Commander Destroyer Squadron Sixty
C/O Fleet Post Office
San Francisco, California

Part I

GENERAL NARRATIVE

     2.     Strikes were launched on 11, 13, 14, and 19 November. A minimum of enemy opposition-all aircraft-was encountered by the ships of Task Group 38.4, and during the period of this report only one raid closed within AA range of the formation.

     3.     On 11 November one enemy plane was observed shot down by one of our fighters about 16 miles from the formation. On 14 November the MC CALL in strike picket station 2 drove off two Jap planes, but was unable to determine damage inflicted.

     4.     The most serious raid of the formation occurred during the retirement on 19 November. While the attention of most of the Task Group was concentrated on several bogey raids approaching from the west or northwest, the O'BRIEN picked up four Jap planes on her SC radar at very low altitude closing the formation rapidly from 155°T, 7 miles distant. Two reports on this raid were made by the O'BRIEN and these enabled the MONTEREY, GRIDLEY, MC CALL and MAURY to open fire and turn the attacking planes away. As the planes flew over the rear semi-circle of the formation, the NEW ORLEANS, O'BRIEN, ALLEN M. SUMNER and MOALE also opened fire, and two of the four planes were brought down while the other two escaped to the westward. The planes could only be identified as 2 engine planes. BARTON, LAFFEY and WALKE had the targets on the director, but could not open fire without endangering ships of the disposition.

     5.     During the same period the COOPER stationed as strike picket No. 1 was attacked by a single Jap plane which made three runs on the ship. No damage or casualties were incurred and the results of the COOPER's fire not determined.

     6.     Other raids that were reported and tracked were intercepted by friendly fighters and either shot down or driven off before reaching AA range.

     7.     Task Group 38.4 was organized as follows:

(10-12 Nov.)

(12-20 Nov.)

PART II
CHRONOLOGICAL ACCOUNT OF ACTION

     Proceeding toward vicinity Lat. 11° N., Long. 127° E. at 26 knots in heavy swells.

11 November 1944.

     0550. Carriers launched first strike from designated area. Task Group steaming on various courses at various speeds in vicinity of launching operation.

     1026. ENTERPRISE, BUNKER HILL, WICHITA, and NEW ORLEANS commenced fueling destroyers.

     1130. Observed plane go down in flames and SAN JACINTO fighter reported one Jap Frances had been destroyed on bearing 295°, 16 miles from fleet center.

     1245. Commenced retiring from area on course 210°.

     1348. WELLES and THORN, pickets, ordered to rejoin formation and screen expanded to 14 stations. HELM linking ship.

     1405. Bogies were reported by CTG 38.4 30 miles away on 310°T bearing. Fueling destroyers were ordered to clear, condition alert set, and 5VD formation assumed.

     1440. One group of planes was turned away and another identified as Army planes. Normal cruising condition was ordered and formation 5R resumed.

     1500. Destroyers proceeded with fueling operations.

     1635. Fueling ceased as another raid was reported on bearing 292°T, 13 miles.

     1702. GRIDLEY reported a parachute, bearing 225°T, 4 miles and LAFFEY proceeded to investigate.

     1820. Formed 5VN disposition.

     1847. LAFFEY reported she had picked up a wounded Jap pilot.

     1905. Resumed normal cruising condition.

     2040. Formed 5R disposition.

12 November 1944.

     0605. Effected rendezvous with fueling group in vicinity Lat. 13°N., Long. 128° E. Formed 5F disposition for fueling operation.

     1355. Formed 5R disposition with screen in following stations: 1, COOPER; 2, O'BRIEN; 3, INGRAHAM; 4, BARTON; 5, SUMNER; 6, WALKE; 7, MOALE; 8, LAFFEY; 9, DYSON; 10, MC CALL; 11, HELM; 12, MAURY; 13, GRIDLEY. THORN and WELLES assigned as pickets.

     1400. Comdesron 60 assumed command of screen and became CTU 38.4.3.

     1734. Formed 12 ship screen, DYSON assigned picket station.

     1800. Steaming on various courses and speeds in a generally northwesterly direction returning to strike area.

     2000. Ordered O'BRIEN to proceed to strike picket station 2. Formed 11 ship screen.

13 November 1944.

     0605. Reached "Point Oboe" at Lat. 15° 30' N., Long. 124° E., approximately 80 miles off Luzon Coast, and carriers launched strikes on airfields and shipping in Manila area.

     0632. Ordered THORN, WELLES, and DYSON to rejoin formation and formed 14 ship screen with ALLEN M. SUMNER in station 1 (bearing 000°T from center) to put BARTON on target bearing line of 270°T.

     1000. MOALE ordered to investigate plane crash.

     1033. GRIDLEY ordered to take linking ship station between TG 38.1 and TG 38.3. Formed 13 ship screen.

     1227. Commenced retirement on course 085°, speed 24 knots.

     1320. Bogey raid reported 10 miles astern of formation and all ships ordered to assume condition 1.

     1325. ENTERPRISE reported a man overboard and screen commander ordered BARTON to effect rescue.

     1337. BARTON sighted ENTERPRISE man in water. In making hard turn, BARTON lost a man overboard also. The latter was recovered later, after continuing search for ENTERPRISE man. All efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. Search was continued for ENTERPRISE man, but he was not sighted again.

     1420. MOALE, rejoining formation, reported a non-sub sound contact between TG 38.4 and TG 38.3.

     1740. CTG 38.4 ordered ships to assume condition 1 as several low flying enemy planes were reported astern of formation.

     1743. Formed 5VD disposition.

     1747. Carriers recovering CAP and launching night fighters. BUNKER HILL plane bounced over side of flight deck and COOPER ordered to pick up pilot. COOPER reported later that 2 men were picked up.

     1828. Bogies were reported astern, 11 miles distant and closing. Batteries were released, but planes were identified as friendly.

     1848. Formed 5VN disposition.

     1915. O'BRIEN ordered to rejoin formation from strike picket station.

     1937. Assigned LAFFEY, INGRAHAM, and WELLES to picket stations.

     1950. Formed 11 station screen with SUMNER in station 1.

     2101. Ordered SUMNER and THORN to relieve INGRAHAM and WELLES as pickets because of communication difficulties with latter ships.

     2400. TG 38.4 retired to approximate position Lat. 15° 25' N., 125° 40' E.

14 November 1944.

     TG 38.4 proceeding to Lat. 15° 30' N., Long. 124° E. to make additional strikes on Manila area.

     0005. MC CALL ordered to strike picket station 2 on target bearing line of 270°T.

     0025. Ordered destroyers to form 10 ship screen with INGRAHAM in station 1.

     0632. SAN JACINTO plane crashed on take-off and COOPER proceeded to crash scene and picked up three men.

     0641. ENTERPRISE reported a plane crashed bearing 260°, 10 miles. THORN ordered to investigate, found wreckage of plane, but could find no traces of pilot, and was ordered to rejoin after 30 minutes further search.

     0705. Ordered LAFFEY and SUMNER to rejoin formation and screen to form 12 station screen with COOPER in station 1.

     0825. THORN rejoined, formed 13 ship screen.

     1048. ENTERPRISE plane crashed. WALKE ordered to stand by, and she picked up three men.

     1500. Commenced retirement from area.

     1510. Unidentified planes reported bearing 020°, 18 miles and closing formation. Batteries were released and course changed to 170°.

     1515. c/c 120°.

     1518. c/c 090°.

     1525. c/c 080°.

     1723. c/c 095°, c/s 18 knots.

     1800. WALKE, HELM, MOALE assigned picket stations 2, 4 and 6.

     1812. Formed 11 station screen with COOPER in station 1.

     1859. CTG 38.4 ordered condition 1 as several low flying bogies were reported. MC CALL in strike picket station 2 fired 47 rounds 5" at Jap planes which turned away at 6000 yards and dropped 3 clusters of windows. Planes did not come within range of WALKE's batteries in picket station 6.

     2003. Formed 5R disposition.

15 November 1944.

     Retired from strike area toward the east. No enemy action.

16 November 1944.

     Effected rendezvous with unit of TG 30.8 at 12° N., 131° 30' E., where all ships of Task Group 38.4 were fueled.

17 November 1944.

     Proceeding toward vicinity Lat. 13° 10' N., 131° E., where task group operated at discretion of task group commander. No enemy action.

18 November 1944.

     Proceeded to vicinity Lat. 13° 25' N., Long. 129° 10' E. Effected rendezvous with unit of TG 30.8 and fueled all ships.

     1530. INGRAHAM and HELM departed for ULITHI. TWINING reported to CTU 38.4.3 for duty.

     1800. Departed fueling area for position Lat. 16° N., Long. 124° E. at 25 knots.

     2300. Ordered COOPER to proceed to strike station 1.

19 November 1944.

     0615. Carriers launched strikes.

     0620. Recalled LAFFEY, THORN and MC CALL from picket stations. Formed 12 ship screen.

     1305. CTG 38.2 reported pilot down at Lat. 15° 22' N., Long. 122° 31' E. Requested COOPER be sent to effect rescue.

     1750. Formation in 5VD on course 055°. CTG 38.4 reported enemy plane on bearing 270°T, 13 miles. Picked up and tracked by BARTON radar. Enemy plane identified as a Betty and shot down by ENTERPRISE plane before it came within AA range.

     1819. O'BRIEN report 4 planes approaching formation from 155°T bearing at very low altitude. Report confirmed by CTG who ordered "Emergency 4 Turn". Planes observed approaching opposite side of formation. MONTEREY, NEW ORLEANS, GRIDLEY, MAYRY, MC CALL, O'BRIEN, ALLEN M. SUMNER and MOALE opened fire.

     1832. Observed two planes falling in flames. Other two turned away.

     1833. CTG reported destroyers were firing on friendly fighters.

     1834. c/c 90°. Formed 5VN.

     1841. CTG ordered "Emergency 9 turn".

     1842. CTG ordered "Emergency 9 turn".

     1843. Enemy planes tracked crossing astern of formation, pursued by friendly fighters.

     1900. Retired to vicinity area Lat. 16° N., Long. 126° E.

20 November 1944.

     Steaming on various courses at various speeds in vicinity of Lat. 17° N., Long. 131° E.

PART III
PERFORMANCE OF ORDNANCE EQUIPMENT AND MATERIAL

PART IV
BATTLE DAMAGE

     2.     Enemy battle damage observed:

          (a) 1 plane shot down by CAP.

          (b) 2 twin-engine planes shot down by 5" AA and automatic batteries of heavy ships and screen.

PART V
COMMENT

            (b) TRAINING. It is considered essential that the 5" batteries of destroyers be fired more frequently in exercises. If possible, a few rounds in an appropriate exercise should be fired each day. When no towing planes are available, burst, radar balloon and surface offset practices are suggested.

PART VI
PERSONNEL PERFORMANCE AND CASUALTIES