Brooklyn (CL 40) - Naval Cruise Book

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Commander Close. But the U.S. tanker Winooski also took a torpedo during the night. Didn't sink though There are about 98 German subs operating in the Atlantic area and a lot of them sure are right around here. We spent the day dodging torpedos and sighting periscopes. We go as fast as we can but are about out of fuel. At noon they decided it was too hot for these valuable ships and there were no more air attacks needed so they sent the three carriers and five destroyers with the Cleveland and us out to sea about 250 miles. We are to fuel from a tanker out here tomorrow They found we had sunk the Jean Bart a cruiser and several destroyers plus many merchant ships in the bombardment of Casablanca Harbor We passed a very big convoy from the States headed for Casablanca. The Arkansas was the head of it Friday, the 13th of November - We are still heading west with these carriers and tanker, but the weather is very rough and can't fuel. We can only keep this speed for another two days without re-fueling We roll, pitch and zig-zag and stand Condition 2 watch at night so not much sleep. But we are heading West and that's the U.S.A. Morning broke with 30-foot waves, falling barometer 35-knot wind and a cloudburst rain. One destroyer in desparation tried to fuel from the tanker and got her bridge bashed in. So there was nothing left to do The three carriers were too valuable to go slow through these sub waters. The Cleveland had just enough fuel as did four cans to make Bermuda. So the Brooklyn and three cans were left with the two tankers to go at slow speed save fuel and try to ride out the storm. We go to ten knots and can last five days at this speed. The ship, empty of fuel, jumps, twists, and bounces rather than the pitch and roll of a full ship. We can't sit down to eat, hard to sleep and heading east instead of west so everyone downcast tonight. Pray for a good day tomorrow. Morning came with no change. Big waves and high winds. Nothing else to do but leave the tankers in the area they had to stay in and take all three nearly empty of fuel destroyers and head for Casablanca at 20 knots zig-zagging. The submarines are having old home-week down here. There must be about seventy of them around. We found out the transports Bliss, Scott and Rutledge had been sunk by subs in the Fedala area since we left with a loss of many lives. The cargo ship Electra was hit, but afloat. As we approached the Casablanca area, there are so many subs around they sent out nine destroyers to protect us 1I1tO Casablanca. About 8:00 in the morning we saw the outline of the beautiful modern city that is Casablanca, brown-yellow buildings, looking like the Miami shorellne As we got closer we could see the large man-made harbor behind the breakwater, the big cranes and docks. Then we came around the breakwater and could see our handiwork. First was the mast of a French destroyer - sunk. On the shore a large 4000 ton destroyer leader - badly. shot up, beached and burned out. At anchor the cruiser Prrmauguet, her superstructure shot away and mast leaning - whole mam deck and sides burned. There was our cargo ship, Electra, with torpedo hole in her, very low in the water. Came ln further to the anti-submarine net and in front of us just the mast of a sunken merchant ship. Inside the harbor were the results of our shells and bombs: two French tankers overturned, a passenger ship on the bottom and another on her side, down at the end two destroyer leaders and a destroyer riddled with shell holes, in the corner two French subs sunk with the mooring lines still hanging. Right in the center the massive superstructure, stack and turrets of the mighty battleship, Jean Bart. Down by the bow, 191113.11013 too badly banged up. A beautiful ship. In all we had killed over 2000 French Naval personnel They hate our guts now but those weren t peanuts they were shooting at us The USS W1n0OSk1 and destroyer Hambleton were also there with big 15 foot torpedo holes clearly visible We put our stern to the breakwater between the Chenango and Maintlmoma The USS Terror was out laying a mlne f1eld Twice durlng the afternoon reat explosions were seen and heard with nothing aroun That could be subs hlttlng mines One of the destroyers further out the USS Woolsey got a sub with depth charges that evening We started fueling at once from the Chenango because It s crowded and th1s harbor IS hard to move around the sunken and damaged ships so we have to get out and make room for the convoy coming in to unload There are already cargo ships and transports putt1ng troops and supplies ashore at all avallable dock space Couldn t o ashore because there 1S too much work to do and besi es the natives weren t exactly friendly Some sniping and killing going on yet The Brooklyn s bombardment of Chergui was widely talked about We sent a photographer over to get some plctures of Chergul Some stories he brought back We fueled and took on aviation gas The skies around us have plenty of P 40 s flying to protect this harbor which full of ships is a perfect target for an Axis air attack Had a good night s sleep wlthout fear of subs and no rolling During the night the Br1t1sh Hospital Ship HMS Newfoundland got confused and went across the newly laid mine field It worked I mean the mine field worked She had to be helped into the harbor with a hole in her bottom Put her right next to us and we awoke to have nurses to talk to about 30 feet away across the water One of the crew, a radioman 2fC, died. He was buried at sea. The whole crew stood in ranks as the chaplain talked. We got a message to go to Norfolk first' then ten days in Brooklyn Navy Yard, New York. I was hoping it would be longer, but ten days is ten days. It was too rough to go topside so for the first time in weeks we didn't see the dawn as General Quarters was canceled. Storm still on and we have our old problem that the destroyers are short of fuel and can't go alongside the tankers. One of the carriers had the waves push in the bieams holding up the forward flight deck and can't operate p anes. The waves also pushed in the jack staff and bow of the Brooklyn, but nothing serious. On the minelayer Monadnock though, it buckled the plates and flooded the forward part of the ship. On Wednesday, November 24, the waves and wind are still high and the destroyers, three of them, are down to their last bit of o1l. So we set up the tanker with the wind coming across her port bow. The Brooklyn then steamed up on her port bow forming a lee and the big transport Brazil went up on the Brooklyn's port bow for another lee. The wind had to come across both the big ships and then the tanker to get to the destroyer that was to come up on her starboard quarter to get the fuel hoses. Each ship put over storm o1l to help calm the waves and we fueled the three destroyers after many unsuccessful attempts. At lunchtime a particularly big wave put the Brooklyn what seemed to be straight up and everyone fell all over the wardroom and any plates, etc., that were left were flnished off The wardroom was a mess from the food and broken stuff all over. 9 9 , . . , , , . . , . . . ' ' .in - U .. . . . . . . I C Q I ' 1, ' . i 9 9 ,. . . . . . 5 ., . ,V 1 ' , , . O 17 l . . , . . ., ' . . . I 2 V - .5 . , . . .. .. . . . , . . . . ' . . . - . - .. . . , . . . , D 1 I U , , . . . , . . . . . .. . . 1 . . . . . . . . , . . . . . , .

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i the port bow. We turned to port and the 130119959 Wakj went right along the starboard side as they m1SS6d- starboard turn would have been the end of the Brooklyn- We kept firing at the French ships and h1t three of them as we made them go back into Casablanca. They towed 0110 cruiser back and one of the destroyers was burning and beached. Again we went back to Fedala and took up our p0S1t10f1 patrolling the transport area and again secured and set condition watch. I went below to get something to eat, but fell asleep sitting up in the chair. I had the watch an h0l.1l' later and it took three messengers and the chaplfi1I1,l30.Wake me. I can't hear out of either ear but the rlght one 1S the worst. I went on watch until 6:30, ate a sandwich and fell asleep on top of the mattress with my clothes on fthe covers were off the bed to prevent burningl. At 4:00 A.M. I went on watch again which was: Monday, November 9, and D Day Plus 1 - So, D Day was over and we on the Brooklyn felt the Lord must have listened to the chaplain Saturday night when he said a prayer from the brid e over the loudspeaker and the whole ship stood with headi bowed and helmets off. It's hard to .believe we were straddled so many times with only the one hit and- that didn't explode. Dawn came for D Day plus One and it was a bright clear day. We had gone to General Quarters an hour before sunrise and were patroling as usual. I was alone on the bridge as far as officers were concerned when four planes were reported coming in on the starboard quarter low and I ordered open fire. The twenty milimeter, 5-inch and 1.1 went off immediately and I went to flank speed and full left rudder. Something dropped in the water about 2000 yards away and the light was too bad to see if they were aerial torpedoes or not. I was relieved and took over the communications watch on the bridge standing on the starboard wing when planes were reported high this time. We opened fire as did the transports. We turned right and there were four huge splashes right beside the bridge and only about thirty yards out from me and then explosions. The spray hit me and shrapnel from the bombs hit men below me on the machine gun platform. Then a larger formation of planes came over and our own carrier planes came in. We saw a dog fight. Several French planes crashed but it was hard to tell exactly what was going on. Land was so close and planes were dive-bombing and stliiaffing the beach beside us where the soldiers had gone as ore. Went below to get the news dispatches which says we have taken Fedala - our first objective. The Northern group have landed and are in a tank battle with French tanks. In Oran and Algiers we are also well installed. The British 8th Army have completely routed the Germans and Italians and Africa seems to be going our way. We have moved closer to Fedala and pushing the unloading of troops because we must take Casablanca to have docks go unload the very heavy equipment that will arrive in four ays. In the afternoon the Brookl n shot down a French fighter. I was below asleep and did,n't even pay much attention. Our firing had been so fast we were low on ammunition so we were sent out to take the Cleveland's place with the carriers and let her come in here with her full load of shells to shell Casablanca. We got to the Carrier Ranger in an hour just as excitement began. The big carrier was making 21 knots with three destroyers and the Cleveland near her. A submarine periscope broke the surface and fired four torpedos. Her whole conning tower came up and she went down in almost a 90-degree dive. The destroyers rushed over to the spot and depth charged. The four torpedoes t t rn of the Ranger and then a periscope W ' bvrslbulrlsssarboard bow. We turned away at full spggi 1561122 depth charges. We released the Cleveland and she went to Fedala. We steamed behind the Ranger with a destroyer in from of her and one on each side. All day planes take off and land on her deck. They are bombing Casablanca and aiding the troops where needed. At noon word that Algiers and Oran have surrendered and Admiral Darlan was captured. From north of us comes word the vital air field at Lyantey was resisting heavily, so the old U.S. destroyer, Dallas, with raiding troops on board rammed right through the anti-submarine net at the moutli of Lyantey River and, under the cover of our planes, went all the way up to the airport and drove ashore. The men ran out commando style and tonight had captured the administration building and are working on the rest of the field. This air field is the one we need to land the 60 P-40's the USS Chenango is still carrying on her flight deck. To the South we have taken Safi. They also rammed the anti-submarine net and drove the seatrain Lakehurst right up to the dock and unloaded her 100 tanks. But Casablanca is the main objective. The New York came up and, along with the Cleveland, Tuscaloosa and Augusta, bombarded the city today. Then word came that the battleship Jean Bart inside Casablanca had opened tire on the Augusta with her 15-inch guns. The Ranger immediately sent nine TBS bombers carrying 1000 lb. bombs and they roared over us on the way to Casablanca. One hour later they came back in a proud V formation with bombbays open and claimed seven direct hits on the battleship and two near misses. I was on watch when D Plus 3 Day dawned. Casablanca was still holding out and during the 'night their guns from the harbor were shelling our troops. So we are .sending all the planes from the Ranger, Santee and Suwanee to bomb the city and harbor while the New York, Cleveland, Augusta and Tuscaloosa shell it from outside. If the city surrendered, the word was to be radioed cease firing. At dawn the Ranger launched her bombers and fighters in front of us and they went off to the south. At 7:15 A.M. the message came cease fire. This was from the Army who were attacking from the rear of the city. Since then there has been no word. During the afternoon, the Chenango launched the P-40's and one crashed near us, going down so fast no one could reach it. The plane and pilot were lost. Right after that, Suwanee planes caught a German sub on the surface behind us and hit her with 12 depth bombs as she dove. Forty-five minutes later there were still big water spouts and oil shooting up. I had the 12 - 4 watch on the bridge at night and it is cold because all the windows were blown out by the firing Of the Brooklyn's 6-inch guns. The. Chenango and Suwanee fthey are converted aircraft CHf1'1e1'Sl Jo1ned.up with us and we steam in a square Wlth the destroyers in a semi-circle around the front. A German sub apparently got through our screen and t01'Pedoed and sunk the U.S. transport, Hewes, and U.S. destroyer, Hambleton, in the transport area. News from Europe tells us that Hitler today ordered the OCC'-lpatlon of all unoccupied France in order to get his arm1es.down to the Mediterranean to stop us. He alS0 moved into Corsica. The next morning found the destroyer Hambleton pretty low in the water but not sunk, and WHS towed 1nto Casablanca. It is skippered by a friend of mine,

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On Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26, 1942, it is still very rough, but the Chenango decided to launch her planes anyway to keep a submarine patrol. A F4F Wildcat got off on a down roll, the wing hit the water and the plane sank immediately. When the destroyer got there, the pilot was swimming around and got picked up. How he ever got out, we can't figure out, only a few bruises. On the destroyer Wilkes a doctor lashed the patient to a wardroom table. Then lashed himself to the table and operated on the sailor for appendicitis. For Thanksgiving dinner had frozen turkey, dehydrated mashed potatoes and canned asparagus. Had to find things to eat it off of and then hang on to eat it. Sunday, the 29th of November, the worst storm the Brooklyn has ever seen calmed down after seven days. As a result of the storm, the Augusta had to put into Bermuda because of her damage. The Chenango had her 1.1 gun director and platform washed overboard and the forward part of the flight deck caved in. The Monadnock is still half full of water. Several of the transports have plates open and are taking water. Norfolk is only 250 miles away and we can look with satisfaction at a job well done. There is a wonderful pride in our officers and crew for our equipment and men. We really have the best. The surge in optimism in the whole Allied world following this successful operation is reflected in all the news releases. Yesterday the entire French Fleet at Toulon scuttled themselves, three battleships, seven cruisers, 25 destroyers and 30 subs, when the Germans tried to take them. The Russians started a counter offensive at Stalingrad that has put the Germans on the defensive with heavy losses. In Africa we have the Germans in a pocket in Tunisia and a big battle is a matter of days. Bring on New York and the Navy Yard. CHAPTER 7 LOVE I got more than I bargained for out of the trip to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. I had a severe attack of love. It makes a guy do funny things and changed the rest of my Navy story. We got back from Casablanca around the 1st of December and I really didn't expect much more to happen that year. But the first thing was promotion to a full two-stripe Lieutenant. Then as I stood the midwatch one night in the Yard, the chaplain came aboard and we started talking. Somehow I got on the subject of girls and how hard to meet nice ones when you're sailing around and looking around hotel lobbies ashore. He said he had just come from a visit to a friend of his who worked in the showroom of a millinery company that made high priced hats for the better stores across the country. He said the girl was very close to the couple that owned the business and he knew they had a very pretty niece that was a model at Milgrims Department Store on 57th Street. What would I say if he invited them all out to the ship for dinner. He had a feeling they would like it and could bring the niece along. I said, sure, and he made the invitation and it was accepted. The chaplain and I went down to meet their car as they arrived. The back door opened and the girl that tried to step out caught her heel in the hem of her dress and would have fallen down if I hadn't caught her. This was the graceful, beautiful model. I took Regina up to my room on the ship to see what could be done to the bottom of the dress. I had a needle and thread and gave it to her, but she explained she didn't know how to use it. So I fixed up the hem and we joined her charming Aunt Mable and Uncle Edgar Lorie with the chaplain's friend in the wardroom. After a very pleasant dinner, plus tour of the ship, and before they left, Regina asked me if I would care to go to a party that Grace Dalzell, a friend of their family, was having in her apartment in New York the next night. I went, we had a good time at the party and also got acquainted as I took a long time getting her back to her aunt's apartment where she was going to stay that night. Too far to go to Forest Hills where she lived with her mother and sister, the Arguimbaus. We had a date the next night too. Then Grace Dalzell, whose family had the Dalzell tugboats in New York Harbor, thought it would be a good idea to have another party with officers from the Brooklyn and it was a grand affair. Another date, then a visit to the ship for dinner. Then another visit to the ship for dinner when I knew we had to leave for a long trip the next day and I gave Regina an engagement ring. We left for the long trip two days before Christmas and didn't get very far when something went wrong with the engines. Were ordered back to New York.. The Amphibious Force was just being formed and a message was sent to all cruisers asking for volunteers of one full lieutenant from each cruiser to start this new force, lovingly nicknamed the Suicide Squadron. The commander announced this in the wardroom as we were on our way back to New York. I had an idea and followed him into his cabin. ' I told him I would volunteer if he would give me time off to get married. He agreed and told me the ship was going back in the Navy Yard for something that wasn't working right and he could give me whatever time we spent in the Yard and then I would have to be detached from the ship and report to Norfolk. Big excitement, rush, rush. The ship got back Christmas Day. I made the announcement to Regina. Her family was something. So were the boys on the Brooklyn with their bachelor party at the Ritz Carlton. I spent New Year's Eve on watch again this year, only it was at the Plaza' Hotel because a groom couldn't see the bride the night before the wedding. We were married in the rectory of St. Patrick's Cathedral on New Year's Day 1943. The chaplain that married us was the Brooklyn's chaplain, Father Francis O'1eary, the one who had introduced us. The affair afterwards at Aunt Mabel's was beautifully done and we moved into the Plaza Hotel. The ship was only supposed to stay for four or five days and I would call the commander each day and he would say, try one more day. It went on for two weeks and then he said, Tomorrow is it. I was detached from the Brooklyn with orders to report immediately to Norfolk for further duty. And that is how I got into the Amphibious Force. CHAPTER 8 LANDING SHIP TANK NUMBER 376 On the train down to Norfolk, I had some time to think about what I had gotten myself into. I knew they had to have ships ln an Amphibious Force, but I didn't know what kind. What I did know was a very good feeling for Denebrink for what he taught me. It was Captain Denebrink now and he had become Skipper of the Brooklyn before the convoys to England. Ever since that episode over Leeward in Auckland, I learned to. respect him for everything he did and what he did in training .me so I wasn't the least concerned about what I would find at Norfolk. Denebrink was born to be in the Navy - in Command. I recalled one incident while we were returning from the second trip to England with blg empty troop transports in the convoy. One of the transports, the USS Wakefield, way over on the starboard 4.1