Richard P Leary (DD 664) - Naval Cruise Book

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IWO .IIMA OPERATION 1945 January-February Enroute Lingayen Gulf. Screen for shore bom' bardment olf Luzon Island. Hit by IRVING at No. I and No. 2 mounts causing minor damage and injuries to one man. Assisted in shooting down four planes. Observed air craft crash several ships of formation. Delivered shore bombardment o1I Lingayen Town. Supported assault troops in landings around Lingayen area. Designated cover' ing force for Task Group 77.2 in Lingayen Gulf. Anchored San Fabian Harbor. Retired to Ulithi. Upkeep. Repair. Beer parties. Mog Mog. February 10. Underway to Tinian for Iwo Jima rehearsal. February 16. Commenced scheduled operations as seaward screen of heavy units on shore bombard' ment. Delivered night illumination fire. Com' menced operations on enemy gun emplacements. Assigned Radar Picket Station. Anchored approxi' mately 1,000 yards from southeastern shore of Iwo Jima and delivered call fire. Delivered night illumination on completion of call fire assignments. OKINAWA, RYUKYU ISLANDS March-April Ulithi. Upkeep. Liberty. Underway with Task Force 54. Screened heavy ships during shore bombardment. Took four bogeys under fire. Assisted in downing two. Screened minesweeping units off Ie Shima. Delivered night harassing and illuminating fire on western beaches. Delivered prearranged fire on beaches prior to landing of assault troops. Opened fire on two planes, one probable kill. Observed USS MORRIS hit by suicide plane, went alongside and assisted in extinguishing fires. Received 23 casualties for medi' cal treatment. Screened MORRIS in retirement to Kerama Retto. Received COMDESRON 56 and staff aboard. Screened heavy ships. Delivered night illumination. Assigned patrol station inside Naka' gusuku Wan. April 20. Delivered prearranged fire in support of advance troops. Hit vehicles, scattered troops, uncovered and knocked out camouflaged guns and started fires in troop headquarters. Opened fire on an enemy plane scoring an assist. Continued harass' ing fire, night illumination, driving enemy troops from trenches and inflicting heavy casualties. MAY-J UN E-J ULY May 3. Delivered night harassing and illiuninating Iire. Destroyed ammunition dump, pillbox, com' mand post and antifaircraft emplacement. Sighted two small Japanese boats, distance 1,000 yards. Illuminated with searchlights and star'sheI1s. Fires with 40MM and 20MM batteries 3 sank both boats. May 6. Commander Destroyer Squadron 56 presented various awards to various officers and men of this vessel. Observed TONY crash USS ST. GEORGE, shot down enemy plane attempting to crash escort carrier. May 13. Captain Herald F. Scott USN assumed command of Destroyer Squadron 56 aboard this vessel, relieving Commodore Roland N. Smoot, USN. Delivered daylight call fire which resulted in many casualties among enemy troops. Scored numerous hits on enemy antifaircraft emplacements, destroyed and sealed four caves and destroyed gim emplacements. Underway for Leyte with USS SALT LAKE CITY, MOBILE, ST. LOUIS, WICHITA, HAIL AND D. H. FOX. Regunned 5 battery which had fired 21,600 rounds, an average of 4,320 rounds per gun. Anchored Kerama Retto, Okinawa Gunto. Routine investigations reported contacts anchoring in I-Iagushi and Kerama Retto. Observed collision between two friendly planes. Rescued First Lieutenant Guy Oliver, USMCR.

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og of the ear 9 SHAKEDOWN 'I944 March-April-May Fitting out, Boston Navy Yard. Bermuda, shake' down training. Post Shakedown overhaul. Panama Canal. Task Group 27.7 CUSS FRANKLIN, TWIGGS AND CUSHINGQ San Diego fSher' man's, Plaza, Sky Room. Grant Hotelj TRAINING June-July-August Pearl Harbor-Training exercises. Enivvetok, Task Group 12.1. Anti'submarine patrol. Gpera' tion in capture, occupation and defense of Saipan, Tinian, Guam with Fifth Fleet. Delivered harassing fire with USS California on Tinian. A Reported for Duty ComDesRon 56. SURIAGO STRAIT ACTION LINGAYEN GULF, PHILIPPINES September-October Assigned to Third Fleet for invasion of Palau. Guadalcanal. Picket Station. Night firing, illumina' tion Ngesebus and Peleliu. Underwater Demolition Support at 2,000 yards. Shore Bombardment. Sound and Radar Screen. Manus -Upkeep-Gctober 18 Arrived Leyte Gulf. Delivered harassing hre southern landing beaches. Under air attack. Took enemy torpedo plane under fire. USS HONOLULU hit. Moored to USS HCNCLULU, supplied electrical power, submersible pump and hose lines. Received 25 casualties. Delivered Wounded to USS RIXEY during air attack. Cctober 25. Cn station in Approach Disposition. Delivered torpedo attack on Enemy Battle Line at 7,200 yards range. Fired three torpedoes and observed two hits on FUSC type battleship. This vessel was straddled several times by enemy gunfire and also straddled by torpedo salvo. USS A. W. GRANT hit. GRANT in sinking condition. Went alongside and rendered assistance. Took four enemy planes under Capt. H. F. STOUT, USN Com. F. S. HABECKER, USN fire. Left side of GRANT and splashed one VAL , ' Screened retirement. Replenished torpedoes. As' sumed patrol. November-December Noucmlvcr 1. Took enemy aircraft making torpedo run under hre. Maneuvered to avoid. Plane damaged. Proceeded to assistance of USS ABNER REED burning and sinking after suicide plane crash. Splashed HVALU attempting suicide crash. Picked up 6 ofhcers and 63 enlisted men from vicinity of ABNER REED. Assumed Radar Picket Station. Took Bogey under fire. Believed splashed. Received 11 casual' ties from MTB 491 for medical treatment. Enroute Manus for upkeep. Commander Duncan P. Dixon, Jr., USN, relieved Commander Frederic S. Habecker, USN, as Commanding Uflicer. Underway Manus to Kossol Roads with Task Group 77.2.

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