Dashiell (DD 659) - Naval Cruise Book

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iaisfie 0 tions approximated those of the group's support area in the coming op- eration. Sectors and reference points made up for Cape Esperance co- incided with those which would be used for Orote Peninsula and the ad- jacent shore area on the west coast of Guam. The 3659 returned to Purvis by dark and was at anchor till 24 May, proceeding then to join a transport screen off Tassafaronga, Guadalcan- al. That night shenbecame part of a cruising disposition that proceeded to Esperance, where early the next morning a simulated amphibious land- ing by two combat teams took place. Service ammunition, bombs and rockets were employed under cover of naval gunfire and air support. The strong force of battleships, cruisers, and destroyers participating was essentially that which would see action at Guam. The DASHIELL returned to Tulagi on the 25th. Rehearsals completed, all ships were well acquainted with their assignments and ready for the real test. During the next ten days while she was waiting to set out for the Central Pacihc area the DASHIELL was either in Purvis Bay or screening transports off Tassafaronga. At 0930 on 4 June she formed with a large task group of transports, cruis- ers, destroyers, and smaller ships. A carrier support unit joined later. The group was enroute to the spacious anchorage at recently taken Kwa- jalein Atoll in the Marshall group, from where a large part of the Mari- anas attack would be launched. The ships arrived and anchored at Kwajalein the afternoon of the 8th, Next morning the Captain assembled all hands on the forecastle to announce the purpose and details of the operation. News of the forth- coming attack on the strongly garrisoned Mariannas-the first reconquest of American territory-had an uplifting effect. As a dramatic climax the skipper s talk was cut short by an air raid alert that sent all hands to their battle stations. No enemy planes, however, came over the atoll. The DASHIELL remained at anchor till the morning of the llth, when she was given patrol duty outside the channel entrance. Next day at 1000 she formed up with Task Group 53.2, which had gotten under- way for the Marianas. This group was part of a powerful joint expeditionary force that was to capture, occupy, and defend Saipan, Tinian, and Guam. The enemy was strengthening these bases as a barrier to our advance to the West- ern Pacific. The expeditionary force was to develop airfields on the three islands and gain control of the remaining Marianas so as to oper- f --

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She was leaving New Guinea for a while to embark on an operation that would acquaint her -with many more of the Pacific's far flung isles. 2ez'a.6ea The convoy's destination was Tulagi, which was to be the DASHIELIIS operational base for the coming training exercises. On the morning of 10 May the ship moored in Purvis Bay. Reassigned to Task Force 53 of the Fifth Fleet, she got underway on the 12th to escort two LCI's to Hat- horn Sound, New Georgia. Twenty-four hours after arrival the DASH- IELL stood out for exercises with cruisers and other destroyers. For four days they engaged in practice shore bombardments of Kolombangara and Gatuki Islands, returning at night to I-Iathorn. Actually the exercises might have been called rehearsals for the dress rehearsal. An occasion- al glimpse of some Japanese ship's hull rusting along the shore gave evidence of the fighting this area had seen and perhaps caused the war- ships to pursue their training with heightened determination. The DASHIELL returned to Purvis the afternoon of the 17th. At Tulagi the men got their first real shore liberty since Efate. Facil- ities offered by tl1e little tropical island were sharply limited, but there were at least beer, ice cream, and the chance to play softball for those who could endure the scorching South Seas sun. One could also get a few souvenirs: colorful shells, cateyes, and native mats and carvings. It was soon discovered that the aborigines were indifferent to the poten- tialities of the American dollar and that it took a large cash outlay to equal the purchasing power of a few cigarettes, a bit of cloth, or enough perox- ide to transfigure an unruly shock of coal-black hair. The soft-colored cateyes picked up 011 beaches achieved instant popularity as stones for the finely machined and polished rings which were put into mass pro- duction aboard ship. i The natives encountered at Purvis Bay were from a missionary settlement that, since the coming of the Navy, had coexisted with the naval base. Their community life was clean, well ordered, and reason- ably pious. Although not typical Solomon Islands natives, they were never-the-less more representative than the G. I. elements of their dress might have suggested. On the morning of 20 May the DASHIELL was underway with Task Group 53.5 to conduct fire support practice in the Cape Esperance area of Guadalcanal. This locality had been chosen because its conforma-

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4-Q ate long range aircraft agamst Japan, secure control of the Central Pa- cific, isolate and neutralize the Carolines. Task Forces 58 and 59 were directed to provide strategical and tactical air support for the operation. How well they complied was demonstrated by their rout of the Japanese fleet that had set out from the Philippines and by the overwhelming ratio of plane losses suffered by the enemy. The northern attack force was to strike Saipan on D-Day, set for 15 June. The southern force, Task Force 53, was to act as a Heating reserve for the northern and to be in position for the Guam landing on D plus two, though it was estimated that the attack would occur on the 18th. The DASHIELL was assigned to the southern attack group of the southern force. G 9 The Saipan landing came off as scheduled, though the hard-lighting Marines met even more resistance than they had expected. On D plus two the DASHIELUS group was in the appointed position but was or- dere'd to retire and come in again twenty-four hours later. Next day the same thing happened. -In fact it happened for two weeks, much to the increasing wonder and disappointment of the ship's company. The monotony was broken the night of 19-20 June when the '659 was or- dered to conduct hunter-killer operations in an area where a submarine had been reported. Results of tl1e search were negative, however, and the ship rejoined at 0800. After a few days the east-west route traveled over and over by the task group was christened U. S. Route 1. Some souls even claim to have seen a few billboards and filling stations. Finally on 30 June the Captain announced, 'GBelieve it or not, we're on our way to Eniwetoklw It was an anticlimax but at least the tension was relieved, and the plans for Guam, though postponed, were by no means abandoned. The DASHIELL entered the lagoon at Eniwetok, westernmost of the Marshalls, the afternoon of 3 July. As at Kwajalein, palm trees on the atollls principal islands, now bereft of foliage, at- tested to the fury of the fighting that had taken place earlier in the year. For two weeks the DASHIELL remained anchored at Eniwetok ex- cept for two patrolling details and a day of anti-submarine exercises. Her men got a chance to stretch their legs again on some of the islands that still had trees, to drink some beer, and in some cases to brave the knife- like coral and go swimming. Generally speaking, though, Paciic atolls are not equipped as amusement parks. At 0930 on 17 July the DASHIELL shoved off again with Task Group 53.2, this time for the real thing. The transports were in four