Gyatt (DDG 1) - Naval Cruise Book

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l sg Sflflt Q J' S 6 n , U. S. S. GYATT IUDG-ll f Core of Floof Posf Omoo New York, New York I D I A Z There was ample time for recreation in Athens with the ship's company enjoying the city including such placcs as the Acropolis, the Stadium, Adrian's Arch of Triumph and many others. Also there were one-day tours to Old Corinth, Daphni, and Elevsis. On 5 September we left Athens for a fifteen-day period at sea during which time we participated in the combined NATO exercises, Checkmate I and II. These exercises are annual SIXTH Fleet training exercises and utilize surface, air, and sub-surface elements of both U.S. and NATO forces. Our participation was basically as an air def- ense ship emphasizing our ability to control aircraft and make full utilization of our missile capability. For this exercise our CIC team received a well-done for their work during sixty consecutive hours of air defense work. At the conclusion of the Checkmate exercise we arrived at our second port, Corfu, on l9 September. Corfu is a Greek resort island in the Ionian Sea considered by many to be second in beauty only to Crete. After a three day visit was completed, GYATT departed for sea for ECM drills, an air defense exercise, and some anti-submarine maneuvers. Then on 25 September we stopped at Rhodes, Greece, for our third port visit. It was in Rhodes that we had our first surprise personnel and material inspection, a requirement of the SIXTH Fleet. We were given four hours notice by Commander Destroyer Squadron TWENTY-TWO to get ready for the inspection. He was quite pleased with us and said we were one of the best he had seen. After leaving Rhodes on 27 September, we had a five-day operating Period before we entered Athens for our second visit to that city. The Ship was there this time from 31 September to 9 October. During this stay in Athens, the Engineering Department made arrang- ements for a softball game ashore between their personnel followed by a steak picnic. Since it was only possible to let half the department ashore at one time, this party was actually held on two consecutive days So that all hands could enjoy it. Also in Athens we had our second personnel and material inspection. This one was by our immediate senior, Commander Destroyer Division SIXTY- TW0. He had seen us at an inspection in Charleston before deployment and made the comment in Athena that he detected a great deal of 1mPP0V' ement, .4y.

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XJ A 4 ' 5 I I I P' 'J xxXxeu-- -- N . u. s. s. ewm moe-uv X 'Q ' Care of Floef Pos? Omoo New York, New Yorlz 4h.cjD GIATT departed Charleston, South Carolina, on Thursday, 3 August 1961 with Destroyer Squadron SIX to join the United States SIXTH Fleet in the Mediterranean, GYATT fitted well into a fleet such as this. Converted in 1957 into the Navy's first guided missile destroyer, she is armed with Terrier surface-to-air missiles launched automatically from a twin launcher. She operates well as an air defense ship as her missiles give her the capability of seeking out and destroying aircraft approaching at supersonic speeds, Most of the time on the way over was spent participating in ext- ensive training drills to help prepare us for our deployment. On most of these drills GYATT was judged excellent. Also, for the crew's enj- oyment, we staged a mustache growing contest. First prize of a wrist- watch was copped by Robert A, COLE, M 2, of Milton, Florida and second prize, a transistor radio, went to larry A. HODNE, BM3 of Carroll, Iowa. On the morning of IL August we traditionally entered the Mediterranean when we passed the Rock of Gibraltar abeam to port. Two days later we anchored for several hours in Pollensa Bay off the island of Mallorca, one of the Balearic Islands south-east of Spain, for an official turnover to the SIXTH Fleet. GYATT relieved USS RUSH, another U,S, destroyer. That same day as we left Pollensa Bay we were assigned duties as a rescue destroyer for the aircraft carrier INDEPENDENCE, and we were in the middle of a rescue operation within hours. One of the AAD aircraft from the carrier ran into trouble, and her pilot was forced to eject. we were able to move in and pick him up within 30 minutes from the time he left his plane 15 miles from GYATT. The pilot was in good condition and was returned to his parent carrier the next morning. For this action GYATT was one of the first ships during this deployment to receive a Ewell donen, On the morning of the 18th we anchored in Golfo di Palmas, Sardinia, for a day of conferences aboard the Fleet Flagship SPRINGFIELD, and the carriers, INDEPENDENCE and INTREPID, On 27 August we arrived at our first port-of-call-Athens, Greece, Highlighting the visit to Athens was a visit to GYATT by his Royal Highness, Prince Peter of Greece and fifty delegates of the Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers for a daylight cruise on 29 August. The Prince and our other guests received a missile demonstration during the cruise and were served a buffet luncheon on the ship's fantail after returning to port. ..4..

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Q W J , ' 2 I I fa :f xxx xxxs N---: s u. s. s. GYATT IDDG-I i XX f ' Care of Fleei' Pos? Office New York, New York 11 After departure from Athens and a week at sea, GIATT entered Naples, Italy. That week at sea was one of our most strenuous periods during the cruise. We had two air defense exercises, several ECM exercises at night, a full day of anti-submarine operations with the nuclear submarine SHARK, and the last two days before being detached to proceed to Naples were spent at General Quarters for gunnery exercises and competitive firing. On the way to Naples we transited the Strait of Messina between Italy and Sicily, and shortly after this all hands got a birdseye view of Strom, boli, the semi-active volcanic island north of Sicily. We entered Naples on 16 October and went alongside the tender, GRAND CANYON, for our first routine tender period during the deployment. We were in Naples for two weeks and everyone enjoyed the visit to this well- known city. There were tours offered to Mt. Vesuvius, Pompeii, Sorrento, and to the island made famous by song, Capri. Several of the officers azd crew took advantage of a three-day tour to Rome, one of the oldest and most famous cities in the world. Probably the most singularly impressive sight was the Vatican City and St. Peter's Basilica, which has been the residence of the Popes and the heart of Catholicism since 1377. Some GYATT crew members were part of a group which was granted an audience with Pope John on Saturday, 21 October. Leaving Naples on l November, we were detached with SPRINGFIELD, SIXTH Fleet Flagship to proceed to the Ceres Missile Range off the coast of Toulon, France for a missile firing exercise. All components of the intri- cate system worked perfectly and our shot was a success. A report on the exercise that went to Chief of Naval Operations called the firing a ncomplete successn. On 7 November we entered Livorno, Italy, often referred to as Leghorn. It is only l2 miles from Pisa and the famous leaning tower and only L5 miles from Florence, one of the most beautiful of the Italian cities. Everyone desiring had the opportunity to visit these places either by themselves or on tour. It was in Livorno that we had the best of many successful parties for children aboard ship, We received a group of thirty underprivileged girls ranging in age from six to ten from a children's home in Livorno. They were aboard for an afternoon and were given a tour of the ship, were shown the missiles, then taken to the mess decks for a cake and punch party. Our band was there and played for them. Their eyes lit up when the band launched into some favorite Italian songs it has learned since being over here. .-.6..