Clarence K Bronson (DD 668) - Naval Cruise Book

Text from Pages 1 - 88 of the 1954 volume:

i it 1 cvrsV MAY, 1953 - JANUARY, 1954 lir To Commander David R. Fitzgerald, USN, Com- manding Officer, V Clarence K. Bronson, from her recommissioning in Jime, 1951 nntil July, 1953— This l ook is dedicated in appreciation of his accomphshments; in respect for his qualities as an officer and a gentleman. y 2 0kh USS CLARENCE K. BRONSON DD-668 Kipling once wrote, The liner is a lady and her husband is the warship. In the case of the Destroyer, the liner will find a husband, small, handsome, pugnacious, proud and deadly. A can has no inferiority complex because of size, and often undertakes the most difficult man-sized jobs without a moment ' s hesitation. Ever since Congress authorized (7SS Cush- ing in 1886, destroyers have become progres- sively longer, heavier, faster, more deadly, and more important in the Navy; but the most glorious page in their comparatively short his- tory is that written during World War II— in the Pacific. And USS Clarence K. Bronson (DD-668) had a part in that war. A war baby, born in the dark days, with memories of Pearl Harbor still an open wound in the American con- science. Destroyer hull 668 was laid down at Kearny, New Jersey in December 1942. They named the sleek, swift hull for Naval Aviator No. 15, Ltjg. Clarence King Bronson, USNA ' 12, who lost his life in 1916, when a bomb exploded prematurely in his plane. Shakedown cruises off Bermuda and Casco Bay followed commissioning ceremonies, after which Bronson and Spartson (DD-577) tran- sited the Panama Canal and set their courses for Pearl Harbor— and the enemy. The war in the Pacific was beginning to turn in the favor of the United States Navy, when Bronson arrived. The war career of 668 began in task force strikes against various islands in the Marshalls and the Kwajalein landings. Throughout the rest of the Pacific War, USS Bronson ranged over the vast expanse of the ocean, hitting the Imperial Japanese Navy, and participating in the victor- ious assaults on Okinawa and Iwo Jima. When V-J Day came and the scores were all in, checked and tallied, USS Clarence K. Bran- son had to her credit: 6 enemy planes shot down, 37 sorties against the enemy, 9 Battle stars in the Asiatic-Pacific ribbon for her crew, 2 Battle stars in the Philippines ribbon for her crew, 25 survivors rescued from the sea, 9 Battle ribbons. Cited for their heroic work, Cdr. Gifford Scull, USN, Commanding Officer; Lt. R. L. Patterson, USNR, Executive Officer; and Lt. Richard McManus, MSUSNR, sTiip ' s doctor, all received the Bronze Star Medal. The ship returned to the United States in 1946 and soon thereafter entered the dormant years of mothballing. But alliances have the habit of falling apart, and once again troubled spilled over in the misnamed Pacific. So, in June, 1951, Branson was recommissioned— put back on the job, and in 1953, revisited the scene of her past triumphs. So there it is. The life story of the Branson up to now. A good story, if not the greatest, the most heroic. The ship has been lucky to have come through the broil of war unscathed and to have contributed a share to the history of this nation. For history is woven out of many strands, slowly, always growing. And although one ship does not make a Navy, or win a war, it plays a part. USS Clarence K. Branson has played such a part, and will con- tinue to do so as long as it is necessary. For the Bransons story is something of the horror of war, the eternal mystery of the sea, the unconciuerable, undaunted spirit of the men in the tin cans and the little ships themselves whose proud, defiant motto is always: Don ' t tread on me. Cdr. Thomas R. Weschler, USN Commanding Officer Cdh. William F. Emslie, USN Executive Officer Cdr. Thomas R. Weschler reported aboard the Bronson as Captain in July 1953. bringing with him a wealth of experience gained from a wide ranging naval career. Born in Erie, Pa. 21 December 1917, he entered the Naval Academy in 1935, graduating in the class of ' 39. In 1941 he was an instructor of Thermody- namics in the Marine Engineering Department at Annapolis. He requested and was assigned to sea duty in June 1941, aboard VSS Wasp (CV-7} then on the Atlantic Neutrality Patrol. In 1942, after operations with the British Home Fleet, the Wasp went to the Pacific and partici- pated in the Guadalcanal Invasion. On 15 September 1942, tlie Wasp was sunk in action. Cdr. Weschler was next assigned to t SS Sigsbee (DD-502) where he served as First Lieutenant and Gunnery Officer. He took part in the raids on Marcus and Wake Islands, the invasion of the Gilberts, Marshalls, Rabaul, Hollandia, Halmabera, the Mariannas, the Philippines, Iwo Jima and the first carrier attacks on Japan. In March 1945, Cdr. Weschler became Executive Officer of the t SS Young (DD-580). In this capacity he partici- pated in the invasion of Mindanao in the Phil- ippines. Since the war, Cdr. Weschler has served in the Bureau of Ordnance, aboard 17SS Macon (CA-132), as Gunnery Officer, on tlie Staff of ComCruLant as assistant training offi- cer, and on the staff of the Naval War College. He makes his home in Newport, R. I., is mar- ried, and the father of two children. 1 Cdr. Emslie, the firm but just administrator of the Bronson, hails from Ohio. His past naval career has seen him among other things, Com- manding Officer of an LST. Shortly after the end of the cruise, Cdr. Emslie reported to a new duty: Executi ' e Officer of VSi Viilrun. at Norfolk, ' a. Ofjicefis First roiv, left to right: Ltjg. Joyce, Ltjg. Samuelson, Cdr. Enislie (Exec), Cdr. Weschler (Capt. ) Ltjg. Kilby, Lt. Groton (M.C.), Ltjg. Greatliouse. Second row: Ens. Fleming, Ltjg. Gary, Ens. Elmore, Ens. Gill, Ens. Munro, Ens. Balch, Ens. Ma.wvell, Ens. Landis, Ens. Godek, Ens. Anaston. Is this Happy Hour? Oil, for heaven ' s sake . . . I eez ze beeg boss, no? I ' r-cnl :ilta(i Relations? ' ' - Uniform ul llu A Can I touch you? 1 1 : p L Pac lydemi and friends Hmmpf! Oljicefis Reiken, BMC Claunch, CSC Lowe, CMC Soderburg, QMC Turner, MMC Hrbek, ENC Rutkowski, EMC Mitchell, ETC Langford, HMC T i V 10 (; 5 b- 11 mi imm 1 r Top row, left to riffht: Spenard, Sa alier, Daniels, Rouillaicl. Middle row: WCiuli. i l;. Dd icr, Snicizowski, Lane, R. B.; Myers, Simon, Johnson, A. E.; Tliomas, Sliott. Bottom row: Smith, D. L.; Caiirir, Aniiun .iato, C;one, Engler. Whitaker, Crockett, McClary, Thompson. Front row: Reiken, (BMC), Ens. Fleming, Dnguay. Pretty versatile, these boys— deckhands, hue handlers, painters, boat co.xswains and crews, they are really responsible for the forecastle and all the mysteries of anchor- ing and mooring. 12 13 Sec ma ivkm Top row, left to right: Kaufman, Scinto, Bergeron, Sicoli. Middle row: Baxter, Benjamin, Grant, Thistle, Galli, Law- rence, Johnson, F. L.; Walker, J. C. Bottom row: Barone, Deck, Lyles, Bucklew, Dupont, Pentecost, Muise, Weber. Front row: Dafford, Ens. Elmore, Hancock. Second Division like First Division is part of the deck force. Their hailiwick is the after part of the ship, and their capacities also include deck-walloping, line han- dling, along with all the other ancient arts of the sea. Real Sea Dogs, all of them. 14 15 The night before tlie niiirniiig after 16 17 ' msk wmon .Mi tmt tsi ' :. «HA Top row, e to right: Kunze, Siracusa, Muiiay, Smith, R. L.; Czamecki, Richards, Frontiero, Kosidowski, Murph ' . Middle row: Palniquist, Leigh, Fannon, Walker, R. G.; Yates, Antonacci, Lloyd, Arendt, Fisher. Bottom rote: Lamp- man, Cer ' ellere, Lundin, McCrickard, Brown, Incantalupo, Dexter, Elkins, Warling. Colamussi Front row: Ens. Ma. well, Ens. Leriotis, Lowe, (CMC). G Division provides the fireworks— quite a repertoire, from .45 cal. to torpedo- hand grenade to depth cliarge. Guess this is why the ' call us a Destroyer. IS 19 20 21 ' C i i wmm Back row, left to right: Winter, Hobhs, Coiigli, DuVerney, Barillo, M ers, Gunter, Wusterbaitli ilj oods. Chapman, Hail, Hengehold. Middle row: Keefer, Liccione, Reese, Klingner, Roniain, Clausson, larltun, I ' dihRci. Front rotv: Visbeck, Ens. Munro, Ens. Godek. Absent: Bennett, (RMC), Soderbnrg, (QMC). C Division . . . Here are the entrepreneurs who handle communications— Radio, Flashing Light, Semaphore, Flaghoist. And, of course, the Yeomen; if it weren ' t for them who would lick the stamps? 22 ( own tlie liridge And there was the Point Cruz Yes, he can type, too Liberty party? Man of distinction Ldcikinii for Babxsan 23 24 25 ' ' 0 ' ' ivisk wmen Top row, left to riglit: Moore, Way, Pardonek, Greenwood, Shaw, Flewelling, Hise, Jaworowski, Morgan, Eiclien- l-Mih, Arntz. Bottom row: Littlepage, Swartz, Washington, Hessler, Ltjg. Gary, Magginnis, Ltjg. Kilby, Elwell, Ens. Anaston, Stubblefield, Yonng, McCartney, Rapach, Absent: Shnpien, Kropae, Martin. Operations Division . . . the boys who run CIC, play with radar, maneuvering boards, and get to know who ' s who in what formation. Always in a GQ setup, tlie Radarmen, ET ' s and Sonarmen have long since learned how to live like moles in their small, dark cells . . . the nerve centers of a modern warship. 26 27 11 i 29 ' S ' ' y) mk wmm Top row, left to right: Taylor, Clark, Cannon, Francis, Porter. Second row: Lee, D. H.; Noel, S ' im, Martin, Tiede- niann, Bridwell, Elder. Third row: Weniger, Mulford, Braswell, Brewster, Loney, Rulinke, O ' Brien, Carrico. Bot- tom row: Tedrick, Ens. Gill, Mitchell, (BTC). T!!r 1 The Engineering Department i.s always a beeliive ot activity, from tlie men who run the boilers, keeping them (nil, clean, hot and liappy . . . 30 ' ' hism Top row, left to right: Pittnian, Coleman, Fielder, Bozeman, Amiguus, Pallo, Case . Second row: Howard, Geiger, Kwikkle, Conway, Smitli, J. T.; Squeo, Conkle. Third row: Snively, Baxter, W.; Masica, Grisham, Evans, Lapham, Stahl, Johnson, M. F. Bottom row: Hrbek, (ENC), Ens. Landis, Turner, (MMC). Ti- 1 -A- To the fellows who keep the wheels going round, and the ship going ahead— the Machinist Mates . . . 31 ' 6 ' ivisk wmon To the Electricians who keep us bright and try to outshine Edison, right down to . is -k -k Top row, left to right: Frye, Charron, Golden, Garland, Hickey, Underdahl. Bottom row: Woerner, Clinger, Rut- kowski, (EMC), Ens. Bakh, Kreibich, Brecht. 32 ' ' r ' ' imk wmm The Repair Gang, who fix everything from a leaking faucet to a leaking ship. Yes, the Engineers have a variety of trades — plus the know-how to keep things running. Top row, left to right: Samuelson, Quam, Mar in, Hiles, Konkel. Middle row. Chamberlin, McKinlay, Dines, Alba- sini, SuUixan, Bonner. Bottom row: Lee, B.; Ens. Balch, Crull. 33 Working uniform? Just like dri ing a car Smile Wonder what this is 34 35 36 S; u. cJ-- 37 S % ' imien Top row. left lo right: Feury, Olt-r, Buoliy, Villaruz. Middle row: Russell, Zipp, McSlian, Poling, Pasclial, Co ing- toii, Gordon, Hani, Simpson, Hill. Bottom row: Peters, Henry, Berglnnd, Clanneh, (CSC), Dusetti, Ltjg. Sannielson, Campbell, Langford, (HMC), Stewart. Sliaw, Brunozzi. The Supply Department for its tantalizing menus and outstanding French cuisine; its wizardry on the balancing of books. Everyone marvels at the skill and perfection of its laundering service, (the judicious use of starch) and of course, no one will ever forget the gigantic emporium it conducts on the mess deck at hours convenient to all hands . . . 38 Mavbe an axe would do it Why, tliere ' s notliing to it ii Sightseers contented ean you get? 39 It ' s an old family recipe Yes, we liked Japan -k it l,i) al order of sonietliing or otli( 40 41 Iie Cruise Some wags have said that the Navy inhabits the unfashionable side of fashionable New- port in the unfashionable season. To some, this may be true, but true or not, the long rakish lines of Deslant ' s charges are as familiar a Newport sight as the Breakers, or the Casino. DesDiv 302 makes its home in Newport waters, but once in a while, like any proper Destroyer Division, it gets to hankering about the World beyond Block Island. And so, accordingly, on 18 May, 1953, C7SS Dahj (DD-519), USS Smalleij (DD-565), t SS Cotten (DD-669) and USS Clarence K. Branson (DD- 668) stood out to sea, turning their respective courses to the southward— outward bound on the great adventure, a cruise that would take them to the war in Korea, and then, onuard through a kaleidoscopic odyssey embracing many lands, many peoples— and most of all, many, many unforgettable memories. 42 p. CtMTItCt The first leg of our cruise lay soutliward, aud as Newport faded out of sight, then off the chart, the weather turned warmer, the seas bluer. Despite a few minor storms on the way itfd down, we reached the Caribbean end of the Panama Canal five days out. We will always remember two things about that Isthmus— first, all the pictures everyone was taking of Gatun locks, the mules and the local scenery. (We wonder how work ever got done! ) The other memory is of Panama City— on the Pacific end of the Canal. After five or six days at sea, any- thing ashore looks good— but brother, what a time. It was with great difficulty that Cdr. Fitzgerald was able to get underway when the 43 time came. But as we all realized later, the cruise would have been only half the fun, had it ended here. And so, on into the Pacific. Bm b jnen k 3 an y)k ( . . . on Mm ine Pmjic, k (jHiaway, Ma , . , 44 . . . ajian 45 ' ' S ysium Our first port of call in Japan was Yokosuka, and our stay there was happily extended to last over two weeks as a result of a poll taken by the crew (and bad tubes in 3 boiler). Yokosuka has grown from the gutted Jap- anese Naval Base of 1945 to a large city sup- porting the United States Naval activity there. There is a well-equipped shipyard and a mod- ern shore base there now, and nearby is Atsugi Naval Air Station. It is the home port of many of the carriers and other heavies in the Seventh Fleet. OiH ' rather tentative gestures of friendship were so well received that we soon felt quite at home in our first really foreign port. It was not long before we could answer Arrigato with Doi itasimasita and Takuran Dollars soon became reekoshi yen if you spent too much time shopping. Soon the scholars could almost count to five— ichi, ni, sans . . . but with good reason, because our hearts were com- pletely won by the personification of Baby- san, literally Miss Baby. She is pert, slender, blackhaired and piquant, and she is as charm- ing in skirt and sweater as she is in kimono and obi. She started by asking us, What ship meester? , and she soon became our ichi-bon girl friend. But if we ever called and the girl friend said, Oh! She go movie, it ' s all same- same in any language, friend, that ' s the brush- off. We met Babysan in every port, and in every port she grew more attractive. We toured Yokohama, the most important seaport in Japan and the national showplace, Mt. Fujiyama, then, to Kamakura, site of the oldest stone Buddha in Japan. Tokyo was only an hour ' s train ride away, and we found it to be a fascinating city. We went to the theater, saw the impressive parks and our first pagoda, and shopped in the busy colorful Guiza district. But the engineers had not gotten the word, and we soon had four good boilers again and were off to Task Force 77. No longer novices in the art of Japanese- American interrelations, while at sea we prac- ticed the Japanese coal-dance and hummed the haunting Kau-kau Musame and the lovely harmonies of China Night. The lovely Japanese kimono was designed to accentuate the delicacy and slenderness that is considered the criterion of beauty in Japan. Although the modern age has reduced the popularity of the classic style, the Japanese women still walk with a mincing step, tlie graceful folds of the kimono undisturbed. 46 47 48 49 ' IH p ml illlli i . ' 1 . ftp Jl ' ' - P m m ly .- k ' ' ▼ 1 i 50 C tM( c oj C mmma ■iMj .J 1 On July 25, 1953, at Sasebo, Japan. Cdr. David R. Fitzgerald was relieved of command by Cdr. Thomas R. Weschler. Here, Capt. B. J. Semmes, Jr., ComDesDiv 302, officially wel- comes Cdr. Weschler aboard. 51 jdsn jofice 77 Leaving Yokosuka on July 3, we crossed the treacherous Shimonoseki Straits and the West- ward Passage, past Ullong Do into the sea of Japan to rendezvous witli Task Force 77, tlie crack fast carrier force of the Korean Theatre. We made our debut with considerable trepida- tion, and, although our conditioning ac ross the Pacific had given us a lot of self-confidence, we viewed the precision maneuvers of the Force with awe. We had four tours of duty with 77 and by the middle of the second, things had settled into as much of a routine as might be expected from a group that ran aroimd in cir- cles day after day at flank speed. After the establishment of a truce between the United Nations and North Korea, we began to feel the force of that fine, all-encompassing bit of navy doctrine: The priinary jo]) of the peace- time Navy .s training. We had Warning Ma- genta and Maroon and exercise Adept and Adex from sunrise to siuiset and if the day seemed to be going slowly we would fire from formation Liner just about chow time. We tracked so many planes and fired so many prac- tice rounds that we almost wished for the com- parative quiet of wartime. Perhaps the most exciting moments were the night refuelings from the carriers, where the overwhelming blackness of a moonless night was broken onlv by a half-dozen bobbing red lights in a row a hundred yards long on the carrier ' s hangar deck. The most fatiguing 24 hours was cer- 53 54 tainly the day and night of continuous replen- ishment when each of two dozen ships in tlie screen replenished six times, receiving food, fuel and ammunition. It wasn ' t long before we were really feeling like old hands at the game, and we began to develop a genuine sympathy for the new destroyers joining the Force who would make the same mistakes we had. It must be con- fessed that destroyer sailors have a certain antipathy toward the crews of the floating airstrips, and when a new carrier joined the Force it was generally regarded as something of a special occasion while we waited for them to get their first reprimand from the Admiral. However reluctantly, our admiration for the carriers grew and we had to confess that it was something of an achievement when day after day they landed and recovered their planes at 30 second intervals. And we grew to be a little less envious of the soft life on a carrier when we found flight operations beginning at 0400 and ending at 21.00. As the glamor of most things fade with familiarity, so the excitement of 77 began to pall as tlie new things became commonplace and the romantic became routine. The days soon resolved into watches, answering too many bells too many times, making a seem- ingly endless number of uninspiring entries in voice radio logs, and transferring at sea more times than we now care to remember. We cer- tainly had a workout with 77, and when we left —we were proficient, and a bit tired. 55 - ( InJ w iiie we we te w M 77, Me Kofiean huce was sipeJ on Jul: 27. Wfien we comfilehJ sufi hufi in e iean wakfis, we neaaea seu n, seen pna n emseives in 56 , . . pUfKI K( n(i 57 Dawn was just breaking as we approached Hong Kong from the east, and the sun cast the bright yellow of morning on the city. We had long tliought of Hong Kong as the most mys- terious of cities, where Occident and Orient meet and join almost unnoticed, and the city itself had been recently touted to us by all of the Seventh Fleet. We were completely won by Hong Kong and i ts fascinating old-modern ways. We toured thieves market where stolen goods are openly sold. We saw the ivory shops and the carvers at work on tiny, delicate fig- ures. We went by the jade center of the world where you may buy a clear, apple-green piece as big as your little fingernail for only a year ' s salary. We visited the home of Aw Boon Haw, one of the richest men in the Orient, and saw his priceless jade collection. He has turned iiis home and grounds into a fabulous showplace 58 called the Tiger Balm Gardens. Rising on a hill behind the mansion are rock and plaster gods, animals and figmes in religious scenes and native tableaux, all in brilliant color. They represent the dreams and apparitions that have come to Aw Boon Haw. Dominating the whole is a tall, slender whit e pagoda, towering majes- tically aloof over all. Going around the island we stopped at the Repulse Bay Hotel and had a gin and lime on the veranda, overlooking its colorful gardens and the cool bav and crescent beach. Then to 59 Aberdeen, a small fishing village, where we were taken by native junks to the floating res- taurants. Shrimps, lobsters, snails or any fish you could name were available— you could even pick out yom- own dinner from the nets. On returning to the city, we stopped on the mountain above it and looked down at it, shim- mering in the dusk with a background of our ship in the bay and the lights of Kowloon shining dimly. we all remember best. Although our patronage was most willingly volunteered because of the excellent clothing and inexpensive tailoring, we must admit that the custom of drinking beer supplied by the firm while discussing business terms led us all to consult with our outfitters at greater length and with more fre- c[uency than we would have done at home. We left Hong Kong happy in the knowledge that when we returned to Newport we would be the best-dressed paupers in town. Hong Kong had even more to offer us commercially than it did artistically, and we cut quite a financial swath through the city. We bought furniture, laces, cottons, linens, watches, luggage, cameras and jade to such an extent that we had to open up one of the ship ' s magazines for storage space. The city ' s prices were amazingly low, and to give us service deluxe, all the merchants sent their represen- tatives to the ship— the fantail looked like a bazaar. The tailors, however, are the ones that 60 61 Cmsin ine Xme 21-22 November, 1953- in which certain members of the Branson, to wit: Pollywogs, were ini- tiated into that august fraternity, to wit: Shellbacks, in accordance with the strict, serene and most dignified ceremonies . . . In the Superior Court OF THE REALM OF NEPTUNE IN AND FOR THE District of Equatorius The people of the Realm of the Deep vs. ALj)|fcTy Si,,j4 Eott M ts[[[( of the U. S. S. C • r ji j QAj sd J SUBPOENA Filed this date f r ' l3S . . Davy Jones, ICIerk Peg Leg, Deputy 62 63 3m(ictfiofie And we paused at Singapore, city of mys- tery, delight and fantasy, featiuing gorgeous Chinese girls in hobble skirts sht so danger- ously that little is left for the most vivid of imaginations. A refuge for buccaneers during the Middle Ages when piracy was prevalent in the Malacca Straits, the City of the Lion has been invaded and dominated by many European and Asiatic nations, thus accomiting for her diverse peoples and races. Although now a British Crown Colony, a distinct Chino- Indian influence pervades the city, her inhabi- tants, her customs. In touring the city one ' s first impression is that every day is Monday with family washings flapping far overhead as you wend your way through the narrow shop-lined streets. Tri- shaws, rather than rickshaws as in other cities of the Orient, come racing down on you with natives agilely sidestepping and tourists stum- bling for cover. Occasionally Hindu Mosques with elaborately carved figures of their gods rise from the turmoil below. In the few places where vegetation may be found, sacred Brahma cows graze, free to stray at will. Dimly lit Buddhist temples are seen close by with their guardian priests ever eager to explain the wonder in the life of their prince of princes, all cash donations accepted for the service. Snagging a cab, we leave tlie grossly over- populated urban area in quest of a cooler region. An all-inclusive botanical garden ( which is O.K. if you like to look at trees with signs on tliem, as our own Wild Bill puts it) is on hand for the nature lover. Bubber trees abound along the roads and at Jahore the prince ' s palace with minarets towering sky- ward and lion cubs frolicking in the brilliant sunlight, is a sight to behold. Singapore ' s own 65 Tiger Balm Gardens, built as a memoriam to his brother by Aw Boon Haw, undoubtedly the greatest and richest philanthropist in the Orient, is one of the more interesting stops. The Singapore Turf Club, with the best of the Orient ' s breeded horses, is available for the racing enthusiast or the man with an excess of Straits dollars. Back in town again we find our best bet for a tall cool one in the lounge of the Raffles Hotel where an ultra-British atmos- phere is on display. Adventure lurks as darkness falls on Singa- pore. After dinner at Princes or the Catliay Restaurant (escargots, red wine and a char- coaled fillet) we ' re off. Cabarets with enchant- ing Chinese hostesses are found in secluded alley ways by those bold enough to enter. Clubs on roof tops or behind hea A ' doors furnish excitement to the thrill seeker who will find a Malayan Princess or an Indian rajah nearby. Music that grinds into your soul per- vades the room while suspicious-looking cus- tomers talk in hushed tones at the end of the bar. Charming maidens supply the best for wining and dining while an exotic Singalese beauty peers through you from the distance and gages the weight of your purse. With the excitement of such places wear- ing off about midnight, a trip to Bug! street is needed for the spirit. Here under the stars the riff-raff and the high society mingle, savor- ing the delicious indigenous foods prepared in an open-air eatery. The time is drawing nigh for the last libi ' rt) ' boat ' s departure so back to the pier we go, to leave on the morrow for more exotic ports, and the Mediterranean. 66 On entering the liarbor at Colombo, we were impressed by the large, varied amount of ship- ping present. Although the harbor is relatively small, it accommodates quite a number of ships by the expedient of mooring them in lines, with one buoy serving to hold the bow of one ship and the stern of the next. Thus, our entrance resembled that of a car cautiously threading its way through a parking lot. On om- trips around the town to the color- ful market areas, the cinnamon gardens, the cocoanut groves and the Hindu Temples we saw many a skeptical group of sailors watching a turbanned Hindu with his pipe trying to stir a sluggish king cobra into life. The zoo at Colombo is one of the loveliest we had seen. It is located in a beautiful park filled with many specimens of native flora. When we had become accustomed to the many priests in their brilliant yellow saris and the women who wore jewels in their noses we spent some time watching the many animals and brightly-hued birds of the jungle, and saw the elephant dance in a natural open amphitheater. There was also a full day trip to Khondi, and on it we saw impressive jungle scenery and many wild beasts in their natural habitat. The wild game hunters returned to the ship somewhat sooner than expected, their tour having come to an untimely end when the state game warden gave an unceremonious negative to their appeal for permission to hunt rogue elephants. Two unforgettable memories remain with us: the permeating and inescapable odor of Indian incense and the vision of the exotic Egyptian Ecdictjst (uh— belly dancer). We left Colombo after a three-day visit tak- ing with us a substantial part of Colombo ' s pith helmets, star sapphires, and carved ebony elephants. 67 6S Bduin,  £f ; ' %m. i!iSiti Then through the Suez Canal, with a stop at Port Said, and on into the wintry Mediterranean 69 ( fi iens, mce We made our first Mediterranean moor in the port of Piraeus, Greece. Shortly afterwards we were all ashore heading for the historic city of Athens. Although Athens i.s the baili- wick of Pallas Athene, Goddess of Wisdom, we devoted ourselves rather more to Bacchana- lian piusuits. It was the festive season and we found that the indigenous drink of oyzo gave us a heretofore unsurpassed medium of expres- sion. We visited such cultural establishments as John Bull ' s Tavern, the Argentina and Miami Bars, where the warmth of our recep- tion more than compensated the absence of central festive. For the budding student of ancient culture, there was a tour of assorted temples, stadii and ruins. After visiting the Temple of Zeus, The Acropolis, The Theatre of Dionysius and The Parthenon, we were well schooled in the classic lives of Greek architecture and could readily distinguish Ionic, Doric or Corinthian. Christmas Day brought forth a flurry of activity that is seldom seen when the ship is engaged in holiday routine, for the Branson was playing Santa Claus. The galley crew had prepared a sumptuous repast, from soup to nuts, and fifty well scrubbed and brushed sail- ors prepared to meet their charges; fifty war mmi orphans from the City of Athens. The ([uar- terdeck spotted them first— a straggling pro- cession of four dozen, bright-eyed, terrified youngsters, aged from four to ten ears. But they were soon at ease, for the Christmas Din- ner was truly a feast. They all seemed to enjoy the subsequent tour of the ship, but the high- light of the afternoon was the party on the mess deck. At the party, after an hour-long movie of cartoons collected from the di ision, they were served ice cream and cake, and each received his two presents that we had brought with us 10,000 miles from Japan. Unable to thank us in English they expressed themselves by serenading us with Greek Christmas songs. They departed bulging with turkey, toys, dolls and buoyant holiday spirit. 70 71 : Cmsimas Bmsen jofi fiee OfijiJims Smimn j iance CANNES NICE MONTE CARLO Arrived ----- December 29th Left ------- January 2nd Comment: Happy New Year II nnwn9wn. - ' .MMns«ni Uli ' l 73 ma h t Januafiy 4i i - f hie j 00k a Me od - an J Men Lme. 74 A short stop in the rainy Bermudas was made on January 12th. Three days later, we were home again at Newport, just seven months, twenty-seven days after we had left. HEADIN ' HOME ROUND THE WORLD STATISTICS Engine Miles 59,396.5 Hours Underway 3,762.2 Hours Not Underway -— 2,452.3 Fuel Oil Used - 3,003,882 Gals. Water Distilled 2,261,426 Gals. STATISTICS OF SHIP ' S GENERAL MESS Total Men actually ted during the cruise 66,106 Coffee Consumed 7,662 pounds or 3.83 Tons Sugar Consumed „ 19,324 pounds or 9.66 Tons Butter Consumed 4,649 pounds or 2.65 Tons Meats Consumed 57,578 pounds or 28.79 Tons Irish Potatoes Consumed 72,600 pounds or 36.3 Tons Total Food Consumed while on cruise 385,999 pounds or 193 Tons Total Cost of Food $83,649.66 Bread baked by Ship ' s bakers amounted to 16,800, two-pound loaves or 16.8 Tons. The Ship ' s bakers include K. T. PACE. CSl; D. E. BRUNOZZI, CSSN; and D. L. BOHY, CSSN. Another interesting note pertaining to the Supply Department was the fact that the laundrymen, consisting of M. J. FEURY, SH3; C. L. VVINGARD, SHSN; R. W. FOX, SN; and W. V. COVINGTON, SHSN, washed 1,741 bags of laundry, average weight being 100 lbs. per bag. 75 USS CLARENCE K. BRONSON DD-668 18 MAY, 1953 - 14 JANUARY, 1954 18 May 1953— Departed Newport, Rhode Island for Panama Canal Zone. 23 May 1953— Arrived Panama Canal. 25 May 1953— Departed Panama Canal Zone for San Diego, California. 1 June 1953— Arrived San Diego, California. 5 June 1953— Departed San Diego for Midway Island. 14 June 1953— Arrived Midway Island. 14 June 1953— Departed Midway Island for Yokosuka, Japan. 14 June 1953— Crossed International Date Line— 180 Longitude. 22 June 1953— Entered Tokyo Bay, Japan— Moored off Yokosuka, Japan. 7 July 1953— Underway from Yokosuka, Japan— to join Task Force 77 in Sea of Japan. 10 Julv 1953— Rendezvoused with Task Force 77. 16 July 1953-Departed Task Force 77. 17 July 1953— Arrived Sasebo, Japan. 24 July 1953— Departed Sasebo, Japan for Hakodate, Japan, conducting Hunter- Killer Exercises en route. 26 July 1953— Arrived Hakodate, Japan. 27 July 1953-Korean Truce Signed. 28 July 1953— Underway from Hakodate, Japan, for Hunter-Killer Exercises with Task Force 96.7. 30 July 1953-Collided with aircraft carrier Toint Cruz. 4 Aug. 1953— Departed Task Force 96.7. 6 Aug. 1953— Arrived Sasebo, Japan. 8 Aug. 1953— Departed Sasebo, Japan for Task Force 77. 9 Aug. 1953— Rendezvoused with Task Force 77. 22 Aug. 1953-Departed Task Force 77. 23 Aug. 1953— Arrived Sasebo, Japan. 4 Sept. 1953— Departed Sasebo, Japan to join Task Force 95. 5 Sept. 1953— Rendezvoused with Task Force 95. 12 Sept. 1953— Took South Korean fishing boat into tow and took fisherman aboard at 2100. One South Korean fisherman lost over the side in the storm. Fishing boat sunk at 2400. At 0230—13 Sept. unsuccessful search for man was abandoned. 17 Sept. 1953— Rendezvoused with Task Force 77. 30 Sept. 1953— Departed Task Force 77 to escort USS Netv Jersey to Sasebo, Japan. 1 Oct. 1953— Arrived Sasebo, Japan. 3 Oct. 1953— Departed Sasebo, Japan en route to Beppu, Japan for rest and recreation. 4 Oct. 1953— Arrived Beppu, Japan. 14 Oct. 1953— Departed Beppu, Japan to join Task Force 77. 16 Oct. 1953— Rendezvoused with Task Force 77. 4 Nov. 1953-Departed Task Force 77. 5 Nov. 1953— Arrived Sasebo, Japan. 10 Nov. 1953— Departed Sasebo, Japan for Hong Kong, on the way home. 14 Nov. 1953— Arrived Hong Kong. 19 Nov. 1953-Departed Hong Kong. 22 Nov. 1953-Crossed the Equator. 23 Nov. 1953- Arrived Singapore. 77 27 Nov 1953- 1 Dec 1953- 4 Dec 1953- 10 Dec. 1953- 12 Dec. 1953- 16 Dec. 1953- 16 Dec. 1953- 19 Dec. 1953- 20 Dec. 1953- 20 Dec. 19,53- 22 Dec. 1953- 26 Dec. 1953- 29 Dec. 1953- 2 Jan. 1954- 3 Jan. 1954- 4 Jan. 1954- 4 Jan. 1954- 12 Jan. 1954- 13 Jan. 1954- 15 Jan. 1954- -Departed Singapore. -Arrived Colombo, Ceylon. -Departed Colombo, Ce ' lon. -Arrived Bahrein. -Departed Bahrein. -Arrived Territor ' of Aden. -Departed Territory of Aden. -Entered Suez Canal. -Arrived Port Said. -Departed Suez Canal and Port Said. -Arrived Piraeus, Greece. -Departed Piraeus, Greece. -Arrived Cannes, France. -Departed Cannes, France. -Crossed Greenwich Meridian. -Arrived Gibraltar. -Departed Gibraltar. -Arrived Bermuda, British West Indies. -Departed Bermuda, British West Indies. -Arrived Newport, Rhode Island. 78 (jfiuise B( d okjl ■ ilV Many people helped with this book; we would like to mention those who helped the most: editors- Ens. Jackson B. Richard Ltjg. Raymond B. Gary Ens. Raymond E. Ryan, Jr. ART WORK- FlSHER PHOTOGRAPHY AND GOPY- D AFFORD Siracusa Rapach Kendall Shupien Martin rouillard 1 79 This hoolc published ;it no expense to flie United States GoN ' ernment. St.vtks oi- ' Amuku Ualtimurk. Ml). i mwmmim