6-16-12
CA-69 arrived in Pearl Harbor in early December 1943. She was a brand-new ship with a brand-new crew. While she was in Pearl, lots of other brand-new ships slipped into the Pacific Naval Base harbor. By the time CA-69 left Pearl Harbor in late January, almost 100 other warships left with her. This mighty fleet was dubbed Task Force 58, and as they assembled off Oahu on their first mission — the capture of strategic lagoons and enemy strongholds in the Marshall Islands — a new chapter in naval history began.
By the time June 6, 1944 rolled around, TF 58 had already wreaked havoc in the Pacific. When the ships rolled out of the anchorage in Majuro lagoon, Boston assembled with Task Group 58.1. They were heading for the Marianas, and less than two weeks later the fleet would engage the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Battle of the Philippine Sea.
TG58.1 looked like this: Carrier Division 5 (CarDiv5); two heavy carriers — Hornet and Yorktown and two light carriers — Belleau Wood and Bataan. Cruiser Division 10 (CruDiv10 {commanded by Admiral Thebaud aboard the Boston}): three heavy cruisers — Boston, Baltimore and Canberra and three light cruisers: Oakland, Denver and Santa Fe. Fourteen destroyers from Destroyer Divisons (DesDiv11, 91, and 92): Helm, Maury, Craven, Gridley, McCall, Izard, Conner, Bell, Charrette, Burns, Boyd, Bradford, Brown, and Cowell.
That was some serious hardware!
Steve
ps. Volume 1 of the new books is finished. I have a printed copy in hand, and I’m working on edits, formatting changes, etc. It will be available ASAP. I’m going as fast as I can – – – (it’s easier to write than it is to revise . . . . )