USS Ralph Talbot (DD-390) - Beginning The New Year

Beginning The New Year

On 1 January 1944 she got underway with Task Force 76 for the preinvasion bombardment of, and landings at, Saidor. She next escorted reinforcements to both Saidor and Cape Gloucester. In early February she returned to Milne Bay, then steamed east to the United States for overhaul.

In mid-May she departed San Francisco for Pearl Harbor and a month later sailed for Eniwetok and Saipan as convoy escort. Arriving at Garapan Harbor 5 July, she provided gunfire support to troops ashore, evacuated stranded casualties and on the 7th returned to escort duty in the Marshalls and Marianas. Back at Saipan on the 25th, she provided fire support and harassing shore bombardment fire at Tinian on the 27th, then resumed escort duties. Continuing that duty into August, she joined TF 38.4 at Eniwetok and on the 28th sailed for strikes against the Volcano and Bonin Islands (31 August – 2 September) Yap (7–8 September), and the Palaus (10–19 September).

Following the Palau offensive, the force retired to Manus; then returned to the Palaus, wher, in October 1944, they sailed to strike against Japanese shipping and positions on Okinawa, Luzon, and Formosa. On the 14th the force returned to smash targets on Luzon, continuing the raids through the 19th. On the 20th it supported the Leyte landings, then returned to operations off Luzon. On the 24th it steamed north to intercept the Japanese Northern Carrier Force. On the 25th, as Ralph Talbot screened the heavier vessels, the Battle off Cape Engaño was fought and, on the 31st, the force retired to Ulithi.

Ralph Talbot, detached from the fast carriers on 16 November, rejoined the 7th Fleet on the 17th and, with the CVEs of TG 77.4, patrolled the convoy routes in the Leyte Gulf area until the 27th when she steamed to Kossol Roads. On 12 December she returned to Leyte Gulf, then escorted the CVEs into the Sulu Sea for operations in support of the Mindoro landings. A brief respite at Manus followed, preceding her next screening assignment, the Luzon invasion.

Departing the Admiralties 27 December, the destroyer steamed north to Kossol Roads and on 1 January 1945 sortied with the escort carrier group. On the 4th, the Ommaney Bay(CVE-79) was hit by a kamikaze and on the 6th the group arrived off Lingayen Gulf. Through the 17th, the destroyer screened the carriers as they provided air cover for the assault troops and on the 23d she returned to Ulithi to replenish. Reassigned to the 5th Fleet in February, she steamed to Saipan, where she screened transports to Iwo Jima. Between the 16th and the 27th, she patrolled off that island, then returned to Saipan.

Back at Ulithi 5 March, she remained at that base until 20 April when she got underway for Okinawa. Arriving at Hagushi on the 26th, she immediately reported for duty in TG 51.5 and commenced antiaircraft patrols. Soon after 2200, on the 27th, while patrolling off the anchorage, she was closed by two enemy fighters flown by pilots of the "Divine Wind" school. The first crashed into the starboard side aft. The second, a near miss, splashed into the sea off the port quarter. Damage control parties brought flooding under control by 2213 and within minutes PCE-852 pulled alongside with a medical officer and seven corpsmen. The destroyer then turned back to Kerama Retto for repairs. On 20 May she got underway to return to the Hagushi anchorage where she again joined the antiaircraft screen. On the 26th she shifted to Nakagusuku Wan, then back to Kerama Retto where she rejoined the escort carriers. A month later she steamed to Leyte, then to Saipan. There she resumed convoy escort duty, and for the remainder of World War II plied between the Marianas and the Ryukyus.

In August, she was busy in the Philippine Sea conducting rescue operations after USS Indianapolis was sunk in that area. She rescued 24 survivors and four days later returned to Ulithi Atoll to continue her service.

On 1 September 1945, Ralph Talbot escorted the USS Portland (CA-33), sister ship of the Indianapolis and the lead of its class, from Guam to Truk and on the 2d stood by as the Japanese formally surrendered that island fortress during ceremonies aboard the cruiser. Returning to Guam on the 3d, the destroyer sailed for Saipan, Okinawa, and Japan on the 5th and, into October, operated off southern Japan and Okinawa, getting underway for the United States 29 October.