Missouri (BB 63) - Naval Cruise Book

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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

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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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. ' 41, 4'lVIalone7s Maraudersf, however, poured ashore like old veterans. They found no opposition from the Japanese. There had been some speculation as to the attitude the Japanese would show toward these occupation troops but worries that another Jap trick was being planned were soon dispelled. The Third Fleet Landing Force moved to the assigned bivouac area which was the Japanese Gunnery School about a half mile from 4'Green Beach. The most vivid impression HlVlalone's Maraudersw remember today of that landing was the stifling odors of decaying sewage and decaying fish in the garbage dumps. Lt. Comdr. T. Scott QMCD USNR, of the Missouri, the Regimental Surgeon, soon had the area disinfected and the garbage dis- posed of. The Missouri Company was assigned the top floor in the Gunnery School Barracks. Although the barracks were quite clean, a good Navy field day was held to make it truly ship-shape. Enlisted personnel slept in hammocks while the oflicers slept on tables without the comfort of mattresses which the medical officers ordered to be removed. The use of all Japanese water and food was prohibitedg all food and water for the landing party being limited to what could be hauledashore. In carrying out assigned duties, the Landing Force was organized into sentry watches, in addition to the supply of working parties and guards in the uGreen Beachi' area. Japanese munition dumps were guarded. At the entrance of every cave and tunnels in the hills guards were placed. Nucleus crews were placed aboard Japanese ships in the harbor. The watches were long and the weather terrible for the first three days. By the night of the third day, how- ever, Pay Clerk E. Odom, USN, of the Missouri, had established himself ashore and had set up HODOTVVS STEW PLACE,77 an open air cafeteria Jr which specialized in hot coffee and C rations. 'cOdom,s Stew Palacew was the 'ff , brightest spot of the occupation base, a fine example of the ingenuity of the American bluejacket properly supervised by a competent officer. k i'ii'V.i . apanese engine room Coln Nogato ,. 4 1 pg-gbuonlliedefl , ,, vqntkakmmval - 'fuk' 1-lflap an .-hhudovn 1 1