Belleau Wood (CVL 24) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 54 text:

5 i Un September 6, as part of Admiral 'flockov Clark's 38.1, we began a twofday session hammering Palau striking Jap aircraft, installations, and other targets which had to be cleared ahead of the Marines. just 500 miles west of Palau lay Mindanao lar e v g southern island of the Philippines and foundation for several significant airfields. Even with Jap air power destroyed over Palau the Japs could still throw a heavy wallop from those Philippine bases. To cripple the enemy power in Mindanacu, to choke off reinforcements to Palau, and to divert attention from our imminent Palau landings, the fleet headed west for the initial strike at the Philippines. Un September 9, five days before riers began swatting Minf the landing on Palau, the car danao. To BELLEAU WOQD Air Gr signed airfields at Davao, Buayan, and Digos where our Hellcats and Avengers, with their black numbers on white circles, s oup 21 were asf trafed, bombed, and flamed Tojo's withf ering air force. Cebu and Negros were hit on the 12th and 13th. A long range sweep at Zamboanga on the 14th destroyed 5 Bettys and a Nick with 8 more probables. Concomitant with the assaulting waves at Palau WHS another amphibious force moving in on Morotai. Our task group moved south on September 15 to cover fhC operation there. BELLEAU WOOD fliers destroyed 14 planes that day on fields in the northeast Celebes. Subsequent to the capture of Ivlorotai, the BELLEAU WOOD was transferred from locko Clarks 38.1 to 33-4, commanded by Rear Admiral Davison in the FR ANKLIN, cruising with the ENTERPRISE illlll SAN JACINTO off Palau. For two days we pi'tWldCll air support to tl on southern Palau. Then on September IS we lllfllcll toward lvlanus in th ie men in the bitter struggle for Peleliu e Adiniralties for reprovisions. AS darkness settled that evening the sky was punctured lo' flashes and roars of artillery lire in the battle raging O11 PClCliL1. For the first time, we on the ship felt linked to the boys in the lioxholes. 48

Page 53 text:

PALAU, lhcPHHJHN E1 fWlFBH URUT I Cllll ISE A10 August 28-September 21, 1944 91 MM f f ,si Af ff QP, As September approached, Admiral Williani F. Halsey, Commander Third Fleet, had relieved Admiral Spruance, Commander Fifth Fleet. Task Force 5 8 was then designated Task Force 38, commanded by Vice Admiral John S. McCain. The arrival of the FRANKLIN made it 16 carriers in the Force. With the securing of a foothold in the Marianas, a long stretch had been completed on the Road to Tokyo: But the forces on Guam and Saipan were way out there by themselves, surrounded by Nips on all sides'-Bonins, Philf ippines, and Carolines. And We hadn't as yet touched the Philippines. They were frontier country. To establish a support for our Marianas' tentacles, the strategists called for the invasion of Palau in midfSeptember. To clear the way sailed Task Force 38. On August 28 a long column of carriers and supporting ships had filed out from Enivvetok and headed south around the Carolines. ,,.,,,,,,. -M---1.-sv-sv-um... m .,, ..,.. . ...... I ., ,, .,,,.,, ,, .VN ,lznlv-N 1.

Page 55 text:

UHINA and the CHUI E ll September 24-November 2, 1944 . HE Yellow Tide was ebbing fast, in less than a year the front had been pushed back from the Gilberts to the door of the Philippines. It was Sepf tember 24, after a threefday rest in Manus, that task group 38.4 steamed into the Philippine Sea to patrol around Palau and wait while other task groups took turns at reprovisioning. On October 5 we all joined up and headed north. The sea was rough. For three days we lived on sandwiches and fruit, the ship pitched and rolled too much to prepare anything else. Most of us had butterfly stomach anyhow. We were on the tail of a typhoon-a protecting mass of weather concealing the fleet steaming through the Philippine Sea. But where were we going? The objective was kept secret until October 8 when, after fueling, we received the pungent word from the skipper. It was Okinawa -in the Nansei Shoto. 'iHalsey's sure sticking our necks out, grinned one newlyfarrived shipmate. At that time we did not know the significance attached to our impending thrust. It was apparent that the closer the fleet struck japan, the less the ,laps could concentrate on Palau. But we had no idea that a fortnight away was our invasion of Leyte and that by smiting deep into the Nansei Shoto we would not only destroy local air opposition but prepare for the impending invasion by crippling an important connection between Japan and the Philipf pines. Long before dawn of October 10 the first carrier planes shot off the catapults on their way to Okinawa. Hundreds of planes flew from the decks of our carriers that day for a bold onefday smash at the surprised Japs who offered no retaliation. Then followed a swipe at Aparri on northern Luzon and a twofday engagement at Formosa where we hit planes, hangars, workf shops, industrial plants, and small freighters, destroying many planes and sinking tons of Jap shipping. PHIUPPI E