Grand Canyon (AD 28) - Naval Cruise Book

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month stay at Naples, Italy. The return trip included the ports of Gibraltar, Tangiers in North Africa, and finally NOB, Norfolk, Virginia, where she arrived the first of March 1947. At the end of June, Captain E. R. SPERRY reported aboard to relieve Captain HOOVER. In November, with the new skipper and many new faces in the crew, the GRAND CANYON commenced her second Mediter- ranean cruise with the Sixth Task Fleet. This lime, the ports of call were Gibraltar; Naples, Italy; Augusta, Sicily; Tarento, Italy; and Algiers, North Africa. Early in March 1948, the GRAND CANYON again took leave of the European Theater, this time for the Boston Naval Shipyard for regular yard availability. Not long after reaching the home port of Norfolk in July 1948, Captain COFER relieved Captain SPERRY as commanding officer. The GRAND CANYON ' S return for Mediterranean duty came up in August and lasted through the month of December. Except for the always visited port of Naples, the route covered some new spots, Golfe Juan, France; Argostoli, Greece; Athens, Greece; Sfax, Tunisia; and Bizerte, Tunisia. The stop at Golfe Juan en- abled those who desired to make side trips to such famous places as the French Riviera and Paris. Before leaving for Norfolk in December, Michaelangelo ' s Statue of David was placed aboard by Professor Bruno Malejole on a six month loan to the United Stales from the Italian Government. At Norfolk, the statue was placed ashore and once again the ship went back to its un- glamorous job of tending destroyers. In June 1949, Captain COFER was relieved by Captain CON- NELLEY, and in July the GRAND CANYON headed back to Naples to return the statue of David. The other Mediterranean ports visited were Gibraltar; Athens, Greece; Golfe Juan, France; Argostoli, Greece; and Sudo Bay, Crete. In addition, those inter- ested were able to make tours to Paris and Pompeii. Thanks- BLACK SEA :;;. Istanbul TURKEY 0 rx x . ■ ' r. fSi -... ' o the Mediterranean as the flagship of Commnder Service Force, SIXTH Fleet. During this period, she has saile d from Istanbul to Gibraltar; from Cannes to Bone and has touched three continents and four countries. The ship ' s repair force has continued servic- ing destroyer units of the SIXTH Fleet in the same manner in which she so successfully carried out her assigned mission in Norfolk. In addition, the Repair Department has undertaken the more difficult task of serving submarines and larger units of the fleet. As a unit of Service Force, the GRAND CANYON has learned to ploy the role of a service unit underway and has par- ticipated in some of the largest peace-time service operations undertaken to dote. On 9 June, 19S2 the GRAND CANYON sailed for home once more to resume her ' normal tasks with Commander Destroyer Force, U. S. Atlantic Fleet. Oi ' o, ' r ' ■ ' ' ■ ■ o,

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USS GRAND CANYON AD ' SS