Samuel N Moore (DD 747) - Naval Cruise Book

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in TOKYO OUTER BAY, north of O SHIMA. The column of destroyers re- versed course and swept in for the attack. At 2351 the SAMUEL N. MOORE fired two torpedoes, and two minutes later opened fire with her five inch guns, The men tcpside watched the streaks of the ships's shell fire across the sky as the projectiles sped straight to their mark. They watched one enemy ship explode into a mass of and another catch file a few seconds later. Even violent flame, a vb ' . ' as our shells struck the enemy ships, their guns started their re- turn fire. Their shots fell short, however, and no hits were score- ed on the marauding destroyers. QS the SQUHQFOH retired at hlgh speed through the island chain which guards the entranct to the bay, the official score was two cargo ships suns, one cargo ship prob- ably sunk, and one escort damaged, while the American forces rema- ined intact. The had been luckier than any of them had expected. The sweep was hailed as the first surface action in history in- side TOKYO BAYQ An American newspaper compared it to a nN8Zl swoop around the statue of Lihertyn. Admiral HALSEY, Commanding the THIRD FLEET, was highly pleased with the action, and sent a Hwell donen to the Squadron Commander saying fyou are unpopular with the Em- peror.n Fleet Admiral Ninitz. Commander-inchief of the Navy Pacific forces added his congratulations, as did the Commander of TASK FORCE 38. After rejoing the screen of TASK GROUP 38L1 the SAMUEL N MOORE participated in carrier strikes against the KURE AND KOBE Areas, where great damage was lone to the ships Of JAPANFS diminished NBVYv Those strikes continued until the 25th of the month. July 30 found the force a little YO. After the strikes against NhGOYn farther north and the planes over NAGOYA AND TOK and Tomo the force steamed farther'northward, and on the 9th and lOth of gugust, 38,1 was off the coast of HOhhAIUO, and its planes were hitting both that north- ernmost island fr the empire, and the northern portion of the main island of FCT5HU. A ' . ' By this time the atomic bomb had been dropped on HIROSHIMA, and SOVIET RUSSIA hdd declared war on QPPAN. The men Of TASK FORCE-33' looked forwarl hopefully to a quick end of the war as they attacked TOKYO from the air on the l3th, foace proposals filled the ether, but the war was still in full swims on the morning of the fifteenth oi August SS the carriers of TLSL FUPSE 38 launched additional st- rikes against the TOKYO area, It was on that moring that the official news of JAPnN'S final ncoeptance of our terms was received, The strikes were recalled, Ever though the war had ended. tho fighting went ong Japanese flw urs who had apparently left thai' bases before the acceptance of terms g.d been announced still at,acxed the ShjCSqtVThG men of TASK FORCE 33, even as their heart: filled with elation at the happyd y news that the war was over, still manned their guns, and around them flaming Japanese planes stilf dropped into the seas HM, At lhb3 OH 15 AQ5USt,,l9b5, the SLMUEL N. MOORE CDD7A7l secure ed from general quarters with the world at peace. The job was done, xxxxxxxxxsxxxxxxx ' V ,Q ' '93

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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.....,......

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x . PACIFIC PORT y Norman Jo Mcmeekin xxxxxaaaaxaaxaaxxxsxxx H4415-:Quai -- ' ' A' ' i- , - f... '1--1 sun beats merciless a tired task group ' A tropic u ly down upon U fu -L rs-3' -xr-y r-1 ., -. -L .wc as lu oceans on toward an unchorw age in the vast west central pace ific, The ships have bcap under- VJ85' fill' K- -ff' eval-'TLg Tiliill' Sidi-BS are stained with rust, their super- stroctores are torn and twisted - smashed by the wrath of wind and seal., or by war, Their smokey- lese eLa-lS give xo hint of the i il 143 r of the turpines which have ' ' drifan than iaitnrully across ijiifhf io'i c o WQj,'clc jp,p alloc , ,,c oodibl :S miles or ocean, The crews are just as tired as the ships they man. And they are just as tough, and jaat as scaworthy. Hut men are creatures of the land, and they look tc solid ground as howto Tho saltiest of them, although they may love the sea, long for the sight or green trees after days and days of empty blue, who feel of solid earth is wel- come to a man who has walked for months on a rolling, heaving dcck. Finally an anchor chain roars out in a cloud of rust, and a sh- ip lies dead in the water at last, Whey are still in thc forward area, but the men who have lately como from battle, unscratchod, and with the knowledge that they can beat an enemy who dares to die, fc- el far removed from the fight: Th y no not feel far removed from the war, nor will they until they see the hill rising above the Am- erican coast once more. warships being fitted to go forth to fight again, in a lagoon sheltered by crumbs of coral, or a bay surround- ed by jungled mountains, are not removed from war. The harbor is alive with boats, the taxis of the fleet, there are whale boats carrying hifh r-w'?ca officers to conferences and on various operational and longs le vissions. There are launches with supplies, working paztiosl ani ver Bound for the beach, Ships too'are underway, A tanker li Cffllf 511 ',i'g a battleship wh ch is getting ready for se. n if L. it 1 4 CMT of thi horb0r OH submarine patrol. A repair snig has ji.-,h,d gatching up a wounded carrier and is returning to its berth, 3 eestrcycr is tying up al- ongside a tender. Across the calm water glides an LGT, :rr 'ing a cruiser's re- creation party to the beach, Across its bfi .f-v of FT a motor launch filled to the gunwales with men fra: a DDQ AS ii2Sv acn disembark they hear CvL's liberty party being called to the dock, c ' ix -x+ we-veaeae ., -19- Lf ' , ' I, ' 'X ,1 p g., . ' , , A, 1i'wl,'L,Q Y P 3 ' ' .35-.fof 1 QM. j V A. , ' ' -7 5' Cl. 1. l ' A, V Hi p -Ma, . f h 5 LHR