LCI (542) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 14 text:

10 minutes more, trying to keep away from the big ships and narrowly missing collision with a flak boat as well as a stick of bombs. At last the anchor was dropped, and all hands secured below for shelter from shrapnel, since our 20mm guns were useless against the high-flying enemy. In half an hour the raid was over, three planes had fallen in flames, one plummeting directly overhead. The next morning we got under way at 0630 in a rough sea and finally left the Omaha anchorage two and a half hours later, with the 538, carrying Com. Cameron, as guide. We learned that the 416 had been abandoned on the beach after losing screws and cable when a land mine exploded, she was the only ship lost by the Flotilla, and only one of her crew was killed. We ourselves were battered but un- touched by the enemy. That afternoon we arrived off Weymouth and by nightfall had moored alongside the 539 at a buoy in Portland Harbor. Next day we moved to Weymouth docks, where workmen swarmed aboard to repair the damage and install a new starboard ramp. They worked fast, for by 9 June- the ship- was ready for sea once more. In the late afternoon of 10 june we were sent back to Portland for orders. There Lt. P. M. Thacker, RNVR, bustled aboard to ex- plain that the 542 was to escort his nine Royal Navy LCTS to Omaha Beach, carrying no troops herself. I-Ie was surprised to learn that the ship was less heavily armed than his LCTS, some o-f which had 40mm guns. The convoy sailed at 2130, speed six knots, and six- teen weary hours later arrived at the Omaha anchorage without inci- dent. After shepherding the LCTs to the beach to dry out, we an- chored for the night. The return voyage commenced the next morn- ing, after three hours o-f rounding up our charges, which in some cases meant running alongside and sending a man aboard to waken the crews. At 0439 the following morning we arrived at Portland and that evening were back in Weymouth for three days of relaxation. Around noontime on june 16 Z0 nurses, l8 oflicers, and 160 white and colored troops filed aboard-a nice billeting problem for Mr. Littlejohn, although someone helped him out with a fancy sign con- cerning the use of the head. When all were snugly berthed, we sailed in company with 493 and 540, Lt. Roper in command, to escort 18 British LCTS to the Far Shore. The time schedule caused a reversal of course for a few ho-urs in the convoy lane off the Isle of Wight, and thus it was that we ran head-on into a Westbound convoy of coasters in the pitch darkness. Suddenly one illuminated on the star- board bow, and before anything could be done clipped our port cat- head neatly and sheered down the port side-no damage done beyond cutting the port ramp cables. There was confusion all around for a

Page 13 text:

9 all hands had donned anti+gas suits, and we went to general quarters at 1647. Soon the ship was lying to about 3,000 yards off FOX Green B-each-Easy Red, Our' scheduled landing beach, was too cluttered to use. On signal from the 420 all twelve ships of the task- group made for the beach at 1735. At 1800 the 542 struck a sand barg ramps were lowered and the troops ordered aft while we tried to shove over without success, Roberts volunteered and jumped into the deep water first from one ramp and then the other in a vain attempt to carry a lifeline ashore. After ten minutes the ship hauled off for another try and at 1826 beached successfully closer in, just to starboard ofthe 417. The tide was low but coming in fast, most of the beach obstacles were exposed, although some were close under our bow. Almost dead ahead the Coast Guard LCI 93 was high and dry but with 'her engines going now that the tide was returning. As we dropp-ed our ramps and Company E began to disembark, the beach was under sporadic mortar, artillery and automatic weapon fire. Several Nazi aircraft dropped window and bombed the beach to port. Meanwhile our destroyers con- tinued their close-in bombardment. All went well with the 542 for five minutes, until the 418, minus her anchor, attempted to beach close aboard to starboard. She did not succeed, and the current swiftly carried her down up-on us. She started to retract, but caught her port sponson on our starb-oard fantail chock, throwing our stern over against the 417. Our gasoline drum was bro-ached, and Mr. Hand jettisoned it, cutting loose the barrage balloon at the same time, since it was attracting enemy 88mm fire. At 1840 the port ramp was disabled, and three minutes later the starboard one carried away. By this time we were very close to the 417, while the 418 had maneuvered astern, remaining entangled in our anchor cable, which only the skill of Wicks prevented from parting. Finally at 1846 the 418 was clear, we commenced retract- ing, and just in time, for a salvo of 88mm shells landed where the three ships had been seconds before, doing further damage to the luckless 93. The 542 had been beached for twenty minutes under fire and still had over a score of her passengers aboard. Half an hour later an LCM was located, which took them off. It was later learned, in a letter from the Colonel commanding the 26th Infantry, that the troops landed by our task group were the first to reach their D-Day objectives on Omaha Beach. ' ' As soon as the last soldier had departed, we made tracks for the 414 to report, only to- be sent out to the Assault Flagship U. S. S. ANCON in the Assembly Area for further orders, which were to stand by in the area. At 2320, while we were still under way, a bfiSk Cneml' air raid on beach and anchorage commenced. We steamed for twenty

Page 15 text:

11 while, as running lights fiashed on and off, but 'no further collisions. The following afternoon we arrived on our first visit to- Utah Beach and anchored inside the Gooseberry of sunken hulks, where the pas- sengers disembarked in LCVPS. Gn the way in Danielson had aj loud-hailer conversation with his stepfather, the captain of the liberty ship T. B. ROBERTSON, Port Control Vessel, and after we anchored for the night, he went off in a small boat for a visit. After dark came the regular nightly air raidi WC dragged anchor and almost hit a large LSI, which had been mined and was low in the water. Dan could not find the ship and had to spend the night on the 540. This 'was a jinxed voyage, for the next morning on the way to Omaha assembly area some uninvited British LCTs joined us, and one, the 455, unaccountably turned hard to port and rammed us in the starboard quar- ter, denting most of the frames in the galley and throwing all of johnny's fixtures o-ut of line. Undaunted, we started back to Eng- land in a convoy of 5 LCIs and 36 LCTS, anchoring in Weymouth Roads very early on june 19. Forthe next four days we rode out a bad storm at anchor. It was the worst Channel storm in years and severely damaged the beaches, the 542 had left the Far Sho-re just in time. She remained at Weymouth until 28 june, when the whole Flotilla moved to the Southampton area, where they moored to trots off Calshot Castle. On the afternoon of july 1 we paid our first visit to the Royal Pier in Southampton in order to embark 209 tro-ops. After anchoring in the Calshot sailing area, we sailed early the next morning for Omaha Beach in a convoy of LCIS and twelve hours later were anchored inside the mulberry, unloading into LCVPS. The return trip the following day found us once more escorting British LCTS 5 convoy, destination was Southamp- ton, but to our annoyance we were ordered to join the 413 shepherd- ing six of them to Weymouth. Our stay there lasted only long enough to get rid of our charges, and by noon of july 4 the ship was back at Calshot. That afternoon Mr. Hand left to have his back treated in the hospital, after which he was shipped home g all hands sorely missed him. Doc's assistant, Tedesco, was transferred the next day, having been with us since just before the invasion. In the evening of 5 july we paid our first visit to Lymington, fol- lowing another ship up the tortuousf channel without too much difficulty, only to find upon arrival that a pilot was always considered necessary. After mooring alo-ngside HMCS LCICLJ 277 many of us St1'e'tChCd OL11' legs ashore by walking up the quiet country lanes near the. Isle of Wight ferry pier where the ships were berthed. Around midnight 239 soldiers cam-e aboard, the greatest number the 542 ever carried, they