September 28, 1944 – Off Japan

The Peoria was in position sixty feet below the ocean surface a few miles off the coast of the island at just after midnight. Her rocket bay was fully loaded but the firing circuits were physically wired off. The marines in her hold were ready to disembark for their runs to the beach. The order was given to surface and the Peoria began her task. Within a half mile of her the other two large boats and the two of the four Harrisburg boats were unloading their troops. Within twenty minutes twenty two platoons of men, nearly five hundred marines were on their way to the beach. The largest American land assault of the war had just begun. The marines on the Salem and Tuscon would be landed after the other marines secured the beach. Their mission was to land with and protect the technicians. Their orders were to not allow them to fall into enemy hands. Like secret operatives the technicians each carried a side arm and a cyanide pill.

As the troops headed toward the shore the Peoria boats pulled offshore into firing positions – to be available if needed. If used at this time their fire would only be a diversion. There was no assurance it would work. There was a significant Japanese force on the island. If the men were discovered most would probably be killed, few of any would make it back to the ships and the mission would most likely be a failure.

Captain Merris and his force were in rubber boats paddling to the shore. If the enemy found them now, to say the least they would be in a really difficult position. The Peoria boats could lace the beach and the Japanese base with their rockets but when they were gone, so would be the protection. The boats could surface and support them with gunfire, primarily the eight inch, but this too had unacceptable risks and while the rocket boats were firing the eight inch, the rocket reload would be suspended. And even if all this fire power did protect the marines the full success of the mission depended on the force landing and taking a large portion of the base before they were discovered. If the rockets were fired, this wouldn’t be possible, the Japanese might be able to destroy the very things they had come to take with them.