Status - John Skinner - USS Daly:
USS Daly (DD-519) -New Guinea
February 29th: Daly is with a group of light cruisers, destroyers and transports en route to the Admiralty Islands to land troops on Los Negros island. Shore bombardment began just before 8 AM in support of the landings. Patrolling offshore for the rest of the day after landings completed. Temperatures 70s-80s, mild winds.
March 1st: A Task force left the Admiralty Islands and returned to Buna Roads, New Guinea by 2 PM. Anchored for the rest of the day. Fueling in late afternoon. Temperatures 80s, light winds.
March 2nd: Anchored until 10 PM and the sailed out of the harbor with the task force from the Admiralty Islands invasion. Temperatures 70s-80s, light winds.
March 3rd: At sea all day, returned to the Los Negros Island area for anti-submarine and anti-aircraft patrol. Temperatures 70s-80s, light winds.
The Admiralty Islands had been on the mind General MacArthur for several months; they had land for several airstrips and an excellent harbor (Seeadler Harbor). Although the invasion had been planned for April, MacArthur moved the action up to the end of February as overflying planes encountered only light anti-aircraft fire. The initial invasion point was on Los Negros Island - very near the largest island in the chain, Manus Island.
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Northeast New Guinea - the Admiralty Islands are at the top right (Lorengau is near the invasion site).
Los Negros Island, Admiralty Islands - initial invasion was near Momote (lower right)
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Allied forces in New Guinea have completed the capture of the Huon Peninsula.
Fighting continues in Italy at Anzio and at Monte Cassino.
Soviet troops continue advances in Russia and Ukraine.
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More Information:
- Official Navy Chronology, pp. 453-455.
- New Guinea and the Marianas, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 1-58.
- Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 432-444.
- War at the End of the World, James P. Duffy, pp, 281-293.
- Events of February, 1944
- Events of March, 1944
- Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, February 1944
- Logbooks of the US Navy at the National Archives, USS Daly, DD-519, March 1944
NEXT POST: MARCH 7TH
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