LST (491) - Naval Cruise Book

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THE OL, DOUBLE TROUBLE -V aboard for transportation back to New Orleans as we were sailing that afternoon. Before departing we had to transfer Seaman Fred Berger ashore to have a new set of teeth made. He had lost his set overboard during a sea-sick spell. We arrived back in New Orleans on January 11, 1944 and after a nine day availability, during which we loaded the LCT 596, we sailed for New York City. This voyage was delightful and uneventful except for a vio- lent storm off Cape Hatteras. We were delayed about two days on arrival at New York. Our stay in New York was a happy one, many of our men seeing for the first time the Statue of Liberty and the great city of sky-scraper buildings. The wind was bitter and frosty, and beat against our faces as we made our way to pier 45, Manhattan Island. The pilot had difficulty maneuvering the ship to the proper pier as the current and wind was causing the ship to drift downstream. Our friends, and our sister ship the LST 492 were berthed at the same pier, having arrived a few days ahead of us. The following men were received aboard for duty on February 6 from the Receiving Sta- tion at Pier 92: Church, D. M., GM3!cg Cook, L., GM 3!cg DelVecchio, A. J., Slfcg Edenfield, A. C., Slfci Ervin, W. R., GM3!cg Farris, C. R., GM3!cg Fisher, H. A., Slfcg Harvey, B. F., Slfcg Horvath, E., Slfcg Heathcock, T. R., Slfcg Giedd, R. G., Slfcg Gillespie, I- D-, Slfcs Gray, J. J., Slfcg Illari, P. J., Slfcg Jerffb, J. R., Slfcg Keating, E., Coxwaing King, W. J., SUC- 10

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3 The Shakedown . Early Christmas morning we were on our way to Panama City, St. Andrew's Bay, Florida for our shake- down cruise. By noon on Christmas Day, the fog had cleared and it was a beautiful sight to view this 100 miles of meandering Mississippi from New Orleans to the Gulf of Mexico. Our noon Christmas Day dinner was really a wow. The cooks prepared a delicious tur- key dinner with all the trimmings. We all ate, and ate. About 4 o'clock in the afternoon we reached the mouth of the Mississippi and after an hour or so in the choppy waters of the Gulf of Mexico many of us lost our deli- cious turkey dinner. The fish had some turkey that day down Mexico way. We arrived at Panama City, Florida on December 27 and received aboard six boat crews, Ensign j. L. Lovitz, and Ensign B. B. Barger. As our training and operations were intensive, we were kept on the go most of the time. We beached the LST 491 for the first time and also test-fired all guns. Everything seemed quite satisfactoryg we were at last getting to know our ship. On January 9, we received aboard for duty the follow- ing men: Anderson, A. E., S2!c, Barclay, E. F., Slfc, and Russo, F. F., S2!c. Lt. YV. McBrier reported 9 . . , ' 4 4. Y4- ' -,vl vs - - ' A., 5 . . K

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THE SHAICEDOWN And the following day Anderson, K. L., S2!cg Colvin, C., 52fC3 and Little, L. A., S2!c were received aboard. On February 10, we loaded two LCS QSQ boats aboard the LCT. Ensign Frede and Ensign Dause and their crews also reported aboard. The same day we received two Doctors, Lt. W. P. Rogers and Lt. Qjgj H. S. Law- rence, two Chief Pharmacists, Harry Moss and J. A. Arnold, and twenty-seven pharmacists mates. Lewis, H. W., Phm3! c who was received aboard with this group was the only one to remain aboard until the ship was decommissioned. The doctors and corpsmen were to remain aboard to care for future expected casualties in anticipated operations in Europe. Harney, R. J., S2fc, McCaskill, W. S., F2!cg Ahearn, C. J., Slfcg and Woods, T., Slfc reported aboard before we departed for Bay- onne, New Jersey, where we loaded stores and supplies at the Naval Supply Depot. Our last day in New York was a busy one. The Red Cross furnished the ship auto transportation in order that we might complete our many official errands and details. One of the station wagons drove all over New York and made two trips for us to Bayonne, New jersey. lt was a long day for the driver, from nine-thirty in the morning until ten o'clock in the evening. When we expressed our thanks she re- marked that she enjoyed helping us as her husband was in the service, in fact in the Navy, and at that time at sea. Long hours were a daily routine for her. On February ll we left New York in a blinding snow storm and proceeded to Davisville, Rhode Island to load the cargo deck with equipment. The trip was 11