UDT8

UNDERWATER DEMOLITION TEAM HISTORIES

WWII UDT TEAM EIGHT

The history of Underwater Demolition Team EIGHT covered a period of eighteen months, commencing 2 June 1944 with the departure from Fort Pierce, Florida to the return of the team to Coronado, California, 12 November 1945, where the original group was broken up with the decommissioning of the team. Seventeen months of this time were spent in the Pacific, where the team took part in four amphibious operations during the war, and three occupational landings after the Japanese surrender, traveling more than 70,080 miles, not counting zigzags, on ships ranging in size from an LCI to an APA and visiting in the course of their travels, the HAWAIIANS, MARSHALLS, ADMIRALTIES, PHILIPPINES, NEW GUINEA, NEW CALEDONIA, SOLOMONS, PALAUS, MARIANAS, VOLCANOES, RYUHYUS, KOREA. and the SHANGTUNG peninsula of CHINA.

The team was organized at the Amphibious Training Base at Fort Pierce, Florida; being among the first three teams to be organized there. The enlisted personnel came almost entirely from the Naval Construction Training Center, Camp Peary, Virginia, and the officers from Construction Battalions, Mine Disposal Work, Army Engineers, Small Boat Units, and from Officer Training Schools. This Group was assembled at Fort Pierce, Florida, on the first of April, 1944 to undergo a rigorous two months training in Naval Combat Demolition. The team was officially organized 16 May 1944 by Commander E.L. BREWSTER, who had come from Naval Combat Demolition Training and Experimental Base, Maui, T.H., to supervise their organization, and to correlate their final training with new developments at the forward training base. At this time, Lt. Commander Donald E. YOUNG became the commanding officer and selected the crews, which were to make up Team EIGHT. Also assigned to the team at this time were Captain George F. KROEHL, U.S. Army, as Army Liaison Officer and Ensign Edward J. STEFFEN as Mine Disposal Officer. Underwater Demolition Team EIGHT, as it left Fort Pierce, consisted of seventeen officers and seventy-nine enlisted men.

Upon the completion of the training at Fort Pierce, on the night of 8 June 1844, the team left by train en route to San Francisco to be embarked by ship for the Demolition Base at MAUI, T.H. Early on the morning 14 June 1944, the team was loaded aboard a ferry and transported across the bay, going aboard the U.S.S. MONTEREY the trip to HONOLULU. The team arrived at MAUI on the morning of 18 June, amid much flashing of signal lights, small boats were sent out and the team was put ashore. Their stay at the Naval Combat Demolition Training and Experimental Base at MAUI, T.H. had commenced.

Before leaving MAUI the team made a few personnel adjustments, and changed from a group of independent crews to a reasonably well coordinated outfit ready for a combat assignment. So on 8 August 1944, the team and its multitude of gear was loaded aboard the U.S.S. GEORGE E. BADGER (APD-33) which was to be their floating home for the next nine months.

Upon leaving KAMEOLE aboard the U.S.S. GEORGE E. BADGER, the team made a three day stop in PEARL HARBOR to load powder and pick up a little additional gear to add to the already extensive supply.

12 August 1944 marked the advent of Team EIGHT into the boundless Pacific west of PEARL and their farewell to civilization for many months to come as the U.S.S. GEORGE E. BADGER, overburdened with men and gear, slipped past the PEARL HARBOR nets en route to the SOLOMONS. Arriving at the SOLOMONS on the morning of 24 August, the BADGER dropped her hook in the quiet waters of PURVIS BAY, between TULAGI and FLORIDA ISLANDS, where she remained for nearly two weeks. While there the team participated in a practice operation on CAPE ESPERANCE on GUADALCANAL, which was complete with fire support from the bombardment group and air strikes by navy planes. The team's part in this operation was to fire two packs of tetrytol on the beach before daylight, and after the bombardment, to lead landing craft in to their designated beaches. On 6 September the team left the SOLOMONS in company with the bombardment group for its first combat assignment, which was to be in support of the landings on ANGUAR ISLAND in the PALAU group. Arriving in the PALAUS on the morning of 12 September under the close fire support of a battle-ship, two cruisers and three destroyers, following a thirty minute preliminary bombardment. On this reconnaissance fifteen hundred yards of beach were covered in thirty minutes by the use of all four platoons of the team, and no mines or serious obstacles to a landing were discovered. Only sporadic enemy fire or opposition was encountered and no casualties were received. This preliminary reconnaissance was mainly a feint to deceive the Japanese, and on the morning of 15 September a reconnaissance was made of Red Beach on the Northern shore of ANGUAR, which was to be one of the beaches used in the landing of the Eighty-first Army Division. After thirty minutes of preliminary bombardment, platoons one and three made a swimming reconnaissance of Red Beach, under close fire support of the bombardment group, covering four hundred yards of beach and encountering none but passive Japanese resistance and suffering no casualties. No mines were found, but jetted rails were located along the high water mark in a double row at approximately ten foot intervals on the left side of the beach, the removal of which was deemed necessary before the landing of troops. On the afternoon of 19 August, members of the headquarters platoon landed on Red Beach, at three o'clock in the afternoon, after a thirty minute bombardment, and conducted Team EIGHT's only combat demolition job of the war, firing 120 pounds of tetrytol, and either blowing up or normally uprooting the obstacles on the beach.

Fox day on ANGUAR was 17 September, and for the neat week the team worked for the Beachmaster clearing mines and destroying floating hazards to navigation while the BADGER was on screening duty between ANGUAR and PELELIEU. On the afternoon of 26 September, Team EIGHT was called upon to make a reconnaissance of the channel between PELELIEU and NGESEBUS ISLANDS in conjunction with Team SIX. No fire support was possible other than air strafing attacks on the beaches of NGESEBUS ISLAND, due to the shallowness, length, and construction of the channel. This was a rather grueling reconnaissance, entailing a 3000 yard swim in water no deeper than four feet to a Japanese held causeway, and necessarily returning the same distance. Heavy machine gun, mortar, and small arms fire, as well as the approach of darkness, prevented the swimmers from reaching the causeway, but a suitable route for tanks to cross to NGESEBUS was plotted and the swimmers returned to the ship exhausted from three hours in the water. This reconnaissance ended Team EIGHT's operation in the PALAU Group, this place being to the best knowledge the only reconnaissance of its type in the annals of Underwater Demolition Team work.

Leaving the PALAUS on 27 September, the team retired to the ADMIRALTY ISLANDS, anchoring in spacious SEADLER BAY at MANUS the afternoon of 1 October; MANUS was to become the staging area for the LEYTE Operation.

Team EIGHT left SEADLER BAY on the morning of 12 October in company with the bombardment group en route to LEYTE ISLAND in the PHILIPPINES, having the misfortune to encounter their first tropical typhoon, on the way, which lasted until they reached LEYTE GULF and the fifty degree rolls caused a great deal of misery to those aboard. Arriving in the sheltered waters of LEYTE GULF on the morning of 18 October, the team arrived off the assigned beaches at mid-day and promptly at 1430 all platoons were embarked in landing craft and at 1500 shoved off for the beach. Due to the typhoon, mine sweeping operations close inshore had been held up, so that major units of the bombardment group could not move into the beach and give close fire support to the operation. There was no preliminary bombardment, and while conducting the reconnaissance the team had only the three inch fire of the four APD's which moved to within 1800 yards of the beach or closer. All boats received heavy mortar fire as well as machine gun and sniper fire, many swimmers spotting Jap movements along the shore. The water was very muddy due to the typhoon, and visibility was nil, but no obstacles or beach mines were located on the beaches, which were Blue Beaches ONE and TWO, comprising 1200 yards in all. During this reconnaissance the team sustained six casualties, one (1) in the water, and five (5) in the boats as they picked up swimmers. One man, Edward TILTON, subsequently died of his wounds. All these men received the Purple Heart Award. For its part in this operation Team EIGHT received this dispatch from Admiral KINCAID: "FOR EMBARKED UNDERWATER DEMOLITION TEAMS X YOU HAVE REASON TO BE PROUD OF THE PART YOU PLAYED IN THE LEYTE OPERATION X WELL DONE AND GOOD LUCK X".

This reconnaissance completed the team's work at LEYTE. The BADGER was on screening duty on 19 October, and on 20 October the army went ashore after one of the most devastating shore bombardments ever to be witnessed in the Pacific. While at LEYTE Team EIGHT saw its first Jap planes, one of which torpedoed the light cruiser U.S.S HONOLULU and another which crash-dived into the HMAS AUSTRALIA. On the night of 21 September the BADGER left the area as escort for these two crippled ships, just missing the battle of LEYTE GULF, stopping at KOSSAL PASSAGE on 23 October, and arriving at MANUS on 29 October.

Remaining at MANUS for six (6) days before going to Naval Combat Demolition Training and Experimental Base for rehabilitation, the team lost eight officers and men who returned to MAUI. Due to the bottleneck at MAUI, many of those men were to meet the team on their return there and some to rejoin the team.

On 4 November the team left on its way to NOUMEA, NEW CALEDONIA for rest and rehabilitation, and the BADGER for much needed repairs. After making a short stop at PURVIS BAY in the SOLOMONS on 7 and 8 November, the team arrived at the beautiful harbor of NOUMEA on the morning of 11 November. By late that afternoon all hands were off the ship and quartered in the Receiving Station. After sixteen restful days the team re-embarked upon the BADGER and left for HOLLANDIA on 26 November.

After an uneventful trip featured by full-scale maneuvers off the port and coming in at quarters, the BADGER made FINCHHAFFEN, NEW GUINEA on 30 November. Refueling that evening, and spending a sweltering night in the narrow harbor, the BADGER left for HUMHOLDT BAY at HOLLANDIA the morning of 1 December, arriving there on 3 December.

The stay at HOLLANDIA prior to the LINGAYEN operation was one of the most monotonous in the team's history. While there the team made probably is greatest contribution in the prosecution of the war by the clearing of a channel to a SEA BEE lumber camp at BOUGANVILLE BAY, twenty miles down the coast from HOLLANDIA. This trip was made necessarily by small boat, carrying twenty-five tones of rubber hose for the job. Two shot were laid and fired, one of five and one of twenty tons, resulting in an efficient clearing of the channel, as well as the complete subjugation of all self-appointed native superintendents who had gathered while the work was underway. By ten o'clock that night all members of the team were back aboard the BADGER, after the first honest day's work in many months. Christmas of 1944 was of necessity spent at HOLLANDIA, the day being brightened as much as possible by the fortuitous arrival of much of the back mail and packages which were very welcome in spite of the ravages caused by long exposure to the elements.

Leaving NEW GUINEA on 27 December, en route to LINGAYEN GULF in company with the bombardment group and a dozen jeep carriers, the BADGER stopped at KOSSOL PASSAGE to refuel. Leaving 1 January 1945 and passing through LEYTE GULF early on the morning of 3 January, the team began what was to be an odyssey never to be forgotten by all persons. The evening of 3 January found the force of MINDORO, where at 1800 the CVE U.S.S. OMANEY BAY was struck without warning by a Kamikaze suicide plane; she burned fiercely and out of control for three hours before being sunk by our destroyers. It was a spectacular and disheartening sight. During the next eight days, the ship went to general quarters fifty-five times, some of which were for eighteen hours duration, and went through one of the war's first full scale Kamikaze attacks. The evening of 5 January the group was off LINGAYEN GULF and was attacked by a group of suicide planes, as many as three at a time being seen diving at our ship. The bombardment group steamed into the gulf in a double column, flanked by escort vessels and the APDs, to be met by vicious suicide plane attacks, and passing the broken hulks of several mine sweeps which had been hit previously while sweeping the gulf. At least thirty-five planes either crashed in or were shot down within a one-half hour period that day. On 7 January the team made a reconnaissance of White Beaches, I and II, comprising approximately 2000 yards. For the first time in the team's operations it was given close fire sup-port by two LCI(G)s which moved to within 500 yards of the beach and covered the dune line with their forty millimeter fire. The operation was carried out suc-cessfully with no enemy opposition, and no beach mines or obstacles were found.

After the reconnaissance the BADGER anchored in the gulf. On 9 January the Army troops landed and on 12 January the BADGER was ordered to return to LEYTE as escort for a group of LSTs.

On 19 January the team was bound for ULITHI atoll, arriving 23 January where it was to stay for a month in the waters of this beautiful but barren lagoon. After spending twenty days aboard ship, broken by daily trips to the fleet recreation island of MOG-MOG, the team took matters into its own hands and moved ashore to the island of ASOR, through the courtesy of Com-modore KESSING, and spent two very pleasant weeks of swimming, exercise and recreation.

Upon being notified at 2200 the previous night of the BADGER's departure for IWO JIMA, Team EIGHT got aboard ship with its gear in a mad scramble at five o'clock the morning of 1 March, and by 0800 had left ULITHI and was work in many months. Christmas of 1944 was of necessity spent at HOLLANDIA, the day being brightened as much as possible by the fortuitous arrival of much of the back mail and packages which were very welcome in spite of the ravages caused by long exposure to the elements.

Leaving NEW GUINEA on 27 December, en route to LINGAYEN GULF in company with the bombardment group and a dozen jeep carriers, the BADGER stopped at KOSSOL PASSAGE to refuel. Leaving 1 January 1945 and passing through LEYTE GULF early on the morning of 3 January, the team began what was to be an odyssey never to be forgotten by all persons. The evening of 3 January found the force of MINDORO, where at 1800 the CVE U.S.S. OMANEY BAY was struck without warning by a Kamikaze suicide plane; she burned fiercely and out of control for three hours before being sunk by our destroyers. It was a spectacular and disheartening sight. During the next eight days, the ship went to general quarters fifty-five times, some of which were for eighteen hours duration, and went through one of the war's first full scale Kamikaze attacks. The evening of 5 January the group was off LINGAYEN GULF and was attacked by a group of suicide planes, as many as three at a time being seen diving at our ship. The bombardment group steamed into the gulf in a double column, flanked by escort vessels and the APDs, to be met by vicious suicide plane attacks, and passing the broken hulks of several mine sweeps which had been hit previously while sweeping the gulf. At least thirty-five planes either crashed in or were shot down within a one-half hour period that day. On 7 January the team made a reconnaissance of White Beaches, I and II, comprising approximately 2000 yards. For the first time in the team's operations it was given close fire sup-port by two LCI(G)s which moved to within 500 yards of the beach and covered the dune line with their forty millimeter fire. The operation was carried out successfully with no enemy opposition, and no beach mines or obstacles were found.

On 19 January the team was bound for ULITHI atoll, arriving 23 January where it was to stay for a month in the waters of this beautiful but barren lagoon. After spending twenty days aboard ship, broken by daily trips to the fleet recreation island of MOG-MOG, the team took matters into its own hands and moved ashore to the island of ASOR, through the courtesy of Commodore KESSING, and spent two very pleasant weeks of swimming, exercise and recreation.

Upon being notified at 2200 the previous night of the BADGER's departure for IWO JIMA, Team EIGHT got aboard ship with its gear in a mad scramble at five o'clock the morning of 1 March, and by 0800 had left ULITHI and was underway for IWO at twenty knots over a rough sea. When five hours at sea, a dispatch was received to disembark the team at ULITHI, but as it was too late to turn back, it was forced to stay aboard and pay for the stay ashore by three insufferable days of rough weather. Arriving at IWO on 3 March, 8 remained long enough to undergo an air raid, pick up a battle star, and head for GUAM on 6 March as escort for a group of attack transports. Arriving in GUAM on 8 March, the team was detached from the U.S.S. BADGER after seven trying months aboard and quartered temporarily in the Receiving Station there with orders to build its own camp.

We now come to a subject dear to the hears of all members of Team EIGHT present at the time, the building of its own camp at GUAM. Permission to build was received from Captain GRAYSON of AdComPhibsPac, later to be revoked by the Marine Island Commander, but during the confusion, and by many devious means and the help of CBs on the island, the camp was built.

Probably the outstanding event of the stay on GUAM was the inspection of the camp and personnel by Admiral of the Fleet, Chester W. NIMITZ, Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet. Only the night before had a coral surface been laid to the rear of the camp to serve as a road, and the camp scrubbed to nearly dazzling cleanliness. At 1000 the Admiral and Captain GRAYSON drove up, walked to where Teams EIGHT and TEN were formed, gave a short informal talk, shook the hands of all officers during inspection and talked to many of the men. He then made a tour of the camp and on his return commended UD on the camp and "One of the finest groups of men it has been my pleasure to inspect:' After spending over an hour in camp he left, leaving all personnel elated over this compliment from such a fine gentleman and outstanding officer. Later we received a letter from Captain GRAYSON, which follows;

ADMINISTRATIVE COMMAND

AMPHIBIOUS FORCES, U.S. PACIFIC FLEET

P4 SUBORDINATE COMMAND A/AHG/Dr

FLEET POST OFFICE

Serial: 67 SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 4 April 1945

RESTRICTED

From: Officer in Charge, Administrative Command,

Amphibious Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, SUBORDINATE COMMAND.

To: Commanding Officer, Underwater Demolition Team No. 8.

Subject: Underwater Demolition Team No. 8, - inspection of.

1. On the occasion of his inspection this date, the Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet, expressed himself as being highly pleased with the appearance and morale of subject team and with the immaculate condition of their camp and surroundings.

2. The Officer in Charge wishes to congratulate the Commanding Officer, officers and men of Team 8 on the splendid showing they made and to express his plea-sure in having been associated with a very fine unit.

/s/ R. W. GRAYSON.

The camp was nearly completed and all hands prepared to reap the fruits of labor in a pleasant warm GUAM when orders came to move out. Consequently, on the morning of 5 April, all the team personal gear was loaded in trucks, taken to the landing, and put aboard the U.S.S. ARENAC (APA-128). All demolition gear was left at the camp by orders of Captain GRAYSON. Leaving APRA HARBOR the team traveled to PEARL, arriving on 14 April, there being transferred to the USS. TATUM (APD-81) and leaving for MAUI the evening of 15 April. Getting ashore at MAUI on 16 April, it felt practically on the way to the States, but after a ten day island leave and two weeks of semi-organized athletics, Team EIGHT found it was not to be among those chosen, taking over the training program at the Naval Combat Demolition Training and Experimental Base while teams FOUR, NINE, TEN, FOURTEEN, and FIFTEEN went home. The Team took over the training in short order. While there, Lieutenant Commander YOUNG was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his outstanding leadership of Team EIGHT in the operation in the PALAU GROUP. Finally, with the advent of cold water training at Ocean side California, the Team's turn came, and a happy bunch of men and officers turned loose the reins of the training program and loaded aboard the U.S.S. JEFFERY (APD-44) for the trip to San Pedro, California.

Leaving MAUI on 16 July the Team arrived in San Pedro, California on 22 July to be met on the dock by Lieutenant BROHL who had flown ahead to arrange our air transportation. In spite of the inevitable confusion connected with coming ashore and getting underway for leave, within 36 hours the majority of the team was on its way home for a long anticipated leave.

Returning to Oceanside on or about 11 August, the Team reassembled and with some deletions and additions prepared for six weeks training in the States, but with the end of the war, was immediately sent overseas to assist in the occupational landings in KOREA and CHINA.

Getting aboard the U.S.S. DONALD W. WOLF (APT-129) on 14 August and leaving for PEARL HARBOR on 16 August, the Team had little chance or inclination to celebrate V-J Day. Making a mad dash across the Pacific as part of ComUDRonTWO, under the command of Captain CLELAND or Chunking TWO, the team made only short stops for fueling at PEARL HARBOR and ENIWETOK, reaching BUCKNER BAY, OKINAWA on 4 September. Leaving OKINAWA on 5 September the WOLF felt her way through the YELLOW SEA mine fields, arriving at JINSEN, KOREA, 1 September, but having no duties assigned in the landing of occupational troops. Remaining in the river off odiferous JINSEN until September 15, the WOLF shoved off for OKINAWA through the outer edge of a typhoon which made for a very uncomfortable trip, reaching there on 18 September.

Leaving OKINAWA on 25 September, the team was taken to TAKU, CHINA for the landing of occupational troops, but again were spectators from several miles out to sea. After the landing the team was assigned a minor demolition job of smoothing a flight of steps on the waterfront into a ramp for landing marine vehicles. Upon reaching the beach with explosives, it was found a shot would be hazardous to personnel and material in the area so it was cancelled.

Leaving TAKU on 8 October the team was transported to CHEFOO, CHINA, arriving on 9 October, where it was to have a job all its own in the inspection of the harbor area there. A great opportunity for sightseeing in a most interesting region was lost when the plan to land marines at CHENFOO was abandoned.

On 10 October the team left CHEFOO, disgruntled at not getting ashore, and was transported to TSINGTAO, CHINA, arriving on 12 October. The Team took no part in the operation other than in the morale building factor of presence, but was able to take part in the liberty here which was very interesting from the point of view of novelty.

Leaving TSINGTAO, on 17 October, the team was on its way back to the States, stopping at OKINAWA, GUAM, and ENIWETOH to fuel before reaching PEARL HARBOR on 3 November.

Leaving PEARL HARBOR on 5 November, the team arrived in San Diego on 11 November, leaving the U.S.S. DONALD W. WOLF, where the team had received more consideration and lived in a nearer semblance of harmony than on any other ship in its varied travels, and went ashore to the Coronado Amphibious Training Base. Here the eligible few with enough points were released for discharge, the majority were made available to the Bureau for reassignment and the remainder made application to remain in demolition and join the regular navy.

This terminated the career and travels of one of the finest groups of Sea Bees ever gathered together in an Underwater Demolition Team. Though perhaps not as acclaimed as some, members of Team EIGHT may be proud of a fine outfit, which retained its original personnel and identity to a greater degree than any other of the early Underwater Demolition Teams, and finished the war, if with no awards, at least with a clear conscience and its ideal unprostituted.

(compiled by Robert Allan King for the UDT-SEAL Museum from public records at the Operational Archives of the Naval Historical Center)

TEAM ROSTERS - To protect the integrity of the Teams and the privacy of individual frogmen, Team rosters are not made public. If you or your relative was a member of UDT Team EIGHT and you would like further information, we suggest you contact the UDT-SEAL Museum.

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