A Quiet Tropical Cruise
80 years ago today. First Marine Division Marines are seen boarding USS LCI-340 at Oro Bay, New Guinea on the day before Christmas, 1943.
Photographed by Brenner, USMC Photo 72064, via the NHHC
Note the newly-issued M-1 Garand rifles carried by most men, as well as a telescope-equipped M1903 Springfield rifle at left. The fourth Marine on the ramp has a rifle grenade attachment on his Garand while the sixth and seventh Devils tote the 20-pound (unloaded) M1918 BAR.
Inset of the above.
The Marines shown above would spend the holiday afloat and, the day after Christmas, they landed at Cape Gloucester on Japanese-occupied New Britain Island.
United States Coast Guard-manned LST (the USCG manned 61 Navy LSTs in WWII as well as 28 LCIs), beaching at Cape Gloucester, New Britain, Bismarck Islands, Dec 1943
The Marines Land. Marines hit three feet of rough water as they leave their LST to take the beach at Cape Gloucester, December 26, 1943
Marines wade ashore from a Coast Guard-manned LST beached at Cape Gloucester, New Britain, circa 26 December 1943. Note the nickname “The Ace in the Hole” on the shield of a 105mm gun being towed ashore by a bulldozer. These men are armed with M-1 Garand Rifles, M-1 Carbines, and Thompson submachine guns. National Archives Catalog #: 80-G-44428
Marines and Coast Guardsmen landing on Cape Gloucester, New Britain, circa 26 December 1943. An LVT (1) leads the way as some men carry stretchers and others push a jeep toward the beach. National Archives Catalog #: 26-G-3046
The cost to the Marines for the resulting four-month campaign was 478 killed and 982 wounded.
That ‘dozer was probably from the 19NCB that accompanied the Marines on shore.
https://seabeemagazine.navylive.dodlive.mil/News/Archive/Article/2611026/this-week-in-seabee-history-december-23-29/
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