ED GAVIN'S DIARY OF THE ALEUTIAN OPERATION

2/1/44    Left Adak for raid on Jap base at Paramushiro.   

2/4/44    On a bright moonlight night, we and eight other cans and two light cruisers steamed into Paramushiro, and bombarded the beach, causing the large ammunition and fuel dumps to start fire and explode.    Each 5" gun fired about 200 rounds.    One Jap ship was beached.    We and two other destroyers went way in for a torpedo run on ships at dock.    None were found.    Japs fired into air and along the beach.    Nearest hit was fifty yards aft.    All shore batteries were demolished   

2/6/44    Arrived Attu, and left same for Adak .   

2/7/44    Arrived Adak .   

2/28/44    Arrived at Attu, after leaving Adak .   

3/2/44    Left Attu in search of Jap convoy, consisting of four merchant ships, two destroyers, one cruiser and one patrol boat.    Remain in contact with two of our subs following convoy.            Got word that subs sank two merchant ships.    Continued search.    One morning our bombers flew over in search of convoy, and to bombard Paramushiro.    We have entered the Sea of Okhotsk , in search of convoy.    Passed between two islands, about ten miles apart.    We are now in the center of Jap stronghold.    They must know we are here; why don't they fight?        Finally give up search and decide to paste Paramushiro.    Task force is made up of seven DD's and two light cruisers.    The weather stopped us.    There was so much fog, and due to rough sea, the beach could not be seen at 3 miles.    On way back, we went to battle stations when we got air contact, but it proved to be our planes, returning from another raid.   

3/6/44    Arrived back at Attu .   

3/18/44    Left Attu for Adak .   

3/19/44    Arrived at Adak, and went into dry dock at Finger Bay .   

3/24/44    Went alongside of tender for repairs.   

4/1/44    Left Adak on account of bad storm.       

4/3/44    Returned to port.   

4/4/44    Left Adak for Kodiak , Alaska .    First we are going south for 600 miles, on sub patrol.    Today is the 6th, and the sea is very rough.   

4/10/44    Arrived at Kodiak and saw trees and women, as well as other civilians, for the first time since December.   

4/15/44    Left Kodiak, after enjoyable stay.   

4/18/44    Arrived at Adak .   

4/28/44    Left Adak for Attu .   

4/30/44    Arrived Attu , joined squadron.   

5/1/44    Left Attu for maneuvers.    Advanced to SK3/c.   

5/2/44    Received word of downed bomber near Kamchatka .    Left with two other ships, to search.    Young, got sub contact, dropped charges, lost contact.    Went to battle stations when we got surface contact.    It was a Russian tanker.    Came upon one of our drifting sound buoys.    Could not sink it, although hit.   

5/5/44    Rejoined squadron after search and entered Attu .   

5/15/44    GQ in port.   

5/18/44    GQ in port.   

5/20/44    Underway for Adak .    Streamed target for aircraft strafing and bombing.    Fired at sleeve and had night air search and attack exercise.   

6/5/44    Left Adak with our squadron and the light cruisers Concord and Detroit; also the two heavies that just came up, the Pensacola and the Chester.    We are on our way to another raid, but first to Attu.       Had anti-aircraft firing this morning, and at 2300 we are supposed to have night search and attack.    The sea is glassy smooth, with a warm sun, and the whales are out.    All hands are cautioned to not throw anything over the side, because it could easily be seen by the enemy subs.    It is now 2330, and we are having GQ.    The sea is as calm as it has ever been, and there is a full moon silhouetting every ship.    At about 0400 we got word that France was invaded

6/6/44    Today the water is rough and it is very foggy.    We had some AA firing at a sleeve, but the visibility was very poor.    We arrived in Attu at 1900, and all ships anchored.

6/7/44    Stay in port; cruisers start fueling.

6/8/44    Cruisers still fueling.    Heard broadcast from a ship in the English Channel, and I could also hear the guns and planes.    We will soon be hearing the same thing in the Kuriles.    This afternoon Mr. Lubar gave a talk in the mess hall, on the raid.    We had the following model of Matsuwa, the place we are to hit.    (drawing)    Us and two other destroyers are supposed to leave the rest of the task force, and come down the northern tip of the island, in search of shipping in the harbor.    If there are ships in the harbor, we are to bombard them, and if they attempt to come out, we torpedo them.    If there are no ships there, we shell the radio station, and other targets on shore.    The rest of the force made up of five cruisers and six cans, are going to shell the airfield for 36 minutes, then we all meet about 20 miles out, and form an anti-aircraft screen.    There will be rescue ships and salvage ships with us, and the gunboat Charleston may go, as she is in port now.    The Salt Lake City and the Richmond (cruisers), may go to, if they get here on time.    The fog today was very bad.