USS Wesson (DE-184) - World War II Pacific Theatre Operations - Drydocked at Eniwetok

Drydocked At Eniwetok

On 1 August 1944, Wesson steamed for the Marshalls and arrived at Eniwetok on 5 August for upkeep and availability. From 29 to 30 August, the ship was drydocked to repaint her underwater hull. On 2 September, Wesson got underway to rendezvous with Sitkoh Bay (CVE-86) and Barnes (CVE-20) and proceed in company with the escort carriers to Manus in the Admiralty Islands. The force arrived at Seeadler Harbor, Manus, on 10 September and, four days later, sortied for a rendezvous off the Palau Islands in the Western Carolines. During flight operations, Wesson rescued three airmen who had crashed upon launching. The destroyer escort screened Sitkoh Bay as the escort carrier headed back to the Admiralty Islands for repairs to her catapult. On 22 September, she and Mitchell (DE-43) left Seeadler Harbor, Manus Island, escorting Guadalupe (AO-32) to a fueling area in the Palau Islands; but, on 29 September, Wesson received orders to return to Manus.

The first three days of October found Wesson anchored in Seeadler Harbor. On the 4th, she got underway as part of a task unit centered around Nehenta Bay (CVE-74), Steamer Bay (CVE-87), Sitkoh Bay (CVE-86), and Nassau (CVE-16). During fueling operations in the Philippine Sea, Wesson assumed plane guard duty. On 22 October — two days after American forces returned to the Philippine Islands with landings on Leyte — Wesson got underway to escort Sitkoh Bay to Manus, and they arrived back in Seeadler Harbor on 26 October. Wesson remained there undergoing availability for the remainder of the month.

On 1 November 1944, the ship left the Admiralties to escort Armadillo (IX-111) to Ulithi Atoll, where she arrived on 5 November. After conducting firing practice and fueling exercises, Wesson departed Ulithi on the 16th with a group of oilers to rendezvous with the Fast Carrier Task Force (TF) 38 for fueling in the western Philippine Sea. Following the successful conclusion of that operation, the destroyer escort returned to Ulithi on 29 November. On 10 December, Wesson, as part of a supply group, again made rendezvous with TF 38 for fueling and aircraft replacement. On 20 December, the destroyer escort received orders to escort Kwajalein (CVE-98) to Guam and, after completing that task, returned to Ulithi and spent the remainder of 1944 in drydock for repairs to her sonar gear.