Massachusetts (BB 59) - Naval Cruise Book

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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

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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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the poor nature of the recreotion, there was less strain than when underway. Movies were held topside and one had less watches to stand. March opened with a successful rescue by our Gooney Birds. The rescue was made pos- sible through a message picked up by the communications plane, and was accomplished despite very adverse conditions. For the exploit, Lt. Robinson was awarded the distinguished service medal while Lt. A. B. Cenedella, and Aviation Radioman First Class Stanley John Krejeski, who were In the communications plane, were awarded air medals. On March 17 our carriers were launching strikes against Kyushu. Early the next morning, a group of Tojo ' s lamplighters showed up and dropped a large pattern of flares. An enemy plane swooped In, all but taking off a yardarm as it roared by the Mamie at an extremely low altitude. This was the start of a big day, with air attacks continuing throughout the day, the following night, and well into the next day. Massachusetts ' guns splashed a Nell fifty yards off the bow of a carrier and then she knocked down two planes near anothei cari-Ier. Then her 5-inch guns opened up on a plane which burst Into flames 8,000 yards away. Shortly after midnight the lamplighters were back again with more flares. Later In the morn- ing a plane diving on a carrier was brought down by Massachusetts ' gunfire assisted by fighter planes. Retiring from Kyushu, with speed slowed because of a damaged ship In the formation, a large Jap raid came in but was disposed of by fighter planes. While the Mamie was executing an emer- gency turn, a huge wove broke over the port catapult, damaging one of the Kingfishers beyond repair. Prior to this the Kingfishers had made an air-sea rescue off Kyushu. This was the first mis- sion flown by a Kingfisher in these waters. The Task Force then turned Its attention to Okinawa, launching repeated air strikes. The Massachusetts went in to bombard Okinawa on the twenty-fourth, hurling shells at Jap defense positions for three and a half hours. Her spotting plane nosed over on landing and had to be de- stroyed. Both Pilot and Radioman were rescued. Continuing to operate In the Okinawa area, Big Mamie fought off an air attack on April 6, splashing three planes. The next day the Japs sent over a huge formation of some 380 planes, the great majority of which were dealt with by aircraft. One enemy plane came within range and was downed by gun- fire from Big Mamie and other ships before it could attack. Carrier planes then attacked the big battleship Yamato and accompanying ships, sinking or damaging the entire force. From then until the end of the month, Mamie remained in support of the Okinawa operation, helping to repel the frequent air attacks. Back in Ulithi, on May 2, Captain Warlick, who had been promoted to Commodore, was re- lieved by Captain John R. Redman, USN. Celebrating her third birthday en route back to the Okinawa area on May 12, we heard some prophetic words from the new Captain who said: The forces in the Philippines have about completed the mopping-up of the Jap forces there, and the Tenth Army on Okinawa has only the southern end of the island left to take. These bases will per- mit further operations which might well bi ' ing victory over Japan before the Massachusetts is four years old. Stiiklng at Kyushu, she underwent several air attacks in mid-May. On the fourteenth, her guns splashed two enemy planes. On the sixteenth. Lieutenant Cenedella, flying a Kingfisher, res- cued Lieutenant Commander Hessel, who had been shot down over Minami Dalto Shima.