The Mist Clears at Woleai

[Kopfdorfer]

Rear Admiral Ray Spruance picked up the Marine Binoculars off the hook on the side of the flying bridge. Even the air was soggy with tropical heat. The cordite suspended in the air after the two hour bombardment made Spruance's nose itch - it always did. A hot sun beat through the thick clouds which were finally lifting enough to see the shadow of the atoll ahead. Multiple wisps of multi-toned sooty smoke swirled upwards from the island to blend into the clouds above. Ahead , USS Chester and USS Northampton made a casual 10 knot gait in line astern to steam past the eastern tip of Woleai Atoll , to inspect their recently completed work. USS Salt Lake City paced them at the precise interval.
The airplanes from Big 'E' had all departed , home to roost under Halsey's gnarly wing.
Spruance passed his glance across the atoll from west to east. Not a crab stirred. Hulks of several seaplanes smoldered in the shallow water of the lagoon. Drooping wrecks of several anti-aircraft positions were placed in clever hollows and scrub around the airstrip as though they were bowing in submission, ashamed of their recent impotence. Small blackened boxes with protruding gun tubes showed the positions of the enemy's coastal artillery pieces - or where they used to be.
A few embers and oily splotches showed the remnants of aircraft and vehicles around the now sordid looking airstrip.
"Good work , Captain Zacharias" , Spruance issued, "There's nothing left here that can walk or crawl."
He took one last look through the binoculars.
"Ring up the Task Group , Captain. Make 30 knots on a heading of ... "

[LW/JG10_Luny]

"Ring up the Task Group , Captain. Make 30 knots on a heading of ... "

... hell

Nice one, Kopf.

[Kopfdorfer]

The waning sun was beginning to set over the Marshall Islands , casting long dark shadows across the water from the spotty but thick banks of clouds that were finally beginning to lift.

The officers of the patrol gunboat Toyotsu Maru were just getting the fires caused by two Mk13 torpedos that had been launched from turtling Douglas TBDs under control. The Captain , mortally wounded , was laid to rest in the shattered bridge.

At precisely 1606 hrs , a startled lookout reported in an excited voice , three smoke blooms on the eastern horizon bearing about 070 degrees. There was little time to speculate as to whether the smoke blooms were from friendly or enemy vessels , as the ripping sound of 6 inch shells through the air told the inevitable truth : Task Group 8.2 under Rear Admiral Ray Spruance had found Toyotsu Maru.
Spruance had ordered a gentle deviation of course to allow USS Chester , Northampton and Salt Lake City to unleash broadsides on the hapless Gunboat.

Sailors were already taking to the water as the first of between 20 and 30 salvos first bracketed , then systematically shredded the old Gunboat.

Spruance ordered no slackening of speed, and maintained flank toward the rendezvous with TG 8.1 and the Big E.

Kopfdorfer