 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
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 5th 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 6th. 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 17th 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 26th 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 29th. 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 30th 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 8th 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 9th 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 10th 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 12th 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 13th 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