Massachusetts (BB 59) - Naval Cruise Book

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On November 19 she returned to the attack, accomponying a task force making air strikes on Makin in the Gilbert Islands. During the next five days she played a supporting role for landing op- erations on MakIn and Tarawa. Thanksgiving evening saw the Mamie ' s first brush with Japanese aircraft; hei ' guns opened up and splashed two enemy planes. That night and tfie next, the task force fought back repeated attacks by Jap torpedo planes In the Gllber-t Island area. Two years and one day after the Pearl Harbor attack, the Massachusetts began hei ' fiist bombardment of Japenese-held territory — the island of Nauru. American planes roared in add- ing their bombs to the explosions of the big Navy shells and In a short while Nauru was lost to sight in the blanket of smoke billowing up from the many fires that had been started. Meanwhile, the strength of the Pacific Fleet was being rapidly built up and by the first of the year the Navy was ready to begin Its all-out offensive against the network of Japanese Island de- fenses, which had been heavily fortified In violations of treaty stipulations. The first assault was oginst the Marshall Islands. On January 29 the Massachusetts was part of a fast carrier task force which made initial air strikes against Taroa and Maleolap Atolls. The following day the Mamie and other botleshlps moved in for bombardment of Kwajaleln. There was some reply by shore batteries which was soon silenced. A salvo from the Mamie struck an ammu- nition dump, causing a tremendous explosion which sent smoke and debris hurtling 5,000 feet in the air — and the captain of another ship promptly messaged: You hit the jackpot that time! The Massachusetts on February I helped cover ' landing operations on Kwajaleln, the world ' s largest atoll. The landing went according to the book and within a few days the Fleet anchored at Majuro — the first pre-war Japanese territory to be occupied by American forces. Truk Struck In mid-February the Massachusetts took port in the strike that avenged Pearl Harbor: A sur- prise air onslaught against the Jap ' s mighty Naval stronghold at Truk. A total of 209 Jap planes were destroyed, both in the air- and on the ground, and forty-one ships of various types were sunk or damaged. Lieutenant C. C. AInsworth, USN, flying one of the Mamie ' s Kingf Isheis, made a daring rescue of a fighter ' pilot forced down in Truk Lagoon, for- which he was awarded the Dis- tinguished Flying Cross. Instead of returning to base after this operation, the Fleet steamed swiftly to the west to launch air strikes against the Marianas. Despite the unexpected of the move, the force was detected by Jap patrol planes and on February 21 and 22 the Massachusetts helped repel repeated and per- sistent air attacks. This was the longest sustained air- attack we had yet encountered, and all hands spent two days and two night at their ' battle stations. Our- planes bombed and strafed Salpan, Tlnlon, Ota, and Guam. Some I 35 Jap planes weio destroyed during the operation. In the latter ' par t of March, the Massachusetts took part in a raid deep into Japanese territory — the strike against the Palau stronghold and Yap, Ulithl, and Woleal Islands in the Western Caro- lines, during which 160 Jap planes were destroyed and 29 ships sunk. Captain T. D. Ruddock, USN, who had relieved Captain Glover ' , was promoted to Rear ' Ad- miral and replaced by Captain William W. War-lick, USN. The following month the Massy made a journey far- to the south to take par-t in covering the April 22 Invasion of Hollandia — a leapfrog amphibious assault which cut off 60,000 Jap troops in New Guinea. On the way back to base, the Fleet launched new air- air strikes against Truk, dur-

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Morocco. It was the signal that the United States, having marshaled its strength, was now ready to throw its might across the seas. French fleet units. Including the huge new battleship, Jean Bart, were at anchor in the harbor. The American force approached slowly, under orders not to fire unless resistance developed. Suddenly starshells lit the sky and the Jean Bart fired four salvos. Rear Admiral R. C. Giffen, USN, in command of the American force, gave the agreed signal for action — Play Ball! — and the Masscachusetts found herself in one of the hottest engagements of her career. Salvo after salvo poured from her main battery in reply to the fire from the French ship as well as fiom the shore batteries. hHer Kingfisher planes, sent up to spot her gunfire, were attacked by enemy planes and Big Mamie ' s anti-aircraft guns opened up. Shells were falling all about her as she was bracketed by fire from the direction of Casablanca. At length the Jean Bart was re- ported afire and in a short time her guns were silenced as she lay at her berth a blazing wreck. Shore batteries continued to pound away and under cover of a smoke screen enemy cruisers and destroyers got underway and attempted to sortie from the harbor. The battle roared to a new crescendo as enemy planes roared in for fresh attacks; again Mamie ' s AA fire drove them off. A shell fired by one of the shore batteries struck the ship abreast one of the forward turrets; a small fire that broke out in a lower compartment was quickly extinguished. The Massachusetts began to close with the enemy ships and again was bracketed with heavy fire. She was hit a second time, the shell striking abreast the after turret. Meantime, her accurate fire was taking heavy toll. Two enemy destroyers had been hit; one was sunk and the other down by the stern. Then one of our salvos struck another destroyer amid- ships and in less than a minute she went under. The French ships laid another smoke screen and tried to head into port but were cut off by our cruisers and caught in a withering cross-fire. Another destroyer went to the bottom before the op- posing ships succeeded in withdrawing to the protection of the shore batteries. A final salvo at the beach guns and the battle was over — a battle in which the Massachusetts was credited with sink- ing the battleship Jean Bart and two destroyers, and with silencing shore batteries. The ship ' s battle colors received a shell hole during the battle. Big Mamie returned to the States and her battle-tested crew was granted leaves and liberties. Captain Whiting was promoted to Rear Admiral and replaced by Captain Robert Ogden Glover, USN. On to the Pacific On February 6, 1943, the ship left Portland, Maine, and after passing (with little room to spare) through the Panama Canal, proceeded to Noumea, New Caledonia. Another period of in- tensive training and Big Mamie was ready to add her weight to the warfai ' e in the Pacific which at that time was just beginning to emerge from the defensive stage to the offensive-defensive phase. In April the Massachusetts pushed into the Coral Sea as a member of a task force group sup- porting operations against Russell Island. The following month she was bock in the Coral Sea again, this time covering operations against Munda, New Georgia, in the Solomon islands. Hei final operations in this area took place in late August and early September when she supported action against Vella Lavella. There followed a lull during which the ship was based first at Efate in the New Hebrides Islands and later in the Fiji Islands.

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Ing which Lt. Ainsworth in one of the Mamie ' s Kingfishers again rescued a pilot downed within range of shore guns. As carriers were recovering aircraft after the second day ' s strike, a Jap plane sneaked in and dropped a wild bomb which fell in the water 1 ,000 yards off our port bow. On May i the ship took part in the bombardment of Ponape Island. Stateside Duty After fifteen months of the heat and monotony of Pacific duty, the Massachusetts at long last headed back for the States. She celebrated her second birthday at Pearl Harbor and then shoved off with everyone on extra-good behavior In anticipation of stateside leave and liberty. In Puget Sound, all former records were smashed in getting rid of ammunition and by next morning the first leave parties were over the side. Within less than two months, the Massachusetts headed out again. Another stopover at Pearl and one August 8 she dropped the hook at the Pacific paradise of Eniwetok — very much like the Pacific paradise of Majuro, only bigger. Toward the close of the month she headed for the Palau area and en route took time out to cross the Equator and dish out proper punishment for a number of unworthy Pollywogs that had come aboard in the States. This vital matter attended to, she supported air strikes against Palau and as the invasion of Peleliu commenced, the Fleet began launching the first of many air strikes against the Philippines — strikes which not only destroyed many aircraft, ships and ground facilities, but which also un- covered the weakness of Jap airpower in the area and led to a speed-up in the plans for invasion of the islands. The first strikes were made against Leyte, Cebu, Negros, and Panay islands, during which one of Mamie ' s Kingfishers, piloted by Lieutenant G. A. Robinson, successfully performed a sea rescue. On September 13, shortly after secure from dawn stand-to, a Jap plane, identified as an Oscar flew through the formation. The Massachusetts and several other ships opened fire; the plane was splashed and the Massachusetts given credit for the kill. Then the Massachusetts accompanied the force northward and on the 20th of September — after a lapse of two and a half years — the war came back to Luzon and the Manila area. In a two-day strike our carrier aircraft sank forty Jap ships and destroyed 375 Jap planes in the air and on the ground and damaged many more. On October 10, the Japanese home islands in the Ryukyus archiperago felt the fury of air warfare as our planes swept over Okinawa and other islands In the group. From October 12 to October 14 the Massachusetts operated with the foice that made air strikes against Formosa. Big Mamie shot down two planes and effected another sea rescue during this operation. Fleet Action Covering the invasion of Leyte, the force made new air strikes against the Philippines. Then, during the period October 22 to October 27, the Massachusetts took part in one of the decisive battles of the Pacific war — the second battle of the Philippine Sea, now officially termed the Battle for Leyte Gulf. The close of the battle found all three of the Japanese forces taking part In the encounter fleeing in defeat, the gieat majority of theli ' ships having been either sunk or seriously damaged. After a brief period at the new base In Ulithi, the Massachusetts went back to the Philippines as part of the force making new onslaughts against Japanese airpower. December 14 to 16