Guam (CB 2) - Naval Cruise Book

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fx 9 S ll I T 0 R ,,h-,iss , ji ,.,., ,,..1,,, if Up to 1 October 1945. On February 2, 1942, in the ways of the New York Ship- building Corporation, Camden, N. J., the keel of the battle cruiser USS GUAM was laid-the second ship in the history of the United States Navy to bear that name. Less than two years later, on November 21, 1943, the GUAM was launched into the Delaware. The ship's sponsor on that occasion was Mrs. George Johnson McMillin, wife of the former Governor of Guam, Captain George Johnson McMillin, USN. At the time of the GUAM'S christening, Captain McMillin was a prisoner of the Japanese on Formosa. Sixteen years separated the launchings of the two U. S. Navy ships to share the name GUAM. The first USS GUAM was a gunboat with an overall length of 159 feet, five inches, a beam of 27 feet one inch and a displacement of 370 tons. The second USS GUAM QCB-21, the second battle cruiser in the history of the U. S. Fleet, was de- scribed as the American version of the pocket battleshipf' With an overall length of 808 feet, six inches, an extreme breadth of 89 feet, six inches and a displacement D. W. L. of 31,940 tons, she exceeds in length and tonnage many present-day battleships. The original GUAM had a firing power which included two, three-inch, 23 caliber guns and eight 30 caliber machine guns. Her ship's complement consisted of five ofiicers, six chief petty officers and 38 enlisted men. The armament of the battle cruiser GUAM consists of nine 12-inch, 50 caliber guns in three triple mounts, 12 five-inch, 38 caliber guns in six twin mounts, 14 forty-millimeter quadruple mounts and 34 twenty-millimeter gun mounts. Her ship's complement consists of approximately 125 officers and 2000 enlisted men, including a detachment of 80 marines. The first GUAM, re-christened the USS WAKE, was captured by the Japanese at Shanghai on December 7, 1941. The new GUAM, as was her sister ship USS ALASKA, is named for U. S. territory or dependency, the largest and most populous island of the Marianas group, the island destined to become Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz,s head- quarters a few months following its re-capture from the Japanese in World War II. Captain Leland P. Lovette, USN, was the GUAM,S first and at this writing only commanding officer. Prior to assum- ing command, Captain Lovctte served as Director of Navy Public Relations in Washington. lle was detached from that post June 27, 1944, subsequently reporting to take command of the GUAM a few weeks before her commissioning. From the carrier USS LEXINGTON, came Commander Louis Everett Gunther, USN, to assume duties as the GUAM'S first Executive Officer. A large percentage of the GUAM'S crew was organized at the Naval Training Center, New- port, R. 1., beginning July 11, 1944 -more than two months before boarding the ship. Other officers and crew members were billeted in the Welsbach Barracks, Gloucester City, N. J., awaiting transfer of the GUAM from her New York Shipbuilding berth to the Philadelphia Navy Yard several miles down the Delaware. Before dawn September 15, the officers and men of the crew stationed at Welsbach Bar- racks, boarded the GUAM. At 0700, the ship cast off and was towed down the Delaware to the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Meanwhile, in Newport, the GUAM7s draft of men had entrained for Philadelphia at 1600 on September 14. A severe storm which crippled rail traffic caused this draft of men to report aboard ship 16 hours behind schedule at 2100 on September 15. 1 Qx Commander L. E. GUNTIIER, USN

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ship with her new crew, she was initiated into battle Hirohitds flying men, five Kamikaze attacks on the Qlrriers, her escort. Uncounted land-based Jap fighters and 'bombers tore viciously into the formation. Within a matter of minutes, the men of the GUAM learned that their months of gunnery practice paid dividends. e . During this first battle, the ESSEX class carriers USS ENTERPRISE and USS INTREPID, both in the GUAM'S force, were damaged. The ENTERPRISE was hit near her island by a bomb, the INTREPID was struck on her Hight deck aft by a suicide plane which glanced off and plunged into the sea. Fire on both carriers was controlled quickly and damage was light. Continued Jap air attacks during the afternoon resulted in the destruction of four enemy planes by the GUAM'S group. The GUAM was credited with one of these, plus one probable. On March 23, the Task Group turned southwest toward what shortly thereafter became one of the most bitterly con- tested islands in the Pacific war, Okinawa. En route to Okinawa, the GUAM and ALASKA,the cruisers SAN DIEGO and FLINT and a destroyer screen were detached from the Task Group for the purpose of bombarding Minami Daito Shima, a tiny Jap island 160 miles east of Okinawa, The date was March 27. When the mission was completed that mid- night, fires and explosions on the island were visible for miles. During the days following, the GUAM cruised off Oki- nawa and Kyushu lending the protection of her guns to the carriers of her group which were daily sending sweeps of Hellcats and Corsairs over enemy airfields, shore installa- tions, shipping, etc. On April 11, another encounter between her group and enemy planes saw a Jap Kamikaze crash into the starboard side of the battleship MISSOURI. Fire was Commander F. M.'CARTER, USN quickly brought under control, damage was negligible. The next day, all hands aboard the GUAM were stunned by the news of the President's death. Men were shocked and saddened, silent prayers were spoken by all, the men of the GUAM mourned a great loss. On the afternoon of April 16, in another enemy attack, five of I-Iirohito's Kamikazes were splashed by units of the Task Group. The INTREPID was bit a second time. The GUAM'S guns were credited with another plane. April 23rd, Commander Albert J. Walden, Gunnery Officer of the GUAM, was elevated to Executive Officer succeeding Commander Louis E. Gunther who was detached for duty in Washington. On April 26, the men of the GUAM caught their first brief and distant view of the island of Okinawa where the battle then raged which they had been supporting with the planes of their Task Group. From this time onward, until May 14, when the Task Group, completing 61 days of war patrol finally dropped anchor in Ulithi harbor for a well- earned rest, the GUAM continued to cruise the waters in the vicinity of Okinawa. When the hook was dropped at Ulithi, the men of the GUAM examined the score of the Task Group with which their ship, on its first combat mis- sion, had met the enemy. From March 18 up to that date, the planes of this force had destroyed, probably destroyed, or damaged in the air and on the ground, 1013 enemy planes. A further breakdown was as follows: Two hundred ninety- two shot down, 16 probables and 20 damaged by planes. Twenty -two enemy aircraft, plus two probables, knocked out of the air by ship's guns. Seven Jap suicides. On the ground- 172 planes destroyed, 93 probables and 389 damaged. The shipping score Cincluding only combat shipsjz one battleship, one light cruiser, two destroyers and two sub- marines sunk. Probably sunk: one destroyer. Damaged: one battleship, one CV, one CVE, four destroyers and one submarine. Planes in the group flew a total of 11,247 sorties of which 6920 were over the target. Task Group plane losses included 61 in combat, 55 operationally and 40 when the INTREPID was struck by a Kamikaze. For the GUAM'S own score, and the activities of her per- sonnel, the following was tabulated: Officers and men went to their air-defense stations 91 times. Twenty-three Jap planes were taken under fire by the GUAM, of which she received sole credit for blasting two. Of that 23, thirteen were shot down by ship's gun fire. From the time of the GUAM'S commissioning until this second anchoring at Ulithi, she had covered 49,101 nautical miles. Of that dis-