The USS Boston in World War II

Dec. 18, 1944

12-17-18 On the 15th and 16th, the ships of TF38 were supporting the landing at Mindoro.   Planes continued to attack Luzon and Mindoro, bagging some 400 enemy planes over three days.   The 17th was a scheduled re-fuel day, so the ships traveled east to meet up with the tankers of

12/7, 12/8

12/8/2018 December 7, 1943:   Today is the second anniversary of the Pearl Harbor Attack and this is our second day in Pearl.   We are tied-up alongside the sunken Arizona.   Tomorrow we will have our first liberty.   We will be going out every week for three or four days

George H W Bush, R.I.P.

11-30-18 Between 1/1/53 and 1/1/89, six presidents were inaugurated into office after serving their country in active combat duty during WWII.   (Starting with Eisenhower and ending with Bush: Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, Gerald Ford and last but not

Thanksgiving

11-17-18 While there may have been a small group of officers assigned to the being-built Boston in the latter days of 1942, the majority of men were assigned to the new ship in late winter / early spring of 1943.   The ship left Boston for the War on Nov. 14, 1943,

Another from "Steichen at War"

11-12-18 Today is, of course, the “legal holiday” following yesterday’s 11-11-11 Day of Remembrance.   What strikes me about this slice-of-life photo of men far away from home, lined up hoping to get mail from loved ones is just that:   the plight of most veterans, whether they served in times

Steichen at War

11-12-18 Edward Steichen, a renowned photographer in his early 60’s when WWII broke out, wanted to enlist in the Navy and contribute to the war effort by photographing it.   To make a long story short, he convinced Admiral Radford, who in turn let Steichen create “the Naval Photographic Unit.

Operation Sho 1 and the Battles for Leyte ( "the Second Battle of the Philippines Sea" )

10-21-18 This complex series of events, combining MacArthur’s infantry and “his Navy” (7th Fleet) and the ships of Halsey’s Task Force 38, began on October 17, 1944.   TF 38 supported the landings, and became involved in a series of naval battles from Oct. 23 through Oct. 26. Excerpts

October 13, 1944

10/13/81 Over the years I have posted many times about the “Battle Off Formosa”, which resulted in Boston’s sister ship, Canberra, being hit by an aerial torpedo on Friday the 13th, 1944   –   about 80 miles off the coast of Formosa (Taiwan).   Her station in the task group

HALSEY on 9/2/45

9-1-18 (found online {University of Michigan} ADMIRAL HALSEY’S STORY published in 1947 by the Curtis Publishing Company). Halsey describes the events of September 2, 1945, aboard the battleship Missouri for the Signing of the   Documents of Surrender.   (excerpts) . . . A table with the two sets of surrender documents stood on

There Was a Time . . .

8-26-18 Aviator George H. Bush, flying in a squadron of Torpedo Bombers (Avengers) from the light carrier San Jacinto, flew into a blanket of anti-aircraft fire as they attacked a radar installation on ChiChi Jima on September 2, 1944.   After bombing his target, he flamed down, crashing into the sea.

"In a Friendly Way"

8-18-18 August 15, 1945:   This morning we returned to the Tokyo area and the carriers had launched their first strike when we heard the final news of the Japanese surrender.   So the war ended for the U.S.S. Boston, 21 months after we left home port. August 16, 1945:

During Okinawa

8-12-18 I am “polishing up” A Bird’s Eye View (for many reasons).   This is an interesting process for me.   I wrote this book about the Boston first, relying on Frank Studenski’s amazing diary and research from whatever I could find on the internet.     In retrospect, it is a

August 6

8-5-18 Men from the Boston visit Hiroshima in September 1945   (pic by Bernie Oster)

Forties Glam, part 3

7-14-18 For about three months in 1945, the Boston was stateside being repaired at the Navy Yard in San Pedro.   The guys all had three-week leaves (in two shifts).   When they returned to the ship, there was plenty of liberty time for all.   From Baked Beans, Vol 3, Bob Knight

More Forties Glam

6-29-18 The ship was ordered to return to the Navy yard at San Pedro for major repairs and retrofits in March 1945.   After a brief stop at Pearl Harbor, they reached the California coast on the 25th. Frank Studenski:   Early this morning, I got my first look at the California

Forties Glam, chapter 1

6-23-18 While we were in Pearl Harbor, I went to school.   I had to take over the airplane recognition classes for all the divisions who were on the main deck and above.   They were in a position to see aircraft and ships.   I had to teach them how to recognize

John Farkas

6-9-18 Readers of the Baked Beans books will surely recognize the name John Farkas.   He was one of the original crewmembers that I was lucky enough to have met and interviewed.   John’s son Joe recently sent me some pictures that he came across. Joe also sent a picture of

Memorial Day

5-26-18 Deise Nickless sent us these pictures of her dad, James F. Payne (COX).   He served aboard the Boston from the 15th of September 1943 and left the ship on the 26th of February, 1946, when she arrived at San Francisco after Occupation Duty.   He went on to serve in

Books revised

5-12-18 Happy Mother’s Day.   Where would we be without mothers (existential and rhetorical question) ? Not sure which particular blend of character strengths (and flaws!) came my way from my mother, but maybe it’s appropriate that I announce the completion of a major (and final) revision of the Baked

Pat Fedele

4-22-18 Shame on me!   I am two days late wishing a great guy Happy Birthday.   Pat Fedele was born on April 20, 1924.   Pat is one of the six original crewmembers of the Boston that I had the good fortune to meet and interview for the Baked Beans books.   Pat

Bob Knight

4-6-18 I got an email yesterday from Bob’s daughter Pam telling me the sad news that her dad passed away on Monday after suffering a major stroke. Bob was “one of my plankowners”   –   original crewmembers who met with me and graciously answered my questions about “what was it like

Zook, the Juneau, the Solomons, and the Boston

>3-22-18 Five days ago, the wreckage of light cruiser USS Juneau, was found off Guadalcanal by ex-Microsoft executive Paul Allen.   The Juneau was a casualty of the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, Nov 12-13, 1942.   Without spending too much time on all the twists and turns of the ship-to-ship battle,

Another "supplies consumed" gem

3-11-18 Several years ago, Bob Knight loaned me his collection of “saved papers” from his time aboard the Boston, which I scanned.   Among those documents were several issues of the ship’s weekly newsletter, “The BeanPot.”   From the first newsletter of 1946: I don’t know how many men were

Two Years Before the Mast

2-17-18 My uncle Wil was a coxswain aboard the destroyer USS Erben (DD631) in the Pacific the same time as my dad and his crewmates on the Boston.   The Erben was built in Bath, ME and got to the Pacific a few months before the Boston did.   I have Wilson’

Gooney Birds

2-11-18 While the ship was in San Pedro, CA for repairs (March 27 to June 1, 1945) the “Kingfisher” catapult planes were replaced with faster “SC1 Seahawks”. ” I remember the time we lost Lieutenant Grutzmacher, one of the gooney bird pilots.   You know what a gooney bird was?   The catapult