ENTRY PAGE - NAVY DEPARTMENT HISTORY OF THE USS BAILEY DD-492

USS BAILEY (DD-492) arrived at Kodiak Alaska 28 September 1942 and received her first permanent assignment as part of Task Group 18.6 which had as its flagship the cruiser INDIANAPOLIS (CA-35). The composition of TG 18.6 varied over the coming months but its mission to patrol the Aleutian Island area, protect friendly forces on occupied islands, and intercept and destroy enemy shipping attempting to reinforce enemy bases on those islands remained the same. Indicative of these patrols BAILEY served in an area northwest of Kiska as a component of a raiding group that included USS NASHVILLE (CL-43), USS ST. LOUIS (CL-49), USS BANCROFT (DD-598) and USS LONG (DD-209) over this 16 day period TG 18.6's only contact was a lone Russian merchant vessel. On 12 January 1943 as part of a task group that included USS RALEIGH (CL-7), USS DETROIT (CL-8), and USS INDIANAPOLIS (CA-35) she provided cover for Army forces as they were deposited on the beaches of Amchitka Island in the first attempt to remove enemy invaders from Alaskan soil. The task group served for six months in what was the most inhospitable climatic environment of the war routinely having to continuously steam in order to battle the Williwaw winds that could reach well above 100 knots and seas swells of 70 feet or more. Through the Winter of 1942-43 no opposition was met at Amchitka or during patrol but soon enough BAILEY would play a central roll in repulsing superior Japanese forces during the last all gun battle in naval history.