Menifee (APA 202) - Naval Cruise Book

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,Y f..,,.1.'.ff.A-wg,-at-' Arif' .. RIGGING FOR SEA , 5? lL jk '31 Vfaf? Xtfggx t fl- A ' H, e fi it ,tin Li f ,Ylfqfl jg Q1 Aff iz X I X 7'- lsvw ,ff If l B '1 if-fi lt LH W ljftl L 'L x,Du:lWB VX-JJ I l QQ . 5 L ,G A ,aw , b 2 'T vi Z' - Jai? ff rss 0 ll 0 Q K+ J is rx-'C N. li gg' Ns.-ff lfli it tl 59' CI IQYND LJ J -x .. ,N T, ci! ' L l 'Q ,A 3 Hnother day's steaming brought the Menifee to San Pedro and two weeks' shakedown exercises. Every- thing that the Menifee might expect to perform in ac- tuality from battle problems to streaming paravanes was tried. Firing exercises, boat and debarkation drill, tactical maneuvers, full power run, and fueling at sea were some of the things called for in the ambitious pro- gram of the San Pedro shakedown group. Ship's charac- teristics were learned by all hands, but not from a book. They were all tried out. Deck officers learned, for in- stance, that the time to bring the ship to dead in the water from backing full is 58 seconds. Inspections by Captain Hbernathy, Commander, San Pedro shakedown group, and party began and ended the Menifee's two weeks' shakedown at San Pedro. H slight respite from the grind was afforded the crew starting 9 December when the Menifee left San Pedro for San Diego. Nine days of alterations and repairs at the naval repair base followed. The final phase of rigging the Menifee and crew for sea commenced l9 December when amphibious train- ing off Coronado, California, in preparation for combat operations started. While the shakedown at San Pedro was in general the same as any Navy ship would get, the work at San Diego was aimed at developing the Menifee's specialty-taking assault troops onto an ene- my held beach. The boat group assaulted Coronado's beaches for four days, and the men aboard learned their jobs in an amphibious operation by lowering and hoist- ing boats, by handling dummy cargo, and in debarka- tion drills. Two days were taken off for Christmas and a final three-day period of exercises in company with other HPH's wound up stateside rehearsals for the Menifee. During this San Diego training, the Menifee was Flagship of Transport Division 56, Captain Town- send commanding. The year was closed with three days' repairs and a topping off of ammunition. Menifee sailors celebrated New Year's Day at Pier B, San Diego, by commencing to load cargo of a Marine Corps outfit. Stateside duty for 500 men on HPQ 202 was drawing to a close. Qt l305, 4 lanuary 1945, the U.S.S. Menifee was underway for Pearl Harbor and points west, ready to fulfill her mission as an assault transport. was degermed and all hands turned to again to load 24 ' ,L

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RIGGING OR EA 5 t lust two months from the day the U.S.S. Menifee's first crew came aboard her 4 November l944, the Mighty M headed west from San Diego to assume an active part in the Pacific war. In that first 61 days, the ship was outfitted and underwent minor alterations, and the crew members, estimated as 70 percent land- lubbers by QPR school, learned their parts in the com- plex organization of an assault transport-as well as the miseries of sea sickness. The pace that was to be maintained throughout this trying period was set immediately after Wegge, CBM, piped the first watch that rainy commissioning day. The deck force rigged for quick loading of the tons of pro- vis1ons that were to be taken aboard. So fast were Kaiser's yards in Portland and Van- couver sending HPQ's down the Columbia river to .Qs- toria, that dock space for outfitting was precious and speed essential. Qll hands turned to with a will, as they were to do many times since in loading or unloading their ship, and earned a Well Done for a speedy job. On l5 November, the Menifee got underway for Seattle. That afternoon General Quarters was held for 'est firing. Hounds expended: 4 rounds 5 38 cal., lO4 rounds 4Umm, l8O rounds 20 mm. Next day, the ship was deperrned and all hands turned to again to load arnrnunition. purpose of the Menifee's trip north was accom- pushed l8 November when Captain Bartram and staff I the training command made a personnel and material r-, inspection, the first of three suffered by the Menifee ',lILI'.Q this two month period. Meanwhile, Menifee sail- ors were renewing auld acquaintances or making new forges ashore. Next day, Sunday afternoon, the ship was underway again. !HUI'ldQfVJGY again, in fact, is the short short story of the Menifee to datel Three days later the hook wer? down in San Francisco Bay for an overnight stop, aurlrrg which the boat group picked up boats and some other hands tried Frisco liberty. 23 NN, Wi L7 fx 7 X f :af fig? 4 Vt WXQ g --'-Pi-4,-P -7 y ,7,,,,s K fx, if fin gf . f 1 i xg .tt ii l ' xy l Q ti ft 2? bl tfriiq set' tix ll t t Xie x ,sf A of tl ,- kf SU? t 5 l I l 5 1 i 5 4 2 i l l t V I z , t 1 t E l t t i ,z l

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