Louisville (CA 28) - Naval Cruise Book

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polish off the cripples, sinking a game destroyer Whose single remaining after-gun was still firing as she settled, bow first, into the sea. Countless survivors amid miles of debris struggled in the Waters turned pink by the reflections of the rising sun. Our attempts at rescuing them were abruptly ended by a pleading, frantic radio message from a group of escort carriers who were uncer attack by a powerful Japanese force off the east coast of Samar, just above the eastern entrance to Leyte Gulf. The ,lap plan materialized suddeniy, tragically. That Jap force in San Berna- dino Straits had faked a retirement and then had reversed course, this time head- ing for the vulnerable, unprotected troop transports and cargo vessels lying off Dulag and Tacloban. Had they not run into the carrier force, they would have been able to inflict heavy damage on the transports, and the consequent loss of life and equip- ment might have postponed the Philip- pine operation for months. Fortune had smiled upon us, but not upon the CVE's and their escorts, who were taking a murderous beating from the laps. With most of our ammunition spent, We sped north through the Gulf to their assistance. By the time We reached the transport area, the ,laps had turned and fled, but were intercepted by the planes of Admiral Halseyss fleet, which had previously trounced the northernmost pincers of the Japs. By the grace of God, and some phe- nomenal marksmanship, the enemy's plan Went asunder. The Second Battle of the Philippine Sea, of which the Surigao Strait Battle was one phase, made possible the conquest of the Philippines, which clinched the outcome of the War. The .laps Were fighting a lost cause Upper: A PT boat man rescuing a Jap Slll'ViV0I' Of the night's battle. Lower: A Japanese battleship goes down at Surigao still burning furiously under water. 155

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Night becomes a phantasmagoria of blinding flashes and Of shapes, now silhouetted, now illuminated. The roar of the big guns is deafening. 154 explosives at the approaching column of ships. At 0350, we had touched off the greatest ship-to-ship naval battle of World War Two. Lazily, indifferently, the tracers arced through the air. With nothing stationary to serve as a comparison, that was the impression one received as he watched. Actually those projectiles were traveling over 2,000 feet per second. Other ships opened up at our signal. Night was day as their guns belched flame and fire. Our attention was riveted on the first group of shells fired as they descended toward the target. A hit! Our second salvo drowned the mighty cheers. The lead J ap ship was a mass of flames shooting hundreds of feet into the sky. What an awe-inspiring sight! The enemy never quite knew what happened as salvo after salvo tore into him, ripping ships apart like matchboxes, setting off maga- zines that scattered the remnants of bat- tered hulls into oblivion. Time and again, the Lotfs guns roared. Shaking and shuddering from stem to stern with each blast of the turrets, we continued our devastating fire. At 0404 a lap destroyer closed enough to allow our secondary battery to open up. With both batteries aboard hurling death and destruction, the Louisville proved her mettle. During that decisive battle she fired more main battery eight-inch shells than the total of all calibers fired by the six battleships added together. Admiral Oldendorf later paid tribute to her greatness by beaming proudly, NRC- member, an eight-inch shell which hits iS far better than a sixteen-inch that misses. ln utter confusion, the laps broke formation and retired. By dawn, only Thi? dying and the dead remained. 0ur left flank made a sweep down the channel to

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