August 10, 1944 — Sailing for the southern France D-Day (Part 2) – Phil & Ross see Churchill
August 10, 2024August 12, 1944 — Sailing for the southern France D-Day (Part 4)
August 12, 2024On the afternoon of August 11th, the Chief of Staff and other personnel boarded the USS Henrico in the Bay of Naples. Here the Seventh Army set up its command while the vast amphibious force prepared for the assault.[1]
The … attack forces set sail from their respective harbours on August 11th, 12th, and 13th, the slower vessels leaving first.[1]
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The L.C.I. that I was aboard pulled away from its Naples’s pier on the 11th of August. We cruised around waiting for the rest of the fleet to assemble. There was a cool breeze coming off the Mediterranean Sea that tempered the warm August day that would make the trip more comfortable. If going to war can be comfortable. The following day we dropped anchor near the Island of Corsica again waiting for the rest of the fleet to catch up.[2]
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(For the Normandy invasion) Soldiers drew seasickness pills, vomit bags, and life belts, incidentals that brought the average rifleman’s combat load to 68.4 pounds, far beyond the 43 pounds recommended for assault troops.[3]
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The day finally came to load up on landing craft. Everything we owned GI wise was in our packs. … This time the convoy of 6×6 trucks took us to the loading area where we were assigned LCIs (landing craft infantry). I should have written down the number of my ship, but I didn’t have the means. I cuss myself now for not having kept a diary like P.I.Thome did. He must have written down that information.
It seems to have taken hours to finally get to the gang plank, but we shouldn’t have been too anxious at that time. We had great apprehensions. The day was a beautiful August day. No rain in the prospect. There was no breeze. It was like Shank always said, “It’s a beautiful Day in Chickagoe”. This was the harbor of NAPOLI.
By golly he was right! Especially about the good food the navy guys had! Wowee! They had Ham and eggs and toast and pancakes and real coffee! And a small dining area. … I ate some real Ham! And some real homemade bread! And the coffee was good to the last drop!
I don’t remember how many nights we spent in the convoy. There were ships as far as the eye could see–on sea! The ships stopped in a rendezvous. I was told that the islands off in the distance was Corsica.[4]
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[1] Turner, 35.
[2] Staff Sergeant Charles O. Beardslee. Dogface Soldiers Memoirs. The Hell Hole at Anzio. http://goo.gl/iKgZky
[3] Atkinson, The Last Day of Battle, 27.
[4] Sgt. Norman Mohar’s WWII Story. In: Chapter 5.
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