Shadwell (LSD 15) - Naval Cruise Book

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year spent in various amphibious exercises. In 1956 SHAD- WELL was assigned a resupply operation in the Caribbean, followed by her first six month tour of duty with the SIXTH Fleet in the Mediterranean. Late 1957 and 1958 saw the ship participate in several operations in the Caribbean and U.S. Coastal Waters. SHADWELL, in 1959, became the first LSD helicopter carrier when she loaded eight HUS-type helicopters and Marine aviators for a trial operation with the Amphibious Forces in the Mediterranean. The success proven by SHADWELL in this mode of operation has made the Marine helicopter unit an important part of the Amphibious Task Force. Retuming from the Mediterranean, SHADWELI. made two trips to the Caribbean, adding Kingston and Cuidad Trujillo to the list of ports of call. On the latter of these cruises Navy helicopters operated from the fleet's smallest carrier. The retum to Norfolk by SHADWELL was delayed by the destructive Hurricane Donna. Playing cat and mouse and hiding in the lee of the Antilles, the ship finally made a dash for Norfolk and made port two days before the storm crashed into the area. In 1960, SHADWELL once again set course for the Mediter- ranean with helicopters aboard. During this tour many rec- ords were set for other helo carriers to match, such as. 4,000 landings on board. the logging of 660 flight hours in one month, and the initiation of 26 Marine Pilots in SHAlJWElLL's Centurion Club. The sole requirement for the latter is 100 landings on SHADWELl.'s Flight Deck. Retuming to CONUS in May 1961, SHADWI-ILL received a major overhaul under the Fleet Rehabilitation and Moderniza- tion Program which occupied the remainder of the year. SHADWELL commenced her fourth Mediterranean deploy- ment in May 1962, again embarking a Marine Helicopter de- tachment. Proficiency in flight operations during Amphibious Exercises contributed to saving the life of a Greek National who was airlifted from the remote island of ELANFONISOS to an Athens hospital for emergency surgery. Having just completed the deployment in October, SHADWELI. was never-the-less ready to answer the nations call to arms for the Cuban Crises of 1962, and put to sea with members of the Amphibious Forces for the entire operation. The first quarter of 1962 was one of relative inactivity as SHADWELL completed routine training assignments and made preparations for her forthcoming shipyard overhaul. The ship entered the New York City area the first of April to commence the two month overhaul. On completion of SHADWh11.l.'s overhaul. refresher training at Guantanamo Bay. Cuba and Amphibious Refresher Training at Little Creek, Virginia prepared the crew for an- other Mediterranean deployment with an embarked helicopter detachment. On 20 September 1963. SHADWELL departed the United States on her fifth Mediterranean deployment. During Mediterranean operations SHADWEL1. participated in many amphibious landings. several of them jointly with NATO allies. Upon her return on 26 February 1964. SHADWELL participated in Operation Quick Kick V. a major amphibious landing off the coast of South Carolina. SHADWELL then deployed south to the Virgin Islands in order to pick up a detachment of UDT person- nel and return them to Norfolk. In the latter part of July. SHADWELL spent a week in New York City so the crew could attend the world's fair. SHADWELL again deployed the Mediterranean in October taking part in operation Steel Pike enroute off the coast of Spain. SHADWELL returned to CONUS in March 1965 to begin an upkeep period. During the Summer and Fall of 1965 SHADWELL conducted several lifts of a non-amphibious nature again visiting New York and t.he Bahamas. In March 1966 SHADWELL sailed for her seventh Mediter- ranean deployment and returned. after a highly successful cruise, in August 1966, to begin her regular overhaul. After completion of her 1966 overhaul SHADWELL entered an intensive training phase prior to deploying to the Mediter- ranean. This included two weeks at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. followed by two weeks with the Amphibious Operational Training Unit in Little Creek. SHADWELL departed for the Mediterranean in March 1967 for a five month deployment which saw the ship standing ready to respond with aid or assistance in the Greek Coup and the Arab-Israeli War. During SHADWELL's eighth Med deployment. the ship acted as a base for the Squadrons only helicopter. performing numerous medical evacuations. SHADWELL partici- pated in many amphibious exercises including the joint NATO landing. 1-'air Game Y. at Lovo Santo, Corsica and completed a special advance base unit lift to Crete. The year 1967 has been SHADWELL's greatest year of achievement. with the following awards earned by its outstanding crew: The Battle Efficiency O Award. Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Prize Fund, the Second Amphibious Assault Award. the Communications Proficiency Award iGreen CW and Gunnery tWhite t'E J Awards for all mounts and directors. SHADWELL was also a finalist in com- petition for the NEY Award and recommended for the Arleigh Burke Award.

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THE KEEL OF USS SHADWELL CLSD-153 was laid in New- port News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Newport News, Virginia, during February 1944. Exactly three months later, on May 24, Miss Mary GREENMAN, daughter of Captain W. G. GREENMAN, USN, christened Hull 407 as USS SHADWELL, Landing Ship Dock 15. On June 24, 1944, SHADWELL was com- missioned in the U.S. Navy at ceremonies in the Naval Ship- yard, Portsmouth, Virginia. Her design having been conceived by the British, SHAD- WELL was originally contracted for delivery to the United Kingdom. and was assigned the names HMS TOMAHAWK and HMS WATERWAY prior to being taken over by our Navy. SHADWELL is the first ship to bear the name. She commemo- rates the birthplace and early home in Charlottesville, Virginia, of Thomas Jefferson, our third president. After christening, a three month period was spent in fitting out and shakedown. In August 1944, SHADWELL sailed for the West Coast. SHADWELL departed the United States on October 20, 1944 proceeding to Guadalcanal to join the Amphibious forces in the South Pacific. After a brief period of routine transport duties. she was assigned to Task Force 78. In December 1944, after embarking units of an Army Engineering Battalion, SHADWELL proceeded through the treacherous Philippine Sea to participate in the invasion at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon. In spite of heavy air. surface, and submarine opposition, SHADWELL's guns remained silent during the entire voyage to the objective area due to the extreme effectiveness of the screening units. However on D Day, January 9, 1945, shortly after unloading her troops and cargo, and while getting underway to return to Leyte. SHADWELL bagged a Japanese Zero. On a return trip to Luzon later in January 1945, Task Group 78.8 of which SHADWELL was a part, was attacked by three enemy torpedo planes. Two were shot down by protective aircraft, but the third, after escaping in the darkness for 3 short time. returned from the high hills to press home an at- tack. The For-cehopened fire, but the attacker was able to release his deadly missile before he passed overhead and crashed into the sea. Seconds later the torpedo ripped into the Starboard side of SHADWELL just forward of amidships leaving a gaping sixty-foot hole where once the side had been. The Task Force steamed on, leaving two destroyers to pick up survivors, The crew was determined that SHADWELL would live and through almost miraculous effort. had her steaming under ner 3vZ:eP:gV?gtai?gIg25gna5ter1Sunrise the following morning. There barked troops were iron y three members of her crew and em- jured. After a brief sto at Le te for . P Y temporary repairs she was able to return to the States for required permanent repairs. One year after her commissioning, SHADWELL arrived at Bremerton, Washington, for major repair work. She had little time at sea, but much praise from Fleet Admiral NIMITZ to her credit. Bremerton Navy Yard spent two months putting SHADWELL back in topnotch condition. In July 1945, she sailed to join Admiral HALSEY's Third Fleet. In August 1945, SHADWELL was among the first units to enter Tokyo Bay, and she remained in the area performing routine occupation duties until May 1946, On 10 July 1947, SHADWELL was placed out of commission in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Orange, Texas. Just prior to the national emergency declared by President Truman in 1950, SHADWELL was again placed in commission at Orange, Texas on 20 September. During the remaining months of 1950, SHADWELL and her crew underwent intensive shake- down training, After this, the ship that refused to sink was ordered into the Charleston Navy Yard for a three month altera- tion period. Upon completion, SHADWELL joined the Atlantic Fleet as an active unit of the Amphibious Force. The year 1951 saw SHADWELL at Thule, Greenland, par- ticipating in the highly secret Arctic expedition known to the press as Bluejay , in Newfoundland on Operation Convex g throughout the Caribbean area on HLANTFLEX-52 , and finally back to Norfolk, Virginia for leave and liberty. The year of 1952 was a busy one. This included several Atlantic Coast Operations with the Marines and a trip to Balti- more for major alterations. Leaving Baltimore sporting a new mezzanine deck, super deck, flag quarters and helicopter landing deck, the experi- enced t'Arctic Explorer braced herself for two more extended operations north of the Arctic Circle. This was followed by operations in the Caribbean in early 1953 and back to Labrador in May for Operation t'Pinetree . SHADWELL welcomed the change in 1955 when two cruises took her to Havana and Bermuda, with the remainder of the

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Above: Mount 42 trains high to hit target sleeve Right: SHADWELL Highlines with DE 864 at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba The beginning of the new year 1968 found SHAD- WELL just completing as extensive four month yard overhaul at Baltimore and Newport News. During that period, along with the physical overhaul of the ship's structure came an overhaul in the personnel who man the ship and who made up SHADWELL. Many new personnel were reporting aboard, some from boot camp, some from Navy schools, and some from other ships. . .Most of them unfamiliar with Amphibious operations. And so began the involved process of familarization and training. Processes designed to wield the many desperate elements into a well organ- ized yet flexible organization.