Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Figure 1: USS Tide (AM-125) underway at sea, circa 1943-1944. This photograph was retouched by wartime censors who removed the radar antenna atop the ship's mast. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 2: USS Tide underway at sea, 15 June 1943. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 3: USS Tide sinking soon after hitting a mine off "Utah" Beach on 7 June 1944, during the Normandy landings. Note her broken back, with smoke pouring from amidships. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 4: USS Tide sinking soon after hitting a mine off "Utah" Beach during the Normandy landings, 7 June 1944. USS Pheasant (AM-61) is standing by off Tide's bow. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 5: USS Tide sinking off "Utah" Beach after striking a mine during the Normandy invasion, 7 June 1944. USS PT-509 and USS Pheasant (AM-61) are standing by. Photographed from USS Threat (AM-124). Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Click on photograph for larger image.
The 890-ton USS Tide (AM-125) was an Auk class minesweeper that was built at the Savannah Machinery and Foundry Company in Savannah, Georgia. The ship was launched on 7 September 1942 and was commissioned on 9 May 1943. The ship was approximately 221 feet long and 32 feet wide, had a speed of 18 knots and carried a crew of 105 officers and men. The Tide was armed with two 3-inch guns, four 20-mm cannons and depth charges.
After a shakedown cruise off Key West, Florida, and Norfolk, Virginia, the Tide joined its first trans-Atlantic convoy to North Africa. While in this convoy, the Tide accidentally hit the infantry landing craft LCI-267 on 17 July 1943. The Tide suffered some damage but the crew was able to repair it at sea. The Tide reached Casablanca in North Africa on 18 July but was quickly ordered to help escort another convoy back to the United States. On 29 July, while escorting this convoy, the Tide acquired a sonar contact indicating that a submarine was in the area. After dropping some depth charges, an oil slick was spotted but there was no further indication or evidence that a submarine had been sunk. The Tide reached New York on 9 August and remained on the East Coast until 30 September. In October and November, the Tide made another trans-Atlantic crossing and returned to New York on 25 November 1943.
In December 1943, the Tide took part in naval exercises off the coast of Maine and was assigned to some coastal convoys in January. On 25 January 1944, the Tide left Charleston, South Carolina, for England via a very long route that took her to Bermuda, then the Azores, and finally to Milford Haven, England, on 10 March. She spent the rest of the month based at Falmouth. In April and May, the Tide assisted in escorting convoys off the coast of Britain and joined exercises with Royal Navy minesweepers in preparation for D-Day, the Allied invasion of Europe.
On 5 June 1944, the Tide headed for France as part of “Minesweeper Squadron A,” which was assigned to “Utah” beach. As the minesweepers neared the beaches ahead of the landing forces, a member of the squadron, the USS Osprey (AM-56), struck a German mine and sank. But the rest of the members of Minesweeper Squadron A reached Normandy and they swept channels near the beaches for the fire-support ships that were coming to bombard the coast. The minesweepers continued their work throughout the day on 6 June. On the night of 6 June and into the early morning of 7 June, the Tide and several other vessels guarded the Carentan Estuary to prevent German E-boats from attacking the landing ships.
But at 0940 on the morning of 7 June, while sweeping an area between St. Marcauf and Barfleur, the USS Tide struck a mine and the explosion literally lifted the ship out of the water. The explosion caused catastrophic damage to the ship by breaking her back, blasting an enormous hole in the bottom of the ship, and tearing away all of her bulkheads below the waterline. Water poured into the ship and the Tide began to sink.
The Tide’s captain, Lt. Commander Allard B. Heywood, USNR, was severely injured and died soon after handing over command of the ship to the Executive Officer, Lt. Commander George Crane. The explosion killed at least eight people, but many of the remaining crewmembers were also injured, some severely. Several ships came to the Tide’s assistance, including the USS Pheasant (AM-61), the USS Threat (AM-124), and the USS Swift (AM-122). Lt. Commander Crane transferred the survivors to the other ships as fire began to consume what was left of the minesweeper. Crane was the last man to leave the Tide and, shortly after his departure, the Swift attempted to tow the Tide to safety. But the strain caused by the towline was too great for the shattered minesweeper and the Tide soon broke in half. Both pieces of the ship quickly sank after that. In all, 97 men were rescued from the Tide.
Few people today know that minesweepers even exist, let alone how incredibly dangerous their job really is. Minesweepers have never received the recognition they deserve and the mines that exist today are much more sophisticated, making them even more dangerous. It takes a special breed of seaman to sail on board these small ships and we certainly are fortunate to have them, both then and now.
Posted by Remo at 8:56 AM
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Figure 1: American Steam Yacht Noma, 1902, at anchor, prior to her World War I era Naval service. She was USS Noma (SP-131) from 1917-1919. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 2: The Noma drydocked at the Union Iron Works shipyard, San Francisco, California, in 1915. This yacht served as USS Noma (SP-131) from 1917-1919. Note her figurehead. Courtesy of the San Francisco Maritime Museum, 1969. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 3: USS Noma (SP-131) photographed circa 1917-1918, probably in French waters, with the sails of another vessel visible in the background, between her smokestacks. She was commanded at the time by Lieutenant Commander Lamar R. Leahy, USN. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 4: View on deck of the USS Noma (SP-131), showing one of the ship's 3"/50 guns in action during operations off the coast of France, circa 1917-1918. Courtesy of Captain Lamar R. Leahy, USN, 1937. He was Noma's Commanding Officer during World War I. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 5: A lookout (probably spotting the fall of shot) and the crew of one of the Noma's 3"/50 guns at work during an anti-submarine patrol, circa 1917-1918. Courtesy of Captain Lamar R. Leahy, USN, 1937. He was Noma's Commanding Officer during World War I. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 6: USS Noma taking heavy rolls during World War I patrol duty, circa 1917-1918. View looks aft from the ship's starboard bridge wing. Courtesy of Captain Lamar R. Leahy, USN, 1937. He was Noma's Commanding Officer during World War I. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 7: USS Noma’s (SP-131) helmsman at work while the ship was making heavy rolls during operations at sea, circa 1917-1918. Courtesy of Captain Lamar R. Leahy, USN, 1937. He was Noma's Commanding Officer during World War I. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 8: British “Q-Ship” HMS Dunraven receives assistance from the British destroyer Attack, following her action with the German submarine UC-71 off Ushant, France, on 8 August 1917. Despite efforts to tow her to port, the badly damaged Dunraven foundered on 10 August. Photographed from USS Noma (SP-131). Courtesy of Captain Lamar R. Leahy, USN, 1937. He was Noma's Commanding Officer during World War I. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Built in 1902 by the Burlee Dry Dock Company at Staten Island, New York, the 1,250-ton USS Noma (SP-131) was a steam yacht originally owned by the millionaire Vincent Astor of New York City. Astor loaned the ship to the Navy for use in World War I and the Noma was commissioned on 10 May 1917 under the command of Lieutenant Commander Lamar Richard Leahy. The ship was approximately 262 feet long and 28 feet wide, had a top speed of 19 knots and carried a crew of 80 officers and men. She was armed with four 3-inch guns, 4 machine guns, and depth charges.
Because of the need for convoy escorts, the Noma was quickly sent to France to help protect Allied merchant ships. She left New York City on 9 June 1917 and arrived at Brest, France, on 4 July and immediately began escorting troop transports and merchant ships that were sailing toward France and England from the United States. On 20 July, while steaming off Cape Finisterre, Spain, the Noma spotted a German U-boat on the surface and attacked it. The submarine submerged, but there was no confirmation as to whether or not it was sunk by the Noma.
On 8 August 1917, the German U-boat UC-71 torpedoed the British “Q-ship” HMS Dunraven off Ushant, France. The submarine then surfaced and began shelling the Dunraven with its deck gun. The Noma happened to be in the area and quickly came to the assistance of the stricken British Q-ship. The Noma fired her guns at the surfaced submarine and dropped some depth charges on it after the U-boat submerged to get away from the American escort. The Dunraven’s commanding officer, Captain Gordon Campbell, RN, later stated that the Noma’s quick action and depth charge attack on the German U-boat saved his ship from certain destruction. The Noma took off several wounded sailors from the Dunraven and stayed with the Q-ship until two British destroyers came to her assistance. Unfortunately, despite heroic efforts to save the Dunraven, the Q-ship sank two days later on 10 August while being towed to port.
On 16 August, the Noma stumbled upon a surfaced German U-boat while it was recharging its batteries. The Noma fired a number of shots at the U-boat before it submerged. On 17 September, the Noma spotted another German U-boat that was shadowing an Allied convoy. Once again, the Noma fired at the U-boat and its shells straddled the submarine before it, too, submerged. Although neither incident produced “confirmed kills,” the German submarines were certainly chased away by this tough American escort.
While escorting the merchant ships Koln and Medina near France on 28 November 1917, the Noma, along with another escort, the Wakiva II, attacked two German submarines. While the Noma depth-charged one of the U-boats, the Wakiva II damaged the other. Rear Admiral Henry B. Wilson and Admiral William S. Sims commended both of the escorts for their attack on the German U-boats. The Noma’s commanding officer, Lt. Commander Leahy, also was awarded the Navy Cross for his role in this battle.
The Noma continued escorting convoys throughout the rest of the war. Her last confrontation with a German U-boat took place on 15 August 1918 while she was escorting a convoy to France. After the war ended, the Noma was stationed temporarily at Plymouth, England, before being assigned to the US forces based at Constantinople in early 1919. After passing Gibraltar on 26 January 1919, she made stops at Taranto and Malta before arriving at Constantinople on 13 February. She was carrying members of the American Relief Commission and, after reaching Constantinople, the Noma transported commission members to Constanta, Rumania; Varna, Bulgaria; and Batum, Russia. She also was given the tasks of removing American gold funds from Varna and serving as a transport for US Army personnel at all three ports.
The Noma left Constantinople on 21 May 1919 for her journey back to the United States. On 15 July 1919, the Noma was given back to her original owner, Vincent Astor, in New York City.
The USS Noma certainly saw its share of action against German U-boats during World War I and escorted a large number of merchant ships off the coast of France. What makes this story even more amazing is that the Noma was never meant to be a warship. She was specifically built for the very un-warlike task of transporting wealthy individuals in style and luxury. This shows that even the most peaceful-looking vessels can be converted into successful warships when the need arises.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Figure 1: USS Santee (1917-1918) painted in "dazzle" camouflage, circa late 1917 or early 1918. Formerly the S.S. Arvonian (British Freighter, 1905), this ship became HMS Bendish in mid-1917. She was loaned to the U.S. Navy and placed in commission in late November 1917. Soon renamed Santee and employed as a "decoy ship" (or "Q-ship") for anti-submarine patrols, she was torpedoed on 27 December 1917. After repairs she was returned to the Royal Navy and again named Bendish. The freighter resumed her commercial career after World War I and during the next four decades bore the names Arvonian, Brookvale, Spidola and Rudau. She was broken up in 1958. Courtesy Captain David C. Hanrahan, USN, November 1929. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 2: Ship's officers of the USS Santee wearing civilian clothing as part of Santee's disguise as an anti-submarine "decoy ship", circa late 1917 or early 1918. Seated in front are (left to right): Lieutenant John R. Peterson, Jr., Executive Officer and Navigator; Commander David C. Hanrahan, Commanding Officer; and Lieutenant Robert E.P. Elmer, Gunnery Watch. Standing are (left to right): Acting Pay Clerk John P. Killeen; Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Arthur D. Warwick, First Lieutenant of Watch; Assistant Surgeon Thomas L. Sutton, Medical Officer; Lieutenant (Junior Grade) James P. Compton, Torpedo Watch; and Machinist Charles C. Roberts, Engineer Officer. Courtesy Captain David C. Hanrahan, USN, November 1929. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 3: View on board the USS Santee taken after she was torpedoed on 27 December 1917, showing damage over her engine room hatch and boat destroyed by the torpedo explosion. HMS Bluebell is faintly visible in the right distance. Courtesy Captain David C. Hanrahan, USN, November 1929. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 4: USS Santee’s after well deck awash while being towed into Queenstown, Ireland, after receiving torpedo damage on 27 December 1917. Note the wrecked motor launch and debris on the water washed deck. Courtesy Captain David C. Hanrahan, USN, November 1929. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 5: Torpedo damage to the Santee’s hull, by her number six hold at the engine room bulkhead, taken while she was in drydock at Queenstown, Ireland, after being torpedoed 27 December 1917. The hole was 20 x 21 feet in size. Courtesy Captain David C. Hanrahan, USN, November 1929. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
The USS Santee was originally the SS Arvonian, a 2,794-ton freighter built in 1905 by Stockton-on-Tees, England. For its first 12 years, the Arvonian was part of the British Merchant Marine and then in mid-1917 she was obtained by the Royal Navy and renamed HMS Bendish. In November 1917 the ship was loaned to the US Navy and she was given a crew of volunteers and renamed the USS Arvonian. In December, her name was changed yet again to the USS Santee.
The US Navy was in the process of converting the Santee into a “Q-ship,” which was a decoy designed to lure U-boats to the surface so that guns hidden on board the Q-ship could be used to sink the German submarine. While engaged in exercises off the coast of southern Ireland on 27 December 1917, the Santee was actually torpedoed by a German submarine, even though it wasn’t searching for one! Although no one was killed in the incident, the ship was badly damaged and was towed to Queenstown, Ireland, for repairs. Evidently, the US Navy did not think much of the Q-ship program because, after the Santee was repaired, the ship was decommissioned and given back to the Royal Navy in April 1918. The Royal Navy gave her back the name HMS Bendish and she spent the rest of the war working as a cargo ship.
In 1919 the ship returned to the British Merchant Marine and she reverted back to her old name SS Arvonian. However, her name was soon changed to Brookvale and in 1928 she was sold to a Latvian owner who changed her name to Spidola. The Spidola was briefly confiscated by the Soviets after the Baltic States were invaded by Russia in 1940, but then the Germans captured her in 1941 after taking the Baltic States away from Russia. Germany renamed the ship Rudau and she served as a cargo ship for the Germans until the end of the war. In 1947 her name reverted back to Spidola (although it’s unclear who actually owned her at this time) and in the 1950s she ended up in Costa Rica. Her career finally came to an end in 1958, when this amazing ship was scrapped in Hamburg, Germany, the same country that torpedoed her when she was the USS Santee in 1917.
Few ships survived two World Wars, let alone several different owners on opposing sides of those wars. Given all of the merchant shipping that was sunk during World War II, as well as all of the German tonnage that was destroyed during the war, it’s amazing that the Santee even remained afloat. It is also interesting to note that even though the US Navy gave up on the Q-ship during World War I, President Roosevelt tried to bring it back in World War II. It is a pity because the entire crew of another American Q-ship, the USS Atik (AK-101), was lost during World War II as a result of not heeding the lessons from a previous war.
Posted by Remo at 9:19 AM
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Figure 1: Carolyn before her conversion to USS Atik (AK-101). Photo courtesy of SSHSA Collection. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 2: American Freighter S.S. Carolyn, 1912, in port circa 1917-1918, probably at the time she was inspected for possible U.S. Navy service. This steamer was assigned the registry ID # 1608, but was not taken over by the Navy during World War I. During World War II, however, she became USS Atik (AK-101), a "Q-ship" lost with all hands on 27 March 1942 as a result of an action with the German submarine U-123. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 3: USS Asterion (AK-100) underway, date and place unknown. She was the USS Atik ‘s “sister ship” in the short-lived US “Q-ship” program. Fortunately, she did not suffer the same fate as the Atik. Hyperwar US Navy in WWII web site. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 4: American Freighter S.S. Evelyn, 1912, in port probably at the time she was inspected for possible U.S. Navy service on 9 January 1918. Though assigned the registry ID # 2228, Evelyn was not taken over by the Navy during World War I. In February 1942 she became USS Asterion (AK-100), which was employed as a "Q-ship" in 1942-1943. She also served on weather patrol duty from January-July 1944 as USCGC Asterion (WAK-123). U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
One of the strangest ships in US Naval History was the USS Atik (AK-101). The Atik started its life as the 6,610-ton, steel-hulled, single-screw steamer Carolyn. The Carolyn was laid down on 15 March 1912 at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Newport News, Virginia, for the A.K. Bull Steamship Lines. She was launched on 3 July 1912 and completed later that same year. The ship was approximately 382 feet long and 46 feet wide and had a top speed of 9 knots.
For its first 30 years, the Carolyn carried freight and passengers from the West Indies to various ports on America’s eastern seaboard. During World War I, the Carolyn was given a 3-inch and a 5-inch gun to defend itself from German U-boats, along with a detachment of Naval Armed Guard to operate the guns. But the Carolyn did not encounter any German submarines during the war.
After the United States entered World War II, though, there was yet another concentration of German U-boats off the coast of America. In January 1942, the Germans unleashed Operation “Paukenschlag,” or “Drumbeat,” its U-boat offensive against the United States. The sea routes to England had to be kept open, but the US Navy was desperately short of ocean-going escorts for its merchant ships. President Franklin Roosevelt, therefore, decided to establish a “Q-ship” program for the US Navy to help combat the U-boat threat.
The “Q-ship” was one of those naval oddities that, when it worked, it worked very well. But when it failed, it usually spelled disaster for the crew of the Q-ship. The Q-ship was a standard merchant ship that was armed with guns. But these guns were hidden under fake bulkheads and crates, giving the illusion that the ship was just a normal merchant ship. The Q-ship would act as a decoy and try to lure a U-boat to the surface and steam as close to the German submarine as possible. The Q-ship would then uncover its guns and fire on the unsuspecting U-boat, hopefully sinking it. This whole theory also depended on the assumption that the submarine would actually come to the surface and not just sink the Q-ship with a torpedo while it was submerged. The Royal Navy created the program during World War I and it met with some success, although the cost of these operations was very high. Many Q-ships were severely damaged or sunk and only a few German submarines were damaged or destroyed. But President Roosevelt thought that the concept still had some potential and so encouraged the US Navy to develop its own Q-ships.
The Carolyn was acquired by the US Navy on 12 February 1942 and was sent to Portsmouth, New Hampshire for conversion into a Q-ship. The Navy also acquired another old steamer, the Evelyn, for this same purpose. Both ships were given “AK” or cargo ship designations and the Carolyn was renamed the USS Atik (AK-101) and the Evelyn became the USS Asterion (AK-100). On the outside, the two steamers looked like ordinary merchant ships, but they had, in reality, been armed with several guns that were hidden from view. The Atik was armed with four 4-inch guns, four .50-caliber machine guns, four .30-caliber Lewis machine guns, and six depth charge projectors. The Atik also was given a crew of 141 officers and men. The Atik was commissioned on 5 March 1942, Lt. Commander Harry Lynnwood Hicks in command. The Asterion, which received a similar armament, was commissioned on 23 March 1942. Both ships left Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and went their separate ways.
From the start, the US Navy didn’t think either ship would last more than a month after starting their assignments. Atik’s holds were packed with pulpwood, in hopes that after she was torpedoed it would help keep her afloat. The Atik began steaming along the East Coast, hoping to lure a U-boat into attacking it. Because the situation was so desperate, the US Navy basically told the captains of each Q-ship that there was no help to send them if they were actually attacked by a U-boat. Every available escort was already committed to convoy duties, so the Q-ships were, basically, on their own.
Several days after the Atik left Portsmouth, she was spotted by the German submarine U-123. The U-boat happened to be steaming on the surface when she spotted the Atik at 2200 on 26 March 1942. The submarine shadowed the cargo ship for a while and then fired a torpedo at the Atik shortly after midnight on 27 March. The torpedo hit the Atik on her port side, underneath the bridge. The explosion caused a fire to break out and the ship started to list. The Atik sent out a distress signal that was picked up at radio stations at Manasquan, New Jersey, and at Fire Island, New York. The Atik stated that she was approximately 300 miles east by south from Norfolk, Virginia, and that there was a “Torpedo attack; burning forward; require assistance.”
The U-123 moved around the stricken freighter’s stern and noted that a lifeboat was being lowered from the starboard side of the ship. But the Atik had not given up the fight. When U-123 turned to starboard, the Atik began firing her guns at the German submarine. The Atik’s cannon shots fell short of the submarine, but her .50-caliber machine guns scored a number of hits on the U-boat, killing a young midshipman who was standing on the bridge. The U-boat gradually moved away from the Atik and submerged. At 0229, the U-123 fired another torpedo at the Atik and scored a hit. But the tough merchant ship stubbornly clung to life. Even though she had settled by the bow and her single screw was out of the water, the Atik still would not go down. The U-123 surfaced at 0327 to see why the Atik was still afloat and at 0350 a huge explosion ripped through the merchant ship. What was left of the Atik went down, taking the bulk of her crew with her.
Shortly after this battle, a strong storm blanketed the area, preventing ships and planes from searching for survivors. No survivors from the Atik were ever found. The U-123 left the area after burying its only casualty at sea. It was not until after the war that translated German documents from the U-123 showed what had actually happened to the Atik.
In one of those many ironies in military history, the Atik’s sister ship, Asterion, was steaming in the same area when she heard the Atik’s distress call. The Asterion’s captain, Lt. Commander Glen W. Legwen, Jr., tried to come to the Atik’s assistance, but with a top speed of only 10 knots there was no way the Asterion could get there in time. By the time the Asterion got to the Atik’s last reported position, the battle was long over. The Asterion searched the area for 24 hours before a mechanical problem with her steering gear forced her to return to Hampton Roads for repairs.
The Asterion continued working as a Q-ship for a few more months but never encountered a German U-boat. On 14 October 1943, the entire program was officially canceled. The Asterion was assigned to the US Coast Guard and converted into a weather ship. The US Navy, along with President Roosevelt, decided to cut their losses and terminate this program, placing a greater emphasis on constructing more ocean-going escorts, such as destroyers, destroyer escorts, and corvettes. Unfortunately, this decision did not come in time to save the Atik or her crew.
Posted by Remo at 8:24 AM
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Figure 1: USS LST-767 beached with a bulldozer preparing a causeway from her bow ramp to the shore, circa 1945. Courtesy of Barry Reynolds, 1990, from the collection of Jean Stewart Reynolds. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 2: LST-767’s commissioning crew, photographed circa September-October 1944. She had a U.S. Coast Guard crew. Her Commanding Officer, Litutenant R.B. Seidman, USCGR, is seated in the front row, center. Arrows point to Ed Huttenhoff (near the back, just to right of center) and Jean Stewart Reynolds (center row, near the right). Courtesy of Barry Reynolds, 1990, from the collection of Jean Stewart Reynolds. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 3: USS LCT-749 on board LST-767. LSTs often carried smaller landing craft on their decks and then launched them next to an enemy-held beach. The LCT-749 was loaded on the LST at Pearl Harbor on 10 December 1944 and launched off Okinawa on 3 April 1945. The pontoon causeway sections visible on LST-767's sides were loaded on 14 December 1944 and launched during the night of 2-3 April 1945. Courtesy of Barry Reynolds, 1990, from the collection of Jean Stewart Reynolds. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 4: LCT-749 is launched from the side of LST-767 off Okinawa on 3 April 1945. Courtesy of Barry Reynolds, 1990, from the collection of Jean Stewart Reynolds. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 5: LST-767 landing personnel via breeches buoy, after she had been driven ashore on Okinawa by a storm on 1 December 1945. Courtesy of Barry Reynolds, 1990, from the collection of Jean Stewart Reynolds. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 6: LST-767 beached on Okinawa, after being wrecked by a hurricane on 1 December 1945. Courtesy of Dr. Herbert F. Gabriel, DDS, 1987. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 7: LST-767 wrecked on a rocky Okinawa beach, after being driven ashore by a storm on 1 December 1945. Courtesy of Barry Reynolds, 1990, from the collection of Jean Stewart Reynolds. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 8: LST-767 wrecked on a rocky Okinawa beach, after she had been driven ashore by a typhoon on 1 December 1945. Courtesy of Barry Reynolds, 1990, from the collection of Jean Stewart Reynolds. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
The USS LST-767 was a 2,366-ton LST-511 class tank landing ship and was built at Ambridge, Pennsylvania. The LST-767 was approximately 328 feet long and 50 feet wide, and had a flat-bottomed, sloping keel that had a maximum draft of about 8 feet forward and 14 feet aft. Her full-load displacement was approximately 4,080 tons and she usually had a crew of 104 officers and men. Armament on LSTs varied widely during the war, with all of the ships trying to get as many defensive guns on them as possible. Because the LST-767 was built towards the end of the war, she probably carried one 3-inch gun on her stern, approximately seven 40-mm guns and twelve 20-mm guns. Additional .50 and .30 caliber machine guns also were located throughout the ship.
The LST-767 was commissioned in September 1944. After steaming down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans, Louisiana, she traveled south and reached the Panama Canal. The LST-767 transited the canal and arrived at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in mid-December 1944, where she picked up a cargo of men, equipment and vehicles. Also loaded on board the ship were pontoon causeway sections and LCT-749, a smaller amphibious assault ship that was to be launched off the side of the LST-767 after it arrived at its final destination. Towards the end of December, the fully loaded LST-767 left Hawaii and headed for Leyte in the Philippine Islands. She arrived there in February 1945 and, during the next two months, traveled south to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. The ship then turned north and stopped at Ulithi in the Caroline Islands before reaching Okinawa in early April. She arrived there shortly after the American assault began on the island.
LST-767 launched LCT-749 off Okinawa on 3 April 1945 and then unloaded the rest of her cargo of men and vehicles. She left Okinawa and transported additional cargo to destinations in the central, south and western Pacific. The LST-767 was in the Solomon Islands when Japan surrendered in August 1945. She was ordered to return to Okinawa and arrived there in September. LST-767 remained at Okinawa until 1 December 1945, when a major typhoon struck the island. While beached at Kana Wan, Okinawa, the LST-767 was tossed onto the rocks during the storm and was severely damaged. After determining that the ship could not be salvaged, the Navy declared her a total loss and ordered it to be stripped and disposed of. The LST-767 was decommissioned in early March 1945 and was stricken from the Navy list that same month. What was left of the ship after it was stripped was sold for scrap and the hulk was finally removed and disposed of in May 1947.
Amphibious assault ships, especially the LSTs, played an enormous role during World War II. None of the many amphibious assaults that were made during the war (both in Europe and in the Pacific) could have been accomplished without these ships. They transported vast amounts of men, equipment and vehicles all over the world and took part in some of the most dangerous beach landings in history. They were vulnerable to air attacks (which explains all of the anti-aircraft guns placed on board these ships) and they didn’t handle very well in rough seas due to their flat bottoms. A large number of the crews that manned LSTs were from the US Coast Guard and not from the regular Navy, since many Coast Guardsmen had experience in handling ships in shallow coastal waters. Coast Guard personnel also were assigned to most of the cargo ships during the war, thereby freeing up Navy personnel for warships. But it certainly was a challenge sailing on an LST since they were basically large, slow targets that didn’t do very well in rough weather. Fortunately, there were brave men out there who accepted that challenge.