Sanborn (APA 193) - Naval Cruise Book

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iw R it I Jvvvvklwl WAR DIARY While the U.S.S. Sanborn lAPA l93l is not the biggest nor the fastest nor the fightingest ship in the fleet those who sail her can look back with pride on her accomplishments as an auxiliary vessel in the amphibious forces of the United States Navy. l-ler parenthetical designa- tion of lAPAl identifies her as an at- tack transport, and as such she is a member of a class. Differing from the regular transport, she not only carries the assault troops for an invasion but she puts them ashore with necessary equipment and supplies without benefit of special docking facilities. Like the amphibian she virtually is, she plows ahead within hailing distance of the enemy and disgorges her cargo of fight- ing men and equipment into her landing boats. These rugged little boats then shuttle back and forth to the beaches until every man, gun, truck, jeep, bull- dozer and medical aid is ashore. As an amphibious attack vessel she leaves the naval fighting to more heavily armed ships of the line, but in an emergency her well trained gun crews can throw up a fiery protective wall against enemy raiders. She carries an organized unit of blue jackets known as the Beach Party. These men are trained to hit the beach with the first units to go ashore. There they clear the way for rapid unloading of succeeding waves of small boats. The Beach Party has its own medical unit who assist with the general evacuation of the wounded and look after casualties in their own group. Others in the party direct traffic on the beach and act in a liaison capacity between the beach and the ship. The crew left aboard the ship pour out vital cargo into the returning landing boats and stand by to clear the ship of any emergency. Radiomen sort out the meaningful from networks dense with communications, others make nec- essary interpretations, effect orders, and maintain the basic organization of the operation. After the assault phase of an invasion she may double as a hospital ship, replacing her cargo of offensive equipment with casualties from the beaches. When filled to capacity with wounded she may be ordered to a base back from the forward area for unload- ing. There she may draw a less essential assignment, perhaps she will act as a cargo vessel to bring supplies to the front. The Sanborn's record is not atypi- cal. ln these various roles she has set a record of valiance and those of her com- pany know she has met every test in keeping with the highest traditions of the American Navy. Of victory type design, she was con- structed as an APA at the Kaiser Yards, Vancouver, Washington for the Mari- time Commission. She left the ways in August, i944 and was commissioned in brief ceremonies on the third of October, Astoria, Oregon, with Commander Sidney l-luguenin, USNR, in command. The exigency of the times into which she made her appearance called for an im- mediate transition from a new ship with inexperienced men to an old experienced one manned with seamen capable of doing a job. lf she was to be of real as- sistance in this war there could be no delay in her preparation for battle. The European war was being decided on land and in the air, but in the Pacific aroc the problems were primarily naval. Island after island was being taken back from the Japanese and the pace wa: accelerating. The elimination of the Japanese Navy had already begun, sur- face and air blockades had been set effectively to cut off vital supplies and

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llillllillnlll-lllllllilllilil1JJ!JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJKIIX The Lilneratoins More Against the Philippines communicotion between enemy held islonds, From the bottles of the for South Pocific up through the Morsholls to the Morionos, the pottern of victory wos pointing the woy to Jcipon proper. With eoch ocquisition the need become greoter for more ships, more supplies, cind the supply lines become more extended. Men ond moteriel hod to be rushed to the for- vvcird oreos ond londed on the beoches. The APA wos designed for exoctly thot kind of job. So the Sonborn colmly but swiftly set out to become the kind of ship which wos needed, reolizing thot within o very short time she would be in contoct with the enemy. October l-4th she stood out from the dock. ot Astorio, where only o few hours before the lost of her crew hod come oboord. Mony found themselves ot seo for the first time, but from o nucleus of old honds on orgonizotion begon to grow os the ship mode her vvoy corefully down the Columbio River ond on to Seottle. After thot short houl things be- gon smoothing out ond with o few od- justments to ormoments, composses, ond other equipment, she set course to Son Froncisco. She wos there for only o few hours toking oboord londing croft. lt wos there for the first time thot mony of the men got on insight into the serious- ness of the work oheod when it wos leorned thot there could be no liberty or shore leove. From there to Son Pedro for shokedown tests ond provisioning, then on to Son Diego for intensified troining in omphibious londings. Doys ond nights were spent in moking simuloted ottocks on the beoches off Coronodo. Boot crews ond officers spent long hours in the smoll londing croft co-ordinoting ond timing group moneu- vers. Coxsvvoins become skilled in put- ting their croft onto the beoch through turbulent seos ond leorned how to retroct their boots through mountoinous woves, which sometimes splintered the protec- tive sploshboords. The beoch porties went through invosion proctices leorning