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June 22, 1944 Zone description plus Anchored in berth D-26, Massacre Attu. 0630 Underway, proceeding alongside U.S.S. CHESTER. 0651 Moored starboard side to CHESTER at buoy #2,
Massacre Bay, and commenced transferring fuel oil to CHESTER. 0908 Completed
transferring fuel. 0922 Underway from alongside CHESTER, proceeding
alongside U.S.S. YO 163. 0951 Moored starboard side to YO 163 at buoy #4, Massacre
Bay, and commenced fueling. 1100 Completed fueling. 1111 Underway, proceeding to berth D-26 to anchor. 1130 Anchored in berth D-26, Massacre Bay. June 23, 1944 Zone description plus Anchored in berth D-26, Massacre Attu. June 24, 1944 Zone description plus Anchored in berth D-26 , Massacre Bay, Attu. 0637 Underway in company with destroyers, Task Force 94,
in accordance with CTF 94 mailgram 240021 of June, steaming various courses and
speeds while proceeding through west channel out of Massacre Bay, and
patrolling during sortie of cruisers, Task Force 94. 0745 Took station number 5 in task force cruising disposition 5 Roger, CONCORD guide, fleet axis 300° T, base course 23l° T & G, 229° psc., fleet speed is 16 knoys. O.T.C. is CTF 94 in CHESTER. 0901 Changed base course to 234° T & G,
234° psc. 0936 Took station number 7 in antiaircraft cruising
disposition 3 Victor, CHESTER guide, fleet axis 300° T. 1120 Took station number 5 in cruising disposition 5
Roger, CONCORD guide, fleet axis 300° T. 1200 Position Latitude 52° 12’ N. Longitude 171° 48 E. 2000 Position
Latitude 50° 54’ N. Longitude 169° 14.8’ E. 2023 YOUNG left formation to act as picket. PICKING took
station number 5 in eight—ship screen. June 25 , 1944 Zone description plus
ten: Steaming as before. 0800 Position Latitude 49° 06’ N. Longitude 165° 18’
E. 0900 Changed base course to 246° T & G, 246° psc. 1035 Changed fleet axis to 045° T; PICKING took
station number five in eight-ship screen. 1200 Changed
base course to 285° T & G, 285° psc. Position Latitude 48°
35’ N. Longitude 163° 50’ E. 1453 Radar contact on unidentified aircraft bearing 116°
T, distant 44 miles. 1500 Changed fleet speed to 25 knots. Stood by to repel air attack. 1527 Lost contact on aircraft on bearing OOO° T, distant
26 miles. 1554 Changed base course to 215° T
& G, 221° psc. 1600 Changed base course to 285° T
& G, 285° psc. 1820 Changed base course to 281° T & G, 281° psc. 2000 Position Latitude 49° 10.5’ N. Longitude 159° 53’ E. 2340 YOUNG returned to formation; PICKING took station
#5 in nine-ship screen. June 26, 1944 Zone description plus ten: Steaming as before. 0141 Radar contact on Kurabu Zaki, Paramushiro, Japan,
bearing 311° T, distant 40 miles. 0145 Changed base course to 270° T & G, 273° psc. 0259 Changed speed to 20 knots. 0300 Executed H-60 time in accordance with ComCruDiv Five
Op. Order 15-44 . PICKING.
with YOUNG and SPROSTON (T.U. 94.3.1)
left task force formation to proceed on mission assigned. Formed column, PICKING guide. Steaming various
courses and speeds while approaching Kurabu Zaki for radar search and shore bombardment. 0350 Had
surface radar contact bearing 038° T, distant 7200 yards. 0352 Commenced
firing on surface contact. 0356 Checked
Lire. 0357
Resumed firing on second surface radar contact bearing 103° T, distant
4400 yards. 0400
Ceased firing at surface contacts. Set base bombardment course 040° T
& G, 045° psc. Speed 20 knots. 0404- Fired
shore bombardment on Kurabu Zaki, Paramushiro in accordance 0417 with
ComCruDiv Five Operation Order 15-44. (Complete account of bombardment and
encounter with surface targets in C.O. PICKING
Secret ltr.DD685/A16/A12,
serial 004 of 26 June 1944. 0407 Changed
base course to 352° T & G, 344° psc. 0409 Changed
speed to 18 knots. 0417 Commenced
steaming various courses and speeds to rejoin Task Force 94. 1430- Had
many small surface radar contacts at ranges of 1800-10,000 yards. 1504 These
contacts were later evaluated as fishing boats. 0440- Fired
on contact bearing 120° T, range 7500 yards. 0449 0456 Fired on
contact bearing 120° T, range 1800 yards. 0457 Ceased
firing. Complete expenditure for bombardment and surface firing was 954 rounds
5”/38 AA - Common ammunition. 0600 Rejoined
task force. Took station #1 in cruising disposition 5 Roger, CONCORD guide,
fleet axis 0900 T, base course 090° T & G, 109° psc.fleet speed 28 knots. 0603- Conducted evasive maneuvers to avoid
reported torpedo wakes. 0608 0702 CHESTER radar guardship, reported unidentified aircraft
contacts. Changed cruising disposition to 5 Victor; PICKING took station #3 in screen, CONCORD guide.
Stood by to repel air attack. 0800 Position Latitude 50° 02’ N. Longitude
158° 10’ E. 0931 Friendly planes reported approaching
from eastward. 1030 Screen reported clear of unidentified
aircraft. 1133 Changed base course to 065° T & G,
072° psc. 1200 Position Latitude 50° 05’ N. Longitude
l60° 50’ E. 1700 Changed base course to 067° T & G,
072° psc. 2000 Position Latitude 51° 34’ N. Longitude
166° 21’ E. 2010 Took station #1 in cruising disposition
5 Roger, CONCORD guide. Fleet axis 090° T. Changed speed to 20 knots June 27, 1944 Zone description plus
ten: Steaming as before. 0530
Changed base course to 058° T & G,
061° psc. 0536 Changed fleet speed to 16 knots. 0652 Radar contact on Attu Island bearing 085° T,
distant 50 miles. 0800 Position Latitude 52° 58.3’ N. Longitude 171° 32’ E. 1002 Sighted Red Head, Attu, bearing 102° T
distant 31 miles. 1032 Changed base course to 097° T & G, 109°
psc. 1200 Position Latitude 53° 17’ N. Longitude 173° 12’ E. 1600 Changed fleet speed to 17 knots. 1635 Radar contact on Buldir Island bearing 150°
T. distant 55 miles. 2000 Position Latitude 53° 06.5’ N. Longitude 176° 47’ E. |