| TK's staging site |
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By tk *Campaign begins to protect Civil War battle sites *Officials request dredge reports *Oyster shell drive reflects Bluffton history, environment *Jasper administrator passionate about bringing in port *Legislation (South Carolina) would freeze property taxes on boats at no more than $5K yearly *Hurricane drills to help emergency services prepare *An Alabama 15 year old may have become the fourth drowning victim along area beaches over the past weekend *Beach quiet after rash of drownings
Leyte P 10. 25th. of October, and annihilate them all. Halsey took no steps at all to protect the Seventh Fleet from the onrushing Japanese Central Force steaming for the exit at San Bernandino Strait. Vice Admiral Kinkaid in Command of the Seventh Fleet totally uninformed of Halsey's move. At 2022 ( 8.22 PM ) on the 24th. of October, Kinkaid had picked up a signal from Halsey to his Task Group Commanders indicating that he, as commander of the Third Fleet was going North with the three carrier Groups to take on the enemy Northern force. An earlier radio intercept by the Seventh Fleet had outlined a plan from Halsey to form Task Group 34, a powerful group to include the Third Fleet 6 fast battleships to be commanded by Vice Admiral Willis Lee. It was reasonable for Kinkaid and his staff to presume that this "Task Force 34 will be formed "signal, meant they would become the guardians of the San Bernandino Strait gate, they also assumed that the Three Groups mentioned by Halsey referred to the Three Carrier Groups. Not in Kinkaid's wildest dreams did he ever consider the exit from San Bernandino Strait would be left totally unguarded, with not even a warning picket destroyer sitting on watch. So, Vice Admiral Kinkaid went blissfully on planning to meet the envisaged threat from the Japanese Southern force expected in Suriago Strait. The Seventh Fleet. The Admiral used as his flagship, the amphibious command ship Wasatch. All up, the Seventh Fleet numbered some 738 ships, many of whom were amphibious warfare vessels, these divided into 2 groups - the Northern Attack Force, TF 78, commanded by Rear Admiral Daniel Barbey, and the Southern Attack Force, TF 79, under Vice Admiral T.S. Wilkinson. The 7th. Fleet Bombardment and Fire Support Group. This group of 6 older Battleships, many survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor, 4 Heavy Cruisers *( including the Royal Australian Navy HMAS Shropshire ) 4 Light Cruisers, * and 29 Destroyers. ( including the Royal Australian Navy Tribal HMAS Arunta.)
Escort Carrier Group TG 77.4 Rear Admiral Thomas Sprague in the Escort Carrier Sangamon.
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