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Upon surfacing at 1128 word was received that three aviators were down. They
were soon sighted about 2 miles off the beach. Trimmed low in the water, Skate
headed toward the beach with Ensign Francis Kay, gunner’s mate William
Shelton, and torpedoman Arthur G. Smith on the bow to make the rescue.
Despite the fact that, “They were firing at us from the beach and small and heavy
shells were hitting all around us,” Lieutenant Harold J. Kicker, USNR was
snatched from the sea forty-five minutes later. Minutes after that Smith went
over the side with a life ring and towed Ensign Murray H. Tyler, USNR to the sub-
marine where torpedoman Frederick J. Lambert assisted in bringing the
exhausted flier aboard. Further rescue efforts were interrupted by a Japanese dive
bomber. While submerging, a near miss damaged the bow buoyancy tank vent-
operating mechanism but repairs were quickly made and Skate soon surfaced.
At 1242 another aviator was reported down off Peacock Point. While closing the
reported position “a heavy shell hit 500 yards on our port beam and ricocheted
with a scream over the bridge, followed by two more close overs. Made a quick
dive and heard three more shells strike the water and they sounded very close.”
Skate surfaced forty minutes later to again resume searching. More Japanese
planes were sighted and at 1459 Skate was bombed while passing 60 feet on her
way under. Two bombs exploded about a minute apart, but did only minor dam-
age. Plane contacts continued to be observed through the periscope until the ship
surfaced at 1822. Although Japanese planes continued to be present during dark-
ness, they made no further attacks that night.
By early morning of the 8th, Lieut. Maxson’s condition had worsened and in
accordance with instructions, Skate headed for Midway where medical help was
available. Her return was interrupted by orders to return to Wake to rescue nine
airmen adrift in the open sea. Unfortunately, Lieut. Maxson succumbed to his
wounds during the morning. He was buried at sea the next night.
The search for downed airmen was resumed during the early morning hours of
October 9th, and at 1033 a life raft was sighted. However, another Japanese plane
forced Skate to dive. She surfaced at 1119 and twenty minutes later Lieut.(jg)
Richard G. Johnson, USNR, was brought aboard.
The search continued on October 10th, and early in the morning a red flare was
sighted at what appeared to be about 5 miles distant. Skate headed directly for it,
but nothing was sighted until she had gone over 15 miles. Then a raft was sighted
and soon Skate rescued Lieut.(jg) William E. McCarthy, USNR, and Paul T.
Bonilla, AOM, USNR. Later the same afternoon Commander Mark A. Grant, USN,
an Air Group Commander was rescued.
Skate remained in the area until October 14th and continued to observe enemy
air activity. As a parting gesture a VAL dive bomber made a bombing run that
afternoon from a distance of 3 miles. Although the bomb detonated as Skate
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60 APPENDIX A — U.S.S. SKATE AND THE FIFTH FLEET
Fleet operations to regain the Central Pacific began with an attack on Wake
Island in early October 1943, and then rolled relentlessly westward. The strike on
Wake had three objectives: to test new strategic concepts and tactics using the
strengthened Pacific Fleet; to neutralize Japanese air power at Wake; and to
regain an offensive posture. Before the war, the Japanese had viewed Wake as a
stepping stone between the Japanese mainland and Midway, Hawaii and the U.S.
west coast. Accordingly, like Pearl Harbor, it had been attacked on December 7,
1941, and occupied two weeks later.
At midday on September 25th, Skate departed Pearl with orders to patrol off Wake.
Upon arrival on station on the morning of October 4th she closed the atoll and
submerged to conduct photo-reconnaissance. Two days later Task Force 14 under
the command of Rear Admiral A. E. Montgomery arrived off Wake to carry out a
carrier air/cruiser bombardment. Skate was on the surface west of the atoll ready
to perform life- guard duties. The strike commenced at early dawn. Quoting from
Skate’s patrol report
2
, “0448 (local time) - Sighted much flak and anti-aircraft fire
from Wake. Many planes were in the air over Wake dropping bombs and there were
several dog fights. Eight or ten planes were seen to fall and our planes were seen to
form up.” The report continued with a sad note. “We were attempting to close on
the surface toward the nearest crash when at 0545 what appeared to be a Japanese
Zero suddenly dove out of a nearby cloud and started strafing us. Plane was com-
ing in low from the starboard beam. Made a quick dive. After getting below it was
discovered that Lieutenant (jg) Willis Edward Maxson, III, U. S. Navy, junior
Officer-of- the-deck, had been hit by a bullet. He was very seriously wounded.”
Skate surfaced a half hour later to resume the search. Several U.S. and enemy
planes were noted in the air, as was a trail of 25 caliber bullet holes through the
STS armor plate protecting the bridge and conning tower. At 0808 Skate was
again forced to dive by two Japanese planes making strafing runs from a distance
of about two miles. Seconds later the planes flew over the disappearing periscope
but loosed no bombs as Skate passed 50 feet on her way down. At 0900 she sur-
faced to resume her rescue mission, but was again forced down. It appeared that
our aviators had failed to gain control of the air that day.
It was squally and overcast the next morning, October 7th. Several squadrons of
friendly aircraft were soon sighted, and at 0601 Skate “Exchanged visual signals
with a squadron of friendly dive bombers. Four of them circled us several times
and.......asked the bearing and distance to the target. We informed them and they
headed in the proper direction. Anti-aircraft fire and bombings started shortly
thereafter.” At 1043 “when about 6 miles from shore searching for downed avia-
tors a heavy shell hit about 400 yards on the port bow. Another whistled over the
bridge and hit about 800 yards astern and as we were diving the third hit about
200 yards on the starboard quarter.” The Japanese were getting closer, but no
cigar that time.
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59 APPENDIX A — U.S.S. SKATE AND THE FIFTH FLEET