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Page 39 text:
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At this time the thought that occupied our minds most was our scheduled three weeks in Hong Kong, B.C. as station ship. We finally left Okinawa and began the 800 mile stint to the last western outpost in China we had been looking forward to seeing for so long. Here was probably the closest many of us will have been to Communist China, passing down their coast while transiting the Formosa Straits. The passage was uneventful and our ship arrived in Hong Kong on a beautiful, slightly warm day. Hong Kong, though a part of the Far East, was still different from the other cities of the Orient we had visited. Hong Kong was much more the continental city. Probably the English government and the fact that it is a free port contributed a great deal. In Hong Kong there can be found merchandise from the four corners of the earth, but still the best buys are the tailored clothes, made from the finest materials. After the first few days of enjoying the sights, we got to work adjusting ourselves to being Station Ship Hong Kong . This we found was not the picnic we thought it might be, but rather a great amount of work for a limited number of men. Still we were able to station the shore patrol, handle the mail, accept the communications responsibility, orient visiting military, make extra boat runs, board incoming ships, disseminate information, enjoy ourselves, (I could go on) and do the many other duties assigned the station ship. After three weeks we saw our relief enter the harbor, the USS WASHBURN. In the most ex- pedient manner possible we turned over our post and departed the city and Island of Hong Kong, most of us elated since this marked the half way point in the cruise. Off again for Buckner Bay, Okinawa and another load of Marines for Numazu, after which we spent a little of our time in Yokosuka. Next we began to prepare for our first Amphibious Operation of Fiscal Year 61, Pack Board . Departing for Kimmu Wan Bay, Okinawa, we made ready to launch an assault on AWANIKO. All preparations were made in Buckner Bay and we set sail by a round - about route to the Rehearsal Area. During our movement we were exercised by submarines giving us a chance to practice evasive maneuvering. Eventually after some rough spots had been smoothed out we proceeded to launch a most successful amphibious assault. After the day of the unitial attack we practiced warding off swimmers afforded by our own UDT units. When the exercise was completed we packed up and were anxious to return to Yokosuka, since this marked the near end to our cruise. After we completed our voyage repairs it would be only a month of 5500 miles before we saw our families and friends once more. During our stay in Yokosuka, the Commodore, Phibron I, was relieved. Captain E. B. RITEENHOUSE turned his command over to Captain J. T. BULLEN Jr. It was also learned at this time that the new Commodore would return to CONUS on board the COMSTOCK. Well, to make a Jong story as short as possible our cruise ended as all cruised do, with the sighting of Point Loma and the Channel Fever and finally the reunion. 35
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Page 38 text:
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Cruise Highlights The COMSTOCK again rounded Point Loma, causing us to leave behind many families and friends. This time we were headed for Inchon, Korea via Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Our first assignment; deliver three LCU ' S to the army at Inchon. We made our stop at Pearl and managed to see a few of the fabled sights and experience some of the more exotic places, but were soon underway again on the long trek to Korea. To make the jaunt as enjoyable as possible we found a few using their free time to worship the sun and others cultivating beards. Some of course, as will happen, found little time for such activity. We soon approached the southern tip of Japan and transited the Van Dieman Straits to enter the East China Sea, the last leg of our voyage to Inchon. When we finally reached the coast of Korea we found we still had a long way to go. Inchon is sixty-five miles inland through many small and winding channels, but we arrived on schedule. After a very short stay in Inchon we departed for Sasebo, Japan, our first liberty port and voyage repairs. Sasebo, on the West coast of the Island of Kyushu, was a new experience to the younger sailors for here was their first introduction to the Orient. Sasebo gave the COMSTOCK her first chance to field a Softball team and enjoy the summer weather with swimming and touring, but Sasebo also brought us our first typhoon of the cruise, Luckily we were missed, but we could feel the effects of wind and rain; and invision the possibility of a closer encounter. We eventually left Sasebo and headed for Okinawa and the port of Naha. Here we spent a very short time while loading Marine equipment on board to be transported to Numazu, Japan, a trip we were to make many times before the cruise ended. We set sail for Numazu, a trip that took us two days and 19 hours and upon arrival found our- selves at the foot of Mount Fuji. Few had realized that the famous mountain was so near to Numazu. We off-loaded our equipment and Marines and were soon underway for Yokosuka, the center of Naval Activity in West Pac. Our visits during the first half of the cruise were abbreviated but varied. We left Yokosuka for Kobe. We arrived in Kobe while receiving storm warnings on a threatening typhoon named Wendy . Our first day was wet but still fairly calm. We granted liberty, but the next day brought Wendy closer and forced our hand. We got underway to evade this typhoon. Just before we made the open sea the typhoon passed close by and the ship, though rigged for heavy weather, felt Wendy vent a good deal of her high winds and rain. We weathered her and now were manned by a crew of men who could pass as salts , old sea dogs or what ever you might call them. They had seen the sea in one of her lesser moods. Gathering our loose ends we proceeded to our next port, Iwakuni, to off-load Seabees we had acquired in Yokosuka and to pick up Marines bound for Okinawa. We were in and out of Iwakuni after dusk and before dawn, our visit probably unknown to many of the inhabitants. When dawn finally came we were well on our way to Okinawa and for the next few weeks we make trips back and forth from Okinawa to Numazu carrying troops and their gear. 34
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