Los Negros – 29 February 1944 – Eye Witness Account !

Eye Witness Account of the landing at Los Negros Island, 29 February 1944

by: a Yank Magazine correspondent

The weather on 29 February 1944 was overcast with a low cloud ceiling that prevented most of the planned air strike. Only three B-24’s and nine B-25’s found the target. The naval bombardment was therefore extended for another 15 minutes.  Each APD lowered four LCPR’s (Landing Craft, Personnel, Ramped). Each LCPR carried its maximum load of 37 men, who boarded by climbing over the APDs’ sides and down cargo nets.  The unarmored LCPRs were still used because davits had not been strengthened to carry the heavier, armored LCVP (Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel).

Admiralty Islands, 29 February 1944. General Douglas MacArthur decorates the first man ashore, 2nd Lieutenant Marvin J. Henshaw, with the Distinguished Service Cross.

The first wave landed without casualties at 08:17, but once the bombardment lifted the Japanese emerged from their dugouts and machine guns and shore batteries began firing. The landing craft, on returning, came under crossfire from enemy machine guns on both sides of the harbor. The fire became so heavy the second wave was forced to reverse course until the enemy fire was suppressed by destroyers. The third and fourth waves also came under fire.

As we neared the channel, the Navy men in the bow hollered to us to keep our heads down or we’d get them blown off. We crouched lower, swearing, and waited. It came with a crack; machine-gun fire over our heads. Our light landing craft shuddered as the Navy gunners hammered back and answered with the .30 calibers mounted on both sides of the barge. As we made the turn for the beach, something solid plugged into us.

“They got one of our guns or something,” one GI said. There was a splinter the size of a half dollar on the pack of the man in front of me. Up front a hole gaped in the middle of the landing ramp and there were no men where there had been four. Our barge headed back toward the destroyer that had carried us to the Admiralties. White splashes of water were plunging through the six-inch gap in the wooden gate. William Siebieda, of Wheeling, W. VA. ducked from his position at the starboard gun and slammed his hip against the hole to plug it. He was firing a tommy gun at the shore as fast as wounded soldiers could pass him loaded clips. The water sloshed around him, running down his legs and washing the blood of the wounded into a pink frappe.

Four of the twelve LCPRs had been damaged. Three were soon repaired, but they could not be risked further, for without them, the reconnaissance force could not be evacuated. Over the next four hours, the boats continued to make trips to the beach, but only when it was believed destroyers had suppressed enemy fire. Heavy rain made it safer by reducing visibility. The last destroyer was unloaded at 12:50. By this time, the navy had lost two men dead and three wounded.

Yank Magazine, March 1944

For the moment it was safer ashore. The cavalrymen overran the airstrip. Sporadic opposition allowed them to set up the antiaircraft machine guns on the beach, unload supplies, and patrol inland. Two soldiers were killed and three wounded. At 16:00, General MacArthur and Admiral Kinkaid came ashore. The general inspected the position.  A lieutenant warned him a Japanese sniper had been killed in the vicinity just a few minutes before. “That’s the best thing to do with them,” the General replied.  He decided to stay, ordering Chase to hold his position until the follow-up force arrived, then returned to the Phoenix. Fechteler’s force departed at 17:29, the transports having unloaded and most of the bombardment force having exhausted its ammunition. Bush and Stockton remained to provide on-call naval fire support.

A Wikipedia story (condensed).

#####################################################################################

Military Humor – (on envelopes going home) – 

 

 

 

 

#####################################################################################

Farewell Salutes –

Clayton Alberton – Morristown, TN; US Army, WWII, Korea

David Barnes – Greerton, NZ; RNZ Navy # PJX415185, WWII, ETO  & CBI

Cleveland Michaels – NYC, NY; US Navy, WWII

Thomas Noojin – Roanoke, VA; US Army, Korea, 187th Regiment, (Ret. 20 years)

Robert Owensby – Springfield, IL; USMC, WWII, PTO, 4th Marine Div., Purple Heart

Mildred Page – Huntington, WV; US Army WACS, WWII, TSgt.

Irving Sands – Bronx, NY; US Army, WWII, ETO, CPL.

Sydney Schanberg – Clinton, MA; Vietnam correspondent (NY Times); “The Killing Fields”

Brian St.Germain – W.Warwick, RI; USMC, Iraq, KIA

Geoffrey Tallents – Kempsey, AUS; RA Air Force # 418901, 460 Squadron

####################################################################################