Brinkley Bass (DD 887) - Naval Cruise Book

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Q 1 G. S. Higginbotham Captain, U. S. Navy Commander Destroyer Division 52 Captain GROVER S. HIGGINBOTHAM entered the U. S. Naval Academy from VIRGINIA in I93I, and graduated with the class of I935. Upon graduation Captain HIGGINBOTHAM reported to the USS ARIZONA KBB-395 for duty for the next four years. After a short tour as Assistant Crew Coach at the Naval Academy, he served aboard the USS WYOMING CAG-I7I, on the staff of COMMANDER TRANS- PORTS, ATLANTIC, as gunnery officer of the USS TEXAS KBB-359 and as an assistant to the Operations Officer on the staff of HEAD- QUARTERS, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, U. S. FLEET. In March I9-45, Captain HIGGINBOTHAM assumed command of the USS ALBERT W. GRANT CDD-649I, and was awarded a Bronze Star with combat V for services during the invasion of Borneo. In I946, he reported for three years of duty as assistant operations officer on the staff of COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, ATLANTIC FLEET, and that was followed by duty in the PANAMA CANAL ZONE and as EXECUTIVE OFFICER of the USS PITTSBURGH CCA-727. Captain HIGGINBOTHAM assumed command of DESTROYER DIVISION FIFTY-TWO on the 2 April I954, after two years duty as READINESS OFFICER on the staff of COM- MANDER CRUISER-DESTROYER FORCE, U. S, PACIFIC FLEET. I

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.i... ....,..-ss. - , -, heading for the second time to duty in the Far East. lt was during this tour that the Bass participated in OPERATION SANDSTONE at Eniwetok. This cruise increased the list of ports visited by the BASS to include the Japanese cities of OSAKIE, FUKEOKA, AND YOKOHAMA. Then she returned to the United States in October l948 and conducted type training off the Southern California Coast. In February I949 the BASS participated in OPERATION MICOWEX in Alaskan waters, after which she again went to Hunter's Point for scheduled overhaul. While enroute to Pearl Harbor in October I949 the BASS participated in OPERA- TION MIKI. The third Far Eastern Cruise started in November I949 and was like the last except for a few new ports that were visited, such as BUCKNER BAY, OKI-NAWA, SUBIC BAY, LUZON, PHILIPPINES. It was in May that our ship, as a unit of Task Force 75, began its journey homeward via Guam and Pearl Harbor, arriving in June l95O. In July l95O the BASS was redesignated a unit of Destroyer Squadron Five and as- signed as Flagship for Destroyer Division Fifty-two. ln October of l95O, she was again conducting type exercises off the Southern California Coast and making preparations for combat operations in Korean Waters. 1 On the 6 November l95l, the BASS was enroute to the Far East once again. On 25 November l95l, she began her first combat tour as a screening unit of Task Force 77. In April- DESDIV 52 was assigned as escorts for U. S. troop transports arriving off the Eastern Japanese Coast. In May while serving as a unit of Task Force 95, Wonsan Harbor, 'Bombardment Element, a task element composed of United.Nations ships, the BASS for 30 days engaged in a continuous 24 hour bombardment of enemy shore installations. It was during this period, the 20th of May to be exact, that the BASS suffered its first and only fatal casualty in all its three combat tours. As a result of shrapnel from an enemy l2O MM shell, one man died and IO others received wounds of various severity. On ll July l95l, the BASS was relieved on Station and proceeded home via Yokosuka and Pearl Harbor. After a brief leave period the BRINKLEY BASS conducted extensive type training off the Southern California Coast and prepared itself for its second combat cruise which began on the 25 February l952, as a unit of Task Force 77. Later she joined Task Force 95. On I April she again joined Task Force 77 for six weeks. It was during the last week of duty with Task Force 77 that the BASS was sent to help the ROK navy frigate APNOK which had been involved in a collision at sea. During this cruise the BASS was assigned for the first time to the Formosan Patrol for a period of two weeks. After another tour with Task Force 77 and a bombardment of Wonson Harbor the Ole B. Bass once again headed homeward. She arrived in San Diego 26 August l952, and reported to the Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, for extensive overhaul after which time she prepared herself for her third combat tour, starting the I8 April l953. After a period of short bombardment and type training in Japanese waters the BASS was assigned to the Formosan Patrol. During this period the ship took on the job of training Chinese National personnel. After a short visit to Hong Kong the BASS steamed to Japan and then home, arriving on the I8 November l953. After a leave period the BASS went to Hunter's Point for upkeep and once again conducted extensive type training in preparation for her seventh Far Eastern Cruise which is depicted in pictorial form on the following pages.

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S. H. Alexander Commander, U.S.N. Commanding Officer U.S.S. Brinkley Bass DD 887 Commander SAMUEL H. ALEXANDER received his B.S. Degree at the University of California, and went on through V-7 program to receive his commission in 1940. His first duty station was on the USS IDAHO where he was a division officer. ln 1943 Commander ALEX- ANDER served as commanding officer of the USS LST 313. lt was during this tour of duty that he earned the Navy Cross, while making a landing on the coast of Sicily. Later in 1943 Commander ALEX- ANDER went to the Naval Amphibious Base, Va., to train the crews and officers of amphibious craft. His next duty assignment took him to the USS BELLEROPHON CARL-311 as commanding officer. ln 1947 he went to General Line School, Monterey, California, where he was a student until his next assignment as Executive Officer and instructor for the NROTC program at the University of Missouri in 1949. Com- mander ALEXANDER left the University of Missouri campus in 1951, to join the staff of Commander Naval Forces Far East. . Commander ALEXANDER came to the USS BRINKLEY BASS KDD 8871 as commanding officer in December 1953.