US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

284 Anzphzbz~nJ Came To Conquer
indication of how very busy they were is that no July or August 1942 War
Diary for the ship survives in any of the depositories, and it seems probable
it never was forwarded.
Although the 13,00@ton McCaw/ey had been the Grace Line’s passenger
ship Santa Barbara for some years, and presumably had more than adequate
living accommodations for any naval purpose, this did not prove the case.
Staff officers of the rank of lieutenant commander were crowded together
three in a room, and the more junior ship and communication officers were
stacked up in bunk rooms. The McCaw/ey, as one of the 13 transports
designated for WATCHTOWER, had to carry her share of troops and the
boats to land them. This task absorbed communication facilities needed by
the Amphibious Commander.
Of the PHIBFORSOPAC Staff, only the serologist filed a “satisfactory”
report on the particular flagship facilities needed for his efficient func-
tioning.g
PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER
In his San Francisco Memorandum to CINCPAC, Rear Admiral Turner
bluntly stated that “neither the troops, ships, nor aircraft assigned to this
project are adequately trained in amphibious warfare.” The Commanding
General of the Amphibious Corps, Pacific Fleet, had reported recently:
The state of readiness of the First Marine Aircraft Wing is such that it is
considered imperative that steps be taken immediately to remedy the situation.
However, Rear Admiral Turner believed that “there is s@cient time to
remedy training deficiencies provided corrective steps are taken at once.” 10
To initiate the corrective steps, he attached to his memorandum to CINCPAC
a prospective training schedule. This schedule included landing Marines
during an actual gun and air bombardment, conducted by the aircraft,
heavy cruisers, and destroyers slated to support the initial landings and controlled
by air controllers and shore fire control parties from these ships.
‘ (a) Interviews and questionnaires from PHIBFORSOPAC Staff, 1961–1963. Hereafter
PHIBFORSOPAC Staff Interviews; (b) A.C.W. Baskin, tetter, 16 Nov. 1962.
10(a) PESTILENCE Memo, para. 2; (b) Commanding General, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing,
Pacific Fleet, to Commander Amphibious Force, pacific Fleet, letter, KVIO/A16/CSN-082 of 11
May 1942 and First Endorsement thereon by Commanding Gmeral, Amphibious Corps, Pacific
Fleet, 13 May 1942. This was the Wing whose forward erhelon landed on Henderson Field, 20
August 1942.