Lanier (APA 125) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 48 text:

LCM's hitting Red Beach No 2, Yokosuka Red Beach No. 1, LST disgorges troops Water churned as boats leave visible wake ' 'Line of departure Gold braid talks over situation Marines march off, Yokosuka

Page 47 text:

Rendezvous-circling off Yokosuka Beach Parfy Chief Morfenson signals oncoming wave Boafs af rendezvous More rendezvousing Roger I-'line abreast-'I formafion leaving line of departure Landings af Green Beach, Yokosuka

Page 49 text:

Wcouhalzbn sffayaxa aka' The remainder of this section is devoted to pictures and story of Nagasaki, Japan, and the results of the atomic bomb N advanced Marine unit was loaded aboard the LANIER on 9 September. It was the 2nd Regiment, 2nd Division, consist- ing of l3 Officers and 274 enlisted men. With the LANIER anchored in the outer harbor at Saipan, heavy swells due to a nearby ty- phoon interrupted the loading process. As it became impossible to hoist boats aboard, they were sent ashore for three nights, though they continued to bring supplies to the ship during daylight hours. By l3 September all supplies had been loaded. The second run to Japan was begun by ships of the following convoy on l8 Sep- tember, l945: WAYNE, MENIFEE, GAGE, AUDRAIN, MclNTYRE, AQUARIUS, OTTAWA, GRIMES, CAMBRIA, FREESTONE, MENARD, LYCOMING, APPLING, ANDROMEDA, CAP- RICORNUS, BRAXTON, LANIER, MERI- WETHER, MELLETE, WAUKESHA and TYRELL. Commodore Knowles aboard the CAMBRIA was convoy commodore. Questions which ran through minds of those aboard the LANIER as they approached the outer Nagasaki harbor on 23 September included: How much of the city was dam- aged by the atomic bomb? , Are the people starving? , and What does the inner harbor look like? As the ship dropped its hook and stood by to lower its boats and personnel the harbor filled up with transports, interrupting the tranquil domestic scene of small villages surrounding the Bay. Atomic Valley , with Mitsubishi arms plant on right, looking toward Nagasaki harbor