Tuesday, April 11, 2017

APc-48...(Part V)...



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Knowing that APc-48 was part of APc-Flotilla Five, Group 15, Division 29 makes it slightly less work to trace its likely paths...As part of the New Georgia Campaign, Flotilla Five for APc's joined Flotilla Five for LST's (Landing Ship Tank), Flotilla Five for LCI(L)'s (Landing Craft Infantry Large), and Flotillas Five and Six for LCT(5)'s (Landing Craft Tank Mark 5), giving a total of 96 vessels under the command of RAdm George H. Hall's Landing Craft Flotillas, organized as part of the Southern Pacific Force...This group was further at the disposal and command of RAdm. RK Turner's Amphibious Force as part of Adm. Halsey's Third Fleet...In 1943 Third Fleet's operational area was the Southwest Pacific area centering on the Solomon Islands...Coincidentally, at the time of this writing, Third Fleet's operational area is the northern and east sections pf the Pacific, including the waters surrounding the small outpost island of Attu in the Aleutian chain where US Army S/Sgt. Young was stationed 75 years prior...

Along with the Solomon Islands, the New Georgia Islands framed  "the slot" where the Japanese pushed their barge convoys through in the dead of night, trying to keep their Army units already stationed on the many remote islands of the complex supplied with rations, fuel, ammunition and replacement soldiers...This night operation was also called the Tokyo Express; its derailment a major target of opportunity for any allied warships in the area...Sometimes escorted by Japanese destroyers or light cruisers, these barges were also hunted by PT boats which patrolled the slot in search of the slow moving barges...It was here that Lt. (jg) JF Kennedy's PT-109 was cut in half by a JIN destroyer in August 1943...

In June 1943 OperationToenails commenced to take control of the islands of New Georgia...At the time of these amphibious landings, Adm. Hall had available 69 of his landing craft, plus all 10 APc's which were assigned to him...This was the right time frame for APc-48's initial operations, and for this reason I believe it may have participated in the New Georgia landings...In this capacity, its assignment would likely have included ferrying small assault teams and their equipment to isolated beaches on the New Georgia islands for insertion with the mission of engaging Japanese defense positions...

Many Australian and New Zealander civilians and military members operated as coastwatchers on these small islands, and their need for replenishment of supplies would have been another reason for duty by the APc's...One of these was Arthur Reginald Evans who covertly maintained an observation post near the top of the volcano, Mount Veve, on the island of Kolombangara, an island easily identifiable at times of limited vision because of its almost perfectly round shape...10,000 Japanese soldiers were based on this island, making it incredibly dangerous for Evans to operate...Still he managed to relay the whereabouts of the stranded crew of PT-109 from the islander fishermen who found them to US Navy officials, thereby effecting their rescue...

Another of these coastwatchers was Donald G. Kennedy who maintained his base of operations at Segi Point on Rendova Island, under the very nose of Japanese General Sasaki, who knew of the enemy threat, and was determined to eliminate it...The general was unsuccessful, as Kennedy issued a call for help after the landing of Japanese reinforcements who had the intent to find and eliminate him... Days later, a Marine raiding party was inserted at night at Kennedy's position to provide protection for him and his small band of islanders as they worked to harass the Japanese efforts...This would have been another good opportunity for employment of the APc's, as this mission was one for which they were designed...Later, as the Japanese were distracted by heavy shelling of nearby Kolombangara Island, and as the invasion by Marine forces began on the main island of New Georgia, a survey crew and a unit of Seabees were surreptitiously inserted by night and directed by Kennedy to find and do the preliminary work for an airfield on Rendova...Their work was completed in two weeks...

As mentioned elsewhere, this is still guesswork since Navy records for details of individual vessels involved in the amphibious landings are unavailable at this time...


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