Columbia (CL 56) - Naval Cruise Book

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sun went down, the ship began to pitch and roll, and several people on board began to wish they had never been born. The ship went on swaying and heaving and more people Calso swaying and heavingj began to wish they had never been born. Most of us had trouble sleep- ing that night. It was like riding a roller coaster with a stomach full of cheap gin. A good many stayed topside. Some of these claimed a fascin- ation for the view. The others, more sick or honest, just hung on to a stanchion and gave it all they had. But the morning brought calm out of pathos. We had hit the Gulf Stream, pleasant weather, and smooth sailing We all breathed sighs of relief doffed our shirts and donned our Skol to bask under the brilliant sun The sea had become very blue under a balmy breeze and a mounting ternperatule The second night at tlznty mf Hill A 7 3 L . , . f ,, ,, 4 .,,, . v W A V , A A 5 1 I ' A 'T' - - .gn lx ' 4 A- ' ,,. rs.. .. r

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nmg tower and control room 01 the engme room operatmg somewhere over 100 db Pump 500 aft Control officer ln bedroom shppers and sweatel speaks qu1etly Pump 500 aft Aye aye s1r An enhsted man repeats the order and opens some valves 100 pumped s1r Very well 300 pumped s1r Very well 500 pumped s r Very well Secure pump Pump secured s1r And all th1s wh1le the all w1se Enslgns huddled m the background attemptmg t crouch out of the way and mrndentally hunt mg for then' eardrums wh1ch they were certam must have dropped somewhere around there when that dive was begun In splte of these mmor casualt1es however the submarme corps 1S happy to state that no NROTC s were left swlmmmg when the shlp submerged and only two V 12 s tr1ed to bo tops1de for a breath of fresh water before we had surfaced The tr1p was a deHn1te success Home to Newport Reve1lle was sounded as usual A httle later the spec1al sea deta1l was stat1oned as usual and finally quarters was called as usual We crowded up the ladders half awake and un concerned to quarters for muster and leavmg port The whole rout1ne was an old fam1l1ar tune For nearly three weeks past each week day mornmg had been the same thmg The anchor was welghed and we headed out of the harbor The customary remarks were passed back and forth concernmg the cupolas sug gestwe shape Out of Newport Harbor Wlth re treat from quarters and the speclal sea deta1l secured there were no 1nd1cat1ons of anythmg more than the da1ly cru1se we were accustomed to From outward appearances no one would have known the COLUMBIA was bound for Bermuda For the majortty of student officers 1t was to be the HI'St prolonged Journey on the open sea and many were soon to doubt the honor Evenrng came and clouds appeared the wmcl veloc1ty went up the swells p1led h1gher the thzrty 15 . Q , T. i , , . 1 A U Ci 55 ' p ' 1 . . l , . l CC ' 33 ' . , , . - 1 . cc Q - ss , . ii 37 ca - as , . LC 35 il ' 33 1 15 CC 75 EC ' S5 , . O J - 1 3 7 . , W 1 , . . - U 4 1 1 , . 7 ' I I , . I 1 1 - UZ

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sea was much easler Early the thlrd mornmg when we got tOpS1dS agaln Bermuda was there a blue green hump m the Chstanee As we ap proaehed the 1sland became greener and whxte roofs appeared The water was a turquo1se color We all stood gogghng at the green and gold troplc splendor of thxs lush l1ttle coral rsland set away by rtself 1n the Atlantre Ocean A dapper pllot 1n flannels and yachtmg cap met us at the approaches to the harbor hopped aboard and dlrected us through a str1ng of coral reefs and 1nto the Bay w1th ease The clean wate1 the thxek green fohage the wh1te sand and the wh1te coral bu1ld1ngs looked llke a mov1e set from Hollywood topped off w1th Br1t1sh flags It was all rnueh too good to waste Shlp s wolk classes and dulls could go to the devll the order of the clay was for l1be1ty and 1ecreat1on an order wrth whlch the entlre shrp s company cornphed wlthout the shghtest s1gn of a struggle A rcereanon party for the standby sect1on was formed of dungaree clad non watch stand ers who had a thlrst for beer baseball and bath Reereauon commenced when the party was herded mto a whaleboat taken ashore to the Naval statlon p1led mto covered trucks cal ted off to the falthest gate and dumped out s1de From there lt was an easy walk to the sw1mm1ng a la mode the four hour h1ke to the beach Just over the h1ll and the three or four thzrty :even ' ' I J 7 l I ' I 1 v l - 5 . , . . . 3 . . . n I A 7 . J I Y . . V X . ing. . V . . , 7 Y l , J l ' l Q . 1 ' 1 9 3 - , - , - 1: A D A ' J ' ' , , ' ' ' recreation field. Looking back on it all, the . . . ,,. . ,, . . 3 K