Heywood Edwards (DD 663) - Naval Cruise Book

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r x ZS SJE SURIBACHI; HELL ON EARTH WE DENT A FENDER AT IWO And on 24 October DD663 took her ])la e in the left flank of the battle disposition covering the entrance to South Surigao Strait from Mindanao Sea. It was her first major action between ships — and charac- teristically she picked a good one. For at 033! on 2S Oct.. flank speed was rung up on her lclcglapll and she led the third section of DesHon .5() straight at the Jap battle line. The approach was made under a double arch of fire, from the battleships and crui- sers astern and the Japs ahead. At 6.500 Nards torpe- does were launched and DD06. ' zigzagged her wa through exploding Jap shells to safety behind the smoke screen. This torpedo attack 1 the ships of

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i)Iic i.f ifl. ' sc mrlll.Ml li:i.l ;mi .-IT.-i I. I ' l. l I ' rlrliu II ,- , . - J ' l .Srpl. U Mill S,ii|(;iri. ciiini ' a fr« (la (if l«)f;i.sti(s al Kiii- « l..k. and Iwi. w -fk i.f l allli- piai ii-c in tin- S.il.i- iii(in . Th.-n. a |)arl of Task Ki.n ■ Wl. I)l)(.(.: s.-l a ciiiiisc for lii ' i- set (iiul niajoi ' iinasioii: I ' i ' Icliii. wlm-i- airlii-lil-. si raddled tin- st-a road lo Manila. This time slu- arrixi ' d lu-forc l) l)a . On I) minus . ' . lu l)f I ' xart. Otuf nuiri- licr major assi-innii-nt was liomliardment. On D l)a itsi-lf. she lirt-d u lliou- sand rounds at ihf forlilii ' d fiun positions on Bloody Nose l{idj;f, and dfstroMil an irifin suppK dci)ol holdinj; lixc tanks anil lucKi- liuck-. and an ammu- nition depot. .After D ' l)a . liicie vwie laxes to l e s ' aled and pinpoint lire to lu- ilcliveied in support of tile j;round troops. j;ain al I ' eleliu. I)l) ' .(..l -liour.l ,, lal.nl l,,i Iri- (li idii.d .11 linn in --lioal wain. On lln- ni;:lil ..! S.-pl. i: -l . uhilr palrollinj;. hci i.idai pi( k.d up s.nni- taryets ill hcliind llu- reef, close t i the lieach. It was a (•(duiiiii of Jap har es. allemptinf; | assaf;e from Koiei lo I ' eleliu. The lirsl shell was on its wa in -eeoiids. When tin- last had -.nia-hed ils tarjiel. a lolal of tifleen hai-es were ,.ii llir holloiii. I ' .O.W. reported the DDdd.Ts sc-oii- .1- one ammunition harjie. and fourleen peisomiel haij es. ronlaiiiiiif; TOO troops. F ' irst-to-eome. Ia?t-to-f:o DDi.ii! --li ' amed away from I ' eleliu on 29 Septemh -i . I lie i-laiuls were se- cured, ihcie was another assault to jiel read for. In her III old as a i oinmendalioii from Admiral Ol- dcndorf for the entire operation, with speiial refer- ence to hei detection and destruction of the harjii ' s. If altarkeil ill more wa s than one. DDlidi nl.ili- ali ' d in kind. l the end of hiT i aieei -he had ai ■ counted for eii;hl eiiem planes. Iwi. -hip-. Iifleen liar-ies and had launched torpedoes in a -iiiiadron attack on a haltleship. On the terrestial side, shi- had one oil dump, one train. Ii e tanks. IweKe trucks, an ammunition depot, a seme or more of jjini em- ' - ■»., .. MANUS ADMIRALTY ISLANDS placements, an odd i;ross of ca es and a fireat a- rielN of othi-i lari els In hei cieilil. lin luded were al lea-I IIHK) of ihe en.-ni . . : i: (Irl. II «.r. DDod.t dcpailcd I ' eh ' liii in coiiipans with ihe llonciliiln. lhre - other cruisers, aiul eifiht other de- -iMAci- of l) ' sHoii. F ( . Destination: Manus. Ad- iniialu l-laiids. Ihil Maiiii- was onl a short slopoxer on the (iranil Kxcursion li.kel foi ih, I ' arilic Isles. After 10 da s of refueling, icliuini;. leanninfi. reiujiani iiif;. and rest DDdd.S went lo sea again. This time it was as part of Task (iroup 77.2 and to some of her com- pany the excursion ticket looked like a one-wa lo LK TK. Here was the keystoiu- in the master stra- U- ' ' c plan, ihr I ' liil ippines. f:atewa to Asia and Japan il-rll. In Le te (iiilf on 17 O.l.. or I) minus A Day. DDOO. ' i drew anolhi ' r shoal water assignment: sup- poiiinj; the deinoliliiui teams under direct lire of ill ' lap shore hatleries. The operation was suece.»s- fill, the halteries were not. ami DDdd.i withdrew to waters more na igalionalK safe lo spend the next six da s III liomliaiilm eni and lighlini; olT aiicraft attacks. hen I .imc Ihe w m i ih.ll ihe J.lp Heel w .1- .ll HALFWAY CHANGE OF COMMAND

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MAKE SMOKE Dr-Koii o( ifMilliil in llic -inkiii ' i .if ;i J;i| l)allli - shi|,. At (l;. l.r.-;.k . ' ! O. I.. Ii .- ...lum.i- . f -uu.kr an.l Kiir rri|)| lf(l Jap ilfsliciUT utTC all thai rfrnairii ' d of ihc i)|)|ji)sin ' ; force. The (l» ' lro ci was taken uii- .lei Cue ! I)I)(.6;? and others and qiiieki sunk. K)(» or more survixors refused assistance-, killini; their comrades and themsehes rather tlian lie picked up. To prevent their ettinf; ashori- in the I ' hilippines. l)D()fi.i destroyed their lioats. She was then sent witii others to the aid of a j;roup of escort larriers under attack to the northward. Thi- aition. I.roken off l.cforc |)|)(i(i ' , arrixcd. wa llic I ' .altic of Samar. The rest of the operation DDdd.S spent in her old role as fire support ship, appearing also in a new one as a radar picket. On 2. ) o eml er she departed l.i ' te with 1I I AS W arrainun :a. scri-eninj; the I ' enn- • l ania enronte to ianus in thi- Admiraltii-s. On Christmas l)a . ' ) . at Ko-sel Hoads. the I ' nlaus. (iommander . I,. Shcphr-ril. ( .S.N. ielie ed Com- mandcr Joi- W . Itoulwarc. I .S.N. of c mnmand of 1)1 )( ( ; . l llii lime l)l)(p(). ' ! was appi ii iinatcl one-half ua al..iii; llic UlU.OIIO mile road which hroufiht her al l,,rii; last to Idkio Hay. Considerahle effect of hardship and strain Tnijrht ha e lieen detected in her ollicers and men. In the ship herself there weri ' no s mploms. -ihc was shipshape and unperturhed as Ih ' |i Iic Hcnl into commis-ion. I | (.l ,l IF ' . .1,1,1. . ' . ' - ' Jan. Ia On New ear Dav. I ' M.i. in compam with Task (iroup ' 7.2. I)l)(i( ; sortied from ralau. On. e more she was under , dniiral Oldendorf. Onc ni. re slie was headed for a maj.ir assault her fourth to date. On .Ian. f. ih- for mat i. mi had its first taste ..f llw .lap ' s ta.ti.- of .1. sp.-ialio!i lie kaniika . ' siii.i.le plane. I ' he first was |.eati-n ..IT at the pri. e of tin- carrier Orniaiie Hav. ;;ain .m tin- aft.-rii.ion of ill.- fifth, the formati.in came iindi-r air alta. k. Tin- l.oiiis- ill.- an.l IIMAS Ariinta wen- hit. On ill. ' aflerno.m .if d Jan.. whii - steaming into l.in}:a eii (iiilf lhrou ;li a narrow swi-pt channel.