American Amphibious Gunboats in World War II by Robin L. Rielly

Author:Robin L. Rielly
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: McFarland
Published: 2013-05-05T16:00:00+00:00

LCI(G) 441 comes alongside Nevada BB 36 to transfer her wounded. She was hit by Japanese artillery at Iwo Jima on 17 February 1945. NARA 80G 307124.

LCI(G) 441 transfers her casualties to Nevada BB 36 on 17 February 1945. NARA 80G 303786.

In the midst of all of this, UDT operations had begun at about 1100. By that time the LCI(G)s were already in trouble, many having been hit by fire from shore batteries. Lieutenant (jg) Donald Murray, a member of the UDT, recalled: “The fire from shore was unmerciful. Bullets rained down on the swimmers. Eight inch shells were decimating the LCI(G)s.”7 LCI(G)s 441, 450, and 473 managed to get close enough to fire off their rockets before being hit. The others, damaged by shore fire, were unable to fire off complete salvos.

Beach reconnaissance fell to a combined force of Navy UDT and Marine Scouts and Raiders. The UDT members and Marine reconnaissance swimmers were scheduled to swim ashore, chart the bottom, look for mines and obstacles, and return to their pickup boat. On board the LCVP pickup boat, Marine reconnaissance members would run parallel to the shore photographing any items of interest, such as obstacles and enemy gun emplacements near shore. While the swimmers in the water dodged sniper fire, the Marines in the LCVP had other concerns. “The Japanese fired at them continually, using light mortars, machine guns, and rifle fire as well as the very devastating antiboat guns from their concealed positions. The close splashes and water plumes of the Japanese antiboat guns and mortars, sometimes bracketing their craft, gave everyone a great deal of concern.”8

Ensign Frank Jirka, Jr., was a member of UDT 12 assigned to cover the Red beaches along with selected members of First Lieutenant Russell Corey’s B Company, FMF Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion. They had completed their mission and looked for their supporting LCI(G) to see if they could assist in identifying enemy targets. They searched for their ship but it was not there. LCI(G) 466 had replaced it and was covering operations on the Green beaches. Along with a Marine captain and two other Marines, Jirka boarded the LCI(G) 466. He later recalled:

We decided to go aboard and try to spot our gunfire from it. We came alongside and the four of us climbed aboard. I went up to the bridge, told them what I was there for and what team I represented. I was standing at the time, on the after port side of the bridge, but since the forward gun’s smoke was obstructing my view, I moved to the forward starboard side. I no sooner moved over when our ship, which was around l700 yards off the beach and slowly moving in, almost got hit.

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