US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

Totigb Toenads Paring 557
The McCawley was torpedoed about 1553 when in Blanche Channel
about 12 miles east by south from Rendova Harbor. At that time, she was
steaming at 14 knots and was the lead ship in the left-hand column with the
President Hayes and the President {ackson astern. There was a rabbit’s foot
in the pocket of the Captain of the escorting Farenbo)t, The torpedo which
hit the destroyer was a dud.
An hour and a quarter later, with the McCaw/ey making heavy weather
from her hit, her port engine room flooded and the rudder still jammed
hard right, and while being taken under tow by the Libra (AK-53), the
Japanese came back with eight dive bombers and some fighter escorts. They
scored no hits on their wounded victim nor on the two escorting destroyers
nor on the Libra.
In the WATCHTOWER Operation the iarge transport George F. Elliott
(AP-13) had been sunk off Guadalcanal. The South Pacific amphibians were
about to offer their TOENAIL sacrifice, and this time it was to be their
flagship,