US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

Torzgb Toenaiis Paring 537
on 3 July but all craft made it independently into Oleana Bay, New Georgia.
LCT-322 broached and was carried high and dry on the beach, where she
remained until 6 July when she was refloated by the aid of tugs.
On the 4th of July, seas started to moderate and by 6 July they were
calm, but the heavens were not. “The second week of occupation brought
torrential downpours that bemired virtually all mobile equipment, rendering
doubly difficult the task of unloading the landing craft as they beached.” ‘
THE WESTERN FORCE (GROUP) TASK
The basic plan (CTF 31 Op Order A8–31 ) contemplated putting ashore
about 16,500 troops in the Rendova area in the first four days. To accomplish
this task, the following organization was established:
Western Task Group Organization TG 31.1
(a) Onaiavisi Occtipation Unit TU 31.1.1 Lieutenant Commander C. C.
Morgan
Tcdbot (APD-7 ) Lieutenant Commander C. C, Morgan
Zme (DMS- 14) Lieutenant Commander P. L. Wirtz
(b) RetrdovaAdvance Unit TU 31.1.2 Commander J. D. Sweeney
IVater~ (APD-8 ) Lieutenant Commander C. J. McWhinnie
Dent (APD-$z) Lieutenant Commander R, A. Wilhelm
(c) lJt Echelon Movement lVe~tem Group ~ 31.1.3 Rear Admiral
Turner
(1) Trun~port Divi.zion TU 31.1.31 Captain P. S. Theiss
McCazuley (APA-4) Commander R. H. Rodgers
Pre.rident ]uchon (APA-18 ) Captain C. W. Weitzel
l+e~ident Admu (APA-19) Captain Frank Dean
PreJiderztHdye$ (APA-20) Captain F. W. Benson
A~gor#b (AKA-8) Captain J. R. Lannon
Libru (AKA-I 2 ) Captain W. B. Fletcher
(2) Screening Grotip TG 31.2 Captain T. J. Ryan, Jr.
Fire Support Unit TU 31.2.1 Captain Ryan
Rul/zb Talbot (DD-39o) Commander J. W. Callahan
lilf~chman(DD-484) Lieutenant Commander F. B. T. Myhre
McCulla (DD-488 ) Lieutenant Commander H. A. Knoertzer
Farenbolt (F) (DD-491 ) Lieutenant Commander A. G.
Beckman
‘ (a) LCI Flotilla Five War Diary, 29 Jun. 1943; (b) Landing Craft Flotillas, SOPAC, War
Diary Jul. 1943; (c) LCI Group 13 War Diary, Jul. 1943.