Nitro (AE 23) - Naval Cruise Book

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, if f X f X ff ' cffiayfff H f f , XA '7,fia7WM ,W f ff THE CRUISE The 28th of October, 1970. Underway for the Mediterranean. People on the dock at Davis- ville getting smaller and smaller as Nitro heads into Narragansett Bay. Feelings of loneliness mixed with the exhilaration of travel. And no one could figure out just how long six months would be. But we were sailing. America fell off the horizon and became a memory. From Narragansett Bay into the Atlantic for the crossing , , , there were vague recollec- tions of sea legs as the ship rocked and the crew rolled. The first few days out were filled with readiness drills and the establishment of the routine we were to work in. The USS Pawcatuck was the first of our alongside visitors as she ap- proached for STREAM training. We were to see a lot ofthe Singing Indian in the next several months. Our first stop was in Rota, Spain for turn- over. Palm and orange trees, flowers in Novem- ber, coastal flat lands. Europe. After reac- quainting ourselves with Spanish money, we left Rota and started steaming for Palma, Mallorca. We arrived in Palma for a three day stay on November 12. A bustling island during the sum- mer tourist season frequented by young Europeans the activity was somewhat wound down when Nitro arrived, 'but the crew delighted in the isl land 's beauty and its night life. .From Palma we

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sailed to Naples, Italy, where we conducted operations with NATO units. Next was a short stay in Augusta Bay, Sicily, and a rearming of the USS John F. Kennedy, marred by a lost mine and a cargo drop reel failure. The Thanksgiving holidays found the Nitro anchored in Malta for its turkey dinner. Our next assignment was to refuel the Pur- vis and the Roan on December 10 and 11. During this active two day period we also conducted a vertical replenishment with the USS Sylvania, the Sixth Fleet 's floating Stop and Shop. Load after load of victuals for the crew were passed from the Sylvania to the Nitro via helicopter. The boxes of Grade A U.S. inspected steak were handled with particular care. And the usual grunts were heard for the endless supply of the Navy staple, roast beef. We visited the-island of Crete for an over- night stay in Soudha Bay where we did bottom research and received a fresh supply of fuel. A brief return to Malta was next on the agenda. On the 13th of December a group of Maltese youngsters visited the ship and requested pictures and patches. The history of Malta is written along its seacoast. The scars of bomb craters, fortresses, and caves dot its cliffs, - a' testament to the continual barrage of Malta in World War Two. The empty husks of bombed out cathedrals and the shards of houses present a unique blend of history living in the present. And the crew was learning how to get to Valetta. On the 16th of December, Captain Bartlett QCOMSERVFORS- SIXFLTJ spent the night on board and observed readiness drills the next day. On December 17th, the Nitro conducted a consolidation with'the USS John F. Kennedy who received an early Christmas gift - the Nitro returned a missile to her wrapped in Christmas trimming. Soudha Bay and the Bob Hope show aboard the Kennedy. Christmas time, sailors lonely for home and the seemingly peren- nial Bob Hope. And the bevy of beautiful girls. There is no need to do any more than mention Ursula Andress. Good humor and well wishes from America's top comic. No snow in sight., On December 21, the Nitro arrived in Athens, Greece, for the holidays. Sixteen mem- bers of the crew flew back to the States to be re- united with their families for Christmas, and other crewmen had their dependents flown to Greece on a special charter flight, part of Ad- miral Zumwalt's new plan to ease the burden of separation. Athens provided a beautiful setting for sightseeing, trips to the Acropolis and Placa, purchases at the Flea Market, tours to Delphi, and a leisurely respite from sea duties. We ushered in the New Year in Athens, and prepared to leave January 6th, On the fifth, however, six of the personnel who flew to the States missed connections on flights. MM1 Ferland aided the six while in transit at Rhein Mein Air Base and as- sisted them in securing alternative reservations for a flight to Naples, and they joined the crew in time for the departure from Athens. Ferland received a Letter of Commendation for his meri- torious service. After eight days at sea and an overnight stay at Augusta Bay, Sicily, for a mine loadout, we had a harrowing experience. We were re- ceiving fuel from the Pawcatuck and making preparations to break away when the Pawcatuck suffered a rudder casualty and lost her spanwire. Good work by the deck gang on the Nitro pre- vented any injuries and we resumed our course for Valencia, Spain, thankful for teamwork and safety. Valencia offered inexpensive shoes and boots, a city mingling new apartment buildings and old squares, and quality Spanish rum. The month of February was a busy one. We spent most of the month underway. After another port call to the now familiar Malta, we churned into Soudha Bay to pick up ,a firetruck for transport to Augusta Bay, where we unloaded the broken Cap- tain's gig. Then we began training for Mini-Na- tional Week, -four days of combat condition train- ing which were to be held the 11th through the 15th. Our Ally was to be the Pawcatuck. On the 15th the Nitro, so accustomed to delivering mis- siles to other ships, delivered three missiles in a decidedly different manner. Three jet planes, attached to us for the games, served as our mis-