Block Island (CVE 106) - Naval Cruise Book

 - Class of 1945

Page 33 of 72

 

Block Island (CVE 106) - Naval Cruise Book online collection, 1945 Edition, Page 33 of 72
Page 33 of 72



Block Island (CVE 106) - Naval Cruise Book online collection, 1945 Edition, Page 32
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Block Island (CVE 106) - Naval Cruise Book online collection, 1945 Edition, Page 34
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Page 33 text:

THE ILD E OF B011 E0 29 June, tl1e BLOCK ISLAND It-l't Lcylc l'12ll'll0l', threaded its way past Salnar, Mindanao and the Islands of the Philippines. steaming south toward the Straits ol' h'Iakassar. through water too blue to describe. One man said it looked as if the sea were blue jello. Tl1e FBI was tl1e first line ship of tl1e U. S. Navy to enter these straits since early 1942. Five IIIIIIIIICS ahead of schedule, at 0855, 1 July, tl1e la11d- ings at Balikpapan were accomplished. Aniphibious forces of tl1e Seventh Fleet, troops of tl1e Seventh Divisio11, Australian Imperial Forces, landed on the Klandasan Beaches a few moments after a staggering barrage of ll101'C Illall 8,000 rockets. LCTS stood a few hundred yards off shore. Farther o11t lay tl1e cruisers and destroyers bombarding tl1e beach incessantly. The attack was successful and, we were informed, worked out ac- cording to plan. Tl1e carriers of Task Unit 78.4 stood about sixty miles off shore during the day. They were not too busy witl1 combat but concerned with Air Patrol and Submarine Patrol. Tl1e FBI was the first aircraft carrier to strike in tl1e Borneo-Celebes area when Captain Secrest with Lieutenants Haidt, Skelly a11d Johnson were ordered from a local patrol to attack a motorized column that l1ad been spotted 3 miles north of tl1e landing P ln-aclies. They found 14 trucks and 12 automobiles along a jungle road. The troops had taken cover in slit trenches at the roadside. When tl1e Corsairs retired, four of the trucks were burned, the remainder damaged a11d the troops in the trenches had been strafed. Squadron after squadron of Army planes came down from Tawi Tawi during tl1e next day to provide the bulk of tl1e bombing and support work for the invasion. Our night fighters flew patrols throughout tl1e hours of darkness and received a MXVEL1, DON lil fl'0Ill tl1e Admiral. 2 July, the BLOCK ISLAND l3llIlUl1Ctl its biggest strike, 24 planes off the deck in o11e operation of which 22 went for the target. It was a field day. Our flyers were assigned an area four miles back of the beach where a concentration of military warehouses, barracks, trucks and troops were 11631611 i11 heavy jungle. Control told them to go after it any way they wanted. The pilots cut loose. Altogether they made 170 passes over those targets, dropped 11 tons of bo1nbs, 82 rockets, besides firing away many thousands of ro1111ds of fifty calibre stuff. This ushootw wound up the Borneo ca111paign in which we can take unusual pride not only because of our achievements but because we had N0 CASUALTIES. 82 sorties over our own forces, 58 over the target, using 21,700 pounds of bombs, 82 five-inch rockets, and 10,800 rounds of .machine g11n ammunition and not a man or plane lost! ., g A MERITORIOUS MAST- CAPTAIN BEAKLEY , G -as-'C , , V PM , 'K 1 X 'V V Q . , , I ,, , . ,, . 1 , 2 ' I 'iw fi , 'f W' 4 , f 5 + CAPTAIN HUGHES AND HIS COMMAND

Page 32 text:

ACH GE OF 0HDER Okinawa well secured, shortly after dark on 16 June, tl1e BLOCK ISLAND, SUXVANEE, GILBERT ISLANDS and SAN- TEE were detached from Task Unit 32.1.3 a11d proceeded to Leyte for a well earned rest. The shipis work continued but the men managed a little time ashore. Word came through that a strike was to be made against Borneo to re-capture the Dutch territories and rich oil lands enjoyed by the Japanese during the war. On his Way to that front, Vice Admiral Barbey, Acting Commander SEVENTH FLEET and CET 78, came tllrougll Lcyte on 23 June. After a conference with the Chief of Staff, Seventh Fleet, it was de. cided that the invasion could be delayed until the BLOCK ISLAND could join the CVEs assigned to provide air coverage at Balikpapan. CVE 106 was desired because it had a Marine support group and night lighters and it was evident that in this campaign that type of air operation would predominate. The mustering of carrier escorts for this campaign was the Navyas ace-in-the-hole to provide against failures on the part of shore. based aircraft. MAKING A BEACHHEAD AT LEYTE CAPTAIN PETERSON x ,f- ' CAPTAIN HUGHES CONFERS WITH ADMIRAL DURGIN I r L., ....-.l't1 BEER AND RECREATION AT LEYTE sl, 1 ' .x TIWING UP



Page 34 text:

THE REALM OF The battle done against the yellow man for the moment, the FIGHTING BLOCK ISLAND encountered a jealous and sensi- tive sovereign, Neptunus Rex. He was welcomed aboard on 29 June 1945 and his flag flew from the yard-arm. The royal king- dom was entered at l18o56'12 E. Lat. The auspicious event was not given full cognizance until we had crossed a second time. On 4 July the pollywogs did obesance at the Shellback court. The court consisted of: Neptunus Rex, Chief Warrant Bailey Royal Queen, Captain Hollis Prosecutor, Lt. Comdr. Gilman Devil, Chief Boatswain's Mate Wright Royal Baby, Chief Able Royal Barber, Lt. jg. Gaffrey Royal Dentist, MtfSgt. Thomas Royal Undertaker, Kubler The pollywogs were assembled on the flight deck in shorts and socks as the uniform of the day. The Shellbacks dressed as pirates. When the King and his court made the royal inspection, the pollywogs bowed and were scraped. As the Royal Court was seated the pollywogs crawled before it on all fours being urged on by Shellbacks with paddles. The pollywogs crawled in grease, were washed with grease so that things would be Msmoothi' for them. Finally they were al- lowed to wash themselves in the swimming pool built into the forward elevator. THE EQUATOR FLAG FLIES y E .1 . B A t 'gi-,, 1 ....' Q ' ii ,,,..,1 'W 'f' ' , AFTER THE DAY is oven EPTU Ui REX Captain Hughes had warned his men to 'alleware of that, .elk this., equatahf' Three-fourths of the crew were pollywogs, 3 fact which led to unhealthy conceit among them. Lieutenant Cgmdr. Knowles even rallied the pollywogs on the forward end of the flight deck to remind them of their power when General Quarters was sounded for a MBogey,, not Japanese, we are sure, FROM THE PLAN OF THE DAY His Royal Highness King Neptunus Rex prior to his departure informed the Commanding Officer he was well pleased with the condition of tl1e Good Ship Block Island, although somewhat dis. appointed in the low level of Pollywog Material he was forced to work with due to their unruly characteristics. At one time he thought he was going to have to resort to the use of gas. He indi. cated that with the education given during his visit that the polywog level was raised to the point where he felt all crew members would make fit members of l1is Realm and that he would welcome and entertain any or all on their next visit. I COME CLEAN FOR KING NEPTUNE DOING UI!I11ISfXN1lIC -YI' 'l'IIlff QZUIIRT UF NICPTUNUS REX 3 E x f r 2 X . i W i f 3 v Q 5 i Z e v Q 1

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