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| Adair embarked elements of the Army's 158th Regimental Combat Team and -- after maneuvers atJapen Island ..on 2 January 1945 and refueling stop at MiosWoendi -- got underway for Lingayen |
| A triangular island one
mile long and about 3000 feet across. It had a natural harbor, but the
rest of the island was surrounded by sand and coral, providing a natural
barrier to attack. This is the men's own description of the Mios Woendi
development: "Civilization came to the island with us. We built thoroughfares
crossing the island, rows of tents, warehouses, stores, offices, living
quarters, docks, ramps, parking areas for planes, towers, radio stations,
a hospital, a jetty, PT finger docks, all naval base facilities. The island
was alive with rugged Yankee civilization; electric lights, refrigerators,
radios, movies, graded roads, automobiles, all alien to the fictional romance
of the islands. We had built it, this base from which invasions were started,
this base at which war ships and war planes licked their wounds and rested."
Gualala (AOG-28) transited the Panama Canal 8 November, proceeding from there to Biak Island via Bora Bora and New Guinea. Arriving 13 January 1945, Gualala sailed the seas between Biak, Morotai, and Mios Woendi serving as a fueling ship for fleet units. Departing Mios Woendi 4 June, she touched at Morotai before reaching Balikpapan, Borneo. the 16th. Gualala continued her fueling duties throughout the Philippines and at Saipan until 26 December 1945, when she sailed for San Francisco via Pearl Harbor. PT BOAT BASE 21 - June 1944 USS Willoughby, a 1,766-ton motor torpedo boat tender, was built at Houghton, Washington, and was commissioned in June 1944. One of four Barnegat class small seaplane tenders designated during construction for conversion to PT boat tenders, she was reclassified from AVP-57 to AGP-9 in March 1943 just before her keel was laid. Following shakedown training, she departed the West Coast in August 1944 and arrived in September at Mios Woendi in the Southwest Pacific, where she commenced tending a squadron of PT boats. Patrol Squadron THIRTY-FOUR 16 Jul 1944: VP-34 was relocated to Mios Woendi and Middleburg islands for a continuation of Black Cat operations. 31 Jul 1944: On the night of 31 July 1944 Lieutenant Norman L. Paxton led his PBY-5 Catalina in an attack against a large enemy freighter-transport protected by two escorts at anchor in a small harbor. He attacked in bright moonlight and against an intense barrage of antiaircraft fire. His low altitude attack succeeded in destroying the freighter-transport. He safely brought his plane and crew back to their home base despite the AA damage it had sustained during the attack. For his actions Lieutenant Paxton was awarded the Navy Cross. 1 Sep 1944: Operational control of the squadron was shifted from FAW-17 to FAW-10. A detachment was returned to Manus Island, leaving five aircraft at Mios Woendi to conduct day and night antishipping patrols. 7 Oct 1944: Five additional crews flew to supplement the detachment at Mios Woendi for patrol duties. USS Dace SS-247 September 1, 1944-The Dace leaves on its fifth war patrol. September 10, 1944-The Dace refuels at Darwin, then leaves to minesweep the Palawan Passage. September 27, 1944-The Dace spends six days in Mios Woendi for repairs to the ships gyro, departing on October 3. October 10, 1944-The Dace resumes station in the designated patrol area. October 14, 1944-The Dace attacks seven transports, sinking two with a third heavily damaged.. October 23, 1944-The Dace,
after having met Darter, makes contact with the Japanese Center Force in
the Palawan Passage. Darter attacked first, sinking the cruiser Atago.
Afterwards, Dace fired, and despite depth charge attacks, the submarine
scored a kill with the cruiser Maya. After the run, while attempting to
track the damaged Takao, the Darter ran aground and could not be freed.
When the explosives aboard did not detonate as planned, the Dace attempted
to torpedo the submarine, but without luck, since the torpedoes hit the
ground and exploded before reaching the submarine. After the Darter’s crew
was taken aboard, the submarine was forced to dive to avoid a reconnaissance
aircraft, which bombed the abandoned submarine.
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