Page 48 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2018- Online Magazine
P. 48
Max Robertson Navy Battles Mother
Nature
by Larry A. Williams
completed three days the USS Bougainville (CVE-100),
of heavy raids against which was launched on May 16,
Japanese airfields in 1944, by the Kaiser Shipyards
the Philippines. The in Vancouver, Washington.
storm inflicted the After a “shake-down cruise to
worst damage on the San Diego”, the ship departed
navy of any storm since San Diego on July 25, 1944, and
1889. Four destroyers steamed to Pearl Harbor. The
capsized and went ship was an escort carrier and,
down with nearly all according to Max, “carried
hands. A cruiser, five numerous aircraft, including gull
aircraft
carriers
and three
destroyers
suffered
serious
damage;
146 planes
on various
ships were
lost or
damaged.
Nearly 800
officers and
he account of a crippling men were
typhoon is still strong in lost or killed, with
Tthe memory of 94-year- another 80 injured. Max recalled, wings, B-24s and P-47s in support
old Lubbock WWII Navy “The ship would roll over so far of Task Force 58 and 38.” As a
veteran Max Robertson. He was that I didn’t think it would come Fire Controlman 3rd Class, Max
onboard the USS Bougainville back (upright).” manned one of the sixteen Bofers
in December 1944 when the 40mm swivel guns onboard, with
enormous typhoon hit in the Max Dale Robertson was a Texas “every fourth round a tracer.”
Philippine Sea. When one boy, born near Union, Texas
thinks of the dangers facing the on May 6, 1924, to Estel and The Bougainville rendezvoused
US Navy in the Pacific during Esther Robertson. He and his at sea with the ships of Task
WWII, one imagines ships being two sisters were raised by his Forces 58 and 38, delivering
sunk by the enemy’s ships, dad, a farmer, and his mother, a planes, replacement pilots and
submarines or bombers. The housewife. He graduated from aircraft crews and providing vital
typhoon that hit the Pacific fleet Cooper High School in 1940 and logistic support to the 5th and
on December 18, 1944 came with attended Texas Tech, completing 3rd Fleets as they engaged the
little warning and significant 85 hours of class work toward a Japanese at both Iwo Jima and
destruction, damage and death. degree in Petroleum Engineering. Okinawa. Robertson was part
According to Navy documents, Feeling like he could be drafted of the U.S. strategy in the Pacific
Task Force 38 was operating at any time, he and a buddy known as “island hopping”,
about 300 miles east of Luzon in joined the Navy on May 5, 1943, where U.S. forces moved from
the Philippine Sea on December one day before his 19th birthday. island to island, using each as
17 with 86 ships, including After several weeks of basic a base for capturing the next
carriers, battleships, cruisers and training in San Diego, California, one. At one stop, Max recalled
destroyers. The carriers had just Max was assigned to a new ship, one of his buddies “climbing a
48 Lubbock Senior Link
