Hollandia (CVE 97) - Naval Cruise Book

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51369157 5 7-7- '-.'X 3 i Ai. AY ALNAV KEEWEM LET EM IH. ou'lT :xE::, 'f CLERK Q0 Executive Officer's Office before shifting to Com- munications. Later these were merged into the Ship's Office, where all ship's business was trans- acted, with heavy emphasis on personnel matters. Shortly after the change was made, Lieut. Weems, a Regular Navy officer, came aboard as right- hand man to Captain and Exec and took over the office. Chief Armbruster was Prophet's right hand man in the Captain's Office. He did a masterful job there and later in the Air Office and the Ship's Office. THAT MUCH for the sketchy outline of ship's organization. Nearly everyone aboard, both officers and men, had much to learn, and the only way it could be learned was through experience at sea. The great majority of us had never been to sea and never expected to go to sea. The war changed our plans, however, and we all pitched in and made the best of it. Capt. Lee and Comdr. Brown must have had many misgivings when they took over and saw the bunch of landlubbers they had to take out with them, but they were highly capable officers and through their ability and understanding they fashioned the HOLLANDIA and its personnel into a ship that ranked second to none in the United States Navy. We spent nearly three weeks at Astoria after commissioning, for there was much to be done before we could put to sea. Gear had to be in- stalled, stores taken aboard, and many other chores, big and small, performed. In addition, there was a ship's party, with music and enter- tainment, which helped to knit us into a family organization. Finally, on 20 june we got underway, laying our course for Puget Sound, Bremerton, and Seattle. That short run demonstrated one thing conclusively-the men who had been civilians only a short time before were quick to absorb the routine of sea life and to put what they learned to practical use. We spent a few days in the Seattle area load- ing ammunition and stores, then set out again, this time for San Francisco. On this jaunt we had our hrst experience with rough weather. The seas along that section of the West Coast can be rugged at times. The men learned that, many of them to their great discomfort. Some just wanted to stay in the sack and die. Anything would be better than that dread mal de mer. But all but a few remained on their feet, did their daily work and fought it out. And before we had reached the Golden Gate, they had conquered seasickness for once and for all. We had a bit of trouble getting into San Francisco because of rough seas, darkness, and a bit of fog, but Capt. Lee and Red Rollins were equal to the job, with a bit of aid from radar. By the time the sun had appeared and the fog had lifted we were ready to enter the Golden Gate and proceed to our berth at Oakland. We spent two days and nights there in loading, but officers and men did get an opportunity to spend a little time in San Francisco, best city on the Pacific Coast. Then down the coast to San Diego. We took a trip off the coast there for operational training. and the 97 experienced its first landings and takeoffs of Navy planes. Then we loaded up with planes and passengers and really put to sea. fNote: that jaunt down the Wfest Coast is scoffed at by the Regular Navy. Do you call that sea duty? j THE HOLLANDIA got underway 10 Ululy. Shortly after we had cleared the harbor. Cfomdr Brown announced to all hands that our desti- nation was Espiritu Santo. The trip will take' N funn.. XF-i XX --ii ign1 '-Q--mv W i 1 l

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43- 44 K ,I FA ff Y I N 4 X Ili, 5' Y S'-.L-,Q 1 '-pl 1 I ,sa that facilities aboard were perfect. Phil Cheney deserves much of the credit for that. Lieut. Bill Evans, known as Windy, was Cheney's assistant until sent to another ship. Dave Rice and Bob Wheeler were other officers who pitched in to make C 8: R an efiicient part of ship's company. And Carpenter Dutelle did much to keep things rolling, instructing his men in routine and the deviations from routine which make sea life at least interesting. COMMUNICATIONS was one of the busier places aboard. More messages-some important, some unimportant-came through than can be imagined, but they were all received, and decoded when necessary. Lieut. Frank Bush 'E was our original Communi- Q cations Ofiiper. He came to the 97 with much sea duty ' XCMHK behind him and was able to give his boys thorough in- doctrination in the whys and wherefores of Navy com- munications. The rest of the communications ofiicers re- ceived their Communications schooling at the Navy's school at Harvard University. Howie Kraft was Bush's assistant, taking over his job when Frank went to a British carrier. Others were Frank Stahl, Don Stoneburner and Tony Finger. Then Stan Helmeci moved over from the Exec's Office. Red Purdy was there for awhile, shifting to gunnery. West and Dennison were later acquisitions. Finger handled the radio gang. Stoneburner was signal officer, and that gave him a chance to get up on the bridge in the open air now and then. In addition, he had charge of the post office and the incoming mail, a really important item to all aboard. Of course the Fleet Post Cffice deserves plenty of credit for the prompt mail service we enjoyed through most of our life at sea, but Stoney made certain that once the mail was aboard it was sorted and distributed promptly. Every single one of us-officer and man alike-ewas grateful to Stoney for that. LT. CDR. OLIVER-later Commander-headed the Medical Department, with the able assist- ance of Russ De Alverez and Bud Clarke and a gang of smart corpsmen. Russ brought babies into the P world as a civilian doctor, but it was appendicitis in- stead of babies aboard the NUT-STU HOLLANDIA. But he handled uw all his operations competently and coolly. Bud was dental officer and gave excellent service in his little cubby hole, all the while keeping up a fast line of chatter about nothing. Anything from a cold to an unruly ap- pendix, from a pinhole cavity to a really beat-up tooth-H Division was the place to apply. Our chaplain - Lieut. Robert DeWitt Yost-was a regular gent. He conducted the Sunday religious services, of course, but that was only a small part of his work. He was always ready to listen to our problems and do what he could to solve them. When emergency leave was requested, it was the Padre's job to make the necessary investigation, then approve or disapprove the request before it went to the Exec and Captain. And there were plenty of personal problems arising aboard ship and ashore. In addition the Padre ran the ship's library, with aid of a yeoman, of course. There were thousands of books or magazines to be loaned out, accounted for and traced down. He ordered the V-Discs which were played during non-work- ing hours. He edited the ship's paper, Casey jones, which was published as often as possible. He was given the job of starting work on this book. Yes, the Padre was busy, but he had time for a bit of fun now and then. HAT BRiNos Us to the Ship's Office. At first we had two offices, the Captair1's and Execs Prophet ran the Captains office, Helmeci the

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Vim' 17 days. After stopping there, we will proceed further west. If you've never been to sea, 17 days seems like 17 years. After all, 17 days at sea is quite different from 17 days selling neckties at Macy's. It was a long trip. We made it without incident. We took a southeastern route and encountered few ships and fewer planes. It was better that way, for it enabled Capt. Lee to break in his officers and men. The deck watch officers, none of whom were qualified for that duty when we set out, were trained and qualined for their posts. Gunnery, engineering, communications, radar- all departments and divisions spent the 17 days learning what it was about. And there was plenty to learn. We reached Espiritu on schedule. There we unloaded aircraft and loaded more. Some of us made the beach, but not the Air Department. To those men, as always, fell the task of unloading and loading the planes. However, those who had to remain aboard didn't miss a thing. Espiritu is Espiritu-and the natives can have it. There were no Dorothy Lamours on the islands we hit in our travels. Our next stop was Finschaven, New Guinea. We didn't enter the harbor, but lay outside while the Exec went ashore to receive our orders. There was no change of destination. We still were going to Manus as we had learned enroute to Espiritu. But we were saddled with that eight- knot convoy, so it was a long trip up to the new base in the Admiralties. We were handed quite a surprise at Manus. Naturally we had traveled from San Diego to Espiritu to Finschaven to Manus completely blacked out at night. After all, the Japs had submarines in the Pacific, and there was no telling when we might encounter one. And as we proceeded west, the possibility became more and more acute. Yet when we arrived off the harbor at Manus in the darkness before dawn, all we could see was lights, and more lights. They stretched for miles-and they were bright lights. Hugh Brosnahan took one look and asked in his best New York accent: What is this, Coney Island? We were amazed. Manus was being built into a major naval base. The laps weren't too far away. Yet the lights were everywhere, advertis- ing a target well worth striking at. When we went ashore we expressed our surprise, but the men based there merely shrugged their shoulders. Oh yes, the ,laps are fairly close, but they're well under control. And so it proved as time passed. They made little or no trouble at Manus. And that was all right with us. Manus was the scene of more unloading and loading of aircraft. Again the Air Department was the work horse, while other more fortunate departments were able to allow their men to go ashore. The officers made a bit of history during that stay. They assisted in the opening of the new Fleet Officers' Club. With Pete Shannon setting a giddy pace, they established another part of the HOLLANDIAVS reputation as a fine ship-the play part. There were few ships in at the time, and the 97 gang led all the rest in setting the fast pace which always distinguished that fine club. From Manus to Guadalcanal. Here was a place we'd heard and read about during the earlier days of the war, a place where history had been made. Everyone was more than anxious to get ashore and see the island that had played such an im- portant part in the American drive to regain the prestige so shaken by Pearl Harbor and the events that followed. But enlisted personnel had difhculty in getting ashore. And those who went weren't on the beach f' ab K- - L- -22