Hawkins (DD 873) - Naval Cruise Book

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srv U.S.S. HAWKINS (DDR873) c o Fleet Post Office New York, Ne ' w York From: Commanding OfEcer, To: AU Hands The success of the Mediterranean cruise we just completed is a fact in which you all share and of which each of you can be justly proud. Your enthusiasm, competence and hard team work brought us through every operation and emergency with credit. The name Old Reliable was not lightly earned. Each of you merits your Well Done. This cruise book of ours will always be a reminder of our participa- tion and experiences as an effective member of the powerful United States Sixth Fleet. May it also help us all never to forget the friendships of shipmates who sailed with us on the HAWKINS and who made our destroyer crew among the finest ever assembled. My sincerest best wishes to each of you. Steven N. Anastasion Commander U.S. Navy Commanding Officer

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COMMANDING OFF ICER

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U. S. S. HAWKINS (DDRS73) SHIP ' S HISTORY Commissioned in Orange, Texas, on February 10, 1945, the HAWKINS was named in honor of First Lieutenant William Deane Hawkins, USMCR, killed in action at the battle of Tarawa in World War II. In describing his leadership of a special Sniper Plarfxan, a high ranking officer said, It ' s not often that you can credit a First Lieutenant with winning a battle, but Hawkins came as near as any man could. He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Immediately following her shakedown cruise, the HAWKINS was converted to a radar picket de- stroyer and assigned to the Western Pacific Theater. V-J Day interrupted a scheduled attack on Wake Island, so she formed part of the Fleet at the official Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay. Cruises from Japan to the Marianas and Phillipincs were followed in March 1946 by a period in San Diego. After this the HAWKINS returned to the Far East in January 1947. She patrolled the Korean Coast, helped cover the evacuation of American Marines from Chinwangtoa, China, and for a short time acted as SOFA (ADMIN) in Hong Kong. In October 1948 she began her first world cruise, returning to San Diego via New York and the Panama Canal. In March 1949, the HA ' K ' XINS retraced her course to her new home port in Newport, Rhode Island. There she participated in reserve cruises, training exercises and a two-month operation off La- borador before joining the Sixth Fleet for operations with British Forces. For a short while the HAWKINS ' skipper was Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Northern Europe. The HAWKINS returned to Newport just in time to embark with her division in January 1951 for the Pacific and the Korean War. Here she engaged in around-the-clock operations against enemy forces; participating in the bombardment of Wonsan, patrolling the Formosan Straits, controlling air- craft, and screening for carriers. She steamed 10,000 miles in one month, Februar)-. In June, the HAW- KINS was relieved and set out on her second globe circling cruise, via the Suez Canal and Mediter- ranean. She arrived once again in Newport in August 1951. The operations that followed since that time have included annual summer cruises to the Nfediter- ranean, the eighth of which was completed in July 1958. During this time, the HAWKINS has also conducted several a; defense and gunnery exercises, as well as carrier operations off Florida and NATO exercises, in the North Atlantic. Since returning from the Mediterranean last summer, the HAWKINS has participated in various anti-submarine and air defense exercises. The HAWKINS has recently completed a four-month overhaul period at the Boston Naval Shipyard and six weeks of re- fresher training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. On 7 August 1959, the HAWKINS commenced her ninth Mediterranean cruise for approxmi.itcly seven months.