Eureka! the Boats That Helped Win World War II
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EUREKA!The Boats That Helped Win World War II by Erin Levens Cundiff IN THE EERIE glow of a foggy craft, which had no roof and looked a bit morning, just before dawn on June 6, 1944, like an open shoebox, rolled up and down in thirty American soldiers stood huddled the choppy waters of the English Channel. together in a rectangular plywood boat. Cold The men had just eaten breakfast and many spray splashed the men’s faces as the small began to feel seasick. Others hunkered down Soldiers hunker down on D-Day as they head for the Normandy beaches in a Higgins boat. 16 under their netted metal helmets, trying to keep calm as they waited for first light to Seaport London accomplish their mission. ENGLAND Landing beach The number painted on the side of the boat was PA26-24. That meant it was Calais twenty-fourth of the small landing crafts lowered into the water that morning by the English Channel USS Samuel Chase (APA26), a huge attack Cherbourg transport ship anchored eleven miles offshore. Utah Omaha PA26-24 was one of 839 Higgins boats filled FRANCE with young soldiers who would soon storm Gold Juno Sword the beaches of Normandy, France. World Paris War II was in its fifth year, and people all over the world wondered if it would ever end. More than 5,000 Allied boats and ships waited in the water with PA26-24. The could giant warships with hulls that drafted Allied mission was to liberate France from Nazi deep under the water get nearer than a few Germany. It was a day of hope and terror that miles to a shallow beach? came to be known as D-Day. What the Allies needed was a boat that The plan had taken years to form. could ferry men and supplies from large ships Germany had defeated France in 1940, and anchored safely out at sea onto a beach. A boat since then had built up massive defenses along that heavily armed troops could exit quickly the French coast. As early as 1941, the Allies— without climbing clumsily over the sides, Britain, the United States, and Canada—knew becoming easy targets for the Germans. A they somehow had to penetrate Germany’s nimble boat that could run up to within a few coastal defenses in order to land a large army yards of a beach, disgorge the troops it carried to retake occupied France and march to in seconds, then reverse and turn back quickly Germany. All the deepwater seaports, such as into the rough surf before a wave capsized it. Calais and Cherbourg, were heavily defended. They needed a Higgins boat, and within a few The Allies’ big warships and transports would years, over 20,000 would be ready for service. be blown to pieces if they attempted to anchor Andrew Jackson Higgins was born on at those ports. But if the ships could not use August 28, 1886, in Columbus, Nebraska. He the ports, could they put troops and artil- was the youngest of ten children. His father, lery ashore on the beaches between the ports? John, was a lawyer, judge, and newspaper Although the beaches were less protected, how editor. John Higgins died when Andrew was HELMETS HAD NETTING SO SOLDIERS COULD HERE, DRAFTED MEANS HOW FAR DOWN A SHIP SINKS STICK IN LEAVES AND TWIGS FOR CAMOUFLAGE. INTO THE WATER WHILE AFLOAT. text © 2019 by Erin Levens Cundiff 17 seven. Soon after, in 1893, Andrew’s mother miles an hour in his homemade vessel, named moved the family to Omaha, Nebraska. A after his mother, Annie Long O’Connor strong and determined woman, Mrs. Higgins Higgins. When Andrew had an idea, he never read widely in history, science, and litera- sat still and wondered, “Is this even possible?” ture and taught her children what she knew. Instead, he jumped up and asked, “What will I Andrew had a big imagination and loved need to do first?” Then he set to work. reading, but he did not like attending school. After high school Andrew joined the More than once, neighbors saw Mrs. Higgins Nebraska National Guard. During a training marching Andrew down the street and back exercise, Andrew’s regiment had to cross the to school. Andrew was restless and full of Platte River on a temporary bridge supported ideas. He wanted to be out in the world work- by a series of pontoons—wooden floats that ing on a project. He loved learning by doing. were like shallow boats. It was Andrew’s first One day, Andrew and his friends spent all experience with an amphibious operation— morning scavenging timbers and jacks from one that took place both on land and on a local junkyard. He told his friends that he water. Andrew became fascinated with what needed the equipment to knock down and boats could do based on their design and, rebuild a section of the basement wall of his inspired by his mother’s example, read dozens house. of books on military history and strategy. “We’re twelve years old, Andrew,” his At age twenty, Andrew left Nebraska friend said. “We can’t knock out a wall of and moved to Alabama, where he bought a your house!” farm and an adjoining wooded area. “I came “I need to,” Andrew explained. “My South because I loved boats and forestry,” new boat is in the basement, and it won’t fit he later said. He took a course on modern through the door or windows.” farming at Auburn University and started up “You built another one?” his own sawmill. He bought an old boat to “Of course, I did,” said Andrew. “The transport his products and to buy wood from first one was too slow. This one’s going to sail other areas. One day on a trip to Mobile, on ice.” Alabama, Andrew met Angele Leona Colsson. By the time Mrs. Higgins returned from They married in 1908 and would eventually town that winter day in 1898, Andrew was have six children. Two years later, Angele sailing his iceboat, the Annie O’, across the fro- and Andrew moved to New Orleans, where zen expanse of nearby Cutoff Lake. If his mom Andrew opened his own business, the A. J. noticed the wet mortar between the bricks of Higgins Lumber and Export Company. her new basement wall, Andrew never knew. In Mississippi Andrew bought more tim- He was too busy reaching a speed of sixty berland. The land came cheap because the JACKS ARE DEVICES USED TO PROP UP HEAVY OBJECTS. 18 YAY! I LOVE AN PUTTERING AROUND IN ENGINEERING PROBLEM. BOATS IS GOOD, TOO. trees were in a swampy area that most people To reinforce the bow further, holes were drilled considered too difficult to log. The main in it and plugged with wooden pegs that had problem was that boats powerful enough to been dipped in marine glue. drag the cut logs out of the swamp could not The strong, rounded bow helped the boat operate in such shallow water. speed up onto riverbanks and over floating Instead of giving up, Andrew built a boat obstacles. Just as in his previous shallow-draft based on a design used in Holland for trav- boats, the Wonderboat’s propeller was housed eling on the shallow waterways behind the in a tunnel, and aerated water still slowed it dikes. The propeller on this boat was tucked down. But with Higgins’s new design, aerated up under the hull inside a tunnel, instead of water was trapped under the front section of hanging down low at the back of the boat. the boat, allowing it to achieve faster speeds Unfortunately, Andrew ran into some prob- than before. The aerated water under the lems. Air became trapped in the propeller’s front also gave the boat the capability of turn- tunnel. This caused the boat to lose power ing quickly and sharply, as though it were because a propeller turning in aerated water floating on a cushion of air. Andrew was cannot generate as much power as a propeller proud of the Wonderboat, but he was still turning in “solid” water. Frustrated, and fas- frustrated by the problem of the propeller los- cinated, by the problem, Andrew enrolled in a ing power in the partly submerged tunnel. correspondence course on naval architecture. One day in the Higgins factory something He was determined to find a solution. went wrong with the machinery. Part of the Over the next few years, Andrew turned the mold used for shaping the hulls of Wonderboats focus of his business to the manufacture and sale was pulled loose, and the resulting boat had an of boats. In 1930, he opened Higgins Industries odd shape. Instead of the V of the hull point- on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans. Many ing down into the water, this boat’s hull seemed of his customers were trappers and oil com- inside out and the V pointed up. panies needing boats that could move fast in “How could this happen?” Andrew shallow water while also running smoothly over thundered. But he insisted that the workers obstacles, such as fallen trees, tangled vines, and complete the strange boat anyway. Something sand bars. The boats had to be sturdy enough to about this new shape intrigued him. When the carry workers and heavy equipment. boat was finished, the workers nervously low- One of the boats Andrew designed dur- ered it into the water. They were soon speeding ing this time was the Wonderboat.