Topeka (CL 67) - Naval Cruise Book

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The Admiral and His Chief of Staff Nothing Wrong . . . We Hope, Sir . . .

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The war is over -we're going home!! And in the quieter, reflective after glow, men thanked God for the end of the bloodshed and maiming and killing. 54' 42 41- 62 QE The shooting was not quite over-some of the Jap pilots apparently failed to get the word. For the next three days, Task Force 38 cruised in an area southeast of Tokyo and several Jap planes spotted near the formation were shot down by the combat air patrol and by the ship's anti-air- craft batteries. After 18 August however, no more enemy planes were seen. Acting on instruc.tions, the Topeka had meanwhile or- ganized' a landing party to go ashore in Japan to secure naval bases and air strips prior to the landing of the occu pation troops. The Topeka's landing party consisted of Commander Becker, Lieutenant Willis, Marine Lieutenant Joens, the Topekais detachment of Marines numbering 41 men, and one yeoman. These men boarded the APA Garrard, on 19 August, and on 30 August, after being delayed by the ty- phoons, went ashore shortly after the fourth Marine Com- bat Team which had hit the beach in full battle dress pre- pared for any emergency. The Topeka's landing party, therefore, was among the first American troops to occupy Japan. Immediately upon landing, the battalion of which the Topeka's group was a part moved to secure the Yokosuka air strip, which they held throughout the signing of the surrender and until relieved by the Fourth Marines. At no time did they encounter any resistance from the Japanese and on'8 September they returned to the Topeka, loaded with souvenirs and tall stories. The next four weeks were the longest in the short history of the ship. From the 20th to the 23rd the ship received fuel, supplies and passengers for transfer to other ships, was detached from Task Group 38.1 and joined Task Group 38.3, and cruised about in an area 180 miles southeast of Tokyo. On the 23rd the Task Group headed west to patrol the area south of central Honshu. Arriving in the desig- nated area uStripes'i, it was learned that two typhoons were moving toward the group from the south, one slightly West and the other slightly east. It was impossible to avoid the outer perimeter of both typhoons, and as a result the Topeka put in a few very rough days with the ship wallowing in the heavy seas and several cases of seasickness were observed. It was notable, however, that the quaking seaman who once turned an un- healthy green at the thought of rough seas now treated the subject with a heavy-handed variety of light humor. The typhoon was no picnic, nevertheless-the raging seas bat- tered the forward end of the aircraft carrier Waspis flight deck until it curled like a split dandelion stem. For the balance of the month the Topeka along with the other ships of Task Group c.ontinued to patrol area f'Stripes,', furnishing air-sea rescue destroyers and combat air patrol over the direct route between Okinawa and Tokyo. Concrete evidence that the war was really over was sup- plied on 31 August when the first big group of officers and men with sufficient points for discharge were detached from the ship and put aboard other ships for transfer back to the States. For those who remained aboard, the routine was be- coming somewhat deadly-other ships were participating in the big events in connection with the occupation and sur- render while the Topeka patrolled area HStripes . The first two weeks of September offered no change. The Task Group continued to patrol its area while planes from the carriers were observing and making food drops on prisoner-of-war camps on Honshu. On 7 September the landing party returned to the ship after having spent three weeks at the Yokosuka Naval Base. And a few days later the ship was ordered to Tokyo Bay for upkeep and recre- ation. On 16 September the Topeka anchored in Tokyo Bay. The home waters of a Japanese Navy that had perished in a vain attempt to enslave the world. rippled around count- less units of the victorious United States Navy. The Topeka had been underway for 77 consecutive days, from the day the anchor was hoisted at Leyte until it dropped in Tokyo Bay. It had been a long, hard stretch. but liberty in Japan was now on tap. J Every day about 300 men went ashore in Yokosuka. Yokohama, or Tokyo, and what they saw filled them with mingled. pride, regret and saympathy. Great areas of the cities were completely burned out, people were living in shacks hung together with the wreckage, few automobiles were on the streets, trains and street cars were bursting with humanity, stores were very nearly empty of goods' to sell. virtually 100 percent of the men and boys wore bedraggled uniforms of some sort, and with the exception of the very young, all the women had the same look of resignation. despair and utter weariness on their faces. The demand for cigarettes and candy was incredible'-a pack of American cigarettes brought as much as 30 yen, two dollars, in a street corner trade. bartering though forbidden, flourished on side streets. The Japanese, except for those who wanted to trade. seemed to maintain an impassive resigned calm amid the hordes of sailors and soldiers. The hunt for souvenirs was unflagging, and the items brought back to the ship to be treasured and cherished in years to come ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous. Liberty in Japan was as if a country carnival, an Arabian Night and Macyis base ment had been scrambled up and left to untangle themselves amid the ruins of the Tower of Babel-and overtones of de- caying fish. The Topeka remained in Tokyo Bay for two weeks, with liberty parties every day, and those remaining on board cleaning. painting and repairing the ship. On September the news which was perhaps even more gladly received than the end of the war was broadcast over the loud speaker: The Topeka would be back in the United States for Navy 'Day on 27 October. If not more important it was certainly the perfect sequel to the peace news, and once again the men who had resigned themselves to remaining in the Pacific for an indefinite period. went wild with joy. if if s E l l 1 t -.1 -4 1 I 1 E l t 1 t I t t 1 l

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' 1X Time passed quickly now. Nothing seemed so important as going home. On lt October the Topeka in company with carriers and destroyers steamed out of Tokyo Bay bound for Okinawa to pick up 550 passengers to take back to the States. This necessitated a certain amount of crowding but no one really cared. On 6 October the ship left Okinawa and headed for the United States. Word was passed that leave would be granted in the States, and as the information filtered down from higher commands, it was learned that the ship was to go directly to Portland, Oregon, remain there for the Navy Day ceremonies, then move to San Pedro, California, for at least two months, during which everyone would get 30 days leave. It was a happy ship that steamed eastward over the North Pacific Ocean. On 19 October in the early dawn the ship made a land- fall near the mouth of the Columbia River, the first sight of the United States in over seven months, and that after- noon she eased up against a dock in Portland. The war was won, and the men were back home. Though they had been among the last to arrive at the battle front, the Topeka and her men played their assigned part and played it well. They were a credit to the United States Navy, to themselves and to the people they came from and represented. It was the end of a story and the end of an era. 30 7, W