Lunga Point (CVE 94) - Naval Cruise Book

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longest, the most monotonous. But at that lime, the horizon was rosy. It was seven days to Pearl. Se en days of simulated attacks and grand weather. The islands broke from tiie horizon the morning of 23 October, green and wreathed in clouds. It was nearly every- iiody ' s first icw of Hawaii, and it made a strong impression. The ship slid into the harbor and tied up. There followed two days of liberty, during which souvenirs were bought and sent homeward. Then CarDiv 29 cast ofi again and set course for the vast reaches to the west. Eniwetok pro ided the initial iew of a l)attlc field with its denuded palm trees, It was a short look and was c|uickly replaced by the end- less horizon of the .sea as the ship and her im- patient crew sped on. Ulithi, but a few weeks an American base, provided the next anchor- age. Here the Squadron first realized the grimness of war, as mines, torn from their moorings by heavy weather, began exploding on protecting reefs and were found drifting be- tween the ships, necessitating a machine gun and .searchlight watch. Kossol Passage in the Palau Islands was where the ship and VC. 85 were given their first assignment, providing air coverage for convoys approaching and depart- ing Leyte Gulf. In the light of later develop- ments this was a tame job, but it looked big then. The con -oys were guarded with the Fighter races down deck on lly-away. zeal of a hen protecting her young. On the rare occasions when one of the patrols caught a glimp.se of Jap-held Mindanao, it was re-told in the ready room as a major occurrence. These days, though they were dull and un- eventful, broke the Squadron in gradually to the complications of combat Hying and sharp- ened carrier operations to the point where few faults could be found. The days crept slowly past and on 23 November CarDiv 29 was re- lieved and set course for the Admiralty Islands. What happened next is a chapter many would prefer to forget. It was painful. Be- . venger ready for catapulting inti 147

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August was barely a week old when the order came to embark on the U.S.S. Makassar Sirails (CV ' E 91) for carrier qualifications. With pounding hearts the officers and men thumped up the gangway and watched the planes hoisted aboard, one by one. This was it! For the next eight days the ship chased weather and qualifications were run off when the ceiling lifted. Learning the ways of a ship, the men began to talk like veterans and spoke casually of the beach, although that word had never before been associated with shore life. Once back at Brown Field they walked with a new lift a nd looked haughtily at green pilots who had yet to qualify. The Squadron then left Brown Field and settled at the Naval Air .Station, San Diego, on North Island. For nine days the pilots en- gaged in maneuvers and practiced bounce drill. On the tenth day they climbed into the planes and taxied in a long, winding queue to Pier Fo.x to join forces with the U..S.S. Lutiga Point (C ' E 94), their ship and their new home. It was an auspicious occasion that night when Captain Washburn strode into the ready room and welcomed them aboard. If there was ever a feeling of strangeness it was dissipated then. They belonged. That cruise lasted ten days. It was followed by two others as the ship and the Squadron practiced teamwork, strove for precision. Be- t een disembarking and embarking, the men made the most of their waning moments in the States. The Squadron received new planes, shiny with paint and throbbing with power. Good-byes were said and re-said until finally the word came to shove off for duty with the Pacific Fleet. 1 1 was a warm autumn afternoon when the sliips left San Diego. Th - .Scjuaflron gathered on the Might deck. s(|uinting into the sun a.s the little tugs backed the ship into the channel and she slipfK ' d into jjosilion astern of the Flag Ship. Officers and men stofxl there, silent, until the settling mist had (ut the Oalifornia ( oast line to a memory. ' I ' hen. as if jarred from their reveries by the same hand, the pilots clattc-rcd down to the ready room, laughing and oking with a sudden exhilaratifjn. The stern p(jintcd toward .San Diego, but the t)ovv was ( utting the water towards Pearl Hart)or. The training was over. They were out for blcKxl. Months later, combat wise and with a not unenviable reputation, they svere wont to ad- mit that the first six weeks afloat had been the Top: Spotting forward before recovering planes: center: Avenger airborne after being catapulted; below: Avenger being readied for catapulting. 146

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iwccn lli - I ' liilippiiKs ;uk1 the Adiiiiniltics lay iiii liypothilifiil line. It ;is, to l)c sure, a mt-rr technicality, yet it could not be avoiclcci. It was the Eciuator. Nor were minds assiiai cd by the sitjlit of canvas billies that all Shellbacks were industriously fashioning. Still, the Sciuad- ron reasoned, Vliat price surrender? So they talked it over and evolved a plan of action. The basic theme of this operational routine was this: If one member became overwhelmed he had but to yell ' HRV RUBE and help would be forthcoming. To further confuse the Shellbacks two of the more slippery pilots filched King Neptune ' s beard and crown at the eleventh hour. This put a definite crimp in the scheduled arri al of the Ruler of the Deep, and by way of punishment all Pollywogs were made to run around the (light deck until such time as tlie sacred vestments were returned. It was during this Marathon that a billy fell too heavily and the cry of HEV RUBE was heard. It was a signal for organized chaos as the .Sc|uadron broke free and made overwhelm- ing gains against weak defens -s. While the .Sc|uadron was prone to ( lassify this as a major up.set. the k-ading .Shellbacks tf«jk a dim view and ordered the initiation to prcxeed in a more military manner, ivhicli il did. The hapless oHicers and men were led one by one to the hangar deck and there taught their lesson of never trying to revolt against the I-oyal .Shell- backs. Like jackrabbits, they pelted down between the- double line of waiting .Shellbacks only to be urged to greater eflbrt.s en route. Once on the fantail the Pollywogs were made to pay olx ' isance to the Royal Court. After losing the greater part of their hair and Ix-ing dunked, they, too, became Shellbacks, although it scarcely smacked of being an honor then. With the pounding still smarting, the .Squad- ron was launched the morning of 27 November for landing at the small island of Ponam in the Admiralty group. As they circled the tiny bit of coral and sand awaiting their turn to land, The Sight deck is always a busy pla 143