USS Iowa and NJ vs Mili Island, 18 March 1944
(see posts #8, #10, #11 and #12).
Battleship New Jersey: An Illustrated History by Paul Stillwell :
(see posts #8, #10, #11 and #12).
Battleship New Jersey: An Illustrated History by Paul Stillwell :
Pages 51-52 :
Rear Admiral Willis A. "Ching" Lee, Jr., was on board the Iowa in overall command of the Mille Striking Group, while Rear Admiral Hustvedt remained in the same ship and had command of the two-battleship bombardment unit. The striking group arrived off Mille on the mroning of 18 March [1944]. (...)
All went well until the two ships got in to 19,000 yards. Then, more than two hours after the battleship bombardment started, pinpricks of light began flashing on the beach. The Japanese had waited until the American ships got within range of their 6-inch guns, - transported to Mille after being captured from the British at Singapore -, and then opened fire themselves. Splashes were soon straddling rhe New Jersey. The Japanese had the right bearing but were off in range. (...)
Inside turret two [of USS New Jersey, Lieutenant Oscar Gray had his periscope trained forward on the Iowa when he saw two flashes as enemy projectiles hit the sistership, causing minor damage on her port side. (...)
The situation on board the Iowa was an unusual one. Even though Admiral Lee was senior to Admiral Hustvedt and in overall command of the operation, he did not have tactical command of the battleship formation. (...)
Lee may have offered suggestions, because Frank Pinney, then assistant gunnery officer in the Iowa, remembers that Lee told the ship's captain that he should clear out to save his save and ammunition for more worthwhile targets than those on Mille.
Being damaged on an easy practice run was surprising and led Lieutenant Harry Reynolds of the New Jersey's engineering department to summarize the operation by saying :
"We looked silly at Mille."
Rear Admiral Willis A. "Ching" Lee, Jr., was on board the Iowa in overall command of the Mille Striking Group, while Rear Admiral Hustvedt remained in the same ship and had command of the two-battleship bombardment unit. The striking group arrived off Mille on the mroning of 18 March [1944]. (...)
All went well until the two ships got in to 19,000 yards. Then, more than two hours after the battleship bombardment started, pinpricks of light began flashing on the beach. The Japanese had waited until the American ships got within range of their 6-inch guns, - transported to Mille after being captured from the British at Singapore -, and then opened fire themselves. Splashes were soon straddling rhe New Jersey. The Japanese had the right bearing but were off in range. (...)
Inside turret two [of USS New Jersey, Lieutenant Oscar Gray had his periscope trained forward on the Iowa when he saw two flashes as enemy projectiles hit the sistership, causing minor damage on her port side. (...)
The situation on board the Iowa was an unusual one. Even though Admiral Lee was senior to Admiral Hustvedt and in overall command of the operation, he did not have tactical command of the battleship formation. (...)
Lee may have offered suggestions, because Frank Pinney, then assistant gunnery officer in the Iowa, remembers that Lee told the ship's captain that he should clear out to save his save and ammunition for more worthwhile targets than those on Mille.
Being damaged on an easy practice run was surprising and led Lieutenant Harry Reynolds of the New Jersey's engineering department to summarize the operation by saying :
"We looked silly at Mille."
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