01 January 1943
Anchored as before, Great Harbor, Noumea, New Caledonia.

02 January 1943
0730 Underway with many ships. Task at hand cover Task Group 62.2 until safe withdrawal of 5 AP's from Guadalcanal

10 January 1943
Anchored in New Noumea, New Caledonia.

23 January 1943
Captain Aaron Stanton Merrill was relieved by Captain Thomas Green Peyton.

28 January 1943
0500 Underway with Task Forces 11, 16, 63, 64, 61 and 66.1.5. This Task Force vas assigned to destroy enemy forces advancing on the Southern Solomons.

29 January 1943
Operation in support of the Solomon Islands.

04 February 1943
1220 SARATOGA planes reported shooting down 1 Japanese Mitsubishi-97 Snooper Plane.

12 February 1943
Returned to New Caledonia.

13-19 February 1943
0606 in getting underway both anchors were lost.

25 February 1943
Returned to New Caledonia. Received lost anchors

26 February to 10 March 1943
In New Caledonia harbor

10 March 1943
Task Force 64 made up this date. Underway at 0645 for drills.

11-13 March 1943
Drills at Sea.

13 March 1943
Returned to New Caledonia

13 March to 31 July 1943
During this time several sorties were made for training and other reasons, fueling drills and so on.

01 August 1943
1234 Underway for Pearl Harbor

08 August 1943
1219 Moored in Pearl Harbor

10 August 1943
0900 Change of Command Captain Thomas Green Peyton, USN, was relieved by Captain William Morrow Fechteler.

21-30 August 1943
Underway, during this time we did a lot of drilling.

31 August 1943
Making preparations for raids on Marcus Island. 0420 YORKTOWN launched the first wave of planes on Marcus Island. 0530 ESSEX launched planes. 0615 INDEPENDENCE launched a third wave. 0805 YORKTOWN launched a fourth wave. 0115 ESSEX launched fifth attack. 0805 YORKTOWN launched sixth attack, and recovered first group. 0858 INDEPENDENCE launched seventh attack and recovered second group. 0928 ESSEX recovered the eighth group 0942 INDEPENDENCE recovered third group. YORKTOWN recovered fourth group. 1053 ESSEX launched the ninth attack, and recovered fifth group. 1040 YORKTOWN launched tenth attack and recovered sixth group, 1030 enemy tanker sighted and attacked , sank by planes. 1650 last of the attacking planes recovered with no loses due to enemy action.

07 September 1943
1811 Moored in Pearl Harbor.

08 September to 10 October 1943
In Pearl Harbor

10 October 1943
Underway.

16 October 1943
0830 Opened fire main battery 16" shore bombardment practice on Kahoolawe Island, 1432 returned to Pearl Harbor.

21 October 1943
0649 Underway.

07 November 1943
Anchored at Tambako, Nandi, Viti Levu, in the Fiji Islands.

11 November 1943
Approaching Tarawa, Makin Island 0450 U.S.S. ENTERPRISE launched air attack on Makin Atoll. Zero hour set at 0600, 1205 one "Betty" shot down by CAP, all aircraft returned.

20 November 1943
Air strikes on Makin. 0303 General Quarters, aircraft on screen. 0620 CAP shot down one Betty. 0621 Secured from General Quarters.

24 November 1943 2124
Large enemy aircraft passed over this ship. We had gone to General Quarters at 2055 and secured at 2211.

25 November 1943
1826 General Quarters, 1939 Opened fire on enemy aircraft,. 2124 Secured from General Quarters.

26 November 1943
West of Makin Atoll, 1135 CAP shot down one Betty, 1810 Enemy sighted, 1815 General Quarters, 1901 8 to 10 enemy aircraft attacked this Task Group. 1908 Opened fire with 5", 40mm and 20mm. 1910 Ceased fire. First time this ship opened fire in anger. 1930 Opened fire, port quarter. 1933 Ceased fire, we had no damage, but one plane to our credit. One night fighter lost. 2127 Secured from General Quarters.

26 November 1943
1829 General Quarters, 8 to 12 enemy planes attacking believed to be low level torpedo attack. INDIANA opened fire, with 5" at low flying planes, INDIANA one. 2230 Secured from General Quarters.

27 November to 01 December 1943
Operating eastward of the Gilbert Islands,

07 December 1943
Getting ready for Nauru Island bombardment

08 December 1943
0540 General Quarters for bombardment of Nauru Island. 0703 Opened fire on Nauru with 16" battery. 0731 Opened fire with 5" battery, port side. 0733 5" ceased fire.

13 December 1943
0630 Underway. En route to Havanah Harbor arriving there 1415

14 December thru 31 December 1943
Anchored Havanah Harbor, Efats Island, Berth #6

Last Updated 22 October 1999

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