Macon (CA 132) - Naval Cruise Book

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aiit ' ' ' ' but the feeling Is was still there. old Sixth Fleet , The Forrestal, mes by now so s — were headed n, back to that ■ home. There Barcelona lay t far off; spring best of all, the ' as past. It was This was the way you pulled into Barcelona. Not sad, but lonely. And what could have been a better port to cure you? The second largest city in Spain, it is as American as any European city could be. There are beautiful churches and parks, restaurants and night clubs, stores that had unbelievable arrays of anything you would want — and more, and of course the ever fasci- nating Spanish girls. Here you also made that very short and very costly telephone call back to the States — but it was worth every dollar!

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POLENSA BAY Pollensa Bay is a fairly large bay in Mallorca, the largest of the four Spanish islands which make up the Balearic group off the coast of Spain. The steeply sloping brownish hills, sparcely covered by small bushes of the same dusty brown, gave no indication that this is one of the most popular vacation spots of the world, nor did the grey overcast sky, which was reflected by the greenish waters of the bay while you were there, suggest to you the wonderful clear summer days which draw tourists from every continent. On 1 March 1959 Task Force 24, which COM- SECONDFLT had brought over from the states, and Task Force 60 completed Exercise Big Deal and entered Pollensa Bay for a critique of the exercise and turnover by the carriers and many of the destroyers. In the early light of dawn and the majestic line of he ivies— MACON, ROOSEVELT, NORTHAMPTON, DES MOINES, FORRESTALsteamed into the bay and dropped anch- or, followed closely by the destroyers and auxiliary ships of both task forces. Soon the barges, gigs, and various types of boats from all the ships— carrying their men to and from conferences, visits, and probably a few joy rides— gave the impression of water bugs between the heavier masses of the ships. The massive FORRESTAL and ROOSEVELT; the ugly, unusual NORTHAMPTON; the familiar MISSISSI- NEWA and DES MOINES were surrounded by the de- stroyers, many of which were old friends but including the new units from the states. Leaving the fleet after two days, the MACON sailed at 1800, bound for BARCELONA. For many of you, the lasting impression of Pollensa Bay was the majesty of the United States Fleet. So many different types of ships so alike in everything but detail gave an impression of strength and unity and purpose which is not often seen.

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liiiiii ' liiiiii ii.id iiuuli t(i (illci .in iinc ivlici t.iiecl to Icxik. Tlu- (il is ninie llian ])1()1k1 oI ils iiislDiA, Kciausc it .is lioni lu-ir that Coluinhtis sailed to discoxcr the Xew W ' oild. Mil- old snlioii hasn ' t (handed imuli since liis da . and as a rnithfi ' leniindei ol liis dis(o eiies the most ini])iessi e sit;lu as on etitei the haihoi is a .yis anlii statue oL C.oliiiiilnis pointing to tlie sea. In diastir roiitiast to almost aniiei ' it hisioiv, licn e ei, .n e the lemnants ol an ei a slatted l) otie man — Ciatidi. lie huilt a ilnndi topped liv loiii spites and a Chiistmas ttce; buildings deioiated hv led and t ieen and ello - and oianoe tile; a wieid paik whidi leseinhles a laii tale iiioci hi cad hotise Avith a nitilti-( oloi ed liont lawn. Coming to en nioie model ii times, tlieie is the sniiw .i . on wliic h on lould lake a tide withoiil ,t;ettiiit; lost - a le.il almost inihe.ird of in I ' .osloiil rndoiiiited- ly the most impiessixc sit lit in liauilona, lio ' e ei, Avas the biilllit;ht. ' 1 his light was spiilig liaining loi the mat. idols, lull lor those wlio had ne ei seen the spectacle helore — and it is ,iii .mii iiiL; spect.ule — it Avas one ol the most fascinating sights in F.itKipe. There was nioic ' , too - the lloleio. ll.mieiKo d.incers. the R.mililas, ihi ' tiny l)ack streets. I he .dl Icll an impiession whiili will leniain longer ih.in that of almost any othei city. It as an excellent pott.