Napa (APA 157) - Naval Cruise Book

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ceding 7?'ooy2A

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.I JUNE 1945-0936 Underway to shift berths to Ames Terminal Dock. 1007 Moored starboard side to. It's a long taxi ride to town, but we can sleep a few minutes later in the morning. Let the early birds return by P boat if they prefer. 1130 Nine men advanced in rate. Mast reports absentees are in- creasing, but not alarming. 0732 Underway to Port of Embarka- tion. 0907 Moored Pier 37. ll 6JUNE 1945-1430 Commenced loading cargo. .I 7 JUNE 1945-Ens. J. J. Burke, USNR, transferred to U. S.'Nava1 Hospital to be operated on for acute appendicitis after more than a full year on duty with the Napa and its embryo crew. Nearly five months later Honest J ohn is still trying to get transportation to the ship in accordance with his orders, but State-side authorities still tell him the Napa is expected in port any day now and refuse to let him leave San Francisco. 'I9 JUNE 1945 - 1007 Com- menced embarking Army troops. 1755 Completed same. 1859 Underway enroute Honolulu, T. H. Only two men failed to make the ship, and one of them soon re- joined. A few more masts, a few more punishments to be served, and only richly embellished tales, oft retold, will be left of the Napa's return visit to Seattle. N J A 43. 3. n ll rarer' so good Eye Mama I in off to Yfoleolaama HEN the band struck up a most appropriate tune . . .. uSenti- mental J ourneyf' As the strains of this song were wafted over the clear morning air, many a battle-hardened veteran with fa,Good- Conduct Ribbon pinned to his manly bosom? could be heard gulping audibly, and perhaps hiding a tear. For they were off to the wars! lt was indeed a touching moment, and even the forced gaiety of the Red Cross women as they cheerfully,doled out cups of insipid coffee and plaster of paris doughnuts could not dispel the gloom. p One young lad of seventeen who was wearing the chevrons of a Master Sergeant was trying his best to hide a trembling lower lip. 44Wha't's the matter, Sargef' 1 asked, usad at the thought of leaving the States ? uNossir. he replied, uthat S.O.B. leading the band won my address book in a crap-game last night, and heis staying here! Just then a very rugged looking individual came up and took his chevrons away from my seventeen-year-old friend. As the last lines were cast off from the dock, a sudden grimness seemed to permeate 'the atmosphere. Soldiers were to be seen tensely cleaning their rifies, B. A. Rfs, carbines, and stomachs Call internally of coursei , and sailors were to be seen tensely cleaning brass name plates to the tune of 46 . . . put some elbow grease with the bright-work polish, you apes. . The 'trip itself was rather uneventful although on D-Day minus two at approximately 1000, an excited look-out hurriedly awak- ened the Officer of the Deck with the shout, '6Enemy planes, sir. c4Where away? drowsilv queried the OOD. uThataway,', proudly replied the look-out. MAH hands man your battle stations, and the raucous blaring of the general alarm caused men to rush pell- mell fK1ng size, of coursei up and downuladders, and passage- wavs But before all guns were manned, the members of the Meat Ball Express were already joinlngtheir ancestors. An in- tense and deadly barrage from the doggiesv lining the- rail plus voluminous clouds of thick, white smoke prepared by our Chief Smoke Maker now warrant S.M J caused the slant-eyes to crash. Thirty minutes after we d secured from G.Q., a plaintive voice from inside the cavernous depths of a talker -helmet could be heard to say It s a Betty A ' Q The mornlng of D Day dawned as 1S always the casei -bright and clear But what s this '7 No intense pre-invasion bombardment by scores of battleships cruisers, tin cans. and motor whale- boats'7 No pre 1nvas1on bombing of Blue-Beach One by thou- sands of Navy and Mar ne Coips planes? Hell no, Mac, this is Honolulu, and you re dlsembaiking over the gangwayi And with Diamond Head fading away ln the distance, with the strains of Sentimental Journey fsentimentally played by a sentimental Army bandj still r1ng1ng 1n our ears, we take leave of'Hawaii-- Paradise of the Pacific and our doggie passengers, who are even now fighting for the r lives in downtown Honolulu. 5 ac 99 - - Q J ' ' M aj. 5 , 7 , . Q 9 .. - 7 3, -J' c' i I Y . ,n.. 0. c ff digg-I A J cc. - .av . 72 I .. My ff,-1 is-I-ff, rr-.W-2 --H 1m

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, 4 26 JUNE 1945 - Moored starboard side to Pier 39-D, Honolulu, T. H., and commenced debarking 'troops within the hour, unloading cargo later. 2 7 JUNE 1945 Four men apprehended inyshaft alley with two f2J'fu11,cases of beer,2one 1111 empty case of beer.-Evidence in custody of Chief Master atj' L it 'L Arms, Howmany men got away? 2 140. Completed loading supplies and provisions 'from j S. ,Naval Supply' Depot, having 'received States. 2345 Completed loading cargo. 0.915 Completed embark- ing troops. JUNE 1945-1409 Under- way enroute Eniwetok, Marshall Islands. 1 2 1 .l 1945-2400 Advanced .date one daygto conform to zone 12 time. The Fourth of July al- ready, but 'at sea it's just another day Loi AS ,BE- Fojftsff pcr, 2 . the. following, . flowery Jwheat, ' J,..j,, JULY', j1945f-0939 Anchored 20,000 A pounds gy, sugar, 'fgranuL O5.W3?l611'5EI1iiW4ift0lE, 1ated,j5,O00,poundsg,pumpkin,,.1 ffm, m3175431-'p s ands.. , t ic S5 - 1,200 pounds, 2rice,2,400 poundsgff' df LL, JMQMZC, Suffered a laceration potatoes fswe'etJ,,-f2,464, , .,.. .Of 475116 i1'ighi,QYC' HS- H 1'6S111t Of HD oil fsaladl ,360 g'a11onstgVBfEANS,' ' Qi f,3QCldfX1E3l2,C011iSi0U Withha 4 501' kidney, 1,000 'polindsgf etl' fsoups, 'ierl '.l..t ,-Vtterklexamination ,e was assortedf1922P6i1ii,'dS1a'fP'63,S5.25948 !l9ti?l9mltlZdt0i6,il'fkl?aY-,,l:Relfl1,, POl111dSs, .'21C'6rEa1':f--fd,rY1-YQ i.'. 'WHS 'itx S.0ff,U1a FHXP almng 'f .at C pounds, mi1k,flppxydefedmkhole, to Q , idii1fhf?'t1rS1i1i1e1ffitcthyfee days- 1,5005 t,.c potunds ,lyt I1u1inipfs,'.2fM1705.5 ..,. ogatt 1 'i . 1-1 1 . POHPHS 31 S5a11Sage.4-?2,.b.o10snasfT14-9i3022.21ta2122t 2 'JULY 511945 l4. 0814 After Poufiffz,t21jaCQcd44aifnli-5472.P6uf1f1Sta, . .t qqaaas..'a.t111, ewan to 595150 Etta, 1 -1,614-BBE and unloaded 1 'J all back on P01110 ..QGFSQ3Q02.P9HF1f1s12ap'Ye4Si+' lqfpafa2..1aa,agafi11S. Seanad. OLD I ,plx 'V .. t ttas ..t if 1 2 2 1194595-ame las 1 the P eted' 1131935111131A-1-21Ca1'g922Q, -tlt i?.f1'j1'0'fhff teynt , - ' 1 2 ' - 4' . t',' if ,p'- ,frlt.fillff,f1',f'iQf31.2fiEfff2Ijff f-1 l',.c2 , f , Chief ' A 'l't',' X1 'ilc ff!Qi?fQ,i5t.lfKi.f1S1QW3lt'i.3S.f2'JI5iQPii13f at Shefiff as, 2 j ,.-. i'.'t. .r.r l ' Q11 t.,' QHHLACVCT be-WHS tfa11S- Q . by 1 1 LT? 2 'P .'.c :V lg . -,'. -school in New .'t' af 1 . .YF ttfr . ,s.'., aysh .tt.t, 1fr:?.57iWsfkgf.CitS?5i',-.Gbod'Qduty1 f . j , - vi: 2,5 EEN ppv, A.t, V.p,:- . ,.,,. p2 y ,V 3 , + ' 2 ,,'t 1 2 Q1 liyy ,ji .i'. f H Iffiyf -.2'A Under- , 'J ' 2 Q i.,i1 1 Q,1i1',-away :enroute to,Ulithi. 1533 Com- , jj , ,,2,.,, x, ',2t, ptl', iliring. The main f - V . 4 I' pu , p :!f'Q f A ,Egg.b'attery'f2knocke,d downfa sleeve ' 2 2 H . A , 1 W f.t',fL NM' J 'X't1 ljroadffon ',', ifthepystarboard quarter. xx Q' , j- , 'V.' , I WLXVV '.,' C1-edit for . . L tttl ,',,i . 1 ytiy 15'Vecdurfd-.,1'0THAA,f1I'iDg- b . ' if . . V 'L .tya JULY21945-+0936 Sighted ' Q, H 'X 5 p.2it r ' tA,,t 1-,IslandstofZohnoiiyoru Bauk, at 1 1 , L L f - 1 ileastj thafps .what 'the navigator . Q BL 4. 12 ienteredinthelog. 1340Anchored 1 4 'Nl ' L-4 f p p at Ulithi,.Caroline 1slands,in 23 L ' W p ' 4 ,, , i fathomsof water, coral and sand ' I 1 5 is 4 bottom. Sounds, romantic, bu't 4 A A 75 you can have our share of it. rs-. .. --.-...A , 2 2 74 'YWQCQZ E.r..:!'.5zf.'mx mv-fffffl 1, 1 ...1.. 1 26 JULY 1945-1645 An- other draft of good men trans- ferred from the Napa to bolster the crews of other less fortunate ships. 21 JULY 1945 - 1945 What seaman ucaught first toe of left foot in electric fan upon getting up for watch?,7 That almost tops the radarman who broke his thumb when he fellsout of his bunk during the collision at Iwo! 24 JULY 1945 - Anchored as before. Chief Kruse had a big day--1130 he was promoted to 'the rankof Electrician QTJ and at 1445 he was transferred to the nearest naval district within the continental limits of the United States. 'cLucky Man. Chiefs Nickelatti and Key equally lucky a month later. 28 JULY 1945 - 1710 Lt. Comdr. R. W. Harris, QMCJ, USNR, was injured while return- ing to ship from organized recre- ation: diagnosis, fractured tibia, award, first place in the high jump. r 29 JULY 1945-0714 Under- way for Hagpshi, Okinawa ls- land, Nansei Shoto group. L9 1