Anthony (DD 515) - Naval Cruise Book

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We continued the bombardment for several days, and at night two destroyers would remain to harass the enemy. This continued until we were relieved by one of the other divisions. We then escorted two baby flattops to Eniwetok in the Marshalls where we refueled, provisioned, took on board more ammunition, an-d on the morning of July 17th, we left for Guam. Having safely delivered our transports to their destination, we took our place in the transport screen and from a good vantage point watched the initial landing on the Island of Guam, that first U. S. possession to be recaptured from the enemy. Our somewhat dull but nevertheless necessary duty continued for what seemed to be countless days, broken only by our spending one night par- ticipating in a. cruiser battleship bombardment of Rota Island, but on the 10th of August, we got the very welcome orders that sent us back to Hawaii. They were doubly welcome, as we escorted a. fast transport instead of having to creep along with a slow landing craft convoy, and on the 20th of August we moored in Pearl Harbor. We were back after almost 13 months and it was a happy homecoming. A WE TAKE A BREATHER A i , 'Our arrival at Pearl Harbor signalled the beginning of our first real liberty since we left Syd- ney, Australia, and everyone made the most of it. The Royal Hawaiian Hotel had its share of vis- itors from our crew, and while ,the ship was getting a needed going over in the Navy Yard, the crew was getting a well deserved vacation from the rig rs of war. We also managed to get our first pack- age and magazine mail in 4 months, and the excellent air mailservice made thisftruly a pleasant time. A. 5 I - 1 if THE WESTERN CAROLINES W p,,. f I . The stay in Hawaii was broken by participation in rehearsals for ouglpegt operation-the Cap- ture of the Western Carolinesg and it ended by our departure in company with an Escort Carrier Task Group. This new and interesting duty ended rather abruptly when we were detached. at :Eni- wetok, on the Road to Tokyo'f and assigned to' escort a somewhat varied service group to Ulithi Atoll. This . change caused speculation, and rumors sped through the ship. The scuttlebutt that we were going back to the states proved to be good dope when we received our orders while enroute to our destination in the Garolines. Although the fighting in the Carolines was still in progress, we were able to enter Ulithi safely, and after fueling began what was to be practically a non-stop trip to the states. This was to be our sixth invasion, but under the circumstances, we were willing to forego anyiclaim to it. Besides, going home was the topic of the day ..... A A ' UNDER: THE GOLDEN GATE. ' f After an uneventful trip of over 6,000 miles, during which dress blues were embellished withi the extra, stripes and crows that had been acquired since they had been last worn, and during which we, speculated and planned for this long awaited moment, we steamed under the Golden Gate Bridge at 0612 on the morning ofthe 25th of October 1944. After ITM, months, we were once more in the good old U. S. A. Even the men from Boston, were glad to be in California and only one who has been out of the country for so long can hope to know the thrill. of once again setting foot on American soil. ' , A As the yard workers swarmed over the ship and department heads held conferences with the yard officials, the first leave party got underway. We had the very latest in equipment when we left the states in '43g now by the process which made it impossible for the Japs to have any possibility .of keeping up with: us, were once again to be re-equipped with the most mo-dern of weapons and ac- -cessories, and when the time to return to the battlefront would come, we would once again be as modern as the very newest destroyers. During our stay in the yard, some of our officers and crew were detached, and new faces took 'their places. Among the new officers to come aboard were Lieut. Herbert P. Carrow, Jr., USNR, of Evanston, Illinois, Lieut. Cjgp Eldon G. Elder, QMCJ, USNR, of Vandergrift, Pa., Lieut. Cjgy John 'W. Govanus, USNR, of Chicago, Illinois, Lt. Cjgj John E! Johnson, USNR, of Quincy, Mass., and Lt. fjgp Donald W. Thornton, USNR, of Georgetown, Kentucky. By the time we were ready to sail, these new shipmates knew the ship almost as well as the old timers. ...121 T

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i11 flyers long before they approached within striking distance of our force. Those few who did manage to break through were quickly disposed of, and by 1400, even the few remaining sporadic at- tacks had stopped. The final score, 369 planes 'shot down meant that the Jap force now had little or no air cover available for protection from our own attack. As our planes searched for the Jap fleet, accompanied by the BRAINE, We made a short trip toward Guam to rescue the personnel of two cruiser planes who were reported down on the Water, We found the planes afloat just north of Guam and after futile attempts to assist them in get- ting into the air, we took on board both the crewmen of the seaplanes as well as the carrier crew- men whom they had landed to assist. After destroying the planes by gunfire, we headed back to the task force at high speed. Bogies were reported in the area, but we were unmolested and, just after dark, once again took our places in the formation. The next day found us still searching for the Jap fleet, and when the word came in as to their whereabouts, about 250 miles away, our own planes took to the air for the kill. Meanwhile, we waited impatiently, praying that they would have the best of luck, and that all could return and make safe landings. Our prayers must have been answered as they found their quarry and made the most of the opportunity. Then came the long trip back, and when they finally did reach tlhe force, it was well after dark. With the arrival of the first planes, the mighty armada put aside all fears of submarines in favor of the safety of the flyers, and all ships turned on their truck lights. At times as directed, we turned our 36 inch searchlights on and their brilliant beams shot up into the clouds to guide the planes to us. We hadn't been able to help them strike the Japs, but we could assist them to return safely. As all were extremely low on gas by this time, many failed to make it to their carriers, and were forced to land in the water. Their rescue was assigned to our division, and as the force sped onward toward the Jap Fleet so as to be ready to strike again in the morning, we remained behind scouring the waters on a mission of mercy. By morning, we had covered the area thoroughly, and with our rescued airmen aboard, we headed for a rendezvous with the tankers. Then, since the Jap Fleet had fled, we were to return to our bombardment group to continue our work as a covering force. Our part in the First Battle of the Philippines had been one of mercy, but we felt that we had done our bit. CHANGE OF COMMAND Hardly had the excitement of our latest activity worn off, when on the 30th of June Captain Fondeville L. TEDDER Cthen Commanderp of Berkeley, California, came aboard, via a boatswain's chair , from the escort carrier which had brought him out to our operating area. He assumed the duties of Commander Destroyer Division NINETY and we were once again a flagship. Meanwhile, we were getting ready for the ceremonies to be held Uhe next day. , On the lst of July, after general drills had been completed, the crew and officers assembled on the fantail in much the same manner as they had done sixteen months previously. This time it was to be good-bye, and after a short speech, Captain Van Mater read his orders. He was followed by Lieutenant Commander Van Arsdall, Jr., who read his orders and who then relieved him as Com- manding Officer. The new skipper made a brief but impressive talk, and we were certain that we would have at least as much confidence in our new skipper as in our old one who had found us an inexperienced and untried group of individuals and had welded us into the trained fighting team that we now are. A few days later the old skipper left in the same manner as Captain Tedder had arrived. LIBERATION .hings had just begun to get monotonous when we got orders to proceed to Guam and com- mence the processing which was to make it ready for the Marines. Our little group of cruisers and destroyers arrived at Guam on the morning of the Sth of July and the cruisers began their bom- bardment, That night. the group retired, and the ANTI-I-ONY remained to bombard during the night and harass the Japs with star shells. One of the other destroyers of our squadron was per- forming the same mission on the other side of the island, and between us, we made life very inter- esting for the Japs on the island. ' ' ..11...

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Goon-BYE Fmsco It init as ell good times have to come to an end, so did our stay in the United States and 3 08? CI' 09 S0011- But, While we were getting our valves ground, and a new set of spark plugs, Ulu' Sister Sh1PS .had been dealing out the blows that were to hasten the end of the war. The Philip- Pines had been 1f1Vaded and was now the scene of a bitter contest. it would have been much more fun to remain at home, but the Navy had a job, and we were a Snfal Put lmportant Part of that Navy, so on the 12th of December, just 47 days after we had sailed in, we once more passed beneath the Golden Gate Bridge and headed out to sea. We made a short trip .down the coast and arrived at San Diego the next day, where we spent a. few days in intense training. Then came a speedy return to San Francisco to make a last liberty in the U.. S. and pick up a convoy. At noon, on the 20th, we headed out to sea and as we dropped 001' Pennies under the Golden Gate Bridge, we hoped that it would be a. speedy return that they would bring for us. ' CHRISTMAS AT SEA Now, a completely modernized destroyer, the A , like her sister ships who were with her, chaffed at the slow speed of the convoy, but that was our job for the moment, and we made the best of it. Although Christmas at sea might be a. dismal prospect for some, the fact that the pre- vious one had seen us spending the day at our battle stations off Bougainville made this seem rela- tively pleasant. Our presents brought from horney' the gift packages provided us by the Red Cross and the excellent holiday dinner that the Supply Officer, Lt. Cjgy Samuel New, USNR, of South Bend, Indiana provided, made the day a memorable one. The holiday atmosphere was stimulated by Xmas carols and music, both via radio and from a special recording prepared for the day. As we steamed through the night, we could hear the carols and other music from the other ships, and while it made use think of our families, it made us realize the necessity for our job, so that never again would there be a wartime Christmas. ' AT THE ENEMY'S DOORSTEP With our arrival in Pearl Harbor on the 30th of December, we were ushered into the hustle and bustle of a fleet. getting ready for a truly bigoperation. We celebrated New Year's eve at sea, firing night exercises. Then came rehearsals, conferences, and all of the other preparations for the coming invasion. Meanwhile, the men made the most of what would be their last liberty port before they arrived in Japan, or returned to the States. ' The morning of the 27th of January found preparations complete and our force on' its way. It was a gigantic task that was ahead, and this was a gigantic force. Yet, it was but a part of the force that was to be thrown at the Japanese' doorstep. It was hard to believe, but we were actually on our way to invade Iwo Island in the Volcano Islands. This was indeed a stepping stone on the road to Tokyo. It was to be a tough struggle, and how tough is now a matter of common knowledge. The trip was uneventful, and upon arrival at Saipan, the A was detached along with the WADSWORTH, and we proceeded to Guam where we marvelled at the changes that had taken place since we had last been there. What had been a relatively complacent little island now was a miniature Pearl Harbor and the airfields could but awe us when we compared what the J aps had done with this Island in 215 years and what we had done in 8 months to create a base for opera- tions that would ultimately lead to Tokyo itself. QQ , We were not destined to be there for the initial landing, but we were close by, escorting a Re- serve Unit, and it was not long before our guns were blasting away at the Japs. We had more than a fair opportunity to test our new equipment against the enemy, and we were pleased at the oppor- tunity to do our bit to help the Marines who were putting up such a courageous fight ashore. This was our 7th invasion and our 5th major bombardment, and just as the coming operation was to overshadow this, so did this bombardment overshadow all that we had done before in both number of days so employed and in number of rounds fired. We were able to leave the area with a sense of satisfaction over a job well done, and the knowledge that the Island was now secure. ...13....