LST (471) - Naval Cruise Book

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age was done until one night a submarine hit a nearby LST with a torpedo. A merry Christmas and happy New Year day were celebrated by well nigh continuous air raid alerts with general quarters stations being manned throughout most of the nights. The following log excerpts were written on the mid watch and the morning watch of New Years day. Still anchored as before With ships in the bay galore And bogies in the sky somewhere, The whistles blew and the signals flew, All hands at G. Zero one zero one of forty five All is clear and we're all alive. Flash red same as before With all hands groaning as they mount once more, Bogies here and bogies there, But we don't see any any wheres. The alarm has rung thru out The ship but now Itis finished, no shots fired Except the two which spelled jinis. Leaving Leyte, again with Task Force 78, the ship rolled along through the Philippine archipelago to join in the post D-day landings at Lingayan. During the approach, for the first time, the men experienced the desperation of the Japanese as they time and again were attacked by Kamakaze pilots. While on watch at Lingayan, the men became trigger happy with their rifles as Japanese suicide boats and swimmers were thought to be approaching the ship. On March tenth, 1945, the ship saw its first D-day beaching when it participated in the landing at Zamboanga, Mindanao, P. I. Japanese opposition was light and no planes were ob-

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at Sydney where it spent exactly ten months in what men still claim is the best liberty port in the world. Everything they desired was to be found in complete abundance. During the time the ship was being repaired, some of the crew members were sent back to the States to form skeleton crews for new ships not yet in commission. Other men spent the days going to more training schools and the nights ashore on liberty. Several of the crew found the one and only girl for them and have since been married. While still in drydock, John Kisterbock Haman, Lieut., QDJUSNR, took over the command of the vessel. Leaving Sydney with many regrets, the men spent several months enjoying the scenic beauty of the New Guinea Army bases, usually returning to Hollandia at the end of what they termed 'gmilk runs . AWAY AGAIN ' The date eventually arrived for the ship to load for its first operational trip in more than a year. After retracting from the beach at Hollandia with a full combat load of men, vehicles, ammunition, gasoline, and provisions, it joined the other LSTS of Task Force 78 and headed for the shores of Leyte in the Philippines, some l300 miles away. MacArthur had returned with the aid of the amphibious forces to regain the land that was once his. Cautiously avoiding the mines strewn in Surigao Strait, the ships entered Leyte Gulf to witness the bombarding of the beaches by planes and ships. Although D-Day had been two days previous, many areas of the beach had not as yet been consolidated, the reen- forcements aboard the LSTs in this convoy being needed. Unloading was carried out as rap- idly as possible so that -the ships could retract and leave for Hollandia to re-supply the front. As the ship left the Gulf, the men little realized that the heavy units of the fleet steam- ing by at flank speed were going to intercept the Japanese task force in the forthcoming Battle of .Surigao Strait. Although the convoy was attacked several times by enemy planes, no dam-

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served througho-ut the entire trip, but several other ships on the nearby beach were damaged by mortar fire. There followed a period of comparative inactivity in the forward areas as the ship had many of its worn out parts repaired and participated in the freight movements of re-supply and the rolling up of bases in the rear areas. This included a trip to the quiet little town of Cairns, Australia, for a load of Aussie men and gear. Returning from there to Morotai N. E. l., preparations were made for the in- vasion of Balikpapan on Borneos' southeast coast. This concluded the combat operations of the 471 and never again was it to sail in convoy through troubled waters. ALL CLEAR Following many months of tiring voyages came the announced surrender of Japan which was met with great joy by all members of the ship. At this time Donald Allyn Field, Lieut., QDJUSNR, relieved J. K. Haman of command after the latter had spent two years in the Southwest Pacific theater. Forthcoming were more short runs in the Philippines carrying whatever was in need of being transported, including Japanese Prisoners of War. Embarking a few Army guards and officers, the ship set forth from Aparri, Luzon, to the Batan Islands some distance north to effect surrender of the Islands. On Batan, 2358 POWs were loaded aboard along with lnuch equipment, enabling all hands to obtain some treasured enemy souvenirs. More Sons of Heaven came aboard at another island for the trip to Manila. After unloading at Manila, the co-mmand was transferred for the fourth time to .lulius Marvin Bentley, Lieut., CDJUSNR. By Uctober, scuttlebutt, which in the past had been rather indefinite began to take feet and walk around the ship, proclaiming that her job was over and all would soon be headed for the West Coast.