LCT 1380

Sam Zucker Lt. Jg. USNR

LCT (6) 1380 Landing Craft Tank LCT (6) Group 103 - Flotilla 37 San Francisco - Okinawa - Sasebo - Fukuoka November 1944 to April 1946   Highlights

Joe Anderson Ens. (D) USNR

Crew Members

The following 19 men served at one time or another aboard the1380. The normal crew was 12 men and two officers:

• Lt. Jg Samuel Zucker, Officer in Charge, November '44 to December '45
• Joseph B. Anderson, Ensign (D) Executive Officer, April '45 to January '46, Officer in Charge, January '46 to April '46

Crew

George M. Wilson Guy R. Hodges William T. Autry David Alkire Kenneth Smith Donald G. Auld Boyd Adams Robert Stahala Ralph Hibbs M.E. Lazotte

Ed Kramer C. L. Barkley M. Darley W.E. Jones Stephen A. McCarthey Dennie O. Pierce Nick Savastio A. J. Schwall Paul Sevigny

Selected Entries from the Log of LCT 1380 ...

• November 23, 1944 @ 0800 ...Crew #5859 moved aboard at Mare Island, California
• November-December:....worked around San Francisco Bay with LCT's 1381, 1368, 1364, 1378, 1385 and 1379.
• January 27th, 1945.....Loaded on the deck of LST805. Off to Pearl Harbor
• February 12th, 1945....Arrived Pearl Harbor
• April 2nd, 1945 ..... Ensign Anderson Reported Aboard
• April 3rd, 1945....Underway for Okinawa via Guam, Palau, Leyte (Tacloban)
• June 24th, 1945 .... Kamakazi air attack while anchored in Kerama Retto. The crew of 1380 returned fire upon three suicide planes. Second alert for suicide boats. Did not see any.
• June 26th, 1945 ..... Hagushu, Okinawa Japan. Launched from the starboard side of LST805 with 2000 gal. fuel and 1700 gallons of water. (note: LCT's could not produce water. It was an ongoing problem. Also, we had thoughtfully been provided with a 5 cu.ft. Frigidaire as the total refrigeration for 14 men!) Proceeded to White Beach One.
• June 27th, 1945 .... Nicolas A. Savastio struck by brake handle on ramp auxiliary engine and rendered unconscious. (he made a full recovery)
• June 28th, 1945 ....... Worked Orange Beach II with LCT 1379, 1389, 408, 1394, 581, 1428, and 900.
• June 29th to July 30th, 1945 .... Worked around Naha Okinawa. On 7/24 - 4,022 cases of coke to the beach, better than the 100 tons of 500lb bombs we hit the beach with. On 7/25 - sharks surrounded divers working on our props and the crew had a field day with anything that would shoot - pistols, rifles and a tommy gun. Sharks departed. Divers up. During this period we were interrupted almost daily (or nightly) by air raids. The LCVP's would "Make Smoke" and that put us out of business.
• July 31st, 1945 ..... we took the first General Pershing tanks ashore and were met by dozens of photographers and movie people. Guess it was the first time anybody ever heard of a Landing Craft TANK ... actually hauling a TANK!
• August 3rd, 1945 .... Typhoon. Tied up in Naha with over 50 tons of Budweiser in cans. First time the ever sent an armed guard to protect our cargo. They know what's REALLY valuable!
• August 4th to 13th, 1945 ...... Working ships in Buckner Bay. Daily air raids.... last one on 8/13 @ 1952. "flash white" at 2130.
• August 14th, 1995....WAR OVER! 1380 at Brown Beach, Buckner Bay Okinawa Japan. Everybody ducking inside to keep from being hit by our own celebrators. Great photo of McCarthey and flag on the con. Eleven men, two officers, an a monkey, are glad it is over.
• September 22nd, 1945 .... A convoy of "Microbes" (LCT's) escorted by a DE (who must have had to run ahead 1 on one engine) departed Okinawa for Sasebo, Kyushu, Japan.
• September 26th, 1945 ........ entered Sasebo Harbor behind the minesweepers and the 1380 started occupation duty at Sasebo and Fukuoka, Japan.

Eventually, efforts were made to lift the "T's" back to the deck of LST's for the trip home. While lifting the "T" ahead of us, the crane broke and could not be repaired. We all looked for orders to go home, and the last I heard, the 1380 was given to the Chinese.

Best regards to all "The Crew" and to our friends on the other 51 "T''s" we worked (and bummed food and water) with in the Far East.

Joe Anderson (seagoat@bellsouth.net)		VJ Day on the 1380 ... McCarthey takes the conn.
Please Note: Click on any photo for a larger version in a new window

Barclay & Jones, Seaman	Stahala, Radioman / Painter	Sevigny, Motor Mac
	We Won!!!    Japanese general (left) and his troops  Home via the 1380 (right)
Schwall and Kramer	Our hi-tech conn ... horn, light, and rubber hose to wheel and engine men	Darley, Gunners Mate

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