Compiled
by the Office of NOAA Corps Operations
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Recollections
of Captain Lorin Woodcock, USC&S
of the Wartime Experiences of the USS Pathfinder
FORWARD
At the beginning of WWII, Lorin Woodcock was a young C&GS officer
with not quite a year's service. He joined the PATHFINDER at Funafuti
in the Ellice Islands and served on the ship throughout the remainder
of its first tour of duty in the South Pacific. Following the war, he
returned to the C&GS and retired in 1968. NARRATIVE
THE U.S.S. PATHFINDER AND WORLD WAR II
"When World
War II broke out, the PATHFINDER was still in a Lake Washington shipyard,
being constructed by the Coast Survey for survey duty in Alaska. It
immediately became apparent to the Navy that the war in the Pacific
would take place in very sketchily charted waters, and that the PATHFINDER
would be a very valuable asset to our Navy. So, the Navy took her over
right in the shipyard, fitted her with guns, depth-charges, and a printing
press for printing charts on the spot, gave her a number AGS1, and sent
her out to the South Pacific. She had a Navy crew aboard, and her officer
complement contained a nucleus of men experienced in hydrographic surveying
and chart construction, who had been transferred to the Navy from the
Coast Survey.
"After
a brief training period in San Francisco Bay, the PATHFINDER left
the states, bound for the South Pacific. Her first job was at Funafuti
in the Ellice Islands. Our occupation forces had sneaked in here under
the noses of the Japs, and the PATHFINDER joined them as unobtrusively
as possible. Her highly secret mission was to find, chart, buoy, and
blast out if necessary, a deep water passage into the lagoon, and
lay out sufficient anchorages to repair damaged ships and serve as
a staging area for future invasions.
"In spite
of bad weather and an inexperienced crew, the job was done in the
allotted time of four weeks, and the charts were printed before the
Japs had prepared any organized action on our foot-hold there. The
PATHFINDER sailed on then to Noumea, New Caledonia, arriving there
in January, 1943.
"On the
second of February, she sailed again, this time to survey Tulagi and
Gavutu harbors in the Solomons. On the way to Guadalcanal she formed
a part of the escort for a convoy carrying supplies to our hard-fighting
Marines. With the convoy safely delivered, the PATHFINDER sailed the
few remaining miles to Tulagi Harbor and started surveying operations.
Her assigned task was a complete hydrographic and wire-drag survey
of Tulagi and Gavutu Harbors and approaches for the purpose of charting
any sunken wrecks and dangers to navigation, and to enlarge the available
anchorage area. This job was accomplished very expeditiously under
the most trying conditions. The field parties spent as much as 11
hours a day in the field, and spent the nights alternating between
working on boat sheets and survey records, and manning battle stations
while from one to a half dozen Jap bombers droned about overhead,
spattering bombs here and there, sometimes uncomfortably close.
"The
next job was an inshore survey along the coast of Guadalcanal, from
Point Cruz to Berande Point. The job consisted of building and locating
beacons, hydrography and wire-drag. At this period all supplies were
landed on Guadalcanal by lighter, and the purpose of the survey was
to provide anchorages as close to shore as possible, thereby expediting
unloading operations. While engaged on this job, the PATHFINDER participated
in a surprise daylight air-raid by about 150 Jap planes. With half
her crew out on field parties she accounted for two dive-bombers,
and after the action, rendered invaluable medical aid to injured personnel
from the AARON WARD, a destroyer which took a bomb in her engine room
during the action and later sunk. During this action Captain Thomas
was credited by his crew with saving the ship. He turned the right
way at the right time and the bomb fell where the ship would have
been.
"While
this job was in progress the ship's drafting room turned out a chart
of Sandfly Passage, using existing hydrographic information and aerial
photographs. It's purpose was to provide a rapid escape route for
PT boats making their nightly attacks on the 'Tokyo Express.'
"With
the completion of this job, the PATHFINDER returned south to Espiritu
Santo Island in the New Hebrides Islands, where survey operations
were carried on without the interference of enemy action. An area
off Bogaeio Island at the entrance to Segond Channel was surveyed
and charted, for the installation of a degaussing station. An area
in Segond Channel was wire-dragged for the location of a floating
cruiser drydock. An extensive inshore survey of Segond Channel was
made for the location of piers and docks. Turtle and Pallikulo Bays
were surveyed and charted to provide anchorage and staging areas.
A portion of Pallikulo Bay was dragged to 90 feet for a floating battleship
drydock. A portion of Undine Bay on the north shore of Efate Island
was surveyed to provide a closer approach to the airfields by tankers.
Fila Harbor on Efate was surveyed and wire-dragged, to enlarge the
safe anchorage area for units of the fleet engaged in training activities.
"The
next job was a two week's tour of duty in Sydney, Australia for the
purpose of rest, rehabilitation and recreation. Civilization proved
much too alluring for the accomplishment of the first purpose, but
the other two were accomplished with sufficient vigor and enthusiasm
to more than atone for the omission.
"The
PATHFINDER then returned to the job, reported to the Commander of
Advanced Naval Bases, Solomons, and was assigned the task of surveying
the Russell Islands. This base was to become a tremendous staging
point for army equipment and troops, and was the biggest single job
undertaken by the PATHFINDER.
"In the
middle of the Russell Islands job, the PATHFINDER was called upon
by Commander Third Amphibious Force for several emergency rush jobs.
The first of these was a survey of Manning Straits. It was thought
that Manning Straits would provide a good route for task forces, and
a detached party was sent to conduct the survey. Hathorn Sound on
Northern New Georgia was surveyed to provide anchorages to serve the
growing base and airfields. Vovobe Cove on Kolombangara was completely
charted. Rendova Harbor was charted to meet the needs of the new base
on Rendova Island. While engaged on this job, the PATHFINDER was called
upon to send a party immediately to Cape Torokina, Bougainville.
During the invasion there at least one transport had run aground on
an uncharted reef, and two others had very narrowly escaped hitting
reefs. The assigned mission was to locate, buoy and chart all off-shore
reefs. Operations were carried on amidst falling bombs and shells,
but eventually were concluded with no serious misfortunes.
"Another
detached party was sent on the invasion of Treasury Islands, and made
a complete survey of Blanche Harbor.
"Then
finally back to the Russell Islands. That job was finally completed
and then the PATHFINDER made another trip to Sydney. However, part
of the crew and officers had to stay behind to participate in the
invasion of Green Islands. This party landed with the first wave of
troops and had started surveying before the shooting had gotten well
started. A complete chart of the lagoon and entrances was made, and
the rapid development of the base was thereby greatly aided. This
party also participated in a reconnaissance raid on Green Islands,
and determined minimum depths in the two entrance channels prior to
the actual invasion.
"The
next job was in the form of another detached party to Emirau Island
in the St. Matthias Group. This party landed with the invasion forces
and gathered data for charts necessary for the development of the
base.
"Before
the return of this party, the PATHFINDER had started a survey of Seeadler
Harbor in the Admiralty Islands. The entrances and anchorage areas
were wire-dragged, and a section of the harbor was dragged to 90 feet
for a floating battleship drydock. This base eventually became the
main staging area and supply point for the Philippine invasion, and
its development was materially speeded when satisfactory charts became
available. In the same area, Ponam Island and approaches were surveyed,
to make possible the servicing of an air-strip to be built on Ponam
Island.
"The
PATHFINDER then returned to New Caledonia and commenced surveys improving
the existing charts of Havannah Passage leading to Noumea. The wire-dragged
channel was widened near it's beginning, and a channel through Woodin
Passage was wire-dragged, thus shortening the route appreciably. A
survey was made of Burai Bay, New Caledonia, to determine it's feasibility
as a staging area. Lifu-Uvea Passage in the Loyalty Islands was surveyed
to definitely determine its safety for navigation, and Patteson Passage
in the New Hebrides was surveyed for the same reason. Finally, in
October, 1944 the PATHFINDER sailed for Pearl Harbor, and then on
to San Francisco for a much needed and well earned repair and overhaul
period. During this time all but one of the remaining Coast Survey
officers were detached, and he left after seeing her safely out to
her working grounds again."
"Author's
note:
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