Salt Lake City (CA 25) - Naval Cruise Book

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participated in a bombardment of Marcus Island, 750 miles from Tokyo, the closest any American warships without air coverage had been to the lap mainland up to that time. The raid was a diversionary action, plotted to confuse and distract the laps While the American carrier force was lashing Formosa as a preliminary to the reconguest of the Philippines. Elaborate action was taken to simulate a landing force. Smoke Was made beyond the horizon from the island, flares were lighted. The ruse succeeded, for the next day Tokyo Rose announced that the Nips had driven off a threatened invasion of Marcus which was covered by a large force containing a battleship and several cruisers, two of which were sunk. Actually, no battle- ship Was present and no vessel Was even slightly damaged. But it was a near thing. Une stubborn Iapanese battery got the Salt Lake City's range and straddled her with at least seven salvos until she changed course and moved out. The group Went back to Saipan, then received a hurry call to join Task Force 38 to replace two cruisers which had been damaged in the Battle of Formosa. lt was still with the carrier force October 24 to 26 when the lap fleet, attempting to throttle MacArthur's invasion of Leyte, was driven back with huge loss in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The morning strike launched by our carriers was instrumental in inflicting crippling damages on the lap fleet already retreating to the San Bernardino Straits. During this period Saipan and Tinian in the Marianas lslands, were our most advanced air bases. Routine bombing missions to lapan were being sent from their fields and the laps retaliated, as was to be expected, by counter air attacks on those islands in an effort to reduce their value. The principal thorn was the little two-by-four fortress of lWo lima, roughly GOO miles from the lap mainland. lt became the duty of the Salt Lake City, With the Chester, Pensacola and various destroyers to help neutralize the threat of lwo lima. Six hit and run bom- bardments were made within a period of three and a half months, all Without direct air cover and usually against oppo- sition by shore batteries and lap planes. The first raid took place at midnight, November ll, and Z3

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l ill eight bombardinents of Wotje atoll and two of Maloelap, seeking out coast defenses, annnunition and supply depots. Cn March 30 and April l, she covered a force supporting American air raids on Palau, Yap, Ulithi and Woleai. Then she left for San Francisco for a long needed overhaul. After the Yard work, the Swayback returned to the Aleutians, her old stamping grounds. On August 3, she joined a task force which left Attu for a raid on Paramushiro but shortly be- fore arrival at their destination the operation was cancelled when the fog which was expected to cover the thrust lifted suddenly and the force was spotted by lapanese observation planes. The Swaybaclc Went south to Pearl I-larbor and then headed West. On September 23, in Company with her cruiser division, some destroyers and the carrierllvlonterey, she bombarded Wake Island, damaging installations and knocking out one lap battery Whose shells were becoming too familiar. Then on to Eniwetok and later Saipan. On Gctober 9, she . . ..., l . Egglil Q.. 9 ,-g... g: , f 1 fit, .5 1 . l .5 .V ,If-A 'ii' ' S7 '-- ,d, ,ML 'f f' J' , ' 'W' ' l lr K tx- m I 117' - 1 z, N . W 1 ' l J' Q , A' T m 1 A fr ., I y tv .4 ,,r, ft Q N X 'sv W ,.,, , X X ,fi ll gfhfuff 1 ' M ' 1 ' f f Q tf,l1fr7f1,l Z , .. 64 4 ' ' fffin--ffI'i'FL .!!. ...if - xml' , , W it 1 . YN V J fm T!! .... - Q.-mr:-:r'1,3-:T-if bs 'I A f j Qxb. 1 3' 6,44 Y - ' iw I, I . 1 l 'QTTYIW A 5' 7 'serif-A x . .'If:Z ' '1T:fb 'f ' ' X 2' J tfgfflfffffszff X X- ,I f ,,,?'f2'V','5,E55:f,L,f f f ' ' , 1 I, I t Y ,7 ff 'Y X A V :,Q i i 1-.1 --- 'A i Ti' cfcc F --g?'i-L -fi 'y ' i- -- , .:L.mnm N ' S--e Q r..,, T ' T i 'W , ,. Q fn ' ,i.i .g -N, , 'fm T if-Q cg, i - A Q' If 'ara'--e. '-47' ' .R 'Q T l.i..,---V , 1 - ---1?-TT.-53...,,, - L, , , Awvifjl -i ,N WX - H- L - 11-Lys 22

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caught the laps so by surprise that lights were still burning on the island when the boinbardnient started. Other things than lights were burning at its conclusion. A month later, on December 8, the second attack was con- ducted, in full daylight this time with a handful of our bombers overhead carrying spotters who helped direct the fire. Then a Christmas Eve delivery of more high explosives, followed three days later by another blow designed to catch the laps completely off guard. lt did. A number of landing craft and a destroyer were found in the harbor, presumably carrying reinforcements and supplies. They were promptly dis- patched. On the first of these two raids another lap destroyer had been intercepted and sunk by the task force. Cn lanuary 5, l945, the same group of cruisers with six destroyers penetrated to within 350 miles of lapan and held reveille on the inhabitants of Chichi lima, the principal island of the Bonin group. Une of the destroyers touched off a mine and had to limp back' Steaming southward from Chichi, after torpedo boats and a midget sub were seen, the task force tossed a few shells at l-laha lima, the next island in the chain, I-Fr'-1 THE AFTER BATTERY LETS ONE GO. IWO IIMA, 8 FEBRUARY. 1945 li s 24 i 2