Louisville (CA 28) - Naval Cruise Book

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Freelance to Ace. Roger. Will use high capacity projectiles on target. Report when on station. Outf' As the Loufs gunners blew the power plant into shambles, I picked up what looked like a Jap concentration of troops on the extreme southern end of the island and notified the ship. She started the attack with some well-placed projectiles scattering what was left of the ,laps straight into the iron claws of a converging tank attack. By the end of the day our tanks were lined up facing Bloody Nose Ridge. The whole southern tip of the island was ours The Pelleliu campaign moved along quickly for us. Bloody Nose Ridge was tough, but it was a marine battle and they took care of it in the traditional manner Anguar Island lay just south of Pelleliu about two miles. A small, heavily vege tated island, it was a threat to our forces because of the possibility of flanking fire and because it formed a stage from which counter-reinforcement landings could be launched. Our occupation, soon after Pele liu was well underway, was a military necessity. The Louisville did her share of pre-invasion bombardment, knocking out pillboxes, caving in entrenchments, and contributing to the general confusion of enemy forces. A little float plane had been making nuisance bombing raids on the ships each night. Though he had always missed, it was thought best to put him out of the way before he improved his aim. Figuring the logical place for h1m to be based the Admiral sent us to Arakabesan to check the already bombed hangars and ramps As suspected lt was impossible for him still to operate from there I was sent up to spot After the Lou made a few hits in the right places I decided to fly north for a look at Koror I was an unwelcome VISI- tor So unwelcome in fact that the NIPS started throwing heavy AA at me On returning to the ship we came across Jap reinforcement barges around the north tip of the island off the east coast I notified the Lou and she maneuv- That was the end of a busy two weeks The fire support m1ss1on was finished although fighting was long to continue on Bloody Nose Rldge On September 25 we were ordered away to other duties 135 7 , . 7 ' 7 - 7 . 7 I . , for the taking before I returned to the ship. ered to position, clearing them out. 7 . . , 7 7

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