Comet (AP 166) - Naval Cruise Book

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Shipfxtter Machine Shop Welcome Home Committee

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ship went to aid them. It was a clear night and the moon was just going down as the officers and men of the sinking ship began to come topside. The ship was well down by the bow, and her loud speakers were clearly audible as instructions were given to mem- bers of the- crew and the boats standing by. Two tugs came to her assistance, and she was kept afloat, despite the gaping hole in her port side between No.. One and Two holds. The explosion was thought to have been caused by an enemy torpedo but this was not verified. That same morning the COMET set sail as part of an Okinawa-Ulithi convoy under command of Captain P. Dix, on the LATIMER. 0 Alt was at Okinawa that we were able to see preparations for the Corning final defeat of japan. Although they were in- terrupted eoeryro often by air raid alertr, we had iniooiey topride every night. Here we were, a few hundred miles from japan, enjoying niovieriwith hardly a care in our rnindr, while a .vhort dirtanee to the north the Nipr were no doubt worrying about where our bornbery would hit that night.. It was, indeed, a wonderful feeling. In company with the USS STORMKING CAPD, this ship broke off from the group at 0300 on Z5 July and proceeded to Guam, arriving at Apralflarbor the following day. The next morning'a4few patients, prisoners, and passengers returning to the States came aboard from the receiving ship, and the COMET proceeded inde- pendently to the west coast, steaming close to -Eniwetok, Wake, and Midway following a great circle route. Just a day outiof San Francisco, orders were received to divert to Seattle. The course was changed immediately, and the ship steamed up the coast and into fogbound Puget Sound. The mist was just lifting as the Seattle skyline came into view, and the ship tied up alongside the merchant vessel SPINDLE EYE at Todd's Dry- docks on 11 August.- 70

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v-J The news of theisurrender of Japan, came on 14 August at 1600 amid blowing of whistles and shouts of joy from the sailors and shipyard workers. Seattle, like all U. S. cities, celebrated the victory for several days, and .general repair work on the ship was at a standstill for this time. However, urgent repairs were effected and she was made ready for sea again. Celebration in Seattle was relatively inild compared to the wild timer had in some of the other big cities on the coast. Then there were the poor nnfortuna-ter aboard the ship who had duty that night and were forced to limit their celebrating to joyonr Jhoutrand, ar .fcuttlebutt had it, mnnggled Jpirity. While at Seattle, Lt. K. Adams, Jr. was detached from the COMET for release to inactive duty, and Lt. F. R. Berry succeeded him as Executive Officer. I ' H On 26 August, .even before the final signing of the surrender terms by the Japs in Tokyo Bay, the COMET was loaded and underway again, this time carrying ground crews of the Army Air Force to Guam as replacements. A fewlminutes after leaving the dock, an engineering casualty to the main shaft caused the ship to stop. The trouble was remedied in about two hours, and the ship was again on her way to Guam, where she arrived safely on 12 September after a brief stopover at Eniwetok on the 9th, All pas- sengers except the ship's platoon debarked the next day, and un- loading of cargo was completed on 15 September..1376 enlisted men, 72 oflicers, and one American Red Cross representative made this trip. V A V THE MAGIC CARPET Orders to return were received on 19' September, and the next .day a total of 110 officers and 1700 enlisted men Qincluding 61 Navy 72