Massachusetts (BB 59) - Naval Cruise Book

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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

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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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found the force making oir attacks on Manila and covering the Invasion of MIndoro. During this time the Massachusetts weathered one of the worst typhoons In Naval history. At the start of the New Year, the Massachusetts was In waters off northern Luzon and For- mosa while carrier planes made renewed strikes In the area. Then she swung south into the China Sea where air raids were made on shipping and air fields in the Saigon-Kamranh Bay area of Indo-China and the Hong Kong, Swatow, and Amoy areas of the China Coast. The operation, which had severed the Jap ' s lifeline of communications with Its southern empire, lasted until January 23, 1945, and was concluded with new air strikes against Formosa and Okinawa. Tokyo Bombed In mid-February the Massachusetts took part in the operation that hod been the goal of naval planning and strategy for many months — the first raids by carrier based planes on Tokyo. As our planes sowed destruction over the Japanese homeland, the Massachusetts was in the van of the supporting force, lying less than 70 miles from thr coast of the main Jap island of Honshu and I 17 miles from Tokyo. The next operation was In support of air strikes against Chichi JImo and Iwo JIma. After another raid on Tokyo, the Massachusetts remained In the Iwo JIma area until February 28, cov- ering the landing operations there. Steaming Oftentimes the Massachusetts cruised in the forward area off Formosa, the Philippines and even Japan without seeing any signs of the enemy. This did not mean, however, that we were relaxed. Then, even moie than when in battle, it meant that all personnel had to be alert, ready for any emergency. Going to Geneial Quaiters at all hours of the day and night. Watches and routine functions competed for the 24 hours in each day, and the ship, a home for 2,500 men, had to be kept In good repair . . . every gun and piece of equipment had to work. Though operations grew longer and longer as the fleet found it expedient to continue the of- fensive, there were times when fueling and replenishing were carried out in port. Aftei- thirty or forty days ot sea the ships and men retired to such Pacific poi-ts as Eniwetok, Saipan, Ulithl, etc.; It might be noted that these ports must in no way be confused with the island settings frequently seen In Dotty Lamour films. Nor are they as Inviting as pictured by correspondents aftei ' a one week tour of the Pacific battle theotre. The Massachusetts has been in port for a total of only 70 days since starting out on the first Philippine operation, August 30, 1944. Most of these days were spent In Ullthi atoll which Is typical of the Pacific bases . . . plenty of water surrounded by a circular foimatlon of sandy, palm-topped Islands. One of these dunes was designated as a recreation center where thousands upon thousands of liberty-famished officers and men were landed. Baseball diamonds, horseshoe pits, basketball courts and swimming areas were provided for their amusement after which a limited amount of beer was available. The long boat trip to and from the recreation center (at times consuming more thon two hours of the afternoon llbeity period), the hot sun, and crowded facilities made the excursion a tedious one. It was repoi ted that one correspondent termed Uli- thl Atoll Heoven without women whereupon an enlisted man retoited, It seems more like Hell to me and without women. Yet those days in por-t were soon to be prized. Despite the job of replenishing which kept a goodly poi-tion of the crew busy 24 hours a day after our entry and