THIS IS THE HISTORY OF THE DESTROYER USS BROWN DD 546

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AS YOU CAN SEE AS YOU READ THE HISTORY OF THE BROWN WE PARTICIPATED IN PRACTICALLY EVERY MAJOR BATTLE AND HELPED IN THE CAPTURE OF MOST OF THE ISLANDS IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC EXCEPT MIDWAY AND GAUDACANAL.

Chuck Smith Service number 865-78-32

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PERFORMANCE

· 2 RACKS 6000 POUND DEPTH CHARGES ON STERN (EACH RACK HELD 4 OR 6 600 LB DEPTH CHARGES.

· To be confined on a ship that was only a little over a block long and 39 feet wide for nearly 3 years it didn’t seem too bad at the time...........Chuck Smith.

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FOREWORD

The Pacific War was the largest naval conflict in history. Across the huge expanses of the Pacific, the two most powerful navies in the world found themselves locked in a death struggle. The war was fought in every possible climate, from Arctic conditions in the Aleutians, to the appalling heat and swelter of the South Pacific. Every conceivable type of naval activity was represented: carrier aviation battles, surface engagements, bitterly fought night-fights, the largest amphibious landings of the entire war, and the stealthy, brutal battles waged by and against submarines.

There is good historical evidence that the USS BROWN DD 546 did have a remarkable history from her commissioning in July 1943 to her transfer to the Greek government in September 1962. She served in the majority of the World War 11 campaigns in the Pacific theater. The majority of the Korean campaign and a significant number of the early peace assurance years when a battle ready armed forces deterred a threat to the free world.

The history of the USS BROWN’S periods of active service was one of a “JOB WELL DONE”. Her performance “4-0” and a credit to all her assigned duties regardless of how big or how small. Over the years several members of the officers and crew received distinguished medals including; the NAVY CROSS, THE SILVER STAR AND SEVERAL BRONZE STARS. Additionally, personnel have received the NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION, 15 BATTLE STARS, 5 UNITED NATIONS CITATIONS PLUS SEVERAL US NAVY SERVICE AWARDS AND NUMEROUS PRESENTATIONS OF THE NAVY ”E”. All personnel who have had the privilege of serving aboard the BROWN can share in her distinguished history. The following information has been reproduced from US NAVY official files, reports from the USS BROWN, media publications and personal contributions from serving personnel.

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USS BROWN DD 546 was launched 21 February 1943 by Bethlehem Steel Co., San Pedro, Calif.; sponsored by Mrs. Claude O. Kell, wife of Captain Kell; and commissioned 10 July 1943; Lieutenant Commander T.H. Copeman in command.

On 10 November 1943 the Brown departed Pearl Harbor in company with Task Force 50 enroute to the foreword area. During the BROWNS very active service in the Pacific she screened carriers during the Gilbert Islands invasion; Kavieng, New Ireland, raids; Marshall Islands raids; Truk raid; Palau-Yap-Woleai raids; assault and capture of Hollandia, New Guinea; Truk raid; bombardment of Satawan; Ponape raids; Marcus Island raids; Wake Island raids; strikes in support of the assault on Siapan; Battle of the Philippine Sea, during which she rescued four American pilots; bombardment of Iwo Jima; assault on Guam and Tinian; Yap raids; Chici Jima raids; raids on Palau, Mindano, Talaud and Morotal, supporting the capture of the Southern Palaus and Ulithi; raids against Luzon and the Visias; raids on Okinawa, Formosa, and Luzon; Battle for Leyte Gulf; raids on Manila and the Visayas; and the raids against the northern and central Philippines in support of the seizing of Mindoro Island;

With Task Force 58 the BROWN was caught in a typhoon 17-18 December and strikes against Luzon were canceled in order to search for survivors of three missing destroyers. On 21 December the BROWN recovered 13 survivors of the HULL DD350 and 6 survivors of the Monaghan DD 354. The BROWN then proceeded to Ulithi and received orders to return to Seattle, Washington for repairs. Repairs completed on 1 March 1945 she was ready for sea again. After a brief stop at Pearl Harbor, the BROWN headed westward to take part in the Okinawa operation during which she was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for service as a radar picket ship, the third fleet operations against Japan, and the minesweeping operations southwest of Okinawa.

With the cessation of hostilities the BROWN served with the occupation forces in Japan until 28 October 1945. She then departed for San Diego, arriving 17 November 1945. Ordered to duty with the 19th fleet, she went out of commission in reserve 1 August 1946 at San Diego.

The BROWN was recommissioned 27 October 1950. She conducted intensive shakedown operations off the West Coast and then reported to Commander, Naval Forces, Far East, in March 1951. From March until September she operated with task force 77 and 95 and participated in the siege of Wonsan Harbor on two occasions. The BROWN returned to California in October 1951. Her next western pacific tour was between July 1952 and January 1953 during which time she operated on the Formosan Patrol. Since that time she has made four Far Eastern tours and has operated along the West Coast.

The BROWN received the Navy Unit Commendation, for services rendered during the Okinawa Campaign in addition to 13 battle stars for her World War 11 service. She was awarded two battle stars for her Korean service.

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The USS BROWN DD 546 was commissioned on 10 July 1943 at Bethlehem Steel Company, Terminal Island, San Pedro California. After shakedown period and post shakedown availability, the BROWN reported for duty 22 September 1943 and was assigned to the Fifth Fleet as of 26 October 1943. She proceeded out of Pearl Harbor in company with Task Force 58 and participated in the carrier raids for the elimination of enemy air activity in the Gilbert Islands during the assault and capture of Tarawa, Makin and Apamama, 21 November to 6 December 1943. While on detached duty with the USS BRADFORD, these two ships were the objects of attacks by 18 to 25 enemy torpedo bombers. Three torpedoes were launched at the BROWN and were evaded by maneuvering. Before the aircraft were driven off by gunfire the BROWN was credited with destroying two sure and one probable, and the BRADFORD, one sure and one probable. The BROWN participated in carrier raiding operations against Nauru Island 8 December 1943 to January 1944.

In company with Task Force 58, the BROWN participated in carrier raids to eliminate enemy air activity in the Marshall Islands, during the assault and capture of Kwajalein Atoll and the occupation of Majuro Atoll, 29 January to 7 February, 1944; participated in carrier raids against Truck, Caroline Islands, 16-17 February 1944, during the assault and capture of Eniwetok Atoll, Marshall Islands. On 19 February, being ordered to investigate a small sampan previously reported empty, the BROWN captured 17 Japanese survivors. She participated in carrier raids against Saipan and Tinian, Marinas Islands on 22 February 1944.

After two weeks availability at Pearl Harbor, the BROWN returned to the forward area and participated in carrier raids against Palau, Yap, and Woleai in the Western Carolines, 30 March to 2 April 1944, participated in covering operations during the assault and capture of HOLLANDIA and adjacent areas, Dutch New Guinea, 21 to 28 April 44, participated in second carrier raid against Truck, Caroline Islands, 29 April 1944, participated in shore bombardment of Satawan Island, Carolines, 1 May 1944

On 7 May 1944, commander Thomas H. Copeman USN, then commanding officer of the BROWN, was presented the Silver Star Medal and cited in the name of the President of the United States, as follows

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving as the commanding officer of the U.S.S Brown attached to a carrier task group supporting the assault forces engaged in the occupation of the Gilbert Islands during the period from 10 to 30 November 1943. His ship assisted in the repulse of enemy air attacks upon the task group during the evenings of 25 and 26 November. On 28 November 1943 while on detached duty with another destroyer of the same task group, his ship was the objective of repeated attacks by enemy torpedo bombers from 0633 to 0643 hours. These attacks were resolutely made. By vigorous offensive fire from his ship, “Two enemy aircraft were certainly destroyed. Three torpedoes were launched at his ship, which, by skillful maneuvering, he evaded. His outstanding courage, skill, determination, and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.”

This speech, was used by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, U. S Navy, in awarding the above citation to Commander Copeman. Captain of the USS BROWN.

The BROWN participated in raiding operations against Marcus Island on 19-20 May 1944, participated in raiding operations against Wake Island on 23 May 1944, participated in the elimination of enemy air activity in the Marianas, Ogasawara Gunto, and Kazan Retto during the initial phases of the assault of Saipan, 1 June to 26 June 1944, and during the capture of Saipan and the assault of Guam and Tinian from 3 July to 6 August 1944.

The BROWN participated in the first battle of the Philippines Sea as a member of Task Force 58 and on the night of 20 June 1944 the BROWN recovered 4 pilots, survivors from our carrier air group. (We sent the planes from 3 or 4 carriers after the Jap fleet and most of them were out of fuel, or shot up too bad to land on the carriers when they got back to the task force, consequently nearly all planes went into the sea......Chuck Smith )

The USS. BROWN participated in shore bombardment of Iowa Jima, Kazan Retto 4 July 1944, participated in carrier raids against Yap, Caroline Islands, 26 to 28 July 1944, participated in raiding operations against enemy naval and merchant shipping in the adjacent sea area to the North and West of Chili Jima, 4-5 august 1944. This operation represented the nearest surface action to Japan (380 miles) of the war to that date. Raiding operations were conducted in company with 4 cruisers and 8 destroyers on the night of 4 August 1944 for the purpose of destroying any ships surviving attack by our carrier planes. The BROWN destroyed one small cargo vessel by gunfire, and assisted in the destruction of an enemy destroyer. The raiding group rejoined main force on 5 August after repelling dawn air attack.

On August 1944 Commander Thomas H. Copeman, USN (our captain) was presented the Bronze Star medal in the name of the President of the United States for distinguishing himself by heroic and meritorious achievement in connection with operations against the enemy during the period 4 July through 6 August 1944.

After 3 weeks availability at Eniwetok, the BROWN participated in carrier raids 6 to 15 September 1944. On Palau, Mindanau, Raluad, and Morotai supporting the capture of Peleliu, Angar, Morotai and Ulithi participated in carrier raids against Luzon and the Visayas 21 to 24 September 1944

From Manus, Admiralty Islands, the BROWN in company with Task Force 38 participated in carrier raids on Okinawa, Formosa and Luzon 10 to 19 October 1944, in support of landing operations on Leyte. The BROWN in screen of Task Group 31.1 and during heavy air attacks on nights of October 13 and 14 destroyed 2 enemy aircraft and damaged a third. During this engagement the Canberr and Houston were torpedoed by enemy torpedo planes.

On October, enroute to Ulithi, task group 38-1 was recalled for the second battle of the Philippines Sea. The BROWN participated in carrier strikes against the Jap Task Force off Leyte. U.S. aircraft sank one enemy cruiser and damaged 2 battleship, 5 cruisers and one destroyer.

From Ulithi the BROWN in company with Task Force 38 participated in carrier raids against Malnil and the Visayas, 5 and 6 November 1944. In support of Leyte operations, on night of 6 November 1944, following submarine contact by the BOYD, BROWN and BOYD were detached for joint air-surface anti-submarine operations. While conducting this operation the BROWN and BOYD were attacked by enemy aircraft for 6 hours during which time at least 2 torpedoes were launched. On 25 November the BROWN witnessed enemy aircraft suicide attacks for the first time. During the afternoon 3 of 4 carriers in the Task Group were damaged, nine enemy aircraft were destroyed.

The BROWN participated in carrier raids against northern and central Philippine objectives and 15 and 16 December 1944 in support of the seizing of Mindoro Island.

The BROWN with Task Force 38 was caught in a typhoon on 17 and 18 December and strikes against Luzon were canceled to search for survivors of three missing destroyers. On 21 December the BROWN recovered 12 men and one officer, survivors of the USS. HULL and one hour later recovered the only survivors of the USS. MONOHAN.

Upon return to Ulithi, the BROWN received orders to return to the United States for overhaul. The overhaul was accomplished at the Todd Pacific Shipyard, Seattle Washington, and the BROWN was ready for sea on 1 March 1945

After a brief stop at Pearl Harbor for a short "shake down" and the addition of an Amphibious Support Control Unit Fighter Director team of two officers and several enlisted men, the BROWN proceeded to Saipan and on March 22 reported for duty under the Commander of Amphibious Group 5. On 27 March the BROWN departed Saipan with other screening vessels and transports of Task Force Group 51.2 to stage the landing at Okinawa on April 1 and April 2, 1945. The landings were carried our without incident other than the suiciding of the USS. HINSDALE (APA 120) and several scattered enemy air attacks and until April 9, 1945 the BROWN and the rest of the Task Force retired to the eastward of Okinawa.

On April 9, 1945 the BROWN and the AMMEN (DD 527) and two transports were detached from the main group and ordered to proceed to Okinawa where after delivering the transports the BROWN was to report for Fighter Direction duty as a radar picket in the Okinawa area. On the night of April 9, 1945 the wake of four torpedoes were sighted spread-eagling the BROWN, just missing and the transports were turned away in time to avoid them. The source of the wake was investigated but no submarine was found. During the afternoon of the 9th a possible submarine contact was made by the BROWN and depth charges were dropped, but no kill was scored.

On April 10. 1945, the BROWN reported for duty as a picket fighter directory ship and was assigned a southwestern station.

On April 11 1945, at dusk while in a Radar Picket station to the Southwestward of Okinawa, supported by three landing craft supports, the BROWN observed two Jap Zekes being chased from the north by two friendly U.S. Hellcats. One of the Zekes managed to break away from the U.S. fighters and headed for the BROWN in a 45-degree strafing and suicide attack. The anti-aircraft weapons of the LCS`s and the BROWN shot off the Zeeks tail about one hundred fifty yards short of hitting the BROWN amidships and he crashed and burned on the water off the starboard beam.

On 12 April 1945, during a heavy mid-afternoon attack on the area by an estimated two hundred Japanese planes, a Val, a Jap dive-bomber suicide type, was intercepted by the BROWN two plane Combat Air Patrol and shot down about seven miles to the north of the BROWN as he closed in toward the ship. Several destroyers were sank or heavily damaged by Kamikaze attacks further north.

On 14 April 1945, at 1925, a low flying Kate, one of two that circled the formation for about half an hour, made a torpedo run on the BROWN. He was sighted coming in low over the landing craft support to the Westward about 2000 yards on the port beam of the BROWN. The ICS fire and BROWNS fire immediately drove him off but he escaped it is believed. No torpedo wake was sighted but one was probably dropped.

On 15 April 1945 while the BROWN was coming into the transport area at Hagushi Harbor, Okinawa, several enemy planes were observed over the area, one of which after being hit by very heavy fire from ships anchored on the harbor, burst into flames and crashed into an ammunition dump on the island. Several others were hit and seen crash and others were driven off.

On 20 April 1945, at 2005, in bright moonlight, on a screening station to the westward of Okinawa, close to Kerama Rotto, the BROWN was attacked by a single enemy torpedo plane, which launched a torpedo, strafed the ship and escaped without damage. The plane had circled the ship and escaped without damage. The plane had circled the ship setting up his attack and had apparently been driven off by gunfire, but in a sudden surprise attack he came in low on the water astern and his torpedo missed by a bare 10 feet, paralleling the side of the ship through its length. There were no casualties from the strafing. The plane escaped under fire.

On 21 April 1945 at 0109, on Radar Picket Station #6 to the North-westward of Okinawa the BROWN in company with the PUTMAN (DD 757) and several landing craft, fired at a single plane which was driven off and then disappeared from the radar screen. At 2058 the same day the BROWN and PUTMAN fired at three of four planes which closed in from the North and at 2104 one plane was seen to crash and burn on the horizon.

On 27 April 1945, at 2203, on Radar Picket Station #2 to the north of Okinawa, the BROWN, supported by the TWIGGS (DD) and several landing craft, fired at a single plane which approached from the northwest. This plane was driven off and disappeared.

On 28 April 1945, at 0122 while enroute to Hagushi harbor to discharge an emergency appendectomy case, the BROWN fired at a single enemy plane which attempted a suicide attack the bright moonlight from about 5000 yards off the starboard beam. The plane was shot down in flames 3000 yards off and burned in the water. That night while on Radar Picket Station #10, supported by the J.W. DITTER (DM 33) and several landing craft the formation was approached by many bogies estimated to total twenty beginning at 1838. At 1934 the first group attacked and one plane was shot down in flames about five miles to the Northwest while the rest were temporarily driven off. At 2055 two more groups closed in to attack from different bearings simultaneously and an estimated six planes, four definitely, and probably five were shot down. This attack lasted until 2131 and there were two flaming suicide attacks in the darkness, one on the DITTER and one on the LCS 87. Both missed by very close margins. The suicider that missed the Ditter, crossed directly over the BROWN at very low altitude.

On 29 April 1945, still on Radar Picket #10, at 0634 a periscope was sighted close aboard the starboard bow and a submarine hunt begun. At 1338 the DITTER made a sound contact but has no visible results from its depth charge attack. A Hunter-Killer group of Destroyer escorts continued the search after relieving at 1506 the BROWN and DITTER.

On 4 May 1945, on Radar Picket Station #4, to the Northeastward of Okinawa, the BROWN, supported by the VAN BALKENBURGH (DD 636) and landing craft fired at two enemy planes, which approached from the Southeast. One plane was shot down by the combined fire of the group and the other retired apparently undamaged. The ships of the formation were undamaged.

On 6 May 1945, on Radar Picket Station #12, at 0350, the BROWN fired at a bogey, approaching from the Southeast, which closed to 8200 yards and then opened to the Northeast. At 0830 the BROWNS Combat Air Patrol tallyhoed a Tony and a Tojo approaching from the North. The Tojo was shot down by the Combat Air Patrol and the Tony made a suicide dive on the BROWN, with the Combat Air Patrol in close pursuit until the last few hundred yards of his dive. The after group of 20 millimeters of the BROWN took him under fire as he passed the length of the ship, strafing with his machine guns as he went. He missed and hit just off the Starboard bow in a tremendous crash. The ship and personnel were undamaged although pieces of the plane flew upon the deck.

On 7 May 1945, the Fighter Director team of the BROWN was transferred to the USS HADLEY (DD 774).

On 11 May 1945, while patrolling in a screening station just outside the harbor of HAGUSI, Okinawa, the northern Picket Stations were under heavy air attack from an estimate one hundred and fifty planes. The Hadley and Evans, in particular, shot down forty two planes, but several slipped through, one a Jill, a torpedo bomber, came in low on a surprise attack on the BROWN, over Aguni Shima, a low lying Island to the Westward. The after group of twenty-millimeters and a starboard 40-millimeter mount (manned by only two men who were normally loaders) fired at the plane as the ship maneuvered to cause the Jill to miss. The plan barely missed hitting just off the starboard quarter in a tremendous crash and explosion, which threw parts of the plane onto the fantail of the BROWN. Its torpedo went under the ship and exploded about two hundred yards on the other side after it had armed itself. Six minutes later another Jill was seen making a torpedo run on the BROWN, but by the time the plane had closed from 7000 yards to 4,000 yards it was splashed by the BROWN`S five-inch fire. Three Jap bodies, a code book, window, charts, photographs, and parts of plane were recovered from the scene of the crash and considerable material of intelligence value which was later delivered to the Intelligence Center on board Admiral Turner's flagship, the ELDORADO.

The following is an official bulletin:

Confidential

Patrolling Screening Station B-14. At 0843 sighted low flying enemy plane 5 miles on starboard quarter, closing altitude 50 feet. At 0843 sounded general quarters. At 0844 commenced firing with secondary battery. At 0845 plane identified as Jill crashed close a board starboard quarter. (See BROWN AA ACTION REPORT, Serial 0181 of 11 May 1945.) At 0846 sighted second enemy plane off starboard beam, distance 7 miles, altitude 50 feet, closing on collision course. At 0850 opened fire with main battery. As a Jill crashed off starboard beam, distance 4000 yards. (See BROWN AA ACTION REPORT, serial 0181 as of 11 May 1945). At 0852 closed scenes of crashes to investigate debris. Subsequently recovered three Japanese bodies, a code book, a notebook, much window, charts, photographs, and parts of planes splashed. The three Japanese bodies, after material of intelligence value had been removed, were buried at sea with Christian rites. At 0912 observed a Betty approaching from the North at an altitude of 18,000 feet. Ships in screening station to the North appeared to be firing at this bogey. When about 7 miles from the BROWN, bogey turned and headed Northwest, and about a minute later several large splashes were observed on the horizion in her direction. These splashes may have been bombs being jettisoned by the bogey or may have been 5”-38 shell splashes from friendly ships. At 1938 strong wind, 28 knot velocity, from the north. At 2315 storm abated, 17 knot wind, calmer seas.

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On 12 May 1945 while in Hagushi Harbor, the BROWN observed one suicide plane shot down and another crash on the USS NEW MEXICO (BB 40) which caused heavy loss of life on that ship.

On 18 May 1945, the BROWN in company with the SEDERSTROM (DE 31) and the El Dorado (AGC 11) proceeded to Guam for availability for the ship and for rest and recreation for the crew.

From 22 May 1945, to June, the BROWN had availability in Apra Harbor, Guam, and Marinas Islands. On 10 June 1945, the BROWN was underway in company with the USS. STEAMER BAY (C.V.E 87) proceeding to Okinawa.

From 16 June 1945 to 20 June 1945, the BROWN operated as a destroyer gun support ship in Radar Picket Station 16-A to the Northwestward of Okinawa, in company with two other destroyers and landing craft support. There were several night raids.

On 23 June 1945, the BROWN again became a fighter direction ship with the addition of another Amphibious Support Unit.

From 24 June 1945, to 28 June 1945, the BROWN was a fighter direction ship in Radar Picket Station 16-A in company with two other destroyers and landing craft support. There were nightly raids on the transport area but none closed the formation.

On 30 June 1945, the BROWN transferred its Fighter Direction Team and reported for duty in Task Force 32 as a screening vessel for Battleships, Carriers, and Cruisers. From 1 July 1945, the BROWN operated with this task force to the southwest of Okinawa in the East China Sea in supporting a minesweeping unit operating nearby. On 30 July 1945, the BROWN departed Buckner Bay to rendezvous with the main task forces. The BROWN ran head on into a TYPHOON and after battling with it for three days and suffering superficial storm damage met the tankers and returned to BUCKNER BAY for repairs.

From 12 August 1945, to 25 August 1945, the BROWN acted as a support ship and assistant Fighter Director for a mine sweeping operation two hundred miles to the Southwest of the East China Sea.

During WW 11 the BROWN saw about every type of battle the Navy ever had to engage in. Including shore bombardments, submarine attack, aircraft attack, mines, surface engagements, and aerial and submarine torpedo attack and troop landings.

On 2 September 1945, while the BROWN was anchored in Buckner Bay, Okinawa the war officially ended.

The atomic bomb was dropped on my birthday August 6, 1945. Undoubtedly the greatest birthday present I ever had!

From the time we were commissioned until the end of the war we traveled two hundred and seven thousand eight hundred and fifty miles.

From the date of the Browns commissioning, 10 July 1943, until the end of the War, September 2 1945, the Brown participated in 13 major operations and I had earned the following campaign ribbons plus 13 bronze battle stars

` (Leyte Gulf was the largest naval battle ever to take place. It involved over 244 ships and

more men than ever before. It eliminated the Japanese Navy from being any type of effective

(As you can see each Bronze Star sometimes consisted of more than one battle!)

By wireless to the New York Times Aboard a Flagship in the East China Sea off Okinawa, June 26 (delayed), the Navy threw a "Picket Line" across "Bogey Highway" to keep Japanese ship breaker out of the Okinawa transport area. These picket ships-- none larger than Destroyers-- fought and won the longest and hardest battle in the history of Naval warfare. They suffered the greatest losses in men and ships ever sustained by the United States Navy, but they fulfilled their mission of keeping the bulk of the enemy aircraft out of the transport area, where vital supplies for the soldiers and marines were being unloaded. It is no exaggeration to say that these little ships, which seldom have the chances for glory given to the aircraft carriers and battleships, performed a major role in our victory on Okinawa.

This thrilling story, which can be told for the first time now that the Okinawan campaign is won, constitutes an epic that will live forever in the annals of the Navy. It is a story of tough little ships and brave men whose extraordinary gunnery took care of the best the Japanese Air Force could throw at our Okinawan operation.

They were at "general quarters" (battle stations) more than 150 times during the eighty-two days of the land fighting in Okinawa. These air alerts lasted from a few minutes to several hours, and came at all times of the night and day, as the Japanese sent over one to 200 aircraft in a single attack. Only comparatively few of the enemy got though to the transport area.

Commanded by Commodore Frederick Moosbrugger, forty-four, of Philadelphia, himself a hero of the Naval fight off Vella La Vella in 1943, these pickets stood guard as much as sixty miles away from the Hagushi Anchorage. They were the sentinels to fight approaching Japanese planes, surface craft, or submarines.

The shattered Japanese fleet never got near our main anchorage, but the pickets did have to cope with small suicide boats carrying powerful explosive charges, which Naval men called "skunks." A few submarines were encountered and depth charges dropped. Whether any submarines were sunk or damaged has not been announced.

But it was the enemy aircraft, which the fighting men call "Bogeys", that made this the toughest duty Naval men had to face in this war. Here, less than 400 statute miles from, Kyushu, southernmost of the Japanese home islands, and about equal distance from the enemy held China coast, the pickets has to engage the best of the Japanese air force. It was in this battle that the enemy employed Kamikaze fliers of the "Special Attack Corps" on the greatest scale, sending literally thousands of planes and their pilots in an attempt to drive the bomb laden air craft squarely into a ship.

Second article in "The New York Times," 30 June 1945

Out over the horizon, far down from the highest peak on Okinawa, was fought during the eight-two days of the land campaign the most bitter, relentless sea-air battle of the Pacific war, the Navy now has revealed. It was the battle of the destroyer squadrons against the "Kamikaze Corps", both sea and air. It is a battle that still is going on.

Day after day, sometimes hour after hour, the Japanese send down from Kyushu and northern Ryukyu bases their suicide planes and suicide boats. Their prime targets are the fat transports, oilers and supply vessels lying off the Okinawa beaches unloading men and supplies. To get to them they have to pass the two picket lines of destroyers, destroyer escorts and other fast escort craft deployed to meet them in two great arcs out in the East China Sea, twenty-five miles and fifty miles respectively from the unloading area. Some of the enemy get through, of course. Many of them do not. Part of the story of the picket lines was told in the single ship releases on the U.S.S. Laffey, worthy successor of the destroyer, lost in the Solomon's on Nov. 13, 1942, and Commander Al Parker's U.S.S. Mannert L. Able, which was sunk by a combination suicide plane and baka bomb attack off Okinawa. The Laffey withstood the crash of six suicide planes on her decks and got back.

Nine destroyers were sunk, twenty-one were damaged: one of every three. Almost a quarter of the naval losses of 4,907 men off Okinawa were suffered by these little warships. Their antiaircraft battles took toll of 490 Japanese planes, and uncounted number of suicide boats, which attacked at night, and perhaps several suicide submarines, small undersea boats. The work of the destroyer squadrons has been told before, but it cannot be told too often. A list of Navy vessels lost from Dec 7, 1941 to May 31, 1945 shows 60 destroyers, 8 destroyer escorts and 7 destroyer transports (which often did destroyer escort and patrol duty)-- the largest single class losses among the total of 302.

INVASION OF SAIPAN - 1944 HOLOCAUST

As previously mentioned American war strategy in the western Pacific was developed around the premise that Japan would never surrender and that the nation would fight to the last man particularly if the home islands were invaded. It was anticipated that such an invasion, if it were to occur, would result in the loss of one million American lives. In planning for this eventuality, air bases in the Marianas were essential in order to accommodate the new B-29 Superfortress, a U.S. bomber that was just beginning to be mass-produced in early 1944 and which had a flying range equal to the distance from Saipan, Tinian and Guam to Japan and return. The B-29's normal range was 2,850 miles at 358 m.p.h. with a 20,000 ton carrying capacity at 32,000 feet. Airfields in the Marianas were needed from which to launch air attacks against Japan in preparation for an invasion of the country itself should it become necessary. Plans for Saipan's assault were scheduled for June 15,1944 almost one week after the invasion of Europe. An armada of 535 ships carrying 127,570 U. S. military personnel of which 2/3 were Marines of the 2nd and 4th Divisions converged on Saipan. The ships of the invasion force carried 40,000 different items to support the assault- everything from toilet paper to government issued coffins. A single supply ship carried enough food to feed 90,000 troops for one month. Navy tankers transported the petroleum products which permitted aircraft to consume 8 million gallons of aviation gas. The aircraft carriers alone burned 4 million barrels of fuel. Seven American battleships and 11 destroyers shelled Saipan and Tinian for 2 days before the landings and fired 15,000 16 and 5 inch shells at the islands along with 165,000 other shells of different caliber. On the second day this force was joined by 8 more battleships, 6 heavy cruisers and 5 light cruisers. The islands were ringed by American warships with their guns blazing. Shells rained down on the island, its villages, inhabitants and defenders gouging huge craters in the sand and coral, splitting buildings apart in an instant raining flaming boards and debris into heaps of rubble. Showers of rock and steel erupted on once quite, tree shaded streets, coconut trees were split apart, Japanese automobiles and Saipanese ox carts vanished as they were splintered into a thousand pieces. The earth trembled under the tremendous explosions of naval bombardment and simultaneous air attacks which filled the air with the choking dust of earth and the stench of cordite and death. Rails of track were twisted and bent into grotesque shapes, roads obliterated and electric poles snapped in blinding flashes of explosions. Caves provided the only shelter for the islanders against this death rain. Chalan Kanoa, Susupeand Garapan ceased to exist as communities Their destruction was total. The main invasion force landed along 4 miles of beach at Chalan Kanoa. Twenty eight U. S. tanks were destroyed the first day. The Japanese positioned colored flags in the lagoon to mark the range of the landing force and to register their howitzers on the landing force from locations behind Mt. Fina Susu. Japanese shell fire rained down on the advancing force every 15 seconds in a deadly cauldron of exploding steel. By nightfall of the first day the Second Marine Division had sustained 2,000 casualties. The fighting continued until July 9th when organized resistance on Saipan ceased. When the fighting ended, American loses on Saipan were double those suffered on Guadalcanal. Of the 71,034 U. S. troops landed on Saipan, 3,100 were killed, 13,100 wounded or missing in action. Of the 31,629 Japanese on Saipan approximately 29,500 Japanese died as a result of the fighting. Only 2,100 Japanese prisoners survived. Fighting between the Japanese and the Americans involved the use of ships, aircraft, artillery, tanks, machine guns, flame throwers, rifles, pistols, bayonets, swords, bamboo spears, clubs, stones and fists. The ratio of battle dead was 9.5 : 1 during the 24 days of fighting. Place names given the rugged Saipan terrain such as Death Valley, Purple Heart Ridge and Harakiri Gulch testify to the bitter fighting. One of the most lamentable events of the battle for Saipan involved the suicide of hundreds of families, many of whom jumped to their deaths from the high cliffs at the island's most northern point. This tragic event continued despite efforts by Americans and Saipanese using loudspeakers to try to convince many Japanese that surrender would be shameless and harmless. The last great aircraft carrier battle of the war was fought in the vicinity of the Marianas on June 19, 1944 when 15 U. S. carriers and 950 planes struck a Japanese force of 5 carriers and 550 aircraft. Before the day was over the Battle For The Philippine Sea, (The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot) saw the Japanese lose 240 planes and the carriers Taiho and Shokaku as opposed to American losses of 29 planes and damage to the battleship South Dakota.

(Note by Chuck Smith: The Jap planes filled the sky that day. We were firing everything we had at them. While we were bombarding the island we saw many dead American Marines and Japs floating in the water)

Saipan provided the United States military with its first opportunity to learn about military occupation of enemy territory with a Japanese civilian population. Civilians encountered during the period of the battle and afterward, while emergency conditions still prevailed, were placed in secure camps to keep them out of the way of the fighting. Thus assembled, the U.S. military could better meet their basic needs for food, clothing, shelter and medical care. Schools were established as soon as conditions permitted. In September, 1945 the camps housed 13,954 Japanese, 1,411 Koreans, 2,966 Chamorros and 1,025 Carolinians. Within a two square mile area near Lake Susupe life in the compound was primitive and only the bare necessities were provided. Weathered boards, tattered tents and battered tin sheets from the bombed out sugar refinery provided the only shelter from the weather. Each hut (han) accommodated from 20 to 55 people. After the fighting, families were released from Camp Susupe during the day to cultivate vegetables since food was scarce. Food production was increased from 79,469 pounds of produce in September, 1944 to 286,029 pounds in September,1945. The camp also had a makeshift Buddhist temple where Shinto religious ceremonies were held. Release from these camps is celebrated as "Liberation Day" every July 4th. The Japanese on Saipan had a high birth rate - about 300 babies per 1,000 women aged 15 to 45 and there were many orphans attended by Japanese nurses. These were the children that remained after thousands of Japanese along with some of the children committed suicide. After the capture of Saipan the fighting continued elsewhere in the Pacific for another 13 months. Camps on Tinian were constructed to house 50,000 U.S. troops and 1.2 million pounds of crops were produced all of which was consumed on the island. On August 6, 1945 an American Superfortress flying from Tinian dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima which hastened Japan's surrender. The war ended with Japan's surrender on August 15, 1945 but it was not until December 1,1945 that the final surrender on Saipan took place when Army Captain Sakeo Oba, leading 46 of his men all of whom had continued to hold out in the mountains as guerrillas, finally surrendered his Samuri sword to Major Herman Lewis and Colonel Scott, USMC. Rota was one of the islands which had been bypassed. It was not occupied until after V-J day, (Victory Over Japan). About 90 percent of the civilian population on Saipan survived the war. This included Korean, Okinawans and Japanese who were repatriated to their respective homelands after the war. As recorded on December 31, 1949 the indigenous population of Saipan was 6,225. In 1937 23,658 persons had inhabited Saipan (4,145 were indigenous). The total population of the Northern Marianas at that time was 46,708.Tinian, once a somnolent, obscure, little-known island within the Marianas chain, has the somber distinction of being forever linked to the destruction of Hiroshima and the death of 80,000 people in the flash of an instant. Leaflets had been dropped by the Americans two days before the bomb was detonated warning the people to evacuate the city as a heavy attack from the air was imminent. Sixty percent of the city was destroyed when an uranium fission weapon with a yield equivalent to 13,000 tons of T.N.T. (equal to 650 conventional "block buster" bombs each filled with 20 tons of T.N.T.) was dropped from the American B-29, Enola Gay based at Tinian. For many years following the conclusion of hostilities, and extending into the decade of the 80's, Japanese returned to the Northern Marianas to collect the bones of fallen soldiers and civilians alike- many from the base of Suicide Cliff - for cremation at religious ceremonies and honorable burial. As an interesting footnote to history the last formal surrender of World War Two occurred in the Northern Marianas. On June 30, 1951, 18 Japanese castaways on Anatahan, all survivors of a convoy sunk on June 12, 1944, finally surrendered to Lt. Commander James B. Johnson U.S.N. five years and 8 months after the conclusion of hostilities. Japan was occupied by U. S. forces until Sept. 8,1951. Today, what little World War Two equipment remains after being collected and sold for scrap after the war is protected by law because of its historical value. Lying below the surface of a lagoon once congested with landing craft and ships of all type are the coral encrusted tools of war. Rifles, helmets, bullets, tanks, ships and landing craft litter the sandy lagoon floor as if in an underwater time capsule in silent testimony to one of the last battles fought in a pre-nuclear age. More than fifty years after the invasion the accidental detonation of live ordnance still results in the occasional death of an unsuspecting island inhabitant. Discoveries of unexploded bombs and shells should not, under any circumstances, be touched - but reported immediately to the authorities for removal by a special bomb disposal unit. SOURCES: Saipan -1944 -

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The following facts are of interest concerning the radar picket duty of the BROWN during the THREE MONTHS of APRIL, MAY, AND JUNE 1945.

Number of enemy planes shot down and number of probable by BROWN 5 sure 1 assist 1 probable.

This was just during the above months. Our total planes shot down was 17 we also participated in several shore bombardments. Sank one Jap destroyer and helped sink one Jap cruiser in a night surface battle, fired at and exploded several mines while we were in the China Sea operating with U.S. minesweepers, also one possible Jap submarine.

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MONDAY 17 APRIL 1944 INITIATION. I WAS INITIATED INTO THE ANCIENT ORDER OF THE DEEP AND BECAME A SHELLBACK FOR CROSSING THE EQUATOR.

WE CROSSED THE 180 TH MERIDIAN ON THE BROWN AT LATITUDE 05 DEG 05 DEG AND I WAS INITIATED AS A DRAGON BACK IN THE ORDER OF THE GOLDEN DRAGON RULER OF THE 180 TH MERIDIAN Chuck Smith

THE FOLLOWING IS FROM A BULLETIN ISSUED BY THE INFORMATION OFFICER OF THE BROWN OF AN INCIDENT WE HAD ON A JAP ISLAND NEAR JAPAN.

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The U.S.S. BROWN, a 2100-ton Fletcher Class Destroyer is believed to have landed the first Americans on the Island of Tanega Shima, a Japanese Island immediately south of Kyushu, since the shipwreck of an American merchant ship some sixty years ago. The party landed about dusk on September 23 on a northeastern beach in an attempt to reach and render assistance to the crew of an American transport plane reported forced down on the northern tip on the island. Armed to the teeth and ready for any eventuality, the Americans were surprised and pleased by a most friendly welcome from the natives and they were given every help by the Japanese Army and Navy officials and civilians on the island, from the setting forth of exotic food on thatched mats for a native repast to the concerted pushing and pulling free of a beached whale-boat by some fifty willing Japanese soldiers and fishermen, and a gamut of services between.

At 11.45 A.M. on the morning of 23 Sept, the BROWN was playing "bird-dog" in a patrol station with the USS. BRADFORD, another Fletcher class destroyer, some 110 miles to the southeast of lower Kyrshu, sending homing signals to planes flying from Okinawa to the Empire and keeping them informed of weather conditions on the way. At 1147 "Commando 8643", a transport plane on its way north called in to inform the BROWN and BRADFORD that "commando 7783" had just made a forced landing on the northern tip of Tanega Shima, was apparently not injured but needed assistance. The report was forwarded at once to the Air Dispatch Headquarters at Okinawa and soon after, the BROWN was ordered to depart the patrol station, proceed to Tanega Shima, and to render any assistance possible.

The BROWN immediately set our for Tanega Shima at 35 knots. Intelligence maps revealed considerable information about the Island. Tanega Shima lies along a north and south axis, being some 35 miles in length and about 8 miles at its greatest width. It is the northernmost Island in the OSUMI GUNTO, the closest island to the southern tip of Kyusu, being separated by Van Deman Straight 19 miles wide. A quick consultation brought about the decision to land on one of several likely beaches on the northwestern side of Tanega Shima. Preparations were made to send ashore a landing party in an attempt to contact the downed aircrew. The party included the Executive Officer, Lieutenant Jay W. Land; 1st Lieutenant George L. Krausse; the assistant Gunnery Officer; Ensign J. Mc Dowell; the Doctor, Lieutenant (JG) Ernest B. Cuningham; two Pharmacists`t mates; armed with pistols and sub-machine guns; a signalman, and other enlisted personnel.

By 1700 Kyusu could be seen in the distance to the north, and low-lying Tagena Shima nearby to the southward of Kyushu. The ship approached from the distance of one mile off the intended landing beach and anchored. All guns were manned as a precaution, but there was no need for them, it later turned out.

The boat was launched at once and was filed to overflowing with the (17) men and all their equipment which included such items as medical stores, a "Walkie Talkie" type radio transmitter and receiver, food, cigarettes, a set of signal flares, a hand blinker tube and the ship's camera. As the boat chugged toward the beach, several natives could be seen near the waters edge on the rocks near the shore, and in the underbrush which grew to the waters edge to the north of the sandy beach intended for landing. As the boat approached, the faces were seen to disappear in the brush, probably in fear of the Americans. The boat made the beach after a first attempt failed and almost tipped out the entire party it's the crystal clear coral-bottomed water. However some sand got into the cooling system of the boat and it lost power and stopped. The surf was heavy and in a few minutes the boat was high on the beach, hopelessly aground.

The party began to make camp on the beach while the Executive Officer, Lieutenant Land, and Lieutenant Krausse with four men started off toward the north for a supposed native village. They carried a large white flag and three machine guns in addition to their sidearms. For about two miles the scouting progressed trough deep,, very wet underbrush, along occasional trails near the water's edge. They took no trails that led them away from the water. They came upon a native village with about eight thatched huts and a native shrine completely deserted, but obviously deserted quite recently, for pots and pans were still on the open fireplace and outside the shrine were several pairs of empty slippers. Seeing nothing but fairly impenetrable underbrush ahead they decided to return to the beach camp and were almost back when two eight year old Japanese boys, civilians, appeared out of the brush. They did not understand any English but by signs, nodded their heads in answer to the questions of the zooming hands of the Executive Officer. Lieutenant Land would indicate a plane coming down in a crash on it` nose and the boys would shake their heads "NO" and show with their hands a plane making a smooth landing. It was apparent that a plane had made a landing and safely, it seemed. It also appeared that the place of the landing was some twelve miles to the south. The "12" was signified by ten plus two fingers. The party returned to the camp and soon after their return some five more Japanese civilians appeared and confirmed the information that the American plane had landed and also gave the impression that the passengers were safe. Lieutenant Land and Ensign Mc Dowel with four men then started out with the two Japanese boys to scout to the southward. Two other Japanese civilians accompanied them. This time they headed inland along narrow footpaths over very hilly country. They had flashlights with them, but because they had to conserve the batteries, they proceeded in single file in bright moonlight. Lieutenant Land said that the matter of the number of guides was most disconcerting. They stopped several times to count them and each time the number varied, at times being as high as twelve. The additions must have come out of the underbrush without being seen. After they had trekked about a mile inland, a Jap about thirty five years of age appeared suddenly from the darkness of the brush. He seemed to know all about the landing party and, by drawing pictures in the dust on the ground, tell the Americans that a car was on the way to meet them at the village they had just left and should be there at ten p.m. The party headed back toward the formerly empty village.

Now however, there were many natives thronging the thatched huts, and among them was a Japanese Naval Officer in full dress uniform with light blue trousers, darker blue coat, high collar, and much gold on his hat. The party began to wait for the expected car as the natives began to set forth a treat of no mean proportions for the hungry appetites of the men of the BROWN. On thatched mats, hot dishes of sweet potatoes, some candied food that looked like chocolate, tea in tiny fragile cups of china, and canned milk. The Americans were afraid to sample the food since they had been thoroughly instructed by the doctor not to eat or drink anything from the island.

Later, about five Army officers with a party of soldiers and civilians, four of the soldiers armed, appeared. Each party of officers saluted the other smartly and one tiny Jap in an Army uniform sprang forth to shake the hand of surprised Lieutenant Land. It seemed that he spoke English slightly but understood English very well as long as it was written for him on his rice paper notebook. The senior officer, he told the Executive Officer, was Lieutenant Ogeta, Commandant of the Tanega Shima 2nd Battalion. The four-armed soldiers stayed in the background. The information concerning the pilots was amplified to indicate that nine passengers of an American transport plane were safe at Masute airdrome some twelve miles to the southward. By eleven P.M. no car had come so the party returned to the beach after agreeing that in the morning three of the Japanese officers and the interpreter would board the destroyer, guide it to the beach near the airfield and after landing at a cove near the airfield, would introduce the officers to the Japanese in charge of the field. All this information was conveyed to the ship by the portable radio set, as had been earlier reports on the progress of the scouting party.

At dawn the next day the second BROWN boat was sent in to the beach to pick up the Executive Officer and the four Japanese. At about 0700 on the beachside the Jap interpreter with Lieutenant Ogeta appeared and greeted Lieutenant Krausse by standing at stiff attention and reading from a sheet of rice paper the following carefully prepared message (written in beautiful Spencerian style English):

There is a monument which tells us about the wreck of the American merchant ship about 50 years ago. At that time the people of this village, the father or grandfather of the people showed great kindness. Almost all of the survivors were saved the U.S.A. (Sic)

At 0900 the Japs and Lieutenant Land boarded the ship and after much saluting and bowing to the Officer-Of-The-Deck, they were taken to the wardroom where the Captain on the BROWN met them. No further information concerning the plane was obtained, and the ship hoisted anchor and proceeded to a spot near the airfield. As the ship arrived there, a large transport type plane was seen to circle the field. Radio communications were established with this plane and soon after with the downed plane. It was determined that Commando 7783 had taken off from Io Shima, the tiny island just north of Okinawa where Ernie Pyle was killed during the Okinawa campaign, and that the plane was enroute to the Tokyo area, that its pilot was Lieutenant Dwight Toogood, of Denver Colorado, area, that its co-pilot Lieutenant Major Kight, of Norfolk, Virginia, with a crew of nine men. The plane was said to be in working order but too heavily loaded to take off from the short fighter strip at Masuta airdrome. No assistance was needed from the BROWN it appeared, and this information was reported to Headquarters at Okinawa. The Japanese officers were not needed for any further assistance and several hours later they were landed on the same beach they had came from that morning. In the meantime, about 30 Japanese and about 20 civilians had joined efforts with Lieutenant Krausse and the rest of the landing party in their attempts to free the beached boat. After much tugging, gesticulating, and conglomeric shouting in Japanese, the boat was pulled free and the beach party paddled the one-mile stretch of water back to the ship. They were greeted by "Friendly Kidding" from their shipmates as they approached the ship, worn out from the sleepless, cold night and the excitement of the day.

Interviewing the Japanese interpreter aboard the ship was a difficult but interesting task. He had brought with him two excellent Japanese-English dictionaries and by looking up the word desired and pointing to it in Japanese equivalent some progress could be made. He was Bonzo Uehi, 32 years of age, a banker in civilian life until two years ago, and was from Kitsuki, a city on the northeast side of Kurshu. He had been educated at the Tokyo Imperial University. In answer to questions about the affect of the atomic bomb, he wrote in his beautiful copper plate style, "At Hiroshima about 120,000 were killed and wounded, about 75 long years afterwards, the city of Hiroshima becomes waste, newspapers tell us". He said that in his opinion, the war would have ended in two or three months even if the Americans had not used the atomic bomb. The Empire was low on food and the people were tired of the war. He said, "Everyone is very glad, very glad war is over."

The next day Commando 7783 took off from Masuta airdrome with a lightened load and landed safely at the Kaneya airfield. The BROWN returned to its usual patrol station, its officers and men still a bit amazed at the reception they had been given on the Japanese island of Tanega Shima, and unable to believe that these people, who had showed such enthusiastic cooperation to the Americans were the same Japanese with whom they had been fighting so bitterly until a short month ago, and also wondered if Masuta Airfield could have been a staging field for any of the twelve Japanese airplanes that had been shot down by the BROWN during the Okinawa\Kinawa Campaign of March to July.

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THIS DIARY WAS KEPT BY DENNIS GAIL LATHAM M1C SERVICE NO 632-31-78 DURING HIS TIME ABOARD THE USS. BROWN DD 546

On the 10th of July 1943 the USS BROWN went into commission at the Bethlehem Steel Company in San Pedro, California. After spending two months on trial runs and yard time, we left the States for Pearl Harbor to make up our Task Force. We left the States on the 30th of September. This is my first combat vessel. It wasn't very long after we left the States that we saw our first combat duty. Our first fighting was during the capture of the Gilbert and Makin Islands, we saw some action there, we were under plane attack for seven nights in a row. They didn't do any damage to our group, but they did sink the carrier Lissome Bay of another force. Our force shot down several of them each night. On the fifth night we were taking the carrier Bella Wood to another force. After we had delivered her and were returning to our own forces, we were attacked by several Japanese dive bombers and torpedo planes. There were just the two of us (the BROWN, and the BRADFORD our sister ship). After about a half-hour fighting we got three of them and the other ship got one. It was rather moon light out and we could see them pretty well. They shot their torpedoes at us, but due to the very good maneuvering of our captain, we were missed. I was standing on the deck after a lull in the firing when I looked up and there was a plane coming in low at us very low and at top speed, then there were two more of them coming in on our bow and stern. I could see their torpedoes drop and then they swished over us. Our gunners knocked them down from the other side of the ship. We were very fortunate to get out of that without any damage. It is believed that one of them did hit the ship and glanced off while we were turning because there was a great explosion in our wake and a thud was felt by many people.(Note by Chuck Smith..."My battle station at that time was in the magazine of #4 5 inch gun, 3 decks below the main deck and I heard the Torpedo hit about amidships".) Later on the Captain was given the Gold Star for his outstanding actions in saving the ship. I think a good deal of the credit should have been given to the few gunners who shot them down, but Navy just isn't that way with their honors. The rest of the operation went well. I hope never again to come any closer to death in this war. We were out for thirty-two days.

We went into the Esparto Santos Base in the New Herbiedies Islands. We were given recreation there, such as it was. It was good to get off the ship and go for a swim and relax. They gave us 2 cans of beer and 1 dish of ice cream so it wasn't too bad. We operated out of this Port for some time. We pulled raids on New Ireland and New Britain. Our opposition here was very moderate. Once in a while we were attacked by the enemy Air Force, but we always managed to fight them off without being hit. Our next big operation was the bombing and landing of troops on the Marshall Islands. Two days after the landing, we were in the port and were showing movies topside. This was in Majuro, in January. During our time operating out of here, we made several small trips and raids. One night, we were sent out alone to aid a Merchant tanker, which had been sunk during the night. When we got there all we found was wreckage on the water. They say another ship picked up the survivors.

Soon after the Marshall and Gilbert Islands were taken, the Japs made many fantastic claims on us. They claimed they had sunk our fleet three times and told all kinds of stories to their people. However they have begun to change their story a bit now. They are warning their people that the United States is powerful and to expect raids on the home front soon. We have been very fortunate so far and have been complimented very highly on our good work. I heard over the Jap radio, the announcing of the sinking of two of our Light cruisers. Those two were us, but they didn't sink them.

Our next operation was the first Navy raid on Truck, which was described, in our home papers as a very dangerous and daring attempt. To us it was the same old story, just go in, and hit them. Then came Saipan, Peleiu, Yap, and Truk again. We were in very dangerous waters, but our forces were so far superior to theirs that they didn't have a chance to stop us.

During our first raid on Truk, we ran across a Jap San Pan (which is a very small ship). We fired on it with our small arms for a short time to be sure it was not mined. The men in it had been covered with a canvas sail, but after we fired through them they all stood up with their hands up. There were seventeen of them, some were young, other rather old. They were off the islands trying to escape. We took them aboard and transferred them to a Battleship. One boy was quite badly hurt when we fired into the ship. He was crying, but the others didn't seem a bit concerned about him. As for the others I had no feeling at all for them. I would just as soon they were thrown back into the sea, to drown.

Our next operation was the invasion of the northern tip of New Guinea. We went in real close for our shore bombarding. We knocked out everything, buildings, airfields, or anything standing. From there, we went to Ponope, where we did the same thing.

Next, we hit the Marcus Islands, then Wake Island. We were given more fight there. Now we are hitting where we hurt the Japs most. We are deep into enemy territory, and are in danger of heavy attacks. We hit, and I mean hit hard, for three days off the Marianas, shooting down two hundred of their planes to fifteen of ours. Most of our pilots that were shot down were rescued from the sea. Form there we went on up to the Bonin islands, which are only four hundred miles from Japan. We stayed there for three days, giving them HELL while our troops landed on Saipan, where they are fighting very hard with more opposition than they had anticipated, we have finally drawn the Jap fleet out. They are going close to the Philippines, in hopes we will fall into their trap, but I think not. We expect to have it out with them in the morning.

They did come out, only they were foolish enough to try to get us by plane in the daytime from a great distance. We were attacked by nineteen waves of planes, about three hundred in all. When they were through, they had only twenty-five left. The rest were shot down by our fighters and our ships. Our losses were ten planes! Unbelievable, isn't it. But true. We owe a lot to our pilots. They are winning this war and I take off my hat to them. They are brave and well trained, in the past two weeks, we have been out, we have shot down five hundred planes, which is a great loss to any Nation.

Two days ago, the Jap carrier forces sent their planes after us. We did very well with them. We got well over three hundred of them in one day. They scored a minor hit on one of our ships. The next day, we sent all of our planes after them. We do not know what the results are yet. Were we closer, we would have had better conditions, but they stayed their distance, in hopes we could not reach them. We have picked up several of our pilots out of the sea. They were out of gas or badly shot up from the attack on the Jap task force. The pilots told us that last night, they had sunk one of their largest carriers with several direct bomb hits and had hit several others. From the three aircraft carriers we sent planes from, very few landed back aboard the carriers. It is surprising how much trouble and danger we go to save a pilot. When a Jap plane goes down, it means they lost their crew also. It is a great sight to see a Jap plane go up in smoke and crash into the Sea. We have seen lots of them during the past few months. They send lots of them our after us but few of them ever return to tell the tale.

This has been the most fireworks I have seen on the Fourth in my life. We bombarded the Island of Chichi Jima, in the Bonin Group, five hundred miles off Japan. This makes the third time we have hit this group. We knocked out their airstrips and many shore batteries. There was moderate return fire, only light anti-aircraft fire. We sent a few more Japs to their honorable ancestors, the only good Jap is a dead one, and they have lots of them now. During the past month, they lost over one thousand planes in this area alone. Why don't they give up, they know they haven't got a chance. We sunk about sixty ships while here this time, most of them cargo ships.

These islands are very beautiful. At the ends of each big island, there are huge volcanic mountains, towering into the sky. It is a shame they are to be destroyed. We are going back to the other forces now, where they are still supporting the invasion of Saipan. We should be done soon, in spite of the hard time we have been having, then we will be going into port again, for repair work, ammo, and supplies. Then out again.

One year ago today, we were put into commission, lots of water has passed under our bridge. We have been in every major operation and have seen quite a bit of the action in the South and Central Pacific. We have traveled over one hundred thousand miles so far. I have not minded the war so much as I have missed Pinky and Dennis. If it were not for the pictures Pinky sends me, I would not know him. I miss them very much. I hope another year does not pass before I see them again.

We received word today that all organized resistance on Saipan was gone. I am glad to hear that. We lost so many men there, more than the people at home will ever know. At least five thousand killed and many more thousand injured. As for the Navy Forces, we have not lost near that many. We have been quite fortunate all the way, I hope it continues the same. We did have an attack by several planes the other night but we got most of them.

There are rumors that we may go back to the States after this operation, if we survive it. I hope so, but do not think so. I have never wanted to go back so badly as I do now. If nothing else, I have learned one thing while out here away from home. I have learned to appreciate home and all it offers. I will appreciate the smaller things that I once took for granted, how nice it would be tonight to go out to a dance or party with Pinky. All I would have to do would be get ready and go. You will never know just the strain we are under, not to be able to do anything, nothing at all in the way of entertainment. We have no choice of what we are to do at any time. We go into port once in a great while only to take on supplies and ammo, then out to Sea again. At Sea, we play cards sometimes, then go to bed, usually with our clothes on so we will be ready in a moment's notice to man our battle stations. We have lost three men so far, who have gone crazy; there will be more of them. In the Army, it is different. When they are fighting they have it pretty tough, but otherwise, they have some recreation if it is only walking as far as they want to in one direction. I sometimes wonder if I haven't forgotten how to have fun. We never hear a kind word about anyone or anything, a Navy man is a great critic I guess.

We fueled from the Kaskaskia today. It was good to see some of the old fellows again, even if I did have to talk to them while underway. Lots of them have been transferred, but most of my real friends are still on her. I think I will never have as good a bunch of shipmates as I had on that ship. Of course, I do have a lot of good friends on here, such as Jimmie Brummett, Cliff Roughback, John Haller and others.

Two days ago, one of our destroyers went into the beach at Guam to pick up one of our men who had been shot down while raiding them. Then, later on they went back to pick up a man who had been living on the island with the natives since the Japs took over at the beginning of the war. His name was Tweed, a radioman first class. He was sending signals to our ships. He gave our Admiral a lot of important information concerning their gun emplacements and other military objectives. They had one hospital they were using as an ammunition warehouse knowing we would not bomb it. They were very much surprised when we blew it off the face of the Earth. Tweed was sent back to the States as a personal friend of the Admiral. It is odd how they can become such close friends of the enlisted men in such a short time. There was some glory to be had and he didn't want to miss out on it. Tweed was promoted to Warrant Officer, I do not envy him at all. He was on the islands for five years in all. His family left before the war broke out. He is deserving of all he gets. There are many more like him on the islands yet. I hope we are able to get them before they are killed by the Japs.

We will be invading them soon as well as the rest of the group. I do not think the fighting will be as hard as it was on Saipan.

Our troops landed on Guam and Tinian. We bombarded before the invasion. We had been hitting them for two weeks before the invasion. Our planes were dropping delayed bombs to keep them awake day and night. They thought we were bombing them all this time. This way, the enemy was tired and weary from the lack of sleep, making it easier for our boys when they landed. One of our battleships was hit from shore batteries and one destroyer. Over one hundred men were killed in all. They should never have been that close. We were attacked today by several planes. We shot several of them down. We could see them as they hit the water and go up in flames. It is a grand sight to see. We are hitting Yap and Palau now, so we must expect some opposition. The other day, we saw an object floating in the water. We went over to inspect it finding it to be a good Jap. He may have been a Jap pilot. They have no parachutes, so when shot down they do not have a chance. This one had been in the water for about ten days. He was all swollen up and was not a pretty sight to look at.

Our planes spotted a sub the other day and strafed it quite a bit. We went our after it him. We dropped several depth charges around the area. It is hard to tell when you do get one. They are often hit and sunk without coming to the surface.

We are in the famous 58th Task Force and have been since they were organized. We are the largest and fastest hitting force in the world. It is a grand sight to see them all together.

I am trying to write this as nearly correct as possible, this will be something that may be interesting to look back on someday. There are some things I do forget or overlook, but will do my best to get everything in. I know Jean will enjoy reading it.

The past few days, we have been bombing Yap and Peleliu. There have been a few Jap planes come out after us. Yesterday one of our planes was shot down close to the main islands, so one of our cruiser planes went in after the crew. While picking them up they were being fired at quite heavily, but none were hit. They transferred them to us to take back to their carrier. Some were a bit beat up, but were the happiest men I have ever seen. They had a few drinks when they reached the cruiser and were feeling pretty high. This was the third time for two of them to be shot down and they were together each time. We are headed back to port now. We will only be in long enough to take on supplies and ammo, then out for another long trip. Out of the past 60 days we have had three in port. I will be glad when we can have a little rest period.

On our way in, our orders were changed. We took the carriers into Saipan and then headed out for more action. We went to the Bonin Islands again for another attack. Two days ago we left with two cruisers and three other destroyers to intercept a Jap convoy of several ships, both war and merchant. This was to be our first surface engagement. The first ship we saw was a small craft. We opened fire, and sunk it in a short time. The Japs were swimming around in the water trying to get away from the burning vessel; the ship was made of wood, so it was a long time going out. A few minutes later, we spotted another one. This was a bit larger than the first. I think it was a tanker. We opened fire on it. The first few rounds sent it up in flames a mile high. She was left burning from stem to stern. We could see the Japs swimming away from her. We did not stop to pick any of them up. In fact we should have machine-gunned them. They were only ten miles or so away from the nearest island, but the sea was so rough, they could never make it. I didn't have the least bit of pity for any of them. Earlier in the day, our planes had broken up the convoy, and they were running in every direction, so we had to search for the rest of them. A short time later a mine was reported ahead of us, so another sailor and myself were assigned to the bow to watch for it. The waves were coming over on every dip. W e got soaked to the skin, but didn't mind at all. It was getting dark now, so it was hard to see an object in the water, especially at the speed we were going. So far we had two targets and our ship got both of them. Our third target was not so easy. It was two of their largest destroyers. All of our ships fired at them. We fired for quite a while, getting a hit now and then. Finally, one of them went up in a terrific explosion and disappeared from our radar screen. Soon the other one went down. This made a total of four ships, two of them combat vessels. The two were firing back at us. We could see the shell bursts over our heads. It is a funny feeling to be shot at and know they are not just playing with you. While we were firing at these two, we picked up another target about thirty miles away, heading for home (Japan)

It was a large armed cargo vessel. After some time, we caught them and sunk same. They fired back at us as much as the destroyers had, but no hits on us. By this time we were three hundred miles from Tokyo. This would have been a good time for their planes to come out after us, but they did not. On the way back we spotted another small craft. All ships fired at it while going past at top speed. Soon, she was full of holes and left sinking. Earlier the next morning, we were preparing to bombard the island we were so close to the night before, when we sunk the first ship, when two Jap planes came in on us very low and at top speed. Several ships fired at them, but none hit. Finally, they were coming in on us as fast as they could. We were firing everything at them. One of our shells hit very near the water and exploded, splashing water up on their wing, knocking the plane of it's course, so they both hi-tailed it for home, and we didn't see anymore of them. They had came in so low we couldn't bring our guns to bear on them without hitting one of our own ships. After we had bombarded and sunk everything in the harbor, we headed out. When we got to the spot where we had sunk the second ship we saw a flame, the remainder of the ship was still afloat and burning. A few hundred yards away were several Japs, floating around with their life belts on. The sea was too rough to swim in. we went within a very few yards of them; they just turned their heads the other way as we passed. We could have fired on them, but waited to let the planes strafe them later on, while making their reconnaissance flights. All this may seem inhuman, but this is an all out war and according to their ways, everything goes. Later in the day we rejoined our carriers and continued bombing the islands. There are so many in the group. I think we will be hitting the China coast within the next few months, so we are all ready for some more action. After this operation, we will return to the Marshall Islands for repairs and stores before going out again.

We were in port a long time, the longest in some time. We got underway this morning. I am quite sure we will be out for a long time again. The news during the past few days has been very good. We are doing so well on every front. Our Admirals say what has happened is only a sample of what is yet to come. We made the 58th Fleet famous, now we are in the 38 Th Fleet. I hope we are able to do as well with them. There are several of our ships going in with them. We are now going into one of the most important and daring attempts of all. We are going to land on Peleliu and then on to the Philippines. Our planes have all been set and we are ready to go. I hope everything turns out as well as in the past. We are bound to lose some ships, that is to be expected, but we will win. Our Forces are the most powerful in the world. I wish the people at home could see us one time when we are going out of port. They would see the largest gathering of fighting ships anyone has ever seen ships of all kinds, large and small. I love to watch them while getting underway. After we go out, we are all so far apart, they seem much smaller. They say we may get some recreation after this attack. I do not think so, they say the same thing each time, and if it were not for the battles we are in to change the atmosphere I think many of the men would go crazy. At least it does give us something to talk about and talking is the only past time we have. Some of the stories told are not ones to tell in the company of a lady, but no harm done. There are a lot of things that have to be overlooked in times like these. We can not expect to be perfect angels. I guess the religion of the sea is a bit different from what we have at home. Religion just isn't given much of a chance. But there is another kind. I have lived with about every kind of person there is and I have learned a lot about them. They are not the kind you would find in a church, but they have proven themselves, many of them my very best friends. I judge them by their attitude toward their shipmates in the very toughest of times, at times when they are in a tough situation. Then is when their real selves come out. Many of them laugh it off and joke about what happened. There are others, such as one fellow who was always reading his Bible and wearing two life belts to battle stations, who wouldn't say shit if he had a mouth full. They are scared stiff and making a fool of themselves in front of everyone. Well, they have very few friends; they sit around feeling sorry for the rats we kill and the ones who kill them at the first opportunity, saying it is a sin. I have no use for them, now or any other time. They are far from what I call a Christian. It is easy to put on a good front when a person is at home and has nothing more to do than be good, at least in front of people. Put them in a tight spot and watch their colors.

At the final fall of Saipan, the Japanese civilians, as well as the soldiers put on quite an exhibition of their faith to their gods. They gathered together for their death ceremony. There were about one hundred of them at a time, got together, took off their clothing and placed themselves upon their flags in groups of five or ten. Then they blew themselves to bits with hand grenades. Others of them, families mostly, joined hands and walked out into the sea, and drowned. Our ship passing by saw many of them floating in the sea. One man had his little boy in his arms, they were both dead. Many of the soldiers committed Hari-Kari by jumping from the high cliff at the end of the island where they made their last stand. We were close enough at one time to see the cliff. It is about one hundred feet high and drops into the sea at one side and onto the airstrip on the other, so there was no escape for them. Some of the Jap people were about to give themselves up to our troops but were shot and killed by their own snipers. They fear us more than anything in the world.

We have been hitting Peleliu and Yap the past few days. One of our planes crashed while trying to land. We picked him up; this was the second time we have picked up this man. Many times we have to pick them up during the night.

In the past week, there has been much damage inflicted on the enemy but mostly by our planes. We are now hitting the Philippines by air; the opposition has been surprisingly weak. We have hit Mindinoa and Luzon with good results. In the past week, we have shot down six hundred planes and several more on the islands. There have been about seventy ships of all kinds sunk. We will go back now and help with the invasion of Peleliu. They say we are to aid the phony McArthur in landing on another island. He is the biggest bluff this war has ever seen. If it were up to him, we would be out here twenty years winning this war.

Last night, we were given the results of this entire operation up to now, including Peleliu and the Philippines. There have been about one hundred seventy five ships sunk and over six hundred planes shot down. This does not include those by McArthur, which would almost double it. This is the most disastrous defeat dealt the Japs in air and shipping since the war began. This operation will last until we have the Philippines in our hands. The Japs seem to be moving everything away as fast as we come in. I do not know where they expect to make a stand with their fleet. If not soon they never will. I think they will be out in the near future. After we sink them, we will be free to go where and when we please. We will be able to bomb them from every base, wherever they are. This may take until the first of the year. Then I do hope we get to some time in the States. I guess you are getting fed up with my talk on this subject, it always seems to be false but I sure hope for it. We are badly in need of repairs and recreation. We rate seven and maybe eight stars now. We have been in every major operation. Each operation has several battles. The ones I mean, are the ones of most importance. Our Squadron of destroyers has been out the longest of any of them. In fact, there are only two of us left that have not been back. The others have gone back for repairs at one time or another. My last liberty and time off this three hundred-foot ship, was in Pearl Harbor in March, six month ago.

This morning, our Air Force hit Luzon at Manila; so far there is no opposition. There may be by tonight, because we are so close to the islands, less than a hundred miles. I am surprised there isn't more opposition than there is. They have lost so many ships and planes in the past few months, they may have a hard time mustering enough pilots to stage a defense from the air. There are so many airfields in the group one would think they could operate from one or two of them, but I do not care, the less the better. They do have a little anti-aircraft fire, I noticed some of our planes coming back with their wings shot up a bit. There are quite a few ships in the bay. They are our first objective, then the airstrips and the shore installations. We are hitting them with the most powerful forces yet. We have over four hundred planes hitting them continually, all day. This may put us in scoring position again. We will know the results soon.

Yesterday morning, we were given a bit more excitement, we were attacked by eight Jap bombers. The sky was so cloudy; our radar could not pick up the target until they were in on top of us. The first one dove at us at top speed and very low. We were not all at our battle stations yet, so only one gun was able to fire, and they did not get it. A few seconds later, one of our fighter planes chased after it, and one spit of fire and the plane went down. The rest of them stayed at quite altitude waiting for a chance to dive on one of us. Whenever we could see them, every ship in the force would open fire. The sky was a mass of shell bursts. But none of them were hit. How they missed being hit is beyond me. They were dropping their bombs at a very high altitude, making their aim not too good. Two bombs hit off our stern and two off our bow; the closest was about one hundred yards. Then all of a sudden, one of them dove out of the clouds at one of our carriers. The plane was going at top speed through a blanket of anti aircraft fire; none of them could bring it down. When very close, he dropped his bomb and missed us by just a few feet, then pulled out of his dive as graceful as you please and got away until one of our fighters got him, as they did the rest of them. It looked to me as if he was going to crash into our ship, they do that sometimes. Our operations were discontinued at noon due to bad weather. We had reports that there was a typhoon coming up so we had to get out of the area. At sunset, we were at our battle stations again, for fear they would be after us again. But they did not show up. While we were at our battle stations one of the destroyers spotted a rubber life raft with two of our flyers in it. They were shot down eleven days ago and were in the rough seas since then. They were fortunate to be picked up. We are with the tankers now, quite a bit south of our base of attack. I do not know what we will do after fueling. The sea is so nice and calm here, it is funny how it can be so different in so short a distance. The reports are good on the operation so far, but are not complete, several ships and many planes were destroyed.

We went into the Admiralty Islands after fueling. This is our first time in this port. Much different from the others, they are quite large in size and are very pretty, not like the Marshalls and other Atolls. It rains every day, so there is little one can do if he could go ashore. We lost several men this time in. We are going out now to relieve the other forces so they can come in for supplies and ammo. We were out thirty-one days this time.

After two day under way we had to go into another port, Ulithi, in the recently captured Caroline Islands, to have our bilge keel cut off. It apparently had been damaged by one of the near misses by a bomb. It was loose and was hitting against the side of the ship. We were in only two days, then went out with another force to rejoin our group. The sea is rough; it is the tail end of the typhoon. At the present time, are picking up pilots who tried to land at night. The sea is so rough the waves are breaking over the bow. We will be lucky to get them on board without losing some of our own men. I will get wet, but this will not be the first time today. We are now going on up to hit the southern tip of Japan. Then Formosa and on down to land troops on the Philippines. This is very dangerous; we have to knock out their air power, so our troops will be able to land without too much trouble. I am sure their fleet will be out this time. We will have a tough time of it, but who cares? (At the present time, I am rewriting this on uniform paper, we are off the Philippines alone and the Japs are just flying over. We are now firing so I had better stop for awhile. (You know safety precautions.)

The weather is better now, not nearly so rough. Our raid off the coast of Japan went very well. We sunk one destroyer, two cruisers and so many small craft; it was hard to count them all. We lost only seven planes; there were only seventeen planes in the air. They were shot down and the others were hit aground. We are now going to Formosa. We will not be able to surprise them as we did the others, but we will lick them anyway. We owe our pilots credit; they did it all this time. Of course we did protect them from surface craft, we are all needed to do the job. I guess one branch is as important as the other. Anyway, we have all seen enough fighting in the past year or so to know we are not in the states at liberty. We had three waves of planes coming at us yesterday, but none of them got to us. Our fighter planes got to them first; they may be out after us in the morning.

We were under heavy attack again last night. We were at our battle stations until eleven o'clock. It is now time to get our of here before we lose any more ships and men. The planes came in on us last night, as they did the two nights before. Last night, they came in on us in full force. It was not quite dark when they hit. During the first few minutes of firing, I saw five of their planes go up in flames. One of them dove for our carrier, but missed and got two torpedo hits on the Camberra, a heavy cruiser, putting her dead in the water. The attack lasted for some time then it was all over. This is the first one of out ships to be hit in a while. She lost several men. I hope we are able to get her out before the Japs get anymore hits on her. During the firing we got a few hits on our own ships. We were in at such close range and they were diving so low, it could not be helped; however they were only minor hits, so we are to stay and protect the injured ship, one of our cruisers is towing it.

We were under another attack, as had been expected. The Japs did the same as the night before. They hit us hard and fast. Another one of our ships was hit, the new Houston, a cruiser. She was also dead in the water. They ordered "abandon ship", then later changed their minds, after five hundred of the men had gone over the side, in rough seas and darkness. Some of the destroyers helped to pick them up. Not many of them were lost. We are still in easy range of the Japs; we can only travel six knots with the damaged ships under tow. We must stay with them if we all get hit. It will take several days to get out of the danger area. This is no longer just fun, we are in a tight spot and we know it. I hope we make it all right without the Japs knowing just what they have done. Our force is alone the others have gone to aid in the landing of the Philippines. No mater what happens, or how tight a spot we are in the plans must continue the same as planned. No doubt you have read of the Japs wiping out our entire fleet. Well, we are the ones they claimed to have sunk. It's funny; this is the fourth time I have been killed. I sure feel sorry for my poor sweet precious wife; she did love me a lot.

We have been under attack two times this morning, but we fought them off. The first time, we got seven out of thirteen, then the next wave was of eleven, and we got six of them. We were searching for the survivors of the Houston; five hundred and seventy of them were picked up last night. The Houston is still afloat and is being towed by the Boston. (A cruiser) We may lose her yet. If she had not been hit, we would be out of here now, but as it is, we are in for another night of it. One of our destroyers went along side of the Houston to aid her and crashed into her, caving her own side in. Now we have two cruisers and four destroyers out of the fight that we have to protect. Everyone is a bit on edge now and anxious to get out. It isn't very pleasant I know, but we will make it O.K. During last night's battle, our ship got two of the planes shot down. We have done very well so far and hope to keep up the good work. If we are attacked by the Jap fleet, we will have to leave the injured ships to themselves. We are not strong enough alone to stand off a fleet in a surface engagement. We are low on ammo and few in number with so many of our ships with the invasion. Our losses were very minor; our job here was well done. We did all we went up here for; we are bound to have some ships hit. Now the way is clear for the invasion.

After the night the Houston was hit, we split forces. Part of us went on to the invasion and the others stayed with the cripples, that afternoon, we were attacked by several planes, they were flying very high. One of them dropped out of the sky to attack one of our carriers, missing by only a few feet. The others kept on going. At the same time the other force was under heavy attack. They shot down twenty-two of them by ships fire and ninety by planes. But they got another hit on the Houston; she is in bad shape, but still afloat. But that is over now, they are all in port and safe. The Jap fleet did come out but went right back in when they found out that we still had a fleet. The Jap radio is full of propaganda. They claim far more ships sunk than we have out here. They say they got all our carriers and battle wagons with several others. I know different, I was in the fleet they so boldly claimed they sunk. They do this each time; we will be going into port now, at least for a day or two.

Our orders were changed again; we are not going in. I do not know what the story is, we are so badly in need of repairs, I was up last night until ten o'clock, repairing steam lines and they went our again this morning. We are going some place, but they do not want to tell us. I think the Jap fleet is out and we are going after them. We have invaded two of the Philippines, Leyte and Samar. There was little trouble on Leyte. One of our destroyers hit a mine off the coast of China and is in bad shape. Otherwise, everything is going better than had been planned. We have lots of new ships coming out now, of every class. They will be here soon. We may need them; the war will be going harder from now on. We are fighting in their own backyard and have so far taken the war to them. They will fight with all they have from now on.

Yesterday and to day, the Japs tried very hard to reinforce their troops in the Philippines, but ran into bitter defeat. Three of their Navy Forces tried to knock us out. One of them with battleships was trying to land troops. While the other two were keeping our Navy busy. We had several ships in the bay, which were hit because we could not get there in time. But they did not succeed, we met them for a battle, in which time every one of their ships were hit or sunk. They lost several destroyers and cruisers and the battlewagons were badly damaged. They fled, but our planes kept on hitting them. In the meantime, our other carrier and battleship force was hitting their carrier defense force further north, sinking the entire outfit. We were aiding all of them, they had several loaded transports coming in, but they were duck soup for our planes and ships. About sixty thousand of them were estimated killed. This will be the last big Navy Sea Battle I am sure. Their fleet is now a fifth rate and will never be built up again. This has been a very hard month for us. The sea has been so rough, and we have been in so many battles. We are all very tired and weary. We will go into port now for four days. Admiral Nimitz says this has been a tremendous defeat to the enemy Navy and well done to all of us. Here are the final results, as we have them now.

We went into the Caroline Islands for two days, we were supposed to be there longer but we got word to get underway. The Japs were trying again to land troops on the island of Leyte; our Army bombers took care of them though.

We are now hitting Luzon again today and are having good returns. We are searching an area where subs were spotted last night. We are with one other destroyer; the other ships are several miles away. A few minutes ago, we were attacked by planes. We fired very little so as not to let them know where we are. (It was nighttime and we were hard to see.) If main bunch spot us, we will be in the same fix we were in during the Gilbert operation, where another destroyer and us had to fight off 30 plane by ourselves. I do not crave that. We are still at our battle stations, so I do not know what will happen yet tonight. I am in the repair party, so I am free to roam the ship. Things are quiet now so I am taking advantage of it.

We made O.K. the other night. That is, we didn't get hit. They had a good chance to hit us both but I guess they didn't know we were alone. They fired their torpedoes at the Boyd, our sister ship, but missed, then they were coming toward us and fired torpedoes at us but we had time to dodge them. The attack didn't last too long then they left. However they kept coming back and kept us up all night. We are now on our way to Guam with the carrier Wasp, we will be in port only one day to take on ammo and supplies then we will rejoin our task force at sea. The Cruiser Reno hit a mine the other night. Have heard no more about it. The sea has been very rough the past few days. I do not mind too much, except not being able to go topside makes the days long.

Our planes did considerable damage again at Manila. They sank several ships and shot down more planes than ever before. The total for the month was over one thousand shot down and five hundred more damaged. Over one and a half million tons of shipping sunk. This is merchant and combat vessels alike.

We entered Guam today early. The only time I saw it before, was bombing and on patrol during the landing of the troops. From where we are, you can see Saipan, which is only a few miles across the Channel. It is very pretty here, so green and fresh. The Harbor is rather small, compared to the ones our fleet has been operating out of. There are several towns here, but we will not be in long enough to have a liberty. We are getting under way early in the morning, so it was just another chance to catch up on our work. I would like very much to go ashore. I am sure I would enjoy myself. There are so many places to go and see. Maybe we will be in again sometime when liberty will be granted. We can see the place where our men made their initial landing and were driven back into the Sea. The cliffs are so steep and so thick with vegetation. This is the first port we have hit in the last months, where there is any form of liberty. The others are just sand plots sticking out of the water with a few trees growing from them. If I could go ashore here, I would just walk and walk until I was so tired I couldn't walk any farther. During peacetime, there was lots of American people here. They owned hotels and many forms of businesses. I do not know if there are any left now or not. The Japs always took their prisoners out before an invasion, or they killed them instead. They do have a raid over the Island now and then. Only a short time ago the Island was infested with Japs. We will be getting underway early in the morning with our Task Force again. I do not know where we will be going from here, but it will be to fight, that is for sure. Maybe we will be hitting Japan proper soon, not likely before the Philippines are taken though.

When we first entered port this morning, everything was so fresh and pretty, I almost lost the feeling of war. I felt like I was going some place nice to have a good time. I can see where there is a lot of sport and good times had in the places in peacetime. These Islands in the Pacific are very pretty and there are so many of them. It is too bad we have to miss out on all that is beautiful. With our thoughts continually on the cost of these places, in lives, and the more lives to be lost, a person cannot enjoy being here.

We left Guam three days ago, and are on our way to meet our fleet. We will be with them by midnight tonight. They have been very busy the past few days. The Japs landed thirty-five thousand troops on Leyte, and our carrier planes have been trying to check them. The first landing was successful, but the others have failed. Our planes sunk seven destroyers of the first invasion and three troop ships. (Empty). The next day, they tried to land more, but were caught and they lost six more destroyers and four loaded troop ships. About eight thousand Jap troops were lost. Since then they have lost one more destroyer and several planes. The Japs on Leyte are trapped now. We may just as well kill them there, as any other place. They have to be killed anyway. The Japs will make a major stand in the Philippines. Here is where they will lose their might. When they lose these islands, they will be on their last legs. I am quite sure the Russians will declare war on them, as soon as the fall of Germany, which will make quick work of them.

Today I told one of my shipmates all about Pinky. How I met her and the whole story, up until I joined the Navy. It makes a very beautiful story. We have had such a beautiful life so far that is until the war. Everything has been swell since then, except being away so much of the time. We have gained a lot in that time, so I guess it has not been time thrown away. How I would love to see her now, I get so lonesome for her all the time. We have always had such good times when we were together. It didn't make any difference if we went any place or not, just being together was all that mattered. I have the most wonderful and beautiful sweetheart wife in the entire world. She has done more for me than anyone else could ever do. She is so kind and considerate of everything. She is just perfect, that is all. I love her more than all the world, and always will no matter what happens. I used to tease her a lot by blowing on her neck and playing with her little finger in the movies, but she loves me anyway. When I am with her, I just can't help touching her. I guess there is nothing in the world so beautiful and sacred, as two happily married people as much in love as we are. We will always be happy. We will never let any matter, regardless of how big, come between us. We will always find a way. There have been a lot of families broken up since this war started. I know so many fellows on here, whose wives left them or was caught cheating on them. Any woman who is so selfish, she can't deny herself the rotten pleasures of life while her husband is risking his life for her safety, is not worth having anyway. They seem to forget that their husbands are also doing without any type of recreation or amusements. It isn't fun out here, not in the least bit. Imagine yourself confined to your house for a year and a half, not able to step off your front porch. You would go crazy. Well, that is what we have to put up with, only we do not have one tenth of the comfort a home would give. We live and fight on a dirty ship, three hundred feet long and twenty wide, along with three hundred and fifty others. We have no privacy outside out thoughts. Our food, the greatest percent of the time, is unfit to eat. We haven't had fresh milk or vegetables in a year now. All of these things add to making life very uncomfortable, without the mental strain of the war. So if the men out here are able to stand up under these hardships, I do not see any reason why the wives at home cannot be faithful, while their men are gone.

During the past few weeks, we have been hitting the Philippines at many different places. We have been helping to keep the Japs from landing anymore troops on Leyte. At the present time, we are doing very well on the islands. The end should come in the near future. The enemy has lost very heavily, in men and planes, during the past month or so.

Thanksgiving was not very happy this year for us. Yesterday afternoon, three of our men were standing against the life line, when it broke, sending one of them into the sea, the others managed to get hold of some support. The fellow who fell in was never recovered. He could not swim, so was drowned before we could get to him. He was married and had one child, with another on the way; it was to be born anytime now. I am very sorry for his wife, but things like this happen and cannot be helped. We have all been warned not to lean against the lines. We took up a collection for his wife and got nearly one thousand dollars, which will be sent to her with a letter from the Captain, explaining the details of her husband's death.

My darling wife has caused me a lot of work here in the past few days. Making her earring sets, has made many shipmates want the same thing for Christmas gifts and they do go well together. So far I have made five sets to sell, that is, the ring, earring and heart shaped box. I have made two hundred and forty dollars on them, which will look nice in the bank. There is a lot of work in them, but I like to do it.

I think we will be going into port any time now, at least in the next week sometime. There will be lots of work to be done. Then I wonder where we will be going from there. We can expect to go back to the good old U.S.A. any time now. Jean seems to think we will be going back soon. I am ready to go anytime. Fourteen months out here is enough at one time for anyone.

We were given quite a show and battle, the day after Thanksgiving. Our planes were staging a raid on Luzon. While they were out, several Jap suicide bombers came in on us at a terrific rate of speed. Some of them were very high and the others were coming in low on the water. This was about one thirty in the afternoon, so we could see all that was going on. The first one to attempt a hit dove from a high altitude through a mass of gunfire, at the new carrier, Hancock. While coming in it was hit, about one hundred feet above the ship and flew into bits. The pilot had dropped his bomb and then bailed out. The bomb missed by a few yards, but part of his plane hit the carrier, setting a big fire, but it was put out in a short time. No damage was done to our carriers. The next to come in was also from high altitude. It dove for one of our small carriers, coming almost straight down. The plane was hit and burning, but kept on coming, it just barely hit the ship and glanced off. At the same time, another one was coming in from the other side, but was hit by gunfire and went into a tailspin into the water before reaching it's target. By this time, there were several planes circling over us and making ready for their dive. We were firing everything we had at them. Our other ships were doing the same thing. It is quite a sight to see all the shell bursts in the sky and all the planes going every direction. With one being shot down in flames regularly. About that time another one made a dive for another ship coming in low on the water. It was hit and burning and did make it to the ship and crashed into her bow, some damage was done there. Several sailors were knocked into the sea and were never picked up. Soon after this hit, we could see two planes skimming the water at a high rate of speed. They were heading for the small carrier again; the shells were bursting all around them. We were all standing there holding our breaths, waiting to see them go up in flames. Finally, one was hit and bouncing off the water, trying desperately to reach the carrier, but went up in a great explosion. The other one kept on going and was hit just before it reached the ship. As it was hit, it crashed into the side of the carrier. Some minor damage was done to her, but she was still able to land and launch planes. In the meantime, two planes made a suicide run on the carrier Enterprise, hitting her and starting some small fires, but her crew soon had them under control. By then the next one dove for her. The last one was very high and hard to see it was getting ready for the dive. We had spotted it and were firing so close to him the Jap changed his mind about suicideing and dropped his bomb instead. The bomb was a direct hit on the flight deck, with a tremendous explosion and much fire and smoke, which took over an hour to put out. When the bomb hit there was flames sky high and the ship could not be seen for smoke and fire. I was afraid there would be an internal explosion and cause her to sink, but they did get the fire out. She was unable to take her planes on, so they had to land as many as they could on other carriers and the rest landed in the Sea. We picked up some of the pilots. That night, while one of our planes was landing, it crashed and set the fourth carrier afire. There was quite a bit of damage done, but will not stop her operations. All in all we have a busy day and lots of men were killed. We are going into port today, only long enough to take on more ammo and supplies then back out to the battle.

The BROWN was on detached duty as a part of the escort for light carrier MONTEREY the night of 28 November 1943 when ten to twelve enemy aircraft attacked the formation. She became the target of there torpedo planes which dropped as many torpedoes in an approach from port. A fast maneuver took the BROWN clear of two torpedo wakes, but a third torpedo struck her amidships. This torpedo, fortunately, failed to arm and the BROWN escaped damage while her gunner shot down two of the aerial raiders. She continued to support the carriers providing air cover and support in the Gilbert Islands, then steamed with carriers BUNKER HILL and MONTEREY to take art in the air-surface bombardment of Nauru Island on 8 December before her arrival on 12 December 1943 at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides Islands.

We got underway again from Ulithi yesterday; we had several days in port this time, due to the lack of oil and supplies. I am not a bit sorry for it, we needed the rest. I have been made Master at Arms, for the remainder of the quarter, so there wasn't much work for me to do. During the last week while we were underway and in port, I have been making ring sets for sale, and if I do say so myself, they turned our to be very nice. I have been selling them at thirty-five dollars a set and have sold nine sets so far, along with three other rings at ten dollars a piece. Pretty good business, if it lasts.

We are underway for the Philippines now. We will be in on the landing at Mindanao and Luzon. The battle on Leyte is just about over. The Japs made their final effort there. They lost very heavily and so did we. There were so many of our ships hit, but few sunk. The Japs lost nearly two thousand planes and five hundred ships, twenty of which were destroyers. If everything goes well, we should have the greater part of the Philippines by the end of January. Our main worry now is their suicide bombers. They are so determined to get us, such as the last time out; they really gave us a bad time. Only one of the carriers was damaged bad enough to have to go back to the States for repairs. The rest of them are with us today and ready to hit them again. We have with us this time, a very large Task Force, seventeen destroyers, eight cruisers, four carriers and two battlewagons. If we go around through the Strait to cover the invasion, we may need them all. That is where we have been getting so many destroyers hit and sunk. It is only a stone throw from either side.

After leaving port on the tenth, we spent three days hitting Luzon again, before the invasion of this island and Mindanao. These landings went very well. There were over four hundred planes shot down on the ground and over the target. Some ships were sunk around the islands, one cruiser and others. Our losses were very light. Day before yesterday, we left the area to fuel. By this time, the sea was becoming very rough. After only a few ships had taken on fuel, we had to discontinue, leaving many destroyers with very little fuel to go on. Yesterday the sea was much rougher. We were in the middle of a typhoon, the worst I have ever seen. This was much worse than the one we were in while going to Alaska in January of "43", being on a destroyer now instead of a larger ship doesn't help matters any. The waves and swells are reported to be seventy feet high and we at one time we rolled to sixty-five degrees angle, which is more than the ship was built to handle. I guess we were lucky to have a Captain who knew how to handle the ship in a storm.

(It may be known to many of the crew (who desperately hanging on to anything sturdy) that the BROWN nearly floundered more than once. Captain Copeman of the BROWN can be given credit for the saving many if not all lives aboard. With steering either lost or ineffective the captain, for several hours manned the enunciators and literally "walked" the ship through the storm using the screws for steering control.)

Some of the ships were not as fortunate as us. One carrier was set afire by their planes crashing together on the hanger deck. Before they could get the fire our they had lost most of their planes and had considerable damage to the ship. Another of the carriers was banged up quite a bit. One destroyer tried to fuel, but crashed into the tanker, smashing her side up and doing damage to her bridge. She also split some of her seams. Three destroyers rolled over and lost all but nine of the crews. They went over so quickly they didn't know what was happening. There were twenty other sailors lost off other ships by being washed over the side by the huge waves. This makes three typhoons we have been in during the operations in the Philippines. This is the time of the year when they are the worst. I hope we are out of them for good soon.

The storm is over now and we are still looking for sailors who may have fallen overboard in the storm. Chances of survival are slim to none in that kind of weather even with life belts on. Three hundred or more sailors from each ship are quite a few. Well I hope we do not hit any more of this kind of weather. It isn't quite so bad losing men in battle, but to lose them though no fault of the enemy makes it all seem so needless. We expect to lose men in battle but not by storms. This is the first time I have ever heard of a Navy ship being capsized in a storm. Some of them split seams in a rough sea and go down, but even that is a rare case.

P.S. again there are rumors we are going back to the States within the next two months. I hope so, but I am from Missouri.

Yesterday we were headed for another raid on Luzon, but due to the typhoon, we were forced to retreat to smoother waters. This was a lucky break for nineteen sailors. We found a life raft this morning with thirteen survivors from the DD-350 the HULL, a destroyer that has sunk during the typhoon. These men were happy to see us. They had been in the water for three days. Thirteen men in a raft that size makes life very crowded. I talked to the man who seemed to be the least exhausted. At the time of the storm he was down in the engine room. When the ship made such a dive and roll in the water, one of the boilers blew up. The men in the engine room started to get out but he was the only one to make it. The others were washed back down. After getting out, he had just time enough to get a grip on a life raft, before the ship went over. Several sailors were clinging to it at the time, but did not have time to release it. So they went on over with the ship. When the ship got so far under the water, the pressure released the raft. Bringing all those to the surface who hung on. He said his ears were ringing and his lungs felt like they were going to burst before he reached the surface. He did not know how far they had gone down. The Sea was so rough, they did not dare to let go of the raft or they would never get to it again. To start with there was 15 sailors aboard the raft. One of them died from drinking seawater and a day or so later another was killed by a shark, the shark got hold of him and wouldn't let go. He screamed and cried for some time before the shark finally took him down. These were all enlisted men, except for one officer. On the second day the officer went off his nut and wanted to jump over the side, but they quieted him with a few blows to the jaw. After coming to, he tried to drink salt water, so when we got him aboard he was quite sick. Several planes flew over them, but none of the sighted them. At different times they saw ships, but were unable to attract their attention. When we got them aboard they were completely worn out from lack of sleep, rest, water and food. Their hands and feet were almost rotten from being constantly in the water.

An hour or so later, we spotted another raft of the same type. There were six men on it; they were off the destroyer MONAGHAN DD 354. They sank at the same time and under the same conditions. This is the first we have heard of this ship. These men were not in quite as bad a condition as the first bunch, although they were in pretty bad shape. They were all sailors who had been above the main deck when the ship turned over. The sailors below decks did not have a chance. These were all enlisted men. At about the same time we spotted another object in the water, it was not a raft but a life net, giving no protection from sharks or the sea. There was one sailor on it; he was about half in and half out of it. It looked like he had been bitten by a shark. His rear on both sides were eaten to the bone by the sharks. We tried to get him up but he fell into the sea as we lifted the net. There was no doubt he died a horrible death. While picking these men up the sea was quite rough, making it difficult to get them aboard without dropping them back into the shark infested water. Two of our officers were on the Bridge firing at the sharks with sub machine guns to keep them away from the survivors. The sharks had been following the rafts all the time they were in the water. There were several more sailors picked up by other ships during the day. There were thirty some picked up from the destroyer which was damaged while trying to fuel. This ship, the Destroyer Spence, had sunk some time after they had left the tanker. So at the present time we have three Destroyers sunk and one destroyer escort still missing. There were two of them, but we got word from one of them today.

I could not believe a ship would turn over in any kind of storm, but now I know they can.

I only hope they give these men a break when they get back to the States. They should get at least sixty days leave and about two years shore duty, but they do not do things that way. The men on shore duty will stay there and these men will go back to sea within the next five months. The people back there just do not realize what is going on or do not care. There certainly isn't any consideration given to a man who is most deserving of it. One thing for sure, the people at home will not be hearing of this for some time to come, if ever. Things like this are kept quiet; this will no doubt be considered a boner on someone's part. We should never have been caught in such a storm, with all the means we have of detecting weather conditions.

We now have all the survivors aboard and they are getting in pretty good shape. They were in a worse condition when we got to them than we thought. As soon al their skin was dry, it began to crack and break out in sores, caused from the salt water. Some of them are up and around, but most of them are still in their bunks. Last night, I was helping them with their meals. They told me their story; it was a tragic one. I will never know how they survived the rough Seas. After the first day, they were so tired and thirsty; they didn't know what was going on. There was no water and very little food on the raft. The day before we picked them up, they were all delirious, they were talking about going up the road a ways and getting some mules to pull the raft. Then after they got them they accused one of the men of stealing them, so they decided they would drive the raft without them. They kept telling each other they were just over a gravel road, which was always covered with water. They always believed what each other would say, so one fellow jumped off the raft onto the road, so he could go for help, but he said he could not find bottom so he climbed aboard again. It was a wonder he wasn't eaten by the sharks. There was always someone who wanted to jump over the side; the others would hold him back. As soon as he was quieted down, one of the other fellows, who had been holding the other back, would try the same thing. Things like this went on all the time, they even have the sharks named. One shark told them to stick to the raft, but he would get them anyway. They were talking back and forth last night recalling the crazy things they did. They were getting a good kick out of it then. A person will never know just how they felt or what they thought of during their time in HELL. They rate everything they can get and more. This storm is now considered the most tragic Marine disaster in History. There were about fifteen hundred sailors lost in all.

Today, our captain gave us, over the loudspeaker the most encouraging news and hopes we have had in a long time. He told us we were on our way to Ulithi, to proceed from there on to the States. We may leave on Christmas day. There can be no greater Christmas present than that. Of course there is still the chance that our orders can be changed. I certainly hope not. I just can't imagine how it will feel to see my darling wife again, it seems so unbelievable, so impossible. I wish we were well on our way now. We get into port tomorrow. We are the oldest ship out here, in time away from the States, so I guess we do rate going back. There will be several ships with us, all fighting ships. We have done our part while out; we have been in every operation from the Gilberts to the Philippines. If we go back now this will just about end this diary. I can't remember ever being so thrilled about anything, going home, that is all I can think of.

We did go back to the States to repair the damage done to the Brown from the storm. However when we came back out I don’t remember him being aboard. He must have been transferred while we were there.

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USS BROWN (DD 546) was built by the Bethlehem Steel Company's San Pedro Plant, Terminal Island, California. Her keel was laid 27 June 1942 and she was launched 21 February 1943, under the sponsorship of Mrs. Claude O. Kell, wife of Captain Kell, United States Navy, the destroyer was placed in commission at San Pedro on 10 July 1943, Lieutenant Commander Thomas H Copeman, USN in command.

After shakedown training out of San Diego, USS BROWN departed San Francisco on 30 September 1943, joining destroyer LAWRENCE in the screen of battleship PENNSYLVANIA for voyage to Pearl Harbor where the warships arrived on 6 October. Here USS BROWN became a unit of the Northern Covering Group (Task Group 50.2) commanded by Rear Admiral Arthur W Radford in flagship ENTERPRISE (CV 6). This carrier task group put to sea an 10 November 1943 to participate in the capture and occupation of Makin, Trawa and Apanama in the Gilbert Islands. That afternoon USS BROWN rescued an ENTERPRISE fighter pilot Ensign S. S. Osborn, USNR, whose aircraft had crashed into the sea, from 19 to 21 November. The aircraft carriers guarded by USS BROWN gave direct support to the landings on Yellow Beach at Makin; conducted bombing and strafing attacks on the harbor; and strafed and bombed enemy troop concentrations and gun emplacements.

On 24 November 1943 USS BROWN rescued Seaman Second Class Robert R Louis who had fallen overboard from light carrier BELLEAU WOOD. That evening she also rescued a crashed Belleau Wood pilot Lieutenant (jg) I. J. Snowden. Shortly after noon of 27 November, she transferred Admiral Radford and his staff from ENTERPRISE (CV6) to carrier Saratroga.

Enemy aircraft dropped flares the night of 25 November for a torpedo run but withdrew as USS BROWN and other screening warships opened fire. Just after dark on 26 November, thirty or more enemy bombers, claimed to be the largest night air attack to that time against the Pacific Fleet, dropped flares and commenced attack. A three-plane pioneer "Bat Team" of night fighters from ENTERPRISE intercepted shot down two planes; and the enemy became so bewildered that they fired on one another and withdrew.

USS BROWN was on detached duty as a part of the escort for light carrier MONTEREY the night of 28 November 1943 when ten to twelve enemy aircraft attack the formation. The BROWN became the target of three torpedo planes, which dropped as many torpedoes in an approach from port. A fast maneuver took the BROWN clear of two torpedo wakes, but a third torpedo struck her amidships. This torpedo, fortunately, failed to arm and the USS BROWN escaped damage while her gunners shot down two of the aerial raiders. She continued to support the carriers providing air cover and support in the Gilbert Islands, then steamed with carriers BUNKER HILL and MONTEREY to take part in the air-surface bombardment of Nauru Island on 8 December before her arrival on 12 December 1943 at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides Islands.

USS BROWN departed Espiritu Santo on 21 December 1943, joining five other destroyers in escort of carriers BUNKER HILL (CV 17) and MONTEREY to the east of New Ireland Islands where they poised for repeated strikes against enemy shore bases and shipping in the Kavieng-Rabaul area. She returned to Espiritu Santo with Rear Admiral Sherman's BUNKER HILL Carrier Task Group 37.2 on 7 January and set sail on the 19th with the same carriers whose task group designation changed to Task Group 58.3 on 23 January at Funa Futi Atoll Ellica Islands. That morning the carrier task group put out to sea to maintain control of the air in the western Marshalls and to provide air support for the assault and capture of Kwajalein Atoll, Majuro Atoll and Eniwetok Atoll.

USS BROWN anchored in newly-won Majuro Lagoon on 4 February 1944 and departed on 11 February with the BUNKER HILL Carrier Task Group to join other carriers of Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher's Fast Carrier Task Force 58 in heaping devastation on the "impregnable" Japanese advance fleet base at Truck Atoll 16-17 February 1944. Besides havoc wreaked on shore installations of this enemy bastion, Japanese shipping losses included two light cruisers, 4 destroyers, 3 auxiliary cruisers, 2 submarine tenders, 2 submarine chasers, an armed trawler, a plane ferry, and 24 auxiliaries which included 6 tankers. A total of 211 enemy planes were destroyed and another 104 were damaged by the carrier task force.

On 18 February USS BROWN took seventeen Japanese prisoners from a small boat and transferred them to Vice Admiral Raymond A Spruance's FIFTH FLEET flagship NEW JERSEY. She then proceeded with Rear Admiral Sherman's BUNKER HILL task group for air strikes on Guam and Tinian in the Marianas. This strike of 22 February at Tinian exploded a large cargo ship, destroyed many small craft, and resulted in the destruction of more than 60 enemy planes. At Guam, four enemy planes were shot down by combined fire of surface ships. She returned to Majuro Lagoon on 26 February and screened BUNKER HILL to Pearl Harbor where she arrived on 4 March 1944.

USS BROWN departed Pearl Harbor on 16 March with four carriers, two cruisers and eight other destroyers bound for the Marshall Islands. She left Majuro Lagoon on 22 March in the screen of aircraft carrier LEXINGTON to rendezvous five days later with Rear Admiral J. J. Clark's HORNET carrier task group which struck Palu, Yap Island, and Woleai Island 30 March-1 April, having destroyed shipping and aircraft, silenced antiaircraft guns and left building and fuel dumps a ruin of fires and explosions.

USS BROWN replenished at Majuro 6-13 April, then sped with the HORNET carrier task group to destroy enemy naval forces attempting to interfere with the seizure of New Guinea. Carriers guarded by USS BROWN and her sister destroyers neutralized enemy airfields in the Hollandia-Wakde area by repeated air strikes on runways, fuel dumps, enemy barracks and gun emplacements on Sewar, Wakde, Hollandia, Sawatan, and Ponape. USS BROWN assisted in the night bombardment of Sawatan on 30 April. Four barges were hit in the lagoon, several buildings hit. And a violent explosion was witnessed near a pier. One machine gun battery was destroyed along with stores and supplies. The airstrip was rendered completely unserviceable.

USS BROWN joined in the bombardment of Ponape by the battleship-destroyer force on 1 May and replenished in the Marshalls where she formed with Rear Admiral A. E. Montgomery's ESSEX carrier task group, which left Majuro on 15 May 1944. After air-strikes on Marcus and Wake Island, she again was attached to Rear Admiral J. J. Clark's HORNET carrier task group that sailed from the Marshalls on 6 June 1944 for the capture, occupation and defense of Saipan, Tinian and Guam, Marianas Islands. In the following days strikes were launched throughout the Marianas and the Bonins. Airfields were given a going over commencing 15 June as American invasion troops stormed ashore on Saipan.

The Japanese First Mobil Fleet closed the Marianas for the historic Battle of the Philippine Sea in which commenced on 19 June with massive air raids against Vice Admiral Marc A Mitscher's Fast Carrier Task Force 58. The aircraft from American carriers did a magnificent job in breaking up all raids before they reached the ships of the task force. Those which did manage to penetrate as far as the ships met a devastating curtain of antiaircraft fire and most were shot down. Meantime, two American submarines torpedoed and sank two heavy Japanese aircraft carriers. By the afternoon of 20 June 1944, surviving carrier air power of the Japanese Fleet was only 35 of some 430 enemy planes with which the enemy had commenced in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Late that afternoon, the American carrier pilots took off for the enemy fleet, which was almost out of range. They sank Japanese aircraft carrier HIJi and so damaged two tankers that they were abandoned and scuttled. When the American carrier pilots returned after dark, our ships turned on searchlights to aid their recovery. The USS. BROWN and other destroyers dropped astern the carriers to rescue those down in the water because of fuel shortage. The BROWN rescued YORKTOWN pilot Lieutenant (jg) W.H. Nelson and his radioman W. F. White. Also rescued were BUNKER HILL pilot Lieutenant (j g) M. F. Pilcher and radioman R. B. Boisley.

THE USS. BROWN turned back with the Fast Carrier Task Force 58 on 21 June 1944 to protect the landings at Saipan and Tinian. The Pagan Island airfields were struck on 23 June and Iwo Jima felt the wrath of strikes on the 24th. After replenishing at Eniwetok (27 June-1 July) the USS. BROWN put to sea with the HORNET carrier task group for strikes against the Bonins, Pagan Islands, and repeated attacks against Guam, Rota, Yap and Ulithi. She participated in the air-sea bombardment of Iwo Jima 4 to 5 August, and cleared Eniwetok on 29 August to support the carrier air strikes that facilitated the capture of Peleliu, Ngesesbus, Angaur, Morotai, Yap and Ulithi Islands. Mindanao and Visayas were hard hit during 10 to14 September and the BROWN fought off enemy air raids during 21 to 24 September 1944 as the carriers launched attacks against Luzon and Visayas Islands. After replenishment in the Admiralty Islands and Ulithi, Caroline Islands, the BROWN departed the last named port on 6 October with the ESSEX carrier task group to soften up enemy air and fleet bases that might serve to hinder the coming liberation of the Philippine Islands.

Strikes were launched against the airfields on Okinawa on 10 October, Luzon was given a going over the following day, and Formosa was the target of repeated air attacks 12 to 15 October. The BROWN fought off repeated air attacks off Formosa and rescued HORNET pilot Ensign W. H Boring from a water crash the afternoon of the 16th. On 18 October the aircraft carriers concentrated on the Philippines, continuing direct support of ground troops, which landed at Leyte on 20 October 1944

On 25 October 1944, the BROWN sped northward with heavy warships to engage an enemy carrier force in a surface engagement in the Battle off Cape Engano. Carrier aircraft sank four aircraft carriers as well as a destroyer and a cruiser for good measure. To this total American submarines added two destroyers and a light cruiser. Among the victims was the Japanese aircraft carrier ZUIKAKU, the last afloat of the six Japanese carriers that had participated in the infamous raid on Pearl Harbor. After chasing the remnants of the defeated Japanese Fleet retiring at high speed from the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the BROWN replenished at Ulithi Atoll in the Caroline Islands, then carried out raids from that base with fast carriers to waters east of northern Luzon to hit enemy airfields throughout the Philippines. On 25 November suicide planes damaged carrier INTREPID and the BROWN rescued three crewmen of that fight carrier who were forced overboard by the force of the explosion and flames. She reached a fueling rendezvous on 17 December but high seas forced abandonment of that operation. The BROWN soon found herself plowing into the teeth of a howling typhoon and bucked monstrous seas that damaged many ships and capsized destroyers HULL, SPENCE, and MONAGHAN.

On 21 December 1944 the BROWN rescued thirteen men of destroyer HULL (DD 354). She reached Ulithi on 24 December and passed out to sea on the 26th bound by way of Pearl Harbor for overhaul and repair from the damage caused by the Typhoon, in the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard where she arrived on 12 January 1945.

The BROWN was again ready for sea on 1 March 1945 and departed Seattle the following day, bound by way of Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok to Saipan where she joined the escort of a transport task group that made a feigned landing approach to the southeastern beaches of Okinawa on 1 April 1945. She took up radar picket station off Point Bolo in 10 April 1945 and shot off the tail of a suicide plane the next afternoon, observing the enemy explode into the sea about 150 yards short of hitting her amidships. She fought off day and night aircraft attacks through 15 April.

On the night of 18 April, an enemy torpedo plane was driven off by gunfire but suddenly circled, came in low on the water astern, and tossed a single torpedo that paralleled the side of the BROWN by only 10 feet along her entire length as it completed it's run. The BROWN relieved destroyer WICKES on radar picket station to the northwest of Okinawa on the 19th, driving off a single suicide plane in the early morning darkness of the 21st. That afternoon she opened fire with the PUTNAM on four planes, which closed from the north and had the satisfaction of seeing one of the raiders crash and burn in the distant sea. Another suicide plane was shot down in the early morning darkness of 28 April and the BROWN helped drive off four suicide raids during the night, witnessing two flaming planes narrowly miss another destroyer and a landing craft. She spotted a periscope some fifty yards off the starboard bow the next day and pressed home explosive depth charges on a sound contact with no visible results.

The BROWN assisted in shooting down another suicide plane on 4 May and was attacked by a "Kamikaze" suicide plane on the morning of 6 May 1945. Her gunners took this enemy under fire as it passed the length of the ship and pieces of the plane scattered over the forecastle deck as the enemy exploded into the sea only fifteen feet off the starboard bow.

The BROWNS fighter director team transferred to destroyer HUGH W HADLEY (DD 774) on 7 May 1945. She patrolled just off Hagushi Harbor the night of 11th when the northern picket station was attacked by over a hundred enemy planes. HUGH W. HADLEY and EVANS shot down about thirty enemy planes before the BROWN arrived on the scene and knocked down a torpedo plane which exploded barely off the starboard quarter to spray the BROWNS fantail with fragments of metal. A few minutes later her gunners shot down another torpedo plane as it approached the fighting destroyer.

The BROWN left Okinawa astern on 18 May 1945 for replenishment and repairs at Apra Harbor, Guam. She returned to Okinawa shores on 14 June serving as a gunfire support ship on radar picket station to the northwest of Okinawa until the 20th. She received a fighter director team on 24 June and remained on picket station until the 28th. Her fighter director team debarked on 30 June and she joined the screens of four escort carriers on 4 July, bound for Buckner Bay, Okinawa. Here she was assigned escort missions for fleet oilers to ocean rendezvous leading towards Japan. She departed Buckner Bay on 14 August 1945 to provide cover for a mine-sweeping task in the East China Sea until the 25th. She then patrolled on air-sea rescue station off Okinawa until 28 September when she arrived at Wakayama, Honsu, Japan.

During the BROWN'S activity as a Radar Picket Ship she had taken many planes under fire, had been under close attack by suicide planes, torpedo attack by Submarines, Aircraft and dive-bombers. Aleast nineteen torpedoes were fired at her. She narrowly missed running into two mines while operating with the mine sweepers off the China coast.

The USS BROWN was a member of the original group of 21 Radar Picket Ships. She is the only one that wasn't sunk or badly damaged although she did have parts of planes she had shot down hit her decks.

The USS BROWN received many "WELL DONES" on the Okinawa operation alone. She was also cited as one of the best shooters in the fleet and was requested to pass on her technique to the rest of the Fleet.

The BROWN acted as mail courier and passenger ship for occupation forces between various Japanese ports until 31 October 1945 when she set course for the United States. She arrived in San Diego on 17 November 1945 for inactivation and she was decommissioned on 1 August 1946.

In addition to earning the Navy Occupation Service Medal-Pacific for her activities during the period of 3 September to 31 October 1945, the U.S.S.BROWN was awarded the NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION which read as follows:

"For outstanding heroism in action during the Okinawa Campaign as a Fighter Direction Ship on Radar Picket Support Vessel, from April 10 to 16 May, 1945 and as Radar Picket Support Vessel, from June 16 to 20, 1945. A natural and frequent target of heavy Japanese aerial attack while occupying advanced and isolated stations, the U.S.S.BROWN defeated all efforts of enemy Kamikaze and dive-bombing planes to destroy her. Constantly vigilant and ready for battle day and night, she sent out early air warnings and provided fighter direction with her own gunfire, she downed seven hostile planes, assisted in the destruction of five others and routed many more; and she rendered invaluable service in preventing air attacks in strength on the Naval forces off Okinawa beachhead. A seaworthy, fighting ship, the BROWN, her officers and men withstood the stress and perils of vital Radar Picket duty, achieving a gallant combat record which attests the teamwork, courage and skill of her entire company and enhances the finest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

All personnel attached to and serving on board the USS BROWN during one or both of the above mentioned periods are authorized to wear the NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION RIBBON.

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(1) The following officer is recommended by this command to receive the NAVY CROSS from the commander FIFTH Amphibious Force:

(2) This vessel was assigned to screening and radar picket duty off Okinawa Jima during the period 1 April, to 18 May, 1945. During this time Lieutenant Land was gunnery officer of this ship. Contacts with the enemy were frequent. In spite of long hours spent at general quarters, this officer effectively and successfully controlled the ships batteries, and under his brilliant leadership they were able to repel attacks of all enemy aircraft that came within range of the guns. Of all the enemy planes taken under fire, seven were shot down by this ship, and five more were shot down by this ship's assisting gunfire.

(3) As a result of Lieutenant LAND's work the BROWN has been recommended for the Navy Unit Commendation award.

(4) Attention is invited to references (b), (e), and (d). in references (b) Commander Task Force 51 extended congratulations to several ships, including the BROWN, on splendid record against enemy aircraft and requested that they submit any special methods or technique used. In reference (a) addressed to several ships, including the BROWN, Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet , added his congratulations to those of Commander Task Force 51. In reference (d) Commander Task Force 51 stated "The USS BROWN is one of our best shooters and is being very tough on the enemy"

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In the name of the President of the United States, the Commander FIFTH Amphibious Force takes pleasure in presenting the NAVY CROSS to

For extraordinary heroism while serving as Gunnery Officer of the U.S.S. BROWN (DD 546) in connection with the operations against the enemy during the capture and occupation of Okinawa Gunte in the period from 10 April to 18 May, 1945. During numerous attacks by enemy aircraft he skillfully and courageously controlled the ships batteries, which, under his command drove off several enemy planes, shot down seven, and assisted in shooting down five more. His resourcefulness, determination, and heroic conduct during these actions were an inspiration to his men, contributed greatly to the offensive spirit of the ship, and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Services.

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Saturday was special for Kingman resident Ken Drummond. It wasn’t his birthday, or his wedding anniversary. It’s the anniversary of the date he nearly drowned in a typhoon... not just once, but three times. On December 18, 1944 Drummond was a young Navy recruit, a storekeeper third class, aboard the U.S.S Hull in the South Pacific. The ship was bound for Luzon, in the Philippines, on a top secret mission, but it never made it.

The HULL and two other ships in the vicinity, the U.S.S MONAGHAN, and the U.S.S. SPENCE, all went down. Nine hundred crew members lost their lives; Drummond was one of the survivors. He remembers every detail of that day... though for 25 years he never talked about it and tried never to think about it. "I couldn’t handle it," he said " It would have given me nightmares." By noon that day, the destroyer HULL turned over 90 degrees and we began to sink."

Drummond remembered seeing a friend washed overboard. Not long after that, he became separated from the ship. That was the first point at which Drummond thought he would die. Though he was wearing a life jacket, Drummond was near the shop when it went down and the suction created by the sinking ship pulled him down with it. Drummond doesn’t know how far he was pulled, "But it was pretty dark and it was pretty cold," he said his only thought, the thought he believed would be his last was "This is really going to upset my mother."

Miraculously, Drummond broke free of the suction, popped up to the surface, and literally fell into a life raft. But the reprieve lasted only a few seconds. "The wind hit the raft and whipped it around like a leaf." Drummond said, and he was blown off it. He never saw the raft again. Instead, Drummond spent approximately 13 hours on the open seas, buffeted by typhoon force winds and waves. Drummond recalled a sort of vision he has which sustained him during those hours. He doesn’t know why, but he says he saw a Model A Ford hovering above the water’s surface. The gleaming chrome of the grill and the headlights kept him going. "I just thought if I could get there, I’d be O.K." Drummond said with a laugh and a shake of his head. (Note by Chuck Smith... Other survivors we picked up had strange visions also.)

He remembers being terrified, but said, "The Good Lord takes over, and keeps you from being more scared than you can handle." Eventually, Drummond saw the search light of the U.S.S. TABBERER. Drummonds life jacket had been equipped with a light, but it had been torn off. He did, however, still have a whistle. "Man you talk about blowing on a whistle, I blew." Drummond said, and someone aboard the TABBERER heard him. They threw Drummond a life line, but he no longer had the strength to hold on to it. The line slipped from Drummonds hands and he thought, for the third time that all was lost. But Drummond got one last chance at life. A Boatswain aboard the TABBEREE dove in, swam out to Drummond, and rescued him.

It was 2 AM on Dec 19 when Drummonds ordeal finally ended. "It was the best Christmas Present you could ever get." He said. The wind and salt water had peeled the skin off Drummond’s face, and the life jacket rubbed him raw under the chin, leaving a small scar. Other than that he was unhurt. He was profoundly lucky, and he knows it. While out in the water he saw others surrounded by sharks. Some partial bodies were retrieved. Other survivors were permanently disabled by the ordeal. "I guess it sort of made me a fatalist," Drummond said, reflecting on the incident. "There wasn’t any reason for me to make it and others not to. Better men than I died. I look at it like I’ve had 49 years of grace." After his rescue Drummond was transferred to a hospital ship, where he underwent Psychological evaluation. "They wanted to see who was going to crack up." Taking it easy on the hospital ship "Was a ball." Drummond said "We could get anything we wanted, including such war time ship-board luxuries as orange juice."

After that, Drummond was sent to Washington D.C where he was assigned to write letters of condolence to the families of the sailors who died in the Typhoon Cobra.

THE STORM

In December 1944 the USS BROWN along with other destroyers, cruisers, carriers and battleships were caught in the typhoon "COBRA" in the Philippine Sea, the worst typhoon the South Pacific has ever known.

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The following pages are excerpts taken from the documentary "TYPHOON" THE OTHER ENEMY" by Captain C. Raymond Calhoun USN (RETIRED). The documentary deals extensively with the third fleet and the pacific storm of December 1944. The first excerpt (THE STORM) recaps the circumstances at the "PEAK" of the storm aboard the USS DEWEY DD 349. The second excerpt (THE RESCUE) describes the role the USS BROWN played in the rescue of survivors from the destroyers MONAGHAN, and HULL. The third excerpt provides a summary of damage to the Third Fleet.

These events have been selected because of the close correlation of events aboard the BROWN. The attempt to change course to assist the carrier MONTEREY; the temporary loss of steerage and electrical power; the sixty plus degree rolls.

It may be known to many of the crew (who desperately hanging on to anything sturdy) that the BROWN nearly floundered more than once. Captain Copeman of the BROWN can be given credit for the saving many if not all lives aboard. With steering either lost or ineffective the captain, for several hours manned the enunciators and literally "walked" the ship through the storm using the screws for steering control.

All the ships in the task force went through about the same thing. The destroyers, being the smallest ships, had the worst time of it. Each ship and each sailor on each ship would have many more frightening tales to tell.

By 0930 the visibility was less than 300 yards and steadily diminishing. The DEWY was corkscrewing and writhing like a wounded animal. The wind was about 65 knots sustained, from 030 T.I. estimated that it must be gusting to 100 knots. The steering room reported that a leak through a mushroom ventilator on the main deck was causing the space to flood. I directed that they stuff the leak with rags and form a bucket brigade to bail out the water.

At 0924 the light carrier MONTEREY reported that several of her aircraft had broken loose and started a fire on her hangar deck. She indicated that she had stopped, was dead in the water, and requested that a fleet tug stand by to render assistance if necessary. At 0950 we observed an unidentified carrier dead ahead of us. I slowed to one-third (5 knots) and attempted to identify her. If it was the MONTEREY I knew she was stopped, and I could avoid her by turning either way. If it was some other carrier, she probably was going ahead, and we would have to go astern of her. In the reduced visibility we couldn't tell whether this one was headed across, to the right or to the left. We were abeam of her, but we couldn't tell which beam. Bearings remained steady. I concluded that she must be stopped. At a range of less than 300 yards I ordered "hard left rudder, come to course 130 T." the DEWEY'S head swung around and we passed clear. As we went close by under her stern we could see her name very clearly. It was the MONTEREY, and I noted a heavy pall of smoke low over the sea on her lee side.

We increased speed to10 knots. After we had avoided the MONTEREY, I ordered "right full rudder, return to course 180 T. " Watching the gyro repeater, I noticed that we were changing our heading very slowly. The quartermaster said, "She's not answering, Cap'n." I ordered "Port ahead full." Still the DEWY wouldn't turn. I had never known a destroyer to fail to respond when sufficient power was applied to provide adequate headway. I now ordered "Left full rudder. Port stop. Starboard ahead full!" If she wouldn't turn to the right, perhaps we could go around to the left. This time the DEWY came left about 20 degrees then refused to budge one more degree. She was in the trough, struggling to twist herself out of the grip of wind and sea, but she couldn't do it, the DEWY was "in irons."

Visibility was now down to zero. Most of the time I couldn't even see the jackstaff, I thought of stopping, but couldn't be sure of where the heavies were. (Meaning the larger ships.) Our search radar was too cluttered with sea return to show them. I decided to keep going.

I addressed TG 30.8 on TBS and, using the DEWEY'S voice call, told the support group, "This is Achiles. I am out of control, crossing through the formation from starboard to port, Keep clear!" The next few minutes seemed like an eternity. The DEWEY staggered across into the formation. I knew that even if they could see us, there wasn't much they could do to avoid running us down. They couldn't change course without the risk of colliding with one of their own group, and with the visibility down as low as it was, by the time they saw us we'd be so close they couldn't stop.

Suddenly a huge black hull loomed up in front of us. As we were lifted high on the cross swell, it seemed to me that we were going to coast right down on top of her, but as we descended into the trough, the oiler was picked up by the next crest. Towering above us now. Her own momentum, plus the force of the wind and sea coming from behind her, were overpowering. She lumbered across ahead of us. I said to Bill Buzick, "I could have thrown a spud at her," and I knew I could have hit her with it. We couldn't be sure how many more heavies we would encounter, but we were certain that there were more. The radar was useless now for any short-range targets, it didn't seem possible that we could miss hitting, or worse, being hit by one of those huge ships. It would be "curtains" for us if we collided, but by some miracle the others also slid safely past, one of them so close that I felt I could reach out and touch her.

Gradually we passed through the formation of heavies, I realized we were hopelessly out of position. I knew that it would take a lot more power than we could apply in those seas to turn the DEWY back to the formation course. I abandoned all efforts to rejoin the safety of the ship was the paramount concern. I told Preston Mercer that I was going to give up trying to stay with the formation until we were out of the storm. He agreed, I felt relieved that we didn't have to fight our way back to our assigned station.

We had begun to lose lubricating oil suction on the port engine every few minutes. Every time we did, the engineers stopped the port shaft and rang up "Stop" on the engine-order telegraph. As soon ad they were able to go ahead, they would notify us by sound-powered telephone. I would then ring up one-third ahead on the port engine. I decided to keep the starboard engine at "Stop" except as might be necessary to turn the shaft in order to prevent warping it. The ship was rolling a consistent 50 degrees to starboard and as much as 40 degrees to port, although the rolls to port decreased as those to starboard grew in magnitude. It became apparent that every roll to starboard in excess of 40 degrees would cause the loss of lube oil suction. Chief Machinist's Mate Dorwin Hill was in charge of that problem. And I knew that he could handle it if anyone could. It seemed to me that somewhere in the engineering design process someone had dropped the bricks!

At 1006 Preston Mercer directed me to fill the DEWEY'S port side fuel tanks to capacity. I complied at once. I figured that with the wind steadily backing to the west, we must be in the navigable semicircle. I didn't anticipate that we had to worry about going through the eye of the storm, or that there might be a sudden reversal of the wind that would make us roll to port. I welcomed Mercer's suggestion and considered it sound advice. Within the next hour we pumped 21,500 gallons of oil and 5,300 gallons of water from starboard to the port and centerline tanks.

At about 1015 we lost voice radio and radar contact with most of the formations. Nevertheless, we did continue to hold radar contact on another ship 3,000 yards distant, bearing almost due east of the DEWEY. We suspected that this might be the MONAGHAN, since we have heard Bruce Garret report that he too was "in irons". I had called him and assured him that we were in the same predicament. The range and bearing to this unidentified contact remained steady for the next hour or so. Whoever she was, it appeared that the unknown contact was also "in irons", unable to maneuver.

We were taking very heavy rolls to starboard. Quickly and alarmingly, they became more severe. No sooner would the ship struggle back to an upright position than she would roll again. For the first time, the thought of capsizing occurred to me as a possibility. Facing aft from between my supporting pillars, I watched the inclinometer. It registered 55-56-57- then 60 degrees. I tried to recall the stability curves that I had examined back in the shipyard. To my recollection they had shown that the DEWEY could recover from a roll of 72 degrees. But that inclining data had been prepared a couple of years ago. Major alterations had been made in her armament and radar installations since then, and those stability characteristics had certainly undergone some significant changes. I recalled my concerns during our post-repair trials, but took comfort from the recollection that BuShips had not shared those concerns. I told myself that no modern destroyer could capsize, on the other hand, I had never rolled more than 50 degrees in all the rough weather encountered by the STERETT in three years of operating in the North Atlantic. The DEWEY already had substantially beaten that record, and even as I watched, the roll to starboard went beyond the 60-deg mark.

The wind had increased to a force I had never before experienced. It drove spray and spume with the force of a sand-blaster. Capillary bleeding was etched on any face exposed directly to it. When the lookouts and signalmen turned away from it their cheeks and foreheads were pocked with a bloody tattoo. It sanded the paint from patches of hull and superstructure. It drove into every crevice. "Watertight" instruments were not watertight. Even the tightly sealed case of our gun director admitted the high-velocity spray. I couldn't tell where the ocean ended and the sky began. Sound powered telephone circuits became electrically grounded. First one and then another of our remote-control stations became isolated from us on the bridge.

At 1020 we lost steering control from the bridge again, and shifted control to the aft steering motor room. The radar continued to deteriorate, we turned off our main gyroscope as a precautionary measure and shifted to the magnetic compass for steering. In the words of my prep school roommate, "Things were going to hell in a hand-basket!" I wondered what would happen next.

The 1100 barometer reading was 28.84, a drop of .50 inch in one hour! At about 1102 our surface search radar became inoperative. The unidentified "pip" that we thought might be the MONAGHAN was therefore no longer visible. (note by Chuck Smith; the Monaghan rolled over and sank and we picked up six survivors from her as far as I know the only survivors from her.) We made a final effort to remove a small amount of additional topside weight, and succeeded in jettisoning a few hundred pounds of consumable supplies, the doctor reported that several men had been injured by falling, but so far the worst casualty involved possible fractured ribs.

The wind's force had become a wild howl. Above the din of the main gale were the higher-pitched sounds of the frequent and prolonged gusts. They were raging and overwhelming in their intensity. An octave or two higher were the screeching notes of our rigging and guy wires. It was "hell's chorus", and we had to yell to each other at the top of our lungs to make ourselves heard above it.

At 1130 all controls and communications were lost from the bridge, our isolation brought a new feeling of helplessness. I was desperately searching my mind now for some new idea that might help our situation. I refused to envision what it would be like to roll over. Somehow I had the feeling that if I allowed myself to picture it happening, it might happen! I believed that we were going to get through it.

About eight inches of water had now accumulated in all the living spaces as a result of the ingress of water through closed "water tight" hatches and doors. The men of the DEWY formed bucket brigades in the mess hall and after living compartment, and succeeded in controlling the level of that flooding.

The pounding and rolling of the ship grew worse. We were now going over consistently to 68 and 70 degrees. With each roll as I watched the inclinometer go farther and farther, I would dispatch a silent prayer "Dear God, please make her come back!" On at least three occasions, the officer of the deck, other bridge watch personnel and I observed the inclinometer go over against the limit of its scale, which on the bridge was 73 degrees, and still the ship rolled. Engine room personnel later reported that had witnessed their inclinometer swing against its stop at 75 degrees, while the ship rolled over even farther. I marveled at the fact that we had recovered each time it happened, and responded to each recovery with relief and thanksgiving.

Fragmentary reports reached me from our engineers. With each giant roll to starboard, the forced draft blower intakes, which fed air to the boiler furnaces and were submerged. From 500 to 1,000 gallons of water gushed into the s on each such roll.

In the forward fire-room, Andrew Tolmie, a veteran chief water-tender, was fighting the storm with great skill and courage. When excessive rolling made it impossible for the pumps to take suction on the sloshing water, he rigged hose suction lines. Being flexible, they could always be kept submerged. The pumping continued uninterrupted. Tolmie and his men grabbed the fittings and projections in the overhead. When they would have plunged across the ship with each giant roll, they pulled themselves up, raised their feet, and hung free of the deck. On some rolls they lost both their footing and their hold on the overhead, and fell into the starboard bulkhead, plunging shoulder deep into the sloshing water, often striking some pump or piece of machinery on the way. It was bruising, painful and exhausting. At any moment it could be fatal.

During one of these rolls the starboard fire-room hatch sprung open on the weather deck. Water poured into the airlock. Tolmie somehow clawed his way over blistering hot steam lines, climbed up the airlock ladder, and struggled with the hatch wheel until it was secured. He could have drowned in that flooded space, and it's a wonder he didn't. It took a healthy measure of guts to stay below decks under those conditions. Tolmie and his men had them in abundance.

The other engine spaces were sweating it out through a similar ordeal and meeting it with similar courage. In the aft fire-room Oliver Fowler, water-tender first, was leading his men just as Tolmie was leading his. In the engine rooms the conditions were in some ways even more appalling. Temperatures of 160 degrees made them almost untenable. Despite efforts to secure the weather-deck hatches, seawater was forcing its way through them into the ship.

In the aft engine space, where a hatch was located directly over the main electrical switchboard, salt water repeatedly spewed down on the wiring. Flashovers, short circuits, and fires erupted. Chief Electrician's Mate Charles William Ross, with his electrical gang, kept electrical power available for several hours, but the deluge of salt water proved overwhelming. Finally at 1130 all electrical power was lost. Only the dim battle lanterns provided light below decks.

Now the presence of Bob Gibson manifested itself in a very positive way, when terror gripped one of the older engineers to the point where he froze and seemed unable to function, Bob broke the tension with a few light-hearted comments. He made his men realize that everyone had the right to be frightened as long as they continued to help one another and didn't panic. This was leadership at its best. In his sixth day as chief engineer, Bob Gibson earned a generous share of credit for the superior performance of the DEWEY'S engineers. The man who froze managed to surmount his fear and later performed well. After the storm we learned that he was one of the two sailors on the DEWEY who had previously experienced a typhoon. He therefore knew better than the rest of us what there was to fear!

In the aft engine room with Ross was Dorwin HILL, chief machinist's mate. The repeated loss of lubricating oil suction required the most vigilant and expert engineering practices. Chief Hill and his men applied them. By 1130 we were having to stop the port shaft so frequently that we just secured it for about two hours. Even though our maneuverability had been severely limited, the little bit of control that resulted from the intermittent use of engine power to keep the wind and sea abaft the port beam, made a positive and possibly a decisive difference. Had we lost engine power earlier, we would gave been completely at the mercy of the sea just that much longer. Throughout the majority of the approximately twelve hours of the ordeal, engine power was kept available and used to good advantage. Engineers like Hobson, Keith, Walker, Mann, Longville, and many others stuck to their posts. They gave the ship the help she needed to successfully battle the fury of the storm. None of them could have escaped had we capsized.

Back in the dark shaft alleys, Garland Sewell, water-tender third class, the "Oil King", was entirely alone, with no light except that of his electric torch. He remained at his station throughout the storm and attended the fuel oil manifolds, transferring oil between tanks, as the situation required. He also would have been trapped if the ship had rolled over.

In the steering rotor room the hatch succumbed to the pounding seas that swept across the weather deck. Seawater short-circuited the steering motor. The ship had to be steered by hand. This was a Herculean task, requiring the combined efforts of at least six or eight sailors. The steering motor room crew was equal to it.

All of these conditions were made known to me by messenger. I later learned that Chief Ross made several trips from one engine space to another to make repairs and coordinate damage control work, each time crossing the sea-swept main deck, where death beckoned an every roll. His reports of conditions below were invaluable.

The barometer was still falling. At 1200 it was 28.10, a drop of .74 inch in the last hour. The seas continued to rage, more than sixty feet-high, and the sustained wind velocity was more than 100 knots. On the bridge we were finding it difficult to remain on board. As the ship lurched to starboard, we had to grab a vertical stanchion, or some similar piece of the ship's structure, and hang on for dear life. Many times I found myself hanging by my hands, with feet completely clear of the deck, in such a position that if I released my hold, I would drop straight down, through the starboard pilothouse window into the sea. Several times I looked down past my dangling feet, and saw the angry sea through the open window, directly below them. On one occasion I lost my footing and plunged headfirst across the pilot house, striking my face against a projecting angle iron, which jutted out from the pilot house bulkhead about three feet above the deck. It dazed me for a minute or two. When I came to, on my hands and knees, I hear someone saying, "Call the doctor, the captain's broken his nose." I assured him I hadn't (and I hadn't) and soon felt none the worse for wear.

We rolled so far that the torpedo director, on the starboard wing of the bridge, was submerged. We remained that way for at least a minute each time. At one point I saw Frank Bampton standing with feet apart on the starboard pelorous stand, bailing solid green water with his helmet. I called to him, "Hell, Frank, you're going to have to bail the whole dammed Pacific Ocean." He responded," I've got to do something."

I saw Dave Bate standing braced against the pilot house bulkhead, looking wet and miserable, as did everyone, and thought to myself that it would have been better for him if we had found it too rough to transfer him to the DEWEY just in time for a typhoon. He must have read my mind, for when he saw me looking at him a moment later, he lurched over to my vicinity and said. "After all, Cap'n, we cant live forever!" I said "No but we can sure as hell try!"

In a recent letter, Dave Bate recalled; "At the beginning of the storm on the 18th, I was on the port wing of the bridge, trying to be of help, but mostly staying out of the way of you and Frank, who were very busy indeed. Anyone on that wing of the bridge, had to keep low, because the sting of the rain and spray was painful, the wind seemed strong enough to tear off our rain gear. So I recall spending a lot of time in a sitting posture, leaning against the outer bulkhead. On one or two occasions I went into the pilothouse. Once Captain Mercer called me in. he and I chatted about the chances of coming out of the storm alive. I recall that he was most pessimistic"

The DEWEY couldn't stand much more. The rolls to starboard were coming more frequently now and we were remaining over, almost on our beam-ends, for longer periods-- each a breathless, prayer filled eternity. I still believed that we were going to make it.

***************************************************************************************************************************MORE ON THE STORM!

Two of the six enlisted men who survived the sinking of the USS MONAGHAN during a typhoon in the Pacific are in the United States, their mind still filled with the tension and horror or their 72 hours in a storm-tossed sea.

The two men, rescued by the USS BROWN, are; Joseph Charles McCrane, Watertender, Second Class U.S.N.R, 30 of 115 Delaware Avenue, Clementon, New Jersey, and Robert J. Darden, Machinist's Mate Second Class, USNR 28, of Route One, Jacksonville, North Carolina. They are the senior survivors of the MONAGHAN. The remaining survivors are still in the pacific area, recovering from exhaustion, exposure and shock.

The 1500-ton destroyer MONAGHAN capsized in December during a typhoon in the Philippine Sea, with a loss of more than 200 officers and men. The story of its loss and the eventual rescue by the BROWN of the six survivors is told by McCrane and Darden.

"Thirteen of us were on the only life raft that was picked up," Darden explained, "but seven died or disappeared before we were rescued. Me I was too busy bandaging injured men and handing out food and water, trying to make it last, to think about dying. I guess that's one reason why I just didn't give up hope like some of the boys."

The storm struck suddenly, shortly after dawn, McCrane said. He was below supervising the filling of two empty oil tanks with salt-water ballast. The ship had run low of fuel and in company with the Spence and the Hull, two other destroyers lost in the same storm, she had been trying to refuel the night before, it was because of this that her ballast had been pumped out earlier, but the rough seas caused the abandonment of the fueling attempts.

"Things got bad around 11 o'clock on the first morning of the storm, the New Jersey man said, "but I bet there wasn't a man at that time who didn't think we would get through. Suddenly, I guess about noon, she began to roll violently to starboard. We found out later that the wind driving against our port side was over 100 knots. One of the fellows on the raft who was topside during the worst part said the starboard whaleboat dipped water several times and that she rolled over at least 70 degrees."

"The suddenness of the disaster is what surprised us. Before her final roll, the ship seemed to have gone over just as far as she did when she went over on her side. Before the final roll there were 40 or 50 of us in the after gun shelter. We stopped work and hung on. We began to get scared.

All of us were praying like we never prayed before, some of us out loud, too. The man next to me kept repeating on each roll "Don't let us down now, Dear Lord. Bring it back, Oh God, bring it back." We all felt the same way, and soon a few of the guys joined in. Then was when we came back we'd chant, "Thanks Dear Lord." The next thing we knew we were on our side.

Darden broke in at this point in the tale to say that previous to the MONAGHAN'S tragedy he had looked around to find something to "Knock myself out with." In case he was trapped below."I didn't think much of being drowned like a rat in that gun shelter." He said. "When it came, someone threw open the hatch," McCrane went on, "And we started to scramble out. Under the circumstances, most of us were pretty orderly and there was hardly any hysteria. The fellows start helping each other, particularly the shorter men who couldn't reach the hatch."

"I climbed out of the hatch and stood on a bulkhead. The waves were knocking me about, but I didn't want to shake loose because I saw what happened to men who had jumped off as soon as we heeled. They were pounded to a pulp against the side of the ship. But finally a big wave shook me loose and I went scrambling along the ship until I was lucky enough to grab a depth charge rack. I walked along the torpedo tubes. Another wave hit me and I went into the air."

"The next thing I knew I was struggling in the water trying to keep from being pounded against the ship. Water and oil were blowing against my face. I was choking and beating the water with my arms and legs like a puppy. I saw I wasn't getting anywhere so I calmed down and got away gradually. But I was losing strength when suddenly someone hollered: "Hey Joe, grab that raft in back of you, I think it was a fellow named Guio (Joseph Guio Jr., Gunners Mate, Third Class USNR, of 4020 Washington Street, Holliday's Cove, West Virginia.) Who later died on the raft. Thirteen of us got to it and hung on the sides like they did in that Noel Coward movie; (In This We Serve). I never saw the movie, but I remember those guys hanging on from a trailer I saw." This was about 1230, McCrane added, and was approximately the time the MONAGHAN filled up with water and went down completely. The wind at that time was blowing so hard that the driving salt spray and oil made it difficult to see more than a few yards and the survivors were unable to say for sure whether anyone was on the MONAGHAN at the time. "It looked to me like there was no one left," he said. "We looked around for others to help and started to help some of the badly injured get on the raft. One of these was Ben Holland (Will Ben Holland, Ships Cook, First Class, USNR, son of Willian Earl Holland, Rural Route 1, Mc Minnville, Tennessee). He was a typical of the badly injured with a big gash on the back of his head and on his foot. Guio, the guy who yelled to me about the raft, was another. He had part of his foot torn off.

(Note by Chuck Smith.) These life rafts were a balsa wood ring about four feet across and 8 or 10 feet long. They had a coarse weave netting of about 3/8-inch rope fastened to the balsa wood ring, with a woven wooden slat bottom. The only thing you could do was hang on to them. Your body was in the water whether you were on the inside or the outside of the balsa wood ring.)

"Before we got the bottom of the raft down it turned over four of five times. This meant we had to fish around and help the wounded back on each time and we were getting pretty tired and weak. After we got the bottom down we all climbed aboard--thirteen of us---that first night." I broke out the emergency rations - Spam, hard biscuits and stuff like that--and water. I limited them to a biscuit, cup of water two or three time a day, as soon as we opened that Spam, the sharks started nosing around. We all ate a little, drank our mite of water and tried to get some rest. "That first night we just missed being saved. We saw the lights of a ship and started hollering and yelling, waving our arms. But she passed us by without seeing us. About this time I put my arms and legs around Guio because he was naked and suffering from the cold. Just then he said, "Joe can you see anything?" I thought he meant the ship and I told him I could. "I can't see a thing" he answered.

" A few minutes later he closed his eyes-- and we got ready for our first burial at sea. Doil Carpenter, Seaman, First Class, USNR from California (Address at time of enlistment was 562 East 223rd Street, Torrance, California), said a prayer and we put Guio, the guy who probably saved my life by yelling about that raft, over the side.

"The next day we were all confident we would be picked up. Planes passed over us, but it was still pretty rough and our little raft must have been hard to see. A TBF (torpedo plane) went right over us. That night another fellow died after he had gone berserk and started to drink salt water. We tried to stop him too. Another fellow started swimming around the raft and we lost him as well as Holland, who died of his injuries."

The next day and night passed about the same way. Another man went over the side and was lost and two more swam to another unoccupied raft. They were never seen again. Meanwhile, McCrane had applied first aid to the remaining men, bandaging up their cuts and applying sulfa powder and ointment."

Darden broke into McCrane's narrative again to tell how he began to see a mirage, a pretty, white beach with lights, he too jumped over the side and started to swim toward the "beach". Luckily it vanished in time and he returned to the raft.

"The water tasted brackish so I thought we were in a sound" Darden explained. "I got some of the other fellows to taste it and they agreed with me. Shows how we were beginning to look pretty grim. He was trying to keep up his hopes as well as those of the other survivors.

"Pretty soon we saw some fighter planes come over," he resumed, "and knew we were either near land or one of our carriers." They later turned out to be carrier planes. These two planes banked over us and dropped some of those water markers. Twenty minutes later we saw the most wonderful sight in the world, a destroyer steaming at full speed right at us.

A few moments later she was alongside with everyone shouting advice. Someone threw us a line and soon we were safe. She turned out to be the USS BROWN, a 2100 toner, badly battered by the storm herself. They told us when we got aboard that a shark was right on our tails the whole time we were being rescued. "Well he's welcome to the rest of that Spam, anyway." (Note by Chuck Smith...I think these were the only survivors from the Monaghan.)

All told 82 men were picked out of the heaving seas. But 790 men were gone. Three destroyers had been sacrificed to Typhoon Cobra, and so many other ships had been damaged that the fleet could not participate in that attack on Luzon. A court of inquiry blamed the disaster on Admiral Halsey---whatever problems the weather experts had encountered; he was the responsible commander.

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The following is a list of the survivors of the USS HULL DD 350 we picked up after the typhoon Cobra.

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This is the story of one of the veterans of the "BLUE TEAM", Mitscher and Halsey;s TF 58-38, a 2100 ton destroyer, the USS BROWN. It is a story, too, of a radar picket destroyer that took almost everything the Jap air force has to hand out at Okinawa and lived to tell the tale, proud of her job, boasting of twelve new enemy flags under the stenciled Nip planes on her bridge.

For sixteen months the BROWN had prowled the seas of the Pacific in company with the Fleet's Fast carriers and had participated in eight "STAR" operations, from the Gilberts to the Philippines.

War-weary, she was rested for a six weeks overhaul period in January back in the states. Little did she know the fury of resistance she had yet to face on her return. Back came the BROWN into action, to help in the Okinawa invasion. And, where formerly she had been operating with battleships and carriers, now the BROWN became a picket ship, specially equipped with personnel and equipment to give early warning and take under fire any intruder of the air, out on station all alone.

On April 1,1945, she was screening just off the beaches of Okinawa, helping to protect the landing of the transports and their valuable cargoes. On April 10th she reported to Captain (Now Commodore) Moosenburger of Task Force 51 for duty in the Okinawa screen. So the business began for the BROWN on April 10th in a picket station to the southward of the rugged, faintly visible island, where the star shells were always lighting up the horizon. And business was good .

The BROWN had been on station less than 24 hours, in company with a few small landing craft given her for support, when her first suicider came screaming down headed for the bridge of the ship. It was about dusk and two friendly fighters were mixing it up with two Zekes about 5 miles to the westward of the BROWN fairly high up into the setting sun, when suddenly one Zeke managed to break away from his opponent and, flipping a wing over in unmistakable style, decided to park his plane on the BROWN. He crashed into the water off the starboard quarter; about 150 feet away with part of his tail shot off by the A-A fire of the BROWN. But for many extremely anxious moments it seemed to each man on the BROWN that he, personally, was the target of the Zeke.

The next day was the day of the 200-plane attack on the area, the day three destroyers were lost and others heavily damaged by suiciding Nips. It was a bright sunny noontime when the huge raids were reported closing the area from the North. The BROWN was still in her picket station to the southward, and she knew that she would have visitors shortly. She was ready, the crew at battle stations. The BROWN had a scanty two-plane patrol over her at this time; they were beautiful Corsairs, from a baby flat top lying to the southward. "Vals in the area", came the report from the Force Fighter Director, and soon after, the BROWN's radar picked up a low-flying enemy plane, 20 miles to the westward. Quickly the CAP (Combat Air Patrol) was vectored toward the threat which was closing rapidly on the BROWN. Everyone on the BROWN watched the Corsairs gun their plane westward. At 17 miles the tally-ho was made. The plane was a Val, low on the water, BROWN bent. The CAP whipped around, made one pass at him, and without firing a shot forced him to hit the water in a tremendous yellow explosion and geyser of colored water, all in plain view of the BROWN. Two more Vals were seen soon afterward to the northward, but they found things too hot for them and they headed for home without pressing an attack. The rest of the day was quiet. Night, however, brought several more hours at battle stations. At times hecklers would come in to 6 or 8 miles then shy away. But nights at battle stations were to become so routine and automatic that the crew of the BROWN slept in their clothes, and when the general alarm sounded they were at their battle stations before it stopped ringing.

Dusk of the 14th found the BROWN being plagued by low flying torpedo planes. For more than an hour the small formation was circled as the Japs tuned up for their attack. Finally roaring in low over the landing craft stationed to the westward came a huge black Kate, (Jap torpedo plane) carrying his torpedo. The A-A tracers of the landing craft and the BROWN lashed out their red fingers, searching for a vital spot on him. In seconds he had dropped the torpedo and sheared away. Presumably he escaped but he won't forget it. The torpedo missed passing astern of the BROWN.

The rest of the day the crew of the BROWN heaved a sigh of relief as the ship turned over it's picket duty to the BENNION and headed back to what everybody thought was comparative safety of Hagushi Anchorage on the western side of Okinawa. But she was to have no rest, for just as she arrived at the anchorage several suicider's started their dives on ships in the harbor. Smoke began to cover the area, blinding tracers caught and flamed several enemy planes one of, which hit an American ammunition dump in an explosion and flame that could be felt and seen for miles. All night long the area was under attack.

On the 18th the BROWN was given a screening assignment near the transport area. Ah, a quiet night, everyone thought. But an hour after sunset a torpedo plane attacked. They were apparently driven off by the BROWNS gunfire, but a few minutes later with his guns blazing he roared past the bridge so close ship's personnel could almost have touched him. He must have dropped his fish at extremely close range, for in a matter of seconds a brilliantly white and exceedingly straight torpedo wake appeared almost parallel with the BROWN. This torpedo missed the bow by less than 20 feet.

The next real excitement on picket duty came several days later, on the 21st, when the BROWN, this time in company with a supporting destroyer, the USS PUTNAM, plus 4 Landing Craft was attacked in bright moonlight for 2 or more hours by more enemy planes. (Back in the States, this moon is very romantic but out here it is a huge spotlight and we often wished we could train the 5 inch main battery out on it and blow it out of the sky). For more than an hour they heckled, dropping window (foil to confuse our radar) all over the place. Then they came in and the PUTNAM and the BROWN let them have it with their 5-inch main battery. One was blasted out of the air in flames and the others retired. They hung around for another hour or so, but were wary of the accurate gunfire, and finally departed for the night.

With several "small" evenings in the meanwhile, the next big one for the BROWN came on the 28th of April. It really started the night of the 27th. The BROWN was in a northern picket station and under attack at dusk, as usual, by scattered but persistent bogies. The TWIGGS, the ship destined several weeks later to be sunk by an aerial torpedo with heavy loss of lives, was with her for support. But the BROWN had more than bogies on her mind. One of her gunner's mate's had picked this moment of all moments, to develop an acute case of appendicitis. Soon another destroyer arrived to relieve the BROWN, who waited until the attack was over and them made a beeline for the transport area. The Doctor began to operate, in the wardroom just as the bogey situation cleared. Before he could finish, however, the BROWN was again under attack. Off the starboard bow a twin engine Betty (Jap torpedo plane) was seen against the silvery white clouds, starting his last lunge for the BROWN he saw making a white phosphorescent wake below. In he came, and in seconds the A-A battery hit him and he crashed and burned on the water, halfway to his goal. The BROWN calmly cruised over to investigate but found nothing but a flickering gasoline and oil slick.

But the day had only begun. It was to bring many more exciting incidents before it would close. The BROWN came into the harbor and found they were under attack from suicide boats in a smoke screen. For once the smoke was a handicap rather than help. One ship less than a mile away was hit by one of the small Kamikazes. After interminable hours, the attackers were smashed or driven off. At dawn the patient was transferred to a hospital ship and the BROWN was again on her way to another picket station, this time to the westward. The crew had hoped for a short rest from battle, but that was not the case. At 0930 the BROWN took over the duties of the station from the U.S.S. McCOMB, who was hit two days later.

The day saw many planes shot down. Ships to the north were heard being attacked. On that day the DALY and TWIGGS were both hit.

At dusk an estimated 20 planes in four groups closed on the BROWN, the J. WILLIAM DITTER, and their 3 supporting landing craft. Violently the ships began to maneuver. Then the planes closed on two bearings simultaneously; they were taken under heavy fire. Almost at once one burst into flames and crashed into the water. The others changed their minds and headed away from the nasty little destroyers with their nasty little guns and went toward the transport area for other and more vulnerable game.

But 45 minutes later their brothers were back again trying the same stunt, this time with more tenacity. Six planes in two groups of three each pulled a coordinated attack from two bearings simultaneously. Five of them failed to leave the area. Two were flamed by ships gunfire, two crashed in attempts to suicide into the ships formation and one other crashed about 5 miles away. One lone Jap was seen leaving the area. The only damage to any ship of the formation was a slight dent in the side of one of the landing craft, which radioed over that it remained fully operational. At least 2 torpedoes had missed their marks, amid the heat of the intense battle. Forty-one minutes later 3 or 4 more bogies were seen to be closing. Until 0350 the formation again was at battle stations waiting for the enemy to come in for the attack. No further attack developed and finally at dawn the area was clear. (Long day and night.). A half-hour later a startled lookout on the flying bridge saw a periscope come up out of the water close aboard and then suddenly disappear. Quickly the submarine hung began, aided a half-hour later by a large seaplane (a P.B.M). No contact was made until the afternoon, but at last the sub was found and left pinned down by two sub-hunting experts, the USS FINNEGAN AND USS Mc CLELLANT. The BROWN left to resume her normal picket duty. The USS LITTLE relieved the USS DITTER that evening. The next morning the BROWN was relieved by the AARON WARD and proceeded into harbor for ammo and supplies. A day later that station was attacked by an estimated 25 planes and the LITTLE was sunk and the AARON WARD hit by 6 suicide planes.

Even in port there was no rest, for that night a suicider crashed into the USS TERROR only one half mile from the BROWN.

The next excitement came on the 4th of May on another picket station when many bogies, very high, closed in on the BROWN at 0300 in the morning. Again the moon was brilliantly lighting up the scene. The Nips seemed to time their approach with the moonrise. Another plane was seen to splash soon after the formation opened fire. This time it was the USS MAN BLAKENBURGH, which helped in the kill. At 0430 the area was finally clear and the last bogie driven off.

On May 15 the BROWNs 2 plane cap tallyhoed 2 Jap fighters about 10 miles from the formation. One was soon shot down but the other continued to close at high speed with the CAP in close pursuit, firing and attempted to make a suicide attack on the BROWN. As the CAP broke off his attack the aft 20-millimeter guns on the BROWN took the plane under fire and the plane missed hitting the BROWN's bow by a scant ten feet.

On May 9th on orders of the task group commander, BROWN's fighter direction team was transferred to the USS HADLEY. Two day later the HADLEY on station less than 24 hours was attacked by more than 50 planes and shot down 23 Jap planes and took hits from 3 suicide planes and a Baka Bomb. The BROWN was now assigned to a routine patrol on the outer fringe of the Okinawa area. On the morning of the 11th, a large raid came down from the North. Some sifted through the northern stations. At 0841 suddenly the BROWN lookouts sighted an enemy torpedo plane, a Jill, ducking in over a small island to the westward. In seconds, at high speed, he closed, bent upon depositing his plane and torpedo on the BROWN. This was the surprise attack for which the BROWNs gun crews had been trained. On the fantail were six men manning three 20 millimeter guns; Sheder, Robert C. 3446 Franklin ave. Riverside, California.; Carnes, William t 116 ½ Carter St., La Porte , Indiana; Mc Lean, Sidney L. 1450 East 59th Street, Los Angeles California ; Jones, Davis V. Hollandale, Mississippi; lang. Howard W. 271, School Street, Pitcarn Pennsylvania; Pierce, Carl J. 2930 Michigan St. Kansas City Mo.

And two other men, Stokes, Wayne L. 3130 Agnes St. Kansas city Mo.; Williams, Ernest W, Rt. 1 Box 124 Ridgefield, Washington, manned their 40 millimeter before the rest of the crew got to their battle stations. As the Officer Of The Deck Lt.(jg) Harry D Feltenstein Jr. 1207 North 26 Th St., St Joseph, Mo., in split second thinking, rang up flank speed and ordered full left rudder. STOKES, and WILLIAMS, not normally pointers and trainers loaded their gun mount themselves, then jumped to the controls. Before the Jill had come close enough to aim his torpedo accurately, STOKES and WILLIAMS were firing at the Jill. By this time the Jill however seemed to be attempting to climb right up the length of the BROWN. The sharp turn however caused him to swerve in order to rectify his aim giving STOKES, WILLIAMS and their buddies on the fantail a few seconds more to adjust their aim. The Jill was hit repeatedly but still he came in. In a matter of seconds he seemed to be hovering over the stern of the BROWN, poised for a dive. The men on the fantail manning the 20 millimeters knew they were facing practically certain death but they stuck to their guns and kept firing. The Jill dipped his port wing and in a tremendous splash landed just off the starboard quarter. Pieces of the plane including a wing section flew over the heads of the 20-millimeter gunners and landed on the depth charge racks. The torpedo went under the ship and exploded after it had traveled about 200 yards and armed itself. It detonated in an explosion that made many men below the main deck think that the ship actually had been hit. A moment later a PBM (large seaplane) came into view. All gunners were trained on him as all plane contacts were considered enemy on this particular morning until proven other wise. "Don't shoot!, cries the Captain, "Friendly PBM", "Wait a minute, there's another plane that seems to be attacking the PBM". A Jill was now plainly visible. He seemed to break off his attack on the PBM in that instant and headed straight for the BROWN. In less than it takes to tell, the 5-inch battery was blazing and in a matter of seconds this second Jill began to weave crazily and hit the water.

About 30 minutes later a large plane was observed flying around to the North at a high altitude. This plane was identified as a Betty and had apparently been one of the control planes for the coordinated attacks on the HADLEY and the EVANS. However he changed course jettisoned his bombs, and streaked for home before coming within range of the BROWNS guns.

On the 18th of May after routine patrol and the usual night air attacks, in the meantime, the BROWN was ordered to Guam for a much-needed overhaul.

During the BROWN'S activity as a Radar Picket Ship she had taken many planes under fire, had been under close attack by suicide planes, torpedo attack by Submarines, Aircraft and dive-bombers. At least nineteen torpedoes both submarine and ariel were fired at her. She narrowly missed running into two mines while operating with the mine-sweepers off the China coast.

The USS BROWN was a member of the original group of 21 Radar Picket Ships. She is the only one that wasn't sunk or badly damaged although she did have parts of planes she had shot down hit her decks.

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“He’s an old destroyer man.” That’s the highest compliment you can pay to anyone in the United States Navy. From Admiral Bill Leahy in Washington and Admiral Bill Halsey in the South Seas down to the petty officers and the ordinary seamen and boots, they’re one and all proud as peacocks to be known as destroyer men, particularly after being transferred to some less adventurous branch of the service.

After a year as war correspondent with the Pacific Fleet, plus an earlier destroyer trip to Iceland, I can understand the thrill of being a destroyer man. Offhand it is difficult to think of any other service which, ton for ton, night and day, inflicts so much damage upon the enemy and has so much fun while doing it!

Those were the words of Joseph Driscoll, at the time a war correspondent assigned to the Pacific Fleet. They appeared in his book titled PACIFIC VICTORY: 1945 which was first published by J. B. Lippincott company in 1944.

This book long out of print describes the events and people of that long ago war better than anything I have ever read, then or since. If you can locate a copy today, I highly recommend it to anyone who has ever served in the United States Navy.

Mr. Driscoll’s writing skills tells the story of the Pacific War and the people who were running the show out there, at that time, and in a very personal way, a style very reminiscent of Ernie Pyle, who covered the Army side of that war, Driscoll shows the Navy in the same way.

Plane guards-scouts-vendettes-transports-weather reporters-fire fighters-rescue vessels-the versatile “small boys” were jacks of all trades, and the master operators in the bargain. Above all, they were warships. They fought the surface war, the undersea war, and the air war with weapons specifically devised for three-dimensional battle. It might be said that in destroying shore batteries, harbor and beach defenses, and such targets as highways, railroad spurs, bridges, and air strips- not to mention infantry and tank concentrations- they also fought the land war. All things were grist for the destroyer’s mill—enemy warships and blockade runners, enemy aircraft and guided missiles and human projectiles, enemy submarines and motor torpedo-boats and human torpedoes. No type of ship afloat served in as many capacities as did the Destroyer. No type fought harder or took losses more severe.

Reprinted from Theodore Roscoe’s United States Destroyer Operations in World War **************************************************************************************************************************

The following is a excerpt from a letter received from Mr Maddox: (Ex gunnery officer from the Brown).

“I reported to the Brown in July 1943 and left at sea near Manus in September 1944. I had served on the USS Ellet (DD 398) just over a year before reporting to the Brown. An interesting coincidence is that both the Ellet and the Brown served as plane guard for the Enterprise (An aircraft carrier) while I was on each. After the Brown, I was in ComDesPac Underway Gunnery and Fire Control Instructor for one year. (Teaching a dozen other Destroyers how the Brown hit every target fired upon in 1943 and 1944 ...did you know that)?

The outstanding performance of every man on the Brown has remained in my memory. I owe my life to that good, reliable performance of the crew, more than to my own actions or efforts. It was a great crew

Circumstances had dictated that the USS Brown and her sister ship, the USS Bradford remain on extended operations for a 20-day period recently, hop-scotching between task force and carrier plane guard duty with the Bon Homme Richard.

During a routine fueling and high line operation with the Bon Homme Richard the unofficial ship-to-ship mail contained the following anonymous poem, which when circulated around the Brown, brought smiles to many faces. Although the Brown was ordered to Sasebo just two days later, Force Operations refuses to admit having been influenced by the poetry.

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The USS BROWN was put back into commission and used in the Korean War. She terminated her duty with Destroyer Division 52 on 22 January 1962 when she departed San Diego for inactivation overhaul in the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. The BROWN was decommissioned there on 9 February 1962 to prepare for transfer to the Government of Greece in September 1962 under terms of the Military Assistance Program.

A plank owner is a sailor that is assigned to a ship when it is originally commissioned.

Smith, Charles Alvin S2c 865-78-32

Smith, Homer D. MM1c 365-08-88

Smith, John Fredrick S2c 386-66-50

Smith,Vern Chauncy MM1c 342-16-05

Snider, Robert G. S2c 563-68-07

Stevens, Ralph Hedges CMM(AA) 223-19-27

Stevens, Richard Allen SM3c 381-70-09

Stokes, Wayne Lee S2c 865-77-63

Struckmeyer, Raymond Edward MM2c 410-51-84

Swanson, Stanley L. S2c 757-63-81

Syrotynski, Micheal RM1c 403-02-32

Tollison, James Pink TM3c 721-83-89

Towles, Charles Arthur S2c 865-76-61

True, Francis Lee SoM2c 733-66-39

Turner, John Albert S2c 386-39-88

Turpin, Charles Homer S1c 641-58-29

Umfleet, Roy Seaman S2c 872-72-64

Van Hooser, James Stanton Jr. S1c 604-60-50

Wagner, Elmer James Y2c 632-36-91

Wall, Rex William MM2c 654-53-63

Wallace, Edward Adam MM1c 283-17-46

Ward, Cecil Ray S1c 671-51-57

Whitebeck, Charles James TM3c 600-52-46

Williams, Ernest Willard S2c 386-66-47

Wilson, George Andrew Jr. FC(R)3c 618-96-41

Wilson, Leo Robert S2c 865-77-43

Winters, William Dempsey SM1c 274-40-56

Woerner, Christian William F2c 708-83-40

Yankoviz, Robert John S2c 865-77-36

Yarc, John Anthony S2c 865-76-74

Zelliner, Herman Thomas EM2c 360-32-40

Smith,John James F.Xaveir FC3c(M) 244-31-84

O’Neill, Paul Millette Y1c 632-19-23

Clark, Byron SC1c

Collier, William E. GM3c 562-68-32

McAdams, Zedio Boker EM2c 360-30-47

Mettscher, G S2c 865-77-45

Mouton, Sidney Paul StM1c 564-58-04

Legradi, Joseph John EM3c 405-09-37

Shepherd, Elmer T. SC3c 641-52-95

Keane, Shirley Thomas S1c 224-36-20

Walker, Norman R. S2c 871-74-47

The USS Brown (DD 546) was built by the Bethlehem Steel Company, San Pedro, California. The keel was laid June 27, 1942 and the vessel was launbhed Feburary 21,1943.

The ship was commissioned at 1230 by Captain S. F. Heim USN Commandant Naval operating Base, San Pedro, California. Lt Commander T. H. Copeman U. S. N assumed command of the ship. The following named officers reported aboard for duty.

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Sleeping quarter in aft part of a WW 11 destroyer. The upper bunk on the right looks like the one I was assigned to when I went aboard ship. I only used it for a short time as I swung my hammock under the bridge where it was nicer sleeping for the duration of the war Below the bunks is the lockers. They had to hold all of our possessions.

This is a picture of the wheel house like the one aboard the BROWN where I stood wheel watches.

This is a list of battles up to 5 November 1944 that I took from the bulletin board from the U.S.S. BROWN.

These are cartoon drawn by a shipmate aboard the BROWN during WW 11

DESTROYER REFUELING AT SEA. PROBABLY FROM AIRCRAFT CARRIER.

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We had operated with Bush during WW 11 when he was a Torpedo Bomber pilot.

The following article was taken from the magazine “NAVY LIFE” September 1988. It confirms that the BROWN was the ship that picked up President Bush.

Mid 1944 found the SAN JACVINTO steaming with the US Fleet near the Marianas Islands. When Bush’s AVENGER was catapulted into the air from the carriers deck. It developed engine problems. Unable to land back on the ship, and carrying four 500 pound depth charges in the plane’s belly, Bush did the only thing he could- brought the plane down into the sea. Jack Delaney was hurt, but Leo Nadeau, the gunner, pulled him out of the plane. Once in the life raft, Bush rowed as hard as he could to get them all away from the sinking plane. After it was below the sea the depth charges went off. A close call, but Jack Delaney still smiled.

Soon the trio was picked up by the USS BROWN (DD 546) , a Navy destroyer. The Delaney sisters recalled how Jack spoke so highly of those men on the destroyer. And when Jack wrote home about the incident, he amusingly said “I went for a drink, and it wasn’t Calverts!” Wrtime censorship prevented an accurate description of anything that had happened at sea. As for the fellow that pulled Jack out of the water, well Jack invited him to visit his sisters if ever in the Rhode Island area. Jack said it with a smile.

Recreation on an island in the south pacific. Two cans of beer and one dish of ice cream.

The Fletcher Class Destroyers

The Fletcher Class of destroyers in the US Navy were the most widely used in any navy during the World War II period. There were 175 of them built during a two and a half year period during the war. The Fletchers were a well liked "Tin Can" by officers and men alike. Some Commanders thought them to be the Perfect Fighting Destroyer. They were all considered Sister Ships, but no two were exactly alike. They were all flush deckers whereas earlier classes had a raised forecastle deck. There were two distinct differences in ships of the class. Earliest Fletchers had a rounded front wheel house with open bridge wings and a high gun director; later ones had a squared off wheel house with open bridge forward and on both sides; the gun director was also lowered to help alleviate the top heavy tendency of the class. There were a few ships that were outfitted with an aircraft catapult, but it didn't work out very well and they were later outfitted like the others. The CLAXTON, being one of the earlier ships of the class, had the rounded front wheel house and high gun director. An open walkway was installed around the front of the wheel house in early 1944.

BASIC FLETCHER CLASS SPECIFICATIONS

LENGTH OVERALL	376 Ft. 6 in.
BEAM	39 Ft. 8 in.
DRAFT	13 Ft. 5 in.
DISPLACEMENT	2150 Tons (Standard)
DISPLACEMENT	(actual) 2800 Tons (or more)
SHAFT HORSEPOWER	60,000
SPEED	35 knots (trials)
RANGE	4900 naut. miles (varied)

MAIN ARMAMENT:

FIVE 5"-38 Dual Purpose enclosed guns. MK 30. These were disposed with two forward and three aft, mounted on the centerline.

TEN 21" torpedo tubes disposed in two quintuple mounts on the centerline on the superstructure deck. Some ships of the class ended the war with only one quintuple torpedo mount. The forward mount being removed to allow installation of quad 40's on each side.

ANTIAIRCRAFT ARMAMENT (AA):

The AA armament of the class varied widely, depending on when you looked at the individual ships. It usually increased any time a ship visited a Navy Yard. Most of the class ended the war with the following armament (including the CLAXTON): 40mm Bofors guns disposed with twin 40's each side forward of the bridge on superstructure deck, Twin 40's each side amidships on superstructure deck, one twin 40 elevated between 5" gun mounts 3 and 4. There were some in the class equipped with quad 40's at the amidships locations in lieu of the twins.

20mm single Oerlikons Mk 4 located with 4 amidships, 2 each side, three were located on the fantail. The location and numbers of 20's varied widely in members of the class. There were a few of the "high bridge" ones that had 20's in the bridge area, one on top of the pilot house and two forward and below, but these usually fell victim to later modifications. Some of the class were fitted with twin 20's near the end of the war.

DEPTH CHARGE ARMAMENT:

Two Mark 3 depth charge racks were located on the fantail and six "K gun" depth charge projectors were located abaft gun mount 4 on the main deck, three on each side.

RADAR EQUIPMENT:

Model SG surface search radar.

Model SC-3 (or SC-4) air search radar. The CLAXTON was one of the few in the class that was commissioned with a SA radar. It was replaced in 3 mos.

Model FD fire control radar. Late in the war some of the class were fitted with fire control radars on the 40mm gun directors. The CLAXTON never was.

PROPULSION:

Two-12' dia. three bladed propellers driven by geared turbines. Four Babcock & Wilcox, 565 PSI boilers with superheaters. The class had one rudder which was too small with earlier ships, but was modified larger to improve turning radius.

COMBAT INFORMATION CENTER (CIC):

Early in the war the Fletchers were the first destroyer class to be equipped with CIC's, they were located just below the bridge at main deck level and varied in size and equipment layout. The CLAXTON did not receive her CIC until early in 1944 at Mare Island Navy Yard. She was equipped for controlling fighter aircraft and was used for that purpose in the Philippines and off Okinawa. There were others in the class so equipped.

COMPLEMENT:

The ships complement for the class was originally 273 officers and men in 1942. The addition of more AA armament and other requirements gradually increased this and it varied from ship to ship.

This is a drawing of a Fletcher class destroyer much like the BROWN. Although we had 5 five inch guns on our main deck instead of three.

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In November or December of 1986 Wayne Stokes of Kansas City and I got to-gather and started a reunion for the BROWN. I had a Commodore 128 computer and used the program NEWSROOM to publish a news letter. We published a newsletter about every other month for a year. Each newsletter consisted of about 4 to 6 pages. It included all the shipmates names and addresses we had contacted plus the new ones we had got in touch with. It also included information about the BROWN during the war to keep everyone interested. By the following September we had contacted approximately 90 shipmates. We held our first reunion in Kansas City and had around 80 in attendance. Everyone had a great time and the reunion is still going strong. It now includes the sailors from the Korean war that had served aboard the BROWN.

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Chuck Smith Service number 865-78-32

PERFORMANCE

FOREWORD

The following is an official bulletin:

Confidential

Second article in "The New York Times," 30 June 1945

INVASION OF SAIPAN - 1944 HOLOCAUST

THE STORM

Smith, Charles Alvin S2c 865-78-32

Smith, Homer D. MM1c 365-08-88

Smith, John Fredrick S2c 386-66-50

Smith,Vern Chauncy MM1c 342-16-05

Snider, Robert G. S2c 563-68-07

Stevens, Ralph Hedges CMM(AA) 223-19-27

Stevens, Richard Allen SM3c 381-70-09

Stokes, Wayne Lee S2c 865-77-63

Struckmeyer, Raymond Edward MM2c 410-51-84

Swanson, Stanley L. S2c 757-63-81

Syrotynski, Micheal RM1c 403-02-32

Tollison, James Pink TM3c 721-83-89

Towles, Charles Arthur S2c 865-76-61

True, Francis Lee SoM2c 733-66-39

Turner, John Albert S2c 386-39-88

Turpin, Charles Homer S1c 641-58-29

Umfleet, Roy Seaman S2c 872-72-64

Van Hooser, James Stanton Jr. S1c 604-60-50

Wagner, Elmer James Y2c 632-36-91

Wall, Rex William MM2c 654-53-63

Wallace, Edward Adam MM1c 283-17-46

Ward, Cecil Ray S1c 671-51-57

Whitebeck, Charles James TM3c 600-52-46

Williams, Ernest Willard S2c 386-66-47

Wilson, George Andrew Jr. FC(R)3c 618-96-41

Wilson, Leo Robert S2c 865-77-43

Winters, William Dempsey SM1c 274-40-56

Woerner, Christian William F2c 708-83-40

Yankoviz, Robert John S2c 865-77-36

Yarc, John Anthony S2c 865-76-74

Zelliner, Herman Thomas EM2c 360-32-40

Smith,John James F.Xaveir FC3c(M) 244-31-84

O’Neill, Paul Millette Y1c 632-19-23

Clark, Byron SC1c

Collier, William E. GM3c 562-68-32

McAdams, Zedio Boker EM2c 360-30-47

Mettscher, G S2c 865-77-45

Mouton, Sidney Paul StM1c 564-58-04

Legradi, Joseph John EM3c 405-09-37

Shepherd, Elmer T. SC3c 641-52-95

Keane, Shirley Thomas S1c 224-36-20

Walker, Norman R. S2c 871-74-47

The weather here isn't especially rough so you can see why we spent any off duty time on the fantail visiting