Comet (AP 166) - Naval Cruise Book

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young min toole o enfe to his rowng hands He tried to ex- plain thatf how ity done at Coney Iyland but the young lady un ortunately had never been there so Swanny was' led of by rome o the boy! to a quieter corner The COMET was attached to the Amphibious Training Com mand Fifth Amphibious Force Pacific Fleet on 1 April Further training ewierciseswere begun ion,3 April as a part of Task Unit 13 7.1 to which the USS FULLER was now added With-troops of the 81st Infantry Division aboard' extensive landing exercises were carried out off 'San Clemente until 12 April when the Task Unit returned to Morro Bay where troops and cargo were unloaded Excitement was provided on 9 April While riding out a gale with condition 5 sea when a Navy F4-U Corsair made a forced landing at sea 3000 yards to port and the pilot was rescued by subchaser 758. Having received orders to report to San Pedro California for re- 1 , l ' cr 1 -J U JJ J 1 rr :J 1 , f , , , f , , 7 2 7 ' I C , 9 9 .7 . I ' a l , , V l 3 5 . l f I E 5 l 5 1 i r pairs, the COMET departed Morro Bay on 13 April and arrived at San Pedro the next day, mooring at Los Angeles Shipbuilding-and Drydock Company for an availability period of 10 days. The ship returned to San Diego on 25 April where Marine troops of the- Second Armored Amphibious Corps and Fifth Amphibious Tractor Battalion and a number of Navy personnel Were received aboard for transportation to the Hawaiian Islands. At 1312 on 26 April the COMET left SanqDiego and the United Statesfor its first tour of foreign duty, bound for Kahului, Maui, T.H. v ' 1 X Afiwe parsed through the Jubfmarine nets that runny after- noon, none of us, unlefs there was a prophet in our midst, ever realized that we would be gone for Jo many monthf, or while out in the Pacijic that we would fee the tide: of war turn' against japan- alnioft in front of our eyes. g, The ship steamed independently at a speed. of advance of 15 knots, zigzagging all the way. Passed through the breakwater into Kahului Harbor at 1559 on 2 May and moored to Pier 2, where cargo was unloaded and Marine troops debarked. Underway again 36

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A X , , f f -Lfigzi' ,lfi-wlif ,, , f f f. ,.,. Q., . X M Landing Craft massed off Saipan . . . Range Five Five Double Uh

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Pacific twilight -3 Guarding the Fox Afmywxkl. , ,W WM A In 05 Landing Craft going into Saipan 23