Dashiell (DD 659) - Naval Cruise Book

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Mg, 1 iw! 2.431 , liz 4-M. 'I' rx 'fit , yi . ' it' T . 11, .if ff . P'-'FII 1 A I ig:-5'?if1e'. . - .Sf 'iv a ssi, 1 '28, .kQ2'y'1 'fs A. Q A? , ' f ,b?:1.'!iAE1L. , , . asm' s ' attacks were made, as it was believed friendlyg this was confirmed in the morning. The ship anchored in Humbolt at noon of the 5th. Now that the offensive had been successfully carried west to the Dutch Indies, the strategists could turn their eyes toward the Philippines. In preparation for future operations the DASHIELL conducted ex- ercises with PT boats, in company with ships of her division, on the afternoon of 8 October, with simulated torpedo attacks taking place that night. On 10 October the DASHIELL stood out to rehearse a landing op- eration for the invasion of the Philippines, which was to take place later that same month. The rehearsal took place at Tanahmerah Bay, already familiar to the DASHIELL. Upon arrival the 'G659 took station in her assigned fire support station while the transports conducted a practice landing. The group returned to Hurnbolt late in the afternoon. The scope of the coming operation was comparable to that of some of the most ambitious invasions of the war. The attack force was to trans- port, protect, land, and support elements of the Sixth Army for the pur- pose of assisting in the occupation and development of the Leyte Gulf area in the Philippines. D-Day was to be 20 October. On D minus 3 Rang- er units would land on Homonhon and Dinagat Islands to seize control of the harbor entrance. Then on D-Day there were to be simultaneous landings. The northern attack force, Task Force 78, would land in the San Ricardo - Palo area of Leyte, while the southern one, Task Force 79, would land in the Dulag area. The landings were to be assisted by bombardment, fire support, minesweeping, close covering and escort car- rier groups and followed up by reinforcement groups. The group with which the DASHIELL had rehearsed fTask Group 78.31 was an element of the northern attack force called the Panaon Attack Group. It was to land assault forces in the area of a 200 yard wide strait separating the southern tip of Leyte from Panaon Island. Control of this strait was essential to prevent the Japanese movements against our shipping and to afford a passage for our own forces in subsequent operations. On the afternoon of 13 October the DASHIELL was underway with ships of Task Force 78 bound for the Philippine Islands. It was signifi- cant that the invading forces were all operating from bases acquired from the .Iapanese during the past year. The entire Task Force rendezvoused on the 15thg the resulting disposition, formed by scores and scores of 75'

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first operation against the enemy since returning to the Seventh Fleet. On the 15th ships of task force 77, which she operated with in April and to which she was now reassigned, were to land troops at two points on Morotai Island, just to the northeast of the strong apanese base at Hal- mahera. Seizure of the island, planned to occur simultaneously with land- ings at Palau, was for the purpose of establishing air and minor naval facilities to support further operations to the northward. The Morotai and Palau forces were to be supported by fast carrier groups of the Third Fleet. The Morotai attack force included two escort carrier units, two cruis- er units fone of them Australianfy , and two transport units, all with their escorting destroyers. The initial landings were to be followed by four reinforcement groups, of which the DASHIELL was assigned to the sec- ond. Enroute to Morotai the '659 was detached to pick up five LST's at Maffin Bay, Dutch New Guinea. The night before arrival the DASH- IELL went to general quarters for an unidentified aircraft that later left the afea without causing trouble. At 0600 on the 18th, with Morotai in sight, a Japanese dive bomber attacked the formation, dropping a bomb harmlessly 200 yards from an LST. It then escaped into the clouds, the DASHIELL witholding fire to avoid placing bursts over the formation. At 0715 the ships reached Pitoe Bay and the DASHIELL commenced patrolling while the LST's proceeded into the beach. At 1130 she took over picket duty off Halmahera, relinquishing it at sunset to patrol east,- ward of Morotai. Next morning she reassumed the picket station and re- turned to Pitoe in the afternoon. At 1815 the ship stood out with five other escorts and nine LST's, headed for Hollandia. Three unidentified planes flew over the formation at 1930 and were taken under fire by shore batteries on Morotai. The ships reached Humbolt the morning of 24 September. The 659,' replenished her provisions, stores, and ammunition, and was un- derway again for Morotai on the 26th. Enroute the DASHIELL was de- tached twice, once at Maifin Bay to pick up some liberty ships and later at Biak Island to bring two more LST's into the formation. In the early morning of 1 October the echelon reached Morotai. Throughout the day the DASHIELL screened the LST,s unloading on the beach and formed with the returning echelon at 1300. On the way back she stayed with a submarine contact the night of 3-4 October. No

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.J-5 American and Australian ships of nearly every type, was an arresting sight. Yet this was only a part of the naval forces involved. On the night of 19-20 October the forces passed through Surigao Strait. Task Group 78.3 effected its rendezvous and proceeded in the early morning south to Panaon. At'0720 the formation was attacked by a Japanese fighter that narrowly missed one of the LCI's with a bomb. The DASHIELL had her battery masked at the time and could not open fire. At 0825 the ship took her fire support station and commenced inves- tigating the southern point of Leyte. The troop landing being unopposed, there was no call for naval gunfire support. Soon afterwards the DASH- IELL took a new station to furnish anti-aircraft support for the group. At sunset some Japanese planes, possibly three in number, succes- sively approached the formation. Gathering darkness made identification as to type and number difficult. All aircraft were driven oif by gunfire from the DASHIELL and the other ships. At 1900 the task group left the area, proceeding for Surigao Strait. Reconquest of tl1e Philippines was of course one of the major goals of the Pacific strategy. Hence the crew had looked forward to the expedi- tion with keen anticipation. Loyal Filipinos had likewise awaited it. When Task Group 78.3 arrived off Panaon it was greeted by numbers of enthusi- astic natives who aswarmed out to visit each ship in tiny crafts of every description. Such gay cries of welcome as HO. K. Joelw and '4You hunt 'em .lappolw were answered boisterously by the DASHIELUS crew. Wo- men accompanying the natives were a principal object of interest. In the evening when attention was directed to an approaching enemy plane a peace-loving gunner remarked, HTO hell with the plane! There's a female on the other sidew. As events showed, however, even a local belle could not distract him from his target. On 23 Uctober while enroute back to Hollandia the DASHIELL made a submarine contact and attacked immediately. Oil traces and air bubbles were observed soon after. The group commander told her to stay with the contact till sunset and request a hunter-killer group. Con- tact was retained throughout the afternoon, five more attacks being made. Further oil traces were observed. At 204-5 the DASHIELL, her depth charges expended, was relieved by the U. S. S. Schroeder. She proceeded to rejoin her formation and arrived in Humbolt Bay on the 25th. At Hollandia, the ship was granted much needed tender availability before she again left port on the afternoon of 3 November with a Central