Robert H McCard (DD 822) - Naval Cruise Book

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I.. .,,.A ,g DEPAR 1- M if ef? 9 igfiia Q , axe: e ?!ixA5l'- 5 '-Q W 0 6' 574 rss 0? more destroyers. Taking the southerly route past Bermuda we managed to avoid rough as weather-for a little while. Then the seas got rougher and every day the word came from the car- rier SEAS HEAVY X CANCEL ALL AIR OPS FOR TODAY. Life on board wasn't particular- ly pleasant for anybody and it was especially uncomfortable for the large number of boots who hadnyt Ye' gomm their Sea legs USOlllCOllC'S rocking my dreamboatf' -and even some of the old hands who seemed to have lost theirs temporarily. Most of the below decks spaces were damp and uncom- fortable, Chief Davidson's Chowburners did their best but couldn't turn out too much on the tilting galley ranges, and everyones hair grew long when Reggi's Napoli Barber Shoppe had to close down for hve days due to rough weather. But no matter what the ship has to .have fuel and the Deck Force, wearing safety lines along with their lifejackets, got covered with oil as they manhandled lines across from the tanker and forced the leaky stovepipes into the fueling trunks. Then, suddenly, there was Gibraltar and the sideboys were snapping to as various top brass came across the bow to greet Admiral Earle. The liberty parties bought a lot of Rolls Razors and, in between beers, tried to hgure out how the British hid all the big guns that Gibraltar the world's biggest fortress. But Gibraltar was just a brief-stop and on the morning of january 23rd we again got underway for an overnight trip across to Oran in French Algeria. YVC were all impressed at how large and modern the city was and everyone got a chance to stare at a real A-rab . Chief Blackman, Palmer, and Paul all After fueling Station Present Harms! ! !

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It was cold, choppy, and snowy-typical Newport weather -on the 'morning when the McCard got underway for the Mediterranean. Let's face it, not everyone was too enthusiastic about leaving. The married men had made their tearful farewells and sent their wives home to stay with their mothers and the . if fx people who had girls on the beach were a little unhappy about leaving them to be looked Underway after by other destroyer sallorsg but there was a definite atmosphere of expectancy on board-the prospect of liberty in French and Italian ports didn't sound bad! This wasn't the hrst Med cruise for the McCard bv any matter of means Since it l l d ' 1 I .. was auncle in 1945 the ship has been there four times and we still have a few Plank owners aboard who've made all the cruises. But this was the first time the McCard had ever been an Admirals flagship and there were a lot of changes that had to be made. YYe cleared all the ammunition out of the after deckhouse magazine and made it into a Flag Office: Radio Central looked like Grand Central Station with Chief Del Ross, Duroyick, and Murphy trying to co-ordinate copying about twenty Fox broadcasts and making sure that the mob of strikers really kept that board H10Vlllg'H. liut the real llail was in Cllfl which Nh Pauley, Dully, and Gower all afr' l 5 cet was about as crowded as the Operations Center of the Eastern Sea Frontier. Although it was a little tougher being the Screen Clommander's Flagship everyone realized that the ship had really been honored by being selected for it The McCtrd h ts 'tl l I K . . . ,. 1 . ways :een a sharp ship, has always been able to do thin s ' ' I g. a little better than any other destroyer, and has always looked a little smarter than any other ship nested with it. All hands knew that on this cruise our standards would have to be even higher because every other des- troyer in the Med was taking its cue from us. The trip over started out well. In company with a few other destroyers and the carrier Tarawa we steamed to a point off Norfolk where we rendez- yoused with the Midway and

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Hey, Chief! I i A grim note was struck when we were sent to tr to pick up a pilot whose plane had Y landed on the Midway and then skidded over the side. All we could find was a green dye marker and a couple of wing tanks which we finally sank with gunfire. The beautiful weather which had followed us out from Oran pulled a quick change on the afternoon of February and the seas got heavier by the hour. About 2000 a large wave hit us -if Th Aj.. . '2,.L'v-4-,g 'F' , V. 7 ss. lin: H4-' . .- W .li turned the Deck Force to and alter Eve difl of furious work the First Lieutenant was util- hed that the ship was again the belt lookin! destroyer in DesLant. Fleet exercises were coming up and the McCard sorued Ollt of Oran on january 27th to 'oin a task group for a week of ASW, forma- J tion maneuvers, and drone Bring-during which the McCard shot better than anyone else, naturally. Stand by to receive Guard Mail Looking for a downed pilot. ,-f ig., .0 I on the starboard side and receded after having pwrted the forward guy of the whaleboal. ri med off a ventilator. torn up stanchions on Pl the boat deck, knocked off a torpedo ready locker welded to the main deck and left thc ship covered with potatoes ripped loose from the 0l level. The Mctiard was given permission to leave the screen and steam downwind while the Deck Force, Torpedomen. and Shipfitters did their best to straighten things out. That