D Day - 1, Operation Shingle

D Day - 1.

21 January 1944:

"Ships and landing craft of the American task force 'X-ray' - which Admiral Lowry commanded in Biscayne, in addition to his overall naval command - loaded their troops at four different points in the Gulf of Naples. All sortied early 21 January, rendezvoused and steamed off in proper order. Italian vendors sold picture post-cards of Anzio and Nettuno to the crews of the LCIs at Pozzuoli, but that was their good guess; the Germans learned nothing."

"Sicily-Salerno-Anzio," Samuel Eliot Morison, page 333.


Dave

 

Hope this post is appropriate. My father went from being a rifleman in the !st Ranger Btn to truck driver with the Ranger HQ Service Btn after getting blown up in Chiunzi Pass. Battle Fatigue rehab. He told me that this was him in a picture of the Rangers loading in Naples. I'm close to finding out if he made the landing himself or was away on a vacation.

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Side note, Biscayne was a Barnegat class small seaplane tender converted to an amphibious force flagship. Our naval expansion included numerous seaplane tenders, since PBYs etc. were expected to be a major element of operations, especially in the Pacific. The proliferation of long-range land-based aircraft and the ability of engineers to rapidly construct airstrips reduced the need for seaplanes, and several of the Barnegats were cancelled or converted to other uses. I've always wondered why more of them were not made into AGCs, especially since the valuable Treasury class Coast Guard cutters - some of our best ASW escorts - were so converted. The Barnegat design included quarters, offices, and workshops for a seaplane squadron in addition to ship's company, which could provide space for amphibious staff and facilities.