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August 1944
August began with the LCI 35 still having the damage of July 27th
repaired. During August the LCI 35 participated in 4 additional landings
to Normandy beaches.
August 3, 1944
Arromanches
Landing
On August 2, while tied up to HM LCI 210 at East Quay 30 men, 3 officers
and 2 R.A.F. officers came aboard for transport to Arromanches. The
LCI 35 got underway following HM LCI 210. At 0945 on August 3rd all
troops were disembarked and the LCI 35 headed back to England where
it tied up to the USS LCI 211 at 0715 in East Quay.
August 7, 1944
Arromanches
Landing
British Pioneer Corp troops boarded the LCI 35 on Sunday
August 6 and while tied up to US LCI 212. The troops were disembarked
at 0835 on Monday August 7th. The LCI 35 headed back to England where
it stayed until the next landing later in the month.
From August 8th through August 20th the crew performed normal cleaning
and routine deck duties, continued painting the ship dark blue and
was given liberty. During this time at East Quay, the LCI 35 was tied
to HM LCI 181, HM LCI 374 and to USS LCI 33. On Monday August 21st, while
tied to HM LCI 163, the LCI 35 boarded 150 men and officers and got
underway in a convoy of HM LCIs and USS LCIs.
August 22, 1944
Arromanches
and Port-en Bassin Landings
At 1055 the LCI 35 tied up to LCI 8 at the floating dock and by 1145
all troops disembarked. The photo below shows the LCI 8 on the port
side of the LCI 35. Commanding Officer Lewis was on the con
during this landing.
Photo of Commanding
Officer Donald Lewis on the Con of the LCI 35
August 22, 1944
- Arromanches, France
At 1205 the LCI 35 received orders to report to Port-en Bassin, France
to relieve HM LCI 178 from duty in port. Rough waters in the harbor
caused ships to smash against each other heavily so the ships decided
to anchor separately. At 1030 on Wednesday August 23rd the LCI 35
received orders to return to Arromanches and pick up troops for transportation
back to England. At 1500 65 R.A.F personnel came aboard and the LCI
35 cast off for England. Shortly after casting off, a "terrible vibration"
of unknown cause was noted in the starboard shaft. Even after cutting
back the speed the vibrations were still noticeable on the trip back
to England.
On Thursday August 24th, the LCI 35 tied up to
LCI 214
at East Quay and disembarked the R.A.F. personnel by 1130. The LCI
35 then proceeded to Sleepers Hole where it tied up to HM LCI 165.
On Friday August 25th, divers went below and found the cause of the
"vibrations". They found cables and debris wrapped around the shaft.
The divers removed the debris and checked the screw which they found
to be undamaged.
The LCI 35 cast off at 0615 on Sunday August 27th underway in a convoy
of 4 US LCIs to Lymington Banks where they received orders to proceed
to Southampton and pick up American troops for transport to Omaha
Beach. While tied to LCI 33 at the Royal Pier in Southampton 160 men
and 5 officers boarded the LCI 35 at 2030.
August 28, 1944 - Omaha Beach Landing
At 0615 in cloudy, threatening weather and rough seas, the LCI 35
cast off and was underway in a convoy of 5 LCIs. The LCI 35 dropped
anchor off Omaha beach at 1750 while waiting to hit the beach. After
a smooth landing all troops were disembarked by 2200. The LCI 35 waited
on the beach until 0730 on Tuesday August 29th for a return tide before
getting underway with the convoy of 5 LCIs. At 1650 the LCI 35 tied
up to LCI 33 at Lymington Banks.
For the next 2 days, the crew returned to normal cleaning and maintenance
duties. On Thursday August 31st the LCI 35 got underway in a convoy
of 4 LCIs headed to Portsmouth to pick up British Engineers. A total
of 164 men and 2 officers came aboard at 1430. The LCI 35 proceeded
out in the harbor where it anchored for the night at 1710.
At the end of August the landscape of the theater of war had changed
dramatically. In the map below the areas marked in red show the Allied
advances and the land occupied by the Allies on D-Day.
Allied Advances on
D-Day - June 6, 1944
In the map below you can see how much more the allied
forces controlled by August 25th. Much happened in the almost 3 months
since D-Day, and the LCI 35 could be proud of its accomplishments
in helping to bring this about.
Allied Accomplishments
Through August 25, 1944
Maps from Newsweek
Magazine - May 23, 1994
August 1944 |
Other WW II Action and Notable Events |
| August 1, 1944 |
An uprising broke out in Warsaw, Poland against Nazi occupation, a revolt that lasted two months before collapsing. |
| August 4, 1944 |
Nazi police raided the secret annex of a building in Amsterdam and arrested eight people-including 15-year old Anne Frank whose diary became a famous account of the Holocaust. (Anne Frank died at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.) |
| August 9, 1944 |
258 black American sailors based at Port Chicago, California refused to load ammunitions ship following the explosion of another ship that killed 320 men, two-thirds of them black. (The sailors were court-martialed, fined and imprisoned for their refusal.) |
| August 10, 1944 |
American forces overcame the remaining Japanese resistance on Guam. |
| August 12, 1944 |
Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., eldest son of Joseph and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, was killed with his co-pilot when their explosives-laden Navy plan blew up over England. |
| August 14, 1944 |
The Federal government allowed the manufacture of certain domestic appliances, such as electric ranges and vacuum cleaners, to resume on a limited basis. |
| August 15, 1944 |
Allied forces landed in southern France. |
| August 21, 1944 |
The United States, Great Britain, the Soviet Union and China opened talks at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington that helped pave the way for establishment of the United Nations. |
| August 23, 1944 |
Romanian prime minister Ion Antonescu was dismissed by King Michael, paving the way for Romania to abandon the Axis in favor of the Allies. |
| August 25, 1944 |
Paris was liberated by Allied forces after four years of Nazi occupation.
Romania declared war on Germany. |
| August 29, 1944 |
15,000 American troops marched down the Champs Elysees in Paris as the French capital continued to celebrate its liberation from the Nazis. |
September 1944
In September, the LCI 35 participated in 2 landings, provided escort
service and transferred troops to another ship.
September 1, 1944
Arromanches Landing
With the troops that came aboard in Portsmouth the day before, the LCI traveled in a convoy
of 4 USS LCIs and 5 HM LCIs to Arromanches, France. The LCI 35
tied up to HM LCI 179 at the floating dock at 1810. By 1830 all troops
disembarked and the ship headed back to Portsmouth with the same convoy.
On Saturday September 2nd
in stormy, rough weather and in a heavy gale, the LCI 35 anchored
in Portsmouth Harbor at 1200. LCI 35 is shown close to the HM LCI 264
in these rough waters. However, the LCI 35 did not stay anchored long
and was underway for Lymington, England at 1315 where it moored to
No 10 mooring buoy in Lymington Banks. At 1800 there still were heavy
winds and a rough sea.
September 2, 1944
Destroying
Records Related to Operation Neptune
The following notation was made in the Deck Log of LCI 35 for September
2, 1944:
1830-- "all confidential, secret, top secret information,
charts, orders, and photographs pertaining to Operation Neptune, the
invasion of Normandy were destroyed by burning this date."
The LCI 35 stayed in Lymington Banks from September 2nd until September
11th when it proceeded with LCI 33 and LCI 11 to Southampton to load
American troops headed for Utah Beach in a convoy of 4 US LCIs.
September 12, 1944
Utah Beach Landing
After a smooth landing at the beach at 2120, the LCI 35 waited for
low tide to unload the troops aboard. At 2330with the ship completely
dried out at the bow, the starboard ramp was lowered to unload troops.
By 0045 on September 13th all troops were disembarked. However, the
LCI 35 could not get underway until 0740. The LCI 35 returned in a
convoy of 3 US LCIs where it tied up to the LCI 33 anchored in Lymington
Banks.
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Stanley
Galik, SC2 |
Painting the
LCI 35
On September 15th the LCI 35 received
orders to get underway for Weymouth, England where she tied up
to the docks on Sunday September 17th. For the next few days the
crew returned to normal duties and continued painting the ship.
The crew was also given liberty during this time.
The picture on the left shows Dad getting ready to help out
his fellow shipmates on one of the many occasions that the ship
had to be painted.
During the months preceding the transfer
of the LCI 35 to the British Navy, the ship was repainted a "dark
blue".
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**LCI (G) 459 Sunk off Palau, Caroline Islands, 19 September 1944
September 21,
1944
LCI 35 Escort Service
to Omaha Beach
The LCI 35, on Thursday September 21st was called upon to provide
escort service for HM LCIs going to Omaha Beach. The LCI 35 went
into Portland Harbor and cast off in a convoy of 10 HM LCIs. After
providing the escort service, the LCI 35 returned to Weymouth and
anchored off shore on Saturday September 23rd.
September 27,
1944
Transfer of Troops - Omaha Beach
The LCI 35 moved to the docks in Weymouth on Monday September 25th
and tied up to LCI 215. At 1230 on Tuesday September 26th, 153
American Army troops - Mechanized Division boarded the ship. At
1830 after putting into Portland Harbor, the LCI 35 headed to Omaha
Beach in a convoy of US LCIs and US LSTs. Upon arrival at 0950 on
Wednesday September 27th, the LCI 35 dropped anchor off Omaha Beach.
At 1030 the soldiers started unloading from the ship into amphibious
"Ducks" for transportation into the beach. By 1110 all troops were
unloaded and the LCI 35 headed back to Weymouth in a convoy and
on September 28th tied up to LCI 33 at the docks.
For the rest of the month, the LCI 35 crew returned to normal cleaning,
maintenance, and painting duties. Those eligible were also given
liberty. At 0815 on Friday September 29th the crew started stripping
the ship of all unnecessary personnel equipment and gear. For the
first time since they first came overseas, the crew could now start
to think that their role aboard the LCI 35 and in the war would
soon be over.
September 1944 |
Other WW II Action and Notable Events |
| September 2, 1944 |
Navy pilot George Herbert Walker Bush was shot down by Japanese forces as he completed a bombing run over the Bonin Islands. (Bush was rescued by the crew of the U.S. submarine Finback; his two crew members, however, died.) |
| September 4, 1944 |
British troops entered Antwerp, Belgium. |
| September 6, 1944 |
The British government relaxed blackout restrictions and suspended compulsory training for the Home Guard. |
| September 8, 1944 |
Nazi Germany fired the first of its V2 rockets into London. The V2 rockets were faster and more powerful than the V1. |
| September 11, 1944 |
President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill met in Canada at the second Quebec Conference. |
| September 12, 1944 |
U.S. Army troops entered Germany for the first time, near Trier. |
| September 17, 1944 |
Allied paratroopers launched Operation Market Garden, landing behind German lines in the Netherlands. The Allies, however, encountered fierce German resistance. |
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