Dashiell (DD 659) - Naval Cruise Book

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the starboard. Withering AA fire caused him to disintegrate like an aspirin in water. Passing low over number two stack, the third Kami- kaze crashed into the sea twenty yards on the port beam. The 7th was another picket day, but thanks again to the CAP the DASHIELL'S gunners had no business. During the morning a friendly fighter was seen to hit the water, but when the ship reached the oil slick only a life raft kit was found. Such incidents were particularly disheart- ening for DASHIELL men, for they knew better than any that they owed their lives to American pilots. 14 April was one of those days that should happen only in movies. The DASHIELL was on picket northeast of the task force with her own and another division. At 1312 all stations were alerted for a large scale attack. At 1348 the DASHIELL took under fire an enemy dive bomber but had to break off due to the proximity of friendly ships and planes. The enemy dropped a bomb near the U. S. S. McKee and crossed the formation to crash fwithout badly damagingj the U. S. S. Hunt. At 1355 a Zeke closed from the north, banked sharply, and crashed into the stern of the U. S. S. Sigsbee, the flagship of DesDiv 50. The result- ing explosion sent a column of smoke and debris 150 feet into the air. At 1400 the DASHIELL fired on an enemy plane to port, causing him to retire. Two minutes later a Zeke came in strafing the ship from starboard. After bridge gave full right rudder and emergency ahead, the plane crossed the forecastle at director level and the port guns took a crack at him. Just before crashing in the water ten yards to port the Zeke released a 500-lb bomb. The near miss caused the ship various material casualties. A minute later a dive bomber came in from starboard. The intense fire that he met caused him to bank and present an even better target. The fatal damage he received prevented his get-away, and he crashed six miles from the formation. At 1406 fire was resumed on another Japanese plane, which broke off its attack only to be splashed by fighters. Meanwhile two more were coming in from starboard. Both were duly disposed of, one off the bow and one off the quarter, and showered the ship liberally with oil and pieces of engine, fuselage, and pilot. Even before the smoke of battle had lifted all hands were busy collecting souvenirs which had material- ized in such abundance. With the attack over, attention was focused on the crippled Sigsbee. The DASHIELL took her in tow, but was relieved by the light cruiser PN 6 f

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Before gunfire could bring him down, the plane passed low over the ship and disappeared into another cloud. It is believed that another picket later accounted for him. Throughout the day other planes were in the vicinity, but thanks to the combat air patrol none closed the ship. On the 19th the picket line commander felt particularly neighborly, and DASHIELL men were somewhat astonished to discover that their ship had nosed up so far that the peaks of Shikoku were clearly visible in the morning mists only twenty miles distant. Sighs of relief on rejoining the task group next day were cut short, however, for throughout the afternoon and much of the night ships of the formation were firing on enemy planes. One aircraft damaged a destroyer, but many others were shot down, one of them claimed jointly by the DASHIELL and two ships of her squadron. On 24 March the DASHIELL was one of the accompanying des- troyers with Battlcship Squadron Two during the bombardment runs conducted off the southern tip of Okinawa. This was an exception to the usual run of her assignments, which for the most part included night picket, patrol line, screening duty, gunnery practices, refueling and re- provisioning ship, and messenger service for the big ships. Though each day was a full and busy one, only the outstanding occurrences need here be mentioned. i At noon on 3 April a fighter pilot was forced to land his plane in the water just ahead of the task group. He successfully climbed out be- fore it sank and the DASHIELL proceeded to his rescue, her swimmers bringing him aboard. The Hier had swallowed more than his share of the Pacific but was otherwise safe and sound. Only four hours later an- other pilot was forced to hail out five miles ahead of the ship. This one was far less fortunate, for when the DASHIELL and another destroyer arrived on the scene no trace of him could be found. On 6 April the DASHIELL was on picket north of the task force with two ships of her squadron. Throughout the morning the combat air patrol had been shooting down planes like so many ducks. But in the early afternoon three Zekes Hnally got through with the intent of go- ing to Heaven via Destroyer Division 50. DesDiv 50 sent them elsewhere. The first headed for the U. S. S. Harrison. Gunfire from the DASH- IELL and Harrison brought him close aboard the latter's stern. The second followed similar tactics and suffered a similar fate. The third seemed to like the number '4659 and came barrelling in on the ship from

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t 1, it s rpm 1, . 5. ' ,.,m,..1,-xg -4' u N' :mme :wmv- ,. Er is-1 if sf t' V. t tif- . ff ft ii it 5 1 4 if 2 A Miami when the tow line parted at 1800. The following morning, after the Miami had in turn been relieved by a tug, the Division Comman- der shifted his pennant to the DASHIELL. This looked a little omin- ous for the u659 as the Commodore had previously been forced to trans- fer to the Sigsbee when his former flagship was damaged by collision. In the evening of 16 April the formation rendezvoused with the logistic group. For four days the DASHIELL steamed in the replenish- ment area repairing damages. The principal casualty, however, was a condenser leak which exhaustive efforts by the sl1ip's force could not ameliorate, so on 20 April the ship proceeded with a CVE and two DE's under orders to continue independently to Ulithi upon crossing the 140th meridian East. After the harrowing events of the preceding weeks, the sight of Ulithi anchorage on 23 April was a welcome one. Again ready for sea, the 2659 sortied on 9 May with Task Group 58.1, which had also retired to Ulithi for upkeep. All hands spent the next day drilling for the air attacks that they well knew could be expected. On the night of 13 May while tl1e DASHIELL and Schroeder were proceeding to picket station a plane closed from the northeast and re- tired after being taken under fire. Next morning a Val was fired on. There were subsequent alerts, but no further planes came within the DASHIELIIS range. On 17 May the Fifth Fleet was redesignatcd the Third Fleet and passed from the command of Admiral Spruance to that of Admiral Hal se The DASHIELL and Schroeder were detached the night of 1 2 June to escort a waterlogged PBY rescue plane to Kerama Retto As the shlps drew near the islands their rugged outlines could be seen etched against the flare of shore based AA fire The m1ss1on however, was completed without attack from enemy planes Some of the most anxious moments were not furnished by Japanese weapons On the nl t of 4-5 June despite the would be avoiding ac tion of staff aerologlsts weather prophets and navlgators the DASH IELL Wltll her task group steamed courses whlch neatly lntercepted a violent typhoon Wands reached 130 knots the barometer reached 28 13 rolls reached fifty two degrees and the crew reached for thelr llfebelts Had the storm s dead center been marked by a reef, the task group would have run aground at 0645 In the absence of a reef, the si w . 4 at 2 1-211, Q lk: ' , . I . y, P I QE ' Q Q 1 sf , - Q' . . . . FE ,- I E ' L, n , rl ' I -i . . tl . . I . I I I . . . - gh - t ' ' 7 . 0' 9 9 9 , . . , . i - 'J U . , ' 3 - o I Q i ii X dh E . 1 1 W Ia . 1. v . - , . Pi HST! , . . .,, 5 jg, ' 1 'iQ7Q'iii '14 f' , ,- S , 'r--L , r ,,: , A Riff? . 8 'XX ' ff 1 . .. K-..,....,.,P V ' 2 QL I I ,5 K3 e- 1-