Nov. 1

Enroute to Philippines. Many unit of the Jap fleet are operating near Leyte.

Nov. 3

Refueling. Ticonderoga¹, Washington², Massachusetts³, and Alabama⁴ joined us today. Expect a rendezvous with 58.1 and 58.4 sometime today. 6 months now since we left Pearl.

* 500 miles E of Leyte (12-26 N 133-33 E)
1. U.S.S. Ticonderoga CV-14
2. U.S.S. Washington BB-56
3. U.S.S. Massachusetts BB-59
4. U.S.S. Alabama BB-60

Nov. 4

Reno caught a fish. One just missed us.

* 350 miles E of central Philippines.
(16-16 N 129-43 E)
1. U.S.S. Reno CL-96
2. fish - torpedo

Nov. 5

58.1,2 and 3 (3 is us) launch VF¹sweeps and strikes on shipping in Manilla Bay and aircraft and Nicholas and Clark airfields². Went to G. Q.³ at 1:15 PM. Under attack. C.A.P.⁴
group of bogies⁵. Few got in and 1 succeeded intercepted in crash diving on Lex.⁶ We had heard about the Japs doing this, but first time we have encountered it . 41 dead and 126 wounded were casualties on the Lex. Another dived on the Ticonderoga ⁷ but crashed on her starboard bow. Stayed a G.Q. all night but no more raids.

* 100 miles E of Luzon. (16-17 N 123-38 E)
1. VF - U.S. Navy Fighter
2. Nicholas Field and Clark Air
Base - Former U.S. airfields
held by the Japanese in the
Philippines.
3. G.Q. - General Quarters
4. CAP - Combat Air Patrol
5. bogies - enemy aircraft
6. Lex - U.S.S. Lexington CV-16
7. U.S.S. Ticonderoga CV-14

Nov. 6

Launch 2 VF¹ sweeps and 2 strikes on Luzon². Secured from G.Q.³ at 7 AM but went right back at 8:00. Few plane attacked us but were shot down. Summary for T.G.58 for 2 days - 1 CA⁴ sunk, 1 AO⁵ sunk, 5 DDs⁶ damaged. 750 planes destroyed, 115 in air AGC⁷ got 2 more making 32.

1. VF - U.S. Navy Fighter
2. Luzon - Island in the Philippines
3. G.Q. - General Quarters
4. CA - Heavy Cruiser
5. AO - Oiler
6. DD - Destroyers
7. Campbell, David - an Essex AGC, Navy's
flying ace who shot down
34 enemy planes

Nov. 7

Refueled.

* 300 miles NE of central Philippines.
(14-27 N 129-50 E)

Nov. 8

Patrols off Philippines.

* 600 miles NE of central Philippines.
(15-40 N 132-02 E)

Nov. 9

Enroute to Guam.

* 600 miles NW of Guam.(17-40 N 137-36 E)

Nov. 10

Units of Jap fleet sighted. Reverse course and are enrout to annihilate.

* 600 miles NE of central Philippines.
(15-11 N 135-04 E)

Nov. 11

Morning search spotted 4 AKs¹, 3 DDs² and 2 DEs³. AKs being used as tiny transports - on way to enforce Leyte - sunk 8 of force, 1 badly damaged. We lost 9 planes.

* 100 miles E of San Bernadino Straits. (13-26 N 125-40 E)
1. AK - Cargo Ship
2. DD - Destroyer
3. DE - Destroyer Escort

Nov. 12

Refueled.

* 200 miles E of San Bernadino Straits.(13-26 N 125-4)

Nov. 13

Strikes on Manila Bay. Bogies on radar but didn't come close enough to do any harm.

* 150 miles NE of Manila.(13-36 N 123-45 E)

Nov. 14

Strikes on Manila Harbor and VF saves from air strikes.

Nov. 15

Nov. 22

Left Ulithi. Gunnery practice.

* Berth 27, Ulithi Islands Nov 17-22

Nov. 23

Assimilated attack. F6F¹ blew up.

1. F6F - U.S. Hellcat fighter plane

Nov. 24

Refueled.

* 250 miles E of central Philippines.
(14-12 N 128-22 E)

Nov. 25

Launched 2 VF¹ sweeps and 2 strikes against Luzon. High level bombers made 2 near misses on Langley² and a cruiser. CAP³ tally had 3 bogies³ 20 miles. Plane overhead. One plane crashed into the flight deck⁵. Port side
between #2 elevator and 20 millimeter mounts. Some damage done to the flight deck. 8 men killed, 6 wounded and 30 injured. Many casualties caused by shrapnel and flash fires. Intrepid⁶, who is in 58.2, was hit by bomb and plane. Casualties believed to be heavy. Al Archibald⁷ is aboard her. Hope he is O.K. CAP shot down 5 planes and 12 over target. Results of strike: sunk 3 AKs⁸, 1 DD⁹ and 1 CA¹⁰. Hear that Cabot¹¹ and Hancock¹² were also hit today. Believed to be minor damage.

* 100 miles E of Luzon. (16-17 N 123-30 E)
1. VF - U.S. Navy Fighter
2. U.S.S. Langley CVL-27
3. CAP - Combat Air Patrol
4. bogies - enemy aircraft

5. 1256 - U.S.S. Essex CV 9
hit on the flight deck at frames
69-70 by a Japanese suicide
torpedo aircraft (Judy). 15
dead and 44 wounded.
6. U.S.S. Intrepid CV-11
7. Al Archibald - ?
8. AK - Cargo Ship
9. DD - Destroyer
10. CA - Heavy Cruiser
11. U.S.S. Cabot CVl-28
12. U.S.S. Hancock CV-19

Nov. 26

Refueled.

* 400 miles E of the Philippines
(13-26 N 131-10 E)

Nov. 27

Gunnery drills. Waiting for orders.

Nov. 26-31

Waiting to be ordered to go to Ulithis.