Robert H McCard (DD 822) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 11 text:

MONACO de Paris, and various other spots as the prin- cipal hangouts. The officers lost their money in the Monte Carlo Casino, the crew lost theirs in the nightspots and everybody had a wonder- ful time. Cannes was our next stop and in six days we managed to spend any money we had left over from Monaco. Reynolds and Brintle showed the other snipes how to make one of their regu- lation Navy liberties and all hands agreed that this Riviera duty was really living. March 4th found us again underway and taking part in fleet exercises with cruisers, carriers, and other destroyers. In between days of ISE we often acted as plane guard destroyer and one night we really got to show our stuff when a Corsair from the Midway splashed 500 yards off our starboard beam. We picked up the pilot and were repaid for our trouble with ten gallons of ice cream. 1 ff- The ,I f' Riviera 1l

Page 10 text:

night everyone had a hard time sleeping as the ship made 28 knots into the wind to rejoin the task group for the entrance into Augusta Bay. No one was really impressed by Augusta Bay although various tours gave us a chance to see other parts of Sicily. A program of inter- divisional softball games was started and helped to make up for the almost non-existent liberty. Our run down to Malta took only eight hours on February 7th and we moored to buoys in Sliema Creek. Everyone felt as if we were on a light cruiser when we compared the size of the McCard with the British destroyers and frigates in the harbor. Twelve days of liberty wasn't too hard to take and nearly all of us went on one of the tours which explored var- ious sights on the famous island. All the New Englanders in the crew felt good about seeing a part of the world that was even rockier than their home states and all the officers felt good after the parties in the wardrooms of the various British ships in the harbor. The ship was host to about a hundred Limev sailors who came aboard for chow and the movies and assured everyone that the Royal Navy never had it so good. The ofiicers never got it so good as when the first class PO's challenged them to a soft- ball game and made up for disapproved chits by slaughtering the Brass 22 to 8. Towards the end of our Malta visit we moved over to a drydock where our sonar dome, somehow damaged on the trip across, was re- placed and all hands treated to the delightful experience of having to hike over to heads on the pier. Finally, on the afternoon of February lflth, the work was done and we were underway for the Riviera! None of us can forget our stay in the tiny Principality of Monaco. Since we were the only ship in the harbor liberty was just like a big ship's party with the Ali-Baba, Cassanova, Cafe f ,I I, tl

Page 12 text:

jk Naples was colorful with everyone spend- ing half their time on the beach in shoving oil guides, salesmen, and taxi drivers and the phrase you speak, joe becoming part X -gsxs X Rome, others visiting relatives in the area, and the daily tours to Pompeii, Mt. Aetna, and Sorrento packing them in. The Exec. passed out cigars and accepted congratula- tions when he was promoted to Commander and explained that it proved the essential superiority of Reserve officers. -i X Underway again on March 14th for the toughest part of the cruise. Operation Ren- dezvous was a NATO exercise in which ships of the French, Italian, British, and Greek navies all joined our own forces to escort convoys, land troops, and provide air support for landings and ASW. The McCard operated as Screen Commanders Flagship for the fast carrier task force which flew off planes to attack enemy forces. Everyone stood one-in-three on steaming watches or at Condition Three battle stations and even the most enthusiastic of the thirty year men didn't think it was much fun. Every day, twice a day, we went to GQ to track air strikes coming in on the task force and at night we fueled with the ship darkened. For most of us this was the first time we'd lived under what were close to actual battle conditions and although it was tiring no one denied that it was also good training. The Exec. Makes Commander DHWH G. Mt. Versuvius av., of the McCard vocabulary. The crew spread L out with some taking a three day tour to P