The Story of Fleet Logistics Afloat in the Pacific During World War II
Beans, Bullets, and Black Oil
by
Rear Adm. Worrall Reed Carter
USN (Retired)with a Foreword by
The Honorable Dan A. Kimball
The Secretary of the Navy
and an Introduction byAdmiral Raymond A. Spruance, USN (Retired)
who helped turn back the Japanese at Midway and later took from them the Gilberts, Marshalls, Marianas, Iwo Jima, and OkinawaContents
Chapter Page Foreword v Introduction vii Preface xi I. Pre-World War II 1 II. The Service Force 7 Laboring Giant of the Pacific Fleet 7 III. Early Activities 11 Asiatic Fleet in Dutch East Indies 12 Logistics of Raiding Forces 17 Coral Sea 21 Midway 21 IV. In the South Pacific 23 Taking the Offensive 23 Guadalcanal 28 Logistic Outlook 30 V. Logistic Organization and Sources, South Pacific 35 Damages and Repairs 35 VI. Building Up in the South Pacific 49 VII. The Southwest Pacific Command 63 Early Logistics 63 VIII. In the Aleutians 69 IX. Operation GALVANIC (the Gilbert Islands) 87 Mobile Service Squadrons Begin Growing 90 Service Squadron Four at Funafuti 91 X. Service Squadron Ten Organizing at Pearl 95 Relationship of the Service Administrative Squadron Eight 96 XI. Early Composition and Organization of Service Squadron Ten 105 Ordnance Logistics 107 Administration of Ordnance Spare Parts and Fleet Ammunition 108 XII. The Marshall Island Campaign 115 The Truk Strike 121 XIII. Multiple Missions 129 The Palau and Hollandia Strikes 129 Marcus and Wake Raids 132 Submarine Bases at Majuro 133 Growth of Service Squadron Ten at Majuro 134 XIV. Operation FORAGER, the Marianas Campaign 137 Floating Logistic Facilities 138 Servicing the Staging Amphibious Forces 140 Replenishment of Fast Carriers 143 XV. FORAGER Logistics in General and Ammunition in Particular 149 Service Squadron Ten at Eniwetok 163 XVI. STALEMATE II: The Western Carolines Operation 171 Preparations at Seeadler Harbor and Eniwetok 173 XVII. Logistic Support at Seeadler and at Sea 185 Service Unit at Seeadler 185 Oilers With the Fast Carrier Group 190 Ammunition, Smoke, Water, Provisions, Salvage 197 XVIII. Further STALEMATE Support 207 Medical Plans and Facilities 207 210 Service Unit at Seeadler 210 With the Fast Carriers 212 Squadron Ten Prepares to Move 213 XIX. Service Squadron Ten Main Body Moves to Ulithi 217 Reduction to Minimum at Eniwetok 220 Improvement in Salvaging 225 XX. The Philippines Campaign 233 Forces and Vessels 233 Logistic Support of the Seventh Fleet 237 Battle of Leyte Gulf 243 XXI. Logistic Support of the Third Fleet 249 Submarine Attacks at Ulithi 259 XXII. Leyte Aftermath 267 Ormoc Bay and Mindoro Landings 267 Admiral Halsey on the Rampage 271 "Bull in the China Sea" 272 Some Dull Routine at Ulithi 276 Another Midget Attack--Ammunition Ship Mazama Hit 278 XXIII. Iwo Campaign 281 Fifth Fleet Relieves Third 281 Forces and Vessels 281 Logistics Prescribed 282 Logistics Support Group--Service Squadron Six 283 Service Squadron Ten Still Busy 291 XXIV. Service Squadron Ten Grows Up 293 The Guam Base 303 Seventh Fleet Logistic Vessels and Bases 306 XXV. Operation ICEBERG: The Okinawa Campaign 311 The Forces Involved 312 Staging Logistics 317 XXVI. Activities at Saipan and Ulithi 323 XXVII. Logistics at Kerama Retto for the Okinawa Operation 331 Suicide Plane Attacks 335 XXVIII. Expansion of "At-Sea" Support by Service Squadron Six 355 XXIX. Support Activities at Leyte-Samar Service Squadron Ten Main Body Moves to San Pedro Bay 370 Naval Bases on Leyte-Samar 373 Reorganization of Service Squadron Ten 379 Dysentery in Fleet Anchorage 382 Service Force Pacific Absorbs Service Force Seventh Fleet 383 XXX. Okinawa After 1 July 1945 385 Operations Under Service Squadron Twelve 388 The Move to Buckner Bay and Service Activities There the Remaining Days of the War 392 XXXI. The Giant Takes Off His Armor 399 Surrender 399 Changes in Logistic Services 399 Getting Back Toward Peace Routine 400 Pipe Down 403 Appendix 405 The appendix contains a list of commanding officers of service vessels under Commander Service Force Pacific, photographs of vessels and small craft representative of the principal types engaged in logistic support activities under Commander Service Force Pacific, and a glossary of abbreviations.
List of Photographs
List of Charts
Title Page Southwest Pacific, Australia, New Guinea, Borneo 14 New Hebrides 27 Australia 62 Aleutian Islands 74 Gilbert Islands 88 Marshall Islands 116 Majuro Atoll 119 Marianas Islands 150 Eniwetok Atoll 153 Caroline Islands 172 New Guinea (and small part of Australia) 181 Ulithi Atoll 223 Philippines 235 Leyte Gulf--Surigao Strait--Samar--Leyte 252 China, Japan, and the Philippines 273 Kerama Retto 332 Okinawa Shima 386