Historical AAR - LST 590

[jedwardpita]

Bonus relative:

At the Thanksgiving festivities my sister filled me in on a two war veteran in the family. I have a distant cousin who was a sailor in WWI. He was on a sub chaser and was assigned to the hydrophone. (During WWI, submarines were detected by listening for their engines or propellers. A simple two-earphone (air tube) device was worn by the sonar operator who could determine the direction from which the sound arrived by mechanically rotating the receiver.) He was picked because he had unusually large ears!

After WWI he was in the construction trade. During WWII he joined the CBs (naval construction battalions). He served in the South Pacific. After the war he married a Swedish cook, moved to an island in the Puget Sound, built a cabin and retired.

[BBfanboy]

Great stories JEP! I had no idea that there was such a thing as a forestry engineer unit!

[Uncivil Engineer]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Great stories JEP! I had no idea that there was such a thing as a forestry engineer unit!

There are quarry engineer units, too. That's where they got all that rock to build runways. As post engineer in Germany in the 80's we had a civilian quarry section, primarily to provide rock to maintain the tank trails around and on the tank training ranges. The same base at which the DAK trained before going to North Africa, the VII Corps fielded the M1 tank and trained before going to Kuwait/Iraq.

[jedwardpita]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Great stories JEP! I had no idea that there was such a thing as a forestry engineer unit!

Thanks for the kind words. Real life is always stranger then fiction.

[jedwardpita]

2/11/45 While joining up with main convoy at rendezvous area, LST 577 was torpedoed. Stern end, from forward of boat deck, broke off and sank within 20 seconds. Forward end remained afloat. Later sunk by escorts. Submarine got away.

"February 11, 1945 a sub sank LST 577, just as we started to join other convoy. At 1100 in the morning survivors were picked up by the Sub Chasers and LSM. LST 577 was hit by two torpedoes. Stern sank in 30 seconds after hit, and forward part was sunk by gunfire (220 rounds of 5" ammo from destroyers). Pulled into Leyte on February 13,1945. Went alongside LST 637 to give them water in afternoon we formed a new convoy going north for Lingayen Gulf, Luzon."

The naval memorial lists 166 sailors and soldiers killed by the sinking. Here is the link to the list: http://navylog.navymemorial.org/lst-577.

2/13/45 Arrived Leyte Gulf. LCT 1258 taken in tow. 1935 - Underway for Lingayen Gulf, Philippines. Convoy consisted of 91 ships: LSTs, Transports, Cargo Ships, LCIs and LCTs. Escorts are DDs, DEs and SCs. OTC (officer in tactical command) is Captain Maness aboard the LST 574.

[jedwardpita]

bonus mailbag 12/13/45

"Have just gotten back from a movie that I would judge to be the 1000th best picture of the year. The title was "Idaho" and I expected a dramatic picture on a level with "Oklahoma" or "Union Pacific". Roy rogers, the cowboy actor, was the hero and you can visualize the rest. This is the extent of the war news today."

This was written after the sinking on the 11th. However, the censorship rules prohibited the sailors from talking about it in a letter home or saying precisely where they were. His relatives only knew his ship and that he was in the south pacific.

[Nomad]

My dad was on LST-354. Here he and his ship are at Bougainville in November 1943

[jedwardpita]

ORIGINAL: Nomad

My dad was on LST-354. Here he and his ship are at Bougainville in November 1943

Cool picture. Much sooner then the 590 entered the area.

[jedwardpita]

2/15/45 Went to "general Quarters". Enemy submarine off port quarter. Secured. Escort reports sub sunk.

2/16/45 cast off LCT 1258.

2/18/45 Arrived at Lingayen Gulf, Luszon.

2/19/45 Beached, commenced unloading. Called to "General Quarters." Secured General Quarters. Enemy aircraft in area. Secured.

2/20/45 Still Beached. Finished unloading Army Troops. Taking on equipment and personnel of Marine Scout Bombing Group 243; Marine Aircraft Group 32; First Marine Wing. Ent to "General Quarters". Enemy aircraft attacked ship with bombs. Closest miss approximately 500 yards, landing on beach just forward of bow. Although splattered with shrapnel and debris, no personnel injured. All clear. Secured.

"About 2330 we were called to G.Q. again. Everyone had hit the sack so that by the time we had manned our guns we heard a very weird screaming noise. Then all of a sudden we heard the plane turn on its motor and started to pull out its dive. A few seconds later the bomb had hit. Everyone can recall the color of fire that shot into the air. It looked like little orange sparklers shot about a thousand feet into the air. There were close to 30 LSTs on the beach. The bomb fell about 300 yards in front of the bow doors. One marine was injured from shrapnel. Several of the fellows were knocked down by the concussion. The bomb weighed 1,000 pounds. One fellow was killed and several were injured. We secured from G.Q. and finished reloading the equipment of the Marine Air Corp. We retracted the next day and got the stern anchor cable caught in one of our screws."

2/21/45 Retracted from beach. Proceeded to anchorage.

2/22/45 Went to General quarters. Enemy aircraft in area. Secured.

[jedwardpita]

mail call 12/20/44

"This has been a helter-skelter day. Each place we go we have to become oriented to the supply set up and during this process run around like a chicken without a head. One can see the change to less organized at newer and more informal bases as we get nearer the battle areas.

There are good sized army units inland here [Hollandia], and I understand quite a few WACs [women in the army]. I haven't seen any as yet, however.

There is a movie on board the next ship but our engines are running so we can't hear any of it and it is not very interesting as a silent movie."

[jedwardpita]

2/23/44 unidentified aircraft. went to Battle Stations. Secured. Underway-Enroute to Mindoro, Philippines with 46 ships in convoy, five escorts. CTC is Captain Manness, ComLSTFlot [commander LST flotilla] 14 aboard LST 574.

2/25/44 Two submarine contacts reported by escorts. Went to Battle Stations. Made emergency turn to starboard. Escorts report one sub sunk. Secured.

"On February 25,1945 we pulled into Manyarin Bay, Mindora. We hit the beach and unloaded the Marines. We had made a new convoy going back north. No on had made liberty in the last two ports."

2/28/45 Arrived at Subic Bay, Luzon. Voyage uneventful.

"February 28, 1945, we arrived at Subic Bay, Luzon. Everyone will recall the whiskey they sold at this port for $25.00 a quart. It was made of wood alcohol and gasoline. This was our first liberty in the Philippines. The little town of Subic wasn't much. The school had been bombed and several other buildings were bombed also. We had our inspection of the ship in this Port by Commander Carson. We were rated 4.0. We had just installed the steering in the conn and the captain got a well done for it. We amde a few repairs to the ship then we went to our next port."

[jedwardpita]

Mail Bag Extra 12/22/44 - Hollandia

"This has been an active and enjoyable day. This afternoon I went inland for 40 to 50 miles. It is no problem to get transportation - trucks, buses and jeeps running all of the time. The army and the Seabees have done a remarkable job in building roads and airfields. The road we traveled on was very hilly and twisty. In going we caught seven different rides. Had better luck coming bakc and only changed twice.

Wish you could see some the scenery here - mountains literally rising into the clouds, mostly wooded but with some prairie grassy sections. We went around the edge of a very large freshwater lake. At three places near the edge of the lake we saw native villages. On this side of the island the natives have their villages built out in the water joining the edge of the lake or seashore.

Another part of the island is the very dense swampy land. These conditions make fighting on land a very difficult, slow and unpleasant task.

The soldiers and seabees here are very friendly, happy go-lucky fellows for the most part."

[jedwardpita]

ship repaired using dynamite!

3/9/45 Beached. Loading men and equipment of 592 Assault Signal Co. Also, aboard 54 Naval passengers.

3/10/45 Departed Subic Bay, Enroute Leyte. Convoy consists of 43 ships.

3/14/45 Arrived Leyte Gulf.

3/15/45 Hit beach and unloaded 592 Assault Signal Company. Retracted and proceeded to anchorage. - Notice how many different types of units 590 has transported. Also, every convoy in this area is large in game terms.

3/18/45 Beached at Tannan Beach starboard side LST 635.

"On March 18, we changed our starboard screw, without going into dry dock. It was quite a sight to see. They used a small charge of dynamite to blow the screw off. After we had the screw fixed we beached. We almost hit another LST while going on the beach. We beached at night instead of the day time, because of the rush we were in. The next day the ship had to leave in a convoy. That night Raihl and Rajewski were scuffling on the bow ramp. Both fell into the water and Rajewski lost his billfold. He was very unlucky, because he had over $100.00 in his billfold."

3/19/45 Bached as before. Troops and equipment of 1052 Port Construction and Repair Corps and 4th Air Depot coming aboard. Retracted.

[jedwardpita]

bonus mailbag 2/26/45

"It is a strange thing how much one talks and thinks of the past or future and how little of the present because there is very little happening or else it is too unpleasant to reflect on."

[jedwardpita]

LST 590 boards Japanese CA and takes Prisoners!

3/21/45 Underway for Manila Bay

3/24/45 Arrives at Manila Bay. Unidentified planes in area. Went to general quarters. Secured - Planes proved friendly.

3/26/45 Small boat from this ship pulled alongside with two Japanese prisoners who surrendered to boat crew from sunken Japanese cruiser inside breakwater. Ensign Thomasson, two gaurds and the boat crew escorted prisoners to proper authority in Manila where they were interned.

"On March 26,1945, our small boat [boat carried by LST for pickups and deliveries] was going around to sunken sips trying to pick up some stuff we could use on our ship. they stopped at a Jap Cruiser and went aboard. They were walking around when they heard a noise. They turned around and saw two Japs behind them. All they had with them was one knife. Evans was the one that had the boat and brought them back to the ship. They said they had gone 22 days without food. They were then taken to the P.O.W. camp."

3/28/45 Underway for Leyte Gulf. Group commander of LST Group 65 in LST 635 at head of column. As ships passed Caballo Island, Japanese shore battery opened fire. Two shells were seen to land in water on starboard side this ship just aft of beam, distance 200 yards, another shell passed over vessel just even with gun #2. Went to general quarters. No further gunfire noted. Secured from GQ. SOPA aboard HMAS Manoora (AMC converted to LSI).

"On March 28, we pulled out of Manila Bay and started for Leyte. We passed Corregidor about 0500 [5 AM] and were fired on by Jap 75 MM gun. ... We were the fifth ship in the column, so the Captain set a new speed, changed "Flank" and we went up near the front of the convoy. The nest day the island was air-raided [bombed]. It was a small island just a few hundred feet from Corregidor. ... This route was always crowded with convoys of ships going north or south."

[jedwardpita]

Bonus mail call 3/27/45:

"We had quite an exciting experience yesterday. Our small boat crew was on a partly sunken Jap ship, here in the harbor [Manila Bay], seeing what supplies and equipment they could pick up. One of the men was walking along the deck and heard someone cough behind him. He turned around to find two Jap sailors. One could speak English. He explained they wanted to surrender and asked the man who found them to take them to our ship. They had been living on the sunken ship without food and with very little water. They were quite thankful for the food and water we gave them. One was an older fellow about 40 years old and I suspect an officer. The other one was about 20 years old. The gunnery officer took them to the prison camp on shore. They were model prisoners, by the way."

[BBfanboy]

I had a look on Google maps - Caballa Island is a small island near Corregidor Island. The two islands form a choke point between Bataan and the south shore of Manila Bay.

[jedwardpita]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

I had a look on Google maps - Caballa Island is a small island near Corregidor Island. The two islands form a choke point between Bataan and the south shore of Manila Bay.

I wonder if a few Japanese survivors managed to repair a damaged gun and fire off the last few shells they had.

[jedwardpita]

3/31/1945 Anchored in San Pedro Bay Leyte.

4/4/45 Departed Leyte enroute to Manus Island.

4/10/45 Arrived at Manus Island.

4/11/45 Barges came alongside in preparation for placing pontoons on both sides of ship.

4/12/45 Pontoons secured to port and starboard sides.

4/13/45 Took on men and equipment of U.S. Naval beaching party. Departed Manus enroute to Morotai Island. - The naval landing parties supervised the unloading of men and equipment. They were essential for amphibious efficiency.

4/19/45 Arrived and anchored at Morotai.

4/23/45 Loaded troops and supplies of 9th Australian Infantry Division. Pontoons on sides and 20 CBs of 11th CBBN aboard. Completed loading and retracted.

"They were mostly LSTs and liberties [cargo ships mass produced in WW II]. The British and Dutch had several transports there, but the rest was made up of the 7th Amphibs fleet. While we were tied up to a dock to take on water we had an air raid. Everyone was on edge. On April 22 we loaded up with Aussies for a D day invasion. Everyone was trying to guess where we were going. We had been warned that the beach was well protected by large guns."

4/24/45 Engaged in invasion maneuvers. - Dress rehearsal for invasion. Is there a game equivalent?

Nest 590 war log - D Day.


Can anyone guess (without looking it up) where they will invade?

[jedwardpita]

Bonus Mailbag 4/2/45

"This is not a very eventful day for us. I don't know how hot it gets there [Arkansas], but I don't believe it can come up to the heat further down. On an average day it was 113 degrees in the shade.

...

At night one of the major topics of conversation is what the men intend to do when they get out of the navy. I would rather like to get in some more college work if I could do it under the GI Bill of Rights. That may be some way off however.

I had no idea rationing and shortages were as strict as you were telling. It is only natural however, with the big army in Europe and army and navy over here, allso with a cold winter back home."