US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

Planning for Paring the ~apanese Toenaiis 499
one m the United States with an alert ear knew by this time that Guadalcanal’s
code word was CACTUS, Guadalcanal received a change of code
name from CACTUS to MAINYARD for the purpose of the DRYGOODS
Operation.
On 20 May 1943, COMSOPAC created a Joint Logistic Board, composed
of:
1. Commander Service Squadron, SOPAC,
2. Commanding General, Services of Supply, SOPAC, Army,
3. Commanding General, Supply Service, First Marine Amphibious
Corps, and
4. Commander Aircraft, SOPAC (represented by COM Fleet Air,
Noumea).
The Board was charged with keeping the appropriate departmental au-
thorities in Washington informed of present and future Service require-
ments, with providing inter-change of emergency logistical support within
SOPAC, and with recommending to Washington appropriate levels of
supply within SOPAC.
THE LANDING CRAFT
SOPAC planning for TOENAILS was’ predicated upon the arrival in
the South Pacific of an adequate number of LSTS (Landing Ship Tank),
LCIS (Landing Craft Infantry) and LCTS (Landing Craft Tank). When
delay succeeded delay in the delivery of these new landing craft, some being
built by commercial shipyards themselves newly built, it became apparent
t~at there would be little time to break them in to the hazards of the Solomons
before they would have to load for TOENAILS. In this respect, it is obvious
that Vice Admiral Halsey’s desire for an April or May D-Day for TOE-
NAILS was constantly tempered by the constant slippage of the arrival
dates of the landing craft.
The first LSTS assigned to the South Pacific were built at three East
Coast yards and were commissioned in December 1942 and January 1943.
The LST used in the South Pacific had an overall length of nearly 328
feet, a 50-foot beam, and a draft of 14 feet when it displaced 3,776 tons
fully loaded. Presumably when the LST blew its ballast tanks, its draft was
3 feet, 1 inch forward and 9 feet, 6 inches aft, but this desirable state for
unloading Marine or Army tanks through the bow doors on the perfect