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.)