Quincy (CA 71) - Naval Cruise Book

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099 set 'aft . 'XO' ACOGSGCXXX 0 at 61 axetsaiaixoo 09 CIAQK- Q00 DEMILITARIZA TI ON To the lzu Island group steamed the Quincy on Tuesday, October 23, 1945, after she had received the orders which gave her a part in the demilitarizaf tion of the sprawling Japanese Empire. Captain J. A. Waters, Jr., was in command of the task unit 5 3.7.2 which consisted of the cruiser Quincy, the destroyers Gatling and Dortch, and the APD Ruuels, The op' eration held no prospects of being glamorous or en' tertaining. Schedules called for portage after portage of heavy guns and ammunition over mountain trails and along rutted roads. Explosives were to be used only to destroy the permanent installations. Early Wednesday morning Miyake Shima, the first island to be demilitarized, appeared in the distance and grew to full size. A slight tingle of anticipation swept through the small Quincy landing party as it boarded an LOVP from the Runels and rode through the surf toward its first landing. It was not long be' fore the group, with Commander Oarr in charge, had established the beachhead. Despite the rough terrain, the dense forest, and the inadequate highf wayfsystem, the detachment soon had the disarming program underway. About 100 rifles were confisf cated and japanese search radar installations were smashed. Two days later the island was declared to be shorn of all military equipment. Mikura Shima was the next stronghold on the task unit's schedule, and Friday morning, October 26, found the ships lying off its shores. Once again the landing party went ashore. Heavy seas formed in the afternoon, however, and the shore party was forced to remain on the beach overnight. Supplies were shipped into them in the Quincy's motor whalef boat. The next day the operation on Mikura Shima was completed. All hands manned their battle stations for entry into Yaene Hakuchi on Sunday, October 27. This was the southernfmost anchorage of Hachijo Jima, the most strongly fortified island of the Izu chain. Hachijo is only seven miles long and three miles wide, Quincy resting off Eno Shlma, Tokyo Bay, Japan, before embarking on her demilitarization tour. The hills of Hachijo are sighted from the decks of the Quincy.

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OF :-rtiil-, . IZU SHOTO but it is so situated that it offers protection to the whole Honshu industrial area. The Japs had manned it well with 12,000 soldiers and 3,000 sailors. High cliffs which surrounded and protected the island were broken in only two places to form suitable landing areas. The towns of Kaminato and Yaene command' ed these areas which were well fortified with pill boxes and machine gun nests. The defenders could have made quite a stand there had they cared to fight. Sailors from the .S2u1'ncy made the landing without incident, however. Once ashore the landing party contacted the Japanese military leaders and the work of finding and destroying the military caches was begun. The Japanese soldiers willingly did most of the manual labor. Despite the rugged terrain and the narrow dirt roads the disarming went smoothly ahead. Ammunition and shells were carried to the beach where they were loaded into LCVP's and carted out to be dumped into the sea. Small arms sabres, binoculars, and other small items were transf ported to the .Quincy as prizes of war. Suicide boats, radar gear, artillery, and all permanent war installaf tions were destroyed. 7 inclement weather and heavy seas forced the and her escorts to leave the Hachijo area. The opporf tunity thus presented was used them to return to Tokyo Bay for fuel, fresh provisions, and Uncle Sugar reports. Then back to Hachijo the task unit sailed, and operations were resumed. Slowly the war equipment was brought out of hiding places and either blown to bits or shipped out to sea and sunk. The Japanese all but fought among themselves for the opportunity of riding in the LCVP's which were dumping the implements they had planned to use to carve a world empire. Cb Q' 01,0 e'111Zl',,,i?fQ-,, C 260' '71' 1- 00 oft-211,98 e o,. Ab S35 f 00 01- 860, Cn Tuesday, November 6, 1945, Captain Waters turned the command of the operation over to the commanding officer of the Gattlingg and the .Quincy returned to Tokyo Bay. Her duties in connection with the demilitarization of Izu Shoto were com' pleted. japanese rifles are loaded aboard the Quincy. The aps turn to loading boats for the disposal of ammunition