World War II USS Oakland (CL-95)

1 world war ii

1.1 1943
1.2 1944
1.3 1945

world war ii
1943

following shakedown , training cruise off san diego in summer of 1943, oakland sailed pearl harbor arriving on 3 november. joining 3 heavy cruisers , 2 destroyers, linked task group 50.3 (tg 50.3) near funafuti in ellice islands, support of operation galvanic, amphibious push gilbert islands. carriers launched initial air strikes on 19 november, , in retaliation, wave of japanese torpedo bombers attacked formation on afternoon of 20th. oakland scored 2 kills , 2 assists in fighting off raiders.

on 26 november, northeast of marshall islands, oakland again fought off strong coordinated torpedo plane attacks. @ 2332 on 4 december, torpedo tore side of lexington, damaging steering control , oakland covered slow withdrawal, arriving pearl harbor on 9 december.

1944

oakland departed pearl harbor on 16 january 1944 carriers of tg 58.1 headed marshall islands. task group launched strikes against maloelap on 29 january , against kwajalein on 30th. amphibious assault made on kwajalein on 1 february. oakland carriers supported american operations ashore until entered majuro lagoon on 4 february.

weighing anchor on 12 february, ships of tg 58.1 sailed majuro , launched air strikes against truk on 16–17 february, damaging important japanese naval base there.

then, despite night-long series of japanese aerial attacks on 21–22 february, hit marianas damaging blows, oakland s gunners bagged 2 more enemy planes , assisted in splashing 2 others before returning majuro.

oakland sortied tg 58.1 on 7 march, bound espiritu santo in new hebrides. group skirted solomons , covered occupation of emirau island, north of new britain, on 20th. on 27th, task group swept on western carolines. heavy air attacks greeted carriers, oakland , partners in screen fought them off before damage incurred. pounded palau on 30 march, yap on 31st , woleai on 1 april, before returning majuro on 6 april.

through april group carried out similar operations @ wake island , samar. again hammered truk on 29th-30th, hitting satawan on later date. allied surface , aerial bombardment battered ponape on 1 may, before oakland retired kwajalein on 4 may.

following anti-aircraft training, oakland helped attack guam on 11 june, steamed north hit volcano , bonin islands 14th.

west of embattled marianas, task force 58 (tf 58) sped intercept large japanese surface force approaching philippines. in ensuing battle of philippine sea, famed turkey shoot took place planes decimated trained air groups of 3 japanese carrier divisions, eliminating japanese naval aviation.

toward end of battle, darkness creeping in, returning american pilots scanning sea carriers. admiral mitscher, on bridge of flagship, concerned men, gave order turn on lights. in response, oakland s 36 in (910 mm) searchlights turned on, helping light philippine sea.

tg 58.1 next struck @ pagan island on 23 june , iwo jima next day. on 27th, units gathered @ eniwetok atoll replenishment, , on 30th nosed northwest bonin islands. group delivered withering air-sea bombardment against iwo , chichi jima on 3–4 july, , 5th speeding south return engagement in marianas.

on 7 july, carriers began launching series of alternating strikes against guam , rota. oakland , helm teamed recover downed pilots off guam, , fired @ targets on orote peninsula.

at 0800 on 4 august, search planes reported japanese convoy zig-zagging out of chichi jima bonin islands. 2 hours later, carriers planes reported attacking enemy vessels. attack group formed, consisting of oakland, santa fe, mobile , biloxi, , destroyer division 91.

detached task group @ 1241, killer band raced @ 30 kn (35 mph; 56 km/h) between ototo , yome jima , arrived on scene @ 1730. destroyers formed attack group ahead of cruisers and, @ 1845, sank small oiler. straggler convoy, later identified destroyer matsu, sighted @ 1924 , subsequently sunk.

at 2145, oakland , company contacted 7500-ton supply ship , sank her, before turning south rake chichi jima. oakland made 3 runs shelling shipping in chichi s harbor of funtami ko, , helped silence shore battery before retired @ 1119 on 5 august. several japanese ships had been sunk, seaplane base damaged, , fires started among wharves , warehouses.

from 6–8 september, oakland s task group hit palau islands, peleliu being main target. on evening of 8th, steamed west raid enemy airfields in philippines through 22nd.

on 6 october, oakland departed ulithi shepherding own carriers toward ryukyu islands , hit okinawa on 10th. attacked installations on formosa , pescadores on 12 october and, @ 1835, withdrawing, fought off japanese air counterattack.

they hit formosa again on 13 october, , again imperial air force lashed out in full fury task force withdrew @ nightfall. oakland assisted in turning aerial opponents but, @ 1835, canberra in tg 38.1 damaged torpedo, , on 14th houston received torpedo hit. oakland covered withdrawal of 2 hit ships, before participating in strikes against luzon 17–19 october , supporting landings on leyte 20th.

en route ulithi on 24th, oakland received orders backtrack @ once stop japanese fleet converging on leyte gulf. time arrived on scene, enemy had been repulsed, , carriers began long range strikes against retreating enemy. battle leyte gulf end of imperial navy effective fighting force.

from november–december, oakland operated various task groups of tf 38 supporting philippine liberation campaign. on 18 december, rode out raging typhoon in philippine sea escaping serious damage.

1945

oakland returned san francisco on 11 january 1945. remained repairs , trial runs until sailing hawaii on 4 march. arriving pearl harbor on 9th, oakland began additional training south of oahu. received movement orders on 14th , sailed ulithi, staging area okinawa.

reaching ulithi on 30 march, sailed again other units following day. on tap ambitious amphibious assault of pacific war. on 2 april, group separated, oakland going ahead join tg 58.4. 5 days, engaged in hitting sakashima gunto in southern nansei shoto , proceeded okinawa.

on 10 april, oakland reassigned tg 58.3 remainder of okinawa campaign. came under air attack again on 11 april gunners splashing dive bomber.

with other groups of tf 58, oakland moved northward on 15 april launch strikes against airfields @ kyūshū. enemy planes tried time , again pierce task force s protective fighter umbrella. twice oakland s guns opened up, aiding in destruction of 1 frances , driving off another.

okinawan defenses struck again on 17th. kamikazes evaded combat air patrol in morning , oakland took 2 under fire passed on ship. both dropped within formation, oakland scoring one. on 29th, oakland drove away enemy aircraft. tg 58.3 had taken best imperial air force had offer during 11 days of april. rest of month utilized in making additional strikes against okinawa , conducting gunnery exercises drones , towed sleeves.

snooper planes began winging near group in morning on 11 may. after breakfast, oakland crew scrambled general quarters attack failed materialize @ time. 2 kamikazes plummeted flight deck of bunker hill 2,000 yd (1,800 m) cruiser. trio of life rafts cut loose oakland aid in rescue of bunker hill survivors sighted ahead.

the task force struck again @ airfields on kyūshū on 13 may. on 14th, japanese reciprocated. shortly after breakfast, lone 0 spotted circling through clouds , oakland s guns opened fire, quarry disappeared view. came comet. enterprise bore brunt of crash-dive blew in blossom of flame on flight deck.

shortly, flock of kamikazes appeared, , within space of 15 minutes, oakland took 4 separate kamikazes under fire. oakland s claim of 2 assists substantiated task group commander.

for duration of may, oakland remained task group off okinawa. on 29th shifted tg 38.1 under admiral halsey , made leyte gulf, anchoring in san pedro bay on 1 june.

on 10 july, tg 38.1 commenced raids on japanese mainland beginning honshū , thundering north hokkaidō. 17–20 july, oakland participated in strikes against tokyo , 24–27 july against kure , kobe. tokyo hit again on 30th along nagoya. on 7 august, ships turned north strike honshū-hokkaido area second time. 15 august brought long-awaited cease offensive operations order. oakland proceeded assigned operating area occupation of japan.

she moved tokyo bay on 30 august and, while anchored near yokosuka naval base. berthed several thousand yards away uss missouri (bb-63), oakland provided box seat sailors witness unforgettable climax war.