Ault (DD 698) - Naval Cruise Book

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-ful 1 five officers and twenty four men from BUNKER HILL.U ' AULT'escorted the BUNKER HILL to the replenishment group, rejoining the force in time for the next strike against Kyushu on the 13th. The next day was a hectic one also. ENTERPRISE was damaged hy a suicider, and many Japs got in close that day, AULT's guns accounting for three of them. It was the last bad day for awhile. On 22nd of May Captain W.D. Brown, United States Navy, relieved Com- modore Higgins ae Commander Destroyer Squadron SIXTY-TWO on this vessel, the latter became Commander Task Flotilla THREE, remaining aboard AULT until we again reached port. We'laughed at the Japs on the 25th, when ten groups of theirwsuiciders .were seen airborne and on the prowl for us but couldn't find usg we were ..more relieved than amused when the last of them headed away from us, having failed even to sight any of our ships. The story of that day might easily E have been sadly different. MORE EMPIRE RAIDS I On the 28th the task organization was changed again, and on the first of June we entered San Pedro Bay, Leyte Gulf, as part of Admiral Halsey's THIRD Fleet and Vice Admiral McCain was again Commander Task Force 38. Captain Brown transferred his flag to the ENGLISH, Commodore Higgins left the AUII also, having beenaboard since commissioning, and Rear A miral Began re- lieved Rear Admiral herman as Task Group Commander. V ' we had been at s a for 80 days, and the month we were allowed for avail- ability and training was none too much to get in shape for the next operation which began when we set out again on the first of July heading directly for 'Tbkyb. On this operation we roamed boldly up and down the Japanese coastline N we , . I -8- , a , A ,Ah 1 is-f ,Q ' 1' s 2-. ,V 'iq til, , N, are 'am M mx 'gnf ,, . 9

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Q For the first time, ships of the force bombarded Hokkaido. On the AULT, Commander David S. Edwards , Jr., United States Navy, relieved Commander Joseph C. Wylie, Jr., United States Navy as commanding officer on July Sth- Then on the H5-9'l'G of 18-19 July, our destroyer squadron, with cruiser division 18, steamed almost to Tokyo itself, conducting an anti-shipping 3WeeP ef Sage-mi Wan, and bombarding Nojima 5-ski. This boldest venture of all seemed to good to be true when we completed the mission and rejoined the force without having been taken under fire, either from shore batteries or by enemy planes. We knew that victory could not be far off now. On August 8th, while cruising off Honshu, AULT had a distinguimed passenger, Rear Admiral Byxd, whom we transferred from ALABAMA to ESSEX. But the very necct day, just when things seemed brighter, came another grim reminder that we were very much at war. The Destroyer BLRIE of our Squadro while on picket duty, was attacked and severly damaged by a Jap euicider that came screaming and burning down into her forward superstructure. SURRENDER Thesewere strange days, days of routine flight operations, of alert apprehension, and rumors of peace and Japanese surrender. Strangest and exciting of all was the great day, the 15th of August. President E'z.sw1: 1 Japanese had accepted the terms of th6'P0t3d8-m ultimatumi has .urffrtmed to the voice of Admiral Halsey on the radi0 as he gave thanks f ,,.n 1 our victory and a 'Well Done' to the force. But at the close of his address, we went to general quarters. L7 JSP Pla-nee 'er' shot dom! That was virtually the end of the war for ue. On the 21st we joined Task Group 38.14, On the next day AULT added to her distinguished list of . p .9- na .1 J. 'Y . , 1 ' -A 1 - ,M .-.,-..,.,--s--.V-W -V f ' ' ' - ' ' ' 'T J ' H ...kk-A ,I ', H ,mm , Q V W k , . ...-., .- -e--M---'-W' ' ' Q ' -,W QM , 7,5 ,, , V ., Q , . . - - V A -