At the start of the Normandy Invasion aboard the YMS-346, Signalman Neal Smith kept a day-to-day, hour-to-hour diary, written in pencil in a 3 by 5 inch notebook, which he kept in a waterproof bag on a cord around his neck. The diary covers the period of time from June 5th until September 8, 1944. Inside the front cover was written: If found, send this book to W.H. Smith 35 Garrison Street Portland 4, Maine USA.
A previous blog post A Call to Action and an Action Report, featured an official US Navy Action Report for the YMS-346 for the period of June 1st through July 14, 1944. It truly pales in comparison to capture the chilling details that can be found in the diary. This post will highlight a few select entries from June 5th (D-Day - 1) and June 6th (D-Day) as a preview, with a link to the entire typed transcript at the end. It will also direct you to specific pages of detailed first hand accounts of events that occurred that were the subject of previous blog posts. The photograph of the diary and the transcript were provided by Neal Smith's daughter, Kim. Common initialisms used in the diary are Landing Craft Infantry (LCI), Landing Ship, Tank (LST), Landing Craft, Tank (LCT), and Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP).
Normandy Invasion 1944 Aboard USN Minesweeper YMS-346
D-Day - 1
1500 hours, June 5th, Well, here we go ! We've just left Plymouth harbor - 2 cruisers (1 U.S. & 1 Limey). Plenty of Limey Corvettes around, LCI's, a couple of dozen at least, and 30 LST's -- we're heading East, sky is overcast, sea fairly calm. Our radio is playing "We Don't Know Where We're Going Until We're There" very appropriate I think. All LCI's and LCT's are crammed with dogfaces, and I wouldn't swap with any of them. This is the long awaited invasion! Lady Luck stick with me ! Strange we haven't heard any heavy bombardment yet. Perhaps its still too far away...
1830 hours, Dartmouth abeam to port. More LCI's joining us, making at least 50 in this bunch. With 200 men per ship that makes 10,000 soldiers here with us --and they expect 50% casualties they say. That means 5000 of these guys are just shit-out-of-luck ! Besides the LCI's there are three of us YMS's and one Limey can. Guess we'll be underway all night tonight. Should see some E-boats unless the Jerries are much stupider than I think. One LCI just broke out the "Breakdown Flag" ! Too bad if they miss the SHOW!! Yeah ! Damn 'em ! They are waving and grinning as we steam past...
2300 hours, Starshells and flak way off on our starboard bow, in direction of Cherbourg. We are heading for Bay de la Seine !!!
D-Day
1800 hours, June 6th, This is the first time I've had to spare all day. Right now we are sweeping for mines about a mile and a half out from the beach, a nice sandy crescent beach. To seaward of us are 6 or 8 battlships and cruisers. Their broadsides belch forth every few minutes. Closer landward are numerous destroyers shelling a few miles behind the beach. The beach itself is fairly littered with LCI's and LCT's discharging tanks, trucks, jeeps, and soldiers. On the horizon beyond the battlewagons are 30 or 40 LST's. The water is too shallow for them to get close enough to drop their leads directly on the beach, so Rhino Ferries are used to get their cargoes ashore.
These and a countless number of LCIs, LCT's, Flak boats, LCVPs, MLs are coming and going past us as we steam up and down at about 7 knots, parallel to the shore. We are getting a fine view. Overhead is our air coverage - Lightnings and Spitfires tearing back and forth looking for trouble. We can see smoke and the red burst of shells all along the coast.
We've just passed a sunken can. Her bridge, stacks, and a number 2 mount stick out of the water. A few minutes ago I saw a tank on the shore blow up - a direct hit I guess. The noise ??? ---a steady boom ! Bang ! Kaboom ! ! as small, medium, and heavy guns let go. There are several LCT's sunk - parts of their superstructure are above water. We saw an airplane in flames this afternoon.
If one watches closely with binoculars we can see where the shells from the destroyers are landing. They seem to be mopping up various sections. So far I can't say that I have seen one shot fired by the enemy. A big puff of smoke appears here and there along the shore now and then, so I guess they are firing back at us. It's been rather cloudy all day with the sun breaking through every now and then.
Strange, but I'm not scared - its too much like seeing it on the newsreel. After a few Jerry planes strafe us I'll probably feel different. We haven't seen a sign of a German aircraft yet. I really expected this invasion to be a rather terrifying spectacle. It's a little disappointing after all the WORRYING I've been doing ! ...
2000 hours This section of the shoreline where the landing is taking place runs nearly East-West; the distance across the whole U-shaped bay is about 26 miles. We have just completed a West to East sweep. Now with the other 6 boats of YMS Squadron 2, with whom we have been working all along, we are starting an East to West sweep about 3/4 mile off the beach. Behind us at the eastern end of the bay there are big things cooking - battleships and cruisers are in close to the shore battering Hell out of the countryside with the salvos. The shoreline is barely visible through the smoke. Innumerable amphibious craft are scattered along the beach, a couple of them are on fire....
2108 hours Just sighted more glider troops coming across the channel escorted by fighters overhead. BBs at east end of beach are still firing broadsides. Big things doing all right ! Hope I can tell my grandchildren about it ! ...
Signalman Neal Smith did live to tell his grandchildren about it. I am so grateful to his daughter for sharing his diary with the rest of us. I am honored to have the opportunity, through this site, to share what is not only his personal story but the story of every crew member he served with on the YMS-346.
A link for the entire typewritten transcript of the diary (29 pages plus a Muster Roll) can be found in the link below. The transcript was typed on a manual typewriter by Neal Smith October 20, 1998.
Below are links to previous blog posts and the pages from the diary that appear to correspond to those specific events.
USS Corry DD-463 - June 6th (page 2)
We've just passed a sunken can. Her bridge, stacks, and number 2 mount stick out of the water. A few minutes ago...
USS Tide AM-125 - June 7th ( pages 3-4)
Just got some dope from Putt - signalman in YMS Squadron 1 - his Squadron got 30 mines and saw an AM sweep blown to pieces by a mine. Maybe this isnt such a soft job after all !
YMS-350 - July 2nd (pages 16 - 19)
This does something to a man's insides. There are good men dead now --- fellows we've been ashore on liberty with. This is the first casualty to our squadron of 7 minesweepers, and it's mighty grim !
YMS-304 - July 31st ( page 24)
Well yesterday YMS304 blew up two mines under herself and sank in 9 seconds while sweeping ...
It would be impossible to properly summarize all the details from the diary in a blog format. One would need to read it in its entirety to truly understand and appreciate what the crew of the YMS-346 and other ships on that same mission went through. Although the Normandy Invasion took place 80 years ago, having this opportunity, in the present time, to document the loss and honor the sacrifices of these true American heroes is an honor.
I'll close this post with an entry from the last page of Signalman Neal Smith's diary written on September 8, 1944 inside Cherbourg Harbor.
We can see apple orchards, little farms, cows -- Damn but it looks good. There are 5 or 6 amphibious tractors running around up in this bay with Dogfaces in them. They grin and wave to us and circle around us as we turn to sweep back out of the bay again. There are lots of shattered pillboxes and forts - no mines evident yet. I think again we may be the first American vessel to come in here - guess this whole area is in our hands. Noone has fired at us, always a good sign.
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