Admiral W L Capps (AP 121) - Naval Cruise Book

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4th DIVISION Aboard each of the larger Navy transports during the war was a detachment of Marines, consisting of one officer and 30 en- listed men. The Marine detachment fit into the ship's organiza- tion as the 4th Division. The 4th Division aboard the Admiral Capps was composed of men of every Marine division and even Marine Raider units. The previous experiences of these men varied from those just out of 'gboot camp to the veterans of major Pacific engagements. The primary function of the 4th Division was to insure the security of the vessel, its crew, and its passengers. While in port this was done by assigning sentries to patrol both the vessel and the pier watching for accidents, sabotage, fire and in general main- taining law and order. l The cook :entry IXI The marine division az parade rest As soon as the ship left port, a thorough search was made to guard against the possibility of stowaways. If troops were aboard, a troop guard, composed of two guard companies totaling about 350 officers and men, was organized to enforce the ship's orders and prevent disturbances. Members of the troop guard were called upon for a great variety of things from stopping gambling games and racketeering to locating stolen property. Certain areas of the world called for special restrictive measures, such as, the siezing of cameras while passing through the Panama Canal. There were special tasks assigned to the 4th Division, such as, the guarding of all women passengers and the provision of a Marine orderly for the Commanding Officer. The Leathernecks, during the Okinawa invasion, performed the very important task of rnaririitfg lition rrief. explosif. A32 crew or as the f'.Vf1f' a flag. D: a Margie i their t papers. Merch T ' Y okob 2 it 3'EQ 1 !Cf D1f.'gQfr,r -ref . i, . sisted siia condztiefiiig. tices were ' Q ? . heid reguiarfl leas 1255 Q. T051- i xl - -.- ,, . 1 , unit. ine . and traditzois maintaiziiig ADMERAL fi rf xf

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3rd DIVISION AI.I,, Gun and crew petty oliicer for the light machine guns and one roving gunner's mate who repaired all small damages. During the invasion of Okinawa, all guns were constantly manned. Proper maintenance of the shipls ordnance was vital. This responsibility fell into the hands of the 3rd Division, composed of a gunnery officer, assistant gunnery officer and approximately twenty Hrecontrolmen and gunnerls mates. Adverse climatic conditions and frequent drills and battle practices increased the task assigned to the 3rd Division, but always, the maintenance of the guns was placed before personal comfort. That the guns were known to be ready for action at all times, no doubt added to the confidence of the crew and the embarked troops. The Hne records established during gunnery practices dem- onstrated the excellence of the ship's ordnance, her gun crews, and her ordnance division. The Capps was ready to meet and defeat the enemy at all times due to the effort and ability of the 3rd Division. A view of some of the 20 mm. gun tubs

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mqhtn imid- gi sniff did! ji Q1 tai' Q- ,Mi uni' 4th DIVISION ot' tnanning sniper posts to stop any attempts of japanese demo- lition tnen to destroy the ship by swimming out to it with special explosives. used for this purpose. All serious otlenders, whether they were Army troops, ship,s crew or civilian passengers were put in the ship,s brig, better known .is the Marine Hotel. There ax sentry watch was stood 24 hours .i day. During working hours the prisoners are turned to with .t Marine sentry acting as a Hchaserf' One time the Marines and their Hotel made the front page of all the west coast news- papers. This was brought about by the imprisonment of I2 Mereha nt Marine sailors, who refused to work, while enroute from Yokohama to San Francisco. Besides standing their continual security watches, the 4th Division maintained a regular schedule of training. Courses con- sisted of small arms instruction, guard mounts, tactics, combat conditioning, and other basic subjects. In addition, firing prac- tices were held from the stern of the ship. Inspections, too, were held regularly to prevent laxity in uniforms. Thus, every Marine, leaving a tour of sea duty, was well prepared for duty at a shore unit. The 4th Division always lived up to the highest standards and traditions of the Marine Corps and did an excellent job in maintaining security and law and order during the time the ADMIRAL CAPPS was operating as a Naval transport. y , if if , I' 'I' i!jiif'l,if'i figs' Ii' . T y ,Il 1 31' .QI IX, 1,t'43!, VIIHUII t H, , , ,ifnlftlf i If 3,15 .II igiuun , I , 1 igIIi'l ,MUNI fttffuli x . I 1 ,iigill rv X iii III? ifc- 'wifi visit: . tfiitt WHIP: liligif . mum' FUN! s 7 f sQ3Q3 E1- WIIIQ. i t I i its Hyun! -WX ill' I 4 iillitiui is E . l limi' I It M ,tt tg II IWLYIIMS I it It I tsl t lg, i , as It i It .It It It its 1 i 3 IQ l 'ti The brig :entry looks in on his charges