Deployment to Europe
As word began to filter among the ranks that they would soon depart, the men of the 103rd Infantry Division packed their belongings and left Camp Shanks early in the morning to ensure all their movements happened under the cover of darkness. On October 5, 1944, the 103rd took a short train ride to the ferry terminal in Weehawken, New Jersey, and from there, the men took ferries across the Hudson River to Pier 51, North River Terminal in New York City to load on to their respective ships. The 103rd Infantry Division removed all identification from uniforms for security reasons while they were in transit in case the ships fell into enemy hands.
(Left): Weehawken Ferry Terminal, NJ.
(Right): Pier 51, North River Terminal, New York City, NY.
The ships left port early in the morning on October 5, 1944. Men were allowed on deck just as their ships sailed past the Statue of Liberty. As the ships left the harbor and land faded from view, they assumed their convoy formation with troop ships in the middle and destroyers on the flank. Many on board these ships would never see the United States again; they would pay the ultimate price for freedom in battle. “Where are we going?” No one knew. Rumors flew, but the honest truth would not reveal itself until the ships were well underway at sea. Even as they departed, the men of the 103rd still did not know where the ships would go.
U.S.S. Henry T. Gibbons
The Army assigned the U.S.S. Henry T. Gibbons to take the 103rd Division Headquarters Company and Special Troops. The U.S.S. Monticello, a former Italian cruise liner, carried the 409th Infantry Regiment and part of the 411th Infantry Regiment. The men of the 410th Infantry Regiment traveled aboard the U.S.S. General J.R. Brooke, the flagship of the 14-ship convoy, and the rest of the 411th Infantry Regiment, the Antitank Company, Service Company, and Cannon Company all sailed on the U.S.S. Santa Maria.
U.S.S. Monticello
For anyone who has never crossed the open sea in a troop ship, it is hard to imagine how crowded life on board was for the soldiers; close community living is the best way to describe this environment. It was two weeks of extreme discomfort in very close quarters. Sleeping was a luxury under the conditions in the troop hold; the soldiers had little to no headroom because the ships contained bunks built four tiers high. The men all took showers using salt water. Toilets (latrines in Army language) were makeshift and were not kept very clean. They consisted of long troughs with constant running water flowing through them. Once in a while, to relieve boredom and monotony, a soldier might light a wad of toilet paper afire and send it floating down the stream to an unsuspecting buddy sitting atop the trough. That generally brought howls of laughter and a singed rear end for the victim.
U.S.S. General J.R. Brooke
One significant storm hit the convoy, and it was challenging to stay in the bunks when the storm was so intense. Because of seasickness, many men did not want to eat during their time crossing the Atlantic. The comfort level and food quality also varied depending on which ship the men sailed. For the soldiers aboard the USS General Brooke, it was like sailing on a cruise ship. They received three squares a day and had complete freedom of the decks. Conversely, the USS Monticello presented a challenge for men who wanted to get a breath of fresh air. There were shifts of men allowed on deck, half on deck and half in the hold. They only received two stand-up meals a day. Jokingly, the men traveling on the Monticello said they were getting that lean and hungry look.
U.S.S. Santa Maria
The rumors were hot on all the ships: Europe or Africa? Finally, the cry went up, "land ho!" The ships then took a zig-zag course, hugging the coast of Africa until they entered the Straits of Gibraltar. Then it was the Rock on the port side and Africa to starboard. Then it came, yet another storm in the Mediterranean, until the southern coast of France appeared on October 20, 1944. The convoy arrived at the port of Marseilles, where they were met with confusion and a port nearly destroyed by the Germans. Now the men knew where they would fight.
Photo Credits:
Header Photo: Unknown Photographer, SC 196560- These Hungry Infantrymen of the 7th Army Waste no Time When They Hear "Seconds on Cake," November 12, 1944. U.S. Army Signal Corps Archive via Flickr.
Weehawken Ferry Terminal Photo: Unknown Photographer, Weehawken waterfront, c. 1900, with Weehawken Terminal at left. c. 1900. The Modern Railroad via Wikimedia.
Pier 51 Photo: "Cunard and White Star Lines at Pier 54, North River" New York Public Library Digital Collections. Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy, The New York Public Library. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/a44288b4-9c17-b31f-e040-e00a18060314.
U.S.S. Henry T. Gibbons Photo: Unknown Photographer, Henry Gibbons (T-AP-183). Unknown Date. Navsource Online via Wikimedia.
U.S.S. Monticello Photo: Unknown, SS Monticello (AP-61) underway, near the Philadelphia Navy Yard after completing conversion. 15 September 1942. US National Archives, RG-19-LCM, Photo No. 19-N-35386 via navsource.org.
U.S.S. General J.R. Brooke Photo: Unknown Photographer, The U.S. Navy transport USS General J.R. Brooke (AP-132) off the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California (USA). January 29, 1944. Navsource Online via Wikimedia.
U.S.S. Santa Maria: Unknown Photographer, U.S.S. Santa Maria. Unknown Date. U.S. Army Signal Corps via Troopships of World War II.