The Coast Guard at War
The Pacific Landings
VI

 
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.

--i--

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."

--ii--

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

--iii--

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

--iv--

  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

--v--

  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

--vi--

  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

--vii--

  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

--viii--

  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

--ix--

Map: Combat and Support Area (SW Pacific)

--x--


Transcribed and formatted by Larry Jewell & Patrick Clancey, HyperWar Foundation