LST (530) - Naval Cruise Book

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X T ST. L0 J, LOWER AWAY T H.M.S. RODNEY 1 UNLOADING WOUNDED PORTSMOUTH Z , 1 T 9 K x xx sky, X Y, ,l 5. 3 wav' -1' U--' On May 19, 1944, the 530 moored alongside the repair dock at Dept- ford on the Thames several miles south of London, after a hazardous trip through S'E', and Uv boat- infested Channel waters. Slipping through Dover Straits under cover of the sleeting night, well within within range of the German bat- teries at Calais made for a general state of nervous anticipation of what was to come, but London Lib- erty eased it off. Took on eight barrage balloons to keep the Luft- waffe from getting into excessive trouble with the vicious gunnery of Ensign Gorgeous Geiger, GM's Palm, Denney and Pop Willis. The 22nd of May saw the 530 joining the British Amphibious Command at Harwich, England, and immediately any doubt but that 'we were headed for German- held France in the near future vanished as voluminous medical supplies, hundreds of British 3th Army Qformer Desert-Ratsl men and oiiicers, giant Churchill tanks. guns, ammunition, trucks, and other combat equipment C018- menced to pour aboard during the practice beachings on the typical Fclixtown Hard . a concrete rul- way leading down from shore N water. 5 is

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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-

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Vie learned how to handle the ship in various tides, how to trim her ballast fast, and we knew at the time that everything learned and drilled those days meant not only good prospects for accom- plishing the mission effectively. but also better chances of survival on the mean side of the Channel. I was briefed on June 3rd along with all the other C.O.'s in the area: the sealed 530 swung around her buoy upstream waiting to hit France on June Sth. A bad blow which tore away many barrage balloons and chilled the soldiers who had to sleep out on deck de- layed the operation until the 6th. Nerves tensed but thank God I can write now that 530's participation in the D-Day invasion of Nor- mandy subsequently went off with- out a flaw. Wie lay off Gold Beach, Normandy, at night after a chan- nel crossing during which the 682's back was broken by a mine, and sporadic attacks by ME,s and a sprinkling of E boats kept all hands at General Quarters for many long hours. Tracer fire at first appeared to be surely seeking us out but at last it is possible to say what I never dared admit to myself during all the bad times , n S' YW P,,,,.....,.....- '-Lf. vii ,at 'W .l 'L T WOUNDED J, OFF-LOADING IN THE MUD T WELL BEACHED L GERMAN PRISONERS . s, 'Q ' light:-K t Wig ff ij S-nfl