Lunga Point (CVE 94) - Naval Cruise Book

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nouneing system, telling us where we were go- ing and what we had to do. At the same time, he told us that, comparatively speaking, it would not be a strenuous operation, that all hands had done a good job thus far and needed a rest, and that he hoped we would be able to relax in the new area and get some much needed rest. VVe arrived in our new operating area on 26 April, with all hands looking forward to that 'frelaxationi' the Captain had promised us. We had hardly gotten there, though, when the Exec left the Old Man out on the short end of a limb. The Executive Officer is second in command and is well protected by Navy Regu- lations, which go on to say that Nall orders of the Executive Oflicer shall be considered as emanating from the Commanding Qflicerf We had hardly taken station in our Urelax- ationi' area when we picked up the Plan-of-the- Day, covering our work for the first day there, and what to our weary and sleepy eyes should appear but the following note: UField Day all day throughout the shipli' The words 4'Field Dayj' have a number of meanings. To our pilots, it can be a Grand Slam against enemy aircraft, to some of us, it is a day set aside in Prep School and College for a full day of intra-mural track and field events. But 3 fam., . - , Apra Harbor, Cuarn. to the men of the Lunga Point, it has a more ominous and dreadful interpretation. It sim- ply means to them that all day throughout the shipw they will be scrubbing the decks and bulkheads with soap and water, polishing bright work, chipping paint, sweeping down, painting the decks and bulkheads, scraping the ladders with wire brushes, and otherwise Hrelaxinga' as tney carry on their work under the ugly stares of a Petty Cfficer, in preparation for the Uflashfight inspectionw of the First gash if M Kibitzers on forecastle while dropping hook at Guami

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tl r 1 Q I l l ll i ll H, l l- zns - Jap radio station, 7 miles NfE of Naha, Okinawa, being bombed by our squadron. 'feat naps as he lay exhausted on his Hash- proof mattress cover on his bunk, with his clothes on, and with one ear cocked for the sound of the General Alarm. Some of us have stood many a topside watch in the heaviest rain one can imagine, for hours at a time, getting drenched from head to foot. Some of us have had just the opposite privilege of stand- ing engine room watches in the almost un- bearable heat. It has been hard on all of us, but no harder on any one man aboard than on any other. But our spirits are not down- hearted, because the hardships we have en- dured have been reeognized' in so many ways by those under whom we fight. On I4 April, we received a dispatch from Admiral Spruance, Commander Fifth Fleet, reading as follows: WFOR THE CONTINUED FINE PER- FORMANCE OF OUR PILOTS AND AIR- CREWS IN OVERWHELMING ENEMY'S HEAVIEST AIR EFFORTS AND FOR FORTITUDE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF OUR SURFACE UNITS PARTICULARLY ON OUTLYING STATIONS IN COMBAT- TING THE SMALL PERCENTAGE OF ENEMY AIRCRAFT THAT COULD GET THROUGH OUR AIR DEFENSE I CAN- NOT EXPRESS TOO HIGHLY MY AD- MIRATION X THIS WILL NOT BUILD UP THE ENEMY,S AIR FORCE NOR HELP HIS MORALE Xi' And, speaking of recognition of good work, we are all mighty proud of those Departments responsible for fueling at sea-Gunnery, Engi- neering and C. 8L R.--because the results of their training in this particular job were well proven on 16 April, when we received a dis operation, reading as follows HWHAT IS YOUR FUELING PROCE- DURE THAT MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO FINISH SO QUICKLYPE patch from Admiral Durgin, following a fueling We were further Henergizedn on the same date when we received a pat on the back by being specifically mentioned in Admiral Blandyis dispatch reading as follows: SWE CANNOT TELL YOU HOW HIGHLY WE REGARD THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CVE'S AND THEIR PILOTS IN THIS AS WELL AS PREVIOUS OPERATIONS X YOU NOT ONLY DO YOUR USUAL DIFFICULT SUPPORT TASKS WITH- OUT COMPLAINT BUT ALSO TAKE ON IMPORTANT OFFENSIVE MISSIONS WITH EAGERNESS AND SUCCESS X WELL DONE XR Then, on 22 April, we received the following dispatch from Headquarters 77th Infantry Division: HTHE AIR COVER FURNISHED THE 77TH DIVISION IN THE KERAMA RET- TO OPERATION 26 MARCH TO 31 MARCH IQ45 INCLUSIVE WAS SUCH THAT NOT A MEMBER OF THE DIVI- SION WAS LOST OR INJURED BY EN- EMY AIR ACTION X THE AIR SUPPORT FURNISHED ON LANDING BEACHES AND UPON SUBSEQUENTLY LIMITED TARGETS IN THE ISLAND WAS OUT- STANDING BOTH IN PROMPTNESS AND EFFECTIVENESS OF MISSIONS CONDUCTED X SUCH SPLENDID CO- OPERATION BETWEEN ARMS CAN ON- LY RESULT IN FURTHERING THE COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OF THE ENEMY RAPIDLY AND WITH MINI MUM LOSS TO OUR OWN FORCES X' When the end of the Okinawa operatiJI1S was in sight, the powers that be undoubtedll' knew that we were tired and needed a change of scenery, so they sent us off on a special mls- sion where we would be less likely to encounter any Jap aircraft. The night before we tOCik departure from the operating area off Okinawa the Captain talked to us over the general

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fx ll Q.. M mv,-3 li 1 1 i ' I 2 ., s ' Top: just before flooding the dry-dock at Guam, below: In dry- dock. Lieutenant. The Skipper had told us to relax, so that night, all hands turned in their bunks, relaxed from utter exhaustion. And, though we had soon been in the relaxation area for some days, the Field Day went on and on. Little wonder we were all anxious to get orders to a port where we could really relax, and those orders couldn't be coming through too soon for us, because it had been rumored that we would soon be getting underway for our first visit to Guam where we would probably be for ten days or two weeks. VICTORY IN EUROPE Sure enough, we got those orders on 6 May, and immediately got underway from our op- erating area. Nothing of importance occurred en route to port until we got word of the uncon- ditional surrender of Germany. While we had been more or less expecting Germany's com- plete collapse momentarily, it was with a great T Top: Entering dry-dock, below: High and dry. deal of pleasure and satisfaction that we re- ceived word that Germany had officially gone down in ignominious defeat. Aside from the satisfaction derived from any Allied victory, we knew that Germany's surrender meant a quicker termination of the War in the Pacific. We knew that increasing help would soon be coming our way, and that we would all soon be celebrating a real victory-a victory and un- conditional surrender over the most despicable race that ever walked on the face of the earth. With that certain knowledge to console us for all we had been through, we turned again to the business at hand, and on Friday, II May 1945: I2-16 Steaming as before. 1205 passed OrOtC Point and Buoy No. 1 abcam to starboard. 1207 All engines stopped. 1208 Passed Buoy NO. 2 abeam to starboard. 1213 P21SSC'd through anti-subniarine nets. 1215 Starboard