Pearl Harbor Day

Seventy-three years ago, Americans relied on the assumption that an enemy would announce its intentions before it attacked. On this date in 1941, however, they were to be disabused of that notion.

Frank Dolan, 1941

On that Sunday morning, just as the flag was to be raised on my father's repair ship, USS Vestal, the Japanese attack came without warning. At 7:55 AM, the first wave of enemy aircraft began hitting the U.S. Navy ships anchored in Pearl Harbor and the army air base there. Dad's ship was one of the many that were hit.* Torpedoes also passed under his ship to strike the battleship Arizona, to which Vestal was tied alongside. Several other ships were destroyed along with hundreds of lives lost.

Even while Japanese envoys were negotiating in Washington, their high command had directed its fleet to launch the strike. The American people were outraged beyond the comprehension of the policy makers in Tokyo. A generation of Americans brought up on peace was going to war.

The day after the attack, the president delivered his famous speech to Congress and to the American people. About that address, author Walter Lord wrote: "The speech was over in six minutes and war was voted in less than an hour, but the real job was done in the first ten seconds. 'Infamy' was the note that struck home, the word that welded the country together until the war was won."

USS Arizona Burning

*My dad, Frank Dolan, recounted his personal experience of the attack in his narrative, Pearl Harbor: As I Remember.

Sources: Day of Infamy, Walter Lord; Frank L. Dolan's Service Records and oral account

Remembering Pearl Harbor | A sailor's first-hand account

My dad, Frank L. Dolan, was an 18-year old U.S. Navy Sailor aboard the auxiliary repair ship USS Vestal during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor 72 years ago on today's date in 1941. I am reprinting the original post about his experience on that fateful day.

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My dad was a weldor on the Vestal, which was tied alongside the battleship USS Arizona, when the surprise Japanese attack came.* He remembered the events that unfolded at Pearl Harbor on this date in 1941 like this...

Sunday was "holiday routine"… a no-work day. The officers and men would ‘sleep-in,’ but not me. I was eager to get my ratings. So, after morning chow, I went to the foc’sle… which was an upper deck in the forward part of the ship, to do my studying… Noise! A loud noise! A loud, booming noise came! Then came the roar of airplanes. I looked over the starboard (right) side of the ship and saw planes—many planes. Some were overhead, but many were just a few feet above the water. They were launching what I thought were “dummy” torpedoes. "Neat, real neat!" I thought. But when the first one exploded against a battleship’s side, I thought some dumb American pilot dropped a real live torpedo by accident.

Japanese aerial photo of the attack 

Even as torpedoes were exploding on impact against the sides of the battleships, I told myself there must be some mistake. The planes were so close we could easily see the pilots. Then the red ball designation of the Japanese on the sides of the planes came into view. Immediately I was off the foc’csle down the port passageway aft on the main deck and onto the starboard side to watch. Again, I was not really believing what I was witnessing. More torpedo planes, and then came the dive bombers. I had no battle station as at this time we were at peace with Japan, and had only one 3-inch anti-aircraft gun, and a couple of Thompson machine guns on board. Our 5-inch broadside guns were for use against surface craft.

My next move was to head for the weld shop. To get there I had to go down a ladder through the carpenter shop and then amidships to the weld shop. No sooner had I got down the ladder when a bomb came through the carpenter shop hitting the ladder I had just come down. There were numerous casualties in the carpenter shop. One shipmate was decapitated. Immediately, I went to the weld shop. Half of the men there had been sleeping or were just awakening and were asking, "What was up?" The other men and I told them the Japs were here. I looked toward the small hatch opening that I had just come through to get to our shop. "Ski," a shipmate, had just come into the shop looking very pale and wobbly. We grabbed him and laid him on a cot, face-down, as we discovered that both cheeks of his backside were torn off and hardly any flesh remained. This was the result of the bomb that had come through the carpenter shop. In the meantime, another bomb hit the forward part of our ship on the starboard side near where I had been studying a few minutes earlier.

USS Arizona

Dad recalled that at about the time the second bomb hit the forward part of the Vestal, on the starboard side near where he had been studying a few minutes earlier, was when the Arizona exploded. While he was below decks at that moment, he did not then know what had happened, although it was a “shaking experience” for him. “When the Arizona blew up and was broken in two, my first thought from below deck was that our acetylene and oxygen cylinders, which were topside and near the great explosion, had blown up. Soon afterward, we learned that it was the Arizona. And, later on, with all of the burned survivors, we knew for sure what had happened.”

Amazingly, of the 400 men on the Vestal, only 6 were lost, although many were seriously injured. Among the many deeds of brave men, the Vestal’s captain, Cassin Young, received the Medal of Honor for his courageous actions that day. On the other hand, the losses to the Arizona were horrific. More than 1,100 Sailors and Marines still lie entombed within its sunken hull. Over 50 Sailors lie within the submerged Utah.

Dad recounted his experience of this “date which will live in infamy” in his narrative, Pearl Harbor: As I Remember.

* A profound experience from my childhood was to personally meet Captain Mitsuo Fuchida, the Japanese commander who led the first attack wave on Pearl Harbor, and who immortalized the words, Tora, Tora, Tora. When I was about 10, my dad insisted that I go with him to a Youth for Christ meeting in San Diego, where this remarkable man and former enemy of the United States was speaking. Years after the Pearl Harbor attack, Fuchida became a Christian in a remarkable conversion to the Christian faith. I wrote about the experience in the post, Meeting God's Samurai.

Back in the States

On today's date in 1943, my dad, Frank Dolan, returned to the states after more than 2 years of service in the Pacific aboard the USS Vestal. Arriving in San Francisco on the troop ship, Matsonia, he reported to the Navy base, then enjoyed a few days' leave in the city. On the 29th, he will be reassigned temporarily to his hometown of San Diego. There he will be trained for duty on the newly commissioned USS Hector.

In San Francisco, Dad enjoyed a welcome change to his tropical diet of the past couple of years: “While on liberty in San Francisco in December ’43 and craving fresh fruit, a friend and I bought a sack of oranges and pears. As we walked down the street eating them, a shore patrol stopped us and ordered us not to eat on the street. We complied, but as soon as he was out of sight, we resumed our treat. Boy, were they good!”

Sources: Frank L. Dolan's Service Records and his personal narrative

Dad transfers to the States

On today's date in 1943, my dad, Frank Dolan, was transferred to San Francisco for "assignment to new construction."  Soon, he would be assigned duty on the newly built repair ship, USS Hector (AR-7). His old ship, Vestal, on which he served since before the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor in December 1941, is finishing its year-long assignment this month at Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides. On the 18th, Vestal will sail for work at the base at Funafuti in the Ellice Islands (now known as Tuvalu).

Dad sailed to San Francisco on the Matsonia, an old luxury liner converted to a troop carrier. Compared to his quarters for the past couple of years on Vestal, he remembered traveling home in relative comfort. The ship sailed via Funafuti. Then it sailed on without escort because it traveled outside of the war zone, and it was faster than warships. From San Francisco, Dad will be transferred to the Industrial Command, Naval Repair Base, San Diego, for training in Hector detail. His hometown is San Diego, so the transfer worked very well for him.

His new ship, USS Hector, was launched November 11, 1943, while Dad was en route to San Francisco. Hector was commissioned on February 7, 1944. The ship saw distinguished service, repairing ships of the Pacific Fleet throughout the remainder of WWII. It continued in service through the Korean and Vietnam wars, earning numerous service medals. After 43 years of faithful service, USS Hector was decommissioned in 1987. In 1989, she was leased to Pakistan and then returned to U.S. custody in 1994. She suffered rendering to scrap soon thereafter.

But in 1944, after its shakedown along the West Coast, Hector will sail to Pearl Harbor with Dad onboard for more fleet repair work.

USS Hector (date unknown)
Source: uboat.net

USS Hector with USS Houston alongside at Ulithi Atoll in November 1944
Source: NavSource Online

Source: Frank L. Dolan's service records; History of the USS Hector AR-7

September's routine repairs

In the month of September 1943, while stationed in Espirito Santo in the New Hebrides, in addition to extensive and/or emergency repairs to SS Matthew Lyon, SS W.S. Rheem, LST-354, LST-395, and the San Juan, Dad's ship, Vestal, tackled numerous routine repairs to various vessels of the fleet. In relative order of service and repair, these ships included: LST 448, Taganat, Cleveland, LST-446, LST-447, Murzim, LST-398, APC 28, LST-399, Saratoga, Montpelier, Bright, in addition to other miscellaneous ship jobs and work at the shore facility.

At least 4 times this month the ship was ordered to general quarters, and at least once enemy planes were close enough to be spotted.

Source: USS Vestal War Diary, September 1943

Work on USS LST-447

September 1943 was a big month for repairing LSTs ("Landing Ship Tank"). Dad's ship, USS Vestal, worked on at least 7 of them* this month.

On today's date in 1943, Vestal began repairs on LST-447, sister ship to LST-448, which Vestal repaired in August. LSTs were relatively large ships capable of shore-to-shore delivery of tanks and other vehicles, supplies, and personnel for amphibious assaults. These unique ships were designed with large ballast systems that could be filled for ocean passage and then pumped out for beaching operations. Over a thousand of these ships were completed in American shipyards by war's end and they played a significant role in the European and Pacific theaters.

These tank landing ships were constructed to carry multiple tanks, wheeled and tracked vehicles, artillery, construction equipment, and military supplies. Their design allowed for them to land their cargo on the beach. LSTs also could transport troops, with accommodations for 16 officers and 147 enlisted men in addition to her own crew complement of 7 officers and 104 enlisted men. Armed with 2 twin and 4 single 40MM, plus 12 single 20MM guns, LSTs had the capacity to defend themselves.

LST-447 was launched in 1942 and was the 447th member of her class commissioned into service with the US Navy. She entered service with the U.S. Pacific Fleet in December 1942, deployed to the South Pacific. Like many LSTs  that were rushed into service in the South Pacific at this time, LST-447 and her crew were given on-the-job training in ship operations while serving with the Allied force in operations in the Southern Solomon Islands in early 1943. It was during this period that the ship sailed into Espiritu Santo for "hull and engineering underwater repairs" by Vestal while in dry dock.

USS LST-447 unloading supplies at Bougainville
Source: NavSource Online

Apparently her repairs were not related to battle damage since LST-447's first amphibious landing was at Bougainville in November. Following that action, the ship went on to take part in the Bismarck Archipelago and Hollandia landings in the South Pacific through April 1944. Then, she shifted north to assault Guam in July through August 1944. Detached from frontline units after duty in the Marianas, the ship was overhauled at Pearl Harbor during the Philippine Landings. Following repairs at Pearl, LST-447 sailed in early 1945 for Ulithi Atoll where she joined the huge American Naval force massing for the planned assault on Okinawa scheduled for April 1st.

In late March, departing in a convoy fully loaded with men, munitions, and supplies, LST-447 was forced to wait offshore while other ships offloaded before she could beach and discharge their cargo on April 4th. By this time, the heretofore unopposed landings had turned into fierce fighting onshore, and an increasing number of Japanese kamikaze planes were operating overhead throughout the daylight hours. Despite these hazards, the ship's crew successfully off-loaded her cargo and debeached with the high tide in the evening of April 5th, before proceeding offshore to await orders. The next day brought reports of large numbers of Japanese aircraft approaching Okinawa, prompting the LST-447's crew to their battle stations to await the inevitable arrival of Japanese aircraft.

Closing ranks with other ships to combine firepower, the LST's crew was soon facing dozens of suicide attackers which began strafing, bombing, and diving all around them. Despite a valiant effort, the gun crews simply were overwhelmed by the mass attack. A single bomber dove out of the clouds, and despite taking several hits, its pilot slammed his plane into LST-447. The force of the crashing aircraft and the detonation of its full bomb and fuel load created a massive fireball and blew out the port side of the empty hold, causing fatal damage to the ship and numerous casualties. The LST’s captain quickly ordered the crew to abandon ship, but he remained onboard as the ship seemed to stabilize in the next few minutes. The stricken ship was placed under tow to more protected waters. The LST-447 almost made it to safety when she finally began to sink. Her skeleton crew was forced to abandoned her while the assisting tug pushed it out of the channel, allowing her to flood and sink.

USS LST-447 hit by a Japanese Kamikaze

April 6, 1945, off the Okinawa beachhead

Source: NavSourceOnline

For her actions on that day, the proud LST-447 earned her 6th Battle Star for WWII service. She also received the Navy Unit Commendation.


* In September 1943, Vestal repaired LST-354, 395, 398, 399, 446, 447, and 448, as well as numerous other Navy vessels.

Source: USS Vestal War Diary, September 1943

Repairs to torpedo damaged SS W.S. Rheem

On today's date in 1943, crews from Dad's ship, Vestal, began emergency repair work on the tanker, SS W.S. Rheem. W.S. Rheem was near Espiritu Santo when it was hit by a torpedo the previous day, fired from the Japanese sub, I-20. Thankfully, there were no casualties to the 40-man merchant crew or the 25-man Armed Guard aboard. The tanker was able to reach port at Espiritu Santo on its own power. I don't know for sure that Dad worked on the Rheem, but it required extensive welding, just the sort of work that matched Dad's expertise. Vestal will work on repairing the massive hole on W.S. Rheem's port side until the 15th while completing simultaneous repairs to several other vessels.

The infamous submarine I-20 was commissioned by the Japanese Imperial Navy in 1940. By November 1941, the sub was conducting operations around Hawaii in connection with the planned Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. I-20 was fitted with a top secret 46-ton 2-man midget submarine for a coordinated attack at Pearl with 5 other "mother" subs.

SS W.S. Rheem moored alongside another ship, perhaps SS Matthew Lyon.
Both ships were repaired by Vestal in Espirito Santo Harbor.

Torpedo damage received from the Japanese sub I-20

In early 1942, the I-20 patrolled the Pacific. Then for the rest of the year the sub operated in the Indian Ocean and the East Coast of Africa, launching midget subs and harassing British naval forces. She returned to the Western Pacific in August for the Invasion of Guadalcanal, then operated in the Solomons for the rest of that year where she again launched midgets against Allied ships.

I-20 continued to operate throughout the Solomons in 1943, covering operations and delivering supplies and ammunition in overnight runs down "The Slot" through the islands. Later, she patrolled the New Hebrides. On the last day of August, 10 miles north of Bougainville Strait, the I-20 torpedoed and damaged the W. S. Rheem. Her report was the last signal the Japanese command received from the I-20. The sub was about to have a run-in with the US destroyer, Wadsworth.

On August 31, the USS Wadsworth was sent out to hunt for the sub responsible for torpedoing the W.S. Rheem. Wadsworth was not able to make contact with any submarines in the first area searched, but then it teamed with amphibious patrol planes to scour the seas to the south of Espiritu Santo and west of Nalekula Island. On today's date in 1943, Wadsworth picked up an underwater sound contact and dropped 7 patterns of depth charges, claiming unconfirmed damage to the sub. It's possible that I-20 survived that onslaught, but it never returned home. Records list her as "missing" as of October 10, 1943.

It is also possible that another destroyer, the USS Ellet sank the I-20. On September 3, Ellet was ordered to hunt for a reported submarine in the area. That night, the destroyer picked up a radar contact and challenged the unseen contact. Receiving no reply, Ellet dropped 20 depth charges in an attempt to hit her target. The next day Ellet discovered a long oil slick but could not confirm a kill of the submarine.

To make matters even less certain, the I-20 and another Japanese sub, the I-182, were both operating in the New Hebrides at this time. Neither submarine returned from its mission, so perhaps both destroyers may be credited with kills. The final result is that the enemy's loss of 2 submarines is great news for American and Allied sailors on the New Hebridean waters.

Sources: USS Vestal War Diary, August & September 1943; War Diaries for USS Ellet, and Wardsworth, September 1943; The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II, Robert Cressman; Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships; Imperial Japanese Navy Page

Repairs to USS Taganak

In early September in 1943, Dad's ship, Vestal, began repair work to the generator on the cargo ship, USS Taganak. This ship's history is interesting for both its war service and its many incarnations.

Built in 1917 as the commercial steam cargo ship War Shell, it was acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War I. Then commissioned as the USS Lake Shore, she carried a variety of cargo for the Navy from 1918-1919, including coal and ammunition. She survived this war and the next and was returned to civilian service each time.

In 1923, Lake Shore was sold to a private company and renamed Olympic. She operated along the Pacific coast until being withdrawn from service in 1940.

But at the outbreak of World War II, there was a severe shortage of Navy cargo ships. To cover the deficiency, the Navy acquired various ships and refitted them for carrying cargo. The Olympic was one of these ships reacquired in May 1942. Following repairs and refitting at the naval base at Mare Island, the ship was recommissioned as the USS Taganak in July 1942. By September, she sailed for the South Pacific. From Nouméa, New Caledonia, she made a run to New Zealand. She then shuttled cargo between New Zealand, New Caledonia, New Hebrides, and the Solomon Islands through 1943.

On one of those trips, in August 1943, Taganak was en route from Nouméa to Espiritu Santo with a cargo of ammunition when she was attacked by a Japanese submarine, I-17.* The convoy's escort ship,  HMNZS Tui, attacked the sub with depth charges, forcing it to the surface. American planes were signaled to assist in the attack, resulting in sinking the enemy sub. Apparently there was no damage done to Taganak in the attack, and she sailed on to Espiritu Santo without further incident. So, the work which Vestal performed on the ship from September 1-3, must not have been related to Taganak's brush with the Japanese sub.

Over the next couple of months, Taganak continued supply operations between Nouméa, Espiritu Santo, and Guadalcanal, before returning a load of cargo to the West Coast in November. While in Oakland, the ship underwent extensive overhaul and repairs.

February 1944 saw Taganak again sailing to the South Pacific to resume her duties as an inner-island cargo and personnel transport. Although the ship engaged in no enemy action for the next year and a half, it did share in the important role of consolidating the Northern Solomon Islands under Allied control. In February 1945, Taganak reported to Auckland, New Zealand for general overhaul, then returned to the Solomons where she served until Japan's surrender.

In October 1945, Taganak made its final trip to the U.S. after successfully completing 3 years of war service. The ship's history, written that month while en route to the states, reflects the pride of her crewmen:

While larger, faster, more modern ships had carried the war victoriously from Guadalcanal to the triumphant entry into Tokyo Bay just one short month before, the old steam schooner had plodded monotonously and undramatically through the role assigned it in the tremendous victory which has been attained. As she heads for home, the USS Taganak can reflect with pride and satisfaction upon a record in keeping with the best Navy tradition and upon a job well done.

The USS Taganak was decommissioned in March 1946, and sold later that year. Subsequently, the venerable ship saw service as an international commercial steamer under the names Glento, Pilhamm and Lulu. She was finally scrapped in 1961.

Source: NavSource Online

* The I-17 was assigned duty at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Its mission was to reconnoiter and engage any ships that tried to sortie from harbor during the attack. Perhaps its main claim to fame was on February 23, 1942, when it became the first Axis ship to shell the U.S. mainland in the little-known Bombardment of Ellwood, near Santa Barbara, California. Although causing only minimal damage to  the pier and fuel tanks, the event helped to trigger the West Coast invasion hysteria and influenced the infamous decision to intern Japanese-Americans (most were U.S. citizens) a week later.

Sources: USS Vestal War Diary, September 1943; Ship's History of the USS Taganak; NavSource Online

August's routine repairs

In the month of August 1943, while stationed in Espirito Santo, in addition to extensive and continuing repairs to HMAS Hobart, Dad's ship, Vestal, tackled numerous routine repairs to various vessels of the fleet. In relative order of service and repair, these ships included: YFD-21, Celeno, Monogahela, PC-477, SS Matthew Lyon, YMS-97, Denver, Patapsco, Cleveland, LST-448, LST-485. Plus Vestal tended to various shop jobs on ships and at the harbor base.

At least 5 times this month the ship was ordered to general quarters as enemy planes were spotted. On the 24th, the shore batteries fired at aircraft off and on for 2 1/2 hours.

Source: USS Vestal War Diary, August 1943

Overhaul of USS LST-448

On today's date in 1943, Dad's ship, USS Vestal, began overhauling the tank landing ship, LST-448. It was one of at least a dozen LSTs Vestal repaired while stationed at Espiritu Santo this year. What could not be known at the time, however, was that this particular landing ship was about to meet an untimely end.

By 1942, there was an urgent need for relatively large, ocean-going ships capable of shore-to-shore delivery of tanks and other vehicles in amphibious assaults. The LSTs were designed with a large ballast system that could be filled for ocean passage and pumped out for beaching operations. The keel for the first LST was laid down in June 1942. The first LSTs were completed by October, and 23 were in commission by the end of the year. Over a thousand of these ships were completed in American shipyards by war's end.

A WWII LST and Rhino Barge
Source: WW2HQ

LSTs were indispensable for supporting amphibious operations in Europe and in the Pacific. Constructed with the capacity to carry multiple tanks, wheeled and tracked vehicles, artillery, construction equipment, and military supplies, these remarkable ships could actually land their cargo on the beach. In addition to cargo, LSTs were also equipped with sectional pontoons carried on each side of the ship, to either construct wide floating platforms ("Rhino Barges") or use as causeways. Connected to the bow ramp, the causeways enabled payloads to be delivered ashore from deeper water or where a beachhead would not allow the vessel to be grounded. The LSTs also could transport troops, with accommodations for 16 officers and 147 enlisted men in addition to her own crew complement of 7 officers and 104 enlisted men.

Armed with 2 twin and 4 single 40MM, plus 12 single 20MM guns, LSTs had the capacity to defend themselves. However, the enemy considered them an important target, and when beached they were vulnerable. Nevertheless, their structural design provided unusual strength on the beach and remarkable buoyancy at sea.*

USS LST-485, which Vestal also worked on in August 1943
Source: NavSource Online

Launched in December 1942, LST-448, currently being overhauled on this date by Vestal's crew, began her war service in early 1943, carrying war materials to Australia. From there LST-448 began regular convoy runs to the Solomon Islands. She took part in routine resupply and also hostile shore landings as Allied forces consolidated their control of the islands around Guadalcanal and New Georgia.

LST-448 supported the Allied landing on Vella Lavella Island in the Western Solomons in August 1943. After loading a contingent of New Zealand soldiers at Guadalcanal, she left for Vella Lavella on September 29. She landed on the beach at Maravari on October 1. After her successful beaching, the ship began unloading her supplies of men and material. Stranded by the outgoing tide as her crew continued to unload her, LST-448 became a target for approaching Japanese dive bombers. Firing from its guns at the incoming planes, joined by supporting fire from guns on shore, the Japanese planes were still able to drop several bombs onto the beached ship. Two bombs made a direct hit, killing or wounding 36 of her crew and 16 of the New Zealand troops. Near misses alongside the ship caused further damage, and a fire consumed much of the forward end of the ship. Explosions of her cargo of fully-fueled vehicles and munitions contributed to the ruin.

Although severely damaged, nevertheless LST-448 was refloated. She was pulled off the beach at Maravari and under tow toward Guadalcanal when she took on water and sunk on October 5.

LST-448 earned the Navy Unit Commendation and 2 Battle Stars for her World War II service.

* The fascinating and detailed story of a sister ship, the USS LST-481, is told by John H. Dougherty at his website, The USS LST-481.

Sources: USS Vestal War Diary, August 1943; Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Vol. 7

Work on the USS Cleveland

For a few days in August, beginning on today's date in 1943, Dad's ship, Vestal, did repair work to the boilers of the light cruiser, USS Cleveland. The cruiser will be back again for more boiler work in September.

Commissioned in June 1942, the ship saw extensive service in the war, both the Mediterranean and Pacific theaters. Cleveland's first war service was in November supporting the invasion of North Africa. She covered landings in French Morocco where she remained on patrol before returning to Norfolk late that same month.

Cleveland's new assignment was in the Pacific in December 1942. By late January 1943, her first mission was in the Solomon Islands to help guard a troop convoy on its way to Guadalcanal. Cleveland fired on the enemy as she came under heavy air attack in the Battle of Rennell Island on the 29th-30th. In early March, after the Allied victory in the Solomons Campaign, the cruiser bombard Japanese airfields at Vila on Kolobangara before joining in the night action which sank 2 Japanese destroyers in the Battle of Blackett Strait. In June, Cleveland again participated in bombarding the enemy, this time in the Shortland Islands. Then she provided cover for the invasion at Munda, New Georgia.

Following a short repair period at Sydney, and then stopping at Espiritu Santo in August, where Vestal re-bricked her boilers, Cleveland sailed to support the bombardment and landings on the Treasury Islands in late October. By November 1, she was supporting troops invading nearby Bougainville, then the same day returned to bombard the Shortlands. That same night Cleveland intercepted a Japanese force in the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, where she attacked 4 enemy cruisers, aided in the sinking of one, then pursued the fleeing ships until daybreak, downing several enemy planes in the process. For her action in the battle, Cleveland earned the Navy Unit Commendation. The ship returned to Buka for another bombardment in late December, then saw action patrolling the area around northeast New Guinea into February 1944.

After supporting the capture of Emirau Island in March 1944, Cleveland sailed back to Sydney for replenishment and repairs. By April, she was back in the Solomons to practice for the Mariana and Palau Islands Campaign, then from June to August, Cleveland participated in the operation. During the invasion of Tinian in July, Cleveland came to the aid of the US destroyer, Norman Scott. Cleveland's crew bravely maneuvered between the destroyer and the shore batteries, preventing her from taking any more hits and saving the stricken ship. Cleveland then provided fire support for invading troops. Next, she participated in the task force that fought in the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June, where she was credited with destroying at least 1 enemy aircraft and assisting in downing another.

In September, Cleveland participated in the invasion of Palau, then in October, she sailed to the States for an overhaul. Back in the Philippines in February 1945, she sailed on to bombard Corregidor. After the Allies retook that Japanese island fortress, Cleveland continued to support the consolidation of the Philippines, covering subsequent landings through June. On June 15, she picked up Gen. Douglas MacArthur in Manila for the assault at Balikpapan on Borneo.

In July, Cleveland sailed to Okinawa where she participated in attacks against Japanese shipping. After Japan's formal surrender on September 2, 1945, Cleveland left Okinawa to support the occupation of Japan and the evacuation of Allied prisoners of war. In November, she sailed back to the East Coast for overhaul. She participated in various training exercises before her inactivation in June 1946. The USS Cleveland was taken out of commission in February 1947, and then she languished in reserve until being sold for scrap in 1960.

In addition to her Navy Unit Commendation, Cleveland received 13 Battle Stars for her WWII service.

Sources: War Diaries for USS Vestal & Cleveland, August & September 1944; NavSource Online; Wikipedia

Routine repairs to USS Patapsco

For several days starting on today's date in 1943, Dad's ship, Vestal, performed miscellaneous repairs to the gasoline tanker, USS Patapsco, which she had also worked on in June (Vestal will again work on her in November). Service ships like Patapsco were essential in the dangerous task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet and remote naval stations.

Launched in August 1942, the tanker was designated AOG-1, the first ship in her class. The Patapsco was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater, operating out of New Caledonia, the Solomons, and New Hebrides until the end of 1944. She next worked out of New Zealand, then back to the Solomons until mid-1945. She then shifted with most of the fleet to Ulithi in the Caroline Islands until the end of the war. Patapsco continued her Pacific service until heading to the states in February 1946, where she was decommissioned the same year.

USS Patapsco
Source: NavSource Online

Unlike most Navy ships that helped to win WWII, Patapsco saw war action for a second time. She was brought back into service in 1950 when the hostilities broke out in Korea. She fueled vessels off the coast of the Korean Peninsula, serving there through the end of 1952. She continued service in the Navy until decommissioning in 1955.

Patapsco was recommissioned yet a third time in June 1966, for service in the Vietnam War. The ship completed 3 tours of duty during that conflict.

The veteran tanker was decommissioned for the final time and struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1974. But even then, that was not the end of her life. She was sold in 1979, and converted to a fishing trawler, renamed Arctic Storm. The ship still serves in that capacity today, 70 years after receiving war-time repairs from Vestal at Espiritu Santo.

Arctic Storm
Source: Arctic Storm Management Group, LLC

USS Patapsco received 1 battle star for her World War II service, 1 for her Korean service, and 7 Campaign Stars for her service in the Vietnam War.

Sources: USS Vestal War Diary, June, August, & November 1943; NavSource Online; Wikipedia

Repairs and modifications to USS Denver

On today's date in 1943 at Espiritu Santo, divers from Dad's repair ship, Vestal, began an underwater inspection of the light cruiser USS Denver. Vestal will conduct minor repairs and modifications to the ship until the 22nd.

Launched in April 1942, Denver sailed to the New Hebrides in February 1943. She saw her first of many combat encounters in the bombardment of Kolombangara in the Solomons in March. During this engagement, the task force sank 2 Japanese destroyers.

Continuing her operations in the Solomons, Denver participated the bombardment of Ballale Island in late June, in connection with the invasion of New Georgia that lasted through early August. During the bombardment of Munda on July 11-12, the ship suffered some damage resulting from its own gunfire, compromising the watertight integrity of its main deck. While Denver's own crew repaired the damage, this was likely part of Vestal's inspection and repair that began on today's date.

Early in November, Denver's task force fought to intercept an enemy force contesting the Allied landings on Bougainville in Papua New Guinea. In that battle American ships sank an enemy light cruiser and a destroyer, as well as damaging 2 heavy cruisers and 2 destroyers. During the fight, Denver was hit by 3 enemy shells, which, fortunately, did not explode. She shared in the Navy Unit Commendation for outstanding performance in this battle.

Denver next covered the landings on Cape Torokina on Bougainville in November, and during a heavy air attack, she was torpedoed, knocking out all power and communications and killing 20 of her crew. She was towed back to Espiritu Santo for temporary repairs, then sailed to Mare Island on the West Coast for overhaul.

Denver returned to service at Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands in June 1944. She screened carriers as they launched strikes against Japanese bases during the invasion of the Marianas Islands. She bombarded Iwo Jima in July, and then returned to Eniwetok in August.

In September, Denver sailed for the invasion of the Micronesian island of Palau. There she bombarded Anguar Island, then covered a task unit engaged in minesweeping, reconnaissance, and underwater demolition operations before the landings on Ulithi in late September. In October, Denver supported the landings on Leyte, bombarding islands there to open the invasion fleet's way into Leyte Gulf. That same month Denver's task force saw action in Surigao Strait while preventing the Japanese Southern Force from passing into Leyte Gulf. The attack resulted in the sinking of the flagship Yamashiro. The battleship's admiral, captain, and about 1,600 officers and crew were lost when the ship sunk. The cruiser Mogami was also sunk by American aircraft with a loss of 192 crewmen. After this action, Denver sailed on to finish off crippled enemy ships, aiding in sinking the destroyer Asagumo, which lost 191 of her crew.

Denver continued service in Leyte Gulf through the end of that year. During another October attack, she was damaged by a bomb released from one of the planes she shot down. In November, the cruiser screened reinforcement landings and fought off a kamikaze attack, suffering 4 men wounded from bomb fragments. In December, Denver provided cover for the Philippine landing on Mindoro. She covered other landings in the Philippines through the early months of 1945. From July through August, Denver participated in anti-shipping sweeps off the China coast. With Japan's surrender, the cruiser covered the evacuation of the Allied servicemen rescued from prison camps and covered the landing of occupation troops in Japan.

In November, Denver arrived home on the East Coast. After an overhaul, she served to train men of the Naval Reserve. In April 1946, she was placed out of commission and remained in reserve until February 1947. In 1960, this heroic ship was sold for scrap.

In addition to the Navy Unit Commendation, USS Denver received 11 Battle Stars for her WWII service.

Sources: War Diaries for USS Vestal & Denver, August 1944; USS Denver Action Report of August 11-12, 1943 NavSource Online; Wikipedia

Battle damage repairs to the SS Matthew Lyon

On today's date in 1943, Dad's repair ship, Vestal, began an underwater inspection of the cargo ship, Matthew Lyon, for torpedo damage received earlier that day. It will continue to repair the ship until mid-September. No doubt, there was a significant amount of welding work, for which Dad was well qualified.

Launched in April 1943 under a Maritime Commission contract, SS Matthew Lyon, first saw duty under a civilian contractor during the summer. On today's date, while voyaging to Espiritu Santo, she received severe damage from a torpedo fired by a Japanese submarine. Despite a gaping hole in her port side the freighter limped into Espiritu Santo, apparently headed for scrapping. But over the next several weeks, crews from Vestal were able to repair her sufficiently for a move to nearby Pallikulo Bay on Espiritu Santo Island, where she languished for several months.

In October 1943, Matthew Lyon's value was finally recognized, and she was taken over by the Navy and pressed into emergency service as the net cargo ship, renamed Zebra. So successful was she in her new role of installing nets, that in February 1944, the Navy decided to completely repair her and officially recommission her as a net cargo ship. Returned to drydock at Espiritu Santo for overhaul, it was discovered that the ship needed reconstruction of an entire hold. During the same time, Zebra was reconfigured to accommodate a much larger crew. In June, she was finally assigned her first duty as a Navy net cargo ship.

USS Zebra in drydock at Espiritu Santo, February 1944
Source: NavSource Online

Zebra conducted operations from New Caledonia to the Fiji Islands. She completed a circuit of various South Pacific islands to collect nets and equipment salvaged from the harbor defense installations and delivered cargo to the Ellice Islands later that fall. By the end of 1944, Zebra conducted net-laying missions around ships and in harbors in the Palau Islands. From October through November 1944, Zebra, along with 2 other ships, laid 10 miles of net to protect ships in the harbor on the Ulithi atoll in the Caroline Islands. Dad will be one of the beneficiaries of Zebra's work, when he is stationed for several months at Ulithi on the repair ship Hector, beginning November 1944.

Ulithi Harbor: One of the most powerful naval fleets ever assembled.
Source: Historic Wings

After repairs and further modifications at Pearl Harbor at the end of 1944 through January 1945, Zebra participated in the assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, arriving there in February and staying until April. She then left for the West Coast to complete her conversion to a net cargo ship. Zebra had barely been returned to service when Japan surrendered on September 2, 1945. Her final assignment was in the Western Pacific to collect salvaged net equipment. Stopping at Saipan in November 1945, Zebra received passengers and equipment, then made her return to the United States.

Her 3 years of war service now at an end, Zebra was decommissioned in January 1946 and returned to the War Shipping Administration. She was finally scrapped in 1972. USS Zebra was awarded 1 Battle Star for her WWII service.

Sources: USS Vestal War Diary, August & September 1944; "War History of the USS Zebra (AKN-5), U.S. Pacific Fleet, September 26, 1945"; Wikipedia

Work on the subchaser PC-477

For 3 days beginning on this date in 1943, Dad's ship, Vestal, worked on the submarine chaser PC-477* for a third time this year. Since the work involved engine repair, it's doubtful that Dad, a metalsmith, did any of the actual labor. However, ship engine repair was just one of the myriad jobs that a repair ship like Vestal was equipped to perform.

Launched January 1942, 173-foot PC-477, like other Patrol Costal ships (PCs) in its class, was designed primarily for anti-submarine warfare, but it also performed convoy escort duty and coastal patrol, thereby freeing up destroyers for other duty. PCs were armed with a 3-inch gun, a 40 mm and three 20 mm machine guns, depth charge tracks, depth charge projectors, and rocket launchers. They were operated by a 65-man crew.

Most of the PCs were assigned either to patrol the East Coast or serve further east in the war against Germany. But many were also deployed to the Pacific Theater, mainly for submarine patrol duty. Several operated out of Espiritu Santo where Dad was stationed. In fact, crews from his ship did repair and installation work on several PCs while Dad was there.

The USS PC-477 was the first subchaser to participate in the Solomons Campaign. On December 7, 1942, off Guadalcanal, PC-477 witnessed a torpedo hitting the USS Alchiba.** Tracking the enemy submarine that fired it, PC-477 fired depth charges on the 2-man mini-sub, forcing it to the surface. While the PC-477 was attempting to capture the disabled sub, an American plane dropped 2 bombs and sank it. PC-477 and the aircraft shared the joint kill.

Having served gallantly through the war, the USS PC-477 was decommissioned in 1946, and like most of the PCs built for the war, she was sold for scrap. Of the more than 350 PCs commissioned during the war, none survive today in the United States. Sadly, the daring exploits of the PCs and the 50,000 brave men who served on them have been largely forgotten. But the significant role this "forgotten fleet" played in winning the war is without question.

PC-477 fueling at sea, May 1942
Source: WWII Archives

* Earlier work was performed in January (routine repairs) & May (radar installation)

** Alchiba was first torpedoed by a mini-sub on November 28. While she was undergoing temporary repairs, on December 8, she was hit a second time by a torpedo launched from a mini-sub. The Vestal performed Alchiba's repairs from this damage. See an earlier blog for more information.

Sources: USS Vestal & USS PC-477 War Diaries, August 1944; Patrol Craft of World War II, William. J. Veigele; Patrol Craft Sailor Association; NavSource Photo Archives

Repairs to battle-damaged Celeno

On today's date in 1943, Dad's ship, Vestal, began repairs to the main shaft and steering gear of the Navy cargo ship, USS Celeno, caused by damage received during an attack at Guadalcanal. Vestal's crews will work on the Celeno for the next 8 days.

Launched in December 1942, the USS Celeno saw distinguished service throughout WWII. Commissioned in January 1943, the freighter was assigned to the Pacific Fleet, with cargo bound for Nouméa, New Caledonia. Celeno arrived in early February to support the operations on Guadalcanal and the Solomon Islands.

On June 16, while offloading its cargo on Lunga Point on Guadalcanal, the ship was attacked by Japanese bombers. Equipped with antiaircraft guns, Celeno fought back, scoring 3 downed enemy planes. But its success came at a cost. One bomb hit her stern, knocking out her rear gun and jamming her rudder. A second direct hit set 2 of her holds on fire, while another bomb set her deck cargo ablaze, which was loaded with fuel oil. With her rudder jammed, the stricken ship was only able to circle while the men fought to save her. Her crew somehow managed to beach the ship, saving her from sinking. Sadly, 15 of her crewmen were killed and 19 others wounded in the attack. Over the next week under constant threat of attack and unable to defend herself, the crew had to abandon ship several times. Finally on the 24th, Celeno was towed to Port Purvis on Florida Island for temporary repairs and offloading of its remaining cargo so that it could be towed in late August to Espiritu Santo for major work.

At Espiritu Santo, Vestal's crew attempted to repair the damage, particularly that to Celeno's ruined steering. Most of the work was done while in the floating drydock, YFD-21, which itself was undergoing repairs by the Vestal. Completing temporary repairs to Celeno by August 11, the damaged ship was readied for towing to San Francisco in September.

Following refitting, Celeno was returned to the South Pacific in January 1944, to continue supporting the Allies in the Solomons Campaign. As the seizure of bases in the Admiralty Islands began in the spring of 1944, Celeno carried troops and cargo. She continued to operate throughout the Solomons, Bismarks, and Marianas. Celeno next sailed to Australia and New Zealand, then made a cargo run to newly secured Iwo Jima. Returning to Nouméa, Celeno provided support for the Okinawa Campaign in June 1944, before resuming cargo operations throughout the South Pacific.

After Japan's surrender, Celeno carried troops to Iwo Jima for transportation to Saipan, where she picked up victorious servicemen returning to the West Coast.

Celeno was decommissioned in March 1946, and transferred to the Maritime Commission. For her WWII service the USS Celeno earned 3 Battle Stars.

USS Celeno while being overhauled at Mare Island, November 1943
Source: NavSource Online

Sources: USS Vestal and USS Celeno War Diaries for June 1943; Wikipedia

July's routine repairs

Stationed at Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides in July 1943, my dad's ship, USS Vestal, observed a busy repair schedule. The Saint Louis, HMAS Hobart, and HMNZS Leander all received repairs for battle damage. In addition, Vestal tackled numerous "routine not alongside repairs" to: YP-515, YFD-21, Montpelier, Columbia, SC-640, YFD-21, YMS-97, Saint Louis, Honolulu, Boreas, APC-34, Taurus, Denver, Cleveland, Pyro, Saugatuck, Balsam, and SC-701. During the same period, Vestal also managed to construct a landing craft ramp and complete various other ship and base facility jobs.

During the month of July, the Vestal's crew worked under a constant threat of enemy air attacks, going to general quarters at least 4 times.

Source: USS Vestal War Diary, July 1943

Repairs to the subchaser, SC-701

In July 1943, Dad's repair ship, Vestal, worked on 2 different submarine chasers: USS SC-640 in early July, and USS SC-701 beginning on today's date.

Subchasers were a class of some of the smallest warships in the U.S. Navy. In the Pacific Theater these ships were tasked with some of the most dangerous missions in the war, from convoy escort duty to the deployment, resupply, and rescue of coast watchers in islands deep behind Japanese lines.

Often overshadowed by the much larger cruisers, destroyers, and battleships, the subchasers had a remarkable war history of their own. Part of the so-called "Splinter Fleet" (so nicknamed for their wooden hulls) 438 of these sub chasers were deployed in WWII, largely in the Atlantic against the German submarines. Many, however, were sent to the Pacific and saw a lot of action against the Japanese submarine force as well as involvement in naval battles in the Solomons and elsewhere.

Source: NavSource Online

A subchaser's crew included 3 officers and 25 enlisted men. At 95 tons and 110 feet in length, these small warships were armed with a 40 mm gun and two .30 cal. machine guns plus a depth charge projector. Each ship presented a smaller, but deadly force with which the enemy had to contend. At least one subchaser (SC-699) is credited with sinking a Japanese sub. Many subchasers were sunk, run aground, or otherwise seriously damaged in hazardous coastal patrols.

Both the SC-640 and SC-701 were commissioned in 1942. Not much additional information is available about either ship. Apparently, both were based out of Espiritu Santo. In 1943-1944, SC-701 patrolled along the shores and harbors of the New Hebrides Islands and also provided escort for cargo ships. After the war, in 1946, the SC-640 was transferred to the Maritime Commission. The SC-701 followed 2 years later. Apparently that is where their known history ends. But these two submarine chasers, just a couple of a host of under-sung heroes of WWII, briefly crossed paths with my dad, Frank Dolan, in Espiritu Santo for a few days in July 1943.

Sources: USS Vestal War Diary, July 1943; USS SC-701 War Diary 1943-1944; The Splinter Fleet; Patrol Craft Sailor Association