SUBSIM Radio Room Forums - View Single Post - Review: Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors

Ishmael · 08-25-06, 08:12 PM

Last month, I met a retired Chief Gunner's Mate at the Casino Buffet on the Rez who was mount 51 Captain(forward 14-inch gun mount) aboard the old Prune Barge, USS California, BB-44, from Pearl Harbor to the surrender. He received 2 Bronze Stars in that time, one at Surigao Straits where, along with the other Battleships that were raised from the bottom of Pearl Harbor, annihilated the Japanese Southern Force when Oldendorff's force Crossed the T. The other he received at the Battle of Lingayen Gulf when a Kamikaze struck his mount & he single-handedly saved his entire mount crew.

The US ships sunk at the Battle off Samar were USS Johnston DD-557, USS Hoel DD-533, USS Samuel B. Roberts DE-413, USS St Lo CVE-63 & USS Gambier Bay CVE-73. In fact, the reason for the sudden withdrawl of Kurita's Center Force has never been fully explained. Halsey's Task Force was all the way up near the Northern end of Luzon by Cape Engano chasing the Decoy Force and Oldendorff's Bombardment force were still at Surigao straits to the south. The only explanation that makes sense to me is that Taffy 3 fought so ferociously that they made Kurita think they were Halsey's Task Force 58.

Here's a link to a great site that details the battle. It is run by the great-nephew of one of the Gambier Bay survivors.
http://www.bosamar.com/

This battle has special signicance for me because I saw a ghost of one of USS Johnston's crew while passing over her wreck aboard USS Schofield in 1973 while transiting the San Bernardino Straits on the way to Subic Bay.

08-25-06, 08:12 PM	#2
Ishmael Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Morro Bay, Ca. Posts: 659 Downloads: 79 Uploads: 0	Last month, I met a retired Chief Gunner's Mate at the Casino Buffet on the Rez who was mount 51 Captain(forward 14-inch gun mount) aboard the old Prune Barge, USS California, BB-44, from Pearl Harbor to the surrender. He received 2 Bronze Stars in that time, one at Surigao Straits where, along with the other Battleships that were raised from the bottom of Pearl Harbor, annihilated the Japanese Southern Force when Oldendorff's force Crossed the T. The other he received at the Battle of Lingayen Gulf when a Kamikaze struck his mount & he single-handedly saved his entire mount crew. The US ships sunk at the Battle off Samar were USS Johnston DD-557, USS Hoel DD-533, USS Samuel B. Roberts DE-413, USS St Lo CVE-63 & USS Gambier Bay CVE-73. In fact, the reason for the sudden withdrawl of Kurita's Center Force has never been fully explained. Halsey's Task Force was all the way up near the Northern end of Luzon by Cape Engano chasing the Decoy Force and Oldendorff's Bombardment force were still at Surigao straits to the south. The only explanation that makes sense to me is that Taffy 3 fought so ferociously that they made Kurita think they were Halsey's Task Force 58. Here's a link to a great site that details the battle. It is run by the great-nephew of one of the Gambier Bay survivors. http://www.bosamar.com/ This battle has special signicance for me because I saw a ghost of one of USS Johnston's crew while passing over her wreck aboard USS Schofield in 1973 while transiting the San Bernardino Straits on the way to Subic Bay.