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This is a log of activity from the USS LST 907 that was commissioned on April
30, 1944 at Hingham Shipyard outside of Boston, Massachusetts. After a “shakedown
cruise” on Chesapeake Bay, we moved to Norfolk, Virginia where loading
operations began. This included an LCT and crew, a small Crash Boat and crew,
and 100 men from a repair unit. Our decks were loaded with equipment consisting
of derricks, tractors, machinery/ tools, and cement. We have heard that we
will drop all of this at our first port which is expected to be Oran, North
Africa. Everyone is anxiously awaiting departure.
• Ports visited
June 2, 1944 – Friday
Started to rendezvous with
other LSTs and DEs including our sister ship, the 906. At about 1600 hours,
we sighted
the convoy we were to join moving
slowly so that all ships could get into position. We are in the 2nd column,
last row, and equalized our speed to the convoy pace. The convoy is made
up of 104 ships – mostly cargo and tanker types – plus several
Escort Ships. At 2000 hours, we had GQ and were at our stations for about
30 minutes. Hot during the day but cooled off in the evening. back
to top
June 3, 1944 – Saturday
Had GQ at dawn for about half an hour. This
will be routine at sunrise and sunset as they are the most likely times
for submarines to attack.
Water was a little rough today. Another warm day but, again, cooled off
in the evening. back to top
June 6, 1944 – Tuesday
Received word of the invasion at Normandy.
All here are very happy to hear that things are happening and appear
to be in our favor. back to top
June
12, 1944 – Monday
Nothing
much new. The daily reports we received about the invasion sound
very optimistic. Weather is excellent and water is calm. We are approximately
200 miles from the Azores and 700 miles from the Rock of Gibraltar. Had
firing practices to limber up the guns. back to top
June 12-18, 1944 – Monday-Saturday
Nothing
much new during this period. We had rough water for a couple of days
which cause some problems in the galley. Don Purtill got burned and
banged up a bit but recovered okay. Saw land for the first time. We saw
the tip of North Africa and the coast of Spain. The sunrise over the mountains
in Spain was spectacular. At 1030 hours, we could see the Rock of Gibraltar
but it was very hazy. An hour beyond the Rock, we lost sight of land. back
to top
June 19, 1944 – Monday
Sighted land again today
through the long arm. Can see mountainous areas of North Africa. Since
we entered the Mediterranean, the water has calm
and weather ideal. Have had several warnings of air attacks, but nothing
has happened. Still having routine GQs. back to top
June 22, 1944 – Thursday
Reached our destination,
and everyone is so happy to see land again. Anchored in a bay outside of
Bizerte in AM. Pulled
into docks about 4 miles from
Bizerte at an Amphibious Base, formerly a French Air Force Base – Karouba.
Tied up and immediately started to unload. Italian prisoners are doing
all the work. Sold my watch to one of them for $20. Received mail as soon
as we arrived. We saw the first horrible sights of war as we pulled into
the harbor. Two LSTs, the 414 and 387, were destroyed plus several other
ships. Weather is very warm, but nights get cool. back to
top
June 23, 1944 – Friday
This is payday. Got paid
in gold seal dollars which we’ll be using
from now on. All passengers left the ship. The Crash Boat was unloaded
and most of the tank deck is cleared away. We went swimming this evening
and enjoyed it.
back to top
June 24, 1944 – Saturday
Had my first liberty in
Africa. We left the base at 1400 and hitched a ride into Ferryville,
a small town about 15 miles
from Karouba. We walked
around the town and were amazed with the dirt and filth in which these
people live. Saw many French and Italian refugees. Had some French vermouth
that we had trouble drinking because of the silt/dirt in it. We went
on to Bizerte, and the devastation got worse. There wasn’t a whole
building standing in the entire city. People are living in huge wine casks
and anywhere
else they can find including the sidewalk. The Arabs are starting to
return to the city and are trying to live in the Casbah. An interesting
and educational
day – one that I’ll never forget. back to
top
June
25, 1944 – Sunday
Pulled out and anchored in
the bay. Launched the LCT and cleared the deck. Seabees came aboard and
put the pontoons on. back to top
June 28, 1944 – Wednesday
Took the test for 2C 3/C and passed it. If Captain
approves, it will be effective July 1, 1944. Started loading again today. back
to top
June 29, 1944 – Thursday
Loading continued. 125
soldiers came aboard. Tank deck is full of trucks, ducks, jeeps. We also
have 40 Seabees aboard. Left Karouba this PM for
Naples (we think). back to top
June 30, 1944 – Friday
Off the coast of Sicily.
We can see mountains. Water was rough early but calmed down later in the
day. We are in a group of six ships, all towing
LCTs.
back to top
July 1, 1944 – Saturday
Another day, another country,
and advancement in rate, SC 3/C (official). Arrived in Salerno, Italy and
anchored in a
bay at about 2030 hours. Can’t
make out anything but mountains. Seventeen members of the crew received
rate advancement and took the Petty Officer oath in the PM.
back to top
July 2, 1944 – Sunday
Pulled into the port of Salerno,
then left there for Naples. Saw the Isle of Capri early this evening and
then saw Mt. Vesuvius. Went by Naples to
Nasida, a port about 10 miles north of Naples where we docked. back
to top
July 3, 1944 – Monday
Left Nasida with about 400
Italian troops and the ship loaded with trucks. Very rough water during
this trip. Had GQ tonight but no action. Got soaked
from spray over the bow. back to top
July 4, 1944 – Tuesday
Routine GQs. Pulled into
the port of Civitavecchia about 35 miles north of Rome. The harbor is
full of sunken ships, and
the city is totally destroyed.
Unloaded troops and equipment. Glad to get rid of that dirty bunch. Had
a holiday dinner – roast turkey and all the trimmings which everyone
enjoyed. Had GQs at suppertime but was a false alarm – mistaken identity
of one of our planes. back to top
July
5, 1944 – Wednesday
The last 24 hours have
been busy. We had five air raid alarms starting at 0100 continuing until
1200. No sightings of aircraft
but looks like
we’re getting closer to the action. Took on 300 American troops and
are loaded to capacity with trucks, jeeps, etc. Cooking for this number
is a real chore. Left Civitavecchia on route to Corsica. Damaged a screw
as we left. back to top
July 6, 1944 – Thursday
Tied up at an Army base
in Corsica. The nearest town is in the mountains called Porto Vecchio.
Unloaded all troops and equipment which took most
of the day. It appears we will act as a Ferry Command between there and
ports in Italy. They started to work on the damaged screw. back
to top
July 7, 1944 – Friday
Remained in port as they continue
to work on the screw. Seabees are trying their best but are limited because
the right tools are not available. The
rest of the Flotilla left today to pick up another load of troops and equipment.
back to top
July 8, 1944 – Saturday
Nothing new. They’re
still working on the screw and making some progress, I guess. I was sick
today, and had a
temp of 102. The doctor
from the 1011 gave me medication that helped enough to allow me to do some
exploring in the area. back to top
July 11, 1944 – Tuesday
Pulled out of Corsica with
only one screw. There are 350 French and American troops aboard who are
just back from the front. back to top
July 12, 1944 – Wednesday
Arrived in Civitavecchia
but didn’t stay
long. back to top
July 13, 1944 – Thursday
Pulled into Pozzuoli and
unloaded. Expect to stay here until a dry dock spot is open for us. back
to top
July 14, 1944 – Friday
Went on liberty in Naples
with Lemon and Zimmerman. Walked around the city, picked up a few souvenirs,
and found a Navy Beer
Garden where enjoyed
a couple very welcome beers. If we’re around here very long, their
business will pick up. back to top
July 15, 1944 – Saturday
Pulled into dry dock (Naples,
I assume). It is a very old-fashioned dry dock similar to our docks. It
will take the rest of the day to drain the
water and no telling how long to fix the screw. Received mail today. back
to top
July 17, 1944 – Monday
Pulled out of dry dock into
the Bay of Naples. The screw is on but shafts are not fixed yet. Italian
workmen are working on the job with antiquated
tools. They are very slow, backward people compared to our standards. back
to top
July 18-19, 1944 – Tuesday and
Wednesday
Same old
routine. Not much new. Went on liberty – walked
around the city and went to the Beer Garden. We are laying next to the
heavy cruiser,
Augusta, which is the flagship for the task force that is now assembling
here.
July 20, 1944 – Thursday
Left Naples and pulled
into Nasida where we loaded 500 Italian troops and their equipment. Heading
for Civitavecchia. When
we arrived at the “demolished” city,
we unloaded, then reloaded with American troops and equipment and got underway
for Corsica. back to top
July 22, 1944 – Saturday
Arrived in Porto Vecchio,
Corsica where we unloaded. We then took 50 British troops aboard and left
for Naples. This ferry business is monotonous but
certainly better than combat. back to top
July 23, 1944 – Sunday
Pulled into Nasida and anchored. back to top
July 24-25, 1944 – Monday and
Tuesday
Nasida to
Pozzuoli where we unloaded the British. Pontoons were installed again.
Went swimming, received mail. Went out and anchored on the other
side of Vesuvius near Pompeii. back to top
August 5, 1944 – Saturday
For the past 12 days,
we have done nothing – anchor here, tie up
there, etc., etc., very monotonous. Today I saw the LST 285 and, knowing
Jerry Butlers from home (Elmira, NY) was aboard, I had a signalman get
a message to him. He came over to the ship in the PM, but couldn’t
stay very long. It was sure good to see someone from home. Hope we’ll
have a chance to see each other again. back to top
August 6, 1944 – Sunday
Pulled into Nasida and loaded
250 troops. I think we’re going on
maneuvers. We got underway at midnight, and are with a group of fleet ships
and landing craft. At 0400, we were rammed by the LST 988 which took off
our stern anchor. There were a few anxious moments, but everything turned
out okay. Other than that, there’s nothing new. back
to top
August 11, 1944 – Friday
Over the past several days,
it has been very routine. We’ve moved
about, here and there. Went on liberty in Naples with Zimmerman and picked
up more cameos.
The Bay of Naples is starting to fill up with every
kind of ship imaginable, including those from Allied countries. There’s a battleship out there
too, but do not know which one. It’s an impressive sight – so
many ships you can hardly see the water. Tension is starting to build up
as it’s evident that the invasion is not far off.
Saw Jerry Butlers
again. He has seen Dick Seems, also from Elmira.
We have 400 American troops aboard; cooking for them
is really a chore. We had mail today which will probably be our last until
after
the invasion.
back to top
 August
13, 1944 – Sunday
Received official news
of the invasion of Southern France – D-Day,
August 15, 1944. Hour 0800.
During the day, Army personnel were given instructions
regarding their duties when we land on the beach.
This evening Ships Company
assembled, and the Captain informed us of the details concerning the invasion
and our duties upon reaching the assault
area. Protective gas equipment was issued, and we are all equipped well
for whatever might happen.
Pulled out of the Bay of Naples. Next stop – the
beaches of Southern France.
back to top
August 15, 1944 – D-Day – Tuesday
At 0500,
we went to GQs. It wasn’t quite
light yet, but we could see outlines of battleships, cruisers, destroyers,
and the water was covered
with various sizes of landing craft. We approached the transport area at
0600, at which time the salvos from the larger ships started. This continued
for about an hour after which rockets started to be fired. We could only
see the flash of the discharge and the sound of them hitting the beach.
This continues until about 0750. At 0800, we saw the first wave of small
boats start for the beach and, from then on, an never-ending stream of
landing craft headed toward the beach. During the time, we were too far
out from the beach to see what was happening. Later the planes started
to come over and that continued for some time. There were so many it would
have been difficult to count even the squadrons.
The day dragged on until
1430. We received orders to proceed to Green Beach to unload. It was then
we learned that the 13th wave had gone in
and met with gunfire. Prior to that, there was little resistance except
for the 6th wave which met with machine gun fire.
At 1450, we hit Green
Beach and started to unload. Just as the first truck went off, we heard
gunfire and saw shells landing nearby on the beach.
It was a German 88 from the hills beyond the beach. Several shots were
close and several soldiers on the beach were wounded by shrapnel which
we heard hitting the bow of the ship.
After the gunfire stopped, we continued
to unload and, about an hour after we hit the beach, we started to pull
off only
to find out we were stuck.
The stern anchor wouldn’t pull us off, so they got a bulldozer to
push us off.
We then headed for Yellow Beach to drop the pontoons.
We had heard numerous unfavorable reports about this location and didn’t know what to expect.
At about sunset, the Seabees dropped the pontoons and we towed them to
the beach. We saw hundreds of German prisoners lined up on the beach – what
a welcome sight!! At 2200, we pulled off Yellow Beach and, as we did, we
saw 20 MM tracers. A JU88 was spotted, and we got orders to commence firing.
He was out of the range of our 20 MM, but it was still a thrill to fire
at a Jerry.
General Quarters were secured at 0100 (8/16/44).
It was an exciting day, one I hope we don’t have to experience again. Everyone sacked out – clothes
and all.
back to top
August 21, 1944 – Monday
Since D-Day, nothing very
exciting has happened. We had a couple of GQs for air raids, but no harm
done. We have made two trips to Corsica and
back to France with Air Corps ground crews.
We saw the LST 282 which was
hit just an hour after we left the beach on D-Day. It was really a mess,
and they told us that only 20 men survived
from the crew and troops aboard.
We took on troops at Calvi, a small port
in Corsica, unloaded at Green Beach and then headed for Naples, I think.
Another air raid tonight, but
no harm done. back to top
September 5, 1944 – Tuesday
Since I last wrote,
we have made numerous trips to Corsica. We loaded at Calvi, Il Ruesse,
and Ajaccio and took troops and equipment to France.
At Ajaccio, we had
a wonderful time swimming, playing ball, etc. We named it “Amphibious Playground.” I
met Dick Seems from Elmira who is a full LT on the LST 603. It was nice
to see
someone from home.
Today we pulled into Nasida and received mail. I had
42 letters. We also received new orders and are now back in Flotilla
20. back to top
September 6, 1944 – Wednesday
Completed loading
and are anchored out. At 1900, got underway for France again. back
to top
September 9, 1944 – Saturday
Arrived in Southern
France and unloaded near Ste Maxime. This is near the other small areas
where we have unloaded Ste
Raphael and Ste Tropez.
Word has it that we’re going to Oran, North Africa next. back
to top
September 13, 1944 – Wednesday
Pulled into Oran.
Was surprised at the size of the city. It is a large harbor with many loading
docks. We loaded French troops and equipment.
They are anxious, understandably, to get back to their homeland. back
to top
September 14, 1944 – Thursday
I went on liberty
in Oran and was surprised to see the place so civilized. Even with all
the Arabs in their dress, there were many people dressed
conventionally and very nicely. There are nice shops and it is, relatively
speaking, fairly clean. Received mail today. back to top
September 15, 1944 – Friday
Got underway for France
today. The weather was great. Seems like a Mediterranean cruise. (Ha, ha,
ha). back to top
September 19, 1944 – Tuesday
We hit a big storm
today, and the 907 is taking her worst beating since she was commissioned.
A lot of the Frenchmen
are sick, but that’s
all the easier on the galley crew – they can’t eat!! back
to top
September
20, 1944 – Wednesday
Sighted land today,
but it is still very rough. We rode out the storm last night as it was
too rough to go in. Pulled into Green Beach area and
unloaded the French troops. As soon as the French troops were off, we
started loading German prisoners. There are about 150 of them. They are
staying
on the tank deck.
back to top
September 22, 1944 – Friday
Got underway for Oran. The German prisoners
are doing odd jobs around the ship -- some as chipping decks and we have
two as mess cooks. Some
of them look like kids – 15-16 years old; others look like they’re
in their 70s and 80s. We are feeding them as their pay for working, and
we do it 35 at a time. It’s difficult to communicate with them. back
to top
September
24-25, 1944 – Sunday
and Monday
Anchored at Oran. Had a smooth trip and made good time. Went
into Oran on 25th and unloaded the prisoners. Got mail and had a beer
party. back to top
September 26-27, 1944 – Tuesday
and Wednesday
Loaded
more French troops and have to cook for them. Got underway at 1400 (9/27)
and are supposed to be headed to Marseilles this time. back
to top
September 28, 1944 – Thursday
On route to Marseille,
we hit another bad storm. It’s worse than
the last one, I think. LST 49 lost all her trucks on topside and had quite
a bad time of it. We’re at least 24 hours behind schedule. back
to top
October 1, 1944 – Sunday
Anchored in harbor at Marseilles,
France. Weather is still heavy. The liberty party that went ashore can’t
get back because of it. back to top
October 2, 1944 – Monday
The storm is getting worse.
We lost our bow anchor which had us a bit uptight. Looks like the stern
anchor will hold us until things calm down. back to top
I’m all alone cooking
for the crew and Frenchmen. Others are ashore, not able to get back. Gilbert
helped some.
October 3, 1944 – Tuesday
The liberty party got
back about noon. I went on liberty in Marseilles with a bunch of guys.
Looked around and now understand why people rave
about French cities. back to top
October 4, 1944 – Wednesday
Slept all AM and got
special liberty in the PM. Went into Marseilles with Purtill and had a
good time. This is, by far,
the best liberty town we’ve
been in so far. Had some “famous” French wine. back
to top
October 6, 1944 – Friday
Pulled
out of Marseilles with a load of men from the 12th Air Corps. Heading for
Leghorn (Livorno), Italy. We’re having bad weather again -- very
rough -- but we’re used to it now and it doesn’t bother us
as much as it did, although it’s still difficult to operate in the
galley under these rough conditions. back to top
October 9, 1944 – Monday
Pulled into Leghorn, about
20 miles from the front. Unloaded and left immediately to let in another
convoy. Anchored outside Leghorn. The harbor
is full of sunken Italian and German ships. The city is in total ruin,
and there are very few people left here. Got underway for Naples this evening. back
to top
October 11, 1944 – Wednesday
Pulled into Nasida
at 1400. Expect to load troops again and appears that we’ll be seeing more than we thought. Rumors are still flying, but
it doesn’t look like we’ll be heading westward for a while. back
to top
October 13, 1944 – Friday
Got underway for Salerno
early AM. Arrived at Salerno at 1100 and left there at 1800 for Bizerte.
Stopped at Salerno to pick up some small boats
for some of the ships. back to top
October 15, 1944 – Sunday
Pulled into Bizerte (Karouba).
Went to the movies and saw “Happy
Go Lucky.” Heard we’re going to be here for a while. back
to top
October
16 – November 4, 1944
In this time frame, we spent a lot of time
on “field
days” and
inspections. Almost every day we had some kind of an inspection. We also
had plenty of movie time and play a lot of basketball. We have a good team – only
lost one of five games against the other ships. back to
top
November 5, 1944 – Sunday
Pulled out of Bizerte
for Oran, North Africa. All ships are towing LCTs which looks encouraging
for going home. Beautiful weather and calm sea. back to
top
November 8, 1944 – Wednesday
Arrived in Oran. Received
mail and had movie aboard. back to top
November 9, 1944 – Thursday
Left Oran in early evening for Corsica. There goes the hope that we might
be heading west. Weather is getting bad, and it looks like we will
have a rough trip. back to top
November
13, 1944 – Monday
This
morning we spotted the snow-capped mountains of Corsica. Pulled into
Bastia at 0930, and got some disappointing news.
We’re going to make
three more trips to Marseilles with troops and equipment. We were all pretty
disappointed but, as the saying goes, “war is hell.” Saw some
movies. We now have a projector on board. back to top
November 15 – 26, 1944
Pulled out of Bastia for
Marseilles. For the next 12 days we made several shuttle runs between the
two ports. We had mixed
weather – some very
rough trips and others in very calm sea. During this time, we had two submarine
alerts. The DEs chased them and dropped depth charges, but to no avail. back
to top
November 27, 1944 – Monday
Arrived in Toulon from
Marseilles. This is the harbor in which the French scuttled their fleet.
The harbor is full of
sunken ships. We tied up between
two sunken French battleships. Quite a sight, one that I’ll never
forget. back to top
November 28, 1944 – Tuesday
Still in Toulon. Lemon
and I cooked a full Thanksgiving dinner. We had Turkey and all the trimmings.
The crew really enjoyed it, but is sure was
a lot of work.
Went on liberty. It’s hard to believe that
this place used to be a very popular summer resort. It is almost totally
destroyed.
We’re picking up pontoons (cause ways) but not sure where we’re
going.
back to top
December 1-2, 1944 – Friday
and Saturday
Pulled
out of Toulon for Corsica. Arrived Bastia on 12/2/44, loaded, and shoved
off for Naples. back to top
December 4-5, 1944 – Monday
and Tuesday
Pulled into
Naples, unloaded, and left 12/5/44 for the Island of Elba. No one can imagine
why we’re going to Elba
but, at this point, nothing will surprise us.
back to top
December 6-10, 1944 – Wednesday-Sunday
Pulled into
the bay outside of the capital of Elba, Porto Ferraio. The next few days
are the most interesting I’ve spent over here. Few
Americans can say they’ve seen and experienced what we did on this
island. back to top
On 12/7/44 – Thursday – we tied up
at the dock and began to load. We were surprised when we saw the cargo
of sheep, goats, mules, and
tons of miscellaneous things like rails, tools, antiquated equipment,
etc., etc. This belonged to divisions of the French and Italian Armies.
What
a sight!!
The first night the people of the town had a big
party for the crew. I had duty so was unable to go. The next day, I had
liberty. We toured Napoleon’s
home and castle. It was very interesting. I bought a sword (sabre) there.
That same night a group of young men had a party for us with plenty of
wine and girls. A boy about 14 years old sang which really impressed us.
We also met twin girls about 9 years old. They danced with us, and we really
had a good time.
On December 8, 1944, we went to Rio Marino, a small
port about 10 miles from Porto Ferraio, to complete loading. Arson and
I walked through the
mountains – it was a beautiful sight.
December 11, 1944 – Monday
Finished loading and
shoved off for Marseilles. back to top
December 12-13, 1944 – Tuesday
and Wednesday
Arrived
Marseilles and unloaded. Shoved off from Marseilles on 12/13/44 for Bizerte.
Hit a tailwind and are really moving fast (relatively speaking).
back to top
December 15, 1944 – Friday
Pulled into Bizerte.
Received all of our back mail which made everyone feel better. back
to top
December 17, 1944 – Sunday
Left Bizerte for Palermo
with a load of trucks, jeeps, and troops. back to top
December 18-21, 1944 – Monday-Thursday
Arrived in
Palermo, Sicily. It’s the same old story – the
place is in ruins, but we saw some very interesting sights.
On maneuvers
for a couple of days – very
boring!! back to top
December 22-27, 1944 – Friday-Wednesday
Pulled
into dock in Palermo for the holiday.
On Christmas Eve, I went to a midnight
service – took
communion.
Got up early on Christmas Day but nothing to do as I did not
have duty. Had a nice Christmas dinner and, for once, I had a chance
to eat with the
crew.
back to top
 December
28, 1944 – Thursday
Left
Palermo for Bizerte. Rough weather. Also, many rumors continue to fly.
The Basketball team received a special letter from the Skipper today. back
to top
December
30-31, 1944 – Saturday and Sunday
Arrived
in Bizerte and started to load equipment and troops from the base.
Looks like about 400 men which isn’t going to make it a very pleasant
trip. Had a New Year’s Eve toast aboard for a victorious year. back
to top
January 2, 1945 – Tuesday
Left
Bizerte for Oran with 450 Seabees. Rough weather which made it difficult
to cook for the 550 aboard, but we did it without mishap. One of -- if
not the worst -- storm we have encountered. back to top
January 5-9, 1945 – Friday-Tuesday
Arrived in Oran,
and we were all glad to see a port again. Went on liberty several times.
Still the same old place.
We’re having a lot of rain
and snow. The snow looks good as we haven’t seen much of it since
we came over. Spend most of our liberty time at a nice Red Cross facility – movies
are usually good.
back to top
January 10-12, 1945 – Wednesday-Friday
Left Oran
on 1/10/45 and had a beautiful trip down the coast of Africa. We could
see snow-capped mountains most all the way. back to top
Arrived in Bizerte on 1/12/45
and are waiting to see what happens now. I met another fellow from home
at the Red Cross here. back to top
January 13-14, 1945 – Saturday
and Sunday
Loaded
up and pulled out of Karouba. Weather is starting to clear up.
Arrived
in Palermo at 1700, 1/14/45. Received lots of mail. It’s
like spring here; a welcome change. back to top
January 15-22, 1945 – Monday-Monday
Nothing much
new or exciting. We went out on maneuvers several times but only for a
day at a time. Went on liberty a couple of times, and saw many
interesting sights including a beautiful cathedral with a very unique sea
dial in the floor. back to top
Had orders to form riot squads because of the rash of
civilian outbreaks. Nothing ever came of it.
January 23-25, 1945 – Tuesday-Thursday
Pulled out
of Palermo to go on maneuvers for two days. Familiar routine by now.
On
1/24/45 PM, pulled in to dry dock in Palermo. All hands scraped the bottom.
We had a few holes we didn’t know
about.
Finished work in dry dock on 1/25/45, and pulled out to tie up.
Had mail but nothing else new. back to top
January 26 – February 10, 1945
During this period,
life was pretty routine. We got into a softball tournament, but lost the
consolation championship.
Still going on maneuvers but just
seem to be fooling around. Played some more ball but didn’t do very
well. Haven’t had mail for some time now. Had liberty several times. back
to top
February 11-13, 1945 – Sunday-Tuesday
Left Palermo
at 1730 for Italy. This seems like a secret trip. On route to Piombino,
a port south of Leghorn.
Arrived Piombino on 2/13/45 at 1200. Still no news
as to what this trip is all about. Expect to leave for Leghorn tomorrow. back
to top
February 14, 1945 – Wednesday
Pulled out of Piombino
and arrived in Leghorn at 1200. Weather is beautiful – just
like summer.
Started to load on Air Corps unit, but still don’t know what’s
going on or where we’re going. back to top
February 15, 1945 – Thursday
Pulled out of Leghorn
for France. We have 160 Air Corpsmen and their equipment aboard. Weather
is nice and smooth sea. back to top
February 16, 1945 – Friday
Pulled into Marseilles
at 0900. This trip continues to have mystery around it. We cannot have
liberty, so assume we’re
on a very secret mission. back to top
February 17, 1945 – Saturday
Pulled out of Marseilles
in AM. Met another convoy moving into Marseilles Harbor. We have specially
camouflaged trucks on the mail deck. Still appears
to be something secretive about this whole thing. back to
top
February 18-19, 1945 – Sunday
and Monday
Arrive
in Leghorn in AM. Liberty has been granted again.
On 2/19/45, we went to
Pisa. It was a wonderful experience to see the Tower, Cathedral, and other
sights in the town. back to top
February 20, 1945 – Tuesday
Started to load Canadian
troops and tanks in the PM. Got mail today.
back to top
February 21, 1945 – Wednesday
Left Leghorn in the
AM. Have 300 Canadian troops and equipment aboard. They are really nice
guys. back to top
February 22, 1945 – Thursday
Arrived in Marseilles
early AM. Had nice weather. Unloaded the Canadians and immediately loaded
some US troops and trucks. back to top
February 23, 1945 – Friday
Left Marseilles with
US troops on route to Leghorn. back to top
February 24-25, 1945 – Saturday
and Sunday
Arrived
in Leghorn 2/24/45 AM. Started to load more Canadian troops.
back to top
On 2/25/45,
pulled out of Leghorn for Marseilles. Weather is okay. Feeding about 300
troops. back to top
February 26, 1945 – Monday
Arrived in Marseilles
early this AM and unloaded. We were granted liberty here again for the
first time in several trips.
I had duty so didn’t
go out.
back to top
February 27, 1945 – Tuesday
Left Marseilles early
in the AM. Looks like we’ll
be making these runs for a while. back to top
February 28, 1945 – Wednesday
Arrived in Leghorn
and started to load Canadian troops. back to top
March 1, 1945 – Thursday
Left Leghorn with Canadians.
Weather is okay. back to top
March 2, 1945 – Friday
Arrived in Marseilles. Went
on liberty with “Chuck” (Matthews??),
and had a great time. Came close to spending the night ashore as the harbor
was very rough. Got back to the ship at 0200. back to top
March 3, 1945 – Saturday
Underway again for Leghorn.
Weather is a bit rough, but we’ve seen
worse.
back to top
March 4 – 13, 1945
We continue our trips from Marseilles
to Leghorn. Most of the troops we’re
moving are Canadian. Several trips in this period were, for the most part,
good.
back to top
March 14-17, 1945 – Wednesday-Saturday
Started a
five-day R&R leave in Florence, Italy.
Stayed at the 5th Army Rest Camp which was a converted railway station.
Met a lot of GIs
who have been having it rough at the front. Some I met were from the 10th
Mountain Division which is really having a bad time up in the mountains
not far from here.
Toured Florence and saw many interesting things. Many
of the valuable statues, monuments, pictures, etc. are sandbagged, but
it was still a very
thrilling experience.
Met a Red Cross worker, Given Roediger, from Rochester,
NY. Had a great time talking about home. back to top
March 18, 1945 – Sunday
Arrived back in Leghorn
today. The 907 was out so slept on the 602. Expect the 907 tomorrow. back
to top
March 19, 1945 – Monday
The 907 arrived in Leghorn
today. They ran into mine fields on German E-Boats on the northern tip
of Corsica. No damage,
but “Sally” is
still sending us warnings so we’re looking forward to more trouble. back
to top
March 20-26, 1945 – Tuesday-Monday
Left Leghorn
3/20/45 with a load of Canadian and British troops. We’re
taking the southern route apparently to stay away from E-Boats and submarines.
Arrived
in Marseilles on 3/22/45. Unloaded and immediately started to load about
300 Jap-American troops (242nd Division), who I learned later
were real heroes up in the mountains of northern Italy.
Got underway from
Marseilles at 1630 on 3/23/45.
Arrived Leghorn on 3/25/45 after taking the
long route again to avoid trouble. Unloaded the Jap-American troops and
immediately took on about
100 more British troops. back to top
March 27-29, 1945 – Tuesday-Thursday
Left Leghorn
on 3/27/45 with British troops and equipment.
Arrived in Marseilles 3/29/45 early, unloaded and immediately shoved off
for port unknown. back to top
March 31, 1945 – Saturday
Arrived in Palermo, Sicily
at 1000 hours. Looks like we’ll be here
for a week or ten days on availability basis. back to top
April 1, 1945 – Sunday
Went to church today. It
was a beautiful service. back to top
April 9, 1945 – Monday
Left Palermo at 2400 hours.
Good sailing weather. back to top
April 11, 1945 – Wednesday
Arrived in Bastia, Corsica
in AM. Looks like we’re
going to start making more trips from here. Rumors are starting to fly
about going home.
Took on about 40 US troops and vehicles. back to top
April 12-15, 1945 – Thursday-Sunday
Arrived in Leghorn
in PM. Only a 7-hour trip with good weather. Then back to Bastia on 4/14/45.
Back
to Leghorn on 4/15/45 with troops.
April 16-19, 1945 – Monday-Thursday
Left Leghorn in AM on 4/16/45.
The weather is great, getting warmer.
Arrived Bizerte 4/18/45 in the AM.
Looks like we’re
clearing our the base at Karouba.
Played ball each day. Getting hotter
each day. back to top
April 20-21, 1945 – Friday and
Saturday
Left Bizerte
with a load of Navy equipment.
Arrived in Palermo on 4/21/45. Looks like
we’ll
be here for a while. back to top
April 26-27, 1945 – Thursday
and Friday
Left Palermo
with a load of LCs.
Arrived in Naples on 4/27/45 in the AM. Unloaded and immediately pulled
our at 1500 hours. back to top
 April
28 – May
6, 1945
Pulled into Leghorn. Again, it appears that something secretive
is going on, but have no ideas of what it is.
Laid in here for several days. Played ball, drank beer, and saw several
movies. back to top
May 7, 1945 – Monday IT’S
OVER!!
We heard
the wonderful news today. Everyone is thrilled, happy – can’t
describe the feeling. back to top
May 8, 1945 – Tuesday
Pulled out of Leghorn and
arrived in Bastia just in time for a BIG celebration. This place went absolutely
wild, and we enjoyed sharing it with them. They
have been through so much. back to top
May 9-12, 1945 – Wednesday-Saturday
A couple more
trips from Bastia to Leghorn moving troops and equipment.
back to top
May 13, 1945 – Sunday
Pulled out of Leghorn for
Oran. Looks like this will be one of the last runs.
back to top
May 16, 1945 – Wednesday
Arrived in Oran. Some LSTs
already have LCTs aboard. Looks pretty good for heading west. back
to top
May 17, 1945 – Thursday
Bad news again. Received
orders to make another run. Got underway at 1700 hours. back
to top
May 21-23, 1945 – Monday-Wednesday
Arrived in Taranto, Italy at 1100 hours.
Went on liberty – not much
to see here.
Have been informed that we will be taking British troops
to Trieste where Tito has been causing trouble.
Loaded British troops and
a hospital corps, apparently to take somewhere up the west coast of Italy. back
to top
May
24-27, 1945 – Thursday-Sunday
Left Taranto at 1730 hours with about100
British troops and equipment.
Weather is cloudy; dark with apparent storms.
Arrived at Ancona on 5/26/45
at 1600 hours. Anchored out. Looks like we’re
going all the way to Trieste.
At anchor all day on 5/27/45. More ships arriving. back
to top
May 28, 1945 – Monday
Left Ancona at 2100 hours.
Still have the “bloody” British.
They are a real pain. back to top
May 29-30, 1945 – Tuesday and
Wednesday
Arrived
in Trieste in AM. Looks like a lot of trouble. Tito has his guerillas here
and trouble is expected any minute. There are two British cruisers
standing by ready to take action. For a few hours, we had our starboard
guns constantly trained on the streets but nothing happened.
Unloaded the
troops and glad to get rid of that bunch.
Pulled out of Trieste at
1430 hours. back to top
May 31, 1945 – Thursday
Arrived in Ancona. Anchored
out, but no news as to what happens now.
back to top
June 1, 1945 – Friday
This is the end of our first
year over here. Went swimming – weather
is warm and so is the water. Pulled out of Ancona at 1900 for Palermo.
back to top
June
3, 1945 – Sunday
Received mail at sea from an LCI. It was a pleasant
surprise and very welcome.
back to top
June 4-20, 1945
Arrived in Palermo, Sicily. Received more mail. Looks like we’ll
be here for a while.
Had several liberties. Went to Mondello Beach on
6/7/45 for swimming, sailing, and had a wonderful time with great weather. back
to top
June 21, 1945 – Thursday
Left Palermo after two
weeks of great fun and enjoyment. Haven’t
had any mail since we arrived here, however looks like this will be another
try at heading home. back to top
June 24, 1945 – Sunday
Arrived in Oran. Looks like
this is really it. Some ships are already loaded ready to go. We expect
to do the same very soon. back to top
June 28, 1945 – Thursday
Oran – loaded LCT
1042 today. Sure looks good for going home. back to top
June 30, 1945 – Saturday
Pulled out of Oran.
Flew our victory pennant. Everyone is excited. back to top
July 1, 1945 – Sunday
Underway heading west – finally.
Went by the Rock of Gibraltar and could see it clearly. back
to top
July 2, 1945 – Monday
Arrived in Casablanca at 2000
hours. Got paid in blue seal money. Starting to take on passengers going
home. back to top
July 3, 1945 – Tuesday
Received mail for the first
time since June 3rd. Unloaded the tank deck.
Pulled out of Casablanca at
1700 for the USA. To say we’re happy
and excited is the understatement of the year. back to top
July 18, 1945 – Wednesday
Arrived in New York Harbor
at 1000 after a very calm, pleasant trip across the Atlantic. It was a
thrill to see the Statue of Liberty and no words
could describe how it feels to be home again and to know that we will see
our loved ones soon.
Talked to my family after we got tied up and settled. No words can describe
that either. back to top
July 19, 1945 – Thursday
Left New York for Norfolk,
VA at 0800. back to top
This is the end of my entries. I must have gotten lazy.
Because of no berth space in several ports, we ended up in Houston, TX
from where we
go our 30-day leave. We were on leave at the time that VJ-Day was declared.
At the end of August 1945, we returned to the ship and from that date we
continuously bid farewell to our shipmates who got discharged.
07/30/1985
STR:yy
Originally typed from handwritten log
Edited by Shirl T. Reinhart
July 31, 1985
Reformatted by Christine (Reinhart) Hoek
August 25, 2003
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