George W Ingram (DE 62 APD 43) - Naval Cruise Book

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fCONTINUED FROM PAGE FIVE 9 York, Norfolk, Annapolis, Charlesfon and Jacksonville. She was also known in Plymoufh, Porfsmoufh, London- derry and Cardiff in fhe Brifish Isles. ln fhe spring of l945, wifh fhe U-Boafs licked and fhe specfacular amphibious warfare in fhe Pacific demanding more and more fransporf-fype vessels, fhe INGRAM was converfed from a Desfroyer Escorf fo a High Speed Desfroyer Transporf. The conversion was accomplished in record fime af fhe U.S. Naval Fronfier Base, Sfafen lsland, N. Y. New space was creafed fo accommodafe froops. Facilifies for carrying four Higgin's boafs were added. Many changes were made in fhe ship's armamenf. Shorfly affer V-E Day, fhe APD-43 began her long voyage fo fhe Pacific as escorf for fhe USS ANTIETAM, newly-commissioned Essex-Class Carrier. Passing fhrough fhe Panama Canal on June I, she proceeded via San Diego fo Pearl Harbor, where she reporfed for dufy fo fhe Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleef, commanded by Admiral R. K. Turner. There she began fraining wifh fhe Underwafer Demo- lifion Teams, an organizafion of skilled swimmers and explosives experfs whose exploifs af Normandy and on various Pacific beachheads are now legendary. The mission of fhe UDT is fhe clearing of mines and ofher underwafer obsfacles from enemy beaches in P ge Th ty ght advance of fhe firsf waves of assaulf froops. To accom- plish fhis, feams of nearly one hundred demo swimmers are fransporfed in APD's fo fhe scene of operafions, usually fwo or fhree days before D-Day. Embarked in rubber boafs, fhe swimmers firsf conducf a reconnaissance of fhe beachhead, refurning fo fhe ship fo charf fheir findings. Lafer on fhey swim in wifh packs of explosives on fheir backs and blasf a pafhway for fhe assaulf forces. Their operafions are conducfed in broad daylighf, usually in fhe face of enemy fire. Wifh one of fhese feams embarked, fhe INGRAM engaged in several pracfice oprafions in fhe Hawaiian area in preparafioon for fhe final anficipafed assaulf on fhe Japanese mainland. This fraining was in ifs final sfages when fhe Afomic bomb broughf an abrupf end fo fhe Pacific war. , The INGRAM immediafely deparfed af full speed for fhe forward area in company wifh a flofilla of lb APD's fransporfing as many Underwafer Demolifion Teams. Embarked on fhe INGRAM was UDT No. 26, one of fhe newesf feams fo be formed. Official V-J Day found fhe INC-SRAM approaching Okinawa where she ioined Admiral T. C. Kinkaid's Sevenfh Fleef. A week lafer, affached as a screening vessel fo Vice Admiral D. E. Barbey's Task Force 78, she parficipafed in fhe inifial landing of American occupa- fion froops af fhe porf of Jinsen, in Korea. 5

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...K ..---- -- X-..c..e., Since 'I'hen fhe INGRAM and UDT No. 26 have engaged in several ofher operafions, including fhe occu- pafion of Tienfsin, leading cify of Norfh China, and fhe imporfanf Chinese harbor cifies of Chefoo and Tsingfao on fhe Shanfung peninsula. Of her original crew of approximafely 'Iwo hundred officers and men, 'rhree officers and 54 men are sfill aboard. These include Commander Boyce, Lieufenanf Charles L. Wills, Pefersburg, Va., Chief Engineer: and Lieufenanf Iigl Cheafham H. Weaver, Spring Hill, Tenn., Gunnery Officer. Commander Boyce was fhe INGRAM'S original Execufive Officer, succeeding Lieufenanf Commander E. R. Perry fo fhe command. four monfhs affer commis- sioning. The presenf Execufive Officer is Lieufenanf Com- mander Charles B. Blackburn, Memphis, Tenn., who parficipafed in several Pacific engagemenfs aboard, fhe Desfroyers FRAZIER and DUNLAP before reporfing fo fhe INGRAM in May, I944. Thirfy-fhree sfafes and fhe Disfricf of Columbia are represenfed in 'rhe INGRAM's presenf crew. Heading 'fhe Iisf are New York wifh 30, Pennsylvania wifh 24, New Jersey wifh Ib and Virginia wifh I2. Ofher sfafes confribufing +o fhe crew are: Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecficuf, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kenfucky, Maine, Mary- land, Mississippi, Massachuseffs, Michigan, Minnesofa, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Rhode Island, Norfh and Soufh Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Soufh Dakofa, Tennessee, Texas and Wesf Virginia. ' E Pg Thlty v A'