Ludlow (DD 438) - Naval Cruise Book

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Salerno, Italy, September 6, 1943. The huge im tsion f 1 all f . h h ,, ,, 1. ' . , . U '2 orcc was a ormed wit t e cans ggrigggggtlil-E:'0xtZ1ril ilglitgpiiglpif pgatlilr newller-ending search for subs, and the cruisers sta- ' any attack. Tuesday, September 7 Gpsipq cet Lon! forthe heavlly laden cargo ships against attack' On Wednescla the Y 4 , an igi altitude bombers flew overhead but d1dn't , D Y C ew rolled up bedding and stowed all loose clothing to 'elim- inate fire hazards. That da ', D-1 th h ever before. Operation Avalanche , the invasio H3-mfg Hlfd AA fire from the beach could be seen and at early dawn the troops moved in. to the igioifnirse sf the dff1Y, file LUD LOW was ordered to lead a group of LST's Successfuu y CO lgtlda l'l0Wfl mine held. Lucky she was again as this perilous task was b 1 5 bmp 16 6 with dispatch and no casualties. The German mobile 88's and pill- tOXNCb Oo t 10 eaci had been well softened up by her main battery fire and were persuaded .cp comparative silence as the escorted LST's went in. At this busy day's end the Army Ommandefum Charge Of the operation, General Lange, sent the following message to the destroyers, Thank God for the fire of the blue bellied Navy ships. Probably couldn't have stuck out blue and yellow beaches. Brave fellows these. Tell them so. Evenlng of -D-2 saw the Nazis stage a savage coordinated air and E-boat attack on our forces, .in which the U.S.S. ROWAN was blown up and lost with serious loss of life. Incessant air attacks by the enemy on the ships in the harbor made a frightening experience Y , Oug ts turned towards home and loved ones more than n of Salerno, commenced September 8. All night, 'long to be remembered. p After Salerno, the LUDLOW returned to convoy duty, leading the first convoy into razed, ruined Naples. Until the end of the year, the LUDLOW could have been spotted leading 14 knot convoys between the Bay of Naples and Oran, Algeria, via the Tunisian VVar Channel. The latter was a wide lane close to the Tunisian coast utilized for safety against submarines and mines. Up until early january, little or no training took place for the coming move, Anzio, or Operation, Shingle . All hands knew something was up when the LUDLOW was taken off the convoy runs and commenced the familiar evolution of lambasting the beach with well aimed projectiles. Feverish preparation followed. The course of events was following a familiar pattern. ' AN ZIO N January 17th the LUDLGW proceeded up the coast to Anzio with a group of landing 1' craft and support vessels for the Anzio Invasion. The trip to Anzio was uneventful and even on the first morning of the invasion, January 21, 1944, when the American Rangers and the British Commandos hit the beach, every one was pleasantly surprised by the ap- parent lack of resistance. The crew was secured from General Quarters that noon for chow Due to mine infested waters, the largest ships here were destroyers. A group of 10 British landing craft came alongside for water and food and gave us some postcards that had been taken from invaded homesthat morning. It was unbelievable that this could happen six hours after our first waves of invaders hit the enemy beach. We soon were relieved and writing captured postal cards home. The Germans just let everything go crazy those first few hours. ' Later that first day, however, the fireworks really started and did not let up for the next 14 days. Many times, amid the constant German air dive-bombing attacks, the ship was' fcalled on for fire support by our forces on the beach. The enemy planes, were operating from bases 20 miles away. Air raids were as common as peop e in . q - v U U . ot an slee to speak of for days or chow either. Repair parties delivered sandwiches g y p il t d un crews and lookouts. We were at1General l ' Times S uare-up to 17 in one day. No one :and coffee for the over-worked, ex aus e g 'Quarters from 0400 to 2200 at night. ' V ' Sister ships PLUNKETT and MAYO were hit on the second day and retreated to, 9

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h ti run headmg north we were ertlsdaefl bt A force of fl reach wammpt last Ship ln t C fmg bl one cmlcfgr and four destroyers trned a hand at tgf Casa anca . - ' t. ' sailing up thevtgliilse 'tllem0enen'1y was stxll outstdc our range we pot It It WHS NO'VC111bCl' us S he mg f th 61' ro ecttles from the French crutser trashed though our N0 2 S' agilogingaid eiplodedp nf our wardroom wreclnng havot rn the offucers country an 1 8 below Mlraculously no one was serrouslx mjured but the shell had carried and crew s mess ' ' I 4 V . - J t the red dye covered per l ' here. One humorous note w is t V1 red dve and that was ew ery w sonnel who thought they were goners as dtd rll witnesses fr r H Wllllff Our crutsers' AUGUSTA and BROOK LYNA came to the rescue and the enemv ships. . . h d b th th cl ep werelfllelddlqdsfs Clips: gfhrs itdcvaasron java? ow er for the LUDI OVV She pot quxcls temporary reparrs at anchor off Fedala from the U.S S XUGUS1. A and stood out for New X orlc Navy Yard Enroute she ran 1nto a sex ere storm that caused all hands much anxrety due to her weakened condrtlon After three weeks and complete repairs tn New Stork the I UDI OW set out for the war agam SICILY HREE Atlant1c convoy trrps from New York to North Afrrca followed the shtp s over haul rn New York--one rn February the others rn March and Max of 1943 Next followed a per1od of trammg for the my asrons of the Turopean matnland to come By une the shrp had returned to the Medrterran e'tn and thrown her ltxe w erght 11110 operatton Husky the lnvasron of S1c1ly In the followmq pcrlod of thrrtv Clblll days the LUD LOW was ass1gned a tire support task and together w rth other U S and Allred slnps cow er ed tlce landmgs tn Lrcata and Porto Empodocle sectors At thus pomt xt was the LUD LOW s pleasure to blow a hydro electrrc works sl X hrgh and blast 'tn elrte Nan Hermann Goerrng Panzer Dntsron wrth rts deadly shore bombardment The Icapfrog operation rn the S1c1l1an campalgn took place off Terranova tn late August 1943 Further operatrons rn th1s campargn lncluded the convovmg, of our troo s and su hes through the hours Hymg trme of our operatlons a1r rards became frequent and serrous 11 August 1943 durmg operatron Leap frog the LUDT OVV downed her first enemy plane a German Folke Wolfe 190 At thrs ttme the IUDI OVV was workmg parttcularly wrth the U S S PHILADELPHIA BOISL and srster shrps of Destroy er Dtusxon 25 and destroyers GLPAVES and PLUNKETT now also rn DesDxv 25 SALERNO Y now the destroyers WOOLSEY LUDLOW and BRIQTQI were 3 Svyaghbugkhng trxo wrth rntense prrde and confidence on the part of the crews tn thelr shtp s records and ab1l1t1es Sunday mornrng September 5 1943 the three shtps were at anchor m Mers el Keblr French Algerra wartlng for the blg job to begm The Inglrsh and Canadians had already landed on the toe of the Itahan boot and everyone was expectmg an Amen can Iandrng very soon Thrs was a typrcal Sunday with the usual Sunday mormng meal and the scuttlebutt run mug rampant By 1000 the scuttlebutt was eonhrmed and the crew knew that rn the after EEUU th5YhW0Uld leave the anchorage for the bmg Job Tension was felt tn the atr as we Serve t C SCUYYYIUZ tugs and bug transports making last mmute preparatrons for leavmg EWR hgfhgf sepxond sectron of the engmeers was called to earlv dmner and to lay below b gd 0 5 a 8011153 awav present several bags full of packages from home came a oar wrth candy cookres and gum whrch w as much appreetated by all hands P PA l0EFEId11nigh out lpf the swept channel at battle stutons the word was passed over the Y at t e LUDLOW was headmg for tts thxrd rnvaston the Invasion of . . . v x Y' U l ' 0 l 7 . , . 1 , ' ' . Q' 7 ' . - . ' 1 ' ' n , . 4 r 1 ' 4 - . , an ! 7 Q v 1 ' I ' ' ' . , D i u v y ' Y 1 t, ' ,f V ' ' ' - Y I l W. K K a as .U ' f ' ' ' I 7 . V L ' ' , c a , 1 . - ' l' ' ' Y g , B af s , 1 ' . Af ,., . , 1 s 1 ' . v Y 1 3 Y I . - y , 1 J ' . ' 1 T . . Y , , , Q 7' ' 4 v I 5 I ly F K K . ., Y A v I ' ' C ' 1 ,' . , . u 19 ' ' ' ' ,' , ' ,- fy - .. 9 ' -,l -r f' 7 v ' 7, 7 1 nb 1 Q - 1 ' . . 1 .. ' ' A ' ' ' P Y 'C c X Y . . 1 ' 1 J 4 . .7. . 7. . Y x P u Al , . V 7. Y . . 1 r p., . pp beautrful but sub-mfested Medrterranean waters. Vvltll enemv arr bases wlthrn a few 7 I Q L. ' ' U 79 , ' 7 , Y 4 U 7 - .J .1 , . Y . . . , 4 , ' K V A h p ' r s , . , L , v ' ' . , , W' 4!' ' y . P I I O , - , 7 k . . ' K Y y g ' 4. Z - . ' ' ' ' w u ' 9 , . -41 xl ' u yy ' . - o 7 U . . . . I I L c W K, . Q - , L 7 ' - ' ' ' - u . ' y . ' I . I n ' ' V ' ' ff ' - H , Y .1 ' y - C Y . c . l 1 J ' ' ' 1 I 5 I ' V . I . I A ' Q , L 1 ' , . s . ' a . , . ' , r . , 0

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. O N 1 Stack Caught on fire and for a while our men thought Wt'd N I f . ur 0. . . . . i . V b ap it Orqipligagjrd night enemy planes sunk the new British cruiser, SPAR1 AN Um een 1. b t 153 men rocket bomb? along with thffe libfffy Ships loaded with. l'lgh'0 m' gn' u -- ' - ' 1 , , ' ff ed in mine sweeping. manY landing craft and YMS s were sunk M1116 CUE-'lg - . A f A - lv ammunition but . h LUDLOW left for Naples to refntl and rt Supp 6 . was lrialck filritilhglfgiiiitgl guinping her Sf' Shells into enemy beach position and cOmbait1:1i3 lide bombs were destroyed enroute by J planes by January 29. Three enemy g u . guns. The men found nothing so frightening as those glide bombs. The IJUDLGW then made a quick trip to Naples on 31 January for more ammunition. She harassed the enemy on the beach constantly in these hectic days while under constant attack from enemy planes night and day. Next, the LUDLOW pCSC0flffd 3 HYGUP of mme Sllreps 3 point 10 miles from the Tiber and only 17 from Rome-CIOSCSY Pflml Yet fm' Al 'ed 5 'PS- Another quick trip to Naples for food, ammunition and fuel. All hands had hoped 'for a rest here, instead they worked liked beavers all night on reloading and headed back ito Anzio the next morning. ' Next came two more days of constant shelling and air raids and the LUD shoved off 'for Palermo for minor repairs. Repairs needed gave only two days in Palermo but it was a real thrill to be able to sleep in and not expect an air raid or General .Quarters 0 On 26 January, the LUDLOW was ordered to go east of Anzio and pump shells -into the town of Littoria which housed another of Goering's Elite Panzer Div. concentrations. Promptly, seven tons of her 5 shells were pumped into the town square.of Littoria in ten minutes. Shortly after the cease fire command, the American shore radio transmitter tap- ped out a message to us: Nice going, Littoria is no more-e-a . ' As soon as the crew would get a standeasy , the Red Alert would sound again and all hands would get ready for another air attack. Some planes would drop mines, others bombs, and still others acoustic torpedoes, while high altitude bombers hopelessly out of range of our guns would send their deadly loads our way. One humorous note was the race between Chief Commissary Steward andTorpedomen along the main deck as bombs fell forward or aft. Sometimes they would be dashing in opposite directions. The old timers will remember when the LUDLOW was sent into what was called SS Alley on bombardment missions. Steaming down the beach to the south trying to get close enough to shell the enemy, she'd have to weave through the mines. It was all the LUD could do on some of those runs to drive off the attacking planes and avoid the mines. Sometimes she would leave without damaging the enemy-glad to get out whole and the enemy glad to let us go without loss to themselves. The safe navigation while taking and dishing out such fire in these dangerous waters was a real credit to the Captain and en- deared him to the entire crew. It seemed there were no tricks in deceiving the enemy that h d'd ' ' e 1 not know and use. On moonless nights, the Captain ordered no shots Bred at planes unless the gunners could see and have a chanceof hitting them. Thus the LUDLOW was not raided as other ships were, due to useless firing. ,Below decks, men in the handling rooms would bet on how close the bombs they could hear would come. Night actions were full of backing down and then going ahead to keep out of the illuminatio f ' v - ' f d h . n o enemy flares. One night, in trying to get one of our cruisers out O n anger, t e skipper took the LUDLOW through a necessary run amidst enemy flares. The Cruiser right behind was fairly safe as by the time the LUDLOW got through the 11 hted ar th A 1 ' 8 . ca e enemy planes had spent all their bombs and the flares would be out by the time the cruiser steamed by in safety. The rocket planes were by far the most dreaded-they'd come in spitting red, orange and reen flar f ' ' g es rom astern,. and, as they were guided by radio from control planes out of range of our guns,. they'd' dive right into their targets. . The moonlit nights were most dangerous. You could read the dire thoughts in the moonhghted faces of men topside. In additive to P13105 and 011065, E-boats and submarines, shore batteries harassed the 10