Arrival in Pacific
After shakedown off Bermuda, Mertz departed Norfolk, Virginia, 26 January 1944 for the central Pacific, via the Panama Canal and San Diego, California, arriving at Pearl Harbor 5 March. On the 9th, the destroyer got underway for the Marshall Islands as convoy escort, arriving Majuro Atoll 6 days later. Mertz sailed 22 March to join TG 58.2 on the 26th and act as escort back to Majuro. En route on 31 March, she caught a Japanese maru at 0600 in the glare of her searchlights. The enemy merchant ship maneuvered to get away, only to go down under the hail of 5 inch projectiles from Mertz. The task group reached Majuro 6 April. Five days later Mertz steamed for the New Hebrides as a screen for Barnes, arriving at Espiritu Santo the 15th.
In mid-May, the destroyer returned to Pearl Harbor to prepare for the Marianas campaign. She took fire support and patrol station close ashore to Saipan on 14 June, pounding gun emplacements in the daytime and at night maintaining illumination over the enemy lines until 22 June, when she began screening convoys.
Read more about this topic: USS Mertz (DD-691)
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