USS Thomas J. Gary (DE-326) - Voyage To Japan

Voyage To Japan

Bob Redmon says "Toward the end of the war we were part of a task force that was probably larger than the one on D-Day. This task force was commanded by Admiral Kincaid and we were underway for the first invasion of the Japanese mainland. Now get this, we were running escort for the battleship California on which Seaman Gary lost his life at Pearl Harbor. Still gives me goose bumps. We knew something was up. We had left Okinawa for the invasion.

Since we were only about 300 miles from the Japanese coast we had no idea why it was taking so long. Of course when we started dropping the big bombs we understood. I still would have liked for the big boys who were sunk at Pearl to have had a chance to lob those 16 inchers ashore and say "hey, Japs, look who's here." especially the California."

En route, the task group was diverted to Formosa. With Commander Escort Division 57 embarked, Thomas J. Gary was designated to liberate Allied prisoners of war who had been held on that island. On 3 September, she embarked 19 marines from Block Island charged with arranging the details of the evacuation of the POW's. Her division commander was also responsible for making the preliminary arrangements for the occupation of Formosa.

Bob Redmon says "After the surrender is when we were diverted to Formosa to rescue POWs. The first thing the prisoner's said was "where have you guys been." Some had been involved in the Bataan Death March".

Before dawn of 5 September off the coast of Formosa, Thomas J. Gary and Kretchmer were detached from the escort carrier task group. The destroyer escorts were without navigational guides to indicate the location of mines in water surrounding the island. Despite the signing of the peace some days before, resistance from die-hard Japanese was a distinct possibility.

At 0718, as the two ships approached the waters most apt to be mined, every precaution was taken to minimize damage and casualties, should the ships strike a mine. The American sailors maintained a state of readiness to repel possible attack, as Thomas J. Gary, with her sister ship 500 yards astern, threaded her way at nine knots through the unknown and dangerous waters. Four Combat Air Patrol planes provided cover, and two anti-mine sweep planes from the carriers relayed word of the sightings of possible mines as the destroyer escorts picked their way through the hazardous approaches to Kiirun, making frequent changes of course to avoid sonar contacts which exhibited a suspicious similarity to those made by mines. One mile north of Kiirun Island, she rendezvoused with a small Japanese tug which led the way into Kiirun Harbor, where a Japanese harbor pilot pointed out the dock to be used.

The ships maintained a condition of modified general quarters and stationed armed guards on shore. A detail headed by Thomas J. Gary's communications officer took over the local Japanese radio station to insure reliable communications between the task group and Japanese authorities in Kiirun for the duration of the evacuation operation. Finally, at 1630, a train arrived bearing Allied prisoners of war who were quickly transferred to the waiting destroyer escorts.

At 1800, provided now with a Japanese pilot and Japanese charts of the minefields in the vicinity of Kiirun, Thomas J. Gary got underway. Her commanding officer later dryly reported: "Our outbound route did not coincide with the one used inbound since we discovered that our inbound track crossed several minefields." That night, she rendezvoused with the carriers and transferred the newly freed POW's to the larger ships.

On the 6th, Thomas J. Gary, joined by other DE's, returned to Kiirun to transport additional POW's. After transferring most other passengers to Block Island, she got underway for Manila; and, on the 9th, she arrived at Manila to discharge the last 50 of her POW's.