Shangri La (CV 38) - Naval Cruise Book

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als - M urderefs Row -- Ulitbi Q i l i E OPERATION ONE. The Shangri-La sortied Ulithi April Zlst, in company with the new battle- ship Iowa and destroyers Stembel and Haggard, en route to fueling rendezvous off Okinawa. Joining up on the morning of the 24th, she fueled from a fleet tanker, as Task Group 58.4 steamed off Okinawa on the 24th day of siege. In company with the new Yorktown, the light carriers Bataan, Langley, and Inde- pendence, she prepared for her iirst strike against the enemy. Antiaircraft protection was afforded by the Iotua's sisters, the Missouri and W'isconsin, ably assisted by the Alaska and Guam, high-stepping halfbacks of the new carrier task group. Riding herd over three destroyer squadrons were two sleek antiaircraft cruisers, the Flint and the battle-wise San Diego.

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destroyer escort, Stcmfeld, joined up oif Eniwetok on the 17th to escort the soli- tary carrier to Ulithi, providing plane guard for routine flight operations the remainder of the trip. r Approaching Ulithi Lagoon on April 20th, the bridge watch made out a sea of masts which appeared like a fire-darkened forest on an otherwise barren island. Closer inspection revealed one of the greatest armadas of ships ever assem- bled under one flag. a Rounding the beetle-browed net tender stationed at the buoyed entrance, the carrier steamed down columns of anchored ships to its assigned berth. There in the blue-green waters of a tropical salt-water lagoon lay the ammunition ships, refrigerator ships, tenders, tankers, supply ships and floating drydocks compris- ing the Service Squadron base for the Navy's many-fingered, invasion-bound Task Groups. A There fat merchant tankers brought their loads of thick, black fluids from the oil fields of far-off Caracas to fuel sister Navy oilers as they returned from a fueling rendezvous with thirsty carriers, battleships, and cruisers. There the submarine nets opened to deep-laden ships heading for combat areas to the north and west, and to high-riding merchants, steaming eastward, emptyholds lifting screws from the spreading white wake with each gentle ocean swell. L L i I ! 2 ! ll u i I 5 . Q is

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Flight deck as seen from island. Radio Room No' Z' Commanding Task Force 58 Was Admiral Marc A. Mitscher. Discarding the hit-and-run tactics of his Homer days, the commander had a force strong enough to stand up and slug it out with any enemy force that dared to venture forth, The carriers of Task Group 58.4 alone could launch over 300 planes in a matter of minutes, While the hattleships' guns were match for anything afloat. Fueled, provisioned, and armed at sea, the Fifth Fleet Was independent of nearby land bases, Commander Sherrill led his air group off the flight deck at l455 on April 25th, for a strike against tiny Okino Daito Jima, Weather and radar station south- east of Okinawa. Heavy damage was inflicted in thirty-six sorties from which ,ii .v..., Maw..--.,......, i 4 l 34 5.