Charley's Diary -- USS Schley

Extracts

from the wartime diary of

Charley Madison Plummer

USS Schley (DD-103 / APD-14)

The following entries are, for the most part, direct quotes from the personal wartime diary of Chief Quartermaster

Charley Madison Plummer, U. S. Navy. To facilitate understanding, misspelled words have been corrected, and

abbreviations have been spelled out. R.A.K.

(30 Jun 40) Received orders to report to Destroyer Base, San Diego, Calif., for active duty -- not later than

10 July, 1940. Reported 9 July, 1940, and was assigned to the USS Schley #103 for re-commissioning. The

Schley was re-commissioned on 3 October, 1940, Lieutenant Commander J. A. Ralph commanding. From the

above date until 28 November was spent touching up and trial runs off Point Loma.

(17 Dec 40) Arrived in Hawaiian area. Our main duty was patrolling the defensive sea area, with trips to Molokai,

Maui, Hawaii, and Kauai. In late November 1941, went into the yard for an overhaul; hence we were in berth #20

that Sunday morning at 0755 Dec 7th, 1941, when the Japanese without warning attacked Pearl Harbor with dive

bombers, high altitude bombers, torpedo planes, and midget sub's. Loss of life and damage were very heavy.

Ships sunk: Arizona, West Virginia, Oklahoma, California, Nevada, Utah, Downs, Cassin, Ogalala. Ships

damaged: Maryland, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Raliegh, Helena, Shaw, Honolulu, Floating dock. We put to sea

Dec 22nd, 1941, to help clear the Hawaiian area of Jap sub's and to do escort and patrol duties

(13 Dec 42) Departed Hawaiian area for Bremerton to be converted to APD-14.

(11 Feb 43) Departed Bremerton for the South Pacific via Frisco, Pearl, Palmyra, Noumea,

(27 Mar 43) Arrived Espiritu Santo and spent about 30 days training 4th Raider Marines in beach landings on the

following islands: Ambrym, Malakula, and Epi. (Ambrym has an active volcano that is quite a sight at night.)

(May 1943) The first week in May 1943 was spent escorting liberty ships to Guadalcanal and patrolling off

Henderson Field.

(8 May 43) We escorted the Cetus to Pago Pago thence to Auckland, New Zealand.

(12 Jun 43) Found us again at Guadalcanal undergoing several nuisance air raids.

(16 Jun 43) We had a real air raid today. 120 Jap planes took part. 77 were reported shot down. We lost one

one liberty ship and one L.S.T.

(21 Jun 43) We are making preparations for the invasion of the New Georgia Group.

(24 Jun 43) Picked up coast watchers on Hele Island. Must be getting near "D" Day.

(30 Jun 43) This is "D" Day. We landed troops at Oliana Bay at 0300. We observed a lot of our ships during

the night -- all heading for New Georgia..

(5 Jul 43) 0030 in Kula Gulf unloading troops at Rice Anchorage. At 0045 Jap shore guns open up. The lead is

really flying around. At 0100, the Strong was hit by a torpedo and sank in about 15 minutes. Those fish must be

terrific, for it jarred us when she was hit. (What a night.) The troops we landed will flank Munda Air Field.

(23 Jul 43) Until now, we have carried troops, ammunition, etc., to Rice Anchorage, Segi Point, Rendova, the

Russells, and looked for enemy sub's. During the above operations, we just ran the ship to death.

(1 Aug 43) We were ordered to the Mare Island Navy Yard for an overhaul. Arrived at the yard on 19 Aug 43.

(30 Sep 43) I was detached for new construction, at my own request.

(13 Nov 43) Reported aboard USS Wake Island at Astoria, Oregon.

Source: wartime diary of Chief Quartermaster Charley Madison Plummer (SN: 380 09 65) U.S. Navy, Retired.

(Born December, 1904, at Los Angeles, California -- Died July, 1973, at Medford, Oregon.)