Shannon (DM 25) - Naval Cruise Book

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am. On the whole, Sasebo is a picturesque city, especially in the residential areas, with the mountains as a backdrop to the hillside homes and shrines. But the filth and squalor detracted from, and often obliterated, anything of beauty that might be there, Much was learned of the Japanese people and their way of life in Sasebo. It was exceedingly interesting, but not 3 single American envied the Japanese. October 14, Lt. Commander Goranson was detached. In order to catch the Ellyson CDMS 195, of which he was to assume command, he Hew in a small Marine plane to Kobe, Honshu, a city which had not yet been occupied. From there he traveled overland to Wakayama where, his new ship was based. just before leaving, he had been relieved as Executive Officer by Lieut, Grehan, who in turn had been relieved as Gunnery Officer by Lieut. Caldwell. The following day, the Shannon moved out to Buoy 23 to nest with the Helm, Lamson QDD 367J, and Coghlan CDD 606j. In the afternoon of October 17th, the Supply Officer, with Boone, Welcli, A, I, Hall, Pajas, Frey, Manning, Schwartz, Gilliam, Hendershot, Gumble, T. D. Allen, and Matarazzo, returned aboard, after 16 grueling days on Okinawa and on an LST in Buckner Bay, They were all mighty happy to get home. All had had to borrow or draw clothes and toilet articles, since none of them was prepared for so long a stay. The time and effort to get supplies was in vain, for nothing could be brought up from Okinawa. Perhaps the biggest blow of all was that among the stores which we almost got, was 250 gallons of paint. We had long since resigned ourselves to the fact that We would have to use a conglomeration of whatever we could beg, borrow, or steal. Most of what we did get was Japanese lacquer in a variety of colors, including bright purple, yellow, and green. 7 Entrance to bombproof underground factory. 8 Sasebo's crowded hillside homes, tile roofs, terraced roads, and steps are typical of all Japanese cities. 9 Wayside shrine stands amid bombing rubble. I0 Suburban Sasebo street. ll Geisha girl plays her unmusical stringed instrument. I2 Party at a Sasebo Geisha House. fThe only furnishings, as in most Japanese homes, are a low table and thiclr floor mats. Note sliding screens which divide rooms.l

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. 1 ....,,.,g1: 9 'J 4 A 4 5 V V ,,,, -I iff-,i 2 Occasionally someone would find a good silk kimona for sale. A few fortunates traveled to Kakyaimo's pottery shop in Arita, or to a pearl diver's home on Amura Wan, where items of unusually fine workmanship and value could be purchased. The residential sections of Sasebo surrounded the city, ex- tending all the way up the hillsides. Most of the houses were small, frail wooden structures, roofed with tile, and built practically on top of one another. The interiors of these houses were almost devoid of furniture, having, at the most, a few Hoor mats, a low table, and a small charcoal stove which served both for heating and cooking. The buildings were di- vided into rooms by thin porta.ble screens. Narrow streets and stairways wound up the hillsides, and in among the groups of houses. A few open canals flowed down the hills to provide drainage and to carry off sewage. Each family, or group of families, kept a small vegetable garden in rocky, terraced plots, carved from the hillside. Much of the sewage was used to fertilize these gardens. The people of Sasebo were not nearly so reticent as those of Nagasaki, although they were thoroughly beaten and, for the most part, submissive. During the early days of the occupation, many had been moved or frightened into moving back into the hills, After a few weeks, they were allowed tt, return to the city, or had overcome their fright enough to come back. As the city became more populous, the natives .became more friendly, especially the children and elderly people. Every child had a greeting for the visitors. Laughing and giggling, they would call out, usually with a bow or a nod, Qhio CGood morningl, Ohio Gozy'mas fGood morning, Sirj, or Sayonora CGood eyeningj, After a few days, natives and Americans began to pick up words from each others languages. Jap children would say God-day or Haro KI-Iellol, and the sailors would reply with the Japanese equivalent, Kon-nee-chee-waf' I Overlooking the city and harbor from northeastern Sasebo residential section. 2 Remains of Sasebo business center. 3 Street scene - Sasebo business district. 4 Shopkeeper rests during lull. iVehicle in right background isia taxi., 5 The children were friendly. iNote, extreme left, girl wearing identi- fication tag, and, center, girl carrying her baby brother on back., 6 Mothers watch dubiously as sons pose. T 6

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KLONDIKE Ever since our arrival in the Sasebo-Nagasaki area, C0111- modore Farrow, as CTG 52.3, had been directing all the sweeping operations in the waters north and west of Kyushu. Most of the operations were in confined waters 111iI16C1 190111 by the Japanese with moored mines, and the Allies with mag- netic and accoustic mines, making sweeping dangerous, dihfi- cult, and slow. Of these, Fukuoka Wan and harbor, Iki Shima, and the waters between Hirado Shima and Uku Shima were the largest and most difficult. Direction of these operations was, in itself, a large task, especially with the limited facilities and space offered by a ship of the Shannon's size. In order to accomplish it, the entire ship's company communication de- partment was required to work primarily as a part of the staff. This was possible since the ship was not needed for actual operations in connection with the sweeps. The Klondike area was the last of the open-sea sweeps, since a force from Okinawa was, at that time, finishing Skag- way. The Shannon was needed for this operation to navigate and lay buoys. October 25, CominDiv 7 shifted his pennant temporarily to the Doyle CDMS 345. The staff of CTG 52.3 moved aboard the Monadnock CCM 105, alongside which the Doyle was moored, and set up offices with a greatly increased number of person- nel, taking over complete administrative control of the ships in the task group, in addition to operational control. Lt. Cjg5 Montan was temporarily attached to CominDiv 7's staff during this period. The following day, having received buoys and topped off with fuel from the Gwin CDM 335, the Shannon joined TG 52.4, and assumed duties as OTC and guide of the formation while enroute to Klondike. Captain Freiberghouse in the Scoter CAM 3815 was CTG 52.4 and OTC during actual sweep- ing operations. The Task Group consisted of about 21 AM's an ATA, an ACM, several LSI's, and the Shannon. A Klondike was a 1300-square-mile area, lying 100 miles south- west of Sasebo, with its northeastern limit bordering on the small islands of Danjo Gunto. The mine lines in Klondike were the northernmost group of the chain which had closed off the entire East China Sea, from Formosa to Kyushu. Skag- way lay only a few miles to the south. As at Arcadia, the ease and accuracy with which the operation was conducted was enhanced by the proximity gf land from which visual and radar hxes could be obtained, The operation was considerably hampered, however, by heavy weather and numerous casualties to ships and gear, At the end of the first day, Captain Freiberghouse was ordered to return to Sasebo to conduct another operation, making CominDiv 13 CCommander J. L. Judson, USNR5, in the Revenge CAM 1105, OTC. No mines were swept the first day, but, on the second, the mine line was located, and about 35 mines were cut and destroyed. The night of October 29-30, the wind increased to, about 40 knots, making maneuvering difficult, and sweeping opera- tions hazardous, if not impossible. The smaller ships were ordered to anchor on the leeward side of O Shima in the Danjo Gunto group, reducing the hazard to ships and per- sonnel. By the middle of the next morning, however, the wind and sea had died sufficiently to permit sweeping. Passes normal to the mine line were made each day through November 4, cutting about 30 mines per day. Novem- ber 5, 6, and 7 were spent check-sweeping the area along the established mine line, and exploring the areas north and south of Klondike for any previously undiscovered minefields. The morning of November 6, volcanic activity was noted in Danjo Gunto. For several hours, great palls of smoke and occasional flame could be seen billowing out of the highest peak of one of the islands, even though we were, at the time, 30 miles away. ' VVhen the check and exploratory sweeps had been completed on the afternoon of the 7th, the Task Group headed for Sasebo. The area was considered cleared, having been de- prived of over 200 mines. Upon arrival in port, we fueled from the Elk CIX 1155 and then moored to buoy 3 in the inner harbor of Sasebo Ko. HOW MANY POINTS YA GOT, MAC? Ever since the end of the war, the big question asked by everyone was, VVhen am I going to get out? VVhen the Army point system was announced, unrest among Naval personnel increased. Then, early in September, A1Nav 196 came out. Everyone was anxious to get home, for a leave if not for discharge. But unfortunately, the work that had to be done by the Navy, and the Army, didnot end with the cessation of hostilities. The first group of men from the Shannon to return to the States left September 10th. From that time on, men were transferred each time transportation was available. Since the most deserving men, those with the longest service, were the first to be rehabilitated, the personnel situation in the forward areas became critical. Those men were for the most part the rates upon which the operation of a ship is dependent. To ease this situation as much as possible while waiting for replacements, CominPac put out an order, in the middle of November, stating that low point personnel on ships that were ordered back to the States would be transferred to ships staying in the forward areas as replacements for their point- winnersf' It was not pleasant for a man to have to leave 3 ship on which he had fought, just as that ship was going home, but it was necessary under the circumstances. The last two weeks of November were hectic. Each day men were transferred to other ships or received on board f0l' duty. A few lucky men among those we had transferred were returned to us because the ships to which they had gone were . over complemented in their rates. A The last few days in November, men came aboard for, transportation to the States, for our sailing date had beofli, definitely fixed. 7 ,135 ' if? -- . '- - ' if'-1 : '1.r',r1-5 - ' - ' - 'J 2' 'Z