Salt Lake City (CA 25) - Naval Cruise Book

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l ill eight bombardinents of Wotje atoll and two of Maloelap, seeking out coast defenses, annnunition and supply depots. Cn March 30 and April l, she covered a force supporting American air raids on Palau, Yap, Ulithi and Woleai. Then she left for San Francisco for a long needed overhaul. After the Yard work, the Swayback returned to the Aleutians, her old stamping grounds. On August 3, she joined a task force which left Attu for a raid on Paramushiro but shortly be- fore arrival at their destination the operation was cancelled when the fog which was expected to cover the thrust lifted suddenly and the force was spotted by lapanese observation planes. The Swaybaclc Went south to Pearl I-larbor and then headed West. On September 23, in Company with her cruiser division, some destroyers and the carrierllvlonterey, she bombarded Wake Island, damaging installations and knocking out one lap battery Whose shells were becoming too familiar. Then on to Eniwetok and later Saipan. On Gctober 9, she . . ..., l . Egglil Q.. 9 ,-g... g: , f 1 fit, .5 1 . l .5 .V ,If-A 'ii' ' S7 '-- ,d, ,ML 'f f' J' , ' 'W' ' l lr K tx- m I 117' - 1 z, N . W 1 ' l J' Q , A' T m 1 A fr ., I y tv .4 ,,r, ft Q N X 'sv W ,.,, , X X ,fi ll gfhfuff 1 ' M ' 1 ' f f Q tf,l1fr7f1,l Z , .. 64 4 ' ' fffin--ffI'i'FL .!!. ...if - xml' , , W it 1 . YN V J fm T!! .... - Q.-mr:-:r'1,3-:T-if bs 'I A f j Qxb. 1 3' 6,44 Y - ' iw I, I . 1 l 'QTTYIW A 5' 7 'serif-A x . .'If:Z ' '1T:fb 'f ' ' X 2' J tfgfflfffffszff X X- ,I f ,,,?'f2'V','5,E55:f,L,f f f ' ' , 1 I, I t Y ,7 ff 'Y X A V :,Q i i 1-.1 --- 'A i Ti' cfcc F --g?'i-L -fi 'y ' i- -- , .:L.mnm N ' S--e Q r..,, T ' T i 'W , ,. Q fn ' ,i.i .g -N, , 'fm T if-Q cg, i - A Q' If 'ara'--e. '-47' ' .R 'Q T l.i..,---V , 1 - ---1?-TT.-53...,,, - L, , , Awvifjl -i ,N WX - H- L - 11-Lys 22

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E715 Um' of Zriumplz May 14, 1943 to August 15, 1945 When the Salt Lake City emerged from the Mare Island Navy Yard on May 14, l943, after repair of the damage suffered in the Battle of the Komandorskies, the American offensive, begun on a small scale at Guadalcanal and on New Guinea, was about to expand into an irresistible march across the Pacific. Henceforth, the SWayback's primary targets were to be, not surface ships, but land bases. She was attached to the bom- bardment groups, the almost unsung ships which steamed up to enemy bases and stayed, paralyzing his resistance to con- quest by the thunder of their heavy guns. The cruiser's first assignment took her back to the Aleutians, Where Attu and Kiska remained as unfinished American busi- ness. For l23 days, she was at sea practically all the time, returning only at infrequent intervals to her base, bleak Kuluk Bay at Adak for logistics not available at sea. She convoyed, patrolled, bombarded Kiska and covered the Attu lnvasion. On September 23, she moved south with the War. She based at Pearl Harbor and made a flying trip to San Francisco from Cctober lst to l4th to carry back as passengers seventy- five officers and one thousand enlisted men for participation in the forthcoming invasion of the Gilbert Islands. ln November the Salt Lake City was in the midst of that operation, helping the marines in their now famous conquest of Tarawa. During the assault, Iap shore batteries fired at the cruiser for one hour and fifty-four minutes, but obtained no hits. The luck of the Salt Lake City was becoming a byword. After Tarawa, the Swayback covered the occupation of nearby Abemama. ln two days there, she knocked down four lap planes and helped destroy another. The operation con- cluded, she based at Funafuti. ln Ianuary, the Americans moved north into the Marshalls. As part of the neutralizing force, the Salt Lake City conducted 21 g

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participated in a bombardment of Marcus Island, 750 miles from Tokyo, the closest any American warships without air coverage had been to the lap mainland up to that time. The raid was a diversionary action, plotted to confuse and distract the laps While the American carrier force was lashing Formosa as a preliminary to the reconguest of the Philippines. Elaborate action was taken to simulate a landing force. Smoke Was made beyond the horizon from the island, flares were lighted. The ruse succeeded, for the next day Tokyo Rose announced that the Nips had driven off a threatened invasion of Marcus which was covered by a large force containing a battleship and several cruisers, two of which were sunk. Actually, no battle- ship Was present and no vessel Was even slightly damaged. But it was a near thing. Une stubborn Iapanese battery got the Salt Lake City's range and straddled her with at least seven salvos until she changed course and moved out. The group Went back to Saipan, then received a hurry call to join Task Force 38 to replace two cruisers which had been damaged in the Battle of Formosa. lt was still with the carrier force October 24 to 26 when the lap fleet, attempting to throttle MacArthur's invasion of Leyte, was driven back with huge loss in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The morning strike launched by our carriers was instrumental in inflicting crippling damages on the lap fleet already retreating to the San Bernardino Straits. During this period Saipan and Tinian in the Marianas lslands, were our most advanced air bases. Routine bombing missions to lapan were being sent from their fields and the laps retaliated, as was to be expected, by counter air attacks on those islands in an effort to reduce their value. The principal thorn was the little two-by-four fortress of lWo lima, roughly GOO miles from the lap mainland. lt became the duty of the Salt Lake City, With the Chester, Pensacola and various destroyers to help neutralize the threat of lwo lima. Six hit and run bom- bardments were made within a period of three and a half months, all Without direct air cover and usually against oppo- sition by shore batteries and lap planes. The first raid took place at midnight, November ll, and Z3