Denver (CL 58) - Naval Cruise Book

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the following several weeks proved as fruit- less; the Japs were gone or were saving up for another occasion. Without knowing it, the Denver ' s gunners at 2145, the night ot July 21st fired their last shot in anger driving off an enemy snooper, for at about 0815 in the morning of August 1 5 while she was going alongside a tanker in Buckner Bay to refuel, the news of Japanese Government acceptance of Allied surrender terms was received. While this news was somewhat anti- climactic and had been expected, it was re- ceived with great enthusiasm by all hands. The ever-sharp and on the ball signal gang hoisted the general signal cease present exercises, designating WAR along with one or two other miscellaneous and strictly irregular items in competition with other signals hoisted by other ships. But if such activity caused an arched eyebrow by a senior officer, it was certainly unnoticed; besides, everybody was feeling pretty good. So still in a spot that could be hot at any moment, the Dciiivr saw the end of World War II — just exactly two months short of three years of continuous fighting, or licking her wounds in preparation for another tussle with the enemy. Remembering that Japs are tricky and lacking official confirmation of the surrender of Japan, Denver remained in a full war-time status. As time passed the fact was realized that we had won a decisive victory, and delay of the surrender was of a technical nature onlv. On the ninth of September, Demer de- parted Buckner Bay for good and steamed to Japan, where she was to act as a part of the covering force for the evacuation of prisoners of war, and later tor the landing of our Sixth Army troops in the Wakayama, Japan, area On arrival off the target area she steamed back and forth for several days before enter- ing, covering her accompanying escort car- riers. On the fifteenth she entered and anchored in Wakanoura Wan, just oft Wakanoura and Wakayama, Honshu, Japan. On the seventeenth and eighteenth of September the Dciiier experienced perhaps the worst weather she has ever faced in the form of a typhoon which swept the area. The ship rolled severely, registering a thirty- six degree roll at the height of the storm. Winds were registered up to eighty knots while gusts were as high as one hundred knots. Life lines were rigged to keep men from being washed completely overboard by the tremendous swells that washed over the main deck, foaming around the turrets. The pilot house was a scene of feverish activ- ity with the Captain at the con jockeying the ship around the anchor trying to keep her headed into the seas and oft the beach. Some of the ships were not so lucky, for they ended up on the shores of Wakanoura with some loss of life. In fact the Deiiivr dragged anchor with only one anchor down less than a thousand yards — a shorter distance than any other ship in the harbor with the excep- tion of the hospital ship CoiLsuliituni. When the center of a typhoon passes within fifty miles of a ship, things begin popping — in- cluding the barometer, which fell to 28.88, a new low for most of the old salts. The coming of the cold gray dawn, with the calming sea, saw some mighty weary men seeking their sacks — C and R who had been kept busy with the anchor chain and running after leaks about the ship — gunners ' mates 05}-

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C-hildcrs, Fliicto, Kiiriilccliiuii, MiiIlnL-v Iiisf ' alioM I ' v Ciif ' tiiiii Carney of the TliiiJ Division 24}

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Fontaine ami Hattlcr in Pilot House Houston, Barry, Lt. Comdr. Wagner, Alli ' n, Captain Dardcn, Lt. (jg) Waters on open hridgc {26}