Tennessee (BB 43) - Naval Cruise Book

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Wi+h renewed Tury, The guns oT The The hiTs were closely paHerned and all bursT upon impacT, mosT oT The damage To boTh personnel and equipmenT being caused by shell TragmenTs. One hiT was direcTly inTo The righT gun porT on mounT 7, disabling The enTire gun crew and sprinkling oil which igniTed, causing a roaring Tire inside The gun mounT. Quick work by repair parTygpersonnel and The close weapons crews subdued The Tlames in abouT Two minuTes. AnoTher hif sTruCk againsT The side blisTer plaTing, bursTing and Tearing an irregular hole in The ship's side. The damage Trom This hiT was negligible, as The ship's armor plaTe resisTed Turfher peneTraTion. The Third hiT bursT on The main deck planking, Tearing a 26 by 36 inch hole in The main deck. FragmenTs Trom The shell enTered The wardroom below, causing some damage To personnel in The viciniTy and damage To The TurniTure in The room. Killed in This engagemenT included John C. Thomp- son, GMIC: John C. Guill, Coxswain: Prank Zemovich, SIC: Harry M. Drummond, SIC: James M. Commings, SIC: Joseph P. BuTTi, SIC: James L. Robie. SIC: and Joe A. Robles, SIC. Those wounded, requiring emergency TreaTmenT Trom The ship's medical deparTmenT, included: Roy J. Pannell, CTMZC: William R. Wissman, SZC: Lee B. MCKoy, STMIC: Jack M. Campbell, SIC: Varney E. Schwarz, SIC: Joseph C. RoberTson, SIC: Thomas A. LinThiCum, Ensign: Wesley CarTer, SZC: Cecil W. McDaniels, I-IAIC: Doyle D. Dobbs, BMIC: William R. Malone, SIC: KenneTh E. Bracey, SZC: Charles E. Brinly, PTC., USMC: Donald A. I-loover, PTC., USMC: James M. CurnuTT, SIC: Joseph W. WaTson, Pl. SgT., USMC: Dora S. Johnson, PTC., USMC: Douglas M. Drager, SZC: ChesTer C. Wall, MM3C: ErnesT J. Ferrero, SK3C: Doyle W. Townsend, SIC: Willie D. McCoy, S2C: John T. Phillips, PTC., USMC: Willard F. MCDermoT, PTC., USMC: Charles I. McClelland, Jr., LieuT.: WalTer J. Doge, SIC. Several oT The wounded were TransTerred To The USS SOLACE, a hospiTal ship, Tor TurTher TreaTmenT. The dead were given burial aT sea, in TheITime honored Tra- difion oT The Navy. Turned Toward Tinian seven minuTes aTTer being hiT and an enemy ammuniTion dump exploded, Tlames and smoke rising high in The dusT-Tilled air. A Tour-gun baTTery mef The same TaTe. ReTurning To Saipan, The guns Covered The approach oT a number oT American landing Tanks To The beach which landed wiThouT incidenT. The advancing Troops on The beach were covered wiTh 40 mm. Tire Trom The TENNESSEE and This being done, Tire swiTched To Tinian, silencing a baTTery There, Tiring aT enemy Troopsand aT a parked aircraTT. The aTTernoon was spenT in Tollowing up air sTrikes againsT boTh islands wiTh heavy Tire againsT blockhouses, gun emplacemenTs and enemy Troops. AT I82O, men oT The TENNESSEE, dirTy, Tired and saddened aT The loss oT Their shipmaTes, secured Trom quarTers, only To be recalled in a Tew minuTes when an enemy air aTTaCk developed. IT was Two more weary hours beTore The baTTle sTaTions could be secured again and The exhausTed men could drop To Their bunks. QuarTers The Tollowing morning were again early, sleepy men crawling ouT aT 0430 Tor a sTrike aT Tinian blockhouses, pill boxes and Troops. An enemy sub was reporTed in The viciniTy by oTher ships. All day The TENNESSEE sTalked The area, Tiring aT TargeTs on boTh islands unTil ISOO when, The day's work over, They Could secure and leave The area. Several days Tollowed in which The Tennessee WGS noT called upon Tor Tire supporT, as Tiring would have endangered our own Troops slogging Through The cane Tields oT Saipan. L IT was noT unTil June 2I when The TENNESSEE Tired again, This Time aT liTTle Manigassa Island, in The viciniTy. The special mission accomplished, The TENNESSEE secured aT IOl5 ThaT morning, buT was again called upon aT T245 ThaT aTTernoon. AT I726 The Task was Tinished and The TENNESSEE was able To reTire Tor The nighT, buT was called upon The nexT day Tor addiTional Tire againsT cerTain designaTed TargeTs which needed aTTenTion.

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