Merle Ray “Bud” Mingee, Champaign

Diary of Merle Ray “Bud” Mingee, Champaign

In a small brown memo book, he kept a diary about his service aboard the light cruiser the USS Houston, including the fierce Battle of Formosa, in which the ship was torpedoed several times. As an electrician Mingee, worked to keep the ship afloat. Few, if any, U.S. Navy ships operating in the open sea survived such massive underwater damage and flooding. Mingee died in 1963 at age 42, but his children treasure the diary.

Aug. 19, 1944: I was assigned to Bunk 1101 in the fantail of the ship on the second deck.  Ordered to shave off a beautiful beard I had grown since leaving the States. About 2 inches long Lincoln style.

Sept. 2: Constant change course to avoid detection by enemy. Now in dangerous enemy waters. Guns moved 24 hrs now.

Sept. 5: Payday: drew $15. At 11:40 a.m. Captain announced destination and purpose of raid. Going to Palau Islands to meet 8 more carriers and 4 cruisers.

Sept 6: D-day. Sent out about 100 planes from carriers to bomb Palau at 1330. All planes return safe at 1900. Moving in for bombast tomorrow.

Sept. 7: Little enemy opposition. Great damage to fuel and ammunition dumps. No casualties. Whole island on fire.

Oct. 12: At 6:10 a.m. we hit the island of Formosa. At 7:19 p.m. we were attacked by Jap torpedo bombers.  The attack lasted 7 ½ hours. We shot down 3 positive and one probable. 3 men wounded by shrapnel. No damage to any of our ships. 3 torpedoes launched at us barely missing. 2 passed in 30 feet of where I was standing. Never got scared like I thought I would. I had Bible Rine (wife Laurine) gave me over my heart. I knew God was beside me. This is my first battle. No one was panicked. The noise was terrible. The fire made it light as day. Looked like gigantic carnival. We were 62 miles off Formosa.

Oct. 13: 51 miles off the coast of Formosa our planes and land-based B-29s struck hard at all points on Formosa causing very heavy damage. At 7:10 p.m. I experienced my second real battle. Many Jap torpedo bombers came in on us. They dropped three torpedoes on the Canberra cruiser hitting her with two in engine rooms. She was 300 yards off our stern. The battle continued for 3 ½ hours. They made many runs on us but all were shot down before they could damage us. We shot down 5 Jap bombers. Other ships getting about the same. We are ordered to stand by the Canberra as the fleet moves out of range. The sea is very rough. Japanese bombers everywhere just watching us to see where we are going. The sky is bright with gunfire.  You can see a Jap come down in a big flame once in a while. The noise is terrible. Destroyers are picking up survivors off the Canberra.

Oct. 14: At 7 p.m. we were attacked by 8 Jap torpedo bombers all coming at the Houston. One minute later we got two torpedoes in the forward engine room. All power went off and we lay motionless in the water. I was laying on the deck some 75 feet from the hit. It threw me about 4 feet in the air and I came down on the emergency generator. I was ok and no one hurt was around me. We started rigging emergency power from our generator. At 7:31 they gave us order all hands topside. The chief and I went down below to steering room to get men but with no light we couldn’t do much.  Water was up to our waist.

The order was given to abandon ship.  The chief, myself and two corpsmen went below to bring out wounded.  We got 3 out.  When we got topside again, there was a destroyer alongside trying to get lines over to take off survivors. The sea was so rough she couldn’t do it. Many got panicked and tried to jump to her. About 50 or 60 were mashed in between. I was too busy carrying wounded to be scared or thinking about going over the side. I helped all night with the wounded and went below many times for the Dr.  We lost two of our wounded. Morning came and there were approximately 300 left aboard out of 1500. We started in to get power and start pumping. The Wichita was towing us.  The ship was listing about 20 degrees starboard. I worked below with volunteer crew all day. Got few lights and steering started. At 3:00 we buried our dead at sea, the captain saying the services. It was raining but no one cared as most of us were soaked anyhow.
We were expecting the Japs back at night. All guns were manned by crew and officers alike. Anyone would volunteer to do anything but go below. It got dark and nothing happened. 5 electricians and myself volunteered to stand watch on the Switchboard which was in the bottom of the ship. I thought I would go crazy before my watch was up. I knew if they came back, I didn’t have a chance. I had no lights all alone and could just stare and think and pray. There wasn’t a sound, only the terrible creaking of the ship and the sloshing of water around my legs. Finally, it was Monday morning, the 16th, Sis’s birthday. We all felt better for we thought the Japs would leave us alone now.

At 3 p.m. I was in the workshop filling battle lanterns so we could work with lights. They passed the word that 16 Jap planes were coming in. The next minute I could hear the planes roaring and our planes firing. I fell to the deck and waited. Just then I heard all the men on guns yell that one was going to hit us. A torpedo hit us in the stern very near turning us over. They shot him down and another came at us. Our gunfire was so heavy he decided to try another ship. I was then standing on deck as he flew overhead some 20 feet high. I could see the big rising sun on the wings and tail! Just as he passed overhead we got him and he blew up in flames and tried to dive into another cruiser. Fire had started in the stern so we had to start forward fire pumps. I went down with the first Lt. and got power to it and going. When we came up the captain told everyone to climb over the side and swim to destroyer waiting behind us.

We all talked it over and decided not to stay. I figured I owed that much to my wife and kiddies. I climbed over the side and swam to the destroyer.

I have said 1,000 prayers in the last week.  I know God was with me every minute. Without him I know I would not have made it. I can only hope and pray they don’t announce this back home. I don’t know how to write Laurine and Mom. There are about 400 unaccounted for from our ship.