Louisville (CA 28) - Naval Cruise Book

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AFTERMATH ON GUAM-A 6-INCH COASTAL DEFENSE GUN FOUND ON SHONITO CLIFF ill-fated bid for fame in the first battle of the Philippine Sea. Those were portentous days. Because so much hung in doubt it was easy to forget the vast preponderance of strength on our side. Men eagerly lis- tened for the outcome of the battle at sea, while the ship frantically answered one call after another for gunfire support. Twice Louisville planes were damaged by anti-aircraft fire as they spotted targets from low altitudes. One plane capsized and sank when its battered wing gave way during a landing, but no one was injured. Meanwhile, ,lap aircraft kept shipis gun- ners on the alert with frequent raids. On one occasion the Louisville was firing a bombardment mission and anti-aircraft simultaneously. Then came the breaks. Task Force 58 won a smashing victory in the sea battle. Men ashore encouraged by this news dis- played increased determination and capac- ity for the fight. However, it was not until after twenty-four gruelling days of the hardest fighting yet recorded in the Pacific that Saipan fell to the force of American arms. The victory of that cam- paign was announced July 9. On July 20, the ship commenced pre- paratory bombardments of Tinian, the island twin of Saipan, located a mile south. The Louisville and her bombardment force softened the island for four days before the transports moved in for the second phase of the great operation. The cam- paign was under the command of Vice Admiral Hill aboard the Cambria. The Louisville was directly opposite the main landing beach, 2,000 yards out, as landing parties opened the assault. The long lines of barges passed within easy hail of the ship. As they edged onto the beach, every gun that could bear from ships and nearby Saipan was speaking- Hkeep them safe. The ship's planes, spotting overhead, n 117

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troops ashore. His superior, Admiral Spruance, commanding the Fifth Fleet, was also present to witness the beginning of the all-important blow to the Jap mid- section. The bombardment group formed an arc off the western and southern shores, with the Louisville taking a position on the northern perimeter of the fire support When the invasion was still young, Word came that the .l ap Fleet was steaming in to attempt rescue of their beleaguered forces. All major units with the exception of the Louisville were sent out to meet them. We kept up a continuous bombard- ment of the island for the next eleven days and nights,with time out only for fueling and taking on ammunition. A: 3 5 3 ll6 A TINIAN AIRSTRIP IS RAZED BY FIERCE BOMBARDMENT ships. She gave heavy support to the northern flank of the hotly contested beachheadias the streams of landing barges flowed to the shores. Though the main force landed south and west the entire operation was visible from our decks. Aboard, fatigue kept pace with appre- hension, but laggers were few. Ashore, the Marines and Army found the fanatical Jap rising to new heights in his determination to hold the strategic island stronghold. Meanwhile the enemy was making an .

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