Shannon (DM 25) - Naval Cruise Book

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IWC UMA At dawn, Iwo Jima rose out of the mist, resembling the fuse- lage of a plane in silhouette. Mount Suribachi on the southern end, the rudder, rose 546 feet in height, while from the base of Suribachi the island had a gradual rise to Kitano Point at the northern end. For the previous seven months Iwo had been subjected to air and surface bombardment, which increased in frequency and intensity from December on. Chichi Jima and Haha Jima in the Bonins also had been the targets for occasional strikes to neutralize the air fields there and to keep the Japs guessing. During the three days immediately before the landings, efforts to soften the enemy were redoubled. The island was subjected to extremely intensive bombardment bv surface ships of the Fifth Fleet and bombing by Army and Navy planes. t The air of tenseness became more acute as H-Hour ap- proached. Just before 0900, the Shannon was ordered to a station on the same side as and nearer to the landing beaches There was a slight swell, but the seas ran smooth. lt was good day for the landings. As we glided into our new station in the inner screen, one of the lookouts shouted, There are the boats! Sure enough, the troops had started to move in, according to plan. Soon the waters were teaming with waves of landing craft, all moving slowly towards the beach and the enemy. The panorama could be likened to the mass and power of molten lava, unrelenting and unretarded, moving slowly forward to bring inevitable destruction to all that lay in its path. For a while the source seemed inexhaustible. Alongside the large transports we could make out the ant-like movements of the Marine-laden assault boats moving toward the beach as quickly as possible so that more boats could be lowered and loaded. All during the time the boats were being loaded and while they were moving in to the beaches, supporting Naval gunhre .1 X I .,,,, , W. . ,,,,z Q it Official I'..S'. .YcIt'.t' Pllofogrftpft unleashed its tremendous cargo of death with added fervor and speed. The crash and explosion of shells made a cOntlHll0l15 roar that reverberated throughout the area, Concussion was felt miles at sea. Simultaneously, planes dive-bombed, strafed, and rocketled the beach, adding their weight to the onslaught. The intensify of the bombardment reached its maximum just before the iirSt boats were beached on this island that was soon to become 3 virtual hell. Resistance to the ships and planes, at hrst1,Wa5 practically nil for, as we learned later, the Japs were S3Vmg eVCfYtl1l1lt5 UWB' had for the troops. A dense, black and for- boding pall of smoke shadowed the island when the MHYIUQS stormed ashore in the southeast corner. On the heels of the Marines, larger craft moved in with tl'lEi1' cargoes 1 t. V , t ' , . .g - ' s-v ' and o maxi upnpnicnt-Qtaults, artillery, mo1ta.fS, truckloads of ammunition and supplies. The coordination be' tweell SllllYS Hltfl troops was magnificent-everyone carried Qui his duties Perfectly, giving his all to the tasks at hand. Willie the troops lvcfl' lilllflilltl, several destroyers moved in EWU closer, on the flanks, to take enemy batteries under direct flfe- OUV lJ0Sition was north of the beachhead and about ten miles offshore. lt was impossible to discern any of the troOP move, ments so, in an attempt to allav our anxiety, we crowflet around all available radios, listening to every circuit on which we could tune in any report that might tell what pl'02 eS5 the Marines were making, t 'WC learned that the bombardment and bombillg' had Wade initial Ummsitlml litlllt, except for some mortar and artillery' hre at l.S'l s and the landing boats. At 1430. came the moment for which we had been W3-lung' 'iiilC Shannon received orders to report to Connnantlef Gun' imc Sul'l 'l Grfflllt for duty. XiVe were relieved of our svfeen' tug station and moved in to do a little shooting, Feldacing thc , . , tl 'VW il7l55l.i5 in the sector to which she had been HSSISM with a sho' - ' -X - - V, at ictnc ltJllllOl1hI'lj'. 36 - g

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From our new vantage point we could see the Marines niovuls warily along the debris-strewn beach. Tanks crawled slowly through the heavy volcanic ash and sand, moving up a hill towards the first main objective-Motoyama Airfield No. ul. Several tanks became balls of fire as they took direct hits from Jap artillery and mortars. lVe learned that the ,laps were offering stiff resistance, much stiffer than had been expected, but that the beachhead had been well established. The enemy had for some time been laying down a devastat- ing curtain of artillery, mortar, and rocket fire on the beaches. Our troops were encountering an intricate system of defense, as well as some of the most modern weapons that the enemy had employed any time during the war. The defending garri- son, numbering about 20,000 was emplaced in an interlocking svstem of caves, pillboxes, and block-houses, with ,guns mounted in well hidden and protected positions both on Mount Suribachi and the high areas at the north, commanding the Marines' positions, the beaches, and the sea approaches. Casualties on both sides were extremely high as the Marines literally inched ahead against determined resistance from heavily fortified positions. By Sundown we heard the heartening news that part of the airstrip had been securedg that our lines had been advanced across the island at its narrow southwestern tip, isolating the Japs on Suribachi from the main forces in the north. As We waited impatiently, night came and with it our first Jap air attack. The raid was light and short. What little damage was caused was paid for dearly by the Japs in the loss of planes. During the attack, one of our pilots who inter- cepted the Jap raid described our flak over the island as, So thick you could walk on it. Communication difficulties and lack of information as to the location of our own troops had kept us from firing, but then contact was established with the shore fire control party and our schedule of fire ordered. From 2140 until 0315 we conducted illuminating and harass- ing nre into areas of enemy troop concentration. Combat 1n- formation Center picked out the targets in our area and supplied Control and Plot with ranges, bearings, and the time to tire. At 0323 our rate of fire was increased to Soften up the enemy a little more in preparation for the Marines' morning attack. No one on board got much sleep that night, but neither did the Japs! In the early morning hours of the 20th a determined enemy counter-attack was broken upg by the end of the day Moto- yama Airfield No. 1 had been captured. At 0800 we began firing on call of the shore fire control party and an hour later took under direct tire and destroyed an en m b tt l' l ' e y a ery W.11Cl had been spotted through its cam- ouflage by the Captain. Throughout the day we fired sporadi- cally on call of the SFCP usually from ten to fifteen sal . xi VOS at each target, with occasional spots to correct our aim or to shift us from one target to another. We were given a few specific targets to take care of, but most of the fire was at random, intended to rake areas of heavy enemy concentration. Late in the afternoon we were assigned a target of enemy artillery. The first salvo brought a spot of, No chan 'e N' . o change, indicating that we were right on Five more git-gun salvos effectively disposed of guns and personnel. At 1616 we were relieved as a-fire support unit by the Howorth CDD 5923 and took a screening station off the northwest coast. During the night and morning of February 19 20 we rec i 1 , , - e ver a small amount of spasmodic and inaccurate return fire from enemy batteries. Several projectiles landed within 800 yards and one within 100 yards, causing no damage Since th Fnemy did not push the attack, their batteries could not if ocated and consequently, not destroyed. Desperate Hghting continued ashore during the third dav' many Japanese dead had .been counted, but only one man had been captured. The Third Marine Division landed ag r andlmoved into the battle line between the Fourth andSFiifiili Divisions. Flash Red was ordered at 1715 on the Zlst. Jap plqnee were in the area, making their second attack. None approacheil the Shannon Until 1929 when we commenced Bring on a cnl'i we had tracked by radar for several minute.. Tli- I Clic . s ic plane wtg low and closing rapidly. Curt orders from the Captain maneii vered the ship at 25 knots to keep our batteries iiniiiaslf il 2 i bearing. At 4,000 yards the target slowed rapidly thieii dill- appeared. ' ' A large cloud of smoke was observed in the vicinitv of lip. last air bursts, There was no other evidence of thc' fum of this plane. Enemy air strength was surprisingly liig-pt Air attacks such as the one we had just undergone were gcnerallv infrequent and short-lived, but during this attack they hail succeeded in sinking the escort carrier Bismark Sea. i SURIBACHI WORKED OVER :Xfter fueling the next day, we relieved the Stanley fDD 478, in the sector providing tire support for operations on Mt Suribachi. This area had caused the greatest trouble the firsf few days of fighting. The .laps from concentrated mortar and small arms emplace- ments raked the bearln-s with tire, seriously impeding the landing of troops, heavy t-rluipintfnt, and supplies. Rain and fog further hampered operations, Heavy seas made close Naval support difficult, but not impossible. For thirty-Six hours destroyers and a few battleships had been hammering away at Jap caves, particularly on Suribachi. Withering fire mauled the mountain, literally changing its face. Mount Suribachi was Hot Rocks in reality. The Shannon's batteries were ready to add their bit, but the Shore Fire Control l-'arty ordered no hre. Friendly troops had just surrounded the entire base of the mountain and were worming their way laboriously up its almost perpendicular slopes. The reduced visibility would have made ships' gunfire dangerous to our forces. Jap resistance, even the trick of rolling grenades down the rocks, failed to stop our advance. Marines, with flame-throwcrs and in hand to hand com- bat, fought their way upwards, mopping up the remnants of Jap troops, Thus, at 1035 February 23, as a result of the sheer courage and tenacity of the 28th Marine Regiment, the Stars and Stripes were hoisted over the extinct volcano- Suribachi. The thrill of this was electrifying. Heart and strength were renewed in all who watched. The material effect was of equal importance. Capture of these heights eliminated some of the enemy mortar and ar- tillery hre which had been directed against our troops on the previous days, while mortar hre from Kangoku Rock, north- west of the island, was eliminated by a destroyer. VVhile we stood by awaiting orders, a bogey was reported sixteen miles away. Four minutes later the terrifying roar ofa plane diving and pulling out was heard. Eyes and ears stramed to find him. Radar had no contact. Suddenly an explosion shook the ship. Two bombs of undetermined size had landed only 500 yards on the port beam. No damage was caused but everyone was shaken up-and 8 bit frightened! At 1900 the ship was ordered to the northern. end of the island to work with a Mortar Support Unit providingillumi- nating and harassing fire throughout the night. In add1ti0n,a few targets of opportunity, mostly enemy batteries, were taken under fire by the five-inch and forty millimeter guns, with unobserved results. Upon completion of our schedule of fire the next morning. we were relieved by the Ralph Tal.bot QDD 3905 and agam took an inner screen station. U The Jap air raid came right on schedule that evening- Flash Red called us to general quarters, and for two and 21 half hours we tracked targets on the radar. The only Plane to come within range was quickly turned away by our HFC- SHANNON SILENCES ENEMY GUNS On orders of Commander Amphibious Force, we felllaced the Colhoun CDD 8013 as a fire support unit the afternoon Of the 24th. For four hours we covered prominent terrain feag tufes with fakillg fire to soften up areas ahead of UGYTCUC drives. From time to time targets of opportunity were takell under fire and destroyed. Special concentrated tire was called fOl' by the SFCP to destroy an cnemv pillbox and several HflillC1'y C1UDl21Ceineiits. At l7l8 we observed an enemy inachlfle 81111 nest being strafed by friendly lighters. Wfhen the planCS were clear it was our turn-we silenced thc guns. Agillll llll'0UtIl1011t the night we fired a schedule of haraSSll1g and illuminating tire into enemy territorv. The Shannon WHS highly commended by the SFCI' when,'at 2139, we silenced an enemy battery that had been tiring into our liIlC5- Tll1'Ul1l4'l1o1it the morning of the 25th we fired on the call of the Sl C.lf' and a Spottinti plane. During this time the f0ll0W' 'Us' were among comments received from our spotters: EX' cellent, Now l'll walk you right up the hill: there are Sevefal more small emplaccnieuts there . . . Right ou! Those l35t f '5 WCW' very Hood. l have a truck here-on the read at the intersection, time mi- up tgp' pq, 25' pi,-,C one , , , Good: Good! fnvc ine three salvos, rapid tire . . . Verv good. Tha lakes care ol him. Xhfait one' l'll lind some more targets. S i t l 1 l t l I , t J l i i l l 1 i I i t l l i J l l t l i l l l i I l x il yi 4 if . Q . fl' 38 . .Si2?r f' 1 1 1:11 545 '- 1' LL? 1 Ii.- Q . , 4. 5 . FIFA , .'