Marshall_Islands

Marshall Islands 4

Sunday, February 1, 1953: Note: The cover of the official Log Book provides the following information about the status of the LST 1126 in the Pacific Fleet. Eleventh Division, First Squadron, First Flotilla. Ship quiet on a Sunday. However, as of 8:52, "pursuant to verbal orders of CTG 7.2 of 29 Jan 1953" Quartermaster Chief Arthur D. Slaughter, 335-96-11, USNR was transferred to temporary additional duty at Tripler General Hospital, Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii. This might seem as something of a mystery to most readers.

However, I remember the chief very well. He appears in the 1952 crew photo as the older chief petty officer behind and between Captain Mehus and Executive Officer Wilkinson. Since he was my superior in my new job as radar operator, I and others spend many an hour listening to his sea experiences in WW II. He was not happy with being off in the Marshalls and indicated he would like to get off the ship and into something near civilization.

Nice! So would everyone else on the ship. However, these verbal orders came through and I soon heard that he had gone on to Yokohoma in Japan and was skipper of a large tug boat based there. Nice duty. Evidently, it helped to be an old hand -- one with good friends in BUPERS (Navy Bureau of Personnel).

The ship remained at buoy #69 off Eniwetok Island of the atoll through Sunday, February 8 with little of note other than some drills, including an Abandon Ship Drill on Friday, February 6.

Monday, February 9, 1953: Ship remains at buoy #69. Log has note that Navy Ship SGT Jack J. Pendleton is present. SOPA, however, is 1126's LT. J. H. Mehus (Captain John to some).

At 9:30 the ship cast off from a buoy and moves to freight pier and beaching on Parry Island. Commenced taking on fresh water at noon and cargo at 13:00. Stern anchor taken out to 350 feet of cable.

Tuesday, February 10, 1953: Preparing for departure next day to Bikini Atoll. Two Army enlisted men come aboard for the trip. At the same time, Ronald M. Brown, TA, USN and Sam E. Kohler, Bosun's Mate 3 are transferred for temporary active duty at the U. S. Army dispensary at Eniwetok Atoll.

(Perhaps one of the veteran's on the 1126 at that time knows something of this. If so, it would be interesting to learn more. JWM)

Sometime after 15:00, the ship moved out from Parry Island and moored to a nearby telephone buoy in anchorage B-1 at 16:05.

Wednesday, February 11, 1953: Ship moored to telephone buoy 1100 yards off Parry Island. At 11:55 special sea detail set and ship clears lagoon and is in the open sea at 12:31, enroute to Bikini.

Thursday, February 12, 1953: By 9:36 ship is entering pass into lagoon and anchors off Eninman Island by 10:13. Ship hoists anchor and moves to another anchorage. Passengers debark and are transported to beach. Ship remains at anchor in lagoon.

Friday, February 13, 1953: Ship gets underway about 13:30 and is beached at pier by 14:18 to unload cargo and fuel LCMs 210 and 211. The ship also pumps fuel to a tank on the beach. By 17:00 most of these activities are completed or shut down for the night.

Saturday, February 14, 1953: Off-loading of cargo begins again at 7:45 AM. Cargo destined for Eniwetok loaded and ready by 13:17. Eleven passengers are boarded for trip. Unusual list specifies names, each man's job classification (mostly carpenters and truck drivers), next of kin and that person's address, and the name of the man who is in charge of the group -- all signed off by the project manager for the civilian contractor. By 15:30 the ship had cleared the lagoon and was in the open Pacific -- making 10.95 knots at 290 RPM on each engine.

Sunday, February 15, 1953: Arrived at Eniwetok, set special sea detail, entered via Deep Entrance, and by 8:30 was anchored in the lagoon. At 9:00 AM Brown and Kohler returned to the ship after their temporary assignment to the U. S. Army dispensary. At 13:11, lit off the main engines, got underway, and by 14:21 was beached and moored port side to the Parry Island freight dock -- bow doors open and ramp down on dry sand. At 16:40 special sea detail was set again and the ship moved forward along the pier.

Monday, February 16, 1953: Remained moored to dock at Parry Island and followed normal daily routine. Log reports that at 12:20 Robert L. Thomas, Hospitalman Chief, was transferred "with bag and records" to report to the Naval Air Station, Pawtucket, Maryland. The ship remained as she was on Tuesday. Wednesday involved the same routine, with a Willis W. Lee, U. S. Army Corporal, reporting on board for transport to Bikini Atoll.

Thursday, February 19, 1953: Preparations for departure to Bikini continued. At 10:20, Deep Entrance passage was cleared (Parry Island on the right, Japtan Island on the left). Captain held Mast and gave non-judicial punishment of 28 hours of extra duty to one of the seamen for violations of Articles 92 and 113 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. (His name is being withheld by JWM to avoid any embarrassment to him or his family).

Friday, February 20, 1953: Ship underway to Bikini. Starboard engine was shut down to repair a leak in the cooling system from 2:13 to 2:52 AM.

Usual muster at 8:00, with testing of the general alarm. Speed increased to flank at 8:30 -- 300 RPM, 11.35 knots. Special sea detail set at 9:26, stern anchor dropped on approach to beach. Radar secured at 10:49, passengers disembarked, and modified underway watch set.

In early afternoon, the log reports cargo unloading and pumping 8641 gallons of fuel to dock tank. At 15:22 the special sea detail was set for about 40 minutes, engines lighted, and ship moved slightly (probably to account for tidal conditions/phases).

By 18:24 the off loading and back loading activities were completed. Preparations were made for getting underway, ship cast off and backed out with engines and by winching in on the stern anchor. The passage between Eninman and Eniirikku Islands was traversed and the ship on course for Eniwetok Atoll by 19:10. Two civilian passengers were aboard, plus the Army Corporal who had made the trip over.

Saturday, February 21, 1953: Ship arrived at Eniwetok about 10:00 AM, debarked the three passengers onto LCM 207 in the lagoon, and by 11:25 had moored to buoy Nan 4. The ship remained there Sunday - Wednesday, with normal routine. The only event of note was transfer of William D. Kibler, QMS3, to the Naval Reserve Training Center in Hartford, Connecticut for four months of humanitarian shore duty. (JWM recollection is that Kibler's wife was going through a very difficult and risky pregnancy and his presence was needed.)

Thursday, February 26, 1953: All things normal until 12:30 when the special sea detail was set. The ship left the buoy and moored to the freight pier on Parry Island for unloading Bikini cargo. This was completed and, at 15:06, the ship backed off the beach and returned to buoy Nan 4 -- with normal anchor watch set by 15:58. She remained secured to the buoy by the bow anchor chain for Friday, over the weekend, and through Monday, March 2nd.