US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

Pohbing Skiiis in the R.vsseiis 469
The CLEANSLATE Objective.
and for anti-submarine patrolling) towed four landing craft: two Landing
Craft, Personnel (LCP) and two Landing Craft, Vehicle (1 LCV and 1
LCM). The four fast transports each carried, in addition to troops, four
LCVPS and 1s rubber landing boats. The mighty Boboiink (AT-I21 ) towed
a 1,000-ton flat top lighter for use at Wernham Cove.
For the initial landings:
The plan was for destroyers carrying a naval base unit and a certain number
of troops to tow LCVS and LCVPS from naval bases at Guadalcanal and
Gavutu (near Tulagi). . . . I can remember the Operations Officer, Captain
Doyle, designing towing bridles for these small craft and ordering several of
our vessels to make up a number of them.lz
*****
During three nights prior to the first movement, special pains were taken to
obtain radar information as to the detailed night movement of enemy planes
near GUADALCANAL and especially along the route from there to the
IWSSELLS. The radar showed enemy planes were operating every night in
areas to the westward of SAVO ISLAND from shortly after dark until about
an hour before midnight. Consequently, movements of the CLEANSLATE
force to the westward of SAVO were withheld until after that hour on
MAnderson.