▁enemy ▁war ships , ▁dam aging ▁four ▁others ▁and ▁routing ▁the ▁enemy ' s ▁surface ▁forces . ▁His ▁ship ' s ▁guns ▁had ▁bare ly ▁fired ▁their ▁last ▁sal vo ▁when ▁she ▁was ▁attacked ▁by ▁si xty - se ven ▁d ive ▁bom bers . ▁Under ▁his ▁command , ▁the ▁ship ▁down ed ▁sevent een ▁enemy ▁plan es ▁and ▁th wart ed ▁the ▁ra id . ▁He ▁sa iled ▁the ▁cru iser ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁after ▁she ▁suffered ▁severe ▁battle ▁damage ▁off ▁R aba ul ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 4 3 . ▁ ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁he ▁joined ▁the ▁staff ▁of ▁the ▁Commander ▁in ▁Chief , ▁U . S . ▁Fle et , ▁in ▁Washington , ▁D . C ., ▁as ▁head ▁of ▁New ▁Develop ments , ▁and ▁with ▁his ▁promotion ▁to ▁flag ▁rank ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁assumed ▁command ▁of ▁Am ph ib ious ▁Group ▁ 1 4 . ▁Vict ory ▁over ▁Japan ▁Day ▁found ▁him ▁in ▁Man ila , ▁working ▁on ▁plans ▁for ▁the ▁invasion ▁of ▁the ▁Japanese ▁hom eland . ▁ ▁Post - war ▁▁ ▁In ▁September ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁he ▁took ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁Oper ational ▁Development ▁Force , ▁Atlantic ▁Fle et ▁with ▁headquarters ▁at ▁Nor folk , ▁Virginia . ▁After ▁two ▁years ▁there , ▁and ▁a ▁tour ▁of ▁duty ▁as ▁Ass istant ▁Chief ▁of ▁Naval ▁Oper ations ▁( Read iness ), ▁he ▁became ▁Commander ▁Am ph ib ious ▁Force , ▁Atlantic ▁Fle et ,