Picking (DD 685) - Naval Cruise Book

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i-IISTOIY OF Ti-I.-'E CRUISE On 1 April, we waved goodbye to our wives and sweefhearts and pulled away from the pier at Fall River, Massachusetts. Underway on The first leg of our cruise, bound for .... A l Hmm, -wxn v Wmyfrwf , X in, Ewqff -wkwff--'-Li,

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task' force. Also, she sometimes acted as fly catcher to prevent Jap small craft activity, particularl that of suicide boats. During this period of constant day and night bombardment, the PICKING fired over 15,000 rounds of 5-inch ammunition into Japanese positions on southern Okinawa, destroying a number of enemy artillery pieces, dumps, vehicles, pill boxes, sealing numerous caves, and killing an unknown number of enemy troops. The ship was almost constantly on firing station except for those periods when it was necessary to replenish fuel and ammunition or when she was assigned screening duties. During the day, the firing was directed by air and land spotters. At night, illumination and harassing fire as conducted by sector fire and, when necessary, directed by land spottersy Hardly a day passedwithout at least one enemy air raid, usually there were several. During daylight most of the enemy planes were intercepted and destroyed before reaching the area of concentrated shipping around southern Okinawa, but atlnight the Japs were able to reach the area almost at will. While the Jap activities were a nuisance, they did very little effective damage. On the 3rd of April, shortly after midnight, while screening battleships and cruisers of Task Force 54 in their night retirement west of Okinawa, the PICKING was attacked by a low flying Betty which dropped a torpedo. After passing close astern of the destroyer, the tin fish exploded harmlessly. The PICKING was fired on by a shore battery, April 5th, which 'was located on southern Okinawa. The principal target for the enemy battery, however, proved to be the USS NEVADA which was hit several times. Together with the other fire support ships, the PICKING conducted counter battery fire which speedily eliminated the enemy gun position. The following afternoon, while proceeding to ioin the heavy units of Task Force 54 for the night retirement sortie, the PICKING was attacked by four Tony type Japanese planes approaching low over the water. Two of these were driven off by gunfire but the other two persisted in their attack. The first of these exploded from 40 millimeter hits and crashed into the water 200 yards off the port quarter. Less than 60 seconds later the second was hit by a 5-inch burst and splashed 500 yards off the port beam. ln the late afternoon of April 7, 1945, off western Okinawa, the PICKING ioined a battle force of battleships, cruisers, and destroyers which were forming up to meet a Japanese task force, centered around the YAMATO, and was reported heading in the direction of Okinawa. Just before sunset, the PICKING opened fire on a Zeke diving out of the overcast some three miles off the starboard bow. The Jap plane, however, was not hit and made a suicide crash into the USS MARYLAND. Late that night, the PICKING learned that the Japanese surface force threat had been disposed of by the lanes of Task Force 58. On the night of April 9th, while retiring with other ships of Task Force 54, the DD685 shot down an enemy aircraft believed to have been a Betty which approached the formation. Shortly after midnight on May 2nd, while conducting night harassing and illumination fire northwest of Naha, shells began to splash close aboard the destroyer. The ship got underway immediately and conducted counter battery fire. The enemy battery, believed to be near Naha, ceased fire very shortly thereatfer. Shortly after dawn on May 18th, the PICKING went to the assistance ofthe USS LONGSHAW, a destroyer which had gone aground on a shoal iust off Naha Airfield on southern Okinawa. After making an attempt to tow, the cable parted, so the PICKING stood by to render assistance while the ARIKARA lAT-981 attempted towing. At 11 o'clock a.m. the LONGSHAW reported herself under fire from enemy shore batteries and the PICK- ING immediately turned her guns on the Jap emplacements. The LONGSHAW was hit amidships and then, again, forward. There followed a violent explosion which destroyed the forward part of the ship as far back as the mast. This blast was followed by a raging fire which appeared for a time to engulf the entire ship but was later seen to center about the demolished forward sction. Meanwhile, the shore battery shifted its at- tention to the PICKING. Several shells hit fairly close aboard but, by this time, all fire support ships in the vicinity were concentrating their fire on the enemy gun position and quickly silenced it. The PICKING immediately put a boat in the water to aid in the rescue of LONGSHAW survivors, many of whom could be seen amidst the floating debris and burning oil. Some 30 LONGSHAW men were picked up and taken to an LCI which was standing close in for rescue work. While the boat was alongside effecting the transfer, the LCI was also hit by enemy shell fire from the shore and many of the survivors iumped back into the water, necessitating their re-rescue. By afternoon it was apparent that the LONGSHAW was beyond salvage and the PICKING was or- dered to destroy her by torpedo fire. This proved difficult because of the shallow waters and strong current and only two hits were gained out of five torpedoes fired. One of the hits failed to explode and the other destroyed the after portion of the ship. What remained of the stricken vessel was destroyed by 5-Inch gun fire from the USS EDWARDS and PICKING. l U . On June 7, 1945. the PICKING was relieved of fire support duties since, due to so much firing, her 5-Inch guns were so eroded that effective pin point fire was no longer possible. On the following day the destroyer took a station off southeast Kume Shima as radar picket. The following few days were uneventful since no enemy raids of more than one plane were made in the sector and on the 12th of June all the ships were called in because of an approaching typhoon. The PICKING remained anchored at Magushi until the 16th, when she proceeded to another radar picket station northeast of le Shima. After four quiet days with little or no enemy activity, the ship proceeded back to the Hagushi Anchorage. She remained in this vicinity until the 23rd of June when she departed for Saipan as convoy escort. . . On June 25, 1945, the DD-685 received orders to proceed to the United States for overhaul, the cessation of World War ll hostilities occuring while she was in United States. waters. . i . u Late in 1945, the PICKING was placed in mothballs to remain there over five years. Recommissionmg was begun early in 1951 and the PICKING left San Diego in April, 1951 to report to the Commander Destroyers Atlantic Fleet for duty as Flagship of the newly reorganized Destroyer Sauadron.Twenty-Four. DD-685 was recommissioned by Commander A. C. Edwards, Commanding Officer. Captain H. Lyman lll was on board as ComDesRon 24. After an overhaul in Boston Naval Shipyard and refresher training at Guan- tanimo Bay, Cuba, the PICKING reported, with DesDiv 241 to Commander Sixth Fleet for a Mediterranean tour of duty from January, 1952 to 20 May 1952 when they arrived back in Newport, Rhode Island, the home port. Participating in Hunter Killer Exercises during the .summer of 1952. Commander G. R. Warren, Jr. releived as Commanding Officer and Captain C. W. Moses had relieved as ComDesRon 24. October saw the PICKING off Labrador for cold-weather exercises. . . , Involved in a collision with the USS STEPHEN POTTER while operating' as a screen for fast carrier opera- tions during November, 1952, the PICKING limped into Brooklyn Naval Shipyard for repairs. . While in the Caribbean for winter training, the PICKING received word to make preparations for Far Eastern duty leaving the states about 1 April.

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3 f ' A NAMA F 4 . . . where we arrived early on the morning of 7 April. The lush greens of the tropic iungles steamed gently under thefearly morning sun as we made our entry into the channel to- ward the famous Panama Canal. Although it was hot outside the Canal, it was like an inferno inside the locks where we were hauled through by steam engines that seemed to climb straight up in the air. Gatun Lake offered the opportunity for a fresh water wash down of the ship and eventually, of course, the entire crew. We were glad to tie up that night for some liberty in Balboa, C. Z.lThe next morning we left for San Diego for our last stateside liberty before arriving in ....