Dashiell (DD 659) - Naval Cruise Book

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Japanese fighter appeared without warning, succeeded in getting through the heavy AA fire, and crashed head-on into one of the transports. The enemy, however, was powerless to halt the advance of the at- tack force, and on the early morning of 9 January the ships entered Lin- gayen Gulf. Her escort duties completed, the DASHIELL joined three other destroyers and commenced patrolling the entrance to the Gulf. It was an odd coincidence that the screen commander, Captain McLean, had been the DASHIELUS first commanding officer. The procedure- employed by the destroyers was to patrol the Gulf in close formation during the day and to deploy across the entrance on a line of bearing at night. There were numerous reports of and con- tacts with enemy planes in the area, the two outstanding incidents he- ing the following: On the afternoon of the 9th two uZeros were sight- ed astern of the formation. Both commenced dives from 5000 feet. The ships' heavy volume of fire caused one to retire, but tl1e second head- ed for the U. S. S. Bush. Emergency maneuvers by that vessel caused the plane to crash in the water close aboard her port quarter. The following morning, while the DASHIELL was rejoining the patrolling formation, an enemy dive bomber came up astern of her and commenced a dive. The ship increased speed to twenty-eight knots and changed course hard over to the starboard. As a result of these tactics the plane crashed in the water fifty yards off her port quarter. On the afternoon of ll January the destroyers formed in column and proceeded north at twenty-five knots to San Fernando harbor, where one large and twenty small enemy ships had been reported. On arrival the task group commander assigned the southeast portion of the harbor to the DASHIELL. The ship soon destroyed the four cargo ships in her sector and shifted fire to two fuel tanks on the beach, which were ren- dered unserviceable. Its mission completed, the task group returned to patrol station. During the remainder of her stay in Lingayen Gulf the DASHIELL on numerous occasions provided fire support and starshell illumination for our troops that were engaged with enemy in and near the town of Rosario. On 5 February she exercised at tactical maneuvers with heavy units and other destroyers in rehearsal for possible enemy counter-at- tack. At various other times the ship screened, patrolled, laid smoke screens to cover the harbor, sank a mine, and assumed investigation duty. At length, on the afternoon of 10 February, to the joy and relief of her fs'-

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and nearby vessels. As a result of direct hits from the main and second- ary batteries of the 4'659 , the plane crashed in the water. During the action six of the ship's company received shrapnel wounds, in recogni- tion for which they were later awarded Purple Hearts, and one of the searchlights was damaged. Two of the injured men were transferred next day for further hospitalization. It is believed that the casualties resulted from the firing of other ships in the harbor rather than from the plane's strafing attack. ' The ship's length of time in the combat areas was by now showing itself in numerous minor material casualties. On Christmas Eve the DASHIELL got underway again for Humbolt Bay, where she was to receive tender availability for routine repair and maintenance work. She had three days at Hollandia, and on the morning of,31 December was underway for another important operation. The second morning out, leaders of the ship's war bond drive were given prizes for their re- markable record in achieving 96.178 participation and an average in- vestment per man of over 353900. On the morning of 2 January 1945 rendezvous was effected with Task Group 78.5. Ships of this group were to land troops in the San Fabian area of Lingaycn Gulf on Luzon. This attack force, together with the Lingayen attack force and the reinforcement group, made up the Luzon Attack Force under the command of Vice Admiral Kinkaid. The operation was to be the initial and largest of a series which would re- sult in the seizure of the Central Luzon area, denial to the enemy of the northern entrances to the South China Sea, and provision of bases for support of further operations. This immediate goal was to establish bases by which a line of seaborne communications through the central Philippines could be maintained and from which the overland drive to Manila could be initiated. The route taken by the DASHIELUS task group was the now famil- iar one through the Mindanao Sea and up past Mindoro. Forewarned by past experience, the ship's company was ever on the alert for enemy attack. On the night of 7 January, when the ships were oif Manila Bay, starshells were seen to starboard in the vicinity of friendly picket des- troyers. As the DASHIELL stood by to proceed to the scene of action, 2 heavy explosions were observed, and word was received that a Japan- ese destroyer had been sunk. During this period there were numerous alerts for hostile planes in the area, and on the morning of the 8th, despite all precautions, a

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'N company, the ship got underway with the battleships and other destroy- ers for San Pedro Bay. When she left, the DASHIELL was the only ship that had stayed in the Gulf since the invasion. The crew was fatigued from the long hours spent at battle stations and weary of the diet of canned meat and rice to which the dwindling food supply limited them. The return trip was uneventful. Then on arrival at Leyte the DASH- IELL received orders to proceed with the U. S. S. Pennsylvania and the U. S. S. Stevens to Manus Island. The task unit left Leyte the day it arrived, 13 February, and reached Manus the 18th. Throughout the journey rumors had been rife about a possible return to the States. At Manus they were proved to he without foundation, but the ample rec- reation facilities which the hig naval base furnished gave all hands a chance to relax and calm their war nerves. The ship, too, profited hy her overhaul availability. r But there was little rest for the weary. On the afternoon of the 24th the DASHIELL got underway with at convoy of two merchantmen and a tug, bound for a port hitherto unvisitcd hy her: Ulithi in the Caroline Islands. Landfall was made the morning of 28 F ehruary, and on arrival in the anchorage the ship reported for duty to Commander Fifth Fleet. 744: Quake Smead During the first two weeks in March the DASHIELL remained an- chored at Ulithi. The repairs necessitated by her arduous months in the Southwest Pacific were completed, and all hands got the chance to con- sume ample quantities of beer and swim in the waters of the lagoon. It was a period, however, not merely of relaxation and overhaul but of intense preparation for things to come. The u659 was no longer to operate with the slow moving amphibious units and small escort craft which were dwarfed by a 2100 ton destroyer She was now assigned to a fast car r1er group comprised of elegant cruisers, hattleships, and carriers Any one of these groups was two or three times as powerful as the whole force which the DASHIELL had accompanied on her first Pacific raids The array of plans and operation orders that descended upon the ship con tained much that had to be reviewed and much to be learned F, Because of her trip to Bremerton the DASHIELL had remained ln the forward area 157111.16 the rest of her squadron had returned to the States durmg the winter She now reyoined them at Ul1th1 Fresh from their ov erhauls her sister vessels were already familiar with F zfth Fleet bu LI