Dashiell (DD 659) - Naval Cruise Book

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Philippines resupply group. A stopover was made in Maiiin Bay, Dutch New Guinea, from the 4th to the 6th, and for two days the crew made use of Army facilities for beer and soft ball parties. Boat crews had to be carefully instructed as to which side of an important little fence their liberty parties were to be deposited on, for it was assumed that the ball players did not want to take a busman's holiday and challenge a nine from Yokahama. At night it was strange to see the Army's projectiles screech by overhead enroute to nearby Japanese encampments, but the DASHIELL merely posted a double sentry watch and went on with her movies. The task group entered Leyte Gulf the early morning of the 12th. By the time it reached San Pedro Bay an LST in the formation had al- ready shot down an enemy plane. At noon the DASHIELL went along- side a tanker to fuel. The proceedings were brusquely interrupted when nearby firing called attention to 3 low-flying Japanese planes. So sudden was the attack that the ship's alert machine-gun battery disposed of one plane which had strafed the fueling group before the main battery could be brought to bear. Two nearby ships fared less well, however, for a lib- erty ship and an LST were crashed by the second and third planes. It came as something of a shock when the DASHIELL's crew realized that the enemy pilots were intentionally using their planes for double duty as aircraft and projectile. It was good that the men accepted the Divine VWinds with defiance, for the unfortunate tendency of Japanese airmen to use U. S. destroyers in lieu of the conventional airstrip was in the fu- ture months to be held more and more emphatically to their notice. On being attacked the 3659 got underway immediately to patrol the bay, returning to anchor for the night. Next day she got underway with two other destroyers to meet another resupply echelon and reinforce it during the last stage of its trip to Leyte. The first night out a Japanese bomber made several passes over the formation. It was not taken under fire and the plane, having no point of aim, retired after forty-five min- utes. The three ships rendezvoused with the convoy the following day and arrived in San Pedro Bay on the 15th without further incident. On the afternoon of 16 November the DASHIELL got underway with a convoy bound for Hollandia. At dusk some LST's joining the formation were strafed by an enemy float plane. It was taken under fire by the DA- SHIELL and other ships but escaped unharmed. The DASHIELL and a DE were detached from the task unit on the 20th to escort three of the fi

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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

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-4 '5 ships to Manus Island. This mission completed, the 3659 proceeded singly to Humbolt Bay, arriving on 24 November. The ship remained in Humbolt undergoing routine repairs for 9' days except for one sortie she made to investigate, without results, a sound contact outside the harbor. At noon on 3 December the ship stood out with another task unit bound for Leyte. The night of 4-5 December was spent anchored of Biak Island, Dutch New Guinea, following which the convoy proceeded to San Pedro Bay, arriving the morning of the 9th. . For 3 days the ship remained at Leyte. Then on the afternoon of the 12th she sortied with an amphibious attack group for the most strenuous operation she had yet been assigned to. This group, in company with a close covering group of cruisers and supported by aircraft from CVE's and land bases, was to consolidate further our hold on the Central Phil- ippines in preparation for subsequent invasions of Luzon and other Islands. In order to provide new bases for uninterrupted naval and air operations the forces were to seize the San Jose and adjacent areas of Min- doro Island. The primary difficulty to be met by the task group was the fact that the route, which was through the Mindanao and Sulu Seas, was at all points within a short distance of mountainous land areas and exposed the naval units to the continual danger of sudden attack by enemy aircraft. The first morning out general quarters was sounded for Japanese aircraft in the vicinity, and at 1500 a single engine plane, materializing it seems from nowhere, crashed suicidally into the port side of the flag- ship U. S. S. NASHVILLE. Almost simultaneously the DASHIELL op- ened fire on the enemy plane coming in from starboard and obtained a direct hit on the tail, causing it to retire northward. On the Nashville communications were disrupted and casualties were heavy. A new Hag- ship was required, and for this important task the U. S. S. DASHIELL was chosen. At 1645 she went alongside the crippled ship to effect the transfer of Rear Admiral A. W. Struble, the task group commander, Brig. Gen. W. E. Dunkel, commander of the landing force, and their staffs. The difficulties that faced the ship's company in accomodating fifty ex- tra oiiicers and war correspondents under battle conditions, at the same time providing facilities for direction and coordination of the invasion, were manifold. Throughout the operation until the return to Leyte the formation was under constant threat of air attack. It was only because of accurate U. S. air strikes that the attacks were broken and sporadic.