The Incident
As I recall, it was a night much darker than usual. It was almost as if the stars and moon had fled, knowing what was to come.
The Grayson sailed on the starboard flank of a task force composed of at least one large carrier, perhaps two, surrounded by three or four cruisers close in and a handful of destroyers, maybe eight, as an outer screen.
I can still taste the spam sandwiches
and coffee brought early to the crew asit waited at general quarters at dusk. These were circumstances encountered numbers of times before and every man on board the "G" knew something was expected to happen. Sometime a programmed or expectable action was relayed to the crew, but many times we were not informed.
With heavy black phones plastered to my ears, I stood, walked around or sat at my station, secondary con located forward of the #3 gun.
Secondary con is a rather open and uncluttered space with an aluminum shield waist high and quite useless against bullets, let alone shells of any size. It holds a steering wheel, engine room telegraph and compass. The instruments are meant to be used if anything disasterous happens to the ship's bridge. Luckily for all, I was never required to put my hand on any of it. About an hour after eating what was called supper, the ship was brought to a primary alert status
, known as Condition Red. The "happening", whatever it might be, was coming closer.
Half an hour later, when darkness was upon us, guns began to fire from a destroyer ahead of us. I stood waiting. Then the "G"'s 5"ers started blasting. Looking around, I must say I saw nothing. I had no idea what was going on. Then another glance showed me every ship in the task force was firing.
Sound eminating from #3 gun was crushing. 5"ers make a lud, cracking noise, much like
close lightning or a rifle, rather than a big goom. Repeated firing quickly throttles the thought processes of any man standing nearby, like me. The concussion bangs at your body with every shot. It seems trite to say it, but seconds seemed like minutes as time passed. Then our twin-mounted 40mm guns began spewing shells. As tracers left the guns and arched into the distance, I found out what we were shooting at. As I faced starboard I could see, by some soft, unknown light, the outlined shiny image of a Japanese
Betty bomber coming straight at us just above water level. Clattering 20mm's opened up and I watched tracers fly into the body of the plane, apparenty without effect.
It is odd how one can look at an enemy aircraft headed for the ship and know perfectly well his guns are trained right in your face. As I watched the Betty, a torpedo dropped from the plane's belly and hit the water. Instantly I knew my time had come. One begins at once to prepare for what is "inevitable". It is peaceful, matter of fact, orderly process
in the mind, while the body virtually stands paralyzed. I waited and after a time realized the torpedo had gone directly under the "G". I recall a cruiser (was it the second Houston?) was struck, but I am not certain.
I can remember the firing of all those guns at other times against other enemies in other places. But those days and nights were not the same. On that dark occasion when we screened a task force, I shall forever remember it was the first time I realized fear.
--John MacLeod S1/c 6/43-7/45
The Incident Continued
The time I was scared the most was when we were dead in the water picking up USS Houston survivors. We were along side of the Houston, which was also dead in the water. We all learned later of how close we were to getting hit from one of Houston's survivors. He had seen a torpedo go under our bow. As our bow went up the torpedo went under. "Whew!!".
--Macario Gil S1/c 6/43-11/46
The Incident Continued
I have many pleasant memories of my service aboard the Grayson. One thing that made me realize we were at war was the time a projectile exploded as it left the 5" gun and killed one shipmate and injured several others.
Another incident was the time the new Houston was torpedoed and ordered to abandon ship. What an ordeal to rescue the survivors in high sea and in the dark.
--Al Svien ETM 3/c 12/43-1/46
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Information was provided by Dave Craigmile, ENS USS Grayson. Copyright 2000, USS Grayson Association and Richard Angelini.
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