MESSAGE RECEIVED BY THE USS HARRY LEE CONCERNING PROCEDURES FOR
TRAINING EXERCISES IN THE CHESAPEAKE BAY

Below are images sent to us by Dwayne Bartley (son of shipmate Charles W. Bartley) of a message received aboard the USS Harry Lee on January 15, 1943. Dwayne's research shows the following:

The message is from COMTRANSAMPHFORLANT, which would seem to be the acronym for Commander, Transport and Amphibious Forces, Atlantic Fleet. A quick search of the Nat'l Archives website yielded no information on this command. I assume that this officer was a subordinate of the Commander Amphibious Forces, Atlantic Fleet (which is noted on the Nat'l Archives site).

The message contains instructions for security measures to be taken while operating in the Chesapeake Bay. Although this copy was from the Harry Lee, one image confirms that the message was also sent to several other ships, including the Calvert, Leonard Wood, Monrovia and Procyon. Based on the date, this would be after the Calvert, Leonard Wood and Procyon returned from North Africa and the amphibious force was beginning to train for the upcoming Sicily invasion.

It's interesting that such measures were considered necessary to defend against possible submarine attack in the relatively protected waters of the Chesapeake. Imagine a U-boat skipper being able to sink a transport or two there!