Updated 06/11/2008
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    We must remember that the Marshall-Gilbert Campaign was in the earliest beginning of the war, and there  was not a lot of body to it as far as the St. Louis was concerned.  About all we have are a few remembrances of happenings.  One little incident submitted by Doug Huggins remembers the short cutting of the Equator Initiation as normally carried out by ships crossing. 

Quote!
    Did anyone of the early ships crew remember about the initiating of "Poly-Wogs" and their subsequent raising to "Shellbacks" while we were enroute to the Marshal-Gilberts attack ?  

    This occurred WITHOUT  and "hazing" or actual "initiation"   ///   It was announced over the PA system that since we were going into enemy territory and very likely to meet some resistance, that by doing the regular initiation it might endanger the ship and crew, if a large induction into the 'Shellbacks" were to be undertaken, so all "Polly-Wogs would be welcomed into the society and NOT be initiated and the fact would be entered in the newly made "Royal Shellback's personal record  so they would not be subjected to an initiation at a later date or on another vessel.

    Later in the War, I on several occasions, served as the Royal Barber, and also the operator of a "megger" ( a small instrument,   used by turning a handle and generating a relative hot "shot of electricity"  (but with a very low current capacity) to a lowly Polly-Wog kneeling

g on a wet steel deck while holding his hands on also a very wet low steel table, giving him the shock of his life. 

EXPLANATION:   The "Megger" was normally used for testing circuits for grounds on the circuits.

Next time I write I will tell you about a good sea story about the finest haircut I ever administered to an officer on a  YMS mine sweeper as we crossed the Equator !

Doug Huggins, E division,  1941-42 - USS St. Louis  CL-49

The following memory was really about the "Saipan-Tinian" operation, not fitting into the Marshall-Gilbert story.

    During the Saipan-Tinian operation we withdrew and operated to the east of the islands. One dark night I was on watch in the forward Mk, 37 director. The group made radar contact on a small target off the starboard bow. Two destroyers were ordered to investigate. As they headed towards the target the two skippers had an interesting TBS conversation: "OK this one is mine I'm going in!" "The hell. you are". I have numbers on you. Get your ass out of here and stand by "Damn you, this is no place to pull rank on me". The conversation ended there when a searchlight went on and illuminated a submarine on the surface. A shower of 40mm. tracers and five inch shells showered the sub, passing through her and bounding into the darkness. The bow rose vertically out of the water and then silently slid stern first straight down. This was the incident described by Pete Reeve in the last HB.

    Those standing bridge watches during the Saipan operation can never forget Admiral Kelly Turner's night instructions to his amphibious force units the night of the landings. From sunset to sunrise the air was flooded with a steady stream of forceful, colorful, and often vulgar language describing the genealogy and mental ability of the amphibious force units. I was thankful that his tirade was not directed to us. Maybe he was trying to scare the Japs.... he was scaring everyone else.