Macomb (DD 458 DMS 23) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 25 text:

,M . 5 ' m .- J '-Q-, 'f N .. W ,K .N To fm lm A ' 1Q '-A x 2 Wh. .. s K 's-If far ' Q xw 'T -Q ,- ' ' - 'vfif 4' x - ' -S ' Yard. f,l'l8l'lffSlfJll. 5. C.. on Xuxle'-rrmlwr 'Jtl1, ami ' . Y, . 'KH the Mar: sailed happily up thf- murky lf.,..!,.er River lo lrfrffln llfrr fr hf'f'liP 15-riml nl rl-ru..-p-' 1' l l l frnm the UD-153 to llvlf' llf--truyvr Nlin.---,,.-.-5,4.-y 23. Herr znallalrilily po-riml Hxvr. llnf- XI4-Mfgdi. sailwl for Nnrfull-.. arrixing ilu-rr -.rl l,luri-l:r,l. Hay nf l'Jlfl-. Flu' nu- rw lung'-r 41 llll, MM lf.-y numlwr wa- nu lfmgvr l.lJ5. ln-h'.ul -ln' 1.-.lv LM ln' lunmn lu'ru'o'lnrll1 41- llNl' XJ. Xml nw.-, -Elf- v1 r1t1im-:llx I.r.1Q r lr. X. l,. L Vs l-EN: H-l 4 ll' V, LH 'll I I l.nlwrlv-lr-vuml In N.qaln-- ulnn I'l'lll'El'lll.4llll1ll'.lH'HlL1l' llutl lam-Hn Url Il.- l'l'lIIlN'I' ll, Xlllrl' -ufrlv' v xv'Il I-Q'-, mul V-fl mi-lmp runnin-' nwmnml mln- -lui, I'-Ir ll 1' l I, ,. f. lull Hilillli. xlffllllkl. In fflrualmrm Hllll lvl- N, - v 2 '.f+L X.....grs4.li 6. v . lf f l'::p-1 N-lm l I- l'-nl llnv ' ' I Ilu lllllllfl H 1 M lllll ..l'l..f.l lu-ml.-.I ln - . X. ' - all lln I1-Ugilll'-l lllt' Flllll xvlilx ual' 'l 'lIl .ll llllwlwlnll l.lII1ll fl-11-' Kim l X l lI 1 'll l'll ll' llmlll l H'llu'llll1: mul lilwllx. .mol ms l.mu.ux 'I rlrf l 1 NA' l 'Null' lu' l lllP1 ,ul'HHlr,,n U 'm,,,.,l IQHHHLJ, HM, 'IH' HU' K 1 ' ' lr Nl.1ll.a!l--I1 ul llgjlllvl llllvvlnl llillldll. Imuml lui Nm lllo-L fff. l ulslwrrum Ulm ll lm' !' l ll ' ll4 'l'f 'ln' -.ulllr alan- -In-nl Ill:-lv. llllllllij mlm ln mm lu Ill- l P l l ' l' ll' l' ll ll l'?'lll ' -lilf'-ll-'I vrlx annul mu- lui-lmie-.nllx lunulu Ill-fvwllllxu IH--lx A l ll 5 l'l 'l 'l lrlilrr, lllf' 'lllll walllvtl llirl xlklllll' YY.l-lllrwllfel ll ,. , ,g,' ,,.3 ,,l l,, l,,,u,-'UL in HH. llll'lN'I' lu l'm'l Nltggvlr'-. Vlr.l'lllIlL1lHlI llll I.-l-:ff XI ,f.+ ,lf l.,, 1 ,MMU gl, ,, 'l,,, I 'ggi 'yum' :IH l. l'll.-r. lllr' Xlglr4nlr1lv.lml umx-wx xx-Aw Ill? ,X -,r ,K ,H .,.,g ,,,k g.. I I,1I,,. M ll,,.1QH,,,. elvrmu. lmuml lu: llwrmlulu, l-V v Q 4.4, 'Alum -.nl-X tw- flux- mul ul IVIWIIIK lnrpu vlml- :ul 'lkurnnlu priur In Ilia- ill!1l'ilIH Wlvk al- il lmot nl' 'nnlh-'rn l'Rllf'1' q. 1 Y . 4 x Y' I 21

Page 24 text:

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

Page 26 text:

lfniwetok. the Mac tried for her first Japiliill. hy depth charging a sound contact. Results were negative, however. During the stay at Iflithi continuous flrills were stressed in View of the forthcoming operation. and then on March IU, l9-15 the Nlaeoinh in re-oinpany with the rest ul the squadron texeept for the Fitch. who hacl run LlL!l'UUllflt joined 'litl 32.2. and sailetl for Ukinana fiunto. Ukinana. which was to he the first footholfl in litlllilft? Waters. antl the serene of the niltla-st ship-xersus-plane fighting in history. fXrrixing1 ut Ultinana I5 flaps lnefore le.-clay. the Nlut' nnrl tn-r uwoiinpttityiing sneeps t'onnnent'etl tht- urrlnons task ul 1-learing tht- extensixe areas ztssigiwtl to l.ltl'lll. 'lille islttntl ol' Ultiituuzt lay silent nntl lJ0'ilf't'illl. floss- nt hatntl. l'lllilllf. on the flux ol' the inxu-ion til' lx:-rgmnt lit-tto. the Nine' sun tn-to lilst ,lamp plantes. Noi'-'ensuite at group ol' 'll-A Tal. lin- Xian-:init nat- one ol' the lil-tt to -ight .1 group ul lit-gms soon tht- nit' nn- till.-it with XXlvni-t- .unix tht- x.n.l nas nipetl out to tln- In-t lvl.un', Nwvlnl unit- sn-lninetl ll'lllt't t' llllt' lwilv' tltv' 1-lil llxlx l tltt' llwlsvt t A .. - .- . . which was hit hy 2 planes that just IlllSSCtl th.. Mae. The Macomb stood by to pick up s11rviv,,,.S. of which there was only one. Later in the clans the Macomb and 3 other DNlS's xsantlered intl, the Keraina Rotto invasion antl tleliweretl at hw. salvos at a Cave. and got a eonple of near misses in return. With this first fierce clay of intimate enum,-1 with the enemy. the Nolan' reatlietl herself for nhat she knew nas going to he at rnggetl tom of clutx. the ,laps hail hegnn then' netne ale- fense of the Okinawa Cnnto. A len days later the Sine uns steznninu in eolnntn with three other llllgs nhen lntt on th. mater out ol the setting snn eanne n ,Inp sniritlt plane. lt nns at Neat. All four ships opt-neil nl. on the plane antl the hlnes -ltlnnn. sin-lls eonltl he seen ripping into the fuselage. The plane n- iusetl to tllSlIllt'Q1I'Ltll' antl eznne on llt lntrronh missing the seeontl ship in the eohnnn. 'liht plane hrolxe np ancl sanlt lllltllt'tllillt'lt. Naples Hnrlmr ! ww .,.,zym.?. if ff . M, - ajyi .54 Lf?