The U S Coast Guard's Contribution to the D-Day Invasion

I don't think there has been enough said about the "Coasties" and the job they did handling the landing craft of all sizes during the D-Day Invasion. More importantly I don't think the crews that brought some of their craft across to Europe, considering the size, were given the proper credit.

I know of one guy I grew up with that had as his assigned ship an LST that went from Boston to Iceland and then to Europe as the ship was not considered big enough to go directly across the Atlantic not only because of it's size but fuel was another big factor. I met him in England and I told him quite frankly I would not have gone too far outside Boston Harbor in a ship that small.

Many don't know that a considerable number of the Navy Landing Craft were manned by "Coasties".

Is it apparent I was brought up in a seaport??
My eyes kept me out of everything but the Army!!

Sgtleo

Their role was just as impressive on the other side of the globe, Sarge, as they manned everything from LCI's to attack transports. I found a great article on their role in the Pacific, including a brief summary of the action in which Signalman 1st Class Douglas Munro received the Medal of Honor at Guadalcanal, the only "Coastie" so honored during the war.

http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-cp/history/h_pacwar.html

USNVet940

As I said, we were brought up in a seaport town that had good sized Fire Boat designed to cover any harbor or pier fires. A family friend of my older brothers was the Night-Time Skipper (Fire Dept. LT) on the boat and because of this he was refused entry to the Navy and Coast Guard - i.e. he was essential to the port.

The thing that bothered him was that they were berthed very close to a Coast Guard Base and he used to get a lot of flak as to why a "big strong Irishman" like he was wasn't in the service.

He got PO'd one day and went to another CG Base(lied about his job) and enlisted. Following his "boots" someone found out what he had really been doing in civilian life and he was immediately sent to the Port of Boston as the Skipper of one of their Fireboats as a permanent assignment. When he had shore leave, he could take local transportation to his house he was that close to home.

Every once in a while they would take the boat out beyond the limit so that all the guys aboard would qualify for sea duty and be eligible for the VFW. That was stretching a point but they got away with it!! Also they needed the Veteran's label to get Veteran's Preference after the war on that job.

Sgtleo

Looks to me like he did hold an essential position, Sarge, when you think about the numbers of volatile cargoes, ammunition ships, tankers, etc., that staged through east coast ports during the war. I do like his style, though, in how he enlisted and went about getting the qualifications and eligibility for his men.

USNVet940:-

I think Lt. Joe, as we called him, was straight arrow all the way and he always had a list of men that were looking for a berth on his boat. As I mentioned previously, they needed the Veterans Status or they could/would have been by-passed by other guys after the war who had the Vets Preference. He was bright enough to recognize this and to cover himself and the crew.

His job in Boston Harbor was no day of pleasure boating with the amount of tonnage that came and went through the harbor - both cargo and troopships. Many GIs were sent to the ETO on ships originating in that harbor.

Just outside the harbor was a section called President's Roads where it appeared that a line of ships were always waiting entry into the harbor and he had to cover that area and at the same time he had to contend with the sub-net they used to seal the harbor off with after certain daylight hours.

One of my friends was a Fireman in Boston and tried for the Fire Boat but wound up on a sub-tender in the PTO much to his dismay. The fortunes of war!!

Sgtleo

A family friend was raised in Sandusky, Ohio. When he enlisted in the CG, he was told he'd be assigned to the CG station there, about a mile from his home.
He wound up as Coxswain of a landing craft on an Attack Transport He was in the 2nd or 3rd wave at Omaha Beach.(they carried part of the 1st Infantry Divison) After the invsion of Southern France, his ship was sent to the Pacific and he was at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. A long way from Sandusky.

He told me, as they were going to shore at Omaha, one of his Gunners started firing their twin 30s at the bluffs above the beach. An Officer in the boat yelled for him to stop. He'd didn't want to draw attention to the boat.

gumbydammit:-

Coxswain of the LCI we were on decided he could better hold postion in the "wave" and his course to the beach if he was standing. Most were in a lesser obvious position and he decided he didn't want to wear his "Pot" so he switched to his White Navy Hat.

Our PLT. LT. pointed his carbine at him and told him to get rid of the white hat as we were target enough - why help the Krauts zero in.

Just like that he had his "Pot" back on. Guess he didn't want to challenge the Lt. as everybody was edgy enough. The craft was hit a couple of times but no casualties resulted.

Sgtleo

I've been trying to remember what ship he was on. It was an Attack Transport(ATK? AK?), named for one of the more obscure US Presidents. Calhoun, Polk, Chase, someone like that.

He said his worst experience during the war, was transporting French Goumiers(?) from North Africa to Southern France for the invasion.
He said they stunk. The smell was sickening, permeated the ship, and took weeks to get rid of.

I guess that's the difference between Grunts and Swabbies. His worse experience was the smell.

gumbydammit:-

I would argue vehemently with anybody that thought the "swabbies" were any less important to the Allies winning the war in the ETO than the grunts. Those on AT or ATK played a very vital part in every landing.

The designation of "goumiers" was originally given to tribal irregulars employed as allies by the French Army during the early 1900s in southern Algeria. These mounted allies operated under their own tribal leadership and were entirely distinct from the regular Muslim cavalry (Spahi) and infantry (Tirailleur) regiments of the French Armee d'Afrique. Essentially what you had were men with no military training at all but knew how to fight especially at night when they infiltrated the Kraut lines and raised havoc with their knives. 99% of them probably never even heard of personal hygiene or washed uniforms.

Sgtleo

I'm not denigrating his service. I was just saying his worst experience was the smell of the troops he carried.
Compare that to the worst experience of the troops he ferried ashore at Omaha.

My apologies if you thought I took your comments as denigration of his service.

What I said,obviously badly, was that I don't think the swabbies on those ships got the credit for the service they performed. They were just as much in harm's way as the troops they were carrying and they were a bigger target.

Just like in the Bible Story - they were told to go here and they went!

Sgtleo

Going off topic for a moment to apologize to everyone for not being around much the last couple of days. I had a death in the family over the weekend and was in Kentucky for the last two days for the funeral. I didn't get home until late last night and was only online for a few minutes before I had to hit the rack.
I've been a little out of sorts still most of the day today but hopefully I'll be back up to speed tomorrow.

I hope everyone has behaved themselves...and saved a troll or two for me.

USNVet940

Sorry for your loss. That is never easy on anyone - I'm the only one im my family on this side of the grass.

Welcome back!!

The "Poet" is back as you might have seen.

Sgtleo

Thank you, Sarge. My uncle's death hit us all hard as it was the result of an accident that should not have happened. To make things even worse, the funeral was on my aunt's birthday. My aunt is 84 and frail so we had to do what we could to try to keep her mind off what day it was. She held up through everything surprisingly well but his loss has still left a big void in the family and his community.

The three destroyers of Task Unit 77.4.3 ("Taffy 3") which fearlessly attacked the vastly superior Japanese "Center Force" in the Battle off Samar during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, 25 October 1944:







Hoel and Johnston were both lost in action during the battle, sustaining heavy casualties. Out of crews of approximately 273 officers and men, Hoel lost 252 men and Johnston 184. Heerman survived the savage, close-range battle and, although badly damaged, suffered only 4 men lost. Also lost during the battle was the destroyer escort Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413), which lost 90 men of a crew of 200. A second DE (Dennis) was also damaged and lost 5 men KIA.

The ships of Taffy 3 received the Presidential Unit Citation for their heroic stand that day. Additionally, CDR. Ernest E. Evans, CO of Johnston, received the Medal of Honor (posthumously) for his extraordinary courage and daring in pressing his attacks on the Japanese despite overwhelming odds.

The Greyhounds of the Sea...as an ex-bubble head...I respect their speed and power...predators of the deep...

A foe worthy of the name...

quote:

Originally posted by strobelvets:
The Greyhounds of the Sea...as an ex-bubble head...I respect their speed and power...predators of the deep...

A foe worthy of the name...

Agreed, Strobe. The nautical versions of the cobra and mongoose, if I may make the comparison.

Getting data re my Tin Can Sailor brother for a niece and it reminded me of a story.

Guy I went to High School and played sports with got transferred aboard the Cowie. As he reported in, he was told to see the M/A(Chief Waggett) who was down on the mess deck.

God he said I went to High School with a guy by that name. Down he went and saw my brother with his head resting on his arms on the table. Jack slaps my brother on the head and says "I don't care if you are a Chief and the M/A because I can still lick you in a fight.

At that point he said he almost died when my brother stood up grabbed him and body slammed him on a table because my brother didn't know his name etc.. My brother was also the Squadron Light Heavy Weight Champ.

It took a lot of explaining by Jack but my brother warned him to keep his space away.

Couldn't do that kind of stuff today I bet!!!

Sgtleo

LOL! Great story, Sarge. Never mess with a Chief, no matter how well you think you know him!

The following two posts honor the ships of (IMO) the most famous destroyer squadron in Navy history, DesRon 23, the "Little Beavers". Planned as the third squadron of Fletcher-class destroyers in 1943, the squadron comprised two divisions, 45 & 46, originally consisting of eight ships: Aulick, Charles L. Ausburne, Claxton, Dyson, Converse, Foote, Spence, and Thatcher. Two other ships, Stanly and Braine, also served in the squadron, replacing ships that were either damaged in action, through grounding, or were reassigned to other squadrons.

Under the brilliant command of Commodore Arleigh A. "31-knot" Burke (later Admiral and 3-time Chief of Naval Operations), DesRon 23 gained fame in the closing phases of the Solomon Islands campaign. Over a 17-week period, the "Little Beavers" were heavily engaged with the Japanese, participating in several surface battles (the battles of Empress Augusta Bay and Cape St. George), bombarding enemy shore positions, and covering Allied landings. During that period, the squadron was credited with sinking a cruiser, nine destroyers, one submarine, several smaller ships, and shooting down approximately 30 aircraft.

For their outstanding record of achievement during that period, DesRon 23 was awarded a group Presidential Unit Citation, the only destroyer squadron during WW2 to be so honored. In addition to the PUC, the individual ships earned a total of 84 Battle Stars during the war.

SALUTE!



9 Battle Stars, PUC


11 Battle Stars, PUC


4 Battle Stars


4 Battle Stars, PUC
Foundered in typhoon, December, 1944.

12 Battle Stars

Damaged beyond repair by kamikazes off Okinawa, 1945.