Heywood Edwards (DD 663) - Naval Cruise Book

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m WE GIVE SAILING DIKELllONS TO A SEGMENT OF THE IMPERIAL NAVY t--v ' THE RELUCTANT DRAGON LITTLE OAKIES DRYING SQUID SHARK FOR DINNER l iL v : THE SMELL THE JAP PASSENGER COMES AbOARD

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milPPOIW and HACHINOHE, HONSHU, JAPAN THE LOCAL OFFICIALS OF HACHINOHE WHO ASSIST, PERHAPS A BIT WISTFULLY, IN THE DISPOSAL OF A ONCE GREAT ARSENAL INNOCENT BYSTANDERS THE JAP IS MADE TO CLEAN HOUSE SMILES ... OF VICTORY AND DEFEAT JAP AMMO HEADING FOR THE DEEP SIX '

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■ ocoiiiiiididatioii lor tlie Ma% ' Unit € oniiii iicl«Bti€»ii Fkom : (liiriiiiuiiulci- Dt ' stioyr S(|iki(Ii iii I ' l K ' I VSl . To : The Societal (if tin- ii . I : Ollicial ClianiH-U. SlB.IKCT: Hriiinimciulatioii for Auaid (if Na I nit ( IdiiirnfiHJatidii Id L .S.S. IIcmkkkI .. Fi irnnls i DDfiO.S) and I .S.S. Hicluinl I ' . I.,ni i DDddl i. 1. in aiididaiRi ' uitli Cunciit l)irtTli t ' s it is itHdiniiR ' ndci,! tliat tlu- . a I iiit (.cniiuK-mlatioii he awarded to the V. S. S. Heyuood L. Edwards I DDOO. ' I and the U. S. S. Richard ' . Leary I 1)1)66 1 ) ioY outstanding performance in combat against enemy Japanese forces ashore, afhiat and in tlic air in the Pacific War Area from 29 Mav 1944 to 2!! Jnlv 19 IS fcr the HI.. Kduai(l an(l from ' ) .|iil 1944 to 28 July 1945 for the R. P. ' Lear . 2. During these periods the subject ships participated in the i niajiu am|)hibious assaidt;- and landings in the Marianas, at Palau. Leyte Gulf. Lingayen Gulf, luo Jima and Okinawa. In cai h (d these difficult engagements the two ships were the first to arri e in the area and in almost every instance among the last to leave. During this period the H. L. Edwards fired a total of rounds equivalent to four times the normal life of the guns. Both ships have been repeatedly coniniendcd tor their accurate and devastating fire, and have accounted for the timely demise of manv Japanese. During these operations both ships have been under fire from shore batteries and under repeated and heavy air attack. Both ships have made attacks on submarines, and both have claimed probable sinkings of one submarine each, though official assessments ha e not been received. The H. L. Edwards on 24 September 1944 destroyed a large group of small enemy surface craft, attempting to reinforce the garrison of an enemy held island in the Palau with the loss of a large number of enemy troops. 3. Both ships participated in the Battle of Surigao Straits and were with this scpuulron when it delivered a coordinated torpedo attack on a Jap battleship which no doubt contributed to its loss. Both ships were under heavy enemy fire but escaped without injurN. 4. During the Okinawa campaign both ships were among the mainstays of the fire support group. When the originator requested Commander. Amphibious Force. Pacific Fleet to give these two particular ships a breather, he was told. ' Those will be the last ships to be relieved, because they are so good that we cannot spare them. W e i an alwa s rcl on the Edwards and the Leary to produce in the tight places. 5. The remarkable thing about these two siiips. and the thing uiii(h the oriiiiiialdi uishcs to emphasize, is that in spite of these long and arduous duties, neither ship has been hit b the enenn . cithci from ashore, surface or the air. In view ' of the fact that six of the other ships of the squadron, participating in the same actions. ha e been hit and damaged, this record cannot be passed off as mere luck. Rather, it is the writer s opinion that this fine record is due to outstanding performance of dut h all officers and men of both ships, and is one of the principal bases for this recommendatiim. Many of the officers and men have been decorated for their indi idual aits, but it is the earnest desire of the squadron cominaiider to see every man recei e recognition for the outstanding performance iiicntioiicd herein. 6. liile neither ship lias participated in am action (if the spectacular nature uiiicii draws the attention of the press and radio to it individnalix. it is desired Id point out thai to the writer know I edge no other deslro ers in the Navy, except the oilier -liip in this scpiadron lunc pai ticipalcd in all six of the above named major operations a- a pari df llic lidmliardinciit and liic -iippnil LiKuip. This record the « rilcr believes to be of such an (inl.-landing nature as to vairanl ihcauaid ol llic Navy I nit (iommcndalion. H. F. Simr.