Prepared in the Historical Section Public Information Division U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters March 15, 1946 |
This edition is designed for service distribution and recipients are requested to forward corrections, criticisms, and comments to Commandant, Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, D.C., Attention Historical Section, Public Information Division.
Message from Chief of Naval Operations
"On the eve of the return of the Coast Guard to the Treasury Department, I desire to commend the officers and men of the Coast Guard for their superb performance of duty throughout the war. I desire also to express to them the appreciation of the officers and men of the Navy and Marine Corps for their wholehearted cooperation and to wish for them every future success. Well done."
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Solomons -- GUADALCANAL 1 Reasons and Necessity for Haste 1 Task Force Organization 1-5 The Approach 5 Description of an Amphibious Landing 7 Coast Guard Mans Landing Craft 9 Haleta and Beach Blue Landings 9 Halavo and Gavutu Landings 9 Guadalcanal Landing 11 Enemy Air Attacks 11-13 Tulagi and Tanambogo Secured 13-15 "Did They Get Off?" 15 Coast Guard Joins in Fighting 17 Hunter Liggett at Guadalcanal 17-23 The Solomons--NEW GEORGIA GROUP 23-35 Enemy Airdrome at Munda 23 Occupation of Russell Islands 25 New Georgia Operation Plan 25 Landings at Segi Point and Rendova 25 Landings at Onaiavisi, Wickham, Viru and Rice Anchorages 27 Coast Guard Participation 27 Landings at Nassau Bay, New Guinea 29 Landings at Woodlark and Trobriand Islands 29 Landings at Vella Lavella 31 Coast Guard at Vella Lavella 33 New Guinea--FINSCHHAFEN 35-37 Landings on Huon Gulf and at Finschhafen 35 Coast Guard at Finschhafen 35 The Solomons--BOUGAINVILLE 37-43 Choiseul and Treasury Islands 37 Landing on Bougainville 39 Hunter Liggett at Bougainville 39 LST-70 Shoots Down Plane 41 LST-270 Brings Down Two "Bettys" 43 Purpose of Campaign Achieved 43 Gilbert Islands--MAKIN, TARAWA 43-51 Organization and Mission 43 Assembly and Bombardment 45 Landings on Bititu and Bairiki Islands 47-49 Occupation of Makin and Apamama Atolls 49 Coast Guard at Makin 49
New Britain--ARAWE, CAPE GLOUCESTER 51-57 Landing at Arawe 51 Landing at Cape Gloucester 53 LST-22 Brings Down Jap Dive Bomber 53 LST-201 Shoots Down Enemy Planes 55 Coast Guard LST's Land Marines 55 Captain C.H. Peterson, USCG--Comments 57 New Guinea--SAIDOR 57-59 Landing at Saidor 57 Marshall Islands--KWAJALEIN, MAJURO 59-67 General Plan of Operation 59 Landing on Majuro Atoll 59 Landings on Islands Surrounding Roi 61 Landings on Roi-Namur Island 61 Landing on Kwajalein 63 Coast Guardsmen Capture Japs 65 The Blasting of Kwajalein 65 Green Islands--NISSAN 67-73 Strategy of Green Islands Occupation 67 Landing on Green Islands 69 Coast Guard Manned LST's 71 LST Fires on Planes 71 Effect of Occupation 73 Marshall Islands--ENIWETOK 73-83 Plans for Eniwetok Advanced 73 Organization of Expedition 75 The Attack 75 Capture of Engebi 77 Capture of Eniwetok 77 Capture of Parry Island 79 Coast Guard at Parry Island 79 Observer's Comment--Mobile Forces Versus Bases 81 The Unpredictability of the Japanese Mind 83 Occupation of the Lesser Marshalls 85 Admiralty Islands--LOS NEGROS 85-89 Landing on Los Negros 85 Control of Bismarck Sea 87 The Attack 87 Second Echelon 89
Admiralty Islands--MANUS 89-91 Landing on Manus Island 89 Coast Guard at Manus Island 91 St. Mathias Islands--EMIRAU 91-93 Landing on Emirau Unopposed 91 Coast Guard at Emirau 93 New Guinea--HOLLANDIA, AITAPE 93-97 Landing At Hollandia 93 Landing at Aitape 95 Coast Guard at Aitape 95 New Guinea--WAKDE 97-99 Landings Made from Arara 97 Coast Guard LST as Hospital Ship 99 Schouten Islands--BIAK 99-101 Heavy Resistance after Biak Landing 99 The Marianas--SAIPAN 101-117 Strategy of the Assault 101 Geography of Saipan 103 Defenses Incomplete 103 Organization of Our Forces 105 Preparatory Operations 107 Approach of Amphibious Forces 109 First Stage in Conquest of Saipan 111 Second Stage in Central Section 111 Third Stage Finishes Conquest 111 Coast Guard Officers Find Channel 113 Coast Guard Manned APA's at Saipan 113 LST-166 at Saipan 115 LST-207 Fires on Plane 117 New Guinea--NOEMFOOR 117-119 Surprise Landing with Few Casualties Coast Guard Manned LST's The Marianas--GUAM 119-131 Preparation for the Attack 119 Conditions of Beaches 123 Pre-Landing Air Attack 123
Assault and Capture of Guam 125 Ground Operations 125 Coast Guard Manned LST's 127 LST-207 in Assault on Guam 129 COR CAROLE off Orote Peninsula 129 The Marianas--TINIAN 131-137 Declining Enemy Strength 131 Preparation for Attack 131 Landing on Tinian 133 Capture of Tinian 135 Coast Guardsman's Description of Landing 135 New Guinea--SANSAPOR 137-139 Landing Effected with no Resistance 137 The Carolines--PELELIU, ANGAUR 139-143 Peleliu Defenses Strongest So Far 139 Coast Guard Manned LST's at Peleliu 141 Angaur Capture Provides Supply Ease 141 Coast Guard Lands Army at Angaur 143 The Halmaheras--MOROTAI 143-145 Japanese Flee to the Hills 143 Coast Guard Veterans at Morotai 145 The Carolines--NGESEBUS, ULITHI, NGULU 145-147 Ngesebus Occupation Removes Threat 145 Ulithi Atoll Found Abandoned 147 Seizure of Ngulu Neutralizes Yap 147 The Philippines--LEYTE 147-159 Landings at Leyte Lightly Opposed 147 Coast Guard Among First to Land 149 Coast Guard Officer's Account 149 Callaway, Leonard Wood, Cambria and Cavallier at Leyte 153 LST-207 Downs Enemy Planes 153 Coronado Escorts LST's to Leyte 155 SS Antoine Saugrain Torpedoed 157 The Philippines--ORMOC, MINDORO 159-163 Occupation of Ormoc 159 FS-367 Takes Survivors from USS Mariposa 161
The Philippines--PALOMPON, MARINDUQUE 163 The Carolines--FAIS 163 The Philippines--LINGAYEN GULF 163-169 Objectives of Operation 163 Nature of Terrain 165 The Approach 165 Coast Guard Manned Callaway Hit 167 Leonard Woodf at Lingayen 167 Cambria Under Attack 167 The Landing 167 The Philippines--SUBIC BAY, NASUGBU 169-171 Cavalier Torpedoed 169 Q-Boat Attack on FS-309 171 Sinking of USS Serpens at Guadalcanal 171 The Philippines--MARIVELES, CORREGIDOR 171-173 CGC Ingham at Mariveles 171 Corregidor Taken by Air and Sea 173 Volcano Islands-IWO JIMA 173-191 Reasons for Selection for Attack 173 Organization of Attack 175 Coast Guard Manned Vessels 175 Preliminary Operations 175 The Landing 177 Mount Suribachi Captured 177 Bayfield at Iwo Jima 179 No Beachmasters Could Remain on Beach 181 The LST's Move In 183 LST-761 Under Fire 185 LST-702 Lands DUKWs 185 LST-790 in Kamikaze Attack 185 LST-792 Hit by Mortars 187 LST-78U's DUKW'S do not Return 187 LST-760 is Hit 189 Bayfield Takes Aboard Casualties 189 The Philippines--PALAWAN 191-193 CGC Spencer at Palawan 191 The Philippines--ZAMBOANGA 193-197 Enemy Withdraws to Hills 193 LST-66 Participates 193
Equipment Pushed Ashore 193 LST's Come into Beach 195 The Philippines--BASILAN, ILOILO, NEGROS, CEBU 195-201 No Opposition at Basilan 195 CGC Ingham at Iloilo 197 No Opposition at Negros 197 Enemy Flees to Hills Behind Cebu 199 CGC at Cebu 199 Ryukyu Islands--KERAMA GROUP 201-205 Japanese Suicide Crash Boats Seized 201 LST's in Kerama Assault 201 LST-21 at Kerama 203 LST-830 in Kamikaze Attack 203 LST-829 Lands First Troops on Colonial Japan 203 The Ryukyus--OKINAWA 205-227 Resistance Light on Beaches 205 Resistance Stiffens 207 Offensive Launched 209 Enemy Counter-Attack 209 Nana is Entered 211 Japanese Defenses Crumble 211 Okinawa Finally Secured 213 Enemy Air Attacks on Shipping 215 Coast Guard Beach Parties 215 Cambria at Okinawa 217 Dickman at Okinawa 217 LST-782 in Invasion 219 LST-790 Launches LVT's 219 CGC Bibb Splashes Jap Plane 221 LST-887 Brings Down Jap Plane 221 LST-884 Hit by Suicide Plane 223 LST-784 at Iheya Shima Landing 223 LST-770 at Ryukyu's Occupation 223 LST-760 in Kamikaze Attack 223 LST-788 Downs Two Planes 225 LST-769 Downs an "Oscar" 225 LST-829 at Ie Shima 227 PC-469 Sinks Enemy Suicide Boats 227 LCI(L)-90 Attacked 227-229 The Philippines--TAWI TAWI GROUP, MORO GULF 227-229 CGC Spencer at Moro Gulf 229
Dutch Borneo--TARAKAN 229 LST-67 at Tarakan 229 The Philippines--DAVAO 231 British Borneo--BRUNEI BAY 231 Ryukyu Islands--KUME 233 Dutch Borneo--BALIKPAPAN 233-237 LST-67 at Balikpapan 23 Japan--HONSHU, KYUSHU 237-243 LST-789 at Yokosuka 237 Samuel Chase at Yokohama 267 LST-784 at Tokyo 239 Cambria at Nagasaki 239 LST-829 at Nagasaki 239 LST-877 at Misuhama 241 LCI(L) Group 103 Destroys Mines 241 LST-829 at "Guinea Pig" Runs 243 Conclusion 243 APPENDICES Appendix A--Operations in Which Coast Guard Wholly or Partially 244-257 Appendix B--Coast Guard Manned Ships Entitled to Operation and Engagement Stars--Asiatic and Pacific Area 258-265 Appendix C--Coastguardsmen Decorated--Pacific Area 266-286 Symbols of U.S. Navy Ships 287-289 Designations of U.S. Naval Aircraft 290-292