MisterVA Back to School

After the Invasion...

August 18 - Back in Pozzuoli and took on more American troops.

 

August 22 - Disembarqued troops at St. Maxime, France.

 

August 28 - Back in Mers-el-Kebir, Algeria. Were ordered to Algiers to pick up French troops. They turned out to be an undisciplined, carefree lot. One vision that sticks in my mind is when a French officer found that the troops had smuggled a dog aboard. He immediately grabbed the dog and threw it overboard. Everyone could see that we were too far from shore for the dog to make it back.

 

September 6 - Disembarqued French troops at St. Tropez, France.

 

September 9 - Back in Pozzuoli.

 

October 1 - Disembarqued French Colonial troops in Marseille.

 

October 5 - Back in Pozzuoli.

 

October 7 - October 10 - In Livorno (Leghorn). Took on Russians who had been forced to fight for the Nazis. Returned them to Pozzuoli.

 

October 12 - Pozzuoli.

 

October 16 - October 25 - Palermo, Sicily for dry-docking. Palermo had interesting Moorish churches.

 

October 26 - Naples.

 

October 27 - Pozzuoli.

 

October 29 - October 31 -Livorno.

 

November 1 - November 5 - Pozzuoli.

 

November 6 - Livorno.

 

November 8 - November 23 - Bizerte, Tunisia.

 

November 15 - November 25 - Mers-el-Kebir, Algeria.

 

November 26 - Passed the Pillars of Hercules and Gibraltar.

 

December 11 - Norfolk, Va. after a very rough crossing of the Atlantic.

 

Paul. I don't have more detailed notes on the above period. In recapitulation notes I have it says  that we carried American, French, French Colonial, Brazilian, Greek, British and Russian troops. Also I might mention that Pozzuoli was an ancient Roman port called, I believe, Puteoli.  Walking along the shore in parts of Pozzuoli

one could see columns of Roman temples perfectly preserved. The tops of the columns were about six or seven feet below the surface.  Pozzuoli was also the home of Sophia Loren, who would have been 11 at that time.

The Invasion of Southern France Commences

It is now August 15th, 1944. Dad's shipmate aboard the LCI 587 picks up the story once again...

 

The assembled fleet weighed anchor off Ajaccio during the midnight watch on August 15th in order to be in position for the invasion. Before reaching the assault area, we could hear the sounds of the preliminary bombardment. The nearer we got, the more infrequent  the sounds became as the first exploratory forces went in to do their jobs. Also, the paratroopers were landing behind enemy lines. By the time we were in formation to make the final approach for our landing, it was daylight and the scene before us was one of a long, crescent-shaped sandy beach with no towering hills behind it. The initial landing forces had apparently overpowered the defending German forces and pushed them back out of sight. The 3rd Army forces aboard were about to land on what they had named "Alpha Beach" in their invasion plans. There were other forces landing down the coast in both directions. We noted a singular lack of any German defending air cover.

 

As we were on our final approach to the beach, almost to the point of lowering ramps so the troops could run ashore, both the LCI's on our immediate port and starboard, struck mines. They must have been spider mines or some other not too potent weapons as both vessels were able to disembark their troops. We got to where the water was only a foot or so deep, dropped our ramps and the 3rd Army troops ran ashore in well less than a minute. Their immediate concern was not German opposing forces, but the land mines planted in the beach.

Our stern anchor winched us off the beach and we, with the other LCI's, proceeded a mile off shore where we floated the rest of the day awaiting orders. During the afternoon a few German high-altitude bombers

flew over and dropped bombs harmlessly in the water.  All we had to do was hold a finger up and sight the

bomb when it was released, if it went right or left there was nothing to worry about. If it did neither, you made haste as there was no way of knowing whether it would long of you, short of you or on you.

 

 

 

Sorry it wasn't a more exciting day (within limits, or course). Me, too.

The Assault Begins

The beach we are to land on is beach #259, a beach on the Baie de Cavalaire on the south side of the St. Tropez peninsula. According to intelligence, the beach is lined with barbed wire and concrete tetrahedrons and is mined. It's defenses include 16 pillboxes, at least 13 machine guns, 1 field and 3 coastal defense guns, 2 casements and 8 anti-aircraft guns. The shallow water area is also mined with spider mines, mines with long wire tentacles which get wound around a ship's propeller causing the mine to detonate.

 

We are to approach the beach in columns of 6

 

          *

          *

          *

          *

          *

          *

 

shift to a V formation when we approach the control ships X and Y

 

          *

               *    *

             *       *

                   *

 

and hit the beach simultaneously 

 

         *  *  *  *  *  *

 

August 13   At anchor off Salerno awaiting the order to get underway.

 

August 14  Sailed through the Strait of Bonafacio to Ajaccio, Corsica.

More Facts & Figures as the Landing is Imminent

The flotilla is now being amassed and organized for landing.

Our flotilla is scheduled to land on Red Beach in Alpha Sector. The assault plan for that sector is as follows:

(H -hour is the time the first wave hits the beach, the numbers following are minutes before or after H -hour).

 

 Apex (LCVP's loaded with explosives)  H - 50

 Apex (LCVP's     "         "            "         )  H - 40

 Apex (LCVP's      "         "            "        )  H - 30

 LCT (R)         H  -10

 LCT (R)         H -   5

 Minesweeping going on all this time

 LCS (R)         H -   4

 LCM (R)         H -   2

 

Waves

 

1.   LCMs from AP's and APA's     H -hour

2.  From APA  (LCVP's)      H + 15

3. From APA        H + 30

4. From APA        H + 40

5.  LCM, LCVP        H + 50

6. LCI's         H + 60

7. LCT's and LCI's       H + 80

8. (A) LCT's         H + 105

 (B)  DUKWS)        H + 110

9. LCT's         H + 120

The various units assigned to our beach are:

 

Beach Party Unit

 4th Beach Battalion

 They are to put up beach marking flags

 

Scout Unit

 1 pontoon boat

 1 kayak

 2 LCSs (x and y)

 

Navigation and Control Unit

 Reference Vessels  -  PC 559, SCs 1044 and 690

 Control Vessels - LCCs 97, 41, 68

    These ships are to act as control vessels for

  traffic to and from beach

 

Shallow Water Mine-sweeping Unit

 2 SCs

 LCC 71

 8 LCVPs

 

 

 

Demolition Unit

 LCC 98

 5 LCVPs (Apex Unit)

 4 LCMs (Woofus Unit)

 2 LCSs  (Support wave for LSTs)

 

Assault Unit

 15 LCVPs (from 10 LSTs)

 

Support Unit

 LCT 1017

 LSTs 77, 601

 LCI(L)s 948, 945, 946, 949, 950, 672, 943, 587, 589, 673,

       588, 40, 236, 581, 584, 585, 37, 234, 42 and 43

 

Escort Sweeper Unit

 6 YMSs

 4 AMs

 2 SCs

 

Headquarters Unit

 LCI(L) 19

 LCI(L) 195

 

The foregoing are just the ships participating in the

 assault on our beach.

I have highlighted Dad's ship in this list.  Can you imagine needing to absorb all of this information in the space of 3 days as you prepare to land troops in the face of a fearless enemy?  I look forward to the next few installments.

LCI 587 Prepares for the Invasion

When I last posted in the fall, I received word that Dad's shipmate had taken a fall and needed to rehab for a couple of months. Here is the next installment that was received just today....

 

To  continue the story.

 

July 13 - 17th in Pozzuoli.

 

July 18 -26. Running hither and yon.  First, to Salerno for maneuvers, then back to Pozzuoli with some troops, back to Salerno, then to Nisida, a promantory between Pozzuoli and Naples Bays - for supplies and clothes.

 

July 27 - August 1. Pozzuoli. AT 0400 on August 1st an LCT loaded with  food came to Pozzuoli. I was  awakened and took some men and dashed for the LCT.  There were about 60 officers from various ships, each with 5 to 10  men so things were quite lively. Just as we got our allotment of food an air-raid warning sounded and searchlights located a handful of German bombers overhead. It seemed that everybody and his brother lit smoke pots which produce a thick, stifling acrid smoke. You couldn't do anything but cover your face, lie on the cobblestones and hope for the best. The Germans dropped a few bombs that fell harmlessly in the water or on the hills, then they fled north. After the smoke cleared we rounded up our stores and took then back to the ship.

 

August 2 -5.  Still in  Pozzuoli, there are rumors going around that we'll invade Yugoslavia or Southern France in the near future.

 

August 6 - This morning we sailed to Nisida with the other ships in Flotilla 4 (36 in all) and in turn beached and took aboard troops of the 8th Army. We took aboard 196 officers and men of the 3rd Division together with their duffle, rifles, burp-guns, bazookas, mortars, etc. After loading, we drifted around Pozzuoli Bay  waiting for the remaining ships to take on troops and then proceeded via the mine-swept channels through Naples Bay,

passed Isle of Capri, to Salerno where we dropped anchor.

 

August 7 - 11.  Anchored off Salerno awaiting orders. Periodically we tie up to the jetty to take on more drinking water.  We give the soldiers one hot meal a day and for the other two meals they eat C rations or K rations.  We have a score of cases of these rations on board.  The rations consist of canned or boxed crackers,cheese, chocolate, hard candy and the like.  Ship's work has reached a standstill as there are so many soldiers on board. They sleep, sunbathe, and gamble (shoot craps) throughout the day.

 

August 12th - Today we took on more water and at last got our sealed orders.  We are to invade Southern France in an operation code-named Bigot-Anvil.  The data and instructions given us measure about 2" thick.

to be continued....

More Aboard the LCI 587

Here is a continuance of the chronicle of Dad's ship and the activities during WWII.

Dear Paul,

 

On June 27th, we left Pozzuoli for Nisida, a rugged promontory that separates Pozzuloi Bay from Naples Bay. Nisida had a fine long beach, ideal for LCIs and LSTs to beach on,

and was used as a troop embarkation point. A staging area was in nearby Bagnoli. We picked up 200 troops of the Third Division and left for Anzio. The front was then some miles north of Anzio. On June 28th, we tied up bow-on to a battered breakwater and the troops went ashore and took trucks north to the front. Anzio was a medium-sized town before the war but was thoroughly destroyed during the months of the "Anzio Beachhead". The town showed he effects of total war. There was not one whole building to be seen anywhere. No Italian civilians were in town; all that remained was rubble and dust and quiet. There was ammunition strewn throughout the town - you could walk down the street and pick up clip after clip and belt after belt of .30 cal., .50 cal., and 40mm ammunition. We about doubled the ships supply of .30 caliber shells. The fields around town were still mined and contained some bodies of decaying German soldiers. We understood that every day some Italian would try to cross a field and be blown to bits. Tanks and planes littered the landscape and land mines were still piled high along the sides of the roads. I talked with one Army officer who said the Germans were forcing captured Poles, Russians, French and Czechs to fight on their side. There were many such troops on the Italian front, but mostly Russians and Poles. He said the Poles fought like fiends, even in hand to hand combat, while the others gave up easily. Especially the Russians who always fired over the Americans' heads. He also said that whenever the Americans took a hill from the Germans they could count on a German counter-attack in fifteen or twenty minutes.

 

We returned to Pozzuoli and stayed there from July 2 through July 10. For the first few days, every morning the radiomen and signalmen from all the ships would have a half-hour drill to sharpen their technique.

 

July 11 we took 187 Brazilian troops aboard and, together with nine other LCIs, got underway to Civitavecchia, the port for Rome. On the way, we watched 15 waterspouts form and fade. Arrived on July 12th. The town was rubble. We hear that the German railroad cannon, Anzio Annie, was captured at Civitavecchia. It was something like WWI's Big Bertha. It had a barrel 90 feet long and was used by the Germans to lob shells into our lines at Anzio from long range.

 

We got underway for Pozzuoli in the afternoon. On the way, we sighted a mine and exploded it with rifle fire. Arrived in Pozzuoli on July 13.

 

Paul, you mentioned that we arrived in the Mediterrean on your Dad's birthday. What was he then? Nineteen. My 23rd birthday was the day we left Birzerte. The gentleman sending me this information is now 90.

Aboard the LCI (L) 587

My Dad served in the US Navy during WWII aboard a troop transport in the European Theatre. As they prepared to leave for the invasion of Japan from Alaska, the war ended. Dad passed away in June of 2010 at the age of 85. Sadly, I did not find out as much as I would have liked about his time of service. However, I recently started corresponding with a shipmate of his. What follows in this column are the events from April 1944 forward. Dad graduated from Quartermasters School in Newport, Rhode Island, a few months prior to that. The story is picked up from there.

Dear Paul,

 

I'll try to give you an overview and then we can take it from there if you have more questions. My fingers don't fly over the keys as easily as they used to, so I may have to do this in installments.

 

First, I was wrong about where your dad lived at the time, he was from Waltham, MA. (He was from West Newton, but lived less than a five minute walk from the Waltham line).

 

Before our LCI was built by the New Jersey Ship Co. in Barber, N.J., ships being built there were assigned cages at Pier 42 on Manhattan on the North (Hudson) River where they assembled and stored all the provisions that would be needed by the ship. I first met Ed at cage 18 on April 7, 1944. He showed up carrying all the corrected charts for the ship. The next day, April 8th, we all went to the Todd Ship Yards in Barber, N.J. for the commissioning of our ship. At 1500 hours, we mustered on deck for the commissioning ceremonies after which visitors went ashore, workmen went ashore and a pilot came aboard to guide us to Pier 42. We sailed around the north end of Staten Island, stopping before each bridge to sound our horn so the keeper could raise or turn the bridge to let us pass. We stayed at Pier 42 until April 14, provisioning the ship. Then we sailed to Norfolk, VA, Little Creek, VA, and Solomons, MD where we practiced landings and signaling. We even went out in the Atlantic and practiced landings at Virginia Beach, VA.

 

On May 11, we were in Norfolk where we took on 12,000 gallons of water and 35,000 gallons of fuel. On May 12, we anchored off Hampton roads Virginia with all the other LCI's. On May 13, we weighed anchor and proceeded into the Atlantic in a line of ships as far as you could see. By the next day, we had formed up into a 105 ship convoy sailing to the Mediterranean. The LCI's were placed in what were called the coffin corners of the convoy, i.e. the last ships in the convoy at the outside corners, the favorite spot for submarines to pick off ships of the convoy. We didn't worry about it as we figured that torpedos would go beneath our shallow draft (3'6" forward and 5'4" aft). We zigzagged across the Atlantic and reached the straits of Gibraltar on May 28, 1944. Once in the Mediterranean, the convoy broke up into smaller groups with different destinations. We were then given orders to proceed to Oran, Algeria and then to Mers-el Kebir, the old French naval base just outside Oran. We were there a couple of days and then told that we had been given the wrong orders and should proceed to Birzerte, Tunisia. While sailing to Birzerte, we encountered a very short sea, i.e. the waves came rapidly and close together so that with our flat bottom, we would rise up on one wave and slam down on the top of the next one. This continued so long that the

superstructure of the LCI parted somewhat from the deck, leaving a large crack at the welding. We arrived at Birzerte June 6th, 1944 (D-Day in Normandy) and immediately had the welding mended.

 

We left Birzerte and sailed to Naples, Italy arriving June 10th, and the next day we sailed to Pozzuoli (the ancient Puteoli where St. Paul landed when he was taken to Rome as a prisoner. Also, where Sophia Loren grew up.) which was to be the base for all the LCI's.

Pozzuoli is just a couple of miles north of Naples.We got to Pozzuoli just in time to receive orders to go to Salerno, south of Naples, where the Allies first landed in Italy some months ago. Our time in the Salerno area was one of incessant training, lasting until June 19th. As well as maneuvering with other LCI's (columns, lines abreast, v-formations and general practice using flag hoist signals by day and blinker signals at night) we spent considerable time beaching and retracting. In the day, we beached on several small beaches and at night - with no lights on board ship - we beached on beaches below the Amalfi drive, one at Positano only 80 feet wide with jagged cliffs on either side. We trained daily almost from 0900 one morning to 0200 the next.

 

Beaching an LCI is an art, although a crude one. The ship's stern anchor is dropped when approaching the beach. The anchor cable is 150 fathoms long so, if the anchor is dropped too far of shore, the ship either won't reach the beach or will break the cable trying to reach the beach. On the other hand, if the anchor is dropped too far in-shore

the anchor will drag when the stern winch is turned on so it won't help the ship off the beach. Also it is important to hit the beach at just the right speed, hard enough to

stick while the soldiers disembark via the two side ramps but not so hard that the engines and winch can't pull you of the beach. Steep beaches are handled differently from shallow beaches and gravel beaches differently from sand beaches. Sea and wind conditions are also factors. A beam wind or cross-current may cause the ship to broach

when beaching and a heavy surf breaking against the fantail may also cause broaching.

Usually, the engines and screws were left running at one-third ahead and the stern anchor cable kept taught to prevent broaching.

 

June 20th was mock invasion day. With 200 troops aboard and in the company of 72 LCI's as well as numerous LCTs, LCCs, Higgins' Boats, SCs, mine sweepers, a cruiser, several destroyers, some demolition boats and a score of planes we assaulted the beaches at Gaeta, some miles north of Naples.

 

First the demolition teams in kayaks went into where the underwater obstacles were located, planted charges, and retreated. Then the cruiser, destroyer and rocket barrage came. Then the demolition boats swooped in. The latter are really just radio controlled speed boats filled with explosives. They're directed toward the shore and, when they reach the underwater barriers or obstacles, they explode blasting a path to shore. In the meantime, mine-sweepers have been at work. Finally the mock invasion started. LCIs streamed in towards shore eight abreast. The beach was relatively gradual so we were unable to land the soldiers dry. We let down our ramps in about two feet of water and the soldiers waded ashore carrying packs and rifles, a few machine guns, bazooka and automatic rifles. We had no difficulty retracting from the beach, particularly considering we were so much lighter after disembarking 200 soldiers plus their equipment.

 

On the whole, the mock invasion went off quite well although a few ships had trouble with sandbars and two soldiers were drowned leaving one ship, they were carrying machine guns and stepped in deep holes.

 

The next day we returned to Salerno, took on more troops and on June 22 did another mock invasion of Gaeta. On June 24, we returned to Pozzuoli. More to follow....I hope that this chronicle will do a couple of things. First, I think it is an interesting story. Second, I hope that as our WWII veterans are dying in greater numbers, that readers will seek out their friends and relatives to get their stories. Once they die, the stories are lost forever.--Paul

Is There a VA Reverse Mortgage?

I met with a Veterans Service Officer recently.  He told me of some statistics in the county that were eye opening.  20% of the county's residents were veterans.  He went on to say that nearly 70% of those were over the age of 60.  Because many folks come into the county office for varied services, many of them have to do with hard-earned monetary benefits, he alluded to the fact that a lot of those veterans are on fixed incomes and are being squeezed by ever increasing taxes, home insurance costs, etc.  Although I was there to discuss the VA loan program and to give him some information to help his clients, at that point in the conversation, I had to mention the Reverse Mortgage.

Some have asked if there is such a thing as a VA Reverse Mortgage.  There isn't.  Primarily because the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage insured by FHA now has the nationwide loan limit.  Much of the discussions about VA getting involved were tied to the disparity in loan limits.  VA was at $417,000 nationwide.  FHA was tied to the old County limit system with some as low as $200,000 [rounded down a couple hundred dollars].  Once the new loan limits were put into place in late 2008, the need for another program largely dissipated.

Other changes were put into place, too.  A limit on the origination fee with a cap of $6000 and a floor of $2500 was adopted.  The nationwide limit was raised to above the conforming limit.  It is supposed to revert to the Freddie Mac/Fannie Mae limit of $417,000 at some point.  We have not reached that point, though.  In most areas, the ceiling is $625,000--enough to cover most primary residential values.  Age 62 is still the minimum age to qualify and the older the homeowner, the larger percentage of value that can be borrowed.  While the Reverse Mortgage is not right for everybody, it is perfect for some.

Veteran Services Offices

Of course, if you have followed this blog over the course of the past few years, you know that there has been a real focus on the Veteran.  The VA Home Loan Program has been a very good benefit for the veteran over the years.  It did not go overboard like many other programs and that has served all of us very well.  What I wanted to advise you of today was the county service office.  In some smaller states, it may just be one office with visiting hours in various towns during the month.  The point I am making is that there is a place to meet someone face-to-face and discuss your various benefits.

The loan benefit is one such animal and many service officers have contacts for reliable Loan Officers familiar with the program.  But, there are all kinds of benefits that can be explained at the office. In Florida, for example, the website will provide you with a vast array of service options, including the location of the county office nearest to you.

Talking to Lead Buyers

There are a lot of ways to talk to mortgage professionals.  One way is to call them based on a referral from a friend, colleague, family member or Realtor.  Another way is to have them call you.  That can be accomplished via the internet very easily.  You can fill out a short form by clicking on a banner ad, a link from looking at a specific house for sale on a Realtor website, or any number of similar type of site.  These become 'leads' to mortgage professionals.  Some may not appear to be as professional as others and as a consumer you need to ask some questions yourself.  One question "How did you get my name?" is really not necessary.  By filling out the form, you authorized the call and whether the lead went directly to that person or if the person purchased that lead is immaterial.

What is important to ask?  Where are you located?  If the answer is in another state, then you will know that some of the answers you get in the course of discussion may be less than informed.  I live in Florida.  I can very intelligently discuss loan facets in Vermont & New Hampshire because I lived and worked there for many years.  I can, to a lesser extent, answer New York questions because I worked there for several years.  But I am not up to speed with changes that may have occurred there since I last did business there in 1995.  I have done some lending in Maine, but would defer to an expert there as well. Florida is where I live and if it is where you live, then a comfort level can be reached that is not probable with someone calling you from Nevada or Illinois.

What is your experience?  I wrote my first mortgage in 1981.  I have seen many changes over the years, but the experience I have gained in lean times and in busy times is invaluable.  If you are working with someone who answers 2005 or later for entry into the business, you may or may not gain that same advantage.  Some who entered the business in that time frame are very good at what they do.  But many are flummoxed by all of the rapid fire changes in our industry.

What do you recommend?  Knowing that there are fewer and fewer loan choices now than what there were a few years ago means that it will not take as long to zero in on the right product.  In some areas, if you have less than 20% as a down payment, then you automatically toss out conventional loans as options.  So, you have to discuss the other major products--FHA, VA, USDA and State Housing.  The questions the mortgage professional asks YOU are even more important.  What are your goals?  What payment are YOU comfortable with?  How long do you plan to be in the home?

If the answers you get and the questions you are asked allow you to develop a rapport with the mortgage professional, then you can probably feel good about proceeding.  Remember that RATE is really not the biggest factor to consider since most rates will be fairly similar.  Overall cost and trust mean so much more.  Good advice is priceless.  And a lead buyer CAN be the person you decide to select as your business partner.