11-13-14
From the diary of George Pitts:
Oct 12-44: Our fighters took off early this morning to sweep Formosa before our bombers went to blast the hell out of the place. The day turned out to be quite eventful. At sunset the Japs provided us with a little excitement. They sent raid after raid of planes all night. How many were shot down I can’t say but there was plenty. It is two in the morning and we’re still at torpedo defense. They are still dropping flares illuminating the whole area around us. Once in a while a plane will sneak through only to get shot down. They are waiting for us to get off our guard.
Oct 13-44: Being at Condition “Easy” a few of us got a chance to get a few winks of sleep. At dawn General Quarters sounded. The Japs sent a few more planes in but not close enough so that our forces could fire. Just after supper about sunset the Japs closed in after having heckled us all day long. About 12 planes came breaking inside the formation through a screen of flak made by our guns. 4 or 5 were shot down. No one noticed the Canberra (sister ship) astern of us. She had two Jap torpedo planes making a run at her. She hit them both but one managed to set his torpedo loose and it hit the Canberra just aft her stdb. beam. All this happened pretty fast. The attack lasted about 1 hour. Then the cruiser Wichita went to take the Canberra (cruiser) in tow. Twenty seven men were killed in the firerooms where the fish hit.