Macomb (DD 458 DMS 23) - Naval Cruise Book

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pq..-..... 41 I -.1- ff! 5 5',v A KL ff :'f f '.90'z ' flillli' lfml fillllil -a'vne-- lf.-H'l',' CHU l.'.'I.N.eIl. Villlill is illl Illllmrlallll lllln-.-glklng u.lI4'l mg llllnllgll .II .I lun- 'klighgly in ,-X,-,-,, uf FUUU' Irwin IIHHIHH I IIUIHIF Wlllll- IH 4l'l'lIII H- Iln-- syn'---I linml I1-I the 1.m.nl. Illn- Ile-slinuliun lu thu Maw. ll hurlmrs mum plum-unl IIIVIIIIPIIV' NJ. l:.,.l.,,,A lI,,. I,,.,,,,. l,,,,, Hg IIN. mgvl- ,hilh -If . . . I,--1-I-1-f--I 'mu-I-H 1-lliw .I....,HI. .. .. il .I....v.. lu lhcf lnrmnl wlvslrmvr . . . -:urn-II.-I-In-II -I-I-In-s HI I I I . - v 1 mu- .u -.nr --I1 lu- -I1..:.-lnnv lnylmny. :mal II p1'zu'a'Iul HlIlllllll'l' vslulvs . . . Ilun-I I'1'lIl'.ll Iwm , , H I Im- III.:-lun: Ilu' Xluv-mul-. lnlvn-sl glvu. illlil lhe- slnrnn fxllilllllll IIN- mute- unlvn- lu Im-.I-I Q , ' , . . Ilnw lllmlx 1.11 naught up null Iln- Ile-slime-r ll luke-s. nurrmss In slum I-Imnm-I-. null .1 lwllx L I. I V II' I ' k . . IJ-II'5l.I' '. ' Q ' , - hrulge- spanning the- mah-r ut mn- -,ml . . . llu- X 1 ' ' ' ' 'I Q m 4 I t .. I I I I - A . ..- Nlurs fllllllll In-l'4'lu-Il ululv Iln- Ifm-mms! -lum- 'l 'lm' mln ll lull 'll' ll lx um IIN' lvrlaluvs umle-rpmnmgg an- uv Ilush lv.:-I lw- ' Slum 'l ' ll l - 'l l'- -'Nm lm,-. lu-.un-I Ill.m Ihr' IMI:--I nn, --In-alivnlly slum-II Sn lllt' Filllill uns lllhilli il nvlrmm- re lvIIe- 'l l- 'l'4 s 'l - ' 4' l'l4 l ll 'l lftllll lllt' Wllf. lllll MIN' IIAIX lllf' slllll ugh -Ioullvlf .IllQlII ulllxltlg 'Illl'-llQlll4I ll Nlllllllll il lil'l'Il5l', , , UIK HRs'l' KILI. Nvllwlll. SURIIIHIII I 1: liltvel his Klasse- mul in: Ihi- -fm-nlqu-glxn. mul -H fur ua- llZH'l'Il.l swung them in ll slms. svalrvlling urs' Irmn III-ml -1-vu n thing lull pmhpwi-vs. uh-1 2 0I'. - '- - - l' - -. f H .. , . H . . . 'mimi In I III pulxul up th. .lllunnillef I3 Mull- WPIW' Nw'-HM. lm gmnng :Quik llt '-5' 'a- , - - t lfmus 'md N l'l lvl ll HL' nm? In l I' N mul llI'0'll I-I rnmung dflvllllll Ihls lvlzlslf-fl lH'l'Zlll II -- 'raw' - lg ight, tlnn swung his Immms Inns nel lg.l ' mul new-r QIVIIIIIQ anusl1f'rv. Il'-II. I vrzlw' ar:- lu the bow. 5illlSlll'll that no uh:-n ulwje-vt slums.-II mm -- itself in his sector. he turned lu Sum-In-5. QNI . -5 . , XX hvn Ihe- Nlzuwnnlv lmcl mule-rf-fl Ihr' Nll'flll!'Yl'1l' who was taking ll hearing from the pwri , , , , pillow me-an are-n III the fllflllg nil I01-I. she- had Iw- I S. , hlml he-r lun mul n half y-ars nf tough. monot- Well. I guess this is just amnllu-r wild goose' mwus fllllf. Inf-Iuflvfl in her npvralinns were Chase. We've been out here for lun flaws hunt- tlwusamls ul' miles nl r-funny fluty through the 41

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board side of the after-deck house, passing com- pletely through and out the other side without detonating, but causing death to one man. as he pulled powder from an ammunition hoist. and iniuring two others. The homhis path through the ship was something of a miracle. for it cut one angle-iron loosen-the cause of the one deaths-sdemolished the hot water heater for the Crewes showers, and covered the wash room and No. 3 ammunition handling room with scalding steam. The after magazines were reported flood- ed to prevent any possihility ol igniting. how- ever. and the hre was soon lirought under con- trol. 'l'opside, death, injuries and damage were grim. 'l'he lrightlul sight of lvadlx hurned men. our shipmates, was a disheartening lilow lo all r v ' lumds. lhe sun dropped ln-low the horizon and the proteetive feeling of darkness closed in aliout us ln-fore we had hnlsln-d taking the small craft alongside and hringing alvoard the men they had re-sem-d from the water. .ls the nu-dieal department worked steadily in the improvised hospital in the wardroom. whis- to-y wits Iltlrsvtl Lllnotll llle' sltlp lu In-lp Slt'lltll tired und lumpx nerxes as thex waited lor the liuul eount ul Vttsllatllivsl tw.. dead. three miss- - . . . . mg. six seriously injured. two nl whom later Sllt't'tIItlllt'tl to their wounds. and ten s.i::htlx in- - vu. . .. ... jured. lhls was the hnal sa-ore. lhe possilnliti that some might he missing was lvrought to light. as three men failed lu respond lo muster the score was mounting. Xutt the 14.55. .Karon Ward also had heen hit. not with one or two lXlllllIlitlZt'S. hut hw. and all hands were preparing to ahamlon ship. llur companion slnp. the l bb. liar-he. pro- ceeded to her assistance as we eontinued the pa- trol awaiting a relief ship. s Shortly hefore llflltl. the li.5.F. .-Xmmen. a tlt'Stl'oXt't'. relieved us and we set Course for Hagushi lieaeh anehorage. Nlany wondered whether or not we would again he attacked in our dash lor the anchorage while manx 11101-9 were almost indillerent. still hewilderedihv the 0Vl'llill!! s tragedy. It was two in the morning when we arrived at the anchorage. Still mama raids were heing reported about the area. CQ -I-O Coming alongside the ll.S.S. Laffey after her famous battle with Kamikaze-s was sounded. and hattle stations were manned as our wounded were transferred to a hospital ship. 'lihe following day came the task of taking oul' dead lo the island of Okinawa for hurial among the manx heroes who had paid the supreme sac- riliee for their country in the attempt to secure one ol the last strongholds ol the japanese em- pire. As the sea hags of the dead. missing and seriouslx injured were lined up on the quarter- deek. with familiar names steneiled upon them for return to their families or going with the men themselves. the crews' faces reflected inner- most thoughts of hurt and hewilderment that things of this nature could happen to a people hrought up in the tradition of free and peaceilul men. The picture formed at this moment was imprinted upon the minds of those heholding it for all time to come. The remaining days in the Okinawa area were spent at anchor awaiting orders for returning to some rear area for repairs. Everyone hoped and praved for orders to the l,7.S.A. More scut- tlehutt flew about the ship than ever before. .-Xir raids continued. The anchorage, with its mam' Ships throwing up their odorous smoke screen. gave adequate protection. At last on May 11, we received orders to PTOCCCII to Saipan in the Marianas for repairS- Picket duty was over for the present. 9 as 9 sift i ' 2 l ei:

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who mas sub-infested waters of the Atlantieg participation in the invasion of North Africag and operations off the Norwegian coast with units of the Brit- ish Home Fleet. We had taken part in dozens of sub hunts, and had dropped innumerable depth charges. But we had yet to make a kill. and had yet to fire our guns at the enemy. or to be bred upon in return. We had been lying in the harbor at llerslll- Kabir, when the orders came to get underway to participate in this sub hunt. 'lihere had been little excitement aboard. 'lioo many times had we gone to sea under just suufh orders as these. and too many times had the chase turned out to be fruitless. Still. the thought was always there maybe this time it would be the real thing. l.ike Sweeney and Xl'lllt'lll. we all felt that we wanted aetton. This submarine had attacked a eonxoy oll Uran ou the Hath of Xlay. had torpedoed two ships. and then Ili-d under the xi:-ions attaek ol the eseorl. 5llN't' then. the enemy had been re- lentlesslx pursued by umts of lleslionlll. and ,.. - N W planes of the lsritlsh Loastal l.ommand. Lon- laels. followed ln attaeks. had been made sex'- eral tunes ln both plane and slnp. 'Xt the pres- eut tnue. the last eontaet had been made ln alr- . . Q eralt on the prex tous night. XX 4- had been seareh- ing the area all day. without result. ilihe wateh ehanged as usual at 21 ll Nl this 'I x 'v ' D ur . 1 'Q I' ' s ' 's i ' i t Vt x 4 ' ' ut ' ' - it I' ' ' had in ' ' l 1 s ' ' ' H ni' eq 'iw 13 rom o r post ion if ' nu 'it 1 5 ' 1 ' 'U ritrs ' 1 lt ii fS '-1 1 ix' 3 m' v w 5 4 , flin- va Wt ' I't ' 'I 'uni 'j y raf- irou-' 1 it ui ri in diremtor Thilwodt-lu. Ft V . Stu 4 1 itrols o It 7 1'u'1r -1 tmw ine o 1' . 'W L 1' t b' D , , V , C311 Q WON 5lll'i-du it 'Ut ielfilt' 75 fi ranffg- than just than llnbode iu nporttd 1 tarvet in tht FD ind plot commtnud trarkmef he 'runs were in automata the earnhhffht was in automata with are struak hutter closed We were standm-r l. Nutt there wa no undue 4-2 excitement. This performance had been repeat. ed many times, but always the target had turned out to be friendly. It was hot down in C.l.C. A dozen men were crowded into that small. equipment-filled room. and the sweat from their bodies. and the heat from the instruments clogged the atmosphere. The noise from the TBS and MN filled the air as the planes and destroyers kept in close eon- taet by radio. Kegerreis. traeking oliieer. saw that the target was proceeding at high speed he- tw een two converging groups of destroyers. ours and the rest of Deslion ltl. Ile kept a eontinual flow of information on the targefs movelnenls going to the bridge and direetor. 'lille range was now down In 301113. Plot re- ported a good track on the target. course tl-15. speed 15 knots. fi.l.C. eolleurred. Now' the range was down to 2000. Suddenly. from the bridge eame the command. illuminate! 'l'he beam of our 30 searehlight sprang into life, and rexsealed nothing! 'lihe light was depressed into the water at the side of the ship. As the gmmerx ollieer. Lieutenant liengel. eorreeted this error. the beam crept outward. Suddently. ter- rifyinglx elose, there it was! Urayish white in tht- powerful beam. a German submarine rolled obseenelxt in the oily sea. the number ii-fill! plainly visible. As we stared. a long string of eolored heads of light lifted from its decks 'mc foatzc lamp across tht water toward us t o' a scpeond to rcalivc that we were unit irc. t tc ik a su. md to realwc that l.dLl one tiosc little lieacls of light was a dfadly IIHS silt. and that tht faint ripping sound we ward was tht. sound of a heavy machine gun Front thf bridge. Laine the command, Lornmencc fif his phones. Fire and as he pressed his salw key. the Macs 'runs roared in their first sh0lS at the enemy. But as suddenly as it began, ll ended. for we had only expended six roundS when the sub dix ed and the order to cease firing came from the bridge Our first action was over The reactions to this melee were many and xaried Most of us felt our knees weak and tremblmv after the fivht Its very swiftness had left Us w ithout the power to think, lndeed IIIHUY of our mos ements had been automatic the IC 'tl , f. , ...Q .,., , , . v -an -1 ' :u 1 -f I : .a -1 ! ,- V -4 -, l L q .. .. ' 1, i f l 1 i ,.... 2 -' 1- ... 5,1 . 2'- I , A ul -.4 p- 1 o F' 'I .a -. .- . ,, - I ' , ' -v ' .... : , v- .. A .- pn. 7 an f V 1 gd v ' ' 0 p. ' ' ' v -. ' -Q C f' -f -' 4 1 f' '1 ' -. ' 1. '- ' , :fl -nu a an 1- ' -, -, -- ' I F n-up ' 'I f ' a n A ,L 4 4 -g 1 ' an ' -' ' ' 0 ' 1, f- . 1' .1 U an f ,g -4 4' ri Q - -1 4 1 .. I: 'Z 1 ' .I , f -1 .f ' 'j, I fl' 4 L 1 3 3 1' 1 . .4 F ... :U ,. 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