Columbia (CL 56) - Naval Cruise Book

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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 ,

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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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days fone of which we spent shooting S304-.22 worth of 20mm shells at a floating mine fsome still say that the Hydrographic Office will be bitter for yearsl and then up went the cry Sighted Mine, Sank Sameuj the rest of which were spent washing bulkheads, scraping paint, repainting, and titivating around in gen- eral, we greeted Charleston, S. C., on the first of June. Yankees suggested that quarters for coming into port be general quarters, but we managed to pass Fort Sumter and creep through the cattails and muddy water to our pier with- out incident. As usual when reaching port, thought turned to how and when we could get off the ship, and liberty call brought forth hordes of gray and white garbed men surging down the gang- plank and starting the trek to town, regardless of the 99.970 humidity. For sightseers, there was the old residential district around the Bat- tery with its ornate ironwork, the old slave market, and innumerable old churches, for sun-lovers, there was Folley Beach and the Isle of Palms g for the thirsty, there was either soda fountain products or sympathy. Primary eve- ning entertainment was dances, attended by about 100 local belles, plus an equal number of lassies imported from Columbia, along with about 100 chaperones armed with impressive forty-two muster lists. In all justice we must admit that the Southerners do not exaggerate when they describe the beauty of their womanhood. Standby liberty was not granted fit says herej, and for those who remained aboard was the not too onerous task of guiding the visiting citizenry of Charleston who swarmed aboard all three days of our stay, and trying to impress them with our salt. Beribboned seamen told them that It was Hell at Lingayen Gulf, and fuzzy-cheeked Ensigns told of the mechan- ical intricacies of rigging paravanes, conning procedure, and what the funny-looking baskets were on the masts-besides explaining to wide- eyed youngsters just how far and how fast the various guns could shoot. As always, the stock escape of 'A . . . Sorry. That's restricted in- formation. was used whenever the going got too tough. More difficult was the job of pre- venting little Rebels armed with Screwdrivers from taking souveniers, and convincing dis- charged Bosun' Mates that they really knew all about the ground tackle, but these obstacles too were met with Columbian fortitude. The next day, officially proclaimed USS COLUMBIA Day, brought forth the antici- pated oratory and the presence of many south-