Randolph (CVS 15) - Naval Cruise Book

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. ,., .. . M.-- ,.Ah - T' v-... Q -3. . ,- f f . . - , H - --- - -- .M.:r'----1-1::.:-- 5-3-L-'::L'.::t:5'i'1 ' I J their guest for the role played in the Okinawa campaign. The ship had traveled 27,000 miles and had not so much as sighted land for fifty- five days when they arrived. Understandably, therefore, the men welcomed even a few hours ashore, where the major attractions were a japa- nese pillbox and a brief glimpse of some Red Cross girls Qnot necessarily in that orderj. Underway again june 2, the ship moved to the San Pedro Bay anchorage in Leyte Gulf where, with the exception of a four-day training cruise, she spent the remainder of the month replenish- ing supplies and resting her battle-weary crew and Air Group. Once again, however, a sup- posedly safe anchorage brought disaster to the carrier. On june 7, a P-38, making 'fplayful runs at the vessel, miscalculated and plunged into the forward part of the flight deck, killing fourteen, wounding eleven, and setting fire to a number of aircraft. Fortunately, the planes on deck had been de-gassed, and the ship alongside - which was loaded with bombs - was not detonated. july 3: Randofblz got underway again, this time as flagship for Task Group 38.3 in Admiral Halsey's Third Fleet. After a week of intensive training, the carrier launched her new Air Group - 16 - in attacks on airfields in the Tokyo area. Strikes were then flown against the Honshu- Hokkaido region, where two vital ferries were sunk in between attacks on other targets. Follow- ing several days ofbad weather, CVG-16 renew- ed their actions against airfields around thejapa- nese capital, and also joined planes from other carriers in strikes against the japanese fleet. july 28 was one of the biggest days for the Task Force's nav al aviators. Attacking at Kure, 22 they scored three hits on carrier Katsuragi, seven on cruiser Aoba, two on cruiser Oyodo and two more on carrier Ise. Converted battle- ship Hyuga was sunk that day Qwith CVG-16 playing a major rolej, as was battleship Haruna. japan was thus left with a lone battleship QNagat0 - which had been severely damaged by Randofbhis planesj, six carriers and five cruisers, all were out of action and without crews aboard. On August 6 came the word that the first atomic bomb had been detonated in anger - dropped over Hiroshima by a B-29 at 9:15 a.m. with catastrophic results for the enemy city. Three- fifths of Hiroshima had been blown off the face of the earth, Lzfe magazine reported. Three days later the japanese high command had not agreed on surrender, and even after the second atomic bomb exploded that morning over Nagasaki, there were several policy-making officers who insisted on holding out for certain conditions before agreeing to end the hostilities. Finally, following an Hlmperial Decisionn by Emperor Hirohito, a message was dispatched to the Allied capitols, signifying japan 's readiness to accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration. Qjapan's Premier, Prince Higashi-Kuni, in ad- dressing the Diet QParliamentj September 5 ad- mitted the atomic bomb was the immediate in- ducement to surrender, saying, f'This terrific weapon was likely to result in the obliteration of the japanese people. . .nj Following an exchange of official communiques concerning specific surrender terms, President Truman received the final message of agreement from the Emperor on the afternoon of August 14

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.. .--p1.-1 e..1f..5-4.1- fag'f?'9 1ff'- may -far. - ' ! Q. . ., ...fav w : ,W ,,.,,,.,.nT, , ,,,....ss:.,,.,-l..-,, -L.. fini '-1-fi .....i11.,! A: 1 'M' f . 1 - ' 1 I ws.. x . - .Q T' 5 as X , ' . ,,, - .. Q.. Q K N.. ... 4. it N , H Mes- ,., . W i, . ,ff i A ..f-- rm A -Q - Q , ,. ,, . - K ..-Q. , x . . .. r , ' K ' M,-i.u4 K, g A M ww , e MW ......,.,,e. and made the announcement to the American people at 7:00 p.m. On the morning of August 15, planes from Air Group 16 strafed and fired rockets at Kisarazu airfield on the east side of Tokyo Bay. At 6:42 a.m., just as aircraft of the second strike were reaching the japanese coast, a recall message went out from the Task Force Commander. Later that morning Captain jackson R. Tate, who had replaced Captain Baker as commanding officer in late july, came on the loudspeaker, an- nouncing the acceptance of Allied surrender terms by the japanese. Predictably, the message was greeted with a thunderous cheer from all hands. The japanese, however, were not as quick to get the word. Anticipating this, as well as the in- dividual zeal of the last-ditch Kamikaze pilots, the Fleet remained alert. Attacking aircraft were to be challenged, as Admiral Halsey said in his now-famous words: c'All snoopers will be in- vestigated and shot down, not vindictively, but in a friendly sort of way. Thirty-eight enemy planes were shot out of the air on V-J Day, in- cluding four who attacked the U. S. ships around 1:00 p.m. -while Admiral Halsey was in the middle of his 'iVictory Speechn tothe Third Fleet. Some unidentified aircraft were sighted during 24 .45 iris V -lwzsfn. , .. . , ' , K ,, ' IW, ' , I ff Ziff- we fl x f f f, I 714' .1 , , , , ' 9'-vrvfwf 'G f , ,f I I I' L , nf ,, , , Y .rw Ware A ,V ,l , A' f the week, but there were no hostile actions against Randolph or the planes of her Air Group. CVC-16 continued to fly patrols in and around the japanese home islands until August 25, when severe typhoons moved into the area, buffeting the ships unmercifully and canceling air operations. The carrier's Marine Detachment, plus amain- tenance force of four of the ship's officers and about fifteen sailors, went ashore at Yokosuka Naval Base August 30 with the first American landing force. The maintenance force accom- Above, Randolph remained in the Ives!- ern Paezfe onbz briefy folfowing iheena' of hosiz'h'tz'es,' when she pulled into Ha- waii September II, 1945, 29, 000 miles had been covered in fhe 73 days of sfeady steaming on her fhird wareruise. At right, she squeezes through ihe Pana- ma Cana! on her wa 12 home fo the East' Coast lhe ftJUO?UI'l'Ig monfh, ea 2'rj1'1'rzg hundreds ofp1z.s'se2zgers in ihe person of 77'll'fZ'fII71j2 men Illllllllfllilg S61DII7'IIfI'0I1fl'0III Zh e service. 1 i ., S231