Columbus (CA 74) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 86 text:

NAPLES est joint exercise in the Med since the war. That carried us to the eastern end of the sea, near Turkey, and when the two-week exercise was completed we visited Istanbul. After stopping in Greece and Lebanon, the ship came back east again and made a call at Naples. We reached there 4 December and remained until the 1 0th. The country ' s third largest city, Naples disputes with Istanbul the claim of occupying the most beautiful site in the Med. The old Italian saying Vedi Napoli e poi muori, which means, See Naples and then die, is so familiar to tourists of all nations that it is understood by everyone. In fact, it conveys the fascination of this unparalleled city so well that it seems to reassume and exalt all that make a stay in Italy desirable. Mt. Vesuvius, famous volcano overlooking the city, is famous all over the world even though it has erupted only once in the past 23 years. The last time it was active was in 1945 when it caused only slight damage and killed a comparatively few people. Perhaps a more impressing, or should we say depress- ing, feature of the city in the eyes of the average sailor are the hordes of persistent street merchants and guides plying their trade. Naples seemed to have more than its share of them, trying to sell everything from cheap jewelry to imported seashells. Built at the base and on the slopes of a ridge of hills rising from the Bay of Naples, the city occupies one of the most beautiful sites the ship visited on the entire cruise. The bay, extending from Cape Miseno in the north to the Sorrento peninsula in the south, is dominated by Vesuvius and dotted with towns and villas. Near its en- trance are the islands of Capri, Ischia, and Procida. A beautiful view of the city and bay is possible from the cameo factory that is an almost inevitable stop on any guided tour in the city. The people are definitely ' American Navy conscious because of the CINCSOUThH flag stationed permanently at Naples on board the ADIRONDACK. That, coupled with the fact that almost every Sixth Fleet visit is made with several ships, makes the people much more accus- tomed to seeing U.S. servicemen than in many other Med ports. In WWII the city suffered tremendous damage. The industrial suburbs were heavily bombed by the Allies, but the worst destruction was wrought by the retreating Ger- mans in 1943. The harbor section, now one of the best in Europe, was demolished, entire blocks disappeared, and part of the rich archives and libraries were burned. Several overnight tours from both Genoa and Naples were conducted to Switzerland, Paris, Florence, Venice and Rome. As in the past, they were greatly enjoyed and can be termed highly successful ventures both by the men and the ship. It was in Naples, also, where the crew braved a chill evening to watch a talented USO troupe perform on the pier alongside the COLUMBUS. Even though Sicily is an island, it is actually a part of Italy and our visit there must be included in this story of Italian ports on the COLUMBUS itinerary. Sandwiched between our Lisbon and Genoa calls was an eight-day replenishment stop at Augusta Bay. Far from a good city for liberty, the stay there did afford a different kind of recreation with the daily beach parties that were held. Many took advantage of them to stretch their legs and most of the so-called ballplayers got a sore arm tossing a ball around. Mt. Etna, one of the famous mountains of the earth, stands only a few miles away and seems to be one of the few things of interest there. So you can see, the COLUMBUS did get a well- rounded view of every port of the boot on this cruise. The loyal sons of Italy who are attached to the ship, and there are many, really got a kick out of each trip ashore as fhey visited relatives and had a chance to try out the language they ' d heard at home. And even for those who couldn ' t speak the language, sunny Italy was a country where a good time was had byalL Modified Medife Docked At Naples

Page 85 text:

GENOA C OLUMBUS men had an opporfunl+y on this cruise to explore the boot of Italy from top to bottom. Beginning in October with the toe Augusta, Sicily, the ship then visited Genoa In the north and later on, Naples, which lies in the central part of the country. Probably one of the best liked ports on the entire cruise was Genoa, the birthplace of the discoverer of our country, Christopher Columbus. The ship found her precarious way through the narrow harbor and moored, Mediter ranean style, close by the Maritime Building on 29 October. Those sailors who had been to Genoa before were quick to get ashore and renew old friendships while the first cruise men soon found the city to be everything that It was said to be. Genoa Is both a medieval and modern city, crowded and bustling. The old part of the city Is full of narrow, winding streets, often with stairs and bridges, and hemmed In by lofty old buildings dating back to the Middle Ages. It is a strange sight to see these alleys, left overs from a forgotten age, filled with small grocery stores, restaurants, and other places of business, with neon signs over their doors. Often an alley only eight or ten feet wide is an important thorough- fare crowded with people at almost any hour. Perhaps the center of town, at least one of the busiest places In Genoa, is the Piazza de Ferrari. A square with a beautiful fountain In Its center, It seems as though all the city ' s street cars congregate there. Traffic Is quite congested as the narrow sidewalks cannot adequately take care of the pedestrian traffic during the daytime hours, and the vehicular traffic has also outgrown Its streets. Many imposing buildings border the Piazza and the smart shopping district, of which the Via Settembre takes up a large part, is located right off it. We ' ll remember Genoa for the famil- iar bridge at the ship ' s fantail where the local people lined up each day to watch us at work(?). Actually, we ' ll remember it more for our frequent glimpses to see how many fair maids were there. Right, boys? COLUMBUS left Genoa on 3 Novem- ber to meet other units of the fleet and started Operation Longstep , which was smaller than ' Mainbrace but still the larg- T t .A ' .ti. ' i ' —

Page 87 text:

AUGUSTA BAY, SICILY