US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

Success, Then Cliff Hanging 323
400 miles directly south of the Russell Islands without sighting an enemy
plane or submarine, although the Enterpri~e (CV-6) (Captain Arthur C.
Davis) had reported a torpedo wake crossing her bow 50 yards ahead, a
little after 22OOon the night before the landing and the Chicago had reported
a submarine contact on 3 August, later evaluated as a large fish. Army
Air Force bombers and COMAIRSOPAC PBYs had flown over the force
from time to time to protect it and to familiarize lookouts and gun and
director crews with the B-I7, but the voyage still had had its alarms. The
amphibians had been forcibly reminded that the hazards of mine warfare
were not too far removed when radio reports were received, on 4 August,
that the destroyer Tzcker (DD-374) had had her back broken by a mine
only 150 miles north of their track, at Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides.
The Task Force was in a circular cruising disposition maintaining radio
and radar silence and, at night, visual silence. Seventeen destroyers and fast
minesweepers were equally spaced on the three-mile circle from the forma-
tion guide in the center; the cruisers and remaining destroyers were on or
near the two-mile circle; and the 19 transports and cargo ships were in a line
of five divisions spaced one-half mile apart in the center of the disposition.
The destroyer-type transports were in line abreast a thousand yards ahead
of the Formation Guide, the Hunter Liggett (AP-27 ), flagship of Captain
Reifsnider, Commander Transport Divisions, South Pacific Force. Five of
the eight protecting cruisers were in division columns in the bow quadrants
at 40 degrees relative, right and left, between the one and two-mile circle.
The other three cruisers were astern of the guide, between the two and
three-mile circle.
This formation was well balanced against both submarine attack and
surprise air attack, as it was shepherded along in unfamiliar waters by the
Air Support Force at 13% knots.
The Escort Commander, Rear Admiral Crutchley, R.N., was:
responsible for the safety of the Force against enemy action and for maneuvering
the Escort for action against the enemy.8
All ships of Task Force 62, except the transports, were placed under the
command of the Escort Commander for this purpose.
THE DARK OF THE NIGHT
At noon on 5 August, the formation course was changed to No~th and
“COMPHIBSOPAC(CTF 62) Operation OrderAS–42, 30 Jul. 1942, para. 3.