Classification: TP-249
Type: Two-masted steel schooner (Goldstar Member – Army Communications Ship)
LOA: 111’6″ / 33.99m – LWL: 81’6” / 24.84m – Beam: 22’6″ / 6.86m – Draft: 14’9″ / 4.50m – Displacement: 90 tons light, 122 tons gross – Ballast: – Original Owner: George L. Craig Trust – Former name(s) Lanikai II – Year Launched: 1934 – Designed by: George L. Craig – Built by: Craig Shipbuilding Company in Long Beach, California – Contract cost: $120,000. – Hull Material: Steel – Status: Undergoing restoration in the Philippines in the year 2000
Historical:
Geoanna was a steel auxiliary schooner built in 1934 by Craig Shipbuilding Company in Long Beach, California. Geoanna was requisitioned during World War II for service briefly with the U.S. Navy before transfer to the U.S. Army for Southwest Pacific operation for the duration.
When requisitioned the yacht was the property of the Seven-Up Bottling Co. of Los Angeles. The company had bought the vessel from the original owner in 1938 for $60,000 and made some updates at additional cost before requisition. Geoanna was requisitioned 1 February 1942 for war service by the United States Maritime Commission. The War Shipping Administration had set a just value of $20,000, of which $15,000 was paid
U.S. Army WWII service
On 1 February 1942 the vessel was acquired by the U.S. Navy from the Maritime Commission and placed in service 19 February 1942 as the unclassified miscellaneous vessel Geoanna (IX-61). Geoanna was never commissioned and thus never bore the USS designation. The vessel was assigned to the 11th Naval District performing miscellaneous duties for Port Director, San Pedro, California. On 2 July 1943 Geoanna was turned over to the United States Coast Guard for service as a Coast Guard operational training ship until being redelivered to the Maritime Commission by the Navy 28 August 1943.
The U.S. Army acquired Geoanna on 3 September 1943 for service in the Southwest Pacific Area. That command modified the vessel as a communications ship for use by the Signal Corps. On 12 December 1943 the ship became part of the Army operated radio communication fleet joining the other sailing ships Volador and the previously operating, Australian registered vessels, Harold and Argosy Lamal. A crew of mixed Army, Navy and Australian civilian personnel operated these predecessors of the CP, or Command Post, ships in the Port Moresby, Woodlark and Laee-Salamau areas. Geoanna was given the Army designation of TP-249. The ship served as a communications relay during operations of the Western New Guinea campaign into the Moluccas through landings at Tacloban in the Philippines.
The following was written by Gerard Viracola Sr., who served on the Geoanna during World War II. He wrote this description on February 8, 2003 after discovering the picture of his old ship on Aboutww2.Com.
“I landed on Milne Bay, New Guinea on August 13, 1944. I was then sent to MacArthur’s headquarters as a high speed operator.”
“Due to the diseases prevalent in New Guinea such as scrub typhus, dengue fever, malaria, etc. I had a chance to volunteer for sea duty. From high up on a mountain in Hollandia I could see the ship to which I would be assigned – the TP 249.”
“Our first voyage out to sea we met with challenges from our own PBY flying boats who thought we were Japanese. They would transmit from their low flying plane “O – E,” meaning, respond with the code of the day or I’m releasing a depth charge. What a relief when the pilot would wave good-bye. Our ship was about 15 ft wide and 120 ft long. We had a crew of 18 men, twin .50 calibre guns on the bough, on the port and starboard sides and a 20 mm gun on the fantail.”
“The heavy equipment installed midships was an AT20 transmitter. Below deck were the quarters for the 18 men and the captain, plus a dozen receivers. This weighed down the ship so that the portholes were partially below the waterline.”
“Our first destination was the Molluccas (Dutch) or Spice Islands. We docked near the airport and were in constant contact with Hollandia. The name of our island was Morotai. There were other ships in the harbor. Nearly every night the Japanese would bomb the airport on Morotai. Our Black Widow planes would engage their Betty Bombers.”
“We would use our 20 mm anti-aircraft gun during the day against low flying Zeros. Our ship would be sent to remote islands being attacked by our troops. Ground forces would be in constant contact with our ship by use of key and the morse code. I would then encode the message, then send it to Hollandia (2,000 miles away) by high speed “bug.” The Geoanna was perfect for such an arrangement since one mast was used as a transmitter and the other as a receiver. The Geoanna performed brilliantly.”
“The worst part of the operation was my turn to get into the crow’s nest. When the ship rocked from side to side it seemed as though that small hull below would never get me straight up again.”
Post War
After the war, the Geoanna was transferred to civilian ownership and operated as a company boat for the Luzon Stevedoring Company from 1947 to 1977.
Provenance (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Crew & Notable Guest):
Owner: (1934-1938) George L. Craig Trust
Owner: (1938) – 7-Up Bottling Company, Donald K. Washburn president
Owner: (1942) Transferred to US Navy: Feb-01-1942
Turned over to the US Coast Guard, 2 July 1943
Transferred to Army: Sep-03-1943
Owner: (July 2,1943 – August 28, 1943) United States Coast Guard, service as a Coast Guard operational training ship until being redelivered to the Maritime Commission by the Navy 28 August 1943.
Owner: (September 3, 1943) US Army, service in the Southwest Pacific Area. That command modified the vessel as a communications ship for use by the Army Signal Corps. On 12 December 1943 the ship became part of the Army operated radio communication fleet joining the other sailing ships Volador and the previously operating, Australian registered vessels, Harold and Argosy Lamal. A crew of mixed Army, Navy and Australian civilian personnel operated these predecessors of the CP, or Command Post, ships in the Port Moresby, Woodlark and Laee-Salamau areas. Geoanna was given the Army designation of TP-249. The ship served as a communications relay during operations of the Western New Guinea campaign into the Moluccas through landings at Tacloban in the Philippines.
Edward M. Grimm
Resources
Photo courtesy of the Lt. Col. O. H. Davidsmeyer collection.
NavSource Online
Wikipedia