Comet (AP 166) - Naval Cruise Book

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

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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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at 2126 enroute to Pearl Harbor, Oahu, T.H., with SC 1320 acting as escort. Arrived at Pearl Harbor the following morning where Navy passengers debarked. - Q A V As-we pulled into Pearl Harbor we saw the half-sunken wrecks of some of the ships that had been hit on fateful Def cember 17th. But around those charred hulles, and almost as ' far as the eye could see, w-as a vast armada of ships of all types . and classes. We were just a small cog in a mighty machine proudly known as the United States Navy. Some of the men aboard who knew the numbers of the larger ships pointed them out by name. The sight'of so many jighting ladies told, us that something was in the air. In a very short time the faps' on Saipan saw plenty in the air and on' the sea and land as well.... ' A ' SAIPAN OPERATION . ' The COMET was underway again on 7 May proceeding to Hilo, Hawaii, T.H. with vessels of Transport Division 28 under Captain H. C. Flanagan, USN, on the USS BOLIVAR CAPAD. .Combat cargo and Marine troops of the V Second Marine Division were taken aboard 8-10 May while moored to, Pier 2, Hilo, Hawaii. The ship moved to Honolulu Harbor, Oahu, on 11 May andireceived additional Marine troops. On 14 May the COMET left Honolulu at 0740 enroute to Lahaina Roads, Maui, for amphibious training exercises in company with Transport Divisions 10, 18 and 28. The ship thus began operating as an Attack Transport in Task Group 52.16 under Commodore H. B. Knowles, USN, OTC on the MON- ROVIA. Training operations were completed 19 May, and the ships ofthe above Transport Division returned to Pearl Harbor the following day. k A - ' Final preparations for the Saipan invasion were made during 38