LST 388: A World War II Journal by Robert von der Osten & Barbara von der Osten

Author:Robert von der Osten & Barbara von der Osten [von der Osten, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Deeds Publishing
Published: 2017-10-19T04:00:00+00:00

SEPTEMBER 14, 1943 — Just before we reached the southern end of the beachhead at Salerno, General Quarters sounded, and another air attack occurred. I was out on deck when it began. A line of high-flying German planes peeled off and went into a dive. All guns opened up in an instant. Allied fighters could still be seen in the sky when this attack came. Just before we arrived in the bay, an American liberty ship had been hit and was still in flames.

We landed British troops again at Green Beach. After being ordered in at night, we were unloaded in about an hour. Immediately on completing unloading, we pulled out and anchored. All night, the sound of artillery could be heard in the hills, thrown by British destroyers on either side of us.

When we had beached, there was a British anti-aircraft crew set up within a few feet of the bow doors. They told some of the crew about the large number of casualties. The fields in back of the beach were littered with booby traps and land mines. A wounded British soldier said he thought the whole first wave was wiped out. They felt the Germans, somehow, had gotten hold of secret plans and maps of our invasion several days before we arrived.

The night before we arrived with this second load, the Germans drove almost to Green Beach. B-17 Flying Fortresses bombed them and were a major force in repulsing the counterattack.

While we were there, a large number of paratroopers were dropped onto the beach.

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