The Year 1944 – Timeline & Shipmates 1944 USS COLLETT
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The Year 1944 – Timeline & Shipmates (The 3 changes since the Jan 2019 draft is shown in red.) First CO: James D. Collett, CDR; 16 May 44 - 1945. James was the brother of John, for whom our ship was named. First XO: George V. Rogers, LCDR; 16 May 44 - Sep 45 Known officers (rank shown is highest while onboard): Michael Borazna, LTJG Charles Loomis, LT Walton Byars, LTJG Charles Looper, LT Ralph Cerney, LTJG Paul Netterstrom, LTJG (TAD) George Cloyd, ENS SC Amos Pence, LT (d) Donald Davis, LTJG J.W. Prindle, LTJG Franklin Harris, LT Wedon Smith, LT Franklin Jackson, LTJG James Thompson, LTJG Paul LaFollette, LT Ramsey Wilson, LTJG Willie Lewis, LT 1944 USS COLLETT Timeline Legend: DANFS = the history.navy.mil/danfs/index.html website. DBD = “20th Century Day by Day” book. FA = First Anniversary document (1945) via son of Paul LaFollette in 2012. RC = 1944 Record of Changes (a USN document) via Chuck Kiesling. TF = Task Force; generally a large number of ships under an overall command designed to accomplish a complex mission. TG = Task Group; a TF is sometimes divided into TGs to accomplish a simpler mission. WD = Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary. Events: ++ Mar ++ 05 Mar – USS COLLETT is launched at the Bath, Maine Shipyard. 10 May – James V. Forrestal named Secretary of the Navy – per DBD. ++ Apr ++ (no entry) ++ May ++ 16 May – *USS COLLETT is commissioned at 1500 in the Charlestown Navy Yard at Boston, MA – per Walter Dix. *Commissioning Document signed by CDR James D. Collett (CO) & LCDR George V. Rogers (XO). James was a brother of John, in whose honor the ship was named. 17 May – First stores working party was formed; by 1600 all stores were aboard – per FA. ++ Jun ++ June – COLLETT is based on the east coast of CONUS. 04 Jun – COLLETT arrives Boston; later to Portland, ME for training exercises then to Norfolk, VA for more training. COLLETT leaves Boston for Bermuda – per FA. 06 Jun – COLLETT arrives Bermuda; moored alongside USS ALTAIR – per FA. 06 Jun – D-Day, Normandy invasion. 08 Jun – Get underway, sailing Bermuda to Boston, MA – per RC. (See NOTE 1 below) 15 Jun-08 Jul – US forces take Saipan in the Marianas – per WD. 19 Jun – Battle of Philippine Sea – per WD. 20 Jun – Japanese lose 400 planes, 3 carriers in Battle of the Philippine Sea – per DBD. ++ Jul ++ July – COLLETT is based on the east coast of CONUS. 08 Jul – Underway; a month long shakedown cruise with night & day drills to Bermuda completed; proceed to Boston for overhaul – per Walter Dix & Ken Payne. (See NOTE 1 below) 09-21 Jul – At Boston Navy Yard for overhaul – per Ken Payne. 20 Jul – US troops land on Guam in the Marianas – per WD. 21 Jul – US forces land on Guam – per DBD. 22-31 Jul – At Boston Navy Yard for overhaul – per Ken Payne. ++ Aug++ August – COLLETT is based on the east coast of CONUS. Early Aug – At Boston Navy Yard; overhaul – per Ken Payne. 15 Aug – Get underway, sailing Casco Bay at Portland, ME to sea – per RC. Early Aug – Underway; a short training period at Casco Bay – per Ken Payne. 18 Aug – Arrive Norfolk, VA for duty as a training ship for short indoctrination cruises out of Norfolk – per Walter Dix. Aug or Sep? – At New York City. ++Sep++ In September – *COLLETT escorted the Queen Mary up to Greenland with Winston Churchill aboard and what looked like thousands of troops. Escort was then taken over by a British Cruiser. Upon returning to New York City, we had liberty. Gigliuto invited me to his family home for a 4 or 5 hour Italian dinner. It was a wonderful experience that I will never forget – per Lucius VanHeusen in Oct 11. *COLLETT based on east coast of CONUS then heads south. 20 Sep – *COLLETT arrives New York City – per FA. *Underway to escort HMS Queen Mary to sea as far as Sable Island with 2 other cans – per Walter Dix. 21 Sep – COLLETT escorts the Queen Mary out; after about a 400 mile run, returns to New York for a 2 day stay – per FA. 21-22 Sep – At 35th Street Pier in New York City – per Walter Dix. 25 Sep – Left New York; heading to Panama with USS WISCONSIN, USS PASADENA, USS MOORE, USS ENGLISH, & USS AULT – per Art Hall. (See NOTEs 1 & 2 below) 27 Sep – Depart for WESTPAC from Delaware Bay in TG with 6 other ships – per Walter Dix & Ken Payne. ++ Oct ++ October – COLLETT arrives & passes thru Panama Canal going to west coast of CONUS & then heads west. 02 Oct – COLLETT arrives at Canal Zone and moors at pier 18 – per FA. 04 Oct – Going thru Panama Canal – per Art Hall. (See NOTE 2 below) 05-06 Oct – Anchored near Panama City – per Art Hall. 07 Oct – Leave Panama – per Art Hall. 08 -09 Oct – Underway to San Diego – per Art Hall. Approx. 08 Oct – While enroute, COLLETT receives orders to proceed in company with USS SAMUEL N MOORE to San Diego – per FA. 10 Oct – Arrive at Broadway pier, San Diego; leave same night for Honolulu – per Art Hall. 11 Oct – COLLETT arrives San Diego; moored & at 1756 were underway enroute for Pearl Harbor – per FA. 11-14 Oct – Underway to Pearl Harbor – per Art Hall. 12 Oct – 1000 US planes attack Formosa, 71 lost – per DBD. 14-16 Oct –Arrive Pearl; exercises of all types – per Art Hall. 16 Oct – *Arrive Pearl Harbor for a week of continuous day & night training exercises – per Walter Dix. *COLLETT arrives Pearl Harbor at 1824; moored starboard side to SAMUEL N MOORE at berth X-20 – per FA. 17-20 Oct – Anchored in Pearl – per Art Hall. 20 Oct – General MacArthur lands on Leyte Island in P.I. – per DBD 21-23 Oct – Inspection & Exercises – per Art Hall. 24 Oct – Previous days spent training, COLLETT leaves in company with Task Unit 12.5.3 – per FA. 24-27 Oct – Leave with carrier group composed of USS YORKTOWN, small carriers, 2 cruisers, & several 2200-class DDs – per Art Hall. 24 Oct – Depart Pearl Harbor with 2 other cans & USS YORKTOWN – per Ken Payne & Walter Dix. 28-30 Oct – Underway to Eniwetok [an atoll in the Marshall Islands] – per Art Hall. 31 Oct – *Arrive Eniwetok – per Art Hall. * COLLETT takes on fuel, stores & ammunition at Eniwetok – per FA. Late Oct – Lose a day crossing International Date Line going west– not recorded in RC. ++ Nov ++ November – COLLETT is in WESTPAC. 01 Nov – COLLETT leaves Eniwetok Atoll – per FA. 01-03 Nov – Big sea battle – per Art Hall. 03 Nov – *Arrive Ulithi Anchorage (in the western Caroline Islands); refuel & provision; assigned to TF 38 as a unit of DESRON 61 – per DANFS & Ken Payne. *COLLETT arrives at Ulithi “where for the first time some of us saw the ravages of war” – per FA. 04-06 Nov – At Ulithi in Caroline Islands, fueled, took on ammo – per Art Hall. 05 Nov – *Get underway, sailing Ulithi to sea – per RC. *Underway for screening duties as part of TG 38.4 off Polilo; air strikes in P.I.: Luzon, Mindoro, Manila Bay, & Lingayen Gulf – per Chuck Kiesling. 06 Nov – Underway; back to Leyte, air strikes in Luzon, Mindoro, Manila Bay, & Lingayen Gulf; refuel – per Chuck Kiesling. 07-10 Nov – Leave Ulithi with Task Group 58.1. Carrier Task force – per Art Hall. 08 Nov – Underway; patrol off P.I., evading typhoon – per Chuck Kiesling. 11-13 Nov – Strike at Luzon; few bogeys – per Art Hall. 12 Nov – Underway; refuel 200 miles east of the San Bernardino Strait – per Chuck Kiesling. 13 Nov – Underway; carrier screen for air strike in P.I.: central & southern Luzon – per Chuck Kiesling. 14 Nov – Underway; air strike in Luzon – per Chuck Kiesling. 15 Nov – Underway; retire eastward from air strike area for refueling – per Chuck Kiesling. 16 Nov – Underway; refuel from TG 30.8 then TG 38.1 – per Chuck Kiesling. 17 Nov – Underway; TG 38.1 & TG 38.4 rendezvous – per Chuck Kiesling. 18 Nov – Underway; refuel from TG 30.8, then proceed toward Manila area for air strikes in Manila area & in central & southern Luzon – per Chuck Kiesling. 19 Nov – *Underway; air strike in Luzon, then retire to northeast; air strike of convoy northwest of San Fernando, P.I. In evening, on station as advanced picket for the TG, COLLETT opens fire on 4 torpedo planes, downing 2 of them & avoiding 2 torpedoes – per Ken Payne. *Off Luzon. 4 Jap medium class bombers (Bettys) attacked us. We were on picket 12 miles ahead of the TG. Shot 2 down. 2 torpedoes were dropped at us but missed – per Art Hall. *Steaming at flank speed, dodging 2 torpedoes, and weaving to evade machine gun fire, COLLETT found time to swat 2 of the bombers into the sea – per a 1964 version of “History of the USS COLLETT.” 20 Nov – Underway, retiring to east – per Chuck Kiesling. 25 Nov – Underway; air strike in Luzon. TF 38 departs P.I. for Ulithi – per Chuck Kiesling. 26 Nov – Underway; refuel – per Chuck Kiesling. 27 Nov – Arrive Ulithi – per Chuck Kiesling. 27 Nov – Air strike in Okinawa – per DBD. 30 Nov – RC signed by George V. Rogers. ++ Dec ++ December – COLLETT is in WESTPAC. 11 Dec – *Get underway, sailing Ulithi to sea – per RC. *Depart Ulithi for air strikes in Luzon – per Chuck Kiesling. 12 Dec – Underway; TGs of TF join together – per Chuck Kiesling. 13-16 Dec – Underway; air strikes in Luzon – per Chuck Kiesling. 17 Dec – Underway; refuel – per Chuck Kiesling. 18 Dec – Underway; COLLETT successfully rides out Typhoon Cobra, but 3 cans were lost & many ships were heavily damaged – per Walter Dix.