Macomb (DD 458 DMS 23) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 31 text:

CADIPAIGNS Ayn INYASIQINS THE INVASION or NORTH -4FRlC.4 Lak! in August ul' 1942. twill-tll21Ul2lI'UlllNl llhi split In th,-N. twin, K.xPlU5iUn5' Hx tht, nah! ship, as it always clues. that snnwtliing hut nas -if tht- lin-5 which innm-tliuti-lx liulitiiil thi- slliva brewing for the Mighty Mac anfl he-r sister ships. anal tht- th-lvris-ltnlcli scat. the nivn iuultl niatlw nut Nobody knew what was running ull. hut thv thrt-,. Shiw nhifh had l,t.K.n hit In 'm.Pl.dm.5 scuttlchutt was flying thif-l-c anfl fast. Wv min- alll nt-I-,. W.,.fl.,.l hits. dcnd mnidshipgu 'film N.,-t fevcn more certain after a threw xwcks training the- tl:-stunt-r llLllllltlt'ltlll, thi- trunspnrt llingln-s period in Chesapeake Bay was follnwecl by an tnnl tht- ttnil-.cr Wiiiniiski. tim nl th,. llmxi. an 4-vffn inure iiitfensitifefl une in livrnnnlu. linriu-ity flint-ml within fpitting tlistuinw' ul tln- Nlatvnnih was 8l'UU9f7fl U1 21 l W'l' Piltfll Nllfll- UH U1'lHlH'I' lin' trumpnrt funk tht- in-xt flux. sullt-ring ln-aux 29, W-12. me Sr-t out wafstmiril with at huge- win- mistlatllivw. Thi- ilcstrnu-1' haul 'ln-cn split ailningt Wy. Thee mnwy irlf'r1'uSf'fl fluily ur-til it num- in nw. tht- Q-xpl..5i.,n tilntting parts ul tht- atm l't'f fl 900 Shllli lift-nmiii tlirnugli tht- sith-5 znnl tht- dit-si-I shavlx Un Nnvvnilwr Tth. tht- zirlnzulzt split intn sm- 1'l 'l - l'il F lil 'l l'l P1 l lllt' Sllilfh lm' 4-ml grmips prcfpurattnry tn striking ilu. ,,l,jm.tiw hw-n at vustntlty. lin' tunlwi' fam-tl ninrh lwttvl thif lullnwing nmrning. It was unly thvn that mm' ll ' ll um' ul 1' lim l lH 'l- 'l55l Pl liuptuin Duvall infnrnwrl his nn-n. sp:-ul-Qing nwr V W Wi-'11-li iwllilil-11. the' PA SySlt'Ill. that tht- nnnnc-nt wus all htnnl H 1 - ulwn tht- Nligrhty Mau' uns ln tukt- part in tln- .Huh um' l 'lm 'Il 93 u 'l 'im'5 in l ' Inm5inn nf Nnrth flfrivu. xnit nl tln' lxille-r. annl innnngi-il lu gain at Mtlllltl , 1'uHlitt'l. tsllivll Nuts lwllutsvcl lat at tlvplll 1'llill'g1 Un XllYt'IlllN'l' 13. tht- two 4-uns. llznnhlvttni znnl nnmgki uilhnm Uxililv Wmlh. 'l'I'iF 'mlm' mm xltlthllllb, wi-ln' llt'Slgllillt'fl as part nl tht- si-ri-Q-ii Umm' lhmugll IIN, High' uf XUWIHIWI. ll. 'HN lair ilu-1-in-rit-r 52lllQ1il'Il'NHl. Sl'llt'tllllt'tl tn luunvli fnllmsmg dm th., Xlmuml, H,uH.m,'I lu I,-mln'-I plum-s fur tht- assault. Iht- clutic-s in-rv pe-rlm'nn-tl nm fm fm' f-'mn tht' WMIHIMI mnkm, winumki its m'4l4'l'i'tl. znnl tht-n nn tht- 1-ve-ning nl' Nnwni- ami' hutl lmwlx 'xlmn-'I hm Fiqh. 'list' mmmw IN . lm 'hw mir 'ililivwll ill lm' mr 'IW' uh:-n lnnr Q-Xtwliwinm Flaixi-4-xial4'li1-v than tln- filli- strnyvrs in tlwsqtlzltlruii. thc- Curry uncl Hnhsnn. Win, all it again. 'INN 'HH um 'HHH 'hm lllltl.Wt'l't' clil'c'r'te-cl to lift-N't't'tl tu l'i.t'tlZllLl Hui lm' night nl tht- lr:insptn'ts :incl s-upplx s-hips whim-h fmilml: aSS'lm wm' Arrwlllg lim' In gpm' uf ml, m-rv nnlnznling: nn-n :intl 1-ipiipiini-nl. 'l'ln- 'Xalan Slwml all 'hi' lfiilfi thi' Shllls mir 'l'i'l r 'l tu pre-pam-al tn gn lu tln-ir HF'-lt-lilllt'l'. lint wus in anlrlnn' III thi- vicinity uncl flmppi-'cl tl1c'irl'i'spw'- AMN' In mb, H 'Mmm Um nf this ..Im,Pmln tm- htmks aisle-rn of thc- tanks-r xvinmrlxsi. tlwrf- ium,tiUH-- ,H HH. Mft. imrimr of CuHl',lmN,u 1 luvling ship for the- next IllUl'IllIlQI. ifxml wlwn. UH U',lUlN,r 13. HN, mimm, ',nh,H,d As tht' crvw sottlvcl clown for tht- night aftvr that pnrt, iw flrvw zi lirvzith nl rf-lie-l. znnl thanks-cl almost five tlays of inoclificfl gi-m-ral quartf-rs uliatvvvr gmlf sw lun-u In tum- he-f-n sn luvkt and vontlition watches. tht- silvmw- was suflflc-nlx in the' lIliflSl of our Hrs! hig slum. 21

Page 30 text:

i Q, 1 I 1- '4 2 Z H if I ,E fs 4 'T I is 5 .- l ll duty. The ship left Saseho for Norfolk on the 5th of Decem-her. As we passed the flagship of CoMinPac, we were serenaded hy a hrass band playing: NCalifornia Here l COINP... 'l'hus thc final wartime cruise of the Mighty Mac came to an end, as we retraced our track l , l 2 l b-nm.,,Q,,.,..., K l 0 as M-M Y ,W in - . .. ..-in ,,,..-Q., w..,l X,3,,y' i ' V ,H , gf ,M A, ,W-nu My ' jww - ,, ,M A 'Q :ftp , Q ' ,mia ' i , . I il We ' , A ' 'Wg - .2 -M'W ',w -- - ww , M eVr.'e ry- ,lnp survivors 1' ..,. T ' 'Y' H wr-w-f.J 1'y' 'i ,W A ii x i X' ww vMig .V 'mt ' I, 7' ii 'K .ff-1 A:-1 . Q hy way of Eniwetok, Hawaii, San Diego, and Panama. However, the Mac is not through for shc has been assigned as an active unit of the U. S. Atlantic Fleet, to carry on the fine tradi- tion and record she built in four vears of wal- time cruising. Mine exploding off Korean coast l J . 5 E Liberty in Sasebo 'kr fi' 96 . r 'it T if r s t

Page 32 text:

INVASION OF SOUTHERN FRANCE Sundav, july 30, 1944 found the destroyer anchored in Taranto. Italy with various units of the lfnited States lfleet as well as other Allied ships. Final preparations were niade during the next twelve days. and at 1346 on August llth. the huge fleet set its course for the final des- tination' Southern l ranr:e. With tht- exeeption of huge eonxoys and other radar targets. the trip was without ineident. and at HHS on the morning ol' 'Xugust 15 the surfzuw- radar reported land thirty-sexen nnles away. he-lieu-d to he liape tianierat. liull ul Ft. ilil'HlN'l. l ram'e. Xhead lay the final test. .hllltt Sht't'IN'l led the wat in. followed hy the tlestl'osel's Xian-oinh. lfnnnon-. llziniltleton and liodinan. 'lille litl',Ul'l' nnit- von-isted ol the l 5. iirtlisr-r l'llilznle-lpliia. tht- lsienrli litlti-1't-livtltttlt' l,t'NPlllt'5. and Xltrltltlllltt. point' di-tanne lwhind these the xt-ti-ian lnitllt'-w.t:1-vw Xexgttlzt and lexus ptepxlltu-rl to int-t their tone- to the din Nlllfll was to he dintainned into the 1-.it ol the llnn. lhn- tht- ship- .i--tuned lv thi- -ewtoi 1-to-t-tl ltt lvl' llle' Xt ll,-illll tht- Xlm-otnlw went to givin-tal :pini- lt'l'w. ttttml tts llte' -ltitt ellrix it-'Jiri to tlit- time-t - v 'tl l'l'4tIll't'. llt'l'U :tru ten-e .in-l month- :rt-w xllil'fi fleet nt anelior dry with the apprehension of what would hap. pen in the next few hours. As the ship ap. proaehed the assigned targets. Cape Canierat dropped ahaft our port heani leaxing us almost completely surrounded hy land. As the ship slowly drifted into the small hm, a deep silence settled over the vessel. hroktin only hx the throhhing of the engines and the pounding of our hearts as we waited for the 18 shore hatteries to open up with their eross- fire. hut still nothing happened. 'lihen the twat-ti heeanie xisihle through the heavy haze. and at 0051 the inain hattery eonnneneed firing the shore hoinhardnient on a prearranzged seetor of heaehline of lioil De liougnon. .Ns we nioxed in eloser. the -1-thnni liofors opened tire on the elose heaeh and wooded see- tor. 'lihe inain hatlery eontinned a pounding roar as the first waxe of landing eralt re-t out lor the land. Shore honihardnient reaehed it terrilie height as landing eralt opened up with a 2-llt'l'llit'l,llill' roeltel harrage. t't'2lSitttI li re nionien- tarilx while troops landed on sehedule at tliltttl. II llour. 'lille lVlaeonih stood hy to lire on any and all xisihle opposition. ln the distanee hisrh-lliinsz li-2-'l-'s demonstrat- ed the power ol the air loree as the eonenssion in Hay of St. Tropez