Cleveland (LPD 7 CL 55) - Naval Cruise Book

Text from Pages 1 - 88 of the 1946 volume:

' z. 2£ • •••••••• USS CLEVELAND Commanding Officer Capt. C.J. Maguire, USN Editor Ens. D. D. Robertson, USNR Associate Editor Ens. E.J. O ' Brien Jr., USNR Editorial Adtiser? Comdr. C. A. Bolam, US.N ' Comdr. J. W. Weise, (ChC), USNR Staff Photogral)her A. Hynek, PhoMac, U.SNR Staff Artist J. Brown, Bkr2c, USNR J ' arrator Lt. M. L. Beck, USNR This book has been printed at no expense to the Government. UNITED STATES SHIP CLEVELAND Named for the City of Cleveland, Ohio Built by New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey Authorized May 17, 1938 Keel Laid July i, 1940 Launched November i, 1941 First Commissioned June 15, 1942 10 Twelve -Slo en -- ° V ad6 | oostiy. ' i old 7.V .Go ofin say- 13 a-i-- T3.S : ' . - t - o o 4 ' N. 11 -M Taking em kind of young — aiat they ? FORMER C.O. ' s AND X.O. ' s Captain Edmund W. Burrough, USN Captain Edmund VV. Burrough, USN... (Now Rear Admiral) .. .Naval Academy Class of 1914. Captain Burrough assumed command of the Cleveland at the com- missioning ceremonies on June 15, 1942 and guided her through her first baptism of fire during the operations covering the invasion of North Africa. He then took the Cleveland to the South Pacific and started her on the way to a truly amazing war-time record. For meritorious service during the bombardment of Vila-Stanmore Area of New Georgia he was awarded the Legion of Merit. Captain Burrough was relieved by Captain Shepard in June of 1943 after having given the Cleveland the right amount of everything that was to bring her through the following years of war. Captain Andrew G. Shepard, USN Captain Andrew G. Shepard, USN . . . Naval Academy Class of 191 7. Prior to relieving Captain Burrough, Captain Shepard served on the Staff of CincLant and was awarded the Legion of Merit for outstanding services rendered during the invasion of North Africa. The Cleveland under Captain Shepard took part in many operations throughout the Solomons, among them the now historic Battle of Empress Augusta Bay. For this action Captain Shepard was awarded the Navy Cross for distinguished service as the Commanding Officer of the Cleveland. He was with the ship throughout the occu- pation of the Mariannas and the First Battle of the Philippine Sea. For these he was awarded the Silver Star. Captain Shepard was relieved in August of 1944. Captain Herbert G. Hopwood, USN Captain Herbert G. Hopwood, USN . . . (Now Rear Ad- miral) . . .Naval Academy Class of 1920. Captain Hop- wood assumed command of the Cleveland in August of 1944 and commanded the ship during the invasion of the Palau Group. He then brought the ship back to the States for a well deserved overhaul period. Upon our return to the front areas we joined the Seventh Fleet. There followed numerous amphibious operation through- out the Philippines and Borneo; among them the re- capture of Corregidor and Bataan and the invasion of Brunei Bay and Balikpapan. It was at Balikpapan that General MacArthur, who was our guest, paid a fine tribute to Captain Hopwood and the men of the Cleve- land. Captain Hopwood was relieved in July of 1945 by the present Commanding Officer, Captain Maguire. Commander Charles B. McVay,iIII, USN Commander Charles B. McVay, HI, USN . . . (Now Cap- tain) ... Naval Academy Class of 1920. Commander McVay assumed the duties of the Cleveland ' s first Execu- tive Officer on commissioning day and served until April of the following year, when he was relieved by Commander Von Kleek. Commander McVay partici- pated in the landings in North Africa and was with the Cleveland in the Pacific. Here he assisted in covering the transport groups moving from Noumea to Guadalcanal, and in March of that year participated in operations in the New Georgia Area. For his services during the bom- bardment of Kolombangara, Commander McVay was awarded the Silver Star Medal. Commander Ernest St. C. Von Kleek, USN Commander Ernest St. C. Von Kleek, USN . . . (Now Captain) . . .Naval Academy Class of 1925. Commander Von Kleek, a plank owner, started his long tour of duty aboard the USS Cleveland as her Engineering Officer and held that position until he relieved Commander McVay as Executive Officer. He served in the capacity of Executive Officer until January of 1945, having seen service under three Commanding Officers. Commander von Kleek was awarded the Legion of Merit for outstand- ing services as the Executive Officer of the Cleveland dur- ing the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay. Commander von Kleek was relieved by Commander McCoy, the present Executive Officer. [8] CAPTAIN E. W. BURROUGH, USN CAPTAIN A. G. SHEPARU. USN CAPTAIN H. G. HOPWOOD, USN COMMANDER C. B. McVAY, III, USN COMMANDER E. ST.C. VON KLEEK, USN [9] COMMANDING OFFICER EXECUTIVE OFFICER ' f-V- m 1 rl l kJ r m 1 • iiini ■ HPirrnnsHi M r lt™: r-Ivl 1 Captain Charles J. Maguire, USN... Naval Acade- my, Class of 1 92 1. Served in Wisconsin in World War I as midshipman. Upon being commissioned an Ensign in 1920, assigned to ' orl l Dakota followed by destroyer duty in Robinson, Cowell, Edsall and Case including two years duty in the Near East during the Greek-Turk War. In 1926 commenced postgraduate training leading to a Master of Science degree from Harvard in 1928. Then followed two years in charge of the Navy ' s weather ser- vice during which time he wrote a book on meteorology. In 1930 ordered to flight training at Lakehurst. Upon designation as naval aviator assigned to rigid airship Los Angeles. Returned to general service in 1934, re- porting to the light cruiser Concord. Commanded destroyer ane in 1937 and 1938 and served as Gunnery Officer of the West Virginia in 1939 and 1940. Following a tour of duty in Naval Operations, ordered in 1942 to command of the Naval Air Station, Richmond, Fla. Returned in August 1 943 to Naval Operations as head of the Airship Section. In June 1944 assigned to the staff of the Com- mander Seventh Fleet. Awarded the Legion of Merit for his services as Plans Officer during the Philippine cam- paign. Reported to the Cleveland in June 1945, and led this ship during the closing days of the war in the East China Sea and the occupation of Japan. Commander Melvyn ' lH. ' McCoy, USN... Naval Academy Class 1927. After graduation, he served over three years in the battleship West Virginia, during which time he also served two tours of six months temporary duty with the American Electoral Mission in Nicaragua. Then followed three and one-half years destroyer duty m the Elliot and Waters. In July, 1934, he commenced a post-graduate course in radio engineering, receiving a Master of Science degree from the University of Cal- ifornia. He was then ordered to the Brooklyn as Communi- cation Officer. After three years in the Brooklyn, he was ordered to the i6th Naval District as Radio Material Officer and was captured on Corregidor, 6 May 1942. After being in several Japanese prison camps, he en- gineered and led a successful escape and brought back the first eye-witness story of the atrocities and starvation inflicted upon American prisoners in tht Philippines, as well as valuable military information. For this he was awarded the Army ' s Distinguished Service Cross. Then followed one year of shore duty in command of Naval Radio Activities, Bainbridge Island, Washington. In December 1944, he again returned to sea duty in the Pacific as Executive Officer of the Cleveland. He obtained a large measure of revenge when the Cleveland took part in the bombardment and recapture of Corregidor. I i l Standing: Lt. C:omdr. R. J. Antrim. Lt. Comdr. R. S. Stauff, Lt. Comdr. C. W. Brown, Comdr. H. R. Glennon Jr.. Lt. Conidr. W. Kellogg Sitting: Comdr. J. V. Weise, Comdr. M. H. McCoy, Capt. C.J. Maguire, Comdr. D. G. DuVigneaud, Comdr. C. . Bolam Commander D. G. DuVigneaud, (MC), USN Medical Department Commander C. A. Bolam, USN Gunnery Department Commander H. R. Glennon, Jr., USNR Engineering Department Commander J. W. Weise, (ChC), USNR Chaplain Lt. Commander R. J. Antrim, USN Navigation Department Lt. Commander W. Kellogg, USNR C R Department Lt. Commander R. S. Stauff, (SC), USNR Supply Department Lt. Commander C. W. Brown, USNR Communication Department DEPARTMENT HEADS w i ' .;? .« v. % _ii . Ll. M. L. Beck Ll. Cdr. C. W. Brown Comdr. J. W. Weise Lt. Cdr. W. Kellogg Comdr. C. A. Bolam Comdr. M. H. McCoy Capt. C. J. Maguire Comdr. D. G. Du V ' igncaud Lt. C:dr. R.J. .Antrim Comdr. H. R. Glennon Jr. Lt. Cdr. R. S. Stauff Capt. R. L. Hammings, USMCR Second Row Lt. (jg) C. L. Burnk-y Lieut. C. v.. Savage Jr. Lieut. F. T. Hoyt Lieut. L G.Jackson Lieut. J. S. Cooper Lieut. R. C. Hill Lieut. V. B. Lake Lieut. H. B. Hamann Lieut. R. H. .Stephenson Lieut. R. G. Weber Lieut. E. Ischinger Jr. Lieut. B. T. Read Lieut. C.J. W. Stewart Lieut. A. T. Henry Lieut. P. L. Coleman Third Row Ch. Gun. R. C. Ferrell Ens. C. A. Lindbladjr. Lt. (jg) J. E. Warrick Ens. C. C. Alexander Ens. R. P. Richardson Lt. (jg) A. K. Calvert Lt. (jg) H. C. Kauffmann Jr. Ens. W. F. .Anderson Ens. R. J. Born Lt. (jg) G. A. .Abbott Lt. (jg) F.J. Halferty Lt. (jg) W. R. Schmidt Ens. J. A. Manson Ens. ' W. W. Critchficld Ens. J. R. Cannau Ch. Rd. Elec. E. E. Burkhokler Ch. Bos ' n W. H. Spell Fourth Row Lt. (jg) D. T. Deleoleos Ens. R. J. Kessler Lt. (jg) J. D. Feiler Ens. D. W. Williams Lieut. ]. M. O ' Kcefe Lt. (jg) J. A. iNewkirk Ens. E. J. O ' Brien Ens. U. O. Novaria Ens. J. S. Ficklenjr. Lt. (jg) E. B. Laughlin 1st Lt. N. M. Seminoff, USMC Lt. (jg) J. F. Heald Lt. (jg) K. D. Piercv Lt. (jg) E. E. Steinel Sh. Clk. A. T. Goulding Ch. Mach. J. M. Bankowski Fifth Row Ch. Carp. G. E. Sherman Elec. R. J. Wasierski Mach. J. G. Cronin Ens. D. T. Poe Lt. (jg) H. R. Needham Lt. (jg) A. M. Hill Ens. R. L. Parker Lt. ( ig) J. P. Lawler Ens. ' B. G. Walling Ens. C. R. Collier Ens. L. C. Baldwin Ens. W. E. Jones Ens. R. A. Johnson Ens. N. E. Sills Ens. G. M. Cohen Ens. W. W. Brinklev Ens. W. A. Oberdick Ens. D. D. Robertson Ch. Mach. H.J. Wonderland Missing from Picture Lieut. J. A. Matone ,2l Purvis Bay Jamboree That first liberty in Japan Cooling off in the Philippines The club at Subic Bay Christmas in Long Beach Main deck aft matinee The Warrants pose at chow A big decision o s I joined the Navy because the ships were so clean — now I know who keeps em that way GUNNERY DEPARTMENT Clang! Clang! All hands man your battle stations! Bogey overhead! No! No! Coming in low over the water on the starboard beam! Where ' s the bogey? WHERE ' S THE BOGEY???!!! Boss, get off of the 5JP. Ask plot where it is. Oh. . . .there isn ' t any bogey. Well, set Condition One Easy Able Able. Maybe there will be a bogey. Might be a Flash Red anyone of these nights. It ' s 0300 already and there isn ' t any point in letting all these people go fjack to their sacks now. The Gunnery Department, with seven hundred or more men and forty-five officers from every State in the country, represents the largest gathering of insomniacs and sleep-walkers on the Cleveland. Only in the Gunnery Department could individuals be found who could hit the deck running, climb five ladders, untangle phones, track real and fictitious bogeys, train in and secure, and hit the sack again without waking up once. But the name Gunnery Department is a misnomer. An appropriate appellation would involve a long hy- phenated title suggesting such collateral duties as .spud- peeling, mess-cooking, side-cleaning, scraping and paint- ing, security watches, any and all working parties, stores-handling, boat-handling, plane-handling, and, when spare parts might be obtained, pan-handling. Then there are the lookouts, radar men, aviators and Marines. A complex organization of men and machines operating as one, which is proud of its record from Africa to Tokyo. Score: Nineteen bombardments, five planes, three ships, one mine, and one small white seagull. J-iisI Rmv I ejl In R .. , Vcacklev. U . ( ). S ' jc Russ, J. Jr. Sic Castleberrv, E. ' . BM ' 2c Nicklas. ' D. W. TCic Taylo ' r. . P. GM3C Harris. N. ' j. .Sic Hedegard, S. R. Sic Rhoden, C. . ' . Sac Kidd, L. V. Sic Haas, D. C. Sic Wise. O.J. •Sac James, F. H. Sic Lay, T. D. Sic Cerminaro. S. R. Sic Mezzacappa, F.J. Sac Sixth Row Left to Right Deleoleos, D. T. Lt. (jg) McKinne -. F. L. Sac Bencivenga, S. M. Fic Ischinger, E. Jr. Eieutenant Bier, 0. N. Sic Parker, R. L. Ensign J ' oml i Row I.eJI lo Right C:arter, J. . . SSMB3C Knstvnak. L. ]. CBM Kutzer, M. Sic Rolf, W. Sic O ' Clonnor. R. F. B.M.-c Gates. K. L. Sac Scott. V. F. Sic Eddy. R. ]. .Sac Heffel.J.Jr. Sic Barlowe. C. R. Sac Bachteler, L. F. BMjc Bowen. L. . GMac Williams, J. D. BMic York. ,. . 0. Sac Wilson, D. L. Sic Second Row Left lo Rixht Perkins. W. H. Sic Morton, S. C. Sic Krug, G. E. TCic Hernecek, S. R. .Sac Sufficool. R. W. GMac Illi, W. J. GM3C Bourgeois, B. L. Sic Travis. R. P. ■ Sic McNamara, R. E. S ' 2C Ivey, . ' . Sac Rek, R.J. Sic PLxler, h. J. Sic Gooper, M. Sic Hanks, N. H. GM3C Hayworth, L. F. Sic Seventh Row Lt ; to Right Morrison. ]. C. Sic Russo, J. Sic Herring, V. B. V3C Gotlslebpii, W. C. Sic Frizzell. G. O. Sic Grzeczki. E. BMac Fifth Row Left to Right Hollidav, H. M. Sic Daniels, R. O. Cox Drennan, C. R. Sic Bare, L. D. GM3C Wallinate, R. G. ,Sac Smith, R. F. Sac r iin Row Lejl lo Right Grotls. F. N. Sic Price, C.J. Sic ■Jurtito, . . M. Fic Dohm, C:. Sic Brazile, H. E. Sic Dehaas, P. E. Sic Carroll, F. M. Sic Kuhl, E. F. GM3C Vcnskc, E. F. S2C Bennett, I.. F. Sic Roberson, F. L. GM3C Bcsson. D. E. Sac Bi.ggs, R. Sic R. Wagner Sic illan-,l. f). Sac Uc, J. F. Sic J. Swyers Sic FIRST DIVISION I • ' ' ■ 1 SECOND DIVISION First Row Left to Ruihl Eyre, W. D. BM2C Walls, C. L. Cox Pabst. C. BM2C Juhasz, S. BMic Vernon, K. M. CTC Robertson, D. D. Ensign Hill. R. C. Lt. (jg) Sherman. J. O. Lt. ijgi O ' Brien. E.J. Ensign Duncan. R. W. Cox Myhre. H. L. BM2C Cloughlan. H. J. BM2C Second Row Left to Right Corzan, T. .Sic Mills, R. V. Sic Traceski, W. C. Sic Tramutolo. G. .Sic Towery. C. M. S2c Matucii. J. J. S2C . vala. .v. R. Sic Ciark. B. B. S2c Russo. J. Sic HoUingbery. T. R. Sic Third Row Lejt to Right Moody, H. B. Cox Hemming. R. W. S2c Cane, J. H. .S2C Brooks. VV. F. Sic Heath, J. L. S2c Eoranger, R. C. S2C Royal ' V. M. Sic Durrett, O. Sic Blaylock. V. W. S2c Dominiak. E. F. Cox Petty. F. C. S2C Butts, L. E. S2C Steinhoff, W. J. S2c Fourth Row Left to Right Dailey. D.J. Sic Frechette, . . L. GM3C Henderson, E. B. Sac Gourlev. P. W. Sic Hambrick. V. F. S2r Dalo.J.V. Sic Jager, C. L. Sic Tipping, D. J. Sic Hudgeiis, D. .- . TCic . ebergall, W. C. S2C Booten, E. J. Sic Zayack, S. Sic Fifth Row left to Right Bvrd, S. W. Sic .Arnold, V. M. Sic V ifquain, J. V. Sic Beerling. W. M. Sic Toomey. R. S. Sic Taylor. J. W. Sic V aldron. R. O. S2c Eoyelacc. R. T. Sic Garrick, J. W. .Sic .Scanlon.J. F. .S2c Granlee. N. J. Sic Lapp. E.J. Cox Si th Row Lift to Right Hadden, E. F. Cox Mills. R. . . Sic Dezern. G. Cox . uten. H. Sic Gallagher. J. J. Sac Goga, R.J. Sic Gassaway, W. Sic McCall. G. P. S2C Murphy. J. L. Sic C:lifton. ' VV. 1;. S2C Tolar. . . R. Sic Harbough. R. E. .Sic Robbins, G. W. Sic Seventh Row Left to Right Russell. P. F. Sic Greene. R. C. TCic Bellon. S. F. Sic Gibbons. D. .V. TCic Curtis. V ' . F. TCic Bowman. J. . . GM3C Kerr. K. . . Sic Clardy. J. Sic Helton. R. P. Sic Herbsl, E. L. Sic THIRD DIVISION First Row Left to Right Early, N. B. Sic Moore, F. Sac Fritz, L. C. GM3C GM2C Norseen, M. G. Sic Busby, B. D. Sic Mitts, F. P. Baumeister, J. H. S2C Harvatich, A. S. Sic Hansen, S. A. Sac Manthey, A. C. Sic Schatz, G. W. Sac Rog, A.J. GM2C Nicholson. W. B. Sic Sipes.J.J. Sic Haws, J. J. Sic Booth, H. W. Sic Gatlin, H.J. Sac Kelly, A. C. Zultowski, A. L. GM3C Sic Brown, W. J. Margaritis, T. Sic Sic Sixth Row Left to Right illetto, W. D. Nider, M. Sic Sic Fourth Row Left to Right Peters, R. W. Sutton, E. L. Sic Sac Whitfield, E.J. Sic Hei, W.J. Sic Kirkland, K. W. Sic Simon, H. W. Poston, W. V. Second Row Left S2C Sic to Right Epton, B. C. Calkins, A. V ishert, L. W. Taylor, M.J. Sic Sic Cox GM3C Dupree, L. D. Foley, W. E. Munns, H. E. Gettler. G. W. Conroy, F. J. Jordon, E. L. Dangerfield, J. E. Harvey, C. Sic Sic GMac Sic Sic Cox Cox GMac Manasco, L. O. Jenkins, M. D. Fintel, F. C. Butler, J. B. S2C Sic Cox BM2C Ringeison, N. R. MacDonnrll.J.J. Sheffield. H. K.. Turnbull, H. L. Sic Sic Sic Sic Watts, F. E. CTC McCoy, R. Sic Seventh Row Left to Right Brinkley, W. W. Ensign Williams, D. O. V. Sic Walters, A. Sic Calvert, A. K. Lt. (jg) Turner, N. W . Sac Nelson, K. L. Sic Hill, A. M. Lt. (jg) Bybee,J.J. Cox Varner, M. E. Sic Berlingieri, A. BMic Lynsky, M. B. Sac Jones, A. W. BM2C Fifth Row Left to Right Lucero, L. Sic Collins, C. L. Cox Kuntz, M. L. Sic Peterson, D. E. Sic Martin, J. R. Cox Buzzard, L. R. Sac King, J. L. Sic Byford.J. E. Sac Bethell, F. W. Sic Third Row Left to Righ Weaver, S. O. Sac Lucas, R. L. Sic Mitzell, C. B. Sic Carey, H. E. Sic Hughes, L. Sac Healey, R. Sic Hertlein, B. C. Sic Shannon, E. Sic % % i t ' i ' $ t ' I •- ' I -i-i First Row Left to Right Tisdale, F. B. Cox Bordelon, G. J. S2C Kroplin, C. S. Sic Hilgeman, N. C. Sic Conover, H.J. Sic Maiuro, V. C Sic Sutherland, E. J. Sic Jors, R. D. Sic Strieker, H. G. Sic Courter, L. C. GM3C .Swcnson, M. R. S2C Scarpato, J. S. Castellano, F. P. Behren, C. L. Sic Sic Sic Campbell, W. J. B. Fourth Row Left S2C to Right Sixth Row Left to Stultz, A.J. Right Sac Schmeling, M. C. Sic Van Maanen, B. GM2C Stine, C. W. Sic Cease, C. H. Sic Grey, N. O. Cox Cegielski, E.J. Sic Andrews, E. W. Sic Henn, W. E. Sic Taylor, H. S2C Centers, A. R. S2C Strasel, C. F. Cox Ellis, W. S. Sic Jungklaus, M. F. Cox White, N. O. Sic Pollock, G. J. S2C Wilkes, J. H. Sic Hammond, E. H. Sic Second Row Left to Right Trahan, G. Sic Ferree, G. C. Cox Powell, R. P. Sic Johnson, M. Sic Polomski, C. G. Sic Clayton, K. Bell, E. W. BM2C Basham, C. Sic Stauffer, K. L. Sic BMic Burgess, H. L. Sic Clarkson, F. R. S2C Smith, H. L. BMic McCoy. W. F. Sic Fejnas, L. B. Sic Sysol, C. L. Feiler,J. D. Hay, L. W. CBM .Allgood. R. L. Cox C;iick, E. H. S2C Ensign Lt. (jg) Anderson, A. Clement, K. H. GM3C Sic Seventh Row Left to Right Anderson, W. F. Delia Calce, C. L. Ensign CGM Fifth Row Left tc Right Severson, G. N. Ellis, J. P. GMic Sic Paul, G. E. GMic Stone, C. B. GM2C MacDonald, K. J. Cox Krenier, O. C. GM2C Dickeson. O. L. GM3C Price, D. E. Sic Herndon, J. B. Cox Mullen, R. L. Sic Blankenship, C.J. S2C Wells, J. J. S2C Murphy. J. J. Fac Third Row Left to Righ Crump, J. K. Cox Stockinger, F. D. S2C Gales, O. R. Sic Kudas, P. P. GM3C Pavne, T. E. Sic Larsen, G. V. Sic Sauter, C. E. Sic Grey, R.J. S2C Stortroen, P. C. Sic Woodward, W. G. Sic Tietje, A. J. Sic Tichenen, F. D. S2C Smiley, R. P. Sic Canty, E. J. Sic Browne, R. S. S2C Xicksic,.J. GM3C Hurne, W. J. Sic FOURTH DIVISION [21] f W t f t t 4 4 i t h Til jf •£ S ' m M 4 .-, L T-. 0- ft iTr4 ' n --4 -4 ■: ' v fiij Jott- if to Rigltl Third Row Left to Right Brov i,. f :, G. Sac Ellison, V. E. S2C Lawson, C. W GM2C .Anderson, is.. Sac Wampler, V. E. Pierce, L. E. Sic S ' jc Burke, W. L. Burke, J. R. Sic Sac Fifth Row Left to Right Tartoloni, V. R. Sic Pinter, A. F. GMac Deslatte, R. L. Sic Tirpak. G. E. Sic Dailey, H. V. GM3C Lengyel, B. Sic Botelho, A. Sac Peters, M. E. Sac Boucher. . . P. Sic Jache, W. K. Sic Rist, G. M. Sac Rocs, A. J. Sic Burgess, S. X. Sic Long, B. R. Sic Travis, R. D. GMac Ucci, J. GM3C King, A. S. Sic Timm, L. R. Sic Trebe ' c, J. Sic Golden, R. D. Gox Gharlton, G. W. Sic Wilbur, C. C. Sic Tarver, V. E. GM3C Stapleton, G. H. Sac Hassey, F. W. Sjc Trapasso, J . G Sac Railsnider, R. K. Sac Walker, C. Sic . Henry, M. G. Young, G. R. Sic Sic Second Row Left to Rifilil Lewis, C. H. Webb, K. L. Gox GMic J-ourlh Row Lejt to Right Sixth Row Left Harrison, D. to Right GM3C Wiixifins, R. H. Sic Terveer, P. V. Gox Harvanek, R. F. Sac (,.i,til.-. C. S. GM3C Roth, E.J. GM3C Garpenter, F. G. Sic Kl. iM-r. G. E. GM2C Coates, J . Sic Allen, R. D. Sic n .,ria, D. O. Ensign Thibault, 0. Sic Jodway, V. E. Sic Ki.li.iKJson, R. N. l.ieutcnanl Eckert, (;. F. Sic Middlemiss, H. Sic lirck. M. L. Eieutenant Lewis, A. L. Sac Janos, S. Sic Kidlel.oover, W. E. CGM B -zner, L. A. Sic Sharp, W. E. GM ' r- Siotis. M. G. BMic Bean, CJ. F. Sic Loveless, H. B. Sac Wicnda, T. BMjc Joseph, D. i: . Sic Ross, W. H. Gox S lieer, H. G. BM2C Lucv, IL L. Sac Palyocsik, S. Cox FIFTH DIVISION [22 J SIXTH DIVISION Finl Row Left to Right Watson. 0. R. Sic Bucklev. C:. L. Sic Crocker, R. E. BMjc Cella, E. R. Sic Smith. B. C. Sic Benedict. R. E. GM3C Bulter, V. S. S2C Bovven. T. E. .S2C Gilles, D. A. Sic West, W. Sic Staser, L. C. Sic Byid, P. Baldwin, G. L. Sic Duquette, P. V. S2C Benoist, G. M. .S2C Sic Parker, D. M. S2C Hall, K. R. Sic Titus, C. W. Sic Doud. W. H. Sic Judd, -. A. Sic Newkirk,J. A. t. (jg) Bulter, J. J. T. Sic Briggs. M. D. Sic Alexander, C. C. Ensign Beanblossom, B. O. Sic Chandler, C. E. Sic Gipe, L. F. BMic Quitter, J. P. Sic Faucher, L. J. BMac Fourth Row Left Righ Barber, J. W. S2C Tatu, N., Jr. S2C Compeau, L. G. ■Sac Second Row Left to Righ White, A. D. Brackin. F. A. Sic .Sac Sixth Row Left to Right Dorsey,,J. D. GM2C Darnell, J. GM3C Kachiroubos, L. C:ox Todor, F. J. Sic Kneiper, B. T. S2C Carmargo. J. G. ,S2C Giehl, C. E. Sic Boudreaux, P. L. Sic Vena. D.J. ' Sic Hinkle, V. P. S2C Murdock, C. F. Sic Thornton, K. E. C:GM Olson, M. Sic Neal.J. H. GM2C Day.J. G. GM3C Davis, C. E. Sic Haver. J. B. GM3C Stillions. H. R. Sic Brausch, R. H. .S2C Bradfield, D. A. Cox Gillette, J. M. GM3C Strickland, W. H. Sic White, B. J. Sic Skonhovd, R. M. GM3C Fadden. F.J. .S2C Bonds. F. S2C Third Row Left to Right Davis, D. L. Sic Tolbert, R. Sic Fifth Row Left to Right Van Orman. F. W. Sic Viera, L. Co.x Haught, L. Sic Bell, F. G. Sic .4 --? A i V ? -3 ' A A ,4 -.- ..4 ft J ' a -: y ' w MARINE DETACHMENT First Row Left to Right Anderson. O. E. PFC Armstrong, K. PEG Robertson. B. M. PFC Doherty, R. J. PFC Minney, C. P. PFC Givens, H. L. Jr. I St Lt. Seminoff, N. M. ist Lt. Walden. G. E. GySgt Ko ach, J. M. Sgt Andersen, E. V. Corp Bacon, W. C. Corp Second Row Left to Right Huff, VV. C. C;orp Murray, G., Jr. Cook, W. V. Jr. Cipra, O. P. Moore, H. R., Ill Blake, J. J. Gorman, E.J. Berry, E. O. Morrison, A. L. Velozo, R. A. Third Row Left to Right Bosstick, C. D. . vedisian, H. Dwyer, E. C. Corp Corp PFC PFC PFC PFC PFC Corp PFC PFC PFC PFC Heilner, D. P. Ortez, D. P. Kuras, F. E. Jackson, J. L. McGuili, B. E. Wells, G. W. Nelson, K. M. Fourth Row Left to Right PFC PFC ACk PFC PFC PFC PFC Ackley, T. Campbell, A. L. Pope, T. P. Leonard, C. L. Berger, W. V. Pi Sgt Corp PFC PFC Sgt [24] t First Row Left to Rig it Kutschall,J.J. FCOic Wallace, G. L. FCOac Ward, D. V. CFG Hood, P. CFG Abbott, G. A. Lt. (jg) Halferty, F.J. Lt. (jg) Heald.J. F. Lt. (jg) Williams, R. B. Ensign Quinn, R. D. Lt. (jg) Johnston, G. E. Ch.Gun McAvoy, W. J. FG 3c T uid Row Left to Right Second Row Left to Right •Smith, R. A. Howard, R. H. Ross, C. H. Roberts, W. E. Daily, R. W. Scholes, E. B. Ewing, J. G. Jones, B. M. Nelson, R. A. Bond, R. J. FCO3C FG02C Sic FCic FC2C FC3C Sic FC2C Sic Sic Doehring, R. W. Sic Carson, E. S. FC3C Rice, M. B. FGic Bernhardy, G. W. FCic Barnes, E. L. FG2C Kirby.J. M. FC3C Mandelbaum, A. Sic Hanson, G. E. Sic Keck, L. W. Sic Scarberry, J. R. FC2C Repasky, G. FC2C Spacy, R. O. FC3C Fourth Row Left to Right Wood, D. H. Sic Rittgers, B. E. Y2C Hays, H. H. FCic VanLoon, D. R. FCic Strickland, L. E. FGO3C Thorstad, M. J. FC3C Dietrick, W. L. Sic Dissinger, R. L. Sic Neal, J. H. FCO3C Chadborn, M. E. FC3C Fijth Row Left to Right Hoover, C. A. April, M. T. . rnan, P. M. Bellows, J. C. Naffzigger, C. W. Welch, W. B. McPhaul, R. L. Vanson, J. S. Shoaf, W. C. Jett, H. V. Grim, . ' . L. King, J. L. Not Shown Smith, A. C. Hinojoso, G. Home, R. C. House, Z. L. Ittner, D. W. Jackson, R. S. Robbins, G. W. Edwards, D. E. GM3C FG3C FGO3C FG3C FGO3C Sic FCO2C Sic GM3C GM2C GMic GM3C Sic Sic S2C Sic Sic S2C Sic Sic [25 ' ' F DIVISION First Row Left to Right Third Row Left to Right Blance, B. RdM3C Eustathion, S. T. Sic Boyles, W. B. RdMsc Dailey, O. L. Byrd, R. L. Brooks, H. C. Hall, V. F. Sic .S2C Rd.M2c RdM3c Anian, H. J. Flanagan, J. R. ' an y, R. G. RdMac RT3C RdMsc Chipps, D. E. Brown, . . J. Kania, S. J. RdMsc Sic RdM2c Hayward, S. G. RdM c Lawton, G. H. RdMac Saenz, D. L. Sic Wansovich, J. RTic Fifth Row Left Right Davis. H. E. Sic Bruens, H. H. RdM3c Lawson. R. E. Sic Delong. G. R. Sic Brown, R. C. RdM2c Starks, K. J. S2C Bush, W. T. Sic Hastings, J. T. Sac Dorochovich, J. J. Sic Blount, E. E. .S ' jc Massey, M. D. Cox Nygard, C. P. Sic Wells, V. V. c;ox Couch, O. O. Sic Grant, J. W. RdMac Morrow, R. F. RT3C Tarpey, . J. S2C Divine, P. V. RdM3C Johnston, G. RTic Moonan, P. E. Sic Second Row Lejt to Right Nagley, R. M. RdM2c King, L. BMic Kienstra, T. . ' . RdM3c Bell, C. W. Jr. .S2C Fourth Row Left tc Right Farmer, J. A. RdM3c .Smith, H. RdMic Morris, E. E. Sic Poma, V. Sic C:agle. .S. D. S ' ic Branson, T. L. Sic Dye, R. L. Sic I-awler.J. P. Lt. (jg) Dojaquet, J. R. S2C .Sweat, C. H. .Schmidt, W. R. Y3C Lt. ( jg) Oberlander, C.J. Dunlop, A. Jr. RT3C Sic .SVvM Row Left to Right McCoUum, H. E. .S ' ic Johnson, H. F. Sic Bostwick, R. J. RdM2c Coleman, P. L. Lt. (]g) Stough, W. Sic Lehrman, J. H. RdMsc Barry, W. R. RdM3c Loghry, E. V ' . RdM2c Chapman, L D. Sic Cooper, J. S. Lieutenant Groves, B.J. S2C Ewan, W. E. S2C Hoyt, F. ' T. Lieutenant Mazza, A. H. Sic Bolin, J. C. S2C Janicki, R. P. Sac Bowman, C. F. S2C Priest, E. L. .S2C Burkholder, E. 1 ,. C:hRadElec Makar, H. M.Jr. Sic ■Xuckerman, R. RdM3c Hammann, |. J. Ctox Duncan, R. R. S2C Conners, J. RdM2c I ' arker, F. D. cnrr Henry, V. L. Sic Chase, H. W. Sic Helh. C. G. S ' ic Burke, r. E. R ' l e Hausen, D. Sic Keeley, 11 T. KdM ' jc Palmer, C. W. S2C Hale, J. E. Sic Schoultz, J. H. Sjr Borowilz, C. S. Sic l ' :ason, J. A. Sic Beeklev. 6. E. RTk Clayton, F. R. Sic IMielps, E. Sic I DIVISION V DIVISION First Row Left lo Right Wainwright, VV. .J. ARMiac Podkovich, E. Lindberg AMM2C AMM3C Wilson, T. H. Crocker, S C , Sims, R. P. Sneden, J. S. Stewart, C.J. Manson, J. A. Gehring, J. R. Wright, G. L. ARi l3c AMqc ARM2C Lt. (jg) Lieut. Ensign ACMM . OMic Second Row Left to Right Wilbourne, J. M. McCulloch, E. Feehan, J. B. Peser, E. C. Chwieroth, J. J. Murphy, R. L. Gruben, C. R. Jones, E.J. . OMic Sic AMM3C Sic . ' MM3C Sic Sic Sic [27] NAVIGATION DEPARTMENT N DIVISION Third Row: Sic R. L. xNichol, QM3C G. W. Myers, QM3C A. R. Tyson, Sic G. W. Dunn, QM3C R. M. Eastmond Second Row: QM3C E. Krokoskie, QM3C P. K. Greiser, QM3C C. C. Edmundson, QM3C G. W. Elston, QM3C L. Beebe, BugicJ. A. Rue, Bug- Mstr3c S. P. Calandra. Sic C. W. Hart, BugMstr3c J. H. Hughes, Bug2c C. M. Powell First Row: Q.M3C R. E. Laprairie, QM3C F. M. George. QM3C R. H. Lamothe, C)M3c J. F. Jones, QMic C. M. Megrew, Ensign R.J. Kessler, CQM E. F. Beck, QMac W. A. Graham, QMac L. B. Sprague, Y2c R. S. Hall, AerMic W. L. Pelham I m  v mL NAVIGATOR, where are we? The navigator quickly removing the sextant from his eye makes a curso- ry examination of his chart and briefly replies, Well, Captain, we should be about here, pointing to a small speck on the chart, then continuing, Of course this puts us about three miles northeast of our DR and about two miles north-north-east of our DRT. The Assistant Navi- gator ' s fix was five miles south of mine and the OTC ' s 0800 position was two miles to the west of mine. Yes, this was a brief reply, so unless you are familiar with navigation, don ' t laugh and wonder how in the heck the Navigator knew where we were. The fact is, the Navi- gator and the Captain knew exactly where we were in the wide expanse of ocean. If you still don ' t believe it, how do you think we got there and back again? The Navigation Department is the smallest of the ship and while the ship is underway you will find it constantly on watch taking bearings, checking stadimeters, making new zig-zag plans and a multitude of other important duties. The quartermasters claim that theirs is the most important job on the ship; it ' s not up to me to say whether it is or it isn ' t, but I ' d hate to be at sea without them. The next time you wonder where you are just ask a quartermaster, and if you can understand all the bearings, degrees, latitudes, longitudes and astronomical constellations you ' ll know exactly where you are. . .but if you don ' t understand his professional lingo, don ' t worry, because you can rest assured ... he knows. ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT FULL SPEED AHEAD. . .STARBOARD AHEAD TWO... PORT BAC;K ONE ' Tis the engineers who cause these orders to be executed. Whether it be maneuvering alongside a tanker, twisting from the path of a torpedo or dodging a son-of-heaven in his Kamikaze . . .it ' s the snipes who nurse, coax, and cajole the utmost of perfection from the ship ' s engines. With fingers con- stantly on the ship ' s pulse they have zig-zagged, re- versed and taken us full speed ahead to the lily ponds of the Emperor ' s palace and home again safely; and for every Jap plane credited to the gunners, for every Jap salvo or torpedo that missed our ship. . . ' twas be- cause some sweaty snipes were on hand to put on the steam. If you have enjoyed the many comforts of ship- board life. . .electric lights, hot water, hot and cool air. . . it ' s because there was some engineer on the job. During the course of the war the engineer ' s job was alternately pitied and envied. When the ocean was teeming with torpedoes and we were directing Sunday traffic up the Slot , it was the hapless engineers who were always getting sympathy from the deck apes, but when the Kamikaze began to sting ... it was the snipes who began receiving visitors from topside. Always the inevitable argument is, who has the most important job, the en- gineers or the deck hands: neither will concede that one is more important than the other, which is undoubt- edly the reason why we got there and back again without a casualty, without a scratch . . . they are both the best of all the fleet . ii. A DIVISION First Row Left to Right Wilcox, D. E. Fic Bilcz, A. Fic Philpitt, E. H. MoMMic Cooper, M. J. MMic Humphreys, R. T. CMoMM Laursen, . M. C:MoMM Heassler, R. F. Lt- (jg) Warrick, J. E. Ensig.i Smith, S. M. CMM Olgierson, O. B. MoMMic Skabar, F. J. MM3C Krutz, R. M. Fic Second Row Left to Right Halstead, R. A, M0MM3C Venegas, T. J. Fic Splant,J. D. MM3C Schenato, A. Fic Young, C. P. Y2C Van Tuyl, T. A. M0MM2C Conant, W. H. M0MM3C Fourth Row Left to Right Gardner, B. F2C Merucci, A. J. M0MM3C HolIis.J.C. F2C Hunt, R. R. MMSic Powers, J. T. Fic Lawhorn, T. O. Fic Hammack, J. W. Fic Dixon, E. C. MM2C Blakely, C. R. Fig Williams, J. J. Fic Long, E. H. MM2C Henson, J. Fic Third Row Left to Right Strandmark, D. W. M0MM2C Manley,J, F. Fic Brown, R. F. Y3C French. C. S. Fic Logsden, H, W. M0MM2C Hamburg Fic Smith, R. F. F2C ' ot Shown Stewart, T. B. MM3C Cologne, A. H. Jr. F2C Habres, F. R. MM2C Dawson. H. L. F2C Harrison, C. M. Fic Dwyer, C. J. F2C Komis, G. M0MM3C Creran, R. ]. MoMMic Bohannon, T. F. MM3C Jones, D. N. Fic Long, M. M0MM2C Kynoch, J. D. MMRic Van Single, G. E. MMR3C Markee, R. L. Fic McCoy, H. Jr. Neshem, F. L. Fic Fic  .i J ' -i i  te fk Is Is fe fe First Row Left to Right Tieadwell, J. K. WT2C Hedt, D. G. Fic Henry, D. L. Dubose, V. E. CMM Rvan, M. H. WT2C Gress. C. E. MM2C WTic Hedden, W. T. WT- ' c Schelhause, N. L. Fic Sion-alski. E. P. WTic Fleming, R. P. Fic Ullrich, F. F. WT2C Reinert, W.J. CWT Edwards, D. E. Fic Price, R. C. WTac Lang, L. E. CWT Garret, E. WT2C Cronin, A.J. M. CH Third Row Left to Right •Shelton, C. R. WT3C KaufFmann, H. C. Lt. (jg) Gallahan, E. Fic McDowell, H. T. WT3C Bush, J. F. CWT Boyle, J. J. MM3C Ricketts,J. M. WTic Clark, R. CWT Kirchoff, R. H. MM2C Damon, J. H. WT2C Gosselin, L. CWT Haley, T. G. Fic Clark, H. L. MMic Tichener, A. NLVI3C Fifth Row Left to Right Hendricks, T. W. WT2C Benson, P. E. Fic Phillips, X. D. Fic Delfavero. R. WT3C Fettig, J. F. WTic Warn, D. L. WT2C Hall. H. R. F2C Second Row Left to Rigl t Carrol, H. Fic Harmon. H. W. Fic Bainbridge, J. M. WT3C Claunch, W. R. F2C Bolin, G. L VT3c Graham, A. P. WTic Lee, W. R. Fic Peck, G. C. WT2C Gangestad, D. G. Fic Miller, H. WT3C White, G. W. WT2C Lemoine, D. L. Fic Foley, W. J. WT3C Ford, D. W. WT2C Tetzlaff, L. G. Fic Rubino, .S. WTic Klick, L. E. F2C Fourth Row Left to Right Winters, J. R. WTic Franks, G. O. Fic Torch, A. R. F2C McCollister, W. F. WT2C [33] B DIVISION 4 -K . C % I i !M ?ou) Left In Right Kaeding, M. E. EMic Eswine, O. E. EMic Kinch, C. D. CEM Cole, L. L. CEM Savage, C. E., Jr. Lieutenant Flanagan, J. S. Ensign Headley, R. L. ELEC Glazer. J. J. ELEC Monroe, R. G. CEM Lake.J.W. CEM Minton, .A. c:em Second Row Left to Right Clayton, F. E. EM3C Collins. E. O. EM3C White, H. F ic Zimmer, . EMac Coniski, W. A. EM3C Benoit, J. H. Fic Bailey, J. W. Fic Beatty, D. S. EM3C Lawless, D. D. EMac Parnian, F. D. EM3C Reddan, E. P. Fic Johnson, C. H. Fic Third Row Left to Right Erkenbeck, C. L. EM3C Ransom. A. C. EMic McKay, D. E. EMic Rasmussen, W. F. EMac Belcher. M. B. Fic Shinn,J. W. Fic .Andreason. K. L. EM3C Josefiak, W. J. EM3C Godfrey, M. D. EM3C Pack, R. U. Fic Paine. J. M. Fic Detamore, H. D. Fic Fourth Row Left to Right Belevice, S. J. Fac Benoit, E. H. Fic Smith, B.J. Fic Richards, G. C. EM3C Campbell. G. W. EM3C Smith, VV. E. Fic Schouten,J. T. EMac Slaughenhoup, J. A. EMac Isehower, W. D. EM3C Aga, O. EMac Hale, T. L. EM3C Pfieffer, C. Fic Sorenson, G. C. Fic E DIVISION [34] M DIVISION First Row Left h Right Holmgren, D. D. Tzc Ison, T. MM3C Vasquez, F. X. F2C Schmidt, W. H. MM3C Noel, J. D. CMM Wonderland, H.J. MACH O ' Keefe, J. Lt (jg) Walling, B. G. Ensign Cook, H. C. CMM Dodson, J. M. MMic Wiczchorck. R. J. MM2C Rapp, R. E. MM2C Second Row Left Rig! t Hamilton, U. N. Fic Torres. R. R. Fig Conti, P. J. Fic Smith, G. B. MM2C Rohlman, S. A. MM2C Kitchens, J. L. MMic Schettner, J. MM2C Thompson, J. D. MM3C Bellas, S. Fic Bergstad, B. N. MMac Denslow, C. J. MMic Crumbaugh, R. O. MM3C Leake, T. R. MM2C Hill, G. W. MM3C Stennett. W. A. MM3C Hall, R. H. MMic Third Row Left to Right King, R. H. MMac Swanson, . . C. Urkiel, A. A. Kempf, A.J. MM3C MM3C MM3C Downey, W. J. Langston, N. P. Schaeffer, A.J. Fic MM3C Fic Orson, R. E. Whelchel, A. F. Fic MM3C Fifth Row Left to Right Rumph, B. F2C lanotti, T. MM2C Bledsoe, J. R. MM3C Lutz, J. S. MMic Little, M. L. Fic Boudreaux, W. C. Fic Creason, G. T. Fic Turpin, P. E. MM3C Lukinovich, H. E. MM2C Valdez, F. X. F2C Vaughan, J. P. MM3C Griffith, E. W. Fic McFarland, G. A. MM3C Phillips, G. B. Fic Sora, G. J. MM3C Fourth Row Left to Right Thompson, J. L. Oglesbv, R. F. MM3C F2C Blodgett, D. L. MM3C Gerlach, T.J. Fic Werntz, M. C. MM3C Holt, K. R. Fic t 2 rl i - uti jL t-44 J ' ' ' - f: ;flii,iiilJi¥LiiiiiiVi1 C R DEPARTMENT ' R DIVISION Fifth Row: SF2C L. A. Reed, M3CJ. A. McFeeley, .SF3C L.J. Hayes, .SF3CJ. W. Olson, Mac M. Hallstiom, SFic R. R. Josseiand, BMic G. T. Martin, BMacJ. D. Brown, BMic K. R. Doonan Fourth Row: SF3C H. K. Lamia, Y3C R. V. Runfola, Ptric C. E. Harvey, SFic P.J. Carr, Mic D. Burger, Cox I. O. Graves, BM2C A. E. Lunne- man, SF3C M. V. Shelton. CMac E. G. Holdorf, M3C A. P. T. Secord, SF2C C. L. Rowe Third Row: SF2C B. Smith, SF2C J. Schurman Jr., SFic R. Bourgoin, SF3C B. R. Bodine, CM3C R. W. Striplin, SF3C W. A. Ganger. SF2C R. Maloney, SF2C R. Toomey, SF3C P. A. Anderson, SF3C L. L. Kabler. SF3C J. Bezmalanovich, C:M2c H. F. Whitfield Second Row: SF3C C. L. Ray, SF3C S. E. Johnston, CMic V. L. Hart, SF2c J. F ' . Whitley, SF3C W. I. Hultquist. SFic R. E. Keoppel, Sic J. M. Godberson, SF3C L. W. Dceter, CM2C P. Zide, CSF S. A. Twardowski, SF3C J. J. Conway, Sic W. K. Ungerer, SF3C P. P. Dunco First Row: CBM P. D. Sullivan, CBM W. J. Waugh, Carp V. W. Cantrell, Bos ' n ]. B. Jackson, ChBos ' n W. H. Spell, Lt. ( jg) K. D Piercey, Lieutenant I. G.Jackson, Ensign W. A. Oberdick, ChCarp G. E. Sherman, CBM C. H. Graver, CSF S. W. . ydelott, CMic R. C. Grouse fill j ' 4 - h t-l - -I - J ' s J-- 1 --  ■v- ' f V ■; Construction and Repair is the title, but MAINTEN- ANCE, Construction and Repair would be most apro- pos. Verily! Here is a group of officers and men whose lives have been a merry-go-round of constant testing, checking and rechecking the vital fittings which com- prise the life saving and ship saving devices of a man-of- war. Through this thankless task not a word of disgust passed their lips, rather this type of muttering was sup- plied by the remainder. . .all hands, when the C R boys buttoned up the ship for general quarters, and allowed little fresh air through in the midst of a tropical afternoon. Of course in their spare time there was always a temperamental smoke screen generator to be persuaded not to light off, or a movie machine stand to be welded, or Ensign Sacktime wanted a small box made to send a few souvenirs home in. All agree that the C R Department has occupied in the operation of the ship the place that the keel does in its construction ... a staunch foundation. Hoping that this book will stand as a tribute to the C R group who have done their chores well in preparation for any eventuality; yet had no opportunity to append their names to the list of World War H heroes, by being aboard a ship which escaped unscathed through three years of air, surface, torpedo and shore battery attacks in the Atlantic and the Pacific. All hands salute the First Lieutenant and Damage Control Officei-, his officers and his men for a job well done. COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT DA-DA-DIT-DA-SQU AWK-BLURP- j t§ ROGER OUT .... Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, come leave or liberty, storm or calm, battle or a peaceful cruise, men of the Communication Depart- ment are on the job bringing us the latest news from the outside world and letting the outside world know that the USS Cleveland is still around. The ships com- munications are divided into five component parts. . . the signalmen, who handle every means of visual com- munications from flag hoists to flashing light, and ' tis said that, if need be, they could even build a fire on deck and send out smoke signals; then there are the radiomen who send and receive code at twenty words a minute twenty-four hours a day and who walk with a Morse code stagger and have cauliflower ears from wearing earphones so much; then there are the radio technicians who doctor and tend to the ailments of war- weary, battle-scarred communication equipment keeping it working in tip-top order; and then there are the yeomen who are red tape artists of the administrative network, the graphite commandos who keep the written records of the ship; and last, but not least, the mail-clerks who dis- patch and receive your sugar reports, the men who receive all the blame when the mail is late or lost, the men who skyrocket morale with the magic words, All Mail PO ' s lay up to the Post Office. So you think the life of a communicator is an easy and soft lot, so you want to get into communications . . . Blurp . . . Squawk . . . !? !+?! ...Roger Out. i-A It t] i ' t% ' First Row Left to i Riaht Wray.J. H.,Jr. RMic Donegan, M. B. c;rm Poe, D. T. Ensign Ritchie, J. D. Lt. (jg) Hamann, H. M. Lieutenant Milli an, G. M. Lieutenant Reaci, B. T. Lieutenant Blumenthal, M. E. Lt. (jg) Steinel, E. E. Lt. (jg) Hart, R. L. CRT Kasoney, J. B. .SMic Meyers, R. A. C). ,SMic Second Row Left to Right Gilijcrl, D. V. SM3C Campljell, J. Jr. RM2C Smilli, J. F. RM3C Denys, R. Sic Hebble, J. G. SM2C Tinder, N. SM3C McCauley, V. J SMic Kirk, B. K. Y3C Hall, A. G.Jr. SM3C Baker, W. L. RM3C Sugg, L. RTic Dillon, W. W. RM3C Dolan, R. M. RM3C Dezieck, A. S. RM2C Smith. R. W. RM2C Hartzog. L. C. Yic Cross, G. W. RM3C Lang, J.. J. RM2C Wood, W. L RM2C Fourth Row Left to Right Gutierrez, T. Y3C Strait, R. W. Y3C Wahl, R. A. Y3C Brockett, E. C. Moje, D. W. RM2C Sic Third Row Left tn Right Pruitt, E. N. RM3C O ' Lcary, D. .S. RM3C Cbppolelli, G. RM3C Main, .S. ]. RTic Hasselbacher, G •Jr. Sic •Siram, M. D. RM2C Noble,.). B. RM3C C DIVISION [ 4 C DIVISION First Row Left to Right Wanders, J. F. RMic Wray, J. H. Jr. RMic Lewis, K. D. CY Poe, D. T. Ensign Steinel, E. E. Lt. (jg) Milli an, G. M. Lieutenant Read. B. T. Lieutenant Hopkins, H. H. Lt. (jg) Potickkee, R.J. Ch.ShClk .Armstrone;. D. .S. RMic Shank, J. E. Yic Second Row Left to Right Jaffe, I. RM3C Bennett, W. . . RTgc Bautista, T. RM3C Rosenswieg, L. RT2C Morris, R. RMic Keough. V. T. RM3C Rohlf, E. V. Sic Wagner, V.J. RM3C Connolly, P. J. SM3C Olson, J. L. RM3C Little, J. M. Sic Villodas.J.J. SM3C Carey, D. G. RM3C Kinder, G. . . Sic Carr. R. E. RM3C Fourth Row Left to Right Reid, R. RMic Howard, L. W. RM3C Tremaglio, R. RM2C Turyna, E. SM3C Rogers, E. H. MaMac Third Row Left to Right Ahsentees Hromulak, B. J. RM2C Meridith, D. A. CSM Houck. G. E. Sic Duvall MaM3c Olson, W. P. RM3C Brown, C. W. Lt. Comdr Bilicska,J. P. SM3C Karol, R. L. Lt. C:omdr Sterling, M. R. RM3C Murphy, H. B. CY Wright. J. L. RM3C Keohler, H. Sic t rr u t l k ' i ' % I ' 4 ' ' ¥ fir [4 ] MEDICAL DEPARTMENT H DIVISION Second Row: PhM3C C. P. Deckman, PliMsc J. F. O ' Xeill, HAic B. D. Hall, HAic F. Sicilianojr., HAic M. A. Seubert, HAic E. R. Gonzales Firsl Row: PhM2c W. L. Raubeits, PhMsc B. Ellis, PhMac S. O. Reagan, PhMac E. W. Wong, PhMic N. E. Masters, Lieutenant R. H. Stephenson, CPhM VV. H. Harris, PhMic J. L. Sterett, PhMic VV. L. Rafferty, PhMac D. W. Hamm, PhM3r F. M. Smith, Jr. m -:i 2 1 11 4 f The Bible says, You cannot serve two masters, and yet, in a way that is exactly what the Medical Department aboard ship attempts to do. Unlike your family physician whose first duty is towards his patient, our primary objective is the efficiency of the USS Cleve- land as a fighting machine. Like any ordinary citizen an ailing sailor feels that when he is ill, he rates the maxi- mum in care and solicitude. The doctors and corpsmen, too, are imbued with similar principles; but they have learned that even a higher service must be paid the ship. Often the man with a backache or indigestion must wait until the convenience of this ship ' s operations brings it alongside a hospital ship. The routine ills such as colds, fungus infections, aching teeth, cuts and bruises are a part of our daily routine. Remember how you chipped your teeth when you were called down for shots? Just compare the records of previous wars and see how low the disease rates are on those that you received shots for. Then what about the sad eye we received when we slipped chlorine in your water or declared certain beaneries or gin mills out of bounds? The result, however, is the irrefutable fact that your health standards are higher than Joe Civilian ' s. Within the limits imposed by this ship ' s assignments, the doctors and the corpsmen are only too willing to listen to your difficulties; be they physical, mental, moral, or personal. On the Cleveland it is our proud boast that we have never turned a patient away without at least giving him a sympathy chit to see the Chaplain. SUPPLY DEPARTMENT PAY CALL... MESS GEAR... two of the most important calls in the Navy and ones which are never missed if physically possible, and it is the Supply Depart- ment which provides the greenbacks for pay day and the chow for mess gear. Every man aboard this ship and every department of the ship is dependent upon this department for the fulHilment of its every need and comfort. It is the general store of the ship, buying every- thing from the ice cream powder for gedunks to the screws and bolts for repairs on machinery. The pies may not have been the same as Mother used to make, the food may not have been seasoned exactly to your taste, but it was there aplenty three times a day; and the clothes you purchased from small stores may not have offered the variety that your home town local haber- dashery emporium did, but you had everything that you needed as long as it was Navy blue and had bell bottom trousers; the pay may not have been quite so much as you made as a civilian, but it bought a lot of good liberties in Sydney, Manila, Tokyo, and Honolulu, and resulted in a few good headaches, which are the same at any price; the ships service provided you with all the necessities of life and a few of the luxuries at a forty per- cent discount. You as a customer may not have always been right, but you got what you needed when you needed it. Don ' t praise or pat the supply boys on the back now... just wait ' til you have a MR. before your name and are struggling with the civilian mobs again. . .just wait, then you will see what I mean. S DIVISION First Row Left to Right Horgan, C. M. Binder, A. L. Jones, H. B. Stewart, J. L. Johnson, R. A. Needham, H. R. Allen, A. F. Clarke, G. T. Briggs, W. L. Fortin, L. J. Stancil, W. E. SKic SCic CSKD CSKD Ensign Ensign ChPayClk c:c:s SKic SSMBic SC:ic Second Row Left to Right Wampler, V. E. Hoffman, K. J. Stonner, R. M. Consoletti, E. A. Barrett, G. W. Hennigh, G. E. SC2C Sic SK2C SSMC.2C SKac SK3C Torlucci, J. J. W ' isniowicz, F.J. rs ' apolitano, B. P. Richter,J. SK3C SK3C SSMT2C SSMB2C Third Row Left to Right Strube, W. E. E. SCic Ha worth, L. A. SC2C Tonn, L. L. SC3C Giaquinta, S. J. BKr2c Maxwell, O. M. SCic Chamberlain, C. SC2C Dougherty, H. A. Sic Hawke, J. A. SC3C Logsdon. L. L. SC2C May, P. H. BKric Fourth Row Left to Right Jacobs, L. R. SC2C Mc Barron. E. L. Sic Sheridan, J. W. SK.2C Dusenberrv, B. G. Sic Jones, P. ■ SC3C Gooley. O. H. BKrsc Irbv, D. L. S2C Bleigh, W. D. SK3C Jenkins, C. J. SK3C Wassernian, O. SK2c Wimpy, T. VV. SC3C Fifth Row Left to Right Coy, E. SK2C Price, W. H. SCic Smith, D. L. CCS Kermode, C. M. SCB2C Percy, A. L. BKr2c Smith, R.J. SKD2C Brown, J. BKric Golio, F. G. SC2C VVoodard. G. H. SCic Bush, W. F. Sic 4 f Y f f 46 5- T-,f - ' ' J ' ' T ' Front Row Lejl to Right Back Row Lejt to Right Prileau, A. ST3C Quiche, D. A. STM2C Theard, E.J. ST2c Corpus, B. STM2C Nathaniel, J. CK3C Thomas, A. VV. ST3C Vaults, E.J. CCK House, T. STMic Johnson, R. . Ensign Thompson. VV. S. STMic Needham, H. R. Ensign Alston, R. STMic Allen, A. F. Chief Pay Clerk Williams, .A. L. STM2C Saunders, W. S. STac Dickerson, J. R. STMic Ocasion, . CKic Isabel, 0. CK3C Gray, T. CK2c Joynes, J. D. STMic Bell, B. A. ST2C Hall, W. J. ST3C t47] S DIVISION GOD AND MEN Old Glory steps down to but one peer — the church pennant. On the sabbath she steps aside as the Cross of the Divine sails up the gaff; and as they both unfurl majestically to the sea the bugler sounds the church call and the voice of the boatswain mate of the watch can be heard over the ship ' s public address system, the smoking lamp is out, cut out all card games and games of chance, refrain from all unnecessary noises and keep silence about the decks during divine services. After this those minded to worship their Creator start moving either in the direction of the fantail of the ship, the port side of the quarterdeck or the after messing compartment, the three places, where from time to time, divine services are conducted. Worship services are conducted every Sunday except during extreme combat operations, and in this case they were held the following day or as soon there- after as possible. When a Protestant chaplain has been assigned to the ship, a Protestant service has been held each Sunday, with a Bible-study class during the week. W ' hen possible he would exchange with a Catholic chaplain from some other ship or shore station, who would come aboard for Mass and Confessions. He in turn would conduct a Protestant service on the ship or shore station from which the Catholic chaplain came. When it has not been possible to obtain a Catholic chaplain for Mass, various members of the crew of the ship have conducted Catholic Rosary services. The opposite has been true when a Catholic has been the ship ' s chaplain. He would ex- change when possible with a Protestant chaplain, or conduct a general divine service for men of all creeds. Usually the Catholic services are conducted at 0900 and the Protestant at 1000. During the year 1945 six Jewish High Holy Day services, three Rosh Hashanna and three 48 OF THE SEA Yom Kippur, were held aboard ship. These were led by Lt. Milton M. Zaritzky, USNR. Chaplain Metters, in his annual report for the year 1943, a typical year, reported that 94 services were conducted aboard ship with an attendance of 15,040, and with 2,960 receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion. During the last half of the year 1945 two services were held aboard ship almost every Sunday with an average attendance at each service of 167. The religious census of August of this same year lists 839 Protestants, 378 Catholics, 15 Hebrews and 53 with no religious preference. Much of the equipment used during divine services has been manufactured aboard ship. The cross that now adorns the altar was made in the carpenter shop from a piece of mahogany found amid the wreckage of a village destroyed during the battle on Okinawa. The picture of this ship which serves as a backdrop for the altar was painted by a member of the crew. The candle- stick holders were made from small empty shell case- ments in our machine shop and the altar frontals were made by ship ' s company boatswain mates. The organ, though not a product of our own workmanship, was purchased from the ship ' s welfare fund. Ensign W. F. Anderson, USNR, and Daniel A. Gillis, S i c, USNR, have served as organists for divine services. The religious activities of the ship since it has been in commission have been under the leadership of three chaplains. The first was Chaplain Robert G. Netters, USN, an Episcopalian, whose tour of duty started 29 August, 1942, and ended 23 April, 1944. He was re- lieved by Chaplain Raymond F. McManus, USN, a Roman Catholic, who served until 26 August, 1945. He in turn was relieved by Chaplain John W. Weise, USNR, a Methodist, who is still aboard. Eternal Father, strong to save, Whose Arm doth bind the restless wave. Who bidd ' st the. mighty ocean deep, Its own appointed hmits keep; O hear us when we cry to Thee For those in peril on the sea. [49] THE SAGA OF CHARLIE LOVE FIVE FIVE 9 ' 1 9 45 t anchor — Wakayama, Japan My name is CHARLIE. CHARLIE LOVE 55 if you please. That you ' ve never heard of me before may surprise you when you learn who I am, but that ' s to be e.xpected. I ' m the Soul of a fighting ship, a proud Man- o ' -War. I ' m the Soul of the USS Cleveland. But we ' re getting ahead of ourselves. Let ' s go back to the year 1938. We were at peace then, and the vast Navy which now exceeds the combined fleets of all other navies of the world had not yet been conceived — had not even been dreamed of But credit where credit is due. There were those, even then, who realized that the idyllic state of peace which we were enjoying would not last forever. They foresaw that we would sooner or later become embroiled in the wars that even then were beginning to engulf Europe as well as Asia. They saw that we were woefully unpre- pared. And so, amid cries of warmonger , jingoist , and others even less complimentary, they made plans. And their plans were so well laid, their arguments so valid, and their will so strong that they prevailed, and Con- gress approved. The result of their efforts was a new line of fighting ships — a new class of light cruisers — the Cleveland Class. By March 23, 1940, blueprints were in the hands of the New York Shipbuilding Company at Camden, New Jersey. On July i of that year the keel of the first of these fast, sturdy, ten thousand ton Men-o ' -War was laid. In the meantime the cauldron of war was boiling to the east and west of us. It became increasingly evident that our participation in the conflict was inevitable; that our only hope lay in the indisputable fact that time worked in our favor. On November i, 1941, Hull No. 423 was launched, and christened the USS Cleveland, CI. 55. Scarcely a month passed before Pearl Harbor was hit, and many of the proud ships which had con- stituted our Pacific Fleet were wallowing in the mud at llic lioitdiii (if that Pacific outpost. It was a heartening day, then, after the confusion and humiliation of the early months of 1942, when on the 15th of June of that year the USS Cleveland, the natne- ship of her class, was placed in commission. That ' s when I came aboard. I had watched her from her inception, and knew the temper of her steel and the quality of her guns. I knew she was my ship. But there were times during the next three months when I doubted the wisdom of my choice. Here was a stout ship, and I knew it, but the crew — well, the crew was green, and to an old salt like me and to the handful of old-timers aboard they were just a bunch of lubbers — several hundred-odd erstwhile civilians, officers and crew alike. But we were wrong. The eagerness with which those men responded to the intensive drills, the never-ending periods of instruction, the shakedown cruises, set our minds at rest. When on October 10, 1942, with Captain E. W. Burrough in command and Commander C. B. McVay as E.xecutive Officer we set sail from Chesapeake Bay for Bermuda, it was with a well-trained if inexperienced crew. Fifteen days later, on October 25, we stood out to sea and set our course to eastward. For the first time in World War II a new class cruiser of the US Fleet was on its way to engage the enemy. Four days out we joined with a tremendous task force, and steamed in convoy with them for irore than a week, zigzagging day and night, heading ever eastward, draw- ing ever closer to. . .we knew not what. The secret of our mission was well-kept, but to say that our voyage was uneventful would be a mistake. Submarine contacts were plentiful, and escorting destroyers were frequently dropping depth charges. Anti-submarine patrols by our planes combined with rapier-like thrusts of the de- stroyers at each hint of danger, carried us and our convoy to our destination without loss. ( )m ' (Icsliii ilion? No, we still didn ' t know, and three days of heavy weather towards the end of the voyage did little to quiet our anxiety. But the sea finally calmed, and the formation divided, and we were told that on the morrow our troops were to land at Fedala, French Morocco, North Africa. Africa! Africa! It seemed incredulous to many of us, who would have given odds that we were heading for England, France or Mediterranean Europe, that U. S. troops were to invade Africa. But after a long and anxious D minus one day, events began happening with such rapidity that there was little time for idle speculation. The Cleveland ' s particular mission was to furnish support to a major carrier whose planes were to bomb strategic positions and cover the landings. The initial phases of the operation went smoothly, but our peace of mind was shortlived. We had no sooner entered the Bay of Fedala than the water appeared to be teeming with torpedoes. We had just started swinging to the right when the bridge sighted im 1 1 2 43 .J P dive bombers ofi ' Bougainville two wak es off the port bow. This was followed almost immediately by a report of two more torpedoes just to the left of the first two. It was fortunate that we had already begun our turn when the torpedoes were sighted. The farthest away passed only 500 yards ahead of us, another narrowly missed the bow, and a third passed very close astern. The fourth seemed to be a sure hit, and the Executive Officer was overheard to remark, That one can ' t possibly miss us, Captain. As he spoke, however, the torpedo broached about a hundred yards off our port beam, nosed down, and disappeared beneath the ship. You can believe me that we all breathed more easily when it was seen once more to break the surface off our starboard quarter. . .going away. It had passed cleanly under the stern. So much for our first baptism of fire. That we had come so close to disaste r and still lived to fight seemed to foretell a charmed life. We old sea-farers are known as a super- stitious lot, but. . .well, as this tale unfolds you can judge for yourself whether or not our belief in the Cleveland ' s charmed existence was justified. Take our next mission, for example. Covering the transport area from possible attack by enemy light forces based at Dakar, we stood by to bombard certain shore objectives near Casablanca. After the completion of this task we anchored northwest of Fedala. At sunset after only a few hours at anchor we were ordered to patrol to the seaward of the transports. The berth which we vacated was occupied immediately by a tanker from which we had recently fueled. Suddenly a searchlight from the beach pierced the darkness. It sought out our former berth and played on the tanker anchored there, illuminating it and several nearby ships. A Destroyer Commander asked what ship was so brilliantly silhouetted and was informed by someone not knowing that we had moved that it was the Cleveland. An instant later torpedoes were so thick that you could have walked ashore on them, as one signalman put it. Hits were inevitable, and one of the first victims was the tanker which occupied the Cleveland ' s berth. A charmed life? You be the judge. But with that our mission was completed. Next day brought word that hostilities in French Morocco had ceased ; a sizeable portion of North Africa was in Allied hands. Two days later we received orders to proceed to Bermuda. The first forty-eight hours of our return voyage was a repeat performance of Casablanca. . .courtesy of Axis U-Boats, and a good portion of our time was spent dodging torpedoes and firing at periscopes. None of the convoy was hit, however, and the rest of the voyage was without incident. We stayed at Bermuda for only a short time and then headed for Norfolk, Virginia, where we were allowed seventy-twos. We didn ' t know at that time that those seventy-two hours were to last us for the next two years. December 5, 1942, saw us underway from Lynnhaven Roads, Norfolk, for an unannounced destination. When we learned that we headed westward, we swelled with pride at the revelation that we were to join Admiral Halsey ' s forces at some distant Pacific base. It would be a new experience for most of the crew, many of whom had never seen the Pacific and whose knowledge of it 1 1 2 43 Dive bombing attack on Cleveland off Bougainville as seen from Denver [53] consisted of romantic legends of the South Seas, ex- cerpts from travel folders, and newspaper accounts of some of Halsey ' s feats. Our first, but unheeded, warning of what lay ahead came from the crew of the USS South Dakota (the mysterious Battleship X ) when we met her in the Panama Canal. The mighty South Dakota had already made a name for herself in the Pacific Theatre, and she knew whereof she spoke. The voyage was without incident, but our time was filled with drills of all sorts. We felt that we were good, but we were not good enough. We had to drill, and work, and drill again, until our actions in any sort of an emergency became second nature to us. There would be little time to think, we were told, in a fast closing surface or air engagement. What we did would have to be done automatically. And so we drilled .... The sea was calm and the night was clear and balmy, with a canopy of stars overhead. The Southern Cross looked down on us from off our port bow. At the stroke of midnight the serenity of the bridge was broken by a clear tenor voice singing Silent Night over the TBS. It was Christmas Eve, 1942. We listened, and thought of home. Our only celebration of Christmas consisted of a good turkey dinner. We were also denied the opportunity of celebrating New Year ' s, for when January First was due to roll around just one week later, we crossed the International Date Line. We went to bed on December 31, 1942, and awoke the morning of January 2, 1943. Perhaps it was just as well that way, for the substitution of water for a more appropriate liquid would have called for an imagination that few of us possessed. But let me go on with my story. We arrived at Noumea, New Caledonia, the morning of January 4, 1943, and moored alongside the USS San Juan, veteran of several actions in that area. Her battle-wise crew made the most of the opportunity of filling us with awe at the promise of the hardships and perils awaiting us. W ' e left Noumea on January 15, and proceeded to Havannah Harbor, Efate, New Hebrides, which was to be our first home in the South Pacific. Our first impression of our new base was not a pleasant one. As soon as possible we began looking around for a suitable recreation area where we could let off a little steam and drink a few beers when we could get them. Our E.xecutlve Officer, Commander Ernest St. C. von Kleek, who relieved Commander McVay in Havan- nah, was a past master at obtaining beer for the crew if there was any to be had within a radius of five hundred miles. Although we were soon to forget, for all practical purposes, that such brands as Schlltz, Budweiser, and Pabst existed, we soon decided that green beer was better than none. It wasn ' t long before a good spot was chosen, and we turned to in order to make the place a little more livable. We soon had a fine beach and a fair baseball field in operation and proceeded to make the most of it. We re- named the anchorage Fly Harbor, not, as you might guess in honor of our baseball field, but to commemorate the enormous winged pests which plagued us constantly. Fly Harbor. . . I ' ll never forget it. January 27 saw us underway for our first combat mission in the South Pacific. We were assigned the task of covering the movements of our troops to and from Guadalcanal, and to intercept and destroy enemy forces encountered. It was twilight when the planes came in. . .Japanese planes, and they were coming in low over the water in the gathering dusk. The first plane went down under the ii; ' - 43 Mciniin!, ' aflf-r (hi- Hadlc cjI ' |-.iiip AuK.iMa n:.y i- - 4 43 Xight bombardim-nt uf Buk;i jiilickls guns of a cruiser on our starboard quarter, but as it crashed into the water it burst into flame, illuminating that ship and causing it to bear the brunt of the attack. ■She was mortally hit, and while the CL j had once more come through an engagement with the enemy unscathed, our respect for the Japs as an adversary be- came well established. Shortly after this action, a task force was formed that was destined to make history. Known in the .South Pacific as Merrill ' s Marauders, this division, with Rear Admiral Tip Merrill in command, was destined to ])lay a decisive role in the critical phase of the war which saw [54] the Japs turned and started back on the road to Tokyo. One of the first missions of this newly formed task force was to bombard Japanese installations at Vila and Munda and to destroy enemy forces encountered. The Cleveland ' s specific job was to hit the Vila-Stanmore airdrome on Kolombangara Island. Before daylight on the morning of March 7 we steamed into Kula Gulf The moon was dark, but we could make out the outlines of land close on either hand. Reports had been received earlier in the night that two Jap cruisers or destroyers were proceeding south from Falsi at high speed on a course that would put them in Kula Gulf during our approach. The narrow channel and land on either side would furnish excellent cover for tor- pedo boats so we were alert. We had to slow our speed in 5 15 44 New Gcurgia Island — Practice Ijombardment order that our luminescent wake would not betray our presence. The accuracy of earlier reports was borne out, for we soon had two contacts on the radar. The reception com- mittee was waiting for us. We did not wait for them to make the first move, however. At exactly 0100 we took the nearest target under fire. Six minutes later a terrific explosion wrecked the Jap ship, and she sank in two minutes. In the meantime the other ship had taken her share of punishment and was ablaze. A perfect target illuminated by its own fires, it was soon sent to the bot- tom. We still had four miles to go before reaching our bombarding position. Would the Admiral, knowing that he had lost the element of surprise, and realizing the possibility that other ships might be lying in wait for us, accept the hazards involved and continue on? He gave the only answer that Tip Merrill could give. He ordered his force to proceed and carry out its assignment. Once at our bombarding positions, we began pouring destruction into the airfields and bivouac areas. Flashes from the beach confirmed our belief that the Japs were expecting us; they returned our fire immediately. Anxious minutes passed, and we were straddled by several salvos before our spotter reported the coastal defense guns knocked out and an ammunition dump ablaze. t) i5 44 E. ' iplosion of target at Xafutin Point, Saipan Japanese planes were overhead by this time, and the night was turned into day by the flares they dropped around us. We put about and headed for home, flinging our parting salvos into beach installations even as we put on additional speed. Our mission completed, we soon shook the Japanese planes with no damage to our forces, and reached home safely. Again the Cleveland had come through, straddled several times, but entirely un- scathed. Our bombardment at Kula Gulf was followed by several weeks of regular drills and patrols. During this period Captain Burrough turned over his command to Captain A. G. Shepard. Admiral Merrill knew that even a short period of inactivity would dull the edge of the striking force he had so carefully cultivated, and he took pains to see that it was constantly whetted. Veterans now, we looked forward to the next oflTensive move on the part of our forces. It came toward the end of June, when it was an- nounced that we were to help wrest New Georgia from the Japs. On the night of June 29, just before the initial landing, we steamed to the north of New Georgia to neutralize shore installations in the Shortland area at the upper end of The Slot, the narrow passage extend- ing from the southern to the northernmost tip of the Solomons. Although it was a diversionary action, this mission represented the deepest penetration of American ships into Jap-held territory up to this time. Despite a driving rain which reduced visibility to zero, expert navigation and the latest fire control equipment enabled the Cleveland and her sister ships to lay a devastating blanket of fire on the target area. The beachhead secured on New Georgia had to be protected, and our task force alternated with another under the command of Admiral Ainsworth in runs up The Slot in the hopes of intercepting the Tokyo Express, a formidable force of Jap cruisers and destroyers known by us to be operating in the Solomons area. During these patrols we were constantly harassed by Jap snooper planes, and it is probably because of them that we never caught the Express. Admiral Ainsworth, however, had better hunting. On July 6th and 12th [55] his force met and defeated strong enemy forces of cruisers and destroyers in Kula Gulf in one of the im- portant early engagements of the Pacific war. These victories were not bought cheaply, however. The USS Helena, sister ship of the St. Louis, was lost in the action of July 6, 1943, and other cruisers suffered slight damage. Japanese forces in the Solomons were considerably reduced by Kula Gulf, and Admiral Halsey lost no time in pursuing the advantage thus gained. During the remainder of the New Georgia campaign we were kept busy investigating every report of Japanese shipping and conducted numerous patrols up The Slot and else- where in the Solomons area. Munda Point felt the might of Merrill ' s Marauders in a devastating bombardment of that Jap stronghold on the night of July 1 1. Our first real recess from front line action since our arriv ' al in the Pacific came after the termination of the New Georgia campaign. We were given ten days in Sydney, Australia, to spend as we pleased in rest and recreation. Here it must be admitted that not many of the crew took the opportunity to rest; Sydney was too fascinating a place. But the chance to let off a little steam, drink Australian beer, and become acquainted with our friendly allies from Down Under was just what the doctor ordered for a battle weary crew. The hospi- tality of the Aussies and their eagerness to make our stay enjoyable will never be forgotten by those who made the trip. Highlights of our stay there were two ship ' s dances held at the municipal auditorium. A fine orchestra, free beer and soft drinks, an excellent floor show, and, of course, the charming Australian girls, combined to make these memorable occasions. It wasn ' t exactly a battle hymn, but Take the Cleveland Back to Sydney be- came one of the popular songs of the war as far as we were concerned. Taking leave of our new-found friends in Sydney, we moved farther north to a new base. Port Purvis, in the Guadalcanal-Tulagi area. Again we were pioneers, confronted with dense jungle and noisome swamp. Recreation for the crew seemed impossible in such surroundings, but once again Commander Von Kleeck came through with the goods. He set forth at once in a motor whale boat to explore the narrow, swampy, unin- viting beach. Picking a spot that seemed to offer the least resistance to improvement, he enlisted the aid of a nearby battalion of SeaBees. With trucks, bulldozers, and gasoline shovels, they turned to and literally moved the side of a mountain to wrest from the jungle a clearing that would serve as a recreation area for our men. The transportation problem was rendered acute by the fact that in wartime the Cleveland carried only two twenty-six foot motor whalel)oats, but this too was solved by the Commander, who secured the use of several jeep lighters from a nearby boat pool. Since the time when this recreation area was pioneered by the Cleveland, thousands of South Pacific sailors have enjoyed hours of relaxation on the artificial beach. An ofTicers ' club also sprang up there, and in a mock-serious ceremony, a plaque was unveiled dubbing it the Iron Bottom Bay Club, in recognition of the number of ships, both ours and the Japs, that still rest on the bottom of Purvis Bay. Our next action came on October 27, 1943, when we helped support American troops landing on Treasury Island, just south of Bougainville. This proved to be a prelude to an assault on Bougainville itself, the last large island in the Solomons still under Jap control. Preparatory to the landing of our forces at Empress Augusta Bay, the Allied Air Arm had knocked out all airfields on Bougainville except at Buka and Bonis on the northern tip. Our troops were to land soon after daylight on November first, and to Merrill ' s Marauders went the task of neutralizing the Buka-Bonis airfields prior to the landing. Leaving the Guadalcanal area the evening of October 30, we arrived at our bombarding position shortly after midnight, November first. We received the order to commence firing at 0023, and our initial salvo marked the beginning of what proved to be the most memorable thirty-six hours of the Cleveland ' s history. We poured five- and six-inch shells into the target area for some twenty minutes, starting huge fires in ammuni- tion and gasoline dumps. Enemy shore batteries opened up, but they were late and inaccurate. Jap torpedo boats attacked the formation but withdrew when subjected to a withering fire by our secondary batteries. They did not even succeed in interrupting the bombardment. Leaving the burning ruins of the Buka-Bonis airfields behind us, we steamed southward toward the Shortlands, our next target. Although we were harassed by Jap snooper planes most of the way, the trip was without incident. Shortly before daylight we passed the trans- ports south of Empress Augusta Bay heading for their dawn rendezvous off the landing beaches. We arrived at the Shortlands objective about 0600, and at 0620 enemy shore batteries opened fire on us. We replied immediately with counter-battery fire. Although repeatedly straddled, we held our steady course and carried out the bombardment according to the plan. Units of our task force received no hits, and the enemy shore batteries which had been so imprudent as to reveal their location were ninety percent silenced. It had been a busy morning, but we soon realized that the day had only begun. Reports were received that a 6 18 4.) Mai balU-iy firing at targets on Saipan [56] 6 19 44 Marianas Turkey Shoot sizable concentration of enemy warships was known to be at Rabaul on the north of us. An attack upon our transports and ground forces seemed imminent. We steamed on a northerly course during the day in order to attain a favorable position for intercepting such an attempt. By mid-afternoon our search planes re- ported that an enemy force of four cruisers and eight •destroyers had set out from Rabaul on a course for Empress Augusta Bay. Admiral Halsey immediately ordered us to intercept them. Throughout the afternoon we received reports on the movement of the Jap force from our tracking planes. Indeed, so accurately were we able to track them, even their speed was known to us... that Captain Shepard predicted the time of actual contact within two minutes. All gunnery control stations were alerted and told to expect contact at 0230, November 2. Contact was actual- ly made at 0232, some thirty-five miles west of Empress Augusta Bay. The night was black and rain fell intermittently in the dispirited drizzle characteristic of the South Pacific. It was a night that reflected our mood. We had no love for the Japs, and no phrase expressed our feeling for them better than those little yellow bastards. This was no Gentlemen ' s War, and we knew it. That knowledge added perceptably to our effectiveness against the Jap. I ' ve often wondered if he ever realized to what extent his attack on Pearl Harbor and his subsequent cruelties united our eflforts and steeled our resolve to bring him to his knees in utter defeat. But back to the matter on hand. Immediately upon making contact with the enemy force, the Admiral ordered a torpedo attack. This task fell to Captain Burke, Thirty-One Knot Burke, and his famed Little Beaver squadron of destroyers, which were a part of our task force. As soon as the torpedo attack was completed, we were ordered to commence firing. Our first salvo was fired at 0250, and almost immediately we saw a tremendous flash as a salvo of six inch shells found its mark. The Jap commander was caught ofiT balance, and he immediately turned his ships away to lick their wounds and take inventory of their damage. We checked fire at 0256. Recovering quickly from their initial shock, the enemy again turned toward us at 0300, and fire was re- sumed. Enemy fire was bad at first, but we were soon sil- houetted with star shells and beautifully placed flares from float planes. These Japanese flares seemed to hang motionless in the night like gigantic arc lights illuminat- ing our ships. No longer blind, the Japs did some excel- lent spotting, and we were straddled time and time again with eight-inch salvos. It was enough to take the soul out of a ship, if I, the Soul, may be permitted a pun at such a serious moment. But although she quivered violently from several near misses, the Cleveland once again came through unharmed. The enemy again turned away at 0330, and we ceased firing when he reached extreme range. Despite the blackness of the night, the violent maneu- vering, the shattering roar of gunfire, the Admiral never permitted his formation to become disrupted. Nor did he forget the premises on which he fought. When the Jap commander turned away the retiring enemy force offered tempting bait, but further pursuit would pull our task force out of position and leave the beachhead unprotected. Reluctantly, then, the Admiral broke off the action. The score: one enemy cruiser and four destroyers sunk, two cruisers and two destroyers damaged; our forces, one destroyer damaged. Dawn found us within easy range of the Jap airfields in the Rabaul area, and at0757 a flight of Sydive bombers, easily identified by their fixed landing gear, appeared to the westward. We gritted our teeth and waited. At 0809 the first wave peeled off in a forty-five degree dive and pressed the attack with the suicidal fanaticism that was [57] 7 1 ,44 Maipi Point. Saipan under bombardment later to become legend with them. But our gunners were just as determined, and accurate fire from the Cleveland accounted for three from the first group. One of those shot down straddled us with his stick of bombs, almost raked the top of our inasts as he came in, and failed to pull out of his dive. These near misses rocked the ship but did no damage. The fate of the first wav-e had its effect on the rest of the Nips. After a bit of ineffectual circling and a few half- hearted dives they made off for Rabaul, less seventeen of their original number. Their decision not to press the attack further was doubtless hastened by the appearance of our own Combat Air Patrol, which appeared on the scene just before the end of the action. And thus ended the Cleveland ' s busiest thirty-six hours to date. Admiral Merrill ' s comment bears repetition. Seldom, he said, has a task force been called upon to accomplish such varied and difficult missions in so brief a period. Seldom, if ever, have these missions been ac- complished so thoroughly and at so little cost. And Admiral Halsey, addressing himself to a group of officers from our task force a few days after the action, said, Gentlemen, words fail me. I am so proud of you that I cannot exjiress my feelings. My admiration for this task force goes beyond words. Events of the next few months were inevitably an anli-climax to the action we had seen around Empress Augusta Bay. There were drills and patrols and practice shoots and a few bombardments, but even the latter became routine now. Our gun crews took them in stride, and others who were not occupied did not even bother to come topside to watch them anymore. The night of December 23 we again bombarded Buka airdrome. Christmas saw us loading aminunition in Purvis Bay. Only the turkey dinner reminded us that it was a special day. On January 30, 1944, the Admiral came aboard and awarded Captain Shepard the Navy Cross, and Com- mander Von Kleck the Legion of Merit for ijic action of November ist and 2nd. From February 13 to 18, we participated in the land- ings on Green Island as a part of a task force assigned to patrol the area between the landing beaches and the large Japanese naval base at Truk, our mission being to intercept eneiny air or surface forces that might oppose the landing. Only minor opposition was encountered. During the early days of March, this same task force made, without challenge, what was up to that date the most western penetration of Allied ships into the Japanese .South Pacific Empire. This uneventful foray into enemy waters gave rise to the comment by the Admiral that, It looks like the Japs have abandoned their forces in the South Pacific and left them to subsist on victory gar- dens. From March i 7 to 23 the Cleveland was engaged in supporting the seizure of Emirau Island. One of the most exciting moments of this particular period of the Cleveland ' s operations came during what 7,_ i 44 Bombardment oi Guam Started out to be a practice exercise. We had requested and received permission to carry out a practice bom- bardment on a live target, one of the Jap-held islands in the Shortland Group. On the morning of May 20 our task force was in position and began a bombard- ment of known enemy positions. Jap guns replied about three seconds after we opened fire. Their first salvo straddled our course just ahead of the bow, and the ne.xt two straddled the ship. It was quite apparent that Japanese marksmanship had improved considerably since our last bombardment here in November of 1943. Our main battery immediately opened fire upon the shore batteries that were giving us such unpleasant moments, and they were soon silenced. Again the Cleveland miraculously escaped injury, but all hands top- side agreed that watching the flashes from the beach, hearing the whine of the shells in the air, and seeing the splashes close aboard on either side of the ship was not a pleasant sensation. This practice bombardment of the Shortlands was a part of our training program for the forthcoming o])era- tions in the Marianas. Much has been written about the campaigns of Guam, .Saipan, and Tinian. Actually they made Naval History, but to the crew they meant simply weeks of day and night bombarding, loading ammuni- L 5« ] tion when dead tired, precious sleep interrupted at all hours of the night at the approach of enemy bombers. They learned to sleep through the firing of the guns, and yet to sleep ready to spring to battle stations again at a moment ' s notice. They learned to sit at their guns day and night and eat their meals on station. They learned what it meant to feel near exhaustion and yet call on additional energy to load and reload heavy projectiles to repel another attack. The only relief from the monotony of bombardment, which even for a short time is a terrific strain on the nerves, came in the middle of June when the Cleveland was assigned to Admiral Marc Mitscher ' s famous Carrier Task Force 58 when it took part in the First Battle of the Philippine Sea. The success of our Naval forces in this battle is well known. It lasted about two days, June 19 and 20, and the action was fast and furious. No one on the Cleveland felt neglected because Jap torpedo planes disregarded her entirely to attack a nearby carrier. Perhaps they had already heard of our fabulous luck and did not wish to waste torpedoes. But they picked their carrier target without taking into account the fact that the attack course was within easy range of our guns. It was like a skeet shoot for our gunners, and they opened up with forty and twenty millimeter guns as each plane crossed the bow. As a result the carrier es- 9 16 44 Blue Beach, . nguar on D-Day caped without serious damage, and the Cleveland obtained a full bag for the day ' s shoot. None of the ships in our task group were damaged. One incident in the invasion of Tinian deserves men- tion. The fact that it happened at all illustrates the effectiveness of Japanese camouflage measures; the fact that the Cleveland escaped without damage adds another chapter to the story of her charmed life; and the fact that it ended the way it did illustrates the accuracy of the fire power of our ships when under direct attack. The story goes something like this. For days the island of Tinian had been subjected to a devastating bombard- ment during which time thousands of tons of high ex- plosives had been thrown at all known and observed shore installations. On the day of the landings, July 24, a feint was made on one beach while the main body of troops landed elsewhere. During the morning of the 24th, all beaches were heavily covered by naval gunfire. The Cleveland had been lying off-shore while she poured a murderous fire into the beach, and just prior to the time of the landings got underway and mov-ed several hundred yards to the south. Her previous station was taken by a battleship. Return fire from the beach had been negligible . . . until the boats making the diversionary landing ap- proached the beach. Then suddenly the Japanese shore batteries opened up with a rapid and accurate fire, re- vealing numerous gun positions that were hitherto unknown. The brunt of this sudden attack was taken by the battleship, which was firing from the approximate position that we had recently vacated. This ship, although heavily hit, continued firing from all remaining guns. When the other ships in the vicinity saw the hits taking effect on the battleship, they stood in under full power to render assistance. By the time they were within range the enemy batteries had been destroyed. The volume of fire coming from the Cleveland was so great. . .even our forties were raking the beach, so near the shore were we by this time... that the Admiral addressed a message to Captain Shepard asking if we had been set on fire by the Jap guns. He was assured that the Cleveland had not been hit, although numerous shells had landed close aboard, and that the smoke and flame which all but enveloped the Cleveland was from her own guns. The Cleveland was proud of the part she played in the recapture of Guam, for that island was the first former possession to be recovered from the enemy. The ship took part in the bombardment and close fire support which prepared the way for the landings, and gave gunfire support while the beachheads were established on July 21. By August ist the heart of the island was in our possession, and the native Chamorros could be seen returning to their homes laden with their remaining household goods. Just prior to our going to Eniwetok in the Marshall 9 17 44 Transports oft the beach at Peleliu [59] Islands, Captain Shepard was relieved by Captain H. G. Hopwood. On August 9, as a part of a newly organized task group, we proceeded to Eniwetok and from there to a base at Purvis Bay for rest and provisioning. The next leg of our journey to Tokyo was the Palau operation. The first landings were made on Peleliu Island on the 15th of .September, and were followed by the September 17th landing on Anguar Island. Peleliu, we learned, was not garrisoned by the usual bandy- legged, undersize Jap soldiers, but by six foot Imperial Marines. Consequently our troops encountered the fiercest resistance since Tarawa. During the morning of September 28, the conquest of Ngesebus Island was begun. The island had been thoroughly covered by Naval gunfire, and the Jap coastal guns had been destroyed. As a result, the capture of the island was a forenoon affair. The Palau operation was the last for the Cleveland before her return to the United States. For several months we had all been expecting her to go to the west coast for a long overdue Navy Yard overhaul, but each time that departure seemed imminent, our orders would be canceled in favor of another ship which had been damaged, and we would find ourselves slated for the next operation. And so when we reached Manus in the Admiralty Islands, we should not have been surprised at all if our orders had been changed again. However, when we started to strip the ship of surplus supplies and ammunition, we knew at last that we were Stateside bound. After three days at Manus we set a course for Terminal Island, San Pedro, California. It had been a long long time. Much could be written aJjout our stay at Terminal Island, but it would prolong my story unduly. Suffice it to say here that it was a momentous occasion for all of us and for those who had waited so long for our return. The leaves we were granted were for only twenty-three days, shorter than we had a right to expect, but there was much work to be done, and someone had to do it. To see our wives and friends and sweethearts again had been our constant dream, and to see that dream come true was worth all the months of waiting. For those not on leave, liberty was good, and the Long Beach-Los Angeles-Hollywood area offered many opportunities, few of which went unexplored. California hospitality was excellent. In the meantime the Cleveland received a thorough overhauling. She was fitted out with the latest types of radar and fire control equipment, and all batteries were regunned. Her heavy machine gun battery was more than doubled, and a modern Combat Information Center was installed. And so when the Cleveland left San Pedro, California, on January 3, 1945, for her second tour of duty in the Pacific, her fighting potential was considerably in- creased. The majority of her officers and men were veter- ans of over two years of combat duty, and her equipment incorporated the latest improvements. For a few officers, however, and some two hundred members of the crew, this was the firs t tour of duty aboard the Cleveland. In- cluded among the officers was our new E.xecutive Officer, Commander M. H. McCoy, who was returning to Pacific duty for the first time since his escape from a Jap prison camp. Daily practice shoots and the working of tactical prob- lems underway soon brought us back to the business at hand. By the time we reached Pearl Harbor on January gth the coordination of our gunners had begun to return, and the newcomers were beginning to learn their way around. On January 14 we joined a task group which included the USS Indianapolis, in which Admiral Spruance was 2 15 45 .Approach to Mari clcs Hay on Bataan [60] m- ' . v 2 13 45 Topside Clorregidnr prior to landings ofparatroops 2 16 45 Cleveland firing on Caballo Island, Manila Bay, to silence Jap batteries embarked, and got underway for Ulithi in the Carolines, the home base of the famous Task Force 38. Arriving there on January 25th, we learned thai our stay would be a short one. The next day we were on our way to Leyte in the Philippine Islands. How diflferent was the picutre now from the days when we were steaming up and down the Slot in the Solomons. Our forces had grown so large as to stagger the imagination, and now our troops were firmly emplaced on Leyte. The conquest of the Philippines was already begun. We entered the swept channel in San Pedro Bay, Leyte Island, on January 28. Although we were alerted several times during that night because of enemy planes operating in the vicinity, no attack developed, and the next morning saw us under way for Mangarin Bay, Mindoro Island. Having been forewarned of a possible attack by enemy midget submarines operating from Siquijor Island in the Mindanao Sea, we steamed at high speed and kept a sharp lookout. The trip was un- [61] :i i6 45 Paratroops landing on Corregidor eventful, howevei-, and we anchored off Mindoro on January 30th. Day by day more of our troops were being landed at strategic points in the Islands, and the noose around the Japanese was being drawn tighter and tighter. Dining the first week in February, we stood by at Mindoro to act as a distant covering force and to furnish fire support if such were needed. The Japanese were known to have two battleships, two heavy cruisers and several destroyers at Singapore, and there was always the possibility, how- ever remote it might seem, of their venturing out to inake a strike at our forces. The big news of the week was of the landings of American troops and the three-pronged drive toward Bataan and Manila. : j8 ' 45 .Assault vva i-s approach llii- Ix-acli — I ' ui-rlo Primcssa, Palawan Islanil. P. I. [62 J We knew that we were not to miss this show wlien on February 8th we stood out for Subic Bay, Luzon Island, It was here in this natural bay on the northern shore of the Bataan Peninsula that our task group of cruisers and destroyers was assembled and made ready to conduct the next operation — Corregidor. On February 13th we left Subic for Corregidor at the entrance to Manila Bay. At 1000 we saw the Army Air Force conduct a strike on the island fortress with attack bombers, and in a few minutes eighty percent of the island was obscured by smoke from the bombs. In the meantime our minesweepers were busy clearing the waters for our landing craft and opening a channel into Manila Bay. We stood by in support of these plucky little vessels until 1330, when we began our bombard- ment. With our entire task force in line we poured hundreds of tons of steel into the Japanese defense posi- tions. We received very little return fire, and by nightfall there were few signs of life either on Corregidor or nearby Bataan. The next day we again took up bombardment posi- tions and witnessed another air strike on the ' Rock. The minesweepers were working constantly to clear enemy minefields, and small islands surrounding Cor- regidor were kept under harassing fire by the cruisers and destroyers so that fire from the Jap shore batteries would be less effective. Later Army planes laid a smoke screen to protect the sweeps. On the third morning, while we were pouring five and six-inch shells into Corregidor and Caballo Island, the first assault wave headed for the beach in Mariveles Harbor on the southern shore of Bataan Peninsula. That the bombardment had been effective was evi- denced by the fact that little opposition was met by the troops inaking the initial landing. During the morning of February i6th, our fourth day at Corregidor, we had ringside seats for a show seldom witnessed by men of the Navy. We were lying several hundred yards off shore when the first Army transport planes came over and began to discharge their para- troops on Corregidor, and before long the entire island was transformed into a field of white as the chutes were discarded. We can imagine that the Japs were just as surprised as we were that such a landing was attempted on so small a target. Even as the paratroops began their descent, other troops were charging ashore from landing craft on the barren southern beach of the island, while our warships stood offshore to counter any fire from shore emplacements that might have withstood the pre-in- vasion shelling. As in most Pacific operations, everything seemed to be happening at once, but it was happening to the Japs, and they were able to muster only sporadic small arms fire to oppose the landings from sea and Irom the air. As for the Cleveland ' s part in the Corregidor operation, she contributed her share to the softening up of the island before the landings, successfully covered the mine- 3 18 45 Landings at Tigbauan, Panay, P. I. [63] 3 19 45 J P retreat I ' rom Iloilo City, Panay, P. I. sweepers, and effectively silenced a number of shore batteries, one of which was taken under fire by her guns within thirty seconds after it had been reported. But Corregidor was not essentially an Army, Navy, or Air Force show; it was an excellent example of a coordinated effort. Toward the end of February we returned to Mangariii Bay, Mindoro. Here was assembled a task force which was to form the assault group for an attack on Puerto Princessa on the island of Palawan, the largest of the chain of islands extending from the Philippines southwest to the Asiatic mainland. Opposition was light, and once the airfields were taken the Air Force took over and we returned to Subic Bay. Another obstacle had been placed between Japan and her crumbling South Pacific Empire. During the month of March additional landings were made, and beachheads were consolidated all along the western shore of the Philippines. Our cruiser division patrolled the coast from Mindoro to Lingayen Gulf. We were at Panay during the landing there, and later took part in the last large scale operation of the Philippine Campaign, the taking of Mindanao. The landings we covered the re were in the Cotabato area, on the western side of the peninsula opposite the Japanese stronghold of Davao. In the lulls between these operations we were able to make several visits to Manila. There we talked with many of the internees who had been held by the Japs at Santo Tomas and who had not yet found the means to return to their homes. They had lived there, some in the university buildings and others in squalid huts scattered around the grounds, under intolerable conditions, and most of them showed plainly the symptoms of malnu- trition. We saw Old Bilibid Prison and many other sites whose interest value had been enhanced by the roles they ])layed in the war. Looking at the rubble-littered streets, the utter de- struction on every hand, the poorly clothed children, the filth and the stench of burned and rotting bodies that had not yet been removed, it was difficult to imagine that Manila had once been a beautiful and gracious city, the I ' earl oitlic Orient. It would be years bclbre the city that was Manila would stand again in anything comparable to its former grandeur. But only a small part of our time was taken up with sight-seeing. Our drills and training never ceased, and we never missed an opportunity to better equip ourselves for our next assignment, whatever it might be. Our attention was now focused on the forthcoming strike at oil-rich Borneo, the acquisition of which would not only make available to the Allies the quinine and oil and other resources of that rich territory, but would strip Japan of one of her richest sources of raw materials. We left Subic Bay on June 7th and headed for Brunei Bay in British North Borneo. The Japanese were known 3 19 45 Japs burn Iloilo City, Pana) ' , P. I. to have two heavy cruisers in the Singapore area, and our mission was to act as a distant covering force to protect the Australian troops landing at Brunei Bay. Our patrol covered quite a large area off the north- western coast of Borneo, and we were prepared for what- ever opposition the Japs might ofTer, but they offered none. We encountered only one enemy aircraft, and it passed well clear of our formation. On the night of Jime loth, when we moved into the harbor, the Aussies treated us to a rare show in repelling an air attack. We had heard of their well coordinated air defense, which they had learned at first hand in the days before the Luftwaffe lost its sting, but seeing it in action was a revelation. We had all been alerted for an impending attack, and were ready at our guns when the first plane came in. We picked up our target immediately and began tracking. Soon he was within range of our guns, and trigger fingers were itching, but we were ordered to hold our fire. He closed rapidly, and soon the range was down to five thousand yards. Our solution was good, and we could not understand why we were not allowed to open fire, Ijut suddenly the sky was crisscrossed with the piercing fingers of a dozen searchlights from the beach. They seemed to waver for a moment and then, as if moved by a single hand, they steadied and crossed on a single point, and in a brief instant we saw the Japanese plane caught in their bliiicliiig brilliance. .Mniost immediately [64 the sky was filk-d with tracers Iroin mobile 40mm guns on the beach, all converging on that point of light where the beams of the searchlights crossed. The firing lasted but a few seconds, and then ended as suddenly as it had begun. The searchlights blinked out, and in the darkness that ensued we could see a single blob of light as it moved earthward. The burning Jap plane fell about a mile off our port bow. With the Australians well-established at Brunei Bay, the Cleveland returned to Manila, where on June 27th, General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, Commander in Chief of the Southwest Pacific Area, and members of his staff came aboard to observe allied operations in the Balikpapan area of Dutch Borneo. Rumors of important guests coming aboard had been circulating around the ship for days, but who it was to be we could only guess. These rumors had been fortified by the extensive preparations made to provide quarters for the Army Staff and War Correspondents and photogra- phers who were to make the trip. Within half an hour after the official party came aboard, the Cleveland was under way for the return trip to Borneo. As we joined the rest of our task force off Balikpa- pan we moved immediately into bombardment position. It was not yet daylight when we commenced firing, and we could see huge fires burning in the oil fields that had some three hours on the beach, and we learned that they had been fired at on at least one occasion as they reached the top of a ridge at the very front of our established lines. When the inspecting party returned to the ship, we immediately got under way for Manila. We were there only long enough to allow the General and his staff to disembark, then proceeded to San Pedro Bay, Leyte, where we spent several days in feverish preparation for our next assignmsnt. Noticeable among the supplies taken aboard were heavy clothing and foul weather gear. This, of course, set off many weird rumors as to where we were going. It could mean any one of several things, we argued: duty in the North Pacific with our forces in the Aleutians; operations in the vicinity of Iwo Jima or Okinawa; joining the fast carrier forces who were at that time striking in the Tokyo area. It could have been any of these, but it wasn ' t. Not until the morning of July 13th, when we left San Pedro Bay for Okinawa, did we learn the nature of our mission. No allied surface ship had as yet ventured to the China Coast in the mine-infested waters of the East China Sea. Now the time had arrived when it was felt that Jap air power had deteriorated to a state where, without undue jeopardy, our surface ships could penetrate deep into enemy-held territory without the benefit of friendly air cover. Once again the Cleveland was being assigned to an up the Slot job with all the attendant thrills and suspense of high speed night runs never knowing what surprises might be stumbled upon at any moment! But our task gioup of four light cruisers, the Guam, Alaska, and nine destroyers was strong in anti-aircraft weapons and we were ready for anything the Jap might offer. Taking departure from Okinawa on July 1 7th, our first sweep took us westward to the China coast, thence northward in a daylight run to the mouth of the Yangtze River, and then back to our base at Okinawa. Except for night snoopers which were driven off by AA fire, our only contacts were with the numerous junks subsequently identified as Chinese. This poor hunting was to be typical of subsequent sweeps to the Shanghai area. Although we were disappointed in not encountering surface action, it was heartening to discover for our- 4 17 45 Results of bombings and bombardments Cotabato, Mindanao, P. I. been set afire by previous shelling and by concentrated attacks from the air by Army heavy bombers. In a short period of time we poured tons of high explosives into the target area surrounding the landing beaches, and as the ships carrying the assault troops came in, we were relieved by the USS Denver so that we could move out of the bombardment area in order to allow the General and his official party to disembark. When the General left the ship to inspect the landing area, he was accompanied by Lieutenant General Mors- head. Lieutenant General Milford, Vice Admiral Barbey, Air Vice Marshal Bostock, of the Australian Army, and Captain Charles J. Maguire, on board as relieving Commanding Officer of the Cleveland. The party spent 4 18 45 Invasion force in PoUoc Harbor, Parang, Mindanao, P. I. [65] selves that Japan was so hard-pushed. In what had been her busiest shipping lanes leading from her ill-gotten Asiatic empire, not a single Japanese ship was to be found from the 1 7th of July to the 8th of August. Next to the typhoons for which this area is notorious, the innumerable floating mines sighted and destroyed gave us our greatest concern. Enemy aircraft were en- countered, but on the rare occasions when they didn ' t turn tail and run, they were driven off by the AA fire of the screen or by the Combat Air Patrol of fighters or search planes which was proxided us when we were within reach of our own air forces. . nd I ' d like to say right here that those boys in the CAP deserve a lot of credit. They not only did a wonder- ful job, but they saved wear and tear on our nerves. On countless occasions they intercepted planes before they ever came within sight of our task group. I remember one occasion in particular. We were approaching Okinawa at the conclusion of one of our sweeps when several ' Bogeys were picked up by our radar. We immediately vectored out our CAP to intercept them. We had had several reports within the last hour of planes being downed by our fighters in the vicinity of Okinawa, which was under attack by Kamika- zes, and these were planes that had evidently broken off from that attack. Their actions soon showed that they had spotted us and intended to press home an attack. However we soon heard over the Fighter circuit, a tally-ho ' ' from one of our planes on two Bogeys im- mediately identified as Jap torpedo planes. Upon sight- ing our CAP the Nips turned tail and ran but could not outdistance our fighters, who in a few minutes came up with Splash-One Frances. The other, a bit luckier, was reported as damaged as our boys turned back due to lack of fuel. We were in Okinawa on the night of August loth when suddenly the sky was filled with flares and tracers from the beach. At first we didn ' t know what to make of it, but soon the general alarm sounded and we hurried to our battle stations. We had no reports of enemy planes and could see none on our own radar. Soon those of us topside were conscious of a hum of conversation through- out the ship that quickly swelled in volume until we could scarcely make ourselves heard above the shouts and whistles of the gun crews. This form of behavior was a little bit unusual, and it was some minutes before order was restored again. Then we learned the cause of the disturbance. A radio broadcast heard by some members of the crew had announced that the Japanese had re- cjuested terms o f surrender. While our impromptu celebration aboard ship lasted only a minute or so, that on the beach lasted for almost a quarter of an hour, during which guns of all calibers and rockets of all descriptions were fired. Not a single ship in the harbor fired a shot. We remained at general quarters for two hours. It was felt by some that the broadcast might have been made for the purpose of throwing us off our guard in the at- tempt to pull another Pearl Harbor. Indeed, it seemed that that might be a likely explanation when we were alerted several times during the remainder of the night by enemy air raids. • The next few days were perhaps the most trying that any of us had spent during the war. We were all tense with expectancy, wondering at the delay in a definite word, and hoping with all our hearts that it was over. There was official confirmation of the Japanese request for surrender; broadcasts of celebrations in Manila, Pearl Harbor, and the States; and yet not a night passed but enemy planes continued to raid our anchorage at Buckner Bay. During that uncertain week more than 7 I 4-) .Xflr-r the air strike ainl hoiiihanlriHiil Haiik|i.i|), 7 1 45 Rcl ' iiK-rifs and oil slo.agc uii U-Uav, Balikpapan one ship was hit by suicide planes, and the USS Pennsyl- vania, anchored nearby off our starboard bow, took an aerial torpedo in a sneak attack. Nerves were near the breaking point by this time, and when we thought of those boys who were killed on the old Pennsy, who only a few hours ago had been dreaming of Christmas at home just as we were. . .had probably written their folks telling them that they would be home soon. . .then our rage and hatred of the Jap reached a new high. Had it been left up to the crews of the Cleveland, and the Pennsy, and others like them, our B-29 ' s would have been working (ncrtimc in carrying destruction to Japan. [66 J ' j t 45 Australians land at Balikpapan. Borneo But finally, on August 20th, all Japanese planes were grounded, and our nights were quiet again. The last days of August were taken up with training exercises while we awaited further orders. It would be impossible to describe the feeling and emotions we felt when the end of the fighting became an established fact. We thought of home, of friends we ' d see soon. We thought of friends we ' d never see again, either because they had lost their lives in battle or because we ' d soon be parted to go our separate ways. We thought and we prayed and we hoped we would be home soon. On September the gth we left Okinawa for Japan. We were part of a screening force for a group of hospital ships and auxiliaries which were to evacuate internees and prisoners of war from Wakayama, just south of the Kobe-Osaka industrial area. We were forced to cruise off the entrance to the harbor for several days while minesweepers cleared a channel for us. On September 15, 1945, the Cleveland dropped anchor in Wakanoura Wan in the home waters of Japan. Here in the Empire waters our most dangerous enemy proved to be the frequent typhoons. Some six weeks later after the Army had arrived and taken over the duties of occupation in that area, the Cleveland left Wakayama for Tokyo. When we dropped the hook in Tokyo Bay off Yokosuka, at exactly 1 143 on the morning of October 28, 1945, the long and arduous trek which had begun at Guadalcanal in the Solomons on January 27, 1943, was completed. The USS Cleveland, CL 55, light cruiser, United States Fleet, had helped win a war. 1 1 45 Homeward bound with Fuji San fading in the distance t t 3 S Ca.v ijoo pl ' i Jj Ac c -X)ucei . ' Post Office, Manila Spit ' n ' Polish Cap ' n Andy says faicucll Xnias in I ' uia is was ne cr like this t7o] Main Street — W ' akanouia um the General Jimmyleg Plank owners jamboree — off goes the war paint [71] The General relaxe: Pom- Pom on watch )nr to a rustomi lean sweopdown [72] Bull session around the Joe-pot Leaning tower of Manila and it ' s still rolling at Olongapo [73] ' ictory rhovv — ' -J Drill slarboartl ' Macy ' s — Wakanoiii 1 li, B,.ss ' Faniail Follies [74] Senior Polliwog Main gate to llu- Palace Champeen Send the Cleveland back to Sydney [75] We ' ve seen it all ' e ' e been to ,S diiev ' rhi ' remains of Pier -. Manila I 7fi ] Peace — it ' s wonderful Ml liands ?? .;i W The end of the line — W ' akanoura The pause that refreshes 77] Our big barkyard Loew ' s — Tokyo st lc Memorial service lor ih C:ommander-in-C:lii l )riem — after 7B A stitch in time nchor in sight — clear anchor [79 V -J day — Buckner Bay Uncle Sugar, here we come I ' rintcii in 1946 The Andover Press, Ltd. Andover, Massachusetts, U.S.A.