Samuel N Moore (DD 747) - Naval Cruise Book

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est toll. The fleet's casualties mounted until they exceeded of the ground forces. The radar picket stations Knot to be c ed with the valiant destroyers who stood radar picket guard arouni1 the island of OKINAHA itselfl were manned by brave destroyers ahead. of the main task force, functioning as the vanguard. The SAMUEL.N, T MOORE had many such assignments during this period. These stations became so dangerous that entire divisions and frequently two divisv ions of destroyers were assigned to one station. On two occasions, destroyers which relieved us were hit by KAMIKAZE suicide pilots. ' When the tension at OKINnHa lessened, and the Japs were well or the road to defeat, some of the ships of the Carrier Task Force could be spared, and late in the month of April, TnSK GROUP 58.1 A started in to ULITHI for a badly-needed overhaul and repair period. On the way in, the group paused while the destroyers, including the SAMUEL N. MOORE, and the light iso-called Wanti-aircraftwl cruiser, SAN JUAN, bombarded MINnMl DnITO SHIMA on the afternoon of the 21st, The Japanese on the island were unable to retaliate, and the force F blew the enemy installations to bits and retired before darkness 'Q had fallen. O P After nine days in ULITHT, the SAMUEL N. MOORE got underway on the 9th of May with TASK UNIT 58.l.h, made up of carriers and dest- royers, and two days later joined the battleships, cruisers, and other QUSEIOYOIS which made up the remrinder of TLSK GROUP 58.1. On the l3th, the force was again off KYUSHU, and again the enemy air attacks were heavy, as the carrier planes raided the empir once more. KYUSHU wms a hot spot, the tase for many KAMIKAZE fight4 ers and bombers, and the destruction of airfields there was vital i to the success of the nmerican operations on OKINAWA. After two day of strikes against this southerngcst island of JnPAN proper, they ' attacks were turned again to OKINnUn itself, and continued with full vigor during the next two weeks. , On May 28th, off OKINnWn, ndmiral HALSEY, just returned to the Pacific, assumed command. The ships were organized into TASK FORCE ' 38, Fast Carrier Task Force of the THIRD Fleet, while the strikes against the enemy on OKINnWn continued unabated. The SLMUEL N. MOORi steamed on station in the screen of TASK GROUP 38.1, as the doughty Vice-admiral Marc MITSCHER was relieved by the late Vice-Admiral John MC CnIN as Commander of the Task Force. U Shortly after the change of command, on June 5th, the ships of TASK GROUP 38.1 were caught in the full fury of a typhoon. The force of the sea caused danage to every ship in the group. The car- riers, HORNET and BENHINGTON, took solid water over their bows in quantities that smashed and twisted the forward overhang of their flight decks, wrapping them down over their forecastles. The bow of the heavy cruiser, PITTSBURGH, which was steaming on station not far from the SnMUEL N. MOORE, was battered by mountainous seas and the entire forward portion of her forecastle was torn loose Kfortun- ately, without the loss of a manj. The SAMUEL N. MOORE herself sufe fered considerable damage. Most of her lifelines were carried away, making it extremely dangerous to move topside. n large portion of her deckhouse was caved in on the starboard side. The motor whale boat was ripped from its moorings and washed over the side many ready ammunition boxes, and other topside fittings. ' on Q .5 fnwjf' J exam., Q- . , --.f ,j+,g'? -v E lg, V. .H rx, f I . 4 ? 1 i ff, ,,,-.kg . 5, fi P Q 3 as U.-rf .-5, .., ' .41 ,Jil nw -w , jj , gs za, li, '. 1 .g .45 51 .'- , -3:54 jgjafe- as were, Qgfgt warks lffewf

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A , C, , 5 1 1 ' X ' ' or r'4 :.' , , ,,,,,,,,,,-,,,.,.,-w, , ....r,,-wg f..e,, 7 gn., V- ,1 - : rv-, ... .-. 1e',-scvfpfvf--w.f. .. s- V. -f A A f 1 - . ' -' . . A A.,- lfought-valiently egainst determined Japanese airmen who were HOt 'afraid to die. It was here thot the carrier FRANKLIN was bombed and was only kept afloat through the courageous efforts of her men and those of the supporting cruisers and destroyers, The men of the SAMUEL N. MOORE, who were topside, saw the USS WASP hit by a Japanese bomb, end sew her fighters rise from her flight deck twenty seconds leter, as she kept her position in tne formation. '.'h The WASP, though hit, fought on with full efficiency. For-two days planes fell into the sea in flames, before the ottscks abated in volume. As late es the 21st, the Toss Crouo's Combat Air Patrol shot down seventeen bombers in one ottacning group. ' ' The force retired from KYUSHU, but allowed the enemy no time to gloat, for the carrier planes were over OKINAVA JIRA on the 23rd - on the Zfth the SAMUEL N. MCCRE and the TnUSSlG left the ' ' J . , ,, , ,.,. ,. 1 . u Q- - ,--- . group escorting'the lhDlnNnL0hlS, flagship of the rlFTh Fleet, and the ST.LOU1S, to e rendezvous with TnSK DOLCE 5h off CKINAWA. The destro ers returned to the screen of TMS! QHOUP 58.1. Y , c ' Q , . ,W J ,Q-.f Three days leter the SAMUEL N. MOORE ond TLUSSIG left the screen alone to meet the lNDlnViPOLTS off the west shore of OKINAWA. Passing around the southern tip of the island the two destroyers Passed Within 3,000 yards of MUYE SHIMA. NQYR SHIMA was e little reen-islsnd upon which the American sailors could ooo the errno- gd farms and the,homes of the inhabitants, looking ouitc peaceful and incongruous in the world of war. On tro opyosito side, off I the SAMUEL N. MOOREYS starboard beam, log CJIHMMA JIMA. lt, too, would have seemed peaceful had it not been for the bursting of the salvos from the U.S, battleships softening up the beech for the forthcoming invasion. Japanese oopositior Wes surorisingly absent. The TL? went'alon3side the lNDlnNnP0llS end received official mail from the-Commander of the FIFTH Fleet for the Conoenonr of TASK r FORCE 53.' Then, with the TAUSSIG, she sroemoe alot? L'o west coast of 0KINnWA, oround the southern tip of the island, troy nest MLYE SHIMA, und out into the open see to rejoin the Tosh Creep. 0 During the days that followqd, TASK F0203 56 sont e steady ,'f stream of bombing, rockoting, SHG strafing olenes over 0LINhJl JBL, as lend forces made good their assault of tie bench-heed, and set- tled down to the long tough job of conquest. once more SAKI SFIMA GUFTO and AMAMI GUNTO also were plastered with bombs from tne'cer- ' riers planes. On the Tth of spril, one week after the Buster Sun- dey invasion of CKINAWA, the Tess Force turned its efforts northward as s Javanese surface force was detected stenning southward in the East Cnina Sea. The eneiy force was overtaron by the sir arm of TMSK FURCE 58, ond was completely shattered, The powerful 45,000 ton battleship, YUMATC, pride of tie Jnpangse Elect, was Sent to the bottom, along with her company of cruisers Q10 0033 Of her dest' royers, while the guns of the American Task Force Llsiteg enemy planes attacking from shore besos out of the say.. TASL ECRCE 58, again victorious, emerged without the Less of e single snip, and r . u surprisingly small number of planes lost. y.' The bettering of 0KINnWn JIMA continued. These were the dark days when the famed KAMIKAZE Air Corps was tahini F-S C3603- - -5- aiu .,Vl,' HK' K, M

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olds were torn and twisted, putggng several guns out at ssion. The five inch twin mount f3,'bn the fantail, was smasl by 6 mountainous sea, and its rear bulkhead was caved in. ,The,' of several 2O MM anti-aircraft guns were sprung. No seams therhull were sprung, but the topside damage was so severe and I the see was breaking so continuously over the ship that many com- partmentsfwere shipping water in quantities that necessitated the use of both pumps and bucket brigades. Considerable electrical damage resulted, and at one time the water level rose to threaten'- the shipfs steering engines. The SnMUEL H. MOORE, in this typhoon, was rolling overN6O degrees. There were many times when there was a question as to whether the ship would ever right herself again. As She hesitated at the peak of a heavy roll, thoughts of the - 'SPENCE, the HULL, and the MONhGHnN entered the minds of the men as they clung, soaked and clad in liiejackets, tc whatever support was available. rney were a stout crew and the SnHUEL N. MOORE,, though small, was a seaworthy ship, and together they won their battle with the sea even as they had won their battles with a humor , A w . In spite of the severe damage sustained by the ships in 38.1, the task group struck KYUSHU one more day before retiring for re- pairs.- o s On the 13th of Juno the battered ships dropped anchor in SAN PEDRO BAY, LEYTE GULF, PHILIPPINE ISLUNDS. During the remaining days of June, work was continued, until'dm ships were once more fit for efficient combat duty. ' ' When dawn broke on July lst, the SAMUEL N. MOORE was underway standing out of LEYTE GULF, in ThSK GROUP 38.l as beforea On the nth of July the ships in the task group were engaged ln replenish- d fireworks were rovidcd in the ferr A practice ment-at sea, an J W ' p I ' ' dl.ti , .firing at sleeves and drones lsmall radio-controlled target planes! On July lOth the SnMUBL N. MOORE was among the ships off TOKYO as the first of a series of raids, that were to blast JnPnN until she surrendered, was launched against the TOKYO area. The Fast Carrier Task Force seared and wrecked the Homeland of the Japanese from KYUSHU to HOKKhIDO, destroying the netion's military install- ations and its industry, and the MOORE was with it all the way. . On the 21st of Jul ithe shi S of DESTROYER SQURDRON 61 Lwhich iincludes the SAMUEL N. UOOREJ legt their screening stations o pro- ceed to SAGAMI NADA, where they were to conduct an anti-shipping sweep. The nine destroyers passed through waters which had been disturbed by a tropical storm to the northward, and fought their ,way toward JAPAN through choppy seas and swells running in from the ,southwest. They steamed alone throughout the next day and tension was high as the sun blazed into the ocean bringing the night of July 22. The crews had checked and rechecked equipment, and had ,overhauled already perfect ordnance material just in case some flaw had escaped their vigilance. ,There was little of fear involved, - for these men were confident of their ability. AS the squadron ' approached the entrance to their objective the shelter of the land ,puede the sea more calm, and low clouds scudded across the sky, ghslf-obscuring the moon and stars. The WCQULLL was perfect. At '2323 Contact was made with an enemy convoy moving spgcivcstward L.....,......