Brumby (DE 1044) - Naval Cruise Book

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SN A. Rogers K TN N. Salazar CS2 C. Saunders SN C. Scobba SH3 D. Scurlook SK2 J. Sprenkle

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THE JGURNEY From Newport, in company with the USS ESSEX and other units of Escort Squadron EIGHT, we headed northeast across the North Atlantic until four thousand miles later we tied up beneath Akershus Forteress at Gslo, Norway. Thus be- gan the cruise that would subsequently take us through the Straits of Denmark to the festive seaport of Kiel, Germany, then north through the Baltic to Norrkoping, Sweden. Heading south, we retraced our track, weaving our way through the heavy stream of traffic in the Skattegat to emerge unscathed just north of England. From there, it was an easy run to Pentland Firth and the open seas west of the British Isles. Fol- lowing several days of operations in a typical North Atlantic sea, we turned south toward the sunny slopes of Spain. It was mid-July when we left El Ferrol for Gibraltar and the Med- iterranean, entering that historic sea one morning so hazy no one was able to view the proverbial rock. The BRUMBY slipped into Naples, Italy and began an intensive inport period during the last week of July and the first days of August We left the teeming harbor of Naples for the blissfully uncrowded sea, transiting the ' Strait of Messina to operate in the central Mediterranean. Our next stop was the for- tified Qby the Crusadersy harbor of Valletta, Malta. Our final stop before beginning the long trek west was the quiet Sicilian village of Castellammare del Golfo, truly a mem- orable port of call. At last we left the Med- iterranean westward bound, with each suc- ceeding sunset seeing us that much closer to families and friends, until early on a foggy morning in late September we sighted Brenton Reef Light, crossed beneath the stretching towers of the new bridge and tied up alongside pier one in soggy but beautiful Newport.