Pennsylvania (BB 38) - Naval Cruise Book

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THE PHILIPPINE CAMPAIGN Continued gao Stralt, the southern entrance to Leyte Gulf That afternoon carrler searches revealed stlll another Jap force, this composed ot car rlers, battleshlps cruisers and destroyers to the northeast of Luzon, standing down toward Leyte Gulf The Japanese Navy was salllng against us In full force Throughout the afternoon PT boats, carry :ng tull loads of torpedos, streaked past the PENNSYLVANIA headed southward through Leyte Gulf for Surlgao Strait At T826 the slx battleshlps, three heavy cruisers three llght crulsers and destroyers In Admiral Olden dorfs force formed battle dlsposltuon and UPPER LEFT Sky control alerted for bogeys UPPER RIGHT Captam's inspection on the star board quarter. LOWER LEFT: The last of the destroyer ABNER READ. The new destroyer burns and sinks after being hit by a suicide plane at Leyte Gulf, November I, 1944, as seen from the deck of the PENNSYLVANIA. LOWER RIGHT: PENNSYLVANIA entering ABSD 2 in Seeadler Harbor, Manus, Admiralty Islands. .. , ., - .1 . ,MA 1,117 71, ... f I 11-ff? ' 'ffisr -v. ff 'f f 1-A-ff-3-.,:?..f A15-,-:gr-gup1.f3vs,:,--.g+-3s-55545:fy--5-335511131 -gg.:-5.7 g, 3 V gjwegga' 75.31 as .g9f.4,,s.,g.,.,Ge3.-cbZgetqyfx-2-41.55.:,.T-is-3.1-gwy-A'g,,, -g - g--- el,-A ev , - -M - ..-- - ,, , , . , O i . Q 4 o Q n o u u U ' ' I I ' Q Q 0 I n Q 0 I I . - a 0 g u 1 . . . . . 0 0 0 0 q , n

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THE PHILIPPINE CAMPAIGN-Continued steamed southward for Surigao Strait. Throughout the night the six battleships, WEST VIRGINIA, MARYLAND, MISSISSIPPI, TENNESSEE, CALIFORNIA and PENN- SYLVANIA steamed slowly back and forth across the northern end of the strait, waiting. THE ENEMY SIGHTED At OI30 on the morning of the 25th PT boats stationed well down in Surigao Strait encountered the oncoming enemy force and attacked with torpedos. Next our destroyers, on either flank of our enemy's line of ap- proach attacked with torpedos and guns. The Jap force steamed on. Then, at 0325, the WEST VIRGINIA opened fire,followed shortly by other battleships and cruisers. The Japs had run head on into a perfect trap. Admiral Oldendorf had executed the dream of every naval tactician, crossing the enemy's T, He had known that the Jap units would have to advance. northward through the confined waters of Surigao Strait in column. By deploy- ing his own battle line across the north ofthe strait, he had placed the enemy units in fa position where they would be subiect to the concentrated fire of our force while able to reply least effectively. Now, the fire was mur- derous. Almost before the Japs could train their guns, they lost two battleships and three Doctors Forsley and Sheeran operate at sea. destroyers. The other two ships in the force, a heavy cruiser and destroyer turned and ran, but the cruiser was sunk the next day by carrier attack. A fact which will be forever galling to the men who were aboard the PENNSYLVANIA that night is that the ship never opened fire. General Quarters was sounded at OI3O, when the first contact report came through, and battle stations were manned in record time. Gun crews stood by for two hours, fev- erishly waiting for the word to commence firing. It never came. There was a good rea- son, but it could do Iifilie to relieve the dis- appointment of not having had a hand in the sinking of two Jap battlewagons when the chance finally came. Shortly after daybreak, the Central Force of the Jap Fleet engaged a group of CVE's operating east of Samar to cover the upper end of Leyte Gulf. The Jap Force had been attacked heavily by carrier planes the day before and had suffered severe losses and much damage, but it had, nevertheless, con- tinued on through San Bernadino Strait. Our CVE's and their destroyer escort screen now put up the most valiant fight of the war against most overwhelming odds while retir- ing towards' Leyte Gulf. I Vice Admiral Kinkaid, the Commander of the Seventh Fleet, at once ordered Admiral Oldendorf to dispatch one division of battle- ships, one division of cruisers and half the destroyers in his group to the assistance of the Escort Carriers. The PENNSYLVANIA was designated as one of the three battleships to go. Before the battle force had sortied from Leyte Gulf, however, the gallant CVE's with their persistent air attacks had turned back the Japs who then commenced retiring to- wards San Bernadino Strait. Leyte was the first operation in which the PENNSYLVANIA encountered heavy enemy air attacks. They began as the first group was entering Leyte Gulf on the morning of the I8th and continued during the days and nights following. At first the attacks were of the sneak variety, single dive bombers com- IIIQ in and making individual dives or glides