Heywood Edwards (DD 663) - Naval Cruise Book

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GUARDIAN ANGELS dream. This was the first atku k on tlic Jap honic- laiid. Two days out. DD663 dropped a ])attern of charges on a submarine contact. The result was a slick of oil but no more tangible evidence. On 24 March. DD663 moved in close to Kerama Retto. supporting the underwater demolition teams. From then on Kamikaze planes swarmed like hor- nets from China. Formosa and the homeland. On 6 April, in four hours, two hundred tried to attack the formation, many evading the overworked air cover. Four Judies. fl ing low came on ])D66, ' ?. in 90 seconds she splashed them all. The feat needs MO touting, indeed to do so would be to detract from it. In all 60 destrovers were hit. 12 of them sunk. during the Okinawa operation. DD663 was at Okinawa longer than any ship of the original attack force. In 128 days of fighting, of Ijondiarding. of radar picketing, she shol dciuii cli;ht enem planes, smashed shore targets wilhoiil num- ber. On 111 -Ma . the Longshaw. another lin ' - uppuit destroyer, aground on a reef, was demolished for- ward by Jap shore batteries. DD6C)3 moved in, low- THE JAP COMES ABOARD DEAD . AND ALIVE

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i (i JIM ih r,-h. r. .: h ' h. i: ll.i. ' k ill Ihr II, rl a-aln. |)|)( (..; Irll I lillii .,ii III I ' l ' li.. iriiil. ..ii-iiii; uilli Ta-k (;n.ii|) .i2.l ' ill Sai- |iaii. Slic a Mil till- a In lici liflli major assault h n Jinia liHpkiiijj. i- i r|il fm inliim di-lii iciiiii- in |.aiiil. a llr liail ..ii llir ua I.. Iiri rii-l. In llir t iainl sliali ' fiN lwi Jiina wa ikiiIciI Im a li;jlitci Im i- to |jrolt ' ( t till- 15-2 ' Js. On I) Da) iiiiiuis ihrtM- she was close to slion a aln. icath for her |)rartisfil task of iioiiiliardincnl kiioikin out iiiis and closinf; cavt-s w illi nonclialaiil i-lluifni . On D l)a sfu- |)ri ' |)ar ' d tin- wa for tin marine landin ; crafl. llii ' ii iom ' k-i! iIu- assault fnni a position just off llir licai li il-ill. f;i iiij; aliiio-l point hlank attcnlioii to llir i:iiii liriiii: fmiii llii lirarh. Tlif Ja|i firr ua ai. mali-. r rial lliiu-- lii ua lradi!lrd. d ' |)l sal ii rlia iiiii L;a r hrr liiiii lo n ' liiiii till- Inc. Our iiii. Ill a rmiin-lr rinplarr mcnt «as almost on lilt- landirm lirarli iNrlf. Il u MCCfssar) to fire ri-ilit tliroujih the poll- ' A llir fm titication. In a fru niinutrs ihr drfrndri- laii oiil |i hr .ha-rd up and nv,-, ||,r lull |, lur-lnrli .l.rlU. I)a and ni-ilit she lontiiuicd. now harrassin now illuminatin ;. until the 27th of Ft-liruarv whri she was mdrrrd lo Saipaii lo picparr foi in a ioi niimlii-r -i . DDdli.i wa a war inarliini ' . . . and rxprrlrd lit-r rii» III lir llir same. I lir -piiil oMi a M ' ar and a half in thf most for- ward ana- . . . had littlr rt ' sl or riTreation. Of roMi-r. -oini- lui k souls did sff (!ar d I.andis in a I SO -how ilurinf; u rain s(|uall in thi- Solomons. OiM r ihrrr a- a a v nurse on the deck of a hos- pital u at l.evte. And once four Hed (!ross };irls -iiiioMiidrd lis that man hundreil sailors on the Ihmi II al (fiiaiii. nd onic dill inj; a •;ruelin ' j live months of oper- ating: tlicN had a lihcilN mi a sand spit. Triur hours . . . I w o I aii of varm hrrr. I ' riliap- l)l)(,(.:? knrw how -hoil hn lifr was lo lir . . priliap- -lir iiali ril thai nmr ihr war was oM-i. ihric ' d lir nnlhiii fm liri hut ird Irad row. n wa . slu ' must ha e hern determined to fiet in all llir lifihts she could, for she never mis.sed a one. Toil,, -n -|,r wmkril wilh CiscM-paratr lie.-l . ()KI ' l,ii. r — JHjuly ry llri a rrp.iir pii iod at Saipan and lofjistics at I lilhi. I)l)(i(i. ' { put to sea on 21 .March, in company with Task (iroup .tI.2. Her destination was Okinawa llii- ai;Mri iaii rlimax of the ini htx opera of war. w illi llanir- and dr-truclion hevond man s capacitv to ONE GOT THROUGH

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(•red llfi Imiils fur llic rescue. ' I ' lie liallerv on llie lieaeh i)|)ene(l tire, and was taken under return tire. .• .Hiji it uas kn. ked nut. W illi llie aid nf dIIum ea- sels ill the ariM. main .--urNixoi nf liie I,(iiiu Ikh wert ' rescued. On 2 ' ) Jul . «ith till- i laiids id Okinawa. Ki ' rama Ketlo. le . ' hinia. and Kiinie Sliinia M.ured. |)l)()(i:! was ordered to l,e te. While priniariK a tire support ess(d. I)l)( ( ? al o doiii ied as radar picket. W hile equalh hazardous, this wa- a relief to hci Inidiic :;aii:; who ii-u.dl na ii;ated with onl a few feel of water under the kc(d. While on | ickel diit she w a- attacked twice and shot down lioth planes. a tire support ship she starred, didiveiin an iinineiisc olumi- of well aimed tire. In fait. durin ; the Okinawa homhardment DDfifi.S alone tired more li e-incli shells than the whole llie.l fleet (dT Omaha jiiai h at oiinaiid . one and ouc-iialf limes a mam lo he exact. When linalK I)|)(i( . left Okinawa her ,;;iin- were i.HiiplcliN worn out and had to j.e replaced. WE RESCUE SURVIVORS FROM THE NEWCOMB AND THE LONGSHAW