March 29, 1943 - Monday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Fullam:

John was currently aboard Fullam, and would transfer to Daly in early April.

Battle of the Komandorski Islands

In Alaska, the naval battle of the Komandorski Islands, a running firefight, many hours long, between Japanese and American cruisers and destroyers, takes place on the 26th.  One cruiser is damaged on each side, and two US destroyers suffer slight damage.  Admiral McMorris is credited for his strategy as he was facing a much larger Japanese force but fought well and lost no ships.

USS Daly (DD-519)

 Daly was initially moored in a berth at the New York Naval Shipyard before beginning its deployment.

March 26th: Ship left Oyster Bay, Long Island in the morning at 08:37, and steamed various courses and speeds, calibrating compass, and returned to Oyster Bay at 18:18.

March 27th: Daly left Oyster Bay at 11:20, destination Newport, R.I.  General drills executed en route.  Moored at pier side in Newport at 19:32.

March 28th:  Moored at Newport.  Ten torpedoes loaded for test firing.  One of the crew arrested for drunkenness by the shore patrol.

March 29th: Ship went out to sea again and conducted torpedo test firings using torpedoes received the previous day.  Anchored at 21:16 at Buzzards Bay, MA, which is at the west end of Cape Cod.

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 325-326. 
• Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 22-36.
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, March, 1943
  

 

NEXT POST:  APRIL 2ND

March 29, 1863 - Sunday - 160 years ago today

Status - John Baer - 40th Indiana Regiment - Crittenden's Corps - Wood's Division - Wagner's Brigade 

Little news during this time as the Army of the Cumberland moves cautiously to defend against expected Confederate attacks.

General Burnside has taken full command in Kentucky.  There is some fighting near Danville, KY, about 25 miles SSW of Lexington.

More Information:

• Link: War Operations, see Volume XXIII, Chapter XXXV, Part II, Correspondence,  pp. 174-191.
• The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. p. 101.
• The Civil War, A Narrative, Vol 1I, Fredericksburg to Meridian, Shelby Foote, pp. 166-175. 
• This Terrible Sound, The Battle of Chickamauga,  Peter Cozzens, pp. 1-22.
  

NEXT POST:  APRIL 2ND

March 25, 1943 - Thursday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Fullam:

John was currently aboard Fullam, and would transfer to Daly in early April.

USS Daly (DD-519)

 Daly remained moored in a berth at the New York Naval Shipyard.  Supplies are being received and sailors are still reporting to the new ship, and returning from leave. 

March 22nd: Ship fueling commenced at 11:00.  Torpedoes received from the Navy Yard.   Fueling completed at 21:25.

March 23rd: Various sailors reporting onboard for temporary duty (probably for ship repairs or outfitting).  Ship prepares to get underway, and is underway at 12:14.  Daly sails to Bayonne, N.J. and enters the De-perming Station to undergo an operation to de-magnetize the hull of the ship.  This operation was started at 15:00.

March 24th:  De-perming operations were done and ship was underway by 07:08, moving to Fort Lafayette, N.Y.  and anchored by 07:54.  Ammunition loading was begun at 10:30; ship loaded initial supply of 5-inch, 40-mm, 20-mm, torpedoes, and depth charges.

March 25th: Underway 10:00 and proceeding into Long Island Sound and East River, testing boilers and inspecting ammunition magazines.  Crew to General Quarters as ship was exercised, secured from General Quarters after two hours.  Anchored in Oyster Bay on Long Island in the evening.

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 324-325.
  
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, March, 1943
  

 

NEXT POST:  MARCH 29TH

March 25, 1863 - Wednesday - 160 years ago today

Status - John Baer - 40th Indiana Regiment - Crittenden's Corps - Wood's Division - Wagner's Brigade 

The Union army believes it has detected a movement of the Confederate army to attack.  General Wood, still in command of Crittenden's 21st Corps, is sent the following dispatch:

-------------------------------------------    

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE CUMBERLAND,

Murfreesborough, March 23, 1863 - 1:35 AM.

Brig. Gen. T. J. WOOD,

     Commanding Twenty-first Corps:

   GENERAL: A telegram has been received from Major-General Granger, stating that a large rebel force is advancing upon Franklin, and that he has learned from scouts and prisoners that this is a part of a movement along our whole front; that Morgan is to turn our left flank, while Van Dorn attempts Franklin.  It is impossible to say now how much credit is to be attached to these reports, but there is enough probability in them to demand great vigilance on our part.  It is supposed that these movements have more special reference to Kentucky than to this army; and it is not improbable that a considerable force may be moving around our left to enter that State.  The general commanding desires you to inform General Hazen of these reports, and direct him and all other commanders of your corps at a distance from camp to hold themselves in readiness for any possible emergency,

 J. A. GARFIELD, 

Brigadier-General and Chief of Staff.

------------------------------------------  

 In Kentucky, as General Burnside arrives to take command of the Department of the Ohio, there are reports that rebel forces have captured the city of Danville, KY.  and it appears that an invasion of some kind is underway.  Union forces are scrambling to locate the points of attack and to respond.  Burnside has brought a division of troops with him that will soon be deployed into the forward areas in Kentucky.

More Information:

• Link: War Operations, see Volume XXIII, Chapter XXXV, Part II, Correspondence,  pp. 158-174.
• The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. pp. 100-101.
• The Civil War, A Narrative, Vol 1I, Fredericksburg to Meridian, Shelby Foote, pp. 166-175. 
• This Terrible Sound, The Battle of Chickamauga,  Peter Cozzens, pp. 1-22.
  

NEXT POST:  MARCH 29TH

March 21, 1943 - Sunday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Fullam:

John was currently aboard Fullam, and would transfer to Daly in early April.

USS Daly (DD-519)

 Daly remained moored in a berth at the New York Naval Shipyard.  Supplies are being received and sailors are still reporting to the new ship.  Some sailors undergo courts martial and receive confinement of 10-20 days and loss of pay between 20 and 35 dollars.  

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 322-324.
  
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, March, 1943
  

 

NEXT POST:  MARCH 25TH

March 21, 1863 - Saturday - 160 years ago today

Status - John Baer - 40th Indiana Regiment - Crittenden's Corps - Wood's Division - Wagner's Brigade 

Several small skirmishes have taken place during this time in Tennessee as the Union army seeks to track the Confederate army and cavalry.  General Rosecrans issues an order for daily reports by all commands regarding enemy movements, information from human sources, and any Confederate papers and letters that can be found.

------

In Mississippi, Generals Grant and Sherman, in coordination with Navy gunboats, continue their efforts to capture Vicksburg, the last remaining city on the Mississippi River that is still in Confederate hands.   Vicksburg, high up on a riverside bluff, is proving to be very hard to attack successfully.

More Information:

• Link: War Operations, see Volume XXIII, Chapter XXXV, Part II, Correspondence,  pp. 150-158.
• The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. p. 100.
• The Civil War, A Narrative, Vol 1I, Fredericksburg to Meridian, Shelby Foote, pp. 166-175. 
• This Terrible Sound, The Battle of Chickamauga,  Peter Cozzens, pp. 1-22.
  

NEXT POST:  MARCH 25TH

 

 

March 17, 1943 - Wednesday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Fullam:

John was currently aboard Fullam, and would transfer to Daly in early April.

USS Daly (DD-519)

During this time Daly was mostly moored in a berth at the New York Naval Shipyard.  Testing had begun on the ship's systems, including propulsion.  On the 17th, there was a short cruise with assistance from tug boats, before returning to the berth.

Sailors are still reporting to the new ship.  Some sailors have overstayed their leave and are docked three days liberty.  

Of some interest was the presence of the new battleship Iowa - the Iowa class battleships were the largest the US ever produced, with 9 16-inch guns.  This armament was only exceeded by the Japanese super-battleships Yamato and Musashi.

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 319-321.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 1-106. 
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, March, 1943
  

 

NEXT POST:  MARCH 21ST

March 17, 1863 - Tuesday - 160 years ago today

Status - John Baer - 40th Indiana Regiment - Crittenden's Corps - Wood's Division - Wagner's Brigade 

General Ambrose Burnside, recently removed from command of the eastern army after the Union disaster at Fredericksburg, has been ordered to take command of the Department of the Ohio, replacing General Wright.

The weather at this time is slowly improving, and water levels in flooded areas are receding.  This has generated more concerns about Confederate forces moving back into Kentucky.  Kentucky has very few Union troops as most have been sent forward to Rosecrans and the Army of the Cumberland.

 

More Information:

• Link: War Operations, see Volume XXIII, Chapter XXXV, Part II, Correspondence,  pp. 140-150.
• The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. p. 100.
• The Civil War, A Narrative, Vol 1I, Fredericksburg to Meridian, Shelby Foote, pp. 166-175. 
• This Terrible Sound, The Battle of Chickamauga,  Peter Cozzens, pp. 1-22.
  

NEXT POST:  MARCH 21ST 

March 13, 1943 - Saturday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Fullam:

John was currently aboard Fullam, and would transfer to Daly in early April.

USS Daly (DD-519)

Daly's logbook entry on the day of commissioning (March 10th):

The USS DALY was built by the Bethlehem Steel Company, Shipbuilding Division, Staten Island, N.Y., delivered to the Navy at New York Navy Yard.  1205  In accordance with directives from the Navy Department the USS DALY was placed in commission.  Present at the commissioning ceremony were  Rear Admiral E. J. MARQUART, USN, Commandant Third Naval District and the Navy Yard, the sponsor of the ship, MRS. ARTHUR RANSWEILER, CAPTAIN J. L. MCCREA (SOPA), CAPTAIN McKittrick, USN, Captain of the yard and distinguished guests.  1208  Broke the flag of the Admiral at the fore.  Rendered official honors.  Proceeded with the commissioning ceremony.  1220  Commanding Officer accepted a portrait of the late Sergeant Major Daniel Daly, US Marine Corps, after whom the ship is named, presented by the JOSEPH A. WYNNE POST Number 260, VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS OF THE UNITED STATES.  1230  Commissioning ceremony completed.  Rear Admiral MARQUART, USN, left the ship officially.  Hauled down his flag.

The deck log then lists the entire crew complement.  Daly moves to a pier and is getting most services from shore.  For the next 3 days, the ship remains docked.  Various system checks are done and several sailors report on board.

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 319-321.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 1-106. 
• Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, March, 1943
  

 

NEXT POST:  MARCH 17TH

 

 

March 13, 1863 - Friday - 160 years ago today

Status - John Baer - 40th Indiana Regiment - Crittenden's Corps - Wood's Division - Wagner's Brigade 

President Lincoln signs an order on the 10th to the effect that any soldiers that are currently absent without leave may return to the army by April and will face no further discipline.  After April 1st, those soldiers would be charged with desertion.

There is some maneuvering of the armies southwest of Nashville, but no engagements.  The weather continues to be rainy, and only the main roads are passable at all.

More Information:

• Link: War Operations, see Volume XXIII, Chapter XXXV, Part II, Correspondence,  pp. 127-140.
• The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. pp. 99-100.
• The Civil War, A Narrative, Vol 1I, Fredericksburg to Meridian, Shelby Foote, pp. 166-175. 
• This Terrible Sound, The Battle of Chickamauga,  Peter Cozzens, pp. 1-22.
  

NEXT POST:  MARCH 17TH 

March 9, 1943 - Tuesday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Fullam:

Fullam was likely still in port and preparing for its shakedown cruise.

USS Daly (DD-519)

Although John Skinner is at the moment on the USS Fullam, in less than a month he will have transferred to the USS Daly, going onboard at Casco Bay, ME.  We don't know the reasons for the transfer, but find his arrival on April 3rd in the deck logs of the Daly.  

As John will soon be there, and we have the Daly's deck logs online, we will begin to track the events on Daly starting with the next blog entry, beginning with the commissioning on March 10th.

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 315-317.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 1-106.
  

 

NEXT POST:  MARCH 13TH

 

March 9, 1863 - Monday - 160 years ago today

Status - John Baer - 40th Indiana Regiment - Crittenden's Corps - Wood's Division - Wagner's Brigade 

Confederate General Van Dorn, with a large force of cavalry, recently captured a few Union regiments.  The army's maneuvering during this time is to find Van Dorn and attack him.  He is in the area due south of Nashville and west of Murfreesboro.

It remains a wet season and the rivers are high, but there is little success in bringing in supplies for Rosecrans' armies, as transports do not currently have enough gunboats to support them.

More Information:

• Link: War Operations, see Volume XXIII, Chapter XXXV, Part II, Correspondence,  pp. 111-127.
• The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. p. 99.
• The Civil War, A Narrative, Vol 1I, Fredericksburg to Meridian, Shelby Foote, pp. 166-174. 
• This Terrible Sound, The Battle of Chickamauga,  Peter Cozzens, pp. 1-22.
  

NEXT POST:  MARCH 13TH 

March 5, 1943 - Friday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Fullam: 

   William Freeland Fullam, born 20 October 1855 in Pittsford, N.Y., was a member of the Naval Academy class of 1877. His commands through his long and distinguished naval career ranged from the sailing ship Chesapeake in 1904 to the battleship Mississippi in 1909. During World War I, Rear Admiral Fullam commanded the Reserve Force, Pacific Fleet, and Patrol Force, Pacific Fleet, and was senior officer in command of the Pacific Fleet during the absence of the Fleet's Commander-in-Chief in South Atlantic waters. The merit of his service in such responsible positions was recognized with the award of the Navy Cross. Chief among his assignments ashore was the superintendency of the Naval Academy in 1914 and 1915. Rear Admiral Fullam retired 8 October 1919, and died 23 September 1926 at Washington, D.C.

   Fullam (DD-474) was launched 16 April 1942 by Boston Navy Yard; sponsored by Miss Mariana F. Welch, granddaughter of Admiral Fullam; and commissioned 2 March 1943, Commander H. C. Daniel in command.

-- Dictionary of Naval Fighting Ships, Fullam (DD-474)

Being commissioned on March 3rd, Fullam probably relocated to another berth for further outfitting, in preparation for its initial shakedown cruise.

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 315-317.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 1-106.
  

 

NEXT POST:  MARCH 9TH

 

March 5, 1863 - Thursday - 160 years ago today

Status - John Baer - 40th Indiana Regiment - Crittenden's Corps - Wood's Division - Wagner's Brigade 

Several small actions in the area results in setbacks for the Union army.  Several Union regiments are captured.  Concern in the army is for nearby Confederate cavalry, as well as Confederate movements into Kentucky.

Conscription law is passed by the Congress before it adjourns.  Conscription will be a disappointment; it does not result in many new troops for Union armies.

More Information:

• Link: War Operations, see Volume XXIII, Chapter XXXV, Part II, Correspondence,  pp. 98-111.
• The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. p. 99.
• The Civil War, A Narrative, Vol 1I, Fredericksburg to Meridian, Shelby Foote, pp. 166-174. 
• This Terrible Sound, The Battle of Chickamauga,  Peter Cozzens, pp. 1-22.
  

NEXT POST:  MARCH 9TH 

March 1, 1943 - Monday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Fullam: 

John was on duty at his new destroyer, the USS Fullam, at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston. Activity would be picking up onboard ship as the Fullam neared it commissioning date of March 2nd.

South Pacific

The Navy has begun to get more ships into the theater, including newer battleships, and more cruisers and destroyers.  More fleet carriers will not be coming soon; but 3 slower, smaller escort carriers have arrived to supplement Saratoga and Enterprise.

Having advanced to the Russell Islands, the next target will be New Georgia and the surrounding group of islands.  The Navy is planning to send two cruiser-destroyer task forces to shell Japanese bases on these islands.

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 314-315.
• Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 1-106.
  

 

NEXT POST:  MARCH 5TH

 

March 1, 1863 - Sunday - 160 years ago today

Status - John Baer - 40th Indiana Regiment - Crittenden's Corps - Wood's Division - Wagner's Brigade 

For a little while General Wood had assumed command of the 21st Corps in place of General Crittenden, and Colonel Wagner commands Wood's division.  These arrangements are temporary and Crittenden will return before the army advances.  The division (1st Division, 21st Corps) now had about 5500 men present for duty.

More Information:

• Link: War Operations, see Volume XXIII, Chapter XXXV, Part II, Correspondence,  pp. 87-98.
• The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. pp. 98-99.
• The Civil War, A Narrative, Vol 1I, Fredericksburg to Meridian, Shelby Foote, pp. 166-174. 
• This Terrible Sound, The Battle of Chickamauga,  Peter Cozzens, pp. 1-22.
  

NEXT POST:  MARCH 5TH