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

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X 1 . 0 - I to , p Q. 1 : 0 f a 0 4, We K Q U.S.S. ADMIRAL W. S. BENSON CAP-1205 cfo Fleet Post Office San Francisco, California RESTRIQTED - NOT TO LEAVE shi? Saturdey5 25 August 19 PLAN OF THE DAY 0600 - 0630 - X Call all Masters-at-Arms. Reveillo. Up all hands. Sunrise - Light ship. The smoking lamp is lighted on all weather decks. 0605 - 0700 - 0715 ' 0800 - 0330 - 0900 - 0930 - 1130 - llb5 - 1200 - 1300 - 1530 - 1600 - l7l5 - 1730 - Sunset NOTE: Turn to. Clean sweep down. O Mess Gear. Breakfast. 'Call all officers, Turn to. Muster on stations. Make preparations breakwater and moor alongside of wrecked vessel. to load Army advance detail. to move ship insid Make preparation QAb0utj Station Special Sea and Anchor'Deteils. BAKER. Sick call. .Set Materiel Cmnt Cnboutl Got underway. Establish fresh water schedule. Cnboutl Commence loading Army advance detail. Clean sweep down. Troops and passengers go to your compartments. Mess Gear. Dinner. Turn to. Liberty for Port Watch to expire on dock et l?Q0. Clean sweep down. Troops and passengers go to your compartments. Sick call. Mess Gear. Supper. - Dsrken ship. The smoking lamp is out on all weather decks. Cll Division Officers submit names of men for Shore Patrol to the Executive Officer's Office not later than 0900. C22 Division Officers will insure that morning reports are made promptly to the Executive 0fficer's Office. C3D Men going on liberty are cautioned against eating or drinking ashore. CAD All men are reminded that permission must be obtained from th: Executive Officer prior to bringing visitors aboard ship. l ,612 -E-,W D. 0. nLrnh Corzimander, U Executive Officer. ,f -s ,. , gf. 04,651 sf wa, ,ff u,,.'Q7f,t ie, X ,. Qffxwff .M ff, 'f tw .L ft..:,0.f, rf, - , 1

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Top fo boffom: U.S.S. Admiral W. S. Benson IAP-I20j Pier 88, New York: San Fernando, Luzon, PJ. ,I l,,f1ffzf,,,', 1' NT OF E ,H E r 3 S Lily! XXNIILX Jax? E S Q :ISS W ggibgi E x ar if N 8 g g x?4Z'lHl1Xix--Sjnz S X4041lN ' 69 M' 'Ea ffl!! -4 ,fl 'f7fffffll

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CAPTAIN FRANCIS H. GARDNER. USN Capfain Gardner has had a varied and inferesfing career in fhe U.S. Navy. A nafive of Porfland, Oregon, he was appoinfed fo fhe Naval Academy in I920 and graduafed in l924. Affer graduafion he was ordered fo fhe U.S.S. Arizona for engineering dufy, and since fhal' fime has spenf fwenfy of his fwenfy-five years of naval service on sea dufy. Leaving fhe Arizona in l925 Capfain Gardner served five years as Engineering Officer aboard fhe desfroyers Reno, Wm. Jones, and Aaron Ward consecufively. Nexf came dufy aboard fhe fanker U.S.S. Ramapo in fhe capacify of Firsf Lieufenanf. His firsf shore dufy came al' fhe Navy Yard, Bosfon, where Capfain Gardner, fhen a junior grade Iieufenanf, filled fhe billel' of Ordnance Planning Superinfendenf. A+ fhe end of fwo years ashore a shiff fo new dufies came wifh assignmenf as a gunnery officer aboard fhe U.S.S. Oklahoma for a period of fhirfy-five monfhs aboard which ship he was promofed fo Lieufenanf. Immediafely following came a four of dufy as Junior Aide fo fhe Commandanf of 'I'he I Ifh Naval Disfricf. On June II, I938, he reporfed aboard fhe desfroyer Monaghan as Execufive Officer and Navigafor. Two years of desfroyer dufy wifh fhe baffle fIee+ followed and fhen back fo baffleship service on fhe Nevada as Engineering Officer wifh 'I'he rank of Lieufenanf Commander. Leaving fhe Nevadaiaffer eleven monfhs Capfain Gardner 'I'ook over his firsf command, 'rhe U.S.S. Ellel' IDD 398I of fhe Pacific Fleef, on 22 Jun-e I94I. Under his command fhe Ellef saw plenfy of acfion in fhe crifical early monfhs of fhe war, serving in fask forces wifh fhe carrier Enferprise and doing ofher escor'I' work in baffle areas. Affer almosl' 'I'wo years of exacfing combaf dufy in fhe Pacific during which fime he was promofed fo Commander, Capfain Gardner was again given shore dufy in fhe U.S. and spenf fhirfeen monfhs in fhe Subordinafe Operafional Training Command, San Francisco. On 23 Augusf I944 fhe Capfain placed in commission and assumed command of fhe U.S.S. Admiral W. S. Benson IAP IZOI. Under him fhe Migh'I'y B has fravelled over I25,000 miles, has seen five confinenfs, called af various porfs of five counfries and several Pacific islands, and carried over 40,000 froop passengers.