Brumby (DE 1044) - Naval Cruise Book

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belonging to Britain. BRUMBY passed through an Opening in the coral reef that surrounds the island and carefully made way to the naval base where a fuel barge awaited her. Bermuda is apopular tour- ist haven and the sparkling waters and colorful homes made us regret our stay would be so short, By 1600 the same day BRUMBY was leaving Ber- muda behind. A longer leg of our transit across the Atlantic lay ahead and the navigators charted a course for the Azores which we would reach in five days. On 5 December Ponta Delgada on Sao Miquel Island arose, as if by magic, over the bow. Again there would be no liberty, but we would have a short period of relaxation and the chance to have dinner on stable mess decks. The Azores is a group of nine volcanic islands and several islets belonging to Portugal. Located 750 miles west of Lisbon, Ponta Delgada in the Sao Miquel group is a regular fueling stop for U.S. Ships. It would have been great to stretch our legs on the rolling hills and narrow streets of this island paradise. But with fueling completed in H few hours, the BRUMBY was once again underway. Destination - - Rota, Spain. With Rota as her goal, BRUMBY steamed on with the sunset and home far astern. Around mid- night On the next day, fires were lost in the boilers. The immediate silence and darkness had 6VGI'y0ne

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61011.11 l9fl,4N C zfo wt gf I United States Ship BRUMBY QDE 10447 de- parted the Naval Station Mayport, Florida on the 28th of November 1970. It had been along, difficult struggle for all departments to prepare the BRUMBY for a major cruise. The engineering department carried the greatest burden in taming the ship's 1200 pound steam plant. Her sailing had been preceded by several embarrassing failures and local opinion was not encouraging. But the 28th of November was the beginning of anew chap- ter in the life of this GARCIA class escort and in a few short months the BRUMBY would be known at all levels in the U.S. 6th Fleet as reliable, dependable, and professional. Tension increased as the inevitable sailing time neared. While nobody wanted to leave, it was a relief, finally, to shift colors and get underway. It would be a long cruise, but a sailor and his family have learned a lot about the hardship of being apart. For some those first hours in a tossing sea were not the happiest. Most were still seeing vi- sions of loved ones waving frantically from the pier or sea wall. Soon, however, the crew settled into the at-sea routine as BRUMBY churned a path toward Bermuda. On the morning of 30 November, Bermuda Island appeared on the horizon. About 925 miles from Mayport, Bermuda is a group of coral islands

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up and around in a flash. SoonBRUMBY was D.I.W. and began to rock violently in the swells. In an hour or so, the hardworking engineers had us steam - ing again on our track toward Rota. BRUMBY'S arrival in Rota, Spain on8 Decem- ber was especially noted by the USS BARNEY which we were to relieve. We were more than ready for our first liberty and mail call since leaving the United States. The next four days would be a trying time for the Spanish police, the Shore Patrol, and the XO, but we had to go ashore for refreshment and good times . Furthermore, we wanted to buy civilian clothes, thanks to Uncle Elmo's Z-gram. The United States rents the Rota base from Spain on a long-term basis. Rota is a supply and communications center and most ships stop there before entering the Med or before starting the trip back to the States. We enjoyed three days of liberty in Rota, sam- pling the Spanish foodand drink. Some traveled to the cities of Cadiz and Seville. But duty calls. With the BARNEY on her way back to the United States, an envious BRUMBY crew left Rota on the llth to join the 6th Fleet. Later that afternoon, BRUMBY approached the Straits of Gibraltar. Sunshine and calm seas brought the off-watch topside. Off the starboard side were the mountains of Morocco, but everyone from the new boots to the old-timers was occupied