Tazewell (APA 209) - Naval Cruise Book

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ll Y find fmllki d rlrtd but happy crew, quite willing to leave the island to the natives and get back aboard ship. The Tazewell seemed more than ever like home after seeing the conditions of filth and hardship that existed for the men stationed on the beach. Many of our sleepless nights down there were due to the incessant visits of Alarm Llock Charlie , a jap reconnaissance plane that seemed to make it a point to Hy about in our vicinity in the early hours of the morning, causing allshipsto , . 1 v-'f ' 'S sound Cieneral ' Quarters. Short- ly after these ,- I Q C 0 :zaf- re c o n na issance f l i g h t s were made,Taclo- Q 5 .... 3 ban and Dulag -, -I--5 G1 were bombed. 1 ,,,1.,---- :pq '- the ship was ,,,,,. lf , B Once again loaded with Xff ,ff troops of the 506th Infantry of the Seventy-seventh Division, all well primed for combat. Our remaining time in the Philippines was occupied with a series of simulated battle-drills, in preparation for fulfilling the part assigned to us in the forth- coming operation. At 1248 on the 21st of March, 1945, we pulled out of San Pedro Bay in the Philippines, underway with Task Group 51.1 to a secret destination. Ofhcially it was a secret, but within there was something that seemed to explain the secret. We were assigned to the job we were trained to do. From that time on things began to take shape and form a picture, much as we had heard and read about and seen in the news-reels at home. Actual combat was the picture. A few aboard the Tazewell had been through it before and had an idea of what to expect. Let us, before we get scared, cruise up to where the show takes place. We were traveling in a convoy of about twenty ships, the greater number of which were APA's. Protection accompanied us in the form of Destroyer Escorts. We were loaded for an invasion with supplies, provisions, ammunition, army equip- ment, and army personnel, totalling thirty-eight officers and six hundred and seventy-five enlisted men. The fourth day underway, March 24th, an escort CDE 3439 reported a submarine contact. Later dispatch proved the contact to be false. 17 XXxxxxXN Xxxx x

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XXXXX 'Si QxXxxxxxxxxxx QQXXXXXXXXXxXyXXxxxxxxyxxXXXXX XXXXXyxx.xxxxxX.,Q,fs.i. 'si and the least preferred, money. They insisted that the money be in fifty-cent pieces, for they would accept only silver. Our half dollar is equivalent to one peso in Philippine currency. They use mattress covers in the making of sails and clothing, as for the cigarettes we have doubts, ' One aged wrinkled old native was seen to put three cigarettes into his mouth and chew them up quite thoroughly. A dungaree liberty was finally granted us about our second week in port and we were taken f...-W , ashore by P-boat. The ride in was a pleasant one, and it felt great to be going ashore, if only for a few hours. Once ashore we visited the village of San Antonio and found it to be dirty and unsanitary, with living conditions in general surprisingly primitive. The villagers live -in single-roomed, thatched huts constructed of straw and raised above the ground on poles, one at each corner of the building. They sleep on straw woven mats similar to the ones they traded us. Their eating utensils are awkward things, and resemble dippers and salad forks made from bamboo. Hollowed out coco- nut shells are used as bowls and dishes. Coconut trees grow in abundance throughout the village, and their fruit can be had just for the picking and climbing. Patroling SP's prevented our entering the village and so all our bartering had to be done from the far side of a ravine that separated us from the natives. They however, not being under the jurisdiction of the Navy, carried their wares to our side of the ditch. The native girls reallygtook a liking to our scented soaps and perfumed hair oils, which they appropriately called foo-foo water . These articles could be readily exchanged for their woven mats, purses, and hula skirts. We soon learned that one in the possession of a loud pair of pajamas could practically purchase the island. Besides the enjoyable hours spent in trading with the natives, an equally good time was had by all who took part in the lively soft-ball games played on the area's large athletic field. Many of the men spent the afternoon enjoy- ing a cool dip in the ocean at the nearby beach. Not to be forgotten were the two cans of beer given each man, our first since departing from the States. Ii 6

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yxXXXXXXxy xxxX'5xxMuNXX xl V ., me xKXXxxxxv9X XXXNXXXXXXXXXXX X V! - l'4 5 'i if One morning while at Dawn Alert , we heard planes. Later we noticed the lights on the planes and knew they were our buddies. At daybreak three carriers appeared on the horizon and our morale lifted perceptibly. Planes coming and going from them gave us assurance. March 25th: still underway and our convoy was growing large as the dangers were becoming closer-dangers such as enemy mines. The following morning General Quarters was sounded and at 0515 all boats were lowered to the water. We had reached Kerama Retro, our secret destination being a small group of islands lying to the west of Okinawa in the East China Sea or better to say, in Japan's backyard. At daybreak it seemed as though everyone was experiencing a few chills, which weren't caused by the cool air. Here we were among the invasion force playing decoy by debarking a part of the 420th Field Artillery Group so that they could get set up and lob shells over on Okinawa from the West. The main, and one of the biggest invasions of the war took place on the east coast of Okinawa on the first of April, thus we were there six days in advance of the main event. At 0630 on this same morning of March 25th, AA fire, the first real thing we had seen, appeared on the horizon, and a few minutes later a fire was noted off our starboard quarter indicating a possible suicide dive into one of the protecting ships. It - was later reported that an enemy plane had dived into the U. S. S. Kimber- ly CDD 5217 and it is assumed that this was the ship seen on the horizon. A few minutes later, two more suicide bombers dived for ships but crash- ed into the sea. Around 0700 another suicide dive was observed and it was believed to be a Jap Val . There was considerable AA fire prior to the dive and it is believed this aided in causing the plane to miss the ship. Observers failed to identify the destroyer under attack. This sort of thing continued each day and night while at Kerama Retro. As yet they hadn't reached us in great force. By the time they had pierced our picket line of ships and carrier planes surrounding the area, their number would be diminished to the extent that only one or two might reach the transport area. 18