steve – Page 67 – USS Boston CA-69 in WWII

January 18, 2010March 4, 2010

PAT FEDELE

Two weeks ago, I had the great fortune to meet Pasquale “Pat” Fedele, CA-69 Boston plank owner, who served on her from pre-Commissioning (June 30, 1943) until post-Occupation Duty (Feb. 28, 1946). Pat was a Coxswain, and in addition to his duties with the L R Division (Lookout and Radar), he was part of the singing trio aboard ship known as the “3 B’s.”

Pat ran enemy ship and plane ID classes, and was an NCO in the same bridge area of the ship as my dad (who was on the Signal Bridge). My dad was also a plank owner, having arrived in Boston from boot camp (Sampson in upstate NY) on May 15, 1943. Pat, a native of Providence, RI, went to boot camp in Newport, RI. Both he and my father were among the hundreds and hundreds of men barracked in the Fargo Building in South Boston, helping as “able hands” to prepare the ship for departure to the action in the Pacific.

Pat is one of the Original Crewmembers who read my book. Communicating via email through his grandson, we set up a Sunday afternoon meeting time — for chat and dinner at his house. It took some coordination – I live more than 500 miles away – and, of course, everyone has a busy schedule.

I spent six delightful hours with Pat and his gracious family. It was tremendously satisfying to be in their company. Pat knew and was a friend of my dad — whom he fondly calls Billy. It was the first time in my life that I have met someone who served on the Boston with my father.

Pat, who is almost 86 years young, is active and alert, and still breaks out in song at the slightest excuse! He told me many stories of the Boston – none of which are in my book – – – yet. We are planning a second visit, and I will press for more details and more stories. I am currently thinking about how to incorporate his stories into a revision of my book.

January 16, 2010March 4, 2010

LATE JANUARY ON THE BOSTON

1944: On January 19^th. The ships take turns leaving Pearl Harbor for the last time. The Boston forms up with other ships in Task Group 58.4 and the rest of Task Force 58 as they accompany the Invasion Fleet — destination: the Marshall Islands. It takes six days for the ships to reach striking distance of their objective. January 26 marks the beginning of the first Central Pacific offensive operation against Japan – starting the attacks and simultaneous amphibious assault on targets spread all across the Marshall Islands — known as Operation Flintlock. The Boston’s task group bombarded and attacked the southeastern atolls through early February, concentrating on Wotje Atoll, Maleolap Atoll and Majuro Atoll.

1945: After refueling on the 11^th, Boston’s Task Group 38.1 is joined by TG 38.2 and begins Operation Gratitude – attacks on Japanese targets in Occupied Chinese territory. The ships are in the South China Sea, the furthest west American warships have been in the war. Admiral Halsey is eager to find the Imperial Japanese Fleet — reported to be anchored in CamRahn Bay — and engage it in a great surface battle. (The Japanese Fleet had already departed.) The next six days the ships rode out a typhoon — launching planes whenever possible against targets in Hong Kong, Canton, and IndoChina (Vietnam). The ships come under attack while in the South China Sea. On January 20, the carrier planes are launched against targets on the huge enemy bases on Formosa (Taiwan). The ships begin heading for anchorage at Ulithi Atoll (south of the Marianas – which they reach on the 25^th). On the drive-by, they attack targets in the Okinawa group of islands (Jan 22.). The Boston is in anchorage from Jan 26 until Feb 10.

December 31, 2009March 4, 2010

EARLY JANUARY ABOARD THE BOSTON

1944: The New Year finds the men still in Pearl Harbor. Week-day at-sea exercises give way to weekend liberty for the men in Honolulu. Task Force 58 is not yet operational; for all practical purposes it does not exist until the ships debouch Pearl Harbor and form into Task Groups on January 19^th.

1945: The Boston has been in combat for a year now, first as a unit of Task Force 58 under the command of Raymond Spruance (aboard the USS Indianapolis), then (as of August 1,) as a unit of Task Force 38 under the command of William Halsey (aboard the New Jersey). On December 30, 1944, the Boston weighed anchor and started a new operation to support the Luzon Landing. They rang in the New Year steaming toward Formosa as part of TG38.1. The next several days were spent bobbing in heavy seas, the carriers launching fighters against targets on Formosa. The invasion fleet off Luzon was under heavy kamikaze attack, so for three more days, carrier planes concentrated on targets on Luzon. On Jan. 9, the task groups headed north again toward Formosa, then turned to the southwest into the South China Sea on Jan 10. After refueling on the 11^th, Task Group 38.1 is joined by TG 38.2 and begins Operation Gratitude – attacking Hong Kong, Saigon, and other targets.

1946: The Boston remained on Occupation ï»¿Duty off Japan.

December 22, 2009December 22, 2009

LATE DECEMBER ABOARD THE BOSTON

1943: The men spend their first Christmas aboard the Boston anchored in Pearl Harbor.

1944: The ships of Task Force 38 spent the 19^th and 20^th of December searching for survivors of the terrible typhoon that claimed three destroyers and 800 men off the eastern shores of Luzon and Samar (Philippines). Search planes launched from all the ships continued searching for survivors as the ships reorganized into their task groups for more strikes against Luzon. Because the ships were still being plagued by the typhoon, the airstrikes were cancelled that night. The task groups then turned south and east and headed for the anchorage at Ulithi, where they would stay until Dec 30. After arriving on the 22^nd, the men celebrated Christmas in Ulithi Lagoon. While the ships were in anchorage, the Navy convened a Court of Inquiry to ascertain the facts surrounding Typhoon Cobra.

1945: The men still aboard the Boston on Occupation Duty spent their last Christmas together aboard the ship.

December 16, 2009December 21, 2009

TYPHOON COBRA – Dec 17 and 18, 1944

The ships of Task Force 38 were east of the Northern Philippines by December 13 to begin support of the Mindoro Landing. The strategy was to blanket Luzon with round-the-clock fighter coverage over the airfields of Luzon — squashing kamikaze attacks before they could materialize against the US Invasion Fleet off Mindoro.

Admiral Halsey ordered the ships to a refueling rendezvous starting early Sunday morning, December 17. After three days of raids and attacks against Luzon, the ships were low on fuel – especially the destroyers. TF38 ships met up with the Service Group — oilers, escort carriers and their destroyers, but the wind and seas were kicking up and refueling had to be called off. over the next twenty four hours, three more refueling rendezvous were scheduled, but none could be exercised. The men and ships were seasoned by several typhoons since heading to Pearl Harbor a year earlier. They had endured many days of foul weather. No one on the ship was prepared for the monstrous storm that was now heading their way, however.

A fierce, tight, fast moving storm had began developing days earlier a thousand miles away and went undetected by traditional weather observations in place at the time. Despite each aircraft carrier having aboard a meteorologist, the storm eluded detection until it was too late. By nightfall on the 17^th, the ships were struggling against giant waves and fierce winds, and were scattered across sixty miles of ocean. Mighty aircraft carriers were bobbing down so low that they scooped sea water across their decks. Planes broke free and crashed into each other or were swept into the sea. The destroyers, most dangerously low on fuel and de-ballasted, were at the mercy of waves taller than their ships and at times, winds that gusted past 100 mph.

This is what the men of the Boston endured on that awful night between Dec 17 and December 18. The ship recorded side-to-side rolls that went way beyond the danger-point.

Halsey had continually ordered the ships on a southerly course, because his “weather guys” thought the eye of the storm was a hundred miles to the east. This would take them south of the worst part of the storm, and would allow the ships to refuel in calmer waters. In fact, though, the eye of the storm passed right through the formation of ships, causing some to be whacked on all sides, making navigation impossible. Most ships lost power and/or radio, and visibility was zero. During that awful night, three destroyers went down: the Hull, the Spence, and the Monaghan. Total loss of life: almost 800 men — mostly sailors aboard the three destroyers, but also includes men swept off other ships throughout the storm.