Chandeleur (AV 10) - Naval Cruise Book

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WAN, we went to General Quarters 16 times but did no firing at enemy targets. While at CHIMU WAN, the CHANDE- LEUR had to get underway twice and stand out to sea in execution of Typhoon Plan X. Due to approaching storms, we evacuated our planes and left CHIMU WAN once on 19 July and again on 1 August. The storms quickly subsided however and operations were resumed in short order with no damage being done to any of our seaplanes. On 5 August the CHANDELEUR was relieved of Seadrome Control and the next day got underway for SAIPAN, MARI- ANAS. During the 131 days this vessel operated in the OKINAWA area, every landing and take- off made by planes of Fleet Air Wing One was controlled by us and despite 220 (two hundred twenty) general quarters, enemy at- tacks, typhoons, and other hazards to seaplane operation, we helped keep our search planes flying. A few words about the accomplishments of our squadron during the OKINAWA opera- tion would not be a risk at this point. We have tended VPB-21 continuously since 18 October 1944, eleven months together at KOSSOL PASSAGE, ULITHI, SAIPAN, KERAMA RETTO, CHIMU WAN, and now the occu- pation of JAPAN at OMINATO. In citing the deeds of the squadron at OKI- NAWA only, we are not forgetting the other months of the day-to-day patrols but since the operation at OKINAWA was undoubtedly the largest and most important seaplane operation in history, the facts about this campaign seem the most logical to present. During the OKINAWA operation. Marin- ers of VPB-21 sank nine enemy vessels, prob- ably sank three others, and damaged twenty- nine more. In addition to this, many land tar- gets were destroyed or damaged. CHANDELEUR-based PBM ' s drew first blood at OKINAWA being in on the kill of a large Japanese submarine two days before the invasion of OKINAWA. Our search planes spotted the giant Japanese battleship YAMATO on the morning of 7 April 1945 and warned the carrier planes that later de- stroyed her. During the OKINAWA operation, planes of VPB-21 rescued twenty downed airmen, shot down at least one Nip plane, and flew over five hundred combat missions for a total of 7,000 (seven thousand) hours. Close co-operation between ship and squad- ron made such accomplishments possible and in helping VPB-21 pile up such an impressive record, the U. S. S. CHANDELEUR has defi- nitely fulfilled her primary functions; to act as a floating base for the maintenance of sea- planes and for the caring of their crews. OCCUPATION OF JAPAN After leaving OKINAWA, the U. S. S. CHANDELEUR stopped first at SAIPAN, arriving there 10 August. Orders to get under- way again came and on 12 August we departed for ENIWETOK, arriving at this Marshall Is- land atoll three days later. At ENIWETOK we passed from under the cognizance of CFAW-1 for the first time in over a year and during our stay here the CHANDELEUR was under the Commander of the Marshall and Gilberts Area. The biggest news stories of the war, the atomic bomb, Russia ' s entry into the conflict, and Japan ' s surrender oflFer found us under- way between OKINAWA and ENIWETOK and the rapid cessation of hostilities left us very uncertain as to our status. After seven days availability alongside the U. S. S. LAERTES (AR.20) to make critically needed repairs in the engine room, our status began to clear as cold weather gear came aboard and the CHANDELEUR was ordered to get underway again. The official V-J day, Sunday, 2 September 1945, found us underway en route to OMI- NATO, HONSHU, JAPAN. On 6 Septem- ber the CHANDELEUR joined the main force of the North Pacific Fleet about 200 miles off the Northern coast of the main Jap- anese island of HONSHU, and thus came under direct command of Com Nor Pac, Vice Admiral Frank Jack FLETCHER, U. S. N. Reaching OMINATO on 8 September with the other units of the North Pacific Fleet, the CHANDELEUR was one of the first large ships to enter the harbor and anchor. The next morning. Admiral FLETCHER re- ceived the formal surrender of Northern HONSHU and all of HOKKAIDO from the Japanese envoys on a nearby ship, U. S. S. PANAMINT. Our PBM ' s arrived 10 September and using us as their base flew routine searches, Dumbo missions, and mail and passenger trips to TOKYO. The OMINATO operation was the culmination of the CHANDELEUR ' s war activity. On 16 October after the arrival of our relief, the U. S. S. TANGIER, we at last weighed anchor. SAIP.AN, almost our home port, was our first stop, but in less than 24 hours we had provisioned, fueled and taken on pas- sengers. On the morning of 23 October the familiar landscape of SAIPAN faded from sight and the CHANDELEUR, her days of war over, headed home.

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