Menifee (APA 202) - Naval Cruise Book

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RIGGING FOR SEA Just two months from the day the U.S.S. Menifee ' s first crew came aboard her 4 November 1944, 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 flPfl 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- visions that were to be taken aboard. So fast were Kaiser ' s yards in Portland and Van- couver sending flPfl ' s down the Columbia river to As- toria, that dock space for outfitting was precious and speed essential, fill 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 15 November, the Menifee got underway for Seattle. That afternoon General Quarters was held for test firing. Rounds expended: 4 rounds 5 38 cal., 104 rounds 40mm, 180 rounds 20 mm. Next day, the ship was depermed and all hands turned to again to load ammunition. The purpose of the Menifee ' s trip north was accom- plished 18 November when Captain Bartram and staff of the training command made a personnel and material inspection, the first of three suffered by the Menifee during this two month period. Meanwhile, Menifee sail- ors were renewing auld acquaintances or making new ones ashore. Next day, Sunday afternoon, the ship was underway again. ( Underway again, in fact, is the short short story of the Menifee to date.) Three days later the hook went down in San Francisco Bay for an overnight stop, during which the boat group picked up boats and some other hands tried Frisco liberty. 23

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TJ-J !• r OjVJjVJJ JOjNJ jN We ' d been getting pretty well tired of that dead and fog- bound town of simple fisherfolk — Astoria. We ' d been getting even more tired of being shoved around from one flPfl to an- other, dodging working parties and living out of a seabag. When, bigger than life and streaked bow to stern with razzle- dazzle camouflage, in steams our own baby, the 202. find, for some strange reason, she looked just a little better than a dozen others poured of the same mold. Invitations were broken out. The date set. November 4. Wives, sweethearts, buddy-buddys mustered. Ceremonies were scheduled for topside. But the good old Oregon weather fixed that. Ceremonies in the crew ' s messhall. So we mustered in the messhall, port side. Carrier sailors, battlewagon sailors, yippee sailors, stateside sailors, Pacific rock sailors — but mostly boots, 70 or 80 percent in their first real duty assignment. Guests, starboard side. It was brief. That ' s the way we wanted it. The skipper of the base turned the ship over to Captain Spaulding with a few terse statements. He alluded to the job ahead of us (we expected it to be Japan) and enjoined us to carry out the will of the people of the United States. Captain Spaulding, then a three-striper, read his orders and won our hearts with one statement: None of us is here because he wants to be. But we ' d do the job. find, by God, we did. find if there ' s a plankowner aboard who can remember the commissioning and the year since without some pride, why, we say he doesn ' t rate the trust the hard-working people of the United States placed in him.

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RIGGING FOR SEA C3F5 Another 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 flbernathy, Commander, San Pedro shakedown group, and party began and ended the Menifee ' s two weeks ' shakedown at San Pedro. A 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 19 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. Tv o days were taken off for Christmas and a final three-day period of exercises in company with other fiPA ' 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 flPfl 202 was drawing to a close, fit 1305, 4 January 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