December 1, 1943 Naples, Italy

GQ 0600-0730. Watch 2230-0230. Arrived at Naples harbor 0900 and anchored out. Transports entered, tied up and unloaded the troops during the day. The third section had a liberty in Naples. Watch 1230-1730.

Underway at 1200 for MEK with five transports and five escorts. Watch 0730-1230 and turn to for the day.

Watch 2230-0230 and turn to in the morning. Arrived Tunisian war channel 1700 leaving three transports off at Bizerte, at 2300. Watch 1230-1730 and the convoy ahead of us was attacked by torpedo bombers. They lost three ships and three hundred and fifty men reported floating in the water dead in their life jackets from the concussion of the bombs dropped. They sure do put out the dope on the convoys. We have been mighty lucky so far with all our traveling and being around here for so long.

Watch 0230-0730 turn to, school and instruction period. Watch 1730-2230 and passed 60 ship convoy out of Algiers.

Watch 0730-1230 turn to, entered MEK at 1250 with liberty for the first section. Mail came aboard. Fueled ship and moored to the Epervier.

Underway at 0800 to fire 20mm machine guns at sleeves. All the ships in the squadron fired except us. The sleeves were all shot down by then so we missed out on the firing. Returned to port at 1200 and rated liberty, stayed aboard.

At war two years today. Underway 0800 for torpedo firing practice and 20mm firing. Pretty good shooting for us today. Received news of Phil Vockeraths and Buddy Shickerlings deaths over Germany, also George Kain. They were friends of mine at home.

Underway 0700 for 20mm and 5" firing practice. Control trained out on Aircobra plane diving on the ship and sure did have a time following them around in the air. Watch 1230-1730. Formal inspection again in the morning.

Up at 0400 and turn to for inspection by the squadron commander. Air raid alert at 1800 and no liberty because of unidentified planes in the vicinity.

Turn to. Wrasse, the chief Quartermaster, was transferred back to the States today on rehabilitation leave and new construction orders. Lost a good pal there. In getting underway, we hit the Gleaves and dropped our starboard anchor on her fantail. High winds kept us against the Gleaves when we tried to pull away from her. Watch 1730-2230.

Watch 0730-1230 and turn to. Arrived in Algiers 0730 and tied up to a US destroyer, after fueling ship. Quarters 1300 and liberty for the second section. At 1313 a British destroyer went to the aid of a liberty ship torpedoed just outside the harbor and she got hit in the bow just below the waterline before she even got out of the harbor. All ships were alerted and told to get underway as soon as possible. The US ships in port called all men ashore back to their ships by using loud speakers on trucks through town. At 1530 we got underway leaving 28 men still on the beach. There are 2 cans, 2 DE's and 1 British can on this sub hunt. Watch 2230-0230. We ran aground during our fueling this morning and fouled our port sound gear, so we can only ping on the starboard side during this hunt. This leaves us with one side completely blind and unguarded, so we may have some trouble ourselves before we find this sub. This was to start a 10 day rest period for us.

Watch 1230-1730 with a half holiday and still on the sub hunt. At 1600 the British can left us and proceeded on her way. We took off after her and together rushed toward Phillipville where another British can was torpedoed at 1630. We arrived in the area about midnight but the Niblack got there first and picked up the survivors and transferred them to a hospital ship standing by. A plane reported the sub on the surface back toward Algiers so we again took off, this time with the Niblack. Doing 30 knots headed for Algiers.

Watch 0230-0730. Arrived in the reported area of the sub at 0330 and searched in vain for a contact. We headed eastward as that was in the direction the sub was believed to have taken. At 1500, the Wainwright reported a sub contact and we closed her position to see what it was. We started to circle and drop, the Wainwright, a Britisher, Benson and Niblack. The Wainwright had contact on her starboard beam after her circle was completed, and she reversed and dropped again. This brought the sub to the surface and then the Wainwright opened up with 20mm and 40mm and her 5" battery. The German sailors came right out of the conning tower and jumped into the sea, with two men staying aboard and scuttling the sub. There were 50 prisoners taken. The first run of the Wainwright hit the sub and she tried to surface, the rest of us following and dropping drove her down again. He thought there were too many of us up there for him to get away so he came up. The skipper of the sub was only about 23 and had two Iron Crosses on him. He saw a ball game in Boston in 1935. Watch 1730-2230 and headed for Algiers and the remainder of our ten day rest period.

Arrived in Algiers at 0700, fueled ship and tied up to the dock. Liberty again for the second section. Crew that missed the hunt came back from a weekend in the second most sinful city in the world. Said they had a good time too.

Underway 0730 and entered dry-dock to fix the sound gear we had ruined fueling just before the sub hunt. All hands turn to painting the water line. Watch 1600-2000.

Turn to. Up at 2330 last night and painted the water line all night long as we have to get out of the dry-dock in the morning. Out of dry-dock at 0700 and tied up again. Watch 0800-1200 and liberty 1300 for me. Had a real good time for a change. Payday this morning and I now have $87 on the books. Went into the Casbah, which is restricted, and looked around as our gang was on shore patrol and we could get in. It sure is a dirty hole and no cars can get in as it is all steps and narrow alleyways. Plenty of the fellows get killed when being robbed in the Casbah.

Underway 0615 for Naples with 6 transports, Gleaves, Plunkett, Ludlow, Niblack, Wainwright and 2 minesweeps. Off Phillipville at 2300 and picked up more transports. Watch 1730-2230 and GQ at sunset.

Watch 0730-1230 and GQ at 0939 for a Brigadier, a British prize- crew aboard an Italian sailing vessel. Met several other convoys in the morning bound for Gibraltar. Entered the Tunisian war channel 0700 and left the Sicilian War channel at 1500. Woolsey sank a sub off Oran two days ago.

Watch 2230-0230, GQ 0610-0750 and turn to in the morning. Arrived in Naples 1300 and watch 1230-1730. Second section liberty 1300-1700 and watch again 2000-2400.

Up at 0900 imagine that for a change. Liberty for the first section and I got ashore at 1230 for the first time in Italy. Found Naples a nice place and some fairly good looking girls are running around for a change, not Arabs as we are used to. Returned to the ship at 1400 and underway at 1600 for Oran with 6 transports and 7 escorts. Watch 1730-2230.

GQ 0610 and watch 0730-1230. Safety precaution instruction for all hands off watch. The French Moroccan soldiers we brought to Naples three weeks ago are relieving the 5th Army for awhile at the front. GQ 1650-1750 and chow at 1800. GQ 2000 for a radar contact that proved to be nothing we could find.

Watch 2230-0230 and GQ 0630 and I hit the sack all morning. Watch 1230-1730. We passed through the war channels during the afternoon and met convoys headed for Naples. No night GQ as it was storming badly. We expect mail and maybe turkeys for our Christmas.

GQ 0630 watch 0230-0730 and arrived in MEK 0930. Fueled ship and tied up to the hulk of the Epervier. Received 21 letters and saw a good movie and hit the sack.

Watch 2200-0400 last night. Turn to on charts all day and our turkey came aboard for tomorrow, also more mail. It is Christmas the far as I am concerned for the mail I got. A new striker came aboard -- he is a nice kid from Conn.

Up at 0700 and loafed all day. Turkey soup, roast turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, peas, carrots, pumpkin pie, ice cream and a cigar for all hands was our Christmas dinner. We spotted a Christmas tree on the side of the mountain in front of the ship and went over and chopped it small enough for the mess hall. We had our electricians color some flash light bulbs and strung them on the tree. Dug up some tinsel from somewhere and had ourselves a Christmas. The officers had a tree, but wouldn't give it to us. We told them what to do with it when they offered it to us later in the day, as we had our own then. Watch 1200-1600.

Worked on charts all day to make up for yesterday's holiday. Ready duty commenced for us at 1200. The German battleship Sharenhorst was sunk by British cruisers on the Murmansk run. She attacked the convoy three times. Shot at once by the cruisers and the second run they gave her a broadside and she came in again and they took after her and sunk her with their torpedoes. Quite a feat for the English as this as the sister ship of the Von Tirpitz and a sort of a myth for the Germans. Underway to outfield patrol at 1600, watch 1730-2230.

Arrived in port at 0800 fueled and tied up to the hulk again. Third section liberty and turn to. Quarters for muster and passed out life belt capsules for a long time to come. This was the first in five months. Watch 1600-2000 and saw a movie and hit the sack. Got 4 letters today.

Underway 0845 and watch 0730-1230. Patrolled all morning off Oran and the convoy came out at 1300 for Naples. Woolsey, Gleaves, Trippe, Ludlow and Benson, two minesweeps and six transports this trip. Practiced streaming the Foxer for sub protection in the morning. It is two pieces of pipe towed on a rope over the stern and they bang together in our wake and the Germans can't

tell where we are exactly by the noise we create in their listening gears. GQ 1725-1850.

Watch 2230-0230 and GQ 0705-0815, watch 1230-1730. Third section got typhus boosters for the typhus epidemic in Naples is spreading. All hands have to have shots before arriving though they don't actually take effect for 30 days. GQ 1700-1825, picked up another ship 0440 from Algiers and a French cruiser joined us too. Picked up three more ships off Phillipville at 2200.

Watch 0230-0730, GQ 0630-0745 and laid smoke screen at sun up for protection as contact was made with a sub by the Woolsey. No hits, no runs and no errors. First and second sections for shots in the afternoon. Watch 1730-2230 GQ 1645-1800.

Watch 0730-1230 and GQ 0620-0750 arriving in Naples at 1300, and anchored out. Heavy storm in the morning and the transports had to wait to enter the inner harbor. No liberty due to the epidemic.

Watch 0000-0400. New Year's was celebrated by the soldiers on the beach by shooting off guns and fire crackers, roman candles and sky rockets. We sat and watched and said Happy New Year to each other. Some New Year's celebration over here. Turkey dinner, and not too good. Starting to work on my second class now. Watch 1600-2000.

Still at anchor all day. Watch 0800-1200 and turn to. Underway at 1930 as we had to navigate for the transport Nae Hellas as she couldn't hold her anchorage and drifted in the strong winds that were blowing up. Her windlass broke and she had no radar to navigate with, so we were elected. We just herded her around all night in the harbor. One transport drifted and hit a mine with many casualties. We don't know whether she sank or not. Watch 2000-0000.

Watch 0230-0730 and underway for Oran with 8 transports, French cruiser and 5 cans, 2 minesweeps. Watch 1730-2230. I was shifted back to the first section again. Very rough seas and heavy weather. GQ 1645-1810. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JIM?

Watch 0730-1230 and GQ 0615-0745 turn to arriving in the Tunisian war channel 1400. Weather very rough and progress slow. GQ 1700-1820.

Watch 2230-0230 left the channel 1200. Two ships left the convoy at Phillipville and we now have 6 left. We are a day late now due to storm and rough seas. Watch 1230-1730, GQ 0645-0800, 1700-1850.

Watch 0230-0730 and the sea is calming down a bit, speed 14 knots. Should have arrived in Oran at 0700 this morning, but not until tonight now. Shots for typhus for the second and third section again. GQ 0700-0815, 1720-1900, and watch 1730-2230. Dropped two ships off at Algiers and the French cruiser went in too. Field day today. Arrived in Oran 2200.

Underway at 0200 for sub hunt with two British cans. Combed Oran area all night and day and fueled 1300 and headed for Gibraltar 1800. Watch 1230-1730. We are going to sweep near Spanish territory, I think.

Arrived off the coast of Spain at 0230, GQ 0230-0730. Went northeast all night on the hunt and turned back for 75 miles. This was as near as we could go to the coast of France without getting into trouble with German bombers. The sub was reported twice during the night by the planes helping us on the hunt. British can with us got a contact and we went to GQ 1130 and we got a contact going to GQ at 1500, though no pig boats were brought up. Watch 1730-2230.

GQ 0015-0515. Plane spotted the sub lying on the Spanish beach and dropped flares to illuminate the target for us. The sub got out fast and went to sea again, figure her to have fueled while lying on the beach. The sub shot down the plane that dropped the flares. Five men on the plane were lost as they were picked up by a Spanish vessel. This made them prisoners of war of a neutral country. The pilot Flying Officer Davison, 107 Squadron of Gibraltar was rescued by the destroyer Brilliante. Proceeding north again to Cape De Palas as the sub was sighted there again, seems like more than one sub in this thing. Watch 0730-1230. Had three and a half hours sleep tonight. No more flour left aboard and no more bread to eat. The supplies are getting very low again.

Watch 2230-0230 and the sub was sighted again at 39 30 N 00 31 W. We searched around 40 30 N all day without any luck. This is getting to be a farce. Instruction period this afternoon. Watch 1230-1730.

Watch 0230-0730 and turn to. Instruction period and still searching for that sub, though we expect to quit this hunt soon now. Sub was not sighted last night. Watch 1730-2230.

Watch 0730-1230 and turned toward home (Oran). At 0800 doing 30 knots. Instruction period. The sub is still safe and six days were wasted. On January 10, thirteen torpedo bombers flew past us about one and a half miles away on our starboard side and the leading two started to come our way but returned to the flight. We could have been worked over plenty by these planes had they decided to get us instead of the convoy they were after at Oran that had just come through the Straits of Gibraltar. They hit one ship in the convoy they were after and the planes stationed in Oran got all 13 of the torpedo bombers. Due in Oran at 1800 and some chow is waiting for us there.

Turn to field day and stores came aboard. Went over to the Vulcan in the afternoon and ate my fill of ice cream, though I had to stand in line all afternoon to do it. Watch 1600-2000 and saw a movie.

Field day and turn to on charts all day for me. Watch 1200-1600. All hands to be issued a pair of Army shoes for free, that is funny as they never gave us anything before. We seem to be going home this time. Everything is signed and in readiness, all we have to do is make another trip east. Here's is hoping it is straight dope this time.

Up at 0700 and drove the jeep 0800-2300. Mail came aboard and today the Captain told me himself in a round about way the ship was ordered to return to the States. He told me to tell the Exec that is was the 22nd and to be ready to go. This was all he told me, but we had been waiting for the word and this was it. He told me not to tell the crew about what I had heard, so I said OK and passed the word in a different way.

Underway 0800 for Bizerte with two liberty ships, one LST and British and Italian cans as escorts. Watch 1230-1730 and turn to for the rest of the day, this should be our last trip.

Watch 0230-0730. Picked up two liberty ships off Algiers at 0600 and GQ 0700. Turned out to be a rainy day for us. Saw both ends of a rainbow today, so there is no pot of gold to look for anymore. One end was on each side of the ship. Watch 1730-2230 and GQ 1730-1845.

GQ 0700-0820 and watch 0230-0730. Arrived in Bizerte 1800 and relief was the Wainwright, turned for Oran at 25 knots. Watch 1730-2230. GQ 1700-1830. Had signal school this afternoon.

Watch 0730-1230 and turn to, school and instruction period today. Arrived in MEK 1725, fueled ship from a liberty ship and liberty for the second section. Drove the Captain's jeep for the night.

Drove the jeep 0800-0000. Had a good time running around on errands all day, so I practically had the jeep to myself. Took the Captain to the officer's club in the evening and stayed myself and enjoyed it too. We leave for the States tomorrow!

Underway at 1000 for Casablanca and points west of there, we hope. In the Mediterranean eight months today, and now we are going home to see what the States are like after these places. Watch 1730-2230. Planes in the Straits of Gibraltar lit us up with anti-sub lights at 2130 just to see what was really on their radars.

Watch 0730-1230 and arrived in Casablanca 1000. Tied up to the Charles F. Hughes and the Commodore came aboard at 1200. Liberty for the second section and I turned to on stateside charts so we wouldn't run aground in the States.

Turn to on charts and the third section had liberty. Seven new Ensigns came aboard for us. Watch 0400-0800 and 1600-2000.

Turn to preparing the ship for sea and home. Aircraft carrier came in today, she is the Guadalcanal. First section liberty and my section is changed to the second again so I got to stay aboard for a change, some change!

Turn to squaring away for sea. We got underway at 1500. Patrolling around inside the minefields and waiting for the convoy to get lined up before we sail in the morning. Watch 1230-1730 and 1730-2230. I stayed on the bridge as a signalman.

Headed for home at last. Watch 0730-1230. The convoy is 56 merchant ships and the speed is 6 knots, this should put us in Norfolk in about 15 days. Passed the cruiser Philadelphia and two destroyers headed for the Mediterranean from the States. Italian subs are steaming for Bermuda on a southerly heading and on the surface in convoy.

Convoy speed 9 knots and good weather is with us. 10 DE's are with us and we are the Senior Officer Present Afloat with a four striper aboard. Watch 2230-0230 and 1230-1730 and turn to with school and instruction period. The convoy commodore has his own signalman and radiomen. One signalman and two radiomen, this means more work for our own men as he is very short handed in his crew.

Watch 0230-0730 and school and instruction period. The dope on our leaves in the States came out today and was everyone mad or were they mad! Everyone gets 6 days leave except those who got wounded or did something special for the ship, and us with 30 days yard time coming up. The crew is plenty burned over this, even the guys who just reported aboard in Casablanca are getting four days leave out of this deal. Watch 1730-2230. Set clocks ahead one hour today.

Watch 0730-1230 and school. The crew stands around and beats their gums and things of thinks to do about it. The officers are trying to get the skipper to change his mind, but it seems useless. Slight wind last night and it slowed the convoy up a bit. All the crew cancelled the war bond allotments as it made the skipper look good to have 100% on the subscriptions, so they fixed that up in a hurry.

Watch 2230-0230. GQ for firing practice with DE's as the Commodore wanted them to get some practice. Watch 1230-1730. Making good time and at 2300 we set the clocks ahead one hour again.

Watch 0230-0730 and turn to. GQ 1030 for firing practice with the DE's. The Eldridge turned off to pick up some joiners from the Azores. Watch 1730-2230.

Watch 0730-1230 and GQ 1030 for firing practice. Turned southward to try and avoid a heavy storm brewing. Joiner from the Azores and the Eldridge joined the convoy at 1300. Half holiday.

Watch 2230-0230 and GQ 1030 for firing practice. Watch 1230-1730. Set clocks ahead one hour at 2300 on two more time changes to go. Stood a six hour watch in the afternoon instead.

Watch 0230-0730 and turn to. Turned southward again because of a storm. The weather has turned bad anyhow. Watch 1730-2230. I have to navigate now besides standing my regular watches as the first class QM, Johnson is sick and in his rack.

Nice night tonight. Leave notices were posted today and I got the six day leave. Stormy weather in the afternoon and watch 0730-1230.

Watch 2230-0230 and up at 0600 for star sights. Rainy and very rough seas so the convoy has slowed down considerably. Inspection of blues and peacoats. Signed our leave papers today. Watch 1230-1730.

Still going southwest, sea rough. Watch 0230-0730, school and instruction period. Saw a movie and watch 1730-2230. We saw a plane from Bermuda today that was looking for the convoy.

Watch 0730-1230. School and instruction period and we saw the plane around again today. Going west. The convoy separated today into Chesapeake and New York sections. Set the clocks ahead again.

Watch 2230-0230. School and instruction period and we saw the plane again this morning. Talk of campaign bars and ration stamps is the word for today. Saw movie and watch 1730-2230.

Watch 0230-0730. School and instruction period. We are south of Bermuda and getting ready to enter New York on the 15th. Saw movie and watch 1730-2230. Sea getting rough and stormy out.

Watch 0730-1230. We had a lecture on how to behave in the States. Turn to for entering the yard. Sea rough and stormy. GQ 0200 and set the clocks ahead for the last time.

Watch 0230-0730 and turn to, lectures on the States again. Sea rough and stormy. Watch 1230-1730.

Watch 0230-0730. Turn to and watch 1730-2230. Chesapeake section of the convoy leaving sometime during the night.

Watch 0730-1230. The Chesapeake section left the convoy at 0300. Delaware section left the convoy at 0900. Estimated time of arrival for us is 0800 the 15th at Ambrose lightship. We dropped a complete pattern of depth charges at 1500 for a bulkhead test. It was quite a jolt as they had to be very shallow to make a

good test. Had a hurricane blow in at 1700 for the night. The barometer dropped 70 points in 10 hours.

Watch 2230-0230. Through the channel 0900 and entered New York harbor at 1300. Unloaded the ammo and tied up in Bayonne Annex, New Jersey for our 30 days yard period of overhaul. My leave starts tomorrow and Ruth is home with the flu.

We were in the Bayonne Annex Navy Yard and had liberty two out of three days and our leaves. The Captain left the ship the first night \and we never saw him again. He went to the hospital in Baltimore, Maryland for observation and he is said to have cracked some from the strain of the cruise. Most of the crew fouled up on their leave and stayed over anywhere from one day to twenty-two days. I stayed one day though it was really unintentional, honest ... On March 15th we left the Annex and went to sea for a trial run and returned to the dock at 35th Street in Brooklyn and waited until the morning of the 16th and went into the Brooklyn Navy Yard for 10 days as they had fouled up our lighting system and we couldn't darken the ship. The new skipper came aboard on the 14th and took the ship out. He is a full commander and seems to be a very good man to have around from what I saw of him today. He is giving us forty-eights and one day duty then a forty-eight again, so that is a good start and should get him places with the crew. On the 27th of March, we got underway from Brooklyn Navy Yard and went to 35th Street Brooklyn for a few days. We stayed there a short time and then went to Portland, Maine and had some practice trial runs with subs and practice in landings, shore bombardment with the new Captain, and sub attacks in a new phase. One ship guides the other over the sub so you can tell when it is changing course at the last minute and then you can change the ship you are guiding to the same course. This is the latest method of fighting subs. We stayed in Portland for 24 days and then we set out for the Mediterranean again with 10 other cans and swept the Atlantic for an area of 65 miles in a straight line all the way to the Straits of Gibraltar looking for subs. There were three other groups of destroyers doing the same thing to the north of us, so we swept a lot of ocean on that deal. Our group didn't get anything that I know of, but the others did a lot better. We swept for the large amount of convoys that are crossing and are due to cross in the near future. We arrived in Mers El Kebir, Algeria on the 1st of May and the story follows from there.

Turn to fixing up the ship in ship shape from the trip over. Drills.

Turn to again and work on charts. Liberty and recreation for the crew is the motto of the new skipper. Underway to join a convoy from the States consisting of 86 ships in all escorted by DE's and one British anti-aircraft cruiser that joined them at Gibraltar. We are being followed by a plane in the evening and we don't get to see him as it is dark. We expect trouble soon, "how" is what we are wondering now. We took on about 150 new men in the States and they haven't seen action yet, it might mean trouble with the new

men in the pinches. Watch 2230-0230 and 1230-1730. Plenty of troops aboard the convoy.

Watch 0230-0730 and turn to for the day. At 2110 tonight the convoy was attacked by 30 Junkers 88 torpedo bombers. We saw them come in on the radar screen and stop about 15 miles ahead of us and drop metal leaflets to make it look like a rain squall on the radar scopes. We were already at GQ for the dusk anyway, and we laid a smoke screen around the convoy and got ready for the fireworks to begin. They broke out of formation and came in from dead ahead of the convoy. One of the lead DE's started to fire first and then they came in towards our side of the convoy. The skipper let them come right on in and then turned right for them and put the 18 torpedo bombers that were gunning for us, he split the formation up by putting nine of them down each side of the ship and we let them have it with everything but the spuds in the lockers. They strafed us back and hit some parts of the ship with their 50 calibers, but that was all they hit. We knocked down three of them and damaged a few more. The rest of the attackers went on in for the convoy and all missed their targets as not one of the convoy was hit in the attack. The only hit on the convoy was one of our shells hit a DE as the planes were only 800 feet away and 30 feet off the water when they went by us. All told the convoy shot down eight that could be confirmed. Then night fighters returning from France shot down fifteen JU88s that were going toward France from the area that we were in so that accounts for the planes. There were no more torpedo plane attacks along the coast of Africa after this one, so we were given credit for breaking up the torpedo attacks on convoys along the coast of Africa. Congress later took it up and the skipper got himself a Silver Star out of the deal, and we all got a star on our campaign bars as a result of the night's work. Our sister ship was torpedoed the same way three weeks before and they were after us in the same way, using 18 planes to do the job. We both had special equipment to combat their radio controlled bombs and they wanted to get us as they did her. We did jig one of the radio bombs that night during the raid and it missed the convoy so there were more planes overhead that we didn't know about right away.

The green crew did pretty well and all in all they weren't any more scared that a lot of us older men on board. One fellow was very bad, though, and I had to take his phones away from him and put them on myself as he couldn't even talk he was so scared. I sent him down to the magazine to pass ammo and he didn't remember the way, that is how scared he was. The British anti-aircraft cruiser was in the middle of the convoy when it all started, but when it was all over she came up from way astern of the convoy. She must have run out on the show and then came back when it was over as we watched her come up to the convoy again on our radars. Nice bit of help she turned out to be. The new skipper did all right and the men will do anything for him after tonight's show. Watch 1730-2230.

Watch 0730-1230 and turn to cleaning up the shells and debris on the ship from the fireworks last night. All anyone talked about all day was the show we put on last night for the benefit of the Army on the ships in the convoy. Bet they were scared with nothing to use on those planes, just trusting it to the Navy.

Watch 2230-0230 and 1230-1730. Turn to, school and instruction period. Expect to arrive Naples tomorrow.

Arrived in Naples at 0900 and had liberty. Same as when we left it a couple of months ago. Still a good liberty town though.

Anchored in the bay and getting liberty every day by sections and having school.

Underway for Oran with the Niblack and the Gleaves at high speed. Watch 2230-0230 and 1230-1730.

Still going strong and making wonderful time. Watch 0230-0730 and 1730-2230 expect to arrive Oran in the morning.

Arrived in MEK 0830 and fueled ship leaving immediately on a sub hunt to relieve the hunters now out as they are low on fuel. The ones we are to relieve are near the Majorca Islands. The Ludlow and Niblack are with another pair of hunters. Our sub was sunk before we got there, so we were returning to Oran when we were ordered to join the Niblack and the Ludlow.

At 0630 we heard the Niblack and the Ludlow talking on the TBS and we couldn't see them yet or get them on the radars as they were over the horizon. At 0730 we sighted them in the dawn and could hear them talking and the dropping of charges could be felt. They had picked up the contact at 0330 and were dropping all the time. The Ludlow dropped 96 charges and the Niblack dropped 92 charges when we closed them. As we neared the 2 miles distance between ships we saw the sub come up to the surface. The Niblack and Ludlow on seeing the Germans make a break for the deck guns, opened up with every gun aboard ship and hit the sub. As the crew abandoned ship, the sub leveled off at 100 feet and the skipper of the Niblack figured there were more men on her and she was going to launch some more torpedoes at them. He made a run right through the men in the water and dropped the last full pattern of charges he had left aboard the ship. This finished the sub and many of the men in the water too. They lowered boats and picked up the men that were alive and brought them back as prisoners to the Niblack, Ludlow and Benson. The sub skipper was one of the sub survivors. We returned to MEK at 1800 and fueled and tied up to the Epervier.

Worked around the ship and went out for drills and exercises.

Underway for practice firing and drills.

Still around MEK and waiting for something to do.

Underway with refrigeration ship escorted by the Eberle and the Benson, bound for Naples. Watch 1230-1730. Stopped at Bizerte on the 26th and stayed there waiting for the Merak, refrigeration ship. Underway again in the morning and waited until 1500 for the Merak before she came out and we could continue.

Arrived in Naples 0700 fueled ship and anchored out in the outer harbor. Liberty again and I think Naples liberty is slipping down to one of the worst ports.

Waiting for the Merak and liberty. Turn to all day.

Turn to and underway at 1300 with the Eberle and Merak bound for Algiers this time.

Arrived in Algiers 0740 and anchored out due to fog. Moved to inner harbor at 1330 and at 2000 we left for Oran.

Arrived in MEK 1000 and tied up after fueling ship. We go swimming a lot these days as there isn't anything else to do here now. Ain El Turk is OK and we have a French gal out there we go swimming with who helps us drink our beer when we have it to drink. We had a mass rescue drill this morning before we entered port. 82 men went over the side in clothes and life belts and we picked them up to see how easy it was to do. It wasn't so easy.

Underway 0800 with Niblack for fighter direction practice and shore bombardment, both very well done. Relieved MEK outfield patrol at 1700 and today I made QM 2/c.

Moored to the Vulcan for repairs. Had some candy, ice cream and beer this three days, so I did all right. The Vulcan put larger shields around the 20 and 40mm machine guns. We now have two twin 40mm and one single 40mm on each side of the main deck. The more the merrier for us.

Underway for firing and tracking exercises. See press news for invasion data. The carrier "Block Island" was sunk in the Atlantic today.

School and painting the ship for another big show. Must be Southern France this time. We are going out every day for fighter direction and shore bombardment practice.

Underway at 1300 after big conference between the captains of the destroyers, division commanders and the Admiral. Convoy consists of 15 transports, 19 destroyers, 1 tug and 1 carrier. GQ 2130. Watch 0230-0730 and 1730-2230.

Passed Algiers at 0730 and two transports, and the carrier went in. Convoy continued onward and no information as the where, how, when or anything as to where we are headed. Going east now and maybe north later, we don't know yet.

We took the convoy to Naples and stayed there a few days and then returned to Mers El Kebir, Algeria and now are waiting again. We believe the Germans found out about an invasion we had planned. We dropped the troops off in Naples to go on to the fifth Army and join them.

We have just been lying around here doing nothing for some time now and soon we may do a bit more of the same. Captain's inspection and then liberty for the second section and me. I haven't made much use of the liberty I have rated. I went swimming today and plan to do more of the same.

Turn to all day and went swimming in the afternoon at 1600.

Turn to all day and went swimming in the afternoon at 1600.

Underway at 0830 and relieved the Madison who had fouled a screw this morning in leaving the harbor. Kearny and transport Samaria as her convoy left for Naples this morning. We joined them as escort.

Still moving but we had drills and exercises in flag hoist this day. Nothing doing in the afternoon after 1600.

Signal school and arrived in Naples at 1900, fueled and saw a movie and hit the sack.

Liberty for the second section and I went ashore. It doesn't take so long to get ashore now that I am second class. Returned and saw the movie.

Liberty for the chiefs and first class petty officers and got underway for Oran at 1800.

Was on the sick list for one day. Cramps from the chow, that is all it was. Flag hoist drills every day now.

Arrived in MEK 0900, fueled ship and the mail came aboard. Went back on the sick list again as the cramps came back on me.

Still on the sick list. In MEK there are 3 cruisers, Tuscaloosa, Quincy and Augusta, the battleships Nevada and Arkansas, and 12 cans plus 6 transports. Most of them have come down from the Normandy invasion. Had six GQ's during the night. From all the boys say that made the landings here in the Mediterranean and the one at Normandy the one invasion of Normandy wasn't too hard. They saw a few enemy planes, but their main trouble came from the shore batteries. They lost two destroyers, the Coarie and the Meredith, and the rest of them were only damaged. We got underway at 1400 and ran the degaussing range and are not to return to port tonight. One way of getting some sleep on these nights is to stay out of Oran and stand your watches instead of continuous GQ's inside the harbor. At 1930 we left to join convoy UGS 12 for Naples, it is a troop convoy. Speed 14.5 knots and escorted by 4 destroyers and 5 DE's.

Passed four convoys of assorted kinds of Bizerte crossroads. Talked with the DE 686 which is now on her maiden voyage and has sunk two subs on her first Atlantic crossing. This is something for her to have to her credit.

Arrived in Naples 0700, fueled ship and anchored out. Rated liberty and had a good time. Had some American beer, though I had to stand in line all afternoon to get four cans of the stuff. Sure did taste good.

Underway at 1310 for Oran at speed of 26 knots and no one is with us this trip.

Passed two carriers and 3 cans bound for Alexandria. We arrived in Oran or MEK at 2000.

Working on the ship, scraping and painting. I went over on a recreation party this afternoon.

Underway 0700 for Gibraltar. Arrived in Gibraltar at 2000 in company with the Ludlow. The skipper gave us liberty and we all went over and tore the place apart. The British soldiers and sailors gave us a good run for our money and we took care of as many as we could and then returned to the ship. The skippers of the two cans got into some trouble and the crew helped them fight their way out of the bar they were in and the skipper told the OOD to let anyone that was late come right aboard and forget it. If anyone else came aboard to complain, he was to pull the gangway in.

This morning the authorities came around bright and early and asked us to leave port and anchor in the stream for the rest of our stay. We seem to be doing too much damage to the Rock of Gibraltar. The skipper said no, and gave us liberty beginning at 1855 and ending at 1130 and at 1300 the next section went over until 2245. They really had the fights that night and the skipper was in the middle of them with the men. At 2200 we sent thirty first class Petty Officers from the two ships over on the beach to break up the fights and get the men back on the ships. One of the firemen was drunk and the skipper asked him where the ship was as we had shifted berths. The man replied "How the hell do I know, you're the skipper, find your own ship" and the old man did, and the fireman went right with him. The officers that stayed aboard had the Wrens, like our Waves, in the wardroom and they had their party too. Quite a time was had by all hands.

They will be plenty glad to see these two ships leave the harbor. Liberty for the first section and the Limeys caught hell again. We sure have carved a piece of their rock for the US if they care to have any of it.

Underway at 1200 and out into the Atlantic to pick up a 21 knot troop ship enroute to Oran. We're to go 60 miles out into the Atlantic today and it was good to see an Ocean again. We anchored out until morning.

Underway at 0230 and out to the Atlantic to meet the transport. Met the ship and convoyed her through the Straits and onward toward Oran.

Arrived in MEK at 1000 and fueled ship and tied up. The 2200 ton tin cans from the Normandy invasion have come into the harbor and may make the southern France tilt with us. Also in port are the Marblehead, Augusta, Tuscaloosa, and the battleships Texas and Nevada. We have quite a fleet in the harbor now.

Lying here doing that old nothing again. It sure is hard to do that. We went over to talk to some of the crew of the new cans and they are all excited as to what is coming up soon.

Underway 1400 for Naples with troopship convoy we picked up off Oran. They are all British troops and there are six transports of them. Also there is a ship full of French women in the convoy going to Naples to join the French troops there already.

Still moving toward Naples and everything is very quiet this trip. Making good time for convoy and hope to be in Naples July 29 at 0700.

Everything is going along well and the trip has been just a ride for us with nothing to do but wait for an air raid.

Arrived in Naples at 0900, fueled ship and anchored out in the outer harbor. The French women had to be inspected before they were allowed into Naples, they can't be any worse than the Italian women running around.

I rated liberty today. Naples is getting to be as bad as Oran these days. The Army service divisions have moved in now and they spoil all the fun for everyone as they are mostly permanent MP's.

Some of the boys have been getting pretty drunk here in the past two days, and it led to an incident last tonight at the movie. One of the men was lying on the deck out like a light and the exec told one of the men to throw some water on him. The man behind the exec said the water is turned off. The exec came back with "an order is an order and I want it carried out." At 2340 he called all hands to quarters and asked for the man that passed the remark that there was no water. We stayed at quarters until 0100 as no one would tell him and then he called the crew yellow as they wouldn't squeal on their buddy. He should talk about yellow after Gela, Sicily, I remember that time and it was he that was yellow and in a more important way.

Payday and fire and rescue drills. Found out today the LST's are landing guns on the Yugoslavian coast. Patriots hold the beach and they land the guns for the uprisings. Plenty of Navy transports here in Naples. It ought to happen soon now.

Had an air raid the night of the 3rd and 4th, but they only took pictures of the harbor. I was going to sleep on the flying bridge and heard this plane over the harbor, but thought nothing of it and started to doze off. All of a sudden the harbor anti-aircraft guns started to blast away and the plane was coming down. I went out of the hammock in a hurry. He only took our picture though so it didn't hurt anything. We are just lying here and waiting for the word to come.

Underway for night outfield patrol off Naples harbor. There is one battleship, six cruisers and about forty cans in the harbor now. Our other battleships are in the harbor at Toronto and the cruisers Quincy, Philadelphia and Brooklyn are in Palermo.

Still sitting around and sweating out this invasion. They should start something soon now or the fellows won't believe it for awhile.

They bombed southern France today for the first time. Won't be long now.

Waiting yet and it should come any time now, as it is all ready for the word and the harbor is loaded with ships.

Underway at 1446 for the invasion of southern France near the Gulf of Lyons. We are going in with the transports again, so we have 12 transports, six cans and the French battleship Lorraine with us. They chose six of the best firing ships to put the troops on the beach and we were one they chose. 3 terrific days are expected and they may use gas in this one, so we have to use our masks in case they try to pull that out of the bag of tricks. We are to remain for three weeks on the screen around the area and then a promise to go straight to New York for three weeks rest. We shall see.