Harry Lee (APA 10) - Naval Cruise Book

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occasioned by the submarine contacts and occa- sional Jap planes that would end up in flames as a result of the action of American carrier based planes. From Eniwetok the task force, on the seven- teenth of July, got underway to retake the island of Guam. The LEE arrived in the transport area off Agaf Town, Guam 0620 21 July, to commence the ship to shore operation. Weather conditions were ideal and opposition was practically negligi- ble. Unloading and reloading for tactical purposes about the island continued until 25 july, when the transport division steamed from the area head- ing for Eniwetok and arriving there the twenty- ninth of the'month. It is to be noted that Lieu- tenant R. Brennan, USNR, beachmaster for the LEE, was awarded the bronze star medal for his outstanding service in receiving, organizing and dispatching materiel on the beachhead at Guam, thus reflecting credit on the men and the ship with which he was associated. On the thirty-first of july the LEE sailed for Pearl Harbor in company with other transports and an escort screen. Scuttlebutt ran high for a trip to Pearl was a good indication of further or- ders for the States. The ship moored alongside Berth 19, in Pearl I-larbor, 7 August and three days later she was un- derway enroute for San Pedro, California, U.S.A. It was 18 August when the HARRY arrived in San Pedro. She moved to the Bethlehem Steel Shipyard and there tied up to undergo a well de- served overhaul which lasted through the next two months. 1 On October 16, 1944, the HARRY LEE sailed from San Pedro to Port Hueneme, California, where she commenced loading cargo. In addition to the cargo, she embarked officers and enlisted men of the Sea Bees and miscellaneous units and steamed out of Port Hueneme 21 October, headed for Seeadler Harbor, Manus Islands. The skipper of the LEE, Captain Pomeroy, was designated the O.T.C., for the small convoy to make this trip. The journey was without event and on 9 Novem- ber entry was made into Seeadler Harbor of the Manus Islands. The following day, pursuant to her original orders, the LEE was underway independ- ently for Hollandia, New Guinea. Her next stop ' was Cape Caille, Humboldt Bay, where on the eleventh of November the casual officers and en- listed personnel were debarked. A day later the LEE put in in at Mios Woendi Island and dis- charged the Sea Bee personnel and cargo. Orders were received on the seventeenth of the month directing the ship to return to Seeadler Harbor and hence to Cape Torokina, Bougainville. The HARRY arrived in Cape Torokina, 26 No- vember and commenced loading cargo of the 5rd Battalion, 345th Infantry, USA. On eleven De- cember the officers and enlisted personnel of this unit boarded ship and the LEE was underway three days later with other transport vessels for divi- sional landing exercises in the Huon Gulf area, New Guinea. Carrier groups simulated air attacks enroute and the ships streamed paravanes and held various drills including anti-aircraft fire on sleeves and tactical maneuvers. The task force then re- turned to Seeadler Harbor 21 December, after concluding the strenuous landing and tactical exer- clses. On the last day of December the ship, in com- pany with a complete tactical landing and support force, got underway in accordance with an attack order-destination the Philippine Islands. Drills

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1 I After completing the loading the ship got un- derway for Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, in company with other transports and her protective escort. 'A change of orders was received directing .the convoy to head for Cape Torokina, Bougain- ville and, after arriving at this port, the LEE de- barked all passenger troops and cargo. She then sailed with the same fleet units through the China Straits to Milne Bay, New Guinea, where she fueled, sprovisioned and awaited further orders. On the fourth of April she left Milne Bay, an- chored briefly at Cape Sudest and proceeded to Dreggar Harbor, New Guinea, where she loaded 'the Third Battalion, Landing Team, 127th Regi- mental Combat Team, 32nd Division, USA. On April nineteen the HARRY LEE got under- way in company with elements of the First East- ern Reinforcement Group and entered Berlin Har- bor, Aitape, Dutch New Guinea, to land her troops and cargo and thus take part in her third Pacific invasion. The sea fortunately was calm and gentle breezes prevailed for this operation, but the surf conditions, due to thesteep gradient of the beach, were unusually bad. Four landing boats were lost during the operation, but otherwise there were no casualties. I y X , , From Aitape the LEE stopped briefly at Lange- mak Bay, New Guinea, and proceeded to the Cape Sudest Area, anchoring off Cape Endiadere, Buna on the twenty-sixth of April where she fueled and awaited further sailing orders. On the twenty.-eighth she steamed to Saidor, New Guinea via the Vitiaz Straits and anchored! in DeKays Bay where loading of cargo and embark- ing of troops of the 32nd Infantry Division, USA, was accomplished. The troops were taken to Aitape and landed there as reinforcements with little event. The task force then sailed from Aitape, May third, and proceeded to Guadalcanal via Buna and the Goschen Straits hoving to off Lunga Point, Guadalcanal 10 May, fo await permission to pro- ceed to Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides Islands in accordance with orders receivedj On 12 May, the LEE was drydocked in Espiritu Santo and all hands turned to the following two days to clean and paint the ship's bottom. g 4 .i....i.,,., ,,,,,,,,.,,,-.,,,, V , , YA,V Y V- W i Back to Lunga Point, Guadalcanal on May six- teenth, the HARRY LEE stood by for further or- ders. She shifted her anchorage to Doma Cove to load cargo of the 9th Defense Battalion, Third AmpCorp Headquarters and Service Unit, Seventh 155mm Gun Battalion and the Third Corp Medi- cal Battalion. The following day the personnel of the above units were taken aboard. A practice landing operation was held in the area about Savo Island and, after completion of the exercises, the ship steamed to Doma Cove and disembarked the troops. Two days later she changed her anchorage to Port Purvis to make minor engine repairs. She then stopped briefly at Kokumbana Beach and hence returnedito Doma Cove, where she reem- barked the troops she had recently put ashore. Or- ders were received directing the LEE to return to Kokumbana to assemble, with .other ships of her division. On June fourth the division of transports got underway for Kwajalein arriving 8 June. On June twelfth she was underway again. This time she was in company with a large task force. The operation plan designated a landing on Saipan to be closely followed by a landing on Guam. The LEE was to be held in reserve for the Saipan opera- tion and then to go into Guam. Actually she was not called to the rendezvous area at Saipan, but cruised beyond this immediate area to await orders. Orders subsequently were received directing the LEE to proceed to Eniwetok Atoll. During the eighteen sailing days between Kwajalein and.Eni- wetok there was considerable excitement aboard

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of various types were held daily as the vessels steamed for the Lingayen Gulf. The drills proved their use and -value as the task force neared its destination. On six January, at approximately 0910 a Jap bomber attacked one of the van destroyers scoring no hits. At, dusk of the same day hell- cats from a task force carrier knocked down five Val dive bombers. A little later another group of enemy bomber planes came over and one of the group made asuicide run on a carrier with a hit. A few minutes later another suicide plane made a run on an Australian vessel crashing close aboard the starboard quarter. The following day the task force entered the Lingayen Gulf and at 0732 the LEE ,lowered away her landing craft while still maneuvering into the transport area. A few minutes later troops began to debark into the landing craft by way of the cargo nets and the attack boats were off toward the enemy beach. Ironically, the Australian ship that barely missed being hit on the previous day was hit by a Jap suicide plane in the early afternoon. During the evening, when the chance for enemy plane opera- tion was greatest, the ships laidsmoke screens for protection against the many planes thatcame in for a kill over the fleet disposition. During the night Jap E boats were reported to be operating in the area with a result of light damage toisome ships and the sinking of one LCI. The following day the LEE commenced disembarking her cargo, but surf condition on the beach made it necessary to secure for fear of losing boats and materiel. Enemy' bombings and suicide raids continued and all hands remained at general quarters throughout the day. That evening at approximately 1700 the ship received orders to get underway and as she was proceeding from the transport areaone of the column leaders of the group was hit by a Jap sui- clde plane. The next day the LEE was 'granted permission to return to Lingayen Gulf to unload and although the surf was still high, the landing of cargo was completed without loss of men, boats of materiel. In the evening the HARRY again got underway from the Lingayen Gulf and headed for Leyte Gulf, anchoring the afternoon of January fourteenth. ' The HARRY LEE in company with a transport group departed Leyte Gulf, 19 January steaming for Ulithi and arriving at the destination on the twenty-third. From this date through February sixth she was anchored in the Ultihi lagoon await- ing orders. Then from Ultihi she sailed for Apra Harbor, Guam, arriving February eighth. Troops and cargo of the 9th Regimental Combat Team, 3rd Marine Division were taken aboard. , ' On February twelfth while still anchored in the harbor at Apra, Guam, Captain D. M. Agnew, USN, relieved Captain Pomeroy as commanding officer of the vessel. J In company with her transport division, escort and fire support ships the HARRY LEE got under- way the seventeenth of February. This time she was headed for another invasion-the invasion of Iwo Jima, a small Jap held strategic island that was to prove tough to take and of great tactical importance to the war in the Pacific because of its nearness to the Jap homeland. The LEE reached the operation area 19 January and remained in the a'rea until 6 March. After unloading theAMarines and their cargo at various ipoints of the island, the ship was designated as one of the hospital evacua- tion vessels and over three hundred and, fifty casualties were taken aboard during the operation.. Underway the sixth of March for Saipan and arriving 9 March, the LEE transferred her casual- ties to the Saipan Advanced Naval Hospital. She then returned to Apra Harbor, Guam. ' Elements of the Marine division hospital corps and signal corps that had remained aboard were debarked and the ship left Apra arriving in Tulagi '18 iMarch, to await further orders.. Leaving Tulagi 20 March, -the LEE sailed for New Caledonia, anchoring in Dumbea Bay, Nou- mea, the twenty-third of the month. Here stores were taken aboard and minor repairs effected to the engines. On the third of April she 'commenced loading cargo 'of the 316th Field Artillery and attached units of the 81st Division, USA. On, 17 April the HARRY got underway with a transport division for manuevers off Isie Passage, New Cale- donia. She then returned to Dumbea Bay on April nineteenth and loaded additional equipment and