Macomb (DD 458 DMS 23) - Naval Cruise Book

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t Q5 54, f Top: Mother, granflmother, daughter, re-afling Frcctown family from lop to llottom Center: Dakar street sm-nw Native markvt plavv, Dakar Bottom: Wlr. llolnws and Wlr. llrill on short- patrol Ensign flutllriv anfl llw goals ill Dakar l'l

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P.T. boat alongside during exereises in liuu.arel's Bay again took over the escort lor the middle leg. A few hundred miles from Bermuda is e nere relieved to proceed to that eoral isle lor luel. On this 3500 mile jaunt the Mae added another laurel for she had completely outhested her younger 2100-ton sisters in luel eeouomy and engineering performance. At Bermuda happy orders were received lo proceed to Boston for a three-week availability. The warm, peaceful water had spoiled us. so oltl Neptune stirred up a tempest to make the Ber- muda-to-Boston passage well-remembered. Waves and winds grew higher and higher, and the Macomb tossed and rolled and pitched but kept coming. Who cared? We were going home lor Christmas to our favorite port of call, to a good- sized yard period, and to the longest leaves in the shipis history thus far. So ended 1943 with the Mighty Mac at home for Christmas and New Yearis Day in Boston Navy Yard. lt has been an eventful, well-traveled year, but with no eon- tact with the enemy. New Yearis Day, 1944, found the Macomb starting the year completing a yard period in the South Boston Navy Yard. During the 'lirst quarter of the year on to April 20 the time was divided between Seal Island and Casco Bay. Maine, Quonset Point, Rhode island, Boston. Mass., and Norfolk, Va. Much of the time was spent operating with the Ranger as anti- submarine screen and plane guard. Between 18 tune- was spent in anti-sulnuarine and Bunlwry exe:-rise-. Nleauultile. on Nlttrt-lt 24. IO44, Lt. Comix, lieolggt' lllllflllllbtlll Iselietetl iitIll'ltlY', Jen-Y C' South as eouutuuultug ollteer. llutiup one ul the exereises with the Ranger, it plane eareened oil het side during an attempted landing. l.t. llieliattl Nlauslield and Seaman 17C ,lohu l'. Sueeuex nent over the side to rescue the ratlioutau. 'lille pilot drowned before the luo suiuuuets eoultl reaeh him. Both men re- eeixed the 'Nant and Marine Corps Medal, April Zttth lound the Nlaeomh underway for the Mediterraueau Sea. destination Oran, Al- geria. lfreuelt North Alriea. While refueling at lfayal lslaud. in the Azores. l.t. ,loseph Behan reported alioard lor duty as executive officer, replaeiug l.t. Mansfield Milli had been lost at sea during the stormy erossiug. Our entrance into the iVlediterraueau allorded us our first View ol llle lzttltolts lioelx ol liilbl'8llHl'. Alter eompleting a seven day availability alongside the l1.S.S. N ftf ulean. at Mers-El-Kabir, l rt-neh North Alriea. the ship proceeded to Gi- lvraltar. ioined a eouxfoi and returned to Oran as a memlner ol the anti-submarine screen. We were then ordered lo join a 'fkiller groupn seareliiug lot' a reported sulnnarine off the south- eastern eoast of Spain. A len minutes lvelore midnight, on May 16th, the surlaee radar reported a target which turned out lo lie the German sulnnarine. The sub WHS illuminated lu the !Vlaeomlm and the main bat- tery opened fire, 'llhese were the opening shots in a suln eltase that lasted T2 hours. Cullninatmg in the surlaeiug ol the suli ln depth Charges, and its sinking lu gunfire. A few hours later another tlerman siulnnarine hred a full salvo of aeonstie torpedoes. uhieh exploded in our vvakei at whieh time another group arrived to relieve ll.S.S. lown. Presiclenliul Yllfhl

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sum? W'ct decks I' tht- Nliltflllltll and the ship proceeded to Oran. For this at-tion. Lt. Comdr. Hutchinson was later awiurtled the lironze Star. and the Gunnery Ulli- ver ret-4-ived at connnendation rihhon. tlunnt-rx t-xeiw-ises were conducted during the next nine 'dau re. as well as other battle problems. und May lltnith tht- Nlac saitt-tl for liizerte. Tu- nisia. as anti-submarine screen lor l 5.5. lietel- geuse. lla-turning an day and a hall later. in Vttlltltltltt with tht- Slllttt' ships. the vessel was ordered oxernight into Algiers. after an air raid was reported to he impending. The month ol .lime from the tsl to the lfmth was spent in xarions exercises and submarine st-:invites and a mock invasion of Arzeu. Algeria. Un tht- lhth we joined a TG sailing for Naples. ltalx. lfnroutc we saw the lamous Isle of Capri :is w e entered the lun-tmr and also bit. Vesuvius, tht- famous volcano. lolere at this beautiful har- hor the Nlac became thoroughly rested for her next operation. The stay in Naples. from ,lune 28th through .llllyq was broken when the ship took part in a mock invasion of Salerno. and by three trips to Palernno. Sicily. .luly 29th we sailed for Malta. and enroute witnessed a spectacular sight-the active volcano Mt. Stromboli erupting. On the way we joined the l'.S.S. Texas and proceeded to Taranto. Italy. From August 1 to 11th, we remained at anchor making final preparations for the invasion of Southern France. During this 20 period the Mac took part in a submarine hunt which took the ship near the coast of Albania and briefly into the Adriatic Sea. On August llth the Macomb was underway from Tarantg acting as picket ship for TG 85.12. Final des. 7 tination-Southern France. The Mac was the iirst of the large task force to close the enemy shore in the early dawn of August 15th. The extreme tension was relieved when the heavy naval bombardment began, and the landings went off with scarcely a hitch. Having completed our duties in the invasion. the ship returned to Taranto via Palermo. re- trieved torpedo war-heads, thence to France via Ajaccio, Corsica. From August 23rd to Sep- tember 18th, the Mac performed miscellaneous duties and finally returned to Oran for another seven-day availability alongside the tender. Sep- tember 19th we proceeded to Toulon, France and thence to Marseilles. At these two French cities the lVlac's crew enjoyed several good liti- erties. The French did their best to please us. and succeeded admirably. Marseilles was thc only port in the lVlediterranean which could still supply all the necessities for a sailor's liberty. Finally we sailed for Oran on October 20th, when orders were received to return to the United States. Wie arrived at Charleston Navy' Bofor 1 cuts loose