Catamount (LSD 17) - Naval Cruise Book

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THE CRUISE — 9 —

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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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1 A Far Eastern cruise with its laughter its monotony its exotic excitement its frustration its value to you, to your country its long distance from home skijjping from Oriental port to Oriental port warming your hands on a hibachi pot on Christmas e e watching the fanatic parchinko players as you walked down any street the small-featured, charming hostesses in ever) ' cabaret who were as integral a part of the establishments as were the bar stools the arguing, smiling souvenier merchants who always made a profit the countless fishing and salvage boats that appeared in every harbor well before reveille Mount Fuji in all its madgesty the hills and mountains with a greenness it was hard to imagine could exist Scochi and Ichi ban and Sayonara shower shoes with the split-toe effect laundry boats as welcoming parties in every port a crashing surf inside the well of your own ship lines on the quarterdeck as the LCVP liberty boat made the gangway life jackets and helmets for general quarters walking, eating, sleeping on a ballasted, inclined plane movies every night in the special open-air theatre. . . . lashing down gear for the unique LSD roll mess gear eight o ' clock reports sweepers, man your brooms Bible study in sick bay at 1830 light oft number one you knew that you were there for a purpose sometimes it was hard to sustain the feeling yet tiic realization was still there your very presence up and down the waterways surrounding tiie islands of Japan jjositivc proof to tiie communist v()rld tliat the ftag which your ship flew would fly anywhere in the world it was needed to keep a free world your own jiractical training shij board life. . . . learning the whys and wherefores of the Navy ]:)reparing )ourself and your ship preparing for the |30ssibility of aiiollicr war ....a Far Eastern cruise tiic first for some, the last for others one of several for most memorable for all Numazu Yokosuka Iik lion Kobe Sascbo To .Jang Po. . . . Pusan. . . . Paeng- yong Do Tyon Pyong Do CHiigasaki beach Nagoya (lamp McGill Okinawa Iwo Jima a Far Eastern cruise. — 10 -