Napa (APA 157) - Naval Cruise Book

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4 1 ...Haul 4 FEBRUARY 1946. 1219 Cast off anchor chain from Buoy No. 1. Underway from Shanghai, China to Tsingtao, China, in accordance with Com 7th Fleet despatch 310708. Maneuvering on var- ious courses and speeds in Whangpoo river. Captain, Executive Officer and Navi- gator on bridge. 6 FEBRUARY 1946. Moored port side to north side Pier No. 2 same berth we were moored to on our initial trip to Tsingtaol Tsingtao, China. 1300 Heavy winds and snowstorm de- tained the Napa in depart- ing from Tsingtao this date. 8 FEBRUARY 1946. 0630 Set special sea and anchor detail. 0640 Underway from Tsingtao, China to San Die- go, California in accordance with Com 7th Fleet despatch 310708. fl' i H iv .2 1 TSINGTAO and Chinese New Year's and what a dead place it was this trip in. It was colder than a well-diggeris foot and the crew stayed aboard instead of taking liberty and Worked, for the loading was started as soon as possible in order to keep the ship on a course of 0900 headed for UNCLE SUGAR ABLE. The Marines and Sailors, Coast Guard and C.B.7s were loaded on the second day in port and the Napa was scheduled to leave that day, but noon- time found the ship engulfed in its baptism of real, live, honest-to-goodness snow and a high wind which kept her at the dock that night. The troops built fires on the dock to keep from freezing while they waited to be embarked and the crew of No. 2 hatch wore half of the clothes they owned to keep themselves warm. The trip back proved to be an uneventful one with every- one busying themselves for discharge and Mr. O'Neal and his storekeepers had a rough time rationing the cigarettes and candy. They must have starved those Marines in China because when they came aboard they really consumed the chow. The supplies in the larder began to diminish rapidly and even the breakfast beans disappeared before they could find their way into dinner time soup. The two nurses from the USS REPOSE didn't even show themselves on deck and the boys were disappointed not to see real American women and also were disappointed that they didnit receive advance intelligence information on the rate of exchange in this port. The popular question upon arrival was, 6fWhat do the women on this island look like and do theyall Wear shoes ? The day before arrival in San Diego the ship rendez- voused with USS LCI 813 and 66Doc Webber took another boat ride on an errand of mercy. This patient had ureteral colic and there were no questions nor scuttlebutt asking about babies. The Napa arrived under usual California weather conditions ffogj in SUNNY SOUTHERN CALI- FORNIA and if you don't believe it, ask Bob Hope. The ship was greeted by the usual number of relatives and friends fgirlj besides the Naval Auxiliary Corps on the beach with cups of fresh milk and doughnuts and fresh milk and fresh milk. I San Diego was then invaded in the usual Napa custom and the girls were all called in by their parents at nightfall. The crew mustered in the telephone booths and the usual process of Hlogging ini, was carried out with rapidity and then on to the USS GRANT HOTEL Rendezvous. IF the first bar was too crowded. So to Panama and Norfolk and HOME! I! 94

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THE Napa was then directed from San Diego hy Commander, Western Sea Frontier dispatch 2123141 F ehruary, to proceed via the Canal Zone to Norfolk, Va., and report to the Commandant of the Fifth Naval District to he decommissioned. Thus ended the Napa's tour of duty with the Am- phibious forces and umagic carpetw duty in the U. S. Pacific Fleet. iw wb, WDIIIJ JII I CI hun J'lUJ'JJJ'JwJJX ihey'd built the ship that ne're wouhl sinh. Bui i'was neariviq Jim-a shore When the mortersqavi U J J IJ J .J ' a roar It was sad when that qreat ship went down It was sad It was sad. It was sad I In I I 9 J' when that great ship went down to the bot-tom of the -has-hands anal wives, little child-ren lost thier lives, It was sad when that areat 'ship went down. 96 1 ?'!-,g,,f I it i - .. MM --,,...i,,.,.,,...,,..- A.