Catamount (LSD 17) - Naval Cruise Book

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CATAMOUNT ' S HISTORY The Catamounl ' s large white 17 painted over a haze-gray background is a familar sight to persons living along the Japanese sea coasts. The East China aud Vello.v seas and the western extremities of ihc Pacific have served as her highways during five separate cruises in the Far East. She was originally conceived in an Atlantic ship yard, Newport News, Va , when her keel was laid on July 8. 194k She quietly slid into the James river six months later with champagne dripping from her bow and Mrs. Dave E. Sattcrfield of Richmond, Va., standing excitedly on the V. I. P. platform ashore Following the commissioning ceremonies on April 9, 1945, the Catamount took a 3-week shakedown cruise within the confines of Chesapeake bay and a mouth later was deemed ready for active duty. She left for Colon, Panama, en route to Pearl Harbor and the Far East, still the scene of World War 1 1 hostihties. In Pearl Harbor, the ship ' s mezzanine deck and other special equipment for Landing Ships Dock were removed and LCM s and LC T s were loaded into her well deck. With this as her first official cargo, she proceeded to Guam. Eniwetok, the New Hebrides, Kwajalein, Samar, and Ulithi were her major stops the ensuing two months Special orders to return to Guam reached the ship the middle of August. When she entered the harbor, great excitement had arisen over the recent developments in the war. The Catamount was loaded with 121 officers and men of the Sixth Marine division; 18 LCM ' s loaded with Marine Sherman tanks; a barge for Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet; special motor cars for Admiral Nimitz and the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Japan; and the famous Reno Silver Saddle which Admiral Halsey planned to use when he fulfilled his vow to ride Hirohito ' s white horse in Japan. Peace had returned to the world. Captain Chester A. Swafford, USN, the Catamount ' s first com- manding officer, stated in a special commemoration pamphlet distributed aboard the ship: A special thanks and prayers should be given to Almighty God who has granted the Allies this complete success in defeating our tyrannical enemies. The occupation, restoration, rehabilitation, and a future with everlasting peace, however, requires the combined faith, efforts, cooperation, and patience of all people of all nations, thus - muzzle all military aggrandizement and prohibit World War HI The first visit to Japan for the ship took place a few weeks later when she steamed into Sagami bay with an amphibious task force. Three days later, the Catamount, acting as guide for the second approach unit of APD ' s and LST ' s with special landing forces, entered Tokyo bay and anchored near the Yokosuka Naval Station. She remained there as a boat pool tender and for special drydocking of small landing ships, successfully rode out a severe typhoon, and then proceeded to Yokohama to load special army landing barges. After a few brief operations in that area, the Catamount returned to her home port, Norfolk, Va. The Atlantic ocean was the Catamount ' s stomping ground from 1946 until the beginning of the Korean War. During this period she operated in the Chesapeake bay area and ofl the North Carolina coast. Landing exercises took her all the way from Labrador to Vieques, Puerto Rica, with liberties in such places as Trinidad, Jamaica, Martinique, and New York city. While on the East coast, she gained national attention when the news wire services discovered the Catamount ' s trick of flooding herself for the purpose of tranforming the well deck into a swimming pool. Her picture appeared in newspapers throughout the country. As soon as hostilities commenced in Korea, the Catamount was shifted to Far Eastern duty as a member of PhibPac She arrived in Kobe, Japan, in September, 1950, Marines were embarked, and the ship proceeded without hesitation to Inchon where an amphibious landing was already in progress. Later that year she participated in the landing at Wonsan, served as a mine-sweeping boat tender in the Chinnampo area, and assisted in the now-famous Hungnam evacuation. She saw more duty in the Inchon and Pusan areas and returned to the States in June, 1951. Five months later she was off again for the Far East. Those nine months saw the Catamount in such diversified activities as redeploying the First Cavidry division from Korea and the 45th Infantry division from Hokkaido to Korea, deployment of the 40th division from Japan to Korea, mineswccping l)oat tender duty off the west coast of Korea, and landing exercises at Okinawa, Camp McGill, and Hokkiiido. The ship logged 42,000 miles from the time of leaving San Diego until her return there in July, 1952. The next tour of Far Eastern duty began after a three-month rest in llic Slates. It in -olvcd landing exercises and mineswccping boat tciidfr duty in the Japanese-Korean area with Yokosuka aud Sascbo the major ports of activity. Tlie 1953-1954 tour in the Oriental waters, eight months of various activities .iroiuul Jaj)au, Korea, Okinawa, and Iwo Jima, is described herein.

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After the hunter ' s painter had been inouiiK-il iiiid the Boys had had oci asion to stare at it long enough - perhaps after a few not-so-serious cNciiinf ' s - ii was suggested that, by a stretch of the imagination, the expression on the animal ' s face resembled ilicir own grinning defianc e to the Yorkers . With this remarkable tliscovery achieved, they aiIoi)ted the painter as a somewhat inanimate mascot and suggested renaming the tavern for tlic beast. Since Painter ' ravcrn did not seem (juite romantic enough, they chose the less common name for the animal, the Catamount . ' I ' lic Revniutionary War sprang into a reality sf)on afterwards and leaders of Conncticut and Massach- usetts soon louiul tliemselves staring at the defiant ( ataniouiit as they plotted various courses of action with .Mien. Most iintable of these courses was the att.uk on Fort Ticonderoga, regarded as the strongest British fortific.ition on (lie (ontinciit. Early in May, 1775, Allen lead a small band of men from the Catamount tavern and sci ed the fortress. When F.ngland ' s Hurgoyne sent an expedition to capture Hcnnington in August, 1777, the Catamount tavern was still functioning us headquarters for the colonists. It was there that their Clouncil of .Safety was in session during the strategic Battle of Bennington. Only a few weeks before the battle, the settlers had declared themselves independent of both New Hampshire and New York and had become a soverign independent republic called Vermont. When this republic fmally became a member of the United States, the Catamount tavern served as the site for several sessions of the state legislature. The state ' s first court was held inside its walls and the first man sentenced to death in Vermont was tried and convic ted in the tavern and was hung within sight of it. The building was destroyed by fire in 1877, but today it has two outstanding memorials commemorating the part it played in the initial steps toward Vermont ' s freedom. One is a large monument on the tavern ' s site in Bennington. The other is the USS Catamount LSD-17j, perhaps the only ship in any navy to have been nametl after a tavern. Courtesy of the Benninston Museum The last known catamount shot in Vermont, 7 feet long and weighing 182 pounds. The sharp-shooter is known only as a Mr. Crowell.

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THE CRUISE — 9 —