July 31, 1945

Joe made no entry today.

Photo shows San Pedro Bay, Philippines.

July 30, 1945

Joe made no entry today.

Photo show's the Mobile's scorecard.

July 29, 1945

Joe made no entry today.

Photo: Mobile sailors and their pin-ups.

July 28, 1945

Joe made no entry today.

Photo: Another Saturday, another inspection.

July 27, 1945

Joe made no entry today.

Photo shows the gentlemen of Mobile's Log Room.

July 26, 1945

Joe made no entry today.

Photo: the Fleet post office on the base at Tacloban, Philippines.

July 25, 1945

Joe made no entry today.
Photo shows an afternoon's entertainment on main deck aft.

July 24, 1945

Joe made no entry today.

Photo shows a outdoor movie theater on the American base in the Philippines.

July 23, 1945

Joe made no entry today.

Photo shows the Mo's barbershop.

July 22, 1945

Joe made no entry today.

Photo shows 2 members of the Mobile's kitchen crew showing off their hams.

July 21, 1945

21- _____ We spent all this time in port _ every Sat we had inspection _ recreation every day _ port one day _ starboard the next, all together about 260 men rated recreation each day.

"to the 9t of Aug" (written in the margin)
__________

I think Joe got bored with posting the same thing every day and abandoned his journal for a few weeks. He almost definitely wrote this entry when he decided to take up his journal again, on August 10 (I'll repeat it on Aug 9). He actually wrote "159 days" at the end of it, but since that would have occurred on August 5, I'll save it for then.

For the next 19 days, I'll post more photos from the Mobile, the Phillippines, and from other events around the Pacific in 1945.

July 21 was a Saturday, so here's a photo of inspection.

July 20, 1945

20 _____ We still at anchor in anchorage. Hospital ship USS Relife is about 500 yards from us. starboard had recreation. 140 days out of states_________
Relife = USS Relief (photo). The Relief was an older ship, commissioned in 1920. She was a complete floating field hospital, but Japanese air raids became so hot in 1945, that she ran constant missions, carrying wounded from Okinawa back to Saipan and Guam. In July, she came to the Phillippines to serve as Fleet Base Hospital until the end of the war.

July 19, 1945

19- _____ We came back in this morning about 800 & went along side tanker. Port had rec. movies on main deck aft. We left tanker after fueling & drop anchor in anchorage.
_________

Photo shows the USS Essex being refueled by a tanker ship.

July 18, 1945

18- _____ We left this morning & had AA test firing. we shot down one drone. We drop Anchor outside of Anchorage.
________________

Photo shows some of Mobile's anti-aircraft (AA) guns and crews.

July 17, 1945

17 _____ Port had rec. & we were told we were going out for test firing
tomorrow _ movies on main deck aft.

July 16, 1945

16- _____ Star had rec. _ movies on main deck aft.
_________

Starboard had recreation.

Photo: Hut in the Phillippines.

July 15, 1945

15- _____ Port. rec. _ movies on main deck aft.

July 14, 1945

14 _____ Star. had rec. _ movies on deck aft.

July 13, 1945

13- _____ Port. rec. _ movies on main deck aft
______________

Port. rec. = Port had recreation

Boxing was a popular sport. The Mobile held boxing tournaments while in port, as pictured.

July 12, 1945

12- _____ Starboard had recreation _ movies on main deck aft.

July 11, 1945

11 _____ Port had recreation _ movies on main deck aft.
__________

Like the end of June, Joe repeats this until July 16. I'll post photos of recreation and ship activities.

Photo shows a popular new movie at the time--one the crew might have viewed.

July 10, 1945

10- _____ Starboard had recreation _ we took on 800 rounds of 5" Amm this morning & 750 bo[x]es of 40 MM Amm. this afternoon. We had movies on main deck aft.
130 days.
_____________

Photo of Mobile sailors carrying on supplies.

July 9, 1945

9- _____ Port had recreation. It was raining when we got up this morning. We were told that the water is infected & nobody can use salt water. We had movies on main deck aft.
___________

Photo of USS Astoria in rain and heavy seas, showing part of their main deck aft area.

Movies: When ships were in port, movie reels available, and the weather suitable, this became a common night recreation. A screen and projector were set up on deck. The popular movies were recent releases, with stars like Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Liz Taylor, and Humphrey Bogart. They might have also viewed Marx Brothers or Abbott and Costello comedies and westerns with John Wayne or Randolph Scott.

July 8, 1945

8- _____ Came back into Pedro Bay & tied up to tanker but didn't stay to[o] long _ we drop anchor later on. Starboard had recreation.
_________________

Photo of 2 Mobile sailors in front of a Filipino shack.

July 7, 1945

7- _____ We got underway at four oclock this morning & we left L_____ golf to go out & test 6" guns. But weather was bade & we only fired No II tirrit the center gun. We came back in but didn't drop anchor were going into Peadro Bay tomorrow
________________

L = Leyte Gulf

Peadro Bay = San Pedro Bay, at the northwest end of Leyte Gulf.

Photo is of San Pedro Bay right after the Battle for Leyte Gulf in October 1944.

July 6, 1945

6 _____ We took in anchor & went out into L_____ Golf & had AA pr[a]ctice. Tomorrow 6" is going to fire. We came back to the mouth of Pedro Bay & drope anchor. At least three large villages can be seen on the island from where were at.
_____________

L = Leyte Gulf

July 5, 1945

5- _____ We left harbor this morning to go out & test guns but we st[ood] in Le____ Golf all day & fired AA. Then we went to harbor mouth & drop anchor.
_________________

Le = Leyte Gulf

Photo shows AA target practice.

July 4, 1945

4 _____ We heard were going out tomorrow for a test firing

___________

The majority of the photos on this blog were taken by USS Mobile photographers: G.W. Carah (left), Photography Mate, 2nd class; and C.E. Conro (right), Photography Mate, 3rd class.

July 3, 1945

3 _____ Still lay at anchor but heard were going out soon for test firing _ Star has recreation
__________

"Starboard has recreation."

July 2, 1945

2 _____ Same as yesterday _ Port _ " _ "
_________

"Port had recreation."

July 1, 1945

1 _____ Same as yesterday _ Star has recreation
121 days out of states