Saufley (DD 465) - Naval Cruise Book

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of 10 em-my barges off Kolombangara, New Georgia lslandg two were definitely sunk by this ship. Later that night tl1e ship was under bombing attackg a near bomb put the SC radar out of commission and some thirty fragments penetrated the hull and superstructure. Thirteen Q13 men were injured. They were: HUF FMAN, Claude Raymond, Lieut., MC-VfCv1, USNR HARDINC Harold Vernon Lieutfjgj EVQQJ USNR CALDWELL Jimmy Louis ,lr S10 USNR CORTESE Anthony Q 1 F10 USNR DUBYK John Cnj S10 USNR ECKEL Alphonse ful Cox USW GOTHARD Stanley Oakley CM2c USN HOLCGMB Jeremiah Columbus SC20 USN LEE Ernest Franklin S10 USNR MCADAMS James Henry CRMCAA5 USNR MCCUNNELL James Ray F20 USNR WOOD Wyatt Barnes SK10 USWR Dr Huffman and Wood SK1c later died of their wounds The plane which made this attack was not taken under iire as instructions had been issued not to fire on single bogeys during the barge hunt Later that nlght the SAUFLEY opened fire on a bogey and ob servers report that the plane was seen to crash 1n the water After two unsuccessful barge hunting missions and escort duty 1n a convoy to Vella La Vella the SAUFLEY went to Noumea New Caledonia for five days HVHIIH b111ty lncludlng two days 1n dry dock. o -9 7 9 9 . y . 7 .3 9 7 n 7 9 1 A 7 7 9 Q , 7 9 - Q 9 9 9 . 7 1 7 V .J 1 . 9 7 u , . , 7 9 9 9 VERSO, Charles Albert, Bkrlc, USNR , , , . - . , , ' 1 , u . 9 Q . - . 9 0 . 9 . '- 10

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were dropped within l0 to 20 yards of the fantail, caus- ing negligible damage to the ship. The SAUFLEY fired without results. Enroute from Purvis Bay, Solomon Islands to Es- piritu Santos, the SAUFLEY established a sound con- tact on l5 September. After the fourth depth-charge attack the submarine surfaced and was taken under fire with both 5 f38 and machine guns. A number of hits were observed. The sub disappeared, but shortly there- after an underwater explosion was heard. The next morning after the fifth attack, there was an oil slick 8,000 yards long, and 500 yards Wide. Also observed were several large wooden fragments and pieces of deck grating and the strong odor of diesel oil. This ship and plane 4341 of VP-23 were given equal credit for probably sinking the sub. The Gunnery Officer during the Vella La Vella campaign was William J. Martin, Lieutenant, USN, of Farmer City, Illinois. His ability to get on targets, con- trol the battery, and make effective spots under air at- tack are ample expressions of his quick reactions, calm- ness, and intelligence, which paid off in ,lap planes shot down. The rest of September was spent in the New Heb- rides, including a five-day availability alongside the USS WHITNEY. The SAUFLEY, in company with the USS RAD- FORD and USS GRAYSUN, participated in the destruc- tion of 24 f50-755 feet long Japanese barges. Return machine gun fire from ,lap barges did no damage to any of the ships. The first of October, with RADFORD, GRAYSON and LAVALLETTE, this ship destroyed 9 9

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On October 27, returning from the initial landing on Treasury Islands, the formation was bombed by a single plane without results. The next three months the SAUFLEY was an es- cort and screening ship in the Bougainville campaign. On 11 November 1943, this ship proceeded independ- ently southwest of Bougainville to pick up a downed pilot. Upon returning to Empress Augusta Bay, after having rescued the pilot, this ship avoided the attack of live enemy bombers which had closed to 4,000 yards by ducking into a rain squall. The night of the 17th when the USS MCKEAN was sunk during a torpedo at- tack, the SAUFLEY screened the US.S SIGOUBNEY and USS TALBOT, which were engaged in picking up survivors. On December 6, 1943, Lieutenant Commander Dale E. Cochran, U. S. Navy, relieved Commander Bert F. Brown, U. S. Navy, as Commanding Oflicer. Between December 12th and 19th, the SAUFLEY temporarily interrupted its convoying activities with a seven-day availability in Sydney, Australia. This ship then resumed escorting echelons to Bou- gainville and continued until February 2, 1944, when she started a seven-day availability alongside the USS WHITNEY in Purvis Bay. The SAUFLEY participated in the first two echelons to Green Island. On the night of February 14-15, until after dawn, the formation was attacked by several groups of enemy planes with negative results. In a destroyer sweep off New lreland, the SAUFLEY bombarded Cape St. George radar station., Borpop, and 11