THE SKIPPER SPEAKS

Daily Chronicle of WILLIAM RANEY, PT RON 19  WWII


 

Preface: C.J. Willis, PT RON 19

William A. Raney was Executive Officer aboard P.T. 242 from the time the boat was Commisioned in New Orleans in April, 1943 until he was promoted to Captain of P.T.244 on March 30, 1944. I was on the boat with him from November 1, 1943 until he became Skipper of P.T. 244. Approximately 5 months.

He was from Carey, MS. He graduated from Mississippi State and immediately enlisted in the U.S.N.R. training at Columbia University and received the rank of Ensign.. Further Naval Training at MTBSTC, Melville, R.I. on P.T. Boats. After the war ended he attended Comell U. earning the PHD degree majoring in soil physics. In 1950 he returned to serve as Professor of Soils at Mississippi State. From 1956 until retirement in 1979 he held a research position with tile U.S. Department of Agriculture in Beltsville, MD. He married Susan Jane Moore in 1943 and they have three daughters and four grandchildren. He retired in Carey, MS. using his soil physics principles to improve production of flowers and vegetables on three acres of land where he lived. He is now deceased.

Mr. Raney was an “enlisted mans officer”. He worked right along with all of us helping with all the chores required to keep the boat in fighting condition. His Chronicles begin September, 1943 when the Squadron is leaving Tabago Naval Base in Panama with the Boats being loaded on Tankers for the trip to the South Pacific and ends in November 1944 on his return back to the U.S. from the South Pacific. He was relieved from duty on his P.T.244 Boat at the same time that I was relieved of duty on our P.T.242 Boat when we were at GREEN Island. This was about November 1, 1944.

.    ~                   Introduction from original compilation:  Nov. 2001

Dr. William A. Raney at 81 years of!~, in retirement from 30 years in government service, started out in the U.S. Navy during World War II as an Ensign. He attended Midshipman School at Columbia University in New York City after graduation from Mississippi State. The PT school at Mellville, R.I. was his next assignment. He and Susan Jane Moore were married on February 22, 1943 so they spent their first days together in Newport, R.I. HigginsBoat Company in New Orleans built Patrol Torpedo Boats so after graduation from P.T. school Bill and Jane moved to New Orleans where Ron 19 formed and boats were assigned. About 6 months later Ron 19 left New Orleans for the “Shake Down Cruise” in Miami. From Miami the boats were driven to Panama where they were loaded on tankers for the trip to the South Pacific war zone. The boats were unloaded in 2 days and driven to Rendovainth<» .Colnm~r. Toio«~ „~—

The Chronicle begins

 “”’~~WBeiiJu~ 19  the eLafce’of arrival at Tatoga Naval Base, and. September the second most of-the .time was spent getting ready to go ‘on-out to‘ he bttl’F3 area. In that time we got all the guns in first  class order. We taie-wthat I ey were because there WBBB firing practice I every once in a while in whffioh there was an army plane lowing as aleeve for the gunners to shoot at.  *at.  The guns worked, okay.              All the torpedo .tubes were made ready to take on fish and just at the last minute the fish were taken aboard, charged and placed in the tubes. The bottom of the boat was sanded and repainted. Along with’- this operation the screws were reconditioned and the bottom patched where it had to be. We took one trip to a Banana plantation that was really worth while, l*I’ve written the full particulars of that to Jane already and I won*t mention it again.                                               About the twenty fifth of August the word was passed that group  Baker was to sail on the Gulf tanker Maricabo to Epic.  That got every  one mighty excited. No they didn’t feel brave and wanting to fight’ but knew that the quickest way home was thru a battle area. Every one was  iulow LJ.-at ~nee u,u.J-u~os-c Iflray S.I.WIW m’cio OUJ.U o. UU.UUG area. Jively oiie was very much wanting to get home too.  There was a lot of speculation as to where Epic was too. We knew that that was a code: name but didn’t know where. We also knew that there would have to he a crane where we unloaded to take us off the tanker and there were two in the South West Pacific. One in Brisbane Australia and the other at Numea, New Caledonia. The latter proved to be the right one, On the afternoon of Sept second the tanker came back thru the e canal to take on the cargo of ]?T boats. She had passed thru about a week before going over to get a cargo of oil and gasoline jobs at an island off the coast of wenezuela.  The tanker was pushed over along-side the dock about five in the afternoon and the loading started pretty soon at lei-ward. The second largest floating crane in the world was to be the hoist The second largest floating crane in. -the world, was to TDQ the hoist that loaded us. The cradles were svmng down. under the ‘boats and gotten in the exact spot then up we went. That crane can pick up two hundred .and fifty tons so we were a mere drop in tae bucket.

They had us all up on the tanker and the cradled bolted down by ilvdnite. Then started. the crew of pan~anian888 loading on all the saagii supplies. It was ordered red that all the squadron *t supplies were to be taken by group Baker.  There was a regular warehouse in the forward end of the ship and with all the materials that the squadron had collected it only was a little over half full -when they stopped at the end of the pile.

There as another load of supplies being sent from San Francisco too. That  includes thirty spare engines for the boats,  e boar-s, a jeep, a toCH truck and there isn’t any telling what else.

All day Sept third they spent tying down the boats with giant Eate cables so the heavy seas wouldn’t move the boats around, in the cradled.

After that they chipped off the rust and painted the Stanchions that the cradles were resting on. We let all the men go ashore for the last time but they are to be aboard at midnight. All the ranker crew is to do likewise so probably the trip will start sometime before daylight.

This is the first time that most of the boys have crossed the line and there is always a ceremony for those that cross the first time.

There are only three shellbacks in the squadron at present and only one of those is with this first group to go.

 PAGE 2 I woke up about six thirty on the morning of the fourth and when I looked out I saw the “buoys that marked the channel. to the canal, We were really getting out in the right direction anyhow,  We were to convert all the engines to 1500 horse power while on the tanker hut In some slip up the necessary haarings had been left at Tatoga and with out those we couldn’t do any thing toward that.

As we passed Tatoga out came one of out boats that had been left to come in the Second group. The Captain was bringing out those bearings. After we had gotten those aboard by passing a line over to  the tanker we were told that several of the boys had brought library books with them. We gathered those up and sent them back. All this was done with the boats going right along too.

When all this had been finished the Captain laid two large 7* s with smoke then went on back to Taboga. He looked as if he had rather be with this bunch than get the trip back to Washington and them fly out.

All that day we stayed on a course of due south but just at sunset change to a south west direction. We had seen a carrier and a tin can at Balboa but they hadn’t left when we did. Just 8-1 sunset we lighted them off in the distance. They were evidently headed up to the west sas coast of the state somewhere.

I had expected to be in a convoy but we are right by ourselves and will be the whole trip. In the last two weeks two battleships, South Dakota and Alabama, seven Carriers, twelve heavily laden trans- ports, and a. drove of destroyers, cruisers, L.S.Ts have passed thru the canal and headed west. Besides this there are numerous ships from the west coast putting out. I think that there will be a lot going out in the battle area in the Pacific in the near future.

The night of the fourth most of the officers spent reading and  talking. All the lights have to be out at sunset.  There is a ward room that the light won’t leak out of , so we used that.

The fifth was Sunday so there wasn’t much work done. The idea was to let the men get a little rest. They had about ell used up all the surplus energy on the last night tare.  It was two months ago that this bunch pulled out of Miami and started this “.vsy.

All afternoon I caught up on writing. letters. I am pretty slow in getting them written . Went to sleep myself at sunset. On the morning of the sixth the sea was pretty high and the wind that blew was mighty cold. It was almost like a winter day. None off the boys seemed to be sea sick though. All were as usual hungry. That morning we got started to sanding the sides of the boat. We wanted to get the bottom first but the other boats were using all the scrap ‘rd and we had decided to do something else for the time being. We got quite a bit done that morning but just after noon we were told that King Neptune had to have  a meeting of all the Pollywogs, We all knew what that meant.

Whenever one crosses the equator for the first time he gets an initiation into the order of shellbacks and this was our turn to get it. We were all ordered to take off watches h-nive r~s-lirts, and any other waluables that might get hurt in a little rough treatment.

I was among the first to go thru .  That proved to be a definite advantage later. We had to kneel before King  Neptune, one of the boys who had been dressed for the occasion. When we told him that we wanted to become a shell beck we were blind folded and taken on down the line.

PAGE 3 :                .     -k-:        nr, to liav-e outhail:~edf’or~lo’Slr~~*elley.~Z about five swaths acrods and 1118~80113.1 up so ‘te<abhafcit would later have to all te out off. Next we were set on a stool and told to smile for a picture.   and. told to. Just as we got out a grin they opened a fire hydrant in our faces and. It  looked. as if they would never turn the thing off. Next there was a walk down a flying ‘brid.gefchat connecting the poop deck and the control tower. This had a railing on either side about waist high and it kept it I lines ties across it at irregular intervals. On either aide of this the shellbacks were lined up to give it to the new men with a paddle as they passed along. After we had gone down this for about five yards -we had to stop turn out fact to the sun said opens out mouths. Here they dropped in a wad of dough and pepper that the cook had fixed. A About five steps farther we had to raise our hands up to the shy a and while we were in that position they daubed tar under our arms and in our hair. All this time we were blind folded and didn’t know too much about what was going on.

Just as they got the tar on a stream of  water hit us again. They has a hose playing onus. At the end of the walk we had to stand up on a box and turn around. We were told when we could shout shellback loud K enough to be heard that the initiation would be over. I was all set to let out a big one when I was pushed backward into a tank of water.

I came out ‘he other end all sputtering and fore I got the blindfold off thee Bas a large w painted on either side of lay chest with orange paint.

Mess. Good gosh. I went back up the line and joined In ~the the ribbing though, and dished out my share after that.

Most all the fellows washed out all the tar with paint thinner t en shaved off their hair. They are ell sights. I had mine cut pretty snort but not all the \”a~, The night of the sixth we all went down to the ward room and read, arid  sang till the wee hours  2100.  As I came back onboard the 2i+2 the watch reported a light to starboard. It proved to be the Galapagos island light . That is steaKfc the last one we will see for quite a while now. That one is about a thousand miles from Panama. We have six  thousand two hundred, left before we get off the tanker then about six hundred, more to p-,o on our own power -bo get to our base. There is talk that we will be lowed behind a tin can that last distance.

Along about midnight I woke up cold. The blankets had to be unpacked~ That was ‘the first time that we had slept under blankets since we got the boats and then right on the equator. Ha.

Some of the boys had done their cleaning on the deck so it took a all morning to get the deck looking fit to TEK walk across again.

All day long the win~ wind kept up~ up and the air was mighty cold. Every one had to either work or wear a coat. In the afternoon we got the boys started on the outside of the boat We decided that the thing to &o was to get the whole boat one last going ‘ over. The bottom ri too because the new brand of paint proved to be pretty sowry.                                                              .         That night I was tired and didn’t go over to do any reading but      j turned in early. Next morning I woke up at the usual hour but no one else did. We had changed the hour going thru a new time belt. All day the 1



PAGE # 4 Off pretty easily unless there was a hit right under the boat then a-all the blazing oil would get in the way and probably force us to forget the ship and get off ourselves and leave it to burn.

The morning of the ninth the sides were about half sanded so we got two of the boys started to painting. We figured that the rest could stay ahead of then. It was a. pretty big job using a ladder as a scaffold and swinging that heavy thing by lines around the shop so they could do the painting from it. When the boys were sanding they used a bosun’s chair but that wouldn’t do at all in the painting operation.  Ere night had come the boat was half painted and we were all pleased with the way that things were coming.

On the morning of the tenth something happened that gave every- one e new lift. The radioman gets out a sheet of news that has come RK over the wires the previous night and has it in the mess reoms every morning. This morning had the account of the invasion and subsequent withdrawal of Italy from the war. That had every one happy. When the boys started to work they were all whistling and happy. All had a lot more confidence in the “prospect of getting in a punch themselves at    the Japs.                                                                  \ This is the first Higgins_ squadron that has been sent out to the  ‘ South West Pacific. The others are either in the Aleutian’s or in the ; Mediterranean . We have got to prove that they are good or that they    ‘ aren’t one or the other. I hope that they give us something right off cause I feel pretty confident that they are good.

At Noon ‘one Doctor had us all line up for the last Tetanus shots] We had to get that one about s. month before getting into the battle area and this was the tallied. This was the first one that I’ve had that didn’t hurt~ like the devil.                                             : h:y night we had all the sides, the chart chubs, turrets and torpedo tubes all repainted. There had “been a little work on the bottom too. The ‘bottom seems to have had a crust of “paint on it that comes off pretty easily with a little scraping. The work is coming along- fine.

On the morning of the eleventh  we ~got the whole r-r-na on the bottom of the Dual with scrapers. This is Saturday again and we like to let them have Saturday afternoon and Sunday off. This gives them time     ! to wash their clothes and to do other things that~ might n-ed to s get done.

At four in the morning on the twelfth the ship slowed k down. The two boilers had been under quite a strain the whole trip and in one of them eight tubes had gone bad. The speed could have been kept up but it might have blown up or at least oPeP strained the       .

other one. It took till Monday morning at about four to get those tubes fixed and ready to go again. All that time we were making about        ~ Q ~ ~Y  \f~ It fat Q All Sunday the twelfth the men had a good rest. I got several letters written and did a good bit of reading. In the afternoon the boy on the 240 had to do a little extra duty. One morning about a week ago they had failed to show up for morning muster. The watch hadn’t waked t them. Well they had to spend Sunday afternoon chipping Jf& rust from the stanchions that the cradles are resting on. These are to be painted tit 1 fl t f~T* mr, .  night after we had all done  the usual amount  of reading and  were about to turn the whole bunch got in the mood to air out their    opinions so in a wery interesting airing the talk lasted till three    : in the morning. I left at midnight.

PAGE #  .

The thirteenth we got the boys back “to scraping on the bottom. Hope to just aboutget thru with that this week. It seems good to be going full speed again too.

Oh the twelfth the torpedo man got the urge to pull his fish out of, the tubes for the weekly check up. The P.T. 242 Is the only one that has: had that done to date now.

The morning was spent by me* learning a few of the ideas to be used . by other boats in their patrols. That is night payrolls in the combat a’ area  The thirteenth was a pretty uneventful day other than that.          : The fourteenth we had an inspection of the bottoms of the boats.   ‘ None of the three that were being scraped were ready to get the first coat of paint yet. The boys didn’t like the job anyhow and        I the idea of having to sand it again wasn’t any too cheerful an order.

That Night we had the first of a series of night classes for the    ‘ officers on Navigation. Mostly to brush up on what had been forgotten. This wasn’t too good either because the night had been a pleasure all \ the way. It was then that everyone got to do as he pleased and read      if he wanted to.                                                            \ The fifteenth, The boys got the bottom finished of the 2J+2 and    I have it ready for the paint, in the afternoon the Doctor had a first aid class on fractured $ones end. what to do till the patient got back to    base.                                                                          ‘ The sixteenth we got the first coat of paint on. It looks pretty nice under there now. All the officers were issued new raincoats too. Before we got tliry painting the seas were beginning to come over the ship in a pretty heavy manner. The other boats had to just about stop at the work that was going on outside. It so happened that outs is on the leeward side of the boat and is the only one protected from 1.  this new sea. The raincoats are a mile too big. Seems-that every thing that is ever is-aues is a poor i’io. That may be the reason that so much of the navy stuff is wasted. If things fitted well everyone would take a lot better care of it. I hope that later when all the stores are unpack-ed that they will give us a chance to turn these in for a size that will look a little better. In the afternoon an order came out from the squadron exec. .that all junior officers and base force officers were to refrain from coming in his quarters to congregate unless we were invited. That burned me up. Looks as if he has the brains of about a two year old.

I typed out an invitation to use the ward room ftaxx of the 242 at any and all timed for meetings of any kind. I pasted it up in a conspicuous place where all the officers would see it. I’ll probably get a talking to later because he probably saw it too.

The seventeenth we slowed down again,, There wasn’t any trouble ~K with the boilers this tine around. we were all wondering whet the delay was but there seemed. no answer. About as suddenly as we had slowed down we ca-came back to normal speed again about twelve hours  later.   Our latitude is already south of that of Numea and we are still going south. That also seems to be kind of funny. We got the bottom all sanded and a second cent of paint on t,’ is morning. Gave the bunch the rest of the day off. Just after dinner we had another boat drill too. There was some mix-up on the sicnsis though and we secured before we were all thru with the drill and coup,’, .-b the devil for that.

 PAGE 6 ~*>.?”-l”lS!~--p!aaB~~T!~~.’;-.’-;’-.- -‘.- ..- ;;;:  ;~-:-;ci -;--- the eighteenth all the boys started, wigorously at the 10110111 of the boat. This .was the last that they would have to do  ; to it for the trip at least. Then too this was Saturday and they all J wanted to get every thing all squared away for Sunday. That was all  finished about the middle of the afternoon and ‘we gave them till     I Monday morning to catch up with-their reading and sleeping.

Bans Holier had gotten the idea that if he trimmed his mustache in stead of shaving it that he would not be wiolating any of the rules of the Bearded Brother hood. We thought differently though and decided to have a trial and see if it was or wasn’t. Dr. Bahnson was the judge,  ‘ Oilie Fannin was the D.A., Bob Walker was Defense council, I was     - the sheriff and the jury included Dick Prideaux, Alpine MoLane,       ~ Harry Rinder and Bob Sweet,  each having three wotes so there could be a total of twelve. We got a Subpoena up and. I served it at noon and he was to come   , before the court at 1900  There really was a  high time thru the      ; trial. The Jury tied on the woting and we sent them out to deliberate-   I ate further. They finally found him guilty and the Judge left the sentence up to the bearded Brotherhood. The penalty was to have every hair on the whole body removed on the offender but we decided that the hair on the top of his head would be enough. After his pleadings  . we finally cut it all off so he would look a little better.  After the court we decided that we would all trim them                      : The morning of the nineteenth we slept late. There was no morning muster because this was. Sunday and all the bunch were to have a holiday. All the-Boat Captains had a look around and after finding all the men present reported that none had fallen over the side.

About nine in the morning general quarters were sounded. There was a ship in sight and its identity though known to ‘the tanker Captain was not known to us and. then too it was good practice. It Was the D.E.  10 that had come out to convoy us in the rest of the way. There had not been a ship in sight in a long time end this one really did give the gang a log of encouragement. Like having company after not seeing any one for a 16ng time. The D.E. came up blinking but since there was no immediate answer he came in close and. talked with the P.A. system on the boat. It was just like the scene in Mrs. Minerva when all the little boats were assembled to go across the channel to Dunqueroue and the Destroyer was using such a mean’s to give them instructions. He wanted to know -the top speed of the tanker. U kts. Then he TKS.  wanted to know the speed that the Captain wished to use. 14 kts. Next he wanted to know if we had an~8%9sigs  flag signals to use as a means of coinmunio8.tion  We did. He was to take a post 2500 to 3300 yards ill front, of us and. stay there the rest of the trip. I thought that we would be in a convoy all the time but guess there are too “.any ships coming out now to have them all wait and come together, It*s is a pretty comfortable feeling- to ‘:have t-‘.is Navy boat with us though. He had Radar and Sonic equipment aboard which will warn him of anything t at comes up either on the surface or under the water.  G-guess they will send something out later for the real off js.

the squadron. It is two days back of us.  Hope they don*t. b have any trouble.

 ‘                          ...

I left the mess room about eleven twenty Sunday night. After being in where there was a lot of light It was dark as the wery devil out side. It usually takes about ten minutes to get to where one can see in the dark after being in a lighted room. Instead of waiting in the doorway till I could see I want feeling my way along the flying bridge between the poop deck and the ttrigge. That was the path back to the  boat.*- Just as I got half way there was a loud boob as the DB opened up with that Bond speaker of theirs. They had come back to give the Captain a little Information that they had picked up. There is no radio communication between it or the tanker and there are definitely no lights to be used to get messages.

An unidentified ship was 17 miles away bearing 350 on a course of 220, and making 1$ knots. There just wasn’t any sense in our getting all tangled up with him so the course was changed to due north for about fit teem minutes. After the DE had given us that inffiennation back out into the nitehe slid.

It really does seem finny to have a little ship like that fesc taking care of a big one like this one Is. It is a hell of a lot bigger than the FTs at that.

The twentieth I woke up with a headache. The night before one of the boys had broken out a bottle of Bacardi Rum that he was hoarding. Four of us drank the whole bottle and were feeling pretty high when we went to bed.

After breakfast we spent two hours in a meeting of the officers swapping ideas that we had gotten. It is a darn good thing to have a session like that once in a while and let the ideas get to the whole lot of boats.

The rest of the day nothing important happened. The twenty-first we had our? first real general quarters. The D3 thought that there was a submarine echo on their sound gear.

We were all pretty well excited but after about ten minutes there was an all clear.

The twenty second we got the bottom sanded for the last time.  Then got the men started on the deck. That has been put off ever since we got the boat. The twenty third I cleaned out and straightened the lazarette. Thaw place was in quite a mess. It is to the boat like some old closet where every thing that isn’t needed at present is put.

There was not and twenty fourth. We crossed the date line and n missed one. We went to bed the 23 and woke up the 25^th. Longest I ever slept bu the calendar. I worked on the ward room of the 242 about all morning the 2$th.  Alpine got the deck washed the place where it wasn’t token care of tex before. VTaa sitting down to lunch when general quarters was sounded. Turned out to be a false alarm. All afternoon we painted.  I made out a list of -‘all the personal gear that I have that I could claim reimbursement on if we should get sunk. It mounted to a little over ~700. At four o’clock there was another general quarters This too was a  false alarm but in both cases the D.E. thought that they had a sub for sure. There may be one lurking that wants to make a kill.

Who Knows? PAGE 8 PAGE 8                 ~ The twenty sixth. we had<3.ameefcjLn& of all the officers again.

This one was about the dullest that I ever hope to go to. It was rsa: really a fowl one. The main item was how to get the lights in the chart house so they could, “be used. and. not be seen by tile enemy.

After it was allover I got a piece of canvass a need-le and. a sewing palm and. made a cover for the reflector that is over the light. I painted th$s red.. Red is the .only color that that one may look at and not retart their wision at night. Since it takes about thirty minutes to get to be able to see again after getting into any other color it is a pretty important item. The idea seemed, to work like a charm.

That afternoon Dr. told me that  there was a lot of malaria out in the new Hebrides and that we should, all get screens made for all the hatches as well as getting the bunks all screened as a double precaution. I got started on my bunk at once. Since having had it once I definitely didn’t want it again. The twenty seventh I finished my bunk and got the gang to work on theirs. At the same time there was an order to the carpenters and metal smiths to get screens made for all the hatches. These had been made once before in New Orleans but they had all gotten torn up pretty badly.

That afternoon the Maracaibo changed course. The original i~sr$jrwww destination had. been Noumea. New, Hew Caledonia but they were going to Segund sound whish is formed by- two islands in the Hev” Hebrides and the “B.S. navy uses it for an advanced base. This made every one happy because had we gone to Noumea there would have been a 600 mile jaunt up here and that long a jump in one spurt is a. pretty long one.

The thing  that would have been so bad about it is that we would have to have gone all the way on one engine and that one at idling speed to have had enough gas to made it.

The twenty eighth I finished up a mosquito bar that I had gotten started, there had to be sis: of those foe the boys th?t sBiept on the transoms and there were just five issued tons. I was sewing t the sixth.  That afternoon at two thirty we sighted the pilot ship coming out to meet us. We had sighted land. early in the morning and.

it looked mighty good. to us. Just at noon there were a lot of patrol planes too and one of them an  S03C had been assigned to stay with us There would have been e. sad day if we had gotten this far and not get the rest of the way.

The -pilot ship came along side and a warrant bosun came aboard to tell us “how to go to keep free of the mine fields. When he got aboard the D5 was ordered to fall in behind, ‘.’his did look funny. We had. been used to having it out front protection us and now we were taking care mf it.

The two islands that rEor7;2en the sound ~were about a mile apart and L~e water in between about fifty:.- fathoms right un to the bank. The Navy had put nets across both ends and all the ships could, stay in there with safety. It surprised us all when wie got around ‘the bend to see three carriers two cruiser8, about half a dozen tin cans and a lot of other ships in there, ,It pulled down $jp~ between and dropped the hook right at the end of 611 of them. There were a couple of men from the port director’s- port office that oared out to : make arrangements t  get the cargo of boats and oil off.

The twenty ninth we were w.r as usual , well maybe not as usual because everyone ‘.’woke up a lot sooner. The boat had been so s still that \we couldn’t sleep any longer.

_”4                 ‘ ,’ ‘.. ‘ . ‘                  ,*.

\  ‘     ~    :-‘K ‘ ‘      “      “ f “~ ..*                       PAGE  9~.~.-:              ,-                          e  About eight o’clock’ 111~~s a~ came out to get us off. We had. all.,--charged ~,jbli~Lfcla~~Lncll,g~ ndi;       cabled off that 338 were holding the boat secure on the chocks. We were all ready to get off in the water.

Well the crane got all hooked up and started to lift the first one off  243 , When it had lifted to it’s last grunt the “boat hadn’t* been “budged so they were to get a new crane. These were the kind that could only lift straight up. They were on a “barge and there was a tug tied to the “barge that would leave it ‘around till it was in the right position to do the lifting and letting down. They were to get that era out the next morning at eight  Just after dinner  six of us decider to go ashore and see what t the place was like. Joe Butterworth, ?ph Walker, Tom Dalton, tians Mooler, Dr. Bahnson and 1.  We commandeered a “boat to get in and none of us had the slightest idea ~Ln how we would Error! Reference source not found. “back. The idea at hand was to get in We were wery pleased to note that the cox’n took care of his boat and didn’t try to slam it into anything like the ones did at Taboga. There were a lots of reefs and these coral strips could cut the bottom out of the boat if they got close.

When we hit the bank ir. and I went in one direction to get the mail that had accumulated to the Post Office. The rest went toward the PT base , ~eee had been separated about five minutes when up rolled this big truck with all the rest of them hanging on. Tom xfa had run into a bey that he knew and he had a truck.-We were to have-fasasspiaz~ transportation, we first went up U.S. no. I That was the road along t the water front that went to the post office. There we got rid. of the letters and found out that they sent all X mail whether it had s. stamp or pot the same way. Some one must be collecting a ‘lot of good stamps The boys also told us that the airmail was usually a lot cheaper too. There is a plane out of here every morning to haul the mail. Then Dr. and I went up the hill to get the censorship regulations for this district. All the shore works were under a huge palm grove. Back about 1890 “the Lever brothers that make Life Buoy soap got hold of a world of land out here to grow cocoanuts for? the oil they had quite an elaborate array of trying kilns etc., all over , n   When we got back into the truck we started out to see the whole place   There ~re three giant runways on the island. They are really wide roads with a steel mat covering them. All around the side are little olaarings that are used as garages to keep the planes to work on.  We must have seen at least 12$ B 21, liberators. Some of the planes had 2$ bombing missions, four planes and two ships to their credit. ‘This impressed me pretty weml. This whole place looks as if there are at least fifty thousand men here.  At first they lost lot more planes from crack ups and the pilots setting lost from the la-no-ing strip.   The pilots are getting pretty good novJ-.

There is little trouble here from Jap bombing though it is only sias about five hundred miles to the nearest Japanese~ base.  There usually is a one plane raid about every three or to r weeks and these don’t do any damage. There was one about three weeks ago that killed a cow and already there have been thirteen natives in to claim payment for her. The whole fleet operated out of this place now and the e are ‘oxa pretty ~ouch???? shore installations.. There were sure crazy tales about the early c days faro,

 
            PAGE # 10    auto  lightest of three wersions       - ‘ A-b first when there was a raid the ships all pulled, out  sand is left a hand full of men to defend the island with a few old s~asiHgfcfcs Springfield rifles. It was a pretty gim situation had the Japs only “ known it. The whole strength had gone into Guadalcanal and there was ‘ a delay to get enough strength to have another. Then all the strength went out to New Guinea and now they are building up for another. That will probably be us too.      ‘                                        ; The inane on shore used to all duck into the bomb shelters and now someone had to knock them. out of the sack to make them get up.    They have all just ;got a good case of BON’T GIVE A DAMN.             : We went by the ice cream parlor but there was a line about axtefaa half mile long and we didn’t care to wait there. Next we went down to the PT base. There was a sign on the first shack that had operations South Pacific. There ~Basketsful: was a man near the door that looked like an old.  chief.  We wanted  to know if our base  sparely had  arrived  and  if there would be a chance of getting a new engine for the 2~2,  In wsrk~ walked Joe a-and. Dr.  and by chance he turned out to be the Commodore that is in charge of all the PT boats in this whole area. He seemed quite a nice fellow though and they weren’t bawled out at all, On we walked to see the rest of the grounds. There is a floating dry dock and a marine railway here that can be used to  repair the boats that are in this particular area. They have quite a set up for ‘ the whole nlanB. I figure it is better that the bast at 1’..lelville.  . When we first got to the base there was a blinding roar. They na had one of the engines on a test stand- and had. a. propeller on the back of it running. Guess they are doing a little experimenting here as well as other places  They told us at the base Post Office that there was a lot of ES mail ms. for our squadron that we could get if we wanted. Gosh but this was just what we -wanted. They put it in a sack and we went over to ~ the mess hall to sit at a foible get a beer and sort it for the boats that are here now. When \”e walked  in we met the first lieutenant of the base. We wondered if they would let us eat there and if there i7as any transportation back to the boats later in the evening. They were to have a “arty that night and there were only enough places for the men there an-I ther guests and no place to sleep either. They could get us a ride back a-t once but later they couldn’t. Gosh but we pictured, that outfit as about the stinkingest we had ever heard of. We went on out way and wound up at the officer’s club. There we joined for a dollar, bought a book of tickets for three, got a supply of beer and went out to sort our mail out doors at one of the tables and benches that t:7-er:i.hao there. While \’TQ sorted we had the mess attendant keep bringing us more.  After we had ha-d been there for about an hour up came a couple of Dr. ‘s old fraternity brothers and-  t-.en “.’.’e met three fellows that were radar men down here.  They were all tops. The former invited us out to the Helena, a cruiser out in the channel to dinner, “e hope !x take them up on that later. The club closes at seven so we had to leave there. These Radar officers invited us down to  ion I Club. T hey have to -pay thirty bucks to join this one but we \’QVG t their quests so could keep on ri. h the beer.
            PAGE # 10       second dareker at 143   -‘. At first when -there was a raid the ships all pulled, out sand B left a hand. full of men to defend t3ie island with a few old agasngfaB Springfield rifles. It was a pretty grim situation had the Japs only r known it. The whole strength had gone into Guadalcanal and there was r a delay to get enough strength to have another. Then all the strength went out to New Guinea and now they are building up for another. That will probably be us too.          ‘                                                             ; The men on shore used to all duck into the bomb shelters and now someone had to knock them out of the sack to make them get up.   ‘ They have all just F:Ot a good case of DON’T GIVE A DAMN.             ; We went by the ice cream parlor but there was a line about ax~PBPP half mile long and we didn’t care to wait there. Next we went down to the PT base. There was a sign on the first shack that had operations South Pacific. There ~aafeasit was a man near the door that looked like an old chief. We wanted to know if our base sparer had arrived and if there would be a chance of getting a new engine for the 21t2   In wa3ds walked Joe and Dr.  and by chance he turned out to be the Commodore that is in charge of all the PT boats in this whole area. He seemed quite a nice fellow though and they weren’t bawl-bawled out at &11. On we walked to see the rest of the grounds. There is a floating dry dock and a marine railway here that can be used to  repair the boats that are in this particular area. They have quite a set up for ‘ the whole plrrne. I fig-lire it is better that-the base at Melville. When we first got to the base there was a blinding roar. They ha had one of the engines on a test stand and had a propeller on the back of it running. Guess they are doing a little experimenting here as well as other places  They told. us at the base Post Office that there was a lot of -urn mail HE for our squadron that we could get i& wie wanted. Gosh but the was just what we -wanted. They put it in a sack and we went over to ~ the mess hall to sit at a table get a beer and sort it for the boats that are here now. When we walked  in we met the first lieutenant of the base. We wondered if they would let us eat there and if there w-as any transportation back to the boats later in the evening. They were to have a T, r G that night and there were only enough places for the men there and- their guests and no place to sleep either. They could get us a ride back at once but later they couldn’t. Gosh but we pictured, that outfit as about the stink ingest we had ever heard of. We went on out way and wound up at the officer’s club. There we joined for a dolls-r, bought a book of tickets for three, got a supply of beer and went out to sort our mail out doors at one of ft the tables and beaches that they had there. While Y7C sorted we had the mess attendant keep bringing us more.  After we had been there for about an hour up came a couple of Dr. ‘s old’\ fraternity brother and  then we met three fellows that were radar men do-down here.  They were all tops. The former invited us out to the Helena, a cruiser out in the channel to dinner, “e hope to take them up on that later. The club closes at seven so \-~e had to leave there. These radar officers invited us over to  ion I Club. They have to -pay thirty bucks to join -fchs.t one but we were -were their guests so could keep on with the beer. quests so could? on with the b e or.
             PAGE. #, 10  darkest at 183
            ~~
            “’~l!~:~.f’.:->..~~n<!-‘<e’..f:”jf~”x”.~’;:. “~”l.l                                                                        ‘”     .’”.,: --    -‘  ‘   ii    -! -   At first when -there ~a~35i; .raid. -babe ships al3. puma. out sand air left asana. f-all of laellfco’d.efenfl tile Island wi-bh.afewola srFnpiTrgrf~g Springfield rifles. It “tfaS & pretty grim ~ situation had the Japs only ~ .laioWlit, The whole thren~thhad gone into Guadalcanal oaii~.land there was \. a delay to get enough ~strength ~o~trve another?. 111011 all the strength went out to New Guinea and n~ they are building up for another. That will protatilytoe up 100,.    ,’”        ,                            ,;. ‘Hielllenon shoBeused to allduolcirito the bomb shelters and now sOBieoce had to laiOQk them out of the sack tOlaaketheia get up  They have n3-1 just t:oti. Good,<Good case of DON’T GIVE A DAMN<TGIVEA,DAMN             : ‘e.went;.’ by the ice cream parlor but there was o. line about axhia half mile long and we didn’t*’care to wait:- te~e; - e we went down to the PT base. It was a signonti’”ef3:rst shack that had operations ‘ South. Pacific if ie,. .There jujualuftnl’ w&g. a BanUeer the door that looked like an old chief, ye waited to know it our base spare had arrived and if there would be a chance ~P: of bringing new engine for the 242,  In iea3ds walked <Toe a.RdDr  and by chance he turned out to be the Commodore that is in charge of blithe all the PT boats in this-whole area. He seemed   : quite a nice fellow though aUd they weren’t bav~lwl out at III. On we walked to see the rest of the grounds. There is afloating dry dock and a marine railway heye that can be used to  repair the boats that .are tn this particular area They have quite a set up for ‘\ the whole plai7,6. .. figure it is better that-the bast at Melville.  .. Wiren we first, got to the base there w.s a blinding roar. They ha had one of theehgines on a test stand and. had a propeller on the back of it running. G-uess they are doing a little experimenting here as well as other plac~l ,   . They told. us at t~e base Post Office ths.t there wvas a lot of TZ& mail IBH for otir squadron that we could get i we wanted. Gosh but the was just what we Brented.. They put it in a, sack and we went otaer to & the mess hall to sit at 9. table get a-beer and sort it for the boats that are here how. When wewaike. in we met the first lieutenant of the base. We wondered if they would let us eat there and if there was any transportation back to the boats later in the evening. They were to have a liberty that night and there were only enough places for the men there and their guests and no place to sleep either. They could get us a ride back at once but later they couldn’t. Gosh but We pictured that outfit as about the stinkingest we had ever heard of.               We went on out way and wound up at the officer’s club. There we joined for a dollar, bought a book of tickets for three, grabbed a supply a of beer and went out to sort our mail out doors at one of the tables arid benches that they-had there. While we sorted we had the mess attendant keep bringing us more. After wie had been there for about an hour up came a couple of Dr. *s old fraternity brothers and  then we-en w’Q met three fellows that were radar men down here.  They were all tops. The former invited us out to the Helena, a cruiser out in the channel to dinner, “e hope to take them up on that later. The club closes at seven so we had to leave there. These Radar officers invited us down to  ion I Club. Toy have to pay thirty bucks to join ;that one but we were t their guests quests so could keep on with the beer.
             
            PAGE # II         auto 153  second version ??setting follows
               “ one of ~his buddies <   ‘ that was senior pilot on one or the big liberators. From all that gEH group we learned quite a bit about what the different squadrons were doing out here. They are doing a hell of a good job but are also taking a hell of a beating. The Marines are  racking up the same story here too. The marines will go in and take a place then the army come in to hold it and after a while the marines have to come back and take it all over again. The main thing now that the PTs are combating are the Jap landing barges and there are now some of those that are being armored and have forty mm cannon all over them. Those babies are of too shallow a draft to be torpedoed and they are really giving the boats ‘. hell. They are to put 37 MM- guns on our boats as soon &s they get unloaded and put the 20mm ones that we have now up on the bow. That will enable us to give the new barges a run for their money, There is a tale going around here now that the PTs are a terror to our shipping as well as the ~ T s are a t to all out shipping as the Japanese.- About a month ago Kennedy, one of Buckley’s men sank a naaaaa a transport. One really gets to wonder out here now every time they see any      ; damage who did it the Americans or f e Japs We decided about nine that we had  better be a worrying about us getting back to the Karacaibo. Joe was felling sort of sic];, and the rest of us had each downed about  fifteen bottles of beer and were getting pretty noisy. They got us  down to the dock and since there we no boats we have to hitch hike back on some one else’s boat. We decide to get on the first, one that comes in and stay there till they tale us where we want to go. The Shore Patrol is standing there and suggests that we wait till the   Saratoga boat  comes  in.  They are anchored about two hundred yards from us. ‘when it gets there out come two officers. One with a lady walks up the port gangway when he sees all six: of us sl?raarled  all over the Stbd one that is for the officers. The other one had a bunch of films projectors and screens. He comes blowing up and hollers “gang way’.’ No one moves and the Doc tells him he has the wrong gang way.<’ay. He ~alhhhhh off muttering. We all piled on. The Coxin doesn’t know what, to do so he  makes a circle, comes In again and yells all out except the men for the Saratoga. We don’t move. There  were about fifteen men from the Saratoga on the gig with us and t they all look like corpses and at Sunday school. They don’t say.. a word. That is all but one. He says sit tight they will take you out. Doc and Hans are hanging on top some where, Joe is sitting in the cockpit Qn<~’-. Tom and I  are forward. Walker was back in the big boy’s quarters. Well we went out to the Saratoga-. and- the Taen all f-et off but us. Hans wants to -F up to the OD to get him to take us cm to -our “boat but one of .the men says that he will take care of it . About this time there is a loud voice that t says, “Where are you men wanting to go?” “ To the Keracaibo “ “Do have you permission to get on this boat?” “ The Shore Patrol “ T The Cox’s is in charge of this boat. “
            k             -: PAGE # II         setting not noted   ~ ‘ his  buddies ‘friend was senior pilot on one of the big Liberators. was  senior pilot  on  one  of -the ~.  From all  that  giaa group we learned quite a bit about what-at the different squadrons were doing out here. They are doing a hell of a good job “but are also taking a hell ‘ of a beating. The Marines are  racking up the same story here too. The marines will go in and take a place then the army come in to hold it and after while the marines have to come back and take it all over again, The main thing now that the PTs are combating are the Jap landing barges and there are now some of those that are being armored and have forty mm cannon all over them. Those babies are of too shallow a draft to be torpedoed and they are really giving the boats  hell. They are to put 37 mm guns on our boats as soon as they get unloaded and put the 20mm ones that we have now up on the bow. That will enable us to give the new barges a run for their money. There is a tale going around here now tat the f T s are a t terror to all out shipping as well as to the Jaanese., About a month ago Eannedy, one of Buckley’s men sank a ~ies~r~y~i,ddd a transport. One really gets to wonder out here now every time they see any       : damage who did it t-he Americans or t e Jap We decided about nine that we had  better be a worrying about us getting back to the Karachi. Joe was felling sort of sick and the rest of us had each downed about  fifteen bottles of beer and were getting pretty noisy. They got us  down to the dock and since there are no boats we have to hitch hike back on some one else’s boat. We decide to get on the first one that comes in and stay there till they tell us where we take us where we wanted to go.   to go. The Shore Patrol is standing there and suggests that we wait till the  Saratoga boat comes in. They are anchored about two hundred yards from us. when it gets there out come two officers.  One with a lady wal!ir8 up the port gangway when he sees all six of us sprawled  all over the Stbd one that is for the officers. The oilier ons had a bunch of films projectors and screens. He comes blowing up and hollers “gang way’! Ho one No one moves and  the Doc tells him he has the wrong gangway. He T~lbbbb off muttering. We all piled on. The Coxin doesn’t know what. to do 80 he  makes a circle, comes In again and yells all out except the men for the Saratoga. We don’t move. There  were about fifteen men from the Saratoga on the gig with us afaf t they all look like corpses and at Sunday school. They don’t say.. a word. That is all but one. he says sail tight they will take you out. Doc and Hans are hanging on top some where, Joe is sitting in the cockpit and Tom and T  are forward. Walker was back in the big boy’s quarters. Well we get out to the Saratoga. and the men all get off but us. Hans wants to “;get up to the OD to get him to take us cm to our boat but one of .the men says that he will take care of it . About’ this time there is a loud voice that says, “Where are you men wanting.?”, to go?” “ To the Meracaibo “ “Who gave you permission to c on this boat?” “ The Shore Patrol “ T The Cox’s Is in charge of “this boat. “
             
            PAGE 12

wi we could get a ride<ie’:i~es~~o~!~bhe~i~: Jay;-     .                       “ Cox’s make the Maracaibo and return to the ship and will all .HI
            off you get below and not hang on all over t he boat. Guess we did look like a “bunch of  pirates.  We all dived: in but Sot~ he sat still. When we got to the barge ‘alongside of the ‘boat we all piled off. There were two other boats alongside  too. Ben was pumping water into her and the other was a tanker that was taking on her cargo of oil. We were all stumbling around there and one of the bunch lighted his cigarette lighter. The mate on the boat shouted down in a very sarcastic tone to put that light out. We all started to cuss him then and thru the cussing you could hear Joe tell him he could, at least have a civil tongue. He muttered a little but must have said nothing important. We all shinnied up a line that was between the barge and boat; All went to bed but Doc and 1. We went over to talk to the gang that would be reading. They all w-‘anted the mail too and that helped their feelings. I didn’t get one guess thrice is b cause the address didn’t get changed to San Francisco before we left Panama. We wound up  talking to l-Jr. Sweet and out comes Hard Tawk and raises hell about the loud talking and says he  thinks we are making as much disturbance as the whole bunch the whole trip. He didn’t wait for .my comments but ducked back to his sack.                     ‘ Oh foSh fi\ft I On MONTH fifth, I woke up UT with a headache this 3;?0 L1.LI1FT...... T wasn’t by
            myself either. I <didn’t feel like making ‘breakfasted -either. G-Guess sleep] is  about the best thing the ‘ for a hang over. The base force all moved off this morning along with the base force officers. They are to be Quartered ashore and the boats will have to tie up out somewhere to a buoy. Just after dinner Hard Teal came back with some rare news. We are to get paid t.-sorrow and will also get off the boats tomorrow. The< new Crane was here this morning but one of the cables is all fouled up and they are fixing it now. He also told us that our new base may be up on the northernmost our base & may be up on the island of the New; Georgia group. That place had Japs on three and a half sides of it. If true we will have the tine of out lives for a while and maybe get in a good many punches at that bunch. There is r rumor also that there will be a push on Bougainville which is Jap held and. fifty miles away in about two months, Looks ?~ like the   first Hi~~sss squadron out here will .get a. real test of what they car.’ take. In the afternoon Harry and Sph both want Ashore, They got back about eight in the evening and both having new tales to tell about Vella La Vella the island where our base is to be. There is a Jap held island between it and G-Guadalcanal and that base is up there to starve the Japs out on the island where they are. The distance to Bougainville is only about fifty miles and that means a hell of a lot of r6ids. seems as if they had an airport there but it got bombed by t e Japs so much that out planes now fly over and drop the supplied few with a parachute. If that is to be our base we will be more or less a buffer till the big -push starts then we will .be in on that.  Nice and Cozy. This sounds like the set up that Montgomery had though and they got to go back to the states after being here for four months. I’m hoping that that we get in to the thick of things so we can go home too after at least a year.
             PAGE 113  no difference noted - two more versions # II!
            previous iligifb and there was no  -boo ia.ucli 1,0 3.0. I ‘had. gD-b-ben     ‘. ~L..    all   -the   monthly   reports   in   except    engineering   a   d   the   engineers   could        ‘ ‘*-      not   complete   that till   today.     The   plan  is   for   all   the  boats  here                 . “t      to   go   into  the  dock  end.  every   one   get   off  of  t   em   and.  go  to   that                    ~ show. ltvd.ll tie just after lunch.  I am very glad. that everyone is    ‘ .  to get to see it here at the base. The original plan was to have three men we three I from each boat stay aboard, and miss it. Several of us got together : and. got  the captain to agree to  let us take those that missed. it to a place across the harbor “here there will be another one . They will have to :’er for Ei about six times to get around -to every one here on the island..        ‘, At eleven 0*01061;: the men began to assemble in-their ..ice.s ‘  -in the i.oscJU..ite bowl for the show. The thing was;. to start at two         “ and they w”inte- tp I;e , Q good seat for the occasion, we had the intelligence meeting at one  and  soon  thereafter  the boat left to pick up the party. while they were gone all the boat came and went-‘t’. ins   Gov.’n  and  made last  minute  inspections  of  their respective boats to see that ell lines were okay arfcitL’Jat the boat       , was .safe t!hile ever; one wl.s ev’ay. when I got back to the movie area  - there was not a seat nor standing ;laoe close enough to s e. That lace  ; is big enough for our P.T. group but there were three lots of men from across the pond that \”were to be there too. w>’e~eaa every; one. dressed up and it sort  of put   c,;  I ~L on ~h:Ln~e to have all that rag” raggedy . bunch there. I ‘”.iiiii no-b iil:e it ei~I-errrr 1~~~ I was not ~oil!C:: to get to. see it.                          .                 ‘        I ~.t a reefer’s chest and sat cloven in front of the wardroon t   to reac:.. At four thirty the troup still had  not showed up and it was supper time. I ‘.  eC in eiid ate esiC:. about that time sill the visitors ~   had to leave cnc.. I:it s..3:..ec. t~c-t also a lot of our own officers got :;’        t’  e   iC.Gc.      h-e’l    it   ~  ul-‘    be   a   good   ti::iet      e&t   too.   When   they   were   sighted ..              I     too.     just     ~in-slJec.     ::UT’ i     c.Yi.’.f.ic.     get     &     good    seat.      .’there    was    Bob .                                             Hope,              j Jerry-y            Colona,             ‘.’Frances           Langford,             Patty          Thomas,              a            fellow          named;     iIO:.-:8ro  “”ho  who layed a guitar  o  guitar  and  Hope’s  gag  i.isri.  ‘2” e  whole  show was I   wonderful. Al:. the fellows enjoyed it a lot.  atty Thomas did several- :;’-l - a lot.  did -:;               tsp .r.izces      sccn.ti’..y      c3. ::       3:.e     w~S iiii      ro.J~r     :xd..l     for     Esquire     magazine.  . .     Bob Hope too soon. oon.”L.’.ntiy p.dlibinr, ‘.:n-..ough o’c-hole per:l:’ol;;~-nce. f   trances Frances Langford ~nc o...ee  on~ss ~nd rigli-b in fche...lid~l.. or one of ‘;       the~  it.   stc~ w.-rrrrrr  “oO  r: n.  She   stopped.   ;:.XKI  C: 1C ~‘.  what  --e  i.’ic  when  it -    rained. “Get ~et” .i                                           S”G     “’c.t      on     ~.-  ..1.     t,].~      .ong      UJ.’;       no      one     .noticed.!.       The     platform     that 1   was i,u..l;JJJ ~or ;n~ l~c. <-. ir.el’ber orer it ~o S i10 cid no-t, rl t wet. ‘~                    Colona   .rl~~  s’-:vorf:l   songs   .L  he   and   bob  Hope  wet   through   several a     :-;n-bo~j.: . r-          ;, “        Soon o~- ‘bh j?:”ini h’..’”. ‘ “ o.R~QC :.c>”l’. -co the bost. ‘iie had G patrol tnot n;’c’ht. “”e  G.-. -“’:.th i-.e 282 ‘-ith .i-t Butl..:r”orth a  f:ect:’.onleeder ‘.        w.Q  ‘:’eL’e   a   littl itt ‘1.0 ‘oc   “’~~..ng   out   but   seened   to  nob    !.1:ive   worried  the Jp’is theDstroi o~ r nocl;-ive OE u?U!:ii. wfe  -ot i   on : ee ?oo n”  ;:1n:n.1., ten . I ~-, c tire-  i-nd slc.epy and soon ‘K the .-ectiiig’f:- over -..th I ~Oi;;; a nap. Hank ..’nd Dick got the b.~at fu-uei”.   ‘    all “WI  cleaned. That ai’-b.i-noon ~.”? rellov? that ~L.I  cc?cnnnn ]J.vj-ng in uhe tent “ith Bob~-nherE c”~. u  ijl  1ij e wa  p~’i~i~’: -bo aboat FO bhat l”ft a wacancy in ‘u e <-:. Ir  I ‘bhoughb it ‘- ..,. he a  I,Oi.. o “ortunity to ::ove a”hore. I ~”ante’  ;.  o:.  ashOJ.-    :.o bh:b i ooul:. “”.00? -bhere
              PAGE #  13
             The morning of -the thirtieth  there was a pay day for all hands. We were to go in in-two shifts. I was in the first that went leaving here at eight. The paymaster here had taken the, a accounts that our own had sent to him and was getting the cash to 3is. I got three letters too and these were the first since leaving Panama. Guess I thought more of those than I did the pay that came.                     *  Go word that Melville is all a mess too. The men that were our instructors and that put on so many airs are now the outcasts there. The boys that have “been out here and gone “back are not the “big “boys there. One  Ens Wetherili that was there was to leave for RON Ten that is to be here. Hs got all fouled up and either can’t get to them or can’t find them. They were all left at Tobago when we pulled out. There are a lot of interesting tales that are going around here now about some of the boys who have gotten a little jungle jolly. There is one PT skipper here that is reported to be guilty of sinking only one Jap barge when he could easily get more Bhen turning on his search light on the men that have gotten out of the barge Into the water and shooting them with his 45. There are a lot of funny things about the regulations of this g place. The seamen on all the merchant ships aren’t allowed to go ac ashore and t—ere are some tankers that sit here and take on the oil that the regular tankers bring in and merely act as storage tanks for it. Those poor boys never get ashore. Yesterday they got one of those alongside the MaBacs.ibo to take  off her cargo’ of oil  The thing wouldn’t hold. but two thirds of it. That means that we would have to to wait till something comes in now that can hold the test Of it. All the oil has to be removed before the tanks can be refluclded with, salt water. The boats can’t be unload d till], all the excess height of the ship is removed by the ballast said:  . The crane can’t reach up as high as we are now. The captain of the tanker this morning told the Chief Engineer to prepare to stay here for at least a. month. Eph and Harry met some of the bomber pilots  at the club too. They were invited -to go up to G-Guadalcanal with. them this morning when they took some B 21s up. Hard Tack told then that there was too much to get done though and that they couldn’t go. They  were planning for us to come by ano. pick them up on our way up. That is a thousand ‘ miles away though. They really w.-ill be needed aboard their boats on the trip up. The best news that we have gotten today is that Capt. Smith is in New Caledonia and will be here is a couple’ of days. We really all had a horror of having ~ra.oket in charge of the squadron.  He probably would have done a good job but he is the world’s poorest leader of men and ther would. all have l-,~teiii him for every command that he gave. he.  He has a sort of sarcastic attitude about, him that makes him appear -‘as a little man in an important job. We are at least going into a place where there wall be a lot of excitement and there is quite a- ‘”possibility that we can earn a unit citation for the squadron. l feel pretty sure that with Capt. Smith as the brains of the ‘outfit there will be a lot of work done. 
             PAGE #  13
             The morning of -the thirtieth  there was a pay day for all hands. We were to go in in-by shifts. I was in the first that went leaving here at eight. The paymaster here had taken the, a accounts that our own had sent to him and was getting the cash to us. I got three letters too and these were the first since leaving Panama. Guess I thought more of those than I did the pay that came.                     *  Go word that Melville is all a mess too. The men that were our instructors and that put on so many airs are now the outcasts there. The boys that have “been out here and gone “back are not the “big “boys there. One  Ensign Wetherill that was there was to leave for Ron that is to be here. Hs got all fouled up and either can’t get to them or can’t find them. They were all left at Tobago when we pulled out. There are a lot of interesting tales that are going around here now about some of the boys who have gotten a little jungle jolly. There is one PT skipper here that is reported to be guilty of sinking only one Jap barge when he could easily get more Bhen turning on his search light on the men that have gotten out of the barge Into the water and shooting them with his 45. There are a lot of funny things about the regulations of this g place. The seamen on all the merchant ships aren’t allowed to go ac ashore and t—ere are some tankers that sit here and take on the oil that the regular tankers bring in and merely act as storage tanks for it. Those poor boys never get ashore. Yesterday they got one of those alongside the MaBacs.ibo to take  off her cargo’ of oil  The thing wouldn’t hold. but two thirds of it. That means that we will have to to wait till something comes in now that can hold the test Of it. All the oil has to be removed before the tanks can be refluclded with, salt water. The boats can’t be unload d till], all the excess height of the ship is removed by the ballast said:  . The crane can’t reach up as high as we are now. The captain of the tanker this morning told the Chief Engineer to prepare to stay here for at least a. month. Eph and Harry met some of the bomber pilots  at the club too. They were invited -to go up to G-Guadalcanal with. them this morning when they took some B 21s up. Hard Tack told then that there was too much to get done though and that they couldn’t go. They  were planning for us to come by and. pick them up on our way up. That is a thousand ‘ miles away though. They really w.-ill be needed aboard their boats on the trip up. The best news that we have gotten today is that Capt. Smith is in New Caledonia and will be here is a couple’ of days. We really all had a borrow of having ~ra.oket in charge of the squadron, lie probably would have none a good job but he is the world’s poorest lender of men a.mi ther wwould. all have l-,~teiii him for every command that he gave.. he.  He has a sort of sarcastic attitude about, him that makes him appear -‘as a little man in an important job. We are at least going into a place where there wall be a lot of excitement and there is quite a- ‘”possibility that we can earn a unit citation for the squadron. l feel pretty sure that with Capt. Smith as the brains of the ‘outfit there will be a lot of work  done.,, ,

PAGEs 14-24  PAGE 17 is missing October 1943 PAGE 14 i-Th.ein.oriilrig of October I-the crane came alongside -to get the first boat off.  There-b the first off. ‘ had been a barge alongside -the night before that was to get the oil off but it didn’t old all of it. When it came alongside there was a question about our drifting   ‘ ‘ and it was thought that we might hit a freighter behind us if there was any movement so the Navy tanker had us up anchor and moved us both up. Along about ten that night both of us had come pretty close to the bank. About that time there was a grinding outside and when we got out there to see we were knocking down the pilings that had been.

put up for a new pier. The Navy Tanker didn’t reach as far aft as we did and was not getting ~alzy of the brunt of the scraping. The Captain really was a worried man t hat night. Before he would let anyone get to bed someone had to go over the side and see what the damage was. It would have broken his heart to have had that rudder  or screw all fowie so he couldn’t get way from here.

When the crane got there the ballast hadn’t gotten in and he was to get the boats that were amidships off first. The ones up forward were too high and he couldn’t lift the Hn off. The first was the 2~f,, That was the first time that we had been able to arrange for any of the men to have liberty. Joe had gone with the gang too keep them straight’ and Walker had gone ashore to make a few purchases. Neither thought that they would get to their boat.

We decided that Ollie Tannin tannin would take charge of that host.  Alpine had gone with Joe and the other boats had one o officer each aboard. Well the gabs did a wonderful job of getting it off but soon as it hit the water Mr. Bracket shinnied down the libe and made a bee line over the boat looking to see if there were any leaks. After & few minutes the crew got aboard and got the engines all turning. Since they had been converted to 1550 horse power they turned a lot faster at idling speed and it took some time to get the ail fixed and warmed. This all irked Bracket because he thought they should run perfectly. They can’t be tuned perfectly unless they can be run.  They tied up alongside, till after dinner to come in to the base. The 31  was t e second boat. When it was raise”, there wasn’t quite enough clearance so Hard Tack had. us take off the- center screw till we could ,get clear of though stanchions that the cracUas were resting on. Once the:-“ were cleared he was going to let us put them on again under water but we got him to let us p-et the the screw ‘h-back on before t:e boat was put down. Or-Once the prop, lock rut- arc Wilt w’~1”’3  iii place  he  ~e-decided  not  to  put  the washer  ‘back}:  or,  for  fear  of  it’s having:’.”” n T~1.3 effect on electrostatic action and -Ghrevr it a.Tz.ray , I’d rs rather have the electrolytic action and have the screw than to lose the screw but. Soon as it hit the water he peeled off his clothes and. over to the boat he went. He really looked like a monkey and was d definitely acting one. Soon as the boat wax got back close to the tanker where we could p-..et on-‘ we all piled down.. Alpine, had. gotten back by this tine.  While our engineers were tuning up the engines and :i had a bunch .c-.ettir.  the cabled, ready to cast off the monkey comes u”o ar’.’ starts to work the annunciators and there is Alpine standing there all the time waiting for everything to get-e all-~r for every to all set fore he takes us off. Well after -taking him back to the boat to get his clothes we- finally get on in to the anchorage snA tie up. They decide to PAGE #15 bring us on to take a look for fcli~’ni’fce. The-dock is really “the “bank of a : little creek and -there is pretty shallow water so they have us -bowed in by a lighter.  small landing barge.

The morning of the second they really get to work on the boats.  First they jerk the 20mm gun off the stern and. take it over to be cut down to a more effective size. Then they start to get the platform built for the 37mm  gun for the ‘stern. By evening they get the new gun on the stern and the 20mm on the bow. The other tBree bo td all get BBE unloaded too so that night there is a lot of feeling- good cause things  , are looking fine. Oh the Captain had gotten about tern in t e morning and his presence had the morale way up. The third they got our engine out and the new one in in it’s       - place that is “the center one.  That morning We had a muster and the    ‘ Captain gave us all a pep talk and all the officers had a meeting to get the low down from the intelligence officers here what the picture was that is before us. In the afternoon I went up with Walker ‘to get a : some spare parts for one of the machine guns. When I got back they had : gotten the new guns on all the other boats and had the mounts secured  : on the first two. The fourth I went with the bunch at seven thirty to see the dentist I thought that they needed cleaning but on close examination there was ; found some abscesses around both the wisdom teeth. They would have to   ; both come out. Well that wasn’t so bad .but when l left I was really drunk from the drug that had been used to deaden the gums. The Dr. had blaoed a wad. of gauze over each hole and was to hold it there for thirty minutes. After  that time I spit both out and there was an immediate spurting of blood from one of the teeth.

I was at the morning meeting OT- all the officers and had to leave.  At sick bay they put a cold pack and a new wad of gauze on and about that time the Novocain started to wear off and I really had a case of wi.flier’ They tried for an hour and & half to get it stopped but no success. -Finally they took me back to the dentist to 1^st him ..sew it up. lie tried putting a compress there that had been soaked with adrenalm ant and that seemed to help. When we got back they got me some drops that really did close me up. & went to sleep and woke up for a glass of juice at four then went back to sleep till six this morning the fifth.

I do remember the bed shaking last night and was told this morning that t ere was a slight earth quake last night.

It was still raining to best the devil so I stayed in bed. My throat and. mouth was pretty sore. I found that I could open my mouth though and. not have the blood come spurting so I got them to have one of the r.ies3 boys bring me some breakfast. I stayed in bed all morning and after- I’d finished dinner I got up to walk around. All the poison from the drug was not yet worn off and I still had the. feeling of a severe-e hang over.

After supper I went “to the T’iovis and felt a lot better.

The sixth we got all the final adjustments on the thirty seven millimeter gun and- got the ammunition aboard in the morning. That afternoon we picked up the target and off we went to get in a little shooting practice b fore getting completely away from here. On the firs shot that was fired one whole corner of the target was carried away.

Gosh but that looked like a wonderful addition. We made several runs past the target. That is each bo,o-t man-e then individually.  The boys show that they -need a lot of practice -with this gum. They get the train well but the elevation isn’t up to what it will have to be before . -   PAGE # 16   -        ~ we got the “ maximum use out of i-fc. When we ilido me in though all -bhewluble thing was riddled. On -the final  run we had opened up with all the guns at the same time. The men at the base said that it looked mighty good <hat the last “bunch that was here had only gotten about three 50 oal holes in the target. In face we used the same one. It is a cinch that no one will be able to use it again.

All day the se-seventh we worked getting everything aboard, that was to go with us. We were to leave the next nest day. The torpedoman worked i3 like mad trying to get his fish ready. He had spent a lot of time on t the other boats helping them to get ready and they weren’t returning t the favor which just made it hard for him. By midnight he had gotten fetTKga- two ready  though  and  was  pretty  encouraged.

Early in t e morning I had gone over? to the post office and gotten a money order r to send to Jane. The e isn’t any use in keeping any out with me. Then too there wasn’t any thing here to get her for Christmas and she can use that for  such a purpose. After getting t at attended to I hurried back to the boat and started to work. It was a mess all over. I had all the crew get busy straightening and scrubbing it up. Bu ten we had all that finished and it was time to get over to      ‘ the dock.                                                                    We were to take along besides the usual full tanks ten drums of gas up on the decks . The last leg of the trip was to be about 460 miles and that made us have to go mighty slow or take the extra gas, Besides that we were to have our depth charges lifted off. There are plenty of those up t.-ere and there is no need to haul these any further, After dinner we started to  anking our lazarette. There was really a pile on our deck and there was no need of having it look so u-unsightly, I pitched in with the fellows in getting all that stuff straight.  Harry had done a wonderful job in getting us a lot of stores and there was quite a pile of those  In fact so many that we couldn’t get them all al in the usual place and we filled the after tank room with them. ‘We   got   all   t   e   7mm  ammunition   down   inside   ~hen   three   big  medical boxes and a lot of tents tools and in the getting them down we had to wind up with tliera pretty level for there XT-ers to be five of the base force going- with us and they were to sleep there.

We got over to t.-.e WOG- which is n concrete tanker that just sits out in the harbor and holds hundred octane. Any thing that needs it comes along side and etravrs same. ilans had been over there since early morning and when we got there about two he was still sitting there and hadn’t gotten a single drop of gas yet. Well,’ we got to stirring round and got the gas to going. We lent him our strainer so he could get in a hurry”? and let ail flue rest of the boats fill up too When we were out fliring the afternoon before, Skinny got the word to go bu for the bs.lcer run arnt. he interpreted that to mean a dry run a so he went breezing by the target a-and didn’t fire a shot. We really kidded him a lot about that, Early in the morning,:; he had to he hauled out of the water. The firing runs were the first rfas that we  had made since getting off the tanker and. he had had & bad warp in the boat- and gotten one of the shafts out of line. The men worker on the boat all day and all night getting it into a running shape. It ‘was out though when we were ready to set out next morning.”-.         

PAGE 17 is Missing   

PAGE ~18      aboard, we went looking    

around ? ;:~;;    we could, get a shower  ‘, soliaolc we went to get the towels, soap etc. That really made us         feel good.. I After the Slower Tom, Lt. Pringle one of the 1. lie intelligence officers that is hitch hiking &p to Talagi with us and I sat around.

talking.  We were wanting to get out of him all the latest dope that he had about the place out herd-  It seems that Nimitz is in charge    “ of this whole area and. under him is Admiral Halsey for the South West Pacific and. under Him is Admiral Witikinson who is in charge .of ~  amphibious operations. It so happens that we are under that heading.”  * The PTs out here are having to do a lot of work that they weren’t designed to do but there is nothing else out here that can do that job as well as we can. “ Commodore Moran is  more or less in charge of policy out here for the PTs but he has no tactical command at all over us and it is a pretty good thing. He was Captain of the Oklahoma at Pearl harbor and after that he had. the Cruiser Boise. On the Boise he did a little  bad shooting and sank one of our? own ships then in another engagement there was a case’ when he silhouetted the Boise so that it made a perfect target for the Japs and got it all shot up and a It of men hurt. He would probably mass the PTs for a push on Bougainville and something like that would be suicide.

We got the news from the YP radio that the allies sank a Jap cruiser and four t tin cans evacuating the garrison of four hundred men on Vella la Vella la Vella la Vella. That makes- things look even better.

Lately there have been several skirmishes between  our planes and the PTs. Recognition signals coming slow 03? not at all have gotten one -PT sunk and one B 25 shot down.

There was a move to convert one of the PTs that were decommissioned to a plane director to work with a squadron. At night it is almost impossible to find an enemy plane with another plane and if a boat could have the necessary equipment to give the location, altitude course and speed of enemy-.y planes  our own could knock them right out.

Altitude is the most important item on the list. Nothing as yet has been accomplished  though.

We pulled out at six on the morning of the tenth from star Harbor on the way to Tallagi which is about half way up Guadalcanal island and to the east of it. About thirty minutes out three of our planes came over and after getting the proper recognition they made several runs over us in more or less a joking, manner. About  half an hour later we saw a. little beach where they were based all by them selves out on the island. Guess they are stationed there to protect any allied shipping that may be attacked in this area.  I had the first watch again.

About eleven we sighted Guadalcanal Island. It made one feel pretty queer to be going by the place that  ad b been in the news and where so many of our boys had been killed.  Florida island is right across the slot from The Canal and a little island on one side is Tumagi. That is where the base is. There are two parts of it. Sesapi is where all the work is done and where all the stores are and across the little bay is Calvertsville where all the men sleep and eat.

PAGE # 19 P‘ . ., ......... M. -.-\.:.- - . ‘ .. . .::\ -   “   ~ - ‘:.>f”~ .~>ff.~.’    Calvertsville is named in honor of Commander Calvert who Is In oh-charge of the base here. I-It Is located, in a sort of swamp but there Is adequate drainage and it is pretty nice. There is an abundance of tropical plants that are mighty pretty. We met a lot of the fellows who have been out here for some time. It seems that all the boats come .bask back here for repairs and overhauls.  That means that every six or eight weeks that the men get to come back this far to get repairs and a little needed rest. All these men seemed resigned to the fate that is theirs and seem to be taking every thing in their  stride. Guess that is the best way to be. There are Jap PT boats out here now. In fact one of our cans was sunk about two weeks ago. There are not many though as yet and we have not had to take s-any measures yet to be combating them. Most of t e recent operations have been against Jap barges and Float planes. The latter are really old orated that have pontoons and sit out in the water to get  the pt boats as they come out on patrol. They carry hundred pound bombs to do their work. They have not sunk any boats yet but have killed a few officers with the bombs.   ‘ We met one boy that had been on the boat that our own B IZ~s had sunk. There were three of them and <he first KOBE two had recognized the boats but the third one had borne down and shot the boat and men to hell. None of -the men were tilled but there were several arms and legs missing The boat went UT in flames all over and they had to abandon ~n ship.  Then the bomber started to strafe them in the water. One o the other boats that was along let go a burst of fifty caliber at him and knocked down the plane. Three officers on the plane were killed and when the boats picked, up the three survivors they thought that Japs were getting them and were they scared. Another case is that several Ts were sent out to pick UT> the survivors from the destroyer that was sunk about two paragraphs up.  They didn’t find the survivors from that but did find about fifty Japs in the water and instead of doing the usual thing and killing them all the officer in charge picked them up.  Well one of the Japanese ~k took the gun away from the guard that was taking care of then and shot him. There ere very few -men out. here that ~_ ever taken in men like .e  , . If they are ; found-f ?’-n the water they are tilled by gunfire o~ by running -the boat .t over ten. ~6. hitting -them. with the” screws. There seems is little chance of getting back to the states-tea In  . less than two  years is  -Pretty remote now. There is & possibility that we will “-et back sooner as the;.” ~:ettt the war over with in Europe and are able to send oar-more  of the force that they have there out ~:i re to do some of the work t ~ the PTs are doing now. P-probably the ordinary reason for the successes that have been had u-n  -vili 1?OV~ is -fche” shore” ~~-t I1E? TS  uia-fc  the States are using.  These  are former plantation owners -bk-d-b 3,0 in -bo ths Ja:o hsic” islands and live with the natives w.e-CQ and get information of the  enemy  and  get it out to us. these rien car:, predict the tine end niowe of every raid. In ore instance one of these men stayed with a bunch of natives a week before the- erpr knew that he was with he them. They go in there-e with the idea of staying ‘,::: there for two years at least fore trying to cane s out. In one case  . ere -as a rai- to be Si; f:-e:~e- on Guadalcanal from fa Bougainville about &- }-our’s flying tl~e away and aa the planes took n.n of t!-iese shorn rfcch~rs sent th- -OY~ to Australia. They relayed ii wiiu ; headquarters at Pearl Harbor ?Earl and then t en it was sent to PAGE #20 the Commander .of South Pacific thence 10 1110 Commander< of Guadalcanal and by the time that the planes got there our fighters were up and the shore batteries were all ready. Consequently little damage. The big push on Bougainville is $O  take place in the next month. That will  probably mean that we will not get into it ourselves. They will have a hell of a time getting that too for it is as big as Santo is now j Some of the boys are getting clothes ready now to send back. Guess- it will be a pretty good idea &~b at that. ‘ This afternoon  the eleventh we made some speed runs. All morning we worked getting the boat unloaded,, We really worked on that too.     ‘ We even got the floor boards out of the lazarette and after tank room. - All personal gear was takes off. We piled it all on the forty three   ‘ boat and after all the unloading they were sitting in the water about eight inches deeper than they were when we started.

the runs weren’t too successful, “we got forty one inches of -srspnf  , manifold pressure and two thousand R. we ran a measured distance and : it proved to be only thirty one knots that we were getting out of her. \ about all the boats that are out here now even R they have been here ‘ a long time are beating that all hollow.  The fellows tell us that they’ll have not had to use their speed yet but then there in never any telling when it will mean whether we ever get back or not.

Right in the middle of the last run the center sputtered and died. the manifold and oil pressure dropped and it looked as if it were real mess. They plan to go over it thoroughly in the morning and if .they have to pull out the engine It may b3 a hell of a time fore -..’e get UT to the front and &o any shooting- for ourselves.

There was en air raid alert last night and the fellows “that came d down from the Russel islands today told us that the. Japs sank two of our liberty ships up there last night. They didn’t say what we did to them.

I found out that they are using a lot of APGs along with us. They ere used to haul clruris of gas from one place to another for t-.e PTs to give them & longer run when necessary. Then they are used for grocery boats end their  condensers are used to make drinking water at the advanced bases where there has been no evaporator installed yet.

Id give anything in the world to run in to E.J. Coleman out here on one of them. He always was bragging-s about what fighting sharps that the”” were.

Tonight I heard a broadcast from Tokyo. It was a propaganda scheme for the allies. Quite an interesting thing . According to it the allies are losing forty thousand men a month out here and the Japs very few. They said that Gene-ral Marshall said that we -ad to draft Seventy thousand & month to be able to keep u with the war losses. Ha., Y~ors just came through one of -the liberty ships that was sunk had 1,2 new Packard engines  for  our boats  aboard and all  those went  down with t-.the ship.-o. I ~.an:lt think what they will be worth  much if they are able to get the shit up and get them off.

The twelfth we made more speed runs end again R center engine cut out. I feared that they would have to pull the engine but just ;-s a check one of the engineers pushed down i.: e cutout button nndit PAGE # 22       top  ~ ...-                 ‘                    .        “    . ~ On the morning-e of the fourteenth we started, out the day’s work 1y getting all -fueled as we are scheduled to-to leave tomorrow to go up the line and there ,isn’t t;-any need to have and delay at the last minute to get to fuel. They have a very good system here and the gas really does come pouring out the two funnels to the .boat. Out     \ here all of it is  passed thru a shammy skin to keep any salt water from getting into the tanks. When a shammy is ono3 wet with TgafcaK  gas water won’t pass thru.         r At the same-piece there is ‘an armory and torpedo overhaul shop.

They came out end inspected the ammunition that we had on board and promptly threw about a thousand rounds that we had over the side. It was in pretty good shape but had been cleaned several times and was a little worn. They want us to have some that will be sure to shoot true. Then too the new ammunition that we got has incendiary bullets in if;. We gave them out two 22 rifles and got two holsters for the two new 5 cal. pistole that we had gotten the day before. After that we went over to the water hole. That is the place that was written up in the Saturday evening post. One of the :first squadrons out here found a water fall and piped the water over to where it could be used. It is pure enough to use for drinking without putting any purifier  I washed the first clothed that I’ve had to do since getting into the Navy today too. They had just about all gotten dirty and there was no one to get to do them. I’d previously taken in a bunch but they had not yet been finished at the base laundry. I’ll tell you -I’m agin it. We washed up this whole boat there. Even got the’ bilges and floor boards all over the boat and does it look a hundred percent better now.  All the fellows got -back get their laundries done too while we were there. Left about three thirty and came back up to the usual buoy and tied u? for the night. We are to leave at one thirty tomorrow for the Russels and that will give us time to get the two tachometers that we still have over at sessap& getting fixed.  I think that the reason that we are stopping there and not going straight to Rendova is to give the folks there a chance to look the Higgins boats over. PAGE 22 bottom now.  All the follows got to get their laundries done too while we were there.

Left about three thirty and came back up to the usual buoy and tied up for the night. We are to leave at one thirty tomorrow for the Russels and that will give us tame to get the two tachometers that we still have over at sessap& getting fixed.   I think? that the reason that vie are  stopping there and not going straight to Rendova is to give the folks there a chance to look the Higgins boats over.

I I’ll be pretty glad. to get on up. The chow here isn’t the best in the world and then too I’m sorta anxious to be a getting out on patrol and do a little shooting the Japanese on Jay own.

Mr. Sweet was made materiel officer today. There ere several that don’t think that a good move but not me, I have a lot of faith in him and his ability. I think the reason .that those that oppose do so is because he has gotten on their  dusters a couple of times for having had  something lacking in their condition of their Boats.

The fifteenth we were scheduled to ‘leave the t e base to go on up the line. ‘J-‘he next stop was to be the Russell islands.

All morning, Alpine was busy getting the last minute things done that are necessary in personnel matters and getting, the necessary codes. I took all t e small arms that we had and-d issuer one to each man to clean. I thought that it would-.t be a good break for the gunners and e.t tr.e some time be a job that would. keep them al’! busy. They looked a lot better too after all that work.

Just after we had. finished dinner we went over to t. e laundry to get out laundry. There is supposed to be a two day service but when ~e got there the?” had ours washed, but it was still all wet. bur.-; -ill all wet. That really did get me all worked s .1- up.  There were seven bundles of it all neatly piled on i. s table >.. ere. ::e had bean wit-out getting any washing done for the past rec weeks .

‘  PAGE # 23- When we got back to the boat, I strung up some temporary clothes lines In the officers quarters  to get it to airing a little bit. Soon as -we had gotten out R it -was fairly dry and I wanted, to .get all that-.at stuff out. I draped clothes over every engine and hung some six hangers of clothes over the engines in hopes of getting it al  ‘ dry. When we got in there R it was still sorta damp so I decided to let it stay the night in the engine room where it was, The base at the Russel  Islands was a real t paradise. There e was deep water ail the way up to the banks and over hanging all the little bay were giant trees that had branches about a foot in diameter sticking out over the water. To these branches we tied up. There was shade from the sun and I do mean it gets plenty hot in this country.  The air smelled clean and f rest. In the days when this was a big base they had drums out to catch the rain water so they could have a shower when they came in.  There are only three PTs stationed t here now. There isn’t much activity here and they send. all the boats back to Talagi to get repairs now so there really is no need for them.

In peace time t is was a giant coconut farm. Seems as if there were a lot of them out here for every where we have been there .:-as appeared to. be  worlds of the trees all planted in rows with the trees 11 the same distance apart.   The officers quarters here at the base was the home of the plantation manager at one time. It is as nice as those that we saw back 81 Puerto Armuelles in Panama. The food here was really wonderful the- we stayed for only two meals. .  Looks like they”:’ could have done  the  same at Tulpgi for it  is E closer to civilization than this.

At eight thirty on the morning of the sixteenth we pulled. out again this time for Rendova. We are supposed posed to stay there and have -E& that be our base, but our t since the Japs have evacuated Kolobangara and Vella -a wella I don’t think that we will stay there for Ions;. We got in to the Kasax Rendova. harbor ~t three in the afternoon and they let us all tie up to the pier to let off the base force and their gear. The base is far from being impressive looking but it shows that it -has been thru the mills. The whole base and ail the equipment that  is here is what  squadrons have brought u” on their decks.  It sorta surprised me to see the way t.’ .things i. okes here after all the elaborate set up that they have  back down the line. The men live in tents and the t e fox holes are tents that ;:eve about a foot of flooring removed and drums of sand .placed all around.  All the offices are i.. rigs like this too. It rains daily and. the w-whole place  s e mess. These is comparative’ safety here but a. few weeks ago bombs destroyed three boats here . They have lost a lot of the personnel here from  patrols and bombings. The base is located-‘e   is .  on a  little  island  just  off the  mainland  of Rendova and just across t-e bay from Munda which in now a big American base. It was at one time the biggest Jap base in the whole area. Here we have to tie u”’ to buoys and there is a wale boat to take the gang to and. from the base when it is necessary which ain’t often. We will all live on ..’- boats , there are no showers,  and we eat aboard Every night the officers all eat ashore and then ;.have a session about the night o’-operations ,--“ et the layout from the intelligence officers about what to expect. Tonight they gave us ?all cigarettes and without char, e. That helped the feelings a lot. The men here seem to t-.- all miss not getting any mail. There is a lane that brings it in to this area every two weeks but most of t’ e the time it is sent down the line and when a boat is down there:-‘ Tick it UD and that ‘”may be one—a month.

~  PAGE # 24, 1943   .   p-.

“   ‘ .’     “-,.-‘ The seventeenth though it was a Sunday, didn’t seem like                 seem like one at all. We got up afc”fche—small hour and before breakfast I got all the gang to putting up the tarpaulins fern they could have it cool to work.  Got all the gunners to working on their guns. We had fired on the way up to the Russels and they had not had a chance to get them  ail cleaned up yet from that. The engineers started to work on the engines. There is always plenty to d@ in that department, About ten however there came up a t>ig rain and that sorta threw a wrench in the works. The gunnery work had to atop. We all got out in it and took a bath. There are no showers here and every chance to get a fresh water shoves is pretty well taken. Just as the rain stopped word was gotten that we would have to load all the Stores that we brought with us on to one boat and then    ‘ just bring one of them. to the dock to unload,  ~s soon as we got that well under way word came that all officers were to get ashore for a meeting, ‘Tom and Alpine had gone in pretty early in the morning and only Ollie and. I were left out here. K Well out we pulled in the dingy. The meeting was to all meet Commander FerEI11 who is the boss here and then go on a tour of the base here and find out where-all the reefs are so we won’t be a getting on to them. There as a Catalina out in the bay that was shot down by our task force, They  got one engine end they had to light in the water. When they radioed for assistance a T was sent out to tow them in. It has been there for about six weeks now. There is p base beings built here by the sea Bees but it will false guile a while yet before it will be ready for use.  Those boys do gee a mighty swell job done, though. ;ho. The bases that are on Vella la Vella are purely operational bases and all they l-have t as a few drums of gas and a few spare parts.  If there is anything more than very minor repairs they have to cone back down here to get them.   “.’here is a possibility-that we will be able to get i~ ~;nei-c too in. s w short tine. The eighteenth we were finally to get .11 the gear off the boat, G-Got up 8.1 the usual time and there was the 241~ already at the o-dock.  We pulled over to -the side of him and were to await our turn but about the time that we got there here came the OD and had us both get out. First there was a “boat going to Tulagi that had to have some heavy gear loaded on her to take along. Then there was a boat -t’-that had  he-d  her  gunnels  all  smashed  and  they had  to  have  her  in  at  the dock to get t at that fixed. There is just room for one boat  at s time next to the dock too. Well noon came and we were still waiting. The iFre boat had been all r-morning and had been serving the stuff off over the other b boat.  That after noon there was a more extensive tour of the  place here a-and that meant that Alpine would, be going and I’d have the w.-hole responsibility .  When I got in the base force wanted me to take things easy so they w-would not have to work too late. That really got me hot.  I told T.}”en them that for two full days I’d been sitting   and waiting to get that stuff off and that they the:’” could just pall team up to putting it away that the boys on the boat and. I’d be getting ,it off.  Well we got  it off okay but  every one had a lot of work and  in a hurry.

  
              PAGE # 25 

The morning of the nineteenth; of October, all five bpa-bss-fceained.  out to see the more distant t locale. We went up around  Munda and.  Kolombangara. Up thru the wella Gulf and almost to the Choisel  islands.  The Japs have evacuated the whole area not that l we covered t “  “but we got to See a lot of their remains. There were four of their  landing barges on the reefs. Ones that PTs had shot all full of holes  On the way back we came a route that took us by two of the giant air s  strips that they are building “on Munda. That is to be one of the  biggest bases that we have out here -when it id finished. It is  being built by the army t:-o and no vessels with more t-an a twelve  foot draft can get across the bar and into the little harbor there,  They are using the big LSTs and LCTs to haul the stuff in there  not. Those are bid barges of ours that lets out the front end and let  the stuff roll out onto the bank.  Got back at five and soon as I put Alpine off to go to the  intelligence meeting I headed for the water hole to get the  gang all washed up.  That made every one feel a hell of a lot better  Today’s trip had been hot and there had been a lot of spray.  Got hack just as the retriever was making the last rounds to  get the men from the base out to the boats. When it came near us  Alpine yelled to get him his life Jacket and helmet. He was going  out for” the night run..  There were ten PTs going out on patrol  and III the boat captains were to go out with them to get the gist  of how things are done out here.  It made me feel kinda slighted, they ;r  get to go to all  ell t-he intelligence meetings and find out all that is  going on and we execs have to stay by the boats. I’m getting pretty  sick of this way of doing things as it Is. We do all the  work  and  .  they get the glory. Well so is life. ,  The morning of the twentieth we were to sit around some more so   I got the engineers on their hundred hour checks and all the rest  to working on their respective jobs.  The-boats that had gone out  on patrol got in about eight in the morning and all the gang went  to bed at once.  We were supposed to go out at one and I paddled  in to see the Captain and get the word on what was going on so hs    j  we could get’”:-b the engines ready if necessary. He told me to go ahead  with the check’s that we could be classified as inoperative and get  ...  that job done.  The big news of the day-~s of t; e “ was that the last of the week or the  first of next that we “-would”- be moving up to wella la Vella la Vella. That  means that we might Set s shot in at the Japs.                       ,  That patrol was to protect one flank from attack. That is the   ;  flank of a large convoy of about sixty ships that were hauling  supplies up to wella La. Vella la Vella.  Also that same day there was one  raid on an island .’Kist off Bougainville of seventy planes.  They really  seen to be r, . annin~ ~co carr” ciit that phase of ‘the war in a big way. I  ~e got over to g’-s up at a. bout foul- and soon as we got thru    ‘  we . took Alpine over to the dock to go to the  meeting of      ‘  officers then went to the water hole. The -lanes were to stay there all:  night. about five \?e f-‘of the first mail since we left Santo. That   1  had us all feeling especially good.   There was no 7r;-water on though and    j  we were pretty put out at not getting a bath.                         j  The morning of the 21^st, we were of we-e supposed to ~-get underway at      j  eight-fat in ‘the morning -and C -le 3teaJ:ii n over.  The exercise was delayed?  bill one .m the afternoon do w:s >uli80. into the dOTork to  get some work done on ‘.he COl”le:IOO tubes.
            PAGE 26  first of three  dark wersion
             ‘ We stayed ‘there until time to pull. out and. that was the hottest  that lave gotten, yet. There was no breeze at all and we were right out  in the sun roasting, j  Well we got the walkie talkies aboard and lulled out at one for ‘ I  some new tactics. The Talkies are used be cause  they don’t carry as  :  far as the others and there isn’ t a chance of tie enemy picking them u                     *,.  We had one ship cast as target and made runs as a unit of three  \  on him. It was a pretty good exercise too. Just before coining in      there was a rain that got us all wet. We got out in it to take a bath but about the tine that we got all soaped up it stopped.  The seventy plane raid. destroyed about a hundred and forty  ships for the  Japanese.    in eluding several large ships and a world  of “barges. There were no American losses.  There was a raid the  day after that one i n which we lost one plane. The pilots didn’t  get to go down and get that pilot either for soon as” he hit the  water he was surrounded by the <Japs  Soon as we pulled in from the t tactics we headed for the water hole and got another bath. Just as we finished though we had to bring AI Alpine into the meeting. We came on out to the buoy after that.  Soon as we had supper we looked over and there were signals for us to get underway to exchange one of our “torpedoes 1\?‘ h OTlc! nS‘  with the boat that was going back to Talagi. One of o\”.~<” -“””! bad  T?,le  “hat  f~n.ii~”’”  “bout wisht  en””’ th”;n.  it was  ol”et+7 “~r”- bTit we made it fine back to the buoy for the night.  The morning of- the 22^nd we had gotten all set to null out  the.  plugs from the engines and. get new ones in. Just as we got started though  we had to call a halt for it. We were to have to  make a trip, over  to Munda and take the Captain and a bunch of the base officers.  Got underway for there at nine in the morning and pulled in about ten. There was & little delay in getting in the passengers.  There we tied up alongside a barge over there and later found that  it was full of bombs ranging from $00 to 2200 pounders. They were  unloading them the no most of the time that we were there so we got  a ring side seat.  ‘  Some of the boys got $O go u” to the airfield there and have  a look at things. They really were” having a lot of activity there  too. Guess they have about every king of lane there that the US  uses and a lot of British planes besides. The planes were taking off  hauling a load of bombs to Bougainville and returning. They kept it  up all day end that was the second day in a row that they had been  doing it.  Guess the Japs are getting a healthy respect for the  American riafaes now.  When we got in tonight we to nd that in all  2SS planes had dropped their eggs in the one d-day.  llaJor Crilluri who is supply officer for the base was down-n to  see about getting the bombs of the barge r’-and. I had guile a talk  with him-. He said that that morning they .had only a two day  supply of fuel on hand at the-e rate that the planes we-e using it up  and he had just cone from -operations where he went to see about  cutting down-n on a~r.ie of the flying. They told him that there were  six divisions landed on Bougainville in the morning and the pianos  had to go. There were supposed to be three of marines and three of  army. The total w.-as 8;;0O men.  We got no confirmation of that  from BodirErx our 0-11 intelligence officers”’ yet though.  Host of ;Most of the enlisted men that we talked to there had- e17.. we to there ; ~ been  out here for three years and J-.most of the”””, had been con-completely away
               PAGE # 26    normal  second of three        ~ 

Wefifcnvedbhele unt ll1 time to null. utt pnci fcha’+. waisi thF~ah~++Qe!+   w   fcJ wQr uu    wrlur u   u I I w rrr    w LILLV    wV   J~ U.J_1 -  w u w   a++u    wJJ.CIL U   wCIO    wi0   IIU UV~SC, i  that l?.ve gotten yet. There was no breeze at all and we were right out  in the sun roasting.                                                    I  Well we got the walkie talkies aboard and lulled out at one for ‘ I  some new tactics. The Talkies are used “because they don’t carry as  I  far as the others and there isn’t t a chance of tie enemy picking        them-up.                      *,.                                        I  We had one ship act as target and made runs as a unit of three  I  on him. It was a pretty good exercise too. Just before coming in     <
            there was a rain that got us all wet. We got out in it to take a “bath  but about the tine. that we got all soaped up it stopped..  The seventy plane raid destroyed about a hundred and forty  ships for the  Japanese, including    eluding several large ships and a world  of barges. There were no American losses.  There was a raid the  day after that one in n which we lost one plane. The pilots didn’t  get to go down and get that pilot either for soon as” he hit the  water he was surrounded by the <Japs  Soon as we pulled in from the t tactics we headed for the water  hole and got another bath. Just as we finished though we had to bring 10.  Alpine into the meeting. We came on out to the buoy after that.  Soon as we had supper we looked over end the 7TT were signaling  us to get underway to exchange one of our “torpedoes ~\17’ h op<” nf th,e  bonts that was going ba.ck to Talagi.One of o\~<” ‘-c”! bed.  ~t “hat -i”irli.nh “” “bout w;ight pn”” th-m i’t was ol”et~7 ~r~ b-mt  we T’iade it fine hack to the buoy for the “itc.  Wi~ morn~nEz b-T the 22^nd we had Rotten all set to -oull out  the  i.U-0  1?1UI 1111~  w1.   w~l.~  hL-*J.~.  lu  -*”  J” - - --    ~~-   -  ui-r.  -~v    wLI\-  plugs from the engines and get n$pr_ ones in. Just as we got started though we had to call a halt for it. We were to have to  e.ice a trip .over to Munda eJid take the Captain and a “bunch of the base ofifioers.  Got und rway for there at ninein the morning and pulled in atout ten. Therewas a little delay in getting in the passengers.  Therewe tied up alongside a, barge ovar t,ere and later foimd that it was fmll of bombs ranging froia 500 to 2200 pounders. They were unloading then the mo st of the tirrie that we were there so w’e got a ring side seat.  ‘  Some of the boys got $”o go u- to the airfield there and have a look at things. They really wer” having a “.of of activity there too. Guess they have about every king of pl?.n3 there that the u.s.  useeS and 8 lot of British pianos besides. The planes were taking off haul ing aload of bombs to Bogenville and returning. They kept it up all day and that was the second day in a row thp.t they had been doing jt.  Guess the Japs are Fettirg a healthy respect for t:e At-ierioam riafaes now.  When we got in tonite we to nd that in all 2S3planes had deo-ped their egg~ in the one d-ay.  Major G-illuni who is supply officer for the base was t’cov;rr to see about getting the bonbs o~Brr the barge -“.nd I hs.d guile a talk with hiri. He said that that morning t’-.et they }ad only a two day suppoy of fuel on hano- at the rate thet the planes we”:’e using it up and he had just come fron pjber-tions where he went to see about cutting down on so:n1.e of the flying. They told him that there were six divisions landed on Boganville in the inorning and the pianos had to go. There were SIP” ~osedio be three of marines end fi”ree of ar ,,,,  The total was R”0’3n3n nen.   We got no confirnetior-  of that fro:”;. BaribEErs our  o”.’n  int”:l”i”  nce  oi’:”iccrs  yst.  though.  Host of alJ the enJisted ::.en th-t we talked to there ~ad been  out here for three ye~.rs ri d r.iost of ther. had boen CQ.’T’lete3-y away
            PAGE # 26   light wersion third of three        ~  Wefifcnvedbhele unt ll1 time to null. utt pnci fcha’+. waisi thF~ah~++Qe!+   w   fcJ wQr uu    wrlur u   u I I w rrr    w LILLV    wV   J~ U.J_1 -  w u w   a++u    wJJ.CIL U   wCIO    wi0   IIU UV~SC, i  that l?.ve gotten yet. There was no breeze at all and wie were right ouS  in the sun roasting.                                                    I  Well we got the walkie talkies aboard and lulled out at one for ‘ I  some IEW tactics. The Talkies are used “because thev don’t carry as  I  far as the others and there isn t a chance of tie enemy picking        them-up.                      *,.                                        I  We had one ship aot as target and made runs as a unit of three  I  on him. It was a pretty good exercise too. Just before coming in     <
            there was a rain that got us all wet. We gotout in it to take a “batll  but about the tine. that we got all soaped up it stopped..  The seventy plane reid destroyed about a hundred and fourty  ships for the  aaps    ij eluding several large ships and a world  of barges. There were no American losses.  There was a raid the  day after that one i n which we lost one plane. The pilots didn’t  get to go down and get that piftot either for soon as” he hit the  water he was surrounded by the <japs  Soon as we pulled in from the t actics we headed for the water  hole and got another bath. Just as we finished though we had to bring 10.  Alpine into the meeting. We came on out to the buoy after that.  Soon as we had supper we looked over end the7TT were si”-nallir”T  us to p.fit underway to exchange one of our “corpedoes ~\17’ h op<” nf th,e  bonts that was going ba.ck to Talagi.One of o\~<” ‘-c”! bed.  ~t “hat -i”irli.nh “” “bout w;ight pn”” th-m i’t was ol”et~7 ~r~ b-mt  we T’iade it fine hack to the buoy for the “itc.  Wi~ morn~nEz b-T the 22^nd we had Rotten all set to -oull out  the  i.U-0  1?1UI 1111~  w1.   w~l.~  hL-*J.~.  lu  -*”  J” - - --    ~~-   -  ui-r.  -~v    wLI\-  plugs from the engines and get n$pr_ ones in. Just as we got started though we had to call a halt for it. We were to have to  e.ice a trip .over to Munda eJid take the Captain and a “bunch of the base ofifioers.  Got und rway for there at ninein the morning and pulled in atout ten. Therewas a little delay in getting in the passengers.  Therewe tied up alongside a, barge ovar t,ere and later foimd that it was fmll of bombs ranging froia 500 to 2200 pounders. They were unloading then the mo st of the tirrie that we were there so w’e got a ring side seat.  ‘  Some of the boys got $”o go u- to the airfield there and have a look at things. They really wer” having a “.of of activity there too. Guess they have about every king of pl?.n3 there that the u.s.  useeS and 8 lot of British pianos besides. The planes were taking off haul ing aload of bombs to Bogenville and returning. They kept it up all day and that was the second day in a row thp.t they had been doing jt.  Guess the Japs are Fettirg a healthy respect for t:e At-ierioam riafaes now.  When we got in tonite we to nd that in all 2S3planes had deo-ped their egg~ in the one d-ay.  Major G-illuni who is supply officer for the base was t’cov;rr to see about getting the bonbs o~Brr the barge -“.nd I hs.d guile a talk with hiri. He said that that morning t’-.et they }ad only a two day suppoy of fuel on hano- at the rate thet the planes we”:’e using it up and he had just come fron pjber-tions where he went to see about cutting down on so:n1.e of the flying. They told him that there were six divisions landed on Boganville in the inorning and the pianos had to go. There were SIP” ~osedio be three of marines end fi”ree of ar ,,,,  The total was R”0’3n3n nen.   We got no confirnetior-  of that fro:”;. BaribEErs our  o”.’n  int”:l”i”  nce  oi’:”iccrs  yst.  though.  Host of alJ the enJisted ::.en th-t we talked to there ~ad been  out here for three ye~.rs ri d r.iost of ther. had boen CQ.’T’lete3-y away
              PAGE # 27    top    .   .     from civilization for a year. They had been at Guadalcanal then moved     .  up at the troops advanced.. They were pretty sick of it and were wanting  to get “back mighty badly. They all wanted to get back and do war work  for a while and let the would-be! be strikers have a dose of it. I predict  -  that when the majority of this bunch does go  home there will be a  lot different way of dealing with the men who don’t want to work but  want to hinder progress.  Soon as we got back here w.-e put,- off all the passengers and headed  for the iarater hoflie to get the evening bath. Boy that felt good to all  of us  Just after  WG had gotten back to the buoy sad ties up we got another  bunch of mail I tell the world that the boys had the rather have the mail than  a battle wiEtosy.  The morning of the 23^rd we finally got to work getting the plugs  changed “and getting ready to go up to wella La wella which is to be  our base.  We are to Start a base just out squadron. There is nothing then  now. The location is St. Baloa which is the south east corner of ,the island  the one base that is there -TIO-W is at Lambo Lambo which is on the IYiOXth  East corner of the island.  If this push really is on there won’t be  much p:’t.ci== there thg -“”e have to gtnqq ahead of the gang.  They had- finished the plugs by about dinner time and we were to  go over to get the oil changed- but there were two YOs tied alongside  the YOG- and- would? not be able to get the change unless we went in  between the ship an  B j coral bank which wasn’t a good idea  at all.  The captain told us t  -wait till.] next day that  they were to leave  at ten in the evening and. w.-e would all have tirie tc make the change then,  Well we both pulled out to the water hole early to let the men get a]  the washing done thought they needed to &o get on--]: ‘::with getting a bath. Then  too that was a clock for the men to stand on to work on the  gunnels of  the 243.
              PAGE 27 bottom  light  no dark on this disk  at ten in the morning and. w.-e would all have t-time to make the change then,  Well we “both pulled out to the water hole early to let the men get a]  all the washing done < that they needed to do along with getting a bath, Then  too that t”’8S a dock for the men to stand on to work on the  punpels or  the 243.                                        -‘  We &QC3.&&& to spend the nit there so we sent Ton and Alpine in the dingy to the officers’ meeting. Th~t ~hoisLLL: _lhoisL a half riile row too, Ha The; did not seem to know it though.  When they got back that night, they came with the word that we would stay here for a while and that others who had been out longer and had had more experience would be sent back in advance bs.ses. It was  rather  logical to handle things that way. Planes se-s~ec;;;; to be still making  continual bombings on Boganville. They really:” must be taking a beating  ‘there. That was a false rumor about the six divisions landing  there   On the ]morning of the twenty--. o” the fourth we  pulled bask over to the  assigned buoy. Got a lot more work done on the  guns and did a lot of  general cleaning up.  At noon  we went over and were  nianrling to get the oil f’””r.{”ed but there ‘.””re nR “~7rC08 “”’~ ~hcr” ‘”’”?’e t—c? o”ts  ~:;’C’ ~in-“ th’.-t w”rp  p~c’i’  of  -1:3  so we  1 : c,  -p  ~ n c,,-‘~  .n  nne of  -i;be  ho”.T.s  thet -.-‘—fIIIL, “ TI ‘-‘” ‘”””” .””” “”~t ;+ T-r”- ~”’~ o-f +he Ron II bo”’-t.3  %ron ~lc?? “’~Y’lO. TI-‘-- -bol’” l”” ‘-i—tbhcy wrere on the ?’.TF:TI to Talr.gi to  get throe ne’.- e.ncL””””” -1101 “. --.oneral Qver”iau.l.  They had- never seen. an  Higgin.”- bos.t and res.lly “-io. “et f-.. ~ic!r out of going olper it and conparing  the tvo boats. Thpy .’.ikod ? lot of features thF.t we had.  They h-ve  been borTjbed every l?j ;-88 ~in~e they lirve been on weila l’: wolla,  Once onehi  about five “”ards fro~t’n1”o.t ?.nd t]:.o ~ot any one was tilled there were  six t~.at ~ad to .I ~J” ~   ~os”~’~”3 :’.~ ‘”lito a ‘~ile 



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



PAGEs 27-36 PAGE # 27    top     .   .    from civilization for a year. They had been at Guadalcanal then moved     .

up at the troops advanced.. They were pretty sick of it and were wanting to get “back mighty badly. They all wanted to get back and do war work for a while and let the would! be strikers have a dose of it. I predict  - that when the majority of this bunch does get  home there will be a lot different way of dealing with the men who don’t want to work but want to hinder progress.

Soon as we got back here w.-e put,- off all the passengers and headed for the iarater hoflie to get the evening bath. Boy that felt good to all of us Just after  WG had gotten back to the buoy sad ties up we got another bunch of mail I tell the world that the boys had rather have the mail than a battle wiEtosy.

The morning of the 23^rd we finally got to work getting the plugs changed “and getting ready to go up to wella La wella which is to be our base.  We are to Start a base just out squadron. There is nothing then now. The location is St. Baloa which is the south east corner of ,the island the one base that is there -TIO-W is at Lambo Lambo which is on the north East corner of the island.  If this push really is on there won’t be much point there thg ~or -“”e have to getting ahead of the gang.

They had- finished the plugs by about dinner time and we were to go over to get the oil changed- but there were two YOs tied alongside the YOG- and- would? not be able to get the change unless we went in between the ship an  B j coral bank which wasn’t a good idea  at all.

The captain told us t  -wait till.] next day that  they were to leave at ten in the evening and. w.-e would all have time to make the change then, Well we both pulled out to the water hole early to let the men get a] the washing done though.t they needed to &o and get on with on--]: ‘:: getting a bath. Then too that was a dock for the men to stand on to work on the  gunnels of the 243. PAGE 27 bottom We &QC3.&&& to spend the nit there so we sent Ton and Alpine in the dingy to t”e Of~ioers meeting. Th~t ~hoisLLL: _lhoisL a half riile row too, Ha The; dici TT.ot seen to iJ.no.  it though. XKien they got ‘b??.ck that nitethey  cane w5.th th- T~ord that \’TG would stay here for av~hile coid thet  others w.’h.o had been out longer and had hac more experience w.’ou..1.f”!. oe sent lap ‘bo .!.!. . F.dvanoea bs.ses. It was  rather logicF..I to handle things t”~t w.”ay. Plares se-s~ec;;;; tc be still raaking continual bonbinr’s on Boganville. They rea.ll:” nust be taking a beating ‘there. Thatwas a false runor about the six divisions landing  there  On the ]2iorni?T--. o” the tv~el?ji’2 fourth wre  pulled bask over to the assigned buoy. Got a lot more work done on the  guns and did a lot of general cleanding up.  At noon  w<- w-ent.over ana were -nianrling to -et the oil f’””r.{”ed but there ‘.””re nR “~7rC08 “”’~ ~hcr” ‘”’”?’e t—c? o”ts ~:;’C’ ~in-“ th’.-t w”rp  p~c’i’  of  -1:3  so we  1 : c,  -p  ~ n c,,-‘~  .n  nne of  -i;be  ho”.T.s thet -.-‘—fIIIL, “ TI ‘-‘” ‘”””” .””” “”~t ;+ T-r”- ~”’~ o-f +he Ron II bo”’-t.3 %ron ~lc?? “’~Y’lO. TI-‘-- -bol’” l”” ‘-i—tbhcy wrere on the ?’.TF:TI to Talr.gi to get throe ne’.- e.ncL””””” -1101 “. --.oneral Qver”iau.l.  They had- never seen. an Higgin.”- bos.t and res.lly “-io. “et f-.. ~ic!r out of going olper it and conparing the tvo boats. Thpy .’.ikod ? lot of features thF.t we had.  They h-ve been borTjbed every l?j ;-88 ~in~e they lirve been on weila l’: wolla,  Once onehi about five “”ards fro~t’n1”o.t ?.nd t]:.o ~ot any one was tilled there were six t~.at ~ad to .I ~J” ~   ~os”~’~”3 :’.~ ‘”lito a ‘~ile PAGE i 28 About the middle of the afternoon there were three of  our boats that got up from Talagi too. That made us feel good even if we aid not get to talk to the boys any We finally got in to fuel, get the oil changed and get gas for the generator.  That took about an hour so we header to the water hole soon as we finished there, Alpine arose in early in the morning and we had not seen him all day.      > He came back that night pretty tired he had gotten all the stuff that we bad brought up with us all straightened out which called for putting up two ado-additional tents. Now maybe the 1}, e things will  not ruxn fore we get to use them.

On the morning of the twenty fifth there stared nothing to do in our faces. It is getting pretty bad now. There really is not enough to keep all the gang busy all day  long and they are all getting sorta restless We have to all stay on board to be able to get t is thing under way at a moments notice and the PT is as hot down here as it was cold” in Melville. Then too there is nothing to read. Nothing cold to drink, Just sit.

Back on the seventh of July I was told that I should have a boat myself. In fact this one should””. have been mine. Well I did not say anything; but kept on plugging. When we unloaded in Espirito Santo. Ail the higher ups got together slid discussed all the Execs  and I was at the top of the list. That puts me in line for the next boat that comes, available.

There is an expected shake up too one of these de?: s in which some::  o? the host captains will .be takes back because of incompetence.  None of this has been mentioned by me to anyone.  has been by me to one. When the three boats got here yesterday the Cs.-Captain took Trimble off the 238 boat and made him a division leader. That leaves a boat available.  There were three officers on that boat already  and. none has as yet been designated as the skipper. There is a possibility  that’ since they have worked with the boys there this long that they ?will’? be staying there  Another likelihood is that I be become skipper of the 2.Ji, boat and have Dick Prid eex’ as  my exec.

I spent all the morning; getting the little loose and ends all straight. There was the t3 3 -leek to wash. The lazarette to straighten. arid the ammunition locker to -“-et orderly. I passed out some of the games, of .”- like checkers that we have. ‘S.rouh’b along. All “oho ~arn~ SC rnr-  10 appreciate that a lot. After lunch JL let all the men go swimming”; ~ \7r-. to and they seemed to have quite a tine of it. I worked- on w’Q ventilation system that we were installing in the chart house, ‘r took the exhaust fan that was over the galley rit~e and turned it around in the chart house so that it is sucks fresh air in. That is the only place t -?t we can smoke while on patrol  no. it wn.ll have to bo s.ii c:j~cts !iii up. Wit,ho-it the extPa air coi. n it it, ~3ts ~~ --- stuffy in ‘there so:-::e times.

I took the men over to get a bath late in the afternoon and while we were there one of the boats that had ,-~on== i-v” to Lever “.ari-ior ‘.which is on the north slide of the New Georgias group “ulle’i.in. They report, si thel there was a  wonderful lay out up there. The base is in  c. we will and the ?men use thatched huts that the natives once used.” the one’-:- used. The natives work pretty well with the program there. The natives have been influenced & OT- ‘”’””missionaries that have been \ there in the past but ere not there am” any more.  Before the Americans xxx the island from the Japanese - Before the An- the. ho there were two pilots who were forced down t ?t ‘ forced there; the Natives  took care of then and. wanted the?’” to teach them some new songs that they could sing. A-All the others that they taught?.—others t-‘ht them PAGE”# 29 J were Halleluia I’m. a Bum and Old McDonald had a farm. The were still using those two In their religious ceremonies. when they made a PT base there, The natives thought that it was a sin to kill with guns “but had all got together and decided that it would not be a sin if they killed with stones or bows and arrows as long as it was in self defense. Well the commander in charge of PTs told” them that if the Japs got to their village that they might kill them all and it would be in self defense to kill them and he would give them canned groceries if they would kill any Japs that might be left on the island. He had to have some -proof though so at first he asked them to bring in a hand off the victim. Well all worked well till one of them brought in four hands from two Japs and tried to collect for four. Mow they have to bring half of a Jaw Bone. Whenever the boats all wound up the engines the natives knew that they were going out to fight and they would all come down to the beach and pray for them and then sing till they were out of sight, The morning of the twentieth we were to make some speed runs and have some adjustments made on the carburetors to see if we could K get any more speed.  We got all cleaned and straightened and got into the dock at eight o’clock. When we got there they needed someone to help get some place for the men to stow their sea bags? they did not need. I volunteered since I was  not needed on the boat. Before it was finished The k3 boat pulled out for Lambo Lambo with the captain. I got that done about eleven but decided that it would be a good idea to wait around and get a. haircut.  The barber is a stewards mate and could not be free till after chow so I sat around shooting the bull with the base force officers. We opened a coconut and ate it. t First one in quite s. while that I had eaten. Seems as we are pretty lazy because there are myriads of them out—ere. After the haircut I came back to the boat’. Had been out about an hour when there come e. down pour. We all got out in it and got the bath and had time to wash out a few clothes while we were at it. That meant we did not have to make the trip to the water hole and get the engines all hot. The engine room is right next to the officers quarters and does it get hot when the engine room is hot. Just before dark we saw three LSTs and two destroyers go by. They are headed up the line to make that invasion tonight not on Boganville but on though Treasury” islands which is about thirty miles this side. Guess they are putting off the big push for a while.  There were several hundred tons of bombs dropped on Boganville today though so they are not letting them have any rest there. It really is a beautiful sight to see a formation of fifty bombers going up and then right after them another formation of fighters just as big. The 27^th we spent all morning getting guns all clean. Of course there were other other odds and ends to catch up but the former -as the main item of the morning. At one three of the boats were to go out for target practice, the U 1~2   and rc3,   Well the forty one boat had to go on a mission to Beloa on wella La wella and that left the two boats. The 40 and U had left early in the morning for the Russel Islands and the other three boats that are here we re tied U’7 with engine checks. VJeV the 43 boat -i”omlo lowered the boat out of the the ;.lboat out of t e channel and while vre were f’ettinr thetar-et ;;ore or  ‘ess got lose from us.   We thought PAGE 30 top PAGElL# 30 they had followed them :bight on up the line for they were no where to be seen. We got out to where we were supposed, to fire and still they were not in sight so we put over the target and proceed to carry out theexercise. wie made three runs on the target fore it sank. There was a little stopPAGE on all guns. They really do take a lot of care and attention.  Just as we finished here came the 4-3 boat it had gone on down the Rendova cease and  had imessed the whole show.

We both put over some boses then ahd tried out all the small arms. The -whole bunch looker mighty good o~ all the shooting too. We got back to the dock writh the Capt about four and soon as they got off we headed for the water hole to ge  thebath. Th~ called us back and told us that there were $orne pilots down off the Treasury islands and we were to stand by to go get them. Well we kept a radio watdh pretty slose all the time we were showering but they did not call us. Guess the  catalina got them okay.

Jut at darl there was a condition red again. There are only two out he re red and GREEN. This is the first one since wie got to Rendova though that we  ~arc? planes. There were a lot of them over Munda and we heard a lot of expiosiosions. G-uess there was quite a bit of fire works over there. We could see the figishes for several of them.  One plane came over us and circled several times but dropped no bombs.

On the morning of the 28^th we pot up pretty early and sterted on the gins. since they had all been fired the day before they every one had to be cleaned.  “Ye all pitched in and- di& not much of any thipg else.  By noon though we hai cleanea all guns except the 37mri w,’fich”will’ be a snar> for “ whole afternoon. That means, wie got1444 o.i. caned too.

Today the marines landed on the Ghoicevell ‘island. The main purpose DO a snap ior ,-, w.noJ_e 8rT.erp-.ooll -rnaG means,we gOTULC? cJeanea coo.  Todav the laarines lancleA on the Choicevell’islrJicl The main purpose was not one of complete conquest but  to clear out an area suitable for e. PT base and to set up tvro povrerful radar stations. When they got there though there was not a single Jap there so the;” just took possession, of the whole island. The PTs got the “G-ood work Boys” from Admiral Wilkinson for their part in the IBreasury isl~~ deal. The PTs had done all the convoy work and akx the protection while theLSTs had gone in and landed, the troops. There had not been a single plane or boat to get-thru and fire at then the whole ti~e. The 29^th we went into t e d-ock pretty early. I ‘.ad -to ~et the radar worked on and the generator looked at and  the phone system fixed-. We stayed there t~e best ‘nart of the day too. The crewaall ate noon chow ashore and. it ifs the first time that they -have done that.  They are novJ all wanting to eat all the rest of then on the boa.t Ey late afternoon they had not finished with the radar. The phones had. been fixed  and the generator was coiapletely out.   Thev wanted-  us back at the dock next morning but there wore other things to r.st done in there that seer’ied iaore important at the tine.

Arrangements had been made for r-li -bhe bo>”t execs to cone ir. at one in the {’.fternoon End get beer. Half of rll the boat crev-?s and the Boc.t captains hod a:-.I gotten their ration, of two cane the Ffternoon before.

Well there were three execs thrt were on the beach and none cared for the beer. I have conpletoly sworn off since it seens -Lo nake r-e so sick eve y time that I  touch it.  Well tge captain was mighty thirsty for soine so I wolunjbeered to go see about it. I told the  officer in charge of it that there were five execs there and he gave ne 10 cans.

That we.3 enough for ;.’ll therori 19 o”:””icerst”i?”t were ashor” to ~’ve two. Just as J was getting 5t. iJoe Buttorworth cane up and askeo. if ~ry of that was for him. ~hf-t nepriy ~7’?r tC:””” the c!eel but J. -of Tl-~nyhow -nd ali were happy.

 PAGE # 31 darker follows There was also a ration oiff candy. Three bars to each man. I really book that it was thefirst since I 3eft the states. I have not cared.

much for that since it is so hot and anything like that maked one all thehotter.

Just before we were ready to leave the 2~ pulled, along side.  They had borrowed the gas filter quite a while ago and had. not rettoned it. Well we got it and. they bad punched, about halit a dozen holes in the vd.re stiminer. That got me so hot I “could, have boiled..’  There is a lot of talk yet about every thing being d-one for the good. of the squadron and for someone to do a thing likfe that just burns rae up  I do not think that l;h~ will get one bit ofl assistance out of us from now on.

Well we cranked up to go over to the water hole and so did. they. Dick had one of the boys at the wheel and. they thought that we were racing them over and opened UT> to ~ast. I stayed right on course and kept the speed that I had. They nearly hit a reef that is half way over then they picked out the lea  side of the dock to cone in on. Thqr had too much speed and. then the wind warried. them right away from the look arid made them have to pull out and try again. By the time they had d-one ell that I had gone right in  stopped, and the wind. had. set us right down onto the d-dock. We were getting a shower when they got the first line over.

Got back over to though buoy at about five and. had a really wonderful steak supper  I set up my outdoor bunk soon as we got over , put up the mosquito net and settled down t’”’ write a couple of letters. Just about that tine three 77 ft. Elco. boats for RON five were coming in. They w’-re- 8 ?me that had ccHiie out o”. ‘:hctsnkel with the second group of our boats. They<y had- brought up mail for us and that made everyone quite happy, Just at dark, there came up a blowing rain and I had. to rush out and get the bed in. Rains here seldom last more than half an hour t:r~d_ thers I” seldom another rain  for about 2. hours.  G-Got the bed back out about nine and” it really was nice and cool out after that. There was no air raid Fri  till about  one next morning.  Guess ‘the Japs  are still a little leery about the whole Etfca.c]’:s. They still have not dropped ] not any bombs on us btnfa they had hit Munda pretty severely several times.  The morning of the 30^th “re p.o-b w.1 and started to work in a hurry.

There is an LST coHin~ i~ here with all the supplies for iir base that the CBs the G.ie built for:” the PTs on BOY? Island.. Our squadron has to have 65 T:: n as their share of -the working “arty to unload all the “cet;, I am .to be in charge of   -the lads from RON 19.   !;”:’e have to ~;eLL all the daily work done before the.t gets here.

‘About ten on the morning word. cane that three of the Boats were f-going on up to Vella La Vella which is to be our last? bast for the time being. We ‘.were not included in this and it really did hurt not to be in on the first move that was to be made. Well I Rpt Alpine to QO back to the beach .just after dinner “’.and see if he could change-o-e the minds of t]-io 5j_cp nhofp and let us go “any how. Our radio was out and. radar too. ‘They had worked, on both the day before but had. not been able to get around “.round to it all day and I ~i-ured -i; -j.c.t they x?ould pet it finished by dark. i.lean cSme we went over to ~ett Fli the gas tanks full”. 30 there would be no question about i;hht, Soon as we tied up alongside the YOG- along cai’ie & bor.t calling for Raney. The T~3T hBC? gotten in in the morning.”; and. they .”ad sent the base force over but not the men from the boats and- I had- no idea that it ‘.’.”as there. Though commodore had been over and we 1 no officer there and ho had gotten ~:t%T’ sore about it.

PAGE 31 darker no better than above I set UT my outdoor ‘bunk: soon as we got over , put up the mosquito net e.ns settleci. co-vm fc:’ write a couple of letters. Just about that tine three 77Pt,, eico 130013 for ron five were comin.g in. They W-!~-C soT;:i.e that had cornie out o-\ thctsJiker w.”ith the socond ~roup of our boots. Th<~ lr.d brouaj-it upnail for us alKl that Biade c3veryone Quite ha”py, Just at G~rrr there ca&e up a blov.-inF rain anl” I had to rush out and get the bed in. Rains here seldom last more than hr-.lf an hour and there is seldon anoth.er ra.i  for about 2+ hours.  G-ot the bed bac~rr out about nine and it really was nice and cool out after th:t. There.  wre.s not  en air raid  till about  one next Biorning.  Guess ‘the Japs  are 8111~ a little leary about thebold atta.cks. They stall h~ve not dropped any bonbs on us btlifa they had hit l’.lunda Tiretty severely severa]. times.  The norning of the ~Oth “re ~ot Ui~ and started to work in a hurry. There is an LST coning i:n here with all the supplier for the base that the CBs -are build.irf” for the. ‘J?Ts on BOY? Isl.”nd.. 0-:.r souad.ron has to have 65 r”en as t3~eir share of the ~or:::i11~  -arty to unload, all the ‘-eaj7. I BCE to be irohorge of  hhe lad.s fDon Kon 19.   We ha.ve to C;et all the daily work done before that ~etaa here. “About ten on the morning word. cane that yhree of the Boasts were roing on up to wella L a wella whieh is to be ouj7 bast for the time being. We were not included in that and. it really did hUJt not to be in on the first nove tlia.t was to be made. Well I gipt Alpineto @o back to the beach just after d.inner and see if he could change the mind.s of the bip- shots and let us r:.o any how. Cur radio wTBS out and. radar too. ‘~hcy ha.:’. wJorked on both the day before but had- not been able to g”t ground to it all day and I gi”-urcd that they -crould fot it fininshe by d.ark. ilean time we went over to r~ett <:-ll the ga.s tanks ful”. so theere would bo no question about i;hht. Soon as T-i’e tied. up alongside the YOG-alon~ ca”-:ie a boat calling for Ranoy. Though I-ST h&d. gotten in in th~morning and. tj”.ey .”ad ae]3’fa. the base force over but not the men from the boa.ts and- I had- no id.ea that it was there. Though commodore had been over and w.’e  l.’ar”.  no  off;ccr  there  and  ho  had.  cotton  rot~;7+’  sore  about  it. PAGE ~ 32       ,   ‘ I lumped in and got over there in a hurry.  They had divided  an the men into three parties. The CBs were getting the stuff off of the LSTs and the Base was carting them back in the “hushed bushes and all the squadron  parties were to stow it. So far they had gotten off only trucks two cranes, two bull dozers, two evaporators, two electric power Units and a few hysters. That meant that all our men had been sitting there all day. I still do not see why there was so much importance about my getting there. At four they all stopped work: till morning and we went back over to the base. Alpine had gone out to the YOG and gotten the boat and had it over the:, e too. We were to get to go providing tsre got the radar and radio fixed.

Well I got the men on board to fix Both and. went over to the water hole kiosk. There was a cool breeze there and we could fix them chow and I planned to stay there till long oa enough after dark for them to get a shower too. They got t e radio but the radar still would hot work right. There could be no lights after dark so they had to quit.

Down went my spirits again but when we got back to our buoy I found that we would get to move on up any how.

The morning of the thirty first we had reveille at six and pretty soon were off to get one of the fish charged up that had had a leak in the air flask some where. We were to get off at ten and really did have to hurry on that job. The rc3 boat had to get one fixed too.

By nine thirty though all was set and off we went to the dock to get on the gear that we had to have.

We had been at the dock about ten minutes when word was passed that we -were to shove off at once. The boats were all RoilL~ but in two PAGE 32 bottom  first copy

By nine thirty though all was set and off we went to the dock to get on the gear that we hafito have, We had “oeen at tao ~hI about ten minutos when word was passed that we were to shove off at once.-Tat. The boats were all going but in two sections. Were wore in the first and all the others, except the two that ran aground &n~. -.re still at Talag~ will come along later in the morning when they L all the rest of the gear stowed rest the gear on the boats.

every one ..seemed a little baffled shout who was going on what boat the base force, that. is. Well we wound up and pulled out any how but in doing so we left our torpedoman back there. “We now have three fish ready to fire a-and. the fourth is sticking half way out the tube. Ha, We reached Lambu Lambu 81 1330 3!1 ‘ch-s .afternoon and started to get the boats unloaded ;at once.. There was room at the dock for only two boats at the tine time, and this meant that we would have to aisohor till out turn ce.iri.e. ‘We  settled down to wait our turn patiently but about &n ilo~  later  there  weadQ  a  boat  around  to  rle”e  all  ,iie  base  four  and  their ~ed7 orf the boat. That took care of most of all the stuff that we had, We had managed to sort of ,riet by light this time.-ht this. Pretty soon after that there was ;- other boat that wanted all the boat U-captains for a rush meeting.. Alpine got back to the boat at five thirty from this and we were to go and. we w—e to ~ out on night patrol ..t once. We managed to~oby oi’-e locl::: on the way out and Titch off a couple of boxes tbf_twore on the-e AeclrJ. That made us a little lighter. The boats ‘”ere to o’ncrate in four sections aL.d \fe irero to be with the ~l boat and the Ce-otf-in our section” leader. ‘-~3 ‘”3.11-011 :””s to be between—n Bougainville end the “,O :C, rV’lc: islands. There was to be ‘:a3 to b”; ~~e S..d~ . C “c’t’v.eQn  p’broll~~’.v  ours  uas  ~’f~  r””~  ~ntff  to  Bougainville Tr’~E  was the ni~e L?  I ‘”~re to break -  One L-~:9?~ “r?rre .was to .shell the devil out “f ‘””] though ~ ‘; ~cF~1en’t” ?’t the noit?’lors tiT of the ‘island .and then rctarc? t” ~”” -‘-.iv!~ p~pilin”- “- tJ-cy c’-‘e. Another w.’FS to stear

a ~?~   ?mr’   .e. c   “””   ~”’oo “   “’”’”t   “~re   to   “le    ~nded   o”   +   ~   cehter   of   the “”estorn. ‘”or’tio  of ~ “ 5cl.nG..  ITo~ir ]nor31in”’ ‘~J\erc w;;-.3 to bn s carr5.er fo:”ro  co””-e  i””  ;~~  ‘S”~7   thfi  -.cl”.  o”t  of  tl.i  i- ‘~’olc  i~l~.~.  Besides  ell c.r Sf;  the  usu-l  - “.-‘l “ “oup.iT.lr~ w-eT-e  -1.0  t.~:”;  loc~  fron l.~”~”. PAGE 32 bottom second copy By nine thirty though all was set and off we went to the dock to get on the gear that we had to have, We had “been at tao ~hI about ten minutes when word was passed that we were to shove off at once.-Tat. The boats were all going but in two sections. Were wore in the first and all the others, except the two that ran aground &n~. -.re still at Talago will come along later in the morning when they L get all the rest of the gear stowed rest the gear on the boats.

every one ..seemed a little baffled shout who was going on what boat the base force, that. is. Well we wound up and pulled out any how but in doing so we left our torpedoman back there. “We now have three fish ready to fire a-and. the fourth is sticking half way out the tube. Ha, We reached Lambu Lambu 81 1330 3!1 ‘ch-s .afternoon and started to get the boats unloaded at once. ;. There was room at the dock for only two boats at the time and this meant that we would have to anchor till our turn came.  We settled down to wait our turn patiently but about &n ten minutes  later  there  weadQ  a  boat  around  to  rle”e  all  ,the  base  force  and  their ~ed7 orf the boat. That took care of most of all the stuff that we had, We had managed to sort of ,riet by light-ht this time. Pretty soon after that there was another ;- other boat that wanted all the boat captains for a rush meeting. U-.”. Alpine got back to the boat at five thirty from this and. we w-were to go-e to ~ out on night patrol ..t once. We managed to~oby oi’-e locl::: on the way out and Titch off a couple of boxes that were on the-e AeclrJ That made us a little lighter. The boats ‘”ere to o’ncrate in four sections aL.d \fe irero to be with the ~l boat and the Ce-otf-in our section” leader. ‘-~3 ‘”3.11-011 :””s to be between Bougainville and the O :C, rV’lc: Islands. There were ‘:a3 to b”; ~~e S..d~ . C “c’t’v.eQn  p’broll~~’.v  ours  uas  ~’f~  r””~  ~ntff  to  B7””nvillrT~  Tr’~E  w’as the ni~e L?  I ‘”~re to breo.k -  One L-~:9?~ “r?rre .was to .shell the d.ovil out “f ‘””] though ~ ‘; ~cF~1en’t” ?’t the noit?’lors tiT of the ‘island .and then rctarc? t” ~”” -‘-.iv!~ p~pilin”- “- tJ-cy c’-‘e. Another w.’FS to steara ~?~   ?mr’   .e. c   “””   ~”’oo “   “’”’”t   “~re   to   “le    ~nded   o”   +   ~   cehter   of   the “”estorn. ‘”or’tio  of ~ “ 5cl.nG..  ITo~ir ]nor31in”’ ‘~J\erc w;;-.3 to bn s carr5.er fo:”ro  co””-e  i””  ;~~  ‘S”~7   thfi  -.cl”.  o”t  of  tl.i  i- ‘~’olc  i~l~.~.  Besides  ell c.r Sf;  the  usu-l  - “.-‘l “ “oup.iT.lr~ w-eT-e  -1.0  t.~:”;  loc~  fron l.~”~”.

~PAGE~33     second copy  33-Raney.rtf We pulled,  out  on  schedule  and were  -bo maice  fifteen hundred-been  KB,l on the way to our station but the Captain evidently had the 41 “boat wide open for we were niG.I:ing 1900 most of the time and they were slowly gaining weight but we still could make them out.  There happened to come up a period of darkness and a rain  that “blotted them out for a moment though and we did not see them again till pretty late. in the evening, The radar on our “boat had still not been fixed and we could not pick them up with that. They had to finally conn us in on their radar.  That seemed not to make the captain sore at ail but he evidently was.  At one forty the task force was to have finished with their pounding and be heading’ south. There is a policy to keep the PTs and. a task force> separated.  after the Macauley incident so we retires. It is almost impossible to get in to the harbor till daylight so all the boats except my section went just off shore of Vella la Vella. We went over to the western coast of the Choisels to see if we could, contact the Marines that had landed there. We had not gotten them at three thirty in the morning so gave up and head-ed for the base.  Long before then all the men had about  gone to sleep on their posts they were so tired. Just at daylight we got” back to base.  We all flopped but about nine there was another meeting of aol bet’ t oe.-?tains nsins  At  that meeting Alpine and Tom Dalton were beached for three days each for getting lost last night. That nearly broke Alpine‘s heart too.. He moved enough of his gear ashore to na~e out pretty soon after dinner. I had gotten up at the same time and had had only three hours of sleep the whole time.  The rest of the afternoon I  got ell the crew busy Crnt’~-F J-Fff ready to unload. We did want to lighten the boat up all that was possible.  At three we went over to the spring to get a bath.  That  e..-.t really felt good. After two days and  a half without “.’ out one. There are & a bunch of boats moving out tonight to go on up the line They having been here for some time have got all the good berths in the edge of the lagoon. We have one picked out and have soric of out ?car there all ready. We plan to get up bright and early in the morning and get in there before some other boats beat us to though choice places. The morning of t..-.e 2^nd of November WE we moved over to this berth TO BERTH that we had picked out at six o’clock in the morning. We were really planning to make sure t-h-t that no one got that slot. We started- from almost scratch there. We first got a platform built by  cutting poles n the woods and placing them alongside of one another till we had the whole floor covered. Then we stretched the big tarpaulin across the top of it to keep out the rain and sun. Besides this we fixed up a rig so that we could have the small tarp. over the bow of the boat and. when we pulled out the tarp w-‘would stay there. We had it suspended from the trees that .were near by. Next we started “getting off all. the gear that  oo”..li’:”. ncssibly be done without. We stowed’ it B.lonr. one side. ilung ell our sea bag.c r‘ro~a.

the roof then placed cots on the other side. There we could fix up that up mosquito netting-T’- and leave it there when we were inax out There was room enough, for six cots. Three boys strung their hammocks in the trees to sleep and the others decided to sleep on the bow of the boat at night., We got thru with that ~.10111131~00 in t:. ~ afternoon ~incii had to go over and get “ c-et ;  li the fuel. By five”; “”e had a thousand.!:’ gallons on board and  when we had the : ‘-eel meeting at five of all the-3 Loaf captains it Y:as iareretive th.s.t -“e po out t~st nits.  This ti-v’ -“’->. “.’QVQ to r’o to the

 PAGE  34 Choiceville bay -which is the northern corner and the hay around which are three thousand, Japs.  There were twar patrols that night and we were to go with the captain again on the ~.1 “boat. Bob Sweet was to have the other group 21.3, and 44 and patrol just off the southeast corner of Bougainville. Well we got to station at nine thirty that night and the Captain ordered us to lie to. Then he gave another order to disregard his movements. He then came over and passed us a message in a can  This was the orders for the rest of the night I took that and went down into the chart house to see what. it was and when I had read it and came back up the boys said that tee went off astern going pretty fast and that They thought he went on & straight curse, Tom Dalton hard cone along with me that night and he did not know what to do. The message had read that we would go up to a thousand yards off shore and then up the coast. If it looked like good set up we would patrol the area till 0230 next morning. Well I revved them up and went flying up to where I thought he was. I must have turned a little further off shore though t at he was for I missed him on the way up the coast. .When I got all the way up the end of the island I turned arid retraced my steps but still not finding him. When I had gotten well south of where he could possibly I turned north, again and on the way back ban up on him.  We finished the patrol okay but pretty soon after that we got a radio message that the 36 boat had two casualties and  one dead. The 36 boat alxl the gun boat w.-which is an Elco an PT with-n the  fish taken off s.nf  Just over ooversr7 with guns liad ~c-IT,e up to help the marines out. There had been 600 marines ia.nr”.ed on the Choisel Islands and they had sent 120 of those up to the northern end to where the main Japanese c?.mi was and. they were to act as s. ?I~ole division end sorts- give though HBz Japanese a scare. Our order res-d that -b ey were to take then up—“p.d when the PTs got there they were bringing them back so they went dishing up to meet ‘~13~.. Wekk the marines-, “7ere in-three Higgins retri’”vers anr’ headed south. so?l1: 777 by ther and saw” the PTs first. They gave a ‘ n~’”hfay T;1-,oon so the PTs w/could  cone  over then  shined  a steady 1 light  to PAGE 34 bottom

ta.lcen of? e.nf   jv.st ooversc” writh guns liad fior,e up to help the me-marines out. There had been 600 marines ia-n<”.ed on the Choicevi-lle IsIpJacS- an6 they he.d. sent 120 of those ‘up to the northern end to where the main 7m celOp was and. L41e?T ere to act as a. w.?-:ole division s.nd sorts- give though ~irg Japs a scare. Our order read that t ey were to take then up and when the yTn, {”of there they ~r ere bringing them 133.01? so they went dashing up to meet them. Welch the marines, ‘.were in-three klill~ins retrievers and headed south by then and saw the PTs first. They gave a - mighty whoop so the PTs would come over then shined ~ the distress light to lead light to load the boats in. When they did F5 t 13” ore the marines all elided aboard like a bunch of madmen they were so glad to .a’; they \; so t;. see the PTs. Some of them of kissed the torpedo tubes even. The story was that. the three boats were to b” there -i; t~’rec ano.  had not shown up. Just before dark: en dark, an officer and 3000 men had started- t~3000 had across a river but ,.r?  3~””5 had had machine gun nest on the other side and had billed the t-“o men and the officer ~as seen to “-0 out ;r; ‘- his ‘”’hands up.   All though boys had seemed to think the world. to the. of the officer and. really hated to see him taken captive.  They had ,~onoo acres” to see if the ;!i1-ee boats “”ero d7v-?nthG coast. Then a “njor ;-r].’ tv:o ;’erf had “011~ a different route and. hsshr  d.id t‘ J to see the l:;on~a . ‘-~’oy “T~:Tre”. en aJ”!.oncan fl~r 61 t~e~l :.nd ~ot their “”.-17- :i0?  to  co]i”  in.    ‘i”’. :.’ “’”re  1 =--~di!-----  the  1’0j;   ‘””-  the  river   1”~”n the Jr”s opened fir~ 1?! “’” boats .’Tld ti~0 “””n lea’”.~””~ jt up. The t”’~ rn— -;-~-o--   n:-.r   cror    “3?   the  “”””o”  had   en  liiiied   and   one   of   ‘*”””   “’oat.s   w~”’ ---- o- -“.es.

‘~””””,   ‘hOFtF   ,.”r’”””o’l   T’l”   T-~-    ,.~-   .o.n    ..1~    I.-,-,--      .t.i.,..,   J.~~~.~   h,-1-    -;-1~,.~-rg ‘-p<~  ‘-  -1   -< ~~~~-~,,..,~.,-  ..---,  3  }”;.””?.”” “  ~~.~  “”.”’  -7 r,-  ‘i   P~WOltr~~”””  “r””  T”.r’ “ i-.’-,   i_Lr.i   ‘.a~t  f -l   .~””   “’f ‘   “””’ T’:.e;~’   “””””cr’o.’  to  r”  ‘  ~\.  “.. blind.i””’  rail”  iy”J.  -L    S,1-:r~1  i-.:I~------

t.o  ‘3t  t~’”’-  “v~  ~””’  “j.c”: u””  “the ~’arinoF.  wJhor  “.he”.”  .IIPO-  i’:i.r”+  “-o’fc’fc “”r.  ri.c:’: ;;;  n-i  t.o     -laiB  J’”i  CI. :P’-L  f-r!c’   lot ‘:~--     IIlr   -    11-~      Ti--      “,,-i  r*’    ~??    -i-i-i.~   “..”~~f*~}~nr*f”        \..J,’,~~.”

u  <.         [  <                   i                 .;

PAGE # 35  first copy

~

a ‘bun.ch of nor~or shells into it and. really did ao a lot of damage. On the way up they had killed and wounded a bunch of japs too. The Japs cought on to what the number was though and. really started to making it hot for them.  afad when they had retreated to t~here the boats were to piolc then up they had slit the throats of all the Japs that had not       ; died. In all they hso. lilled 72 Japs definitely and a number of possibles’.  They had lost the four raen that I have mentioned and there three that were in pretty bad shape ~ner,,,,, thePS~ f”ot them aboard.  One was shot all up. One had a hole in his head and one in. his back. The third just had a sort of nerveous bi’eakdovJn and was sort of batty.

There was a marine a-octor with them though. They crot the man that had the really sermous wrounds &y;m. i- the officer’s quarterd and started working on him. All the me:- had gotten  off on to the PTs but three in each of two boats. The onte that had so raanu holes in it had to be scuttled,                                                       : On the way out to the boats the Ja.p planes had dropped soiae bombs in the water and had caused some pretty painiMLI stomache a<?hea   The Dr,  was really in misery. They had all been gotten aboard at seven and they injected Plasria in jHnE every wein that they could find on the really sick one. At eleven that night though he died. They put him out on the fan tail of -the bo;”.t and then got the other two sick oned below to work oil thera  They were not in too bad shape  About f ur in the i.norning one of the boats r&n out of gas and the ot.her had to t”w it on the rest of the r,r in. Theygot in tothe dock at about- seven in the :’”.orrii:n.f” ?-.nd we were all standing on the ‘.j.ook anxious to hear wh.,-:’.t hf.~~a”””~enert  They unlo”~.3d ths well oned with the others and h.ao. o~ought the dead one a”i the ~”o sick ones with th.Em, They rushed, theii ondw’n to B”.los , 0:n -01-113 sane island to be h.auled out by pleme to the hospitG.I. It seems tJ’:-1 the Merine Colonel that was in charge of all of them had been asking for PTs a long time  .  but i.his .v”&s the first tine thct they had been able to spare them any. On the 3^rd just dfter we “o+. the ho-t ofl\. with 11330 siek men we ~.”.d-   a  LOT   oor’.e   I?”,  laden,  “.:’i.th.  dru]-“e   of   “as   for  the   “boats  here.   There  were not enough msn to ‘V,Yl.lOf:!: cl”. “f i; “ so WG had to ret ;Ij the boat crews that were not ‘n~ r C- cleaning guns srd engir,e~t,  That took all morning oiiG  in the afternoon we got back to tne clock to  get more fuel. By night we h~A a thousand. The I,.” ‘”~t han. 331:rl’il--~.llons, t’ie ~.. had 4QO gallons aro -‘-“.s o-fchsra “’ere all se-b. At the :ye ocloci: noet-.ng we were toici that there must be eight boats go u- with. three LGIs to evacuate the narinos from  Choiceville. Well I Y.TC to ht on the starbard bean of the lead boat the 41 i:n. front and the 37hoat on the port oean. There were to be two eico boats on fi’e bort side b:ck of -fc’e 37 boat fib’;: the ~3  “r~ ‘:-!+ were to be behind me. That was ?-ll the boat? ‘t were here. The 38nnd LO had gone u-“ to though Treasuries in the afternoon E.nd hhe 37 “as in  Rt?-~oTra, the 36 boat ha-i riot beo~ .”13 “o “31 h”\og fron the ambulance ‘brip. The ~1 boat ran oi’ -.]’.- reefs “etting oxit O:P ~’”~ ‘”.arbor onn ‘h’!”k th”ov: i-hen ovt ~:lr.h ‘?jlr! .n.r.  :-cre”’s  -nd ? “’olG in hho bo-l.-hom.  about d?  hour out the ’.3 bo ;i; ha~ ri.ui. h.alf out of fuel ?”.’! “”s.ri to turn feack. On the way in she hit c reef “JIG. did. shout 1116 Gan~ damage ao was dGe to the i.l ho””fc. The U. boat never found. “ e fon”atioli. That c that we had the whole Gt;?rhon.r-‘ xic’.<” of hh” :”OF—Pc~tion ~.nd the side neee to the isla.no where there “r~”ht “”” ~ :-le 5””’””’ -ro!.estion- ‘hh”~novo~rzent nor’. I ‘~P by niGOlf too thet ?~~e. I stayed ;”t ge~.crc.l ~”-r-T’--~rg for eight hour”.

 PAGE ff 35  lighter Lt5”~ 8.  “bT-mch.  of  nor~or  shells   into  it.  and  really  did.  ao  a  lot  of  cLam.age   On the way -Clp fchey had “killed and wounded a bunch of Japs too. The Japs cought on to what the number was though and really started to making It hot for them.  and when they had retreated to w.’here the boe.ts were to nick then up they had slit the throats of all the Japs that had not       ; died. In all they hod tilled 72 Japs definitely and a number of possibles’, They had lost the four raen that I have mentioned and there three that were in pretty bad shape “’men theP~s rrgt them aboard.  One was shot all 11?, One had a hole in his head and one in his back. The third just had 8.   sort   of  nerveous  breakdOYm  and.  was   sort   of  batty.

There w’as a marine doctor with them though. They “rOZ the man that had the really sermons “’ounds &o’;m. i’- the officer’s quarterd and started working on him. All the me:-, ha.d gotten  off on to though PTs but three in each of two boats. The onte that had so manu holes in it had to be scuttled. On the way out to the boats the dap pieces had dropped some bombs in the water a.nd had caused some pretty painiffal stomache aches.   The Dr,  was really in misery. They had all been gotten aboard at seven and they injected Plasma in tdos every wein that they could find on the really sick one. At eleven that night though he died. They put him out on the fan tail of -the bo;rb and then got the other two sick oned below to work oil them . They were not ia too bad shape . About f ur iTL the morning one of the boats ran out of gas and the ovher had to tow it on the rest of the r~TT in. Thevgot in tothe dock at about seven in t”e “”orninrec r-inrl we were all standin..”- on the dock anxious to hear whc.t h!:~”9:”renea.  They anlo ‘7~ ?!! the well oned with the others and hac. ‘b:’:ou.””ht -bhe dead one an.i the “t~wo sick ones with. them, They rushed them on dov-n to B-J.os , w this same island to be hauled out by plane to though hospital. It sesms tJ’:-t the Marine Colonel that was in charge of all of them had been asking for PTs a long time  .  but -his .v’as the first time the-ttt they had been able to spare them any. On though 3^rd just a-‘ter we got the ?-or L ofl\ with tibe siek mon we h.”-.-‘.   a   LOT   cone   in   laden,   “’ith   drum;?   of   gas   for   the   boats   here.    There   were not onoug3’. men to w_n.io:.: cl”. ~~ -- so we ha<”. to “-ct -;ll the boat crews that were not bu~y cle&n.ir.g guns ar~. engine8,,  That took sll morning an~ jn the afternoon we ‘-ot oRck to the dock to ~et more fuel. By night we rpA a -fcho-.T.sand. The II-~ ‘!”’ t haa. 33~ ona, the ~;. had 4qoo gallons “~r’~  .e  Q-i;i? y r At the ye oclock meeting we were tolc, that the:-e must be eight boats go u~ with three LGIs to evacuate the mR.rines from  Choiceville.

Well I wcr to bt on the starbo-rd bes.m of the lead boat the 11.1 in. front e.nd the 37hoat on the ‘pert oeam. There “..’ere to be two eloo boats on the bort side b:ck of the J7 hoat ~b- the 83 ~nd ‘:.!+ were to be behind me. “’hRt was f-J.I the boatf i ;t were here. The 3~and .-0 had gone u~ to the Treasuries IT the afternoon end. hh<” 37 “as in  Re-dova, the 36 boat hn”i not heo”” .hie “”o “et h”-og fron the “Jubulance trip.

The A.I boat rp?T. or’ h’e reefa “etting oxit o:i” “<~”””~ ‘ rbor ‘mn t.’ at th”e’.;  “””en  out  “ihh  ‘”-Y}A  “ ‘”.i.f’ks,  :- i”e’IR  ?nd  “  “ele  in.  IitC:  CO‘: I O_l.  about  ~.? hour out the 1. 7 boet hah run ?’alf out of fuel -Y”” “”ad to turn back. On the way in she hit r- reef “ri.o. did pbeut the Geme damage as was dee to the 41 ho”.t. The U.. boat nover f-unri h e formation. That “leant that we had the whole starhenr’ ei“.<” ef ;.h” ‘”ormntion and the pide ne”:t to the islano wh.ere there 11;;; ie “Q”ie 5;;?~ riolestion hhesnovement north.

I “’~.p  by mioelf  too thet  “~’ “”,<”.  I  stayed,  at  ~e;i1.e~al  f;r-r-‘y3  for  ei~::lt ?”oura.

 J     PAGE # 36        ..’-~ We were to arrive at, tile ‘eveLOtlatgoii point at 1230 and at 121$ we were Sust off shore and the mariner blInkecL a light &t us. They must’ have hit the ‘bank right on the minute.  The four boats that were le-ft former a screen around them so there would “be not a possible Jap sneaking in to gum up the works. It took two houJS to get them and 8.11 the gear that they had brought up aboard and be ready to shove off. WtagTnr At three in t e morning of tlie ~th word came that the U boat needed assistance. When we got to the place where they were the dawn was just breaking and we were about five miles from oul? base. They did not need any further protection so the three boats pulled in to base and the & Captain went to loo for the 44 boat. It TF~ELSS high. and dry on a reef.

We got in at six in the morning abd in the past 48 hours I had been able to lie dovm only one hour si all the gang amd me too dropped in bed. We had 400 gallons of gas aboard and did not want to get  .out that night.

We slept thry breakfast and dinner and at three in the afternoon We got worg that  we were to go up with another PT end a n APG to try to pull the 44 boat off the reef.  The tide was up then but by the ti time that we got there and gotthe one line over from the APG ifc was dark and the tide was out. At the same time we got an order to return to base. The APG gave a mighty heave and parted her line so we all came on home. It is almost impossible to x?one in here at night so when we got off shore we radioed to send out the lighter to guid  us in.  Pretty soon it was out and we w’ere al3 tied up at ten “but having nissed t.hree:meals had to go over  and see what there was to stir TdP All that we could find was bread Jsm and wienna sausages. Ha.  Had 200 gallons left after thrt.

On the morning of the fifth we were over esting Breakfast when the Captain told me that <ihe 236 and my boat were to go to Baloa for supplies in fifteen minutes and I was still eating. He got around to asking why -L had gotten lost then and when I t,old him that I was taking one order litteraliv and waiting for the nest before changing, rie did not sa-y anything after that. G-uess he must have a pretty good bit of faith in rat though to be letting me carry the w”hole show alone.

Just as we got ties up in Baloa an offiveer from an APG there came .over and told me that he haa 250 pounds of fresh meat that i could have . He had heard what dire circtims-bances that we have U”1 here and had brought it along for us. ne had a brother in PTs in Alasks too.

I went straight after that . TTheyhad me s;ha-cr for ehow and all the men too and really fed us royally, ~L’41e skip’er  had- bilged out cf  annapolis but they had taken him in anyhow and he was now a full lieutenant. His wife wvas having a. baby end he really did wish to be a getting horae too.

After oho\v and getL-T.n.”-. the beef we pulled back over to the o-ock and started to fuel there, They have an air stri”o and a lot of hirndred octa.ne there. wJhile we were ioi;i”” that we  got the guns all lookco. over and ~c?ttt all b’G groceries, oil and 80 octane for though base. We left there ‘ withall tanks full.

Just before we oulled out for Beloa. the boats that .’ad gone out on night -oatroll had- come in and the 38 boat had had. a. bomb dropped a.bout 25 yards off their stern, a piece of shrapnel ha.d hit the 20mm nount and knocked a dint in it and two of the 20mm raagazine irmis had been dinteri by shra-onel. no one 7:~.8 hurt fc.i:.o.

PAGEs 37-53 2 copies of 37 + third bottom PAGE 37 The nite of “bhe 5^th there was to ge’a four boat patroll in -bhe ‘ ChoiceviL1 “bay area and this tinie we were logo out again. Dick PricLeaux went along with us this time. Just as we pulled out of the harteor there came one of the heaviest down pours that I have ever been in. The lJoats  j were to go out in a diamond formation and we were to be the rear “boat in ‘ j?he formation.   The lead boat reved them up to top speed and we had one more hell of a time keeping up, till we got out of that rain then the moon was so bright that we we e” afjbaid that we would get wiped out by Jap bombers..

Got to station at about nine thirty and there was a native -village in the center  of the bay which the  lead boat thought some kind of a ship. We were about two miles out but it looked a little like there might be a sizealble ship there. We had gotten word that a Jap sut> had been sighted going thst way  the nite before.  We all stood by while one of the boat went in to investigate. We were all rea~y for a run in vd-th torpedoes and everything else. It proved a fake tho but about the time we got  bach together there was a sound of Wahhine machine Charlie’s engines. He dropped no bombs this time but he  really worried us till well after nidnite.

Coming back with out any warning the lead boat revend his engines up to top speed from idlimg. The moon had just gone down and it was pretty hard to see right at that moment. We very nearly lost them again but the engines here seemed to be out doing themseived in performance and we cought up in a hurry. All went well till v’e hit another rain storm rn.d at the sane tirae one of the boats had the engines conk out , Lrot that all straight, and than came ons till we got just out side. the harbor. U-ot there at five and were to v’s.it till day light to come on in I leanes against the ~harthou-3e and got thirty minutes sleep. We still will -robfibi~ go out tonite with. the k3 havi g hit a reef, The 1+1 having hit & reof, the L~. waving hit a reef, the 38 having hit a log. The ttio other boats that are still are at Talagi are not in sight yet ether.

Guess the tine will corie tho v-hen we get a little rest again.

Ufa the nite of the  first  they han  landed 1~,300 raen on Boganville and 16,000 tons of gear. They e.re v.-aiting now to see whtLt the Japs are going to do before they put ariy more on. l’hey have another division standing by to raov-e in. That nite the shelling og the air strip at the northern end of the island v,’as so successful thc.t they did hot need to drop any bonbs on it i” a-o.dition to put it out of operation.  That sal-?e nite there wa.s a Jap task force sighted so these ships stayed sro”ma to see Y’ajb they were up to. There vres a bp+.tle. We had 2 cruisers arid si:’ destroyers and the Ja-ns had one heavy cruiser,  one lif-ht vruiser and three rlrstroyers. The JB-OS pd]”u-t losing, a.ll 131.11 one destroyer and.  the lic-.ht cruiso:.” hvt the eJ’.ericans think that thsy got those too.  The plarj.””” “~a.~ly tore u~ every thinf around the pl”ce where there wa. s to he the leach ‘~1”p”” ri 7 t””e ;””arir.es lost 55 :i”ier- an~ ha(?.235 woun~.oc”..  The J’?””s he(? 135 “?? ‘ ..

Those r-~rines said that t::ie.: : v.”orG :-etv r en l/i. ;-nd ISthousand rasKisis Japs on G’-.oiceviile hut -‘- -i- i~ pro’i; .’blv nore thnn there a.ctually is.  Kost Oi” the~ ? t- ~ tho da;) J~perial marines ~110}). are all above 6 f-1; and rir:iity fat. They pre the X :’~88 onefi that the’-‘ Bet on Guaclalcanal. YJhen t.hero is a boy about twelvo that i,”-“ liaohing like :”’oo”l I~ateris!LLLL they casterate hi:”’ ancl then seno. hil-i. to the Jap n.arine nchool till ho is groTJn.

On tl “. ~ifth the carrier force hit Rahai an<i sent over 75 bombers ano. So fighters,  ‘..’hey had no losses to s ech of and knocked out 67 J&P fi.7 “’ 3 :-:::   ..no   ?..’;’   possibles.   Th”:     1   “1””~  ~-hockeec.   out   23   fighters   over B~- jv~1.’;.e ir. tho  .. cou”~o of (I rn PAGE 37 The nite of “bhe 5~hh -bhere was to ge’a four boat patroll 3.11 -blie Ghoicevill “bay area and 1.11.13 111116 we were to go out again. Dick Prideaux went along with us this time. Just as we pulled out of the harbor there came one of the heaviedt down pours that I have ever been in. The boats  i were to go out in a diamond formation and we were to be the rear boat in ‘ j?he formation.   The lead boat reved them up to top speed and we had one more hell of a time keeping up, till we got out of that rain then the moon was so bright that we we e” afjbaid that we would get wiped out by Jap bombers.. Got to station at about nine thirty and there was a native -eillage in the center  of the bay which the  lead boat thought some kind of a ship. We were about two miles out but it looked a little like there might be a sizeable ship there. We had gotten word that a Jap sub had been sighted going thet way  the nite before.  We all stood by while one of the boat went In to investigate. We were all ready for a run in with torpedoes and everything else. It proved a fake tho but about the time we got  bach together there was a sound of Wahhine machine Charlie’s engines. He dropped no bombs this time but he  really worried us till well after nidnite. Coming back with out any warning the lead boat revend his engines up to top speed from idlimg. The moon had just gone down and it was pretty hard to see right at that moment. We very nearly lost them again but the engines here seer-led to be out doing themselved in performe-nce and v>”e cought up in a hurry. All went well till v’e hit another rain storm rnd at the sane tirae one of the boats had the engines conk out , U-ot that all straight, and than came ons till we got just out side- the harbor. U-ot there ?:-b five and. were to v-ait till day light to come on in I leanes against the cbharthouse and got thirty minutes sleep. We still will ::’robabl~ go out- tonite with the ~3 havi g hit a reef, The 41 having hit a reof, the U  aving hit a reef, the 38 having hit a log. The ttio other boats tiia.t are st : 111 are at l’alagi are not in sight yet eiher.

Guess the tine will coue tho v’hen we get a little rest again. Un the nite of the first they han landed 14,300 raen on Boganville and 16,000 tons of gear. They ere v.-aiting now to see wh~t the Japs are going’ to do hefore they put an.y more on. They have another division staJiding by to raove in. That nite the shelling og the air strip at the northern end of the island v:as so successful thL-..t they did not need to drop any bonbs on it i—a.o.aition to put it out of operation.  That sarn.e nite there wa.s a Jap task force sighted so these ships stayed sroima to see \b they were up to. There vres a ba+.tle. We had 2 cruisers and si:’ destroyers and the Japs had one heavy cruiser, one lif-‘ht vruiser and three destroyers. The ja-os edriit losing. 8.11 ‘b’.Tt. one destroyer c?nd_ the lic.ht cruiso:” “i-vt the “J’.erioans think that they got those too. The plarJ.’.’” -“~a.lly tore u~ every t;b. ny_ around the pl”ce where there wa.. s to he the leach “1-~”” i 7C7 +’”””; ~’ T’.l?e SS lost 55 ner. (3~C777 had.235 ‘woun~’oc’.. ‘T”i’~<’  .T?--!c::::   “{”? ft   ~\ “{’.   ;I?li? . P. 37 bottom cLIlU.  J.O,UUU   LUIIS  UJL  i-,t;c~l    J-il.’=iy   OJ.~-  !I’ ,t wrrt~ii  LluuS   W  LI-W   I U;W   Y*~-V  v”r~  “- going to do before theyplrb any more on1’lley have s.nother division standing “by to ~ov-e in. That nite the shelling og the air strip at the northern end of the Island “’a.s so successful thc.t they did not need to drop any “boHos on it i; addition to put it out of operation, That same nite there we.s a Jap task force sighted so these ships stayed sroimdtosee Y”abthey were up to. There wes a bpttle. We. had 2 cruisers and- si:: destroyers and the3’eT>s had one heavy cruiser,  one li~ht vruiser and three drstroyers. The japs ednit losing all but one destroyer and the li~ht Bruisop “r-vt the anerioans think that th~y got those too, The piRnc” Y tore U~ .every thin~ abound the plzce ~eree there wo. s to he the i.es.ch 7-2r! p””~” t’””=i marines lost 55 mE3~ and hnd-235 wounded.  The <Ta”?s bed 13? “13”~”.                                   .

Those nF:rines.8.aid. that tli.e:i.-e T7cro oetv’een 14 rnd 15thousand laiswrrarr Japs on G”oiceville but t.”ir.t :’i.c pro’os.’bly nore than therp, actually is.

Most of the”i .”r~ tho Jao l:”.perial niarines ~ cich are all nbove 6 ‘ft and ni~hL~ fat. They f.’re the sane oneS tj.at the:- met on Quad..Rlcanal. YFaen t?!pro is ahoy ahout tvrelvQ that ifl 3_iQol~nr: .like ~ood niaterisi ‘they casterate hi?” s.na then send. hir:”. to the Jap marine nchool.till he is gro~n.                                    ‘.”          i Or. t.)~  fifth the  c.’rri-er  force hitRahal  and  sent  over 75  “bombers and So fighters. They had no losses to ~ ec]i of and. knoclied out 67 J&P fight.eJ’s ‘-n.a. 23 7ossiltles . 1  Ir  h~e “’1~~” “-pockeedout 23 fip’hters over B--~ jvil.i.e  5-‘”. tho .1.0.31  cou~Je  of (1 i‘ r. PAGE # 38        top   ~J.      - Teh first day that Alpine was ashore he went with a group over -boi a camp used. “by the Japs here on the island. They brought ba~kk a barge thet the japs had left. In the getting it he scratched his foot on a piece of coral and he now had Blood poison and the past two days has     , had a pretty higbJbx  fever. They may have to evacuate him. I feel pretty sure of being a boat captain now. Will get either the /)-2 or the U.

The afternoogd, of the 6^th. I gpt into bed about one in the afternoon after about 37 hoprs of going, I was sleeping fine when I was waked up at four in the afternoon with the order to proceed at once to the l+h.  boat  and  get   it  off  th  e  reefs.  There  was  to  be   another  boat  following me to assist* Well I cranked them up and sailed out up there. It is ten miles there and I made it in fifteen minutes. There was no boat in sight so I proceeded to get a cable over and pull it off at once. It took ~ quite a time to get the cable over and a steady pull on three engines did no good. I backed up to get o running start but the first time was to no avail I backed up to try again and this time the pelicafa hook snapped open and let the cable go.   They tried to pull it up on their deck but on the way in it hung in a reef  tight.

There was nothing else that I coule do  bu6 up came the 38boat about that time end nothing would do but we both try at once. I told him to get the lines over and I would hitch on to him and pull. Before I ever tied up to him his lines parted. We got back to base iust at dark to find that the boats were not to leave till raidnite and v.-e were not to go out at jrfcfe  all. That was really a break after oeing OE four patrolls and one ls.te getting back iii  six nites. There are still Ja’”s on the islaJid here and they have a radio all set up to tell the ones UT) the line our every move. Perhaps that aeopunts for out not having seen anything tho Harry’s boat and the 38 boat had ~”T~J~~-  11-  ri  T~r~ -Mrv /~\  -{-T~~\  1~c,,  4-. ,e   t “y\ ~   3 C~    lrvi~~CC    t”rj <~  T~ ~;mhd;r 38 bottom We got back to terse sust a-fcdsrK to find that the boats were not to leave till midiaite and -we were riot to go out at xfafe  all. That was really a break after oeing on fo.ur patrolls and one late getting back i- six nites. There are still Jaos on the island here and they have a radio all get up to tell the ones w) the line our every move. Perhaps that acopunts for out not having seen anything tho Harry’s boat and the 38 boat had shot up a barge the nite t:at the 38  boat  wasbOKlbed.

The  Japs bombedthe devil out 03? the radar station up in the top of the laounfaainhere and there was not a sign of s. light there. Looks to me like the base just as v.-ell piovo away from here. Looks too  as if there ~Egg be & discontinue in the use of PTs out here .after the Boganvill push. They have enough tin cans and planes out here nov.’ to do all the work that v:e do now- and a it a  of better than we cen. The morning:  of the seventh v’e .-ot UT) an’” statted to cleaning the guns and just as we got then all eart there oar””e a rain.  We had stripped out the inside of the boat tho and were able to bring them all down and finish the job. Got into the dock to fuel just before noon. Had to g.::t  the  fuel up  to  2000  gaIJons  . In theafternoonwe carae “n: ‘.ck to out holw in the bushes to finish the odds and ends about the boat. At four we all went in for afternoon chow afterwhich we had. services. Every one Gee:m.ed to be  nighty pleased with it. There is time to ret a ‘Lot of religion now. I l”ave spent a lot of tirae  prpyin~ to be. e.lert at all the tir:-J.e nnd not give a.ny wrong cosinian while we are out at n”.te.   That nite ‘JBP a 77reii holiday and we got to eBfca” in G.f”ain The n.ornin~ oi’ tile eJ.rh~h \;~ spent “-ettiii”- all the ~uns wiped down nn ready for -i~ nitf” in csse v/o had to r’o o-rfc. It had r~ine~ pretty hard the nite before-ndoocause the torpoleonwas not t:’ght it ‘had co~ht quite a bit of weight r_n rr:teTTT on it in the sags. We had not bothered to ~i-t it ??l out in i-:e early i3orni}1~.-.iid.juGt beforo noon there was. & crash :.. it fell in brer-ling one of the t;r~ess that was holdir.” it up.                                     .. PAGE # 39 in -bhe af-faer-noon we had. to get tnat all up again. This time we had to suspend one corner of the top from two tEeeB’ that were fairly close to us. We got it good and tight and then got a barrel ail painted inside and put it in a place to catch all the water so v:e culd have fresh water here to bathe in and wash’ our clothes without having to co up to the spring, That nite at themeeting  we were t~ld that there were four boats that had logo out and we we.e to oe one of them. This time we were to leave at midnite and return at dawn. The moon went down about that tine and we would not be so easy for the Jap planes to find. Therbe is pa lot better feeling when we canrlt have it dark as T)itch while we are out on patroll, We got on station and were there fifty minutes when we had to come back. It is fifty miles up t”ere and a good two hour run when the boats have to keep formation.  We divided into two patrolls when we got there and WBEO to patroll tigro locations. None of us saw anything tho.  We have dabbed it the Zip Zip patroll now Zip up and Zip back and not do anything but burn up a fortune in hundred octane. The morning of the nineth we slept till dinner. It really was peaceful getting that sleep too. Bud Trimble had made the patroll with us the nite before, Ee rooked as if he had besn asleep weefesi when we’ went in to dmnner.  In tSife afternoon we got t”.e engines tuned up got gassed up and the guns wiped down and oiled. That nite w~-ns 8 prep holiday foR a.ll boats but v”e were to stand the radio watch. The base radio is on the blink and we have -bo use one of the ra-dios on ths boat SJtd let the messages get telephoned in to operations. I got t~’o boat on in then left the duty section there and all the rest oi’ us came back to out hole in the bushes where our beds were.  Pretty soon there  came a Sown pour and we were afraid every minute that it-voulo. start blowing in onus.  Did nottho, ‘ The teEdsil  U. boat also got pulled off the reef today. There was a dispatch sent out to have a tug sent up since we had failed with all t.   e  means   that  we  had.     It  v.as  to  be   just  outsid’-   at  delight   and  the36 boat was to take then up to the L.U., Well they got out there and gound the tug right in the mid ;le of a task force so they sort of hung back till all the task for-ce had go-bten out of the way.  The ski-oper used to be a wa-rra:n.t bo sun and wa<!s a tough one indeed. He wanted to know if the fellows on the 36 .knew t e waters and then wa.ime(? them tl-p.t the tug only drew 18 ft of water but he wanted 30 under it 311 tines.  The wst rter ten feet wway from the 1+4 wan ‘6$ ft so he did not have to worry. They got all the lines abound it and after a little straining even on it*s part off she came. There was a hole puncheci. in the engine room but t/at \vas all. T-ey t-ook her right on down to Rendova. Thore is about a third of the crew still here I do not know how thay are making out without all hands available. The tenth we wore e.t fc.e dock all day v.”ith tiiat radio uw-t;cl- since it rund from six till si----  We got a hell of a lot of V:OrlCC clone on the engines and. had S-:.LI the monthly ro tines on tho fi~h. That got 8.11 th deck greasy. We .’did. get all tho walls 8Jid the decks bclovr spotless. That nite at the meeting we were told that we would have to r:O out again tha-.t nite and t’ e captain would go with us. I rushed oownto ~et,, the last minute trings done before he arrived. OFF: die not think that we would have to make that trip out and were not quite ready for it.

There was one rotor on onfe of the engine r’iagnitos t-h-t was burned out and we were .”’etting fire OUT, of only one set of nlugs, PAGE # 40            ‘.- j The doc told. Alpine -tha-b he could, go along for the ride ‘bu.b he better keep off the foot all the time yet.  All went well till we were afeout fourty miled out and all of a Sudden the wholeboat started to shake. We had not hi~ anything and I aid not have any ides what was the matter. I pulled them down and all the other boats came’  “ to a halt. We found nothing wrong so I shoved them yp again and it happens again. This time the captain told the other boats to go on and we wpuld return to base. Well vie started out .”and I reved them up again and this time they worked like a charm. He d”-oide& thet we would then make a payroll of our own well clear of all the others since they thought that we had come on in. At eleven thirty we headed inand  this time we were doing about 2000 KPM. The old boat was really moving t.ry the water.  The moon was the brightest that I have ever seen it. There just must have been no planes out for they could surely have spotted us as bright as it was. The coptain found out from the conversation that wehad been working on the engines ant gave me hell for not having that on the operations board uo st corn shack. He  gave me hell foer not having a light on the compass, and  wanted a general quarters all the way out. The morning of the eleventh you can bet that I got all the things that we would d the whole day written on that board too. I still lave not gotten a light on the compass. Maybe we can get that tomorrow tho.  We got ail the grease off the deck, I dived under the boat and looked al all the screwa and they were all okey so the shaking must have been the engine vibrating because Of the difference in lead. This rnorning at cla-wn there was supposed to have been quite a raid on Rabal. There were five carriers and t eir supports to strile all a once and there -was to be a flifht of B24s off shore a way to take care of afay ships that might try to get away.  There are now no air fields at all on Boganville that can be used by the japs. They are still moving e.  lot  of  equiptnent  up  there  but  thus  far  have  not  moved  any  more  troo-ps in. Th.e rJ.iteofthe eleventh there were two pa.trolls to go out and for a change we G-“A not 4Li~e to go out.  We have made six to date and fche  ne-rt  closest  to -fchs.tmiraber  is  four.  Trips  to  other bases && not count UT> for a boat.  At midnite word came that there was a plane clowb a-nB  .-lithe boats were  seourecT froin. patrolls an.s  sent to  the arepwteere the -olanes had p-one down to see if they could find the. rn{ot. Two additional boats went out from the base in addition but it was all to no avail for none of then got even a sniff at him. The morning, of the twelfth we were to be a.t the dock at five thlrt-r-r ir  the T-or-n.in?-. to .”-et  fUEl but when I looked up tn that direction J two boats 8.1 tlie dockalready a.nd there is a strict rule that onl- ‘c~o be here at any one tl-e. At ~iTI-c fifty another one coming in fs ~ -i” troll ;7ulled in”-boo sdi I just sat t i Illt for the time being. Just afl.er breal-fas-fc they “ce.& finished with tl’e ones at the :I slr  -bho  and we  pulled  3.n.  Pret-ty  soon  after  that  here  came  a  boat  in r,-C?   the  Treasuries  ana  on  it  wa.s  one  of  the  nilots  that  had  been down t FTT ~~ddd founc’. hir-i on the way here. He said that one of.ou boats had gassed within fifty yercis of him about three thirty this morning ime !lac; PO+. seen han.  He had been 1’ ere since four thirty.yesterday af~rroon.    He aid not seen any worse f.)r tho wear tho.  His plane had had -t.;’e fuel line -bo break aJid ha had -bo land in the viator. He ha not h~en }’ib by tho japs ;t all. The plane was a corsair. Thor- is still nowor’  as to how the raid on Rabal carie out PAGE # 41    top       /-‘ VYe also lost another man and that iiiademe feel pretty badly,     Ii-i Vanderpool one of the Hngineers has had troa’ble ~ith his ears for quite so~ee tiiae/ The troulle dates ‘bac’k: loan &$x  injury recieved when he fell off of a surf board back in jfcgg~  31 . The Dr deoidee       ~ that he had better get on the base force where he could have regular     e hours of rest and then be where they could get to him and work on hfan    I at any time. He was a swell fellow and it hurt him a lot to get off       the boat. We do liave a good raa_n. in* his place tho Trosclair a boy         < from Algiers jmst across the creek from New Orleans.

The afternoon oftl’e twelfth.we all went tosleep soon as we got bach from dinner. I woke up with just enough time to get a shower ana wash our the clothes of the day before the chow boat c8Jne by.

We were to go out that nite. There were four boats that left just   { at sunset and about four railed out ur> came the SHE moon. I think that it was the brightest t at I have ever seen a night. There were surely no Jap planes out for they could nave spotted us perfectly. We could     : plainly see island peaks fifty miles away and the white wake that we leave is visible almost that far. This time all four boats went up to the northern tip ofGhosseville and lay too. Then at eleveh one seotior started down the coast. They were to give the illusion that als the boats had gone so the Jaio would gome on out. ltr was all to no avail tho for not a thing was seen. I guess we do serve c. purpose tho. Planes keep the barges froi” running in -fc”e dayti-“” &ncl wo keep theM in at nite.  eventuall the~ are c2oina to “et miffh”~ ~inrrfrrrfr over -fahere.

41 bottom tUey are going t-o get Tai{?:~y Lmli~ry over there.

There is still no word v-oi-d of ho-j’ to tank force c”.me out in the raici on Kabal. If they ~.o ilnoc’: that out as t eTT have all the airfields and harbors e.t Boganvills the ~?999 still hahe Kaviang and it is aliaost as good 131S rabe-I. 200 casualties ‘.”ere evactla.ted form Boc:;mville this morniiig bv the force th~t took up nore supplies. There are an additional 300 Japs reported killed too.  One Ks.rgeant that came out with the “bunch reported that the Volcano v.nove Express :iLIS~sta “bay ia active now and Toy.  sca.tterins”  a~hed  and  debris  all  over  it  “irevents  sny  Tierr-‘anent fixtures there. ;.J~t has not he”r f:O ! as yet tho. A photo plane v~’s over Hahal the day ‘b~fQre the raid and his pictures showed beHid”s E.II tho crippled ships fro:- the last raid  .  16 d stroyers, 5 cruisers, J+ A~s, ~ -“7 ?” ~ CI?-r)Sjj ~JK- a~rou’n of other vessel”. There are also “2.” <Jc.p ‘”l”:tres ‘”: the v~ole vicing t7” aince all the Jf-p ~ir fielda &ro out ot corission on BOr-‘ ~anville the task force did not  -ve to “orr~ “ho’..lt-1l~no6 hot”’ crin”” them fror. there. However the plapes that ver~ ooverin- it encountered r- hunch of planes s .oot m i <”Q’\”r~ fourteen ~;.d loo in” ten. Dur ‘olanos ‘”o not -;o?m to  ourst 1~10 flexes ::t  t’.e f~rst sh”t s” ‘~”~ tho ~a’-s   to!:; our ~”.anes all stic!-- ~lose tol;e-(; e------ ard o.c) Ti.o~ o.o aiiy i:’i.o’”c;n(ia~1’b :Fi~h.Gi}:’.g as r~o ‘bhe J?.”s We -‘of ‘hc.c’:: l.o ~~e ‘;’.’h ~I TC: l- : 1”:-‘<~YC>”1.  ‘L’h3  “’.’?..  ‘:.”,  s’fci’V    l~.~.~”   “:.’ (: e c:h -I TC: i””. “l-e ~.o-:n’.~:”’ af-fcor ou.b seventh. KSS r‘i7”  nUjil’i;e”  C)  -:-tr~3. ssss  ~Z1_111 “”ClY~   ~””   ‘”’” ~i   “~ -r  ~’>~.~ ~  r   “-“-~,’~   r’.~”C)”’~  “”)”.’~”~   i—oo   ‘1 r~~”,’~~.’*.T R?        ~’””” ‘”.~” <->-n-hh  ~””  -i-J.e  i-‘oys v”eB.t  .~~’” to  ?1”~.  YJ’ ~’r   ~’~,.0    ‘  ~! n o ~ 1’) ‘h~  (

‘I ‘i’- ‘~”” “’”’, “i ;-FF ‘i”~ “’~””f ~-r~-~~-~-n- Fin T?-  c: n-r*’--?t~  ~-*-  ~i-i-Tr T~O!-??””””” CT.’ I               r        J                .1-“.

‘...~J--   j-~oo  ~    .-1,-lp,   -



PAGE # 42 The thirteenth of November really was a red letter day for about nooii in came the 55 “boat and on it were five bags of mail. We had been here for three weeks and there had not been any mail at all up here.

I had 23 and they gave me  the biggest booae in morale since getting out here.  Took-all afternoon writing answers and censoring the mail the  fellows had WEitten.  Sosami  There must have been at least a hundred letters to go out next morning.  Thatnite we did not have a patroll but got to stay in. We turaed on the radio and picked up some of the prettiest music ever. The boys wen~ still writing when I  turned in. I like to get all the mail censored before going to bed for I usually sleep till the chow boat is alongside and do not have time to do 8.ny censoring before catching it.

The fourteenth was Sunday. I spent a good part of the day getting all the business straight with the .!iiH,bKlilgiJEJU& Paymaster. I increased the allotment to Jane to SOO , changed the insurance to ordinary life.

that policy is now drswine 13.10 a month. The ITS’ Life policy II.oo, The mess bill  is 21.00 so that leaves me 17000 a month to spend. At the rate that I will be spending it I should save at least sixteen of that a month.

This afternoon we had another preaching service. Ofae of the boats went down to the air strip at Baloa and borrowed a chaplain fot us. This time we had communion. He had us all line up about fifteen at a time and dirmed the bread in wine and put it our mouths. You should see the waTT ,fiigig bunch, ~OOOOO for the religion out here too. Those that have things foinr”, that cannot be stopped hate like the devil to miss. The nite of the fout-teenth -e got to sS$y in e.gsin. That maked two nights in a row for us. I really was glad. too this time that we did not have logo.

The morning of the fifteenth WE made a trip .down to Be.loa to collect gone groceries for the “oe-ste an~ to g-et the intelligence infornatic for the Base. Our Intelligence officer was to be busy heres-t the base so Alpine was going to act in his place in getting it. ‘ It was a hell of a hot day. It usually is tho whan tied ur> to & a..-ch right, out  in the sun.   Soon as we got  there Al’oine and I went to see the operations officer and intelligence out fit anrl Harry started to get ail the things that he neeo.e’;. collected.  We had to make a trip in a je p s.ll srourl the air field anc” that is really a good oae. I wolnlered how they ~anan-ed to keep it all dry in all” the wet -Beather that we have but it is nede from ground coral and is hard end drains easily. There is not too much dust from it wither.

Here as. at the airfields tha-t we saw down the line there are little niches alond the fiEls carves in thehill sided to house the planes when they are not fixing. There ere some eighty of these there now. They have had one pilot killes there isn all their o’)erations and that when his plahe v,”as injured and he was coming in for a forced landing. There was a cater’oillf.’r on the firlo. and he accid ntally hit it -uid the :~3 ne burned UT) and him too.

When we f-ot bach to the dock Harry had. all the atuff there so WQ pitched inget.tinr it all loade-.  We had had to tie ur alon”: side an APC and a LOT so vie were too far out to carry the stuff but we ~ot a retriever to coT.ie in and , it out to us. That nite vre. had another patroll. The eighth for the 2.~2.  V’e were the lead. boat with Corn. BracJcet’b in chc-r~e of t o f.ur heats t’.c.-‘:.

weLie ~oinr out. The boats were in a diarlond ~’or””..bion 190171r” out. ‘;~F”- we prel’ -“ ~out f if-teen miles out we (‘-  ve u’-i trylpr- -io ?-et out radF~ to workinr r-: c~ Mr Brackett tl-snsfe~~ed. to the j~  4-3 boat for the rost of the nite.

 A    PAGE #43           F) Just as we got to urpa4jroi3.~r?tatioD.off-ofche fPWtlp of Choserll islaiids the moon oarneup arid I d.o tliink that had. am enemy plane “been within fourty miles that he coule have spotted us. There was apparently none tho  The patroll was mighty quiet timm we started.

home and about three thirty in the morning all of a sudden two “big search lightd piercer the shy right in gromt and about a thousand, yards  ‘ up. There was a flight of planes of our own going out* That got us al at general: quarters in a hurry,  ‘m<~ were a gro p going up to mine the waters around Boufca off the north tip of Boganville We got all set-bled from that when the aft loolcout reported a plane dead astern. This one had his engines cut and was gliding along with his running lights on. He was one of ours too but that was another genera: quarters. Just after he had passed we saw a light blinicing over on the mainland but did not stop to investigate that one.

Soon after getting settled again there was a red. light sue east of us. All the boat  stopped and went to general quarters again.  Pretty soon the red light turnes orange and was getting up higher in the sky. We were doing honor to Venus. Ha.

The i6th we got into the dock bright and early to get that ftadar worked on. They took till dinner working on thet and we were Sirst on the fuelling list after dinne  but the pump broke end we were all afternoon getting fuel.  ltwas so hot that it was miserable to stay around in there. It really was like comilag home to get beck to the weeds again.  We d-idnot have a patroll that nite and weregoinRRR to  g3t a litt,l( sleep.

The 39 boat was to arrive at 1400 but when it gor -utsiae it did not see the bay and vent blasting right on up.  We did not know where they were headed for but cl-cided to wait. At eight in the evening thsy hs.a still not shov/eo. v:o Fiid the 35 boat was sent out to find them.

They got in about, rourinthe morning. They did. have a sack of mail with them “.ho and  that really was estreat to the resj? of us, The morning of rhe 17111 we got the mail: j-ust afT,er breakfast and on the 2~2 we soean *  jsest of ‘bhe morninc: writing letters and readin” tile ones !J_ at we had n-t,-ler, over a~ain. Tte t afternoon all the FQRQ p’ot in all the sleep that. was possible for we were on the list fco ‘go” out  had  there  been  a   ‘atroll  in  the  evening.    When we  got  in  for chow that nite things started, to pop. The 43 boat had acted as chow boat and .that made the fifth boat at the aock at one -fc:une. The rule is to ha-be only two thore at any one time. The captain got word. of this and realit started to do some  hell raising.  The thirty eight boat was there tr-etin.”- to ~et the screws off and was the insid-e beat. The inside boat has”t.e duty there so Sid Shogren got three d-ays on the beach ~ for that. The thirty nine boat was the ready boat and. was next out so it T~Ti?333   okay.   The   tharty   six   boat   h   d   been  v.-aved.   in   at   noon   to   fuel   aild.

bed been the chov.- “ooct, then but they had. stayed there all afternoon tho there v-as no ~ueiliw” cone. Cr~forcii g “- three days for that.  The thirty five boat was in but tnr~ left before the official count was made. The 43 was the outside boat afad Tom got three days but was  forgiven v/hen it VTQ.S Tiadc kn vm th<:.t.  it v~as the chow host tha-fc nite.   SrsA Devoe had gotten three da~ISSS for  getting lost the nite before. Nu-,on got a -creek because Mr. Bracked h<-:dfoebid-d.en the uhan~ee of the engineroom Bilge vent motors to blowers and he  had. ciicnr~eee thorn anyhow.   Two boys had.

“or;,    off  the  afternoon,  before  ?-nd    did not  show up  so a  boat was  sent       ~ oirb to find -them -~’d. they ]-iS.d returned, while S.t w~.s out.  Tne captain PAGE  44     <.(‘; would, have looked, foolish, to have turiied them in for a suimnary court, .~w ‘ marshall for “beilig AV~OL vray out here so he gave then a lot of extra duty and. warned, that any one in the future tho they did. get lost would, be dealt with Severely.        / The nite of the 17^th was a. Prep holid.ay and we all gotto get a gooff nite*s rest.

The morning of the eighteenth the chow “boat still would, faot rto anf it was nine in the morning ‘befol’e we got in  All the boys on the “boat cooked pan cakes on an oven thatthe boe-t next h d. fixed.. We got back to t-e boats p.nd. v.”ere getting in the morning work when Bam There was an explosion ano. & lot of smoke coking fro  the ~3 boat. The base torpedomen had been at work and. tried to pull out afish without closing the stop valve or pulling out the tripping latck. That ittad-e a hot run in’ the tube. The thing could, not be stopped- either.  Tie tOEpedom in charge jmipef. overboard, but all the rest just got off a way anfl watched, it go. The thing got the twbe &o hot that all the paint on the outside cought fire. The heat also caused the  tube to bulge out of shape. In Lrac~ it ruined, the tube. Also it weld. d. itself into the insid-e of the tube. That is about a fifteen thousand dollar mistake.  There was & little worry that the heat would, attest the ~aarhead of the fish in the after tube but TI”T must be pretty stpble to pretty hi~h t emp e r atur e s. Sonehov: anothere there ‘”e.G nore ne.il to~ay. Tatmeant that vie had.  gotten r’ail two da-s in a rov. The un.ho&rd ot. Th.”;n too I had one for the fourth of nOy - ~~ c~ :’2’1tt t~-b rearrh t!l :‘i’i’ it took only two weeks to get hore.  I spent all v”fcernoo”:. /ebtip.~ ansewss v-ritten washing clothes.” The boat next pullei o-lit, cr.rl snother guiiborrfc isTine up in its stead. The one -bhe.t ws.s here :”e3? , on ‘bo fclle Treasuries.  T?is bo~s on the ~9 boat had given Fbout ev -l’?r t}’in~ th~t ‘they had left to wy gang but about t the time th3.t they “ot over ho-survey the loot in caine the new gun boat and. the” had. to give it L.1.1 oa.ck. The nite of -..he I’~h~e iaad.e our tenth patroiai.  This time Bracket bad. one section and. Trimble had. the other. When we got to station Trijbble transferred to our boat because the ra.d.ar WKK  went out on the thirty nine boat that he was riding.  This patroll was negative tho there were a lot of gefaeral quarters held.  On the way in there was a nice forsiatio-n of boats and. all was going well till all of a suri.don.  there were two searchlights turned, on frosi a plane right over us. They were the running lights but they looked, like se~rcl;r lights ther way they pierced the darlme88. we found, after letting in that it was a patroll of planes on the v/cy to inine the area around Bouka on te ~orth end. of Boganville.   There were eight in thfrfc patroll. Jitter thCLt we sighted, a plane about over the feast with running lights on and. apparently coning om? way. V.’e did. not exactly know what he was up to either so another ge eral quarters was held.. Bout the tine we settleo- do->.-ii again there v.’as a red. light right on the horison way over to :port. That ii~ht had boen coriing up every morning But this was b.-.e first ti.-ie thet Brackett haa seen it and.  all tlie boats but us d-id. Venus honor. Just out sicLe the base there was another plane coming in  glid-ing, with his running lights on.  One of these d.ays one of them is going to get shot d.ovm then all that fooling around will cease. PAGE # 45 The laorilijg of th.e nine-been-bli vre pulled, in at 1.110 dook to fuel tout fchere was none to be had. the pump hacL “broken* Two “boats were to fuel t>y gravity from some Ctrums on the APO and two were to go to Baloa and. “brigg “back groceries as well as fuel. We got there at eleven  ana in tmenty minutes they were pumping in gas. b’u’e finished “by one thirty got all our “business done and headed for the “base. Not only gas l)ut this time we got a hundred and fifty gallons ofgSGSsfcalax water too. We were out all the way in the latter. That nite we were to get a rest and ail of us piled in soon as we finished with supper. The morning of the twentieth I was to go to the APC to learn how to use the oriptographio codes and help with the coiGmmiications. Th~ are on the administrative circuit and the base radio triect to keep up with the PTs in the area. There was not much traffie and I got to spend mosi of the day parustog thru magazineo-s that that t ey had on boaPfd  In the late afterboon I returned to base all hot and tired and thought that I vould h4et a shower before supper.  There were a few i visitors but I did not pay any particular attention to them.  There was one old codger under the shower when I got there ana another with a towel standing, there waiting to get under.  I peeled off and got right in with them. Just about the time that we all three got good and soapy the meesanger came out s “ General someone wants you on the phoneV ~ Get the colonel over there to take it”.

“ The officers Yvant t,o Imow if they can. go out on payroll?” “ No they may get hurt.” I found out that it was general long of the marines and his staff.  There was the genesal end one coloned under that shower with me They were on the way to Boganville and were going to get us to false them up as far as the Treasury Islands. The 2~22 was to take them too. Luckily the gang had gotten the boat spotleddthat day and there would not be much effort in getting ready for them.  We all ate supper then sat around till s.bout nine listening to the yarns that our visitors were telling. They had been in the initial landing at Guadalcanal and were yet to go home. They had .’3111  gotten vacations in Eew Zealand. On the morning of the twenty first I got up st six end got enough chairs to sea~ 8.11 ten guests, got some fruit (canned) in the refrigerator, gathered all the ingrieae~ts of coffee eri& had every thin~ ready to leave at nine when tJ’.e tr~p YJ-as to start. Meantime the captain had gotten back from patroil and knew that we had gotten to stay in two nites in a row and were to go out tonite.  He substituted the 36 boat for us to telce them over. I transf erred the chairs to  their boat on the way back to t e bushel where it rrra 1 cool. Got washing done in the morning and a couple of letters. tTust as we were heading out to tie boats e-t;elll dinner four boats looted up They were the first four boats of squadron 20. Looked mighty good to see that bunch pull in. It raeant that -we would get more rest between patrolls and they are truly a ;~ess now. That nite we went out a;ain. There were three boats to go this  time with Bud Trimble as the section leader and aiding our Boat. As has been the case for a number of patrolls now we did not see a thing to shoot at.  There was an ordertoo not to strafe the beach any that nite. The moon came up at three in the morning so we were not bothered with it at all. There was lots of clouds and we had a Imlqtle trouble keeping up with all the boats.

 ~     PAGE ~46          U The morning of-bhe 22 we.gob,--b~ck~jLn .time to, et out to Baloa to fuel. We left here at’ ten In the morning and. went down with the 38 “boat. There was a rgoe all the way down. “hey took a route way out froia land and we went fairly ibiose vhioh gave us a shonter distance to travel but they were a faster toat and. beat us in to the channel there.

There was an APC tied up to tXle clock there and an EOT sticking out 3ss “behincL it. Ray Bobinson on the 38 ~oat came in for a landing hut miss calculated the affect of the wind and had to back out for another try.

The second time he missed again and as he was backing out this time I slipped t e 42 boat in in front of him* We got there at eleven and by one thirty both boats were full of gas and the water tanks were ail full. They really do get one fixed up in a hurry there, ie ate there and the food was pretty bad We were pretty glad to get back  That afternoon we were asked to take the standby and radio watch but since we had been out the nmte before and had not gotten any sleep that day I got us out of that. We all hit the trunks pretty soon after supper and then the chow boat had to wait on us, The tewnty third we spent all morning getting the guns all clean gnd the engines all tuned up. In the afternoon we took it easy again.

That nite all the ron twenty boats WBhtout on patroll . We were part of the striking force and had the radio watch besides. That meant that weiact in to the dock juat after supper.  Our batteries had been all the way dovm in the morning and tho we had run the generator all day they still were mighty low Ydien we went in but it didnot seem to hurt any thing to run it all night.

The twenty fourth we were at the dock all &ay. It was guile a mess directing traffic there all day. The inside boat has the duty and has charge off all the movements that the boats here at the base make.

Besides all that it is plenty hot in there. “That nite we were  to be part of the striving force again and that would make two nites in a row that vie would have to stay in there at the dook.Late in the a:taE23 ai’bernoon however  plans were changed, so that there were two groups of toats going out. One group was to leave at five thirty ans stay there till twelve then  we were to lea~e a~ nine thirty and relieve the boa9s on station  at iaicLnite Soon as we got out of the channel there seemed to be a general rain in the whole area and. it was truly a tough tirae keeping together* When we got on station we were ordered to go to the limit of visibility and lie to. Pretty soon the rain began to pour and  we lost the lead boat. Instead of waiting till the rain stopped Mr Bracket  who \’fo.s our section leader pulled out and lost both us and the 43 boat.  We could not see hdan  on the radar screen for the rain had that completely blanket ed.  ~e found horn again in about thirty minutes and did not have any trouble after that.  he 39 boat which was the lead boat had engine trouble tho and we had to go mighty slow all the way in. We got to base at eight thirty.

The morning of the twenty fitter we did not get breakfast till about nine thirty.- Tho t3are had radioed in for them to save chow the cooks had  gotten all mixed up atd we had to wait till they cooked it.

After breakfast we ce-rne out to the bushel and were here for about  thirty minutes vdien they called us in to fuel.  That seemed a pretty good set up for we would get to stay ii: there and have a Way back to the bushes, it was thanksgiving and we had gotten in oranges, “29 turkeys”, cranberries, real potatoes,  fresk cabbage and lettuce. There was all that ever;” one could hold and the first time the gang had ~     PAGE # 47      - .~) all been completely satisfied at, a.mealsinoe rre were here. Just as we had gotten in MS Brackett had. asiced that someone volunteer to go to Baloa to fuel “nd to take the intelligence officer down there.

e had gotten a flat refusal out of all us because we knew that meal was coming up After show we hit the beds and  they had to wake up when the coxin was here to take us in to supper.  We earne back soon afeer supper and soon as I told all the gang 3 that is passes out at the officers meeting we went back to sleep again. Tom and Alpine both got beached again for getting lost tho i think that it is more Bracket’s fault than theirs.

The 26^th we spent all morning getting the boat cleaned. Guns, engines,decks mdt bulkheads all got a scrubbiing,  in the afternoon we took things easy. Straightened up the shack that we sleep in.

That nite there were two patrolls that went out. One to the usual place just outside Ghoiseui Bay and the other compised of two Ron 19 boats angt one from Ron 20 took a new patroU. It was out thirteenth and I was pretty stoe that something would happen this time.  We pulled in behind the mine fields and reefs and went up the BoganTille coast for almost fifty miles. There is a reef that runs up the coast frt a distance of five miles 6f shore and had we gotten chased we would have had to come all the wa~ down to where we went in on way up to the plaBe where we finally got out. We were about a mile off shore all the way. There arelmovm to be coastal guns a(bng that shore too but tiley evidently did not knov: t , n-1 were in the vicinity at all.

There was nothing th happen that nite tho. We were going all the time to cover all that territory tho ana did not lie too at all. When we got back to base there was only fifty ge.llons of gas  in our tahks which vould have lasted less thsn half an hour longer.

The 2?th we all slept as is usual after getting in from apatroll tho in the afternoon we did get the guns cleaned in case there might be necessity to use them. SoElething went -wrong with the fuelling system ani vre did not get to fuel at all that day. The night before out Fusgate compass had blovm a fuse ‘.vhen re v.as turned on and. we had been unable to get it to run. ‘i’lie captain had started ou-b on this beat but juse as we got to boganvilie he changed to a ‘ino~ that ha~ it working.  That did TQ.ot fiet fixed either.

The 28-fcl”. we pulled out. in the morning to Beloa to get fuel. We had to stop at the dock long ehough “bo get ehough fuel to get there.

we did a pretty good bit v;hile we vrere there too. ‘oolr on 150 gallons of water got the oil changed as well as got rnhll of gas. That is the Quickest we have ever gassed up. Took 12 minutes to take on 2400 gallons and the delay was because one of the pomps was busied. T They got four gas trucks there and there was one hose to each tank.

The gas is clean there and we do not have to :rorry with straining it as vie do this that is in drums and ha~ a lot of water in tl.

While we were sefcfcing all that done one of the officers was busy snooping aroung.. -i-e i;ianaged to get lo # of real butter, half a hog, two crates ,of oranges. One orate of the oranges never reached the base tho.  The i:r~nQQ had not had any in such a lone” time that they lit into them like they were candy.

That night  we thour-ilt sure that we v’ould have to go out but the bill was filled by other Loats c-nd we got to stay in again.

The 29^th. VJe spent all nornin~ getting tlie place looking nee.t and ord-sriy arid in the t.j.”t rnoon slept, ‘-‘e were pretty certain that we would have tne night patroll this time. Tne Dr. Came out inspecting all

,  PAGE 48 the Tooa-b hangouts. He condenmied all tile heads that had been fixed -up with the exception of ours All the gang seems to like the whole set up that -vie have here. *”e got some work done on the new annex that we had started. rL: B are to  put a tent to one side of the present shack to house all the rest of the fellows that have to sleep on the boat at present.

We got to stay in for another night. I guess there was a choice between boats and because we gaa t.e most patrolls we got to stay in.

I was appointed Operation Watch officer for the next 24 hours but got Alpine to take it till in the Eiornis.g.so i cou~sss sleap in Zt~own bed.

Tne morning of the 30^th I went in soon after onow ana.’”tooK over tne autiestnat l haa gotten out of the nite before. There was not much going on so I was abl~ to spend a good bit of the time reading the intelligence reports that were at hand that were not importa enough to be given out at the evening meetings .They were mostly storeis of pilots getting down on enemy held islands and theer subsequent rescues. Alpine took the boat to Beloa to take the intelligence officers there to get the day*s intelligence information.

That nite there were two patrolls to go out and we were in the one to go back to the coast of Boganville. There had been additional barge sightings there and we were to go up and investigate them. lifter a tour of Boganville we were to come back and strafe the Choiseui Bay area. There has not been a single shot fires by our guns since we got up here and this will be atest to see if they are in as good condition as we thirk that they are and also will be a chance to see if the gunners are still as good marksmen as they were when we got here. We were about an hour out of Base when all the boat started to quivver. We had toot seen a log or floating drum and had not felt the boat $it anything  but on investigating there was nothing left to cause it but the sorewa. We got permission to return to bas8, We tries pushing up the throttles on each engine and fou nd that it was the sfcfc starboard engine that was causing the trouble 30 we secures that one and proceeded on the oilier two engines.

It was dark as it could possibly be slid we did not like t.’\e idea of spending thereat of the nite lying to off shore so we radioed in...

for a light to be biinked on Si-ore so ~reee would hit the right entrance. There are severc-l ba.ys in tne area and at ni-ta v”hen it is so dark th~ all look just alsbiE  Well we got in about- nine and after Putting Alpine off at the dock we went on down to the bushes to our spot and tied up. I went dovol  and found that we lad a bent screw. After getting a shower I really did get agood nite*s sleep after that.

I got the gang up on the morning of the first at six to take the boat into the dock before the boats froia patroll could get in there for I wanted to get that screw eixed up as quickly as possible. Soon as we finished chow we went right -bo work on it. I took t’-e bent one off.

I guess I was under water about an hour and that really took all the energy out of ne for the rest of the day.   The agineers put the new screw on and. after we got it all back together we went out for a trial run and uf was all okay Es~ain.

Vie got credit for a patroll and did not have to go out that nite. That was out fourteenth to dajse. The ilite of the first there \vere tloro boats that were left high when the tide want out. The 239 was too far in the bushes and the bov.’ was left way up in the air. The radio stand by the 247 which is a Hon 20 boat was piallecL in. cockeyed at tlLzz dock anci her stern was up -h-ay out of the water. The damage tb both has no’t been determined. The 237 hit a log ana bent a rudder. The 233 ha~ its generator out so it was a wonder

‘)   PAGE # 49              ( bha-fc  the  captain let us go  on  the trip down toRendova at  all.  All  the Ron 19 boats have been baolc except the 238 and 243. The 243 went hack to get the tube that was ruines by the hot run repaired, and wound w at Talagi. The 241 is still there from the first trip down and .LIU Y is no telling when theybwill start to work on the 244. They may decommis ‘ it and give the personnelleto some other boat. fLIlLU  The morning o& the second toen the chow beat was high and drv but onte of the PTs took us all in to breakfast. Just after that ury came a down pour and we had quite a time getting a ride back to the boat. we got every thinkg all cleaned up and at ten Started out  We s stopped at Beloa for dinner and to get sams gear that was needed before resuming the trip to Rendova.

Got in to Sendova bbout two thirty in the afternoon and when we hit the dock a boaflding officer stepped on to &QQ what we needed and got us started fight off to getting fixed up. After that we looked the place over and found out that the Ron 19 mail that had come in was on the 241 boat which was-over at t TOO getting fuel. I got to of the lads and off we paddled to get the mail tar the boats.

That boat has been gone for a month and they really have gotten a lot done since they left. They got the damage, all fixech up  then got the whole boat painted including the pottom. Then they got side launehin racks and new aircraft torpedoes that are far superior to ours, two extra mounts of twin fifties and their engines all overhauled.

I had only one letter any was kinda dissapointed but the next morni that ail changed for I had seven others.  After supper and the intellige ineeting we went over to t..e waterliole for the nite. Boy the good cold shower was truly wonderful.

The morning, of the third we left for XEK Munda at eight. We hoped to get a cable for our Flwr;e;ate compass but there seemed to be none available. We did get extrawashing pans for the dishes and esxtra raeat cleavers, can openers etciifter lunch we headed back to Bow island to get out fish all charged, when-we got there they dcided to give us four new or rather four reworked ones for t’ie ones that we already had.  Previous to this ttiere was a ron 19 boat here to get the fish pulled and they found dummy exploaders in’ three of them so they took all of them out and gave us ones that they had go-ben from some other boat and overhauled.

That nite we stayed at the (loch at Bow island. That way all the gang could go -fco the show and nave a sure fire way of getting bac~ to the boat. It is terribly hot here and JL had already seen the show so dod not go at all. It was Hitler *s Children.

The morning of the fourth of December  fif~ got up at six in the morning and got over to the Yog to fuel. That took about an hour and the final businedscS at the bain base took another hour. We finally got away frora there at nine in the morning with ail the stores that we had gathered together coming bad to Lambu. Got here in time for dinner at that.

That afternoon we all got a little nap because we had a hunch that wewoule be on P-S.IDOII that nite. Surely enough we were in the thineeboats that made the trip. Vie and the 41 boat were in one section . Also the 39 boat. But Trimble v,as the section leader.

Guess that was about the prettiest run that we have made tho       ; there was nothing seen. There was a slight mist all the time that kept -the moon from being too bright and giving out position away.

 PAGE # 5Q On the way up -to station, outside Choiseul bay tliere was a bright  .- glow around the top of the radio antenna and on tbp   of all the- tall objects that were sticking up. The same was on all the three boats. It was St ELmo!s fire and the first that I had ever seen*       i Coming baolc there were two giant bankd of clouts and vms raining like the devil under each. They came almost together right in front of us. When we came by we could qee the rain fifty yards on either side of the boat. That was our fifteenth patroll, The morning of the $th we went to Baloa to get gas and groceries soon after bre~fast.  The gas there is much cleaner than th$s that we have at the base and whenever we get the groceries we get a few cased of fruit for the boat. I managed to geta razor and some blades out of the deal too this time.

We got back to base about three in the afternoon and it took about on hour for t e working party to get it sll off the boat.

When we got back to the bushel I went to sleep and did not wake up till next morning.

The sixth we spent all the morning getting all the guns cleaned getting the boat clean’s and getting a tent. up over the platform that the boys built on one side of the present shack.

That afternoon it rained all afternoon and we got all the clothes that were dirty washed and spent the rest of the time writing letters.

luckily we were not on the list to go out on the nite of the sixth but were the radio standby. Hot- one officer has to be awake all the nite at the dock and has to make four trips around to see that the boats are aliright. Alpine took it till two in ate morning and I had it from then on.

There was a trip to be made around to the boats as soon as I csme on too and I got qm.ite wet.

About eight in the evening GTF 31 sent out the word that there was a sub and numerous bargecL off the east oo~a.st of Boganville and we has sent out two extra boats to help out with that. The extra boats were to cover Choiseui bay and the others were to go on over to Boganvil ‘We pullee away froia the dock at six in the morning to Irt the boats tie up there that had been out the iite before.

The 22i.0 boat had hit a log and returned at midnite on two engined getting here about twenty minutes a$es;ci of the others that had stayed till four in the morning.  The 236 and 2Q.I who had been at Ghoiseui bay saw nothing but the 235 237, and 233 found three barges and did a lot of shooting s.t them. Th<~ could not tell whether they were torn all up or whether they killed anyone or not. There was return fire from one of them.

When they found the barges they divided up and one of them went back up the coast. They made three runs on the two that continued do-wn the coast. When Brackett got abea.m of the bargee tho he went out perpendicular to then ancl kept firing the whole time whickh kept the other t~di’O boats frori being very effective  zifQer they had. made four runfl on those; and they were well up on tho beacli they went bach up the coast and tore into the third one.

That makes a total of five that have been shot at to date. the 238 and 2/i.O straffed two once before on G~oiaeuttt The nite of the seventh WS went out again. This time we were with SHifcriteiBdQ Heil porter as section leader and were the second. Boat in the section.

 PAGE # 51 There were three sections to go out the other two went over to Bogan~jLIle coast and. we went to Choiseui Bay, In fact we went all the wayarounil t e top of the island, and. then got in about two hund.red yerd.

from shpre and started, down the coast.  Just as wei got to the north entrance of Cholseui bay there were three barged. slighted on shore.

l’hey were on the beach but at ft*st they did. look as if they had. been und.er way and. just gone there. We pILlied. up as close as it was possible and the 2!+8boat fired, a bouj)le of shots at theia There was no moiaement and. since we saw the brakers breaking to seaward, of jste them we d.eoid.ed thay they were out of commission and. went on dovm tne coast.

There had really been a w~ld rid-e getting up there. We were averaging thirty pne knots all the way and. since the wind. and, rain had. been constant for about five d.aya there really were some rougk swelld. to hit us. It ireemed. that there was spray with every wave that we hit and. there really were a lo$- of them that seventy miles.

When we were in front of the bay proper we lay to for the rest of the time that we were on station and. the sea really did.  d.o a lot of ribckln the boat back and forth.  lay dowfa for a few minutes and. with all that roll it d-id. not take but that long to get the stomachall upset. I got up tho and. stayed the rest of the nite and. was not hothered. at all with it after getting back on my feet.  That was out sixteenth patroll.

We got to base at six on the morning of the 8^th and. since we were the first of the sections to get in we got to tie up at the dock to fuel first. That meant thot we would, be all fueled, just after jaxzs.

breakfast and. not have to worry, with it d.uring the day, After we fueled, we went over to the new SQ3C that had some in and got water. That made us about ten o’clock getting back to our berth.

I slept till noon  or flather eleven when the chow boat came in. . - After d.i ner I thought that I would, stick aroung; and. maybe get Doc to give me a haircut. He was washing clothes at the time and so I got out a book to read. there are several available that are kept in the officer’s mess. The rain became a downpour soon and I did not like the idea of getting too wet so stayed thare all afterhoon not dreaming that we would have to ~o out again that nits BOE. When we had the evening meeting tho we were to go  We did not get the orders till about eight thirty. The Captain would ride with. us.

At hine we pulled out and when we were about a hundred yards outside the bay we knew that it would be rougher than hell that nite because the wind had really whipped up Bome high waves. We opened up to about thirty five miles an hour right thru it tho. Sometime the whole boat seemed to be all the way out of the wager,er, The vdiole boat would shake whefa the screws would get free of the water on bug waves.

The water was pouring all over the boat constantly and sometimes it looked as if the whole boat would capsize when we would hit on EB~f exceptionally big one.  v~Senn we were about fourty miles out the captain decided that we would never do any good if we eSot to station that nite. If we saw anything all the men would ha-be to be holding on so hard to keep srom going overboard that they would not be able to shoot the guns..

One sestion had alreadt. turned back anyllow. One ‘boG.t in the sectio had had engine trouble and “the other had a raan casualty. We at first tried to tack across the waves andmake it that v/ay but the Viraves would

PAGE ff 52 hfaave the “boat forward, as the went then ij. the trough we would, “be sme deacL still tho the engines were still ahead. < fe finally head-ed. for home but the set tooB: us about twenty miles hast as we returned.. The radar let us know where we were the whible time tho We turned, west and.

lay shielding my eyes and. looking atl nothing but the compass I got back to land.. Alpine and. several of the lad.s had. gotten violently sixk and. For a couple of hours I was ~Lone wwake topside, We got in at three in the morning on the 9^th z&xx Soon as we got the Captain off we headed for our berth and to get sorae sleep. It had been about $1 ‘hours since I had been prone for more thafa annhour and then oflufay once.  I got a shower from the rain barrel and turned in.  lwoke up at ten when they were howling for us to come in and fuel. After dinner we came back and I wrote a few letters cleaned up the officer’s quarters a little and then got another hour’s nap.  When we gotin there was a notice that we were to go out again and that wouM make three nights in a row for us Since there were other boats that had been out only one nite t o we got out of it. We had oxrb first movies on the nite of the nineth. It was Dr G-alespie gets an Assistant and a very good picture. From mow on we will have movies three tiraes a week. I got tobedabout nine that nite. On the morning od the 10^th every one got to work cleaning guns and the boat it was the first slack in the rain in quite a while and the gmns were all pretty rusty. I washed up some clothes and got the officers quarters here on the boat in spotless shape. That nite we were to ride again for the eighteenth patroll.  There \vere three sections again this time and vie were -bo go tothe Choiseuo Bay area and after th.e others swept the coast of Boganville they were to join us. Soon as we got on station there were two barges sighted on the beach. They had not been there before e,nd we zs really were going to give t cm a going over but Bracket our section leader decided that they were damaged and it would be. & waste of arnraunition to shoot at thern. In Emerald entrance th.ere looked to be a sub so we called Eight Ball which is the name of the Gatalina that stays in the general area to come and drop a flare. He was over south of Boganville but was with. us in ten minutes. His flare showed us that what we thought we saw was an isiG-nd but there were tw) barges plain, the ones that \’/e had seen before. Up the coast a way there v/as a round object sighted tha-fc looked like a mine. The  235 boat sank it with machine gun fire. When we left Brackett was riding with us and’ the .Radar went bad so he changed to the 351308.1. That is the second tirie that he has been out v/itn us and the second time that the redar has gone bad . He vri.ll think it,  s.  conspiracy if  that keeps up. ‘fie  left  station  a-b  0435  and  headed  back  to  base.  Got  here  at seven thirty and put alpine ashore to get a lighter to icsi COBE pick us up. We waited till eight and no lighter so l took the boat nback to the clock. After breakfase we got all the guns olea-ned so the gang could Ae-1; to sleep in the afternoon. We also went out with the 4lboat about a mile out and pmmped out our tanks. There was a lot of dirt and water in the gad that we liad gotten and we weretrying to get that all out. ..’e  got  back  at  noon.  lifter  dinner  I  took ‘all  the  gang  to  tne  tat bujahes to sleep and alpine and I brought the boat back

PAGE 53 ‘, ?+: to fche<3.ock to get it fueled.. One of the boys did not get t ru with tear-*~ gun that is his responsibility and he came in with us                i The 239 finally got back up here and. it had fourteen sacks of     i mail in it. That really had. everyone happy,  I had quite a few         I letters in the bunch.  Several of these had. gotten lost and. were       I three months old. That nite Soon as I got thru. supper I went for a walk down the    1 beach just looking .1 found a powd.ercan One that held. a bag for a six inch gun.  It had. evid-ently washed ashore from some boat that had been in an engagement out in Vella Gulf.  There are several fellow---- that have been making trinkets of various sorts and sizes so I thought ‘ I would, try my hand at it.

We did. not have logo out that nite so we got to see the movie, It was a pretty good one too. You can bet that I went to sleep soon as we got out of the show too. I had been up the day before        i out on patroll and. then all that day without any sleep.

The morning of the twelfth we took the boat out to test fire all  j the guns and give the lads a little target practise. The main idea       \ wasto take the Gunnery Chief out anf get him to look at the operation I of all the guns to see that they were all okay.                           ; That t<iok till noon so e.ll afternoon the boys were busy getting   ! the guns cleaned again. We are sched-uled to go out again tonite.        ! On the nite of the 12^th  BiYF some trick of fate we got to stay in again that made two nites and. really was kinda startling to us.

I wofce up on the siorning at six just as the gang was coming back froia patroil. I hearts sone of theni talking after they had tied. up about” the holes in the boat and. knew that they had seen something* There were three jap barges just off Boganville. The japs seemed.

to have as big and. as many guns as the ~Ts too and. the Japs opened. fire before the FTs on every attack. There were two sections of two boats -eraoh out there thfet nite and two were at Boganville whiflie one stayed in the Choiseui bay area.  Soon as the Barges were sighted, they radioed the other section to join them.

While the second section was getting there they mad.e three runs about twenty minutes apart and when the other boats got there they were dust about out of~arnJiiunition. They all four made one run and then the second bunch inacle two by -fchemselves. By the tiae that the last run was made one was sunk one was beached. and one was still und.erway.  - The one that was beachecL set up their guns on chebeach and. were firing back from those.

One boat took a shell in her side and a iiiattress was set afire in theof fixer’s quarters that filled the boat “Alth saaoke and. gave a lot of excitement. One took a shell in the torpedo tube that went whru the tube a.n<3. into the after body of tile’ fish ruining the:m both.

One took a sheEl that went in to the after tank but <Sid not set the boat afire. One boat was not scratched. Mo ir.on were hurt at all.

That day we gob  he ‘ooat all cleaned and ready to go orh t if the word came thru.

The nite of the 13^th we were in the group to go. This was o~r nine- tbenth patrol.  This time we all went to Boganville and did not go over to choiseui at all.

We had had preaching that afternoon and the paare went out with us on ptroll. Ke seemed ‘bo love it. The noon was the brightest that i liave ever seen it. The nijbe was truly boautiful. V~hen we got up there all we saw v~as three barges that were beached, Y/e went by tliose ajbd blew them full or holes just before coJuin’r hor-ie. It was a pretty sifrht



PAGEs 54-63      PAGE 58 is missing PAGE #54 bo see the tracers ricoocheting wlien th.ey hit 1110 ‘bajbges We got in about six in the morning* The boat ran -the fastest oomong in that it has ever run we got 44 inches of manifold, pressure on <bne engine ancL 4r on the other two. Since we were one of the first two boats to pull into tke cLook we tied up there till we could get fuel ‘ and amDiunition as well as breakfast. There had been a movie the night before and Sinee our bu<ah had missed it we let all of them go In to idmBtoasactefaDCX that while the fuel *gang was getting the fuel in The fuel was -unusually dirty and kad lots of water in it. When they got all ths fuel out that they gould use which was a bout a third of a drum they poured out all the rest to keep the same thing from happening again. These drums are filled over and over and sent back.

Hot being able to enjoy the show because I had seen it and it was not so good. Captive Wild Woman, I came on back to the boat and started to getting the ammunition* Alpine joined KB and with Chief Conner’s assistance we got all that we were supposed to have and a little extra.

Soon as the show was over we headed back to tye berth. We finished fueling just as the men got tb the bofrb, I took a shower and went to sleep at once. I had not gotten as much sleep as ussual the night before. I did not wake up for noon chow Sut about two thirty there was the most ungodly noise going on  in the direation of the dosk th.-t I wokr up and ran out on the boat before I got any clothes on. The fuel was on fire.

There were two boats at the dock and only one of them managed to get away.  It seems that the pomp for the gaa has burst suflAenly into flames which had swept instantly all over the whole area. The two boats had cranked up and withoutwAtK:i,Hg:?cfcjigiasJsJLiLiffi&   untieing themselves from each other they had attemptec. to move away from the intence heat. They had failed to get one bow line off though and the fuel line. Only two men were on each boat. on the Two thirty eight was the torpedoraan Oison nd theguimers mate Foley. I do not know who was on the thirty nin but when the hose got tautanf the bowline was tight their engines w went dead. about that time the other boat had gotten loose from them.

The hose pilled them back into the flames like a rubber band. The whole side of the boat was butoing all this time so the men jumped off in thewater and swam across to the other side of the lagoon.

One Kiaii wound up on our boat he had wand red about a raile l’rom where he should have come out. He ms pretty upset so I gave him aa measure of brandy.  The rest of the boats am tlie .APC had all crowded dovm. to my end of tlie lagoon which was the fatthest froai the doot. It wouls have been almoa-b impossible to have r:one past all t, at fire and gotten out of ‘i;her&, Soon as I saw what was going on I got the gang to keeping the deck wet till the fire reached up or abided.

The boy that came to us said that he had no seen Chief Conner or Mitch-ellour Bosun get out of the gunnery shack so we were pretty sure that wehad not escaped without tragedy in the highest sense.

When the flames wrero at their highest the Captain sent out a nessage that we could .’nor carry out the orders tj.at night for wo were trapped in the lagoon.  Later he sent one that  he recormaended an abandonrient of the base. All our engine spares out electrical spares, out gunnery spares, our food, our aJimunition, our gasoline, our radio spares, our radar spares, ourtorpedo spares, our oil had gone up in smoke.

In l’acib we were swept clean except for w.’n’fc w~-‘.s on the boa-ts. ‘     PAGE 55 * Soon after five the fire got a little weaker* Fortunately the wind. had. “been “blowiDg the other way ancL the cLrms flaming like the cLevi that been hurled. out into the lagoon did. not d.rift toward, us,  one sfc started that way but gunfire sank it, We were to have reveille the next d.ay at Olr.00, breakfasjb at 0500 and. start dismantling “bhe bast. We were going to the Treasuries and. be under Comraand-er Kelly therie for a while then later go to Boganvi I got all the gang busy tearing down the shack and. getting .the boats gear on b6ard. soon as I got back to the boat from the meeting.

By nine we just about had it licked.

I got up the morning of the 15^th at four with the gang.  Still the ord-ers were for no one to go near the fire. There still were occasional explosions there tod. the two men that wered.ead. could, not be hurt by steying there for the night. men went in and found, tiem the evening before and. then they were charred.

We were thru loaded, with base gear by eleven. We haste all the base medical gear on board.. We went out of the harbor with the 21+8 the 235 @nd. 236 were about fifteen minuted behind, and. 60 and. 237 fifteen minutes behind thea. The others were to stay and. convoy the PC up and bring all the base force men with them. The Captain was to keep.  all the men that had. been hear enough to the fire to give hik any aid.  in writing up a report.

We were about an. hour out whenthe 248 on which It Cmdr wanness was ridine sud.d.enly found that they had. on board, the man that was at thepump when the acoid.erLt started..  tre had. to lie to, take him aboar and. then take him back to the base.

When we got back a lighter csrae back toaeet us and. gob him. One boat had gone after food. and. had. brought back the pad.re to have a fHHS funeral for the I’<JO nen. We Ei~w them tathered round, the two coffin8,, t that had been made with some of the mahogany lumber that we had bn hand.

We started out to catch the bunch that had last left but they had gotten out too far by that time so wre were to go bp: ourselves.

When we got to Treasury there was no boat out to show us the channel so we started, creeping in. The gang at the hot pool saw us going s owly and asked if we did not need assistance. We told them that we needed a pilot to the PT base.

vie got tffied up  in  the trees  at five  in the  afternoon. At once we sent the cook ashore to get us some food.. We d.id. not have any way of cooking and would, have to live on cold. food. for the night. Each boat here doe it’s mm cooking.  While he was gone the rest of us gbt a placeoleared off anfl gifa one tent up. By then it was getting d.ark so we stopped to eat.

The morning of the sixteenth we had. t o go over to the Torp~o dock to unload, all the gear that we had. brought up with us. wie left about half the srew at the berth to clean out a place for a galley Took about two hours to :’et ail fcha’G medicak gear off and get back to the terth-ourseives. Soon, as w:e gcfc back we started to get every thing off the boat.  We hung a line up in the tree and swung every thing over on that.  At noon there -was still no galley completed, so \ve ate K rations and. planned to have & big peal for  supper.

By night we had. two stoves. One inade fi?om a druM cut in hald. and the other a field range that is run by gas. ‘”e really had a good. meal boo.

PAGE 56             ‘.                           , We aisp got another tent up and. the beds set up in both tents.     “ By night we were all worn out and really hoped, to be a getting to       : get a good. night*s real but no we were to go on patrol We were-to      ; go to the TORO bay area. It tools: four hours to get up that far. It      I is a little over a hundred miles up there;  That patrol was negativeix and were we tired ~hen we got back to base, I slept till,noon. Alpine took the boat over for fuel and water the morning of the 17^th. But in “fee afternoon I got to work and built a deck in our tent up on thetop of ahill  Then I got three drums, out the heads out and painted them inside. There is no freshwater on th~T Treasuries and we have to catch rain water if we want to ge  a bath somewhere besides over the side.

That night wrgg got to bed at sUndown, There are to datr 53,000 marines on js~E Boganvil’.e and 11,000 here at Treas$trie<l The morning of the eighteenth we got started bright and warly on the new mess hall. We got a plaue all cleared off , a tent up and two tabled buil~ by  noon. It really was nine now. In the afterno we g<t a tin top up o-toer the two Badges SQ the cooks could do their wori in any kind of weather.  In the afternoon we @&so g<? a path trimmed’ down to the water so that we could have a plave to put the garbage so the ramp lighter that hauls away th4 garbage can pull right up to it.

That nmte we made out 21^st patroil.  They needed a first lieutenant for $he base here and since Alpine had done more o f that sort of thing th~n any of the other officers in ron nineteen he was elected by the Captain for the job. That is for as long as we are here which w’ill -py probably be another month.  I am to be the skipper of the 221.2 during that time.  He will have a house to live in and will not have any connection wlt.h the bot at all.

PAGE 56 bottom -                     -   -____-,-__  -.-. L LIIIIV w wU J.J.~ ltAO O.LCIJVBU.  Of  Tlile Uap-fcain for the job. Tha-fc is for as long as we are here which will EE protably be another month.  I am to be the skipper of the 242 during that liiae.  He will have a house to live in and. will not have any connection with the hot at all.

I had. Gaver for an exed: on .the night of the 18^th but will have a regular one form now on.  w<e hacL apple pie fixed, by our own cooks SOQZ3L  just before the patrol.

ie got in at six on the morning of the 19^th. The first four boats pulled over  tOa YOG that has just gotten here to fuel.  Before thev had. aboul,2t~.e seme set up that we had at LaJibu.  ~ stayed, there till eight thirty. They w.-ere only fUElling two boats at a time. The two that they were ‘.’orkirig on were not fUEled. by the.t tiin.e so they sent us back to the. berth’..0 get bro~fc*,o,-l,,,,,  About ten they casie aromid.

and sent us back to fuel. ~c,ff to the YOG. This time the coiratiand. r that is in charge of the wd’iole of Treasuries ~SSS there to see what the &Q&S.7 was. Wellwe had two fuel lined con-ing inib our tanks and.

then it took three hours “:” take on the fmel that w.’e neecLeo. which iaeant that we were taking it at the rate d’ four gallons a lainute per line. I was really tire  when we got back to dinner at two in the afternoon.

That afternoon when the electriciand. were working on the boat it was decided that we needed on overhaul on the generator. That would, take us about two day sand at the neeting that night I got perrdSBSsion to go out of oo~’lissio.’ for that long if \’: did not have a patrol ‘the foifelowing night, The noming of the 20^th we got theusual am.’unt of cleaning d.one got the caElp area clermea up K little nore but mose of all there was rail for ail the fellows. This was teh first that wo had. had in sorae tine and all the ~;ing seeded to ho in higher spirits thali usual.

That night w.’e weilt to the -licture show and now there will beone here every Pi?OllCi ~iii night :L’oi ‘che roilov;. to see.

PAGE 57 The night of the 21^st, we did not have a patrol ao next morning we got started, on the generator engine. It rained all night and “fias still going strong wdien we started to work on the engine but we put &p a tarpand workeci right on I got right in to the grease anfl did a bit of work on It myself. I lilee to wotek on engined once in a while. That night there was more mail. This time it was all  packages.  Just about every oneliere had beefa- expecting them for a long time and they helped the feelings of the gang as much as mail would have. The morning of the 22^nd we got the generator engine finished and running like a top but there was something wrong with the eledtrical system and we had to call in the electrical flept of -C;heh base. they finally got it all straightened out but in doing it they blew out the only hundred amp fuse that we had. At three in the afternoon we were to go over rmd get a new smoke tank. Ours had had a leak that oiuld not be stopped and was thrown overboard. When we wound up the engines there was gas all thru the oil system of the two wing engines. We weirnt over to the dook with the center efagine got the  smoke tank two new gas pumps and started to wrork on the gas. I want up to tell the necessary people about it abd did not knowwherther we would be thry and ready for the night operation or not. The engineers got two drums and started to ~70rk pumping out all the oil which \vas the only way to get rid og the gas and oil that had gotten i’lixed. At four thirty itiooked as if we would not be thru: so I got word out that we were inoperative. I really got a bawling out from Kelley because of iQ too but guess that was to be expected. The morning of the 23^rd all that was left to ge  the boat in shape as far as the engines were concerned was getting new oil in-bo the tanks. That was completed at ten in the morning and the rest of -the day I let all the gang get as mu~h rest as was possible I figured that we Yould ride for sure that night. At the meeting tno tl zre were only eico boats to go out.  It seems that they do not mix the B.WO different tgr‘ne boats here for patrols and it may be..-a good idea because of the difference in performance in the two boats.

The ~th I had all the gang get the whole boat cleaned and all the guns. Thet took the riOBt of the norning and in tb.e E.fternoon Th*eygot a bridge buil$ up to the boat from the banl. We tie up port side to the bank but habe to stay out about ten feet to keep off of the coral. The trees keep us pushed out. Up to now it had been a pretty big problem -bo get to and from the nank too. That night the word was that we go:fe to Toro “a7J on Boganville and have Bob Sweet at “bho section leader fiaing Y.ith us.  About sn hour out the raftar went dead arid he trensferred to emother boat that was in the sectihon. Our anninciators were also all fouled up and w.hen I mover over t lot him of.T the engineer put the engine aiead instead of astern and i hit the beat a pretty good lick. ‘Hie patrol was nil.  .iC did not even see a light. There were .i PAGE # 58    . eight B2A.S sigh-becL just befor~_dark going back -boward lun<3.aaffce th  da~ly assault on Boga3rril3.e~.                       We got In Christmas inorning pretty tir~Ltotthei~lE~L ‘been a ‘boat come IIP la-te the afternoon before and we lmev7tliat’tl3.ere was mail for us at. the oofirn shack so I took two fellows withAe to/bring that back I had to go to a meeting of all the boat captains that had feen out the nite ‘before/S’here is Ynhere the intelligence o officer clears up any talea that might conflict in thepotroll report. I had twelve letters and ~btvo packages which really made the day a happy one as far as I was concerned. That day we  E1S O had Turkey and all the trimningsfor dinner andnthat about made the day really a memorable one. Late in the afterno when we were not on the list of boats to go out for the nite we were issued two bottles of beer each. Since some of the gang had not had any in a pretty long time it made them pretty tight, The 26^th I got everything cleaned up nice by ten in the morning then took the boat and ~Pjjh I ~ssss outside the lagoon to check the Radar. It had been giving us a Tot of trouble for a long time.  I was all for getting it fixed or throwing it over the &ide, ft worked &ike a charm.

That nite we were in thegtoup to go to the Ghoiseui bay area Bud Trimblw was to be the section leadel on our boat and the 2~77 one of the Ron 29 boats was to go with us.  This was the 23dr patroll for the 21t2. ‘flie whole evening was as smoothe as c:ule be. The boats kept together and all EEK equiptment was working. Bofa inkers had gone with us too to see if the radar was wonking as it   rrrr should. ‘-iQ got in on the morning of the 27^th at six and after breakfast Henna took the boat over to fuel while I attended the intelligence meeting and gave them the stnzl-~ of thepatroll.  That was all over by nine and when I got in to bed I did not wake up till wo in the afternoon.  I spent the afternoon -writing letters that  - had been long ago due. that nite we did not have a patroll aid got Tioi’Q sleep.

The 2S th there were two sections goin~ to Toro aad we were in one of them. We had the same set up on this patroll as the last one with Bufi Trimble as the section leader with us and Warnock on the 2/1.7 Q-s  the  other boat  in  the  section.  All  wen t vrell  on  the way up end Ydien we c-ot on s. ation we divided the sections so we wer~r about a mile apart. We then proceed to patroll and lie toa: atthe same time for the rest of tye nite. At twelve there was a pip on the radar a.bout a mile and a half away. “.Veil we went over at once to investigate. Y7ith the men at general rmarters and the visibility about fourty yards we could not see the jap barges till we were right about fourty yards away. We opened up at once with all guns. The 2.-7 was in colursn with us. When we were about thirty yards from them we i-iaoLc a turn to the is right still firing v/ith the 37mni,20rari,and ~..’0 $0 cal guns. One barge cought fire end four F-en v;er-e r.een to JUjfap overboard. It was starting oown as we moved on’ ard the 247 caiae in firing. The  gor a few more shells ibn that one and shot at the  secone. Vie turned and  came back for a starboard run. This time we ,”ot the second one goo( fashioned. The 2~7 shot high this tine and aid no .”pparent aa.riage .. thira run was a port run. The one that wehad hit first was <iunk , aucL there ap-eared to be only one barge there. We ~ave it every tl-ing tli?’.t uo had. t started dov.n by the stern. The two barges were in an right echelon and the one th~t \;as faitnest av~ay and h”:d not

 PAGE # 59 “been seen oDenecL Tip at us with ~hat looked lik-fc two $1 oal.

maohine guns. Be tgen ‘blaste<:L avfay at it. As we pulledavay and. the 247 closed in we noticed a cloud of smoke all over the. “boat. we had felt a hi it amidships and went out to investi’gate. We knew theire were  - two down end another possibly damaged, The Captain with the oth er section ordered us on up the coast so thhey could get &t the last onfe-v;hile we were seeing what was wrong, we had faked five bullets in the engine room and one in the war head of the posr aft torpedo. The war head had had a low order explosion and had blown out the head for ten inxirhe~t,,,, The tube had been split open and TOT had been blown all over thedeck. We got a bucked and washed most allot theTUToief but when we got in there was still some mf it that we had missed. There was about a hundred and fifty pounds of the explosive still in the open ~rhead of the f-ieh. there wad no apparent burning of the TKT after the explosion.  I, theetigine rooi-a the battle lights had been out and the engineers had wrapped paper over the globe of one light, the first bullet had shot that light out. There were about all the electrical cables with holes in them, Two bullets had gone all the w,-ay t-hrpp the boat. The second section went in on radar ana fount the thirB, barge headed in for the beach about four hundred yards off shore. They mad e one run on  it scoring several hits. The bar~e was then intoo close to follow so the lc.~ to to see if it wouls coiae back out. After an hour it did not so the  pulieci up to the rondesvous point. There we talked the w”hole thing iver w>-ith them and the captain got the whole “tory.  he was amazed that there was no one hujbt’on the 2~.2 with that war head exploaded.   He thought that it would be a good idea for all hands to get on their knees end thank lod that we were still alive. At three thirty- we isft station 8-na headed back to the base at Treasuries. Got in about seven thirty on the morning of tlie29th. Tha- had been our S~th patrol.  the seas  coiaing back were al.out twelve feet high snd we sad water constantly pounding us as we came in. The captain h<:,& -.111 beat ce-ptains ~et off at the APo which is tied up near the Corn shack, he had tstie up there to have a-look at the damage. CoTO’ftan~er Kelley w..s really beaning tis time. We had all done exceptional good shooting and he wasplenty proud of the record.  Hehad Don take the boat t.o the torpedo dock and I “eant to the meeting.  They tool: all the TKT out of thewarhead a~d \: urli; ~UCTpe1itov8r the side then managed to ~et the fixh out far enough to take the remainder of the war head off.  That took till ten in -bhe morning. He had gi~en orders that w’e w.’QI-Q to ull out s0011 a-fter noon t.o get. repa-irs. I had Don go back to tl: Berth and get some sleep I:S: le i tfeok it over to fuel.  We iB.d orders -bo go aL.oad of any ooat 1110.1 i.d.c-ht be Yailinc, there since there was so little tmme.  the 2~1 w.’as tr.ailing behind as ‘.70 went over there and by ~oing aho we the ~LaxiT’rum allowed speed got ahead of us onu got lo the <ock first.  They Y-ould not give way either when I told thoni lh o ease orders “..’l:,out our fueling either. T:.t ~oLL L:.G pretty sore out there w;as nothing that ~ sould 60 but ws.it.

J    PAGE # 60           i J We finishecL fuelling a-b eleven thirtly and. I took -bhe boa-fc 138010 to ttlQ ‘berbll -to let -the men load up,   I had -bo go get, an order from Oaptain Smith to get the work done and was told that we were to le,ave at 22~$. I rushed “back to the boat got a cup of coffee, gotmy gear and pulled out.

We got to Kendova at six that night. I had radioed in for them to save chow for us since we had no way of doing any cooking.  They tokd us that work w.ould atart in*the morning* I got another cup of coffee and headed back to the “boat when coranander G-ibson who is in coiaraand of .Rendova hailed me. ffiTF 31 had intercepted the message of what we had done and the damage and I was orderedto Tulagi as soon as possible for aisrial torpedoes and racks. I did not like that idea at all for I reasoned that if thetorpedo tube had not been there to direct the explosion forward that the war hear would possible haite come out the side and killed every one in thecockpit of the boat.  GTF 31 is an admiral though. we pulled over to the BOw Island dock and tied up for the night. I let fche men all go to theshow there and  that night stand no watches, I woke up at five on the morning of the 30^th. Had reveille at five thirty saact so the men could all get to the six 0* clock .chow.  We pulled over t.o the lOG st six twenty and gassed up.  By seven we were ready to pull out  I checked out with Commander G-ibson and was underway at seven thirty.  It is a hundred and eighty five miles to j.’ulagiand that will take ab.utsix and a half hours. ‘I lost all my breakfast before w’e pulled away to the YOG-. It lad been fivs d-a:’s now since - have been able to keep anyt.hing iown I hate to go to. sich bay wi-c  if because I just got the boat and do not want to Fr~ <bo becT and give it UD. We arrivedat Tulagi about four thirty in the afternoon of the ,30^th. I remembered tii$t the duty officer was on the right as one entered a long ouancet hut. I had to report to him forst and ij I bargee. Here is a slightlu bald joe tothe ri~httt as -I enter. “ I am looking for the Duty officer. Are you Be?” S I  the Boss of all the PTs here. My name is Commaneer Warfield” “ Well I am Bnsign Raney Sir” *” I have just come in with the 242 as ordered”.

Well that was a pretty poor start for me  for though nest days that I was at Tulagi I was-at the engineering dock most of the’ time and that was between his office and the outhouse arid every tine he walkea by he stopped and gazed at the boat foe a long time to see if he could find anything wrong. It was a wery bad thing to ask a commander if he were the duty officer. I was direeted to Lt. Howell to -bell him all that was wrong and it was really a relief to have a note from the Captain of all that was w~ong so I could get them right to -i~ork on the boat.  I was assigned to a berth in the bushel for the night and told to be back in the morning at seven. At setnen they had >” boarding part:’ from ail denartments to look ove  the ‘boat and list evey thing that wasas wrong. I b.ad already made such a list by flepartmentsand that got then thru in a hurry. We were orde.red to the torpedo dock next to take off the tubes JL  had  another  run  in  wo.th  commander  Warfield  again  on  that.   I  wantea to keep the tubes and he had rae come in and told me that he wented It;tees put on and what he wanted he ~ottt anf that I aot “c~teee.  ~ !is “Yes sir. “                                             “    t-aci-i:  PAGE # 61 That morning they got aL I the tubes off anf got the starboard engine un’buokle<3. form the boat afad reafly to be taken out. They could not fix the oil leak at the base of No 6 cnlinfler wilyout hauling the engine. They did not have the port racks yet but gave us the two for the starboard side and the four pads that had to be put upder them, In the afternoon theyggot the engine out and started on the checks of the other twp.

The morning of the first I was back again at the engineering dosk, “rhey could not have the carpenters work on iae at all that day  so the engineering dpi continued thas~r work on theenginea.

That kept up all day. -L got chits for all the things that I needed on the boat and started to collect those.  By rlite I had aSiout every thing that I could think of too which included everything from tents to screw drivers, Thesecond they were to wait another day on the mats so I got to Mr Howell and had him get them on the boat to work; This wIG.S to be an emergency repair job and I did not want  to take any longer than was possible.

The electricians also started to worB: that morning and by night had all the things that were wrong in an electrical way repaired and ready to go. Still they did not have the engine “back or any others that would run so I had to be lowed to the berth that night, The third they finished with the racks and I got them painted slid the moving parts all greased. In fact by aite there were two coats of paint on them.  The 243 left too that day to go back up the line arid they got ail the gear off the decks that they had put on it. Khey could not get byt 1500 RPM so had taken every thing off the boat to see if they could go any faster. They could not.

That afternoon I  ran into Warfield again. He founfd onefender hanging over the side of the boat that was not doing any good and raited ise over for not taking enough responsibility about the boat.

I turneo. rcuiid sna asked him ii’ I could nave permission to have two extra OEi’likon guns for the boat. I wouici not. ho-ve time to go all over Guadalcanal looking foraddaptorc- for extra 50 oal guns and they did n1 have any here at the bo-se. lie said. that it would slow me u.’ too r~c$ . I told him that I could get 2000 HPH c oininr: in wJ-ith the enrines in poor shape and couls make 2200 after this. lie told me that I could have the guns if I could faake that speed. I felt sure that they were mine already.

The fourth they got the engine back in the boat but soon as they got it in the power crane had to  go else where and when it w~as all in it w.?as not in line hy .006 inches a.nd had to i:e pulled up again..

lasked theKl what they wan’fcecl to do a bout it and thev decided to work on the other engines and get 1;.at when the crane came back.

Blso that day the CL.rpenters pot t.r.e read;,r boUes for the 37rm gun retired ana remover lo anotJiGi’ location, ..’ith ljie racks they were in the Y.’ay.

By night t sy still ‘Jid not have the engines goi~g. By this tine I haa been thorou.’.hly convinced that they did. not intent to hurry onehit on getting ne hack in. o::-atios., Tile fifth i;Z deci”od to lift f-e engine’ ~i-bh .: boori tha-fc th i had hut in so doirg they n:d to ncaifriv close ofr the entr. nce -that the c’.>::u’.oore had to .-o a;:, to his .’i’.icc in his personal gig.

PAGE i 62  top        C” When noon came. they left. it that way. There was room enough to get the gig out alright “but not much to spare, Soon as I got, ‘b&ciL ‘E73 from lunch there was a message for me to report to CoiamancLer Warfiel<3- This tinaa he raised hell for leaving the “boat out over that slip and going to dinner. Then he raised the ‘devil because the man on watch had not been topside during the hoon hour and when the boat was moved up they had not put the fenders in the proper place. He warned me that the next lira  t-.at he and I crossed, that we would he a having trouble,  ha. We have been having it qalready.

The morning of the sixth we w~ere to get the engines all finished and were to leave the place the seventh but there was still that speed run to make. They had had to put in new rings on the pistons and tthe engine should be run for  ten hours before opening it up.  I got Mr. Bracket to worry over wavering the speed runs to get the guns.

He has been one hell of a help here the whole time.  I think that without him they would be still thinking about what to do with the boat.

;.The afternoon of the sixth at three they finally got the engine in and every thing to going again. I wanted to have the oil changed in the reworked engine before cranking it up. They had gotten it nice and clean when they overhauled it and there was not any sence in getting it dirty because of the dirty oil. I pulled out to KacambovBiere they haves the fuel dock and torpedoes. While the engineers were changing oil in all the engines I had part of the gang ta3-:e on fuel. At the same tirae they were getting the new aerial torps on the racks. The usual charge of the new type fish id four hund-red pounds of THT but the ones tha.t - got have six hundred in them. PAGE 62 bottom J-  naa  parT-or  rne  gall6cai:e  on  ruel,  AT.  trie   same  t3Lme  fclleyvfere getting the ne~ aerial torps on. the racks. Tlie  ua2. charge of the new type fish io- four hun<lre<3. poimoLs of ‘rN1’ 13-01 the ones that. i got have sixilutidred in them,                                  . Don took two of the boys -up to the -ware house arrd~o‘l;; all the extra oclds ana ends that wQ haa nt>t yet picked, up-there, When the four oclooh  launch left to coiae “back to Sessapi Icou~ht it ana left tLe hoat wath DQn l had the Duty that night and had to i~et “back in tibiae to let the regular duty officer catch the last boat to the willage. The duty -was not had atall. ‘J-‘here is a chief in each of the three w~ra ch sections o.na he tend s to all the inportant things that colue up arid w.lil call t-.e :t\lC?.r officer if e.nv thing needs his attention, I hda wonderful bunch too. I talked to then till after midnite then broke out a cot and slept till five.  They have all been in the regular navy for a J.oal~ tiBe ena have really had a lot of rich experiences.  We made -several -oofs of soffee too and they riake it so strong -fc.’at itv’ouais almost sto.nd uD il:$: j’ello if it were turned out of the cyp. The  morning of the seventh I got the engines to &-oin~ a little before seven, I w~anteciiiii to c.ot those hours on it uofore the speed run.,  he first tjaing t’--.at Y.-C did Y:as to c-t; the cor-.pass oaliterated. That took about an hour then w>’e cruised around out between Tulagi and Guadalcanal. This kept up till noon. i i ey decided that that -was enough ro the engines an’.. we “’ou~ ru~ke the run irmediately after innc:  ~ell tiie enincs 5;; .~ldd not :’;.ake but 1900 HPiii so that -cant that -we Y;oulo n~t ~et the runs. Th.at really J-vurt too for tjiere had been i-our convicts siince C ‘rere w.’it}.L tliQ outfit and once the r-1 were run out of  ‘oro ‘b~v by t.1e ~.Y~es, PAGE if 63 When we were rr-aking the speed run there was notices ahother oil leak. When it was closely examined it was  found to be a cracked cylinder.  That was not good either. I had promised one of the ojbherE officers who was going out to pump out his gas tanks a tow in. When we were ready to xrome in he had just started to pumping them  Well I waited for an hour and he was still not finished. I told him that I wanted to *tiE on and start in he could finish the piUmping as we went in Got the line secured to out stern and away we -want. -tie wanted to tie up alongside but the sea was pretty rough and thst would have torn the “boats apart. We finally got in to the dosk at four and there waiting for us WQ.S ii-r BrackedLt, Cosmiander wVarfield, and the head of the engineering dept. I had radioed in for them to wait that we had engine trouble. Warfield really did a bit of hell raising because the hot was not ready to leatee and there was not a thing that could have been done to have rushed it up any more than it was. Thedecision was made to pull the bank of cylinders out in the engineroma. i’hat had never been done before. They wanted to give me a reconditioned eggine but it was not 1550 IIP and I did ftot want that. I got my engineers to working on the engine at once &nd by eight they had cone ever$ thing ths.t they could do as hot aa the engine w?as.  They started again at six in the raorning. It tool till BOOH to cet the engine out o; the eighth.  T~Lat afternoon they got the bank of cylinders out in the “brkshop to give It agoing: over c’nci to put the new cylinder in.  It took till the afternoon of the nineth to get it in too.  The night of the eighth they wanted us to stay tied up at the engineering dOEk but I refused to 3.0 that. We had been here for two nites in a ro\” and thero has to be a full crew e.nd~onee offl-cer on the Boat wJhen the boat is over here. I arranged for a tow back in he i-orning. “-‘hey did not war-b lae to run over on the engines in the .boat fD that w:ouid he.ve the eiiginerooia all hot . Just as Y’e were pullir.g out oil one T.n-n6 engine i’ir Brackett hailed us. he want.eC us to tow one 6’ t. e other boats fro;”, the slip r.~ the engineering aock. ltolo- hiKi. that I had onl:” 03:i  engine but  e thought that i could 17;:. Z  it ohay.  I must- have i0:1 it perfect for he said  Damn Good. The norning of the nineth the boat Ct3%11e along .lust before seven to get us ba.ck over.  When we got here they notioned us av’ay froE the engineering doch and just as we -~ottt tied up -they haa us move to the cngineeririf dock. For the rest of the day we were moved around no less than three tines. . About  three they JecicLed to ::J.1 the bank ba.ok in bph han.d.  -he crane wa>.s nob  a.rouncl. QQ w’BEe to use all the boat engineers and. four base “ien ana wJ-orl: on it till w.e w7eree finished.  We st -in e. fpr supper but that ..as all. It w;a:’ estimated that it TOUIS be finished by ten that night. Th  job was completed at  two in the morning. My but the gang was tired. I took the boat over to the water hole then to fill up the water tanks and the engine. It all had to be drained out to fix the engine. insert PAGEs 63-80


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PAGE if 63
When we were rr-aking the speed run there was notices ahother oil leak. When it was closely examined it was  found to be a cracked cylinder.  That was not good either.


I had promised one of the ojbherE officers who was going out to pump out his gas tanks a tow in. When we were ready to xrome in he had just started to pumping them  Well I waited for an hour and he was still not finished.


I told him that I wanted to *tiE on and start in he could finish the piUmping as we went in Got the line secured to out stern and away we -want. -tie wanted to tie up alongside but the sea was pretty rough and thst would have torn the “boats apart.


We finally got in to the dosk at four and there waiting for us WQ.S ii-r BrackedLt, Cosmiander wV/arfield, and the head of the engineering dept. I had radioed in for them to wait that we had engine trouble.


Warfield really did a bit of hell raising because the hot was not ready to leatee and there was not a thing that could have been done to have rushed it up any more than it was.


Thedecision was made to pull the bank of cylinders out in the engineroma. i’hat had never been done before. They wanted to give me a reconditioned eggine but it was not 1550 IIP and I did ftot want that.


I got my engineers to working on the engine at once &nd by eight they had cone ever$ thing ths.t they could do as hot aa the engine v?as.  They started again at six in the raorning.


It tool till BOOH to cet the engine out o; the eighth.  T~Lat afternoon they got the bank of cylinders out in the “brkshop to give It agoing: over c’nci to put the new cylinder in.  It took till the afternoon of the nineth to get it in too.  The nite of the eighth they wanted us to stay tied up at the engineering dOEk but I refused to (3.0 that. We had been here for two nites in a ro\” and thero has to be a full crew e.nd~onee offl-cer on the Boat VJhen the boat is over here. I arranged for a tow back in he i-orning. “-‘hey did not war-b lae to run over on the engines in the .boat fD that v:ouid he.ve the eiiginerooia all hot .


Just as Y’e were pullir.g out oil one T.n-n6 engine i’ir Brackett hailed us. he want.eC us to tow one 6’ t. e other boats fro;”, the slip r.~ the engineering aock. ltolo- hiKi. that I had onl:” 03:i  engine but  e thought that i could 17;:. Z ( it ohay.  I must- have i0:1 it perfect for he said  Damn Good.


The norning of the nineth the boat Ct3%11e along .lust before seven to get us ba.ck over.  When v/e got here they notioned us av’ay froE the engineering doch and just as we -~ottt tied up -they haa us move to the cngineeririf dock. For the rest of the day we were moved around no less than three tines. . About  three they (JecicLed to ::J.1 the bank ba.ok in bph han.d.  -he crane v/a>.s nob  a.rouncl.


QQ v’BEe to use all the boat engineers and. four base “ien ana vJ-orl:
on it till v.e v7eree finished.  We st -in e. fpr supper but that ..as all. It v;a:’ estimated that it TOUIS be finished by ten that nite.


Th  job was completed at  two in the morning. My but the gang was tired. I took the boat over to the water hole then to fill up the water tanks and the engine. It all had to be drained out to fix the engine.


Fage~ 64 We wokE up next morning just at the chow boat was leaving.


I took the boat back to sessapi then to get breakfast there. We
were ready to leave before eight and I ifareBt in to see Gommander\
Warfield. He had me wait till I could take up a dispatch that
he was writing, i
~e also inform ed iae that he wanted me to take up a rearming boat with me, I had to furnish my ‘own lowing gear. I told him that I had a cable a new one that I had just gotten and did not want to unroll that.  He advised me that I would have to think up something. I told him that I had tried to get a cable there and that they had none and that I got it from the CBs. He said that it was a goofl thing traf he did not knowanything about it that he would have really raised he II about that for the base was supposed to proxmre everything and issue it out to us.


Well I took the rearming barge alongside and went by for fuel. They got the fuel in in about half an hour and off we went. I kept the rearming barge alongside till we were outside the faets to keep it from fouling up with the other boats that were anchored in the harbor.


When we got outsid- the nets there c~as an eight foot sea.  We pill the boat astern of us then and payed out line and took it in till it looked to be the right distance friroi us.


On one engine idling it looked as if the thing would swamp.  The water piled u” in front end broke over thebow. The same with two and three engines E.hes.d and idling.    I finally Stopped bailed it out then went at higher speeds to see if there was some speed at vdlich the boat v.-ould plane. 1200 seemed to be the best one.


All -was v.’ell for about an hour trhen the tow line broke.


We bailedit out a~ain and this time bent the cable onto the boat.  All was well till we were ab.ut two niles south of the easternmost island of the russelcL group. There we hit a c’ouple of big waves and the rearming boat juiaped coEipletely out of thewater. When it oarie riovm the cable was parted.


i had securer the tiller hard right to force the thing to ride to leaod the PT abd when that cable parted it made a turn right into another wave and. filled, to the runnels.


I rushed to .-et a line onto it but there -was no need for the hurry there seened to be no sighn of it sinking further.  Waves v/ere breaking over the boat continually and ths e vre.s no .  hope of bailing it out this time. JL tried toping it with a line to the b w to see if the water ~i;uld rush to the stern and out of the boat but the line parted again. Then we got another line over and i;ried to tow it alongside. That parted too. There was a necessity of keeping a :-.Lan in the  BO:-,T TOhandlethe lines but one i8f the lookc u ts reported shark fins about fifty yards away so -L had him :: t back aboard.


Then -too ‘bilGre v.’as C anger of one of the waves washing him over the side “and the n xt wave crushing him.


Finally after there was nothing left on the boat to pull with. vie had to leave it.  We got permission to go in to tlie Sussels and there v.’e secured the aid of an APc to go back to it and “;iok it up. They have a boom thr: t they can lift tlie v:hole boat out of the -v/a-cer.


 ~      PAGE # 65  top          i   I left I-bHowell who was repair of fiver at Tulagi and was coming -up to Send-ova with Kie there ao go out with the APo 830.0.  watch the operation. He was so come on up next day with another “boat that was <)o pass thru. I left there at six in the evening and came on up tofiendova. We got in at one in the morning.  They had moved everything from Lombardy to Bow island and we had to
move over there.                *                           
I go   he duty officer there to find a place ~or all the
passengers to sleep. I had thirteen new officers just fro~ the states and each one had about half a ton of gear.  The seas all the \Nay had constantly hit us and everyone ms pretty well teaten up.  They thought by the tine that we got to Rendova that PTs were pretty rough.


The eleventh i got to seeCoirmiander Specht  who was in charge here ard. told hir-i the stmry.  “e said that It could not have been helped and that I should virile out a report and give it to him.  I had expected to really catch hell because one of the boats costia aboub five thousand bucks.


The real of the day they repaired the ammunition box that
had been jerked off and worked on tlie engine generators. I took
the gang all over to the water hole late in the  fternoon to i- t
a good bath/
I let them all [Q to the show after ttu-t and came back to the boat to vn?ite afigu letters. The-;- h3.d  ordered Ke to stay here. All of squadron nineteen is to be here today or toiaorrov;
fora rest for a couple of nonths. we really have ueen getting laore i~one the tv/o ancl a half Eonths ‘chat v/e v.-ere up thajli any o other outfit out here.


 
65 bottom
 
I let theni all po t.o t-lie shov.” al’-cer cnsr ana came bacK to
the boat to \?rite afm: letters. The:.” had.  ordered, me to stay
here. All of sauacLron nineteen is to oe here today or toiaorrow
fora rest for c. couple of months, we really have been getting more done the two .n<3- a lialf Eonths thF-t WQ were up that any o other outfit out here.


The 12^th we got up ~t six in the morning and startea togtting
squared, away/ I got the inost of the gear all stowed. Belo~,,, She n    ‘
I h.ad-  themen get  out  all their personal   ear. ‘nd air  :Lt  out.  the
23$ had “brought ;il oiir gear aovm “but they had left the Torpoleon there and. ‘we had none. i rolled out the tents that we binmght vfith us planning to cut oils of tien up and have it for a torp.  We have to anchor here and right in the sun is pretty hot.  There were tvo torps Y.’.’th the tents, one for ea.Eh tent.  C~uess they were to be used as the flooring of the tent. I took both of fhri and v~en placed together covered the ‘”hole ‘bo&t from cockpit to sterraa* I had t’ilJo s~all torps that cc.n be used- for the bow.


At eleven vre had. every thing out airing c.nd the torps all uop and. were all setled to have it pretty nice til dinner “but up cones the electrical ae t hero to finish the job of fixing ny engecerators. l’hat neanithclt v/e had to take dovm the torps and get underway.  As we entered bl~ncl cc chennel v;e riet II of the ron 23 bo~ts coJlin,” 1_?;7  The:, -ill he rn5-sn ter,i;i1orarily too.  They really di look good in coluian C03,11_ul,: i in.


.after ...inner r.n  tko J:-at captain :;-coting :’.. took the ganp to t.i.e \yater hole. v.’e -.’ashed clothes tcbll four in te afternoon.  i think about’ everyone got CO‘Lt,C~hi;; up on that.


I planned to {oto t e v.ater hole only every oth-r day froci nov,? on.  ~e h~~ve ;;7:!00 dr~n’-s  on  board  that-, ill  hol~ enough  .ater  to take care of the C.ii”” thot v/e (io not -o.


PAGE # 66
The thirteentli we spent all morning get-bing every thing squared
away. There was a world of stuff tha-b we had, accumulated thinking that
we would “be going “back up the line and would need. Since we are
staying ,here tho we have to keep it all
In the afternoon there was a decision to have a lot of exercises between PTs and aDB,  The destroyer has  better radar on it and can send to us at quite a range courses and speeds to use to make contact with the enemy. There are “two boats from Ron 19 and four from Ron 23 to take part in all theoperations. The two from Ron 19 are the 242 and 238. ‘i’hey are the only ones that will run vath all the equiptment working right now.


We spent atf afternoon gomng over the exercises and renewing our acLQuaintance with a manovering board . nd plotting/. 

The’ fourteenth I spent all morning trying to get e i~orS: order thr to have the mounts and adapters that I collected fixed up so I could have two sets of twin fiftieth on the boatx. Thet took till nearly noon. then too that afte.rnoon we were to go on the first of the manovers with the destroyer and h d to have every thing working. About eleven tho engineer came up saying that the auxillery generator v?as not funfctioning properly and he did not know whether it would last a run or not.         2 told him to lhake every effort to ge  it fixed.         lifter dinner Don took the boat to the YOG- to take on fuel. ‘.7hile    he was there the bo~s worlrkoS feverishly on the generator and by- the time that it was finished ( the fueling) they had it running like a top.         l’hat made us hit the fiead line anyhow. The can did not get in however and we did not have to go out at all.     

It t Q late afternoon meeting there was a lot of excitement that came to a head. ‘..’e had feared losing Uapte.in sm&th for somo time and the faews broke definitely this time.. The new Gommanaer is to be Coim:iana.er Vanness v’ho is at present ooEL’s.iid”’r iSd? Rom 20. He is & swell fello\v t, o and I feel sure that we “.7111 all li’-e I’ in a lfl)t.

   The next item; The coira~ociore au-bhoriges operational leave    foe half the officers and men in the souadron. right nov? They are    to go to eithi’.’.r ~.wkland New Zealand or- to ...ustralia.  it v~s a    pretty ‘..ough job picking the men hat ~ould go. Tb.ev finally    deoidea that the officers v.’ould co:’tie fro.-:, the boots Y:ith the    best record in the ooJ.;bit zone. The “oest recor’s is the 237 with C1 la-f;rolls nest cone tJe2/;.2 and 231’ ;,it’ith 23  each.  (  vre virere out for tvJO weeks at ~ul~~i Ilollowinfi; the shooting). Then cajae the 23$ with 21 patrolls Gild the 236 with 20 the 3,, had 15 and the 243 f 9  The 2~ was considores as having had none tho tliey did have three before they had the accident. ~fal~K~SH~iixteoa5XlxiXKSCKE:=csxxsijaH  Captain Smith, told us that everyone iiad to have at least 5 nont. s in a coiabat zone and that v~e v/ere to go back intATO months thon cone down a~ain  When vie C :i:eeee back the rest of the fellows will get a hance to ?’:o Bg? for a leave and that this v.’ill in no way lengthen the stay out of the states.  I told him that I did not B;il~B it worth a damn here or angt v-here out sffide of the states and did not want to tak-  it if it were to keep ne here lon.’.er.

PAGE # 67  3 copies lh.e hard joh was that the boat Captains were to turn in a list of t;t~ee men that were to go at this time. I tolcL the gang on the boat everything incLetail and asked them if they -wanted to vrork it out, .They all said that they had rather I do it. I wish that I couSfad take them all for they really are the best gang in the world.

Well I took the men that xaa, been on the boat all the time.  There are only four now. The real have been transferred because of illness or have been hew additions to the crew in the way of inoreasw in number on the boat. There was one men that was transferred because of incompetance and a new man took his place.

They all se’Qw.Q. to think that the method was plentyfair.         Just as Vie got in to the movie thatnite there was a terrible    fctorm that came up. There were three boats at oul; buoy and that thing did notr.hold at all. All three boats had to pull out. The 2~2 and 235 came in to the doek and tied up while the 243 tied up alongside one of theships that is anchored out in the bay. The boys did a wonderful job of taking care of the boats because there was no officer at all in the nest.         Kext morning the 1$ th ghere were two boats to go to Tulagi,    The 235 and 237. There are to be all -D.QVT engines installed in fahe    baots while v~e are down the line and these two will get 811 fixed    up fch.ele. The 235 has only two screws and will takeall the freight    and creep along all the way. The 237 takes the personelle and .         v.lli “be s’bis -bo run right along and. get there in a hurry. Eight    or ten hours anyhov;.     

STen O’clock found us in the meeting v.ith the Skipper of the Tin Can Gh-t had come in and v/ith all the other tactiotians that were to  ave ChZTi:E: of the  operations between the PTs and Destroyer.

   We were to eat at ele en and get underway at eleyen fourty    five. Wsll I got &11 thecang into the chow s.t that time and as    soon 5.s bilQJ finished, out we da heg to get t-e boat in. The Captain    , Bob Sweet, Con;;aiia.er Westholn, and two visiting section leaders    fron Ron. 23 were -fco , o -with us. Well we got along fine all afternoon.         The Captain was t. e first plotting officer v.lth ri~ee as assistant.         The secoi.d Bxa. Bob Sweet v/a.s the plotting officer ana I -was the    ~ -issistant. All -bhis tjL~e it had been rough as the devil and Don had    been at thevdieel takinc; care of  all the courses and speeds. That    really ~iTTen him wuitea beating and so I got the captain to let me ts.         take over that phase of tl.e operation and let him set a little    practice.  Instead however He, Sweet,Westholm and one other crowded    into the chart house for the maneuver. Don did get to go below    ‘f*<~\r*   <’    I  ? “r~\ ~   o*r~l    Wmrtr   nril-    *~~-ir~     
PAGE # 6?            ‘.’
lh.e hard. job was -bhat the boat Cap-fcains were to turn in a list of t~e men that were to go at this time. I tolcL the gang on the boat everything incLetail and asked them if they -wanted, to work it out, .They all said that they had rather I do it .1 wish.  that I couM. take them all for they really are the best gang in the world.


Well I took the men that haa, been on the boat all the time.  There are only four now. The real have been transferred because of illness or have been hew additions to the crew in the way of inoreasw in number on the boat. There was one men that was transferred because of incompetance and a new man took his place.  They all se~m~ to think that the method was plentyfair.

Just as we got in to the movie thatnite there was a terrible
storm that came up. There were three boats at out buoy and that thing did notnhold at all. All three boats had to pull out. The 2~2 and 23~ came in to the doek and tied up while the 243 tied up alongside one of theships that is anchored out in the bay The boys did a wonderful job of taking care of the boats because there was no officer at all in the nest.

Kext morning the 1$ th ghere were two boats to go to Tulagi.      The 23$ and 237. There are to be all new engines installed in fahe    baots while we are down the line and these two will get all fixed    up fch.ele. The 235 has only two screws and will takeall the freight    and creep along all the vv’ay. The 237 takes the personelle and .         v.ili “be a’bis to r-un right along and get there in a hurry. Eight    or ten hours anyhov..     

S-‘en O’clock found us in the meeting \.ifch  the  Skipper of the Tin Can that haci come in and with. all the other tactiotians that vJere -bo  ave charge of the  operations between the PTs and Destroyer.

We were to eat at ele en and get underway at eleven fourty    five. Well I got &ii thecang into the chow s.~ that time and as    soon .s they finished out we da heei to get t-e boat in. The Captain    , Bob Sweet, Corr’.anaer Westholi’i, fmd two visiting section leaders    froH Roll 23 were -bo , o -with us. ‘..’ell we got along fine all afternoon.         The Captain wa.s t. e first plotting officer vith rl;e as assistant.         The secoi.d hma Boh Sweet v’a.s tkQ plotting officer ana I was the    assistant. All this ti~e it had been ro-agh as the devil and Don had    been of thev~l;eel takinc care of  all the courses and speeds. That    really ~iven him iguitea beating and so I got the captain to let me &    take over that phase of tLe operation and let him get a little    practice.  Instead however He, Sweet,Westhoirn and one other crowded    into the chart house for the maneuver. Don did get to go below    for a little and <Sry out tho.        

PAGE # 6?            ‘.’    Whe hard job was -bha-b the boat. Oap-fcains were to turn in a    list of t~e men that were to go at this time. I tolcL the gang on the boat everything incLetail and. asked them if they wanted to work it out. .They all said that they had rather I do it. I wish that I couibd take them all for they really are the best gang in the world. Well I took the men that haq been on the boat all the time.  There are only fomr now. The real teve been transferred because of illness or have been hew additions to the crew in the way of inoreasw in number on the boat. There was one men that was transferred because of incompetance and a new man took his place.  They all seeing to think that the method was plentyfair.

Just as we got in to the movie thatnite there was aterrible gtorm that came up. There were three boats at out buoy and that thing did notnhold at all. Ail three boats had to pull out. The 2~2 and 235 came in to the doek and tied up while the 243 tied up alongside one of theships that is anchored out in the bay. The boys did a wonderful job of taking care of the boats because there was no officer s.t all in the nest.

Eext morning the 15^th ghere were two boats to go to Tulagi.The 23$ and 237. There are to be all new engines installed in fahe baots while we are down the line and these two will get ell fixed
UT) -fchere.  The 235 lis-s only two  screws and will  takeall the freight
and creep e-loing all the way. The 237 takes the personelle and .         v.ali “be a’bis to run right along and. get there in a hurry. Eight    or ten hours anyhov..

 
Sbn O’clock found us in the meeting \.i-fch -the Skipper of the Tin Can thc.t had come in and with all the other tactiotians tliat wei-e to  ave chr~r;:c:: of the  operations between the PTs snd Destroyer.

We were to es-t at ele en and get underway at eleven fourty    five. Well J. got &li thecang into the obow 8.1 that time and as    soon 5.s bne~ finishecL out v:e aashes to get t_:e boat in. The Captain    , Bob Sweet, Co~-1: s.niier Westholii, and two visiting section leaders    froi:i Ron 23 were “bo , o -with us.  ‘.tfell we got along fine all afternoon.         The Captain wa.s t. e first plotting officer v’ith r:;e as assistant.  

The secor.d Omi Boh Sweet v’e.s thQ plotting officer 8.na I was the
assistant. All -bhis ti~e it had been rough as the devil and Don had
been :-it thev~ieel takinc care of  all the courses and speeds. That
really ~iTTen him vmitea beating wo. so I got tile captain to let me s.         take over ‘&ht phase of tLe operation and let him get a little    practice.  Instead however He, Sweet,V-esthoim and one other crowded    into the chart house for the maneuver. Don did get to go below    (“”11~   a    liT.T.Ie    and    &r’”.r   ont   “hho.            

 PAGE 67  bottom
J.IIQ  ~i;f’-~~J-nn vina  ou  J.-L.I.-ao  i””~’lsll~ttttt  L).I.J. C;~31  I:I rU .-10  t-.la  CIJ3;lijC~(WL~J    Tfae second Rin Bofa Sweet ‘.7e.s the plotting offi-cer .i1a I -~s the    assisfa~n.t.J~jLI -this tjL;?i-e it had 1)6011 3:’ou~lii as the devil and Don had    1)0011  of thevdieel teeing care of  .&11 the courses an<i speeds*  That    really r.:iven hini wuitea oeating and so I got tile captain to let iae ts.         take over that phase of tl-e o’.’iers.tion and let hin get a little    practice.  Instead however He, ~eet,Westholm and one other oDOWded    into thecliart house for the maneuver. Don did. get to go below    for a little and Sry out tho    

We C:dt -n :t scvontj’e.t nite aai of us lnmf.;ry as ‘beara.’l    tie’-‘  up  at the dock for tho nite I  thought  and off lwent~ith    all the bunch to supper G.n.fi the novio. Well about half way    thru the first reel the loud specc-er snnounoed t s.t all boats    e.t the dock Y.’ould ha”eto ]aove  out.  It \’-!Q.G- ds.rk as pitch and v/e    really had. & tine ettin.-“ to-a biloyl It v/as still a raining    end v.’e had to keep a seHrohlite on the v/hole trie between leavang    the dock and finuir.;?”; :?-;,,, buoy,    ‘-lie norning  or  the  o..::teonth.  i  found  out at Breakfast  that “:re v/ore  to-repeat  t~eop~ratioffi.  111.0  sanie  o.s  beforoand  this  ti..e Gua~ ~ut at nite. ‘.no of [,-.... boats tl’at YJasv~-f-l us. ‘i’iE llob Jack v~lich was CI1 ne~v FTtonG rv~as to fis ohov; anr’ pass it over tto us.      
‘     Yage jf- 68
The same conoucL ~rils to r.iake 1.116 -brip.  ~ell every-bhing went.off fine again this time but it was still rougher than the day    before. I was surely glad v/hen they called off the nite operation,    That nite when’ we carae in I decided that since we had been run out the day before that it would be a good idea to go on out to the buoy and let theiasen<t out a boat to get the ones that had stayed on after we put ogf all the visitors and &alf the crew.  At eight thirty the boat carae aro\oid.l really was disgusted by that tine. ‘C~e had managed to ,”:et a little coffee and some other nicknacks that we had on board but it was not much.  

The morning of the seventh l really had a rush in ge ting    on gas getting to theten o’clock meeting , getting groceries for    we were to stay out at nite this time and there was to be chow    cooped on each boat. Well v’e iaade it okay again. This time there    was BOb Sweet, and Bud Trimible and only one Bian from Ron 23 with    us. ‘i’he first two runs this time I was the plotting offiveer and    Don the assistant.  At nite however we went way outside the island.         wind breakers and it was so rough that I coula not stay below,    We really had a tough tilae ‘.-f ::t  The two boats that were with    as in the section were c.onstanti   getting lose. They had ne~err    been in a petroll before where t;e boats stayed together c.nd where    there was a possibility og getting thehell .shot out of the boat    if. it did  get  los8,     Yveil we had  to call theia over  the radio    to lie to then \’e picked one up o-nd had hiia fall in then the oilier    and off we “.01110. go for I?o-bher h~lf iiiie 1?:i repeat the    process. Tile first two davs the Destroyer would give us by radar    the distance anc. aireotion oi’ th.e jllCiliY  ~i‘hat vJas at minute    intervals an~ fron liiat , could, c.otenaine his course and speed    and the course JIQ- speed to ge  toe. position 5z-;i es 30degrees on    his bow then fron there v;e coulg ffigure hw: “-:o iet into ‘.:’ position    to fire our fish at hin. TO sinul6.te .firing v;e ~iouLdd co;:e up to a epeiEi~  the sane as  the  torpedo ~.Tid  on  -0’..3  course  tilat we figured.     
th~ti-i;;;  should  frivol.    The  i-afr  or. U’.G  ~ostrorel-----  is  stronger
than OL~S :.nu. can pick up I   at twelve 7 ‘uhat we would
lose at G, rango of rivorl, ‘!’.ct: fif.-r -hhfi ~QG-bro~er lic.d ut~n ‘clio target and \>G had
 
PAGE 68 bottom
to lie ‘bo then i-ie piol:e<3. one up and naa niia TBIL in ‘Gilon uiie u-caer ana off we ouLd go for ano-bher jiBlf ilile 5.11.1 repeat, -blie process. Tlie -first two c’.a7S the Destroyer ‘~ouia eive us by ra<3.o.r the distance c.i1a direction of ‘fahe anony,y, That v<’Q.s at minute intervals an’-i froi-i liiat v? could deterinine his course ana speecL Q.YI&.  the  co’arse  sno.  s~eeciii  to  ge    to  a  position  51~i  es  303degrees  on his bo~*’ then from there- vfe coulg fligure hov: to ~etinto e. position to fire our fish at hin. ‘ro s3Jaul8.te .firing v:e v~ould coriie up to a epe~i the {is~ie as the torpeclo c.nd on t’...3 course tho~t we fi.gui’ed.  theltit shoulcl travel.  The 1:: ~ar 021 .i.: -Sostrover is s,tronger than o~SSSS ::’ii can pick.u~ ~&rg~t~ at twelve i...iles i~at Y.re ,, lose at a rGngo of fiTo

This last <3.&y the (i- ;: be; ::n the target s.nd vfe liad had c.  pir.ne give us thet;j_r~et’cours, speea.,  bearing, and distance e.nd v~erefi~urir~ o~.~ttt  :--- to ao fro” thf:-t.   Tlie nite runv~e “Bere to C:o.s;j-tsii!e uliaaa ~assc.~3 i-j ~oerl .iendovs. and Eont?;OT1ery islands and v~ai-1;;;;; for the destroyer to laake & Gv.’e”p dOY.?ri the coast Well we T~ere out sone tv8lve lllanilo~  and on station v;~itin~ for the n~37.5 to ‘co:neoTor 2?o officer “,’fG.s ci .F;’ C v:ith hisstor.’Lao].>. c.nd the nen.did.notlaaoY~ hov: to do it.

Fin&lly Y/edid ~ot on a collission course cu~d. Y.TQre ~oi~g in    for the c.ttafk. .ihon ~la .refourr~iles ~’~~ ‘Lhe ~r-i;- t picked us    up ~.nd ~iO~L ‘bheroYJOS~. ?tK.r shell ‘bur3t richt over ~he1:’oat. ‘.JQ    la~- E~:?1): UU c’nd cot ‘the-.: oil  ut i - -b’ “re as fast as. ?-?os~rbie therl    ccse :. clss for another ~tt~ck. ..’-fc fo-ixr iii3.es they turne:’. on a search li~ light this ‘b.lile and wo had to I’:   Oi; ~ ain.         At last v’e got in E shot and st~rto.” ;_O ~ooo opch to uase as the d.’stroyer prooeoded on o’.T’. ‘.!~ oo st t~ “urvis Bay ~iich is at lUlagi.         It tool: till tVJo In ‘i ! rti---,o,_i0rn:~-- .o :””t tho section h-e~ LI; safely.      L  tied  or?  to  tile  dooh  .:.i~  re’iorted  ~o   ‘-  du.ty  r  the  fret.    I ~as’~ol that J- ‘”Ould “”: aion~?!i;”” the - : - n-?- “t “.irht p..~’:t morninf; to .et _”??airs tahon c:..ro of.  

Page 69
I woke up at sia as usual. I had started to sleep topside.  It v~as pretty out vriian we tied up but about two hours later it started to pour down rain and I had to move below. I went back up in th, S rain and got a bath tho.

The morning of the eighteenth the men on the mob jack mostly    got settled as to whet it would t\e like working on theboats,    He re they came with every tool unused and ready to go. They    did not get much clone the first day but we were eating aboard and    did not care if they never finished/ Tills ship being just from    the states had about everything that anyone could want.  The eqts were  ‘    really wonderful, for dinner we had had steak, The boys said that they    were getting g tired of stakes and my gang had had none in                 four months.  God that made them sore. S                                 I    The nineteenth though there came word’ that werad to be finished    “by ~116 21s-fc so L3ievrr really started to worry in a hurry.   About laidclie or the morning in ~j~lked Alpine he was “back from Treasuries but did. no t know for how long.   He was to resume his duties as 130001 captain for the time being. Captain Smith went down to Tulagi with the destroyer that last nit that we had worked with it and had not cone back yet.     
I more or less turned over everything to Alpine but everything has been done by no thus far end the folks here  still have al the business with me as yet. It will take a couple of days to get a   of days to ; everything straight.

   The items that we are getting done are odds and ends like fixing a crack in ‘the radar mast. Moving a speaker tube to another location, fix the engine rooia, glu~ate compass and battle lights, fix a loose hatch on the rope locker and  install a new antennae on the ABE unit.  

For noon meal on the nineteen th we had sirloin steak: and for dessert there was cake and strawberry ice” cream. G-Gosh it was good.  3 managed to get four fresh eggs and three pancakes eaten for breakfast before filling up too.  That nit there ‘.”as a night there was a movie in the afternoon for in the fir all the officers.

‘ The 20^th they about finished everything -fato: by laid afternoon pad    the SHICE repair officer told ;:e that I was to be  alongside the    dock again next morning to i:’ t two new opines. I .. the gang    to work on the toginod getting them ready to take out soon as he    told me that. Then since we had not been able L  ‘:;any water for several ‘”days, I managed to get some from I r “ to “et the ship.         I arranged to get the 2~0 boat; to tow us o-‘over in the morning, too in. “he.     
That nit I cot in some letters that had been a hanging for several days

 

The 21^st. S pulled away from the Sob Janb just after breakfast or at least we were pulled -? away. We were lowed over to the dock’) cock as ar ordered but when we cot got there, there was another boat there and we could not get in . t first they told us to lie too for ‘c; few minutes while they moved to make e place for us but :’.later sent us on out to fcgsTfcyr berth.  ‘ The z~oo went over to the water hole to fill u-n tl-1 .i_l t~n~s illlFI drums so I went with him. \ with-: ;:2.. After that I spent all the rest of the morning i~ hing clothes and getting the out to CirTT so *1- \~~l’) be I’es iTy for the trip.             ‘                  “     “ “
 
PAGE # 70.

   In the afternoon we were ordered “back “to the dock to  &? have the E    engine pulled, out.  When we got in it took about twenty minutes to do    that. The other branched of fixits started to work at once too    getting all the rest of the items that were still on the list taken    care of    That afternoon n at the meeting there was a lot else that went    on that was of especial interest. * -    The captain announced .that he was leaving in two days but that he had made the new boat assignment for us before leaving. I was to be skipper of the 24~ after we get back. They have it in dry dock now and it is to be ready to go back when we return from operational leave around the first of March.         I am to have Dick Dormelly as exec, Alpine will have Robinson, and Hanna as his execs, There are only three boats that will have only two officers the 235, 236, and 21., Guess the captain had a pretty good bit of faith in my way of doing things now.   The boat is in pretty rotten/ shape. There are even v~SSSSSS in the hull of it now and rats inside- it.         I thought best to ;”-et an all new crew to take over with. The fellows that are on it have been sitting around now for three months and will not get back into a hustle and bustle easily so I plan to oho.ngo them all up.         I also sat down and wrote out a list containing over a hundred    things!  T.n  ‘~f\n\.’ -fn-t  -~  rrr\r\  -?”  -I-l” -~  ‘” -  -.1.--- -  -   “     
PAGE 70  bottom
 
‘  JLciJ.aosa-c.c.oymanav<TOtQ out a list containing over a hundred         items ts ; 1 -- 1 0- L seelf-they have 13:16]~ oiL-bli- boats before    getting .c.Gte-rtea..os:FL; :: ‘J.’3ieylia7e proiaiaed tot~eoa.re of collecting    cay ~hing t..h.afc l.naod rl;\rl l ao not plan to stop this “    leave no~~t~lati ..baTe~it,     <\”.   -.        -~    -‘    The cite of blle.21stw.stayea.at the (loolc tlie~~epe to e-cmtiinie    v/orl: on -~9se 1)0~.1.10: .the r.oiiiing aiid Ira v.’ould l~cr r r to be lowed out    aJi<5.  ba.elc.j.a.  ~c-in* .  “.          -        .   “””            ;;    ‘                  ‘     -  ‘~’   :::::’ -:  

.Theaorair~or t.e22n<i. 1; st~.rta<i bright end eaily-gettiftgsl~ _  -“;    th..;-t  lie~;ea?~w lined, up  i’or-the-‘:8~tc:iiii  -Y - r -Yu-  rl~’but’    thero. ;-s*e few-really- G-ood 1~311 that. ci..e available. I an. tn.~iag   ‘ ‘    sevea 301(311 th~t~iRYPiioverb. en assigned to boats. In feob ‘they have beeii    iE,tHiebQlA3.d2on ‘only about &as v/eelfis. That rncans that   no ones Imo~s    their C:jc~U~;cr;rJ.   .     “’”’  -‘..’    -  --    .1 hc-ve eTer.thiiig sottl~d ~utaJ~ldioM’~ crid he  vn.ll have to    ueore~toR.~rolllllll_ll Eea~~an. ‘Fhere~re~n hhhhhh 7i:eP”ii _?t’ili;;le hi~3.rontl:.:.cv have    all oeen seiit-bo .clif~eront L~sesQUt here. I arranged for the S&G.io    Dep-:-.i?tHer.t  ‘:,o tahe esre  o.f tlie radioman and the  (-uarteri-iaster in    so f~r .5-the J~diosasK   andrfa<lar’GreoonoernGd,      -    All ‘thiG has ‘beGn nl proved “Mt~-.:; Bud Sri~lble \’ho is acting ‘    UIL ;_ ..i i r:iC1 preaent.  . “:. ‘”                     ‘  “’ ‘

In the afternoon vre haat.o’bet~l:efl. o”t front~e ubcl: ‘to’ let ~.iiother b-:.t ::eti.:t I_ \- I 3’- ‘-;,?il- r 32~.(i gotten v-hs fc7one~ enc’ines in cj.d-fah8 bo~t ~i-i~.il. r- i -citiL hit-eh t-hcn-ur -f;o run.         :    1’hs:”.or2iin~’ O the 23rcl I o”t aroun”  to --;1 ‘ciits -- .n of the    fei’.o’;.. that v/ex-c .o M ontheboat. I ~rransed for t~o cittart-ST~”‘”” ~”“    both  -to GO tot~BBB ~.dio shcp o- t~ fora ~onth 3~arning    all <-bout “radio CEcl~uar ~o~th~tthe~ YJOulft he oai’li’etsnt in those    line.. v.hen”-~-‘ a ~csP : i :o ‘-:=~n   

‘        PAGE ~71         ‘

 

The afternoon of the 23^rd. I spent catching up on the letters    that I -owe., We had j-just gotten in a bunch of :mail and. there were    fifteen for me and that made me have quite a “bit to virile about     The morning of the 2~th I spent the morning meeting all the rest of the proposed crew and. getting them all lined up. There were several changes that had to be made because I wanted the men to  e really want to be on a boat when they come to me and not a matter of it being just that they had Id-be somewhere and they may as well be on the boat as anywhere S:EB else.         I think:  now that JL really have got the best bunch possible to work -work with.     
Just after lunch there was a payday for all the lads that were    to make the trip down to -New Zealand. They took out all: out the month    allotments out of the first of the month though and that left    everyone with less money than they had. figured on, I had       drawn a hundred last month and did not expect but a hundred and fifty    though so was not bothered with it    The sailing date has not been set for the 27^th on the Jamestown.  We will take that to G-Guadalcanal and from there we will catch a boat on the rest of the way.     

At sunset on the 2/...th word -was passed that the 237 would be the tow boat next day They were to tow the 242 alongside the Mob Jack at 071$ but there was to be a special payday for the men on that boat who were going- on leave at eight O’clock and the paymaster is quite a horse here so I told them that I would take the first boat and come over to the 337 “-and take charge letting them go in(the officers). Alpine had the work orders in his pocket and there was no way of getting hose before taking the boat on over. I lowed the 242 alongside anyhow .

‘We were to get new J.-manifold pressure, gap.ues and get some gadgets repaired that had gotten knocked off when the new engines were put in, I left Hanna in charge and took the 237 back’ to the assigned buoy to wait for further lowing orders. At o73i! we lowed the 238 into the dock to get new engines put in that boat and at oSOO, Bryant and  Small were back to take care of their’ own host.

About ten thirty, I got- the mail which included several copies of the Jackson Daily news, a Time and several letters from the folks but none from <Jane. Mail without a letter from ~  her do not help the spirits too much. I finished the letters and Time by midafternoon”” by mid . on and went to a show t at night.

The 26^th we were back at the buoy. It rained, like the devil all morning but just at noon it cleared and I -of busy with the dirty cloths that had accumulated. Then too I liked  to p-.-b my .-mattress sunned every possible moment. It is so damp anyhow and the night before the.  rain had blown in under the tarp and gotten it wet.  We have to fight mildew all the time. By night a I the clothes were nearly dry and it look clear so I left them out

The 27^th word was passed t: at a boat ‘.’.-would be by to -pick us up from each boat at eleven o’clock to board the Jamestown to begin the trip to New Zealand, I got to work folding and T)packing all my things. I meant to take every thin?’ ;thing that I would really want to keep  always and take it with me.  Soon as that was done I took s. In tt minute shower. Just before we :’left the Kob Jack I had -often two buckets of fresh water and’(“. save  one for that purpose. t at.

We had noon chow ‘.’n. t-.on the Jamestown and the food . and the really was nice.

PAGE .: 72
After that we sat around the ward room reading,  I completed They Were Expendable in two hours flat. Commander Kelley is with us. Our Own Capt. Smith relieved him at Treasuries.

After supper we sat around for quite a while playing cards and its-f.  listening to the yarns that Kelley had to tell about his naval experience About ten O’clock Crawford and I decided to take a shower. It was black as pitch but somehow we managed to find a shower/ All the electric circuits had been secured except one in the Ward room. We first found a towel rack and hung our clothes on that then managed to find a nozzle to turn on the shower. After that was all over I came back to the ward room to get  the daily letter written.

When I started to turn in someone had already taken the cot tat had been fixed up for me so I started out looking for an empty bunk somewhere. Luck was with me for there was one left on the ship.  I got up at six in the morning of the 28^th.  We were just coming in to Tulagit harbor. The rest of the gang was up too. We were all pretty excited. Orders were for all hands to stay aboard the Jamestown for the time being but there were two trips ashore for the men to get clothes thi they had left there In the hot looker wbB we  were on the way up.  I was in charge of one of those.

I read two b ooks that day. The Moon and Sixpence and in the Days
of the King,                                                           ‘ ‘

The 29^th soon after breakfast I started H.M.Pullam esquire and just    as I closed the last PAGE after dinner word was passed that we were to    board the personnel barge to be taken to Purvis bay to the ships that ‘    were to be our home for the next month.  Mine w.-was to be to the Crescent City,    G-Gosh but it is a beautiful ship. They assigned the eight officers t’ two state rooms. There are two double deck beds in each the top one folding up into the wall like the upper on a train and  trie lowering—err  a seat. Three closets each with the door a solid mirror are in each room.  These closet doors can be opened in a manner that one can see how he looks all around with one g glance. Be quite the thing for a ladies dressing room. Then there is a private shower for each room.  

The officers have a plush leather upholstered ward room with; a lounge equally as swanky.  The latter is the hangout. In the midafter noon I got a whole quart of ice cream. Walnut was the dagrs flavor.  For dinner that night we had about the most delicious stepksever with iced cream for dessert.

The bed was the most comfortable that I have had since getting into    the Navy so I slept till eight next morning. When I looked out. we were underway. There were six large .ships and fourteen        x      cans escorting us on the trip. The first part of       x x    which was just to Noumea, I really did. feel good           to be getting all this without having to do any work myself,    Breakfast really was a dream compared to others that “.we have been usud to.

At ten O’clock there was church for Protestants- it was broadcast    throughout ::,lie ship too so that those that were on duty could hear it too.    After dinner I turned in  for & nap expecting to wake up in time for the afternoon ice cream but did not wake till four and they had sold out.  The ship’s s library was opened though so I got The Saga of Cimba and by bed time had finished it i; _ oe with going to the show. Yep they have a show every night in the ward room.                     ~    

PAGE # 73 

The morning of the 31^st I had a talk with the chaplain pretty; chaplain    soon after breakfast. He is the mess treasurer here and I was drafted    to be the go between for all our officers.  We are to have to pay $12    a day for out meals. He wanted us to pay for the meals that we had had in    Feb. and wait till we got off the ship for the rest,    I read See Here Private Hargrove and it took about all the spare    time that day. I have really been writing some long letters compared    to the usual ones too.           *-    The 1^st of February I spent about all day engrossed in We Took to 13    tto iftoods. All this leisure to read, bathe, and eat is one more wonderful    vacation for me,

 

Feb. 2^nd we sighted land in the early morning. There were several islands and on the very end of the last one was Noumea. I spent most of t] the time reading The Robe. It is truly the most wonderful book that I have ever read. I had finished less than half though jcrcfc ‘.by the time that they had dropped the hook and were lowering the boats. These transports carry some 32 personnel lighters and it is quite interesting to watch them lowered and I had to stop the reading to look..

 
At four, all the officers were allowed to go ashore and stay till six thirty. We went straight to the officers club that is there,  we saw four of the much publicized nurses that are so talked up in the papers. The first white women that I had seen in a heck of a time and I figured that those girls had better enjoy the attention that they are a getting out here for they will be left cold when they get back to the states. They were horrible looking. We had several drinks and a hamburger then headed back “to the dock to catch the boat back to the ship.]    Soon as we had had supper aboard I went straight to bed. alcohol    always did make me mighty sleepy,    I did not wake up till (9700 the 3^rd, 

All that day and stopping only    for meals I read away on the Robe. I read right thru the movie too    that night and finished with the thought that more of the preachers s,?    should try that method.-    About four in the afternoon-e noon we got underway for Wellington, He”.’    New Zealand.  At once every thing was battened down for foul weather. There    is supposed to be a hurricane in our path    Bre morning came o  the 4^th the ship had taken on quite a roll though the seas were only about ten feet. A PT would have a really tough time in that bho.  The weather  was cool enough to make us want a blanket’ at night.     

 

Also that morning I went down to sick bay to get some medicine for my athlete’s foot. There ‘-‘as just a tough of it but I really wanted to get that all cleared up and in a hurry. Feet are a really import.-important item out here.The Book of the day was The House of Exile  which was a was & story-  of a Chinese family and all about Chinese customs., I did not care for it too much for chore was too much minute detail.  After I had finished it I read a. c couple of Liberties’ that I had found.

‘The $fch the weather was cold and the seas pretty rough.-h. The ski S were cloudless: though. I got snugly hack in bed under  the blankets and spent,  quite a bit  -)f the day  sleeping.  I  figures I had  better take  the chance to be lazy while I had it.

That night after the movie several of us ‘went up on deck and watches the U’IOUSBMS of’ reflections from the moonbeams hitting waves. It was really s. beautiful sight.

PAGE 74
PAGE# 1*
The bth I spent the larger part of the day writing letters so that there will not bee too many pressing letters when I get back to the PTs and am busy getting that is shape to get back up to the combat area.                                                      .

The morning of the seventh we sighted land and we were all    pretty excited about getting packed up to move ashore. Then too    there was an eager expectancy about seeing people again and being    able to talk to them. Most of the gang wanted a date and a drink    first thing,    We arrived in Wellington harbor about 2 in the afternoon but    that was ahead of schedule an so we had to drop the hook and wait t    till the dock was cleared and the pilot got out to show. us the way    in It was four when the first line went over to the dock and we    could hardly wait, till tae lines were all over before jumping off,    When we did get off Bob Ankers and I waited there till all the rest of our squadron lads got off of the George Clymer., It was the flag ship of all the transports of here but we docked first so they could have a little better berth.     

 

Our first stop was at the Midland hotel. There were three single    rooms available there and I figured that It would just suit me as    well to go back to the ship) when we had finished out the evening,    Pretty soon after six of us had gotten settled in the lounge there    and had ordered drinks over came an old lady about sixty five, a    Mrs. Curlan. She -wanted to know in & poking manner what ships were    in.  She never did find that out but pretty soon another lady about    her age and one about fo rty joined our party. We sat there till supper    time and off we went to supper ( they with us)  I learned quite a lot    about the country that first night just watching the people and    talking to them.  The whole country seems sad and beaten. The old folks    do not smile very much. it seems that they have lost quite a bit    in having so much of t:-their youth gone.  The men that are left seem to    all just sitting and waiting till  the lads all get back before    going ahead with ~ “aril anything. When the war started the country    was bankrupt and to negotiate bonds to get the country sorts started    they had to guarantee two arriie~ over seas almost at once to get those    loans from England. Those IQ.&S have been hone gone now for three to    four years,    The town had about 1SO,OO0OO people in it -:and there is only one nice    place for the young folks to go and dance and that “GO dance closes at 10:30    each night. SDB    

The eighth I had steak  and eggs for breakfast with jerenoh fried    potatoes and worlds of tomatoes and a quart of milk. G-Gosh but a    breakfast like 1; ~t was wonderful,    I  had  a nap after breakfast then off I went to see about having some pictures made to send back to Jane.  Luckily I got an appointaent right away and the photographer was an exceptionally nice old fellow.         He has a son that has been fighting up in our neck of the woods.  I did- neck of.. I    not tell him much about what was going on though.    In the afternoon l net the f-‘e.ng for a few drinks at one of the hotels. ‘dQ had suriper there theii ei”’.’)-t of us went to & dance that was given for officers by a group of p-irld similar to our USO organization at home,   3 st a’h’u-.; everyone there was either married or engaged to some New T;: Zealand boy !:il= ~ST really v/ere swell to us, The dance “.?as over “b ten and I ~ot ‘i.G.ck ~’out ten thirty to the ship.     

 

J-he  9^th I  s-The 9^th, I spent all morning writing letters, then in the ”.  g  letter.”-;  t}:.en  in  the  afternoon

PAGE 75# ~.

ohased off to see the proofs 1301 it  was still too early to see    them so I went shopping. There are no cigarette cases in Wellington    nor lighters either. I also I looked for souvenirs but there are no    industries in New Zealand either. The people export farm products and    raw materials to England then pay- duty on the manufactured goods as    they come “back into the o country. I did find a nice nut “bowl though that  ‘    was made here. It is inlaid wood with a raised center piece to crack    the nuts on  There is a mallet to match,

Late in the afternoon I went ‘”back to see the  proofs and they were lousy. The old e-gent had forced MB to smile when I was not in the mood audit and it looks as if there was a sneer. He wanted to try again but I figured that they would not  be any good either. I let him try finishing two of them , Then I went around the corner and made an appointment at another photographers to have more made.That night Bob and I stayed aboard and Bud Trimble came over to see the movie with us.

The 10^th I went with Bob Ankers and a radar engineer who is a civilian working for western Electric oo but who is out here, up to see t ern tune up the ship’s radar. After  lunch I went to town to more or less aimlessly walk the streets and t-to bump elbows with the people there. I looked all over town for some fiction books to take back with me but there were none. All that they had were English histories, religious histories, and current religion. None of them suited my fancy.

I did find a place to get my cigarette lighter repaired. It will    be ready in three days. That appointment for pictures is tomorrow,    Then I went to see the picture Eattan. It is currently at one of t e theaters .It was a good picture but I’ve seen too much of that really happening.         That night I went to another dance. The ship had two for all it’s company and we were invited to go too. I left that about eleven and came back to the ship to bed.     

She The 11^th, I got the new pictures made in ‘the morning. This place is so rushed that I will not be able to see the proofs for several days though.         In the afternoon .~aj.~r~~i ;and I took a walk in the botanical gardens that the city has. They specialize in begonias and have developed flowers that are about five inched across and every color imaginable. They do not sell them at all b~-G they were about the “most beautiful imaginable.         The garden in situated in a big valley. We caught a cable car up) to the top of the.~ theaaander-ed down one side on the asphalt trail.  At t he b bottom were the GREENhouses and formal gardens. He and I took quite a few snapshots of each other all thru the place. We walked back up the other side.     

That night 1’ob had a date out to dinner aboard the ship. Bud Trimble and I -bLC there dateless and did ova-  our best to devil the live out of him. We pretty well did till about ten o’clock then \we got out of the picture and Let him have her the rest of the time.

The 12^th ‘”we spent a good bit of tie morning on the G-George Clyner    talking over all the 3.ntreGtin;”’ esoaadeel that the lads had had. The    society oroud  have planned a party for us tonight and we were all e    expected ‘to be there. If we had no dated ‘.’:e were to come anyhow-“’ they    would attend to it and. if we had them then bring them along. I told    them that I had a date. I was in no mood for a ‘arty or an thing    else that night. G-uess I was pretty homesick. I went back over to the    ship ror an afternoon along. All the feang had left just after lunch    PAGE # 76    

for -that party I called them about five and said that my date had     not” materialized and was not going to be an odd member in the party,    That night there were only two officers aboard for movies. That    was about the most exclusive I have ever seen, A movie for one office    besides myself and no one else. It was Andie Hardy’s private secretary    and though I had seen it I enjoyed it again,   

 The morning of the 13^th, one 3r the mess attendants woke me at    OA.I~ We were to have breakfast at five and then all leave the ship,    They were closing down everything to fumigate it. Just as I finished    in came Bob Ankers just getting in from his night ramble,    We went straight to breakfast then over to the George Clymer to see if there was & place to sleep there. We two and Russell G-rey e the Radar engineer.  We were lucky -found three empty bunks and believe it or not slept till twelve.         That night I got a room at the Midland hotel since There was no    going back t  the ship to sleep. About four in the morning in came    Fred Crewford. I had not looked the door so the first thing that       I    I knew he was telling me to move over.  Well we doubled up or_ that     I    single tied till morning,                                                  !    When one rents a hotel room here, they also pay for two meals       ‘    at the same time, ‘The meals are a lot better than the foorh too. The    third-rate hotels are fixed up nicer than the first class here though    these are spotlessly clean and they are free from vermin.,    

After Breakfast the Xth, we came back to the ship). I played    solitaire till noon losing every time. After lunch I wrote letters    age and read till dinner time  That night vie had the movie captain’s    Courageous and it was about the best that we have had the -whole trip,    I slept till eight on the 15^th and barely made breakfast. The ship was in dry dock. We had moved in the afternoon before. There was an adequate floating dry dock here and the lads were really going to town. The word had been passed that they would not get liberty till they had scraped it “and painted it one time”. Well they had finished that task by eleven o’clock.  When I toot a took a stroll-I out on deck there were two new ships.  One was about the rustiest old tanker that I had ever seen. -‘hey have really run those babies this war..; The other was a converted freighter.  One converted to be  a carrier, they can take care of 2:’- planes on one like that.

Just after dinner Bob dashed off to see the red ilead tna  he sems to be :;- ing mighty sir ng for. I told him that I would be in about three thirty that afternoon so I was to meet the two of them., I had a bit of business w attend to though, so asked them if they  would.  care to join me.  First I had to  get the finished Proofs that were riao at S.P.  Andrews. I did not figure that they w,-would look good bee-use the proofs had been so bed. They did turn out be be -‘as awful as I expected.  Next I went t’ l.iorrisons, a manufacturing Jeweler, He was the one t    that -was to fix up the cigarette lighter for ;Te Cost 30~.  By this    time Bob end the Red dead were at the height  of a squabble and they    decided to part company for the rest of the day, I figured she had a date w&’. someone else but kept out of it.      I got to Spencer Bigby’s at five. They were to  have  he proofs    ready there for me -that- t afternoon. Every one of them turned out    wonderfully. It was hard to pick out just one o”’ them to have the ret m    like. After I “.ad ‘had decided on it I proceeded to snitch the rest of the    proofs, they would just destroy”- them anyhow. They will also let me have    

PAGE # 77

all “the negatives, I plan <)o send the proofs and negatives on to    Jane so she can have others made if she likes,    That finished we came back to the ship to see Billie the Kid, The l6th we got up &t at eight and had brains and eggs for breakfast.         I went back to bed after breakfast and proceeded to sleep till    dinnertime.  Spent all afternoon writing letters. C-Got eight finished    by sup per time too     That night vie had Clark G-Gable and Spencer Tracy in Boom Town, It    really was a I,,O, picture,    

The 17^th I strted the proofs on to Jane, Sorta figured I    would give her an idea as to how the pictures would look. I plan TO    sent the negatives in separate letters one at a time o that if    some of them get lost that she will at least get a part of them and    be able to have pictures made form the,    That afternoon I got back the finished snaps that  Bob and I had    taken that afternoon in the formal  gardens. They turned “out fairly    well in spite of the film’s being old. I weighed  again and still    hit 160 that is 22 pounds more than it was when I left here too,    The

18^th I slept  right thru breakfast. Guess maybe the old ape appetite is not as sharp as I once was.  The-fc afternoon I played solitary wrote a few let-letters and had another nap, in the evening I went over to the George Clymer  and found a book that I liked I read right thru till I finished too at Three next morning. The Case of the Counterfeit eye was a blood curdling mystery.

 

The 19^th I slept till noon E; and then dashed out up town to get the finished pictures. I really was pleased with those.  Since I had to get the pictures between 12 and 1230 I missed dinner aboard and so ate up town. That afternoon Bob and I walked back out ~o the Botanical gardens. ‘That place is so pretty that I could stay there four hours and hours and never get tired of looking- at it.

The 20^th was the -last day out and also the men had  o  to be all checked in from their last 72 hour leave, ,I have a wonderful record, Not one of them had  over stayed. That night I had l-!Mrs. Kathryn Tillet aboard ford inner for dinner and the movie, her husband has been gone for eighteen months and has not seen the child that v/as born about a month after he was sent abroad. She was a very nice girl.

The 2th, I rushed to get the pictures “packed and o’-.off to    Jane before we pulled out. The post ‘ office had not “been  open the o.a    before for it was Sunday and I had not had time Sat afternoon to get    them all fixed up. Then I proceeded to catch up on the -back letters    to ~11 the folks again,    That afternoon we pulled away from the dock headed for Auckland.  Just as we were about to pull out there was a PT man held at the miarter deck by the shore patrol; he had tried to commit suicide. Well there was nothing to do but put him in the brig after that for fear that he might get the notion and try it again.  The Dr. said that he had a case of depression and would more than likely be over it in a few hours, but we could not take the chance.     
‘”he 22^nd  I spent most   of the morning lying in bed and thinking.  It seems necessary sometimes to drop everything and just  o a little meditation about the situation.  By late afternoon, we were in sight  of Indonesia but were not to ,-“st to..mckland till next morning.

   The 23^rd. we arrived in  -port about ten ~’”t stayed on boat’:.         till after dinner : then got off.  There wore about) fifteen transports    in the harbor and when we i”iu f--,et ashore as “.e expected o -fc-e streets    were quite full of servicemen. They had L,,, all the Army troops    

PAGE # 78    

that were to l)e be hauled out  out of there into a giant ware house -waiting    to be taken ashore.  That left the team to be navigator be<3., ‘ left the to but there were worlds    of them, that afternoon Bob and I did a bit of window shopping. Rode    one of the street oars to the e d of the line and back, then went to a movie, King’s hack “went to a     Row.  Got back to the ship about eleven after    gorging ourselves on ice cream. That is how we got rid of the last    of the Mew Zealand money that we had,    “

The 22th, I woke up at 0700 to find that we were about fifteen    miles out.  We had taken on 46  f)officers and 1200 men. At noon that    day I ran into <Tank Briscoe, one of the <lads that I had known in college.    . He is a captain in the Army now. We had quite a talk too    in the afternoon, He had been a fraternity brother in -Alpha Zeta.         with me    I spent the rest of the day reading Bartlemebt’s Treasure.        

On the 26^th I checked out the Nazarene from the Ship’s library.         l is similar in subject matter to the Robe but the prose is not    quite so interest holding. I covered 200

PAGEs

 of it and have $00    to go    The 26^th the chaplain came around and informed me that we were    to get off in Noumea next day and he would like to settle the accounts    before we left. Well I collected the money from all the fellows. I    had figures up a rough bill for everyone and knew about what it would    be. When I settled with him I had over charged everyone about 126!     I really went to town on the Nazarene that day but only covered 300

PAGEs.

 There were still 200 left and I was beginning to fear that I’d not get it finished.         The 27^th we sighted land pretty early in the morning. Soon as breakfast was over and all the mail censored I started to packing.         This was all completed at ten and I started again on the book but    when we had to get  off that afternoon at three I still had 50 to go    so turned the book back in.  

Both ships had tied up to the dock to get all the passengers off and of course the Army had to be a getting off first. That took quite a bit of time for they would not let them put up additional gangways for t hem to leave by and every man had to be checked three times for his ID card and outfit. Inefficiency My Gosh. No wonder they have to rush the marines in to take care of the army.

My spirits were really at rock bottom when we were carted off in that truck to the receiving station v>lth no hopes of getting out of there for about three ‘.’.’weeks.. I was plenty anxious to be a getting back not to be with the boats again but I wanted to get the mail that I  kls-~env  had  accumulated.

Well we ail got off in the mud<& at the receiving station. It is the lousiest place I have yet seen. our camps way up the line are better than this, and they are only temporary affairs.

They assigned us all to a Quonset hut and told us that our only duties there would be to censor mail for about an hour each morning.  We got  a shower and  sauntered over to the t .e mess hall ‘o wait for s supper. They had made us each donate w tae cause of a farm that they have up in the” hills that is to furnish cucumbers and tomatoes.

While we were standing, there up came the personnel officer    with the v-word that Raney, AB~S~S , Meyers, and Roberta would leave    on the Japara at 1900 that very evening. I was so happy ‘that  I    could have shouted. That made the feathers of the rest of the p-and ctro    drop. a little further.              

r”.     PAGE # 79

After supper Bob went to get all the particulars about the    leaving. Well they had not known that we were on those ships at all    but they evidently figured that we were all needed up the line so -    they got started at once to getting us  out. The other officers were    to leave next day on .the Tryon and come in up too,    Well we got out in the rain and got our things in the truck    at 1900 and then the thing was postponed till 0600 next morning,    Well I got over <o our hut again and wrote a letter,   

The 28^th I was so excited about getting out of -there that I was    up at five. We were fed, hauled down to the dock. loaded aboard    a barge with ‘ bout 300 negroes that were to be in a CB outfit    and moved out to the ship,    The Japars was a pretty nice ship but not nearly as nice as    the one that we had just left. All the officers were to have a ward    in the hospital to stay in. That was pretty cramping after all the s    apace that we had had before but it was getting back so we liked it,    Inhere were 3}800 passengers aboard and they were to bring back the sick and wounds. It really was a well equipped ship as far as an auxiliary hospital ship was concerned.  It is a Dutch ship given to the British and leased by the U.S.     ce they were just from the states though they h d a lot of new    magazines aboard and really went to town on those that afternoon    and night,    Vie had pulled out of the narrior at noon.  

The 29^th I did not wake up till eight thirty. I was sorta tired    when I turned in the night before and had slept like a log. Breakfast is served till nine though so I made it okay.         After breakfast I made a trip around to the ship’s library/it    rained about all  day so I stayed inside and read read read,    

The 1^st of March was a beautiful day.  The sun beamed out hot    as everything-g and the minute any of us got cut from under a fan    out clothes pot all wet with perspiration.  ~    I checked out -a second book that afternoon and also got hold of    a Feb. 7^th Time. It told of the fate of the lads that were left on the    .Philippines. I feel sure that if the totals for both us and the    Japs were figures that we nave killed a. lot more than they have,,    Our Marines have not tortured -them though they just shoot them and if    they do not completely kill them or ifftney So and liave time    the Jap gets his throat slit or his head cut all the way off,    We have strafed them in the water -when their ships were sank dropped depth charges on them and bombed them. ‘There have been few Survivor s anywhere.     
The 2^nd we arrived at Lunga Point off G-Guadalcanal’ about eleven O’clock. Word was massed that we would stay on the ship and be taken to Tulagiin the afternoon.  Just after dinner 1 I went below and -went to sleep figuring that Bob.”-. that .Hob or some of the others would wake v.- me up if ‘we “.e were to get to .’-et off b~T~v~heaaaa I .woke up ;:it four all the-other three officers v/ere below and sleeping too,.         I got up and looked outside to find that \,Q were still there and were not to move till next t.;- day. All the a;br corps boys that, were coming to L-Guadalcanal  canal were still aboard and the:’.” really had che willie-to be ~-,e;jeirig off but there had hot  been any way as yet.         .We had all  gone  thma such before  so got - quite  a kick out of fair    impatience.      

 

PAGE 80
PAGE

 

After supper I found, another book. Bells for the Dead and    by ten had finished it. There was no blackout regulations a-b all that night and there must have been a dozen big ships there all lit up like a Christmas tree.         They did get the pilots off just after supper.         After I had finished that boot I went out on deck inthe moonligh    and sat there for quite some time talking to Bgb,

 

The 3^rd we left there at 8600 for ‘rulagi~-cSoon as we got there    Bob got onthe Pilot boat  to go see what were to be done with the    1~ men that we had and the four of we officers. We had brought all    our men with us,    We were faked off on personeile  launches and takeA to the Village and given  quarters there. It seemed that we would be there for quite a while.  We were to go up on the Stratford and it would take two more days to load that. We figured that it would hurry things -up to use our men ir. that operation. They were divided into three eight hour shifts and the loading went on right thru the night.         There are quite a few oha.ngea here since we were here before.     

Commander Warfiela in now at Bougainville in charge of PTs there
and ldr Brackett ins the Big boy here now.  That afternoon we had quit
a chat ‘with him about all that had harvoened while we were on leave,
We also took a turn around Tilagi island in a Jeep.  It was note that all the heads that are built out over the water are now closed in. (1,, fo::;.nc7 out later that there are to i’e some nursed coming in to the big hospital that they- iiave there in about a v;eek and the men are oing to have to  et away from the primitive habits.


I was anazed at the amount of powder and projectiles that were piled all around the islanda too. ‘-i-‘hey have a dump about every hundre yp.ras and the island is abOLt four miles around.


There has t)esn a lot happening in the PT world too since we
were up. The 251 boat one of ron 20* s was chasing some  barges-
it got four and ran  n the reefs while after” the fifth. They tried to
pull it off till daylight but by that tirae thefe Japs had gotten some
guns pulled up to “.’There it was. They had one shel’l fall over and one
shore and with their third shell the boat disintegrated. It killed
nine men and two officers, Larry Pasterikpp oneof the fellows ibn
my class atlielville vas one of the -ffioei-s killed. There “.”ere
three men to get out ofittho.


In on 23 there weretwo boats to run to-‘-eti’er. They werere on TSS.


patroll and in the darkness one had gotten lost. The one that was
skippered by Bennings.  He hag changed ouarters with the lead boat and when the lead boat turned to come on station it hit Bennings* boat amidships. It knocked men off of both boats and the one boat san They must have not had the water ti~iht doors sll fastened. One man was lost in the v~ter . ~e Inist he-ce not had a life Jacket on.


The other boat sank by the bow till there was water lapping
out ~f the  chart h use onto the deck.  They F.ot 811 the men on to
it and tried -t.o bsok into bee. The  &ter had not gotten into the aas engine room, ‘The boat v.-ould n’t steer at all so they had to radio in fcr assistance.  They put a false bow on that boat end.  ran it down to Tuls.gi to bo re’airecl. Both boat captains were kicked out of t~e s~uaciron.


On another of thrie boets a oo b v-“.s clropped and  he boat captai got severv.l paini’ul pieces of RJ,.ro.?nel i  his sitter but it v’as nob s eri—us.


The action -ohot v.’e hear<? ahout :hile in ‘..’ellin tonwas from
PAGE ~ 81
Treasury t)oa-fcs They hadbloked up several pips on radar but never did get close enough to seethe enemy. When thy thought that they had the enemy range they opened up and all hell “broke loose. One boat got two engines knocked out and another got a 60ima dud to one torpedo warhead. The latter did not explode which -was a miracle, The PBY that was with them(Diok Donnelly) was aboard that .got one engine sgot out and had to go to Treasuried which was the nearest base. The PTs had set fire to th~eee  f the barges.


That evening ~r Brackett took Boh and I dourn to the officer’s
Elut) and gave us each a drink,
The ~thh we Wf M xm in iriring-xia HH~afaTa(&ftftrBr$xbfeYgt~yari~!~~afcHKyyj{y~c”
got up at five shirty to eat breakfast. This niaxe rises early and quits work at three in the afternoon. We still like to eat.  After breakfast we all sat dovm to do a bit of writing anti then there were a couple :-f magazines that I had ifound and wanted to get thru fore someone else borrowed them.


At nine that morning I gor a haircut. This one was pretty short for there is not any telling when I will have a chance to be a getting another one.


At 1800 that afternoon we all had ouj) gear on the dock to be t taken aboard the Stratford.  Soon as all the men got their gear aboard they were taken back to the village to see the movie but I (figured that one officer should sts-y there and elected to do so, I saw the movie that they had aboard and did a bit cf v>rit-ing This timE I started an autobiography. I ao not 1-ctiow v/uether I v.’ill have time enough t.o finish that or not.


The fifth we left for Lunga point about eight thirty. We were to pick up the rest of out officers there and also get an asoort to go up to Rendova with us.  That morning I washed all the dirty clothes that had accumulated not knowing when there wati be 8 chance to get any more fresh water.  The rest of the day I spent writing. I have quite an urge to do eomething creative. I just cannot sit still and writing seas to solve the problem.


That nite we were still there s. d v;ere told that vie wc~ld leave
next day at noon. Gosh but this is slow,
The 6^th the rest of out. officers had not come aboard so we shove off without them. There was a Yl~S leading us . The trip was enitrely uneventful. At sanset vie all v’ent out on the boat dock to watch the sunset. We were just off the Mussels -when that happened.


The 7^th we pulled in to Hendova about eight in the morning and at nine were ashore. I dumped my sea bag on the dock and headedxsfaee straight for the post office to get the mail. I got both mine and Bob Ankers. The other officers had gone over to Tulagi and had been sent up on two PTs that were coming up. They had n;-~tten in the night before.


I had about 1251etters,40 papers, 17 magazines, and the birthdgr present from Jane v.’hich v?as a foldr with two colored pictures of her, I read till dinner on the letters. I divided them out according “bo sender and according to date. I saved Janets tmll last. They are always the most interesting ansd  I like to keep them till ‘.ast.


At noon I found that Vanness had changed the whole ssquadr’on up and I had no boat as I hod planned and expected. All the men were scrambled too. Be I was to be third officer on the 236 but managed 150 get my old  job back as exec on the 2~2.   I moved out there and the rest of the afternoon read my letters. That nite I ~rote one letter to Jane planning to answer the letters next day.


 
PAGE ff 82
The 8^th I spent all morning tending to the request for travel
for Jane from New Port to Mew Orleans, It is all fixed up and mailed
baok to the bureau now (for anotertry this ia the third so maybe
somet ing will come of it this time.  In the afternoon I started
a letter that ended up with l?PAGEs to Jane. I read eaieh letter and
answered it then went to the next Then they were very inadequately
answered,
The 9tb was the last day thAt we were to be there. When we
had gotten back four of our boats had gone up to GREEN islands
and the rest were to go up the 10^th. We had to get the cams on
two guns so that the gAnners would not shoot each other or Alpine
and I, then there was one other gun to install. That took till
four in the afternoon then we topped off the fuel.  After that we wen
into .the dock to get the air pressure in out torpedoes boosted,
That took till about eight that nite so we just stayed there for the
rest of the nite,
The IOthwe were up at five and by five thirty we were already
to go but the word came t hat we would be ab hour and a half late
getting away from there. We went over to the water hole then and fill
yo all tanks as well as the drums that we had on deck to hold
fresh water. We fill up those drums every time we get a chance then
if vre miss a day at the water hole we can still take a bath,
The 238 boat left ruite a while ahead of us. If was to go by Treasuries to take some mail and some special geat there tea. Just as we got near there ~20miles was the elosest that we were to come)
Whe base requested one of the boats to come by there staling that it
was urgent.  Well the lead boat could not get any of the trensmission
and when we relayed it to them we were titld to go by.


That just suited me. We stayed there for snout an hour talking To GomniancLer Smith -nd Bob Sweet,,  They are a swell pair. I .hate.  like the devil that we cannot be with them. They both regretted that I had not gotten a boat ~rhen V!Q got back i’.oia leave but they figuted fch  t  nothing  could  get  this  squadron  of  men  down.


Vie picked up tfiDur pilots that were on the way to Bougainville They had gotten -bilst far by plane and couliS get no farther. We are always Rlad to help out the pilots for they help us out.


‘..’ell we  sailed  out  all  by  ourselves  from Treasuries.  The  238  had
1 ½ hours head start on us and we did not know where the formation .


was that we had been in. We missed the mark by a mile tho. We had
not been able toinake a speed run and the speeii that we figured was—
a guess and was about -ne knot slow. That was close enough tho to
see the boats i ,CC were around and the i’our cans that were patrolling
off shore. We arrived at the FT dock about four thirty. The three
boats that we had been with were not there yet. The 238 was at the
fuel dock and we v.’ero to follaw them there. Well we had supper,
fueled, came oaclk ana anchored by seven and just ab.ut thtat time the
three lost boats baiae in. They had go tten lost and spent, a couple ‘-of
hours finding out where they were,
The 11^th we got up at six thirty. We had no idea when we were
“to get undEway iRor GREEN islano.s. -Alpine went. in to the base and H
picked up a magazine for our 37mm gun and got us a VHF,  Then we sat
down to wait for further orders.  I atteiapted “bo type all tr.e things
that lha(?_ recorded in ink in this r:hile I was on -eave.






PAGEs 81-87
            81

The 19^th we left station at about four thirty to come back to best, The 241 la mighty slow now. The engineers have not had time yet to get it back to the old running speed that it had before. We got back to base about nine and were able to fuel almost immediately We had all the guns cleaned and all the cleaning stations fixed up by noon, I  think that  this whole bunch was completely worn out by that time. In the afternoon I let the gang all get out the cots and we ell had a nice nap,       ..             ~ That night there was mail for  us and every one got down to answering their letters at. once, ‘the morale was mighty high. The 20^th we spent all day getting: the boat spotless from stem to stern bilges and all. I really was mighty proud of the looks of things. That night we were in Bud  Tremble’s section. The patrol was the East coast of WPFJAX~lxisIxau. New Britain, -a-e -was on the 23$ with 241, 242, and 244 following.  On the way out there came up a down pour of rain. having been in them a lot of times when we were following other boats we did not -have any trouble at all. The 241 and 244 got lost though. The 241 found?? us soon as we Stopped for them but the 2...4 had to stop and let us go over to where they were.  We could see them on the Radar screen. There was one pip picked up that looked like a barge right next to the shore line but we could not see it from. a quarter of a mile and did not dare go any closer in. Then too about the time we were in there a big search light came on  just beyond a cape from us that was about the brightest one I have ever seen. The Japs knew we were there but could not r1eiress thot li~hee low enough to get us in the beam because of the trees that were between us and it. Gosh I’d hate to get caught in one of those. We got back on the 21^st ahead of the rest of the section, the $41 had engine trouble and could only make about twelve knots so Bud Trimble let us and the 244 cone on in alone while he stayed  with them on the 23$. We began at once to fuel and again frat sleep in  the afternoon liavin~. .”-ot.-ben ‘.ll the w-‘work ri ae in the morning. ‘That night I P.O’G   a copy of the Miss. State alumni magazine for Dec. It had all the where abouts of all the men that had been agronomy majors there. Dr. Andrews had checked up with all the men and had gotten it published there, e also sent us a note. The 22^nd we “ff~in h’ ~ every thing .”-ll. spotless by the time we were to set out for another “”patrol. This time we were in Lt. Slusser section, “He was on the ?.;.l with the 235, BL2 r-nfl 244 following. This atoll  was the east coast of  New Ireland. The wind had been blowing strongly  for about three hours and hr.~ t,,, u p the seas to about ten feet. It was wet as everything out,  It was calm on station. The station ~c:sss OK. The cae side of the island and we really s.?’;!reci~te’ the :~lm rpters. ‘.When we had gotten dry we were pretty w-here  the  salt had  crystallized: .  on our feces faces and”.  in our hair.                                        * About midnight the engineer on watch noticed that the fresh water was getting low on one of the engines.  We added water but it was evidently running out as fast as he put it in. We secured the  engine and an investigation showed, that there had been a hose olamt to slip off <’ worn out, the b r bottom of the engine ‘f -t c~ by the time that they had gotten it fixed every drop of water had run out. It was some jolt’ too ~f getting  the water C  bU~’,ner” .in-it If  our fresh water   
            82 We were the last boat that morning to get  fueled, they got sAw two RON 6 boats before us then shut down to let the tanker that had come in  unload the gas that it had onboard, I took the boat over to one of the LSTs then to see about getting some groceries for us.    We got a whole lamb, a case of fruit, juice ~e, a can of cocoa, a can of powdered milk, and a few other items. Then we sat around till eleven thirty waiting for the waruns our PT tender to stop so we could get some work done. We were to get the ABK checked. They were over to get water from one of the LSTs though and we finally had to give up. Meantime the 241 had gone out to see what the cans had that  he could get from them.  They  had wanted us to ‘take some secret and confidential papers from one of the cans to another. He did it for them and in turn they gave him several oases of beer, and quite a few eggs. Each boat was to get three dozen but three of the boats had gotten eggs from the LSTs so we got 12 dozen ourselves Those eggs tasted wonderful too, That night we were really wolfed out so we were happy that we did not have to go out. The 17^th we got the boat all immaculate again. We spent all day out at the Varuna: getting the .oil changed, some carpentering done and working on the engines.  We felt sure that there would be a trip for us that night but no we were getting a second night in again. This is fine to have two nights’ in between each patrol, The 18^th we got up at eight when the beach had sent the fuel detail. out to our boat. They had sent word for us to fuel;  the day before but we told them that we did not need any. Then this morning they send that detail out here to wake us up. We got another boat to come over and get them though; We got the everlasting cleaning done so that if Mr. wanes should pay us a visit things will look nice. That night from the intelligence meeting came news that another tragedy had occurred in the Pt world., At oaoe Torokina on Bougainville one of the RON 23 PTs was directing the fire ofs.& tin can that was knocking o”-b some br~es. The Tin can skipper decided to stop that procedure and use the ship’s radar fire control instead, well the first salvo plastered the PT, The boat “disintegrated. One man was killed, three are missing which means that they  will be killed by the Japs if they don’t get<” out,  Comdr. Irwing is not expected to ever be able to see  again because of burns about the  face.  We have still a greater loss of boats from American fire and American stupidness than we have from the Japs. That night the patrol was to the area between New Britain and New Ireland, This ETeC_ extend up from Russel/Rennel south to the Cape St. George area which is the southernmost tip of New Ireland. Our Exec, McMillan was the section leader. He was on the 2i.l with the 2J+2,  21,.3,  2U following in that order.   We went in to about one eighth of a mile from the coast and proceed to go all the way north to the iTiabal area. This was the New Ireland coast though and t there are no listed coast guns there. It is still too dern close to be going in though.  Looks like some people cannot learn the costly lessons that other squadrons have already learned.   
            83 fresh water tanks and into the engine tank. It took about two hours to do that. The engine holds thirty gallons, We left station at five thirty, at once, there was trouble. First the 2U could not keep up, then the 241 had trouble and we were going under more water than we were Frainrss over. Finally we got permission to proceed independently and then all boats opened up to wide open and came on in. We got to base about half an hour ahead of the rest. The engines are running faster then the ever have before. The patrol before we had often fifty inches of manifold pressure out of one engine and this time with almost 2000 gallons of gas which weigh 12,000 pounds we were setting forty three inches out of them which is better than forty knots, ;  We were s sent at once to fuel but they t Id us that the ranker would be unloading and w-e could not get any gas that day. There were a lot of boats here to ~hen rre .-“ot back. RON 6 and RON II were here They were scheduled to go to t” Kavieng but since there was an invasion further up they went to there Instead.     , In the intelligence notes today  was the story that  five battle ships had stood off Kavieng  for e little target practice.  The shore batteries objected at first but when  ere the exercise was over there was not a building, or any sigh of life  to be seen.  The shore batteries had long ceased to answer. The rest of the day we sent spent s- cleaning Guns that had  -gotten a salt a water bath. Tne:”- really no take P hes in ~ when there is -=!0 much spray. Rust seems to come out to meet “’he salt water when it is on the way to hit l-.. ..e rTTun. -e have them &11 in good shape though. The night of’ the 23^rd we were lucky again. We all got mail me- end got to stay In,                                 : The 22th we ?got up at up eight and soon as I looked toward the e signal tower they were signaling to fuel at once. We are also scheduled to C~77 {: the Varuna. to get a new carburetor too. When we—got to “o the fuel dock there were seven boats there waiting- there ahead of us to fuel. We tied up to s buoy end proceeded to get nil the cleaning done rw” “et t.het. carburetor un pitched. We had come over on one engine to keep the others cool to work on. Fueling \.R completed at 1300 and we went straight to the Varuna. They did not have any carburetors not give us any more water. We did get two fenders from them;  though. Soon as we got back to out buoy Alpine went in to the beach and told them they we were out of commission Unless they could get us sow? -safer.  Pretty soon up came 6 barge with eight, five gallon cans full. That night we did not have to go out after all, I wrote till about nine but even when I did get in to bed I could not sleep. Next morning I found that about everyone on the b-et had been in the same fix, we were all keyed up to ‘go and just could not relax.. The 25^th we spent the day working on oar’s and ends that t_ had accumulated .on the “boat. Then that night “.-e were in the group to go out. Bud Trimble was the s section leader ;on -the 236 with the 21c2   3-43,  and 2114 following. Fini is  only about forty miles from here and cp.n me made in an hour and a half G half. Soon as we were about five miles off shore the four boats split up. slit s- up. The 236 took the southern side of the harbor, the 21~lff though eastern side, the 253 though North end we were to the west.    I   
            84 follows
            Soon as we got In Alpine went in f<hr the intelligence meeting and I got busy getting all the guns cleaned up. That was all finished “by eleven thirty but about that time we were ordered to go over to the air strip to fuel. When ~e got there there were already two boats in  fueling so we tied- up to a buoy. While there there were two Elk boats to go in ahead of us and that made us sorta mad, They said that there was only one funnel in there that would fit a Higgins boat and they could get thru a lot faster. I got the 242 in at four thirty and really went t o town getting things all fixed up ‘There was some hose there that was just large enough to fit in to the inside of the delivery end of the strainer and by  getting that in then taping it up with rubber and friction tape we were able to have t-.three hoses going at once. We really & took on gas in a hurry after that, When we got back to anyhow we found that we would hot have to go out again that night. Hone of us had gotten any sleep during the day and that pleased us a lot. We got our cots all up and were sleeping soundly by six thirty and did not wake up till eight thirty the morning of the 14^th, All day the crew wie spent getting the boat spotless. Comdr. wanness says that the boats shall be immaculate  at all times, That night we were all set to go :?  Had all guns loaded and every thing all squared away. When Alpine got back though we were not going. I could not quite get it but we were staying in. I read till about nine then went to bed. It had been minus rain here every since we got here and we have had no .trouble at all sleeping out on deck every night.                , The 15^th we took care of all the cleaning again and then sat down in the afternoon.  The night before we had gotten mail but it had consisted, only of papers and packages. I had the “aokso papers from the middle of October   to the middle  of February to read.  I did not get more than about half of them -though. It was too hot to live. The sweat would run down in my eyed before I could wipe it out.  ‘ That night we were to be in the patrol to FINI island. It is about 45 miles west of here. We were the lead boat and Lt. Fairbrother was the section leader.  We ran round and round that island all night and did not see a thing. As we were leaving for the “~~011 intelligence radioed the fact that there -I-, re were fifteen barged leaving Cape St., George on Hew Ireland for Fini but neither of the patrols or the night fighters were able to locate them. We had the block Cats with us all night t o the moon was so bright that they were not needed to drop flares, “We had Tarbaby, Charcoal, and Sight Ball,  They kept-t us posted on the what and wherefore of the other patrol which was about a hundred miles away. As we were nearing our base on the 16^th we noticed that there was a new Echelon of boats in with supplies, The four Tin Cans that were outside the entrance steaming up and down kept trying to blink a message over to us but we never could, make out what it was and Fairbrother did not want to stop and see what they wanted, When we got inside the harbor all the ?Ts were cranking up and heading for the LSTs that were over at the air strip unloading, \We put Alpine  off c-for the briefing  ‘-:.’  for the clock.   
            She The island Is pretty-by small”. We could go up one side idling on one engine in about half an hour. We would make  -that round then lie low and make it again in about two hours. That kept up till day light which was at six thirty. Then we proceeded up to the Northern side. The zrc3 met us at the center, end went on around to the east while we doubled back the way that ‘we had come That gave a complete day light coverage.. of the island. We had onboard some old ammunition that we wished” to shoot up rather than just dump over the side so we started to looking for something to shoot at. There were 8. number of old houses on the shore that looked like they had once belonged to the natives but were now all deserted We attempted t  set them all afire with our guns. Observing the fire thru the binoculars the bullets seemed to be going right in ;the houses but they never did catch fire from all the bullets that we threw in, We left station about seven thirty. The two thirty six boat was the slowest one and they could draw about thirty seven, inches of manifold pressure which Is about thirty knots. They opened up and we really moved coming in. There was a photographer that wanted a s hot of a close formation so the 21+3 and we pulled up me” close on the quarter of the 236 for that then after they had gotten a distant shot we gave them one of us passing them. Each boat opened wide open. We were drawing forty four inches of pressure when we went by. The 21.3 and 2J+2 were right together when that took place-ht r when   that took and we were each about ten feet from the 2~, That is that far on either side. The 2U did not t’-‘;e n~rtt in that, When we got in I went in to the intelligence meeting and Alpine took the boat over to fuel, We had finished the meeting, I had arranged to get a new os.wl made, arranged to get our refrigerator fixed, and a new toggle SY.ritoh on the THF. that still gave me about an hour before the 2Z..2 was back from fueling, I went out to the 2~1 and read till they got back.  After dinner, I was so tired that when I went to sleep for a short nap that I did not wake up till four in the afternoon. That was almost time for supper, Alpine had been writing all afternoon and had n’t gotten a nap-D at all. He went in to the meeting and sent the mail out by Joe Butterworth, There was a party on the beach celebrating the opening of the new mess here. They had torpedo alcohol to drink and from all reports they all had a rowdy time, One lad fell in the drink and another went in after him then another went in to keep them in and pretty soon they all fell in in their clothes too. All that time I was sleeping fine. I had gotten two letters, one from Jane and one from my Mama. The latter was not to my pleasure, though, for it told of her accepting a job in Washington with the Navy Dept.  I am too old fashioned in nature to like it at all for any married woman to work anywhere for any reason                             ~ The 27^th ,we up et seven thirty. Alpine hg-d gotten in pretty late and was in pretty bad shape.  I went in for the meeting and. too’” care of the things fc.’.ere, The boats had hag a little luck the night before. The section had. split in to two boat groups and were about a rule c --I‘ w-hen P.T. 237 and 253 sighted a ha.r~e. They made three runs on it. The 3.r- t one L-..the whole thing burst into flames bounding fifteen  feet high and seen  ‘-o  dive over hut  it was  though .. sone ~ then “s”e ‘.cille~ n t.he c’ar~e. 86 T

One boy on the 253 named Baer got a shrapnel in his leg, He “bled a lot but this m morning he was able to limp on that leg a little. He had also gotten two small pieces in his chest but they were not much more than a couple of scratches, A.J. Nugon the Boat captain had started down the hatch for the first, aid kit and hit his head on the hatch causing a scalp wound that was pretty ~ painful. Both had to be taken to sick bay for e .a spell. The boat got a lot of holes In it, The life raft was chewed up and the port turret had five or six holes in it.  No one else was hurt though.                                                   ‘                           -    We spent all day getting things cleaned again. .-Word had been passed that there would be a water barge for all’ the boats at 1300, It-was to have 700 gallons aboard and was to give; a hundred gallons per boat to the first seven boats. When I found that they were not following that procedure I went in. to investigate and. they had a list of ten boats that were to get fifty gallons each .  We were not on that list, b’Jell I got us switched, with another boat.”, I had taken two men In w-with me to see what the score was and t. they filled up the water  r cane that are available and we had the. boat come in emptied the cans then left ship, There is still no dock here and e we cannot take the boat into  the beach for it will chew up our wooden bottom t’-o much, That night we were the lead boat to the area just west of the south of cape 6-b George on New Ireland. That night Lt. Harris was the section leader, there were three t boats in the section. The 238 and 263 the latter an Elco boat of RON 10.  The whole patrol area was only ten miles long but there are a lot of little islands there to be covered and it took quite a bit of looking to get at all covered by daylight,  ...’he patrol was negative however and we got in next morning at nine to find that no one hod se n a thing that night. The rest of the 28^th we got all the guns cleaned and boat fueled. That night we got to stay in and get all rested up again. The 29^th as usual   we had a field day in the bilges all morning and had them all nice and white by dinner  time.  Alpine came out to the b at just at noon saying that t the captain wanted to see me at one. He told me that he had a new jot for me. r was to be  he skipper of the PT 244 and would take over next day. He asked if I wanted to make Any changed in the personnel there but I thought best to take things as they were till I could be with them all for a while. He asked, if I wanted to keep n~nol :: on the boat, He was the boat captain at the time.  That would, make things a little harder and -L told him that J. had  rather not. That night we had. a patrol to -ceni again. This time as were again separated and had  he western sector of the-.-islands to cover. Well that place has always been negative but in the morning we started T-ne usual huts on the edge of the island. we got In on the morning of the 30^th about ten and tied up at once to the 244. I had spent most of the previous afternoon getting all my gear all packet again to move. I got it all over just before noon. while in for dinner J. got paid. and a few things to get all settled up because of the trip to new Zealand,             . J.   changed  up  s-ll.   the ills  on  the boat  right  at  the start  and  told  the gang that I figured that we should have the best, boat in the whole squadron in side of a week. T-hey seemed   really anxious to be  at it too.  page 87  

ARRIVAL IN THE GREEN ISLANDS: BASE BARAHAN    

Just “before Noon word came that we would leave in a alien of Eves and that we would “be the timber three boat of the first  - Eve,  On the way we were to have all guns loaded and uncovered in case there eras anything to come up. It toot till about four thirty to reach GREEN island ‘so while I was off watch I got quite a bit of typing done. There were a lot of letters to get out to oat oh up with the ones that I had waiting for me when we returned from Hew Zealand,       * . About twenty miles from GREEN island we all got in column formation and test fired all guns; They were all working fine, GREEN island is an atoll that is circular in form with all the center out more or Sheds like a donut about ten miles across. The- are two entrances into this donut. The airstrip is on one side and the PT base on the other This base is however in a place where there is a beach instead of deep water right up to the bank where we can tie  up to the trees We have to anchor out because they have not gotten any  buoy’s up yet. It really was good to see the rest of the gang too. Harry was close by when we got in and instead of anchoring at once we tied up to him, He really did look better than any of thereat of the gang -that stayed with the boats while we were gone. About all the rest looked tired and way underweight. The next morning first thing we went around and got back all our old crew. They really did all seem happy to be getting back too. They are quite a teem and do seem to think the world of each other. The rest of the 12^th. we spent getting all our guns cleaned and ready to go out that night on a patrol,  They are still going to let me stay here as the exec on the 2~2 for the time being. That night we were in a patrol to go in between West Ireland and  New Britain, We were about 2$ miles south of Rabaul. We were in a section that Lt. Giflmian was in charge of his own is? new Exec for the whole squadron . ‘We patrolled till about two in the morning without seeing a thing. The 236 was the lead boat and stayed about 50 yards off shore. Both the 238 and us stayed out about t a mile We all remembered all t.- -well about that RON 20 boat that hit a reef right up under a shore ‘battery and our? charts show that there are shore ‘batteries all along where we were.: -where were. At 0230 we got Fitzbaby, one of the Catalinas that work with us to drop a flare over  what we thought was a Jap camp.  We went in in column and really riddled it too. In fact we had him drop one flare for each boat and we each had. two runs.  That place should not be much good to the Japs any more; We got back in to base about 1030 on the 13^th. It is a 110 miles over there and. we had not been able to get any more gas than was in the tanks when we f-left in here from Torokina.  That was about eighteen hundred gallons.  We had to go pretty slow in the whole patrol to have enough gas to get there and back. I do not know what would have happened had we had an emergency and had to go more than the regular patrol.







new PAGE  New PAGE  PAGE # 89                •.



                                                                           x’              .                                          ‘

     One boy on the 253 named Baer got a shrapnel in his leg. He “bled. a lot “but this m morning he was able to limp on that leg a little. He had also gotten two small pieces in his chest “but they were not much more than a couple of scratches. A«A.J. Nugon the Boat captain had started down the hatch for the first aid kit and hit his head on the hatch causing a scalp wound, that was pretty p painful. Both had to be taken to sick “bay for a spell, The boat got a lot of holes In it« The life raft was chewed up and the port turret had five or six holes in it. Ho one else was hurt though.                                              - „ We spent all day getting things cleaned again, word had been passed that there would be a water barge for all the boats at 1300, It was to have 700 gallons aboard and was to give a hundred gallons per boat to the first seven boats. When I found that they were not following that procedure I went in to investigate and they had a list of ten boats that were to get fifty gallons each. We were not on that list. Well I got us switched with’ another boat, I had taken two men in with me to see what the score was and they filled up the water can that was available and we had the Best come in emptied the cans then left them, There is still no dock here and e we cannot take the boat into the beach for it will chew up our wooden bottom too much. much,

That night we were the lead boat to the area just west of the south

of cape G-George on New Ireland, That night Lt. Harris was the section leader, there were three b boats in the section. The 238 and 163 the latter an Elco boat of RON 10.  The ‘whole patrol area was only ten miles long but:. there are a lot of little islands there to be covered and it took quite a bit of looking to get at all covered by daylight,  The patrol was negative however and we got in next morning at nine -to find that no one has seen a se n a thing that night. ...he rest of  the  28^th we got  all  the guns  cleaned, and boat  fueled. That night we got to stay in and get all rested, up again. The 29^th as usual   we had a field day in the bilges all morning and had them ail nice and white by dinner  time. Alpine came out to the b at just at noon saying that t the captain wanted to see me at ones. He told me that he had a new job for me. J. was to be  he skipper of the ±T2klt- and would take over next day. tie asked if I wan-bed to make Any changes in the personnel there but JL thought best to take things as they were till I could be with them all for a while, tie asked if J. wanted to keep n~noici- on the boat; he was the boat captain at the time. That would, make things a little harder and -L told him that I had  rather not. That night we had a patrol to .ceni again. This time as were again separated and had  he western sector of the Islands to cover. Well that place has always been negative but in the morning we strafed the usual huts on the edge of the island. we got in on the morning of the 30^th about ten and tied up at once to the 244. I had spent most of the previous afternoon getting all my gear all packed again to move. I got it all over just before noon« while in for dinner J- got paid. had a few things to get all settled up because of the trip to New Zealand. I  changed  up  ell  the ills  on  the boat  right  at  the start  and  told -the gang that I figured that we should have the best boat in the whole squadron in side of a week. They seemed   really anxious to be  a-b it too.





PAGE 90

The night of the 30-th we were to go out on the 2klc, ‘rhd.  made -b-two nights in a row for me and I did not care for -chat that Onion. in the afternoon I had had to see about getting water aboard. I had Inherited only fire , gallons and. I was not about to go out with that t small amount on board for a patrol. I managed to draw fifty gall-ons from the .Varuna and that wad enough to last till next day, That night Trimble was the section leader, The 23$ and 238 were the other boats in the section, everything tiling worked fine the whole night and that really pleased me a lot. Bob Ankers was along with me too, besides .Rarzyoic my new axed, I had ‘So15 standing watches too while we were out there, lay gang saw every thing that was in sight ana ~ fear a little that was not bub In had the idea that it was best not to tell ttioa not to report things that they were not positive of. .hen we got in on the morning of the 31^st I really was tired. I was at meetings till dinner and in the e after-.’ noon was too busy getting ail the minor things about the boat taken care of to worry about getting any sleep •

when night did come though I was sleeping sound and did nt wake up u till eight thirty next morning, I have made some 14   hours of steady sleep and I was ready to go again. April 1^st we were out again this time back to reni. Lt olusser on t the 241 “was the section leader. We had the eastern sector oi tneisiand •GO cover this  T;ime. ,-long about mianight there was a radio message from base but the reoiever or the241 seemea L. o be ou\, anu one transmitter on the »HF  of the 244 was out. I thought best to ge  tat message to him any  how  so got the radioiasn out witn r,io-e bilmcer ligii-c to signal to him that it was us« J.he massage was all garbled up but we got the base to ver~r it twice ana tne seoona ~ine lfaey got Tj the rigar, message to us. xhey haa enoodea it out ofthe wrong book. We stayed wth them the rest or ttienight &nd at cLayligni, nexir morning we went in near some old beached barges to let the intelligence boys t at were along take some pictures of them. The 2^nd we got .back to base and I sent Hank over to fuel while I took care of ~11 themeetings th.at wsre  at hand. When I went back to -a boat in the afternoon he had no sEuel. There had been a massage that we would fuel nouraerioally and. since this was the highest nuriiber in t.he base he thought that we wore to fuel last. Nouiaerioally means in. the section a-id the sectliona fuel- as they arrive at base. I took theboat over to fueland also took bob_JSjak@£§ with me to see about getting me a good VHF, There are always planes oraohirig up that have good sets in th oa still and wecan geb those/ Got a bran new set too and I was mighty proud of that. The night of the 3^rd we went to the Tanga group of islands. I had never been there before. That night as were were on theway up the 241 which “ffas thelead boat found that the. had not gotten all the charts and we had gotten extra ones.  We pulled alongside and gave them one if ours a d went on as usual. It raines the whole night but just about two thirty in the morning there was a real cloud burst. About that time too the moon went down and There was just no seeing. One could not see the man next to him on the bridge of the bo8f9· We had managed to sbay close enough to the lead baat to see thewake but not the boat.



New



PAGE # 91~

We finally had to lie t»o an<3. wait for daylight to get thoTe befare s going on« At tar cLayliglit we macLe a sweep ail around t e islands and all i that we saw were a few huts and didnot Btraffe those for we weBe warned by the base not -to use up ammunition unnasoesarily. About half way home a lot of smoke was noticed coming from under on one of th~ engines and I feared that we may ‘have a fire and had the engineers shut down that engine. That made us mighty late getting back to base. The rest of the day we got all theguns wiped off but they were still not in top shape for it had been raining all thetime that theS; were cleaning and they could not get all themoisture off in that soup. We found that one of the vi2.ves on one stack had jarred loose and the exhause fumes had given us that scare, The fifth we got over to fuelfor the night operation but by some bit of fate we had the night off a~ain. That gave us time to catch up on themail that was at hand.  I had  not -written anyone but Jane for quite a while. The sixth we were out again, this title to the Bouka payroll on-lhe north west tip pf Bougainville. When we got on station the seetio~ leader Lt Gillman had us form a sub section of the 243 and 2W) and stay about a mile behind him. I have never seen the moon so bright as it was that night .We could see thelead section visually thewhole time. Just as wer were past the passage between Bouka island and Bougainv the JSPP shpre batteries opened upon the lead section. We feared that thay had seen us too because they were shooting from three places all at once. We were four miles out at thetime and went out to six. They still were shooting so we went on to eight.  Other than that ghe night had not given us a bit of excitement. The seventh we  got all theguns cleaned and took boti An~e~LS -with us as we went to the aitstrip again to fuel. He wanted to ieT” additional spi spares of radio gear from the air foroelads. - That afternoon I  had one of out guns taken in to base to get it fixed up. A faulty mount had cause one of t-e parts to be bent. The eighth I got that gun back and took it outside the iarbor to tei fire it. It worked like a charm this time. This and taking pn flull amounts of water took care of most of the day.  That nighfcwe got to stay in again for a second night. The nineth we were out to the west side of Mew Irelans with Lt Fairbrother as theleader again. I had aernorised that place from previous times and it was easy. He did have us shoot up a rook tho that we had shot at once before thinking that it was a barge. That was about the only excitement that happened the whole night. The moon vras bright and we could almost count the bralwhes on the trees on the islands. We got in on the tenth about nine thirty and I went in to the meetings -while Hank took care of fueling and cleaning up the guns. We also  got the oil changed and took on -water.  That night we were in. The biggest thing that is happening around here now are theair stril to Truck. The base tie re is 6 miles closer to truck thaA Enwetook Atoll in the Marshalls. The liberators go up about twenty four at a time. There have been very few casualties of th em too.  We do have subs betwe n here and there to piek up those that do get shot down.

                



PAGE # 92

The eleventh I finally got -bhe Varuna -bo get tio work on tfae leaks on the hoat. The two woTst ones are arotmd theouteide of the packing glands of the rudders. They will have to ‘take out the rudders and the glans to get at it« The first day they got one out and worked all day on it hut late in the  afternoon thg could hot get the  rudder back in place because the gland had been turned around crooked and that meant that it  wouldall have-to come out again. They tool: out the rudder and plugged up the hole for the nite. We atayed tie~ up to the varuna that afternoon too. To toe picked up in the A frame of the varune we have to take off two of the fish because the boat will not fit if they are in« While the oatpenters and ship fitters oftheVaruna were at work on the leaks I halts the crew take out all thefresh water tanks floot boards and orass braces under thefloor boards  in thevrews quarters. When the  were out we took lye and soap and really cleaned them up. There was about half an inch of grease afl.s scum that had ao cumulated there. After that We got them all dried out and painted. Because we had to get back in the water that night tho the paint right along thekeel line got we-b and did not stick too well. We were in commissiontho that night and could have made a patroll even if there was just one rudder to go on. The 12^th we went back in the A frame and it took till dunner to get that first rudder fixed. I thought that we would never be ready for a patroll thAt night so i sent  ank in -co -&ell the powers that be not to send us out on patroll. They did get thru tho by four thirty and i got out of the f came, got the torpedoes back on and was all set to go. We were not needed tho and that suited me fdine for i was sorta tirea.  e had also gotten a second coat of paint in the bilges and had them looking fine . The l~th I spent the morning getting all the decks around the removable floor boards painted. That tad every thing looking mighty fine. That nite we were out again wi n the 241, 240 and 242. we went again to Bouka. This tlime I do not think that there was a minute that we stayed dry all nite. it rained fito hard that the Jap shore batteries could not see us and open up on us. That much suited me mighty fi.:.e. un the way back to base we had guile a race to see which boat was the fastest. The 240 beat the rest of us but it has been the fastest in the squadron ever since we got up here. I beat the other two boats tho. It did me more good to oeat  ne 242 inan any thing, ¹y gang really did get a kick out of that too. On the way in also i got permission to Have the coats fuel in th reverseorder rather than noumerioally as usual, ~hatwas the rirsi time inai ine ;CL;.L~ has ever fueled first too. _ let  ank off at tne dock   » and took theboat over to fuel and was back in record tiias . The rest of the day was speng getting one guns 811 cleaned and the boat shined up again. In the aftemoo~ I took the buat in ror water and also got the gtonel on the stbd side repaired. i’hat nite we g0”c GO stay in« t-he l$th I got all  the papers  signed that are necessary got the  roiaotion to  lit ~jg;. Then jusb after dinner went .over with all the other lads to get theteeth examined. L’hat is part or “Ghe







PAGE # 93

Tha-b ni-bea-b -bhe in-belligenoe meeting rne vorcL was passed •thsL-b £.011 6  and. JKOH 10 were leaving for  -the Admiral-biea  over  in the SW pao« Tliey are leaving day after tomorrow ana tnis iB tneir last patroll tonite. Since there have been an average of better than six boats a nite we will prote biy get very little rest after they are gone. “„e dicL not nave apatroli eonite* The 17^th all boats had. to stay clear of the dooks to let the

boats that were leaving get ilS1 loaded up.  They really did go to town on that too. Why they even took ha~pi thebuoys, cables, and anchors that we had fixed up here. The buoys were drums of course but they did not think that there would be anything where they were going  fPboab~hhh  that they could use« That nite we had a patrdiU to the north east part of Bougainville • There were four boats to go dowi« The ron 10 and 6 were all gassed up and were to makeno more patrollfl.  We  had vis±ons of riding every night too. The patroll was negative. There is •vhere the shore batteries have been shooting at the boats regularly. We did stay out to four miles ho alid all night long there was rain that kept us from being seen. The boats divided  in to twar sestions of two boats each. The radar of the lead boat in ouj? section went out and all night long we had to do the navigation for both boats o I feared that We might get into something so proceeded to stay up the whole night. I surely was tired not to have gotten to lie down for a little iB±3al/ whi33. On the way home all the boats opened the engines up for the whole distance. The 242 and 241 hoth were about tte miles behdind when w we finally did reach the base« The 235 was about a hundred yards astQ’n of us till we were just outside the harbor and then th~ passed us, Both boats have about equal speeds. That morning we got all theguns all cleaned, got all gassed up and were set for another patroli if necessary.  Word came in that th tripe boats were not  to  leave but were  to  sfaand by for  further  orders. That afternoon late however there were three of ron 28 boats to arrive. The rest of that squadron is to geb heref airly soon. Theb nite we did not haa-e to ride. 238, 240, 241 were theones  to go. The operation order called for only three boats this time. The morning of the 19^th we really wait to town on thebilges and bulkheads of theboat. and by dinner had it shining. I let the bunch all ixgfc get some rest that afternoon. The nineteenth we had had thephysioal exams for the promotion all except the urinalisia and got that just after dinner on the 20^th. Then I went out to the freighter that was in to see what the chanced wei to get some painCi. I managed to get ten gallons but it was light grey. That made. not a bit of difference for I could get it colored to suit a1» the varune That nite we were to go to area 3?ox which id on the east ooaat od New Ireland and all most to Kaviang. That was the first time that any PJ boats had been there.





PAGE # 94          J

We were th~ lead lxiat that nite w&•bll Lt Gillman -blie seotion. leacler.Tlie 23$ ancl two of the ron 28 boats macLe up the section, We stayed about half TBS. mile off the coast till daylight. The patroll area is about a hundred miles away and is fourty miles long. It took five and a half hours to go thelengeth of the area at idling speed. At daylight .we atartes a -Bweep down the coast at top speed. Again we were about half a mlle*off thebeach. The idea was to get a good look close up of the things along theooast. We went about half -way down the coast when there was a shell butst about three hundred yards i in front of us. It was estimated to be 4*6” type. That was the only one shot at us for we went out to sea  once and proceeded on home. That part of New Ireland really is the prettiest pajbt of theoaunfcr: thsb we have seen out here the  whole time. We gpt into base about eleven on the -19^th« It took timm about four that afternoon to get the boat in shape again. Both radios had gone out about four thirty in the morning and we had had to transfer the section leader to the235 for the regb of the patroll. By nite ~hoo we had gotten the radios back in shape and had gotten all cleaned up. The 20^th The bilges eot came again for cleaning.  That took just a’ about all themorning« That afternoon They told me to get ready for another patroll but whentlietiiae came for leaving for a patroll minds had been changed andwe were to stay in for a second nite. That suited me fine for I am no glutton for punishment. The 21~b we aere called in to the dock at three in the afternoon. Word had come from CTF 31 that there was sub activity in the Bouts straight area and that we were -bo be there from dusk till about seven in the morning every day for four days. We had to leave at three thirty to make it there by dusk ( 1830). Well I leaded up with c~oww to make the evening meal and breakfast The captain was with us on tkr_e2~0 and the 235 was in his section. There were two sub sections that nite the 241 anfl- 243  in one and the 242 and 244 in another. We had hardly cleared the channel vdien out THI went on thebling. That meant that we could not coiamunioate except by the main radio  and that can be heard ail the way to the xtedc states if anyone happens to be on our frequency.  Well we followed OUT lead boat all nite without any commtnioation. Tho we were within two milws of the places where the shore batteries had been active tho? e was no fire. They had been shooting at us up to six miles of those spots. Coming in the captain let us all open up the boats for about the last thirty minutes. The 244 out ran all of the others and that got tp mo e spirit then anything else could have. A.J.Nugon skipperof the 239 pulled the oest one of the evening. In answering the call of mother nature he took the soott tissue and. we~t to th.e stern or theboat.   .ihe-e ra a rule that no one go below on a patroll. Veil A.J. lost his balance and fell ovr board. xhat happened four mil l from Bouka Passage, one of the hottest spots out here. the rest or “cne aay we speirc cleaning guns andgetting the radio fixed and getting sfet for anot’er patroll. J-he 2~th we were  ut again, ‘rhis time to JINI.  Just at dark there had come up one of the heaviest squalls JL have seen.. J.he seas were all

















. PAGE # 94          . :r We were the lead. b&a-b tha-b ni-te wi~tbb L-b Giliman -bhe seotion leader.Tlie 23$ and two of -bhe ron 28 boats mad.e up the seotion.

We stayea. about half “m mile off the coast till daylight. The patrol area ia about a humired miles away and is fourty miles long, It took five and a half hours to go thelengeth of the area at idling speed.

At daylight we atartes a iweep down the coast at top speed. Again we were about half a mile*off thebeaoh. The Idea was to get a good look close up of the things along thecoast. We went about half way dovol the coast when there was a shell bujbst about three hundred yards i in front of us. It was estimated to be 4*6” type. That was the only one shot at us for we went out to sea cb once and proceeded on home.                                       > : That part of New Ireland really is the prettiest paCt of thecauntr: thsfc  we have seen out here the  whole time. We gpt into base about eleven on the 19^th; It took timm about four that afternoon to get the boat in shape again. Both radios had gone out about four thirty in the morning and we had had to transfer the section leader to the23$ for the resb of the patrol.

By night though we had gotten the radios back in shape and had gotten all cleaned up.

The 20^th The bilges eot came again for cleaning.  That took just a’ about all themorning. That afternoon They told me to get ready for another patroli but -when the time came fior leaving for a patrol minds had been” changed andwe were to stay in for a second night. That suited me fine for I am no glutton for punishment.

The 21db we aere called in to the dock atthree in the afternoon. Word had come from GTF 31 that there was sub activity in the Bouts straight area and that we were to be there from dusk till about seven in the morning every day for four days. We had to leave at three thirty to make it there by dusk  1830.

Well I leaded up with o~ow to make the ‘evening meal and breakfast The captain -was with us on the240 and the 235 was in his section.

There were two sub sections that night the 241 @nA 243  in one and the 242 and 244 in another. We had hardly cleared the channel when out wHF went on -bhebling. That meant that we could not oommunioate except by the main radio  and that can be heard all the way to the &k!<JL states if anyone happens to be on our frequency.  Well we followed our lead boat all night without anycomarfinioation. Though we were within two milv’s of the places where the shore batteries had been active tha”e was no fftre. They had been shooting at us up to six miles of those spots,                                          .i Coming in the captain let us all open up the boats for about the last thirty minutes. The 244 out ran all of the others and that got &P mo e spirit then anything else could have.

A.J.Nugon skipperof the 239 pulleci -ofae tiest one of the evening. In answering the call of mother nature he took the soott tissue and we: t to the stern or tlieboat.  ;he-  ra a rule that no one go below on a patrol. weil A.J. lost his balance and fell ovr board.

xhat hapTened four mile6 from Bouka Passage, one of the hottest spots out here.

the rest or -one aoy wie spen-c cleaning gunS ancLgetting the radio fixed and getting sfet for anot’er patrol.

ihe 2~111 we were  u”c again, lh.is time to JINI. Just at dark there had come up one of the heaviest squells i have seen. he seas were all  



“brealcing over the ‘boafc We would hit a wave and splash up water and -the wind would blow it all right haolc at us  The 2~0 was the lead boat anfl their radar andfluigate compass went out. We were to lead them up there but about that time they got lost. We were gtting too much sea return from the Radar to pick them up and we were to          ~ rondesvous at the harbor at Fe&i  They could not teBJfc where they were so when they got in the wicinity of the islands they had us shoob a flare and then headed our way. After we were in theharbor and together again It was fetill too rough to try to transfer the section leader to our boat so there we sat and rolled back and fourth.  About one in -them morning the wind shifted and things calmed down a bit.

We left there about deven on the 24^th. The 240 had been thefast~t boat all along but for the second time we had tto slow to let them keep up  We soent all morning getting gassed and guns cleaned.         .

In the afternoon I took the boat to the warunai to get a gun fixed and get oil changed. That night we were at the buoy,                         , The 25^th we camein to the dock at six in ~hemorning to get eome carpentering work cbiB  There was a hatch off and a gunnel off and a ready box off. They were to keep us there all day long.

Just after dinner though there was word t at ‘we had to be moving out to -one buoy. :.’hey had gotten all ready to start putting the gunnel on but there was some higuer priority work that had to be done and they needed the O.OOK. space, -.hey nad gotten ~neiiatch riniisnea -cuo.

,hat night we got to stay in and I really CLO get the sleep every oime there is a chance, .bout twelve hours of it.

April 26 thg~ called us Dacic to -Gne uook foe L;ne i’inisning Gouwhed on the gunnels but when we had been ttlere about two hours and they had just gotten al their tools there to  en ro work we haa -co leaveagain. ,bere were tuetose boats in from patrol with troubles 7;11a’C naci oo ue f’iaeu up. ne could s-cill operate fine with the shape that we w’ere in and flier e  was a necessiny in getti ng the others fixed up.  That night we were in again. Jhere haa u en a slackening up &n the total number of boats tha-c naa -co be sent out and we were really getting it easy for a while. Then too -chere was mail for us every night ana -cne-o made life ‘really easy.

ihe 27t.h there was w ora -cheG there naa. been a sub contact in the area of bouka which in jus-c uelj~pp theistisnd or Bougainville andthe island og JBOUka to the north. There were; six coats rroia on nineteen dispatched before dark to searon for it. ..e were to gee there at ausk ana stay till after daylight in the search. About fifteen miles out ine e was trouble. Our wHF went out. That is the means of talking to t.ne otner D ats in flieseotion. We were told by semaphore just tofoilow the ‘~2  There was an electrician aiJoard tne 43 andwe got him but he could no-o &o ally iing for us w.-ithou-c any more tools that we had wdith us.

We made the night o~ay,, ,he ti~e spent, with ,~pine gave me sn iaea of what he was thinking about ail thetime and I could -oretty wBil preuetermine w~att ne was going to do. There was a lot or rain ~uOO and that maae ir; pretty oo gJb. so far as uomror~ was concerned.

Uoming back on the morning of the 2bth the ~4-3 would noi, open up c-na. uome on-in -0111 we were aboub thirty minutes UT> e all like to race on .hose T.JLips bauk. ..hc.n tney did open up lho the 244 out ran c’.ii  the  boats  that  were  out.    hat really uia make  all  bxie  gang  on  ine a44 geel cooky.                                    PAGE if 96           i:l’ The reat of t eday we spent gebting refueled uncl -then getting a31 the guns oleanecL. There were sporatio rains all clay anu that iiiacl.e cleaning quite’ a jot.

The morning of the 29”bh I went in to get paid. about nine and ran into the captain just in front of the intelligenoeoffice. He told me that we were to go in dry dock in fifteen minutes and that the boat had been notified. I just miasedthe ramp lighter and by the time that I did get to the boat they had it in dry dock.

It took all aftern oon to get all theblhlges bailed out. The day befi I had gotten permission to get the generator overhauled and the enginee: had started on it at six in themorni~g. That meant thet thebilgea had not been pumped out for theday and they usually have about eight inc] inched of water there every day,               : Then too that gave thebottom a chance to sort of dry off.

The morning of the 30”bh I got thegang started sanding. Thepaint that was on thebottom was in good shape and there was no senoe in scrapi it all off so we had to hand sand the whole bottom. By noon we were near: through with that and I got paint and brushed to get to work on the first coat odoopperoid on thebotton. By night wehad that frist coat on to< Every one had been singing ajd whistling all day. That was about t hehar that they had -worked since I got theboat too  We wereall pretty tired 1 that nit  and tuEned in early.

The 31^st we started sanding the bottom again. There had to be saadiu between eoh coat of paint. Thab day we  got the secoand coat of paint ofl the bottom and besides that got half the sides painted, the bilges all painted, thelazaBette and afr~er store room painted, There were beginning to bs a lot of comments on how the boys were working and they all pleased me a lot.

May fiEst we got thebottom sanded again. I was not going to get but two coats on it but that type of painB ba<i to be sanded again before going into the water. There was word passed th~t we would have to get in the water that afternoon but we really did not. Tnat was bum dope.

We also got all the floor boards painted and tti’en half the deck as well as the rest of the sides.                ,’ May 2^nd we got a second coat of paint on the floor boards and got al the leaks and under water damage fixed up. There were several places that rough seas had damaged. There were two splad~ raild off that had to be replaced then there was a muffler flange thab had been slaved to and a new one had to be out ..and installed. We got two gun rails re welded In places that thgr had been broken in two. Then there were a lot of pads on the deck~that were relloks of the  days when we had dollies that rested on deck so we could pull the fish out of thetubes for routining. They were all removed andthe holed plugged up. Thee were two leaks in the dech house repaired and one gun holder renewed. That afternoon late I was tola that we w.Tee to pe put in thewater early the  next morning. We still had half the deck to painfe. After supper I went back to theboat andhad everyone getjc ail thebedding and clothes tJ.::.at they were to need till next day down on thedry dock and when that was done we got the deck finished off.Thebpat really didlook pretty too.

PAGE 97 After all that  was lone lwent over to -blie 187.v~iohh was in -the drydook next to theone that we were In. There are three all together n now Ross Maclole the ‘boat captain had brokefl. out a couple of bottles of Rum and we all sat around andproceeded to get rid of it. By ten that night I was plenty high. and d cidted I hd better get back on my own dry dock andgo to bed. I got back all right and got In bed Kbut  about two in the morning there came up ,a cloud burst. I got wet and -was sprta sick. UGH.

May 3^rd we were out of dry dock by ten and went to thebuoy at 003 e. The guns had not been toughed in four days andhad to all be cleaned up That took till about three in the afternoon. I thought sure that we -would have a patrol that night but there was a night for rest for us. When I was not called tto go out I left the intelligeno meeting in a hurry for fear that they would notice the mistake and mhav’ me go anyhow.                                  ‘ May fourth the boys got to wash up all their wiothea. It is quite a problem keeping all the clothes washed up and clean. By keeping them encouraged to keep clean thothere is not too nnioh.

trouble. That night we were to go to Area Tox wfaich is on theeastern &i&Q of New Ireland and about half way up the length of the island.

Soon as we got on station there was quite a lusty barrage to greet us The Jap shore batteries had opened up with four inch guns and ninety mm guns. The splashed were all-around us, yes even in f frojt but there was no damage sustained at all. ,’Wedid not fool around there any though we weally moved on out at top speed laying puffs of smoke as we ran to let them shoot at. Thay always will shoot at thesmoke that way.

About ten miled furthar up the coast there was a plane that goo after us. fi, dropped a couple of hundred pounders hear and at the same time another group if shore batteries opened up.

Though we sfbot at the plane he did not fall. Guejss we are slipping. Well the night was pretty interesting for a change. There was no damage at all all night.

The fdifljbhh we spent all day getting fueled,, guns cleaned, and ready for the next one. That morning coming sin we had again out run all theboats that wesewith us.              ;; May 6^th we were out again this time \’,o the “Eastern coast of New Britain.  Theprevious patrol our radar had gone out just at daylight and we had nob been able to get it all fixed. There had been a lack of wfatertightnesa about the antennae and all the gears in it had gotten corroded. We were toget a new antennae but theonly ones that were availabkie were a new type andthe ship: fitters had to adapt them to our mast. That hd not gotten completed ;for thepatrol and we were without radar.  Well wven without it we spdt tied the Bogie befor< the other boats did. I got permission to open fire the minute that he got in range.  Surely enough he did get close anough. We missed again but we d d open fire before he got to rei ease his bombs so that he was erratic in the release andmissed.  Later in the nightone ofthe look outs reported, a search light astern. It h da nice curve to the beam and on I ooking closer it bent across the horison and wad red yellow and GREEN. It was the second Moon bow that I had ever seen. There is a fable amoung the mariners that it is a sign of luck to see three of them in a whole life time.  Coming home that morning theotlier two boats in theseotcbon Just ran off anfl left us.

We could not get but about thirty knot’s any more. Guess theengines are like old men now and cannot put out the power that is wanted.

PAGE# 9S    ‘           ‘ The 7tli we go-b in to cLook alKago-t -bliat racLar in shape and at -bhe saiae -bime got the gunnel fixed that had tee. started abou  two weeks ago.  All guns were cleaned and we were full of gas              i The 8^th we were in the patro~l to feo up past Babal  on the         I west coast of New Ireland, We left that afternoon at three i~ order to gj get there early in the eveningq The patrol was~ negative till four in the morning when we started home again. Theni there came up a storm the churned up the roughests ea   that I have been in yet One or my la lads got  his chest and hip hurt. then there was a little damage to te boat. We ail had bloofl shot eyes and were plenty weary when we got in that morning. We got every thing ready though for the nest night pretty soon and then got a little rest.

The 9^th we were in the dock to get a new radar mast cross arm aid get back that ready box that had been damaged as well as two new ones. That gives us enough stowage to keep all our ammunition topside.

The 10^th we had all our fish routined. That comes every month. They were all in good s$ape but needed a little oiling. We had every thing all ready to go that night but got a second night in That suited me fine too.

The 11^th we spent all morning making speed ‘ runs, and generally cleaning up. i’hat nighe we were out wdth Lt. Gillman as section leafier. We were out to the eastern coas8 of IMEW .DBitain again, ...hat is the place that the JDOgiefi have bombed theboat:? every night that they $avebeen there for the past couple of weekis.  The plan -tfais tims wt was to secure all watches till we got on station, them go to condition two wBlich means that half of the guns are manned:b We were to stay at condition two till  about ...he time -&nat tne first boiaoing takes place then we were to stay at general qpuarte~s till daylight. That was froa ten thirty till about six thirty next morning,  ~he night was clear aid the moor was bight. I felt sure that if he came ‘around we could see him.

Pretty soon after we got there there was one of oul; night ligniers ti-at we picked up on the radio. We could hear him okay but he had di difficulty getting us. I managed to tell him to stay away from us till he naa good coimBunioaTlions ana could tell us wJhen we were coming in and from w hat Sireetion. Wwll about twenty minutes is ‘.er nere comes tnis plane out or the night. We dud not know who he was but <-.

assumed thfat the American plane would stay clear as ord red. He opened up witgtg every thing. It was the fighter instead of the Jap.

We did not have a bit of trouble with the radio comruunications ai’-cer t nat. We did not shoot him down. W~en he let us know that we were shooting at him we stopped in time.

About half an hour later the bogie dropped thefirst bomb. He was so high  hat we could not see him or pick him p on the radar when he was cl< close. About five miles out though we had him and tried to wector the night fighter to him  hub were unsuccessful.  We neverjaia. get him wisually.

About two in themorning he bombed us a second time. Both times he missed by about :a hundred, yards but that is too close for any comfort.

The second time we-...got a fleeting glimpse of him, and let go again but were merely shooting in the direction that i’-e thought hiia to be. I do not -thing we scored any hits.                    ;i There was another section of boats in th+ ares too and he bombed th< them twice too but their story was about like ours no hits by either side.                                             ~ The 12^th we got  in abovt ten thirty in the morning. We were all dead from standing at g neral quarters so long the night before. We did get gassed up though and hadall guns cleaned ready f.r another one PAGE # 99              ~ That niglit we really did get the sleep wdien they tolcL us that we did not have a patrol to make.             I The thirteenthwe spent all morning getting cleaned and ready for what may come along. That night we were out forthe BoukA patrol, That is  the one betweel Bougainville and Bouka, It is only about atwo hour*s run from here and there had not been a thing happen down thei since I got here. og there have been a few lights en the beach that are probably sucker bait for PTs but ke are not there to stop shore batteries. Ther   air corps has silenced the big guns there that were bothering us for a while. Tjose guns used to keep us six miles out at least, About midnight our auxillery generator wait out. By moving ahead on one engine we were going slow enough not tolget ahead f theother boat in section yet were going fast enough, to havetheengine generators cut in and give out enou~ electricity to tke care of things.

The only thing that we say interesting the lwhole night was a w-hale. The whale was about eighty feet long and about as broad as the boat. We saw him severao timesthat night he did not try to get away from us. We saw no reason to bother him either. There was quite a water spout wher he would exhale air We got back to base the morning of thefourteenth in time to $ave breakfast there. Just before we left station though our cook had sta6BBd cooking breakfast for the boat We had trench toiast and coffee and I did not eat the bean8 that were served for breakfast at base.

That night we had a farewell party amoung theof fleers, Half the squadron was leaving in themorning of the fiftrrnth for Ron 20. The real of us were to stay here for about another week then go to Ron 23.

Well we all got pretty tight. There w;ere 15 bottles for about 20 of os. We had more or Jess a pantomime of all the events that had bappenes since we left nev7 Orleans. It was a lot of fun. Every one ofus hated to preak up n-on 19  ‘e have put up the best recora or oeing in  comnisbon and read for patrols of any squadron out here. Then too forthe IVTO month operating period wie averaged nearly 2$ patrols for each boat in die squadron.                                          ‘ The pc-rty was over at midnignt.            ‘ .Lye 15^th at six in the morning the 23 5,2 3$, 237,238,240,1 eft for Treasury.  The captain had changed theo.ff leers about e ‘.ittle end had giveriL the 240 to ..alker with rubber Ely and Timms his second and third officers. Earry Rinder was no-to exec on the 241, ‘Han~ Mohler was beached.

Meantime the 244 was at the dock. They had decided at the last minut to take the generator out of one of theother boats and put it in the 244 as long as we were to stay here and have a -evi more patrols.  They changed that order though and were to see if they o,ould. nake a generctor out of all the sp.’re parts thot were around  the baste. The tnoys worked all ninbt on it and thought that th~gg had it before the bunch pulled out. When they got the thing sta.;tecL at out eight in the isorning iho, it w~ould not ‘run. ihere were egg sghaped oilinger walls andoil v’as by passing the rings and causing the spark plugs not to fire.

Well they tore it dov.ii and tried another block. Jie other boats had. Left end son thing had to be done.  JOU late afternoon they had a second block on but the same trouble occui-ed again.  ????? In the afternoon too there was a funeral, ,he boats thp.t haa been over to the east coast or ne\” britain had not ben so fortimate as we. One of thebombs from theJap plabe had been close enough to have a piece pfshrapnel  hit one of the men. J.1 had taken orr the ~op part or his head. ~ boat was sent out with a Dr. to rueefa them on the way :

PAGE 100 Ill b-a-b Jee Barry of Rto d diecL  just. as the Dr arrived..   He was Ahe  -         radar orfioer ana Haa DeeD. In the char-fc house at the tiCB ihey had. fflovea pea-ward, just after the bombing and the officer h’d. asked, the distance to thebeach by rad-ar. h.ehad. not answered. Ohe o~the ofrioers went : b Is and. thought him asleep. He was unoonsoious The’shaapnel had. torn a big hole in his helmet. There is a -Naval cemetary at, the ~fc strip So he w’as taKen overt there and buried in the afternoon.  He had. been In theLparty when I went to New Zealand.. 1 That night we did. not have a patrol. The efforts to completely get out of patrolis w’as in wain. ,.e are supposed ‘to go the 16^th and. 18 but thit will not be bad. 1 The 16^th we still had. no generator. It was learned that the spppi  j ort’icerx had tome generator spared on a manifest ao  a search was mad e   j for those sparer. When fou~d. they did. not have anything that would hel  1 neip outf.ny.  There were about enough spare parts to outfit three generator had. all those pards been new. The only thing left to do was to try all the possible arrangelemts. I stayed, up at the engineering shop ~uite a bit of the time watching the work. I feel syre that I could take one apart now along and’ then get it to running again okay. That night the 24.1, 242, and 243 wBBt’out for a patrol but aboub half an hour aftte they had gone the 243 was back in again they hae blown quite p. hole in one of the water jackets round one engine and they could not fix it out there. The l?th they worked on that generator again all day long and just about three in the afternoon and withthe laist thing that they could, posarbly pu-b  oge-bher with all the par-tti that were on hand the thj worked like a charm. That night -they go-b i-b -boge-bherana we re-burned, -bo bhe buo y Tha-b day the 243 b-ad go-b-ben a pa-boh OB. -bha-b cylincLer and could run “but it was not advisable ftr then to go on patrol. The 241 and 242 had left for Gape Terokina to search for a mine that had dropped ofif of a mine layer there. They wanter to recover it to lay it again somewhere else. They had not found it “by nigirb Bd were to stay over night the e The morning of the 18^th we were alongside the warima getting some new automatic -bripping adapters put on the torpedo racks ao that as soon- as the torpedoman pulleo. back on the releasing lever to fire the      .’ : fish it would start to run. We had. “been there about an hour when oneof-th f lads called down that therewas a man there to see me. I was in the      j officer’s quarters. About that time here he came down.                   ‘ “Are you ready”                                                        ‘ “Ready for what”                                                     j There was a call for a Dr to cOrne out to the boats again. I was to ‘\ take him out. He had not gotten any of the particulars of the            ‘ case and did not even know where to go. Well I got everything squared away and was underway in about two minutes. I celled the base by       ‘ radio and asked for instructions. All they had was course 249*           ‘ I headed down that at top speed and pretty soon heard over the          1 radio Maple Mike asking maple 124 “How Is the Boy”. The reception kepb  j getting better all the time so I knew that we were on the right traolc.  “.. PAGE 1o1 Maple Mike is Lt. Cmdr Ma<3.3.ison the oommaii<3.er of Ron 28, I sent him our position and pretty soon he told me to reverse course in ten minutes* Well just as we  got that oall we sighted him dead ahead of us. There was a torrential rain all around and he had been sigh in a little opening that was Beant ahead.      1 We got out Dr. Over and then led them “baols: to base. He had a shoulder injuBy and had lost a good bit of blood but was going  to be all right.

That afternoon I got the boat refueled in case we were to go on an another patrol bu- that night we were ready boat again. Still no word about the boats thq  to d gone- to Terokina The 19^th we sat around and talked  II day. I got the job finished on the torpedo racks and was ready boat again that night. ‘ The 20^th I was wakefled at four in the morning. There was a plahe down six miles from the sti~p bearing 6poo, I went tearing  out of the harbor a.nd to the spot. JL sewched a large spot but saw uothing.  About se wen in the morning the plae that was out there saw nothing and headed for base. By that time there were two crash boats out buttheywer milling around the entrance of the harbor. I secured too. Soon as we had finished breakfast we headedfdr Treasury. That was to be the first stop in the trip to Rendova. The 2~3 and 244. ‘i’he other two boats we-e still at ‘i’erokina looking for the lost mine. We arrived at Treasury a out five in theaffernoon, had chaw, g t the boats fueled, then went to wisit with the fellows, in  w ante to see hov: they liked the outfit. They were all pretty dissatisfied but resigned to take it. They were st start operating again in about a week Too. That night I went ‘.o see a mcivie. rhe 21^st we finished the trip getting to Rendova a~out two in the afternoon. We were happy as could be right off.jLt Farren the new skipped told us that he hoped to have us all back to the states by the last of Juy. He would have a complement i of enlisted men to let all ours go and he was to get ten officers aBout thrt time to relieve all of us. i’hat gave us all the  highest of feelings. We sat around and talked till pretty late then took the boat out to the buoy. The 22^nd the 243 wne t in to drydook. rheylwere to put the 244 in first but I had just had it in drydook at Gr.een for four days and did not see any iase in it. That aftern’oon we were sent up to liawthorne sound to take ;he binoculars c.nd to see about drawing food from a reefer ship that ha8 just oo e in up there.  We stayed ell night along side the repair ship Dixie, -rhere we saw a movie and talked till pretty late tith theofficers there. The 23^rd we got w’hat groceries were aveilable .-o us. That \”QS about 1200 pounds of fresh neat and a thousand pounds of potatoes, apples ana milk. The la tier did not get back to base -ho. when we returned to bast who should I s ee but Gmdr Smith  He was going up to take charge at GREEN and we were definitely to go back ur there soon as our overhaul period was over.  Thay was wonderful news. T The w.-ater is foul ajd the food lousy at Treasyyy and bo h are niwe at GREEN Island. The 24^th we lead a group of boats out for a little target practice. I was wery well pleased ‘ith. th .t  I want to take another such trip and let the men get a lcbttlemore of -fahat shooi-.irig. That afternoon the gun~ all werp cleaned and -bheboat shined up.  We had the usual overhaul inspection too. All depcrtnents came do-wn to see what \~  PAGE # 102       .J was wong with -bhe boat.     ‘        -                         ‘ Soon as all tha-fc was over we went back -bo the buoy for the night. The 25^th I let the men have the whole cL g ? free. Most of them cought up with their letter writing. I cought up withimy- laundry. There really was a lot <Sf it                      ~ The 26^th I wne t to see what the schedule jwas on repairs to seQ what eould be done on the b&at to assist. I was to have be n in at the dock at 071$ this m orning and as I looked back in the flireotion of the boat there it eame with another boat twingib. They wanted the engines taken out and my engineers were to unbutton them. They wanted to leave the engine room cool so had had the tow ,   It took all day to unbotton those engine s and they were to take the engines out next day* The 27^th they took the engines out that morning. J~y but there was a lot of black oil scum in those bilges. They had been leaking oil prett: badly for a long time and there was no way to get under the engines to : get them cleaned out.

I fully expected to find a lot of tools and bolts under the center engine. That is the least acoessable place on thewhole boat but there we-‘ were none to speak of. There were a couple of abrew drivers and that was all.

That?,  afternoon the engineers went to work. getting thebilges oleane’ out with diesel oil.  That is about theonly thing thst will eut that stuff and not present any gteat  fire hazard.  The gunners went to work cleaning up their mounts, -i-here was not a lot to d? on those eHoept knock off therudt spots a d put zinc chromate on those. Then iater they will have  to be painted all over            “.s.i The morning of the 28^th they took out our .generator.  We are to -gel a new capitol generator w&ich is a lot more powerful than the one that we now have andhave been usung all along.  Theyset thenew one on board so -that we could have it soon as we were ready for it. We took all <?f th< oil lined out of the engine room too to get them all cleaned out. The oil supp tanks were ramoved andthe fresh wat-r tanks taken, out. the’ latter are to te steamed out before we out them baol:. That afternoon at foul; thirty we were put ir. dry dock.

The 29^th w.’e spent all day getting the bilges .all cleaned out, getting the sides and bottom all cleaned and by night had one half og th sides and stern painted. That did not take m3neh to say but really took t a lot of wrork. The engineers stayed topsided most of thetime andthat lee left the gunners, quartermaster, radioman and torpedoman to work on the bottom.                                           I The 29^th we painter t>he whole boat sided, Bottom, and stern one coal That in itself yas a job I’art of th.-.e sided got their second coat too all in one day.  e finishedthe unpainted part first so that by late afte3 noon it would all be ready to paint,           s The 30^th “”e put a second coat of paint on the ‘bot”om got ,h-  numbel painted back on pgain and about one that afternoon were lowered out of drydock “o let the ;next boat have our place.   4 The thirty first we got littleodd jobs done on the boat I expected to get the new engines in but there seemed not to he afay hurry so wre had to wait till they were all pet on the base. The first of June we did get the new engines. They were not new but some that have been reconditioned at the base at Espirito Santo which it the PT motor overhaul base. “~”             .   PAGE # 103              ~ ‘-3  ..

tTune 2^nd we spent all day getting those engines luofcle<3. BoPrm, There are about seventy hose connections under thebagines that have-to be connected “before they will run. A II theengineers worked all day but still did not get thDoggh.  That afternoon I got enough copper tubing to connect the new generator too the gas tanks and got a  outlet pipe to use the old Auxillery generatir tank aa an oil storage tank, The 3^rd we got the new generator set In the boat andgot the shipfit down to install the new bilge ptunp and the electricians down to install the electrical portion of the thing.  Well they worked all day and still did not get thoaugh.

Meantime thegunners all got the 50 oal amiBunition cans out, scraped painted and looking nice. Six of the Ron 23 boats were to leave next mo morning to go back to GREEN island so hey sent us bat tothe buoyr late in the afternoon -o get us out of the way. Those boats had priority over us and had to be finished, The 4^th the six boats pulled out at seven in the morning and we wer lowed at once back to the dock. Commander wanneds was in. ~e had come down from GREEN and was on his way to Sidney for leave. He told us that one of the men had fallen overboard on payroll and all the rest of the laight a search had been made for him but th’the could hot be found. On anothet patrol barges, planed and shore batteried had hit one officer and two enlisted men add had them all seriously wv’oundecL. They had sent out a 8” and a boat to taem .”ndin a rainsquall the boats ‘ had collided and tv;ro of -bheia had to be put in drydook, The ~hble day we were finishing the generafor and the engines.  late that afternoon we had gotten the engined rimming but they were not ready for trBB9b . The electriciand has not b.een able to get a buz out of the generator.                            ! The $t~ wie finally got the generator finished by three in the sfternoon.  eantime one of the engines had developed “a water leak an& we had to g5 by the water ho’c to take on water for that. By the time that w’as completed it was time to -bring half tl’i,e crew in for supper.

One engine had a terr-ihie wibrationin it and that was to be fixed early next morning -hile they were putting thetorpedoes aboard. That took till noon to get the fish and by night the engine still was not in line.                                              .1 The sixth we were all so tickled over the invasion news that that  ‘ was the talS all clay long. The base engineers were dov”n. That engine “ad! be lifted out and new shims put under it se that it w’ould be lower in til the boat.  We got the refrigerator, radar, fluxgste all checked too.    : The 7^th they had nearly finishedthat engine, arid promised to let us out the next mcrning early. We overhauled the little bilge pump that I gaa gotten the first day that we “”ere here too. It is not in top chalie. Then we got news that one of the Ron 23 menxKBoaK was killed by a < Jap bomb fragment dn the East coast of IU Irele.~diast night, ‘I’hat had us all in a none to gay mood.               i \        \ The 8-fch runS~ TOOK OK ‘Il.OiE;:~OESSSS AGiSI~ wJe had -rbe~tf ours\off ~-os-b befc rrn~nrr inf.n fl-niA flnr?lc l-n  r-p-h T.hpTii ro t ii   nnd  aet‘! a \ch~hncc,,, tt0 ffet out going into ary\aooK tio ge-c tne?-i roUtl!””F ana get!t  ~nancc PO ge-e ou~ racks cleaned u~P  They have\-bo be cared \for pre-blby closely jsince Tiia-t-  nn-tinif.  17-i3-rvknn2hv  free,ze\ t;h F w:orkin~ Tai”bs  t.b  sJb.ch.  an  ffiXtent  ‘fch.ab rust, couoflL wery ~asuDy ireeze~the w.’orKine;\ D~T;SS 7;0 ~cnn an ~~eiiu wiau the fish. cou’cl. 11~ be laur-che4. Thattook bbout alil corning, fin the af-ber- uls~  J.JkJ.J.  wv u  ~1.  “~~ -“  Uv  ru ~~1. - wLLV ~~  --* ~1 w wV -LL  ~~  ~.M-~-   I     -u ~ j—IL  -    - noon we no-bined. Q~Btt the fresh\v’a-ber in tpcStorbosar~ engine-was lor. We book a -burn over \o the -a-ber <\ook and go~ it filler along f-ith getting \f w wLI   L*    W U__L J.~.   w w \,L     ~~~   \J .rJ.u      uv ‘w’~.    ~\   w--*   “””   f_-~   ~-~   ~-M*~*j   ‘* ~~J   j       o - the fresh -a-ber t,l~sss ?ro out r~in bariiolg full. Thk trip O17.Cr ther<

f                                                                                                             -                                    “f \-.            PAGE 104 The eighth therg finished, getting that  engine aligned, in the late afternoon noon and. we had no time to  go out for the run in.  The engines have to have about five hours gradually increasing speed, a little at a time bo he  broken in. The reason for that is that  something might  show up that could, “be fixed, at a lot speed that really would, cause a lot of  .   ‘ trouble if the boat in at top speed. The engines themselves are precision machines and it does not hurt them to run fast right from the start; start. I had hoped, to get the deck painted that afternoon but as it had don’ for about four days in a row now there was a rain about mid afternoon’ .that lasted till dark.                               ‘ The 9^th we started pretty early and by noon had most of that run in completed. We came in for noon chow and were right back again. I had   purposely not taken on a full load of gas because, once the engines       ‘ really get a chance to turn up they will usually keep it up. I was quite pleased that they were turning up about 22p0 That is about ‘36 knots of forty miles an hour.                  J Late in the afternoon we got fueled end ready to leave next day. Word had come that the Stratford which was carrying all the Ron 23 leave party would put In at Rendova and we would all get our passengers before - leaving. We were to leave next day soon as it came in and -vie were loaded with our passengers. If we did not get away from there by 1300 however I would wait till next day. The 16^th the Stratford did .”-etin at eleven thirty  We took each boat alongside one at a time and got our passengers. I had twelve. They were all feeling fine after six weeks of pleasure, besides that wie took on forty cases of beer to take along with us back to GREEN. We polled in to Treasury just after dark audit took till ten thirty to get all the boats in the harbor and tied up for the clock. First there are nets to get through ther; there are a let i8f reefs there and we did no choose to have any of the boats banged up. We -also refrained from using lights audit was pretty dar coming in tb. F 8.   ~ When we finally reported  to the duty officer we were told that we  would fuel two boats at s time that night. There was to be a rearming ba boat to pilot us to the rorl  dock and we may just as well go to sleep and wait till our turn and have the boys on the lighter wake us up. Arrangements were made to get the. extra men ashore to sleep for the night.  We were to get breakfast at six next morning and leave at seven. The 11^th we fueled at 0030 till 0100. it really pleases me that we got through in such a hurry and were able to ~”t~ibofk for a few more hours of sleep. the night before. T had gotten?” c Q?e~’-e F,’.lb1’5’tcr pump for the  oat end tv’c thermal bulbs which  are used. -bo transmit electrically the oil temperature to the panel board. The trip to Treasury was tedious because sor.e o- the boats ‘ere mighty slow. For the trip on to GREEN islands they chose the fastest three boats and. left the others to follow. There were a total of seven boats all together. The first three boats got in about two in w-Q afternoon and the others about an hour later. One boat had a man on board having  an attack of appendicitis and had to turn back.  They were to come on up independently next day. Soon as we got here they had us tie up at the dock and unload the gepr and-as-engers that we had brought  long. Alpine and I arranged Co fnB;L at opge,so th t we w’oule have that all b~irid us next day w-hen tHefe Y-ouia be preparotions for a pa troll        1

 ‘\          PAGE # 105          ‘ The 12t.h we spent all moriiiiig getting the  guns cleaned. I had hoped to get,  three new screws too. The old ones were not bent but oil andthe trueness of the pitch was doubtful. I got the chit for than but there wer none that would fit. The four former Ron 19 boats do not use screws that w’ill fit. any of the other boats out hare. That afternoon when I went i,. to thebried I was quite amazed that we would hot have to go out that night.  It suited me allright though for I have made enough ofthem to know that they ere all just o lot of hard work: ; They gave the243 to Hans Mohler today a.-‘d made Dalton a section ‘R~ff~ leader. I do not know how that will rork out.  ‘, The 13^th we were on the list to go out. We were to be the section lead boat with Lt Walker the Ron exec ‘as the section leader riding with us. This waa a patrol to The northernmost area  on the Eastern coas of New Ireland that the boats that patrol from here are expected to cove Everything worked fine thewhole night. w~e had a radar contect wihh .one p”aLane but he did not close so that we coold shoot at him. That was the last cooperation between Black Gats and PTs too.  The old Squadron was leaving and a new one to come in. The use that the new ones will be put to has not been passed out yet. I feel sure that after they have been properly, indoctrinated there will be them working wlth us as theold group did. The 14^th we gt back to base about ten thirty. It is ebout l$0 miles up there and we could not run- at top speed’ because w’e would have run out of gas.  Soon as w’e got ir- I got off andHank took tha boat over to fuel.  Guns were all cleaned by mid’ afternoon and the bqys went to sleep. The 1i.th I kinda figured thet we would be on -the docket again but we got a second night in. The lads spent the clay cl-‘aning up and w’ehhing clothes th’t had eocumaiated.                   -  i The l$th we w~ere ir the group to go to Area: Uncle. That is the longest of ell the patrols out of here. It is 200 miles one wrey to the p place.  There w~ere two sections sadv-we were the; lead boat of the second section. Just outsid  the harbor there was a leak discovered in the exhaust manifold ‘f theport engine,right bank.  It did nr;t look as if it could be fixed so we transfe.”red thesedtion leader tto the 242 and srereoust sbout to return ~o base w-hen the engineers finlally g”t it fixe One of the radios was out so the comnander had us return and get anolher one from the ready boat andgive hi  ours. Well all that tool: about an hour and to make up for the loss of tine they had us runat higher then normal speeds all the ‘”ay over there.  This area has had the bonts bombed every night foe shout t””o .months but for a change the Booiaieg did not bother us for once. We had one radar cont.-ct of an u”iidentified lane. The 16^th \”e left station ]511~it  s itwas gettin- daylight. we had gott a radio nessage to nake a cL”ylight sweep south of us to see if there “ere any remains ‘f a  barge that was  sunk by the;-boats there earlier in t the evening. The se~V’sh -“-as futile.  It apparently had sunk intact. 106 missing “C           PAGE # 107            ‘7’ The coast watcher told us the Dest mettiods to get out if we were suddenly on ew “ritain and the Marine told us what to say if we get cought by the Japs and are asked a lot of question’  We really got the impDDtanoe of keeping out mouths shut too when we had no cause to tell anything. One instance th-t -chey told us was of a pilot get ing out with the assistance of the natioes. life magazine with the approval of a ‘ oareleds censor let the story he printed ‘ith pictures, maps etc. When it came out the Japs massaorettT -che ‘whole willage and a lot of other netiv ooo tnat   had been  innocent of helping wituthe escape of theone pilot. That makes it a bit haraer now to get out. Another instance was tcid of p pilot who was aown ana terribly sick. He. was nursed back to nealth on a netive motner*s milk. Bet there ‘ in ilo one else witn u story like -Ghat.           ;    The Japs have a decided inferiority complex’. They do not like tor a prisoner TD oe aaroastic yet tney CLO not like nim a snftvveling idiot who tells wveryching that ne know? pbouT. oho allied plan of battle.  Both are usually killed, afficers are beginning to be waluable.  They do not bpve thephoto reconnaissance that we do eagt more. ThgT have fetopped theidea of killing captives on sight. The officers are kept for interrogating. The American rources rornerlly naa a hard ondrast rulE of -belling only name rank ana serial numoer. Not ohere iseeius L;o ue a neeu wo get sorie-cni-ng -co -oell -Gne J&ps. I’D  seems-, -onst nilsn ranKing ofricers when cought usually tell  every-ohing onut they know.  We have no “riKOJL!.ei- ror reT-nIlietion ror surrouiTlies as Q0.\*re nave wmtn rhe Germans. Tue ueat  oning ‘”nen  Ith~y aak ior iTJ.iiT,ary i.nrormeGion io uo oey I oannot unower ohot quefc>cion Sir. 1cxtxn-i.f1si-inTfai A Japanese OiJ-iuer would not ansver a queBuioii like uhs-t ir he were a.okeu. not wonlu ue air.?   ~Plr y like. unings like i..het.

A-o 0330 o’  ohe morning of the  22iiu  one man OJ.I w.’nooh woke me wath”lar. Raney the boat is sunkingli” I Jumped up and “urely  nougn -cne o.ry dock wa.s going aovm r-cern riEsr. The UOVT pras way u   ir -one iar, Tne uoat i~ not 11160 -00 one dry aock and ?-f it 1 ula sink straignt 00”~ tne Doat w’ould iloa-c. w~elll I reareo. -cHat -che Doat; mignt c.urnover so naa ull men ge-o ofr the uaoaT. By 11181 ~ira” iney nad tos\’Jim part of  -I:.

vay to -che nenT; douk. \”e .shou-oed  wer -oo r:et.the signal -cower b  have che dryaooK gang aovm. at once. They w’orked aoov.t an nour uerore. Retbin~ it up -.gain. For-cunetely the Doati nad not slipped at all o’  -GheGnouks e.ud was not nur-c.           ! Tnat morning ~ne meninst I had neard at -one’ Air .—trip “’eTe coring over to give -chet lecture -co -ohe PT YeT ;: onelle I had heard i-c  o senc ]ti,nk  uo get that  inJi.ormation.                             ~ Tnat morniv?- iilsO “’e irot the three screws on. T’eremaining w’ork v-as the noles in ine oc!t’;r~ t-nat the oarente.rs-are on. At eleven they came down to put us in the water. They were going to try to overlook the work on the bottom. There is nothing serious  th-‘i-re but eventually  there  ill be. I Stopped the dryd-ck gang and wmet to see the repair offi He issued en order to hold things up till they got through.

The morning of the 23^rd we “.”ere waterbourne at 0900. I felt sur< that we would have ‘a patrol th;it night. I took on water, got ail thea ammunition aboard that we needed andwaB  all set for a patrol that night but whentheorders were read out the 2.-4 was not on thelist. That really surprised me. That meant that we had three days in and we were servicable and in full coEimissioa that third night. I got out of there before they changed their min~s though. I never have  asked for work like a patrol when it was not necessary.’ PAGE # 108 , The 2Uh ther  was no-b much ~hfrb liacl -bo be done so I let -bhe gang all sleep late hen fil coffee .aboard that morning. Thereat c the timethe wrote letters and read. While we were in drydook we had drawn four new fifties andth~r had gotten those in the turrets and  the old on had been coated with rust preventative and packed away till time wte n they would be needed.

That night we went to a~ea wictor. The 2&k. was lead boat andth 242 and 244 following. Area wictor is thw wastern side of new Ireland from the southern tip to a point due east of Rabal. It is usuall: a wery easy patrol. That night too there was a civil ian radar enginee. who was interested in the new gadget that we have for directing out rad searot sleyward  ho wanted to go along.  That is usually an area where the Jap Zeaoes appear andbomb t~e  boats. Well all night long we did. not see any Japs or Jap planes. We did sight a Jap mine, ohe that wps about -I three feet in diameter and with s~gic horns all over it the same as the one thgt we had shot at previously. The lead boat took several shots at it missed and then called the night search plafae over from Ratal to drop a few f3eaes to see if we eould locate jt again. That plen6 was too high for any accuracy with the flaaes and we never did see it again.

It might have been ksit and sunk. Next morning we really had a race all the way honpe  The 284 was not even in the running, they were too slow. For  while we would outrui the 242 then they would out run us. I think that over a long period of tl that boat boats would average the  same.      The 2$th we got in about ten got fueled, guns cleaned, and in the afternoon got a Idi-btle sleep. They did a little more checking on the raflar too but we did. not get to do any testing. That night we got to stay in and really did a lot of sleeping.  I still do like it a lot better when we flo not have to go out. When.we first got out here I was pretty anxious to ride andget-it over w7ith5in a hurry. There seems to be a long war ahead even yet so there is no “rush.

The 26^th we took on water and got all set for a patroli that night. We had one to area fish which is the north eastern edge of Bougainville island. That has9 been a n.gative area for a long timenow but they seera to still thinly that it- is a good idea to have tb. e area covered every night.

Bud Triable “’as the section leader riding with us. The other boat was t.he 280. Hank andBud tool o-teer the patrol till midnight and a I took it from then till time to leave station. They brought the boat back. The 244 was really in good shape coming back we made several circles around the 282 who was maintaining course and top speed.

The 27^th we got zll cleaned up and gassed. We had not gotten a drop of rain or spray the night before end cleaning the guns was an easy job for the gunners. Then too in that area they get to relas a little andget nore sleep w’hile on patrol.

That night we were the ready boat. Ron 28 furniahed one one nigt and Ron 23 thenext night. Ron 28 usually sends I out every boat that they I have in conmission -too audit is not unusual for the ready boat to have 1 bo nieke a  pa-broil,   ifei-to  sure that we would have  onebut fchere was  a miracle to happen we goe to stay in all night long.

,, .    .  There is a nevJ squadron of Black Gats out here too. They started their night ex~rciUse88 tohight. We fuming one officer in a ramp bmack ats , PAGE # 109 “”’ glares for us.  We do no-b -want a reourranoe of their dropping bpabs on us as they dicl orhen they first got here and were sent out GREEN to work with the boats.                        .     .            .. ...

The 28^th we went back to the buoy to wait there for further   ‘ orcLers.We were not too long in waiting for just at dinner we got the word that the 244 was to leave forpatrol pretty soon after lunch. We all” had dinner aehore, got the boat all set and were off about two in the afternoon for area Orange. That is the r:rea on the Eastern coast of -“ew Ireland that is nearly 200 miles from base. Dalton was section leader ont the 284 which ~ oneof thegunboats.  We were second and so we turned the radar set up to look for planes.  Whenever we are thelead boat the seotio leaders usually have us leave, theradar set -for horizontal se,aroh. ttt      such setting -we can also use it for navigation    ‘.            ‘          j- The patrol was completely negative but it is so faraway that we did not get back till eleven. The beat was sent to thebuoy. We wea not to get fuel tibU, afternoon and efforts were made to get all the men f< fed. At twelve the commander told me to get Lt Raine skipper of the      277 and report to Cokmander Smith at once we were to make a daylight search of an area west of bougainville to look for a derelict that was  .

sighted in that area by a PC. The PC had put one shell through  it        ‘. but did not see it sink. The thing was a hazard to navigation  I told him that we had no fuel and it would take an hour to get it. Well we were mnderv-ay about t90. Thetotal milage covered was about 2$0 miles. We did. not get back to base till about ten that night. The search was negatice but the seas had been pretty rough and every one was dead tired because that was about fourty hours that we had been up andunderway about thirty seven of those.

The 29^th we got fueled again and at three In the afternoon were out on another patrol this one to area fox. That is just south of arange on the Eastern coast of ~ew Ireland. ‘Lt Casebier ~s heee section leader and the 277 w”as with us. \’i e had both beaH on the search the day andnight ‘ before. Well Gasebier decided that ::inoe -bhat is a pretty hot spot that \”e had better keep the redar set for—lane search and let the 277 take care ofthe suEface targets. We turned the ~et up so that it just .picket up th  tops of c~ ?t;UISL  and when the boat rolled sometimes it would not even get t at much.  The whole night was negative. We did see one light “ret-by Boon after we got there but it was probably one that was stationery on the beach and not a signal light.

At six in -the morning we straffed a rivermouth pretty well. We had been assigned that target in advance  by the base. We could not see any resuite froi.i that hoi’.-ever. There were no fires started while we were there. Of course we did not stay there wery long. The river is in a bay and there are s$ore guns on both sides of the bay. It just is not healthy to stl:iy in a place like that long. When \”e strafferB the bead at Ohoiseui last fall \”e did not see anything but it was reported through the coast watcher the-n that we had killer several japs and really “” torn up a supply area that they had there.

We got in about ten on the  30^th.  By noon the boat was all fueled and ready for the next patrol. While we were id dry dock it was n noted that we had two struts that wore craohed. They are thebraoe6 that that hold the shafts  under the bottom of theboat. There were noneon the base so they had. to order them.  I have ben put  ing~it .nthereport ever; morniQg but it had Sust beenser.n fay the corn-.?-ncier.>e had us down as out of commission. I “;ut him straight and the n he whntea to s enfl us out PAGE 110             t on payroll again. I told him -bha-fc we had been otlt -bbree nights In a row Q:L would, just as soon have a night in. Well we had the night In “but we were the ready boat agqin. Since the -Kon 28 boats hav-ehae trouble keeping in commission they decided that e aoh squadron would furnish a -ready boat and that stilted me pretty “.’ell. JKOH 23 has ne~er had to oatt out the ready boat for one of their boats.  I figured on a good night’s rest but at ten thatnlght the last boat for the buoys wolee me up getting the fellows back after the movies. Then at .midnight the boat that had been out 03 exeroUses with the black oats came in and woke up everyone. Then at five next morning the first boat to get the men: in to chow woke us all up again.

The 1^st of ~uly they came dovm to the boat before we left & rth< buoy to work on thehole in the bow. It had been in there for a week and this was the first tine that they had done anything about it.

It had been cause &n a rather pexmliar manner. We “”ere low orn gas after one of the patroklls. Just as the boat got to the dock the engines had all kdinked out. The wind had carried the boat aft ahd it was headed  forthr rooks when fe the engines were finally started.  The engineer on duty had walked off the boat and left it drifting, Be is of ft or good now.

The only thing to do was to kick an engine ahead r: even if it flidmean gettir a hole in thebow, Well that-was taking all day. At noon they told me that they oo\ could get it finished by four that afternoon.  ‘We weres cheduled to go back to area Orange again but I asked fora late patrol in order to let them finish. They gave us one at five to Fishh.

That patrol wT&Q negative as usual. We did not even sight a light t&is time.

The 2^nd we got all cleaned up again. On the way in from patrol we were rained on all the ray in. That made the guns need an especially good cleaning.  That night we all stayed in and got a w’onderfullu good night’s rest.

The 3^rd  we had another night in. This tine the boys  got beer and all of them got pretty tight I do not let then do ‘-ny gambling on theboat and after they had gotten pretty high they all went over to the 243, and had a heck of a big crap game.   They did not wake anyone up wibth it but Alpine would have stopped it too hbd he knovm th.?~ thqy w’ei having one. The 4^th was our day to get water but there seems to be a serious shortage of water on thebeach and they could only let us have our fresh water tanks filled this time. That makes it pretty herd on the bathing ai::  washing clothes. 1: contend that if a man “.”ashed his clothes in salt rater he cannot get Uien clean and cannot keep from having heat rash.

The $th we got out 37mm gun yoke back oil the boat. TITS re was an . ord r to have them all cut dovm to lov: mounts and outs had been und~ranin.o \         PAGE # III i’ The night of the $th of June we went to Ai~ aa Fish on north east corner of Bougainville to patrol awoompaillieci by the 28<? That is the easiest patrol that is made out ot here and. we were quiTie suTprisea ~na~ we were ge~r;lngg 3.~ Ti-wice j.ii a row,  ‘roin Dal-bon was theseotion leader -bha-b niRhtt; ridinsl-tlie 2U. Just as we reached station there was a small light on the; “beach. If was probably somedap not ooserving tne Diancout regulations’  The ligli-b went off about one second after it came on. Th-at was th6 only tiling that was sighted, the whole night. That place lsusually iotally negative, not even a lignt out tnis 1111116 tinere was onat; one icn.ing. or course it was not of enough, signifioaniffe “bo be included in’a report to the high command..

We left station at 054$ on th.e morn ft ng Of the 6^th. The 287 was the fastest of theoldt Ron 23 “boats and so we figured that a race would be in order. Well we raced the whole way home. The 244  pulled steadily out away from them and they  never did catch up with us.

All of the.olf Ron 19 boats are fast. There is no Ron 23 t>oat that can outrun any of them.

Soon as we got in the boat was sent to fuel while I got in the t intelligence reports. While I was ashore I was told that the boat woul be put in drydoolc that afternoon to get new struts. Thay had been cracked for sometime but this was the first tipe that they had gotten a chance to fix them. Then too by going in rierbe after  patrol that was they woulo be able bo get the boat ou.i in. irae for the nest patrol t hat was scheduled.                    ;; They started to w’ork oh the struts that al’ternoon but the sane ga gamd that works on the bottor-is of the boats ar~ theones that  raise an lower the drydooks when a boats comes in or ge-.s out.  Well late in t:- the afternoon a boat ararie in from pa troll withi a shaft tvo.st 0.

off and a hole in  he bottom. They stopped wvorp fco get therii in ‘bhedock nexb to us. The-fc ebout nilled -bhe ‘”orfc 1,~8.1 t;h e: ~o  .~o-fc-ben done on -tfa bhe 2U                                                        ‘, The 7^th -bhey s-fcar-bed -bo w-ork :L—be. Ail nen h’;a -bo e-bop ‘-h;”b they T”re were doing and clean up the base. It seem:-; thfet there was -to be a wisit fron the general fron the Air strip and everything had to be spotless, By noon it wias definite that “.hey w-ould not be though that afternoo wTith the 244  About raid afternoon they had to dtop a.;.d ~,‘1 another boat out of drydock anyhow.  Tt lookes as if there i-ould be another day in the dock. The 8^th they started out agair b-i.t in the- late afternoon they had finished one a d nearly finished the other one.  that iocant that we TOuld have to  stay in end finish up next day.: There w?as no other dpiaage and since I had gotten the “”hole bottoia gone oyer w’ith stBel w.rool w.-hen we “”ere in drydock begore I did not see any use in  doing it ag ain. There “”ere a few gouges in the botton too but lbhere was no use putting putty or “’hite lead in either of those for  for it would get wasted out almost soon .’s we hit  hev~ter. We will have to wait -ill the rotted boaras can TOQ  replaces there,                   <i

The norning of -bheninetii they had gotten 1311 but one bolt in in the ~ lncnnnn s storm came   up. The drydooksl are not shielded froii the U~Y,,  Gor.e.s  iron  the  east  ;-n3.  ~!lic-  one  ‘.-as  fro.  -bh- -b 3’iMf’,nnr  lflflcp  fTO’i’i ib’E 112 missing PAGE 113          I ‘\ We got in on the fourteenth at nine in the morning The comiaunioptions were fine coming in. The engine generators could amply take care of all the electrical current that we needed.  We got all guns cleaned, and  assed up thinking that we ‘would have to go out again that night. We had had quite a ~est on the patrols and were expecting the worst but we did not have one after all. The 15^th we went over to !;a roll the eastern coast of Mew Britain. There “”ere nine boats that night inside the St George channel “ -which is between new Britain and new Ireland. IN the way out on one boat there was an accident. One of the passengers a PBY pilot asked to fire one of the guns twine they were test fired. Well there was a back fire and the artery in his leg was severed. The Dr. was taken from the section ahead of  hem to take care of the man. The other section ‘”as TQ dioeSb a distress signal and rendezvoused with them. Mil boats proceeded on to station except  he one with the “-ound d nsn. The ready be. t -was sent out to tslr~ :’.t*s place but. it never did make it. The seas were rough once they got engine trouble and had to turn back, On the morning of the? 16^th “”e intercepted’: a radio message to the .LGI gunboats that are patroling north of Rabaul that thcr PHs needed assistance. There had been five nen casualties on the 287.  The LGIs would not woone ~ovaiand Tie?,  then at all . It was four then ~and they had to withdraw north for daylight. Well the nen rler:  in pretty oac’. Skl:I 7e so it was decided to streak for hone and have olD  sent out on another boat. Well it bakes ,--one six hours to get hone. ?ro::r; up there ct top speed.                                           I We net then or the ‘.-ay in We met them on the way in and stayed with them until they got 1.hey got -ale Br-and plasioa from base. when we got to base we got the whole story.  Base had radioed that there was a pilot down and that the botfe were “to go search for him, Well the other two sections were in on that search. There were five boats in all.  A Jap plane had cor.’.e over, a two engine 3’ob and  a land  based plane. The boats held fire the first tri” time over thinking it one of our own. The second tine it flew: over they were still not convinced that it was a Jap and did not want to shoot at one of our own so held fire again,,, \’ieThe first  fcluit plane straffed the boats and drop ed a bomb on one -:f them. The  other bloats opened fire then and again when it. came back for a further run. The borib JtiacL  c3.ecned  J-touse  right  across  the  cockpit  of  the  287.  Bo”’h  Tienir’.  The turrets, both officers sn”f’e nan o;”  .he wi-ieel.’: Any one :f the three enlisted men. hit could nave taken-.ken charge, but the Best were all sealaen. The radiomen  was the:-one et the wheel. ~e had gotten three large slugs in his behind and 8 gie~e  f shrapnel had. torn an ugly gash in his back. With 8.11 h~t he set up .,he radio end did all the c: ~communication for the nest twenty j:linu:; s. The section leader on the  “’s on the 28$ and. heivad then lie t’ 8-“d he and the skipper and exec of the 285 c?ll transferred to the  28”’ where the casualties were. They ~i\Cgggg then .”11 n;::i hi~eeee not ev:.l” stopping to  think that   it was  not  ~good. for ‘.en “with head I in juries.  Leonard  had a lung and his stomach punctured. Gheiffie the efeec had h:li of onegid.’-of hid head bloTvn ofr end a hunk of shrapnel  still in his brain. I was a-partet  afraid that he was paralyzed on one side he ~ one side. ~One gunner l’aci ro-~i?rteen slugs in his left arm. Thearri lookes as if it had been caught in a sausage mill. The other ~m men hsc*. r” sev-ral L’” one shoulder end in his ie-“:.

PAGE # 114       -  > After the Doctor got there,  -the Dr got there he had a lot of trouble getting  “blood plasma in ha”fPie..... They had tried to <:l t  give it to him before the Dr. got there but without success. It was such an acute case of shook that his blood would not take up the plasma. The Dr. have him a couple of hypos and got two units of plasma in him on the way in.  . That -was all that saved him. The Dr. said that all the rest would be able to get well and resume their duties but that0haffie was done so far as the war was over. He had a chance to live but would be permanently paralyzed. They tool: all five of them right over -to the airstrip and rushed te3s them by plane to Guadalcanal. They rushed three of them at least. The other two can be taken care of at the hospital there. All the rest of the crew were coated with Zinc Chromate. There was a leak in the lazarette and the water had gotten up over -he ‘.aint and had that all over everything. There was about three feet of water in that lazarette. The base got it all pumped out and fixed. That crew was completely lost  The .boat was at the dock. the men that could have taken charge were all gone and no officers had been assigned yet to take over. ‘The guns sat there rusting. The “bloody sheets “blankets and towels sat there stinking. One officer got a truck and got all those bloody things off the boat and down to the trash heap. Late afternoon they had taken two officers from other boats  and assigned them to  it.                                                        I’ We got our guns cleaned and gassed up and ‘were al. set for the nest one DU” really appreciated the night in.  ~ The 17^th at noon ~they told me that I could have the BN interrogator that I had been “’working to get. That is an instrument that will tell if a radar contact is enemy or friendly. All units out here haite 8 radio that sends out a sign-1 on e certain frequency T-hat indicated  .at they ere friendly. There are’-three Pis in ‘..he hole area though that have rec 5 werBBBB for those units. U: till now they have put those ~: receivers on big ships. I  ‘of the w-hole gang busy on that job. The base furnished an officer to install the unit and I was deter: inked to get it all fixed up in one clay. ~’ell when night came there-re were still about  four connections  o make and there WEKE was a :-matter of tuning the set up. We did not have  a   ;t patrol that night  were fairly tired from the work so got a good ‘ tired ‘  so  got  Q   sleep.

The 18^th-: hrd the ie0.s take one of the gun turrets apart and clean it up good. -  At the same time, they .’  sane tine - went to work on that EH again.  About nissi.e of the morning Sparky cane over. -There-here was a message t.; at a ship outside the harbor wonted an intelligence, frioer aboard at once bparky “”antec’ us to take him out. Well I  got permission from the skipper and out we went. I went aboard—with him to give him moral support.  .

The skipper of the ship had caught some of his men pilfering some foot lockers                      -he  skipper  .f the  !-hip had  of his pilfering toot lookers in ch”’ hoicl that that belonged to some passenger officers.  The guilty ones had downed several quarts of whisky and were good and tight when caught.  He wanted a general courts martial for them. belonged T.O some passenger officers.

Tb-e guilty ones haa iouns several quarts of w-hisky and w-ei-e “:ood end tigh when cought. lie rantea a :rJeral courts Elarshall’ l’oi- then. Sparky explained that he was interested in combat intelligence and not in that ~variety and could not help him. “e He suggested that he keep the men locked in the brig until he got back home.   -chatine kc p the nen looked, in thebrig till -fcJ”e ~hip got. back  -bo hone? por-ti srd. t,llen have then “baleen care   of.                                      ~

till.   LicU.CJ.J.   UBJ.W      wi  That ~.i~httt ihere “’c.s a J~T hoLi~oy. i”o bOG-ts rro;  pny base w”?rc. .po out. Tl-a-b ‘-as  nil  bhafc “e l.”.ne”;’  . !!% is missing PnFrd U t ‘1 C ~ r .                   ‘  . ~ The 18-fch we got the other turret pulleo. anoL oleanc-o bu-c just ...

orter dinner -Dnere came a storm, i-here was a high uslnd ana lots of rain. i’he turret could not te painted and put back together,          ‘: ihen too sli the DUDys were dragging except the one bhat we were           ‘ on. w                                                                       :  ~ That night was another PT holiday. We were jail pretty glad of that ! coo ror it reelly -ouid have been hell to be out in that storm.           ; The 19^th wfQ got the -currets back together,’v”entover to tfae        ‘ ruel dock and topped, off. i-he trip out with b’parky had taken up a little ge.s and we needed ail we oouid get.      *                         ‘ lhat night wie T-er-e to ride again. We w”ent to area Uncle vlij.oh is the one that is furtherest w”ay of all of them. The patroil      ~ was negative we did not see anything.        .                ~           I On the 20thas “.”exE Y?e-e leaving station one of the engines on the 285 w.”hich was the Jead boat lost suction and burned out a         “ stack. I snelieci the ruober buEning and ‘WE~S afraid thst itv?as aurs.

Y’e  did  not  ia eve  e  thing   -he  raatter  though.                   i ‘well tha.t PUT. us rignt on the edge of the best that the Japs have in the area in acyligiro. ‘. e sent one boat ahr d to get a m-ssage Dack   ‘ oo  oase  -ohst  we.  culd.  not  :Fet  out  of  the  area  till  about  -cen  i.hat morning That Y.’ould keep our own planes rron oo-;h: ing us. JL-he  range  of  noirntoins  blocks  out  raaio  trahsnisFion  wTith  ti..e base f’r 811 boetE uo the channel, ~hat is the reason the boat had t,o De s’nc aneaci I-Ftii tJl?t nessa~e.                   “ t-e got  ‘co  ssse -thst  afternoon at  rour  By nignt  GUO we nad  all  guns cle&nes pno- hao- ruelea i’or ‘Ghe next. one. juonnelly took the boat 1,0 ruel w~hile J. ot oil lor reports and had he.Lf the crew get  ft I’or supper. i i:et hin cs-‘ he w’QS returning rron rueling a’na -cne ni-iai” of tne wre’.A tr-c~t  hsG  gotten oi’t’ cni  -L  j~i.igsa  sDOora  and  .Let “everyoce  pboord  cone in ‘-0 cupper. “mi 1’ t-:  r-ffying in ror the n’vie.’ I slept r.o:’ sGv’-.n r,.”l’;b ni~nt t,ill Sr-:VC?n ner~t’norning. he 21rt w’e npci ? re.’ I D0.:r, uieaning. ‘rhen tbo every hing 1.,o?sid nF-‘a.   be  n coalcee.  rrc:l  Rprfy  &i:!.e  ciy   wiore  p.nQ.  rca  to   De  aried  out.  This “.noluttec’ .~.T:-. ji’cj:::n.s sna rain C:e,7r. Aftr ‘~.~”;’er ih~y cpJ.’eo. \.np. w Ct i:!- to c? lonstrc?&e -co -che. oase Al’-br ‘~.~”;’er ih~y cpJ_’eo. l;yl  u Ct i:!- -bo rJ.er:iOB.srrc?-&e -co -che. DOS J:’~t.’f<r  urouo   ho’”    }”.”  .-:i~  norks.    ii7i^L   ~ook  till  .”hout,  -bbree  bhirt.y ascL  thc-fc nighti ‘” -ere re~cly host  ~rO w-e  Qiist  s~pyefi. in. The 221101. ~e were with w section to ..rea Orange whioh is up tb nnnc-f-.  i-Tf  ~ip-vT T~-~~”~r~~”   ‘”Pilp  RTojrt~j non  1fi~rl~.r’  Nallcer,   i-rflo.  nn  thp~  26~ - Ioe  c.c,iw.  ‘e!G  wve;J-e  ‘._IJJ.J  .  ;r~C ; ~J.III  u~i  i:I j~ W~.I~J.J.[;;,>~  -Ir~isl -i.~  u.~  wLI~Fi coast af i;’ cr ii’-eland. The SYTOtion leader Walter. was on -blie 281. The 277 r~ SS the reconfl .osb ond. Y~e ~76~6 i~ O 3. Soon as w’e got sterte the genei-etor on tiifii ? -1 hod trouble.  That i leant that they w-oulcL nc be C :,1  to run tlle.i_r;: ilc~-l;or ti..ot ni~ht. ‘jbgz   ‘ There w’cs r :csKO:’;e about t 1,1t h:ue thrt r! ‘pilot w’as dovm in tl There w’DS “; :csKo:’;e about t hc’t -hJ-ie thr-fc e -oilo-b w’as dovm in ‘ vi-cinritg of GF”.’ e Na: ei-c?L~::: “boo ~nd one boot - ~81 to  “ait tliere all ni~ht long ~o .03 .-i there “E.Z G bling frol ~horl indicating thot J ni~h-h long ~o .03 .-i there “GZ o bling frol ~horl indicating though- VTIS   n ?.nore c-:- see ii’   .ey couL?loo.?.t’e hin oil” hore.

\Vhen w’e m’.re o”bov.t four-by ialcs il-on Gape H~is w.’hich is e b: fnn-n’.ll.-  OT-i--.  :~~  I-‘ K-.   ‘ .<  ‘ -a  I-ir-i’i- orl  ‘  ~’~~~-- f’  -Tiro    T;t.  tlgl c  ci  ~1T’~n~~+.  Tl

<i1ii’-ii~.   ‘.-.0   <.1V..J. IS   c’UUI..tl   J.UUJL  Uj’   -iJ.J.~iJ   I~L LII   ui;ryt;  l~.;J-l-l   ~J.J.J.~~J.I   J.O   Ci    wr supply area rcr t. e .. .i~ “e no-beci i; 1ZUc,  fi-i-‘e. It was Q ‘bri6hfc re’ Emisetciid w.’e couli. no’, tiell &.”::.& thee wvs Q l’ire ~111 ‘bhe clou~sss besau to fcvJ.’n purple <u>.- -,h.fc one spot reJ.ainec brillip.nt r.d.

‘i”     ~~    1l-    -l~.r.1     ~-1  -“:n ;---    f.i nnnn     -i_h t     T    ‘c..     Rlr{”\”     rnan         Tf.    cr:r

UtJ.’iC-U  OU  LiL’_l-li  IJU.J.IJ-LC  t’I.U.-  -.’.~L  IJJ.IO  JlJ~’0  J.~J.A.<:I.J.~iC;l...  UJ.J.J.-LJLi.’.11~  J...U.

T.ot I’:O C. .he bic~es~ fire -bha-fc I have ever fceen. it, was I’v-Lly  t-‘ :J.le {’cross ; r; w.’e ooulcL not -boll bo”.” o-efep it “-a”. A la’lB

fully .:: :d.le {’cross ; r; -.e ooulcL no-fc -boll -hov’ aefap it “-a”. A la- rf~oxroon rl!tttt or bo:-  rs ~.C hCh~.i-C. L1  looe~ou 1, they haa ;

;:i”fcoonool1 J.



PAGE # 117 We did. sight a imge lire righ-b in -Ghe Bouka iB-ssage area* It wgLS one proba’bly sfcal”bed toy our planes the same as -Ghe one that we had. seen on ~ew Ireland on our previous patrol..

we got back to “base about eight thirty on the 29~  ‘i’liere was fueling to do and,v-e had yro woltage regul tcrfSS on the nain engine generators ths.t -~ere not working properly and these had to be checked.  We  got all tnot’ltaken care of wy noon. About that tine I saw the an armory gang bringing aov?n a out down 20mm gun moun-o that had a 3?BCi adapter, -i- thought that it was ours and was quite amazed ~13 n J.  found that it was not. About three or four we.eks previously we haa had to cud ofr the trunion:. of r;he 37ian mounts that we naa and that iaaae t-he gun  such thab we could not shoot at nigh altitudes.  I did not see any sense in &aking a gun ?’long that we. could notuse against planes as well as surrace targets &s long as it was planes that seemea to give us el -che trouble in the past two montha. I asked to be allowed to-take ~i;he 37121 gun off theboat altogether but that “’as deniea. rhe nest bet, was to cut off a 20 mm mount so  thab it_coula. oe usea. Ji-t would allow the gun to be elevated. S. got all r;he’Vork oalders stnr-cea on it and just sort of got out of ihe”-ay .  “ell the gunners ~-ia&e on onsof theoTihiboats had been hanging around ‘&he ernory Jiore than nine i-o-uhey haa givea-n the first one w uim.  ..ell thpt omi-necL ue up &ncL i proceec.ect to cuss out the whole ucse c’bo.’.t it. J- rigure  thpt if “..’e hoci to nave & 1.1~  it-bins O1’OUnC!ZC!  in eg on d.. port? t.-nt just “bo “.ee ~k:~tttt we got what w~as coning  o w.s unat things were getting in ~aci shi: !C To cool ueoff they told nc that they woulo. have ne a gun r.iom-lt in two “leys.  The 30111- they haa i~ just cbout finished too. I had ‘bo ..o in for ;n oil che.nge”. The plin is -to change oil .’..fter each patrol till all tl- t ground, up ne~l is conpletely out of the oil systen.  I had fireo. co;.sid&rable sT.B:i.unitio on the way in fi-o:- patrol -GOO .mEt to fiive 811;: ~hee guns a good work out ancL that had to ce o.eliv?. rea We ,,.ot oil tilct .’oaken core of while we  ere at the dock.

The 31^st we~ot the newnount installed andtheolo. oneoff.  Trc’t took the bi.5..est pert o-  ..henorning. I \”&s quite ai.iazecT too thzt we fLicl no’b have to ‘O out that night. we got nore w.’ork clone on Sihe encineE too. ‘Zbe latter “as Gil coneby boat personolle nore or less as .checking ev.-rything t’.. see ;hat they T’lere all working properly.  uoi.-i~c in f-o.itheprevious patrol ::ho ‘..-. hao. 2000 gallons of goeoline aboard, w.’hich weighs 6 pouncTs to the g llpn we were able ‘bo turn up 2400 RH.I -hich is  bettel- than &ny’&hing else out here.

i’hat afternoon ..t b.-.s intetligence ..eeting We wei-e-: told that they wanted -&o “lipperce ail ti:.e old original HOH ~.~ i,i.:l’ ;oneB1  throughout the entire f.’.ci:iC.ron so ‘o}.:.t “.’hon they were relievec”. thtere -ocll_ci not be too :.ig of c strain on. -b. ~ pf’rt ur ;ii.  oi’rioer ‘ ho ~”a. S ‘bo taice ov’.r  .1.’ : boat. wbel 1 I ha.e only ..our :.on tht wc~e ‘i’bh ti: or; :- :1 n; 1   .unch  snc-  -.o  uc.    in-facm”.  o  b-eak  up  ‘cho -;e  four.  I  have trc.inecL all tJ-e nen bh..t I have to work  as I w.’ant it done and ‘L cTonot see ‘”hy the’ next one. c.nnct oo the sane.

V~orcl was ?a.Bse?. too th:.t Bob Hopey- i”rances Langforct ~t &l roul3. L’e  Jic.re  nellt  clay  too.  ‘i’l’ey  are    aking  a  tour  of. the  northc.rn  Solonons T’~’C1   D\e::v”.:  a..chp:eliGO   pr.icl  wlll  ~oss  off  i’or  one   show  at  the  PT  ba.se.

Jj-very  o:-“. here i  e::cite   C’ i !? ‘I’C  ‘~ 1. It too is signifioane fo- t..ooe Fhoc never  ‘ot reryfar up to ‘.he front.  It shows that the “overn: en’b con;i~ r~ ‘bhi~ j~’ca safe now. T’ e lr.-b 1 ~,1  fll ‘b~e boat  cleaned up.  w.e Led nt  been out the

Sell check 121 through 127 PAGE # 121  Hanic took afire of -the meeting in the morning, liok slept all morning. He really has a wonderful philosophy. He does not worry about a thing but getting home again  I often wish that I could be as care free as he is. That afternoon  I went to the intelligence meeting then stayed so absorbed in a book the rest of the time. The currant book being The man Miss Suzie Loved which was a story about events preceding Johns Hopkins giving away his fortune to the building a University and a hospital That night I took in the movie. Our movies here are not wery good but  they do fill in the time in a fairly interesting fashion and most every one is only interested in getting by till w~ get the word to pack up and go home                                 ‘ The 16^th we got the boat all irate for an inspection. Tom Dalton is nog inspecting the boat.  The warious section leaders are assigned t certain boats to inspect and they wary periodically so that we get men that are thorough in their inspections and men that are not. I was to pick him u at the dock at noon but did not see him there so did not go In. ~s had come down and was just sitting there  We got ifa in the afternoon and he thought things looked mighty  good. That night I worked with Bob Ankers developing pictures. I want to learn all about It so that when it comes come out again I shall be able to develop my own in a fairly decent fashion. The 17^th all hell broke loose. Al Farren out squadron commander was so provoked with his officers that he could hardly speak. He was all ready to stir them all around again. Three had gotten stinking the night before, one had been shooting craps with the man, one had gone fishing and not told anyone -here he was going Besides all this the squadron has a hut on the beach where the boat officers can hang out. The place had disintegrated into a pig sty instead of staying clean and orderly. Results were a shift in the boat that the warious officers were on. The 15^th, there was the usual cleaning to get done aboard the boat in the morning, ‘That afternoon we came in to the dock to get some electrical work done but were told just to stand by that the electrician would be down shortly, ~-e did not get there by eleven that night so we went back to the buoy for the night The 19^th I got permission to tie the boat alongside the dry-dock to paint the deck. I wanted to paint it then have every one get off for the rest of -the day. We had It all painted by ten in the morning.  It was one time that all the men could be off of the boat and wander around the base but it turned out that they all sat in the shade the rest of the day playing cards right at the boat. A-after  noon  we  were  on  the  list  as  ready  boat.  That  meant  that  we would be at the dock at four in the afternoon and all hands stay aboard for the night.  I went to see the Comdr. at once. ~e had promised that we would be free that night and I did not lift the men aboard till after the movie. That would give the deck plenty of time to get dry. He had forgotten  The 20^th we were out on patrol again. Word came at noon. All morning I had had the e fellows busy cleaning the boat and had not stopped to get the electrical equipment all checked. Soon as the word o came fce warious equipment was checked and it was found that the Radar   PAGE # 122  n&3 not working properly. The boat was got-ten In to -dry dock and a - all the-e whole radar force was clown fch.ere to get it shape. We had it all ready and we e out of schedule. The 282 end. 278 were with us this time  We went to patrol the East coast of New Britain. On the e way over there was an occasional squall and when we got on station there was a really haaTy wIM. We were not scheduled to have a plane work with us in the first place but if we had it could never have gotten to us in all that soup.                                                         \ Just was suaset got to us we saw a huge glow in the-direction of Ratoa.l. We reasoned that the late afternoon striker had set something afire again. Aside from that we did not see a thing the rest of the night When we left station for base on the 21^st there really came a down pour of rain.   It lasted till we got  hack to  base  too.   We could never see more than a hundred yards in any direction so it was almost like ‘ keeping station at night to be running through the rain. In that fashion. We got to base about ten thirty. The boat had o go fuel et once By the time that we made the morning reports it was dinner time. I went to the intelligence meeting after theft, then went 1.0 bed. B Hank and Diok took care of fueling  and later cleaning it up. The 22^nd We got the boat into the dock early in the morning .We had to get ammunition aboard, get some gunnery spares, Get some electrical work done on the boat and get some paint. That took all morning long. In addition to that all the guns had lobe cleaned again, for there had been rain the whole day before and when there is that much moisture in the air when they are cleaned they have to have a second dose. That afternoon I thought sure we would have to leave for a patrol but when the line up was made we were not on -it. That suited me fine. We took the “boat back to the buoy for the night. The 23^rd. We spent the morning ‘cleaning up gust as if there would be an inspection. There was none scheduled but there is no telling when one “III come and then too it takes a good cleaning to keep things in shape on the boat. That night wie were with the 252, 243 and ourselves were out to the upper areas of the west coast of Hew Ireland. There has not been a sighting there for some time now so the section Leader thought that if we made a mid channel sweep on the way up that maybe the barge would think that we were not coming and wenture out as we came h back down the coast. when we got just about half way up the plane that was to work with us for the night showed up. The coast line at our request looked like Times Square after that. He must have dropped at least forty flares.  We did not see a thing that was at all out. The plane dropped his bomb on some houses that were on the edge of the woods over there. We could see no results of that. Those same houses have been strafed periodically by the boats so are probably wacant and full of holes. We got back to base on the 24^th about eleven. We had to fuel at once then bring the boat In for new woltage regulators on all the mafengi  engines, get the refrigerator motor repaired, get a reverse gear on one engine checked. The -thing had been jumping out of gear so much that it had to be -tied.     PAGE # 123  The SSth we cleaned. up the boat again. That took just about half the morning. The remainder of the time we spent getting the gmi niounta painted, up and. ammunition cleaned. J-Just after dinner Sparkman one of the section, leaders told me that he was inspecting the 244 now and would like to make an inspection Well I brought him right down. Things looked eighty good too. That night instead of our having to make a patrol we were the ready boat. I would Just as soon make a patrol. I have a nice soft . “bed fixed up In a hut ashore aJid when we are in I usually get a wonderful night’s rest. When we have ready boat duty though every one has to stay aboard. That means that we cannot go to the movies either. The 26^th we went back to the buoy just about eight thirty. We had gotten ammunition aboard and thought that t at was the only thing that we had to get done at the dock the whole day. We had  been at the buoy about ten .minutes when they were signaling us back to the do dock to have the refrigerator checked. They have no one on the base that knows a lot about our refrigerators so every once in a while a man is borrowed from one Cf the other outfits out here. ‘They had one for the day. There are about four boats that have the same trouble that we 3.0 and I felt pretty lucky that we were the one that did get called in. That afternoon we were to go to Area Uncle again, That is the long haul. Bud Trimble was the section leader riding with us on the 2kU The 287 and 2A.2 were the other tivqii boats in the section. I was glad that Trimble was riding with us. One o f the boys on the boat was formerly a Chef in a big Italian restaurant and he was preparing an Italian dinner for us for the night. That meant for once we would have a fair dinner and. have something a lot different from the usual dish. It was hot as could be. I think I must have consumed about three c canteens of cold water with the meal. It was really delicious though. About five thirty the 242 had trouble. They did not have a radio that was working so we had to go alongside and see -what was the matter. They y had had a water line co break and. it would take about thirty minutes to get it fixed. Well, they could. not proceed at all so we lay to, out the engines and in five minutes my whole crew was on the bow playing pinochle.                                             . In about half an hour they were still a long way from getting it fixed but decided that they could go ahead on two engines.  They did no actually finish till about three nest morning. Just after midnight the 287 got a radar pip and we all went in to  , investigate. We could not see a thing but the 242 had a couple of fiOmm mortar glares aboard and they lit the place up. Still we could see nothing.  We started down the coast when the LOI gunboats that were patroling north of our area walled us on the radio to exchange information.  We told them the story and they offered to shoot a few star shells for us.  In the next half hour they shot about a dozen.  Two of them were short of where they should have been though and really did light us up. We started down the coast anckinoe they were to retire from the patrol too they decided to Tag along.  Bod asked them how much speed they were making. “ 5 knots” That is mighty slow-‘w for us. “ Well we can fix that. We will increase speed. How about 6 knots”  ~        PAGE #’124           .- ‘J  When we got to the area that we were to strafe they asked if they could, strafe too. We strafed and, then got out of their way while they poured a few in. They started, a small fire that lasted about five minutes. We left station dout six and headed for base. The LCIs were on the way to Terokina and would take a different route.  Bud went below to get a nap. “We had had no sleep the whole night.  We came home with the engines wide open. Got in about nine thirty when usually the boats get In from -there about .ten thirty or eleven. We were the slowest of the the boats and could, really  roll coming in. The 27^th was Sunday. Soon as the boat was fueled ire got it into the dock for a few repairs. That is the day that we have our one big raeel of the weekend I did not want any one to miss that After dinner I found that all the bhited aBBaunItloD had been Issue and we could not get any till next morning. Also the work: that we were to get done on the aigined would, have to be done by my own engineers and sine e it was not too wital to the efficiency I decided to wait. The 28^th we spent moat of the morning at the buoy cleaning Tip. There were q few spots on the mounts that needed a dab of paint. There were a few empty cartridges that had yet to be collected to be turned, in for the scrap drive, these came form the guns when we strafed the beach the night before. That night we were out on patrol again. This time Frank Shinstrom was section leader on the 277 with the 288 and our boat making up the rest of the section. When time came for the brief there has not yet been any orders received. from those that went to the black oat outfit though we were able to tell that we had boats in areas Uncle and Fish. Temporary assignments were made and we were briefer just as if the o orders had been received. The orders did come in about half an hour before the normal leaving time at three thirty for us and. we were out right on time. The water was fine and except for scattered clouds all was clear We  got  on  station  about  nine  and  proceeded  to  make  the  rounds  of  the  are All that was sighted the whole evening was one star shell from some gun boats that were operating north of us. Coming home the 29^th it rained about the whole way. Rain can really knock the devil out of one too when traveling at a pretty good speed. For dinner we had steak again and that really made things fine. I got off woon as we got in to make the reports and got back to the boat as it was returning to the dock from fueling. We had to get t oil changed and get the radar looked after, “”he letter had gone out the night before. After that was all finished Donnelley took the boat back to the buoy and I went to bed We had not had mail for sometime and that night the post office came through with some -that-‘hat had everyone pretty happy. The night before  about 2130 the black cat that was to have worked with us got to the entrance of the channel and there found quite a weatt front. He was fixing to turn round and came home when he sighted a light right under him  e knew that there should not have been one the e.  e was just about to make a right bank when the thing passed under him. It was a Jap plane. He hurriedly made a left turn and the bow gun opened up. There were $0 rounds of 30 cal from the bow gun and  20 rounds of 

 PAGE i 125

50 oal« 1)111161-8 used tg bring him clown. The plane crashed in the water near an island,  ext morning photo planes went up to investigate and founS the reckage .”The PBY never did get get in contaot with us. That night Bol~AnJbe~s got back too. He had. spent four days running all over Guadalcanal looking for his brother. Finally yesterday he had found that he was assigned to an LCI and at onoe headed for tha place where it  as located. Just as he got there it was steaming away. He said there there must have been 700 ships there all loaded up and ready for the next move. A convoy of LSTs have aleeady left. They are the slowest of all the ships ~hat go into an invasion and have to leave early. I feel sure that the M nth of September will really show a lot of  gains in the Pacific.       ~ The morning of the 30^th I got back to the boat about seven. Hank and Dick were both up and ready to catch the same boat balsl:, I spent all morning gettingb things cleaned. I had the life r~ft and the emergency rubber Boat e<iulptment all checked. The galleysflnkwas stopped up too and had to be fixed.  The engineers were busy getting things tuned up. That night we had a second night in. I had not quite thought that •we would toe due for oneof those yet. Since Ron 23 I s the only squadron operating out of ;ere now there is a lot more strain thali before. It was decided that each boat would turn in all thebooks that they had aboard and a library started for the squadron. Well rigyt after the meeting I got all thoae that were aboard and got them into -the oflfioe. ~t is proposed that one of the yeomen will take care of the books and see that they do not get lost. The 31^st I had  things all set foer an inspection again but it turned out that we did not have one after all.  Guess the officer that is inspecting us now just has not got time for such, That afternoon we were to go out again. We had had to take off one of the torpedoes to have a leak fixed in one of the air lines and thirty minutes before time to leave we did not yet have that flish aboard. There were two P&M gunboats at the torpedo dock getting water and they would not be ready to get out for sometiiaeyet. ltook the boat over behind thedook and had it put on there, It  was the first tine tha that ~ave ever loaded a fish on that side of the dock but it wonted okay. ~here is a break tn the dock on that side andmakes it hard to get that rack on theboat close enough for the loading crane to get close enough to put the torpedo oh it. That night lit Walker vas the section leader, It was my seventieth patroll since getting out here. ‘l’here had been a preuty good wind blowing ail day and when we got outside the harbor there was a pretty good swell. There were two seotio going to the easteru coast of New Britain. Ours was to thenorthern end of it. Oul? patroll ended in the edge of Simpson harbor which is just south of “abal. It rained from the time we hit the patroll station till we got horn n~xt morning. If was cold and we all were wet. Krter a while therain gear that we have will let the moisture through and everyone really spernt a miserable, night. I had coffee going about the whole night. No oje could get any sleep with all the rain and cols andi figured the coffee would do more than anything else to keep them wary.





PAGE 126  when we s-bartecL back to base on Sept. 1^st our engines sounded. pretty darn rotten, we could, not make “but about thirty knots and it did. a make me feel bad since we had been able to get so much better ;OEX ~  performance than .that out of them -up till that time. We did get back ,  to base about ten thirty. That afternoon the boat was brought into the dock to get the base electricians to .check the ignition. It was thought that at that was there reason that we had not been able to get top performance out of it. It seemed that they were all  busy though for they did not get to do any thing to it.  I spent  about an hour getting a little sleep. I hail not had a wink the night before. That night the bar was opened at the base. That is about the swankiest one that is out here. The carpenter shop really spent a lot of time getting that all fixed up. It was quite a brawl. I went by after the movie and every one was getting pretty tight then. I heard next morning that It was going well after two in the morning. The monthly reports all had to be $n too. They come due every first. I had them all about ready and they did not take much work to get all fixed up. The 2^nd. I signaled in to the tower soon as I got to the boat asking them to check to see if we were to come in to have those engines checked to see that the ignition was okay. They had us get in at once. While that was going on I got all the ammunition cleaned up. When it gets a lot of water on it it has to have a wire brushing to get the corroded spots off of it. Then too I got a can of lye for the boys to use when they cleaned out the binges. That would cut ell the dirt and grease that they had been mixing.     I’ That afternoon we had an inspection. It really was a thorough one but the inspecting officer did not find any thing wrong on the whole hot. I was mighty proud of that. When he the orders came out for the night the 244 was not on them and that really sounded good There had not been but four boats t e previous two nights e.ncL we were to get a second night in. The 3^rd. There was wery little work to get done so I let every one catch upon the reading and writing.  They really turned out a lot of letters too. That night the 284  243 and 244 with Lt. Butoerworth as section lead were to go up the channel again. For the last month we have not been any where else and each one of the patrols up there is a miserable one. This time it was not  so rough going out or on station but there was a steady rain. Coming back to base there was not only rain but heavy seas. We all pitied the ones that were to have to go out the next patrol in that area. The whole patrol was negative. We got back to base about ten thirty on the 4^th. When we got to the dock we found that there had been a really bad accident. Boyd, the head gunner on the 242 had reached up to take the cover off of one of the turrets and when the cover was lifted up one of the guns fired. It blew most of his right hand and mart of his left one off. The Dr. here g$Lygij,jna ~O t o~ morphine and got the bleeding stopped, then he covered 







------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



“          PAGE # 127      -                          ; blie wouncl with.  suISjfa clrugsancl toaiid.agecL It up and.  sen-b him over to oatch. ,thee morniEg piahe to Guadal canal. The Drs there -will probably ~ “be atle to Bave a !lot of the torn flesh and. uwe it in oonstruoting a new hand gor him pr at lease saving most of the pne that he has.

‘     That afternoon an order was out that no more should guns be covered, -wlien they were ioad.ed.. ‘I’he feun that shot boys when checked        was on safe and would not fire when the trigger was presses till the safety was off. ~here was not a thing that could, be found wrong with    ‘ the gun yet it had. goneoff That night there came word that the patrols were turned, back.

I went over to theoffice and surely enough they had. had. to turn baok Ona boat had. cracked, seven ribs. The seas even at that were not nearly as wough.as some that we have been out in, I thought that there would be hell raised, because they turned back but it was okay.                   ‘ Thfare was a pretty good wind in the harbor that night but the buoy held.. “e were theonly boat on the buoy though and. that may have had.

a lot to d-o with it. The $th I got a new man aboard.. The 288 boat had three Momm lo and wanted a seaman or a motormao that was not that high a rate. It suited, n me fine to get tlie new man. He reported aboard, and repitoes Averyt I had. gotten thelatter since getting into Ron 23. Brown seems a darn good man so Car.

We cameirbto the dock to get the ignition cheched.. Th-at  took theb biggest part of the clay along with all the other littleitems that I wanted, to get chacked while we. had t&e time.

Ilfhat nightthere were three boats soheduled to go out. We were to get another night in and-ttiat was fine especially with the hightx winds that were blowing.

rt~gxfcaDagg3CKgKfia:&aLllgoht t  x~JurlrtnCT~sortocxsjKfcjHig3c&Ki&ii  x K I n gl  That afternoon Lt Perog who had been all through school with Hank and who had ibeen in My company at ~icLshipmen’ s -school showed up on the 2it~. He was on a DE that Had. come in escorting a tanker.

They were to be in for the night and he wanted hank and I to dome aboard for supper -and the movie that they would have afterwards.

It really sounded good to get a chance at a supper like thc.t after whfat-we havte been having to eat lately.

When time came to go out there we signalled t:’eir boat to wome get us but it was away dso we went alongside and got odd. ~ick brought the boat back to the bupw.

When we got ready to leave he had given us a turkey, twenty pounds of hamburger meat and five dozen egs ‘I’hat r ally was nix?e too. Hank got off,’ at theboat with all that andi went on into thebeach for thenight.   .? Knowing that .’they would eat breakfast on iheboati didnot get up early to get out there for once. lleisuBely woke ate on the beach then contacted the lad that is in charge of the galley to see if they would bake the turkey for us. By that timeit was nine. I figot out to theboat to find that theylhad  aten all but two’ of theeggs andthey were sawed.

for me. I really \”ant after those. We were oallecL in to the dock o get the galley range fixed. It haS been out of order for a couple of days and we had had.a chit in to i~ettt  it  fixed  ali~ that  time.  w”eli  witfa   the  high  wind  I  did.  neb   want  to   t: up alongside any other boat and get my gunnels all beaten up but the nadar dock was cl ear so we want in there.

.         ..           PAGE   #   128                                          ..

:lj                                                       ‘                                   .      ‘ By BLOOII it was loaovm that thfat galls  woni would be an a&l <3.ay< proposition so we stiayed. in at the ‘clock, ‘hee galley range and-ttiererrifera are on the same circuit so that meant that we had. no refrigeratibon. I was afraid, that the ~neat would opoil but there was nothing that we could do about it.  I                                                      , Just after lunch the commander came running in telling me that     “ the 241 and 244 woulp. leave at once. There was a coraair cracked up     ‘ 4&n the channel and ‘that a PBY had gone down for a rescue andcould. not    , take off because it ihad. briken off one of the wing floats. We were to   ~ go up there and tow the plane back if at all possible and reacue all the men that werein the water.                                             “.

Well out we went in one of the roughest seas that we have          ‘ been in yet. Q-osh it was miserable but we were hell bent on getting     ~ through since there was one of t hepilots in danger . After we were eb out hhree hours hut we got s radio message to return to base. Another       \ PBY had. made a landing and gotten every one aboard and then destroyed thq one that was in the water that could not take off. We turned, round     1 and. headed back to base getting in just befora dark. The patrols to ~o  j out to the okannel had turned back on account of thorough seas. The othel one that was going up the east coast of Mew Ireland $adma cLe it allright Next norning  got out to the boat pretty eaily, hat was Sppt 7^th ~ I took the cook, turkey and all the other things thei-b he needed into. the dock then took theboat over to fuel. We came back to the dock soon     j as that was finished to egt that galley range fixed. At eleven here camethe aook with that roaster full of the most delicious smell possible. I sent all the crew down to eat first.  He had put carrots, jpotatihes and a lot of seasoning in the roaster. ne did not have time to fix up a lot of dressing but at that every onehad. a really delicious meal. After every one had eaten the cook gave the crew the boaes and even they disappesad. That night we did not have to go out again, There were only three boats to go though. That w’ould give us at lesast one more night in. Maybe the wind. will stdip and. have a calm sea by the time -vw do have to make another one. The 8^th I got back to the boat fairly early. Hank had stayed in the night before and. I left him still asleep. D&ok got up about nine and went into the base on the ten o’clock boat. I got all the rain gear dried out good. and the boat all cleaned up.  That took all coming. Much to my surprise we did not have to go out that night, There were tvo seo~ons going down to Bougainville, -i- would jua~ as soon have gone out. They are easy ories and we have had the tough ones for some time now.          ] The 9^th we stayed at the buoy all m .ruing. when hank cane back for noon relief for me he told me that we were -to go out and that one of the men had been taken away from us. Well there wereto be three boats out and they were to make a sweep up New Ireland and down i~ew Britain. That was a long haul.

Brown had had. an operation some time. ago en his knee andhe had been into see the Dr babOut fahe recent irritation that he had be-n getting fro the jarring that it got when on patrol. The Dr advised that he be taken off of theboat.    I

~       PAGE # 129 ~.                       ,.*.

The al’bernoofl of the 9^th with Lt Gaselier as section leader an.<i     I the 278 and 281 with us we set oht, We were going aorotlQ the seas ancL every time we hit a wa.ve there would be water going over the whole “boat. We were wet all the way to the channel. I felt that when we turned to go up that we would get a rest from the pounding and sp y but the waved were a bug that we would go over one andunder one. Gosg but every one was miserable. On fiop of tat it started to -ainand that kept up till we were back to base. At three in the morning we started to idling toward home. We had to stay at idling speed till we were completely out of th  channel too. Speeds higher than that would have pounded the bottom out of the boat and possibly injured a lot of the men. We got to bast at IY00a the 10^th. I think that was themost miserable patrol fit the seventy three that I have had sincel got out here. No one had had a wink of sleep all night. Soon as we had eaten, .Dick took the boat to fuel and I went to the intelligenwe meeting, “”e got back to the dock just as the meeting was  over I got water and’ ammunition aboard and he took it out to the buoy              Knker  had invited, the chaplain and his gwo assistants to ~tay arou for the &fternooiii and have supper here before going back to the air stri] whare they  are based, he had the duty and I was going to take care of them till he could be free. I had time to shave and wash up bfefore they got tome. By the timenight got here I was really tired out. Went to sleep about seven. Thellth I got tht boat into the Radar dock pretty early. The night h before we had had the fluxgate compass to stick. It was raining when we got in and they di6 not get to it before dimmer time. I got all the ganfe busy cleaning up the boat. All engines needed the spark plugs changed and that was the first thing that they did. I went up to G-SK and ifagasr drew a new pair of shoes and three pr of sox. ,1 do not intend to get cought bare footed ever. That night we were in again. That suited me fine since I did not see the bUnchthat were  ut the previous night get teack till noon. That meant that theyhad run into soinemighty rough weather and couldnot come back at top speed. The 12^th i got out pretty early. On the previous patrol one of thegun mounds had been slighty loose in it’s  stancion and had becomes co burred around lfclie base of the rotating cylinder that it would not turn at all. -i-hree jacks would not budge it XBOE out so there was nothing to do but get a new one.  That had to be taken all apart and cleaned.  JiiVen though it was new tlu-:re was a lo. of rust insid   and out of it.  \’1G  got  that  all  fised  up  by noon.  I  took  the  boat  into  the  dock  to  get water and to get x-he galley r:nge checked, it was drawing a lot more juice than -L thought it should draw. When I went in at noon I found that we were the ready boat for the night but ‘that the 281+ was to get out of drydook and fuel in time to make the patrol but if they did not we were to take their place. About Qalf an hour before ‘oatroll time it was disooveres Lhat oneog the furl ptolps had gone bad and that there was gasoline all down in -the oil system of the renter engine.

PAGE # 130      .   \  We go-b theoil changed ancL a new pinap on “but in changing the fuel pum the engineer hacL knocked ogg the ground wire to the generator with his to foot. when It was  put beck on the generator would not run at ail.  The engineers tore, away all the electrical wiring circuits and checked.  L every one to seev?yhat was the niatter After two hours work one of than happened to kick that ground wirp again and this time it started. There ‘ was a short on thdi ground with that they had not found. After  it was   , taped up there wasj not any thing at all the. matter with the generator. That night I ‘stayfed on theboat andlet Hank and Bick go to themovie.j I gigures that siface we were theready fcoat I should take the responsibility of rbheboat and ge ting underway in a hurry so stayed right with the boat.                                                      ~ The 13^th I gdt the boat 811 cleaned up a new supply of water      j aboard and then went out to the buoy. At noon when Hank came out to BB i relieve me he told ne t-hat we were toride that night. The Cook was to   I meet him at the dock with the gro oeries about one thirty so he         1 stayed in a~ter that till we left for patrol.                         -  ‘ Lt Casebier was the section leader again. He was riding w.ith us.   \ This time he started to complain about his legs hurting before we got   I out of the harbor good. There was an ugly red streak going up one sid   t of it. Looked really bad.  I told him to go lie down that we would call him “’”hen ever we made any turns or of we ran into any thing.  He s~pt on the ofaatj? house shelf all night. There was a lot less rain than on theprevious patrol.  In fact we were neb bothered with being wet till about fo~ in the morning a: d after that we stayed wot till we g got back to base :  ..here was not a thing out in the channel that night that we could see,: not even a light, on  he beach. Thel4”bh we got back to base about ten in themorning.  I had hadtfae engineers drain ogt the forward tanks just as try as the engines TO uld take them. I had gotten an e.leotrioal pump to pump out all therest of the gas along “.”ath the accumulated :~edimentt that was in he tanks. After a while thereis a lot of that and it iiiBBns tha th~ engine’.-rs have to clean th6 gas filters about every tvro hours and that is pretty ::.angerous when w’e are on ;atroll ar.d they cannt secure the engines w’hile they are doing it.

The 1$ th w x’JipiK M Kwsa$xa1t~HIjEOOX t.’ord had come somehovr that there v.’ere barges to run from -.abal to the west  coast of new Ireland that night andthefollovang night. Lt Trimble w-‘as the senoir section leade: of the two sections that were to go look for them. we wereto get another night in.   ell as usuall I o t that the worS wT-!S wrong andt eCrr they vrouid not see any thing. T have no idea what the source of informtion is but we have had other tims like that and therenever has been any thing to cone of it. *hen th~  got in o~ the 16^th surely enough they had not seen any ghing but ~he iiabal heckler ~hich is a B~> had seen three of than leaving Rabal at the tiig that they were to have .1-eft. lie dropped a couple of bombs on them andr’-tney turned back. After ~hatt he lost them andnever could locate them again that night, i-heboats alathe Lrun Boats that were up in the area had hot seen any thing at, ail a I night long. The 17^th we s~ill thought, t at they might try it again. We were out with J-.1 ~ale~i1M?’~Dalton has the other section,  w<ell about midnighfc we w.’ere-atr;llini about e mile a “art. gallon J.adioed that he had on the radar and wisuaiiv soine barges, Lze had ju5t picked them u’ and was so PAGE # 131 cloae bha,fc he -wovlIcLIlave -bo—fc-back a-b oneewithou-b’our joining him.

~’Qil on t’n’t? firs-orun he exploded one of the barges that seemed to te carrying aiiiBiuiiltion. ‘rhere was another one tfrb was so close that he rammed it. The gunners depressed the guns all the way and hadthau trained right in that one. They could Bear thenips screaming as they went by. They did nob see that one sink so had to call it a probable.     ‘             ~ oetoTe t,h.ey maLOLe ~e firrit; r\]m. the ‘baa:Res ‘b.aQL O‘L\e~8h wiLp on them I did not know any thing about their even s eeing barges forl was off watch a dasleep at the time. U saw the first flEashed and heard the explosions and thought that there were shore batteries opening up on them. I knew that they were about a mile inshore from us We were about six miles out, they fourand the gun boats bout two.

Next run there were two barges talleyed up giving a total of three and a possible, -rhere was another one that escaped that they did not bother or rather do not th in~ so uness there were some stray shot We joined them then. It would have been foolfesh as black as it was to have attempted it while th~2v were all keyed up to shoot any think on sight. We searched for about four hours but never did see any thing of the one that got away of the one that they had raiacied.  It really looke like the fourth of july out there with II that ammunition exploding on the iiap barges though. It really was a bick night too. After they hadiinish :.d making runs t ey had to comeover bo where we were to pick up ammunition They had exausted the supply of 20mm and 37mm We gave them half of what w~:8 had to last them the rest of the:str un the 287 lthere was one shell that had gone through both the look lookers just aft of the two turrets, it had cli’opefl off the rs.dar cable on its way so t.hey had oo chrystal bail.  if they onehad been ab out a foot further forward it would hav? cleared out the cockpit the same as ;Ihe bofab ha 4: done on the same boat befoe. They had also gotten one all the way through the boat in the engine room. ‘riia$ hadieft two holes but that w’&s all the damage there. ihe 288 had a hole in one rack about three inches in diameter. J.he torpedo racks are made of 38 inch cold roll steel and there were two sections of that with this  three inch hole in it so they figured the barges had one pretty big gun.

There was abother hole in one of the gas tanks and that had thebLI flooded, with gas. It suited me just fine to hcve t e ring sid  seat to all oi-f that and not run the risk of getting ‘ny of this bunch hurt. We got into base about eleven on the 19^th. Before fueling we all e went to dinner and then I got all the gang bpck to theboet right straight feo t~at;;Bob_Ankers could get pictures of the boat for the year book that hie is working on. The 241 and 21+1} w’ere to make a lot of fancy maneuvers !for him. We got all that finished in time to get fcioni TC; i if-k.iTTygT back  to  teh meeting.  They were  to  get  theother  two  gas ta pumped out too.’. The 287 was sighted dead in the rater. They had run ou of gas on the wisy to fuel. They needed- a tow but e were not going to fuel till after:ge bin.:- the gad pum-‘-.ed out “o the 242 got them and took the7ii over to fuel. That night Ithere ~rE1SSS .::ail for us so I stayed in the hut “.”riting letters .ratheri’thGn g ing to the movies. The20th we .got all the boat cleaned up and ready for another patrol. \‘  also got a new automatic out off on the gefrigerator so that it will controll itself as to trie aniount of running -bine PAGE # 132 it wriLII have.

Thq-fc af-bernoon we were bol<3. -blia-b -we would no-fc have -bo make a pe-fcro bho and. that s-ui-bed lllighby fine.   There was to be a USO show here the 22^nd and all the boats we e to clean wlp for inspection  and the cleanest one w’as to go after the party and bring them over. The 21 se we started out to clean it up. There are several beats th have  just finished their oveThhul period who really look fine whereas we have been fo& ~xffltni*HiB twelve weeks now without any new paint at all  .

That afternoon at the meeting it was decided that we would deaw lo to see who would get the job andthen really have it shined up forthe >oooasion. We weBe to go out that night so I did not want to have to g get busy cleaning up theboat after a patrol when cleaning theguns was more important. ‘.. The 241 felt the same way. The 282 was the one chosem. That night, we were thelead boat with Joe But ;erworth as the section leader ridirg with us. The 24.1 and 277 were the other two boats in the section :I We were to make a -sweep up the east coast of ~ew lgiaton Britain aild another one down the west coast of New Ireland.  We finished all that at five in themorning having not seen a darn thi~se; all night. The hecklers over rabal had sighted a bsrge in Simpson harbo. and combed it but that was the only indication oflife in the whole area. The 22^nd we got to base about nine thirty. Hank and Dick took the boat to fuel w:hile I attended the intelligence meeting and later had chow. I went back to theboat ane let them Loth come ashore and told them to stay in for the USO performance. I told all the men that th~y could go to the show  but all the gunners mates chose to stay aboard and clean theijb guns. I stayed with thm though we did go into the dock to let every one that wanted to do_so attend the show. I wrote suilte a few letters while I was outthat afternoon.  That night I wont tc bed pretty ear~y. What with having a 7?atroll and then no na ii in the afternoon I was sleepy. Th-i 23^rd.I’ took the boat into the d ok . There was a platform to be fix-d on ,thebridge and we had a hatch that \’”&s off and needing re: repair. I staye’d wd-th the boat th~;  night too. TheBa-r was to hqve it’s official OTeningand  all drinks were to be free. I did not care for the drinks and figured that Hank ana Liok should both get a chance to go in for that. Thae 24-th wre were on patrott again. This timethe e were two section out. Alpine hacL ons section going to Area Uncle and we were with Blair in section Peter which in t e east coast of New Britain.

The 2$7 was the other boat in our section. Just ateout time we got to st: station their radar went out. Then we took thelead and ]ept it for the rest of the night w’ith “lair running things from the stern boat. All night long -there wasrain. It had rained the whole way oper there and then had not let u”. w<’e really spent a miserable night. The Ja Is were -vid :ntly all holed up for the night. L’he only thing that we  say was the other section straffing the bea about four in the morning. Just as ley finished they wanted a r-ondesvous wath us. One of the 50 oal guns had had a bblow back injuring one of themen. wJe had a pharnacist mate ‘ith us. They were to ha.vehaa. one too hub did not ut into the dock before le-av for the patroil. PAGE # 133 We headed for ther ncLesaous point “bu-fc abouthair w,ray -bhere .  they -bold us tha-b bhey did no-b need us. The exec on the boat with then had had three years of Med work and coulBk take oare of the situation. “ It was tine -&o comehome any how so we oarne on in getting to base  I about D900. They r:adi oed in for a Dr and an ambulance to meet than at ‘ the fuel dock to take the injured man to thehosDital.             If rained mo~tt of therest of the day and the lads had a timege& ttg the gmna all cleaned.        *                                        ‘ The 26^th when I got out to the boat the stern 20 mount was        I frozen. We went into the dock. It was evid nt that w  would have to    < get a new mount, ~y eleven we had taken the old one pff taken the      : new one 8n~art to clean it u? then jonstalled it on the boat. That night wie were out again, gallon was riding with us oin one section and Walker was -with the 2k3 in the other section. We were both going up aoove the Dule of York islands to patrol. That is a about 200 miles away and we do not have too much gas left after one of those. The sea was exceptionally rough that whole time.  w~e continually took over s”.:-ray and on top of that there was rain moat of thetime. when we got to bast the morning of t e ~7^th we strongly recoiaiaeina that no boats $O outthat night that no barges could navigate that sea and it would only mean a beating to the boats and crews to go over there.

There was a section to go out however. They turned bach after an hour of the -ounding. i’hat night w’p had toasted cheeze sandwiched galore in thehut.  I nust have eateD.’?;sis of -bhem. i neveryet have turned dovn any thing that was good to; eat. The 28^th it was still raining. The boys hadgot-Gen all the guns cleaned the [Bay before, i’h~ were all stored in theengineroom though with hOT’es that t-‘.e rain ‘.ould st  ~ so that all the coses coula be cleaned.  Well we’:ha<i l;oi;ahe tl,ecasess off of the laounts andget them under bhe tarp ana. clean them. That took ail m.:.rning. .besiiie~  hat &he boad got a pretty good cleaning a”.i over. Life rackets” and rain gear are all soaking. If there is no smn soon w.’o  w’il-have every thing  waterlogged. That night thr patrols that w’ent out made it. a-t seemed that all the rain hod beaten domi the high waves a good bit. “arore they got back next norning bho the rain had .’topped and the seas were as high as ever. l’heyi w.-e-re plenty oeatlto before theygiSt into base. J-‘he  29^th   the  boat w.’a.s  broughtinto  the  clock  to  .et  one  of  the torpedoes checked.. Ti-.ere had been s ::1 r’l7t blast of sir through-bit wher. the  ressure las being checkea. J.twas sui’ilcient to fire  he ignitor and unlock the ‘..,yro  though ana ..hat had fo be fixed, ‘rhen too the was a hatch off ..hat had. ..o be. ..lxeci.. J-hat t ;olr most all.... ay.

I’ilat night  fah’::  atloill:  were  again tlurnea  b.’-.ck.  ‘i-hst meant  a n extra night in and it  lased auite ~ bit. .J-he  30^th the SU w’as  called  into  the  i-<oek to hf-.ve  th   reefer checked, another hatch re’x’ired . when the orders cai.e out we were ready b at. Tr;.ey had taken one of theboatp t’:c-t had :,  :n on thc’list of the’reciou night out of coni:.israon for ov rhc- l... il-.et  er.ini, thet one ofthe reserves hacl to go.           ;                  , ihat niCcl?t hi’l’p.  a trolls w.’er-e tvmned bach agr~in.. Tl-e seas w..re jui-“t  too  darn  rough.



134 Yage.~St 34 uotober ls-b we were not on -bhelist for pa-broil againJ-t seemed bha-b -bhe skip””er “”as trying warious combinations of boats to see if Jie really could get a  patrol through to the areas.  J-t  suited rae too not to have to go t’e seas were really terrible just looking at them from the bluff  above the base,  a. saw one ramp lighter go out Curing the day and it nearly swamped. J.I         was too rough and tpo w$t to  get any  thinfe done on theboats but a minimull of goleaning, i’6 boat seems to  et dirty no matter what the conditions a,re i.iost of the orev-? stayed aboard even at meal time rhe lighters that: took every onein for chow went under about as much water as they w’enifc over and that meant that every onfegoat soaked, ihe is plenty of food, aboard for them though to live on as long as they aren not doing any work to amount to any thing.

Oot 2^nd we were on thelist to make a patrol. it Butterworth was the section leader of one of the sections, -the oje that we were in. “e was to ride the 244 that night,  alpine had the other section. it was still rough. J- did nt like it at all to have to go when we were not dut. rt ;seemed to ::.e that  the boa’.s that had been turned bao should keep on till they had completed a.  atroll. well after we had gotten out about an hour’s run the seas seemed to calm down a but. ,hen w’e did not have any excuse to turn back. y the time that we got to the channel we were in calm water, ~hee moon w’as bright, there were no clouds or rain and we had a wery nice natroll. .-t  three  in .the morning w.’hen I  cane  on watch cioe .DUttterworth was so tires thatj,he turned it over to me and went to sieep. n  five.

thirty I left thei-‘area end headed for hone. e gotin about ninetl ;ct 3J<3- we gP~ oil theguns cleaned, massed up a.nd ready for the next ope,  ihere y”a.s a hatch broken on the patroli that had’ to be  epeired. -.hen too there was ‘a switch on oneofthebatteried that had broken. -~ mild afternoon -fahose itemes were taken care of and the coat was back at, the buoy.  -eantiBie I .had gotten a good nap.

,    uot 4tll It wjtQS decided that three of the boat captains ~oul  be made seotioh leaders, ,neof them was me. ..e are to keep the job of boat coptain and when .he boat rides w. w-ili po along as the section leader, jhat will get it on myrecords  that I was a section leader while out then if JL have a chance -ho cone back out ...r rather if ihave to coma out again  I will get a chance to be a sefation leader rather than Id.ave to look after oneof the beats 811 the tirB as hr-!s  been the  case  so  far.

J-hat night I wTQ.S to go out as section leader for the first tine.

,he 241 was thesecong boat wi&h us. _..e were going u’o of george channel andpatrol the wast coast of New Ireland, ..here -was to be anot section north of us.  hen we cleared the harbor there was a big wibration on >:.he port shaft of the 244 hut I was determined nob to let it go back forthat. bout half an hour :.ater the sane engine rewe u? and theover s.eed cut out trip ed it. J.nves igation showed that there was no power at all i’fter it had De:n started, ihat ia ant that it had thrown a screw.

i transferred, to the 241 and called out the ready bacoat, -rhe 24-4.  returned,  to  base   oUEtt as we got on station I decided to do a liL3lee heckling of th .-nemy with mortar fire.   e fired three rounds l’rom the 24.1 and on t the third round t’i.e gunner iiao. rui.ibied anadro ped the shell down the mortor. ehad not gotten his nand away in -iirie ar-d nso- go,~n the J-age # 135 index fifager on his right hand nearly -born off. -L looked at the wound.

J.t was ugly but n,ot bl ading much so i food narry ~,lnder the ,oat  ca]:’t ofthe 241 to go bandage it up. rrbout five minutes later JL -tfa ought it a- good idea togoridown ana see how they were coming, xhey were trying to geta  tourniquet around his arm at the wrist and there was guile a debate about putting it further up his arn. l had them get it off altogebh y  grabbed a container of oulfa powder and sprinMbed & all over the wound then bandagea it up with gause. -thought -that he would feel better with a littel brandy  since t ere was a certain amount of shook; but not enough to be- giving him plasma, r,arry opened up the brandy mixed it with water and handed it to the man. ~.e handed it back ac;:” Go ahead rue winder, J.OU have some riTirst”. Harry took a liberal swalow handed it to one of theother two men that were down there helping him and finally the injured man got a sip.

.e took him up o~ deck  and  got  him comfortable  on a mattress w-ath a couple of blankets over him. i.ater harry .-.ave nila a shot of morphine, +,e then went to sleep.

About that time a rBY came over. -.1 was theone that was to wYlO~k with us  that  night.  JL  told him to go  on u”-  -co  the i.orth section and tell them to rondesvous with us at 0100 to let us g nave the pharmacist mate that they had aboard, a. wanted him to look t the raan in case :.here was soi-ething else that could be done ‘before w’e got back to base. -i-t was then nine at night.

“e made the’arondesKOUS and ingetting the isan aboard the waves slaismed the boafiS together moving over th -i;or: -do ra.ok of the 241 about four inches. J-hat woulcL have to be fixed next morning.

..e then got’ the JJDY to  drop bombs on  several othc~rr  piaoes instead of going’ in ourselves and mortaring,   .-hen too we had thori chack severa  riyers along the porting of the x?aost that we were “atrolling to see if they had water in &hela’of if they weae dry.

*e got  to  base  about nine  on the  fth.  J-hey had the 244 in the chute fixings to raise it in the dry ..ook.  ~fter the inteiligai oe report J- w’as Lola ..hat the 244 “’ouia have to ride that night   ‘ut that -i- could shay in if J. wanted to. .-ell -  had net gotten any sleep the night .fore so thought it a. good idea to stay in.

i~ight a ft a-  dinner -L went dovm to the dry dock and they were going out all coiapletea. ~. new shaft had been put in theold one lad tw tristed J.n two ibout a foot ahead of the madtaBS.  screw. It had not damegeci the rudder however in coming ouo. J.   went    back    to    the    hut    and   went    to    sleep,     -i-hat    w:~s    at    &v.        .  u   the afternoon, ~.t two thirty ..ank came in “nii wrjjrj me up to tell me that tJ-ey had uade a speed runand that ever  thing was okay. a. could not go back to seeep ~.foer &ha.t.

J-hat night we had the movie Marriage -s a private affair with iiamia J-urner, -Lt- !Tas uo ~ave hau it world’s premjer here and we all were - u~iag rorward to seeing it. -i-t really was a goon Oiie uuu.

JL  was  certainly  dead  tired  afoor    ,h&t  and   did  net   turn  over  even  aL I night  JLhe 21cL~ ...:n.aot have  uoride after all that night.

~he Oth <3 -.ere on thelist to ride and J. W8S to be the section 3e leader again, ihepatrolis -on.. night before had found, it too i-ougn to :     l’acter   than   idling   s-peeci   the  wrhole   nighc   Oil   i-tation      that   was   aboufa nine knots,  o bc’r~ ci.;uld nave operated in that sea neither could





rage V 136        ;  -

 iTs effectively, well Triiable had. one section, it was a nail nu hour ahead of us afad about, an hou-r.- out he -burned around, lie had go-bten a gunritsl knocked off of one boat and a splash rail off another, t.e had gotten a hunk of splash rail  off. Lhe seas were about ten feet hight and there vas  about a 2$ knot vind. Going inno -che seas there -was a constant wall of water coming in over t eboats.

..e both  brought  the sections back to  base. .-he 7^th -i- took the 244. over to  fuel early uo replace the gas -that “c iiad used u’) the afternoon before in case we are out again, it is pre ty certain that we -will be out again too. -.he rest of the morning J.  haa  tT;   boys  check  guns  get  all  the  mortor  amnu~it onn  stowed  in  the      • ready boxes that we have aboard and get things all battened down for another try. That night we w-re out again. The 281 was to be in my section brfe at the last nin-ate they had broubles and could not  o. The 280 was the ready boat but they hao no fish-on- one side and could not leave et. The 2~33 had to go. They had no chow» the 281 had cooked and eaten t ho. rs and we had dra-m steaks rorthe night. The 280 had only iialf rations &incd they were the ready boat. After half an hour ae3iay we finally got staroes Bud trinble had theother section. It was ahead of us. They had found chat the seas were not as rough as the previous night arid had aeoided to

try it. The seas ~’ere not as rough till we b’Ot to i.he ohaniiel b-ut t ~

if-t r~]  f~\      ;t      “• •  iA  £~1 r.~.’- f~ ~  i   ~-       ri -;-‘  -  <”’~i-‘     1;.7 ~•-.     r-i  •~  r’i       <-.- ••A•









136 bottom  first

chat tne sea.s were not. as rough as -bhe previous night and had. deoided to try it. The seas 1”ere not as rough till we i~ottt to •&h8 ohamiel but t BJJ surely naae it Miserable aft-CJ.- we (iia ~efc there. All nigh-b Siong vre rollea back and fourth. I expected overfs one to get sea sick but soi:-ehov” i;  :ey ~E: eciii “D keep falieir cookies d.o•wn suiiielBT. I aranic about h~lr P a gallon 6f eoffee thst was so strong Ln t  it had a taste of varnieh. I aanaged to stay awake all ni~;lrt :-ii h no trouble after that thep. On the ~ay in the 8^th  v’e hit sone ~raves,’thattt iam.st have been ten feeb high £’t least. The boat sseiu-ed ID oolapietely clear ti.e water aft; r ve hit soi.Leol’ ;iiose. Every thing in bheorew’s qi~ar-cersT;a.s aurnpecs. out on the floor. I haa oone belOT~ st six in the ra~rningto try to geta little sleep but it r&s too rough for bhst I had to spend the -whole timehanging on to thebunic.l finally ga.ve it up an  caia;, back topsid.. You can 081 t.~t br’at afternoon I really sle~t like ‘u log.  G-ot up ‘S.or su•.er then ~eiitttt to the w..•7i:. -Khich ~:t~ SS pretty 801-.-~ anc>. I lefb that to get back ;O bed. The nineth we got every thing all cleaned up on bheboat and ail stet to go out that night but vhen i.he ord-irs came out vre v re. not on th.’.list. ‘T”e co-‘. nodor’e v/as to conie u? next day 8.’ :d ever.  oneon r.heba.se v.’as bus$ cleaning u:.-: for his visit. That night I vant into ;ile ‘srdroo’. for .-. highball before supper. i had twoancL s±ter suppe-L cano back c-nd had seven more. By the ‘ciiLLe f.rth( yaovie I vl.s really feeling great. Oh I could still .avigate and ia& contri of all lay senses bLit  ).c.l•e T/as a GaretB~e~  cittitude that did ~ot think of the headache that v as to I; ilio~ next aay.  I vaant to theiaovie but ie£t. It T~dSSSS lousy. I went to sleep after that snddid not hear any cf tileo-~f; rs ( coiae int  the hut  bPat night. The uorning  i’t’e 10^th l had ~ couple of aspirins first thing and. s after ge ting coffee i’el’.  reL.ty good. 1 0.3.0. not i:-:o ou& to the boat that morning h”..””Gver. Figured t:..at it “’”oulu be  better to go buck to slee-o sgaii,.







136 bottom second copy

s•urei,y 133.0.6 I’D i:iiser8.Die aiGer we a-ia :~  Cii re. All night Siong v/e rollea baolc and i’ourt,li. I expected over$ one to get. sea siote 0X11, so~-eho·:::: ~r:OjTT J:.£ged “o  keep their cookies doym soijielBr. 1  0.1-81110  about  I-u.ll”  a  gallon 6f  eoi’fGQ  that  was  so  strong  tat   it had a taste of varnish. I mnaged to stay awake all ni~h-iii vd-th no trouble after that -ohep. On the VJay in the 8^th WQ nit soiae -“Taves, hat ism.st have been ten feeb high £’.& least. The boat seeiaed ID coinpletely cleer tj..ev•’ater aft~r w hit soi;Leof ~i?ose. Every thing in Gheorew’  quarters ~as Q.uiaped out on the floor. I had cone below at six in the i-aorningto try to ge.ta little sleep but it v-as too rough i’or thet I had to spend the whole timehanging on to the bunk. I finally ,ga.ve it up an  cam”; back topsia. . You can oet t:-‘t tr’at cirti:rnoon I i-ef:lly sle;:tttt like u log.  G-ot up &oi- su...er then ~eiit to the ia~vi.. v~lich was pretty so.i--.-y anu I left that to get back ;o bed. The nineth -we got svery thing all cleaned up on fcheboat and ail s6-b to go out that night but ‘.hen bhe urd-,rs caBie out we v.’ re not on th.’.list. T”•e coiiiodore ~i~SSSS to coriie up next day ci;.d ever.. oneon ~hebase VIEIS bus$ cleaning ui. for his vis-it. That night I rant into uhe “srdroo.. for i: highball before supper. I had two aJ.’c-. s±t&r suppe-L cano back c.r.(i had seven iiiore. By the tilie f rth( Hovie I vl.s really feeling great. Oh I coulds-till .avigste and ba(L contrt of all lay senses 00-1  ·:  v’ciS a Cetret~aa  attitude that did got think of the headache that v as to =’ollo~ next o.ay.  I vmnt to ttieiaovie but le£t. It was lousy. I went to sleep after that anddid not hear any of theoth~rs ( coiae int  the hut b.”at night. The ilJorning  r t”e 10^th i had c-. couple of aspirins first thing and a after ge ting coffee i-el”,  rr-ei;ty good. I did not ;--,o ouo to the boat that morning h”..- “sver. Figured tl.. ttt it v•ouli•• be  bettor “io go bt.iok to sleep sgaii..







136 first attempt?

s.S G~L I G w o:].Ye.Ly  W&J.J. ~L~ PLVI-B LlB~X ILF~CBo~iVIVLI J.U ~aa iiour ahead, of us afacl about an houl- out he turned arou gotten a gunnel knocked, off of one boat and a splash ne had. gotteu u honk of splash railcff.

J-he seas were about ten feet hight and there was knot wind, C-oing inno the seas there was a constant w coming in over t eboats.

..e both  brought  the sections back to  base, he 7^th J- took the 24.4 over to i’ue-L .iarly GO rei ‘ti  had  used  u’;  the  afternoon  before  in  case  we  are  ou pre ty certain that we will be out again too. ..he res .L  had  ‘c- e  uoys  check  guns  get  all  the  mortor  aiam.u~it ready boxes that we have aboard and get things all ba another try.

That night wew.-re out again. The 281 was to be i: at t”e last ninute they had -.roubles and could not :o the ready boat but they ha’:, no fish-on, one side and c The 2A.3 had to go. .They had no chow, the 281 had cooke and we had dravm steaks .’.or the night. The 280 had onl they were the ready boat. After half an hour ae3iay we Bud trinble had ~’ ocl- e.r section. It w.’as ahead of us. ‘ chat the seas were not as rough as the previous night try it. The seas were not as rough till we ,”;ot to &h8 su’el~ i:-iaQ.e it His&rc’ble afoer we aid r  t.~6re.

All nigh”: iiong wre roilea back cina i’ourth. I expec get sea Eick ‘bv:’c. so’-.-Qiw” ;- ;;JTT .-;. ;j;eCL “o keep their coo I drank about h.-ir e gallon flf eoffee th,t w!as so stro get sea aiok ‘bu.fc soi.-ehov” ~ey ‘a:.-, tllli :o keep their coo I ai-anic about ct1:-.lf t gallon 6f eoffee fcLi;::t wras so s-bi’oi had a tCiSte of warnish. I i-.anagea to stay awake all ni=.

,rouble ai’ter thtit ;;hcro  On the w~;  in tne 8^th  re nit soiae w7aves,that laasb high -o least. Thg boa-c s  eiae ctl ID colilpletely oleer tJ..e hit so].eof aose. ~voi’y &nin5.irl bheci-e~’ EEEEE 1.~1-1018 was out on th& floor. I had coue belov7 at six in the iu-‘rnin little leep but it “c:s t”:.’o rough i’or i’.hetihaci to spe tinehanging on to the bunk. I finally ~i:ovee it upan  Q-i

You can Uet -o. r-fc ‘u;::lib ciftv-rnoon I really sie’- “i, ii u-“  fior  su    er  fchenl;”’enb  to  -hne  ia-vi..  ~l,ich  w~as  iare~’uy that to ~ctttt ‘oool: ;o bed. The nineth tvet~ o-fc every thing all cleaned up on b to ~o out thf-t night “but ‘.hen ‘.-he Gi-a-~’s conie ou.t w.’e w bh:.list T.’e oo.’no~oi-e wras to cons u’o next. day ~.’d ever- busg; cleaning u:.. i’or his wisit.

That nie~t i ;”Q:i;it into ..he ‘ ~i-ca’oo  i’or i highball _ ha.a two &.:.. s.i.Gor su’.’.pe-.  oai.~.- back t 1Ci haa.  seven uoi-e uovic i w~.s really feeling gi’efat. Oh. I coula .-tiii . av of all ray senses b:-..t  ~ c.-e ~LSSSS a ccirefE~s  attitude th the headache thatsV’as to =i 110”;;; next o.ey.  i waant to t It “’Kis lousy. I wr~nttt to sleep after that and.ai& not hea coi-ie int   the hut  o.at ni~ht.

The Moi-ning  .i’ t.e 10^th I had L. cQuple of aspirins after ge ting coffee i’el-,  rei;ty gooci.l &iia nut ,”o ou that inorninf- h”ever. i”il-“UJ~:eu. tat it -oul~: be  bettor

I     PAGE # 137 ‘{ ~~S~                 ~aa”a B                   ~ac~ 1 10~~Baaaaa ~o-~ to gee ~Taatttt ~5> t’ne \~tar ~\~atssssssss dook. The 281 had been outboara ancL had been cut loose. It was drift ig along and smoke wa~ coining out of it along the iniddle. It was afire. The ramp lighters went sourryingout tovard it. There ware three men in the water that had jumped over the side. One lighter picked -diem up and theother two tied to the 281 to nudge iton out of the w.ay inoast it blazed up and there was danger of catching fire to any thing else. The   .’ men were still aboard the 281  evidently .hey had let loose the 0~2 in the engine room and there w’as not too much danger of the fire spreading.

The lighter cane i::: with those that they had picked up. One had his ~hol e face and arms burned severely. The skin was hanging off .of one arm and hand where j he had cought a line to be lifted on ti.e lighter. j-e  was  a  horrible-sight.  The  other   had  not  had  much  clothing  on  andhad been burned on the;.. chest and legs severly.  Both were out in a truck andrus to sick bay. Just btrout that time the commodore arrived. It was not wase to mention it to bin till all the facts were at hand. No one knew how t-ne < explosion took pla~e. The 281 “as pl.ished out to a buoy and tieS up. Ten CO, bottles were turned loose in the engine room nd then every one taken off oftheboat. That was all that~ could be done to save theboat any how. Tha ooiiimoaore’hadjust go.->;en settled ashore when soi-.e one thougtr sy blew the all clear signal on the seirein a.nu then things had to be explained to him.? If was only a slight explunation though. Aft r dinner t-ne tv-o men had to be tak~n over to the other side of th< lake to the big hospital there and probably later carried by plane to G-uadaloanal where they have thebesb of l’lecl.ioai aias o t here. That night I had a section going to area Uncle. w’ood had one to the south of us. The seas were pretty rou h but not enough to turn back. ‘ I had a gun -boat ~;1 ng andt ey had gotten both their rc0rara guns broken in the seas and w;anteo- to turn back. I thought o.ifrerently though. I squak louder than any o e else here when J. have to ride w-hn it is not my turn and didnot see any sense in ie ting th<ai turn back. Likely there would not been any thing sighted and they had seven sets of 50081 gims if there was .1 it DIOO On thellth we coralJences  a  southers BW’..:ep. As we  came  so uth we dro ped mortar shells along the ‘ ‘hole coast of the area and in one place even strarfect the beach. We made quite a lot of racket an-.-.if Tilere , “.’ere any  japs along  ohat caast they  surely got their  sleep disturhe~.. V’e g>t back tU base at 0900 on the II ;h ancL -.-ere told that there was i no fuel available. The army was working on ‘theruBl aock find we could not, i get in.            ‘ That afternoon I fepent the whole time trying to rig u:’ a fan ror the officer’s quarters’ on the 244. The ola onehad jusl”, ‘...ieSS of old a,: ~ That pi-eve:, fed K.e fror- getting any sleep though. I w nt  oo  b d tnat night abenii seven though and slept for 12 hours without waking. The 12^th of October t.ere wts still no fuel ..11 morning. I took theboat t  the dock cbuut ten in wheliiorning to get uiiJiiunition to replace what we-‘ had used ui- Zj; day Lefore.

PAGE # 138 That afternoon we furled just as soon asth.efi.ret”erougot back from chow. We were to gq on patrol.}, that Y, We were in the section of three boats going to~ south .-Peter, ~t SpediSsan -was the section leaver and we were  e’thir~b9&ti in”the seotion. ‘r*’                       \ . Just as we arrgggaa on station there was a bright glow on the beach. I was all for going ‘in and trying “to sprea~that light around with a little gunfire butihe thought tht_ t was a fcrap so out we stayed. Pretty soon thePBIftamein-tio the area. tie’frst maLde a sweejp up the uoa t for us and outsiae our aliea””cgcg the north he foucia barge that was on thebeach that was not kn0r:n to be there. Well we tore”-up there wide open..Jit was still there and wth’th.e aidof’-.hisflarea weM~:l:laed quite a.bitTof ornmuni .ri$ht into it.If it~ereservioa~ie before        thlre..it;was~ftrely out of oolalnissgran;”whenwe’le3?tWe~’saw no s~l*of lit”e.tle-Wiol~time that we were arourid.:lth.ere._’ .   .J.”’  “&!,..  “,.. ..-.’l-“lt.’  II: After’thr~erilua~$$ we’ stai’ted backdown tK~ 00~~111 11.~,81~’ an a~ea ~oo mortor and twoto~trafe. When-wegot to t~it:loall.:~~laortors that wehad, Thet~!tal nuiober for the seoti~3.Sfl~~~a hunliel. Then we straffed and ~raffea . There was wery lille~Bli.ni~  lefI~Jen we got back to.bas~that morning. --   -. “~-“: lc!i,- ‘~ill~  .””~~ 0nth~’ way’inl”notioed that the d ok boarda.”3.li.s.SllaMlcCTt&”’ .

quarters were roving wertically about two inched w.ith every wave that we hit.That;mdantthat we had some framed cracked.           < When we”’g<ittobasel Eepotted it. We were to go out f comission right awayandllhQP.~anted to w~ait till we gwere ;n the oVerha.ui period before doipLgaAy thi ;’abQUt uhose frames.        .   ‘       “   The IZt.’tlQ:ltook “~ the deck boards in the officers q:aa.rtersand l..unt d that ail- six frames On the starboard side,of the boat were ‘broken in two.  I figured that ~hey must, have been cracked when TK& the boathit,the reef.las-i; novembera~dhad w-aited till now to give wt~y .  I tola’ the repair officer that I “TOulil not tc’k’.. it out in that condition. weil he called up a~deot..;”eriais.lioElfor:Me to go out of conmissionand ssart undoing the engines. We wro~k~fl.all clay long on that. Ead \v? b een E:bl ;; to ‘start the day before, w’e. could ~ave.ha tnat job ail finished but starting at nearly noon me~nt”that”Vre~otl6””il’.t -,oesibl3r get chimo-ugh. Thoi too about a aozen bolts flad to ,.e chiseled off. ‘-i-‘hey’had go’tt~i corroded andwere. frozen. Tils fj.fteenth ~bbb were towed over to fci1~~raBe barge ‘to have theegines I-aulecL o~’c::: The ‘engineers-f.ii3..5a~cL,~e-G~.ng;.-tti<6l-i’all unhitched and &11 ut  the generator ~~r~ hatlied out.                                         B    i Right after lunch-iWe ‘-ere lowed t6’ L;her~trin clock -wheres’.. egenerator, oil torpedoes and all ‘the ~E!n’s~ear was-Gakon off theboat..l had arranged for all the men to slee~? ashore -“hile “7e wrer~fll !!e dry dock- t~e got ail the guns u~tD..4~.e arr:iory\t’”-o so t~atthey’coulci”cheok~’so:’e”of the parts that wJ-e ~oniat-‘~have the tii-~ oreo’uipt’~er; ‘to’cheok”5.n ouro-wrisieaning wao cror c..          i             ..”J.l        ..     . “1’- 2 wertQvert:lebofc~ ‘lt]~~J~Shinat’roa”t,o~2.lakeout8.1:.stlc?ff all ,he .h  IR E  $~t.-il~-eQed tD  be 11611 “ It w7asouitea.si~abi3onnnn too.

V~eFE:-int-I:::: dry o.oo1jby d,  by four had g0t.ton’the’boat..s.he i.est of-lkhe ~cy stl’ffYGff, tiling ofi”alllth~’sear thet renained~board on ifhe cat walk around the ono;e of &3.s!!~ry L:ock. he i6..t~ the engineers, ~all sta.yf:a in .the billed tilev’hol:e !iY .  I .’ad all I b~y-on -bLeir !-? u:!it Si; .:’ : :y  ayerte.-iail th : ~e-ecra-ed e-nci ‘.”’       PAGE ~139                “’ The carpenters star-bed to work on the broken frames, to putting shelve in the crews quarters under the bunks. The eleotrioian started to pulling out the radios, radar, refrig,ra.tor motoi-, ail blower inotora etc.  By four thirty tbut afteri.oon T,hero was really a lot of process too.  I had all eight of the seamen that a-i’e assigned to the dry dookv.orking on the sides and  otton. There was a Bosun in charge of them andit looked as if I would not have to contribute at all to getti-g the bottom and the sides all .finished ~L;his time. The i7’bh They ‘.~8.0 gotten about through w.lth all the gu nnels. The guns were just about finished, ..’he engine room bilges and bulkheads were all clean and two of t~e torpedo racks wrere conpleted. I aade arrangements that day to have the pajl’nt rea.dynext dabe in the spBayer for the bilges after the forward tonk rom, they we-e all cleaned and dJy. ..’he carpenters were not through in the “crews quarters. The lowing cable had been brushed, painted, and roiled up again. All the r0;7e looker “”ins cleaned out and ready for p~int. The 18^th we got the rust chipped off of the gear in the rudder room while the engine ~oorr; was being  ainted and by night had gotten the interi of theboat frora engine roon aft painted except for the inr-er bulkheads that were to be hand painted w’iih a b-tter gade of w.’a. nt, one “.hat would stand ‘oshing with :OQu c.hdv’ater. All orpecio rscks  ere .-inished, ..’he bott , had had tyro -ec oats of paint and had only to ue sanded after t-.e last-coat, the side6 had ‘..een ::P~int dddd one tiliie. The crews quarters anaorfic quarters bilged ~er,s all dry l’or -8int nest norning a:nd t. e desk hsid been cleaned off and reacly for -aint nest morning.  The car.eters Y.er.’ through ‘-ith the shelves in the cre-ws quarters and the ins allation of sister frames alongside the old cracked ones that were lei’t inthe boat. The 19^th we got the forward :art  f theboat sprayed inside, the .whole deck sainted, :he bottor- sanded, The 2 .th we rptowed all the w..-.t.r that was possible then got the washable ‘:’aint on~he inner w-alls t -.e -“mole ‘boat bh.’.t :I.’:t  e.~ all day job. w~e still ~-su the deck inside the boa  to “aint. The 21^st we gdl ail t,he finishing -:oughes o  theinteriorof the cc&t ‘ which inoludea a ~reen triu for t;. ‘-ev~hoie boat. All ~earrrr w~s reloaded so t:’.at we wovid  be --~ady to  ..e l.owereo. out  c-‘”  sry dook next morning.  The ;>j..nt 5- ; sid   was -3~.11 wet ini I—i..r  :.o have t;~ crew live ashore an extra “ay after we.” CTO out of t~e GOC.:”. The 22^nd we w~re “~:k”:n out of dry dock and tied alongside the.i-lein dock till divner tj~-e. wJc ot  ~11 theguns bo k aboard, they had to ail be cleaned f’nd beci-qecl ~.gain. ‘rhere is no taking and risks of having a mishap by trustil~~so~eo e wise ‘.o ~w ~~n back to ~eth-r co.:-reJtly. That afternoon we we~ :.to\:.ci ?ilon.’.;.”-id- tlie crene barge to have theneww engine dro’i’-ed insid  the boot. T:”.ot elong w-i    -‘uttine o new generator in tool: all afte.:. noon* 1::a’e n. ~ w~e t,ook th~ boat  ut to a bu:y and. left it. That is therirKt tine ti.ct it has been 1”...tao.t so e one aboard “’hile i-t a buoy -Bince ‘S. ieve ha.a it. It would have only rieunt getting the -aint all chi:’”pe‘i u’      have  soi.ieone cay  out  ~j-.re ‘i-Gh it  and I  diil not  think t  at there- was any danger of u’ving u’y bhing seriousl;  ha pen ;o it enyhow. We got word toc~ that t”e second an th t ha.’ been brnea in tha engine rooEl fire on the  Si h’ac. ‘.i<?.& and. ‘~e wrei’e to ha e thechicif ..ngineer go a~a’j to act as a  ~”.” ,, fm  ii’i. PAGE 140

    The 23^rd we were towed “back to tihe dock for the day. There we got. the ‘ torpedoes back on, and continued work on butting doen the new engines, Most all of theold hose connections had been torn they wer  so old andrott and they had to be renewed. They started to reinstall all the electrical ,’ gear too. That afternoon they finished with all the deck hoards for the crews quarers too andi got one of the ship fitters ~ovlrr. to help laeasure the crews quarters for battleship. I enole-urn. I really did want to doll’ that place up.       ~                            ~

   That night we were lowed back to a buoy. There are a lot of storms abo about this tilne of the moon  ach month audit is not safe at all to be at  ‘ the dock during one of ihose .  Part of the crew was back aboard this tirae ‘ tho and we would et least have a vi?atch section. The generator was running  , again and they could have lights  out there.                                ; The 24^th we got back to the dock .’bout the tiiae that a storm broke. I-b was not wise to try to get  a beatalongsioe to tow us out for it woul do more damags than leaving bheboat along and letting TQ.S take care of it wi additional fenders. Two of th  engineers got seasick that were worki g down in theengine rooia the boat rolled so much. we got the lenoleum install in the crews quarters and things there were beginning to look mighty nige, The engines still had ouite a bit to be done on theia before they would be ready to run thoo.

    The 2$thWe finished gtting all theradios, radar, fluxgate,blowers etc back in the b it. Then too all tha~_ as lacking on the engines that nite was getting water in  ne engine and the solenoids connected to all three of them. We v.’ould be able to r n then in that c.fternoon for sure. The run in was to begine at 1200 so I missed the boat on that, I had stayed with the boat till tjhe to go out for the run in then had to get d inner and go to the afternoon meeting.

    The boat had made 2100 HPL during  he run in which is darn g ood wi h a full load of gasoline.  There was one engine too thct hsa not been running smoothly. It seemed that the tising wa& not correct .her- sr:d there were soraeof t; e exhaust plugs that were not firing properly.

    The 26^th we came icto the dock ana put ofr t/eenginBUB with the points a d the exha-ust “lugs ‘&o gt t,-.eJ-‘oriiier syJichronixed anc. tn(.. latter replaced. While he ‘as doing that I took tn  boat t  fuel. V- cl .had used up abc-ut five hundred gallons the day befor-, in the run in.

    That night we were in the section going to area -Peteer. The Australiand were conducting night fighter operations over r-.abal a.’d all t71r lanes that lad been” orking “ith us wer- ordered to scay clear of the area. ‘ e did not kno  where they were coi-iing from, Y-‘hat their radio frequency was or any thing about them. About half on hour after we got on station here came a riane over us. It circled off anf uhen came back vd.th the runni lights on.We do not know till yet if it was an Aussie or a Ja-~,,,, Later on in the ~atroll we stratfed the  each in s couple of places. Occasionally we capture a J 1:7 JJiary tl’iattells of a lot of “aps getting killed by ,he boats indiscriminate stra ting. Suess it is a little disconcerting to be straffed anyhow, ~e doknotr that there are known positions at the points uJ.et we do strafe.

     Coming in on the 26^th we  got the boat u? to 2-;-00 RPM in about five minuted that we >-ad it wise open.. That is abot 40 knots.

 PAGE~ 141 We spent the rest f tbe day getingthe gunS all cleaned, tihe boat fuelecL.               < The 2tfth -when I got out to the boat the bat eries were stone dead. There must be a short somewhere in the boat that has not been found as yet. We could not start the generator evenby the hand crank. We got the boat lowed in to the dock where they brought down two batteried to get the generator started. After that wie s-wj-tched to our dead batteries -‘here they could be built ~ again. By mid afternoon they were high again.

i’he  search for  the  sliort  in th” Biring  system failed to show any thing. I resolved to have all the switched out off each night oill wie could fibnd it though.             I That night we. w.er” in slie harbor agi-in.

The 29^th they Ojalie.d us back t o the do ck early to check the boat some more. The reefer man was dovu most of the day getting thr right amount of freon in the unit> and shocking to see if there were a short the e somewhere.           When theord rs ~ame out we w-re on the list to sake a patroli but when Qmdr Smith saw tS-.e orders he re interpreted them to read that we were to send only two boats lout and that left us out a,’:.a.in. ‘L’hat suited me okay    : too.

i’he 30^th we got most all of che reports u? to date and all set for another -natroll bt ‘that night we were in again.

The 31^st eve-y thing was looking fine. About ten thirty though the -.ngineers reported a battery switch had just gone bad so I took the boat ri ht in”othe oook to {.:et tht-..t cecked. “hey o-o.not want our engineers lookig into things like that at al  so I just call the clectrioia all the ‘cine. ‘J.’~.ey w re bo check ttie wiring on the Jiefrigerato.i:- again too for thp.re had been a oou;”-le of rises blown the previous night.

That night there -v-ere two boats out. “*e w.&r~ one of them. For not any apparent reason’~ho::e wQS a section leauer rising witii us. ‘~ka t suib me fine though for it,.’nean-fc -bh.t I wou-i; get nure sleep. Toia Dal-co n was the section leader.’Tlie night ~Innnc ;l n and really ;-:eL:utiful. The m-on v-as so bright  : of w”e c uld alraost count t~e. o coanut trees frolu about tv.’o miles  off  the  heach  so  we  stayed  out  that  fa.r.    Did not  eve’   see  a light the w’hoYe night and there is nsually cne or two lights GnyhOT’ that flash on as if 80!Iie. tj’~ “.”ere lighting a cigarette. The fir’.t of Hover-iber w.-hen \”e got back to base I took the. boat to f-EBl w-hile Dick i’d  Toin tcok care of theintelligence uoie that norning.

After fuElling I got t-he eiectrioiain down on t>-e boat bo see whe-t coula bedone about a cou~;lle of T  conle ters that T;Jere- out ad to get the blower in th  officer’s Quarters fixed up. It  ad the aarndedt rattle at ail andsounded as if there were a burned out bearing that was letting the ir.r-eller hit against the housing as it rotsteci.

That afternoon i;hot w.-ere to get thet mo-i-‘ol? but had gotten ell tacks before chov;. i “’-~f~ it ail with Dick and went to airiner andlater to the c”ieii.y !ileetir;..

Al’ter thR ueeting I  -ay clovm  o get a. nap but that wa::, fDr a wery short tiEe. In cane the gang for a penny ante poker  game. I got up to play wi.th -.her’i and after ab ut &n hcu_- h’.re cane Eph Walker, Oilie J’anni and ‘FTC\ uevoe, They were Kon 19 officers that had. gone to Ron 2Q. Their orders had coue in to be on t b  way hone. Six ofricers f:..-on there wfare to ,’-et their order~ but only i;hree 1106 coJ.e in evilSently the rest had been Kis.l~~ec. for~h E:: tL.e being.

PAGE # 142 Tha-b night we all had a few drinks and sat, around -balking about all the rest of the gang  in general, comparing the fvo operating areas.

When I went in for n; ; o;-ol;iovrrr the only two people there were Qmdr Smith an&I, He had invitem me over to e,at with him. wieli when we all started t supper that niglit hfe had been drinking with us so I invited him over to eat at the Junior officer’s table. He had his two mess boys aswell as the usual one for that table ciapie o\ia”to wait onlils. T.hBy brought aL the silver and china that he had a.’cl whenthechowwas deliverea it was steat. The rest had had hanburger for supper. Well that pleased me a lot.

When they all left for the mo~dlEOr’ :hioh was p.etty rotten, I went back to the hut to ‘-rite a letter and go to bed.

The morning of the second I got out to the boat pretty early. There was q. good bit of wJork to be done in the engine room so I got a couple of the boys and proceeded to ~al;ee out that blower  in theofficer’ quarters, ~-coul~ at least have it ready for the eleotri-cians when we got into the dock and I did notwant to crank up arid get it all hot there till they were finished. Wehnwe got at all-out though there was a rag in i. It had been sucked down and was lodged on one side of the inpleller. That was -..-nough to cause a wibration so we hooked it up and lo these was no wibration at all. w~ :- put it all back to gether again and it w7orkedo.iay.

About &cn in ..he morning i let all tLe crew goon it to chow an’-i to a ball geiae that we w.’ere sonedulea to play. There is a tournaiaent hEfc between ail the boats ...ere t,u!aY’e were. to play one oftlie gaMes on tl-iat schedule.

The last pages are handwritten.  Mr. C.J. Willis graciously typed them.

 Page 143

The 1^st of November found me coming in from patrol the same as the proceeding first last year but this time instead of being eager to get out and win the war in a couple of months. I had resolved that patrols and fighting as far as I was concerned was pure drudgery. I had completed exactly 88 in the year -1 had more than anyone in the squadron purely because my boat happened to stay in commission more than the others. Yes I was quite proud of the record.

When we got to the base I sent Donnely in to take care of the intelligence reports while I took the boat over to fuel across the bay. That would get me into the beach for second chow and the afternoon briefing. After fueling I got a bath and put on clean clothes. One feels awful tired and filthy after being up all night with only the deck to lie down on for a little while between watches.

I started up toward the mess hall a little after twelve, Cmdr. Smith was just coming from his quarters at the time and hailed me. Together we walked up but he entered thru the Sr. officers entrance while I went to our own. We were the only ones there so he beckoned me to come over and sit witfi him. I’ve always admired the Cmdr. even if he is somewhat a sex maniac and would rather dwell on those topics other than others. He has a brilliant mind and perhaps will get command of a new destroyer on rteturn to the States which wouldn’t be a bad lick. I even would like to to be on such a ship myself. After the briefing I returned to hut #9 for a few hours sleep but had only been on the bed for about ten minutes when in came the boys for an afternoon poker game. There was no sleeping anyhow so I joined them. Then too I was about $10 ahead of the game and wanted to appear a good sport about it. We played along for half an hour or so when up walked Fannin, Devoe, and Walker. Their orders had been requested Oct 5^th the same as part of our own crowd. Soon as they came the lads had left at once. Others in the squadron had not received theirs yet. Well we had quite a time talking over events that had happened to both sides. Prideaux was exec ofP.T. 235 now, Fons being boat captain

·         the former had not taken part in any of the squadron activities but more or less been sticking alone with some of the crew most of the time in the house by the boat berth. He boasted of having proposed to 3 girls (been accepted by all) and was being proposed to by the fourth. - Some boy.

When we went up for supper that night we proceeded it by a couple of drinks at the bar. Cmdr. Smith joined us in the celebration. When time to eat came I suggested that since he had asked me over for noon chow. I thought it fitting that he eat with us. He thought so too and had his two stewards come over and assist the one already assigned to our table. The cooks were Ron 19 personnel and seeing what was going on issued up steaks for each of us. The fair for the night was hamburger.

After that glorious supper I slipped away and went to bed. They were hell bent on getting tight and I’d not had any sleep the previous night.

The 2^nd I sailed out to the boat just after breakfast and sent Donnely in to continue the celebrating. Got everything all cleaned up and shipshape for a patrol or any other thing that might come about.

Page 144

That afternoon orders came from the Bureau for Dalton, Butterworth, Rinder, Mclane Sweet, Wood and Donnelly. Well that lit the blaze for a really big celebration. They were all relieved at once from their respective commands. Mohler was to come to the 244 as exec. He was already on the beach expecting orders from the fleet. Shinstron was to be skipper of 280 in Wood’s place. Sparkman skipper of 242 in McLane’s place. Hunt to take over duties as area repair officer instead of Sweet. Anderson was new skipper of 241 to replace Rinder. Others whose orders had failed to come (Mohler and Robinson) were screaming in a very distasteful manner. Again I sneaked out and to bed early. Sleep and food are two essentials that I just have to get to keep going.

The third I was out to the boat bright and early and had everything fixed up by ten so that the crew could be off for a softball game. There is a team on each boat that is playing each other for final championship.

Mohler came out at noon and told me that we were ready boat for the night. I’d suggested that he leave all his clothes ashore since he’d not be there long. I felt sure that I would be out for several months yet.

Since orders had been requested for all that group except Amold, Donnelly and Mclane, the paymaster had sent their orders up. Those three were planning to leave next day for Torokina to pick up pay assignments.

DEPARTURE FROM GREEN ISLANDS

Along about three in the afternoon Mohler and Raney were ordered over the loud speaker to report to the Squadron office. The boats had already left for patrols so that might mean sending out the ready boat. We two and Robinson received bureau orders too. Perron our squadron comdr. in a matter fact manner told us we couldn’t leave yet for a while for he had to have relief officers for us. I assured him that the crew of the 244 could run the boat, that he could put Parker (radar officer) out here for an officer. Parker commenced to scream. “No”, he said, “I wouldn’t keep you. I’ll get Trimble to be skipper and Van Getts for the exec. You can leave in the morning but you’ll have to go out as ready boat if needed. I assurded him I’d be back in time to leave if I had to go out. Robinson was on patrol and had not heard this.

I got my clothes from the laundry and was all packed up by night. I spent the night on the boat just in case anything happened. I wrote Jane a letter telling her she could stop writing that I’d not get any more letters at this address. I wouldn’t have been happier 10,000 miles from ho-.

The fourth I was up at six and on the way to breakfast. We were to go over at seven thirty on a lighter to the air strip. That is McLane, Amold, Donnelly and 1. We had to go to look for pay accounts. I had not any priority nor certificate to travel by air and had to get those. Luckily I got them tho and was back before the SCAT plane pulled in. There was too many of us tho. No room but for one so we sent Amold ahead. There was a New Zealand SCAT going down so we three and three Negros who were left were sent over to that one. Two of the Negros were guards who were taking the third a prisoner to

Page 145

Toroldna. The prisoner had gotten in a fight and stabbed two people, knocked an eye out of one and was being sent to prison.

We arrived at Toroldna at noon, had doughnuts and coffee at the red cross stand and called for transportation out to the Naval base. There they assigned us to a bed for the night. We got pay accounts, more copies of our orders typed up, arranged for a SCAT plane to Emirau next morning. That night we took in a movie.

The morning of the 5^th we were in the plane passenger office an hour ahead of time. There’s one thing certain, we weren’t going to be late one bit in any of the trips to made going home. There were several routes we could have taken. Going to Guadacanal then by boat was one. The shipping to the Solomons is about nil to none and we knew that there were a lot of men there waiting for transportation. Aside from that there are two fleet staging points. One at Milne Bay on the coast of New Guinea and one at the Admiralty Islands (Seadler Bay) The latter was closest so we were going there. The best air priority was 3 and that was too low to ever hope to fly all the way home. I hoped too on arrival at the Admiralities to have a little choice as to routes and go by Midway. On the way to Emirau we made a stop at GREEN Island. Mohler got aboard there. He was taking the same route we took. There had been no mail the previous night for any of us so I really had gotten that last letter from Jane.

On arrival at Emirau we let SCAT arrange for our lodging. They have a plane a day to the Admiralties and that leaves at one. We did not get there till three in the afternoon. We were to stay at Acorn 7. That’s an air strip construction and maintenance outfit. Right after supper Alpine and the rest of the fellows went out to the P.T. base to see if any of the gang were there. OIlieFannin, Walker and Devoe were. Rinder,Butterworth, Dalton and Sweet had left that morning on a hitch hike ride over. I was tired so went to sleep.

The morning of the 6^th we called up air operations to see if there were any planes besides the regular going over. There were none. Alpine and I borrowed ajeep then proceeded to make a tour of the island. It is the prettiest I’ve seen. The big marine camp is Camp Moore. The P.T. base is the niceist out here. They have piers and maintenance work right at the base of a cliff at the upper end of a lagoon. All living quarters are at the top of the bluff and cool all the time. They have a huge playground and a movie area too. Their locale is right in the center of a cocoanut plantation.

We got back in time for dinner then had a truck come by to take us and our luggage out to the air strip. After an hours wait the plane came in (it was late). There was room for only three and Fannin, Walker and Devoe had priority over us since they had been first. They left and we retired to our place at Acorn 7.

Soon as we got settled again I went to sleep. Seems as tho I can’t get enough. Maybe it’s just a matter of making up for all I’ve missed the past year. That night I went to see the movie “Conflict” with Humphrey Bogart. It’s one that was premiered out here and isn’t supposed to be released till after the war. I was on patrol when it was at GREEN.

Page 146

The mommg of the 7^th there was nothing leaving before SCAT so I read a blood curdling mystery. When we got over to SCAT at noon it had been canceled for the day. Weather conditions had caused the cancellation adviseable.

Back we went again to Acorn 7. Alpine, Donnelly and Mohler decided to go to the P.T. base and get drunk so they called up the fellows to come get them. Arnold and I figured on another good nights sleep.. I read a couple of stories in the Cosmopolitian magazine that we’d picked up along the way before supper. After supper a Doctor who I’d made friends with took me for a ride down to their swimming pool. They’d found a natural pool in the coral and had built a concrete wall across the sand beach to it along with diving boards etc. There was a reef outboard that kept the breakers out. It was mighty pretty there. It was at the base of a cliff. The whole island is a high plateau about 90 ft. above sea level with a small beach around the edges of this. We left at dark and I went to sleep.

The 8^th we had breakfast and at 0745 Amold called up operations. They had 3 freight planes leaving at 0800. We did not have time to get the boys in from the P.T. base so got a ride and went tearing over there. The planes were at the end of the strip waiting to take off. We climbed aboard one of them. An hour later we were on Los Negros Island. Coming in we saw at least 300 ships. The most I had ever seen in one group. They were the ones who’d been up to Leyte and were back for overhaul or on the way to the States for provisions, overhaul etc. One really felt a lot of pride in all the power represented there. The main concentration is at Manus (across the bay) so we got a truck to get us down to the dock where the boat makes a stop on the way to Manus. On the way to the dock we passed a stockade built for the Polynesians. All new thatched huts with a fence around and guards to keep the soldiers, sailors, marines out. They were the first Polynesians I’d seen and were really nice looking. They appeared free of disease as compared to the savages I’d seen and looked a pretty happy bunch. The women I saw as we passed wore cloth skirts but that was all.

We got across and went to the port directors office. He sent us to the receiving station. He let’s them know when ships are leaving and how many can go. He told us we’d board next morning at 0700 an probably leave at once. We had no choice as to routes. We got all settled, went to chow and on returning found that we’d caught up with all the other fellows ahead of us. That afternoon I got a nap.

The 9^th I was awake at 0430, had breakfast at five and at 0700 we all left for the USS George Clymer. They had an officer named Slusser whose brother had been with us in Ron 19 so we had a pretty good connection.

The ship wasn’t to sail until next morning so sat around all afternoon talking. The Clymer had just gotten in from Leyte. There were quit a few passsenger officers aboard who had been in the engagement and we were pretty anxious to hear the gory details of what had happened. It seemed that we’d taken a lot worse beating there than news lead us to believe. The cruiser Honolulu was in dry dock at Seadler. A Jap plane had gotten a torpedo into it The main damage control crew had all been killed and were sealed inside until they got into dry dock. About 60 men. One small escort carrier had been hit and

Pagel47

very bad. They were abandoning her, a destroyer had gone alongside the burning ship to take the crew. Well there was a terrific explosion that blew both ships to bits. Suicide attacks by planes were made causing two escort carriers and one destroyer to be sunk. The initial landing was unopposed. The boys got ashore and formed their companies and traveled inland. Never before had one been so easy. They got 300 yds. inland before encountering ashot. P.T. ‘sand destroyers lined the narrow passage between Mendanoa and Leyte to the south to meet the Jap task force coming through there. The PT’s were credited with several hits on one battleship and destruction of a Jap destroyer. The whole Jap task force was dead in the water by that time. They got out to where our battleships and cruisers were waiting. The Denver got 1000 rounds of 8 inch projectiles into one Jap battleship before the battleship opened up and then it couldn’t. The whole force of 2 battleships, four cruisers, six destroyers was destroyed. Planes finished them as they were running away all battered next morning. Our losses one PT. and another hit a reef. One LST had a bomb dropped in a lighter along side. It was a dud but sank the lighter, there was such a large hole in it. Another 100# dud fell on the bridge and a seaman grabbed it and heaved it over the side.

There is to be another staging the 25^th to go into Luzon somewhere around December 7^th. There should be no bobbies in the capture of Leyte and the rest from the enormous amount of gear and personell put ashore.

The IOlfa we were all out on the boat deck just after breakfast, getting better aquainted and still talking over all we had seen and heard. About 10 o’clock I had the narrowest escape I’ve had since leaving Miami. About ¾ mile away from us on our starboard beam was the ammunition ship. Mount Hood. It was about 10,000 ton ship. I was looking at it as we talked when instantaneously where it was a mass of fire and black smoke appeared bellowing up to at least a thousand feet. It was still going higher when the concussion wave hit us. At that we all hit the deck. I dove down behind a big wench on the deck to escape falling particles.

There were quite a few boats along side when she blew up too. After a minute we got up to look out. The smoke had risen up to about 10,000 ft. and was a solid mass. Out of the smoke came one launch, the coxin was dead, the engineer bleeding all over but holding the launch toward tiie Clymer. All the Clymer’s boats were lashed down to get underway but at once they were lowered. The wounded man was gotten aboard and down to sickbay. Other boys from the Clymer manned the launch that was apparently sinking (the dead coxin was still in the bottom of it) and returned it to the ship it belonged to. Another lighter went along to bring the men back.

The smoke blew away in about 5 minutes and the water was clear and calm. Not a scrap of wood from the Mount Hood or any of the boats along side remained even. There were 550 men aboard the Mount Hood - all killed plus about 100 working in the boats along side. They were loading aboard some 1000# bombs from one of the carriers to take back to the States. They were bombs that had been out a long time and it was thought that one happened to be armed. They were about 20 percent loaded which meant about 2000 tons of bombs went off. Had they been fully loaded so Seadler Harbor could have really been a conflagration.

Page 148

The repair ship Mendanon was about ¾ mile-from the Hood too. They suffered 60 % casualties from the blast. Many of the wounded were brought to the Clymer for medical attention. The paymaster from the Hood got killed aboard the Mendanon. The mail boy and two men to man the mail boat were ashore. The sole survivors. We were just very lucky not to have had anyone aboard the Clymer hurt. There was a lot of shrapnel that hit the ship too.

That canceled our sailing for the 10^th. Late in the afternoon they got all the wounded off tho and got set to leave at daylight next morning.

On the 11^th We, the President Hayes with 2 escorts ( an English corvette and an APD) pulled out before I woke up. I checked out 2 books from the library right after breakfast. “Dark River” I read until dinner then got an hours sun bath. Didn’t want to lose all the tan before getting back for fear no one would believe I’d really been down where it’s hot. I’d finished that book by dark and turned in for a good sleep. The food aboard is really super. It’s surely nice to get a chance at the rest and good food. Who knows I may gain back the 18 # I’m behind right now.

The 12^th we continued the zig zag courses. Since we have subs all up in the Jap territory, it is reasonable to believe that they have them down here. About 10 o’clock we had church out on the boat deck. The chaplain really gave us all a lot of food for thought and for our souls for a change.

Plans are to go by the Marshall Islands and refuel the escorts rather than to fuel them at sea. We will have just one then from there on to Pearl Harbor. We’re scheduled to get there the 15^th. That afternoon it rained the whole time so we did’nt get any sunshine. The 13^th the Hayes developed some sort of engine trouble and we had to slow down a bit. She couldn’t maintain the present rate of speed. That meant we would have to go into Majuro in the Marshalls the early morning of the 16^th. The nets close at night and we’d get there during the night at present speed. That afternoon I read “Old Man Tutt” containing a series of yarns about lawyer Tutt.

The morning of the 14^th I started a new project. I thought it would be nice to write the families of all my old crew on the 244 so sat down and conposed a letter. I figured on having all the letters finished by the time I got home for I did’nt intend to spend precious time then in that manner. When night came I was about half done. Of course I did’nt get in any great rush.

We weren’t more than a couple of hundred miles from Truk today (the great Jap base that was bypassed).

The 15^th I finished up the letters in the morning, then that afternoon read “The Red Harvest”. We passed between 2 Jap atolls of the Marshalls in the afternoon. There are some 14 atolls in the group and we have only 4 of that number. No point in taking the others, they can’t bother us and it would cost a lot of lives to get them. The 16^th I was quite surprised at Majuro, It’s not more than 5 ft. above sea level. I’m sure a high sea would almost get the island awash. We pulled in past a couple of sub tenders that were anchored in the lagoon and dropped the hook some 50 yds. offshore.

Page 149

There was a tanker in so the escorts went there to refael. The British corvette was left behind and the APD (which is a World War one vintage destroyer fitted to also be used in landing troops) was to escort us on to Pearl Harbor. We got underway about 4 in the afternoon for the second leg of the trip.

The 17^th the seas began to get a bit rough. It seemed that we were in for quite a lot of intermittent rain squalls and some pretty high winds. I drew from the library “War of the Copper Kings” a yarn about the development of mining copper in Montana. I read away most of the morning. Managed to get in an hours sunshine after dinner. That afternoon we crossed the date line. That meant 2 Fridays for us this time. I finished the book that evening.

The second 17^th was so rough that the escort was going under as much water as it was going over. They requested once to go back and look for man washed overboard but later found him aboard. We had to slow to 12 knots for them. The Clymer and Hayes had so much free board that neither were taking any spray even tho there was a heavy roll. There were squalls all day long so I stayed below reading the “Robber Barons”. Did’nt finish it tho.

The 18^th seas began to calm enough in part to resume speed to about 14 knots. I finished the book of the previous day.

The 19^th realizing that the slow speeds had again delayed an ETA and fearing an emergency would run the escort pretty low on fuel. It was decided she would fuel at sea from the Hayes. The American is the only Navy in the world that can do a trick like that without slowing down. It was very interesting to see them get a bow line over then the fuel line and still maintain speed. I got an hour in the sun too. Seems as though an hour of hot sunshine makes me feel new again. That evening I read “Dr. Kildare Takes Charge”.

The 20^th a carrier escort came by. She was unescorted but making enough speed for that to be safe. She over took and was lost on the horizon ahead during the course of the day. We were still making the ziz zag pattern of our courses. I read a “Scattergood Baines” book that day.

The 21^st I started the morning with Scholem Arch’s “The Children of Abraham” He is one of the better writers ofbible stories. We were originally scheduled to arrive on the 22^nd at Pearl Harbor but the slow speed along with an iron clad rule that no ships shall approach within 40 miles of the place during hours of darkness were to put us well up into the morning of the 23^rd for our arrival there. The 22^nd another ship overtook our little 2 ship convoy. This one was going the same direction and place so it just dropped in astem and plodded with us. It couldn’t reach there before dark anyhow. The 23^rd we had Thanksgiving services early up on the boat deck. I surely had a lot to be thankful for even if the past 17 months had seemed like a dream. What with being on the way back to Jane, alive, unhurt, I was the luckiest one alive. Just after we finished that service land was sighted. We arrived about ten o’clock. Two tugs came alonside and nudged us into the dock. The whole place was teeming with activity, yet I was told that

Page 150

the place was comparatively empty. There was a new battleship, the USS Wisconsin, on it’s way to join the fleet. Our newest, largest and most powerful weapon for destruction. It was a real beauty. Besides this there was one cruiser and 2 CRE’s. The shipping consisted of various small ships in for repairs, about a dozen submarines and quite a few cargo ships.

We had quite a large Thanksgiving dinner aboard, then liberty. I went first over to the Ship’s store at the submarine base to see about a few personal supplies along with a bit of Christmas shopping. I came away empty handed however, all the survivors of ships lost at Leyte had been brought in to be outfitted here and they had drawn just about all the goods available.

After that I went to Honolulu. The Royal Hawaiian Hotel I had seen from the ship as well as Waikiki beach so didn’t go on out there. All the stores in town were closed up being a holiday. Had a double malted milk tho that was super delicious after so long doing without. I went back to the ship about an hour after being in the city. There’s no really nice place to eat ashore and I didn’t care to go to the club for a lot of drinks. We had “The Man with the Iron Made” as the movie attraction aboard. The 24^th I left for Ford island. That’s a small island in the center of the harbor. They have a ships store there too. Had a little luck there. Bought shoulder boards, new braid for my cap, a sweat shirt in antisipation of cold weather between San Francisco and home, another set of collar bars and found a native woven hand bag for Jane. All this came to about 15 dollars which was quite a bit after going so long spending never more than 2 or 3 dollars at any time.

Came back by the receiving station, was quite amazed to see a sailor plunk down $24.50 for a shell necklace similiar to the one the boys on the PT 244 gave me the last night aboard. The shells were’t nearly so pretty. Previously I’d seen a couple of pieces of luggage for $22.50 that I thought not nearly so good a buy as one I saw marked $24.60 and yet these were quite extravagant. No, I’d go home with just a sea bag. Fannin bought one anyhow, they were $14.15 so I bought one too. I intend to throw away all items I can’t get into it. Got back to the ship about 4 in the afternoon. I was sleepy so arranged to have Walker “who was on watch to wake me for supper. Next thing I knew it was nearly 9 that night and the bunch were yelling coming in from liberty. I got up for a candy bar and cup of coffee, then went back to sleep.

The 25^th I decided to stay aboard. I had lots of dirty clothes and planned to get them all washed up while I had time. All the rest of the gang departed their various ways. Tom had a date that night and I promised to stand in for him till he returned. Well by night I had 4 shirts and 3 pair of pants along with 8 pair of shorts and 8 pair of sox washed out and on the line to .dry. We had a section of line strung up in the room for such. The 26^th we pulled out for the last leg of die trip. This time there were seven ships and 2 escorts. It’s to take about 8 days to get to the west coast. That doesn’t matter so much as

Page 151

getting from there to Jane in a hurry. I’ll be on my own time then. We all made customs declarations at Pearl harbor so shouldn’t be held up for anything once we arrive. I hope so much to get a plane east That night we were still in that 40 mile zone so all ships ran with running lights on. Ships have been sunk recently between here and Frisco and it seems foolish to have lights on. The moon is almost full and the night very beautiful.

The 27 th the wind turned pretty cool and as the breeze is running northerly there’s likely to be a good bit of chill in the air when we get to the States. We’re now going cross wind and that makes quite a bit of roll to the ship.

The 28^th I borrowed an iron from one of the passenger officers, got 4 pair of pants and 5 shirts ironed nicely. They’ll help out the appearance a little when I get to the States. Went up topside after supper. The night was pretty but crisp. As I started below there was a loud crash and clatter up in the direction of the Captains private ward room. I went up to see what had happened. The table there had slid across the room, crashed into a bookcase, broken a vase of flowers. All dishes pots and pans in the Captains pantry were scattered too. I held the table while the exec called injust about the whole stewards mates force to come secure everything.

The 29^th I found it pretty darn cold when I went outside. Didn’t stay long either. Spent most of the time reading.

Page 143

The 1^st of November found me coming in from patrol the same as the proceeding first last year but this time instead of being eager to get out and win the war in a couple of months. I had resolved that patrols and fighting as far as I was concerned was pure drudgery. I had completed exactly 88 in the year -1 had more than anyone in the squadron purely because my boat happened to stay in commission more than the others. Yes I was quite proud of the record.

When we got to the base I sent Donnely in to take care of the intelligence reports while I took the boat over to fuel across the bay. That would get me into the beach for second chow and the afternoon briefing. After fueling I got a bath and put on clean clothes. One feels awful tired and filthy after being up all night with only the deck to lie down on for a little while between watches.

I started up toward the mess hall a little after twelve, Cmdr. Smith was just coming from his quarters at the time and hailed me. Together we walked up but he entered thru the Sr. officers entrance while I went to our own. We were the only ones there so he beckoned me to come over and sit witfi him. I’ve always admired the Cmdr. even if he is somewhat a sex maniac and would rather dwell on those topics other than others. He has a brilliant mind and perhaps will get command of a new destroyer on rteturn to the States which wouldn’t be a bad lick. I even would like to to be on such a ship myself. After the briefing I returned to hut #9 for a few hours sleep but had only been on the bed for about ten minutes when in came the boys for an afternoon poker game. There was no sleeping anyhow so I joined them. Then too I was about $10 ahead of the game and wanted to appear a good sport about it. We played along for half an hour or so when up walked Fannin, Devoe, and Walker. Their orders had been requested Oct 5^th the same as part of our own crowd. Soon as they came the lads had left at once. Others in the squadron had not received theirs yet. Well we had quite a time talking over events that had happened to both sides. Prideaux was exec ofP.T. 235 now, Fons being boat captain

·         the former had not taken part in any of the squadron activities but more or less been sticking alone with some of the crew most of the time in the house by the boat berth. He boasted of having proposed to 3 girls (been accepted by all) and was being proposed to by the fourth. - Some boy.

When we went up for supper that night we proceeded it by a couple of drinks at the bar. Cmdr. Smith joined us in the celebration. When time to eat came I suggested that since he had asked me over for noon chow. I thought it fitting that he eat with us. He thought so too and had his two stewards come over and assist the one already assigned to our table. The cooks were Ron 19 personnel and seeing what was going on issued up steaks for each of us. The fair for the night was hamburger.

After that glorious supper I slipped away and went to bed. They were hell bent on getting tight and I’d not had any sleep the previous night.

The 2^nd I sailed out to the boat just after breakfast and sent Donnely in to continue the celebrating. Got everything all cleaned up and shipshape for a patrol or any other thing that might come about.

Page 144

That afternoon orders came from the Bureau for Dalton, Butterworth, Rinder, Mclane Sweet, Wood and Donnelly. Well that lit the blaze for a really big celebration. They were all relieved at once from their respective commands. Mohler was to come to the 244 as exec. He was already on the beach expecting orders from the fleet. Shinstron was to be skipper of 280 in Wood’s place. Sparkman skipper of 242 in McLane’s place. Hunt to take over duties as area repair officer instead of Sweet. Anderson was new skipper of 241 to replace Rinder. Others whose orders had failed to come (Mohler and Robinson) were screaming in a very distasteful manner. Again I sneaked out and to bed early. Sleep and food are two essentials that I just have to get to keep going.

The third I was out to the boat bright and early and had everything fixed up by ten so that the crew could be off for a softball game. There is a team on each boat that is playing each other for final championship.

Mohler came out at noon and told me that we were ready boat for the night. I’d suggested that he leave all his clothes ashore since he’d not be there long. I felt sure that I would be out for several months yet.

Since orders had been requested for all that group except Amold, Donnelly and Mclane, the paymaster had sent their orders up. Those three were planning to leave next day for Torokina to pick up pay assignments.

Along about three in the afternoon Mohler and Raney were ordered over the loud speaker to report to the Squadron office. The boats had already left for patrols so that might mean sending out the ready boat. We two and Robinson received bureau orders too. Perron our squadron comdr. in a matter fact manner told us we couldn’t leave yet for a while for he had to have relief officers for us. I assured him that the crew of the 244 could run the boat, that he could put Parker (radar officer) out here for an officer. Parker commenced to scream. “No”, he said, “I wouldn’t keep you. I’ll get Trimble to be skipper and Van Getts for the exec. You can leave in the morning but you’ll have to go out as ready boat if needed. I assurded him I’d be back in time to leave if I had to go out. Robinson was on patrol and had not heard this.

I got my clothes from the laundry and was all packed up by night. I spent the night on the boat just in case anything happened. I wrote Jane a letter telling her she could stop writing that I’d not get any more letters at this address. I wouldn’t have been happier 10,000 miles from ho-.

The fourth I was up at six and on the way to breakfast. We were to go over at seven thirty on a lighter to the air strip. That is McLane, Amold, Donnelly and 1. We had to go to look for pay accounts. I had not any priority nor certificate to travel by air and had to get those. Luckily I got them tho and was back before the SCAT plane pulled in. There was too many of us tho. No room but for one so we sent Amold ahead. There was a New Zealand SCAT going down so we three and three Negros who were left were sent over to that one. Two of the Negros were guards who were taking the third a prisoner to

Page 145

Toroldna. The prisoner had gotten in a fight and stabbed two people, knocked an eye out of one and was being sent to prison.

We arrived at Toroldna at noon, had doughnuts and coffee at the red cross stand and called for transportation out to the Naval base. There they assigned us to a bed for the night. We got pay accounts, more copies of our orders typed up, arranged for a SCAT plane to Emirau next morning. That night we took in a movie.

The morning of the 5^th we were in the plane passenger office an hour ahead of time. There’s one thing certain, we weren’t going to be late one bit in any of the trips to made going home. There were several routes we could have taken. Going to Guadacanal then by boat was one. The shipping to the Solomons is about nil to none and we knew that there were a lot of men there waiting for transportation. Aside from that there are two fleet staging points. One at Milne Bay on the coast of New Guinea and one at the Admiralty Islands (Seadler Bay) The latter was closest so we were going there. The best air priority was 3 and that was too low to ever hope to fly all the way home. I hoped too on arrival at the Admiralities to have a little choice as to routes and go by Midway. On the way to Emirau we made a stop at GREEN Island. Mohler got aboard there. He was taking the same route we took. There had been no mail the previous night for any of us so I really had gotten that last letter from Jane.

On arrival at Emirau we let SCAT arrange for our lodging. They have a plane a day to the Admiralties and that leaves at one. We did not get there till three in the afternoon. We were to stay at Acorn 7. That’s an air strip construction and maintenance outfit. Right after supper Alpine and the rest of the fellows went out to the P.T. base to see if any of the gang were there. OIlieFannin, Walker and Devoe were. Rinder,Butterworth, Dalton and Sweet had left that morning on a hitch hike ride over. I was tired so went to sleep.

The morning of the 6^th we called up air operations to see if there were any planes besides the regular going over. There were none. Alpine and I borrowed ajeep then proceeded to make a tour of the island. It is the prettiest I’ve seen. The big marine camp is Camp Moore. The P.T. base is the niceist out here. They have piers and maintenance work right at the base of a cliff at the upper end of a lagoon. All living quarters are at the top of the bluff and cool all the time. They have a huge playground and a movie area too. Their locale is right in the center of a cocoanut plantation.

We got back in time for dinner then had a truck come by to take us and our luggage out to the air strip. After an hours wait the plane came in (it was late). There was room for only three and Fannin, Walker and Devoe had priority over us since they had been first. They left and we retired to our place at Acorn 7.

Soon as we got settled again I went to sleep. Seems as tho I can’t get enough. Maybe it’s just a matter of making up for all I’ve missed the past year. That night I went to see the movie “Conflict” with Humphrey Bogart. It’s one that was premiered out here and isn’t supposed to be released till after the war. I was on patrol when it was at GREEN.

Page 146

The mommg of the 7^th there was nothing leaving before SCAT so I read a blood curdling mystery. When we got over to SCAT at noon it had been canceled for the day. Weather conditions had caused the cancellation adviseable.

Back we went again to Acorn 7. Alpine, Donnelly and Mohler decided to go to the P.T. base and get drunk so they called up the fellows to come get them. Arnold and I figured on another good nights sleep.. I read a couple of stories in the Cosmopolitian magazine that we’d picked up along the way before supper. After supper a Doctor who I’d made friends with took me for a ride down to their swimming pool. They’d found a natural pool in the coral and had built a concrete wall across the sand beach to it along with diving boards etc. There was a reef outboard that kept the breakers out. It was mighty pretty there. It was at the base of a cliff. The whole island is a high plateau about 90 ft. above sea level with a small beach around the edges of this. We left at dark and I went to sleep.

The 8^th we had breakfast and at 0745 Amold called up operations. They had 3 freight planes leaving at 0800. We did not have time to get the boys in from the P.T. base so got a ride and went tearing over there. The planes were at the end of the strip waiting to take off. We climbed aboard one of them. An hour later we were on Los Negros Island. Coming in we saw at least 300 ships. The most I had ever seen in one group. They were the ones who’d been up to Leyte and were back for overhaul or on the way to the States for provisions, overhaul etc. One really felt a lot of pride in all the power represented there. The main concentration is at Manus (across the bay) so we got a truck to get us down to the dock where the boat makes a stop on the way to Manus. On the way to the dock we passed a stockade built for the Polynesians. All new thatched huts with a fence around and guards to keep the soldiers, sailors, marines out. They were the first Polynesians I’d seen and were really nice looking. They appeared free of disease as compared to the savages I’d seen and looked a pretty happy bunch. The women I saw as we passed wore cloth skirts but that was all.

We got across and went to the port directors office. He sent us to the receiving station. He let’s them know when ships are leaving and how many can go. He told us we’d board next morning at 0700 an probably leave at once. We had no choice as to routes. We got all settled, went to chow and on returning found that we’d caught up with all the other fellows ahead of us. That afternoon I got a nap.

The 9^th I was awake at 0430, had breakfast at five and at 0700 we all left for the USS George Clymer. They had an officer named Slusser whose brother had been with us in Ron 19 so we had a pretty good connection.

The ship wasn’t to sail until next morning so sat around all afternoon talking. The Clymer had just gotten in from Leyte. There were quit a few passsenger officers aboard who had been in the engagement and we were pretty anxious to hear the gory details of what had happened. It seemed that we’d taken a lot worse beating there than news lead us to believe. The cruiser Honolulu was in dry dock at Seadler. A Jap plane had gotten a torpedo into it The main damage control crew had all been killed and were sealed inside until they got into dry dock. About 60 men. One small escort carrier had been hit and

Pagel47

very bad. They were abandoning her, a destroyer had gone alongside the burning ship to take the crew. Well there was a terrific explosion that blew both ships to bits. Suicide attacks by planes were made causing two escort carriers and one destroyer to be sunk. The initial landing was unopposed. The boys got ashore and formed their companies and traveled inland. Never before had one been so easy. They got 300 yds. inland before encountering ashot. P.T. ‘sand destroyers lined the narrow passage between Mendanoa and Leyte to the south to meet the Jap task force coming through there. The PT’s were credited with several hits on one battleship and destruction of a Jap destroyer. The whole Jap task force was dead in the water by that time. They got out to where our battleships and cruisers were waiting. The Denver got 1000 rounds of 8 inch projectiles into one Jap battleship before the battleship opened up and then it couldn’t. The whole force of 2 battleships, four cruisers, six destroyers was destroyed. Planes finished them as they were running away all battered next morning. Our losses one PT. and another hit a reef. One LST had a bomb dropped in a lighter along side. It was a dud but sank the lighter, there was such a large hole in it. Another 100# dud fell on the bridge and a seaman grabbed it and heaved it over the side.

There is to be another staging the 25^th to go into Luzon somewhere around December 7^th. There should be no bobbies in the capture of Leyte and the rest from the enormous amount of gear and personell put ashore.

The IOlfa we were all out on the boat deck just after breakfast, getting better aquainted and still talking over all we had seen and heard. About 10 o’clock I had the narrowest escape I’ve had since leaving Miami. About ¾ mile away from us on our starboard beam was the ammunition ship. Mount Hood. It was about 10,000 ton ship. I was looking at it as we talked when instantaneously where it was a mass of fire and black smoke appeared bellowing up to at least a thousand feet. It was still going higher when the concussion wave hit us. At that we all hit the deck. I dove down behind a big wench on the deck to escape falling particles.

There were quite a few boats along side when she blew up too. After a minute we got up to look out. The smoke had risen up to about 10,000 ft. and was a solid mass. Out of the smoke came one launch, the coxin was dead, the engineer bleeding all over but holding the launch toward tiie Clymer. All the Clymer’s boats were lashed down to get underway but at once they were lowered. The wounded man was gotten aboard and down to sickbay. Other boys from the Clymer manned the launch that was apparently sinking (the dead coxin was still in the bottom of it) and returned it to the ship it belonged to. Another lighter went along to bring the men back.

The smoke blew away in about 5 minutes and the water was clear and calm. Not a scrap of wood from the Mount Hood or any of the boats along side remained even. There were 550 men aboard the Mount Hood - all killed plus about 100 working in the boats along side. They were loading aboard some 1000# bombs from one of the carriers to take back to the States. They were bombs that had been out a long time and it was thought that one happened to be armed. They were about 20 percent loaded which meant about 2000 tons of bombs went off. Had they been fully loaded so Seadler Harbor could have really been a conflagration.

Page 148

The repair ship Mendanon was about ¾ mile-from the Hood too. They suffered 60 % casualties from the blast. Many of the wounded were brought to the Clymer for medical attention. The paymaster from the Hood got killed aboard the Mendanon. The mail boy and two men to man the mail boat were ashore. The sole survivors. We were just very lucky not to have had anyone aboard the Clymer hurt. There was a lot of shrapnel that hit the ship too.

That canceled our sailing for the 10^th. Late in the afternoon they got all the wounded off tho and got set to leave at daylight next morning.

On the 11^th We, the President Hayes with 2 escorts ( an English corvette and an APD) pulled out before I woke up. I checked out 2 books from the library right after breakfast. “Dark River” I read until dinner then got an hours sun bath. Didn’t want to lose all the tan before getting back for fear no one would believe I’d really been down where it’s hot. I’d finished that book by dark and turned in for a good sleep. The food aboard is really super. It’s surly nice to get a chance at the rest and good food. Who knows I may gain back the 18 # I’m behind right now.

The 12^th we continued the zig zag courses. Since we have subs all up in the Jap territory, it is reasonable to believe that they have them down here. About 10 o’clock we had church out on the boat deck. The chaplain really gave us all a lot of food for thought and for our souls for a change.

Plans are to go by the Marshall Islands and refuel the escorts rather than to fuel them at sea. We will have just one then from there on to Pearl Harbor. We’re scheduled to get there the 15^th. That afternoon it rained the whole time so we did’nt get any sunshine. The 13^th the Hayes developed some sort of engine trouble and we had to slow down a bit. She couldn’t maintain the present rate of speed. That meant we would have to go into Majuro in the Marshalls the early morning of the 16^th. The nets close at night and we’d get there during the night at present speed. That afternoon I read “Old Man Tutt” containing a series of yarns about lawyer Tutt.

The morning of the 14^th I started a new project. I thought it would be nice to write the families of all my old crew on the 244 so sat down and conposed a letter. I figured on having all the letters finished by the time I got home for I did’nt intend to spend precious time then in that manner. When night came I was about half done. Of course I did’nt get in any great rush.

We weren’t more than a couple of hundred miles from Truk today (the great Jap base that was bypassed).

The 15^th I finished up the letters in the morning, then that afternoon read “The Red Harvest”. We passed between 2 Jap atolls of the Marshalls in the afternoon. There are some 14 atolls in the group and we have only 4 of that number. No point in taking the others, they can’t bother us and it would cost a lot of lives to get them. The 16^th I was quite surprised at Majuro, It’s not more than 5 ft. above sea level. I’m sure a high sea would almost get the island awash. We pulled in past a couple of sub tenders that were anchored in the lagoon and dropped the hook some 50 yds. offshore.

Page 149

There was a tanker in so the escorts went there to refael. The British corvette was left behind and the APD (which is a World War one vintage destroyer fitted to also be used in landing troops) was to escort us on to Pearl Harbor. We got underway about 4 in the afternoon for the second leg of the trip.

The 17^th the seas began to get a bit rough. It seemed that we were in for quite a lot of intermittent rain squalls and some pretty high winds. I drew from the library “War of the Copper Kings” a yarn about the development of mining copper in Montana. I read away most of the morning. Managed to get in an hours sunshine after dinner. That afternoon we crossed the date line. That meant 2 Fridays for us this time. I finished the book that evening.

The second 17^th was so rough that the escort was going under as much water as it was going over. They requested once to go back and look for man washed overboard but later found him aboard. We had to slow to 12 knots for them. The Clymer and Hayes had so much free board that neither were taking any spray even tho there was a heavy roll. There were squalls all day long so I stayed below reading the “Robber Barons”. Did’nt finish it tho.

The 18^th seas began to calm enough in part to resume speed to about 14 knots. I finished the book of the previous day.

The 19^th realizing that the slow speeds had again delayed an ETA and fearing an emergency would run the escort pretty low on fuel. It was decided she would fuel at sea from the Hayes. The American is the only Navy in the world that can do a trick like that without slowing down. It was very interesting to see them get a bow line over then the fuel line and still maintain speed. I got an hour in the sun too. Seems as though an hour of hot sunshine makes me feel new again. That evening I read “Dr. Kildare Takes Charge”.

The 20^th a carrier escort came by. She was unescorted but making enough speed for that to be safe. She over took and was lost on the horizon ahead during the course of the day. We were still making the ziz zag pattern of our courses. I read a “Scattergood Baines” book that day.

The 21^st I started the morning with Scholem Arch’s “The Children of Abraham” He is one of the better writers ofbible stories. We were originally scheduled to arrive on the 22^nd at Pearl Harbor but the slow speed along with an iron clad rule that no ships shall approach within 40 miles of the place during hours of darkness were to put us well up into the morning of the 23^rd for our arrival there. The 22^nd another ship overtook our little 2 ship convoy. This one was going the same direction and place so it just dropped in astem and plodded with us. It couldn’t reach there before dark anyhow. The 23^rd we had Thanksgiving services early up on the boat deck. I surely had a lot to be thankful for even if the past 17 months had seemed like a dream. What with being on the way back to Jane, alive, unhurt, I was the luckiest one alive. Just after we finished that service land was sighted. We arrived about ten o’clock. Two tugs came alonside and nudged us into the dock. The whole place was teeming with activity, yet I was told that

Page 150

the place was comparatively empty. There was a new battleship, the USS Wisconsin, on it’s way to join the fleet. Our newest, largest and most powerful weapon for destruction. It was a real beauty. Besides this there was one cruiser and 2 CRE’s. The shipping consisted of various small ships in for repairs, about a dozen submarines and quite a few cargo ships.

We had quite a large Thanksgiving dinner aboard, then liberty. I went first over to the Ship’s store at the submarine base to see about a few personal supplies along with a bit of Christmas shopping. I came away empty handed however, all the survivors of ships lost at Leyte had been brought in to be outfitted here and they had drawn just about all the goods available.

After that I went to Honolulu. The Royal Hawaiian Hotel I had seen from the ship as well as Waikiki beach so didn’t go on out there. All the stores in town were closed up being a holiday. Had a double malted milk tho that was super delicious after so long doing without. I went back to the ship about an hour after being in the city. There’s no really nice place to eat ashore and I didn’t care to go to the club for a lot of drinks. We had “The Man with the Iron Made” as the movie attraction aboard. The 24^th I left for Ford island. That’s a small island in the center of the harbor. They have a ships store there too. Had a little luck there. Bought shoulder boards, new braid for my cap, a sweat shirt in antisipation of cold weather between San Francisco and home, another set of collar bars and found a native woven hand bag for Jane. All this came to about 15 dollars which was quite a bit after going so long spending never more than 2 or 3 dollars at any time.

Came back by the receiving station, was quite amazed to see a sailor plunk down $24.50 for a shell necklace similiar to the one the boys on the PT 244 gave me the last night aboard. The shells were’t nearly so pretty. Previously I’d seen a couple of pieces of luggage for $22.50 that I thought not nearly so good a buy as one I saw marked $24.60 and yet these were quite extravagant. No, I’d go home with just a sea bag. Fannin bought one anyhow, they were $14.15 so I bought one too. I intend to throw away all items I can’t get into it. Got back to the ship about 4 in the afternoon. I was sleepy so arranged to have Walker “who was on watch to wake me for supper. Next thing I knew it was nearly 9 that night and the bunch were yelling coming in from liberty. I got up for a candy bar and cup of coffee, then went back to sleep.

The 25^th I decided to stay aboard. I had lots of dirty clothes and planned to get them all washed up while I had time. All the rest of the gang departed their various ways. Tom had a date that night and I promised to stand in for him till he returned. Well by night I had 4 shirts and 3 pair of pants along with 8 pair of shorts and 8 pair of sox washed out and on the line to .dry. We had a section of line strung up in the room for such. The 26^th we pulled out for the last leg of die trip. This time there were seven ships and 2 escorts. It’s to take about 8 days to get to the west coast. That doesn’t matter so much as

Page 151

getting from there to Jane in a hurry. I’ll be on my own time then. We all made customs declarations at Pearl harbor so shouldn’t be held up for anything once we arrive. I hope so much to get a plane east That night we were still in that 40 mile zone so all ships ran with running lights on. Ships have been sunk recently between here and Frisco and it seems foolish to have lights on. The moon is almost full and the night very beautiful.

The 27 th the wind turned pretty cool and as the breeze is running northerly there’s likely to be a good bit of chill in the air when we get to the States. We’re now going cross wind and that makes quite a bit of roll to the ship.

The 28^th I borrowed an iron from one of the passenger officers, got 4 pair of pants and 5 shirts ironed nicely. They’ll help out the appearance a little when I get to the States. Went up topside after supper. The night was pretty but crisp. As I started below there was a loud crash and clatter up in the direction of the Captains private ward room. I went up to see what had happened. The table there had slid across the room, crashed into a bookcase, broken a vase of flowers. All dishes pots and pans in the Captains pantry were scattered too. I held the table while the exec called injust about the whole stewards mates force to come secure everything.

The 29^th I found it pretty darn cold when I went outside. Didn’t stay long either. Spent most of the time reading.