TYPHOON!

December 17 through January 11, 1945

Task Force 38 was out in the middle of the Philippine Sea on December 17th, trying to refuel when, with no warning, a typhoon hit, carrying wind gusts up to 70 knots. (More than 80 miles per hour. Not the most powerful typhoon, but by all accounts, this was a tight and nasty little storm).

Because the projected path of the typhoon had been northerly, the American fleet tried sailing west, then south to avoid it, which only placed them more deeply into the storm's path. Many of the ships, in anticipation of taking on the added weight of new fuel, had already emptied their ballast tanks, which essentially made them top-heavy. Three destroyers capsized and sunk. Many other ships were damaged, with the loss of nearly 800 men. When weather improved on the 19th, the task force conducted a two-day search for survivors of the lost vessels.

A one-day strike was scheduled for December 21st, and Task Force 38 tried to comply, but as they sailed westward, weather and sea conditions became more hazardous, so the operation was canceled. Instead they proceeded to Ulithi and from there, on Christmas Day, 1944, the Mobile was directed to Navy Drydocks, Terminal Island, California for repairs and yard work, with a one-day stop at Pearl Harbor en route.

She arrived on the West Coast January 11, 1945. Many of her crew, including Joe, were allowed to go home on leave.

The above information was taken from Morison's History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume 13.