Gainard (DD 706) - Naval Cruise Book

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After a brief stay in Newport the GAINARD sailedfor Northern Europe to participate in Midshipman cruise ALPHA , returning to Newport in August 1958. During the remainder of 1958 GAINARD operated with the ready anti-submarine group off the coast. ln January, 1959 GAINARD, left for the Carribean to take part in SPRINGBOARD 59. She returned in February and went to the Boston Naval Shipyard for an overhaul. After leaving the shipyard she pro- ceeded to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for refresher training, returning to Newport in August. GAINARD spent the first three months of 1960 operating as school ship for DESL ANT'Gunnery School. During this period the ship made two trips to San Juan, Puerto Rico, stopping enroute at Ciudad, Tru'illo Dominican Republic, and Bermuda. Upon return from Puerto Rico the ship operated locally 1n the J 1 Newport area until mid-June. From mid-June until the latter part of July, the GAINARD participated in LANTFLEX with the U.S. Second Fleet. During this exercise the GAINARD embarked midshipmen for training in the various aspects of fleet operations. Upon the termination of LANTFLEX, the GAINARD returned to Newport to prepare for deployment with the U.S. Sixth Fleet. The departure date, 4 August, was unexpectedly delayed until 23 August by a restricted availability in the Boston Naval Shipyard. Upon departure on 23 August the GAINARD proceeded to rendezvous at sea with the USS SARATOGA CCVA 601. This meeting of The Biggest and The Best was only the first, as SARATOGA and GAIN- ARD became almost constant companions during their deployment in the Mediterranean. Upon arrival in the Mediterranean GAINARD made brief fueling stops at Rota, Spain, and Piraeus, Greece, and then transited the Suez Canal to join the Middle East Force for six weeks. While operating in ' ' ' F h S l'1 d Bahrain the Red Sea and Persian Gulf, GAINARD made short visits to Djiboutl, renc oma 1 an , , Bahrain lslandg Aden, and Massawa. GAINARD returned to the Mediterranean in Octo er an op . . mainder of 1960. Ports visited during this period were Beirut, Lebanon, Cannes, France, Naples, Italy, Leghorn, Italy, Ajaccio, Corsicag and Golfe Juan, France, Gainard returned to Newport on 24 February 1961. b d erated with the U S Sixth Fleet the re-

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U.S.S. GAINARD DD 706 The GAINARD is a 2200 ton, short-hull SUMNER class destroyer, named after the late Captain ,loseph Aloysius Gainard, USNR, a hero of two wars. He may best be remembered as Master of the SS City of Flint during the early days of World War ll, and later as Commanding Officer of the Mystery Ship USS BIG HORN, a tanker converted into a submarine hunter. On the 23rd of November 1944, the GAINARD was launched at Kearney, N.,I. yard of the New York Shipbuilding Company, and after a brief shakedown cruise to Bermuda, joined the Pacific Fleet. ln April 1945, she proceeded to Okinawa for duty as a radar picket ship and was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for her Meritorious service in the Radar Picket Line. At the conclusion of hostilities, the GAIN- ARD traveled to Japan as a unit of the occupation forces. She left Japan in July 1946, to return to the Atlantic Fleet. Maneuvers with the Second Fleet and a tour of duty with the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. Upon her return to Newport, R.l., she' was put in temporary immobilization for seven months. ff .W .!f The GAINARD made her second trip to the Mediterranean, and then spent a year and a half as a Naval Reserve Training Cruise Ship operating out of New Orleans, Louisiana, to various Caribbean ports. She returned to Newport for extended operations in home waters, and joined the Sixth Fleet once more in the summer of 1951- After a fourth cruise with the Sixth Fleet in the Spring of 1953, she participated in Midshipman Cruise to the Carribean, and then Operation SPRINGBOARD late that fall. A An overhaul inthe Philadelphia shipyard followed SPRINGBOARD. Then the GAINARD reported to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, once more for refresher training during which she set several gunnery performance records. The remainder of 1954 was spent at home in Newport before proceeding to the Med in January 1955. - Upon her return to Newport in May, she became Deslant Afloat Gunnery ship, serving the Gunnery School. Amphibious exercises and anti-submarine duty along the east coast followed, and then another tour of duty with the Sixth Fleet. This trip was highlighted by a passage through the Suez Canal, a visit to the Sheikdom of Bahrain, and the return Suez transit, completed only a day before the Canal was closed by the Arab-lsraely dispute. ' The GAINARD returned to Newport, in December for upkeep, moved to the Boston Navy Yard in De- cember 1956 for an overhaul and then journeyed to Cuba for refresher training in the spring. Completing this training, she moved to Norfolk for the International Naval Review, where she was host ship for the British destroyer H.M.S. DIAMOND. Midshipman Cruise BRAVO to South America, was her next assign- ment. On her return from this cruise in August 1957, she moved to Newport until departure for the NATO exercises in the North Atlantic in early September. The GAINARD returned to the 'SIXTH Fleet in December 1957 for operation. During this tour she visited France, Italy, Greece, Spain, and Gibraltar. Completing this tour shereturned to the United States in April of 1958.

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CQMMANDING OFFICER Commander Charles E. Smith was born in Zanesville, Ohio. He entered the Naval Academy in 1938, being graduated and receiving his commission as Ensign, USN, on December 19, 1941. His first duty was ln the USS NEW IORK KBB-341 in the engineering department. Aboard that ship he participated in the in- vasion of North Africa in 1942 and North Atlantic convoy duty. ln 1944, he was reassigned to the commis- ' ' d 'l f s1on1ng etal ' o the USS AMSTERDAM KCL-1011 and served in the gunnery department during the final stages of the war in the Pacific. He remalnedwlth the AMSTERDAM as gunnery officer until she was de- commissioned in June, 1947. A CDH Smith completed flight training and was designated a naval aviator in November 1948 He was assigned as Executive Officer of VF-41 in 1949. He left the flight program in 1950 and was, then .chosen to serve as aide to VADIVI J. L. Hall, Jr, USN, Commandant, Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va. He continued as aide to Lieut General A. D. Bruce, USA., when ADM Hall was relieved by Gen Bruce, in July 1951. Foil h' ' ' ' owing t IS tour of shore duty,CDH Smith went to sea as Executive Officer ofthe USS BORDELOAJ QDDR-8811 where he served until April, 1954. Then, having been promoted to Commander, he was ordered to overseas duty on the Joint Planning Staff of Commander in Chief, Caribbean, Quarr H ' h C l y e1g ts, ana Zone. He served there until. July, 1956. V V CDR Smith served for three years on the staff of the Naval War College in Newport before assuming his duties as Commanding' Officer of the GAINARD IDD-7061, on August 14, 1959. I A ln 1950, CDR Smith married the former Helen Augustiny of Chicago. They have two daughters, Sheryl Sue, age seven, and Deborah Helen, age six. - In September 1960, CDR Smith was notified of his selection for promotion to rank of Captain.