All too soon, the time arrived to leave our safe haven and head west toward the enemy. Task Force 38 headed to sea 29 December 1944. We steamed west the rest of the day. That night we learned all the squadrons aboard the various ships were to engage in simulated attacks on targets towed by several types of ships; CIC vectored attacks by one group of planes upon another; and gunnery practice. In addition, the torpedo bombers were to tow targets for the benefit of ship's deck guns. This was to occur 30 and 31 December.

 

A total of 100 to 200 hundred planes would be in the air at the same time. Communications would be confused, mistakes would be made, and pilots would be killed in mid-air collisions and other accidents. This sort of exercise was practiced each time the Fleet left Ulithi, in order to hone the pilot's skills. It was usually such a confused mess that it was more commonly referred to as a "Group Grope."