Columbia (CL 56) - Naval Cruise Book

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beard, the two-week stay was far from dull, what with dances at the Great Diamond Island OHicer's Club, a lobster feed on Little Chebeag Island, a six-hour bus tour of Maine, and most of all, the hospitality of the Portland lassies towards the heroes of CRUDIV 14, plus the speedy location of Spas which were not too anxious to examine ID Cards before serving the usual Pepsi Colas. After the many weary hours at our gun sta- tions in the turrets and mounts, we were finally to fire the guns. The scene of this great event was in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Portland, Maine. We predict that this spot shall some day rate historically with Bikini Atoll for this was truly a great experiment. We manned all of the gun stations from the directors to the loaders, and this was to be a test of our ability to assimilate a lot in a very brief period of time. On the return trip from Bermuda, while our Officers' Club pallor was still peeling off, we had been initiated to firing when we test fired all the guns. Now we were ready for the Big Push. The six-inch guns were to fire telescope con- trol which was Hring by the pointer whenever he was on the so-small target, and director control, which was automatic firing. We were to forty fire at a target towed fby a very lengthy xcablej by a tugg but, unfortunately the tug seemed to make a better target. The Hve-inch guns had Hred proximity fuzes' earlier, and were, during this period, to fire AA Hre at sleeves towed by airplanes. The planes also made nicer targets but were a little more fortunate than the tugs because of their speed. The 40's and 20's were also to fire at towed sleeves. For day after day we sat calmly munching our fingernails as we waited for H Hour. Fog kept rolling in, bank after bank, frustrating our efforts to fire. Some days the bank would lift and we would dash madly out to sea to catch up with it. Finally fate relented and we had a few clear days. We sailed forth to fire. The main battery fired first, then the 5 and 40's and 20's tired. All the guns joined in to end the Big Push in a day's battle practice when we let go with everything but the Very Pistols. Mirrors crashed, clothes fell, cans jarred loose, but we came through without a casualty. During the firing period we fired 161 six- inch rounds, 325 five-inch rounds, 1029 forty- millimeter rounds and 2866 twenty-millimeter rounds. There were no casualties to personnel,

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festivities at several small cocktail parties and at the Ofhcers' Club, but it all distilled down to the most spectacular orgy in the history of the cruise, well seasoned with the presence of Xavier Cugat, his blonde companion, the ex- ploits of our own father of the C 8: R Depart- ment, and a few other odds and ends. Jeeps pulled disappearing acts on all sides only to reappear in unexpected places with unexpected cargoes. There weren't nearly enough femin- ine companions, but no one was in a condition to care. Somehow everyone managed to return to the ship, and somehow the ship managed to return to New England, with one evaporator brewing fresh water, and the other, Bromo- Seltzer. Putting away our bottles of suntan lotion, swimming trunks, hangovers, and the British pennies hoarded to use in the half-dollar slot machines, we reluctantly left our vacationland paradise and proceeded to make our way lei- surely up to the great Northland. Skivvie shirts were again in demand, and shirts once open at the collar were covered by foul weather jackets. Best-seller aboard the Columbia was no longer Tourist Guide to Bermuda! And so it came to pass that in about two days we were anchored in Casco Bay, Maine. Just fifteen minutes from Portland by Picket Boat, and just forty-five minutes by Motor Launch. But in spite of the fact that some of the boys swore they couldn,t get into town without a Vvxww 'M lNNT'Kxv-ye-'N as c L as af1,'-- I . s. -2 , Q 'aw 'lf' C ,ti- s '- 1 mv I' 71. I I

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fir, 4 L .QQ LL the ship was still floating, and no tugs, targets or airplanes were lost. In fact the target so painfully constructed, papered and equipped with radar reflectors, was parked on the fantail for the whole time as an annoyance to movie- goers, and later torn down and stowed. We were pleased to find that we could safely fire and we were pleased that we had done as well as we had with as little background as We had. No official comment was made other than praise for ingenious methods of loading, Firing, and aiming that we constantly devised on our own, so that we guess everyone was at least satisfied. All through playing Cops and Robbers in wintry Casco Bay, the good ship COLUMBIA once more steamed toward the land of mint juleps, plantations, southern belles, and Con- federate money. Leaving the less fortunate members of CRUDIV 14- stuck in dingy old New York, we prepared to negotiate with the Rebels. After traveling in spirals for three .lg -'fc ,