Manatee (AO 58) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 62 text:

u l UE DE REAM TO HON KHOA ' - ' f1 t: ■ ■ Captain GILLOOLY looks over the at rigs following the offshore moorinj with the USS KRISHNA. Although manatee ' s primary mission was underway replenishment, she was required to go close ashore to provide fuel for support activities. On the final trip to the line, MANA- TEE carried fuel to the western edge of Vietnam, the Island of An Thoi off the Cambodian border. The area had re- cently been secured and the patrol and support was being carried on by Swift boats and riverine craft whose mother ship, the USS KRISHNA (ARL-36) was anchored in An Thoi. The approaches to the harbor are shallow, and to replenish, the KRISHNA has to come out. The MANATEE an- chored off the coast and the KRISHNA moored alongside. The crew of the KRISHNA had been away from civilization for over 60 days, and were eager for the mail and oppor- tunity to use manatee ' s store and exchange news with the crew. After provisioning her, MANATEE weighed anchor and headed south, back on the Market Time swing. INREP A barge crew services the fuel rig- .; - ' li '

Page 61 text:

QM3 EIHL watches skeptically as a gun- ner ' s mate demonstrates the use of gren- ades during quarterly small arms instruc- tion. On the bridge, the part of command team watches aerial gunnery during September shoot. Left to right : LTJG WEED, LCDR MUMFORD, CAPT GILLOOLY, DK: DUGGINS. The Fighting MANATEE in action. SMI HESSEN sends semaphore signals to a signalman during a drill.

Page 63 text:

The KRISHNA carefully breasts away as the Inrep operation is completed. One third of the way up the Coast of Vietnam is Vung Tau. Formerly a French resort, the harbor on the tip of Cap St. Jaques serves as a temporary stop point for the dozens of merchant ships that transit the river approach to Saigon weekly. MANATEE provided JP-5 fuel to an army barge which supplies the Swift Boats, Riverine, and other coastal patrol craft. Vung Tau lies in the shadow of Cape bt. Jaques at the approaches to Saigon. A U.S. Army supply - ' i 4 i9MlH future transport to the U.S. support base.