Ken, 

 My name is Barry Goodall.  I am the grandson of a shipmate from the USS Chaffee (DE 230).  His name is Harry Meredith and we both live in Louisville, KY.  Tomorrow I will have the honor to introduce him to several hundred students at the high school I work at here in Louisville.  We are putting on our annual Veterans Day program.  I just thought you might be interested to know when I introduce my grandfather I will be telling the story about the events of January 23, 1945.  It was on that night at Lingayen Gulf a harbor full of ships came under attack from three Jap torpedo planes.  During this attack the USS Chaffee made a wide turn in the direction of an oncoming "Betty" and took a torpedo hit to the starboard bow.  By making the turn toward the Jap plane it closed the distance and by doing this the torpedo did not have enough time to arm itself.  The propeller on the torpedo has to turn so many revolutions before it arms.  So the torpedo went straight through the small destroyer escort ship without exploding, and there was no loss of life or injuries.  What I think you will find interesting is the following day some of the crew from the Chaffee boarded the USS Pennsylvania for spare parts to try and make repairs.  When the Chaffee crew members boarded the Pennsylvania they were treated like royalty.  Come to find out, when the Chaffee made that wide turn in the direction of the Jap plane the Chaffee unknowingly placed itself between the Jap plane and the USS Pennsylvania.  The crew from the Pennsylvania were under the impression that the Chaffee purposely sacrificed it's own ship to save the Pennsylvania from being broadsided by the Jap torpedo.  The crew from the Pennsylvania loaded the Chaffee down with all the ice cream it could carry.  I thought you might find the story interesting.  I'll attach some photos of the hole where the torpedo went through the ship and the of the propeller from the torpedo that was found the following day in one of the forward compartments.  I'll also attach an article that was written in the local newspaper a couple of months ago about the ship reunion we had here in Louisville.  Take care.

 

Barry Goodall

 

Next, I wrote back, I was very excited about this....

From: Goodall, Barry D [barry.goodall(@)jefferson.kyschools.us]
Sent: Friday, November 09, 2007 5:21 AM
To: bb-38(@)usspennsylvania.org
Subject: RE: USS Pennsylvania Story
Attachments: Reunion Update Letter..doc; Bowling Green Kentucky KY Daily News.htm
Follow Up Flag: post on web
Flag Status: Flagged

I am attaching a newsletter I sent out after our last reunion Sept. 23-26, 2007. It tells what we did and what we are going to do next year. I noticed on your website that you all have had several reunions. How many did you have show up at your last one? We only had seven shipmates at the last one but I believe we will have a better turnout next year. I have a great time listening to all the non-stop stories.

My grandfather will be joining me in less than an hour. I will read to him the e-mail I sent you and the one you sent back. Many thanks for your kind words and hard work YOU have done to bring full honor to our veterans.

You don't know how many times I have thought of the consequences if that torpedo had exploded, but it was not until yesterday that I ever thought about what would have happened if the torpedo had missed the Chaffee and found the Pennsylvania. Isn't it strange how quick decisions can change the course of history in such huge proportions?

I am also attaching a newspaper story about my great great grandfather's Civil War experience. My grandfather's contact info below. Take care.

Barry

You can read the attachment by clicking HERE

Barry Writes more:
 

From: Goodall, Barry D [mailto:barry.goodall(@)jefferson.kyschools.us]
Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2007 7:55 AM
To: bb-38(@)usspennsylvania.org
Subject: RE: USS Pennsylvania Story

Ken,

Thanks for sending the package to my grandfather. He really appreciated it. I saw him last night at dinner and he was excited to tell me about the hat and ships history you sent. I asked his opinion about the joint reunion and he said he thought it would be great. He also said the story of what would bring the two ships together would almost be too much for people to believe. It is kind of unbelievable but thank goodness that Captain A,C. Jones of the USS Chaffee documented the incident into the ship's official report and history log. I'm sure there were a thousand stories like that during the war that could have changed the course of history for generations to be or not to be. Thank God it turned out that you and I were a generation to be. Thanks again!

Barry
 

---

I sent this whole series off to Stan and he contacted Barry and the rest will be history.  Below is the story of the Pennsy / Chaffee relationship:

To the Crew Members of the USS Chaffee (DE 230) and USS Pennsylvania (BB-38),
Some of the details of the following narrative are taken from the ship's log of Commander. A.C. Jones, USAIR, former Captain of the USS Chaffee, provided by Robert 1,1. Christ SM 2'1" Class, USS Chaffee.

It was 63 years ago last week that the USS Chaffee (DE 230) came under attack off the Island of Luzon at Lingayen Gulf.

On the evening of January 23, 1945 at 2015 hours a squad of three Japanese torpedo planes was spotted by the Chaffee's radar. The order for battle stations was given and the Chaffee readied for attack. Two of the bogies disappeared over the horizon but the third plane made a wide turn back in the direction of the harbor where the Chaffee, USS Pennsylvania (BB-38), and other ships were located. Upon the aggressive move by the Japanese "Betty", Captain A.C. Jones of the Chaffee ordered the ship to he turned toward the oncoming "Betty". By this time the Japanese plane was closing in on the Chaffee and dropped a torpedo slamming into the starboard bow of the ship. The plane was so close when it dropped the torpedo that water splashed over the Chaffee's deck. It just so happened that by Captain Jones closing the distance between the "Betty" and the ship, the torpedo did not have enough time to arm itself. The propeller on a torpedo had to spin so many revolutions before it could be armed. Once the torpedo entered the starboard bow without exploding it continued on, exiting out of the port bow.

Although the Chaffee sustained damage of two holes eight to ten feet in diameter, there were no fatalities and the ship was able to seal off the forward compartments. The following day officers from the Chaffee boarded the Pennsylvania in hopes of acquiring spare parts to make temporary repairs. When the Chaffee officers came aboard the Pennsylvania they were greeted like royalty. The crews aboard the Pennsylvania were under the impression that the Chaffee intentionally made the turn in front of the Japanese plane for the purpose of saving the Pennsylvania. To the crew of the Pennsylvania it appeared that the Japanese plane was originally closing in to attack them.

To both ship's fortunes the true intention of the Japanese pilot will never be blown. No matter what the intentions were the truth of the matter is that Captain Jones inadvertently saved the day by turning the Chaffee into the pathway between the Pennsylvania and the Japanese "Betty". Not only did the officers from the Chaffee receive all the spare parts they needed but were also loaded down with all of the ice cream they could manage to transfer back to their ship. Of course at the time the Chaffee officers did not reveal the truth to the Pennsylvania crew that the Chaffee did not actually intend to sacrifice their ship for the "Penny", and as the years went by the incident became a faded memory, except for by a few.

Like thousands of other stories that took place during the war, the account of what took place that fateful day al Lingayen Gulf has been all but forgotten. Besides a handful of aging Navy Veterans, not many people have ever heard this story, or could ever appreciate the consequences of the outcome. One consequence 1 can point out for sure is if the Japanese torpedo had exploded that day there would not have been a certain grandson ever born to write this newsletter. Furthermore, if circumstances were just split seconds different there would have been many lives lost with untold future generations never to be.
 

For what took place at Lingayen Gulf in January of 1945 I believe it will make history in uniting the surviving shipmates from both ships together after sharing that experience 63 years ago.

Barry
 

 

The Crew invites you to share a few days and a few stories..., 63 years later....

Click HERE to download info