Early December 1944

Task Force 38 had been at sea without a break for 84 days. They'd lost several ships and hundreds of men. Many vessels were in need of repairs. The sailors aboard the surviving ships had lived in a state of heightened alert for nearly three months, witnessing scenes of unbelievable carnage almost weekly.

In early December, after the engagement in the Phillippines, Task Force 38, including the Mobile, was given a ten-day period for rest, recreation, replenishment and repairs at Ulithi before being sent back to the Philippines. There, beginning on the 14th, they spent three days bombarding the air strips and harbor on Luzon and Mindoro Islands. Troops were landed on Mindoro on the 15th (photo).
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From the "Data" section of Joe's journal:
Philippine Is. __________ Dec. 14, 15, 16, 1944
Luzon _ } _ Air strips
Mindoro } _ or harbor & air fields
We landed troops on Mindoro on 15th of Dec.

235 Jap planes destroyed_ } 3
138 " __ " ___ damaged _ } days

Jap ships sunk
1-large oiler
1-Medium oiler
1-mine layer
7-small craft
5- _ " _ vessels

Jap ship damaged
8- small cargo ships
4 - destroyers
2 - destroyer Escorts
1 - large cargo ship
1 - large transport

Fuel & ammunition dumps destroyed on Angeles & Clark fields
4 - locomotives _ 6 cars destroyed in Lozon area.
15 Railway cars destroyed & a trucking convoy & a sugar factory damaged.

"Lozon" in last entry is a misspelling of Luzon.