European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 14, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse , a v of a if of in. Of r i & St it the sea appears deceptively Calm but deep Roll of Light Carrier Langley with Forward elevator lowered for extra stability gives clue to winds strength. Navy by Sam Bauman staff writer sphere is a certain Folksy Friendly Al Ness these Days about typhoons and hurricanes they Are charmingly named Betsy Sally and Henrietta an followed with All the Loving attention a Bird watcher lavishes on a Dapper billed spoon sucker. Jets skirt Sally ships Dodge Henrietta and cities Batten Down when Betsy is expected. But As recently As world War typhoons stuck with unannounced ferocity sinking ships and Downing air Craft As casually As a Spring Breeze drops a Blossom from a tree. In those Days weathermen did t even bother to name their storms except on rare posthumous occasions. Back in the 1940s, the Iron age of meteorology there were no typhoon Hunters probing the innermost secrets of the storm and this Lack resulted in during the closing stages of world War ii the sinking of three ships the loss of More than 700 lives and letters of reprimand for two top american and Story of these killer typhoons has been largely untold. Wartime Secu Rity dictated the original Blanket of secrecy and the complexity of the tale since caused Many authors to shy away. But now two writers have turned their attention to the subject and the result is Halsey s typhoons Crown by ans c. Adamson and George f. Kosco. The latter was Fleet Aero Logist for the Armada which bore the Brunt of the storms fury. This most unusual Battle began routinely enough dec. 11, 1944, As . William f. Halsey s 3rd Fleet Whelch included 12 carriers and nine battleship Ted Anchor at Ulitha atoll in the Caro lines and set sail for the philippine Oca. Bull Halsey had retired to ulitto map out new tactics to meet the sudden Challenge of the japanese Kam raze planes which sent one Carrier to be Bottom and damaged 10 others in october and november. Halsey was committed to providing air cover for the upcoming invasion of Mindoro by the soldiers of Gen. Douglas Macarthur happily delayed until dec. 15. To do this and at the same Tim protect his Fleet from suicide planes Halsey and his staff came up with big Blue Blanket a plan to put a constant air Cap Over enemy air bases and thus catch japanese suicide planes before they could get off the runways. On dec. 13 carriers and escorts took on Oil from task group 30.8, commanded by capt. Jasper Acuff. The opera Tion went smoothly and quickly seas were Busy but not treacherous and be sides the Fleet had Only been out two Days. The first air launch was set for Dawn on dec. 14. The first Blue Blanket was a Clear Cut Success not a single japanese plane from Mindoro was Able to Pressman attack on Macarthur s invasion Fleet although others from the Southern Philippines and Formosa scored some hits. By the end of operations dec. 16the Navy planes had destroyed 270 enemy aircraft at a loss of 27 to them selves. As night fell and the Southern Cross gleamed in the sky Halsey s ships moved off for a rendezvous with the Oil ers the planes had burned up tremendous amounts of a Gas and the destroyers greyhounds busily charging Abou the sea As escorts had drained their bunkers to dangerously Low Levels. He menace of the kamikazes seemingly had been broken but there was another form of Kamikaze the word Means divine wind in japanese just Over the horizon. Typhoon cobra the name was adopted by the authors Wasan 8,000-Square-mile infant that night of dec. 18, somewhere Between Guam and Ulithia As yet unlighted by the Navy. A Ulithia based Navy seaplane spotted cobra that morning As a murky Blotch of Zero Zero visibility it was repo Tedas a tropical disturbance but unfortunately the message was put in a highly secret code which delayed transmission and eventual the same time Halsey was sit Ting Down to lunch in the Flag Messon the battleship new Jersey while the Fleet was fueling up. The flagship was attempting to refuel a destroyer As Hal sey prepared to Dine the weather was squally and the Admiral was suddenly treated to a View through the portholes of a destroyer s superstructure seemingly plunging right for his ship. Re fueling efforts were cancelled As destroyers seeking Oil had snapped hos after Hose. New refuelling area was designated to the South and nearer the target Halsey had to resume hitting dec. 19, but it quickly became Clear the Fleet could t make the gassing up Point in time. Halsey was in a quandary. To support Macarthur he should move Northwest but typhoons generally move West North West. If he went South he could prob ably avoid the storm North and height not be Able to escape it. A cold front the traditional Barrier on which typhoons broke up was moving in from the North and might offer Haven. Halsey opted for seas almost at once Rose the winds added More knots and the Battle ship in Halsey s words tossed like a by 4 30 . Halsey reluctantly ordered a More southerly course. Meanwhile the oilers were hacking their Way toward the fueling Point. The destroyer Aylwin narrowly averted Dis Aster when it lost electrical Power due to Generator failure a chief and several sailors rushed to the Stern to steer mechanically and kept the plunging ship headed into the wind until Power was refuelling attempts were made in the dirty Gray morning but hardly enough Oil to meet the needs of a Dom Estic Oil Furnace moved through the lines. By 8 Halsey gave up All efforts at Topping tanks and told Mac Arthurh would not be Able to furnish sup port the next and blowing Spray made Clear observation of the Waves impossible log keepers merely noted them similarly no Clear Cut Thuis Rociy Totch 14, 1968 the stars and stripes picture of the entire Fleet by no spread Over a vast area emerges. But the individual tales Are gripping. The Light Carrier Monterey which was Laid Down As a Light Cruiser Bat switched character on the ways after Pearl Harbor was ready for the its deck aircraft were lashed in place with half Inch steel cables i the hangar decks Gas tanks were drained and firemen ready. But Here Are some of the messages capt. Stuart h. Inger soil sent to his Admiral cannot hold course. Coming to140 degrees at 15 then one minute later present course 220. Al planes on my hangar deck on the Short Range ship to ship radio a voice droned Well Check off the Mon the verdict was a bit premature. The Blaze had started when the air Craft below decks began snapping their cables and slamming about. Sparks ignited fumes still in Wing tanks and in seconds the hangar was an still the Monterey class carriers had their air intakes located in the hangar deck and the flames were sucked deep into the control Crews were barely Able to keep a hand hold on pitching decks until capt. Ingersoll Hove to put Ting the wind and seas on his Quarter then the planes halted their macabre dance and the men moved in. Many died or were badly burned but some 30 minutes later the radio reported have fire under Contro. " he destroyer Aylwin already the victim of Oue crisis was top heavy with much new radar gear and Arma ment. Everything that could be moved was put below decks but at 9 35 a tremendous sea Rose and almost blinded the ship. Speed was Cut to eight knots but at 11 a massive wave ripped lifeboats and rigging from the decks and the first of several Rolls to 70 degrees Phis was registered. Then the steering failed again the engine room blowers which furnished life giving fresh air to the Black Hole went out the engines went dead. The violently rolling ship was locked deepen a trough Between towering Waves the after dec House was smashed am two crewmen disappeared Over the Side. No search could be made. Repairs were made t autistic As it i Hittl i i a if Page
