USS Nitro (AE-2)
A Chronological Story of the Cruise April 44 to August 45

Having come to the end of your voyage, an attempt has been made herein to set down some of the particulars most likely to be remembered in connection with the various ports of call. No attempt, however, has been made to give he full details on any separate one, port or incident, or to give through description of points of interest. Instead, this history has be published to bring back some of the high points concerning each place and the deeper details are left to the imagination of the individual. Since the source of information for most of the material has come from different members of the crew, some errors may be encountered; however, every attempt has been made to bring forth a document worthy of the approval of the majority of the ship's personnel.

To be candid, we've spent seventeen months in the process of traveling half way around the globe and back. We've earned commendation in the invasion of Normandy, supported the invasion of southern France and earned, (justly, so they tell us), two ribbons for Pacific Ocean duty including one earned through the liberation of the Philippines. This is not to mention carrying a heavy load of sensitive 'popcorn' all the way from Norfolk to Glasgow; from Orna to the Philippines and back to San Francisco. Also worthy of mention is that six months spent at hard labor in Ulithi in the southern tip of the Carolines. For a look back at the past let's turn back to a day, the 20th of April 1944 to be exact, when the weather was getting warmer and the prospect of a voyage to Ireland wasn't such a horrible thought.

Norfolk, Virgina

That day in April held touches of the first warmth of Spring and not too many looked at the coming trip as to awful and experience. As the days passed, however, and the sea grew rougher and the mighty Nitro rocked and rolled, many changed their minds about this North Atlantic; especially those making their first crossing. Besides the biting cold and the waves washing over the deck - Oh, yes, remember that was the time when G Q rang right at chow time and all the trays ended up on the deck much to the disgust of the mess cooks. Among several other incidentals hard to forget was the report that eight German submarines were right in our course and it became necessary to alter our course to within a few hundred miles of Revkiauik, Iceland. Of course the destroyer escorts helped calm the minds of the nervous and their presence alone gave a reassuring feeling that all would be well. Just the same, I don't think too many slept very soundly those nights. The cold seem to be the main thing though; the heavy run of sea-sickness also should go down as something to remember.

Bangor, Ireland

In May we sighted, or should I say found ourselves, in Bangor, Ireland with a warmer breeze and decidedly improved condition prevailed among the men after 12 days of walking on a forty five degree angle. Work got underway soon supplying the USS Texas and during our stay in the Emerald Isle, the 2nd section made the one and only liberty on the old Irish tug that made the rounds gathering liberty parties from the ships in the harbor. Probably for the first time many of the crew tasted the "Delicate", flavor of Guiness Stout. IT was only a few days later that we departed, bound for Plymouth, England.

Plymouth, England

Our first stop in Plymouth was spent mainly loading, "Limey Coaster", mostly with eight inch projectiles. We had little taste of the town but the most opinions it certainly couldn't compare with Ireland in its capacity to provide 'good liberty'. The stay was short, though, and we left for Rosenath, Scotland less than a week later.

Glasgow, Scotland

We went in class this time with the battleship Texas for our escort to our destination, an anchorage up the Clyde about twenty five miles about Glasgow opposite a quaint little Scottish town called Henesburgh. On the way up we were privileged with seeing some of the most powerful units of the British Fleet at anchor in Glasgow harbor. Since the loch, as the Scotch like it called, was too shallow for us to make use of a warf at Rosneath, we anchored further up stream in Gareloch. The question is still pending as to whether Belfast was the better liberty town or Glasgow but taking everything in consideration almost everybody enjoyed himself and such places as "Greens Playhouse", the "Lacarno", and countless number of, "Pubs", all through the city will be remembered a long time. The L&N Railroad will doubtlessly remain a symbol of the ancient transportation between Helensburgh and Glasgow and probably a good number of us will recall these double decker trolley cars, (pardon me, "Trams"), never actually came to a stop but just slowed down enough to make you run like hell to catch up. The more intelligent among us took trips to Loch Lomond and to different spots of interest in the foothills of the Highlands. We were fortunate in being in a part of Scotland that had its share of 'points of interest' and many of us took advantage of the opportunities. The only actual cargo work done was to take the Mount Baker's cargo. The Mount Baker, you'll remember now, went back to the States. On June 3rd we left for Milferd Have, Wales.

Milford Haven, Wales

On June 4th we hit Milford Haven, Wales and nobody will ever forget the ships passing that later comprised the invasion fleets. The story going about then was that we had seen the invasion convey and that it was a sure thing that the big day would be soon. Spirit ran high then as it was rumored that we would have to leave in order not to be in the way when things began happening. We weren't to far off because the next day, June 5, we were off for Plymouth and this time for a slightly longer stay.

Plymouth, England

June 6th will go down in history as the date of the invasion of Normandy but to the Nitro boys it stands for the period in which more work was accomplished in less time than at any other time in the ship's long record of service. Anyway, that's what the old timers say so who are we to argue? During this time the crew had opportunities to go ashore in the once beautiful but now bombed out seaport of Plymouth and among other places, the Continental Hotel, the Sir Francis Drake, and the Hoe will be remembered as the high spots of the somewhat dull liberty. It seems that somewhere during this period a Nazi reconnaissance plane paid the city a visit. Our prize babies at the time were the Texas, the Arkansas, and the Nevada each one of which provided more than one ship's share of hard work. In any event, the fourth of July marked our departure and with circulars published to remind us not to celebrate the occasion of liberty we went on our merry way to Belfast, Ireland, eating turkey for the first time since we left Norfolk.

Belfast, Ireland

Our second trip to Banger was welcome by all as just the cure necessary for the low spirits brewed in the war-warn port of Plymouth. Amount the most striking contrasts was the availability of milk and a sort of ice cream that had at least some of the symptoms of our own. The most outstanding spots and the ones most likely to be remembered will be Ulster Hall, the Savoy Bar, and the venerable County Down Railroad, the later providing our transportation from Banger to Belfast. Everybody liked the liberty even considering the strong lack of sanitation. The abundance of female companionship is not likely to be forgotten by many. As a sideline, this is where the Radio Shack got its workout while serving as relay ship for the Texas. Our stay was short, nevertheless, and we left in a little over a week for 'destination unknown'. Our stop in Milford Haven being only a matter of hours can be skipped and we will proceed from that point onward.

At Sea

Remember Land's End where the biggest mine field in the World was laid on the southernmost tip of England? If so, you will recall the destroyer that gave us our orders by line gun and our joining that amphibious convoy several days later. This was our non stop trip to Oran and lasted in the vicinity of eight days bringing us to Mers-El-Kebir, the port of Oran.

Oran, Algeria

There was a French troopship moored directly forward of us at the break water pier taking onboard a full load of French Senegalese troops. The city of Oran had about it an ordor that marked it in peoples memory for life as the foulest smelling establishment so far visited. It had a certain fascination though, that boro an interest angle with the fort at the entrance of the harbor and the lengthy tunnel along the road from the decks to the city. There were small, narrow streets and boulevards bearing French names and ancient street cars crowded with Arabs in dirty white garment; there was Ain-El-Turk where some went swimming and gazed at the North African version of a bathing beauty. In the city of Oran, however, nobody will ever forget, "Joe's Joint", (the French Colonial idea of American cafes), where they served beer in tin cans and out off wine bottles and an orchestra made a brave attempt at hometown jazz. Running competition with Joe was "Al's Place", on the Rue de Arzuo with its Cola bottle. In the educational line, we received an excellent lesson in the art of 'cheating our neighbor' especially taking advantage of the high prices paid for such items as the mattress cover, white trousers, and Yankee cigarettes. Since our first stay lasted only 14 days we were soon to leave on a night trip to Algiers.

Algiers

The Nitro at the time was the only USS in the port and as such was SOPA. This was one of those occasions when a person hears countless tales of wonder concerning a place and then by mistake visits it. The Kasbah, noted for the sanctuary it provided Charles Boyer's Screen scripts, was just a place and to many of us it seemed a great disappointment. Algiers, however was a great deal more modern than Oran and in that respect provided much more entertainment. We were lucky by being there on the event of the liberation of Paris and the raising of the Tricolors was effected by all ships in commemoration of the occasion. Our two week stay was finally interrupted by orders to proceed in convoy to Bizerte.

At Sea

An unusual occurrence took place when the Radio Shack received orders from Radio Algiers to return to Oran and to the greatest part of the crew the rumor was spread that we were to return to the USA. Shortly after our change of course, a British destroyer speeded alongside to inform us to return to the convoy and proceed to Bizerte. Remember, that was when radio broadcast mentioned the escape of 23 Nazi subs from the French port of Tulon? Not too many slept soundly that night. We arrived in the morning and left that same day.

Propriano, Corsica

The 28th of August we arrived at the little harbor of Propriano where we supplied many of the ships of the invasion fleet that were active in southern France. There we received citations from the Commander of the 8th Fleet for outstanding performance in servicing ships of the invasion fleet. On the fifth we left for Adjaccio, the historic port and city where Napoleon as born and the capital of the island of Corsica.

Adjaccio, Corsica

From the time of arrival until we left we remained in port servicing the task force and bombardment ships that made their names in southern France. Many of us visited the birth place of the Emperor Napoleon and other points of interest on the rocky island. This was where many say we enjoyed our best recreation.

Oran, Second Stop

The second stop at Oran was much the same as our first with the exception of meeting the Mount Baker once again and the current rumor that we were scheduled to return to the States. The middle of the month killed this last hop, however, and orders were said to have been received sending us to San Juan, Puerto Rico. So, with the transfer of those going to fleet schools and new constructions we sailed at the end of the month for our supposed destination.

At Sea

As the trip wore on the news changed and St. Thomas was to be our next port of call. The twelve days of fairly rough seas will be remembered for the message received onboard that an enemy submarine was directly in our path and that we were advised by the authorities to continue on course. We'll remember fueling the two DE's, the Currier and Marsh, at sea, and the incident when one of them took a chunk out of our side.

St. Thomas

Early in October we hit St. Thomas and four hour liberty was declared for all hands. This was the first port since our leaving Norfolk, April 20th, that we were able to buy real American liquor and for the most part the facilities were well used. Remember that coal pile directly off the bow of the ship on the dock that everybody, (almost everybody), was diving into upon his respective return to the ship. I think the doctor got his idea for the term, "St. Thomas Carry", somewhere during this period. When we left the few that could remember anything at all about the town or the county surrounding it merely mentioned concerning their' respectable' liberties, "Oh, yes, St. Thomas, great place. Have to go there sometime and see what it looks like".

Balboa, Panama

It was a four day trip from St. Thomas to Panama and served in marked contrast to the dry desert weather of North Africa where rain was a novelty. This stretch was one constant rain after another and the tropic heat grew closer as we neared the canal. To most of us passing through the Panama Canal as an experience; never having accomplished this journey before, and the dense jungle on either side made you wonder whether anything could actually survive in that tangle of undergrowth. Panama City hardly disappointed anyone and followed the traditional reputation it has at home and abroad to the very letter of the word. It was a most remarkable town for its capacity to provide anything at twice the price and display it in the most conspicuous place. Nothing was genuine; nothing was phony. The paradox was that everything fell into a category in-between in which the customer paid the genuine price and received for his money the phony material. Nevertheless we enjoyed ourselves and perhaps some of us even went to extremes. This was proven by the attitude of the third section which was denied liberty when we received short orders to proceed to Pearl Harbor, alone.

P-A-C-I-F-I-C I-N-T-E-R-L-U-D-E

At Sea

The long stretch between Panama and Pearl Harbor wore on to fifteen days and during this time a water shortage was anticipated and water hours were imposed. A rather sickly feeling spread throughout the ship that we would pass close enough to the Mexican shores to come within the range of what is considered one of the World's worst storm districts. A reassuring word from the Navigator, however, made things easier and we passed outside of the Gulf of Tehuantepec's ranging main for a very peaceful and very calm journey. At this time we received notice that we had been assigned Pacific Ocean duty temporarily. Perhaps this error gave rise to the supposition on the part of many that Hawaii would be our only port of call in the ocean of the United States. Many remarks such as, "You'll never see as much Nay as this for the rest of your life", came from various individuals as we entered port and from the crowded rails all of us peered at the new spectacle of the much spoken of anchorage and site of Japanese treachery. Some of us were even, most likely, looking for Jap bombers.

Honolulu, T.H.

Nine days were spent in loading and unloading operations in which we were allowed liberty every fourth day to visit such places as Waikiki, the city of Honolulu and look over the greatest Navy establishment of its time. The city was crowded with sailors much in the same way as Norfolk but even more so; our past trip and the ports we had visited had spoiled us too much to appreciate the best American liberty of all the Pacific islands. Like a crew of tourists we bought grass skirts manufactured in New York and otherwise spent our money on shells and trinkets labeled genuine Hawaiian and the spirit ran high in anticipation of new and exiting events that would follow in those fascinating islands where women really war grass skirts and Jap bombers really make daily attacks on everything from rowboats to battleships.

Eniwetok, Atoll

It was a ten day trip from Pearl to Eniwetok and beside the small worry going around that submarines and attack planes were active, we spent our time thinking about where we might be due to go after that. During this period, the ship received notice to change its address to, c/o Fleet Post Office, San Francisco, Calif. Nobody really believed though that it really meant that we would stay very long. At a little more than the middle of the month, we arrived at our destination and the impression it made on many is brought our clearly by the statement overheard, "Gosh! You couldn't even play golf on the whole damn island". It was the writing on the wall for things to come. Staying only long enough to fuel and transact certain business, we left several days later.

Ulithi Atoll, Carolines

On leaving Eniwetok the news got around the ship that we were enroute to Jaluit but the story was soon killed. Jaluit, it was learned, was still in Japanese hands. We arrived in Ulithi in convoy with approximately thirteen other ships and on the 30th of November we received our first impression of our home for many months to come. In describing what was known as the Mackenzi Islands, no endeavor is made to go into the rigorous details of the long and drawn out stay or the names or descriptions of the countless ships or all types that we serviced there. Instead, notation is made herein only of the major events that took place during the period of six months we remained in port.

Of Course Mog Mog, the recreation island, noted for its empty beer cans, will be known throughout the Pacific Fleet as a symbol of Central Pacific beauty so we'll pass over those four hour recreation periods leaving all comments to the imagination of the individual, hoping that he'll be in a sour mood when he passes the story along. The first week in the harbor gave us a scare when one of your sister Ammunition Ships was hit by a torpedo. Nobody seems to know the true story on what happened except that they were dropping depth charges for the next ten hours in every direction. The Kamikaze attack on one of the carriers in the harbor with the death of nineteen men marks the high spot in excitement when the movies were interrupted by a blaze and explosion that lit up and shook the harbor for miles around. The greatest part of the time, however, was spent working cargo, night and day, and the LCT became an object of great anticipation and remorse throughout the ship. One hardly ever came alongside without providing at least one night hard work. At this time the mail became the greatest hope and joy to everyone and a letter from home was received with more than just appreciation. One of the outstanding events as far as we're concerned took place with the capture, or should I say discovery, of Rivets, the ships mascot, who will always be thought of as a leading factor in helping us find fun even at the worst moments. Christmas came and went with little celebration and that afternoon an LCT came and went with a load of ammunition and there was little celebration during the serious business of loading and unloading. The big dinner we had that afternoon was special, though, and someone decorated the mess hall in an attempt to make things a little more cheerful. The Radio Shack dug up some old Christmas records and the day was spent by most of us thinking of what it was like at home.

Guam

Early in February we took a short trip to Guam only to return to Ulithi in less than a week. It was a pleasant interval and a change from before. Besides that most of us liked Guam with its paved roads and rocky shores and enjoyed being able to walk two hundred yards in one direction with no ocean to prevent it. So the trip was appreciated and our return to Ulithi was made a little easier.

Ulithi

This time we stayed a little over three more months working the LCTs and once in awhile going over to our old standby, Mog Mog, for a few cans of beer and a swim in that beach that guaranteed cut feet after ten minutes in the water. At this time WVTY, the armed forces radio station, was established on one of the surrounding islands and now and then we were able to draw ice cream from an ice ship newly arrived in the harbor. The movies were new enough and very regularly shown so even our worst port had some conveniences. Just the same, when orders came to proceed to Leyte no one cried.

San Pedro Bay, P.I.

Our arrival in-between Leyte and Samaar at San Pedro Bay took place late in May and was welcomed by the strange scent of life brought forth by the trees and flowers on the shore. Some of us were watching for our first glimpse of native life, so far the first since the cruise bean, and the sight of a genuine girl on the beach was a real event. We were later to find that our 'hunting' would be restricted to the recreation site, a place called Osmena Recreation Grounds, where the closest you came to a native was across a stretch. Once in awhile a 'bumboat' came alongside and we bartered off various articles for some native works and all in all the location was far preferable to Ulithi. The climax of the whole trip came however with word from the Captain - "WE'VE RECEIVED ORDERS TO RETURN TO UNCLE SUGAR". From then on come hell or high water nothing couldbreak our spirit. We were going home! This is the day we've been waiting for sixteen months!!!!! Even the crowded, rained out recreation center was fun. That one more month passed like a dream.

At Sea

So comes to an end the story of our voyage. We've passed first Eniwetok where we fueled and Majuro where we stopped to unload some bombs. Now with sixty some passengers we took on at Leyte, we're on our way to Pearl Harbor. This time I think we'll appreciate what we took before to be only a crowded service port. At quarters the other day we were told to expect thirty days leave and that the First Lieutenant would fly from Pearl Harbor to make our reservation for us on the trains.

It's going to seem strange to have to use proper English again and observe the common courtesy's of civil life. A nice warm bed, good meals, and an excess of women will be hard getting used to. Just the same I think we'll manage.

WE CAN SURE AS HELL TRY!!!!!!!!

Publication Data

Edited and Narrated by J.D. Dunn 3/c
Maps and sketches by R.A. Kennedy MM2/c
Roster of officers and crew by W.J. LeClaire CY
Places and names supplied by H.F. Gallagher Slc
Course & approx. dates by J.J. Rhine Qm2c & R.W. Gee RM2c
Source of information - incidents & opinions of crew

Notable assistance from

Submitted to and Approved By:
R. Sonneveldt, Lt. USNR Executive Officer

Transcribed and formatted for HTML by Patrick Clancey