1-19-13
From George Pitts’ War Journal (Jan 19, 1945):
Today makes one year the Boston is out of Pearl Harbor and in enemy infested waters. We have one of the best records in the Fleet. We’ve been in 12 major engagements, 13 air attacks, 9 amphibious invasions, shot down 8 Jap twin engine torpedo bombers, and two shore bombardments. We have traveled the distance to go around the world more than four times. Our main job is to protect our carriers in which we have done wonderfully. In all our engagements only one carrier the Hornet in our group had been damaged and that was from Jap dive bombers off the Philippines; in which they strafed her, killing one man, wounding four and damaging 12 planes on her flight deck. All their bombs missed. I’d say the Boston has fulfilled her job better than the average cruiser. We have been complimented on that more than once.
That remarkable entry from Signal George Pitts can be found in Baked Beans, Volume 2, which is now complete and available. Which reminds me . . . . I am in the “starting up” process for Volume 3 – the third and last installment in the amazing story of the Boston in WWll. Anyone who has been thinking about sending me picture(s) of their dad (or other relative) who served aboard CA-69 for inclusion in the book, you are now officially running out of time . . . .
Steve