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SECRET
A-831
October 5. 1943.
Algiers, Tuesday, October 5. 1943 -- The last time I dictated for the
diary was September 25 at Amilcar. On less than a half hour's notice I was
aboard a plane with Beetle en route to Algiers to be Ike's representative to
meet the Secretary of the Navy, Colonel Knox. He arrived in Algiers Monday morn-
ing and was the house guest of Admiral Hall. I attended dinner there that evening
and the next evening accompanied the Secretary and his party aboard H.M.S. Euryalius
for Bizerte. Unfavorable weather for flying meant taking to the cruiser which the
Secretary regarded with a somewhat skeptical eye, because while on a recent trip
to Scapa Flow he had become violently seasick. The Mediterranean was still rol-
ling from a heavy storm.
We changed from the cruiser to the Secretary's C-47 at Bizerte, flew to
Palermo where the party was met by Admiral Hewitt whose command ship, the Ancon,
was in the harbor, and by General Patton. We proceeded that evening to the Gulf
of Salerno, Admiral Hewitt, the Secretary and his aide, Captain "Pop* Perry aboard
the U.S.S. Nicholson, and Captains Leland Lovette, von Heimburg of Admiral Hall's
staff, and I, aboard the U.S.S. Mayo.
Both the destroyers had been recalled from Salerno where they had aided
in the landings and since had been on escort and patrol duty. The Mayo had "smelled"
a sub en route to Palermo and had dropped all its depth charges but had no proof of
mine sweeper
a kill. However, an American destroyer, the Skill, had been torpedoed and sunk in
Salerno Bay the previous day. Not a very healthy place to take the Secretary.
The Secretary's party went ashore at Salerno where we were met by General
Wayne Clark who took us to his 5th Army Headquarters and for a visit to Battipaglio
where the Secretary could see the effect of naval gunfire as well as of bombings.
The town was well beaten up. Later the Secretary told me his only regret was that
General Clark had not taken him closer to the front. The X Corps had just broken
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