California (BB 44) - Naval Cruise Book

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val hospital at Pearl Harbor. I filled out another one of those postcards, dated Dec. 12, 1941. My mother got that one around Christmas time, but she had already been notified that I had been killed. They fixed me up and I was able to get out on the 19th. I put in for the first ship out to fight the Japanese. That ship was the Salt Lake Ciry. So ended my short but unfor- gettable experience on the USS Calyfornia 544. ABOARD THE CGN-36 by Murray Penhollow Early in 1993, I had the opportunity to go aboard the USS Calnfornia CGN-36, for an eight day trip. This included a few days in the operation area and then up the coast to their Home'Port, Bremerton, Washington. As we passed the San Diego entrance buoy Captain Ray A. Wallace got on the horn and announced they had passengers aboard includ- ing a crew member of the Battleship Calyfor- nia BB44. He gave the crew my name, retired rank and further stated I had been on the Battle- ship when it was sunk in Pearl Harbor. He ended by stating that he was sure I would be glad to talk to anyone about my duties and ex- perience. Believe me the only time I was alone on that trip was when I was in my stateroom and I enjoyed every minute of the attention. USS Calnfornia CGN-36 is a Nuclear Powered Guided Missile Cruiserg they allowed me to go anywhere except the power plant. They let me take the helm, fire some of the guns and join in the operations. Being an ex- signalman they encouraged me to send and receive semaphore and light. I was amazed at how much of that ability I had retained. I went aboard May 31, 1993, and our arrival in Bremerton June 8th came too soon. I will never forget Capt. Wallace, his officers and men. On December 6th the Executive Officer Cmdr. Hamilton called. They had learned the Morning Colors had been delayed Dec. 7, 1941, by the attack on Pearl Harbor and they planned to reenact that ceremony on their ship December 7, and asked me to participate. I was honored. A BRIEF ACCOUNT by Ervin O. Schmidt A brief account of what happened to me before, during and after the attack. The USS Calbfornia is tied up at Fox 3 Ford Island. It is 7:55 a.m. A shipmate, Herb Curtiss, and I are about ready to go to Hono- lulu on liberty, first to church service then to Waikiki beach for the day. The band comes rushing in from the quarter deck, We are be- ing machine gunned, Battle Stationsf' This is no drill!! The klaxon is going, sailors rushing to their battle stations, a torpedo slams into us as the klaxon is still going, all the lights go out, we turn on some battle lamps. Oil starts coming into our compartment, another sailor and I start dogging down the covers to the oil tanks that were uncovered for admirals inspec- tion to be held on Monday. Everyone from our we r- It M ' V., ' . f C, V t . - . wif lf .. Rv ' L P 7 A' , .H 'I 'fn '1 Q B' . , , Z qfawlls 'V fl . saw I 'BEARS BL 2 I f V -P5495 4 X f if ' .var I Q , r VVVVV X ' f . , ,g if If - V, f Q fm 0 , V m,,,,,,,11-,'- .aw f L' , '- 'A wwf' V a ' I , ' 'WW df ' M' ,ai . raw The CalU'ornia 's 1939 baseball team in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. lCourresy of Earl Nelzl. ,I compartment is passing out from the oil fumes. Another torpedo explodes, the ship starts list- ing to port rapidly. I wake up on an upper deck hearing 4'Abandon Ship repeated over and over. Other sailors coming from other compartments car- ried 22 of us out. I can see all this oil on the water and fire sweeping down the channel from the Arizona. I stay aboard rather than swim to Ford Island. It is now about 9:00 a.m., I help pass fire extinguishers to the ships office that was hit by a 500 pound bomb. A new wave of planes is coming in. I get three sailors to go with me to the 37 magazine near the keel of the ship, we each pick a box of 4-37 shells weighing about 135 lbs and head for my secondary battle station above the bridge. Ilm the pointer on this 3l' anti-aircraft gun. We fire off ll rounds, no hits. These are the last Japanese planes we four sailors see over the base. I spend the rest of the day in- specting compartments and dogging shut all hatches. I spend the night in a hangar on Ford Island. I am wakened by a terrific barrage of anti-aircraft firing at planes coming in from one of our carriers. We are positive the Japa- nese have returned and are invading the is- land. CAt least four or five of our planes were shot down.j Later I leamed my parents had received a telegram of my death and it was two weeks later that they heard otherwise. Epilog: About five days later, 150 of us Calnfornia sailors were taken aboard the USS Chicago CA-293 a fast, heavy, 8 gun cruiser. We dashed out of Pearl Harbor about 1 200 a.m. I did not get back to Pearl until April of 1943. By then I had volunteered for submarine duty aboard the USS Saury SS 189. Cmdr. Drop was my skipper for the next five war patrols. our Exec. was W. Hazzard. After the 4th war pa- trol and a two week rest period at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, I was given leave and travel- ing orders for new construction to Portsmouth, NH, Navy Yard to commission the USS lin-slr SS423. Our 2nd patrol was in the Sea of Japan with a wolf pack of three other submarines. We sank four ships on this patrol run. I was on the S.J. radar in the conning tower when we sank two of Tojo's 780 ton submarine defense vessels the night of Aug. 14. 19-15. in the Sea of Japan, the 3rd sub Chaser decided to head for the far horizon. My ship. the Torsk. fired the last torpedoes of WWII. We had been sub- jected to some very heavy depth charging by these two vessels. I give credit to the Good Lord, our skipper Cmdr. B.E. Lewellen and our Exec. Roy Werthmuller who made some very decisive and timely evasive decisions in this last encounter with the enemy. SEA SToRY by James R. Wzndiver It was in early December 194-1. The USS Caljornia, since its return to the Pacific War Theater in June. had successfully engaged the Japanese at Saipan. Guam. Tinian. Leyte Gulf. and the naval battle at Surigao Strait. It had been a busy five months when the ship and crew were given a short respite to catch its breath and add a few coats of new paint. The anchorage chosen was in the Palau Island chain just off the island ofBabelthauap. The Marines were winding up a successful campaign and had secured air fields nearby. It had not been deemed necessary to wrest the .Japanese from all of the islands and atolls but simply to iso- late them and make their presence there redun- dant. Evidently there were several Japanese still on Babelthauap who did 1101 haye the full ap- preciation forthe American strategy. Seeing a sizable American fleet anchored nearby. they gathered some of their better swimmers with the intent to swim out with parcels of explo- sives forthe purpose of blowing holes in the hulls of as many ships as possible. They suc- ceeded in doing some minor damage but w ere viewed more as a nuisance than a major threat. It was in this setting that I was interrupted

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-Gr Q mf, Y! uCII'0S.S'IiIlg the Line HC.'6I'6I7ZlNIj' aboard the California. lC0urtesy of Captain B. V Burrowsl We carried the injured and dead to the quarter deck. As soon as possible they would be taken to the Naval Base. Many were saved from compartments where they were trapped and had to be cut out with acetylene torches. Late in the day when nothing more could be done. those of us who were still aboard were ordered to swim to Ford Island. The water was covered with burning oil, but tug boats used fire hoses to make a path for us to swim through. Rumors were all about that the Japa- nese were going to attack during the night. We were all issued BAR's lBrowning Automatic Riflesl and spent the night waiting in the dark- ness. During the night a flight of planes came in and we fired on them as did many others, with some being hit. They turned out to be our own carrier-based planes that ignored orders and came in on the wrong vector. REMEMBRANCES by Albert G. Melville It was the summer of l94 l, I can't remem- ber the exact date. I guess I was in the last group of rookie sailors from the San Diego Training Station to go aboard the Califorizia for duty. There was about 20 of us, I think. My memory of the event is very sketchy, at best, since all of this happened over a half a century ago. We all wore undress whites and we carried our sea bag and hammock all rolled up together on our shoulders. We boarded a 50 foot launch lsent out from the Californiaj and headed out into Long Beach Harbor. We were all full ofantici- pation and hope that we would not mess up getting on hoard. We knew we had to salute the flag and then the UD. and ask for permis- sion to come aboard. We pulled up to the accommodation lad- der, which looked like a polished mahogany staircase hooked up to the side of the ship. There was a landing at the bottom and thc top. The steps were about three feet wide. The rail- ing also seemed to be highly polished ma- hogany with all the fittings of bright brass. It was beautiful. I remember wondering if I would be able to carry my gear up and do all the necessary things without messing up. I felt much better standing on the quarter-deck wait- ing to be assigned my duty and division. I was assigned to the First Division which was lo- cated on the starboard Crightj bow and turret No. one. The deck was so clean, I think you could eat off of it. All of the general instructions, such as when to eat, when to be in a clean uniform of the day, reville, and taps, etc. were preceded by a bugle call. Each being different and very colorful. We prided ourselves on knowing what each call signified. Most of the crew slept in hammocks, only petty officers had cots. We ate family style and always at the same table with the same people. We lived out of our sea bags, not out of a locker. This routine was part of the old Navy. It seemed as though the rook- ies stood all the undesirable watches. I think 90'Zi of my watches were stood at night which left all day to work. Cf course, as part of the deck crew my jobs included scraping paint, painting, washing the decks and so forth. On the day of infamy, Dec. 7, l94l, I was on the 4:00 to 8:00 a.m. watch. That meant I was relieved after general mess was over. So I was asked to help clean up the mess with the mess cook. He went to the galley to get warm chow, I went to the garbage scow with a tu- reen ofgarbage from our mess table. The Cali- fornia was tied up to a key at Ford Island. The garbage scow was on our portside about midships. Our mess station was one deck be- low the maindeck, close to midship. As I was dumping the garbage, looked across the har- bor and watched a plane drop a bomb on the Ogalala, which was tied up at Maryls point across the channel from us. I only saw a black plane, but I knew it was a Japanese plane. tlt was common knowledge aboard ship that we would be at war with Japan before the year was out.J Just about the time I saw the bomb drop, general quarters was sounded, followed by the announcement this is no drill! . I don't know why but I took the tureen back to the mess table and headed for my battle station. My battle sta- tion was the magazine handling room for tur- ret irl . There were about a dozen of us, includ- ing one officer. Shortly after we arrived, we felt a jolt and the ship listed to the portside. We felt another jolt and started drawing water through the ventilating system. I remember the officer in charge estimated we were drawing in about 120 gallons a minute. The water was up to our waists when we tried to lift the hatch, with no luck. We had been jamming clothes into the openings, again with no luck. By the time the water and oil was about up to our arm- pits, someone opened the hatch and we were able to get out. When we reached topside we heard gun- fire and explosions. I headed for the port case- ment guns looking for a friend of mine, Billy Santo. We were both from the same area, joined the Navy at the same time and came aboard together and usually went on liberty together. We were both pretty good swimmers and had often talked about diving off the bow of the ship. We ran into each other about mid-ship and since the order had been given to abandon ship, we both thought this was an ideal time to dive off the bow. So we didjust that. The only problem was that there was about ll4 inch of heavy oil on top of the water, so when we came up we were dark-skinned people. We swam to the shore. Billy and I headed for the Ford Is- land boat dock where we knew they had a gas pump so we could wash the oil off of ourselves. I remember there was still some machine gun fire from the enemy planes and some tracer bullets came close to us. We made our way, I think, to an officer's club where they had past- ries and coffee for everyone and anyone, where we were told we could get clean clothes over at the hangar that had not been destroyed. We crossed the field and were issued clothes. We were also able to wash and take a bath. At that time they had me fill out a postcard that was preprinted with statements to be checked off. We were to sign it and address it, and leave it: It was to be mailed home, but my mother never received it. I had cut my knee, I don't know where or when, but since it didn't seem serious, I never had it cared for. We returned to our ship. Mon- day morning I was put in a working party that went below decks and helped bring dead bod- ies out, open up passageways and generally try to clean things up. It wasn't easy, the ship was still listing about l0 or 15 degrees to the port and down by the bow. We were able to eat at Ford Island in the main building. On the 9th of Decemberl was offered a job in a boat crew to help clean up the harbor, pick up trash, wood, bodies, clothing or anything that was in the harbor. By the l0th, my leg was hurting me and I decided to limp a little. As time went on. it got worse. By the morning of the l2th, I needed help to walk. So I was sent to the Na-

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one Sunday nioming while playing bridge in the crew quarters by a sergeant who didn't like me very much and who l despised. Get your ntle. Yandiy ier you are going out in a motor whale boat to shoot and blow up an oil drum which may be a booby trap with explosives inside. he ordered. Why me. I asked. hold- ing the best card hand l had seen all morning and thinking grand slam. The conversation ended quickly and I got my rifle. The ocean swells were rolling and quite substantial. The boat rocked up and down as we approached the oil drum which I was to blast out of the water with my M-l rifle. We circled the barrel looking for smoother water as I tried to load the magazine into the rifle but. for reasons unknown, could not get it in. The Navy officer aboard looked at me curi- ously but I assured him, no problem, as I slipped a single bullet out ofthe magazine and slipped it into the chambers. By this time the boat was rocking up and down and had moved around to position the oil drum between us the USS Calnfornia. One shot. That's all I had in the rifle and didn't much want to reload. When I took aim at the oil drum the rocking of the boat had me sighting the admirals bridge one moment and 25 yards below the target a sec- ond or two later. 0.K., I decided. Illl fire on the downward swell just as I sight the top of the oil drum, it was a perfect shot. The bullet en- tered just below the water line and the barrel ta harmless oil drumj slithered to the bottom of the sea. Nice shot said the relieved en- sign. Thanks , I replied. Back aboard ship, expecting congratula- tions from all hands, I was greeted instead by a threatened court martial. It seems the admi- ral was on the bridge watching this display of marksmanship when he suddenly realized that the rifle was pointed right at him. He was not a happy admiral nor did he express even the slightest appreciation that we may have saved his damn ship. Such is War. LEYTE as .weft by LI. UG! R. Sutrler written by WD. Fuhriman On the 15th of October, 1944, the USS California shoved off from a censored island base in company with the largest task force ever assembled in the Southwest Pacific. Over one hundred major combatant vessels, aircraft car- riers, battleships, cruisers and destroyers, not only covered the entire visible ocean but many of them were hull down on the horizon. The potential might of this formation was probably as great as half the Japanese first-line Navy and yet it was barely on-fifth of the full Ameri- can Fleet. Little wonder the United States con- trol the Pacific Ocean from the gusty shoals of Tasmania to the misty peaks of Attu, and from the arched span of the Golden Gate Bridge al- most to the very spires of Japan. The mission of this force, the Seventh Fleet under the command of Vice Admiral Kinkaid, was to support General MacArthur's reoccupation of the Philippines. Leyte Island, where the initial landing was to be made, is midway along the archipelago between Mindanao in the south and Luzon in the north. Maps indicated it was 115 miles long and 40 miles wide, and characterized by numerous broad valleys and rugged mountain peaks. At least eight air fields were located on the island of which six were operational by the Japanese. As to the other Japanese installations which had to be destroyed before the invasion, intel- ligence was also good. As we steamed toward our objective, we realized this was not only the most gigantic operation yet attempted in the Pacific, but its successful execution would be the most deci- sive of the war. For the Philippines sit squarely astride the Japanese's sea lanes to her stolen southern empire of Java, Borneo, Sumatra and Singapore. Our recapture of our former pos- Chel Lana' and friends. l945. fC0urtc'.s'y IUfCl'1f'fLC1l1l'.j session would be like cutting the branch on which these rich territories are the fruitg inevi- tably they must wither and die. Furthermore, with our land-based planes in great force on these islands, the invasion of the China coast, should it come, would never be in doubt. Like- wise, we would be able to strike devastating blows at Formosa and the island chain up to Japan itself. Finally, the land mass of the Phil- ippines would be an ideal base for the tremen- dous quantities of military equipment we will fall heir to in the Pacific after Germany is de- feated and with which we can conclusively set the Rising Sun. Therefore, this seemed like the great ffBattle of the Pacificgl' the prelude of historyg a moment in history. Undoubtedly, the Japanese knew this. All indications pointed to heavy opposition. We were told to expect every type of armament that could be launched against a naval force. From the many nearby air fields could come hordes of Japanese planesg Leyte Gulf, which we had to enter, would surely be mined, PT boats could swarm out of the innumerable coves and estuariesg submarines were always a threat, finally, the Imperial Fleet might at last make a belated but ferocious appearance. As every officer on the Calqfornia said to his men, after briefing them on the operation, Fellows, we can anticipate and probably will get, the Woiks! Yet we had not been out one day when it was apparent the ship was jittery. There was a prevailing premonition, a hunch as vivid and illusive as a drama, that this vessel would not get through the operation unscathed. One could see it in the way men gathered in groups and talked softly, one could feel it in the tautness of the watches, in the moments of silence at the dinner table, in the self-tortuous way scuttlebutt spread that the Japanese were wait- ing for us in great force. I think the weather had something to do with this uneasiness. The skies had been ashen and overcast for several days, fitful squalls and a creeping fray mist shrouded the ship. No one came topside for a breath of air or a look to the horizon. We were cooped up in our narrow compartments, the men piled one on each other like boxes in a warehouse and all of us were a prey for bad mmors and apprehension. I must confess I was scared too. This was my sixth invasion and never had I felt so inse- cure. I couldn't seem to get hold of myself. Usually I had an enthusiastic interest in these operations, for this one I felt a morbid curios- ity bordering on fatalism. Yet I would not have missed it for anythingg if I had had the oppor- tunity to turn back, I would not have accepted it tthough thank God no alternative existedj. For not only was this an historical expedition, but it had the personal significance for me that in the danger I might find myself. I wanted to conquer fear, I wanted to control my shivering instincts, I wanted to face the Great Death and discover that, after all, it was only the Great Deathg in short, I knew I was a coward and I wanted to prove to myself that I was not. On the 17th of October the sea tumed ex- tremely rough. A strong wind of fifty knots whipped the froth off the white caps into a