Waterman Comes To The Aid of USS Patuxent
While thus engaged, Waterman distinguished herself. On 17 February, an internal explosion ripped through the forward section of the oiler Patuxent (AO-44), leaving gaping holes in her bow and fires that raged over the forward part of the ship, endangering part of the cargo of volatile aviation gas. Waterman promptly left her screening station and was the first of two escorts to come alongside and lend a hand. She closed the endangered ship from one side while Dewey (DD-349) approached her from the other. The destroyer escort's repair parties, operating under extremely hazardous conditions, streamed thousands of gallons of water on Patuxent's blaze and finally extinguished it. For his part in directing the destroyer escort's effort, Lt. Comdr. J. H. Stahle, USNR, the ship's commanding officer, received the Bronze Star Medal.
After upkeep and logistics back at Ulithi, Waterman departed the Carolines on 22 March for a fueling area east of Okinawa. During the first two weeks of April, Waterman escorted Attu (CVE-102) as she ferried replacement planes to the fast carrier task forces on two round trips between Okinawa and Guam.
For the remainder of the war in the Pacific, Waterman screened Fleet Service Force units steaming a few hundred miles off the Japanese homeland while the fleet's carriers, battleships, and cruisers carried out devastating attacks on the enemy's very doorstep.
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