Jerome John Halbach

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.