Lanier (APA 125) - Naval Cruise Book

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Woolworth's, Saipan Humbled, but Japanese Ensign Harner inspects wreckage Q God is worshipped everywhere Ships and floating docks, Saipan Saipan factory - once

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.qua-6-1-M--4 THE LOG - Continued V clear, coral-bottom salt water and drank ice cold beer or coca cola. The area has 14 as- phalt-covered tennis courts, more than a dozen baseball fields, 20 horseshoe pits, Red Cross facilities, band performances almost daily and plenty of sunshine. Most men agree it is the best liberty spot, with the exception of Manila, west of Pearl Harbor. On 17 April, led by Captain B. W. Cloud on the USS LANIER, the LANIER, MENKAR and ROBERT FULTON, escorted by the DE's DALEY and SPANGLER, got underway for Iwo Jima. On 20 April the convoy passed alongside a mountain destined to live long in history-Mt. Suribachi, where a handful of marines two months previously had plant- ed Old Glory amidst flying bullets and shrap- Yes, if's there - Eniwetok Ships at rest, Saipan nel. Iwo Jima gave the impression, from a distance, of just one, huge rock. lt certainly gave no hint of its importance as a life-saver to hundreds of pilots on runs to and from Tokyo. From the harbor it was a depressing- looking place. Coummencing unloading the same day, the LANIER was empty by 22 April. The LANIER and DE DALEY departed from lwo on 22 April, arriving at Saipan two days later. After refueling and loading cargo, the ship embarked troops on 30 April, complet- ing in one day the embarking of ll officers and 1,431 Army casuals. Heading for Oki- nawa, the convoy on 2 May consisted of the following ships: LANIER LO. T. C.l, GRAN- VILLE, SEA PARTRIDGE, SEA FLYER and two escorts, the BULL and EISELE. While approach- The Tree of Chinieero finiwefokj Saipan Superforts 9 , mw-

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1 Snake-like chow line terminates below 1 THE LOG - Continued ing the Okinawa harbor at 1000 on 6 May, general quarters was sounded, as Japanese planes were in the vicinity. It was the first time many of the crew and officers aboard the LANIER had been in an enemy air raid. Unloading of passenger personnel was com- pleted by 1800. Another air raid sent the crew to general quarters at 1919. The Tokyo Unloading personnel at lwo I 1 1 1 1 2 2.-Wa. ,we ,im WW- ,,., f f ,,,, 21521 f - v- ..,.h wi f' , -f - Iv, :X xi., ',':' u I . IBRARY Express Came Over The anchorage Clgcln at 0200, keeping every ship in the harbor at battle readiness for three hours. A pea-soup smoke screen, laid by ships' smoke boats, covered the harbor like a blanket, but it was reported the next day that several ships had been1sunk that night. The Navy never per- fected a sure-fire technique against suicide planes. A weather break gave the ships 'a res- pite from air raids on 7 May. It poured rain all day and through the night. Casualties were taken aboard without mishap. They in- cluded: Army, 2 officers, 19 enlisted men, 1 1 1 1 1 Rock known as lwo Jima Navy, 3 enlisted men, Marines, 3 officers, 39 enlisted men. The ship prepared for sea. V 1 On 8 May a 22-ship convoy, led by Cap- 1 tain W. W. Campbell, USN, aboard the 3 ANNE ARUNDEL, left Okinawa Shima Lits full Japanese namel, with the following ships: 1 DOROTHEA L. DIX, DUTCHESS, FLORENCE 1 NIGHTINGALE, KARNES, PINKNEY, PON- 1 DERA, SHELBY, TERROR, CAPE CHALMERS, ' 1 CLARKSDALE VICTORY, LOMA VICTORY, SEA BASS, SHARON VICTORY, VIRGINIA CITY VICTORY and the escorts ZELLARS. CRANT- ER, HALLORAN, BULL, REEVES, GRIFFIN and BASS. 13