Bremerton (CA 130) - Naval Cruise Book

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For showing...an overall superior battle readiness in gunnery, operations and engineering. So read the official press release concerning the presentation of the E. Bremerton has fulfilled in an excellent manner the purpose for which she was built. So said the Commander of Cruisers Destroyers Pacific. The Battle Efficiency Award doesn't come by chance. Nor is a reputation such as Bremerton enioys easily attained. The long road to the top was paved with the determination, perseverence, and whole- hearted cooperation of every man who has been a part of her. It took the steady application of that extra ounce of pride and perspiration which makes a good iob even better. Men who follow the sea have certain feelings about ships which it is hard for landsmen to under- stand. We have a special feeling about our ship which those who do not know her may sense by the time this book is ended. lt comes not only through the shared hardships involved in the titanic task of keeping a l7,000-ton lady squared away-the burn of a line in clenched palms, the searing heat of a boiler face, or the biting cold wind on a lonely mid-watch. A ship can be a hard and demanding mistress. But there's a certain sense of belonging on the team, of being an important part of her hourly existence- it comes with sharing her surge against typhoon seas, bracing to the thunder of her big guns, watching the -flying fish skitter from her bow wave, reporting All secure to the Officer of the Deck-it comes with the strum of a guitar somewhere on deck around sunset, the companionship over a hot cup of coffee, the proud beat of a band as she sidles up to a pier, and the awe-struck gaze of a bunch of kids who have never seen such a wondrous sight before. lt is the feeling of satisfaction when the skipper says Well done. And when we walk away from her into a strange new land, and feel the envious stares, and turn and look at her sweeping majesty parked there in a glistening harbor, we wouldn't trade the experience of being a part of her for anything in the World. This then is the story of men and a ship-one and inseparable, the men the life-blood of the ship, and the ship the common bond of the men. To all those who have made this splendid team and these unforgettable days possible, we dedicate this book. - 1, fa l ll l l l l W . 6.6,- l

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ski , ti. gn. ,r J .4 -64201 TE ii- at ,, te F P . L 5 l The heavy cruiser U.S.S' Bremerton ICA 13Ol, named for Bremert 2 July, 1944, at Camden, New Jersey, and was commissioned 29 April, 1 ,yvvtf Shipyard. She was accepted on behalf of the U.S. Navy by Rear Admiral, l ant of the Fourth Naval District and turned over to her first commanding Offic M Her name resulted from a spirited war bond contest between the l Bremerton, Washington, and the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Valleio, C began in February, 1943. Puget Sound employees set a new record, with pay going into war bonds, to win the contest. After a brief fitting out period, Bremerton made her shakedown cruise Bay, Cuba. At the end of this shakedown period, she became the flagship c Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, for his South American inspection to Shortly thereafter, Bremerton was transferred to the Pacific Fleet. The began at Jinsen, Korea. ln November of 1946 she returned to the United Stat P visited the ports Shanghai, Tsingtao, Chinwangtao, Woosung, and Taku. On decommissioned at San Francisco, California, becoming a member of the Pacinc Reserve rleet. Recommissioned shortly after the outbreak of the Korean War, she ioined the U. S. Seventh Fleet in Korean waters. Her seagoing artillery blasted enemy positions at Wonsan, Koio, Chongiin, and Changion Hang, Korea. On 13 September, 1952, she was relieved and headed for Long Beach, California, her first combat tour completed. ' I The next seven months were devoted to overhaul, leave for the crew, drills and gunnery exercises. ln April, 1953, Bremerton again departed Long Beach for the Western Pacific and the Seventh Fleet. Upon ioining the Task Force, her guns pounded enemy installation, troops and railroads. Communist guns retaliated but caused only slight damage to the ship. After returning to Long Beach, Bremerton commenced a Shipyard overhaul. When the overhaul was completed she began extensive training and on 4 May, 1954, departed for another tour inthe Western Pacific. A July highlight of this cruise was a three day visit to Hakodate, Japan, honoring Commodore Perry's arrival in Japan nearly 100 years previously. Toward the end of the cruise, a Hong Kong, B.C.C., visit was interrupted to evade one of the seven typhoons which threatened during the cruise. On 17 October, 1954, Bremerton returned to Long Beach. Immediately following the Christmas holi- days she commenced another overhaul at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard. There she underwent a thorough revamping under the Navy's program of improved habitability, with every attention turned to improving the living conditions of the crew, in addition to other alterations to modernize her fighting capabilities. After a rigid training period ,under the direction of Commander, Fleet Training Group, San Diego, Bremerton returned to Long Beach and sailed from the United States 12 July, 1955, as fiagship of Rear Admiral D.M. Tyree, USN, Commander Cruiser Division One, for duties in the Far East. During the cruise, Bremerton visited ports in Hawaii, Japan, Okinawa, Formosa, Hong Kong and Singapore, B.C.C., and participate in many training operations with Task'Force 77. For two weeks during October, 1955, Bremerton was the temporary flagship of Vice Admiral A. M. Pride, USN, Commander Seventh Fleet. 5 On 25 November, 1955, Rear Admiral H. L. Collins, USN, relieved Rear Admiral D. M. Tyree, USN, as Commander Cruiser Division One. Bremerton returned to Long Beach 12 February 1956. On 28 February, Captain Charles C. Kirkpatrick, USN, relieved Captain Ray R. Conner, USN, as Commanding Officer. From March through June, 1956, the ship operated off the West Coast of the United States. During this period she made two calls in the'San Francisco Bay area: once in April during the celebration of the 25th year of progress since the greatlearthquake and fire of 1906, and again in June as a part of the First Fleet, then conducting training operations, which composed the greatest armada in the Bay since World wot n. ' This cruise book takes over from there. fir 'fwfr JW riff f1,J,Q.f,0aM-1 fine , ,Lv-MAV ,ee JMZWVAJ, Geyer 0072277 ' V72 zaw-fs.

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if J ln Memorium . . . David Terry Collet Seaman, United States Naval Reserve Sewing on active duty in USS Bremerton Lost at Sea lA March i957