St Louis (CL 49) - Naval Cruise Book

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was participating in the initial bombardment of the island. It was here at Okinawa that the St. Louis remained for sixty-one days, establishing a new naval record, for a single ship in a single oper- ation. For the Lucky Loun hurled more than 27,000 rounds of ammunition at the Nips during this time. Nor were these just ran- dom shots either, for on more than one occasion, both the Army and Navy authorities commended the St. Louis for the accuracy of her gun Ere. One Army officer who later came aboard the St. Louis, stated that 'gif anyone put a dime anyplace on Okinawa, the 'Lucky Lou, would hit it. Although she escaped unscathed from this oper- ation, it was not without a few brushes with Lady Luck. On the morning of her arrival at Okinawa, one torpedo streaked across her bow, and seconds later another went harmlessly by her stern. Nor had the Kamikazes forgotten the g'Lucky Lou. But this time the Nips were the unlucky ones. For .it was while at Okinawa that the St. Louis increased her total of lap planes to twelve, for which she is officially credited. Although one Kamikaze splashed off her star- board bow, it was the only enemy plane that even came close to her. At Okinawa, the luck of the Lucky Lou was not to be denied. For his skill and leadership in guiding the St. Louis through this vigor- ous and dangerous campaign, Captain I. B. Griggs, USN, her commanding officer, has received the Silver Star and the Legion of Merit. Iust prior to the setting of the Rising Sun on August 15, 1945, the St. Louis had been engaged in a vast mine sweeping operation of the East China Sea with units of the Seventh Fleet. This duty later en- abled her to proceed to the far flung reaches of the Pacific, even up the treacherous, current Hlled waters of the Wangpoo River to Shanghai, China, itself. After covering the Allied occupation of that city, the Lucky Loui' was then dispatched to lead the first Ameri- can-Chinese amphibious operation to F ormosa. Here the command- ing officer of the Lucky Lou received the surrender of that famous Iapanese citadel. Stealthily passing through the numerous mine fields outside this harbor, the St. Louis led the first American war- ships to enterthese waters in twenty-five years. Formosa was the last of the Lucky Louis wartime operations. For upon the completion of this mission, she was detached from fur- ther service in the Pacific. But upon her arrival at Guam on her way to the West Coast, these orders were cancelled, and the St. Louis was assigned further duty with the Magic Carpet Fleet. Since receiving this assignment, the Lucky Lou has returned many hundreds of veterans from the various theaters of war. She has sailed from San Francisco to the Russell Islands, Guadalcanal, Espirito Santo, and Samoa. Upon her arrival on the West Coast on Ianuary 23rd she will have completed her second Magic Carpet trip to Guam, covering a distance of more than 75,000 miles since she left Long Beach, Cali- fornia, on February 23, 1945. Within a few days after debarking her last passengers, the Lucky Lou will sail on February 7, 1946, for Philadelphia on the East Coast. Upon her arrival there she will take her well earned rest in a reserve status with the Atlantic Fleet. 1 Thus ends the saga of the Lady known as Lou--the Lucky Lou. May her luck never run out. And may she always be lucky in the Officers and Crew who mould her destiny. .-'.-f--..,.-...-.....-.u::'.- - f f 'L.A...-.....-L.--..-.... .. - t::::.-,.. . . -..... 5 -X -- , . , X Vv .,.. .... Q

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1940, tying up at San Pedro. Her next voyage of consequence nearly a year later, found the St. Louis convoying the U. S. S. Henderson, a transport, to Manila, P. I., by way of Midway, Wake and Guam. War clouds were piling up on the Pacific's horizons, so the St. Louis was ordered to quit the Philippines for the comparative safety of the Hawaiian Islands. Her introduction to the Iapanese two months later constituted a baptism of Hre not only for the cruiser herself but for the planes she carried on her hangar deck. The St. Louis' aviation unit, based ashore at Ford Island at the moment, sent up two planes without rear-seat gunners, which tried to execute gunnery runs on the Iapanese dive bombers. Although that appears to have been the unit's lone attempt at aerial combat, it, nevertheless, has had a part in rolling back the enemy's blanket of conquest. Often operating in close proximity to enemy aircraft and A.A. fire, the pilots from the St. Louis performed effectively in every ac- tion in which their ship took part. Their main function has been anti-submarine patrol and gunfire spotting, and they also have par- ticipated in several searches for survivors at sea. Security rules had just been invoked when the St. Louis was lying in ,Manila harbor in 1941 and her crew was cautioned not to reveal her identity to anyone ashore. In a Manila bar one night a petty oHicer from the U - S. S . Bluclg Hui-uk, a repair vessel, asked a chief electricians mate from the St. Louis the name of his ship. Well . . stammered the chief, stalling as best he could, she's . . . sheis the Mystery Ship. 1 . - The chief was rewarded for his conscientious bit of evasion with a brace of black eyes, and the resultant ribbing and scuttlebuttfspread far and wide the St. Louis' reputation as the Mystery Ship of the United States Fleetf, Her story was told for the first time in the United ,States news- papers in connection with the 1944 observance of Navy Day, so the St. Louis no longer is the enigma she might have been once as far as Americans are concerned. . The same could not be said, however, in respect to the Iapanese whose oliqcial propaganda agency, Domei, has announced on at least three occasions that the Si. Louis had been consigned to the bottom of the Pacific. Leaving the Navy Yard at Long Beach, California, on February 23, 1945, the St. Louis was dispatched immediately to Pearl Harbor. Here she received her orders to report to Task Force 58 then making rendezvous at Ulirhi in the Carolines. I-Iurriedly taking on her fuel capacity at this port, the Lucky Loui' sailed with this mightiest armada in Naval history, for the now historical air-strikes against Kyushu in the Iapanese homeland. For more than two weeks the Sz. Louis, with other ships, screened the carriers of this task force, in this daring attack on even Tokyo itself. Time and again the Lucky Lou's,' live-inch and anti-aircraft batteries leveled at whatever enemy planes came within her sights. Gkinawa was next on the St. Louis' list of operations. Leaving Task Force 58 on' March 25, 1945, she escorted the U. S. S. Indian- apolis with Admiral Spruance aboard, to this Nipponese bastion. Within an hour of her arrival at this island arsenal, the Lucky Lou

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Captain Griggs, message to the ofhcers and Crew of the 4'Lucky Louf' as she completes her Wartime cruise. All who have served aboard the 'Lucky Lou, are our ship- mates in every sense of the Word. We have lived together, fought together and died together. Our operations have brought us over the far Hung waters of the Pacific. And now that we have seen the setting of the Rising Sun, the gLucky Lou' is about to settle down to a well earned rest. To all hands I wish to extend a sincere and cordial cvvell donei. In commemoration ol' our cruise aboard the 'Lucky Lou,' each member of our ship's company will receive a copy ol' this album. ln the years to come, may it serve as a happy sou- venir and a reminder of our association aboard the U. S. S. St. Louis. I Wish to extend at this time my sincere thanks to all Officers and Crew who have served with me aboard the 'Lucky Lou., May our ship always be the 'Lucky Lou,' lucky in the officers and men who mould her destinyf' I. B. GRIGGS, Cczpzfain, U. S. Navy, Commanding. et ' Z 'Z 1'3 'H112-I- ' ffllfzzaxm, 'WW