Robert Snipes: Navy Diary, Tour 2 (1945)

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 second Pacific tour in WWII. For the full story and links to all memoirs, see this page.


TOUR 2, ABOARD U.S.S. COWPENS

APR. 20, 1945 – SQUADRON BOARDED U.S.S. GARDINERS BAY, A SEAPLANE TENDER, TO COMMENCE ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL TOUR OF DUTY, I HOPE. DEPARTED SAN DIEGO.

APR. 21 – NOBODY FEELS VERY WELL. MUST BE THAT OLD TRADITION OF SEASICKNESS FIRST DAY OUT. DON’T FEEL SO HOT MYSELF.

APR 25 – FLYING FISH ARE REALLY GETTING LOTS OF FL IGHT TIME TODAY.  ALL ARE TRYING TO SEE PAST THE HORIZON. EXPECT TO DOCK TOMORROW [IN PEARL HARBOR].

APR. 26 – THE ISLANDS ARE A SIGHT FOR SORE EYES AFTER ALL THAT WATER. DOCKED TODAY BUT WILL NOT GO ASHORE UNTIL TOMORROW.

APR. 27 – BACK TO PUUNENE, MAUI, IN A C54 WHERE WE WERE JUST 9 MONTHS AGO.

JUNE 10 – DEPARTED PUUNENE AND BOARDED THE U.S.S. COWPENS, CVL 25.

*JUNE 13 – DEPARTED PEARL HARBOR ACCOMPANIED BY U.S.S. HANCOCK AND U.S.S. LEXINGTON.

*JUNE 20 – MADE 2 STRIKES ON WAKE ISLAND. DEPARTED FOR ENIWETOK.

JUNE 21 – ARRIVED ENIWETOK TO REMAIN ABOUT 8 HOURS. DEPARTED TO JOIN TASK GROUP.

*JUNE 26 – ANCHORED IN LEYTE GULF.

JULY 1 – DEPARTED LEYTE GULF IN COMPANY WITH TASK GROUP 38.4 BOUND FOR TOKYO.

*JULY 10 – WE MADE 2 STRIKES ON THE TOKYO AREA TODAY, HITTING AIR FIELDS NORTH OF TOKYO. I WAS IN AN 8-PLANE STRIKE [WITH PLANES FROM 4 OTHER SHIPS] ON KONOIKE AIR FIELD. NO AIR OPPOSITION, BUT MODERATE AND FAIRLY ACCURATE AA.

*JULY 14 – TASK FORCE IN VICINITY OF HOKAIDO, NORTH OF HONSHU. SENT OUT ONE STRIKE WHICH WAS UNSUCCESSFUL BECAUSE OF ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. STRIKE 2 WENT FAIRLY GOOD AS WEATHER CLEARED UP. SHIPPING IN MURORAN HARBER STRUCK. MY MASTHEAD [ATTACK] ON A DE [DESTROYER] CAUSED LITTLE DAMAGE, BUT STRAFING MUST HAVE SCARED SOMEBODY.

*JULY 15 – WENT AGAINST SHIPPING AGAIN BUT REGULAR TARGETS WERE SOCKED IN. HAD QUITE A PARTY ON MORI, HOKAIDO, ACROSS FROM MORORAN. GOT A HIT ON A CARGO SHIP [500 TON] AND STRAFED SUNDRY TARGETS.

JULY 17 – 180 MILES OFF COAST OF TOKYO. WAITING FOR WEATHER TO CLEAR FOR RAID ON YOKOSUKA, WHERE BATTLESHIP NOGATO IS UNDERGOING REPAIRS. STILL NO AIR OPPOSITION FROM THOSE NIPS. THEY MUST BE WAITING FOR INVASION.

JULY 18 – SENT STRIKE IN TO SINK NAGATO BUT RESULTS ARE UNOBTAINABLE SO FAR.

*JULY 24 – SENT STRIKES IN TO INLAND SEA OF HONSHU. MADE ONE STRIKE ON TONE CA [CRUISER] BUT NO DIRECT HITS.

*JULY 25 – MADE ONE STRIKE ON TARGET AS ABOVE BUT WEATHER KEPT US OFF COAST.

*JULY 28 – MADE STRIKES ON COMBAT SHIPPING AGAIN IN KURE HARBOR. LOST ONE PLANE TO AA AND OTHERS DAMAGED. NEAR MISS OFF STARBOARD BOW OF HARUNA. ALL AA WAS INTENSE AND ACCURATE, BEING OF EVERY TYPE: PHOSPHOROUS, MULTI-COLORED BURSTS, EVEN FIRE BALLS.

*JULY 30 – MADE ONE ATTACK ON SHIPPING IN MAIZURUBAY. ONE HIT ON A FOX TARE [ A 4500 TON FREIGHTER-TRANSPORT].

AUG. 1 – PROCEEDING SOUTH TO AVOID TYPHOON REPORTED HEADING THIS WAY. A SUNBATHER WAS WASHED OVER SIDE [BY HEAVY SEAS] BUT WAS RESCUED BY DESTROYER.

AUG. 7 – RECEIVED WORD OF NEW ATOM BOMB TODAY. SHOULD SHORTEN WAR CONSIDERABLY IF BROUGHT TO FRONT IN QUANTITY SOON.

*AUG. 9 – MADE STRIKE OF TORPS [TORPEDO PLANES] AND VF [FIGHTERS] ON HORYAMA AIR FIELD TODAY, DROPPING “FROGS ” TO DESTROY AIRCRAFT. SEVERAL ENEMY PLANES SHOT DOWN AROUND TASK FORCE.

*AUG 10 – MADE ANOTHER STRIKE ON KORYAMA AIRFIELD TODAY. RECEIVED WORD OVER RADIO OF JAPAN’S DESIRE TO SURRENDER IF SHE COULD KEEP HER EMPEROR ON THE THRONE. [P.S. I’M WILL’IN]

*AUG. 13 – ATTACKED FATEYAMA AIR FIELD AFTER FINDING ASSIGNED TARGET WEATHERED IN.

AUG. 14 – PEACE RUMORS CAUSING A BIG FUSS ALL OVER THE SHIP TODAY . OCCUPATION SQUADS BEING FORMED. SOME SAY THE AIR DEPARTMENT WILL OCCUPY AN AIRFIELD NEAR TOKYO AS A CASU [CARRIER AIRCRAFT SERVICE UNIT] UNIT.

AUG. 15 – RECEIVED OFFICIAL WORD TODAY OF JAPANS SURRENDER. HOWEVER, THERE ARE STILL [ENEMY] AIR ATTACKS OF SEVERAL PLANES ON OTHER TASK GROUPS. GUESS THE WORD HAS NOT BEEN PASSED YET IN NIPPON.

AUG. 27 – AFTER A NUMBER OF DAYS, PREPARATION THE COWPENS RE-FORMED INTO TASK FORCE 35, WITH CRUISERS, ONE BATTLESHIP, AND DESTROYERS. TODAY WE ENTERED THE TOKYO BAY AREA AND ANCHORED AT SAGAMI WAN JUST BELOW TOKYO.

AUG. 29 – COVERED AN EVACUATION TODAY FROM THE AMORI PRISON CAMP. IT REALLY MUST BE A WONDERFUL SIGHT TO SEE THE BOATS COMING TO PICK YOU UP. MEN WERE ON TOP OF THE HOUSES WAVING TO US [IN PLANES], AND OUT IN THE WATER AND ALL ALONG THE FENCE [ ON THE ROOF OF ONE BUILDING A LARGE SIGN HAD BEEN PAINTED SAYING “PAPPY BOYINGTON IS HERE “]. TOOK A QUICK FLIGHT OVER TOKYO PROPER AND SHE’S REALLY BURNED OUT. NOT A SECTION OF THE CITY MISSED BEING AT LEAST THREE-QUARTERS DEMOLISHED. IT FELT RATHER STRANGE FLYING AROUND AT 500 FT. OVER GUN EMPLACEMEWNTS WHICH A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO WERE KNOCKING B29’S DOWN FROM 30,000 FT. EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE GOING ALONG SMOOTHLY. JAPS APPEAR TO HAVE EVACUATED KEY POINTS, AND THE FIRST LANDINGS HAD NO OPPOSITION. ENEMY ATTITUDE SLIGHTLY CHANGED.

*AUG. 30 – LANDED AT YOKOSUKA [NAVAL AIR BASE]. [ I HAD THE DISTINCT HONOR OF HAVING AS MY PASSENGER COMMANDER HAROLD STASSEN, WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF THE NAVY’S PART IN RELEASING ALLIED PRISONERS OF WAR]. AIR FIELD IS IN GOOD SHAPE EXCEPT FOR BUILDINGS. NUMBER OF WRECKED PLANES, AS WELL AS GOOD PLANES, THE LATTER HIDDEN IN CAVES.

SEPT. 1 – WORKED WITH TECHNICAL AIR INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS ON INVENTORYING JAP PLANES.

SEPT. 8 – RETURNED ABOARD COWPENS WHICH IS TO JOIN TASK FORCE 38.1 TOMORROW. TOKYO BAY IS REALLY GETTING FULL OF SHIPS.

SEPT. 9 – SAILED FROM TOKYO BAY TO JOIN TF 38.1.

SEPT. 16 – RETURNED TO BAY.

SEPT. 19 – LIBERTY AT YOKOSUKA. RETURNED TO SHIP TO FIND OUT WE HAD NOT YET RECEIVED AUTHORIZATION FOR TRANSPORTATION TO STATES. HO HUM. MAYBE NEXT TIME.

—–

THINGS HAPPENED FAST AFTER SEPT. 20. THOSE OF US WHO WERE ELIGIBLE WENT ABOARD A TROOP TRANSPORT, AND AFTER PICKING UP MORE MEN, WE SAILED FOR SAN FRANSISCO AROUND THE NORTH ROUTE. HIT A BAD STORM AND WERE DELAYED 2 DAYS.

SEATTLE RADIOED US TO COME THERE, AS WE CAME IN SIGHT OF LAND.

DISEMBARKED AND OBTAINED ORDERS TO REPORT TO CAMP WALLACE, TEXAS, FOR SEPERATION ON OCT. 17, 1945.

— END OF TOUR 2 —

* ONE OR MORE FLIGHTS MADE THIS DATE.

NOTE: I WAS ACCOMPANIED ON MOST FLIGHTS THIS TOUR BY MY TURRET GUNNER H. A. LITZEN AND RADIOMAN R. L. MARCON.

Robert J. Snipes

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