1944: After dispatching the Japanese Combined Fleet on June 21, the ships of TF 58 attacked Iwo Jima again on the 24th, and on the 26th they dropped anchor in the lagoon at Eniwetok (the westernmost atoll in the Marshall Islands.) After reprovisioning the ships supply of food and armaments, the ships of Task Groups 58.1 and 58.2 left the lagoon on July 1 for the continuation of Operation Forager. Before returning to the Marianas, the two groups headed north and on the Fourth of July, the Boston formed a cruiser bombardment group with the Canberra, the San Juan, the Santa Fe and the Mobile. Screened by 15 destroyers, the cruisers pounded Iwo Jima with their 5” and 8” guns.
On the 5th, the ships returned to the Marianas, and continued to launch air strikes against Guam day in and day out through the 23rd, two days after the Marines and the Army Infantry invaded Guam.
1945: After spending three weeks in Pearl Harbor, the men lined up on the decks of the Boston on July 2nd as she maneuvered out of the naval base and headed west toward Japan. By the 9th, the Big B made it to the anchorage at Eniwetok. On July 12, they left the lagoon in the company of the new cruiser St. Paul and four other ships. As they steam west, they meet up with a large service group of tankers and oilers and together they steam toward Japan. On July 20, they finally meet up with the Task Force again (now Task Force 38 under Halsey’s command)