Dad served on the USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) in WWII. This was his log book from his time in the war. (Scroll to the bottom for pictures)
Jerome John Halbach S.F. 2nd Class
U.S.S. Pennsylvania Box 21
C/O Fleet Post Office
San Francisco, California
__________________________________________________________________
August 28, 1942
I enlisted at Mason City Iowa and left for Des Moines for my examination
September 2, 1942
Sworn in at Osage Iowa at seven o’clock and left on train from Charles City at ten fifteen.
September 3, 1942
Arrived at Great Lakes about ten o’clock
October 3, 1942
Left for home on 9 days leave.
October 12, 1942
Got back to the Lakes
October 13, 1942
Started out for San Francisco
October 17, 1942
Reached Frisco and went aboard the USS Pennsylvania at noon.
November 15, 1942
Transferred from the fifth division to the R division into the Shipfitter shop.
November 25, 1942
Started home on five days leave and eight days traveling time.
December 9, 1942
Got back off leave.
February 6, 1943
Left San Francisco for Long Beach
February 7, 1943
Pulled into Long Beach this evening
April 23, 1943
Left Long Beach
May 11,12,13, 1943
Bombarded Attu. (One of the Aleutian Islands)
May 28, 1943
Pulled into Bremerton Washington
July 1, 1943
Made Shipfitter 3rd class
August 1, 1943
Left Bremerton.
August 15,16,17, 1943
At Kiska (Aleutian island) but we were not asked to fire.
September 1, 1943
Arrived at Pearl Harbor. Tied up at Berth 16.
September 18,1943
Transferred to N.A.D. at West Look
October 8, 1943
Returned back aboard the Pennsylvania
November 10, 1943
Left Pearl Harbor for Gilbert Islands
November 20,21,22,23,24,25,1943
Bombarded and stood by at Makin Island.
December 5, 1943
Back to Pearl harbor
January 1, 1944
Made Shipfitter 2nd Class
January 22, 1944
Left Pearl Harbor for the Marshall Islands
January 31, 1944
Bombarded Kwajalein
February 1, 1944
Bombarded Kwajalein
February 3, 1944
Went into the lagoon at Kwajalein and anchored
February 4, 1944
I went on the beach at Kwajalein. What a terrible sight.
February 5, 1944
Left Kwajalein and anchored at Roi
February 6, 1944
Left Roi
February 7, 1944
Anchored in the lagoon at Majuro for fuel and ammunition and old saying is “He who control Majuro controls the Marshalls”
February 8, 1944
Took on fuel
February 9,10,1944
Took on ammunition explosion on the forecastle a few men injured
February 11, 1944
Explosion in the #1 handling room. Three men killed
February 12, 1944
The fourth man died. Got underway again
February 13, 1944
Anchored at Kwajalein again
February 17,18,1944
Bombarded Fragile island in the Enewetak Atoll
February 19, 1944
Fragile Island was taken
February 20, 1944
Bombarded two other islands at the entrance of the lagoon
February 21, 1944
Continued bombarding all day
February 22, 1944
Bombarded early this morning and then the amphibious forces made landings. L.C.I. came along side after being hit. She brought on seven dead men and 20 badly wounded. Sure a tough break.
February 23, 1944
Left Enewetak Atoll
February 25, 1944
Anchored at Majuro Island again
March 1, 1944
Got underway for the New Hebrides
March 6, 1944
Arrived at the New Hebrides and tied to a bay in Havana Harbor at the Island of Efate.
April 24, 1944
Got underway from Efate at 7:15 this morning. Headed for Australia.
April 29, 1944
Arrived in Sydney Australia this forenoon
May 6, 1944
Underway from Sydney
May 10, 1944
Had the anchor detail again and we got into Efate again at two o’clock
May 17, 1944
Anchor detail again getting underway from Efate at 07:15
May 19, 1944
Anchored in Purvis Bay at Florida Island in the Solomons. Right next to Guadacanal.
May 24, 1944
Left Florida Island this afternoon.
May 27, 1944
Tied to ??? back at Efate this afternoon
June 2, 1944
Underway from Efate at 9:15 had anchor detail
June 8, 1944
Arrived at Roi this afternoon
June 10, 1944
Underway from Roi headed for Guam this forenoon
June 14, 1944
Bombarded Saipan
June 15, 1944
Bombarded some more on Saipan and knocked out guns on Tinian as troops went ashore on Saipan
June 16, 1944
Bombarded Guam but had to leave because two Jap fleet was to be around here. Then kept cruising around near Saipan and in through there. Having a lot of air attacks to keep us from sleeping. On the evening of the 22nd a dive bombardier went right past our bow and through a fish into the Maryland.
June 24, 1944
We finally left these islands and headed for Enewetak
June 28, 1944
I had anchor detail as we went into Enewetak this forenoon
July 9, 1944
Left Enewetak for Guam
July 12,13,14, 1944
Bombarded Guam
July 15, 1944
Pulled into Saipan Harbor this morning for ammunition and gas
July 16, 1944
Left Saipan for Guam again this evening
July 17,18,19, 1944
Bombarded Guam
July 20, 1944
Didn’t start bombarding on schedule this morning as we waited for a destroyer to bring us some mail. Then proceeded to bombard all day. Sure something to be in action and get mail.
July 21, 1944
The troops went in at 8:30 this morning. We sure threw in a lot of stuff just before the troops hit the beach.
July 22, 1944
Stood by all day and gave them fire as they called for it.
July 23,24,1944
Still at Guam firing when called upon
July 25, 1944
Fired star shells continually all last night and stood by again today but didn’t have to fire.
August 2, 1944
Left Guam to go back to the Marshals. Up to this time we have bombarded every day but one and fired bombardment and star shells every night but one.
August 6, 1944
Anchored at Enewetak this afternoon
August 19, 1944
Got underway from Enewetak at 9 o’clock this morning
August 24, 1994
Tied to a bouy at ??????? in the New Hebrides
August 27, 1944
Left the New Hebrides again
August 29, 1944
Anchored in Purvis Bay again this afternoon
September 6, 1944
Got underway from Pervis Bay this afternoon
September 12, 1944
Started bombarding Peleliu Island
September 15, 1944
Covered the troops going in this morning and pulled back this afternoon and took on gasoline
September 17, 1944
Covered the troops going in on Angaur Island with some really rapid fire
September 21, 1944
This is one for the book! If we don’t have a harbor we make one. About seven from the largest island in the Pelew Group. Bablethrop Island it is shallow and we storing a net and a fair sized fleet anchored here. The island hasn’t been invaded or anything and has about 30,000 Japs on it and we’re just leaving them alone.
September 25, 1944
Left here again and are headed for the Admiralty Islands
September 28, 1944
Anchored at Manas Island in the Admiralty Islands
October 1, 1944
Went into dry dock. (What a floating dry dock. Will take any ship we have)
October 9, 1944
Left the dry dock
October 12, 1944
Got underway this morning for the Philippines
October 18, 1944
Went into Leyte Gulf and started bombardment of the Philippines by bombarding Leyte Island.
October 19, 1944
The Destroyer Ross struck a mine early this morning and her wounded were brought aboard here this afternoon.
October 10, 1944
The troops went ashore today and we fired star shells for them all night. At noon we all got a cigar from the six Philippians we have aboard here.
October 21, 1944
Fired star shells again all night tonight.
October 22, 1944
Refueled Destroyers all day.
October 23, 1944
Anchored for refueling but had to get underway again because of air attack but were able to take it (fuel) on later in the day.
October 24, 1944
Anchored again this morning to take on ammunition but were again disturbed. Then anchored later and the same thing and never did get to take it (ammunition) on. Certainly have been bothered enough day and night by air attacks ever since we started.
October 25, 1944
This morning we were roused out at three o’clock because of the Jap fleet. So after chasing the fleet for over 2 years they were coming to fight us. But they were badly beaten which was one of the greatest naval battles fought and helped shorten this war.
October 27, 1944
Took off empty ammunition
October 28, 1944
Anchored in Leyte Gulf and took on ammunition
November 1, 1944
I certainly never want to have another “All Saints Day” like this one. With continuous heavy “air raids” up until midnight tonight. They hit three of our tin cans and sunk a fourth. Then as this one was burning and sinking two of her torpedoes were set off from the five and headed directly for usand one at the California. That was really a shaking moment when this torpedo was heading so directly at us.
November 25, 1944
We finally left Leyte Gulf this forenoon headed for Manus. While in there we had a total of one hundred and three air defenses. We shot down 10 planes. We traveled 67,000 miles inside of Leyte Gulf in the 40 days there.
November 29, 1944
Anchored at Manus Island in the Admiralties this afternoon.
December 15, 1944
Left Manus Island
December 18, 1944
Anchored at Coastal Passage again near the Bablethorp Island which still hasn’t been invaded.
January 1, 1945
Underway again this morning headed for Luzon
January 5, 1945
The Japs have started after us already yesterday morning shortly after midnight and have been giving us a bad time with suicide bombers.
January 6, 1945
Today we started our bombardment on Luzon in the Lingayen Gulf area.
January 7, 1945
Went on into the gulf today but out again tonight to come in again tomorrow
January 9, 1945
Came back out again last night and went in the morning and covered the landing of the troops.
January 11, 1945
Today we pulled out into the China Sea just for patrolling.
January 13, 1945
Tonight the Chaplin told us of the whereabouts of the new Battleships. After we finally went into the China Sea then they finally got up the guts to come in too. They were supposed to be looking for the Jap Fleet for over two years and it took us old ones to run into it at Surigao Straits. Now we had to be the first Allied ships to enter the Chine Sea in better than 3 years. (Brave Admiral Halsey Third Fleet)
January 17, 1945
Anchored back in Lingayen Gulf tonight. The certainly can have these China Seas. They’ve been rough ever since we got into them. The last three days was certainly some storm and rough seas.
February 10, 1945
Left Lingayen Gulf late this afternoon after having received our first mail in 45.
February 13, 1945
Anchored at Leyte this morning, left again this evening.
February 18, 1945
Anchored at Manus this evening
February 22, 1945
Left Manus and we were told we were on our way home! “Whoopee”
February 25, 1945
Got to Majura
February 26, 1945
Under way again
March 4, 1945
Finally got back as far as Pearl Harbor
March 7, 1945
Left Pearl Harbor for home.
March 13, 1945
Got back to Frisco. Took the train home on 27 days leave.
April 6, 1945
Started back again
April 9, 1945
Back aboard ship this morning
June 19, 1945
Left San Francisco
June 20, 1945
Got to Long Beach
June 21, 1945
Left Long Beach
July 2, 1945
Got back to Frisco
July 12, 1945
Left Frisco
July 18, 1945
Got back to Pearl Harbor
July 24, 1945
Left Pearl Harbor
August 1, 1945
Bombarded Wake Island. Shore batteries fired at us and exploded fairly close. The nose of one five inch projectile continued after in exploded and rocked one of our directors. We lost one of our planes while making a landing. Continued west this evening.
August 5, 1945
Got to Saipan this morning.
August 8, 1945
Left Saipan
August 12, 1945
Pulled in and anchored at Okinawa. Got torpedoed this evening. Almost 2 weeks of day and night work.
August 28, 1945
Left Okinawa being towed by two tugs.
September 6, 1945
Got to Guam this morning.
September 7, 1945
Went into dry dock this morning and does the old baby look a sight.
October 2, 1945
Went out of dry dock
October 4, 1945
Got underway at noon for Bremerton (Washington)
October 24, 1945
Finally limped into Bremerton between 16:00 and 17:00 this evening
November 28, 1945
Left the ship starting out for discharge as far as Seattle
December 4, 1945
Left Seattle about 9 o’clock at night
December 6, 1945
Got to Minneapolis 11:15PM and out to the airfield about 1:30AM
December 9, 1945
Became a civilian about 4 o’clock in the afternoon
December 11, 1945
Came to McIntire (Iowa) at 8pm.
Thanks for your service Dad!!!!!
The book that traveled all over the Pacific!
Inside Front Cover
Dad's writing in the book
Dad
Guns Blazing!
Comin at ya! The Pennsy leading the charge! Lingayen Gulf
Dad and Alex Blake
Bill, Dad and Leo - Easter 1945
Bill, Dad and Leo March 1945
Grandma, Dad and Grandpa - March 1945
Dad on the beach in Guam - Far right.
Dad and Francis
Dad in Honolulu - December 1943
The first US flag on Jap soil!! On the beach - Kwajalein
In the ship June 1944
"R" Division
Autographs on the back of the R Division Photo - Can you find Dad's signature??
Rootin Tootin Shootin ship!!!
The ship that would not go down!
Story of the torpedo that hit the Pennsy
God Bless this ship who held fast and brought her sailors home!
Thank you to every man and woman who served in this and all wars!!!
Want to know more about the Pennsylvania? Visit the Pennsy's web site by clicking the link below.