Admiral W S Benson (AP 120) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 33 text:

CROSSING THE EQUATOR By K. A. SPAULDINS, QMS C JLSLSLSLSULSUULSlJLSLSJiJULSLSLSLSLSiSLSLSU innririnr Tnreirsirins-iririrsinrinr The Greeks, as usual had a word for it. To the ancient salts who girded themselves to sail around the Mediterranean the water just outside the Strait of Gibraltar was a river encircling a disc-shaped earth, an ominous sea ruled by the dread Oceanus. To this fearful deity the sailors of ancient Greece made costly sacrifices, but it was not until Roman times that any- one dared sail the waters beyond the Pillars of hHercules. And even the Romans paid tribute to the god — now named Neptune — who ruled the grey Atlantic. During the centuries that followed, the abode of Neptune was shifted from the Strait of Gibraltar to the Equator, although he retained the old Greek symbols of fish spear, dolphin, and sea horses. Why the change was made is a mystery, but for several hundred years seamen have been forced to pay tribute to Neptunus Rex on first crossing the Line. In modern times the ceremony consists of gathering the Pollywogs and bringing them one at a time before the Royal Court. Neptunus Rex and attendants then try the neophytes for crimes committed against the King, the Court, and the Royal Domain, and test their worthi- ness to consort with citizens of the Deep. After they have been clubbed, shocked, soaked, and frightened for an appropriate period of time the Pollywogs are tossed into a saltwater bath to determine whether they are still alive. Those who sink are dredged up and tossed over the side. But those who float are skimmed off and proclaimed fit company for dolphins, mermaids, eels, and all other denizens of the Mighty Deep. In other words, they are Shellbacks. Having satisfied themselves that all remaining aboard are worthy citizens of the Royal Domain, Neptunus Rex and Court then depart by way of the hawse pipe to await the next shipful of unfortunates. The ocean boils no more, and the vessel slides smoothly through blue water with only her bloody decks to mark her as Neptune ' s own. Vale, Neptunus Rex! 25

Page 32 text:

and gave us a chill to know that this was what our homes would have been if they had been sub- jected to the horrors ot invasion. Almost a week was spent here, unloading, then reloading soldiers and sailors for transporta- tion to the States. Finally we got underway for San Francisco, retracing our course through Surigao straits to Homonhom, where we joined a convoy to Ulithi, and from there on our own again. The morning of 14 September dawned clear of the usual dense fog, and the Golden Gate bridge loomed into view ahead. Our passengers had been eagerly searching for this famous landmark since before daylight, and many of them were crying unashamedly. Before noon, we were safely moored at Pier 15, and discharging our load. Then, liberty in Frisco! We had been looking forward to this for almost 70 days. TRIP NO. 5 On 28th September we started on our fifth trip. This time we were loaded entirely with sailors bound for the Receiving Ship at Okinawa to relieve high point men due for discharge. We sailed the Great Circle route to the north and soon ran into nasty weather which per- sisted a day beyond the 180th meridian. As we proceeded down the southern arc of the circle, a new menace threatened us -- a monstrous typhoon, forming near Saipan and headed in a northerly direction, certain to bisect our path. Close tabs by radio was kept on this storm which developed a contrary attitude and constantly changed course, causing us to do the same in a sort of a game of tag played on a grand scale. Meanwhile, our course took us through the islands of Haha Jima and Chichi Jima in the Bonin Group, and Iwo Jima, with its famous Suribachi Hill which inspired the theme picture for the 7th War Loan Drive. Some of these islands were sheer cones rising from the sea like aquatic Fujiyamas and were active volcanoes as recent as 1919. At Iwo Jima we learned that our typhoon had changed course again, and instead of head- ing for China as indicated in the last report, was now blowing straight for Okinawa! We had nothing to fear from it now, as it was ahead of us, so we rode its tail into Buckner Bay, Okm- awa, arriving there two days behind it. Words cannot aptly describe the devastation we found there. The destructive force of a wind of 140 knots is hard to conceive, but it simply flattened everything, damaging or de- stroying 82 ships. Instead of being able to unload, we had to play Good Samaritan and take aboard over a hundred survivors off some of the reefbound ships, and since no quarters were available now ashore, we could not unload, and were stuck with over 4600 sailors, which no- body seemed to want! For eleven days we swung at anchor there, in the course of which we were able to debark some 800 SeaBees, then were ordered to Japan to dispose of the rest. We did not relish this new assignment, for we were advised that the waters adjacent to Kyushu, Shikoku and Honshu had been heavily mined by our B29 ' s, along with all ports on the Inland Sea, and con- stituted a grave hazard to all shipping. So, with orders to passengers to wear life belts at all times, and training them constantly In abandon ship procedure, we proceeded to Sasebo, one of the major cities on the Island of Kyushu. Our first glimpse of Japan while approaching Sasebo was a fascinating one. The country is extremely mountainous. The lower hills are precipitous; dropping abruptly into the sea. Dot- ting these hills are picture-book farm houses and villages, and the mountainous terrain is made to produce by a series of terraces, each so painstakingly built and reinforced with stone, as to appear In the distance like many carefully tended formal gardens. Sasebo is situated on a completely landlocked bay, and was one of Japan ' s most Important naval bases. The base and the adjacent city now exists only in the Imagination, for a good three-fourths of it lies in complete ruin. Here was our frst contact with the Japs, and we found them to be docile and resigned, and seemed even eager to please us. This attitude was prevalent everywhere we visited. Most of the men were still wearing remnants of army uni- forms. After we had managed to dispose of a few more passengers at Sasebo, we proceeded to our second port — Matsuyama, on the Island of Shikoku. To arrive here, we had to take the (Continued on Page 7 ) 24

Page 34 text:

flntiloaU — 4ntTinj(ti4. tMlr« AM trprnrs. Porpoiers. ifrh.irks. f ris Dolpliins ifrk.iirs. »uckr[9. Cr.ib4. lototrrs. jnti all Mbti liDinQ (Things of ihr i a i;iiotD pr ihJl on itiis tn Ijiuii r vWVO anB lonaitiibt rhtrr jpptarttt ©ithiti Out ftoi-Jl Sanjin tbf boitnP oiitltajr«ui.iib fot ilir ifan-Hor. ilir •■our! ' 9t: . ' ; ' Ss Oriy If.il.iiia .mft Jlnsiudjii potrs Zim ibr wib Vrss»l jntt Offitrrs .leiB CirtL thrtrot li.iuf tcr:; iii ; frrre jnb wsicS on br Ourstlors jnft Eorjl AlAtt: AMD BE IT KNOWN Bp All Pf Jilor Jflarints Linblubtirs ifrolO ns. .1116 .lil orhns U ' ho mjf br hononrrb br his prrsrntf. fhJt PoIIpWOB V SOLDIERS, MARINES CREETIN6S1 bdOinQ tiffn (ounb buorrhr to br numbrrtb js am of oiit 7iusii ' ibhfUljJife ht has brrti buir mitutrb mio ttit Be tt Further Underttoodi Clui br oiiuit of tbf pour mbratrb m mr 9 Do tirrrbn tomm.inb jlt ml siibtnis 10 atioir but tionour anb rrspttt to tiim tohfrfwr hf ni,(j ' br Disobey this Order under Penalty mt Rttyal Displeasure. rf iwn untPft our hand anb stil ttiis . ' Calrr A tl ' .r liOTna flc. t f .