A BRIEF HISTORY OF LCS(L) 111
by
Jack Cox, crewmember
The U.S.S. LCS(L)(3) 111 was built in
21 days by the George Lawley and Sons
Shipyard, Neponset, Massachusetts.
She was one of the 130 direct descendants of the prolific LCI (Landing
Craft, Infantry), specifically the LCI(G) gunboat variant, and has been
referred to as one of the ELSIE PROGENY.
Her planned displacement was 387 tons, draft 5 feet 8 inches at the
stern, beam 23 feet.
The ship’s crew at commissioning was 6
officers and 65 enlisted men. Her
engine room’s main propulsion consisted of 8 diesel engines, General Motors
6-71 T.I. (6–cylinder, 71 cubic inch displacement per cylinder, turbo-charged
induction). Each of the two propeller
shafts was driven by a quad of 4 engines.
Her planned standard speed was 10 knots at 450 RPM, and she was supposed
to make 16 knots flank speed at 650 RPM.
LCS 111 was placed in commission on
November 3, 1944 at 8:04 AM, with Lt. (jg) Leslie E. Culp, USNR, as Commanding
Officer. The next 5 days were busy ones,
loading food, gear, making test runs and getting ship’s complement ready to
fight a ship of the United States Navy.
On November 8, 1944, we sailed from
Boston, Massachusetts for the Amphibious Training Base at Little Creek,
Virginia, via the Cape Cod canal. On
November 10 we arrived at Little Creek and tied up at Pier 1. On November 11, LCS 111 headed north on
Chesapeake Bay for the Amphibious Training Base at Solomons, Maryland. A Captain McIsaac, USN, came aboard for
Captain’s Inspection upon our arrival.
Next morning a shakedown cruise began, lasting 10 days, after which, on
November 21, the LCS 111 headed south again, this time for Lamberts Point in
Norfolk, at the Railroad Piers. On the
way down the bay to Norfolk we hit a severe storm, shipped some water, and
proved our seaworthiness.
During our stay in Norfolk we installed
new bilge pumps, made minor repairs and repainted the ship, a camouflage
green. On Thanksgiving Day 1944 we
sailed for Key West, Florida, in company with LSMs 186, 187 and 278. Four days later we tied up at Craig Docks,
Berth 1. Then, on December 6, our Task
Group headed for Coco Solo, Canal Zone, arriving on December 10. There we took on water, fuel and
provisions.
On December 11 the LCS 111 traversed the Panama Canal, under her own power, without a pilot. In the Pacific Ocean we headed north for San Diego, California, in a convoy with LSMs 185 and 278. On December 23 we passed abeam Point Loma Light and entered San Diego Bay. In San Diego we repaired a fuel tank that had ruptured off Tehuanapec, Mexico on the trip from the Canal Zone. We also had 3 new radios installed, completed training in surface, aerial and shore maneuvers, and the entire ship was scraped and repainted. On February 11, 1945, we sailed for Pearl Harbor. Our Task Group consisted of LCSs 63, 64, 85, 86, 87, 117, and LCI 368. We arrived in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on February 20.
On February 26, LCS 111 sailed for
Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands. There
we picked up Convoy 72 and headed for Saipan, Marianas Islands, arriving there
on March 14. On March 25, LCS 111 joined another convoy headed for Okinawa, in
the Ryukyu Islands. We arrived off
Southern Okinawa on April 1, and were attacked by bogeys (Japanese
planes). Two were downed, but one got
through and dove into an LST. Thus was
our baptism in World War Two.
On radar picket duty, along with LCS
114, M.L. ABELE (DD-733), and BENNETT (DD-473), when bogeys were reported in
the area, the LCS 111 closed in on the ABELE to lend fire support. The ABELE, with an assist from the 111 took
out a Nip plane. Later, one kamikaze dove on the ABELE but was splashed by
her.
After taking care of logistics, on the evening of the 6th,
we reported to USS HUDSON (DD-475) for duty on Picket Station 3, in consort
with LCS 118 and LSM 199. The HUDSON
was relieved by the USS MACOMB (DMS-23) on the evening of April 15. On April 18, LCS 81 and the PGM 17 joined
our patrol. On the 19th, USS
H. E. WILEY (DM-29) joined the patrol, while several vessels were relieved. On April 23 we were relieved of picket duty,
returning to Okinawa to provide smoke protection for larger ships during night
air attacks in the Hagushi anchorage.
On April 25 we began operating in Kinmu
(Chimu) Wan, providing smoke cover and anti-aircraft support for the USS
BOWDITCH (AGS-4) and LST 670. LCS 111
shot down one Japanese Betty bomber while in this area. We returned to radar picket patrol on May 2. With us were the USS BACHE (DD-470), USS
MACOMB (DMS-23), and LCSs 89 and 117.
On May 3, the MACOMB lost her after 5-inch gun when a kamikaze Tony
crashed into the gunhouse. In another
incident, Lt. (jg) C. H. Harper, USNR, Combat Air Patrol pilot off the USS
RUDYERD BAY (CVE-81), ditched his shot-up Wildcat, and was picked up, unhurt, by
LCS 111 and transferred to the MACOMB for further transfer to his carrier.
LCS 111 spent 4 days patrolling off
Kerama Rhetto, after which, on May 6, she headed for the Hagushi
anchorage. Until May 13, she received
stores, repairs by USS ENDYMION (ARL-9), and entered the Landing Ship Dock
WHITE MARSH (LSD-8) for welding of the stern plates near the skegs, forward of
the screws. For the next 24 days, the
111 patrolled in Nakagusuka Wan (Buckner Bay), engaging in skunk (suicide boat)
patrol, anti-aircraft support and shore bombardment.
On May 27, LCS 111 went alongside PC
1603, after she had been hit by two suicide Tonys. We pumped out 7 feet of water from her engine room, and 2 feet
from other spaces. She was then taken
in tow by a salvage tug. On May 28, the
111 splashed a bogey off her port quarter.
On June 6, having damaged our screws on coral reefs, we entered the
LINDENWOLD (LSD-6) for repairs. During
LCS 111’s time at Okinawa she was credited with 4 assists and 1 kill against
the kamikazes.
On June 7, LCS 111 joined a convoy
headed for Saipan, commanded by Captain Sears, USN, and arrived there on June
13. On June 14 the crew had shore
leave. On August 5 the 111 went into
drydock, the USS ARD-15, and had her sea chests, containing sea water and
filters for engine cooling, cleaned, the bottom scraped, and the skegs, which
had been damaged by beachings, and groundings on coral bottoms, re-welded.
On September 14, the war over, the 111
got underway for Tokyo Bay. The Task
Group consisted of LC(FF) 536, LCSs 23, 24, 25, 38, 39, 40, 109, 110, 111, 112
and 113. Time was lost during the trip
due to a typhoon we had to avoid. On
September 20, LCS 111 entered Tokyo Bay and moored alongside LCS 112, which was
anchored between the breakwaters at Yokohama.
On September 24 we took on 12,000
gallons of fuel from the USS KENNEBEC (AO-36).
During the fueling operation, 4 mooring lines broke, and the bow was
under water most of the time. Later
that day, LCS 111 got underway for Aomori, as part of Flotilla Three, under the
command of Captain Aylward. The group
consisted of USS LC(FF)s 988, 485 and 536, LCSs 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20,
21, 22, 25, 38, 39, 40, 109, 110, 111 and 112. From September 25 until September 30, LCS 111 supported the occupation
landing of Aomori, Japan. When that
operation was completed, LCS 111 sailed for the United States.
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