Leyte Gulf (CG 55) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 25 text:

a t g f -54. 'Y . ,- -'-'A 55,4 ' V n o ' 'ggia g' ,v ,ll 'O 3' s-Nl, 7' 5 , '- is 2 ' E Q X ' Q-li?A . i I i -Na. Q' '-. wg ,... , . essex tt Q5 i Clockwise from left: STGC Click and lC2 Lee conduct a search. The XO prepares to lead the boarding of HUA TUO. Taking them down . . . the boarding team secures a merchant. Away the Visit Search and Boarding Detail. USS CARON stands oft ready to assist in boarding a Soviet merchant.

Page 24 text:

IVIIF GPERATIONS Beginning O3 April USS LEYTE GULF took part in Maritime interdiction Force Operations QMIFOPSJ, operating off the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba. The pur- pose of this operation was to prevent any unauthorized material from entering or leaving Iraq via the Jordanian port of Aqaba. Every vessel bound to or from Aqaba was stopped by the multi-national force and searched. While on station nineteen boardings were made by the ship's ten man Visit Search and Boarding Teams. Names such as HUA TUO and DONETSK will be remem- bered for many years. Throughout Ml- FOPS LEYTE GULF operated with naval forces from France, Greece and Spain. The ASW Team Bravo concept was de- veloped by LTJG Gould and LT Pati while in the Red Sea. Training culminated in several torpedo launchings. After being detached from MIF duties on the first of May, the ship proceeded north toward the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean. Clockwise from above: The CO and OPS monitor a boarding from the bridge. BM3 Bialek, SN Chilcotte and SN Molnar mark off another boarding. MK46 torpedo being launched during ASW training. Spanish frigate VENCEDORA boards a merchant.

Page 26 text:

RUNNING THE LEYTE GULF made two transits of the 101 mile long man made canalg 14 Janu- ary and 3 May 1991. The southern transit was marked by extremely high security both onboard and by helicopters that shadowed the battlegroups southerly progress. As the ships passed the south- ern city of Port Suez, hundreds of Egyp- tians lined the banks waving and cheer- ing. LEYTE GULF'S northern transit was more relaxed and was marked by a late night boat transfer of tour special guests to USS PUGET SOUND off Port Said. DITCH ,,'.,., , Wu, W , Wywg 2 W, 4 f 'wif 7 I af N -M X www' ww ,, f,.i,,,g I LEYTE GULF proceeds north through the canal Transiting the canal was a step back in time THEODORE ROOSEVELT r d LEYTE GULF h h h th l P ecee s sout t roug e cana Lord, we're beginning to know how the Israelites felt as they wandered in the Si- nai wilderness for 40 years. We're right Beached worker boats along the canal next to that same wilderness at this very I moment, and we don't know where we're going either . . Fm Chaplain Jumper's 03 May evening prayer The mosque at Port Suez