Seizing the Initiative
4
0200 January 12, 1947.
Naval Base San Diego.
The transports for Operation Reprisal had arrived in San Diego and now the operation could commence.
RADM Noyes and USS
Honolulu would arrive off Hawai'i before the transports to make sure there were no Japanese fleet units in the area. They would report back to the transport fleets and then proceed to reconnoiter the other sea zones around the island chain. Operating at the edge of air cover was dangerous and the American military could not afford to lose transports or divisions to the IJN.
1800 January 12, 1947.
USS
Independence, Flagship of Task Force King, Atlantic Ocean.
Admiral King had found no enemy vessels at his assigned sea zone, but bombers to the northwest were still bombing German subs and destroyers.
He ordered his fleet to set a course east, to cut off the Germans if they chose to proceed with their current course, and then north to engage them if they were still in the Corner Spearmounts when he arrived south of their position. To the north, Nimitz was moving to intercept as well.
0000 January 13, 1947.
War Department.
Admiral Leahy had a new ship to deploy.
USS
Belleau Wood, one of two light carriers due in 1947, had finished sea trials and was ready for service. She and her sister ship, USS
Langley, would serve in Task Force King, once it returned from the Atlantic, replacing the two obsolete
Saipan-class light carriers currently in the fleet.
Late that evening, Admirals Nimitz and King turned back, having arrived in their assigned zones and found nothing.
Not even the bombers were picking up German ships now; General Spaatz had located a single Italian submarine, but that was hardly worth the effort of a chase with eighteen or twenty combat vessels. A new contact report might change their plans.
2300 January 13, 1947.
USS
Honolulu, off Hawai'i.
Noyes had arrived off the Hawaiian Islands and confirmed that neither Maui nor the large island were defended by Japanese troops.
Now
Honolulu would sail northwest and then to the East Hawaiian Rise to make sure there was no IJN presence in the area. Once in the East Hawaiian rise, the cruiser would remain on station until the troops had disembarked.
0800 January 14, 1947.
Task Force King, Corner Spearmounts.
Night patrols had discovered German Admiral Krancke's fleet by accident, but King engaged them anyway.
One destroyer had already suffered serious damage from land-based naval bombers. King had Admiral Nimitz informed of the battle, and Nimitz responded that his task force would be brough to a full stop until the battle concluded
Four hours later, this battle was over, as the enemy fleet broke contact.
Planes from
Independence claimed 13. Zerstoerergeschwader as a kill. After so many defeats, this victory was a feather in Admiral King's cap. He decided to investigate the state of defenses of some nearby islands.
The Azores had to be taken eventually, to secure the Atlantic for the Allies. King would find out if an expedition against the islands should take place sooner or later.
Late that evening, Spaatz and his squadron found more German U-boats.
Admiral Machens was one of several Axis fleet commanders attempting to torpedo the Atlantic at present. Spaatz's squadron wouldn't do much damage against this fleet.
Nimitz moved to intercept Machens' squadron. His ships could be effective against the submarines.
Eaker and Spaatz were switching places, since there was clearly more enemy activity in the Seamounts than the Grand Banks. Therefore, the Seamounts would have two wings patrolling them, rather than a wing and a squadron.
0600 January 15, 1947.
The Waters off Hawai'i and Iceland.
Operation Parasol and Operation Reprisal were kicking off simultaneously.
Stillwell and Cates directed the landings of their marines on Maui and Hawai'i. Cates was tasked with seizing the airbase on Hawai'i, so US Naval Bombers could extend their range farther out into the Pacific. Stillwell would drive the Japanese out of Pearl Harbor as soon as his troops were properly organized.
Meanwhile, Vandenberg was liberating the island he had been driven from earlier in the war. There were no Japanese forces in Iceland, which made this a fairly simple affair.
Later that evening, Noyes and USS
Honolulu arrived off Johnson Island.
This island, a valuable air and naval base, was also undefended. The Japanese had apparently written off the Americans, concluding they had nothing to fear ever again from the United States Army, Navy, Air Force or Marine Corps. If so, they would come to regret this mistake, Noyes thought.
2000 January 16, 1947.
USS
Honolulu, East Hawaiian Rise
Noyes was biding his time by keeping up to date with action in the North Atlantic. German fleets under Machens and Brancke were pursued day and night by Eaker's and Spaatz's bomber wings, while Nimitz and King attempted to intercept them. King had arrived off the Azores and discovered only a single Japanese marine division on the islands. Perhaps Vandenberg's corps would assault the Azores next. Noyes was reading a combat report from Eaker about bombing an Italian sub west of the Azores when the alarm was sounded. Noyes rushed out of his cabin to the bridge and his first lieutenant told him the bad news.
Twelve hundred Japanese planes were on their way to bomb the hell out of his ship. He would need four hours to get out of range. He sent an urgent message to Naval Base San Diego, recommending they redirect all available bombers to the waters off Hawai'i, as the Japanese carriers were certainly heading toward the transports to the northwest.
He also communicated with Admiral Reeves and the transport fleets. They called back the troops and turned back for San Diego. They wouldn't be able to outrun the Japanese fleet, but hopefully the bombers could inflict some damage when the Japanese sailed into range of American air cover.
One hour later,
Honolulu had suffered some damage; maybe the rainstorm had spared the cruiser some damage, but Noyes couldn't tell. He thought he and his crew were under serious attacks, weather notwithstanding. There was a brief break in the bombing and he recalled his last venture out into the Pacific, nine months ago. He had lost his fleet then; when the next hour brought more torpedo bombers, he was sure he'd lose it again.
Sixty more minutes went by, and the waves of Japanese planes never ceased.
Honolulu took a bomb right forward of her bow turret.
Thus ended the maiden voyage of USS
Honolulu.
In Memoriam
The Men and Officers of USS Honolulu
Lost January 16, 1947
