Tortuga (LSD 26) - Naval Cruise Book

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Tallring it over Transferring Cargo Underway Z V I Swells like these made the ,operations tough at times and the LSU's took a beating, too! Page Thirty-Three

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tg 2 if 22 if f' HAEHINDHETGPGN In July the Navy decided that perhaps we were suf- ficiently recovered to go back to work for a little while, so we joined forces with a number of trans- ports and LST's for the first Hachinohe operation. This was quite a thing! First we had to run up to Hachinohe from Yokosuka, about a 500-mile trip, to pick up an Army regimental combat team and its equipment. On the way up, steaming in forma- tion, the Commodore decided it was high time for a little tactical maneuvering. Now don't forget that these were the first 'fleet maneuvers we'd ever had . . . and the cussing started when the first signal hoist hit the air. Oh, it's not so tough to get in column and stay there, but when those Emergency Turns 'start coming at you one after another you feel like you're driving in LA traffic, and fourteen knots seems like the speed of a jet. Even with all this it's not so bad in the daytime . . . but just wait until they spring those night zig-zag plans! Quiet . . . dark . . . no moon . . . and all at once you look at the clock and swing 50 degrees to the left, only hoping the other ships are doing the same thing, too. They tell me one of the OOD's almost fell off the bridge trying to see if the SKAGIT was turning the same way we were . . . and a helmsman who swung right on a left rudder order was left hanging at the starboard yardarm for three whole days. Well, we're here, aren't we? So I guess you know luck was with us. '-Loadedofor bear . . . Page Thirty-Two 'and 'ready to go!

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After loading the troops and vehicles in Hachinohe we made our actual landing back down near Yokosuka at Sagami Wan. And we gave them the works, too! Put the smoke boats over and fired up the smoke generators on the wingwalls back aft . . . starting a nice hot fire in a 40mm gun mount in the process. No damage . . . and after we'd put our cargo of LSU's to work unloading troops from the trans- ports we declared holiday routine, bal- lasted down, and all hands went for a swim. That's one thing good about an LSD . . . it doesn't take long to get rid of your cargo. Why, those guys on the transports were working all night . . . and here we were enjoying a swim in our own private pool. Not bad, huh? N Af CHR We put the second Hachinohe operation under our belts easily, and then came back to Yokosuka once more for some really interestingf news. Yes boys, it's true! We're going to get a look at something else out here besides Korea ,-., ,and Japan. They want us to run some LSU's down to Subic Bay . . . so let's 'castoff and get going! Page A T hirty-Four .M W A' .igvflbiwn Back to Yokosuka again for another short yard period before the second amphibious operation . . . and a little more R Kz R. The weather kicked up one night . . . our mooring shackle parted from the buoy . . . and we had a really tense moment or two drifting slowly down on the AJAX with the tide . . . out of control. .Nick Gonzales got a commendatory mast for letting go the anchor in time to stop us, and also eafrned himself a place in the famous last words de- partment by insisting when he relieved the bow watch just before the incident that that thing will never break! Maybe you think Lady Luck wasn't on our side a time or two this trip! aft we J lil y D ' , 'L , 4 o. ri YEAH Somew LISSEM TO 04.0 SER DADDY ,, mo vouu mme cmec :one You KNOW W--