Lowry (DD 770) - Naval Cruise Book

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n't out too long this time and soon came X: vilgreproceed to Ulithi, for a short overhaul oriiod, Though there hadn't been much fighting on mrs hip we were all sick ot the rough weather and Plein read to head back to the base and try out a mile gf the beer we tound there. The overhaul period went without incident though Nmars started to come in as to our next operation. the rumors didn't help our peace ot mind any as nokinawf' was mentioned freely in all ot them. None ot us knew much about Okinawa but we did know for sure that it was plenty close to Japan and we were certain the Japs would tight like the dickens forthe island. They did. March 20th we were on our way tor Okinawa with the Escort Carriers, providing air cover tor the close bombardment group. Everyone expected trouble and we had the usual number ot talse alarms on fhe way. However tor some unknown reason no real attacks materialized and we reached our as- signed position ott the southeastern tip ot Okinawa without incident. The bombardment group then lett and proceeded on to the beach. The next tour or tive weeks the LOWRY lived up to her nickname Lucky. lt seemed as though we were always in the right place at the right time, and time and again we succeeded in leaving an area just prior to a heavy attack. During this period we were engaged in screening the carriers as they sent planes in to protect our ships and men on the beach head. No real aerial attacks materialized although one night we tired at an unknown plane and another a plane or bomb ot some type landed about IOO yards astern. We also engaged in anti-submarine warfare and dropped charges on what seemed like a good contact one night. No known results were obtained. During this period we also made periodic trips to Kerama Retto tor re l 'h Q . penis ment purposes. On one rgplenishment trip we loaded up with several 1-ans OH rockets and explosives. The material was stacked Zbjgiupgloghe deck and we telt like sitting ducks. ' word came to stand by to repel an enemy air attack in torce. l suppose all ot us thought our time had not only come, but was past due, Luckily the weather closed in the attack tailed t materialize and the LOWRY slipped out ot port iii the nick ot time. The next day bright and early the Nips hit the place with everything they had and succeeded in hitting and sinking the ammunition ship we had been alongside the previous day. Each time we made the replenishment trip an enemy air attack was expected and tor some miraculous reason never seemed to materialize. Ships ot our grou who pro- ceeded or tollowed us were also iumpecli Luck was with us. However luck hadn't been with all ot our ships. Destroyers were taking a terrible pounding while operating as radar picket and tire support ships. Each night when Lt. Hagan would read the daily communique word would reach us ot another one ot our squadron or another ship we knew ot with our friends aboard had been badly hit or sunk. From our squadron the Latfey made her heroic stand and came back hit by six planes and tour bombs. The O'Brien was badly hit. This coupled with the loss ot the Meredith in the Normandy invasion, the Cooper in Ormoc Bay, and the damaging ot the Sumner and Walke at Luzon Iett our squadron in rather a pre- carious position. The Moale had suttered severe material damage in the Tokyo raids and had been returned to Pearl Harbor. This lett only the LOWRY, Barton, and the lngraham in an operating condition. We knew it was only a matter ot time until we moved into a little more active job. Word reached

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I 3 e 3 l . z i f 2 E a 1 1 1 1 YBEL McGUIRE HUIETT 5 Q . 5 4 3 1 9 f I 3. 3RD D1vnsnoN EXPLOSION 25 , 27 I , i c 3 . 6 1,

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us we were lo proc-eed lo Kerama Rello on lhe lirsl ol May and be oullilled lor radar pickel, and lighler direclor duly. This was really il. lnlo Kerama we wenl, picked up a lighler direclor leam and some gear, received lhe condolences ol all our friends and headed lor radar pickel slalion number 2, lhe hollesl slalion ol lhem all. We were localed aboul 60 miles norlh ol Okinawa, righl in lhe middle ol lh-e mosl direcl roule lrom Japan lo Okinawa. Wilh us was anolher deslroyer, some LCl gunboals and our assigned Marine lighler planes from Okinawa. Wealher was soupy lhe lirsl couple ol days and allhough we picked up several conlacls none pressed home an allack on us. This was loo good lo be lrue and sure enough lhings changed soon. Early morning on May 4, I945, we slarled picking up enemy conlacls. Bogies. were all over lhe place. We look several und-er fire and blazed away wilh no resulls. Soon our nighl lighlers arrived on lhe scene and a couple ol Nips bursl inlo llame and lil in lhe drink. There is no beller sighl lhan lo be peering inlo lhe darkness and suddenly see a large llame slowly lurn and plunge lrom a high allilude inlo lhe waler when you know lor sure il is lhe enemy. All lhe aclivily gave us our cue. We were cerlain lhere would be plenly ol aclivily lhe nexl day. We were righl. :S ' as J Earlyilhe nexlw morningflvord began lo come in from all slalions ol inlense air aclivily lrom all sides. All lhe ships were liring, lhe Marines were learing inlo lhe Jap suicide planes and conlusion was ram- panl. Our slalion was slill quiel lor some reason. As always, bad news began lo com-e in. Of lhe lhree slalions norlh ol Okinawa all lhe ships lrom lhe slalions on eilher side ol us were eilher sunk or badly hil including our sisler ship lhe lngraham. The ship wilh her had gone down and lhe lngraham was badly hil aller pulling up a lerrilic ballle, The slalion on lhe olher side ol us was. also wiped oul. Thal lell us. Soon we picked up a group moving in on us. Radar showed lhem as 'Friendly bul lheir aclions seemed quile suspicious so we walched lhem carelully. Bolh planes began lo climb lhen separaled. The upper plane began wobbling his wings and we opened lire. He headed lor us in a slraighl dive. Aboul I500 yards' away he bursl inlo llames, swerved and crashed inlo lhe waler belween lhe LOWRY and lhe olher pickel ship. Suddenly a plane was sighled only a lew hundred yards aslern aboul 25 feel above lhe waler. We had been played lor a sucker by lhe lirsl plane and lhis second sui- cider had gollen in on us belore we saw him. We gol off a lew 40s and 20s al him bul our luck had run oul. ll looked lor sure as- lhough lhere would be quile a lew winners ol lhe Purple Hearl in shorl order. There were. However, his luck was none loo good eilher, Jusf as he was lurning lo crash us he misiudged his dis- lance. He wenl righl belween lhe barrels on Mounl No. 3. His wing slruck lhe lace plale ol lhe mounl, caving in lhe shield. However lhe main body ol lhe plane and lhe bomb ricocheled off lhe lop ol lhe Mounl, semi-scalped Joe Bass, lhe mounl caplain, bounced over lhe lorpedo lubes, Mounl 44 and lhe whale boal and landed in lhe waler aboul I5 leel lrom lhe ship, exploding wilh a lerrilic concussion. The ship was sprayed lrom slem lo slern wilh bomb lragmenls, parls ol engine, wing and luselage. Men on all sides were hil, some so badly lhey lell lo lhe deck, olhers nol wounded so severely remained al lh-eir guns. The repair parlies wenl inlo aclion. Several small fires were pul oul. They began lo pick up lhe wounded and move lhem lo lhe wardroom. The engineers wenl lo work and repaired lhe dam- age done lo lhe engineering spaces. All hands did a splendid iob. Many ol lhe wounded refused lo leave lheir slalions. ln lhe middle ol all lhe conlusion anolher suicider slarled lor us. Bolh ships were liring wilh everylhing lhey had and down he wenl in flames. The scrap was over. We had been hil hard bul nol as hard as we lhoughl we would be when lhe Nip was lirsl sighled. We had shown we could lake il as well as pul il oul. Things were plenly lough and everyone cam-e lhrough wilh flying colors. We were all mighly proud ol our ship and ils crew. Our losses, 2 killed, 23 wounded in aclion. Any elalion we mighl have lell disappeared al lhe knowledge some ol our shipmales wouldn'l be going home wilh us.. During lhis lracas lhe Marine pilols had been in il wilh Japs all over lhe place and -every so ollen anolher smoke lrail and lire on lhe waler signified anolher slanl eye had died 'For lhe emperor. Thal nighl we lranslerred lhe wounded lo a PCE lor lurlher lransler lo a hos-pilal ship. ll was ralher lricky business lrying lo gel lhe wounded o'FF lhe ship wilh enemy planes in lhe vicinily al all limes. They were finally away and headed lor Hagushi Beach wilh all our besl wishes lor a speedy recovery. The nighl lighlersi gol anolher plane lhal nighl. A couple ol days laler we were relieved and headed lor Kerama Rello aller slopping by on lhe way lo pick up a Marine pilol in lhe waler oll a Jap island. We all ilched lo lhrow a lew 5 inch inlo lhem bul no largels were visible. We resl-ed and replenished lor a couple ol dayS and lhen headed oul lor Radar Pickel slalion N0- I6 lo lhe wesl ol Okinawa. We all ligured lhis would be ralher a quiel slalion. Things weren'l loo bad, however we were visiled quile delinilely on on-e occasion. One nighl loward sunsel a Jap plane caughl us llal looled. He was wilhin 500 yards low on lhe waler before we saw him. H dropped a lorpedo and lurned away. One ol lhe MarlneS caughl him and shol him down, The lorpedo passed