Louisville (CA 28) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 201 text:

I f I I I I , I I I III I I II I I FI C ' I I ,I II I I1 I II II ,f II I I I . 5, V I I I 1 I If 1 I I I , I I I I

Page 200 text:

' qAW, Y 4vld'L 1 , M A M A,, . A .

Page 202 text:

174 Fifth Fleet for duty. That could only mean one thing: Okinawa. We were to join the most vicious struggle in naval history. For forty days the Fifth Fleet had been combatting ai continuous stream of deadly Jap suicide planes. The toll of men and ships was already a record in naval annals. And in some quarters it was wondered if we would not be driven back. Or was the fleet that came to Okinawa there to stay? After storing ton after ton of supplies into seemingly cavernous holds and tuck- ing enough TNT inside our tight steel skin to blow us over the moon, we took on fuel for the passage to battle. Then Entering Hagushi anchorage. 1 l - t rt P on May 9, after taking Admiral Halsey's staff of fifty officers and one hundred men aboard, we were joined by the destroyer Stormes and steamed west for Guam. One morning an alert was flashed from Guam and we rushed to air offense. Forty S millimeter quads ground nervously, omi- nously on the turntables. Snooper planes had been discovered over the area. They usually presaged attack. We seemed a long way from engagements, yet Truk and other enemy-held possessions were relatively near by air. Sensitive radars searched the circum- ference of horizons throughout the day to trace down the threatened foe, but with- out success. The raid did not develop. Upon arrival in Guam, we moored alongside the fleetjs mighty Missouri to give Admiral Halsey his staff. He, as commander of the Third Fleet, was to relieve Admiral Spruance. Upon receiving his staff, the Third Fleet Commander sent usa typical Halsey HThank you. Soon after, we received orders to report to Vice Admiral Turner, Commander of Task Force 51 at Okinawa. As the bugler sounded the solemn notes of approaching Sunday morning church services, we set outifor Okinawa. The Stormes was again our escort. The short trip to the front was swift and por- tentous. Our nights were troubled by a maturing moon, whose brilliance made, our silhouettes all too obvious. Upon approaching Okinawa, the Stormes flashed us a warning of a sub contact. We immediately whirled into twists and turns to make ourselves a difficult target, while the Stormes darted about like a pointer nosing out a covey. However, the game could not again be detected, and we were soon relatively safe in Hagushi Anchorage. When we came in sight of the harbor, a great deal of our old confidence re-