Sanborn (APA 193) - Naval Cruise Book

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how to clear the beaches ot underwater obstacles and how to direct the landing ot boats. They learned to dig in and how to care for and evacuate the wounded against that day when the beach would be raked with tire. The ship's crew in the meantime were learning the ropes on deck, becoming more skillful in handling lines and equipment and cut- ting down the time required for getting troops, brought aboard in Pearl l'lOflJOf for a new program of practice landings in the Hawaiian Islands. Equipment and men were tested daily. Errors were made, equipment tailed in many instances. Vicious weather, coral beaches, and un- familiar maneuvers with a newly-formed organization ot ships, operating in strange waters, tested everyone from top to bottom. ff Beachhead Bound! LCVPS 011 the Mow boats into the water and away from the ship. ln November the Sanborn reported fiemm, We at M , ' ' 'f ' l 'I Mrv.H--n-uuQnr M, f-wwf-if t'-vi-...::,..i-Ir-' if M f mfg. W., B-L l 44, ' The twenty-sixth day of December the Sanborn, in company with three other APAS was underway for Kahului Maui for duty, still somewhat new in appear- ance but ready for work. ln Port Hue- neme, California she loaded the Thirty- fourth Special CB. Battalion, took a cargo of cement, lumber and vehicles and set out to sea in company with tive other APAs bound tor Honolulu. Decem- ber tound the Sanborn well on the way to the war. The C.B.s were unloaded at Honolulu to be quickly replaced by Army T. H. to load Landing Team Three, twenty-titth Regiment, Fourth Marine Division, atter having spent Christmas Night returning to Honolulu from a two- day training exercise tor beach parties. These troops were to be her tirst inva- sion-bound passengers. Loading was completed on the twenty-eighth and she returned to Honolulu Harbor, She was now a part ot the Sth Amphibious Force,

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Pacific Fleet, under Commander Amphi- bious Forces, Vice Admiral R. K. Turner. This force was in turn part of the 5th Fleet under the command of Admiral R. A. Spruance. Still further in the or- ganization she was in Task Group 53.2, and as a part of that unit she spent the month of January at training exercises in the vicinity of Maui, T. l-l. By then she was slowly but surely becoming ship- shope. After reporting back to l-lonolulu the Task Force headed for Eniwetok on the 28th, bound for the first time toward the real battle area. During the month of January the ship found many new problems aside from the tactical and material aspects of vvar- fare. With 2,000 men aboard every avail- able foot of space was taken up by the troops and supplies, yet a semblance of homelife vvas required for those aboard. So time schedules were adjusted and the ship's routine altered to fit the needs of the passengers and crew. The prepara- tion of meals and the cleaning routine were changed to take care of many more men than usual. Troops had not only to eat and sleep as comfortably as possible but they had to shower and shave, they had to have clean clothing, and they had to have hair cuts. Proper medical atten- tion under these crowded conditions was essential. Beyond these necessities there were provided those things which Ameri- cans live by-opportunities for religious worship, physical activity, and not least H-Hour Aboard the Sanborn of all, books to read, cigarettes to smoke and a place to relax, even if it was under a boat at a game of cards or atop a ven- So,ftenmg Up by Support Vessels