Picking (DD 685) - Naval Cruise Book

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' DI ISION Ensign H. J. V. Snyder's R Division keeps our auxiliary machinery, electricity, and interior communications in shape for the daily rou- tine. The R Division also forms the nucleus ofthe ship's damage control and repair parties. f .,., S f ., ,,,, if W P 2 ' 6 if-'J S

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E DIY ISION The E Division, currently the largest on board is the gang which keeps us going . . . back in to port for liberty, or out to sea on oper- ations. Battle steaming is normal for these boys, since anything can happen at any time in the engineering spaces. . . and usually does. Ensign D. J. Ammerman is mighty proud of his division's abili- ty to handle real or simulated emergencies in record time.

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si-npts HISTORY The USS PICKING was commissioned at the BrooklYn NUVY Ydrd on September YI' l943f dl Wl1lCl1 lime d. . Cdmglfdnder igiffgakggljwssiiulllidBginlhlhndcan area of the British West Indies and a post-shakedown over- er G Slx ' lboa C. Z. on December 9th she haul the PICKING proceeded to the Canal Zone. Upon arrival at Ba , , , .reported ' ' ' ' FI , f d t d shortly thereafter was assigned to the North Pacif' FI f, lo the Commonde' ln Chled' ZCFIHCD lfdll I-lacllrbbryihmthe Aleutian Islands and upon arrival, December 25 1823 Th PICKING th u , 1 reporteed to Commarlaelllesatlllbrth olgacific Fleet and CommanderPliglralif-tIZ'3eYo5QJUC:3ndUf:l9:1 43. giptaln H. F. Gearing, ' ' t b d th USS I1 , Y , USNFO?dw?itrepldteilglldnllslrhcsfllftlllljdthhclsIdCnlal1lnGQor?grbtedewith the NINTH Fleet in the Aleutian area and during this time five offensive operations were carried out agsl eflemY Shlpplng Und lnslalldllons in the ICD-held-Kurlle lslcnldtle first of these attacks occurred on February Q4, I944, when the destroyers and cruisers of the NINTH fleet bombarded the Karabusaki area on Paramushiru. 'lhis was the first naval bombardment of Japanese homenterrl- tory of World War Il. Though there was some return fire from enemy batteries, none of the ships were hit and all returned to port unharmed except for damage caused by heavy North Pacific Seas. On the l3th of June, the PICKING, with destroyers and cruasers of the NINTH fleet, bombarded Matsuwa. Since dense fog preventeddsighting of the island, the approach to the target and subsequent bombardment were carried out entirel b ra ar. , The lst of August? the force sailed from Attu, Aleutian Islands, for a third bombardment of Paramushlru. However, during the approach, the task force was twice detected by enemy planes and since surprise, was con- sidered essential to the success of the mission, the bombardment was abandoned. . ' During the intervals between these operations, the PICKING was employed in routine assignments of escort duty, antisubmarine sweeps, searching for pilots of friendly planes forced down at sep, and training exercises: the ship being based at Adak and Attu during the entire period. A considerable portion of the time in port was spent repairing damage to the ship caused by the foul weather-'of the Aleutians. It was a testimony to the ex- cellence of Navy material that the ship was able to take the constant weather battering without suffering more damage than she did, for she was never prevented from fully carrying out any of her assignments. Thi RlCKIIj:Gb.left the Ageutian alrea for San Francisco, California, on August 8, I944, and upon arrival spent a ten- ay avai a nity perio or up eep. C Duriallg thibpreriod, LiejuEnant.CcEm?z1aRXle-r B. luierrlnnesi Jr.,dUS:N, reliexsdFCc23mmandeI-SA. S. lamb, USN, as omman ing icer, an aptain . . c ean, , re ieve aptain . . erring, 'N, as Commander, Destroyer Squadron 49. ,- The PICKING then left the East Coast and sailed for Pearl Harbor, territory of Hawaii, where she arrived on August 3l, I944, and reported to the Commander, THIRD fleet for duty. After a period of training and re- hearsal exercises in Hawaiian waters, the destroyer departed for Manus, Admiralty Islands, on September l5th as one of the escort vessels for several divisions of attack transports The ships reached Seeadler Harbor, Manus, on October 3rd after an uneventful voyage. .For the next six months the PICKING was temporarily assigned the SEVENTH Fleet and, during this time, participated ln.the Philippine Campaign Operations With destination the Philippine Area, the PICKING left Manus on October l4th as an escort vessel for the Southern Attack Force The attack force entered Leyte Gulf, Philippine Islands, on the 20th after an un- eventful voyage and, during the next four days, the DD 685 functioned as part of the antiaircraft and anti- submarine screen for transports and landing craft during the assault on the southern beaches At sunset on the 20th, three high-flying Japanese Sallys were taken under f're by the PICKINGS 5-unch and automatic weapons with unobserved results Though other planes were seen during the succeeding four days, none of them COMEDWITTH effective gunfragge b n t e a ternoon o cto er 24, I944, the PICKING' weighed anchor from Le te Gulf as art of tl'e 35552pf,?2Q2hheedU'E,f'Tt'lidU.lf.?2SlT?T2'5 pllllill JIEQTH tlte l5l'5'Kili1 eH0 I?d l' New G 'e'l Tho' n'ghll'he me stroyed and the other retired without attacking. e loo Under flre' one of lhe planes was de On the 26th of October, I944, the PICKING was detached to loin the escort of the MOUNT OLYMPUS and AURIG which were leaving Leyte Gulf for Manus From this date until December 27th the destroyer was engaTg1ed :Engine escort duttes or tasks in connection with ships replenishment and mqmfenqnqe e escorted transports loaded with reinforcements back into Le te Gulf o N ber 20th and rt?.af Ia':ina.2:e.:st:.2.m..r:.z:e..':gOf,ee'?t1nQ the fsfff 'masked brfwf funds 1Q'?m335'i'Qhfef Y e S 'ps at eries an the PICKING was credited with an assist in splashlng one of these planes This was the only action of importance which occured during this period During the assault on the beaches at Lmgayen Gulf on Januqr Qfh fh PICKING f t d as arf of th Y 6 unc lone p t..i.S 5'3Z2?'2i2'eb T+?. pI2'EIEl'3f'bSf'ee lo' 'he QnSp0 S and 'Gndms Craft several enemy ...Mft were Y u no o served damage wa d h f the 9th the PICKING d th S one 'O' e enemv planes On the eVe '9 0 wtfhouf ,modem lome e screen for llle Unlddded IYGNSIOOYTS and the group retired to Leyte Gulf g0 1hl2e1g31dg? Ill:53rLf2Py0ihl2el?D1lE:0l3rNg1e shlp operated in and about Subic Bay, Phillpplne Islands arlng known mmeflelds from the w t and 'he USS YOUNG gave Close flfe SUPDOFT to mmesweepers ed manesweepmg vessek the PICEIEYEGgsglxglamggvpclegeiayofannd Cotrregidor Ags th: enecmy dlddnot f:1 aroun t t t M PPOI' UDIY on out r orregl or a into Correzlggrrance o arlveles Bay The PICKING fired the first shell of the war fromeanU S Navy vessel On the night of February I4 I5 the DD 685 t lanedlngsf rgvllwdlzh vid ecceffgglteduhvilhlclidUllidlclliltynbacdblrlnedl ollllle eosl Slde of the BUY lmmgdlolely prlor lo l lhe Shlp engaged in screening operations oc ock G m Tllroughoul lhe femomdef of the day e o owlna mor F b Se Support of the belggghioz::d1qYeggnl?Slil3c:he PIEEING carried out a scheduled bombardment Cl d opp!-ortupity wlere taken under fire At least onecellemsrbzffgor fAfler 'he ltcnlllmg of lhe U S Hoops loldqe :rec its rom t e P CKINGS 5 'Y Irma at t e d ft I nce April 15, 1945 the P'CKINlG'nv52sgg2Sigrag5l fmortiar fire from the beaches Sdslrdllkdlrcdeutlrbclfzdlie the Okmqwq operation She remomed wnh th 0' UiY In Task Force 54 the fire support and covering fo on Ship for land opemhons and occasional' is force for the next 68 days operating prmclpallY 05 f y as a screening vessel for the cruisers and battleshtps of the n I ' . . - . ' .' . ' cle ' ' ' . . l . at th ' ' , , n . . YS Th id t h ' - ' screened dssdull Shipping from Subic Ba to Mariveles BCLY- ' T ' ' ' I 1 I I D . - e Th I Q ' u . . clto ' ' ' ' ' e U ' nd o ' - - , . ' . . , , ts . O . 0 , . . I ' I .. I , ' I , by Tl , , . ' . for ' - I . . . , ' ' rce supp ' ' - . I ' ' ' ire