Missouri (BB 63) - Naval Cruise Book

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3 ,. X mander P. L Su S 'l'llll1d Ordnance Disposal Group 11151 Il I LHB V FHHCE r i attalion and Company Headquarters Group airst Rifle Platoon

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1 J hird Rifle Platoon l ,1 'I 1 H E YU. iii iv' :EL 1351 N Q5 econd Rifle Platoon ii iii? ommander P. C. StromhatldUrdnanceDb111i2l'? Y l nr Ill HW

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11l Missouri. Not one of the bluejackets had been trained as infantry men or as Marines but they leaped to the task willingly to prepare for the historic landings that were to be made. Close order drills lectures on the use of arms and other subjects were the order of the day every day for these men Gear had to be assembled and checked On August 20, the USS lowa came alongside to receive by, whip transfer the Navy Company from the Missouri and also, members of the Regimental and Battalion Staffs. In one hour and nineteen minutes, more than two hundred men and ten tons of gear were transferred while these two mighty ships of war steamed along on parallel courses less than a hundred feet apart. Later in the day a second ship-to-ship transfer was made when the party moved from the USS Iowa to the USS Monitor, an LSV which was to be the home, school and drill ground until H-Hour of D-Day. By noon of August 21, the bulk of the Navy Regiment, which soon came to be known with respect as HMalone,s Maraudersf' was aboard the Monitor, with infantry companies from Wisconsin, South Dakota, Alabama, Massachu- setts, and Indiana. Companies from the Missouri and Wisconsin formed the Fourth Battalion. The days aboard the Monitor were spent in drill and more drill. The Third Fleet Landing Force was to occupy, guard and patrol the Navy Yard area. On the morning of August 30th, word was passed to move ashore to an area in the Yokosuka Base, designated as HGreen Beach. The landing force would move ashore in four waves, seven minutes apart, with the Missouri Company landing in the first two waves. Moving on schedule over the sides of the ship into landing boats and loaded down with full equipment, the Third Fleet Landing Force handled themselves like veterans doing an old and familiar job. It had been thought that a full Marine regiment of experienced assault troops would lead the way ashore and be dug in when the impromptu occupation troops arrived. But, instead of finding a full regiment of Marine assault troops dug in ashore, it was soon discovered that only one battalion had landed. zssouri photographer on the deck of the Nogato at Yokosuka naval base Tokyo Bay . . . note Jap score of U. S. planes shot down a Q41