now,
a white finger rising from a clump of darjk green woods.
were bursting on the crest to the
right of
that twinkled like spangles. Air bursts
The
rockets
in great splashes of fire
it
were smashing into the top of
it.
We fired our last tank salvo 7:40. An LCT blew up just .
.
.
squarely on the target.
off the
beach with a
terrible eruption
Our LCTs picked up speed and took position ahead way in. A shell came over so near that I could have
of colored lights.
on
of us
sworn
their
I felt
the draft from
it.
"I guess," said the captain pleasantly, "that
somebody
is
shooting
at us." We had no chance to think about it for just then our LCTs slid up onto the sandy beach. The bows opened and the tanks came
roaring out into the front yard of Ver-sur-Mer. right after them,
fortable
hour
We
went aground
smashing our asdic dome, and stayed for an uncom-
in a wild
storm of machine-gun
bullets.
Off on the horizon to starboard a battleship suddenly appeared.
knew her paint
for an
on her top
American from the moment rig.
And
I
noticed the color of the
I
Almost before she had come over the rim of the
sea she was blasting the distant battery.
I
cliffs
with broadsides from her main
studied her through the glasses unbelievingly and
an emotional surge that
I
knew
I
felt
wasn't going to be able to share with
anybody aboard. So help me! The Nevada ... the the day she started to
come up
last
off the
time
I
had seen that ship was
bottom
in Pearl
Harbor
.
.
.
LET US TURN TO THE INVASION'S HEAVY SHIPS AND transports. Vice
Admiral Morton L. Deyo
bridge, staring out over the
awesome
is
on
cruiser Tuscaloosa s
scene. In the ensuing excerpt,
which opens the previous night the highly-decorated describes the approach and
initial
bombardment.
flag officer vividly
MORTON
VICE ADMIRAL
L.
DEYO
II.
NAVAL GUNS AT NORMANDY
The
great spring,
wound
so tightly,
is
now
released; the vast energy
loosed by that fateful signal begins to travel coil
—
there
slowly, is
wave
tidal
to flood the shores of
first
thought
is
the weather.
It is
and with an abating wind and
sea.
to parallel the coast of
new
sunlight
look
or shatter
fine a night;
murky,
The overcast begins
to thin
light
all
our ships have swung to
course, the clouds have closed in again.
works magic against the
down from
on Land's End.
to the northeastward
Cornwall when, suddenly the morning sun
breaks through right in our eyes. Before
I
either turn into
Normandy
none too
as we emerge from the Irish Sea and round the The Lizard comes abeam and we change course
the
momentum. Now
pieces at the water's edge.
itself to
fretful,
almost imperceptibly, but gaining
the length of the
no turning back; the unleashed energy must
an inundating
Our
down
chilly mist,
But that flood of
hanging over everything.
the bridge across the tops of
two
onto the Tuscaloosa's long wet forecastle and see
triple
men
8" turrets
gathered in
small knots or busy with the endless chores of shipboard; they have
brightened too and some have begun their customary solemn-faced banter.
It
seems a good omen, that glimpse of sun.
Meanwhile (Rear Admiral Carlton S.) Bryant's group have forged Omaha Force (making a brave show as their signal
ahead to join flags
snap
in the lessening breeze).
We
change our formation to a
587
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
588
column of
single
who
Enterprise,
ships.
The parade
will regulate
in
Europe
The leader is HMS way across the Chan-
forming.
is
her speed
ail
the
nel to maintain twelve knots advance for our convoy.
Steaming
all
daylight in so vulnerable a formation
escorting destroyers
possible only
is
if
and with so few
Allied air superiority drives the
Luftwaffe away. In addition, British anti-submarine patrols in and
beyond the Channel must hold the U-boats beyond the armada's long track. Lastly the British
Home
Fleet far
away
nately by this juncture
it is
North Sea
in the
must discourage any desperate breakout by the German
fleet; fortu-
not too possible.
Off Plymouth, at 10:45 a.m. right on schedule, attack transport Bayfield slips into her place. She
who
flies
the flag of
Rear Admiral Moon,
has with him Major Generals Collins and Barton, whose 4th
Division will land tomorrow.
Still
other transports join off Dart-
mouth, the Barnett, Dickman and Empire. Also we have eight destroyers in
company, the order of ships
fixed
by the order of entering
the assault area. (With such a multitude of ships and craft
mean
voys during the crossing, and therefore, ships
it
would
hopeless confusion to change the formation of the slower con-
—observe
similar procedure.
umns, instead of more compact groups, mines
.
.
all
vessels
The reason is
—
and slow
fast
for the endless col-
deference to the enemy's
.)
During the afternoon we begin
to pass
many
of the five knotters,
long columns due in the assault area during the later hours of D-Day; a heterogenous assortment of cutters, corvettes, trawlers, sub chasers, large
and blunt-nosed LSTs. The
slowest
which
.
.
issue
.
The
faster
track of our convoy
from every opening
in
ones adjust their speed to the is
the westernmost of seven
England's southern coast
.
.
.
At 6 p.m. off Portland Bill we change course southeasterly for five hours. The weather is improving; sea subsiding; wind fresh and northwesterly; ceiling a
little
higher but
still
overcast.
As dusk
gathers
to converge, more amphibious columns are The numerous LCTs are still rolling and lurching, and their cramped open decks bear uncomfortable soldiers who will rejoice to set foot ashore no matter what awaits them. Yet as we pass these various amphibious ugly ducklings, we are impressed by an air of cheerfulness, even jauntiness in their crowded cargoes. Soldiers wave
and the tracks begin
passed.
to us as
we
pass.
One
looks us over appraisingly and shouts an offer
as he balances precariously
on the canting deck. "How'll you trade
Naval Guns your tub for
this ship
humor As they steam and .
.
at
Normandy
589
— about even?" God preserve America and
its
.
putt and chug along one feels an inevitability, a
sureness of overwhelming strength and unity. Far beyond range of
binoculars stretch unending processions moving precisely according to a master plan.
Across these treacherous Channel waters which
have defied a Napoleon and a Hitler, they proceed, heaving, yawning, gently rolling, or just grandly advancing according to their dimen-
an unbelievable mosaic to be spread at the
sions. All are parts of
moment across the Baie de la Seine and upon the shores of Normandy ... All day air search radars and lookouts are busy. The few planes we have seen under the overcast are friendly. Where is the proper
Luftwaffe? Perhaps the weather has deceived the Nazis into believing
we
more favorable conditions. That, in fact, is the case. Of Uupon by the enemy, we have heard nothing. The
await
boats, heavily relied
Command
British Coastal
and planes ... So now
guards the western approaches with ships six bells; 11 p.m.
it is
Through binoculars we
can see the second ship ahead, the old Nevada turning to starboard.
Next goes Quincy and Tuscaloosa. Then Black Prince follows us around.
The subdued
off the port bow. That
#1
entering
is
Invasion have
the
now
turned and separated into
now
will
and 2 are for "Utah";
and 4 for "Omaha", the
3
still
is
uncomfortable for smaller its
is
craft.
is
re-
Augusta
flagship,
The northwest wind
at this speed.
board beam and subsiding; the sea
moon, but
col-
initial positions.
pass to their
with
Omaha
are about thirty miles north of the Baie de la Seine;
and one-half hours
is
are
two channels, a "fast" and a "slow" one.
(with Admiral Kirk and General Bradley embarked)
We
#2.
We
10 swept channels
mainder for the (British) Eastern Task Force. The
force.
her wake
marker buoys. The seven approach lanes of the
of the five forces has
#1
in
vessel's light
the entrance to swept Channel
through which the columns
Channels
marker
and heading almost south. Enterprise leading the
umn, has found
Each
flashing of a
on our
two star-
flattening through the swell,
A
is
high overcast obscures the
presence begins to be noticed because one can see more
ships than before.
Time advances bridge are
is
now
dead
swiftly.
quiet.
On
is
at battle stations, voices are
presence of millions of spirits of
There
men. One
is
a
sense of listening.
Our
flag
the forecastle and upper deck where the crew
men
.
.
.
hushed.
One seems
The atmosphere
is
to feel the
alive with the
aware of a sort of quiet exaltation, a more than
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
590
confidence, as though the Great Leader above ing us.
We
in
at the
is
Europe
helm, reassur-
begin ticking off the lighted buoys (so well placed by our
One thinks of those minesweeping squadrons far ahead, numerous and tough, moving unprosweepers) red to starboard, green to 'port.
tected save for a few destroyers, into the dangerous waters.
With
exact navigation, working in the darkness and advancing close to the hostile coast these stout sailors
have cleared numerous and
intricate
channels, hundreds of miles of them. Channels, most carefully pre-
determined, are to be swept so that each of thousands of invasion craft
may
enough
take
for
its
them
appointed place in the pattern of assault.
to sweep; they
Soon we begin
must mark
as well
.
where land
to observe over the blackness
It is
not
.
.
is,
golden
streaks of light. These are the flak tracers, sketching faint patterns
against the sky; searching for allied planes.
candle of flame up high. Slowly it
reaches earth, the flame
soon we is
will
nearly
1
be detected a.m. There
.
is
.
.
gone.
airborne divisions.
They
More groups
first
all filled
falls.
many
with
us.
are due to drop at
a
before
and
falls
...
It
planes overhead. All
They
men
hit;
is
And
obviously alerted;
is
lighted
there are anxious
open up on
troops, C47s, towing gliders
hence.
The enemy is
One
There!
and slowly
a roaring of
is
ships
turns,
Another candle
ships have been alerted but at
some trigger-happy
it
moments
are the
82nd
of the 101st and
H-5
pass over us at intervals
lest
airborne
hours, thirty minutes
—we
can see them
against the overcast; they are to seize the outlets to the causeways,
across which our troops will pass to advance inland. It is
at
1:20 a.m. Ahead we can see the
lights of the station vessels
"Point Mike" where our channels separate at the boundary of
Utah. Already the leading ships have changed course to port, headed for the Transport Area. Enterprise,
Hawkins, Soemba (the
join at daylight) with destroyers Jeffers, Glennon, rest,
the
escorts
for
the
four
large
transports
Barton's 4th Division troops. Fire Support Unit
latter to
Hobson and Forcarrying
One
General
—heavy
ships
Nevada, Quincy, Tuscaloosa and Black Prince together with Units Three and Four change course to starboard and close the
coast.
We
are thus to be interposed between the transports and shore batteries.
Now we
marked by green lights, advancing enemy while giving the minesweepers of intricate fire support channels. At
enter our channel which
slowly, hoping not to alert the
time to complete the clearing
is
slow speeds the current interferes with station keeping so a.m.
we make
signal to anchor.
In this
at
2:30
position, we can execute
Naval Guns
Bombardment Plan Zebra shall wait here, timing
if
enemy wakes
the
our advance into
Normandy
at
591
we
up. If he does not
firing stations to
take place
about daylight. Our spotting planes are not due to arrive before daylight,
so
We
we
will
postpone action
eighteen miles per hour.
with small
be
craft.
The
enemy permitting. The wind is westerly about will scarcely interfere
astonishment to the
in
serenely burning, beckoning
Its light is
no bloody
even
not have a lee; the weather will
will
have been drawn
lighthouse at Pte. Barfleur.
to sailors as though
chop
slight
Omaha Beach
less favorable. All eyes
tall
until then,
are under the lee of the land now.
were scheduled for
conflict
this
very
day!
We
think of the transport area.
It
about eleven and one-half
is
medium
miles off shore near the range limit of the
shore batteries.
numerous convoys of LSTs, LCTs, LCIs, Converging upon LCMs. Altogether there are nearly 900 craft of various sizes and shapes in the Utah force. The rough seas and the 24-hour postit
are
ponement have placed a heavy burden upon the leaders of convoys for their schedules call for exact times of arrival. to be late. This could dislocate the plans
ing visible around us;
No buoy are
sign
lights
is
.
.
.
.
early. It
.
Some
.
.
.
are almost sure
now becommove in. tiny "Dan"
Things are
is
time to
passing Barfleur light
marking our swept water
now coming
work
dawn comes
from the enemy
.
Some
.
.
.
of the minesweepers
out and beginning to widen the channels. Their
completed. Well done
.
.
first
All ships are ready and gain speed,
.
advancing steadily toward stations. Leading the heavy ships, Old
Nevada looks majestic and formidable see the destroyers, thrusting lean
expect
all
Far inshore
I
and confident noses toward shore.
I
Hell to break loose any
in the early light.
moment now and am ready
for
it.
"H Hour"
is
6:30 a.m. for Utah beach.
varies slightly for
(It
other beaches due to the difference in tidal conditions.)
bardment
is
scheduled for 5:50 a.m.
due over designated enemy batteries
at
Our
first
5:18 a.m.
Our bom-
spotting planes are
—
they should be in
radio communication with us a few minutes after the hour.
our ships will go to
its
station, fix
its
Each of
position with greatest accuracy,
stream a reference buoy, and remain there. Most Captains will drop
an anchor to hold more easily in the strong currents; but
this will
depend upon the direction of the current and how the ship swings it.
With the eastern
light at
plainly visible to those
to
our backs we shall be silhouetted and
on shore, while they
will
be indistinct and
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
592
misty to us.
observed
By
this
Europe
time anyone ashore looking seaward must have
us.
7
,,
At 4:45 a.m. heavy by voice radio to
in
ships are in exact position. Several are talking
their spotting planes as they arrive
England. The shore has emerged
distinctly.
overhead from
The "question mark"
lies
before us, somewhat bold in the bulge but low and sandy along the stem.
Our radar
ones are also instruments.
stands high, looking like a huge bed spring. Smaller
visible,
They
and enemy radar can now be detected by our
are searching for us.
They
find us!
experimental equipment for causing interference, so
We
we
have some
use
it
and the
enemy radar wanders off. That is good fortune of the highest, but not for long. There! The enemy batteries have come to life; it is 5:30 a.m. Black Prince is under fire. Tall splashes spring up and subside short and then
first
beyond
her, not very close.
Now
attention, medium-calibre shells, perhaps 170s.
mission to reply. Permission
is
not granted.
fire,
is
getting
ships ask per-
wish to give our planes
I
time to find which enemy batteries are active.
under
Quincy
Some
Now
all
and enemy shooting improves the salvos are :
our ships are closer.
At 5:36 a.m., I order the signal "Commence counter battery bombardment" and from Tuscaloosa's forecastle inside No. 2 turret comes the shrill, ascending song of the ammunition car speeding upward from the magazines; a metallic thump as the 8" shell drops into its loading tray. The clatter of shell in the breech reverberates through the gun barrel; a hollow blow as
The
seat.
one
aft,
rest
is
it is
rammed hard
have swung to port and are sternly facing their
long, graceful
8"
rifles
rise
as
one
face.
its
target.
Nine
to the correct elevation.
Two
buzzes, "Stand by", one buzz! Flash; jar; lurch; acrid
my
against
not heard but already the three turrets, two forward,
The game has begun,
improves. Black Prince
is
the tension
is
over.
smoke passes
Enemy
shooting
being straddled closely. There are splashes
around Nevada and Quincy, who remain firmly
in place
and
fire
deliberately.
Smack! Bang! One
short,
one over Tuscaloosa. Close ones, very
noisy, violent. Geysers of water with black, ugly centers lead
up
as
is some trouble communicating with the smoke are seen around the point near St.
high as our mastheads. There spotting plane. Flashes and
Vaagt. Tuscaloosa joins Black Prince, using ship spot to silence that one.
It is
stubborn and quite a battle ensues. Meanwhile destroyers
Hobson, Corry and Fitch have been leading the boats
down
first
waves of landing
the boat lane, breaking off in time to be in their stations
Naval Guns
at
Normandy
593
Shubrich and Herndon then proceed across to the southern
at 5:40.
Only the heavy ships have planes
side of the boat lane.
to spot for
them. The destroyers will be close enough to see their targets which
back of the beaches.
consist mostly of strong points just
Through binoculars craft
approaching the
LCVPs, touch down
the boat lane to the southeastward
ten for
of
is
The first assault wave will be "Red" beach and ten for "Green". Their time
Hour. With, or
LCTs, each carrying four contains thirty-two
The
obstacles.
tanks.
LCVPs
engineers and eight third
alive with
line of departure.
twenty
H
is
just after
will
be eight
The second wave following
closely,
with two more battalions of infantry plus
Navy demolition teams wave due
and the fourth, two minutes
them,
H
at
to
blow up the beach
plus 15 includes a dozen tanks
later, consists chiefly of
combat engineers
to clear the beaches.
What
boat lane.
now
of vital importance
is
the large shore batteries
A
number
whether our engagement with
is
preventing them from shooting into the
is
of large shells landing
among
landing craft could have serious consequences.
It
tight formations of
could disrupt the
order of boats; separate combat teams; throw the timing out of gear
and cause great confusion. But so
we can
far
see
the boat lane, nor are there any reports of trouble
appears
we
and that the large
are successful
think of anything beyond fighting us
To
beat
down
.
up-to-date amphibious assaults. This
shells falling in
Moon
from
batteries are too
...
It
busy to
.
.
the formidable defenses
minute "beach drenching" (we wish
no
it
we have provided
a 40-
were much longer) typical of
now
begins.
It
is-H-40 (5:50
A.M.).
Upon
certain designated strong points each of the
ships opens shells all
their
fire.
This will give a
fairly
bombardment
even distribution of bursting
its flanks. The large ships use Nevada and Quincy also employ their
along the landing area and
secondary batteries
5 (
" )
,
On
big guns briefly to break the seawall in five places. bridge, ears plugged with cotton, helmet straps buckled, listen,
the open
we look and
bracing our feet as the 10,000 ton cruiser jumps and lurches to
the blast of her guns.
Everywhere
the battle rises to crescendo
slaught the
enemy
and reaches
batteries falter.
by our planes and their shooting Just before 6 a.m., nearly
to the west
is
its
and south and southeast climax. Before our on-
Only a few are now reported
active
intermittent.
300 bombers (B26s) of Brereton's 9th
Air Force have roared overhead and dropped
many
tons of
bombs
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
594
in
Europe
along the beach area. Over in the boat lane the
first waves are nearing them are the Support Graft Group. They are part of our Bombardment Group Organization and operating under our Plan. But we have had no control of their training as they are part of the
shore. Preceding
amphibious team. They number about 35
craft of the
as
gun boats and rocket launchers. Their shallow
to
work
will
LCT
type, fitted
draft permits
them
in close to the beaches. Just prior to the landing these craft
spray the strong points of Green and
Red beaches
with rockets
while the gun boats engage such active opposition points as they can observe.
The cumulative
effect of the air
bombing and naval
shells
bursting in the sand virtually blots out the shore to those approaching it.
A huge pall hangs in the The moment
drenching
fire
of touch
air; all is
down
now
obscured.
nears. It
from the landing beaches
.
.
is
almost time to
lift
our
.
THE EASIEST OF THE FIVE MAJOR LANDINGS BEGAN, AS scheduled, at Utah Beach, along a nine-mile stretch of the Cotentin Peninsula's
east
support ships batteries.
retaliated
nelius
coast.
At
commenced
this
time
a series of
several
of
Destroyer Corry was taken under intense in
kind
— an
Admiral Deyo's
gun duels with the Nazi shore fire,
to
which she
event brilliantly described by author Cor-
Ryan, who picks up the action aboard the destroyer.
—
CORNELIUS RYAN
12.
THE FLAG HUNG LIMP
FOR A MOMENT
Off Utah the U.S.S. Corry's guns were red-hot. They were firing so fast that sailors
stood on the turrets playing hoses on the barrels.
Almost from the moment Lieutenant Commander George Hoffman had maneuvered
his
destroyer
into
firing
position
and dropped
anchor, the Corry's guns had been slamming shells inland at the rate of eight 5-inchers a minute.
One German
bother anyone again; the Corry had ripped placed rounds.
Corry was the laying planes
it
battery
would never
open with 110 well-
—
The Germans had been firing back and hard. The one destroyer the enemy spotters could see. Smoke-
had been assigned
to protect the "inshore close sup-
port" bombarding group, but the Corry's plane had been shot down.
One
battery in particular,
Utah
—
seemed
on the
the gun flashes located to be concentrating all
it
bluffs overlooking the coast
above
near the village of St.-Marcouf its
fury on the exposed destroyer.
Hoffman decided to move back before it was too late. "We swung around," recalls Radioman Third Class Bennie Glisson, "and showed them our fantail like an old maid to a Marine." But the Corry was in shallow water, close to a number of knifeedged reefs. Her skipper could not make the dash for safety until he was clear. For a few minutes he was forced to play a tense cat-andmouse game with the German gunners. Trying to anticipate their salvos, Hoffman put the Corry through a series of jolting maneuvers.
595
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
596
He
swung
shot forward, went astern,
stopped dead, went forward again.
firing
on
man
the while his guns engaged the
the St.-Marcouf guns too.
the sharp-shooting Germans.
his
predicament and
But there was no letup from
Almost bracketed by
inched the Corry out. Finally,
Europe
then to starboard,
to port,
Nearby, the destroyer U.S.S. Fitch saw
battery.
began
AU
in
satisfied that
their shells, Hoff-
he was away from
the reefs, he ordered, "Hard right rudder! Full speed ahead!" and the Corry leaped forward. Hoffman looked behind him. Salvos were
smacking into
their
wake, throwing up great plumes of spray.
made
breathed easier; he had
it.
was
It
He
at that instant that his luck
ran out. Tearing through the water at more than twenty-eight knots the Corry ran headlong onto a submerged mine.
There was a great rending explosion that seemed to throw the
The shock was so great that him "that the ship had been lifted
destroyer sideways out of the water.
Hoffman was stunned.
It
by an earthquake." In
his radio
seemed
to
shack Bennie Glisson,
who had been
felt that
he had been "dropped into
a concrete mixer." Jerked off his feet, he
was hurled upward against
looking out a porthole, suddenly
the ceiling, and then he crashed
The mine had main deck was a
down and smashed
his knee.
Running across the width. The bow and the
cut the Corry almost in half. rip
stern pointed crazily
more than one upward; about
foot in all
that held the destroyer to-
The fireroom and engine room were flooded. There were few survivors in the number two boiler room the men there were almost instantly scalded to death when the boiler blew up. The rudder was jammed. There was no power, yet somehow in the steam and fire of her death agonies the Corry continued to charge crazily through the water. Hoffman became suddenly aware that some of his guns were still firing his gunners, without gether was the deck superstructure.
—
—
power, continued to load and
The
fire
manually.
twisted pile of steel that had once been the Corry thrashed
through the sea for more than a thousand yards before to a halt.
Then
the
German
batteries zeroed
in.
finally
"Abandon
coming ship!"
Hoffman ordered. Within the next few minutes at least nine shells plowed into the wreck. One blew up the 40-millimeter ammunition. Another
set off the
smoke generator on
the fantail, almost asphyxiat-
ing the crew as they struggled into boats and rafts.
The one
sea
last
was two
feet
above the main deck when Hoffman, taking swam toward a raft. Be-
look around, dived overboard and
hind him the Corry settled on the bottom, her masts and part of her
/-v7
The Flag Hung Limp superstructure
major D-Day
remaining above the waves
for a
—
Moment
the U.S.
599
Navy's only
Of Hoffman's 294-man crew thirteen were dead or missing and thirty-three injured, more casualties than had been suffered in the Utah Beach landings up to this time. Hoffman thought he was the last to leave the Corry. But he wasn't. Nobody knows now who the last man was, but as the boats and rafts pulled away, men on the other ships saw a sailor climb the Cony's stern. He removed the ensign, which had been shot down, and then, swimming and climbing over the wreckage, he reached the main mast. From the U.S.S. Butler Coxswain Dick Scrimshaw watched in amazement and admiration as the sailor, shells still falling about him, calmly tied on the flag and ran it up the mast. Then he swam away. Above the wreck of the Corry Scrimshaw saw the flag hung limp for a moment. Then it stretched out and fluttered in the breeze. loss.
DAVID HOWARTH, ANOTHER sets the
WHO CHRONICLED
D-DAY,
scene for the landings. Here, briefly, he gives us a penetrating
assessment of the bombardment and the resultant conditions on the beaches.
DAVID
HOWARTH
£,7
i3-
MORNING WAS
"THE
RATHER
The conditions
MISTY."
of cloud in the early
place, but there
is
they were at Utah.
morning varied from place
no evidence that they were worse
The
difference between the air
beaches was a difference in policy and
aircraft.
at
Omaha
bombing on
the two
At Utah, medium
bombers, Marauders, carried out the last-minute bombardment;
Omaha,
the job
bombers could days was a
to
than
at
was done by heavy bombers, Liberators. These heavy
either
much
bomb
visually or
less accurate
by instruments, which
in
those
method. The decision was taken the
night before, on the basis of the weather forecast, to use instruments, this decision was endorsed by the Supreme Command. The infantrymen, who had hoped and expected to find the defenses ruins, knew nothing of this decision, or of its implications. Because
and in
of the inaccuracy of the instruments, there that the
bombing would
hit
was thought
the landing craft.
The
to be a risk
aircrews were
therefore ordered to delay their drop after crossing the coast, the
length of the delay to vary inversely with the length of the time before
H Hour until
it
reached as long as thirty seconds. This meant inevita-
bombs fell away until just
bly that the center of the weight of
at first a
yards inland, and crept further
before
three miles
Hour
it
was
beyond the beach; and none of the bombs, except
a
few
which were badly aimed,
them the
The
600
H
few hundred
slightest
fell
near enough to the beach defenses to do
harm.
results of the naval
bombardment were
also meager; but this
is
"The Morning Was Rather Misty" The bombardment looked heavy on
not so simple to explain.
There were two American cruisers of
battleships,
from 5
scheduled to
They were could
it
Army
fire
while
fire
hundred rounds of
to fire thirty-five
to 14 inches.
craft so that
artillery
cali-
was mounted on landing
was waiting
it
to
go
in,
and was
nine thousand rounds in the thirty minutes before
Hour. Finally, nine rocket craft were each to
What happened
explosive rockets.
to
21,500
fire
H
a thousand high-
There are
projectiles?
answers, and none of them conclusive. Only quite a small
many
proportion of the volume of
fire
was
army guns
The rockets conditions. The aiming
real naval gunnery.
were notoriously inaccurate under the best of of
paper.
Texas and Arkansas, three
which one was British and two were Free French, and
eight destroyers.
bers
601
in small landing craft could only
have been uncertain,
because the sea was rough. The morning was rather misty and the
beach was soon covered
Utah with smoke and
like
by
make
emplacements
their
from seaward, and
fire
detected them
all.
which made
The Germans had taken
spotting difficult for the larger ships. to
dust,
difficult to see
intelligence
and reconnaissance had not
Part of the naval effort, especially of the battleship
German
Arkansas, was directed against heavy
batteries far out
flanks
which threatened the sea approaches but did not
beach.
A
naval historian,
was simply too
care
and almost impregnable
summing
it
up, believes the
on the
affect the
bombardment
and too short; no more ships could be used,
light
because there was no more room for them in the sea, and the navy
needed more time implies,
who
to
do the job thoroughly.
It
was the army, he
restricted the length of the shooting to thirty-five
min-
utes.
Nobody can be
certain either exactly
ing had done before
thing
is
that
it
still
intact
how much damage
the shell-
Hour, and the guesses vary. The only certain
did not do nearly enough, and that
started to cross the
were
H
when
the troops
beach the greater part of the German defenses
and went into action against them.
The weather which had rendered
the aerial
bombing
useless
and
aim caused its greatest havoc among the inand the amphibious tanks. The conditions of
distracted the gunners'
fantry landing craft
cloud at Utah and
Omaha
sea were quite different.
were much the same, but the conditions of
The wind was blowing
at ten to eighteen
knots from the northwest. At Utah, the wind was off-shore, and the
went to the beach, the calmer the sea became. At Omaha it was on-shore; and the waves were four feet high, and sometimes six
closer one
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
602
in
Europe
Neither the landing craft nor the amphibious tanks were de-
feet.
signed to
work
in such a
rough sea asjthat
.
.
.
AT THE 16TH RCT SECTOR OF OMAHA BEACH, WHERE the confusion of enfilading fire
war reigned supreme, landing
from casemated 75- and
the Colleville exit.
who
On Fox Green
88mm
craft
were taken under
guns on either side of
beach, a twelve-mile
strip, the
men
reached it lay like a "human carpet", subjected to everyGermans could throw. Most of the landing craft in this sector
finally
thing the
were from the transports British Empire, Anvil and Henrico and were immediately
hit,
or
swamped
offshore, or did not even locate
the beach.
As
a war reporter for Collier's, Ernest
Pulitzer
and Nobel
Prizes,
and considered
Hemingway, winner by many
ican novelist, was aboard one of the landing craft in the
bound
for
Fox Green
sector of
Omaha.
of the
Amerfirst wave
the greatest
ERNEST HEMINGWAY
VOYAGE TO VICTORY
.
.
.
the sixth of June, and the
The day we took Fox Green beach was
wind was blowing hard out of the northwest. As we moved land in the gray early
light,
in
toward
the 36-foot coffin-shaped steel boats took
on the helmeted heads of the troops packed shoulder to shoulder in the stiff, awkward, uncomfortable, lonely companionship of men going to a battle. There were cases of TNT, with rubber-tube life preservers wrapped around them solid green sheets of water that fell
to float
them
LCV(P), and
in the surf, stacked
forward
in the steel well of the
there were piles of bazookas
and boxes of bazooka
rockets encased in waterproof coverings that reminded you of the
transparent raincoats college All
this
equipment,
girls
too,
strapped and tied on, and the
wear.
had the
men
rubber-tube
life
preservers
wore these same gray rubber tubes
strapped under their armpits.
As
the boat rose to a sea, the green water turned white and
came
slamming in over the men, the guns and the cases of explosives.
Ahead you could
see the coast of France.
The gray booms and
der-
rick-forested bulks of the attack transports were behind now, and,
over
all
As
the sea, boats were crawling forward toward France.
the
LCV(P)
rose to the crest of a wave,
you saw the
line of
low, silhouetted cruisers and the two big battlewagons lying broadside to the shore.
You saw
the heat-bright flashes of their guns
and
603
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
604
brown smoke
the
in
Europe
pushed out against the wind and then blew
that
away.
~, 7 'What's your course, coxswain?** Lieutenant (jg) Robert Ander-
son of Roanoke, Virginia, shouted from the
"Two-twenty,
sir,"
chusetts, answered.
Frank Currier of Saugus, Massa-
the coxswain,
He was
stern.
a thin-faced, freckled boy with his eyes
on the compass. "Then steer two-twenty, damn over the whole damn' ocean!" fixed
"I'm steering two-twenty, "Well, steer crew,
it,
who were making
had taken LCV(P)s
He was
said.
their first landing
in to the
said.
"Don't steer
all
the coxswain said patiently.
sir,"
Andy
then,"
Anderson
it!"
nervous, but the boat
under
knew
fire,
this officer
African landing, Sicily and Salerno, and
they had confidence in him.
Andy
"Don't steer into that LCT,"
shouted, as
we
roared by the
ugly steel hull of a tank landing craft, her vehicles sealashed, her
troops huddling out of the spray.
"I'm steering two-twenty," the coxswain
said.
"That doesn't mean you have to run into everything on the ocean,"
Andy
He was
said.
a handsome, hollow-cheeked boy with a lot of
style
and a
see
you can see what
I
if
my
got
"Mr. Hemingway,
sort of easy petulance.
that flag
is
will
you please
over there, with your glasses?"
old miniature Zeiss glasses out of an inside pocket, where
they were wrapped in a woolen sock with some tissue to clean them,
and focused them on the drenched the "It's
made
the flag out just before a
wave
green."
"Then we right.
flag. I
glasses.
are in the mine-swept channel,"
Andy
said. "That's all
Coxswain, what's the matter with you? Can't you steer two-
twenty?" I
was
trying to dry
spray was coming
in,
my so
I
glasses, but
watched the battleship Texas our right coast,
now and
firing
over us as
in
we moved
all
the time
She was
just off
on
toward the French on what was, or was in
220 degrees, depending on whether you believed
Andy or Currier the coxswain. The low cliffs were broken by church spire
was hopeless the way the for a try later on and
shelling the shore.
which was showing clearer
not, a course of
it
wrapped them up
valleys.
There was a town with a
one of them. There was a wood that came down
sea. There was a house on the right of one of the beaches.
On
to the all
the
Voyage
605
to Victory
headlands, the gorse was burning, but the northwest wind held the
smoke close to the ground. Those of our troops who were not wax-gray with sea sickness, fighting it off, trying to hold onto themselves before they had to grab were watching the Texas with looks of
for the steel side of the boat,
surprise
and happiness. Under the
pikemen of the Middle Ages
come some
to
steel
whose
helmets they looked like
had suddenly
aid in battle
strange and unbelievable monster.
There would be a
would
of the Texas, that
from the 14-inch guns
flash like a blast furnace lick far out
from the
Then smoke still
the yellow-
ship.
rolling, the brown smoke would cloud out and, with the concussion and the report would hit us, jarring the men's helmets. It struck your near ear like a punch with a heavy, dry glove. Then up on the green rise of a hill that now showed clearly as we
moved in would spout two tall black fountains of earth and smoke. "Look what they're doing to those Germans," I leaned forward
to
hear a G.I. say above the roar of the motor. "I guess there won't be a
man
alive there,"
That
is
he said happily.
the only thing
I
remember hearing
a G.I. say
that
all
morning. They spoke to one another sometimes, but you could not hear them with the roar the 225-horsepower high-speed gray Diesel
made. Mostly, though, they stood
anyone smile
after
we
left
silent
without speaking.
never saw
They had seen the he was gone and
the line of firing ships.
mysterious monster that was helping them, but
I
now
they were alone again. I
found
if I
kept
my mouth open from
until after the concussion, I
it
the time
I
saw the guns
flash
took the shock away.
was glad when we were
inside
and out of the
Texas and the Arkansas. Other ships were
firing
line of fire of the
over us
all
day and
you were never away from the sudden, slapping thud of naval gunfire. But the big guns of the Texas and Arkansas that sounded as though they were throwing whole railway trains across the sky were far away as
we moved on
in.
They were no
part of our world as
we moved
steadily over the gray, white-capped sea toward where, ahead of
us,
death was being issued in small, intimate, accurately administered packages.
They were
like the
thunder of a storm that
is
passing in
never reach you. But they were
another county whose
rain
knocking out the shore
batteries, so that later the destroyers could
move
in
landing.
will
almost to the shore when they had to
come
in to save the
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
606
Now
ahead of us we could see the coast
opened the
silhouette
map
with
all
complete
in
Europe
in
Andy
detail.
the^beaches and their distinguish-
ing features reproduced on it, and I got my glasses out and commenced drying and wiping them under the shelter of the skirts of my burberry. As far as you could see, there were landing craft moving in over the gray sea. The sun was under at this time, and smoke was
blowing
all
along the coast.
The map
that
Andy
spread on his knees was in ten folded sheets,
One
held together with staples, and marked Appendix
Five different sheets were stapled together and, as
open
his
map, which spread, open, twice
map showing Dog
Red and
White,
Annex A.
to
watched Andy
man
as long as a
reach with outstretched arms, the wind caught the
I
could
and the section of
it,
Fox Red, Fox Green, Dog Green, Easy
part of Sector Charlie snapped twice gaily in the wind and
blew overboard. I
had studied
thing to have
it
map and memorized most
this
in
on paper and be able
"Have you got
to
check and be
a small chart,
sheet ones with just
of
but
it,
your memory and another thing to see
it
it
is
one
actually
sure.
Andy?"
shouted.
I
"One
of those one-
Fox Green and Easy Red?"
"Never had one," said Andy. All
this
time
we were approaching
the coast of France, which looked increasingly hostile.
"That the only chart?"
I said,
"Only one," said Andy, "and and
it
disintegrated.
close to his ear. it
disintegrated
What beach do you
on me.
we
think
"There's the church tower that looks like Colleville,"
ought to be on Fox Green. Then there
is
A
wave
hit
it,
are opposite?" I said.
a house like the one
"That
marked
on Fox Green and the timber that runs down to the water in a straight line, like on Easy Red." "That's right," said Andy. "But I think we're too far to the left." "Those are the features, all right," I said. "I've got them in my head but there shouldn't be any
cliffs.
Fox Green where Fox Red beach Green has
to be
on our
The
starts.
cliffs
If
start to the left of
that's
true,
then
Fox
right."
"There's a control boat here somewhere,"
Andy
said. "We'll find
out what beach we're opposite."
"She can't be Fox Green "That's right,"
Andy
if
there are
said.
cliffs," I said.
"We'll find out from a control boat.
PC, coxswain. No, not there! Don't you see him? Get ahead of him. You'll never catch him that way." Steer for that
Voyage
We
607
to Victory
We
slammed into the seas instead boat pulled away from us. The LCV(P)
never did catch him, either.
and the was bow-heavy with the load of TNT and the weight of the threeeighth-inch steel armor, and where she should have lifted easily over
of topping them,
banged into them and the water came in solidly. "The hell with him!" Andy said. "We'll ask this LCI/' Landing Craft Infantry are the only amphibious operations craft that look as though they were made to go to sea. They very nearly
the seas she
have the
LCV(P)s
lines of a ship, while the
and the LCTs the ocean
like floating fright gondolas.
was covered with these
headed toward shore. They would off
and
were
circle back.
lines of
On
like
few of them were
craft but very start
see,
toward the beach, then sheer
from where we were, there tanks, but my glasses were still too wet
the beach
what looked
look like iron bathtubs,
Everywhere you could
itself,
in
to function.
"Where's Fox Green beach?" Andy cupped
up
at the
LCI
that
was surging past
"Can't hear," someone shouted.
us,
his
hands and shouted
loaded with troops.
We had no megaphone.
"What beach are we opposite?" Andy yelled. The officer on the LCI shook his head. The other officers did not even look toward us. They were looking over their shoulders at the beach.
"Get her close alongside, coxswain," Andy
said.
"Come
on, get in
there close."
We
roared up alongside the LCI, then cut
down
the
motor
as she
slipped past us.
"Where's Fox Green beach?" Andy
yelled, as the
wind blew the
words away. "Straight in to your right," an officer shouted.
"Thanks." Andy looked astern
at the other
two boats and
told
Ed
Banker, the signalman, "Get them to close up. Get them up."
Ed Banker
turned around and jerked his forearm, with index finger
up and down. "They're closing up, sir," he said. Looking back you could see the other heavily loaded boats climbing the waves that were green now the sun was out, and pounding raised,
down into the troughs. "You wet all through,
sir?"
Ed
asked me.
"All the way."
"Me, too," Ed
Now
it's
wet, too."
said.
"Only thing wasn't wet was
my
belly button.
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
608
"This has got to be Fox Green,"
where the
cliff
Colleville
church.
said to
to the right.
to the right. This
Europe
Andy. "I recognize
house on the beach.
There's the
Ruquet Valley on Easy Red
I
Fox Green
stops. That's all
in
is
There
the
is
There's the
Fox Green abso-
lutely."
when we Fox Green?"
"We'll check it's
get in closer,"
Andy
said.
"You
really think
"It has to be."
Ahead
of us, the various landing craft were
confusing manner
—heading
in,
coming out and
"There's something wrong as hell,"
They're
all
I
said to
all
acting in the
same
circling.
Andy. "See the tanks?
along the edge of the beach. They haven't gone in
at
all."
up and started to burn with thick smoke yellow black and flame. Farther down the beach, another tank started burning. Along the line of the beach, they were crouched like big yellow toads along the high water line. As I stood up, watching, two more started to burn. The first ones were pouring out gray smoke now, and the wind was blowing it flat along the beach. As I stood up, trying to see if there was anyone in beyond the high water line of tanks, one of the burning tanks blew up with a flash in the streaming Just then one of the tanks flared
gray smoke. "There's a boat for that
LC
we can check
with,"
Andy
said.
"Coxswain, steer
over there. Yes, that one. Put her hard over.
Come
on.
Get over there!" This was a black boat, fast-looking, mounting two machine guns and wallowing slowly out away from the beach, her engine almost idling.
"Can you tell us what beach this "Dog White," came the answer.
is?"
Andy
shouted.
"Are you sure?"
"Dog White beach," they called from "You checked it?" Andy called. "It's
Dog White
the black boat.
beach," they called back from the boat, and their
screw churned the water white as they slipped into speed and pulled
away from us. I was discouraged now, because ahead of us, inshore, was every landmark I had memorized on Fox Green and Easy Red beaches. The line of the cliffs that marked the left end of Fox Green beach showed clearly. Every house was where it should be. The steeple of the Colleville church showed exactly as it had in the silhouette. I had
Voyage
609
to Victory
studied the charts, the silhouettes, the data
on the obstacles
water and the defenses
remember having asked
our Captain, thea
M.
Dix,
all
one morning, and
Commander W.
I.
I
in the
Leahy of the attack transport Doro-
our attack was to be a diversion in force.
if
"No," he had
said.
"Absolutely not.
What makes you
ask that
question?"
"Because these beaches are so highly defensible."
"The Army
is
going to clear the obstacles and the mines out in the
minutes," Captain Leahy had told me. "They're going to
first thirty
cut lanes in through them for the landing craft."
wish
I
I
could write the
transport across through
full
story of
what
it
means
to take a
a mine-swept channel; the mathematical
precision of maneuver; the
infinite
detail
and chronometrical ac-
curacy and split-second timing of everything from the time the anchor
comes up
until the boats are
churning assembly
circle
lowered and away into the roaring, sea-
from which they break
off into the attack
wave.
The get
story of
that in
all
how
all
the
teamwork behind
would take
a book,
LCV(P) on
and
that has to be written, but to this is
simply the account of
we stormed Fox Green beach. Right at this moment, no one seemed to know where Fox Green beach was. I was sure we were opposite it, but the patrol boat had it
was
said this
in a
the day
was Dog White beach which should be 4,295 yards
we were where I knew we were. be Dog White, Andy," I said. "Those Fox Red starts on our left." "The man says it's Dog White," Andy said.
to
our
right, if
"It can't
In the solid-packed troops in the boat, a
bar painted on his helmet was looking
had high cheekbones and a rather
flat,
at us
man
are the
cliffs
where
with a vertical white
and shaking
his head.
He
puzzled face.
"The lieutenant says he knows it, and we're on Fox Green," Ed Banker shouted back at us. He spoke again to the lieutenant but we could not hear what they said. Andy shouted at the lieutenant, and he nodded his helmeted head up and down. "He says it's Fox Green," Andy said. "Ask him where he wants to go in," I said. Just then another small black patrol boat with several officers in
came toward us from
megaphoned, "Are there any boats here
Green beach?"
for
it
up in it and the seventh wave on Fox
the beach, and an officer stood
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
610
There was one boat for that wave with to
them
in
and the
us,
Europe
officer
shouted
to follow their boat.
"Is this
"Yes.
Fox Green?" Andy
Do you
eleven hundred
called to them.
Fox Green beach runs
see that ruined house?
and
for
yards to the right of that ruined
thirty-five
house."
"Can you "I can't
"Can't
get into the beach?"
tell
we
you
just
You
that.
have no authority on
"I
have
will
beach control boat."
to ask a
run in?"
You must
that.
ask the beach control
boat."
"Where
is
it?"
"Way out there somewhere." "We can go in where an LCV(P) "It's
bound
to be clear
has been in or an LCI,"
where they run
and we can go
in,
in
I said.
under the
lee of one."
"We'll look for the control boat,"
out to sea through the swarming "I can't find her," closer.
We
Andy
have to get the
"Ask him where he
is
moving
"She
said.
hell in.
said,
and we went banging
landing craft and lighters.
isn't here.
We're
I
She ought to be
now. Let's go
late
supposed to land,"
Andy went down and lieutenant's lips
Andy
traffic of
in
in."
said.
talked to the lieutenant.
could see the
I
as he spoke, but could hear nothing
above
the engine noise.
"He wants to run when he came back.
We
headed
patrol boat
"Did you
straight in for that ruined house."
in for the
beach.
As we came
swung over toward us
in,
running
Andy
said,
fast, the
black
said.
came
again.
find the control boat?" they
megaphoned.
"No!"
"What
are
you going
"We're going
in,"
to
do?"
Andy
yelled.
"Well, good luck to you fellows," the over, slow and solemn like a elegy.
megaphone
"Good
luck to
all
of
It
you
fel-
lows."
That included Thomas E. Nash, engineer, from and two teeth out of it. It man, of Brooklyn, and Lacey T.
included
grin I
would have been the gunner
if
Frank Currier, the coxswain,
Edward
Shiflet of
Seattle with a
good
F. Banker, signal-
who
Orange, Virginia,
we had had room
for guns. It included
of Saugus, Massachusetts,
and
it
in-
Voyage
611
to Victory
Andy and me. When we heard the lugubrious tone of that parting benediction we all knew how bad the beach really was. As we came roaring in on the beach, I sat high on the stern to see what we were up against. I had the glasses dry now and I took a good look at the shore. The shore was coming toward us awfully fast, and
eluded
was coming even faster. the beach on the left where there was no
in the glasses
On
it
shingled bank, the
where they had the
first,
second, third, fourth and
looking like so
fallen,
sheltering overhang of
many
pebbly stretch between the sea and the
flat
fifth
waves lay
heavily laden bundles first
To
cover.
on the
where the beach exit led up a wooded was here that the Germans hoped to get something very good, and later we saw them get it. To the right of this, two tanks were burning on the crest of the beach, the smoke now gray after the first violent black and yellow billows. Coming in I had spotted two machine-gun nests. One was right, there
was an open
from the
valley
sea.
from the ruins of the smashed house on the
firing intermittently
of the small valley.
stretch
It
The other was two hundred yards
right
to the right
and
possibly four hundred yards in front of the beach.
The to
officer
head
"Right
in there,"
"Andy," fire. I
commanding
directly for the
just
I
he
said,
the troops
said. "That's
steel bathtub.
carrying had asked us
where."
"that whole sector
saw them open twice on
An LCV(P)
we were
beach opposite the ruined house.
was slanted drunkenly
They were
is
enfiladed by machine-gun
that stranded boat."
firing at the
in the stakes like a lost gray
water
line,
and the
fire
was
kicking up sharp spurts of water.
"That's where he says he wants to go,"
where
we'll take
"It isn't
He
with
its
"So
that's
I said.
"I've seen both those guns
Andy
said.
open up."
"Put her ahead straight
turned astern and signaled to the other boats, jerking his arm, upraised finger, up and down.
"Come that
said.
him."
any good,"
"That's where he wants to go," in."
Andy
on, you guys," he said, inaudible in the roar of the
sounded
like a plane taking off.
motor
"Close up! Close up! What's the
matter with you? Close up, can't you? Take her straight
in,
cox-
swain!"
At gun
we
this point,
points,
and
I
entered the beaten zone from the two machine-
ducked
going overhead. Then
I
my
head under the sharp cracking that was
dropped into the well
in the stern
sheets
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
612
in
Europe
where the gunner would have been if we had any guns. The machinegun fire was throwing water all around^he boat, and an anti-tank shell tossed
The
up a
jet of
water over us.
was talking, but I couldn't hear what he said. Andy could hear him. He had his head down close to his lips. "Get her the hell around and out of here, coxswain!" Andy called. lieutenant
"Get her out of here!"
As we swung round on our machine-gun
fire
and pulled
stern in a pivot
out, the
stopped. But individual sniping shots kept cracking
my
head up again
"You could
see the mines
over or spitting into the water around us. I'd got with some difficulty and was watching the shore. "It wasn't cleared, either,"
on
all
Andy
said.
those stakes."
good place
"Let's coast along and find a said. "If
we
stay outside of the
machine-gun
to put fire, I
them ashore,"
I
don't think they'll
LCV(P), and
shoot at us with anything big because we're just an they've got better targets than us."
"We'll look for a place,"
"What's he want now?"
The and
as
lieutenant's lips
I
Andy
Andy.
were moving again. They moved very slowly
though they had no connection with him or with
Andy
got
down
to listen to him.
wants to go out to an LCI we
on
said.
said to
He came back
passed that has his
his face.
into the stern.
commanding
"He
officer
it."
"We
can get him ashore farther up toward Easy Red,"
"He wants to see
his
commanding
officer,"
Andy
I said.
said.
"Those
people in that black boat were from his outfit."
Out a way, rolling in the sea, was a Landing Craft Infantry, and as we came alongside of her I saw a ragged shellhole through the steel plates forward of her pilothouse where an 88mm. German shell had punched through. Blood was dripping from the shiny edges of the hole into the sea with each roll of the LCI. Her rails and hull had been befouled by seasick men, and her dead were
laid
forward of her
Our lieutenant had some conversation with another officer we rose and fell in the surge alongside the black iron hull, and then we pulled away. Andy went forward and talked to him, then came aft again, and we sat up on the stern and watched two destroyers coming along toward pilothouse.
while
us from the eastern beaches, their guns pounding the headlands and sloping fields behind the beaches.
away
at targets
on
Voyage "He
want him
says they don't
"Let's get out of the
"How "He
long
is
way
to
go
613
to Victory
Andy
in yet; to wait,"
said.
of this destroyer."
he going to wait?"
no business
says they have
now. People that should
in there
have been ahead of them haven't gone in
yet.
They
him
told
to
wait."
where we can keep track of
"Let's get in
and look
glasses
beach, but don't
at that
tell
it,"
I
"Take the
said.
them forward what you
see."
Andy
looked.
He handed
the glasses back to
me and
shook
his
head. "Let's cruise along
to the right
it
we can
"I'm pretty sure
I said.
and see how
get in there
it is
up
end,"
at that
when he wants
to get in.
You're sure they told him he shouldn't go in?" "That's what he says."
"Talk to him again and get
Andy came
"He
back.
it
straight."
says they shouldn't go in now. They're
supposed to clear the mines away, so the tanks can go, and he says nothing
is
in there to
and to stay out yet
The had
go
yet.
He
says they told
him
destroyer was firing point blank at the concrete pillbox that
fired at us
on the
first trip
into the beach,
and as the guns
you heard the bursts and saw the earth jump almost as the
fouled up
it is all
a while."
empty brass cases clanged back onto the
fired
same time
at the
The
steel deck.
five-
inch guns of the destroyer were smashing at the ruined house at the
edge of the
valley
little
where the other machine gun had
fired
we
can't
from. "Let's find a
move
in
now
that the can has
good place," Andy
gone by and see
if
said.
"That can punched out what was holding them up there, and you can see some infantry working up that draw now,"
I
Andy.
said to
"Here, take the glasses." Slowly, laboriously, as though they were Atlas carrying the world
on
their shoulders,
men were working up They were
the valley
on our
right.
moving slowly up the
valley like
a tired pack train at the end of the day, going the other
way from
They were not
firing.
just
home.
"The
infantry has
that valley,"
I
pushed up
to the top of the ridge at the
shouted to the lieutenant.
end of
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
614
"They don't want us want us "Let
me
take the glasses
handed them back. "In low
yet," he said.
"They
yet."
and
flag,
—
there,
me
told
in
Europe
clear they didn't
7
Hemingway," Andy said. Then he there's somebody signaling with a yelor
there's a boat in there in trouble,
it
looks
Cox-
like.
swain, take her straight in."
We moved
in
toward the beach
looked around and
at
full
speed, and
Ed Banker
"Mr. Anderson, the other boats are coming,
said,
too."
"Get them back!" Andy said. "Get them back!" Banker turned around and waved the boats away. He had difficulty making them understand, but finally the wide waves they were throwing subsided and they dropped astern. "Did you get them back?" Andy asked, without looking away from
we could
the beach where the
mined
"Yes,
LCV(P)
foundered in
stakes.
sir,"
Ed Banker
An LCI was beach
see a half-sunken
headed
said.
straight
toward
in. As wounded on
having circled to go
after
a megaphone, "There are
it
us,
pulling
passed, a
that boat
away from
man
the
shouted with
and she
"Can you get in to her?" The only words we heard clearly from the megaphone snatched the voice away were "machine-gun nest."
is
sinking."
as the
wind
"Did they say there was or there wasn't a machine-gun nest?"
Andy
said.
"I couldn't hear."
"Run
alongside of her
again,
coxswain," he
said.
"Run
close
alongside."
"Did you say there was a machine-gun nest?" he shouted. officer leaned over with the megaphone. "A machine-gun nest
An
has been firing on them. They are sinking."
"Take her It
was
Andy said. make our way through the
straight in, coxswain,"
difficult to
stakes that had been
sunk as obstructions, because there were contact mines fastened to them, that looked
like large
double pie plates fastened face to face.
They looked as though they had been spiked to the pilings and then assembled. They were the ugly, neutral gray-yellow color that almost every thing
We
did not
the ones that
way
is
in war.
know what other stakes with mines were under us, but we could see we fended off by hand and worked our
to the sinking boat.
Voyage was not easy
It
to bring
615
to Victory
on board the man who had been shot
through the lower abdomen, because there was no room to
ramp down
the
way we were jammed
let
the
in the stakes with the cross
sea. I
do not know why the Germans did not
on us unless the
fire
Or maybe
destroyer had knocked the machine-gun pillbox out.
were waiting for us
had been a great amount of trouble well have
wanted
anti-tank gun that had fired
against the other
We
LCV(P),
and the Germans might
were
on us before, and
in the stakes I
ramp
the
to lay
them work.
to see
maneuvering and working
As we lowered
they
blow up with the mines. Certainly the mines
to
the
first
all
the time
was waiting for
time, while
range of the
in the
it
to
we were fire.
we were crowded
but before she sank,
I
in
saw three tanks
coming along the beach, barely moving, they were advancing so
The Germans
slowly.
let
them cross the open space where the
opened onto the beach, and or
fire.
Then
saw a
I
little
it
was absolutely
flat
valley
with a perfect
field
fountain of water jut up, just over and
beyond the lead tank. Then smoke broke out of the leading tank on the side away from us, and I saw two men dive out of the turret and land on their hands and knees on the stones of the beach. They were close
enough so
that
could see their faces, but no more
I
men came
out as the tank started to blaze up and burn fiercely.
By
ramp back
we
wounded man and the survivors on board, the and were feeling our way out through the stakes. As
we had
then,
up,
the
up the engine
cleared the last of the stakes, and Currier opened
wide as we pulled out to
We
took the
aboard
in
sea, another tank
wounded boy out
was beginning
to the destroyer.
to burn.
They hoisted him
one of those metal baskets and took on the survivors. in almost to the beach and were
it
Meantime, the destroyers had run
blowing every pillbox out of the ground with their five-inch guns.
saw a piece
of
German about
three feet long with an
arm on
high up into the air in the fountaining of one shellburst.
me
It
it
I
sail
reminded
of a scene in Petroushka.
had now worked up the valley on our left and had gone on over that ridge. There was no reason for anyone to stay out now. We ran in to a good spot we had picked on the beach and put our troops and their TNT and their bazookas and their lieutenant
The
infantry
ashore, and that
was
that.
The Germans were them around
still
shooting with their anti-tank guns, shifting
in the valley,
holding their
fire until
they had a target
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
616
they wanted. Their mortars were beaches.
They had
when we
left, finally, all
still
laying a plunging
people behind to snipe
left
these people
going to stay until dark at
in
who were
along the
fire
beaches, and
at the firing
Europe
were evidently
least.
The heavily loaded ducks that had formerly sunk in the waves on way in were now making the beach steadily. The famous thirty-
their
minute clearing of the channels through the mined obstacles was a myth, and now, with the high tide,
it
was a tough
still
with the
trip in
stakes submerged.
We that
had
went
six craft missing, finally,
in
out of the twenty-four
picked up and might be on other vessels.
It
had been a
broad daylight, against a mined beach defended by
in
LCV(P)s
from the Dix, but many of the crews could have been frontal assault
the obstacles
all
The beach had been defended
military ingenuity could devise.
stubbornly and as intelligently as any troops could defend
every boat from the Dix had landed her troops and cargo.
was
through bad seamanship. All that were
lost
enemy
action.
There
is
And we had
much
that
I
and not give everyone
lost
No
were
as
But
it.
boat
lost
by
taken the beach.
have not written. credit for
You
could write for a week
what he did on
a front of 1,135
war is never like paper war, nor do accounts of it read way it looks. But if you want to know how it was in an LCV(P) on D-Day when we took Fox Green beach and Easy Red beach on the sixth of June, 944, then this is as near as I can come to yards. Real
much
the
1
it.
-^•^^-^•^•^^-^-^-^--
ABOARD LIEUTENANT COMMANDER RALPH sey's
destroyer
McCook,
as
it
engaged
in
M.
RAMem-
a duel with guns
placed in the vicinity of Vierville, was the late Saturday Evening Post foreign editor, Martin Sommers, an early product of the
York Daily News copy lantic
find
and
desk.
Pacific theatres.
him now.
Sommers covered
He was
the
war
almost always under
New
in the Atfire,
as
we
MARTIN SOMMERS
IS-
THE LONGEST HOUR HISTORY
IN
This was the
first
we were under
We
sessed.
We
hour of D-Day and we were crossing an area where
shore guns with a
lot
more
fire
power than we pos-
could see the grim black shore line plainly.
couldn't
fire
before
H
hour minus forty minutes, or 5:50 a.m.
we were fired upon. During the wait, Lt. Jerry Clancy, an Annapolis man from Jersey City, shook his head and murmured, "What I can't understand is why they don't fire on us." None of us could understand it, and we all wished they would start firing, so we could start firing back. That would be much better than waiting. We were getting mildly edgy because we were also expecting a terrific unless
bombing
A
attack from the
air.
few sweeps detached themselves from their group and loomed
directly
ahead of our bow; they were our personal own, and they were
bombardment area. They would not take us all the way in, but they would take us to 5000 yards offshore. From there we were on our own; and we were to creep in to 3500 yards to take up to lead us to the
our
firing station.
We
proceeded to a position directly
off Vierville-sur-
Mer. To starboard, our particular front ranged to the powerful shore battery at Pointe du
Hoe
in the direction of
assault front extended to Port en Bessin,
were
A
Grandcamp.
Portside, our
where the British landings
to begin.
reverent chorus of Ah's ran through the ship to announce the
617
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
618
beginning of the
in
bombardment. To starboard and
air
Europe
to port, thun-
derous explosions rolled along the,sh^re, followed by high bursts of multicolored
flak,
and then a
was not yet three
were coming so
blasts line
fast that
became a broken necklace
Now
geys'er of
o'clock; the
directly over our beach.
have a
gun emplacements
lot of
glow spreads over the
"When
it's
It
of flame.
the Krauts are letting go with their rocket guns.
some planes
to
They
get
That means we are going to
work
over.
Now
a bright orange
entire coast line.
orange-blossom time
in
Normandy," somebody
sings
on the bridge.
softly
We
are
now
reaching our bombardment station 3500 yards off-
we
shore. "It's just four-fifty; says.
flame here, another there.
bombing was on time, after all. The they merged into one roar. The shore
We
wondering how enlisted
got an hour to wait," Skipper
can see his easy grin through the darkness. his officers are
men on
the
McCook
going to like
it.
He
Ramey
probably
is
Although a third of the
are veterans of battles and sinkings in
the South Pacific, only one other officer aboard has previously seen full-dress naval action.
As we
dead
lay
choppy
in the water, the
seemed
thin steel sides of our can
Why don't they fire? Why We try hard to make
little
to repeat,
waves slapping the
"Why
don't they fire?
don't they fire?"
conversation about the air bombardment,
which has grown monotonous and
now waning
is
been cold on the bridge throughout the
night, but
temporarily.
now
it
It
has
seems twice
as cold as ever before. "I guess this
is
about the longest hour
in
history," one of the
lookouts says. It is, all right.
gone
—
Now
well,
Twenty minutes gone and
no other
in the
half
hour can be
forty to go. Thirty minutes
as long.
cloudy haze we note that the Glasgow and the Texas
are taking their positions behind us. Everything ship's clock.
The
captain
One tremendous
is
is
ready except the
carefully studying the clock.
roar shakes the sea for miles around.
and steady ourselves
—
that
We
blink
must be the Glasgow and the Texas.
It
is.
Now
Gunnery
Officer
flying bridge, gets the
Jim Arnold,
word
he's
in his fire-control
tower atop the
been waiting to hear. Our 5-inch guns
speak as one, and to us they sound louder and truer than any we've ever heard.
—
The Longest Hour Our
salvo
first
is
low on the
first
619
in History
designated target. Arnold quickly
works out the problem anew. The guns are corrected and our
third
salvo sends a pillbox cascading into the air in fragments. "Pillbox"
does not convey what some of these things the Germans
punktgruppe hall,
They can be
really are.
New
as big as a
call Stutz-
England town
with walls six feet thick, and most of them are stocked with
food, water and ammunition sufficient to support a sizable defense force for months.
Within a few short minutes, on automatic
and attempt our
target
third.
cealed behind a stone wall
A
This one
down
get our second
away from
a gulch curving
salvo below, a salvo above, a salvo to the left
stubborn. Jim Arnold's lean, sensitive face
we
fire,
a battery cunningly con-
is
the sea.
—
this fellow is really
is
twisted into some-
now
thing approaching a snarl. His long fingers adjust his instruments
moment the scholar has become a killer. The next salvo smashes the gun and sends it down the gulch, starting a minor avalanche. By 6:15, all our assigned targets that we
for this
can reach have been knocked out or previously demolished by
bombing. matic
We
have
fired
250 rounds
in twenty-five
air
minutes of auto-
firing.
we
"Sir, suggest
shift to targets of
opportunity," Arnold phones the
enemy surprises that bob know about in advance. There will
bridge. "Targets of opportunity" are those
up, those strong points
we
don't
be plenty of them. "Permission granted." Lines of amphibious tanks are churning their in formation.
They skim along
machines.
A
to the beaches,
and gracefully
so smoothly
appear to be some sort of prehistoric
way
mammals
rather than
that they
manmade
destroyer to starboard of us has been hit and
We take over her targets. Now we have time to examine
pulling
is
out.
Our landing
the beaches.
at
low
tide
has eliminated automatically the underwater horrors which we'd expected stakes
—
steel
hedgehogs,
pyramids
and the dread tetrahedral
traps.
concrete,
of
They
huge
wooden
are high and dry
on the
beach, easy marks for the demolition squads
now
the beach
between vast stretches
of
cliff
on
is
small, very small, a bottleneck
either side. Everything will have to
beach, a target for the Kraut gunners. guns, and do
it
We
long at work. But
come
across the small
must knock out
all their
fast.
Between 6:25 and 6:30 the most
beautiful
and most heartrending
The Mediterranean and ^France, Victory
620
spectacle of the day
is
Europe
enacted overhead. Flying Fortresses come over
to finish off troublesome spots inland, by precision
bombing. They
risk
lower than they should, to be sure of sending their solid best on
flying
D-Day. Flame and smoke spout from one Fort. circles pathetically, losing altitude.
One
We feel
flounders and
It
acute pain, watching.
and the Fort nose-dives earthward; a burst geyser of smoke beyond the cliffs. That is all. Another
last feeble spiral,
of flame
and
a
Fort goes the same way.
days
in
we
Now
are to spend sweating
three, it
now
four.
During the next two
who
out with the troops
are taking
a shelling on the beach, nothing cuts quite so deeply as the sight of
those four beautiful Forts going to glory.
We
backward and forward along the shore, searching for
cruise
targets.
There are large splashes
shouts that
we
at.
We
around and
is
starboard bow, and a lookout
are being bracketed by big guns ashore. But the
splashes are not repeated, and
aimed
off the
we never know whether we've been
learn that another destroyer has been badly
on her way
knocked
out.
Confusion on the beach has increased. Tanks and infantry seem, to us, to
be milling around aimlessly. Tanks should be climbing up the
single
winding road leading from the beach to the good highway on
the
cliffs.
But some tanks are burning and German
increased, though
we cannot
Rear Adm. Carleton
F. Bryant,
bardment from the Texas,
fire
seems to have
spot the batteries.
who
is
spark-plugging the
calls all destroyers
phone, "Get on them, men! Get on them!
bom-
over the intership radio
We
must knock out those
They are raising hell with the men on the beach, and we can't have any more of that! We must stop it!" "Grove, do you see anything?" our watch officer asks plaintively. Grove is Seaman Second Class Gerald Grove, thirty-eight, of guns!
I
Clarinda, Iowa,
who
seamen aboard, and
looks old enough to be the father of half the
also looks as
home
milking cows back on
battle
from the bridge
though he would
of a pitching can.
ther of an eleven-year-old daughter.
He
Grove
is
much more enemy guns
feel
the farm than spotting
at
in
married and the fa-
never expected to be drafted,
but after his induction, he did his best to
make
himself a seaman,
al-
though he did seem a little old for the game. On the McCook he became the ship's barber, but Skipper Ramey discovered that the Iowa farmer had the best pair of eyes on the ship, phenomenally keen sight, so Grove is now the star lookout. There are times when a good lookout is worth exactly $8,000,000 worth of destroyer and 300
The Longest Hour so
lives,
you
when
the chips are
down on
the
621
in History
McCook,
is,
it
"Grove, do
see anything?"
Grove
sees something this time.
stone house tucked
away up
from the beach, and these
He
sees a few faint flashes
a
the gulch within range of the vital road
flashes coincide with the explosion of shells
our beach-bound tanks ablaze. Range
setting
from
established and our
is
guns go to work. They blast away pieces of the stone house. Finally, a direct hit
—
a
cliff all
around the
gun tumbles stern over
teakettle
from the wreckage. "Well done, well done," comes the formal commendation from
Admiral Bryant.
At
aboard and half the men have
least three fourths of the officers
served on the cooky boat since she was commissioned, and their pride
now
is
boundless.
All afternoon
we
try to find
hidden enemy rocket-gun batteries,
which are shellacking our tanks and soldiers as they beaches. Naval
fire
gets some, but the
beach
mill
about on the
not a pretty picture,
is
with considerable destruction in evidence everywhere and medical
corpsmen
We lation
flashing messages for help in evacuating casualties.
have knocked out three big pillboxes and
ing by the
skipper
isn't
"I spent a to
We now
six guns, a recapitu-
bombLuftwaffe, and we cannot expect much protection. The
shows as night
falls.
must expect a
full
night of
worried.
whole year ducking the Japs, and
duck the Luftwaffe All night long
for
nobody
one night," he
sleeps.
I
guess
I
says.
As we maneuver
to
and fro among
the darkest patches of this Channel area, the Luftwaffe
from time
to time, but
by no means
can manage
in strength,
is
overhead
and only a few ships
in the transport area are casualties.
We
are very
happy
second invasion dawn, and again we
to see the
enemy batteries. By Our tanks and troops of "The Big One," the famous 1st Division, have moved up the road and are fighting a few miles inland. Our people have done get to
work
trying to find those troublesome
noon, the picture on the beach
wonders unloading during the
what appeared
is
changed
night,
greatly.
and order now emerges from
to be the beginning of chaos
on the beach.
We
close
down on every enemy flash until nightfall and, as a finale, after dark we help the boys ashore to knock out the village of Longueville, some miles inland, from where German artillery is shelling our beachhead. The flames from the village light up the sky just at the moment
The Mediterranean and ^France, Victory
622
Europe
in
our much-reinforced anti-aircraft opens up on Nazi bombers, which are once
Once
more overhead.
*1 7
again, the skipper
the coast.
We
are then ordered to return to our
ing and refueling at
and ten
maneuvers through the night up and down
Our
first light.
score
is
home
port for reload-
three big assigned targets
and now Jim Arnold can untangle
targets of opportunity,
his
long legs, climb from his fire-control turret and go below for a couple of hours of shut-eye before he
must supervise the loading of ammuni-
tion in England.
We
boil
homeward
feet high in
at thirty knots, leaving a waterfall in reverse six
We
our wake.
supply ships as
we
pass miles and miles of France-bound
race through the sea highway which
ning of our road to Berlin.
The sun
is
is
the begin-
climbing in a cloudless sky and
the world at six o'clock this morning of June eighth, 1944, seems a
very different place from what
it
did forty-eight hours ago.
THERE WAS CONSIDERABLY LESS GERMAN OPPOSITION on Utah Beach than expected, and the bulk of twenty-six
made
shelling
by the heavy ships of Bryant's command, and the
immediately apparent; but beyond that Utah fiercely
waves
assault
ashore without mishap. This area had received a severe
it
defended by the German Seventh as
results
were
had not been
itself
Omaha had been.
as
Here, by
wave landed, Underwater Demolition teams had cleared seven hundred yards of beach and a few land mines, making it possible to avoid congestion at the water's edge. By day's end more the time the second
than 21,328 troops, 1795 tons of supplies and 1742 vehicles were ashore at a cost of only one hundred and seventy-four casualties. at Omaha. Instead of a gradually sloping Omaha's topography was characterized by high, rocky cliffs and a pebbly beach, giving the enemy an almost perfect defense
Such was not the case
shelf,
barrier;
moreover, German defenses were formidable. In addition to
heavily salted rows of iron scullies, or chevaux de
and anti-tank
traps, the
topography made
frise,
for splendid
land mines
enemy
cover.
Thus, despite the bombardment by Bryant's force, of the 34,000 troops put ashore on D-Day,
man
shore batteries
more than 2000 were
and machinegun nests made
this
casualties.
thing to pure hell for Rudder's Rangers, for instance, pinned at Pointe
du Hoc.
Ger-
beach the next
down
The Longest Hour Nevertheless by nightfall, and despite heavy the Colleville sector
expected
—not Caen,
assault, as
us right over the beaches and the cost
was
was
The violence, power Montgomery put it, had carried to stay.
some miles
W. L. Wade Omaha: "Enemy fire
high. Lieutenant
up the horror of
enemy reinforcements,
the area where a breakthrough
—was overrun. We were ashore
and speed of the American
623
in History
.
inland.
of .
True enough; but
LCI Group 28 summed was terrific 105mm,
—
.
—
88mm, 40mm, mortars, machine guns, mines everything apparently. And very few shells fell to seaward. The enemy would wait until the craft .
.
.
lowered their ramps and then cut loose with everything they had
Rocket boats and gunboats did not faze the enemy
they were too far underground. cruisers
The
soldiers,
and the destroyers did the good work.
It
in the least;
the battleships, the
seems a miracle
this
beach was ever taken."
Commander Edward Ellsberg, versatile writer and demolition expert, was a member of the staff of Force Mulberry the artificial harbors (huge concrete caissons) which were towed to Normandy
—
to facilitate the landing of supplies. In
berg reached
Mulberry.
Omaha
with the
first
an engineering capacity, wave.
He
tells
the
Ells-
story
of
COMMANDER EDWARD ELLSBERG
16.
ENTER MULBERRY
Tailing along behind the invasion
armada
as
ocean rendezvous, Point Yoke south of the the Far Shore,
sailed
it
Isle of
came Captain Dayton Clark and
away from
its
Wight, bound for his
motley
flotilla
comprising Force Mulberry. They and the Artificial Harbors with
them
in
tow for Normandy were the devices on which rested what
chance we had to make the invasion
stick.
Clark himself was embarked in a 110 foot subchaser; Stanford, his
deputy commander, time of
it
in
squadron of
heavy little
Both
in another. seas.
ST harbor
Then came more queer
tiny tubs
were having a rough
So also were Lieutenant Barton and
his
hardly sea-going vessels either.
tugs,
vessels of all kinds, mostly British,
from ships
with horns projecting over their bows intended to help in linking up
Whale
the
sections, to shallow-draft ancient excursion side-wheelers
pressed into service as tenders,
posed to the open
sea,
all
rolling wildly
and a stormy one
now
they were ex-
at that.
Astern came dozens of merchant ships and that
dummy
the Centurion, going like victims to the sacrifice,
all
to be
form the Gooseberry breakwaters. For them, the seas on last
battleship,
sunk to
this, their
voyage, were nothing to be concerned about.
And like
finally, astern
all,
came
the
first flight
of Phoenixes, looking
nothing ever seen at sea before, ten massive blocks of concrete
towering
624
of
above
the
waves,
moving
majestically
along
at
three
625
Enter Mulberry on long towlines
knots
ocean-going
the
astern
course, could not pretend even to keep
was obvious
to everyone that should the
along at ten.
It
sortie out of
Cherbourg, the Phoenixes, far astern of
major protective convoys, so slow moving as
would form
tionary,
to
all
of
Nazi E-boats else
and
be practically
Should the E-boats,
ideal targets.
They,
tugs.
up with an armada steaming
if
their sta-
able to be-
such monstrosities were real and not simply hallucinations
lieve
brought on by battle psychoses,
torpedoes
fire
at
them, they couldn't
miss.
And nixes, all
would come more Phoe-
ultimately behind those Phoenixes
mingled with Bombardons, Whales, and the Lobnitz pierheads,
lumbering along behind tugs,
all
to be assembled finally
on the Far
Shore in their proper pattern. It
took Captain Clark and his mongrel
Night had fallen on
D-Day
while
still
fleet
a long time to cross.
they were at sea
them made tense by complete ignorance of how the whether our G.I.'s were ashore in the storm had gone
—
beach and they could proceed with bels
their part, or
had been a good prophet and our
before the Atlantic Wall.
The
tracers, vivid flares burst here
evidently, whatever
Goering and
his
night sky ahead
firmly
on the
whether Dr. Goeb-
had been smashed
was laced with
and there over the dark Channel
Luftwaffe had
Dawn came on D
+
1.
come over Omaha
fiery
—very
making
for a night air
it.
Captain Clark with his part of Force
Omaha
into the area off the
Commander
with thousands of ships; off to starboard,
a night for
assault flung
had happened on the beachhead during the day,
attack and were then engaged in
Mulberry moved
assault
—
Beach, already jammed
Stanford with his force peeled
headed for the Utah Beach.
Clark examined the bluffs and the cluttered area of sea just in front of them.
From
long before, based on soundings
shown on the French Harbor and its
charts of that coast, the locations for the Mulberry
breakwaters had been laid out. But were those French soundings,
made
fifty
years before,
still
notorious for shifting sands? floating
breakwater
reasonably accurate on a shoreline
He must
find out before he sank his
units.
Accompanied by Commander Passmore, Royal Navy, who in a tiny British survey boat only thirty feet long, the Gulnare, had made the passage across the storm-beaten sisters,
Clark started out to check.
sounded the
site for his
Channel with her much bigger
He and Passmore
Gooseberry
line first,
found
with handlines it
in
reasonable
—
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
626
agreement with expectations. The Culnare for the
first six
make
to
cliffs
to survey the sites
his first
The Nazi
not half a mile
off,
Day. Some small arms
of battling
breakwater also surveyed the scene
artillery
emplacements on the
had, thank God,
bluffs
still
oddly enough, from tunnel ends you could see in the
cliff
fire,
Nazis would suddenly pop into view there,
how
fire
coming, faces
on the beach below,
suddenly retreat into the tunnel, safe from
the G.I.'s
and
been knocked out on D-
all
sporadic but annoying, was
just as
on
a reality of the units needed for Mulberry, as
he sounded the depths for inshore of him.
out the marker buoys
worn from months
Clark, grim, tense, and already
Near Shore
Europe
/*"'
for the Phoenixes.
the
set
and moved on
ships to be sunk,
in
reprisal. Till
on the plateau could trace out the
some-
intricate tunnel
system leading from the bluffs to the villages inland, and flush out the snipers using
them
was no stopping
as bases, there
All along the beach, small landing craft and
LCVP's, LCT's, and LCI(L)'s ferried in
from troopships
Clark swiftly saw
—were
—from
in
And
kept them there. For the beachhead still
the target for directed
well inland. Apparently
all
the mobile field
was now massed some
352nd German Division camouflaged positions in the wooded high ground
artillery of the
back
larger
prudently some miles at sea.
still
why prudence
artillery fire
some somewhat
busily pouring troops ashore,
before him, surprisingly enough, was
enemy
that.
there.
miles
And
controlled by Nazi observers hidden in the tunnel network piercing the bluff faces,
guns,
all
that
somehow
still
was necessary
beachhead a galling
fall
little
direct
to bring
communication with those
down on any
of bursting shrapnel
decently attractive target for
So while the
in
was
spot along the
to provide there a
artillery.
landing craft, relatively fast on their feet so to
speak, and well dispersed along the beach brought in the troops, the really large transports, the
out of artillery range.
Gerow's
G.I.'s,
And
oceangoing
stayed far offshore, well
they were going to remain there too, until
pushing inland should,
days overrun those positions far
fleet,
it
was hoped,
in the
and shove the Nazis and
next few
their artillery
back into the hinterland, out of range of Omaha.
But that did Clark no good.
He was
going to have to bring ocean-
going freighters close in to shore that very day, within easy range of those unseen batteries, to sink them on his Gooseberry line for his initial
breakwater.
And
that sinking problem, involving
to hold a vessel in position against the
tital
all his
ST
tugs
currents while he blasted
627
Enter Mulberry out
bottom and
its
set
down, was now going
it
having to be done under enemy
artillery fire
to
be complicated by
— something never
antic-
ipated.
But there was no way
The
out.
the
James
approach. Clark, with Lieutenant
Com-
Liberty ship destined for the Gooseberry
first
make
Iredell, started to
mander Bassett
in
its
ST
charge of the
tugs
line,
Gooseberries,
the
for
boarded her, accompanied by Lieutenant Hoague and
his specially
trained crew of sinking specialists to do the actual blasting.
As
the
James
her size to
her vicinity
within range,
—none very
inshore, the
some
crew that
his
They refused
to
crews of the
ST
this
shells
close, as she
were close enough, however,
bursts
and
came
Iredell
come
first
vessel of anything like
from inland began
was
a
still
moving
to convince the
to fall in
target.
The
merchant skipper
was nothing they wished any further part
go any
farther. Fortunately,
in.
however, the renovated
tugs offered no objections, so with the captain
and
the crew of that freighter removed, Clark and his tugs took over
completely. With a few shells bursting about but none hitting her,
under Clark's direction Bassett and the ST tugs brought the Iredell
marked
to the
a brief
moment
while they fired the prepared explosive charges in her
holds and blew out her bottom.
Enough
in
position about half a mile offshore, and held her there
of her upper hull
water, however, to
make
Down went
the
James
Iredell.
and her superstructure remained above
a fine shelter in her lee.
Captain Clark and his forces in swift succession brought
in
more freighters and very neatly put them on the bottom also the James Iredell each bow slightly overlapping the stern
—
no gaps
vessel ahead, to leave
in that line
two
astern of the
of sunken ships as a
breakwater.
But by now these diverse spots
—
activities
the Nazi
fire
were awakening great
interest in quite
control observers ensconced in their
hideouts on the bluffs, and the thousands of G.I.'s
still
jammed
aboard the transports offshore, waiting their turn for disembarkation, all
with their eyes glued to the beach, straining to see what awaited
them
To
there.
the Nazi gunnery observers logical
the
bluffs,
thing
as
been able to get much
fire
only one conclusion
starting to bring in their larger
close inshore.
ships to
no
on the
— Americans were speed up unloading from such —they observers
seemed
And
while, expecting
for the batteries inland
concentrated on that
first
ship as
had not it
came
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
628
—
Europe
in
—
they must have been lucky a stray shell had evidently some explosives aboard, and,they had sunk it! Should the enemy in spite of thi's major disaster try such a thing again, they would be more ready the second time. Their enemy did try it again, and this time, with more shells falling inshore
touched
still
off
some fortunate hits, for skyward from an internal explosion,
about, once again they must have scored
once again, with hatches
down went
And
their
flying
second victim!
a third time, except by then being well alerted, substantial
was bracketing
artillery fire
their target, as
under the eyes of the Nazi
observers, jubilant at the remarkable results they were getting from
guns inland,
their
To
it
too went to the bottom!
the startled G.I.'s in the support force watching
the packed transports offshore, waiting themselves
all
from
this
somehow
to
be
unloaded, there was nothing in what they saw to cause any jubilation whatever.
Unaware
of
what actually was happening
Mulberry had always been Top Secret)
what was plainly going on under
moving out like their
own, loaded, so far as they knew, with
G.I.'s
who
off,
before
And
under enemy
fire
D-Day had heard
ing!" as to the white crosses waiting
among whom first
to
G.I.'s as
was
also
there, before a single G.I.
the ship
was sunk!
plenty over "Invasion Call-
them on
the wildest stories (unfortunately,
were already circulating as the
one by one,
of the transport area in which they lay, were big ships just
could be seen getting
To
they could understand was
their very eyes. There,
heading inshore to unload.
theirs,
all
(for Operation
the
Far Shore, and
most of them true)
what had happened on the beaches
to
now was visibly going on inshore put morale Was their own troopship the next in line for a
waves, what
into the sub-cellar.
similar fate?
And
shortly
came
the pay-off.
ently, three times the size of
A
huge
battleship, British appar-
any troopship thereabouts, steamed from
the transport area, headed inshore, far closer than any big ship ever
before had gone. bluffs, to the
To
the astonished Nazi artillery observers
on the
unstrung G.I.'s watching her from offshore, the black
muzzles of her menacing 13.5-inch turret guns trained ahead as she steered in
meant only one thing
—
she was going in with her
main
battery ready to blast those obnoxious inland guns off the face of the earth.
Here was
a target worthwhile,
battleship turrets
though against such heavily armored
and protective decks, mobile
artillery
could not
629
Enter Mulberry expect to accomplish much.
Still
every battery the 352nd Division
had, directed by those shore observers, concentrated on her.
On came
that dreadnaught,
own
about, evidently holding her
When
suited her.
disregarding the shells bursting fire
she had a position that
till
close in to the three hulks already protruding
swung slowly
the sea only half a mile offshore, she
all
from
to starboard,
obviously to present her whole port broadside to the shore, ready to let
go a crashing salvo from
An
all
the guns she had.
even better target for them now, the Nazi batteries inland,
firing furiously,
to the beach.
bow
bracketed her from
And
swung
to stern as she
parallel
then to the horror of the G.I.'s watching and to the
delirious joy of the
Nazi observers, before she could
fire
a single
broadside, a series of internal explosions shook the ship and
down
went the Centurion! I
listened that night at Selsey Bill to "Invasion Calling."
had been disaster "Lili
in a
tough spot on D-day evening
on the beachheads pouring
Marlene," he had dealt only
D+
ning of
1
Goebbels
forebodings of
except for his regular feature,
vague
generalities.
But by eve-
he had pulled himself and his propaganda machinery
Now,
together and was in his usual form. of
in,
in
—with
what should happen
to us as
soon as
aside
from gory prophecies
Rommel and
his
Panzers
hit
our forces behind the beachheads, "Invasion Calling!" had hot news going on for the beaches.
of amazing Nazi successes in the battle
still
German
of Allied transports foolishly
artillery
had sunk
a
number
hazarding themselves trying to discharge close in to the
And
shore. class,
to top off
all,
dreadnaught of the
a British
Normandy Iron Duke
steaming in to strafe the beaches, had also been sunk by the
devastating
fire
that battleship
And
of those Nazi gunners!
had been
out of over a thousand
terrific!
So
men and
swiftly
officers
more than seventv had been observed ship! The Allies had suffered a major
more! The
loss of life
on
had she gone down, that comprising her crew, not
able to get
on deck
to
abandon
disaster that insured their swift
defeat!
So, Dr. Goebbels?
harmless old
dummy,
couldn't keep from smiling as
I
the Centurion, to the very last
enemy's leg as she had bit for
her country.
in the
Mediterranean, had
She had gone down
German High
listened.
still
in a blaze of
That
pulling the
now done
such as even the actual performance of her real against the
I
enemy
her
final
publicity
13.5-inch guns
Seas Fleet at Jutland twenty-eight years
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
630
in
Europe
before had never centered on her. Quite a finish for an innocuous old hulk.
^
7
Tremendous loss of life, eh? My thoughts ran back to the interview I'd had just the week before in Portsmouth with the Centurion's new skipper
—
that
place her at
Commander
my
service.
Royal Navy who was seeking
in the
Hadn't he told
me
then that his entire crew to
steam the Centurion across the Channel on her
And
reduced to seventy?
He
the world that only
some seventy men out
had.
to
last
the excited Nazis
voyage had been
now were
of her entire
telling
crew were
seen escaping the sinking Centurion! chuckled. That Royal
I
job
— even
artillery
Navy
three-striper
by Goebbels' own account,
had
laid
on
his ship, while
had done an excellent
in spite of all the fire
Nazi
he was sinking her for our Goose-
berry breakwater, he'd got his whole crew safely off and away from there.
A good show.
WHILE THE NAVY SPENT THE ENSUING TWELVE DAYS reinforcing
beachheads
and
knocking
out
hidden gun
emplace-
ments, the enemy's expected counterattack developed. Over came the
1600 air some with
of
first
ers,
sorties.
transport areas.
On
the 7th, forty-five torpedo-carrying Junk-
bombs, began
to
The following day
a
glide
Meredith (the second warship with
this
work over
the beaches and
Heinkel-111 sank destroyer
name)
as she patrolled off-
Anthony and de-
shore; destroyer escort Rich, transport Susan B.
Glennon were sunk by mines. Off Utah's boat lanes minesweeper Tide, LST-499 and RN netlayer Minister also became mine stroyer
victims. In the next three
the
weeks some two hundred and
American sector and two hundred and ninety
swept. area
—
Then
sixty
mines
in the British
the worst storm in forty years struck the Allied invasion
strong northeast winds with driving rain, gusts to thirty-two
knots and steep seas. to buckle
and
drift
The harrowing
The mobile breakwaters
of
Mulberry
A
began
away. struggle against the weather
is
reported by
Guttridge, a free lance writer and former junior grade lieutenant.
•
in
were
Len
LEN GUTTRIDGE
17.
ORDEAL ON THE BEACHES
The unforeseen storm B, the
still
hit
.
uncompleted British
partly protected
by offshore
newly finished and
just
Normandy
.
.
artificial
reefs;
.
.
harbor
.
head on. Mulberry
at
Arromanches, was
but the American Mulberry A,
open for business
at
Omaha, found
itself in
immediate trouble.
Three pontoon causeways
—
called
Whales
—
jutting
mile out to sea, began to undulate like roller coasters.
over half a
At
the pier-
heads, worried officers in charge of unloading ordered their
hurry
it
men
to
up.
Farther out, the sea surged angrily against the Phoenix breakwater: a butt-to-butt line of thirty concrete caissons, each the size of a city block.
The
surprise
blow was
striking at the
worse possible
time, during the season of high spring tides. Strong winds pushed the
North Sea down through the funnel-shaped Channel, forcing level to
climb higher
5 feet below the Bofor
1
unit.
By noon,
the
hand
rails
water
yet.
By mid-morning, waves were breaking only
its
with a
full
anti-aircraft
against the Phoenix wall
gun mounted on top of each
gale blowing, the sea
came crashing over
around each gun platform. Spume soaked the G.I. gun
crews.
One
gunner, clinging to a hand
shrieked as he
felt
rail
as a
huge wave swamped him,
the rail snap like a twig. Thrashing around in the
631
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
632
in
Europe
swirling water, he skittered to the edge of the caisson,
topple
off,
when
a sergeant grabbed,his7leg.
was hooked about a length of
He
still
was about to The noncom's other arm
intact rail.
spat out a pint of English Channel and grinned. "Going some-
where, soldier?"
"Those goddamn navy screwballs," the gunner
then
spluttered,
recovered his breath. "They'll leave us here to drown."
Another wave struck the
Above
caisson.
pounding and the
its
whining wind could be heard the more terrifying sound of splintering concrete.
"now
"Cripes," yelled the sergeant,
they'll
have to take us
off.
We're breaking up!"
The crumbling
tugs labored alongside to take the gunners
threatened.
Beyond
off.
Then a new danger
the Phoenix line lay an outer breakwater consist-
moored
ing of a mile-long barrier of bombardons: two-dozen lengths sprouting ugly-looking fins scientically
wave
action.
when
tops of the caissons were almost under water
Each bombardon measured 200
already snapped their moorings and careened
steel
designed to diffuse
A
feet.
down
couple had
channel, a terrify-
ing hazard to the Allied shipping which crowded the area.
Now
a third broke loose, and waves a hundred feet long bore
a high-speed battering
ram
straight for the
a couple of tugs chugged out of
path.
its
Phoenix
One
didn't quite
make
a ten-foot gash ripped in her by the bombardon's wicked struggled for the beach, her stern flooding rapidly.
bombardon whirled nix caisson. Under
on, to
mash
its
it
like
wall. Frantically, it,
fins.
had She
The runaway
2,000-ton weight against a Phoe-
the impact, the concrete monster broke in half,
and the Bofor gun vanished
in the sea
which came boiling through the
breached breakwater.
Mulberry A's third breakwater two-mile line of blockships,
— code-named
made up
and Dutch warships, discarded Liberty the Allied merchant shipping pool. to shore for their
ships,
—was
a
and the rusting dregs of
They had been sunk near enough
upper decks and superstructures to show above
water, but heavy seas hurled over them now, craft
Gooseberry
of seventy old British, French
which had scurried close for
swamping
the landing
shelter.
Bracing himself on the spray-soaked open bridge of an LCI hovering near the pierheads, Captain Augustus Clark,
USN, Mulberry
Task Force Commander, bellowed over the bullhorn ing operations!"
:
A
"Cease unload-
633
Ordeal on the Beaches
The
last
truck rolled out of an
LST
onto the pier ramp;
swallowed apprehensively, and then drove
Omaha
tated roller coaster to
began
closed, diesels their
heavy
to throb.
Still
bucketing
it
Beach. The
bow
its
down
driver
the agi-
doors of the
LSYs
the vessels continued to grind
steel hulls against the pierheads.
Captain Clark's harsh voice sounded again. "Get your damned
away from here!" He knew the cumbersome things were
craft the hell
cially in
such weather, but
collapsing pontoons, his
it
wouldn't require
maneuver, espe-
difficult to
at the rate reports
were reaching him of
much more
pressure to crush
Whales completely.
someone brought Clark word
Just then,
been made
in his
Phoenix breakwater.
He
that another breach
ready waves in the inner harbor were running
up
pulverize
it.
five feet high. If all his
enormous water pressure the Channel would sweep across Mulberry A and
Phoenixes crumbled, the building
had
cursed into the wind. Al-
in
full
force of the
And that meant robbing half a million British and American fighting men in Normandy of support troops, food, guns and ammunition. The Germans would
swiftly
troops back into the sea
.
.
Mulberry had been born 1943,
when
counterattack,
at the
Quebec Conference, Prime
and
Roosevelt
President
and drive the Allied
.
in
Minister
planned the invasion of Europe with their Joint Chiefs of
September Churchill Staff.
They
knew that following the initial landings, both the Allies and the Germans would concentrate full military strength at the assault points. HHour on D-Day would trigger a furious race for buildingup; much of would depend on its outcome. meant rushing troops and equipment overland, but the Allies would have to ferry theirs across the world's most unpredictable body of water. Vicious cross-currents and sudden storms would
the invasion's success
For Hitler
it
make beach unloading
risky enough, but
what made
unsatisfactory were the unusual tidal ranges.
Channel recedes craft could
go
as
much
in only
as half a mile
during high
At low
it
even more
tide the English
from the high mark. Landing
tide,
have to stay high and dry on the mudflats
and
after
unloading would
until the tide
came
in
again
to refloat them.
Such waste of time might prove a port at the outset. tion.
A memo
disastrous.
The
Allies
would need
Immediate capture of any was out of the ques-
from the German General
Staff to Hitler, intercepted
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
634 by Allied
Intelligence, ran: //
Europe. Obviously, the port
would take a massive
we hold
Channel
the
Europe
in
ports,
we hold
would be so heavily defended
cities
,
assault to capture any of
them
it
—and without
possession of a port, such an assault could never be mounted.
To
came up with a bold and chalthem along on the
solve the dilemma, the Allies
lenging solution: build their
own
harbors, take
invasion.
was a colossal project, requiring months of planning, experiment, and construction. Secrecy had to be as rigidly maintained as for It
D-Day
the date of
itself.
The
Building went on at several British bases simultaneously.
hollowed-out Phoenix caissons alone used up 30,000 tons of
steel,
over half a million tons of concrete, and a labor force of 20,000
men.
By D-Day, both special
Mulberries were ready for towing and assembly.
Task Force 128 was formed
to
A
work on
the U.S. Mulberry,
man
connected with the
Captain Clark commanding, and hardly a
operation escaped the bitter lash of his tongue.
in
Clark showed no respect for rank or nationality.
When
charge of the British Mulberry doubted whether
it
the admiral
could be assem-
bled within the scheduled 12 days, Clark turned on him, snapped,
Mulberry
"I'll finish
me and
kills
Only the
every
A
in ten days,
man who works
not twelve.
for
I'll
do
it
—even
if it
me."
realization that every officer
on the Mulberry teams had
been under tremendous pressure and were inclined to be jumpy, prevented the admiral from having Clark court-martialed right then.
The job went
Mulberry
to the 108th Seabees.
No 40
of riding the
crazier-looking
feet of their
A
units to the
They moved out on
Normandy
D minus
1.
Task Force ever flew the American
bulk rearing above water and
their
AA
shore
flag.
With
guns manned,
the Phoenix units resembled gigantic shoe-boxes, dwarfing the tugs
towed them. Each caisson carried a six-man Seabee team. Like some monstrous dead bugs, the pierheads were towed upside-down,
that
60-foot legs swaying against the sky; ten
men
riding each pierhead.
Other Seabees were perched on the 480-foot Whale spans, sheltering six;
them from the
bombardons were
sages. All told,
spray.
The spans were towed
also hauled in strings, like
tents
in strings of
huge spiked sau-
152 straining tugboats lugged the contraptions cross-
Channel.
Perhaps the strangest sight of
all
was the Gooseberry blockships,
a
635
Ordeal on the Beaches
HMS
by
fantastic scrap-heap fleet led
Centurion, 25,000-ton veteran
of the Battle of Jutland. Volunteer merchant crews manned the old freighters, navy men rode the warships. Each vessel carried sand ballast
and enough dynamite
voyage, the blockship
blow her bottom
to
was
fleet
especially
For
out.
mounted with
its
last
20mm AA
guns.
Captain Clark supervised the crossing of
None
of a subchaser. as darkness
near-collision.
into
banged away
128 from the bridge
became rough enough
the Channel
fell,
TF
of the tows could do more than six knots and, to toss several
gunners on the Gooseberry blockships
Jittery
and most of the Seabees riding
at non-existent targets,
the sections were violently seasick.
Somewhere
sounded
in the night a terrific explosion
caisson struck a mine.
A
as a
Phoenix
Nazi E-boat torpedoed another. The tug
hauling Whale tow 528 was sunk by a torpedo; the towline snapped,
and the spans
drifted blindly.
Seabees had vanished and
They were
sighted next day, but the
their deserted shelter tents
were spattered
with blood.
At dawn on D-Day
plus
Clark sighted the
1,
Normandy
shore.
A
mine sweeper attached to his force struck a mine and disappeared.
An
Off to port, a U.S. destroyer hit another and was blown in half.
ammo
coaster hit a third and was blotted out in one flaming blast.
Smoke
curled over the beaches ahead. Thunderous gunfire echoed
along the coast. But Clark wasted no time speculating
all
men back
of that
certain: they It
smoke
curtain were doing.
were going to need
his
USNR, had
Bassett's
been a top
ship
job
to
New York
master before the war. First the predetermined
marked with buoys, then each
thing he
how
was nudged
sites for
the
knew
Mulberry pretty damn quick
was Lieutenant-Commander John
blockships. Bassett,
One
sink
for .
.
.
the
harbor tugsinking were
into place
by
Bassett's
handling tugs.
Not only did
make German
baffling crosscurrents
sett
had ever tackled, but
lob
88mm
just then
the trickiest task Bas-
shore batteries began to
shells into the operation.
The skipper
of the
first
Liberty ship
"I'm turning back," he signaled. hadn't volunteered to get shot
To
his
didn't hesitate.
"Get him
marked for sinking protested. first mate he grumbled that he
at.
The Task Force commander he rasped. "His crew, too. Take over
Bassett reported to Captain Clark.
his ship
it
off,"
and sink her yourself."
—
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
636
The merchant skipper put up no ushered him
off his
detonating button.
She started to
One
Deep
settle,
and sank
and Bassett got
off.
shuddered to internal blasts
in the choppy water. The Gooseberry line began to take was near completion when a German shell crashed on the
Galveston as her merchant crew were being taken
screamed and died as shrapnel tore through Bassett ordered the
The
after
had been assigned
Captain Clark
human
to
left her,
Grimly,
their bodies.
HMS
lives.
on
D
Task Force 128. Less than two hours some pink
plus
Phoenix caissons loomed
toughest job of
all,
1
off
eight hours ahead of schedule, the
Omaha.
them proved the
Siting
commander.
control completely of the second.
perched on
it,
nearby
of eighty to the bottom. ,
lieutenant handling the sinking fumbled the
and
off
besides giving Clark an opportunity to heighten
his reputation as a pitiless
tugs
was
Minster, a British
Royal Navy men, the Minster struck a mine
Just after midnight
missing
Men
tug.
following a round of talks and
Utah Beach, took her complement
The
by a
cost of Mulberry A, already fantastic in terms of dollars,
gin with the
first
off
work continued.
reaching a sizable figure in tender,
Bassett
the bridge, and pressed the
inside the 'ship's hold, an explosion rumbled.
after another the beat-up hulks
shape. It
Commander
resistance as
mef
took
vessel,
Europe
in
Whale
As
the huge block
equipment
was mortified
by
inches
caisson, lost
first
—
to hear Clark's voice
swung wide the
lieutenant,
scream
him
at
across the water: "I'll have no more clumsy seamanship from goddamn Phoenix."
you. Get off that
White-faced, the lieutenant crawled off the Phoenix and vanished into a tug. Clark gave his job to Lieutenant
already had his hands
full
Shortly afterwards, a
Commander
young Seabee
be allowed a minute's relaxation. The
officer officer
begged Captain Clark to
seemed on the point of
him back to his Task Force 128 spared no one,
physical collapse; Clark brusquely ordered
The commander himself.
of
who
Bassett,
with the blockships.
station.
least of all
Soon the 108th Seabees were prepared to bet that the man He seemed determined to pre-
wasn't human, had no need of sleep. vent them from getting any too. isn't
printable,
British admiral,
What they known of
called
him behind
his
back
his brutal promise to and had they some no doubt would have been close to mutiny.
the
Deciding on a larger vessel for his headquarters, Clark transferred
637
Ordeal on the Beaches from the subchaser
to
LSI 414, whose crew grew
gard, sunken-eyed figure on their bridge with
to regard the hag-
much
the
same
feelings
the Bounty sailors held for Captain Bligh.
Yet,
was due
it
entirely to Clark's bullying that
by
D
plus 5, twelve
was completed, Phoenix units were fourteen of the outer bombardons were moored, and the Whale causeways last to get started because of the clutter on Omaha in
place, the
Gooseberry
line
—
Beach
—were reaching
Two
out to sea.
A
days later Mulberry
increasing
numbers
of
began
to look like a real
DUKW's, Rhino
ferries,
LCMs
harbor and
and LCTs en-
gaged in beach unloading lumbered into Mulberry's sheltered water.
Enemy
shelling trailed off as Bradley's
men
fought deeper into
Normandy, but Nazi bombers and mine layers came over nightly. Clark seemed deaf to all raid alarms; he kept his Seabees on the job.
On D
plus 10, three days ahead of even Clark's
schedule, a tug towed the last links secured
it,
and Mulberry
Whale
own
drastically cut
span into position, telescopic
A became
a reality.
The 108th Seabees had assembled it in record time. None of them had the strength to cheer when the first landing craft unloaded at the pierhead but many of them felt like it. Some stole a glance at Captain Clark.
above
He hadn't relaxed. Bloodshot eyes staring fixedly at the bluffs Omaha Beach, as if trying to see what was happening beyond
them, Clark remained on the bridge of LSI 414, his
body
slight
tensed.
There was no
telling
how
long he would have stayed there
if
his
deputy commander, Al Stanford, hadn't physically forced him below for
some
rest.
During the next two days, tanks, heavy troops poured into
Normandy
via
artillery,
vehicles,
and
Mulberry A. Those of the British
and American top brass who had doubted the
practical
value of
prefabricated harbors swallowed their skepticism.
On
average, unloading at Mulberry's piers took 64 minutes per
ship as against the twelve hours beach unloading required for the vessel to get off again.
The
accelerated build-up
was bound
an early victory. Tonnages unloaded
at
to increase Allied chances for
Omaha
hit a satisfying
tons on June 15th, and again on the 16th, 17th, and
And
then the storm struck
.
.
9,000
18th.
.
Debris whirling on wave crests bashed repeatedly into the Whale
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
638
in
Europe
causeways and their pontoons began to crack. Floats broke loose,
and tugs dashed from one end of to
round them up
LCI 414 was The
hawsers.
tlje
harbor to the other trying
*~ .
.
.
lashed to a rocking pierhead with eight-inch manila
vessel
was
his
command
post in the fight to save
Mul-
berry A, and he couldn't risk her being swept away by the storm. All that night Clark hunched over the bullhorn mike in 414's con-
ning tower. Hoarse curses and
down on
commands streamed from
up and down the buckling
slithered
the speaker
the heads of dazed and soaked Seabee repair crews that
Whales, trying
steel surface of the
to secure the pontoons.
down
All
the English Channel, vessels of every type were drifting
helplessly through the darkness, dragging their anchors, foundering
on the shore or
colliding.
waged
for
Two
its
struggled for Mulberry A, not realiz-
survival.
British
headed
Some
could only jeopardize the struggle being
ing that their presence
LCTs loomed
dropped
their tools,
storm-lashed blackness,
out of the
Whale. Seabees working on
right for Mulberry's center
scrambled for safety along the causeway.
Clark's vessel the signal
lamp blinked
all
." .
.
Afraid their vessels would sink following the collision,
by tossing
like
D-Day
off the
brought
and
for the beach,
drifting tugs or battered to death
all
in the sea off
it
Omaha Beach
it
over again.
Mid-morning on June 20th, tugs were
LCTs
swim
debris.
So many dead were bobbing about looked
men jumped
falling into the tangle of grinding steel
concrete, were crushed to death. Others, trying to
drowned, or were ploughed under by
On
frantically.
"Stay clear!" he roared. "You'll wreck us
from the LCTs. Some,
it
still
trying to get the British
Whale when Clark commandeered
alongside one
LCT
a passing
LCVP,
and ordered both vessels lashed
to-
gether.
A
Navy lieutenant took over control, gunned power motors to a throbbing roar, slowly hauled was towed
By
LCVP's
the
LCT
high-
clear. It
and sunk with a charge of dynamite.
afternoon other derelicts were removed in similar fashion, but
the wind
more
to a safe distance
the
had increased
vessels
to a howling forty knots
came lunging up
Again weary Seabees and
and
to Clark's fury
against his causeways.
civilian tug
crews hauled them clear, but
—
—
639
Ordeal on the Beaches by sundown only one tug remained operable. The
rest
had crippled
themselves towing, or been driven ashore by the gale.
The wind blew crests.
Another
news
the
TF
sleepless night for
Whale and pierhead pontoons were now cracking faster than they could be saved. He was also told that
that his
and sinking
only eight of his Phoenix units were
24
spume flat off the wave 128's commander began with
harder, tearing sheets of
spike-bristling
bombardons of
still
intact,
and learned
breakwater were
his outer
chasing each other madly and menacing ships up and glish
down
that
all
adrift
the
En-
Channel.
Each
report struck Captain Clark with a
hammer-blow
that his
precious Mulberry harbor faced imminent
wasn't a
damn
thing he could
do
to avert
realization
and there
disaster,
it.
He wondered if he still had a Gooseberry breakwater. Lieutenant Commander Stanford was despatched in a subchaser to find out. Bucking eight-foot waves, the Centurion, the outer blockship. to hold
up
took Stanford out to
fast vessel
He
HMS
noticed that the old tubs seemed
thundered across their decks and
well, although the sea
superstructures, and during a brief
the storm's din, he could
lull in
hear them creak and groan under their
punishment.
terrific
Stanford boarded Centurion's sloping deck, climbed sixty feet to
As 70 mph
the crow's-nest in her fighting top.
gazed
down on an awesome
Dawn was
gusts tore at him, he
scene of destruction.
lightening the sky.
From
spun helplessly on a foam-flecked racing
horizon to horizon, vessels sea. All
along the
shore, Liberty ships, coastguard 83-footers, tugs,
Rhino
Normandy
ferries,
and
every type of landing craft were piling up, in some places six deep.
Waves hurled one de
LCT
halfway up the hundred-foot
cliffs
of Pointe
la Percee.
As
Stanford descended to the Centurion's deck, he
ominously. after
He
could
still
felt
her shudder
hear her plates buckling, rivets popping,
he had regained the subchaser's bridge.
The blockship gave
a violent lurch
and the subchaser pulled
hastily
away. Again the seas washed over Centurion, but the old battlewagon could take no more.
Midway
along her 550-foot length she sagged
beneath the waves, her back broken.
When
Stanford reported back to Captain Clark, he found only the
center pierhead intact
and
this
LCT 414
still
tied to
pierhead threatened to go the same
by
it
way
Throughout that day the storm showed no
a
dozen hawsers
as the others.
sign of slackening
and
640^
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
in
Europe
414's skipper, secretly fearful that Captain Clark might be crazy
enough
to stay
till
harbor,
he barked an order, and so quickly was
nightfall
made
a
/-* 7
quick decision.
At
doomed
the end and sink with his
obeyed that
it
Clark had no chance to countermand. Axes swung and the hawsers parted.
LCI 414 backed
mander
of
off,
Task Force 128
vanished into the night with the com-
still
on her
bridge.
There remained a hundred Seabees on the twisted causeway, but further repair was out of the question. It was now a case of every
man
for himself.
They crawled to the pierhead and clung there, none of them knowing if it would hold out till the storm died. Every wave crashing into it threatened to plunge drifting vessels kept
all
hands to the bottom, and
all
night long
banging into the mangled causeway, each impact
sending shock tremors out to the shaky pierhead.
Bodies of navy
men
floated by.
Those within reach were hauled
in
with boathooks. For safety the Seabees had crawled towards the center of the pierhead deck. Sheer fatigue swept
and
in the pale
living
dawn
from the dead
.
light of .
D
plus 16
it
them
into
deep
was impossible
sleep,
to tell the
.
THE GREAT STORM TAUGHT A HARD-EARNED LESSON: our invasion forces required a sheltered port; no open channel
would do. Hence the move line
to
Cherbourg.
By
this
time the American
extended northwesterly through a point several miles south of
Saint-L6 to Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte, and from there to the west coast.
With General Manuel Quesada's IX Army Air Force providing Bryant and Deyo behind British and American mine-
—
fighter cover,
sweeping units
—eased
coastal batteries
opened
their fire
warships toward Cherbourg.
on Deyo's group
Fermanville, six miles east of Cherbourg, Bryant's group similar attack,
from four
280mm
1 ( 1
and
off
came under
-inch) guns.
Martin Sommers was aboard Texas that day, and able gun duel.
German
off Querqueville,
details a
memor-
MARTIN SOMMERS
18.
TEXAS DUELS
NAZI SHORE BATTERIES
"An
Allied task force of battleships, cruisers and destroyers carried
out the
first
bombardment
of targets in the
noon, Sunday."
Cherbourg area
this after-
—SHAEF Communique: June 25,
1944
This pedestrian sentence of twenty-three words will long be remem-
who
bered by those battleship didn't say. stitute a
read
it
Texas the morning
The
details
in the
wardroom of the venerable U.S. be rememebred for what it
after. It will
covered by
this pithy
statement of fact con-
unique chapter in naval history.
For the
first
made a direct frontal assault batteries among the most formida-
time, a naval task force
on a concentration of heavy shore ble in the world. bility of surprise.
The attack was in broad daylight without any possiThe casemated enemy batteries for hours bracketed
One dream come
the largest ships of the attacking force.
of the enemy's 11 -inch
guns saw a coast artilleryman's
true
bridge of the Texas with a direct
when
Another German shore gun put a 9.6 through the and deposited
it
in a
warrant
it
officer's cabin.
Men
side of the
were
fires
Texas
killed in action
for the first time in the battleship's thirty years of service.
two
struck the
hit.
There were
spreading on the main deck during the engagement.
There were other
hits
on the ships of the task
force. Yet,
from
641
The Mediterranean and prance, Victory
642
minesweepers
Europe
in
to battleships, all vessels in the force carried out their
assignments under the continuous f &x& of the coastal batteries and
withdrew safely to
their
home
port in Southern England on the ap-
pointed hour. They had fought the shore batteries for a hours.
The
three
full
battered Texas was firing as she said good-by.
Why was the
attack
The Army needed
made
against such odds?
.
.
.
Major General Joseph L. (Lightning
help.
Joe) Collins, leading his victorious Seventh Corps against the suicidal stand of the Nazis in Cherbourg, asked for naval assistance in
last
knocking out the great coastal batteries of the not eliminated less;
when
the
town was taken, the
were
fortress. If they
prize
would be value-
the port the Allies so badly needed could not be used.
The Navy knew what
it
when
faced
I
came aboard
the Texas late
on the night of Friday, June 23. Rear Admiral Carleton Searsport, Maine, and Captain Charles Virginia,
F. Bryant, of
Baker, of Lynchburg,
had directed the gunners of the Texas and accompanying
and destroyers
cruisers
Adams
in the victorious
bombardment
of
D-Day. That
one was a shooting match, with the big naval guns knocking out battery
of
battery
after
enemy's lighter shore emplacements
the
around Pointe du Hoe and the Vierville-Les Moulins beaches.
But Cherbourg was something
you see him "This
is
Captain Baker, a Vir-
soft voice
and punctilious decor fool you
in action,
remarked
in a
considerably
Strangely,
else again.
whose
ginia gentleman
more
until
masterpiece of understatement:
of a hazard."
from Admiral Bryant
year-old Marvin Kornegay, of
to the youngest
Mount
Olive,
seaman, seventeen-
North Carolina,
all
of
700 men aboard the Texas seemed to welcome the risk. We who had been on naval vessels on D-Day and the days immediately following could not forget the burning tanks on the beaches and
the
1
the dreadful punishment First Division
those days
enemy.
we had
Now
it
we had
seen the
men
and Twenty-ninth Division take dished
was our turn
us that this was as
it
it
out,
to take
of the Fifth Rangers, in that assault.
the Army had taken it.
Something
should be, no matter
how
thought of what those shore batteries could do
we aboard
the clumsiest, slowest
can Navy would be
The attack
like
little
it
During
from the
conscience told
we
relished the
to the kind of target
and oldest battleships
in the
Ameri-
offering.
original plan called for the
two groups of the task force
to
on Saturday morning. But throughout Friday night, enemy new minefields, and the mine-
planes were very active in laying
643
Texas Duels Nazi Shore Batteries sweepers
—those
delicate
and tedious task
faithful sloggers of the sea
—could not
Accordingly,
in time.
it
finish their
was decided we
would cross the Channel during the night hours of Saturday and attack just before the
We
possible.
was
to
light
first
on Sunday. But
edged out of the harbor
finally
be a too eventful Sunday for many of
at
Admiral Deyo,
us.
this also
was not
3:30 a.m. on what
One group
included
aboard the U.S. cruiser Tuscaloosa,
flying his flag
with the battleship Nevada, the U.S.S. Quincy, the British cruisers
Glasgow and Enterprise, and accompanying destroyers and minesweepers.
We
on the Texas, under the command of
salty
Admiral Bryant,
had with us the U.S.S. Arkansas, the destroyers O'Brien, Plunkett, Barton,
Our
Hobson and
Laffey, plus minesweepers.
hug us
destroyers
closely as
we
slip along,
expecting a nui-
sance air raid; the Nazis have been suprisingly active in the air the
few nights. Around 5:20 a.m. comes the alarm: "Enemy glider
last
bombers and torpedo planes learn ful
why
ten minutes later,
formation through the
blow, the story
when our
They never appear.
We
fighter cover, flying in beauti-
soft light of
dawn, comes over. Blow by
being broadcast to every
man on
the ship, wherever
by the padre, Lieutenant Le Grand Moody, of Dillon, South
his duty,
Carolina, the a few hours
The
is
in the area."
is
handsome and to become one
gentle Congregationalist minister
who
in
of the heroes of the engagement.
destroyer Barton peels off and leads us into the first-phase
assault area, off Barfleur, at
8:30 a.m. The seamen on the bridge
Commander Robert
buzz around the information that Lieutenant
Montgomery, the great movie
star of yesteryear,
on the Barton. This somehow adds very proud of
eclat to
Bob Montgomery because he
is
operations officer
our mission. The Navy has
made
is
himself a really
professional naval officer and because he has successfully avoided
becoming a
celebrity in uniform.
General Quarters of general quarters
at
9:15 a.m.
We
all
recall the sixty-four
hours
most of us stood over D-Day. The familiar rumble
Our we hope they are hitting them where they are. The enemy is jamming the radio now. We begin to feel a little cocky, things are so much like D-Day. We're slowing behind our minesweepers. Once again we feel bursting with affection for these of
bombing comes from
planes are at
ugly
little
Now,
it
the point of Barfleur, ten miles away.
again and
stepchildren of the sea.
at
9:45,
we
are within range of our
first
target, a 6-inch
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
644
gun battery
west of Barfleur and heavily casemated in concrete.
just
But we cannot
fire until
we
are sure ,it
is
enemy hands
in
chance that Lightning Joe Collins' troops Tensely
make
we
wait for a report from our
contact with him.
Targets
1
and 2
be damned
if
—
we
is
He
reports:
may have
RAF
"No
spotter.
do, and blasted out of the water
on those
down
to
is
a
taken over.
—
we're likely to don't.
We
ask
enemy The word "bothering" means most
batteries, but get a report that
bothering the spotter.
RAF.
comes through handsomely: "Have gone and checked both targets. There are bodies around
the plane spotter
500
the batteries.
We
there
At 10 a.m. we
we
if
anything, as used by the chronic self-belittlers in the
Now
—
personnel visible around
believed inactive." Tension mounts
for a double check aircraft
Europe
in
relax.
feet
No
activity."
We
relax
all
over the place from
a.m. to noon.
1 1
You
more peaceful Sunday morning, not even in a homeside church. The usually angry Channel is as peaceful as a dairyfarm duck pond, if not quite a mill pond. The waters are washed blue couldn't imagine a
in the bright sunlight
The
sailors
and we might be cruising
on the Arkansas
off
in the
Mediterranean.
bow have
our port
slipped their
dungarees and are lying around their gun stations taking sun baths their birthday clothes.
nochle below
One
of our
gun crews
is
in
placidly playing pi-
us.
is wonderful on the bridge, as well. The ship's executive, handsome Commander Jose M. Cabanillas, one of the few Puerto Rican graduates of the Naval Academy, looks idly over the
Peace
dark,
side of our 30,000-ton battleship tain?
and asks: "You
like squid, cap-
Lot of 'em around here."
Captain Baker says he doesn't
much
care for squid, except as
bait.
"They sure can be good," counters the exec. "My mother used to with rice and a sauce of hers. Nothing better." We all discuss our favorite dishes. It's a good time for it, because a mess boy is handing around our Sunday dinner mugs of coffee and
make them
—
bologna sandwiches.
Whoom! The
Arkansas,
now
astern, ends
with the crash of her biggest guns. She
we must
wait until
we
is
on a
our mid-Sunday reverie live, verified target.
get a target verified, not only
spotter but by our shore fire-control party
on
foot.
But
by our plane
Nobody
at sea,
including Lieutenant Colonel Fred P. Campbell, of Catawissa, Pennsylvania, General Collins' liaison with
I
Admiral Deyo on the Tusca-
645
Texas Duels Nazi Shore Batteries loosa,
can
tell
exactly where the
American
on our troops, no matter what
firing
might involve for
German
ends and the
The Navy
begins in the scrambled fighting ashore.
on
line
is
taking no chance
risks the extra precautions
us.
There are splashes ahead among the minesweepers and destroyers.
We now
are
prepare to
as
fire.
tense
we were
as
relaxed
Admiral Bryant, from
navigation bridge, leans over the those sweeps; they're getting
it
rail
moment
a
and shouts: "Let's close
and we know
it,
on
in to a spot within
We
about 7000 to 8000 yards of the belligerent battery. it
in
heavy."
"Aye," replies Captain Baker, and we move
for
We
ago.
above our
his flag bridge just
but that
is
what we are here
for.
are
A
making
destroyer
smoke screen for the sweeps, who churn about like lonny ants, it seems, though no doubt there is professional method in their mad movements. The destroyer just ahead of us gets four near misses. Water spouts high around her. Lieutenant Weldon James, the U.S. Marine Corps observer, who is standing at my left at the extreme rear of the bridge, grins at me and I begins to lay a
grin back, though
the
much
I
don't
mean
it.
Now that
bigger
game
is
on
its
grid,
too accurate and too active battery ashore turns from the
minesweepers to
us.
An
300 yards, but the
11 -inch shell misses us by
enemy's shooting improves rapidly. Four near misses, two
off the
starboard and two to port, bracket us at 12:35 p.m. We're hit below the water line
on the port
armor of our
the heavy
side twice, but the 6-inch shells
blisters
and explode
bounce
in the water.
off
They send
the ocean geysering as high as the admiral's flag bridge above, a
distance of about eighty feet.
and 6-inch around us Shifting
hand
as
shells.
in a
We
are bracketed again
is
firing 11-inch, 9.6-inch
and again. Eight
shells fall
few seconds.
from foot
we
The enemy
to foot
and trying to laugh
light cigarette after cigarette
at
our unsteadiness of
on the bridge, we suck
in
our
guts by instinct, as though to shrink ourselves into as small a space as
Yeoman 1/c William L. Apgar, a cheerful young man from Manhattan, who is taking notes for the captain's report, is concerned possible.
because other,
his pencil hasn't
been able to catch up.
We
grin at each
which seems to be the fashion. Lieutenant James, who was a
war correspondent himself when the Japanese bombed him aboard the
Panay
in china, says
they're falling around. in these matters.
It is
something about a
no comfort
hit
overdue, the
to reflect that
he
is
way
an expert
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
646
We
are firing salvos
Commander Richard nery
officer, steps
more than
it
own guns ies.
from four of our ten 14-inch guns. Lieutenant to six-gun salvos
—we we
three turrets at a time since entire
are not permitted to
fire
200 rounds
are limited to
bombardment. The
fierce blast of
our
mingles with the explosion of near misses from the batter-
Even though Commander Derickson
fires, it is
Europe
B. Derickson, of Seattle, Washington, our gun-
up
ammunition for the
of
in
hard for the novitiate to
tell
signals us just before he
ours from theirs.
By now we all have a single conviction: "It won't be long now." Nobody is scared. The Navy word is "concerned." We are all much concerned.
Captain Baker, preoccupied with his job, and the padre, broadcasting the blow-by-blow throughout the ship, seem to be the coolest parties
on the bridge
praisal.
The captain
—though
darts
this
from the enclosed bridge
wing, then to the starboard wing
mine the direction of the enemy it
no time for considered ap-
is
—wherever
fire
and to give
is
—
to deter-
his orders for
accordingly. In a matter-of-fact voice the orders
quickly; the ponderous old Texas
to the portside
the shell falls
come
evading
sharply and
no whirling dervish, but we are
doing our best to "dazzle them with our footwork."
Another
hit
more geysers wing
to the
or very near miss on the portside, below the water
of ocean.
to observe.
our helmsman,
QM.
A
line,
splash to starboard and the captain dashes
As he
re-enters the enclosed bridge, he calls to
3/c Christen N. Christensen, of Brooklyn:
"Right hard rudder!" It is
1:18 p.m.
Crash, shriek, and the sky has fallen, is
suddenly dark, as
us.
glass,
it
seems.
shrapnel and debris of
The enclosed all sorts fly
bridge
around
Clouds of yellow-brown smoke obscure everything, and we simply
do not know what has happened. Stunned for a fraction of a second, those of us still on our feet mill around aimlessly, trampling one another's feet.
"All hands below!" It's
the captain's voice. Sweeter words were never spoken, no order
ever more promptly obeyed. Those of us
still
able to stand race
the starboard ladders, one deck, two decks.
behind Captain Baker, and that
is
down
I find myself directly
somehow reassuring. Two decks who have taken cover in a
below, the captain climbs over sailors
hatch, finds another ladder in the darkened enclosure, and climbs up
647
Texas Duels Nazi Shore Batteries
the narrow frame into the conning tower. There he calls for control to
be shifted to the conning tower.
The "Right hard rudder" order already had been put into execution by Helmsman Christensen before we were hit. Now there is danger of a collision with the near-by Arkansas if we remain too long out of control. But Captain Baker establishes control when the Texas is
headed 90 degrees north
—
precisely the desired position for evasive
shadows of the conning tower the captain begins
action. In the eerie to give his orders.
go below, where everybody wants to know what happened. All
I
seamen and
officers
loudspeaker system
who have no
calls
"Fire on the fantail.
.
other duties are belowdecks.
The
for a damage-control party. .
.
Fire
on the
Somebody comes running from
fantail."
the stern to say
it's
a big fire
on the
fantail. Actually there are two fires on the fantail, and spreading.
the 14-inch guns firing directly over the stern has set
Flame from
ablaze gun covers of the smaller guns beneath them. Lockers where
gun gear gear
is
stored have been overturned by the concussion, and this
is afire.
blast,
Ammunition boxes
and 40mm.
also have
shells are rolling
been broken open by the
about the hot deck.
United States Marine Captain A. A. Bernard, of Norwich, Connecticut, in
men
his
charge of the Marine crews manning the smaller guns, directs
dangerous ammunition overboard.
in tossing the hot,
delicate task, since the
Marines must guard against more
the 14-inchers overhead.
can be
It
fatal.
Finally
all
overboard, and sailors succeed in extinguishing the
Corpsmen, carrying
are
a
from
the ammunition
is
fires.
stretchers as gently as the shells bursting in the
water around us and the vibration of our the
It is
blast
own
fire
permit, are bringing
wounded from the bridge to the sick bay below-decks aft. There more of them than we had thought. We still don't know exactly
what happened. Staring blankly ahead with unseeing eyes, his shirt covered with blood, Commander Derickson is led by us on his way to the sick bay. How could he have been hurt? As gunnery officer, he
was
inside the fire-control tower,
tower.
The conning tower
is
which
in turn
a solid cheese
is
the strongest-known steel armor, with only narrow is
inside the conning
box of fourteen inches slits
of
for vision. It
notoriously the safest place on the ship.
Lieutenant James and story.
This
is
I
circulate
what happened:
An
around to piece together the eleven-inch high-capacity shell
scored a direct hit on the conning tower, about
five feet
forward and
648
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
-
eight feet underneath
in
Europe
where we were^ standing on the captain's bridge.
Great jagged hunks of shrapnel tore through the deck of the enclosed bridge and
The forward ''Kali
wings.
its
of the enclosed bridge deck
beneath our feet was blown out and rolled back, so that
pinned
down some
other instruments.
who were forward
of those
it
up and
cut
near the wheel and
They were mowed down by shrapnel
in addition to
being mangled by the edge of the rolled-back deck.
Only those of us
aft
on the enclosed bridge escaped
Of
injury.
the
men within the eighteen-by-eighteen enclosure of the bridge the time we were hit, eight were killed or wounded and six escaped. The captain owed his life to his cool zeal. Had he not darted to the
fourteen at
wings of the bridge to locate splashes so
tirelessly
he would have been
trapped near the wheel, his customary place forward on the bridge.
As
it
was,
when he gave
"Right hard rudder" order, he was
his
the enclosed bridge, entering
Helmsman Christensen, whose last which may have enabled us to evade a off as
aft
was
act
to execute the order
follow-up
hit,
had
he stood at the wheel and died of his wounds.
his legs torn
He was
a blond
lad of twenty, with a twinkling eye and a peaches-and-cream plexion, one of the
The
most popular men on the
captain's bridge,
bridge, just above us,
we knew, had been
had not been
hit.
com-
ship. hit.
But the admiral's
Wilmott Ragsdale, war corre-
spondent for Time Magazine,
who had been on
reported that while they had
felt
thought the
on
from the starboard wing.
the admiral's bridge,
had not
a definite explosion, they
hit so close.
That Commander Derickson,
in his
double tower, had been injured
had escaped death was a full-blown miracle. Curiously, although the captain's bridge above was damaged was a near miracle,
that he
by shrapnel, when the the
main force
shell hit the thick steel of the
of the blast
The conning tower was
cast solid, except for a circular plug of steel
which had been welded into the top of instrument called the
conning tower,
was downward.
fire
director
it.
From
massive
this plug, a
was suspended
inside
the fire-
control tower, where Derickson sat within the conning tower. This
1120-pound instrument hung actly the split
talk to
second of the
an enlisted-man
only a prong of
it
directly over Derickson's head.
blast,
Derickson had leaned to
assistant.
When
At
his left to
the huge instrument
struck Derickson a glancing blow on the head.
suffered a long cut, a severe concussion and shock, but
ex-
no more.
fell,
He
649
Texas Duels Nazi Shore Batteries
The shell
action produced another miracle.
A
9.6-inch armor-piercing
(240 millimeters) tore a hole through the portside above the
water
line,
Clark of Larchmont,
New
York, the
ship's clerk,
never exploded, even during the
rest. It
M. A. came to
passed cleanly into the cabin of Warrent Officer
where
it
hour of action while our
last
fourteen-inch guns were shaking the ship with their
fire
and the
enemy was placing more of his shells near us. But this whimsical dud had Clark been asleep in his cabin it would have done no more than wake him up did not contribute to our peace of mind as
—
—
long as
remained aboard.
it
From
the time of the hit on the conning tower,
on the enemy,
at
we maintained
fire
ranges varying from 10,000 to 20,000 yards. Twice
more the durable old Texas passed across the grid where enemy fire was so accurately triangulated. The gallant destroyers, still weaving and racing hither and yon while they laid smoke screens and gave support to the sweeps, remained with us until cease
We
fire
and return to
we
received orders to
port, at 3 p.m.
had plastered the enemy
batteries with
206
shells
from our
fourteen-inch guns, a total of 144 tons of sudden death.
Captain Baker returned to the wreckage of his bridge to direct an
immediate check of damage. Admiral Bryant called down from above: "I've had enough for one day, haven't you?" Captain Baker concurred, along with everybody
As soon
as
else.
our mission was completed on schedule, at three
o'clock in the afternoon, Admiral Bryant received a message which
made
commanding officers of said: "Thank you for supporting us excellently and taking all the slugging today. Had we been alone, some of our vessels would have been sunk. Hope your casualall
it
worthwhile.
those faithful
ties
were
little
It
came from
the
minesweepers, and
it
light."
Meanwhile, down in the ship's hospital the chief medical officer, Commander H. K. Sessions, a lean Navy veteran from Georgia, and surgeon assistants from civilian
his
of
New
life,
York's Bronx, and Lieutenant
Lieutenant Charles
(j.g.) J. J.
rence, Massachusetts, fought to save lives. sailed for battle, their
250 members
blood to prepare for casualties.
plasma from donors out
of her crew
stint,
rapid
fire.
at
seriously injured
loss of blood. All
Scala,
McArdle, of Law-
Before the Texas had
had given this
live pints of
blood, along with
home, was administered pint
Those
and arms, causing great
Now
J.
after pint with-
had broken and torn
legs
were suffering from intense
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
650
Europe
in
shock. Without transfusions they would not have had a chance to survive.
The most
wounded
seriously
were' prepared for transfer to a shore
They were Yeoman 1/c Apgar, who had been so worried about the notes he was taking for the captain; Yeoman 1/c Robert L. Umholtz, of Baltimore, Maryland, who also acted as one of the captain's recorders; Seaman 1/c Andrew N. Foyle, of Providence, Rhode Island, with whom I had shared cigarettes on the bridge during those hours of waiting to get it; Seaman 2/c Emil F. Saul, of Baltimore, Maryland, and Seaman 2/c Henry J. Quigley, Jr., of Manchester New Hampshire. on our
hospital immediately
who
Quigley,
arrival in port.
life
Oklahoman
who had brought
to sea with
fell
the fighting spirit of
into the
Quigley, out of his head, fought to get to his feet.
Eddleman
the hit
arms of the padre.
The padre held him
blood from movement would have been
loss of
assisted the padre,
who gave Quigley
morphine from the hypodermic needle which
Commander Louis
into battle. Lieutenant
fornia, assisted in aiding the other
torn,
Moody and Master
him from Durant. When
threw the bridge into chaos, Quigley
down, since
arm was
right
heroism of Padre
to the
Bugler 2/c Willy Eddleman, the typical
hand and whose
lost his left
probably owed his
aid
first
fatal.
and a shot of
all officers
had carried
P. Spear, of Berkeley, Cali-
wounded immediately
after the
hit.
Later I asked the padre, a modernist in theology and a graduate of Furman, Duke and the Yale Divinity School, what he was thinking during those ship told
was
me
moments when
still
under
that, again
through his head: at thy right
fire,
the
wounded
and another
lay strewn
hit
around him, the
seemed a
certainty.
He
and again, the seventh verse of the 91st Psalm ran
"A
thousand
hand; but
it
shall fall at thy side,
shall not
come
and ten thousand
nigh thee."
A
believer, the
padre; a believer with conviction in his heart.
Now
reports were
coming
to us
destroyer O'Brien, in the thick of hit,
from other ships of our it all
ten killed and twelve wounded.
near miss, but not
much damage,
the time,
The
just a
had
force.
The
caught a direct
destroyer Barton, a hit or
shaking up. The battleships
Arkansas and Nevada escaped unscathed, with many near misses. No damage to other ships, except some shaking up from near misses. It
looked as though the Texas and the O'Brien had taken the slugging
that day.
Lieutenant James, Ragsdale and
I
talked to
some
of the Texas
Texas Duels Nazi Shore Batteries gunnery crews. Their
spirit
who
Leechburg, Pennsylvania,
the
to us
—
Navy
feeds,
still
wore
"I
been pointin' for
man
it
time to
it's
woolen underwear
this for
a testimonial to the
is
pajamas" when he talked
his "Shootin'
the costume he wears whenever
the guns, the brightest scarlet
missed
the assault area
has served twenty-seven of his forty-
four years in the Navy. Peewee, whose girth
way
left
was C.P.O. Henry Lee (Peewee) Myers, of
of fight. Typical
still full
was unimpaired. They
651
twenty-seven years and
Peewee Myers, who
for anything," said
make
noise with
I've ever seen.
is
I
wouldn't have
chief fire-control
of the Texas.
we knocked
"I figure
battery that
out at least four of their big guns in that
had us bracketed. They had three guns
battery, then four in a line, then
we were on
the target.
two below.
We
we'd had more time,
If
at the top of the
got the four in a line, I
figure
we'd got 'em
all.
"I think
we
did our best shooting in this operation between 13,000
and 14,000 yards. But they sure had us bracketed
Some
over; two under, two over.
shrapnel sprinkled
all
Lieutenant James and
him
him an
in the cocktail
I
had a cup of tea with Captain Baker
air of
us
an attache.
I
salt
of cool seamanship he
and iron
had
in
in his
and general suave gra-
reflected that
if I
lounge of the Mayflower in Washington,
never have suspected the ties
tell
around there from near misses astern."
cabin. His tired eyes, diplomat's mustache,
ciousness gave
—two under, two
of the boys on the fantail
had seen I
would
him, the bravery and quali-
just exhibited in battle. I resolved to
have no more snap judgments about people
I
may
see in the cocktail
lounge of the Mayflower. Tactfully, the captain parried
all
attempts to get "personal stuff."
He was
appointed to the Naval
friend,
Carter Glass. There really wasn't
Whenever
I
tried for
more
Academy through a Lynchburg family much to it, you know.
detail
he side-slipped into conversation
about his twenty-year-old daughter in Washington, Pat,
who works
for the British air mission, the nurses' aid, shoots golf in the
and of
is
a wonderful
Long
Now have a
Bond,
girl.
And
so
is
low 80's
her mother, Lee Rochester Baker,
Island. But no more about Baker. comes the chief engineer, Commander Kener E. Bond, to cup of tea and tell us about a hazard we hadn't suspected.
class of '22 at the
Academy, went
into business,
became a
department-store manager in Hamilton, Ontario, and returned to sea
when war
threatened.
"They gave me
this
job because there wasn't
The Mediterranean and France, Victory
652 anybody
in
Europe
Navy old enough to get along with the crotchety Bond likes to, explain. To understand that, you understand that Bond, who likes to kid everybody and Bond else in the
engines on this relic,"
ought to
most of
at forty-four,
all, is,
about the youngest and gayest
spirit
on
the Texas.
"She sure was there It
I
didn't
up
saltin'
this time,"
know whether we were
Bond told us. "For make it."
a while
going to
seems that the old reciprocating steam engines of the Texas
always
salt up.
This time the condensers were particularly balky in
doing their job of eliminating
salt
from the sea water used
in the
cooling system.
Admiral Bryant, son of a Bangor jeweler and descendant of Maine
men who made
their living
engagement from the maps
from the
sea,
gave
me
a retake on the
in his quarters.
"I've decided I'm not very well equipped for this kind of work," I
remarked when he had concluded.
He
"None
smiled and replied:
and went on: "The time
I
was
of us is." really
We
minutes, between 2:55 and 3 p.m. fire until three,
ing
and we'd been getting
what a bad break
those five minutes.
I
it
would be
was happy
if
He
thought for a moment,
concerned was the
last five
were to stay within range and
it
heavy.
we
I
couldn't help think-
really got a
to see three o'clock
packet during
come
up,
I
must
say."
DUELS BETWEEN NAVAL GUNS AND NAZI SHORE BATteries
which
were a feature, too, of the Allied invasion of Southern France,
was
launched
on
battlewagon Arkansas was
up the coast
east of
turret captains letter
15.
The
thirty-two-year-old
the fifty-three ships which softened
One of her Gunner's Mate Harold Clements, who in a
Toulon
was Chief
August
among in
preparation for the landings.
speaks with pride of the part played by the battleship during the
bombardment.
CHIEF GUNNER
S
MATE HAROLD CLEMENTS
19.
THE BIG STUFF
August 22, 1944 U.S.S. Arkansas
Dear Mom and Dad: The Allies struck a heavy blow in the invasion of Southern France several days ago and the American warship, as in the Normandy invasion, was present at the initial assault helping to blast a path for the
first
landings.
Not long
after
we
left
port the captain spoke to us
we were joined by men-of-war of both our own and other nations. As we plowed onward I wondered if the enemy realized when or where we were about describing the task which lay ahead. Meanwhile,
and would he be ready to "take it" and "dish it out." During the night many shapeless, obscure forms of transports and landing craft were overtaken and left behind in the darkness as we
to strike
moved
into our forward
bursts
and
and
flashes of fire
final position.
came from
Angry rumblings
the distant area as
unloaded their deadly cargo. Swarms of bombers,
fighters
of
bomb
bombers and troop
transport planes droned overhead passing to and from the engaged area.
When
the skies began to glow just before dawn,
surrounded with ships and landing craft of
all
we found
ourselves
descriptions while the
shores of France loomed surprisingly near, shrouded with a haze of
653
654
The Mediterranean and ^France, Victory
dust and
smoke from enemy
within range of
the night
bombing
attack.
in
We
coastal batteries and I for one
Europe
were then well
hoped we would
fire. We had not long to wait, however, as main battery was trained on an enemy installation of casemated guns and the sounding of the firing buzzer announced "standby for
not long delay our opening the
we
opening salvo." With a deafening roar
sent our salutation to Hit-
crowd on the beach. All around us ships of all nations were blasting away as we fired salvo after salvo while hundreds of landing ler's
moved shorewards. As you know, the Army took the beach in stride and moved inland in high gear. We had a number of German prisoners aboard for a while. They didn't have the tough superman appearance the German propaganda experts would have us believe. A couple of nights we craft
were sighted by JU-88 snoopers but a lusty barrage of A. A.
fire
drove
them off. The gun crews really enjoy throwing the big stuff over here at the Germans and are getting worried for fear the war will be over for the Navy and we will be left out at the finish. Anticipating this possible situation, the
gunners are trying to have the engineers
install
wheels
on our ships so we can catch up with the Army and help chase Heinies through the streets of Berlin.
.
.
.
Yours,
Harold
CHERBOURG WAS PENETRATED ON JUNE
26
AFTER
IN-
tense fighting by elements of the 9th and 79th Divisions; but fierce
yard-by-yard combat continued
until
the
1st
of
July,
when
the
cape and the whole of the Cotentin Peninsula was secured. Fifteen days later the
first
Liberty ships began to discharge their cargoes, the
prelude to formal liberation of the port
Operation "Dragoon", the
final
city.
assault
on
Hitler's Fortress
Eu-
was launched against the coast of Southern France on August The naval attack, once again under the command of Admiral Sir
ropa, 15.
John Cunningham, was carried out by Admiral Hewitt, commanding three American Attack forces: Alpha, under Rear Admiral Frank J. Lowery, Delta, under Rear Admiral Bertram under Rear Admiral battleships
Nevada,
Don
J.
Rodgers, and Camel,
Moon. Gunfire support was provided by
Texas,
Arkansas,
H.M.S. Ramillies and the
The Big French
Lorraine;
also
heavy
cruisers
Quincy,
655
Stuff
Tuscaloosa
and
light cruisers Philadelphia
and Brooklyn, and a number of
destroyers. After diversionary raids
and paratroop drops, the main
Augusta,
landings began at 8 a.m. on the 15th, and the beachhead
was
se-
cured the following day, paving the way for the drive to Toulon, Port
de Bouc and Marseilles by U.S. forces.
During the next two weeks 190,000 men, 41,000 vehicles and 219,200 tons of supplies were landed, and the Allied advance into
Germany
began.
Once
it
had crossed the Rhine, there was no stop-
ping Eisenhower's Expeditionary Force, which promptly gobbled up
Army Group
Hitler's titanic
European
B. Paris
struggle,
was
liberated
which claimed the
thousands of Allied fighting men, was to
months,
until
May
6,
1945,
on August 25 but the lives
last yet
when Germany
of hundreds of
another nine bitter
finally surrendered.
.--
PART
VI
ALEUTIANS
TO THE MARIANAS
BY THE SUMMER OF
1943
THE UNITED STATES—AFTER
the capture of Attu and the bloodless occupation of Kiska
—had
re-
gained possession of the barren, fog-ridden Aleutian Islands which neither she nor Japan really wanted. Japan
had
during the diversionary phase of her abortive thereafter her troops occupied Attu. terest in the
initially seized
Midway
Kiska
operation and
But Japan evinced no
special in-
1000-mile Aleutian chain; she merely intended to hold the
islands, not to use
them
as a staging area for an invasion of the United
(Dutch Harbor, which was the only American naval base in the islands at this juncture, lay some six hundred air miles from
States.
Alaska and 1760
air miles
from
Seattle). Nevertheless, our reaction
Western Hemisphere was an immediate and devastating blockade, coupled with sporadic raids by the XI Air Force
to
enemy troops
in the
and an almost daily bombardment by naval leaguered
enemy
requested
reinforcements,
forces.
When
the be-
Tokyo responded by
ordering Rear Admiral Hosoyaga out from the Kuriles with a force of
two heavy
cruisers,
two
light cruisers,
four destroyers and three
657
Aleutians to the Marianas
658
transports to run the blockade. But anticipating such a
move
the
United States stationed Rear Admiral Charles H. "Soc" McMorris y 7 offshore with a scouting force of ofle light cruiser, one heavy cruiser
and four destroyers. The opposing warships met on the morning of
March
23, 1943 off Komandorski.
When
the
battle
opened war correspondent John Bishop was
abroad heavy cruiser Salt Lake City. Because of wartime security, he
was unable
to reveal the identity of the other
Bagley, Dale, retiring action
tected.
American warships,
Richmond (flagship) and destroyers Coughlin and Monahan. His account of this classic opens a few moments after Hosoyaga had been de-
which were the
light
cruiser
JOHN BISHOP
I.
ACTION OFF
KOMANDORSKI
0837. The
first
exchange
closing the range rapidly,
ican column,
swung
.
and
Four times
left into
at least,
brief
the
Amer-
her westward turn to begin the
retire-
fire
on her from a distance of twelve
—
hit,
short, vicious spurts
piercing shells with delayed-action fuses.
own
now heading
without registering a
straddled her or leaped close
within range of her
and sharp. The Japs were
as the flagship,
ment, the Jap heavies opened miles.
was
.
.
As
the shell splashes
made by armor-
the Jap heavies closed
6-inch batteries, she returned the
fire
with
salvo after salvo. Then she checked fire as her turn put the Japs beyond range of her guns. And the Japs were training their turrets around. They had recognized their Target No. 1, the lone American
heavy.
The
first
Jap salvo,
fired hastily, fell short.
0842. The American heavy cruiser's decks leaped with the enor-
mous concussion of her reply. Sixteen times in the course of her turn away from the Japs she fired full salvos. Her fourth salvo scored a hit on the leading heavy, the Jap flagship, and touched off an explosion of some kind. At the base of the Jap's bridge a light flared, as
whole
The
no
shellburst
would
flare, to
envelop the
bridge and fire-control superstructure in a sheet of flame.
sixteenth salvo hit again.
stack,
an
tall
From
smoke billowed suddenly,
the vicinity of the Jap's forward
the thick, black, sluggish
smoke
of
oil fire.
659
660
Aleutians to the Marianas *~
0848. Following
swung around
new course ships,
men
heading a
to a
of the flagship, our heavy cruiser
little
south of west, and steadied on the
while the four destroyers maneuvered to their stations in
on the
line astern
wake
in the
left
flank of the
two
cruisers.
The black
American
the
looked astern to assess the damage done to the Jap
But there were good damage-control
ship.
From
pillar of
parties
flag-
aboard that Jap.
smoke thinned and disappeared, and he came on
without losing a knot of his speed or missing a beat of the slow, regular rhythm of his salvos.
The two Jap
heavies lay over the American heavy's quarter now,
so that her forward turrets, blocked off by her bridge superstructure,
could not bear. Only
guns of the after turrets stood against the
five
twenty of the Japs.
The Jap
ships
showed
in
dark silhouette against the gray horizon,
cardboard cutouts from which clusters of orange flame bloomed and vanished deliberately at thirty-second intervals. The range held constant at about ten miles. the splashes of a salvo
The Japs
seemed
to
shot skillfully.
Time
fairly
after time,
walk up from astern and on past
only a few yards away from the foam which roared sibilantly along the hard-driven sides.
On
the
open bridge, Captain Rodgers watched the
fall
of a Jap
salvo close aboard and spoke to the officer of the deck, Lieutenant (jg)
R. B. Hale, "Fifteen degrees right rudder, Mr. Hale."
helmsman moved
The
the wheel, and the ship, traveling at full speed
heeled hard to port, laboring under the pull of centrifugal force, then righted herself slowly as she straightened out of the turn.
salvo
fell.
degrees
Captain Rodgers judged angle and distance, and
left
rudder, Mr. Hale."
and knowledge of gunnery
how
the salvos, estimated
and conned
He was
the Jap spotters
.
.
.
me
The
Guess
would have been at
all
his
Jap gunners.
said,
He watched
would correct the skill
which
"Ten
seamanship
errors,
nullified every
Bitler, the executive officer,
S.
the ship.
.
.
.
We
talked normally in be-
skipper would ask, 'Well, Worthy, which
way
turn next?' I'd answer, 'Your guesses have been perfect so
far, captain.
up with
on
it:
tween times.
we
and
his ship with a sure timing
"The skipper zigzagged shall
calling
to outguess the
Jap correction. Comdr. Worthington described
Another Jap
again.'
in
He'd swing
right or left,
and the spot we
had we gone the other way would be plowed
ten or fifteen eight-inch shells.
The skipper would then look
with a grin on his face a yard wide and say, just like a school-
Action Off Komandorski boy
that's got
He
Worthy.'
did too.
One
0856.
away with something
on the American
0910. Our heavy suffered her
was seen
to stand
still
it
ship's
had glanced
off
began to work up
to a
good
She leaped and shuddered
first hit.
in the water,
paralyzed by her pain.
A
again.
Jap
falling
shell,
her hull near the water line and exploded
within a few feet of her bottom. cruelly, without
to launch a plane. All
beam.
But then she was racing smoothly on steeply,
again,
was uncanny."
It
but invisible against the gray overcast,
and seemed almost
them
in school, 'Fooled
of the Jap light cruisers
spotting position
661
breaking her
had bruised her and shaken her
It
steel skin.
0913. Sky Control reported the Jap spotting plane within range
abeam, and Comdr. James T. Brewer, the gunnery restlessly
officer,
prowling
around the bridge with a long tangle of phone wires
behind him, ordered the 5-inch batteries to open
minute of ack-ack discouraged the
pilot.
He
trailing
Less than a
fire.
pulled up to safety, and
uselessness, in the clouds.
0920. The Jap flagship took another certain his
and
after superstructure,
time
this
it
hit.
Smoke
persisted,
rose above
away
drifting
astern without any sign that the Jap damage-control parties were able to
smother the
fire.
0931. The spotting plane reappeared on the starboard beam. The anti-aircraft batteries of
our
light cruiser joined
with the heavy's to
fill
the air around the plane with a maelstrom of shellbursts and drive
smoke streaming from
away, floundering, to the northward with fuselage. afloat
The next day
bottom up
0942. The
dropped astern where near
a
Navy
PBY
not
many
in the sea
leading
Jap
to bring
his stern.
heavy,
sighted the
wreck of a plane
it
its
still
miles from the battleground.
smoking,
still
under control the
fire
lost
speed
and
which burned some-
His guns were silenced, and Admiral McMorris
took advantage of the easing of the pressure on our heavy cruiser by a
move
to bring his flagship into the fight
in a swift circle to the
once again.
He
northward against the two Jap
which, until now, had been steaming along nearly
American heavy
led his force
light cruisers,
abeam
of the
to the north, safely out of reach of her guns.
The
range to the leading light cruiser closed with a rush, and within a few
minutes of making the turn, the heavy, with her forward turrets, and the flagship, with her full
main
battery,
were
firing
salvos which
painted the fleeting white stripes of shell splashes along the leading
662
Aleutians to the Marianas
Jap's gray hull.
He
returned the
but sheered away in haste to
fire,
open the range.
,„
?
0955. The damaged Jap heavy, no longer smoking, cut across the arc of the Americans' turn to the north and re-entered the fight, but
he found himself opposed by ten guns instead of position relative to the big
five,
for
now
his
American ship enabled her forward guns
to bear.
The
battle track led to the northwest
now. Minute
minute the
after
guns of the American heavy thundered their salvos, and minute after
minute the plunge of Jap
shells all
conned her along her elusive her
own
but grazed her as Captain Rodgers
zigzag.
Ahead, the
flagship carried
on
duel with the leading Jap light cruiser, a duel for which the
Jap seemed to have
little
stomach, since again and again he sheered
nervously out of range after the exchange of a few quick salvos.
To
a turret officer watching from his
steel
little
booth, his
men
might have seemed to be going through a jerky mechanical dance timed by the rhythm of outlandish instruments. Backs heaved with the clack and hiss of breechblocks opening,
compressed
arms
air
to the shout, "Bores clear!"
and lunged, and the loading like pistons
thud of the
bowed with
the roar of
rushing into the gun barrels, straightened with upflung
threw rammer shells driven
At
the hoot of a whistle,
trays crashed in the levers, jerked
home
lifted
open breeches; arms
them back with
in the rifling.
men
the navy
Shoulders swung to the
pianissimo slither of powder bags shoved after the shells, and backs bowed and heaved again with the hissing, clashing impact of breechblocks swung closed and locked. Men stepped backward to the whir of gears as the big silver breeches sank into their pits to elevate the
muzzles. All
men
dot-dash.
froze at the
And
sound of the
firing
then the deep concussion, the rearward leap and return
them to a slavish repetition They knew nothing of what went on
of the guns, jarred figure.
buzzer warning with dot-
of their strange dance
outside their turrets,
nothing of the calm sea and the bleak gray sky and the faraway silhouettes insatiable
powder, 1010.
which flashed the orange flames. All they knew was the hunger of those
silver
breeches for powder and more
and more shells. Our heavy took her second
shells
mous metal-punching machine,
hit.
With the clang of an enor-
the Jap shell punctured her hull above
the water line.
1018. After the American heavy had been cruelly shaken by a
663
Action Off Komandorski was made men worked at
series of very close near-misses, the decision
behind a smoke screen.
smoke tanks
the
On
until the
her fantail,
to shield her
the valves of
chemical smoke was rolling away astern in
a sluggish, snow-white cloud.
At
same time Commodore Riggs'
the
destroyer flagship led the destroyers in a dash to begin a wild snake
dance back and forth across the heavy's black
from
oil
Smoke
stern.
and hang
their stacks to diffuse
boiled like
in billowing clouds
streaked by the white of the chemical smoke, and presently the big ship
was hidden
head from the enemy.
to her foremast
In their fighting tops, Americans and Japs kept an unrelenting
watch on the smoke screen, and whenever the
enemy over
sighted the
fire-control
crews
a depression in the screen or through a gap,
the guns blasted a salvo.
The
battle
went on
at a slower, irregular
tempo. The strain had been intensified, sharpened by those minutes of waiting for the next crash of a salvo.
1058. lifted
The Americans looked
from
series of radical course
changes aimed
And
ing countermoves.
off to the
Jap heavies with a shadow
Admiral McMorris had led the way through
their minds.
at baiting the
a
Japs into damag-
he had succeeded. The American force was
steaming due south with the Jap heavies dead astern. The road of escape had been opened.
For two hours and
American
sixteen minutes the big
ship
had
fought off the two Jap heavies and had dealt out in the fighting far
had steamed among
more punishment than she had
received. She
hundreds of
had suffered only two
falling
Jap
shells, yet
an incredible good fortune had guarded her
now abandoned 1059. 1
103.
The
hits.
the way.
A
great,
But fortune
her.
A shell struck and exploded abovedecks. A shell struck below the water line.
first
pierced
all
oil
killed
two men and wounded several more. The second and wrenched an engine room bulkhead, and
tanks, bulged
loosed a flood of water and fuel
oil into
several
compartments adjoin-
ing the engine room.
Down among
the white serpents' nests of steam lines, the fantastic
shadows and shapes of machinery, a struggle began which
above.
From
was no
in the less
dimly
lit
engine-room bilges
grim than the gunnery battle
the scores of leaks where pipes and steam lines passed
through the wrenched bulkhead, the mixture of water and fuel
from the flooded compartments gushed
in
a splashing cascade.
oil It
gathered and rose in the bilges, water whose temperature was the
664
Aleutians to the Mariana*
deadly thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit of the Bering Sea in winter;
which coagulated
oil
heavy shreds and sheets of
in the cold to ;form
tarry stuff
which clung
should
too far the engines would have to be stopped.
rise
Pumps labored
black glue. Inch by inch,
like
rose. If
it
it
away the flood, and damage-control parties The men stood thigh deep in the freezwater while they pounded calking into the leaks. Any kind of to suck
attacked the leaking bulkhead. ing
calking
—
wiping waste, their
rags,
shirts,
their
jackets
—anything
which could be wadded into the spurting crevices and pounded
tight.
the level inched higher, to their waists, to their chests, to their
Still,
shoulders.
Almost they
lost their battle.
the engines in that one engine
The
only for a moment.
There came a moment
room had
at
1125, when
But
to be stopped.
flood began to recede at
last.
it
was
The men stood
exhausted and oil-streaked while the level dropped as inexorably as
had But
risen, until
little
Word came
40.
to the bridge that in the
decks which fed the after guns, remained.
A
little
magazines and
powder and not many
few salvos more and the guns would be
guns had to be fed; they alone were able
And
heavies dead astern.
The forward shells
it
more than knee deep. They had won.
fortune was to strike again.
ill
1 1
was
it
shell
there
now
was only one way
decks were opened.
Men
shell
shells
Those
silenced.
to fight off the
Jap
to feed them.
muscled the heavy
out to the wind-swept main deck, cradled them in wheeled
dollies,
trundled them
The forward magazines, with
aft.
cate safeguards against
fire
all
their intri-
and explosion, were thrown open. From
rooms deep down in the ship men started chains powder bags passing from man to man up to the deck below the main deck, and on from man to man along passages, past galleys, the powder-handling
of
through messing compartments
and berthing compartments, past
workshops and machine shops and beneath the after It
her
turrets,
was a powder
men
train
offices,
on
to the
powder
powder ready boxes. needing only a spark to blow the
and up
into nothingness.
circles
to the
But the
shells
ship and
flowed steadily, the powder
bags slithered to the loading trays. The ship fought on.
Then misfortune tured fuel
system of
struck,
its
third, its finishing, blow.
Its
weapon
Through the punctanks, the water was creeping secretly into the complex pipes and valves, many of them racked by the shellburst,
was the water
still
lying in the engine-room bilges.
which controlled the distribution of
oil
from the dozens of tanks
to
665
Action Off Komandorski
the burners under the boilers. Abovedecks, the terrible warning signal
was a burst of white smoke from the two stacks
Down
was more steam than smoke.
—white smoke which
shimmering heat and the
in the
tornado roar under the boilers, burners were snuffing out one by one,
two by two, extinguished by that treacherous seepage of water. The
And
white smoke continued to pour from the stacks.
moment came when
then the sick
the vibrations of the engines, the pulses of the
four propellers, died. Their absence was the sudden terrible silence
when a dying man stops breathing. Her momentum carried her on, but she was lifeless. 1150. Speed thirteen knots. No foam raced along her her fantail, the sea swirled and eddied
A
1153. Speed eight knots. she seemed to
1154.
lift
sides.
Under
lazily.
Jap salvo landed so close aboard that
in the water with the force of the blow.
Her momentum was running
She barely had steerage
out.
way. Another very near miss shook her brutally and she staggered. 1155. She lay dead in the water. Captain Rodgers ordered the flag
"My
signal hoisted,
speed zero."
She lay motionless on the almost glassy
600
sea,
feet of
ing dark and massive against the bleak gray sky. She course, while a
But she was
gun could be
little
fired,
more than
when
her loom-
would
fight, of
the Japs closed for the
a helpless hulk. There
kill.
was not a man
aboard who did not expect to die within the next few minutes.
On
the bridge Captain Rodgers,
still
smiling,
shook hands with
Commander Bitler. All through the ship, officers quietly were inspecting the men under their command, seeing that they had their life belts, their knives, the
proper amount of clothing to survive as long as
—
possible in the water
one ship.
man who He took
if
they should live to go overside. There was
got himself ready very methodically for abandoning off his jacket
kicked out of his shoes.
and
his bulky,
He checked
ready for inflating as soon as he
it
to
be
But
then, as he stood
"To
with
it!"
hell
he put on everything that he had taken
to die, but
He
overalls.
and adjusted
hit the water.
looking at the murderously cold sea,
And
windproof
his life belt
off.
he exploded.
He knew
that he
had
he preferred a quick death with the ship to the long-drawn
twenty minutes of dying which would be his in the grip of that icy cold.
There were many more
When, that the
at
like
him.
about 1150, Admiral McMorris received the message
heavy
cruiser's engines
which might save
her.
He
were stopped, he took the only course
ordered three of the destroyers to go in
666
Aleutians to the Marianas
against the Jap force to launch a torpedo attack and press
long as they could manage to remain ^tflbat.
upon him. At
forced
best, a torpedo' attack
It
was a
would be
to gain time
enough
away from
for her
men
the heavy
so
tragic decision, little
a bid for time, a great sacrifice play by the destroyers to gunfire of the Jap force
home
it
more than draw the
upon themselves, and
to clear her fuel lines of water
so
and
under way again.
get her
In the roar of wind on the bridge of the destroyer flagship where
she steered her wild, smoke-laying snake dance astern of the stricken
Commodore
ship,
Riggs received the orders and acknowledged with
the terse yet eloquent compliance of battle communications.
He
des-
ignated the fourth destroyer to stay behind to screen the heavy cruiser
with smoke.
Then he
signaled,
"The
targets are the heavies," ordered
his flagship into a hard, rail-under turn
back toward the enemy, and
squared away with two others swinging after him. At their magnificent
full
steamed
speed which sent the spray arching from their stems, they off into the
5000 tons
On
guns of the enemy, three
little
ships against ten,
against 50,000.
men who were
the big cruiser, the
preparing for death saw
nothing of what went on beyond the smoke screen. But they could
hear the deep, faraway thunder of Jap 8-inch salvos swelled by a flatter
rumble as the destroyers came within range of the Jap
light-
cruiser batteries.
Time was ments
swift with the certainty that these
in the living light
and
air of this earth.
were
their last
mo-
Time was interminable
with the horror of imminent death. Off in the distance, the thunder of gunfire swelled again with a hard, irregular staccato as the three
destroyers opened fire on the Jap heavies. On the clock, the minute hand crept forward. Far away beyond the smoke screen the sound of gunfire slackened to desultory bursts, thudded into silence. The destroyers' attack
Later,
when
had run
its
course.
the heavy cruiser's
utes, their story lay less in their
men
told of those next
words than
few min-
and
in their faces
their
voices when the memory came back to them. Words were not big
enough.
What happened,
they said, they could not believe at
Their minds were so profoundly fixed the truth
was beyond
in the certainty of
first.
death that
believing.
Chronologically, this happened:
1158. The heavy cruiser stirred with a slow pulse of engines were turning over, inching her ahead.
life.
Her port
667
Action Off Komandorski
A
1159.
torrent of
the hazy eddies under her fantail.
foam erased
She trembled with a mighty surge of horsepower to her propellers.
Her decks leaped
to a giant thunderclap as her after turrets
resumed
firing.
Men
were looking
laughing weakly.
were going through
scribable reactions of returning life
Men
one another with unbelieving eyes.
at
Men
the
all
were
complex and inde-
from the thin edge of death back to
and hope again.
Speed had protected the three destroyers
They raced on came within around them was
at first.
through white thickets of 8 -inch shell splashes until they range of the Jap light cruisers, and the sea close
torn by the storm of shells into a wild white riot of leaping spray.
own guns opened an
they held on until their
earsplitting barrage
9000
the leading heavy, while the range closed to
Still
on
yards, point-blank
range for cruiser guns.
Then two of her
8 -inch shells of a salvo struck the leader.
men and robbed
her of
all
They
killed five
but fifteen knots of her speed. While
she was slowing she launched her torpedoes; a
last,
despairing gesture
was, for at 9000 yards she had
little
hope of scoring a
of defiance, hit.
it
With a metallic shock and a
made
tubes, the beautiful steel shapes swells,
plunged,
steadied
rose,
torpedo
fierce hiss of air into the
their racing dives into the
and headed away, leaving
ruler-
behind them. The leader held sluggishly on,
straight lines of bubbles
awaiting her end, while the rain of steel lashed the surface of the sea
around her into white shreds. In the minds of her
numbing
Six miles astern, where our heavy cruiser
and our
men now
lay the
certainty of death.
light cruiser circled
men heard
had begun
to inch
ahead
near her, waiting for the Japs to close,
the thunder of the destroyer attack falter and stop.
To
them, the silence meant that the three destroyers had finished their journey to oblivion, but her
full
speed
—
—
as the big cruiser drove
that their objective
had been
But then an incident took place whose impact frozen, as
men
on and up toward
brilliantly gained. left
men
standing
stand in the presence of the supernatural.
The dead spoke, and with words proclaiming a message came from Commodore Riggs: "The enemy are 1200.
the westward. Shall
I
miracle.
A
retiring to
follow them?"
Off there beyond the smoke screen, the two Jap heavies had turned frantically to present the
does, and the two light
narrow targets of
cruisers and the
their sterns to the torpe-
six destroyers
had followed.
668
Aleutians to the Marianas
Before three American destroyers, one of them a cripple, and before torpedoes launched four and a half sea -miles away, the ten Jap ships
were
And
fleeing in ignominious confus*ion.
headlong
flight.
They had had
they held on in their
their bellyful of fighting.
The American heavy blasted out a final gust of flame and smoke and titanic sound. The Battle of the Komandorskie Islands 1202.
was
over.
Admiral McMorris and sion; they
yet
group had discharged
had turned back a Jap attempt
reinforce Attu and Kiska.
And
his task
it
was a
their mis-
supply and
in strength to
They had won.
won by
strange, illogical victory; a victory
three
hours and a half of bitter defensive retirement before nearly two-to-
one odds; a victory won
in the
many hundreds
reeled helplessly
of
men
moment
when
of despair
six ships
and
on the crumbling verge of
defeat and death.
men were
Later, the heavy cruiser's
almost casual in their mention
of victory, of the significance of the battle in the Aleutian campaign,
or of the fact that theirs had been the longest continuous gunnery
modern Navy. Their enthusiasms
duel in the whole history of the
were for the destroyers.
They spoke with profound
gratitude of
men. "They're the lads that deserve
all
Commodore
haps we did slap the Jap flagship around a
bit.
ported that he was smoking badly, and that
all
were trained
turrets
destroyers forget
who
all
Riggs and his
the credit," they said. "Per-
The
destroyers re-
but one of his
haywire, and out of action. But
turned the
trick.
They saved our
lives.
it
five
was the
We'll never
it."
Nor would
they ever forget, they said, the sight of those three
little
ships returning over the calm gray sea from their journey to oblivion.
That was
A
like seeing ghosts, at
reverent
amazement
about their part in the after killed
still
battle,
first.
moved
in their voices
when
Jap salvo plunged close aboard, yet scored only four
two men.
they told
about the long hours when Jap salvo
"It wasn't that their
hits
and
gunnery was bad," they ex-
plained repeatedly. "The Japs' shooting was really beautiful. There
were times toward the end, with the two heavies dead astern, when a few feet of deflection one way or the other would have planted a whole salvo along our center
up
like
a split melon.
line fore
But they
just
and
aft,
and we'd have opened
didn't get the hits that their
669
Action Off Komandorski
The way Captain Rodgers handled the ship had a lot to do with it, of course, but there was more to it than that." In the wardroom one evening, when several officers smoked and drank coffee and talked, still searching many months later for words shooting deserved.
to describe the ever-mounting tension of those long hours of battle,
one
man found
"It
was
the right words.
like flipping a coin,"
he said. "Over and over again for
three hours and a quarter, doubles or quits.
And
every single time
it
came up heads."
McMORRIS' BRILLIANT SURFACE ENGAGEMENT
MARKED
Navy's only major confrontation of the enemy in Aleutian
the
For the Army, however, there was still one bloody assault to be made: Attu. After a pre-invasion bombardment, the troops landed at Holtz bay on May 1 1 and the campaign ended two weeks waters.
later with the
as
compared
annihilation of the defenders:
2351 Japanese dead
with six hundred Americans, out of a landing force of
11,000 troops. Kiska, assaulted on July 28, was found abandoned, after the forces
under Admiral Kawase had been successfully evacu-
ated from the Kuriles.
Now
let
The fog-shrouded Aleutians
was
struggle
over.
us consider another phase of the Pacific conflict, the re-
American submarines against the Japanese Empire, which saw almost four million tons of enemy shipping succumb to American torpedoes. We have seen and will see again what was lentless battle of
—
—
termed a successful patrol; but what of an unsuccessful patrol? Fifty-two American submarines were lost during the war, and one of the earliest reported "missing
and presumed
lost"
was the U.S.S.
Grenadier, which was the victim, on April 21, 1943, of a lethal depth-
charging in
Lem Velon
Lieutenant
Commander John A.
for previous patrols.
Strait of the
Forced to
Malay
Fitzgerald,
Her skipper was holder of a Navy Cross
Barrier.
scuttle, Fitzgerald
and
his
crew were
rescued by a Japanese warship and brought to Penang for preliminary interrogation, later to a
P.O.W. camp on the Japanese mainland.
Thus began a torturous twenty-eight months' internment which ended only when Japan surrendered. We present an excerpt from Fitzgerald's fascinating diary, detailing
some
prisoner.
of the events which occurred during his ordeal as a Japanese
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER JOHN
FITZGERALD
A.
2.
LIFE IN
A JAPANESE
P.O.W.
CAMP
when we
Breakfast was promised to be served later
Everyone was of course
place of confinement.
in
arrived at the
need of food;
hardly anyone had eaten since the morning of the 21st. Sandwiches
had been put out on board, but because of the nervous tension and excitement nothing had been eaten. The 23rd wasn't too bad because the nervous tension
too much, and ever, riff
am
came dawn
began to
was
so prevalent that
still
sure the other seventy-five
of the 24th
tell. It
I
felt
didn't feel the need
same way. How-
the
and that old gnawing pain
was maddening
in the
to go to that questioning
mid-
room and
see the Japs eating bananas and sandwiches in front of us and drinking cool limeade
and milk.
us to break down. sterner stuff;
my room on the
it
the second floor after day,
ground.
Would make
getting
one of them. All
a sadistic grin showing
One day
670
I
doubt
The American
hurt, yes, but
window, day
We
No
spirit
I
their
aims to get
and manhood was made of
Upon getting back to how I used to look out
it.
recall so vividly
and see those coconuts lying about on the
gestures of
all
I'd receive
all his
in a
was one of
no one indicated
buck
kinds to the guard regarding
would be a shake
of the
head and
teeth.
encountered a guard of
became involved
it
my room who spoke Spanish. He had lived in
conversation in Spanish.
P.O.W. Camp
Life in a Japanese Brazil for a
the
war
number
of years, but
three pieces of chewing
went a long way to stave acute day by day.
railing
and Still
on the
was
It
would have
floor
off the
up the
way
in the
no food was forthcoming
stairs
of food
of us were steadily growing weaker,
all
to have in
my
As
pocket
where we on the second
getting to the point
Anything
just prior to
cigarette.
hunger which was becoming more
to pull ourselves
steps.
Japan
to
from him was one
"No puede senor." gum I happened
to the coconuts in the yard
The
had returned
in the Pacific. All I could get
671
until the
by means of the
was not forthcoming
weaker and
still
weaker.
evening of the 27th.
My
previous efforts to obtain any were with negative results until a
my room
Jap commander came to food by 1300, broth,
and some weak
that morning.
He
promised some
about 1700, a small teacup of rice
finally arrived
it
tea, period.
men were
In the meantime the
divided half and half between two school rooms on the ground floor,
wooden The rough treatment started the first afternoon, particularly with the men. They were forced to sit or stand in silence in an stone decks; the officers in single rooms on the second floor,
decks.
Any
attention attitude.
divergence resulted in a gun butt, kick, slug in
room
the face or bayonet prick. In the questioning
persuasive mea-
sures such as clubs, about the size of indoor ball bats, pencils be-
tween the
and pushing the blade of a pen knife under the
fingers
finger nails trying to get us to talk. Considering all this, I believe
held up remarkably well. J.S.
Radioman 1/c and
treatment, and
I
To
I
the best of
my
we
knowledge, Knutson,
were the only ones to receive the water
the only one
who
lost a fingernail
.
.
.
The pain
caused by the pencils between the fingers of the right hand was so great that I did not realize
when I saw Of what did
my
left
hand was being stabbed with
the blood gushing out did
I realize
a knife; only
what had happened.
the water treatment consist in this case?
Visualize the old circus tent stake driver pounding the peg into the ground. Simultaneously
on each
two Japs would arrange themselves one
who
could drive the
would soon be knocked down
in short order,
side of the victim, taking turns as to see
hardest. Usually one
twenty to thirty or so blows doing the with
my
trick. I
was then
tied to a
bench
head hanging over the edge. The Japs would then elevate the
bench to such an angle that degrees above the head. tea kettle of water
my
feet
were on a plane of about 30
They would then
down my
the meantime; everytime I'd
start
nose, holding a
pouring tea kettle after
hand over
move my head
my mouth
to try for
some
in
air a
672
Aleutians to the Marianas
heavy
fist
passed out.
on
off my chinT Maybe I'd pass out and maybe would receive another club beating until I Upon coming to they wouid7try to get me to talk; if no go
would bounce
Following
not.
I
more beatings
that,
dumped on again.
this
—
We
hands.
all
had the same
One became
move,
let
even
able to get
if
it
my room
and
so
was
me
for
again, or
comsome other poor
feeling for everyone received beating after
However, the beatings,
beating.
to
got so that everytime I'd hear that Jap warrant officer
It
ing into the building I'd think devil.
would be carried
finally I
the floor waiting for awhile until they decided to try
stiff
slugs, etc.,
and sore
it
were quite
common
for
all
was almost impossible
to
alone change position from standing or sitting or reclining
away with
Whiting, Harty and
it.
were given a bath and ordered
I
to
wash our
clothes the afternoon of the 28th. Regret to state that because of a
my
paralyzed right arm, Whiting washed
my
clothes and assisted
me
in
bath.
The
three of us, blindfolded and handcuffed were flown to
29 April
to
1
May
1943. Stopping,
Shanghai or Formosa. the plane, during
We
I
Tokyo
think at Saigon and either
were not informed as to our location. In
the blindfold was removed, but being desper-
flight,
ate characters the handcuffs
The
were
left
on except when caged up
we
at
some hardtack biscuits, one small can of condensed milk and some tea. The cockroaches were quite prevalent among the biscuits. The next night we night and well guarded.
first
night
received
received a small handful of rice and a few vegetables on a green
Two
meals
in the plane
were Jap commercial
airline
leaf.
food and the
other Jap field rations. Probably the best quality and quantity
we
received until late August 1945.
We
arrived in the
Tokyo Area
the evening of
1
May
1943. After a
cold ride of about an hour and a half in a truck fitted with a tent
we
covering, blindfolded and handcuffed
camp
arrived at Ofuna.
Reminded
monkeys running hither provided, two and a half small steps and yon. Individual rooms were wide and about five of the same in length, each fitted with two grass us of a seascout
in the hills
mats or "tatamies" as the Japs
soup was provided.
We
with
call
little
them.
A
cold meal of rice and
were given plenty of blankets, a G-string,
some tooth powder, tooth brush, and small hand towel made silk.
We
were
still
strictly
of
raw
supervised and not allowed conversation, a
condition which had prevailed since the morning of 22 April, and one that
was
to continue for
many months.
Life in a Japanese
The following spent as a
At
five
POW
P.O.W.
Camp
673
an idea of a portion of some typical days
will give
Ofuna.
at
minutes before reveille a guard would go
ridors calling out "Soin
Ococke, go fun Mae" and
down
the cor-
at reveille
merely
"Soin Ococke." After our blankets were folded and placed in a corner of our
cell
there
would be a counting
setting-up exercises, which were
we would be
tremes in that
compound, usually
until
the interim, the guards
would anyone
lay
from time
and morning
of noses
to time carried to ex-
directed to run around and around the
one or more could no longer stand. During
would be ever present with a club which they
on with considerable force across the back and
legs of
falling behind.
After the morning wash up, everyone using the same open
water spigot,
fine
summer, but
in
directed to our individual rooms.
hellish in winter,
A
soup would be brought to the building where
we would be
and a
pail of rice
pail of thin
was measured out
it
by grain and drop by drop. This resulted
practically grain
air
in
each
individual receiving approximately one tea cup of rice and a cup of
soup. With but slight variations once in a while, this constituted our diet three times a day.
The passageways then had first
of
May
to be
swept and scrubbed. Prior to the
1943, scrubbing of the passageways occurred but about
once a week. However, when Whiting, Harty and
new was added
—we
scrubbed them
heavy piece of rope about three
feet
I
arrived something
The mop
daily.
consisted of a
long which had been untwisted,
no handle being provided other than the pushers' two arms. After wetting the
would be
mop
laid out in line across the hallway.
up and down was
bucket of water, two or more of these mops
in a
They were then pushed
the corridor, bear walk style, until the supervising guard
satisfied that the
until the individuals
deck was
relatively clean. This never
pushing the
had been belted with a
mop were
thoroughly exhausted and
stick or club several times. Later,
personnel were being captured and placed in Ofuna,
occurrence to hear from across the
happened
compound
it
when B-29 was a
daily
the beatings being
administered during morning clean up.
The "benjos"
or toilets were emptied almost daily. This meant the
transferring of the contents of the collecting basins by
a farmer's cart to be hauled
fertilizer in his fields.
On
occasion a
of a
them to and placing away and used by him as bucket rope would break, as a
small bucket to larger buckets, then carrying
them upon
means
674
Aleutians to the Marianas
result there
was quite a mess
fertilizer to
be found
way
its
to clean up; needless to say,
some
of the
to those of, us doing the carrying.
Quizzing by the Japanese intelligence
usually occupied a con-
staff
siderable portion of our time, then again nothing
would be going on.
Conversation was prohibited and books were negligible. As a result
we were
forced to stand around like a bunch of animals
captors'
minds we were probably no more than
always glad when night time came along for
and obtain ever needed
forget the days past
We
— and
our
in
that.
Everyone was
in that
way we could
rest.
subsequently learned that during the afternoon of
May,
1
all
inmates except an Australian flying officer had been transferred to the other wing of the building, nineteen of then occupying about a dozen
rooms, necessitating of course, some doubling up
cramped
in rather
style.
May 2nd
Breakfast on rice,
which
is
it.
Nip — "Miso" — and
the standard
soya bean paste size of
brought us our regular meal, soup and
Commander
a teaspoonful of
a small bowl of rice, constituted the
Academy
A. L. Maher, Naval
"Maher, Gunnery
the guard and said
officer
soon as possible," and went about
Houston, get data to you
his business.
He was
interpreter in the
camp, there being no Jap interpreter
guard was
on
right
questioning look. again, and
the
morning
I
LCDR
saw
and forth by means
We
for us to see another white
Dave Hurt
man
were
across the
compound;
of course
practically out of the question, being
later able to get a little
of notes scribbled
toilet (referred to as
information back
on scrap paper and
"benjo" by the Nips). Hurt gave
me
left in
the
a line on
officers,
whom we
On from where we
operated,
what he had been feeding the questioning
learned
QK's (Quiz Kids).
Questioning began
went
acting as
Ofuna. The
to be braced with this small bit of information. Later in
so closely watched.
dier
in
no time and gave Maher a rather
his heels in
was reassuring
It
communication of any kind was
to call
Gunnery
'22,
Houston, came rushing down the passage well ahead of
officer of the
as
About
procedure.
to Australia
May
and
3rd.
a thousand
was out of Sydney, so
I
told
and one other
things.
them and had arrived
how we The Grenadirect
from
The three of manner or another, in one other each data to getting our us would try so that our stories would not be conflicting. Our chief Q.K. was named Sanimatsu, a commander. He was, prior to the war, in the Pearl traveling east of the Marshals, past the
Naval Attache Office getting
all
in
Fijis, etc.
Washington and had been touring the U.
the data he could obtain, even had
S.
spent a year or so at
Camp
P.O.W.
Life in a Japanese
675
was fair. The interpreter who worked with him Embassy at Washington, and had attended U.S.C. numerous years here in the States. This man's name was J.
Princeton. His English
had been
in the
during his
Sasaki, a Lieutenant
Commander Naval
tinued practically daily for ating
some
reserve
.
.
Questioning con-
and where, number of subs sunk or badly damaged. Finally
some
said that
fifty
seemed
It
terrific liars
in
them and they shut up on
to satisfy
can well imagine the questions asked, but
and methods were
I
subs had failed to return and that forty some odd
were seriously damaged. This statement was made 1943.
.
numbers of boats oper-
time, areas,
I
it.
or June of
that score.
You
don't think their tactics
them
as effective as they believe
and usually got away with
May
On
to be.
We
became
matters of commercial
design used on merchantman or universally known, and data which
could be obtained from "Janes Fighting Ships"
we
told the truth,
when we were lying about matters which know as far as we were concerned. Knutson, Radioman 1/c arrived June 29, 1943. By the grapevine
which
I
believed helped us
they had no business to
I
gave him
May and
the data
all
I
He was
could.
taken from Penang about 3
flown to Surabaya via Singapore. His treatment at Singa-
pore, while there for a couple of days,
one time he had
was
fairly decent,
questioned by Jap and
German
except that
In Surabaya he was
to use his hat for a toilet.
When
radio and radar experts.
he
wouldn't "give" he was starved and hung by his thumbs for ten days. If I
am
not mistaken our intelligence intercepted some of the Jap
reports emitting
Some a
from Surabaya regarding the interview with Knutson.
of the reports arriving at
bad time but
all
firmed other data
in all if
it
Ofuna about
this
we evaded and denied didn't
amount
to
time caused us it,
or con-
J.
Curtin's
lots of
much. Mr.
Exmouth Gulf also caused us a bad time. However, we swore up and down that we knew of no such base on the west coast of Australia. Then they started in on the Brisbane and Perth bases saying that they had D. Fied (D/ broadcasts from Australia regarding the base in
F'd; traced
by direction finder) our coded dispatches from
there.
We
were able to deny any knowledge of these two bases for a long time, however, they never, to
my
knowledge, got the straight set-up on
About fourteen "S" and 7-8
either base.
Sydney. Later they didn't
know
for sure
Fleet boats operated from
whether a half dozen or two
dozen boats operated from Fremantle. That question was bandied
back and forth for some time, then was a
bad deal
.
.
.
finally
dropped as apparently
676
Aleutians to the Marianas
AS WAS EVIDENCED IN THE ALEUTIANS, THE FUNDAmental American strategy of bypassing Japanese-held islands, sever-
was paying
ing their lines of communications and isolating them,
Another theatre where
this
off.
technique was successfully employed was
in the shallow, coral-pitted waters of
New
Guinea, the sprawling sub-
continent north of Australia, where motor torpedo boats did the
Navy's heavy work of containing the enemy, and did Before citing typical
when
PT
the Japanese were
patrols, let us
making
move back
a concerted drive
it
well.
in time to 1942,
on Port Moresby.
Because of conflicting and overoptimistic reports which had been reaching President Roosevelt from this theatre, newly commissioned
Lieutenant
Commander Lyndon
B. Johnson was ordered to investi-
gate the situation, acting as Roosevelt's representative.
Johnson went aboard the B-26 "Heckling Hare" ing a flight over the jungles of Lae. the beleaguered Allied outpost,
under
fire
by eight Zero
The plane
left
On
June
9,
as an observer dur-
Seven Mile Field
in
and shortly afterwards was taken
fighters.
The following excerpt by aviation Edward Hymoff, who interviewed the
writers
Martin Caidin and
plane's crew, describes the
future President at the height of the attack.
MARTIN CAIDIN
AND EDWARD HYMOFF 3-
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER
LYNDON UNDER During
take-off,
B.
JOHNSON
FIRE
Lyndon Johnson remained
seated in the radio
com-
partment. But once they became airborne, he moved around the main part of the airplane where he
window on
was able
the left side of the fuselage.
to look out through the small
He
also stood
on a small
in the center of the fuselage so that he could bring his head
the clear Plexiglas bubble atop the airplane,
up
stool
into
from where he could
survey the entire scene and watch the other Marauders.
On
the
way
able several times to squeeze his head and shoulders
to Lae, he was between Greer and McMullin and look forward through the cockpit
windshield.
When
was no opportunity to spend time up forward, but by looking through the bubble, Johnson had a spectacular view of the attack. The plane rolled and twisted as Greer the Japanese attacked, there
dove for the clouds, sawing the rudder back and
was
filled
forth.
The
airplane
with sounds; the thunder of the engine, the shrieking wincl,
the impact of the Japanese bullets
and exploding cannon
shells,
and
the stuttering bark of the machine guns firing in bursts at the Zeros.
Several times during the air fight Johnson the waist guns where Lillis
and forth from the
left
Walker was on
worked
his
his knees,
way back to moving back
waist gun to the one on the right as the best
targets presented themselves.
The gunners, hammering away
at the Zeros, flinching
by
instinct
677
678
Aleutians to the Marianas
when cannon shells went off near them, were amazed with the cool reaction of Lyndon Johnson under fire. ^This was his first exposure to the enemy; it was the kind of situation* in which many a man might be expected to yield to great
Hare" was
for
fright,
is
it
clear that the "Heckling
virtually being shot to ribbons in the air.
odds of survival were,
later that they felt their
The men
stated
"no better
at the time,
than stinking."
The faulty generator did more than cut power to the right engine. Bob Marshall in the top turret had his hands full because of the snarl With
in the electrical system.
excellent field of
fire,
its
twin .50-caliber machine guns and
most important defense
the turret provided the
of the airplane. Normally, Marshal could swing his guns rapidly from
any one point
when
to another to track
and
to lead
the generator went out, he could
down, but he had
lost all
power
to
an attacking
move
his
swing them
fighter.
But
guns easily up and
azimuth
in
— around
the line of the horizon.
There was an emergency manual system, but gency and not very good
wind of from three hundred
barrels against a
it
was
strictly
emer-
Marshall had to force the gun
at its job.
hundred miles
to four
per hour, and this takes brute strength. There was some help through the gear system, but
it
was not enough. Moving the guns was a
tedious and slow task, and the lack of
full
power
for the turret
was
a
calamitous loss in terms of survival.
At
the waist guns, Lillis
about the hot neck.
As
Walker did not even have time
shell casings that
were slamming against
the turret guns fired, the hot casings splashed
his
to gripe
back and
down
against
Walker; they had burned him more than once on missions. But on this flight,
as
Walker
recalled, things
were so hot he was not that
much bothered by a few burns across the back of his neck. The running fight lasted, according to the best estimates of both the crew in the bomber and the Japanese pilots as reported after their return to Lae, is
somewhere between ten and
an eternity when a single bomber
wild-flying Zeros.
McCredie cursed
And
angrily
jammed. He fought "Greer yelled ordered
me
in the
at
to get
when
us.
being chewed up by a
the single
machine gun
to free the .50-caliber gun, but to
me
back
—which
swarm
of
nose of the "Heckling Hare," Claude
to get out of the nose," said
no
at his disposal avail.
McCredie. "He
away and to man one of way we would have both waist guns
in the fuselage right
the waist guns with Walker; that
going for
is
thirteen minutes
—
Lieutenant
Commander Lyndon
"The passageway out
You come up from
B. Johnson
of the nose
679
Under Fire
along a real narrow catwalk.
is
the nose, through the
bomb
bay, into the radio
compartment. The radio and navigator's table are on one there's a
when someone to
left.
room
There's just enough
side,
and
to squeeze
by
in that area.
is
"When Greer had
on the
seat
little
yelled for
me
to the waist gun,
McMullin
out of the nose.
got to the
back
to get
push back out of the way to
let
me
I
door ledge and came down the two steps into the navigator's compartment.
He
Commander Johnson was
window.
there, looking out the
could see right out over the wing; there's a pretty good view out
— although
at this
right out of
your
there
you
Zeros pounding
"When
I left
moment
was the kind of
it
wits. That's
how
I felt
when
sight that scared I
saw a bunch of
in against us.
the nose, there were a
them, laying out there on the
bunch of Zeros, three or four of
left side.
One would
fake a pass at us
and when we tracked him with the guns, why, the others would come
They would
roaring in to rake us good.
up
try to
drop down and come
real fast to get us in the belly.
You can't see too well through that side window if you're sitting down. He was stooped over in a standing position as I came into the radio compartment. He was "And Johnson was watching
this real close.
window where
looking out the
the Zeros were starting their pass at
us.
"He turned
came in the compartment. He lifted his fingers. Then he pointed out the window and
me when
to
hand and held up three
I
smiled. There're three out there on the "I looked out the
window,
they were coming straight at us and as a
cucumber.
cannon were
took one look
I
all
firing at us.
left,'
figuring they
I
firing!
at those
he
said.
were
And
just blurted out,
.
off.
man was
this
Zeros
laying
still
.
.
But
as cool
the guns and
'Excuse me,' and
started past him.
"He grinned
at
me
as
I
went by him as
fast as I could, getting
back
to the waist-gun position."
we had had another machine it and whaled away at the Zeros. It's a helpless feeling just to be in the airplane when the fighters are coming in; you want to do something, to hit back. Ray Flanagan, who used to fly copilot most of the time with us, used to go nuts up in that cockpit. He wanted a gun, or even some rocks to Harry Baren commented on
gun lying around,
throw
at the
this
Zeros
this: "If
man would have grabbed
anything.
He wanted
to fight, not just
sit
there
680
Aleutians to the Marianas
and take
it.
all right.
He
That's the roughest of
me
said something to
all.
Johnson had the same feeling
about wanting to do something, to *
get a
gun
in his
hands
McCredie worked utes later, Lillis
to fire
.
.
;
."
'
way back
his
Walker had
to the waist position. Several min-
gun he was
to leave the waist
firing to get
compartment. Each time the Marauders flew a mission,
to the radio
they returned with great caution to Moresby; the Japanese had a cute
blowing
trick of
out of Seven-Mile
hell
Drome even while the MaAnd they had caught
rauders were blasting the Japanese runways.
some them
American bombers
of the
now had
worst possible moment. Walker
to land.
was rough up there,"
"It sure
like they
Lillis
Walker
were having a
field
"We were
said.
up pretty bad. The Zeros stayed with
getting shot
fight
at the
monitor the radio to be sure that Seven-Mile was clear for
to
us,
really
working us over,
day with target practice, a long running
while they kept whacking away at us.
"When
went forward
I
to the radio.
we were on
And
there
I
had
was
to crawl through the
a sight-seeing tour.
bomb bay
to get
passenger of ours, just as calm as
this I
mean
that;
if
he was really taking the
whole thing as though nothing was wrong. Bullets were singing through the plane shells,
and he was
"He was
about us and we were being
all
—
well, just calm,
hit
by those cannon
and watching everything.
standing on the stool in the compartment; from up there
that's a sight to scare the living daylights out of you.
Zeros were in front of us and coming
in, firing
A
couple of the
everything they had,
when that happens. "He had to get off the stool so I could get to the radio. He stepped down and turned to me and said, 'Boy! It's rough up here, isn't it!' and you're looking
"I just
nodded
straight into the face of death
at
him.
"Then he asked me, 'You get kind of scared, don't you?' "Now, that's one question I can answer very easily. I looked him right in the eyes
"He did, but
and
I
said,
'Yeah; I'm always scared up here.'
he
just didn't
— I'm
me show it. He
burst out laughing at
didn't
sure he
show
felt
it
exactly the
way
I
a bit."
THE SEA FIGHT AROUND NEW GUINEA DEVOLVED ON motor torpedo boats, the only negotiate
its
craft sufficiently shallow in draft to
hazardous waters. The
first
PTs
arrived in April 1942
—
Lieutenant
Commander Lyndon
B. Johnson Under Fire
week PT-7 22 celebrated
with their tender, Hilo, and within the
squadron's barges.
first
victory
681 the
by sinking a large cargo submarine and two
Submarines, however, were not the usual target
Guinea. Troop-laden barges
dihatsus
—were
in
New
the nightly opponents,
and by and large they constituted the combat fare for the ensuing two years.
Lieutenant Basil Heatter was
He
among
describes fighting Japanese barges
was eventually wounded.
the
—
first
arrivals at
Milne Bay.
the type of action in which he
LIEUTENANT (jG) BASIL HEATTER
4-
ATTACK BY NIGHT
'
Torpedo boat
fighting has a style
all its
own. The PT's become a
of naval guerrilla force operating hundreds of miles behind the lines
in
waters
strange
that
have
many
in
instances
sort
enemy
never been
charted, subject to attack from planes, surface units and shore
fire,
and with the added hazard of patrolling through the long, black nights in
waters where the slightest wrong
move means
a boat with
on the razor edged coral neggerheads.
bottom
sliced out
wonder
that after an
all
It
is
its
no
night patrol, the boat crews are haggard and
unshaven, with red rimmed eyes and weary, aching bodies.
By daybreak
the patrols are
"Let's head for the barn."
home
selves sense that
is
It
over.
PT
frequencies resound to:
almost seems as though the boats them-
ahead.
They leap forward
in great sheets of
sparkling spray. Engines hit wonderful speeds they could never touch
on the way
down jungle.
out.
From
off
shore you can see the boats whipping back
skimming the edge of the And sometimes you can see the quick, orange flash of a Nip
along the coast like dragon
flies
shore battery, and then you have the tense few seconds of waiting for the shell, and
when
him a few bursts tails at
finally lands far astern the
just for the hell of
the beach and speed
They come trance to the
682
it
in before little
it
boys turn and give
and then the boats
flirt
their
on towards home.
noon, skirting the reefs that mark the en-
harbor.
They come slowly
past in
column and
if
the night has been productive they
And
the beach.
and carried
much
overhead
when they come limping
and men
be
to
lifted
to sick bay. It's quite a while before
over the
anybody does
talking about those patrols.
When
the patrols
At
reports.
dock
their clenched fists
there are times too
in with a hull riddled with shell holes
side
683
proudly semaphoring their score ahead to the
in a fighter's salute,
men on
wave
Attack By Night
come
in the skippers
same time
the
to gas up.
Even though
throughout the night there
all
is still
are again in fighting shape. That
checked, and
all
go ashore to write out their
the execs take the boats over to the fuel
hands have been
no sleep
means
at battle stations
anyone
for
until the boats
and engines
refueled, radios
guns completely stripped down and cleaned. After a
night spent plowing through heavy seas a .50 calibre machine gun
mass of rusty junk, an unholy mess
The boys work
hours.
the
in
is
a
that has to be sweated over for
noonday
blistering,
bearded,
sun,
stripped to the waist, their tired fingers doing mechanically the job
many
they have done so
When
the
work
is
countless times before.
done the boats move over
to their nests along the
edge of the jungle. These dispersal points are carefully chosen with an eye to protection from
down palm
puts
air
reconnaissance and attack. Each boat crew
log pilings
and builds a rickety dock fondly fes& Charlie's, Cocoanut
tooned with signs such as Stork Club, Jack Grove,
etc.
Here you
ammunition
cooking stoves fashioned from
crates,
hammocks slung in choice, shady spots. The boats are pulled into their nests and made
drums, and
oil
fast
creepers and leaves. All hands prepare for extensive sack
noon
quiet settles
made from
find such luxuries as reclining chairs
down over
the harbor.
under the
drill.
After-
In the shade a bearded
gunner wearing ragged shorts puffs on a cherished cigar and rereads last
month's
creeping If
letters.
down
He
is
waiting for the hot,
still
come
night to
the mountains into the jungle.
the crews are lucky they'll have no patrol that night, and
they're doubly lucky there will be a
movie
at the base.
Soon
if
after
darkness they arrive paddling outrigger canoes, dinghies, and even the sawed-in-half shells of belly tanks dropped by P-47's. In spite of projector breakdowns, alerts, and rain squalls the boys
sit
patiently
for hours in the black, jungle night, battling clouds of mosquitos,
waiting for the flickering screen that speaks to
them
of
home
half a
world away.
Next day the boats are ready
to fight again.
The
skippers go ashore
684
Aleutians to the Marianas
for their briefing,
chow
is
taken aboard, ammunition belts fed into the
and by, mid-afternoon the patrols are
guns, frequencies adjusted,
again moving out through the reefs toward the open sea.
They ease
slowly and carefully out between the swirling masses of foam that
break over the coral. Far overhead a P-38 gleams for a in the sun. Off
on the horizon a
LST's bound through the
Our
PBY
circles lazily
New
straits for
silver instant
over a convoy of
Britain.
boats begin to bite into the heavy seas. Sheets of spray rain
who
over the cockpit, turrets, and after lookout
huddles unhappily
behind the engine room hatch. At a signal from the skipper fire
warm up
a few
bursts.
guns
all
Tracers whip out and ricochet
off
to
moved up and the boats pound and thunder as crests. The exec wipes the salt out of his eyes and
seaward. Throttles are they smash into the bites grimly
By
on a sodden
pipe.
Another patrol
nightfall the boats are again in
enemy
is
under way.
waters.
They prowl
huge, silent sharks through the shallow bays and lagoons.
On
like
each
boat a dozen eyes sweep the sea and shore through night glasses. In the blacked out chartroom the quartermaster half plots his
In a
D R Track by the
little
the jungle
moon comes
while the
a black ribbon along
is
up. its
faint scent of the land, the sweet,
and sometimes there
The
in the heat, lights.
sea gleams like mercury;
edge. Occasionally
you get the
heady aroma of jungle flowers,
another odor on the
is
naked
dim, reddish glow of the battle
never to be forgotten smell of rotting
flesh.
soft,
night breeze, the
In that country dead
men
are very dead.
At mid-night
the radio
"Dog Fox
Easy
"This
is
to
hums
:
Oboe— Over."
Easy Oboe
—Over."
"I think we've got something, Bill. Bearing zero four five, range
about ten miles, moving
him
fast.
Probably a
float Zero. Better get set for
—Over."
"Roger. We'll give the bastard a warm welcome. Over and out." The broad, phosphorescent wake of the boats points like a silver arrow in the moonlight. The Nip has sighted them. He turns and comes in fast and low. The boats wheel hard over and a thousand orange tracers split the night searching for him. The Jap doesn't like tracers. He shys away and hurriedly drops his two small bombs astern of the second boat.
Now
half hearted attempt.
the night, and
is
gone.
He
he's
coming
in for a strafing
has no belly for lead.
He
run but
it's
a
turns, climbs into
Attack By Night
The
patrol goes on.
At three
in the
685
morning the lookout picks up
four low, black objects creeping into the beach. Barges! Again the radio hums:
hunched
"Close up. Close up. Port run." The gunners wait
in their turrets.
with silence now.
Nip small calibre pit like a swarm of
Our boats go
rifle
in
hungry, tentative
licks out into the night.
Suddenly a Jap twenty millimetre
arcs.
hell
The gun muzzles swing
roaring in for the
and machine gun
bees. Our boats are They pound and shake under the impact
by hundreds of lines of criss cross tracer.
To
kill.
whines over the cock-
fire
alongside, in position now.
The night is lit The lagoon shimmers in the of the guns.
red flashes. Billows of gun smoke float through the nightmare scene.
Somewhere in the darkness there is the deep pounding of shore batteries. Heavy shells whoosh by like express trains. Scarlet balls of fire come arching up out of the night at us. But now the barges have almost stopped
moment. Our boys keep pouring
And
now, going down. lagoon
is
it
in.
This
firing.
is
the crucial
The four dark shapes are lower
suddenly they're gone. The surface of the
smooth. Somewhere
in the
darkness Japs are in the water.
They're screaming, high, thin screams. The batteries are
Crashing explosions at
boom
over and around us.
We
still
firing.
turn and run out
high speed.
Once taken
outside
hits
we
lie
to in order to count noses.
along the water line but no one
Jap tracers are
still
is
Dawn
is
lead boat has
Far behind us the
hurt.
looping out into the night.
the faintest, rosy tinge.
The
Ahead
the sky shows
coming. Another patrol
is
over.
Our
boats turn and head for home.
THE JAPANESE WERE DRIVEN FROM HUON GULF ON New set
Guinea's southeast coast in October 1943, and
up an advance base
eliminated
many hours
and enabled them end,
at
Dregger Harbor
—
squadrons
a shift of scene which
of "dead time" in getting to
to penetrate deeper into
PT
enemy
and from
territory.
station,
By
year's
engineers and Seabees were constructing bases, docks and
Army
airstrips for operations against a solidly
entrenched enemy only a few
miles away.
Among
the
motor torpedo boat
officers
who
fought in the Dregger
Harbor campaigns was Lieutenant (jg) Edward describing one of the more memorable PT actions.
I.
Farley,
here
LIEUTENANT (jG) EDWARD
FARLEY
I.
"WE BETTER GET AIR SUPPORT
PRETTY SOON!"
December
24, 1943 had mostly been spent cleaning guns, overhaul-
ing engines,
making routine maintenance checks, and
painting. After
One mem-
lunch the boat crews sought cool spots in which to sleep or relax.
crew rigged a diving board under a mangrove, and an acrobatic
ber tied a rope to a high branch so that he could swing forty feet
through the
warm
air
and
into the water. Christmas
do much more than
to
maybe
sit,
and watch the multicolored tropical pale blue
—
fish
Eve was warm, too
write letters or daydream,
— some
bright purple, others
feed along the coral reefs.
Christmas Day was
still
Everyone looked forward
New Guinea
and cloudless, a typical
to the big dinner "like at
day.
home." Turkeys
from the base kitchen were distributed to each boat. Ours was half raw, but Yiengst and Shorty saved the day by recooking the bird until it
was
just right.
to a feast with
Romeo and
Tom
opened.
Bill
included a
them
New
packages
—
to say grace.
Then we
plus atabrine tablets.
sat
I
down
provided
my good
friend
York. sweets
containing
Bannard had received a
tin of
to me,
the trimmings
Juliet cigars for all hands, courtesy of
Prindeville in
Christmas
me
Yiengst called on all
kippered herring.
and Yiengst promised
large
and
tinned
box of
stuff
delicacies,
Bill didn't like kippers, so
to
were
which
he gave
cook them for breakfast.
Breakfast was always a pleasant prospect; and as our uneventful
Christmas night patrol approached
686
its
close,
I
looked forward to
my
"We
was about 0600 on patrol
kippers. It
687
Better Get Air Support Pretty Soon!" station off the south
New
Brit-
company with Bambi, the Jack had left Dregger and Arawe on the evening of December 25 with mail and pasLieutenant H. M. S. Steele ("Swifty") Swift was Officer in Command aboard the Jack. From 2200 until dawn we back and forth off Cape Peiho, heeding carefully Eric
ain coast. In
gone
to
sengers.
Tactical
cruised
Howitt's piloting instructions, because the waters were particularly treacherous.
Reluctant to return empty-handed,
we snooped
into Marije
Bay
about 0730. Sighting nothing, we decided to secure, having already tarried too long. Bill,
laid out the return course, turned the
I
and then went below
No
sooner had
I
to clean
up
fore a steaming plateful than there
Through
for those kippers.
gotten comfortably seated in the charthouse be-
by a muffled explosion water.
off the
was
a loud
starboard bow.
the charthouse port
water cascade onto the
I
swoooooosh! followed
The Jack
I
lifted in the
saw a twenty-foot column of
foc'sle.
"Oh-oh!" exclaimed Bannard. "That was close!" later:
boat over to
And
a
moment
"Here come more of them. General Quarters!"
swung
topside.
Down
lowed by four Zekes thirty planes
from the north they swept
—
four Vals fol-
—then more Vals and more Zekes,
were upon
Ensign Lovorron, Third Officer, took the helm; the four .50's, leaving
until
about
us.
me
Bill
took charge of
free to coordinate our over-all defense.
Bambi had immediately broken formation to avoid divide the enemy's fire. About thirty miles ahead,
enfilade
and to
directly
on our
course for base, there were low storm clouds, good for cover
—
if
we
could reach them. Bill's
away I
at
gunners and the gun crew on the stern 20-millimeter blazed
each attacking plane. Following the trajectory of each bomb,
kept calling out the amount and direction of rudder. Lovorron
executed the directions with understanding alacrity.
Our bow
37-millimeter sent a Vail into a steep glide. Black smoke
pouring from
its
tail,
another, which caught
it
splashed into the sea.
fire
and dived
to the north.
Bambfs machine guns were
Zeke climbed
steeply, then
went
into the sea to the northwest.
waves of three or four Finsch for
"Circuits busy!" he reported.
turret hit
also spitting furiously.
into a 180-degree dive
More
at a time.
air support.
The port
into the water about three miles
A
and plunged
planes continued to pour
in, in
Barsh, our radio operator, had called
—
688
Aleutians to the Marianas
"Keep
trying!"
encouraged him as
I
narrowly avoiding a nasty-looking
on
yanked back the
throttles,
almost had our
the water directly ahead, throwing skyward a
It hit
it.
I
.borfib that
name
column of
water which drenched the foc'sle and cockpit.
Although the Jack took the brunt of the bombing, Bambi received
most of the
and damage. Her port- and starboard-engine
strafing
water jackets had been fuel tanks
Victor
had
been
also
Bloom kept
stuffed the leaks.
hit
and were spurting hot water. One of her
hit
and was leaking badly. But Motormac
Working
his head.
against time, he taped and
With admirable presence, he closed
CO 2
compartment and smothered the space with
tank
off the
.
After twenty minutes, the planes milled around overhead as
wondering what to
try next.
Possibly
squadron leader. Bambi radioed that
we had knocked down
"Rum" Ewing had been
the stomach and Fred Calhoun, his exec, had taken over.
I
if
their hit in
checked
again on air support. "Circuits
still
busy!" reported Barsh grimly.
Down they came again: Bambi strafing. nailed another Zeke, which mile away. The score was now 4-0. I had noticed
Upstairs, the Vals
and Zekes regrouped.
More bombs, more crashed barely a
several cripples limping
out of the fight
"We'd
—but
away
there were
low
still
altitude
We
and guessed they were
twenty or so planes
better get air support pretty soon,"
Barsh got the word: "Hold on.
And
at
will
they were. P-40's, 47's and 48's
I
be with you in
—
left.
told myself. Suddenly five
minutes."
perhaps forty altogether
came streaking in and lit into the Zekes and the Vals. The heat was off. The Nips tangled only briefly with our planes, then fled west, ours swarming after them. Our pilots told us later that the Japanese hit the water in twos and threes. Only one Val escaped.
A
damaged P-47 made
a belly landing near us.
The
pilot
had
just
freed himself from the cockpit when we Seaman First Class Joe H. Cope dived into the sea and between them managed to keep the pilot's head above water until a ladder and line were rigged and we got him aboard. Badly injured about the head, he
reached him. Swifty and
eventually recovered fully.
Bambi was
Two
in fairly
of the crew were
injuries.
We
bad shape. Calhoun had a
wounded
seriously.
bullet in the thigh.
Three others had minor
took Bambi's casualties aboard the Jack and resumed
course to base.
With two engines
out, a ruptured gas tank, an eighteen-inch hole in
"We
Bambi
her port side and extensive shrapnel damage,
made that
and
I
was very hungry.
moment when I
we made our
Dregger. There
Suddenly
searched, but
I
had
we
down
sat
—was
as
if
"Galvanic"
scheduled for
within five days, a
A. Spruance, Let us look in Nimitz' eye
Commander
and Shorty
the
two-phase
November
.
.
20,
capture
1943.
of
the
The plan
on Makin, Tarawa and
order for Vice Admiral
tall
.
ADVANCE GOT
PACIFIC
—
called for 35,000 Marines to be put ashore
Apamama
days had passed since
to breakfast. Yiengst
couldn't find the kippers anywhere
Operation
Gilbert Islands
nevertheless
action report and refueled.
seemed
It
NOW THE LONG AWAITED underway.
689
Better Get Air Support Pretty Soon!"
Raymond
Fifth Fleet.
Micronesia which became a gleam
at the target area of
even as Halsey attacked in the Central Solomons. The
idea was to seize the Gilberts
first,
the Marshalls next, and
to continue across to the Marianas. cally located in the sea lanes
from there
These coral islands were
strategi-
between the Philippines and the United
States; they also constituted the nerve center of Japan's defense sys-
tem and were therefore heavily fortified. The Gilberts and Marshalls, with which we are first concerned, are composed of twenty to fifty reefs and islands each, strung out at varying lengths. Kwajalein, largMarshall Islands,
est of the Its highest
point of land
these islands possessed
very
substance
—rock
is
is
thirty miles
wide and
twenty-one feet above sea
no
intrinsic value other
and coral
—made
sixty miles long. level.
But while
than strategic, their
them highly-sought and
highly-defended prizes, for they were easily adapted to bomber and fighter plane operations.
Shortly before the invasion, the targets were subjected to a considerable "softening up" by one hundred Liberator
Admiral John H. Hoover, commanding
all
bombers under Rear
land-based aircraft from
his flagship, aircraft tender Curtis, stationed in Funafati
Lagoon
in
the Ellices.
Spruance's forces consisted of: 1.
Northern Attack Force (TF 52) under the
Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner, embarked and bound
for
Makin from
LSD
in flagship
of
Rear
Pennsylvania
Pearl Harbor, with three additional bat-
tleships, four cruisers, three escort carriers
one
command
and
six transports; also
and three LSTs with tanks and amphtracks. General Hoi-
690 land
Aleutians to the Marianas
M. "Howlin' Mad"
in both operations
Admiral Harry W.
Hill,
embarked
New
the
the flagship.
command of Rear Maryland and bound
Hebrides (Efate), with
battleships, five cruisers, five escort carriers, twenty-
one destroyers, sixteen transports and one
Aboard
of the Marines
the
in flagship
Tarawa from New Zealand and
two additional
command
(TF 53) under
Southern Attack Force
2.
for
Smith, exercising
(Makin and Tarawa^, was aboard
the flagship
LSD
carrying
tanks.
was General Julian C. Smith of the 2nd Marine
Division.
(TF 50) under
Fast Carrier Forces Pacific Fleet
3.
of
Rear Admiral Charles A. Pownall, embarked
the
command
in flagship
York-
town, with three additional Essex-class carriers and five light carriers,
heavy
six battleships, three
cruisers, three anti-aircraft cruisers
and
twenty-one destroyers.
D-Day dawned
clear
and
fair;
the sea
was calm. After a
last
pounding of Makin, Marines stormed ashore and captured the island with relative ease. However, the of "Galvanic."
A
section of carrier
Navy
suffered heavily in this phase
torpedo from submarine 1-175 struck the amidships
Liscomb Bay, and
the ship exploded, bursting into
flame her entire length and heaving planes and
hundreds of
under
in
feet into the air.
2000 fathoms
and ninety-one after in
enlisted
men and
steel
frames
Twenty-three minutes later she dipped
of water. Fifty-one officers and five hundred
men were
killed.
Of
the other
enemy
attacks
D-Day, only one was of consequence. Torpedo planes from Roi,
the Marshalls,
wounded
sixty
stuck a fish
into
Indianapolis,
which
killed
or
men.
Tarawa was not costly to the Navy (only destroyer Ringgold was hit, and by a dud shell), but it was Conversely, as
we
well know,
sheer hell for the Marines. Japanese troops were strongly entrenched at Betio,
at the southeast
corner of the
atoll,
behind coral cairns,
boat obstacles, and coconut log barricades, with guns ranging from 5to 8-inch,
and concrete bunkers reinforced with sand, iron and corru-
gated roof plate which could be penetrated only by heavy-caliber air strikes
and 2000 tons of
Time correspondent Robert Sherrod was assigned
to cover the land-
shells.
naval
ings.
Although considerably softened by shells,
His
Betio held
fast.
brilliant dispatches
classic of reportage.
on
the murderous battle at Betio are a
His account begins a few hours before
opened, aboard the transport Zeilin.
D-Day
ROBERT SHERROD
6.
DAY ON TARAWA
FIRST
We
jumped out
of
bed
at midnight,
swimming
in sweat.
We
donned
our dungarees and headed for the wardroom. Nobody took more than fifteen
minutes to eat his steak, eggs, and fried potatoes and drink his
two cups of
coffee, but
everybody was soaking before he had
This was the hottest night of
was an oversupply cruisers
six-inch
of the
all.
Before
we
finished.
filed out, gasping, there
rumors that attend every
battle:
one of our
had sunk a Jap surface craft (though not until seventy-seven shells had been fired, and an accompanying destroyer had let
go two torpedoes); one of our ships had been attacked by a Japanese
bomber during
the night; a searchlight off Betio
had already
tried to
spot our force.
After making last-minute adjustments of flying bridge
my
gear,
when General Quarters was buzzed
at
I
went up on the
0215. There was
a half-moon dodging in and out of the clouds forty-five degrees to portside. It
was cool up
possible to
make
notes
there, with a brisk breeze
when
the
moon was
out.
on the
A
rise. It
was
calm voice came
over the loudspeaker: "Target at 112 true, 26,800 yards ahead." "Blackfish
900 lead transport, and the Blue Fox was of the lead ship slowly flashed on and
"Blackfish
1000 yards."
"Blackfish
The Blackfish was the The faint red signal light as we followed her to Tarawa.
yards." next. off
870 yards."
Lieutenant Vanderpoel, the ship's gunnery
officer,
was talking
to
691
692
Aleutians to the Marianas
me and
Commander
who was to be beachmaster on Tarawa. Vanderpoel was indignant. Jie had seen a lot of this war, at
Lieutenant
Fabian, ;
Guadalcanal, Tulagi, Attu, Kiska
And
.
they had never allowed him
guns on the transport. True, they were not heavy guns such
to fire his
as battleships carry, but they might help. If he could just turn
on the shore,
as the warships
would turn
theirs. "Just
once
them
want
I
to
shoot," he said, "but this time they said again 'Transports will not fire.'
We
on these damn transports and we don't
sit
get to see any-
thing of the war, and the Marines have to go in and do
By 0330
the Marines
wave. The sergeants were calling the
first
Gresholm.
.
They needed no
."
.
and they didn't have
roll,
Marines were
all
there.
Damn."
it all.
had begun loading the outboard boats
One
"Vernon, Simms,
roll:
light to call the
to send a runner to find
of the sergeants
for the
well-remembered
any absentees. The
was giving
his
men
last-
minute instructions: "Be sure to correct your elevation and windage. Adjust your sights."
At 0400
I
went below.
stood outside the
I
and second waves walked through and out
men were
wardroom
to their boats.
as the first
Most
of the
soaked; their green-and-brown-spotted jungle dungarees
had turned a darker green when the sweat from their bodies soaked through. They jested with one another. Only a few even whistled to keep up their courage.
"How many you
going to
bespectacled Marine. "All
he wiped his beloved
rifle
I
kill,
Bunky?" one
face. Just
open
them shouted
at a
can get," said Bunky, without smiling, as
barrel.
"Oh, boy," said a kid well under twenty, dead Jap's
of
his
mouth and
let
"I just
want
him have
to spit in a
it."
Boy Scouts. I knew it." The order had gone out:
Said another, "I should have joined the
They were
a grimy,
unshaven
must put on clean clothing
lot.
just
before going ashore,
diminish the chances of infection from wounds, but dirty.
Under
lifebelts,
the weight, light though
it
now
in
they
order to
they looked
was, of their combat packs,
guns, ammunition, helmets, canvas leggings, bayonets, they
were sweating
in great profusion.
Nobody had shaved
for
two or
three days.
Outside sotan
I
saw Dr. Edwin
who had
Welte, a crop-haired, young Minne-
finished medical school only about five years ago.
"Well," he said, "nobody
Out
J.
is
trying to get out of fighting this battle.
of the whole battalion only eleven are being left in the ship's sick
bay. Five are recurring malaria cases, one busted his knee on
maneu-
"
Day on Tarawa
First
one
vers,
is
a post-operative appendectomy, one
somebody palmed
that
a chronic knee
is
on the regiment, and the
off
693
rest are
minor
shipboard accidents. All the malaria cases will be able to go ashore in
two days."
Who
was being left behind? "Nobody that I know of except who got obstreperous and they had to throw him in the brig. Only one man in the brig the whole trip, and he's always been a bad one
else
pfc.
character.'*
We full
of
walked back
bunkroom, which was
to the junior staff officers'
young Marines indulging
in
what might have been a college
we could hear the dynamo-hum of the cables letting the boats down into the water. Everbody had on his pack and his helmet, for all these men were going on the assault waves which bull session. Outside
would
start leaving for
tachioed Captain
Betio in ten or fifteen minutes. Young, mus-
Ben Owens,
Oklahoma boy who was
the
we
operations officer, looked up as
and
entered,
said,
battalion
"Doc, I'm going
to get shot in the tail today."
Dr. Welte: "Oh, you want a Purple Heart, huh?"
Owens:
want a
"Hell, no, I
stateside ticket."
Colonel Amey, the battalion boss, came
in,
stretched mightily, and
ho-hummed. I asked him how many Japs we were going to find on Betio. "Not many, apparently," he said. "They've got five-inch guns. They'd have been shooting
Owens looked
at the
at us
by now."
deck a minute and
said, "That's right.
We're
only eleven thousand yards offshore now. They've got some eightinch guns, too. But just wait. You'll hear one whistle over in a minute.
When
he does those battlewagons
and rock that island
bitch
Owens
continued,
—
"Maybe
open up on that son-of-a-
will
the battlewagons and the
knock out the big guns, but I'm not saying still
think we'll get shot at
that stateside ticket,
when we go
in,
will
and I'm
still
looking for
Doc."
Jay Odell, a slender young junior-grade lieutenant
how
bombs
they'll kill all the Japs. I
who
learned
to be a naval air-liaison officer after leaving his Philadelphia
newspaper thing.
Now
statistics
Now,
job,
had been standing
about the number of tons at
in a corner without saying any-
he spoke up, "Everybody
is
that's
putting too
first
battleship
faith in the
going to be dropped."
0505, we heard a great thud
what that meant. The
much
had
in the southwest.
We knew We all
fired the first shot.
rushed out on deck. The show had begun. The show for which thou-
694
Aleutians to the Marianas
men had
sands of
spent months of training, scores of ships had sailed
thousands of miles, for which Cha^lams Kelly and
MacQueen had
The curtain was up in the theatre of death. were watching when the battleship's second shell left
offered their prayers.
We
muzzle of in the
its
great gun, headed for Betio. There
was a
the
brilliant flash
darkness of the half-moonlit night. Then a flaming torch arched
high into the air and sailed far away, slowly, very slowly, like an easily
lobbed tennis
The red cinder was
ball.
mark before we heard the giant had struck a drum as of an explosion
on the
—
was the high-explosive
zon.
But
A
filled
again with the orange-red
and Olympus boomed again. The red
that
Betio.
if
first.
Within three minutes the sky was
this
its
some mythological big as Mount Olympus. There was no sign unseen island the second shot had apparently
fallen into the water, like the
flash of the big gun,
nearly halfway to
thud, a dull roar as
ball of fire
was again dropping toward the
shell
hori-
time there was a tremendous burst on the land that was
wall of flame shot five hundred feet into the
air,
and there
its
mark. Hun-
dreds of the awestruck Marines on the deck of the Blue
Fox cheered
was another
found
terrifying explosion as the shell
in uncontrollable joy.
Our guns had found
the enemy. Probably the
enemy's big eight-inch guns and their powder magazine on the southwest corner of the island.
Now
we had
that
the range the battleship sought no longer.
The
next flash was four times as great, and the sky turned a brighter,
redder orange, greater than any flash of lightning the Marines had
Now four shells, weighing island. Now Betio began to glow
ever seen.
more than
a ton each,
peppered the
bom-
That was only the beginning. Another battleship took up the
firing
the
bardment pattern had
—four mighty the island. death.
Now
shells
poured from
Then another opened with
followed by the destroyers,
on each,
firing
almost as
brighter than noontime that
from the
its
fires
big guns onto another part of
battleship breathed
a heavy cruiser
light criusers
brightly
started.
its
brilliant
breath of
eight-inch guns,
and several
their fast-firing six inch guns.
They were
let
go with
many
fast as
its
destroyers with
many
five-inch guns
machine guns. The sky
at
times was
on the equator. The arching, glowing cinders
were high-explosive
shells sailed
through the
air as
though buck-
many shotguns from all sides of the The Marines aboard the Blue Fox exulted with each blast on
shot were being fired out of island.
the island. Fire and
smoke and sand obscured
the island of Betio.
U.S.
Marine Path
TARAWA ATOLL 1943
Action
LONE TREE
20-28 November
I
28 Nov.
/
sm!
\
BUARIKI 26 27
I
Nov
V\TARATAI VILLAGE 26 Nov
BUOTI VILLAGE 24
BAIRIKI
I.
21 Nov.
nautical
miles
25 Nov.
Day on Tarawa
First
Now
the Jap, the miserable,
war
horrible
brown man who had started this was beginning to suffer
against a peace-loving people,
the consequences. it
little
697
He had
asked for
and he should have known
this,
before he flew into Pearl Harbor that placid Sunday morning.
the warships edged in closer,
coming
into shore
of yards until they were only a few thousand yards target, the
As
from many thousands
away from
whole island of Betio seemed to erupt with bright
their
fires that
were burning everywhere. They blazed even through the thick wall of
smoke The
that curtained the island.
planes
dawn
streaks of
first
continued to
—not
The warships came the a hundred. The first
crept through the sky.
All of a sudden they stopped. But here
fire.
just a
few planes: a dozen, a score,
torpedo bombers raced across the smoking conflagration and loosed
bombs on an island that must have been dead a half hour ago! They were followed by the dive bombers, the old workhorse SBD's and the new Helldivers, the fast SB2C's that had been more than two years a-borning. The dive bombers lined up, many thousands of feet over Betio, then they pointed their noses down and their big
dived singly, or in pairs or in threes. Near the end of their dives they
hatched the bombs from beneath their
and sailed back
fully
bellies;
they pulled out grace-
more bombs. Now came new Grumman Hellcats, the best planes They made their runs just above the awful,
to their carriers to get
the fighter planes, the fast,
ever to squat on a carrier.
gushing pall of smoke, their machine guns spitting hundreds of
fifty-
caliber bullets a minute.
Surely,
we
all
thought, no mortal
men
could
live
through such de-
stroying power. Surely,
(which
I
was
It
I
thought,
if
there were actually any Japs left
doubted strongly), they would half
hour
after
dawn
all
that I got a
first
splashed into the water not thirty feet from an the Blue Fox.
Our
destroyers, which
the planes finished their
wide,
I
surmised.
A
by
on the island
be dead by now.
this
rude shock.
LST which
A
shell
waited near
time were firing again as
bombing and strafing runs, were firing very not more than fifty yards from our stern,
shell hit
sending a vertical stream of water high into the
air, like
a picture of a
geyser erupting. I
turned to Major
shooting!
Major Rice looked that's
our
Howard Rice and
said,
"My God, what
wide
Those boys need some practice." at
own guns doing
me
quizzically. Said he,
that shooting,
do you?"
"You
don't think
69?
Aleutians to the Marianas
Then, for the
time, I realized that there were
first
Betio. Like a
man who
ing
"Oh."
it, I
By
said,
J"
time our
this
some Japs on
has swallowed a piece of steak without chew-
first
three waves of boats were already in the
water, and the fourth and
were getting ready
fifth
But the
to load.
sudden appearance of the enemy upset our plans. These valuable transports, with their thousands of troops, could not stand idly
take a chance on being sunk. miles of the target.
We
had no
big guns on Betio were not
commodore
By now we were definite
still
by and
within four or five
knowledge that
all
the Japs'
working. Captain John McGovern,
of the assault transport division, gave the order.
transports heeled around quickly and set out to sea,
The
whence we had
come only two hours ago. The transports streaked out of the danger zone, with the Japs firing vainly at them as they went. The first three waves, including hundreds of boats from many transports, had no choice but to turn around and streak after the mother ships. As they turned and ran our warships opened up again. By firing his gun the Jap had given away its location. Now the fury of the warships, big and small, mounted into a crescendo of unprecedented fire and thunder. They pounded the Jap with everything in the gunnery officer's book.
If
there had been an
unearthly flash of lightning before daylight, now, at close range, there
was a nether world of pandemonium. Hundreds of shells crashed with hundreds of ear-rocking thuds as they poured toward the Jap big-gun position. Soon there was no more firing. The last Jap big gun had been silenced.
waves
Now
into the boats,
the transports could finish loading their assault
and Betio would soon
feel the tread of the
U.
S.
Marines' boondockers.
wave climbed down the rope nets at 0635, into the landboats which bobbed drunkenly on the rough sea and smacked into
The ing
fifth
we pushed off, a half barrel of bow of the Higgins boat every men was soaked before we had
the transport. Within five minutes after
water was splashing over the high minute. Every one of the thirty-odd
chugged a half mile. While a Marine held his poncho over our heads I tried to put my fine watch into a small, heavy waterproof envelope. It
seemed a
pity to lose such a watch, especially since Sergeant Neil
Shober, a craftsman with a jeep or with a strip of metal, had
made
a
handsome wrist-band for the watch out of a piece of Jap Zero wing he had brought from Guadalcanal. Into another envelope I dropped my newly filled cigarette lighter and some valuable pictures; into another a pack of cigarettes.
—
Day on Tarawa
First
The sun had hardly leaped above the cool seawater drenched us, point.
I
remembered the nip
pulled the
little
standing next to me. at
there
If
We
yet.
of the
was
I
pocket and shared
was ever an occasion
now pounding boat
the
could crane
I
little
for taking a drink
from fear alone, but not
My
cold.
memory
only
Our warships and
island of Betio as
in thei history of warfare.
my
By
I
with the Marine
hour and a half of the ride toward the beachhead
discomfort, alternating with exaltation.
pounded
had given me.
it
it.
to tremble all over
shook and shivered because we were
first
as
seemed, beyond the saturation
seven o'clock in the morning this was Later that day
and we shivered
the horizon
of brandy the doctor
my
bottle out of
it
699
is
sheer
planes were
no other island had been
standing on the gunwale of the
neck around the ramp-bow and see the smoke
and dust and flames of Betio.
When
the attack paused a
moment
I
could see the palm trees outlined against the sea and sky on the other side.
Once
tried to
I
count the number of salvos
—not
the battleships, cruisers, and destroyers were pouring
Marine who had
up
shells, salvos
on the
one minute. Long before the minute had ended
to
island.
I
had counted
over one hundred, but then a dozen more ships opened up and
abandoned the
A
a waterproof watch offered to count off the seconds
project.
I
did count the
number
I
of planes in sight at
was ninety-two. These ships and these planes were dealing out an unmerciful beating on the Japs, and it was good, good to
one time.
watch.
It
As we came
better view of
length of the island. plant,
the
within two miles of the island
kitchens,
we could
get a
up and down the Most of them would be the barracks, the power and other above-ground installations we had
what was happening. There were
studied time and again in the photographs.
mass of flame would reach
for the sky
fires
Once
in a while a solid
and the roar of an explosion
could be heard easily from our position in the water. That would be
an
oil
tank or an ammunition dump. The feeling was good.
was nearly nine o'clock when the
It
fifth
wave
arrived at the boat
rendezvous and began circling to wait for our turn to go
around the ramp felt
to see
that something
in. I
what was on the beach. For the
was wrong. The
first
first
waves were not
looked time
I
hitting the
beach as they should. There were very few boats on the beach, and these were
all
amphibious tractors which the
first
wave
used. There
were no Higgins boats on the beach, as there should have been by
now.
Almost before we could guess
at
what bad news was being foretold
700 the
Aleutians to the Marianas
command
have to go
The
boat came alongside. The naval officer shouted, "You'll
in right
away, as soon
around the island
shelf
is
f can
.as
an amphtrack for you.
get
too shallow to take the Higgins boats."
This was indeed chilling news.
It
meant something
had been
that
dimly foreseen but hardly expected: the only way the Marines were going to land was in the amphtracks ("alligators") which could crawl over the shallow reef that surrounds Betio. It meant that the landings would be slow, because there were not enough amphtracks for every-
we would have
body, and
had been worked out
emergency
to use the
as a last resort.
And
suppose the amphtracks
men
were knocked out before they could get enough
what the
first
shuttle system that
ashore to hold
wave had taken? And suppose the Marines already
ashore were killed faster than they could be replaced under this slow shuttle system? I felt
very dull
—
a brain fed
on the almost
positive belief that the
Japs had fled Betio would naturally be slower than a six-year-old writing a
An
letter. I
could not quite comprehend what was happening.
amphtrack bobbed alongside our Higgins boat. Said the Marine
amphtrack boss, "Quick! Half you men get
bad on the beach.
A
lot of
They need help
in here.
Marines have already been
wounded." While the amphtrack was alongside, Jap automatic weapon began peppering the water around
40mm.,"
said
one of the calmer Marine
But the Marines did not
hesitate.
killed
shells
and
from an
"Probably a
us.
officers.
Hadn't they been told that other
Marines "needed help bad"? Major Rice and seventeen others scampered into the amphtrack and headed for the beach.
them again
until three
days
later,
The half-empty Higgins boat utes, getting
its
when
at
did not see
I
over.
share of near misses and air bursts. off his lap
One Marine
and swallowed hard.
amphtracks came by. One of our Marines stood up and waved
them, told them that
we were ready and
But both had already been disabled by
and dead men
in
them, the drivers
ride,
waiting to go to the beach.
direct hits.
said.
couple of minutes, looking for a chance
way
was
milled around for another ten min-
picked a half dozen pieces of shrapnel
Two
the battle
at
We
Both had wounded
milled around another
what appeared
to
be a one-
but always remembering that "they need help bad" on the
beach.
The next amphtrack crew said they would take us in part of the way, to where we could wade the rest of the way, but amphtracks were getting so scarce he couldn't take us all the way. We jumped
First into the
tractor boat
little
I'm scared," said the to
me
that
forward
in the boat. I gritted
shaking from fear). I
never
petrified yet,
Now,
I
teeth
and
an
is
the payoff.
Now
I
knew,
there were Japs, and evidently plenty of them,
were not dead. The bursts of that there
was plenty of
shellfire all
traditional
—what you
chine guns that can
fifth
island.
They
not going to be a
new
is
is
going to be
is
the toughest of
possible, in the face of
if
mow men down
even going to be the
on the
fact
have always been told
military operations: a landing,
was not
positively, that
said to myself. "This
I
life. I
around us evidenced the
them. "This
life in
kind of beachhead landing,"
was
I
be reassuring, "I'm scared,
effort to
a
realized, this
sat next
over (now
more truthful statement in all my but my joints seemed to be stiffening.
made
who
tried to force a smile
tried to stop quivering all
said, in
I
my
701
on the deck. "Oh, God,
settled
Marine, a telephone operator,
little
would not come and
too."
and quickly
Day on Tarawa
enemy ma-
by the hundreds." This was not
wave. After the
first
wave
there apparently
had not been any organized waves, those organized waves which
it
hit the
beach, then turned around
wasn't knocked out) and went back for more men. There
a single boat, a
little
wavelet of our own, and
we were
the hell shot out of us, with a thousand yards to go. side of the
hit
had been only
the beach so beautifully in the last rehearsal. There
an occasional amphtrack which
all
I
(if
we were:
already getting
peered over the
amphtrack and saw another amphtrack three hundred
yards to the
get a direct hit
left
from what looked
like
a mortar
shell.
"It's hell in there," said the
amphtrack boss, who was pretty wild-
eyed himself. "They've already knocked out a there are a lot of
wounded men
lying
lot of
amphtracks and
on the beach. See that old hulk
I'll let you out about there, then go back some more men. You can wade in from there." I looked. The rusty old ship was about two hundred yards beyond the pier. That meant some seven hundred yards of wading through the fire of machine guns whose bullets already were whistling over our heads. The fifteen of us I think it was fifteen scurried over the side of
of a Jap freighter over there? to get
—
—
was neck-deep.
the amphtrack into the water that
No
we
sooner had
opened up on
us.
hit the
There must have been
guns concentrating their water
at the
time
fire
on us
—which meant
don't believe there
We
started wading.
water than the Jap machine guns really
—
there
several
was one of the
fifteen
five
or six of these machine
was no nearer hundred
who
target in the
bullets per
man.
I
wouldn't have sold his
702
Aleutians to the Marianas
chances for an additional twenty-five dollars insurance policy.
And we had gun
fire,
to
his
life-
such deep water.
in
seven hundred yards' to walk slowly into that machine-
looming into larger targets as we rose onto higher ground.
was scared, as clear. I
added
was painfully slow, wading
It
had never been scared before. But
I
was extremely
live these last
alert, as
minutes for
ogists say fear in battle
my
a
good
thing;
my
head was
brain were dictating that
they were worth.
all is
though
I
I
I
recalled that psychol-
stimulates the adrenalin
it
glands and heavily loads the blood supply with oxygen. I
do not know when
longer. I suppose
were
I
bastards,
I
I
realized I wasn't frightened any
looked around and saw the amphit
I
noticed
I
could have reached out and touched a
remember chuckling
and saying aloud, "You
inside
certainly are lousy shots." That, as
son next day, was what Colonel Carlson,
was when
hitting six inches to the left or six inches to the right.
bullets. I
you
that
more Marines. Perhaps
could have sworn that
hundred
was
was when
it
track scooting back for that bullets
it
who
I
later described
I
told Colonel Carl-
my
as
hysteria period.
has been shot at in a number of wars, said he
understood. After wading through several centuries and some two hundred
yards of shallowing water and deepening machine-gun
and saw
to the left
that
we had passed
know whether any Jap snipers were knew we
couldn't do any worse.
immediate
right
I
still
waved
and shouted, "Let's head
to the
our amphtrack. The ensign said
The
first
had been
—
there
my
Seven of
far to the right.
later that
I
They
was no Marine
he thought three
killed in the water.
three of us lay
five to join us.
didn't
Marines on
for the pier!"
followed a naval ensign straight into the beach
of the seven
I
under the pier or not, but
them came. The other seven Marines were officer in
looked
I
fire,
the end of the pier.
on the rocks panting, waiting for the other heavily to make it, and bullets
They were laboring
from the machine guns on the beach were like raindrops in a
water barrel.
By
this
still
time
splashing around them
we
three were safely
hidden from the beach by the thick, upright, coconut-log stanchions of the pier. I watched these five men and wondered how on heaven or earth they
managed
to
come
so close to death, yet live.
Once
I
last man, a short Marine, would not get under the pier. Twenty yards away, he fell and went under. But he was not hit. In a moment he was up again, struggling through the water, almost exhausted beyond further movement, but still carrying his heavy roll
thought the
First
When
of telephone wire.
whether relieved
by
Day on Tarawa
he had gone under
had the breath or the courage
I
when
I
had asked myself
go
to
703
after him.
I
was
was obviated
the necessity of answering the question
his arrival.
We
were
where we made
now we
four hundred yards from the beach. But
still
way under
could crawl in most of the difficult, if
the protection of the pier,
not altogether invisible, targets. After a
few minutes of breath-catching we started crawling.
A
hundred yards
from the beach, the pier rested on big coral rocks on the ground, so
we had
to take to the water again. It
was only
a
more than knee-
little
deep now. I
looked on both sides of the
posed to land on the right
on the
right.
But on the
side,
Our
had been sup-
battalion
but there was no sign of
there
left
pier.
seemed
to
anywhere
life
be three or four hundred
people milling around the beach and they were wearing, not Jap uniforms, but the spotted brown-and-green jungle dungarees of the
United States Marines. The eight of us decided to go to the
We
ducked low, creeping along the edge of the
even shot
We
at.
came upon
was the American way ashore, even before
bulldozer
is
a fine
it
enemy
A
it
We
reflected,
Later
I
learned that a
can shovel up sand over a low
had sunk too deep Marine
Two
in the
slit
Then
in a
Marines tinkered
water that covered
lay behind the bulldozer seat.
already had a bullet through his thigh. chattered, rattling
it.
inside to smother.
third
I
were not
to try to get a bulldozer
many men had preceded
with the bulldozer, but
an unseen shellhole.
—
war
left.
We
a stalled bulldozer. This,
to fight a
weapon;
pillbox, causing the
pier.
the Jap
He
machine gun
against the frontal blade of the bulldozer.
its fire
ducked low behind the machine.
"How goes
it?" I
asked the Marines.
"Pretty tough," one of them said, matter-of-factly. "It's hell
climb over that seawall. Those bastards have got a
lot of
if
you
machine
guns and snipers back there." After a few minutes the Jap gave up trying to shoot at the four of us behind the bulldozer. fifteen feet to the left.
I
dashed back to the
During the dash
I
pier,
which was only
stepped into a shellhole
Then I swam the rest of the way to the pier. With each movement of the surf a thousand fish washed against
seven feet deep.
pier
—
fish six
inches to three feet long. Regardless of their effective-
ness against Jap emplacements, shellfire and kill
the
a lot of fish
by concussion.
bombing misses could
704 I
Aleutians to the Marianas
medium
passed a stalled
one of the
into
was a
tank, which
A
shellholes.
To my
stalled light tank.
surprise
appear from under the water, swim the
jump
through the top of
in
had gone
At
it.
already
from
full,
this
paid
little
stalled tank
I
last
it
sank
it
there
left
saw
a nearly
few
feet to this tank, then
thought
first I
and why swim under water? Perhaps
when
I
it
naked
figure
was a Marine who
But why would he take
to repair the tank.
ported the incident
had floundered when
hundred yards farther to the
all
his clothes off,
was a Jap, but why?
I re-
got ashore, but the officer, with his hands
attention to the report.
We
were to hear
later
and from many another disabled tank and
amphtrack and boat.
Upon
reaching the end of the pier
ducked
I
into a foxhole in the
sand which was already crowded with three Marines. close look at bird-shaped Betio.
behind the pier that stuck out
was heaped three or four island's north rim
logs
seemed
At
this point
like a leg, there
I
took
on the
my
first
bird's belly,
was a gap. This gap but the rest of the
feet high with sand,
to be a four-foot seawall built of coconut
which had been driven into the ground. From the water's edge
to
the seawall there was twenty feet of sand and brown and green coral. These twenty feet were our beachhead. The Japs controlled the rest
—twenty —which had been
of the island, excepting this pocket
hundred yards wide
talion of the Eighth
Marine Regiment, the
assault battalions, plus as fragilely
deep and perhaps a
feet
established by the Second Batfarthest left of our three
two other pockets which had been established
by the other two
battalions.
The beginning
at
Betio did
not look bright. But several hundred Marines had gone over that seawall to try to
kill
the Japs
who were
killing
our
men
as they
waded
—
They went over though they knew very well that their chances of becoming a casualty within an hour were something like ashore.
fifty
I
percent.
stooped low and ran the hundred feet from the end of the pier to
a stalled amphtrack which was
jammed
against the seawall.
Beside
lay on the sand. He was the first of saw on Betio. There was a wide streak of blood on the amphtrack, indicating that the dying man had bled a
the amphtrack a dead
Marine
many dead Americans
I
lot.
A big, "An
red-mustached Marine walked over.
assistant
amphtrack
was Cowart. He was twenty years ton."
"Who
driver, sir," another old.
He
is
he?" he asked.
Marine
married a
said.
girl
"Name
in Welling-
Day on Tarawa
First
705
"Well, cover him up. Will the amphtrack run?"
"No,
sir.
out when I
We've
this
tried to start
man was
but
it,
I
guess the starter was knocked
killed."
walked over and introduced myself
red-mustached Marine.
to the
His name was Henry Pierson ("Jim") Crowe and he had been an oldtime enlisted man.
Now
he was a major, commanding the assault
had landed at this point. "Have you seen any other war correspondents, Major?" I asked. The major said he had not. Poor Frank Filan and Dick Johnston, I thought. They were the A. P. photographer and U.P. reporter who battalion that
were supposed to land with Crowe's battalion.
The major had other
business.
gone over the seawall to
Many
of his Marines had already
Now
telephone wires were being
Japs.
kill
strung between their forward shellhole posts and his
saw a chaplain nearby.
behind the stalled amphtrack.
I
many men from
had been
his battalion
I
post
asked him
killed. "I just got there,"
two dead except
"I haven't seen but
said.
command
this
man by
the
if
he
amph-
track." I sat
Now
down and
and then
seawall
made
leaned against the amphtrack, next to the seawall.
bullets
would
against the amphtrack, but the
rattle
a fairly safe place to
With several Marines who
sit.
were there, wiremen, corpsmen, and battalion I felt
quite luxurious. If
would be quite overhead
safe
staff
headquarters men,
stayed there, in the dip under the wall,
I
from any of the Japanese
in their high soprano.
The Jap mortars,
bullets
I
which sang
like their guns,
were
being concentrated on our boats as they approached the shore. Six
hundred yards
shell hit directly
out, near the
on an
LCV
end of the
pier, I
watched a Jap
was bringing many Marines ashore.
that
The explosion was terrific and parts of the boat flew in all directions. Then there were many Marines swimming in the water. Two pairs of corpsmen brought two more dead men and placed them beside the dead boy who had been married Wellington.
Even now
the
men had been
to the girl
from
ashore less than an hour.
Yet already the smell of death under the equator's sun could be detected faintly.
Our
destroyers were only a thousand yards or so offshore by
and they had begun
firing
on the
tail
end of the
island,
now
where there
were no Americans. The battleships opened up from the other side of the
island.
Their shells
made
a
great
smacked the land behind where we were
roaring sound sitting.
when
they
Then we could hear
706
Aleutians to the Marianas
the whish of the shells through the
muzzles of the guns.
seemed odd.
It
air,
then the report from the
was
It
as
though the
shells
were
giving an answer before the question were asked.
took out
I
hub
my
my
soaked notebooks and opened them up to dry on the
of the amphtrack.
wet dungarees.
lation of green
My
Then fine
I
fished the waterproof envelopes out of
watch was ruined
scum under
the crystal.
—
The
there
was an accumu-
cigarette lighter in an-
other envelope was also soaked and ruined and already rusted, but the pack of cigarettes
was
dry,
still
and they seemed more valuable
at
the time than either of the other items.
A
young Marine walked
where we were
in front of us,
and about
sitting,
cracked loudly from behind
rifle
his head, then
ducked
two inch-wide holes
He
his
The Marine I
fifteen feet
from
grabbed
flinched,
thought he had been
hit,
A at
but,
it,
one on each
side.
The Jap
helmet had missed his head, but not by
eighth of an inch.
scratch on his face,
about
from the water's edge.
picked up his helmet. There were
in the top of
which tore through
more than an
us.
to the sand.
miraculously, he had escaped.
bullet
five feet
The Marine's only wound was
where the helmet had
scraped as
it
a
was torn
savagely off his head. "All right, god
damn
shouted Major Crowe, "you walk along
it,"
out there standing up and you're sure as hell going to get shot. Those bastards have got snipers every ten feet back there."
Not fifteen minutes later, in the same spot, I saw the most gruesome sight I had seen in this war. Another young Marine walked briskly along the beach. He grinned at a pal who was sitting next to me. Again there was a shot. The Marine spun all the way around and fell
to the ground, dead.
looked up
at us.
From where he
lay, a
few
feet
away, he
Because he had been shot squarely through the in horrific surprise at what had
temple his eyes bulged out wide, as
happened
to him,
though
known what hit him. "Somebody go get right
back of us here,
it
was impossible
that he could ever have
Major Crowe. "He's somebody to pass by." That Jap rifle, was very close.
the son-of-a-bitch," yelled just waiting for
we knew from the crack of his Marine jumped over the seawall and began throwing blocks of fused TNT into a coconut-log pillbox about fifteen feet back of the sniper,
A
seawall against which
we
sat.
Two more
Marines scaled the seawall,
one of them carrying a twin-cylindered tank strapped to ders, the other holding the nozzle of the flamethrower.
his shoul-
As another
Day on Tarawa
First
charge of
TNT
boomed
inside the pillbox, causing
707
smoke and dust to The flame-
billow out, a khaki-clad figure ran out the side entrance.
thrower, waiting for him, caught tense
fire.
celluloid.
As soon
as
it
He was dead
exploded for a nothingness.
It
full sixty
was the
him
in
its
withering stream of in-
touched him, the Jap flared up
like a piece of
instantly but the bullets in his cartridge belt
seconds after he had been charred almost to first
Jap
I
saw
killed
on Betio
—
the
four thousand. Zing, zing, zing, the cartridge-belt bullets sang.
ducked low. Nobody wanted
IN
to be killed
by
a
dead Jap
.
.
first
of
We
all
.
THE AFTERNOON OF THE FOURTH DAY OF BLOODY
fighting,
November
23, the
American
flag
was planted on Tarawa. Our
dead numbered nine hundred and eighty Marines and twenty-nine sailors.
to
Considering the valuable lessons learned, however, which were
be applied in the march across the
sive.
Pacific, the cost
was not exces-
For the Corps, covered with glory and high honor, Tarawa con-
stituted
its
toughest fight to date
The next phase
Among
—tougher by
of the Micronesian
the preliminary steps
far than Guadalcanal.
campaign began
was the hacking out of
to shape up. airfields
Apamama, the small atoll seventy-five miles from Tarawa, November 29 in a bloodless assault. Seabees and Bobcats
on
captured did their
usual incredible job of making the island habitable within a few days.
One who was present was Chief Carpenter's Mate Dee Hardin, who wrote the following letter to his wife on Christmas Day.
—
CHIEF CARPENTER
S
MATE DEE HARDIN
7-
GOT THE PIPE YOU SENT ME" "I
December
25, 1943
Hello, Darling:
Well, here
is
... my
another Christmas
third
away from home Harbor?
and you. Remember how
I
And
come home before we shoved
then
the pipe suit
I
didn't get to
enlisted so quickly after Pearl
you sent me. This morning
and went
to church.
not to think too much.
home and
the things
Now
You
I
got
up
early, put
am smoking my new
I
my
got
I
clean
pipe and trying
about the nice things
just can't think
you are missing and
ofT.
on
be
still
in the right
at
frame of
mind to fight the Japs. I just put all those thoughts in the corner of my mind and close the door on it. If I'm lucky and come out of this alive, then when it's all over I'll just open the door on my thoughts but not before. Sounds simple, doesn't into practice.
enough
it,
but
There are plenty of things that
to drive
anyone crazy
if
I
it's
a lot harder to put
never mention that are
he doesn't manage to look at
it
right.
we Bobcats are the greatest morale busters in the entire Every place we go we run up against Seabees and others who
Believe me, Pacific.
have been they
all
in the islands
in the next sixty or ninety
When we come 708
anywhere from
six
months
to a year,
have bright visions of going home "by Christmas" or days
.
around they
.
and
at least
.
all
shut
up
like
clams now.
One
of
—
'7
was
the chiefs
talking of
all
telling
the Pipe
that his
the celebrating they
a few short weeks. as
me
Got
But now
no one can.
it,
Marines, but our boys
Perhaps
it's
that has got us
good or bad.
our
We
I'll
or can
709
gang was always raising
hell
I've
and
in the States in
that they have seen us they are as cry. Well, I guess
if
meek
our gang
always had a high regard for the
match them man for man.
ability to get things
where we are now.
I
done when the chips are down
don't
have our own opinion.
you a surprise wire Well,
will
Me"
Sent
would be doing back
lambs and ready to break down and
can't take
You
I
know
if
you'd consider that
thought I'd be able to send
for Christmas, but they wouldn't let
have to be getting on with the war. This can't
me do
it.
last forever
it?
STATIONED AT APAMAMA WAS COMMANDER NORMAN Miller, skipper of
Bombing Squadron
109, which began softening up
the Marshalls as early as January 3, 1944.
With collaborator Hugh
whom we have met before, Miller (six Air Medals and a Navy Cross) recounts a usual day in the life of a bomber pilot. The name of his PB4Y was Thunder Mug, named for Thelma Miller, B. Cave,
his wife.
—
)
COMMANDER NORMAN MILLER AND HUGH B. CAVE /-, 7 8.
THUNDER MUG
AT APAMAMA
I
learned that the squadron bulletin board, for instance, was not
getting the attention
deserved. Like most such boards,
it
cumulated a mess of routine papers which the the
name
of
it
was changed
was inaugurated
more than
to the
that nothing,
To
three days.
men
had
up
interest, I
ac-
simply ignored. So
"Red Hot Dope Board," and
no matter what, was
stir
it
to
a rule
remain on
for
it
posted jokes, cartoons,
anything that came along. (This continued throughout our tour of duty,
and before long we were getting
folks
back home. Thelma, for instance, used
newspaper clippings
Of of
course,
it
in
major importance
one another's
almost every
worked.
stories
A
new
all
sorts of lively items
from the
to include jokes and
letter.
joke, a
new
cartoon, becomes an item
community of men who have heard over and over and are desperate for something in a small
The board was no longer ignored, and I never again allowed it to become cluttered with needless orders. Only the essential ones were posted. Other information was passed out verbally, when we got fresh.
together to discuss the "dope."
These discussions, held
ACI
office,
drifting in
islands
in the skipper's tent, the
hall,
or the
often lasted for hours. Pilots, co-pilots and navigators,
and
out,
which were
would gather around
likely to
be our
targets.
to
examine maps of the
Ed
before the war he had been a Pasadena lawyer
710
mess
Lloyd, our
—would
ACIO
give us
all
the
Thunder
Mug
at
Apamama
711
information he had been able to pick up concerning these islands,
what the enemy had on them, which were strong, which
telling us
were weak. Then, quite informally, the boys would go on to discuss
ways and means of getting
My own carried with
me
Long before
I
a
air,
make
trouble for the enemy.
was the Jap stronghold
ever ventured into the place, islands
Truk, and
I
did
my
best to
by heart, what they would look
where the enemy had
set
up
his
On Apamama we
anchorages were.
at
I
yellow-covered booklet of Truk target maps.
little
names of the Truk the
in to
particular pet
know like
the
from
major defenses, and where
were a very long way from
his this
Jap bastion, of course, but eventually we would be moving our base
and then Truk would be within reach. Some day
into the Marshalls,
was going in
what Truk
to find out
photographs, but the real thing
A
really .
.
looked like
—
maps
not on
I
or
.
dawn tomorrow at Island "X" a tiny place with an unpronounceable name well up in the Marshalls, where reconnaissance planes have reported some important enemy shipping. Thunder Mug is handed the assignment. strike, let's say,
has been scheduled for
—
Shafe
—Lieutenant
(jg)
Robert K. Schaffer,
my
navigator
—
fusses
and tables for a while, and together we figure out the
with his charts
take-off time. Shafe, a
tall,
extremely good-looking boy with
—
ing
up these missions, but he would go anywhere and the crew wor-
until
it
turned gray
shipped him. In still
men
in the
to say,
an
wagging
used to worry a
twice had to remind
fact, I
Navy where
to address
—
black
jet
hair
it
when we were schem-
them
gently that
was considered not quite proper
officer as
my
lot
head.
we were
for enlisted
"Hey, Shafe!" "Mister Schaffer,"
And "Mr.
Schaffer
,,
it
I
used
would be, but
I
became "Hey, Shafe" again more often than not when my ears were turned. Shafe or Mr. Schaffer, he was one of the finest navigators in the Navy, and if Shafe said you would be off the reef at suspect that
Island
"X"
it
at
0502, you'd be there
vary our course on the
way back,
at
0502. Nor did
to pick
times out of ten, even after fourteen or
I
up the home
more hours
ever have to island.
in the air,
Nine Shafe
would bring us home with such accuracy that with only a wiggle of the wings, and sometimes not that, we could sit right down on the runway. Whereupon
I
usually turned to
the lousiest navigator in the business." per, I can't help
it if
you don't
fly
the
him and
And
way
I tell
"Shafe, you haven't stopped shaking yet."
said, "Shafe, you're
Shafe would say, "Skip-
you
And
to."
And
I'd say,
Shafe would say,
—
712
Aleutians to the Marianas
"Skipper.
never stop shaking. I'm scared
I'll
where you can, by God, and
prove
I'll
But
stiff.
Shafe, then, has figured out our take-off time, and
operations office to
bomb
can go any-
I
drop
in at the
Lieutenant "Buzzy" Robinson, our Opera-
tell
where we are going, how much gas
tions Officer,
I
it."
we'll need,
and what
Then to Ed Lloyd for the latest intelligence on Island "X." Then, armed with maps and charts and all the available dope, we pick up the crew and go down to the air strip to pre-flight the plane that is, turn up all the engines to be sure they sort of
load
we
plan to
tote.
—
are sweet, see that the radioman has checked his radio equipment,
and give the
entire plane a
We
thorough once-over.
much
plane for fourteen hours or more,
this
are going to be in
of that time over an
empty ocean or enemy-occupied islands. Only a very careless crew would embark on such an undertaking without first making certain knowledge the plane was mechanically per-
that to the best of their fect.
With
the crew present,
all
"Boys,"
a briefing.
I
I give
get together
how
Island 'X' tonight. Here's
on the ground,
we
we'll
do
it."
With the maps unrolled
them complete information on how we
approach the
island, the targets we'll
look out
and the route by which we
for,
under the wing, now, for
maps, "we're going in to
say, unrolling the
aim
the details of the alternate plan which
is
for, the
will retire. I tell
They cannot be
and
they aren't good, the pilot
if
So, then, the plane
at their best unless they
— defended—
if,
for
there
must look closely
likely to
to spot
it.
be a
"X"
little
is
One man
—
his responsibility.
cerned also with a Jacksonville
our tour of duty ended. Pennsylvania,
know what
to expect, .
.
.
A
Ramsey knew
it
is
known
is
we
to
be a
difficult
to
be
strongly
tension about now, though you
whom you
in
senior enlisted
has no visible nerves whatever and
plane, which
depends on the
simply flying an airplane
Island
Paul Ramsey, the plane captain
who
all,
until take-off time. If
instance, is
them, too,
ready, the crew has been briefed, and
is
have nothing much to do mission
is
to
always held in readiness in
case something goes wrong. Everything, after
crew.
are to
enemy defenses
is
man
won't find
it is
of the crew
concerned only with the
(Secretly, perhaps, he
WAVE, whom
was con-
he married soon after
competent, soft-spoken boy from York, all
there
was
to
know about
his plane
is now an ensign, after working his way up in the regular Navy.) Some of the boys, however, are clowning about, hiding their ten-
and
sion under good-natured kidding; others are soberly discussing the
Thunder
Mug
at
Apamama
713
mission and trying to pick holes in the plan of attack which has been
They
outlined to them.
you don't
are smart;
fool them. If the plan
is
not perfect, they will find the flaws.
Meanwhile,
ACIO,
myself by the
more than one plane and navigators
if
any are
from
now
all
day.
I
We
this time.
few hours' sleep
charts.
we have been working on
lie
He
about
I
his
won't oversleep,
when
to
sleep
wondering
AA battery to
What
really.
life
if
time
I
have overlooked
the difference between
and death.
We know
the Japs have
moved
a position nearer the lip of the channel,
we come up fly
go over the plan of the
may mean
off the
they have put a lookout on that are planning to
elusive at such a time.
I
this
if
alarm clock and direct
is
Again and again
it,
"X"
my
set
I
wake me. But
item which
vital
this Island
will blast us as
It is
my
The navigator takes own charts, well worked over
to the plane.
it
success and failure, perhaps even between
potent
mission
are then at liberty to go to a movie or turn in for a
there thinking.
some small but
takes
and gear and
mission, seeking flaws in
little
this
until take-off time.
sure that
the duty officer Instead, I
quite talked out.
hand the co-pilot or navigator the briefcase containing
along, too, his octant
To be
be encountered along our track, and
may be of use to us. We take notes. We angles, make suggestions, finally reach the
afternoon and
late
notebook and the by
all is
pilots, co-pilots
From Ed Lloyd we
on enemy shipping, the location of friendly
likely to
point where the subject
be briefed
the co-pilot and navigator. (If
on the mission, other
to be in
any other intelligence that
It is
office to
have gathered there as well.)
will
discuss the attack
me
taking with is
get the latest information
submarines
ACI
have gone back up to the
I
to reach
outlying island
where
it
What if over which we
water to clear the
little
so
that
cliff?
our target?
12:30 when the alarm goes
off.
The
tent
is
dark. Sitting up,
I
reach sleepily for clothes and shoes and become aware of the sound of the surf
sound
At
on the
island's reef
in the daytime;
you hear
the mess hall, which
is
a
—funny,
it
Quonset
It's
some
us,
when
hut, the co-pilot
are waiting. They, too, are rubbing sleep
up ahead of
but you never notice that
only at night,
from
all else is still.
and navigator
their eyes.
The crew,
have gone down to the plane.
spam prepared in water. The co-pilot has
a fair breakfast: fried eggs, the inevitable trick
manner, and coffee or a
picked up the going until
we
— base — and
flight rations
return to
glass of
sufficient
food to keep the entire crew
carries these in a
cardboard box
714
Aleutians to the Marianas
under
his
us to the alls,
arm
as
airstrip.
we climb sleepily into the jeep that is waiting to take Under my arm I ,ca?ry a wadded-up pair of cover-
the pockets stuffed with a strange assortment of objects: a steel
morphine
signaling mirror, tags, a
a small pocket compass, dog
syrettes,
long knife with an 8-inch blade, a canteen of water, a pistol
my
and ammunition, and
and don the
clothes
than to go through
all
At
rabbit's foot.
coveralls;
the plane
I strip off
the pockets in search of bits of paper that
may
we may
not
contain confidential information. Because, of course,
come
back.
A
Liberator
good
a
is
And
not a magic carpet.
my
easier to leave the clothes behind
it is
the Jap
airplane, but
AA
it is
only an airplane,
gunners and fighter pilots are
sometimes very competent people.
The members
of the crew are waiting on the airstrip,
sleepy but on edge now, eager to be in action.
minute dope
if
there
Thomas Delahoussaye listen,
my
Captain.
If
Someone
any.
is
—has a joke
—
to
usually
those flying fish get into
But Shafe says
it
time to go. "Okay,
is
sey, the plane captain,
song they
sing.
Bobby
little
my
till
let's
Gariel, the
San Antonio
last
Gariel or
"Now
and
spoil
them out?"
crank her up."
Ram-
tail
gunner, climbs up
aft to his tiny cubicle in the tail,
metal "head" can en route. Bobby
wiry, with broad shoulders but disgracefully nicely into the
them the
Bobby
turret again
I bail
them
of
winds up the engines, listening intently to the
through a waist hatch ar.d goes stepping over the
it is
all
or a crack to make.
tell
aim, will you please pull up to the curb
I
give
cramped
narrow
quarters of his tail turret,
is
dark and
hips.
He
and while he
fits
sits,
waiting for action, he thinks up most of the wisecracks for which the crew of
Thunder
Mug
is
famous. Such as the day he solemnly
explained the enemy's failure to halt one of our more audacious attacks
on a Jap stronghold. "Sure they saw us coming. They had
lookouts
all
over the island. Trouble was, those Japs rushed to their
phones and babbled the alarm
in
Japanese
— and who
the hell under-
stands Japanese, anyway?"
Eddie Dorris, the eighteen-year-old from Kansas, a gentleman, shrugs himself
and checks
his radio
up through
equipment. Or,
if it
happens
He
is
to be his turn to
Wayne Young, he
just
through the turret hatch into
the glass bubble above. Despite his youth, he kid, keenly observant.
always
the hatch to the flight deck
take the top turret, where he alternates with
continues on up, threading his thin body
tall, thin,
is
a remarkably mature
a particular favorite of the
ACIO, who
Mug
Thunder
Apamama
at
715
can rely on him after a mission to report quite detachedly on what
happened, even to the extent of
Wayne Young old,
from
Seattle,
is
that way, too. Twenty-five or twenty-six years
he
is
the
radioman. His clowning subtle. just
He
criticizing the skipper.
granddaddy of the crew, an accomplished of the quiet kind; his jokes
is
takes his place
now
more
are
two-by-four niche
at the radio, in a
behind the cockpit, where, with the headphones on, he makes a
few last-minute checks and adjustments.
Lawrence Johnson, the
gunner,
belly-turret
Grampion, Pennsylvania, where he used ing
was good
working is
for Johnny.
in the
He
is
ruggedly
lumberman. Lumber-
built,
strong as a horse. But
woods has made him unduly
and though he
quiet, too,
when he
good-looking, with an affectionate small-boy sweetness
smiles, his face in repose
desire to
mother him
is
often heavy and
—but how
husky brute with a physique quiet, thoughtful,
Hour
You
after
at times, for his
have an odd
name can you mother
Johnny has no nerves; he
like that!
and no one ever knows whether he
Yet he must be scared racking.
serious.
heaven's
in
from
a big lad
is
to be a
scared or not.
is
job in the belly turret
hour he must squat there
in
his
nerve-
is
glass
bubble
beneath the plane, watching the ocean skim past below him as high speed just over the water.
fly at
speed, or
if
the pilot should
world would be wiped out
make
in
He
little
an instant, swept away like
we go rumbling
Many
bubble-
a drop of
a time he picks
up
across the sea.
stands by, now, waiting for the plane to be airborne before
squeezing his big bulk into the
blister.
Then
the blister will be lowered
hydraulically and he will be in a world of his
again
we
the plane should falter at that
If
a mistake, Johnny's
water from the belly of a skimming duck. spray from the waves as
a is
—
own
until
it is
hauled up
by
a world connected with the rest of the plane only
inter-
phone. The boys don't envy Johnny.
They is
don't envy Jack
Simmen, the bow-turret man,
a big, quiet boy, an excellent gunner, but
level attacks his turret
is
either.
Simmen
when we make our low-
a natural target for the enemy's
AA
fire.
He
has calm nerves, and he needs them.
Delahoussaye and Jaskiewicz, the waist gunners, have more space than anyone else in which to stretch their arms and
good boys. Both the time
we
get
will
legs.
Both are
probably have burned out their gun barrels by
home
again,
unless they run out of
ammunition
before that happens. Delahoussaye, from Lafayette, Louisiana, has
some French
in
him and looks
it.
He
is
fountain-pen thin and
filled
716
Aleutians to the Marianas
with good humor. Jaskiewicz,
who
what you'd expect with a name
like, that: big,
"Whisky Jazz,"
bly cool.
Pacific sky through
They
are
turning up. In the cramped, crowded
target.
gunner, belly-turret gunner,
tail-turret
top-turret gunner, bow-turret gunner, radioman, the ners, plane captain, navigator, co-pilot
precisely
as big as the
is
be flying to our
we'll
is
brawny, tough, incredi-
the boys call him. His heart
which presently
aboard by now:
all
from Chicago,
hails
and
pilot.
two waist gun-
The
engines are
cockpit the co-pilot (I had
little
no regular co-pilot then, and borrowed men from other crews) occu-
on the
pies the hard, postage-stamp seat
right,
squeezed himself down on the one
at the left.
plane captain with the check-out
list,
and the
pilot
reading off the items to be
checked before we "haul the hook." Nothing
is
left to
memory
handling these big planes. Before every take-off and landing, the is
gone through
to
be sure that
all
has
Between us stands the in list
the complicated flight and control
instruments have received the proper attention from pilot and copilot.
counted those instruments one day. For your information
I
there are
204
levers, switches, gadgets
and 60 indicators and
dials to read.
and push-buttons
And
to handle
probably overlooked some
I
of them.
We
complete the check-off
turbo superchargers.
I
list,
turn up the engines and set the
turn to Ramsey, the plane captain, with the
routine question, "Everything okay?"
lowing a jeep
down
the
runway
this
jeep at
He
nods, and
we
taxi out, fol-
There
is
a big
"FOLLOW ME,"
it
says.
to the take-off position.
Apamama.
sign
on the back of
And
so our huge, lumbering, four-engine
bomber meekly
trails
a toy
automobile, while the plane captain holds his head out of the top
hatch to be sure the path
is
clear.
Shafe, worrying as usual, solemnly looks charts. "Skipper, I
point."
I
hope so
hope you're
too,
and grin
how concerned when the skipper
at
up from
right about those
him
—
his navigator's
AA
guns on the
the boys have told
me
that
matter
they are about our chances, everything
right
smiles.
I
is
no all
sometimes have to dig deep for that
smile.
With the engines bellowing, we watch the tower for the green light, and at last we get it. Thunder Mug rolls down the runway, straining to be air-borne with a load of gas and bombs that would cause a lifting of eyebrows at the factory where she was built. The island drops away in the darkness beneath
away on
us.
We come
about, straighten
course, and begin the long, lonely flight through the night to
Mug
Thunder our destination.
And
because
many hours
be
will
it
Apamama
at
717
we
before
are able
and walk again, each member of the crew begins then and
to get out
there to apportion out his stored-up energy in calculated dribbles, to
make
it
last.
Few words
or motions are wasted.
awesome
a strange and sometimes
It is
an island-dotted ocean
at night.
experience, this flying over
There may be a
moon
to silver every
wave-top and trace patterns of extraordinary beauty as far as one can
There may be no moon
see.
at
and then the sea and the
all,
islands
are blacked out except for oddly distorted shadow-shapes that well
darkness and are gone again
in the
ing
—
islands like black bubbles turn-
up from the depths. But sometimes there
are
no
anywhere, and then the Pacific
We
are tense,
interminably.
thighs to increase the circulation,
the sea islands
and
and
large
and the tension grows
The hours drag
decreases.
is
I
if
Beside
any
—along our
me on
no land
is
lonely.
as the distance to the target I
see the co-pilot rubbing his
rub
my
own, always watching
and waiting for the emergence of the next ghostly
—
Some-
islands.
times for hundreds of miles, even thousands of miles, there at all,
up
cluster of
track.
the deck of the cockpit
is
the chart
I
always take
along, folded so that the portion covering tonight's flight
upper-
is
most. Shafe, facing forward in his navigator's compartment, holds a
and when
flashlight ready,
downward and
I
I
say "Light, Shafe," he directs a
check on a passing
"We're okay. That was
island.
Namorik. Wasn't that Namorik, Shafe?" But quickly, for as
we near our
destination
water, turning
up tremendous speed, and
from
more than
flying for
a second,
Yet these quick glances are highly important
Then
in a
matter of seconds the
from
lines
themselves, seen horizontally. this,
that Island
him
Now, with but
"X"
will
a few
lighten in the east,
I
are very low over the
my
we may be
attention
is
diverted
in trouble.
on
atoll, for
rapidity as the target
is
pilot, to orient himself,
the
is-
approached.
must make a
a chart, seen vertically, to the islands
And
he hopes to heaven, as he does
look enough like the map, despite the
to spot his objectives.
ocean, old Thunder as
has to be done
at the chart, especially at the target chart,
loom up with bewildering
darkness, for
it
when approaching an enemy
lands
lightning transition
we if
beam
we
more miles
to
go and the sky beginning to
are very tense. Just above the surface of the
Mug
roars along at
reach for the interphone.
200 miles an hour or
better,
a
718
Aleutians to the Marianas
"Okay, boys, we're going the crew to be
on
their toes.
in just as
we doped
1
Suddenly the islands are upon us and ,
them
west, to silhouette
diving
We
bell.
"thicken"
rise
They seem
We know
from the
—
target.
from of
all
And
directions, for
many
land-
little
around a central lagoon.
Our course has been charted so that we will of enemy installations: airfields, ammuni-
maximum number
hit the
tion
in
are
composed
in helter-skelter fashion
our
we have come
to rush in
these mid-Pacific atolls are usually
masses grouped
if
sharply as the islands thicken up about us.
the word.
is
tell
loom huge and skimming the water turret, would find himself in a
We
lower and Johnson, in his belly
feet
need to
against the dawn-light, they
blurred and black above the plane.
few
No
it."
They, too, -are tense.
dumps, grounded
airplanes, radio towers, or whatever the Japs
have there that we know about.
For the Japs are short of escorts are the lifeline
And
always, of course, the shipping.
and these cargo
ships,
by which
and
vessels
their
draw
their outlying island bases
sustenance from the homeland.
So
far
we
are not seen; the priceless element of surprise
is
still
The gunners hold their fire until the co-pilot, watching out the right-hand window of the greenhouse, begins to warn them of targets ours.
coming up. That interphone.
part of his job, to keep the crew informed over the
is
"Ship on our starboard bow!" he warns. "Watch
it!
Planes parked on the apron to port!" Thus warned, the gunners can
be ready. Bobby Gariel in the
tail,
for instance, can train his turret
around so that when we roar over the ship catch
in his sights
it
But the
co-pilot
and blaze away
at
must be very good
hair-trigger quick as the targets
it.
at this sort of thing.
come rushing
calm and sure of himself, especially sure of
men at the guns. The who used to keep up
best of
all
co-pilots
at
his voice, lest
.
.
.
side,
surely
so effective as
pep
strafing,
of
in,
."
Old Kas
and confidently, never confusing them.
They were seldom
moment
.
.
matter-of-fact
So we go
rattle the
don't hit the
.
little
he
couple of Bettys on the
.
worked the gunners
when he
stirred
them up with
attack
his
talks.
and the tension which seemed unbearable up
we sweep
be
was Lieutenant Kasperson,
ramp ahead Watch your fire in the belly turret, bombs Whisky, get that so and so in the tower .
He must
him, and he must be
a quick but quiet flow of talk that went some-
"Delahoussaye, your
thing like this:
he need only
in the lagoon,
now becomes
sheer excitement.
to the
Bombing and
across the target island, our plane
lit
up
like a
Mug
Thunder
Christmas tree as the gunners "give 'em hell" spouting
own
from the ground
Thunder Mug's own
that
And
through them.
around us with
the Japs,
my
signal.
own
their
may
hit us as
positions, bursting into
—sometimes they
belly
scarred
is
they are
if
alert,
We
are
they
come
Some
we
as
travel
from ours be-
them may
of
ricochet so
are filling the sky
tracers, easily distinguished
cause they are a weird greenish blue. shells, too,
at
719
from ten guns, an awesome spectacle, and can see our
fire
tracers ricocheting
viciously
Apamama
at
hit us.
Bigger
up from the stronger gun
hurtling
gaudy blue, red and green
flares.
But
a Liber-
ator can take a lot of punishment.
Often the damage we do height
we must
up with the
not fully determined, for at treetop
is
bombs
use delayed-action
to avoid blowing ourselves
Japs, and in the four or five seconds before a
explodes, the plane has traveled almost a quarter of a mile. sees almost nothing; he
The
is
usually jinking to avoid
waist gunners and the
our attack
if
may
gunner
tail
enemy
bomb
The
pilot
counter-fire.
observe the results of
they are not too busy blasting other targets, but their
reports are usually brief.
The
irrepressible Gariel, in the
may may
tail,
shout over the interphone, "Beautiful, Cap'n!" or someone else
we missed!" but most of the talking is done later. to do all the damage possible while our bombs and
groan, "Dammit,
The job now ammunition
is
last
—
to
smash the
built, sink their ships,
burn
Japs have so laboriously
air strips the
their planes,
knock out
their radio
and
radar equipment; in short, to liquidate these island bases which block
our sea-roads to the Japanese mainland.
To
hell
with looking back at
what you've done! Look ahead and do more!
And hot,
then, before the enemy's
and before
fire
becomes too hellaciously
his fighter planes take off to
get the hell out of here
was our
AA
—
fast!"
knock you down,
"let's
That was the phrase we used. That
sign-off. "Let's get the hell
out of here!" Later
it
became
the
chorus of the squadron song.
So we get the lucky,
hell out of there
but sometimes limping
Thunder
Mug
rain squalls or clouds, playing
At
all
in
one piece, three
if
we've been
engines,
with
old
we are we hunt for cover in hide-and-seek until the enemy aban-
offering a fair imitation of a sieve. Perhaps
chased by enemy planes, and then,
dons
—
home on
full throttle,
his pursuit. last the
crewmen
radioman sends time at Island
in a
"X"
—
relax.
The
flight rations are
handed
out.
The
what we discovered this a report which passes on through many hands
coded
flash report of
720 and
Aleutians to the Marianas studied eventually,
is
important, by officers of
if
The
sea forces operating in the area.
homeward
the
here
let
me
co-pilot takes over. Shafe checks
course, so that in the end, after
that very big ocean,
we
and
salute Schaffer
many more
Apamama on
will hit
the air and
all
miles over
(And
the nose.
right
kind, for the whole essence of a
all his
mission such as the one just described depends on the navigator's ability to place the
who
nell,
plane over the target on the right heading at the
To Captain Woodruff and
right time.
established
Commander Brow-
Lieutenant
and conducted the Naval Air Navigational
School whence these navigators came, unlimited credit the boys themselves,
many
whom
of
my
not volunteered to study navigation instead,
have always
felt
Navy
that
signia to distinguish them.
And
due.
to
the navigators,
God
is
off in tribute. I
some
special in-
bless them,
who
Mug
rolls
you there and bring you home.)
get
Shafe
It is
ground
who
brings us
to stretch
home
Apamama
on the
to a stop
arms and
1
a.m.
It is
now
over the target! "If
legs
in
as
Thunder
men drop
to the
stiffly
which have been aching for hours.
in the air
I
had
is
a long time.
We
to
sit
that long
took
off
on a day-coach," says Shafe,
two days." But a Liberator, despite
more confining than any day-coach.
hemmed
and
tired
3 p.m. All that time in the air for twenty minutes
"I'd sleep for the next far
this time,
runway,
Twelve, fourteen, sixteen hours at
hat
navigators should wear It's
is
could have been pilots had they
Pilot
its size, is
and co-pilot are so
by instruments that often they stay glued
to their chairs
the whole way, rather than go through the calisthenics of extricating
themselves.
If
they do "go for a stroll," they must clamber
down from
the cluttered cockpit to the catwalk, a strip of metal less than a foot
wide, thread their
way along
this
between the
bomb
bays, and wriggle
around the belly turret-well to the waist before there
is
room
for
anything more than light breathing.
under such conditions is not only difficult, it is dangerous. once when we were limping home with our hydraulic system shot up, and stepped without thinking on a catwalk made slippery by Strolling
I
tried
it
a spray of oily red fluid from the shattered hydraulic pipes.
bomb
bay doors had been open,
I
would not be
here.
I
tried
it
If
the
again
on the way home from a mission during which we had jettisoned the and a sudden lurch of the plane sent belly turret to lighten our load
—
me
stumbling toward the open well. Grabbing
reach,
I
hung on
past below.
for dear
life,
scared
stiff,
at
everything within
as the dark Pacific rushed
Thunder But
at
any
sleep, though.
tion
rate,
Not
we
Mug
all
that there
yet.
home, eager
that happened, to check
may be no
Apamama
721
chow and sleep. We don't Ed Lloyd, our ACIO, is hungry for informa-
are
for
and pounds us with questions. His job
pened,
at
what hap-
to find out
is
and double-check our
stories so
mistakes in the combat report which he must
write.
Then, but not
"A
lone
Navy
terday, dropping
until then, the mission is over.
Liberator penetrated the defenses of Island 'X' yes-
bombs on enemy
installations
and damaging enemy
shipping in the harbor."
THE INVASION OF THE MARSHALLS, BYPASSING MALOElap, Mili,
Wotje and
Jaluit in
target areas of Kwajalein
uary 3
1
favor of the less heavily-defended
and Majuro, became a
after a pre-invasion
bombardment by
fait
accompli Jan-
battleships
and cruisers
of the Fifth Fleet. Operation "Flintlock," similar in organization to
"Galvanic," embraced three attack groups aggregating two hundred
and ninety-seven ships and 27,800 assault troops
striking
areas simultaneously, backed by heavy air support.
As
two at
target
Tarawa,
Conolly and Turner led the sea and amphibious power, and Mitscher
and Van H. Ragsdale provided the
air support. In the
Northern Attack
Force was destroyer Phelps, which assumed a major role tralization of
Roi-Namur
in the
neu-
in Kwajalein Atoll, and on her bridge was
Royal Navy observer Commander Anthony Kimmins, who had seen action with United States forces at Salerno.
last
—
COMMANDER ANTHONY KIMMINS J-,7
INVASION OF
THE MARSHALLS
In the darkness
we had
seen lights burning on Roi and Namur, where
the Japs were obviously trying to repair the
Now
day's bombing.
morning
expanse of water
Flying
fish
as the small flat
with their clusters of palms sticking out of the vast
light
would expect
—
damage from the previous islands became visible in the
—they
after a long
looked rather
like the sort of
mirage one
march across the Sahara.
kept skimming out of the water, wondering what
all
the
commotion was about. At exactly the appointed second the Captain (Lieutenant Commander D. L. Martineau) ordered "Open Fire" and with a blinding flash of her broadside
Phelps had the honor of starting the bombard-
ment.
Almost immediately there were more
flashes
from further out
sea as the battleships, cruisers, and other destroyers It
was
seen and
far I
and away the most staggering bombardment
have witnessed a good many
on not only her own particular island.
The whole northern
ships pounding
it
my
time.
side
— and
relentlessly
if
I
have ever
Each
ship took
an actual spot on that
tip of the atoll ring
from every
you could see the bursts
in
island, but
to
let fly.
was surrounded by
you watched carefully
and systematically creeping
across each strip of land covering every possible point where there
might be Jap emplacements or defenses.
722
723
Invasion of the Marshalls
Then suddenly
— and gun —
one master hand was controlling the bombardment ceased, and as the great clouds of yellow cordite smoke drifted away in the breeze, gun crews tumbled out of their turrets and enjoyed a quick smoke while empty shell cases were heaved out of the way leaving everything clear for trigger of every
as
if
the
the next phase.
But that temporary
the ships allowed no respite for the
in
lull
defenders in the island. Even as the smoke and dust from the
were subsiding, dive bombers were roaring
shells
the
good work. One
after the other they
came
in
last
and carrying on
hurtling
down, and
from where we were close inshore we could watch every bomb leave the aircraft, see the flash as
exploded and almost determine from
it
the palms, coral or concrete thrown into air exactly
what had been
hit.
On their
the tails of the last dive
cannon
shells
bombers came the
showing up
morning, and bouncing up
from
fighters, tracers
brilliantly in the half light of early
grotesque illuminated ping-pong balls
like
as the shells exploded.
As
zoomed up
the last aircraft
carrier to reload, the warships
into the sky
opened up again.
and flew It
off to
its
was a triumph of
planning and concentrated action. Phelps, being closest inshore, had in addition to her scheduled
bombardment program, the responsibility of dealing with individual targets as and when they presented themselves. Now, as the light improved, emplacements, barges, and observation posts became clearly apparent. All of It
them were systematically blown sky-high.
was a gunlayer's paradise, and those gunlayers
knew their job. By now the second phase of the operation was the preliminary bombardment had been going
in
the Phelps
certainly
taking shape. While
and
on, transports
other parent ships had been disgorging their landing craft and scores of different types of
amphibious tanks and assault boats were con-
verging on the Phelps in their correct
who had
the additional duty of grouping
waves and then,
at the right
them
moment, launching them
for their assault.
a
The wind number of
assault
at this stage
was freshening rapidly and had
degrees. This
would not have
where we were
it
meant
as
was already
ing considerable proportions.
also
backed
that the beaches chosen for the
much
lee
as originally expected.
plainly obvious that the surf
first
From
was assum-
724
Aleutians to the Marianas
As
the assault craft approached the nearest beaches
became
it
from the way they were being tossed about in the would be extremely difficult to force a landing at those
plainly apparent rollers that
points.
it
One
or two craft
of their colonel's final
on Jap
—determined no doubt
to live
message "Good luck to the
— attempted remainder—
soil"
to
first
up
to the spirit
Marine
to land
break through, were swung beam on, and
capsized.
The
benefiting
by
their
example
—concentrated
those points where there was a better lee and before long the
Marines were safely ashore tat-tat" of small
about an hour the
first
arms
fire
—almost immediately
there
on first
was the "Rat-
but soon these became more sporadic until
later they finally died
away, and
it
became obvious
that
objectives were secure in our hands.
Meanwhile there had been no let-up from the bombarding ships and aircraft. As the last Fighters had strafed the beaches immediately
down on
prior to the assault craft touching
whole bombardment had
lifted
the
first
objectives, so the
and moved to the next island
to be
taken.
Having first
safely despatched the landing craft for the assault of the
islands, the Phelps' next duty
was
to force
an entrance into the
lagoon and take up a prearranged position where the next groups of landing craft would rendezvous.
As we steamed
slowly through
now accompanied by minesweepers
everyone was keeping an almost sharper lookout than ever. This was
we had decided, where the enemy would have placed every trap in the way of mines and underwater obstructions to halt us and leave us a sitting target for his shore batteries. But almost before we had had time to realize our good fortune we were safely through the the point,
narrow channel and inside the roomy waters of the lagoon
From
there on
it
was a comparatively simple task
itself.
to arrive at the
exact point from which to launch the next attack and as receiving
The It
first
no interference from shore U.
S.
anchor was
let go.
ship to anchor in a Jap harbor in this war.
was a strange and unforgettable
sat the
batteries, the
we were
Phelps looking rather
sight inside that lagoon.
like a dignified old
ducklings fussing and spluttering around her.
I
duck with
all
There
her tiny
couldn't help thinking
what a wonderful cartoon Walt Disney could have made of it all. From the entrance, we'd just come through, more and more ducklings were streaming towards their parent ship.
us, freed at last
There they came
in
from
their long captivity in
hundreds, splashing along, dart-
—
725
Invasion of the Marshalls
way and
ing this
organized circles
around
On
—
—
three sides
Some
the occasional "Donald's either late or spluttering
someone
we were surrounded by
—
of these islands
belching black
even the best
as you'll always find in
just avoiding collisions with
islands.
smoke from
the exception of the atically
and
that,
else."
coral reefs
particularly
tanks which had been
oil
Outside beyond the
shells
tree
—were —with
All
hit.
—were being system-
two we'd already captured
pounded with
and palm
Roi and Namur
and bombs.
atoll ring
we could
still
see the transports,
and
steaming to and fro the battleships and cruisers. Occasionally they
would be hidden by an
and the
island
an impression of having been
moment
later they
flash of their
And
again from beyond them
dive
bombers and
The blank
was
noise
life
clearly visible
— from
carriers
their guns.
way over
were continually streaming
and even our own broadsides
terrific
at clearly defined targets
the horizon
drop
in to
—
on the
—
firing point
islands about to be attacked
lost in the general uproar.
Then suddenly
my
a
and return for more.
were almost
in
fighters
Then
the coral reefs with the great flashes
in
and clouds of yellow cordite smoke issuing from
their loads
itself.
would appear from behind and be
above the white breakers
—
guns would give
from the island
fired
a terrific explosion
—
the largest
I
have ever heard
shook and rocked the lagoon. As an enormous volume of
white and black smoke shot upwards from
Namur and
belched out-
wards into a colossal mushroom, debris and bodies could be seen spinning round like straws in a gale. ciously like aircraft wings
belong to our
own
Some
of the debris looked suspi-
and we hoped and prayed that they didn't
spotting aircraft
who had been above Namur and
were now completely hidden by the billow of smoke. Obviously a large ammunition
By now
all
dump had been
hit.
the landing craft were in position, and at a signal
from
Phelps, they steamed off in perfect formation towards the next islands to
be captured. Just as in the
morning
fighters cleared the
objectives for
And some
way
attacks, covering fire
from larger
before them, and by dusk
"D" day were
in
all
craft
and
the scheduled
our hands.
so as night closed down, Phelps, a few minesweepers, and
of the larger support landing craft
remained inside the lagoon
while the large ships watched from outside and the small amphibious
726
Aleutians to the Marianas
and dry on the beaches of the islands they had
assault craft lay high
captured.
But there was
during the
sleep
little
The
night.
Japs,
it
was reck-
oned, would take every advantage of the cover of darkness to sneak
out in small boats.
But
as the night
Obviously the
wore on there was
shells
little
enemy movement.
sign of
dropping on the main islands, the tremen-
still
dous weight of explosive which had been poured on them during the previous day, had more than done the trick. Daylight revealed a grim and squalls, but
it
was soon
murky day with low clouds and
difficult to
smoke, and shell-burst as the
squall,
Namur
started in earnest.
bombardment
final
It
and when eventually I
had
Roi and
it
was
intensi-
which almost took one's breath away.
was so staggering
which
of
had thought that yesterday's bombard-
I
ment and bombing could never be surpassed, but now fied to a pitch
rain
discriminate between cloud, rain
last
I
that one just couldn't take one's eyes off
glanced over
my
it,
shou'der, the assault craft
noticed outside the lagoon, had by
now
effected a
complete transformation.
The whole northern end
of the lagoon
seemed
packed with
to be
Now
there
proper
lines,
"ducklings." Yesterday there had been scores of them.
were
literally
hundreds and hundreds.
Soon they were surrounding
us,
forming up
and waiting impatiently for Phelps' signal
in their
to attack.
Many
of their
Marines had their faces blackened. Others had favoured a weird khaki background with black streaks. All were gripping their carbines
and tommy-guns and obviously itching
The
and
for action.
Stripes
were already proudly
flying
already captured. These
men were determined
that
Stars
flying over first
it
would soon be
Roi and Namur.
— beaches — they At
from the islands
as the assault craft deployed
met with
little
across the islands, there were
and touched down along the
resistance, but as they
still
a
number
moved
inland
of stubborn Japs offering
a last desperate resistance.
The scene ashore was an colors sions.
and
sizes
indescribable shambles.
Dead
fish of all
had been hurled onto the beaches by nearby exploits top blown off. There was
Nearly every palm tree had had
hardly a square foot of ground which had not either been hit or
covered with debris.
Dead and
mutilated Japs lay about in grotesque attitudes.
Pill
727
Invasion of the Marshalls boxes and air-raid shelters which had received direct awful scene of carnage. The stench was Flies, a
prisoners
few
lizards,
seemed
some
foul
hits revealed
an
and nauseating.
birds, a chicken, a pig, a dog,
to be the only living creatures
who had
and a few
survived the
Hell of the last few days.
While the prisoners were being led
off for investigation the
already were starting to clear the debris, the
stroked and petted and obviously being
The
pig,
groomed
little
Seabees
dog was being
for a regimental pet.
on the other hand, was obviously being groomed
for the
evening meal.
Somehow
I felt
that pig at various
scamper away
sorry about that social distinction.
moments during
as a shell
to live to a ripe old age.
And
bombardment.
all
I
had seen him
he'd been through,
I felt
sniffing as
if
he deserved
But I'm probably unduly sentimental, and
the smell of dead Japs
had
definitely affected
as through all that day, that night,
night, the
had watched
exploded nearby, and then go on
nothing had happened. After
anyhow
the
I
my
appetite.
and the following day and
grim business went on of exterminating Japs wherever they
might be hiding the last one
in drains, foxholes, or
had been
whatever cover was
left, until
dealt with.
The whole operation had
cost us amazingly few lives, thanks to
perfect organization, a bold stroke of planning,
and
brilliant
execu-
tion.
FOR A "Flintlock",
MORE PANORAMIC VIEW OF OPERATION we
turn to this account by Captain Walter Karig, Lieu-
Commander Russell L. Harris and Lieutenant Commander Frank A. Manson who open with the contribution of the battle-
tenant
wagons.
—
:
CAPTAIN WALTER KARIG,
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER RUSSELL
AND LIEUTENANT COMMANDER FRANK
L.
A.
HARRIS
MANSON
10.
MARSHALLS MOP-UP
Much
of the destruction this
D-Day was caused by
Mississippi (Captain Luns-
ing of a pair of rejuvenated battleships
ford L. Hunter), repaired after her
the heavy infight-
Makin
Island turret explosion,
and Pennsylvania (Captain William A. Corn), flagship of the
Pacific
Fleet at the time of Pearl Harbor.
Their major mission was the quick destruction of the coast and anti-aircraft defense
shelling
of the
guns on the west side of Kwajalein, to prevent
clustered
transports
Enubuj. Later Mississippi moved
unloading for the assault on
in to
cover a beach reconnaissance
party.
Through the gray predawn, Pennsylvania's first salvo shrieked toward the target and erupted a black pall of debris-hailing smoke. Aboard ship there was a moment of silence, suddenly broken by one clear,
loud exulting
"Reveille,
yell
you slant-eyed sons of bitches!"
Nothing was spared.
Then
First the
gun emplacements were smashed.
the pillboxes, ammunition dumps, gasoline stowage areas, the
sea wall that was supposed to serve as a tank barricade.
The small down
spotter plane circling slowly over the target brought the salvos to sniper accuracy.
Minesweeps nosed
into the lagoon.
An
anchorage was needed for
the transports lying exposed to submarine attack beyond the reefs.
728
Mop-Up
Marshalls
729
Admiral Turner wanted no repetition of the Liscome Bay calamity.
Nor did he want
little
matchbox
ships cluttering the anchorage area.
Troops transferred from the large transports (APAs) to the LSTs
whose long corridorlike holds were lined with amphibious vehicles
(LVTs units
or Amtracs).
They rocked
water while reconnaissance
in the
paddled ashore for a preliminary look-see
mind
the mines found
on the beaches
at
Enubuj, having in
Tarawa. The Mississippi
at
closed in to cover the joint reconnaissance units as they paddled their
rubber boats close to the teeth-sharp
reefs.
Although not an enemy
shot had been fired from the crushed defenses, Pennsylvania
around
swung
guard Mississippi, few of whose guns could be brought to
to
bear on the beach while heading directly for the target.
"0904— Resumed "Ole Mis' "
fire all batteries.
was making dead sure
Range 2,500 yards." that the
men
in the
rubber boats
would not be bothered even by a stray sniper bullet. "0925 Troops land on Enubuj Island," she signaled.
—
The men went ashore
was
dry. Opposition
negligible.
Enubuj
Is-
land was secured before noon, and by six that evening the Army's
105mm and 155mm
on Kwajalein. Ennylabegan
the uproar
These
islands, plus
Gehh had
howitzers had been landed and were adding to
Gea and
also fell like a ripe coconut.
Ninni, were the total
D-Day
objectives.
unwittingly been thrown in for good measure.
Meanwhile, from an average range of 3,000 yards, the battleships were methodically destroying Kwajalein Island's blockhouses,
pill-
boxes, barricades, and trench systems. Naval reconnaissance units reefs for mines, Lieutenant William K. Rummel leading men in two surveys, one at morning high tide and another at low tide. Many landing craft had hung on the reefs at Tarawa. Here LVTs would crawl the reefs, but first they must be made safe by
probed the his
eliminating
The ing
all
mines.
Mississippi
on the
reefs
had done her job
main
The men wading and prob-
were not molested by Jap
obstructions were found. gunfire
well.
The
investigators
fire.
No
mines or other
worked behind
a screen of
from the sea that rocked the beach defenses with 14-inch
batteries
ruins with
and 5-inch secondary
40mm
batteries,
and raked the jumping
and 20mm.
Half an hour before noon:
"Main
battery ceased firing.
Morning
fire
pleted. All firing apparently entirely effective.
support mission com-
No
casualties."
After a morning of sweat and smoke the battleship
men
left their
730
Aleutians to the Marianas
stations.
Five hours of steady
fire
had
left
most of them temporarily
was hunger. When "chow no one was too deafened to hear
deaf, but a greater physical discomfort
down" sounded from
the mess half,
it.
Late that afternoon the transports eased through narrow Gea Pass
Troops of Regimental Combat Team 184 (Colonel
into the lagoon.
Curtis
USA)
D. O'Sullivan,
(Colonel
Marc
Logie,
J.
Team 32
and Regimental Combat
USA), who were
the next morning, were transferred to the
During the night the troop-laden
to assault Kwajalein Island
LSTs and
smaller vessels.
were harassed by an inaccurate
craft
bombardment from light field artillery the day's terrific bombardment.
that
had managed
to survive
Next morning the science of co-ordinated destruction reached new heights.
The
Mississippi carefully maneuvering through uncharted waters
close to the reef
beaches,
drew up
Red Beaches
and
1
1,500 yards off the landing
a point
at
2.
At 0615 she cut loose with her 14-
inch broadside.
Promptly
at
0800
the 7th Division artillery, massed across the
coral-studded water on Enubuj Island, started laying
down
bar-
its
rage.
From 0830
to
0839 nine bombers
Admiral Hoover's land-based
of
op from the Gilberts saturated the area with 2,000-pound bombs. From 0845 to 0900 all artillery fire was stopped while Navy dive
air
bombers and torpedo bombers came
in
low, followed by strafing
fighters.
At 0900
the
maximum
and destroyers was poured waves of
LVTs
possible gunfire from battleships, cruisers, into the
beach area. By
toward the beach. Leading them
in
time the
were rocket-launching LCIs,
to carry rockets instead of infantry, but
machine-gun
this
first
had crossed the line of departure and were churning
fire.
Then,
now pouring
like a fighter taking the
nent before the knock-out blow, the ranging shots from their racks.
Two
LCI
fitted
a steady hail of
measure of
his
oppo-
rocket boats fired a few
minutes
later,
at
0920, with a
hissing rush of flame and smoke the whole cargo of rockets was
let
loose in an arc of death.
Eight minutes later
0930
the
first
waves
artillery fire
hit
was
lifted
200 yards
inland.
At
the beach standing up. What they saw was
"The effect of Kwajalein was devastating. The entire
well described in the report of a naval gunfire officer:
naval gunfire on the island of
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:
Marshalls island looked as
if
had been picked up
it
dropped. The ground was so torn up that foot difficult.
It
was impossible
All beach defenses
to tell
and then
feet
made even movement by
where the sea wall had stood.
had been
war
Prisoners of
hit
by gunfire, due to the
where they could see the target and use
ships closing the range to fire.
733
were completely destroyed. Practically every de-
fense installation above ground
direct
20,000
to
it
Mop-Up
testified that the terrific blasting effect of
heavy and continuous bombardment terrorized the defending
the
."
forces.
.
.
The bombardment had made which landed with the
initial
it
rubble-strewn shell-pocked beaches.
proved
rain inland
churned but
less
tough even for our
own
tanks,
waves; they could not maneuver on the
As at
the troops advanced, the ter-
no time could the tanks move
freely.
With the pedestrian advance sniper sional mortar
and howitzer
fire
Occa-
resistance increased.
came from
the twisted steel and con-
When
crete remains of half-destroyed emplacements.
a particularly
strong position was encountered, ships were called on to eliminate
it.
Specially trained naval officers, ashore with the troops, directed such
from grid-maps, duplicates of which were aboard the
fire
ships, with
portable voice radios.
Here
is
managed,
an example of how shore-directed naval bombardment as logged
is
by the destroyer Haggard (Commander David A.
Harris).
The Haggard, anchored
in
inch shells into ammunition
when
Kwajalein lagoon,
dumps and
is
leisurely lobbing 5-
pillbox areas within view
her radio crackles and the voice of the Shore Fire Control
comes through
Officer
"Come in, please." "Go ahead."
Shore: Ship:
Shore: "At present time
do so
as
soon as possible.
at targets of
I
cannot give you the front
We
a few salvos at
can see in
but will
lines
have no targets for you but you
opportunity that you
Ship: "Roger. fire
I
may
fire
Zone T."
have a possible blockhouse
in
Zone T and
will
it."
Shore: "Are you firing now?" Ship: "Affirmative.
We
are firing at a possible blockhouse in
Zone
T." Shore: "I would 105.
I
will give
486474
in
now
like to fire
you co-ordinates of
Square 105.
I
on a
real
blockhouse
this point. Fire at
will adjust fire."
in
Square
Emplacement
734
Aleutians to the Marianas
Ship: "Firing ship ready/'
Shore:
"Commence
firing."
7
•
Ship: "Wilco." (Salvo, Salvo!)
Shore:
"No change
Shore:
"No
change.
Shore:
"Up
50.
in elevation. Left
200."
(Salvo, Salvo!)
No
change. Rapid
fire.
Three salvos."
(Salvo, Salvo, Salvo!)
No
change. Rapid
Three salvos."
fire.
(Salvo, Salvo, Salvo!)
Shore:
"Down
No
25.
change. Three salvos."
(Salvo,
Shore: "Cease
firing.
Salvo,
SALVO!) Good
Target neutralized.
shooting."
Ship: "Wilco." It
was
like
Four days
ordering six cans of soup from the grocery. later, at
1530 on February
4,
when
ance had ceased, the only usable Japanese
all
organized
resist-
on the island
articles left
were a few anchors and some large buoys.
Machine-age war, indeed. though, from here on
To
It
wasn't
all
going to be like that,
in.
the north, at the other end of Kwajalein Atoll, the pattern of
destruction
was simultaneously
being
Namur. The instruments used were
repeated
against
Roi
and
the ships of the Northern Attack
Force and the Marines of the 4th Division.
The
pulverization with shell and
tense as on Kwajalein Island.
Day
bomb had been
every
bit as in-
The plan of attack was the same: on Dup artillery, and bring the trans-
to capture flanking islands, set
ports into the lagoon; on D-plus-1-day to land on the
main
objectives,
Roi and Namur.
H-hour was
set at
0900 on January
3
1
.
First stop
on the schedule
were Ennuebing and Mellu islands (Anglicized in the operation orders to Jacob and Ivan) flanking North Pass to the lagoon.
wind scattered the slow seas
LVTs
smacked the treaded
at the line of departure.
vehicles, sending salt spray
A
19-knot
Short choppy
down
the backs
of the huddled Marines. But soon they were steamed dry by the hot
sun.
The
control officers aboard the destroyer Phelps
Commander to be made to
(Lieutenant
David L. Martineau) saw that a concession would have the elements.
H-hour was pushed back about 30 min-
utes.
In the whole Marshall campaign this was the only change in the
planned schedule.
Marshalls
When
the
Mop-Up
much-pounded LVTs waddled ashore through
735 the heavy
only light opposition was encountered. Marines sitting on top of
surf,
waved
their vehicles
to the pilots, affectionately
Boys, zooming low over them. Over the
known
TBS came
By noon the two minesweeps moved in.
report:
were
Act One came that afternoon when the landing
craft
reported secured, and the II of
the
islands
"Everything looks Jake on Jacob."
Scene
Rover
as the
crossed the lagoon and went ashore on three islands with mouth-
names: Ennubirr, Ennumennet, and Ennugarret. Again opposi-
filling
tion
was
Before dark
negligible.
anchored
all
the Northern Attack Force
lagoon as protection against possible submarine
in the
was at-
tack.
Next morning, of
in the
USS Appalachian
deep darkness before dawn, the upper decks
(Captain James M. Fernald), Admiral Conolly's
were a grandstand from which
flagship,
to
watch battleships,
cruisers,
and destroyers work on Roi-Namur. Orange-yellow flame from the muzzles of the guns glowed against the low clouds ning.
The
first faint
dawn
of the Inferno. Leaping
up
to low-rolling
gushed fountains of earth, sand, and water, five miles
from the
it
seemed
—
masses of black smoke
the planes,
spouting flame. Even
all
target, the spectators' eyes
and the concussions sucked
Then came
like sheet light-
revealed the island as a seaborne fragment
ached with each
flash,
eardrums and lungs.
at
—
swarm from an infinite hive, bombs until the island was smoke. The ships took no recess. Salvo
swarm
after
scattering their hundreds of
eclipsed by one huge pall of
continued to follow salvo relentlessly, doggedly, mercilessly, until
noon
.
.
From S.
.
the bridge of the old battleship Tennessee (Captain Robert alert little man He was James V.
Haggart) a slim,
entire spectacle.
in
unadorned khakis watched the
Forrestal, Under-secretary of the
Navy.
The landings came from the south, from the lagoon. The Japanese had not expected an attack through the back door. Like the British defenses at Singapore,
all
guns and fortifications pointed sea-
their
ward. They had laughed at the British for that likewise.
And,
to
add
to the irony,
—laughed
and did
the guns on Roi and Namur had
been loot from Singapore.
At high noon Regimental Combat Team 23 (Colonel Louis R. Jones) attacked Roi. Regimental lin
Combat Team 24 (Colonel Frank-
A. Hart) attacked Namur, which was connected by an umbilical
causeway
to
its
sister
island.
In a huge arc outlined against the
736
Aleutians to the Marianas
clouded horizon the landing craft moved
in
determinedly
slowly,
toward the beaches. Then the scene^was blotted out by one of those huge tropical cloudbursts that leave a man wetter than if he had
A
fallen overboard.
half
hour
later the curtain
was blown
of rain
aside for the last act.
Lieutenant (jg) Sheldon Briggs described his feelings: "I was very
much impressed
as
we went into Roi Island with we practically walked up
carefree attitude with which
back yard and with impudence ready just to walk right
in
sat there
and take
me was
seemed
we
to stand perfectly
into the beach.
I
as
still
have noticed
fact that time just
this
I
was
much
also very
a stopping of time, time just to
go
on other occasions afterwards, the
to
in
to the Japanese
formed up and prepared
seems to stand absolutely
onds before men actually go
know.
all
apparently
and got our troops and ships
their island.
impressed with what seemed to
the
do or
still
die,
for just a
and many
few secdie,
you
." .
.
The Marines quickly pushed cellent airfield
across treeless Roi, capturing the ex-
and seventy skeletons of Jap planes. By the middle of
the afternoon the island of die-hards holed
up
was secured except
in the
for
some
isolated groups
drainage system under the
airstrip.
The
next morning these were sprayed out with bullet and flame.
Namur was intricate
harder to crack, for the remains of what had been an
system of blockhouses had to be overcome. Resistance was
isolated, for as Secretary Forrestal's aide,
"the
said,
possibility
Captain John E. Gingrich,
bombardment and bombing of the of organized resistance. At the time
island disrupted any of the landing
on D-
Day-plus-1 the opposition was scattered with no opportunity for the
Japanese to organize. The operation then consisted of destroying the isolated groups of Japanese in their pillboxes
—which iron
incidentally were
and heavy
steel,
two
feet thick
and cement blockhouses
and reinforced with railroad
so that you had to get a direct hit on
a major caliber shell or
bomb
to put
them out of
them with
business.
Marines used flame throwers to dislodge the Japs, who crept
all
The the
underground ammunition stowages. The flamethrowers blew up the ammunition and blew up the Japs inside. But that also blew up a number of our own Marines so the use of flame throwers had to be forbidden in places where ammunition might be
way back
into the
stowed, so the Marines just went in with a flashlight and
Tommy
gun
and simply dug the Japs out."
On
D-plus-2-Day, February
2,
James V. Forrestal explored the
)
Marshalls islands with
Mop-Up
737
Admiral Spruance, General "Howling Mad" Smith, Ad-
miral Conolly, and General Schmidt. Quite an impressive surrender
ceremony could have been arranged except
for the absence of the
party of the second part. Lying with sightless eyes beneath the smol-
dering rubble was Rear Admiral Yamata, Imperial Japanese Navy,
commander
Namur. Shortly after noon of D-plus-2-Day the island was declared secured. Garrison troops were landed. The assault troops were withdrawn to rest and be refitted for the capture of Eniwetok to the westward, nearly three months earlier than originally planned. late
of
"Originally the
Pacific
Fleet
involved in the capture of
forces
Kwajalein were to have gone to the South Pacific for the support of
an operation Northwest of the Solomons. This operation was to have been followed by the capture of Eniwetok, the westermost Marshalls and the key position
Truk and
in the
Japanese
air
the by-passed atolls in the Marshalls.
atoll in the
pipe line between It
was decided
to
proceed as soon as possible with the capture of Eniwetok. With Eni-
wetok
in
our hands we would have complete control of the Marshalls
and we would have the base needed for future operations
in the
Central Pacific, whether these operations were against Truk or the
Marianas, which was as yet undecided. The Japanese would be given
minimum
the
of time in which to build
up
their defenses with the
additional troops they had recently put into Eniwetok." (Lecture by
Admiral Spruance, October 30, 1946, Institution at
The world had never Admiral Nimitz
ingly.
Royal United Service
to the
London.
these assaults
before seen naval power used so devastat-
in his report said: "It
must be appreciated that
and seizures could not possibly have been accom-
plished so expeditiously with such minor losses without the
ment preparation exceeding viously
War the
I.
air,
known It
in duration
and
artillery
50%
bombard-
intensity anything pre-
to warfare except possibly that at
had been estimated that
naval,
and
Verdun
in
World
of the Japanese were killed by
bombardment
prior to the assault, not to
mention destruction of defenses and equipment and the stunning effect
on the morale and
Beach area
at
was impossible
fighting capacity of the survivors. In the
Red
Kwajalein everything was reduced to rubble so that to
it
even visualize what 90 per cent of the installation
originally consisted of.
.
.
."
The score in blood was as impressive as the material destruction. The enemy dead totaled 8,122 for Kwajalein and Roi-Namur against
—
738
Aleutians to the Marianas
318 Americans
killed
and missings Of the 437 prisoners taken, 290
were Korean. Most of our 42,546'troops were unscratched.
MAJURO, LYING AT THE MIDPOINT OF THE JALUITMaloelap-Mili triangle
in the
Marshalls,
fell
without loss of a man.
On
had been abandoned as a Japanese base years before. United States forces assaulted
17
troops of the
Army; by was
the
Eniwetok,
Amphibious Brigade time the island was secured 1st
defended by
of the
It
February 1,000
Imperial Japanese
the next day none of
them
alive.
Closely articulated with the capture of Eniwetok was the
on Truk
rier strike
in the Carolines,
Ringed by a
the super-battleship Mushashi.
first
car-
Combined Fleet and reef which made naval
base of the
gunfire impractical, Japan's "Gibraltar of the Pacific" could only be
attacked by
In a two-day strike
air.
on February 17-18, 1944 Mits-
cher launched seventy-two planes against the island's defenses, while his pilots five
downed
destroyed three hundred and sixty-
thirty planes,
on the ground, and sank 200,000 tons of enemy shipping
including two auxiliary cruisers, one destroyer, two submarine tenders,
one
the
most severe blow yet suffered by Japan, and
aircraft ferry
pattern of things to
and twenty-three merchantmen.
come
It
was by
far
established a
for Mitscher's Fast Carrier Forces.
While the Navy consolidated the Marianas six
it
months
later,
its
gains and girded for the assault on
other events took place in the Pacific
conflict.
On in
June
6,
1944 submarine U.S.S. Harder was on war patrol
Sibutu Passage, the narrow
strait
which separated the northeast
corner of Borneo from the big Japanese naval base of Tawi Tawi.
Her skipper was
the legendary Lieutenant
Commander Samuel D.
Dealey of Dallas, Texas, a Congressional Medal of Honor winner,
who
subsequently lost his
voy.
He
is
life in
an
ill-fated attack
on an enemy con-
the subject here of an excerpt by Vice Admiral Charles
A. Lockwood,
Commander Submarines
Pacific,
and
his collaborator,
Colonel Hans Christian Adamson.
We join
Dealey a few moments
after a
convoy has been
sighted.
—
VICE ADMIRAL CHARLES
A.
LOCKWOOD
AND COLONEL HANS CHRISTIAN ADAMSON II.
MEN AT WORK
The moon was
full, brilliant,
and climbing higher toward the zenith
the approach proceeded. True, there were intermittent, low
as
cumulus
clouds but this attack would have to be run very, very carefully to
avoid detection. Radar depth at
where the radar antenna would
(submerged
first still
to
about 42 feet
be above water) and then
full
periscope depth might do the trick.
Sam Dealey planned tankers.
to dive
ahead of the target group and bore
in
between the port flank escort and the column of
to a position halfway
The enemy's base
degree zigs right and
course, at
left at
first,
plotted as 180 true with 30
a speed of 14-15 knots, but as soon as
he cleared Sibutu Passage the base course was changed to 240 true straight for the entrance of
Tarakan harbor, some 130 nautical miles
ahead.
Dealey worked pull
ahead and
his
still
speed up to 19 knots in a desperate attempt to
keep out of the range of observation of enemy
lookouts.
Alas, for the best laid plans, at flood-lighted
the
submarine.
2125
The
the
nearest
moon broke escort
through and
destroyer,
some
12,000 yards away, sighted the Harder.
was immediately apparent," reads Dealey's log, "that he was headed hell-bent for the Harder, smoking heavily and showing a "It
prominent
bow wave. We
turned
tail
toward the destroyer, made
739
)
740
Aleutians to the Marianas
and hoped that the Jap would get discouraged and return convoy, but he had other, .intentions (none of the friendly
flank speed, to
his
variety). His speed increased to
24 knots and the range was gradually
down to 9000 yards as he followed down our wake. (At 19 we left a wake that looked like a broad avenue for five miles
whittled
knots
astern.
was painfully evident
"It
have to wait
As
that our business with the
until the destroyer
was taken care
of."
the range to the pursuing destroyer shortened,
moment
every
convoy would
Sam, expecting
to see the deadly orange flashes of gunfire erupt
from
her forward guns, quietly said to the O.O.D., (Officer of the Deck),
"Sound
battle stations.
Stand by to dive. Lookouts below."
Hardly had the musical, blood
stirring bong, bong, bong away when he gave the order: "Clear the diving alarm. Take her to periscope depth."
general alarm died
Sound
As
the
dive.
O.O.D. jammed the
the bridge personnel scrambled below, the
handle of the diving alarm twice against
Take her
its
to periscope depth," into the
of the bridge.
stop and shouted, "Dive, 1
MC —the
bridge micro-
phone.
The raucous, demanding "Ahgoowa, ahgoowa"
of
the
diving
klaxon rasped through the compartments; ship control men, already
opened flood and vent valves;
at their stations, deftly
stern planes to take her
down
fast.
downward and
whales, the ship pointed sharply
over the
hull.
Meanwhile, with
Vents spouted
swift practiced
and maneuvering room crews secured the propulsion to
full
the rushing seas rose
movements, the engine
diesel engines
man
last
to leave the bridge,
the wire lanyard to latch the conning tower hatch. its seat,
bow and school of
and shifted
speed on the electric motors.
Comdr. Dealey, the on
set the like a
the quartermaster
hand wheel which dogged
it
was
As
instantly beside
yanked down on it
slammed shut
him and spun
the
shut.
"Hatch secured," he reported.
The
entire operation,
which required perhaps one minute, had been
without hitch or confusion. Whatever
blood pressure of these eight or ten sign,
may have been the thoughts or men in the conning tower, no
except perhaps brightened eyes and a touch of excitement in
whispered words, indicated any difference between dred other dives they had made "Left
full
in
months gone
this
and a hun-
by.
rudder," ordered the Skipper. "Course zero nine zero.
All ahead one third.
Make
ready
all
tubes."
Men "Make ready
all
at
Work
741
tubes," repeated the ship's Talker into his micro-
phone. Tall, stalwart Pharmacist's Mate Angelo Locoscio, in under-
and dungaree
shirt
trousers,
had been chosen for the job of Talker
because of his good speaking voice and quick-thinking the
demands
for his medical services during
be heavy. In submarine warfare,
—
all
ability.
combat were not
Too,
likely to
hands usually come back with
come back at all. Tonight, it could be the latter. Destroyers are not recommended targets for submarines. Their high speed and maneuverability make them difficult to hit and, in the whole skins
or they don't
event of a miss, vengeance from their 600-pound depth charges could
be swift and
went about
final.
Despite
this
their duties without
dread
possibility,
and men
officers
fumbling or nervousness.
Skill
and
assurance marked every action. Here and there possibly a wide-eyed
newcomer gazed
at the faces of the old-timers as
though searching for
a panacea to quiet the butterflies in his stomach. But,
atmosphere of the ship was one of confidence
—
all in
all,
from the Skipper. All hands knew they were watching an expert work. This was a situation
made
Sam Dealey and
to order for
the
confidence radiating at
his
crew.
"All tubes are ready, puter) officer, Lieut.
"Up
sir,
Tom
reported the
TDC
(Torpedo Data Com-
Buckner.
periscope," ordered Sam; "stand by after tubes."
For the his face.
first
time that night a look of grim determination came into
He had
slowed the submarine's speed to 3 knots
allow the pursuer to catch up and also to reduce the "feather" to a
minimum. Now,
as he
telltale
right
down fire
order to
periscope
watched through the periscope
with cautious 5- or 6-second exposures, he saw his
easy
in
enemy coming
the Harder's old course at 23 knots, presenting a very
control problem.
At 2159, with
a range of
1050 yards, torpedoes
set to
run at 6-foot
depth and with gyros on zero, the skipper gave the order: "Fire!"
The quartermaster sized firing button for
watch held
in the
at the firing
panel slammed the silver-dollar-
Tube Number
palm
7;
of his left hand;
waited 8 seconds more; slammed Tube fire.
waited 8 seconds by the stop
slammed Tube Number 8; 9. Then he checked
Number
Dealey figured three would be enough.
Meanwhile the Talker repeated back the reports from the after torpedo room: "Number Seven fired; Number Eight fired," and so on.
The sonarman,
ear phones clamped to his head, also had reports to
742
Aleutians to the Marianas
make
crouched before
as he
his 'scope:
''Seven running,
running; Nine running. Hot. straight" and normal!"
torpedoman's
sir;
—music
Eight
to
any
ears.
The torpedoes, each with high explosive, in
a
750-pound load
of Torpex, our latest
warhead, sped on with their freight of death and
its
destruction.
Sam. eve glued forward of the aft,
the periscope,
to
MOT
saw the
first
torpedo
(middle of the target). The second
hit
just
hit farther
and the run of the third was not observed. The target was imme-
diately enveloped in flames
and smoke, the
tail
rose straight in the air
and half a dozen of his depth charges started going off. "2203 Surfaced 1000 yards away," records the Harder
—
spot where slick
s patrol
"watched the destroyer go under, and headed back toward the
log,
—but
The
last
it
A
had been.
there
lone
life
buoy burned over
was no ship and there were no survivors
moments
of the Jap
DD
party, the bridge lookouts,
and Capt. Murray
named was operations Officer commanded by Rear Admiral Ralph W. last
Harder
to be seen."
were observed through the peri-
scope or from the bridge by the Skipper, most of the
The
a large oil
for
J.
fire
control
"Tich" Tichenor.
Comsub's Seventh
Christie,
Fleet,
and was aboard the
just for the ride.
There could be no doubt about
it,
one enemy destroyer and her
crew of perhaps 150 souls had gone to Davy Jones' Locker. As Sam
and Murray Tichenor stood
buoy
light,
chase.
Dealey said very
He was
at the little
bridge
rail
watching the lonesome
save to give orders to resume the
not exultant about his victory. Evidently the thought of
human beings saddened him even though it Or was he thinking of Tex Edwards, his early years, who had gone down in the same way
having destroyed fellow
was
his life against theirs.
ideal throughout his in the Atlantic
with his ship, the four-stack destroyer
But there was were
still
on
little
their
way
to the oil docks. All four of the
engines were put on the line at
time incident to sinking the Jap perate race to see
As
Reuben James.
time for introspection. Those three tankers
who would
full
DD,
speed. Because of the loss of it
was now an even more des-
reach Tarakan
the diesels roared into action,
Harder s main
Sam
first.
turned to Frank Lynch.
"Secure from battle stations, Frank," he drawled. "Let the
off
duty
hands get some sleep." Fate and the Imperial Japanese Navy, however, decreed otherwise. Just
two minutes
later, at
2217, the radar operator picked up another
Men
Work
at
ship contact at 14,000 yards, evidently a destroyer
743
moving
at high
speed and headed directly for the Harder.
Again the bong, bong, bong of "Battle Stations" was followed by "Dive, dive," and the submarine track her opponent ble,
more
Dealey was in the
down
slid
DD
accurately. If this
mood
to give
it
to radar depth so as to
was looking
for trou-
and, instead of turning away,
he headed for the destroyer.
When
8000 yards, Sam increased submerperiscope depth. However, he had difficulty in obtaining had closed
the range
gence to
to
good periscope ranges because the intermittent moonlight did not illuminate the target well enough.
"At 2242," reads the Hardens log, "with an estimated range of 1250 yards, with 80 degrees port track angle and target speed of 12 knots, fired 6 bow tube shots with torpedoes set at 6 feet and diverging spread.
"Both range and estimated in error,
though 'sound' reported the
All torpedoes missed as target
silent
made
two shots running
first
a figure S while
The destroyer turned and headed
tracks.
we reached
erratic.
combing
for the Harder.
running, depth charging, and went to 300
charges exploded as
have been
target speed are believed to
feet.
their
Rigged for Five depth
depth." severe, but a personnel
The enemy's counterattack was not too casualty one caused by an error of a new
—
stern
planesman
—
nearly
brought a tragic ending to the Harder's triumph. This youngster,
whom
Dealey with characteristic consideration does not name, ob-
serving the plane indicator inoperative (I.C.) circuit
had been cut out for
—
the interior communication
silent
running
power on the planes and made Then he wrongly put the planes on dive instead a quick
lost
marine passed 300 before the Diving
feet.
—thought he had
shift to
hand operation.
of rise as the sub-
Controlling the planes by hand
is
slow and
Officer realized the lad's mistake, the ship
took a
down angle and went to a dangerous depth, well beyond which she was designed. All available men were rushed from forward to aft to right the ship. The pandemonium which resulted can 15-degree
that for
well be imagined.
The rushing
of alarmed
men
through the control
room, the crashing of loose gear, and the noise of hardsoled shoes clattering on the steel decks might have shaken the nerve and stam-
—
peded the thinking of the most rugged submariners but not Sam Dealey and the Diving Officer, Sam Logan. They did not stampede easily
and
their quick thinking
and quick orders undoubtedly saved
744
Aleutians to the Marianas
Harder from sharing the watery grave of the Japanese destroyer /-- 7 she had just sunk.
the
Before the
men
could be gotten forward again, the Harder took a
15-degree up angle and shot up to 250
feet.
Suddenly, over the ship's intercom came a frightened voice: "Hot
Number
run in
9 Tube."
Frank Lynch and
Tom
for the after torpedo
Buckner took
room.
A
broken
off like
field
runners
hot run in a tube can be extremely
dangerous.
When sharply
the
Harder took
down and
This permitted
its
this
sudden
rise angle,
the stop bolt in
Number
torpedo to
downward
slide
her
tail
was flung
9 tube had carried away. past the tripping latch,
thus starting the electric propelling motor. Fortunately, this was a
Mark
18 electric "fish," a missile that runs at a lower rate of speed
than the so-called steam torpedo. The latter high-speed type creates heat which might fuse the steel shell of the torpedo to the
terrific
inside of the tubes.
The
known,
warhead might be detonated. So
far as
is
is
that tragedy has never happened.
The Harder's torpedo piercing scream of
down
about such a casualty
truly terrifying thing
the haunting fear that the
its
eventually ran
batteries
its
down, but the
racing propellers sent plenty of chills up and
the spines of the after torpedo
"This whole incident," wrote
room
Sam
in
personnel. his log,
"was a personnel
casualty which never should have occurred but, considering the noise
and concussion of the depth charging
at the
moment,
ness. It
is
their first cruise
Command-
and crew — — acted with admirable courage and calm-
consisting in part of
ing Officer considers that the officers
20 men on
the
described in detail in the hope that
may
it
help
some other
sub to avoid a similar experience."
Depth charging continued
until
opened the submarine out from her dients feet
midnight and evasive maneuvers attacker.
Welcome
were found on the bathythermograph
and these were
at
150
negative grafeet
and 280
utilized to lose the destroyer.
Negative gradients are layers of colder water which give good protection to a
submarine because they
deflect the echo-ranging pings of
the pursuing destroyers. Dealey's standard procedure for shaking off
a
DD
was
expressed
to it.
"keep the guy astern, go deep, and be patient," as he This plan had much to recommend it, for, by keeping
the stern of the
Harder toward her pursuer, the smallest
target
was
Men
Work
at
745
presented and the "pings" of the searching vessel might be rendered inaccurate by the disturbed water of the submarine's
When
the Harder finally surfaced at
hope of beating the tankers
to
0036
Tarakan, so
wake
current.
of 7 June there
Sam
was no
again set a course for
Sibutu Passage and his secret mission.
At 0528, with day breaking and enemy
too close for
airfields
comfort, the Harder submerged but had a slight misadventure with a
and was forced
reef
to
blow
and back
ballast tanks, surface,
clear.
Miraculously, none of her delicate sound heads and depth-finding
gear were damaged. Fortunately, too, no planes were about, and
Navigator Frank Lynch was able to obtain a navigational
showed 'the sub
The
position.
2- to 4-knot current
flood and ebb
counted for
to be far to southwestward of
tides
—which
—
its
fix
which
dead-reckoning
its
direction governed
by the
sweeps through Sibutu probably ac-
that.
The Harder 's adventures
for the
day were only
beginning,
just
however. She attempted to make use of a rain squall to cover her surface run northward in order to gain objective.
This attempt was thwarted in
more
distance toward her
mid-morning by a plane
which chased her down but dropped no bombs. After that she remained submerged and bucked the heavy current with a paltry 5 knots.
"At 1134," continues the Fubuki type destroyer port. (It
"the periscope watch sighted a
might have been summoned by the plane or
been sent out to avenge the
Sounded
log,
range of 4000 yards, angle on the
at a
battle stations
it
bow 20
might have
loss of a sister ship the night before.)
and headed for
target."
There was nothing hesitant about the way Sam Dealey handled the situation.
Only two months before,
in-Chief U.S. Fleet) Fleet
Adm.
E.
in April, J.
Cominch (Commander-
King had raised the
destroyers as torpedo targets to a position above cargo
priority of
ships. Prior to
that time, because of the scarcity of torpedoes, the doctrine
Now
to avoid
enemy
and
engagements imminent
fleet
enemy
destroyers.
that torpedoes
were more
—Cominch was eager
had been plentiful
to cripple the
The torpedoes of Japanese destroyers were very formidweapons which had wrought havoc among our ships Solomons Campaign. Adm. King wanted that menace removed. fleet.
able, long-range in the
—
To Sam Dealey this expressed desire was an order one which he was glad to obey. He remembered the Reuben James. "At 3000 yards," wrote Dealey, "the destroyer headed directly at
746
Aleutians to the Marianas
(He may have
us.
ready forward, to
sighted our periscope.) Stood by with four tubes fire
down
his throat".
Angle on bow changed from
zero to 10 degrees starboard, then quickly back to 15 degrees port.
He was
using a fast constant helm (a type of zigzag).
At 650
yards,
with 20 degrees port track, gyros on zero and a torpedo spread of degree,
commenced
firing just as target started
one- two- three in rapid succession (about 5 seconds interval). ber Four wasn't necessary! Fifteen seconds after the fired, aft.
it
struck the destroyer squarely amidships.
Number Three
full
missed ahead. Ordered right
to get clear of the destroyer.
rocked by a
it
Num-
shot was
Number Two full
first hit,
sighted, the destroyer sank tail
Commanding
first
hit just
rudder and ahead
explosion believed to have been the destroyer's
terrific
was
a
At range of 300 yards we were
magazine. Less than one minute after the after
%
swinging back. Fired
Officer, the Executive Officer,
first,
and nine minutes observed by the
and Captain Tichenor."
As Murray Tichenor, eye glued to the periscope was saying, "Scratch destroyer number two," the sonar man sang out: "Contact, Captain. Fast screws. Bearing zero nine zero."
Tichenor jumped back from the periscope. Dealey seized the ing handles
"Down feet.
and swung
'scope. All
it
ahead
to starboard, took a quick look full.
Take her down
Rig for depth charge. Rig for
The Talker
silent
relayed the orders via the
of closing watertight doors
fast.
train-
and then:
Three hundred
running."
squawk boxes and
the sound
and ventilation flappers could be heard
throughout the ship. Ventilation motors and
all
others not vitally
needed were stopped. Some men wearing hardsoled shoes removed them.
Some
shifted into sneakers. Unconsciously the pitch of voices
dropped.
The Harder,
slanting sharply
downward, had almost reached her
depth. Dealey turned to the Exec. "Frank," he said, "slow to creeping
speed and bring that destroyer astern. Secure from battle stations. I'm going to catch forty winks."
"Aye, aye,
sir,"
said Lynch, but before Dealey could reach his
cabin, a pattern of five depth charges landed above them.
and concussion were
terrific.
toy boat on the waves.
The
The submarine was thrown about
noise like a
Cork rained from the overhead; locker doors was flung everywhere.
flew open; light bulbs popped; loose gear
There would be no "forty winks"
for Dealey.
"All compartments report damage," called
Lynch
into the mike.
Men And
Sam Logan,
to
ship the
747
back to 300
the Diving Officer: "Bring her
The terrific pressure had driven the One by one, from forward to aft, serious damage. The damage control
Work
at
down about 100
feet."
feet.
compartments reported no
detail
was
called to effect vari-
ous repairs while the spare hands were attempting to bring order out
room, when
of the shambles of the control
door opened and shirt
cap
and khaki
its
forward watertight
Australian officer in short-sleeved
tall
His uniform was immaculate, his high peaked
shorts.
head
sat his
stepped a
in
at a jaunty angle;
from mustache
to shiny boots
he
might have stepped right out of Sandhurst. In him you saw the pukka British officer
War
I,
who
led his troops across
No Man's Land
in
World
swinging his walking stick and looking bored at Death.
"I say, Captain," said he in a perfect Piccadilly accent, "what's
all
the shooting about?"
"Oh," drawled Sam, having a
bit of sport.
gang of saboteurs
"Damned rude
in
some
"it's just
They
of your Jap friends, Major,
evidently don't
want us
to pick
up your
North Borneo."
of them," muttered the Aussie, tugging at his
mus-
tache.
Thus did Major William L. Forces, cloak and dagger
man
"Bill" Jinkins,
Australian Imperial
par excellence, get his
first
real
bap-
tism of depth charges.
we should get damned strait tonight." The enemy counterattack lasted for two hours, during which sevenprobably aheadteen depth charges and a number of lesser charges "Well, don't be discouraged," said Sam, "with luck
through
thrown
this
projectiles similar to
our "mouse traps"
— —were dropped. Only
damage was done and nerves a bit jangled. The Harder slipped away southward under a protective "layer" at 300 feet and at 1550 was able to return to periscope depth. Immedi-
superficial
ately
two Fubuki-type destroyers were sighted and warhorse Dealey
promptly sounded battle
stations,
approach on them. However,
at a
submerged, and commenced an
range of 4000 yards the destroyers
reversed course and disappeared.
Things were looking more and more ominous for the Harder. Echoranging was heard from several different bearings. The destroyers were obviously looking for her. First, two were sighted, then three.
One
detachment was equipped with a "bedspring"-type radar on her foremast, so that even night surface running was going to be of the latter
hazardous.
And maybe
they had radar-equipped night flying planes.
)
748
Aleutians to the Mariana^
Two medium bombers had
been sighted during the afternoon and one them had dropped two bombs, although not very close. Despite all her crawling to northward, the Harder was still about where she had started some twelve hours before. of
And
the plight of
Major
Jinkins' coast-watcher saboteurs
was des-
perate.
At 1725 Dealey again sounded
battle
began an
as he
stations
approach upon the group of three destroyers which were apparently patrolling in the area of his last attack.
course and the opportunity was Nevertheless, in spite of
all
lost.
these signs of a concentration designed
end the Harder' s career, when,
to
However, these too reversed
at
1
were sighted heading for her position,
840 it
six
DD's
required
in line of
bearing
of the persuasive
all
powers of Frank Lynch to convince Sam that discretion would be the better part of valor. Dealey evidently his
man-mountain Exec,
Of
this incident
Sam
oly
on the whole
its
which he
to restrain the vein of recklessness
undoubtedly knew ran through
Harder has worn out
depended upon the judgment of
wrote
his
"Looks
in his patrol log:
welcome
Pacific
body.
War
here.
We
this date.
felt
as
if
as
though the
we had a monop-
(Such popularity must be
preserved.
"Made tion here
a quick review of the whole picture and decided that discre-
was
definitely the better part of valor.
navigational position in a narrow currents,
The
battery
was low,
boat was none too good, the crew was fatigued, and our
air in the
was not well known.
gotten one or two conditions,
more
of the
I
strait,
with strong and variable
really believe that
enemy
ships, but
a persistent and already humiliated
sinkings within
24 hours and
we might have
under the above
enemy
just off a fleet base)
listed
(after
two
would probably
have developed an attack from which the Harder might not have pulled through.
No
apologies are
would have been made at "Commenced evading to
ble
made
too great a
for
my
withdrawal.
The gam-
risk.
the northward in an effort to lose the
destroyers and get on with our assigned task."
Well after the tropic night had destroyer patrol
some
fallen, the
Harder surfaced with the
ten miles to southward of her, and headed
north with two of her four diesels on propulsion and the other two
"jamming
juice" into the depleted storage battery, or "can," as
it
was
generally called.
The
ship's radar screen
was purposely kept trained away from the
Men which would warn them of the submarine's
were
watch for night
utilized to
fliers.
Work
German
destroyers lest they have the recently developed tor
at
749
radar detec-
position. All lookouts
The moon was
and
full
bril-
liant.
Suddenly
ahead
at
at
2206, radar contact was made on a small object dead
1500 yards.
was immediately sighted from the bridge," first believed to be a small boat. At
"It
records the Harder 's log, "and at
1200 yards
it
was discovered
to
be a low pinnacle sticking straight up
out of the sea, with white foam breaking around
Ordered
it.
full right
rudder and came within 400 yards of grounding on this pinnacle as we reversed course. Special credit is due to Wilbur Lee Clark, RT2c,
USNR,
for his alert watchstanding
which undoubtedly prevented a
grounding which might well have been disastrous. Headed to the eastward while navigator again took star sights and checked our position.
"Radar now made contact on Sibutu Island
light
and correct posi-
was established."
tion
Captain Murray Tichenor also was credited with an ing
up
this pinnacle that
Harder had grounded
at
was part of the same
0730
this
assist in pick-
on which the
reef
same day. In fourteen and a
half
hours she had advanced exactly zero miles toward her rendezvous with Major Jinkins' cloak and dagger boys.
However, the thought of two enemy destroyers
in their
Rising Sun flags to be added to the rainbow they would ing to port
— served
and tear on nerves
as to
some compensation
—two
bag
on return-
fly
for loss of sleep
and wear
which those aboard the Harder had been sub-
jected for the last twenty-four hours.
The next morning, through east tip of
the periscope, they sighted the north-
slipping by. They had won the Battle The rendezvous could be reached by nightfall.
Borneo slowly
Sibutu Passage.
of
BY FAR THE MOST AMBITIOUS OF THE PACIFIC AMPHIBIOUS
invasions,
ana Islands
Operation
—was
set for
"Forager"
June
15.
—
the
assault
Although there are
on
the
islands strung out along the 145th meridian east longitude, the
attack
been
was
to be
Mari-
fifteen of these
main
upon Saipan, Tinian and Guam, all of which had than Tarawa and Kwajalein because until
less heavily fortified
1944 Japan did not believe they could be attacked. Nimitz's blueprint
750
Aleutians to the Mariana^
hundred and
called for five lifting
thirty-five
combat ships and
auxiliaries,
127,521 troops to targets wljieh7 were as much as 1000 miles
away from Eniwetok
Moreover, the topography of
in the Marshalls.
marked degree from that encountered in Mountainous and dotted with caves, the islands
the Marianas differed to a
previous invasions.
offered their defenders a substantial degree of comfort and protection,
and the native populations of Saipan and of Tinian, three miles
to the south,
were
fiercely loyal to Hirohito.
Guam, on
the other
hand, had been a United States Protectorate for three generations and its
Chamorros remained pro-American
eral
3
1
,629 troops, including
airfields,
Navy and
Gennumbered
to the end. Lieutenant
Yoshitsugu Saito's combined forces
the
in
islands
Special Marines, two operational
and the customary beach defenses and coastal guns.
Against
this
background Nimitz organized a Joint Expeditionary
Force under Spruance, which was composed as follows:
Northern Attack Force (TF 52) commanded by Turner, and with
Holland M. Smith embarked,
lifting the
2nd and 4th Marine DiviLSDs. This force was
sions in thirty-seven transports, auxiliaries and
formed
in the
Hawaiian
Islands.
(TF 35) commanded by
Southern Attack Force
Major General Roy Geiger and
the III
support and bombardment groups),
all
Conolly, with
Amphibious Corps (with
its
Guam
on
of which were to hit
D-Plus One. Floating Reserve
(TG
51.1)
commanded by Rear Admiral W.
H. P. Blandy, embarking the 27th Infantry Division under Major General Ralph C. Smith.
The seas. It
task forces put to sea on June 6, in clear weather and calm
was D-Day
in
Normandy, and
the
news was greeted with wild
enthusiasm. Rear Admiral Waldron L. "Pug" Ainsworth, ing the
bombardment group,
command-
sent this message to his heavy ships:
"Today a large United States Naval Force of which your ship is a part is on its way to take the Islands of Saipan and Tinian away from the Japs, and make them give up Guam to its rightful owners ... I promise you days and nights of hard fighting, as we must make the sea safe for our transports and pave the way for our Marines with plenty of ready; and
dence
in
we
your
shells
ability to
We
and bombs.
are going into close action.
I
put the Japs where
are trained;
we
are
have the utmost confiall
good ones are
." .
.
Air power for Saipan was provided by Mitscher's Fast Carrier Forces, which were divided into four groups as follows: under Rear
Men Admiral Joseph
"Jocko" Clark
J.
(TG
at
Work
751
58.1) were carriers Bataan,
Belleau Wood, Hornet and Yorktown; under Rear Admiral A. E.
Montgomery (TG 58.2) carriers Bunker Hill, Cabot, Montgomery and Wasp; under Rear Admiral Joseph W. Reeves (TG 58.3) were Enterprise, Lexington, Princeton and San Jacinto; and under Rear Admiral W. K. Harrill (TG 58.4) Cowpens, Essex and Langley. Two hundred miles east of Guam, on June 1 1 Mitscher ordered off the ,
first
substantial strike
on Tinian and Saipan, and thereafter main-
tained the offensive despite ineffectual counterattacks by
based
enemy
land-
aircraft.
The pre -landing naval bombardment was initially provided by new battleships under the command of the man who had won
seven
Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, Willis Augustus Lee.
for us the decisive
On D-Minus-Two Tinian but with
Lee's
less
command
let fly
broadsides at Saipan and
than the desired results, because these battle-
wagons were accustomed
to high-speed rather than stationary targets,
having previously operated only with carriers.
On D-Minus-One,
Rear Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf took over with
five old battleships,
and for hours pumped high-calibre gets.
The
results
were a good deal
practiced their riflery at the Koolau
shells into the
because these ships had
better,
Range
Saipan-Tinian tar-
in Hawaii.
However, bat-
tleship California, while dueling with a shore battery near Tinian,
suffered a hit which killed one
man and wounded
nine others. De-
stroyer Braine
was
enemy
on Tinian's north coast scored another
battery
also hit, with three
ship Tennessee the next day, June 14, ties
dead and
fifteen
wounded. hit
on
An
battle-
D-Minus-One, and the casual-
were eight dead and twenty-six wounded.
During the June 14 bombardment ninety-six frogmen, under Lieutenant
Commander Draper
L. Kauffman, hit the beaches at Saipan
and blew up underwater obstacles there while charting the
Taken under heavy
fire
from
all
manner
reef.
of shore emplacements, the
Underwater Demolition Teams nevertheless accomplished the
first
daylight reconnaissance of the war. Their casualties were moderate.
For the
story of
D-Day, we turn again
Russell Harris and Frank Manson.
to Walter Karig,
with
CAPTAIN WALTER KARIG,
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER RUSSELL L. HARRIS AND LIEUTENANT COMMANDER FRANK A. MANSON
12.
MARIANAS COMPLETED
Ashore on Saipan
— and
offshore and over
United States forces engaged operation
was
triumphant
fleet.
Although
having
in the
easy
less
tactical surprise
too
it,
—
that part of the
primary objective of the Marianas going
than
Mitscher's
had been achieved on June
twice-
15, the Japa-
nese had rallied quickly and used their massed mortars and light artillery
with vicious
and infantrymen
lost
effect.
By
field
the end of the third day, the Marines
very close to 5,000
men
in killed
and disabling
wounded. Saipan was no coral
was no
atoll
such as the Marshalls and Carolines.
trackless jungle, like Guadalcanal.
It
It
was a heavily populated,
intensively cultivated island of 81 square miles, containing three well-
developed communities of which Garapan on the west coast was not only the largest but the capital of the whole Marianas group.
From
almost the mathematical center of the island volcanic action had thrust Mt. Tapotchau's hills,
peak 1,554
and ridges radiating from
in,
feet high, with lesser
mountains,
merging into a high plateau on the
north and melting away into the broad, richly arable lowlands in the south. Thus, in a space 12 miles by 5 or 7, every kind of fighting terrain
was concentrated.
The Japs knew
the island from
more than
twenty-five years of
ownership and development. The American forces knew
752
it
only from
753
Marianas Completed
and the information was very inadequate.
aerial reconnaissance,
up
especially fouled
enemy
4th Marine Division, with the result that a strong
mained established
American
lines
The plan
—although
surrounded
—
in
and four bloody days were spent to land
Garapan along the west
in eliminating
of
the
it.
on the
coast.
Harry Schmidt's 4th Division was
force re-
center
the
2nd Marine Division under left and to drive north
of invasion called for the
Major General T. E. Watson against
It
the landing and penetration of elements of the
On
its
right,
Major General
to cut east across the island to
Magicienne Bay and then parallel the 2nd's advance on the east
The Army's 27th
coast.
Infantry Division, under
Major General
Ralph C. Smith, had the job of cleaning up the southern Saipan and capturing Aslito
took three days of
It
By
division
Marine divisions
bitter fighting for the
the positions for their parallel coasts.
fringe of
airfield.
march northward along
to
the opposite
the end of the third day the 165th Infantry of the
had captured Aslito
win
Army
and with the 105th Regiment
airfield,
began the slow yard-by-yard task of herding the retreating Japanese into
Nafutan Point the small southernmost peninsula of Saipan.
Four times were
mass
the United States ground forces subjected to
Japanese counterattacks, and thrice in spectacularly unorthodox fashion.
The
first
came on
the night of
D-Day. Puzzled Marine scouts
reported something like an old-fashioned political rally taking place
near Garapan that evening. There was
much
flag-waving, endless
stump speeches from Tank-tops, with the enemy troops cheering and milling about in a sort of emotional debauch.
What was happening, in reserve
as events soon proved,
were whipping themselves up
o'clock that night the
enemy troops
columns of platoons behind ing
it
up
for the
started
their tanks,
was
that the Japanese
to fighting pitch.
still
down
At
eight
the shore road in
waving
flags
and whoop-
Empire.
The Marines'
6th Regiment braced
itself.
Tanks and
half-tracks
began to converge to break up the parade, and word was flashed the
bombardment
to
ships.
Closer and closer came the Japanese, stealthy as the Third Ward Chowder Club marching to its annual picnic. And then some officer either detected signs of diminishing ardor,
overwhelmed by the urge grams conceived
Anyhow,
which
to deliver himself of
is
doubtful, or
some
was
patriotic epi-
march began. was called and the 2,000 troops clustered
after the
a halt
for a
754 final
Aleutians to the Mariana^ harangue.
was almost too good to be true, thought the Navy's The range was flashed' to sea, and a few broadsides support wound up the jamboree as effectively as a It
spotters ashore.
from the
fire
thunderstorm at a strawberry
festival.
The 25th Marine Regiment
lost
400 yards
hard-won
of
territory to
a determined Japanese counterassault carried out in strictly military
ground that was rewon with
fashion,
two other grand of the
assaults, while not
ended
first,
just as disastrously. In
what appeared
their tanks for
interest the next day.
But the
accompanied by the grotesqueries
to be the
one the Japanese massed
makings of a German-style
Panzer attack, but sent their armored vehicles against the waiting
Marines two or three
at a time,
without infantry support.
One Marine
company, "B" of the 6th Regiment, took care of the slow-motion piecemeal drive without trouble. The enemy
unscathed boys of
Company
lost
31 tanks to the
B.
Third of the extraordinary Japanese counterattacks was directed
Army
against the
row Nafutan
the night of June fell
upon
elements which had penned the Japanese into nar-
Point.
Some 600
26
of the
enemy
burst out the
woods on
yelling "seven lives to repay our country"
a battalion of the 105th Infantry.
They did not
and
stop to fight
the surprised soldiers, but raced through their lines toward Aslito
now
in full
operation thanks to the quick repair job done by
The infantrymen
shot the berserk Japanese like shooting rabbits
airfield,
the Seabees.
from a
blind.
Many
of the
enemy reached
the airfield and began
smashing up three airplanes before the startled Seabees piled out of their
beds and put an end to that
—and
an end to several score
The survivors then went whooping off to the northward, where they ran into a small reserve group of the 25th Marines,
Japanese.
who were
No
thoroughly irritated
at
having their rest disturbed.
doubt some percentage of the Japanese escaped into the
and woods
to join
up with the main enemy
forces, but
more than
hills
five
hundred dead ones were found scattered along the route of the lunatic lunge.
As
for their slogan, instead of each Banzai-charger taking
seven American
lives,
the five hundred
who were
killed
were accom-
panied in death by a bare half dozen infantrymen. In the
first
three or four days of fighting, a dead Japanese was a
rare sight for the advancing invaders.
A
dead enemy
is
almost as
valuable as a living prisoner to the intelligence officers, and some-
755
Marianas Completed times
more
valuable, for he cannot
tell
or destroy important
lies
papers on his person.
Yet for
the desperate fighting and vigorous shelling with every-
all
thing from mortars to the ships' big guns, apparently few Japanese
were wounded and almost none
killed. It
was not
enemy's secret was discovered. They carried
and buried them
in retreating,
secretly
.
.
all
for days that the
their
dead with them
.
EVEN BEFORE SAIPAN WAS SECURED INTELLIGENCE reached Spruance aboard Indianapolis of a developing Japanese
by
counterattack
Jisaburo Ozawa.
the
Mobile
First
under
Fleet
The enemy's A-Go plan
predicated on the assumption that the United States
tempted into waters south of the Wolai-Yap-Palau
would
fall
aircraft.
Admiral
Vice
for decisive action
was
Navy could be where
line,
it
prey to Ozawa's fuel-conscious carriers and land-based
However,
in
the First Mobile Fleet
due course
this
was permitted
plan was amended so that
to extend
its
operating range to
include the Marianas. Fuel being a critical factor for the Imperial
Japanese Navy, the decision had been made on the highest echelons
and over the strong objections of certain members of the Imperial General
Staff.
When Saipan began to receive the violent ministrations of the Fifth Fleet, A-Go received a green light. With five carriers, four light carfive battleships,
riers,
twenty-eight
eleven heavy cruisers, two light cruisers and
destroyers,
Ozawa departed Tawi Tawi
Opposing him were seven ships,
eight
heavy
for
carriers, eight light carriers, five battle-
thirteen
cruisers,
light
cruisers
and
sixty -nine
destroyers of
Task Force
Flying
had made successive contact with Ozawa's
Fish
58. After submarines Redfin, Seahorse
Spruance on June 14 ordered of
battle.
air
searches to
commence. By
and
forces,
the night
June 18/19 both Ozawa and Mitscher were ready. The Japanese
forces were lined
hundred miles
up so
—and
that
Ozawa's main body was about four
his carriers
about three hundred miles
from Task Force 58. Mitscher, ordered
to rendezvous with
—
distant
Lee while
covering Saipan, received from Spruance a wrong estimate of the
enemy's position and intentions.
Had
this
not happened, Mitscher
might have discovered the enemy sooner and opened the battle on
own
terms. Nevertheless,
first
blood was drawn
at
his
5:30 a.m., June 19
756 when
Aleutians to the Marianas a
Monterey Hellcat sighted two Judys and shot down one;
thirty
minutes later destroyers do\ynecT a second carrier-based
craft.
Phase one of the battle of the Philippine Sea, "The Turkey
air-
Shoot," was underway.
This unique and stunning American victory (jg) Stanley Vraciu,
collaborator,
is
described by Lt.
one of the great heroes of the
Edward H.
Sims.
battle, with his
LIEUTENANT (jG) STANLEY VRACIU
WITH EDWARD
H. SIMS
!3
HELLCAT AT THE
TURKEY SHOOT
Pilots
aboard Lexington had been aware of the impending battle for
days.
They had been disappointed when Lexington and other Task
Force carriers did not steam west during the night of the the approaching
went
strike
was nine
off
enemy
fleet,
order to launch a
in
And
next morning.
1
8th,
dawn
toward
strike.
No
search planes had found nothing.
It
o'clock.
Vraciu was one of twelve
VF
16 fighter pilots on the
alert.
The
squadron commander, Lieutenant Commander Paul Buie, would lead any scramble, Vraciu leading the second division (the second fourplane unit). But there had already been an aerial battle that morning.
Japanese fighters based on
Guam swarmed
into the air at approxi-
mately 7:15. They were met by fighters from Belleau Wood, orbiting
above
Guam
for that very purpose,
other carriers. craft
The
and by
fighters
scrambled by
score had been impressive: thirty-five
had been destroyed for the
loss of
one Hellcat!
It
enemy
air-
was an omen
of bigger things to come.
Though search
planes had not located the Imperial
fleet,
it
was
nevertheless within range and had already launched an all-out strike
At approximately 9:50 radar screens on various ships began to reflect the images of a large raid. At four minutes past ten, general quarters was sounded aboard Lexington, and as the at the U.S. fleet.
warning
bell
sounded throughout the
ship.
Vraciu and the other
pilots
757
758
Aleutians to the Marianas
on
dashed for
alert
This was
On
There was no question about
their fighters.
it.
7
•
was action
the flight deck the scene
it.
in color.
Engines were
beginning to roar as plane handlers in blue hurried chores. Plane directors
were dressed
hookmen
in yellow,
in green,
chockmen
and there were two monsters
purple,
fire fighters in red,
suits. It
was, as Theodore Taylor so ably described
it
in
in
in asbestos
The Magnifi-
cent Mitscher, "controlled frenzy."
In a few minutes Buie was roaring off the end of Lexington,
plowing through the sea
at close to
30 knots,
now
into the wind. After
Buie had cleared, and three others, Vraciu, making an "end" speed of
90 knots, pulled back on the
stick
and dragged the F6F
off the
end of
the flight deck.
Soon the twelve F6F's from Lexington were climbing into the west, Buie far out front and the others strung out behind. Vraciu had difficulty
keeping up; his engine was throwing
engine, which could outperform his own. for-leather for the
enemy,
away from Vraciu
in the process.
oil
and Buie had a new
The skipper was going
have been, but he was pulling
as he should
Apparently some of the other Hellcats couldn't keep pace Vraciu noticed the skipper had
He found
were dropping back. ers,
which gave him
the fighters of
many
six in all.
hell-
lost his
either.
wingman, and several others
himself with several additional fight-
Buie pulled away
steadily, out front, as
carriers streaked into the west, the
morning sun
at their backs.
The sky was
of contrails.
full
wind and a bright sun
It
was a
as the blue-gray
clear day, with a westerly
F6F's
bit their
way up
into the
higher altitudes. Radar scanners had indicated the enemy's altitude at
24,000
feet,
and the defending
height. First reports
fighters
were straining to reach that
had indicated the enemy was 100 miles west,
bearing 260 degrees.
At
this
moment
by Lexington Campbell's
VF
15,
stroyed over sixty
was a
lull in
the
fighters,
first
interception of the
but by
those
of
enemy was made, not
Commander David Mc-
from Essex. (During the day
enemy
this
squadron de-
aircraft.) After the first interceptions there
the battle.
Vraciu, meanwhile, had seen no
enemy planes and no action. He As he reached 20,000
now
experienced trouble with his supercharger.
feet
and attempted
to put the engine in high blower,
it
cut out every
time he pushed the throttle handle forward.
Dismayed, and disappointed because he had been unable
to inter-
759
Hellcat at the Turkey Shoot
cept the enemy, Vraciu reported to the fighter director aboard Lex-
He was
ington.
ordered to orbit near the carrier with his six
fighters.
The F6F's circled their floating base in a wide arc, and waited. Vraciu had time to check his instruments, guns and gunsight. The engine gauges were normal.
though
wouldn't
it
The engine was smooth and running
into high blower.
shift
Vraciu could see other
He
orbiting above other ships in the distance.
fighters
cool,
continued
circling ... for ten, twenty, twenty-five minutes.
air armada is now on the way, unknown to Lexington, below, the radar screen Aboard moment. the
Another large enemy Vraciu
at
ominous
detects the
F6F's orbit above Lex-
spots. Suddenly, as the
ington, the fighter director breaks in over the radio: "Vector 265!"
Vraciu knows by the tone of voice that
He banks
a
into
this is
something
265-degree heading and quickly pushes the
He
handles which charge his six 50-caliber guns.
which
is
operating properly, and glances behind
are in proper formation.
To
pointed in the direction he carriers to the
is
the
checks the gunsight,
to see
is
comrades
obviously vectored by other
warn the enemy gaggle
is
.
.
.
down below
very close. Vraciu
Three unidentified specks
He
is
in the
sky ahead! "Tally-ho!" he
not sure of the identity of the three strang-
They're slightly below the Hellcats ahead.
enemy armada. Vraciu, known
And
for keen eyesight, scans the sky,
three specks are ten miles in the distance.
He
this can't
be the
up and down. The all around them,
looks
then he takes a long look at the air space beneath them. Faintly
specks in
.
.
dots ... a mass of dots!
.
esti-
twenty-five miles west of Lexington. At that instant he
yells into the mike. ers.
his
he can see other Hellcats
side
flying,
For ten minutes the Hellcats streak westward
sees them!
if
bogeys approaching from the west.
fighter directors
mates he
big.
must be
It
fifty.
Vraciu again
.
.
.
calls
over the mike: "Tallyho, eleven o'clock low!"
Now
the
tempo
Other carrier interceptors spot
of events picks up.
The enemy planes
the Japanese and rush to meet them.
ously close to the U.S. carriers. There
Nerves
tingle
and
still
the two
courses; the Americans
larger
are danger-
not a minute to lose.
as the Hellcat pilots
oncoming enemy planes grow closer
is
and
watch the silhouettes of the larger. They come closer and
opposing forces continue on converging
want to intercept
the fleet as possible. Vraciu
is
as far
away from
ships of
so close he can see that the
enemy
planes are painted a light color, not the usual dirty greenish-brown.
760
Aleutians to the Marianas
There are Judys, ers,
Now big
and Zeroes
Jills
torpedo bombers and
enemy gaggle
in the
fighters!
/He7 reports
.
.
bomb-
dive
.
Lexington.
this to
the distance between the several groups of Hellcats and the
enemy formation
closes
and the Hellcats begin to rack
into tight
make deflection or sixenemy planes, which are at about 17,000 feet. one of the enemy planes off to the side. He stands on
turns as they arrive overhead and prepare to
o'clock passes on the
Vraciu spots
wing and carves an
his left
and
arc, reversing his course,
He
above for the three enemy
in sight.
The
big gaggle
and the sky
is
ahead
aircraft
is
nowhere
filled
with individual actions.
Now tail!
off to the
Vraciu has
The two pursuers are on converging Vraciu slaps his stick right and down. The Hellcat sticks down and with added speed roars beneath most of the enemy
spotted him just in time.
Vraciu pulls
He
sees a
to the left of the
enemy
pouring on throttle and closing the gap
mined
to get the job done; the
the victim ahead
His canopy
is
fast.
Judy widens
aircraft.
smeared with
oil,
This time he
finger
his vision obstructed, .
is
deter-
in his gunsight glass
comes within range. Vraciu's
.
is
on the
and
trigger.
and he wants to
.
of the Hell-
guns silence the engine. Shells converge into such a close
pattern that the Judy immediately begins to
only a second or two
murderous stream of It's
nose
its
gaggle and slices in behind,
300 feet, 200! make sure of this one. He is on him. Now! He squeezes the trigger. The shock and thunder cat's six
courses!
and turns back toward the melee.
clear,
Judy
enemy
the
almost in range of Varaciu's guns. But ...
another Hellcat, moving up on the enemy's
right,
checks the sky
so close to the fleet every Hellcat races to a target
soon
is
fighters; they're
out on
rolls
an approach from the rear port quart of the enemy.
left,
fly
to pieces. Vraciu has
being so close. The F6F's guns throw a
shells into the Judy's fuselage.
The dive bomber in the sight circle erupts in Vraciu manages to steer clear of the smoke and
too much.
explosion.
a fiery bits of
wreckage. In the excitement he shouts into the mike, triumphantly: "Splash one Judy!"
But the enemy
is
close to the
fleet.
No
time
is
to be lost. Vraciu
He clears by side. He will
pulls the stick into his belly and back out and then back his tail
and then picks out two more Judys
flying side
in.
make another dead-astern approach. And this time he will try to knock down two on one pass. Checking the sky behind, and finding his tail clear, he dips the stick and starts down on the enemy gaggle, letting
now down
so low that
some
of the dive and torpedo
in preparation for the attack on the
fleet.
bombers are
1
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763
Hellcat at the Turkey Shoot
is full of calls and shouts, as other F6F's maneuver desperknock the enemy planes out of the sky before they can deliver bomb loads on the U.S. carriers. The Judys and Jills, meanwhile,
The
air
ately to their
seek to avoid the U.S. fighters so they can carry out their attack.
The two Judys ahead
on. Vraciu will
fly
right. He rams the throttle all the way forward. The big and steps up on the Judys from behind. The rear gunner
Hellcat roars
time sees
this
approach, however, and twinkles from his 7.7 machine gun
F6F
the
on the
close the one
first
catch Vraciu's eye. Responding, Vraciu opens with his six guns. rear
gunner continues
his
begins to
fall off
on the
but
fire
and volume of
accuracy
the
the Judy, which staggers and
dooms
Vraciu's shooting immediately
right wing.
Vraciu keeps up the
fire.
A
long
of black
trail
smoke
stretches
backward. As the second victim wings over, the Jap gunner rear cockpit
Judy plunges to the sea
He
away.
firing
is still
at the
goes
and
The
on the
is
battle
is
firing;
column
with
slips left,
and
fast
left
dodges
nimbly
But
them.
climax. Following
South
in the battleship force farther west, are not so
But most of the Japanese planes have is
torpedo
drop torpedoes intended for
Dakota takes a bomb and Indiana receives a
defense. Vraciu
of smoke.
rudder and
Two enemy
furious.
at this time,
Lexington
flagship.
Dakota and Indiana, lucky. South
still
vertical
in the
the burning
other.
everywhere
bombers reach Lexington Mitscher's
down
bottom of a
Without a moment's hesitation, Vraciu stick,
The
failed to penetrate the fighter
working on victim No.
up
his
second
kill,
he
suicider.
is
3 as the battle reaches a
now
within firing range of
the third Judy, to the
left.
A
Judy
fire.
Flames and smoke streak backward.
instantly catches
short burst produces quick results; the
Vraciu follows with another short burst
at
point-blank range, and
watches the burning enemy bomber wobble out of formation and take the fatal dive. Three victories in a matter of minutes! But the at-
tackers continue on course. Vraciu takes time to radio Lexington:
"Don't see
With up
how we can
possibly shoot 'em
that sentiment he plunges
to radio Lexington;
now he
all
down. Too many!"
back into the
fray.
He had
pulled
leans forward in a dive at a fourth
Judy!
The Judy ahead
is
breaking away from the formation. Vraciu
curves in behind him, once again closing from the rear. Neither the
enemy
pilot
nor the
tail
gunner seems to have caught
swooping down from the
rear.
In seconds, Vraciu
sight of the is
F6F
only several
764
Aleutians to the Marianas
hundred
behind
feet
him up
his fourth victim. Carefully lining
in the
gunsight circle, Vraciu again squeezes jthe trigger.
The
effect of his fire
is
Judy immediately bursts Victory No. 4!
even more devastating than before. The
and wobbles wildly
into flame
to the right.
deadly accurate gunnery. Out the side of his eye
It is
Vraciu sees most of the Judys pulling to one side or the other, prepar-
on the
ing for runs
The
below.
torpedoes
clearly visible
ahead and
low, begin shallow glides, preparing to drop
at selected targets.
fourth burning victim, his
now
ships of the fleet,
down
Jills,
now
Vraciu immediately turns away from his
out of control. With
full throttle
he points
nose at three Judys about to wing over into dive-bombing runs on
a ship below.
Vraciu wonders
if
he can reach the three in time. The distance
short, but the first of the three
ahead.
The
Pratt and
blue-gray Hellcat
Whitney on the
is
Judys
strains,
and the F6F
last of the
is
almost over the ship target
is
steadily closes.
Judys, but the
first
is
The over
the target. Five-inch flack begins to dot the sky as Vraciu readies his
aim
to
open
accurate.
is
the
As
fifth
on the
third plane.
instantly
Shells
distance,
the
fire
pieces
the
strike
dive
the
of
He
squeezes the trigger.
Judy
victim disintegrates, he can see the
as
he closes
fly
backward.
and,
bomber's engine first
Aim
of the three Judys
diving on a big ship below. Still at full throttle,
and aims
at the
Vraciu sees the
he banks away from the fiercely burning Judy
second first
Judy
still
into his dive-bombing run starts
down
diving.
The Judy ahead now wings over
a vertical dive. the big
F6F
It's
destroyer. Vraciu sees five-inch bursts altitude decreases the flak gets thicker.
The heavy overtaking the Judy. At
all
He
effort to bring
a dangerous feat.
is
down
at ever-
zeroing in on the U.S.
around him, and as the will
fighter rockets straight terrific
an
plunges straight
increasing speed. Ahead, the diving Judy
in seconds.
below,
on a destroyer. Vraciu stands on a wing and
after him. He'll risk anti-aircraft fire, in
down the dive bomber in The wind screams as
Down
three-bomber formation.
in the
have to
down.
finish the job
He
is
rapidly
speed, he glances through the gunsight
Now! The F6F's guns thunder and tracers enemy dive bomber. Vraciu hangs on for a few seconds, wondering how long he can fire. At that instant he where the Judy had been. The enemy's blinks at a bright explosion
glass
and waits
streak straight
.
.
.
seconds.
down
into the
—
bomb must have
detonated. Vraciu yanks back on the stick, blood
draining from his head, and pulls out of the screaming dive.
As he
levels out,
and draws away from the destroyer, he glances
765
Hellcat at the Turkey Shoot
behind to see what's happening below. The is
now
first
Judy
directly over a U.S. battleship, farther away.
formation
in the
Vraciu watches,
enemy pilot will succeed in crashing into the battle wagon. He picks up the mike and radios Lexington: "Splash No. Six! One more dive bomber ahead diving on a battleship." However, the curtain of iron thrown up by the battleship's anti-air-
frozen, to see
if
the
—
guns explodes the dive bomber.
craft feet!
Vraciu breathes a sigh of
A
bright flash at a thousand
relief.
Climbing for altitude again, he scans the sky for other enemy
Almost miraculously, the sky seems completely cleared of the
planes.
enemy. In every direction he sees only Hellcats. The enemy formation has been received by the fighters of Still,
some
there must be
the surface below to see the water.
He
of the
any
if
Jills
are closing the ships just above
can find no enemy planes, either directly on the water
The
or in the sky in any direction. out, probably to the last plane.
dive
many carriers. enemy left; Vraciu looks down on
big
enemy gaggle has been wiped
Vraciu himself hasn't done badly;
bombers and twelve enemy airmen
six
sent to a watery grave. This
was a day Butch O'Hare would appreciate!
On
board the carriers below, radar screens show the sky cleared of
enemy
aircraft.
but
escaped injury. The
all
Judys attacked Lexington, Enterprise and Princeton, fleet is in
by the enemy are staggering. The the line of ships,
good condition. Losses suffered
air battle
had raged up and down
and the attackers were slaughtered
as in
no other
interception of the war.
many of the ships as Vraciu turns toward now clear, and prepares to land. Some pilots are down on their carriers. Many have great tales to tell.
Jubilation reigns aboard
Lexington, the sky already putting
Air Group 15, aboard Essex, destroyed more than sixty 16,
from Lexington, accounted for
Vraciu's total of six
Now
Vraciu
is
is
forty-four,
for
aircraft.
VF
a loss of four.
high for the squadron.
approaching from
his assigned sector,
and as he
reaches the outer screen of ships around Lexington, American antiaircraft
gunners open
Startled,
"IFF"
is
fire
on him.
Vraciu jinxes immediately, turns away from the
operating normally.
Why
have the ships
a radar device designed to identify
him
fired
fire.
His
on him? IFF
as a friendly aircraft.
is
Rather
than take further chances,Vraciu detours around the straight for Lexington.
Over
the anti-aircraft gunners
Soon he
is
the radio he offers
—too
fire, and heads some philosophy to
strong for print.
approaching Lexington, which plows through the seas
:
766
Aleutians to the Marianas
into the wind,
come down, tail
undamaged, taking aboard
Hellcats. Vraciu prepares to
circling to the left, batfkirig into the landing approach,
hook extended. He
now
is
one of the great
to be the center of
human-interest moments of the war. Ahead, the landing signal officer gives
him
the "cut," and Vraciu pulls throttle back
all
the way, feels
The oil-spattered fighter bangs the hook engages. Vraciu is snapped to a
himself settling toward the deck.
deck, bounces, and then the stop.
The
cable
is
tail
He
disengaged.
taxies to the parking area,
canopy
back, looking up toward the bridge, a grin on his wind-blown face.
Mitscher looks
down from
up
the bridge. Vraciu holds
six fingers.
Mitscher gets the message.
Vraciu cuts the engine, unbuckles belt and harness, and climbs out
on the wing. His crew
chief
They beam when he
relates
and other deck personnel rush
how
the six
enemy
to his side.
aircraft
had
fallen
before his guns. Another well-wisher hurries up to the twenty-fiveyear-old ace.
It
is
the small, tanned face of
Marc Mitscher
that
catches Vraciu's eye.
By now, photographers and
other pilots are crowding around.
Mitscher comes right up to Vraciu and congratulates him personally for flaming six Japs.
He
shakes the smiling
pilot's
hand
feelingly, then
steps to one side. Vraciu answers questions for the others.
The photographers go comes
history.
to work,
and Vraciu's
Comparatively unnoticed, to the
"flight of six" be-
side,
Mitscher enjoys
the scene. Then, embarrassed, he asks to pose with the
young
flier,
with a qualification
"Not
for publication.
To keep
for myself."
THE FIRST DAY'S ACTION Philippine sea had cost
Ozawa
Taiho and Shokaku had
and he had
mander
lost
315
fallen to
carrier
was asked
if
the
THE BATTLE OF THE
submarines Albacore and Cavalla,
and land-based
of the First Mobile Fleet
arms. Parenthetically,
IN
dearly: in addition to Hitaka, carriers
aircraft.
was not quite ready
when Ozawa was
But the com-
to lay
down
his
war he
interrogated after the
Turkey Shoot and the submarines' score had made
any appreciable difference
in his plans.
He
replied:
"No
.
.
.
but a
necessitated change in Japanese movements."
For the conclusion of A-Go, we present Rear Admiral Samuel Eliot Morison.
REAR ADMIRAL SAMUEL ELIOT MORISON
14.
PHILIPPINE SEA:
ACTION AND CONCLUSION
June 20 dawned clear and
fair,
with a golden sunrise. In the course of
weak remnants of a cold front brought increased cloudiness and showers. Across Task Force 58 the wind blew due east most of the day, dropping to 10-12 knots velocity at 0900 and to very light variables at night. In this American sector of the Philippine Sea, as we might call it, the sea remained calm with a gentle ground swell; temperature of both air and water was about 85° Fahrenheit. The
the day,
1
glass held so steady, at
around 29.85, that altimeter
planes could be forecast with accuracy. the sea the
settings for the
Over on the Japanese
wind was more often southeasterly than
easterly.
Admiral Ozawa did not neglect search. At 0530 nine
and three
failed to return.
They found noth-
At 0645 Obayashi
sent six planes to
search the sector from 50° to 10°.
One
of these, at 0713, reported
two American carrier planes. Admiral Kurita, to
Ozawa
after a
float planes
sector.
went out from the van cruisers over a wide ing,
side of
in
communicating
this
good lapse of time and receiving some land-based
plane contacts via Tokyo, advised a quick retirement to Japan; but
Ozawa
evaluated the contacts as false (which some of them were)
and persisted
in his
plan to refuel that day and attack the next.
Subsequently he admitted that he should have delegated tactical com-
mand
to Kurita until he could
move
to a suitably equipped flagship;
if
he had done so, Kurita would have hightailed out promptly and there
would have been no Zuiho
battle
on 20 June. Finally,
at
1300, Chitose and
sent three torpedo planes searching the sector
between 100°
767
768
Aleutians to the Marianas
and 130°. One of these
1715 sighted a portion of Task Force 58
at
and so reported. But that was too
late-tolielp
With Commander Mobile Fleet and
his staff practically
nicado, there was great confusion about
two
oiler
groups at
lat.
Ozawa.
incommu-
making rendezvous with the
15°20'N, long. 134°40'E, as had previously
been ordered. The tankers were there and ready to deliver 0920, but
Ozawa's
many
staff
of the
combatant ships were
because
not,
by
fuel
(as
navigator explained) Taiho had been used as a sort of
focal point for navigation
and Taiho had gone down. For hours ships
milled around the rendezvous point, flag hoists being
made and low-
ered frequently, light signals blinking, and officers coming as near to
making nasty remarks over voice radio mitted.
Many
officers
as Japanese
were exceedingly nervous
was
attack while the disposition
in
lest
decorum per-
enemy planes
confusion or fueling.
Ozawa
did
not feel ready to give the fueling order until 1230, and, before
it
could be carried out, more rumors came in that enemy forces were closing,
and the order was canceled. Not a
single ship in the
Mobile
Fleet took in fuel that day.
In the meantime, Task Force 58 was closing distance; and
if
Mits-
cher had sent out a fair-sized search during the forenoon watch
would almost
certainly
have caught Ozawa
At 1300 Admiral Ozawa's
flag
in this
confused situation.
was transferred
improved communications the Admiral learned the the day before his carriers had lost
some 330
it
to Zuikaku.
With
bitter truth: that
planes, leaving but an
even hundred operational. Yet the only change that the tough old
made in his plan was to postpone his next strike until the 21st. Word came from Vice Admiral Kakuta, the land-based air commander at Tinian, that a good number of Japanese carrier planes had landed on Rota and Guam; true enough, but they were all shot up. And Ozawa assumed that Kakuta's air strength by this time had been augmented by planes staged in from Iwo, Yap and Truk, all ready to help him tear and rend Mitscher. No word had came from Toyoda to sailor
deny him a second attempt, so the plan held
—
strike
tomorrow with
everything he had.
As hour
after
hour passed without any sign of
their
enemy, the
Japanese began to hope that he had had enough. First evidence that a stern chase
was on came
at
1615 when cruiser Atago reported she
had intercepted American plane radio messages indicating Japanese had been sighted.
Ozawa
at
that the
1645 ordered fueling attempts
—
Philippine Sea: Action to
be called
off,
and Conclusion
altered the disposition's course
from
W
769
NW,
to
and
bent on 24 knots.
Atago was that
Task Force 58 had
right.
finally pulled
up
sufficiently so
afternoon 325-mile search, launched at 1330, reached the
its
enemy. The contact was made
1540 by an Enterprise Avenger
at
USNR,
piloted by Lieutenant R. S. Nelson
carrier pilot in all
first
these days of searching and fighting to sight a Japanese combatant ship.
Admiral Mitscher received the intimation that Lieutenant Nelson
had seen something, somewhere message was so garbled
—
—nobody could make out what,
1542.
at
A
the
quick decision was wanted, for
time was running out; the sun would set by 1900.
He
alerted the task force promptly,
ance that he expected to
must take place nite
and
1553 informed Spru-
at
make an all-out strike, even though recovery At 1557 Mitscher received Nelson's defi-
after dark.
contact report, that the Japanese Fleet, spread out in three
groups, was heading west at slow speed, apparently fueling. Eight
minutes
later, at
1605, Nelson corrected his
Japanese position as nearest
enemy group over 275
now reached It
lat.
first
report and gave the
14°30'N, long. 134°30'E. This placed the
lat.
miles from
Task Force 58, which had
14°N, long. 139°E, about 370 miles west of Rota.
was the corrected report that Atago overheard.
The danger
why
inherent in this decision, and the reasons
made, cannot be better stated than
in
was
it
Admiral Mitscher's own
words:
Taking advantage of fleet
was going
we were launching time that
it
opportunity to destroy the Japanese
this
to cost us a great deal in planes at the
maximum
would be necessary
meant
that
groups
at night,
all
carriers
to fight their
are damaged, or
them
after dark. This air
who were
not
at best.
way out
who
because
would be recovering daylight-trained
familiar with night landings
an attack are slow
pilots
range of our aircraft at such a
to recover
with consequent loss of some pilots
of an extremely hazardous
had
and
and who would be fatigued
end
at the
and long mission. Night landings
after
There are always stragglers who have of the
get lost. It
enemy
disposition,
was estimated
that
whose planes it
would
re-
quire about four hours to recover planes, during which time the
Carrier Task Groups would have to steam upwind or on an east-
770
Aleutians to the Mariana^
would take us away from the position of
erly course. This course
the
enemy
at a high rate. It
was
realized also that this
was a
single-
shot venture, for planes which were sent out on this late afternoon
would probably not
strike
Consequently, riers
A I
were
Commander
was informed
Fifth Fleet
strike.
that the car-
firing their bolt.
pep
little
be operational for a morning
all
talk
from Mitscher ending, "Give 'em
were with you," the word
"Man
hell,
boys; wish
Aircraft!" at 1610, and the pilots
ran across the deck as they never had before; chart boards under their arms, pistols at their hips, oxygen masks dangling from their helmets.
At 1621 Task Force 58 turned the
1636.
A
full
deckload was in the
54 torpedo-bombers Yorktown, Bunker six
into the wind, completed launching in
phenomenal time of ten minutes, and was back on
carriers
light
—from
the
air
six
— 85
fighters,
big carriers
(Hornet,
present
Wasp, Enterprise, Lexington and
Hill,
course at
its
77 dive-bombers,
five of the
Wood, Bataan, Monterey, Cabot, San
(Belleau
All Hellcats and Helldivers carried belly tanks for extra
Jacinto.)
A
gasoline.
second deckload was alerted, but Mitscher decided to
save that for next day.
At 1825, Japanese pilots sighted Mitscher's fliers; and they first enemy at 1840 after flying 275 to 300 miles at 130 to 140
sighted the
knots. Nature
had provided a romantic
cumstances, would have mental.
The lower limb
made
of the setting sun
zon; the thinnest golden silver of a half the sky
was covered with
between 3000 and 10,000
feet,
setting which, in other cir-
the Japanese sailors feel very senti-
was
just touching the hori-
new moon was
brilliantly
setting,
and about
colored clouds at altitudes
which favored the attackers. Surface
remained excellent during the gathering dusk. The American
visibility
planes were so near the end of their tether that there was no time to organize coordinated attacks. Fortunately for them,
Ozawa had
yet reformed his battle disposition to receive air attack; the
not
van no
longer interposed between the larger carriers and the American line of approach.
Six oilers protected by as of
enemy
many
ships encountered; these
destroyers
had been
made up left
the
astern
first
group
when Ozawa
turned up speed. The seven Japanese carriers were disposed as before in three
being
main groups, the approximate
lat.
position of flagships
Zuikaku
16°26'N, long. 133°30'E. Kurita's van, including Chitose,
Zuiho and Chiyoda, and most of the
battleships
and heavy
cruisers,
Philippine Sea: Action
were on a north-south
bearing about 38 miles
eight destroyers,
was
cruiser
(NW
a light
cruisers,
and seven destroyers, was steaming on course 320° about 18
NE
still
of Cardiv 2
NNW
and 40 miles
unequally distributed,
being with the van; and 1.5
Mogami
in a single disposition about 8 miles north
by W). Flagship Zuikaku, screened by two heavy
was
W by N of the
were making best speed on course 300°
of the van; both groups
miles
771
Cardiv 2 (Junyo, Hiyo, Ryuho), screened by Nagato,
oilers.
and
line of
and Conclusion
it
all
The
of the oilers.
screen
the most powerful gunfire ships
was a very
close screen
—
capital ships only
kilometers and destroyers only 2 kilometers from the center.
Ozawa
evidently
hoped
for his lack of planes.
to
compensate with intense
At about 1600 Cardiv
anti-aircraft fire
3 (Chitose,
Zuiho and
Chiyoda) had launched 16 planes to attack the Americans falsely reported
recovered
be
when
strikes,
advanced position, and
this
group was
the battle broke. Including these
and
all
Ozawa managed
75 planes airborne to meet the onslaught of 216 from pilots believed that not
interceptions,
Zekes and
other would-
search missions, near and distant combat air patrol, and a
pathetic "interception force" of fifteen,
American
at a
just being
TF
58.
The
over 35 aircraft participated in the
which were made very close
Hamps
to get about
to the ships; but these
few
did so well, in view of their meager strength, as to
create the impression that only experienced pilots
had survived the
Turkey Shoot. During the air-surface
battle,
which lasted about 20 minutes, every
Japanese ship maneuvered independently, turning in tight figure S's,
colors
—
and throwing up intense
anti-aircraft fire in a
"blue, yellow, lavender, pink, red, white,
circles
and
spectrum of
and black. Some
some dropped phosAmerican dive-bombers,
bursts threw out sparkling incendiary particles;
phorous-appearing streamers."
Some
of the
including those from Wasp, concentrated on the oilers which they en-
countered
and managed
first,
to disable two,
Genyo and Seiyo Maru,
which were abandoned and scuttled that evening. Dauntless planes, Helldivers, and Avengers from the Clark and
Reeves task groups concentrated on the carriers of Admiral Joshima's division. Lexington's pilots claimed to have sunk both Hiyo and
Junyo and
to
have damaged Ryuho, making altogether 16
Ryuho was not
hit,
hits.
But
and Junyo not sunk. Hiyo was sunk by torpedoes,
one of which the Japanese imputed to a submarine; but no submarine
was about. Here
is
the story of
what seems
Four Avengers from Belleau Wood
led
to
have happened.
by Lieutenant
(jg)
George
772
Aleutians to the Marianas
Brown USNR in company with four more from Yorktown, all armed with torpedoes, sighted JoshimS's division on their port hand and Zuikaku to starboard, from 12,000 feet. After circling Cardiv 2 to size it up, the Yorktown planes sped over to Zuikaku as the biggest target. Lieutenant Brown, thinking that Hiyo was good enough game B.
and noting a friendly cloud attack her.
A
to dive through, led his four planes to
made in the 50-degree dive to As they broke through the
180-degree turn was
place the setting sun behind the planes.
cloud and began leveling
ing out so as to approach acted, completely
The
last thing
they turned toward the carrier, spread-
off,
from
different quarters.
Hiyo looked, and
undamaged. Lieutenant
Brown
he would torpedo a carrier
at
any
cost.
He
did,
final run; part of the
port wing was shot
out, filling the center section of the plane with flames
the
radioman
As
the carrier
to bail out;
made
fire
burned
(jg)
home
his attack.
from an
And on
His torpedo probably
burst
which forced out.
now way down
the
hit; that
of his wing-
Benjamin C. Tate USNR, probably missed; but
the third torpedo, dropped by Lieutenant
USNR
he was
off; fire
a sharp turn to port, Lieutenant Brown,
itself out.
man, Lieutenant
fire as
and the radioman "booted" the gunner
alone in the Avenger, pressed the
that
and the cost was
heavy. His plane was hit several times by anti-aircraft
lowering for a
was
said before he took off
altitude of
400
feet,
(jg)
certainly
Warren R. Omark its mark and
found
exploded.
On
the retirement Lieutenant Tate's plane, which
several times by anti-aircraft
and had
lost the
use of
its
had been
hit
wing gun, was
chased by two Zekes, but Tate worked his way into a cloud and eluded them.
He
then joined wing on Lieutenant Brown, flying very
low. Brown's Avenger was badly shot up, and the pilot, severely
wounded and bleeding
profusely, could
no longer
steer a
straight
Omark, after two Vals and a Zeke, overtook Brown and led him toward
course. Tate finally lost contact with him. Lieutenant fighting off
"home"
until long after dark;
courses, disappeared its
when
but Brown's plane, steering erratic
passing through a cloud and was
lost,
with
intrepid pilot.
The two crewmen of this plane who made parachute landings safely, inflated interested cruiser cles,
spectators
Mogami and
almost running
of Hiyo's last
bailed out during the attack their life jackets
and became
moments. Battleship Nagato,
several destroyers steamed around her in cir-
down
the
men
in the water,
and then
retired,
and Conclusion
Philippine Sea: Action
773
leaving one destroyer to stand by. Fires spready rapidly over the
was burning from stem to stern. Three violent explowere sharply felt by the swimmers, and several smaller explofollowed. As darkness descended, Hijo, down by the bow so
carrier until she
sions sions
were out of water, cast a
that her propellers
brilliant light
surrounding waters. About two hours after the
hit
on the
she disappeared,
and the stand-by destroyer swept the area with her searchlight, looking for survivors. Both American crewmen were picked up next day
when
TF
a part of
58 passed through the scene of the
battle.
the five Enterprise Avengers led by Lieutenant
If
that also took part in this attack
Van V. Eason
had been armed with torpedoes,
as
Lieutenant Brown's had been, they might have sunk Ryuho; but they carried only bombs.
by the
Approaching
anti-aircraft bursts
in line, they
were so tossed about
— some from Nagato's main
battery
—
as to
be compared by the "tail-end Charley" of the pilots to a dancing
Commander "Killer" Kane of EnNagato and Mogami gave the "Big E"
blacksnake. Fighter planes led by terprise
went ahead,
boys so
much
Midway. The
strafing.
attention as to suggest they
were seeking revenge for
large quantities of tracers that their anti-aircraft gunners
shot upward, and the 5 -inch bursts that showered out bouquets of
red confetti with white streamers,
fiery
technics but fortunately did
flames 200 feet high. But whatever for
battle,
As
beautiful twilight pyro-
and observed a tremendous explosion on the
eight hits
cial,
made
no damage. Lieutenant Eason claimed
it
is
damage he
did
carrier, with
inflict
was
superfi-
not mentioned in the Japanese damage report of the
and Ryuho did not have
to go
home
for repairs.
the Enterprise Avengers pulled out of their dives, four Zekes
away "to match two Hellcats that came melee higher up." The ships continued to
got after them, but two broke
screaming fire
down
out of a
5 -inch shells at us
all
the
way out
to the
rendezvous area; looking
back, the sky was a mass of bursting shells, flaming planes, and the Hellcats and Zekes
Commander concerned (in
J.
lest
still
fighting
it
out above.
D. Arnold of Air Group 2 from Hornet was deeply
the biggest carrier escape, as she
which he had fought), through
smaller flattops.
He
pilots'
had
at
Coral Sea
concentrating
on the
therefore scouted ahead of a group that included
Yorktown's torpedo-bombers as well as
and ordered an attack on
her.
his
own, selected Zuikaku,
The "Happy Crane" had no Zekes
to
defend her, but she had not yet run out her luck. All but four of Arnold's Avengers had been armed with 500-pound G.P.
bombs
in-
774
Aleutians to the Marianas
Zuikaku dodged the two torpedoes that were dropped. Dive-bombers from Ente/pr&e and San Jacinto joined the fray. "Zuikaku was also strafed," said Captain Ohmae, "as I well stead of "fish," and
was on the bridge with Admiral Ozawa when Commander Ishigura, standing by his side, was struck by a machine-gun know, since
I
bullet splinter.
came hits
The
three or four strafing planes were very brave and
bomb
in low." In this onslaught the big carrier received several
and
five near-misses.
The explosions
started several fires
on the
hangar deck which quickly became unmanageable, and the order
Abandon Ship was actually given; but before it could be completely executed the damage control party reported progress, the order was rescinded, and to
all fires
were brought under control. Zuikaku returned
Kure under her own power and was repaired
in the
25 October
battle off
in
Cape Engano.
Four Avengers from Monterey, accompanied by Hill oiler
eight
from Bunker
and four from Cabot and eight Bunker Hill Hellcats, sighted the group
first;
but the group leader, Lieutenant R. P. ("Rip") Gift
"To
of Monterey, radioed to his fellows, let's
time to get sunk
hell
with the merchant
fleet,
go get the fighting Navy!" So they continued westward to attack
Kurita's van
—
the Chiyoda group
—
at the
southwest angle of the Jap-
anese trapezoid. These Avengers, too, were armed only with 500-
pound G.P. bombs. They made one hit on Chiyoda aft, which set her afire and wrecked her flight deck; one hit on battleship Haruna of the charmed life, which flooded a magazine; and a near-miss on cruiser
Maya
that caused fires to break out. Encountering only
over the target, they splashed one and
ment.
It
was perhaps
just as well that
made
a
two Zekes
fairly peaceful retire-
nearby Zuiho and Chitose,
counted battleships Yamato and Musashi
in their screens,
who
were ne-
glected by Lieutenant Gift's formation.
Considering the lack of time to coordinate attacks, the pressure that
American
pilots
were under to
hit
and run while darkness de-
scended over the sea, they were successful. They had sunk another carrier
and downed two
thirds of
Ozawa's remaining
aircraft.
Only
216 attacking American planes were lost in action, and a number of their pilots and crewmen were later recovered. Undoubtedly the attack would have done even better if more of the Avengers had been armed with torpedoes instead of bombs. But air torpedoing 20
of the
in the
beating
United States Navy had never entirely recovered from the it
had taken
at
Midway,
ers for the obsolete Devastators,
in spite of the substitution of
and of better
Aveng-
aerial torpedoes fitted
r Philippine Sea: Action
775
and Conclusion
with "pickle-barrel" false heads, enabling them to be dropped from higher altitudes and at greater speeds. Dive-bombing had established
Midway
itself at
as the best
method
to sink carriers.
big ships suitable as torpedo targets
added up
carrier planes for a year. All this
Moreover, few
had been encountered by the to neglect of air torpedo-
ing in the United States Navy; but the results of this battle reversed the trend.
As
the
Americans
was no
retired, there
pursuit,
and the only
at-
tacks were delivered within sight of the Japanese Fleet. Eight torpedo-
bombers from Cabot and Monterey, and dive-bombers from Enterprise
and other
carriers
which were
retiring after attacks
on Chiyoda,
six or seven Hamps from high Commander Ralph L. Shirley and his wingman, Lieutenant Gerald R. Rian USNR, both flying Hellcats from Bunker Hill,
Hiyo and Zuikaku, were jumped by altitude.
(jg)
saw
that the
the
Hamps
Avengers were with great
skill
likely to get into trouble
and went
after
and energy. They saw one splash and
another depart from the scene, smoking; actually only one pilot of this
Japanese group returned safely to Zuikaku, claiming a bag of 19
American planes
and
for himself
his fellows.
They did shoot down
two Helldivers before encountering Shirley and Rian, but none of the Avengers were even damaged. Seven torpedo-bombers, which Ozawa had caused to be launched
from Zuikaku
half an
hour before the Americans struck, turned back
without finding anything.
On
their
American planes but avoided
ing
Val's following our planes and
making three attempts
to light
on San
though firmly believed on board that "flagship of the Texas
Jacinto,
Navy,"
way home they crossed the returnconflict. The story of a Japanese
is
probably apocryphal, as
being waved off from Wasp.
As
is
the tale of a second
far as
I
enemy plane
can determine, not a single
Japanese plane came within sight of Task Force 58 on 20 June.
Ozawa would
not yet accept defeat. At 1900, just as the air battle
ended, he actually ordered a surface counterattack. Admiral Kurita
and the
entire van, together with
heavy cruisers
and a destroyer squadron, were ordered action.
was at
At
still
the end of
unknown
two hours,
to him,
Ozawa
2205 Kurita reversed course
could have reached Mitscher,
to
Myoko and Haguro
head east and seek night
since the position of
Task Force 58
reluctantly cancelled the order,
and
main body. He never moment lay about 230
to rejoin the
who
at that
miles to the southeast, recovering planes.
At noon
of
20 June, Ozawa had about 100
carrier planes opera-
—
776
Aleutians to the Marianas
tional in the
Mobile
By
Fleet.
nightfall
flag log of
Operation
A-Go
ends
he had
65 more, and, of
lost
npon7 15 were destroyed. His own
the 27 float planes remaining at
day with the
this
significant entry:
Surviving carrier air power: 35 aircraft operational.
430 which he had had in his hangars and on his flight decks the morning of 19 June! Complete darkness fell by 1945. The weather front had moved south during the day, the sky was overcast and the night very dark, Thirty-five planes out of the
and planes returning from the
The
knew
pilots
it
TF
58 had
home,
Ozawa's
to launching, the carriers
had
fleet
to turn to
Their distance from the Japanese targets miles,
would hold
Wasp, had
to
during the hours subsequent
windward
now
to recover planes.
varied from
240
to
298
depending on the time the planes started to return, and the
distance they had to to land. This,
caused
of
had been punctured. Although
as his gas tank
slightly closed
their fuel
USNR
Browne
out; one, Lieutenant (jg) Milton F.
ditch halfway
were a long way from "home."
battle
was nip-and-tuck whether
many
and
consume while
flying at high
orbiting before having a chance
speed
hope of beating
in the
Admiral Mitscher opened out
his
three task groups so that 15
miles lay between them, to give maneuvering
At 1912,
nightfall,
to run out of gas.
room
for night recovery.
for the second time in this operation, he proposed that
Admiral Lee's
battle line
be released from protecting the carriers
while they were steaming to windward for plane recovery, and that they push northwesterly at top speed, to be in a position to engage
Ozawa's Fleet sulted,
at daylight.
and Spruance a second time refused
separate. "Consider
that
enemy
to allow the battle line to
Task Force 58 should be kept
trated tonight," he replied,
the
Admiral Lee, apparently, was not con-
so as to keep
concen-
tactically
"and make best practicable speed toward
them
in air striking distance."
He
Lee had no chance of overtaking Ozawa, and wished
figured out to
battle line within signaling distance in order to dispose of
keep
his
any dam-
aged ships that the aviators might encounter next day.
At 2045 carriers.
knots.
the returning planes began to circle over the
Task Force 58 turned
Admiral Mitscher then made
the hearts of in
into the light east
all
American
wind and bent on 22
a decision that endeared
him
to
naval aviators; he gave orders to light up the carriers
bold disregard of enemy submarine or plane menace.
That night recovery,
lasting
two hours, was the most spectacular
event of these two crowded days." Lieutenant
Commander Evan
P.
Lt. Cdr.
Lyndon B. Johnson, USN. Navy Department.
Wn ^P*^^HB
IP! -P* ,0 **f*
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11 •
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"
W.
A
^1
The
"
on Tarawa, in the Gilbert Islands, tensely watch the from the bridge of the USS Maryland (BB-46) in November, 1943. Maj. Gen. Julian C. Smith, USMC, is seated in the foreground; Rear Adm. Harry W. Hill, USN, is facing the camera in the background. Navy leaders of the attack
action ashore
Department.
Marines charging ashore on Tarawa. Defense Department Photo.
% *£*
m
i «Y
t
J.Y
This is the disconcerting sight which met the eyes of the Japanese defenders of Saipan when they looked seaward on that D-Day morning. U.S. Coast
Guard.
Aboard the USS Indianapolis (CA-35)
W.
Nimitz,
Department.
Adm.
Ernest King, and
are, left to right,
Adm.
Adm. C. Navy
R. A. Spruance.
(CINCPAC), Secretary of the Navy James V. Forrestal and Rear Admiral Sherman (Deputy C-OF-S, CINCPAC) are shown in the admiral's barge at Guam in 1945. (FADM Nimitz photo collection.) Official
Fleet Admiral Nimitz
U.S.
Navy Photo.
Below
The U.S. submarine Wahoo (SS-238), standing
in to Pearl Harbor which she sank one Japanese destroyer and an entire convoy of four ships. Flying from her periscope is a broom indicating she made a "clean sweep" of the enemy. Attached to her mast is a pennant with the ship's slogan, "Shoot the Sunza Bitches," and eight Japanese flags. The upper two indicate the Wahoo has sunk two Japanese men-o-war; the other flags indicate she has sunk six enemy merchant ships. The Wahoo was commanded by Lt. Cdr. Dudley W. Morton, USN. Navy Department. left:
after a patrol in
Below of the
right:
A later photograph taken by Lt.
USS Wahoo, during
ships. In this photo, a
a
war
patrol in
medium-sized Japanese cargo ship goes down Navy Department.
being struck by a torpedo.
\
•
if
i
^K
w
#* ft\ i
Cdr. D. W. Morton, commander which the Wahoo sunk eight Japanese just after
Philippine Sea: Action
Aurand, who was sent
aloft
a
in
777
and Conclusion Hellcat
night-fighting
to
help
shepherd the flock home, had the best view. The scene made him think of a Hollywood premiere, Chinese
The
July rolled into one.
carriers turned
New
Year's and Fourth of
on truck
lights,
and red and green running
outline flight decks,
glow
lights to
and flashed
lights,
showed
signal lights to identify themselves; all vessels of the screen
up a liberal supply of star Each group flagship pointed a searchlight vertically as a homing beacon. The night was pitch black with no visible horizon, and about sixty miles to the south a thunderstorm was making up, whose lightning flashes were mistaken by a number of homing pilots for star red truck lights and their 5 -inch guns threw shell.
Aurand made
shell.
several trips over to the storm, turning
running lights and rounding up lost
One (j.g.)
We on. It
J.
USNR of Enterprise:
Lawton
is
—
by Lieutenant
had almost reached the force when we saw the is
clear that the task force did
easier for us to get
all
in its
power
to
in over the
We
circled for a
few minutes, watching the
some
time.
lights of the planes
below fan out
pattern of the landing circle. But there had been too the last five hours to reduce things to patterns
became crowded,
crashes occurred.
come make it
lights
home. Lieutenant Eason led us
Enterprise but her deck was fouled for
landing circles
his
fliers.
of the best accounts of the night landings
E.
on
Many
planes
intervals
much
now; and were
lost
—too many—announced
in the
strain in
inevitably,
and deck that their
gas was gone and they were going in the water. Others were caught short in the groove. Seen from above, of
fast
moving
it
was a weird kaleidoscope
forming intricate
lights
trails
in
the
darkness,
now and then by tracers shooting through the night as someone landed with his gun switches on, and again by suddenly
punctuated
brilliant
exhaust flames as each plane took a cut, or someone's
turtleback light getting lower and lower until blacked out by the
waves closing over place here,
it.
A
Mardi Gras
midway between
setting fantastically out of
the Marianas and the Philippines.
Lieutenant Eason's tank went dry just as he was approaching the
ramp
of Lexington.
He
to port, landing in the
quickly pulled his wheels up,
Hill,
foul deck.
S-turn
water alongside, and was rescued by a de-
stroyer within ten minutes.
Bunker
made an
A
although waved
Helldiver from Hornet crash-landed on off
and given Very
The plane up-ended with
its
signals indicating
propeller fast-lodged in the
778
Aleutians to the Marianas
flight
deck; then along came an Avenger from Cabot which, although
warned
violently
keep
to
off, tried
jo-land,
knocked a wing
gun mount, and crashed the immobilized Helldiver,
men who were working on
injuring four
on the wrong
the aircraft landed
killing
on a
Almost
the wreckage.
carriers,
off
two and half
and when noses were
counted there were often found planes belonging to eight or nine
on one
different ships
off
from
own
his
carrier,
W.
Burnett
destroyer and splashed alongside.
on a
A
passes at
of Monterey, lights
flattop,
made
a pass at the
fairly wet.
Another
pilot,
a light carrier, said to himself that he wasn't going to land
short flight deck; he
was.
He
did,
would pick out the biggest damn
and found
By 2252 when
it
that
was
it
was
waved
on a destroyer
boat from the destroyer rescued
crewmen before they were
his
USNR
mistook the red truck
for those of a landing signal officer
him and
made
deck. Desperate pilots
flight
everything afloat. Ensign R.
his
from
on her
carrier there
own!
had
clear that every plane
either landed,
splashed, or been shot down, and as the carriers were formed
up
again into cruising disposition, the sea suddenly took on the appear-
meadow
ance of a
ming or lights;
rubber
in
and the
full
of
rafts,
fireflies in
were blinking their
trilling of the
to attract attention
June. Pilots and crewmen, swim-
added hyla-like music to
Fortunately there was
now
a
waterproof flash-
little
boatswain's whistles that aviators carried
flat
calm.
The
midsummer
this
scene.
destroyers, using their 18-
inch searchlights to spot rafts and swimmers, did wonderful rescue
work, and
all
but one were so employed by Admiral Mitscher's or-
ders; anti-submarine screening
saving
lives.
Lieutenant
Bunker
of
The
Commander He had
Hill.
was completely neglected
great laugh of the evening
came
at the
K. F. Musick, torpedo squadron
in favor of
expense of
commander
splashed on an earlier operational
flight
and
had been pulled out by destroyer Hickox. This time he ditched again
want of gas and was picked up by the same destroyer, on whose stack, next the painted miniatures of planes shot down, he found a
for
caricature of himself to which a sailor
was adding a "hash mark"
to
celebrate the second rescue!
Because of
this hectic night recovery,
plane losses on 20 June were
much heavier than those of the previous day, among aviators were almost the same. According er's report,
but the casualties to
Admiral Mitsch-
6 Hellcats, 10 Helldivers and 4 Avengers were missing,
and presumably shot down
in
combat; 17 Hellcats, 35 Helldivers and
28 Avengers were destroyed by deck crashes or ditching near the task
and Conclusion
Philippine Sea: Action
The
force.
complement
total
in the lost
779
planes was 100 pilots and
109 aircrewmen, but 51 and 50 were pulled out of the water that night, leaving
49 and 59 unaccounted
sequent days. This
carrier, lost
An
and 33 crew-
21 aircraft on 20 June but only
whom was
and two crewmen, one of
pilot
by daylight 21 June.
the net aviator losses 16 pilots
left
men. Hornet, the lucky
one
for
26 aircrewmen were saved on that and sub-
additional 33 pilots and
killed
in
a deck
crash.
Admiral Ozawa's problem of plane recovery differed only
from that of Admiral Mitscher. As soon as the
in degree
American plane
last
departed, around 1930 June 20, the few surviving Japanese aircraft
came home. Even less prepared for cans, the enemy aviators had worse were
left
damaged
could
be spared.
ill
night landings than the Ameriluck,
What
and the few of them that
with splashes and crashes on
carrier decks, less than half of the
Ozawa had
left
these were in a condition to
every ship
was
afloat
Toyoda's order to battleships,
100 carrier planes that
early that afternoon were recovered; fly
again.
and only 35 of
But the engineering plant of
So when Ozawa received Admiral 2046 June 20, his 6 remaining carriers, 5
intact.
retire at
13 cruisers and 28 destroyers were able to maintain a
speed of 20 knots, ample for escape. Spruance's stern chase had already begun, but less pursuit.
As we have
1912 June 20,
at
of catching faster
seen, he
it
was not a
relent-
had rejected Mitscher's suggestion hope
to release Lee's battle line immediately in the
Ozawa.
It
was
a mathematical certainty that even the
and best-fueled ships could never overtake able-bodied units of
Even
the Japanese Fleet this side of Japan.
if
some
could have sustained a speed of 30 knots, which
would have closed only
1
20 miles
third of the distance to the
force speed of
1
pilots as possible,"
W
by
1
2 hours, a
doubtful, they
little
more than one
enemy. At Mitscher's recommendation, a
6 knots was maintained "in order to retrieve as
By 0130 June 21 bearing
in
of the battle line is
N
and that was 4 knots
the two Fleets were
less
than
327 miles
Ozawa was
many doing.
apart, the Japanese
(285°) from the Americans, and during the
three watches of 21 June actually losing distance
TF
58 made good only 150 miles.
It
first
was
on the enemy.
Spruance's only reason for pursuit under these circumstances was
hope of catching cripples or ships standing by them. For aught anybody on the American side yet knew, Shokaku and Hiyo were still the
afloat,
and nobody was so optimistic
as to
assume that one torpedo
780
Aleutians to the Marianas
had
hit
PBM
finished Taiho.
A
report received at
which had been shadowing
t^e*
enemy
0130 June 21, from
hours, to the effect that Ozawas' ships were trailing
some were badly damaged.
hope that
So, in the
or Mitscher's carrier planes would catch
and
their consorts at daylight,
two and a
force for oil,
a
half
suggested that
either Lee's battle line
up with these lame ducks
Spruance steamed westward
at eco-
nomical speed.
Task Force 58 recommenced searching only a few hours recovery was completed.
after
Several long-range night-flying Avengers
were sent out from Bunker Hill and Enterprise between 0200 and 0300. Next,
at
0600, each task group launched a deckload
Hellcats carrying
The 300
500-pound bombs
in the
were instructed to return
pilots
miles.
Nothing did they
Mobile Fleet and shadowed
it
find;
until
if
hope of finding
0743, reporting the enemy to be distant
from
TF
opened the distance. He was already well beyond the
American
When that the
this
cripples.
they found nothing after flying
but the Avengers picked up the
on a northwesterly course, 360 miles of
strike of
58.
Ozawa had
effective radius
carrier bombers.
information reached Spruance,
main body
of the
it
confirmed his belief
Mobile Fleet was pressing homeward
at a
speed greater than Task Force 58 could possibly overcome. But he still
cherished the hope of overtaking a few ships that had been
slowed down by battle damage. Leaving Mitscher with orders to search for cripples and to seize every opportunity to strike, Spruance at
1050 June 21 directed Admiral Lee, now reinforced by Bunker
Hill
and Wasp for
air protection, to
push ahead
at best speed,
himself at 1126 took Indianapolis forward to join the battle carriers followed,
line.
making good about 15 knots; destroyers
and
The
of the
screen fished out several airmen en route.
By
this
time some of the destroyers with the battleships were dan-
gerously low on fuel. So there was a further delay, from 1205 to
1454, while battleships fueled destroyers, steaming at 11 to 14 knots.
At 1516 a 15-knot speed was resumed, on course 280°. The Hellcats launched at dawn had now returned, with no information. The next search group, launched at 1500, combed the empty waters of the Philippine Sea for the hypothetical Japanese cripples.
Spruance mentally allowed them four hours to make contact. At
1920 June 21, shortly
Commander
Fifth
after the sun
Fleet issued
went down
orders that,
if
in a big red ball,
the late
search sighted no ships, the entire task force would
retire.
afternoon
None
did
Philippine Sea: Action
and Conclusion
they see, since none there were; so at 2030, lat.
16°N, long.
on the edge of the dianapolis,
when Lexington was
at
134°40'E, the chase was abandoned and course
shaped for Saipan. Lee's survivors and
781
ships,
battle
made
having reached long. 133°55'E, right
area of 20 June, searched carefully for
a very encouraging haul. Float planes
San Francisco and
New
from In-
Orleans picked up nine men.
Mitscher, too, sent off an abundance of low-flying searches and a
number
of destroyers to cover a wide sector
Saipan were enlisted
in the search,
from the position where
Catalinas and
PBMs
from
and these painstaking
efforts
were
Dumbo
Ozawa's ships had been attacked.
rewarded by the rescue of 59 aviators who otherwise must have perished in the Philippine Sea, so far were they from friendly shores.
At the moment Spruance abandoned the chase, the Mobile Fleet was about 300 miles from Okinawa, toward which Ozawa had shaped
his
course that morning. That evening
(21 June)
Ohmae, into Chief Combined
called his senior staff officer, Captain
Commander
dictated a letter to his resignation.
He
in
his
Ozawa
cabin and
Fleet, offering
expressed the deepest regret that he had lost
this
opportunity once more to lead Japan on the glorious path of victory.
The
defeat he ascribed to his
Toyoda,
of training.
own
inadequacy, and to the
after consulting with the
Tojo Cabinet, refused
to accept
pilots'
navy minister
want
in the
Ozawa's resignation. The veteran
command, only to be beaten again by Halsey in the Cape Engano and there to lose most of the carriers that had
retained his Battle of
survived the Philippine Sea action.
In the early afternoon of June 22 a defeated and dispirited Mobile Fleet
anchored in Nakagasuku Bay, Okinawa
which a year
later
was
to
—
the
great
harbor
be renamed after General Buckner. Four of
Haruna and heavy Maya, had to proceed to Japan either for repairs or for longneeded upkeep. Worst of all, the Fleet had brought back only 35 the six surviving carriers, together with battleship
cruiser
serviceable carrier planes.
Task Force 58 made
for a prearranged fueling rendezvous with a
220 miles east of the point where retirement had commenced. At noon 22 June the oilers were encoun-
task group of fleet tankers, about
tered; fueling nightfall,
commenced
at once,
continued
at
10-knot speed, until
and was completed next day.
While Admiral Reeve's group was
still
fueling, there
took place a
remarkable single combat between a Princeton plane and a Japanese
bomber.
An Avenger (TBM-1C)
piloted
by Ensign Warren C.
782
Aleutians to the Marianas
Burgess
USNR, on
anti-submarine patrol at noon 23 June, sighted a
Betty flying low over the water and/ .heading away from the carriers.
She was probably engaged in a routine search, from
making
all
possible speed
enemy, then
—245
flying only 10 feet
to
250 knots
Yap
By
or Palau.
—Burgess overtook
above the ocean.
He made two
the
low
runs, firing with his twin .50-caliber wing-guns; but both times his
guns
jammed and he had
To
drop back.
to
continue with the account
by Burgess's squadron commander, Lieutenant Commander F. A. Bardshar:
Burgess decided
it
was time to change
He
Betty without the aid of gunfire.
above her and
He
succeeded
sat there in
his tactics
an attempt to force her into the water. water with her belly,
in forcing the Betty to hit the
but she immediately bounced back up to ten tude,
with
and splash the
put his plane about two feet
no damaging
results.
feet,
Abandoning
her
initial alti-
procedure,
this
Burgess retired to the Betty's starboard side and during retirement the
TBM-lC's
stinger
was able
to fire about thirty
rounds into
the after port side of the Japanese fuselage.
Burgess next decided to adopt the Russian technique of chewing
up the enemy plane with
his propeller.
This was also unsuccessful,
although his prop, came within inches of the Betty's starboard wing. Feeling somewhat frustrated, Burgess flew wing on the Betty
with about two feet between wing at
the Japanese pilot,
who
tips.
He
looked over and waved
only toothed back at him.
At
this
juncture the turret gunner of the torpedo plane in desperation
opened
his
hatch and emptied
all
six
rounds of
.38-caliber
his
revolver into the Betty, with unobserved results on the
enemy but
with great elation to the gunner. Tiring of
this,
Ensign Burgess crossed over top of the enemy
plane and retired to about a quarter of a mile away on the Betty's port side.
made
He managed
to get his starboard
wing-gun charged, and
a pass at the Betty's port side. This time his tracers went into
the starboard engine and
it
burst into flames.
The flames spread
the starboard wing, Betty lost control, her port wing the water,
to
dipped into
and she executed a neat cartwheel. Ensign Burgess saw
one survivor
in the water,
who was
picked up almost immediately
by a friendly destroyer. Fueling completed, Admiral Spruance in Indianapolis, with the
fire
support ships that he had borrowed from Turner, took station
off
and Conclusion
Philippine Sea: Action
783
Saipan, arriving in the afternoon of 23 June. Three of Mitscher's fast carrier groups
were ordered
to
proceed to Eniwetok for a brief
but Admiral Clark had something
else in
"Jocko" Clark, who had been O.T.C. Chichi Jima the previous week,
Owing
ness.
felt
and a big
to weather
rest;
mind. at the strikes
on Iwo and
the pressure of unfinished busi-
coming up, he had not had
battle
time to give those islands a proper working over.
Why
not strike them
again before retiring to Eniwetok? Accordingly he started north after
and
fueling
at
1400 June 23 "advised
Group would
otherwise directed this
24 June while en route and thereafter referred
CTF strike
58 by dispatch that unless
Iwo Jima
Clark's expectation that there
Guam
airfields.
so delayed that
now
Owing there
.
morning of
.
"Operation Jocko."
to this diversion as
would be plenty of game up north
was well founded. The Japanese were trying and
.
Eniwetok." Mitscher heartily approved,
to
to reinforce the Tinian
to foul weather, the squadrons
had been
was a backlog of 122 planes on Iwo and
Chichi Jima, awaiting word from Admiral Kakuta at Tinian that
damaged
airfields
had been repaired and were ready
to
receive
them.
By 0600 June 24 Hornet, Yorktown, Bataan and
Belleau
Wood,
with their screen of cruisers and destroyers, had reached a point 235 miles
SE by S
of
Iwo Jima. The weather was rough, but not nearly so
bad as on the previous fighter
visit.
While the three big carriers launched a
sweep of 51 Hellcats, each armed with a 500-pound bomb
destroy grounded planes, Belleau
Wood assumed combat
air
and
to
anti-
submarine patrol for the group.
The 51
Hellcats had an unexpected battle en route. Clark had been
snooped by a Japanese patrol plane shortly before reaching
his
launching position, enabling Admiral Sadaichi Matsunaga,
command-
ing 27th Air Flotilla at Iwo, to
and a few
bombers
to intercept.
fly
off
all
At 0815 they met
the
his fighters
Americans about
way. The Hellcats jettisoned bombs and piled battle royal in the air.
At the end of
it,
in;
24 Japanese
and Hamps) and 5 Judys had been shot down,
half-
then there was a fighters
(Zekes
at the cost
of 6
Four Hellcats which had clung to their bombs continued to Iwo and dropped them on the airfield; the rest returned to their
Hellcats.
carriers.
They
arrived
none too soon. Matsunaga, eager
for revenge,
had
already sent one raid against the carriers, and was about to send a
second.
The
first,
consisting of about
20 torpedo-bombers, was com-
—
784
Aleutians to the Marianas
pletely destroyed
—some
group's anti-aircraft
and
Hamps— "The
fire.
combat
air patrol
after
and
C.A.P., others by the task
the secorfd— 9
Jills,
9 Judys and 23 Zekes
and the
target
was not
good distance from the
carrier
group by
were vague
results
sighted." Intercepted at a
was turned back
down by
shot
Of
special scrambles of fighter planes, this raid
after losing 7 Jills
and 10 Zekes. Not too vague,
all!
Occasional dogfights continued until
1830. Half an hour
later,
Clark assumed cruising disposition and proceeded to Eniwetok.
few planes
still
hovered around, dropping "window" and
flares,
A
but
no more attacks developed. This destruction of 66 more planes undoubtedly contributed to the
conquest of Saipan. After a third raid on Iwo and Chichi Jima, with
which Admiral "Jocko" celebrated the Fourth of air
July, the
Hachiman
group was so weakened by combat and operational losses that on
the 7th the remnant of 41 Zekes and 13
bombers was
sent
back
to
Japan.
become so marked that certificate of membership in
Clark's interest in the "Jimas" had aviators caused to be printed
a
the
the
"Jocko Jima Development Corporation," offering "Choice Locations of
Types
all
in
Iwo, Chichi,
Haha and Muko
Jima, Only 500 Miles
from Downtown Tokyo." Signed by Admiral Clark the Corporation," one of these diplomas
as "President of
was awarded
to every par-
ticipant.
A
similar interdicting action
by the XIII
Army
was performed on the southern flank
Air Force, based
at
Los Negros. Following
strikes
on Woleai on 20 and 22 June, B-24s flew an average of 21 sorties
against
slightly earlier,
altitude
Yap
for five days,
23-27 June.
And
daily
for five days
19-23 June, Kwajalein-based Liberators flew high-
bombing missions
against Truk. These close to
—
1000-mile
bombing missions were costly two B-24s shot down and 21 damaged in the attacks on Yap. The immediate reaction in Task Force 58 to the Battle of the Philippine Sea was one of disappointment and vexation. Admiral Clark, only ten days after, told this writer, "It was the chance of a century missed." Admiral Mitscher thus concluded his action report: "The enemy escaped. He had been badly hurt by one aggressive carrier strike, at the one time he was within range. His fleet was not sunk." Admiral
Montgomery wrote:
Philippine Sea: Action
and Conclusion
Results of the action were extremely disappointing to in that
open
important units of the enemy
for the
first
on our superior
time
force,
grips with them. It
fleet,
over a year and
in
785 hands,
all
which came out
made
in the
several air attacks
were able to escape without our coming to true that our troops
is
on Saipan were well
screened and protected against the enemy surface force, but
is
it
considered unfortunate that our entire strength was deployed for this
purpose and therefore not permitted an opportunity to take the
offensive until too late to prevent the enemy's retirement.
At naval
air
headquarters in Pearl Harbor the line was, "This
what comes of placing a non-aviator
command
in
is
over carriers."
Admiral Spruance had never won wings, but that does not prove that he did not
know what
than anyone else had
to
do with naval
won
ble, of course. In warfare,
on imperfect
the Battle of
to be
him
difference in their respective attitudes
their respective responsibilites.
58; hence that
come
his
menaced
his
later.
to grips with the
was due
in
at the time,
between Spruance and Mitscher
distinction
infalli-
made promptly
we should base judgment on
or legitimately guessed by
gressiveness, fighting spirit or desire to
The
he more
Midway. He was not
not on the fuller knowledge that reaches an historian years
There was no
all,
enemy, mistakes are inevitable; and
considering a commander's actions
known
power. After
where decisions have
intelligence of the
reaction to factors
air
in ag-
enemy.
to the scope of
Mitscher was responsible only for
TF
absorbing passion was to destroy the Japanese carriers his carriers.
Spruance had the overall responsibility for
Operation "Forager"; for the Joint Expeditionary Force as well as the carriers; for the troops ashore force,
which was
the Marianas.
still
hanging
on Saipan and the
in the bight.
Guam
assault
His objective was to secure
Inbued with a strong sense of that mission, Spruance
refused to be diverted; he was unwilling to accept the risk that the
Japanese ships reported up to the early hours of 19 June might be only a detachment of the Mobile Fleet.
On First,
the other side, there are there alleged counts against Spruance.
Mahan
to destroy the
mobile as the
is
quoted to the
enemy's
fleet.
fast carriers
effect that the
main object
of a fleet
is
Second, that a powerful striking force as
should never be tied to the apronstrings of !
an amphibious operation. Third, that of
in
view of the known strength
Ozawa's Mobile Fleet any possible "end run" could have been by the ships left to guard Saipan. No danger of
dealt with adequately
786
Aleutians to the Marianas
movement
a flanking
actually existed; but, in view of Japanese past
performances, the possibility had to
pe
men
Military
anticipated.
never get any credit for guarding against dangers that might occur yet
do
"hanged"
not; but they are quickly
do occur
against dangers that
Admiral Spruance, who and without emotion, a great opportunity.
still
"As
is
—
if
they
able to view his
for
them
own
actions candidly
thought eight years later that he had missed
a matter of tactics," he wrote to
"I think that going out after the Japanese
out would have been
adequately to guard
fail
witness Pearl Harbor.
much
to attack us; but
better
and knocking
me
their carriers
and more satisfactory than waiting
we were
at the start of a very
and large amphibious operation and we could not afford and place Russian
same
in jeopardy.
it
basic situation, only
power
The way Togo waited
has always been in
fleet
it
in 1952,
my
mind.
at
We
important to
gamble
Tsushima
for the
had somewhat the
was modified by the long-range
striking
of the carriers."
Yet, would
it
have been
better,
as a matter of tactics, to have
sought out Ozawa's Fleet on the night of 18-19 June and attacked
We
next morning? the strong
—
cannot assume that fortune would have favored
did not do so at Midway.
it
bombers would probably have sunk some
Our
dive- and torpedo-
of the Japanese carriers;
but the Japanese planes might also have sunk some of ours.
And
the
"Turkey Shoot" could never have made such a spectacular score Mitscher had had to divide his fense;
it
Ozawa's planes and
air forces
anti-aircraft
if
between offense and de-
would probably have doubled
or trebled their small bag of American planes and pilots
if
he had
been on the defensive on the morning of 19 June, and had been able
on the 20th
to
employ
his full air strength instead of a
Moreover, Japanese land-based into the fight
position
if
air forces at
Guam
the battle had been joined halfway between Ozawa's
and the Marianas. Spruance, by steering
18-19 June, against Mitscher's wishes and his
Task Force 58
damage on
poor remnant.
could have got
in
east
own
about the optimum position to
the enemy. His entire fleet
on the night of inclination, put
inflict
the greatest
was concentrated. All
planes were available for interception, and
enemy planes
fighter
that escaped
them encountered the anti-aircraft fire of Lee's battle line. And the Japanese planes on Guam were knocked out before they could take the offensive.
We
have been discussing the Battle of the Philippine Sea as
had been simply a carrier-plane
battle,
if
it
but the submarines and the
Philippine Sea: Action
anti-submarine vessels must not be forgotten.
Mobile Fleet even before
it
By
their attrition of the
departed Tawi Tawi, by sending Spruance
the only clear intelligence he ing Taiho
787
and Conclusion
had of enemy movements, and by sink-
and Shokaku, United States submarines contributed heavily
to the result. So, too, did the destroyer escorts
and destroyers that
broke up the Japanese submarine concentration to the south. The
and RO-boats were then
from the Fifth Fleet; but
far distant
had not been smothered by excellent anti-submarine
if
tactics
I-
they they
might well have moved north and done a great deal of damage.
The
battle also illustrates the
inadequacy of land based bombing,
even when Navy-trained, as compared with carrier-based bombing.
may be conceded
that Japanese land-based air
better account of itself
Biak had not caused respectable
its
component
instead of wearing
if
might have given a
General MacArthur's timely invasion of
redeployment left
It
on
Guam
at the crucial
moment. But the
and Yap before Saipan D-Day,
down and reducing
the strength of the Fifth Fleet
according to plan, was annihilated by carrier planes within a space of
one week.
One was
technique in which the Americans
air search,
carrier planes. Air search should ers
fell
far short of perfection
on the part of land-based patrol planes
as well as
have given the American command-
adequate intelligence of the enemy's force and movements
24 hours
earlier. If
of 19 June
been sent out by
made
Ozawa's change of course
had been reported, or
TF
58
after
if
at least
afternoon
in the early
long-range night searches had
dark on the same day, they should have
contacts that would have enabled Spruance to get his fleet in
position for a "one-two" strike
on the 20th. And the
PBM
and
PB4Y
searches were ineffective because of communications failures. In the matter of planes, the reputation,
F6F
its
high
and the two types of Avengers did well when given
their
Hellcat fully sustained
proper weapon, the torpedo; but the new Helldiver (SB2C) was out-
shone by the two remaining squadrons of Dauntless dive bombers
(SBD). Unfortunately, nothing could be done about
it,
since the
production lines were rolling with Helldivers; here the Dauntless fought her last battle.
Ozawa may be
said to have conducted his fleet well.
The Japanese
plane searches kept him fairly in touch with the movements of Task
Force 58 for 24 hours or more before Spruance knew where he was;
and he made good use of the
lee gauge.
Commander Mobile
avoided the usual (and always disastrous) Japanese strategy of
Fleet feint
788
Aleutians to the Marianas
and parry; he kept
and gave
his inferior force together
battle at a
distance that prevented his enemy' •from striking back immediately.
His handling of the fueling problem,
because his
mortem on
air
groups were so
"Combat
applied only by a combat force that
Good
if
aviators were
and
fast
A
long.
Hence
may
tactics
worn by
a strong-
weak-footed man,
Ozawa had
and good planes, but
his
weak-winged through inexperience, and land-based
air
fine ships
him completely.
Admiral Mahan never said an object
victory as the fleet
if
was
as
The
that destruction of an
enemy
was
fleet
but a means to the greater ends of victory and a
in itself,
lasting peace.
only
well trained.
is
should be
tactics
he wears a pair of good sandals, can never walk as well as a
strong-footed man."
failed
"Good
sandals should be
Then he can walk
and
oil
him naught
availed
this
As the Japanese post modern version of a Japanese
Sutra," chapter 49:
be compared to sandals. footed man.
all
trained.
ill
the battle said, quoting the
classic, the
even
view of the shortage of
in
was masterly. But
scarcity of tankers,
much
Battle of the Philippine Sea contributed as
Ozawa's
fleet
crippled,
decoys to
had been destroyed;
and the
lure
for without
six carriers that survived
American admiral
another
its air
to
arm
were useful
to
do what
Spruance had declined to do. Admiral Toyoda had announced on 15 June, "The fate of the Empire rests on this one battle." It
He was
right.
decided the Marianas campaign by giving the United States Navy
command
and
of the surrounding waters
Guam
land forces in Saipan, Tinian and
bravely and doggedly they fought.
And
Thus, the Japanese
air.
were doomed, no matter how victory in the Marianas
made
an American victory over Japan inevitable.
Admiral Spruance compared
Tsushima
in
1905.
An
his
tactics
historical parallel
to
those
more remote
of in
Togo
at
time but
closer in fact, because amphibious
and land operations were involved,
was the Yorktown campaign
1781. In the naval battle off the
of
Capes of the Chesapeake, on 5 September of that year, Admiral De Grasse defeated an inferior
fleet
under Admiral Thomas Graves
that threatened to break into the
Yorktown. The lost
battle itself
Chesapeake and
was not
tactically decisive since
but one of his nineteen capital ships, and
De
RN
raise the siege of
Graves
Grasse was
criti-
cized for not renewing action. But he covered the British in a week's
maneuvering
at
sea,
shouldering them away from the Cape long
enough for a second French
fleet
Rochambeau's
and
siege
artillery,
to
enter
later to
Hampton Roads
with
enter himself. In other
Philippine Sea: Action words,
De
and Conclusion
789
Grasse's sense of his mission, to support the Allied land
campaign against Cornwallis, prevented him from risking the chance of throwing wallis's
away
His cautious
his advantage.
won
surrender inevitable; and so
the
tactics
War
rendered Corn-
of Independence,
although the British Fleet was not destroyed. Spruance's sense of his mission, to protect the amphibious operation against Saipan, pre-
cluded his running undue Fleet, but in
he
won
air
he failed to annihilate the Japanese
risks;
and sea command, so that the Japanese forces
those islands were sealed off from any hope of reinforcement. If
General Saito,
command
in
of Japanese forces
on Saipan, had
been a European, he would have emulated Cornwallis; being Japanese, his forces
had
to
be annihilated. Saipan was Japan's Yorktown;
and, although Ozawa's fleet was
formidable in
still
power, that
fire
did not greatly matter after he had lost his air groups. In view of the wild statements about Japanese plane losses in
accounts of
this
battle
published elsewhere,
effort to arrive at the truth.
Mobile Fleet
The
we have made every
fixed points are these:
—
at
dawn 19 June had 430
carrier
and 43
float planes
at
dawn 20 June had 100
carrier
and 27
float planes
operational.
Mobile Fleet operational.
Mobile Fleet on 21 June had 35 carrier and 12
float planes
opera-
tional.
In other words,
Ozawa
395 (92 per cent) of
lost,
in
two days' searching and
his carrier planes
fighting
and 31 (72 per cent) of
his
float planes.
How
these losses were incurred
is
more
difficult to estimate.
Ac-
cording to Japanese records of the successive searches and raids on
19
June:— No. Planes
Failed to Return
Returned
Three tlawn iwn searches
43
21
Raid
I
69
42
27
Raid
II
130
98
32
Raid
III
47
7
40
2
2
82
73
9
373
243
130
1000 search rch Raid IV
In addition to those that failed to return, 22 went
and Shokaku, making a
total of
265
that
22
down
with Taiho
were not back on board for
790
Aleutians to the Marianas
the second day's fight,
and 130 that were.
If
354
carrier planes
were
launched 19 June (19 of the searcjr -planes were Jakes), 76 were
on board
and
for C.A.P.
we must add 54
with the two carriers,
making
the raids,
1
reserves. Subtracting the
84
that should
left
22 that went down
130 that returned from
to the
have been on board the morning of
the 20th. But Japanese carrier records state that only 100 were serv-
How
iceable.
about the other 84? Probably
at least
75 carrier planes,
plus 6 Jakes, were too damaged, either by fighting or again,
fly
and the other three were operational
bad landings, losses
to
from the
C.A.P. Thus,
Ozawa
330
in all,
lost,
430
of his
carrier planes together
with 16 of his 43 float planes, on 19 June alone. Of the 354 carrier planes in searches and raids, 233 of which failed to return, 19 (of
Raid IV) landed on
20 more,
Guam
may
wrecked, and we
one time or another, crashed on
at
leaves 194 "failed to return" planes to account for. of these
ity
most of the
or Rota. That
The
must have been destroyed by American rest
by
anti-aircraft fire,
splashes and crashes. cide exactly
guess that at least
Guam
It is
great majorinterceptions,
and a number by operational
impossible from American records to de-
how many were accounted
for
by
ships' anti-aircraft fire
and interceptors respectively; there are so many duplications. But,
enemy
those destroyed by
action
that returned to their carriers,
we must add
at least
to
65 of those
which were too damaged to
fight
again.
In addition the Japanese lost 18
Guam-based planes
in air action
19-20 June and "about 62" on the ground. About 30 of these were
under repair, so we
shall not
count them, although they were
now
completely destroyed. Assuming 32 destroyed on the ground plus 18 in the air,
Guam-based
losses
add 50
to the total score.
In the searches and the twilight battle on 20 June, Mobile Fleet lost
an additional 65 carrier planes and 15
were
carrier planes
lost in
combat and the
ing to Japanese sources; but carrier
and 15
float planes
lieve that at least
it
float planes.
Of
these, 19
rest operationally,
accord-
seems improbable that as many as 46
could have been
40 were shot down by
the
lost operationally. I be-
American
raiders, but the
Japanese, not knowing exactly what went on at twilight, listed as "operational"
all
that
were not seen from
their ships' decks to be shot
down.
The
certain final score
is
this:
on 21 June the Mobile Fleet had
left
only 35 carrier planes (25 of them Zekes) and 12 float planes. In the
Philippine Sea: Action
two days' kuta's
battle
it
lost
Base Air Force
426 at
planes.
Add
and Conclusion
791
an estimated 50 from Ka-
Guam, and you have 476 total Japanese The number of
plane losses in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. aviators lost from the Mobile Fleet
was about 445.
WHILE THE FIGHTING WAS STILL GOING ON AT SAIPAN, American warships were bombarding of enemy-held
ment from
Guam
his
installations along the shores
by day and night. Watching them with excite-
cave overlooking Adelup Point was Radioman 1/c
George R. Tweed, an unkempt
figure
and clothed by friendly Chamorros
who had been
fed,
sheltered
at the risk of their lives ever since
he had escaped from the advancing Japanese on December 10, 1941. In the late afternoon of July 10 two destroyers, including McCall,
came rative
in closer to
Tweed
tells
Tweed's cave than ever before. In
how he
his
dramatic nar-
frantically tried to attract their attention in
order to escape.
i
i
RADIOMAN 1/c GEORGE
R.
TWEED
.-
WITH BLAKE CLARK
"HE LOOKS LIKE
A WHITE MAN"
I
looked out to sea and saw several ships moving
I
wasn't sure whether they were Americans or Japanese. Five ships
in
from the north.
cruised into view around the end of the island, six or eight miles out
on the horizon. At that they
were
peacetime battleships
I
thought they were battleships, but then
first I
improved heavy cruisers almost
large,
I
saw
as big as the
had known.
I
They kept coming. Destroyers and heavy cruisers sailed into view. hoped they weren't Jap ships bringing support to the island gar-
rison.
As soon
as the gray force reached the coast opposite
every ship opened
NAVY!"
I
fire.
screamed.
I
This was no Jap armada!
was never so
thrilled in
my
Agana Bay,
"IT IS
life!
I
OUR
wanted
to
plunge into the sea and swim out to them. All Jap ships anchored outside the harbor were spotted by planes
launched from the cruisers. Light seaplanes continually circled over the island
From day
all
the time the cruisers were firing.
then on, twin American destroyers passed
my
lookout every
as they circled the island. It wasn't until later that I learned they
never were the same two.
me an even greater thrill than the airplanes. The planes had given me my first wild hope, but, after all, it was the good old Navy that would actually get me out. Those
792
ships gave
"He Looks Like a White Man" But would they? didn't
God,
make
was
afraid to let myself dwell
down
to
my
each half to a stick to make semaphore
enough
feet square, large
I'd try.
As
I
scrambled back up to
phore alphabet.
What had
I
I'd
known
it
I
By
and nailed
Each one was about two
flags.
to spot
my
lookout,
long before
if
anyone,
me. the sema-
I tried to recall
—
it's
regulation in the Navy.
been doing for the past two years?
them practicing
in two,
it
be seen through binoculars
to
on the ship happened
please God,
Why
hadn't
spent
I
signaling? it out now. The ships were moving. I frantically up and down, up and down. Maybe somebody'd look
couldn't figure
I
waved my
flags
way.
waved
I
I'd
escape. If
cabinet, took out a large oblong of gauze band-
age Antonio had got from the dispensary, cut
my
my
on
me. But
kill
I'd try!
ran
I
I
the disappointment would
it,
793
hoped
for fifteen minutes, rested,
much on
for too
the
first
The
They'd be back, though, maybe tomorrow.
When I
I
did catch their eye,
went back
concentrated.
my
to
I
I
had
in
had
first
seven
letters
all,
that
I
I
response.
were disappearing.
to get that alphabet.
them something!
cave, stood there with a flag in each
got the
more, twelve
I
ships
to be able to tell
were simple. But what message could five
No
and waved again.
day.
hand and
without any trouble. They
send with them?
could be sure
of. I
knew
I
figured out
I'd
have to do
The majority of the letters had to be correct to make I knew that if I were listening in over the radio and got a somewhat garbled code message I could still make it out if the key letters were right. The signalmen on those ships were experts. They'd fill in for me, if only I gave them enough to go on. I worked for four days trying to remember that code. By then, I better than that.
the message readable.
felt
pretty certain of nineteen letters, with seven
was a chance that was the best
I
my
guesses on
could do. That
some
— and pray
it
up
that
flags. It
was back-breaking work, emaciated
my
Most
That
waved
in sight I I
was, but
only chance was that someone would scrutinize
my
I
I
kept
knew
area with
of the ships didn't stop, but cruised past at a steady
pace from the north end of the island, to where
them
as
for twenty minutes at a time, six or seven times a day.
his glasses.
There
for an expert receiver.
For a week, every time an American ship hove those
in doubt.
still
of these seven were right.
I
could no longer see
to the south. This took about twenty minutes, all of
spent anxiously waving the gauze signals.
which
I
i
794
Aleutians to the Marianas
Trees in the distance cut carefully
as I
off part of
my
Now
machete, and hacked away the tops.
120 degrees.
vision for
had a
I
judged as
sea. I
down
with
my
brandished
I
What was
sore, without results.
my
clear swing of
gave a few seconds more in which
It
be spotted from a ship.
were
view of the
could just which one^nliey were, went
might
I
my
white flags until
arms
the matter with those guys on
the bridge?
Antonio came up, and
"You had
ried.
next I
I
told
knew
efforts.
He was
very wor-
better be careful," he said, "or those Japs over
that he
was
right. I
had been unable
If
they ever saw
it
would not only be
endangered the
me
long by helping
that
to spot their lookout
on which
cliff
I
was
me waving my white flags at the American my finish but would also cost Antonio
perched.
He had
on the
flags."
they could see the
tell if
warships life.
my
of
might see you waving those white
hill
station so could not
his
him
could not,
I
and himself for so
lives of his family
at this late date,
bring almost
certain death to these people.
had
I
was
to quit signaling. I
miles stood between
me and
bitterly disappointed.
Only a few
United States warships and
I
couldn't
bridge that short distance.
But
I'd
be damned
if
make
I'd give up! I'd
a raft and paddle out to
them! I
figured out the
and the things drag a
I
wanted
raft all the
of
bamboo
to take. I
way down
pieces I'd need to support
doubted
if
I'd
to the water's edge.
me
have the strength to I
hadn't been as far
as the beach in months. I didn't think I'd have the strength to
away
make more than
a few trips loaded with
to locate a place
keep
number
it
where
I
bamboo, but
bamboo
in the
slipped
down
could build the raft in the water and then
hidden there. There was no place to hide
hide the
I
it.
I
then decided to
bushes near the water until the complete
material was assembled and build the raft in the water after dark.
could build
be
it
and leave the island by two o'clock
six or eight miles offshore
by an American I
by
daylight. Surely I
style,
that type,
When
I
morning and
would be picked up
ship.
went back home and started working on
kayak
in the
with a blade on each end.
and every second counted July 4 approached,
I
for
I
could
a paddle. I'd make it make double time with
me now.
expected some special fireworks.
wasn't disappointed. Beginning in early morning our planes
over in raid after heavy
raid. I shuttled
I
came
back and forth between
my
He Looks Like
a White
Man"
cave and lookout post every few minutes to be sure
795
didn't miss
I
anything.
On
one
saw an American
trip I
feet
over Agana.
that
moment,
I
wished
were
I
in
ploded, and burst into flames.
done when and knew
it
was the
It
down
pilot floating
landed in the bay four or
five
carrier.
At
anti-aircraft fire;
it
struck the water, ex-
was cursing the Japs
I
saw a white blob mushroom
I
few thousand
headed back for the
it,
was struck squarely amidships by
it
up, spluttered, and started down.
smoked
He
fighter plane flying a
in the
what they'd
for
sky above the plane
parachute.
in his
hundred yards
Agana. The
off
minute he struck, the Japs opened up with machine guns, shooting up white spurts of water
came
planes
low over Agana, bombing and
in
Japs pull in their necks. then
around him. Immediately ten American
all
I
was
afraid the pilot
down than have
thought, well, better to go
I
making
strafing,
would be
the
riddled, but
the lousy Japs get
you.
The American planes kept up the strafing for half an hour, pulling away from the pilot in the water. It seemed hopeless, though;
the fire
they couldn't keep
when
it
up
indefinitely; the Japs
the protecting planes
went home. But
would get the
pilot
seaplane came
finally a
dove on the town, strafed the machine gunners, circled back, and
in,
landed on the water alongside the
The water was churned white by That
pilot.
The Jap guns
really cut loose.
the bullets.
plane must have been perforated like a sieve, but appar-
little
ently neither
nor
it
its
pilot
was disabled. The
flyer struggling in the
water couldn't disentangle himself from his parachute. his
arms securely around the
him hanging on,
the water with
behind him
in the water.
room
for the
man
in the cockpit.
down on
pilot flew only a
few
buddy wouldn't
roll off.
his
feet
it
He wrapped
taxied through
heavy parachute streaming out
Five hundred yards away, out from under
and cut the parachute
the guns, they stopped
of the sea, lay
of the plane and
tail
loose.
The water-soaked
the wing,
There was not
pilot
and the plane took
off.
crawled out
The rescue
above the water, and very slowly, so that
They disappeared over
the horizon.
It
his
was
the best Fourth of July demonstration I'd ever seen.
The Americans developed a system of continual day and night attacks. Twenty or thirty ships, both cruisers and destroyers, would steam a
in
about nine o'clock
in the
whole section of the beach, then
eight-hour day.
Two
morning, sail
shell the daylights
out of
out again after putting in a
destroyers would stay on and
bombard
full
installa-
796
Aleutians to the Marianas
tions
all
night.
They'd steam around the
The
destroyers' firing technique
they opened up, they'd .
and
let go.
One
bombardment feet
island, shelling as they went,
keep the Japs awake and jumping*
just to
was simple and
the shells just as fast as they could load
fire
opened up with a
night about one o'clock they
right into
our area.
from Antonio's house.
When
effective.
It
One
shell
fierce
dropped about a hundred
sprayed rocks and
dirt into his cistern
where he and
of drinking water. Several boulders struck the house
his
frightened family shivered.
Next morning the Japs came
drawn
this fire
was under
by flashing
lights
When
suspicion.
to investigate
and asked him
if
he'd
out to sea. They warned him that he
he was sure they weren't watching him,
my cave and asked me He was afraid that the Japs
semaphore
he came up to
to get rid of the
entirely.
watching his ranch might catch
me trying to signal the American ships. On July 10, the warships came in as
flags
usual, did their day's work,
saw that the two destroyers left behind for the night shift were about ten miles south of me. They were closer to shore than they'd ever been. They looked near enough and pulled
for a
Late in the afternoon
out.
man on board
to hit the
I
beach with a rock.
My
heart sank, for
they stood almost under the muzzles of a battery of six- or eight-inch
Jap guns mounted
at
Adelup
Point.
I'd spotted the battery at target practice shortly before the
cans returned.
I
could
tell
that they were large guns
Ameri-
from the
flash
they made, the distance the shells traveled before they splashed at sea,
and the spash they made.
in the
emplacement, because
I
knew
there were at least three guns
I'd seen three flashes of fire so close
together that they couldn't possibly have belonged to a second salvo.
The Japs hadn't used
these guns against the Americans so far, un-
doubtedly because they were saving them for our landing force and they didn't want to reveal their position.
I
knew more
A
they could outshoot the destroyers. accurate than one
mounted on
wouldn't open up on the destroyers
held
my
land-based gun
a ship at sea.
now
firing
as they stood within point-blank range of the
turned, unmolested, and started north in
my
breath because
I
is
I
always
prayed the Japs
broadsides at the beach
Jap battery. Finally they
direction.
was worn out from the anxiety. It was getting on toward evening, and I had supper ready. I went back to the cave. I'd taken only a few I
bites
when
I
heard the destroyers' guns
almost straight in
my
firing
very near, shooting
direction. I'd learned that the
sound of a gun
He Looks Like my
firing in
direction
Man"
from the report when
different
is
a White
797 pointed
it's
away. The projectile leaving the muzzle gives an extra, vicious "thug!" in addition to the regular report. I
grabbed
enough,
my
new
I'd try a
As
plan.
If
they were close
cliff
to the lookout I
and pocket mirror.
signal flags
dashed up the
I
heard an anti-aircraft gun and a machine gun nest only two miles
below
me open
on the destroyers. The
fire
gunners quickly took
ships'
the range of these Jap shore installations and blasted I
had
to
them
to hell.
admire the daring of the ships' commanders in coming so
when they couldn't know what guns might be conThey were hardly two miles from the shore, an easy, murderous range for large enemy guns. As they started right up past
near the coast cealed there.
me,
scrambled to the very top of the
I
With the
destroyers.
little
on the bridge of the leading
The
ship.
sky right behind the warships so that red flash.
seen I
I
danced the
all
flashed a
I
view of the
beam
directly
afternoon sun was in the
late
was sending them a powerful
I
over the bridge. They must have
it!
threw down
my
mirror and grabbed up
up and down
the flags frantically
am
ahead!"
my
top, but
slowly and deliberately with
was sure
least every letter I
my
I
I
A
lights.
said,
it
signal
code for
wanted them
I
They could
always remember the exact words
waved Then I
"Go
forced myself to start out quite
semaphore.
of.
I
cannot read semaphore
I
"K"
winked from the bridge,
almost blew
I
signal flags.
Morse code by
proficient in the reception of
searchlight
my
for possibly half a minute.
answer by searchlight."
signaled, "Please
but
reflection
in plain
cliff
three-inch mirror
to get at
figure out the rest.
I'll
sent.
"I have information for you."
Again
My I
this beautiful
was doing or what
lated
my
was even I
K winked
across to me.
head seemed to be going around
flags,
but
I
I
in circles. I didn't
should do next. For a few minutes
have no idea what
I
said or
warn them about
manipu-
the large battery that the Japs were
holding back to use against our landing force. of the island
was so
intense that
I
knew
By now
the
bombard-
the landing
would be
made almost any
day.
emplacement out
of existence before the landing
would save the
When
I
whether the message
intelligible.
tried to
ment
know what
I
lives of
finally
I
knew
that
if
the battleships could blast that
was attempted,
it
thousands of American troops.
calmed down and
settled to a deliberate rate of
798
Aleutians to the Mariana^
sending,
"The Japs have
Point,"
signaled.
I
Then
at
Adelup
/-, 7
thought they ought to
I
who made forced can who falls into
mounted
a battery of coast guns
know
"The Japs
wanted the
their hands." I
were
that the Japs
landings on the island.
kill
pilots to
killing pilots
every Ameri-
know what
they
were up against, so that they could either take a chance on crashing
and being picked up by our ships or
in the sea
hide out until the island
The sun was they spotted
shining.
still
me on
the
bly half an hour while
information
I
knew
cliff.
The They
destroyers circled
hit for the
down
they were shot
all I
bush and
inland.
had slowed down when
around one spot for proba-
talked to them. Finally, I'd given
I
—
on the
of Jap troops
fell if
them
island, the nature of off-shore barricades,
tank traps, and other obstructions, even some data on
fields,
all
was run down. The
guns. That
was
all.
letters right
was
terrific.
I
the
had about the strength and concentration
mine
dummy
strain of trying to get the
made no attempt whatever to identify myself. I knew they'd be suspicious. The first thing a spy would try to do would be to identify I'd
himself as a bona-fide American.
If I told
them nothing about myself
but just gave them useful information, perhaps that would be in
my
favor. I
saw they were
I was frantic. Through hot tears I "Can you take me aboard?" received no answer. That was all I could
up speed.
getting
slowly and distinctly spelled out,
As
half-anticipated,
I
thought, but
expect,
I
back
my
to
I
I
still
stood there, too exhausted to stumble
cave.
Five minutes
later,
I
saw a boat drop
into the water.
answer enough for me! The people on that ship knew
How,
don't know.
I
my
hoisted
flags for
I
one
"Please wait for me.
didn't care. final
I
was
I
That was
wasn't a Jap!
practically delirious as
I
message.
It will
me
take
half an
hour to get down to the
water." I
dropped the
stuck
signal flags
my pocket. my crevasse,
where
I
grabbed
opened the cracker can where given
was, scooped up the mirror, and
in
it
Inside
stuffed
I
them
me
over
three rugged
cracked
into
my
my
my
cliffs,
my I
machete, fastened on
kept
my
pictures
shirt front. I slung the
shoulder, and ran for the
my
holster,
and records and
deer light Antonio had
trail. I
half-slid
using both hands and feet to keep from
down
the
falling. I
knees against the jagged corners of a shelf of rock and
"He Looks Like a White Man' took the hide
hardly
off. I
felt
was down by the water's edge
I
it.
Never before had
fifteen minutes.
799
made
I
it
in less
in
than three quarters
of an hour. I
I
couldn't see the
had had
motor launch, but judged
I
down
I
come
to
slantwise
drawn
think they were being
the
cliff.
into a trap. It
didn't
was
it,
since
want them
getting dark
to
enough
tapped the end of the wire on the terminal of
to signal with a light.
I
the battery so that
could send code. First,
I
was south of
I
just flashed the light
rapidly several times.
The is
ship
saw me and swung the
signal light
toward the beach. "He
half a mile south of you," the signalman said.
Were
I
was turned
to the boat or to
me?"
I
flashed.
the boat."
Fine. Everything
"Flash your
was
as I'd figured
boat
light so the
you up," they signaled I
or to the boat? If to the boat,
was south of me.
it
"Are you talking
"To
me
they talking to
around, and
it.
will spot
you and know where
to pick
me.
to
sent dots of yellow light north, and in a few minutes the launch
came
in sight.
"Here
I
am!"
Meantime,
I
was a good eight to the shore.
I
shouted.
plumbed
I
I
found a place where
plenty deep enough to bring the boat right
feet,
didn't
the water for depth.
want
to take
it
up
any chances on that boat running
aground. I
hurriedly snatched up
forgotten left
it!
I
my
gear.
the one object that had never
whole years.
Where was my
had been so crazy with excitement that
It
was too
late
left
now.
I
my
side,
pistol? I
had
gone
off
and
day or night,
in
two
I'd
couldn't go back for
it.
The
boat was within two hundred yards of me.
But
it
didn't
"Come on
come
in!
in. I
could see
it
dimly.
There's plenty of water here!"
I
shouted to them.
"No, you swim out." "I can't. I've got too
much
gear."
"Leave the gear." There was plenty of water for the boat to come in right to the rock on which I was standing. I didn't want to get my pictures and records wet by swimming.
"You have
"We
eight feet of water right here
are not
coming
in.
Swim
where I'm standing!"
out and leave your gear there."
800
Aleutians to the Marianas
"I can't leave
it
here.
The
this place." I felt that the
Japs'll find
it
and
kill
man who owns
the
Japs must have seen the two destroyers
was endangering Antonio's
circling in this spot for so long. It
could not leave anything behind for that would
make
life.
I
death cer-
his
tain.
"We
are not coming in!"
was worried.
I
These people were going
didn't answer.
I
to get
Then the Japs, seeing the two dewould come out here to look for me. I must
disgusted and return to the ship. stroyers circling this spot, get away!
"You swim "Oh,
it's
"You
come
out. If you're all right, then we'll
someone
things,"
me
in
and get your
finally shouted.
you're afraid of!"
ain't just a'lying!" I
heard one of the fellows in the boat
say. I it
dropped everything and started tearing
was
getting dark fast, there
stripped to the hide
I
was
still
off
my
some
clothes.
light,
Although
and when
heard someone in the boat say, "He looks
I'd
like a
white man."
We'd been gear,
was
there so long,
and with the warships
No
on
gun?"
its
noise arguing about the
same spot
way down
I
there.
called out.
I
anybody got
a gun!"
cried out louder.
I
answer. They weren't giving away any information.
"Well,
if
you have, and you
see
anybody besides me,
let
'em have
They'll be Japs!" I
swam
When
out to the boat.
they saw
me. They pulled
Once aboard, machine guns I'll
I
to
I
was
me saw
two dozen arms reached out
really white,
over the side, and
I fell
men
that the thirty
bristled with
how good
it
felt to
were the best looking bunch of men a question.
"Where've you been?"
"Where'd you come from?"
"How
enough sub-
wipe out an entire Jap platoon.
never forget
them had
for
sprawling into the boat.
get
back with Americans, hear
Americans, see Americans, especially Navy men
of
offshore, that
answer.
"I say, has
No
a
much
so
circling in that
afraid a Jap patrol might be
"Has anybody there got
it.
making
long've you been there?"
I
ever saw in
like myself.
my
life.
They
Every one
"He Looks Like a White Man"
When
I
told
them
me
my
shoulders.
We
My
was naked.
I
was
I
was
I
When we
looked
shaggy hair hung amost
down
to
hadn't shaved for three days. to shore for
my
things.
my own
trousers,
On
homemade
never received such a welcome as
I'd
They thought
telling the truth. 1
I
the
way
shoes,
men
the
them over
clothes off their backs and threw
put on
shirt. I
me.
to
I
peeled
took a
and underwear.
got from these
Navy men.
pulled up alongside the ship, they lowered the blocks from
the davits, it.
I
went back
own
their
they didn't believe me.
should have convinced them wild animal.
like a
half,
who'd been forced down a week or two previously. One look
a pilot at
been hiding from the Japs on the island for
I'd
over two years and a
801
hooked
When we
boat pushed
somebody
were
me
yelled.
the six
in
men in the man out. "Jump on over!" gave me a helping shove from me as I hit the deck.
level with the destroyer's deck, the
forward to be the
first
Half a dozen fellows
behind, and half a dozen
One of He shook
up with everybody
the boat on, and hoisted her
more caught
was Commanding
Officer, Lt.
Comdr.
hands, congratulated me. and thanked
me
J.
B. Carroll.
for the informa-
tion I'd sent.
"You he
eat,"
got here in the nick of time. We're just sitting
beside
I sat
me to officers' mess. Commander Carroll. There were and
table linen, china,
miles of
when
I
cliff.
butter. I
was cooking supper
to eat, including all
slice of I
hole in the
silver in
dozen times while
half a
had
my
and bread and
bles,
to
I
There was a baked ham, green vegetahadn't seen bread and butter
was I
my
electric lights, white
an immaculate cabin within a few
in the bush.
had thought
Many
I'd gladly
canned goods, for
more than
times in
my
cave
swap everything
just
I
one good thick
white bread spread with a deep layer of yellow butter.
was too excited
to eat
much.
I
stuffed
small helping of green vegetables. That was I
down
said, inviting
made
a
diagram for
Commander
down some bread and
a
all.
Carroll,
showing him the exact
location of the battery of coast guns.
"You
don't
know how lucky you
are," he said.
"After
we had we
blasted that Jap anti-aircraft and machine gun out of existence
came on up the coast, where we spotted the reflection of your mirror. The way you quivered it, it looked exactly like gun flashes. When I saw them I said, 'Aha! Another Jap gun getting smart with us.' We took your range and bearing, trained our guns on you, and were ready to open
fire
when,
at the last
second, you dropped the mirror
I
802
Aleutians to the Marianas flags. Somebody shouted, 'Hold everything! I trying to signaj'-to7 us.' If you'd waited another
and began waving your think
someone
second to
is
waving your
start
you'd have been blown to hell."
flags,
Lieutenant Butler, the medical
He found
once-over.
officer,
me
took
to his office for a
my
nothing wrong; said I'd survived
ordeal
pretty well.
"Now," he
said significantly. "Is there anything you'd like espe-
cially?"
"A
shower!"
said fervently.
I
"Okay. But don't you have a
little
cough?" he asked
in a voice full
of meaning. "We're well equipped," he added.
caught on.
I
with
my
coughed. "Doctor, I've had considerable
I
throat lately,"
I
complained.
"Swell! I've the very thing to
He
difficulty
fix
you up!"
reached into a cabinet and came out with a pint of bonded rye
whiskey.
"Drink I
do you good."
this. It'll
took one swallow and returned the
"Go
ahead, help yourself," he urged, but I'd not had a drink in so
long that
He
I
knew
some clean
much
wouldn't take
it
way
then led the
I left
bottle.
to set
me
spinning.
washroom, and
into the officers'
left to
get
me
clothes.
my
old ones in a filthy heap on the floor and stepped into the
luxury of a powerful stream of hot water beating
down on my
body.
When
Lieutenant Butler came back,
want
didn't ever
"Take your time," he
As layers
I
was
still
under the shower.
I
to get out.
called
in.
a matter of fact, the actual scrubbing necessary to scrape off the
and
layers of dirt
the course of two
and
which
imagined were caked on
I
my body
in
a half years in the dusty bush and crude cave,
took plenty of time. That soap and shower brush took a helluva beating.
I
stepped out feeling brand new.
"What's that awful stench?" piled
on the
floor at
my
ocean anything smelling I
put on
the
clean
feet.
I
asked.
"My God,
like that,
from doing
was
I
dirty clothes
I'd fished
up from the
saw
it
back!"
underwear Lieutenant Butler handed me,
pile of dirty clothes
it.
if
my
I
Id have thrown
grabbed up that them overboard.
A
Then
and made for the deck
dozen men almost knocked as surprised as hell to see
me down them
fight
to
to
throw
keep
me
over those
"He Looks Like a White Man"
One shoe went one way,
smelly clothes for souvenirs.
803 mate, the
its
other.
We
went back
to Lieutenant Butler's quarters.
He
gave
me
the
first
socks I'd had in over a year, and a fine pair of black shoes that one of
men had
the
up
sent
as a present to
me, without even leaving
his
name.
The doctor
laid out
two clean uniforms, one khaki and one
gray.
been adopted by the Navy
after
never seen the gray before.
I'd
Guam was taken by "Who wears that "Oh, yet
—
the Japs.
one?
and
"It's for officers
like it,"
I
I
said, pointing to the gray.
chiefs."
in that case,
still first
It'd
have to take the khaki. I'm not a chief
I'll
class."
"Well, the khaki's for officers and chiefs, too, so you might as well
wear the gray," he laughed.
Once
dressed,
I
and thought that
my
beard and perhaps "All
looked
if I
at
almost three years' growth of hair
could begin to look
I
myself in the narrow mirror in the door
could just get rid of that three days growth of
men who were
human
down my
back,
again.
in the landing party report
came out over the loud-speaker. The group gathered in the wardroom, and
immediately!" the
call
the ship's photographer
took pictures.
For the
me
rest of the
evening
cigarettes, matches,
"Is
Why
was
my
tell
my
story
talking.
in every
The
fellows gave
way showing me
that
and was there with them now.
Where
out yet?
is
General MacArthur now?
taken so long for the Americans to get back to
it
They brought me up had developed
that
around
time to ask questions.
Germany knocked
has
sat
chewing gum,
they were glad I'd lived to
Now it
we
to date, telling
radio, shutting myself off priorities that the
me
1942 when
since early
Guam?"
about the major war fronts I
had
to
abandon
my
from the outside world. They explained the
European war
front
had on men and materials,
causing the long delay in the rescue of our far-flung Pacific outpost.
They part,
told
me
that
proudly about the big task force, of which they were a
was
now
sweeping
across
the
Pacific,
giving
Japs hell wherever they had established garrisons. All the full
the
men were
of confidence.
When bunk
it
was time
to turn in, Lieutenant Butler
in the officers' quarters.
I
showed me
undressed and eased into the
to a finest
804 bed
Aleutians to the Marianas I'd felt since the
Beauty Rest mattress
September, 1942. I
heaved a big sigh of
couldn't
fall
the roof,
no rain
I
was I
asleep. in
relief,
my
closed
face.
hadn't lost
my
No wonder
clothes
down and
and went
take over for a while and handle I
Tommy
my know-how
I
ants,
couldn't drop
God
for
my
escape
to the radio
.
of
no leaks
off!
me in
Actually,
room. The chief
some messages.
at the key. I
.
life
give up.
It felt
good
to
let
me
know
fanned the breeze with the
operators on watch and paced the deck, breathing sea
thanking
Tanak's in
and for the
eyes,
There were no mosquitoes, no
my
just too excited to quiet
put on
at
air
again and
.
WITH THE CAPTURE OF SAIPAN, BOMBING SQUADRON Commander Norman Miller, whom we have met before, moved down from the Marshalls. On July 14 Commander Miller 109, under
reported to Operations at Isley Field (formerly Aslito Field)
for
assignment. His was to be a unique mission, approved by Admiral
Spruance. Thunder Mug, his Liberator bomber, accompanied by another Liberator, was to
make
the
first
strike
on Iwo Jima, only
hundred and twenty-five miles from Saipan and enty from Tokyo. "See what they've got there. ers especially,"
As we portunity.
six
Go
six
hundred and sev-
after their destroy-
Spruance told him.
learn from his memoirs, Miller
made
the
most of the op-
COMMANDER NORMAN MILLER AND HUGH B. CAVE 16.
ON IWO
FIRST STRIKE
We
decided to
hit
Iwo Jima
and so
at dusk,
at
two o'clock
in the
afternoon the planes were taxied to the extreme end of the Isley Field
and readied for the
fighter strip
Each crew had poured two
take-off.
thousand gallons of gas into the tanks, enough to get us there and back, and hung two thousand pounds of
were going
to
runway
3,800
strip
old
just
have to take
off in the
feet long. Skeptical
and ground crews stopped work
Mug
Thunder
as well as
we
rain, with
Army to
watch
I
We
no wind, from a
pilots lined
up along the
in silence as battered
turned into position. They didn't
know our PB4Ys
ready. Shafe stood between
— Jim Park "Alley Oop" we
me and my
called him. "Let's
good, Skipper," Shafe begged. "Just to give those laugh."
the racks.
did.
The crew was hairy-chested
bombs on
turned the engines up
full,
Army
seven inches beyond
co-pilot,
make
it
Joes the
maximum
manifold pressure, and released the brakes. The plane went lunging
down
the
lumpy
With her
field like a
flaps up, for
hound dog
we were doing an uncomfortable 100 the flaps for
lift,
off a leash.
speed without drag, she roared along until
and Thunder
Mug
Then
I
lowered
tipped her nose up. For a
moment
miles an hour.
her wheels seemed glued to the ground as she strained to free herself.
Then we were
in the
air.
Later
we
learned that a cheer went up
behind us, but with the four engines thundering
like freight trains in
805
806
Aleutians to the Marianas
our ears, we didn't hear
We
it.
ourselves cheered, however,
when Joe
Jobe's plane swept up from the fieldin Our wake.
Keeping close together for added protection, the two Liberators ranged far up to the north, shunning a number of small islands which
might have been outposts for the enemy's air-raid warning system.
We
on past Iwo Jima
flew
as planned,
and arriving too soon
at
our
turning point, had to loaf around over the Pacific for a while, waiting
When
for dusk.
went on the Japs'
the sky
had darkened and the sea had turned gray, we
approaching not from the south but from the direction of
in,
own homeland.
There was
little
talk as the
this last leg of the journey.
two planes skimmed over the water on
This was big business;
big for our pair of unescorted Liberators,
might even be too
it
and the boys knew that our
chances of getting back to Saipan with a whole skin a respectable score
the
—would
depend
largely
enemy napping. There would be no
on our
So, then,
Iwo Jima was
bristling with
we had
good
to be
were to prove the point
them
by using a
short,
ability to catch
to Saipan.
no
had been warned
powerful defenses.
—we could make no mistakes—
would be keeping an eye on
that
We
had so strenuously argued
two of our planes
to get just tain Taff
I
mention
to
lingering over this target,
doubling back to deal the foe a second dose. soberly that
—not
if
we
my campaign
in
Admiral Spruance and Capus.
We
still
undeveloped advance
had
field
to convince
and
flying far
we could do
out beyond the radius of single- and twin-engined planes,
some important damage to an enemy not yet prepared for attack by heavy aircraft. Of particular importance would be our score against the enemy's lifeline of shipping.
Iwo Jima
rises
from south
us,
black against the sky, as
would hide the
we went
We
tip.
in just
The
bluff
towered before
We
over the sea.
But we could not know whether
two planes climbed from the
down over we
us.
which termi-
to north in a gentle slope
nates abruptly in a bluff at the northern
hoped
would or not
it
sea, cleared the bluff,
it
until
and swung
the air strips beyond.
were about eight hundred
feet apart,
Jobe on
my
port beam, as
cleared the barrier. Thunder Mug's gunners anxiously awaited the
signal to
open
fire.
"Okay, give 'em
hell," I said
— and twenty ma-
chine guns, ten on each plane, opened up with a spectacular, deafening racket, pinning the Japs to the
The Japs were surprised, The breed on Iwo Jima
ground ahead of us
no doubt of
panicked.
that,
as
we
attacked.
but they were not
didn't scare easily.
Our own
yellow-
on Iwo
First Strike
807 when
red tracers had scarcely begun to ricochet from the ground greenish-blue ground
began to
fire
flicker
and the surprise of the attack saved
us.
up
At two hundred miles an
hour, barely 150 feet above the defenders' heads, targets despite
our
size.
we were
fleeting
These Japs had never before had occasion
to
anything so low. Their only previous targets had been carrier
fire at
planes, at higher altitude.
engined to
the
Only our speed
at us.
Nor had
This was the
aircraft.
first
they ever been hit before by multi-
time Liberators had struck so close
Tokyo.
A
few bullets nicked Thunder Mug's metal skin as we bore down
on the
first
Most
of the two airfields.
our slipstream, and the fragments
No done
one except the Japs to their fields
know
will ever
the full
amount
and parked planes that evening. At
probably forty planes were parked ways.
of the flak, however, exploded in
that nicked us didn't hurt us.
Some exloded
in the
as our streams of
and over them; some burst
into
of
damage
least thirty,
revetments and on the taxi-
machine-gun
walked up
fire
flames; others spat out gusts of
smoke. Over the interphone came brief reports from our gunners, but they were as busy as drunks in a shooting gallery and had
little
time
damage already done. And by now we reception. The Jap ground guns all over the
or inclination to assess the
were island
really getting a
were putting up
a barrage so intense that
our encounters with
enemy ack-ack in the Marshalls and the Carolines seemed tame by comparison. Even the ships off-shore were doing their Sunday best to knock us down. The sky ahead, behind and around us was aflame with gaudy Jap-made lightning. I
was saving the bombs
of them.
for shipping,
Our machine guns had been
and
as yet
had released none
able to take care of the
jammed
planes on the airfields. But now, turning sharply to starboard,
headed for the anchorage on the west side of the spreading on the ground behind us,
and a half
I
island.
With
I
fires
singled out a destroyer a mile
shore and began a run on her. She was not the only
off
target available but she
was the
best one, for the Japs
were short of
destroyers and desperately needed them for escorting their convoys.
This one had been of course, she
firing at us
even before we began our run, and,
had weapons more powerful than anything with which
we could answer
her.
Too smart
to waste
ammunition, the boys con-
centrated on the coastal vessels and cargo ships that
we went
in.
To
port, a cargo ship blazed
on the starboard
side, a
wooden
came
in
range as
on the water. Close aboard
coastal spouted flames. It
was a good
808
Aleutians to the Marianas
show. But Jim Park and fire
was bursting
I,
missed most of
in the cockpit,
Enemy
it.
around and qver7us by now, and we could see
all
what most of the crew could not
—
the destroyer
was sweeping the sky
us with twin streams of tracers from 20-millimeter deck
in front of
guns. These twin rivers of
fire
rose in a rainbow arc between her
stacks, so bright they fascinated
me, and we were running down them
like a train
on
was the
It
tracks.
grimmest approach
longest,
almost turned away.
We
were being
had ever made, and
I
hit hard; the
I
Jap had a no-deflec-
tion shot and couldn't miss. And for some reason our bow gunner, who should have been doing the talking for our side, had failed to answer back. I didn't know until later that his guns had jammed and
he couldn't! I
thought
through
No
all
we would never make
it,
was
the Jap could send, and the ship at last
one had to guess
Mug
but old Thunder
drilled
on
in the sights.
Thunder Mug's gunners saw
at the results.
what happened, and so did the crew of Joe Jobe's plane, moving along on our
Two
left.
at the waterline
of the
bombs were
and No. 4 kicked her
firing at us as
we
Jap
3 hit the
Her gunners were Jobe, but she was done
blowing most of her stern into the sky behind still
No.
short, but
forty-five degrees to starboard,
jinked over to join
us.
for.
Joe Jobe, meanwhile, had not been
number
us at 150 feet, he had strafed a
major
fires
which were
still
idle.
Crossing the air
strips
with
and started three
of planes
and over the anchorage
violently blazing,
he had shot up a half-dozen or more coastal vessels while making his run on a cargo oilers
bullets,
to
ship.
At
least five of the coastals
and two valuable
afire,
and the cargo ship was ablaze from machine-gun
when Joe
spotted a larger ship farther out and broke his run
were
go for her.
When we
joined
him
a
moment
destroyer, this second cargo vessel, a big one, the water. She kept exploding as
As we headed
we turned
for
after
our run on the
was exploding
We
ground
to challenge us,
island
and despite the vicious ground
neither of our planes was seriously
either
on the
thought we had done a good job. Not a plane had been able
to get off the fire,
over
south toward Saipan, several ships were burning off
the island's west shore and five distinct fires blazed itself.
all
home.
crew was scratched. But as
Saipan, battered
I
damaged and not
a
man
of
prepared to send a flash report to
Iwo Jima provided a dramatic
three separate and tremendous explosions
lit
postscript.
Behind
us,
the night, hurling flames
'
on Iwo
First Strike
and sparks high into the darkness. Only
or ammunition
oil
could have furnished the fuel for such a display. "Skipper," said Shafe, "I can see
Tokyo
reports
Iwo Jima raided
for
it
in the
809
It
was the
dumps
pay-off.
papers right now. 'Radio
time by land-based bombers.
first
enemy back with heavy losses. No damage to Japanese island. No comment from U. S. Navy.' About eleven o'clock, when our two returning planes were still a
Intrepid Japanese fighters turn
good many miles from Saipan, ahead.
saw a
I
shouldn't have been there, and
It
harbors of any
size;
it
puzzled me. Saipan has no
our ships were lying
vulnerable to attack by submarines
winking on the horizon
light
the open roadstead,
in
known
to
be prowling
in
the
This mysterious light could easily be a sub signal of some
vicinity. sort.
went out
It
as
I
called
Jim Park's attention
to
A moment
it.
later
there were two of them.
For ten minutes these
lights
blinked on, went out,
"Jim, we'd better report this by radio," the island,
we saw
I
said.
came on again. as we neared
But then,
that the lights slowly descended after they
blazed in the sky for a moment. "They aren't signal lights at
Park
all,"
had Jim
"They're flares."
said.
He was
On
right.
of Japs were
sending up flares
where hundreds
the northern part of the island,
hiding in caves and ravines, our Marines were
still
at regular intervals
during the night to thwart any
attempted suicide attack under cover of darkness. For our money, the star shells
were excellent long-range lighthouses!
At Saipan we landed on the fighter strip in a drenching rain, and after I had reported to General Hale's Chief of Staff, Captain Davis of the
We
Navy, Joe and
had
much
weren't
was
still
now,
tents
—
I
set
fumbled back through the dark to our camp.
up
in the
the floors were
cane
still
littered with battle debris
field
near the
mud and
air strip.
They
the surrounding area
—but they were
better than sleep-
ing under the wings of the plane. Tired and soaking wet, Joe and
turned in about 3 a.m. and lay there listening to the rain
drumming
I
of the
on the canvas.
Had we done we had
seriously
merchant
ship,
a
good job
at
Iwo Jima?
I
thought
damaged and probably sunk
two small tankers and three
ton merchant ship and set five coastals
others, started five fires
among
damaged
a 3,000-
destroyed at least eight
planes on the ground, probably destroyed ten
many
had. Together
a destroyer, a 6,000-ton
coastals,
afire,
we
more and damaged
shore installations and exploded
810 an
Aleutians to the Marianas
oil
that. I
or ammunition dump.
Two
unescorted Liberators had done
hoped Admiral Spruance woujo^be pleased
NOW THE WAR AGAINST JAPAN MOVED phase
—
destruction of the enemy's capability and
tide of battle
had inexorably begun
ing last year of the great struggle
to turn at
would
find
.
.
.
INTO ITS FINAL will to fight on.
Midway; it
running
The
the approachfull flood.
PART
VII
LEYTE GULF
TO OKINAWA: END OF AN EMPIRE
A WAVE OF UNBRIDLED OPTIMISM SWEPT THE UNITED States during the
summer
of 1944.
The war, an
influential section of
would be over by Christmas; Japan peace rather than risk invasion of her homeland. These
the press stated categorically,
would sue bright
and
for
illusory conjectures continued for a while, until
painfully clear that another year of fighting
the
enemy could be brought
to
its
Guinea
—and
the
—
became
knees.
For while MacArthur's forces had battered
New
it
would be necessary before
virtually assuring total
their
way
to
Vogelkop,
conquest of the sub-continent
Navy and Marine Corps had scored
a string of notable
successes in the Central Pacific, Japan had also been on the move. Shifting her
Combined
Fleet, in the late spring,
to Lingga, near Singapore,
from the Inland Sea
Japan gave the Allies the
distinct impres-
811
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:^ Kid of an Empire
812
was contemplating a thrust
sion that she
which might de-
at India,
prive the United States Seventh Fleet of the services of an otherwise available force of the
Royal Navy. More important, Japanese troops
had captured the Chinese railhead
city of
Henyang on August
XIV
by mid-summer were moving on Kweilin and Linchow. The
Army
United States
forward
airfields in
and
8,
Air Force had been forced to withdraw from
China, necessitating a change of plans for the
final
assault.
There was much high
level debate
at this
time as to the most
approach to the enemy's homeland. Despite the capture of
feasible
the strategic Chinese shoreline by
enemy
troops, the
Navy favored
a
plan which would bypass the Philippines in favor of an approach
through Formosa. This, King averred, would "put the cork in the
enemy communications in the China Sea and would permit and sea power to blockade Japan into submission. Discussion
bottle" of
our
air
continued until September 11, four days before the invasion of the
when
Palaus,
a Joint Chiefs of Staff decision
Mindanao was Leyte by December 20. pine island of
was reached: the by November
to be occupied
Philip-
15,
and
Fortunately, this timetable was advanced by the appearance of
Halsey on the scene with Task Force 38. (It was 38 when Halsey commanded; 58 under Spruance.) On September 9-10 Mindanao airfields near Sarangani Bay were worked over in a series of carrier strikes some 2400 in two days, with a bag of over two hundred enemy planes as well as a number of ships and installations destroyed. It appeared to Halsey that resistance on Mindanao had been neutralized, and he recommended that both the forces which had
—
been allocated for the invasion of the Palaus and Task Force 38 be turned over to MacArthur for an immediate seizure of Leyte. King
and Nimitz endorsed
who
Joint Chiefs, for Leyte
had no "I its
his
was advanced
illusions
knew
it
recommendation and forwarded
required only ninety minutes to approve to
October 20. MacArthur was delighted, but
to be the crucial battle of the
outcome would depend the
which
I
hoped
to
hammer
—
war
in the Pacific.
On
and the
fu-
fate of the Philippines
war against Japan. Leyte was
central Philippines to the
A-Day
about the operation:
was
ture of the
to the
it
it:
to be the anvil against
the Japanese into submission in the
the springboard from which
conquest of Luzon, for the
I
could proceed
final assault against
Japan
itself.
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
With the
my
initiative in
the Japanese
hands, the war had reached that decisive
Empire and
Meanwhile, the invasions scheduled.
On
ment by naval campaign.
September forces,
On
813
Empire
of an
where an important Japanese defeat would
stage
their
End
seal the fate of
a centuries-old tradition of invincibility."
Palaus and Morotai went along as
in the
D-Day,
15,
after a preliminary
bombard-
Marines stormed ashore on Pelileu to open
Morotai,
Army
forces under
MacArthur occupied
the island in a virtually bloodless assault. While the
two campaigns
could not be compared to what was coming up, sporadic Japanese opposition did continue in the Palaus until the following spring.
Let us turn to the Leyte operation. At
were designated:
some
air force
1)
MacArthur
this
time four top
command
in
of
and the Seventh Fleet; 2) Nimitz
all
commands
ground
forces,
command
in
of the
Army Air Force; 3) General H. H. "Hap" command of the XX Air Force; and 4) General Joseph W. Stilwell in command of the China-Burma-India Army Air Force, otherwise known as the XIV AAF. Responsibility for the first phase Third Fleet and the VII
Arnold
in
of the final assault
on Japan devolved upon these few, whose
ments were expressed by MacArthur:
which
.
.A
senti-
most ambitious and
undertaking ..."
difficult
The
".
island of Leyte, comprising 2,785 square miles, about half of is
mountainous and the
by Magellan
in 1521.
The
between Calicoan and
rest lush
farming land, was
island lies at the
Homonhon
end of an
Islands, the primary
past centuries for other explorers as well as the
first
visited
historic channel
waterway
Moro
pirates.
in
In
1944 the population of Leyte numbered about a million people, speaking two Visayan dialects.
and large opposed
to
Japanese
a very impressive guerilla
Warm rule,
and hospitable, they were by
and displayed
their hostility with
movement.
Japan's forces on the island originally numbered six divisions but at the
time of the landings
—October 20—
all
Makino's 16th were elsewhere. The 16th (and in the Philippines)
manded by cising
all
but Major General other ground forces
were units of the Japanese Southern
Field Marshal Terauchi in Manila.
independent command, were Japan's
Army com-
Under him, but Fifth
exer-
and Sixth Air
Forces (Navy) and the Fourth Air Force (Army) with a total of aircraft. In principle, the Imperial Japanese Navy under AdSoemu Toyoda was prepared for the defense of the Philippines Operation Sho. But before we examine in detail Japan's plan for
1,177 miral
with
814
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
the naval defense of the islands sive battles"
day
strike
—
let
—
End
of an
Empire
the last and biggest of their
us turn to the Third, Fleet and
its
'deci-
crippling three-
on Formosa, which deprived the enemy of a
large part of
his land-based air strength.
On
October against
sorties
12, from dawn to dusk, Task Force 38 flew 1,378 Formosan shipping and airfields; next day another
nine hundred and seventy-four sorties; the third day just one strike.
As lost
a result of this action Vice
500
planes, plus
two score
Admiral Fukudome's Sixth Air Force freighters
and small
craft
and
all
man-
ner of ground installations destroyed, including ammunition dumps.
American aerial
losses
seventy-one aircraft. However, Japanese
totalled
torpedoes scored two serious hits on Task Force 38 during this
operation
—
cruisers
Canberra and Houston were badly damaged and
put out of action. Three days later Halsey launched his pines' strikes in support of
MacArthur,
in
Rear Admiral R. E. Davidson's Task Group 38.4, took
Commander Edward activity
over Manila.
We
P.
Stafford
tells
first
Philip-
which carrier Enterprise, of part.
of the pre -invasion aerial
have met him before.
—
COMMANDER EDWARD
P.
STAFFORD
I.
FORAY TO THE PHILIPPINES
Shortly before 9:00 a.m., Enterprise launched a the U.
Japanese-occupied
S. -built,
Philippines.
On
this
first
strike,
airfields
full
deckload against
around the capital of the
The Big E
sent her
team
first
nine Helldivers under Riera and eight Avengers under Prickett, es-
corted by four divisions of Hellcats under Bakutis.
The formation crossed and torpedo planes
at
the east shore of
15,000
feet
Luzon with
the
bombers
and the four divisions of
fighters
stacked above, ahead, and on both sides, with Fred Bakutis' division flying roving high cover at 22,000.
Bay on
the west coast,
some
With
forty miles to go to
three dozen geometrically
specks in the sky ahead developed rapidly into as
brown Oscars, Tonys and Zekes coming
in high
many
and
fast
Manila
arranged mottledto inter-
cept.
Fighting 20, outnumbered two to one, closed up, charged guns
and waited sleek
Dog
and
at
agile
160 knots between the bombers and the enemy. The Japanese planes surrounded the Enterprise formation.
men held steadily on course, gunners in the open cockSB2Cs and the ball turrets of the TBFs cocked and ready,
Smith's
pits of the
the tight formations of Hellcats waiting for the enemy's
Then
first
move.
a single Oscar high on the right flank rolled into a firing run.
Bakutis' section of two instantly turned into
him and he dived away,
recovering far below to begin the climb back. Another on the
left
815
816
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa;.
knowing
enemy
their
young
pilots
heavy F6s could
Empire
away when the
did the same thing and also dove counter. Bakutis' eager
of an
were
terribly
easily catch
began to
escort
tempted to follow,
and destroy the
lighter
planes in a dive, but squadron discipline held and they main-
tained position.
away
Hellcats
The Japanese were apparently bombers.
in order to get at the
draw the
trying to
When
this tactic failed,
they were forced to attack the American fighters which were always
between them and
and Bakutis'
their targets.
pilots
met them
They came
in pairs
in singly
and haphazardly,
and fours with the
tight
work that they had been trained to, and which had worked over Formosa two days before. Planes began to smoke and spiral down the sky on the approaches to Manila
— and
they were
all
accounted for
five
between them
in
eastern
Japanese. Ensigns
Baker and Chuck Haverland, the second section of Bakutis'
team-
so well
Doug
division,
a wild, high-altitude scramble
which lasted twenty minutes, and during which Baker scattered
five
attacking Oscars by firing his air-to-ground rockets at their formation
and followed up with fired at
his
guns to shoot down a
such short range on a diving Tony that
oil
Haverland
sixth.
from
its
broken
engine streaked and clouded his windshield.
Lieutenant
probably
five,
Bob Fallgatter's division got when six Oscars attempted
three
more
certainly,
to attack the
and
bombers
as
they were beginning their runs on Nielson Field.
En route to the rendezvous point, Lieutenant Leo McCuddin shot down an Oscar from below as it was beginning a run on a TBF. The enemy pilot bailed out and dangled eerily under his chute, dressed from head Ensign
to toe in solid black.
Herman,
Bill
also
on
his
way
to the rendezvous,
broke up
an attack by three Oscars on another F6F, blowing the canopy
one and
Ten
killing the pilot as
of the
enemy
he started to climb out.
interceptors were seen to crash, and another four
probably went down. In the words of Emmett Riera, to
off
who had
reason
know: Escort was superb; not one enemy fighter approached to within
gun range
of the
bombers and torpedo bombers,
either
during
approach or upon retirement; every plane that attempted an attack
was
either shot
Not a
single
down
VF-20
or driven
off.
Hellcat was
lost.
Clouds covered most of the Manila area, so that the bombers and
817
Foray to the Philippines torpedo planes had to spiral steeply
underneath and find their
deck
2,000
at
field.
cloud, the
AA
was the worst the Big E's squadrons had ever
on ramps crowded with parked
With
in
crowded harbor
On
the
bombs
at
foolproof altitudes
accounted
the
for,
fighters
under the overcast to slam their rockets into the rows of
grounded planes, and then the
their
planes.
temporarily
opposition
air
seen.
to be flying through a continuous curtain of
But they unloaded
tracers.
swooped
a hole to break out
In that shallow layer of clear air between ground and
The blue planes seemed smoking
down through
Then, with the bottom of the cloud
they were limited to high-speed, low-level passes
feet,
across the
targets.
way
to rendezvous.
Ed
out,
three squadrons headed out across
all
Holley, flying an Enterprise
had done two years before
TBF
again as he
Guadalcanal, caught a Zeke coming
off
out of a cloud ahead and spun him in with 200 rounds from the
wind guns of the big Avenger. Fred Bakutis, rapidly losing
from a bullet hole
oil
went on alone as soon as Luzon was to find the task
target.
fighters
he had
left
behind
at sea, as his four divisions of escorts
had
Fred landed on the familiar deck, changed
planes and got back in the
At 10:30
in his engine,
behind, and arrived aboard
group under attack and the
200 miles
as busy here,
been over the
left
air.
a.m., Enterprise
CIC had vectored some San Jacinto down twelve miles southwest of
onto a Judy which they shot
fighters
the force.
At
the
same
time, with
more and more bogies showing on
the scopes, eleven of the VF-20's fighters, including the air group
commander, were scrambled. One found
five
Zekes coming
in at
another and drove the others
The
division of four, led
17,000
feet,
by Joe Lawler,
shot one down,
damaged
off.
other four-plane division, led by
Mel
Prichard, encountered
Zekes also and knocked down four.
But three enemy dive bombers and one bomb-carrying Zeke, fast
and high, eluded the
report of a lookout
"Enemy
fighters.
The
first
flying
warning was the shouted
:
dive bombers overhead!"
Task group guns opened with a Franklin and escaped. aboard, showering her
roar, but three
Two bombs flight
Judys released over
were wide, but one landed close
deck and starting a
fire
on the port
quarter.
While the big new carrier spouted black smoke, and repair parties
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
81*T
converged on the blaze, a single
End
of an
Empire
bomb under
ZeTce, with a
each wing,
slanted in toward her starboard bow. All Franklin's starboard guns
and
all
those on other ships that' 'would bear turned on the lone
Japanese
pilot.
For a few seconds he flew on
into the lead-filled sky,
then flipped around in a 90-degree bank and headed home.
Franklin put out her
fire in
a few minutes
but the enemy attacks continued
all
and resumed operations,
day.
At 2:20 p.m., Fred Bakutis was launched with a CAP of twelve Hellcats, and in the next three hours destroyed at least eighteen enemy planes in the vicinity of the task group. The Big E's luck was running strong that fall afternoon. The first bogey to which CIC vectored him was a single, sleek, fast, twin-engine Dinah reconnaissance plane at 23,000 feet, fifty miles out. The F6Fs had to strain to catch it, using full throttle and water injection in a shallow climb from 20,000. But when Bakutis and his wingman, Walter Wood, engines and started it on the fiery, four-mile drop to was more of a victory then they knew. The next two dangerously large formations of dive bombers, torpedo planes and
flamed both the Pacific,
fighters
its
it
engaged by Bakutis' Hellcats, were
circling sixty miles out,
apparently awaiting instructions from a coordinator
no longer
who
could
now
instruct.
Ensign Walt
Wood was
the hero of the
afternoon.
Flying on
Bakutis' wing as smoothly and reliably as though the two planes were the
same weapon, he shared
in the destruction of the coordinating
Dinah, then made two passes with Bakutis on a formation of torpedo bombers, knocking
one on each
Wood who
attack.
shot
it
When
down
out of ammunition,
Zeke which another
down one on each
the division went after a lone Zeke,
and, a
Wood
moment
expended
later,
his last
Jill
pass. Bakutis also got it
was
with his division leader
rounds on
still
another
fighter finally forced into the sea.
Fred Bakutis himself destroyed two, plus the Dinah, and damaged another.
But Fighting 20 had
its
losses too.
Ensign Bruce Hanna pressed an
attack so close to a Betty that he sheared off his right wing on the
enemy plane and ning F6 before it bail-out,
managed
hit the water.
to escape
him and guided
Norman Snow became
from
his violently spin-
Cut and battered by the high-speed
he drifted for nearly three days
antisub patrol saw
Ensign
barely
in his
rubber
a destroyer in to pick
raft before
an
him up.
separated in a dogfight with a dozen
Oscars, and returned to base in serious trouble with large holes in
819
Foray to the Philippines
wings and elevators, his radio transmitter shot up and unable to
F6
lower his wheels. Another
Snow was to climb.
him
as
he circled and,
and
to climb
bail out.
and could not get out, or had too
wounded
either
He
him
joined up on
after consulting Enterprise, advised
landed hard
little
But fuel
tower of spray alongside the destroyer
in a
Mugford, climbed out and swam toward the ship, which put four swimmers overboard to help him. Hurt and weighted down with his flight
gear and parachute, he slipped through the hands of the de-
and was
stroyer sailors
On
the sixteenth,
lost.
TG
38.4 fueled and received replacement planes
and crews from the escort
carrier, Sitka
Bay, and on the seventeenth
closed in to 150 miles to get on with the job of neutralizing the
on Luzon.
airfields
The
early fighter
sweep on the seventeenth found the
entire
Manila
area buried under a thick white blanket of clouds, and circled for nearly an hour in the clear sky above, looking in vain for a hole or a
way
to get through to the
Strike
Able
—
enemy.
eight fighters, eight
plus a similar group from Franklin, luck.
A
bombers and all
cast in the vicinity of Clark Field to find
—
Dog Smith had better down below the over-
under
hole opened up for them, and they
eight torpedo planes
let
one of the
bases in the
air
Clark complex swarming with planes preparing to take clearing weather.
The
Clark. Smith assigned
field it
off in the
was Mabalacat East, ten miles north of
as the target for his
group and dove
in to the
attack.
Lieutenant Jim Verdin's division went in
with rockets, and
first
Verdin himself smoked four of them into a bunch of eighteen to twenty enemy fighters clustered around the approach end of the run-
way, their props turning, waiting for take-off. The blast of the rockets engulfed the Japanese planes in a roaring cloud of
fire
and
sailing
debris as Verdin's Hellcats swept overhead.
Dog
Smith, with
Tom
Woodruff glued
to his wing, followed in a
rocket run and then, with rockets away, switched to a pair of Zekes
Smith
just
taking
as
was pulling up
it
off.
its
flame at the edge of the
found another Zeke single burst.
third
Dog
put
a
short
wheels and field.
it
Turning hard
just climbing out
leveled off
burst
the
into
lead
Zeke
crashed in a long smear of left
and pulling up, he
and flamed
and continued
straight
Zeke approaching head on. The enemy
pilot
it
with another
ahead toward a
turned hard right
and Smith turned with him, hammering a third burst into the Zeke's
820
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa: JEnd of an Empire
upturned belly which
set
it
Three planes
afire.
in less than a
minute
with 140 rounds total per gun. Dog' -Smith did not just happen to be
commander
the
of the
tent carrier in the
Other
most aggressive
Navy
fighters did
air
almost as well, strafing enemy planes
ground and blasting those down that were
Bombers and torpedo planes followed and incendiary
group on the most compe-
of the United States. still
on the
the fighters in, laying
bombs
just taking off.
on the crowded aprons and hangars
clusters
at
Mabalacat East. The twenty-four planes of Strike Able destroyed twenty-eight cial
wounds
Strike
enemy
aircraft
on the ground and
Baker,
the
same morning,
Wilson and the crew of
his
Avenger
every
flattened
Legaspi Field in southeastern Luzon, but to
structure
at
Lieutenant George
lost
heavy and accurate medium-
AA over the target.
caliber
October
18,
two days before the Leyte landings, was a busy and a
bad day for Enterprise. Three Manila that Wednesday
crewmen were
lost.
and two
strikes
On
sweeps went to
fighter
in increasingly miserable
with the fringes of a typhoon. or
in the air, with superfi-
one turret gunner of a TBF.
to
weather associated
every mission but one, pilots and/
Flight operations
began
in the
dark
6:00
at
a.m. and ended in the dark at 8:00 p.m.
On
the morning sweep, Fred Bakutis arrived over Manila
twelve fighters at 25,000
feet,
and found the bay and the
covered as usual. But, to the south, Clark Field was Hellcats
circled
on that
direction.
Over Clark
a
Bay with
city cloud-
clear,
flight
and the
of
seven
greenish-brown, snub-nosed Tojos was climbing out, and two of 20's division dived to the attack, leaving one
up
few moments, other enemy formations joined the sky over the Clark complex was
fight until the clear
full
of mottled-brown
craft climbing, twisting, diving at full
power, their guns
radio air
full
VF-
for cover. In the next
and blue
air-
clattering, the
of urgent calls and orders in English and Japanese.
In the heavy-gutted, horizon-spinning, cordite-smelling swirl of
combat, black-haired, white-toothed Douglas Baker and pint-sized, ex-tumbler Chuck Haverland each shot
down
three
enemy
fighters.
Bakutis and Foye got two apiece and most of the others one for a total of eighteen. Bill
Foye, flying wing on Lieutenant Jack Laxton, was badly
his right
wing
tip
shot
off, his
damaged engine pouring canopy
to see
elevators shredded
and smoke from
into the cockpit so that he
and breathe. Just before
his radio
had
to
hit,
his
open the
and instruments went
was able
out, he
to call to
losing oil pressure
A
Foray to the Philippines
823
Laxton and Bakutis to say he was
hit,
and trying
make Subic Bay
to
for a water landing.
He
search that afternoon found no trace of Bill Foye or his F6.
was
listed as missing.
Had
not been for Fred Bakutis, Ensign John
it
Hoeynck would
have been missing too. In a turning contest with three Oscars, one of
them clipped about three out of control. to vibrate as
feet off his left
The F6 would
though
still fly,
would come
it
wing and then spun down
but at over 180 knots
it
began
Hoeyneck climbed out him
apart.
the fight and called his skipper. Bakutis and Gallagher found
once, and covered sea and home.
An
him
at
as he headed east across the mountains to the
Oscar also found the
cripple,
and hung above and
making runs but pulling up when the two
astern,
of
went
escorts
into a
defensive weave. After four or five cycles, Bakutis had had enough.
On
the next pass, he reversed his usual turn,
and water
injection, and, with Gallagher
after the Oscar.
Bakutis'
first
The
surprised
enemy blew
burst; the second
on
pilot
off his
jammed on his wing,
full throttle
climbed back
was caught and slowed by canopy and killed him as
he started out. The two Hellcats dived back to their crippled squadron mate. Strike Able, nine
bombers and
eight torpedo planes with eight
fighters escorting, in
company with
a Franklin group, hit Clark itself
and two outlying aircraft
fields,
bombing and rocketing Japanese
strafing,
on the ground and destroying those encountered
The SB2Cs used and then
a
new
tactic of
dropping in their dives
strafing with 20-millimeter
cannon during
at
in the air.
4,500 feet
pull-out.
The high bombs
angle and heavy caliber of this strafing, executed after the
were away and
enemy been
pilots
could give
full
attention to gunnery, cost the
several planes parked in deep revetments
difficult
to hit
which would have
by usual methods of low-angle
and
strafing
bombing.
On
the
way
to the rendezvous,
Ensign John Crittenden intercepted
two Tojos attacking one of the torpedo planes. persistent tail
and was unable
Dog Smith and sticky
Tojo with
Strike
more
He
blew one up
in a
and stubbornly pressed chase, but found the other on
his
him with the most violent maneuvering. wingman came to the rescue, disintegrating the
to shake
his
their
combined
Baker was launched
aircraft, to hit
fire.
less
than an hour after Able, with 24
Nielson Field and photograph Manila Bay and
Harbor. Bombers and torpedo planes destroyed another dozen
air-
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:^ End of an Empire
824
on the ground, damaged some twenty others and obtained plenty
craft
But the
of excellent photographs of shippjag?and harbor facilities.
escorting fighters were kept constantly busy warding off vigorous as-
by enemy
saults
interceptors.
Twelve Oscars attacked one division of
Hellcats from a Luffberry circle above, two or three planes at a time rolling over
on
their backs, pulling
and climbing back
to the circle
through
in split S's for their runs
on recovery. The Hellcats climbed,
weaving defensively, shot down three and drove the others
None
off.
got through to the bombers below.
The
other Hellcat division was jumped by seven Oscars while on a
photo run over Manila. Each
Walt
sign
Wood
man
in the division killed
more were damaged. But
and, in addition, two
was
hit.
He had
one enemy,
En-
in the skirmish,
been Bakutis' wingman three days
before in the defense of the task group, with four planes to his credit.
Now
his blue
F6
on
flipped violently over
its
back and dived
into
the trees below. His body was recovered by friendly Filipino irregulars
and buried with
Wood was
full
military honors.
Handsome,
likeable
young
serious about flying for his country. In the seconds
it
took his broken Hellcat to hurtle from the open sky to his death he
had scribbled on Strike
his
knee pad
his last
words
Baker flew east through the
until they were over the friendly
—
"hit 3."
valleys
and under the clouds
then
climbed and headed
sea,
home.
As
a result of Strike Baker's report of a heavy concentration of
shipping in Manila Bay, and the fierce fighter opposition they encountered, Strike Charlie
was launched
at
1:30 p.m. against those ships,
preceded by a sweep of thirteen Enterprise fighters and twelve more
from Franklin. In addition
to the sweep, Strike Charlie's Helldivers
and torpedo-carrying Avengers were escorted by twelve more Hellcats
under the
As
the
air
group commander.
combined sweep and
toward Luzon and Manila, insignificant in the
their
strike little
headed
clotted
slightly
south of west
Vs and echelons
lost
and
hugeness of the sky, the pilots could look to their
and see the weather moving northward. Masses of gray and dark gray towering cumulus clouds which the airmen knew from experileft
ence held turbulence,
hail,
heavy rain and violent and unpredictable
winds, formed a long line to the south
moving north so
fast that the leaders
— and
the whole front
were forced to detour
was
in that
direction to stay clear.
Manila Bay was covered by a thick and
solid layer of clouds.
Fred
825
Foray to the Philippines Bakutis' fighter sweep continued
on
Bay
to Subic
to search for Bill
Foye, missing since morning, found nothing, and returned to the
Clark area, knocking
two Oscars almost casually on the way.
off
Manila Bay counterclockwise to the north
Strike Charlie circled
and west,
down over
let
water, and swept into the crowded harbor
between the dark clouds and the dark
sea.
The
pitted
bristling,
whale's back of Corregidor spat obscenely at them as they passed.
Rain squalls streaked
their windshields
and chopped
mentarily to half a mile. But, lying at anchor
visibility
in the spacious
mo-
bay and
behind the long breakwaters of the south harbor, were scores of cargo ships,
about twenty of which were major, ocean-going
The
Hellcats spread out and went in
batteries
vessels.
as the ships
first,
opened up with everything they had,
and shore
their rockets
smoking
out ahead in pairs and .50-caliber tracers following as the range closed.
With rockets gone, they wheeled and attacked again with guns up the calm harbor water on both sides of
only, their bullets ripping
and
their targets, holing
firing ship after ship.
Riera's Helldivers, used to stooping
bombs
releasing their big
inside the breakwater
on the way
Sam
down from 12,000
had
feet
high-speed glides through the pouring, crisscrossing
settle for
at
and
to
flak,
1,000 to 500 feet on the larger ships
strafing with their 20-millimeter
cannon
out.
Prickett's
Avengers had the most potent weapons and the
aim the torpedos that could
nastiest job. In order to
bottom out of a thin-skinned merchantman with a necessary to
toward the
fly
for half a minute straight, steady
target, presenting, for that time,
rip the
whole it
was
and not too
fast
single hit,
an easy target for the
guns that lined the shore and flashed and clattered on the ships. Like
Gene Lindsey's
TBFs
laid
guns were
But with their
its
silent
and
their fish
the
targets,
weaved and
Midway
so long ago, every one of Prickett's
was a Sunday exercise
this
away and swimming
dusky
visibility
in
straight
Chesapeake Bay. and true toward
torpedo pilots jerked and skidded, dipped and
fish-tailed with every trick they
that laced the
time nor
pilots at
slim "fish" as carefully and close as though the frantic
between clouds and
belt
enough
of Riera's pilots near by
knew
to evade the lead
sea.
There was neither
to see the results of their attacks, but
one
saw two torpedoes fountain against the
side
of a big tanker.
The bomber crews, who did not have to wait while a torpedo ran some 500 yards to see results, watched their bombs rip into five big
826
£nd
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
ships,
some
Empire
of an
of which were hit by several 1,000-pounders,
sink a carrier or a cruiser.
One SB2C caught
enough
to
/-, ?
a steam of explosive tracers and skidded into the
Bay. Ensign Les Hornbeak and Fred Swinney, his gunner, were lost.
With the ordeal
murky bay completed,
in the
white triangles on their
had now
tails
to
the planes with the
home through
get
the
weather which had been steadily moving north across their route.
was 5:00 p.m. and
It
began
Luzon. The
first
getting dark
when
the Big E's squadrons
out of Manila across the spinal mountains of
their climb
was handsome, competent Jack Laxton of
casualty
Fighting 20. In a low-level strafing run over the grass fields south of Clark, an unlucky bullet out of the puny resistance offered by the
enemy had entered losing
oil,
he was
he climbed out to 9,000
OK,
began to Laxton,
let
Smoking and
oil line.
feet with his division
and signaled
but on the other side of the mountains, as the fighters
down
for the trip
who had watched
Formosa
and severed an
his engine
the
home,
same
a few days before, glided
and stopped.
his engine froze
thing
happen
down through
to
Fred Turnbull
off
a hold in the clouds,
with Fred Bakutis following, and called repeatedly for Jack to bail out.
Laxton vanished momentarily under the clouds and, when he
came
in sight again, he
was
2,000
at
squadron mates circled the spreading then headed sadly
home through
an inverted dive. His
feet in
oil slick
for several minutes
and
the increasing dusk and the deterio-
rating weather.
By 5:30,
Strike Charlie
had been
in the air four
hours with consid-
erable time spent in climbing to attack altitude, climbing over tains,
and
at full
power during combat.
It
was now necessary
wide to the northward to avoid the rolling weather front. apparent to
Dog Smith
that
all
of his planes
moun-
to swing It
would be landing
was after
dark and that some of those landings would be well short of the Big E's waiting deck.
The same
facts
in Enterprise.
were apparent
They were
to
Cato Glover and
also evident
on the
Tom
Hamilton
and Admiral
flagship,
Davison released Enterprise with an escort to steam westward
meet the returning
strike. But,
even
at
26 knots, the Big
close the range by thirteen miles each half hour
E
to
could only
and that was not
enough.
From some to ditch.
At
fifty
miles out, the bombers and torpedo planes began
ten minutes of seven desperately
empty
aircraft
began
827
Foray to the Philippines to appear in the landing circle. It
was almost
totally dark. Fifteen
planes landed before one crashed and closed the deck. Three Helldivers landed in the water close aboard
Avengers ditched farther
out.
and one Helldiver and four
One Avenger
pilot in the
darkness and
confusion, and the urgency of his empty tanks, flew into the side of the Belleau ers
Wood
Two TBFs
killing his entire crew.
fight-
made
the Wasp. All the
some with barely enough
fuel to taxi out of
landed on Franklin, and one of each
Hellcats landed safely,
and three
the arresting gear.
With the
strike
group down
all
over the rapidly clouding sea, Ad-
miral Davison released his destroyers from their screening duties for rescue work.
The
destroyer sailors put in a long night.
They eased out along
the
track of the returning strike, checking positions where Enterprise
reported that planes had gone down, straining their eyes through night-tinted binoculars for the tiny point of light in the encompassing
blackness of sea and sky that would be the one-cell flashlight screwed to
an aviator's
Mae
West, straining their ears over the
hum
of
ma-
chinery and the wash of the waves for the tiny sound of a voice in that waste of water. Sailors in
swimming
trunks, wearing light canvas
harnesses from which long lines were led, stood rails,
all
night by their
ready to dive into the sea to give an "airdale" a hand. Whale-
boats were rigged out, ready for lowering, engines checked and crews
standing by. Inflated rubber rafts with lines attached were ready to
throw overboard, and
men
stood by to
mates waited on deck with their canvas
Cargo
nets lay rolled
up
man
them.
Pharmacist's
kits of first-aid materials.
waterways, outboard of everything,
in the
secured at their tops and ready to drop
down
the side for survivors to
scramble up. Clean bunks and blankets and straight shots of medicinal alcohol waited
below decks.
By morning, most of Dog Smith's airmen had been rescued. At dawn twenty planes left the Big E's deck to search for the remainder. At 10:40 a.m., twelve more went out, and at 2:15 p.m., eleven more. The search planes swept the sea at low altitude in line abreast and nothing that floated escaped them. Survivors that the destroyers
had been unable
moved
in to pick
and Don Reeder
On
to locate in the darkness
them up. In also
were found, and the "cans"
the course of the searches, Bill
Herman
found a Betty which they promptly destroyed.
the twentieth the destroyers began returning her pilots and
crewmen
to Enterprise.
When
it
was
all
over, seven
men were
missing
828
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
from Strike Charlie and
fighter
its
End
Empire
of an
sweep
—Jack
Laxton; Hornbeak
and Swinney, shot down over the target; Ensign
Don Conaway,
Kelimoff and Riggs, the crew of the *TBF which flew into the Belleau
Wood; and Lieutenant Charles Bretland of Torpedo 20, who inexbecame separated from his crew after ditching and was
plicably lost.
And on Foye had
that busy also
been
and dangerous October 18, Wood, Snow and
But
lost.
Bill
He was
Foye was not dead.
lying,
with a painfully wrenched neck and back, wrapped in his parachute, in
mango
a shelter formed by the roots of a
him and made plans
Philippine guerillas fed
tree,
to get
while friendly
him
to safety
and
eventually back to duty. Bill spent the next three and a half months in
hiding and running from the Japanese in the towns and jungles of
Luzon,
in the care of the guerillas
and
their friends,
up by a PBY, and when Air Group Twenty pulled fifteenth of
February on
still
New
had a
stiff
Jersey,
neck.
bad took
jolt
On
X
rays 18,
picked
on the
showed
when he
standing on the
April 26, he reported for duty at
and mentioned
had been since October
finally
into Pearl
way home, he was
their
dock, like a ghost, to greet them.
Trenton,
was
to the medical officer that he
that his
neck was broken, and
bailed out low over Luzon.
Any
during that six months could have severed his spinal cord.
fifteen
months of treatment
to put
him together
It
again.
October 20, 1944, was the day that Douglas MacArthur returned
no
to the Philippines. Enterprise played
general back, other than to
hammer down some
have provided some resistance.
two prelanding little
strikes
on the
On A-Day,
dirt field of
role in bringing the
vital
airfields
the Big
E
which might
furnished only
San Pablo and the pathetic
town of Dagami near the Leyte beaches. The assigned
did not
seem worth the bombs and rockets used
the pilots were
ping which
more
filled
targets
blow them up, and
interested in the incredible array of U.S. ship-
Leyte Gulf than
undesirable coastline of the island
major role
to
in
itself.
the apparently deserted and
But Enterprise was
in arranging things so that the general
to
have a
could remain in the
Philippines.
MEANWHILE, THE INVASION OF LEYTE GOT UNDERWAY. The
disposition of naval forces
was
as follows:
Minesweeping and
Hydrographic Group including Bombardment and Fire Support Units;
Foray to the Philippines
829
Dinagat (Island) Attack Group; Bombardment and Fire Support including 12 CVEs; Southern LST Group; Northern Transport
Group
Group; Northern
LST Group
including Covering Group; Southern
Transport Group; and Fleet Flagship Group
145,000
The
Army
first
troops of
.
.
.
lifting
and screening
Mac Arthur's command.
Philippine landings were at Dinagat Island, near Leyte,
where the 6th Ranger Infantry Battalion went ashore to dispose of thirty-two Japanese troops; but not before the garrison
had alerted Toyoda of the invasion. Upon Japanese Fleet Admiral issued Striking Force steamed out
SHO
alert,
commander
receipt of the message, the
and Admiral Kurita's
First
from Lingga Roads, near Singapore.
The enemy's battle plan is recounted by Hanson W. Baldwin, a Naval Academy graduate and the military editor of the New York Times.
:
HANSON W. BALDWIN /--•'
2.
LEYTE PRELIMINARIES
.
.
Admiral Soemu Toyoda, commander-in-chief of the Japanese
.
Combined his last rial
Fleet
and leader of what he knew was a forlorn hope, had
chance to "destroy the enemy who enjoys the luxury of mate-
resources."
From
his
headquarters at the Naval
word "To Conquer"
outside Tokyo, he sent the
War
College just
to his widely scat-
tered units.
The Sho plan was daring and desperate of an empire strained
not recovered from
blow
it
beyond
its
its
—
fitted to the last
capabilities.
The Japanese
months
Fleet had
cumulative losses, particularly from the heavy
had suffered four months
earlier in the Battle of the Philippine
when Admiral Raymond W. Spruance, covering our Mariannas landings, had destroyed more than 400 Japanese planes, sunk three Sea,
Japanese carriers, and broken the back of Japanese naval aviation. In mid-October, when Halsey landing
—
—
a
in
preliminary to the
struck heavily at Formosa,
based planes and had also thrown
Toyoda had
Leyte Gulf
utilized his land-
his hastily trained carrier replace-
ment
pilots into the fight.
fear"
and the curious propensity of the Japanese for transforming
The gamble
failed.
But the "pathology of
defeats into victories in their official reports magnified the normally
highly inflated claims of Fleet
had "ceased
An enemy 830
to be
enemy
aviators;
Toyko declared
the Third
an organized striking force."
plane dropped
leaflets
over recently captured Peleliu
—
—
831
Leyte Preliminaries
FOR RECKLESS YANKEE DOODLE: Do you know
about the naval battle done by the American 58th
(sic) Fleet at the sea
near Taiwan (Formosa) and Philippine?
Japanese powerful Air Force had sunk their 19 aeroplane
4
battleships,
sending 1,261 ship aeroplanes into the sea.
.
.
.
Canberra and Houston
Actually only two cruisers
lost;
awakening
armada neared Leyte
for
as the great invasion
—were
dam-
the Japanese were to have a rude
aged; less than 100 U.S. planes
But
carriers,
10 several cruisers and destroyers, along with
Gulf.
Toyoda, the Battle of the Philippine Sea and
his futile
Formosa had left the Japanese Fleet naked to air attack. Toyoda had carriers, but with few planes and half-trained pilots. Sho I, therefore, must be dependent upon stealth and cunning, night operations, and what air cover could be provided chiefly by landgamble
in defense of
based planes operating from Philippine bases and working in close conjunction with the
Toyoda
—over
exercised
who
Jisaburo Ozawa,
still
He
command
"Combined
theoretically
a
commanded was
— —from
his land
Fleet,"
but
also confronted another handicap
rated by distance. ters
fleet.
flew his flag
the crippled carriers
based
in the
from
cruisers
home
—Vice-Admiral Takeo
Attack Force, of battleships, cruisers,
sion
The Japanese
Fleet
was divided
and who
and destroyers,
waters.
The bulk
Kurita's First Diver-
and destroyers
based on Lingga Anchorage near Singapore, close to
it
headquar-
Vice-Admiral
carrier Zuikaku,
and some
Inland Sea in Japanese
of the fleet's heavy units
a fleet widely sepa-
its
—was
fuel sources.
in the face of a superior naval force;
could not be concentrated prior to battle.
These
deficiencies, plus the
enemy
the
tially
plan,
which was
geography of the Philippines, dictated
hastily modified at the last minute, par-
because of the Japanese weaknesses in carrier aviation.
principal straits
—
San Bernardino, north of the island of Samar;
Two and
Mindanao and Dinagat and Leyte and Panaon armada MacArthur was committed to the invasion. The Japanese ships
Surigao, between
lead from the South China Sea to Leyte Gulf, where the great of
based near Singapore
were
to
—
the so-called First Diversion Attack Force
steam north toward Leyte, with a stop
Borneo, to
refuel.
and
the Central Group,
flying his flag in the
heavy cruiser Atago,
five battleships, ten
fifteen destroyers,
Brunei Bay,
split;
There the force would
Vice-Admiral Takeo Kurita, with a total of
at
would
heavy
transit
cruisers,
two
San Bernardino
light cruisers,
Strait at night;
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
832
of an
Empire
the Southern Group, Vice-Admiral Shoji Nishimura, with
one heavy
ships,
and four destroyers, was
cruiser,
two
battle-
be augmented
to
at
Surigao Strait by a ancillary force of three more cruisers and four destroyers under Vice-Admiral Kiyohide Shima, which was to steam
through Formosa
with a stop in the Pescadores,
Strait,
home
from
its
great
American armada
bases in the
in
But the key
hawk among
chickens.
Ozawa from
—one heavy — with than 100 planes aboard enemy's once-great —were carriers,
forces"
carrier
to
deliberate
as
act
car-
their bases
and three
carrier
"all that
less
Luzon and
way
dawn
at
was the emasculated Japanese
to the operation
Inland Sea. These ships
in Japan's
the
wreak havoc among the thin-skinned am-
operating under Vice-Admiral Jisaburo
riers,
all
to strike the
Leyte Gulf almost simultaneously
of the 25th of October and
phibious ships like a
were
islands. All these forces
light
remained of the
steam south toward
to
decoys or "lures"
Admiral
for
Halsey's great Third Fleet, which was "covering" the amphibious
The northern decoy
invasion of Leyte.
by two hermaphrodites
—
force
was
accompanied
to be
he and Hyuga,
battleship-carriers, the
with
the after-turrets replaced by short flight decks, but with no planes,
and by three
cruisers
and ten destroyers. Ozawa was
to lure Halsey's
Third Fleet to the north, away from Leyte, and open the way for Kurita and Nishimura to break into Leyte Gulf.
At
the
same time
upon American
moment"
all
three forces were to be aided
decision, the Japanese "Special Attack
suicidal attacks
upon U.S.
Masabumi Arima,
miral
from a Philippine
field,
common command
committed to action
—
afloat
and
battleship-carriers,
destroyers,
early as
October
15,
acti-
their
Rear Ad-
commander, "lit
flying
the fuse
men." All of these far-flung forces were Admiral Toyoda
of
Such was the desperate Sho
forces
commenced
had made a suicide dive and had
I
most daring and unorthodox plan It
As
ships.
Groups" were
fliers
a subordinate naval air
of the ardent wishes of his
under the
direct
and shipping. As a last-minute "spur-of-the-
carriers
and the Kamikaze (Divine Wind)
vated,
—not with
but by intensive attacks by Japanese land-based planes
air cover,
— perhaps
away
in
Tokyo.
the greatest gamble, the
in the history of naval war.
virtually all that
in the air
far
was
—
of Japan's
left
Navy
—
of the operational
four carriers, two
seven battleships, nineteen cruisers, thirty-three
and perhaps 500
to
700 Japanese
aircraft
—mostly
land-
based.
But the opposing American forces were
far
more powerful. Like
833
Leyte Preliminaries had no common commander
the Japanese forces which
closer than
Tokyo, the U.S. Fleet operated under divided command. General
MacArthur, over-all
in
Thomas
commander
as theater
charge
the
of
the Seventh Fleet, which
his
—
W.
Nimitz's Pacific
headquarters in Hawaii.
only unified
command was
The gun power battleships
in
them
five of
And above
hulls
—
raised
kaid's job
for the
was
—
Ad-
of
and Nimitz had
was provided by
mud
six old
of Pearl Harbor, but
small, slow-speed vessels, converted
and scores of destroyers and de-
motor torpedo boats, and other
to provide shore
Army and
was a part
Nimitz and MacArthur, the
from the
eight cruisers
stroyer escorts, frigates,
it
forces,
Washington.
he had sixteen escort carriers
from merchant
Command
of Kinkaid's Seventh Fleet
—
in
the strongest fleet in the
—was not under MacArthur's command;
miral Chester
was
amphibious operation. But Admiral Halsey's
direct charge of the
powerful covering force of the Third Fleet
world
and through Admiral
Leyte invasion,
commanded
C. Kinkaid, he
was
of the Southwest Pacific area,
bombardment and
types.
Kin-
close air support
anti-submarine and air defense for the amphibious
forces.
Halsey, with eight large attack carriers, eight light carriers, six fast
new
battleships, fifteen cruisers,
and
was
fifty-eight destroyers,
or-
dered to "cover and support forces of the Southwest Pacific (MacArthur's
command)
in order to assist in the seizure
and occupation
He was to destroy enemy invasion. He was to remain re-
of objectives in the Central Philippines."
naval and air forces threatening the
sponsible to Admiral Nimitz, but "necessary measures for detailed
coordination of operations between the
.
.
.
(Third Fleet)
the (Seventh Fleet) will be arranged by their
The combined Third and Seventh 1,400 ship-based
aircraft
—
.
.
.
.
.
.
and
.
.
.
commanders."
Fleets could muster 1,000 to
thirty-two
carriers;
twelve
battleships;
more than one hundred destroyers and deand numerous smaller types and hundreds of auxilia-
twenty-three cruisers; stroyer escorts ries.
The Seventh
Fleet also had a few tender-based
planes (flying boats). But not far-flung air attacks
ments which
later
Such was the
all
PBY
patrol
of these forces participated in the
and the three widely separated major engage-
came
to be called the Battle for Leyte Gulf.
stage, these the actors,
and
dramatic and far-flung naval battle in history
this the plot in the .
.
.
most
834
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
End
of an
Empire
ON A-DAY, VICE ADMIRAL WILKINSON'S SOUTHERN tack Force
(TF 79) landed
on a 5000-yard
hoped
to link
the
XXIV Corps
stretch of sandy
up with
the
X
beach
at
AT-
(7th and 96th Divisions)
Dulag.
From
here this outfit
Corps moving down from landings
at
Tacloban. While gunfire from bombarding warships smothered the beaches, Lieutenant Stewart
an
LCVP
to
W. Hellman
left
the transport
Knox
go aboard one of the control boats for beach Violet
in II.
LIEUTENANT STEWART W. HELLMAN
3
LEYTE LANDING
As we pulled away from the ship the shoreline was still lost in a haze of smoke and morning mist, but as we approached we were able to pick out Catmon Hill off our starboard bow and then the Libarnan Head. These were landmarks which we had studied as we had steamed along in the days which preceded our hurriedly
maze
worked our way
in a
of landing craft, finally emerging into an
hands immediately
cried,
We
arrival off Leyte.
comparatively calm sea through a
"There she
is."
open area where
The PC was on
all
and
station
waiting for us. It
was nearly 0900.
It
had taken us over an hour
Control Boat, and as the Captain welcomed us aboard scious for the
first
time to the
ment which was going
terrific
to reach the
we were
din of the prelanding
con-
bombardwas
on. Off our starboard quarter a destroyer
hurling high explosive shells at our particular beach and geysers of
water and earth plumed into the sky as the naval gunners raked every inch of the beach from waterline to palm trees. Cruisers and battleships
up and down the coast were making
Overhead droned our planes, sometimes groups of 6 or
8,
each with
its
own
the beaches a living hell. in
pairs,
sometimes
in
special mission of destruction to
perform before our troops went ashore. Off our port eral areas fires
bow appeared were burning
completely fiercely
bombed
out and from sev-
and columns of smoke rose
835
836
now
straight into the
A
beaches.
line of
of an
trees
on the
life
25 to 30 yards back of the water's edge
withstood the na*val
and the grass
fire
green. That area, behind the beaches,
still
Empire
blue sky. There was no sign of
palm
Two had
on Violet
was
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
at their feet
would require further
attention.
A
glance behind our Control Boat showed the
first
waves
in
Am-
phibious tanks forming up and advancing to the Line of Departure.
Then
our
off to
left
a long line of
LCI Gunboats, running
the shore line, started their maneuvering for the final
1
parallel to
5 minute blast
beaches North and South of Dulag. As the LCI's moved
at all the
shoreward we received the order. "Land the Landing Force," and
"Buck" gave
the signal which ordered the
first
wave
Two
for Violet
to
go on into the beach no power on earth could stop us now. :
but methodically
Noisily
Amphibious tanks went by and
the
from many of them came the friendly hand adopted by Yanks everywhere. Making a
and the other three
forefinger
their salute as they
means,
fingers outstretched
language, "You're right on the ball
back
signal greeting fast being
circle with the
—
you're doin'
OK."
thumb and in
amphib.
We
passed
went by and turned again to watch the LCI's
in their progress.
As
the
little
gunboats reached a position closer
opened up with destroyers, too,
their rapid fire
had increased the tempo of
was deafening and we could only make bridge. This in shore
themselves
sounded
was American firepower
bombardments. The
signs to each other
at its peak.
cruisers
terrific.
their fire until the
The
sound
on the
This was the ultimate
and battleships were asserting
and we could hear shells whistle overhead that Broadway Express as it passes a local. blast was yet to come. The gunboats were now ap-
in earnest
like the
But the
in to the shore they
weapons. The din was
final
proaching the beach and with a mighty "swoosh," that defies description, they it
discharged their rockets.
certainly
had now. With
If hell
hadn't broken loose before
a thunderous clap thousands of rockets
blanketed practically every square inch on and behind the beaches. Violet
Two was
for a
moment
a solid sheet of blinding and exploding
was the force of War operating against the force of nature and there was no doubt of the outcome. What a moment before had
flame. This
been green was now ashen. What a moment before was growing was
now
scorched.
What had been
lush jungle and a place of concealment
was now a barren, tangled, smoking, dust covered waste. Seeing it was to understand why nothing could live in its path. The "swoosh"
837
Leyte Landing of the rockets, their
scream
and the blaze of
in flight
power
struck with their terrible
will live
long in the
fire
as they
memory
of those
who witnessed it. The LCI's moved
quickly out of the way of the advancing waves of LVT's that were approaching Violet Two. They were now less than 500 yards from shore and the Japs back of the beaches were begin-
ning to
fire their
mortars
ing their marks, landing part, the geysers of
The boys
beach.
advancing
at the
50
75 yards
to
line.
water raised by their
fire
were closer
LVT's were now on
in the
still
remains those
troops must go
No
matter
beach,
it
must eventually be
Such was the case last
alone.
at
how
few were overshoot-
bow
phibious operations there it
A
our
off
but for the most
own. In
their
last
in to the all
am-
few yards when our
intense the barrage
own
our
lifted for fear of hitting
on a
troops.
Leyte and the Japs were desperately using those
few moments to make one
our invasion
last futile effort to resist
of the Philippines.
But
was too
it
late.
The
wave
first
of tanks found shallow water,
then slowly and lumberingly their hulks emerged dripping from the
water and their treads
bit solidly into the
dark volcanic sand of the
beach. Shuffling along steadily to the top of the dune line they passed in their
forward progress and
fired several bursts
from
their
cannon
an able response to the machine guns we could hear chattering
down
tangled undergrowth behind the beach. All up and
in
in the
the landing
beaches of the Southern Attack Force the same scene was being
The
enacted.
first
waves had
and everywhere were due
hit. I
knew
the folks in Ft. Worth, Texas
for a big surprise
when
they read their
morning papers.
The tanks on and then
to the
now
the beach were left.
You
turning slowly,
first
to the right
could almost hear the boys saying, "Let's
take a look around and see what the hell goes on."
waves were climbing out of the water, then the
Then
third,
the second
and the fourth,
and with a certain reluctance mingled with pride we watched our leading waves disappear beneath the
way
it
On
went
all
the Control Boat
on Violet
Two and
"Send a boat
palm
trees.
to
we soon made
men
this
was the
almost the
Red Cross
sign
first
contact with the beach party
message concerned
casualties.
on Violet Two," an urgent voice kept
repeating. Turning our glasses toward the shore
knot of
And
morning long.
we could make out
a
gathered around a disabled tank. Just behind them the
beach party had already
set
up the Red Cross casualty marker. Buck
838
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
End
of an
Empire
my
got busy on the radio and before long a voice crackled through
ear-phones,
"We
progressed,
wave
7
have boat for casualties on Violet Two." As the day after
wave loaded with
troops, tanks, jeeps, trucks,
ammunition and supplies passed our Control Boat and moved shoreward on Buck's signal. The sun was now glaring down bulldozers,
and we were
all wringing wet with perspiration. The galley passed up some cold lemonade that really hit the spot and helped revive Buck's fading voice. He had a fine mechanical bull-horn but during the assault phase it had been held half-forgotten in his hands as he hollered
to passing It
Coxswains.
was only
natural, too, that a few
Beach?" came a
LCM
call
from our port
would
side.
get lost. "Is this Blue
Looking down we saw an
loaded with ammunition. At the helm a short, red-headed,
freckled face kid, with anxiety in his voice was cupping his hands to
mouth to shout his question. "Next beach North," Buck adding, "Be sure and report to your Control Boat first." With grin the Coxswain gave his craft the gun. his
called,
a wide
In less than three hours the once deserted beach was a mass of
and materiel and by early afternoon several LST's had the beach in front of the
night
still
ramps on
town of Dulag and were unloading tons of
additional vehicles and supplies. all
their
men
For the balance of the afternoon and
more men, more ammunition, more
supplies poured
shoreward past our Control Boat while navy planes overhead and ships out in the Gulf continued to support our advancing troops
"IN FRESH,
.
.
.
SMOOTH-PRESSED SUNTANS, BEBRAIDED HAT,
and sunglasses," recalled a Fortune correspondent, Douglas MacArthur strode the bridge of the cruiser Nashville. This was personal triumph; and not even the presence of an
his day, his
enemy periscope
near the warship disturbed him. While destroyers drove off the submarine, he strode the bridge with Captain C. E. Coney and stared longingly at the beach.
GENERAL OF THE ARMY DOUGLAS MACARTHUR
4-
RETURN
.
.
.
There was Tacloban.
Point. It
was a
full
had changed
It
my
forty-one years before on
moment
little
since
me. Shortly after
for
I
had known
it
assignment after leaving West
first
this,
we reached our
appointed position offshore. The captain carefully hove into line and
dropped anchor. Our beaches, but beating clad
I
down upon
hills
rising
the shore, and in the
now thousands
shells with a roar that
began
morning
sunlight, the jungle-
behind the town. Landings are explosive once the
shooting begins, and
trails
vantage point was 2 miles from the
initial
could clearly see the sandstrips with the pounding surf
of guns were throwing their
was incessant and deafening. Rocket vapor and black, ugly, ominous pillars of smoke
crisscrossed the sky
High overhead, swarms
to rise.
And
maelstrom.
across what
of airplanes darted into the
would ordinarily have been
a glinting,
untroubled blue sea, the black dots of the landing craft churned
toward the beaches.
From my place.
vantage point,
I
had a
Troops were going ashore
clear view of everything that took
at
"Red Beach," near
Jose on "White Beach" and at the southern
Panson
Island.
Sibert, the
X
On
Corps,
the north,
made up
Divisions; to the south, the
tip
Palo, at San
of Leyte
on
tiny
under Major General Franklin C.
of the 1st Cavalry
XXIV
and 24th Infantry
Corps, under Major General John
R. Hodge, consisting of the 7th and 96th Infantry Divisions. In over-
839
840
command
all
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
7
At "Red Beach" our troops secured I
chief of staff,
in
of the nearby transports.
I
started for the beach.
moving
my
who
old aide,
my
landing barge and
we
Romulo, an old stalwart of the Quezon camp,
oratorical
his
Valdez, the Philippine
1942, had sailed with the convoy on one
took them into
was the resident commissioner for
Basilio
and General Carlos Romulo,
had joined me on Bataan
Noted
a landing and began
decided to go in with the third assault wave. President
Osmena, accompanied by General
Army
Empire
ground troops was Lieutenant General Walter
of
Kreuger of the Sixth Army.
inland.
of an
for the Philippines in Washington.
ability,
popular patriot served
this
on
Bataan, and had been the radio "Voice of Freedom" from Corregidor.
As we
slowly bucked the waves toward
war grew louder.
of
We
now hear
could
"Red Beach,"
the whining roar of airplane
bomb enemy
engines as they dove over our heads to strafe and tions inland
the sounds
posi-
from the beach. Then came the steady crump, crump of
exploding naval
shells.
As we came
we could
closer,
pick up the
shouts of our soldiers as they gave and acknowledged orders. Then,
unmistakably, in the near distance came the steady
arms
fire. I
rattle of small-
could easily pick up the peculiar fuzzy gurgle of a Japa-
nese machine gun seemingly not more than 100 yards from the shoreline.
The smoke from
we could hear
the burning
palm
trees
was
in
our
and
nostrils,
The
the continual snapping and crackling of flames.
coxswain dropped the ramp about 50 yards from shore, and we
waded in. It took me only 30 or 40 long strides to reach dry land, but that was one of the most meaningful walks I ever took. When it was done, and I stood on the sand, I knew I was back again against
—
my
old enemies of Bataan, for there, shining on the bodies of dead
Japanese soldiers,
1
saw the
insignia of the
Homma's ace unit. Our beachhead troops were
only a few yards away, stretched out
behind logs and other cover, laying down inland.
away.
There were
A
still
Japanese
in the
mobile broadcasting unit was
talk into the
16th Division, General
fire
on the area immediately
undergrowth not many yards set up,
and
microphone, the rains came down. This
People of the Philippines:
I
as is
got ready to I
said:
have returned. By the grace of
Almighty God, our forces stand again on Philippine secrated in the blood of our two peoples.
and committed
I
what
We
soil
—
soil
con-
have come, dedicated
to the task of destroying every vestige of
enemy
The USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) and
a battleship of the Colorado class, followed by three cruisers, move in line into Lingayen Gulf preceding the landing on Luzon in the Philippines. Navy Department.
Heavy columns naval guns
of
hammer
smoke
rise in the
^
Navy carrier-based Navy Department.
sky as
the shores of Leyte.
planes and
The USS Cony (DD-508)
laying a
A
the USS West Virginia Leyte in the Philippines. Navy
smoke screen around
(BB-48) during a Jap torpedo plane attack Department.
off
smoke screen engulfs U.S. warships in Leyte Gulf as Jap planes approach during the invasion of Leyte Island. Navy Department.
General Douglas MacArthur and a group of U.S. Army and Philippine wade ashore at Leyte Island. U.S. Army Photograph.
officers
Japanese from naval craft cling to debris and approach a PT boat for rescue. PT boats were active not only in spotting and attacking Jap naval forces attempting to force the Surigao Strait, but in picking up survivors. Taken from the USS Hancock (CV-19). Navy Department.
-
d
The
Allied fleet under attack by the Japanese fleet off Leyte. The DD's and DE's are laying smoke screens while being shelled; CVE's add funnel smoke. Seen from the USS Kitkun Bay (CVE-71). Navy Department.
An
extraordinary photograph of a Japanese battleship of the Yamato class bomb hit forward from an SB2C piloted by Lt. Cdr. Arthur 1/C. L. Downing. Taken by Downing's rear seat man, L. A. Carver, receiving a
ARM
Navy Department.
A
Japanese carrier hit by bombs dropped from Navy bombers of the U.S. Third Fleet off the Coast of Luzon. Navy Department.
While operating with a fast carrier task force in the "slot" between Okinawa and Kyushu on the morning of May 1, 1945, the USS Bunker Hill, her flight deck jammed with planes ready for take-off, was hit twice within thirty seconds by two Jap Kamikazes. These two suicide hits, acting as fuses to the gasoline-filled and bomb-ladened planes, set the stage for one of the most heroic battles of the Pacific War. Fighting suffocating flames and exploding rockets and bombs, the gallant crew sacrificed 392 dead or missing and 264 wounded to save their ship. Navy Department. 1
The USS Enterprise (CVA-6)
hit in a
dive-bombing attack. Taken from the
USS Washington (BB-56). Navy Department.
•Sh.*mnsr-
i A. A. fire from the USS New Mexico (BB-40) directed at a Japanese suicide plane off Okinawa, Ryuk Islands, as it begins its dive. The plane missed the ship. Navy Department.
two Japanese planes give off black smoke in the midst of the American invasion fleet which they attacked off Okinawa. The enemy air attacks, coming with fanatical fury a few days after the Okinawa beachhead was secured, cost the Japanese many planes as U.S. ships filled the sky with bursting metal from anti-aircraft guns. U.S. Coast Guard. Blasted from the sky,
m
From
on a Coast Guard-manned LST, a crewman watches a from the bow of a gasoline barge as Japanese planes score a direct hit during the attack on the American task force off the coast of Okinawa. U.S. Coast Guard. his battle station
flash of flame burst
A landing boat moving toward Marines present a study inevitable
the beach at
Okinawa. Wearing
their
war
paint,
in facial expressions just before the firing starts.
American card game goes on among
amphibious attackers. U.S. Coast Guard.
The
a group of battle-seasoned
The USS Aaron Ward (DM-34), damaged by suicide while operating off Kerama Retto. Navy Department.
The Yamato,
attacks of 5 Jap planes
a 40,000-ton Japanese battleship, attacked 50 miles southwest is apparently dead in the
of Kyushu, Japan, by U.S. carrier aircraft. Here she water, circled by two DD's.
The Yamato
Navy Department.
sinks in the East
China Sea. Navy Department.
841
Return control over your daily lives, and of restoring indestructible strength, the liberties of
At my
side
is
The
established
a foundation of
your President, Sergio Osmena, a worthy succes-
sor of that great patriot, cabinet.
upon
your people.
Manuel Quezon, with members
your government
seat of
on Philippine
is
of his
now, therefore, firmly
re-
soil.
The hour of your redemption
is
here.
Your
patriots
have dem-
onstrated an unswerving and resolute devotion to the principles of
freedom that challenge the best that
written on the pages of
is
human history. I now call upon your supreme effort that the enemy may know, from the temper of an aroused people within, that he has a force there to contend with no less violent than
is
the force
committed from without. Rally to me. Let the indomitable regidor lead on.
As
spirit
of
Bataan and Cor-
you
the lines of battle roll forward to bring
within the zone of operations,
favorable opportunity. For your
rise
and
Strike
strike.
homes and
at
every
For
hearths, strike!
name Let every arm be
future generations of your sons and daughters, strike! In the of
your sacred dead,
steeled.
name
strike!
Let no heart be
The guidance of Divine God points Holy Grail of righteous victory.
Osmena and
I
then walked off the beach, and picked our
way into the brush behind the beach the
the way. Follow in His
to the
President
down.
faint.
We
had made our return and
government
it
we found
until
was time
to constitutional authority.
It
a place to
to think of returning
was while we were
finishing our discussion that the beachhead was subjected for the
time to an
sit
first
enemy bombing attack. It shook the log on which we sat, all. As we finally got up to move, I noticed that the rain
but that was
was no longer
falling
and that the only
were members of sniper
soldiers left near the
beach
patrols.
THE MANY-FACETED SAGA OF THE BATTLE FOR LEYTE Gulf had
its
real beginnings
on October
21.
Two
of
Lockwood's
submarines, Darter and Dace, which were stationed between northeast
Borneo and Palawan, picked up a radio broadcast
ings
on Leyte. Darter's skipper, Lieutenant Commander David Mc-
Clintock, reasoned that the Japanese
would take the
of the land-
shortest route to
842
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
the landing area
—Balabac
Strait.
End
of an
He was
Empire
right.
This was the track
had lost sight The gripping story of the
of the Japanese Center Force, whicb„Naval Intelligence of after
it
had weighed anchor
at
Lingga.
subsequent ordeal of Center Force
mander R. C.
is
recalled
Benitez, Dace's Executive Officer.
by Lieutenant Com-
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER
BENITEZ
AND DACE
DARTER
October 2 1 was
just
many
day
like so
The
eternal vigilance
weary and
R. C.
another routine day for us in the Dace
others that
tired of
we had
—another
spent on this and other patrols.
was maintained, but we were beginning
our task. Thoughts turned to the return
to
trip,
grow
which
according to our orders was to start in two days. Australia was a very
popular base of operations, and our thoughts were more on that island,
on
fresh food, mail
leave than
on the war.
We
from home, and the two weeks of shore surfaced at dusk and
commenced another
surface patrol in the Passage. All was serene until shortly after midnight,
at
which time the Executive Officer was summoned to the
conning tower by the Captain. Without a word of comment he was
handed a despatch from the Darter.
It said,
"Fast ships on northeast-
erly course."
The
curtain
had
risen
on the part we were
death drama that was to have
its
and
to play in the life
finale in the Battle for
Leyte Gulf.
The despatch had said fast ships so there was no time to lose. At speed we set a northwesterly course to intercept. Amplifying reports soon came in. They informed us that the contact was a task full
force; that the Darter
was
trailing but
enemy base course was 020 T,
his
could not overtake; that the
speed 20 knots. Those reports
represented an excellent solution to a problem in wolf-pack tactics.
Our long arduous days
of pre-patroi training were paying
off.
To
the
843
I
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa: ,End of an Empire
844
south there was the Darter in contact,
To
mation.
was the fkice
the north there
lem was more than excellent;
interpreting that information
it
was
we had
to
do was intercept
Intercept at dawn! That
at
was
we had even
perfect. Before long
We
been supplied with the Japanese zigzag plan. All
vital infor-
an attack position. The Darter's solution to the prob-
gain
to
supplying
trailing,
could not miss.
dawn.
we had
all
to do, but as the hours
passed the navigational problem before us loomed larger and larger.
Our
on the eastern
calculations gave us an intercept point
up
area that
to this time
we had
half of an
was the
gladly avoided. That area
Dangerous Ground, and our incomplete foreign
charts, populated as
they were with countless reefs, shoals, and rocks, were mute evidence of the appropriateness of the
mum
Japanese 0500 position could
name which
the area bore. Using maxi-
speed through those treacherous waters
make
a
dawn
at
0430. The time element was perfect; we
To
and one-half hours,
At the end
intercept point; near to
would not do.
to to
where we had found
we had
of that time
We
had
we had
first
reach that point
in waters
the current unpredictable. it
arrive at the
But before we could attack we
attack.
arrive at the proper intercept point. travel about four
we could
had
to hit
it
to
be
right
at the
on the
nose.
The
thrill
citation.
.
of the chase
had gripped the boat. "Hell, man,
and we got them cold." "Here
task force .
."
"We
will
hold reveille on them.
.
."
.
"We
those bums. This happens only once in a lifetime." right;
it
echoed
was the chance of a their thoughts as
leaving a phosphorescent
lifetime,
and we
a
is
will
murder
The men were conning tower
in the
we kept going forward trail
this
where we pick up our
is
at full
speed while
on the black waters of Palawan Pas-
sage.
To
the Navigator, however, the night
seemed interminable. There
was no moon so he was denied the consolation of moonlight.
"What
if
I
don't
make
contact?
What
if
by
star sights
foul this one
I
up?" he asked himself. For the nth time since midnight he looked the chart; he checked the courses, the speeds, the times.
came down from
the bridge and asked,
"Right on schedule.
— nose
We
"How
are
at
The Captain
we doing?"
will hit the intercept point right
on the
" was the reply. The Captain, busy with his own thoughts, turned away and did not hear the Navigator's low but fervent "
—
hope
"
Time, however, was not standing
still.
It
was
still
dark when
at
845
Darter and Dace
Dace was slowed and the Captain notified that the ship was in position. At slow speed we began to patrol back and forth along an east-west line. If all went according to plan we would be in contact in less than thirty minutes. Once more we went to battle stations. 0430
the
Minutes passed scouting
—
the ship
moved back and
Minutes passed
line.
—
forth slowly along the
the radar operators eagerly scanned
the radar scope for signs of the target. Minutes passed
— the bridge
watch, their eyes glued to their binoculars, tensely strained to
make
out dim shapes in the half darkness that enveloped us. Minutes
passed
— and
believe that
was suddenly 0500.
it
we were on
station.
But
was 0500, and we wanted where were the Japs? It was
It
—
too soon 0505; then 0510; then 0515. tion that perhaps
Our
fears,
we had made
no contact. The
a fatal error began to grip us.
however, had no factual
a message from the Darter which said at
Still
basis.
Seconds
later
"Enemy changed
.
we
to all
realiza.
.
received
course to
left
dawn."
We The
had been outmaneuvered: we were hopelessly out of
position.
Darter, because of her slower speed, had slowly fallen astern
during the night.
Her
fire
in course at
change
in base course
position
and that
became aware
control party
false
by the enemy. They knew that we were
any action.
It
in
information would draw us out; that change in
course had to be positively verified. Verification to take
of the unusual
dawn, but they could not immediately assume a
change
came too
had been a gamble and we had
late for us
lost.
With the
change in base course the Japs had also increased speed and the Darter soon lost contact. The Dace immediately started a sweep to the westward in the
Dangerous Ground.
It
was
to
no
avail.
The Japs
had disappeared
as effectively as if they had been swallowed by the Near noon we dismally secured the search. It is true that we had succeeded in sending a warning, and that our high command had become aware that the Japs had begun to move north. But our role sea.
had been a negative, unsatisfying one.
We
had wanted
to hit that
Jap
task force awfully bad.
We night
began to move south. This was our
we were
to start our trip
back
last
day on station and that
to the base. Charts for the trip
were broken out; the fuel and the lubricating checked; another count was
saved ourselves that a
all this
made on
trouble, for at
oil
were closely
We
could have
noon we received
a despatch
the provisions.
Jap convoy had been sighted heading south
in the area.
We
immediately changed our plans and decided to postpone the return
846
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa: ^End of an Empire
trip until
we had worked on
this
We
convoy.
arranged a rendezvous
with the Darter to coordinate a searph,#hd attack plan.
At midnight we met
as per schedule.
Messages were exchanged by
line-throwing guns, and both Captains went below to read over the
communications. The bridge watches were talking to each other through megaphones when their conversation was cut short by a report from the Darter radar operator:
"Radar contact
—maximum
range. It looks like rain," he said.
The information was immediately overeager operator,"
we
said at
first.
But upon checking ourselves we
not only confirmed the contact but identified
it
as ships.
There was no
doubt that they were ships and that we had made contact
mum
range.
Only by the grace of God were we
was no time
to think of
"An
relayed to us on the Dace.
at
maxi-
in contact, but this
what might have been. Both ships were
ordered to close the enemy. Minutes later the radar scope gave us a beautiful picture of
many
ships,
and once again we knew that
no ordinary convoy. Once again we were
in contact
was
this
with a Japanese
task force.
The Captain and
the Executive Officer were admiring the radar
scope, exclaiming over the beauty of the picture,
when with dramatic
suddenness the picture disappeared from the screen.
"Now what "Not
the hell!" said the Captain.
quite, Captain,"
"What
is this,
a
game?"
answered the unperturbed radar operator.
"The radar has conked out!" This force,
is
just fine,
we
all
thought.
and our radar decides
contact. It just
although
it
had
to
Here we are
in contact with a task
to take a rest five minutes after
be fixed, that
is
had been a major breakdown,
all
in
there
was
to
we make it.
And
an hour and a half the
radar was back in commission. With a great sigh of relief
we saw
the
Japs appear on the radar scope once more.
We
tracked the remainder of the night.
senior ship, began
making contact reports
The flow
The
Darter, being the
shortly after the contact
was maintained throughout the night, and thus our high command received vital information on the movements of the Japanese fleet. There was no doubt that this was
identified.
of information
was so reported. The plan had worked. The Japanese had crossed the submarine line; the subs had made was the "A" squad, and
contact.
it
From here on it was*bnly moved northward, and
as the Japs
a question of maintaining contact of eventually bringing to bear our
847
Darter and Dace forces at the right time
at the right place.
The day had
arrived
could predict the total destruction of Japanese sea power.
when we
We
and
Dace, although somewhat aware of the
in the
tactical situation,
were not too concerned with the over-all picture. Our main thought
was
and consequently we were very pleased to
to hit the task force,
from the Commanding Officer of
receive a foolproof plan of attack
was simple.
the Darter. His plan to
be in two columns, with the
He proposed
column.
umn and
the
was
attack
to
Dace dive
dawn. By
in a position of
this
maximum at
... useless
right
left col-
from the Darter. The
arrangement he placed both
effectiveness.
dawn would
.
.
This time a
.
We
find us ready.
had
one ship out of that Japanese
hit at least
heavy
that consisted of five battleships, ten ers,
T
fleet
ahead of the
from our lesson of the day before. This time we knew that
one of us was sure to
and
slightly
miles bearing 045
change in the base course profited
had determined the enemy
column
have the Darter dive ahead of the
five
to take place at
submarines
We
left
cruisers,
two
fleet
light cruis-
fifteen destroyers.
At 0500 the word was passed to man battle command. The men during the night had
towards their stations, and
in
was
stations. It
a
slowly gravitated
a matter of seconds each
man was
reported at his appointed place.
A
faint
man
radar
scope. She
and naked
glow to the east heralded the approach of dawn as the at
0510 reported
had submerged. in the
the Darter disappearing from the radar
We
continued northward, feeling alone
wide expanse of Palawan Passage. Minutes
diving alarm broke the stillness of the tropical
beneath the sea
in the
most
later the
dawn. The Dace
slid
fateful dive of her career.
Neither the Darter nor the Dace had long to wait. The Japanese, as unwilling and unsuspecting participants, propelled themselves
Darter.
A
the Darter
series of rapid explosions indicated to all in the
had made a successful
"It looks like the
"One
is
the
Dace
that
attack.
Fourth of July out there!" exclaimed the Captain.
burning," he continued. "The Japs are milling and firing
over the place. It
on
and were promptly greeted by a salvo of torpedoes from the
stage
What
a show!
What
show!"
a
must have been a grand show. Those of us unable
was happening on the surface hung on continued to describe what he saw.
.
all
.
to the Captain's
to see
words
what as he
.
"Here they come," said the Old Man. "Stand by
for a set-up!
—
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa JEnd of an Empire
848
:
Down
Bearing, mark! Range, mark!
.
.
.
scope! Angle on the bow, ten
/- .7
port...."
With the Captain's words, "Let the
we began
only heavy cruisers,"
to
two go by, they are
first
We
fire.
fired six torpedoes
one
—two—
three
—four
Four
explosions.
from
home
the forward tubes. Almost immediately they began to strike
out of six torpedoes
hits
fired!
The
offensive phase
and we wasted no time tube
its
was over. in
doing
Now
so.
was time
it
to start running,
Hardly had the sixth torpedo
left
when we ordered deep submergence. On our way down, a
crackling noise that started very faintly but which rapidly reached staggering proportions soon enveloped us.
It
was akin
to the noise
made by cellophane when it is crumpled. Those of us experienced in submarine warfare knew that a ship was breaking up, but the noise was so close, so loud, so gruesome that we came to believe that it was not the Jap but the Dace that was doomed. Anxious, agonizing seconds elapsed as we awaited the reports from the
compartments that
right.
But then
all
was
secure.
They
finally
a new, terrifying thought gripped us
We
breaking up on top of us?
were making
full
came.
us;
not escape astern.
The
We
it it.
was
perfectly audible to every
Then
relief
came with
a rush.
man on
We
were
all
the Jap be
speed in an attempt to
clear the vicinity of the attack, but that crackling noise
around
We
—could
was
board;
still
all
we could
were leaving the noise
not only had hit but had sunk a major Japanese warship.
crackling and crumbling noises as she broke
up were unmistaka-
ble.
Our
was
elation
shortlived, for hardly
had we
settled
down
at
our
running depth when a string of depth charges exploding close aboard
announced the
arrival of the
had made a mistake,
We
had
fully
Jap destroyers. At
for this attack
we thought
first
was contrary
to
they
our expectations.
expected that the destroyers would concentrate on the
Darter and leave us alone. Another
string, just as
loud as the
first
one, exploded close aboard. This time the doubt was dispelled. There
was no mistake on
their part.
We
were the
target.
"Most inconsiderate of the Darter," said someone. "The dirty stinkers!" exclaimed another. "Hold your hats here we go again!" came from still another.
—
"Wham!—Wham!—Wham!" They were going
off all
said the Japs.
around
us,
and they were
close.
The boat
was being rocked considerably. Light bulbs were being shattered;
849
Darter and Dace
locker doors were flying open; wrenches were falling from the manifolds.
The Japs were very mad and we were very
We stayed deep We began to work
to periscope depth.
the attack.
At
but as
.
.
came up
know
did not
that the Darter
and damaged a second heavy
class cruiser
we continued northward we
cruiser crippled
.
our way back to the scene of
we
the time, of course,
had sunk an Atago
scared.
for a while but later
Finally they left us.
—
by the Darter
sighted masts.
lying
dead
cruiser,
was the Jap
It
She was
in the water.
We
being jealously guarded by two destroyers and two airplanes.
attempted to get in another attack during the day but were unsuccess-
because of the effective screen provided by the destroyers and the
ful
We
we had the cruiser in view at all times and we knew that that night we could team up with the Darter to finish her off. We surfaced before the Darter. The Navigator got a fair fix. The Darter surfaced; we made contact and airplanes.
were not too concerned, however,
began to lay plans for finishing the
The Jap
cruiser,
however,
still
cripple.
had some
by the two destroyers she got underway on
We
a speed of six knots. realized that
were over
it
began our attempts
was not going
to be
her.
Accompanied
to polish her off but
soon
perhaps trying to atone for the lack of care they
officious,
out, but
life in
a southwesterly course at
an easy task. The two destroyers
We
had given the big ships that morning.
draw them
as
all
to
realization that the only
and were discussing the
no
avail.
We
went
in
and
out, trying to
were beginning to come to the
hope of success was possibility of
in a
submerged attack
such an attack when
we
re-
ceived a despatch from the Darter. There were just three words but they were pregnant with meaning.
The Captain
of the
They were: "We
Dace was faced with a grave
are aground." decision; either to
continue in his attempts to sink the cruiser or to go to the rescue of the Darter. His decision
nounced
it
was not arrived
at hastily,
but
had the approbation of every man on board.
go to the assistance of the Darter.
It
was hard
to give
when
We
an-
were
to
up pursuing a
we knew would probably sink with one torpedo hit, and it was hard to give up what we had started so brilliantly the day before; ship that
would have been doubly hard to abandon our comrades to on the shoals of Palawan Passage. About an hour and a half later we were within stone's throw of the
but
it
certain death
Darter. There
was no doubt
that even her screws
that she
was aground. She was so high
were out of the water
—
she seemed like a ship in
850
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
drydock.
End
of an
Empire
We soon realized that getting close to her would not be an We decided to approach from the stern, that to travel Darter's water. We took position astern and slowly began to
easy task.
over the
is,
The current took charge and we had
close her.
to
make
a second
approach. The Captain of the Darter became quite concerned over
He
the audacity of the Captain of the Dace.
out a
bit;
attention
By
line.
not to
come
so close; to beware of the reef.
and continued
we could
to close until
away from
starboard side, exerted
paid no
bow we were yards away on our
its
the reef that, only
fifty
utmost to draw us to
it.
fact that the Darter could never get off the reef
from the
We
pass over our
the use of that line and by the use of the engines
able to keep
The
kept telling him to stay
outset.
As soon
as the
bow
line
was obvious
went over, the transfer of
personnel began. In the darkness gnome-like figures on the deck of
were seen to go down her side into the rubber boats
the Darter
awaiting them below. Minutes later they reappeared at the side of the
Dace where
willing
hands hoisted them aboard. There was
was a grim and
versation. It
six-man rubber started about
life
boats available and
0200 and
Darter, the last
man
it
was not
until
to leave the ship,
it
little
was slow work.
0439
con-
There were only two
distressing task.
We
had
that the Captain of the
appeared
at the side of the
Dace.
No
time was lost in clearing the immediate vicinity, for not only
were we
in
mortal fear of the reef, but upon reporting on board the
Captain of the Darter informed us that he had
on
his ship.
Upon
hearing this report
speed and never changed them
until
set
demolition charges
we set the annunciators we considered ourselves
at full
a safe
distance away.
The
allotted time for the charges to
go
off
began to draw near.
With bated breath and blinking eyes we saw the second hands of our watches draw nearer and nearer to the zero time.
We
braced ourselves, expecting the morning
by a
terrific
It finally
stillness to
got there.
be shattered
explosion. But only a ridiculously low and inoffensive
"pop" came from the Darter.
.
.
.
What had happened? Something had
obviously gone wrong, and
the Darter, instead of exploding before our eyes,
evidence on the ers that the ship
reef.
Some
was very much
said that the charges were
was not ready
to die.
What
in
no good. Oth-
difference did
it
make
then? That was no time to philosophize nor to enter into the relative merits of our demolition charges. That
was time
for action.
There
—
Darter and Dace
857
—blow her up with our few remaining
tor-
took position on her beam and fired two torpedoes, one
at a
was one possible answer pedoes.
We
Both torpedoes exploded on the
time.
much
reef without as
as rock-
was too
ing the Darter. This confirmed our unexpressed fears that she
high on the reef.
We
had two more torpedoes; we went directly astern of her and story was repeated. Both torpedoes went off against the
The
fired.
was now 0530. The
reef. It
appear ship,
What
in the eastern sky.
streaks of light were beginning to
first
do next?
to
and there was only one thing
to
do
—
We
had
to destroy that
her with the gun.
hit
was passed over the General Announcing System. Almost immediately the previously deserted deck became alive with men as our gun crew expertly prepared the gun for action.
"Gun
We
crew,
man
were well aware of the dangerous situation
placed ourselves. before,
the gun!"
We
were
in the vicinity of
still
and we were engaged
in a
we had ordered
trepidation that
about twenty-five
men on
gun
action. It
the topside.
A
was a chance we had
for
now
there were
crash dive would be a risky
undertaking and might result in some of the to take.
our attack the day
was not without some
gun manned,
the
which we had
in
men
being
left
The men had been warned
the reef in case they found themselves in the water.
consolation, but the rapidity of the
fire
It
topside. It to
swim
was a small
and the percentage of
scored on the target belied any misgivings that the
to
hits
men might have
had.
We
were scoring
telling hits
to feel a bit easier in
much dreaded
cry
on the Darter and we were beginning
our minds about the whole undertaking when a
came from
the conning tower, "Plane Contact
Six Miles!"
"Clear the deck
command. The instinct
—Diving alarm—Take her down!" was
the
imme-
diate
of self preservation took charge of
twenty-five inch conning tower hatch, the only
the Dace, attracted every one topside as
if
it
means
all
of us.
Our
of ingress into
had been a magnet.
Some walked down; others slid down; still others were pushed down. Some came down feet first; others head first; still others sideways. The Officer of the Deck managed to close the hatch bare seconds before the boat went under.
We would
all
braced ourselves for the
follow.
.
.
.
We
bomb
explosion that
we
felt
sure
did not have long to wait, but for the second
852
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
End
of an
Empire
time that day an awaited loud explosion resolved
"pop."
We
itself into
again wondered what had, happened. Perhaps
a distant
we were
if
book on the subject we could not express it any better than unknown enlisted man who at the time said, "That dumb ass of a Jap pilot! He made his drop on the Darter!" to write a
that
He was
correct.
The Japanese could not
tell
.
.
.
had sighted two submarines on the
pilot
surface.
He
was aground. He saw one of the sub-
that the Darter
marines diving. Believing that his chance of success was greater with the slower boat, he had decided to
bomb
the Darter instead of the
Dace. The consensus of opinion was that he had made an excellent choice and to
do
we hoped
earlier that
Our
had been able
to
do what we had
were not yet over. There was
our minds.
in
some poor
there at this time
Was
.
one big
soul thrashing in the waters above us?
took a quick count. Everyone was accounted
.
still
everyone on board, or was
again and this time there was no doubt about it.
failed
morning with our torpedoes and our gun.
troubles, however,
unanswered question
We
that he
it.
for.
We
We had
checked all
made
.
THE JAPANESE COUNTERATTACK DEVELOPED ON THE movement on Leyte Gulf
24th, and their pincers
manifested battle,
we
officer of
manded
itself
by
nightfall.
To
cover
this
via Surigao Strait
dramatic phase of the
turn to Halsey's memoirs. Probably the most colorful flag
World War
II,
Halsey, sixty-three years old
when he com-
the Third Fleet and forced the Japanese to their knees, held
every decoration awarded by the United States, including the Distin-
guished Service Medal with four Gold Stars. officer to attain the
He was
the last flag
rank of Fleet Admiral.
Let us join him on flagship
New
Jersey in the forenoon watch of
October 23, when Darter's contact report was brought to him:
SHIPS INCLUDING 116-30E
COURSE
3
040
PROBABLE BBS (battleships) SPEED 18 X CHASING.
MANY 08-28N
FLEET ADMIRAL WILLIAM
HALSEY
F.
6.
TURN NORTH
I
.
.
.
The tremendous
battle
.
.
.
now loomed
Philippine waters under separate
.
.
.
We
had two
commands: my Third
fleets in
Fleet
was
command of Admiral Nimitz; Tom Kinkaid's Seventh Fleet was under command of General MacArthur. If we had been under under
the
same command, with a
intelligence, the Battle for
ently to a different result. It
wisdom been
is
folly to cry
Navy never
becomes
vital.
In
my
When
opinion,
and
differ-
over spilled milk, but
to observe the cause, for future avoidance.
spilled, the obligation
for the
single system of operational control
Leyte Gulf might have been fought
it is
blood has it
is
vital
to expose itself again to the perils of a divided
command
in the same area. The Third and Seventh Fleets also differed in functions and weapons. The Seventh Fleet was defensive; having convoyed Mac Arthur's transports to Leyte, it stood by to protect them with its cruisers, destroyers, old battleships, and little escort carriers. The Third Fleet was offensive; it prowled the ocean, striking at will with its new
battleships
and
fast carriers.
These powerful units were concentrated
Task Force 38, which was made up of four task commanded by Vice Adm. Slew McCain and Rear Adms. Gerald F. Bogan, Ted Sherman, and Ralph E. Davison. The task
in Pete Mitscher's
groups,
groups were not uniform, but they averaged a ships, divided
approximately as follows
—two
total of
twenty-three
large carriers,
two
light
853
)
854
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
carriers,
and two new
of an
tlxeyNew Jersey, was
flagship,
group; Mitscher's flagship, the Lexington, was
The morning
and
in
Bogan's
in
Sherman's.
of October 23 found McCain's group on
its
way
and replenishment. The other three were standing
Ulithi for rest
ward
Empire
battleships, with a screen of three cruisers
My
fourteen destroyers.
End
to
east-
of the Philippines, awaiting their turn to retire,
and meanwhile
On
the basis of the
preparing further strikes in support of MacArthur. Darter's report,
I
ordered them to close the islands and to launch
search teams next morning in a fan that would cover the western sea
approaches for the entire length of the chain. Experience had taught us that a
if
we
interfered with a Jap plan before
it
matured, we stood
The Jap mind
is
inelastic;
good chance
adapt
itself to
The
of disrupting
it.
three task groups reached their stations that night
120
Strait;
southeast
miles
Their search teams flew out
Surigao
Strait.
fourth.
At 0820, one
— Sherman,
140 miles southeast of him, Bogan,
off the Polillo Islands;
Bernardino
cannot
it
an altered situation.
of at
Bogan,
off
San
Davison,
off
daybreak on the twenty-
of Bogan's teams reported contact with five
battleships, nine cruisers,
and thirteen destroyers south of Mindoro
Island, course 050, speed
10 to 12 knots. (This force, the Central
Force, was the same that had been dimly sighted by the Darter; she
and
a sister sub, the Dace,
and damaged a
I
its
heavy cruisers
third.
My log summarizes At 0822,
had already sunk two of
the events of the next few minutes:
rebroadcast Bogan's report
at
the top of
my
radio
voice.
At 0827,
I
ordered Sherman and Davison to close on Bogan
at
their best speed.
At 0837, Strike!
And
I
Good at
ordered
0846,
fuel at sea.
all
task
groups by TBS, "Strike! Repeat:
luck!"
If
I
ordered
McCain
to reverse course
the battle developed as
I
expected,
and prepare
to
we would need
him.
Our
planes hit the Central Force again and again through the day
and reported sinking the battleship Musashi (Japan's newest and
more cruisers, and a destroyer, and inflicting severe damage on many other units. These seemed to mill around aimlessly, largest), three
then withdrew to the west, then turned east again, as
suddenly received a do-or-die year later
I
command from
if
they had
Hirohito himself.
(A
learned that our guess was close. Vice Admiral Kurita,
/
commanding
the Central Force,
had received
this
dispatch
had strongly considered
but
retiring,
from Admiral Toyoda, Commander
Combined
Chief of the Japanese
855
Turn North
WITH CONFIDENCE
Fleet:
HEAVENLY GUIDANCE, THE ENTIRE FORCE WILL
in
IN
AT-
TACK.) That they might attempt
was a
their fearful mauling, ingly, at
1512
manders
in the
San Bernardino
to transit
possibility
had
I
sent a preparatory dispatch to
I
Third Fleet and
all
Strait, despite
Accord-
to recognize.
task-force
all
New
designating four of their fast battleships (including the
com-
TF
task-group commanders in
38,
Jersey),
with two heavy cruisers, three light cruisers, and fourteen destroyers,
WILL BE FORMED AS TF 34 UNDER COMMANDER BATTLE LINE X TF WILL ENGAGE DECISIVELY AT LONG RANGES.
and
stating that these ships
VADM 34
(Willis A.),
LEE,
This dispatch, which played a
critical part in
next day's battle,
intended merely as warning to the ships concerned that
engagement into
TF
offered,
34, and send
would detach them from
I
them ahead
TF
38, form
was
as a battle line. It
if
told
them
nardino),
none of
TF
Meanwhile,
my
34
will
at
—two and southwest knots — and had scored eight destroyers,
had sighted the enemy's
of Negros Island, course 060,
several
We
it
old battleships, three heavy cruisers, one light
speed 15
force for
did not send a strike against this
two reasons:
it
was headed
bombs comparatively weak
damaging
six
with
hits
for Surigao Strait,
kaid was waiting with approximately three times
—
I
0943, we had intercepted a message from one of
Southern Force
and rockets.
it,
(through San Ber-
sorties
be formed when directed by me."
Davison's search teams, reporting that
cruiser,
To make
subordinate commanders misconstrued
by TBS, "If the enemy
later
them
definitely not
an executive dispatch, but a battle plan, and was so marked. certain that
I
a surface
its
where Kin-
weight of metal
old battleships, four heavy cruisers, four light cruisers, and
twenty-six destroyers, plus thirty PT's; second, Davison's planes, the
only ones able to reach Force,
now
it,
were more urgently needed
at the Central
that Sherman's group was under violent attack by shore-
based planes from Luzon. succeeded in bombing the
He
shot
down 110
light carrier Princeton.
of them, but they
The
fires
reached
her magazines and fuel tanks, and late that afternoon he had to order
her abandoned and sunk since the
—
the
first fast
Hornet was torpedoed
before, almost to the day.
carrier that the
at the Battle of
Navy had
lost
Santa Cruz two years
856
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
of an
Empire
The captain of the Princeton was Capt. William H. Buracker, who had been my Operations officer .3 t7the beginning of the war. He would have been detached aboard
few days, and
in a
—Capt. John. M. Hoskins. The bomb
her deathblow nearly gave Hoskins his;
it
that the ship's medical officer, himself
his relief
was already
that gave the Princeton
mangled one foot so badly
wounded, cut
it
with a
off
sheath knife. Hoskins was then put into a stretcher and carried
through the flames to the
fo'c'sle,
but before letting himself be low-
ered to a whaleboat standing by, he smiled, saluted Bill Buracker,
and asked, "Have
I
your permission to leave the
ship, sir?"
command
(Later, fitted with an artificial foot, he requested
new Princeton and recommended
of the
himself as being "one foot ahead of
the other applicants"; further, he said, he could beat
them
turning
all
out for general quarters, because he was already wearing a sock and a shoe.
I
am happy
commission and
The discovery
is
to
now
say that Hoskins put the
lacking
—
their
in
a rear admiral.)
of the Southern Force buttressed
the Japs were committed to a still
new Princeton
carriers.
my
conviction that
but the final proof was
supreme
effort,
Neither
our sub-marines nor search
planes had found them yet, but
we were dead
would
certain that they
appear; our only doubt was from what direction. Mitscher thought
My
from the China Sea. with
my
staff
thought from Empire waters.
agreed
I
and ordered a thorough search northward. While we
waited for a report, times,
staff
Doug Moulton must have pounded the hell are they, those goddam
demanding, "Where the
At 1730 our guess was proved
correct.
CARRIERS 2 LIGHT CRUISERS 28 E COURSE 270 SPEED 15.
fifty
carriers?"
Sherman informed me,
DESTROYERS
3
chart
18-32
N
This position, 200 miles east of Cape Engano, the northeastern of Luzon, fallen.
them
was too
far for us to reach,
But now we had
together,
we
all
dogged second approach simultaneous
to
tip
dusk had not already
noticed that the three forces had a
— never more than The
implied a focus of time and place.
strength,
if
When we put common factor:
the pieces of the puzzle.
a speed of advance so leisurely
Force's
even
3
125-
15 knots
—
that
it
crippled Central Force's
San Bernardino, and the weak Southern
approach
Surigao
to
were comprehensible only
ders to rendezvous with the carriers
if
—
against
overwhelming
they were under adamant or-
the Northern Force
—
off
Samar
next day, the twenty-fifth, for a combined attack on the transports at Leyte.
.
We
had no intention of standing by was
intention
Our
for a test of our theory.
as quickly as possible.
to join battle
857
Turn North
/
Three
battles
The Southern Force I could afford to ignore; it was well within Kinkaid's compass. The Central Force, according to our pilots, had suffered so much topside damage, especially to its guns and fireoffered.
control instruments, that
(The
left
to Kinkaid.
but
we had no reason
could not win a decision;
it
pilots' reports
them
to discredit
too, could be
it,
proved dangerously optimistic, at the time.)
On
the other
hand, not only was the Northern Force fresh and undamaged, but carriers gave
Moreover,
if
we
destroyed those carriers, our future operations need
no threat from the
fear
We way
sea.
had chosen our antagonist.
to /
1
meet him. Again
I
remained only to choose the best
It
had three
alternatives:
could guard San Bernardino with
my
the Northern Force to strike me. Rejected.
double
/
2.
and
initiative of his carriers
him
allow
its
a scope several hundred miles wider than the others.
it
It
whole
fleet
and wait
for
enemy
the
yielded to the
on Luzon and would
his fields
them unmolested. could guard San Bernardino with TF 34 while to use
my
Northern Force with
The enemy's
carriers. Rejected.
surface and air strength forbade half-measures;
if
planes joined his carrier planes, together they might
damage on my
half-fleets separately
I struck the
than they could
his
potential
shore-based
inflict far
inflict
more
on the
fleet
intact.
/
3.
could leave San Bernardino unguarded and strike the North-
ern Force with integrity,
it
left
my
whole
fleet.
Accepted.
the initiative with me, and
possibility of surprise.
Even
if
preserved
for Leyte Gulf,
it
fleet's
could hope only
to harry the landing operation. It could not consolidate tage,
my
promised the greatest
the Central Force meanwhile pene-
San Bernardino and headed
trated
It it
because no transports accompanied
it
any advan-
and no supply
ships. It
could merely hit and run.
My
decision to strike the Northern Force was a hard one to make,
but given the same circumstances and the same information as then, I
I
would make
went
had
again.
into flag plot, put
my
300 miles away, and them north."
position, start
it
I
finger said,
on the Northern Force's charted
"Here's where we're going. Mick,
The time was about 1950. Mick began to scribble a sheaf of disMcCain to close us at his best speed; for Bogan and Davi-
patches:
858
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
COURSE 000
son,
SPEED
(due north)
of an
Empire we
25; Sherman to join us as
CENTRA^ FORCE HEAVILY DAMAGED ACCORDING TO STRIKE REPORTS X AM PROCEEDING NORTH WITH 3 GROUPS TO ATTACK CARRIER FORCE dashed by; for Kinkaid,
AT DAWN:
for the light carrier Independence,
AT
with night fighters,
SECTORS
LAUNCH
2400
which was equipped
PLANES TO SEARCH
5
to north-by-east) TO SLOW DOWN TO 16 KNOTS X HOLD PRESENT COURSE UNTIL 2400, THEN PROCEED TOWARD LAT 16 LONG 127 (northeastward).
320-010 (roughly, from northwest
350 MILES:
2330, for Mitscher,
finally, at
The purpose
was
of this
to avoid overrunning the
"daylight circle," the limit which last
known
position. If the
me and Luzon, slipped past my from
his carriers, attack
more bombs and
my
I
dawn from
left flank,
me, continue on to
was
me
its
between he
at the transports. If
he would be able to shuttle-bomb
and attack
fuel,
my
—
fly
on Luzon for
his fields
again on the
me
way back.
I
had
to
trusting the Independence's snoopers to
course.
0208: CONTACT POSIT 17-10 N 125LARGE 2 SMALL SIZE UNREPORTED. CORRECTION X 6 SHIPS 3 LARGE 3 SMALL
They began
EX
31
slipped past
he would have a free crack right flank,
meet him head-on, and set
enemy
Northern Force's
could reach by
it
to report at
SHIPS 2
5
At 0214:
COURSE
110
At 0220:
1
SPEED
15.
ANOTHER GROUP 40 MILES ASTERN OF SECOND GROUP 6 LARGE SHIPS.
FIRST.
At 0235 We had them! :
Later sightings, in daylight, established the composition of the
Northern Force as one large rodite
with
battleships
flight
decks
makeshift), three light cruisers, and I
my
ordered
34
aft
ward
it
pilots
first
in
deckload
dawn, and launch a second
Our
gimcrack Jap
typical
form and take station 10 miles
to
at earliest
as possible.
(a
at least eight destroyers.
task-group commanders to arm their
launch
The
TF
two hermaph-
carrier, three light carriers,
advance, and
strike at once,
strike as
soon
after-
next few hours were the most anxious of
and aircrewmen knew
that a terrific carrier duel
all.
was facing
them, and the ships' companies were sure that a big-gun action would follow.
The first strike took off. at 0630. An hour and a half passed withTwo hours and a quarter. Two hours. word of news.
out a
God, what
.
a wait
it
.
.
.
.
.
was! (Mick admitted
.
later, "I
chewed my
.
.
finger-
:
/
down
nails
my
to
859
Turn North
elbows.") Then, at 0850, a flash report reached
ONE CARRIER SUNK AFTER TREMENDOUS EXPLOX 2 CARRIERS CL (light cruiser) HIT BADLY OTHER CARRIER UNTOUCHED X FORCE COURSE 150 SPEED 17. me:
SION
We
1
had already increased our speed
his course
rubbed
to
25 knots.
If
the
enemy held
and speed, he would be under our guns before noon.
my
hands
at the
I
prospect of blasting the cripples that our
planes were setting up for us.
Now
I
come
to the part of this narrative that
myself to write, so painfully does
it
best from a sequence of dispatches in
At 0648,
rankle
still.
my war
I
can hardly bring
can reconstruct
I
AM NOW
had received a dispatch from Kinkaid:
I
it
dairy
ENGAGING ENEMY SURFACE FORCES SURIGAO STRAIT X QUESTION IS TF 34 GUARDING SAN BERNARDINO STRAIT. To this I replied in some bewilderment, NEGATIVE X IT IS WITH OUR CARRIERS NOW ENGAGING ENEMY CARRIERS. Here was
my
intimation that Kinkaid had intercepted and miscon-
first
strued the preparatory dispatch I
say "intercepted" because
it
had sent
I
at
alone should have prevented his confusion.
cause at 0802
I
1512 the preceding day.
was not addressed
to him,
which
fact
was not alarmed, be-
I
ENEMY VESSELS RETIRING
learned from him,
SURIGAO STRAIT X OUR LIGHT FORCES IN PURSUIT. When
the Southern Force pushed into Surigao soon after midnight
of the twenty-fourth,
it
pushed into one of the
prettiest
ambushes
Rear Adm. Jesse B. Oldendorf, Kinkaid's
naval history.
commander, waited
until the
enemy
line
in
tactical
was well committed to the his PT's and de-
narrow waters, then struck from both flanks with stroyers,
and from dead ahead with
not only "crossed the T," which tion;
every naval
and
cruisers.
officer's dearest
He
ambi-
he dotted several thousand slant eyes. Almost before the Japs
could open
The
is
his battleships
fire,
rest fled,
later in the
they lost both their battleships and three destroyers.
but Kinkaid's planes caught and sank a heavy cruiser
morning, and
following noon.
One
Army
B-24's sank the light cruiser the
of Oldendorf's PT's
was sunk, and one destroyer
was damaged.
At 0822, twenty minutes
after Kinkaid's
second dispatch,
I
re-
ENEMY BBS AND CRUISER REPORTED FIRING ON TU 77.4.3 FROM 15 MILES ASTERN. Task unit 77.4.3,
ceived his third:
commanded by Rear Adm.
Clifton A. F. Sprague and comprising six
860
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
of an
Empire
escort carriers, three destroyers, and four destroyer escorts,
was the
TG
northernmost of three similar task units in the Seventh Fleet's
71 A, assigned
to
guard the eastern approaches to Leyte. The enemy
ships were evidently part of the Central Force, which
had
let
"Ziggy" Sprague get caught like
wondered how Kinkaid
this,
and why Ziggy's search
planes had not given him warning, but figured that the eighteen
I
still
was not alarmed.
had enough planes
carriers
little
had steamed
I
through San Bernardino during the night.
I
to protect
themselves until Oldendorf could bring up his heavy ships.
Eight minutes
me:
at
later,
0830, Kinkaid's fourth dispatch reached
URGENTLY NEED FAST BBS LEYTE GULF AT ONCE.
That surprised me.
It
was not
my
job to protect the Seventh Fleet.
job was offensive, to strike with the Third Fleet, and
My
we were even
then rushing to intercept a force which gravely threatened not only
Kinkaid and myself, but the whole Pacific dered McCain,
VICINITY
who was
N
11-20
127-00
strategy.
However,
I
or-
STRIKE ENEMY E AT BEST POSSIBLE SPEED, and
fueling
the
to
east,
so notified Kinkaid.
At 0900
received his
I
fifth
dispatch:
OUR CVES
(escort car-
riers) BEING ATTACKED BY 4 BBS 8 CRUISERS PLUS OTHERS X REQUEST LEE (commanding TF 34, the battle line) COVER LEYTE AT TOP SPEED X REQUEST FAST CARRIERS MAKE IMMEDIATE STRIKE. I had already sent McCain.
There was nothing
Then came
else
I
could do, except become angrier.
the sixth dispatch,
0922:
at
CTU
UNDER N 126-25 E X
77.4.3
ATTACK BY CRUISERS AND BBS 0700 11-40 REQUEST IMMEDIATE AIR STRIKE X ALSO REQUEST SUPPORT BY HEAVY SHIPS X MY OBBS (old battleships) LOW IN AMMUNITION. Low
in
ammunition! Here was a new
could hardly accept
looked filed.
Why
it.
let
me know
group of his dispatch, which told was "242225," or 0725 local time, an hour and
at the date-time
It
And when
the others,
realized that this
I
I
compared
eighteen minutes after he had
was first
under attack. What had delayed
message was on
before?
when
minutes ago!
My
factor, so astonishing that I
hadn't Kinkaid
its
way
I
was
fifty-seven
with the date-time groups of
actually his third dispatch, sent
informed
it I
to
it
it
me
that
TU
77.4.3 was
have never learned.
him
in five minutes: I
AM
ENGAGING ENEMY CARRIERS X MCCAIN WITH RIERS 4 HEAVY CRUISERS HAS BEEN ORDERED
STILL
5
CAR-
ASSIST
—
/
YOU IMMEDIATELY,
and
my
gave
I
861
Turn North
position, to
show him the
impossibility of the fast battleships reaching him.
The next two dispatches arrived close to 1000, almost simultaneously. The first was from Kindaid again: WHERE IS LEE X SEND LEE. I was impressed less by its desperation than by the fact that it had been put on the
enemy had
and
intercepted
it,
second dispatch drove
all
my
eyes and see
was
air "clear," not in code. I I
was speculating on
its effect,
my
other thoughts out of
certain that the
mind.
I
when
the
can close
today:
it
CINPAC
From:
COM THIRD FLEET THE WHOLE WORLD WANTS TO KNOW WHERE To:
FORCE
TASK
34.
was
I
IS
as stunned as
rattled in
my
hands.
I
if
had been struck
I
snatched
my
off
am ashamed my arm: "Stop
shouted something that
I
rushed over and grabbed
in the face.
cap, threw to it!
it
The paper
on the deck, and
remember. Mick Carney
What
the hell's the matter
with you? Pull yourself together!"
gave him the dispatch and turned
I
couldn't talk.
It
was
me
Nimitz would send
know the truth Navy procedure. To didn't
my back. I was so mad I me to believe that Chester He hadn't, of course, but I
utterly impossible for
such an
insult.
for several weeks. It requires an explanation of
increase the difficulty of breaking our codes,
most dispatches are padded with gibberish. The decoding almost always recognize tion,
his
but
either
— "The whole world wants
padding
my
nally plausible that sage. Chester little
and delete
as such
it
CINCPAC's encoder was
decoders read
blew up when
I
and chewed him
squirt
damage had been done. The orders I now gave, later assured
me
they were not.
that they
My
I
told
flag log for the
—sounded
so infer-
as a valid part of the
to bits, but
gave
know"
him about
in rage,
were the
from the transcrip-
it
drowsy or smart-alecky, and
to it
officers
it
it;
he tracked
was too
mes-
down
the
late then; the
and although Ernie King
right ones,
I
am
convinced that
forenoon watch that day, October
25, gives the bare bones of the story:
"At 0835 c/s (changed speed)
enemy. At 0919 c/c (changed course) to 000. At 180" 1115 c/c to or from due north to due south. At that moment
to
25k
to close
—
the Northern Force, with in the water,
guns, but
—
I
its
two remaining
carriers crippled
was exactly 42 miles from the muzzles of quote from
my war
diary
and dead
my
16-inch
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
862
End
Empire
of an
Commander
In view of the urgent request for assistance from
Seventh Fleet,
Commander Third
Fleet directed
Task Force 34
(Lee) and Task Group 38.2 (Bogan) to proceed south toward
San Bernardino
and directed Commander Task Force 38
Strait,
(Mitscher) with Task Groups 38.3 (Sherman) and 38.4 (Davison), to continue attacks against the
enemy
(The period between 1000, when
received
I
carrier force.
and 1115, when we changed course, was spent
CINCPACs
dispatch,
in reshuffling the task
and refueling Bogan's nearly empty destroyers for our high-
force
speed run.) since
my
days as a cadet. For me, one of the biggest battles of the war was
off,
I
my
turned
back on the opportunity
and what has been called "the Battle of
had dreamed of
I
Bull's
Run" was
on. I noti-
Kinkaid, TG 38.2 PLUS 6 FAST BBS PROCEEDING LEYTE BUT UNABLE ARRIVE BEFORE 0800 TOMORROW. fied
While
I
rushed south, Sherman and Davidson struck the Northern
Force again and again, and
late that
afternoon
retired in straggling
it
disorder, with four of our fast light cruisers in pursuit
packs of our submarines waiting across
was done, the score
Sunk
Damaged
A
1
carriers'
strikes
the butchery
light cruiser, 2 destroyers.
is
that the air duel never
found scarcely a handful of planes on the enemy
decks and only
ferried into
prise,
and two wolf
When
2 battleships, 2 light cruisers, 4 destroyers.
Our
off.
course.
Northern Force was
curious feature of this engagement
came had
for the
4 carriers,
its
fifteen
Luzon and
on the wing.
that our attack
We
assume that the
rest
had caught them by
sur-
because during the morning our radars picked up large groups
of bogeys
—
unidentified planes
— approaching from
the westward, but
They must have been arm aboard, and when they saw that their were afire, they could do nothing but fly back to Luzon
they presently reversed course and disappeared.
unarmed, expecting
mother ships
to
again.
Meanwhile, Kinkaid had been sending
me
another series of dis-
patches: ENEMY RETIRING TO NORTHEASTWARD. Later, CVES AGAIN THREATENED BY ENEMY SURFACE FORCES. Still later, SITUATION AGAIN VERY SERIOUS X YOUR ASSISTANCE BADLY NEEDED X CVS RETIRING LEYTE GULF. Finally, at 145, ENEMY FORCE OF 3 BB 2 CA 9 DD 143 N 126-12 E COURSE 225 SPEED 20. 1
1
/
863
Turn North
This position was 55 miles northeast of Leyte Gulf, but the course
was not toward the entrance. Moreover, the dispatch had been two hours before
I
happened
then.
since
enemy would Strait,
best
ships in advance.
The
I
as to
probability
was
filed
what had that
New
at
to
send
my
the
fastest
battleships
I
had
Jersey and Iowa.
I
threw a screen of
as
TG
that could sustain
34.5, and told
light
them on
28 knots on course 195. Prepare for 30 knots. Be
ready for night action," and
San Bernardino
my original
had no clue
hope of intercepting him was
and destroyers around them,
TBS, "proceed off
and
strongest
The only two
high speeds were the cruisers
it,
eventually retrace his course through San Bernardino
my
and
received
schedule
notified
Kinkaid that we would arrive
0100 next morning, seven hours
at .
I
.
earlier
than
.
WITH HALSEY FRANKLY PUZZLED BY CENTER FORCE'S hit-and-run cruisers,
two
tactics
(Kurita
light cruisers
still
had four
battleships,
and eleven destroyers)
let
six
heavy
us examine the
events building up off Leyte, where Rear Admiral T. L. Sprague
(TG
77.4) was patrolling with his "jeep carriers". This group of
six-
teen escort carriers was divided into three subgroups, called Taffeys.
Tafley 3 was northwest of Leyte and was
commanded by Rear
Admiral C. A. F. Sprague. At 6:45 a.m. October 25, Sprague's lookouts
blinked incredulously
—on
the
horizon were Japanese cage-
masts! This was Kurita's powerful force, and
on Sprague's
six carriers, three destroyers
it
bore
down
and four destroyer
Taffey 3 immediately turned east, launched planes and
Now
the
enemy
and began
The
its
escorts.
made smoke.
divided: heavy ships to port, light ships to starboard,
run in with cruisers
Battle of
mightily
Samar
is
out key roles in the drama.
in the van.
recounted by two of the
men who
played
:
REAR ADMIRAL
C. A. F.
AND LIEUTENANT PHILIP
H.
SPRAGUE
GUSTAFSON
7-
HAD US
"THEY
ON THE
A
ROPES"
half-hour after sunrise
—0645,
to be exact
—
I
received a radio
message from one of our planes on local antisubmarine
remember
that
was very much annoyed. In
I
message ran something
"Enemy at
I
20 miles northwest
of your task group
1
1
destroy-
and closing
in
on
30 knots."
"Now,
own
and
like this
surface force of 4 battleships, 7 cruisers, and
ers sighted
you
patrol,
plain language, the
there's
forces,"
some screwy young
aviator reporting part of our
was the disgusted thought
"undoubtedly he's
some
just spotted
that ran through
my
mind;
of Admiral Halsey's fast battle-
ships."
"Air Plot,
tell
him
to
check
his identification," I yelled into the
squawk box. While
I
waited for a reply,
schedule of strikes and patrols Aircraft that day.
sundown,
It
just fueling, arming,
—
let
went back to worrying about the
we had
would keep
patrols, antisubmarine patrols,
sions
I
my
to
send
Commander Support
deck crews on the jump
until
and launching the regular combat
air
and photo, search, and support mis-
alone the special strikes he was sure to ask
for.
Each day
got tougher than the one before, and this was our eighth on Philippine air
support for
my
task group of 6 baby flattops, 4 destroyers, and 3
destroyer escorts operating that morning to the north of the southern tip of
864
Samar
Island.
"They Had Us on the Ropes"
865
miles to the south and west of us, as a ship would
About 100
was black with thousands of men establishing a
cruise, the shore
beach-head on Leyte, and their ships were thick
in the harbor.
Forty
miles to the west of us, where the morning light was just beginning to penetrate, stood the vague, gray outlines of the
now blacked
out
Samar Mountains,
over the northwest by the inky clouds of a heavy
all
squall.
This was the picture ...
from the
who had
pilot
0648 on October 25
at
as I got
my
reply
sent that contact report. "Identification of
enemy force confirmed," he radioed. "Ships have pagoda masts." Pagoda masts! Well, that was the clincher for me, and I knew I was on the spot. But if there still remained the slightest doubt that this was an enemy fleet, it was dissolved a moment later when a thick pattern of anti-aircraft puffs speckled the sky above the squall to flier
who had
smelled them out.
turned out, he was giving them
hell, too!
Pushing over into
the northwest,
And
as
it
making
it
hot for the
the flak of the whole Japanese
C. Brooks, his
USNR,
of Pasadena, Calif.,
antisubmarine loading
recall
any unkind thoughts
The
fleet, this
force Brooks
—two I
plucky lad, Ensign William
dive-bombed
a cruiser with
measly depth charges.
I
blush to
ever had about him.
had spotted was the middle prong
of a three-
prong Japanese advance on our Philippines occupation. Lambasted the afternoon before by
bombs and
apparently crippled and in
mander had repaired Bernardino
full retreat.
Strait at high speed,
left
During the night the Jap com-
his losses, daringly navigated the perilous
Samar coast toward
off the
torpedoes, this force had been
San
and slipped down through the mists
the docile shipping in Leyte Gulf, a rich
prize to be destroyed with frightful leisure.
They'll steam on
down
close to the Leyte coast,
while sending out a few cruisers to polish us
15-minute job. But delay will
its
if
we can
off.
I
That
thought, meanwill
be about a
get this task force to attack us,
come sooner
for us.
While the ack-ack was
chasing Brooks,
still
we made
visual contact
with the Jap. Out of the fog loomed his big battlewagons
masts and yards.
all
—
—pagoda
and opened with their 14- and 16-inch guns at 25,000
He had committed
Wicked
we can
descent on Leyte until help comes, though obviously the end
his
whole task force to an attack on
us!
USS White Plains, and then colored among all the other carriers from projectiles
salvos straddled the
geysers began to sprout
loaded with dye to
facilitate the spotting of gunfire.
of pink, green, red, yellow,
In various shades
and purple, the splashes had a kind of
866
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
End
of an
Empire
I wouldn't say it was like a bad dream, for my mind had never experienced anything from which such a nightmare could have been spun. Neither could such dream stuff have been
horrid beauty. No,
from
recalled this
my
reading in some history book, because nothing like
had ever happened
in history.
What chance could we
didn't think we'd last fifteen minutes.
I
have
—6
slow, thin-skinned escort carriers, each
armed with only one
5-inch peashooter, against the 16-, 14-, 8-, and 5-inch broadsides of the
22 warships bearing down on us
carrier
our top speed?
at twice
were originally intended for convoy escort, airplane transport, and cover
—not even
would be
for fleet-to-fleet air strikes.
22 Jap warships
fighting
No
engagements, and these 10,000-ton CVE's
built for surface
is
The thought
air
that 6 of us
gun range had never entered
at
anyone's mind.
Bearing
down on
us at 30 knots were 4
in action for the first
(32,720
to
time
:
the
new Jap
super-battleships,
Yamato, Nagato, Kongo, and Haruna
45,000 tons), averaging eight 14- and 16-inch guns;
six-
teen to twenty 5.5-inch and eight 5-inch guns; 7 cruisers of the Nachi,
Mogami, and Tone
classes (8,850 to 12,000 tons, speed 35 knots),
averaging eight 8-inch and eight 5-inch guns and eight to twelve 24inch torpedo tubes; 11 destroyers, averaging 1,700 tons, five 4-inch guns, and four torpedo tubes.
Well, anyhow,
thought,
I
we go down,
before
we might
them
as well give
so the minute the Japs were sighted
defensive and offensive actions in quick succession.
from
my
I
took several
At 0650
northerly course and ran directly east, heading at
for a friendly
little
rain squall near by.
On
the
bearing almost into the wind, and at 0656
I
we've got
all
new
shifted
speed
we were
course,
ordered
I
full
carriers to
all
launch aircraft for torpedo and bombing strikes on the Jap
Many
fleet.
of our planes were over the beach on support missions, and
radioed
Commander Support
I
Aircraft to send these back on the
They had bombs which we could use. At 0657 I instructed my carriers to throw up
double.
from
their stacks
narily used
all
possible
and break out tanks of screening chemical ordi-
by the planes. Open to the
air,
these tanks were soon
billowing clouds of vapor over the stern. At the same time, all
smoke
I
ordered
the escorts to get on the stern of the formation and whip
up
all
smoke they could muster.
From Vice-Admiral Thomas Fleet,
I
requested
all
C. Kinkaid,
available air
commanding
and surface
the Seventh
assistance, particularly
"They Had Us on the Ropes" from two other groups
867
our carrier task force. Rear Admiral Felix
in
Stump, commanding the nearest carrier group, 30 miles to the south, responded
once with a
at
bombing and torpedo
series of
strikes that
continued during the next two hours. Planes were also thrown at the
Jap
fleet
by
under Rear Admiral Thomas L. Sprague (no
carriers
group 70 miles south of
relation of mine), operating the third
Commander Richard
USN,
L. Fowler,
murk with
the flagship's air group, roared off into the
torpedo planes, and himself scored a
Nagato. Others of his section first
hit
still
Launched
in a single
hastily
—
a division of
amidships on the battleship
Fowler and the
hit cruisers.
up by
attackers flew into a blinding flak thrown
nese force,
us.
Fargo, N. Dak., leader of
rest of the
the whole Japa-
group deployment.
singly
or in small units
—
the
Avengers and
Wildcats could seldom rendezvous in the smoke and confusion to
make co-ordinated went
in
attacks; consequently, the torpedo planes often
without benefit of bombers and strafers to clear the decks
ahead of them. Fighters ran impromptu interference whenever they could find a good ball carrier,
or,
bombs
lacking, just flew strafing
into clouds of anti-aircraft fire to chase the
the ships
from
Salvos were splashing thickly around
heading
we
east,
Jap gun crews and divert
their targets.
entered our
little
all
my
ships as, at 0713,
and
rain squall
still
in its slight shelter
finished launching aircraft. This providential rainstorm, plus the funnel
and screening smoke
enemy
laid
down by
all
seemed
ships,
to bother the
fire-control parties to an unusual degree, at times causing lulls
in the shelling.
In the squall,
because
I felt
I
some
did
thinking.
nardino Strait as I'd
like.
wanted
I
my
easterly course,
as far
from San Ber-
didn't like
I
the Japs were not being
drawn
to pull the
enemy out where
somebody could smack him, for if we were going to expend ourselves I wanted to make it count. Furthermore, I felt I should run southwest to
meet whatever help might be coming
still I
wanted
to
to
me
out of Leyte Gulf.
keep myself between the enemy
fleet
And
and our landing
operations to the southwest. It
was a hard decision
the southeast
and then
to
make, but
to the south.
—
It
at
0730
I
changed course
was hard, because
to
in so turning
—
we moved in an arc roughly semicircular and I feared the Jap commander would cut across the diameter and blast us out of the water as we emerged from our little squall. Racking my brains for some
trick to delay the kill,
I
resolved to throw
my
destroyers and
868
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
End
we emerged from
destroyer escorts at him in a torpedo attack as rainstorm.
Empire
of an
the
/-7
As we came out of the squall, I was surprised to find that the Jap commander had not moved to cut us off but had stupidly followed us around the circle. However, going now at almost twice our top speed, he closed in on us with depressing rapidity, slipping up to 25,000, then to 20,000, and soon to 15,000 yards. of his fire increased until, at
one point,
it
The volume and accuracy
did not seem that any of our
ships could survive for another five minutes.
Some
urgent counteraction was
the time for
my
little
demanded
this
was
group of seven escorts to charge our big
tor-
and
at once,
mentors. In they went, pressing their attack to close range in the most heroic fashion.
And
not a single one of these
smoke
Results were obscured in the heavy
one destroyer got a direct torpedo
hit
fleet
immense value. came within range, I ordered
was
ships
screen, but
on a
turned the battleship
tant, the escorts
little
battleship.
lost!
we know that More impor-
away momentarily and
created a diversion of
As
the Japs
the carriers to
open up
with their peashooters (the single 5-inchers with which each carrier
is
armed). As he watched the one on the USS St.-Lo plug doggedly away over the stern, an old chief was heard to mutter, "They oughta fire that thing under water we could use a little jet propulsion right
—
now."
At any and
rate, the St.-Lo, singling out a cruiser
closing, scored three hits
damaged, Chief Gunner the Navy, did his
own
S.
and started a large
G. Jenkins, a warrant
1,400 yards astern
fire.
His range finder 16 years in
officer of
spotting for the gun on the
USS
Kalinin Bay.
Even so, he made three hits, two on a cruiser and one on a destroyer. As the little 5-incher on the USS White Plains banged away, one of the battery officers sang out cheerily, "Just hold on a
boys; we're sucking them into
At ers
this point the
enemy
little
longer,
40-mm. range."
split his forces,
advancing two heavy cruis-
on our port quarter which soon moved up abeam of
us, closing
the range at will and delivering salvos from as close as 10,000 yards.
Straddles and hits were being scored
board
side, the
up a group of
Jap
OTC
cruisers
all
over our force.
(Officer in Tactical
and destroyers
Command)
On
the star-
also
in a similar tactic,
moved
and these
also closed the range to 10,000 yards. His battleships he kept in the rear, closing to at
10,000 to 15,000 yards. The Japs were now
us from three sides.
firing
"They Had Us on the Ropes" Within
this three-sided
"box,"
my
carriers
in a large
with the destroyers and destroyer escorts in a larger circle
circle,
around them.
kept this formation on a southwesterly course, squeez-
I
ing over 10 to
20 degrees
one side and then
to
which side was throwing the hottest
to
were formed
869
fire.
to the other, according
Within the rough circular
formation, the individual carrier skippers maneuvered violently, chas-
on the assumption
ing salvo splashes
somewhere the
else.
that the next salvo
two hours and a half we were under
figure they fired
would land
This was the pattern of our movements for most of
about 300 salvos,
letting
go
During
attack. at
this
time
I
2-second intervals.
Between 0800 and 0900 the whole formation was under continuous
My
fire.
splashes,
it
flagship, the
ing over. She suffered 16
decks, her officers told
crew kept the choking
mates
later,
shells created a
From
the
shambles below-
and only the heroic
in the hull; engineers
in the stench of
efforts of her
worked knee-deep
burned rubber; quartermasters steered
from the emergency wheel below,
in flooded or
the
me
The
on which they stood; and
At 0820 lost
hits.
up big holes
the ship for hours the deck
6 times.
hit
ship going. Bos'n's crews wrestled under five feet
little
of water to plug in oil,
Fanshaw Bay, was
appeared that the Kalinin Bay was getting the worst work-
all
hands risked
as fire scorched
their lives to save
burning compartments.
Gambier Bay reported being so heavily hit that she use of one engine. Her speed reduced to 14 knots, she the
dropped back rapidly
in the
formation and passed through most of
As the big enemy warships heaved abeam at yards, they 2,000 pumped twenty 8-inch shells into her unarmored hull until she sank. Swarming down the side on lines, her crew scattered over the water in life jackets and rafts, the hubbub of battle quickly passing them by. Rescue craft came out of Leyte Gulf to pick up some 700 survivors. The Japs' destroyers and cruisers on our flanks continued firing broadsides at us from 10,000 yards and I never did figure out why they didn't close to 5,000 and polish us off. Around 0840, the Japanese fire from the starboard beam was punishing us so unmercifully that something had to be done. At 0841, I ordered part of our dethe Japanese
stroyers
fleet.
and destroyer escorts
to get
between us and the cruisers to
throw up a heavier smoke screen. While they were thus protecting the carriers, the destroyers
escort
USS Hoel and USS Johnson and
USS Roberts were
fatally hit
the destroyer
and dropped back out of
All during our flight from the Jap
fleet, pilots
of
all
sight.
three air groups
870
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
were
Jap ships with everything
hitting the
the doorknobs. After the
heavy
armory
my own
—
including
task group, the
maneuvers, and cross wind made
firing, violent
me
in the
launch, from
first
Empire
of an
impossible
it
However, Admiral Stump's group recovered and launched planes without pause. Admiral Thomas Sprague also for
to land planes.
threw in
the planes he could get
all
but unfortunately his carriers
off,
were under land-based attack a good share of
on
all
ing,
these carriers
worked
Deck crews
rearming, and launching over and over again at top speed.
Avengers took
off
with torpedoes as long as they lasted.
torpedoes gave out, they went little
this time.
pressure landing planes, refuel-
at terrific
in
with
bombs
—sometimes
hundred-pounders with which we were supplied to
When
When
the
only the
bomb
shore
made dummy runs to divert the Jap ships. For two hours, without so much as a machinegun bullet to fight with, Lieutenant Commander Edward J. Huxtable, USN., glided his Avenger through the flak to make dry runs on enemy capital ships, once flying down a line of 8 enemy cruisers to divert objectives.
their course
bombs gave
the
and throw
The Wildcat
off their firing for a
would
that their strafing
up
strafe,
with the hope
personnel on the Japanese warships,
kill
weapons, and, most important, draw attention from
the struggling escort carriers. join
few precious minutes.
were given a free hand to
pilots
silence automatic
out, they
Sometimes two, or
for a strafing run. Again, a Wildcat
four, Wildcats
would
interference for an Avenger. Then, likely as not,
join
it
would
up and run
would turn out
that the
Avenger had no torpedo or bomb and was simply making
dummy
run.
When
their
ammunition gave
out, the fighters also
a
made
dry runs to turn the pursuers. Lieutenent Paul B. Garrison, of Sea-
made 20
side, Ore.,
my
After
an hour,
task group
10 of them dry.
had been under heavy surface
turned to William Morgan,
I
the remark:
To me
strafing runs,
it
"By was
golly,
I
think
we may have
a miracle that
of time only one carrier
my
under such
had suffered
about
a chance." terrific fire for that
length
Two others had And all of my six
a crippling hit.
suffered several hits and three others none at carriers, except the
fire for
chief quarter-master, with
Gambler Bay, were
able to
all.
make
their
maximum
speed.
But surface
14
fish
striking
at
0920
the Japs, having given us everything they
had
in
fire, opened up with a torpedo attack, launching from 12 to on our starboard quarter. Again they showed their timidity by
from too
far
away
— about
10,000 yards
—
so that
when
the
"They Had Us on the Ropes"
871
torpedoes reached our formation they were near the end of their
rope and, fortunately, parallel to our course. Several of our
pilots,
passing over our carriers between strikes, were quick-witted enough to strafe torpedoes
which seemed about to
hit ships,
and exploded
them At 0925, my mind was occupied with dodging torpedoes, when in the water.
several of
near the bridge
I
heard one of the signalmen
boys, they're getting I
fleet
my
retiring
.
COMMANDER AMOS stroyer
Heermann,
"God damn
it,
away!"
could not believe
was indeed
yell,
was
eyes, but .
it
looked as
if
the whole Japanese
.
T.
HATHAWAY, SKIPPER OF THE DE-
among
the
first
to
engage
the
Center
Force. His account of the destroyer phase typifies the harrowing struggle of the "small boys" against
Kurita.
We
join the
battle has opened.
famous
tin
tremendous odds imposed by
can skipper a few moments
after the
COMMANDER AMOS TOWNSEND HATHAWAY J-.7
8.
"SMALL BOYS-INTERCEPT!"
In the midst of the battle the
Heermanrts radio barked with a sharp
my
order from the admiral: "Small boys (destroyers) on
enemy
quarter, intercept an
The Destroyer Johnston and onds
later
it
cruiser I
A
I
swung past
I
on
my
starboard
port quarter."
addition,
realized she
"Expedite!"
was unable
to
The make
to execute the order independently.
destroyer can't very well intercept a cruiser without torpedoes,
and we had none, since we had used battlewagon. talk.
in
turned to obey the order. Forty sec-
was repeated, with the
Johnston was doing her best, but speed, so
coming
I
all
tried to pass this information to the admiral in double-
Other ships were doing the same. As
dent that there wasn't a torpedo
from now on would have
Smoke
still
smash a Jap
of ours earlier to
was one of our
the sea as
we broke
carriers
I
us.
listened,
became
it
evi-
Anything we could do
to be mostly bluff.
hung heavy on
the formation, but as
among
we
ripped around the rear of
out of the smoke, the
dead ahead, taking a
first
terrific
thing
I
saw
pounding. Di-
beyond her, so that only her fantail was visible, was an enemy Tone class cruiser. As we tore around to get the cruiser in the clear, I remembered that a Tone mounts eight 8-inch guns and a secondary rectly
battery of 5-inchers almost as heavy as our entire
was apt
to
Just as she switched her
872
fire
power. This
be interesting. fire to us,
we saw
three
more
cruisers of
Boys—Intercept!"
"Small the
Atago or Maya
class,
astern of her, and behind
each mounting ten 8-inch guns, in column them two other big ships we had no time to
Thus, we were opposed by a
identify.
873
and about twenty 5 -inch. Our
guns
total of thirty-eight 8-inch
entire strength
on the Heermann con-
sisted of five 5-inchers. I
had one thing
in
my
beautiful targets for our
favor: a splendid range. little
guns
Those
made
cruisers
12,000 yards; we made a
at
cult target for their big ones. Nevertheless, I
diffi-
must say for them that
they tried.
The
blast
from our number two gun was annoying, so
the fire-control platform above the pilothouse I
had a voice tube
to the pilothouse,
conn the ship more
readily.
When
as naval warfare.
I
My
I
climbed to
the action began.
this elevation I
could
were simple enough and
as old
ran straight for
on the
and from
tactics
saw a
when
splash,
I
it,
theory that they wouldn't shoot twice in the same place. This worked well
enough
until the
range; after than
The enemy
I
enemy
started firing colored salvos to get the
merely zigged and zagged.
splashes were consistently close, but not too close.
The
Then all at once a red salvo landed 1,000 The next red salvo was 100 yards closer. Thus they walked up in steady 100-yard steps until they hit us squarely. Even then, the Nips didn't have sense enough to know they'd found the range. The next salvo landed over us, and we were never hit again. A good many things happened when the salvo hit. One projectile red splashes were closest.
yards short.
struck at the water line forward, tearing a jagged hole five-feet wide
and flooding the forward magazines. neath the water. blast of heat
On
its
And
another
hit the
from the forward boiler
way,
this last shell
Two
others struck forward be-
uptake which carries a
to the stack.
plowed through a big stowage locker
packed with dried navy beans. In a millions of beans to a gooey paste.
split
The
second,
paste
hot blast of the uptake and tossed into the ter,
terrific
air.
it
reduced those
was sucked up by the Lieutenant
Bob Rut-
the paymaster, was standing on the machine-gun control platform
on the forward
The bean
side of the after stack.
paste literally buried him.
thought he had been
wiped
it
from
blinded, until
his eyes.
He
It
was hot and moist, and he
he scrambled out of the mess and
lost his taste for
beans right there.
By all rules of naval warfare, that should have ended the battle. The sea rushed into the forward part of the ship and we began to go down rapidly by the bow. The ship felt as though, racing full speed,
874
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa: ^End of an Empire
she were about to dive headfirst beneath the surface.
down by
the
head that our anchors/ were dragging
We
in the
were so
far
bow wave,
throwing torrents of water on the deck. Yet, except for our number
two gun, which had taken a piece of shrapnel, we were
still firing.
The whole ship had shuddered and pitched when the salvo Now, although she was steady except for the forward pitch of deck, a lot of thoughts raced through
my
hit.
the
mind.
The one I couldn't forget was that the ships which had slowed down that day had continued to receive more and more damage. So I decided to keep going and take a chance. Thus we raced along, firing rhythmically, wondering how long we could last. Just twelve minutes later a miracle happened: The Japs turned away. Don't ask me why. They had won the battle. Yet they quit. In midafternoon we received word they were retreating through San Bernardino
But not lifted,
sight
Strait.
of them. Just once, as though a curtain were being
the haze rose from the sea.
—
room
all
Ten
a Jap cruiser burning furiously,
of smoke,
dead
in the water.
While we were admiring
curtain closed down, but not before
headed that way
away we saw a beautiful topped by an enormous mush-
miles
we saw
her, the
a flight of our planes
to polish her off.
THE FINAL PHASE OF THE BATTLE— PURSUIT OF KURIta's
Center Force and the slaughter of Ozawa's Northern Force
—
summarized by Nimitz,
recipient of the electrifying battle dis-
We
pick up the thread after Kurita retires,
is
patches at Pearl Harbor.
reassembles his forces and steams around in circles while trying to decide upon his next move.
FLEET ADMIRAL CHESTER W. NIMITZ
AND
HONOR TO
HIGH
E. B.
POTTER
ALL
Despite his losses, he (Kurita) thought he had done a good morning's
work by heavy
two
sinking, as he supposed, three or four fleet carriers,
cruisers,
and several destroyers. Once he shaped course again
for Leyte Gulf but presently thought better of
it
and turned away. By
now, he reasoned, the transports and cargo vessels would surely have been unloaded, and with plenty of warning they must have withdrawn
from the Gulf.
On
the other hand, radio intercepts left
impression that powerful
air forces
that Third Fleet carrier groups directions.
Though
the horizon
him with
the
were assembling on Leyte and
were converging on him from
was empty, he
felt
all
surrounded. In the
circumstances Leyte Gulf might easily prove a trap instead of an
At any
opportunity. battle in the
open
rate,
he definitely preferred fighting the next
sea.
Kurita's orders, like Halsey's, gave
enemy
carrier forces
ing had
come
if
him the option
opportunity offered.
a radio report of
American
From Manila
these non-existent carriers were their most
decision little
—or
that
morn-
carriers to the northeast of
Samar. After due consideration, Kurita and his
the aid of planes
of engaging
staff
concluded that
profitable objective.
With
from Luzon, the Center Force might yet win a
at least
go down gloriously, fighting capital ships.
after 1300, as the
their final attack, Kurita
American
escort carrier aircraft
headed north
in search of
enemy
came
A
in for
carriers.
875
876
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
Not long afterward came
the
End
first
of an
Empire
of several attacks by carrier
planes coming in from the northeast/ These were from McCain's
group, which was speeding toward
Samar
in
response to Halsey's
summons. McCain's
aircraft, because they had to strike from extreme hampered by wing tanks and carried bombs instead of heavier torpedoes. They inflicted no important damage, but they did
ran^e, were
confirm Kurita in his decision to avoid Leyte Gulf.
At
Luzon made
Kurita's request, nearly every operational plane on
rendezvous with attack
force in the late afternoon for a coordinated
his
on the supposed American
carrier group. This
was the
now
support Kurita had been trying to get for two days, but
had
no trace of enemy
it,
ships
Japanese destroyers were low
was
to be found.
in fuel,
By
and Kurita and
this
and
In the circumstances Kurita
air.
his staff
headed for San Bernardino
Strait,
which
it
the Center Force
entered at 2130.
Nowake, having stopped to remove doomed Chikuma, trailed far behind the others.
One
the crew of
vessel, the destroyer
By
were
saw retirement from the
Toward dusk
only alternative.
field of battle as his
Luzon
that he
time the
exhausted after three days under attack from surface, sub-
utterly
surface,
the
sort of
time the massed power that Halsey had assembled off
this
the night before
was
split
four ways. Mitscher's forces in the
north were divided, with DuBose's cruiser-destroyer group advancing
ahead of the carrier groups to pick
off cripples
Ozawa's Northern Force. In an attempt nardino ing
Strait,
from
and the
his
futile, for
San Ber-
Halsey had further divided the Third Fleet by detach-
southbound
New
destroyers.
and stragglers from
to beat Kurita to
this
two
fastest battleships, the
together with three light cruisers
Jersey,
With
vessels his
Iowa
and eight
detachment he raced ahead, but the race was
when Halsey
arrived off the Strait a
little
after
midnight the
only ship of the Center Force that had not already passed through
was the Nowake. This lone
vessel Halsey's cruisers
quickly sank with gunfire and torpedoes.
The
and destroyers
fast battleships of the
Third Fleet had steamed 300 miles north and then 300 miles back south between the two major enemy forces without quite making contact with either.
Through the night the Japanese Center Force made
best possible
speed across the Sibuyan Sea. After dawn on the 26th through Tablas
Strait
west of Panay. Here
it
on the
far side
came under
it
passed
and shaped a southerly course
attack by planes from Bogan's and
McCain's groups, which had made rendezvous
off
Luzon. The carrier
High Honor planes sank the light cruiser Noshiro and further
heavy cruiser Kumano.
gling
877
to All
damaged
the strag-
That ended four days of attack on the
much-battered Center Force. Kurita escaped with four battleships,
two heavy
and seven destroyers
cruisers, a light cruiser,
—not
a powMacArthur
erful force for offensive action but a fleet-in-being-that
and Kinkaid would have to take seriously
into account in planning
further operations in the Philippines.
The main
conditions affecting the Battle for Leyte Gulf were the
greatly superior
power
of the United States
Navy, supplemented by a
few Allied combat vessels; the immense superiority of American support; the division of the Japanese
marine attacks on the Japanese
fleet,
air
caused by Allied sub-
supply and augmented by Japa-
oil
nese dispersion tactics; and poor radio communications and generally
inadequate exchange of information fleets.
command
fleet,
despite unified
even
less
the segments of both
forces were undoubtedly
hampered by lack
in the theater of operations;
but the Japanese
The America naval
of unified
among
command
successful than the
in the
person of Admiral Toyoda, was
Americans
in
achieving coordination
and mutual support. Out of these conditions developed the most complex and far-flung naval battle in history, a battle notable on both sides for
amphibious shipping ships ers.
—
lost opportunities.
remarkable achievements as well as for
The Japanese, without in
three battleships,
main objective of sinking the Leyte Gulf, lost 306,000 tons of combat four carriers, ten cruisers, and nine destroyattaining their
The Americans not only saved
their
amphibious shipping but also
destroyed the enemy's capacity to fight another of
37,000 tons of ships
stroyers,
—one
and a destroyer
light
escort.
and two escort
The
mum
carriers,
Battle for Leyte Gulf
an overwhelming victory for the United well as the Japanese, failed to
fleet battle, at
employ
States.
a cost
two dewas thus
Yet the Americans,
their naval
power with
as
opti-
efficiency.
Admiral Kurita, though under the most unremitting attack of any naval
commander
in
history,
fought his
way without
air
support
across the Sibuyan Sea and passed unobserved through San Ber-
nardino Strait into the Pacific. Once there however he failed to recognize or to profit
by
his opportunities.
He made
a disorderly attack
on
American escort carrier unit, became confused, lost touch with the enemy and with his own ships, took heavier losses than he inflicted, and retreated back the way he had come. Admiral Nishia small
mura, advancing ahead of schedule via Surigao
Strait to
cooperate
878
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
of an
Empire
with Kurita in Leyte Gulf, ran into an arnbush and sacrificed his force
Admiral Shima, for reasons
in vain.
considered sufficient, failed to
fie
cooperate with Nishimura, but prudently withdrew from Surigao
when he perceived that Nishimura had met with disaster. AdOzawa sacrificed his bait carriers, as he expected, but succeeded in decoying the U.S. Third Fleet away from Leyte Gulf and preserving most of his surface force as well. Though Ozawa saved Strait
miral
Kurita from annihilation, he was unable to inform his colleagues of his
own
success and of Kurita's opportunity. Another Japanese suc-
cess, limited but
ominous
for the future,
was achieved by the new
kamikaze suicide corps which on October 25 made the
first
of
many
attacks on Allied ships.
The
individual segments of the
American naval
but the Third and Seventh
brilliantly,
unconfirmed assumptions, also
fleets,
forces performed
misled by a series of
Admiral Halsey
failed to coordinate.
concentrated upon and battered the Japanese Center Force into tem-
porary retreat
in the
Sibuyan Sea; he then abandoned that target and
uncovered San Bernardino
Strait
and the American beachhead on the
assumption that the Seventh Fleet was prepared to cover the northern
approach
Admiral Oldendorf,
to Leyte Gulf.
battle of naval history,
in possibly the last line
overwhelmed the Japanese
in
Surigao Strait
with a perfect ambush and an almost flawless attack. Oldendorf could hardly have failed to win a victory, for Admiral Kinkaid had given
him nearly
all
the
surface
combat strength he had, assuming
that the
Third Fleet was covering the northern approach to Leyte Gulf. Admiral Mitscher, with his usual resolution and effective air forces,
employment
of
worried the Japanese carriers to destruction; yet elements
and Center Japanese forces were able
to escape
because Halsey carried the main American surface strength
fruitlessly
of both the Northern
north and then south through the most crucial hours of the battle, leaving inferior forces to deal with the
memorable achievement can forces
off
Samar
of the battle
that turned
enemy
in
two
areas.
was the combination
The most of
Ameri-
back the Japanese Center Force
within a few miles of Leyte Gulf. Here Admiral Clifton Sprague,
backed by Admiral Stump and Admiral Thomas Sprague, squeezed every possible advantage from wind, rain, smoke, interior position,
and
air
and surface attack
to confuse
and repulse an immensely
superior enemy. Overhead, the escort carrier planes, untrained for at-
tacking ships, performed like fast carrier aircraft at their best. surface, Clifton Sprague's
little
On
the
screening vessels, steaming boldly into
High Honor and cruiser
battleship salvos,
fire,
dodging through smoke and
opposing 14- and 16-inch
expended
shells with 5-inch
their torpedoes, provided the slender
879
to All
rain, chasing
when they had
margin that enabled
the air attack to succeed and most of the escort carriers to escape. history of the United States
of resolution, sacrifice,
Navy
records no
more
glorious
in
the
area
two hours
and success.
WITH LEYTE SECURED BY MID-NOVEMBER mained
The
through
the
following
May),
(PTs the
RE-
Navy's
next stop was Iwo Jima. Before considering this bloody campaign, let
us turn to the implacable submarine warfare being conducted
in
the
Pacific
started
—implacable
World War
II
and immensely successful. Japan had
in the Pacific boasting a
merchant
fleet
of
some 6,000,000 tons, yet slightly less than four years later all that remained in her seagoing caravans was 300,000 tons. Then there were the warship kills by American submarines: another 500,000 tons!
What
further proof of the aggressiveness and professional skill of
the unique service which virtually
wiped out the Imperial Japanese
Navy? Captain Edward L. Beach, recipient of a Navy Cross for a patrol during which his skipper received the Medal of Honor, for his
is
well
known
submarine writings. In the following excerpt, Beach describes
the dramatic encounter between the giant Japanese carrier Shinano
and the submarine Archerfish on November 28, 1944.
/-.CAPTAIN EDWARD
L.
BEACH
10.
"DOWN
The
PERISCOPE"
story of the Archerfish
1939
begins in
really
The Japanese Naval Ministry was holding
Japan.
probability of
becoming involved
in the
in
Yokosuka,
secret sessions.
The
European war was growing
greater and greater; the probability of then finding their nation pitted against the United States
Japan of a
power
was almost a
telling superiority?
in the Pacific?
How
And how
to
certainty.
How,
then, to assure
American sea
to fight that great
do away with the London Naval
Treaty, which limited Japan to an ignominious three
war
vessels allowed the
fifths
of the
United States?
There was only one answer. The treaty already had been violated
—
tear
it
up.
Start building in
earnest for the
war they know
is
coming. Secret instructions were sent to the largest shipyard in Japan. Millions of
board
feet of
wood came from
the forest reserves,
and thou-
sands of carpenters were employed to build a gigantic yard. Houses for 50,000 people were requisitioned
and
these, too,
around the fenced Navy Yard. Finally, one day issued from the
Commandant's
one leaves the Navy Yard."
By
the
summer
battleship with
war
880
of
two
office:
And
"From
were fenced
in
1940, an order was
this date
henceforth no
so was born the battleship Shinano.
1942 she was not quite
sisters
in
half finished. This super-
Yamato and Musashi, was
bigger than any
vessel ever before constructed in the history of the world. Bigger
"Down than Bismarck, the
German behemoth
times as big as Oklahoma,
Armor
Pearl Harbor.
lying
of 50,000 tons.
bottom up
881
Periscope"
in the
Almost three
mud and
plate twenty inches thick. Engines of
ooze of
200,000
horsepower. Guns throwing projectiles eighteen inches in diameter.
Then
Japanese naval
Hiryu
Midway,
at the Battle of
—
destruction. Akagi, Kaga, Soryu,
met
air force
all first-line
carriers
1942, the flower of the
in June,
—were
sunk.
The
attack on
and
Midway was
The Naval Ministry met again in secret session, and decided that completion of new aircraft carriers was paramount. So Shinano was redesigned. Some of the tremendous armor plate was removed from her side. Her huge barbettes, turrets,
turned back, a complete
failure.
and eighteen-inch guns were never saved was put into an armored four inches thick.
Under
installed,
flight
this flight
and the weight thus
deck made of hardened
deck were
built
steel
two hangar decks,
and below them another armored deck, eight inches
thick.
She was
capable of storing 100 to 150 planes, and could land them and take
them
off
simultaneously from an airfield nearly one thousand feet in
length and 130 feet in width.
But
took time, and as 1944 drew to a close, the need of
all this
the Japanese
Navy
for
its
new super
carrier
became
increasingly
acute. Finally, in November, 1944, Shinano was nearly completed. The commissioning ceremonies were held on November 18; a picture of the Emperor in an ornate gilded frame was ceremoniously delivered to the vessel, and she was turned over to her commanding officer.
Then
the bad news arrived. Japanese strategic intelligence reports
indicated that air raids on the
good
severe, with a
Tokyo
area would
seriously exposed at her fitting-out dock. that United States Forces vessel
and make a
become
increasingly
brave new ship would be
possibility that the
There was even a
possibility
would discover the existence of the huge
special effort to destroy her before she could get to
sea.
This could not be permitted. The Tokyo area was too vulnerable.
The
ship
Now
must be moved the Inland Sea
to the Inland Sea. is
the
body
of water
islands of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu.
the
Bungo and
Strait, into the
for it
It
Kii Suidos, into the Pacific,
landlocked Sea of Japan.
formed between the
has three entrances: two,
It is
and one, Shimonoseki an ideal operating base
an inferior navy which must depend upon being able to hide when
cannot
fight.
But Shinano
is
not ready to go to sea. True, she
is
structurally
882
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
of an
complete, her engines can operate, and she
Her been made
Empire
floats,
but she
is
not quite
watertight integrity has dtot' been proved. Air tests have
ready.
Many
of only a few of her hundreds of compartments.
holes through various bulkheads have not yet been plugged. Water-
doors have not been tested, and
tight
can be closed; furthermore, even if
if
it
not
is
known whether
they
knows
they can be closed, no one
they are actually watertight. Electrical wiring and piping passing
through watertight bulkheads have not had their packing glands
up and
tested.
set
Cable and pipe conduits from the main desk into the
bowels of the ship have not been sealed. The pumping and drainage system
not complete; piping
is
is
not
all
connected.
The
fire
main
cannot be used because the necessary pumps have been delivered.
Most important
of
all,
Many have
on board
the crew has been
month. They number 1,900
souls, but
never been to sea at
all,
But
it
is
1
To do
so she
They are
Kii Suido, a trip of only a few
sail
to
must pass out of Tokyo Bay,
south and west around the southeastern
will
ship.
,900 people.
decided, nonetheless, that Shinano must
waters immediately.
hundred
tip of
miles.
take.
But about
steer
half the trip risk she
Give her an escort of four destroyers, and send her
speed so that the submarines cannot catch her. absolute secrecy, so that there will be no
safer
Honshu, and enter the
be in waters accessible to United States submarines. That
must
one
and none have had any training
whatsoever on board Shinano. They do not know their not a crew. They are
for only
few have been to sea together.
Make
the
at high
move
in
possibility of an unfortunate
leak of information.
The
die
Shinano
was
set sail
with her four escorting destroyers. Sailors and work-
men crowded about late
and on the afternoon of November 28, 1944,
cast,
her decks, and the gilded frame glittered in the
afternoon sunlight on the flying bridge.
the image of the
From
within the frame,
Son of Heaven beamed happily on
this mightiest of
warships.
Thus was
set the stage for the greatest
hapless Japanese Navy. of
its
Work
catastrophe yet to befall the
for four years building the biggest ship
kind that has ever been constructed by man; put 1,900
board;
install a picture of the
Emperor on
men on
the bridge, and send her
out through a few miles of water exposed to possible operations of
American submarines. There was nothing particularly portentous about the laying of the keel of Archerfish. She displaced 1,500 tons, or one-fiftieth the ton-
"Down
883
Periscope"
nage of the huge vessel fated to be her adversary. She was only one
and her crew of eighty-two men and
third the length of Shinano,
was about one
officers
fortieth of the
complement of the Japanese Leaving
New
3,200 estimated
designed
full
ship.
London, Archerfish zigzags southward through the
center of the broad Atlantic, in waters infested by her
Do
not think that a submarine
We
are probably
is
enemy
sisters.
not afraid of other submarines.
them and more respectful of them than any other type of vessel would be. A submarine cruising on the surface is a delicious morsel. It almost always travels alone, and its only defense is its own vigilance. Zigzag all day and even at night, if the visibility
is
more
afraid of
good. Keep a sharp lookout and radar watch.
fairly
and over again, "Boys, don't
Tell yourselves over
relax.
We
are play-
ing for keeps now."
The weather becomes and Archerfish Sea.
perceptibly warmer. Finally, land
through the
slips
Mona
Here the waters are even more
sighted,
is
Passage into the Caribbean
infested with
German submarines
than are the wide reaches of the central Atlantic. Archerfish puts on full
speed and dashes across the Caribbean to Cristobal,
end of the Panama Canal. She arrives early
lantic
in the
at the
At-
morning and
proceeds immediately through the great locks, and through Gatun
Lake
submarine base
to the
Balboa on the Pacific end of the
at
Canal.
No
danger here from German subs.
for the tired crew, for they
have
No
lost the
time, either, for any rest
edge from their training and
must be brought back "on the step" again. One week available. Archerfish
is
Day and
again and again. Target convoys are provided. cises are conducted.
and
all
Rarely does the crew turn
hands are always up
at
One week
it
is
them
night exer-
in before midnight,
all
members
of the
with a good breakfast and a good dinner.
of this; then, her
fish sails across the
that
0500. Archerfish does not even stop
for lunch, but instead distributes sandwiches to
crew, making up for
all
is
issued nine practice torpedoes, and fires
broad
crew once again
Pacific,
on the
final
in fine fettle,
and longest
Archer-
leg of her
journey to Pearl Harbor. She and her crew have had a pretty steady
They have been training strenuously and incessantly for the two months with practically no rest, but they cannot be allowed
go of past
it.
to relax.
They know tough, so they
that the competition in the far western Pacific drill steadily,
is
mighty
on every maneuver of which the ship
is
884
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
of an
Empire
capable, except the actual firing of torpedoes. Archerfish cannot
torpedoes, because she
is
transporting a
full
load of "war shots."
most convenient ways of getting torpedoes
of the
fire
One
Harbor was
to Pearl
send them by submarine.
to
Finally land
is
sighted.
"We
to Archerfish,
A PC
boat signals through the early
make
good entrance
a
into Pearl;
to lead the
Below decks all ship and themselves. They intend they are proud of their ship, and
is
hands are feverishly cleaning up the to
and swings about
are your escort,"
submarine to Pearl Harbor. This
dawn
the last stop.
not willingly allow her to suffer by comparison with any other in
will
looks or efficiency. Finally Archerfish gently noses into a dock at the submarine base,
Pearl Harbor, where a small group of officers and enlisted
Admiral Lockwood, the Commander Submarines,
her.
known
(also
"Uncle Charlie"),
as
addition to his forces. With
commander,
him
is
on hand
is
await
to greet this newest
an array of talent: the squadron
commander,
the division
men
Pacific Fleet
the officer in charge of the
repair department, the submarine supply officer, a submarine medical officer,
The
an electronics enlisted
men
officer,
and a commissary
officer.
As
are evidently a working party.
Archerfish
approaches the dock, they scamper to catch the weighted heaving lines
thrown by members of her crew. Pulling
swiftly
in
on the
"heevies," they haul heavy hawsers from the deck of the submarine to the dock. Others stand by with a
submarine
finally
comes
to rest alongside the dock, bridge the
between dock and ship with
The moment
the
narrow gangway and, when the gap
it.
gangway has been placed, Admiral Lockwood,
followed by his train of experts, walks aboard to greet the skipper,
who by Asking bles,
just
the
this if
time has jumped
down from
on the bridge.
his station
there are any outstanding emergency repairs or other trou-
Uncle Charlie chats for a few moments. Like a
had a new automobile delivered
new
good-by
to him, he
is
man who
interested in
has all
wrinkles and gadgets on board. Then, bidding the skipper until lunch, to
which he has been invited
at
Uncle Charlie's
mess, the Admiral leaves the ship.
This
is
the opportunity the rest of his staff have been waiting for.
Each one of them searches out his opposite number on board and makes arrangements for necessary repairs. In addition, there are several last-minute alterations
ship can depart.
which must be accomplished before the
The workmen
—
all
Navy men
—who
are to perform
s
"Down
Periscope"
these operations are to a large extent already en route to the
By
with their tools and equipment. virtually
on the
went into
battle with the very latest
Meanwhile, the enlisted Admiral, and
this
method
fighting front, so to speak,
and
finest
making
of
dock
alterations
our submarines always equipment.
men who had come on
who had handled
885
lines for the ship,
the
dock with the
have not been
idle.
Three or four bulging mail sacks, a crate of oranges, a box of nice red apples, and a five-gallon can of ice cream were brought down with
them on a handcart. These they now passed over the gangway to the eagerly awaiting crew of Archerfish. On December 23, 1943, while Shinano was still building, Archerfish departed Pearl Harbor on her first war patrol. Too bad she could not have stayed for Christmas, but orders mus be obeyed, and operations seldom take notice of such things. Besides, her crew had
been brought up to the fever pitch of enthusiasm. Christmas or no, she was eager to be on her way.
On
January
Formosa.
8,
1944, Archerfish entered hex assigned area, near
any of her crew expected even
If
this
final
lap of her
13,000-mile voyage to war to be a rest cure, they must have been disappointed, for every day of this two-week period drill.
Practice
To some
makes
is
cannot attack ships which do not
for
if
devil's
own
you run too close
effective periscope height
On
a
weapon
of opportunity.
You
arrive. If the seas are too rough,
time keeping an efficient periscope watch, to the surface in order to increase
and see over the wave
danger of "broaching"; that
wave
utilized for
perfect.
extent a submarine
you havt the
was
is,
tops,
your
you stand grave
surfacing involuntarily as a result of
action.
her
first
patrol Archerfish
and her disgusted crew fought heavy
weather for two solid weeks, but
finally
she reported radar contact
with four large and five smaller ships heading in the general direction of Formosa.
The
leading ship was attacked and sunk and Archerfish'
patrol report stated,
"We had
celebrated the
first
anniversary of our
keel laying in right smart fashion."
Months passed, and she was a veteran. The vast Pacific was her playground and her no man's land. Then, as Joe Enright, her skipper, recorded in the fifth war patrol report of Archerfish, on November 28, 1944, she was patrolling submerged to the south and west of the western entrance to Sagami Nada, or outer Tokyo Bay. No ships had been sighted. No contacts of any kind (except fishing boats) had
886
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
been made thus far
in the patrol,
of an
Empire
which had begun twenty-nine days
w*
before.
At 1718 she
surfaced, the visibility having decreased to such an
was
extent that surface patrolling
feasible
and
desirable.
With no
premonition of the events which were to give him an enviable place in
Commanding
our naval history, the
Officer ordered the regular rou-
tine of nighttime functions.
A
lished the instant the ship
broke water.
battery charge
radar watch had of course been estab-
Two
and one engine on propulsion
engines were put on at leisurely speed.
Air
compressors were started, and garbage was assembled, ready to be
thrown over the side
in
The crew
burlap sacks.
routine of alert watchfulness which
down
to the
a concomitant part of night
is
enemy
surface submarine operations in
settled
waters.
At 2048 Fate finally uncovered her hand and brought together the characters she had been coaching for so long. Four years for Shinano and almost two years for Archerfish time means little to the gods. How she must have sat back in her big, soft, easy chair, and chuckled. Having brought the two major characters of her play together, now she would leave it up to them, and see what would
—
happen.
"Radar contact!" These words never ipation to the submariner.
speed which the to
first
be making, there
From
fail to
bring a shiver of antic-
the size of the pip, the range, and the
few hasty moments of plotting show
is
no doubt whatever
crew of Archerfish that she
is
really
on
in the
this target
minds of any of the
to something big.
The word
passes almost instantaneously throughout the ship, "Something big
and
fast!"
With the ease and sureness of long manned.
On
the
first
word
practice, tracking stations are
of radar contact, the Officer of the
had turned the bow of Archerfish
directly
Deck
toward the contact, and
had stopped. This gave the plotting party an immediate indication of the direction of target movement. As soon as this had been determined, Archerfish roared
off in
hot pursuit, not directly at the target,
but on such a course that she might have an opportunity of getting
ahead of him. The main engine the auxiliary engine, and
all
still
on battery charge was replaced by
four great nine-cylinder Diesel engines
were placed on propulsion. Within minutes Archerfish was pounding along at
full
after the initial contact,
speed. 18 knots, throwing a
cloud of spray and spume from her sharp knifelike ried across the sea.
bow
as she hur-
"Down This
is
where the long, monotonous labor of patrol
and tracking the target
fruit. Plotting
is
887
Periscope"
bear
starts to
no simple matter. Every
minute a range and bearing; every minute the sing-song "Standby, standby, mark!" Every minute plotting parties plot the ship's course
and
its
from that point,
position at the instant of the "mark"; then,
they draw range and bearing, and thus locate the position of the
enemy
ship at the
same
instant.
Your own
ship twists
and turns
in the
dual effort to gain firing position and to keep range to the target so
on
that he will not sight her or get radar contact
enough so that her radar his is
much
will
have no
difficulty in
her, but
keep close
keeping contact on
larger bulk. After a few minutes of chase, the target's course
determined to be roughly 210. The target's speed
zigzagging,
and by the
size
and strength of
and mighty important. Radar
is
20 knots; he
his radar pip
is
is
mighty big
also indicates four smaller vessels:
one
ahead, one on either beam, and one astern.
Joe Enright
is
climbing
the bridge to be sure
idea of what
it is
all is
all
over his ship like a monkey. First up to
under control, then down to Plot to get an
doing. Next, a quick look at the radar scope for a
personal evaluation of what the operators have on there; then a quick
look at the
TDC;
then back to the bridge.
Then
the whole thing over
again.
The
well-drilled
problem
like
crew are responding beautifully and solving the
clockwork, but
all
the information collected by his attack
party must be transmitted to the Captain.
mind; he must collect
all
It
must be weighed
suddenly assume tremendous proportions. In no type of vessel
Commanding
in his
the tiny details, any one of which might is
the
Officer so personally responsible for the actual handling
of his ship as in a submarine.
What is the state of moon and sea? It is better to attack with the moon silhouetting the targets instead of the submarine. But torpedoes run better if fired down the hollow of the waves rather than across them. The two considerations must be evaluated; the best decision reached. officers
Not content with
the
mere reports of progress from junior
and crewmen working below, the Captain has
to be personally
sure that they are not making mistakes. In his climbing up and
from control room
to
conning tower to bridge,
protect his night vision, as
blinded on the bridge
when
it
would not do
the crucial
it is
to
necessary that he
have him
moment comes.
below-deck control compartments are blacked out.
lowed except the dim red glow of plotting party
down
No
lights
partially
Therefore,
all
lights are al-
and the orange
888
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
and green
of an
Empire
lights of the radar. All is silent in the control party,
except
the hushed reports which are continually going back and forth.
Archerfish call
logging only 18 knots. This will not be sufficient.
is
down from
goes
the bridge: "Maneuvering,
make
The
the speed
all
you can! All ahead flank!" Watching
their
dials
the
carefully,
mates
electrician's
maneuvering room slowly increase the rheostat
in
the
and the
settings,
thrashing propellers increased their speed another 20 r.p.m.
The
now a little more than 18% knots. Again word from the bridge, "Control, give her a five-minute blow!
pitometer log registers
Blow
Blow
safety!
negative!"
pressure air-blowing
pump
pressure
volume of
air
pump
used
is
fill
The scream and
grind of the low-
the interior of the ship. This low-
when
in the latter stages of surfacing
water. In this case, the intention
is
to
blow out what residual amounts
of water might remain or have leaked back
in, in
order to speed up
the ship. Negative tank and safety tank are always kept in
full
order to carry out their designed purposes. Negative tank
that
when
it
is
full,
if
she should need
two tanks carry approximately
Emptying them, while
it
thirty-six
is
will sink.
used to give Altogether,
it.
tons of sea water.
amount
of weight she
had
around with her and hence increases her speed.
to drag
in spite of these
measures, Archerfish' s speed quivers around
19 knots or possibly a shade more.
Still
A
not enough.
from the bridge comes the order: "Maneuvering, give her got!
so built
decreases the safety factor with which the
ship ordinarily operates, also decreases the
But
is
buoyancy and
dives faster. Safety tank, on the other hand,
the ship quick, positive buoyancy, these
of water
the submarine properly compensated, and the
ballast tanks flooded, the sub has negative
Thus she
a large
required to complete emptying the ballast tanks of
is
To
hell
with the volts and amps!
tures, but give
me more
—
the
all
you've
Watch your motor tempera-
speed!" Shaking their heads
to their training and upbringing
third time
electrician's
—
this is foreign
mates carefully
manipulate their rheostats once more. By means of the engine remotecontrol governor linkage, the r.p.m. of the four huge
engines have already been
increased to the
main
maximum, and
diesel
they are
racing just as fast as they possibly can. Doubtfully the generators are
loaded a
bit
more, and the amperes flowing to the four straining
motors increase a
trifle.
The
propellers increase their speed by an-
other five or six r.p.m. Archerfish has done
pitometer log dial
now
indicates
19%
knots.
all
she can, and the
"Down At about
approximately one hour after the
this point,
tact, the patrol
report states,
aircraft carrier!
From
"Saw
here on
the target for the
was a mad race
it
889
Periscope" initial
first
con-
time, an
to reach a firing
position." It is
every submarine skipper's dream to find himself in hot pursuit
of such a of
all!
—an
Archerfish, the huntress.
aircraft carrier!
Can
she bring this
game monster down in
The
biggest
own environment?
his
The skipper at
The jackpot
target.
over the ship again, and
is all
frequent intervals.
neer
He
calls for
Lieutenant
Rom
Cousins, the engi-
sends him back into the engineering spaces with instruc-
officer,
tions to squeeze out every possible extra turn
He
the control stations
visits
on the laboring screws.
sends
Dave Bunting
to be sure that all last-minute adjustments are
made on
his torpedoes.
There might even be time
all
When you
fish.
your neck
stick
hopes of getting a shot
in the
mouth
to pull
and check
of the dragon in
him, you want that shot to be good.
at
The Communication Officer comes in for his share of attention. Joe Enright jots down a message on a piece of paper and hands it to him. Gordon Crosby disappears into the radio room, codes the message,
and then stands watch on the radioman as he transmits: "NPM Radio Pearl from ArcherK NPM V K
V W3TU— fish, I
.
.
W3TU—
.
have an urgent message.
.
.
.
.
.
Radio Pearl from Archerfish,
.
I
have an urgent message." Straining their ears, the radiomen listen to the welter of dots and
dashes it,
and
filling it
is
Radio Pearl
the ether.
is
busy; a lot of ships are calling
receiving a steady stream of messages. Archerfish must
wait her turn.
The answer from
NPM
says, Archerfish,
from Radio
Pearl, Wait.
But
this
won't do.
"NPM V W3TU
Archerfish, this message
is
000K.
really urgent!"
.
.
.
Radio Pearl from
There must be some means
whereby a ship with an excessively important message can demand and receive immediate attention. Only in this way can any semblance of
communication and traffic discipline be maintained. Radio Pearl comes back immediately with a procedure
Archerfish.
"Go
ahead,
we
sign to
are ready."
FROM ARCHERFISH TO COMSUBPAC AND ALL
SUB-
MARINES IN EMPIRE AREAS AM PURSUING LARGE AIRCRAFT CARRIER FOUR DESTROYERS POSITION LAT 3230 N LONG 13745 E, BASE COURSE 240, SPEED 20.
NPM
answers simply and very
specifically,
"R," which means,
890
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
"Received,
I
assume
End
Empire
of an
forward
responsibility, ,wijl
message to
this
proper authority/'
By this time it is early morning at Pearl Harbor, but Admiral Lockwood has left orders with the duty officer to call him no matter where he may be, upon receipt of such a message. He hurries down to the office with his Operations Officer.
submarines latches on to
often that one of his
It isn't
a prize of this kind.
Together, with the large
Empire before them, they
wall chart of the Japanese
lay plans to
insure the destruction of Archerfish's target. In less than an hour
messages pour forth from Radio Pearl. The position, course, and speed of Shinano are given. All submarines which might be in a position to intercept her are ordered to proceed to various strategic
points and there to
lie
in wait.
Then
a further message to Archerfish:
KEEP AFTER HIM JOE YOUR PICTURE The
levity in this dispatch is not misplaced.
boys, and his boys
On
The
carrier
more than 19 or If
ON THE
PIANO.
Uncle Charlie knows
his
know him.
and on, on and on,
her quarry.
IS
is
straining every nerve, Archerfish pursues
tracked at 20 knots. Archerfish can do no
possibly a shade better. But the carrier
is
zigzagging.
Archerfish can detect his base course and parallel that, disregarding
may be
the zigs, she
speeds. But this target
able to overtake
tricky, too,
is
him
in spite of the disparity in
because on a zig toward Archerfish the
group might approach close enough for one of the flank escorts
away might lead
to sight the laboring submarine. Conversely, a zig
them out
of radar range, where a course change
wrong
Archerfish's pursuing in the blindly charge ahead, but
direction.
must conform
she cannot lose him, nor can she
let
to
him
would
result in
So Archerfish cannot
maneuvers of the
target;
With these
get too close.
move which might tend
to increase the
distance she must run, Archerfish doggedly sets about
making an end
considerations, resisting every
around. Theoretically, than you are.
One hour
It is
possible to get around a target going faster
possible, but mighty
damn hard
to do!
before midnight the target group zigs toward, not enough
to give Archerfish sufficiently
it is
an opportunity to dive and attack on
near the submarine
— 6000
yards.
Determined
to
but
take every con-
ceivable, practicable chance to avoid being forced to
maturely, the skipper orders
Lieutenant
this leg,
so that one of the flanking escorts approaches perilously
(j.g.)
all
submerge pre-
bridge personnel below, except for
John Andrews, the Officer of the Deck.
If
Archer-
"Down fish receives gunfire
Andrews up
on the bridge, there
will
891
Periscope"
be only himself and
there to worry about.
But the escort ignores the submarine, and Joe Enright
calls his
lookouts back to the bridge.
makes another big zig, to the west. Archerfish had expected that he was probably headed for somewhere in the Pacific, and therefore had chosen the left or southern flank of the convoy to trail from. A change of base course in the most probaAt midnight
the carrier force
ble direction, to the south, she
hoped would drop the whole
The
her hands. But such was not to be.
submarine even further out
outfit into
zig to the west puts the
in right field, but
doggedly she digs in and
continues the chase.
For two and a the
left
half hours the pursuit goes on.
Racing
to crawl
flank of the task group, Archerfish finds that her top speed
allowing her to pull ahead. But there
just barely
chance of attaining a
is
up is
obviously no
before dawn. Regretfully, the
firing position
skipper composes another message.
URGENT— FOR COMSUBPAC AND SUBS IN AREA X TARGET COURSE 275 SPEED 20 X AM TRAILING LEFT FLANK X DO NOT EXPECT TO REACH FIRING POSITION BY DAWN X CONTINUING CHASE. The answer is prompt. ARCHERFISH FROM COMSUBPAC X KEEP AFTER HIM JOE X ALL SUBMARINES IN THE FORCE ARE PULLING FOR YOU AND ARE BACKING YOU UP. They
are keeping a sleepless vigil at the operations office of
SubPac,
fortified
ing message
For
at
by much coffee and Coca-Cola. But
their
Com-
encourag-
never received by Archerfish.
is
0300
the sands run out for Shinano. Base course
again, this time to nearly finds herself almost
is
changed
due south, and incredulously Archerfish
dead ahead of the
target.
Fate picks up her dice
and stows them away. "Right
full
to port as she
Ah-oooh
—
The submarine changes course rapidly, heeling At last Archerfish heads for the enemy. oooh-gah! The diving alarm seems more gah! Ah rudder!"
does
so.
—
piercing than usual. "Dive! Dive!" "Flood negative! Flood safety!" "Battle stations submerged!" their battle stations, but
"Hatch secured,
sir!"
"Shut the induction!"
"Green board,
sir!"
A
few
men dash
most are already
there.
through the ship to
892 "Bleed the
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
bow
planes!"
"Blow negative!" "All ahead one
man
each
1 1
"Up
,700 yards, closing
The
periscope!"
on
well. Squatting
handles the
moment
slips
range as the antenna goes under
final
fast.
hums out
long, shiny tube
haunches before
his
third!" "Fifty-five
does his job, and Archerfish smoothly
beneath the waves. Radar gets a water:
down bubble!" "Easy on
air in the boat!" "Eight degrees
feet!" Expertly
Empire
of an
of the periscope
hands poised to catch the
it,
they emerge, Enright resembles an ageless de-
votee of some obscure occult religion. Perspiration stands out unno-
on
ticed
his forehead,
would say he see the
his face
and
in a trance,
is
he
in a trance
is,
mind already
it
comes
them with both hands,
closer
—and
closer.
.
appear.
.
.
Capturing and unfolding
the skipper applies his right eye to the eyepiece
swiftly rises with the periscope to a standing position.
become so accustomed
to this
procedure that he
scious that he has performed quite a neat
and has stopped
He
stunt
—
for
has
uncon-
from the
rising
it,
has risen to a standing position with
smoothly as the eyepiece reached
its
it,
upper
slowly rotates the periscope from side to side, searching
through the
faint pre -dawn light.
"Down periscope! on the TDC?" Since
little
He
entirely
is
the periscope eyepiece appeared out of the periscope well he
has been looking through
limit.
enemy
are on the surface of the ocean, watching the
Finally the periscope handles
moment
do not
for his eyes
crowded darkened conning tower around him. His eyes and
task group as
and
You
immobile, his eyes staring.
is
it still
lacks
Target not yet
in sight.
more than an hour
and control room are
still
darkened
in
until
What range do you have dawn, the conning tower
order to
make
it
possible to see
through the periscope. The radar has been secured, and only the faint red glow of the
TDC
dial lights, the
torpedo ready
Dave Bunting
lights,
and the
TDC
sound gear
dial lights are permitted.
range
"Range, eight oh double oh, Captain. Bearing two nine
dial.
consults the
five."
"Up periscope! Put me on two nine five!" The Captain snaps the command to his exec, "Bobo" Bobczynski, now functioning as Assistant Approach Officer. As the periscope comes up, the latter places his
hands beside the Captain's on the handles and swings the 'scope
until the etched hairline stands at 295.
The skipper looks long and
hard, and infinitesimally rotates the periscope from one side to the other.
"Down Throughout the ship the men are waiting unspoken questions: "Have we dived really outguessed
893
Periscope"
for the
answer to
in the right place?"
their
"Have we
him?" "Does the Captain see the target?"
a low voice which hardly expresses conviction,
Finally, in
which certainly
from showing the
far
is
relief
he
feels,
and
the Captain
speaks. "I see him."
The word flies through the ship. Men look at one another and some a little shakily, but most, a tight-lipped grin of relief and
smile, pride.
"We have him
The Captain's
Down
No
'scope!
in the periscope!"
now comes
voice
a
little
stronger. "Bearing
—mark!
range yet!"
"Two nine five," Bobo sings out the bearing. Bunting checks his TDC. Down below in the control room, Plot gets the bearing, plots it. There has been a temporary for the final effort, but
over now.
it is
"Up periscope! Bearing "Two nine six!" "Range
hiatus, while the ship pulls itself together
— mark!"
—mark! Down periscope!"
"Six five double oh!"
"Angle on the bow. Starboard Things are
now. At 20 knots the target
really clicking
the distance between himself
few seconds. as
It is
degrees!"
five
and Archerfish
in nine
will travel
minutes and a
time to maneuver to gain a favorable firing position
he goes by.
"What's the distance to the track?" The Captain can't be bothered with doing this calculation himself.
Bobo does it for him by trigonometry, multiplying the sine of the bow by the range. He has what amounts to a slide rule to make the computation, and the answer is almost instantaneous. "Five angle on the
five
oh yards!"
Much
too close!
projected track. At
minutes she
will
The submarine
minimum
headed toward the
target's
submerged speed of 2 knots,
in nine
is
also
have traveled 600 yards, and
will
be almost directly
beneath the target as he goes by. These thoughts and computations flash across
Joe Enright's mind in a
split
order to mitigate the situation. "Left nine zero!"
By
turning her
full
second, even as he gives the rudder! Left to course zero
bow more toward
torpedoes a
the target, Archerfish
sooner, thus catching Shinano
will
be enabled to
at a
reasonable range; also, she will not close the track so quickly.
fire
All this time Shinano
is
little
pounding on to
his
doom. As soon
as
894
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
Archerfish steadies on the
new
End
course, her periscope rises above the
waves once more, remains a moment*,'
and angle on the bow are fed
ing,
per's
mind
is
Empire
of an
"then disappears.
TDC
into the
and
Range, bear-
plot.
Her
skip-
functioning like lightning. There are three things which
Shinano may do: Continue on
present course, which will put
his
Archerfish in the least favorable firing position, necessitating a sharp track shot ahead of time. Or, zig to his right, causing the submarine to shoot
him with
30 degrees
to his
stern tubes.
bow
broadside shot from the
"How much
"He'll be here in
tubes.
The periscope
go up.
two minutes!"
fed into
own
left!
dials whirl as the
new
out of the well. "Zig away, to his
rises
Angle on the bow starboard is
a zig of about
time?" rasps the skipper, motioning with his thumbs
for the periscope to
information
Most favorable would be
which would leave him wide open for a square
left,
TDC
The
thirty!"
it.
—mark!" "Range — mark!" "Bearing
"Three four eight!"
"Two oh
double oh!"
making a quick scan of the
Swiftly the Captain spins the periscope, situation
all
around. Suddenly he stops, returns to a bearing broad on
beam.
the port
"Down
'scope! Escort passing overhead!"
The periscope streaks down. For of a new noise, a drumming noise
the
—
With
first
time they are conscious
propeller beats
—coming
closer.
a roar like that of an express train, the high-speed destroyer
screws sweep overhead.
"This
is
a shooting observation!
sciously, the Captain's voice has
the
moment
they have worked for
Are
the torpedoes ready?"
become clipped and all
night.
He must
"Shooting observation. All tubes are ready, feet.
We
Range one
are
The
all
five
double oh, angle on
ready to shoot,
cool,
A
is
fail!
depth
set fifteen
starboard eight
Sigmund Bobczynski Captain. There is no wavering, no lack
five.
surprises
of confi-
quick look of affectionate understanding passes be-
tween these two who have traveled so
far
and worked so long
gether.
"Up
sharp. This
sir!"
self-possessed voice of
both himself and the
dence here.
bow
sir,
not
Uncon-
perisocope! Looks perfect! Bearing
—mark!"
to-
"Down
895
Periscope"
"Zero zero one!"
"Set!"— from
And the
TDC
the
then that
word, the word they have been leading up
final
word they have
officer.
all
to,
studiously avoided pronouncing until now,
"Fire!"
At eight-second
torpedoes race toward their huge
six
intervals,
Mesmerized, the skipper of Archerfish stands
target.
watching for the success or failure of less
seconds after
firing,
his
at his
periscope
approach. Forty-seven end-
the culmination of Archerfish' s efforts
is
achieved.
"Whang!" then
But there
fore his eyes!
who
stroyer
just
"Whang!" Two
eight seconds later, isn't
hits right be-
time to play the spectator. That de-
passed overhead will be coming back, and the
trail-
ing escort will surely join the party in short order.
A and
quick look astern of the carrier. Sure enough, here he comes, than
less
five
Negative tank
hundred yards away. "Take her down!" is
flooded and the planes put at
full dive.
Over
the
rush of water into and air out of negative tank, four more solid, beautiful hits are heard.
The next
thing on the docket after a torpedo attack
depth charge attack, and glorious experience, spirits of these
prise that the
it
this case
The
usually a
proves no exception. But after their
will take a lot of
submariners.
is
depth charges to dampen the
patrol report actually indicates sur-
depth charging was not more severe, and merely
states,
"Started receiving a total of fourteen depth charges," and a later,
little
"Last depth charge. The hissing, sputtering, and sinking noises
continued."
And what
of Shinano
take in her report.
Her
all this
time? Archerfish
lieved, and, as a matter of strict truth,
had
its
tion of
made but one mis-
target did not sink immedately, as she beit
would not have sunk
at all
crew possessed even a fraction of the training and indoctrinaits
adversary. After
survive twenty or
by her crew, and
all,
Shinano was theoretically designed to
more torpedoes. if
If
she had been properly handled
she had been properly built, she could have
made
port in spite of Archerfish' s six torpedoes.
But water poured from damaged compartments into undamaged ones via watertight doors which had no gaskets; through cable and pipe conduits not properly sealed off and stuffing tubes not packed.
The Japanese
engineers attempted to start the
pumps
— and
they had not yet been installed, the piping not even completed.
found
They
896
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
of an
Empire
searched for the hand pumps, but the ship had not yet received her full
allowance of gear, and only a few ;Were on board. In desperation,
a bucket brigade was started, but the attempt was hopeless.
huge holes all efforts
And
to
up
six
cope with them.
then her organization and discipline
away from
The
and the innumerable internal leaks defied
in Shinano's side
failed.
The men
The
trying to get part of the drainage system running.
rushed about giving furious orders stead, fatalistically,
drifted
and twos. The engineers gave
the bucket brigade by ones
—but
officers
no one obeyed them. In-
most of the crew gathered on the
flight
deck
in
hopes of being rescued by one of the four destroyers milling around their stricken charge. Faint, pathetic hope.
Four hours lost all
after she
had received her mortal wound, Shinano had
power, and was nothing but a beaten, hopeless, disorganized
hulk, listing to starboard
the
wind and the
The Emperor,
more
heavily every
moment,
There was only one thing
sea.
in his gilded
left to
a plaything of
do.
frame, was removed from the bridge
and, after being thoroughly wrapped, transferred by line to a de-
Then the work of abandoning ship began. before 00 on the morning of November 29 Shinano
stroyer alongside.
Shortly
1
1
capsized to starboard, rolling her broad ing her
enormous
at the stern.
deck under and expos-
flight
glistening fat belly, with
For several minutes she hung
four bronze propellers
its
there, lurching unevenly in
the moderately rough sea.
Here and there the
figures of several
the sea with the others stood
upon
men who had
not leaped into
the steel plates, silhouetted against
sea and sky. Evidently they had climbed around the side and the turn of the bilge as the ship rolled over.
abandoning the
ship, they
Whatever
their reasons for not
were now doomed, for none of the four
holding the wake dared approach closely enough to
destroyers
still
take them
off.
take them
down
And with
the suction of the sinking vessel
was
certain to
it.
Slowly the massive rudders and propellers started to dip under the seas splashing
nicated bly,
up toward them.
itself to
A
trembling and a groaning
the whole giant fabric,
and
it
began
to
commu-
sway noticea-
swinging the afterparts and the foreparts under alternately. Each
time an end dipped, the sea gained a
little,
and the trembling and
groaning increased. Finally, during
one swoop, the stern
failed to reappear. Startlingly
and suddenly, the bow rose partly out of water, displaying a
single
"Down eye formed by one gigantic hawsepipe, as
if
Shinano desired a
look at the world she was about to leave. Swiftly then she stern
first,
and the
last
897
Periscope"
slid
final
under,
thing seen was the broad bulbous bow, like the
forehead of some huge prehistoric
Moby
Dick, accompanied by the
blowing, bubbling, and whistling of air escaping under water.
For several minutes there was considerable turbulence and bubbling to
mark her
grave, but Shinano
was gone from the ken
of
men. She had known the open sea for
less
than twenty hours.
FOR MACARTHUR THE NEXT LEG-UP AFTER LEYTE WAS Mindoro, three hundred miles capture of Luzon.
Army
forces
to the north, in preparation for the
went ashore there December 15 while
Luzon smothered under round-theclock strikes. On December 17, low on fuel, Halsey retired to the east in bad weather. He was still there the following morning when a
the Third Fleet kept the airfields of
monstrous typhoon developed and severely battered
his fleet.
destroyers capsized, seven other ships were damaged, eight
hundred men were
The
story of this
and nearly
lost.
most
by Hanson W. Baldwin,
Three
costly debacle since
whom we
have met.
Savo
is
eloquently told
HANSON W. BALDWIN
'-.7
II.
TYPHOON
The
destroyers
—
the
empty maws from
ships that dance in any sea, the ships with
little
their days of high-speed steaming
the tankers and the battleships in the morning.
have none of
mad
it;
this is a
little
alongside will
job for super-seamen. There's nothing but a
swatch of white water between
hungry
—come
But the ocean
oilers
and
"tin cans"
as the
ships try to gulp their food through hoses leading from
the oilers' tanks.
Some
get
aboard hundred of gallons before the
break and the ships swing wildly apart, but most part
lines
line after line as
boatswains curse and the water boils aboard the well decks and the steel plates
run with
oil.
Destroyer Hull, a
from the
lips of all the fleet,
ASW
name soon
to be
on the
(anti-submarine warfare) group
of a fueling unit, puts forty bags of mail aboard battleship South
Dakota with "much fleet is
difficulty,"
undelivered; the sea
"1107. Spence alongside
is
but mail for thirty other ships of the
wild.
New
Jersey, starboard side, to fuel.
1128. Both ford and after hoses to Spence parted/' U.S.S. chair to
Buchanan
CVE-18
San Jacinto,
—
tries to transfer pilots
escort carrier
light carrier, gets
Monongahela before
Altamaha
by a swaying boatswain's
— but
the sea's too rough.
aboard 172,000 gallons from tanker
the log noted at
1331
"discontinued fueling
because of adverse weather."
Wind bility
898
—
—Force 26 Barometer, 29.74. Temperature, —Force
5 miles. Sea
knots.
4.
82. Visi-
899
Typhoon Com. Third
In early afternoon
Fleet orders fueling suspended, sets
course to northwest, then later to southwest to escape storm center not clearly located.
The barometer
drops, the winds
moan;
there's the
uneasy leaden feeling of a hand across the heavens, but the Third Fleet steams
on
in cruising
AA
"big boys," the
guns
searching, searching.
.
.
formation
the destroyers screening the
the sonars "pinging," the radars
alert,
.
.
.
.
Monday, December 18 Third the compulsion of
—
combat
moves through troubled waters,
Fleet
dictating
its
movements. But the storm,
with the catholic impartiality of Nature, sweeps across the war, puts in
puny framework
Man. The
the efforts of
night
the destroyers the sideboards are around the
is
haggard; aboard
wardroom
tables, the
sleepers are braced in their bunks, but the sharp motion
aroused ocean shakes and pounds the ships, makes sleep despairing. Barometers drop steadily, rain squalls
spume reduce
The
impossible.
station-keeping
visibility;
make
seas
is
of
the
fitful
and
and flung spray and
difficult
—
at
times almost
up; the winds beat and buffet; the
fleet is
battened down.
"But no estimates of the storm center were until
dawn
daddy of
all
and
oilers,
did Third Fleet realize
And
typhoons.
units of
and
main body, are
east of the
of the approaching typhoon. Fleet course
degrees
0400
—due south—but
to
it is
too
late;
agreement"; and not
— —somewhat
Task Group 30.8
and escort
their .escorting destroyers
to the north
in
lay in the path of the grand-
it
carriers
the fleet
directly athwart the "eye" is
ordered changed to 180
the fury
is
upon them.
0800 The Morning Watch
Nantahala (Oiler)
—
".
.
.
this ship pitching
Altamaha (Escort Carrier)
—
".
.
.
deeply and heavily."
heavy weather making station-
keeping only approximate."
Aboard Dewey,
DD
(destroyer)
349, the officer-of-the-deck re-
ports to the captain that the barometer has dropped seven points be-
tween 7 and 8 a.m. Seas are so it
"impossible,"
when
fleet
violent,
course
is
winds so strong, Dewey finds
changed, to countermarch to new
station.
Morning
fuel reports
from many of the destroyers are ominous. All
were low the day before; some had de-ballasted (pumped
salt
water
out of their tanks) to prepare to refuel. They are riding light and high; stability
is
reduced.
And
their
crews know that topside weight
has been greatly increased since commissioning by
more
AA
guns,
900 fire
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
End
Empire
of an
control gear, and radar. Yernall reports
20 per cent of
fuel re-
maining; Wedderburn, 15 per cent; Mnrfdox, Hickox and Spence 10 to 15 per cent.
0800
to
1200 The Forenoon Watch
The forenoon watch opens,
words of an old seagoing term,
in the
"with hell to pay and no pitch hot."
The moaning nies, roars
violence of the wind
and shudders, beats and
is
diabolic; the ships are laboring deeply rigidly
terrible;
clutches.
—
shrieks and whin-
it
The
laid over
sea
convulsed,
is
by the wind, rolling
through tremendous arcs with sharp violent jerks, pounding
and pitching, buried deep beneath tons of water, streaming foam and
blown with the
gusts, spindrift visiblity.
Third Fleet
heavily
rising
from gunnels and hawse pipes. Violent rain
salt
sting of hail, a rack of scud blot out
on the
scattered; few ships see others; only
is
radar scopes do the pips of light loom up to show in wild confusion
Man's panoply of power.
The deeply-laden roll
oilers, the
heavy battleships, the larger
and plunge deeply and work
violently
but not
through the towering seas, but for the escort carriers, the riers
and the destroyers, the struggle
man
Nature, not the Japanese; no
the full fury of such a howling,
is
to live; the
in all the fleet
be; a few ships
—
light car-
war now
is
against
felt
before
had ever
demonic wind. Some of the
the "dangerous semicircle" of the typhoon
the center, where the funnel of
fleet is in
where no seaman ought
through rocked and tossed
fringes of the terrible vortex, but at least
carriers,
dangerously
like chips
one task unit
— is
to
on the
are
directly in
wind and the boiling ocean leap
to
climax.
Ship after ship
falls
away
into the terrible troughs
and
will not
answer her helm.
At 0820 trol; at
the destroyer
0825
the
SG
Dewey
—DD349 —
loses bridge steering con-
radar, short-circuited by the flying scud,
is
out of
operation.
At 0845 escort carrier Altamaha records in her deck log: "Mobile crane on hangar deck tore loose from moorings and damaged three aircraft," and, a few minutes later: "Wind and sea approaching hurricane violence. Ship laboring heavily and rolling violently as
much
as
twenty-five to thirty degrees on either side."
The barometer drops before; the
Aboard
wind
is
U.S.S.
as
no seaman there had ever seen
it
fall
up.
Cowpens, an F6F5
airplane, triple-lashed
on the
Typhoon deck, breaks loose on a 45 -degree
flight
catwalk, starting a
Men
fire.
fight
roll,
and smashes
into the
wind howls and the
as the
it,
901
roll
indicator registers 45 degrees with the small bubble of the ship's
Men
inclinometer (roll indicator) "two-blocked and off the scale." fight
it,
as a bomb-handling truck breaks
smashes the belly tank of a green water rips open
—
can opener
Men
the port side of the hangar deck.
one of
its
Men
fight
roots the forward port
fight
was the sea which falls into
As
its
fling
motor whaleboat
is
it
into
carried
maga-
their battens in the
it is
started
it;
deck into the
off the flight
the sea which extinguishes the
F6F5
the
fire as
breaks clear of the catwalk
the tumult of water.
the day wears
on the log books run out of the language of
nautical superlatives. Several ships record the barometer at a inches, an
steel
hanging, and
it
about the deck, as jeeps and tractors, a kerry crane,
writhing sea. But in the end it
pull out of
leave
from the foremast and as the
bombs break
a wall of water, as skitter
it
and seven planes are flung and blown
and
as the anenometer, with
it
wind and sea
as the
it
And men
the boiling sea.
and
fight
as a wall of solid
it
the steel roller curtains on
20mm. gun sponsor and
tear loose the radar antenna screen
zine
fight
—
cups gone, registers a wind velocity of more than one
hundred knots.
away by
Men
fighter.
like a
on the hangar deck and
free
Dewey
awesome low;
reads hers at 27.30
—
flat
28
possibly the
world's lowest recorded reading. Oiler Nantahala, with other ships of a fueling unit to the northeast of the
wind
center, records a
in direction as the
east
and west
velocity of
typhoon
—backing
124 knots. The wind
circles,
and
main body near the storm
do
as
filling
all
circular storms
— — which maximum
Force 12,
—
its
of
five
is
—
no canvas could withstand"
above 65 knots." scattered now, station-keeping impossible, visibility
hundred yards to zero, oniy the radars
venting collisions. this
the
"that
as a "hurricane
Third Fleet
mariners
— and
beyond that ancient nautical Beaufort scale which defines
increasing in intensity to Force 17, far
measuring-stick
shifts rapidly
blowing from north and south and
Com. Third
Fleet in
day long since abandoned,
his
New
—when
operative
—
pre-
Jersey, his plan to refuel
immediate commitment to Mac-
Arthur regretfully canceled, records in
his
war diary the reports
of
disaster:
0841. The Wasp reported a
have three persons on
life raft
to her port, which appeared to
it.
0907. The Independence reported
man
overboard.
902 09 1
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa: 1
The Monterey reported
.
End
of an
due
to excessive roll, planes
that,
her hangar deck had broken loose ands caught
0942. The Kwajalein reported she had 1012. The Wisconsin reported
1
Empire on
fire.
lost steering control.
Kingfisher {plane) overboard.
1017. The Rudyerd Bay reported she was dead in the water.
1128. The Cape Esperance reported
The
ships
—
the big and
little
—
fire
on her
flight
deck.
.
.
.
are racked and strained, punished
and pommeled. The men are dazed;
all
hands are in
lifejackets;
none
stand topside in exposed positions; muscles are sore and bodies bruised from clinging to stanchions, pounding against bulkheads; a
miserable
many
retch from seasickness, but for hundreds terror calms
The
the queasiness of the stomach.
mountains of water
—seventy
feet
violent rolls
from trough
and the
to crest
—
terrible
are frighten-
even to the experienced; some are plain scared, but most have
ing,
confidence in the stoutness of their vessels.
But
this
The
"one-hand-for-your-ship-and-one-for-yourself" weather;
is
the business
is
to survive.
voice of the storm drowns
thousand notes
—
all
other voices; the wind has a
the bass of growling menace, the soprano of stays
so tautly strained they
hum
crests are flattened off
by the wind and hurled straight before
violence; rain
cannot .
.
.
tell
and
spindrift
like bowstrings.
mix
in
overall
is
the
tops of the
wave its
a horizontal sheet of water; one
where ocean stops and sky begins.
And
The
.
.
.
cacophony of the ships
—
the racked and
groaning ships, the creaking of the bulkheads, the working of the stanchions, the play of rivets, the
and roar of chairs and books head to bulkhead.
Low
fuel,
pounding
.
and tear
of blowers, the slide
wreckage slipping from bulk-
.
attempts to keep station, or to change course to ease
spell
strong, that
.
hum
adrift, of
havoc for some. The seas are so
some
great, the
of the lighter destroyers are derelicts;
combinations of rudders and screws
fail
to take
all
wind so possible
them out
of the
troughs; they are sloughed and rolled and roughed far on their sides
by wind and water
The
light
— and
and escort
drift,
out of control, downwind.
carriers fare
little
better;
Monterey, Altamaha and others, planes
slide
aboard San Jacinto,
and
slip;
wreckage
crashes groaning from bulkhead to bulkhead; the hangar decks are infernos of flame and crashing metal, of
fire
and wind and
sea.
Early in the morning watch San Jacinto, Captain Michael H. Kernodle, commanding,
tries to
"swing to new course to ease her."
:
Typhoon The skipper backs on the
the starboard engines, goes ahead twenty knots
wind
port, but the howling
falls off into
the trough, rolls
have none of
will
42 degrees.
A plane
eyes with fourteen turns of
roll,
deck pad
loose,
and the
"rupturing and
and vent ducts passing through the
intakes
air
all
San Jacinto
to steel
tears
whole deckload crash from side to side with each
away
it;
breaks loose on the
—each lashed wire and rope — them
hangar deck, skids into other planes
tearing
903
hangar decks." Engine spares and other heavy material stowed on the hangar deck break loose and smash and tear into the bulkheads;
oily
water greases the deck; stream hisses from the ruptured exhausts; the fire
damaged by
sprinkling system,
the wreckage, sprays water indis-
criminately over the deck spaces; general flooding results through the
broken ventilation vents
in fire
rooms and engine rooms; the evapo-
rators are out of commission; the galley ovens out; the after gyro
compass inoperative;
Man
It is
electrical leads severed.
against the sea, but
Man
wins; personnel of the
damage
control and fire-fighting parties lash themselves to lines suspended
from the overhead of the hangar deck, and swinging and like
pendulums across the slippery deck,
mass of
sliding,
groaning wreckage.
Aboard Altamaha
—
all
board on the tremendous her; fire
14,000 tons of her, planing
rollers
—
mains burst; wreckage
break over the
fantail;
In Monterey, Nos.
damage 1
the elevator pit; heavy seas
litters
manned by
0914 beready ammunition is
fire;
is
burned
at
skeleton crews using rescue
breathing masks; a gasoline vapor explosion
by the flames,
a surf-
repair parties shore the bulkheads.
cause of heavy smoke from a hangar deck
many
like
the planes she mothers turn against
and 2 firerooms are abandoned
jettisoned; the boilers are
other, trapped
slithering
risk their lives to secure the
kills
one seaman; an-
to death, a third asphyxiated;
injured.
Destroyer
Dewey
labors
almost to the death.
morning watch, with the storm howling
like a
Throughout the
banshee, the quarter-
jnaster on watch scribbles painfully in the deck log, as casualty reports funnel to the bridge
0950.
.
.
.
Dewey
reported to
CTG
30.8 she was out of control and
passed through formation from starboard to port. Heavy rolling
caused loss of lube
oil
suction repeatedly.
1006. Captain ordered gallons of oil
pumped
all
.
.
.
port fuel tanks filled to capacity. 30,000
aft.
40
50
degrees.
Telephone
circuits
to port side. Rolling through
1020. Lost bridge steering control; steering
to
—
904
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
began
of an
and TBS (radio
to go. Lost radar
contact with rest of formation.
.
.
Wind and
.
Empire
— "Talk Between
Ships")
sea rising, barometer
falling.
Doctor reported many men had been injured by
J 102.
1130. Main engines stopped water. Secured
500
main generator.
to 1 ,000 gallons of
on every big
—main
power and
Electrical
#2
water entering
Bucket brigade
roll.
in
falling.
switchboard shorted from
mess
lights all gone.
main forced
hall
salt
and one
draft intake
aft
kept water
down. 1130. All control and communication water.
The
air
.
.
.
lost
from bridge. Dead
continually filled with salt spray
200
in the
feet in the air
or higher. Visibility zero. This blast of salt spray penetrated everything
and grounded
all living
all electrical
connections (<
spaces produced undesirable
told to remain
on port
.
.
.
8 inches of water in hands
free surface effect." All
and pounding worse.
side. Rolling
Inclino-
meter to 73 degrees to starboard and stopped for a few seconds.
Engine room (indicated) 75 degrees. The masts and stacks ing
and expected
lockers torn off
to carry
away
on
.
swing-
.
ammo
any time. Tops of 3 ready
at
and 80 rounds of 5 inch
thin shielding of ship stove in
.
spilled over the side.
—by water on starboard
side
.
.
All
.
—by wind
port.
1145. The wind
performed
in
.
.
estimated to be more than 110 knots. All hands
.
a commendable manner, especially the engineers
.
.
.
no
panic.
But Dewey,
morning
as the
dies,
still lives.
Not so destroyers Monaghan and Spence. Monaghan, DD 354, with twelve battle stars on her bridge and a veteran of combat from Pearl Harbor to Leyte, lunges to her doom the fleet unknowing late in that wild windswept morning. She's last heard and dimly seen when the morning is but half
—
spent:
0936. Monaghan to Com.
Have Monaghan
30.8
base course.
tried full speed,
1006.
to
port quarter.
unknown
Am dead in water.
Monaghan to Hobby Then silence
1007.
.
.
.
.
.
— am unable not work." but — "You 1,200 "1
to
it
to
the
yards off
my
will
ship
are
Sheer
come
off if possible."
— "Bearing
is
225, 1,400 yards
." .
.
.
Monaghan' s 1,500 tons
of steel are racked
and strained; her
star-
board whaleboat drinks the sea as the davits dip into green water. But there's
little
intimation of disaster.
About
eight bells
—
as the
Wag-
—
:
905
Typhoon
nerian dirge of the typhoon drowns the lesser noises of the laboring ship
—
wind pushes Monaghan
the
struggles to rise again
house forty or
fifty
— and makes
men
far
on her starboard
She
side.
but sluggishly. In the after deck
it,
and pray
cling to stanchions
—
or
silently,
aloud:
"Don't it
down now, Dear Lord. Bring
us
let
back,
it
Oh God!
bring
back!" Slowly the ship recovers
"Thanks, Dear Lord."
But the
go out; again the deep
lights
starboard, again and
roll to
again she struggles back, shudderingly, from disaster.
Then, about noon, the wind brutalizes her; heavily Monaghan to starboard
on her
—
side to die
amid
.
Spence,
.
rolls
down
tiredly she settles
flat
and the screaming
there go with her eighteen officers and
.
DD
512, goes about the same time, but again the
unknowing. Spence
is
fleet
deballasted, light in fuel; she rides like a cork
in the terrible canyon-like troughs. is
—
a welter of white waters
And
Valkyries of the storm.
238 men.
70 degrees
30, 40, 60,
Power
fails;
the electrical board
shorted from the driven spray; the ship goes over 72 degrees to
port
—and
stays there.
The
lights are out; the
the ship's heart dead before the
body
time before noon, the Supply Officer
pumps
are stopped
dies; she drifts derelict.
—
Lt.
Some-
Alphonso Stephen Krau-
chunas, United States Naval Reserve, one-time of Kalamazoo, destined to be Spence 's only officer survivor
—
sits
on the edge
of the
bunk
in the captain's cabin talking tensely with the ship's doctor.
awful
roll
An
throws Krauchunas on his back against the bulkhead "in a
shower of books and whatnot." Crawling on hands and knees on the bulkheads (walls) of the passageway, Krauchunas gets topside just before the entering ocean seeks him out. seventy others
60,000 horse,
1200
to
—
is
along with
power
of
1600 The Afternoon Watch
a raging ocean; to feel
some others. The
brings
climax and desperation to
still
fights clear
done.
The afternoon watch
are
He
but Spence, 2,000 tons of steel with the
slight surcease to fleet is
some
ships,
widely dispersed across
some ships have felt the full fury of the storm; others it. Between 1100 and 1400 of that day the peak is
reached; "mountainous seas
.
.
.
confused by backing winds made the
vessels roll to unprecedented angles."
906
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
of an
Empire
For Hull, Destroyer #350, with much of the mail of the aboard, the afternoon watch of December 18, 1944,
The quartermaster has hardly turned
to
is
fleet still
be her
the log page before
last.
hap-
it
pens.
Small and old as destroyers go, Hull had
made heavy weather
morning; the driven spray had shorted everything; in the
in the
(Combat Information Center) leaky seams admitted "sparks were jumping back and forth Hull's tanks are
70 per cent
full
among
of fuel
though she has no water
lighter sisters,
TBS
inoperative;
it
CIC
the sea and
the electrical cables."
oil; she's
better off than her
But the storm brooks
ballast.
no objections; gradually Hull loses the
of
Her radar
fight.
is
out; her
whaleboat smashed and torn loose; depth
the
charges wrenched from the K-guns, and to "every possible combina-
and engines" the ship
tion of rudder
not respond, and
will
is
blown
"bodily before wind and sea, yawing between headings of 100 and
080
true."
Shortly after noon, as the seas tower into toppling mountains, the ship
lies
over on her side
officer of the
watch
is
sickening
in terrible
and the junior
rolls,
"catapulted completely through the air from
the port side of the pilot house to the upper portion of the starboard side."
But
still
Lieutenant-Commander James Alexander Marks, the
young skipper, has hope. ".
.
.
the ship
.
.
.
had withstood the worst punishment any storm could
offer."
("I
had served
in destroyers,"
he later noted, "in some of the worst
storms of the North Atlantic and believed that no wind could be
worse than that
had
I
just witnessed.")
But the wind increases wind her
.
.
.
down
to
an estimated
(lays) the ship steadily over her in the
water
until the seas
come
1
10 knots; "the force of the
on starboard
side
and holds
flowing into the pilot house
itself."
Early
in the
hurtled up
afternoon
— probably
before
1300
—
the leaping sea
young Lieutenant
into the port wing of the bridge and
Commander James Alexander Marks steps off his capsized into a sea "whipped to a froth," a sea first command
—
angry, so ravening for the few survivors.
.
.
life
that lifejackets are torn
it
—though
his
from the backs of
.
Destroyer Dewey, battered and racked
makes
—
ship
so wildly
hurt almost mortally.
in
the
morning watch,
—
Typhoon At 1230 No. clutter of
away and
stack carries
1
wreckage, leaving a gaping
falls
wound
907
over the side in a
main deck and
in the
four hundred pounds of steam escaping from the ruptured whistle line in a
shuddering roar that mingles with the berserk voice of the ty-
phoon. The
away
falling funnel carries
easing of the topside weight
morning watch
—and
in counter-ballasting the
with most of his
fuel,
the whaleboat davits; this
the skipper's prescience in the
high side
—
the port side
probably save the ship. Nevertheless, green
water slops over the starboard wing of the bridge as the ship
an estimated 80 degrees to starboard perhaps the
—and
lies
about
lives to tell
over it
vessel in the history of the sea to survive such a
first
roll.
At 1300
the barometer drops to an estimated 27.30 inches
needle off the scale
— one
—
the
of the lowest readings in the long narrative
of storms.
But the typhoon has done ters
a slight rise, and at
its
worst; at 1340 the barometer regis-
1439 the wind slackens
about eighty
to
knots.
The storm curves on day
rest of that
—
heave, the ocean
into the
wide open spaces of the Pacific the
the eighteenth.
is
The winds
huge and horrid, but the great typhoon fleet
scattered and broken, with
Halsey
later noted,
Island. Survivors of
still
howl; the ships
is
over.
Behind
it, it
more unrequited damage,
Monoghan and Hull and Spence
vivors from Hull at ten that night,
and others
—who had — scouring widely disseminated —
Commander Marks
as
lost his first
the twentieth; other ships
sailors,
—
the
command
the ocean
will forever
comprehend, more
now
fully
first
sur-
including Lieutenant
—
the next day.
that
find a handful of spent
who
Admiral
are pitifully few;
up
Tabberer also rescues ten survivors from Spence aboard a
is
leaves the
than at any time since the First Battle of Savo
destroyer escort Tabberer, herself demasted, picks
sinkings
still
confused, and even on the nineteenth the seas are
life raft
news of
on the
and injured
than any living men,
the meaning of the fury of the sea.
The
great typhoon of
dead or missing
December 17 and
—202 from
the Hull, about
1944, cost 790 dead 256 from the Monaghan
18,
(only six were saved), 317 from the Spence, three dead in the
Monterey, others
men were beyond
killed or missing
injured;
The
from other
ships.
More than
eighty
146 planes were blown overboard or damaged
and gear, but sustained no major damage; the large carriers suffered damage to radars and to the repair.
battleships lost planes
908
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
hangar deck
Of
spent.
But the
roller curtains.
the light carriers,
San
and Langley suffered badly; the nine closely-typed legal pages.
of an
jsraall
Empire
ships
were battered and
Cowpens, Cabot,
Jacinto, Monterey,
list
The
of the Monterey's
damages covered
Miami and Baltimore;
cruisers
the
Cape Esperance, Anzio and Altamaha, and the destroyers and destroyer escorts Aylwin, Dewey, Buchanan, Hickox, Benham, Donaldson, Melvin R. Nawman, and Dyson required major repair, while nine other vessels sustained more minor damage. The strikes against Luzon were canceled and the Third Fleet straggled escort carriers
—
cockbilled and askew
A
Navy Court
of
—
into the atoll of Ulithi.
summoned (had been) made
Inquiry,
found that "large errors
to
solemn postmortem,
in predicting the location
and path" of the typhoon. Admiral Halsey called the typhoon a Admiral Chester W. Nimitz pointed out that the damage
"disaster."
done "represented a more crippling blow might be expected to suffer the
in
to the Third Fleet than
Commander-in-Chief of the
Pacific Fleet noted his determination
to inculcate his officers with "the necessity of understanding the
of Storms.
it
anything less than a major action"; and
Law
." .
.
The damaged
ships were repaired; the typhoon warning service and
meteorological forecasts were improved; the war continued toward
triumphant
finale
.
.
its
.
NOW THE FIFTH FLEET BEGAN POUNDING THE JAPANESE
—not
much
homeland with devastating
carrier air strikes
sion as an effort to reduce
enemy air capability. These strikes began Tokyo received its first lashing five days
on February later.
10,
Lieutenant
officers
1945, and
Commander
J.
Bryan
with Rear Admiral Arthur
III,
so
one of the
W. Radford (TG
a diver-
air
staff
58.4), took
notes during these jubilant days aboard his carrier, which he sub-
sequently entered in his war memoirs. Here Bryan speaks of his ship-
mates and their epochal mission.
J.
BRYAN,
12.
ON TOKYO
FIRST STRIKE
February 15th. At sea
Cooper Bright hasn't improved at all in the six months since I last saw him. The fact is, he's worse. In those days, he spent only about half his time devising ribs
eight-hour shifts a day. If
he can scare him, he
him
same
at the
comes from
insults;
New
Coop
to
work is
three
happy.
make him mad and
scare
all.
slipped a harpoon into the air group.
and professes
Jersey,
same contemptuous
now he seems
happier. If he can
time, he's happiest of
This morning
the
is
and
he can make a victim mad, Coop
If
Coop
to regard all Southerners with
Admiral Halsey has for the Japa-
distaste as
nese. Unfortunately for the South, he has access to air plot's tele-
typewriter,
which prints
its
Air Combat Intelligence publicity.
what
he,
One
messages in the four ready rooms and the
office,
so his slurs automatically get wide
of our fighter pilots
named Robert
E. Lee. Here
is
in the air group,
was slapped
in
is
and every other southerner
"AND SO WE SANG THE CHORUS FROM ATLANTA TO THE SEA, AS WE GO MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA"—DEDICATED TO ROBERT E. LEE OF VF 3. the face with today:
Coop may make them mad, but they're grateful more lively troubles.
to him.
His non-
sense takes their minds off
Contact!
—
trivial,
but our
first.
This morning two Hellcats strafed
and sank a small Jap boat. The destroyer Hailey was sent over
to
909
III
910
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
of an
Empire
look for survivors, and the one she foun4 was put aboard us tonight. Prisoners are usually confined in the brig, but this one was taken to
bay because
sick
had been smashed by a
his leg
bullet during the
The staff Japanese language officer, Bill Kluss, went down to interrogate him and told me about it later. The Jap was seventeen years old, Bill said, a nice, clean-looking kid. His wound must have been painful, but he never stopped smiling strafing.
through the whole interview.
It
began with the stock questions:
Name? Sadao Watanabe. Home? Choshi, on Honshu. listed man? The boy said, "I do not understand."
Officer or en-
"Aren't you in the Navy? Wasn't that a picket boat you were in?"
"No.
I
am
a fisherman."
"Then what were you doing 400 miles from land?"
The boy
said that he
and ten other fishermen had put
They were only two miles
nine days before.
to sea twenty-
offshore
when
their
engine failed, and they had drifted ever since, living on rain water and fish.
At
this
point in the story, Bill said, a corpsman put a tray of
on the boy's knees, and two peas
chow
rolled off into the bedclothes. Bill
said the boy's ribs looked like a xylophone, but before he took a single mouthful, he
plate
—he was
hunted for those peas and put them back on
that hungry. Bill let
him
finish his
his
meal, then asked,
"What happened to the other ten men?" "They were killed when the Emperor's planes attacked our boat morning."
this
"When whose
planes attacked you?"
"The Emperor's. that
didn't understand
it,
but
we had been
told
China had no planes."
Bill
the
We
was puzzled. Presently he asked, "Do you think Japan
will
win
war?"
"Certainly.
China
is
big,
but she
is
weak."
"Where do you think you are now?" "I don't know. All I know is that I am with friends." When the real situation was explained to him, he wasn't alarmed or "Look, Sadao,"
even abashed.
On
Bill said.
the contrary, he
was healed, he would spend the Telling
rest of his life with his
me
about
it,
people like that?"
February 16th. At sea
announced
like to enlist in the
Bill
that as soon as his leg
United States Navy and
wonderful new friends.
asked,
"How
the hell can
you dope out
First Strike All day today
morning was
early
her
first strike,
one.
Task Force 58
Our
still
sent
the ready
rooms
The
planes against Tokyo.
when she landed her
falling
last
and fought, returned for food and fuel, and
pilots flew off
to flag bridge to
911
wet and black when the Yorktown launched
and a wet night was
flew off and fought again. I heard
went
its
on Tokyo
them briefed
watch them take
them
to hear
what they accomplished, but
interrogated. I
I
rooms,
in their ready
and land, and returned
off
remember very
little
to
of
remember how they looked and what
they said.
The morning began around 0500 were checking over
Ready
in
2,
where the
fighters
and taking down last-minute
their flight gear
information from the ticker screen. Considering the nature of their mission, the virtual certainty of heavy interception and thick
AA
over
on the ship, everyMcLeroy: "Not much
the target, and the probability of day-long attacks
one was surprisingly excitement,
Mac excited
is
there?
said, "Hell, is
just before
cool. I It's like it's
this to
any day in any ready room."
too late to get excited now.
you
join the
Some of the pilots were One said, "We've only got over Tokyo, though. At
mentioned
The time
to get
Navy."
discussing the weather, which
was
a 300-foot ceiling outside.
be better
least, that's
what
I
keep
It'll
telling myself.
foul.
..."
Just then the teletype started chattering, and a message tripped
across the screen:
A
FLYING CONDITIONS UNDESIRABLE.
pilot jerked his
below the waterline.
Another
I
thumb toward hope they got
said, "Ceiling zero,
it:
gills
Dodgers
"That means the
ceiling
is
on these airy-o-planes." five."
FROM CAPTAIN COMBS—THIS IS THE DAY WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR. YOU ALL KNOW YOUR JOB AND I KNOW YOU WILL DO IT WITH THE SAME OUTSTANDING RESULTS YOU HAVE OBTAINED IN THE PAST. STICK TOGETHER, TEAM, AND GIVE THEM THE WORKS. WE WILL KEEP THE FIGHTING LADY READY FOR YOUR RETURN. There was a pause, then one line more: THE POOR LITTLE AIR OFFICER SAYS GIVE THEM HELL. The
ticker chattered again:
Just before the
first strike
was
called, Fighting 3's skipper, Fritz
If you have to Lake Kasumigaura. It'll give you time to cool off. If you land on the ground, you may be picked up by civilians. However, it's your plane, so do what you want
Wolfe, picked up the microphone. "Another thing.
make
with
a forced landing,
it."
I
suggest you
make
it
in
912
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
The
ticker printed,
air
"Not
I'd seen
if
came down
Voris,
and
when
the
the passageway
our prisoner.
I'm going
yet.
"Be sure
AIR BUGGIES,
was* leaving for flag bridge
Doc
group's Flight Surgeon,
and asked
I
Empire
of an
MAN YOUR
PILOTS
they ran up to the dark deck.
End
down today
him
to catch
at
or tomorrow."
mealtime.
This morning he went through two
full
It's
a sight for your whiskers.
mare
trays like a turpentined
through a five-bar gate."
The
F6Fs was
of the
first
taxiing into position as I reached the
bridge. Its engine roared louder and louder. Suddenly the plane jumped forward and into the air, and all I could see was its dwindling lights. Another plane followed it, and another and another. Soon the deafening deck was silent again, and there was nothing to do but wait for them to return. Around 0715, the radio in air plot stated, "We've got plenty of work in the next half-hour." None of us recognized the voice, but we knew it was some pilot on his way to the target. Nick Cline, assistant
Operations, said fervently, "Plenty of work, and you ain't kidding,
bud!"
A
couple of hours
lost in the
overcast, slapping cast.
when
No
later, there
down
one on the ship
the
was a rumor
that the first strike
was
weather, but that the second strike was breaking out of the
really
strike landed.
first
rooms and
enemy, and ducking back into the over-
the
of
all
them talked
knew what was happening The pilots came down to at once, while they
until
1100,
their ready
shucked
off their
gear and yelled for sandwiches and coffee.
"Everywhere planes!
The
I
looked, there were these
goddam
biplanes.
wily Jap must be scraping the bottom of his
Bi-
goddam
barrel!"
"Konoike had planes near 'em.
We
over the
field,
and not a son of a bitch
caught 'em with their pants down!"
"Goddam Phantom ("Phantom"
all
is
the
planes flew under us and fouled up our run!"
call-sign
for the
air
group from another car-
rier. )
"Japan
is
nowhere near
as pretty as
Formosa. Did you see those
sand dunes, and the snow on the mountains?"
"Mine
didn't flame
till
the last burst.
It hit his
port engine, and
VOOM!" "I
was chasing
Son of a bitch
this
hit the
Oscar, and the pilot jumped out with no chute.
ground and bounced, so help
my
Christ!
I
was
"
)
First Strike so busy watching him, didn't
make
watch the Oscar, and goddam
didn't
I
913
on Tokyo
a shallow turn and pull straight
up
into
me.
I fired,
if
and
it
it
crashed and burst into pieces."
"Damn Phantom you
planes dropping their belly-tanks, and coming at
just like Tojos."
him
"I caught
him
a split-S and just sawed
in
to pieces.
The
bastard must have been dead already, because he attacked us with his
wheels down.
thought
I
it
was a Val
(A Val
at first."
is
an obsolete
Jap dive bomber with fixed landing gear.
"Who was in 65? He was And so on, all day long. About bull
half the fighters
horn warned
Heads up on
us,
all
the hell over the sky!"
on the second
strike
"The next plane coming
had landed when the
in
is
severely damaged.
the flight deck!"
The F6F came up the groove smoothly and settled down to a perfect landing. As it taxied past flag bridge, I saw that ten or twelve square feet of
port wing, including the whole aileron, had been
its
shot away.
There was a
lull at
1400, so
I
stopped by
air plot.
Cooper Bright
sitting in a desk drawer, like an oversized Kayo. The Air officer, Comdr. Myron T. Evans, was catching a nap on the transom. The radio was tuned to Tokyo, and Doctor Somebody-or-Other was dis-
was
cussing America's
"The United he
effort.
They
based
aircraft
craft,
and that
realize, as
its
factories,"
deserting the
does the American Navy, that carrier-
do not dare come within range of our land-based
—
Right here the Doctor was cut this
men to work women are
"Every month 100,000 men and
said.
war
manpower problem.
States has only 1,000,000
:
and a new voice made
off the air,
announcement "An attack by
air-
carrier planes
is
now
going on.
We
have been watching their surface forces for many days, and even now our landbased planes are rising to administer punishment. The purpose of
this attack
is
revenge for our recent destruction of American
B-29s. Out of 60 B-29s,
we
shot
down
17.
up
it,
One Japanese
fighter
plane has not yet returned."
"MT," Evans
When
said, "I
wouldn't
sit
for
Mac!"
the results of the day's strikes were tabulated,
appeared
had destroyed 63 Jap more on the ground. The figures sound big,
that the four air groups in this task group
planes in the air and 45
it
914
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
End
of an
Empire
but everybody agrees that the interception was far lighter than ex-
we were
pected, in view of the fact that
Empire
of the planes in the
Jim Smith
said,
are concentrated.
"The explanation
command
the Jap high
perfectly simple.
is
The
exactly like ours.
is
headquarters, the harder
attacking the area where most
is
it
It
closer
means you
You have
to get anything done.
that
get to
go
to
through channels, and sweat your way up the chain of command, and
when you've made sends them
some
copies of everything,
six
admiral
retired
back because you dropped a comma.
all
If
we'd been
attacking an island outpost today, a tough Reserve lieutenant would
have seen us coming and thrown
planes into the
his
all
and
air,
there'd have been one hell of a fight.
"But headquarters doesn't do things cept us
that way.
The order
to inter-
probably waiting for some admiral's signature right now,
is
and the admiral
is
out playing golf."
February 17th. At sea
The
always stands General Quarters for the hour before dawn
fleet
and the hour
A
an attack. bos'n's
after dusk, since these are the
gong
rings in the
mate of the watch
Man
your
rush
down
dead of
The
sleeping ship springs awake, and
A
few minutes
different silence.
A
men
passageways and up the ladders, buttoning their
the
and rubbing drowsiness from
trousers, zipping their jackets, eyes.
for
and the
"General quarters! General quarters!
calls,
battle stations!"
most probable times
night, a bugle blows,
It is
night
later the
is
again, but this
silent
their is
a
a jungle silence, alert and menacing.
wet wind poured across
flag bridge
General Quarters
at
this
morning. Low, scudding clouds screened the whole sky. Once a single star
broke through
and clamped on
it
briefly; the
while
it
guns of
deck were dim
the planes
on the
fied, until
could distinguish the F6Fs.
The
I
flight
Number
3
mount swung up At first
shone, then swung down, waiting.
assistant Air officer,
blurs.
Gradually they
"Pappy" Harshman, picked up
his
solidi-
micro-
phone. The bull horn magnified his voice to a bellow: "Prepare to start engines!
The
.
.
.
Stand clear of propellers!
starter cartridges hissed
and
.
.
fizzed,
.
Start engines!"
but only three engines
exploded into power; the weather had numbed the to
rest.
Crewmen had
"wind them up," laboriously tugging the heavy propellers around
to build finally
up compression
came
to
life,
in the cylinders.
until all
One
engine after another
were coughing and backfiring except the
First Strike
on the port catapult and one
fighter
them below. The gaps they
were
left
Number
filled
915
These stayed
in the front rank.
dead. Plane-handling crews shoved them onto sent
on Tokyo
1
elevator and
before the elevator
returned.
A the
flight
deck ready for a predawn take-off
bottommost
level of hell: black, cold
is
like a cross section of
and roaring. The thunder of
the engines shakes the ship. Pale blue flames flicker from their ex-
hausts and are reflected from the wet deck, until the propellers blast the puddles dry. Like pit imps, the taxi crews brandish red and green flashlights as they guide the pilots into take-off position.
time,
you can almost
ances on a live
An
tesimal.
flight
taste the
instant's inattention, a slip or
those murderous propellers. that
you can get
No
infini-
even a lurch, an extrava-
man
loses a limb or his life to
actuary on earth could
maimed on
killed or
saw a crewman standing
a
danger that saturates the deck. Toler-
deck are always small, but now they are
gant gesture, a languid response, and a
ways
At such
all
list
a live flight deck.
I
the
once
an SBD's port wing, where The pilot of the plane ahead crewman was blown off balance, and
just in front of
the Pitot tube sticks out like a lance
suddenly gunned his engine, the
tip.
the Pitot tube tore his ear and gouged his cheek.
The rooms
first
landed
strike
at
1030, and
to hear the pilots' stories.
I
went down
The men trooped
dumb
shouting with excitement, others
in,
to the ready
some
of
them
with exhaustion. Their wet
gear dripped pools on the deck while they slanted their hands and
made
the
moaning noises
that always go with a description of
maneu-
vers: "I got
some
slugs in one, but
I
blacked out in the middle of
know what happened to him." "He must have hit the tail. I wasn't
it.
I
don't
at the plane.
popped
He must have had
shooting at him,
and he was hanging
right open,
I
was shooting
a spring in his chute, because in
it,
it
dead."
"They're crazy! They cluster around a plane on the ground, and
you go down and
s
f
:afe
them, and they
scatter,
and you do a wing-
over, and they're right back at the plane again."
"Fujiyama was beautiful, but Tokyo looked bigger and browner.
It
camouflaged? Anyhow, at all. All the reservoirs
I'd hate like hell to
looked it's
like
Hong-kong, only
like part of the earth
—reckon
it
was
not like any city at home: no big buildings
were frozen, and there was snow everywhere.
go down
in that
country!"
"
916
:
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
Pray ye that your
End
be not in the winter.
flight
Empire
of an .
.
.
home .-afio'ther cripple today. "Heads man coming in has no tail hook!" was F6F Number 2, with a pilot named Reitel. He made
The second
strike
brought
up!" the bull horn said. "The next
The plane
a beautiful landing, but his brakes wouldn't hold
and he plowed into the wire barrier
on
at
on the wet
70 knots. The plane tipped up
nose, the prop gouged chunks out of the deck, and Reitel
its
pitched forward in his straps, his arms
flailing.
Then
back, and he climbed out unhurt. Yet lives our pilot
The Landing
Signals officer,
Dick Tripp, invited
the plane
still.
me
.
teamwork with
denly, as an
SB2C's
split apart,
whole
.
He
brought
smoothly, plane after plane, with hardly a wave-off. In fact
in
his expert
and
.
fell
aft to his little
platform to watch the third strike return, around noon.
them
surface,
after
the pilots
became montonous. But sud-
hook caught, something
tail
fell
from
its
belly
and the prop-wash blew a white blizzard over the
end of the
flight
deck.
Dick's assistant, Lee Spaulding, said, "Must be shedding their
tail
feathers.
They turned out
to be
propaganda
The
leaflets.
drop them over Japan, but they had hung up
pilot
had
tried to
the shock of
until
landing jarred them loose.
Carl Ballinger, the flag Fighter Director
would
trail
body thought minutes
home
our strikes
with kamikazes.
When
that Carl
officer, bet that the
and work us over
to the task force today
General Quarters blared out
would
collect. False alarm.
Japs
1600, every-
at
We
secured a few
later.
Radiotokyo got on
its
hip with an
opium pipe and dreamed up
this
one tonight
"American carrier-borne
Marc A. Mitscher continued
aircraft
under
strikes in
command
of
Admiral
and around the Tokyo area
Saturday, but the attackers failed to cause any serious damage. Preliminary estimates showed that Japanese teries shot
down 147 enemy
planes and
saults against the large carrier task force,
fliers
and
anti-aircraft bat-
damaged 50
others. In as-
one cruiser was sunk and
another large American warship, believed to have been a carrier, was
damaged and burned from our attacks. Other damage was sundry other American warships."
seriously
done
to
First Strike
No, brother! No, no, no!
how many
exactly
the task force;
if
all
that
got
too soon for us to
an
file
the figures aren't in yet.
many. Air Group
total losses
3 has lost
hopped yesterday, had a
But taking the Yorktown's
won't be more than a dozen,
one plane
—
that's
Frank Onion
all.
and took some
finger shot off,
His plane ditched and sank, but Frank himself
in his engine.
on
affidavit
planes the strikes yesterday and today have cost
group as an average, the
air
It's
917
on Tokyo
bullets is
back
aboard the ship already.
And
as for a cruiser being
sunk and a carrier damaged
OUR NEXT OBJECTIVE WAS IWO lands.
JIMA, IN
—
apcray!
THE BONIN
is-
Located about halfway between Japan and the Marianas,
and only
hundred and
six
was of great
strategic
sixty
miles
importance.
from
a third which was almost complete,
making
B-29 Superforts
Shaped
flying against Japan.
Tokyo,
contained two
It
it
the
island
airfields
and
a perfect base for
like a
porkchop, and
only four and a half miles long and two and a half miles wide, the island feet
is
dominated by Mount Suribachi,
above sea
level.
alternately rock
The
terrain
on
and beach-like, and
is
rising five
hundred and
either side of the
fifty
mountain
is
covered with a brown volcanic
ash.
Spruance's invasion forces were as follows: Turner was in com-
mand
of the Joint Expeditionary Force and Holland M. Smith of the Amphibious Corps; the Attack Force was commanded by Rear Admiral Harry W. Hill; the Support Force by Rear Admiral W.H.P. Brandy, the Logistic Support by Rear Admiral Donald B. Beary, and
V
Search and Reconnaissance by
Commodore
Dixwell Ketcham. Vice
Admiral Marc A. Mitscher's Fast Carrier Forces were of course
in
support.
After her defeat in the Marshalls, Japan had fortified the Bonins, with special emphasis upon Iwo Jima, with about 21,000 officers and
men and
all
necessary war equipment. General Kuribayashi, taking
advantage of the terrain, had planned his defense so that his main breastwork, a network of closely interwoven caves, lay between the
two operational
airfields.
Here,
all
too aware of the
delaying action which loomed, he was to
make
futility
of the
his strongest bid to
repulse the invaders.
D-Day
for
Iwo
—where
the Marines gathered in twenty-two
Medals
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
918 of
Honor
the
1
End
in their bloodiest battle of the
6th of the
for strikes
month Blandy
of an
war
Empire
—was February
19th.
On
arrived* off the island with his task force
and a preliminary bombardment. Aboard the battleship
Tennessee was the distinguished novelist, John P. Marquand, war correspondent for Harper's Magazine, the three-day
bombardment before
who
gives us a vivid picture of
the landings.
—
:
JOHN
MARQUAND
P.
i3-
IWO JIMA BEFORE H-HOUR
Life on a battleship
largely
is
conducted against a background of
disregarded words. For example, upon leaving Saipan, the radio loud-
speaker on the open bridge produced a continuous program some-
what along the following "This
is
lines
One
Peter Rabbit calling Audacity
Audacity One
— over
.
.
.
—
—over Peter Rabbit Audacity One Peter Rabbit — Continue Rabbit Audacity One — Roger. Over Come
in,
Peter Rabbit calling
Audacity One calling Peter Rabbit
Peter Rabbit
.
.
.
as directed.
.
Sometimes these guarded code conversations, subtlety that bordered
Two
A
.
.
.
.
.
.
Peter
pilot
is
is
conducted with
all
would reach a degree of
on the obvious.
now in a position Audacity One please notify the
Turtle.
—over
Over
.
flawless diction in clear unemotional tones,
Will
.
."
to
"Tiger
.
Audacity One
to
Shackle. Charley. Abel. Oboe. Noel Coward, Unshackle to
.
to give the stepchildren a drink.
stepchildren?
.
.
.
Bulldog calling
Hot Rock. Pick him ." Hot Rock. Pick him up.
in the water, southeast of
repeat: In the water, southeast of
There was never any way of
telling
.
up.
I
.
whether or not the stepchildren
received the drinks which Tiger was kind enough to offer, on whether
or not the pilot was rescued from the slightly chilly waters off that
unpleasant island of Iwo. Moreover, no one seemed particularly to care.
The Admiral and
the Captain sat
upon the bridge
in
comforta-
919
920
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
of an
Empire
ble high-chairs, not unlike those used ,by patrons in a billiard parlor. 7 Their staff officers stood near them, and behind the staff officers stood
the
men
with earphones and mouthpieces tethered by long insulated
and next came the Marine orderlies with
cords,
their .45 automatics.
Occasionally a Filipino mess boy would appear from the small kitchenette below
—
doubtless called a galley
Admiral and the Captain.
coffee for the
was
of 14-inch guns
good
to the
open bridge. Once when the main battery
firing,
some freak
six inches off the deck.
listen to the voices
However,
on that
of concussion lifted
But guns or
not,
him a
no one appeared
to
radio.
merged
as hours
sandwiches and carry these on a
and napery, up two dark
tray, sparkling with bright silver, china,
companion ladders
—with
He would
bridge, that constant flow of
into days during those vigils
on the
words could not help but appeal
to the
imagination of anyone whose experience on battleships and with naval affairs had been previously limited almost exclusively to an
acquaintance with Pinafore and
Madame
Butterfly. Charley
and Abel
and Peter Rabbit, who kept shackling and unshackling themselves, gradually
pening
became old
now
to
friends.
You began
Audacity and Oboe.
ask, since each
was
to
wonder what was hap-
would not have been
It
tactful to
a special ship, a unit of the task force, but once
one of those characters revealed
Abner had words with Audacity
This was when Little
identity.
its
off the beach of
Iwo Jima on D-day
minus two. "Little
Abner
calling Audacity,"
Little
Abner
three holes
and so we're going back to the line."
"What "What
do you mean?" Audacity asked.
line
the hell line
do you think?"
Little
said.
"We've got
Abner answered. "The
firing line."
Little
Abner was an LCI
not understand naval
— Landing
initials.
rockets, assigned to strafe the beach,
her under
fire at
eight
Craft Infantry, in case you do
She was one of the LCI's equipped with
and the Jap
batteries
had taken
hundred yards.
In addition to the radio on the bridge, there was also entertainment
When
when General Quarters had changed to Condition Two, some unknown hands would place recordings of radio programs from home upon a
down
below.
the great ship withdrew from the area, and
loudspeaker that reached the crew's mess, the warrant
and the wardroom. Thus, above the of mess tins
and
dishes,
would come
shufflings
officers'
on the deck, the
mess, clatter
blasts of music, roars of laughter
and blatant comedy. There was no way of escaping
it
if
you wanted
)
I
wo lima
Before H-Hour
Though you were seven hundred-odd were back home again. to eat.
"And now Willie Jones,
921
miles from Tokyo,
you
Dr. Fisher's tablets for intestinal sluggishness present
and
the
all
Jones boys, and the Jones boys' orches-
little
tra." (Whistles, laughter,
and applause from an unknown audience.)
"But
word from our sponsor.
a brief, friendly
first
Folks, do you feel
headachy and pepless in the morning? Just take one with a glass of
warm
But here he
water.
Willie Jones himself."
is,
(Whistles, ap-
"How
and cheers from that unknown audience.)
plause,
are
you
tonight, Willie?"— "Well, frankly, Frank, I'm feeling kind of dumb."
— "You mean you're
your old
just
self,
then?" (Shrieks, whistles, and
unknown audience. There was no way of turning the thing
applause from the
mind. Perhaps after having been
months, as had
many members
of reassurance that a past to
back
at
home. At the
for action,
at sea
all
but no one seemed to
almost continuously for thirty
of that crew, these sounds gave a sort
which everyone was clinging
ship's service,
you could buy
off,
still
sorts of reminders of that past.
The shav-
ing creams and toothpaste were like old acquaintances. There
Williams'
Aqua
waited
days before the ship was cleared
was even
Velva, though this line was finally discontinued
when
was found that certain members of the crew were taking it internally. There was a selection of homely literature, such as The Corpse it
in the
Coppice and Murder Walks
at
Midnight and The Book of
Riddles, and there were fragile volumes of comics and nationally
known brands nearly
all
of
of
gum and
candy.
them took a few
When men went
to battle stations
When
of these things along.
the ship
was closed into hermetically sealed compartments and the ventilating system was cut
off
you could
see
them reading by the ammunition
You
could see the damage control groups, with their gas masks,
their tools
and telephones, reclining on the decks slowly devouring
hoist.
They may not have enjoyed
this litera-
must have given them about the only
illusion of
those pages and chewing gum. ture for itself but
it
privacy that there was in a
life at
sea where privacy does not exist.
"If you write this thing just the way you see it," an officer said, "maybe it might mean something to people back home. They might they never see what we're going through. They might understand
—
understand back home."
That was what nearly everyone aboard
home
said.
They
all
know. Of course,
had a pathey had
thetic desire for
people at
thought about
they would have realized that this was impossible.
it,
There was too great a gap between
to
civilian
and naval
life.
if
There were
922
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
too few
common
The
values.
even more complex and
of an
aboard a ship
life
Empire enemy waters was
in
explanation than the
difficult of
of troops
life
ashore. There was a combination of small personal comforts and of
impending danger verging on calamity that was ugly and incongruous.
The
crew were overcrowded, but they had hot
living quarters of the
water and soap, hot showers, and get ashore.
day and
There were clean
night,
cream. Yet,
You at
you would never
sorts of things
all
clothes,
and
all
the coffee
you wanted
and red meat and other hot food, and butter and
at the
same
was more
time, the sense of danger
could not run away from
it
as
you could on
land. It might
any minute of the day and night from torpedoes, from the
ice
intense.
come from
air,
a surface engagement. Almost any sort of blow meant casualties and
damage. Even a
light shell
on the superstructure might cause compli-
cations incomparable to the results of a similar blow on land.
There had been some hope that the task force of ers,
and destroyers
that
was scheduled
to
battleships, cruis-
bombard Iwo Jima
for three
days before the transports and the amphibious craft appeared, might
was spotted by an enemy plane
arrive there undetected, but the force
on the evening of February
15th.
No
one aboard saw that speck
in
the dark sky.
In the junior officers' all
wardroom
there
Iwo. Nothing was a secret any longer. latest airplane
was
a complete collection of
had been gathered regarding the island of
the intelligence which
It
was possible
to scan the
photographs, which had been taken early in the month.
There were maps showing the target areas assigned every batteries,
pillboxes,
and
antiaircraft
There were reports on the
soil of the island.
black lava sand, and the land rose up from races.
Each
terrace
it
was a
soft
barren of vegetation and exceedingly to negotiate.
patches of coarse grass
full
in the past
As one moved
in
few
from
sand of volcanic ash, almost difficult for
Higher on the island were the
stone, suitable for construction of
red.
coal-
quite sharply in ter-
had been a former beach, since
years the island had been rising from the sea. the water's edge the soil
unit, with
marked in The beach would be
installations
cliffs
underground
any sort of vehicle of
brown volcanic
galleries.
There were
of the mites that cause scrub typhus. There
were hot springs, and there was the sulphur mine from which Iwo
draws
its
name (Sulphur
Island), and a small sugar plantation to the
north near a single town called Motoyama. There were believed to be fifteen all
hundred troops on the
island.
The defensive
installations
underground or carefully camouflaged. There was only one
were
practi-
I
15
JAPANESE HOME ISLANDS OKINAWA & IWO JIMA
Plus
YAMATO
*
Okinawa 1
Apr
-
2 July
sunk
7
April 45, the end of the Japanese
fleet
action
45
IWO Jima 19 Feb - 16
action
Mar
45
-.7
.-'-
Iwo Jima Before H-Hour cal
925
beach on which to land and there was no chance for
tactical
subtlety.
The most interesting unit of this informational material was a large map made out of soft, pliable rubber that gave a bird's-eye view the island we were approaching. Every contour of it was there in
relief
of
scale
—
the
to the northward, the vegetation, the roads, the air
cliffs
(two finished and one nearing completion), and Mount Suri-
strips
brown volcanic cone on the southern tip. There have already been a good many ingenious descriptions of the shape of Iwo Jima, including comparisons to a mutton chop and a gourd. The whole thing was about five miles long. Mount Suribachi, to the south, was a walled-in crater. Its northern slope was known to be studded with pillboxes and with artillery. Bushes and boulders on
bachi, the low,
this slope
ran
down
to the lowest
and narrowest stretch on the
island,
which had beaches on the east and west. (The west beach, however,
would not permit landing operations on account of the prevailing
From
winds.)
broadened
The air down to
here the land gradually rose upward, and the island
until
strips
it
finally
were on
the sea in
cliffs.
bleak, unpromising,
Anyone could
tell
reached a width of two and one-half miles.
its
The northern
central spine.
long, long time.
moment
this
Iwo Jima must
that the plans for the seizure of
Heaps
of secret orders
showed the
specialists for a
disposition at any
of every one of the hundreds of craft that
part in the invasion.
came
and porous dry land.
have been the main occupation of a large group of given
shores
There were only eight square miles of
The thousands
of pages
made
would take
a scenario for an
operation which might take place in an hour or a minute. Veterans of other invasions were not impressed by the infinite detail. of the plans for
Normandy and
the arrangements for "If you've seen
No
Guam
slowly,
and Saipan.
one of them," they
said,
one spoke much on the bridge.
falling before daylight.
and
as far as
We
They spoke
the south of France, or they discussed
were a
one could
tell,
"you've seen them It
chilly
all."
and rain was
blacked-out ship, moving
silent,
alone
was
—except
for voices
on the
bridge radio.
"Battleaxe One," the radio was saying,
"Area Zebra. Shackle.
Charley. Oswald. Henry. Abel. Unshackle." "We'll start firing at about ten thousand yards," someone said.
Then the first daylight began to stir across the water and we were among the shadows of other heavy ships, moving very slowly.
926
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa: Efid of an Empire
"Look," someone
There was a
said, "there's the
faint,
horizon and the
first
mountain."
pinkish glow 'on the rain clouds above the faint
rays of an abortive
sunrise
struggling
against the rain fell on a rocky mass some five miles dead ahead. It was the cone of Suribachi emerging from a misty haze of cloud, and
cloud vapor covered the dark mass of the rest of Iwo Jima. After one glance at
first
its
mistaken
vague outlines,
delicate colors of a painting
Our
it
would have been hard
for anything but a Japanese island, for
it
on a
flat
and headed
to see the faces
clouds were gradually
for the island, there
above the
its
way
later
off.
Mount
island. It
bell
was
The
cigarette.
was unexpectedly
ringing.
to
The
fire.
"Stand by,"
as
bad
invisible
as the concussion, for
hands when the big guns
There was a cloud of yellow smoke, not unlike the color of
Suribachi.
island. It
it
light
one of our 14-inch projectiles was on
your chest seemed to be pushed by
went
A
Iwo Jima. The noise was not
to
Then
When
was already
when we would begin
mute and watchful.
and seconds
said,
and you
silent ship.
and lighted a
his binoculars
lifting
tedious waiting and wondering
someone
aft
on the bridge.
The Captain dropped
island lay there
faint
explosion as the plane shot over the water.
circled for altitude
enough
have
was warming up on the catapult
spotting plane
was a
to
had the
scroll of silk.
could hear the roar of the motor clearly over the there
it
Then everyone crowded forward
to gaze
at
the
seemed a very long while before a cloud of smoke and gray
sand rose up almost
The bombardment choppy
the dingy,
like
of
water from land. Then another ship
Iwo Jima had begun and
sea,
taking
its
fired.
the island lay there in
punishment
stoically
without a
sound.
Even
at a distance of five miles,
far at sea as
it
which somehow does not seem
as
does on land, one had the inescapable impression that
Iwo Jima was ready for it and accustomed to taking a beating. This was not strange, as we had bombed it from the air for successive dozens of days, and fleet units had already shelled it twice. Nevertheless, this lack of reaction was something that you did not expect, even though common sense told you that there would not possibly be any land
fire until
we
closed the range.
Another aspect of that three-day bombardment before D-day was even more unexpected, especially when one retained memories of the fire by land batteries upon prepared positions World War. The bombardment turned out to be a slow,
heavy and continuous in the last
I
wo Jima
Before H-Hour
927
careful probing for almost invisible targets, with long dull intervals
between the
Occasionally one could see a cloud of drab smoke
firing.
from another
arise
explosion would
and a long while afterward the sound of the
ship,
come almost
languidly across the water, and then
would be another plume of dust and rubble on another target area of Iwo Jima. Sometimes, when the breeze was light, the smoke from the big guns of another ship would rise in the air in a huge
there
Of course common sense again gave the reason for this firing. The fleet had come too long a distance to waste its
perfect ring.
deliberate
limited ammunition, and consequently the effect of every shot
had
to
undergo careful professional analysis. In the
between the
lulls
firing there
was always an atmosphere of
unremitting watchfulness. While the crews of the anti-aircraft batteries
below us
by
sat
their guns,
smoking and
talking,
hundreds of
eyes were examining the sky and land. There was air cover far above
In the distance were underwater listeners on the destroyers and
us.
DE's
that
were screening
every sector of the sky
back
at us
from
and
eye-strain
his
us.
Our own
— and you
air
also
watch, besides, was covering
knew
that the
enemy looked
hidden observation posts. That consciousness of
listening never entirely vanished in those days at
Iwo
it, not a moment on the bridge was restful. The slow approach on Iwo Jima was somewhat like the weaving
Jima, and, because of
and
opening early in the
feinting of a fighter watching for an
To
round.
put
it
first
another way, our task force was like a group of big-
game hunters surrounding a slightly wounded but dangerous animal. They were approaching him slowly and respectfully, endeavoring to gauge his strength and at the same time trying to tempt him into action. We moved all through the day, nearer and nearer to Iwo Jima. Planes from the carrier force came from beyond the horizon, peeling off
through the clouds and diving toward the
an occasional burst of automatic
enemy was very
listless.
fire
Our minesweeps,
began operating very close to the near them, but that was soldier to
As
show
the day
large ashore. assault
his
all.
air strip;
but except for
and a few black dots of
island.
small,
chunky
flak, the
vessels,
There were a few splashes
The Japanese commander was too good
a
hand.
wore on, we crowded close and objects loomed very
You
could see the coal-black
strip of
beach where our
waves would land, and the sea broke on the rusting
a few old wrecks.
Above
read about, mounting
the beach were the gray terraces
in gradual,
uneven steps
hulls of
we had
to the air strip. Beside
928
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
the air strip there
was a tangle
of an
Empire
smashed by our bombings
of planes,
on a city dump. To the north were the quarries which had been mentioned by the Intelligence. You could see caves to the south on Mount Suribachi. We and pushed carelessly
aside, like rubbish
were very close for a battleship and we knew the enemy had 8-inch
We
coast defense guns. aircraft life
upon
then
continued
We
the island.
we turned
and
at pillboxes
firing
emplacements, but there was no return
fire
stayed there until the light grew dim, and
to leave the area until next morning.
Twelve hours of
standing on the bridge and the concussion of the guns
We
very tired.
at anti-
and no trace of
everyone
left
must have done some damage but not enough
to
hurt. It
was
different the next
work
returned to the dull
Today
the sky
closed
more
When we
force
was obviously moving
"We're going
beach with small
craft,"
an
to guess
where the LCI's had come from,
not been with us yesterday
—but
had broken through the cloud
The heavy
ships
destroyers edged their
ceiling
craft with
with kapok
life
for
The sun
once the sea was almost
line, firing
methodically.
Two
past us and took positions nearer shore.
them," and he gave the
identified.
and
had formed a
way
had
for they
there they were just behind us, on
"Here come the LCI's," someone were
officer
the LCI's will strafe the terraces with rockets."
time and on order, like everything else in amphibious war.
blue.
that
into position.
to reconnoiter the
"And
The schedule showed
toward the middle of the morning, and the
to be a diversion
was hard
minus two.
was waiting with the dawn.
confidently with the shore.
was
It
—D-day
was clearer and the sea was smoother, and the ships
there
explained.
morning
the island
said.
initials
"You can
see the small
by which the small boats
They were small open launches, manned by crews jackets. They were twisting and turning nervously as
came to join the LCI's. "Where are they going in those things?" I asked. "They are going to see what there is along the beach," my friend answered. "Someone has to see." He spoke reprovingly, as though I should have known the routine that had been followed again and they
again in the Pacific.
Eight or ten LCI's
among
—
it
was
difficult to
count them
—were
passing
the battleships, with their crews at their battle stations.
They
were small vessels that had never been designed for heavy combat.
They had been
built only to carry infantry ashore, but in the Pacific
they were being put to
all
sorts of other uses
—
as
messenger ships to
Iwo Jima Before H-Hour do odd jobs
for the fleet, as gunboats,
and as rocket
round tower amidships where the commanding
had open platforms with
light
Each had
ships.
officer stood.
automatic guns, and
also fitted with brackets for the rockets.
929
now
a
Each
they were
They were high and narrow,
about a hundred feet overall, dabbed with orange and green paint
in
They were a long way from jungle shores, howmoved toward the beach of Iwo Jima. Suddenly the scene took concrete shape. They would approach
jungle camouflage. ever, as they
within a quarter of a mile of shore under the cover of our guns.
Without any further protection their crews stood motionless
at their
stations.
Afterward a gunner from one of the LCI's spoke about "If
we looked
so
still,"
death. But then everyone
he said,
had
"it
it.
was because we were scared
told us there
was nothing
to
to be scared
They told us the Japs never bothered to fire at LCI's." They were wrong this time, probably because the small craft that followed gave the maneuver the appearance of a landing. For minutes the LCI's moved in and nothing happened. They had turned broadof.
around them like water enemy tipped his hand and opened up his batteries. Then it became clear that nothing we had done so far had contributed materially to softening Iwo Jima. The LCI's were surrounded with spurts of water, and spray and smoke. They twisted and backed side to the beach, with small boats circling
beetles, before the
to avoid the fire, but they could not get away. It all
yards
off,
directly
own bows. The
seemed only a few
beneath our guns. Then splashes appeared
big ships themselves were under
off
our
fire.
"The so-and-so has taken a hit," someone said. "There are casualon the such-and-such." He was referring to the big ships, but at
ties
the
moment
LCI's just
it
did not seem important. All you thought of were the
beach.
off the
We
were inching into
line
with the destroy-
ers.
had disregarded the
when we had been ordered to withdraw we order, and thus all at once we were in a war of
our own, slugging
out with the shore. There had been a great deal
It
appeared
later that
of talk about our
it
gunnery and the training of our crews. There was no
doubt that they knew their business when they began
firing
with
The 14-inch guns and the 5-inch batteries were firing as fast as they could load. The breeze from the shore blew the smoke up to the bridge in bilious clouds. The shore line of Iwo Jima became cloaked in white smoke as we threw in phosphorus. Even our 40-millimeters began to fire. It was hard to judge the lapse everything that could bear.
—
930
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
of time, but the LCI's
must have
End
of an
Empire
rockets according to the
let off their
schedule while the Japanese were blintled by the smoke and counterfire.
When
was the
we
the LCI's began to withdraw,
first
also
mistake the enemy had made,
revealing those batteries, for the next day
if
moved
off slowly. It
was
it
a mistake
was mainly occupied
in
knocking them out.
The LCI's were limping back. One
of
them was
and small
listing
boats were taking off her crew. Another was asking permission to
come
alongside.
When
she reached us the sun was beating on the
shambles of her decks. There was blood on the main deck, making widening pools as she rolled on the sluggish
A
sea.
dead man on a
gun platform was covered by a blanket. The decks were
littered
with
wounded. They were being strapped on wire stretchers and passed up to us over the side, since nothing as small as
an LCI had
wounded. The men who were unhurt were talking quietly, but tall,
no one was
smiling.
facilities for
lighting cigarettes
The commanding
officer
and
was
bare-headed, and blond, and he looked very young. Occasionally
he gave an order and then he, also, lighted a cigarette.
began to hose
off the
they
blood on the deck, the crew must have asked for
fresh water, because our
men, gathered by the
began tossing
rail,
down canteens. Then there was a call from our bridge. "Can you proceed under your own power?" The blond CO looked up. He evidently had not the question
When
heard, because
was repeated.
"Can you proceed under your own power?"
"We
can't proceed
anywhere for three days," the
—
CO
said.
—
They had passed up the wounded seventeen of them and then they passed up five stretchers with the dead twenty-two out of a crew of about
"That
—
sixty.
officer
ought to get a medal,"
I
said to
someone on
the
Navy,"
I
was
off
two
bridge.
"They don't
give medals for things like that in the
told. It
may
be
so,
but
I still
hope he
gets the medal.
That evening the Japanese reported that they had beaten landings on
Iwo Jima and
ing a battleship this, since
LCI was
that they
had sunk numerous
craft, includ-
and a destroyer. There was a certain basis of
what had happened must have looked
fact in
like a landing.
One
sinking, waiting for a demolition charge, as disregarded as a
floating can.
After the reconnaissance of the beach had been accomplished, the
I
I
wo Jima
Before H-Hour
931
pounding of Iwo Jima continued through the afternoon and through
bomb
the whole next day. Planes dove in with
up
ships kept
were
dumped on the
air.
their steady fire.
continued
called,
a
loads, while the ring of
At night the "cans,"
harassing
fire.
as the destroyers
Incendiary
bombs were
the slopes of Suribachi. Rockets were thrown at
Fourteen-inch shells pounded into
its
batteries.
The
starboard of us attacked the battery to the north on the quarry.
The
earth
from
it
ship to
the
lip of
was blown away, exposing the naked concrete gun
emplacements, but now that the novelty had worn repetition of previous hours.
The scene grew
dull
off
it
and very
was
all
a
fatiguing,
but the voices on the radio loudspeaker continued tirelessly.
"Dauntless reports a contact. to
.
.
.
Bulldog
any of our pigeons that may need
repeat:
Did you
get our message? Over.
is
ready to give a drink
Audacity One to Tiger
it.
—
." .
.
The island lay still, taking it. No visible life appeared until the last day, when an installation was blown up and a few men staggered out from it. Some of us on the bridge saw them and some did not.
One Japanese
ran a few steps and seemed to stop and stoop to pick
up something. Then he was gone.
We
had probably seen him dying.
The Japanese commander was playing his cards revealing no more targets by opening fire. It was had
his
plan, less complicated than ours,
damage our heavy
close to his chest, clear that he also
but rational.
ships, but he could not sink
He
might
them, or conceivably
He had clearly concluded his men and weapons under
prevent the inevitable landing.
to wait
take his punishment, to keep
cover, until
and
our assault waves were on the beach. Then he would do his best to drive
them
off,
He
his crossfire
on the
have succeeded
embedded
at Iwo knows it was not such a bad come so far from doing it when he opened up beach. Some pessimists even admit that he might
and everyone
plan, either.
did not
if
it
had not been
for that coarse, light
sand which
the mortar shells as they struck, so that they only killed
what was very near them. of D-Day minus one our task force was still there, many new additions, but it was different the next morning. At dawn on D-Day the waters of Iwo looked like New York harbor on a
At the end
without
busy morning. The transports were there with three divisions of
Marines
—
a semicircle of gray shipping seven miles out. Inside that
gray arc the sea, turned choppy by the unsettled weather, was dotted
by an alphabet soup of
There were
fleets of
gators; there were
ships.
LST's
filled
with amphibious tanks and
alli-
LSM's; there were the smaller LCT's, and packs of
932
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
LCI's gathering about the tighter.
kill.
The
ring of warships
Small boats were moving out bearing
ing points from which the landing
Hollywood production, except
flags to
waves would
that
was a
it
Empire
of an
was drawing
mark
leave. It
the rally-
looked
like a
three-billion-, not a three-
must have been as many as eight Iwo Jima, not counting the small boats and crew faced it without surprise. In-
million-dollar extravaganza. There
hundred ships clustered being lowered.
The
off
officers
stead they pointed out small incidents and
"See the LCVP's," someone said.
made
He was
critical
remarks.
pointing out the tiny
dots around the transports where the landing craft were loading. "They'll be
moving
working without a o'clock exactly the
into position. hitch,
was
It
all
with H-hour not so far away. At nine
assault
first
Here come the planes."
wave was due
before that Iwo Jima was due to receive
to hit the beach, but
its final
polishing. Its eight
we could pour
square miles were waiting to take everything
them, and they must have already received a heavier weight of
into fire
than any navy in the world had previously concentrated upon so small an area.
Anyone who has been there can shut his eyes and see the place more aesthetically ugly than on D-Day morning, or more completely Japanese. Its silhouette was like a sea mon-
again. It never looked
dead volcano for the head, and the beach area
ster with the little
and
the neck,
body.
It also
the rest of
all
it
with
its
scrubby,
brown
for
for the
cliffs
had the minute, fussy compactness of those miniature
Japanese gardens.
Its
stones and rocks were like those contorted,
wind-scoured, water-worn boulders which the Japanese love to collect as landscape decorations. "I later, "that
An
we
hour before H-hour
being dished out to
motion
as
hope
to
don't get to go on any
its soil
it.
it
God,"
more
was
firing
wounded Marine
shook and winced
said
as
it
took what was
In fact, the whole surface of the island was in
was churned by our
the carrier planes that were swooping
ship
a
of those screwy islands."
shells
and by the bombs from
down
across
its
back. Every
with a rising tempo, salvo after salvo, with no more
Iwo Jima was concealing The haze of battle had become
waiting for the shellburst to subside. Finally itself
in its
own
debris and dust.
palpable, and the island was temporarily lost in a gray fog.
"The LST's
are letting
down
their
ramps," someone
There could not have been a better place
said.
to observe the
whole
spectacle than from the air lookout station above the bridge, but there
was too much
to see.
Only an observer familiar with the
art
and
—
I
wo Jima
Before H-Hour
933
theory of amphibious warfare could possibly have unraveled
and an ordinary witness could only give
threads,
all
the
as inaccurate an
account as the innocent bystander gives to circumstances surrounding
on the
a killing
street.
There was no time any longer
to ask questions
or to digest kindly professional explanations. All the facts that one
had learned from the
The LST's had
let
secret
documents were confused by the
down
their
which they had carried were splashing through the water,
Watching them,
chines from a production
line.
ing to a chief petty officer
who was
I
ma-
like
found myself speak-
standing next to me.
world having kittens,"
"It's like all the cats in the
reality.
ramps and the amphibious vehicles
and the
said,
I
idea appeared to interest him.
The amphibious
organized themselves in
moved
leaders
up the sea
vehicles, churning lines,
each
out to the floating
fixed areas
the
around which they gathered
move
circling groups, waiting for their signal to
own
circles,
Then
line following its leader.
flags,
landing craft with the Marines had before for their
foaming
into
ashore.
the transports
left
and they also were
in
The gray some time
circling,
like
runners testing their muscles before the race.
The barrage which had
been working over the beach area had
and the beach, with the
smoldering terraces above first
It
wave to be starting. was hard to pick the
it,
was
first
lifted,
visible again. It
wave out
its
and kept on
wave on Iwo Jima
had landed the
first
more than
A YARD-BY-YARD and
ing air
fire
the beachhead
made
—
line
a dash for
follow-
was it.
parallel.
The Navy
nine o'clock on the dot
at
few seconds after nine.
FIGHT, WITH
THE NAVY PROVID-
support as needed, the Marines
moved
in
from
slow stages, using flamethrowers and grenades.
in
Robert Sherrod,
a
whole
until the
the boats turned individually and
or, at least, not
IN
its circle,
leader in a dash toward shore. Close to land the leader turned
parallel to the beach,
Then
for the
in that sea of milling craft,
but suddenly a group of the barges broke loose from ing
was time
whom we met
Tarawa,
briefly
described the
scene the next morning as seen from his foxhole:
"Whether the
at
dead were Japs or Americans, they died with the greatest possible violence.
bodies.
Nowhere
Many were
in the Pacific
war have
I
seen such badly mangled
cut squarely in half. Legs and arms lay 50 feet
934
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
from any body. In one spot on the sand, of dead,
saw a
I
in
.
from the nearest .
.
The
April
cluster
smell of burning
.
.
manner Iwo Jima was secured one month
In this late
far
string of guts 15 feet 'long ."
was heavy
flesh
Empire
of an
pockets of resistance were
isolated
later,
although
being en-
still
countered.
Operation "Iceberg"
weeklong
for a
— Okinawa—was
series of air strikes
next. Strategic plans called
by Mitscher, as well as by B-29s
based in the Marianas, to support the amphibious operations of GenBuckner's Tenth
eral
before,
the
brilliant
Army and tactician
General Geiger's
Corps.
III 'Phib
As
Turner commanded the Navy's am-
L-Day (D-Day) was set for April 1, and the pre-invasion bombardment began eight days earlier as the Navy brought up two bombardment groups. Actually there were two invasions the second at Keramo Retto, a small group of islands off phibious forces under Spruance.
—
Okinawa.
Okinawa on one
some
Nansei Shoto, or Ryukyus, with the Pacific
in the
and the East China Sea on the
of
hundred and fifty square miles, the Nansei Shoto are a drowned volcanic islands numbering about one hundred
forty in
all.
Of
these
about three hundred and culture
Its
is
Okinawa, fifty
centrally located in the group, lies
miles from China, Japan and Formosa.
predominantly Japanese and Chinese. The island was
annexed by the enemy, and
At
other. Sprawling over
eight
series
and
lies
side
the time of the
fortified
by him.
Okinawa invasion Japan launched
the second
phase of her deadly kamikaze attacks, which had been started on a small scale at Leyte Gulf. While hunting targets in and around Japan, several ships of Mitscher's
19 carriers
Wasp and Franklin were
Hancock, maneuvering
On March
Task Force 58 were attacked.
to escape a
hit,
the latter seriously. Carrier
kamikaze, crashed into destroyer
Halsey Powell. Nevertheless tough, taciturn Mitscher continued to send
off his air strikes
without interruption, and his pilots managed to
Yamato lying alongside a pier at Kobe. At he switched targets to Okinawa and adjacent islands during
spot the superbattleship his option
the
week preceding L-Day.
Two
days before the landings,
UDTs
went into
frogmen present was Edward T. Higgins, whose
action.
UDT
One
1 1
of the
debarked
from the destroyer transport Kline. His account begins the previous day, while he
was
still
aboard the stripped-down
ues through to the invasion.
tin can,
and contin-
EDWARD
HIGGINS
T.
14.
OKINAWATRIPLE EXPOSURE
At 1900 Lieutenant States and gave us our orders for 30. Together with
UDT
on the
called a huddle
the next day,
we were to clear the beaches selected for Red 3 and Blue and 2, with approxiRoger Hour would be at 0930 in the morn16
the troop landings, Beaches
mately 1,200 obstacles.
fantail of the Kline
Love Day minus two, March
1
ing.
We
started immediately to prepare our demolition charges.
Each
charge consisted of one two-and-one-half block of Tetrytol. Around
each block we wrapped a piece of prima cord and tied special demolition knot, leaving about to
two and one-half
run from the block up to the master trunk
wrapped,
in addition to the
line.
it
with a
feet of
cord
Each block was
prima cord, with a length of
soft wire
with dangling ends to be used to fasten the charge to the obstacle.
each charge was completed of fabric
it
was inserted
in a
As
"Schantz pack," a sort
apron with four individual packets to carry the charges. The
Schantz pack was then tied to a flotation bladder and set aside ready for use in the morning. In addition to the
fuses
had
to
1400 charges, dozens of
be wired, crimped and waterproofed. All the work had to
be done in the small space afforded
took turns, officers and
men
in the
ammunition magazine.
together, working in the
while, then going topside for briefing
We
magazine for a
on the demolition operation.
These beaches were unfamiliar
to us,
charts like the crew of the Santa
Maria looking for
and we studied the maps and India.
935
936
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
of an
Empire
Chart room, powder magazine, smqke, coffee, smoke, coffee, powder magazine, chart room, remember, repeat, check, locate, smoke, coffee, until at 3:00 a.m. we finished and sacked in for the little time we had left. It was already dawn. Across the water we could hear the General Quarters bells of the nearby ships as they heralded the arrival of the day's
Kamikaze planes coming
first
the Emperor's respects to the United States
were allowed
UDT
to sleep
For the
through General Quarters on our
was back on deck
1 1
fleet.
0600 loading the swimming gear in
at
engines and radios and getting
first
own
to
pay
time
we
ship.
boats, checking the
Our
order.
part of
the demolition assignment consisted of the north half of the area
covered by the three beaches, comprising about 650 yards of beach
and an estimated 600 10 to 12 inches
The
obstacles were
hardwood
posts
sand and coral and
and reinforced with barbed wire. The area assigned
interlaced
Team
obstacles.
in diameter, pile-driven into the
16, the south half,
was
substantially the same.
As
to
the readying
operation progressed, our planes could be heard diving and strafing the shore with machine-gun
fire
and rockets. Then the
and the guns began pounding, harder and harder, until the
sound of the planes was
lost
fleet
faster
moved
and
in
faster,
and the bombardment of the
previous day paled by comparison.
As we the
finished our final briefing
LCP(R)s
popular song,
through the about
As
the record player "I'll
men
Be Seeing You."
It
sent such a
for the approaching swim,
ing the bitter cold water
and the
leg
wear the top
my
half of
would add some weight when wet but cold. Naturally,
I
created a sensation
worked
welcome coming
Two
respite
my
as
hoped
I
it
it
kept remember-
chill of
the water,
would take the edge
when I
came up on deck
I
I
will
off the
in
my
could stand the ribbing
from the wisecracks, suggestions and
way, and
I It
if
would. The song, however, brought a
always remember
it
invitations
with gratitude.
boats were going into the beach with demolition swimmers,
and one would stand by with a reserve crew 1
I
long woolen underwear.
chaste garment and climbed into the boat. the idea
me
cramps of the previous day.
Casting about for some method of reducing the to
of nostalgia
costume.
had made ready
had decided
wave
that for a few minutes they even stopped ribbing
my swimming I
on team assignments and boarded
on the Kline was playing a currently
in case of trouble.
and 2 each carried three seven-man teams, including one
chief to a team.
No.
Boats
officer or
4, the reserve boat, carried ten reserve
swim-
Okinawa Each
mers.
of the
first
two boats
—
937
Triple Exposure
one
also carried
UDT
observer and
one from the Marine Corps, and the third boat carried Lieutenant
commanding
States,
UDT
the overall
At Roger Hour, 0930, Boats line
toward the beach. As we went
until
it
400 yards
operation.
the fire from the fleet increased
in,
at
wake
ahead we went
us. Straight
of the obstacles in the surf.
went over the side and groups
1 1
and 2 went through the destroyer
reached a crescendo that threatened to
water around
the
1
the very air and
split
until the
Then
boats were within
the demolition packs
them the swimmers,
after
stringing out in
100-yard intervals as the course curved along the beach. As of the boat flattened in the chill water,
we picked up our
Schantz packs by the web straps trailing from the flotation bladders
doomed sons of Nippon. Each swimmer except the trunk-line men towed five packs of charges of about 50 pounds of concentrated explosive. The trunk-line men, two crews of three men and one officer each, towed packs and kicked our
flippers in the direction of the
loaded with prima cord to be used line
in stringing the
master detonating
along the tops of the obstacles above the water
Any
line.
stray
shot hitting one of the charges or one of the prima-cord reels would
have effectively blasted the careers of of which
we became
all
the
swimmers around, a
increasingly and acutely aware as
fact
we neared our
target.
UDT
The fore us
16 swimmers reached their unloading zone shortly be-
and we could see them enter
their demolition area
and begin
work as we neared our obstacles. For some reason they had started some 200 yards north of the center line marking the division of the beach between Teams 1 and 6. But that was their problem and we 1
concentrated on our
1
own
as sniper
and machine-gun
fire
began
to
reach out from the shore in our direction.
We
fanned out
Japs. Their
fire
in the
was
water to reduce the size of the targets for the
getting hotter as
50
obstacles were only about
and machine-gun Several times
thinking that
I
I
nests,
saw
to
we
must be
60 yards from some of
my
their pillboxes
immediate
vicinity,
and
path of a fixed machine gun or auto-
in the sort,
my
I
veered to the
ear, "Higgins, old
left.
But the splashes
Then boy, someone
followed, coming closer with each burst of
voice whispered in
upon the beach. The
almost pointblank range for a blind man.
bullet splashes in
matic weapon of some
closed
fire.
a small calm is
shooting at
you!" Zigzagging frantically,
I
swam
near
Norm
Elliott,
my buddy
from
938
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
my
Fort Pierce days,
End
pal of long standing.
were shoving a floating mine
Empire
of an
He
reacted as though
I
Churning furiously
hfs" direction.
in
away from me, he yelled over his shoulder: "You son of a bitch, get away from here with that Goddam white sweat shirt! Do you want to get us
all
My fact,
killed?"
That brought the dawn.
cute idea for keeping
me know
that
book. For seconds
my
it
I
my
If
team-
I
didn't.
was impossible. Even
if I
me down,
hardware weighting
charges riding just
and be damned.
my
aft of
If I
to let their
debated trying to disrobe in the water, but could accomplish the feat with
I
all
stopping for even a minute would
leave a target even the Japs couldn't miss.
I
wonderfully well. In
had bargained.
They were doing their best my long underwear was a howling success in
mates shunned me, the Japs
knew
warm was working
was making things hotter than
it
The
five
packs of Tetrytol
was swim
stern clinched the argument. It
could reach the nearest obstacle and keep hidden
And
might have a chance.
made
I
ducking and dodging, under
it,
and out of water, praying and gasping for breath, jerking the Schantz packs erratically through the water.
The
others
made
all
safely, too,
it
and we
rested for a minute,
all
clinging to the obstacle posts, letting the Schantz packs snag to a halt in the
maze
of barbed wire.
a thunderous tattoo.
Our
the Japs in their holes
LCI(G)s
little
Over our heads
ships
if
the
shells
and bombs could do the
lay in close behind us, their 20-
and .50-caliber machine guns pumping
Beyond
forth across their grid patterns,
the destroyers were the cruisers
to
keep
trick.
The
as they fired
them the destroyers slamming three- and
five-inch shells in arithmetical pattern into the jungle line.
drummed
and 40mm. quads
rhythm
in perfect
scant feet over our heads at the beach. Behind
worked back and
support
fire
and planes seemed determined
above the shore
and battlewagons salvo-
ing their six-, eight- and sixteen-inch guns in great bursts of
made and
their land targets
debris.
The
shells
jump and
TBM
that
from the sixteen-inch guns sounded above the
screaming and whining of the smaller shattered air like
fire
quiver, erupting in clouds of dust
runaway
freight cars.
shells,
Over
rumbling through the
all
the
F6F fighters and own individual
torpedo bombers from the carriers added their
tones to the murderous symphony, loosing their bombs, rockets and
machine guns barely above the heads of the entrenched enemy. The sound of the Jap small arms and mortar
We
could
spot their positions only
fire
was
lost in the shuffle.
by watching the splashes,
handfuls of pebbles tossed in the water around us.
like
Okinawa
We
939
Triple Exposure
began our demolition operation with the trunk-line crews
one
ing,
—
at either
start-
prima cord along the
end of our beach,
to string
Each post had
be attached individually to the
tops of the posts.
to
trunk-line so that the connecting line from the charge at the base
could be tied
worked on
swimmers except those on the trunk-line
All
in.
detail
and
fixing the charges at the bases of the obstacle posts
running the prima-cord leads up to the trunk
from the shore,
all
line
crossing from post to post
To
above.
avoid
fire
was done underwater.
Swimmers came up to breathe only when they were safely behind a post. The pattern had been drilled into us by many months of rebottom of the
hearsal: dive to the
post, fix the charge with the soft
metal wire twisted around the post, surface behind the post with the
prima-cord lead,
the lead into the trunk line, dive underwater to
tie
the next post and repeat, repeat until
charges connected to the trunk
all
the posts were tied and
all
Charges properly placed would
line.
throw the obstacles into the laps of the Japs on the beach. The one flaw in the schedule
was the
men down
inability of the trunk-line
ahead of the crews placing charges. This slowed us
enough
The
UDT
to upset the ov<:r-all timing of the
to
keep
but not
team operation.
center line dividing our stretch of beach from that assigned
16 was marked by the burial vaults of the
the low
cliffs
faces of the
above the shore
line.
and were
for countless ages
cliffs
Okinawa
natives in
These vaults had been dug into the clearly visible
from the
beach. In addition to serving us as markers, they were serving the
Japs as machine-gun and sniper nests and undoubtedly would have
provided excellent box seats for observing our operations, had our protective
fire
particularly
been
when
less efficient.
UDT
1
While watching them for enemy
Team
that
We
had noted these markers before,
6 had started work 200 yards off the center. fire
during our operations,
16 had pulled out to sea within minutes after
placing charges. Since
we prided
ourselves on our
we noted we began
own speed
in ac-
tion,
we could only conclude that something had gone radically
wrong
in their area. Speculation ran
fixing the charges
and
of the surf to keep
keep
his white
to
and swimming,
from being smashed
slashed by the barbed wire.
swimming back
through our minds as we worked,
tying-in, diving
fighting the roll
against the posts or cut and
By 1030 we had
finished
our boats, Artful Dodger Higgins
still
and were trying to
underwear from offering too tempting a target to the
Jap snipers. At 1035 we were safely aboard the LCP(R)s, except for
one
officer
and one man from each of the trunk-line crews standing
940
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
Empire
of an
by on the reef as trigger men, awaiting, the, order from the commander of
UDT operations
to
A
fire.
check by
officers
and
chiefs in charge of
the crews which were laying charges indicated that about
had been
400 yards
laid along
beach had been openings
own
left
The
of beach.
400 charges
other 250 yards of
by the Japs to provide channels for their
boats.
When
the firing signal
picked up the reported that
was
Boat No.
given,
At 1043
firing party.
UDT
of the obstacles in the
all
demolished but that few,
closed the reef and
1
the charges detonated. Observers 11
area had been
any, of the charges in the
if
UDT
16 area
had detonated. This confirmed our suspicion that something had gone
wrong with Team 16 Boats boat,
1
No.
shortly after they reached their objective.
and 2 returned 4,
to the Kline immediately, but the reserve
was dispatched
and mark Brown Beach No.
to locate
areas in the vicinity south of
three shoal water 4.
Two LCI(G)s
were sent along as convoy and, together with a cruiser stationed
men
the area, gave the
cover
them with buoys and the gear flying a red
the day before
boarding the ship.
We
the shoals, two of
we
by 1400 and shortly thereafter
finished
were back aboard the Kline with
As on
marked
third with a stranded piece of mine-sweeping
They
flag.
they
fire as
in
UDT
1 1
still
intact.
reported to Intelligence immediately after
were
and greasy from the debris and
dirty
slime churned up in the water by the mortar shells, but
we stood
there
and dripped while we gave reports and observations on the shore terrain, the
Jap shore pillboxes and
who would
interest to those
and other items of
fortifications
direct troop landings within the next
forty-eight hours.
we were excused and scrambled for the showers. Under the soothing, relaxing flow of water we talked about the events of the day. The excitement of the previous day was gone; we were veterans now, and we discussed the success cf our own After the Intelligence reports,
operation, the questionable success of
which
I
and the
my
white wool underwear,
swore under pain of capital punishment never to wear again, few of us had suffered muscle cramps from the icy
fact that
water, a circumstance
we
credited to the long exposure of the day
before and to the shorter length of time in the water on this mission. Particularly
we
their operation.
that
two of
felt
We
their
sorry for the
men
of
UDT
1
6 for the failure of
heard via scuttlebutt, after boarding the Kline,
men had been
shot through the head by snipers
almost immediately after they entered the obstacle area. While
this
Okinawa might have been due to carelessness fire, it still
in
—
941
Triple Exposure
exposing themselves to enemy
should not have caused the team to break and leave their
assignment, which
it
apparently had. Nevertheless,
we
felt
sorry for
them and hoped
that none of the reports was true, that there was a more understandable reason for their failure. We had noon chow and retired to our bunks, trying to get some rest. We got very little. Our ship was under way, squirming, dodging and turning as the entire bay came under the heaviest Kamikaze attack to date. The Japs knew by now that plans were in motion for an invasion of Okinawa and they were doing their damndest to put as many ships out of commission as possible. The General Quarters bell rang constantly, eliminating any possibility of sleep. So we just smoked and talked. We knew that our skipper, Lieutenant States, had gone over to the invasion control ship, the USS Estes, and we wondered what new assignment was coming up. We wondered until about five o'clock in
better,
the afternoon. Lieutenant States didn't return then but
word on our next operation we were :
to return to
we
got the
Beaches Blue
1
and
Blue 2 on the next day to complete the demolition of the obstacles
which
UDT
16 had failed to remove. Roger
Our sympathy in
for
UDT
on the same beaches
and we knew
it.
6
the Nips
expected told that
0900.
day was asking for
had had time
to familiarize
it,
them-
and method of operation and would be ready
and waiting, knowing that we would have clear the obstacles
set for
zero reading at that point. Going
hit a
for the third straight
By now
selves with our style
1
Hour was
to
make another attempt
from the remainder of the landing beach.
Team 1 6 to clear up its own detail, and we had been handed the hot potato.
Before our resentment got too hot,
Team
it
We
was a shock
16's officers
to
had
to
be
came aboard
They were such wonderful guys and so we couldn't stay mad. Besides, we had too much work to do. In addition to the long briefing sessions there were a thousand charges to be made up to brief us
on
their beaches.
obviously sorry and apologetic about the whole thing that
together with the fuses, prima-cord lines and detonators. of flotation bladders and
packs.
We
had
to
had
We
to use life belts to carry the
ran out
Schantz
go over our boats and check our operational gear.
The pattern followed that of the night before. It was after midnight when we finished, tired, full of strong black coffee and stuffy from too many cigarettes. From midnight until 0200 we went over the entire schedule with the boat and swimming crews who would be in action
942
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
of an
morning. The third platoon had been
in the
Jameson taking
Our men were
half
and me,
an acting
as
Empire
split in half
with Frank
chief, taking the other half.
good men, well trained and fire-hardened by now,
all
but so great was our anxiety over the next day's work that
We
even try to sleep.
dawn and then went on
until
we
didn't
drank more coffee and smoked more cigarettes deck, watching the fight against the
kamikazes overhead and trying to hold down our mounting tension.
A few of us did hit the sacks and were as the
Kamikaze
attacks mounted.
Breakfast was oatmeal and
stomach was sore from holding edge.
was
thing
it
nauseated
in the tension
much about
didn't think
I
cigarettes
excused from General Quarters
me
to look at
and
my
My
it.
nerves were on
believing that the coffee and
it,
were responsible, and went back on deck to see that everyorder and ready to go.
in
At 0815 Lieutenant team on the
States returned to the Kline
fantail for a last-minute
We
the
UDTs.
fins
and goggles
sat
as
and stood around
morning, April
1,
in
our swimming trunks, swim
we heard something we
Troop landings
to be done!
in force
and gathered the
message from the commander of already knew: this job had
were scheduled for the following
Love Day, Easter Sunday. The beaches had
to
be
open!
Ten minutes
As on
were
after Lieutenant States finished talking, the boats
lowered and we went over the
side.
the previous day, the barrage from the ships and carrier
planes was tremendous.
blanket of
fire,
shells
We moved
under what seemed a
in
solid
screaming, shrieking and rumbling over our
heads toward the beach. The Japs, too, seemed to realize the imporfire
was heavier than
to their
machine guns and
tance of our final demolition assault. Their before,
and they had added heavier guns
mortars. In the caves above the beach,
mounted on
the ships. Their snipers
as
we dropped
offshore. Hastily gathering us,
we
fire
from
either
more
before. Splashes were kicking
into the
ocean 300 to 500 yards
up our quotas of Schantz packs
struck out for the obstacles
were bobbing and ducking
in the
in evasive action against the cliffs
see light artillery
and automatic-weapons men were
numerous or braver than they had been up around our boats around
we could
tracks running in and out as they returned the
water as the
Jap gunners
floating
ahead. Around me heads
men
firing
dived and surfaced
from the
trees
and
on the shore.
Behind us the LCP(R)s stayed place behind the
LCI(G)
line.
in close rather
The commanding
than in their usual officer of
UDT
16
Okinawa was
in the
16
doing
officers,
all in
943
Triple Exposure
No. 4 Boat with our CO., and each of the other boats
carried an officer observer from
Team
—
their
UDT
We
16.
having fouled out on their
power
had
own
to help us finish the job.
to
admit that the
time at bat, were
The small LCP(R)s,
including Boat No. 5 carrying ten reserve swimmers, stayed out in the
open, exposed to enemy guns during the entire time
we were mining
knowing they were backing us up,
the obstacles. Just
exposing themselves, and calling for spot harrassing us, helped
make our
against Jap strongholds
job easier. six officers, in the
water as we
The assignments duplicated those
of yesterday,
There were forty men, including closed the obstacles.
fire
deliberately
with the trunk-line crews starting to string prima-cord from opposite
ends of the beach toward the center and the charges and obstacles. the start.
A
The
working with the
rest
trunk-line crews ran into trouble right at
few gaps had been blown
in the obstacle patterns the
day before and the extra swimming required more time than we had anticipated. Otherwise
when we
we worked
as before, hiding
behind the posts
surfaced, diving between posts, fighting the undertow of the
surf that constantly tried to
maze
to ensnare us in the
Enemy
of barbed wire.
we reached our destination and for some bombardment kept enemy minimum. From 0930 on, however, Japs began moving
fire
diminished as
forty-five minutes, activity to a
bash our brains out against the posts or
our naval and airplane
about in the area of the burial vaults. Taking advantage of a
our own bombardment, they began to pour Snipers,
fire
machine guns, mortars and the small track guns
opened up with
a vengeance.
lull in
around our heads. in the caves
Our operation slowed almost
to a halt
as bullets and shells thudded into the posts over our heads
splashed in the water around our obstacle shields.
keep
had
still
to
and too hot
and held
still
to
of
close as water depth target for the
It
was too cold
4, carrying the skippers of its
own.
It
to
—moved because we
because moving meant drawing enemy
Behind us Boat No.
was having trouble
move, so we did both
and
fire.
Teams 16 and
had been patrolling the beach
would permit and offered a
nice, fat,
11,
as
tempting
Jap gunners. Lieutenant States immediately radioed for
heavier support
fire
from the
fleet to
cover an area 100 to 150 yards
inland along the entire operational area. For the next twenty minutes all hell
broke loose. The whole beach blew sky high. Rocks,
sand and earth
filled
shell clipped a tree
the air and blotted out the sun.
One
trees,
five-inch
growing near the beach. As the tree separated
about half-way up the trunk we could see a body blown from the
944
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
upper branches describe a crazy cartwheel and debris below.
At
fall
and
into the dust
one sniper wouldift bother us any more.
least
The increased wrapped the job
Empire
of an
fire
enabled us to -resume work on schedule and we
up.
At Roger plus 87, 1027, the charge tie-ins and had been double checked by Allen Hopper
the trunk-line connections
and Art Golden of the trunk-line crews, and
LCP(R)s
picked up by the
command
the
to
except the firing parties standing by for
Snipers were
fire.
seen around the trigger
men
swimmers had been
all
and splashes could be
firing
still
ducked and bobbed
as they
in the water.
At Roger plus 100, 1040, the charges were detonated. LCP(R) 4 immediately patrolled the area, reporting to the commander that sub-
had been demolished, the
stantially all obstacles
remained constituting no hazard to landing
five
or six posts that
craft or tanks.
In this
operation over 1,000 charges were carried to the obstacles and
all
had been detonated. In addition, 50 or more others salvaged from the previous day's work had been tied-in and used. In
its
two days of operations,
UDT
1 1
beach of nearly 1,400 obstacles. The
seemed almost miraculous. Three
ties
some 1,300 yards of we suffered no casual-
cleared
fact that
were credited for
factors
this:
we had been covered by accurate and intense fire from our ships and planes, we had kept undercover while working on the obstacles, and last,
but most appreciated, the Japs were incredibly lousy marksmen.
In spite of the success of our demolition,
During the
last several
minutes
was
I
in the water, I
far
from happy.
had been bothered by
nausea and intermittent stomach cramps. Believing that the coffee, cigarettes, tension sible I
and lack of sleep of the past few days were respon-
had not worried particularly and had kept working
job was finished.
The swim back
cramps increased and contents of
my
stomach
I
choked
the boats
to
to
until the
was rough
as
the
keep from adding the meager
to the already fouled water.
As
I
flipped into
LCP(R) I knew I The boat crew grabbed me, pulled me in, and two-ounce bottle of brandy into my eager hands.
the rubber boat and climbed over the side of the
was about
finished.
shoved the standard It
was no
me
go.
The
smell of the usually
welcome
liquid almost turned
my
trouble was serious.
inside out.
For the
Any
time
first I
time
it
occurred to
me
couldn't enjoy a drink of brandy
in ice-cold water,
had whispered
in
after
an hour and a half
something was wrong. The small calm voice that
my
ear about the shooting during the long under-
wear episode spoke again, saying, "This
you refuse
that
is
the end, Higgins.
a drink, old boy, you're finished. Lie
Anytime
down now and
lie
Okinawa The
quietly.
work
others have
to do."
—
945
Triple Exposure
took the advice and slipped
I
where the nausea and cramps took complete
quietly to the deck, control.
remember being covered with foul-weather gear and held against the roll of the boat as we headed for the Kline. The next thing I knew I was being helped over the rail of the ship and a Navy doctor was I
standing by as they eased trunks on,
my
me down
knife dangling
my
goggles hanging awry from
somewhere along the whether
little
count and
Then
I
line.
My
swim
lay there with
tied to fins
my
wrist,
had been taken
I
knew
that the
I
my my off
cared
doc was taking a blood
heard him say, "Appendicitis, emergency operation."
was going over the
I
from the cord neck.
I
Consciousness came and went, and
died or not.
I
into sick bay.
side again, this time in a basket stretcher
being lowered into one of the small operational boats.
came to as they were hoisting me over the side of the control ship. The doc was still with me, giving orders to the handling crews as they took me aboard. Added to the continued pain and nausea, I I
was
feeling the
Dimly
I
shock and letdown from the tension of the hours past.
realized that the ship's operating
room was going
full blast
with the doctors and hospital corpsmen working at top speed on
from ships
They
hit
rolled
me
out of the basket onto a blanket on the floor. The
operating tables were stripped off and
punctured
my
men
by Kamikaze planes.
my
full.
all
knife
I
felt
my swimming
skin for a spinal anesthetic
wondering hazily
if I
trunks being
and goggles being removed. Then a needle
and
I
blacked out again,
would ever wake up.
ALTHOUGH LIEUTENANT GENERAL MITSURE USHIJIMA'S 77,000 troops of the Thirty-second
Army were
Okinawa, the landings, which began April
1,
at
8:30 a.m. were
virtually
in readiness to defend
as scheduled
on Easter Sunday,
unopposed. By
nightfall, as the
debouched troops and cargo off the northern and southern more than 50,000 men were ashore, and all were frankly wondering what had become of the enemy. Where was his withering fire? What had happened to his usual resolve to die on the beaches? Advancing troops flushed out and captured fifteen Japanese soldiers, and killed another dozen, but the first real opposition was not encountered until the next afternoon, when the 96th Division, at this time south of the Bisha River, met with gradually stiffening resist-
transports
beaches,
946
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
ance. This
End
Empire
of an
was Ushijima's rear guard, covering a general withdrawal nightfall his artillery had begun to pound away
toward Shuri, and by at the
XXIV
Corps. There was no doubt
now
that
it
had
finally
gotten into action.
At Okinawa
the
Navy encountered no such
or at Saipan, where but
it
was
batteries,
fast
fire
unloading of cargoes. However, the Navy's main
in countering the attacks of the Special
—which were mounting
Attack Corps
—
the
in intensity. The first assault dewhen a pair of kamikazes crashed two Northern Force transports. The next day three more trans-
kamikazes
veloped at 7:10 p.m. on April into
action as at Cherbourg
heavy ships had dueled with shore
did contribute to the success of the invasion by providing
support and a action
its
1,
ports were "body crashed" with a heavy loss of
were only warming up.
On
life.
radar picket duty, was sunk in one minute with escort carrier
Wake
loosed the
fury of his Divine Wind.
full
—were
many
Island was severely damaged.
Some seven hundred kamikazes
But the Japanese
April 3 destroyer Mannert L. Abele, on
planes
—
lives lost,
And now Toyoda
three hundred and fifty-five of
available to the
Admiral on
and
fields in
them
Formosa and
Kyushu, and on April 6 and 7 he sent them out to attack. The
first
of
a series of ten mass raids opened on the afternoon of the 6th. Although
Combat Air Patrol over battleships New Mexico and Idaho shot down eight planes, other enemy strikes bore fruit. Destroyer Newcomb, among others, took a pair of kamikazes down her after stack and amidships, and destroyer Leutze, steaming
was Bush of what
to the rescue,
struck by flaming wreckage and was also bombed. Destroyers
and Calhoun,
at other radar picket stations,
were also victims
the Japanese called kikusui attacks, and elsewhere over the Third
Fleet kamikazes were out in force.
April 6th was also notable for another reason.
Yamato
The
superbattleship
(72,000 tons laden) was sighted by one of Mitscher's pilots.
She was underway with escorts and was obviously headed towards
Okinawa on what could be nothing
less
than a suicide mission. With
her 18-inch guns turned loose, she could cause incalculable damage.
But Mitscher was
a
man who
played the odds and talking over the
report with Captain Arleigh Burke, his Chief of Staff, and Captain
James
Flatley, his
Air Officer, Mitscher decided upon an all-out
tempt to destroy the mightiest warship is
afloat.
The subsequent
described by the Admiral's biographer, Theodore Taylor.
at-
action
—
THEODORE TAYLOR
THE END OF
THE JAPANESE FLEET
word from Spruance, ordered all task groups to concentrate northeast of Okinawa. Perhaps some of the old battleship-versus-aircraft debates were recalled during the moments Mitscher, without awaiting
he studied the charts with Burke and Flatley. Naval airmen thought they had sunk the Musashi in the Battle for Leyte Gulf, but there was also the possibility that submarines
had actually put her down. The
appearance of the Yamato provided a clean-cut chance to prove,
if
proof was needed, aircraft superiority. Shortly after midnight on April 6, Spruance directed Mitscher to the
let
enemy
task force
come
south, leaving
it
to the guns of
Task
Force 51, the old battleships, and of Task Force 54, the new ones. Also, Mitscher was to "concentrate the offensive effort of Task Force
58 in combat
air patrols to
had already made
By
meet enemy
his plans to sink the
the time the dispatch
air attacks."
enemy
was logged
fleet
with aircraft.
with communications and
in
way around, Mitscher was speeding
initialed all the
But Mitscher
north.
Admiral
Spruance had not actually countermanded Mitscher's order to the task force to concentrate to the northeast. Unless Spruance explicitly
forbade him to
make
battleship guns
do a job
his
own
counsel.
the attack, Mitscher
He was
had no intention of
that aircraft could
perhaps enough more to sink
do sooner. Mitscher kept
more than an enemy fleet.
doing a
bit
letting
his orders required
947
948
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
A
few hours
of an
Empire
Spruance signaled Rear Admiral Morton L.
later,
Deyo, who commanded Task Forcer 5T, to form
two cruiser
divisions,
Mitscher saw a copy of the dispatch and dismissed
readying armor-piercing
bombs and
action.
without com-
it
men worked on
ment. Throughout the night, ordnance riers,
two battleship
his
and twenty destroyers for
divisions,
the fast car-
torpedoes.
At dawn, Mitscher's search planes fanned out over
the sea east of
Kyushu. The weather was squally. Meanwhile, both submarines and flying boats
had been tracking the oncoming enemy
the ready rooms, the pilots were impatient. rivalry with the battleship guns
we'd get
it
for
him
this
Down
in
of the friendly
had reached them. The
heard that Admiral Mitscher "planned to ram
"We knew
force.
Word
pilots
had
one through."
he gave us the chance and we
if
thought he would," said Major Long.
A
few minutes
after
0800 one
planes found the suicide
relayed back to the
fleet,
Bunker
Hill
of Admiral Clark's Essex search
steaming southward. The report was
by a
series of
communications linking
planes, another Mitscher innovation for the task force, introduced
because of the relatively short range of aircraft radios. to
the task groups
all
push
and
to
At
his battleship fleet to the attack.
it
same
the
sent off a force of sixteen planes to cover
enemy, but
It
time, Mitscher
would be more than an hour before they could make
disappeared, Mitscher gave orders to attack the Japanese
1000.
As
the planes, from groups 58.1
after they
were out of
sight,
at
was
A
few minutes
he turned to Burke.
"Inform Admiral Spruance that group
fleet. It
and 58.2, orbited, joined
up, and sped away, the Admiral watched in silence.
sortie
had
and track the approaching
Planes were manned, and as soon as the search aircraft
contact.
now
fanned out
Admiral Spruance, who ordered Deyo to
I
propose to strike the Yamato
1200 unless otherwise directed."
"But," said a British observer, "you have launched before you can possibly be sure of their location."
"We
are taking a chance," explained Burke,
against the spot
where we would be
if
we were
the
"we
are launching
Yamato.
Actually, with submarines, flying boats, and carrier-based aircraft
on the Yamato 's
trail,
the chances of finding the
even though the weather was thick. But her, there wouldn't be
enough red paint
if
enemy were good,
the planes could not find
in the fleet to
of Mitscher's face. His launch order to destroy the
match the color
enemy
fleet
by
aircraft ran contrary to Spruance's desire to let the battleships slug
it
The End out in what would probably be the
gunnery
noon, Mitscher's position there on the wing of the
until
was thoroughly uncomfortable. As time stretched
Hill bridge
was
by, there
no
still
At
er's orders.
opportunity for a big-ship
last
then and forever more.
fight,
From 1000 Bunker
949
of the Japanese Fleet
signal
last the
from Spruance countermanding Mitsch-
planes were so close to the
would serve no purpose except
few
to save a
Yamato
that recall
worth of
dollars'
gas.
The Avengers
carried torpedoes; the dive
divers) carried
mixed loads of 1,000- and 250-pound bombs; each
fighter
had a 500-pound bomb
bombers (Curtiss Helldroppable gas
as well as a long-range
tank. Estimated distance to the target
was 240
miles.
Sherman task groups the kill. The weather was
Shortly after noon, planes from the Clark and
found the Japanese still
and
fleet
circled
it
for
bad, with clouds ranging from 1,500 to 3,000
tent rain.
The low
ceiling
hundred
arrived
simultaneously
Heavy ack-ack began were elevated
it
it
—
nearly three
co-ordination
impossible.
Yamato' s eighteen-inch guns
Yankees from the
sky.
impossible to see results, and Japanese jam-
impossible to hear over the voice radio. In the words of
Lieutenant Thaddeus T. Coleman, battle of all time."
Our
the
to attempt blasting the
The weather made ming made
—made
Even
bursting.
and intermit-
feet,
and large number of planes
He
training instructions,
all
was the "most confusing
sea-air
said:
higher, proved useless.
rain squalls
it
to
dive
Here the
Bomber
around.
steeply
ceiling pilots
from 10,000
was only 3,000
pushed over
feet
or
feet with
in all sorts of
crazy dives, fighter pilots used every maneuver in the book, tor-
pedo
pilots stuck their
necks
on the surface and delivered
many
of
them missed the
all
the
way
out,
dropped
right
down
their parcels so near the ships that
ships' superstructures
by inches.
However confused the Americans were, the Japanese were worse. Yamato gunnery officer who survived told American interrogators that the combination of dive bombers and torpedo planes made it impossible to take evasive action. The first two waves, he said, left
A
three
bomb
torpedo
hits
hits
in
forward of the great turret on her stern, and three the hull.
In later attacks she
was
hit
by
at
least
seven more torpedoes, according to his account.
At any launched
rate,
when Admiral Radford's strike group, which was the Yamato was listing, and his planes struck
late, arrived,
her on the high side. She finally blew up and sank, joining the cruiser
950
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
End
of an
Empire
Yahagi and four destroyers on the bottom. Photographs were handed Mitscher showing the sinking while 'Xdiniral Deyo was just getting
A
well into his northward charge with the old battleships. later, after
short while
Mitscher had signaled that the enemy had been met and
dealt with, Spruance
countermanded the previous order sending the
ships to destroy the Japanese
When Admiral Deyo
got
fleet.
word
of Mitscher's successful attack, he
good-naturedly broadcast regrets that his force wouldn't have "Japanese scrambled
eggs for breakfast."
Mitscher's
bombers, three torpedo planes, and three
were held to four
pilots
losses
fighters.
were four
Personnel losses
and eight aircrewmen by virtue of quick
rescue work.
Mitscher didn't say much, except to congratulate the greatest battleship in the world it
was a tremendous personal
pilots.
was marked only by an
But the
oil slick,
and
victory for Mitscher.
THERE WAS NO LETUP FROM THE KIKUSUI ATTACKERS. They came on gets
a round-the-clock basis, and while their favorite tar-
were the destroyers which circled Okinawa on radar picket
tions, they also battered the
heavy
ships.
On
April 12 there were
on Tennessee, West Virginia and Idaho, with heavy
raids
sta-
casualties
on Tennessee caused by a kamikaze which struck an exposed portion of deck.
But April 12 was memorable for another reason;
p.m., e.s.t. (the 13th at
Okinawa) news reached
at
5:38
the fleet that Presi-
dent Franklin Roosevelt was dead of a cerebral hemorrhage. Throughout the in
Navy stunned men with red-rimmed
a state of unmitigated shock.
mander, our
The
friend,
editor of this
We
had
and many asked, "What
work remembers
ist's
mate sobbed
in
will
our Supreme Combecome of us now?"
the tomblike silence which per-
vaded the control room of a submarine the soft drone of the diesels
eyes tended their duties lost
in the
East China Sea; only
was heard. In a corner a burly machin-
silence
as
he watched his manifold. Others
prayed for Roosevelt and our new President, Harry Truman. April 16 was set aside as a day of mourning in the
At Okinawa, Japan commemorated
From
fleets.
the occasion in her
the fields of Kyushu, southernmost of the
home
own way.
islands, clouds
swarmed down on the radar picket destroyers. The worst attack of the campaign fell upon Commander F. J. Becton's
of kamikazes
The End Laffey at R.P.
1
.
951
of the Japanese Fleet
In the short space of eighty minutes this vessel was
bombs during twenty-two separate Thirty-one men were killed and seventy-two wounded and
struck by six kamikazes and four attacks.
the warship
became
a floating charnel house. Eight other warships
on R.P. duty were battered that afternoon; two were sunk.
As
April turned into
May
new
the fleet could count nearly
1000 kami-
became a Aaron Ward, under Commander W. H. Sanders, was holding down this post when at 6:22 p.m. "bogies" were reported by radar operators. The ship promptly kazes shot down, but
favorite target.
went
to
On
attacks developed daily. R.P. 10
April 3rd destroyer
General Quarters.
All the dramatic horror incident to a fatal kamikaze attack in the following
Commander Arnold command a minesweeper.
account by Lieutenant
rose through the enlisted ranks to
is
seen
Lott,
who
—
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER ARNOLD LOTT
16
SECOND DOG WATCH
"Bridge, CIC.
Many
many
bogies,
The CIC watch ran
a plot
—
bogies!"
bearing, estimated speed, distance
and called the bridge again.
Many
"Bridge, CIC.
probably pass near next
bogies,
RPS
moving from south-southwest,
The answer was calm, unhurried. "Bridge, Throughout the ship the watch In
CIC
the cryptic symbols
aye."
went about
still
its
routine duties.
on the plotting screen began
meaning. "Someone's going to catch
one bothered to deny
will
south."
to take
hell tonight," said a voice.
on
No
his statement.
Hal Halstead, the CIC
officer,
watched the plot for a couple of
minutes and then called the bridge again.
may be a raid shaping up to moved up a few minutes early
"Bridge, CIC. Tell the Captain there the south of us. Suggest routine
GQ
be
tonight."
On
the bridge Sanders
to quartermaster
nodded
ship games, books, letters
dashed to
to Lieutenant Wallace,
and coffee cups were dropped
their battle stations.
By
the time
the rough deck log the entry "1822.
were sounding leaped into
952
life.
who spoke
Thorpe. "Sound general quarters!" Throughout the
all
Went
as
men
Thorpe had scribbled
to
GQ."
bells
in
and buzzers
over the ship as phone lines and firing circuits
Second Dog Watch Within
953
CIC and
seconds battle stations began reporting to
five
GUN 44 the bridge: "MOUNT 51 MANNED AND READY. DIRECTOR MANNED AND MANNED AND READY. GUN READY SKY CONTROL MANNED AND READY 42 MANNED AND READY." .
.
In
.
.
.
.
Mount 52 Boles watched Van Paris, the hot shellman, hurriedly Van had a big family at home and wanted desperately
cross himself. to
go back to them. Well, he'd done everything he could
.
.
.
"MOUNT
52
at this point.
MANNED AND READY."
The Exec, Karl Neupert, was in CIC now, watching the plot, keeping all the details of the guns, damage control, fire fighting equipment ready in his mind for instant use. CIC was jampacked with men. Bill Sanders would be there too,
Other skippers fought
screen.
Ward's captain fought
and radio
to give
have been
all
do
to
battle
his ship
him an
right with the
from the
Skipper and Exec
at
their ships
watching the radar
from the bridge, but Aaron
from both bridge and CIC, with radar
instant picture of the situation.
crew
if
It
would
Sanders and Neupert had decided
room
ship's laundry
in action
intently
first,
enough by now
for they
know
to
had seen
that they
their
were an
unbeatable team, no matter where they fought. All in the few
ship
had moved
moments
man on the in: "FOR-
since the alarm went, every
to a battle station. Still the reports
came
AFTER WARD ENGINE ROOM MANNED AND READY. MIDSHIPS REPAIR STEERING MANNED AND READY. PARTY MANNED AND READY. MANNED AND READY. READY. READY. MANNED AND READY. .
.
.
.
.
.
.
READY.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
room Pete Peterson checked his phones and then turned to Duriavig. "Bob, help Macukas light off the other feed pump. They've got about twenty-five bogies up there and we'll need all the speed we can get." Then he started making a fresh .
.
."
In the after engine
pot of coffee. Let 'em come.
Aaron Ward was
ready.
Again, for a moment, time seemed to stop as the white wake rolled longer behind the ship and secret thought
men
turned their minds and hearts to the
which always followed the unspoken "This
is it!"
even
they automatically checked firing circuits, steam pressure, fre-
as
quency ing
settings,
ammunition supply or plasma
bottles.
Only the shin-
gun barrels moved, probing and weaving black muzzled patterns
against the sky,
and the radar antennaes,
silently whirling as invisible
beams now followed the unseen enemy. Radarman Hosking, standing near the Captain, watched
electronic
the blips
—
954
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
End
of an
which showed that "Freddy" was vectoring the
The bogies were
the enemy.
still
circling,
way
Empire fighter planes to
meet
out. Topside, the fire
swung with Aaron Ward had encouraged enemy planes to
control director searched the sky and the six 5-inch guns the director as one.
keep their distance before; the gun crews were confident they could
do
again. Then, while
it
CIC, one of the
Hosking was
headed
blips
in
still
panting from his dash to
toward the center of the screen.
Attack!
"CONTROL, CIC. TARGET BEARING 250 SPEED CLOSING RAPIDLY!" "CONTROL, AYE. TRACKING, TRACKING!" On the bridge Thorpe logged the time. 1829. Seven minutes
GQ
went. Bright eyed bridge lookout Gerald
plane
and shouted the alarm.
first
eleven miles
away
—but coming
It
Simmons
was away out
at
180
since
spotted the
22,000 yards
in.
"ALL GUNS. AIR ACTION STARBOARD. AIR ACTION STARBOARD." In Control, Rubel and Lavrakas watched the guns slue
around
in
automatic control to follow the director. The main
battery guns lifted their muzzles, ready, director
On fingers
had picked up
the guns,
on
men
ammo
stood with
firing keys,
all
pointing at the target the
for them. clips in their
hands, with tense
with quick eyes on target cross wires, with their
pulse beating in their ears and with unspoken thoughts the back of their minds. Ready.
Suddenly
in
Be
now pushed
to
ready.
the sunset sky a dark pinpoint appeared, took on
substance, grew solid, moved.
"Oh, boy!" shouted
Tom Whelan
Mount
in
51.
"Here he comes!"
The Aaron
"All engines ahead flank!" ordered Wallace, on the bridge.
engineers spun the throttle valves, the turbines howled, and
Ward leaped ahead at thirty-two knots. Ten thousand yards out on the starboard Val, headed
in.
The
quarter now, the plane, a
others wheeled in circles, waiting. First
it
was
merely a dot creeping across the back drop of the evening sky, then
was moving, moving
fast
— 3000
and coming
feet high
it
in.
"RANGE NINE O DOUBLE O. RANGE EIGHT O DOUBLE O. RANGE SEVEN O DOUBLE O. .
.
.
.
.
.
"COMMENCE The main
FIRING,
COMMENCE FIRING!"
battery guns roared into action at 7,000 yards.
decks, engineers
who
Below
fought without ever seeing the enemy judged the
course of battle by the sound of the guns.
While the 5-inchers
Second Dog Watch
955
slammed out their shells with a dull ba-ROOM ba-ROOM, enemy was still too far off to worry about. Topside, men watched up and out
fiery tracers streak light
and then hover
in
in red curves, fade to
the the
hot points of
space until the plane flew into the cone of
fire.
Smoke
Hit!
and
ing,
trickled, then
poured from the plane, but
the director the range dials spun
in
it
kept com-
madly down
— 6,000
Four thousand yards!
yards, 5,500 yards, 5,000 yards, 4,500 yards.
At 4,000 yards the smoking plane dipped over into its suicide dive, and the 40mm guns opened up with their staccato a-WHOOMP
a-WHOOMP a-WHOOMP. of the forties
Below decks men grew
meant the plane was maybe
sound due
and the next shot had damn' well
to arrive in less than a minute,
better be a
tense; the
a couple of miles away,
good one.
"RANGE THREE O DOUBLE O. RANGE TWO FIVE DOUBLE O. RANGE TWO O DOUBLE O!" .
.
Two the
.
20mm
.
.
thousand yards!
little
.
Now
or never! All along the starboard side
guns burst into their frantic y-APPITY! y-APPITY!
The plane skimmed
coming
the water,
"RANGE ONE O DOUBLE O. O RANGE FIVE DOUBLE O." .
fast. .
.
RANGE EIGHT DOUBLE
Get him! In Mount 53 gun captain Dial and 5-inch
projectile
SPLASH! "We got himr
his
crew pumped out a
and the plane blew up almost yelled
Dave Rubel
in
their
faces.
in Control.
"CEASE FIRE! CEASE FIREP The flaming wreckage ship,
and
ended
as the plane
pilot catapult
tipped into the sea a hundred yards from the its
death dive, startled gunners saw the
from the cockpit. With an unopened parachute
trailing
behind him, he hurtled high across the ship and smashed into the water on the opposite shells into
kamikaze
Most and
gun 42,
pilot
side.
To
looked
it
had met
a
clip of
mess of raw hamburger. One
his ancestors.
of the plane disappeared
right
Rader, about to feed a
Bill
like
on impact, but the engine, propeller
wing section skittered the
Aaron Ward. The engine slammed
last
into
hundred yards to crash
Mount
into
53, which had shot the
plane down, while the propeller twanged into the after deck house like a giant
harpoon and pinned shut the door
way. Later, as pilot's
men
to the after passage-
cleaned up the wreckage there, they found a
boot with a foot
still
in
it.
956
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
The men blow
in
Mount 53 were
of an
bouncing from the sledgehammer
still
of the airplane engine crashing '"into their
suddenly crunched to a
Empire
mount when
the thing
halt.
"Training gear jammed!" Shorty Abbott, gun captain on the
left
hand gun, jerked open the
hot shell hatch, peeked under the mount, and saw a smashed airplane
engine almost under his
"Get
it
feet.
out of there!" yelled Dial.
men swarmed
Like a pack of frenzied ants, the
and attacked the smoking engine, then jerked back
"Damned
out of the mount
in pain.
thing's hot!"
"Heave on They went
it.
Get
after
it
it
out of there!"
with bare hands and dragged
then piled back into the mount nursing their
had given them more than
blisters.
No
it
blisters.
out of the way,
But the engine
power!
MOUNT 53. HYDRAULIC-ELECTRIC SYSTEM SHIFTING TO MANUAL CONTROL." This meant the
"CONTROL! OUT.
pointer and trainer
fight
now had
by hand gears,
selves
had
"On
to
blisters
move
pound mount them-
the 10,000
or no. This was no time to stop, the
just started.
target!"
"Load!"
Keep that ammo coming! The crash set the after battle dressing station on fire and completely destroyed it, but somehow the chief, Tedford, and his helper Fletcher got out. Tedford made it to the main station in the wardroom. Fletcher was
killed before
he had run a hundred
Barbeiri was already there; he had brought
him
in
case he needed something to help pass the time.
borrowed a book from the wardroom the time
Doc
early arrivals
arrived. Chief Shelley all
got the best chairs
library
and had
and Gunner
— and
feet.
War and Peace
Not
Kennedy had
a soft chair
by
—
the
Siler hurried in
down
settled
the midship repair party had need of them.
Doctor
along with
to wait until
until they
heard the
number two handling room shout "Action starboard!" did they know this was anything more than routine sunset GQ. Then the guns began. The 5-inchers. The forties. When the twenties opened up they put down their books and waited. This was phone
talker in
getting close. Suddenly they felt the ship tremble
engine from the
first
Val
people rushed out on deck.
hit the after
Doc and
and shake as the
mount. The damage control
his helpers put
down
their
books
Second Dog Watch and commenced preparing the wardroom table their feet the ship twisted
The second
roared again.
Time 1830.
and turned and above
was coming
attack
air
search radar
heads the guns
the ground search radar
was checking positions of other ships on the
radarman Beadel, on the
their
Under
in.
CIC Glenn Newman on
In
for surgery.
957
when he heard "Here comes another
station
yell,
one!" Beadel began calling out the range while topside the director
wheeled around to face the attack coming
in
on the port bow.
"ALL GUNS ACTION PORT, ACTION PORT!" RANGE SEVEN O "RANGE EIGHT O DOUBLE O. .
.
.
DOUBLE O. RANGE SIX O DOUBLE O." "COMMENCE FIRING, COMMENCE FIRING!" .
.
.
Again the
5-inchers opened up, followed by the forties and the twenties. the range closed to 4,000 yards, Beadel
plane
moved
fire
On
down
When as the still
was
the plane, another Val,
felt that
the stream toward him.
"RANGE ONE FIVE DOUBLE DOUBLE O!" Mount 52
Splash!
and
Winston watched the intense cone of
the bridge,
reaching out to port, and
riding directly
off his seat
2,000 yards, he crouched behind the radar,
in to
calling the range.
jumped
O.
.
.
.
RANGE ONE TWO
got that one.
"CEASE FIRE, CEASE FIRE."
A few cheered gun
as the flaming
ready
ammo
racks. In
the radar scopes;
wreckage tumbled into the
sea. In the
kicked empty cartridges aside and checked the
tubs, gunners
CIC men watched
around that sudden
the green fingers sweeping
battle
ground more enemy
planes were waiting.
Time 1831. Short seconds
men on fire
after the last plane
from gun 42, the port twin 40-millimeter
Gun
had disappeared,
the bridge and in control were startled by a furious burst of just aft of the bridge.
captain Larson had spotted the plane before radar picked
and opened battery guns
it
up
without orders. Frantically the director and the main
fire
swung around
yards out and already in
its
inchers, the port side forties
to fire
on
new attacker, a Zeke, 6,000 The guns zeroed in, all the 5-
this
suicide dive.
and twenties, and the plane started smok-
ing. Hit! Hit!! Hit!!! Still it
came
on, growing larger, seeming to increase speed. There
was a bomb, a belly,
and
big,
in the last
mean looking hundred yards
one, hanging under the plane's it
dropped
loose, curved
down
—
958 and
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa: E*id of an Empire hit the port side of the ship
into the superstructure.
under gun 44 /-- ?
man on gun
Willand, the pointer and one lucky
plane coming right into
it,
Although the
and watched the tracers from
in,
but
just as the plane
it
his
flamed
44, watched the
gun
slicing into
it,
kept coming, the prop spinning slower and slower.
from the twin 5-inch mount on the
flash of fire
fantail
reached out in front of gun 44, Willand was so busy keeping the gun
on the approaching plane he never noticed whether Mount 53 was firing or not. Finally the plane loomed up and Willand yelled "We're
He started to jump out of his seat but it hand touched him on the shoulder and pressed him
not going to get him!"
seemed
down up
as
if
again.
a
An
and a big
instant later the plane hit
went
ball of fire
The explosion blew him out of the seat; he ready ammo rack which kept him from going over-
in front of him.
crashed into a
board and bounced him back on deck minus both shoes and one sock.
The felt
vast, dull
thud shook the entire ship. Lavrakas
in the director
the ship tremble and watched a mass of flame tower above the
superstructure deck.
Under
it
was only black smoking wreckage and
crumpled bodies. Almost every man around gun 44 had been
killed
instantly.
On
had spun the wheel
the bridge Winston
suddenly
rudder
felt it
go dead. The ship had
jammed hard
port circles like a
left,
mad
for a hard left turn
and commenced chasing her
and
with her
lost steering control, tail
in tight
dog.
Except for Rawlins and Willand the gun 44 crew was wiped out smashed, burned, or blown overboard. The gunners on the four after
20mm gun 28
mounts had the plane blow up had
his
started to dash forward,
fell
to starboard,
gun jam
in their faces.
Jones, on
He
looked back, saw Rawlins
to the deck,
who had been blown off gun 44 jump up and "Damn' thing's jammed!" Jones yelled, talker,
Ladon
just before the plane struck.
take over his gun.
then grabbed his phone
Hendrickson, whose forward dash had suddenly ended when
he reached the end of his phone cord, and
and together they helped Rawlins slam and started
firing.
The next
it
jerked him back again,
a clip of shells into
gun 27
crash blew Rawlins off that gun too and
he was never seen again.
The bomb smashed through the ship's hull below the water line, in the after engine room and ripped a hole fifty feet long through her port side. The ship reeled and shook under the blast. The
exploded
Second Dog Watch engine
room and
room
fire
flooded, the port engine stopped and the
ship soon slowed to fifteen knots. Ruptured into the fire raging topside,
poured more
oil lines
fuel
and ammunition commenced exploding
Telephone and power
the fierce heat.
959
were broken,
lines
breakers and fuses went out, and trouble lights began flashing
in
circuit
over
all
the fire control switch boards.
room where
Pete Peterson, in the engine
exploded,
somehow
failed
hear
to
the
He was
it.
leaning against the
when he saw
cruising throttle waiting for his coffee to perk
flame ripple across the forward bulkhead and
He woke up
through space.
machinery ten
feet
500 pound bomb
felt
a sheet of
himself sailing
seconds later slumped against a piece of
away. Everything was dark. Instantly he knew that
with the emergency lighting system out the after emergency diesel was
gone and decided
it
was time
him
for
scurried for the escape trunk, found
man
out of the engine
Paine
who was
Salisbury,
On
alive.
else.
He
and clambered up, the
last
somewhere
to go
way up Pete passed Ensign
the
helping Stole up. Topside, Paine
had walked up
the black gang lost his right
room
it,
felt
shoe on the way up.
On
from the damage repair gang, who had
I
can't
wear yours."
He went
out.
He had
main deck he met Harry
the
lost his left shoe.
"Here, Sal," said Paine, handing over one shoe.
mine but
that everyone in
back bone on the way
his
"You can wear
barefooted the
rest
of the
night.
The main deck was almost
as
bad
as the engine
room.
It
was sheer
catastrophe: wrecked gun mounts tipped at crazy angles, torn steel plates, twisted cables, fire,
smoke, exploding ammunition, sprawled
dead bodies and men with broken arms or crawl out of the
way
legs trying desperately to
of shipmates battling the roaring flames.
who had room. Moose
Right in front of Pete lay Moose Antell and Duriavig, passed him in the
had had every
mad
scramble to get out of the engine
bit of his clothing
blown
off,
shoes and a belt with a big sheath knife on
them would be
in a hospital. In the
around him, he looked outside of Little, a
like a
same it
it.
was wearing only
his
The next time Pete saw
instant he took in the scene
to see a plane crash into the
mile or so away, and a big ball of
fire
unfold above the ship
deadly blossom.
Pete's shirt
and pants were nearly ripped
methodically took his ring, lighter, so he wouldn't lose them, he
from the
after fire
saw
off his
body, and as he
pen and pencil out of the pockets
Stefani,
who must have made
room, standing beside him.
it
up
960
Bnd
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
"Here, Steve," he said, "hold
of an
Empire
me."
this for
Steve put the stuff in his pocket, arid' just then another explosion
him
lifted
deck and he went over the side
off the
like
Roman
a
candle.
Steve lost his shoes
when he
full
was
of shrapnel, one leg
The
the water.
hit
making plenty of knots and the helmet cut and
injured,
his head.
his life belt
was
ship
had been torn
worry was the sharks which followed the
apart. His biggest
still
One hand was ship,
waiting for the garbage the mess cooks threw overboard every eve-
ning just at dusk.
He
devoutly hoped they had been fed that night.
Several hours later Steve was fished out of the water by a rescue ship,
but by that time Pete's belongings were
at the
bottom of the East
China Sea. Just ahead of Pete, Coltra
"Sparky" flesh fully
St.
came made
off in his it
had crawled
to
the ladder top and
him on deck but the burned
Clair took his arms to help
hands. Silently, Coltra shook his head and pain-
by himself, then dropped
ammunition sent everyone diving for
to the
deck as wildly exploding
shelter.
Next, Sparky saw Coltra
crawling, inch by inch, toward the sick bay, and with another
man
he
helped carry Coltra there.
When
the
bomb exploded
in the after
engine room, electrician's
mate Allan Curr was standing by the switchboard
had
just
borrowed
where the bomb
his flashlight to
hit
— and
there. Chief
check the reduction gear
Mann
—
Jerry Smith in the emergency diesel
right
room
had asked for a repeat on a phone message that Mount 53 had been wiped
out.
Curr had a momentary impression of standing within with a mighty hammer, then
a gigantic bell while
someone slugged
the lights went out,
someone walked over him
it
in the dark,
and he
heard a voice yelling down the starboard escape hatch to get out.
Curr made
Amid
it.
Mann and
Smith
didn't.
the topside chaos, Curr stood watching
suicide planes
The red hot
diving on destroyer Little a mile away.
Aaron Ward's guns zipped
more
tracers
from
into the night like furious bees, slowed,
then seemed to hover in space before they floated
down
past the
planes.
In the few seconds after that fleeting glimpses
through
fire
bomb
explosion,
and smoke of
many men had
Little valiantly fighting off
her attackers, but to each of them the immediate danger was so great that Little's battle
movie sequence.
was unreal and of
little
import, as
if
it
were a
Second Dog Watch In the forward engine
room
the whine of the turbines
when
interrupted by a thumping noise
seemed
to
shudder and jump three
dust from overhead
beams
sifted
the
bomb went
down on
"Mick, that sonofabitch
"Yeah!" Haubrick added
was suddenly and the ship
off
fine sprinkling of
their heads.
Machinist's mate Berry whirled on chief in fury
A
feet sideways.
961
McCaughey, and shouted
hit us!"
"If this keeps
up we may have
to leave
her!"
Mick laughed our chins we
man
at
ain't
him. "Are you crazy? Until the water gets up to
going to leave her. The ship won't sink
wouldn't stand for
—
the old
it."
But she was slowing down. They stood there with the Chief Engineer and watched the revolution indicator for the port engine in the after engine
room unwind,
all
the
way down
to
Weyrauch, on the phones, automatically checked the
zero revolutions. circuits.
"AFTER ENGINE ROOM?" No answer. "EMERGENCY DIESEL?" No answer. They were in trouble. "AFTER FIRE ROOM?" "AFTER FIRE ROOM AYE." The voice was gasping, choking. "WE'RE FILLED UP WITH SMOKE BACK HERE. PANERO THINKS THE ENGINE ROOM IS ON FIRE. NO ANSWER IN THERE."
THAT YOU? MR. YOUNG SAYS SECURE THE BOILGET OUT OF THERE, HELP TOPSIDE."
"SKI?
ERS,
Topside could use help.
On
the bridge, with the view aft blanked
and billowing smoke, no one could see what had happened. There was no communication aft. The phones were knocked
out by
fire
out.
"MOUNT
53!
"They got the
CONTROL." No after
answer.
mount," Rubel shouted to Lavrakas. Just then
they saw a plane start a run on Little. "Here
we go
again!"
"AIR ACTION PORT. ALL GUNS, AIR ACTION PORT." Again the 5-inchers opened up, the forties joined in. Mount 53,
not
having heard Dave Rubel announce their destruction, swung around to port, the
men cranking
frantically
by hand, and joined
While the guns barked and roared above control and repair gangs on the
main deck rigged
emergency phone leads where they could, fought
wounded men
in.
their heads, the fire
fire,
damage
hoses, ran
and helped
to the battle dressing station.
First to reach the
wardroom was Moose
Antell, stark naked, skin
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa: find of an Empire
962 hanging
in shreds
from
his arms, hair ,an$
eyebrows gone. Behind him
—
came a gruesome parade Coward,* Peterson, Parker, all in nearly same condition. The medics prepared themselves for a long
the
night.
Wounded men seemed to be flooding into the wardroom by that Doc sent Kennedy aft to help with minor first aid cases on the
time.
and Kennedy worked alone there
fantail
for part of the night. Ensign
Rosengren came down from the sound room
who had
worked with
the doctor the whole night long, a medic like the rest of
Men remembered
them. Eddie's big hands were gentle and tender.
him
Eddie Gaines,
to help.
only been trained to wait on tables and clean staterooms,
later as the blackest angel they ever saw.
Soon the wardroom was jammed with wounded. Doc down to set up another emergency station in the mess
sent Tedford
and
hall,
as
men were treated in the wardroom those who could make it were moved to the mess hall and laid out on deck. Others were dropped into convenient bunks in the officers' rooms. One of these was Paine, who sometime during the night woke up, looked around, and stared in dismay. He was in the Captain's bunk. "What the hell am I doing in here?" he asked himself, and without waiting for an answer jumped up and got out of there. He spent the rest of the night huddled in a corner on deck, cursing those who stepped on him in the dark, and being greeted in kind. In the
wardroom
dressing station,
Doc and
his helpers
worked
as
hurriedly and efficiently as possible, but certainly not according to the
teaching of Lister.
"Plasma!" "Right here." "Sulfa." "Coming." "Penicillin."
"Morphine."
it."
"Here
'tis."
"Another
"I'll
get
"No more
morphine."
needles!" "Use the one you have!" "It's not sterile!" "Sterile hell!
Wipe
By
it
on your pants." were not
that time their pants
morning Doctor Barbeiri,
sterile either.
By
his assistants, their pants
wardroom would have created
antiseptic
dismay
the following
and the
in the
entire
Navy's Bu-
reau of Medicine and Surgery. But none of their patients died of infection, that night or later.
Neupert, in CIC, with communications out
aft,
sent messengers
scrambling through the flames and wreckage with word for Biesmeyer
and Rainey, and set
up
his
to
check on the
after engine
room. Rubel
in
Control
own emergency system. Brown, on the bridge, could whistle man in the Pacific Fleet; each time an attack came in
louder than any
Second Dog Watch Control passed the word to
and pointed out the target
Yeoman Officer,
Brown who
whistled at the nearby guns
to them.
Deacon, phone talker for the Assistant Gunnery
striker
Ensign Ferguson, was
touch with the radar room and
in
still
CIC, and over the next several minutes began messages trickled
their plight as
room
after fire .
.
flooded.
.
.
in.
clipping room.
The phones
.
.
.
.
to gain a fair idea of
after engine
.
.
port engine out.
.
fighter director radar out of
.
963
.
.
.
room
commission.
.
flooded.
out of control
fire .
.
fire in
.
the after
to after steering
were also out, and the Exec started fire
on the
main deck stopped him. Ten minutes passed before he worked with the
aft
During the
.
steering control lost.
another messenger back there, but the sudden eruption of
way
.
aft.
word
his
for Flinn to take over the steering control.
locked in their
rest of the battle,
hot steel box,
stifling
Flinn and his gang steered the ship by hand.
The bomb
that
wrecked the
ejection system for the 5 -inch
room knocked out
after engine
mounts and they
Mount
fumes. Stacy, hot shellman on
5
1 ,
with hot choking
filled
passed out and slumped to
Whalen motioned another man
the deck.
opened the
into his place,
door and dropped Stacy out on deck. The guns kept on
side
the gas
firing.
In
men choked, retched, stumbled. "Open the door. Throw him out!" "It's against regulations to open the door when firing!" "Hell with regulations. Open the door." Out they went.
other mounts
The guns grew
With the gas ejection system
hot.
out,
unburned
mounts when the breech blocks flew open, and
gasses rolled into the
erupted into thin wisps of flame. flashback would roast them
all
If
a
powder can
or spilled, a
split
crisper than potato chips.
"Flashback!"
"Damn
the flashback!
With the
loss of
Keep on loading!"
power, the
Mr. Tiwald sent Eves down pass out
more
40mm
the ladder Eves stepped
couldn't see what
what fire
it
might be
broke out
it
14 director was out of action.
to the clipping
ammunition. By
and ruptured bodies
flesh
Mark
filled
the
this
air,
room
a deck
below
to help
time the stench of burned
and
as he felt his
on something horribly
soft
and
way down
yielding.
filled
him with unreasoning
just aft of the
ammo
terror.
Then
a roaring
storage. Frantically, he
began
heaving the cans overboard, as far from the ship as he could.
men
He
was, and he didn't want to see; sheer dread of
usually handled the heavy cans, but Eves
was
all
Two
alone there; he
964 had
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa: to
back
do
of
an Empire
by himself. The next morning, he forced himself
it
ammo
to the
couple of
End
life
storage to see what' he
had stepped
on.
to go
Only a
jackets.
In CIC, Neupert and the "Freddies" watched the green fingers of
had moved well out
the search radar.
The
moment. The
was welcome, but
lull
blips
suspicious.
of gun range Watch them
up to something. The planes circled the formation, around a wagon
was
night
Ward
far
for the
—
like
they're
Indians
up courage for the next attack. The from over; they were bound to come back. With Aaron train, getting
heeling to port and
had had
still
steaming in a
They would
circle,
the Japanese
reorganize, bore in for the
kill.
Quickly, quietly, Sanders and Neupert went over the situation.
The
figured she
Exec had every of his tongue.
of power,
.
port engine out, rudder jammed,
Mount 53
after clipping
crew
in local, the
Mark 14
fire
had perhaps a assistance
TBS
tip
loss
director out, fire in the
gang swamped with wounded men.
his
Sanders decided that although the ship was
Bill
mains out,
room, the port quad forty wrecked and most of the
Doc and
killed,
damage, destruction, and casualty on the
detail of .
.
it.
more
little
fight
still
fighting, she
than she could handle, and that some
would be more than welcome. He put Woody Woodside on
Commander Task Force 5 1 back in Kerama Retto. "DELEGATE, THIS IS MONGOOSE. OVER DELEGATE, DELEGATE, THIS IS MONGOOSE. OVER." the
to call
Finally
DELEGATE
came up on
the
circuit.
"GO AHEAD
MONGOOSE." "DELEGATE, THIS IS MONGOOSE. WE ARE IN TERRIBLE SHAPE AND ARE SINKING. WE HAVE BEEN HIT TWICE
AND ARE The
STILL
voice
UNDER ATTACK."
came back
in calm,
measured
tones.
MONGOOSE, WE KNOW IS ON HER WAY TO HELP YOU." "WE KNOW
IT
BLUENOSE!
That was Shannon, with Commander Edward Foster
as skipper. Irish.
Shannon was supposed
all
the Irish luck the
BLUENOSE
to be blessed with the luck of the
"Uncle Ed" and the boys were on
needed
IT
their
Shannon could
way, and Aaron Ward
carry.
Shannon had just put in to Hagushi Roadsted, on the western coast of Okinawa, when she got the word. Snoopers were about, and the familiar old FLASH RED, CONTROL YELLOW had sent all hands to general quarters. Five minutes later, she got the word from
DELEGATE. Guns
bristling,
Shannon plowed out and headed
for
—
Second Dog Watch
RPP
10, out
Kume
beyond
Shima. She had a couple of hours to go
before she could be of any help to the hard pressed enroute,
Shannon
prepared for anything
sailors
of casualties, rescue of survivors, towing
could do
it.
Whatever
it
wrecked ship
Kerama
into
Goodhue,
all at
hit
Aaron Ward;
fire fighting,
—whatever it.
it
transfer
was Shannon
Shannon
first
got
on 26 March, when a kamikaze got the
O'Brien out near
watched kamikazes
—
was, Shannon had done
into the rescue business
destroyer
965
Kume
Shima,
A
Retto.
week
and she escorted the later,
Shannon's crew
Henrico, Dickerson, and
three transports
once, and had again helped fight
fire,
treat
wounded,
and care for the dead.
As Shannon plowed westward, her bridge crew listened to the TBS. the same station with Aaron Ward, the Little had been hit and had gone down. Aaron Ward was damned near to sinking too. no, belay that last word. She was still afloat, and still fighting, too. The Japs were all over the place, holding a field day. Aaron Ward had already knocked down five of them. This last news put the Shannon definitely in second place, so far as Aaron Ward was concerned, for although Shannon had fought at lots of enemy planes, so far she had only managed to fight one of them down for a kill. Oh, well, the night
Out on
.
.
.
wasn't over yet.
"Shannon's coming to help. Shannon's on her way." The word ran
around the ship
to a
few people
But Shannon was a long way
off.
who
still
had phones
Time was
fast
tied in to
CIC.
running out on Picket
Station 10.
Aaron Ward's men fought fire and flood. wounded a little better disposed and the parties on deck moved some of the dead out of the way of the Neupert in CIC, Biesmeyer in damage control, Sanders on
In what time there was,
Doc and repair living.
his
the bridge
men
got the
matched information, played what they had against what
they could expect.
It
was going
to
be close.
DELEGATE
ordered the
move in and support Aaron Ward and Little with gun possible. The small boys had anticipated him and were already way. The CAP still orbited overhead, but time was running out
small boys to fire
as
on the for
them
too.
"Freddy" sent up the warning about 1855.
"BRIDGE, CIC. SUNSET
DUE
IN
A FEW MINUTES.
I
CAN-
NOT HOLD PLANES ON STATION MUCH LONGER." "CIC, BRIDGE. ROGER. GIVE US ALL THE HELP YOU CAN." The sun was
nearly
down now,
but there was plenty of light from
966
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
fire still
of an
Empire
leaping up above the wrecked engine room, and in the red
glow the damage control and repaif gangs worked
dumping hot ammunition, fire
pumps onto
rigging
emergency
circuits, getting portable
the flames.
Here was a chance, Doc decided, see
demons,
like
how Tedford was making
to get
back to the mess
and
hall
out with the patients there. With Crider,
he hurried out, checked over the men, started back to the wardroom.
They were
when the next plane hit and the explosion wardroom and through the door. Crider was knocked out. stretched him on the deck and left him there; he was busy. An hour later Crider finally woke up and went on tending the wounded as if nothing had happened. Time 1859. The lull was finally over. The kamikazes had been milling about, some five miles off the starboard quarter, 10,000 feet high. Now they broke it up and suddenly swooped down in a vicious, well coordinated attack which hit the entire formation. Guns on all the ships roared into action, but the planes plummetted down and just at the galley
threw them
all
the
way Doc
to the
nothing could stop them. Little got
it first.
She had taken one
hit
on
her port side, several minutes earlier, with no great damage, and she
had knocked one down. But
this
another. Nothing could stop
them
The
plane
first
vertical dive sion. Lefty
hit.
all.
The second
— — and hit
time they rushed her, one right after
hit.
The
third flashed
down
in a
vanished amidships in a tremendous explo-
thought perhaps
Little's
torpedo warheads had exploded.
Actually only their air flasks went up. But the plane's engine or a
bomb went The high
into Little's after engine
room and her
boilers
blew up.
pressure steam ripped the ship open like a sardine can. She
blazed brilliantly from stem to stern for a few moments, then folded
up and disappeared. In and
thirty of her
Among
less
than ten minutes
it
was
all
over for Little
men.
men who watched Little go down, none felt quite like Harry Salisbury. He had originally been detailed to the Little in Norfolk, but uncompleted dental work made him miss the draft when they
the
left for
Bremerton
to put the ship in
commission and he got the
Aaron Ward instead. Only the grace of God and had kept him from going down with Little. "CIC,
BRIDGE. LITTLE HAS
a lucky toothache
GONE DOWN"
reported Dea-
con.
"WERE NOT INTERESTED
IN LITTLE
NOW. WE'RE TRY-
Second Dog Watch
ING TO KEEP OURSELVES AFLOAT"
967
Neupert shouted back to
him.
As
the planes
LLSMR
smashed
into Little, the small boys,
LCSL
25, and
195, were racing toward her, steaming side by side. Another
plane loomed up out of nowhere, just cleared the 5-inch 795's fantail, and then crashed amidships.
in
mount on
LSMR's
des-
was loaded with them. They went
ignation stood for rockets, and she off in all directions like a
The "R"
Fourth of July celebration. But when the
LSMR 195 was gone. "There goes the '95!" shouted someone
show was over
rakas saw a ball of
fire float
up from the
on the bridge. Lav-
else
little
ship.
He watched
for an
instant, then
turned to look at Little but she had nearly disappeared.
Only a
her
bit of
bow
pointed to the sky and that slipped out of sight
Next a plane went
as he watched.
killed the pilot, for
but sliced off her mast.
Lavrakas thought
About
A
LCSL 25
seemed
it
as the shells
the 5-inchers blew .
.
.
to join the Little.
the bridge that
all
hell
it
from about 8,000 yards
a suicide dive their
gamut
of defiance, the 5-inchers
and twenties yapping. The plane started
roaring, the forties barking,
down!.
Deacon on
to
Again the guns ran through
smoking
had gone
Val, buzzing about the amphibs, suddenly turned on
Aaron Ward and commenced out.
stayed afloat, but the next time
to look for the '95, she
time
this
broke loose.
work on LCSL 25, whose guns
to
zoomed, wobbled, and then overshot the ship
it
smashed to bits
in,
and
but it
it
came on
until several hits
by
Four
splashed, 2,000 yards out.
but more to come.
Mount 52, the twin breeches were eating up the big 54 pound when suddenly one of them refused to slide into the firing chamber. The fuse in its nose had jammed, the shell would not go in. In
projectiles
Boles and his crew looked at one another in a lightning flash of understanding.
The
fuse
had been
under instruction from Control.
many seconds until
when
Van
it
it
was
the fuse
fired,
went
off,
had been
but they
all
No
set for, or
knew
Paris wrestled the shell loose
arms while
there; either
the door
it
down
one
if
Van
counted seconds to
Van heaved
it
room mount knew how
in the handling
in the if it
would wait
the shell
Mount 52 would have had
Boles undogged the side door. his
set
it.
and dragged
was
still
to
go
in the
off
gun
Together Boles and it
out of the gun.
stood there, holding the thing in itself.
The other men
just stood
out or he didn't. Finally Boles wrenched
open and Van heaved the
shell
overboard. All right, you
968
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa: fend of an Empire
guys. Don't just stand there. Didn't
ever see a loading casualty
,yopt
before?
Load! Load! Load!
Van
Boles was glad
had taken time
Paris
to cross himself before
the action started. There hadn't been any time for
Van had won
whatever grace
tainly
very thin in
Mount
since,
Time 1904. On
cer-
the air search radar screen in CIC, another blip
The
ship
was
and the plane
circling
still
be maneuvering for a run-in from astern. Finally
to
and
52.
started for the center. Attack!
seemed
it
had been spread
for himself
CIC
got
the control crew looking in the right direction and they spotted the plane, a twin-engine Betty, firing at
target,
14,000 yards
10,000 yards, a long
due
smoke
to the
rolling
still
The
off.
5-inchers began
but had difficulty keeping on
five miles,
up amidships and the constant
turning of the ship.
The forward mounts
up
fire
the
whip
their
slammed
into the stops
which
fire aft,
over the ship, and the gunners had to
guns
the
limited their field of frantically
continually
all
way around
to the other side to take
again. This could be as dangerous for the bridge crew as for
enemy; a couple of weeks
earlier, in the
had been knocked down by the muzzle
same
Sanders
situation,
gun
blast of a
firing
almost
directly into his face.
Finally, at 5,000 yards a 5-incher
smoked, flamed, and went into sight,"
their
its
made
connection.
death spin.
The plane
"Such a beautiful
Rader thought, while around him men who had sweated
at
guns for half an hour yelled and cheered. Five down!
Aaron Ward, to show they nervous gunner opened up on them anyway, the
Just then a flight of Marine
came were
in
low over the sea with
friendly, but a
F4Us, sent out
to help
their running lights
on
other guns joined him, and the Marines fire-walled their throttles getting out of there. battle
was not yet
horizon.
A
Would
the
— an
over. In a few minutes the sun
damned
things never stop
more than
eternity
would
— an
coming? The
thirty minutes, yet
eternity filled with the
and reek of burning
of the crew eternity
surely to
fighting.
still
slip
and around the rim of night the kamikazes
planes, the stench
some
ready,
still
The
below the
mile or so away the remaining amphibs huddled together
in the dusk,
just a little
Aaron Ward was
commence
in a
it
seemed
fight
like
still
droned.
had gone on hours
—days
clamor of guns and roar of oil,
had already come;
few short minutes.
powder and flesh. For more of them it was
for
More than
fifty
U.S.
Motors Avengers and their
way
to
bomb
Navy
carrier-based Curtis Helldivers, General
Grumman
Hellcats flying past Mt. Fujiyama on
the Japanese capital.
Navy Department.
Struck by U.S. carrier-based planes of the Third Fleet, buildings in Kushiro, Japan on Hokkaido are consumed by flames. In the right foreground a locomotive, another target of the attacking planes, has caught fire. The attack on Kushiro occurred during the Third Fleet's daring sweep of the Japanese home islands.
Navy Department.
y
Wm^
&
'
f
Mighty U.S. warships steaming
in
column
off
Kamaishi on Honshu, Japan.
Among the Third Fleet ships taking part were the USS Massachusetts (BB59), USS South Dakota (BB-57) and USS Indiana (BB-58). Navy Department.
from a powerful battleship of the Third Fleet scream their way to on the mainland of Japan— the Kamaishi Imperial Iron and Steel Works on northern Honshu. Navy Department. Projectiles
targets
*
r
%
Wh^
A
Japanese suicide dive on the
USS
Louisville
(CA-28). Navy Department.
This carrier's 40mm guns were blasting Tokyo. Navy Department.
A
as her planes
were striking
Japanese battleship of the Yamato class and an escorting vessel twist and Navy carrier planes during a task strike on the Japanese Naval Base at Kure Bay, W. Honshu, Japan. Navy Department.
turn under attack by U.S.
•a*
A
view of Mt. Fujiyama and Sagami Bay at sunset, with ships of the British and American fleets. In the foreground is HMS Duke of York. Taken by the USS Missouri (BB-63). Navy Department. Mt. Fujiyama as seen from the
Navy Department.
~
x
r**S"r~L
£irr ="'
USS South Dakota (BB-57)
in
Tokyo Bay.
Wi&
J
m
mm
Adm.
Chester
W.
Nimitz,
left,
Commander-in-Chief, U.S.
Pacific Fleet
in
and
Ocean Areas, is welcomed aboard the USS South Dakota (BB-57) Tokyo Bay, August 29, 1945, by Adm. William F. Halsey, Commander
Pacific
Third
Fleet.
Navy Department.
Rear Adm. Robert Bostwick Carney (center with holster), Chief of Staff Adm. William F. Halsey, is saluted by Vice Adm. Michitaro Tazuka, Commander, First Japanese Naval District, as he turns over the Yokosuka Naval Base to the U.S. Navy. Navy Department.
to
r ~ >.
&Tr*3ti
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander, and Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, CINCPAC-POA, arrive on board the USS Missouri (BB63) in Tokyo Bay for the Japanese surrender ceremonies. Admiral William F. Halsey, Commander Third Fleet, is a few paces behind them. Navy Department. Japanese envoys aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay after their arrival for the surrender ceremonies. Official U.S. Navy Photo.
..V »-"**
V,f
A
Japanese respresentative signing the surrender as Gen. MacArthur and Navy Photo.
representatives of the Allied powers look on. Official U.S.
China
signs during the signing
the Missouri in
Tokyo Bay.
by representatives of the Allied powers aboard
Official U.S.
Navy Photo.
Second Dog Watch
ACTION PORT, AIR ACTION PORT!"
Time 1908. "AIR
There they came, two Vals, with a pair of the Marine their tails.
The planes mixed up
Val plunged dive,
in flames,
coming
down
dials whirled
almost
five
dog
in a brief
—
computer
the
miles a minute.
down
on
fighters hot
fight out of
but the other one slanted
Again the guns took up
fast.
969
in a
which one very steep
their chant as the range
one was coming
said this
in at
The guns hammered and roared but
plane jumped and rocked through the storm of
fire
the
and kept coming,
heading for the bridge and the main battery director, kept coming, kept coming!
"Hit the deck!" yelled Sanders, and
men
piled into corners, behind
equipment, anywhere but where they had been. Everyone had the
same impression,
that the
plane was heading right at him. Lefty
Lavrakas watched the stream of tracers burning into the sky and stood transfixed as the plane seemed to lock onto them and ride
them down from the
to the ship.
sight
When
and made
his
it
was 300
feet
away he turned
his
head
peace with God.
Danny Danford on top of the wheel house knew he was a goner his prayers. Ladon Jones, on one of the twenties, knew the
and said
plane was going to hit him; in the last fleeting instant he snatched up his shrapnel shield
knew
bridge,
big as a house, right
He hunched
and heaved
the plane
it
was going
at the pilot's face.
to hit him;
on him, with two exhaust pipes
his shoulders
Brown, on the
loomed up suddenly
it
spitting blue
and waited for the crash. In CIC the
as
fire.
assist-
ant "Freddy" Lieutenant junior grade Fred Koehl, could see nothing
but he listened as the roar of the plane drowned out the guns and
"Why
thought to himself I
in hell didn't I stay in
Ashland, Ohio, where
belonged, instead of volunteering for this mess?"
Then its
the plane
was on them, the roar of
its
engine
the night,
filled
wings spread across the sky. Here he comes! Suddenly as
if
mighty hand had pushed down the right wing, the plane twisted flight.
It
banked
lightly
wing ripped out the
away most
and roared
flat
across the bridge.
The
a in
left
signal halliards, clipped the port forestay, carried
of the radio antennae,
smashed the top
of the forward
stack in a tremendous metallic scrunch and the whole thing went
cartwheeling into the sea to starboard. Larson, on gun 42, almost had his hair parted
by the landing gear as
forestay lashed Rader across the face.
frightened to
move
— too
it
roared past. The broken
He saw
it
coming, but was too
frightened, in fact, to feel
it.
In the plane's wake, bits and pieces of wreckage rained
down and
—
I m
970
men
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa: JEnd of an Empire stared at each other,
dumbfounded,
The crash had opened steam
bedlam of
in a perfect
and
lines to- the whistle
noise.
and they
siren
joined in the tumult to deafen everyone.
Even men
floating in the sea
where the
Little
had gone down could
hear the whistle bellowing, although they could not see what had
By
happened.
what men could see and hear, and what,
that time,
the shock of battle, they believed,
Weeks
points.
town
later,
as a Little sailor received a
home
sailor got
made
an Aaron Ward
first,
for oddly contrasting view-
who came from
the
same
news clipping from home. The
Little
sailor
and gave the press
his
account of the battle
Picket Station 10. After his ship sank, he reported,
Ward
was
sailors did
sail
Retto when he said
around
all
those
at
Aaron
in a circle, tooting their whistle.
Aaron Ward
Fortunately, for him, the
in
sailors
were
in
still
Kerama
it.
In the hideous uproar of escaping steam and bellowing whistle, the
gunners seemed to be doing a grim pantomime, silently.
A sheet of flame
do
at the
guns
room and many
of
moment, rushed out
to
flashed through the radar
the radarmen, with nothing better to
their
firing
help the gunners. They were none too soon.
Time 1913. There came another ahead and again aimed structure. Despite the
the fact that they
at
Val. This one streaked in from
the nerve center of the ship, the bridge
steam and smoke swirling around the ship and
had no warning from director
control, the eagle-
eyed gunners on the after 5-inch mount picked the plane up visually
and opened
maybe
in,
Larson's gun joined in furiously.
fire.
seventy-five feet off the water,
machine guns commenced
spitting death.
man
could see the bullets coming, but a
PINNING At
after they
watched
it
come
and shouted
Gun
fire
—with
just
there
No
strafing run!
could hear the
its
one
WHACK
nose
was nothing is
slightly,
aiming right at the
in the director,
else to
stood and
do and nowhere
to
go
IT, boy!"
42, below and in front of Rubel, was pouring out a solid
stream of battle
—
its
Dave Rubel,
director.
to Lefty "This
and 2,000 yards out
A
by.
that instant the pilot raised
upper bridge and
was
went
The plane streaked
—
that
gun alone
fired a
thousand shots during the entire
thirty-four-year-old Larson working as calmly as
another
drill.
if
it
Frozen by the thought of what he knew was
about to happen, Rubel watched the enemy
pilot's
goggled head com-
ing nearer and nearer and braced himself for a flaming death.
then he saw Larson do something he would remember
all
his
And life.
Second Dog Watch Larson raised
his
gun
until the
wing of the onrushing plane.
was back home
stream of
And
slicing cheese in the kitchen,
fiery
stream of hot bullets
That
man
deserves the Congressional
The
flowed just above the
fire
then coolly, as methodically as
and the
to himself.
971
literally
if
he
he lowered the gun again
sawed the wing
Medal
off.
of Honor! Rubel
said
crippled plane faltered, swerved, tumbled, just missed
the bridge and ended
up
in a fiery
furnace on the main deck near the
forward stack, very nearly on top of gun 42. In the instant before impact, the plane released a
exploded a few
from the side of the
feet
bomb which
ship, blasted the port side
with a hail of shrapnel and blew a hole into the forward
The
room
fire
flooded,
stopped and Aaron
the
boilers
Ward was
drowned
room.
fire
the last engine
out,
all
power, coasting to a dead
Flames from the burning plane leaped
as high as the top of the
without
stop.
and the concussion knocked some men
director
jured others. Out of the
unharmed, but with the switchboards
Men
were
up
lit
still
like
and smoke
fire
man
a
gun 42 and
off
Christmas trees with circuit overload
picking themselves up from that explosion
fire
and crashed on the main deck. Absolutely not a
saw
that
one coming; what with the exploding
from the prior crash
never knew what
At
that
Again the
entire seat of his pants missing.
other plane, four seconds later, hurtled out of the cloud of
line fire
hit
moment,
it
made
an-
smoke and the ship
raging gaso-
— some
of
them
them.
seemed
the chaos and destruction topside
reached an absolute peak. But
at least a
man
could see
it;
something to worry about. Things were worse below decks. there, all
lights.
when
man on
bomb and
difference
little
in-
scurried forward,
men knew was
to have
he had
Down
had happened or were
that terrible things
undoubtedly about to happen, but no one knew what, when, or where. In the wardroom, each time the roar of the guns began as another
plane
came
in,
a
whole mass of humanity
—
patients,
the operating table in one big bloody heap.
burned
left
skin
and
slippery with blood
flesh in their tracks, the
and worse. There were no
corpsmen, vol-
—
move piled under Men who had been
unteer assistants, the Doctor, everybody able to
deck grew sticky and lights
except the small
portable electric battle lanterns. In the midst of the noise and confusion, in the fetid air
and
faltering light, the
door opened and Kennedy
found himself facing a ghastly apparition, a
man
with anguished eyes
972
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
but no face. His loose
on one
side;
mouth and nose
End
of an
Empire
weje;'torn away, his jaw hanging
he was choking to death.
Again the guns roared, the ship shook. Doc, Kennedy and the bloody
man
all
crouched under the
scissors in the insane clutter.
Doc wiped his shark knife on man could breath through the
eyes.
the
table.
Doc could
Kennedy held
no surgical
find
bandage over the man's
a
and cut away
his pants,
tissue so
gaping hole where his face had
been.
As the
they sought to stop the gush of blood, another sailor burst into
wardroom!
"Hey, Doc! Ballard's up by Mount 52, bleeding
"You, Kennedy,"
said
Kennedy grabbed into the battle.
Doc. "Go
fix
like hell!"
him up."
soap, sulfa powder, gauze and ran
Wounded men were
all
up and out
over on deck, he jumped over
and among them. As he passed underneath the muzzles of Mount 52, the guns
opened up on another plane and nearly blew
grabbed Ballard, dragged him
bandaged a gash the
feet first
back
stack and
head
fire
He
off.
the spray shield,
upper arm, and then hauled him
in his
wardroom. At the moment they moved
number one
to
his
in off
aft
toward
deck a plane
and wreckage came down
all
hit
over the spot
where they had been. In the forward magazine, Philip Rapalee and his four
man crew
were completely isolated from topside and without any knowledge of
what was going on. They had been worried enough and the
last
explosion very nearly spooked them; Rapalee tried again to find out
what was happening. "Hey, you guys
in the
handling room!
What
the hell's going on
up
there?"
"You
just
keep that
ammo
coming, Rap! Keep that
damn ammo
coming!"
"Okay, so they want ammo! We'll give 'em ammo!"
Everywhere below decks, where they could see nothing, hear very little,
and only surmise what was happening by
few terse words over a phone
now and
then,
state of suspense, trying not to let their fears
When
the plane wrecked the forward
the magazines and handling
fire
distant
men
thumps and
a
lived in a dreadful
overwhelm
their hopes.
room, the men working
room under Mount 52 were
as close to
as they could be without actually being in the crash. All they
in it
knew
was, something terrible had happened. They never stopped passing
out ammunition; Marquoitt just had time, between shoving powder
Second Dog Watch
"You
cases into the hoist, to say sadly to himself,
home again." Wayne Schaefer, who was
973
aren't going to see
Mount 52, had nearly the same thought. His wife Marjorie was back home in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with their young son Thomas who was just also handling
He had
exactly two years old.
ammunition
for
seen the baby only once, Schaefer said
to himself, only once.
Down
in the
forward emergency diesel room, Cezus and Lunetta
They were
up
in a
with a diesel driven 150
KW
also fought without ever seeing anything.
compartment below the water
steel
line
emergency generator which automatically cut went
happened when the forward
out, as
their generator
lit
off
they
knew
fire
in
if
room
sealed
other power
all
flooded.
When
things topside were bad. Laboring to
supply power to the guns, the generator was running in overload condition and should have automatically tripped out, but Cezus held the overload trip in by give
them
hand
—
if
the
gun crews needed
juice until the generator blew itself to bits.
the ship sank he
and Lunetta were going down
couldn't get out until
The shock
someone came
to let
of the crash rattled things
them
all
juice,
he would
He knew
with
it,
that
if
for they
out.
over the radar room, and
Pete Aitchison yelled at Beadel.
"Beadel! us and
You know what? Here we
are getting the hell beat out of
bet they don't have a dime's worth of insurance on this
I
ship!"
When
the radio and radar antennae were wrecked, Reichard, Phil-
and Thibodeau scrambled out of the radar shack and set about trying to rig an emergency antennae. They were working by the forlips,
ward stack when
the second explosion blasted the area with shrapnel.
Reichard was pinned to the stack by a splinter of he thought was his sleeve, until
dangling loosely with blood pouring a gunner,
wounded shipmate from tried to hold a fire
down over
his hand.
his
He watched
hose but his hands were too raw to
bullet
off his
The boy manage that,
whizzed through the hose and punctured it
it,
while someone else fought the
gun and wounded, dashed
to the bridge.
still
scared
stiff,
but he
felt
he
fire.
Then he
thought, no, they'll hit the bridge next, and ran back to his gun.
was
arm
the flames around a wrecked gun.
plugged the hole by sitting on Rader, blown
through what
too young to shave, cruelly burn his hands dragging a
still
and when a
steel
he ripped away and found
He
safer there.
Seaman Thomas Erin had been
in
CIC, but with the
TBS wrecked
974
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
End
of an
Empire
he had nothing to do, so went out on deck and took the place of
someone on
40mm
a
gun. Fighting was' better than nothing.
The wardroom filled with smoke after the last explosion and the wounded men were near panic. Doc called the bridge for "the word." "Bridge, battle dressing. Ask the Captain are we going to abandon ship." "Sir, the
Captain says,
But somehow,
someone
else
in the
hell
no!"
chaos and confusion, someone misunderstood
and the word did
get out.
"Skipper says we're going to abandon ship!"
A
couple of
men
ran from the forward superstructure deck
all
the
way to the fantail and jumped overboard. That they could have jumped from where they were, without scrambling through fire, explosions and torn wreckage,
somehow never occurred
more went overboard
the battle ended a few
to them. Before
intentionally,
some
through accident. Later, as the ship floated and refused to sink, some
them gave up waiting
of
Mount 42 Blunck
that
to
be rescued and climbed aboard unaided.
word on abandon ship too. It never occurred to he might abandon ship, but he was certain the rest of the got the
crew would go. "Don't leave me," he kept leave me, I don't want to be
"Who
the hell's going
Brown, on the plane to hit him
more
40mm
and
left
all
Larson. "Don't
alone."
anywhere?" said Larson.
was
bridge,
still
hunched over waiting
for that
first
when
the second one crashed four seconds later;
20mm
ammunition blew up and
hot metal washed over the ship.
perhaps the
here
telling
A
a rain of fire
and
red hot jagged piece of the plane,
size of a silver dollar, pierced the
back of
his
neck and
Brown said to himself "I'm dead!" But it went on burning like hell's own ashes, so he decided he was alive after all and tore it off. By then there were so many badly wounded men needing care far worse than he did that Brown refused to bother Doc for treatment, and so he never got the Purple Heart medal he should have had. Instead, he
charges
—
if
asked Sanders for permission to disarm the depth
the ship did sink, they might detonate in the water and
more men. With Hitchcock and Mogensen he hurried out the arming pistols and heaved them overboard; then kill
aft,
pulled
the depth
charges, each loaded with hundreds of pounds of high explosive,
followed. There went one hazard for a ship which needed there
was
if
all
the luck
she was to survive. Suddenly they became aware they
were not the only
men on
the fantail; there were dark shapes, stretch-
Second Dog Watch wounded men, where
ers filled with
keep clear of the
the medics
975
had placed them
to
and destruction amidships. Brown nearly stum-
fire
bled over the nearest stretcher.
"Who the
hell
is
this?"
Someone bent down, peered into Even in the darkness, they could leg
the face. "Zaloga." see he
hanging by a tendon, a piece of
But he
me how there
speared through the other.
recognized Brown's face bent over him.
stirred,
"Brownie, look
poor
steel
had one arm shattered, one
my
at
me," he pleaded. "They
legs for
badly I'm hurt." Brownie
devil's legs hurt;
was no place
felt
sick all over.
hurt. Tell
No wonder
the
both feet were gone, the legs so badly mangled
to put a tourniquet.
A
great pool of blood glis-
tened under the stretcher.
"You're Okay, Joe," Brownie
lied.
"You'll be up and around in a
month."
Tony would have been okay
if
he had stayed back on the
fantail,
but there was nothing to do there, and he had tried to get forward to help, just as a plane hit the port
quad 40 and the exploding ammuni-
him down. The campaign was finally over for Zaloga. The other men held a battle lantern while Brown sprinkled some sulfa powder in Zaloga's wounds. Then someone yelled "Lights out!"
tion cut
and the guns opened up again.
a
Time 1916. That one was a Zeke, coming in astern at high speed in steep glide. None of the 5-inch guns could bear on him. Gun 42,
with the indomitable Larson
without result
still
shooting, took
and the plane slammed
him under
into the ship near
fire
but
gun 43.
Gasoline from the plane's belly tank sprayed the area and started
from 43 was ever seen again. Larson on by what he thought was a slab of bacon until he remembered that bacon didn't bleed. Many men on nearby guns were killed outright and some of them were blown overboard. Those who did not die in the blast floated around in the dark ocean another raging
gun 42 was
fire.
No man
hit in the face
until the "picker uppers," the small
Lavrakas looked down
at the
amphibs, fished them out. Lefty
smashed gun which gunner's mate Long
had kept always ready and thought to himself I've lost a fine shipmate and the best gunner the Navy ever had. If there is a Valhalla, Long has earned
By now
it.
the ship
superstructure aft
was dead
in the water, the
weather decks and
of the bridge were a complete shambles, dead and
976 dying
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
men were tumbled
in the
Empire
of an
wreckage,
raged uncontrolled and
fire
ammunition made existence uncertain
in the inferno exploding
those
End
for
still left.
Through the chaos the
repair parties fought
rigged pumps, and
fire,
dragged out the wounded. The repair gang, Lieutenant Biesmeyer,
and Gains,
Chiefs Offins
bruised, burned
but there was
still
work
to do.
over to port, but she was to
and James and others, were
Clair
St.
and bleeding; they had already out-labored Hercules
still
The
ship
afloat,
was low
still
in the water, going
fighting,
and they intended
keep her so. The enemy had other plans. Time 1921. "Here comes another one!" yelled Beadel "God, we can't take another one!" groaned Neupert.
in
CIC.
There he came, out of the darkness, low over the water, masked by the
smoky haze
drifting
away from
the burning ship.
"AIR ACTION STARBOARD, AIR ACTION STARBOARD." Guns
still
on power from the forward emergency
diesel trained
around but the crew could see nothing. Baffled, they stood waiting.
They knew
that this time they might
the plane before
it
have only a few seconds to get
got them.
"FIRE AFT, FIRE AFT,"
ordered Control. The forties opened
up, shooting blindly.
Suddenly the plane loomed into sight and trained aft in one supreme effort to
bored
in,
knock
all it
the remaining guns
down. Relentlessly
it
while the gun crews fed shells to the bellowing guns.
For the tenth time and looked death
in less than
right
in
the
planes," Bill Sanders had told
an hour they stood eyes.
"The way
them the
first
to
at their stations
handle enemy
time the ship went into
shoot them down, one at a time." Aye, aye, Sir. One at Number ten coming down! Down it came, down the stream of tracers, down the length of the wrecked ship, and down right into the gunners' faces, with the big bomb under its belly looking bigger every second. The plane crashed
combat,
"is to
a time
is!
it
amidships, at the base of the after stack, with a blasting, searing flash
bomb, and then plane, stack, searchlight air and smashed back on the shattered deck with a great tumultuous din as if the world had ended. For more of Aaron Ward's men, it had. On the main deck, Tony Macukas, who had escaped fiery death of exploding gasoline and
tower and guns leaped into the
earlier
coming
by scrambling out of the blazing engine room, yelled "He's in!"
and pointed. All around him men dived
for shelter, but
Second Dog Watch
977
Tony was still standing there, pointing, when the plane smashed down on him. Some of the men dived the wrong way and went overboard. The first thing Frank Ceckowski remembered after the crash was Tony pleading for help, and a man kneeling nearby praying. Frank prayed too, but stayed on his
Jack
down by
feet, just in case.
Macukas
Clair rushed to help
St.
his left leg
— and
—
had pinned him
the plane
yelled at the top of his voice for help but
no one heard him. Then Jack realized he couldn't even hear himself,
and thought steam
line
was dreaming,
for a second he
he realized that a
had broken and the roar of escaping steam was so loud
had absolutely stopped
all
hearing
it
sensation of sound. Only later did he
notice the search light tower had his
until
smashed on deck near him without
it.
The tower fell on Jim Berkey; it was on fire and so was he until someone drenched him with a fire hose. When they lifted the tower off, Jim jumped up off deck, ran, and passed out. An hour later, he woke up with someone shooting morphine into him. As he helped lift Macukas, Ceckowski's
the burning plane to rescue
skidded.
He
suddenly realized he was standing
had been a Japanese aside.
moment
pilot a
Grim men were
frantically
overboard and Ski saw a
man
without even noticing what
it
and
feet slipped
in the
middle of what
before and hurriedly stepped
pushing and heaving the wreckage
pick up a leg and toss
it
into the sea
was.
Gunner's mate Jack Shea, standing with Macukas when the plane hit,
could think of nothing better to do than crawl under a portable
quarterdeck desk. Burning gasoline ignited his dungarees and he
jumped overboard walk
off to
—
the ship
douse the
fire.
was so low
in the
In the water he
made
didn't work, but the burning ship
water
all
he did was
remembered his flashlight enough for one of the
light
"picker-upper" boats to find him soon afterward.
—
The time was now 1922 exactly sixty minutes since the first The once trim Aaron Ward resembled a
bogies had been reported.
from the bridge
floating junk pile
boat, everything
raged on deck,
rooms, and
above water, both
flooded.
Stacks, guns, searchlight tower,
was smashed and battered beyond recognition. Fires in the officer's
in the after
diesel engine
aft.
fire
and
chief's quarters, in
both clipping
engine room. The main deck was only inches
rooms flooded,
after engine
room, machine shop, shaft
Dead and wounded
bay, fantail and passageways.
littered the
room
alleys, crew's
flooded, after
bunkroom,
wardroom, mess
hall,
all
sick
978
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
The
night
burned
Empire
barbecue. There was no electricity, no fire
mains.
Men
fought
lights,
way
the
fire
Homer's day, with water. There was
in
fire
of an
was black and deep, except where the Aaron Ward
like a devil's
power, no pressure on the fought
End
no
they
plenty of
still
water.
The wrecked decks weren't much where they would be
Grab
here.
if
of a place to be, but better than
"All right, sailors. Over Keep them buckets coming.
she went down.
.
a bucket and get in line.
.
.
There's lots more water in the ocean. ..." and plenty already in the
Back
ship, too.
compartment. "But
empty
shell cases,
And by
another party worked at bailing out a flooded
aft
chief,
we
we
no more buckets".
ain't got
.
.
.
"Use
got plenty of them."
that time
it
certainly looked as
Water was lapping across the
fantail
if
she might go down.
where some wounded men had
been carried out of the way. Sanders had sent messengers scurrying
around the ship
to find
met
CIC
just outside
Biesmeyer and Doc, and the three of them
was
like a
black mirror. But the stability factor was
meyer ticked room,
—
damage forward room flooded, after
off the
after engine
down
fire
room
"We
still
flooded, after
fire
diesel flooded, the big after all
flooded.
think, Surge?"
have some
life
rafts.
They'll be as comfortable there as
"Good.
We
Doc and rafts,
and
his
tied
an
can load patients onto them.
anywhere
men bundled some
else."
effort to help
rafts; the ship
fire fighters,
dumped
fire,
wounded onto life wouldn't get lost. They didn't
of the badly
them alongside so they
reached across. The
help, fought
We
stay with her."
have to reach down to the
in
it
Bies-
bulkhead gave, she'd be a goner.
"What do you
just
until
critical.
crew's compartments flooded, machine shop, shaft alleys, If a
About
so Neupert could join in the discussion.
the only thing in their favor was that the sea had calmed
was so low
in the
water they
the repair gang, everyone able to
hot ammunition, pushed weights overboard
keep the ship
afloat.
They were going
to stay with
her.
One
GQ
of the helpers
station
was
plane crashed
in the
in,
McKanna. Bill was a sonarman but his handling room for a twin forty. When the last
was
Bill
debris put the gun out of commission, so Bill went
down to the wardroom to see if he could help with the wounded. Doc needed no more help then, so he sent Bill up on deck to help Kennedy. The wounded men were all over the place, it seemed. It was
Second Dog Watch dark, except for flickers of light from the
alongside, looking very small
See
if
you can
"We
someone
get
—
either
a
water
rafts in the
men onto
gotta get these
the
go with them."
to
men
but the few
Bill yelled for help,
him
and the ship had
life
and inadequate.
"Here, Bill," said Kennedy. rafts.
fire,
some
sluggish feeling about her. There were
979
he could see failed to hear
they were furiously fighting
fire,
wreckage, or they were just standing there,
heaving around on with momentary
filled
hysteria.
go," Bill said, and climbed
"I'll
up on the
rail.
Just as he tensed
himself to jump, someone yelled "Take off your helmet!" That was a
good
idea. Stefani
overboard with
had been nearly knocked
his tin hat
on and
it
silly earlier
konked him
a
when he went
good one. So
Bill
threw the helmet on deck and jumped.
His
feet
It
had no more than
"Look out
again:
was too
piled out
Schaeffer
when
the railing
left
was on
late. Bill
on the
his
way down. He
had gone
right
It
if
a
20mm
projectile
seemed awfully lonesome down there
hail out of the darkness:
AHOY THE AARON WARD!" little
LCS
"AARON WARD,
and there came the crummy,
Ward's gunners
—
dirty,
83, creeping into the circle of fiery light with her
hoses streaming water and her crew ready to duck in case
quarter
Wayne
raft.
Suddenly there was a
lovely
water and
and between them they
to the raft with him,
through him.
hit the
never got wet. Then
raft so fast his shirt
jumped down
got Turner and Viega on board. Viega looked as
on that
the voice yelled
for sharks!"
had
still
the ship
itchy fingers.
was now so low
up on the deck
help.
Among them
— and men
right
in the
piled
fire
Aaron
She eased up on the port water that once her
bow
slid
on board the stricken ship
were a few Aaron Ward
sailors
to
who had been
blown overboard, had been picked up, and were now coming back for more. There was a
fierce
fire
burning forward, and the 83 boat
pushed her nose into the middle of
40mm
it.
Just then
ammunition
in a
magazine commenced exploding and the men on the 83's bow
dropped
their fire hose
and
ran.
McCaughey wished he could have
hold of that hose, but he didn't need
to; the
got
skipper of the 83 boat,
Lieutenant Faddin, jumped off the bridge, ran forward, and took the
hose himself. Just helpers
moved
to the 83.
in case the ship did
a few
decide to go down,
wounded men from
the deck of the
Doc and his Aaron Ward
980
A
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa: sailor
some more
needed
—
the
More
the ship.
lots of friends
little
LCSL
fire fighters.
of an
on a night
of these
Boles helped
and there came
like this,
14 snuggling up to the starboard side of
More pumps. Aaron Ward's medics
riedly slung a couple of stretcher patients
One
Empire
aboard the
LCSL
hur-
14
too.
was Turner, gun captain of the starboard quad 40. As lift
him aboard, Turner whispered "Tell
my
mother
my
body wasn't mangled." "Sure, Jack. Don't worry. You'll be fine."
But Turner wasn't
No
explosion.
fine.
His legs had been nearly torn
doctor could help him.
He
died aboard the
off in the
LCSL
14
a couple of hours later.
The time was 2000. The second dog watch was was finished. The enemy had gone. Yet men still desperately, against man's fiercest enemy, greatest
enemy, the
them and
still
fire;
over.
The
battle
fought, silently,
against the sailor's
one who had taken many of
sea; against the
might get the others before the night had ended,
death.
Black night crowded close around the wounded a
ship, a
backdrop
to
Greek tragedy. Leaping red flames painted crazy shadows against
the sky and exploding ammunition rocketed toward the stars. But finally the planes
the battle
were downed and the guns were
and the breeze marched back
consider what they had seen.
Aaron Ward had won. The sea lay black and flat tionless. The routine had run had ceased Bell
had been too busy
to
The gods
of
to their celestial
mountains to
Aaron Ward had met
the test and
The ship hung there, moThe wheels had all stopped. Time
in the night.
out.
to exist there, long ago;
the stillness, in the silence,
stilled.
now even
the
wind had gone. In
men at last had time to think. Radarman know fear for the past hour, but now he
knew he was scared as hell. He was not alone. The time was 2000. No one passed the word to relieve the watch. No one made eight o'clock reports. No one stopped for a cup of coffee or a game of cribbage. There was no coffee and no time for it. No one knew how much time they had left, but in what time there might be they fought to save the ship
.
.
.
AARON WARD'S CASUALTIES NUMBERED FORTY-FIVE killed,
missing or dead of wounds; forty-nine others were wounded.
Second Dog Watch At 7:23
a.m.
the
Commander
morning
following
"We
ceived this message from Nimitz:
admire
all
981
Sanders
be licked. Congratulations on your magnificent performance." to
Kerama
re-
a ship that can't
Towed
Retto, where temporary repairs were effected during the
ensuing six weeks, Sanders' doughty
New
can was able to steam to
tin
she was decommissioned as being beyond
York on one engine where
economical repair. She was one of ninety ships either sunk or put out of action since the opening of the
The sion,
push for the
final
began on June
18.
shells struck Bolivar's
of his
Okinawa campaign. by elements of the
island,
That was the day when
command
Marine Divilarge-calibre
post, killing the general
and several
Geiger of the Marines assumed temporary command,
staff.
until relieved
by "Vinegar Joe"
USA.
Stilwell,
Next day, before he committed
suicide,
Ushijima sent a message to
his beleaguered troops to "fight to the last
them
1st five
and
die."
Almost
of
all
when
took his advice, and fighting continued to July 2,
the
still in enemy hands tendered Okinawa campaign was over.
Japanese commander of the islands surrender to the Army. The
And
the end of the
Potsdam
Conference
18, thus
July
war was almost
in sight, for as a result of the
Russia
Soviet
declared
its
McVay. The warship was
commanded by Captain
traveling at high speed, un-
escorted, from San Francisco to Tinian.
McVay, under
orders to
zigzag "at discretion," did so by day but not at night, and night,
on July 29, that on her
fired a
spread of
six
torpedoes
at
at
up the She
1500 meters, and a minute and
amidships. Power failed and the warship began to
word
was
a
heard two heavy explosions as Indianapolis was sundered
half later
the
it
a Japanese submarine, the 1-58, picked
battle periscope, silhouetted in bright moonlight.
cruiser
McVay,
time,
this
worst catastrophes of the war,
the loss of the heavy cruiser Indianapolis,
Charles B.
on
war on Japan
adding to the pressure on the enemy. At
however, the Navy suffered one of
his
list
to starboard.
ordering the radio shack to send a coded SOS, soon passed to
Abandon
Ship, but a large
number
of officers
and blue-
jackets failed to get the word. Fifteen minutes later, as the cruiser,
enveloped
in flames,
sank
in
hundred men went down with
a welter of hissing steam, her.
Not
until the
some four
morning of August 2
did a Pelileu-based Ventura spot the warship's surviving crewmen, for during the intervening days
and nights our
floating forces
were
oblivious of their dire predicament. Drifting aimlessly on the sea,
many
died there, victims of horrible burns and of sharks.
982
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa: find of an Empire
The
first
rescue ship arrived at the, scene the next day, and others
soon afterward, but by then there were only three hundred and teen of the ship's original
was McVay, who was court-martial of
1 )
199-man crew
1
on
shortly tried
alive.
Guam
One
and found
lives of others.
close of the only such proceedings in
World War
August
6, in
guilty
by
culpable inefficiency in the performance of duty
and 2) negligently endangering the
On
six-
of the survivors
an
effort to force
This marked the
II.
Japan out of the war, President
Truman authorized the atomic bombing of Hiroshima; a second atom bomb was dropped on Nagasaki three days later. Japan had been brought to unconditional surrender through the reluctant use of the
most devastating instrument devised by man. surrender instrument was a sure.
On
fait
until the
airfields at
Honshu, nipping
formal
accompli, Nimitz kept up the pres-
August 9 Task Force 38, with Vice Admiral John
Cain commanding (Halsey was
strike
Still,
S.
Mc-
in conference with the British) struck
in the
bud a two hundred plane
suicide
planned for Saipan. The following day McCain struck again,
completing the job and blasting installations as well.
Then came
the Japanese offer of surrender.
Secretary of the that post of the
upon
Navy James
the death of
momentous
day.
Forrestal,
who assumed command
Frank Knox, noted
of
in his diary the events
SECRETARY OF THE NAVY JAMES FORRESTAL
WITH WALTER MILLIS 17-
SURRENDER DIARY
10 August 1945 Captain Smedberg telephoned important message. of a decrypted
He came
at
seven o'clock that he had a very
out for breakfast and showed
message from Tokyo
holm and Berne.
.
.
.
me
a
copy
to Japanese Ministers at Stock-
"Tokyo, Aurust 10
—The Japanese government
today addressed the following communications to the
Swiss
and
Swedish governments respectively for transmission to the United Great Britain, China and the Soviet Union: \
States,
.
.
.
The Japa-
nese government are ready to accept the terms enumerated in the Joint Declaration which
was issued
at
Potsdam on July 26, 1945,
.
.
.
with the understanding that the said Declaration does not comprise
any demand which prejudices the prerogatives of His Majesty as a sovereign ruler/
"
Major Correa came 8:15.
I
to breakfast
and we both went
cated surrender of Japan and on his speech of the White State
to the office at
telephoned the President congratulations both on the indi-
House
at
8:40
to
last
evening.
I
went
to
meet the President with the Secretary of
and Secretary of War, Admiral Leahy, John Snyder (then Direc-
tor of the Office of
War
Aide, Captain Vardaman,
Mobilization)
and Military Aide, General Vaughan.
There was general discussion agreed that
we should
and the President's Naval
as
to the
Japanese message.
It
was
await formal receipt of the surrender offer.
983
984
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
End
Empire
of an
Justice Byrnes raised the question of Whether the offer accorded with
our terms of "unconditional" surrender. Admiral Leahy thought did but Brynes
that
felt
had receded from the tion. I said that
this
in
accorded
fully
we
to the criticism that
and severity of the Potsdam Declara-
could be met by an affirmative statement on
which we could see to
our part
The
I felt
we might be exposed
totality
it
that the language of surrender
it
with our intent and view.
War made
Secretary of
the suggestion that
we should now
cease sending our bombers over Japan; he cited the growing feeling of
apprehension and misgiving as to the
own
our
in
remember
country.
I
would have
that this nation
by the Japanese. ...
effect of the
atomic
bomb
supported his view and said that
It
was
to bear the focus of the hatred
left that
the Secretrry of State
undertake the drafting of a message to be sent when, as and formal surrender came
even
we must would if
the
in.
10 August 1945 .
Both the President and the Secretary of State emphasized the
.
.
fact that they
had used the term "Supreme Commander" rather than
"Supreme Command" so that it would be quite clear that the United would run this particular business and avoid a situation of composite responsibility such as had plagued us in Germany. States
The
President observed that
we would keep up
the
war
at
its
present intensity until the Japanese agreed to these terms, with the limitation,
however, that there would be no further dropping of the
atomic bombs.
He
said that he expected
it
days before negotiations were completed.
would
find that
our views, but that Russia would not
Japan.
He
we
if .
.
we
anticipated Jhat
Great Britain and China would acquiesce promptly
He
might not hear from Russia.
them
would take about three
He
fail to
—
said
he expected that
in fact,
we
shall,
in
we
however, act without
hear from them and proceed with the occupation of
.
said he
hoped
that
Mr. Snyder would
to consider the disposition of surplus,
call
promptly a meeting
and unless we moved on
this
promptly we would soon be overwhelmed by a very large volume of surplus products.
.
.
.
10 August 1945 Admiral King dispatched
to
Admiral Nimitz
this
morning a mes-
sage apprising him of the receipt of the Japanese offer of surrender.
The message
started: "This
is
a peace warning."
IN
THE FORENOON WATCH OF AUGUST
ceived word to "cease
all
15
HALSEY RE-
offensive operations against Japan,"
he celebrated the good news by breaking his four-starred ordering Missouri's whistle sounded for a
moment was
at
hand
—
the incredible
full
minute!
moment
at
The
the
flag
and and
jubilant
end of the
bloody road!
Seaman Montpelier
First Class at the
days in his diary.
James
J.
Fahey,
still
aboard the
battle-tried
conclusion of the war, recorded this and the next few
SEAMAN 1/c JAMES
J.
FAHEY
18.
CAME OVER
"IT
THE RADIO
" .
.
.
Wednesday, August 15, 1945:
1
washed some clothes
When
a.m. while on the midnight to 4 a.m. watch.
watch,
I
daytime. ters
them
rinsed I
out.
We
are too busy to
I
in a
was
wash our
bucket
at
1
relieved of
clothes in the
caught a few minutes sleep before sunrise General Quar-
sounded
at
4:45 a.m.
I
attended Mass in the crew's lounge.
We
returned this morning at 8:15 to Okinawa.
from a tanker.
It
came over
refueled this morning
the radio that President
declared the war over. All that remains
is
We
Truman
officially
for the Japs to sign the
peace treaty. Some day this week will be set aside as V-J Day. When word was passed the whistles on every ship in the harbor sounded, and everyone on the ship was making plenty of noise. We were alongside the tanker and the light cruiser Denver was on the other side of us at the time.
The weather was tonight at 5 p.m.
We
again hot and sunny.
do not want
night to sleep under the stars.
we
We
left
the
to take any chances. It
Bay again was a good
Myers and Renteria enjoyed the candy
My
Mary knows every place we go because I have a code name for each spot we are stationed at. It is right under the censor's nose and he does not know bars
what
I
it
gave them before
fell
sister
means.
Thursday, August 16, 1945: morning.
986
asleep.
Word was
sent to
We
returned to Buckner
Japan for them
Bay
this
to send their peace envoys
Came Over
"It
to a small island called Ie Shima. It
Shima
Ie
is
not too distant from Okinawa.
where the famous war correspondent, Ernie Pyle, was
killed.
The password
Shima
in
be Bataan. The Jap
will
leave Ie
officials will
one of our bombers for General MacArthur's Headquarters
Manila. The Japs were told to leave Japan in a white bomber with
in
colored stripes on
we
are stationed.
We
left
The
it.
We
island of Ie
We
We
my
received a letter from
we
last
Okinawa
many
Mary.
watches. sleep.
only took seven days for
Our band
practiced on the fantail
are going to have a band. All the large ships have
said that they
would not
were not allowed enough time. They
damp
dry, not
South
like the
Saturday, August 18, 1945:
Japan Sunday
officials will leave
arrive today because they
will arrive
It
tomorrow
We
and
to hold our
had mail
in
go over to
the radio that the Jap
to sign the surrender terms. I It
it.
We
acquired bread from the bakery and
the meat.
We
ate the sandwiches this
was another hot day. Some of the men were permitted the beach on Okinawa for recreation. There is not much It
very hot there and smells.
The
stuck his head into one of the tombs to see what
saw the
sailor,
a Jap soldier stuck his
One
recreation.
ing by
the
it
The
was
head outside. still
on recreation
like inside
When
it
and
the Jap
plenty of Japs
thing about the Navy, they can pick
great places for recreation. Half of the time
on
interest. It is also
sailors
he surrendered to him. There are
loose around there.
to
to
fellows are not allowed to enter the
tombs but they do. Not too long ago, one of the
same time
a
said Jap peace plane
do over there but tombs and skeletons are always of
at the
saw
Ohrt received a package from home with a
made some sandwiches from afternoon.
climate
fire.
call today.
can of meat and candy
to sign the
The
stars.
Pacific.
came over
dispatch in the Officer of the Deck's shack. will arrive
afford
It
peace papers. Nearly everyone sleeps under the is
It will
bands.
The Jap envoys
here
at 7 a.m. this
ever had Condition 4 watches.
up on some
sister
to reach here. That's a record.
At
we
to stand as
the fellows an opportunity to catch
own
passes.
it
conducted sunset General
returned to
time
first
That means we do not have
their
We
are leaving nothing to chance.
Friday, August 17, 1945:
today.
not too far from where
is
might be able to see the Jap plane as
morning. Today was the
I
Shima
the harbor as usual at 5 p.m.
Quarters.
it
is
987
Radio
the
would pay
to
some
go armed
radio announced the Japs in China are surrender-
thousands.
The heavy
cruiser Indianapolis
was sunk,
988
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
100% ment
atomic
1300 men.
bomb
an Empire
of
were reported. The J ndianapolis carries a comple-
casualties
of
End
It
was
that
was returning from delivering a part
for the
dropped on Hiroshima.
in turn
Sunday, August 19, 1945: All the ships here have been refueling
few days.
foT the past
surrender.
Some
of our
We
will pull out as soon as Japan signs the bombers were attacked over Japan yesterday,
The
while they were taking pictures.
scuttlebutt here
that
is
we
will
we
leave for the States September 18 with the cruiser Denver. That will
tow the Pennsylvania back with convoy
escort a
last
I
The hole was
you could drive a truck Pennsylvania
will not
the
war
I
is
will
At
over.
must be the
it
World War II. It was not it. The repair crews are
in
pumped from
so big where the torpedo exploded that
into
it
with plenty of
room
The
to spare.
of battleships in the Pacific, and
Captain William Moses, were both knocked down when
church services
we
be in on the peace celebration. Vice Admiral
commander
Oldendorf,
that
that
is
were held topside.
services
God
warship to be knocked out of action
it.
other talk
could see the battleship Pennsylvania,
too far away. Water was being
working on
The
Sunday church
to Japan.
Protestants and Catholics thanked
church services
us.
could also see the green
hills
of
its
it
Captain,
was
hit.
Okinawa on
At
this
Mass this morning. A large crowd attended church services. We had fellows from about every state in the Union present. There were officers, seamen and hot,
sunny day. Captain Gorry was also
Marines.
We
was very
nice.
closed the services by singing
All the crew talk about
Montpelier has
By
at
fired
now
is
when we
"God will
over 100,000 rounds of
Bless America."
It
go back home. The
five
and
six inch shells.
we reach the States, we will have traveled almost 200,Of that total approximately 95% was spent in enemyinfested waters. The Jap peace delegation arrived today. They landed on Ie Shima. The radio broadcast originated from there for the whole the time
000
miles.
world to
listen to.
took place.
Two
It
gave a graphic description of everything that
twin engine bombers with green crosses and carrying
13 Jap officials landed about
1
p.m. After leaving their planes, they
stepped into a C-54 skymaster. At 1:30 p.m. they
MacArthur's Headquarters
surrender terms. The Japanese pilots were
want
to
make
left
for General
in the Philippines for the signing of the left
behind as they did not
the trip. Air time will take five or six hours to reach
Nichols Field in Manila. Ie Shima was
full
with military
were on hand to witness the history-making event.
officials
who
"/f
The one
came
from recreation
fellows returned
was
sailor
and another had
killed
booby
across Jap
Came Over at
his
5:30 p.m. They said that
arm blown
fell
off
when
they
Joe Renteria dove into
traps. This afternoon
the water after a softball that
989
Radio
the
from the Montpelier.
He had
quite a
rough time swimming back to the ship because of the strong undertow.
When
he neared the ship Chick Bartholow grabbed him from the
He was
Jacob's Ladder.
exhausted and about ready to go under.
swim
next to impossible to
push back anyone that bucks very powerful.
It
It's
against the strong undertow. It tends to it.
The
swells look very innocent but are
does not take long to be carried out to sea.
Sam and
Frazer plus Stevo and Olson put on a wrestling bout before they
hit
the steel for a night's sleep.
Monday, August 20, 1945: Sunrise watch was held
We We
at 5 a.m.
secured at 6 a.m. At quarters this morning about 8:15 a.m.
10%
were informed that later
10%
another
will return to the
We
States.
2 a.m.
this
the meeting.
morning. General
Mac Arthur
American paratroops landed
in
month
were paid today.
The men can still only draw $10 each. The radio announced that the peace conference was at
A
of the crew will be transferred.
still
going on
has not yet appeared
at
Manchuria and rescued
General Wainwright and other Americans. Another battleship arrived yesterday in the bay.
Tuesday, August 21 said that Jap officials
meeting was held
in
,
1945: Not
left
much news
to report.
The
radio
Manila and have returned to Japan. The
Manila City Hall. Sixteen Japs participated. Gen-
MacArthur did not appear at the conference. He will leave for Tokyo in ten days and sign the peace terms. Everyone was under the impression that the peace terms would be signed in Manila. The Japs
eral
relayed
all
our troops
information concerning their airfields and the areas where will land.
with our troops Well,
it
when
The Jap government
About 20 men were called will go this month and
home
its
people to cooperate
looks like they are going to start transferring the
crew get
told
they land.
to the
20%
Ex
office,
they say
next month.
I will
be
men now.
10%
of the
satisfied
if I
for Christmas.
1945: Hundreds of ships are anchored
Friday, August 24,
Buckner Bay, Okinawa. They consist of
them are 10
battleships
all
and two hospital
types of warships.
ships.
Some
at
Among
of the crew of
the Montpelier were transferred to the States tonight.
Five battleships
left
for
Tokyo Bay and
the peace ceremonies.
The
990
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
End
of
would have been one
battleship Pennsylvania
an Empire of
them
if it
was not
hit
by a Jap torpedo while they were talking peace. At noon the dope
was that our Admiral Riggs would have charge of Task Group 95.02 that will land troops on Japan. I hope this is true. The paratroops are scheduled to land Sunday and the ground troops Tuesday.
Admiral Riggs and Captain Gorry
left
the ship for the beach this
went.
The Captains and Admirals from the other ships also They had a picnic over there. I guess it is a going away party.
They
will
afternoon.
never have a chance like
Saturday, August 25, 1945: this
We
this to get together again.
had Captain's Inspection
morning. Only one division wore blues.
It's
too
in blues
warm
to
wear
Some had heavy blues on, others wore whites and the remainder wore dungarees. The officer asked the crew what uniforms we would like to have our picture taken in. We favored dunany clothes
at
all.
morning
garees. This
The bulkheads were them. This
is
at 7
a.m. the temperature was 107 degrees.
so hot that
I
the hottest time of the year and
down all day. The radio announced
my hand
could not lean it
seldom
rains.
against
The sun
beats
the invasion of Japan
was
hours because of typhoons near Japan. The surrender papers signed on the battleship Missouri in
48
called off for
be
will
Tokyo Bay.
Sunday, August 26, 1945: 40 minesweepers arrived
bay
at the
yesterday plus more warships, cargo, supply and one hospital ship.
The Captain and a few officers came aboard with huge flowerpots. They acquired them on the beach. Stevenson went over to one of the small islands where the officers had recreation on a clean-up detail. He said that there was a deserted village there. He brought back some things with him that he had found on the island. The island is situated near Okinawa.
The
fellows
the beach
and
who were
transferred a couple of days ago are
on
still
will not get transportation to the States for at least 6
weeks. They are working pretty hard over there building up the place. I
think
I will
take
my
chances on going back with the ship.
August 28,
Tuesday,
1945:
The
Buckner Bay, Okinawa with 5 tugs escorting a.m.
It
was traveling
at
approximately
ago that a Jap torpedo plane put a
Tokyo Bay
Pennsylvania
battleship it,
this
five knots. It
fish into
it.
for the celebration only for this.
It
morning
was
left
at 7
sixteen days
would have been
at
The crew must be very
disappointed.
One
of the fellows flooded a big magazine
and we were forced
to
Came Over
"It
carry
all
the
powder and
shells
the
Radio
.
.
."
991
up three decks and dry each one
of
them. Then they were again stored in the hold. There were thousands of shells
and powder cases
on the individual who
be lugged by the crew.
to
let this
It will
go tough
occur.
THE MASSIVE THIRD FLEET SET COURSE FOR TOKYO Bay with
a reasonable degree of apprehension, for
any
kikusui attacks were contemplated, or
if
final
Supreme Commander MacArthur's occupation sisted
on
was not known
newly-designated
forces
would be
re-
land.
Appropriately, Halsey
when
if
it
tells
the surrender instrument
us of the period through September 2
was
signed.
FLEET ADMIRAL WILLIAM
AND
.
J.
HALSEY
F.
BRYAN,
III
19.
UNCONDITIONAL
SURRENDER
The Third Fleet's cheers at the news of Japan's surrender had hardly away when I ordered all ships to turn to and spruce up Aboard the Missouri, which had been designated as the scene of the surrender ceremony she was named for President Truman's native died
.
—
state, of course,
and had been christened by
began to scour through the gray
his
its
dull
coat;
of
staff's
preparations went forward.
sance
flights
fleet
entered
Tokyo Bay, we were smart and shining. The landing
mouth
my
was put aboard
were
slipcovers
at the
force
—holystones
daughter
broken out for our chairs and transoms; and when the Meanwhile,
.
battle paint to the white teak decks
beneath; brass also emerged from
Sagami Bay,
.
transports.
We
started a series of reconnais-
over Japan to locate the prisoner of war camps and to
drop food and medicine. Our task groups massed for an
aerial
photo-
graph—EXERCISE SNAPSHOT, then our planes had their turn— EXERCISE TINTYPE. We organized a special task force to furnish fire
occupation,
support during the
aboard for conferences:
my
Vice Marshall Leonard
Isitt,
who would
sign for
mander in Chief of United Kingdom. Every
992
man
jack
New
if
needed.
of the Royal
Zealand; and
New
Adm.
the British Pacific Fleet,
among
Signatories
came
old friend from the South Pacific, Air
Sir
Zealand Air Force,
Bruce Fraser, Com-
who would
us was looking toward one
sign for the
moment,
the
993
Unconditional Surrender
moment we would anchor
Tokyo Bay. Our
in
first
anchoring
nese waters, at Sagami Bay, would be an appetizer. set this for
August 26, but two typhoons formed
and he postponed troops.
Many
the like;
of
my
and even
if
ships were small
his air-borne
patrol craft, subchasers,
and
they had not been crowded and short of stores,
would have been reluctant I
—
Japa-
to the southward,
on behalf of
for forty-eight hours
it
in
MacArthur had
keep them
to
at sea in
I
typhoon weather, so
requested and received his permission to put in on the twenty-
seventh.
We
raised the coast at
dawn
that morning.
The Japanese Navy had
been ordered to send us an escort through the mine
fields,
and
to
empowered to arrange the surrender of the Yokosuka came into view, we identified her as the destroyer Hatsuzakura. As stipulated, her guns were depressed, their breeches open, her torpedo tubes empty, and no crew was topside except enough men to handle a small boat. Mick Carney and I
deliver officers
When
Base.
the escort
watched her from the Missouri's woebegone, so
dirty, that
I
felt
flag bridge.
ashamed
She was so
frail,
so
of our having needed four
years to win the war.
Mick pointed toward Well, there
The
it
her.
"You wanted
is."
fourteen emissaries were
las for "processing."
Not
we
put aboard the destroyer Nicho-
first
until their side
and they had been made tion, did
the Jap Navy, Admiral.
to bathe
and undergo a medical examina-
them around the
distribute
arms had been confiscated
Fleet.
Two
captains and an
ensign interpreter were then transferred to the Missouri. Here they
were searched again, photographed, and marched under guard
to
Captain Murray's cabin, where the conference was to be held.
Our
attitude it
had taught
us.
than
may sound
was
enemy, but
We
we would have allowed
our crews
the Hatsuzakura to approach us without
our guns manned, and our planes overhead,
at quarters,
ready to go into action at an inkling
By full
late
attempt to humiliate a beaten
like a petty
was part of a policy which grim experience would not have omitted our precautions any more
not. It
afternoon the whole
fleet
.
.
was
.
at
anchor
in
Sagami Bay,
in
view of beautiful Kamakura, the Japanese Riviera, where the
Summer
Palace stands.
usually cloud-capped,
We
also
am
told,
I
had a view of Fujiyama.
Its
peak
is
but that evening was clear, and the
sun seemed to sink directly into the crater. Although the symbolism
was strongly
suggestive,
we
did not rely on
it
to the extent of not
994
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
stationing picket boats
we
chorage, nor did
had assigned
of an
Empire
and destroyers on the perimeter of our an-
We
light the ships.
were
still
My
dogwatch wrote ships turned "
Wan.'
the weather decks.
in the flag log,
on anchor
(Wan
lights
"At
We
— 'The
lighted ship at dusk
The
staff officer
and
who had
1815/1 (Tokyo time),
sunset,
Japanese for bay.)
is
but
left all
open water.
in
apprehension lessened next day.
showed movies on
and our
in,
guns were not only loaded but trained. Moreover, we had
one of our carriers outside,
We
being prudent.
heavy ships before we stood
targets to the
the all
came on again in Sagami But we were at general quarters lights
—
when we steamed into Tokyo Bay on the twenty-ninth the supreme moment of my career and it wasn't until September 3 that we began to stand at ease. Even then we still posted lookouts, our radars con-
—
tinued to search, and our ships maintained their high state of watertight integrity
.
.
.
Meanwhile, on the twenty-eighth, elements of the Army's borne Division had started landing
Navy
ships
deplaned, sign,
had guarded
I
am
"Welcome
young
pilot
at Atsugi Airfield,
their line of flight
Army from
1th Air-
near Tokyo.
from Okinawa, and
as they
was
a large
told that the first sight to catch their eyes to the U.S.
1
the Third Fleet."
A
brash
from the Yorktown had dropped into Atsugi, wholly
against orders, and
had made the Japs paint
it
and post
it.
MacArthur had directed us not to begin recovering POW's until Army was ready to do so, but as with the landings circumstances forced us to jump the gun. Our first night at anchor in Sagami Wan, a picket boat patrolling close inshore heard a yell from the beach and picked up two British prisoners, whom it delivered to Coramo. Rodger W. Simpson, commanding the rescue operation. The Britishers told Rodger a tale of such inhumanity as we found almost
—
—
the
impossible to believe, until
it
was corroborated the following day by a
Swiss doctor, representing the International these
men convinced
us that
now was no
Red
Cross. Listening to
time to defer to protocol.
I
ordered Rodger to take his task group, which included the hospital ship Benevolence,
up
to
Tokyo and
to stand
Chester Nimitz' plane arrived from ninth, I
and he had no sooner broken
was explaining the urgency
Guam
his flag
by for a sudden at
signal.
1420 on the twenty-
on the South Dakota than
of the situation.
"Go ahead," Chester said. "General MacArthur will understand." Rodger went ashore immediately with his rescue detail, which included Harold Stassen, whom I had lent him as his chief staff officer,
995
Unconditional Surrender
Commo.
and
medical
who had
Joel T. Boone,
Planes from the
officer.
relieved Piggy
One was
whose commandant made a show
demanding
8,
"I have
no authority
men," he
to release these
the infamous
At 1910
Omori
said.
"You have
.
.
that evening, the
Prisoners)
Military
lied
.
my
credentials.
Harold, unarmed as was the rest of the party, told him,
no authority, period!"
as
guided their small boats up
fleet
estuaries leading to the prison camps.
of
Weeks
POW's, or RAMP's (Rescued Al-
first
they were
as
now
were put
designated,
aboard the Benevolence; by midnight, 794 had been brought out; and within fourteen days, every one of 19,000 Allied prisoners in our area, the eastern two-thirds of
Honshu, had been
liberated, docketed,
bathed, examined, and either hospitalized or sent off for a quiet,
comfortable convalescence.
The unspeakable
brutality
down
the
the only happy association that
Simpson's splendid record stroyer raid on of his in
If
replied,
had not been
it
we might have been delayed this
in
I
besides,
leave
has for
it
it,
I still
I
want
me. Rodger
South Pacific included a daring de-
in the
Simpson Harbor,
Tokyo Bay, we
son Harbor.
hands of
disclaims any connection with the
can not discuss the subject temperately. But before to set
at the
Navy Army— —has been amply described by correspondents;
the Japanese
camps
which they had endured
at
Rabaul;
"Roger for that
to
so, in
answer to a query
Rodger Simpson
Rodger
of Simp-
Simpson Harbor,
in
sending roger to Rodger Simpson
in
harbor."
H
Hour
for our landing forces
was 1000 on the
thirtieth.
Spear-
headed by the 4th Marine Regimental Combat Team, British bluejackets occupied
Azuma
peninsula, U.S. Marines occupied
Yokosuka
Air Base, and U.S. bluejackets occupied Yokosuka Naval Base. The
Japanese seemed anxious to avoid
friction,
and we met no opposition
at any point. Mick Carney, as my representative, accepted custody of Yokosuka from Vice Adm. Michitare Totsuka at 1030; headquarters
of the Third Fleet
1045, and
me
hell for
my
flag
and of the landing force were established there
was raised over the
breaking
and ordered me
my
to haul
States admiral's flag to
Another
of our nucleus crews
it
fly
flag incident
can commanding
flag
station.
at
(Chester Nimitz gave
ashore in the presence of a senior officer
down;
all
the same,
it
is
the
first
United
over Imperial Japanese territory!)
had occurred
earlier that
morning, when one
boarded the battleship Nagato, and the Ameri-
officer directed her captain to haul
down
his colors.
996
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
The captain
of an
Empire
tried to delegate the job to a bluejacket, but the
Ameri-
can told him, "No. Haul them down yourself!" This suka,
Academy Museum
presented to the Naval
Jap
third
along with the Japanese flag that had flown over Yoko-
flag,
I
flag,
from the old battleship Mikasa,
King, with a request that he present
Mikasa had been Togo's
Yokosuka
I visited
cleanliness
and the
"on delivery
Tsushima
Straits.
that afternoon. Despite the Japs' reputation for
one of the surrender terms stipulated that
fact that
to the Allies,
The
appalling.
A
Annapolis.
to the Russians, since the
flagship at the Battle of
scrupulously clean, and in
saw was
it
at
passed along to Ernie
I
will
facilities
all
be cleared of debris,
operating condition," the
full
that
filth
I
which had been evacuated only
officers' club,
a few hours before, was overrun with rats of an extraordinary size
They ignored our presence in some rooms but squeaked angrily when we entered others. They probably had a special membership which reserved certain parts of the club for themand character.
selves alone.
The
were also
civilians
told that their principal
Worse, they were apathetic;
dirty.
employment was walking up the
odd days and down on even.
We
I
heard from
many
sources that the average Jap considered
none.
I
recalcitrance
Possibly because
I
had
me
his
watched for signs of hatred. There were
was never accosted, and
I
The only
on
streets
found occasional evidence of mal-
nutrition in urban areas, but the country folk looked well fed.
personal archenemy, so
was
I
doubt
if I
we met was on
we had allowed them
was ever recognized.
the part of the civil police.
to
keep their side arms as a
badge of authority, they gradually arrogated the additional privilege
annoyed me.
of not saluting Allied officers. This
Kessing, the
word
whom to the
I
had appointed
mayor
that his police
without exception, and that
The mayor
who
is
protested,
this
"How
directed Scrappy
I
COMNAVBASE
Yokosuka,
were to salute
all
to pass
Allied officers
order would be rigidly enforced. will
they
know who
is
an
officer
and
not?"
Scrappy told him, "If they don't know, they'd better play safe by saluting every foreign uniform."
Now
I
come
to
our focal day, September
2, the
day of the formal
surrender. Supervised by Captain Murray, Bill Kitchell had like a
Hong Kong
every step of
away even
it,
coolie to organize the ceremony.
He
worked
rehearsed
provided for every nuance of etiquette, and smoothed
the possibility of a bobble.
The
result
was the best job
of
997
Unconditional Surrender sort
its
No
have ever seen.
I
court chamberlain could have improved
it.
The
correspondents and photographers,
guests,
first
0710. Next came Navy
and
Arthur and
SOPA
was
and
his party,
Iowa near by; Chester's
sight they
morning was one it 1
made
at
had
I
stars
five
shifted
my
personal
were broken
the
at
MacArthur stepped aboard,
his
together was unique, but on the Missouri that
flag that
by special messenger
854
foreign
General Mac-
was broken alongside.
flag
The
at
Japanese envoys. Since Chester
finally the
Missouri's aftermast, and as General
own
his staff, then
(Senior Officer Present Afloat),
flag to the
Army and
then
representatives,
representatives, then Chester Nimitz
arrived
—
outshone them both. Washington had sent
Commodore
the flag that
Perry had flown
in
almost our identical anchorage.
The destroyer bringing the Army men had not yet moored to us when old friends began calling back and forth. I shouted to Nate
whom I was seeing for the first COMAIRSOLS, but when spied Skinny Twining,
I
seen since
War
leaned over the
Chester and always,
his
College in 1933,
and grabbed
rail I
were
manner
could not trust
I
hand.
his
at the side to
me and my
to
meet General MacArthur. As
was heart-warming. He
staff
greeted us by our nicknames and he remarked to
my
grand having so many of days meeting
me
Bill Kitchell
me
side-kicks
from the shoestring
escorted him to I
my
imagine that history was
Halsey: "General,
just
I, Bill.
long, long time for it,"
but
I
A
Bill. I'll
Thanks
all
wait
was not
I
when
till
afterwards."
to
two
is!
We've fought a
signal to the destroyer fetching
to offer coffee, cigarettes, or
table with the
something dig-
this:
Bill Kitchell notified us that the
had sent a
had been directed
begging for
the same."
added, "God, what a great day this
envoys were aboard. that she
SOPAC
you and Chester have a cup of coffee?"
will
MacArthur: "No, thanks, Nimitz: "So will
fairly
at least
and sonorous, but what we actually said was
had
"It's
cabin, with Chester following and
something quotable from our conversation, or
I
Mick Carney,
here at the end of the road!"
bringing up the rear.
nified
my whom I hadn't my voice; I just
time since he had been
Wainwright,
revoke sets of
Jap
them
any other courtesies,
it.
surrender documents stood on the
starboard veranda deck, almost in the shadow of No. 2 turret.
Arthur and Nimitz took their places behind
it,
and
I
Mac-
joined the line of
End
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
998 Navy
of an
The ceremony opened with
officers.
Empire Mac-
a short address by
Arthur, beautifully phrased and forcefully read. His voice was clear
and
When
hands shook with emotion.
firm, but his
he had finished, he
pointed to a chair at the opposite side of the table and almost spat
"The representatives
out,
of the Imperial Japanese
of the Imperial Japanese Staff will
(My
flag log records
it
thus:
Government and
now come forward and
sign!"
"0903. Jap envoys were asked to
They did.") The Foreign Minister, Mamoru Shigemitsu, who was
sign.
Emperor, limped toward the
Ambassador
to
Washington,
on a cane.
table, leaning
a grenade thrown by a
left leg to
Korean
He had
at the
same
time.
been told that Hirohito presented Shigemitsu with an
which he has therefore had
He
fit. )
picked
He
took
off his gloves
to
and
wear ever
have leg
doesn't
it
down, dropped
his cane,
up, fiddled with his hat and gloves, and shuffled the papers.
it
— but
I felt
certain that he
knows what he hoped
mad
(I
artificial
since, although
silk hat, sat
pretended to be looking for a pen
him one
lost his
Shanghai; Nomura, later
in
an eye
lost
to sign for the
when we
that
— an underling
was
His
to accomplish.
returned to
my
finally
brought
God performance made me so
stalling for time,
though
cabin after the ceremony,
MacArthur, "General, you nearly had a contretemps
this
I
told
morning."
"How's that?" he asked.
"When
Shigemitsu was stalling out there,
damn you! MacArthur said, "Why
tell
him, 'Sign,
The second
Sign!'
didn't
Staff,
wanted
to slap
him and
you?"
Jap, Gen. Yoshijiro
Imperial General
I
"
Umezu, who was
to sign for the
did his job briskly; he didn't even
sit
down
for
it.
MacArthur was next, as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powthen came their various representatives, led by Chester. His war plans officer, Rear Adm. Forrest P. Sherman, and I were invited to stand behind his chair while he signed. Newsreels show MacArthur ers,
putting his to
arm around my shoulders
me, and many of
we fell now i»
"Aye, aye,
He was it
to
what he was saying. Again MacArthur said, "Start 'em
sir!"
referring to a
we had ordered
moment and whispering
friends have asked
short of the solemn occasion.
I said,
passed
my
at this
mass
flight of
450 planes from
to orbit at a distance until
we gave
TF
38, which
the word.
We
them now, and they roared over the Missouri mast-
—
999
Unconditional Surrender high
.
.
.
AT THIS TIME NIMITZ RELEASED A STATEMENT WHICH was broadcast throughout the
On
board
all
bitter struggle ...
Today
all
and the United
is
is
at
an end
.
.
also
many
and thanksgiving. The long
rejoicing .
freedom-loving peoples of the world rejoice in the vic-
tory and feel pride in the accomplishments of our
We
States:
naval vessels at sea and in port, and at our
bases in the Pacific, there
and
Pacific
pay tribute
to those
combined
who defended our freedom
forces.
at the cost
of their lives.
On Guam is a military cemetery in my headquarters. The ordered rows
from
a green valley not far of white
crosses stand as
reminders of the heavy cost we have paid for victory.
On
these
crosses are the names of Sweeney, Bromberg, Depew, Melloy,
Ponziani
—names
are
that
a
cross-section
of
They
democracy.
fought together as brothers in arms; they died together and they sleep side by side.
To them we have
a solemn obligation
obligation to insure that their sacrifice will help
and
safer world in
Now we I
am
—
the
this a better
to live.
turn to the great tasks of reconstruction and restoration.
confident that
fulness
which
make
now
we
will
and deep thinking
be able to apply the same to these
skill,
resource-
problems as were applied to the
problems of winning the victory.
THE PRICE OF VICTORY WAS HIGH. THE UNITED STATES Navy's casualty
list
—
including Marine Corps and Coast
Guard
was 56,206 dead, 80,259 wounded, and 8,967 missing. But now, after three years and eight months of the greatest in the history of
mankind, there was peace.
conflict
1000
Leyte Gulf to Okinawa:
Out
of the depths have
Lord, hear
my
voice
.
.
I
End
of an
cried unto Thee,
Empire
O
Lord.
.
psalm 130
INDEX A-Go
plan, Japanese counterattack, 755,
766, 776
APA's
186-188,
(large transports), 729
APD's, 476 Aaron Ward,
Guadalcanal
398-403; Kamikaze 951-975; bombed, 976-980 Abbott, Shorty, 956 ABC-1 Staff Agreement, 2 Conference, 2 394,
ABD ABDAC
Aikenhead, James M., on board Borie,
(American,
British,
campaign, attack
on,
Dutch, Aus-
Command, Admiral Hart assumes command of, 72; dwindling
tralian)
forces of, 78 Abe, Hiroaki, 291 Abercrombie, Abbie, Torpedo Squadron 8, 271, 273 Abercrombie, Battle of Salerno, 547, 555 Abercrombie, Laurence A., 54 Abnaki, 208 Acate Valley, 522 Achterhoff, Jim, 546 Ack-ack. See Anti-aircraft fire
Acoustic torpedo, 183 Adair, Chief Pharmacist's Mate, 378 Adams, Robert Lee, 335 Adamson, Hans Christian, 738
Adelup Point, on Guam, 791, 797
Agana Bay, 792 Agano, Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, 476-478 Aichi Bombers, Guadalcanal campaign, 392, 433 Aiea Landing, 34
191
Ainsworth, Waldron L. "Pug", Battle of Guadalcanal, 427; Tokyo Express, 449; Battle of Kula Gulf, 452, 457, 460; Invasion of Mariana Islands, 750 Air Group 3, 917 Air Group Twenty, 828 Air medals, 709 Air support, 721. See also individual
campaigns Aircobras, 432 Aircraft and modern navies, ix Aircraft,
Marine planes,
11, 17; at Pearl
Harbor, 11; convoy attacks, 145, 146, 149;
anti-submarine, 157
156;
for
patrol
service,
Aircraft carrier, activities aboard, 61-64 at Pearl Harbor, 13-25; Wake Island, 40-44; Philippines, 756-766; submarine warfare, 206 Aitchison, Pete, 973 Akagi, attacked by Torpedo Squadron 8, 280, 287-291, 294; at Pearl Harbor, 11; Battle of Midway, 881
Akebano Maru, 266 Akers, Ensign, 51 Akers, A. B., 97 Alaska, 657 Albacore, 766 Albatross, Battle of Casablanca, 169-176 Albert, Seaman, on PT-109, 463, 465, 468, 470
Alcoa Rambler, 134
The United
1002
Aldegonde, 562 Aldrich, C. E., 298 Aleutian Islands, Japanese
States
Navy
air
supremacy
base of operations, 263, 309 Aleutians Diversionary Attack, 262, 299 Aleutians Force, 265 Aleutians, Western, 262 Alford, Seaman, 195 campaign, 159; anti-U-boat Algeria, North African Invasion, 160, 179 Algiers, Admiral Hewitt's headquarters, 490, 536, 537; base of operations, 562 Allan Jackson, torpedoed, 114, 115 Allard, Dean, xvi
Allegheny, 124 Allen, Terry, 490 Allied Expeditionary Force, 160 Allied High Command, 154
Tanks and Amtraks Alpha Attack Force, 654
Alligators. See
in typhoon, 898-900, 903, 908 Alten Fjord, 132 Amagiri, PT-109, 461-470 Amazone, 172 Americal Division, 343
Altamaha,
American Merchant Marine
Institute, 14
Amey, Colonel, 693 of, 38, 39; aid to Russia, 133; Murmansk Run, 139, 141; conservation of, 176, 177; Tokyo raid, 216; Battle of Savo Sound, 331, 338; 397; campaign, 389, Guadalcanal Tokyo Express, 461; ship hit, 523; expended at Salerno, 556; Battle of
Ammunition, lack
stored underground, 736; Leyte invasion, 838, 860 Amphibian Task Force 31, 441 Amphibious Force Atlantic Fleet, 160 Amphibious invasions, Guadalcanal campaign, 304, 310; Leyte, 832; Iwo Jima, Betio, 699;
929; Green Island, 475; Sicily, 507, 516, 522; Normandy, 593, 594, 602; Roi-Namur Islands, 725, 726; Mariana Islands, 749; Saipan, 789; Wake Island, 42-44; Manila, 47; Balikpapan, Borneo,
North African invasion, 163; Ren-
dova, 440, 441; at Anzio, 569, 570; Normandy invasion, 575, 576, 588; Battle of Salerno, 541, 546, 547, 553, 555, 556 Amphitrite,
Amtraks 700,
729
169
Marshall
Island
invasion,
II
Admiral
Kirk's
flagship,
499;
'Battle of Salerno, 536, 541, 542, 555 Anderson, Robert, Normandy invasion,
604-614 Andrews, Adolphus, coastal defense, 117,
Commander, 125; Frontier, 156
Sea
Eastern
Andrews, C. L., Naples Harbor, 554 Andrews, John, 890 Andrews, R. C, 435 Antell, Moose, on board Aaron Ward, 959, 961 Anti-aircraft,
in
World War
I,
ix;
at
Harbor,
20-23; Philippine Islands, 50; at Corregidor, 53; Marshall Islands, 60-64, 70; Flores Sea, 80; Battle of Java Sea, 86; U-boat campaign, 110; Murmansk Run, 134-138; Battle of Casablanca, 162, 175, 177; raid on Tokyo, 224; Battle of Midway, 300; Battle of Santa Cruz, 365; Henderson Air Field, 430; Munda Campaign, 443-447; Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, 483; on Force Mulberry, 634; invasion of southern France, 654; Battle of Komanorski, 661; at Apamama, 713, 714, 716, 719; Kwajalein Atoll, 728; Battle of Philippine Sea, 765, 771, 773, 790; over Iwo Jima, 807; over Manila, 817, 820; Third Fleet, 899; over Tokyo, 911, 916; from Yamato, 949; Battle of
Pearl
Samar,
865; Guadalcanal campaign, invasion of Gozo, 499; at Algiers, 537; at Anzio, 567, 569, 570; against glider bombs, 572; Normandy invasion, 582, 583, 590, 591; invasion of Sicily, 523, 526, 527; convoys, 561 Anti-glider bomb, warfare on, 572, 573 392;
Anti-submarine activities, by British, 156; by United States, 157, 183; Bat366; in English tle of Santa Cruz, Channel, 588; in Mediterranean Sea, 563; Battle of Samar, 864; Leyte invasion, 833; in typhoon, 898; and convoys, 145, 156; Battle of Casa163; Borie, 185; Battle of Philippine Sea, 778, 782, 787 Anti-tank guns, at Gela, 522; at Salerno, 553; Normandy invasion, 612, 615,
blanca,
622 Anvil,
(alligators), invasion of Betio,
701;
World War
Ancpn;
of, 229; battles for, 657, 668, 669, 676;
72;
in
602
Anzacs, 304. See also Australia Anzio, bombardment of, 562, 569, 575; glider bombers at, 571-574; invasion planned, 551, 566
1003
Index Aslito
Anzio, 907
Aoki, Taijiro, Battle of Midway,
289,
290
Apamama, Operation
"Galvanic", 689, 707, 709; air raid on, 711, 716, 720
Apgar, William L., Cherbourg bardment, 645, 650 Appalachian, 12>A "Appian Way." See Road to Rome
bom-
Arashi, Battle of Midway, 286, 288; and PT-109, 461, 462
Arawe, 687 Arbuckle, Ernest C, PT-109, 530-532 Archangel, aid route to Russia, 132, 141, 142, 145 Archerfish, torpedoes Shinano, 880-895 Argento, 558 Argus, 144 Arima, Masabumi, 832 Arizona, at Pearl Harbor, 20, 21, 27, 32, 33-36 Ark Royal, 110 Arkansas, and Stan Smith, viii; Normandy invasion, 601, 605; Cherbourg bombardment, 643-650; invasion of southern France, 652, 654
Armed Guard, Murmansk Run,
air
131,
133, 135, 140; Archangel Run, 142 Armstrong, Clarence, sinking of R. P. Resor, 129, 130 Armstrong, H. J., 477 Armstrong, Pat, 32 Armstrong, Terry, at Pearl Harbor, 31, 32 Armstrong, Tom, 32 Army Air Corps, 12 Army Air Force Anti-Submarine Command, 158. See also Anti-submarine activities
Army Group
B, 655 Arndt, R. W., 224 Arnold, H. H. "Hap", Casablanca Conference, 182; raid on Tokyo, 211; Air Force, 813 Arnold, J. D., 773 Arnold, Jim, Normandy invasion, 618,
XX
619, 622 Arromanches, 631
Arctic Circle, 131 Arctic convoys, aid to Russia, 144, 145
Arundel Island, 461 cans. See Depth charges Asiatic Fleet, under British control, dispersal of, 9, 72
air field
Savo Sound, 319, 321329, 331-333, 336-340; Battle of Mid-
Astoria, Battle of
way, 294-296 Atago, Battle of
Philippine Sea, 768 769; First Striking Force, 810 Atlanta, Guadalcanal campaign, 389, 394, 398-402 Atlantic Fleet, anti-submarine warfare, 158; at Casablanca, 177 Atlantic Ocean, 183 Atlantic Traffic Routes, 155 Atlantic Wall, Normandy invasion, 576; invasion of Europe, 625 Atomic bombing, of Japanese mainland,
982, 988
Atomic energy, x Atsugi air field, 994 Attack Force, invasion of Iwo Jima, 917 Attu Island, Aleutian campaign, 657, 668, 669, 692 Auckland, New Zealand, 304 Augusta, Battle of Casablanca, 171-174, 178; Normandy invasion, 589; sion of southern France, 655
Austin,
B.
L.,
Destroyer
Division
46,
476-481 Australia,
and
MacArthur
ABDA
Command,
72, 78;
arrives at, 93; security of,
231; base of operations, 232, 234; Batof Coral Sea, 232; communications lines, 304; Guadalcanal campaign, 308310; Battle of Savo Sound, 336 Australian Air Force, 304 tle
Avenger, 150 Avengers, Battle of Santa Cruz, 360, 366374; Guadalcanal campaign, 387; Battle of Philippine Sea, 769, 771-775, 778, 780-782, 787; bomb Manila, 815, 817, 825-827; over Tokyo, 912-916; at Okinawa, 938; Battle of Samar, 867, 870, attack Yamato, 949. See also
Grummans Aylwin, in typhoon, 908 Azawa, Jisaburo, 755 Azores, 183 Azuma Peninsula, 996
Midway, 264, 266
B-24's, sink cruiser, 2;
inva-
Augusta air field, 490 Aurand, Evan P., 777
B-17's, Battle of
Ash
on Saipan, 753, 754.
field,
See also Isley
Aoba, 357
859
B-25's (Mitchells), Raids
on Tokyo, 211,
214, 216-221, 223, 226, 372
The United
1004
States
Navy
B-26's, attack Allied ship, 234; 9th Air
Force, 594 B-29's (superforts), crew of captured, 234, 673; over Tokyo, 913, 918; Battle of Okinawa, 933 Bacon, Francis M., 115 Badger, Oscar, Japanese surrender, 993,
994
in
World War
II
Mate,
Boatswain's
Batries^
Wake
Island, 43,
defense
PT commander,
Barnes, Stanley, 532, 533
of
44 529,
Barnett, transport, 510; Normandy invasion, 588; invasion of Sicily, 522
Barninger, Lieutenant, 45 Barone, Admiral, 535
merchantman
Bagley, at Pearl Harbor, 26; Battle of Savo Sound, 332, 333, 340; Battle of
Barry,
Komandorski, 658 Bagsby, officer's cook, 383 Bagwell, Jim, 376 Baie de la Seine, 589 Baird, James, Kula Gulf campaign, 457,
Barsh, Seaman, 688 Bartholow, Chick, 989 Barton, Guadalcanal campaign, 393, 394, 398, 399, 402; Cherbourg bombardment, 643, 650 Barton, General, 4th Division, 588, 590 Barton, Lieutenant, Force Mulberry, 624 "Basis for Agreement", 7 Basse tt, John, Force Mulberry, 627, 635,
459 Baker, C. F., 335 Baker, Charles Adams, bombardment of Cherbourg, 642, 644-651 Baker, Doug, bombs Manila, 816, 820 Baker, George M. K., Jr., 337 Baker, Ralph, 375 Bakutis, Fred, bombs Manila, 815-817,
820-826 Balabac Strait, 842 Baldwin, Hanson W., war correspondent, 829, 897 Balikpapan, Borneo, Japanese war objective, 72-75 Ballale, 475 Ballard, Seaman, 972 Ballinger, Chaplain, 540 Ballinger, Carl, 916 Ballistic missiles and modern navies, x Baltimore, 908 Bambi, in Marije Bay, 687-689 Bangkok, 4 Banker, Ed, Normandy invasion, 607, 609, 610, 614 Banks, Carl, 188 Bannard, Bill, at Dregger Harbor, 686, 687 Banzai charge, Guadalcanal, 341, 343 Barbeiri, Dr., on board Aaron Ward, 956, 962, 965, 971-973 Bardshar, F. A., 782 Baren, Harry, 679 Barents Sea,
voy
Murmansk
Sea,
130; con-
to Russia, 146
Barfleur,
Cherbourg bombardment, 643,
Barges, at Bougainville, 486; for troops,
Group
58.1,
751,
770,
783;
124
Carlos
Romulo, 840, 841; password, 987 Batavia, 88 Bates, Lieutenant, 332 Batten, R. K., 373 Batterie
du Port, Battle of Casablanca,
169, 171 Battle of Coral
Sea, Japanese strategy,
231,232 Battle Report by Walter Karig, xv Battleship Row, at Pearl Harbor,
14,
20, 21, 25, 38, 39
Bay, Milne, 681 588 Beach, Edward, 879
Bayfield,
Radarman, on Ward, 957, 973 Beadel, Seaman, 976
Beadel,
board
Aaron
Beal, Willard, 32
Bear Island, 145 Beardall, John, 38 Beatty, under attack, 561-563 Beau Fighter, 544 Becton, F. J., and Kamikaze attacks, 950, 951 Belden Bridge Landing, 510 Belden, Jack, 510 Bell, 980 Belleau Woods, Task Group 58.1, 751; of Philippine Sea, 757, 771, 783; hit by planes, 827
Bellinger, Patrick, 13, 25 Bellows Air Field, bombed, 12, 13
681 565
Bari,
191,
636 Bataan Peninsula, attacked, 52, 93; Task
Battle
644
Barnegat,
carrier escort,
194, 195
Bene,
J.
R.,
339
770,
1005
Index Benevolence, 995, 996
rescues
prisoners
of war,
Benham, 908 Benitez, R. C, 842 Bennett, Vance M.,
292
Bennion, Mervyn, killed, 35, 36 Benson, invasion of Sicily, 523, combats submarine, 563 Benson, Howard, 132 Benton, Robert, 28 Bering Sea, 664 Beckey, Jim, 977 Bernard, A. A., 647 Berry, Machinist's Mate, 961
524;
Best, Lieutenant, 279 Betelgeuse, Guadalcanal campaign, 392,
393 Bethouart, General, 176 Betio, Battle of, 690-700, 705 Betty's, Battle of Philippines, 782; attack carrier, 818; shot down, 827; bomb Aaron Ward, 968; Guadalcanal, 342; Battle of Empress Augusta Bay,
483 Biak, 787 Bible, 452. See also Religion
Biesmeyer, Lieutenant on Aaron Ward, 962, 965, 976, 978
Big Bertha, 575 Big "E". See Enterprise BiUingsley, Boatswain's Mate, 29 Bird Dog Keeter, Guadalcanal campaign, 408, 409
Birmingham, 490 Biscay ne, Operation "Husky", 491, 498; Battle of Salerno, 558 Bishop, John, war correspondent, 658,
659
Blough, Seaman, 195 Blue Beach (Sicily), 510 Blue Beach (Salerno), 554 Blue Beach (Leyte), 838 Blue Beach (Okinawa), 935, 941 "Blue Beetle", 54 Blue Fox, Battle of Betio, 697 Blunck, Seaman, 973 Boat, Torpedo. See Torpedos Bobcats, Battle of Apamama, 707, 708 Bobczynski, "Bobo" Sigmund, torpedoes Shinano, 892, 894 Bobolink, 402 Boebel, Robert T., 533 Boettcher, Robert R., 217 Bogan, Gerald, Task Force 38, 853, 854,
857
Task Force 81, 490; at Gela, 521523; Battle of Salerno, 547; Cape Esperance, 344-356
Boise,
Boles,
Seaman, on board Aaron Ward,
953, 967, 968, 980 Bolivar, 981
Bombardment on Betio, 694 Bombardment and fire support group, 828
Bombardment Plan
Bismarck Islands, attack planned, 4; Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, 482 Bitler, Worthington S., Battle of Komanorski, 660, 665 "Bitter Enders, The", 131
German
air
of operations, 529, 535, 540, 541
Black Fish, 691 Black, John, 37 Black Prince, Normandy invasion, 589592 Blackett Strait, Tokyo express, 449; 109, 460-463, 469 Blackwood, James D., Dr., 335
PT-
Blandy, W. H. P., Task Force 51.1, 750; invasion of Iwo Jima, 918
Normandy
Santa Cruz, 386; at 438; campaign, 433, campaign, 442-446; at Pearl
Bomber, dive, Guadalcanal
Munda
Harbor, 12-21, 29, 32; at
Wake
Island,
Philippine Islands, 50-52; Marshall Island raids, 63, 69; at Flores Sea, 80; on PT boats, 99, 101; Murmansk Run, 135; Archangel Run, 141, 142; Battle of Casablanca, 163, 164, 176;
at
Tokyo
Bombers,
raid on, 491; base
Zebra,
invasion, 591, 594, 600
42-46;
Bismarck, 881
Bizerta,
Blane, Seaman, 195 Blimps, 118 Bloch, C. C, at Pearl Harbor, 3, 14 Block Island, sinking of U-91, 183 Bloom, Victor, 688
Tulagi
raid,
dive,
224
Battle of
Midway, 298;
315;
Guadalcanal,
invasion,
342; Battle of Santa Cruz, 366, 374, 375; raid on Bizerta, 494; invasion of Sicily, 508; Battle of Salerno, 547; Stuka's, 519; at Anzio invasion, 567,
570, 571; invasion of southern France, 508; at Palermo, 535; against convoys, 561; battle of Roi-Namur, 723, 730; Battle of Philippine Sea, 763, 765, 770-775; attack Franklin, 817, 818, attack Clark air field, 819, 820, 827;
The United
1006 at
Iwo Jima, 829;
States
Navy
attack Yamato, 949;
Battle of Samar, 865;
Normandy
in-
invasion
of
619, 621, 622; southern France, 653 vasion,
Bomber Squadron Three, 224 Bombers, Scout, raid on Tokyo, 226; Battle of Coral Sea, 235, 236 Bombers, torpedo, Guadalcanal campaign, 393; Marshall Islands invasion,
730, 786 Bombing, strategic, 499 Bombing Six, 279 Bombing Squadron 109, 709 Bombing Three, 279 Bond, Kener E., on board Texas, 651, 652 Bonfiglio, Seaman, 195 Bonin Islands, 918 Boone, Joel T., 994 Borcykowski, F. M., 529 Borie, sinks U-boat, 174-195 Borneo, and Admiral Stark, 4; Japanese objective, 73; base of operations, 341;
and Sibutu
Strait,
738, 749; submarine
patrol, 841
Bothaven,
136
Bougainville, Battle of Savo Sound, 342; bombardment of, 440; captured, 475, 476; invasion barges at, 486; damage to
Foote
at,
487
Boulonnais, Battle of Casablanca, 173, 178 Bowe, Walter, 26 Bowen Island, 83
170,
Bowen, John W., 510 Bowen, S. F., 35
Normandy
invasion,
Brady, Arthur O., 123 Braine, 751
Brand, Dan, on board Boise, 353, 354 Brandy, W. H. P., invasion of Iwo Jima,
917 Brazil, air units of,
158; route to Casa-
blanca Conference, 182 Brea, Joaquin, 120 Breese, 411
Bremerton, 966 Brereton, General, 594 Brestois, Battle of Casablanca, 170, 173,
174 Bretland, Charles, 827 Brewer, Jim, Marshall Island raids, 64,
66,68
World War
II
Briggs,-5heldon, 735
Cooper, strikes against Tokyo, 909, 913 Brisbane, and Guadalcanal campaign, 406, 407; prisoner camp, 675 Briscoe, Captain, commander of destroyer escorts, 429, 431, 437, 438; Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, 482 Bristol, Battle of Casablanca, at Palermo, 535; under attack, 557, 559-561 Britain. See Great Britain Bright,
o f. 260
Britain, Battle
British Coastal
Command, 589
British Empire,
Home
602
Murmansk Run, 132, convoy protection, 145, 149; in North Sea, 588 British Malaya, 41 British North Borneo, 4 British Pacific Fleet, 992 Brodie, R. Jr., 562 Bromberg, Seaman, 999 Brooklyn, Task Force 86, 490; Battle of British
Fleet,
133; for
Casablanca, 171-179; invasion southern France, 655 Brooklyn Navy Yard, 200, 214 Brooks, William C, 865
of
Brown, Seaman, on board Aaron Ward, 962, 963, 969, 974, 975 Brown, Donald, 28 Brown, George B., Battle of Philippine Sea, 772, 773 Brown, Harry, at Pearl Harbor, 12, 13 Brown, John Mason, 499 Brown, Morrison R., on board Borie, 191,
Bowie, Destroyer Division 32, 562, 563 Bradley, Omar, 589, 637
in
194
Brown, Philip, on board Borie, 189, 195 Browne, Milton F., 776 Brownell, Lieutenant-Commander, 720 Bruner Bay, 810 Bryan, J., Ill, 908 Bryan, L. A., battle tanks, 522, 527 Bryant, Carlton S., Normandy invasion, 587, 620-622, 640, 642, 649, 652 Buchanan, Cape Esperance, 344; in ty-
phoon, 908 Buck, Gulf of Salerno, 558, 560 Buckmaster, Captain, Battle of Midway, 292, 293, 298 Buckner Bay, on board Montpelier, 986, 989, 990 Buckner, Simon B., 934 Buckner, Tom, on board Harder, 741,
744 Buda, Chinese cook, 91
1
1007
Index Buie, Paul, Battle of Philippine Sea, 757,
758 Buin, Guadalcanal campaign, 390, 391 Buin Shortlands, 440 Bulkeley, John D., defense of Manila, 48, 49, 52-54; evacuation of MacArthur,
94-97 J., Jr., PT's at Palermo, 529 Buna, Solomon Islands campaign, 310, 407 Bunker Hill, Task Group 58.2, 751, 770, 774-780; tracks Yamato, 948, 949 Bunting, Dave, torpedoes Shinano, 889, 892 Buracker, William H., 856 Burford, Bill, 40 Burgess, Warren C, 782 Burke, Arleigh, at Kolombangara, 462; Destroyer Division 45, 476-482; philosophy of, 487, 488; attack on Yamato, 946, 948 Burke, E. J., 570 Burke, W. J., and Seabees, 544, 548
Burkholder, J. P., 35 Burkholder, Raymond, 120 Burnett, R. W., 778 Burr, gunner, capture of U-505, 205, 209 Burrough, H. M., 160 Burton, Lieutenant, 508 Burton, Earl, Murmansk Run, 130, 131 Bush, 946 But Not In Shame by John Toland, 1 Butcher, Harry, 539 Butler,
599
Butler,
Bill,
on board
Boise,
346, 349,
355, 356
on Guam, C, 224
Butler, Dr., J.
Butterfield,
802, 803
at Anzio, 571,
572
Byrnes, James, 984
17,
21,
30,
31,
Cabot, Task Group 58.2, 751,. 770, 774775, 778; in typhoon, 908 Island,
Callaghan,
Admiral,
Guadalcanal cam-
paign, 391, 393-397, 399-400, 402 Calpe, sinks submarine, 563-564
Camel Attack Force, 654
Camp
One, Wake Island defense, 43-44 Campbell, Fred P., 644 Campbell, R. K., 224
Canacao Hospital, 51 Canada, Navy, anti-submarine
activities,
156-157
Canadian Army, 524 Canberra, Task Force 38, 814; damaged, 831; at Tulagi invasion, 314, 319 Cape Blanco, 202 Cape Bougaroun, along Tunisian War Channel, 559, 561-562 Cape Corso, Murmansk Run, 136, 138
Cape Engano, Zuikaku sunk Admiral Ozawa defeated tle of Leyte Gulf, 856
at,
at, 774; 781; Bat-
Cape Esperance, Guadalcanal, 343-344, 347, 358; Guadalcanal campaign, 391, 429, 432; Tokyo Express, 419
Cape Esperance, in typhoon, 902, 908 Cape Hatteras, U-boat territory, 113-114, 116,
121
Cape Murro Di Porco, 490 Cape Sable, 113 Cape Torokina, 476 Cape Town, South Africa, 121 Card, merchantman carrier, 185, 191, 193-194 Cardiv 2, Battle of Philippine Sea, 771-
772 Cargo
590
Cabanillas, Jose M., 644
Cabra
torpedoed,
Mariana Island invasion, 751 Callaghan, Daniel J., 304
Capri, Isle of, 554
Seaman, 551
Buzz bomb,
C-47's,
California, 36;
Bulkley, Robert
Butler,
Calhoun, Guadalcanal, 341-342; Kamikaze attack, 946 Calhoun, Fred, 688 Calhoun, Raymond J., 551 Calicoan Islands, 813
96
Cadle, John W., capture of the U-505,
201-202 Caen, 623 Cagayan, 97 Caidin, Martin, 676 Caldwell, G. M., Dr., 529
ships. See Transports Caribbean Sea Frontier, coastal convoy system, 156-157 Carlson, Colonel, 702 Carney, Mike, Leyte campaign, 861; Japanese surrender, 993, 996-997 Carney, Paul, 517 Caroline Islands, Japanese military buildup in, 2; invasion of, 738; anti-aircraft fire, 807 Carolines, Guadalcanal campaign, 406407
1
1
The United
008
States
Navy
in
Carrier II, 260 Carrier-based aircraft, track Yamato, 948 Carrier-based bombing, Battle of Philippine Sea, 787 Carrier-based planes, Battle of Casablanca, 175, 177
Carrier pilots, 300 Carrier Striking Force, Operation "Mo," 230; air raid on Midway, 262-263 Carriers, troop, 421 Carroll, Commander, at Pearl Harbor, 40; at Wake Island, 801 Caruthers, H. H., 225
Casablanca, Battle
of,
North African
in-
vasion, 160, 162, 179-180
Casablanca Roosevelt,
Conference, 181-182
Churchill
and
Casablanca Fleet, and Vichy Government, 159 Casey, Robert J., war correspondent, 59, 576 Cassin, 39 Casualties, Allied, xv; at Pearl Harbor, 33; Wake Island, 44; Philippine campaign, 51-52, 72; Macassar Straits, 76-77; Flores Sea, 81; Battle of Java Sea,
90-91;
James,
104;
100-101; Reuben PT's, Allen Jackson, 115-116;
from U-boat attacks, 125; Murmansk Run, 137; Battle of Casablanca, 177; Bor/e-U-boat scrap, 188-189; Battle of Savo Sound, 342; Guadalcanal campaign, 399, 428; on board De Haven, 436-437; at Choiseul, 474; on Denver, 485; invasion of Sicily, 520, 526, 528; Battle of Salerno, 556; on board
Rowan, 557; Normandy
invasion, 612; invasion of southern France, 655; invasion of Marshall Islands, 737-738; on Saipan, 752; Battle of Philippine Sea, 778; in typhoon, 907; at Iwo Jima, 930; Aaron Ward, 980 Catalina, 266 Catalinas, PBYs, and Lexington, 264,
266 Catania Air Field, 490 Catmon Hill, 835 Cavalla, 766
Hugh B., Battle of Kula Gulf, 450; journalist, 709 Cavenagh, R. W., 477 Cavite Navy Yard, attack on, 47-52, 72; Battle of Bataan, 93 CEBU. Philippine PT Squadron, 97-99 Cave,
World War
II
452 Ceckowski, Frank, 977 Celebes, and Macassar Straits, 74; Japanese entrenched in, 78 Center Task Force, Battle of Samar, 871, 874, 875-878; North African invasion, 160, 163-164, 170 "Central Agreement", Japanese cabinet, 4 Central Atlantic, 183 Central Group, defense of Japan mainland, 831, 854-855, 858 Central Pacific, 811 Central Solomons, 689 Centurian, Force Mulberry, 624, 629630, 635, 639 Ceylon, 230 Cezus, Seaman, 973 Chalker, Machinist's Mate, 50 Chamberlain, 528 Chamorros, natives on Guam, 750, 791 Champlin, Destroyer Division 32, 562 Chandler, Arthur, 120 Channel, English, 109 Chaplain, Forgy, Battle of Kula Gulf, 246, 251, 254-255, 258 Chaplains, Schmitt, Aloysius, 31; Forgy, Howell, 18, 246; Munda campaign, Cecil, Captain,
443; invasion of Sicily, 511; Battle of Salerno, 540; Le Grand Moody, 643, 650; on Tarawa, 694, 705 Chappell, Lawrence, 14 Chappell, Commander, 60 Charles Ausburne, Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, 477, 478, 483 Chatelain, capture of U-505, 201-202 Cherbourg, bombarded, 640, 642; captured,
654
Chester, 59 Chevalier, 474
Chiang Kai Shek, and Japan demands, aggression against, 4; raid on 2; Tokyo, 212 Chicago, at Pearl Harbor, 10; Battle of Coral Sea, 232; torpedoed, 319; Battle of Rennell Island, 428, 437 Chichi Jima, Japanese stronghold, 783-
784 Chikuma, 876 Chilatjap, Dutch Harbor, 81-82 China, and Japanese demands, 1, 2, 3; campaigns in, 41; Tokyo raid, 212, 226; base of operation, 341; U.S. Air Force withdrawn from, 812; Japanese surrender, 983-984, 987
Index China-Burma-India, Army Air Force, 813 China Sea, Japanese Fleet, 812, 856 China Station, 72
China War, 486 Battle of Philippine
Chitose,
Sea,
767,
770-771, 774 Chiyoda, Battle of Philippine Sea, 770771, 774-775 Choiseul, 474 Christensen,
Christen
N.,
Cherbourg
bombardment, 646-648 Christie, Ralph W., 742 Churchill, Winston, 144;
PQ
17 convoy, 143-
Mid- Atlantic Conference,
at
3;
correspondence with Roosevelt, 125, 148-149; correspondence with Stalin, 145, 147; Summit Conference, 181-182; planned invasion of Anzio, 566; Quebec Conference, 624 113
Ciltvavia,
Cimarron, Task Force Sixteen, 214; Midway campaign, 265 CINCLANT (Commander-in-Chief Atlantic), 208 CINCPA, 36
CINCPAC, war
reports,
Midway
226;
campaign, 267 Cipher machines, 204 Cities Service Empire, 124 Cituk, Seaman, 195 City of Atlantia, 116 City of New York, 125 Civil Air Patrol, 155 Civilians, killed
at
560 Clark, Wilbur Lee, 749 Clausen, Rolf, 115
Claxton, Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, 477, 483 Clay, J. P., at Anzio, 569-570, 574 Cleland, Dad, 101
Clements, Harold, invasion of southern France, 652-653 Cleveland, Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, 477, 481 Clever, Bob, Lieutenant, 220 Clifford, Eugene, S. A., PT-204, 530, 532 Cline, Nick, 912 Close Support Group, 263 "Co-Prosperity Sphere", 41 Coale, Griffith Bailey, 104 Coast defense batteries, Battle of Casablanca, 168-172, 177-179 Coast Guard, 130 Coast Patrol mine sweepers, 175 Coast Watcher Point and Wewak Harbor, 410-411, 419 Coastal convoy system, 156 Coastal Frontier Forces, 118 Coastal shore batteries, Battle of Guadal312, 393; Normandy invasion, 545-547, 605, 617, 635; Battle of Salerno, 584-585, 593-594, 596; invasion of Sicily, 524; capture of Palermo, 531; Cherbourg, 640-642, 652; invasion of
southern
Island defense, 43-46; Battle of Casablanca, 169;
PT
war-
Clancy, Jerry, 617 Clark, Admiral, tracks Yamato, 948-949 Clark Air Field, 48 Clark, Augustus, Force Mulberry, 632-
640 Clark, Dayton, Force Mulberry, 624-627 Clark Field, bombed, 819-823, 826 Clark, Captain "Jock", Battle of Casablanca, 163 Clark, Joseph
552; reinforcements and supplies for,
canal,
Wake
Japanese, 911 Clagett, John, Lieutenant, and fare, 419, 426
1009
Islands,
France, 750;
at
654; in Mariana Iwo Jima, 920; at
Okinawa, 946 Codes, and U. S. Intelligence, 3; burned by Japanese, 7; submarine, 203-204; Battle of Coral Sea, 230, 232-233; Battle of Midway, 299, 300 Collet, John A., 367 Colleville, 623 Collins, General, 588 Collins, Joseph L. (Lightning Joe), attack on Cherbourg, 642, 644
Colombo, 560 Coltra, Seaman, 960
Columbia, All J.
"Jocko", Task
Group
58.1,751,771,783-784 M. A., Cherbourg bombardment, 649 Clark, Mark, General, Battle of Salerno,
Clark,
536, 538-539, 554-555; road to
Rome,
Comdesdiv 13, 564, 571 Comdesron 7, 569 Comdesron 8, Task Group 80.2, 524 Comdesron 15, 560 Comsopac, Command southern Pacific, 476
The United
1010
States
Navy
Combat Air
Patrol, Battle of Santa Cruz, 362; Guadalcanal campaign, 381; battles Kamikazes, 946 Combat Air Transport, 342 Combat Engineers, Normandy Beach, 593; Naples Harbor, 560 Combined Fleet (Japanese), 298 Combined Fleet Headquarters, 12 Combs, Captain, 911 COMINCH. See King, Ernest Commandant Delage, 175 Commandos, 551
Communications, 229 Computor data, 741 Computors, fire control,
German
ix;
submarines, 113
Comsub's Seventh Fleet, 742 Conaway, Don, 828 Concha, Seaman, 195 Condition II, 319 Coney, C. E., 838 Conference, weather, 576; Quebec, 633; sui render terms, 993 Conferences, ABD, 2; Mid-Atlantic, 3; Pan American, 124; Hitler and Raeder, 149, 151; Roosevelt and Churchill, 181 Congressional Medal of Honor, John B. Bulkeley, 48; Douglas MacArthur, 94; Albert David, 209; "Mush" Morton,
404 Conner, Durrell, in Battleship Row, 3031 Conolly, Admiral, Marshall Islands invasion, 721, 737; Task Force 35, 750 Conolly, Richard L., Task Force 86, 490-491, 498 Constantino, Hector, 437 Converse, Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, 477, 482 Convoy, Japanese, 310
Convoy, KME-25A, 560
bomb
planes used
556 Convoys, cific,
escorted to Oran, 555-
Tunisian War Chan560-561; destroyer escorts, 807 Conway, Ted, 13 Cooper, Captain, 75 Cope, Joe H., 688 Copley, John S., 564 Coral Sea, Battle of, Japanese air supremacy of, 229; naval forces, 232; invasion of, 261, 284, 300, 310, 364, 367; carriers escape from, 773 nel,
'
Cordon, 383 Corn, William A., 728 Correa, 983 Corregidor, defense of, 52-53, 93; MacArthur evacuates, 94; "Voice of Freedom", 840-841 Corry, Battle of Casablanca, 592, 594596, 599 Corry, John, Lieutenant Commander, invasion of Sicily, 501 Corsair fighter plane, 447 Corsica, 567 Corvettes, Murmansk Run, 138, 141; Tokyo Express, 437; Normandy invasion, 588
Cotentin Peninsula, Normandy invasion, 575, 594; captured, 654 Coughlin, Battle of, 658 Cousins, Rom, Lieutenant, 889 Covering Group, Battle of Casablanca, 164, 167, 169-178; Operation "Mo", 230-231; invasion of Gozo, 499 Covert, Graham P., 127
Coward, Seaman, 962 Cowart, 704 Cowie, 522 Cow pens, Task Group phoon, 900, 908 Cox, Ensign, 51 Crace, Sea,
Palmyra, 54-55;
124; escorts for, 126;
Run, 132-133, 136, 138;
first
to Pa-
Murmansk
PQ
17,
143-
145; war material to 144; Arctic, Russia, 147, 151; in Central Atlantic, 183; in Operation "Husky", 498, 500; at Anzio, 574-575; Normandy inva-
58.4, 751; in ty-
C, Admiral, Battle of Coral 232-233; attacked by friendly
J.
234
Craggs, Donald E., 527 Craig, James, Lieutenant
Commander,
39
Robert
R.,
334
Cramp, William, 73 Craven,
to
II
sion, 588-589; in
Craighill,
against, 561
Convoy SNF-1,
World War
planes,
Convoy KMF-18 (British), 499 Convoy KMF-25A, buzz bombs used against, 572; glider
in
S. S.,
223
Creighton, L. W., at Anzio, 568-569 Crider, Seaman, 966 Crittenden, John, 823 Crommelin, John, Battle of Santa Cruz,
361, 363-366, 375; Guadalcanal paign, 384 Cronin, Frank G., 185
cam-
1011
Index Crosby, Gordon, 889 Crouch, "Sally", 215
Dauntless, dive bombers, 163; Battle of Casablanca, 163; on Guadalcanal, 342;
Crowe, Henry Pierson, at Tarawa, 705706 Cruiser Covering Force, Task Force 99, 132-133
Macasser Straits, 73; Battle of Java Sea, 90 Cryptography. See Codes Cunningham, John, Admiral, Chief, MedCruisers, in
iterranean Fleet, 490, 498; Operation
"Dragoon", 654
Cunningham, Winfield mander, 42 Curr, Allan, 960 Currier, Frank,
Normandy
Scott,
Com-
invasion, 604,
675 689
J.,
Curtis 75-A's, 162 Curtis Helldivers. See Helldivers
40 Guadalcanal campaign, 394, 400-402 Cushing, Jim, bombing of PT-34, 99Curtiss,
Cushing,
101 Custer, Joe James, 319 Cutler, P., Lieutenant, 569 Cutters, 588 Cuyo Island, evacuation of MacArthur,
96-97 Cyclops,
113
D-Day. See individual invasions submarine patrol, Dagami, 828 Dagle, D. K., xvi Daisey, John W., 130
Dace,
sion, 578, 580 Davidson, Lyal A., Task Force 88, 533534; enters Palermo, 535; First Support Group, 553-555
Davidson, R.
E.,
Task Group
827, 853-855, planes, 827
Curry, Duncan, Commander, 39 Curry, L. L., 30 Curtis,
Davao, 73 David, Albert, Lieutenant, capture of submarine, 203-204, 209 Davidson, Howard, General, 13 Davidson, Lieutenant, Normandy inva-
826,
611, 615 Currier, Norman, 32
Curtin,
of Santa Cruz, 360, 362-367, 369, 375; Guadalcanal campaign, 387; Battle of Philippine Sea, 787 Battle
841-852,
854
Dakar, Battle of Casablanca, 164, 173, 177 Dale, 658 Danford, Danny, 969 Daniels, Josephus, 541 Darby's Rangers, 520 Darlan-Hitler, 159 Darlan, Jean, Admiral, and Vichy Government, 159, 180 Darter, submarine patrol, 841, 843-854 Datko, Johnny, on board Astoria, 322324, 326-329, 333 Daubin, Freeland, 36 Daugherty, J. W., 528
38.4, 814,
857-858;
rescues
Davidson, Seaman, 325 Davis, Pilot, 67 Davis, Captain, 809 Davis, Ensign, on board Boise, 346, 349 Davis, John L., Jr., 531 Davison, 561 Deacon, Seaman, on board Aaron Ward, 963, 966-967 Dealey, Samuel, commander of Harder, 738-748 Decker, F. F., 527 Defense, Department of, xvi De Gaulle, Charles, 159 De Haven, Guadalcanal campaign, 430, 432-436 Delahoussaye, Thomas, attack on Apamama, 714, 715 Delaney, J. F., Lieutenant Commander, 298 Delano, Victor, at Pearl Harbor, 28-29, 35, 41 Delaware Capes, U-boat campaign, 118, 119 De Long, Lieutenant, 52 Delta, 654
De
Luca,
Seaman,
torpedo
squadron,
278, 281-282
Dems
(Defensive Equipment for Merchant Ships), 134 Denebrink, Captain, Battle of Casablanca, 172, 178 Denmaid, Seaman, 195 Dennison, J. J., 529 Denver, Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, 477, 484; casualties on, 485; returned to United States, 486; at Okinawa, 986, 988
The United
1012
States
Navy
Department of Defense. See Defense, Department of Depewi, 999 Depth charges, from Borie, 185, 189, 192-193; U-boat 505, 201; a Anzio, 571; on Rowan, 557; on submarine Harder, 141-141; on Darter and Dace, 848-851; Battle of Samar, 865; sinking of Shinano, 895; on Aaron Ward, 974 Derickson, Richard B., Cherbourg bombardment, 646-648 Ruyter, Battle of Java Sea, 82, 85, 87 Desron 8, 132 Destroyer and Submarine, xv Destroyer Division 32, 562 Destroyer Division 45, and Captain Burke, 476, 478, 482 Destroyer Division 46, and Commander
De
Austin, 476,478,481 Division 59,
Destroyer Straits,
in
Macassar
74-77
Destroyer escorts, Murmansk Run, 138; Arctic Run, 144 Destroyer escorts, Guadalcanal campaign, 429; at Anzio, 571, 573; in Tunisian War Channel, 560; at Iwo Jima, 927 Destroyer-transport, Guadalcanal, 342; Guadalcanal campaign, 430 Destroyers, at Wake Island, 44; in Macassar Straits, 73-74; Battle of Java Sea, 90; exchanged with Great Britain,
103; as escort protection, 126; on 132; 50 transferred to
Murmansk Run,
Great Britain, 155; for escort service, 157; Battle of Casablanca, 176-177 Detroit, 37 Devastator, Douglas, 272 Devastators, 774 Devereux, Major, Wake Island defense, 42-47 De Vol, Lieutenant, 534
Dewey, Gunnery Officer, 58 Dewey, in typhoon, 899-901, 903-904, 906, 908 Dewoitine 520's, 162 Deyo, Normandy invasion, 640; Cherbourg bombardment, 643-644 Deyo, Morton, L., Normandy invasion, 586, 594; Task Force 51, 948, 950; Dial, Gun Captain, aboard Aaron Ward, 955-956 Diamond Head, 21 Dickerson, 965
in
World War
II
Dicfcinson, Clarence E., Lieutenant, Tor-
pedo Squadron Dickman, 588
8,
276, 278, 282
"Didos", 144
Walter H., Jr., on board Borie, 188-190, 195 Dihatsus, 681 Dill, John, Sir, 182 Dime Force, See Task Force 81; at Gela, 521-522, 523 Dinagat Island, invasion of Leyte, 829, Dietz,
831 Dinagat (Island) Attack Group, 829 Dinah, 818 Distinguished Service Medal, Waldon L. Ainsworth, 452; Admiral Hewitt, 497; Admiral Halsey, 852 Dive bomber, at Betio, 697 Dive bombers. See Bombers Dive bombers, Guadalcanal campaign, 381, 384 "Divine Wind". See Kamikaze Doane, Kendrick P., reconstructs air strip, 448-449 Dobbs, Radioman, 274 Dodge, John, 116 Doenitz, Karl, Commander of German U-boats, 109-113, 124, 126; succeeded Admiral Raeder, 152; expands Uboat role, 183 Dog White, Normandy invasion, 606, 608, 609 Doi, Kazuto, PT-109, 463-464
Donaldson, 908 Donovan, Robert J., 460 Doolittle, James A., raid on Tokyo, 212, 214-216, 219-222, 372 Raid, first strike on Japan, on Tokyo, 212, 214-216, 219-222,
Doolittle 102;
262
Doorman, K. W., Dutch Rear Admiral, Battle of Java Sea, 78, 82, 88 Dorniers planes, at Anzio, 570; attack convoy, 561 Dorothea M. Dix, Normandy invasion,
609, 616 Dorr is, Eddie, 714 Douglas dive bomber, 281 Downes, 39
W. J. Dr., paign, 434-436
Doyle,
Guadalcanal
cam-
Drayton, sinks first Japanese warships, 54, 58 Dregger Harbor, torpedo boats in, 685, 687, 689
1013
Index
Du Du
Bose, Admiral, 876 Bose, Lieutenant,
Commander, PT
Group, 533-534 Duckworth, H. S., 240 Duke, Seaman, 195 Dukw's, Battle of Salerno, 553; Force Mulberry, 637 Dulag, Leyte invasion, 834, 836, 838 Dumbo Catalinas, 781 Duncan, Cape Esperance, 344, 357 Dunkirk, 103 Duriavig, Bob, on board Aaron Ward, 953, 959 Duryea Garrett, Dr., 443 Dutch, Allied assistance from, 77. See Netherlands Dutch East Indies, attack on planned, 4; scorched earth policy, 75 Dutch Navy, attack on Naples Harbor, 554; Anzio invasion, 566 Duurloo, Fritz, 117 Duvall, Charles T., 28 Dyson, Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, 477; in typhoon, 908
Eglin Field, 212 Egypt, battle with
Rommel, 148, 159 Eighth Army, Montgomery, 490, 535, 575 Eighth Fleet, at Anzio, 572, 574 8th Marine Regiment, Guadalcanal campaign, 403, 428; Battle of Tarawa, 704 82nd Airborne Division, 590 Eisenhower, Dwight D., North African invasion, 160, 179; Operation "Husky", 498; Operation "Neptune-Overlord," 575, 576; Operation "Avalanche," 540, 555; appointed Supreme Commander,
566 El Hank, Battle of Casablanca, 167-173, 175, 176, 178 Elder, R. M., Ensign, 224 Eldredge, W. Knox, 530 Electra, 85 XI Air Force, 657 11th Airborne Division, 994 Eller, E. (Ernest) M., Director of Naval History, xi, xv; naval historian, 226,
298 E-Boats, (German) in defense of Sicily, 491; in defense of Anzio, 569; along Italian coast, 533, 534, 557; patrolled English Channel, 625, 635 Eagle, 144 Eagle, Ronald, on board Boise, 354, 355 Earle, Captain, 36 Eason, Van V., Battle of Philippine Sea, 773, 777 East Beach, Rendova, 441 East China Sea, 934 East Coastal Command, 122 Eastern, 261 Eastern Naval Task Force, Operation "Husky", 490, 498; Normandy invasion,
Eastern
589 Sea
system, 126; protect
defense in,
Eastern Task Force, 160 Easy Red, Normandy invasion, 606, 608, 612, 616 Eddleman, Willy, 650 fire
Elliott,
support at Anzio,
569;
in
Mediterranean Sea, 564 Edwards, Dave, Lieutenant, on board the Boise, 346, 355 Edwards, Tex, 742 Efate, reinforcements from, 390; New Hebrides, 690
1
Norm, 937 272 Edward, 623 Mike, PT warfare, 421, 424, 426
Ellison, Ellie,
Ellsberg, Elsass,
Embargo
Act, 3
Emerson, A.
C., Lieutenant,
293
Emmet, Captain, 175 Emnylabegan Island, 729
|
Empire, 588
Empress Augusta Bay, Battle
of,
475-
477, 482, 483
Encounter, Battle of Java Sea, 85, 86 Endrass, Karl, 110 English Channel, charts of, 204; Nor-
mandy Frontier,
117, 121; red tape coastal convoys, 156
Edison,
689
Ellices,
invasion, 576, 578, 580; antiin, 588, 590; patrols
submarine
storms in, 632; tides, 633 English, Richard, 538 English, Robert H., Rear Admiral, 265 Eniwetok Island, capture of, 736, 737, 749, 783, 784
Ennuebing
Island,
734
torpedoes Shinano, 885, 887, 889, 891, 893 Enterprise, Halsey's flagship, 11, 12, 59; at Pearl Harbor, 17, 232; Tokyo raid, 212-214, 218-226; Battle of Midway, 263, 265-268, 295, 298; Guadalcanal, 342, 358; Battle of Santa Cruz, 377Enright,
Joe,
The United
1014 387;
384,
Santa
at
Normandy
invasion,
States
Cruz, 588,
Navy in World War II
359-362; 589,
592;
Cherbourg bombardment, 643; Task
Group
58.3, 751; Battle of Philippine
Sea, 765-777;
Task Group
38.4,
prelude to Philippines,
820;
814-
825-828
Enubuj, assualt on, 728-730 Eolie Islands, 534 Erin, Thomas, 973 Ervin, Henry, 370 Escort carriers, Battle of Betio, 689, 690 Escorts, for convoys, 155; for aircraft carriers, 233; Tokyo Express, 437 Esperance. See Cape Esperance Espionage, Japanese, 304; German, 110, 121; and FBI, 125 Espiritu, base of operations, 360; action off Santa Cruz, 387 Espiritu Santo, Guadalcanal campaign, 391, 392, 401; on board Montpelier, 486; PT warfare, 427 Essex, Task Group 58.4, 751; Battle of Philippine Sea, 758, 765; track Ya~
mato, 948 941
Estes,
Estes, Pilot,
Eugenio
di Savoia,
141 Fighters,
Tokyo
raid,
218; Guadalcanal campaign, 381 F-6F's. See Hellcats
PT
boats, 531-532
Fabian, Lieutenant Commander, 692 Faddin, 979 Fahey, James, on Montpelier, 196; diarist, 484, 485, 985 Fahrenholt, Cape Esperance, 344, 357 Faisi,
390
Fallgatter,
Field, B. P., Jr., destroyer division,
35,
562
Seaman, 195 Army (Germany), 576 Amphibious Corps, 917
Fields,
Fifteenth
V
Fifth
Army, invasion of
Italy, 539, 552,
575 Fifth Fleet, and Admiral Spruance,
viii;
(Japanese) raid on Tokyo, 225; Operation "Galvanic", 689; invasion of Marshall Islands, 721; Battle of Philippine Sea, 770, 780, 787; Japanese. Mariana campaign, 755; Task Forces 58 and 38, 5th Japanese Air Force, 813 5th Marines, 389 Fifth Rangers, 642 Fighter Squadron 41, 162
Fighter Planes, 697 See Destroyer "Fighting Fifty-Ninth." Division Fifty-nine Fighting 20, attack group, 818-826 231; Fiji, Japanese aggression against, Guadalcanal campaign, 304, 311 Fiji Islands, transport from, 486; and Grenadier, 674 Filan, Frank, 705
F-4F Grumman
F-lighters,
163, 167-171, 174, 177 Ferguson, Ensign, 963 Fernald, James M., 735 Ferrell, 56
908
370
535 Evans, Dr., on board Lexington, 248, 253 Evans, Edward, Lieutenant, Commander at Pearl Harbor, 20, 23 Evans, Lieutenant, 466 Evans, Myron T., 913 Everett, John, Lieutenant, 430 Eves, Seaman, 963 Ewa, Marine airfield, 12; bombed, 13 Ewing, "Rum", 688 Exeter, Battle of Java Sea, 82-85 Expositor, Murmansk Run, 133-135, 137139,
Far Eastern Air Force, 47 Edward I., 685 Farquhar, Dr., on board Lexington, 251, 252, 255 Farrow, Bill, Lieutenant, raid on Tokyo, 214, 222 Fast Carrier Forces Pacific Fleet, 690 Fedhala, North African invasion, 160,
Fafley,
Bob, 816
Fama, Victor J., 335 Fanshaw Bay, 869 Far East, and Japanese demands, 2
Filipinos, guerilla resistance, 98, 101 Finland, Air Force, 142 Finsch, 687 1st Amphibious Brigade, Japanese, 738 First Bomber Command, 156 1st Cavalry, 839 First Diversion Striking Force, Admiral Kurita, 829, 831 First Division, Normandy invasion, 621; attack on Cherbourg, 642 Operation Division, 1st Infantry "Husky", 490; at Gela, 521-522 1st Marine Brigade, 103 1st Marine Division, Guadalcanal invasion, 304, 308; Solomon Islands
Index campaign, paign, 403; First
Guadalcanal cam310; Okinawa campaign, 981
Mobile Fleet (Japanese), Battle of
Philippine
Sea, 755, 766, 780-781, 785, 787, 789-791
First Support
Coral Sea, 232-233, Lexington, 245 Fitch,
776,
Group, 553
Aubrey W., Admiral,
Fitch,
768,
235;
Battle
of
on board
Normandy
invasion, 592, 596 A., 669
John John
Fitzgerald,
Fitzgerald,
I.,
prisoner
of
war,
Flaherty, 201 Flak. See Anti-aircraft sion, 736; at
Marshall
Island
inva-
Fleet Marine Force, 310 Fifth, viii, 721; Pacific, 2, 4, 9, 58-59, 61, 72, 728, 737; Asiatic, 2, 9, 72 770, 780, 787, 908; Tenth, 157; Atlantic, 158, 177; Fifth (Japanese), 225; Fourth (Japanese), 230231; Eighth, 572, 574; Seventh, 812, 813, 833, 853, 860; Third, 813-814,
Fleets,
832-833, 852-853, 855, 860, 898, 900901, 908 Fletcher, Frank Jack, Rear Admiral, 42, 59; Battle of
Coral Sea, 232-235, 260, 262, 264-265, 267-268; Battle of Midway, 291, 292, paign,
299; Solomon Island 310-311; Guadalcanal
paign, 340 Fletcher, Guadalcanal
Foley, James L., 402 Supplies, convoys, 146; to Russia, 147, 149, 151 Foote, Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, 477, 481, 483-484; returned to United
campaign,
487
Forbis, James, at Pearl Harbor, 27, 33 Force Mulberry, artificial harbor, 623-
626, 628, 630; hit by storm, 631-633,
Flanagan, Ray, 679 Flatley, James, Battle of Santa Cruz, 367-370, 374; and Enterprise, 382; attack on Yamato, 946-947 Fleet Air Arm, 152 Fleet Air Wing, 183 Fleet Flagship Group, 829
294-295,
Normandy invasion, 620 Focke-Wulfs, at Gela, 523; at Palermo, 535 Foeppel, Jack, 38 Foggia Air Field, 566
States,
Iwo Jima, 933
commands Yorktown,
Flying Fish, 755 Flying Fortresses, earmarked for MacArthur, 12; Battle of Midway, 264;
Food
672-673
Flamethrowers,
camcam394,
636-639 Ford, at Balikpapan, 72-74, 77 Ford Island, Navy base, Pearl Harbor, 12, 13, 14, 17, 26, 31, 32, 33, 36-39 Ford, J. C, Jr., 554 Ford, R. S., Task Group 80.2, 524; Battle of Salerno, 556-557 Forest,
590
Forgy, Howell M., Chaplain, at Pearl Harbor, 18; on board Lexington, 246 Formosa, Japanese air base, 49, 50; prisoners of war, 672; strategy over, 812; bombarded, 813, 826, 830, 831; Kamikaze pilots on, 946; sinking of Shinano, 885
384 James V., Marshall Islands invasion, 735; Japanese surrender, 982 Forsdal, John J., sinking of R. P. Resor,
Forrest, Chief, Forrestal,
126, 128, 130
Sam, on board Boise, 346-351, 354-356 Fortress Europa, and second front, 159; Forter,
Normandy
invasion, 575; final assault
on, 637
398, 401-403 Fletcher, Seaman,
956 Seaman, 963 Floating Reserve, (Task Group 51.1), 750
Fort Shaftner, 14
Flinn,
Foster, Edward, 964 Fougueux, Battle of
Flood, William, 13
4th Division,
Flores,
555
Flores Sea, 80 Florida Islands, Guadalcanal campaign, 313, 393 Florida Straits, U-boats, 113, 122, 125 Fluitt, Bill,
375
Flying Boats. See PBY's
1015
172,
Casablanca,
171,
178
Normandy
invasion,
588,
590 Fourth Fleet (Japanese), attacked Wake Island, 41; Operation "Mo", 230, 232 Fourth Japanese Air Force, 813 4th Marine Division, Marshall Islands invasion, 734; Task Force 52 on Saipan, 753
The United
1016
States
Navy
Combat Team,
4th Marine Regimental
996
XIV Army
Air Force, 812. See also China-Burma-India Army Air Force 45th Infantry Division, Task Force 85, 490; General Middleton, 510 47th Seabee Battalion, Munda campaign, 446-448 46th British Hampshire Division, Battle of Salerno, 547, 592
Fowler, Richard L., 867 Fowler, Vance, 32 Fox Green Beach, Normandy invasion, 603-610, 616 Fox Red, Normandy invasion, 606, 609 Foyle, Andrew N., 640 Foyle, Bill, bombs Manila, 820-824; rescued, 828 France, and Japan, 2; and second front, 147; Air Force, 163, 164; Fall of, 159.
See also Vichy Government France, Air Force, Battle of Casablanca, 162 France, Navy, Toulon Fleet, 159; Battle of Casablanca, 168-176; submarines, 175,
176;
Normandy
invasion,
578;
Anzio invasion, 566 Frances Salman, 116 Francis E. Powell, 117 Francis, Seaman, 195 Franklin, attacked by bombers, 817-819; planes attack Clark Field, 823; air-
in
World War
Frogmen, 934
at
II
Saipan,
751;
at
Okinawa,
Fiondeur, Battle of Casablanca, 171, 173, 174 Fubuki, 357 Fuchida, Japanese Commander, at Pearl Harbor attack, 13, 27, 32 Fuel, Japanese fleet shortage of, 753, 768, 769; Third Fleet, 898 Fujiyama, 916 Fukudome, Admiral, 814 Funafati Lagoon, 689 Furlong, Admiral, 40 Furutaka, 357 Gaeta, Gulf of, Operation "MacGregor," 533 Gaines, Airman, Battle of Santa Cruz, 366, 369 Gaines, Eddie, 962 Gaines, Jesse, 13 Gains, Seaman, 976 Gallagher, Airman, 823 Gallagher, T. A., 226 Gallagher, Carl, 277, 279, 280 Gallagher, J. F., 522 Gallery, Daniel V., Captain of U-505, 200, 208 "Galloping Ghost of the Java Coast",
Freighters, U-boats, 110, 113
82 Gallup Poll, 2 Galvanic. See Operation "Galvanic" Galveston, 636 Gambier Bay, Battle of Samar, 459, 460 Gamble, All Gano, R. A., 477 Garapan, capital of Saipan, 752, 753 Gardes, A. W., 560 Gardner, Ernest, 187 Gabriel, Bobby, attack on Apamama, 714, 718, 719 Garlow, Seaman, Battle of Santa Cruz, 364-366 Garnett, Carey, 32 Garrigus, W. F., 557 Garrison, Paul, B., 870
Fremantle, 675 French, Free. See Free French French Africa. See North Africa French Indo-China, and Japanese-French relations, 2; Vichy granted Japanese
Garzione, Thomas, 33 Gash, Russell, 452 Gay, Colonel, 175 Gay, Tex, Ensign, Midway 268, 272-275
craft carrier, 825; in
Kamikaze
attack,
934 Fraser, Bruce, 992 combats glider Davis, C. Frederick bombs, 572-574; destroyer escort, 560 Free French, and General De Gaulle, 159;
Normandy
invasion, 496
Freedom, yearning Hitler's slavery,
for,
viii;
opposed to
164
Freeland, Stephen L., 133 Freighter convoys, Tokyo Express, 419,
437
campaign,
French Morocco, anti-U-boat campaign,
Gea Island, assault Gehh Island, 729
159; invasion of, 160 "Frenchy". See Chatelain
Geiger, Roy, 981 Geiger, General, Phib Corps, 934
rule, 3
on, 729, 730
Index Gela, invasion of, 490, 520; tanks 521, 522; minefields, 523
in,
Genyo, 111 George, Elliot F., 319 Gerbini air field, 490 German Air Force, Murmansk run, 130135, 139; interception of convoys, 145; defense of Normandy, 145, 536, 621; Goering, 151, 152; bombs Palermo, 535; battle of Salerno, 547; sinks Beatty, 560; swept from Mediterranean area, 563; Anzio invasion, 567, 570 glider bombers, 571-573
German Army,
operation "Husky", 489 defense of Sicily, 491, 503, 507; Nor mandy invasion, 503, 507, 588, 596 624; tanks in Sicily, 521; defense of Salerno, 534, 554; at Ventotene, 555 defense of Anzio, 567, 568, 570 German Navy, U-boat campaign, 103
Murmansk
run,
133;
132,
Hitler's
tirade against, 151
Germany, and espionage, 110; second front, 147; secret weapons of, 492; propaganda, 497; defeat in sight, 576; and Japanese surrender, 984 Gerow, General, 626 Gherardi, invasion of Sicily, 523; enters Palermo, 535 Ghormley, Robert L., Guadalcanal campaign, 304, 309, 341, 343 Gibbs, R. H., 524 "Gibraltar of the Pacific", 737 Giffen, "Ike", Battle of Casablanca, 164176 Giffen, Robert C, Jr., 132 Gift, R. P. "Rip", 774 Gilbert, C. Hoover, 344 Gilbert Islands, strike at, 364; invasion of, 474; battle of, 689
Norman C,
132 173 Gilmartin, David, 37 Gilmore, Commander, 240 Gingrich, John E., 736 Giraud, General, 179 Gizo, 463 Gladde, Samuel R., 338 Gillbette,
Normandy
invasion,
Glider bomb planes, Normandy defense, 630; Attack on Cherbourg, 643; first used, 561, 562; at Anzio, 567, 570-573 Gliders, 590 Glines, Carroll V., 212, 213 Glisson, Bennie, 596 Gloire, 173
Glover, Cato, 826 Godbold, Captain, 44 Goepner, O. W., 560 Goering, Hermann, on guarding naval vessels, 151, 152 Goff,
merchantman
carrier escort,
191,
194-196 Golden, Art, 944 Gonzales, Manuel, 17 Good Hue, 965 "Gooney birds", 261 Gooseberry breakwaters, Force Mulberry, 624, 626, 627, 632-639 Gordon, Donald, 372 Gorman, Charley, 333 Gorry, Captain, on board Pennsylvania, 988, 990 Goto, Arimoto, Guadalcanal, 343, 344, 357; Cape Esperance, 357 Gozo, invasion of, 498-500, 510 Graff, Boatswain's Mate, 17 Graham, "Turkey", 34 Grant, Major, 519 Graves, Leon, 44 Gray, Bob, 215 Great Britain, concludes ABC-1 Staff Agreement, 2; rebuffed by Japan, 3; warships of, 10; consulted on Pearl
Harbor defenses, 14; Normandy invasion, 575; Japanese surrender, 983, 984 Great Britain, Royal Air Force, Hurricane fighter planes, 140; convoys to Russia, 146, 155
Great
Gillette, Captain,
Glasgow,
1017
Britain,
Royal Navy, losses
in,
54; protects convoys, 109; Murmansk Run, 130; Atlantic traffic routes, 155
Great Lakes 197-199
618;
Cherbourg bombardment, 643 Glassford, W. W., 72 G leaves, 558 Glennon, destroyer escort, 575; sunk by mine, 630 Glick, J. A., 559
Naval
Training
Station,
Greek destroyers, invasion of Italy, 560, 566 Greeman, Captain, Battle of Savo Sound, 336, 338, 339, 342
Green Beach (Normandy), 544, 545, 554 Green Beach (Salerno), 593, 594, 602 Green Island, 124 Green Island, 488 Greening, Captain, 217
1018
The United
States
Navy in World War
Greenwood, Walter, xvi
II
Hagfaro, Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, 476-478, 483; Battle of Philippine Sea,
Greer, 103 Greer, Airman, with
Lyndon B. Johnson, 677-679 Gregory, 341 Grenadier, submarine captured, 669, 674 Gresh, Cameron G., 194 Gresholm, Marine, 692
775 Hagushi, Roadsted, 964 Hailey, Foster, Guadalcanal 428; strikes at Tokyo, 909 Haitle, George, 34
Grew, Joseph, 2
Hale, R. B., 660 Haliewa, 13
Grider, George, Guadalcanal campaign, 404, 409 Grove, Gerald, Normandy invasion, 620,
621
Grummans,
at
Pearl Harbor,
17;
Mar-
shall Island raids, 71; sink Borie, 192;
Guadalcanal campaign, 392; at Tarawa, 698 Guadalcanal Island, news dispatches from, 97; Japanese aggression against, 200, 204, 207, 231; patrol boat warfare around, 420; Japanese abandon, 427-429, 439; dive bombers from, 438, 446, 447; base of operations, 439, 441, 451; bravery and sacrifice at, 488 Guadalcanal, campaign of, 303, 309-316, 331, 340, 358, 361, 372, 377, 388394, 403, 692, 698, 707 attack on planned, 4; attacked, 41; Battle of Coral Sea, 262; American attack on planned, 749751, 783, 925; Battle of Philippine Sea, 751, 768, 785-788; base of oper-
Guam, Japanese
999; 994, 982, 790, 791, Chamorros on, 750, 791 Guerillas, naval force, 682; in Leyte, 813; in Philippines, 93, 824, 828 ations,
Gulf Exmouth, 675 Gulf of Mexico, 156 Gulf of Noto, 490 Gulf of Salerno, invasion 567 Gulf Sea Frontier, 156 Gulnac, 626
Ichiu,
1
113
Halifax,
John F., Task Force 81, 490, 510 Halsey Powell, 934 Halsey, William F., on the Enterprise, 11, Hall,
Marshall Islands campaign, 59; on Tokyo, 212, 219, 222, 225, 226; hospitalized, 262; Battle of Santa Cruz, 361, 362; Guadalcanal campaign, 390, 403, 439; Battle of Rennell Island, compliments Seabees, 428; 448; Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, 17;
raid
Solomon
476; attacks
Islands, 689; de-
Admiral Ozawa, 781; Task Force 812, 814; strikes at Formosa, 830;
feats
38,
Third Fleet, 832, 833, 852; Battle of Savo Island, 907; Battle of Samar, 863, 864, 875, 876, 878; sinking of Shinano, 897; in typhoon, 908; Japanese surrender, 984, 986, 991, 994, 996,
997 Hamberger, D. C.
E., 477 Hamilton, Admiral, 132 Hamilton, Tom, 826 Hamlin, Francis Lee, 22
Hamps,
Battle
of Philippine Sea,
771,
775, 783, 786
Hanami,
Commander,
battles
PT-109,
462-464, 467 of,
536, 556,
Gun
boats, Normandy invasion, 594, 623; Dutch, 554; Leyte invasion, 836
Guns. See weapons Gustav Line, Italian campaign, 565, 566 Guttridge, Len, 630 Gwin, 460
H-Hour. See
Hakko
campaign,
specific individual invasions
Hager, Lynn F., 337 Haggard, 733 Haggart, Robert S., 735 Hagikaze, battles PT-109, 461, 462, 467
Hancock, 934 Handler, Frank, 40
Hanna, Lieutenant, Wake Island defense, 43, 44 Hanna, Bruce, 818 Hara, Tadaichi, Battle of Coral Sea, 233235 Harbor, artificial at Force Mulberry, 623,
624,631 Hardin, Dee, 707 Harder, in Sibutu
Strait,
738, 739, 741-
749 Hardison, Osborne B., Guadalcanal campaign, 374, 377, 379-382, 385, 387
29
Harper,
J. S.,
Harrill,
W. K. 751 f
A
1019
Index Seaman, on PT-109, 463, 468, 470-472 Harris, Lieutenant, 381 Harris, David A., 733 Harris, P. W., and PT-34, 99, 101 Harris, Russell L., Operation "Flintlock", 727; Mariana Islands invasion, 751 Harshman, "Pappy", 914 Hart, Franklin A., 735 Hart, Thomas C, fleet under British control, 2; and Stark, 4; and Kimmel, 14; commander of Asiatic Fleet, 72, 77, 78 Hartlepool, 119 Hartman, C. C, Task Group 60, 2, 560, 561 Harty, prisoner of war, 672, 673 Hartz, Louis, 120 Haruna, Guadalcanal campaign, 347; Harris,
Battle of Philippine Sea, 568; Battle of
Samar, 866 Hathaway, Amos T., 871 Hathorn Sound, 476 Hatsukaze, Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, 477, 478, 481,482 Hatsuzakura, 993 Haubrick, Seaman, 961 Haverland, Chuck, bombs Manila, 816, 820 Hawaii, American stronghold, 2; alerted, 3; attack on, 41; Task Force 52, organized in, 750; headquarters of Admiral Nimitz, 833 Hawkins, 590 Hay don, 561 Hayes, Lt. Commander, 338 Healey, Vincent P., 337 Healy, H. R. "Pop", on board Lexington, 243, 244 Heatter, Basil, 681
"Heckling Hare" B-26, and Lyndon B. Johnson, 676, 678 Heermann, Battle of Samar, 871-873 Heinkel torpedo planes, Murmansk Run, 141, 142; at Gela, 523; attack convoy, 561; at Anzio, 570; sink Meredith, 630 Helena, at Pearl Harbor, 26, 39; at Cape Esperance, 344; in Guadalcanal campaign, 389, 393, 394, 397, 400, 401; Battle of Kula Gulf, 450-460 Hellcats (F6F's), Battle of Saipan, 756-
765, 770, 773, 774, 777, 778, 780, 783, 787, bomb Manila, 815, 816, 825; defend carriers, 818; attack Clark Field, 819-824; attack Tokyo, 909
Hell Divers, Battle of Tarawa, 678; tle of Philippine Sea, 770, 771, 777, 778, 787; attack Manila, 826; attack Yamato, 949 Hellman, Stewart W., 834 Helm, sights Japanese submarine, 40,
Bat-
775, 815,
41
Hemingway, Ernest, Normandy invasion, 602,604,611,614 Henderson air field, Guadalcanal campaign, 341-343, 357-360, 391, 428-430,
432 Henderson,
Hank,
Guadalcanal
cam-
paign, 408, 413, 415-417
Hendrickson, Seaman, 958 Henrico, transport, 602, 965 Henry, Donald W., PT-214, 531, 532
Henyang, 812 Herbert C. Jones, destroyer escort, 560, 561; combats glider bombs, 512-51 Herman, Bill, bombs Manila, 816; destroys a Betty, 827 Hermann Goering Panzer Division, in Sicily, 521, 522 Herndon, 593 Hersey, John, 183 Hewitt, H. Kent, North African invasion, 160, 167, 171-174, 176, 178; Operation "Husky", 489-491, 522; Distinquished Service Medal, 602; invasion of Italy, 535, 536, 541, 542, 555; eration "Dragoon", 654
Op-
Hey, 130
Hickham
air field, at Pearl Harbor, 12, 124 Hickox, Battle of Philippine Sea, 778; in typhoon, 900, 908 Higgins boats, Guadalcanal campaign, 436; Battle of Tarawa, 698-700 Higgins, Edward T., frogman, 934, 937,
13,
939 Hijo, 773 Hill,
Captain,
Guadalcanal
campaign,
431,433,435,436 Hill, Harry W., Task Force 99, 132; Task Force 53, 690; invasion of Iwo Jima, 917 Hilo, 681
Hipper, Murmansk Run, 132; attacks convoy, 151 Hiramatsu, Yoshiji, 467 Hirohito, 7 Hiroshima, atomic bomb, 982, 988 Hiryu, at Pearl Harbor, 11; under air attack, 279, 287, 291, 292-296; Battle of Midway, 881
1
The United
020
Hitaka,
Battle
States
of Philippine
Navy in Wojld War II
Sea,
766,
767 Hitchcock, Seaman, 974
Adolph, Tripartite Treaty, 1; and Staff Agreement, 2; U-boat campaign, 113, 118, 124; Allied con-
Hitler,
ABC-1
298, 299; Battle of Santa Cruz, 358, 360; 363, 366, 370-372, 855; Guadalcanal campaign, 378, 381, 382, 387, 388; Task Group 58.1, 751, 770, 773, 777, 779, 783 Hosaka, Hiroshi, PT-109, 463, 465, 467
voys, 133, 147; conference with Admiral Raeder, 148, 151, 152; Darlan liaison, 159; English Channel, 589; Normandy defense, 633 Hiyei, Guadalcanal campaign, 397, 399-
Hosking,
401 Hiyo, Battle of Philippine Sea, 771, 772,
Hospital ships, Philippine campaign, 51; Normandy invasion, 578. See also
775, 779 Hoague, Lieutenant, 627 Hobart, 232 Hobby, 904 Hobson, destroyer escort, 590, 592 Hodge, John R., 839 Hoel, 869 Hoeynck, John, 823 Hoffman, George, Normandy invasion, 596, 599 Hogard, Orville R., on R. P. Resor, 127,
Medical aid Houlihan, Seaman, 50 Houston, Battle of Java Sea, 78-92; Task Force 38, 814; damaged, 831 Howard, mess attendant, 383 Howe, 537 Howitt, Eric, 687 William Battle Huie, Bradford, of
128 Holgrim, R. S., 373 Holland. See Netherlands Holly, Ed, 817 Holmberg, Paul "Lefty", Battle of Midway, 284, 285, 287
217 Holtz Bay, 669 Holmes,
J.
A.,
Home Fleet. See British Home Fleet Homma, General, Battle of Bataan,
93;
Leyte invasion, 840 Homonhon Islands, 813
Hong Kong,
attack
on planned,
4;
at-
tacked, 41
Honolulu, 460 Honshu, Japanese
mainland,
881;
air
982; prisoners on, 996 Hoover, J. Edgar, 125 field at,
Hoover, John H., coastal convoy system, 156; Operation "Galvanic", 689; Marshall Islands invasion, 730 Hopkins, Harry, reaction to Pearl Harbor, 25; Casablanca Conference, 181 Hopper, Allen, 944 Hornbeak, Les, bombed Manila, 825, 827 Hornet, Doolittle raid on Tokyo, 212, 214, 217-223, 226; at Pearl Harbor, 232; Battle of Coral Sea, 262, 265, 267, 268, 276; Battle of Midway, 292-294,
Radioman, on board Aaron Ward, 953, 954 Hoskins, John M., 856 Hosoyaga, Admiral, Battle of Komanorski, 657, 658
Munda, 440
Salerno, 544
Hull, in typhoon, 898, 906, 907 Hull, Cordell, peace negotiations, reaction to Pearl Harbor, 25
3-7;
Hunter, CM., 100 Hunter, Lunsford L., 728 Huntington, Bob, Torpedo Squadron
8,
274, 275
Huon Gulf, 685 Hurricane fighter planes, 140 Hurst, Chief, on board Boise, 353, 354 Hurt, Dave, 674 "Husky." See Operation "Husky" Hutchins, Charles H., commander of Borie, 184-196 Hutchins, Gordon, 178 Huxtable, Edward J., 870 Hvalfjordur Bay, 134 Hyakutate, Haroushi, Nineteenth Imperial Army, 341, 343 Hydrographic Group, 828 psychopathic, paign 445, 446
Hysteria,
Munda
cam-
Hyuga, 832 1-58,
Japanese submarine, 981
1-175, Japanese submarine, 690
Iba air
48 convoys
field,
Iceland,
to,
101;
Murmansk
run, 130, 140, 141 Ichiki, Kyono, at Guadalcanal, 341, 342 Idaho, Kamikaze attacks, 946, 950 Ideals, in search of, vii, 227
1021
Index Ie
Shima, death of Ernie Pyle, 491; base of operations, 987, 988
Immamura, Hitoshi, 403 Independence, 858, 901 India, 812 Indian Ocean, escape route for ships, 79, 263 Indiana, 763 Indianapolis, torpedoed, 690, 981, 987, 988; Saipan invasion, 755; Battle of Philippine Sea, 780-782 Indispensable Strait, 392 Indomitable, 144 Indonesia, 2 Ingersoll, Admiral, 158 Ingram, Bill 32 Ingram, Jonas H., anti-submarine activities, 158, 183 Inland Sea, location of Japanese fleet, 263, 811; sinking of Shinano in, 881 Inouye, Shigeyoshi, Japanese Fourth Fleet, 230, 231; Battle of Coral Sea, 234 International
Red
See
Invasions.
Cross. See
Red Cross
German propaganda,
Invasion calling, 628, 629
individual
specific
inva-
sions
Pearl Harbor, 3; Mur132; Battle of Midway, 264, 267, 268, 299, 304; Guadalcanal, 343, 391; surrender of Italian Navy, 532-534; Normandy invasion, 601, 634; Japanese, 674, 842; interrogating prisoners, 675, 754; Battle of Philippine Sea, 785, 787; sinking of Shinano, 881, strikes at Tokyo, 909; at Iwo Jima, 922, 927; at Okinawa, 940 Iowa, Battle of Samar, 863, 876; at Japanese surrender, 997 Intelligence,
at
mansk Run,
587 "Iron Bottom." See Operation "Iron BotIrish Sea,
tom" Iron Bottom Bay,
PT
warfare
in,
341,
425
A. 832
Isbel,
J.
Battle
of
Santa Cruz,
"Buster", 183
Commander, 774 Leonard, 992 Isley air field. See Aslito air field Isquith, S. S., at Pearl Harbor, 36, 37 Isquith, Samuel A., 336 Ishigura, Isitt,
MAS
Battle of, 922-926
New Guinea, 687, 688 Jackson, Jack, 413 Jacobs, Edmund F., 532 Jacobs, M. T., 547 Jacobs, Mike, 22 Jacoby, Ensign, 36 Jaluit Island, Japanese stronghold, by-passed, 717, 721
Jack, at
3, 59;
Jakes, planes, 790 Jamaica, 151
James, Chief, 876 James, Sidney L., 268 James, Iredell, 627 James, Weldon, Cherbourg bombardment, 645, 647, 651 Jameson, Frank, 943 Jamestown, 392 Japan, surrender of, vii, xv, 986; TriTreaty, 1; concessions, 1, 2;
partite
ment,
demands American
ABC-1
Staff
Agree-
diplomatic machinations, 2, 3; attacks planned, 4; after Pearl Harbor attack, 25; defeat in sight, 575 Japanese Air Force, at Pearl Harbor, 21;
Wake
2;
Island, 42; Philippines, 47;
shall Islands, 70.
Mar-
See also specific
in-
dividual battles Japanese Army, attacks Wake Island, 43; on Tarawa, 701. See also specific invasions
Japanese Center Force, Balabac Strait, 842; Leyte campaign, 856, 857 Japanese Navy, attack formula, 4, 7; mastery of Pacific Ocean, 9; at Pearl Harbor, 21; simultaneous Pacific attacks, 41; at
Charles, 363-366, 370
Irvine,
Ise,
Navy, Operation "Husky", 490, 492; Invasion of Sicily, 489, 502; Invasion of Palermo, 530, 535, boats, 531, 532; surrender of, 533, 534, 542; submarines of, 558 Iwo Jima, Japanese stronghold, 768; air strikes against, 783, 784, 804-806, 808, 809; invasion planned, 879, 918; Italian
Wake
Island, 42; three-
pronged attack, 229; Operation "Mo", 230 Japanese Seventeenth Army, 327 Japanese Southern Army, 813 Jaskiewicz, waist gunner on Thunder Mug, 715, 716 Java Sea, Battle of, 78, 82, 83, 87 Jean,
Bart,
Battle
168, 169, 176
of Casablanca,
163,
1
1
The United
022
States
Navy in World War
destroyer escort, 590; at 521, 523; enters Palermo, 535 Jenkins, 164 Jenkins, Captain, 402
Gela,
Jeffers,
Samuel
P.,
398
Jenks, 201, 202 Battle of Philippine Sea, 759, 764, 784; attack carriers, 818 Jinkins, William L., "Bill", saboteur, Jills,
747-749 Jintsu,
460
Jobe, Joe, at Iwo Jima, 806, 808, 809 John D. Ford, 74 Johnson, 869
Johnson, Johnson, Johnson, Johnson, Johnson, Johnson,
Carl, 383
Doir, 36 Frank, 26 Henry, 39
James D., 569
Lawrence, attack on Apamama, 715, 718 Johnson, Lyndon B., under air attack, 676-678; on the "Heckling Hare", 679, 680 Johnson,
W.
E.,
Battle of Santa Cruz,
363, 364
Johnston, 872 Johnston, Dick, 705
Johnston, Stanley, 258 Johnston, William, PT-J09, 464, 466, 468, 472, 473 Joint Expeditionary Force, Solomon Island campaign, 310; Mariana Islands invasion, 750, 785; against Iwo Jima,
917
Jomard Passage, Operation "Mo", 231, 233 Jones,
Ladon, on board Aaron
Ward,
958, 969 Jones, Louis R., 735 Jones, Robert, 39
Joshima, Admiral, Battle of Philippine Sea, 771, 772
Joss Force, 89
Joyce, Dick, 215 Judys, Japanese planes, defend Marianas, 756, 760-764, 783, 784; attack
San
Jacinta, 817
Juneau, Guadalcanal campaign, 394, 398,
400-402 Junkers-88,
Murmansk Run,
Anzio invasion, 570;
at
defend Nor561; invasion of southern
convoy, 630;
France, 654 Junyo, Battle of Santa Cruz, 359, 371, 771 Jupiter, Battle of Java Sea, 85, 86 Jurika, Steve, 215
Jenkins, S. G., 868 Jenkins,
attack
mandy,
II
141,
Sicily,
142; 525;
Jurika, Tom, 101 Jutland, 137
Kaga, Japanese aircraft carrier at Pearl Harbor, 11; Midway campaign, 268, 279, 281, 282, 287, 288, 290, 291, 881; Guadalcanal campaign, 380 Kahili,
bombarded, 475
Kajioka, Admiral, 42 Kakuta, Admiral, 263, Battle of Philippine Sea, 768, 770, 783, 791 Kalinin Bay, Battle of Samar, 868, 869
Kamakura, 994 Kamikaze, tactics, x; suicide attempts, 832; Battle of Samar, 878; attack carriers, 916; at Okinawa, 934, 935, 941, 942, 945, 946; attacks from Kyushu, 950, 951; attack Aaron Ward, 955, 966, 968; attack O'Brien and transports, 965 Kanazawa, Shigeo, 463 Kane, "Killer", 773 Kaneohe, Battle of Santa Cruz, 360, 361, 372;
Navy
base,
Kanoye, Prince,
1
1
Karig, Walter, xv, Murmansk Run, 130, 131; journalist, 388, 727, 751
Karu, 475 Kasperson, Co-pilot, 718 Kates, Guadalcanal campaign; at Santa Cruz, 378-380 Kato, 340 Katori, 59 Kauffman, Draper L., 751 Kauffman, J. L., 156
Kawasaki Bunsha Camp, 996 Kawase, Admiral, 669 Kawit Island, 100 Kearney, 103 Kearsarge, 214 Kelimoff, Airman, 827 Kelly, Chaplain, 694 Kelly, Bernard, 39 Kelly, R. G., evacuation of MacArthur, 97; PT-34, 98-100 Kelly, Robert B., 48, 51, 53
Kennedy, John
F.,
PT-109, 460, 463, 464,
465, 468, 469, 471-473
Index Kennedy, Medic, on board Aaron Ward, 956, 962, 971, 972 Kennedy, Seaman, on board Aaron Ward, 978, 979 Kent, Lerten V., 185 Kenyon, Rusty, 271 Kernodle, Michael H., 902 Kenworthy, Jesse, 17 Keramo, Retto, Battle of Okinawa, 934, 964, 970, 981 Kessing, "Scrappy", 996 Kessler, Lieutenant, 44 Ketcham, Dixwell, 917 Kidd, Isaac C, 33 Kijuma, Captain, 357 Killer-Hunter Group, 183 Kimmel, Husband, Commander in Chief at Pearl Harbor, 2-4, 13, 14, 36 Kimmins, Anthony, 721 King, Captain, on board Boise, 347, 349, 351, 355,457
Ernest J., appointed Chief of Naval Operations, 58, 59; convoy escorts, 103; on U-boat activities, 153Casablanca Conference, 155, 180; 181, 182; Guadalcanal campaign, 304, 309, 310; invasion of New Georgia, 439; COMINCH, 745; to by-pass Philippines, 812; Leyte campaign, 861; Japanese surrender, 984, 996 Kinkaid, Thomas C, Task Force, 19, 358, 360, 362, 365, 366, 371; Guadalcanal campaign, 377, 380, 388, 394; Seventh Fleet, 833, 853, 855-863, 866, 877, 878 Kinlaw, Seaman, 421 Kinugusa, Battle of Savo Sound, 334, King,
357 499;
Kirksey, Jackson Andrew, PT-109, 464, 468, 473 Kiska, Aleutian campaign, 657, 668, 669, 692 Kiso, 225
Kiszka, Seaman, 195 Kitchell,
Bill,
Japanese surrender, 996,
997 Kikusui, Battle of Okinawa, 946, 950 Klein, M. J., 558 Kliewer, Lieutenant, Wake Island defense, 43,
44
UDT
teams, 934, 936, 940, 942, 945 Kluss, Bill, 910 Knight, Invasion of Sicily, 531; enters Palermo, 535; Naples Harbor, 554,
555 Knispel, A. W., 203
Knobloch, Dick, 220 Knowles, Lieutenant, 540 Knox, Frank, Secretary of the Navy, 25, 214; appoints Samuel Eliot Morison historian 161; Leyte invasion 834; Japanese surrender, 982 Knutson, J. S., prisoner, 671, 675 Kobayashi, Michio, Midway campaign, 291-294 Kobayashi, 295 Koehl, Fred, 969 Koertner, 85 Koga, Admiral, 476 Koli Point, Guadalcanal campaign, 389, 391
King George V, 537
Kirk, Alan, Task Force 85, 490, Normandy invasion, 575, 589 Kirishima, 397
Kline, and
1023
Kolombangara, Japanese
batteries on, 4,
451; PT-109, 461-463, 474 Komandorski, Battle of, 658, 669
Kona, Steve, 372 Konoike Air Field, 912 Kondo, Admiral, 291 Kongo, 866 Kornegay, Marvin, 642 Kota Bharu, 41 Kowal, Seaman, 465 Kra Peninsula, 4 Krauchunas, Stephen, 905 Krause, Seaman, 409 Kretchmer, Felix W., 114 Krenger, Walter, 840 Kriner, Dutch, 56 Kukum, 316
Kukum
Point, 393
Kula Gulf, Tokyo Express,
449; and Helena, light cruiser, 451, 452, 455, 457, 459, 460, 462; refueling stop, 476 Kumano, 877 Kume Shima, 965 Kunkel, Paul, 356 Kuribayashi, General, 875 Kuriles, base of operations, 657, 669 Kurile Islands, 7 Kurita, Takeo, 263; Henderson Field bombardment, 358; Battle of Samar, 863, 871, 874-878; Battle of Philippine Sea, 767, 774, 775; first striking force, 829, 831; central force, 854
Kurz, Walter
C, 189
The United
1024 "Kus"
States
special naval landing force,
Navy in World War 266
II
Kusaka, Ryunosuke, 289
Lawson, Ted, 220 Lawtop, B. J., 777
Kwajelein, attacked, 42; Japanese strong-
Laxtbn, Jack,
hold, 59, 60, 69 Kwajalein Atoll, bombardment of, 721, 728-730, 734, 737; heavily fortified,
826, 827
749; in typhoon, 902
Kyushu, 881 Kuysha, Kamikaze 950
pilots on,
946, 948,
Lackawanna, 261 Lady Lex. See Lexington Lae, 309
Lae Salamaua, 364 Laffan, Mr., on board Boise, 346, 349, 355, 356
Cape Esperance, 344; Guadalcanal campaign, 394, 397, 398, 400, 402; Cherbourg bombardment, 643; Kamikaze attack, 951 La Fond, Gervais de, Battle of Casablanca, 170, 175 La Gracieuse, 175 La Grandiere, 175 La Psyche, 169 La Salle, Ensign, 433 Laing, Michael B., 294 L'alcyon, Battle of Casablanca, 170, 173, Laffey, at
174
Lampman,
L. R., Battle of Empress gusta Bay, 477, 481 Lancaster, 134
Au-
planes, Guadalcanal campaign, 391; Battle of Gilbert Islands, 689; Battle of Philippine Sea, 766,
Land-based
768, 787; from Formosa, 830, 832; from Luzon, 855
Landry, Bob, 61 Lane, Glenn, at Pearl Harbor, 27, 33 Lange, General, 554 Lange, Harold, submarine captain, 207,
209 Langley, Task
Group
58.4,
751; in ty-
phoon, 908 Larson, gun captain, 957 Larson, Seaman, on board Aaron Ward, 969-971, 974, 975 Larson, T. W., 158 Lastreto, Dr.,
426
Laub, 522 Laurey, John B., 214 Lavrakas, "Lefty", on board Aaron Ward, 954, 958, 967, 969, 970, 975 Lawler, Joe, 817
bombs Manila,
820, 823,
LCI's (Landing Craft Infantry), Battle of Salerno, 553; Anzio invasion, 567; Normandy invasion, 591, 609, 612, 614, 623; Force Mulberry, 626; Marshall Islands invasion, 730; Leyte invasion, 836, 837; at Iwo Jima, 910, 929-931 LCI(G)'s, at Okinawa, 938, 940 LCI(L)'s, Operation "Husky", 498; Battle of Salerno, 545 LCL's, 626 LCM's, Normandy invasion, 591; Force Mulberry, 637; Leyte invasion, 838 LCP(R)'s, at Okinawa, 936, 939, 942-
946
LCS 83, 979 LCSL 14, 980 LCT's, Guadalcanal campaign, 429, 430, 432, 434, 435; Invasion of Sicily, 510;
Normandy invasion, 577, 580, 581, 583-586, 588, 591, 593, 604; Battle of Salerno, 545-547; battle F-lighters, 531; Force Mulberry, 626, 633, 647649 LCVP's, Invasion of
Sicily, 508; Battle of Salerno, 545; Normandy invasion, 593, 603-605, 607, 609-612, 614-616; Force Mulberry, 626, 638; Leyte invasion, 834; at Iwo Jima, 932 LCVT's, Marshall Island invasion, 729, 730, 734, Leyte invasion, 837 Leadership, 228 Leah, Chief Pharmacist's Mate, 36 Leahy, William D., and Vichy Government, 159; at Summit Conference, 181; at Japanese surrender, 983, 984 Leahy, W. L, 609 Leander, 460 Leathernecks. See Marines Leder, Ensign, 381 Lee, Clark, 510 Lee, Henry (Peewee) Myers, 651 Lee, Irwin W., 442 Lee, J. R. Bucky, Battle of Santa Cruz,
363, 364 Lee, Robert E., 909 Lee, Willis Augustus, Battle of Guadalcanal, 751; Battle of Philippine Sea,
776, 779-781, 855, 860, 861
Legaspi air
field,
786;
820
Leyte
campaign,
1025
Index Legion of Merit award, Samuel Eliot Morison, 161; Ernest M. Eller, 226; Charles W. Woodmancy, 551 Lem Velon Strait, 669 Lend Lease, law of, 2; to Russia, 118; to Great Britain, 155 Lengo, Channel, Guadalcanal campaign, 394, 401 Leppla, John, Battle of Santa Cruz, 367, 368 Les Cazes air field, 162 Leslie, Maxwell F., Midway campaign, 283-287, 290, 292, 293 Lewis, machine gunner at Wake Island, 45 Leutze, 946 Lexington, at Pearl Harbor, 10; Battle of Coral Sea, 232, 235, 236, 240-243, 246-261, 289, 367; Task Group 58.3, 751; Battle of Philippine Sea, 757-759, 764-766, 770, 771, 777, 781; Task
Force 38, 854 Leyte, invasion planned, 812, 813, 820, 832, 853, 860; bombarded, 828, 831, counterattack, Japanese 843; 833,
and Battle of Samar, 862, 852; 865, 867, 875-878, invasion of, 897 Libarnan Head, 835 Liberator planes, at Omaha Beach, 600; Gilbert Islands, 689; Apamama, 714, 720, 721; named Thunder Mug, 804; atlwo Jima, 806, 807, 810 Liberty ships, invasion of Sicily, 523; Force Mulberry, 627, 639; at Cher-
bourg 654 in Guadalcanal campaign, 393 Licata, Operation "Husky", 490; bombers at, 520 Lightning planes, 544 Lindsey, Gene, Battle of Midway, 825 Lindsey, Robin, on Enterprise, Guadalcanal campaign, 384, 385,
Libra,
392,
dive
380,
366;
387
Lines, C. O., 14
Lingayen Gulf, 53 Lingga Roads, First Striking Group, 829, 831; Japanese Center Force, 842 Lionfish, viii Lipari, 534
Liscomb Bay, torpedoed, 690, 729 Liska, John, 367 Battle of Savo Sound, sunk, 959, 960, 965-970
Little,
Little
Abner, 920
341-343;
Littoria, German stronghold, 568, 569 Livdahl, Orlin, on Enterprise, 2>1A, 386 Lloyd, Ed, Thunder Mug at Apamama,
710,712,713,721
LLSMR-195, 967 Loch Long, Murmansk Run,
133, 134
Lockwood, Charles A., submarine 738, 841, 884, 890
chief,
Locoscio, Angelo, 741 Logan, Sam, on Harder, lA'h, 747 Logie, Marc J., 730 Logistic support, 917 Lombardi, Seaman, 195 London Naval Treaty, 880
Long, Seaman, 195, 975 Long, Walter, PT warfare, 424-426 Long Island, 342 Look, Dick, Battle of Salerno, 545, 546, 548 Lord, Robert H., on Borie, 194-195 Lord, Walter, 25 Lorient submarine pen, 110 Lorraine, 655 Los Negros, 784 Lott, Arnold, 951 Lott, Russell, at Pearl Harbor, 27, 33 Louisades, Operation "Mo", 230, 233 Louttrell, Wyatt J., 339 Loveday, Major, 583 Lovorron, Ensign, 687 Low, Francis J., 211 Lown Frank J., Battle of Anzio, 566568; Alpha Attack Force, 654 Lowry, Seaman, on Boise, 351; on PT109, 463, 469 LSC1-25, 967 LSD's, Battle of Gilbert Islands, 689, 690; Task Force 52, 750 LSI's 445 LSI-414, Force Mulberry, 637-640 LSM's, 931 LST's, Munda campaign, 445; Battle of Salerno, 545, 547, 548, 551; Nor,
mandy
invasion, 581, 588, 591; at Gilbert Islands, 684, 689, 697; Marshall Islands invasion, 729, 730; Leyte invasion, 838; at Iwo Jima, 931, 932
LST-499, 630 LSY's, 633 Ludlow, Battle of Casablanca, 170, 176; at Palermo, 535; fire support at Anzio, 568, 569 Luftwaffe. See German Air Force Luke, Seaman, 204 Lukosius, Zenon, 204
The United
1026
States
Navy
Lumberi, Seaman, 474
Islands
393,402,436
Lutzow, 132 Luzon, attack
planned, 4, 812, 817; Philippine Island defense, 49, 53; invasion of, 819, 820, 824, 826, 828; Japanese counterattack, 832, 857; base of operations, 855, 858; Battle of Samar, 862, 875, 876; air strikes against, 897; hit by typhoon, 888 Lyles, J. S., air strip construction, 446,
448 Lynch, Frank, on board Harder, 744-746, 748 Lynch, William, 31 Lynn of Lorn, 134 flying
742,
fortresses
force of, 47, 48; defense of Bataan, 93; Battle of Coral Sea, 230, 232; invasion of Biak, 787; Guadalcanal campaign, 308, 309, 310, 407; reaches Vogelkop, 811; capair
tures Morotai, 813; strikes Philippines,
814, 828, 831; Southwest Pacific Area 833; Battle of Leyte, 838; Seventh Fleet, 853; Japanese surrender, 987-989, 991, 993, 994, 997, 998 MacFarland, Chief Pharmacist's Mate,
Commander,
251
MacQueen, Chaplain, 694 Mc Anally, Winford J., Wake Island fense, 45,
de-
46
McArdle, J. J., 649 McAvenia, Harold G., 118 McCain, airman, 876 McCain, John S., 982 McCain, Slew, Task Force 38, 853, 854, 857, 860 McCalla, 344 McCampbell, David, 758 McCandless, Bruce, 400 McCaughey, Chief, on board Aaron Ward, 961, 979
McCawley, 393 McCleary, Malcom, 31 McClintock, David, 841 McCloy, R. G., 337
McClusky, Clarence, Torpedo Squadron 8,
276, 277, 279, 285, 286, 288, 290,
295
II
invasion, 616, 618,
620, 621
campaign, 311; Guadalcanal, 343, 390,
MacArthur, Douglas, earmarked for, 12;
World War
McCaok, Normandy
Lumpkin, Travis L., 127 Lunetta, Seaman, 973 Lunga Island area, Solomon 391,
in
McCredie, Claude, on "Heckling Hare", 678, 680 McCuddin, Leo, 816 McDaniel, Payton, 27 McGovern, John, 698 McGrath, Seaman, 551 McGrath, Raymond C, 336 McKanna, Bill, 978 McKean, 341 McKenzie, Chief Quartermaster, 239 McKervey, Seaman, 195 McKinstry, gunner, 45 McKnight, Seaman, 321 McLanahan, 523 McLeod, Robert D., 531 McLeroy, Seaman, 911 McMahon, Seaman, PT-109, 464-466, 468, 471, 473 McMorris, Charles H. "Soc", Battle of Komandorski, 658, 661, 663, 665, 668, 669 McMullin, airman, on "Heckling Hare", 677, 679
McVay, Charles
B., on Indianapolis, 981, 982 Mabalacat East, bombed, 819, 820 Macassar Straits, gateway to Borneo, 72-74; Japanese entrenched in, 78 Mack, William P., 72 Mactan Island, 98 Macukas, Tony, on board Aaron Ward, 953, 976, 977
Maddox, invasion of
Sicily,
520,
523;
900 Maeda, Gisaku, 225 Magicienne Bay, 753 Maguire, Seaman, PT-109, 463, 465, 468-470, 473 Maher, Commander, Battle of Java Sea, 83, 84 Maher, A. L., 674 Maher, Robert, on Borie, 185, 186 in typhoon,
Maihiot, Elmer E.,
Jr.,
121
Main body of Japanese Fleet, 263, 267 Majuro, bombardment of, 721, 737 Makalapa, Admiral KimmePs headquarters, 14, 36 Island, landings
Makin
on, 226; Japanese stronghold, 59; Operation "Galvanic", 689, 690; Mississippi explosion
at, 728 Makino, General, 813
1027
Index Malaney, Edward N., on board Borie, 188, 189 Malay, 116 Malay Barrier, and Asiatic Fleet, 72, 669; defense of, 78
Malay Peninsula, attack on planned, 4, 7 Maloelap, bombing of, 59; by-passed, 721, 737 Malta, Operation "Husky", 498, 500; air support from, 509 Manch, "Shorty", 220 Manchuria,
3,
raid
on Tokyo, 215,
989
Manila, attack on planned, 4; invasion of, 47-50, 52, 53; Japanese objective, 73; Japanese Army in, 813; aerial attack on, 814-816, 820, 823-826; reports from, 875; Japanese surrender, 988, 989
Mann, Chief, 960 Mannert L. Abele, 946 Manson, Frank A., invasion of Marshall Islands, 727; invasion of Mariana Islands, 751 Marauders, at
Lyndon
Utah Beach,
B. Johnson,
677,
601;
and
680
in
typhoon,
Marney, Harold, PT-109, 463-465, 468, 473 Marquand, John P., 918 Marquoitt, Seaman, 972 Marsala, 524 Marseilles, 655 Marshall, Bob, 678 Marshall, George C, North African campaign, 179; Casablanca Conference, 181, 182; Guadalcanal campaign, 309 Marshall Islands, Japanese military buildup in, 2; attacked, 41, 42, 59; Operation "Galvanic", 689, 698; Bombing Squadron, 109 Marshall Islands, base of operations, 711; invasion of, 721, 736-738, 750; anti-aircraft fire, 807 Martin, Charlotte, 101 Martin, "Pat", 101 Martineau, David L., Marshall Island invasion, 722,
734
PT-34, 99, 100 Maryland, at Pearl Harbor, 31; bombed,
Islands, Operation "Galvanic",
689; attacked, 41, 737, 738, 749, 750, 755, 785, 786, 788; base of operations,
934 Marije Bay, 687 Marines, fighter planes, 11, 17; at Pearl Harbor, 20, 39; at Wake Island, 4145; at Newfoundland, 103; Battle of Coral Sea, 252, 264; Solomon Islands, 303, 310; Guadalcanal invasion, 312, 313, 316, 341, 342, 389, 390, 392, 439, 440; Munda campaign, 441-443, 445, 446; Battle of Savo Sound, 332; at Henderson Air Field, 357, 359, 361; at Torokina Island, 476; at Bougain-
486; Cherbourg bombardment, 647; Battle of Tarawa, 689, 690, 692, 693, 694, 698-700, 702-706, 709, 713; invasion of Roi, 724, 736; invasion of Kwajalein Atoll, 734; on Saipan, 752, 754; victories in central Pacific, 811; invade Pelileu, 813; Battle of Iwo Jima, 879; at Okinawa, 931, 933, 937; Japanese occupation, 981, 996 Marine F4U's, aid Aaron Ward, 968, ville,
969 Mariveles, Philippine campaign, Battle of Bataan, 93
James Alexander,
906, 907
Martino,
Marblehead, 72 Marcus, Fred, 127
Mariana
Markham, George, 259 Marks,
50-52;
J.,
17, 26, 29, 32, 34, 36; at
MAS
boats
(Italian),
Tarawa, 690
battle
PT
boats,
531, 532
Massachusetts, Battle of Casablanca, 164, 168-179
Massey, Seaman, 287 Matanikau, Guadalcanal campaign, 389, 428 Matsunaga, Sadaichi, 783 Matthews, Herbert, 542 Mauer, Seaman, PT-109, 463, 464, 468470 Maya, 774 Mayfield, Captain, 36 Maynard, Albert, Archangel Run, 141 Mayo, fire support at Anzio, 568; Battle of Salerno, 555 Mayrant, Battle of Casablanca, 164, 178; Task Group 80.2, 524-528; at Palermo, 535 Mazzucco, Ralph, 120 Mead, Al, 368 Medal of Honor, 879 Medical aid, at Pearl Harbor, 32; Philippine Islands, 51; Dutch, 82; at Kawit, 101; on the Enterprise, 378; PT warfare, 426, 427; Munda campaign, 443;
The United
1028
States
Navy in World War II
hysteria, 445 446; Guadalcanal campaign, 434, 435; Sicilian invasion, 526, 528; on board Shubrick, 529; on board Texas, 649; on board Princeton, 856; on board Aaron Ward, 957, 962, 971 Mediterranean Theatre, Allied influence in, 489; PT's in, 531, 532 Meduse, 172 Medved, Seaman, 195
war
Meigs, Fred, xvi Melloy, soldier, 999
Vila-Stanmore
Merry's Point, 32 Mers-el-Kebir, 564 Messina, captured, 490, 534 Messina, Strait of, capture of Palermo, 530; crossed by General Montgomery, 535, 539 Miami Naval Air Station, 125
Miami, 908 Admiral, Battle Michelier, blanca, 170, 174-176
of
Casa-
Micronesia, Operation "Galvanic", 689,
707 Mid-Atlantic Conference, 3 Middleton, Troy, 45 th Infantry Division, 490, 510
Midge, 497
Midway,
ammunition for, supremacy of, 229
Island, air
Commander, 334
Miller, Doris, 36
360 Hank, raid on Tokyo, 220, 221
Miller, Frank, Miller,
Miller,
495;
Norman, capture of Saipan, Bombing Squadron 109, 709
Sea,
evacuation
of
in-
Mac-
13;
Island, Japanese counterattack,
854, 897
Mine
fields, at Balikpapan, 75, 77; at Soerabaja, 82; evacuation of MacArthur through, 96; protection from U-boats, 126; Murmansk Run, 134; charts of, 204; Tassaforanga Beach, 438; invasion of Sicily, 517, 523; Battle of Anzio, 568; Normandy invasion, 579, 580, 596, 604, 609, 612, 614, 616, 622, 630; invasion of Salerno, 546, 548, 551, 555; English Channel, 635, 642; Japanese mainland, 993 Mine layers, invasion of Sicily, 523;
Normandy
invasion of Sicily, 520, 525; Normandy invasion, 590, 591; invasion of Salerno, 545, 548, 551; in English Channel, 635, 642, 643, 645; Cherbourg bombardment, 649; invasion of Roi-Namur Islands, 725, 728; invasion of Leyte, 828; at Iwo Jima, 927; in Buckner Bay, 990; and Hydrographic Group,
828 Mines, 729 Minglanilia, 98 Minister, sunk by mine, 630, 636 Miri, 4
Misima
Midway
Mitchell,
Patrol Group, 265
Mikasa, 996 Mikawa, Gunichi, Battle of Savo Sound, 316, 319, 340; Guadalcanal, 342 Milan, Battle of Casablanca, 170-176
233 Marshall
Islands,
Mississippi,
of,
invasion, 637 Philippine campaign, 52;
Mine sweepers,
266-268, 285, 296, 298, 299, 359; air torpedoes at, 774, 775, 785; beginning of the end for Japan, 810, 881; Gene Lindsey, 825; and the Enterprise, 380, 381 Midway Occupation Force, 266 Battle
459,
Miller, Thelma, 709 Mindanao, attack on planned, 812; vasion of, 4
Mindoro
bombardment, 440; Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, 475-478, 481-483
Japanese
Miller,
Arthur, 97
Menominee, 124 Merchant Marine, escorts for, 56, 126; losses by submarines, 108, 109, 115; Naval Reserve, 124; losses in convoy,
Midway
Japanese stronghold, 59; by-passed,
721, 738 Military government, 534
Mindanao
Mellu Island, 734 Melson, C. L., 35, 562 Melvin R. Nawman, 908
149, 155 Merdinger, Charles, 27 Meredith, 630 Merrill, A. Stanton, at
Mili
Island
invasion,
728-730 Missouri, Japanese surrender, 985, 990, 992, 993, 997, 999 Mitchell, Bing, on board Drayton, 56,
57 Lieutenant, Guadalcanal cam-
paign, 433, 437 Mitchell, Captain, invasion of 503; Battle of Salerno, 551, 748 Mitchell's. See B-25's
Sicily,
1029
Index Mitscher, Marc A., raid on Tokyo, 214, 215, 219, 220; Battle of Midway, 292, 293; Guadalcanal campaign, 439; Marshall Islands invasion, 721, 738, 755; Battle of Philippine Sea, 764-770, 775784; Task Force 58, 785-786; Task
Force 38, 853, 856; San Bernardino 876; attacks Tokyo, 916, 918; Battle of Okinawa, 933; Kamikaze attacks, 946; attacks Yamato, 947-950 Mitscher's Action Report, 212 Straits,
Mitscher's Fast Carrier Forces, invasion of Iwo Jima, 917; attack Yamato, 947; Invasion of Mariana Islands, 738, 750-
752 Mitsubishi, Guadalcanal campaign, 393,
431 Battle of Midway, 298; Battle of Philippine Sea, 771-773; Battle of
Mogami,
Samar, 866 Mogensen, Seaman, 974 Moulter, Albert, at Pearl Harbor, 31, 32
Molucca, 78
Monahahan, Pearl Harbor,
40; Battle of
Komandorski, 658; in typhoon, 904, 905, 907 Monongahela, 898 Monrovia, Admiral Hewitt's flagship, 497; invasion of Gozo, 498 Monssen, Guadalcanal campaign, 394, 400-402 Montcalm, 173
Monte Cassino,
in Italian campaign, 565, 566; Allied air raid on, 575 Monterey, Battle of Philippine Sea, 756, 770, 774, 775, 778; in typhoon, 902, 903, 907, 908 Montgomery, Pearl Harbor, 40
Montgomery, Eighth Army, 490, 524, 535, 539;
Normandy
invasion, 623
Montgomery, A. F., Task Group 751,784 Montgomery, Robert, 643
58.2,
Montpelier, light cruiser, 196, 199; Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, 477, 483, 484; daily activities on board, 985-989
Moody, Le Grand, Chaplain, on board Texas, 643, 650
Moon, Don
P., Task Force 99, 132; Batof Casablanca, 164; Normandy invasion, 588, 593; Camel Attack Force,
tle
654 Moore, George J., 335 Moore, John R. "Dinty", 340
Moore, Whitey, 273 Moosbrugger, Frederick, 474 Morale, Pearl Harbor attack, 25;
vic-
lowest ebb, 102; Merchant Marine sinkings, 118120; rescues, 142; on board Brooklyn, 177; raid on Toyko, 211, 212; effects of war, 228; in Guadalcanal campaign, 428; Munda campaign, 445, 446; propaganda broadcasts, 628; and "Bobtories
sea,
at
79;
59,
at
cats", 708 Moran, Edward C. "Iron Mike", Captain
of the Boise, 344-357
Morgan, Timothy, 121 Morgan, William, 870 Morison, Samuel E., naval historian, 161, 162, 766 Mormacmail, 342 Morocco, Battle of Casablanca, 162, Operation "Torch", 498 177; 163, Morotai, 813 Morris, C. G., 450 Morris, Frank D., 344
Morton, Dudley W., Guadalcanal campaign, 404-417; in Wewak Harbor, 418 Moses, William, 988 Motor Torpedo Boats. See MAS boats Motoyama, 922 Moulton, H. Douglas H., at Pearl Harbor, 18; at Surigao Strait, 856 Mount Asten, 428 Mount Etna, invasion of Sicily, 508, 524 Mount 51, on board Aaron Ward, 954, 963 Mount 52, on board Aaron Ward, 953, 967, 968, 972, 973 Mount 53, on board Aaron Ward, 955961, 964 Mount Soprano, 544
Mount
Suribachi, at 925, 926, 928
Iwo Jima, 918, 922,
MTB's (Motor Torpedo nila,
90;
50,
52,
MaNavy Yard,
Boats), at
72; Cavite
Guadalcanal campaign, 403; and
Tokyo
Express,
419;
in
defense
of
491
Sicily,
MTB Ron
15, 529 819 Mulligan, Seaman, 195 Munda campaign, 404,
Mugford,
staging
area,
428,
460; Japanese 440; invasion of,
441, 442, 446
Murmansk
Run,
convoys, harbors, 17 convoy, 143, 144
mine
fields,
134;
130-133; 138;
PQ
1
The United
030
Murphy,
Battle
States
of Casablanca,
Navy in World War II
176; at
Gela, 523 at
Pearl Harbor, 29,
Murray, George, Battle of Santa Cruz, 371, 372, 378 Murray, Captain, 993, 996 Mushashi, Operation Sho-1, 854, 880; battle of Leyte, 947; Marshall Islands invasion, 737, 774 Mushu, sinking of submarine, 409, 418 Musick, K. R, 778 Muskus, Joseph T., 338 Mussolini, Benito, "fleet-on-paper", 491; in protective custody, 534, 566 Mussolino Canal, 568 Mutty, Lieutenant, 531
Myers, Seaman, 986
Myoko, Empress Augusta Bay, 476-478, 481-483; Battle of Philippine Sea, 775 Nachi, 866
Nafutan Point, Battle of Saipan, 753, 754 Naganami, All Nagara, Battle of Midway, 289, 291 Nagasaki, 982 Nagato, Japanese warship, 12, 995; Battle of Philippine Sea, 771-773; Battle of Samar, 866, 867 Nagato Maru, raid on Tokyo, 224, 225 Striking
Carrier Force, 230; Battle of Coral Sea, 263-267; Battle of Midway, 289300; Battle of Santa Cruz, 372; Guadalcanal campaign, 378, 384 Nakajima, Lieutenant, 463 Namur Islands, attack on, 41; invasion of, 722, 725, 726, 734-736 Nansei Shoto, 934 Nantahala, in typhoon, 199, 911 Naples, harbor facilities, 538, 558-560; capture of, 554, 565, 566 Striking
Nash, Thomas
610 on Tokyo, 212, 219, 222-
E.,
225; Battle of Manila, 838 Nautilus, 286
Naval Naval Naval Naval
United
States,
World War
histories of, xv, xvi; naval
power,
II,
1
Navy Navy
30, 32
Murphy, John, 34, 36 Murphy, Robert D., 159
Nagumo, Chuichi, Pearl Harbor Force Commander, 7, 12;
226
Institute Proceedings,
Na?/y,
Murphy, George,
Nashville, raid
Naval
Academy Museum, 996 Air Navigational School, 720 Caribbean Force, 158 History Division, xvi
Archives, xvi Crosses, Gunner Burr and Seaman Wdowiak, 209; Clarence E. Dickinson, 276; James Flatley and John Liska, 367;
W. Daugherty, 528; John A. Norman Miller, 709;
J.
Fitzgerald, 669;
Samuel Dealey, 738; Edward L. Beach, 879 Navy demolition teams, 593 Navy Department, xvi Navy PBY's. See PBY's Navy Southern Force, 536 Navy's armed guard. See Armed guard Nazi. See Germany
Near
East,
Negros
489
Island, 855
Nelson, 535 Nelson, R. S., Lieutenant, 769
Neosho, 234 Netherland East Indies, 82; last hope of, 83 Netherland Navy, 82
2;
soldiers
of,
Netherlands, potential Japanese enemy, 3; warships of, 10; anti-submarine ac158;
tivities,
Normandy
invasion, 579
Nettuno, invasion of, 566, 567 Neupert, Karl, Seaman, on board Aaron Ward, 953, 962, 964, 967, 976, 978
Nevada, bombed, 26, 27,
mandy
32,
36;
Nor-
586, 589-593; Cherbourg bombardment, 643, 650; invainvasion,
sion of southern France, 654
New New
Britain, straits of, 684,
687
Caledonia, communication 229, 231; Americal Division,
line,
343;
Guadalcanal campaign, 391, 403 Georgia, Guadalcanal campaign, 404; Japanese staging area, 428, 439;
New
invasion of, 440, 444, 445, 451, 474; Kula Bay, 452
Battle of
New New
Georgia Sound, 304 Guinea, Japanese aggression against, 229, 231, 233; Guadalcanal campaign, 407-409; torpedo boat area, 676, 681, 685, 686; Battle of Santa Cruz, 364 New Hebrides, Guadalcanal campaign, 391; Operation "Galvanic", 690 New Jersey, Task Force 38, 852, 854, 855; in typhoon, 898, 901; Battle of Samar, 863, 876 New Mexico, 946
1031
Index
New
Orleans, bombed and sunk, 17, 18, 20-23, 38, 39; rescue ship, 246, 253, 254, 258; Battle of Philippine Sea, 781 New Zealand, PT warfare, 427; aircraft from, 439; Operation "Galvanic", 690; Japanese surrender, 992
Newcomb, 946 Newcomb, Richard, 319 Newfoundland, 101; U-boats,
British
113,
naval
base
at,
122; patrolling of,
125
Newman, Glenn, 957 Newman, W. A., 336 Newton, John Henry, Rear Admiral, 10 Niblack, invasion of Sicily, 523; at An571; battles submarine, 563 Nicholas, Guadalcanal campaign, 430437; Japanese surrender, 993 Nichols Air Field, destroyed, 48, 49 zio,
Nichols Field, 988 Nicol, Lieutenant Commander, 543 Nields, Destroyer Division 32, 562 Nielson Air Field, bombed, 48, 816, 823 Nilsson, Einar, 119 Nimitz, Chester W., Admiral, appointed Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet, 58, 59, 214, 226; naval intelligence, 230; Battle of Coral Sea, 232; Battle of Midway, 261, 262, 299-304, 307; Guadalcanal campaign, 308-310, 342, 358, 402; Micronesia, 689; invasion of Marshall Islands, 737; assault on Mariana Islands, 749, 750; approves invasion plans, 792; Third Fleet, 812; Pacific Command Forces, 833, 861; Battle of Samar, 874; Japanese surrender, 981-984, 994-999 Nineteenth Imperial Army, 341 Ninni Island, 729 9th Air Force, 594 IX Army Air Force, 640 Ninth Defense Marines, 441 9th Division, 654 91st Psalm, 441, 650 96th Division, Leyte invasion, 834, 839; Battle of Okinawa, 945 Nishimura, Shoki, Commander of Southern Group, 832; Battle of Samar, 877,
878 Nishinosome, Shigeru, 469 Nixon, Lieutenant, 254 No-Boat, rescue at sea, 247-249, 254, 255, 257 Nomura, Kichisaburo, Japanese diplomat, 2, 998
Nonssen, 214
Normandy
invasion, reporting on, 499; planned, 575, 576; naval guns at, 587589; invasion of, 925, 926
North Africa, and Vichy Government, 159, 180; invasion of, 310, 489; base of operations, 524; French resistance in, 160, 161
North Beach (Salerno), 547 North Cape, Murmansk Run, 132, 133, 151
North, Harold,
North
Sea,
storms
in,
at Pearl
British
Harbor, 31, 34
Home
Fleet,
588;
631
Northampton, flagship of Admiral Spruance, 59; Guadalcanal campaign, 378, 403, 404 Northern Attack Force, North African invasion, 160; Task Force 52, 689; Marshall Islands invasion, 721, 734, 735; Mariana Islands invasion, 750 Northern Japanese Force, defense of Leyte, 856-858, 861; Kamikaze pilots, 946; Battle of Savo Sound, 319; Battle of Samar, 874, 876, 878 Northern LST Group, 828, 829 Northern Pacific Force, 262 Northwest African Air Force, 502
Norvana, 116, 117 Norway, base for convoy attacks, 145, 146, 149-151 Noshiro, 877 Noto, 524
Noumea.
Battle of Coral Sea, 232; Guadalcanal campaign, 311, 340, 390,
391; Battle of Santa Cruz, 361
Nova Zembla,
145
Nowake, 876 Nuclear energy, saves refueling,
ix.
See
Atomic bomb Nugu Point, 429 also
Oahu
Island, Japanese fleet approaches,
265 O'Bannon, Guadalcanal campaign, 394, 398-402, 403, 436, 474 O'Brien, Richard H., PT-204, 532 O'Brien, Cherbourg bombardment, 643, 650; hit by Kamikaze, 965 Obayashi, Admiral, 767 Occupation Force, Midway campaign, 264, 266 Odell, Jay, 693 Offins, Chief, 976 Ofuna, P.O.W. camp, 672-675 11, 12,
1
1
The United
032
States
Navy in World War II
Oglala, 39
O'Hare, Butch, 765
Ohmae,
Captain,
Battle
of
Philippine
Sea, 774, 781
See Fuel Okada, Captain, 288 O'Kane, Dick, Guadalcanal campaign, 406, 408-417 Okinawa, landings on, 226; Ernie Pyle, 491 Okinawa, Battle of, planned, 934, 940, 945; Kikusui attacks, 950; invasion, 981,986-988,994 Oklahoma, torpedoed, 30, 31, bombed, 17, 21, 29, 34, 36; at Pearl Harbor,
Oil.
881 Oldendorf,
Jesse B., 751; Leyte campaign, 859, 860; Surigao Straits, 878;
at Buckner Bay, 988 Olson, Ernest W., FT -214, 531 Omaha Beach, Normandy invasion, 576, 587, 589, 591, 600, 601, 622, 623, 626,631, 633, 636,638
Omark, Warren R., 722 Omori 8, prison camp, 995 Omori, Sentaro, at Cape Torokina, 482-
Roger W., 403
Eleven, PT warfare, 421, 422 Seabees, Force Mulberry, 636, 637
One
108th,
O'Sullivan, Curtis D.,
730
Osaka, Nagoya, 212 Osborne, Edgar G., 221 Oscars, defend Manila, 815, 816, 823, 824; attack carriers, 818; over Tokyo,
912,913 Osmena, Sergio,
President, 840, 844
Otani, Captain, 994
484, 487, 488 O'Neill, C. R, 338 O'Neill,
Operation "Iceberg", 933 Operation "Ironbottom", 303 Operation "MacGregor", surrender of Italian Navy, 532, 533 Operation "Mo", 230 Operation "Neptune-Overlord", 575 Operation "Shingle", planned, 551; Battle of Anzio, 568, 569, 571-574 Operation "Sho", 813 Operation "Shoestring", 310 Operation "Swift Mercy", 994 Operation "Torch", anti-U-boat campaign, 159; Moroccan campaign, 498 Operation "Watchtower", Guadalcanal campaign, 303, 304, 309-311 Oran, North African invasion, 159, 160; base of operations, 536, 555, 556 Ordronaux, Destroyer Division, 35, 562 Oreade, 169
634,
182nd Infantry, 403 105th Infantry Regiment on Saipan, 753, 754 101st Airborne Division, Normandy invasion, 590 172nd Infantry Combat Team, Munda campaign, 441 165th Infantry Regiment, 753 164th Infantry Division, 403 164th Infantry Regiment, Guadalcanal, 343 Onion, Frank, 917 Onslow, 151 Operation "Avalanche", Battle of Salerno, 535, 552, 553, 555 Operation "Dragoon", 654 Operation "Flintlock", 721 Operation "Forager", Mariana Islands invasion, 749, 785 Operation "Galvanic", Battle of Gilbert Islands, 689, 721 Operation "Husky", planned, 489; executed, 524
Outer South Seas Force, 316 Outerbridge, William W., 1 Outerson, W., 562 Over, George, 377, 384 Overstreet, Robert, at Pearl Harbor, 12, 13
Owens, Allen, 27 Owens, Ben, 693 Owsley, John, 378
Ozawa,
Jisaburo, First Mobile Fleet, 755, 766; Battle of Philippine Sea, 767, 768, 770, 771, 774-776, 779-781, 785790; last-ditch defense, 831, 832
P-35, 48 P-36's, 13 P-38's, Battle of Salerno, 538;
New
Brit-
684 P-40's, Haliewa Air Field, 13; with MacArthur's Air Force, 48; Dregger Harbor campaign, 688 P-47's, at Milne Bay, 683; Dregger Harbor campaign, 688 P-48's, 688 Pachino Peninsula, 490 Pacific Command Forces, 833 Pacific Fleet, berthed at Pearl Harbor, ain,
2,
9,
10;
attack
on,
4;
Chester B.
1033
Index Nimitz, commander of, 58, 59, 833; Marshall Island raid, 61; included Asiatic Fleet,
72;
Battle
of Midway,
George
Patton,
S.,
North African inva-
179; Seventh 490, 524, 529, 533, 535
sion,
160,
174,
Army,
262, 263, 265, 299; Guadalcanal cam-
Patwing Ten, 73
paign, 321, 322; Marshall Islands in-
Pauken Schlag, German code word for
vasion, 728,
736
by
Paestum, captured 544, 547 Pagnotta, Mario
J.,
Paine, Roger, 413 Paine, Ensign, on
36th
Division,
board Aaron Ward,
Commander, 446
Palau, Japanese stronghold,
submarine
patrol,
813
841,
847,
Palmyra, 54 Palo, 839 Pan American, 124 Panama, 157 Panama Canal, 58 Panaon Island, 831 Panay, 855 Panero, Seaman, 961 Panson Island, 839
787;
strike
at
Iwo Jima,
PC
boats, 501 Peace negotiations, 176 Peacock Point, 44
nouncement made,
13,
reaction,
on Tokyo, 214,
226;
•
124, Sicily,
989 Van, on board Aaron Ward, 953, 967, 968 Park, Jim, on Thunder Mug, 805, 808, 809 Paris,
Parker, 561 Parker, Seaman, 962 Parrot, at Balikpapan, 72, 74, 75, 77 Parrott, John E., Ensign, 38 Pas-de-Calais, 576
base
of
raid
25;
operations,
German
311,
689;
212;
raid
at,
125
Peiho, Cape, 687 Pelileu Island, captured, 813, 830; base of operations, 981
Pemberton, W. W., 529 Penang, prisoner of war camp, 669, 675 Pennsylvania, at Pearl Harbor, 36, 39; Operation "Galvanic", 689; Marshall Island invasion, 728, 729; in Buckner Bay, 988, 990 Pensacola, Battle of Midway, 295; Battle of Santa Cruz, 378 Persian Gulf, convoys to Russia, 146. See Trans-Persian Route, 147, 148 Perth, Battle of Java Sea, 82, 84, 85, 87,
88
90
Perth, P.O.W. Camp, 675 Pescadores, 832 Petain, Henri, Marshal, Vichy Government, 159, 179, 180 Petersen, Paul, Guadalcanal campaign,
Passmore, Commander, 625 Patch, Alexander M., General, 428 Japanese,
110;
694 Peck, Dewitt, 304 Peck, Robert "Pat", Merchant Mariner,
Paratroops, invasion of Sicily, 501; Italian campaign, 565; invasion of southern France, 655; occupy Japan, 988,
Tokyo, 224, 225
833; Battle of
805
Marines
490
boats,
828,
Peale, Wake Island defense, 44, 46 Pearce, H. A., Commander, 569 Pearl Harbor, attack on planned, 4, 7; warships at, 10; attacked, 11; an-
Panzer divisions, in defense of 491, 521 Panzers, 629 Papua, 308 Paradise Beach, 406
Patrol
462, 474,
Komandorski, 661; patrol New Britain, 684; track Yamato, 948 PB4Y named Thunder Mug, 709; reconnaissance,
of Sicily, 524-527, capture of, 532-535; base
invasion
529, 530; of operations, 536 Palestine, 147 Palmi, 529
Pantelleria,
PBM's, reconnaissance, 780, 781, 787 PBY's, Battle of Midway, 268, 271; spot Japanese fleet, 358, 360; Guadalcanal campaign, 430; on reconnaissance,
782; Palau
Islands, invasion planned, 812,
Palawan, 849 Palermo,
116,
Paul Luckenbach, 134
190
959, 962 Painter, Wilfred L.,
shipping attacks, 109, 110, 113, 124 Paul Jones, at Balikpapan, 72, 74-76
383-385
on
Peterson, Pete, on board 953, 959, 960, 962
Aaron Ward,
1
The United
034
States
Navy
Peterson, R. W., 527
Peyton, Sergeant, 246 Phelps, Battle of Roi-Namur Islands, 721-726, 734, 735 Philadelphia, Task Force 85, 490, 528; enters Palermo, 535; Battle of Sainvasion lerno, of southern 547; France, 655 Philip, Joseph San, on board Borie, 193, 194 Philippine Corps I and II, 93 Philippine Islands, invasion planned, 812, 814; return of MacArthur, 828, 829 Philippine Sea, Battle of, aerial warfare, 756-766; Naval warfare, 767, 791; battle of crippled Japanese fleet, 830 Philippines,
and Japan demands,
vised of possible attack, 4, 7;
2, 3;
ad-
Admiral
Hart at, 14; confusion with Pearl Harbor, 25; attacked, 41, 47; Operation "Galvanic", 689; campaign, 308; base of operations, 341; occupation of, 865,
877
Seaman, 973 Force Mulberry, 624-626, 631-637,639 Pillsbury, capture of the U-505, 201-203, 205, 209 Pilots, 235 Pinckney, William, 376 Pitzer, Seaman, on board Boise, 351, Phillips,
Phoenixes,
353 Planes, torpedo. See Torpedo planes Planes, Battle of Coral Sea, 233, 235 Piatt, Wesley, Captain, Wake Island defense, 45, Platte,
46
265
invasion of Sicily, 523; at Anzio, 570, 571; Cherbourg bombard-
ment, 643
Wake
Lieutenant,
Island, 43,
surrender
of
PQpe, Seaman, 250 Port de Bouc, 655 Port en Bessin, 617 Porter, Battle of Santa Cruz, 373, 374 Portland, Battle of Midway, 295; action off Santa Cruz, 374; Guadalcanal campaign, 392, 394, 399, 400-403 Port Lyautey, 162 Moresby, Japanese Port aggression against, 229, 231, 232; invasion force, Battle of Coral Sea, 231, 233; invasion of, 261; Solomon Islands campaign, 310; drive on, 676, 680 Portside,
617
Post, V. W., Lieutenant
Commander, 459
Postillion Islands, 73
Potsdam Conference, 981 Potsdam Declaration, 984 Potter, Major,
46
Potter, E. B., naval historian, 230, 307
Seaman, PT-109, 463, 464, 469 Pouzar, Seaman, 195 Pownall, Charles A., 690 Pozallo, Eighth Army, 490, 524 PQ 13, 133 Potter,
PQ
17,
Murmansk Run,
losses, 145,
PQ
133, 143;
convoy
146
convoy to Russia, 144, 146, 149 The Lord and Pass the Ammunition", Chaplain Forgy, 18, 25 Pratt, Fletcher, naval historian, 54, 342 18,
"Praise
Prayer. See Religion Presley, Sam Davis, 375 Prichard, Mel, 817 Prickett,
Sam, bomb Manila, 815, 825
854
Polish Army, 147 Pollock, Albert Dave,
Primauguet, Battle of Casablanca, 170, 173, 175, 176, 179 Prince of Wales, torpedoed, 54, 212
163,
Princeton, Task Group 58.3, 751; Battle of Philippine Sea, 765; Task Force 58,
781; bombed, 855, 856
44
Point Cruz, Guadalcanal campaign, 388, 389, 403 Point Yoke, 624 Pointe du Hoe, Normandy invasion, 617, 622, 642 Poland, Sam S., 563 Polillo Island,
II
Prien, Gunther, 110
Plunkett,
Poindexter,
World War
in
Battle
of Santa
Cruz, 372-374 Ponziani, 999
Pope, at Balikpapan, 72, 74-77; capture of U-505, 201
Prindeville,
Tom, 686
Prisoners of war, American, 458, 670; at Anzio, 568; Italian, 530; submarine, 564; Germans in southern France, 654; Americans in Japan, 669, 670; taken on Roi-Namur Islands, 727, 737; on Saipan, 754; interrogation of, 910; camps of, 992, 994 Propaganda, German, 497; invasion calling, 628, 629; Japanese, 913, 916;
American, 916
PT
boats, at Philippines, 48; Leyte
paign,
859, 879; oppose
cam-
Tokyo Ex-
Index Guadalcanal campaign, 419; Battle Kula for 436, 438; 390, Gulf, 462-464, 474; in The Slot, 342; from Tulagi, 358
press
PT-14, 96 PT-32, evacuation of MacArthur, 96, 97 PT-34, evacuation of MacArthur, 97, 98; Philippine PT Squadron, 98-102 PT-35, 97 PT-41, evacuates MacArthur, 94, 96, 97 PT-109, attack on, 463, 465, 467-470 PT-122, 681 PT-162, Battle of Kula Gulf, 463, 464,
469 PT-169, Battle of Kula Gulf, 463, 464,
469 PT-202, 531 PT-203, 531 PT-204, Lieutenant Clifford, 530; Lieutenant O'Brien, 532 PT-205, Ensign Boebel, 533, 534 PT-209, 530 PT-210, 531 PT-214, 531 PT-215, 533 PT-216, Lieutenant Eldredge, 221; Lieutenant Sanders, 533, 534 PT-217, 534 PT-218, battles F-lighters, 531, 532 PT-667, at Dregger Harbor, 676, 681, 682 Purdon, Eric, Commander, 388 Purneda, Seaman, 195 Purvis Bay, fueling station, 485, 486 Putnam, Major, Wake Island defense, 43,
44 See Patrol vessels
PY's.
PYE, Admiral, 45 Pyle, Ernie, Ie
war correspondent, 491;
at
Shima, 987
Quesada, Manuel, 640 Quezon, Manuel, return to Philippines, 840, 841 Quigley, Daniel J., 214 Quigley, Henry J., Jr., 650 Quincy, Battle of Savo Sound, 319, 336; invasion,
Rabat Air
Britain,
Royal Air Force
Field, 162
Rabat-Sale Air Fields, 162 Rabaul, Operation "Mo", 230-232; Battle of Coral Sea, 234; Guadalcanal campaign, 308-310, 316, 341, 342, 427; air strength at, 461-467, 476, 486; capture of, 488; raid on, 995 Rabaul-Buin Area, Guadalcanal campaign, 390, 403 Rabe, Stanley H., 32
Raby
Castle, 121
Raby, John, 162 Radar, and modern navies, ix; at Pearl Harbor, 38; German submarines, 113; submarine warfare, 206; on Enterprise, 218, 223, 371, 372; raid on Tokyo, 226; Battle of Coral Sea, 235, 236; Guadalcanal campaign, 407; at
Santa Cruz, 383-387; Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, 477-482; firing by, 557; on board Buck, 558; on board
Anzio invasion, 570; at invasion, 589, 592; at invasion of Sicily, 523, 525; at Palermo, Bristol, 559; at
Normandy
535; in submarine, 739, 743, 846; Gerof, 749; Battle of Philippine Sea, 757-759, 765; Third Fleet, 898, 906; at Okinawa, 946; sinking of Shinano, 886, 887, 892; Battle of Samar, 862
man development
Rader, Bill, 955 Rader, Seaman, on board Aaron Ward, 968, 969 Radford, Guadalcanal campaign, 430432, 436 Radford, Arthur W., Task Group 58.4, 908; Attacks Yamato, 949 Radio Controlled Bomb. See Glider
bombs
Quebec Conference, 633
Normandy
RAF. See Great
1035
589,
590,
592,
Cherbourg bombardment, 643; southern France invasion, 655 Quinn, Lawrence S., on board Borie, 191, 593;
192 Quisdorf, Harand, at Pearl Harbor, 32, 38
Raeder, Admiral, convoys to Russia, 148; conferences with Hitler, 151, 152 Ragsdale, Van H., 721 Ragsdale, Wilmott, war correspondent, 648, 650
Raimondo Montecuccoli, 535 Raines, James, 40 Rainey, Seaman, 962 Raleigh, at Pearl Harbor, 26, 37 Ramapo, oil tanker, 17; at Pearl Harbor,
39 Ramentas, 383 Ramillies, 654 Ramp's (Rescued Allied Military oners), 974
Pris-
The United
1036
States
Navy in World War II
Ramsay, Alston, 477 Ramsey, Bertram C, 490 Ramsey, Paul, Captain of Thunder Mug, 712, 716 Ramsey, Ralph M., on destroyer McCook, 616, 618, 620 Rand, Melvin'A., 115 Randall, G. D., 226 Ranger, Battle of Casablanca, 162-176; Battle of Midway, 285
Ranger Battalion, 490 Rapalee, Philip, 972 Rau, 405 Rawlins, Seaman, 958 Ray, Captain, 50 Reade, Lieutenant, 531 Reconnaissance, Murmansk Run, 132, 138, 140; Guadalcanal campaign, 408, 411; Normandy invasion, 601; Battle of Salerno, 542; RAF, 644; over Marshall Islands, 711, 728, 729; on Saipan, 753; at Manila Bay, 824; at Iwo Jima, 922-930; over prison camps, 992
Reconnaissance planes, Guadalcanal campaign, 390, 391
Red Beach 544, 594; 737;
(Salerno), Battle of Salerno, 552; Normandy invasion, 593, Marshall Islands invasion, 730, Leyte invasion, 839, 840; at
Okinawa, 935 Cross, 837 Redfin, 755
Red
Reding, Chip, Battle of Santa Cruz, 368-
370 Reeder, Don, 827, 828 Reeves, John W. J., 132 Reeves, Joseph W., Task Group 58.3, 751, 771, 781 Regimental Combat Team 23, 735, 736 Regimental Combat Team 24, 735, 736
Regimental Combat Team 32, 730 Regimental Combat Team 184, 730 Reichard, Seaman, 973 Reid, Jack, Ensign, 266 Reitel, Pilot, 916 Religion, at Pearl Harbor, 38, 40; prebattle, 452, 650; at Tulagi, 485, 486 Rendova, landings at, 440, 441, 446, 447; Seabee casualties at, 448; base for PT boats, 466, 474 Rennell Islands, Battle of, 428 Renshaw, All Renteria, Joe, on board Montpelier, 986, 989 Republic, 124
RepTdse, 54 Rescues, Battle of Savo Sound, 329; at Santa Cruz, 387; PT warfare, 425, 426; PT-109, 474; Helena crew, 459, 460; Normandy invasion, 615; of Gambier Bay, 869; of prisoners, 994, 995; Reuben James, 106; by coastal defense stations, 109; R. P. Resor survivors, 130; in convoys, 142; Battle of Casablanca, 175; raid on Tokyo, 225; of Robert Rowan survivors, 523, 557; of Shubrick's survivors, 528, 529; of Buck's survivors, 558; convoy-escorts, 562; of submarine survivors, 565; Battle of Philippine Sea, 778, 781; from Guam, 795, 796; of planes, 827; of airmen, 950; of Aaron Ward survivors,
960
Reuben James, sunk by U-boat,
104, 106
Reuters News Service, 213 Reykjavik, Iceland, Murmansk Run, 140 Reynolds, PT-34, 100, 101 Reynolds, Kenneth J., on Borie, 187, Reynolds, L. K., 477 Reynolds, Quentin, 536 Rhind Ferries, Force Mulberry, 637, Rhino, Battle of Casablanca, 164,
Task Group
80.2, 524,
134,
193
639 173;
526
Rhodes, Dusty, Battle of Santa Cruz, 367-369 Rian, Gerald R., 775 Rice, Howard, Major, Battle of Tarawa, 697, 700 Rich, 630 Richardson, 383 Richardson, Ilaf, 97 Richardson, J. O., 2 173 Ensign,
Richelieu,
Richey, 364,
Battle
of
Santa Cruz,
370
Richmond, 658 Ricketts, Claude
V.,
29, 35 Ricks, Robert B.,
Armed Guard
at
Pearl
Harbor, Officer,
133; Murmansk Run, 135-141 Riefkohl, Captain, Battle of Savo Sound,
334-336 Riera,
Emmett, bombs Manila, 815, 825,
826 Riesenberg, Felix,
Jr.,
108
Rigel, at Pearl Harbor, 38, 39 Riggs, Commodore, Battle of
dorski, 663, 666-668
Riggs, Airman, 827
Koman-
Index Riggs, Admiral, Task Group 95.02, 990 Ringgold, 690 RO-boats, 787 Robbins, R. C, Jr., combats glider bombs, 572, 573 Robert Rowan, Liberty ship, 523; Task Group 80.2, 32, 524; Battle of Salerno,
556-560 Roberts, J. Q., raid on Tokyo, 219, 222 Roberts, 869 Robinson, "Buzzy", Lieutenant, 712 Robot jet. See Glider bomb Rochester, 117
ships, Leyte invasion, 836; at Iwo Jima, 930, 931 Rockwell, Francis W., Admiral, Commander of Cavite Navy Yard, 51, 93; evacuation of MacArthur, 96, 97 Rodgers, Bertram J., 654 Rodgers, Captain, Battle of Komandorski, 660, 662, 665, 669 Rogers, F. M., Captain, Battle of Casablanca, 175, 176 Rogovsky, Jack, 38 Roi, 690 Roi Islands, Japanese target, 41; invasion of, 722, 725-736 Roi-Namur, Battle of, 721, 734, 737 Rome, road to, 551, 559, 560, 565; captured, 575, 578 Rommel, Erwin, threat to Allied cause, 146, 147; Normandy invasion, 576,
629 Romulo, Carlos, 840 of Houston,
81; Battle of Java Sea, 82, 84, 87-91
Roosevelt, Franklin D., freezes Japanese 3;
Mid-Atlantic Conference,
3;
contacts with Hirohito, 7; reaction to Pearl Harbor, 25; Houston, 88; orders
MacArthur attacks,
off
103;
Rope, W. F., xvi Roscoe, Theodore, war correspondent, 475, 520, 551 Rosengren, Ensign, 962 Ross, W. L., 100 Ross, Seaman, PT-109, 463-465, 468,
790 Royal
623 Rocket
assets,
Franklin D., Jr., Battle of Casablanca, 179; wounded, 526, 527 "Roosevelt Navy", 126
470
Normandy invasion, 584, 585, 594, 601; Marshall Islands invasion, 730 Rocket guns, Normandy invasion, 618,
Commander
Roosevelt,
Rota, Battle of Philippine Sea, 468, 469,
Rock, The. See Corregidor Rocket boats, invasion of Anzio, 567;
Rooks, Captain,
1037
Bataan, 93; on U-boat correspondence with
Churchill, 125, 143, 145, 147, 148; and Vichy Government, 159, 179; appoints Samuel Eliot Morison, 161; Summit Conference, 181; Quebec Conference, 633; and Lyndon B. Johnson, 676; death of, 950
New Zealand Air Force, 992 R. P. Resor, torpedoed, 126-129 Rubel, Dave, on board Aaron Ward, 954, 955, 961, 962, 970, 971 Rudder's Rangers, 622 Rudyerd Bay, 902 Ruehlow, Lieutenant, 381 Rummel, William K., 729 Runyan, Machinist, 368 Rupertus, General, 314 "Ruptured Duck", 220 Islands, Guadalcanal campaign, 429, 438; Battle of Kula Gulf, 451
Russell
Russia, non-aggression pact with Japan, 3; aid to, 131-133; Murmansk Run, 134; strength of women, 139; convoys to, 145, 146, 149-151; war material to, Casablanca Conference, 154; 181; Japanese surrender, 996 Russian Front, 489 Rutter, Bob, Lieutenant, 873
Ryan, Cornelius, 594 Ryuho, Battle of Philippine Sea, 771, 773 Ryujo, Battle of Santa Cruz, 364 Ryukus Islands, 934 S-44 submarine, 340 SBD's (Douglas), at Wotje, 62; scout bombers, 218, 219; raid on Tokyo, 225, 916; Battle of Coral Sea, 236; Henderson air field, 360; Battle of Santa Cruz, 362, 366, 370, 375; Guadalcanal campaign, 377, 385; at Betio,
697 SB2C's, at Betio, 697; over Tokyo, 916 Sabine, 214 Sablan, Vicente, Guadalcanal campaign, 378, 383, 385 Saboteurs, 125
Sacramento, 38 Sagami Bay, Japanese 995 Saigon, 2, 672
surrender,
992-
The United
1038
Clair, "Sparky", on Ward, 960, 997 St. George Channel, 476 St. John, Richard E., 195 St.
Saint-Lo,
Normandy
States
Navy
board
Aaron
invasion, 640
460 St-Marcouf, 596 Saint-Sauveur-Le-Vicomte, 640 St. Vaagt, 592 Saipan, island, capture of, 495; base of operations, 497, 808, 809; invasion of, 749-753, 755, 783, 785, 787, 789, 925; casualties on, 752; suicide attack on,
982 Yoshitsugu, invasion of Mariana
Islands, 750; Battle of Saipan, Saja, Battle of,
789
Salerno, Battle of, planned, 535, 553; radio-controlled glider planes used at, 561; buzz bombs, 572; air support, 538, 539, 554; weather, 540; tanks 553, 554; 36th Division spearat,
headed attack, 536 Salerno, Gulf of. See Gulf of Salerno Salisbury, Harry, on board Aaron Ward, 959, 966 Sallett, George, 26
Lake
City,
Cape Esperance,
344,
357; Battle of Komandorski, 658 Salvage operations, Atlanta, 402, 403; invasion of Sicily, 526, 528; convoy escorts, 562 Samar, Battle of, 831, 856, 863, 864, 875-878 Samidare, Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, 477, 478, 481-483 Samoa Islands, communications line, 229,
231
Sampans, 225 Samuels, Lewis, Guadalcanal campaign, 435, 436 San Bernardino Strait, Leyte campaign, 831, 854-857, 859, 860; Battle of
Samar, 862, 863, 865, 867, 874, 876, 877 San Cristobal, 391 San Diego, 311 San Francisco, at Pearl Harbor, 38, 39; Guadalcanal, 344, 389, 393, 394, 397403; Cape Esperance, 357; Philippine Sea, 781
San Jacinta, Task Group
58.3, 751, 770, 775; aircraft carrier, 817; in typhoon, 902, 903, 908 San Juan, action off Santa Cruz, 374,
387 San Pablo, 828 Sand, 261 Sanders, Cecil, PT boat, 530, 533 Sanders, H., at Anzio, 571; in Mediter-
ranean area, 564 Sanders, I. A., 363 Sanders, Captain, 573 Sanders, W. H., commander of Aaron Ward, 951-953, 964, 965, 969, 974, 976,978, 981 Sanimatsu, Commander, 674 Santa Cruz, Battle of, 309, 358, 360, 362 Santa Elena, 562
Santa Isabel, 437 Sarangani Bay, 812
897
Salamaua, 309
Salt
II
774,
St-Lo, 868 5/. Louis, at Pearl Harbor, 38; torpedoed,
Saito,
World War
in
Battle
of
Saratoga, relief for Wake Island, 42; torpedoed, 232; Battle of Midway, 262, 285; at Fiji Island, 311 J., 675 Emil F., 650 Savannah, Task Force
Sasaki, Saul,
81, 490, 527; enters Palermo, 535; Battle of Salerno,
547 Savo Island, Guadalcanal campaign, 312, 316, 341, 344, 347, 357, 392-394, 402, 429, 432, 437-439; PT warfare, 420, 424; Battle of Kula Gulf, 451
Savo Sound, 392 Sawada, Mitsuaki, PT-109, 463, 464 Scala, Charles J., 649 Scapa Flow, Task Force 99, 132; raid on, 110; British Naval Base, 144 Schaefer, Wayne, on board Aaron Ward, 973, 979 Scharnhorst,
146
Schindler, Walter H., 294 Schlegel, Paul, 285
Schmidt, Harry, Marshall Islands invasion, 737; Saipan invasion, 753 Schmitt, Aloysius, 31 Schneer, Murmansk Run, 132 Schnorkels, 113 Schofield Barracks, 12 Schoharie, Archangel Run, 141, 142 Schonland, Herbert, 401 Schumacher, V. E., 96 Schwarb, Seaman, 383 Scoglitti, Operation "Husky", 490, 500, 502; invasion of, 506, 509, 520 Scott, Norman, Guadalcanal campaign, 343, 344, 357
Index Scott, Robert, 31
Admiral, Guadalcanal campaign, 391, 392, 398 Scouting Six, 17, 18 Scrimshaw, Dick, 599 Scott,
Seabees, 197; Battle of Salerno, 544, 547, 548, 551; Naples Harbor, 560; Force Mulberry, 634, 637-640; Dregger Har-
bor campaign, 685 Seabees, construct air field, 446-448, 707, 708; invasion of Roi-Namur Islands, 727; invasion of Saipan, 754; Battle of Rendova, 441-444; caricature of, 449 Seafires, British planes,
538
Seahorse, 755 Sealark Channel, Guadalcanal campaign,
392 Seaplane base, 231, 311; Guadalcanal campaign, 391 Search and Reconnaissance, 917
2nd Armored Division, 490 Second Battalion, 704 Second Fighter Wing, 537 Second front, Churchill's
147,
Marine Division, Task Force
on, 148; 52,
428 2nd Marine Raider Battalion, 389 Second Mobile Force, and western Aleutians, 262, 263 Segi Point, Munda campaign, 446, 447; air strip at, 448 Seiyo Maru, 111 Selfridge, 474 Seligman, Mort, 244 Sells, Os, 339 Sendai, Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, 476-478, 481
520 Session, H. K., Dr., 649 Seven Mile Drone, 680 Seven Mile Field, 676 Seventh Army, General Patton, 490, 524,
Sentinel,
533,
535;
Shaffer,
Shaftner, Fort, 14
Shaheen, John, Operation "MacGregor," 532, 533 Shakerly, William, on board Borie, 189, 195 Shanghai, 672 Shannon, Colonel, 264 Shannon, aids Aaron Ward, 964, 965 Shapley, Alan, Major, 33 Shark, 72 Shaw, at Pearl Harbor, 39; Battle of Santa Cruz, 371, 373; Guadalcanal campaign, 393 Shea, Jack, 977 Sheean, Jimmy, 540
Kai Shek opinion
750; on Saipan, 753; Operation "Galvanic", 690; Guadalcanal campaign,
Normandy
on Thunder Mug, 805, 809 Robert K., navigator of Thunder Mug, 711,712,714,717, 720
Shafer,
151 Shek, Chiang Kai, General. See Chiang
147; Stalin's opinion, Fortress Europa, 159
529, 576;
79th Division, 654 73rd Seabee Battalion, 448
Sheffield,
146,
2nd
1039
Normandy
invasion,
defense, 622
VII Army Air Force, 813 Seventh Corps, 642 Seventh Division, Marshall Islands invasion, 730; Leyte invasion, 834, 839 Seventh Fleet, and Royal Navy, 812; and invasion strategy, 813, 853, 860; Battle of Samar, 862, 866, 878
Shelley, Chief,
956
Shepherd, Christopher, 190 Sherbrooke, R., Captain, 151 Sherki Battery, Battle of Casablanca, 176-179
Sherman. Forrest, 998 Sherman, Ted, Task Force 38, 853-855 Sherman, Frederick C, Admiral, Com-
mander of
the Lexington, 237; tracks
Yamato, 949 Sherrod, Robert, war correspondent, 690; at Iwo Jima, 933 Shiflet,
Shirley,
Lacey T., 610 Ralph L., 775
Shigemitsu,
Mamoru, 998
Shigure, Battle of
Empress Augusta Bay, 461,462,467,477,478
Shikoku, 881 Shima, Kiyohide,
at
Formosa
Straits,
832; in Leyte Gulf, 878
Shimonoseki Strait, 881 Shinano, sinking of, 879-883, 885, 886, 890, 891, 893-897 Shingle. See Operation "Shingle" Shiratsuyu, Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, 477-483 Sho, Guadalcanal campaign, 378, 382 Sho-1 Alert, Japanese defense system, 829-832 Shober, Neil, Sergeant, 698 Shockley, Edd M., 190
The United
1040 "Shoe
String".
Operation
See
Navy in World War
States
"Shoe-
string"
Shoho, Operation "Mo", 231, 234; at Port Moresby, 261 Shokaku, Japanese aircraft carrier at Pearl Harbor, 11; Operation "Mo", 230, 231, 233; Battle of Coral Sea, 236; Battle of Midway, 261; Battle of Santa Cruz, 358, 359, 364, 370, 371, 374-376; Battle of Philippine Sea, 766, 779, 789 Shore batteries. See Coastal shore batteries
Fire Control (SFC), Battle of Salerno, 554; Marshall Islands, 733-
Shore
551
Army, 840 VI Corps, 555 Sixth
Sixth Japanese Air Force, in Philippine area, 813; defends Formosa, 814 6th Marine Division, 403 6th Marine Regiment, on Saipan, 753,
6th Ranger Infantry Battalion, 829
Short, Leslie Vernon, 26
Skill 526 Slaughter, Lieutenant, 75
Short, Walter, General, 17
"Shorty", at Dregger Bay, 686, 689
Shoup, Frank
E.,
Jr.,
Commander
of
Astoria, 338, 339
bombed,
Gela, 522, 528, 529, 535;
invasion,
593
Shubrick,
at
523,
527;
Normandy
Sibert, Franklin
C, 839
877
411
invasion of, 489, 499, 508, 522, 524, 530; defenses of, 491, 500; air fields in, 502; tanks in, 521
Sicily,
Gunner, 956 Robert B. Ricks, 133; Pillsbury crew, 209; for evacuation of MacArthur, 97
Siler,
Silver Stars,
Simard, Captain, Battle of Midway, 264,
266 Simmen, Jack, 715 Simmons, Ensign, 56 Simmons, Gerald, 954 Simms, 692
officer,
993, 994
The, Guadalcanal campaign, 304; Savo Sound, 319; and destroyer escort, 342; Guadalcanal, 343, 388, 437, 438; Munda campaign, 441, 449; and Tokyo Express, 419 Smedberg, 983 Smith, Guadalcanal campaign, 380, 382 Smith, Bruce, 199 Smith, "Deacon", at Pearl Harbor, 22, 23 Smith, Dog, bombs Manila, 815, 819, 820-826; crew saved, 827
Wake
Smith, Don, Lieutenant, raid on Tokyo, 215, 222 Smith, Herschel, on board Enterprise, 376; Guadalcanal campaign 377, 384 Smith, Holland, Battle of Tarawa 690; invasion of Iwo Jima, 917 Smith, "Howling Mad", General, Marshall
Simons, Captain, at Pearl Harbor, 37, 38 Simoun, 175 Simpson Harbor, 995 Simpson, Rodger W., rescue of prisoners, 994, 995 Sims, 234 Sims, Edward H., 756 Island, 42; journa-
404
Sinclair,
Slocum, Commander, 53 Slonim, Gilven M., interrogation
at
Sibutu Strait, and submarine Harder, 738, 739, 745, 749 Sibuyan Sea, Battle for Leyte Gulf, 876,
Sims, Lydel, at
Slazak, 579
Slot,
Shuri, 946
list,
Singapore, Japanese target, 2, 4; invaded, 54, 78; base of operations, 341; and prisoners of war, 675; guns pointed wrong, 735 Sitka Bay, Task Group 38.4, 819 696th Aviation Ordnance Company, 12 16th Japanese Division, 840 16th Panzers, Battle of Salerno, 547,
754
734
Sicard,
II
Commander, 340
Islands
invasion,
737;
Task
Force 52, 750 Smith, Jerry, 960 Smith, Jim, 914 Smith, Julian C, General, 690 Smith, L. A., 225 Smith, Mess Attendant, 37 Smith, Ralph C, Task Group 51.1, 750; on Saipan, 753 Smith, Stan E., background of, xvii, xviii; as author, xxi
Smith, William W., Rear Admiral, 294
•j
Index Lou, Lieutenant Commander, 432 Snow, Norman, lost in battle, 818, 819, 828 Snyder, John, 983 Soemba, 590 Soerabaja, Java, and Asiatic fleet, 72; mine fields at, 77, 82; Battle of Java Snider,
Sea, 82, 85 Solace, 427
Solomon
Islands, Operation "Mo", 230; Marines, 303; Guadalcanal campaign, 307, 308, 314, 316, 342, 374, 430; attacks on, 364; PT warfare, 427; invasion of, 441; inadequate sea charts for, 462; campaign for, 488; opera-
tions in, 736, 737, 745 Solomons, Japanese aggression against, 229, 231, 233; Guadalcanal campaign, 402 Solomons campaign, submarine activity in, 390-404 Somervell, General, 182 Sommers, Martin, 640 "Son of Heaven", 214 Sonar, submarine warfare, 206; raid on Tokyo, 286; detection on board Buck, 558; on board Bristol, 559; tracking submarines, 565; on submarine Harder, 75, 746; Third Fleet, 899 Soryu, Japanese aircraft carrier at Pearl Harbor, 11; Torpedo Squadron 8, 273,
279, 287-291, 295; Battle of
Midway,
881 Soucek, Apollo, Commander, 217 Soule, R. A., 573 South Atlantic Fleet, 183 South Atlantic Force, 158 South China Sea, Japanese entrenched in, 78; and First Diversion Attack Force, 831 South Dakota, Battle of Santa Cruz, 374; Guadalcanal campaign, 377, 380, 382, 386, 387; Battle of Philippine Sea, 763; in typhoon, 898; Japanese surrender,
994
South
Pacific, Battle of Midway, 300; Solomon Island campaign, 310
South Pacific Area, 390 South Pacific Fleet, 403 South Pacific Force, Guadalcanal campaign, 304, 390; Battle of Santa Cruz, 361 Southeast Loch, attack on Pearl Harbor, 18, 26, 29, 38
1041
Southern Attack Force, Battle of Salerno, 547; Task Force 53, 690; (Task Force 35) Mariana Island invasion, 750; Leyte invasion, 837, 855-858 Southern Attack Group, 160 Southern France, invasion of, 652-654; 925 Southern Group, Battle of Savo Sound, 319, 334; defense of Japanese mainland, 832 Southern LST Group, 829 Southern Transport Group, 829 Southwest Pacific Area, Guadalcanal campaign, 309; General MacArthur, 833 Southwest Pacific Theater, 232 Southwick, David F., 189 Soviet Russia, Japanese surrender, 981, 983, 984 Sowell, J. C, 562 Spadafora, invasion of, 533, 535 Spahr, O. W., Jr., 524 Sparks, 129 Sparks, Boyden, 276 Sparks, Seaman, PT warfare, 423-425 Spartan, 571 Spaulding, Lee, 916 Spear, Louis P., 650 Special Attack Forces. See Kamikaze Spelvin, 508 Spence, Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, 477, 478, 481, 482; in typhoon, 898, 900, 904, 905, 907 Spitfires (British), invasion
of Sicily, 500, 508, 509; Normandy invasion, 581, 582; Battle of Salerno, 538, 544 Spitzbergen, 130 Sprague, Clifton A. F., Leyte campaign, 859, 860; Battle of Samar, 863, 878 Sprague, T. L., Rear Admiral, Battle of Samar, 863, 867, 870, 878 Springs, Elliott, 409
Raymond A., Marshall Islands invasion, 736; on Eniwetok, 737; Mariana Islands invasion, 750; Saipan invasion, 755; Battle of Philippine Sea, 769, 776, 779, 780, 785-789, 830;
Spruance,
bombing of Iwo Jima, 804, 806, 810; Task Force 58, 908; invasion of Japan, 918; Battle of Okinawa, 934; attack on Yamato, 947-950; on flagship Northampton, 59; Battle of Midway, 262, 264, 265, 268, 291, 294, 300; Fifth Fleet, 70 Spruance, Edward D., xviii
295,
299,
The United
1042 Squadron
States
Navy in World War II
Battle of Casablanca,
8,
164;
274 Stacy, Seaman, 963 battles Zeros,
Edward
Stafford,
Sub chasers, of World War
P., journalist,
358, 814
with Churchill, 143, 145; Summit Conference, 147-149, 181 Stanford, Al, Force Mulberry, 624, 625, 637, 639
Stanley, All
Harold, Chief of Naval Opera48 Starkey, Seaman, PT-109, 465, 468, 469, 473 Stassen, Harold, 994 State Department, U. S. and intelligence, Stark,
tion, 4,
3
Okinawa, 935, 937,
941-943 Steed,
W.
Steele,
L.,
Jr.,
PT-215, 219, 533,
H. M.
Steere,
R.
S. (Swifty),
C,
687
Lieutenant
Commander,
498
Harold M., 527 Seaman, 960 Stefani, 979 Stephenson, George W., Lieutenant, 443 Sterett, Guadalcanal campaign, 389, 394, Steeves,
Stefan,
397, 400-403 Stevens, Harry,
Jr., 547 Joseph W., China-Burma-India Army Air Force, 813; Battle of Okinawa, 981 Stivers, Ensign, 86 Stole, Seaman, 959 Stone, John, Lieutenant, 434 Stout, H. F., 477 Strategic Air Force, 555
Stilwell,
Strategic Services, Office of, Italian sur-
render, 532, 533 Strike, Charlie, bombs
Philippine
area,
820, 825-827 Striking Force, Operation "Mo", 231, 233; Battle of Midway, 263-265, 268,
286, 288, 299 Strive,
I, 113, 118; 588; Sicilian in-
German, sinking of R. P. Resor, 128, 129; Archangel Run, 142; in Sibutu Strait, 738, 748; Battle of Philippine Sea, 766; typical patrol, 841, 852; track Yamato, 948; Leyte Gulf, Battle of, 877, 879, 883 Submarine chasers, and convoys, 156, 157 Submarines, and Stan Smith, xviii; and modern navy, xix; and atomic energy, xx; Hitler's number of, 9; and Captain Daubin, 36; evacuation of MacArthur, 97; Japanese sighted by Ward, 11;
Submarine,
sighted by Helm, 40, 41; sunk by "Blue Beetle", 54-57; comparison to German raid,
Marshall Islands 109; 62, 67; Battle of Java Sea, 79;
German Reuben James, 106-107; merchant shipping losses, 108-109; Lorient
534 Steele,
invasion,
submarines,
torpedoed, 119-121
George A.,
Normandy
vasion, 526, 528
Stagich, Leonard, 40 Josef, Stalin, correspondence
States, Lieutenant, at
Felix, Rear Admiral, Seventh -Meet, 867; Battle of Samar, 870, 878
Stump,
526
Strohbehn, W. W., 564 Stromboli, and Mediterranean PT's 531; surrender of, 534 Strong, Birney, Battle of Santa Cruz, 363-366, 370 Stuka dive bombers, 517
pen, 110; German numbers of, 113, 118; U-boat raids, 120; German Murmansk Run, 132, 137; attack convoys, 146, 149, 151, 152; King's report on, 154; Battle of Casablanca, 169, 176; 185-187; German attack by Borie, captured, 200, 202, 204, 206, 208, 209; Japanese raid on Tokyo, 225; Battle of Midway, 299; Guadalcanal campaign, 389, 404, 405, 408, 429; Japanese Guadalcanal campaign, 429; in Kula Bay, 459; Tokyo Express, 461; at St. George Channel, 476; invasion of Sicily, 499, 503; Normandy invasion, 584; Mediterranean Sea, 563, 564; attacks on shipping, 669; and PT-122, 125, 681; Battle of Leyte, 947.
See also U-boats Suekichi, Nakamura, 224 Sugiure, Kaju, Captain, 462 Sulpher Island, 922
Sunda
Strait,
Supplies. See
79
War
material
Supplies,
Guadalcanal campaign, 397, 398 Support Craft Group, 594 Support Force, 917, 918 Support Group, 230 Surabaya, 675
390,
Surigao Island, defense of Japan,
831,
832, 852, 854, 855, 859
1043
Index Surigao 878
Strait, Battle
of Leyte Gulf, 877,
Susan B. Anthony, 630 Suwannee, 163 Swan, 38 Swan, Seaman, 195 Swanson, Battle of Casablanca, 170, 172 Sweeney, John B., 343 Sweeney, Warren, 25 Sweeney, 999 Swifty, 688 Swinney, Fred, 825, 826 Swinney, Airman, 827 Swinson, B. O., 338 Swinson, D. H., 543 Sydney, assembly point, 311; base of operations, 675 SYMBOL, code name for Casablanca Conference, 181 Syracuse, 524
McCobb, 125 Jabberer, 906 Tablas Strait, 876 T. C.
Table d'Aoukasha, 169 Taclobam, Leyte invasion, 834, 839 Taff, Captain, 806 TafTey 3, 863 Tagauayan, 97 Taiho, Battle of Philippine Sea, 766, 768, 780, 789 Taijeron, officers' cook, 383 Takagi, Takeo, Admiral, Battle of Coral Sea, 233-236 Takasaki, Captain, 994
Takashima, Masayoshi, 467 Takemura, Shigeo, 467 Talbot, P. H., Commander, 74 Tan, Takao, 467 Tanaka, Raizo, Rear Admiral, Guadalcanal campaign, 404, 428; and Tokyo Express, 419 Tangier, 37 Tankan Bay, 7 Tankers, Tokyo raid, 214; in Sibutu Strait, 744, 745 Tanks, invasion of Sicily, 520, 521; Nor-
mandy
invasion, 593, 602, 608, 611, 615, 619; Battle of Salerno, 553, 554; Battle of Tarawa, 690; on Saipan,
753; Leyte invasion, 836-838; at Iwo Jima, 931
Tarakan Harbor, 742, 745 Taranto, 535
in
Sibutu Strait, 739,
Tarawa, invasion of, 487, 689-692, 707; amphibious power at, 709; mines on, 717; heavily fortified, 749 Task Force Tares, 391 Task Force 16, First Marine Brigade, 103; raid on Tokyo, 212, 213, 218, 226; Battle of Coral Sea, 265, 266; Battle of Santa Cruz, 358, 371
Task Force 291, 295 Task Force
17,
Midway campaign,
266,
34, North African invasion, 160; Battle of Casablanca, 162; Leyte campaign, 855, 858, 859, 861, 862 Task Force 35, at Salerno, 547; Mariana Island invasion, 750
Task Force
38,
Admiral Halsey,
against 908; Formosa, Mitscher, 853, 862
814;
812,
and
Task Force 39, 478 Task Force 50, 690 Task Force 51, attack on Yamato, 947, 948; Admiral Deyo, 929; aids Aaron Ward, 964 Task Force 52, Operation "Galvanic", 689. See also Northern Attack Force Task Force 53, 690 Task Force 54, 947 Task Force 58, Battle of Saipan, 755; Battle of Philippine Sea, 767-771, 773, 775, 776, 779-781, 784-787; Admiral Spruance, 812, 908, 947; strikes against
Tokyo, 911 Task Force 64, Guadalcanal, 343, 344; Cape Esperance, 357 Task Force 81 (Dime Force), Operation "Husky", 490, 510; Battle of Anzio, 566-568 Task Force 85 (Cent Force), Operation "Husky", 490, 499 Task Force 86 (Joss Force), 490 Task Force 88, invasion of Sicily, 527; Admiral Davidson, 533, 534 Task Force 99, 132 Task Force 128, Force Mulberry, 634636, 639, 640 Task Group 16.2, 217 Task Group 16.5, 217 Task Group 30.8, in typhoon, 899, 904 Task Group 34.5, 863 Task Group 38.2, 862 Task Groups 38.3, 862
Task Group
38.4, attacks Philippines, 814; attacks Luzon, 819; Leyte campaign, 855; Davison, 862
Task Group
51.1.
See Floating Reserve
1
044
Task Group
The United
States
Navy in World War II
Mariana Island invaYamato, 948 Task Group 58.2, Mariana Islands invasion, 751; tracks Yamato, 948 Task Group 58.3, 751 Task Group 58.4, Mariana Islands invasion, 751; under Arthur W. Radford, 908 Task Group 60.2, escorts convoys, 560, 58.1,
sion, 751; tracks
561
Task Group
77.4, Leyte campaign, 860;
863
Task Group at Anzio,
80.2, invasion of Sicily, 524;
572
Task Group 81.6, at Anzio, 569, 571 Task Group 95.02, 990 Tassafaronga, Battle of, 403; mine fields 438 Tate, Benjamin at,
C, 772
Taussig, Joseph, 27
Tautog, 26
Tawi Tawi, Japanese naval
base, 738, 755, 787 Taylor, Kenneth, Lieutenant, 13 Taylor, Moses, 182 Taylor, Theodore, 758, 946 TBF's, Battle of Santa Cruz, 360, 362, 366, 367
TBM
Torpedo Bombers, 938 (Talk Between Ships), 452-454, 457, 758 TDC, 894 Teats, Plywood, 273 Tedford, medic, on board Aaron Ward, 937, 962, 965
TBS
The" Slot. See Slot, The Thibodeau, Seaman, 973 III Amphibious Corps, 750 Third Fleet, attacks Formosa, 814, 830; under Admiral Halsey, 832, 852, 853, 855, 860; in typhoon, 898, 900, 901, 908; Battle of Samar, 862, 875, 876, 878; attacks on Luzon, 897; Kamikaze attacks, 946; Japanese surrender, 991, 992, 995 3rd Infantry Division, 490 III Phib Corps, 934 Third Reich. See Germany XIII Army Air Force Base, 784 Thirty-second Japanese Army, 945 36th Infantry Division, 536 Thorn, Lenny, PT-109, 463, 464, 470, 472
Thomas,
William
352nd German Division, Normandy defenses, 626, 629 Thunder Mug, 709, 711, 714, 716, 717, 719, 720; flight to Iwo Jima, 805-808 Tichenor, Murray J. "Tich", on board Harder, 742, 746, 749 Tide, 630 124 Tillman, 561 Tinian Island, attack on, 749-751, 783; Battle of Philippine Sea, 768, 788; Indianapolis to, 981 Tiger,
Tinsley, Garland Tirpitz,
Harbor, 18, 27; 36; Marshall Islands invasion, 735; Mariana Islands invasion, at
Pearl
35,
751; Battle of
Iwo Jima, 918; Kami-
kaze attack, 950
Tenth Army, 934 X Corps, 834 Tenth Fleet, 157 Teranchi, Field Marshal, 813 Texas, Normandy invasion, 601, 604, 605, 618, 620; Cherbourg bombardment, 640-643, 646, 649-652, 654
Thach, Jimmy, 368 Thailand,
relations with Japan, 2, 4; attack on planned, 7; attacked, 41 Thatcher, Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, 477, 481, 482
board
Thorpe, Quartermaster, on Aaron Ward, 952, 954
Tenaru River, Guadalcanal, 341, 342 Tenders, 437
bombed,
on
Boise, 347, 352, 356 Thompson, Lieutenant, 370
Tempete, 175
Tennessee,
Garfield,
468,
S.,
446
145 Tiwald, Ensign, 963 Tojo, General, forms cabinet, 4; negotiates with Washington, 7 Tokyo, raid on, 211-213, 216; and prisoners of war, 672; air strikes against, 908, 911; occupation of, 994 Tokyo Bay, Japanese surrender, 990,
994
Tokyo
Express,
Guadalcanal,
342;
freighter convoys, 419, 437; Battle of
Kula Gulf, 449, 451, 460, 461; Guadalcanal campaign, 388
Tokyo raid. See Doolittle "Tokyo Rose", 94
raid
Toland, John, 11 Toland, Captain, Guadalcanal campaign, 432, 436 Tomich, Peter, 37
Index Tomonaga, Lieutenant, 295-297 Tone, Battle of Midway, 291;
Battle of
Letye Gulf, 866
Tonys, defend Manila, 815, 816 Tooney, Admiral, 132 Topper, Lieutenant Commander, 338 Torpedo boats, at Manila 50; at Salerno Gulf, 557, 558; sink Bristol, 559; at Guinea, 676; at Milne Bay, 682
New
Torpedo bombers, Murmansk Run, 138, 139; Archangel Run, 141, 142; MarIsland
raids,
64,
70;
Battle
of
Coral Sea, 235, 236; Battle of Savo Sound, 320; Battle of Santa Cruz, 370, 378, 381, 382; Battle of Midway, 298; Anzio, 567, 570, 571; Normandy invasion, 584, 585; on convoys, 561, at
562; Battle
Cherbourg bombardment, 643; of Tarawa, 691; Battle of
Philippine Sea, 767, 770-773, 775, 786; bomb Manila, 815, 824, 827; attack carriers, 818; attack Yamato, 949; Battle of Leyte Gulf, 867
Torpedo Data Computer, 413, 741 Torpedo Squadron 8, aboard Hornet, 268, 271, 273, 274, 276 Torpedoes, effectiveness
at Pearl
Harbor,
14, 27, 28; night attacks, 74; Battle
of
Java Sea, 90; sinking of Reuben James, 105; losses to merchant marine shipping
by,
Trans-Persian Route, supplies to Russia, 146, 148 Transports, at Wake Island, 43; Japa53; at Bahkpapan, 72, 73, 75, 76; Battle of Java Sea, 90; supplies to Russia, 148, 151; into Casablanca,
nese,
Tonolei, 390
shall
108,
115,
Murmansk
121;
Run, 131, 136; Battle of Casablanca, 164; Borie, 191; Battle of Coral Sea, 236; at Santa Cruz, 379, 380; Guadalcanal campaign, 393, 398; attack troop
damage to Helena, 453, 454; Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, 477, 478; damage to Foote, 487; attack Force Mulberry, 635; Battle of Komandorski, 666; at Tarawa, 691;
carriers, 421;
scarcity of, 745; Battle of
Samar, 865,
870; sinking of Shinano, 895 Totsuka, Michitare, 996
Battle 178; of Savo Sound, 340; Guadalcanal campaign, 390-394, 403;
Barge, 474; assault, 476; invasion of Sicily, 499, 501, 503, 522-524; Normandy invasion, 588, 589; escorted to Oran, 555, 556; supplies for General Clark, 558; sunk at Bari, 565; invasion of southern France, 653; Battle of Tarawa, 692, 698; at Dregger Harbor, 688, 689; Marshall Islands invasion, 728; Leyte invasion, 853, 856; in Leyte Gulf, 875; at Iwo Jima, 933; at
Okinawa, 946
Trapini, 530
Trawlers, 588 Treaties, Tripartite,
1
Tregaskis, Richard, 311 Trinidad, 156
Trinidad-Recife Grid, 183 Tripartite Treaty, 1 Tripp, Dick, 916 Trippe, Lipari Harbor, 534; Palermo Harbor, 535; rescues Bristol's survivors, 560; battles submarine, 564,
565 Trojalkowski,
Troop
Commander, 243
carriers.
Trosino,
Earl,
See Carriers, Troop capture of U-505, 204-
207 Troubridge, Thomas, North African invasion, 160; Operation "Shingle," 570 Truesdell, Lieutenant Commander, 338 Truk, Operation "Mo", 230, 231; Battle of Coral Sea, 236; Japanese stronghold, 360, 476, 486, 711, 738, 768, 784; Guadalcanal campaign, 430 Truman, Harry, succeeds Roosevelt, 950; Japanese surrender, 982, 986,
992
Toulon, 655
Truscott, Lucian K., 490
Toulon Fleet, 159 Touve, Norman R., 339 Townsend, "Slim", 387 Toyada, Admiral, 946 Toyama, Yasumi, Captain, 419 Toyoda, Foreign Minister, 3, 4 Toyoda, Soemu, Japanese Commander,
Tucker, 26
779,
1045
813, 830, 832, 855, 877; Battle
of Philippine Sea, 781, 788, 831
Tug
boats, sinking of, 531; at Battle of
Salerno,
547; Force Mulberry, 627, 634-636, 638, 639
Tulagi Invasion Group, 230 Tulagi Island, Japanese
624-
aggression 229, 231, 232; and Marines, 303, 309, 358; Japanese seaplane base, 311; invasion of, 312, 313, 316, 364;
against,
1
046
The United
States
Navy
in
Guadalcanal campaign, 390, 402, 432, 438, 439; church services at, 485; and Tarawa, 692 Tulagi-Santa Cruz, 310 Tuleja, Thaddeus, V.,283 Tull, Seaman, 195 Tunisia, North African invasion, 159, 160; battle for, 489 Tunisian campaign, 180 Tunisian War Channel, 561 Turkey, 147 Turnbull, Fred, 826 Turner, Richmond Kelly, amphibious Guadalcanal campaign, force, 310; 340, 341, 391-394; Marshall Islands invasion, 721, 729; Task Force 52, 689, 750; joint expeditionary 917; Battle of Okinawa, 934
force,
Turner, Seaman, on board Aaron Ward, 979, 980 Turning Buoy, 96 Tuscaloosa, Task Force 99, 132; Battle of Casablanca, 164, 168-170, 173-176; Normandy invasion, 586, 589, 590, 592; Cherbourg bombardment, 643, 644; invasion of southern France, 655
Tweed, George
R., 791 Air Force, 813 25th Air Flotilla, Solomons campaign, 316; Guadalcanal, 342 25th Marine Regiment, 754 25th Regimental Combat Team, 510 XXIV Corps, Leyte invasion, 834, 839 24th Infantry Division, 839 Naval Construction Battalion, 24th Munda campaign, 441, 446, 448 Twenty-ninth Division, 642 27th Air Flotilla, 783 27th Infantry Division, Task Group 51.1, 750; on Saipan, 753 Twenty-third Psalm, 452. See also Religion Twining, Nate, 997 Type VII C, 113 Typhoon, 898, 908. See also Weather Tyree, Seaman, 195 Tyrrhenian Sea, action in, 563, 566
XX
U-73, 565 U-91, 183 U-504, log book of, 123, 124 U-505, submarine captured, 204, 206, 208, 209 U-515, 202 U-593, 564
200,
202,
World War
II
U.-&52', 103 U-boats, torpedo Kearny and Reuben James, 104; ravage Atlantic Ocean,
109,
110,
Run,
130;
113, 114, 117; Murmansk attacks on convoys, 145,
150; Doenitz tivities
commander
of,
152; ac-
summarized by King, 153-155;
and Eastern Sea Frontier, 156; antisubmarine campaigns against, 157-159; in South American waters, 182, 183; and Borie, 186, 190-193; swept from 563-565; NorMediterranean Sea, mandy invasion, 589. See also Submarines Ulithi, base of operation, 854, 908 Umasani River, 388 Umezu, Yoshijiro, 998 Umholtz, Robert L., 650 Underwater Demolition Teams, at Saipan, 751; at Okinawa, 934, 937, 939, 942 Underwater Demolition Team 11, at Okinawa, 934, 937, 940, 943, 944 Underwater Demolition Team 16, at Okinawa, 935, 937, 939-943 United States, and naval power, 1; conAgreement, 2; Staff cludes ABC-1 peace talks with Japan, 28; reaction to Pearl Harbor attack, 25; early Japanese destruction of air power, 47, 48 United States Army, troops convoyed, 146. See also Marines and various battles
States Naval Institute, writings 520 United States Navy, on defensive in Pacific, 58, 227; and General Patton, 160. See also various sea battles and
United in,
invasions
Unmak, Dutch
harbor, 657 Ushijima, Mitsure, Battle of Okinawa, 945, 946, 981 Utah, at Pearl Harbor, 36, 37 Utah Beach, Normandy Invasion, 589591, 594-596, 599-601, 622, 625, 630,
636 V-J Day, 986 Vaessen, John, 37 Valdez, Basilo, 840 Valiant, 70 Vals, Battle of Santa Cruz, 371, 381, 386; at Dregger Harbor, 688;
Battle
of
Philippine
Sea,
376, 687, 772,
Index 775; over Tokyo, 913; attack Aaron Ward, 955, 956, 967, 969, 970 Van Alystyne, Seaman, 542 Van Valkenburgh, Franklin, 33 Vandegrift, Alexander A., Solomon IsGuadalcanal campaign, 310; land campaign, 341-343, 403; replaced by
General Patch, 428 Vanderpool, Lieutenant, at Tarawa, 691, 692 Vanga Vanga, 463 Vardaman, Captain, 983 Vaughan, General, 983 Vejtasa, Stanley W., 371; Guadalcanal campaign, 381, 382 Vella Gulf, 463, 574 Vella Lavella, 474; and Admiral Merrill, 475, 476 Venore, 117 Ventotene Island, capture of, 554, 555 Ventura, 981 Ver-sur-Mer, Normandy invasion, 583, 584, 586 Verbonich, Stephen, 115
Verdin, Jim, attacks Clark Field, 819
Vernon, Marine, 692 Vestal, bombed, 27, 32-34 Vichy Government, and
Grew,
3;
fall
of France,
159; Battle
of Casablanca, 168, 180 Victoria Cross, R. Sherbrooke, 151 Victorious, Arctic convoy, 144 Viega, 979 Vierville-Les-Moulins, sion,
Normandy
inva-
642
Normandy invasion, 616, 617 Vignali, Joe, on board Boise, 350, 351 Vila, Tokyo express, 449, 461, 462 Vila-Stanmore, bombardment of, 440 Viminale, Italian merchant ship, 530, 531 Vincennes, 212; Battle of Midway, 295; at Savo Sound, 319, 334-336 Violet II Beach, Leyte invasion, 834, 835, 837 Virginia Capes, 117 Kesselring, General, counterattack, 555, 556 Von Rundstedt, Karl, 576 Tirpitz,
Murmansk Run,
Voris, Dr., 912 Vormstein, H., 233 Vornosoff, Boris A., 115
Wainwright, Jonathan, Bataan Peninsula, 93; Battle of Casablanca, 164; Task
Group
524-526, 532; rescues 560; battles submarine, 563, 564; rescued, 989; Japanese surrender, 997 Wakatsuki, Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, 477 Wake Island, attack on planned, 4; attacked, 41; defense, 43-46; surrender of, 47; fighter plane reinforcements 80.2,
Bristol's
survivors,
for, 11
Wake
946 John C, Torpedo Squadron
Island,
Waldron,
8, 268, 271-273 Walker, E. K., Task Group 80.2, 524, 526, 527 Walker, F. R., 474 Walker, Harry, Dr., on board New Or-
Walker, Walker,
J.
256
U., 339
Lillis, with Lyndon B. Johnson, 677, 678, 680 Wall, Robert W., 222
954
Wana Wana, 474 War and Ideals, 227 War material, supplied
to Russia, 151; King's report on, 154
Salerno
132, 133
147,
War War
Shipping Administration, 157 supplies, Guadalcanal, 341; Tokyo Express, 419, 461; and Seabees, 441, 442; convoy KME-25A, 560; unloaded at artificial harbor, 637; in southern France, 655 Ward, sights Japanese submarine, 11; contacts
Vogelkop, 811
Von
Wade, W. L., 623 Wahoo, Guadalcanal campaign, 404-408, 410,412,416,417
Wallace, Seaman, 195 Wallace, Lieutenant on Aaron Ward, 952,
Vierville-sur-Mer,
Von
Voss-Hal, plane, Archangel Run, 142 Vraciu, Stanley, Battle of Philippine Sea, 756-760, 763-766
leans, 248, 253, 254,
Ambassador
1047
Monaghan, 40
Ware, Charley, 277 Wars, ancient xvii; xviii;
and human spirit power xx; in-
influence of sea
evitability of, 3
Washington, conference in, 1,2 Washington, 132 Wasp, Task Force 99, 132; torpedoes, 343; Task
Group
58.2, 751, 770, 771,
1
The United
048
States
Navy
775, 776, 780; carrier, 827; in typhoon, 901; in Kamikaze attack, 934
Watanabe, Sadao, 910 Watanabe, Yasumasa, 286 "Watchtower". See Operation "Watchtower" Watkins, C. C, 339 Watson, T. E., 753 Wavell,
Archibald,
overall
Sir,
commander
of
Field
Marshal, 72, 78
ABDA,
Wayland, Sydney, 119 Wdswiak, capture of U-505, 203, 209 Weapons, xx Wears, Leo, 32 Weather, Normandy invasion, 576, 577, 600,
Battle
601;
of
Salerno,
540;
Third Fleet, 899, 909 Weavie. See West Virginia Webb, Carl, 115 Wedderburn, 900 Wedemeyer, General, 182 Weeks, Piggy, 995 Weisenberger, Paul, 39 Welch, Battle of Santa Cruz, 362, 363 Welch, George, 13 Wellborn, C. Jr., Task Group 80.2, 524526 Welles, Sumner, 124 Wellings, Captain, 505 Wellington, 311 Welte, Edwin J. Dr., Battle of Tarawa, 692, 693 Wenz, Richard W., 189 West Beach, Rendova, 444
West
Indies, British naval bases at, 103;
patrolling of, 125
West Loch, 40 West Virginia, at Pearl Harbor, bombed, 21, 27, 29, 32, 33, 35, 41; Kamikaze attacks, 950 Western Naval Task Force, Sicilian vasion, 490;
Normandy
17;
36, in-
invasion, 575
Western Task Force, 160 Westholm, Mr., 426 Wewak Harbor, Guadalcanal campaign, 407-410,
412;
sinking
of submarine,
418
Weygand, Maxime, 159 Wheeler Field, armed air field, 2; bombed, 13 Whelan, Tom, on board Aaron Ward, 954, 963 Whitaker, H. Roy, 442 White Beach, 839 White, Doc, raid on Tokyo, 217, 220
World War
in
II
WJiite,'F. H., 35
Admiral King's biographer, 180, 181 White Plains, Battle of Samar, 865, 868 White Sea, aid route to Russia, 131;
Whitehill, Walter Muir,
Archangel Run, 142 White, W. I., 48 Whitey, Seaman, PT warfare, 420-424 Whiting, Captain, Battle of Casablanca, 164, 169 Whiting, C. J., 522 Whiting, prisoner of war, 672, 673 Wichita, Task Force 99, 132; Battle of Casablanca, 164, 168-176 Wier, H. R., Captain, at Anzio, 573; in Mediterranean area, 564 Wilbur, Colonel, 176 Wildcat planes, Battle of Casablanca, 162, 163, 170; captive of U-505, 201; on Guadalcanal, 342, 380-382, 386; Battle of Santa Cruz, 360, 362, 366, 367, 369-374; Battle of Samar, 867,
870 Wilhoite, T. M., 162 Wilkes, Wake Island defense, 43-46 Wilkes, Battle of Casablanca, 171, 179
Wilkinson, Admiral, 834 Willand, Seaman, 958 Williams, Brad, Guadalcanal campaign, 385, 386 Williams, Seaman, Battle of Santa Cruz,
363-365 Williamson, R. C, 564 Willson, Captain, 387 Wilson, George, 820 Wilson, Henry Maitland, 566 Winn, Seaman, 195 Winser, I., 37 Winslow, Walter G., 78 Winston, Seaman, on board Aaron Ward, 957, 958 Wisconsin, 902 Wiseman, O. B., raid on Tokyo, 218, 219 Wolai-Yap-Palau, 755 Woleai, 784 Wolfe, Fritz, 911 Wolfert, Ira, 97 Wolverton, Tom, on board Boise, 351, 352, 356 Wood, Walter, bombs Manila, 818, 824, 828
Woodaman,
R.
J.,
524
Woodhead, E. F., 24 Woodhead, "Woody," 247, 248 Woodmancy, Charles W., 552
Index
Yorktown, raids Jaluit, 59; Battle of Coral Sea, 232, 235, 236; Battle of
Woodruff, Captain, 720 Woodruff, Tom, 819 Woods, Ray, 322 Woodside, "Woody", 964 Woolsey, at Anzio, 571, 573, 574; battles submarine, 564, 565 World War I, and anti-aircraft, xix, influence of United States after, xx; sub chasers, 113, 118; U-boat activities, 154 World War II, magnitude of, xvii; destroyer gunners, 521 Wotje, bombing of, 59, 63, 64, 66, 68 Wotje Island, 721 WPL 46, 4 Wright, Carlton H., 404
Young, Captain, 400 Young, Ensign, 961
Yagumo, 474
Zaukoenig, 183 Zeilin, 392, 690
Yahagi, 950 Yamaguchi, Tamon, Rear Admiral, 291, 295 Yamamoto, Admiral, and Prince Kanoye, 1;
Pearl Harbor,
12;
Battle of Coral
Midway, 286, 291; Guadalcanal, 358; Battle of Santa Cruz, 360 Yamashiro, Captain, PT-109, 463, 467 Yamata, Admiral, 736, 737 Yamato, Battle of Midway, 262, 263, 298, 299, 300; Battle of Savo Sound, 340, 347, 774; Battle of Leyte Gulf, 866, 880; largest battleship, 934, 946; Sea, 261-263, Battle of
under attack, 947-949 Yamazaki, Yoshitaka, PT-109, 467 Yanigimoto, Ryusaku, 289 Yap, Japanese stronghold, 768, 782, 784, 787 Yellow Beach, 554 Yernell, 900 Yiengst, 686, 689 Yokosuka Base, 993, 996 Yokosuka Command, 994
1049
Midway, 243, 262, 265, 267, 268, 283, 285, 286, 291, 292, 294, 295-300, 690; Task Group 58.1, 751, 770, 772, 773, 783; strikes against Tokyo, 911, 917; Japanese surrender, 994
Young
Cassin, at Pearl Harbor, 32-34
Young, Stephen, 30 Young, Wayne, attack on Apamama, 714, 715 Yubari, 41 Zaloga, Tony, 975
687, 688; Battle of Philippine 771-774, 783, 784, 790; defend Manila, 815, 817; attack carriers, 818, 819; attack Aaron Ward, 957, 975 Zeroes, Battle of Midway, 274-276, 281, 291, 297; Guadalcanal campaign, 342, 381, 386, 392, 393, 431, 436; Battle of Santa Cruz, 363, 365-370; Munda campaign, 445; attack "Heckling Hare", 676-680, 684; Battle of Philippine Sea, 760
Zekes,
Sea,
Seaman, PT-109, 464, 468-470 Adolph, 34 Zui, 378 Zinzer,
Zlabis,
Zuiho, Battle of Santa Cruz, 365, 370, 371; Battle of Sea, 767, 770, 771, 774 Zuikaku, at Pearl Harbor, 11; "Mo", 230, 231, 233, 236; Midway, 261, 300; Battle Cruz, 358, 359, 364, 370, 376; Battle of Philippine 770-775, 831
359, 364, Philippine
Operation Battle of of Santa 371, 374, Sea, 768,
-
,
'
•-
-
160
virtue of this anthology
"The great
is
its
im-
mediacy. Nearly every paragraph contains the hot breath of action, and it brings back the greatest events of our lives with searing in-
—Robert Sherrod
tensity."
(continued from front flap)
Pearl Harbor to the Malay Barrier (Wake Island, the Philippines, the Battle of the Java Sea) the War in the Atlantic (the U-Boats
Here, indeed,
all is:
it
;
and the Murmansk Run); Doolittle's Raid to the Battle of Midway; Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive; the Mediterranean and France, with victory in Europe; the Aleutians to the Marianas; and, finally, Leyte Gulf, Okinawa and the end of an empire. This is a unique volume, a treasury— and a treasure. During World War II, S.E. Smith served in both the Atlantic and the Pacific. He left college in his junior year to enlist in the U.S. 3
Oahu
Navy on December 8, He was a radioman
941.
and machine gunner in the North Atlantic aboard patrol craft
Hawa
and the battleand in the
ship Arkansas,
during the later
Pacific,
on the submarine Lionfish. From 1947 1954 he was Rod and Gun columnist of The New ^ork Daily News and thence moved to the National Broadcasting Company as a news editor and documentarian. In recent years he has been a freelancer, writing for motion pictures, television and magazines, chiefly on military and naval subjects. He is presently engaged in writing the authorized biography of Admiral Arleigh A. Burke.
years of the war,
"Stan Smith has performed a true service in presenting these dramatic accounts that together
saw
it
the story of the great afloat ..." tell
—Rear Admiral
war
E.
as
men
M. Eller
Jacket painting, "Destroyer Squadron Twenty-Three," by Anton Otto Fischer reprocuced by permission *>om Official U.S. Navy
Photograph. Official U.S. tor,
Navy
Navy Emblem
Publica
1
repr
Pr
;
.ed by permission of Direcg Service.
In alphabetical order, the contributors to
THE UNITED STATES NAVY Capt.
L.
A.
IN
WORLD WAR
Edward
T. Higgins David Howarth William Bradford Huie
Abercrombie
Hans Christian Adamson
Col.
"Hanson W. Baldwin Capt. Edward
L.
Edward Hymoff
Beach
Sidney
Jack Belden E
Cdr. R. C. Benitez
Lt.
John Bishop Lt. John Mason Brown J. Bryan III Capt. Robert J. Bulkley, Adm. Arleigh A. Burke Cdr. W. J. Burke Earl
Lt.
n.
Burton
.Martin Caidin
/Robert Hugh "
J.
B.
.
.
Walter Millis imuel Eliot Morison Lt. C. G. Morris Frank D. Morris \ichard F. Newcomb i. Chester W. Nimitz E. B. Potter Fletcher Pratt Cdr. Eric Purdon Ernie Pyle
Joe James Custer L.
De>
Clarence E. Dickinson Robert J. Donovan Rear Adm. Ernest M. Ellon. Lt.
Quentin Reynolds Riesenberg, Jr.
Edward Ellsberg T: Seaman 1/c James J. Fahey Lt. (jg) Edward I. Farley Lt. Cdr. John A. Fitzgerald
Felix
Theodore Roscoe Cornelius Ryan
Adm. Frederick
Cdr. Howell M. Forgy Sec. of the Navy James Forrestal John J. Forsdal i ±\. Stephen L. Freeland Rear Adm. D. V. Gallery r Lt. Col. Carroll V. Glines Capt. George Grider Lt.
Sherman
Edward H. Sims Lydel Sims Martin
Sommers
Boyden Sparkes Rear Adm. C. A. F. Sprague Cdr. Edward P. Stafford Theodore Taylor John Toland
Philip H. Gustafson \ Len Guttridge
Foster Hailey Fleet Adm. William F. Halsey Chief Carpenter's Mate Dee Hardin Lt. Cdr. Russell L. Harris Cdr. Amos T. Hathaway Lt. (jg) Basil Heatter
Richard Tregaskis
Thaddeus V. Tuleja George R. Tweed Lt. (jg)
Stanley Vraciu
W.
L.
White
Cdr. Walter Muir Whitehill Cdr. Walter G. Wmslow Ira Wolfert
Stewart W. Hellman Ernest Hemingway John Hersey Adm. H. Kent Hewitt Lt.
WILLIAM MORROW & COMPANY, INC 10016
425 Park Avenue South
C.
Robert Sherrod
Lt,
i
P. Marquand Norman Miller
John Cdr.
Blake Clark Chief Gunner's Mate Harold Clerru Lt. Cdr. Griffith Coale Rear Adm. W. Scott Cunningham
Adm. Morton
James
.
Casey Cave
H. Clagett
Vice
L.
Stanley Johnston Capt. Walter Karig Cdr. Anthony Kimmins Fleet Adm. Ernest J. King ^dm. Charles A. Lockwood Walter Lord Lt. Cdr. Arnold Lott of the Army Douglas MacArthur -Adm. William P. Mack Cdr. Frank A. Manson
WinstorvS. Chui J.
II
New
York,
New York