Robert Snipes: Navy Diary, Tour 1 (1944)
This is one of my father's memoirs. He learned to use my mother's computer so he could write and print them for us. These are entries from his Navy diary during his first Pacific tour in WWII. For the full story and links to all memoirs, see this page.
TOUR 1, ABOARD U.S.S. BATAAN, CVL 29
MAR.18.1944 - LEFT SAN DIEGO AFTER FEW VERY SHORT DAYS OF TAKING ON SUPPLIES AND PLANES. BEAUTIFUL HARBOR.
MAR. 19 - SAILING WEST AT NICE SPEED. CHECKED OUT IN 20 MM GUN.
MAR. 20 - SAILING AS BEFORE.
MAR. 21 - SAILING AS BEFORE.
MAR. 22 - ENTERED THE VERY HISTORIC PEARL HARBOR -- ENORMOUSLY STRENGTHENED AND WELL AWARE OF THE WAR.
*MAR. 23 - SQUADRON MOVED TEMPERARILY TO KANEOHE AIR FIELD NORTHEAST ON OAHU.
*MAR. 24 - STILL BASED ASHORE.
*MAR. 30 - WEATHER MOVED US OUT OF KANEOHE TO BARBERS POINT FOR NIGHT BOUNCE [NIGHT LANDINGS].
*MAR 31 - RETURNED TO SHIP.
APR. 9 [ON OR ABOUT] - ARRIVED MAJURO ATOLL TO JOIN TASK FORCE. MORE SHIPS THAN I EVER SAW IN ONE PLACE. PLENTY HOT.
APR. 13 - LEFT MAJURO HEADING SW.
*APR. 14 - UNEVENTFUL HOP [ ANTI-SUBMARINE FLIGHT].
APR. 16 - ALL US "POLLYWOGS" CUT THE SHELLBACK'S HAIR. [A NAVY TRADITION: “POLLYWOGS” ARE THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER CROSSED THE EQUATOR ABOARD A NAVY VESSEL; "SHELLBACKS” THOSE WHO HAVE. POLLYWOGS ARE INTIMIDATED BY SHELLBACKS DURING THE CELEBRATION. CERTIFICATE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT ISSUED THE DAY OF CROSSING].
APR. 17 - IT'S A TOUGH WAY TO BECOME A "SHELLBACK", BUT I’M ONE OF 'EM NOW [CROSSED EQUATOR]. GOT RAINED OUT OF FO’CASTLE LAST NIGHT.
APR. 19 - GENERAL QUARTERS BROUGHT US OUT OF THE SACK THIS MORNING AT 0345 . BOGEY [UNIDENTIFIED AIRCRAFT] TURNED OUT TO BE A CATALINA. THIS AFTERNOON AT ONE- FORTY, ONE OF OUR CAP FROM ANOTHER TASK GROUP GOT A BETTY WHICH IS PROBABLY THE BEGINNING OF THE EXCITEMENT FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
*APR. 20 - [D - 2 DAY] WELL OFF COAST OF NEW GUINEA IN A PRETTY HOT SPOT. COWPENS CAP [COMBAT AIR PATROL] GOT A BETTY [JAP PLANE] TODAY. TOMORROW’S THE BIG DAY FOR US.
*APR. 21 - A VERY SUCCESSFUL DAY FOR THE WHOLE TASK FORCE. WE BOMBED AND STRAFED WAKDE, SARMI, AND SAWAR WITH PRACTICALLY NO OPPOSITION.
*APR. 22 - OUR SHIP HAD DUTY ALL DAY, SO WE ANTI-SUB PATROLLED ALL DAY. NO SUBS SIGHTED. THE ARMY MADE SUCCESSFUL LANDINGS AT HOLLANDIA REPORTEDLY.
APR. 24 - MADE ANOTHER ATTACK ON WAKDE TODAY; AS USUAL, NO OPPOSITION.
APR. 28 - SPENT FEW HOURS REARMING IN THE ADMIRALTIES THEN HEADED OUT.
*APR 29 - [TASK] FORCE IN TRUK AREA. OTHER SHIPS GAVE HER A BLASTING WHILE WE PROVIDED ANTI-SUB PATROL ALL DAY.
*APR 30 - ATTACKED TRUK WITH VERY LITTLE AIR OPPOSITION BUT LOTS OF AA [ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE]. WEATHER WAS TOO BAD FOR MUCH THIS AFTERNOON. COMMANDER MATTER [OUR COMMANDING OFFICER] MADE WATER LANDING BUT WAS PICKED UP BY SUB IMMEDIATELY, WHICH [THE SUB] INCIDENTALLY HAD LOTS OF BUSINESS TODAY. TOMORROW SEES PONAPE BOMBARDED BY OUR BB’S [BATTLESHIPS].
*MAY 1 - OUR BB'S REALLY HAD A FIELD DAY THIS AFTERNOON ON PONAPE. WE PROVIDED ANTI-SUB PATROLS FOR THEM. THEY REALLY DID LAY THEM IN THERE, TOO.
MAY 4 - ANCHORED TAKING ON STORES AND FUEL IN KWAJOLEIN.
MAY 5 - STILL AT KWAJOLEIN. HAD A SWELL BEACH PARTY [THE AIR GROUP] AND BOY WAS IT DRUNK OUT. SAW JAP CORAL MILL INSTALLATIONS WHICH HAD BEEN BLASTED BY SURFACE BATTERIES. NO SOUVENIRS, HOWEVER, EXCEPT SEA SHELLS.
MAY 13 - LEFT KWAJOLEIN FOR MAJURO.
MAY 14 - ARRIVED MAJURO.
MAY 18 - LEFT MAJURO THIS MORNING FOR PEARL HARBOR TO GET ELEVATOR FIXED.
*MAY 20 - HOORAY! MADE LT. JG. TODAY.
*MAY 30 - RETURNED TO SHIP AFTER SWELL FEW DAYS ASHORE. HEADING BACK TO MAJURO.
JUNE 3 - ARRIVED MAJURO.
JUNE 6 - LEFT MAJURO WITH TASK FORCE BOUND FOR SAIPAN, ORAM. RECEIVED WORD OF EUROPEAN INVASION.
*JUNE 12 - ARRIVED IN AREA OF GUAM, ROTA, SIAPAN. WE HAD ANTI-SUB PATROL ALL DAY.
*JUNE 13 - RAIDED ROTA WITH LITTLE OPPOSITION. BROUGHT 4 SB2C’S [DIVE BOMBERS FROM OTHER SHIPS] ABOARD, THE LAST ONE A BARRIER CRASH RUINING ALL 4 PLANES. DUMPED 2 OVER THE SIDE.
*JUNE 14 - DUMPED THE OTHER 2 ALONG WITH 2 F6F’S [WHICH WERE DAMAGED]. BOMBED ROTA WITH LITTLE OPPOSITION. SMALL AA FROM AROUND TOWN. NINE PLANES ATTACKED WITH ONE-THOUSAND POUND [BOMBS]. THREE PLANES HIT AN AIRFIELD, 3 HIT SUGAR MILL IN TOWN, AND MY SECTION OF 3 MADE AN UNSUCCESSFUL DROP NEAR AN " AK" WHICH WAS ALREADY BEACHED AND BURNING.
*JUNE 15 - ATTACKED CHICHI JIMA WHERE NO WHITE MAN HAD SET FOOT SINCE ABOUT 1930. VERY LARGE GROUP OF PLANES MADE ATTACK. MY DROP OF FOUR 500-POUND BOMBS WAS GOOD HIT ON LARGE BUILDINGS. IN THE MEANTIME THE AA WAS VERY HEAVY. I PICKED UP ABOUT 9 MACHINE-GUN BULLETS IN WINGS AND FUSELAGE BUT NONE SERIOUS. ONE PLANE MADE WATER LANDING [OUT OF GAS].
JUNE 16 - MADE ONE MORE BOMBING ATTACK ON IWA JIMA. LEARNED THAT THE JAP FLEET IS SOMEWHERE IN THE VICINITY.
*JUNE 17 - SENDING OUT 300-MILE SEARCH FOR JAP FLEET BUT WEATHER BAD.
*JUNE 19 - EXPECTING AN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE JAP FLEET AT ANY TIME. WE WERE ATTACKED TODAY BY LARGE GROUPS OF PLANES WHICH WERE PICKED UP AND DISPERSED AT DISTANCES UP TO 100 MILES. SOME GOT THROUGH THE CAP BUT WERE SHOT DOWN EITHER BY SHIPS OF THE TASK FORCE OR BY OUR FIGHTER CAP OVER GUAM, WHERE THE RETURNING PLANES ATTEMPTED TO LAND. BY KEEPING THEIR SURFACE FORCES OUT OF RANGE OF OUR AIR GROUPS THEIR SHIPS ARE COMPARITIVELY SAFE. OUR TASK GROUP SHOT DOWN 98 PLANES FOR SURE KILLS. IF THE OTHER GROUPS HAVE DONE AS WELL, AT LEAST 400 OUT OF 500 PLANES WERE DISPOSED OF, WHICH IS PRETTY GOOD.
JUNE 20 - FOUND JAP FLEET LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. FIGHTERS TOOK BOMBS AND MADE ATTACK. MANY RAN OUT OF GAS COMING BACK.
*JUNE 23 - MADE ATTACK ON PAGAN AIR FIELD. LITTLE OPPOSITION, NO PLANES. OUR CAP GOT 6 MORE PLANES.
*JUNE 24 - OUR GROUP [58.1] SHOT DOWN SUM TOTAL OF 116 JAP PLANES TODAY WITH 11 PROBABLES. OUR LOSSES WERE 5, WITH THREE FROM OUR OWN SHIP.
JUNE 27 - ARRIVED ENIWETOK.
*JUNE 30 - LEFT ENIWETOK.
*JULY 3 - FIGHTER SWEEP OVER IWO JIMA.
*JULY 6 - BEGAN 3-PLANE SHUTTLE ATTACKS ON ROTA AND GUAM.
*JULY 9 - PARTICIPATED IN BOMBING OF GUAM. CRUISERS SHELLING [AGAT] , THE SAME TOWN WE WERE BOMBING. STRANGE, BUT JAPS WERE PUTTING UP ONLY ABOUT ONE TENTH THE [USUAL] AA. SAVING FOR INVASION, I GUESS.
JULY 12 - DEPARTED FOR PEARL HARBOR VIA ENIWETOK. LEARNED YESTERDAY THAT A CAN [DESTROYER] PICKED UP A U.S. ENLISTED MAN FROM GUAM WHO HAD BEEN THERE TWO AND ONE HALF YEARS HIDING IN THE HILLS.
JULY 14 - ARRIVED ENIWETOK EN ROUTE TO P. HARBOR.
JULY 24 - ARRIVED PEARL HARBOR. SQUADRON DISEMBARKED BECAUSE SHIP SCHEDULED TO LEAVE FOR U.S. NEXT DAY [FOR MAJOR REPAIRS].
JULY 25-30 - SPENT THIS TIME IN REST HOME [ALEXANDER YOUNG] IN HONOLULU. BEAUTIFUL PLACE ON BEACH. PRESIDENT NEAR.
AUG. 1 - SQUADRON MOVED TEMPORARILY TO MAUI.
AUG. 10 - RECEIVED WORD ONE THIRD [OF US] WILL RETURN TO THE STATES.
AUG. 12 - SQUADRON MOVED BACK TO OAHU.
AUG 14. - REPORTED ABOARD USS CORREGIDOR.
AUG 15 - DEPARTED FOR STATES ABOARD USS CORREGIDOR.
-- END TOUR 1 --
* ONE OR MORE FLIGHTS MADE ON THIS DATE.
NOTE: WAS ACCOMPANIED ON MOST FLIGHTS THIS TOUR BY MY TURRET GUNNER H. A. LITZEN AND RADIOMAN CANUP.