October 24, 1944 - Our forces are having a big naval battle with the Jap fleet about sixty or a hundred miles from here. Night - one of the LST’s in our convoy (the 695) hit a floating mine or got hit by a torpedo or something about eleven o’clock. The men on watch said they saw about three big explosions in the stern and then went dead in the water. It was in the next column across from us about 500 yards. Another LST took it in tow. We all stood at general quarters the rest of the night.