Heywood Edwards (DD 663) - Naval Cruise Book

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Firing llli ioll ill akaf;a.-Likii Wan i ri ' I inin- liai u. JLl E. . .1. . .Fired in coinpam with Laiis. I ' oilhuul and West Virginia on ( hinen Saki. 2-3. . .In (din- pan with Vinceiines. Barton and Rooks hondiaid- inp ( ' hiiien Peninsuhi. r . . . Two hofiies reported in area (lose to Okinawa; siiirided into Lonisviiic and Mississippi who were !! miles south of this shi|). ()•! 1 . . . Harrassed enemy lines in comijany with spotting plane. Destroyed caves in southern porticni of Chiiien Peninsula. 12... Call fire on Naha. Ki . . . Pro ided aerial cover for task fjroup south ol Senaga Shima. 14... First quiet night in over a month was spent at Hagushi anchorage. 1.5. . .Per- formed flycatcher duly with Twiggs and Callng- lian. 16. . .Flycatcher dut east of southern part of island. 17. . .Fired on 200 Jap troops which an LCI could observe nioving on the beach. 19...l ' sual night illumination with harrassing fire on troo|)s ashore. 23. . .Accompanied Guest for night mission, illuminating. 24. . .LCI 549 rammed this vessel at how denting hullnose but no serious damage sus- tained. 26. . .Steaming in company with Compston. Gainanl. 3 LSTs, and accompanying mineswee|)- ers to Kume Shima for boml ardment of Zental town. 27.. .In conipan with FuUani and Cla.xton to relieve Aiishiinic on radar picket guarding planes from Saki Shima. JULY. . .2. . .Cunningham relieved this ship on radar picket. 24 . . . Left in company with Leary and Au- lick to assume duties on radar picket. Two planes of our combat patrol crashed nearby and Leary proceeded to rescue survivors. 27. .. .Relieved b Laiis. Dyson, and Callaghan on radar picket. 2o. . . Proceeded with Cal il lo and Leary to Le te Island. Callaghan sunk during evening raid on picket sta- tion we left. 31 . . .Entered Surigao Strait and San Pedro anchorage in Levte Gulf. AUGUST. . . 1 . . .Crew had liberty at Osmena Center on Samar Island for first time since departure from Ulithi on March 21. Ship has spent 128 da s on the fciiwaid area in dircil imilac 1 vvilli llic cniiin c - iT day. 2. . . Kn ionic Saipaii u ilh Lrai . I 0-1 1 . . . In inner pra liaili(M in-lalling iiru gnu |iaiirl . 1.1, , I ' lc-idcnl Tiinnaii lirciadca-l llial the Japan- ese liad agreed In siiirendei under the I ' olsdain Dec- laration. 16. . .Proceeded with I ' resiilriil l ' „lh from Guam to Eniwetok Island in the Marshalls. 19. . . Arrived Eniwetok. Shiji is to proceed to .Adak in the Aleutians to join the 9th Fleet. 20... Orders cancelled. Instead this ship escorts the Chnndeleur ihe 29th. 29. . .Underway with Cliandeleiir to the Omiiiato Naval Base on the island of Honslui in Japan. Occupation wilh the 9th Fleet o|)eiatiiig in the iicrthern portion of the Japanese home islaiid . SEPTEMBER. . .2. . Heard broadcast of the official cajjitulation of Japan in Tokyo Bay aboard the U. S. S. Missouri. This ship still enroute Oniinalo Naval Base for occupation of area. 7-11.. .Paln l- ling eastern entrance to Tsugaru Strait belueeii Japanese home islands of Hokkaido and Honshu. 12. . Entered the straits at noon wilh Leary. Ben- limn and Wainurighl. Anchored in Ominato Ko. 19. .. Underway with Japanese convov escorting them to Tokyo. 22. . .Arrived Tokyo, disposed of convoy. 23. .. Departed Tokyo escorting Tippe- canoe back to Ominato aval Base. 26. . . Arrived Ominato Ba . 29. . First official flag raising cere- monies in northern Honshu made bv Rear Admiral Denebrink. OCTOBER. . . 1-7. . Patrolling Tsugaru Straits, i!. . . Relieved as entrance patrol. Proceeded to anchorage at Ominato. 11. . .Typhoon that ravaged Okinawa hit northern-most portion of Japan. 13. . .Departed for Hachinohe. Japan, to dispose of Jap ammo. 14. . Arrived Hachinohe. 19. . Relieved bv A. IT. Grant. Proceeded to Ominato. 22 . . . Departed from Ominato for Pearl Harbor. T. H. 31 .. .Arrived Pearl Harbor. NOVEMBER. . .3. . . Deparii Seattle, asliiiigton. 10. . inalon. I Pearl llail».i iindUU Ani c l Sealllc. W ash CAPTAIN H. F. STOUT COIWIDESICOm Stt COMMODORE H. N. SMOOT -JSe

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Sliiiiia aiilii ' ld. Allacki ' d li -iii lr plane wliicli ua -|)la.-lif(l. . ' 50. . . DcsliDM ' d iiiiiic whiili was in i i-ii- III iif jialjiil ana laki ' n li llii- lii|i ilinin;; llir ni :lil {Mhnl. Ii..inl ai.l. ' l alia U , an.l aiilirl,! uilli liil- I r.-(lil.-.l (III 1 j;ii.mi(l.-.l |)lani . M llaiiav-iMl Okinawa Ulaml ami nlirc-d willi ;;i(iU|). M ' RII. I luo .nriin | laiM lire kl.- l foiinalion anil llii-. -Iiiii hrc ' cl mi iinc. Joini ' d la k iinil In foini pif-landiiif; lioinliardmi-iil. lii-acli partio swarmed ashore i n onlaii ail held. 2 .. . I ' lane closed forma- tion and passed poll side rather elose. made a siii- lide run on Litidsay Iml crashed . idll arils astern of this ship. .5. . .Harrassed Nahalown.and Matului IVninsula. . ' v . .Screened l„hil,- olT af:o Wan fo, lire support duties. ( . . iolent air attacks le cl- opeil on all portions of Okinawa as I dilTeri ' iit raids rained homhs to the north and several radar pickets were hit. I ' riiiiilr was sunk seconds after the Slan- Iry received tile lirst low attack of a Haka homh. Fire support discontinued to meet ioli ' iil air at- tacks now closiiij: to iininediale localil . Four ' Jud s ' approaihed dead ahead and the l.riilzr opened tire. I ' lanes continued to (lose this ship and within M(l seconds after this ship opened lire, all I |)lanes were splashed. Opened lire on low llxiiif; plane that almost immediateh found its mark on the . rti(t nili. .shifted lire onto another that suicided another destroyer and noted rii(()nil disappear- iiif; in pall of a iidoiit explosion, enierfiiiif; some lime later dead in the water smokiii ' ; hea il . Lfutze went to the en iiiiiih ' s assistance and then this ship lired on another |)lane that successfulh hit holh the l.i ' ulzr and the Xfiiconih. 7 . . . San Franiiscti escaped torpedo hred at her l) Kamikaze who hit the cruiser himself. Cloiitiiiued scieeniii ' ; U r.sl I uf iiiia. (loiiimencecl lire upon low Ihinj; plane that crashed into Maiylantl. !... Screened St. Louis in homhardiii : alia town. 9. . Screened Muinvapolis in deep fire supjioit mission. 10... Harrassed aha in conipan with Leary. 11 He- liexed ) illiani I), f ' orlrr on harrassiiif; lui-sion (di Naha. 12. . . (lommenced call fire with Hiloxi de- spile anno iii; air attacks in icinit . I.S...Call (ire with I ' dillniiil. II.. . Assij;iied close tire sup- port with liinniiiiiliiim and I ' orllaiul in operation ajiaiiist le Shima. Heckler raids ihrou hoiit the nij;hl. I . .. Joined le Shima j;idiip and duiin;; ni iiil tired at eke thai dosed this hip. i ' lane was hit and rallied imniedialel . Momliarded le Shiin.i piioi to landin zs and -poradi( air allai ks developed. IT l)(la( lied from le liima operation and l oml)aiile(l Ke u Point. Joined . iiii t itinciscii. ' ) . . Kelieved I ' irkitifi on liomliardment of aka- j;asiikii an I liiickner Ha l in onalmrii area in | reparalioii for troop |)usli to llie south. 20. . .(!all tire with H . I). I ' lirlir. .S . Louis, and Uulrliins. 2.5 . . . Hartoii and Iruiii made sonar contacts on either side of us and we were direi ted to assist Iruin. Iruiii and lUirlou dropped har| i-s. 2. ' J . . Helieved ' -(( Orltun.t on lire -iipport duties. 27. . Screened I fnucs.sfr in lire support mission. Heckler raids kept area alixe with possihie raids on difTerenl s» ' e- lion of island. .50. . . Fsi dried Tinmssrr and U irh- 11(1 Id Naka usuku Wan i Kik kiier |{a i. 1 W I .. Harrassed enemy line- from aka;:a- -iikii Wan supporting forces ashore. 2-. ' 5. . .(iorilin- iied hariassiiif; encin lines, l-.i ... Suicide hoals made delermined allai k on ships in Naka asuku Wan and explosidn were seen when lioals were hit ( (iiKcnlraled KiMM tire. if:ht si per raid- kepi area alive all ni ' ;ht. 7. . Fired at enenn in- slallalions in (iinpan with Lfury and trkan. ' ni. ' i in aka :asiiku W an. !. . . . l noon all ships in Okinawa area lire a full saKo in celehralioii of -F l)a . Patrolled . s. W . portion of Okinawa harrassin cricin lines. 0. . Relieved Louf sliau for da lirinj;. II Held up liriii : in compain with C.olorailo and Hruir liecause of expelled hea air raid thai was handled courafieoiisK li the picket line to the north. Kesiimed tire on alia. I .t . . . Pid ided (all tire for heach parlies. Id- 1 7 Fired in sujiport of artillery liarrajie on Naha. lo... t 071(1 LoUfi- shau iDD.i.iMl reported she had •;one aground on a reef southwest of Naha aiitield. Jap shore lial- lei opened up on the Lonii.sliuu and she imiiie- dialeh commenced counlei -tire, fter takin-; sev- eral hits the Loufi.shau Mew up violeiith. » Men Miiwii (p|T Lorifi.shau were treated for injuries ahoaid llii- ship. 10-20. .. Harrassed and hom- liarded Naha. 21 . . Reliev ed |) f icivi ie.s and com. nieiK cd tire in Naka-iasuku Wan oxer onoharii villafie. 2. ' i . . Fired with (7..v ' r ' oxer diiohaiu. 21. . Fired a :ainsl southern Okinaxxa. 2.i . . .Dur- ing C.hineii Peninsula, rt . . . ' I ' xxo lioj;ies reported in llie 2.1II1 eiicnix planes 1 ontiiuied |o hil area, . ' il . . . THEY COULDN T BE SUNK W , ' I

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