Corronade (IFS 1) - Naval Cruise Book

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SHIP ' S HISTO RY The U. S. S. CARRONADE is the only ship of her kind in the U.S. Navy today. She has a complement of 10 officers and 132 crew mem- bers. Designed and developed to fire rockets at close inshore targets, she has become a major weapon in providing the tremendous fire- power necessary to support and protect landing troops in amphibious warfare. The idea for constructing a special rocket -launching ship originated during the closing of World War II. Eight years later, in May 1953, the hull of the CARRONADE was launched at Seattle, Wash- ington. She is a vast improvement over the old Landing Ship Medium Rocket, her predecessor. CARRONADE ' S eight dual launchers can fire her five inch rockets at tremendous speed, which gives her fire- power almost equivalent to that of a cruiser. Her Fire Control Sys- tem, built around a new type computer, makes possible a shotgun bar- rage of rocket fire. When ready for fire, her deserted decks present a deceiving picture. However, in the decks below, handlers in the magazines load the rockets into a hoist and the rockets are lifted into position in their launchers, ready for firing. Simultaneously, an el- ectronic brain is digesting such information as speed, course and roll of the ship, and distance and direction of the target. Seconds later, the flaming rockets roar skyward, arch and dive with almost human like control , exploding on the target. The 1 , 500 ton CARRONADE , comparatively small to the punch she throws, is a sleek vessel de- signed along cruiser lines and built in accordance with the power characteristics of the cumbersome Scottish Gun from which she takes her name. This gun was quite small, but could fire a 32-pound ball, a weight considerably large for this size cannon. Only 245 feet long, CARRONADE boasts of many moder n facilities, both in fighting qual- ities and habitability. Decorative colors are used throughout the living spaces and the crew ' s mess is like a small cafe.

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■m !.. -•• EzdSfeTt- r V - ' U CaiioKa MESSAGE FROM THE CAPTAIN Our cruise to WestPac, while in retrospect may look more like a Cook ' s tour to the Far East than a military operation, has done much to improve our capabili- ties as Sailors as well as to prove that the Inshore Fire Support Vessel is an in- tegral part of the Amphibious Fleet. Your conduct ashore and avid interest in our country ' s People -to -People Program was most gratifying to me. It is a pleasure to be associated with men like you. As we head homeward to those who have waited patiently for us, our hearts are saddened somewhat by the future in store for our ship. When she is tied up with the rest of the Fleet -In -Being and we all go on to new duties, don ' t feel too sorry for her, for she never will be alone - there will be a little bit of each of us aboard forever.

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COMMANDING OFFICER J.W.HulihanlCDR. Lieutenant Commander John W. Hulihan, 37 years old, comes from Hoosick Falls, New York, Our Captain first entered the Navy as an enlisted man, attended FT A school, graduating as aaFT3, He has been in the Naval Service for 17 years. LCDR. Hulihan graduated from Marquette University and was commissioned under the NROTC Program in 1946. Among the various units that he has served with are the U.S.S. MACON (CA-132), the U.S.S. OKALOOSA (APA-219) and the U.S.S. GURKE (DD-783). He also served as the Executive Officer of the U.S.S. LANING (APD-55) and the U.S.S. MARSH (DE-699). In July 1959 LCDR. Hulihan relieved LCDR. Howard J. Ursettie as Command- ing Officer and assumed his first sea command. He holds the Navy Unit Citation, among other medals, and saw service in Korea, LCDR. Hulihan is married to the former Jean MANSFIELD. They have six children, 2 boys and 4 girls. The family resides at 1236 Coventry Road, Vista, California.