Conversion to APA and Commissioning
In 1943 at the Bethlehem
Steel Shipyard, Key Highway Yard, Baltimore Maryland, a C-3 hulled cargo
ship was undergoing conversion to an APA (Amphibious Attack Transport). The ship was built at the Ingalls
Shipbuilding Corporation, Pascagoula, Mississippi as a merchant ship for
the U.S. Maritime Commission. She was to
be named the S.S. Sea Corsair. In May
1943 the Navy, acquired the ship planning to convert it to a straight auxiliary
transport to be named USS FREMONT AP 89.
Upon arrival at Baltimore the plans were changed
to convert it to an APA with the name USS FREMONT APA 44 (named after various
counties in the country named Fremont). The ship weighed 16,500 tons, had a single
screw capable of a top flank speed of 23 knots.
She would carry a crew, now assembling, of almost 50 officers and about
400 men. But the FREMONT was destined to be the
Flag Command Ship with flag quarters for famous Admirals and Generals and was
to play a big part in the Pacific War against Japan.
Lieutenant Commander
Clarence V. Conlan USN was the pre-commissioning captain and commanding officer
of the ship and the reporting officers and men.
In a small office on the
shipyard grounds Captain Conlan was interviewing the officers who had been
assigned to the ship. Among the officers
who had reported or were reporting aboard were:
Lieutenant Commander
Harry C. Howe
Lieutenant Commander
John V. Fitzgerald
Lieutenant Commander
Gordon Burwell Ross
Lieutenant John Samuel
Toothill
Lieutenant (jg) John
R.M. Torrey
Lieutenant (jg) Harry
Edgar McCullough
Lieutenant (jg) Joseph
Pierre Kolisch
Lieutenant (jg) Jay
Humphrey Thompson
Lieutenant (jg) Phillip
James Daniel
Lieutenant (jg) James
Robert Brandon
Ensign Samuel S.
Campbell
Ensign John Louis Ramey
Ensign Granville G.
Valentine
Ensign Gordon A.
Anderson
Ensign David Wilder
Ensign William R. Maybry
Ensign Joseph John
Carter '
Ensign Charles G. Greene
Ensign Herman Mischner
Ensign Jerome P. Coakley
Ensign John Joseph Dugan
Ensign Chalmers R. Bryan
Ensign Philip Glen
Martin
Ensign Arthur H.
Neyendorf
Ensign John Pierce Ellis
Ensign Reese F. Luket
Bos'n William John Gore
.
Chief Electrician
Frederick O'Neil
Another officer
reporting in the commissioning crew was Lieutenant (jg) Emile L. Bonnot. A resident of New Jersey, who had been
commissioned and sworn in at the Third Naval District Headquarters in New York
City on February 27, 1943. He had been
sent to Dartmouth College Naval Training
School for Indoctrination, then to the Naval Service School at Princeton University for general
training. From there, because of the
large number of friendly planes being shot down in error and allied ships being
fired on in Europe, Bonnot was sent to the second class at Ohio State University for specialty training
in Ship and Plane Identification. After
graduation he attended classes at the Submarine Base in New London, Connecticut for a special naval
course for ‘lookouts’ and training in night vision so vital for lookouts on
submarines.
When Bonnot reported
aboard the FREMONT and Captain Conlan read
his qualifications, he grunted and said “Don't they ever send me anybody who
knows anything about a ship?”
But indoctrination,
training and familiarization with the ship commenced immediately. All officers took turns in tracking down all
of the electrical wiring, water lines, watertight bulkheads, studying the
holds, living spaces, the bridge, the engine room, the guns, the boats, the
winches and booms, the anchors etc.
Because of the rare opportunity while in dry dock, all of the officers
had to go down into the bottom of the dry dock to inspect the hull and the side
plates of the ship. While in the drydock
and inspecting the hull, Lt. (jg) Bonnot in company with Ensign Granville G. Valentine,
were looking up at the side of the ship when a scupper from one of the heads
let go and doused Valentine from head to toe.
He turned green and returned to the ship to change his clothes and
remove the mess. While awaiting
completion of the conversion of the ship which was a cold' ship while in
drydock, all officers lived ashore in modest hotels and rooming houses. Bonnot had his car to get back and forth from
his small hotel. At one point Captain
Conlan ordered Bonnot and three other officers to report to the U.S.S. CUSTER,
a sister ship, completed one month earlier.
She was engaged in amphibious training exercises in the Chesapeake Bay. In her they were to get a preview of the
officer's and the crew's duties while observing several days of amphibious
landings. In that exercise troops were
put ashore under ‘mock’ battle conditions at Solomons Island, Maryland. Bonnot volunteered the use of his car. However when they arrived at the designated
beach area it was dark and all of the ships off shore were ‘blacked out’. How were they to tell which one was the
CUSTER and how were they to get out to the ship? They spotted a Coast Guard Station down the
beach and the four approached the Station keepers and explained their
problem. The Coast Guardsmen agreed to
help and attempted to raise the CUSTER by blinker (flashing light). Not watching the beach it was two hours
before the ship finally spotted the signal and responded. A half hour later a small boat beached to
pick them up. Bonnot parked his car
among some trees down the beach and then all four got in the boat and boarded
the CUSTER. It was a valuable three days
for them in observing all of the action in lowering the boats, watching the
debarking of the troops in battle gear down the nets and following the ‘mock’
battle progressing on the beach.
When the exercise was
completed the four FREMONT officers were returned
to the beach. But when they went to get
the car they found that it had been parked in the battle area and the paint was
completely pock marked from the explosive charges and pyrotechnics used in the
simulated battle.
Returning to the FREMONT the day came when the
conversion was completed. In
consultation with the Captain Lieutenant Commander Conlan, the Executive
Officer Lieutenant Commander Harry C. Howe had assigned the officers and men of
the crew to their various duties aboard the ship such as Lieutenant Commander John
V. Fitzgerald, Chief Engineer, Lieutenant (jg) John R.M. Torrey First
Lieutenant, Lieutenant John Samuel Toothill Senior Watch Officer, Lieutenant
(jg) Joseph Pierre Kolisch Gunnery Officer, Ensign John Joseph Dugan First
Division Officer, Ensign Jerome P. Coakley 2nd Division Officer, Ensign Joseph
John Carter 3rd Division Officer, William John Gore Chief Bos'n, Lieutenant
(jg) Emile L. Bonnot Lookout Officer and to gain experience was assigned to
assist the First Division Officer. When
the crew was fully assigned the ship was ready to be commissioned.
U.S.S.
FREMONT
COMMISSIONING PROCEDURE
20
November 1943
"
UNIFORM: Officers and CPO's - Service
dress blue "Baker". .
Topcoats if weather demands.
Enlisted men,less -
CPO's and Cks, Sts. - Dress Blue, white hats,
peacoats if weather demands.
Attention
(by voice) Lt.
Comdr. H. C. Howe All
Hands.
Executive Officer FREMONT
"The
Ship's Company Executive
Officer
Capt. Clarence
is at
quarters Sir" (Salutes)
V.
Conlan
PCO FREMONT
(returns salute)
“Captain we
are ready
to proceed
with the
commissioning
of the PCO
FREMONT Captain
Ward
FREMONT" (Navy
Dept)
Invocation Chaplain
All
hands.
Commissioning
orders are read by Captain
Ward. When
he finishes he orders
“Hoist the
Colors”. Captain
Ward All
hands.
"Hoist
the colors and Executive
Officer QM's
standing
commission
Pennant" FREMONT by
colors.
"Hand
salute" (while the colors are going
up).
Two" (when colors are two
blocked).
Bugler sound off Executive
Officer
sound off if
available FREMONT. All
Hands.
"The
USS FREMONT is
in
commission and I
transfer her
to you" Captain
Ward Capt.
Conlan
Reads orders
ordering
him to
Command. Captain
Conlan All
hands.
"I
assume command of
the USS
FREMONT"
(Salutes
Capt. Ward) Captain Conlan Capt. Ward.
"Commander
Howe, set
the
watch" Capt.
Conlan Executive
Officer
"Set
the Watch" Comdr.
Howe Ch. Bosn. Mate Pope
"Aye,
Aye, Sir. Set
the Watch
first
section"
(Pipes) CBM
Pope All
hands.
"Lt.
Toothill, you
will take
the watch
as Officer
of the
Deck" Comdr.
Howe Lt.
Toothill
"Aye,
Aye, Sir"
(Salutes and
goes to
the quarter
deck) Lt.
Toothill Comdr.
Howe.
"Pipe
Down" Capt.
Conlan Comdr.
Howe.
"Pipe
Down" Comdr.
Howe CBM
Pope
"Pipe
Down" (Pipes) CBM
Pope All
hands.
"Division
Officers
take charge.
Dismiss
your divisions."
Comdr.
Howe. Div.
Officers
"Division,
Dismissed" Division
Officer Division
H.C. Howe,
Lieutenant Commander, USNR,
Executive Officer.
After the commissioning,
on 23 November 1943, there was a lively
commissioning party with a band and dancing at a hotel in Baltimore for all of the .plank
owners’ officers and men and their families and friends.
Preparation for War
Four days later the FREMONT departed Baltimore and arrived at the
Norfolk Navy Yard Portsmouth, Virginia 28 November. Here the ship and the crew went through many
tests and exercises including speed runs, firing all of the guns both at star
shells fired by the 5 inch guns and at targets towed by planes. The instruments were calibrated, the ship was
degaussed and all instruments tested.
Training continued until 9 December when she conducted a further
Shakedown Cruise in the Chesapeake Bay. On 17 December the ship returned to Portsmouth for post shakedown
repairs. Soon after the shakedown
repairs were finished in company with the U.S.S. Bayfield and the U.S.S.
Henrico the Fremont, flying the flag of
Commander Transport Division 11, commencing 27
December 1943, conducted similar ‘mock’ battles off Cove Point Maryland as
those observed on the CUSTER off Solomons
Island Maryland.
24
December 1943
ANNEX B TO CTG 20-1
OPERATION TRAINING ORDER NO. 11-43
SCHEDULE OF EXERCISES
23 Dec. -
Ships available at location
designated. Advance loading details and
TQM's
move to pier. Prepare to load supplies and
equipment. Hold conference with
ship commanders. Start loading supplies.
24 Dec. - Continue
loading supplies. Vehicles start
arriving at piers. Serialize and
prepare for landing.
25 Dec. - Holiday
routine as practicable.
26 Dec. - Complete
loading supplies and vehicles.
27 Dec. - Troops
embark. Ships and landing craft
sail. Conduct necessary drills and
conferences aboard ship. Stress forming of troop units below decks and
prompt and orderly movement to debarkation
and abandon ship stations.
Boat teams and boat crews study models of
landing area. Troop officers
instruct men in preparation for landing.
28 Dec. - Arrive
Solomons, Md., Amphibious Maneuver Area.
Prepare for Exercise
No.1.
Conference at Cove Point at 1000.
Practice boat loading rail and net.
29 Dec. - Exercise
No. 1. - Unopposed daylight landing. This exercise is for
practice and coordination of Navy and Army elements in landing. Unload
only vehicles and initial beach reserve supplies. Shore unit does not
organize beach beyond initial practice needs. Stop unloading on order by
CTG 20.1. Reload, restore beaches,
and reembark. Critique at 1400 at Cove
Point. Prepare for Exercise
No.2.
H-hour: 1000
BAYFIELD land BLT-l on BLUE Beach at H-hour by organized attack boat
waves.
HENRICO land BLT-2 on RED Beach at H-hour by organized attack boat
waves.
FREMONT land BLT-3 on YELLOW Beach by organized attack boat waves
as soon as boats are available. Land RCT Command Staff on RED 2 Beach
at time specified by CTU 20.1.2.
LST 262 and 265 land on RED 2 Beach at H
plus 120. Unload 1/2 tank
deck. LCI(L) 356 and 353 land on RED 2 Beach at H
plus 120. Disembark
all troops.
LST 210 remain at anchorage. LCTs operate as prescribed in Annex F,
Master Boat Employment Plan.
30 Dec. - Exercise
No. 2 .- Dawn landing unopposed. Unload
to the extent that all
vehicles and supplies can be completely
reloaded in strict original priority by
noon of following day. Stop unloading on order by CTG 20.1. Keep dumps
segregated by ships and priorities in
order to facilitate reloading. Emphasize
beach organization, efficiency handling of
vehicles and supplies to and
across beaches, rapid rail loading, coordination
of assault waves, and proper
functioning of shore fire control and air
liaison communications. Start
reloading on order by CTG 20.1
H-hour: 0730
BAYFIELD land BL T-l on GREEN Beach at H-hour by organized attack
boat waves.
HENRICO land BL T-2 on YELLOW Beach at H-hour by organized attack
boat waves.
FREMONT land BL T-3 on RED 2 Beach by organized
attack boat wave as
soon as boats are available. Land RCT Command Staff on YELLOW Beach
at time specified by CTU 20.1.2.
LST 262 and 265 land on GREEN Beach at H plus 120. Unload 50 percent.
LCI(L) 356 and 353 land on GREEN Beach at H plus 120. Disembark all
troops.
LST 210 land on GREEN Beach at H plus 240. Unload 50 percent.
LCTs operate as prescribed in Annex F.
31 Dec. - Complete
reloading and preparations for Exercise No.3 by 1200. Troop
officers and TQMs make careful check to assure
that supplies and vehicles
have been reloaded according to original
priorities. Critique at 1400 at Cove
Point.
1944
1 Jan. - Exercise
No.3. - Dawn landing opposed (see Annex D to this order). Stress
rail loading, air employment, and control
of simulated naval gunfire support.
Organize Shore Unit for division beach,
unloading in shifts. Unload 100
percent. Utilize actual demolitions of shore and beach
obstacles. Defense
force make active defense with maximum of
emplaced explosive charges and
pyrotechnics to add realism to action. Action ashore to be umpire controlled.
Play full evacuation of casualties. Combat bivouac.
2 Jan. - Continue
exercise. Test beach defense against
air. Continue tactical
problem for combat elements. Check organization and issue of supply.
Conclude tactical problem and commence
reloading supplies in afternoon.
Troops bivouac. Critique as announced by CTG 20.1.
3 Jan. - Continue
reloading. Troops assist Shore Unit as required.
Police and restore
beach and adjacent area. Vehicles proceed overland to Camp Pickett. Finish
reload1ng. Reembark personnel. Ships sail.
4 Jan. - Arrive
Norfolk.
Berth and disembark as directed. Unload
supplies.
The exercise which included two unopposed
landings and one opposed landing gave the necessary training to both the FREMONT crew and the troops
aboard who stormed the beach.
When the Watch, Quarter
and Station Bill was set in Baltimore before the trip down to
Norfolk, the training of the green members of the
crew stepped up. Uniform regulations
were strict. When reaching Norfolk, one officer thought he
could wear the gray shirt from the then used gray uniform instead of the white
shirt with detachable white collar in going to the Officer's Club. Conlan who was in the club spotted him in the crowd
but said nothing at the time. But when
the officer returned to the ship, he found he was penalized for being out of uniform
as was the Officer of the Deck who permitted him to go ashore. Another officer who had the mid watch on the
Watch List, thought he could go ashore in the early afternoon. He was also penalized as he found out that if
you were on the Watch List, even if it was the mid watch several hours later,
you had to be on the ship for the entire length of that watch.
Conlan had strict training to becoming
Officer of the Deck. The officer had to
stand the watch as Junior Officer of the Deck until it was believed that
officer could be Officer of the Deck with the ship tied up to the dock. If the officer mastered that, then he was
qualified to stand Officer of the Deck with the ship moored to a buoy. And after months of standing J.O.O.D. on the
bridge with the ship underway, he finally might be qualified as Officer of the
Deck underway. Bonnot found when he
stood his first Officer of the Deck with the ship tied up to the pier, it was a
more responsible job than just adjusting the lines to the rise and fall of the
tide and supervising the Quarter Deck.
It was a mid watch and
Captain Conlan was ashore. The preceding
Officer of the Deck when he was being relieved by Bonnot passed the word that
officers had been working on the winch but had stopped work to be resumed the
next day. The Captain returned at 0230
with all of the officers and crew asleep and obviously had been imbibing. He stumbled on the gangway and after returning
salutes, he made an inspection of the deck and the winch. He returned and with Bonnot, the Bosnmate of
the watch and the messenger standing at attention, stood a foot before Bonnot
and staring with bloodshot eyes said "I want to see the Executive Officer,
the Chief Engineer, the First Lieutenant, the Carpenter, and the Chief Ship
Fitter. Now, who do I want to see?"
The Boatswain mate of the watch stepped forward
and said: "I know who the Captain wants. I'll get them." The Captain said "Stand back" and
repeated to Bonnot "Who do I want to see?" With the Captain staring right into his eyes, Bonnot
said: "You want to see the Executive Officer, the Chief Engineer, the First
Lieutenant, the Carpenter and getting more nervous he said "the Cheap Shit
Fitter." This passed and Bonnot ordered
the messenger and the Bosnmate to rouse those the Captain wanted to see. All of them arrived in various states of dress
and lined up at attention on the Quarter deck. The Captain berated them for the condition of
the gangway, the condition of the deck, the tools left around, the bearings on
the winch left exposed to the damp salt air and a few other things. After a half hour of harsh words, he finally
dismissed them.
The upshot was that
Bonnot was demoted to J.O.O.D. again because he was representing the Captain
and should have seen that these officers had done their job correctly in
covering the exposed bearings, picking up the tools, clearing the deck and fixing
the gangway. It was another month before
Bonnot was again promoted to Officer of the Deck with the ship tied to the
dock.
The Captain also
assigned Lt. (jg) officers with no sea experience as assistant to Ensigns who
had some sea experience. Bonnot was
assigned as Assistant First Division Officer under Ensign John J. Dugan who had
been a petty officer during the North African Landings. These Ensigns were not immune however to criticism.
John Dugan was very energetic and if his
petty officers were not handling the manila lines properly, would jump in and
do it himself. The Captain watching from
the bridge, called Dugan and told him he was not to do the job himself but see
that his petty officers and men did the job properly by themselves .
Set Course for Hawaii
After being satisfied
with the post shakedown repairs, the ship loaded food, supplies and cargo and
then embarked the 117th Construction Battalion (C.B.) and made ready to sail. Orders were received to sail but sailing was
delayed for three days because rumor had it that a wolf pack of German
submarines had been operating off Norfolk. Orders were finally received to get underway
on 26 February 1944 and the Fremont headed for the Panama Canal acting as guide
for transport group 29.81 which included USS FUNSTON, USS O'HARA, and USS
CAVALIER escorted by destroyer (DD) USS EVANS and destroyer escort (DE) USS
THOMPSON. A storm and heavy seas made
rough going at Hatteras.
Because of the submarine
threat, Bonnot and the lookouts were stationed around the bow scanning the
waters ahead and to the side. But the
water became more and more turbulent. The
waves rose high and higher. The ship
plowed through, the bow rose high in the air and then plunged down, the spray
dousing everyone on deck. The lookouts
and the talkers on the sound powered phones were secured but no word for Bonnot
to leave. He looked back at the bridge,
saw the Captain and knew that he could see him getting drenched as he stood out
like a sore thumb. Bonnot realized the
'old man' was putting him to the test. He
continued to scan the water through his binoculars, wiping them after each wave
broke over the bow and waited until the watch was changed. Seeing no relief coming, he picked up the sound
powered phone and asked the bridge "Am I supposed to stay there?" The bridge talker replied "I'll
check." Ten minutes later the word
was received "Secure." The
Captain was satisfied that Bonnot had been given his experience in heavy seas
and had not suffered from ‘mal de mer’ as many had.
Leaving the Hatteras
behind, with the FREMONT as guide, and using the
Zig Zag Plan 6, in case a submarine was trying to track them, the transport
group made it safely to Cristobal and the Canal.
The Panama Canal Pilot
proved a problem for the green crew of the FREMONT. The pilot required that the ship be steered within
a one half degree change of course in entering and leaving the locks. None of the 2nd and 1st class quartermasters could
fine tune their steering to do this. The
Chief Quartermaster was the only one who could steer with that delicate touch. He took the wheel. Also the pilot would not operate from the
bridge but only from the open Fire Control deck above the Bridge where the view
was unobstructed and he could move rapidly from the port side to the starboard
side as required. His commands for speed
and course had to be relayed to the wheel and the bridge. This required the use of the voice tube which
was located amidship directly over the wheel. The Panamanian pilot was a little difficult to
hear and to understand as he called his orders from the rail of the port or starboard
side. These orders had to be relayed
immediately and to stand at the voice tube and try to relay his orders. When this combination at the wheel and the
tube proved successful neither was relieved through the whole transit of the
Canal, through the lake and the locks and the docking of the ship at Balboa. .This took a whole day with most of the crew
and CB's on deck enjoying the scenery and the action. Bonnot always said jokingly that he took the
ship through the Canal as it was his relaying orders over the voice tube that
navigated the ship.
The trip to Pearl Harbor was uneventful. Only one ship was sighted though when she
appeared hull down on the horizon she was reported as an atoll even though no
islands were within 1,000 miles. The
confusion occurred when only the masts were visible over the horizon and she
had paravanes and torpedo nets attached to the raised booms and they looked
like palm trees with palm fronds. An
exchange of signals showed she was a British merchant ship traveling east and
alone.
Arriving at Pearl Harbor
and clearing the narrow entrance and lowered submarine nets without incident,
and while heading for the dock, all could see in the distance the hulks of the
Battleship ARIZONA and the other ships still on the bottom that had been
destroyed by the Japanese attack on 7 December, 1941.
At this very time, planning
and rehearsals for the great Marianas campaign was already in
high gear; its objective was the invasion and capture of Saipan, Tinian, and Guam. The pacific Fleet was short of Amphibious
Command Ships. Some were being built but
none would be ready for months and time wasn't waiting. FREMONT was a lucky ship. When she reached Pearl Harbor, Captain Conlan (now
Commander) was told the FREMONT had been selected for
an Amphibious Command Ship. She would be
carrying commanding Admirals and Generals and their staffs and be in the
forefront of the invasions. A
superstructure had to be added for the Flag Quarters. Sophisticated electronic communication
equipment, Loran Navigational instruments had to be installed. One 5-inch gun had to be removed and replaced
with 3 quads of 40mm guns for better anti-aircraft protection.
Their new
responsibilities and new additions required additional training for most of the
ship's officers. Lieutenant (j.g.) Bonnot was sent off to naval schools in Hawaii for additional 40mm
gunnery training, fire fighting, damage control and refresher courses in ‘Ship
and Plane Identification’ and for ‘Lookouts’.
Because of attendance at
off base schools few had much leave or liberty. When aboard the FREMONT all had two 24 hour days
in which they stood watch and attended to departmental duties. As a new Assistant First Lieutenant, Bonnot
stood watch, worked with the C.& R. (Construction and Repair) Department
and conducted classes for the officers, gunners and lookouts on ship and plane
identification and on day and night vision. During daytime with light a lookout or gunner
could sight an object at sea by looking straight ahead through the pupil of the
eye. At night peripheral vision was
used. By raising the eyes to 10 degrees
above the horizon and moving the eyes from right to left a submarine, small
boat or periscope could appear to move across the eye and could be detected. The third day was a part day with afternoon
liberty granted to spend time strictly on the Base. After muster on the fourth day liberty was
granted to leave the Base and visit Honolulu, Waikiki or other places on Oahu. However with the Territory of Hawaii under martial law and a
strict curfew, it made things difficult. Under the curfew, everyone, military and
civilian, had to be off the streets by 6 PM or be subject to arrest
or even death. Because of the large number
of military personnel and the lack of transportation, the Navy had a staggered
system for return to Pearl Harbor and the Base. Enlisted men had to be back on Base by 4
PM,
petty officers by 5, chiefs by 5:30 and officers by 6. As an example of the difficulty, Bonnot at
one time found himself trying to get back from Waikiki Beach. All transportation that was moving in the
direction of the Base was jammed.