16 July 2001
Larry,
I will try to give you some details of the time I spent aboard USS SAUGATUCK A075. I was transferred from the Sub Base Pearl Harbor in February 1943, where I had been on board the USS UTAH XBB31 on December 7, 1941. After the Japanese attack I was assigned to the Sub Base Repair Shop 47 (Carpenter and Pattern Shops).
I finally caught up with the A075 in Norfolk, VA in March 1943, after a short stay at the Receiving Station in Philadelphia. I reported on board at night. The petty officer on deck took me to the midship berthing where I found an empty bunk. I unlashed my seabag and hammock on the bunk. On the deck there was all kinds of trash, etc. At about four o’clock in the morning, I couldn’t sleep, so got up and found the mess hall and got a hot cup of coffee. After reveille when the crew started to move about, a first class boatswain mate by the name of ROGALLA came up to me and said he was sure glad to see me on board. I asked why and he said they needed first class petty officers. So I was assigned as BOSN of the watch even though I was a Carpenter’s Mate.
One morning the Navigator came up and asked me where was my BOSN pipe. I replied that I was a Carpenter’s Mate and he said I was NOW a BOSN of the watch and would have a BOSN pipe… so I was provided one and learned to use it. I started out to be a Boatswain Mate.
During our stay in Norfolk we had a few drills and took on gasoline. The crew left a lot to be desired (based on what I had been accustomed to). I was given to understand that most of the non-rated came from the Brig in Bainbridge, MD. The Captain was a LCDR in Merchant Marines who liked to berate the crew. The Executive Officer had very limited naval experience; the Navigator had been in the Navy a very short time (another Merchant Marine); First Lt, And Cargo Officer were far above all the others except the three Warrants. BOSN WILEY was more-or-less my Division Officer but he let me have full control of the Repair gang consisting of ten men. Our Doctor was a country doctor from Indiana by the name of BUCHANAN. He didn’t like tattoos (I had four) so anytime I needed a shot… the Hula Girl got the needle.
Our first trip out of Norfolk, Va. There were four tankers in our class and we all left for Aruba to load oil. When we left we had Destroyer Escorts and German Submarines followed us all the way. After loading oil in Aruba, we found out we were heading for the Pacific. After exiting the Canal Zone, we turned south for Santiago Chile then west for New Zealand. During this time we crossed the Equator and all “pollywogs” (which was most of the crew) were royally initiated in the treatment and made “shellbacks”. I was also a “pollywog” so my Division went ahead of me and when I came through the line, I got a good beating from my Division men. I have some photos of this celebration. We also crossed the International Dateline.
During our long trip that lasted about 18 days, our Dr. Buchanan was a physical fitness person, so almost every morning we had our physical drill on the cargo deck aft. Another interesting thing we were always loaded to the limits so our free board about four feet. Early in the morning our captain’s steward would be out on deck gathering up “flying fish” that had landed on deck … this was not at all an unusual sight.
Three days out of Auckland, New Zealand, a Japanese Sub had attacked a ship … we had no escort and received word to turn and head for Pearl Harbor. One night out of Pearl, one of our Destroyers on patrol picked us up. The ship gave the wrong recognition signal… the Destroyer rolled us until daylight and came close enough to see it was an American ship. We could have been fired upon by one of our own.
We entered Pearl Harbor and offloaded our cargo, then got underway for San Pedro,California, to load cargo for return trip which was 18-21 days to Espirito Santo on the Fiji Island.We discharged our cargo and returned to San Pedro to load again. This time the Navy installed special storage for us to carry Navy Fighter Planes. This was a one time only … we had a good trip, not too rough. When we got underway, it was always at night. The next morning at muster,we were close to 20 men short. We arrived in the Islands… unloaded our aircraft and oil.Our orders were for us to proceed to Papeete,Tahiti, to refuel a Minesweeper that was stationed there. When we were close to the shore in Tahiti, my sea detail was the stern anchor engine. A sailor by the name of HOUSER came up to me and asked if I could read semaphore. I could read some and finally made out some of the signal … it was “YOU LOVE”. We spent the night and left the next day for San Pedro. Liberty was outstanding. There were more women on board ship than in town.Back in San Pedro we loaded up for our return trip back to the Islands. The “R” division was the one that loaded the ship. We needed some lumber on board, so MOLL and I were on the pier passing lumber to the division men when two things happened. First a Navy car pulled up to the gangway and a “three stripper” got out with his baggage and went aboard. A short time later the ‘old skipper’ left with his gear, got in the car and drove off. Next a Navy bus stopped and unloaded several men who looked like Commandoes… turned out most of them were the men who had jumped ship sometime back. We got underway after dark and headed back this time to Fiji Suva. When we left Suva for Espirito Santos we had a Sub Chaser as escort. Not long after we had cleared the Island a Jap Sub surfaced and was planning on attacking the Sub Chaser but an Australian Aircraft Plane attacked the Sub. We ran off and left our Chaser behind and they caught up with us in Espirito Santos needing fuel.
This time out we refueled various units, In Espirito Santos was took on oil from a Norwegian Tanker and headed up to the Gilbert and Marshall Islands. The new Captain made several changes on the ship. One in particular involved me. My sea detail was on the stern engine and I was assigned to the anchor detail PERIOD. During one of our long times at sea detail it came time to have noon meal. The BOSN told me to get chow and I was relieved by a qualified man. I was walking down the catwalk toward the bridge. The Captain got a megaphone and asked me where I was going. I replied I was going to the mess hall and he said “I NEVER RELIEVED YOU FROM YOUR DETAIL… SO GO BACK TO YOUR STATION UNTIL I RELIEVE YOU!!”
During the Marshall campaign we were involved in refueling various units. One night before we were to meet with the Task Force, one of the Destroyers picked up an extra blip on their radar. It turned out to be a Japanese Sub in our formation. The Sub was sunk a short time around midnight. I had the midwatch on the bridge so I missed the action but my relief watched the whole thing. The next morning we met up with a Task Force of Battleship, Cruisers, Destroyers, and Carriers.
During this time I was called to do a repair job on a steam table in the ship’s wardroom galley. The Exec and a Warrant were in the wardroom. As we were leaving the Exec called me and said he wanted to talk to me about being promoted to Warrant Officer. My reply was I had rather be a “Chief’. The next thing I knew the Captain called me and in no uncertain terms told me to go to the sick bay and get a physical. “It’s not what you want but what I want to do for you” he said. The physical was completed and I thought that was all that would ever happen. This was in September 1943.
In January 1944 my name appeared in “Our Navy Magazine”. My father was in the Navy stationed in the Canal Zone and sent me the magazine. I never got to see it as the mail p.o. for “R” was H.H. BUSSELL SF3. It was in February 1944 when our mail was finally delivered. Several of the crew knew I had been a Warrant Officer since January 16, 1944. It was on February 16, 1944 and we were anchored in the Marshall Islands, one morning the Captain called for me to report to his cabin. His remarks to me were “you are out of uniform, etc.” He handed me a letter from BUPERS stating I had been promoted to Warrant Carpenter as of January 16, 1944. He told me he had to transfer me immediately as they were getting underway. “Sir” I said, “I have no uniform… what will I do?” He said that Mr. WILEY the BOSN was almost my size. I obtained a pair of khaki pants and shirt, overseas cap and BOSN insignia from Mr. WILEY. I spent two days on the ship and they got underway and a boat put me ashore at Funifuti (sp) the Ellice Islands group. The Navy had a land plane and seaplane facility there. I spent two days there … never saw the A075 again until in Norfolk, Va. She was in the MSTS Service. I went back to the Pacific on the USS MT MCKINLEY AGC-7 and spent four years on board.
I hope you enjoy this as I covered the highlights. I do have some photos of the crew, and am including a list of some of their names.
PAUL P JOYCE CWO, USN
* Several photo’s submitted by CWO 4 Joyce are posted under the picture section of this website.