Onondaga (1942) — Discussion: Questions, Comments, and Coordination

[Michael]

Exxon Valdez, Queen of the North, ...

[joke_slayer]

Finished up to September

Spending a lot of time escorting convoys back and forth between Icy Strait and Women's Bay

[Michael]

[joke_slayer]

Sometimes in the course column they write "Pilot", meaning presumably that they are following pilot courses. See 5-6 pm in the following page for an example,

https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 2_0476.JPG

This throws up an error when writing data, can this be added as a valid value in the spreadsheet?

(Not an urgent change, though would be nice to have)

[Michael]

Good question, I'm glad you asked.

I write just v because I don't always know what the actual course is, and I have other ways of sorting it. Sometimes Google Earth shows the pilot courses, and if I see a v I can follow those because I know where they're going. Sometimes they add drifting to either the distance or course. You can enter 0 for them.

[joke_slayer]

Finished this year after what seems to be countless trips between Womens Bay and Excursion inlet

Its voyages like this that make me greatful for working in an air conditioned office on dry land

[Michael]

Well done. Yes, air conditioned offices have their advantages. I have added this voyage to the queue.

[Randi]

[Michael]

I'm just starting to work out the positions for this voyage. We may have a new record for course changes: 1,396. Being the war years, there are lots and lots of "minor" course changes, such as:

1310: cc 275 T 1328 cc 273 T 1334 Maneuvering along side convoy 1340 cc 276 T 1346 cc 278 T 1350 cc 280 T + pgc

For this part of the voyage, they're heading across the North Pacific on their way to Chernofski Harbor in the Aleutian Islands. Normally, for a long trip across the Pacific there might be half a dozen course changes but, when dodging possible enemy submarines, you don't want to be on the straight and narrow. Nevertheless, they all need to be transcribed and then calculated.

Note: If you like, you can save a few keystrokes and use G for pgc. Also, if there are readings which are True, there is no need for the simultaneous pgc (G) or psc (S) readings.

[Michael]

31 May 1942
54.01 -164.20

Mr Thomas:- Make entry after your 0210 entry showing that convoy was lost while we were hove to securing boats.

0233: #1 Boat Strongback carried away - Maneuvering to secure boat. Course 135^o T * Convoy was lost during interval of securing boats. Last seen at 0235 bearing 280^o

* endeavoring to contact convoy.

[Michael]

Wednesday, 3 June 1942
Dutch Harbor

0410: Moored tto USN South Mooring buoy, Dutch Harbor, Alaska.
0517: 3 USN PBY patrol planes took off from NAS (Naval Air Station), Dutch Harbor.
0531: USN observation seaplane took off from NAS, Dutch Harbor.
0540: Sighted enemy planes over Dutch Harbor from Westward. Sounded general quarters. Shore batteries opened fire with machine guns at single which dived low over harbor preceding main attack force.
0542: Opened fire with all batteries at enemy planes overhead. Shore batteries firing.
0550: Maintaining continuous A.A. fire at aircraft bombing NAS at Dutch Harbor
0600: Firing on second wave of enemy bombers over N.A.S. Dutch Harbor.
0612: Ceased firing, standing out of Iliuliuk Bay into Unalaska Bay on various courses and speeds hugging Eastern shore. Expended approximately 115 rounds 3-23 Cal ammunition, 1400 rounds .50 Cal. AA Machine gun ammunition, 500 rounds .30 Caliber machine gun ammunition. No enemy casualty during action noted.
0655: Observed anti aircraft fire at NAS Dutch Harbor Observed two US Destroyers dropping depth charges in main channel vicinity of Ulakta Head. Maintaining continuous Q.C. watch.
0740: USN PBY patrol plane sighted and identified enroute to Dutch Harbor
1045: Made firm underwater sound contact at range 1800 yards on port bow All hands to general quarters. Maneuvering at various courses and speeds verifying contact. Contact firm and of proper bearing width, apparently got in motion.
1050: Dropped two depth charges setting 150 feed and 100 feed. 1052 Regained contact in same location dropped on charge set for 200 feet. Continued searching area.
1845: Standing away from dock and out of Akutan Harbor on various courses and speeds to search for USN Patrol plane reported down on Easterly side of Akutan Is.

Thanks to Joke Slayer who entered this in the XML file.

[Michael]

Thursday, 4 June 1942
En route Dutch Harbor from Akutan Harbor

1800: Sounded general quarters, radio reported Dutch Harbor NAS being attacked by enemy planes.
1810: Sighted several planes maneuvering in vicinity of Unalaska Bay and Akutan Pass * 1700 Dutch Harbor Radio reported first attack over at 1845
1956: Dutch Harbor Radio reported many planes attacking (second attack) All stations manned at General quarters since 1800

[Michael]

Friday, 5 June 1942

0550: Recd radio report of enemy aircraft carrier and cruiser 35 to 40 miles 330 T from Otter Point, about 72 mi. 204 T from ONONDAGA's position**
0619: Rec'd radio report that Bogoslof Is. was being attacked by planes

[Michael]

Saturday, 6 Jun 1942

1045: Received dispatch Dutch Harbor being attacked by enemy aircraft

[Michael]

Tuesday, 21 July 1942
Near 58 28N 137 49W

1640: Made Q.C. contact at approx Lat 58 28 N, Long 137 49 W, about 10 mi off Lituya Bay sounded general quarters began to track contact at full speed ahead convoy ordered to and made ~ position and Navy Patrol Plane.
1653: Dropped 2 depth charges and fired Y gun charges.
1658: Made contact again.
1702: Dropped 2 depth charges and fired Y gun charges.
1720: Regained contact.
1722: Dropped 2 depth charges.
1725: Navy Patrol plane dropped 2 bombs.
1730: Maneuvering at full speed to regain contact.
1745: Secured from general quarters. Visible results of attack negative.
1807: Proceeding at full speed to overtake convoy Contact message sent to COMALSEC, info NAS SITKA

[Michael]

I was curious about the frequent mentions of USS Swiftsure. They meet up with her in the Icy Straits. Sometimes they take on provisions, and they often wait nearby while their convoys are being assembled. There was, of course, the Swiftsure Light Vessel off Cape Flattery, I was wondering if this could have been the same ship. It seemed unlikely, but...

She was laid down at the Albina Motor Works in Portland, Oregon and launched on 1 July 1929.[1] She had two masts each capped with a 375mm electric lens lantern (15,000 cp) and a 4-way air diaphone fog horn.[1] During World War II, she was reassigned to the Alaskan Sea Frontier to serve as an examination vessel.[1][2] Designated as a Yard Patrol Craft YP-397, she was painted grey and armaments added: a 4"/50 caliber gun forward, two .50 caliber machine guns on either side of the bridge, one .30 caliber machine gun aft, and a Y gun with 17 depth charges.[2] She was assigned to the Icy Strait at the northern entrance to the Inside Passage between Cape Spencer on the Alaskan mainland to the north and Indian Head Light, on Chichagof Island to the south.[2] She remained on station continuously sending a launch for provisions at nearby ports.[2] In addition to confirming the identity of all ships trying to enter the Inside Passage, she assisted in assembling convoys that were en route to further points in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands.[2] After the war, she returned to her post at Swiftsure Bank.[1]

[Randi]

These discoveries are what I love about OW

[Michael]

The voyage for Onondaga has been completed, with many thanks to Joke Slayer for his complete and careful work.

You can see the voyage plot here and, for more detail, you can download the KML file and view it with Google Earth.

It was an interesting year. They were involved in the attack by Japanese planes at Dutch Harbor in June. They were also involved in relocating some people from Saint Paul and Saint George Islands to Wrangell. From July to December they escorted convoys between Kodiak and places along the Alaskan Panhandle: Sitka, Juneau, Gustavus and Excursion Inlet. In all they made at least 26 trips on convoy duty. There were also a couple of times when they met a convoy coming in the opposite direction and they traded convoys with the other escort so they could return to their original ports.

[Randi]

Great work
joke_slayer and Michael !