USS Clarence K. Bronson, DD-668, off Mare Island, 15 June 1945
Photo credited to Fred Weiss and used with permission of NavSource.org. Visit www.navsource.org/archives/05/668.htm for more wonderful photos of this ship and many others!
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PROGRAM 1944
This is the program for the on-board Christmas Show presented by and for the crew of the destroyer
Clarence K. Bronson on her second Christmas at sea in 1944. There is a great list of the crew who served aboard her during that time in World War ll. I am told on good authority that the
awesome dinner menu didn't taste as good as it sounds as all they had was dried and powdered food.
The War Diary of the BRONSON for December, 1944, finds the BRONSON and other ships of Task Group 38.3 in the Pacific Ocean in the area of Ulithi Atoll in the
Caroline Islands. On December 17th the TF rendezvoused with a fueling group and commence fueling exercises but had to increase speed to 10 knots to give the destroyers steerage way along
side the tankers in the heavy seas. The wind soon increased to gale force and fueling was discontinued without all ships being fueled. Heavy typhoon weather continued on the 18th and
prevented further fueling operations. Commander G. Scull wrote"Heavy typhoon weather with winds up to 100 knots and mountainous seas resulted in many ships of TF 38 losing men overboard,
sustaining heavy structural damage, and several carriers including SAN JACINTO reported fires on board due to planes breaking loose from moorings. The USS HULL DD-350 ran
out of fuel and lost steerage and at 11:00 she rolled completely over and sank. The typhoon swallowed many of the survivors. It was the 19th before the sea and wind had moderated enough
to commence fueling exercises. Task Group 38.3 conducted tracking exercises and gunnery firing practice for several days until ordered by ComThirdFleet to Ulithi Atoll for "routine upkeep,
repairs and logistic requirements". The BRONSON fueled and anchored in Berth 403 and remained there until December 30th when sorties began again. This short excerpt from the War Diary
offers a glimpse of the conditions suffered by these sailors and sets the scene for the Christmas celebration held aboard ship that is reflected in this program.
Be sure to click on each individual photo below to make it full size.
DO YOU WANT TO READ OF THE EXPERIENCES OF ONE OF THE BRONSON CREW?
CLICK HERE!
THIS IS THE FINE PRINT
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