Invasion of Luzon

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! New Years Day 1945. Hope this year will end this mess. We are still swinging on the hook in San Pedro Bay, Leyte, Philippine Islands waiting for the next operation and doing anything we can to be sure we are ready. We got two more bulging sacks of mail this afternoon - mostly stale cake, cookies and candy, but anything from home makes it a great day.

On the second night of this new year the Nips made it completely sleepless - G.Q. (Sailor jargon for Battle Stations) at 2339 - 0215 - 0330, so most of the gun crews stayed at their G.Q. stations until reveille. You get so tired you get numb. We hear on the radio that the Bogies get a lucky drop on the beach that took out six of our bombers - quite a fire was visible from our position. Our night fighters were very busy. It is a weird sight to see tracers coming from nowhere and ending up in no place way up in the night sky.

We went to G.Q. several times during the 3rd day of the New Year as Bogies approached the airfield on the beach. After loosing six bombers I guess they are a little cautious. Scuttlebutt has it we are suppose to get underway tomorrow for something big. We have done all the things to be ready - topped off fuel tanks, took on a full compliment of ammunition and loaded up on stores. We are ready.

It’s official - we are underway at 0800 on January 4th - assembling to invade Luzon at Lingayen Gulf - northwest of Manila. I-DAY will be January 9th. Rumor has it there will be approximately 1,200 ships, in three groups, in the invasion fleet. The three formations will cover over 50-miles of ocean. Something new has been added - all machine guns will be manned (G.Q. crews) at all times when we are within 20-miles of land.

The FOOTE is assigned to Task Force-75 and is operating in accordance with secret dispatch 020525, en route to Lingqayen Gulf, Luzon, Philippine Islands, in company with and as screen for Task Group-78.1. Commander of Task Group-78.1 is in USS BLUE RIDGE; Commander of the screen is Commander of DesRon-23 in USS CHARLES AUSBURNE. Fleet guide is in BLUE RIDGE. A big task force of CVE.’s (Escort Carriers) are hull down to port. It is good to know we have fighters along. Mustered the FOOTE crew at quarters at 0815 - no absentees.

We left our position in the formation at 1251 to investigate a reported “Skunk” (unidentified surface object) about 6-miles on our starboard beam. The “Skunk” was identified as an empty merchant ship type lifeboat. We sunk the boat with our portside 40-MM guns
A radio message was intercepted at 1515 reporting a torpedo wake sighted in Task Force-77.3, about 6-miles ahead of our track. The destroyer USS TAYLOR DD-468 sighted a Jap midget sub on the surface about 7-miles north and altered her course and rammed it at 1530 - total elapsed time since the torpedo wake report was 15-minutes. At 1623 the LST-123 sighted a submarine on the surface 500-yards on her starboard quarter. The destroyer USS RUSSELL DD-414 changed her course to intercept the target, but was unable to establish sonar contact. The RUSSELL was left in the area to search until the convoy steamed clear.

About 1600 on January 6th we are at approximately the same location of the attack on December 21st during the re-supply of Mindoro. Everyone begins to feel things are much, much too quiet. As we pass through Mindoro Straits it looks as if they’ve had another raid because a fire is visible on Mondoro off our starboard beam and we are about 15-miles at sea. When we clear the Straits we start thinking about Manila coming up on our starboard side.

The Oil Tanker USS PECOS joined the formation after morning G.Q. on January 7th and started underway fueling all screening vessels. The FOOTE completed fueling at 1207 and resumed her screening station. Speed of advance is 8.5-knots.

It is altogether too quiet, considering where we are. The sun goes down making a beautiful picture in the west and about an hour after dark the FOOTE and three other destroyers are detached to make a sweep away from the convoy toward Manila to see if we can flush anything - nothing. We learn that the CHARLES AUSBURNE DD-570 and another destroyer sank a Jap destroyer of the HATSUSHARU Class in a short engagement over on the other side of the convoy. The CHARLES AUSBURNE placed her salvos so neatly that the Jap only got off a “starshell” or two before she blew up. The Japs never knew what hit them.. About 2415 we pick up a plane on radar and begin tracking it - we are getting a very erratic solution on the computer in plot - with a big debate about his manner of flying - and no I.F.F.(Identification Friendly or Foe) - then he decided the issue of his identity by dropping a bomb pattern off the port quarter about 5,000-yards. He no longer needed I.F.F. and we didn’t secure from G.Q. until sun-up. During the early morning hours the Japs dropped lots of flares and there was a great deal of firing, but not by us.

On the morning of the 8th we are well into the South China Sea and anything can happen - but doesn’t. The day is clear, bright, sunny and peaceful. Everyone is talking about what will happen in the next few days. About 1430, a raid is reported, but goes in against the convoy astern (we are second of three convoys). There is much firing and it was close enough we saw one plane crash-dive a large troop ship. Apparently there wasn’t much damage to the ship because they didn’t request any assistance and the fires were out very quickly and she holds position in the convoy. Just before sunset G.Q. the convoy begins closing in (tightening up the formation) and I imagine we make a very impressive sight to our air cover. More aircraft carriers have arrived and taken position off our port side about 15,000-yards. The scuttlebutt has it that 14 carriers, in all, will support the landing tomorrow morning. At sunset G.Q. a couple of Jap aircraft try to get in behind our returning air patrol, but the Cruisers drop one “Nick” (New twin-engine bomber) and the second “Nick” is downed by other ships in the convoy. At exactly midnight we begin our turn into the famous Lingayen Gulf. What a show this is going to be - I-DAY..



Condition II Mike and Baker is set as we enter Lingayen Gulf. Lookouts are posted on the forecastle. We passed a floating mine 100-feet to port at 0140 - saw other mines, but none quite so close. I wonder how many we didn’t see??? All Battle Stations are manned at 0515 - and, we are ready to take our position to cover the landing. At 0645 we received orders to deploy as planned and took our position in column astern of CONVERSE with the LA VALLETTE and JENKINS behind us. The four destroyers proceeded at various courses and speeds to take their Close Fire Support position off WHITE BEACH #2 on the west side of the landing area in the vicinity of Rosario, below San Fernando. At the very first flush of dawn, the battleships and cruisers opened up a barrage to shatter anything left in the immediate area of the landing zone. I-DAY is underway. An enemy plane came at us from the land side (Red bearing) and we opened fire with the 5-inch main battery and he does a 180, post haste. Listening to those big shell from the battleships and cruisers rumbling overhead is a noise we could get along without - ten minutes later our four destroyers move closer to the beach - close as possible without running the risk of grounding. Our job is to take on, at close range, anything that opens fire from the beach, also to lay down a short range bombardment of 500-rounds per ship to cover the first assault teams.

At sunrise, we lay in position about 2,000-yards off the beach - all engines stopped - every eye topside straining for any movement on the beach - or worse, Jap planes. We have good air cover - there is a constant stream of Navy Wildcats overhead - we certainly need it - a Jap plane coming from the land side (Red Bearing) could be on us before we know it. With us this close to the beach - dead in the water, holding position - the 8, 12 & 16 inch guns from the big ships have taken on a rather comforting sound - only hope their Fire Controlmen are on the ball. With daylight, the effects of the bombardment can be seen. On our port quarter, half of the town of Rosario is burning where a truck concentration was spotted. The beach is a solid wall of smoke - so thick the shell explosions can only been seen with difficulty. Way over on the other side of the gulf a column of smoke is building up like a very low huge thunderhead They tell us it is a burning gas-oil supply dump.



Promptly at 0900 our four destroyers add their 500 rounds per ship to the noise and confusion. We fired a 5-gun salvo every 15-seconds. The topside personnel take an unmerciful beating from the noise, smoke, burnt cork and concussion.



The first assault wave moves in under cover of our fire and hit the beach immediately after we cease fire. At 0927 we began to receive fire from the beach. Shells were landing in the water close aboard - there is speculation that it is the Jap’s long range mortars (5”) - good for 6,000-yards. Shells are landing very close to CONVERSE, FOOTE and JENKIN. There was one very close splash on the starboard quarter of the FOOTE. Getting too close. The JENKINS takes a hit in her No. 4 ammunition handling room, but it is a dud (How lucky can you get?) and no one is seriously hurt. With all the smoke and bedlam on the beach, it is hard to spot individual flashes that may be the origin of the incoming rounds. A very long 18-minutes later, we spot a shore battery and take it under fire and continue to fire selectively for the next 35-minutes. Shore batteries eliminated. We are using various slow engine speeds and rudder settings to maintain our position with the beach and the other destroyers - laying to, awaiting request from the Shore Fire Control Party for support fire. At 1508 a shell landed in the water off the starboard bow. FOOTE and LA VALLETTE move slowly and very close to the beach searching for shore batteries. There are several more splashes close aboard - LA VALLETTE has them spotted. They open fire at 1520 and demolished the target.



There was no further fire from the beach. At 1809 LA VALLETTE and JENKINS are ordered away from the beach close fire support area - leaving only FOOTE and CONVERSE on station.
By sundown, on the 9th, the beach is well secured with troops and gear piling ashore as fast as they can shuttle back and forth to the ships. San Fabian, to the south, is in our hands and the airfield (dive bombed all day) is under attack by the Army ground forces, With sundown, comes a couple of Bogies - one medium bomber goes over pretty high and wide, but it seems like every gun in the harbor opens up on him. A Black Widow (Black P-61 night fighter) approached us on a “red bearing” and we kick out a few close rounds at him. He got the hint and secured - fast, but not before he gave a rather profane description about how he felt about the whole affair - guess we can’t depend on him for air cover tonight. Bet he will be careful about approaching tin-cans in the future after they have had a tense day on the firing line. When all the ships in the area open up at once it is an impressive sight, but dangerous for all hands. One LST. in particular shoots at anything and everything - regardless of who is in their line of fire - a fellow could get hurt out here from “friendly fire”. At 1934 we drop the hook in 5-fathoms of water with 15-fathoms of chain to the starboard anchor - too close to White Beach #2 for comfort. Topside sentries are posted fore and aft and a couple of 20-MM Guns are manned to watch for suicide boats and swimmers . One of the transports takes a bomb hit, but shortly things get pretty quiet - it’s relative, I guess.

The ship sets material condition AFFIRM and FOOTE secured from G.Q. at 2010. The first section goes down for a snack - no more “K” rations, thank goodness. We are back at G,Q, on the double for another raid and another fireworks display. We secure from G.Q. again - another raid - off and on - there will be no sleep this night. A total of 723 rounds of 5-inch fired today up to the mid-watch. Most of the topside crew is about deaf from the noise.

At 0120 on the 10th, the FOOTE takes over close fire support and illumination from the CONVERSE - lets see if they can get a nap with us firing just yards away. We are still swinging on the hook - boilers #2 and #4 are on the line. We begin firing illumination (starshell) as requested from the beach. An Army officer came alongside in an LCVP, at 0200, requesting counter-battery fire. We asked CONVERSE to comply with his request as we continued illumination - so nobody sleeps. About 0300 we receive word that the Japs are paddling out in 2-man boats, hanging on crates, rafts and climbing aboard ships or using motor boats with explosives to ram ships - a handful against the multitude. They have already damaged three ships in the transport area - one bad enough to be abandoned. Some small Jap boats are reported to be following our landing craft out from the beach area in the darkness, in an effort to avoid detection, and release depth charges or mines against ships. We doubled our topside sentries and issued automatic rifles. Shore Fire Control Party #3 called for fire support on Jap Pillboxes, Observation Posts and Infantry Bivouac. We fired one-gun salvos until spotted onto the target and then commenced firing five-gun salvos. We fired 5” Common, 5” A.A. Common air burst and 5” White Phosphorous air burst as requested by the Shore Observer. At 1206 we again respond to a firing mission on Jap infantry. Those A.A. air burst and White Phosphorous air burst really devastate infantry even though they are in deep fox holes.



When we secured from our fire support mission at 1245, approximately 85% of our 5-inch ammunition was expended and a hearty “Well Done” is sent along from the beach. The CHARLES AUSBURNE relieves the FOOTE as Close Fire Support Ship at 1308 and we go searching for ammunition - but quick. We find the ammunition we need on LST.-1026. By late afternoon we have taken on a full compliment of ammunition and are ready for orders.

Almost immediately we get underway in response to a visual signal from ConDesRon-23 to join the screen of Task Unit-79.14.3 in accordance with a CTF-79 dispatch. Many ships that have discharged there cargo began to form up and get underway and we are forced to rush to catch up just before sundown. Our orders are to escort the group back to Leyte.

About 1825 - just as the group is assembling in the mouth of the Gulf and we have finished bolting down our chow - a pair of “Oscars” .make a surprise visit. One peeled off and in a screaming dive down our port side crashed into an APD. in our quarter of the formation. The Jap must have started his dive 15,000-yards out, but still every 40-MM and 20-MM in the neighborhood opened fire (Effective range of 40-MM is 4,000-yds. - 20-MM is 2,000-yds.). Two cargo ships astern looked like they were firing at each other. The DU PAGE APA-41 just off the starboard bow got it double - not only hit by fire from the ship astern, but the second “Oscar” crashed into her. The resulting burst of flames was just like in the movies. Everything finally gets squared away and we settle down to move along at regular convoy speed - about 8.5-knots. We passed a dark object abeam to port at 2300 - believed to be a mine. This is just six more busy days in the life of the FOOTE.

(USS FOOTE Deck Log, USS FOOTE War Diary and Gene Schnaubelt).

Christmas 1944

As a clear dawn broke on December 23rd it was going to be a bright, sunny day with calm seas and only a few cumulus clouds on the horizon. We were escorting our group along with a speed of advance of only 9-knots - fastest speed of the slowest vessel in the convoy. We are one day out of Leyte Gulf after our re-supply mission to Mindoro and begin to breathe a little easier although we are sailing in waters completely surrounded by Japanese held islands and control of the air is still contested. A “Jill” - newest Japanese Torpedo Bomber, showed up unexpectedly on the starboard quarter and wasn’t detected until he veered off at about 3,000-yards. Where are our lookouts and C.I.C.crew - keep that up and you guys will be in for some serious counseling. Torpedo bombers and destroyers don’t go good together. We stayed at Battle Stations (General Quarters or sailor lingo - G.Q..) all the way through Surigao Straits..

By 1925 we were near San Pedro Bay and all screening ships were directed to proceed individually, by division, to their assigned anchorage. The FOOTE was assigned Berth-40, San Pedro Bay, Leyte, Philippine Islands.

There was no rest - back to Battle Stations (G.Q.) - everyone was complaining about “Beach Control” (When battle ready status is controlled by command on land) - but, this time it was for real and we watched lots of tracers although we couldn’t actually see the enemy planes over the airstrip. LCIs (Landing Craft Infantry) kept darting around laying smoke among all the anchored ships. In the unreal light of a half moon, the smoke, mist and tracers from the beach formed some weirdly beautiful pictures for Christmas Eve - and, we are half a world away from home. The crew has been at G.Q. more than 36 times since we sailed for Mindoro on the 19th - some for as long as 10-12 hours.

On Christmas Day we had a really sumptuous meal to remember the day by. Best of all - Christmas presents…..MAIL…..lots of mail.

It was a great day until those dishonorable !#?@!)@# decided to play Santa Clause and drop a few presents……G.Q. at 1710 - 1905 & 2245. There was some firing, but nothing serious. The Fire Control Gang gathered around the wassail bowl in “Plot” this Christmas night and with the hatch dogged tightly closed we had a “Tube Lecture”, some coke mix, two Christmas fruit cakes and ice we promoted from the cooks. (The reference, Dear Readers, to “Tube Lecture” means a bottle of highly illegal, but very tasty premium aged whiskey that Mail Man, Robert Williams, FC2/c, had so brilliantly smuggled aboard in his “Official Mail Pouch” when the ship was stateside and we stowed it in Amplidyne Tube containers under the deck plates in the Plotting Room.) Fire Controlmen have always been known for their long range planning. We had just enough for about one “Tube Lecture” a month - usually on special occasions or when we had a close call. With the right attitude, Christmas on the other side of the world can be made tolerable.

On the day after Christmas we shifted to Berth-36 because of lack of room to swing on the anchor safely. We went to G.Q. at 1245 - 1530 & 1910. There was a low overcast sky with a good deal of firing from the beach, but it is impossible to spot anything except a bomb flash occasionally. Just before dark we get word that a large Japanese Task Force has been spotted at sea heading toward Mindoro. Some of our cruisers and destroyers get underway immediately to form a group for intercept. We have a couple of boilers torn down and can operate on only one Fireroom or we would be in the group that was scrambled.

December 27th dawned with steady rain - heavy overcast day. At 1155 the USS CONVERSE DD-509 came alongside and we received ammunition from them. Everyone is speculating on what happened to those Jap ships our cruisers and destroyers went out to intercept last night. Our planes should have gotten there first.

After two days we are still swinging on the hook repairing our sick boilers. On the third day (December 29th) all the scuttlebutt about the Jap Task Force is finally settled by a news bulletin. Our planes and P.T. Boats sunk two Jap destroyers and left one burning - the commander of the remaining Jap force is making best speed to cover their battleships and cruisers that our forces have also hit. The Jap raid on Mindoro was to be coordinated with an air attack, but proved to be completely ineffective, because our air power is gaining control. Our boiler repairs are completed - we now have four boiler availability.

Evidently the Jap task force that headed toward Mindoro stirred up the last of the dwindling Mikado’s air force in our area, because we went to G.Q. at 1630 - 1950 & 2230. There was some firing from the beach, but all ships in the anchorage were ordered not to fire unless directly attacked.

It’s New Year’s Eve and the Japs are running true to form - G.Q. at 1245 - 1815 - 2130 - 0150 & 0500. Never seemed to mind those all night celebrations on New Year’s Eve back stateside - what a way to close out the year. Good bye 1944 and good riddance.

(USS FOOTE Deck Log, USS FOOTE War Diary and Gene Schnaubelt’s account.)