Louisville (CA 28) - Naval Cruise Book

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ARRIVING in Guam August 25, our long speculation about forthcoming duties was answered. Rear Admiral Settle and a special staff of Russian language and Naval Intelligence experts were embarked, and we were informed we were to do liaison work in Russian Siberian ports. So we stood out for Okinawa on the Hrst ccupation THE YELLow SEA Reaching Dairen on September 11, we found that American officers of the China Theater, and a destroyer division which had arrived some days before, had laid the groundwork for the repatriation. In short time the U. S. S. Relief and trans- ports pulled in to carry home the ragged and starved prisoners. The twenty-hour af' A-. Underway for Guam, full speed. leg of our journey, and thereafter waited in Buckner Bay for further directions. Un September 5 they came. Our original assignment was cancelled, and we were ordered to proceed through the Yellow Sea to Dairen, Nlanchuria, and there to super- vise the evacuation of l,7OO Allied pris- oners of war from camps in the vicinity of Mukden. General Jonathan Waiiiwright had just been rescued by air from one of these camps, and the condition of the prisoners was reported to be extremely poor. Again showing the Hag. train trip from Mukden on Jap-operated trains terminated on the dock, berthing the beautiful, white Relief. The Russian-controlled city was a tired, desolate, pillaged and unsettled community. lt was quite evident that the ambitious Jap had made effective use of his forty- ,.2,,7.f2L.,,f7t.-C.. 5l,L':ff,iE:,:Z1,.,,7,. 7 I f - 5 .t':::ii?:t i::::: ff' ' f ' -lilumiu, . f-A,..-,L Y ts, ? F, F -i--.. ,- , 1-,- ,u.,. , '- 195

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196 year period of control, for the city was extensively built up, and the docking facil- ities conspicuously good. Yet the entire area now possessed a deserted and run- down iatmosphere, indicating that our sub- marine and air operations in the Yellow Sea had long since effectively blockaded this important seaport, and had eliminated it as an outlet for Manchurian products. After completion of this mission, and while enroute to Jinsen, Korea, for logis- tic replenishment, we received new orders which were to be the highlight of this entire period in the Yellow Sea. We were directed to proceed to Tsingtao, China, on the southern coast of the Shantung Penin- sula, and there to receive the surrender of all interned Japanese vessels. On the day following our arrival, Sep- tember 15, in ceremonies aboard the U. S. S. Herndon, Admiral Settle received the surrender of all Japanese Navallunits present, from Vice Admiral Kaneko, lm- perial ,lapanese Navy. c'O1d Glory was raised above the flag of Nippon on each of them. All of these vessels-two de- stroyers, the Kari and Hasu, one destroyer mine sweeper, and three sub-chasers- were moored in the vicinity of Pier No. 1, Tsingtao. Our Marine Detachment occu- pied and held this pier throughout the six days following the surrender. Six prize crews from the Louisville and Herndon occupied the ,lap vessels, supervising their disarmament and rnaintaining a security watch. The ,laps disarmedithemselves and their ships according to our instructions. Our prize crews found the ships to be poorly preserved vessels, requiring paint and re- pairs, although their propulsion machinery was in good operating condition. Except for two of the subchasers, they were old, and in every case were dirty, and rat-in- TSINGTAO, CHINA