Robert H McCard (DD 822) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 13 text:

- 'F l' r . , p-nun-vdnliivr' li Y' ' if . ' ' .'1:i '-,q:r '?.t -MN. . . Q J, There was much excitement on the Bridge one afternoon when an enemy submarine slipped through the screen and torpedoed the Midway. After a mad scramble one of the des- troyers reported the submarine sunk and a few emergency turns took the task force clear of the area. 3, -eat. 0 on March 24m with the McCard W' -V' t 1 off the Coast of Crete and we Des Flot Six Change of Command joined a hunter-killer force for the trip back to Gibraltar. The sk was clear, the sea was calm, and everyone was happy at t e p p Y period in Gib gave Captain H. H. Henderson a chance to relieve Admiral Earle as the Commander of Des- Lroyer 'Flotilla Six. Operation Rendezvous ended h ros ect of returning home. A 72 hour ff ll lines and commenced steaming independently back to At midnight on March 29th we cast o a I Newport. Fortunately, the weather was decent and on the morning of April 6th we passed Breton Reef Lightship abeam to starboard. We'd had a chance to see some of the world and get some invaluable train- ing-the Med cruise was over.

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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

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if .Pea .',,,uQu l YYY on 7 gt .ff Q T ff - Y' -41.7 R L' - .QQ l rd f -,L A r J w ln' -1 XVhztt is it that makes fl pznticulzir ship at good ship :mtl makes it Ii home to the men ztboztrtl it? It isn't the ship itself beeztnse all destroyers :ire just about the szune. Tltey have about the sztme gear, sztme number ol' men, just :ts mztny miles of electrical wiring :intl steztm line, :mtl theyre :ill too hot in summer and too cold in winter. But the Ship's Company is never the same and therein lies the tlifferenee. It's not the ship but the people on the ship that make it what it is. So here we ure.-your shipmzttes on the lXIeCartl. 1 h- if . 'ZF' 6' ,f t. , -- L . N- -, t ' 4, .. I, K it -. L. JVM Q' A ,. AT 5 e s s 'fig if Q-nf! I in - 8 li 1 ,TQ l KY' u ff -1 - f'