January, 1944

The U.S.S. Mobile left the West Coast January 13, 1944, making a stopover at Lahaina Roads, Maui--the last they'd see of Hawaii for nearly a full year.

Their first destination was the Wotje Atoll where, along with three other cruisers and six destroyers, the Mobile bombarded the shore under sporadic fire from Japanese shore batteries. One of the destroyers, the Anderson (photo), was hit, killing her captain and 5 men, and wounding 14 more.

After Wotje Atoll, Task Force 53 force provided fire support for the landings on Roi and Namur Islands. Once the Marshalls were taken, the fleet was again reorganized and the Mobile was assigned to Task Force 58 for, essentially, the next eleven months.
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From the Data Section of Joe's Journal:

7 - Marshall Is. ______________ Jan. 30 1944
Roi _________ } air strike & shore bombardment landed
Namai _______ } troops which took them.
Kwajalein _____}
Wotje ________} except Wotje.