Hopewell (DD 681) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 33 text:

With hardly enough time to get a good look at japan we were out to sea, heading for Task Force 77. On the way, we passed through the famous Shiminoseki Straits, the narrows that separate the Japanese islands of Kyushu and Honshu. In a short while we ar- rived at the Task, Force, and were assigned to the screen. We watched the carriers and cruisers and started getting used to our new ro-utine. V On deck we could get a goodyview of the many 'ac- tivities on the shore. We could see thehouses, fac- tories and the picturesque landscape. We waved at the people' ashore and watched the ferries and quaint fishing boats scramble out of our way as we passed through. ' f --.ff 1. ... .... .- ,-. i.......,...a..m...,f4:...4..4......-...........4.-.,......1.,,..,.............u.....L.,..4-L.. Q. .... .... .... - -- ----4 V H ,

Page 32 text:

Most of us headed directly for the Club to find out a little more about the city. It took no time at all for us to find the good eating places, the best p-laces to buy' gifts and mementos-and the best bars. We tried Saki, rode in the rick- shaws, saw the quaint Japanese homes, and got a .kick out of the cute little japanese kids we saw. This was also a period for most of us to get acquainted with japan. After our green- backs had been transferred into Military Script, and it was explained to us how much script equaled how much Yen, the liberty section was sent ashore. Yokosuka, being quite close to Tokyo, made it easy for some of us to visit the Japanese capital. We found the city quite modern, and quite impressive. Visits were made to the Emperors Palace, to the Diet and to the many wonderful restaurants for which Tokyo is famous.

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Task Force 77 1S a fast carrrer task force whose prrmary mrssron IS to send carrrer based planes over Korea to bomb and strafe enemy rarlroads c1t1es fac torres gun emplacements and other targets Our mam Job was to screen the carrrers from ny type of attack arr surface or submarrne However we had other dutres such as plane guard and l1fe guard statrons guard marl transfers and bomblrne assrgnments On trrps to the bombl1ne we usually accompanred a battleshrp or a crurser and shot at targets near the beach. A lot of trme wrth 77 was spent rronrng out the bugs rn the shrp. The br1dge and CIC were busy learnrng all the latest call srgns and srgnalsg our engr neers learned how to marntarn maxrmum speed s1nce those carrrers really move when they decrde to launch or land planesg the gunner's mates and deck force manned the guns every day, and We had target practice qurte often It d1dn't take us long to get the swrng of thrngs Every few days the replenrshment group would arrrve and each shrp would wa1t 1ts turn to reprovrsron and fuel. ' ' ' ' I ' ' - -'- '-'- -'L '--:-.-- -'-f- 'F mr---f-W ,--'M-N -V. -HW.,-,Q--,--...-...-.4..,.T...a,f..,....,, .,,,,,.,.,..,,,,:,,,?-T. ,.,,, 7 9 ' , . at , 1 2 - 1 a ' ' Q C ! I ' '