Action Report of LCI(G) 558 on the Nasugbu Landing, Jan 1945

(B) THE LCI(G) 558 GOT UNDERWAY AT 0730, 27 JANUARY, 1945 AND TOOK POSITION IN CRUISING DISPOSITION OF TASK GROUP 78.2. FROM 0800-1100 A REHEARSAL OF THE LANDING OPERATION WAS CONDUCTED IN LEYTE BAY AT TARRAGONA BEACH, LEYTE, P.I. AT 1733, 27 JANUARY 1945 THE LCI(G) 558 GOT UNDERWAY AND TOOK STATION IN CONVOY DISPOSITION OF TASK GROUP 78.2 IN ORDER TO PROCEED TO THE OBJECTIVE AREA. THE ROUTE TO THE OBJECTIVE WAS VIA THE SURIGAO STRAITS, MINDANAO SEA, SULU SEA, MINDORO STRAITS AND THE CHINA SEA.

(C) THE MISSION OF THIS SHIP WAS TO ACCOMPANY THE LCI(R) 73 TO NASUGBU PT, FURNISHING NAVIGATIONAL FIXES AND RADAR ROCKET RANGES UNTIL ROCKET FIRE COMMENCED AT 0715 31 JANUARY 1945, AND TO FIRE 150 ROCKETS ON NASUGBU PT; TO TAKE STATION ON THE LEFT FLANK OF THE BEACH ASSAULT STATIONS 200 YARDS TO SHOREWARD OF THE LINE OF DEPARTURE; AT 0745, AT THE ARRIVAL OF THE FIRST BOAT WAVE,

(D) THE SCREEN OF THE CONVOY CONSISTED OF 5 DD’S⁶ and 3 DE’s⁷. MINESWEEPING WAS CONDUCTED BY 6 YMS’S. TROOPS WERE CARRIED IN 27 LCI(L)’S⁸, 8 LCI(M)’S⁹, 6 LST’S¹⁰, AND 4 APD’S¹¹. THE CONTROL UNIT CONSISTED OF 5 LCI(G)’S, 4 LCI(M)’S AND 4 LCI(R)’S.

(E) NO ENEMY AIR FORCES WERE ENCOUNTERED. ENEMY FORCES CONTESTING THE LANDING, BY THIS COMMAND’S KNOWLEDGE, WERE ENEMY “Q” BOATS WHICH ATTEMPTED TO ATTACK OUR SHIPPING IN THE OBJECTIVE AREA ON THE NIGHTS OF 31 JANUARY, AND 1 FEBRUARY 1945. AN ENEMY MACHINE GUN NEST, PRESUMABLY OF LIGHT CALIBER, CONTESTED OUR FORCES FROM A WELL CONCEALED POSITION ON NASUGBU PT. ON 31 JANUARY 1945.

3. (A) AT 0625 31 JANUARY 1945, THE SIGNAL WAS GIVEN TO “DEPLOY.” THE TASK GROUP WAS THEN APPROXIMATELY 9 MILES FROM THE OBJECTIVE, BEARING 052 DEGREES. ALL HANDS WENT TO BATTLE STATIONS. THE SHIP CLEARED FORMATION TO THE RIGHT OF THE CONVOY APPROACH TRACK. TWILIGHT HAD NOT YET BEGUN, AND A FULL MOON WAS OVERHEAD. THE COMMANDING OFFICER WAS IN THE C.I.C. ROOM TO CONDUCT THE NAVIGATION, AND THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER HAD THE CONN. THIS SHIP FOLLOWED A ROCKET SHIP PRESUMED TO BE THE LCI(R) 73. IN DEVELOPED THAT IN THE MELEE OF VARIOUS SHIPS DEPLOYING IN THE DARKNESS, THE LCI(R) 34 WAS MISTAKEN FOR THE LCI(R) 73. IT IS BELIEVED THAT IF THE LCI(G) 558 AND THE LCI(R) 73 HAD BEEN IN ADJACENT CRUISING STATIONS THIS CONFUSION WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. THE LCI(R) 73 WAS ALSO UNABLE TO LOCATE THE LCI(G) 558. THE LCI(R) 73 BOMBARDED NASUGBU PT WITHOUT THE RADAR FIRE CONTROL SERVICES OF THIS SHIP. THIS SHIP ARRIVED IN POSITION TO FIRE ROCKETS ON NASUGBU PT. AT 0712, BUT WAS NOT PERMITTED TO FIRE BY C.T.U. 78.2.6. AT 0740 WE TOOK STATION ON THE LEFT FLANK OF THE ASSAULT LANE AT THE LINE OF DEPARTURE. AT 0805, PROCEEDED INTO THE BEACH ON COUSE 080, SPEED 8 KNOTS. WE COMMENCED AUTOMATIC WEAPONS FIRE AT 0808. COMMENCED ROCKET FIRE AT 0811. WE CEASED ALL FIRING AND RETIRED TO SEAWARD AT 0814, COURSE 260 DEGREES, SPEED 11 KNOTS. NO DIFFICULTY WAS ENCOUNTERED IN AVOIDING THE BOAT WAVES. AT 0830 TOOK STATION 1000 YARDS TO SEAWARD ON THE LEFT FLANK OF THE BEACH. AT 0925, CLOSED TO 1000 YARDS OF NASUGBU POINT IN EFFORT TO LOCATE ENEMY MACHINE GUN. AT 0934 OPENED FIRE WITH ALL 40MM’S ON NORTHERN END OF WAWA TOWN¹² AND BLUFF NORTH OF THE WAWA RIVER IN ORDER TO NEUTRALIZE THE ENEMY MACHINE GUN WHICH HAD BEEN STRAFING LSM’S IN THE LANDING AREA. CEASING FIRE AT 0944 WITH UNCERTAIN RESULTS.

At 0951 ACCOMPANIED LCI(R) 73 TO THE BEACH SOUTHEAST OF FUEGO PT., TO INVESTIGATE NATIVES ON SHORE. NOTHING SUSPICIOUS WAS ENCOUNTERED AND UNITS RETIRED TO GUNFIRE SUPPORT AREA ABLE. AT 1700 ANCHORED 1000 YARDS SOUTHWEST OF WAWA TOWN PIER. AT 1705 AN ENEMY MACHINE GUN FIRED AT THIS SHIP FROM NASUGBU PT. GOT UNDERWAY AT 1710 AND SHIFTED ANCHORAGE TO WHERE THE SHIP WOULD BE OUT OF ENEMY MACHINE GUN RANGE, BUT WHERE THE ENEMY WOULD STILL BE IN EFFECTIVE RANGE OF OUR OWN 40MM’S. AT 1852 WE WERE AGAIN FIRED AT BY THE SAME ENEMY MACHINE GUN AND BULLETS LANDED APPROXIMATELY 25 YARDS FROM THE SHIP. GOT UNDERWAY AT 1900 AT CLOSED NASUGBU PT. TO 1500 YARDS. OPENED FIRE WITH ALL 44MM’S IN COMPANY WITH LCI(G) 42, ON NASUGBU PT. EXCELLENT COVERAGE OF NASUGBU POINT WAS EFFECTED. CEASED FIRING AT 1919. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE ENEMY GUN MIGHT HAVE BEEN NEUTRALIZED BECAUSE NO MORE EVIDENCE WAS SEEN OR HEARD OF ITS PRESENCE. ANCHORED AT 1930, 1200 YARDS FROM NASUGBU POINT IN NIGHT PROTECTIVE SCREENING STATION. AT 2308, OUT PATROL SHIPS SOUTH OF TALIN POINT WERE ATTACKED BY ENEMY “Q” BOATS. SET CONDITION ONE UNTIL ENEMY HAD BEEN DISPERSED. AT 1210, 1 FEBRUARY, 1945 ENTERED TALIN BAY IN COMPANY WITH LCI(G) 442 AND LCI(R) 73. DESTROYER SUPPORT UNIT CRUISED AT THE HEAD OF THE BAY. OUR MISSION WAS TO DISCOVER AND DESTROY SMALL ENEMY CRAFT. WE DID NOT DISCOVER ANY SUSPICIOUS CRAFT BUT DESTROYED THREE BAROQUE CANOES THAT MIGHT HAVE SERVED FOR AN ENEMY SUICIDE ATTEMPT ON OUR SHIPS WHEN ANCHORED AT NIGHT. THERE WERE NUMEROUS GROUPS OF BUSHES OVERHANGING THE WATER EDGE WHERE ENEMY CRAFT MAY HAVE BEEN CONCEALED FROM US. IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO PENETRATE THE THICK FOLIAGE WITH OUR BINOCULARS EVEN AT 200 YARDS. WE STRAFED ONE LARGE GROWTH OF SUSPICIOUS OVERHANGING BUSHES BUT THE EFFECTIVE RESULTS ARE DUBIOUS. RETURNED FROM THE MISSION AT 1350. ANCHORED IN NIGHT INSHORE SCREENING ANCHORAGE AT 1926, 1500 YARDS SOUTHWEST OF NASUGBU POINT. AT 2317 WENT TO GENERAL QUARTERS DUE TO ATTACK ON OUR SOUTHERN PATROL SCREEN WHICH HAD ENCOUNTERED TWO ENEMY PT’S AND APPROXIMATELY 20 SUICIDE “Q” BOATS. SECURED FROM GENERAL QUARTERS AT 0025, 2 FEBRUARY 1945. AT 0237, GOT UNDERWAY, VARIOUS COURSES AND SPEED, FORMED CRUISING DISPOSITION ENROUTE TO MINDORO ISLAND. CHANGED CRUISING DISPOSITION AT 1500, 2 FEBRUARY 1945. ARRIVED IN MANGARIN BAY, MINDORO ISLAND, P.I. AT 1934, 2 FEBRUARY 1945. GOT UNDERWAY AT 1725 ON 3 FEBRUARY 1945 FROM MANGARIN BAY ANCHORAGE. FORMED CONVOY DISPOSITION AT 1820, COURSE 180, SPEED 8 KNOTS FOR LEYTE ISLAND, P.I.

(B) THE WEATHER ON 31 JANUARY, 1945 WAS CHARACTERIZED BY GOOD VISIBILITY, 8-10 KNOT WIND, NE DIRECTION IN THE MORNING CHANGING TO SW IN THE LATE AFTERNOON, CALM SEA, LITTLE OR NO CURRENT. SUNRISE WAS AT 0727, SUNSET AT 1856. ALL TIMES MENTIONED IN THIS REPORT ARE ITEM TIME (-9 ZONE).

4. (A) ALL 40MM GUNS PERFORMED EFFICIENTLY WITHOUT GUN CASUALTIES. ALL 20MM GUNS PERFORMED EFFICIENTLY. TWO 50 CALIBER MACHINE GUNS HAVE JAMMED FREQUENTLY, PROBABLY DUE TO FAULTY HEAD SPACING AND UNEVEN AMMUNITION FEEDING BY BELTED CARTRIDGES.

IT IS BELIEVED IF 50 CALIBER READY DRUMS COULD BE OBTAINED, 50% OF THIS JAMMING WOULD BE REMOVED. DURING THE ENTIRE OPERATION THE FOLLOWING AMMUNITION WAS EXPENDED, 1088 40MM, 766 20MM, 475 ROUNDS OF 50 CALIBER, AND 155 4.5 BARRAGE ROCKETS WERE FIRED. THIRTY-SEVEN ROCKETS DID NOT FIRE. DUE TO MOTOR TAIL WIRES BEING BURNED BY THE HEAT OF ROCKET BLASTS, ONE LAUNCHER DID NOT FIRE. ON ANOTHER LAUNCHER A FAULTY ROCKET WAS FOUND, PREVENTING ROCKETS ABOVE IT FROM FIRING. TWO LAUNCHERS FAILED TO FEED ROCKETS PROPERLY CAUSING A JAM IN THE ROCKET CHUTE.

5. (A) THERE WAS NO BATTLE DAMAGE SUFFERED BY THE SHIP. NO PERSONNEL WERE LOST OR WOUNDED BY ENEMY ACTION.

6. (A) COMMUNICATION WAS MAINLY BY RADIO USING CIRCUITS ON TCS, SCR 610, SCR 808. THERE WAS NO DIFFICULTY ENCOUNTERED IN COMMUNICATIONS.

7. (A) PERSONNEL PERFORMANCE WAS EXCELLENT.