US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

338 Amphibians Came To Conquer
The minesweeping was actually completed, with no mines swept, at 1550,
except for the area immediately off Beach Red which could not all be done
because the transports had moved into the area.
Well before the start of minesweeping, two of these converted destroyers
were to fire concentrated fire on Bungana Island for five minutes and
three ships were to concentrate on Gavutu Island for five minutes. Then they
were to act as control ships at the Line of Departure and as salvage ships
for the Halavao, Florida Island landing.
While the minesweepers were proceeding to their initial stations, the
Japanese gunners manning “the 3-inch and smaller guns on or near the
top of Gavutu decided the destroyer minesweepers at 4,OOO yards were
worthwhile targets and opened up with a straddle on the flagship, Hopkinf
(DMS-13), and erratic fire on the others. The Hovey (DMS-11) which
“had 30 brand new men aboard who had never heard gunfire” reported:
During the bombardment directed against Gavutu Island by the ship . . .
enemy AA guns fired AA shells with fuses set to explode short and above the
ship. . . .35
There was much counterbattery fire from the fast minesweepers, and some
air bombing of Gavutu before the DMS left to proceed to their initial
minesweeping stations.
The sweeping schedule meant that during the initial hours of the
landing, the transports and cargo ships, in Group XRAY, would be dis-
charging Marines and cargo into boats from four and a half to five miles
from the assault beaches if the ships were to await the completion of
sweeping before moving in. This was a serious weakness in Rear Admiral
Turner’s plans, not to be repeated willingly in later operations, and remedied
before the morning was out by prompt action of Captain Reifsnider in
the Red Beach area, whose War Diary noted:
Debarkation positions were 41/2 miles from BEACH RED. Half an hour after
the initial waves had landed, the transports moved 31/2 miles closer to the
beach to reduce the long water ride for the Marines.3G
Commander Transport’s summation was on the optimistic side. The
detailed record shows ~hat the transport squadron’s mov~ment closer inshore
was individualistic. The H.unte~ Liggett moved in at 0942. The McCaw)ey
logged: “1045, commenced closing beach, 1121 anchor in 23 fathoms.”
The President Adann (AP-38) “shifted inshore and anchored BEACH RED
= Hot,ey, Action Report, 11 Aug. 1’942.
w CTG 62.1 War Diary, 23 Sept. 1942.