Ault (DD 698) - Naval Cruise Book

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and then comenced its retirement to Ulithi for a breather. Q TOKYO BAIDS sortie was on February tenth. AULT was pert of Task Grmp under Bear Achirel Sherman :Ln ESSEX, the force now being under Vice litscher, with Adnirsl Spm-usnce es Commzxder 5th Fleet. Iwo Jim about to be taken. To minimize Jap air threat from the north and to 'E create e diversionary threat of our own, the force proceeded directly to Tolqo eree. There was the greatest excitement when that objective use d. To have sailed boldly into the South Chine See hed eeened brazen dnoudn now we were on our way to the very heart of the Empire. The Tokyo ere! hed not hithertofore 'been struck from the see. If we could get euey rlth this, we were nearer the dey of victory than we had dered hope! Amazingly enough, we met no opposition. On the my up to Tolqo, one ,Hep bomber was intercepted end shot down . Following two successive deye of ffitrue. Cer. the 16th end .l.7thJ uh. rem. 1-.un-ed, encountering . group or picket boats on the evening of the 18th. They were destroyed, but HQLDRON sustained damage to her bow, and was detached for repairs. ' The force supported the operations on Iwo Jim beginning on the 19th, lending air cover of both defensive end offensive nature, and on the 25th struck the Tokyo area once more. Heavy weather prevented a further strtke Nagoya, and on the 28th the force commenced a higm speed run towards launching strikes against that stronghold on larch first, then A towards Ulithi. the two weeks at Ulithi, we were grimly reminded how desperately jgere determined to gnssh the fast carrier force that had harraseed ' from one end to the other and, together with American subs, t

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nf my V r ........m,,.,,-.t ....-V-.N.- it F- , L , , . .E M V. ' -k -Ffmfgf . F 1 - ri.. shipping to a pm-ee.-u-ima trickle 5 for on nu-an num, a Jap 'r crashed without warning into the after end of the B.AH113I.PH's flight rhile a seccnd struck a mall-boat pool nearby. All hands looks at raged carrier as the AULT passed close aboard while sortieing three :ter with Rear Admiral Shermn as group Comander in the CANT. If we could inflict damage at that range, wtnt would they do now when d in on thee? e answer was not long in casing. On larch 18th, four days after tb force stood of! Kyushu, launching strikes. Early that morning, s had discovered our position, and their enoopers commenced attacking ce. Our men were kept at general quarters almost continuously. On lowing day, still more Japs came to attack, this time they were suc- f the FRANKLIN and the WASP were both hit. The force moved north a was now of! Honshu. Still the Japs came. 'lhe night of the 20th was une. 0ur night fighters were unable to stop all the enemy attackers, P cams uncomfortably close. The AULT's guns, knocked down two of larch 21st, and another day under attack, but our Combat Air Patrol perb Job, knocking down 21 bombers and 12 fighters. OKINAWA - BUSY DAYS an Sofa w- Q' ffffm smut-Ex again to strike at Okinawa on the 23rd and 2Lth, n on the 27th. That night came opportunity to try our hand at shore ent, with four cruisers and Destroyer Squadron SIXTY-TLD AULT bo re m' he Japi-haLd :Leland of linami Daito Shima, rejoining the Egroup the I0 carrier operations in support of the landings at Okinanm were to It seapfor the record time of 80 days, longer than ever before, or - 'vas u.. . x 4 :Vi y fi .ff-1,1 jg A , Q53 .gk I . , 5 ,VA 1 , . , A 55 . A wg '-'W - .,, A v l fl if v ' -f-4'-.m1 .'-at ' ' rigga ,Asc F: ,mf . . W I . Q, ,J A . X. 54559151-g f,, A-V l 1 'il - ,uf . I -,:.'af1' ' ,' -' - U ' ' . - 'W uf AQ .,.al.?1,!- f ,, -, ,. .P 1 ,- . . . . Q ,A 2a.....a U., ...H , .,.,,.,,-....-.!...,,.....--- 2.--.M--W-V ,M-M -we-.....................,-v....v.-W- --W -Y ---M