Ludlow (DD 438) - Naval Cruise Book

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about to Occupynthe coast near Monte Carlo. With the LUDLOW in this force were all gl:I3fXE3gi'PII?H'Xl0f1a25, Several cans of Squadron 7, the cruisers, BROOKLYN and an eig tFrench h f 11 . - DUGUAY TROUIN, GEORGE aGLLOlJllIE. Eve light Cruisers, MONTCALM worked ai a t f S , and theiold battleship, LORRAINE. This force s eam rom eptember 1 to ZZ supplyin all t f fi ed d by the Army throughout this part of the invasiongof Sidgiliis S Fr re Support as ne C All b d I , ern rance wh at Oar 0Ill,tlC mornmgof September 5, remember our encounter with so called uman torpedoes . Thismorning broke particularly clear as We Steamed eff the beach at Menton, an Italian town just across the French-Italian border A sli ht di t b e . . g s ur ance was sighted on the glassy smooth surface of the water. One of the French ships spotted it First and gave the alarm. Three German manned human torpedoes were destruction bent and at least one fancied the LUDLOW. The action was fast-no sooner had one been blown up by the fire of our trigger happy 20 and 40mm crews and lethal ashcans, when the second, driving in toward our stern as the LUDLOW heeled around, was demolished by ad- ditional depth charges dropped from our fantail. Meanwhile, the French can took care of the third culprit and in twenty minutes all the excitement was over except for the usual questioning and souvenir hunting on the survivors. The LUDLOW had taken aboard two survivors and the LeMALlN picked up the third. This was the first of a series of human torpedo and explosive boat attacks on our forces in this area, but none were ever successful. September Z2 saw the LUDLOW detached from Task Force 86, and she steamed back to Palermo for fuel, supplies and two days recreation. In the previous 12 days from September 10th the LUDLOW had pumped no less than 1,635 5 shells into enemy positions in response to specific requests from our shore . fire control parties. All of her' missions and assignments had been reported successful. Three days later the LUDLOVV was back home at Mers el Kebir in Algeria. Here she had ten days tender time, and much needed recreation. The Arab and French sentries got to know the LUDLOW jeep well and many fine beer-ball parties were held in nearby fields. The spirit of good natured rivalry between the crews and officers of the sister destroyers paid off in good fun on the beach as well as deadly action at sea. The Arab na- tive crowds that used to congregate to watch these games included barefeet, beards, tur- bans, beggars and even the wealthy with their own jackasses. Empty beer and coca cola bottles were much prized by the natives for they sold them to restaurants that cut them in half and this made two of the best available type wine glasses. . Next came five weeks of convoy runs, hrst to Marseilles, then to Naples, and back again to Marseilles. K stray-ers, DTERRIBLE and LeMAL11xi ' ' and- EMILE BERTINS two de' E-BOAT HE LUDLOW was reassigned to FlanFor in November for shore bombardment, she was. T back in her element. During a month of this duty she fired many shore bombardment ' ' bout 40 driftin mines. mlsslgii ligrdlalisiiiigiliidof this duty, IO lgecember 1944, the LUDLONV was at anchorafter' severaldays of bombardment, in Golfe juan, France, just east of Cannes on the Riviera, Coast. The LeFORTUNE, French destroyer, lay at anchor near us. .There.was a movie' in the mess hall. About 9 :3O p.m. the messenger came down to the movie and informed the' Captain that there was A.A. fire observed low on the water outside the anchorage. Simul- taneously the Visual message was received E-boats in Golfe Juan ', The Captain rushed to' the bridge on the double. Special sea detail, and General- Quarters were sounded. We were d .3 in fifteen minutes from the time the Captain went tothe bridge. U lm efllwheyladder was still over the side. They had some time trying to take it in when we ere doing about twentv-live knots and it was some job for the engineers to light off all W J tv , , .. four boilers in such a short time- XV 1-Oeeeded to the area where the enemy was reported and then slowed down.. 1 e p F l3 -

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i ' three years before lt was a wildly' h3PPY CRW thu tain had come aboard as a boot CIlSlgTl 'N . ' Y , lt l returned to New York--proud of their battered shlP and islfld I0 be awe SUBMARINE , ' d. U d W. R. Barnes reported aboard and took comnian p- Oing mirittiziifcggxazsfd availability, the LUDl..OW proceeded to Casco Bay, M 'ne for iirainin exercises then back to New York again for further check-ups. She thi I-atm-ned to Caico Bay where on 20 April 1944, in company with 9 other destroyers, she took departure and set sail for Gibraltar.. Tl1e.n1'st.xC:f,lVlay saw thell Ctslfffftlng the U.s.s. YUKON. They went to Alglers, Bweffs 131111110 Mil ll? U C Off C ff' turn to Oran for another intensive training period for the next invasion. However, the Normandy D-day came and went with the LUDLOVV still in training exercises, German Submarines were engaged in their final desperate and deadly work in the Mediterranean. I On 17 May the LUDLOW, NIBLACK, MADISON and BENSON started searching for a reported enemy sub, At 1935 on 18 May, the group was split by LUlTlDCSDlV 25. WOOLSEY, MADISON and BENSON were assigned search ahead of the reported sub position, LUDLOW and N II?-LACK astern. At 2319 the same day, the LU D.I,OW .and NIBLACK changed course to investigate a radar contact reported by a searching British plane. Early next a.m. f0320j on 19 May, the LUDLOVV sound operator, G. SOW- ERS, picked up contact with a sub. 10 depth charge attacks by the NIBLACK and LUD- LOW together in the next 4 hours forced the sub to surface at 0710. 'The LUDLOW's first salvo blasted the conning tower-distant 1000 yards, killing all Germans attempting to get out to their deck guns. The second salvo blew all enemy dead into the water and three of these shells blasted the sub hull blowing debris high into the air. Within 4 minutes, that German sub--still with way on, took her last dive leaving only four struggling survivors visible in the water. Thirteen members of the submarine's crew were picked up by the LUDLOW and four by the NIBLACK, including the sub- marine's Commanding Officer. SOUTHERN FRANCE JUNE passed quickly and uneventfully with only convoy operations and a few days liberty in Naples. The end of June found the LUDLOVV back in Oran engaging in Final prac- tices for what everyone could see was in the air now that Normandy had taken place. Dur- ing the lirst week in August, the LUDLOW engaged in final assault training with units of the United States, British, French and Italian Fleets. Then, on to Palermo to await the hnal orders for invasion. Q D-day was August 15th. As had been the pattern for the previous four invasions, except Salerno, the first landingshere were not strongly opposed. Except for the LUD- LOW's fifty minute pre-H-hour bombardment at about 0700 in which she laid three hundred 5 shells on the beach, and the bombardment of Frejus town that night, there was not much for the little can to do. For three days she patrolled that area ready to lob shells into any spot or building designated by the shore fire control party. A call from the beach over the voice circuits at any time would instantly bring salvos of our 5 shells into any troublesome target. In fact, such precision shore bombardment had been the LUDLOW's specialty, for its proven accuracy of fire had been LUD men's greatest pride. Finally we were assigned to escort the cruiser, AUGUSTA, to the Marseilles area. The usual shelling and counter battery Fire was delivered by the LUDLOW as she picked a path for herself and escort through the mine helds, leaving the city of Marseilles well D softened up for our invasion forces. ,beaugm IQEQIIOW and AUGUSTA moved on up to .St Maxime, the beginning of that . a area known the world over as the Riviera. Here the LUDLOW was as- signed to Task Force 86-a tire support gi-ppp on the right flank of the assault forces

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, - ' , Tl E-boat was lying to VVe illuminated a suspicious contact with our searchlnght q TC I . , . Q lf.-boat opened up with Em - 1 1 the searthlxght, the . wedsaliv tt. AS Ziciiaiieziis tldiifaiildniis like luminous bubbles. VVC lllflifd UH tht light and an t e racers ' d them with twenties forties and 5 . Then they really meds knots' idioms an e up on i L f b t fift f knots. , fCP01:Si?uliiei1aciai21f Sie Zhi? had? few dents in them, but no serious damage resulwd ffomffhihfifg 535523558 a run for it we picked up speed in the chase. We tried to illumi- s e - - i t .t ith Star Shells and chased it for about 30 miles into enemy waters before losing na e 1 w Contasae then Went to Marseillegwliere we found out from the local Naval authorities that -' ' erman E-boat. as far as is known, there was no a Eurlilvciir d Eze? Eilgllifg u?1'1fgOIinUiglS.OiW was the only Allied ship in the engagement. Ot erffnCiCaFg1liISECA S25 USNR, had the sentry watch on the forecastle, and as soon as the .tracers began flying, lie threw his rifle over the side and was back strapped into the gunner's station of a twenty millimeter machine gun when the rest of the ship went to qeneliiiimggdliitiillysi following this encounter, the LUDLOW traveled to Marseilles and thence to the Straits of Gibraltar and a quick escort journey with the Army transport, MARIPOSA, to Oran, and again prior to the end of the year another round trip to Marseilles. UNCLE SUGAR LOOK OUT! HUS the LUDLOW'S third Christmas found us in Marseilles. Even so it was a merry Christmas as the end of the European War at least was in sight. Between the holidays we escorted the same troop ships back to Oran and thus saw the New Year among the Arabs, then back to Marseilles and thence to Gibraltar. On January 9th we were underway from Gibralter to 100 west where we met and es- corted the Navy transport, MT. VERNON to Marseilles. A few days in Marseilles while the troop ship unloaded and we were off again with her stopping at Oran for passengers and then through Gibraltar to about 90 west where we sent her on her way in comparative safety for a high speed run alone for the States. The LUDLOW returned to Gibralter. At this time after months of action away from the States orders for the States were ex- pected daily. On January 23, 1945, the LUDLOW was detached from the EIGHTH Heet Morale went high as all hands thought of going home. We even turned in our jeep. Two days later we were on our way as part of Task Group 62.1 bound for the States, but no such luck-one more assignment fell to the LUDLOW 'The President was about to make his famous trip to the Yalta conference Ten de- iroyers were to be stationed at intervals of 500 miles across the Atlantic The LUD OW drew the station 400 miles southwest of the Azores We received orders and headed for that station It was a calm warm lazy week steaming slowlv in our assigned area while transport planes flew overhead enroute to Yalta 'lhen during the conferen vue re- ce turned to Casablanca and laid over there a week the first u eek in February 1945 That was a ha t h ppy ime not mg left to do but Wall out the week in Casablanca return to our sta tion for another week as the planes returned our officials from the conference and then head for home After a k b C16 Wee ack on station I UDI OW put into Ilorta Arores for fuel 2111 nally started for the states One might sav no time was lost enroute in spite of one fig. lstyorm lasting 4 days the Captaln kept up our speed 285 men and officers were heading me o made It lpfifrazgiglig Siiigicallgdfsclmligilnafteri 10 months of combat and danger F veryone had half the Crew was h ebruarv 24th we rode into Boston tied up md over t e side and homeward bound vvnthm two hour ft 8f1'iV8l bound for all parts of the United States T Q a er our wo weel s leave--one went all the may to GMM 14