We left off with my grandfather and his ship the USS Sway (AM-120) setting sail from Norfolk, Virginia en route to Miami, Florida. They underwent extensive refitting and repairs while in Norfolk and more would follow in Miami along with an unexpected family secret.
28–29 March 1945
Enroute to Miami. 1345: Left division on orders of CominDiv 18 to give medical aide to USS ATR-78. 1512: Medical officer left for tug in tug's whale boat. On advice of medical officer plane requested from NAS Jacksonville, Fla., to take acute appendicitis case to hospital. Stood by tug until plane arrived at 1827. Then set course to rejoin formation, rejoining at 2139.
Stats on these vessels: Wooden-hulled Rescue Tugs built to patrol convoy lanes.
Displacement: 852 tons
Length: 165'6"
Beam: 33'4"
Draft: 15'6"
Speed: 12 knots
Armament: 1 3"
Complement: 35
Triple-expansion reciprocating steam engines, single screw, 1,600 hp
ATR-1-class - Auxiliary Tug Rescue was a wooden hulled rescue tug built by Wheeler SB, Northwest Shipbuilding, Frank L. Sample, Jakobson SY, Camden SB, Lynch SB, and Fulton Shipyard in 1944 and 1945. The 89 ATR-1 tugs serviced WW2 in both the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and the European theatre of World War II. The 40 ATR-1 Class had a displacement of 852 ton lite and 1,315 ton fully loaded. They had a Length of 165' 6", a Beam of 33' 4" and Draft of 15' 6". Top speed of 12.2 knots. The largest boom had a capacity of 4 tons. They were armed with one 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount and two single 20mm AA gun mounts. The crew complement was five Officers and 47 Enlisted men. They had a fuel capacity of 1,620 Bbls. The propulsion was one Fulton Iron Works vertical triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine with two Babcock and Wilcox "D"-type boilers with a single propeller of 1,600 shp. They had two turbo drive Ships Service Generators rated at 60 kW 120 V D.C. Example is USS ATR-31.
30 March 30 1945
Arrived Miami, Fla., at 1723 for availability for installation Air Search Radar.
1–23 April 1945.
At Dade, Drydock Co., Miami, Fla., for installation of air search radar.
7 April 1945
This is a date I have no entry in the ship's war journal for. However this date opened up a family mystery. There is a single undated entry in my grandfather's journal
The entry was simply "Miami-Got married-perfect place." My grandparents were not married until after the war when my grandfather was serving in the Air Force so I had to do some research on this new information. In his journal I found the below entry under addresses of people to write to.
"Mrs. Thomas D Schreck
Miss Dolores Rossman
1324 A, N. 39th St.
Mil. 8"
In the journal the Miss Dolores Rossman is crossed out and the Mrs. Thomas D. Schreck is written above it. That gave me a name and the fact she lived in Milwaukee to go on. Years earlier while researching on Ancestry.com I found a marriage record for a Thomas Schreck being married in Miami in 1945 but ignored it having no indication he ever had any prior marriages before my grandmother. I now went back to that record and along with closer inspection to his second marriage license I discovered it did in fact list one previous marriage for him. The record I had earlier dismissed did in fact show my grandfather married Dolores Rossman in Miami in 1945.
Beyond this I have no specific details on the circumstances of the marriage or how long it lasted. According to my great aunt who was married to my grandfather's older brother she believes the briefness of the nuptials was due to Ms. Rossman's infidelity. I asked my father if he knew anything about it and while he did not have any definitive answers he did say he was not surprised about the marriage because when his own first marriage ended after a very short time my grandfather consoled him saying he knew what it was like. My guess is this was a war time marriage that did not last very long as many at that time did not. My grandparents eventually married In 1949 and remained together until my grandmother's death in 2010. My grandfather passed away in 2013.
24 April 1945
At Miami. 1842: Left Miami, Fla., for Key West, Fla., in accordance with COMSEVEN dispatch 211836/April. 1942: Took departure from Channel Buoys No. 1 and No. 2.
25 April 1945
Enroute to Key West, Fla., proceeding independently. Arrived at Naval Station, Key West, Fla., 0746. Spent 25th and 26th loading ammunition, fueling, and compensating magnetic compasses, at or near Naval Station, Key West.
27 April 1945
At Key West. 0708: Underway, stood out in channel with USS Seer (AM-112) to rendezvous with other ships of Mine Division 18. 0815: Made rendezvous, took departure for Canal Zone. In company with CominDiv 16 (OTC) in Seer, CominDiv 18 in Swift, Symbol, Threat. Operating under CominDiv 16 Op Plan 1-45. Conducted various exercises- tracking, station keeping, convoy, flag hoist, in accordance with Op Plan. Test fired pyrotechnics for surveillance tests on 30 April. Weather very good entire trip, and trip uneventful. Rest of month spent enroute.
1 May 1945
Enroute to Panama Canal Zone from Key West, Fla., in company with ComMinDiv 16 OTC in U.S.S. Seer (AM112) CominDiv 18 in U.S.S. Swift (AM122), U.S.S. Threat (AM124) And U.S.S. Symbol (AM123). Operating under CominDiv 16 Op Plan 1-45. Made Radar landfall on Panama at 0418. At 0937 passed between breakwater and moored to Pier III, Naval Base, Coco Solo, Canal Zone 1002. Set clocks back one hour at 1003.
Though no mention is made in the ship's war journal or in my grandfather's personal journal word came out that Adolph Hitler was dead. According to German radio he died defending Berlin against the Soviet Advance while the reality of it was far grimmer. On 30 April Hitler, hiding in his bunker beneath the Reich Chancellery for several days with his newly wed former mistress Eva Braun, committed suicide. He gave Braun and his dog cyanide before taking a dose himself and shooting himself in the head to avoid capture. Their bodies were then burned to keep them from being put on public display. In his will he named Admiral Karl Dönitz the new head of State and his propaganda minister Josef Goebbels the new Chancellor. Goebels's only official act was to send a request for a cease fire to the Soviet Commander leading the attack on Berlin. The request was rejected the same day. Goebbels, also not wishing to be captured, had his six children administered morphine to render then unconscious before crushing a cyanide ampule in each child's mouth. Goebbels and his wife also took cyanide before receiving a fatal shot to the head. The War in Europe subsequently ended six days later.
By this time my grandfather and the Sway were on their way to the Pacific to take part in the ongoing fighting against Japan.
2 May 1945
At Coco Solo obtaining Pacific Publications and making minor voyage repairs. 2nd reported for duty Pacific Fleet by Dispatch 021445/May 1945.
My grandfather's impression of Coco Solo. "Panama-Best Naval Base- Rugged liberty."
The Coco Solo Naval base was established in 1918 as a submarine base and continued to operate as a naval base until 1960's.
At Coco Solo. 0754: Underway for transit of Panama Canal in accordance with COMPASEAFRON. Dispatch 022048/May 0830: Pilot aboard. 0945: Entered Gatun Locks. Locked thru with Seer and Threat moored together and Sway and Symbol together. 1025: Cleared Gatun locks. Proceed thru Gatun lake and entered Culebra cut at 1250. Entered Pedro Miguel Locks at 1331 and cleared at 1400. Entered Miraflores Locks at 1427 and left at 1518. Pilot left ship at 1604. Formation stood out Balboa approach channel and anchored off approach channel at 1740 for the night.
With that the Sway joined the Pacific fleet and was on its way to Hawaii, then Guam, Okinawa, and ultimately Japan.
