PLAN OF THE DAY FOR SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 1942
ZONE MINUS TWELVE TIME
General Directive: Condition Watches; General Quarters; Air Operations; Salvage and Repair Operations; Fuel and Provision Ship.
| Routine except: | |
| 0440 | Call pilots and flying personnel. |
| 0450 | Breakfast for Air Department and Squadron Officers (30). Breakfast for flying personnel (6). |
| 0500 | Blow tubes. |
| 0505 | Air plot personnel, ready room talkers, elevator operators man stations. (This word will not be passed over the general announcing system). |
| 0513 | Alert the Watch. |
| 0515 | Flight Quarters. |
| 0530 | Call Idlers. |
| 0545 | Launch First Inner Air Patrol (4 VSB). |
| 0620 | Early breakfast for Air Department and Squadrons. |
| 0645 | Up late bunks. |
| 0700 | Early breakfast for Watch 1. |
| 0800 | Breakfast for Watch 2. |
| 0830 | Turn to. Continue salvage and repair operations. 8 hands and 2 P.O.'s each from 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th divisions plus 24 hands and 2 P.O.'s from Air Department and 5 hands and 2 P.O.'s each from VF, VB, VT, and VS report to the First Lieutenant or his representative on the after end of the hangar deck for salvage operation work. All division officers have CO2 bottles carefully inspected and weighed and returned to their proper stowage. Have all empty bottles taken to the CO2 transfer shop to be refilled. 2 hands and 1 P.O. from each squadron report to Pay Clerk Kamrar for work in Aviation Storeroom (D-103-E). |
| 0920 | Flight Quarters. |
| 0945 | Land First Inner Air Patrol. |
| 1100 | Early dinner for Watch 2. Early dinner for Air Department and Squadrons. |
| 1115 | Early lunch for Watch 2 Officers. |
| 1200 | Dinner for Watch 1. Lunch for Watch 1 officers. |
| 1300 | Turn to. |
| 1340 | Flight Quarters. |
| 1400 | Launch Third Inner Air Patrol (4 VSB). Be prepared to launch special flight to TONGATABU. |
| 1550 | Early supper for Air Department and Squadrons. |
| 1630 | Early supper for Watch 2. |
| 1645 | Early dinner for Watch 2 Officers. |
| 1650 | Flight Quarters. |
| 1710 | Land Third Inner Air Patrol. |
| 1740 | (about) General Quarters and darken ship at sunset. |
| 1840 | (about) Set Condition of Readiness II, Watch 2. |
| 1845 | Blow tubes. Supper for Watch 1. Dinner for Watch 1 officers. |
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It is expected that the ship will enter TONGATABU HARBOR tomorrow morning to remain only long enough for fuel and minor provisioning.
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The laundry will receive Chief Petty Officers' laundry at 0800 and Officers' laundry at 1300 today.
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Please turn in to the Library books found adrift and those in rooms recently vacated by officers.
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Fresh Water Consumption: 20.3 gals. per man -
TOO HIGH
DAMAGE CONTROL NOTE
From an analysis of the fire which we had below decks on the 24th, it is apparent that we were greatly aided in fighting the fire and the fire did not spread from the original damaged areas due to the fact that nearly all paint had been removed from the compartments affected. The many laborious hours that the crew has spent scraping paint paid real dividends in that emergency.
There is still a considerable amount of paint to be removed from compartments in which there is a possibility of fire as the result of bomb or shell damage in an engagement. It appears that the next two weeks will offer an excellent opportunity to finish the job, and we should, by all means make the most of it in order to place the ship in the best possible condition for future engagements. It is desired that those divisions which do not have spaces in the damaged areas start again today on the paint removal project, being guided by the priority lists whcih have been prepared by Heads of Departments. Those divisions which do have spaces in the damaged areas should, of course, concentrate first on the salvage work, cleaning, and preservation of those spaces, but should again take up the pain removal project as soon as men are available.
Divisions having spaces and areas exposed to the weather should also take this opportunity to clean up and touch up rust and corrosion spots and in general look to the preservation of the ship.
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WAR INFORMATION BULLETIN NO. 173
At dawn we were about 230 miles west of SUVA, FIJI. Four VSB were launched, two for Inner Air and two for Intermediate Air Patrol. Two cruiser planes took over the second Inner Air Patrol and our patrols were landed. At 1400 we again launched the two patrols and maintained them until shortly before sunset.
Our destroyers have reported several submarine contacts. The sound of depth charges has not been an uncommon occurence. The majority of the enemy submarines are probably in the SOLOMON area but it is also probable that some are covering the steamer lanes between our SOUTH PACIFIC bases.
A southeasterly course was steered during the day. At sunset we were about 140 miles southwest of SUVA and 450 miles to the westward of TONGATABU. It is probable that we will fuel, provision, inspect damage, and perhaps effect some temporary repairs at TONGATABU.
| (Signed) W. F. BOONE Commander, U.S. Navy, Executive Officer. |