Clarence K Bronson (DD 668) - Naval Cruise Book

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- ( 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

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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

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