Tennessee (BB 43) - Naval Cruise Book

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fra: 'EEST Y fi y Ii . 'i il sus . ug T iii .s,,..ui 32522 .. we ' . ,, .f ,ei .1 5i ,,. . l o MARIANAS OPERATION o Sewing as fhe flagship of Rear Admiral Howard F, Kingman, fhe TENNESSEE wifh fhe CALIFORNIA. WALLER, PRINGLE and PHILLIP reached Saipan on July 22, fwo days before fhe landings were scheduled fo be made on Tinian. Af Saipan, a former fask unif was dissolved and ships anchored in fhe harbor replenished fheir supply of ammunifion before refiring wesf of Tinian fo spend The nighf. Reveille was early fhe nexf morning and af 0457 all hands were senf fo General Quarfers. The weafher was overcasf and occasional rain squalls sfruck fhe ship. The firsf fargef fo be selecfed was a large sugar mill on fhe waferfronf in Tinian Town. Tinian's rain-washed cane fields, divided info even pafferns, as fhe TENNESSEE approached. Abouf O6l0, fhe main bafferies of fhe TENNESSEE roared info acfion againsf fhe mill and lafer fhe 40 mm. guns swepf fhe beach in fronf of fhe fown. Minesweepers slowly combed fhe wafers befween fhe ship and fown. Shorily affer 0800, naval fire ceased while fargefs on fhe island were bombed and sfrafed from low-flying planes from carriers. A large cave in fhe bluff direcfly norfh of Tinian Town dominafed every posifion in fhe harbor. The bluffs of Tinian were honeycombed wifh caves, fheir darkened enfrances facing seaward. A Curfis Hellcaf crashed off fhe porf quarfer and fhe pilof and radioman were rescued by a nearby desfroyer. A few minufes lafer a boaf from fhe desfroyer came alongside fhe porf quarfer wifh fhe fwo survivors. Bofh men were faken aboard in sfrefchers and senf fo fhe TENNESSEE's sick bay where fhey were freafed for fheir iniuries. Af l000, an underwafer demolifion feam in several small boafs leff fheir ships and began fheir reconnaissance of fhe beaches in fronf of fhe fown and fo fhe leff. The main and secondary bafferies direcfed fheir fire af fhe moufh of fhe large cave in fhe bluff fo fhe norfh of Tinian Town, one five-inch shell being seen fo enfer fhe moufh of fhe cave. All firing ceased shorfly before noon and fhe ship was secured from condifion one. Again af l400 fhe firing of fhe main and 40 mm. bafferies began which rocked Tinian Town. Two American planes, P-47's. collided in mid-air and crashed in flames info fhe harbor. All fire ceased af l700 and wifh fhe ship's fwo planes recovered, fhe TENNESSEE and ofhers refired fo fhe wesfward fo spend fhe nighf. The firsf day's bombardmenf was buf a diversion for fhe purpose of creafing fhe idea fhaf fhe inifial landings would be made in fhe vicinify of Tinian Town. Reveille came early again fhe following morning as The ships approached Tinian from fhe wesf. l-l-l-lour, when fhe Marines were fo land on Tinian, was sef af 0730. The TENNESSEE was fo bombard Whife Beach on fhe norfhweasf coasf and fo deliver supporfing fire for Ma- rines making fhe firsf landings on fhe beach. The bombardmenf began af 0532 from abouf 2770 yards ouf. Soon affer, fhe invasion fleef of landing barges and boafs were observed moving info fhe area from nearby Saipan, faking a posifion seaward of fhe warship bombardmenf line. Three mine sweeps maneuvered near Whife Beach. Air sfrikes hif fhe island and fhe big guns of fhe TENNESSEE were Temporarily silenced. Word was re- ceived fhaf l-l-l-lour had been delayed fen minufes. The fempo of firing was sfepped up as landing boafs formed on fhe line of deparfure. Vision was obscured by curling clouds of smoke and dusf. Screaming rockefs from LCl's fore foward fhe beach as fhe landing craff neared fheir obiecfive. Af 0747, fhree minufes ahead of schedule, The firsf froops landed on Tinianls beach under fhe direcf fire of enemy shore baf- feries. Eire from fhe TENNESSEE sfopped af 0800 and fhe balance of fhe day was spenf in fhe area awaifing call fire missions from fhe shore fire confrol parfy, while fhe Ma- rines on fhe beach carefully edged fheir way inland. Af I900, fhe ship refired, again puffing a shorf disfance 'ro sea. The following morning, fhe TENNESSEE relieved fhe CALIFORNIA as The dufy ship which had fhe mission fo furnish call fire upon requesf from fhe beach. Numerous fargefs were locafed from fhe beach and fhe TENNESSEE responded. Af l023, fhe shore parfy asked fhaf a six-inch enemy gun which had been harassing fhem be faken care of. The fargef was locafed on a large bare spof on fhe wesfern side of a bluff overlooking a ...aw .f -,i,f.'.z.fs ..,.:.. ' V gg 4 K K

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i 94 5. me ' Yfkrjg -,icnfq .,,-,Q , poinT and iT could noT be reached Trom The shore. The main baTTery commenced Tiring and knocked ouT The Troublesome gun on The TourTh salvo and American Troops sTormed inTo The area. During The remainder oT The Torenoon The TEN- NESSEE delivered The call Tire wherever iT was needed as deTermined by The shore Tire conTrol parTy. AT l245, Marines could be seen advancing over a hill To The souTh oT The airTield. The TENNESSEE laid down a salvo abouT 700 yards ahead oT The advancing Tanks. All Tire ceased This day aT I528 wiTh The excepTion oT sTarshells which were Tired ThaT nighT aT The reguesT oT The shore parTy To provide nighT illuminaTion and prevenT The enemy Trom reTorming. The sTarshells were Tired during mosT oT The nighT aT The raTe of six an hour unTil The TirsT sTreaks oT dawn when They were no longer necessary. The Tollowing clay was also Taken up by Turnishing call Tire on The beach. The special mission Tor The aTTernoon was To Cover The leTT Tlank oT Marines advancing along The norTheasTem coasT oT Tinian, The principal TargeTs being The low ground beTween The radio sTaTion and The easTern beach, as well as The slope oT Masalog PoinT overlooking ThaT ground, Japanese Troops and TargeTs could be observed in The area and The TENNESSEE was crediTed wiTh knocking ouT pillboxes and sTarTing Tires in Tive machine-gun em. placemenTs. AT T800 all necessary Tiring Tor The day was compleTed and The ships again reTired. The Tollowing day, July 27, The ship lay aT anchor OTT Saipan and Took up The bombardmenT again The Tollowing day aT 0830. The ridge and high ground To The norTh of Gurguan PoinT was pummelled To supporT Marine ad- zi9'ZG99ing Owl' of The Pafh of Tinian Aggqulf Fo,-ces