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8-9-44 Enewetok.
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From 9 August until 29th remained at Eniwetok, Manila Island, conducting occasional gunnery tracking exercises. Time was primarily devoted to upkeep. BOYD was now with Task Group 38.1.
We officially joined forces with "Bull" Halsey and his Third Fleet at Eniwetok after the Bonin job, and left a few days later to conduct air strikes against Mindanao, Cebu, and Negros Islands in the Philippines.
08/10 Thu. Organized Japanese resistance ends on Guam, Marianas Island.
08/23 Wed. Destroyer and smaller naval vessels bombard enemy installations and positions on Aguijan Island, Marianas Islands; bombardment is repeated daily until 26 August.
War News Summarized
The New York Times, Thursday, August 24, 1944
The Japanese Premier warned his people that the United States was planning an invasion of the home islands.
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8-28-44 Assigned T.G.
38.1.
8-29-44 Bonines (Chi Chi Jima) Air Attack Sunk Ships
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Left Eniwetok, 29 August, conducting exercises.
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9-3-44 Yap Palu.
9-4-44 Palue.
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Task Group 38.1 hit Palau on 6-8 September, leaving for Mindanao on the eighth.
09/06 Wed. Aircraft from fast carrier force (Vice Adm. M. A. Mitscher) composed of 16 carriers, and cruisers and destroyers strike Japanese aircraft installations and defenses on Yap, Ulithi, and the Palau Islands in the western Caroline Islands group. Attacks continue through 8 September.
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9-7-44 Strike Palue.
9-9-44 60 miles of Mindana. Few boggies shot down by force.
9-10-44 Mindinale
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She Joined TF 58 for the occupation of the southern Palaus (9-24 September).
On 9 and 10 September, Task Group hit Mindanao in air strikes.
09/09 Sat. Aircraft from fast carrier task force (Vice Adm. M. A. Mitscher) commence 2-day strike against Japanese shipping, facilities, and aircraft at Mindanao, P. I.
12-14 September hit Cebu and Negros.
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9-13-44 G.Q. many boggies. 30 miles of Leyte.
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She Joined TF 58 for the Morotai landings (15 September).At this time Task Group 38.1 separated from other groups of Task Force 38 proceeded to Morotai to cover landings there. The Task Group then returned to join up with 38.2 and 38.3 and departed for air strikes against Luzon.
War News Summarized
The New York Times, Sunday, August 17, 1944
President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill brought their war talks in Quebec to a close yesterday with a pledge to launch a devistating assault on Japan with all the resources of the British Empire and the United States as soon as Europe is freed from "the corroding heel of Nazism." The two leaders said they had reached a quick and complete unanimity on plans for prosecuting the war against "the barbarians of the Pacific."
Seasoned marines who conquered Guadalcanal appeared to be well on their way toward hitting the Japanese with the same sort of lightning again. A little more than a day after their invasion of Peleliu island in the Palau group, 610 miles east of Davao in the Philippines, the battle-scarred veterans had fought through strong enemy tank and artillery fire and had conquered the island's airfield. Meanwhile, General MacArthur's Army troops, fashioning the southern claw of a pincers aimed at the Philippines were putting the captured airfield on Morotai into shape. Alarmed Tokyo had no doubt as to the why of the two American invasions and ordered evacuation of Davao in the southern Philippines.
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9-19-44 Passed few days covered Palu on invasion.
9-21-44 Air strike Manila. Sunk many ships.
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Strikes were made on 21 and 22 September.After hitting the Visayans, we moved on up to Luzon where we broke up another big Jap air attack and then steamed over to Manus Island in the Admiralty's, dropping the hook in Seadler Harbor.
09/21 Thu. Aircraft from 12 carriers (Vice Adm. M. A. Mitscher) commence 2-day attack against Japanese shipping and airfields on Luzon, P. I.
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9-22-44 Air attack. Shot 2 down. No ships damaged. Standing of Luzon in visual range.
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At dawn on 22nd while acting as linking vessel between Task Groups, air attacks were made on our ships. Due to foul range few shots were fired by BOYD.
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9-24-44 Negros hit.
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On 24 September conducted air strikes on Cebu and set sail for Seeadler Harbor, Manus Admiralty Islands, arriving on 28 September.
09/24 Sun. Aircraft from 12 carriers (Vice Adm. M. A. Mitscher) attack aircraft, ground installations, and shipping in the Visayas, P. I.
09/25 Mon. Submarine NAUTILUS (SS-168) lands supplies on Cebu,P. I.
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9-29-44 Entered Manus.
10-2-44 Left Manus.
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Departed from Manus, on 2 October with Task Group 38.1 which conducted first strike against Okinawa in Ryukyus.
Early October found us leaving Manus for our next assignment which, we learned, would take us to Okinawa in the Ryukyus and from there to Formosa.
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10-8-44 Hit Islands south of Japan. Nada - Ect.
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We didn't have much trouble in the Okinawa area but ran into a hornet's next at Formosa.
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10-10-44 "Formosa" Heavy Jap air attacks.
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She joined TF 38 for the strikes against Okinawa (10 October).The Jap raids came "round the clock", they hit us night and day, and there was hardly a moment when we weren't at General Quarters because of "bogies" in the neighborhood.
10/10 Tue. Aircraft from fast carrier task force (Vice Adm. M. A. Mitscher) composed of 17 carriers, escorted by 5 battleships, 14 cruisers, and 58 destroyers bomb Japanese shipping and shore facilities on Okinawa and other islands in the Ryukyus.
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10-11-44 Heavy air attacks.
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She joined TF 38 for the strikes against northern Luzon and Formosa (11-14 October).
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10-12-44 Jap air attack still. Japs still hitting us. Still hitting Formosa.
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The Task Force closed the Island of Formosa and conducted strikes against that island 12-14 October. During these strikes the force was under constant air attack.
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