Herald of the Morning (AP 173) - Naval Cruise Book

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Okinawa Landings the run was made through enemy-held waters. For more than a week the convoy steamed through submarine-infested waters with Jap planesland task forces attempting to halt the operation. Suicide planes dived at and hit shipping. Submarines were contacted and reports of enemy action were numerous. But the armada did not swerve from its course or its mission as it sailed through the Mindinao Sea, the Sulu Sea and the South China Sea into Lingayen Gulf, arriving there on 9 Janu- ary, I945, date of the initial assault. Aboard the HERALD OF THE MORNING the crew had been at general quarters most of the time during the hazardous passage but the big job was yet to be completed, the land- ing of troops and equipment on Luzon Island. Inside Lingayen Gulf, the Japs con- tinued their attacks, hurling suicide planes, boats loaded with explosives and human torpedoes at shipping in the gulf. The HERALD OF THE MORNING remained in Lingayen Gulf for three days, during which the ship was in a condition of read- ness to repel enemy surface or air attacks at all times, while unload- ing her troops and cargo. The return run from Luzon to Leyte was made without incident and after the ship had been at Leyte for a few days, she was sent with others to the island of Biak, off -New Guinea, to pick up another contingent of troops. These also were veterans of action in the New Guinea area, the 4Ist Division. Re- turning to the Philippines for the fourth time in as many months, the HERALD OF THE MORNING land- ed her troops and cargo on the Island of Mindoro, to the south of Luzon, without trouble on 9 Febru- ary. By this time the HERALD and , ships of her group were long over- due for yard availability and they received orders to proceed back to Hawaii, stopping enroutelat Ulithi Atoll, in the Western Carolines. But when the ships arrived at Ulithi another task awaited them, the evacuation of Marines from Iwo Jima. All spare supplies had beenleft behind at Leyte, and days were required to provision again for the new -operation. The ships then steamed north to the Volcano Islands. Arriv- ing within a hundred miles of the Islands about 8 March, they were ordered to remain in a retirement area until hostilities had ceased at Iwo Jima. For more than a week the group steamed back and forth but never coming within sight of their Islanddestihation. ' ' At last word was received to approach the island and the HERALD OF THE MORNING began embarking units of the Fifth Marines. The ship spent ten more days off Iwo, taking

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aboard the Marines in small units as they finished mopping up the enemy. On 27 March she sailed for the Hawaiian Islands, arriving there on l3 April, l945. This time there was no change in orders and the ship sailed from the Hawaiian Islands for San Francisco on l6 April, arriving there a week later. Yard overhaul and availability of 60 days were granted to the ship. Many jobs not completed in the initial conversion work were done. After being away from the States for a whole year, all the men and officers en- joyed Zl -day leaves at home, many returning to the HERALD as happy bridegrooms. V-E day, 8 May, was celebrated by most of our crew in their home towns. ' Apparently no longer an amphibious trans- port, the HERALD OF THE MORNING was assigned t-o run to Manila, carrying approxi- mately 2,000 tons of cargo and l,500 Army casual passengers. Departing from San Fran- cisco on 29 June, the ship arrived in Manila on Z9 July, having made stops enroute at Pearl Harbor, Eniwetok and Ulithi. V-J day lAugust l5 for us West of i800 Iongitudel found us enroute from Manila to Pearl Harbor where we loaded a mixed group of civilians and troops, disembarking them at San Francisco on ll September. After that the HERALD was assigned to the Magic Carpet and later to Naval Transportation Services, engaged in transporting occupational Ready-Made at Saipan for Tinian