Isherwood (DD 520) - Naval Cruise Book

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we crammed in a lot of living, a short but exciting stay. We leave in the early morning, and set our course for Buckner Bay, Okinav a. Upon our arrival towns 1 through 5 opened their doors to us, and we did our bit towards supporting them. Soon, however, the U.S.S. PRINCETON, (CVS-37) loomed over the hori- zon, and we could see more work ahead. So, the Isherwood, skillfully guided by the ping jockeys sailed forth from the Bay to engage two submarines in mock battle. Although there were nine other ships in the screen , the subs seemed to have it in for the Ish, and tried to come through, or should I say under, us every time. Never once did they make it how- ever, and our alert crew receives a well done from the Admiral. So, having completed our operations, off we go to Sasebo. We arrive in Sasebo just in time to see one of our old friends of the Med , the U.S.S. BALTIMORE (CA-68) pull out for places un- known. Actually we were not overly sad at their departure, for less sailors mean lower prices as per the law of supply and demand. This was to be our first long stay in a Japa- nese port, and by far the most enjoyable. Here were to be found all manner and variety of souvenirs such as China, kimonos, music boxes, ivory products, fans; anything that a curio hunter could ask for. To make our stay more enjoyable, the Ish was committed to dry dock for repairs to her screws. It was great not having to wait on Liberty boats, especially so since it was the rainy season as well as Cherry Blossom time. Later, after repairs had been effected, we moved back out to the ten- der for the remainder of our stay. Again many of the crew became infatuated with the Mad- ame Butterflys of Sasebo, and again it was a somewhat saddened crew that departed Sasebo for Formosa Patrol. We head south again for what appears to be a repetition of our activities in the Tachen area. Fortunately, however. Condition III watches and General Quarters were kept to the required minimum. While on patrol, the port of Kao-hsiung, Formosa was our base of s '

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teen days we played watchdog for the main part of the Task Force acting as radar picket, alert to pick up signs of a Communist air at- tack or any other suspicious activity. In this period of time we had many scares and many alarms which were, fortunat ely, all false. Needless to say, word of the successful evac- uation was more than welcome, and shortly thereafter, our lonely vigil was terminated. We now headed toward Subic Bay, for tender availability, and what was more important, for Liberty and much needed recreation. There was also Alongapo — enough said. 28 February 1955, our ship cleaned and re- painted, ourselves exhausted yet refreshed, we head for Manila after taking on provisions. En- route we operate with a couple of carriers, and again try our hand at plane guarding, much to the dismay of the deck force. During this operation Cogswell loses a man over the side. It is early evening; the sun has not quite set. We should find him easily. We don ' t. The whole task force searches endlessly. Small boats and searchlights criss cross, methodic- ally scanning the area. It is now late at night; most have given up hope, but still we search. A man is out there in the water, and he is alone as one of us might be. We search until morning. We find nothing. Manila Harbor, still littered with the broken hulks of World War II derelicts, stands somno- lently in the early morning haze. Here in Ma- nila, which is only now being fully rebuilt, stands a monument to World War II, the Walled City, a place of memory, of concen- tration camps, of bitter defiance, and of suf- fering and death. But these are past memories, and ones that are not fully shared by most of the crew, so we visit the Hot Spots , take tours, get slightly drunk, but in general behave ourselves well. For those of us that took the tours a more realistic picture of the city was perhaps af- forded, with visits to bombed out cathedrals, the colleges and universities, the President ' s Palace, the Walled City, and other points of interest. For the two days that we were there.

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operations, and it was here that we first got a ghmpse of the Chinese women and their slit skirts — very fascinating. Despite the lack of recreational facilities there was the E.M. Club and Bingo on Wednesday evenings (none of the crew won anything) and also the usual bazaars with their fabulous bargains. While some of us were partial to Kao-hsiung, most of us were more interested in our next port-of- call, Hong Kong, and the day wasn ' t too soon when we departed Kao-hsiung enroute for Hong Kong. From Formosa we completed the journey in a matter of twenty-one hours, and as we en- tered the mouth of the harbor a thrill of ex- pectancy seemed to engulf the whole ship. This was the acme of our cruise, a really large port that embodied all of the enchantment, mystery, and sybaritic luxury of the Far East. As with other ships, the main attractions in Hong Kong were the tailor-made suits, the hand-made boots, and the ivory products that could be purchased there. Perhaps one of the most beautiful sights in the city was the Tiger- balm Gardens, located on the side of the cloud-shrouded Peak. These gardens, beau- tiful for the landscaping entailed, held a fabu- lous array of Buddhas, dragons, and statues of the lesser dieties all over-topped by a Chinese pagoda composed of white marble and blue tile, truly the shutter-Bug ' s delight. Here in Hong Kong, a few of the boys went Asiatic , crossed the width of the island, and chowed down at the famous floating restaurants. Since they were located in the midst of hundreds of junks and sampans, the abounding stench made one wonder how a meal, no matter how exotic and well prepared, could be enjoyed. These lads had strong stomachs. Out in the harbor, the ship valiantly pro- tected itself from the onslaughts of bumboats which were heavily laden with cheap sou- venirs. It was fire hoses at twenty paces, and the ship was saved. And so having purchased enough clothing to dress the Navy, the Isher- wood (washed and painted by Mary Soo Cleaners) steamed out of Hong Kong for com- You Mean This Is Secured?