Louisville (CA 28) - Naval Cruise Book

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Upper: BIRDS COMING IN TO ROOST ON THE FLIGHT DECK OF THE CARRIER YORKTOW N. Lower: FIGHTER SQUADRON SORTIE OVER THE MARSHALLS 79

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l 4. 1 4 S i 1 l l l ,s C I r l li gl i X 1 ill ill' li -. .-1 N, X:-g7,1.J...gi, , - -A -M- 2 --x-.. 1-- - .- , , .. --fn . 1 4 .--. - . :lr 13-gi'-s . - - :F Q -- ' 1 E - 5 -': if lr .' G -'5 '5,.--'-5 . -ST' '55,- f.',-eiif' --E 1:14:55 1 , Af -4 - - , ' -. -1- -1 - 'f'T-'Z-I f'5. 5- '- --- ,,q.1i'- - gig--TFS -..yifv 'MCS -'F -fairnes- , ..-:E ,,-s ..- .. 1 35, 1:37 ' --- If - . - -- - - . .f 14- N 4. f . ' -.F -:v, x.-5 s,x-it -,ig 5.5. -,a, .,- ,vs .5 -.. :tt 4-. 2' 'fa-xJ'.'w --,..:ts 1:-, sq-x---I-:5'?f:..: z z,,,-L- ,,--:Qu : :xl-sw. .h dxssh, I . ':.,.., -,.,:15:,Y-'31 QQ. I' 'Sz'- 1 - - ,'n ,.- 3 . gs ' . .'. 18:-5-5,9 ff: ., ' . ,4C':K.,5.. :v:.f'i'.. - L: ,Y .hf 1 - -' - 4 f 'g .- If . . ' -V-:g-.-Y:-I1-.,... '4'1 :- Js'-, : ' i - T ' - ... '-'5',-- - ::,-,- .-,- . , - . -- . I- .5-1:-521, . ,Pri-.Q-'J .- , , . 2 rung-A-3.1. cg., , I . . xi A '. ,A :-I . LQ U Y. --- ez 2- - - M- A .. V-sz..-ff ' -g'4: -12. -L .. -::f -- -113.-1 '?: 53 ' 'L' - If-l- -i-19: .. ' ':- 1.1iL '-,5L':?-5'Ri '- ' -x- 1:-'E -A: ' L- fi Frrgi ' an sf Fill 'e i --k' ': -,ji '- i -' '- i-'Ll ?4f,i7' : T .I--' ' ' to leave the States since the commence- ment of the war. This in itself made it a momentous occasion. The Marines were destined for Samoa, one of the last Pacific strongholds still in our possession, and one that we could not now afford to lose. We were taking the strongest steps open to us to hold this bastion. The Louisville lay off the coast of Samoa while the Lurline, Mutsoniu, and Monterey went in and discharged their precious cargo. And during this period of comparative quiet, we learned that there was to be more to the operation than escorting the Marines to Samoa, for our orders to participate in one of the first large-scale blows of the war were received on board. At home the annoying cry had gone up, Where is the Navy? lt didnat strike appreciative Navy ears anywhere, particu- larly on the Louisville. So the news that something material could be done to stop these unthinking popular blasts was re- ceived with pleasure. The plan provided for a combined operation under the over- all command of Vice Admiral Halsey, and was to be directed against the principal points of the Marshall and Gilbert Islands. Leaving Samoa on January 25, our Southern force under Rear Admiral Fletcher, consisting of the Yorktown, St. Louis, Louisville, and destroyers, moved directly north to the area of action. Mean- while from the north, the second and larger force was moving into position for the coordinated strikes. Prior to the ren- dezvous our submarines completed brilliant reconnaissance missions which revealed un- expected enemy weaknesses, and conse- quently our plans were elaborated. Last- minute changes to the operation plans in- corporated expanded endeavors: Roi, Kwa- jelein, Wotje, Mili, Taroa-Maleolap, Jaluit, and Makin were all to feel the blows of our first retaliation for the raid on Pearl Harbor. Our mission was not to include spectacular amphibious landing which later formed the nucleus of our operations, but was to destroy installations and ship- ping through air strikes. The Southern Forces were to concentrate on Jaluit, Mili, and Makin. The latter, only recently occu- pied by the Japanese, had been taken from the British. The prime objective was to insure the safety of our exposed sea lanes to the South Pacific. All in all, it was a large order for our force of twenty-one ships. Although strong, we were untried.. A few minutes before five oiclock on the morning of February 1, 194-2, the Yorktown began to launch her air group. We were in position not far south of ,Ialuit after a high speed run all night. One after the other of the planes, only their running lights visible, raced down the flight deck of the carrier, and rose lazily in the early morning darkness. We watched all this transpire, wet and tired from the long night of showers and waiting. The weather was generally bad, a factor in our favor during the approach, but against us, now that we were actually within striking distance. Finally, the full strength of the air group seemed to have formed over- head. We subsequently learned that some of the pilots had to proceed to the targets alone due to the difficult visibility. We on the Louisville thought to ourselves of the importance of the occasion, the first of the large strikes against the enemy, and we were scared, scared to the point of thor- ough alertness. Throughout the long day that followed, the air strikes went on Without let-up for

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weather or fatigue. And to the north, the other groups were making similar aggres- sive blows at the heart of this mid-Pacific Japanese stronghold. There, the cruisers and destroyers closed for bombardment missions, while to the south we had to content ourselves with the less spectacular duties of carrier support. Our own Louis- ville planes were sent out in the morning to maintain anti-submarine search ahead. In spite of decreasing visibility one of our planes, piloted by our senior aviator, was launched that afternoon into a rising wind. Soon it became apparent that our plane was lost, for it failed to check in at the prescribed intervals, and was not to be seen in the occasional clear areas. Our every attempt to contact the two in the plane failed. Our hopes faded as the early darkness settled in. But as we retired we refused to abandon all hope that a last- minute rescue had been effected by another ship or a submarine. Although no word was later received, we never gave up hope that they had fallen into enemy hands and would be repatriated at the end of the war. Late in the afternoon, as we were retir- ing, an unidentified. aircraft contact was made to the south. All eyes and guns were glued to the bearing, watching, wait- ing. Our circling fighter cover overhead was vectored out to intercept. Then out of the patchy clouded areas there appeared a large four-engined Jap plane. Apparently he was completely surprised, for it took him a short period to get his bearings and make av visible change of course. Our tracks were begun, eager gunners were pleading for the opportunity to fire, despite the fact that the plane was still outside effective range. This was our first glimpse of the enemy and we were understandably eager to get into action. Sharp on our port bow, he was still Closing us,-ten miles, now nine, then he began turning away. Into our field of vision now streaked two beautiful Wild- cats, the clouds frequently hiding friend and foe in their deadly race. Watching more closely we could see the flash of one Wildcat climbing straight up under the huge Kawanishi seaplane, while the sec- ond Wildcat was diving in on him from above. Then came a burst of flame, and billows of black smoke. Soon the loud report of the initial explosion reached our ears, just after the radio loudly broad- casted the successful pilot7s sentiments, I got him, I shot the tail out of himf' Our own cheers were resounding throughout the ship by now, and the tenseness of the shipns company could be seen to relax. The exploding mass of the enemy plane plummeted to the sea in a gorgeous fiery spectacle, and there it con- tinued to burn and explode sporadically for some time. The brilliant young fighter pilot credited with this early and thrilling victory was later gallantly to lose his life in the Battle'of Midway. All through that night we sped swiftly to the south and east while the tallies of the day's work were compiled. It had been a great day on two scores. The immediate destruction to the Japanese power in the central Pacific was consid- erable: 73,000 tons of shipping were sunk, enemy bases were neutralized, air- Helds wrecked and 35 enemy planes de- stroyed. But perhaps even more important was the lift to the Navyis pride afloat and ashore, and at home. Where was the Navy? Right here, here on the Louisville, and on the other ships of the task force, and in the hearts of its many courageous fliers. The first great offensive blow against the lap had been struck, struck hard and intelligently.