Cargo Transfer 1942

I'm casting about for sources on ship to shore transfer of cargo in unimproved ports & anchorages, or open beaches. Need details on how this was done, where, and when. Directions to books and gov docs appreciated.

 

Just off hand I recall seeing photos of quite a bit being done by landing craft,AMTRACS and DUWKS. Ill look around.

 

R. K. Turner's story, "The Amphibians Came to Conquer" has some good detail in it and is good for background reading.

HyperWar: The Amphibians Came to Conquer

Also, I remember seeing an on-line link in another forum discussion to the WW II-era USMC handbook on ship to beach operations. You may want to try finding that on Google.

 

Carl Schwamberger
I don’t know too much about the broad subject that you’re inquiring about, but I am familiar with one aspect of it that you should be interested in -- if you haven’t already considered it. That is, the work of Navy beachmasters and their staffs during and following amphibious landings in World War Two.

I came into contact with beachmasters during amphibious invasion exercises on the West Coast, Maui, Hawaii and Saipan – the latter immediately prior to the invasion of Iwo Jima, – and then later Okinawa. Those guys and their teams were some of the first people to hit the beaches, set up shop and take over complete charge and control of everything and every one that came in and went out, when, how, and if.

I suggest you get on the web and see what you can find. There a re a few sources. There are a few books – although I’m not familiar with them.I had an occasion to contact a group called World War Two Beachmasters Association. (Didn’t get too much) I doubt you’ll find much (if any) first person stuff. The beachmasters were older than I was – so they would be around 90 or more today – those who are still with us. It’s a terrible shame that they and their jobs were so little known and that there are not many oral or written histories about them. They were a unique – and brave – bunch. They could have filled all of us in on an important facet of amphibious WW2 landings if they had been able to tell their stories.

Good luck with your project.
vcs-ww2
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Thanks guys. To clarify, I am interested in the period up to when a significant number of the large LST/LCI type ships were deployed. Before those were available details on how bulk cargo and vehicls were transfered are what I'm after. I know in general that lighters (barges) were used, but the devil is in the details. Hopefully some of thsoe leads will connect to something.

Thanks again.