LST (530) - Naval Cruise Book

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T POST INSPECTION DISCUSSION 1 THE HOT-SHOTS mouth. A costume ball was held by the crew on the tank deck. Back to the U.S.A. in a slow submarine-dodging convoy and the usual rough Atlantic winter weather, first on a southerly course down by Spain and then on over via the Azores Islands. A short stop at Norfolk and on to Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York, where a blizzard and a freezing tempera- ture failed to take the edge oH' anyone'S pleasure at arriving at the Big Home Base. The mad dash to get ,clear of the veteran LST began immedi- ately after Lt. Black had his crew carry out the order to secure the engines, which incidentally had performed with efficiency far above the average LST's power plant. Wlell deserved flowers to Black's gang. Vfhat all hands did during their month's leave, I have no idea, but those of us who returned, gloomily realized we were oil' to the wars again in view of the hurry the gentlemen of the Navy Yard seemed to be in to shove the out to sea again. ln February of 1945, nearly a year after being rushed into like European War. 530 was called UH

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only pass this along to the crew by reprinting it for the bulletin board and posting my own heartfelt con- gratulations to all hands for the way in which they had executed their jobs. The 530 had made a good record and an excellent name for herself by virture of her crew's performance. Un ,lune 7th Messrs. Bromfielfl and Sinnett, along with five LCYP crews coxwained by 'iPop Moore, Viade, Peters, Parker and Barber parted company with the mother ship for troop carrying duty dur- ing build-up period along the Nor- mandy coast. Ensign Sinnett and his crew subsequently participated with distinction in the daring Rhine crossing, thereby extending the scope of 530's record. There- after until Mid-December the ship crossed and re-crossed the English Channel on duty as troop, tank, ammunition, and cargo carrier for the Army, building for herself a record of quick turnarounds in all kinds of weather, and earning the commendation of flotilla and fleet commanders. Final news of orders to proceed to the Pacific via the U.S.A. came shortly before Christ- mas in 1944, which was celebrated with gusto in the harbor of Ply- . 35, X T CHANNEL CROSSING 1 ROVER Boys IN CHERBOURC c1,f, I M, W1 V - gf I Vi' ac' fr 1 ,P , 1 f. f ff ss i 5 , ff' mf ,,,i,-:iv-rt f, t t ' fl it X.. , ,ws 5 N I Q, , -Rss is at fs , Q s, - A sc sc R Q - -f' f- f 1' fy, Wg. ugly ,X t V ,A .W ,, x , is -r ,xv 1, C .t S, i' ,, 1, ,Q K,

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of the Yard for immediate Pacific duty, and put through the nerve shattering mill of getting ready for the long trek westward in far less than the normal time allowed to properly fit her out. Writh a par- tially new crew mixed with the old hands, the arduous and hurried job of loading again and breaking away from America began with the securing of LCT 566 to the main deck. To Earle, New Jersey, for ammunition, Newport and Davis- ville, Rhode Island, for a heavy cargo of railroad locomotives and pontoon barges, and then to Nor- folk, Yirginia, for final orders and routing: such was the schedule. The new officers were: Ensigns Shepherd, Lilly, and Seiders: Lt. fjgj Benson and Lt. ljgj LeVine. The first stop at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, proved dull for the men, but nearly all the officers had to be diagnosed by the PHM's for hallucinations upon returning from a very excellent club, from the veranda of which some of us hazily thought we perceived LST 530, lights blazing, flying back to the States. Wfhere goes the 530,', was Mr. Seiders' opening remark as a Catalina winged over the club. There was a bowling incident as