Corronade (IFS 1) - Naval Cruise Book

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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.

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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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EXECUTIVE OFFICER R. E. Reischauer LT. Lieutenant Robert E. REISCHAUER, 29 years old, conies from St. Louis, Missouri. Graduating from the Illinois Institute of Tech- nology with a BS degree in Architecture and Business and Economics in 1952, he was commissioned under the NROTC Program , in the same year. Lt. Reischauer saw service in Korea aboard the U.S.S. GEORGE CLYMER (APA-27) as Boat Group Commander. He was Operations Officer on the U.S.S. LAWS (DD-558), 1955-56, and served on the Staff of COMDESDIV 72, 1956-57. He served as Electronics Officer at the Fleet Sonar School, San Diego, from 1957 until September 1959, where he was directly concerned with the installation of all electronic and training equipment in the new FSS million dollar school building. In September 1959 he reported as relief of Lt. William G. HERTWIG and assumed the duties of Executive Officer. Enjoying all sports, especially Basketball, he coached the Fleet Sonar School Basketball Team to a 23-13 record. He is married to the former Audrey H. REUSS of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They have three children, two sons and a daughter. The family resides at 928 15th Street, Imperial Beach, California.