Randolph (CVS 15) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 26 text:

.. .--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

Page 25 text:

-0 'S 'Q'- evw Q l, 4 I Q -Q. I Q vw I Q'

Page 27 text:

phshetl re11.111s .11 the lmtllx lmtteted Navy 1111-11, xxl11letl11' hl.il'lllt'N o1'e11111111l1l1v Y.1x .1l M1 8111111111 md se.1r1'l1e1l tht vl.1l1u1.1le e.1x' es 111 lllt'Sl1l'l'UlllHl- g hills lui l111l1lv11 s111111l11-s. pl.lllL'S and 111'111s. ixll' 51111111 ltik 1111 pt-do pl.111es lihltletl 11pwitl1 11111g.1.c111es .1111l t'lUll1lil?,1 KlKlll1llK'll by the L'YL'W. plus large 1111.1111111es ol load. ,md tlropped them 011 yet-twlu'-sl1l1e1'.1tc1l Pl'lYUll 1x1111ps g11'o1111d Kobe 111d Us.1l4.1 1l111i11g their li1111l days olllhI11p1111. U11 SCPlti'll1lWCl' 3. with ships 1'o111p1111y believi11g they were either l11x1tl1-tl lor Ul4i1111w11 or back to lolgyo 111 piflx up their hlL11'lllCS. orders were re- teived by H11,fz1fu1Q11f1 to lietiti towgtrds Pearl Har- wr. llCIL1CllCCl i111111edig11ely ll1'Gl'11 tl1e Task tlroup. she proceeded west at 20 knots with a single destroyer escort. Stopping at Pearl Har- ho 1' S1-ptr-111l11-1' ll, the 111e11 were naturally disap- poi11tecl at not moving on immediately to the United Statesg instead, tl1e ship 1'CIT1Zlil1Cd moored i11 Ilawaii lor the 1'e111ai11der of the mouth - get- ting painted, having tl1e 40111111 sponsons re- moved from the starboard side, and being re- plenished. The latter was particularly welcome, for lfzzzziflrygnlz had been at sea for 73 days on her final war cruise, steamiiig 29,000 miles. Sl1ip's company shared pride in their wartime aeco111plisl1111ents with the two air groups who had served aboard. Pilots flying from the deck ,1 25