Wisconsin (BB 64) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 114 text:

and the ship had become known as the grey lair of the devil bomb. After five consecutive months on the bomb line, we were happy to see the U-S-S IOWA steam into the harbor. Vfe exchanged infor- mation for two days, transferred the Flag, were re- lieved, and set sail for the island of Guam. We learned at Guam that we had been sent to test a floating drydock. We set a record that day. The WISCONSIN is the largest ship ever to be supported by a drydock of that type. After our brief stay at Guam we proceeded to Pearl Harbor, our first liberty port since leaving Japan. We stayed two days, enjoying the water and sun- shine of Waikiki Beach and the delights of the Royal Hawaiian, Surf Rider, and Moana Hotels. We then set our course for California. The '4Wiscy tied up at Long Beach, California, in late April for another two-day rest stop. This was our first taste of Stateside liberty in over six months. Things had not changed much While we were away, but we had been away long enough to be homesick. We were out to make up for lost time. It was won- derful. The trip to the Canal Zone was marked by sun bathing and many days of holiday routine. We rest- ed one day in Panama City and then transited the Canal. ' We arrived in Norfolk in early May amid a fleet of tugs shooting great geysers of water into the air. A large crowd waited on the pier, We moored, and in short order the brows were put in place and the great reunion was underway, It was One of those , los rare emotion-filled moments which will never be forgotten. For the next month we basked in the warm sun of Norfolk and again became accustomed to the State- side way of doing things. Early in June 1952 we left for Annapolis, Mary- land, to take aboard the Naval Academy Midship- men, then returned to Norfolk for the NROTC Mid- shipmen. With our 750 c'Middies7' we sailed for Greenoch, Scotland. Three weeks and many, many drills later we arrived at our first port of call. We had live days to get acquainted with Greenoch and Glasgow and the hospitable Scots. All of us made many friends in Scotland, and it was with a touch of nostalgia that we sailed for Brest, France. Liberty there was fine, and most Of us took the opportunity to go to Paris on three-day sightseeing tours. Paris was truly the fascinating city we had been led to believe she was. The days WCIC spent seeing the sights and after dark we learned first-hand about Paris night-life. Our next stop was the Navy Underway Training Command at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. After a brief stay there we sailed for Norfolk, and another pCri0d at home. Three weeks later we got underway to take part in . . .

Page 113 text:

.s. S. WISCCDNSIN tBB-641 f,,,f,f,,f,,,,,f,, W ,,ff W.. The U.S.S. WISCONSIN, the worldjs largest bat- tleship, was built by the Philadelphia Naval Ship- yard at a cost of over f1B100,000,000. Her keel was laid 25 January 1941, and she was launched on 7 December 1943. The 44Wiscy',, reported for duty to the Pacific in October 1944, later joining the Third Fleet at Ulithi. While assigned to the Fast Task Forces during World Vvar II, the WISCONSIN participated in the operations against Hong Kong, Indo-China, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and the occupation of Japan. After the war, she returned to the U. S. and operated out of Norfolk until 1948, when she was decommissioned and placed on the reserve list. Hecommissioning took place in March 1951. That summer she participated in two Midshipman train- ing cruises, visiting Edinburgh, Scotlandg Lisborn, Portugalg Halifax, Nova Scotiag New York City, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. On 25 October 1951 the WISCONSIN sailed for the Far East. As flagship for Commander Seventh Fleet, she lent heavy gunfire support to the United Nations Forces off the cast coast of Korea. Whilc: striking transportation facilities in the Songjin- Chaho area on 15 March 1952, she received a direct hit from an enemy shore battery-her first hit in two wars-and sustained slight damage. April 1952 found us in Yokosuka Harbor. We had just returned from the 'Gbomb linef, where our 16- inch shells had earned the nickname Hdevil bombsn Wounded man being transferred to Wisconsin . , if f M ' .f ir ,...,1 o .. it i n f A 4 - e 4 IQ hx 3.1. Y 9 . i f Zh . , ,,, W -uvfff ' 0 Mdagkqaw 'ws si! b it Si' PSHE!

Page 115 text:

Q t'OI1 M 'lib ,,,,. p e I a I C e Vfff!!!fi7ffifffff077ff fffffffff!777ff!fWffWffwffffffggg f . The North Atlantic took its toll V4 L - WYU' W' it . N .. - .X X . t Spa T.-.tt M t x :Aga ww A Mt ,A -nf' N ,,,,,..,. Q: ,ww lm. T W-f ' sv 'X Q - V - . 5 A X' -I 'T ,K xt x +G'-X ti ,K xx - t , - ... -v' ,M X j xi F ik 2 . Alt, ' X x Q , ' . .N x x. x N , X ' L' lx' , A X , X x , tix N-. Wx . Q xrxu X my ' v rxaixct -' -- 1,3 , -, t Q ' . w ,.-21,.5Q ' :' X Q lt .. X t 'F Q x ,VSA X W tt .yi lv QNiQfQ91 'x'K Q f -t X WN' it sifwvmif? Xxsmwf -- xi- .. . . x v X-'XI SQ Q ' 52' f f .2L? ' w .W '::jf,,a,1ff.., ffQf2' l ,-tg l,. ....