DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS, IN JANUARY) THE SHIP WAS ALERTED AGAIN AND AGAIN, BECAUSE OF SUICIDE SWIMMERS AND CERTAIN TYPES OF MIDGET SUBMARINES AND "BAKA" BOATS OPERATING IN THE VICINITY. IT WAS DURING THIS TIME THAT 3 JAP PRISONERS WERE BROUGHT ABOARD AND FOUND TO BE CARRYING A DEADLY CHARGE OF EXPLOSIVES IN THEIR FANATICAL SUICIDE ATTEMPTS TO HARASS AND DESTROY SHIPPING IN THE HARBOR. HOWEVER, THESE ATTEMPTS PROVED VERY UNSUCCESSFUL DUE TO THE ALERTNESS OF THE LOOKOUTS ABOARD THE NAVAL VESSELS IN THE HARBOR AREA. FROM ITS SEADROME, ITS "BLACK CAT" SQUADRONS ROAMED THE CHINA SEA, PRODUCING VERY EFFECTIVE RESULTS.

IT WAS ABOUT THIS TIME ONE JAP BOMBER FLYING LOW BETWEEN THE MASTS LET GO WITH A BOMB WHICH EXPLODED IN THE WATER AND SCORED A NEAR MISS. JAP ARTILLERY WAS COMING UNCOMFORTABLY CLOSE IN THE FORM OF HEAVY CONCENTRATION RATHER THAN ACCURACY AND FORCED BOTH TENDERS TO SHIFT TO NEW MOORINGS IN LINGAYEN GULF. THAT SAME EVENING A BOMBER MADE A PASS AT THE SHIP BUT THE GUN CREWS, WORKING UNDER THE DIRECTION OF LIEUTENANT (JG) MILTON T. MCPHERSON, USN., OF SAN DIEGO, CA, SHOT DOWN THE ATTACKER WHICH CRASHED INTO THE SEA IN FLAMES AND EXPLODED AND GAVE THE SHIP ANOTHER TALLY IN ITS BOX SCORE OF ENEMY PLANES DESTROYED. THE SHIP CONTINUED OPERATIONS AT ITS NEW MOORINGS AND THE ROUTINE FLIGHTS OF THE PATROL BOMBERS CONTINUED IN AND ACROSS THE CHINA SEA.

DURING THE TIME THE SHIP WAS UNDER FIRE FROM AIR ATTACKS FOUR MEN WERE WOUNDED BY SHRAPNEL. NONE OF THE MEN RECEIVED VITAL INJURIES AND~LATER RECEIVED THE ORDER OF THE PURPLE HEART. THE FOUR RECEIVING THE AWARD WERE WILLIAM M PERKINS, S1C, OF WALLA WALLA, WA., AND HENRY J. ANNUNZIATA, SC3C, OF SEA CLIFF, NY., HOWARD J. KORPACY, S1C, OF PITTSBURGH, PA, AND GUY B. ELLINGER, S1C, OF CRIMORA, VA.

DURING THE TIME OF THE SHIP'S OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES A FEW OF THE OFFICERS AND MEN RECEIVED THE AIR MEDAL FOR FLIGHTS OVER ENEMY TERRITORY; WHEN ACTING IN THE ROLE OF TECHNICAL OBSERVERS THEY FLEW WITH THE SQUADRONS. THE LAST WEEK IN JANUARY THE CURRITUCK WAS RELIEVED BY THE USS TANGIER (AV-8) AND WHILE ENROUTE TO TACLOBAN, LEYTE SHE STOPPED OFF AT SAN JOSE AREA OF MINDORO, WHERE THE MAINTENANCE CREW OF THE "V" DIVISION SET A RECORD BY CHANGING 7 AIRCRAFT ENGINES FOR VP-25's SEAPLANES BASED THERE IN FIVE DAYS.

FEBRUARY AGAIN FOUND THE SHIP CARRYING OUT ROUTINE DUTIES ACTING AS A SEAPLANE TENDER AND SENDING FORTH BOMBER PATROLS WHICH FLEW NIGHTLY IN OPERATIONS WHICH TOOK THEM AS FAR NORTH AS FORMOSA ALONG THE CHINA COAST AND BACK TO THE SHIP BY THE BREAK OF DAWN. THEIR MAIN OBJECTIVE AT THIS TIME DURING THE TWO MONTHS WAS TO ATTACK AND HARASS JAPANESE SHIPPING SUPPLY LINES BETWEEN THE HOME ISLANDS AND ITS CONQUERED TERRITORIES. THE PLANES FROM THE TENDER IN FLYING THEIR ASSIGNED SECTORS, CONTRIBUTED MATERIALLY IN BRINGING AN END TO THE HOSTILITIES BY THEIR STRAFING AND BOMBING OF SHIPS AND LAND BASED JAP AIRFIELDS AND TAKING PART IN BOMBING MISSIONS OVER ENEMY OCCUPIED TERRITORY.

DURING THE EARLY DAYS OF MARCH SHE SAILED TO THE VARIOUS ISLANDS IN THE PHILIPPINE GROUP CARRYING FREIGHT AND PASSENGERS AND ACTING AS A TROOP TRANSPORT. SATURDAY 3 MARCH FOUND THE CURRITUCK OFF OF NAVAL BASE AND NAVAL AIR STATION, SAMAR ISLAND, P.1., LOADING AVIATION SUPPLIES ON HER WAY TO MANILA BAY. ON MARCH 6, THE SHIP ENTERED MANILA BAY FOR THE FIRST TIME, ESTABLISHING A SEADROME OFF OF SANGLEY POINT, CAVITE, P.1. AND THIS WAS DONE WHILE THE "ROCK" (CORREGIDOR) WAS UNDERGOING HER FINAL ASSAULTS BY THE AGGRESSIVE ARMY AIR FORCE ATTACK AND BOMBING PLANES. ADMIRAL WAGNER WAS BACK TO WHERE HE HAD STARTED AS PATROL WING 10, COMMANDER, WHEN CAVITE HAD BEEN BOMBED ON WEDNESDAY 10 DECEMBER 1941.

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