Heywood Edwards (DD 663) - Naval Cruise Book

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Tlio battle off Sarisiao Straits In the epic- battle iif Suiijiao Straits in llu- I ' hilip- pines the destio Pis had their da . And. lhe made the most of it. The ( .S5 lleynood L. Ednnnls was pail of tlic Lnited States Naval task force which sailed Soulii in the Leyte Gulf on the night of October 24. 1944. to oppose entry of a powerful Japanese striking force. In compam uilli other destroyers, several cruisers and so-called old battleships, the Heyuaod L. Edwards took her station in the battle disposition and began tlic long night ' s vigil. Officers and men were familiar with the relative strength and proximity of the Japanese — and nianv envisioned a master squeeze pla b the cneiin. Nevertheless, it secm d there ucie feu men alidard the llcynood L. Edininis llial niglil who ac luallv Ix ■ licved llic Japanese would sail blithelv into an al- in(]sl (liivious trap— one presenting surb perfect tactical silualidMs for ibe Americans. Few men could believe that, despite claims of the Idkv ' o Hadio. the Japanese mmmand ( imld be so misinformed as to dispatch such a force as they were sending against the American units in Levte Gulf. Even persistent air attacks during preieding davs had failed to diminish to anv appreciable de gree the combat elhcicricv if tbc 1 iiited States forces. . n llie hiliiards lav silent in the inkv iiigbl. watched and waited. If ibcv c am. ' llicv liadn ' l at Sai[ an nr rahui tbc slii|i vmiuIiI picibablv achieve ibal dicam of all deslrovers a Idvpcdd run on tbc eni ' niv bailie line. It was with mixed feel- ing, then, ibal she wailed. Her men had bcallhv r( spec I for Japanese guns - and preliminarv repcirls from I ' T boats indicated that al least Inn and pc) - siblv ibrcc balllcsbip- were in ibc cnemv dispcisilicm. Just before midiiigbl icii ibc 2 lib. ihc task foice connnander ordered all ships { tbc battle fciice to man ibeir balllc slations. Tbc Jajis were slill i cming

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active part in what was i l vi( iisly develii|)iiif: into one of the great surface liattles (if this war. Hut even M this srutticliul ;is inakiiij; llic rmiiiil . tlic (.(iiiiniaiuler pirked up hi traiisiuittinfi micro- phone and said (|uietl : Thi- is uhal ue i ' Keen wailinji for. and the ship ua mi lici ua . The Heyuood L. Kdn arils ni(i ed out in front to devehjp an attack on the enenn s left flank. The speeii mounted and so did the tight brealhlessness through- out the ship. Just like in the movies, an operator croaked — and he had to clear his throat twice before the words came out. But the most obvious and et unusual factor of the attack was the dead silence in all parts of the ship. E en the intercom circuits were silent and the roar of the water along the hull and the increasing howl of the wind all but drowned out quiet orders to the helm and the engine room tele- graph. Speed was increased: the ship quivered as she led the other destroyers slightly to the right into the firing course. The range came in — closer and closer. Overhead there suddenly rumbled the first salvos from huge, sixteen-inch guns behind the Edwards as the obsolete battleships — veterans of Pearl Har- bor — began their murderous revenge. The Japanese were prompt to rep! and sent answering salvos over- head searching for the L ' nited States ships but falling short. And till. on the Ednards the range dwindled, and now the only sounds were curt maneuvering orders as the torpedoes swung their blunt snouts out into the darkness. The nmzzles of the gun barrels rose and fell silently as the pointed the wa to the leading enemy ships. And then it uas time. A destroyer with the Eduards softiv asked permission to tire. She received it. An- other destroyer astern of the Edwards made a similar request. Back afl a destro er reported tor|)edoes away — and sixty seconds later another destroyer an- noniK ed her fish were in the water. TwenlN-two minutes from the time the original attack order was given, the Heywood I.. Edwards lired and thcv didn t go. A split second later, how- ever, sweating lorpedonien kicked out the rec alci- Uaril li h. and the -hip i heered. Now there was lime lo think and the lir t and onlv thought was imanimou lv to t;et the hell out of here. s her torpedoe leaped into the ea. the f.iliiarils began to turn toward the North, toward anetuarv. Already salvos from the Japanese were coming close. As she leaned into her sharp right-hand turn a heavy shell lit directly in her wake. Moments later another near miss sma hed into the sea off her bow — and they felt the spray from that one topside. There was no mistaking it. the Japanese were on. and the Ed- irards seemed to feel that she had spent enough time tov ing with battleships, guns. Japanese gun wound- ed and angry. As she raced Northward the E lirards checked her linv llo( k. just astern a destroyer reported all se- cure— no casualties. Still further in our wake an- other came in. all fine and happv : all we had to do was follow, and that was easy with ou leading. Not one of the ships had sustained so much as a scratch. Scot free, they bore on northward, and now the speed began to drop. As the knots came off. the tension of the last half-hour eased all over the shi|j. oiecs became natural again: the double take set in. Lighting a cigarette was a serious problem — be- cause your hand shook. o man aboard denied that he had been frightened. Hut now in the darkness on the Inidge. back on the spray dampened fantail. in the gun mounts, and down in the simmering engineering spaces, men grimied and wiped the per |iiration from their faces. In one forward handling room a mess bo suddenly discovered he ' d been holding a live-inch projectile in lii ariii tluoughoiit liie entire run. He didn ' t know it nnti! the atta( k was ovir. and it suddenly felt heavier than anv shell lie ' d ever handled. The inter- om circuits became alive again— and erackle() with jubilant information.