George Elliott (AP 105) - Naval Cruise Book

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The next morning--D-Day at Lingayen-found the Fighting Fox batteries firing away at enemy planes. Between general quarters, enemy planes and other obstacles, cargo handlers were able to unload, and at I85I the same day, the Fighting Fox, with guns blazing, steamed out of Lingayen Gulf. After visiting Leyte Gulf, the Tnlfyn IXFIIIIVIIH Il'ill1 l H,l'f'!lff1i1il ship sortied with members of Transport Division -ll en route for Manus Island. The 25th Janu- ary of I9-45 found the Fighting Fox loading troops ot the 33rd Infantry Division at Wadke, New Guinea. After an uneventful trip to Lingayen Gulf and back to Leyte the ship departed for Ulithi in the Caroline Island group. After leaving Ulithi the Fighting Fox, in company with other ships of Transport Division I2.6.I, circled the Island of Iwo Jima until I8 March, when the anchor was dropped in the waters off that sulphuric hell spot, scene of some of the toughest, bloodiest fighting of World War ll. For the third time, members of the 'Sth Marines were carried on the Fighting Fox . After leaving the Marines at Hilo, Hawaii, the course was laid to San Francisco on I6 April, l945. On the previous day, the selection board in Washington, D. C., promoted Commander W. F. Weidner to the rank of Captain, U.S.N. After a stay in San Francisco, dur- ing which time voyage repairs were completed, new armament added, etc., the Fighting Fox sailed to Port Hueneme where CB's were embarked. After leaving Port Hue- neme the Fox sailed to Okinawa via Eniwetok and Ulithi. After sev- eral night air raids-they came so regularly that you could almost set your watch by their regularity-the Fighting Fox headed on 25 July for San Francisco via Ulithi. Those days from Ulithi to San Francisco were indeed historic ones. Between those dates 3I July and I5 August, came some of the greatest news flashed from the far Pacific Thea- ter. First came news that the atomic bomb was used-as the Fox sailed alone, the United Press report came in that Japan had asked for peace, Then came the denial and the officers and men, who one minute were bubbling over with enthusiasm, now disappointed, waited for more news. On I7 August, l945, Captain W. F. Weidner was relieved by Commander Hermann P. Knick- erbocker, lJ.S.N. After a quick trip to Pearl Harbor, the Fighting Fox set out for Yokosuka, Japan, on I9 Sep- tember and on the l3th October, after being diverted by a typhoon, the ship anchored in Tokyo Bay. At last the familiar See you in Tokyo became a reality.

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for Apamama and after deborking and embark- ing passengers arrived at a rendezvous point off Makin with the U.S.S. Clay. After arriving in Pearl Harbor on 9 July, the Fighting Fox departed for San Diego in com- pany with ships of Transport Division lO. Two quick trips to San Diego found the ship's crew becoming ac- quainted with members of the 5th Marines for the first time. After deborking the Marines the Elliott proceeded to Honolulu where troops of the 96th Division lArmyl were embarked for training at Maui. After training at Maui the ship re- turned to Honolulu where, on the 8th of September, Commander A. J. Couble, U.S.N., was promoted to Captain to rank from June, I943. The next day Captain Couble was relieved as Commanding Officer by ex-submariner, Commander W. F. Weidner, U.S.N. With a new skipper on the bridge, the Fighting Fox steamed west with troops .of the 96th Division for the invasion of Yap. That invasion never materi- alized, however, as Admiral Halsey pronounced the Philippines ripe for assault. Consequently, the course was altered to Manus via Eniwetok. The 2Oth day of October-D-Day-found the Elliott anchored in Transport area two off Leyte. For the next four days air raids and general quarters throughout the day and night were destined to be a part of every man's life in that area. After leaving Leyte 24 October, l944, the course was laid to Hollandia, New Guinea. Departing Hollandia on 3 November, the ship sortied with the Capricornus and proceeded to Wadke Island After 'returning to Hollandia with Army troops, the ship left Hollandia 9 November and Sortied with Task Unit 79.l5.6 en route to Leyte. The Army troops we had aboard begun to think that November l3th was an unlucky day for them to be at sea. At IS46 enemy planes were reported in the vicinity. At l7OO a lone Jap torpedo plane attacked the last ship in forma- tion and was shot down and crashed in flames. The previous year, November l3, l943, found BT'?l7'l.fj?l7'LQ H or Alonyszlin the same troops we now had aboard clinging to life rafts off Espiritu Santos when the merchant ship they were aboard was torpedoed. From the Philippines the Fighting Fox proceeded to Manus Island, thence to Cape Gloucester, New Britain. After the usual training period, this time off Huen Gulf, the ship returned to Manus Island. Here Christmas was celebrated in the equatorial heat. Next came Luzon. On 8 January the crew went to general quarters twice. In the morning a bomber was overhead, missing his target, a car- rier, That evening a kamikaze pilot attacked the U.S.S. Kitkum Bay, crashing into the after port quarter in a suicide dive. Other Jap planes in the area were shot down or retired.

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'QL -1 x . OFFICERS OF THE ELLIOTT During the past two years there has been a large turnover in the officer personnel aboard ship, so that it is impossible for me to give an account offneach one. Therefore, I shall strive to men- tion the highlights for, after all, aren't the high- lights the most interesting? Eirstiof all, l would like to mention Captain Couble, Captain Weidner and Commander Knickerbocker who have been our Commanding Officers. We now come to Lieutenant W, Lyons who was our first Lieutenant for quite some time There was never a more agreeable man than Walt, who would say yes to any work request, then promptly forget all about it. l-le was also a great one for plenty of sack time. Commander Angrick, our first Executive Officer, will be re- membered by all who served under him. Lieu- tenant Commander l-larry Handsome l-larry l-latch then followed as Executive Officer and was quite the glamour boy with those wavy blond locks. Among the engineers we had Lieutenant Commander J. Edwards as Chief En- gineer, vvho would take great delight in raising cain with all officers in regard to censoring mail. In the islands he would board ship after a sojourn to the Officers' Club, and as soon as he had one foot on the quarterdeck Jake would start yelling for all censors to lay up to the ward- room. There was also Lieutenant ljgl A. Angell, Senior Assistant Engineer, who after many attempts finally convinced the doctors his back rated a discharge. Nor can we forget Dr. Houghton, who found out the hard way what a gun casualty was. l-le arrived on the scene of a reported gun casualty with stretcher, corpsmen, etc., only to find a miss fire. During general drills, whether they ll rirrlrrmni .lllrfsx ?