LST (530) - Naval Cruise Book

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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

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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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T GOING INTO FRANCE FROM THE 530 L FULL LOAD I i. -11+ 3' 1' Wigs. s ,l 'ff X. . if ' ' Lb,,'ys..,,,'1.g,.xs . Lx , YN :sl I J 1 mNkYfH0Bi,,,.,- -M 4, r X A' r-7 . ' ' ' ' :LQ M7 H' : ' 'Je 3515 - 'ff' W-.1 'T , . p Tw -1 A 44. In- .. p-,M-p 'W ' - ' J ' ' , T-U-., ... --Pts ,, ... X - f fy- A il -Y h, O 'i's'a ..4-..... 'f+'7 'i ifgg i 'ff 9,'..r-Q... L -Z f S i' 4 'F 'W ' , Q, A N- A is 'W N 4 X., , , ,I M --vs.: . S,-U ATM? '..... M- is--A M' - , M- U '4 ' a ' , ' W .,- -es-es ,Q I ws., 1 fn A ' - '--, 1 s wlygf, fh7.M:..,. .M c f- - e I., -.f I , gr, .. wg, ,.... 'A' -'H yr -M A - . is ag . ! .K f,N tl. ts- 'mx' K ' .1. - 'Gsm ,sg , -3.87 ,Aw TWD, , , - 2.4, sl. , 47 --M .r4.g..xs+-vw,-f.f--f 2 . .1-. -ws -W T ON THE BEACH L GERMAN PRISONERS COMING ABOARD A , ' - -fir-9 -. in ff . R i N 3' X... K- ...N , - K 'A si x I L I x - sw. i ' '44 s...,, -. N. 1- K' .is , . .Mc ' . -c '.frwf. ,pusr'X ,.-.x W through which 530 passed, namely' that we did have a charmed life. A strafing ME crashed a quarter of a mile off the port bow, sadly into a sister ship. Ships blew up over mines, or were strafed merci- lessly, or broached on the beach. Combat troops and tanks oil'-loaded on Gold beach at low tide and struck out for Caen where counter- attacks had already started. As the evening saw the beach sprinkled with dead, and the fighting moved inland several miles, we eased our way through sunken ships, mines, and other ships still waiting to unload, and headed back to Eng- land for another load, carrying German POWI's and some badly wounded British and Canadians. Air attacks made the night a try- ing one but the turnaround was made in record time. In Tilbury, London, a message from Admiral L. Nesmith, Royal Navy, commended 530 for her rapid discharge of duty thusly: Your ship is highly commended for the outstandingly rapid and effective manner with which she has accomplished her part in the invasion and return to British shores for her next assignment. Godspeed and good luck. I could