Mobile (CL 63) - Naval Cruise Book

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New cruiser Mobilecovers Itself with cm NAVY DAY RELEASE 1944 l'Enemy planes began falling back into the sea on both sides- as many as eight burning simul- taneously on the water. . . An ammunition dump,fuel storage installations, a-barracks area- and a pumping station were destroyed. A . . Every salvo, except one, hit 'its target. I ,Such b-attlerdescription may be Amore or less commonplace ini these days of-spectacular war-A fare, but the abovelis of special significancelf to Mobililans for it re- presents excerpts from the first story released by the tr,y .United States on the battle recordgof the 'ship that bears the name fof this city-the cruiser Mobile. Effective in First Action In a special Navy Day release, the Navy saidi 'I 'TV The new cruiser Mobile reach- ed Pacific Fleet headquarters at Pearl Harbor .late in Iuly 1943, and first' saw action as part of the large naval force that- carried out an' air andysea bombardment of Wake Island, October 5 and 6, 1943. - c In her first action, the efficiency of the USS Mobile's shakedown and practice training bore excel- lent results. Every salvo, except one, from the USS Mobile's six- inch batteries hit-its target. An ammunition dump, fuel storage installations, a barracks -area and a pumping station were destroy- ed. Three large fires were started. During the first phasejof the bom- bardment, the USS tMobile took under fire ll shore batteries, in the second phase, five enemy bat- teries. Enemy fire was intermit- tant throughout the bombard- ment. The USS Mobile suffered no casualties and no dam-age. Shortly thereafter, -the USS Mo- bile was assigned to cover a supply ,sechelon supporting our forces which had established a f-beachhead -at Empress Augusta Bay,iffBougainville Islands,ion No- vember l, 1943. On November 8th, when between 924. and 30 lapan- esetpltanes .were ,reported closing in on ,Empress Augusta Bay for ani attack, the USS' 3 Mobile and lfifother vesselslwere ordered to fre- tirel The ti'f Lctpanese. force splitfand came- in from two directions, em- ploying ibstht'tQrpsdQ..sS G11d .Skip- bombing' tactics. The'United States ships opened ..,up .with six-inch batteries' and cfnti-aircraft guns in -av highly effective' screen of fire. Enemy planes began falling back into' the- sea on both' sides-as many as eight lap planes burn- ing ,simultaneously on thegwater. Narrowly Escapes Damage I .Following this initial attack, the laps resorted to sneak' attacks by from one to three planes. At 1 a.m., on November 9th the enemy again attacked in force. Bain squalls and radical maneuvers which confused the enemy aided in fru- strating this attack. But a greater factor was the .effectiveness of our anti-aircraft fire, and it , is be- lieved that mostlof the enemy air- craft, that--sfifattempted to .attack were shot downi One U. S.'Navy-- cruiser was hit, but the USS Mo- ' - f.a.i.- x InTerrific .I-1ttackss0n Japanese In Pacific bile, though narrowly missedfwas undamaged. I f 'Returning to the Central Pacific, the USS Mvobile joined the huge task force involved in the occupa- tion of the Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert. Islands on November 20 and 21, 1943. For several days prior to D-Day, naval carrier- based aircraft had been pound- ing the atoll. As part- of the fire support force, the USS Mobile bombarded Bititu Island, in the Tarawa group, for two hours prior to the Marines landing. ' Spotters aboard thecUSS Mobile observed several buildings hit and set afire by the ships' batteries, although during the later phases of the bombardment, smoke from fires and explosions completely hid the target areas. Before day- light on .November Zlst, the USS Mobile was attacked by a low flying Iapanese plane that was driven 'off by anti-aircraft fire. That day the USS Mobiles again bombarded Bititu, hitting an am- munition dump, causing a tre- mendous explosion followed by a series of smaller explosions. On December 4 and 5 the USS Mobile again steamed into enemy waters as part of a task force of carriers, cruisers and destroyers that conducted an air attack on the northern Marshall Islands, primarily Kwajalein and Wotje. Following the U. S. Navy raid, the task force was attacked by lap- anese planes. The action lasted seven hours, during which the USS Mobile's five-inch batteries ,took under fire five enemy air- craft. The USS Mobile is credited with assisting in the destruction of-at least one enemy plane, which was seen to burst into flames and crash. No casualties or damage was caused by the enemy action. The USS Mobile went back to Kwaj-alein Island on Ianuary 31, 1944 as part of our occupation force. Accompanied by other cruisers and destroyers the USS Mobile bombarded Wotje Island on D minus one to prevent lap planes from using the Wotje air-, field as a support base. After successful blasting of the field, the USS Mobile and other vessels steamed to the northern end of Kwajalein Atoll where on D-Day the USS Mobile joined a group of battleships and shortly before dawn opened fire on designated target areas. The USS Mo-bile fir- ed intermittently through the day, causing several fires and explo- sions in enemy-held areas, until late in the afternoon, the vessels retired for the night. They return- ed the following day and gave fire support to our landing forces. The new light cruiser was con- structed at the Newport News Shipbuilding CS Dry Dock Co., 'Newport News, Va. It was com- missioned at ceremonies at the U. S. Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Va., on March 24, 1943 and Capt. Charles lulian Wheeler, USN, son of Mrs. C. I. Wheeler of Mobile, assumed command. I-Ie recently has been sent to India by the Navy. The ship was christened by Mrs. Harry T. Hartwell, wife of the late mayor of Mobile.

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