Steaming on Station Niece (June 1945)

We are anchored in Hagushi Anchorage and go to sunrise G.Q. at 0527 on June 20th. We begin our day by making sure all ship elements are battle ready - without qualification. The word is, we will be on the move again very soon - despite the rumor, this thing with the Kamikaze is not over yet.

We weighed anchor and got underway at 1201 in accordance with ComCortDiv-4, dispatch #200100. The FOOTE is now assigned to Task Group 32.15 (CTG 32.15 is Rear Admiral I. C. Sowell, USN, ComBatDiv-4, USS WEST VIRGINIA (BB-48), flagship). We rendezvous with the Task Group west of the transport area and take A/S (Anti-Submarine) Screen #55, Station #5. Task Group 31.15 is composed of USS WEST VIRGINIA (BB-48), (ComBatDiv-4), USS CALIFORNIA (BB-44), USS WICHITA (CA-45) (ComCruDiv-4), USS TUSCALOSA (CA-37), USS ST. LOUIS (CL-49), USS PAUL G. BAKER (DE-642), (ComCortDiv-73, ComScreen) USS BRADFORD (DD-545), USS COWELL (DD-547), USS CROSS (DE-448), and USS FOOTE (DD-511). Word from the Radio Shack is this Task Group is retiring to Area Helmet east of Okinawa a distance sufficiently far from the active area (center of the bull’s eye) to give the ships security and the crews a little rest. Sure feels good having all those big ships near us. It may be more dangerous from friendly fire being with them if a low flying Bogie is inbound and all those guns start firing over us in the outer screen position. I don’t want to think about that.

The ship dipped gently in the slowly rolling sea as we move east-southeast towards Latitude 25-Degrees North steaming on various courses and speeds to maintain position in the formation.

On June 21st at about 4-bells of the mid-watch (2 A.M. to the man in the street) the disposition course was 090-Degrees True, speed 13-knots. The screen axis is the same as the course of advance. Our speed and course takes us out of Area Helmet into Area Niece at about 3 A.M. We went to morning G.Q. at 0535 and the “ship was lit” at 0616. We secured from G.Q. at 0638 and set condition of readiness II MIKE, material condition BAKER.

Two TBM’s (Navy Torpedo Bombers) in the area are lost and about to run out of fuel. At 1142 we are directed to leave the formation and stand by for them to make a water landing. Our Whale Boat is manned and lowered to about 4-feet above the water.

At 1148 TBM #309 (Voice Call 5V461) made a very nice water landing on our port quarter. The Whale Boat is in the water and on their way to pick them up before the plane hits the water. With some nice ship handling by the Captain two airmen were picked up with lines from the forecastle and the Whale Boat picked up the third airman. All three were uninjured. We are lying-to, using engines as necessary to maintain position, to render assistance to the second TBM in trouble.

At 1213 the second TBM #376 (Voice Call 105V461) crashed landed in the water (a bit rougher than the first). The Whale Boat picked up all three of the airmen uninjured. Twelve minutes from the time they hit the water we were picking up the Whale Boat and getting underway for Nakagusuku Wan, Okinawa (now called Buckner Bay in honor of Lt. General S. B. Buckner who was killed in action four days before the declared land victory). We were directed to deliver our two Marine Corp pilots and four enlisted Marines to Commander Task Group 31.19. This is going to be a quick trip - we kick the speed up to 32-knots. We passed through the A/S (Anti-submarine) net at Okinawa and are laying-to off BROWN BEACH at 1555. The Whale Boat was put in the water and we transferred our six Marines to the LCI-782 ( No ice cream - normally, we would get 30-gallons from a carrier - five gallons for each airman returned). We steam back through the A/S net at 1720 and set course for Area Niece where T.G.-32.15 is now operating.

History will record that the land war on Okinawa ended on 21 June 1945. Japanese resistance collapsed in a horror of Banzai charges and Hari-kiri. But, around Okinawa the Navy maintained a vigilant watch. By all indications the Divine Wind has not blown itself into history. Today, the LSM-59 and USS BARRY (DD-248) were sunk by suicide planes and the USS KENNETH WHITING (AV-14) was hit by a Kamikaze. Two of the Bogies came into Kerama Retto using our IFF - that’s not good. All hands maintain an alert watch - on your toes, guys. We rendezvoused with T.G.-32.15 at 2300 and assumed our normal screening station. Earlier this evening Tokio Rose broadcast our Task Force strength and position - how did she get that dope???

On June 22nd there was a bright moon until after mid-night, as we made way at 12- knots on our screening station, and no G.Q. all night. Dawn broke under clear blue skies with smooth seas and an ever so slight wind out of the southeast.

Something new has been added today……MINES!!!! I wonder how many we passed during the night - best we don’t know. All of a sudden we are surrounded by a bunch of them. We exploded two with the forward 40-MM guns - not easy to hit with only 12 to 18 inches above water - and, you can’t get too close. They do make a bang and sling scrap iron for some distance. Two other ships in the screen exploded several - I believe I’ll sleep on the Flying Bridge tonight. We went to routine G.Q. at sunset. There were 34 raids over the Okinawa area yesterday with approximately 50 Jap planes shot down by the C.A.P. (Combat Air Patrol) and ships. One raid of sixteen planes was completely wiped out by the C.A.P. Somebody needs to tell the Japs that Okinawa has been secured.

On June 23rd we passed a dark night in Area Niece with the moon hidden by clouds. The weather is still, cloudy and a bit warm. There is a moderate sea running from astern and what wind there is comes from the north. The motion of the ship is gentle - a slight
pitch and an occasional deep roll as quartering seas come in. With the feeling of tension subsiding throughout the ship it becomes easier to submit to fatigue and at times it is a struggle to stay awake on watch. But, mercifully, morning G.Q. comes and goes - the day’s routine begins. We expend 1146 rounds of 40-MM ammunition in morning firing practice at air bursts. In late afternoon the WICHITA, ST. LOUIS, COWELL and BRADFORD left the formation to proceed to Kerama Retto for logistics and mail. No. G.Q. all day.

There was no G.Q. all night on the 24th - sleep was only interrupted by the watch you stood - we could get to liking this. We went to sunrise G.Q. at 0530 and secured at 0628. We made daily inspection of magazines and smokeless powder samples. Conditions were normal. At 0651 the USS TENNESSEE (BB-43) is visible on the horizon. Commander of Task Force 32 in TENNESSEE joined this Task Force and assumed tactical command at 0720. (Vice Admiral J. B. Oldendorf, USN, ComBatRon-1
USS TENNESSEE, flagship).

The USS WICHITA (CA-45), USS WALKE (DD-723), USS ST. LOUIS (CA-49), USS CHESTER (CA-27), USS COWELL (DD-547) and USS WEBER (APO-75) joined the formation early in the morning on June 25th and brought several sacks of mail for the FOOTE - morale goes sky high. Looks like mail service from the states is running 10-days to two weeks in some cases - pretty good. As we steam on station Niece we will even have time to answer - hate those CENSORS.

After sunset G.Q. the FOOTE, in company with the CALIFORNIA (Prune Barge) and CROSS, left the formation to proceed to Kerama Retto . The FOOTE has been assigned five days availability alongside a Tender - all department heads have your list ready, in descending order of priority - remember, it is only five days. Speed is set to arrive in Kerama Retto (Wiseman’s Junkyard) after morning G.Q. Get a good night’s sleep sailors, because we are about to go to work.

(USS FOOTE Deck Log, USS FOOTE War Diary, USS FOOTE General Action Report and Gene Shnaubelt’s Personal Account) (Written by: Wilbur V. Rogers)