Saufley (DD 465) - Naval Cruise Book

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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

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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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Namatanai Air Field, during the night of February 29 and morning of March lst. .Several shore batteries were silenced off Manarou Island, after this ship received some near misses. During the period from March llth to March 16th, this ship participated in bombardment of Japanese posi- tions and joint activities with PT boats in Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville. The SAUFLEY served as a hospital evacuation ship after the landing at Emirau Island by taking 8 injured personnel back to Purvis Bay. She then returned to Emirau as part of a covering force which patrolled in the area most of April. A The SAUFLEY established a sound contact on April 7th and dropped depth charges. After the second nine- charge pattern was dropped, two underwater explos- ions were heard and felt. Four hours later about 4 miles upwind from the last contact, a diesel oil slick appeared on the surface of the water. By sunset this slick was measured and found to be 14 miles long and 3X4 of a mile wide. The assessment was that there was uinsufficient evidence . However, upon the cessation of hostilities, this command was notified that the assess- ment had been changed to a uClass B Assessment , there- by enabling the personnel attached to the ship at that time to wear a bronze star on the Asiatic-Pacific Cam- paign Ribbon. On June l, l944, the SAUFLEY left Pearl Harbor with the Northern Attack Force for the Saipan Opera- tion. Enroute, outside of Kwajalein, on J une llth, this ship conducted an anti-submarine attack until relieved by the USS FRANKS. Result was an oil slick of 3,000 12