Washburn (AKA 108) - Naval Cruise Book

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N 2 13 M QE? , R I l I x ,ff , .w , X Ar 5 iw!!-? -yn ,,.fuA-.:mwiwl,Jj H - ,mg-gina ,ii e I VI -4. .qw--1 -1 . , V , .gf i LR'E : .QM- f'Zi'3fml'i' ,af - t , - - ' ' 'L-' ' . Mqjmvuv-f' M ,gsm--ff' ,. l I arf ' ' BlrAt.L -A .ns . Ll, - ' ' ' T! 'W 'ff' ga. Aw.. i 5. r I E n 1 H After departing Hong Kong the WASHBUBN returned to Sasebo for two weeks of upkeep and maintenance. Upon completion we proceeded to Buckner Bay, Okinawa in early March to load Marines and equipment, in preparation for Operation Tulungan , the largest amphibi- ous training exercise conducted in the Western Pacific since World War II. The island of Okinawa is one of 108 islands making up the Byukyus Islands group, many of which are too small to be inhabited. Okinawa is 67 miles in length and from 3 to 20 miles in width with the terrain varying greatly between north and south. Southern Okinawa, where Buckner Bay is located, consists of rolling hills-broken occassionally by ravines and valleys. Northern Okinawa is much more rugged and beautiful. There the hills rise more than 1000 feet and are much more wooded. While at Buckner Bay work consumed most of our time, much of it around the clock. We had very little time to see the countryside and towns. Those visited were bare and unattractive. At the completion of Operation Tulungan the WASHBURN returned to Okinawa to offload her cargo and then proceeded to Guam in mid-April for a week of voyage repairs. 33

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