10 October 1942
Clearing Norfolk's Chesapeake Bay on 10 October 1942, Cleveland joined a task force off Bermuda (on 29 October) bound for the invasion of North Africa – the first new class of ship to enter World War II. Her
firepower supported the landings at Fedhala, French
Morocco on 8 November, and she remained on patrol until 12
November, returning to Norfolk on 24 November.
The assignment came. October 10, 1942, the CLEVELAND
set out for Bermuda, B.W.I., and anchored there after several days' steaming.
Stripping ship foretold the imminence of battle. All non-essential inflammable
- linoleum, furniture, paint - were removed to minimize fire hazards. And when
the CLEVELAND departed two weeks later, valuable records, secret information
and personal effects were left behind. Two days out she rendezvoused with a
force steaming eastward to invade North Africa.
7 November 1942
November 7, after zigzagging for more than a week
through submarine-frequented waters, the force split. The CLEVELAND
and RANGER were ordered to cover the landing of General Patton's
troops near Fedala, French Morocco, on "D" day, November 8. These
troops augmented the drive against "Desert Fox" Rommel and his famed
Afrika Corps.
The Air Group offshore, US cruisers Cleveland,
carriers Ranger and Suwannee, and destroyers Ellyson, Corry and Hobson had had
little to do on D-day directly in support of assault waves at Fedala. Ranger
launched F4F Wildcats in 0615 which headed for the Rabat and Rabat-Sale
airdromes, headquarters for French air forces in Morocco. Encountering AA fire,
they destroyed 21 planes on the ground in the two fields. The second flight
shot down a plane and the third destroyed more planes on the ground at Port
Lyautey. One US pilot was lost. Later flights went after the batteries and
French naval ships at Casablanca. Another fighter squadron from Ranger
encountered 16 French planes airborne at a Le Cazes airfield in Casablanca and
lost four of its own planes as it shot down 8 French aircraft and destroyed 14
on the ground. This squadron also strafed the first group of French destroyers
coming out of Casablanca. Ranger's SBD Dauntless dive bombers reached 10,000
feet over Casablanca at 0700 in the 8th and bombed the sub basin in the harbor.
Suwannee's planes maintained ASW and combat air patrol. With 18 knots maximum speed
these converted tanker/carriers needed a fresh breeze to launch planes and in
Casablanca on Nov. 8 ,1942, often had to head for water where the chop
indicated wind. We lost 44 planes, all causes, but many of our pilots and
crewman were recovered.
Following "D" day the two ships continued
to patrol about thirty miles off Casablanca. On the second day of this patrol,
CLEVELAND lookouts spotted four torpedo wakes off the port beam. Radical
maneuvers avoided three. Two hundred yards away, the fourth dove sharply,
passed under the stern, and surfaced on the starboard side.
Shipmate 2010
June 1942 North African Invasion
“Cleveland was commissioned
in June of 1942. Our first operation was the North Africa Invasion. While
steaming around off the coast of Casablanca with several other ships, we got
into a bevy of submarines. We dodged torpedoes for several hours. I was
standing on the after air control station and off our port side we saw the
telltale wake of a torpedo headed for Cleveland. We all braced for the hit.
About 100 yards off the ship, the torpedo breached, came out of the water and dove under the ship for a miss. We figured the SS must have been Italian, not
German! No ship was hit.”
End of Article
11
November 1942 USS Cleveland North Africa
Hostilities in French Morocco ceased November 11,
and the ship once more joined the main group en route to Bermuda. Spending only
one night in Great Sound, the ship got under way for Norfolk, Virginia, where
she underwent necessary alterations from November 24 to December 5. On the
latter date, the CLEVELAND, the WICHITA, three escort carriers and five
destroyers sailed from Lynnhaven Roads to join Admiral Halsey's forces in
the South Pacific.
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