Late February aboard the Boston

1944: The Boston’s Task Group (58.4) spends the middle of February involved in Operation Catchpole — the capture of Eniwetok in the Western Marshall Islands.   The ships supported carrier-plane strikes against Engebi and other enemy positions in the Atoll. From Feb. 17 through Feb. 21, the ships offered air support for the Marine invasion of Engebi. The Task Group left the area on the 21 and sailed east to Majuro Atoll; dropping anchor in the lagoon until March 1.

1945: The Boston is steaming north on Feb 15, part of the massive armada of ships of Operation Detachment; the infamous amphibious assault on Iwo Jima. On Feb 16, the Task Groups’ carriers unleash deckloads of planes from their position less than 100 miles from Tokyo. Their two-day mission: bomb strategic targets in and around Tokyo.   On Feb. 18^th, the ships refueled, and on the morning of Feb. 19, the ships began the bombardment of Iwo Jima in support of the Marine invasion.   The Boston spent the next 10 days ranging between the Bonins and Japan, riding out a typhoon and supporting carrier launches as weather permitted. On Feb 28, the Boston was heading toward Okinawa.

1946:   The Boston completes her Occupation Duties on Feb 28, and heads back to the States to unload her crew prior to her retirement in the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (3/12/46.)