MIGHTY NINETY
The Homepage of USS ASTORIA CL-90
Into the Domain of the Golden Dragon
This Order of the Golden Dragon card was given to "Trusty Dragon Backs," or sailors who had crossed the 180th Meridian aboard a U.S. Navy ship. This particular card was made for shipmates of PASADENA CL-65, ASTORIA's sister cruiser in CruDiv17.
-Brent Jones collection
25-31 October 1944
USS ASTORIA, MONTPELIER, and BALTIMORE steam toward Pearl Harbor. Their experience over this period was recorded in the diary of S1/c James J. Fahey, USS MONTPELIER:
The weather was very cold and the sea was very rough until we were about one day from Pearl Harbor. Quite a few men got seasick, I did not. We ate our meals on the deck because the sea was too rough to set the benches and tables; they would have crashed into the bulkheads. We had to wear plenty of clothing on watch to keep warm.
The other ships with us would almost go out of sight in the heavy big seas because the waters were so rough. The light cruiser ASTORIA and the heavy cruiser BALTIMORE also had left with us along with [destroyers].
We fired all guns on the way to Pearl Harbor. Also, the same day we pulled into Pearl Harbor, B-26 bombers towed sleeves for us to shoot at... When we pulled into Pearl Harbor we tied up to a buoy. The weather was warm and it felt good to go around in your shirtsleeves. Our mail went off the ship and movies were held topside the first night we got there.
One of ASTORIA's quad 40mm gun crews performs gunnery drills off Pearl Harbor. Note the clips of 40mm shells at the ready in the surrounding splinter shield. These were fed by the loaders into each gun while in use, providing continuous fire when needed.
-photo taken by U.S. Navy Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Herman Schnipper
31 October 1944
Upon arrival at Pearl, USS ASTORIA reported for duty with Commander Cruisers Pacific (COMCRUPAC). She would remain in Hawaiian waters for the next sixteen days, continuing her gunnery drills. During this time, news poured in regarding the battle for Leyte, followed shortly by first-hand evidence of the fighting as wounded ships began to arrive.
From the diary of S1/c James J. Fahey, USS MONTPELIER:
Tuesday, November 7, 1944: The war news for the last week of October said that our Navy knocked the Jap Navy out and our troops landed in the Central Philippines on Leyte... They called it the greatest sea battle in history, the Japs lost 64 warships. We will be out there soon. Today is election day, I think Roosevelt will get elected again. Everyone here thinks he will get in by a big margin.
10 November 1944
From the diary of S1/c James J. Fahey, USS MONTPELIER:
On the way out [of Pearl Harbor], a light cruiser and two destroyers came in. They were all banged up from the sea battle Oct 23, 1944 [sic], it will take some time to repair them... the bridge on one of the ships was blown off. They must have had a lot of casualties.
The light cruiser that Fahey was describing was a sister CLEVELAND, USS BIRMINGHAM CL-62. Just over two weeks earlier, on 24 Oct 1944, she had pulled alongside USS PRINCETON CVL-23 after the light carrier was struck by a Japanese bomb off Leyte. BIRMINGHAM had successfully fought fires aboard PRINCETON for several hours, until the carrier's torpedo storage detonated in a savage explosion, raining steel debris across the light cruiser from point blank range. BIRMINGHAM's topside crew was decimated; many firefighters, AA crewmen, and other sailors were killed or gravely wounded.
USS BIRMINGHAM CL-62 at right, fighting fires aft on PRINCETON CVL-23, 24 October 1944.
-U.S. Navy Photo reproduced from www.navsource.org
CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE
Taken from the deck of BIRMINGHAM CL-62 shortly before the explosion, this photo illustrates how exposed many of her crew were, whether fighting fires, manning an antiaircraft mount, or just spectating.
-U.S. Navy Photo reproduced from www.navsource.org
USS PRINCETON's torpedo storage detonates, blowing off most of her stern and aft flight deck. This explosion doomed PRINCETON to eventual scuttling and crippled BIRMINGHAM. Although the light cruiser's damage was primarily superficial, her topside crew took heavy casualties.
-U.S. Navy Photo reproduced from www.navsource.org
This incident had taken place while ASTORIA was still at Mare Island. But when BIRMINGHAM CL-62 limped into Pearl Harbor on 10 November, the Mighty Ninety had a close-up view of what could become the fate of a CLEVELAND-class cruiser in the Pacific War.
ASTORIA plankowner Herbert Blodgett also recorded this incident in his diary, and later wrote:
Our introduction to the downside of war came at Pearl Harbor when we watched [the BIRMINGHAM] come in from the Western Pacific. She crossed slowly by us at our dock, we could see her damage which had occurred when she went alongside the light carrier PRINCETON to help put out fires, only to have the carrier blow up, killing many men on each ship... I had never seen anyone get hurt or killed. So wow, we suddenly learned that war could be dangerous to our health.
BIRMINGHAM CL-62 as she looked returning stateside for repair.
-U.S. Navy Photo reproduced from www.navsource.org
A closeup view of BIRMINGHAM CL-62's aft superstructure covered with splinter damage.
-U.S. Navy Photo reproduced from www.navsource.org
USS ASTORIA remained in Hawaii for another week and continued performing gunnery drills. Before leaving Hawaii, the Mighty Ninety crew also received a brief liberty on Oahu.
CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE
ASTORIA CL-90's starboard aft 5-inch mount fires during gunnery drills off Hawaii.
-photo taken by U.S. Navy Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Herman Schnipper
Spotting gunfire from high in ASTORIA's superstructure.
-photo taken by U.S. Navy Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Herman Schnipper
CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE
Two of Mighty Ninety's port 40mm guns in action during gunnery drills--a twin mount amidships and quad mount aft.
-photo taken by U.S. Navy Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Herman Schnipper
ASTORIA plankowner Anthony Migliorisi (right) with his brother Vincent (left) and an unidentified shipmate in Honolulu, 12 November. Inset is writing from the reverse of the photo, showing a typical wartime redaction by a U.S. mail censor.
-photo courtesy Robert A. Migliorisi
16 November 1944
USS ASTORIA departed Hawaii and headed west for her next stop, Eniwetok. En route she passed through the "Domain of the Golden Dragon," also known as the 180th meridian or the International Date Line. Crossing the 180th meant losing a day in time, and was often accompanied by ceremonies for the uninitiated aboard U.S. Navy vessels. The service records for ASTORIA sailors aboard ship at this time list a cryptic entry for this event signed by the ship's executive officer.
The course of USS ASTORIA CL-90 from Hawaii to Eniwetok, crossing the 180th meridian en route.
-CL-90 Track Chart reproduced from 1986 Reunion Program in Brent Jones collection.
Entry from service record of ASTORIA plankowner Lawrence C. Jones reflecting crossing of International Date Line en route to Eniwetok on 18-19 November 1944.
-Brent Jones collection
23 November 1944
The crew of the Mighty Ninety had a fine Thanksgiving dinner aboard ship while provisioning at Eniwetok, last stop before joining the Pacific Fleet. Afterward she got underway for her destination in the Caroline Islands: Ulithi Atoll.
Eniwetok as seen from ASTORIA on Thanksgiving Day, 23 Nov 1944.
-photo taken by U.S. Navy Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Herman Schnipper
25 November 1944
While ASTORIA made her journey across the Pacific, the carnage continued for the Fast Carrier Task Force in the final stages of Leyte operations. By now the entire fleet was familiar with the term "Kamikaze" and what it meant--and on 25 November they struck U.S. carriers with a fury. Four carriers were damaged to various degrees: HANCOCK CV-19, CABOT CVL-28, INTREPID CV-11, and ESSEX CV-9. As a result, the strikes planned for the next day were called off and the fast carriers retired for Ulithi Anchorage, ending their support of Leyte.
CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE
A Japanese suicide plane crashes ESSEX CV-9 on the port side of her flight deck forward, 25 Nov 1944. The trailing smoke is the result of hits scored on the plane as it performed its dive. The damage was not severe, but 15 crewmen were killed. The CLEVELAND-class cruiser behind ESSEX is either SANTA FE CL-60 or MOBILE CL-63.
-U.S. Navy photo in NARA collection
The second of two hits on INTREPID CV-11, 25 Nov 1944. The plane released a bomb which exploded in the hangar deck as the aircraft breaks apart and rains flaming debris across the flight deck. Damage to INTREPID's flight deck and arresting gear made recovery impossible for the 75 planes she had airborne; they were forced to land on other carriers. INTREPID suffered heavy casualties this day--69 dead and missing, 35 wounded.
-U.S. Navy photo in NARA collection
From Retaking the Philippines:
American brass in the Philippines came to grips with the fact that they were being confronted by a revolutionary method of warfare, one that presented a serious threat to the future conduct of the war: swarms of Kamikazes were wreaking havoc with American vessels in Philippine waters. No longer could the suicide attacks be shrugged off as isolated acts of desperation.
So serious was the menace that General MacArthur and Admiral Nimitz had ordered a news blackout to prevent the Japanese high command from learning of the enormous damage and casualties its suicide pilots were inflicting, and to keep the American homefront from panicking.
Admiral William Halsey wrote that "further casual strikes did not appear profitable; only strikes in great force for valuable stakes or at vital times would justify exposure of the fast carriers to suicidal attacks--at least until better defensive techniques were perfected." The Japanese Special Attack Corps was forcing the U.S. Navy to change their tactics. At Leyte, one carrier had been lost and five others left the area requiring extensive repairs.
Such was the state of war in the Pacific Theater. And the next time the fast carriers sortied against Imperial Japan, ASTORIA would be tasked with protecting them.
NEXT: REPORTING FOR DUTY
CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ADVANCE TO NEXT PAGE
BACK TO SHIP HISTORY
Sources:
Blodgett, Herbert. "Remembering Typhoon Cobra." U.S. Navy Cruiser Sailors Association Quarterly, Summer 2006, pp. 29-30.
Breuer, William B. Retaking the Philippines. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press, 1986.
Cote, Larry. Private photo collection.
Fahey, James J. Pacific War Diary 1942-1945. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1963.
Jones, Brent. Private document collection.
Migliorisi, Robert A. Private photo collection.
Morison, Samuel Eliot. History of
Unk. editor. MIGHTY NINETY: USS ASTORIA CL-90 cruise book. Unk. publisher, 1946.
www.archives.gov National Archives and Records Administration WWII photo archive.
www.navsource.org cruiser photo archive.
This Order of the Golden Dragon card was given to "Trusty Dragon Backs," or sailors who had crossed the 180th Meridian aboard a U.S. Navy ship. This particular card was made for shipmates of PASADENA CL-65, ASTORIA's sister cruiser in CruDiv17.
-Brent Jones collection
25-31 October 1944
USS ASTORIA, MONTPELIER, and BALTIMORE steam toward Pearl Harbor. Their experience over this period was recorded in the diary of S1/c James J. Fahey, USS MONTPELIER:
The weather was very cold and the sea was very rough until we were about one day from Pearl Harbor. Quite a few men got seasick, I did not. We ate our meals on the deck because the sea was too rough to set the benches and tables; they would have crashed into the bulkheads. We had to wear plenty of clothing on watch to keep warm.
The other ships with us would almost go out of sight in the heavy big seas because the waters were so rough. The light cruiser ASTORIA and the heavy cruiser BALTIMORE also had left with us along with [destroyers].
We fired all guns on the way to Pearl Harbor. Also, the same day we pulled into Pearl Harbor, B-26 bombers towed sleeves for us to shoot at... When we pulled into Pearl Harbor we tied up to a buoy. The weather was warm and it felt good to go around in your shirtsleeves. Our mail went off the ship and movies were held topside the first night we got there.
One of ASTORIA's quad 40mm gun crews performs gunnery drills off Pearl Harbor. Note the clips of 40mm shells at the ready in the surrounding splinter shield. These were fed by the loaders into each gun while in use, providing continuous fire when needed.
-photo taken by U.S. Navy Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Herman Schnipper
31 October 1944
Upon arrival at Pearl, USS ASTORIA reported for duty with Commander Cruisers Pacific (COMCRUPAC). She would remain in Hawaiian waters for the next sixteen days, continuing her gunnery drills. During this time, news poured in regarding the battle for Leyte, followed shortly by first-hand evidence of the fighting as wounded ships began to arrive.
From the diary of S1/c James J. Fahey, USS MONTPELIER:
Tuesday, November 7, 1944: The war news for the last week of October said that our Navy knocked the Jap Navy out and our troops landed in the Central Philippines on Leyte... They called it the greatest sea battle in history, the Japs lost 64 warships. We will be out there soon. Today is election day, I think Roosevelt will get elected again. Everyone here thinks he will get in by a big margin.
10 November 1944
From the diary of S1/c James J. Fahey, USS MONTPELIER:
On the way out [of Pearl Harbor], a light cruiser and two destroyers came in. They were all banged up from the sea battle Oct 23, 1944 [sic], it will take some time to repair them... the bridge on one of the ships was blown off. They must have had a lot of casualties.
The light cruiser that Fahey was describing was a sister CLEVELAND, USS BIRMINGHAM CL-62. Just over two weeks earlier, on 24 Oct 1944, she had pulled alongside USS PRINCETON CVL-23 after the light carrier was struck by a Japanese bomb off Leyte. BIRMINGHAM had successfully fought fires aboard PRINCETON for several hours, until the carrier's torpedo storage detonated in a savage explosion, raining steel debris across the light cruiser from point blank range. BIRMINGHAM's topside crew was decimated; many firefighters, AA crewmen, and other sailors were killed or gravely wounded.
USS BIRMINGHAM CL-62 at right, fighting fires aft on PRINCETON CVL-23, 24 October 1944.
-U.S. Navy Photo reproduced from www.navsource.org
CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE
Taken from the deck of BIRMINGHAM CL-62 shortly before the explosion, this photo illustrates how exposed many of her crew were, whether fighting fires, manning an antiaircraft mount, or just spectating.
-U.S. Navy Photo reproduced from www.navsource.org
USS PRINCETON's torpedo storage detonates, blowing off most of her stern and aft flight deck. This explosion doomed PRINCETON to eventual scuttling and crippled BIRMINGHAM. Although the light cruiser's damage was primarily superficial, her topside crew took heavy casualties.
-U.S. Navy Photo reproduced from www.navsource.org
This incident had taken place while ASTORIA was still at Mare Island. But when BIRMINGHAM CL-62 limped into Pearl Harbor on 10 November, the Mighty Ninety had a close-up view of what could become the fate of a CLEVELAND-class cruiser in the Pacific War.
ASTORIA plankowner Herbert Blodgett also recorded this incident in his diary, and later wrote:
Our introduction to the downside of war came at Pearl Harbor when we watched [the BIRMINGHAM] come in from the Western Pacific. She crossed slowly by us at our dock, we could see her damage which had occurred when she went alongside the light carrier PRINCETON to help put out fires, only to have the carrier blow up, killing many men on each ship... I had never seen anyone get hurt or killed. So wow, we suddenly learned that war could be dangerous to our health.
BIRMINGHAM CL-62 as she looked returning stateside for repair.
-U.S. Navy Photo reproduced from www.navsource.org
A closeup view of BIRMINGHAM CL-62's aft superstructure covered with splinter damage.
-U.S. Navy Photo reproduced from www.navsource.org
USS ASTORIA remained in Hawaii for another week and continued performing gunnery drills. Before leaving Hawaii, the Mighty Ninety crew also received a brief liberty on Oahu.
CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE
ASTORIA CL-90's starboard aft 5-inch mount fires during gunnery drills off Hawaii.
-photo taken by U.S. Navy Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Herman Schnipper
Spotting gunfire from high in ASTORIA's superstructure.
-photo taken by U.S. Navy Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Herman Schnipper
CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE
Two of Mighty Ninety's port 40mm guns in action during gunnery drills--a twin mount amidships and quad mount aft.
-photo taken by U.S. Navy Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Herman Schnipper
ASTORIA plankowner Anthony Migliorisi (right) with his brother Vincent (left) and an unidentified shipmate in Honolulu, 12 November. Inset is writing from the reverse of the photo, showing a typical wartime redaction by a U.S. mail censor.
-photo courtesy Robert A. Migliorisi
16 November 1944
USS ASTORIA departed Hawaii and headed west for her next stop, Eniwetok. En route she passed through the "Domain of the Golden Dragon," also known as the 180th meridian or the International Date Line. Crossing the 180th meant losing a day in time, and was often accompanied by ceremonies for the uninitiated aboard U.S. Navy vessels. The service records for ASTORIA sailors aboard ship at this time list a cryptic entry for this event signed by the ship's executive officer.
The course of USS ASTORIA CL-90 from Hawaii to Eniwetok, crossing the 180th meridian en route.
-CL-90 Track Chart reproduced from 1986 Reunion Program in Brent Jones collection.
Entry from service record of ASTORIA plankowner Lawrence C. Jones reflecting crossing of International Date Line en route to Eniwetok on 18-19 November 1944.
-Brent Jones collection
23 November 1944
The crew of the Mighty Ninety had a fine Thanksgiving dinner aboard ship while provisioning at Eniwetok, last stop before joining the Pacific Fleet. Afterward she got underway for her destination in the Caroline Islands: Ulithi Atoll.
Eniwetok as seen from ASTORIA on Thanksgiving Day, 23 Nov 1944.
-photo taken by U.S. Navy Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Herman Schnipper
25 November 1944
While ASTORIA made her journey across the Pacific, the carnage continued for the Fast Carrier Task Force in the final stages of Leyte operations. By now the entire fleet was familiar with the term "Kamikaze" and what it meant--and on 25 November they struck U.S. carriers with a fury. Four carriers were damaged to various degrees: HANCOCK CV-19, CABOT CVL-28, INTREPID CV-11, and ESSEX CV-9. As a result, the strikes planned for the next day were called off and the fast carriers retired for Ulithi Anchorage, ending their support of Leyte.
CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE
A Japanese suicide plane crashes ESSEX CV-9 on the port side of her flight deck forward, 25 Nov 1944. The trailing smoke is the result of hits scored on the plane as it performed its dive. The damage was not severe, but 15 crewmen were killed. The CLEVELAND-class cruiser behind ESSEX is either SANTA FE CL-60 or MOBILE CL-63.
-U.S. Navy photo in NARA collection
The second of two hits on INTREPID CV-11, 25 Nov 1944. The plane released a bomb which exploded in the hangar deck as the aircraft breaks apart and rains flaming debris across the flight deck. Damage to INTREPID's flight deck and arresting gear made recovery impossible for the 75 planes she had airborne; they were forced to land on other carriers. INTREPID suffered heavy casualties this day--69 dead and missing, 35 wounded.
-U.S. Navy photo in NARA collection
From Retaking the Philippines:
American brass in the Philippines came to grips with the fact that they were being confronted by a revolutionary method of warfare, one that presented a serious threat to the future conduct of the war: swarms of Kamikazes were wreaking havoc with American vessels in Philippine waters. No longer could the suicide attacks be shrugged off as isolated acts of desperation.
So serious was the menace that General MacArthur and Admiral Nimitz had ordered a news blackout to prevent the Japanese high command from learning of the enormous damage and casualties its suicide pilots were inflicting, and to keep the American homefront from panicking.
Admiral William Halsey wrote that "further casual strikes did not appear profitable; only strikes in great force for valuable stakes or at vital times would justify exposure of the fast carriers to suicidal attacks--at least until better defensive techniques were perfected." The Japanese Special Attack Corps was forcing the U.S. Navy to change their tactics. At Leyte, one carrier had been lost and five others left the area requiring extensive repairs.
Such was the state of war in the Pacific Theater. And the next time the fast carriers sortied against Imperial Japan, ASTORIA would be tasked with protecting them.
NEXT: REPORTING FOR DUTY
CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ADVANCE TO NEXT PAGE
BACK TO SHIP HISTORY
Sources:
Blodgett, Herbert. "Remembering Typhoon Cobra." U.S. Navy Cruiser Sailors Association Quarterly, Summer 2006, pp. 29-30.
Breuer, William B. Retaking the Philippines. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press, 1986.
Cote, Larry. Private photo collection.
Fahey, James J. Pacific War Diary 1942-1945. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1963.
Jones, Brent. Private document collection.
Migliorisi, Robert A. Private photo collection.
Morison, Samuel Eliot. History of
Unk. editor. MIGHTY NINETY: USS ASTORIA CL-90 cruise book. Unk. publisher, 1946.
www.archives.gov National Archives and Records Administration WWII photo archive.
www.navsource.org cruiser photo archive.
