Cony (DDE 508) - Naval Cruise Book

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'Q L K The CONY got underway from Norfolk, Virginia, 15 September 1953 to Paftake ill Exercise Mariner . Operating with the Blue forces, she performed escort duty for carrier and surface units, and assisted in repelling Orange forces Submarine and 911' attacks. On 29 Sept. , while a member of a shore bombardment group, CONY crossed the Arctic Circle in the Straits of Denmark off the Western coast of Iceland, making all her officers and men Bluenoses . Plymouth, England was the first port for the CONY in Europe, being our host from the 5th-8th Oct. Not only was there the opportunity to go on tours to London, Torquay and Dartmouth, but one could go to the top of the Hoe where Sir Francis Drake first sighted the Spanish Armada in 1588. An overnight trip up the Irish Sea brought the CONY to Londonderry, N. I. Dur- ing our two week stay there, CONY divided its time between ASW operations with British destroyers attached to the Anti-Submarine School and getting acquainted with the friendly citizens. On Oct. 26, CONY was underway again, this time for the Mediterranean and the Sixth Fleet. We arrived at Suda Bay, Crete on 3 Nov. , in time to partake in a Replen- ishment Exercise. Next day began our operations with the fast Carrier Task Force, including the large carriers USS ROOSEVELT QCVA-421 and USS BENNINGTON QCVA- 2OJ, and cruisers USS MACON QCA-1325, USS DES MOINES QCL-134Q, and USS WOR- CESTER QCL-1445. Training exercises included sleeve and drone firing, highline trans- fers and refueling at sea. E CONY put in at La Spezia, Italy for rest and relaxation during 10th-16th Dec. A large naval base in Northwesternltaly, La Spezia is the jumping off place for tours .to the art treasures at Pisa and Florence. The 16th-21st Nov. was again taken up with Fleet Exercises, with emphasis on carrier operations and air defense. After the last smallboy had been refueled the even- ing of the 21st, CONY pointed its bow toward Toulon, France, the great French naval base. The grateful allies still remember the heroic scuttling of almost the entire French fleet there in World War II. Many men took advantage of Toulon's proximity to Marseille to visit that enchanting city. I OnNov. 28th, CONYwas steaming again with CORTDESDIV 21, proceeding to Tar- anto, Italy for ASW operations with units of the Italian Fleet, Thgse exepeises took P19-CG 30 NOV- through 3 DSC- , with both Americans and Italians learning from the eX- change of ideas. i On Dec. 4th, the CONY stopped off in Naples for a hurried replenishment, before proceeding to Cibraltar for repairs tothe hull. At Gibraltar, tours of the famous Rock' were Swell by ROYEL1 Army Pe1'S011nel, and several men went on a lively tov-1' to SeVille,. Spain. CONY said goodby 120 Gibraltar on the 12th Dec. and sped to a ren- 1n1a. On the 15th, after refueling from the Ser' dezvous with the Sixth Fleet off Sard vice Force, CONYwas detached with two other destroyers and 9, Submarine to eenduct ASW exercises between Sardinia and Sic'1 , A 1 Y ' , It ' d art-in Combined hunter-killer operations. gam ahan Vessels playa a P