Skip to main content
Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

The Navy Department Library

Related Content
Sources

LT Moran’s logbooks are held in the Navy Department Library’s Historic Manuscript Collection.

Acknowledgement

We thank Mrs. Patricia D. Moran for her generous donation of her husband’s logbooks.

Topic
Document Type
  • Manuscript
Wars & Conflicts
  • World War II 1939-1945
File Formats
  • Image (gif, jpg, tiff)
Location of Archival Materials

Lieutenant John J. Moran, USNR

World War II Armed Guard Logbook

Scope and Content: Lieutenant Moran’s logbook is in two volumes. The first volume begins with a record of Moran’s service as Armed Guard Commander on board S.S. Albert G. Brown from 11 March 1944 through 4 June 1944. The remainder of Volume I and the entirety of Volume II detail Moran’s service as Armed Guard Commander on board S.S. John Holmes from 6 July 1944 through 8 February 1945. Both Albert G. Brown and John Holmes were Liberty Ships, American merchant ships that were protected by US Navy Armed Guard detachments. Gun crews on board these ships normally numbered between twelve and twenty-seven men, while the majority of the crew consisted of civilian merchant seamen.

Log for S.S. Albert G. Brown, 11–15 March 1944. Transcription below.

Transcription of Log for S.S. Albert G. Brown, 11–15 March 1944:

S.S. Albert G. Brown

Type: Liberty Tanker

Built: Delta Ship-Building Co, New Orleans, 1943

Speed: 11 knots

Gross tons: 7218

Reg. [registered] length: 423 ft. (between perpendiculars)

Overall length: 441 ft.

Beam: 57 ft.

Draft: 28 ft.

Engines: Triple expansion, steam, reciprocating.

Owner: U.S. Maritime Comm.

Operators: Am. Trading and Production Co. 420 Lex Ave, NYC.

Deadweight tons: 10,800 (long tons of 2240 lbs)

Armament: (1) 5”/38 AFT

(1) 3”/50 FWD

(8) 20 mm

Misc. small arms

3/11/44

1345. Relieved John H. Luck, Ensign USNR as A.G.C. 2 Radiomen removed I. English replaced by [illegible].

1430. Moved from Valvoline dock, Edgewater, N.J. to Anchorage 23 off Pier 24, Staten Island, N.Y.

3/12

0900. Attending sailing conferences, Port Director’s Office, N.Y.

2100. Shadduck, R, S 1/C [Seaman First Class], Bell, A, S 1/C, and Coates, C S 1/C detached pursuant to order of P.D., N.Y. Replaced by Keller, A.A, S 1/C, Oswald, Francis, J. S 1/C and Steinert, Ernest W. S 1/C.

3/13

0800. Sea Watches

1015 Weighed anchor and proceeded out of N.Y. Harbor to join convoy being formed in Sea Calm.

1300. Magazine Temp: Forward 54°–34°

Aft: Port 56°–49°

Stbd: 66°–55°

3/14

Heavy seas. Water over the bow.

1000. Magazine Temp: Forward: 60°–33°

Aft: Port: 60°–59°

Stbd. 65°–63°

3/15

Sea Calm.

Log for S.S. Albert G. Brown, 22–29 March 1944. Transcription below.

Transcription of Log for S.S. Albert G. Brown, 22–29 March 1944:

1000. and made secure. Mag.

Tempo: Aft (P) 65°–68°  Stbd 72°–73°

Fwrd 40°–65°

1200. Wind and sea subsided somewhat. (Fulford, C, GM 3C [Gunner’s Mate Third Class] confined to bed with fever and cold.)

1700. Sea Calm.

3/23

1000. Mag. Temp: Fwrd: Stbd 72–74; Port 68–69

Aft 65°–55°

1015. Large oil slick on port. Believed from ship in convoy pumping bilges

1435. Permission granted by Convoy Commodore to engage in A. A. target practice. Expended eight 20 mm magazines (475 rounds) using guns #3, #5, #7.

3/24

1000 Mag. Temp: Fwrd–Stbd 74–73

Port 68°: Aft 65°–70°

1230. Advised by Convoy Commodore that enemy sub was reported in vicinity.

1310. Large oil slick on port. Believed from ship in convoy pumping bilge.

1400. Slight rain. Sea calm.

3/25

1000. Mag. Temp: Fwrd 69°–58°; Aft.

Port: 65°–66°, Stbd 70°–73°

1200 Rain, Sea fairly calm

3/26

1000 Mag Temp: Fwrd 69°–53°; aft

Stbd 70°–75°; Port 65°–70°

1200. Sea calm. Weather clear.

3/27

0900. Gun drills

1000. Mag. Temp: Fwrd: 53–69

Aft: Port: 69–70

Stbd: 74–74

1200. Sea calm. Weather clear

1855 Escort dropped depth charges approximately 2000 yds off port bow. [In margin: 55° 41N 8° 24W] Sounded General Quarters. Escorts continued to drop depth charges till 1825.

2030. Secured from General Quarters. Set Condition II.

0545. Set Cond. I

3/28

0630 Secured from  Cond I. Set Condition III

1000. Mag Temp: FWD: 50°–71°. Aft: Stbd. 72–75; Port: 67–70°

1200. Heavy fog. Lost rest of convoy.

3/29

1000 Mag. Temp: Aft: Port: 65–68; Stbd.

Log for S.S. John Holmes, 6–7 July 1944. Transcription below.

Transcription of Log for S.S. John Holmes, 6–7 July 1944:

Gross tons: 7176

Net tons: 4380

Overall length: 441 ft.

Length between perpendiculars: 423 ft.

[“Registered Length” is crossed off.]

Built: Portland, Maine 1943

Owner: U.S. Maritime Comm.

Operator: A.L. Burbank Co Ltd

11 Battery Pl

N.Y.C.

Speed: 11 knots

Beam: 57 ft.

Draft: 28 ft.

Engines: Triple expansion steam reciprocating

Type: Liberty. (EC-2)

Deadweight tons: 10,800 (long tons)

Call: KIBB

Armament: 1 3”/50 Fwd: 1 3”/50 aft

8 20 mm; small arms

Masters: Frank R. Richelson (7/5/44 to 1/30/45)

Walter J. Kirk (1/30/45 to detatchment)

Rough Log: S.S. John Holmes

6 July 1944

1315. Ensign Jess Feick relieved as Armed Guard Commander by Lt. John Moran. Following men reported aboard with Lt. Moran.

Oszeprinski, Ed. Frank; Cox.

Easter, Otis Allen; GM 3/C

[illegible], Tom Ellis; S 1/C

Borges, Arthur Souza, S 1/C

Burke, William Francis, S 1/C

Hydach, Stanley Mathew, S 1/C

Nevel, Fenton La Rue, S 1/C

Stiles, Milton Joel, S 1/C

Tracey, Francis Xavier, S 1/C

1700. Visited Port Director’s Office on official business.

Log for S.S. John Holmes, 25–26 July 1944. Transcription below.

Transcription of Log for S.S. John Holmes, 25–26 July 1944:

1945. Cond. I

2045. Cond. III

7/26

Routine Day

Fwd:

0430. Cond. I

0530. Cond III

1230. Exhaust motor for aft magazine sparking and finally ceased operating. This motor installed recently while ship was in Philadelphia. Engineering Dept. examined motor and repaired same.

1740. General Quarters. Escort began throwing smoke screen around convoy which was signal that practice air raid was to be made by carrier based planes. All guns manned during attack. Ships in Convoy made smoke thru funnels which appeared to be more effective than smoke screen of escort. Only three planes sighted none of which came within range of this vessel. Signals for emergency turns were not transmitted to port section of convoy with the result that only one ship was observed making an emergency 45° turn to port.

1910. Resumed Cond. III. Men went below to finish eating.

1945. Cond. I

2030. Cond III

2100. On request of Captain Rickelson, who believed keys lost by steward were in possession of one of gun crew, made inquiries of Armed Guards. Simeone, N. S 1/C reported that he had borrowed key from Liturity, E. GM 3/C to open ice-box several evenings ago. Liturity stated that former steward had kiven him a lock and key [next page] similar to one on ice-box. This lock now on Liturity sea log. Inquiry determined that lost keys were not in possession of Gun Crew. Captain so informed.

Use and Reproduction Policy: Manuscripts are unavailable for loan and must be consulted in the library. Photocopying of manuscripts is generally prohibited, though the use of digital cameras by researchers to reproduce non-copyrighted materials is permitted.

Published: Fri Jul 20 09:59:35 EDT 2018