Evening star., 1945-03-25

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destroyers all the way to the OBJ
jective area, and then blasted a
path for the scores of thousands
that poured ashore on S day.
The voyage from our staging
bases to Lingayen Gulf penetrated
the very heart of an empire which
the Japs had converted into a bas-
tion. We ran the gantlet of liter
ally dozens of Japanese air and
motor torpedo boat bases. We were
a bold invitation to the remnants
of the Jap fleet to come out and
fight. But it declined.
The transit of Philippine waters
was made in groups. We were the
van, the knife-edge cutting open
another great part of the Japs'
stolen preserves. Each group was a
target for air attacks en- route to
Lingayen Gulf, but nothing re-
sembling a mass raid was made on
our force. The Japs stuck to harass-
ing tactics, a few planes at time.
Fewer returned to their bases. In
dividually the Jap is displaying a
new tenacity and doggedness in
pressing home his attacks.
Considerable Score Of Planes.
Jap planes fell out of the air like
ducks when they visited us, some
winged by the accurate fax fire of
our ships, some shot down by our
covering fighters and others by car
rier pilots who were getting their
baptism of combat. One cruiser
accounted for four in less than two
minutes. The cans" knocked down
plane after plane. Our force had
run up considerable score of planes
before reaching its destination.
When we entered the South China
Sea we began taking a beating from
the weather, swells of Is to II feet
tossing the lighter ships around like
buckets. The constant stream of
plane launchings under the ex-
tremely difficult weather conditions
during frequent Jap air attacks was
at best difficult and took fortitude.
But tight flight schedules were
maintained; strikes were launched
on time and the flow of aircraft
over enemy objectives went cease
lesSly on.
Approaching the objective word
was flashed that two Jap destroyers
lay in our path. "A strike of tor
pedo bombers and fighters was
launched Immediately from this car
rier, the USS Bismarck Sea, COM
manded by Capt. j. L. Pratt, U. S. NJ,
who as skipper of U. S. S. Childs, a
seaplane tender, fought his way
through a force of enemy destroyers
to bring the Childs safely out of
East Indian waters early in the war.
Our planes found the destroyers.
close into the Luzon coast, polished
them off with bombs, rockets and
strafing, and we went on our way
unmolested. They were the only
Jap surface forces we encountered.
Beach Softened for Invasion.
At the objective area each group
in the task force went quickly
about its job. Battleships which
took it at Pearl Harbor were dish
ing it out here, bombarding up and
down the beach, softening it up for
. the imminent invasion. With them
were cruisers and destroyers. One
after another coastal defense posi-
ton swere knocked to pieces.
Planes of our carrier group. which
remained outside the gulf, went
methodically to their tasks, and be-
fore the invasion began had smashed
Jap military installations in the en-
tire vicinity of Lingayen Gulf.
The U. S. S. Bismarck Sea was
ready for its christening in combat.
Capt. Pratt had mentally condi-
toned every one aboard by frankly
explaining to the assembled crew
what was expected of them, the sig
nif1cance of the operation and the
need for constant vigilance. The
men loved him for it, and the tonic
had its effect. Every man was on
his toes.
The exec" Comdr. H. E. Marty"
Born, U. S. NJ, who dozen years
ago played end for the Midshipmen,
had nodded an efficient fighting unit
from a crew more than rs per cent
OF which was green to the sea when
1t came aboard eight months ago.