Leyte (CV 32) - Naval Cruise Book

Text from Pages 1 - 136 of the 1950 volume:

J oute of the t6 SefetwtUi W49 H ; :■ m Hi I ill j w ALGERIA f RICHARD BOLIN RT 2 BOX 55 DE LAND. ILL 61839 JBHGegsss ' . ' ■•■■■ ' (SSm ■6 GREECE EGTPT Mr Richard Bolin 308 S Maple St Farmer City IL 61842 U 3. 3. xtute eptcmbcr ig Jamiarg 1950 U.S.S. LEYTE (CV-32) CAPTAIN ERDMANN on the Bridge UNITED STATES 7v • ' ' ROME ' $ JAN. 26 J GIBRALTAR JAN. 14-17 I SEPT. 6 PARIS V ' Aft W GIBRALTAR ORAN JAN. 7-13 ' NAPLES, ITALY DEC. 20-JAN. 3 NOV. 23-28 N SEPT- 16-22 f J, il «g GOLFE-JUAN CANNES FRENCH RIVERIA SEPT. 30-OCT. 10 REAR ADMIRAL THOS. S. COMBS, USN, Commander, Carrier Division Two CAPTAIN W. L. ERDMANN, USN, Commanding Officer HISTORY OF THE USS LEYTE TIM aircraft earner USS LEYTE was named alter the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The 27,000-ton ESSEX elass carrier, was launched at Newport News on 23 August 1945. Commissioned on 11 April 1910, LEYTE was scheduled for a shakedown cruise in the Guantanamo Bay area during the fol- lowing month. However, a personnel shortage aboard the huge carrier necessitated a postpon- nient of the shakedown cruise until September of 1946. Arriving at Guantanamo Bay on 20 Sep- tember, the carrier started a shakedown cruise which took her through the Panama Canal to arrive at Balboa by 20 October. The LEYTE then traveled to Valparaiso, Chile, arriving there on I November. The shakedown cruise took on all the aspects of a goodwill cruise as the ship stopped at Callao, Peru, during 9-13 No- vember 1946. Transiting the Panama Canal again on 18 November, the LEYTE exercised in the shake- down area of Guantanamo until 9 December. Upon returning to the United States again, the carrier made several trips to Yorktown during her Stay in Norfolk 27 January 1947. Touching briefly at Newport, and Quonset Point, Rhode Island, LEYTE departed for maneuvers with Task Force 28 off the Virginia Capes on 3 February. Liberty at Trinidad stepped up the morale of the crew from 2S Februar) until 7 March, when the ship departed to rendezvous with Task Force 24. On 19 March, LEYTE moored at Quonset Point, where she made preparations to depart on a training cruise to the Mediterranean Sea. During her sta in the Mediterranean area the carrier visited Suda Hay, Crete, for a week Starting on 10 April. She Subsequently visited such Mediterranean ports as Athens, Istanbul, Alexandria, Naples and Gibraltar. Setting her course across the Atlantic again. LEYTE tied up at Ouonsct Point, Rhode Island, on 9 [une 1947. From 7 to 25 July, the carrier was des- ignated for a three- weeks-afloat training program for NROTC students. Upon returning to Quonset the LEYTE spent one month making preparations for another trip to the Mediterranean. ( )n the second Mediterranean cruise the LEYTE stopped at Gibraltar, Alg iers, Golfe Juan, France; Izmir, Turkey; Suda Bay, Crete; Naples and Taranto, Italy; Athens, Greece; and Gibraltar then home on November 19th. The LEYTE took to sea again in February for Fleet maneuvers in the Caribbean, visiting Trinidad and Panama. Upon returning in April 1948 the LEYTE spent four months in Brooklyn Navy Yard. The ship departed in August 28th and stayed until October 12th in the Guantanamo area. The LEYTE spent November in the frigid Davis Straits area testing cold weather flying. In January 1949, LEYTE with 700 reserves went to Guantanamo for a brief reserve cruise. Most of February and March were spent in Fleet maneuvers in the Caribbean with visits to Trinidad and Guan- tanamo Bay. After a short visit to New York the LEYTE returned to Quonset. In May, the LEYTE spent a week at Annapolis, showing the Centennial visitors what a carrier looks li ke. In [une the LEYTE spent time in Bayonne and Norfolk besides two weeks at Quonset. In [uly the LEYTE made two two-week cruises training Reserves and Midshipmen from Annapolis. On each cruise, brief stops were made in Norfolk and New York or Bavoune. August was spent in painting ship and taking on supplies lor the third Mediterranean cruise. This brings us to date and to the LEYTE ' S third Mediterranean cruise. SHOVING OFF!!! QUONSET 6 SEPTEMBER 1949-0800 OPERATION ORDER THIS FORCE WILL DEPART U.S. ON 6 SEPTEMBER 1949, PROCEED TO GIBRALTAR, ARRIVING ON 16 SEPTEMBER 1949. THIS FORCE WILL ASSUME NELM TASK FORCE DESIGNATION. TN OBEDIENCE to this Operation Order, the ■ - LEYTE pulled out from Quonset for the third Mediterranean cruise. Many wives and friends were at the pier to wish us Bon Voyage. Nearly five months of visiting far-away places with strange-sounding names were ahead of us as we left the pier at Quonset. Good bye Quonset, we ' re hitting the waves, Will be back in four months and twenty-two days. EN IU UTE to Gibraltar the ship ran Into some rough weather. September is a bad month For crossing the Atlantic, since in this month man) more hurricanes occur than in any other month. I ' m glad I ' m not on that can No strain washing her deck ABOUT twice a week the Cans had to be topped off or refueled so as to enable them to ride out the heavv waves with less strain. Taking it aboard, to Give it away Daily eggbeater mail service Into the wind for recovery Getting the dope Pilots— man your planes BEFORE THE LAUNCH Ready Deck-White Flag Fly one— Take ' er away Cap on the prowl Come on over and join the fun BRING ' EM ABOARD Up the groove In the gear A merry time was had by all (?) listening to the Wabash Cannonball Everyone enjoyed the fight except the guy who took this right LIFE ON BOARD THE LEYTE Ships Company downs Marines in a nip and tuck battle LEYTE basketball team wins the Sixth Task Fleet Championship GIBRALTAR-THE MED ' S FRONT DOOR Till, southernmost point oi the Iberian Peninsula, Gibraltar stands guard over the outsized lake we call tin- Mediterranean Sea. Corrupted from the name |ebel Tarig, Moorish conquerer of the eighth century, the Rock was first prize in a thousand-year-long tug-of-war between Spain, the Moors, and Great Britain. The English, who have been in possession since 1704, evidently like it there. They show no signs of moving. Great walls are abundant through the zone, proof of the feudal nature of this vital Big Boulder of Britain. While we are more apt to associate the Rock with life insurance rather than history, nothing in this world has had so much value for so long a time. An interesting spot to start an interesting cruise. Just like the insurance ad The Coral Sea eagerly awaiting us flow Li%nilT com deuces tbh. m ' flv,Tc$ FOR All HANDS UNOfcR 5 ft 2 i . W«Th odd NurnfctEHS H Tt E 3 5EC.Ti ' gn WHO v vEAtf t l £ 34 JUP p£l b. v SPMtf Map of Gibraltar Bay Quarters for entering port OFF TO A SLOW START LIBERTY call was toned down to a whisper when the Leyte ' s men got set to hit the beach. Somebody with a sliderule figured out the liberty quota— somebody who couldn ' t count over ten. lucky guys! Practically the entire LEYTE liberty quota Being taken for a ride J  Omar, the Rugmaker, displays his wares Marine engagement. Talking shop over some of that swell warm beer THE FIRST WAVE HOT on the heels of our first liberty came Britain ' s famed money devaluation. The locals took it all in stride, but we Americans brought up on the old-fashioned dollar-and-ccnts basis got lost in the shuffle. However, ignorance is bliss, so we hit the markets with unholy light in our eyes. We retired back to the ship, battered and bruised in the pocketbook, loaded down with assorted useless souvenirs. Southport Gate Main Street, nee Robbers Row Looking northward from the Rock. The airfield, neutral ground and Spain, the never, neverland Governors Guard— guardians of the line NORTH OF THE BORDER TO THE great majority of us, Spain is still an unopened book. A fortunate few were allowed across on one of the rare visas. There were also a few brave souls who tried the journey minus visas, but the border had more guards than Mister Carter has pills, hence no French or Spanish leave. 1 TOROS LA LINEA The big procession before the fight Americans shoot the bull, Spaniards stab it. MM L-  t- ' i P. H. R f7 h gr nin usmc THE FRENCH RIVIERA-SEPT. 30-OCT. 10 DESPITE the fact we arrived in France on the ebb tide of the summer season, the delights of the Riviera were at once apparent to old salt and green boot alike. The scramble to grab a spot on one of the several fine tours was terrific. Gold and green spangled coastline, framed by the French Alps and margined by the Mediterranean ' s magic shade of blue, made every tour just a little too short. Where nature left off the young ladies of La Bell France latched on. What scenery! The Alps, girls, the tawny beaches, girls, palm-lined boulevards, girls — vou get what we mean. It has been the royalty of resorts since early in the 19th century, when English tourists, high on the place, built their own promenade, complete with built-in bathing beau- ties. No more need be said, though, just take a pictorial journey with us. Let ' s go. -ialik i „. Sfik BEAUTY AND THE BEACH IN ADDITION to cognac, perfume, crazy cab very little except heavy tans and imagination, these drivers and sailors, the Riviera also featured an sand-dwelling honeys put the whammy on many interesting collection of g-i-r-1-s. Did we say inter- a good intention. Wives, mothers and sweethearts esting? Wow! What an understatement. Clad in gaze at the reason for those missing letters. Can anything be said? OO double La! But here ' s our favorite Meet Miss— say, how ' d you sneak in? Notice the smile These are playsuits. Anybody wanna play— volleyball, that is THeu thcrc w«e n os w«o GOLFE JUAN-CANNES-NICE IN LINE with our policy of keeping the fairer sex happy and content, we dropped the hook in Golfe Juan on a sunny thirtieth of September. We lay about a mile from town, with the small island of Sainte Marguerite half that distance westward. On this isle was imprisoned the Man in the Iron Mask, one of history ' s favorite fall guys. To the north- westward of it lies the uncanny city of Cannes, to whose bay we shifted on October fifth after a day ' s operations at sea. To the east, some twenty miles distant, lay Nice, very nice, and Monte Carlo, built in the ashes of men ' s folly. With summer ready to shove south for the winter, the eyeballers were forced to go ashore for their thrills-which, we need not mention, they got. Fleet landing, Golfe Juan. Can anyone forget it? Sand, sex, sea, sailboat and ' stroyer So ya wanna get friendly, huh? O.K., but wait- -till we get a beer I , :i .4 m mru ilW« How to get around in Nice Transportation de la hayburner kA . The Cannes Boat Basin So off we trooped, up and down, over, under and around. We liit em all and had a ball. The girls were fine, they didn ' t mind, if John Q. Whitehat made some time. V SES VINS TINS % SES GLACES SES SDECIALITES CULIHAIPES Heading for the Beach at Cannes Hey, Doc, what ails ya? Looking over the scenery and . the scenery looks right back! fcwtf GRASSE STINKS-BUT PRETTY WE JUST followed our noses and sniff! ' .-there we were. It lies in the beautiful French Alps, north of Cannes. The guys able to make the trip not only picked up first-hand dope on the manu- facture of perfume, but, even more luckily, didn ' t have to bathe for a week. A long, delicate process, perfume-making has its secrets that have lasted for centuries. If the price staggered you a bit, con- sider that it takes up to ten tons of roses to get just two pounds of essence. We ' ve often wondered why men break their backs buying the stuff for their womenfolk . . . just like mice standing in line to purchase mousetraps. Oft - ■ ' uwpv. W« i One of the first steps in the production of man trap The last step. This guy is hooked! MONTE CARLO SITUATED in Monaco, a tiny republic no bigger than your home town, Monte Carlo exists on man ' s theory that he can beat the law of averages. Its beautiful temples of chance are proof of the Looking down on Monaco, rich, beautiful, and filled — lengths man will go to blow his bankroll. Enlisted men were not allowed to gamble here, a rule which meant that the girls and perfume-makers could split your dough fifty-fifty. —with palaces that Jack built —somebody ' s else ' s jack. PARIS-FRANCE AT ITS BEST MWV of us were most fortunate to be able to visit Paris, for Paris is the- capital of French taste and of the French spirit. The time was limited, but we made the most of it ' Sure, we didn ' t miss a thing— Notre Dame and the Invalides, the Arch of Triumph and the Eiffel Tower, the outdoor cafes and the flower-vendors, the Champs Elvsees, the Boulevards and Montmartre, the theatres and cab- arets— all made our stay enjoyable and pleasant. Who can forget those beautiful girls at the Follies. Ah, gay Paree! It ' s a must for a visit again some- time. What ' s holding that Paris express? For Muiic Lovers— T ie Opera if A J] ItlfC- j2§ Paris landmark— the Eiffel Tower Natural Beauty— The Seine SIGHTS ABOUT PARIS r.-TW Pride of Paris Notre-Dame Cathedral In memory of the unknown dead All Paris was as impressive as the Church of the Sacred Heart Of course we had to see the Arch of Triumph 1 1 ( y : i i ' Reverence and Awe Bring on the Girls! MALTA AREA-October 12-20 Getting in flight time over Malta Piping the Admiral away First time side boys ever used for a helicopter departure FOR more than a week in October, the LEYTE operated around Malta. During the weekend and on several week days the LEYTE anchored off Marsaxlokk, a well-protected harbor in southeastern Malta. Heavy swells washed out liberty plans so onlv the aviators after flight skin time from nearby Halfar Air Field managed to get ashore. Malta is an irregular, oval-shaped island, seven- teen miles long and nine miles wide, about seventy miles south of Sicily. Its capital, Valetta, is the head- quarters of the British Mediterranean Fleet. What the Fly boys saw and what swells kept us from seeing— The grand harbor of Valleta ■M Another Thousandth Landing (and cake) coming up ARGOSTOLI 22-24 OCTOBER K 7E OPERATED at sea for several days and on 22 October, arrived at the port of Argostoli, Greece. Located on the island of Cephalonia and possessing one of the best pro- tected anchorages in the Mediterranean, Argos- toli had once been a beautiful resort town with a considerable historical background. However, the ravages of war had left many marks, and the many bullet holes in the walls attested to the reality of the fighting still going on not far away. As Argostoli is not exactly a huge metropolis, liberty was restricted to small percentages, aug- mented by athletic parties and hiking groups. There wasn ' t too much do to except a chance to stretch our legs, get some exercise, and drink shrubs and statues survived some beer at the clubs the Sixth Task Fleet had set up for officers and men. It was at Argostoli that we made our first acquaintance with the ever present Greek dolls, and with German occupation money and stamps. Here also we met Ouzo for the first time and found it as powerful as advertised. All in all, Argostoli was not a stellar liberty spot but the opportunity to relax ashore in the sun in the pleasant town square was good after a long period aboard ship, and those who got ashore enjoyed it. We looked forward, how- ever, to our visits to Cyprus and Athens, and on the 24th left for those ports. all kids love photographers some preferred beer to ouzo everything was SO lovely CPO ' s could drink beer, too A i ££9 -v. n .Norfolk r ib. CRAW8Y tt i - - l- ' fc. if, FAMAGUSTA, CYPRUS-OCTOBER 29-31 ON OCTOBER 29, we stopped at Famagusta for the weekend. Cyprus, the third largest island in the Mediterranean, was the third British colony visited by the LEYTE. The island was origi- nally settled by the Phoenicians, then ruled in turn by the Greeks, Romans, Moors, various Christian rulers, the Venetians and then the Turks from 1571 to 1918. Turkey lost Cyprus in 1918 as a result of the First World War. Famagusta abounds with historic landmarks and signs of the fierce fighting between the Christians and the Turks during the Middle Ages. [row.frt ' lOsToli _ _T, ' • • To Sy io. The massive city walls— three miles of them The ruins of the ancient city of Salamis, three miles north. Destroyed by the Arabs in 641. The old town with the LEYTE anchored in the bay Ruins of the Venetian Palace. Here General Bragadine was skinned alive by the Turks in 1571 after he came out under the flag of truce. The Mosque of St. Sophia originally built in the 14th Century as the Cathedral of St. Nicholas. - ' x _i - - ' ■ m mm OflM Visiting the Othello Tower. Here, according to Willie Shakespeare, poor Desdemona was strangled by her husband. Touring the new city by carriage ATHENS NOVEMBER 2-9 WHEN we arrived in Athens we reached the high point of the cruise from a historical point of view. Athens was the birthplace of our modern culture and most of the ancient temples and works of art have been at least partiallv restored. The Acropolis, with its Parthe- non and Erechtheum and other sights was, of course, the major tourist attraction, and virtually all of us got there at one time or another. Some of the other sights of the town were the Olympic Stadium, the govern- ment buildings, and the Temple of Jupiter. Some of us made the trip to Corinth for more sightseeing and most of us took the shopping tour downtown. The exchange rate of fifteen thousand to one had us feeling like millionaires until we found out the prices of drinks at the King George. Scotch was cheap at the British clubs until they ran out and Ouzo was cheap everywhere. One sip of that was enough, however. All of us bought dolls from the peddlers and postcards everywhere. With the exception of the long liberty party, a wonderful time was had by all, and even that will make a fine story for the homefolks. 41 r g - I- ■ VISITORS, ROYAL AND OTHERWISE Shortly after our arrival in Phaleron Bay, the King and Queen of Greece came out to inspect the fleet in the royal barge. In honor of the occasion we manned the rail and looked pretty sharp, if we do say so ourselves. The Des Moines fired a salute of 21 guns and the royal party went aboard her for a visit. They didn ' t come aboard the LEYTE but Admiral Combs carried our greetings as well as those of the staff. During our stay in Athens we were treated roy- ally by the Armed Services YMCA and by other groups who really went all out to show us a good time. In return we invited many guests to come aboard the ship, among them a group of war or- phans who really had a wonderful time. The rough weather at the end of the visit cut down the social life but, all in all, Athens was a fine port and well worth die time. Adm. on D.M. with royal party Full guard and band We had a good view THE LONG LIBERTY The last night in Phaleron Bay a large number of us attended the parties ashore in spite of the rough boating conditions. While we were ashore, the seas got rougher and rougher and finally it became im- possible for any more of us to return to the ship. A long, hectic night folllowed. Some lucky ones got hotel rooms. Some slept in boats, sedans, and jeeps and some of us just didn ' t sleep. The next day conditions were just as bad as before as the Beltrami came into Piraeus to pick us up. After a long and crowded wait aboard, we got underway for Salamis where the fleet had moved for safer boating condi- tions and got back aboard finally. The ship really looked good to us that night. Hey, chief! New recruits Dancing yet We were treated well at the Armed Services YMCA , r? M ft fr r I kiLi ' -■ We really inspected the Parthenon Inspection of the Guard Tomb of Marathon Runner, Olympic Stadium and Acropolis WE TOURED THE TOWN t Laugh — I thought I ' d die TRIPOLI-NOVEMBER 12-17 TRIPOLI, the capital of Libya, was our eighth and the new city with its fashionable hotels and port of call. Like most of the African cities, shops. Under Mussolini, millions of lira were spent Tripoli is divided into two parts— and old native in making Tripoli the new Rome of the Italian quarter or Casbah, which, was formerly a fortress, Empire. Looking eastward at fleet landing toward the new city British troops in front of the gate and wall of the Casbah Tripoli Cathedral Into the Casbah Break out the gas masks A PARADE was held November 16 in honor of five unknown American seamen who gave their lives in the war that crushed the Barbary pi- rates. This war broke out in 1801 when the Pasha demanded excessive tribute from the United States. America alone refused to join his protection racket and our newly born Navy and Marines accom- plished what European powers had failed to do for centuries. By the Grand Hotel . . . down the main drag 7 . m Corsairs at Wheelus Field USAF base east of Tripoli Want to buy a Fez, Yank Qwc V ? J - . st u t r , riV(LV c %t«. -| c i7c Fleets ' «. MESSINA-NOVEMBER 18-21 LEAVING Tripoli November 17, the LEYTE knifed her way northward through the Med en route to Messina, Sicily. On the 18th we tied up at the docks inside the sickle-shaped harbor of Messina. Rising high above the clouds in the back- ground is snow-covered Mt. Etna, which added to this city ' s beauty from seaward. Since this was our first gangway liberty in the Med, boat officers and crews will always have fond memories of Messina. Now go to your stations all the special sea and mooring detail MESSINA, completely destroyed by an earth- quake in 1908 (84,000 persons were killed), was rebuilt only to be battered seriously 32 years Liberty commences for sections one and three, to expire on board ship at 2400-18 November later when the ravages of World War II struck here. Today it is mostly restored, although many of the buildings still standing show scars of bombings. The peddlers were out in force to rob-l mean-greet us The LEYTE and the harbor from Christi Regina King Neptune Italian War Memorial Messina Cathedral with its famous clock. At noon the lion roars, angels ring the bells and the cock crows TAORMINA SOME thirty miles south of Messina lies the pic- turesque antique resort town of Taormina. Her elevated position gives a beautiful view of the coast- line with Mount Etna to the south completing a scene of magnificent charm. The town was founded by the Greek colonists who left this theatre, 377 feet in diameter, seating 40,000 people. The pit was used to hold animals when the Romans used the theatre for their blood- thirsty games. Today, Taormina is the chief resort town of Sicily and rivals Capri for its scenery and quaint charm. The winding road op the steep cliffs Panorama of the town The guide gives us a blow-by-blow description of the battles of two thousand years ago. In this arena the gladiators fought to attain glory, money, or death. SHOPPING SPREE, SPAGHETTI STYLE DURING our visits to five Italian ports, we really went all out for shopping. Millions of lira were spent in amassing loot such as oil paintings. cameos, gloves, watches, music boxes and souvenirs of every description. Gibraltar had little to offer, save its excellent tweeds and other cloths. In France you could buy the best of perfumes, but how pretty can you smell? And, of course, such places as Greece, Tripoli and Cyprus were barren, Grecian dolls and statuettes the only worthwhile objects to be found. But Italy eased the gift problem for everyone. Actually, what von couldn ' t find in Italy would be difficult to un- cover in the States. So, in ecstasy, the souvenir sharks swarmed ashore, loaded with lira, to take or be taken. First purchase. The chestnut vender scores again! Check and check again. Good cameos were hard to find. From lamps to oil paintings. All this and more could be had anywhere in Italy. From Leicas to Baby Brownies. Name it and you could have it. LEGHORN (LIVORNO)-NOVEMBER 23-28 WHO can forget the rainy Thanksgiving period that we spent in Leghorn, Italy? Rain storms and rough seas limited liberty to a couple of days, yet almost everyone got ashore for a look at the wonders of Northern Italy. Leghorn, a Nazi stronghold in 1944, took a ter- rific punishment. Ruined buildings and a harbor littered with wrecks reminded us of the furious fight- ing of five years ago. We were anchored about a mile outside the breakwaters; therefore the boat-runs, on the days when we had only six feet swells, were long and rough. Liberty in Leghorn proved about the same as in Messina— souvenirs, cameos, and, of course, vino. Leghorn had a few sig hts of interest so the intel- lectuals took buses to see the famous towns of Pisa and Florence. Be no- One of the more sanitary meat markets Leghorn ' s major point of interest was the Italian Naval Academy. Several hundred Italian naval officers and cadets went out on Friday, November 25 to spend their first day at sea aboard a carrier. They were greatly impressed by the flying and dive bombing of our airdales. THE MARBLE MARVELS OF PISA SOME seven miles north of Leghorn lies Pisa, a town made world-famous by its leaning tower. The Leaning Tower was built as a bell tower, adja- cent to Pisa ' s beautiful Cathedral, in 1174 and com- pleted in 1350. Poor foundations caused the edi- fice to lean before the builders had finished the third floor. Today this tower of white marble leans some fifteen feet out of the perpendicular. Many of us climbed the 293 steps to the top gallery. Looking down from here, we felt a sensation of falling over or the feeling that we had one too many. The oblique position of this tower enabled Galileo to make his famous experiments on the law of gravity here. i •••• ' if knew t •iHuutb N..t SHToppeo r 5i« C OCrHftC s The Cathedral, Baptistry, and Campo Santo, along with the famous tower, tell of the glorious past and departed splendor of Pisa. These four buildings were built about 1200 A.D. on what is now called the field of miracles. All four lean to some extent due to their poor foundations. Pisa was once a great seaport, although she is now several miles from the sea. Pisa lost her prosperity and power in wars with the rival cities of Florence and Genoa. Today, her ancient buildings remain a symbol of the profound religious feeling, the love of art, and the spirit of the Middle Ages. 1 I I Where Bambinos Get Their First Bath Jomc of u3 w f on fovrj tor Cuffvrc - Swn . FLORENCE (FIRENZE) FLORENCE will always hold an outstanding place in world history as a center of culture and the cradle of the Renaissance. Florence is situated some fifty miles from the mouth of the Amo River. Many of us took the CIT Tours to this beautiful town. After a three-hour bus ride, with a brief stop at Pisa, we reached Firenze, which means flower in Italian. We spent two afternoons seeing the magnificent sights of Florence. Florence grew from an old Roman town of Fiesole at a bridge across the Arno. Between the 13th and 16th century Florence reached its zenith as a banking, trade and art center. During the Renaissance the city was covered with monuments, palaces, and marvelous churches. Great artists such as Michelangelo, Raphael, and Cellini; great writers such as Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio; and great scientists such as Galileo and Leonardo da Vinci spread her fame throughout Europe. We saw Florence ' s beautiful churches, her fort- ress-like palaces and marvelous art galleries. With regret we left this beautiful city at the end of two davs. Chapel of the Princes Cathedral of St. Mary of the Flower • ti ' . ±% Palazzo Veechio Ponte Veoehio with its shops PALERMO-DECEMBER 3-7 THE LEYTE steamed into Palermo on December 3rd, a week ' s operations with the entire task licet still warm and weary in OUT memories. Sicily ' s capital and largest city didn ' t prove a liberty hound ' s delight, hut the sunny disposition and atmosphere made it interesting. Fringed around the edge of a semicircular bav in the northern part of the island, Palermo is guarded by a towering, beautiful rock similar to Gibraltar. And. like the Hock, it boasts a history as up and down as a pendulum. Italy relieved English and Spanish elements of Sunny Sicily in 1860, and has been rewarded by such nice groups as the Mafia (Black Hand Society) and Giuliano and his merry men, a gang of bandits who presently have die police chiefs behind the well-known eight ball. Palermo is also the home town of Lucky Luciano. — £ Monte Pellegrino gazes down across . . . Palermo, the capital of all Sicily. ! ' ' The Cathedral of Palermo. Unchanged in a 1000 Years. Well in an old Moorish Mosque of the Sixth Century. St. John of the Hermit ' s Church BIG AS A BARN, BARREN AS A BOULDER THOUGH not to be considered third-rate, Pa- lermo failed to live up to its advance notices. The night life was tepid, along with liberty in gen- eral. The ratio of shore patrol to liberty-goers had just about evened out, one shore patrolman to a liberty hound, when at last we upped and left, not too regretfully. One cigarette, Joe? ' The center of boredom— oops, we mean town Sunday drivers The Dome. Another youngster a mere eight centuries old Which way to the nearest bar? Take two turns left for four, then right for two, I think THE CATACOMBS-WELL, DRY MY HIDE! NOT in use, thank goodness, since 1881, the Capuchin Catacombs had all the beauty of a Dab ' painting. But its spooky air drew many men to these underground corridors of the dead, in spite of some 80,000 mummified bodies strewn about. It was fascinating to see, but b-r-r! even better to climb out into that bright sunshine again. Mum - mies the word Looks like the LEYTE ' S ehowline, don ' t it? MONREALE-A WELCOME CHANGE rpHE bright mosaics and murals looked even more • - gorgeous after leaving the caves of death. A xMoorish fountain and beautiful cloisters added even more to the attraction of this ageless cathedral. Buried within are the bodies of old Norman kings, William the Good and William the Bad. We never found out what happened to William the Medium. Monreales altar— bright and beautiful Looking into the court yard of the cloisters of Monreale at the Fountain of Youth Bumboats Here, Too Vice-Adm. Ballentine inspects guard. AUGUSTA, SICILY UPON departure from Palermo, we began to make preparations in earnest for our Christmas stay in Naples. To do this, we went to the Italian naval base city of Augusta on the eastern coast of Sicily. Liberty was restricted to fif- teen per cent because the town of Au- gusta simply could not handle large liberty parties. There were four taxis in town and five restaurants. However, there was an unlimited supply of car- rozzos and the nearby towns of Syra- cuse and Catania provided additional diversions. Some of us had our wives come over— Mrs. Erdmann visits the Greek Theatre. Syracuse was only an hour away by train and the early Greek ruins there were visited by quite a number of LEYTE personnel. It was in Syracuse that Archimedes is reputed to have dis- covered the law of buoyancy and to have exclaimed, Eureka, I have found it! Nearby Catania provided excellent shopping but not too many people could make the trip there. Snow-capped Mt. Etna was clearly visible in the distance but was a little too far away for a visit. For some of us, beer parties and softball games ashore were arranged, but for the Gunnery and Air Depart- ments there was a steady diet of work in preparation for the Naples visit. The ship was painted inside and out and scrubbed until she sparkled. In addi- tion, we took on 225 tons of stores to re- plenish the larder. On the 19th of December we weighed anchor and set sail northward through the Straits of Messina, past Stromboli, and up to see Cameo Joe. Capt. Kapsch cuts cake on 21,000th landing Food, at last! Money to burn, but no place to burn it NAPLES, ITALY-DEC. 20-JAN. 3 ON THE 20th of December we steamed into the Naples, the largest city we visited during the beautiful Bay of Naples, passed by the re- cruise, has 1,300,000 people, 90 per cent of whom nowned Isle of Capri and majestic Vesuvius, and were peddlers, guides and taxi drivers. MostLEYTE at 1036, moored off the pier at the entrance of the men agreed that, except for France, it was still the harbor, best Med liberty. £ 5 JAW NAPLES LANDMARKS NAPLES has the most beautiful site in Europe. The blue bay and Vesuvius, stretching 4,000 feet into the sky, combine to form a sight of rare beauty. Naples was founded by the Greeks and received its name from two Greek words meaning new city. Naples was under conquerors by the expanding Roman Kingdom in the fourth century B.C. It was the capital of the kingdom of two Sicilies for a long time. In 1860 Garibaldi ' s famous march resulted in Naples joining the present country of Italy. In Naples we found many signs of its historic past. Castel Nuovo (1280), another vestige of Naples ' feudal Castel St. Elmo (1329) on a hill dominating Naples from days. the New Castle. Galleria Umberto in downtown Naples, everything from soup to nuts. Admiring the sculpture of old. COME TO THE DAWNCE-DECEMBER 22 WITH a dignity and restraint much out of char- acter, the Christmas social and dance was held at the Hotel Hangardeck, Bay One and Second Avenue. The subdued though pleasant atmosphere was due, we suppose, to the lack of females. But despite the shortage of partners, LEYTE ' S tenants had a good time. No monkeyshines at this dance though, because half of the small number of women were chaperones, darn it! The music ' s soft, so are the girls. Making points with Momma. CHRISTMAS-A DAY FOR THE KIDS INSTEAD of sleigh, Saint Nick blew into Naples this Xmas on a big, gray aircraft carrier. The crew responded to the unfortunate kids ' plight in heart-warming fashion. Giving much of their time and efforts, the men of the LEYTE fashioned a bright, merry Christmas for these orphans. On the same day, we were honored by the presence of the Cardinal of Naples, who came aboard to receive the many bundles of clothing we gathered for the poor folic of the city. All in all, we celebrated the great day in a great way. Just a guy we all believe in. Santa h as been good, so home with the loot. POMPEY TN POMPEY, the LEYTE men found ruins to beat J- all ruins. Here ' s the best preserved town of ancient times in the world. In 79 B.C., Vesuvius blew her top and covered Pompev as well as some 2,000 -people with twenty feet of lava. This pro- tection preserved Pompev from the ravages of na- ture and war, so the buildings look much today like they did nineteen hundred years ago. Statues and paintings still adorn the walls. Large numbers of us took the twenty-mile bus ride from Naples to visit this ancient wonder. All of us said that the trip was worth its weight in gold. Abundance Street The Forum of Old Pompei Amphitheatre with Vesuvius smoking, about ten miles away. Temple to Apollo (The Sun God) A little rundown, but not bad for two thousand years. TWAS ON THE ISLE OF CAPRI THAT I MET HER ONE of the most beautiful sights in the world is the fascinating Island of Capri. Originally part of the mainland, Capri became an island thou- sands of years ago when nature made a mile gap between the present island and the Sorrento penin- sula. The island beauty is enhanced by steep cliffs and several wondrous grottoes. Many famous peo- ple have villas along the steep cliffs. Many people took the three-hour ferry trip to Capri while we were in Naples. Many also took a tour by bus to picturesque Sorrento and Amalfi. The Famous Twin Rocks The Town of Capri The Blue Grotto The sulphur fumes of the Little Vesuvius near Naples. Stromboli— that explosive volcanic island south of Naples, where Ingrid Bergman . . . NEW YEAR ' S EVE ABOARD THE LEYTE WHILE the world and most of the Navy is out and howling, a few brave but unhappy souls are duty-stricken on New Year ' s Eve. A slight but satisfactory consolation is the old Navy custom- of framing the mid-watch log in poetry, which is exactly what Lt. (jg) Richard McCool did. With assists from the watch and several happy kibitzers, he turned out one of the better verses we ' ve seen. His wistful labors are recorded for posterity. In the city of Naples we start this year, Moored one hundred yards from a historic pier Molo San Vincenzo is the name of this dock, A horrible place, made of marble and rock. Our moorings are various— we ' re starboard side to. From the mole to the south there ' s an odor of glue The lines to the pier are under no strain. And the liberty party is feeling no pain. Three buoys are holding the LEYTE secure. To the east of these to aid in the moor, Fifteen fathoms of chain through the gullnose is led, Such mooring is typical here in the Med. For auxiliary use there ' s a boiler alive. The Engineers tell us it ' s probably five; The phone we are using and the water we drink, Are coming from Naples along with the stink. Commander, Sixth Task Fleet is present today, He ' s senior to all those here in the bay. His flagship Des Moines is moored nearby. In a place where the odor must really be high. There are other ships present too numerous to name, And many Marines with their claims to fame. This poem is finished, but before I forget. The condition of closure called Yoke is set. ' Naples really wasn ' t that bad but it had to rhyme. ■ r AU he erte eeu-i i j TuT e 5+ i A « •  8c tl%eTop Just so the Airdales don ' t complain, here is their log: 0001 HAPPY NEW YEAR! 0001 With planes inspected and all secure, The New Year ' s here, we know for sure, The 1st and 3rd Sections all aboard, The 2nd and 4th, who knows but the Lord. 0100 Hour by hour we pound this beat, And all we get is two flat feet, Comes sleet, rain, hail or snow, The hours pass, but gosh, so slow. 0200 Now here ' s to those who wish us well, In dear old MAG-11 All the rest can go to H — , But never go to heaven. 0300 This is my story, this is my tale, Homeward bound we will not fail. Home to the ones we love so dear, And an ice-box, we hope, full of beer. 0345 The time has come, my watch is o ' er, To Dave Geddes, I give this bore. To watch over each and every plane. His chance to strike for dear old fame. 0345 Properly relieved by 2nd Lt. David G. Geddes. (s) R. B. LIPSCOMBE, JR. 1st Lt, U. S. M. C, Flight Deck S. D. O. ROME-THE ETERNAL CITY SIX HUNDRED LEYTE men, who managed to keep twenty-five bucks from the peddlers and bartenders, took a three-day whirl about the Eternal City. We had to rise in the wee hours, endure a cigarette search by the customs and a frigid five- hour bus ride, but it was worth it. If our old bus didn ' t break down (some did), we arrived at the hotel around noon and began our sightseeing after dinner. Night life in Rome proved very high. One Marine got the shock of his life on being pre- sented a check for 91,000 lira ($140). The tour included visits to the four Basilicas: St. Mary Major, St. John Lateran, St. Paul ' s, and St. Peter ' s, enabling the Catholic personnel to complete the Holy Year Pilgrimage. HISTORIC CHURCHES St. John Lateran St. Mary Major m St. Paul ' s St. Peter ' s St. Angelo ' s St. Angelo ' s, former fortress and home of early Popes. Pantheon The Pantheon, the oldest church in Rome, first pagan and later Christian. THE REMNANT OF THE ONCE MIGHTY ROMAN EMPIRE T OME has the most fascinating history of all • - cities. For over one thousand years, Rome was the undisputed mistress of the known world; for almost two thousand years, the seat of the Catholic Church; and since 1870 the Capital of Italy. In Rome we found everything— traces of the Pagan civilization, the foundations of Christianity, the Art of the Renaissance, and Monuments of the recent past. Arch of Constantine, commemorating the vic- tory granted the Roman Emperor which convert- ed him and Rome to Christianity  i- Coliseum— 60,000 capac- ity arena where gladia- tors and beasts met in battle Italian National Monu- ment and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. iHfc . i tf ? Gate of St. Paul, part of the Old Wall of Rome. Ruins of the Forum. Cicero made famous orations here. On Ides of March, Caesar met his violent death. VATICAN CITY WE WERE fortunate to be in Rome at the commencement of the Holy Year. One group saw the Pope open the Holy Door of St. Peter ' s, while others had a private audience. A FULL morning was spent in seeing the spacious Vatican Art Gallery and Museum as well as the in- terior of St. Peter ' s. Michelangelo ' s paintings on the walls and ceiling of the Sistine Chapel left our necks cramped but our minds elevated. 9 ' 0? ' w At the entrance to the Vatican Museum we were plagued by peddlers St. Peter ' s mighty dome— 403 feet high. Interior of St. Peter ' s— longest Cathedral in the world (even longer than the LEYTE). St. Peter ' s Square, where 300,000 people gathered Christmas Eve. ORAN AND MERS-EL-KEBIR ALGERIA AFTER leaving Naples we operated for four days and arrived in Mers-el-Kebir on the 7th of January. The ship was moored to the long jetty there and eventually we had bus service right from the gangway to Oran. Although the weather was good most of the time, a strong north wind had waves breaking over the sea wall one day. It was pleasant to get back to a town with French atmosphere, and most of us enjoyed French cooking again. Prices were reasonable in most places. We all bought at least one fez and played Arab for awhile. We spent the French francs we had left over from the Riviera and, in general, had a very good time. In nearby Sidi bel Abbes, the French Foreign Legion had its headquarters so a large number of us made the trip and had a very interesting after- noon. The guides were very helpful and showed us around the place in fine fashion. The focal point of interest was the Legion Museum with its Trophy Room where we could see visible evidence of the many campaigns in which the Legion had partaken. 111 mm imiM - A French Transport with replacement troops, moored just ahead of us. Other sights of interest were the Cathedral of St. Joan of Arc, the Arab sections, and the long tun- nel cut through the mountain between Oran and Mers-el-Kebir. Although we had a very enjoyable time in Oran, the end of the cruise was in sight, and we were all very happy to head toward Gibraltar for the last stop on the way home. The native girls were a little bashful. The Cathedral was near the heart of town There were many interesting items in the Foreign Legion Museum and Trophy Room at Sid Bel Abbes GIBRALTAR AGAIN-JANUARY 14-17 AFTER a one-day journey from Oran, the mense joy of all hands. We transferred tons of sup- LEYTE again dropped the hook under the plies to the Midway as well as forty sailors, who Rock for one last crack at Mediterranean liberty. shipped over for another Med cruise. Two days later the Midway arrived to the im- Anchored in the shade of The Rock again. One last hike around The Rock. bs •V.rnT tas fiMtt OH HAPPY DAY - IT ' S THE MIDWAY At 0S00, January 16, every eye was looking westward tor the vision of our relief coming through the haze. At last the Midway arrived and the darkness began to lift. THE BEST PART OF THE CRUISE-HEADING HOME ) - ON OUR a a out OARS ' STATED IN Si HT  -2 iJaRfi.oWo.cl in 3f ia.ns. ONO- Nine DAY MARINES «ome6y GET vovir T keti fqa, Tht, 7o«i of e-B AWB St. iUlihls « o Noftfo K Nic-HT di-e. T rtvc-e - 5 oil IQO ,oqq ua£ END OF CRUI E 1300 mo STATISTICS OF THE CRUISE MaKiho THE 20ooo UkoivKx 1. -Miles Steamed 2— Takeoffs 3— Landings 19,090 2,686 2,598 4— Countries Visited 11 5— Ports Visited 14 6— Boat Landings (Port Gangway) 19,999 7— Condition Yoke Set 882 Times 8-Tuhes Blown 333 Times 9-A.P.C.s Dished Out 99,900 10-Cals Left Behind _„???? We had nothing better for killing this page— So! Thanks for the memory Of October on the Biviera, Tripoli and the Sahara, Of Classes flowers, whiskey sours, And Pisas Leaning Tower, too; How interesting it was. Thanks for the memory Of the boatswain s There Will Be No Spending Christmas drinking vino. Lovely Capri and gay Paree And the cab drivers mighty fee How expensive it was. And great was the lucre we wasted And innumerous the liquor we tasted Oh well, it was swell (?) while it lasted But we did have Inn And no harm done. And thanks for the memory Ol our lour months in the Med From Gibraltar to Port Said; Of St. Peters dome, ruins of Borne, And ruins ol Athens, too; Aw Fully glad I saw vou But happier going home So thank on so much. - TSU THf 7VG WFif7?S To OFT THAT I. ft off THE 5 HIP H.R f?nd a r son VS.nc MEDICAL DEPARTMENT IN ACTION Destroyer sends over an emergency ease. Minutes later: One less appendix. Ouch! What seems like a shot of lead prepares us for Pilot Truex, who crash-landed at sea a day before Gibraltar diseases in the Med! ' « well taken care of. SOME ASTOUNDING FACTS ABOUT THE U.S.S. LEYTE 1. She carries enough fuel to sail non-stop 30,000 milts 2. She produces enough electricity for a city l 150,000. 3. Three football games could be held on her deck i length almost 300 yards). 1. She ' s as tall as a 19-story building, covers an ana equal to a 10-story department store. 5. She has more telephones than a city of 5,000. 0. She has more sleeping space than the largest hotel in the world. 7. She has o ver 2.000 watertight compartments. 8. Over 25,000 pounds of salt compound extracted daily in the evaporators. 9. She has enough gasoline to drive a car around the world 132 times. 10. The initial cost was around $90,000,000. 11. She carries some 95 planes. 12. The Engineering plant: 8 boilers, 8 turbines, 4 propellers with a shaft horsepower of 150,000. 13. Armament: Main Battery — 12-5 38 caliber dual-purpose guns; Secondary Battery— 11 quadruple 40MM mounts and 18 twin 20MM mounts. 14. The LEYTE displaces 27,000 tons and weighs her two 15-ton anchors. 15. The wartime complement of the LEYTE is approximately 3,000 officers and men. Its peacetime allowance is 82 officers and about 1,500 men. A Brief Description of the LEYTE ' S Organization The LEYTE is commanded by Captain W. L. Erdmann. For smooth organization, ship ' s company is divided into eight departments with department heads as listed below: Executive Commander F. N. Howe Operations Commander B. E. Day Air Commander F. G. Reynolds Gunnery Lt. Commander R. G. Gibson Engineering Commander J. B. Guerry Supply Commander L. J. McNulty Medical Commander R. B. Lautzenheiser Dental Commander N. 1 1 Martin Attached to the LEYTE during this Mediter- Air Group, Col. I. W. Seeds; a Navy Composite ranean cruise were the Flag and Staff of a Carrier Squadron, Lt. P. Tangas; Second Battalion, Second Division Two, RADM. Thomas S. Combs; a Marine Marines (Reinforced), Lt. Col. C. L. Banks. STAFF, CARRIER DIVISION TWO THE staff of a naval commander is the organization set up to assist him in the administration and operation of his command, and is composed of such officers and men as may he necessary to enable him to carry out properly all of his command functions. Spec ifically, the functions of a staff are to collect the necessary detailed and accu- rate information on all phases of a given situation, be it strategic, tactical, or logistic, and then carefully study and evaluate the infor- mation in order that plans, schedules, and directives can be drawn up for distribution to subordinate commands. In addition to the above, higher commands must be supplied with information and reports. Commander Carrier Division Two and his staff flew from Norfolk, Va., to Quonset Point, R. I., on 4 September 1949 and broke the Ad- miral ' s Flag in the LEYTE that same day. Nearly five months later, with the Med cruise at an end, the Admiral hauled down his flag aboard the LEYTE and broke it in the Coral Sea, his flagship under the new fleet organization. The LEYTE, under the new organization, becomes part of Carrier Division Four. Therefore, we part company with a good staff and wish you good luck and smooth sailing. First Row: LCDR R. W. Parker, Capt. T. U. Sisson, RADAA T. S. Combs, Cmdr. O ' Neill, LCDR J. M. Tippey. Second Row: LCDR F. R. Roberts, LCDR E. B. Abrams, LTCR W. E. McLaughlin, Lt. G. C. Watkins, LCDR W. E. Betzer. Captain T. U. Sisson, U.S.N. Chief of Staff REAR ADMIRAL THOS. S. COMBS, USN, Commander, Carrier Division Two Flag Personnel EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT CDR. F. N. HOWE npHE Administrative Department of the ship is directly under the supervision of the Executive Officer. Such a statement may not seem very pro- found since the Executive Officer, as second in com- mand of the ship, exercises supervision over all the departments. It is, however, true— the Administra- tive Department is the Exec ' s own and a s as such its activities are as diversified as those of the Executive Officer himself. All matters pertaining to officer and enlisted personnel records, ship ' s orders and memo- randa, disposition of official mail, berthing, printing, legal work, policing the ship, education, training, morale, ship ' s library, religious services, and public information are handled by the Administrative De- partment. And that isn ' t all!! If an officer or man wants to attend a service school, or wants leave, special liberty, special pay, or special anything else, the administrators take care of it. They also dis- pense information, both accurate and inaccurate, on anything concerning the Navy. What ' s that? Big, did vou say? No, the department isn ' t big— just good, that ' s all, just good. Ask any man in it!! UhHW tWL LT. (jg) TREMAINE, Educational Officer and CHAPLAIN SPINNEY talk it over. ' X DIVISION NAVY BAND No. 170 ONE of the Navy ' s top-flight bands, these trans- planted be-boppers reported just prior to the cruise. Under the direction of George Cozy Ort- myer, the band had a sometimes hectic, sometimes pleasureable, but always busy tour of duty. In addi- tion to routine colors, guard mounts and constant honors, they ' ve been called on for several dances, ashore and aboard, not to mention field music for Marines ' drilling. To round out their vigorous schedule, music before each movie was another daily task. Undecided as to send them to shore duty or leave them at sea, the Navy compromised and sent them to the USS Missouri, which, at this writing, was also undecided. Good-bye, good luck and may you finally get the audiences you deserve. ' The Riders Of The Sea or Artistry in Confusion. ff. % pftidtJ .1 u. in LT. CDR. SCHWAB Asst. Air Officer AIR DEPARTMENT CDR. REYNOLDS Head of Air Dept. THE Air Department of an Aircraft Carrier is the job of handling, maintaining and servicing the composed of three divisions whose responsibility aircraft assigned and on board. They are truly the it is to see that the carrier is truly a complete base men behind the men who fly. for the air group embarked. To these divisions fall [NO 5MQKIN ) The Ship ' s Champs V-l Basketball Team FLIGHT DECK CREW-V-1 DIVISION TllK V-] FLIGHT DECK I iu w is composed of six units. There are five plane-handling crews who, along with the plane directors, tractor drivers and spotters, handle all traffic on the Bight deck. They are re- sponsible lor JMinching, landing and spotting of all aircraft. The sixth unit, Repair VIII, handles all flight deck emergencies such as fires and deck crashes. flfi if . «!. • f if iflf if 4 - ' i. 1 1 f ' f s f 3 9 , f. f ■ f .f r HANGAR DECK CREW The h uigeh deck crew is composed of plane han- the air group. The hangar deck crew is part of the dlers and plane directors who handle traffic on the V-l Division and works hand-in-hand with the hangar deck. They are responsible for spotting Flight Deck Crews. planes on the hangar deck for launching and landing -« ' 5? w — I ' « o ■«? ■ . ' +. 1 1 1 CATAPULT AND ARRESTING GEAR CREW V-l DIVISION This crew operates and maintains the hydraulic catapults and arresting gear engines and their many component parts. Catapults literally shoot an air- craft off the carrier deck, regardless of the speed or directions of the wind. The arresting gear safely brings a landing airplane to a stop in the short land- ing space available. Vif. ' l ' Vf , t f f M ■i , ■ m i n r v V-2 DIVISION Thin di ision ' s responsibility is to have available the necessary shops, tools, parts and equipment for the complete maintenance of aircraft operating from the ship. Tins division is also responsible for the air department administration. JTj 1J TR V-3 DIVISION Tin: V-3 division is composed of two units, the Ord- nance Unit and the Gasoline Unit. It is the function of the V-3 Division to service the aircraft with ma- chine gun ammunition, bombs, rockets, torpedoes, pyrotechnics, gasoline and oil. The famed Rock of Gibraltar forms the background for this picture. THE SIXTH DIVISION-SHIPS COMPANY MARINES 1 - f r ?. 1 f • ' 1? J T ffJ?2  : 1 It ' ' a $ - j L fl I k. , •• - -T- 1 V - : v ' ir 4 • y 1 ? i }i tti ' % i i l l 111 W I I f ! , v i ' l i T f . 1 , ;: ! i i v [1 I THE LEYTE, like all of the larger ships in the U. S. Navy, carries a detachment of U. S. Ma- rines. This detachment constitutes a small striking force, to be utilized as trouble shooters, gun crews and guards. Captain Ray B. Wall, the Commanding Officer Marine Detachment, and Sergeant Major Henry M. Walters were faced with the problem of getting all persons to coordinate their activities so that a cracker-jack detachment would be a realization rather than a dream. Events materialized fast; we were whipped into shape and were designated as a platoon in Dog Company (a provisional company composed of ship ' s detachments from the ships of the 6th Task Fleet). As this platoon we participated in the land- ings on Malta and Crete. To hit Malta we transferred from the LEYTE to the Grand Canyon. Living here was most amus- ing as we bunked in the forward torpedo storage compartment. We made the landing in Malta, made, a tactical march across the island, came back to the beach and withdrew back to the LEYTE. Our next landing was on Crete. We transferred to the U.S.S. JOHNSTON, DD 821, at Argostoli, Greece. Ah! the 821. What a ship! Everyone took us in like a bunch of orphans. In fact, we were treated in such a grand manner that the detachment officers were afraid that we would ship over in the Navy for duty aboard the 821. There will always be a warm spot in our hearts and an extra beer for the lads on that can. Our duties aboard here are routine. We man sector 3 of the secondary AA gun batteries. That is the 40 ' s and the 20 ' s. In addition to the gunnery commitments we function as the ship ' s guard. Our cruise in the Med has taken us to many ports. We have seen many interesting, historical and cultural sights. It is said that one of our senior NCO ' s plans to write a book on his experiences in the various night spots of southern Europe. With a view to our happy homecoming in the U. S., we close our account, rich in the knowledge we have gained and chock-full of sea stories and reveries for the future. I ' M mwm § . Hard at work on Invasion Plans Back to The LEYTE NOW THE GUNNERY OFFtctK ViRL 2 2 2 ' THE MOST EFFICIENT DEPARTMENT ON THE SHIP (According to Kelley) The wheels that keep us in suspense During each and every Air Defense The gun boss himself figuring out why we only got ten sleeves last practice. The First Lt. figures our position as the assistant gun boss keeps us on station. The gunnery department, under LCDR Gibson, has a two-fold purpose: to keep the guns in readi- ness to repel attack and to perform numerous tasks of deck seamanship. Mr. Gibson is assisted by two very capable mus- tangs. Lt. Hale, the first lieutenant, oversees such deck work as dropping the anchor, swinging booms, lowering ladders, and operating the boats. He is also responsible to the Captain for the cleanli- ness of the ship. Thus, Mr. Hale checks daily to see that the LEYTE is in top Erdmanship shape. Mr. Elliott, the assistant gunnery officer with Mr. Gibson, keeps our battery of twelve 5-inch guns and numerous 40 ' s and 20 ' s in working order. He also insures that the office staff of Knox, Reinhardt, Kel- ley and The Mighty Joe Young are busy on BuOrd publications instead of comic books. The Roaring Forties V sfV. | The Mighty Five-Inch The Tiny, yet Toxic, Twenties ' FIRST DIVISION ' THE FIRST division, twenty-six men strong, is the jack-ot ' -all-trades ' ' division. At sea they look after the upkeep of the forward hold, renew lines, and run the Sail Loeker and Bos ' ii ' s Loeker. In port. Mr. Broadbent and Stokes keep their men hot on the ship ' s sides. Chiefs Biggs, Drobeck, George and Wagner keep a general check on all the gunnery divisions. ■■■■« ' SECOND DIVISION ' The second division, under Mr. Cupp and Mr. Bod- mer, operates the Forward Five-Inch Battery, be- sides the deck duties, such as running boats, swing- ing booms, and dropping the hook. Chiefs Bowen and Shealy and Gunners Mates Verras and Norris keep mounts one to four in shape, and Boatswains McGovern and Leverette check on the deck work. ix it i Ki$ £ 1UM ? . % 4T { ' THIRD DIVISION ' The third division, under Lt. (jg) Segal, ably as- sisted by Chief Smith and Boatswains Silva and Greene, is the largest of the deck divisions. Besides manning five 40MM Mounts, they look after the Gig and a Motor Launch, chip a lot of paint, keep the quarterdeck shipshape, and operate the forward fueling boom. t ' ftfW? ? ? f ? W 1 i lis.. I b i ' FOURTH DIVISION ' The fourth division, under Mr. Topping and Wamsley, ably assisted by Pappy Briggs, Boat- swain Mate First, man the after five-inch battery and keep the fantail in shape. Gunners Brombacker, McCrary, Haskins and Randall keep the five-inch blasting away while Boatswains Hudson, McNeely, Gutowski and Douglas keep the boats on schedule. :sL j6l M. m ' m m M .% W ft W- ' i « FIFTH DIVISION The fighting ra ra, under l.t. (jg) Johnsen, op- erate three VMM Mounts and handle two boats. Boatswains Morgan, Sloan, Freeman and Yon bring the groceries and other supplies aboard at the After Crane, while Chief Peltier prepares Mounts 16 and IS for the dav when a sleeve will eome in on the fantail. MA ml i. iff ' ? t ,t ?; f  ; t.f if jf i Jfr ' -% ' SEVENTH DIVISION ' The seventh division, under Lt. (jg) Powers, mans the majority of the ship ' s 20MM guns besides run- ning boats, swinging booms and other deck tasks. Griffin keeps the 20 ' s from jamming and Boatswains Palmer and Movnihan direct the deck work. JLJk d i : . :?. l«Tii l t : i- ' m i i t ' S i - ItlL J 2 Ja JL JLJL r •  ' -  £ 1 i 1 i - FOX DIVISION Fox division consists first of the Ship ' s Torpedomen headed by Smith, L. EL, TMC, Nicholson, J. H., TMC, Coffin, S. T., TMC, Oleson, N. E., TMC, and Cole, F., TM1. That is a lot of high priced help, and we know who the over-worked boys are that keep the plane drivers supplied with their TIN FISH. We also have the Gunners Gang who take care of the ship ' s bullets. They are headed by Gunner Cavalcante (who wore civies ashore once in Italy and had a hard time getting past customs on his way home); Vedomske, C. M., GMC, Sharp, A. L., GMC, Westergom, A. E.| Melville, R. I. and Batcherlor, T. F., all GM1; surely a lot of you boys remember these lads. Liberty cards were held for failure to return SP gear. Then there is the snake that swallowed its tail, or the Gunnery Yeoman. Try to get some straight dope and it ' s old Kelley to Knox to Rein- hardt to Young to Kelley— what a deal. Then we have CHGUN Walters (who, from clippings received from the States, is on a ship headed for the Persian Gulf) and his gang of brains headed by Gorman, R. T., FCC; Allen, R., FCC; Dingas, W. R., FC1; Hardin, B. S., FC2; Rulenz, E. G., FC2; Brandon, K. H., FC2. At the latest report the Fire Control Gang is the only one aboard ship that can get away with one pay slip per man pay day after pay day. Of course, they go to school after school to learn how, so they don ' t start to talk about it until they have a few at the P. D. Last, but far from least, we have Lt. ( jg) McCool, who we hear, has never quite gotten over Paris; Lt. ( jg ) Havlin who was seen steaming around Gibral- tar on a brand spanking new bike, and, of course, Daddy Dade, BM1, who handles all the Division headaches from muster on station to working parties. That is about all there is to tell about this Hot Divi- sion, except for the very obvious fact we have the best looking lads aboard. LCDR Hennessey and Mayer planning the new look Leyte The Chaplain ' s No. 1 Man— Lt. Radeliffe— in a demonstration el jefe CDR Guerry THE ENGINEERS are strange people who work in the nether regions of the ship. They go for days without sight- ing the sea upon which they sail. The air they breathe must make myriad passages through air ducts before it reaches them. There are no stars in this world— only light bulbs. For some of these creatures the sun is only a myth. Oil and steam are the only established elements. Their coffee is made with boiler water. Their night ra- tions are flavored with grease. They do not wash their clothes, they steam them. Their ears are constantly filled with the din of meshing gears. They live in alternately hot and cold existence in this land of forced drafts and superheat. They are oblivious to everything that happens outside of the Spaces. In short, they live a very mole-like existence. You would naturally expect such persons to be slightly eccentric; maybe even downright peculiar. Well, they are. For a graphic example take a look at those three guys bend- ing over that lathe. Notice particularly the one wearing the hat. He is an officer. He gives the impression that he is concentrating on the lathe, but he isn ' t. He is daydream- ing about being upon deck, flying a Corsair, becoming an L. S. O. Just an average Engineer, just average. ER DIVISION ' ER division repairs all electronic equipment be- connected yond the capacity of other departments to which assigned. They operate and maintain all equipment with electronic repair. They white collar workers of the department. the ftf f i 1 11 mii «j 4 ? i v!f S j  « W 1 v 1 •  J 111 B DIVISION STARBOARD GROUP B division, the backbone of the Engineering De- partment, has the duty of operating, maintaining and repairing all of the LEYTE ' S eight boilers and their auxiliaries. This in itself is a gigantic task, and is sufficient to keep the greater percentage of the division ' s 152 men busy. In addition, they are responsible for the stowage and transfer of all fuel oil. Refueling at sea is an obviously important op- eration-so important, in fact, that the man who supervises this duty is called a king, an Oil King. You know when the king is in his castle, all ' s right with the ship. This would seem to suffice, but no— B Division has one more important responsibility —that is the operation and maintenance of all evap- orators. All the water you drink, brush your teeth with, shower in, and make coffee with is brought to you by the courtesy of B Division. Yes, the real backbone of the Engineering Department. ' B DIVISION PORT GROUP ■iSf ! 1 ? 7,7? 7 TtTrv IU. V | k .♦$ jr • ' • ' i ; % $• fX X t f ' ' , t, ' t l. ) ' E DIVISION-PORT GROUP E division operates, maintains and repairs all the electrical equipment throughout the ship, including the interior communication system. The Electri- cians probably get around more than any of the other Engineers. From light bulbs to movies, they take care of everything connected with juice. Like ER Division, they are in the white collar class- most of the time. ' E DIVISION-STARBOARD GROUP v - : . £ - t Jt ' A i J v t . F | I , 1 | 1 M I, i , l. : . f .4f- J ' M DIVISION-PORT GROUP 1 division operates and maintains the ship ' s four main engines, and also the turbine ends of our four main generators. The Forward Engine Room- where the Engineering Officer of the Watch stands his watch— is the the nerve center of the machinery spaces. From this point he directs everything. The auxiliaries associated with the operation of the main engines are numerous and, in some cases, quite complex. It is here, in M Division, that you get the the true layout of the engineering plant. ' M DIVISION-STARBOARD GROUP ; i. Jit | it J ij 1 1 4 1 1 1 , t , V A DIVISION A division has numerous duties on board, which include 10 boats and a boat repair shop, ice ma- chines, air conditioning throughout the ship, ma- chine shop, air compressors, steam heating system, all hydraulic equipment— which includes steering engines, anchor engines, airplane elevators, and after boat crane— emergency Diesel generators and Diesel fire pumps. Also numerous repairs. A Di- vision is responsible for all roller curtains, all me- chanical equipment in the laundry, galley, print shop, and scullery, and all other machinery through- out the ship not assigned to another division. A Division has two officers, five chief petty officers and seventy-one men. The Gospel, according to Lt. C. E. Radcliffe. I .- . ' •u J . ■ - : - V n ' m ' f £ mi t « n i ) m% • skit , f , ; f f ,f J-  -f ; ff f, f f. f ..f | sf ,£ • - ' I { I R DIVISION R division ' s big job is damage control. They in- stall and maintain all damage control markings and prepare all bills connected with damage control and stability. Under their cognizance comes hull, ma- chinery and boat repairs, and all repair facilities (with A Division) other than electrical or elec- tronic. R Division also operates and maintains the shipfitter and carpenter shops and paint locker. H T To Oo OUT puT FrrRODyNr RADIO Receive M p 08 OPERATIONS BOSS Commander Barton E. Day, well-liked and respected head of the Operations Depart- ment at his usual station on the bridge, di- recting ship ' s operations. STANDBY MARK!! Navigator, LCDR Barron, and Assistant Navigator, Ensign Weatherly, taking star sights on the bridge. PRIORITY Lieutenant Commander C. B. Wall, Com- munications Officer, checks dispatch with write-up man. APPLE CIDER calling EAGER BEAVER Please Orbit. Lieutenant Commander C. A. Skinner, Air Operations Officer, and Lt. Walsh, COC Of- ficer, at work in Air Plot during flight opera- tions. The O-S Division, under the supervision of Ens. D. T. Ousterhout, is the division responsible for all the outer communications of the ship. Employing Hag hoist, semaphore and flashing light for this pur- pose, they keep us constantly in contact with all the other ships in the task group. Continual training programs are in effect in order that these men meet the standards for intelligent communications. The O-N Division, under Ens. J. E. Weatherly, has one of the most important jobs on the ship. Their duties arc varied to include helmsman, messenger, quartermaster of the watch and bugler. Their hours are frequently long. A days fueling operations ma) find the same quartermaster on the bridge for a period of 10 to 16 hours. Taking star sights and sun lines in their spare time as a hobby also proves to be uselul For advancement in rate. The O-I Division, under Lt. A. L. Walsh, is the divi- sion that operates all of the ship ' s radar gear, and controls the ship ' s air operations, supervised by LCDR C. A. Skinner and Lt. G. M. Bell. This divi- sion is also responsible for the forecasting of the weather; this section is taken care of by Lt. R. W. Sanborn and his aerologists. And last but not least, O-I includes the boys of the photographic labora- tory under CHPHOT Hairr. The O-R Division, headed by Lt. ( jg) W. M. Hogan with Lt. (jg) R. W. Watkins as Radio Officer, is re- sponsible for all radio and teletype communications. They intercept FOX, Distress, Weather, News, Ship- Shore and other circuits that may come up. They also are responsible for setting up ship-shore tele- phone for that call to home. SUPPLY DEPARTMENT 3 S-l DIVISION The S-l Division is composed of the Get a Chit boys. On this cruise they kept the ship operating and the planes in the air with their seemingly endless supplies. These forty-seven men procured, stowed, issued and accounted for everything from bolts and nuts to propellers and wings. S-2 DIVISION When you look in the mirror, remember we put it there. As dough-heads, stew-burners and slop-jockeys we gave the best we had. Even though the atmosphere of the Waldorf was missing, your appetites were not. Familiar shouts you ' ll long remember are: Make a hole, Only one piece on that cake, Plenty of seconds on the Shanghai fried rice. S-3 DIVISION Laundry men, tailors, barbers and ship ' s store men, we all received your abuse, but you all benefited from our use. Tales of woe were not as many as tails of shirts, but we had our share. But all in all, we S-3 boys want you to know it was grand serving a fine crew. S-4 DIVISION With a cheery good morning, sir and a beaming smile, we served from sunrise to sunset without regrets. We had always heard that birds were light eaters, but this Marine Air Group must have descended from Pegasus, the flying horse. They sho ' did eat!! Happy sailing, gentlemen, we hope to see you again. S-l DIVISION S-2 DIVISION  r ' I r ' ? $ 5 ■f E l! S-3 DIVISION S-4 DIVISION MEDICAL DEPARTMENT T7WERYONE, sooner or later, comes in contact with the Medical Depart- ment. It was sooner than most desired on this cruise for immediately after the screws began turning, the lines started forming for shots. It ' s the Medical Department ' s duty to keep the officers and men able-bodied. There has been many a long line at sick call and everything from athlete ' s foot to appendicitis has been treated. Although the bunks in the sick bay ward have been filled constantly, the cruise has been a healthv one. Cdr. Lautzenheiser, Senior Medical Officer Sick Bay Medical Department— H Division DENTAL DEPARTMENT THE Dental Department is one of the smallest units aboard to function as a department. On this cruise our personnel included three dental of- ficers and six dental technicians, who were assigned to D Division. Because our division is small, there is a tendency not to notice us, but sooner or later most of the officers and men of the Leyte have made our acquaintance. Primarily, our functions consist of the control and prevention of dental diseases, and supervision of oral hygiene on board. WIDER, PLEASE! STRAGGLERS -ssr iISskj '  . «e i •• •■■ V I I A; i — I It was impossible to get everyone together at one are presented here. They got the best picture of the time, for one reason or another. Since we wanted bunch, everyone in the book, if possible, the STRAGGLERS cf o 3iS ■ c v ; v c MARINE j AIRCRAFT GROUP ELEVEN HQ II -VMF 223-VMF225-VMF46I vvia 1949-1950 y$.s. [ w ?vV n K- uL IRIS WfUlSt© •t (AirrMorft A E (ii|iH ti o  ftffueir) E. W. SEEDS COL., U. S. AA. C. Commanding Officer Mag 1 I ! ■ ■ ■ ■ — | f ■■: ft ■ -j- j | IL — ■— ■-; Command and Staff HQ Mag 1 1 Officers HQ Mag 11 Men TV TARINE Fighting Squadron 223 was first commis- - i - J - sioned in Hawaii May 1, 1942, with Capt. John L. Smith, who was later to win the Medal of Honor while leading his men at Guadalcanal, as the first Commanding Officer. It ' s first aircraft were F4F ' s and F2A ' s. In July, 1942, the squadron boarded the U.S.S. Long Island and late in August flew into Guadalcanal where it was one of the first two fighter squadrons to see action there. Capt. (now Lt. Col.) Marion E. Carl, later holder of the world ' s speed record, was another famous member of the original squadron. VMF-223 stayed in Guadalcanal until November, with its pilots establishing a brilliant war record. During this period the squadron engaged the Japanese pilots dailv and shot down over 150 enemv planes. Early in 1943, Lt. Col. Carl brought the squadron to the Solomons again. Flying F4U-l ' s, the squadron fought in enemy campaigns up through the chain of islands; Guad- alcanal, Munda, Vella Lavella, Bougainville. Then in early 1945, it jumped over into the Philippines, and finally into Okinawa in the summer of 1945 where it took part in the final attacks against Japan. The squadron returned to the United States, in early 1946, and was based at El Toro, California, for two years. During much of this time the squadron was a training unit for pilots being converted from torpedo bombing and dive bombing to fighter work. In June, 1948, the squadron was tran sferred to Marine Aircraft Group Fourteen at Cherry Point, North Carolina, and in July to Marine Aircraft Group Eleven. In early 1949, the squadron participated in the Carib- bean maneuvers, and during the past year prior to present cruise was on several qualification cruises in the Atlantic. Officers VMF 223 Men VMF 223 1 WffisMMM ii Men VMF 223 T ESS than a month after the outbreak of hostilities be- ■ - tween the United States and the Empire of Japan, Marine Fighting Squadron 225 was set down on paper to begin its career of carrying the war to the enemy. It was originally commissioned on 1 January 1943 as a fighter squadron attached to Marine Air West Coast. The Squadron, ready for combat, shipped overseas to Espirito Santos i n October, 1943, stopping at Hawaii en route. Moving to the island of Guam, in the Mariannas, Two and a Quarter pilots and men gave their striking power in support of the capture of the Mariannas. In July, 1945, MarFightRon 225 was reorganized to perform the duties of a carrier squadron. In this status it has gained top recognition and has become a squadron well known in carrier circles. While operating off the U.S.S. SIBONEY (CVE-112) in 1947, the squadron set what it believes to be a record of operating intervals for CVE operations. The intervals were: thirteen (13) second fly- away, twenty-five (25) seconds catapult, and twenty-two (22) second landing interval. In July, 1948, under the command of Maj. C. M. Kunz, the squadron departed the United States for the Mediter- ranean Area which later proved to be the first of three cruises to run consecutively for the next nineteen months in that area covering 50,000 miles of ocean. The travelers of Two and a Quarter have made three crossings of the Atlantic aboard the U.S.S. SIBONEY, U.S.S. MIDWAY, and the U.S.S. LEYTE. This depicts the large and small of it amongst the carriers from the jeep, U.S.S. SIBONEY, and the battle carrier, U.S.S. MIDWAY. Mai. W. R. Bartosh became the commanding Officer in May, 1949. During the next three months, the squadron placed first in the competitive exercises of high-altitude gunnery, dive-bombing, and rockets with eleven other fighter squadrons of ComAirLant. The five-months cruise, which the squadron completed on 26 January 1950, was an appropriate anti-climax for a squadron which has performed aboard carriers in the pres- ence of high-ranking dignitaries abroad and in the United States. Officers VMF 225 mmmm mmi®i Men VMF 225 Men VMF 225 MARINE Fighter Squadron 461 was commissioned at El Centro, California, on 15 March 1944, with Major William R. Lear as Commanding Officer. The squadron remained at El Centro under Marine Base Defense Aircraft Group Forty-Three as a training squadron giving to her many young Marine fighter pilots the final polish for overseas duty and combat. The squadron moved to Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro, Santa Ana, California, in January, 1945, and joined Marine Aircraft Group 46 continuing its training mission. On 25 February 1946, the U.S.S. PALAU (CVE-122) took her shakedown cruise with Marine Fighter Squadron 461 on board. This started the squadron on her long career as a carrier-based squadron. March 16, 1946, saw the U.S.S. PALAU depart San Diego for Norfolk, Va., with VMF-461. April 4, 1946, the squadron flew from Norfolk to Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, N. C. for temporary aviation duty with Ma- rine Aircraft Group Eleven remaining attached to the U.S.S. PALAU. The squadron, aboard the U.S.S. PALAU, made a three- weeks ' cruise to Quantanamo Bay in May, 1947, and a five- weeks ' cruise to Monrovia, Liberia, Africa, in July and August, 1947, stopping at Recife, Brazil, and Dakar, French West Africa. February and March, 1948, the squadron participated in the Second Task Fleet exercises at Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, without the Scow Palau by flying down and operating land-bases. Again aboard the U.S.S. PALAU in August, 1948, a five- weeks ' cruise was made to Guantanamo Bay and a three- weeks ' operation in November, 1948, in the Second Task Fleet exercises to the sub-Arctic. Aboard the U.S.S. Midway on 2 January 1949, the squadron sailed for a two-months ' cruise in the Mediter- ranean Sea to be followed throughout the months of March through June bv many weekends aboard the U.S.S. MID- WAY and FDR for carrier demonstrations. July 1, 1949, VMF-461 was permanently assigned as a unit of Marine Aircraft Group Eleven with which it de- parted on its present cruise. Marine Fighter Squadron 461 has been under the able leadership of Maj. Orvin H. Ramlo since 29 April 1949. Officers VMF 461 Men VMF 461 MMi w m i M Men VMF 461 PAUL TANGAS Lt., U.S. N. C. O. VC-4 Detachment HISTORY OF THE COMPOSITE SQUADRON FOUR DETACHMENT FORMED at the Naval Air Station, Atlantic City, New Jersey, on 28 September 1948, Composite Squadron Four has grown to become one of the largest and best- known carrier squadrons in the Atlantic. Specializing in what most outfits avoid, instrument and night flying, VC-4 Detachments have served on nearly every carrier in the Atlantic and at any one time may be found in the Medi- terranean, Caribbean. North Atlantic and as far west as California. Visitors to the U.S.S. MIDWAY at Gibraltar may have noticed VC-4 ' s familiar letters NA on several F4U ' s, AD ' s and TBM ' s. The VC-4 Detachment, U.S.S. LEYTE, actually began forming approximately two months prior to the beginning of the cruise. The men were chosen from a large group of volunteers and became welded with the pilots into one team. Near perfect plane availability, no accidents, and no Cap- tain ' s Masts were the result of this teamwork. In August, the Detachment became acquainted with the air group it was to become a part of, MAG-11, on a short cruise aboard the U.S.S. ROOSEVELT. Rejoining the air group in Sep- tember aboard the LEYTE, it became part of the team that eventually was to return to the States with an excellent record. Many aboard the ship came to know the Detach- ment well because of the night flying it did and because a large portion of the boat officers for those all-important liberty parties were pilots of the AD ' s and F6F ' s. When the VC-4 Detachment, U.S.S. LEYTE, was re- lieved at Gibraltar by another VC-4 Detachment, U.S.S. MIDWAY, it breathed a sigh of relief with the rest of the crew. The end of the cruise, though, was only the begin- ning of lrTany more to come. Three officers will be trans- ferred to the LEYTE for duty; other pilots leave for Fleet Maneuvers; and the men will become part of Detachments serving throughout the Atlantic. Officers VC-4 ■ « ▼-, , « i ' «  i   v ' HiMftlBMUHl Men VC-4 P 1 B ' SP t 9I ?p 1 i Officers and Men VC-12 ■ 11 1 I W. I I I Officers and Men VC-23 Officers and Men HU-2 rpHE most outstanding addition to carrier aviation has been the use of the helicopter as the plane guard. This is most vividly brought to mind on this cruise in the pickups of Sgt. Truex, Capt. Kapsch and Lt. O ' Hare. The recovery of Lt. O ' Hare is in itself outstand- ing in that a record pickup of 90 seconds was achieved. Before the days of using helicopters, a similar rescue operation employing a destroyer took 15 or more minutes. The rescue apparatus. on the heli- copter has a belt similar to a parachute belt at the end of a lifeline. If the person being rescued is injured and unable to fasten the lifeline to himself, a crew member of the helicopter, wearing a life jacket, jumps into the water and fastens the lifeline around the injured person and continues floating in the water until the helicopter returns for him. O ' Hare Safe Home FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CARRIER PILOT 1. Verily I say unto all ye who wouldst fain operate the great bent wing bird from the tilting airdrome: for it re- (juireth technique which cometh to no man naturally and is acquired only by great diligence and perseverance and great faith in the Father Almighty. 2. Harken y e unto the Centurian for he speaketh from vast wisdom and great knowledge. He hath experienced many catapult shots and arrested landings and hence is a sadder and wiser man than thou. 3. Heedeth ye not he who speaketh of the romance and glamour of the high seas. Be ye not swayed when he ex- tolleth the sting of the salt spray upon thy lips and the roll of a stout deck beneath thy feet and the exotic peoples of foreign lands. 4. For the salt spray windeth up in thy joe and the roll of the stout deck sendeth thee to the fantail with a retching in thy belly. 5. ' He wouldst fain take thee from thy loved ones and cast thee amongst the riff-raff of all nations who will approach thee with an extended palm. 6. Turneth thee a deaf ear to all these things for he speak- eth as a man with head full of missing buttons and quoteth from the recruiting pamphlets. 7. Beware of the sadist at Fly One and regard him with exceeding wariness. For while he bringeth thee up to the spot and smileth confidently at thee, he concealeth a ser- pent in his breast and plotteth all manner of evil against thee. 8. He smileth not for thee but smirketh at thy youth and helplessness and gloateth greatly at his power over thee. 9. Heed ye his signals promptly and surely else he windeth thee up mightily and sendeth thee off whilst thou art still checking the mags or whilst the number one elevator goeth down. For he is a man of great imagination and enjoyeth a jest mightily. 10. Know ye the officer called ' landing signal ' and trust him not for he is a doltish oaf and is poorly coordinated. 11. He hast eyes with which to see but they are weak and he distinguisheth day from night only with exceeding diffi- culty. 12. Yea, he waveth off Angel Donald saving, ' Landeth ye not on a pass which is so long in the groove. ' 13. Make him thy friend. When thou engagest in a game of chance, calleth thou not his two little pair with thy full house for he prizet ' h a winning hand above all things and he will love thee. 14. Angereth him not else he bringeth thee in low and slow and spinneth thee into the potato locker. 15. Cursed be he who lingereth in the arresting gear for he causeth his wingman to be waved off on a roger pass and the next man to become long in the groove, 16. He fouleth up the pattern mightily and giveth the Air Boss all manner of gastric disorders. 17. He is thrice damned and all people even unto the AP ' s shall revile him and use strong language in his behalf for he is indeed a plumber and a plague ' upon the Air Group. IS. Bender unto Caesar that which is Caesar ' s. As the Two-finger turn-up is the signal to fly, so is the Cut the signal to land. 19. Therefore I say unto you ' Holdeth ye not off after the cut for whosoever floateth into the barriers soweth great anguish in the breast of the Maintenance officer and causeth a blue cloud to form at the Bridge. 20. The wise pilot engageth an early wire smartly, but the fool shall dwell in his quarters forever. 21. Hell hath no fury like a Catapult officer scorned. Therefore treat him with great kindness and speak ye unto him in soft and tender tones. 22. For whosoever arouseth the wrath of the Catapult officer receiveth a cold shot and the next of kin knoweth great anguish. 23. Harken ye unto his teachings and heedeth ye his signals with great care for he is a man of great cunning. 24. He windeth thee up mightily and faileth to fire the gear when thou art ready; then shooteth thee off when thou art not. 25. Beware of the Old Man and regardeth ye him highly for he is all powerful. When he approacheth, lingereth ye not in Flight Deck Control for he faileth like a whirlwind upon the idle and luncheth upon the junior grade lieutenant without compassion. 26. He regardeth the newly made major with a raised eyebrow. 27. Keep thou out of his sight and let him not know thee by name for whosoever arouseth the ire of the Old Man shall go many times to the Chaplain. 28. Heed ye all these things. For as they are the bitter fruits of those who preceed thee, so shall your words benefit those who follow thee, and the Carrier Pilot shall live for- ever and ever. C. I. A. T. SECOND MARINES FLEET MARINE FORCE 1 SEPT. 49 — 27 JAN. 50 C.L.BANKS LTCOL. U.SMC. COMMANDING Are You There? To the shores of Tripoli. The direction is . . Back to the LEYTE LT. COL. C. L. BANKS, USMC PROLOGUE THE 2nd Marines, under the command of Lt. Col Charles L. Banks, embarked aboard the vari- ous ships of the Sixth Task Fleet at Quonset Point, Rhode Island, for the 49-50 winter tour of duty in the Mediterranean. Our purpose in being out here is to act as a landing party for the protection and evacuation of American nationals in case of an emergency. In connection with this we have made two full-scale training landings— one on Crete and the other on the famous island of Malta. While on board ship we have attempted, with limited success, to carry on a rigorous training program of the many subjects required by the infantry. For the last three weeks of our tour our training has been boiled down to a thorough course of instruction on our four basic weapons— the rifle, carbine, .45 pistol, and auto- matic rifle. Speaking of weapons; incidentally, re- minds us of the rifle matches we held with the French and Greeks which we won hands down. It wasn ' t always easy as our opponents, particularly the French, had some excellent marksmen. For the most part, all Marines have found the ports we ' ve hit and the things we ' ve seen and done there most interesting and educational, and there are not a few of us who are looking forward to com- ing back out at some time in the future. Headquarters Section A Company— Capt. W. C. Doty, Commanding WITH Capt. Doty ' s understanding and example Johnnv Carter ' s good natural worryings, Able Company stood out as being one of the, if not THE, best outfit in the Second Battalion. First Reinforced Rifle Platoon A Company— Lt. C. B. Thompson, Commanding w II 1 1 c ries i ' ( tome on, you leatherheads, and Oh. Lord, forgive them for they know not what the) do the Firs! Platoon was spurred on to greater ichievements than believed possible Who. for instance would have believed that w - could ever gel that compartment so clean. Second Reinforced Rifle Platoon A Company— Lt. G. J. Kleess, Commanding TO SAY THAT George Kleess and that hard-charging second John on his left, Bugs Foor, kept things under control would be quite an understatement. Evidence of this is shown by the way Bugs kept himself informed of the whereabouts of that gentleman in the third rack from the bottom, etc. Third Reinforced Rifle Platoon A Company— Lt. J. P. O ' Connell, Commanding WITH Chuck Quinn and Sgt. Mason ever at his beck and call, Seams O ' Connell kept his lads pretty well in tow. With the coming of the new organization, the 3rd Platoon will be broken up and not a few of us will be more than sorry to see it happen. Third Reinforced Rifle Platoon C Company— Lt. P. J. Garm, Commanding Nails I . Garm and his lads came to us about half-way through the voyage, and from then on the J. O. Bunk Room heard little else than destroyer duty and vehement and oft-repeated eries of I ' ll tine ya. Communication Platoon— H S Company Lt. F. P. Stivers, Commanding WITH a combination ol good nature ami a lew well-placed salt) phrases, Frank Sthers made his Platoon as model ai t(it as we have on hoard. It s a real pleasure to work with men like these and most ol US couldn ' t ask for finer shipmates. Supply Section— H S Company and Second Combat Service Group Detachment W.O. U. T. Garrison, Commanding WITH his ever-present good nature and sharp eye, Mr. Garrison saw to it that things ran as smoothly as could be desired and then, too, who could ever ask for an improvement on the rooms he assigned us to. tfSH HE5 MAKE WeT _AND M ' supply 5k . o J Co n 1 1 FP 05 ' ' 10 ' :£§$ G-eTTlNCr Up ' N THE W UD M««l.T A nT you come «I.W« Too FAR? i i 2 9 PIT ca o Sfol 3 3 £Mu % GOOD cooKs- v (?A , THey called T COFFEE ' GOOD octoH5- OOOD CORpSt- EV - Hi « ut Bill iT M UsT OUT T Q 5eA ;. X G-OOO BuNkS- -Goo cox s- GooD- y- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In the preparation of this book, the ast majority of work involved was performed by persons other than myself. In the assembly of the various components— copy, photographs, art, etc., the burden was largely earried by Ens. J. Wamsley, USN, of the Gunnery Depart- ment. The photographie work was under the capable direction of Lt. (jg) L. L. Lankford, MC, USN, and the art work was largely produced by QM2 J. J. Wyres, MUSN R. E. Reid, of ship ' s company, and Pfc. H. R. Anderson, of the Second Marines. Special thanks are due Capt W. R. Simpson, USMC, of MAG 11, for the numerous photo- graphs and copy items, as well as editorial assistance, which he con- tributed. To Chief Photographer Hairr and his gang in the photo lab we are also grateful for their invaluable assistance. The responsi- bility for production of the various divisional sections was as follows: Air Group, Maj. Evans, USMC; Second Marines, 2nd Lt. Adair, USMC; Flag, LCDR Roberts, USN; Executive, LTJG Tremaine, USN; Air, SN Shelton; Operations, YNSN Magnu son; Gunnery, Ens. Wamsley; Engineering, Ens. Bailey; Supply, LTJG Bland; Medical, LTJG Lank- ford, and Dental, Lt. Bishop. Others who contributed materially to the book were First Lt. Dodenhoff, USMC; LTJG Spira, DC, USN; Ens. Carrington, SC, USN; YN2 Kossick, TE3 Fust, SN Armstrong, SN Stanley, and many more. Supervision of the entire project Was performed by Chaplains Spinney and Ellison. R. M. McCool, Jr., Lt. (jg) USN. LITHOGRAPHED IN THE U.S.A. NGTON PLANOGRAPH COMPANY, INC. WASHINGTON, D. C. J oute of the t6 Sefitewfoi 1949 ALGERIA tjT Med Cruise KaEPOj GREECE