The hold of the codfish schooner was fitted with wooden bunks for troops but all efforts failed to remove the ingrained odors of codfish from the saturated inner hull of the vessel. Vehicles, tractors, motor fuel and oil, lumber, coal, and all odds and ends of engineer supplies and equipment were somehow stowed and lashed down on the open barges. Steel landing mat, much of it bent and damaged in shipment, was inspected sheet by sheet and loaded. Small and medium open fish scows obtained from Alaskan Canneries, some now open deck barges of larger capacity from the Pacific Coast, an old waterlogged seagoing barge of unknown vintage, a four masted codfishing schooner without auxiliary power, and a few small harbor tug boats comprised the engineer fleet.ĭefense against air attack required assembly, training of crew, and mounting of 20 mm weapons on tugs and barges. Modern amphibious equipment for engineers such as LSTs were unknown. Early in August one company of the unit proceeded to Chernofski Harbor to prepare tugs and other floating plant for the voyage. Chernofski Harbor was the rendezvous point for the Engineer convoy which was to proceed ahead of the task force due to its slower speed. The three months old battalion, less Company 'B" and Headquarters Company Detatchment which was on a mission at Port Heiden, was designated as the only engineer troops to accompany the task force on the initial landing on Adak, some 400 miles westward. The race for bases between Kiska Island, 650 miles west, where the Japanese were entrenched in force, and Umnak Island was on. Photo courtesy of James Robert Weatherstone Adak Island 1. Houses line up in rows before the mountain at Adak Army Base and Naval Operating Base.
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