Randolph (CV 15) - Naval Cruise Book

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1 O 'Q +I 1 'M .

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..,:'5'!KXs --u.,,sz,, imc., Affer hurriedly loading sfores and ammunifion we go? underway on January 20. Remember how fhe Golden Gare loolred as we sailed under if on rhe way our? High up on fhe soaring span of sfeel were a couple of girls waving handlrerchiefs. Afrer fhe coasfline faded we lurned our heads fo fhe Far Easf. There for belief or worse, lay our fufure. On January 26 we moored af Ford lsland, Pearl Har- bor, Terrifory of Hawaii, where The Japs had once paid our Navy a baclrdoor visif. Par+s of a sunlzen baflleship were slill visible. We slopped fhere only long enough Yo faire on addifional supplies, including +wen+y mail saclls of war plans and infelligence malerial. Those who gol' ashore in Honolulu found rhe sidewallrs rolled up afler darlz. We lefl on January 29. Now where were we going? ln general we lrnew. We knew our deslinafion was somewhere in fhe combaf zone. The old Saraloga was in company wifh us. We sailed across lhe lnfernafional Dale Line on February I, and Wesi became Easr. Each day we drilled, and each day fhe drills became more infensivez baH'le and damage confrol problems l Fif+een minures problem lime. Bomb hit, gallery declr, frame 89, porl' side. l, fire drill, and abandon ship drill. We all wore our full baHle gear. The fension began +o grow. We were s+ill, for baHle pur- poses, a company of green men. On February 7 we pulled in+o lhe naval anchorage al' Uliihi, in fhe Wesrern Caroline Islands. Few of us had ever heard of fhe place before. I+ was nofhing bu? a ring of flai liH'le coral islands, covered wifh palms. Bur inside was ihe mos+ powerful flee? ever assembled. We counfed af leasf eighl' Essex-class carriers. There were new baffleships, cruisers, deslroyers, noi' fo menrion fanlrers, supply and repair ships, and scores of landing assi? , al'