Comet (AP 166) - Naval Cruise Book

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The following day at dawn the group returned to the transport area. After receiving a warning of unidentified aircraft, all hands manned their battle stations, and the ships again opened fire with 3 inch, 5 inch, and 20 MM anti-aircraft batteries. Luckily no darn- agewas done to the planes, for they were later identified as friendly. Unloading' operations began at 0659 and continued throughout the day. Retirement plan 1 was again executed in the evening. ' On 17 June the transports once again returned to the island and continued unloading. The retirement made on that night continued through the 18th and 19th, but the group returned on 20 June and remained off Saipan until unloading operations were completed and casualties taken aboard on 22 June. The ship was under air attack around midnight on the Zlst. However, no vessels in the transport area opened fire, but Marine anti-aircraft batteries on the shore threw up a barrage. Bombs were observed falling at an ap- proximate distance of one mile from the COMET in the vicinity of destroyers which were shelling enemy positions, butx no damage to our ships was observed. .. The night of the 17th 'we received rumors that the japanese fleet was approaching Saipan in an effort to destroy our ships of the island and isolate our troops on the beach. We were to learn later that a daring move by our carrier forces stopped this attempted ojensirfe action by the N ips, the engagement later became known as the First Battle of the Philippine Sea. - Q The ship sailed on the 22nd, leaving two LCVP's and theircrews with the boat pool which was being established at the island, and returned to Pearl Harbor, as a part of Task Unit 51.l8.l8, arriving there 3 July 19444 46

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HSl'1OOtiI'1g,, the Sun lf! W, f We 'I lf' U ,Q li ffff n I v Ll , lf,-: . LLJLQ i Sh1D,S Office Aftermath of invasion--Ag

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3. 1.9 -1 J, f ' 8 Saipan coastline , W? Sploom V