Return To Pacific Theatre Operations
Almaack sailed from San Diego on the morning of 13 January 1944, bound for Lahaina Roads, off the island of Maui. From there, she sailed for the Marshall Islands, and the first of her six amphibious operations of the Pacific war, departing Lahaina—the final staging area for Operation "Flintlock"—on the afternoon of 22 January, with elements of the 4th Marine Division embarked. Sailing as part of Task Force (TF) 53, Almaack reached the transport area for the initial assault on "Jacob" and "Ivan"— islands in Kwajalein Atoll—at 0500 on 31 January. That evening, Almaack hoisted out her boats and discharged cargoes of ammunition in response to a request for three units of fire to "Ivan".
Using her engines constantly to maintain position in the transport area against the two-knot northeasterly current and the northeast trade winds, Almaack provided LCMs to unload artillery from attack transports and LCVPs to unload men early on 1 February, and upon anchoring later that day received the services of two tank landing craft (LCT) to expedite unloading her own cargo. This unloading slowed down on the 2d, but picked up again on the 3d, the ship being aided in her cargo discharging by boats from USS William P. Biddle (APA-8), USS Warren (APA-53) and USS Sumter (APA-52). Ultimately, by 1330 on D + 4 (4 February), Almaack had completed her unloading.
Two days later, on 6 February, having loaded 22 LVTs of the 4th Tractor Battalion, USMC, and embarked their crews, Almaack sailed for Funafuti, in the Ellice Islands, in convoy with an amphibious command ship, three dock landing ships, a transport and a cargo ship, screened by four destroyers; she arrived at her destination on 10 February. From there, she sailed to Guadalcanal, in the Solomons, again in convoy, and reached her destination on the afternoon of 13 February. There the ship unloaded the marine amphibious tractors brought down from Kwajalein, and disembarked their crews.
Proceeding thence to Nouméa, New Caledonia, for liberty, as well as firing and landing exercises, Almaack returned to Guadalcanal (Tulagi), and then to Funafuti, before she pushed on for Canton Island, and a stopover there to load "worn-out equipment" en route back to Hawaii.
Read more about this topic: USS Almaack (AKA-10)
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