ITINERARY OF USS MARATHON APA 200
from January 4, 1945 to July 30, 1945

January
4th Left United States of America from Port Hueneme in California
10th Arrived at Pearl Harbor T.H. Do not know date left Pearl Harbor

February
2nd Arrived New Hebrides Islands. Espiritu Santo. Moored at dock. Liberty at Aore Is. (Left approx. 6th or 7th)
9th Arrived Guadalcanal in Solomon Is. Went to Tulagi while there across channel from Guadalcanal.
13th 0601 Underway from Holi Point, Guadalcanal at 1126 anchored Sunlight Channel Russell Islands Solomon Is.
19th Underway at 0805. At 1100 anchored off Renard Sound Russell Is.
21st At 1616 Underway.
23 At 1856 Anchored Sunlight Channel, Russell Is.

March (27 - BPT- 39 Aboard)
1st At 0549 Under. 129 Anchored off Lunga Pt. Guadalcanal Is.
1508 Underway.
From March 1 to March 12 held boat landing exercises in an around the Russell Is. in preparation for Okinawa. Was in transport area most of the time.
12th 1611 Anchored in Sunlight channel. (Liberty at Lingatu beach)
15th Underway at 0600
21st Anchored in and around Ulithi Is. at 1546. Carrier USS Franklin (CV-13) entered while we there and was badly damaged. Two other carriers,1 cruiser and about 4 destroyers were with it.
27th Underway at 1543
31st Hospital ship fully lighted passed abeam to starboard. on opposite at 2030.

April
1st Screening vessels taking position to repel air attack at 0113
Firing at 0126 Firing from ships about us.
At 0232 saw plane going down.
0530 Fire support ships began shore bombardment.
0534 Lowering boats to land landing party.
0601 one plane shot down.
0730 Ceased bombardment
0800 Boats proceeded to rendezvous area.
0830 How hour - all waves hit beach with no opposition.
1205 Underway to inner transport area
1250 Arrived inner transport area.
1806 Underway and maneuvering to take night retirement disposition. Jap suicide column hit BB Nevada that was about 1/2 mile rear of us.
2nd Anchored inner transport area off Hagsuhi River, Okinawa Is. Completed unloading from 2nd to 5th April.
5th At 0950 underway.
9th Anchored Saipan Harbor at 1500.
10th Underway at 0821.
20th Moored at 1110 in Pearl Harbor T.H.

May
6th Underway at 0821.
7th Change of orders and returned from boat exercises to Pearl Harbor. At about 0900 moored to Burleigh (APA 93) in Pearl Harbor T.H.
15th Underway at 1300
22nd Passed under Golden Gate Bridge.
At 0739 anchored in San Francisco Bay.

June
2nd Moored to dock Naval Supply Deport Oakland, Calif.
1544 Underway
1638 Moored at pier in San Francisco and loading passengers.
1932 Underway
2015 Passed underneath Golden Gate Bridge
8th Moored in Honolulu Harbor at 1343. (Saw the USS Hinsdale APA 120 and the USS Talladega APA 208 in same harbor.
10th Underway at 1409
18th At 1027 anchored at Eniwetok, Marshals Is. Liberty at Parry Is.
1515 Underway
1602 Anchored Eniwetok Atoll
20th Underway at 1258
1330 anchored in Eniwetok
28th 1332 Underway

July
2nd Anchored off Ulithi Atoll
At 1230 Liberty on Mog Mog Island. Changed anchorage two times before getting underway again. Ulithi is in Caroline Islands.
10th 0600 Underway from Ulithi
14th At 0545 ships going to Ie Shima and Hagushi left convoy
14th 1118 Anchored in Buckner Bay
18th Underway from Buckner Bay to different anchorage
19th 0807 Underway on typhoon run
21st 1348 Anchored in Buckner Bay
22nd 0130 Explosion through Number 2 hatch. Geyser shot 200 feet into the air. Pumps working, Pumping water out starboard. side.
0150 Ship listing heavily to port. Nature of explosion still unknown. Sent out emergency flares.
0200 Hole showing on port side opposite No. 2 hold. Top of hole 3 feet above water 15 ft. long.
0203 False fire alarm.
0205 Flash recd control green make smoke
0209 Draft aft. 15 ft.
0220 ARS-9 ordered to our assist.
0223 List increased 2 degrees in last 5 minutes.
0224 Sent msg "No. 1 hold slowly filling.
0225 Draft forward 29 ft.
0229 No. 1 and 2 hatches flooded to water line. Draft forward 30 ft. 6 inches.
0235 Draft Fwd. 30 ft 6 inches. Aft. 15 ft.
0230 Fire and rescue party from USS Cowell reported
0245 ATF-115 coming alongside port side
0250 Draft 34 ft. fwd aft 14 ft
0335 2 generators now working
0416 ATF-115 ordered to cast off ARS-16 ordered to come along side
0425 Made preliminary casualty report to port director Buckner Bay. 2 dead, 9 wounded, unknown missing.
0437 Draft forward 32 ft.
0450 Pumps working. More being brought aboard. Fire and rescue party from USS St. Louis, Nevada, Calif, Cowell. Cowell being first.
22nd 0540 ATR-9 cast off
0557 ATF-113 (USS Tenino) came along side
0603 Draft is 38 ft. forward and increasing.
0632 Draft 33 ft. Seems to be holding
22nd This vessel two blocked commissioning pennant hauled down broad command pennant at 0845
1200 Draft forward 33 ft.
1300 Draft forward 31.4 ft.
1303 Divers went down into No. 2 hold
1500 Draft 30 ft.
1615 Two bodies brought out of No. 2 hold.
1705 Divers secured
1930 Diving operations commenced
Draft 30 ft. anchored in Buckner Bay
2200 Draft 29 ft.
23rd 0100 Draft 29 ft.
0246 General Quarters
0335 Secured from G.Q.
At 1640 Underway
At 1830 Anchored
At 1915 Underway to shift berths.
At 1945 Anchored
At 2000 Underway
At 2005 Anchored
24th 1205 Sighted water spout visually.
1247 ARS-16 Cast off
1350 LCT-467 came along side
25th YW88 alongside to discharge fresh water at 0751 finished at 1120 pulled away by Tug 388
26th Undergoing salvage operations
27th 0958 LCGT 467 cast off
1600 Tug Tenino turned around
28th LCT hit and sinking at Ie Shima at 0130 Merchantman John Rawlin hit in Naha Area.
30th USS Marathon APA-200 undergoing salvage operations. Commander Transport Division 53 and Staff transferred to APA 228 USS Rockbridge on August 1, 1945

(36 men were found to be killed aboard Marathon. Source of explosion was torpedo. 13 men were wounded. Two men died after being moved from ship.)

The above itinerary was from ship's log and prepared by Gaylon Royce Solomon at Little Elm, Texas. I was promoted to RM 3/C January 10, 1945 while on the USS Marathon. I was transferred with the staff of ComTransDiv 53 on August 1, 1945 to USS Rockbridge APA 228. Promoted to RM 2/C October 30 1945. W. N. Thornton was commander of ComTransDiv 53.

J. W. McElroy was captain of USS Marathon when I first boarded her. When we returned to San Francisco Alexander MacIntyre became captain.