Gainard (DD 706) - Naval Cruise Book

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THE CAPTAIN SPEAKS In the SIXTH Fleet the by-word was Fun and Frolic . This is only a half truth, we also worked hard. By hard work the GAINARD showed them that she was one of the better ships, looked better and operated better. Who was responsible for this? The answer is simple, each and every person on board was respon- sible. By working as a team we accomplished our mission, that of being an effective and operationally ready unit of the SIXTH Fleet. You who are about to turn the pages of this book are going to see the GAINARD Story , the story of 2200 tons of steel and the two hundred and forty two best men of the Navy.

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The colorful bull ring and the equally colorful night life in Barcelona — learning to ski in the snow covered Alps — looking down from the historic leaning tower of Pisa — watch- ing a jet pilot touch down safely on the steel deck of the SARATOGA — these are some of the memories the men of the GAINARD will carry home with them from their 1957-58 Mediterranean Cruise. We visited nine ports, representing many of the coun- tries that surround the Mediterranean. However, most of our time was spent operating with the Sixth Fleet in various exercises that were aimed at safeguarding the peace in a critical section of the world. The GAINARD combined a lot of work with a lot of pleasure. The Christmas holidays found us in Cannes, France. Trips to Rome, Florence and to ski resorts high in the French Alps were taken by men on the ship. On January 2 the ship departed from Cannes for ten days of operations. In our next port, Genoa, many of us got our first look at Italian life before going to sea once more. After a brief visit to Palraa, we headed for Pireaus, Greece, where we spent one night. A week of cruising as far north as Turkey and as far south as Egypt found us at the Isle of Rhodes. An intra-divisional softball tournament along with free beer was sponsored by the Recreational Committee. M division won the tournament, edging F in a close championship game, which was not decided until the late innings. Bright and gleaming after hours of chipping and paint- ing, the GAINARD steamed on to Leghorn, Italy, where she was featured in a movie — a comedy, concerning the war-time German Navy. Several of the face men in our crew were picked to take bit-parts as sailors. Barcelona, Spain, was our last port and as far as many were concerned, by far the best. During our stay we were fortunate in seeing a bullfight with some of Spain ' s leading Matadors, whose graceful veronicas recall some of the most vivid memories of the cruise. After Barcelona the gainard turned towards home. A short two day stop-over at Gibraltar gave a good chance to shop for clothes at very low prices. On April 12 the ship arrived back in the United States and to a brass band at pier one, Newport. . . . about our cruise.

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OFFICERS AND CHIEF PETTY OFFICERS U.S.S. GAINARD