LCI (542) - Naval Cruise Book

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28 The rest of Flotilla 12 had finally returned from England and were being converted to gunboats on the East Coast. Always there was some new scuttlebutt about our future, until at last the word came 3 all of the LC1s in port were to be converted to gunboats, without rockets, to serve as picket ships, presumably in the invasion of japan. On the afternoon of june 21 our conversion began, when a tugtowed us to a floating drydock. In less than 24 hours the bottom had been painted, ammunition un- loaded at Mole Pier, and the ship moored to the 420' at Pier 5. Navy yard workers littered the decks in short order and added to their con- fusion by training Welders on the job, which did not make for neat work. The 28th was a big day, for we got a sound movie projector, due to the efforts of Mr. Littlejohn, who collected money from several sources, the largest amount being a gift from the San Diego Rotary Club. 'Movies every night became the rule, and at first they were triple features. 15 July we officially became U. S. S. LCIQGJ 542. On the 17th an inspection was held with the crew in dress blues on the gundeck and Lt. Theo W. Pinson, the Group- Commander, in attendance. Roberts was summoned to the fore and being a conscientious Bosun's Mate began to worry about what had gone wrong. He was really surprised to be decorated with a well-deserved Bronze Star Medal for his heroism and conduct at the Invasion of Normandy. He and Bruce went off to Hollywood to celebrate. V .On July 20 Lt. Qjgj Donald G. Buchan, a Pacific LCICGQ veteran, reported for duty as Gunnery Officer. Next the ship was towed to the drydock once more, this time for the overnight installation of a fatho- meter. Back at Pier 5 the work continued, with the usual hitches, such as changing the type of radar after what had been shipped to us had all been unpacked or the time a yard worker rigged a bosunis chair from our old and battered yardarm and tumbled to the deck when it broke, luckily escaping with only bruises. 27 July ship's complement was increased to gunboat size with the arrival of Anwyl, Bishop, Co-n- nelly, McGovern, Pearson Polichak, and 16 seamen fresh from boot camp, all but one of whose names began with H. As of 2400 August 7 the conversion to gunboat was completed. The 542' had lost her ramps, bow winch and anchor, bow 20mm gun, and bunks in compartments 1, 2 and 4. She now sported three single 40mm guns, 4 2'0mms, 4 .50 caliber machine guns, a fathometer, radar complete with radar shack, several more radios, a Sperry gyrocompass with repeaters, a new officers' cabin where troop officers had berthed, new crew's quarters in No. 3, and a 4.0mm magazine in No. 2. After loading fuel, fog oil and ammuni- tion at Mole Pier, the ship was ,once more ready for sea by the Sth.

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27 LCM before. It was- a tight fit, but the ship was finally moored and the passengers d-ebarked. Johnson and Mr. Hillman went off to get some more food, fortunately, because two hours later 11 mo-re officers and 100 men came aboard for transp-ortation back to San Diego. After getting under way and turning around with the help of an LCM, we set off in clear weather and a sea still rough but following. Reaching San Diego by 0830 the following morning, we threaded another narrow channel to the Amphibious Training Base at Coronado and moo-red to a pier to unload. ' There followed four days of rest, which' were especially welcomed by those of ship's company who-se, wives had come out to live in the quonset hut settlement next to the base. Early on May 22' W-e sailed to participate in a landing exercise, designed to- train an amphibious staff. After rehearsing off Coronado in the morning, the ships pro- ceeded to Oceanside for the exercise, which was to fo-llow a night of independent steaming. While steaming, at 0435, our starboard pitch control froze, making it necessary to operate on the port engine alone. After engaging in the Hnal' rehearsal off Oceanside that morning, the anchor was dropped while repairs to the pitch were attempted by the black gang. Bruce tried out the new shallow water diving outfit, enjoyed himself, but accomplished nothing. The only thing to do was to return to San Diego for parts. Mooring at South Quay Wall proved interesting with only o-ne engine 5 the ship finally had to be backed in. An engine overhaul was then begun, during which time we stayed at the base for about three weeks-time enough for most of the crew to see Los Angeles and movieland, to say nothing of frequent trips to Tijuana, Mexico. June 4 Doc Simpson left to get his discharge, and Doc Stewart replaced him. On 18 June orders were received to proceed once more to Morro Bay, this time in company with the 528, which had radar and could navigate through the fog somewhat better. An hour after being noti- fied of the trip we were loading 6 officers and 112 men at the Coronado Base. We sailed, and this time nature was kinder g visibility was good all through the night, and the fog did not settle' in until the next morn- ing, two hours short of Morro Bay. After anchoring off the port and unloading into small boats, we sailed for San Diego that afternoon, arriving at the Repair Base the following day. . The 542 had now been at San Diego for almost three months, much longer than anyone had hoped. The war in the Pacific continued, mostly at Okinawa, but LCIS seemed to be available in surplus quantities. Pearl Harbor was said to be full of them 5 San 'Diego certainly was- another group had arrived after us, veterans of the Mediterranean.

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I 29, After the compasses had been compensated, we sailed for a training- shakedown cruise on the afternoon of August 9, with Lt. Com. Pinson aboard and the 417, 418, 516 and 948 in company. When we arrived at Wilson's Cove, San Clemente Island, we anchored for the rest of the night. In the morning we made speed runs, finding that conversion had reduced maximum speed, followed by anti-aircraft target practice in the afternoon and firing at surface targets at night. Those o-n duty in the conn preferred surface firing, since the muzzles of the new 40mms practically joined them there during anti-aircraft. The next day we had our first opportunity to shoot at drones, the small radio-controlled target airplanes, and we knocked one down. Following a night at anchor off San Nicolas Island we bombarded its beach target range from 0900 to 1430--the fire-po-wer of the old 542 was tremendous, even awe-inspiring, as she steamed along parallel to the shore and blasted the rocks. Anchored off the island again that night, all ships mad-e smoke for a while, which, if nothing else, filled the compartments with fog and its o-ily depo-sit. The 13th was a full day: Shore bom- bardment again in the morning, firing at towed sleeves in the afternoon, radar plotting exercise in the evening. That day the radio was full of reports that the Japanese were about to surrender--perhaps due to the wo-rd that the 542, bristling with armament, was o-n the way. At all events we returned to Pier 5 at the San Diego Rep-air Base the morn- ing of August 14, and at 1600 came the news of VICTORY! Bruce went to work on the whistle so that we should not be shamed by any other ship in harbor. All hands now wondered what would happen, we had been due to sail west very shortly and rather suspected that we still would. III. PACIFIC OPERATIONS-POSTWAR At last the orders to sail came, Washington had not seen fit to cancel them just because the war was over. 19 August, after loading ammunition at Mole Pi-er, we tied up at South Quay Wall for final preparations. At 0955 on the 20th the 542 got under way with 26 other LCIs, many of them square-conned veterans of the Mediter- ranean which had been converted to gunboats at San Pedro-. The desti- nation was Pearl I-Iarbor, T. I-I., and the convoy sailed under Lt. Com. Moore, aboard the flagship 514. Word of o-ur departure had appeared in the San Diego papers, so many of the families of the flotilla bade us farewell from the shore as the ships paraded single file down the harbor. Outside the 542 took up her position as leader of the port column of five columns, with four ships astern. The sea proved calm and following, making for a pleasant voyage. Not only were movies shown every night, but for the Hrst time the