Saturday, April 7

Around 1500 this afternoon one of our escorts, a DE (Destroyer Escort), picked up a sound contact, which turned out to be a sub. They got right over it, but didn’t drop any charges as it was thought to be one of ours, the SS261 Mingo, which was operating in this vicinity and was at 420 ft. which was at the depth one of our subs should be when picked up by sound from a surface vessel. It did not send up any sort of an identification signal, but stayed at 420 ft. the DE kept it busy for awhile by staying right over it, then rejoined the formation.

Sunday, April 8

Arrive off Okinawa tomorrow sometime. About 1830 tonight a lookout spied a mine floating by, it was about 15 yards off our port beam when it was sighted. The other ships in back of us, for we were in a column of about 8 ships, veered off to the right, except one which seemed headed direct for the mine. We signaled it with every light we had on the bridge, she finally answered and steered out of the way. A DE was sent back to destroy the mine, we could see the tracers going out into the water, but evidently they did not explode it, for the DE reported later on that they had hit it but it failed to explode.

Monday, April 9

Arrived off the southwestern end of Okinawa about 1000. This island has a lot of vegetation on it, and quite a few houses made out of bamboo with straw roofs. This beach is secure, the fighting is well inland. There are as many ships here as were at Iwo, and no telling how many of the other beach which the Marines have taken. About 5 battleships out further shelling the island. It is hard to tell how the fighting is progressing for we get no news whatsoever. This island will probably take 2 or 3 months at least. This is D+9 day. We discharged some of our cargo and troops, but the coral reef which surrounds the beaches makes it hard to get boats in to land cargo. No telling how long we’ll be here. Had an air raid around 1800, we saw no planes but a DD reported being hit.

Tuesday, April 10

Continued unloading all day, but it is getting stormy and very hard to accomplish anything. Rainy, heavy swells in the sea, and also the coldest we have had since we left Frisco. Our cargo is all wheeled vehicles, and we have converted some troops living spaces into cargo holds. We will probably be here at least 5 more days. Air raid both morning and evening, but no planes over the transport area.

Wednesday, April 11

Still unloading, weather just as bad if not worse than yesterday. No raids as the weather probably keeps them away. There is a General Communications ship right alongside of us and must be a big shot aboard, for every morning a torpedo bomber flys right alongside of it, about 10 ft. off the water, and drops a message in a tube, then flys off. The news is that we are making steady progress on the island, but meeting quite a bit of resistance in some spots. We radiomen are standing 8 on and 8 off, not counting the General Quarters we go to.

Thursday, April 12

Japs came over this morning, and a couple got through to the transports here. Both were shot down, no damage done. However, we opened up with one of our 40mm when we weren’t supposed to and caught hell for it, a friendly plane was shot down by someone. I stayed in the sack all through the 2 hr. raid, had only had 4 hours sleep before it began at 0330. Then about 1500 they came over again. Saw one go to the earth in a ball of flame, another came over the island and tried a suicide attack on a ship, but missed and plunged into the sea. Tuned in on the air fighter radio circuit and heard conversation between pilots, seems as if they got most of them before they could get near the ships. One however suicided into a DE, killing 145 and wounding 28, plus putting a big hole in the side. She is still afloat. Was one of the DE’s that was our escort from New Hebrides up here.

Friday, April 13

Finished unloading today, everybody on board turned to and finished the job by 1500. Tomorrow we leave and the scuttlebutt is that it is for Manila, Phillipines, then back to the states. Several of our officers say we are going back. But it is too good to be true. Got word that President Roosevelt has died. Also, some more scuttlebutt that Germany has surrendered. What a place for rumors.

Saturday, April 14

Left Okinawa at 0800, headed for Siapan. We have the battleship Nevada, Maryland and cruiser Penescola with us. They are to leave later. The situation on the island as we read it in the news, is that we are meeting stiff resistance and gaining slowly. Feels good to get back to sea-going life after 1A, GQ and all at the islands.

Sunday, April 15, through Tuesday, April 17

At sea.

Wednesday, April 18

The Nevada, Maryland and Pensecola left us early this morning, they are going to Pearl Harbor for repairs, not going to stop at all here at Saipan. We arrived off Siapan around 1400. Anchored out as we have done before. We got some mail but not as much as we had planned on. The fre casualties we have are still on board, will probably be taken off tomorrow. There are to be no liberty parties here as there is an epidemic of Typhus on the island. We received a message saying we were to stay here only long enough to refuel, then will go to Ulithi for 15 days, for what no one seems to know. That is the last place anyone would want to go, it’s nothing but a coral reef. About 3 days sailing from here. Perhaps we’ll go to Australia for troops then, who knows.

Thursday, April 19

Anchored at Siapan, orders are to go to Ulithi next. We are taking on stores here. Liberty party went ashore for the day. They lifted the quarantine on the island. Saw a British aircraft carrier come in, but it pulled right out again. We are due to leave tomorrow.

Friday, April 20

Supposed to leave around 1700 today, but it was postponed. We took on oil from a tanker about mid-afternoon.

Saturday, April 21

Left Siapan around 1700, in company with 14 other ships, all of us in squadron 16, the U.S.S. Cecil, APA 90, in charge. This is the way it has always been. Below is a diagram of the formation as we cruise at sea, along with our escorts. We have four with us, but three will leave tomorrow morning for Guam. We are due to arrive in Ulithi at 0800, 23 April.

Sunday, April 22

The three escorts left us at Guam this morning as we passed, around 0600. We now only have one left to protect us from subs which have been detected in this area lately. We arrive Ulithi tomorrow morning. Had boxing matches on forward boat deck this afternoon. 7 fights, each 3-2 minute rounds. Then at the end the Marine TQM on board boxed a negro mess attendant for an exhibition match. The negro had just won the S.W. Pacific championship at Guadacanal, we picked him up when we were at Espirito Santos. The match was just sparing, but plenty good.

Monday, April 23

Arrived Ulithi around 0900, and anchored. There isn’t a single thing here except a few tiny sand islands no bigger than the ship itself, and a heck of a lot of ships. The Enterprise, and Intrepid, 1st class air-craft carriers are in here. Must be over 250 ships here, all different kinds. We suppose we’ll be here around 2 weeks. Then another operation. Have started to provision the ship.

Tuesday, April 24

Pretty busy provisioning ship. Especially the radiomen. We’ll be finished by late tonight. Tomorrow we are scheduled to go alongside a tanker to get fuel. We received our provisions from a supply ship. Very little on these islands. This is just a protected space where ships can come under protection from the sea, and unload. Have a show every night outside on deck. Tonight we had “Rainbow Island”, which is about 2 years old. All of them we have are old. But better than nothing at all. Wednesday and Thursday, April 25-26. At anchor, Ulithi.

Friday, April 27

Went ashore today to the island of Mog Mog, for recreation. It is all coconut trees and coral rock. Have a place where you can get 3 bottles of beer. We listened to a negro orchestra, then went swimming. Tide was out, the water very warm, and also dangerous to swim in because of under currents. Had to leave at 1600. Saw McDougall, Rm 3/c, who was on the McCracken back in the states, he’s now on a water tender, AW4. Is stationed here, or rather anchored out giving water to ships. Also saw a kid from Camas, Wash., Morris was his name.

Saturday and Sunday, April 28-29

At anchor, Ulithi.

Monday, April 30

Quite a few battleships, cruisers, carriers, cans, etc. came in today. This is their first time in here since they left just before Iwo Jima. No idea how long we’ll be here. Have all our fuel and supplies on board. Tomorrow we go out to fire so guess we may take on ammo soon before leaving. No one seems to know where we are going.

Tuesday, May 1

Anchored. Did not go out to fire.

Wednesday/Thursday, May 2-3

Went out for firing practice. We go to the edge of the atoll and anchor there. We have one LCM push on one side, depending on the tide and current, to keep our one side which is to fire, seaward. There were 5 ships today, 4 APA’s and the BB (Battleship), Alabama. A TDF tows a red sleeve from it and flies over each ship which in turn fires on the sleeve. Ships do not fire until plane is over ship. There are 3 types of runs used. A H Run is over the ship at from 1,000 -- 2,000 ft. A G Run is a run at about 5,000 ft., but the plane dives at the ship, which in turn brings the sleeve down to the ship. The 3rd type of run is the U Run, which is parrell with the ships at about 1,000 ft.. We do not use these runs here.

Saturday, May 5

Anchored. The DD 531 came in today, a victim of a Jap suicide plane. All the bridge and No. 1 stack are gone, or at least so mangled you can hardly tell there was a bridge there. They say all on the bridge were killed at the time, except the captain, who was blown off into the water and suffered severe injuries.

Sunday, May 6

We fired all day. Weather cut us short in the morning, so we returned to anchorage, but around 1400 it cleared up, we went back and fired until 1600. No holiday (Sunday), routine today.