Strikes on Roi, right, and Namur, left. Note the waves breaking on Where History Comes Alive the coral atoll and the chain of islands con BATTLESHIP NORTH CAROLINA tinuing in the back ground. Scuttlebutt January 2009 RoiNamur, 2930 January 1944, Remembered After recovery of the Gilbert these two islands. We were to I heard later that Admiral Islands in November and De leave the carrier group com Spruance had planned cember, 1943, the Marshall pletely. We were to spend the this...that he wanted the Islands were next in the island night just lobbing shells in on NORTH CAROLINA to go there hopping campaign, which in these two islands to keep the and bombard those people the cluded the Kwajalein Atoll. The Japanese from getting a good night before [the troops] “Where’s that order Battleship bombarded Roi night’s sleep before we hit them landed. To his horror the day Namur on the evening of Janu in the morning. before, he read the order and for the NORTH ary 29 and through the early We got in there about dark he said, “Where’s that order CAROLINA to go hours of the 30th. Battleships and saw a small ship [EIKO for the NORTH CAROLINA to ALABAMA and SOUTH DA MARU, a freighter] anchored to go up there?” Nobody had up there?” KOTA joined NC and continued a pier in the lagoon. We heard of it, so he sat down and bombarding during the day. opened up on her with, I think, wrote the dispatch. Admiral Spruance The following recollections are just one turret and hit her with We went on his good memory from the Museum Dept. re about the first salvo [actually, that night and I think we did an search files. the second salvo]; and she awful lot of good because we …Another incident that was of sank. We could see that she blew up a lot of ammunition interest to me was the night was still above the water….I dumps and kept [the Japanese] before the carrier air attack on found out later that the next off balance for the night [there the two islands of Roi and Na day they went on board that was real concern about the mur which were the northern ship, and they found Japanese Japanese repairing the islands of the Kwajalein group. charts of depths and channels bombed air strip during the We got a dispatch about four of every lagoon in the Pacific, night]. o’clock in the afternoon from which saved us months and Joe Stryker, Commander Spruance’s flagship telling the months of surveying and hydro Executive Officer BB55 NORTH CAROLINA to proceed graphic work. (See story on independently to the north of page 5) (Continued on page 4)
Join Ghost Hunters to Investigate the Battleship The Ghost Hunters are coming the new Paranormal Museum. back to the Battleship! The Bat The highlight, however, of this tleship, Danny Bradshaw, and special event will be when you Captain Scheu have all ap get to go onboard the Battle peared on an episode of the ship and help the Ghost Hunters popular SciFi Channel’s Ghost conduct a paranormal investi Hunters show. And now, the gation, which will include re Ghost Hunters are back and it’s vealing their findings from the your turn to bathe in ghostly evening. The program is from ectoplasm. 5:30 PM to 2 AM with a wrap On January 23rd and 24th, the up in the afternoon. entire Ghost Hunters team This unique experience is $265 Jason Hawes, Grant Wilson, a person and tickets are avail Steve Gonsalves, Dave Tongo, able through Ideal Events. You and Kris Williams will be can purchase your tickets by here to share with you their going to their website (see at Join Ghost Hunters on the Battleship in January! paranormal experiences at the right). We hope to see you To learn more and purchase tickets go to Battleship and at other haunted there…and if we don’t see sites. They will be joined by you, perhaps you will be the http://www.idealeventmanage.com/events.html. John Zaffis, who will do a pres cause of their next visit to the NEWS FLASH! January 23rd is sold out! entation on demonology and Battleship! Scuttlebutt January 2009
Hidden Battleship Tours, January 24 Join us on Saturday, January or afternoon time slot: 8:30am A visitor who took the Hidden 24th, for a unique, behindthe 12:30pm or 1:305:30 PM. The Battleship tour in November scenes tour of unrestored areas price includes admission to the wrote: “I'm a mechanical engi The tour was of the Battleship. The tour in Battleship, so you can tour the neer, so I especially liked going fantastic! I could cludes the bow, third deck, en rest of the ship on your own to the lower level of engine gine room #3, the fire control before or after the program. room 3. I could probably spend have stayed on tower, and a special program Price: $45 regular, $35 Friends a few hours in there, following inside the Combat Information member or active duty military. the plumbing and instrumenta third deck all day center. The tour is designed for Call 9102515797 extension tion, and figuring out how eve and explored the ages 12 and above. The four 3024 or 3001 to make and rything worked. It is amazing hour tour will include climbing pay for your reservation. what they were able to do with ship. over kneehigh hatches and The next Hidden Battleship tour 1930s technology.” going up and down narrow will be on Saturday, March Discover for yourself the be ladders, so be prepared. 14th. (We only conduct these hindthescenes areas on the You choose between a morning tours in the cooler months.) Battleship!
New Treasures for Battleship Collections
In 2008, nearly 350 items were Charles Jones – photos docu George Schaidt* – blanket and added to the Battleship’s collec menting life on BB55 bath towel used on BB55 tions. We send our thanks to the Tony Joyce – items from the Daniel Schroll* souvenir salt/ following people who gener Receiving Ship North Carolina, pepper shakers ously donated items to the Bat 1865, and ACR12, 1916 Charles Smith* first day issue tleship. * indicates BB55 com (bottom left) pany member stamps Carol Kelloff photos that be David Carpenter – containers Michael Soohey – photos of the longed to Joe Kelloff,* her fa Battleship today for 1.1inch projectiles ther Dale States* – 1941 program, Ann Chalupsky – items that be Norm Melton – reference books (top newsletter and letter longed to Richard Thorner* and 1945 Shipyard Bulletin left) Tim Strickland History of Ann Metheny – King pattern United States Naval Operations James Crosby* – photographs silverware that belonged to documenting life on BB55 in World War II book series (in William Metheny,* her husband honor of Marvin David Myers) Willie Lee Deaton Jr.* – 1941 Carol Mikitka – log book and cachet Dr. Paul Stroup Jr.* – dental jewelry made by Joe Mikitka, * books and radio used on BB55 Robert Dibling* – Jane’s Fight her husband ing Ships series and books Teresa Swarthout – Showboat Jim Morton – DVDs documenting cruise book that belonged to
Millie EmbreeWieser – volun the history of the Battleship Pat Duckworth* teer guide shirts worn by Paul Memorial (from the estate of Wieser,*her husband Hugh Morton, his father) Debbie Scheu "Rosie the Riv eter" doll by Madame Alexan Charles Emerson – 1941cachets Capt. Wilbert Nace, SC, USN, der Charles Foster* photo album, Ret. – King pattern silverware and pair of WWII binoculars Charles Sullivan – letters from ditty bag, syrup container used John Burns* and newspaper on BB55 Charles Paty* – reference clippings documenting the Truk
Richard Fraser – U.S. Navy books, photograph of ship’s rescue dance training manuals Bill Taylor* – video tapes and Ann Glossl – 1941 and 1945 Louis Popovich* – WWII laun photos documenting the Battle newspapers dry bag ship Association Bill Hanson* booklet, newslet Richard Porter – ship’s 1942 Fred Velletri* quilt made in
ter, photos from BB55 in 1946 newsletters and menu that be honor of BB55 (center left) longed to Robert Porter,* his father Page 2 Scuttlebutt January 2009
In Their Own Words by Charles Malvern Paty, Jr. The date was 12 January visible on the front. My job was We were excited about this ling asleep on watch is subject 1942. For the next several to observe the gauges and, because of the possibility of to execution by firing squad!” I months we cruised up and down during gunfire, adjust the dials finally seeing action. The begin could imagine that message the eastern seaboard on train to maintain constant voltage ning of the landings took place being received by my parents! ing exercises, firing our main and amperage being transmit on 6 August, but BB55 had no During this period I decided to and secondary batteries at ted to the Sky 1 Director con active part in that. There were call the Director on my sound towed targets. We launched taining the scope which showed many air alerts, but no attacks power phone and ask them and recovered our OS2U float what the radar was picking up. I developed against us. Finally on what was going on. The word planes a number of times. had no scope at my location. 24 August, things began to hap came back “Paty shut up and Shortly, I was assigned to the Some months went by and we pen. get off the circuit.” CR Division [Radio Communica continued with our various train The day dawned clear and At 1710, a signal was received tion Division] and was told that ing procedures. I had been as bright 0626 Enterprise [CV 6] from the Task Force Commander the principal reason for my signed to Radio School aboard launched 20 scout bombers to to “stand by to repel air at assignment was that I could ship to learn Morse code and scout 200 miles from NW to NE tack.” We opened fire at 1712 type. radio procedures and still did of the Task Force. At 1005 A with a tremendous crescendo of Within a few days we met not know whether my career Radio Contact Report by EN 5 inch, 1.1 inch and .50 cal gun Chief Warrant Officer Byron course would be Radar or Ra TERPRISE, “plane #5 flight 37 – fire. During this time, I was sit Phillips. Phillips was a rather dio. 1 heavy carrier, 2 light cruisers, ting or standing in front of my heavyset Chief with many On 10 June 1942, the ship tran 1 destroyer Lat 0440 S Long transmitter trying to keep the years of service. He looked a sited the Panama Canal and we 16115 E, course 180.” voltage steady as it jumped up lot like Winston Churchill and passed through a manmade [This enemy force appeared to and down. My heart was in my had a gruff voice somewhat fresh water lake that was built be headed directly for us.] throat…“was this the end for like Churchill. Phillips pointed to to provide water for the locks in Contact reports continued to me?” My imagination was rac about a half dozen of us and the canal. What was unique come in for the next several ing. The firing ceased com said we were going to be as about this was it was the only hours. Around 1330 our ship pletely at 1720. In that short signed to a different section of time the ship was ever in fresh went to General Quarters and I span of time, BB55 had shot the division. We would be water and it actually floated a manned my Radar Transmitter. down seven enemy aircraft with working with a very new sys few inches deeper in the water. Sitting in my small compartment, no material damage to our ship tem, RADAR, which was top As we passed through the lake, in almost total darkness, the and, during the whole attack, secret. We were not to discuss we hosed down the ship from only sound I could hear was the we maintained a speed of 27 with anyone fellow crewmem stem to stern giving her a good hum of the transmitter and the knots. We lost one man bers, our family or strangers bath. small movements of the 5inch [George Conlon] who was killed anything we learned or ob gun mounts on the boat deck just by enemy strafing. And so served about this system. This We were headed for Pearl ended our BAPTISM OF FIRE. Harbor and still had not fired outside. Since there was little or of course got our attention. no ventilation, I was getting our guns in anger at anybody Sources for this article are Action He then gave our battle station or anything. But we did not very sleepy and found myself assignments to locations about dropping my head and sud Report #0109 Battle of Eastern have long to wait. Solomons, Action Report #0110 the ship where radar transmit denly waking up. ters were installed. The trans In August 1942, the ship was and Action Report #0122 with assigned to Task Force 61 which I remembered what Warrant various attachments. Also my mitter was a large black box Officer Phillips told us when we approximately 3x3x5 feet with was making preparations for personal notes and diary from the invasion of Guadalcanal. started standing watches on that period. numerous dials and gauges these transmitters, “Anyone fal
I was assigned to a transmitter in a small compartment at the base of Sky 1, starboard side on the boat deck level.
Page 3 Scuttlebutt January 2009
RoiNamur Remembered continued Our particular task force went have any accurate charts of any and two destroyers [LANG and to Roi and Namur which is the of those islands….We had STERETT] were sent in the after northwestern end of the Kwajal nothing modern, and we didn’t noon before the rest of the ein lagoon. The other half of the know what we were doing. fleet. First the aerial bombard force went to the southern end With these blowups that we had ment, and then the NORTH of the island of Kwajalein. taken on the morning of the first CAROLINA and two destroyers Richard Walker, left, and John The lagoon at Kwajalein is a strike, we could see everything went in. Kirkpatrick, right, in Sky Control. beautiful lagoon. It’s a hundred perfectly on the island. We We reached our target range miles long. The Japanese had could see the revetments; we late in the afternoon. I’m not these installations at both ends, could see the hangers; we could sure just what time, but it was but at Roi and Namur they had see the fuel supply; we could quite late and we started to one island [Roi] that consisted of see the personnel quarters; we fire on the island, picking out ...We didn’t have any nothing but an airstrip. The could see everything. these targets as we went along. accurate charts of other [Namur] was where they We took these pictures and sat During the course of the after any of those had revetments with stores, down and numbered the tar noon and the nights, we sank a torpedo warheads, bombs and gets– one, two, three, four, five, supply ship. islands….We had so on and also their living quar and so on. Then we put them on We also destroyed the air nothing modern, and ters. a board and gave one to each field, because we were firing we didn’t know what John Kirkpatrick and I finally of the director operators, and from such a close range that our persuaded Captain Frank Tho the other two we took to sky sixteeninch guns were laying we were doing. With mas to request from the carrier control. furrows down the airstrip. They these blowups that that they take photographs of We were able to designate are flying almost flat out and we had taken on the these islands after the first strike those targets by numbering and they were just plowing furrows from as low an altitude as pos to assign a target to sky one or down the airstrip. Sometimes morning of the first sible. They did. They sent a sky three or whatever it hap they would skip off the field strike, we could see fighter out taking oblique pic pened to be. They could look at and burst…. Every time we hit tures, circling the islands at high this board with the picture on it one of these revetments loaded everything perfectly speed. They came back with and look over to the island and with warheads or bombs, they on the island…. these things, took them back to see exactly which end of the would go off like an atomic the carrier, and they were de island it was and actually see bomb. A column of heat and Richard Walker veloped. Then they flew them these targets. It worked abso smoke would rise then break over and dropped them onto lutely perfectly. into a mushroom. We have the NORTH CAROLINA. A very interesting thing I think some wonderful pictures of that. The reason was that we didn’t was that the NORTH CAROLINA Richard Walker, LCDR 4th Division Officer Right: One of the We had been bombarding Roi...I spotted photographs LCDR a small house on the end of the island. Walker and others Ensign Rudy Speights had “Sky 4” [the found useful. after 5inch gun director] and 5inch mounts 8 and 10. I asked him if he could Buildings, airstrip, hit that house. He tried but failed. He shot planes, etc. are all around the place, but couldn’t hit the quite visible in the target. photo. Then within an hour, we got a message from the marines ashore that we had cleaned out the Japanese trenches surrounding the ‘target’ and they were amazed with this wonderful display of gunnery. Only then did we learn of the presence of the trenches. John Kirkpatrick, LCDR, Air Defense Officer
Page 4 Scuttlebutt January 2009
Investigating the EIKO MARU The file on the EIKO MARU is at the ship on the hull. Further least an inch thick. The search research in 2005 led to a web began when the second edition site that listed four Eiko Marus of the Battleship NORTH CARO and indeed stated that a U. S. LINA book was in progress. The surface craft ship sunk the one first edition identified the ship Bailey cited. as a troop transport. The action Captain Ben Blee identified the report tentatively identified it ship as a troop ship based on Map of Roi and Namur, Morning Press News, February 2, 1944. as a ship of the SYOEI MARU Air Defense Officer John E. Someone drew the island’s airstrip and where the EIKO MARU class. Could we confirm the type Kirkpatrick’s recollection that was sunk on January 30, 1944. of ship and a name? With the “he and others in high perches assistance of the internet, the on board BB55 could actually search began. see through their binoculars a Initial research in August 2001, large number of uniformed led to Shelley Shelstad, owner troops scurrying around the of History on CD Rom. He sent topside as the shells splashed. pages of material on the vari John granted that the ship might ous ships named Syoei Maru as have been a merchantmen, but that was the class cited in the it was being used as a trooper.” BB55 action report. He intro Blee stated from firsthand ex duced me (Kim Sincox) to Dave perience: “You don’t need Fortin, a diver on Kwajalein ‘extra cabins’ to haul troops in surveying Japanese wrecks. wartime. In early 1944 I sailed Dave did not think the wreck out of San Francisco in a cargo These artifacts were removed from the wreck of the Eiko Maru #2, in was the Syoei Maru based on ship, the SS Matthew Thornton. the summer of 1990. The donor, the location and description She had a cargo hold forward diver Rick Anderson, also shot stated in the action report. which had been filled with videotapes of the dive. They show Dave pointed out several publi bunks, thus converting her to a the damage from the blast of the cations, including the scholarly troopship for 225 sailors.” Battleship’s gunfire and images of book by Dan Bailey “WWII Our Eiko Maru 2 also ap the forward 3inch gun deck. He also provided his dive log. Wrecks of the Kwajalein and peared to be a sitting duck. She Truk Lagoons.” Dave sent photo had been attacked by carrier Above: Metal bowl, with mark of graphs of RoiNamur and of aircraft on December 4, 1943, the Japanese Navy on the bottom fered plenty of information. further north off Neil Island and (Navy of the Land of the Rising Sun). One of a stack of metal bowls Based on the BB55 action re towed to Roi for repairs. port and another diver’s finds, it the donor retrieved, then cleaned appeared that Dan Bailey had Once the island was secured, and preserved. It was removed identified the ship. divers explored Eiko Maru and, from rear crew quarters. Width: 6 as Stryker recalled, removed 3/8 inches. I wrote author Dan Bailey who valuable charts and various provided the following: “The classified materials. According ship was known as both the Eiko our website about the sinking. Above: One of two bottles to Bailey, these records are removed. The amber bot Maru or Eiko Maru No. 2. It can housed in the National Archives, Sunk in shallow water and close to tle is marked "Dai Nippon best be described as a fleet College Park, MD. shore, First Ship, as the wreck in Brewery Company Ltd" auxiliary cargo ship (AK). It was and the other bottle, clear In August 2007, six years after called, is quite popular with divers. a 340foot long ship built in If you’re ever in that neighbor glass, is marked "Kirin 1940 by Tama Sanbashi Co., the research began, Rick Ander Brewery Co Ltd.” By son, a diver, sent an email to hood, check it out—or online. You Ltd. in Tama, Japan. It had little can visit Dave Fortin’s site: 1943, only Dai Nippon the Battleship. He had lived in and Kirin brewing compa facilities for carrying troops (no http://wrecks.fortinhome.com. extra cabins) and had four RoiNamur and retrieved arti nies remained in Japan. holds.” Bailey, a diver, had facts during his dives on Eiko scraped away marine growth Maru. He had read Bailey’s and actually read the name of book and found a writeup on
Page 5 Scuttlebutt January 2009
Pearl Harbor Remembered It was a cold, windy Sunday The ship’s original morning when a small group altar, podium, cru gathered on the ship’s fantail to cifix and candle remember the attack on Pearl sticks were used in Harbor. CDR Alan Hansen, the service. The Command Chaplain, Camp handsome liturgical Lejeune, and fellow chaplain cloths were made CDR Robert Carpenter con and donated by a ducted the service. LT Robert Roman Catholic Heckathorne, a third chaplain, This portable pump organ is group who once valiantly played the folding a close relative to those used held a service church pump organ in the during World War II. Below, aboard ship. brusque wind (left) while mem divine service on the USS bers of the Living History Crew MISSOURI during WWII. (below right) heartily sang the selected hymns. The service was based on divine services con ducted on the Battleship in De cember 1941 and the 1942 Song & Service Book for Ship & Field. After the service, volun teer Frank Glossl gave our guests from Camp Lejeune a guided tour inside the warm ship.
Our Veterans at VA Hospitals Remembered at Christmas
Two years ago we started a Last year the card activity was fourteen different schools project to make and send led by a local Girl Scout Troop. (elementary, middle and high Christmas cards to veterans in Visitors to the ship enjoyed schools) were ultimately col North Carolina’s veteran hospi making the cards in the Battle lected. There were enough tals. There are four VA hospitals ship’s Snack Bar. cards to send to veteran hospi in the state serving more than This year emails were sent to tals in North Carolina, South 1,100 veterans. area schools asking if their stu Carolina, and Virginia. We The first year the holiday cards dents would make cards to help were thrilled with the response were part of a local high school make the holidays brighter for and look forward to continuing student’s senior project. We North Carolina veterans. The this “new tradition” next year. supplied the materials and our response was overwhelming! visitors made the cards. It was a By the middle of December, delight to watch young Marines boxes full of Christmas cards make cards for their veteran flooded into the Battleship. comrades. More than 3,000 cards from
Page 6 Where History Comes Alive
B A T T L E S H I P N O R T H C A R O L I N A From the Deck Log: Lt(jg) F.A. Gates Welcomes the New Year 1945
Fortyfive is gone—here’s fortyfive, 16 knots is standard speed What a helluva place to see it arrive, 107rpm we need. The Captain is in his shack, and all the watch is alert, But the tanks are waiting! There’s fuel we must burn! The uniform today is with hats—and with shirts. Steam 25 knots—use 178 turns! But let’s get along with my one ambition— We’re in material condition “Red Yoke” To log this watch in the best Navy tradition, Darkened. (On New Year’s Eve? Some joke!) Which, so they tell me, call for verse, Condition of readiness is thee (Nan). So here I go, for better or worse. On the twenties you’ll find a navy a man. Now the watch is drinking coffee— On the line are all eight boilers The Navigator, tea. Top speed from our black gang toilers! That’s the way in Russia, (26.5 knots can be done) But it’s not for me. Engineering condition 31. The North Carolina (BB55), In condition 8 are the planes. Is still in the Navy, hep to the jive, Radio 2, which means we must refrain Afloat with Admiral Halsey’s Fleet from chipping, kicking, and squawking too much. Hoping for a skunk to meet. Radar condition 5 (no guard, or such). Our task force is numbered 38.3 At zero zero twentyfive With Essex guide and O.T.C. Course was changed to 305, 38.1 and 2 comprise Speed, to 22. Tell me, how The rest of our fleet, 3Williamized. Will we manage to use our fuel up now? 5 Roger is our disposition. The Essex launched at fifyeight past three. Right now we’re passing through position, Our truck lights enabled them to see. 130 degrees T from the guide we bear — Their pilots are training for what is to come. Four thousand yards from here to there, They’ll hit the Japes, and we’ll watch the fun! With Essex, Langley, Ticonderoga The weather is cool, the moon is bright. and San Jacinto we fear no bogie Clouds fill half of the sky tonight. They’re our flattops, queens of the ocean to you. The sea is calm, there’s a little wind. But to us — just guys on circle two. Like a lamb doth FORTYFIVE come in! While at three and a half thousand, out away, — F. A. Gates, Lt (jg), USNR There’s the flin, Vincennes, Miami, Santa Fe It was the duty of the officer of the deck, upon completing And Biloxi, our cruisers—not to shun his watch, to write remarks in the deck log and sign his The North Carolina and the Washington. name. This was the rough log, which was then typed by Seventeen cans have a helluva time the Navigator’s yeoman. He placed it in the wardroom for Chasing the subs on circle nine. signatures by the various officers who had stood watch as Three of them, the Cotton, Pricehtt, and Preston, officer of the deck. The typed version was called the Are picketing for what may be a molestin! smooth log. 295 degrees T & pge, is base course. But I’ll not guarantee Our archives contains a copy of the Battleship’s entire What the helmsman is heading, for when a look I’ll steal deck log. The original, handwritten logs for the Shipof I usually find him askeep at the wheel. theLine NORTH CAROLINA and Armored Cruiser NORTH (But I did hear him say, midst the din and the rumpus, CAROLINA are located in the National Archives branch in “checking 276 per steeting compass”) downtown Washington, D.C.
Explore and Discover! Battleship NORTH CAROLINA, PO Box 480, Wilmington, NC 28402 9102515797; www.battleshipnc.com