Roanoke (CL 145) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 69 text:

Retaliation was the watch word... and THIS is the schedule of events that led to her return' 1300--Pre-planning conference. 1400-Planning conference-drew up plans 'A', 'B' and 'C . 1500-Post-planning conference. 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 2100 2200 2300 2400 0030 0045 0050 0051 0052 0053 0100 0101 0110 0150 -Preliminary pre-Esther recovery detail brief- ing in number two messing compartment for Esther raiding party, bell captains, key plotting personnel and safety observers. -Pre-Esther recovery detail briefing. -Esther recovery detail briefing. -Post-Esther recovery briefing. -Final Esther recovery briefing. -One last briefing. -Set Condition Il in all Esther raiding stations. -Manned all Esther stations. -Called away it 3 motor launch, coxswain- LT Breen, engineer--ENS Willcott, bowhook -LTJG Gobel, sternhook-lst Lt Rose, navigator-LT R. Hilton. -112123 motor launch clear of ship, commenced plan 'A . -Entered India Basin, abandoned plan A when attacked with fire hoses. -Put plan 'B' into effect. -Abandoned plan B , Plans Officer left operation order on ROANOKE. -Plan 'C' ordered into effect. -Cancelled plan ' C since the Plans Officer had thought this was only a rehearsal run. -Decision made to execute that classic maneuver of naval strategy Qlast used by Farragut at Mobilel-FUSDAP 1 ! -Sneaked into India Basin, tied up alongside Cormorant. -Searching parties commenced search of 6 mine sweepers. -Esther located on Cormorant!! Esther raiders reioined and raced back to ROA- NOKE, mission accomplished.

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BUT ALAS . .. The heroes of the epic admire their handy work... . r.. the newly created Esther Medal is bestowed. -W-Ulu Perhaps the most galling incident of the entire saga of Esther was her theft from the mighty ROANOKE by two officers of the USS AMPERE QADG-lll-six omcers embarked. Dressed as enlisted men and using liberty cards signed by 'RADM Atom Smasher, USSR , they came aboard ROANOKE about 2300 one early September evening. The O. O. D. stopped them on suspicion that they had been ashore on a duty day, and turned them over to the quartermaster who took their liberty cards and told them to go below. An obliging M.A.A. showed them to the I Division compartment while another good shipmate helped them locate themselves on the damage control diagrams in No. 2 messing compartment. Awaiting on the forecastle, they sat forward of turret l until OlOO when they went below to the wardroom, seized Esther, and succeeded in leaving the ship via the after brow. But alas, the AMPERE too was doomed to failure in keeping Esther's aFfections, and in the wake of typhoon Emma she moved on to be fought over by a group of minesweepers. ..and receive the proper recognition when

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