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They Aussies were clearing out the Northern part of the DEI so my guess might be the Tarakan area or somewhere near there.

9 Div went to Tarakan (one brigade) & Brunei (2 brigades), so one of those.

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

They Aussies were clearing out the Northern part of the DEI so my guess might be the Tarakan area or somewhere near there.

100% correct -congratulations.

ORIGINAL: Ian R

9 Div went to Tarakan (one brigade) & Brunei (2 brigades), so one of those.

Partial credit. Good knowledge of the landings.

D-day Tarakan Borneo

4/27/45 Departed Morotai to invade Tarakan, Borneo. Part of 0-1 Operation, Com Task Group 78.1. Part of Echelon 0-1-F with CTG 78.1 aboard USS Rocky Mount [amphibious control ship]. Ships in convoy were HMAS Manoora [AMC converted to LSI], HMAS Westralia [AMC converted to LSI], USS Rushmore [LSD], 20 LSTs, 17 LCIs, 3 LSMs, small craft. Escorts of seven destroyers, destroyer escorts and sub-chasers.

4/30/45 Maneuvering into approach formation. All vehicles undogged and ready to roll.

5/1/45 D-Day Tarakan, Borneo. Preliminary bombardment underway. Let go anchor 4,000 yards off beach. Received report of enemy submarine surfacing at stern of LST 562. 0658 - Launched Starboard Pontoon. CBs moored pontoons alongside. Proceeding to beach. Beached and started unloading Australian troops and equipment. Still at General Quarters. 1025 - LCI 655 came alongside starboard side to unload troops over this ship's main deck. 1035 - LCI 1072 along port side to unload troops. 1045 - LCI 655 pulled away from starboard side. 1058 - LCI 126 alongside starboard side to unload troops over this ships main deck. LCI 1072 shoved off from port side. Demolition charges showered ship with shrapnel and debris. One Australian soldier killed instantly when struck by shrapnel on bow ramp. 1500 - Secured from General Quarters. 2005 - Completed discharging of troops and cargo. Unable to retract from beach. LCI 626 cast from starboard side. Australian demolition unit began blasting out underwater rail and concrete obstacles nearby and under ship. Crew warned to take cover from flying debris.

In game terms all the troops and cargo of the LSTs and LCIs were landed in one day. Is a LST being stuck on shore possible in the game?

As far as I know, no LSTs get stuck onshore. In game terms, the rising tide should lift it off by the next day unless it is already the high time. In that case, other ships will help to tow it off the beach.

Bonus Reflections of Tom Crawford D-Day Tarakan recorded 11/26/96

"This picture from Warren Bower who visited Australia in October 1996 and was able to get a copy of this action picture at Tarakan from the records at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia [I don't have the picture]

The night before this picture was taken a U.S. Cruiser lobbed shells at the Jamp positions. At daybreak small boats carrying Aussie infantry headed for shore with Rocket Launching Crafts [LCI-R] pounding the beach. Out LST (there were 10 of us) was next in line. We had (2) 300 foot pontoons lashed to our side. It was the job of Seabees to get them in position (what brave guys) out there with ropes, chains and winches. The LST slid onto a sand bar with 6ft deep water (sluice) to go to shore. Our maps showed this so then the pontoons became a causeway to shore. [this is why the LCIs came alongside to unload infantry.] This picture is the Aussies form our ship going ashore on the pontoon roadway. Their Bulldozers, Tanks, Field Guns, Jeeps and Trucks proceeded them. There is a priority on a beachhead. A bulldozer has the right of way after Tanks and Field Guns.

This wreckage in the foreground is all that is left of a jeep that had been carrying 4 Australian Reporters driven by an Aussie Corporal. He pulled off the road to give way to a Bull Dozer and struck a land mine. The four reporters were killed and the driver behind the wheel was just scratched.

On landing, my job was to open the Starboard Bow Door. The Port Bow Door was opened by another sailor named Bob Powers who lowered the ramp. We got our orders from the Bridge as we were in Control Rooms. (Small closet like rooms of valves and switches.)

Form the wreckage of the Jeep the Seabees salvaged the engine and rigged it up to a generator so they had lights that night to facilitate the offloading of our ship.

The next day an endless line of Dutch people were walking on the beach with no place to go carrying packs, and each other, trying to get away from the fighting. They were people of Dutch extraction that had come to this paradise 150 years ago.

Due to the oil there, Tarakan was a must for the Japanese War Machine. They lashed barrels together that were full of oil, towed them to the Ocean current that went to Japan and could gather them without any risk of Tankers getting sunk by subs or planes. But anyway, we were lucky the Japs had no planes available to blast us."

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

As far as I know, no LSTs get stuck onshore. In game terms, the rising tide should lift it off by the next day unless it is already the high time. In that case, other ships will help to tow it off the beach.

I have had ships (not LSTs) stuck on a reef for a couple of turns. Ships had float damage when they got off the reef but survived with ports nearby.

I have had all manner of landing craft and ships damaged by 'hitting rocks' during landings, but they never hung up on them.
Enemy underwater obstacles are never mentioned.

Very interesting about the Japanese using ocean currents to carry their oil! I wonder how much of their industry was needed to make the barrels ...

Sad about the Jeep and passengers - but interesting that the engineers could rig up power for a generator out of the motor. And it appears the LST did not unload in one day if it needed light at night.

I wonder what the commander of the invasion forces at Tarakan did with the refugee Dutch? Did they take them off of Borneo and drop them at a secure rear island? Did they let them huddle in place until it was safe enough to move back to what was left of their homes? And what condition would they have been in after years of Japanese rule? I haven't read any accounts of the Dutch experience in the DEI during and after WWII.

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Very interesting about the Japanese using ocean currents to carry their oil! I wonder how much of their industry was needed to make the barrels ...

Sad about the Jeep and passengers - but interesting that the engineers could rig up power for a generator out of the motor. And it appears the LST did not unload in one day if it needed light at night.

I wonder what the commander of the invasion forces at Tarakan did with the refugee Dutch? Did they take them off of Borneo and drop them at a secure rear island? Did they let them huddle in place until it was safe enough to move back to what was left of their homes? And what condition would they have been in after years of Japanese rule? I haven't read any accounts of the Dutch experience in the DEI during and after WWII.

From Wikipedia:
During the first week of the invasion, 7,000 Indonesian refugees passed into the advancing Australian lines. This was a larger number than had been expected, and the refugees, many of whom were in poor health, overwhelmed the Dutch civil affairs unit. Despite the devastation caused by the Allied bombardment and invasion, most of the civilians welcomed the Australians as liberators.[49] Hundreds of Indonesian civilians later worked as labourers and porters for the Allied force.[50]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

As far as I know, no LSTs get stuck onshore. In game terms, the rising tide should lift it off by the next day unless it is already the high time. In that case, other ships will help to tow it off the beach.

I have had ships (not LSTs) stuck on a reef for a couple of turns. Ships had float damage when they got off the reef but survived with ports nearby.

I have had all manner of landing craft and ships damaged by 'hitting rocks' during landings, but they never hung up on them.
Enemy underwater obstacles are never mentioned.

There will be a lot of effort to get the LST off (even using PT boats). I will get into that story tomorrow.

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Very interesting about the Japanese using ocean currents to carry their oil! I wonder how much of their industry was needed to make the barrels ...

Sad about the Jeep and passengers - but interesting that the engineers could rig up power for a generator out of the motor. And it appears the LST did not unload in one day if it needed light at night.

I wonder what the commander of the invasion forces at Tarakan did with the refugee Dutch? Did they take them off of Borneo and drop them at a secure rear island? Did they let them huddle in place until it was safe enough to move back to what was left of their homes? And what condition would they have been in after years of Japanese rule? I haven't read any accounts of the Dutch experience in the DEI during and after WWII.

There is a book about an American woman who was married to a Canadian that were in Borneo and got captured by the Japanese. Their treatment was the same as the Dutch and other civilians although sometimes the Japanese were nicer to the children. Some guards including officers were nice but others were not nice. Even if they escaped into the jungle, there was no place to go.

This is the book:

Three Came Home
by Agnes Newton Keith

https://www.librarything.com/work/65494

Which was made into a movie:

Three Came Home (1950)

I read the book but I did not see the movie - yet!

Escape from Tarakan!

5/2/45 0015 - Enemy shore batteries opened up on ships on beach. Two shells hit within 15 feet of port bow. no damage. Mortars dropping around ship. Also, small arms fire from beach. No damage or casualties. 0800 - Attempted to retract. LI 1008 moored to port and LCI 1072 moored to starboard to aid in retraction. Engines all back full. Pumped 65,000 gallons of fresh water and 75,000 gallons of fuel overboard to lighten ship. Failed to retract. Secured engines.

5/3/45 Beached as before. Ship settled in mud bottom and is high and dry during low tide. All attempts to retract failed. LSTs 584 and 171 on port side. LST 711 on starboard side in similar situation,

5/12/45 All previous attempts to retract failed due to tides. LC 48 moored to starboard. LST 667 towing and ARS [salvage ship] 110 towing. Three PT Boats began making wash in bay in effort to increase depth of water on beach. LCM on port side to tow. Finally cleared beach. Cleared all lines and proceeded to anchorage.

5/13/45 Moored alongside LST 67 to take on fuel and water. Departed for Morotai.

Mail bag bonus 5/3/45 Because of censorship, he couldn't mention being stuck on Tarakan.

"Was noticing the time just now of the sun set and is pretty late. We haven't had much breeze of late and with a long day it makes the weather right warm.

One of the boys leaves right away for home - his wife is sick. There have been several boys who have gone home mostly because of physical disabilities.

Have an excellent set of records on the ship--all the songs of the play "Oklahoma", several classical and semi-classical songs, waltzes. Just now they are playing "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas"--maybe the force of suggestion. Also there are a few cowboy and hillbilly songs "Home in San Antonio". One of the radiomen gives these records a workout when on watch.

Understand two of the three enemy leaders are out of this war in fact out of this world - Hitler and Mussolini. Too bad this couldn't have happened 10 or 20 years sooner."

ORIGINAL: jedwardpita

Understand two of the three enemy leaders are out of this war in fact out of this world - Hitler and Mussolini. Too bad this couldn't have happened 10 or 20 years sooner."

I could not have said it better myself!

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

As far as I know, no LSTs get stuck onshore. In game terms, the rising tide should lift it off by the next day unless it is already the high time. In that case, other ships will help to tow it off the beach.

I have had ships (not LSTs) stuck on a reef for a couple of turns. Ships had float damage when they got off the reef but survived with ports nearby.

I have had all manner of landing craft and ships damaged by 'hitting rocks' during landings, but they never hung up on them.
Enemy underwater obstacles are never mentioned.

I've had "broke its back" messages (very occasionally); that usually is curtains unless their is an ARDB heading that way.

ORIGINAL: Ian R

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

As far as I know, no LSTs get stuck onshore. In game terms, the rising tide should lift it off by the next day unless it is already the high time. In that case, other ships will help to tow it off the beach.

I have had ships (not LSTs) stuck on a reef for a couple of turns. Ships had float damage when they got off the reef but survived with ports nearby.

I have had all manner of landing craft and ships damaged by 'hitting rocks' during landings, but they never hung up on them.
Enemy underwater obstacles are never mentioned.

I've had "broke its back" messages (very occasionally); that usually is curtains unless their is an ARDB heading that way.

Very interesting - haven't seen that message yet - and hope I don't!

https://www.history.navy.mil/research/h ... ships.html

The above is a link to a listing of all the US ships sunk in WWII with the cause. Below is the LST portion of the list. The top reasons for LST sunk were plane attacks, submarines and mines. The LSTs sunk were about equal between Europe and the Pacific.

Landing Ship, Tank (LST)

USS LST-6 sunk by a mine in the Seine River while en route from Rouen, France, to Portland, England, 18 November 1944.

USS LST-43 sunk by explosion at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 21 May 1944.

USS LST-69 sunk by explosion at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 21 May 1944.

USS LST-158 sunk by aircraft off Licata, Sicily, 11 July 1943.

USS LST-167 stricken after being damaged beyond repair by Japanese aircraft off Vella Lavella, Solomon Islands, 25 September 1943.

USS LST-179 sunk by explosion at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 21 May 1944.

USS LST-203 destroyed by grounding near Nanumea, Ellice Islands, 2 October 1943.

USS LST-228 destroyed by grounding near Bahia Angra Island, Azores, 21 January 1944.

USS LST-282 sunk by a glider bomb off St. Tropez, France, 15 August 1944.

USS LST-313 sunk by German aircraft off Gela, Sicily, 10 July 1943.

USS LST-314 sunk by German motor torpedo boats off Normandy, France, 9 June 1944.

USS LST-318 sunk by aircraft off Caronia, Sicily, 10 August 1943.

USS LST-333 sunk by German submarine U-593 off Dellys, Algeria, 22 June 1943.

USS LST-342 sunk by Japanese submarine RO-106 west of Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, 18 July 1943.

USS LST-348 sunk by German submarine U-410 off Anzio, Italy, 20 February 1944.

USS LST-349 sunk after running aground off Ponza, Italy, 26 February 1944.

USS LST-353 sunk by internal explosion at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 21 May 1944.

USS LST-359 sunk by German submarine U-870 northeast of the Azores, 20 December 1944.

USS LST-376 sunk by German motor torpedo boats off Normandy, France, 9 June 1944.

USS LST-396 sunk by accidental fire and explosion off Vella Lavella, Solomon Islands,
18 August 1943.

USS LST-447 sunk by Kamikaze attack off Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, 7 April 1945.

USS LST-448 sunk by Japanese aircraft off Bougainville, Solomon Islands, 5 October 1943.

USS LST-460 sunk by Kamikaze attack off Mindoro, Philippine Islands, 21 December 1944.

USS LST-472 sunk by Kamikaze attack off Mindoro, Philippine Islands, 15 December 1944.

USS LST-480 sunk by explosion at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 21 May 1944.

USS LST-493 destroyed after grounding while attempting to enter Plymouth Harbor, England, 12 April 1945.

USS LST-496 sunk by a mine off Normandy, France, 11 June 1944.

USS LST-499 sunk by a mine off Normandy, France, 8 June 1944.

USS LST-507 sunk by German motor torpedo boats in Lyme Bay, England, 28 April 1944.

USS LST-523 sunk by a mine off Normandy, France, 19 June 1944.

USS LST-531 sunk by German motor torpedo boats in Lyme Bay, England, 28 April 1944.

USS LST-563 grounded off Clipperton Island, southwest Pacific, 22 December 1944, and abandoned, 9 February 1945.

USS LST-577 sunk by Japanese submarine RO-50 east of Mindanao, Philippine Islands, 11 February 1945.

USS LST-675 grounded off Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, 4 April 1945, and abandoned,
17 September 1945..

USS LST-738 sunk by Kamikaze aircraft off Mindoro, Philippine Islands, 15 December 1944.

USS LST-749 sunk by Kamikaze aircraft off Mindoro, Philippine Islands, 21 December 1944.

USS LST-750 sunk by Japanese aircraft off Los Negros, Leyte, Philippine Islands,
28 December 1944.

USS LST-808 grounded after being damaged by Japanese aircraft off Ie Shima, Ryukyu Islands, 18 May 1945, and destroyed, 11 November 1945.

USS LST- 906 grounded off Leghorn, Italy, 18 October 1944, and scrapped, 22 June 1945..

USS LST-921 torpedoed by German submarine U-764 off the channel entrance to Bristol, England, 14 August 1944, and struck from the Navy list, 14 October 1944.

Those sunk at Lyme Bay on 28 April, 1944 were on a practice mission for the D-Day landings.

Back to Tarakan

5/16/45 Arrived at Morotai.

5/18/45 Beached. Took on men and equipment of Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

5/19/20 Retracted. Took LCM in tow off stern. Underway for Tarakan, Borneo.

5/22/45 Anchored off Tarakan, Borneo. General Quarters. Unidentified planes. Proved Friendly. Secured.

5/23/45 Discharge troops and cargo. Took on three Japanese prisoners and Australian troops detailed to guard them.

"When we arrived back at Tarakan, they had a long pontoon causeway built out into the water, we didn't hit the beach and get stuck again. There was still sniper fire and American destroyers were firing overhead at pill boxes inland. Is still gives you a funny feeling. While we were unloading they brought aboard two Jap prisoners for us to take back to Morotai. After we unloaded we anchored in the bay and had a party for our first invasion. We also had two air raids on this time in port."