Dashiell (DD 659) - Naval Cruise Book

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The afternoon of 30 March saw the 6659 once again underway bound with two other destroyers for Espiritu Santo, the most prominent of the New Hebrides group. After a one night stand at Espiritu to load ammunition and take on fuel in a driving tropical thunderstorm, the ship set out with another destroyer on 1 April to screen a Seaplane tender and a merchantman on the way to Guadalcanal. The convoy arrived oH Lunga Point on the forenoon of the 3rd, and both destroyers got under- way the same day with three merchantmen, hound this time for Milne Bay at the eastern tip of British New Guinea. The bays and mountains of New Guinea's north coast were destined to become familiar sights to the eyes of the DASHIELIYS crew. The convoy reached Milne Bay the afternoon of 7 April. Next morning the DASHIELL got underway with her squadron for Oro Bay off Buna, British New Guinea, and arrived the following afternoon. The 2659 was now assigned to the Seventh Fleet as a part of Rear Ad- miral Barbeyis amphibious Task Force 77. This force was playing a role of prominence in the rapidly mounting Southwest Pacific oiensive. Her next operation impending, the DASHIELL remained anchored in Oro Bay for a week and a half. The men found their main diversion in swimming and nightly movies as there was little chance to visit the beach. It was about tl1is time that they became acutely aware of the various fungus infections native to the South Pacific and known afec- tionately as the dry rot . The resulting discomfort, though nothing serious, was one of several factors that shattered many illusions about a carefree and idyllic way of life in the South Seas. D-day for the operation coming up was 22 April. The plan was a daring one. Our forces were to seize and occupy Aitape in British New Guinea and, further up the line, the adjacent Humbolt and Tanahmerah Bay areas of Dutch New Guinea. The goal was to establish minor air and naval facilities at Aitape, and in British New Guinea a major air base, minor naval base, and intermediate supply base for supporting further operations to the west. In the process important Japanese gar- risons to the eastward would be bypassed and isolated. The three attack groups, composed of destroyers, and amphibious craft, were to be supported by a carrier force of CVE's and destroyers and by two covering forces of cruisers and destroyers. Reinforcement units were to follow each attack group and be made up similarly. At 2100 on the night of 19 April the DASHIELL got underway with

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fig F fn.. 1 ,V ,W ' Eg. fm., Ar, 9,1 645' supplemented by an air group of two CVE's and six destroyers had been directed to arrive off Kavieng at the northernmost tip of New Ireland in the Bismarck Archipelago, and bombard Japanese batteries, supplies, and installations in that area as a diversion for the Emirau Island land- ing which was to take place concurrently. The rendezvous and approach to Kavieng came off as scheduled. During the night of the 19th the ship went to general quarters twice for air contacts which later proved friend- ly. The objective was reached in the early morning of 20 March. On arrival the air group stood off to provide anti-submarine and combat air patrols. Task Force 37 split into two bombardment groups. The DASHIELL, with her division, was assigned to screen the Tennessee and the Idaho and bombard the eastern area, the other group taking the region to the north. Throughout the morning the DASHIELIJS group made seven passes, with the 2659 firing on northwest legs and screening on southeast ones. . Near the end of the first run an enemy battery, assumed to be four mortors of approximately 5 caliber, opened up, straddling t.he Tennes- see and the Sigsbee on at least two salvos. Though no hits were sustain- ed, several projectiles exploded close aboard. The Japanese position was promptly taken under fire by the 5 ,f38 guns of the DASHIELL, Tennessee, and Sigsbee., No further molestation was experienced. The firing runs continued for three and a half hours at ranges of 12,000 to 15,000 yards, an excessive distance for any smaller caliber guns the enemy may have had. During the firing, salvos were observed and coach- ed by the battleship's observation planes. At 1230 the retirement dis- position was formedg shortly thereafter a shadowing Tony was brought down by planes of the covering group. Upon leaving the Kavieng area Task Force 37 headed south for Efate. The efects of the bombardment could only be estimated. It was known that a large oil fire was started, several explosions were caused including a large ammunition dump, numerous hits were made on a four-gun coastal battery on North Caper, many buildings were destroyed and several fires started. Rather a substantial diversion it would seem. After an absence of over four months the DASHIELL dropped the hook in Havannah Harbor on 25 March and all hands got their first chance to set foot on land since departure from Pearl. The insects and choking dust encountered were at least a change from shipboard envir- onment, though perhaps not such soothing relief as the suggestive mu- rals in Efate's rustic oiicers' club. 5 . l N if x5-21 1' H 2 '- '9 TW? 31 ' . if 4 Q - li , S521 ' ??vw2a- I - F ...

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the second reinforcement group for the Dutch New Guinea landings. The route taken, via Manus Island in the Admiralties, wassdesigned as a feint. Meanwhile all three landings had been carried out as sched- uled and had met little resistance from the startled enemy. In the even- ing of the 23rd, however, a Japanese air attack destroyed supplies freshly landed at Hollandia in the Humbolt Bay area. That night the destina- tion of the DASHIELL's unit was changed from Tanahmerah, where things were going smoothly, to Hollandia. At 0430 the escort ships form- ed an anti-submarine screen while the convoy landed its troops and sup- plies. There was no opposition, although that evening ten or twelve planes approached the disposition and dropped flares, one approaching within ten miles. Fire was withheld since the planes did not attack. At 0430 on the 25th the DASHIELL received orders to proceed west to her original objective, Tanahmerah. She arrived two hours later and took aboard a naval liaison officer preparatory to lending gunfire sup- port. It was then found that the ship's aid was not required and she re- turned to Hollandia the same afternoon. At 2300 the DASHIELL and the Sigsbee escorted a convoy of seven LST's out of Humbolt Bay bound for Cape Cretin, British New Guinea. The convoy was dissolved at Cretin on the morning of 28 April, the '6659 proceeding to Morobe Bay, British New Guinea, where she moored alongside a tender the same day. The brilliantly conceived strike to the west in which the DASHIELL had 'just participated was executed almost without casualty. ln months to come the ship's company would witness first hand the strategic im- portance of the newly won bases and especially of Humbolt Bay. The oHensive strength which the DASHIELL had helped test on her early raids was now being carried with crushing success into the realm of the enemy. Morobe Bay was by no means a metropolitan community. Proof of her uncivilized character was the sketchy lean-to hemmed in by the jungle, that was made to serve as the ubiquitous officers' club. None- theless the men did find some diversion in spying through the range- finder on female natives who were clad in conformance with the warmth of the climate. This was of course a mere outcropping of anthropolo- gical curiosity. On 1 May the ship was underway for Cape Sudest to escort a mer- chant ship on the return trip to Cretin. She anchored once more off Sudest shortly after midnight on the 4th. Then at 1845 on 7 May the DASHIELL headed east with six of her squadron and six transports. 1'5-