LST (530) - Naval Cruise Book

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tmgsg I 1 .les ,z ire W-.QE f,, O! 1 -Mwqps T LONDON FROM THE CON J, LOADING UP T SECURING LCT ABOARD 1 INSPECTION AT WEYMOKTH In New York, Ensign Geoffrey Bromfield, USNR, and Ensign Cliff fWMackl Sinnett, USSR, reported aboard with the six small boat crews, immediately looting 909 of First Lt. Ed. Mahoney's deck equipment for the fighting YP's. After loading cargo, ammunition- personnel, and saying goodbye to America, the 530 got underway to rendezvous off the coast with IO6 ships including destroyers and British CYE's. Meatballs DeNora was the last man to make the boat. having commandeered a Navy tug to hoist him aboard as his ship gathered speed to clear New York harbor. Several ranking supply Admirals at the Bayonne. New Jersey Depot frenziedly beat their breasts and threatened our trailing wake with air-flailing fists as they cursed Ensign Bob Brown for mak- ing off with some of their person- ally treasured stout hawser. which he had iinagled from under their I'lIIll'l't'fltI9Il6ti snouts while en- deavoring to equip the ship for come-what-may. The Statue of Liberty even winked at us as she came abeam. The voyage across included sev- eral subinarine contacts and a col- lision between two other ships, in the fog. one going down as a re-

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lid fallen off the night before Upon returning from Liberty in New Orleans. At 1604, after form- ally reporting for duty, Ensign Pierce disappeared for further honeymoon activities - not to be found again until New York. On the 26th of March, I9-1-1-, the 530 was ordered out on shakedown after a rather heartbreaking run from New Orleans during which the weather was foul, 9092 of the crew seasick, and everything in general had gone SNAFU. It was evident that invasion plans sudden- ly called for additional ships, for after only 24 hours of trundling fruitlessly around Chesapeake Bay behind Commander f the bearded gentlemenj W7hiteside's haughty flag, US. L.S.T. 530 was declared ready for combat and ordered up to New York to join a large United Kingdom-bound convoy. The run up the East coast to New York gave us more confidence on the Bridge, for the 543, the Flagship, cut inside buoys and went through a mine field while we maintained the proper courses due to Mr. RagIe's constant navigational vigi- lance. r T GENERAL QUARTERS L MR. PIERCE BECOMES A FATHER T GUN CREW J, PAINTING THE HULL KNORMANDYJ ,P , ,,,, 1, 1 If it ,

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sult, but 530 conservatively held her place through all kinds of weather, and for me it was con- stantly gratifying to observe most hands iinding themselves and be- coming increasingly effective at duties to which they'd had little time to accustom themselves. At 1300 on April 25th Ensign Glenn nGorgeousl Geiger, USNR, and S 1 C Feets Allen stood first in line to buy sea stamps from BM 1 C Daniels and Gunner Palm back on the fantail. Ou Huy Sth the hook wus drop- ped in Milford Haven, Wvales, Eng- land, and three boat loads of liberty hounds made port and all the local pubs, etc. Six days later found us in Plymouth where the ship's first gala boxing exhi- bition was staged by cigar-smoker Ensign Roy Black whose sterling performers, Ben Pieczinzki and Freddie Mastroianni, stole the show. Tegeder, Schluter, Camillo, Swales and Peters came aboard from liberty to report Plymouth Harbor as being a fine liberty place indeed. Next day all hands tumed to and launched LCT 667, Whose Skipper, Banson, and crew bid 530 adieu until later on in Normandy when they readily found their way back aboard. . x - 5 P f f I I ts 7 FIRINC 1 ALERTED 1 A SISTER SHIP l CUVSE STRAWIV seats-