Mike DeBolt was assigned to one of the 5-inch gun mounts on the cruiser USS Portland, known to her crew as “Sweet Pea.” He kept a detailed diary from the time he reported aboard at Pearl Harbor in December 1943 until the end of the war, when the Portland hosted the surrender signing of the Japanese contingent at Truk. In between, the Portland was involved in the invasions of Kwajalein, Peleliu, the Philippines, and Okinawa, in addition to routinely fending off attacks from Japanese aircraft. The ship had many close calls, but while Mike was aboard, Sweet Pea suffered no serious damage. Mike was a witness to one of the last great naval surface engagements of the Pacific war, the Battle of Surigao Strait in the Philippines. His references to “GQ” denote “General Quarters,” when all hands were called to report to their battle stations. The following pages from his diary describe the Battle of Surigao Strait as he experienced it.
Tuesday, October 24, and Wednesday, October 25, 1944: Tuesday morning we had reveille at 0330 [3:30 A.M.], ate chow and then had GQ. There was a very small raid by Japanese aircraft at daybreak. At 0750 GQ again. A big raid was reported to be coming from the northwest. Our fighters went out and intercepted the enemy planes. They shot down six. Some got through and went for the transport area [the ships unloading supplies for the landing at Leyte]. They scored a hit on a Liberty ship and sunk one LCI. One transport shot down 3 Jap planes. We were tracking a Val but he never came closer than 17,000 yards. At 1130 we had GQ again and there was another raid, seven more large bogies [groups of Japanese planes]. Our fighters intercepted all raids and knocked down 12. The Jap planes never came close to us, but the transport area sure received hell. We made black smoke from the stack. One Jap plane crashed into an LCI. The total number of our ships put out of commission so far is ten.
After securing from GQ, about 1330 we received word from the task force commander over the loudspeaker: “A surface engagement is very imminent.” Word was passed, “All divisions make preparations.” There was constant chatter about the whole deal. Scuttlebut was flying everywhere on the number and class of enemy ships, potency and so forth. I heard there could be six battleships, three cruisers and seven destroyers.
We went alongside and tied up to an ammunition ship to get armor piercing shells. All the time we were bringing aboard ammo (400 rounds of 5” also), the men stood by the lines with axes ready to cut them so we could take off in a hurry if enemy planes came in. During the time we were tied alongside, the PT boats went past, heading for the entrance to the gulf to intercept the Jap fleet. Toward the end of our work, the enemy planes came in. GQ sounded when they were 2 5 miles away. You should see the speed at which the battle stations are manned! Your heart seems up in your throat. I thought we never would get away from that ammo ship. A destroyer on the other side zoomed right away. Just as we got away the other ships started firing at the Jap planes coming in. This all happened toward dusk. The planes were headed for the transport area again. They never really came close to us. Three came real close once, but we didn’t see them in time. It was quite a scene. The sky was full of air bursts, men were lowering 8” shells in magazines, ammo was on the deck, men were chopping holes in empty powder cans and throwing them over the side. You couldn’t have the empties lying around because of splintering if we were hit. Four of the float planes from our cruisers came in right at that time, and they were almost mistaken for the enemy. They were actually fired upon. I bet those pilots were really worried. After the raid was over, we figured that two Vals, one Sally, and one Zero were destroyed.
We were all thinking about the upcoming surface engagement, and it was interesting to note the feelings and talk among the men. The old salts who had been in surface engagements before were very worried and jittery. One man kept playing solitaire constantly. It was common to see a fellow light up a cigarette, lay it down, and light up another immediately without knowing it. Everyone was joking and laughing. Death seemed to be a joking matter. It was very odd that way. You’d hear words like, “Hey, you better collect all your debts!” “Who has your address book after you’re gone?” “I’ll take care of your gal!” “Who has any extra life belts?” “Hey, keep a constant bearing on that land over there because we might have to swim for it!” “I think I’ll establish a one man beachhead over there; where’s the No. 2 motor whaleboat?”
Us new men, never seeing surface action before, were not quite as worried. We felt rather adventurous and wondrous about the whole matter. I personally figured there was no sense in worrying. I couldn’t help what happened. Death is absolutely one thing that doesn’t worry me in the least. Practically all men had a butterfly feeling in their stomachs. Some guys got real hungry (chow time had been disturbed because of the heavy air raids). I was eating once when they fired off our port side guns at incoming enemy planes. One guy said he had been constipated for three days. He heard the news about our impending surface engagement and presto—like a goose! It was the first time I’d seen men with helmets and lifebelts real close by.
I had the 8 to midnight watch, and when I went off watch there wasn’t too much dope on the situation. I hit the sack and went dead asleep. I was awakened at 0200. People were yelling, “They’re coming!” I put on my helmet and life belt and went up on deck to watch the action. Our force first picked up the enemy ships at 0130 at 60,000 yards (30 miles). Our PT boats kept us informed on the enemy movements, like when the Japanese force came up the channel, how many there were and how large. We could see it on the horizon when our destroyers first struck the Japanese ships. They made three torpedo runs on the enemy ships. They must have sent 170 torpedoes at them. The Japs shot numerous starshells and also trained searchlights looking for our destroyers. We could see the lights and the firing, and it was terrific.
After our destroyers had made their raids, we started on our run. We were executing the old naval maneuver “crossing the T.” There were six cruisers in line and we were second in formation. Farther back of us were our five battlewagons. They were hidden close to the island more or less. All of our guns fired to starboard first. It seemed as though we were the last to start. We heard the word, “Cans [destroyers] have withdrawn from area to get out of our range.” Battleships opened up first at 26,000 yards, shooting over our heads. We opened up at 0353 at 16,000 yards. I have never seen or hope to see such another spectacle. It was amazing. No less than 150 shells were all in the air and converging in one area on the Jap ships. The shooting was deadly. We fired nine-gun salvos, and shifted targets after a few salvos. After the first run, we turned around and came back firing to port. We were by no means doing all the firing. The Japs straddled us [shells exploding just in back and just in front as they find the range]. In Navy fire this is considered a hit because the next salvo would have been right on us, but something delayed it. Projectiles were flying and whistling overhead. I hit the deck many a time on my hands and knees. I saw one Jap shell splash only 50 yards off our starboard beam. The only way I was able to see this was that it just so happened that a ship in back of us fired right then, and the flash from their guns illuminated it so I could just see the splash. It felt like I could reach out and wash my hands with the splash. All enemy ships were dead in the water and ablaze after our second run.
After it got a little light we steamed out the channel, only five cruisers, to polish them off. There were two distinct groups of ships on fire. The one we made a run on must have been their two battlewagons. One was burning from bow to stern. It looked just like a big barn fire. I don’t see how a man could come out alive. We came back up the channel, turned around and went back again. I could see a Jap destroyer that wasn’t too bad off. Parts of the stern and bow were shot away, so our two light cruisers made a run on it, sending it to the deep 6. I saw eight distinct fires. All were Japanese ships burning on the horizon.
Later our destroyers went over to pick up survivors. They were allowed to pick up 400 men. At first the Japs refused the lines, but later changed their minds. One Jap warrant officer said their two big battleships blew up simultaneously.