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Task Force 50
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Rabaul Raid 1943/08
Tarawa & Makin Raid 1943/09/18 - 19
"GALVANIC" - Gilbert Islands Landing
"FLINTLOCK" - Marshall Islands Landing - Joined Expeditionary Force
"HAILSTONE" - Truk Raid
Mili Bombardement 44/03/18
"DESECRATE I." - Palau raid 1944/03/31
"RECKLESS"
"FORAGER" - Marianas Landing
"DETACHMENT" - Iwojima Landing
"ICEBERG" - Covering Force
Home Island Landing Preparation

Rabaul Raid 1943/08
TG 50.3
CTG RAdm Alfred E. Montgomery
CV Bunker Hill, Essex, Independence

Tarawa & Makin Raid 1943/09/18 - 19
CTF RAdm Charles A. Pownall
CV Lexington II (CVG-16)/FF
CVL Princeton, Belleau Wood
CL Birmingham, Santa Fe, Mobile
DD Stevens, Hazelwood, Bradford, Bancroft, Caldwell, Coghlan
DesRon25: DesDiv49: John Rodgers/SF,DF, Harrison
DesDiv50: Ringgold/DF, Dashiell

43/09/11 departed P.H.
43/09/18 strike Makin & Tarawa - sinking MTBs Gjoraitei and Gjoraitei #3
43/09/19 strike Makin & Tarawa
43/09/2? back in P.H.

"GALVANIC" - Gilbert Islands Landing
CTF RAdm Charles A. Pownall
CV Saratoga (CVG-12: VF-12,VB-12,VT-12)
Enterprise (CVG-6: VF-2,VB-6,VT-6)
Essex (CVG-9:VF-9,VB-9,VT-9)
Yorktown (CVG-5: VF-5,VB-5,VT-5)
Bunker Hill (CVG-17: VF-17, VB-17, VT-17) (till 12/08)
Lexington II (CVG-16: VF-16,VB-16,VT-16)
CVL Independence(VF-6,VF-22,VC-22)
Princeton (CVG-23: VF-23,VT-23)
Belleau Wood (VF-6,VF-24, VC-22)
Cowpens (CVG-25: VF-6,VF-25,VC-25)
Monterey (CVG-30: VF-30,VC-30) - till 12/08
BB Washington, North Carolina, South Dakota, Indiana, Massachusetts, Alabama
CA 3: ??Pensacola??
CL 3: San Juan, Oakland, San Diego, Santa Fe (10/30?-11/26 detached), Mobile (from 12/01)
DD 21: Radford, Lang, Jenkins, Fletcher
TG 50.1 - Carrier Interceptor Force - Mili Landing
CTG RAdm Charles A. Pownall (ComCarDiv3)
CV Yorktown II, Lexington II
CVL Cowpens
BB Washington(from 11/16), South Dakota, Massachusetts
CA San Francisco (from 11/26), New Orleans (??11/26-12/04)
CL San Juan (12/06-12/09), Oakland (from 11/26)
DD Fletcher (maybe 50.3), La Vallette (43/12)
DesDiv41: Taylor, Nicholas (from 11/11)
TG 50.2 - Northern Carrier Group - Makin Landing
CTG RAdm Arthur W. Radford (ComCarDiv11)
CV Enterprise
CVL Belleau Wood, Monterey (till 12/08)
BB Indiana, North Carolina
DD Radford, Jenkins, Brown
TG 50.3 -Souther Carrier Group - Tarawa Landing
CTG RAdm Alfred E. Montgomery (ComCarDiv12)
CV Essex (CVG-9), Bunker Hill (CVG-17) (till 12/08)
CVL Independence (CVG-22) (till 11/23)
BB Alabama ??
CA CruDiv5 (from 11/16): Pensacola, Salt Lake City
CL San Juan, Oakland (11/16-11/26)
DD Russell (from 11/27), Edwards
Desron25/DesDiv49: Murray, McKee
DesDiv15 (11/08-11/14): Stack, Sterett, Wilson
DesRon48: DesDiv95: Erben (from 11/15), Hale
DesDiv96: Kidd, Chauncey, Bullard
TU 50.3.2 - created 43/11/19
CA CruDiv5:Salt Lake City, Pensacola
DD Erben, Hale
TG 50.3 - 43/12 (?? from 43/11/25 ??)
CV Essex, Enterprise
CVL Belleau Wood
TG 50.4 - Relief Carrier Group - Nauru Landing
CTG RAdm Frederic Carl "Ted" Sherman (ComCarDiv1)
CV Saratoga
CVL Princeton
DD DesDiv15 (from 11/14): Stack, Sterett, Wilson
DesRon46 DesDiv91: Izard/SF, Conner, Bell, Charrette
DesDiv92: Boyd, Bradford, Cowell
TG 50.4 - from 43/11/25
CTG RAdm Frederic Carl "Ted" Sherman
CV Bunker Hill
CVL Monterey
BB Washington, Alabama, South Dakota, North Carolina
DD 8
TG 50.8 - Bombardement Group
CTG RAdm Willis Augustus Lee
CV Bunker Hill
CVL Monterey
BB Washington/GF, South Dakota, Massachusetts, Indiana, Alabama, North Carolina
DD 11: Boyd, Lang, Stack, Brown
DesDiv91: Izard, Charrette, Conner

43/10/21 departed P.H.
43/11/04 50.4 - S of Guadalcanal - refuel
43/11/05 50.4 strike Rabaul - damaging Takao, Maja, Atago, Mogami, Noshiro + 2 DD
43/11/07 50.2 arrived Nandi, Fiji Islands
43/11/08 50.3 departed Esp. Santo for Rabaul
43/11/10 50.1 + 50.2 sail from P.H..
43/11/11 50.2 strike Tarawa
50.3, 50.4 strike Rabaul - damaging Agano, disabling Naganami, sinking Suzunami
43/11/14 Espiritu Santo - refuel DesDiv15 transferred from TG 50.3 to TG 50.4
43/11/15 50.3 - Erben joined
43/11/16 50.3 - off Funafuti, Ellice Is. - CruDiv5 + Oakland joined
43/11/17 50.4 strike Nauru
43/11/18 50.4 strike Nauru
43/11/19 D-Day
50.1 strike Mili, Jaluit
50.2 - strike Makin
50.3 - strike Tarawa
50.3.2 shell Betio
50.4 strike Nauru
43/11/20 50.1 -strike Jaluit, Makin
50.2 strike Butaritari
50.3 - strike Betio - attacked by G4M - Independence disabled by aerial torpedo (01-30N, 172-40E)
43/11/21 50.1 strike Mili 50.4 - Saratoga - strike Abemama
43/11/22 50.1 - strike Mili
50.2 - attacked by G4M
43/11/23 50.1 - strike Mili 50.2 - attacked by G4M
50.3 Independence detached to Funafuti for repairs
43/11/25 50.1 strike Mili 50.2 - attacked by G4M
50.2 - off Makin - Radford sinking I-19 (03-10N, 171-55E)
43/11/26 50.1 - San Francisco joined
50.2 W of Makin - attacked by enemy aircraft
50.3 - Oakland transferred to TG 50.1 50.4 - strike Makin
43/11/27 50.3 - Russell joined
50.4 - attacked by IJNAF
43/11/28 50.4 - attacked by IJNAF planes
43/11/30 50.4 - Saratoga detached for overhaul
43/12/01 Mobile joined
43/12/06 50.8 Detached (BB from TG 50.1 & 50.2)
43/12/04 strike Ronqueric Atoll
50.1, 50.2, 50.3 - strike Kwajalein, Wotje:
        sinking collier Asakaze Maru, AK Tateyama Maru, PC(aux) Takunan Maru #7, PG Mikuni Maru #5
        damaging Nagara and Isuzu, AK Kinezaki, auxiliary Fujikawa Maru, APs Eiko Maru, Kenbu Maru, Mikage Maru #18
50.1 - Lexington II disabled by aerial torpedo (13-30N, 171-25E) -> detached for repairs escorted by New Orleans, San Diego, Oakland, Jenkins
50.1 - Taylor damaged by friendly fire from Oakland (10-00N, 170-00E)
damaged Mobile (accidentaly fire from own 127 mm mount) (12-47N, 170-57E)
43/12/06 50.1 departed to P.H.
50.8 detached from TF 50
50.3 - San Juan detached to TG 50.1 to sail for P.H.
43/12/08 strike Kwajalein
50.8 shell Nauru = break attention from strike on Kwajalein - Boyd damaged by coastal battery
50.4 strike Nauru
43/12/09 strikes Kwajalein
50.1 arrived P.H.
50.3 arrived P.H.
43/12/12 50.8 arrived Esp. Santo
43/12/13 50.2 arrived Havannah Harbor, Efate
43/12/25 50.4 - renumbered to TG 37.2

"FLINTLOCK" - Marshall Islands Landing - Joined Expeditionary Force
VAdm Raymond A. Spruance
Fleet Flagship
CA Indianapolis/FltF
TG 50.15 - Neutralization Group
CA Chester, Salt Lake City, Pensacola
DD 6: DesRon48/DesDiv95: Abbot, Erben, Hale, Walker
DM Ramsay

44/01/29 start Wotje & Taroa neutralization
44/01/30 50.15 - Ramsay joined 50.15 - Pensacola shell Wotje
44/02/01 50.15 - Walker siniking RO-39 off Wotje - (09-24N, 170-32E)
44/02/17 end Wotje & Taroa neutralization

"HAILSTONE" - Truk Raid
TG 50.9
CTG VAdm Willis Augustus Lee
CA Minneapolis, New Orleans
CVL Cowpens
DD DesRon46 DesDiv91: Burns, Izard, Charrette
DesDiv92: Bradford
TU 50.9.1
CTU RAdm Olaf M. Hustved (ComBatDiv7)
BB BatDiv7: Iowa, New Jersey
TU 50.9.2
CTU RAdm Glenn B. Davis (ComBatDiv8)
BB Massachusetts , Alabama
TU 50.9.3
CTU RAdm E.W. Hanson (ComBatDiv9)
BB South Dakota, North Carolina

44/02/13 departed Majuro
44/02/17 50.9 cruising off Truk, sinking escaping ships:
Katori (07-45N, 151-20E), Maikaze (07-45N, 151-45E)
Burns sinking PC Ch-24 (07-24N, 150-30E)
44/02/18 Enterprise - night strike Truk

Mili Bombardement 44/03/18
TG 50.10
CTG RAdm Willis Augustus Lee
TG 50.10.1
BB Iowa/GF, New Jersey
DD DesRon1/DesDiv1: Dewey/SF, Hull, Phelps, MacDonough
TG 50.10.5
CV Lexington II/FF
DD DesRon14/DesDiv28:Bancroft/DF, Meade, Edwards

44/03/17 50.10 departed Majuro for Mili Atoll
44/03/18 50.10 shell/strike Mili Atoll
44/03/17 50.10 returned to Majuro

"DESECRATE I." - Palau raid 1944/03/31
TG 50.17 - Fast Carrier Replenishment Group
DD DesRon55: DesDiv109: Porterfield
DesDiv110: Longshaw, Laws
DE Bangust
CortDiv37: Manning, Neuendorf, Eichenberger
AO Cacapon
TG 50.15 - Fast Carrier Supply Group
CVE CarDiv22:
Sangamon (CVEG-37: VF-37,VT-37)
Suwannee (CVEG-60: VF-60, VT-60)
Chenango (CVEG-35: VF-35, VT-35)
Santee (CVEG-26: VF-26, VT-26)
DD Mustin, Taylor (till 03/27)

44/03/15 50.15 departed P.H.
50.17 - James E. Craig + Cacapon departed from Esp. Santo
44/03/22 50.17 departed Majuro to replenish TF 58
44/03/26 50.17 refuel TF 58
44/03/27 arrived Tulagi (Taylor disjoined)
44/03/30 50.15 supply TF 58
44/04/04 50.15 sail to Esp. Santo
44/04/05 50.17 returned to Majuro
44/04/07 50.15 arrived Esp. Santo

"RECKLESS"
TG 50.17 - Fast Carrier Replenishment Group
DD Case
DesRon55: DesDiv109: Porterfield, Callaghan
DesDiv110: Longshaw, Laws
DE Levy, Samuel S. Miles, Swearer, Weaver
CortDiv11: Acree (04/28-05/03)
AO

44/04/06 50.17 Case joined at Majuro
44/04/11 50.17 departed Majuro
44/04/23 50.17 - N of Manus - refuel TF 58
44/04/25 50.17 disjoined
44/04/28 50.17 - Acree joined
44/05/03 50.17 - Acree disjoined
44/05/09 50.17 arrived P.H.

"FORAGER" - Marianas Landing
DD Capps (from 06/14), David W. Taylor (06/15-08/04)
TG 50.1 - Fleet Flagship
Cap Einar E. Johnson
TG 50.?
CVE Manila Bay (73.FS/318.FG)
Natoma Bay (19.FS/318.FG)
DD Halligan, Haraden
AR 1
TG 50.10
DD Selfridge (05/10-06/0?)
TG 50.16
DD Evans (08/06-08/11)
TG 50.17 - Fueling & Aircraft Replacement Group
CVL Monterey (07/23-
CVE Copahee, Breton
DD John D. Henley/GF, Evans (06/11-06/27, 07/11-07/28), Hall, Paul Hamilton
DE Levy (06/12-08/16), Osterhaus (06/19-07/23), Parks (til 07/2?), Samuel S. Miles, Wesson, Evans (till 07/25), Riddle, Swearer, Wileman (07/2-?), Deede (06/14-07/06), Fair (06/12-07/01, 07/14-08/??), Manlove (06/1?-08/0?), Bangust, Waterman, Weaver, Lamons, Hilbert, Mitchell (07/23-?)
AO Neshanic, Saugatuck, Saranac, Sebec, Enoree, Manotee, Marias, Tappahannock

44/06/11 50.17 - Evans joined
44/06/05 50.? - departed P.H.
44/06/06 50.17 - Wesson departed Majuro
44/06/12 50.17 - Copahee, Wesson, Evans sal to refuel TG 58.1
44/06/14 Capps joined
50.17 - arrived Saipan area - refuel TF 58, Deede joined
44/06/15 David W. Taylor joined
44/06/16 50.17 - end fueling of TF 58
44/06/18 50.17 - attacked by IJN - AO Neshanic, Saugatuck, Saranac damaged (14-45N, 146-10E)
44/06/19 50.? arrived Saipan area
50.17 Osterhaus joined
44/06/20 50.17 - refuel TF 53
44/06/23 50.? refuel - attacked by planes
44/06/24 50.? launch USAF planes to Saipan
44/06/27 50.17 - Evans detached to escort oilers to Eniwetok
50.? - Eniwetok
44/07/01 50.? departed Eniwetok for P.H.
50.17 Fair detached
44/07/04 50.17 Riddle + David W. Taylor sinking I-10 100 nm ENE of Saipan (15-26N, 147-48E)
44/07/08 50.? arrived P.H.
44/07/11 50.17 - Evans + oiler group joined
44/07/14 50.17 - Fair rejoined
44/07/23 50.17 refuel TG 58.1 & 58.2 - Osterhaus disjoined, Monterey joined
44/07/28 50.17 - Evans detached
44/08/04 David W. Taylor disjoined
44/08/06 50.16 - Evans joined
44/08/11 50.16 - Evans detached

"DETACHMENT" - Iwojima Landing
APD Dickerson
TG 50.7 - Antisubmarine Group
TU 50.7.1
CTU Cap G.C. Montgomery
CVE Anzio/UF (VC-82)
DE Oliver Mitchell, Lawrence C. Taylor, Robert F. Keller, Melvin R. Nawman
TU 50.7.3
CTU Cap J.C. Cronin
CVE Tulagi/UF (VC-92)
DE William Sieverling, Kendall C. Campbell, Ulvert M. Moore, Goss
TG 50.8 - At Sea Logistic Support Group
CVE Replenishment ships:
Bougainville, Admiralty Islands(02/16-03/02), Attu, Windham Bay, Sitkoh Bay
Covering ships:
Makassar Strait, Shamrock Bay
CL Detroit/GF
DD Stevenson, Thorn, Gillespie
DesDiv2: Farragut, Dale, Aylwin (till 03/23)
DesDiv38: Kalk
DE Kyne, Crowley, Weaver, Lyman, Reynolds, Donaldson, Howard F. Clark, Bangust, Waterman, Weaver, Lamons, Hilbert
APD Humphreys, Overton
AO Patuxent, Suamico, Merrimack, Monongahela, Tallulah, Cahaba, Taluga, Cimarron, Saugatuck, Millisonra
AE Shasta, Wrangell
AT Ute
TU 50.8.24
DE Raymond
TU 50.8.25
CVE Shamrock Bay

45/02/08 departed Ulithi
45/02/09 50.8.24 departed Eniwetok to refuel TF 58
45/02/10 50.7.1 departed Eniwetok
45/02/12 50.7.1 departed Saipan
45/02/13 50.8 commenced refueling of TF 58
45/02/14 50.8 finished refueling of TF 58
45/02/16 reached Bonin Islands area - start carrier operations
50.8.25 departed Ulithi
45/02/17 50.8 - AO Patuxent - fires (Dewey, Waterman helping)
45/02/19 strike on Cicijima
50.7.3 departed Ulithi
50.8 deliver replacement planes to TG 58.1, 58.4, 58.5
45/02/20 50.8 deliver replacement planes and refuel TG 58.2, 58.3
45/02/21 50.8 - Ute helpong damaged Bismarck Sea
45/02/22 50.7.1 - Melvin R. Nawman damaged in collison with LST-807 off Iwojima (24-46N, 141-1E)
45/02/23 50.7.3 - Tulagi arrived with replacement planes for TG 52.2 50.8 deliver replacement planes to TF 58 - Aylwin detached to TF 54
45/02/25 50.8 - Aylwin rejoined
45/02/26 50.7.1 - VC-82 (Anzio) sinking I-368 35 nm W of Iwojima (24-43N, 140-37E), RO-43 50 nm WNW of Iwojima (24-07N, 140-19E)
45/02/27 30.8 refuel TF 58 - AO Merrimack damaged in collision with San Jacinto off Iwojima (23-00N, 139-00E)
45/03/01 50.8 departed for Ulithi
45/03/03 50.8.24 arrived Guam
45/03/05 50.8.25 arrived Ulithi
45/03/07 50.7.1 departed Iwojima area for Leyte
45/03/11 50.7.3 departed Iwojima area
45/03/14 50.7.3 arrived Ulithi

"ICEBERG" - Covering Force
CTF Adm Raymond A. Spruance
TG 50.1 - Fleet Flagship
CTG Cap McVay
CA Indianapolis (from 03/24)
TG 50.2 - Relief Fleet Flagship
CTG Cap W.M. Callaghan
TG 50.5 - Search & Reconnaissance Group
CTG Cdr D. Ketcham
AV Hamlin/GF, St. George, Chandeleur
AVD Thornton, Gillis
AVP Yakutat, Onslow, Shelikof, Bering Strait
DD Willaimson (from 04/01)
TU 50.5.5
patrol bombers
TG 50.7 - Antisubmarine Warfare Group
CTG Cap Cronin
CVE Anzio(03/22-04/30, again from 05/21), Tulagi
DE Tabberer (from 05/23), Oliver Mitchell (from 04/20), Bowers
TU 50.7.3
DE William Seiverling (from 04/15)
TG 50.8 - At Sea Logistic Support Group (ServRon6)
CTG RAdm Donald B. Beary
CVE Savo Island (04/07-04/16) + Sargent Rudyerd Bay (04/17-04/27)Bay attached from 52.1 04/07
CL Detroit/GF
DD 11: Schroeder (from 04/10), Hobby, Kalk, Stevenson, Thorn, Stockton
DE 24: Kyne, Lake, Lyman, Crowley, Brackett, Reynolds, Donaldson, Howard F. Clark, Bangust, Waterman, Weaver, Lamons, Gillespie, La Prade (from 04/0?), McCoy Reynolds, Hilbert, Jack Miller
CortDiv65: Straus, Corbesier, Conklin
AO Taluga, Cowanesque, Cimarron, Ashtabula, Tallulah, Patuxent, Lackawanna, Chicopee
AT Ute
TU 50.8.4 - CVE Plane Transport Unit
CVE Attu, Admiralty Islands, Bougainville, Windham Bay
DE Greiner, Sanders, Lovering, Wyman
TU 50.8.13
CVE Shamrock Bay/UF (VC-94) - 04/07 detached to 52.1.1
DD Dewey, Aylwin
TU 50.8.23
CVE Makassar Strait/UF (VC-97) - 04/07 detached to 52.1.2
DD Dale, Farragut
TU 50.8.34
CVE 6: Admiralty Islands(03/13-04/24 from 05/14)), Bougainville,
DE Raymond
AO ?
TG 50.9 - Service Squadron 10
CTG Commodore ?Carter?

45/03/12 50.8.34 departed Ulithi for Kerama Retto
45/03/13 50.8.13 departed Ulithi
45/03/22 refuel TF 58
45/03/24 50.1 - Indianapolis joined from TF 58
45/03/25 50.8 departed Ulithi
45/03/28 50.5 arrived Kerama Retto
45/03/30 50.1 - Indianapolis disabled by kami. (26-25N, 127-30E)- repairs > New Mexico new FltF
50.8 J Okinawa - Stockton & Morrison sinking I-8 (25-29N, 128-35E)
45/03/31 Morrison (TF 54) and Stockton sinking I-8 65 nm SE of Okinawa (25-29N, 128-35E)
45/04/04 Cimarron damaged in collision with Norman Scott (TF 58) 170 nm SSE of Nakagusuku Bay, Okinawa (23-46N, 129-25E)
45/04/05 50.5 - Thornton collided with AOs Asthabula, Escalante 125 nm SE of Nakagusuku Bay, Okinawa (24-24N, 128-58E)
45/04/07 50.8 - Savo Island + Sargent Bay attached from 52.1
50.8 - Shamrock Bay detached to 52.1.1, Makassar Strait to 52.1.2
45/04/10 50.8 - Schroeder joined
45/04/15 50.7.3 - William Seiverling joined from TG 52.1.2 - start ASW patrols Okinawa <> Ulithi
45/04/16 50.7 - kami. damaged Bowers 9 nm NNE of Ie Shima, Okinawa Gunto (26-52N, 127-52E)
50.8 - Savo Island detched back to 52.1.2
45/04/17 50.8 - Rudyerd Bay
45/04/18 50.8 - Shamrock Bay detached back to 52.1.2
45/04/24 50.8 refuel 58.4
45/04/29 Tulagi sinking I-44 (24-15N, 131-16E)
45/04/08 attacked by kami
45/04/27 50.8 - Rudyer Bay detached back to 52.1.2
45/04/28 50.8.4: Attu departed to Guam
45/04/30 50.7 - retired to Ulithi
45/05/03 50.7 arrived Ulithi
45/05/06 50.5 - St. George damaged by kami. at Kerama Retto (26-10N, 127-19E)
45/05/12 50.5.5 damaged s/s Chile Maru off N coast of Iki Jima (34-16N, 129-40E)
50.8 McCoy Reynolds assist Bunker Hill
45/05/14 50.5.5 sinking AK Kurokamisan Maru W of Kuche Is., South China Sea (34-27N, 137-30E) and Samukaze Maru (33-00N, 129-20E)
50.8 attacked by kaitens off Minami Ogari Shima ; McCoy Reynolds arrived with Bunker Hill to Ulithi
45/05/21 50.7 Anzio rejoined after repairs
45/05/23 50.7 - Tabberer joined
45/05/28 TF 50 > TF 30

Home Island Landing Preparation
CL Detroit/GF

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