Wasatch (AGC 9) - Naval Cruise Book

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pun-mm ,- J-e--e-nn-usanailllliiiilliilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll On 31 March we again set out on another operation, this time to Mindanao. After staging out of Mindoro we headed south, past Zamboango - the same Zamboango so famous in the song, the land where the monkeys have no tails. It wasn't long before the towns of Malabang, Parang and the city of Davao were secured and we were ashore trading with the Moros. Many of us have some handsome knives as souvenirs. On 17 May we sailed for Leyte but after a short stay were ordered to Morotai, the scene of our first action. .What a surprise we had to see the changes six months had made. Here we made friends with the men from down under - the Aussies. Quite a friendly lot, don't you know! From Morotai we staged for Balikpapan, N.E.I. Again the Wasatch had the leading role - this time in triumph she steamed through Makassar Straits where earlier in the war our out- numbered forces had suffered heavily at the hands of a numerically superior Jap surface and air fogze. How sweet the taste of victory as we passed through those straits that day in June 1 5. - Balikpapan was tough in as m ch as the shallow water prevented us from bringing the heavy guns of our surface units to bear on the enemy shore emplacements. It was not long however before the Aussies had landed and reported the situation well in hand. This was our last Am hibious landing prior to the surrender. This was the last time we were to be under enemy attack. p ' After Balikpapan we returned to Morotai where Comdr. Eglit relieved Captain Tucker as Executive Officer. On July Lth we crossed the line bound northward. Old Davey Jones and King Neptune came aboard for a visit and much to everyone's delight - found numeroust polliwogs in our midst. A gala time was had by all the trusty shellbacks. On ll July we arrived at Manus and began undergoing repairs, alterations, scraping and painting. Many of the officers and men went to Lake Sentani in New Guinea for ten day's rest and recreation. Eventually everyone was able to go and all seemed to enjoy it. It was a most welcome break after months of continual duty. There was all sorts of entertainmentg swi ming, games, hiking, sleeping, Finally on L September we sailed for Manila, P.I., arriving on 10 September after a short stop at Samar. Manila was a disappointment to most of us for here we saw for the first time the destruction wrought by land warfare. A once beautiful city, the Crown Jewel of the Orient, was now a pile of rubble. One or two trips ashore was all that most of us could manage. Soon we staged for our trip to Wakayama, Japan. This trip was much quieter than we had expected. After our arrival we had to ride out numerous tyohoons of varying intensity, all of which delayed our final operation some weeks. On 26 October, we left Wakayama for Nagoya. This was one of the largest Jap cities that had been attacked by B-29 fire bomb raids. It was pretty much gutted and ruined but after having seen Manila we, r found little or no room for sympathy. M P The last of October found us ready to sail for Tokyo for one last look at Japan. ,A few days before we were to sail orders were received to proceed to Taku, China, where we were to exchange our staff for ComPhibGr SEVEN. - On November we left Nagoya for Taku, arriving on 5 November. Here we hauled down Rear Admiral Noble's flag and ran up the flag of Rear Admiral Kiland. -J On 7 November we began our long voyage to the States by way of Pearl Harbor. Some of us would no doubt realise our cherished hope -- Christmas at home. . , .. e , .. , -. . . ' : .',.g,.,.,' 1' .'.-::-, -1,1:'.- K 4' 7 v xr, 1. .lx 7 L .A '.4.Q:igQg--1 'Fi-ak - YV --I V A A Q . A., ., .. 5 , - - Y l .. .- - - 7.7.3-..-.e.-,..-., lp-, -. fn - - - .-V...-.em , - ., ,.-.,.-.. ..,..-..-....... -N -wwf' Mm-.. fwwmv, -.--fe. :E+ LQ - --'- - --- - A A' ff -- ' '- ' - '

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-.3-1 7 .,,q+,.-1-ang:-enfnsar-anurnqemenn-1.x T r i e il t f m the bsb carriers were the most magnificent msn of the battle' A Those p o s ro y d They were the men who couldn't be beaten. To them we owe so much for their courage in heroism. With their carriers sunk and no place to land except a small rough strip a Tacloban, they put 'em down, refueled, rearmed, and somehowhmanagiddtsiggttgir-bogn? tO give us that air cover we so desperately needed. From we w o wo e em an' rom all ship's company on the U.S.S. WASATCH, hat's off. The final SCOPO for OU' V005 '55 more than two hundred Jap planes destroyed. A While all this air attack was in progress word was received that thgtJaE battlein fleet was on its way from Singapore Formosa and Manila. Constan repo s ep us - formed as to its size, course and position. ,The southern part was due to enter lower . Surigao Straits at mid-night, 2h October. The northern group was due to pass through narrow San Bernardino Straits at the same time. We were caught in a pinchers - so the Jap thought. From Admiral Kinkaid to Admiral Olendorf's battle-ships and cruisers went the order to intercept the enemy to the South and destroy him. What a night it was, brilliant with the flash of gunfire and the glow of victory against numerically superior forces. ' We had barely caught our breath when word was received that the Jap fleet had got- ten through San Bernardino unopposed and had our baby carriers under close range fire. The situation was desperate. A call for help went out to Adm. Halsey who had engaged the Jap carrier task force off Northern Luzon. Racing south, he launched s long range strike which caught the retreating Jap. This was the end of Japanese naval power. we knew it and so did the enemy. No accounting of that battle would be complete without mentioning our own gun crews. They were really hot. Although only given credit for one plane shot down we know they hit many more. Through it all they were helped by C.I.C. who gave them such accurate information that they knew in advance the very minute the Jap was to arrive. On 29 October we left for Hollandia in company with battle-ships, carriers, cruisers, destroyers and destroyer escorts. That was the night we experienced ou first typhoon. On 23 November we again returned to Leyte to experience more air attacks. It was from the asatch that the battles of Ormoc and Mindoro were planned and directed. ' Despite all air raids, Christmas was celebrated aboard. Packages from home brought happiness and memories to us all and everyone enjoyed a generous portion of turkey. 6 ganuary gazing off to Luzon by way of famed Surigao Straits where some months prior our eavy an g t surface ships had won such a brilliant victo . Nea Manil under violent air attack by Jap suicide planes. One hesitated aboverus, thznwglghgzd into the side of the carrier Kitkun Bay. A half hour earlier another suicider had crash- ed into another carrier just ahead of us. Finally, enshrouded by darkness we moved north- llzgigidzlgiigegnd 02 igtobLi2gayeniG:lf. Again theliap was hurling his full fury at us - su c e os s su c e swimme a in in f thi ld t ' the gigantic forces of American,Amphibious powersfrom pourzhg mehragg material onstgg Zgighasg dihgcfagatcghgarggdathi right totretain her titleghfor itfwas from her that all . I g n g gan c nerve cen er ere ormation vital to the success of the operation was received, controlled, disseminated, From Lingsyen we sailed to Hindoro to await the final assault on Subic Bay. This Zggsggtzdngslgeg 0112 501' T3-:SB Once more as after the battle of Leyte, we re- , one rom , Q , On 3 February we had a change in command Capt Granum was relieved b A . - - y Capt. Ringle. ::3ti:1:3':2gedcigQdmz Kinkalg sgiftgd his flag ashore and for the first time in several ou a s a a ea ,r These days were pleasant ones for us for the y were filled with plenty of baseball 33532311 aid beer drinking. It was here that the softball teams and baseball teams were all .ci 3 record if the baseball team is particularly note-worthy because they liter- r.mimbe:a't'ehatuP 31 :ou1gPSzn:ul'38i :hey may have lost a game or two but none of us can they 'ore all-so good a r o single out any individual for praise inasmuch as On 22 larch Adm. Noble and staff came aboard.

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pm u fir 1: wnxsn vner Fails Hytjan Gullezr. Chief Dever, Lt. Cigildyi Ehigf Johnsonfuhocak, Boylan, iyers, and Tavares. Second row Scott, gnu-., nay, suggins, Smith, scsrborougn, olmick, Riley, Webber. Snyder. and A Snglley. Third row Gibson, llartin, Kiser, Preston, Waddington, McNair, Hartlings Sgan, Kylie, and Legal. Not in picture Beeker, Fleck, Benson, Mitchell, Brown, I and Guntin. A DIVISION Auxiliary, Available, Able , As you, dear shipmates, browse through this book, you will undoubtedly chance upon numerous divi 1 s on reporters, who, with flowery paragraphs, will lead you to believe that I they are in the best, most efficient division aboard. Do not be deceived, simply ask any man in 'A' Division. Anyone who thinks otherwise is 'A pragmatic eva 1 t ' pr r ca or, with a propensity for oratorical sonorosity, which is too pleonastic to be expeditiously assimi- 1ated.' Seriously, our division is comprised of two groups, topaide and below deck groups. ' The topelde grou mans and p maintains the boat engine repair shop, emergency fire pumps, emergency generators, after steering, and also cares for steam heating and deck machinery repairs. The below decks group mans and maintains the ice machines, air-cooling machines, portable refrigerators, scuttlebutts, evaporators and the machine shop. The log room, where all machinery history of the engineering divisions is tiled and kept up to date, is also a very able part of our division. !or a return to the lighter side we proudly present 'Available' loylan, lT2e. A water tender should belong to 'B' division, but since he is the last er-at-arms of the engineers' berthing compartment, he is a member of the most highly respected 'A' division. Not only does he guard our sleep an our gear, but he is a very active jeweler, haberdasher, and laundry executive. Also, his success as a finan cle ha d I t - t ts of the Southwest Pacific t th r 8 apr.. rom h. far flung ou po. e e finlneill 'l08111s on wan st f.. 'mf b HA ll bl '.. New, that you are convinced of 'A' division bein th ree 8 8 o', V. l 0 g e most attractive division aboard, fall in outside the log room anytime between the h f 081 d will do the rest. Low point men preferred. our' o 5 ee 1630- 'Peppy' Tavares,