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USS PICKING WORLD WAR II LOG June 12, 1944 Zone description p1us ten: Steaming as before. 0530 Changed base course to 296° T & G, 290° psc. 0800 Position Latitude 45° 38’ N. Longitude 160° 54’ E. 1200 Position Latitude 45° 55’ N. Longitude 159° 35’ E. 1445 BADGER (picket ship) reported surface radar contact bearing
285° T., distant 25,000 yards from formation. 1453 Contact proved false. 1502 Changed
base course to 288° T & G, 283° psc. 1509 Changed
speed of advance to 15 knots. 2000 Position
Latitude 46° 56’ N. Longitude 157°04’ E. 2001 Changed
base course to 297° T & G, 295° psc, Changed speed to 20 knots. June 13, 1944 Zone_description plus
ten: Steaming as before. 0140 BADGER
returned from picket duty. PICKING took station #5 in nine ship
screen. 0159 Changed
base course to 310° T & G, 311° psc. 0315 Radar
contact on Matsuwa Island, Japan, bearing 358° T., distant 75,300 yards. 0358 Executed
H-70 time in accordance with ComCruDiv Five Op. Order 14-44. PICKING with
YOUNG and SPROSTON (T.U. 94.3.1) detached from Task Force 94 to proceed on
mission assigned. YOUNG and SPROSTON formed column astern.
Steaming various courses and speeds while approaching Matsuwa Island for radar search
and shore bombardment. 0516 Set base
bombardment course, first run - 296° T & G, 294° psc. Speed 18 knots. 0524 Fired
three starshell spreads over Matsuwa harbor area. Starshells obscured by fog.
Expended 15 rounds 5”/38 Illuminating ammunition. 0527- Fired
shore bombardment of Matsuwa Island in accordance with 0551 ComCruDiv
Five Op. Order 14-44, expending 432 rounds 5”/38 AA-Common ammunition.
(Complete account in C.O. PICKING. Secret ltr. DD685/A16/Al2 serial 002
of 13 June 1944) 0538 Changed
base course to 116° T & G, 114° psc. for retirement phase. 0605 Commenced
steaming various courses and speeds to rejoin Task Force 94. 0719 Rejoined
task force. Took station #4 in screen of cruising disposition 5 course 090° T
Roger, CONCORD guide. Fleet axis 080° T; Base T&G, 110° psc. Speed 28
knots. 0800 Position
Latitude 48° 05’ N. Longitude 154° 40’ E. 1200 Position
Latitude 48° 05’ N. Longitude 157° 30 E. 1348 Changed
base course to 070° T & G, 084° psc. 1527 Surface
radar contact bearing OOl° T., distant 13,500 yards. Target tracked on course
170° T., speed 20 knots. 1535 Target
changed course to 230° T., speed 23 knots, range 10000 yards. 1547 Radar
contact faded at range 16000 yards. No investigation was ordered. Target was
not sighted because of 700 yards visibility in fog. 1735 Changed
speed to 25 knots. 1930 Changed
speed to 20 knots. 2000 Position
Latitude 48° 58’ N. Longitude 162° 03’ E. June 14, 1944 Zone description_plus
ten: Steaming as before. 0100 Changed
speed to 15 knots. 0242 YOUNG investigated
contact bearing 340° T., range 10000 yards. 0315 Contact
proved false. 0800 Position Latitude 50° 09’ N.
Longitude 166° 57’ E. 1200 Position Latitude 50° 23’ N.
Longitude 168° 29’ E. 1600 Changed fleet axis to 000° T; changed base course to
090° T & G, 106° psc. 1800 Changed base course to 000° T & G, 349° psc. 2000 Changed
base course to 090° T & G, 103° psc. Position Latitude 57° 21’ N. Longitude
171° 01’ E. (ERROR MUST BE 51°) June 15, 1944 Zone description plus
ten: Steaming as before. 0115 Changed base course to 003° T & G, 350° psc. 0647 Commenced
steaming various courses and speeds while making entry through south channel
into Massacre Bay, Attu. 0759 Moored port side to U.S.S. CUYAMA in berth
D-l4, Massacre Bay, and fueled. S.O.P.A. is CTF 94 in CHESTER. 0900 U.S.S. SPROSTON moored alongside to starboard. 1302 Underway in company with SPROSTON in
accordance with CTF 94 despatch 152245 of June 1944. Steaming various courses
and speeds while standing through south channel
out of Massacre Bay and proceeding with maximum power to
rendezvous with plane at reported enemy submarine contact position 70
miles northwest of Cape Wrangell,
Attu. O.T.C. is CDS 49 in PICKING, 1545 Commenced searching for enemy submarine. 1607 Underwater sound contact bearing 103° T., range 1200
yards. Commenced attacking. 1612 Dropped eleven charges, depth charge pattern, set
for 350 ft. depth. Expended 5 depth charges MK 7, 6 depth charges 9. Continued
investigation
of area. 1700 Commenced retiring search plan in accordance with
FTP 219. SPROSTON took station on port beam distant 2500 yards. Set base
course 300° T & G, 285° psc. Speed 15 knots.
Varied course in accordance with plan. 1815 U.S.S ENGSTROM (DE5O) and U.S.5. GILMORE (DE18) joined
and proceeded on search 2000 Position Latitude 53° 28’ N. Longitude 170° 33’ E. June 16, 1944 Zone description plus
ten: Steaming as
before. 0000 ENGSTROM and GILMORE took departure in accordance with
verbal orders of CDS 49. PICKING and SPROSTON formed scouting
line normal to base course, base course 252° T & G,
245° psc. scouting distance 18,000 yards, PICKING guide. Commenced radar
search for enemy submarine in direction of Kurile Islands, at speed
25 knots. 0500 Changed base course to 086° T & G, 100° psc.
Changed speed to 18 knots. Commenced standing toward Massacre Bay, Attu. 0800 Position Latitude 52° 26’ N. Longitude 169° 06’ E. 1200 Position Latitude 52° 22’ N. Longitude 170° 00’ E. 1310 Test fired automatic weapons, expending 36 rounds
40mm AA, 28 rounds 20mm AA
ammunition. 1338 Changed base course to 070° T & G, 079° psc. 1403 Sighted
Attu Island bearing 037° T., distant 50 miles. 1625 Commenced
steaming various courses and speeds while standing through south channel into
Massacre Bay, Attu. SPROSTON in column astern. 1714 Moored port side to U.S.S. CUYAMA in berth
D-l4 in Massacre Bay, Attu and fueled to capacity. 1921 Underway to anchorage. 1931 Anchored
in 15 fathoms of water in berth D-26, Massacre Bay. Ships present: various
units of U. S. Fleet. S.O.P.A. is CTF 94 in CHESTER. June 17, 1944 Zone description plus
ten: Anchored in
berth D-26, Massacre Bay, Attu. S.0.P.A. is ComNorPac. June 18, 1944 Zone description plus
ten: Anchored in berth D-26, Massacre Bay,
Attu. June 19, 1944 Zone description plus
ten: Anchored in berth D-26, Massacre Bay,
Attu. June 20, 1944 Zone description plus
ten: Anchored in berth D-26, Massacre Bay,
Attu. June 21, 1944 Zone description plus
ten: Anchored in berth D-26, Massacre Bay,
Attu. |