General R M Blatchford (AP 153) - Naval Cruise Book

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g'7Cc- af-. ll i7 774 RECEIVED f573.f'f MAY 9 R360 L., vi NAVY DEPARTMENT LIBRARY THE STORY OF THE U S. S. GEN. R. M. BLATCHFORD lAP-'l53l An illustrated account of the career of the U. S. S. GENERAL R. lvl. BLATCH- FORD CAP-l 53l from keel laying to the end of the last war time voyage, pub- lished for the ship's officers and men out of the Ship's Store Profits Fund under the supervision of Lieut. Com- mander E. G. Hutchinson lSCl USNR, with the assistance of Lieut. D. G. Mc- Giffen USNR, Lieutenant ljgl R. W. Edwards iSCl USNR, Ensign L. G. Bar- raza USNR, Master Sergeant R. Willis, Quartermaster lst Class lil. Q.VGlitten- berg and Radarman 3rld-ClassNl'D':,,W. Zuercher. A E - i-..

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COMMANDING OFFICER COMMANDER ALLEN H. GUTHRIE USN ciaeiaredl Captain Guthrie has had a long and varied career in the U. S. Navy, during which he has served in all types of Naval vessels and has visited prac- tically every major port in the world, serving for extended periods of time in Europe, China and the West Indies. The ships in which he has had duty include the Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkan- sas, Montana, Nebraska, K-3, K-7, R-3, Rain- bow, Parrot, Simpson, Helena lGunboat7, Hu- ron, New York, Sheridan and Blatchford. He was appointed to the Naval Academy from Lancaster, Penna., where he was born July 26, l890, and graduated in the Class of l9l 2. Upon graduation he was assigned to battleship duty, his first ship being the Mississippi. He was serv- ing on board the Louisiana during the shelling and landing of Vera Cruz, Mexico, in l9l 4, and commanded an artillery detachment in the land- ing force. During all of World War l he was in the submarine service, commanding the sub- marine K-7, Submarine Division Three, and the Submarine Base at Key West, Fla. Immediately after the end of the last war he was command- ing officer of the R-3. Then followed several years of service on board ships of all types in various capacities, including command, and duty on the China Station, in Europe and the West Indies until his retirement on June 30, l933. Soon after the present state of emergency was declared, Captain Guthrie returned to ac- tive duty, reporting on June 5, l94l. His first assignment was with the Naval Inspection Serv- ice in the Southern District, with headquarters at Atlanta, Ga. But the sea called again and it was not long before he was with the Amphibious Forces in the Pacific as commanding officer of the U. S. S. Sheridan lAPA-5l D . He participated in the landings at Eniwetok, Guam, and Leyte, being Task Unit Commander at Eniwetok and Task Group Commander at Guam. Immediately after the Leyte landing he received orders to re- port back to the states to assume command of the Blatchford. He reportedas Prospective Com- manding Officer early in December and for- mal ly took command on January 26, l945, when the ship was delivered to the Navy by the Kaiser Co. at Richmond, Calif. Having already transported 50,000 troops l00,000 miles in this war, the Captain feels that the time has come to settle down in a rela- tively isolated and immovable spot. The ideal place for this is his ranch in the middle of the Colorado Desert at Garnet, Calif., and he plans on returning there as soon as the Navy releases him. 2 1 3.