Procyon (AF 61) - Naval Cruise Book

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CRUISE SUMMARY All in all, the cruise has been a unique one. It all started with a bang back in CONUS fContinental UNITED STATESI when the UNITED STATES successfully blasted The moon shot the day prior to our depar- ture. It sort of set the stage for,PROCYON to blast out of San Francisco at her MACH .OI9 speed headed for Yokosuka, Japan. After our first four days underway, another unique historical episode came to pass ...the TONKIN GULF incident. We all knew that The on-coming crisis would mean increased responsibili- ties and work load for Old PRO and some of us guessed it would mean an extended tour in WESTPAC. Our NSC Oakland loadout contained another unique feature: Fresh Frozen Milk for issue to the de- ployed fieet! No AF had previously transported This item to WESTPAC due to limitations of the reefer plant capabilities famong other problemsi. The fresh frozen milk cargo required -the PROCYON reefer plant to work at peak efficiency to maintain a temperature of 5 degrees F. or less in number 3 hold until the milk could be off-loaded to the customer ships. The plant withstood the test, thanks To Chief Turner and his A-Division men who pampered the cargo reefers day and night throughout the cruise. Our one-day replenishment of a complete task force is a feat no other AF has yetaccomplished or is expected to accomplish in the foreseeable future. A record total of 415 tons of food was transferred to Task Force 76 during a period of twenty consecutive hours. The Force, made up on I9 amphibious ships, was replenished as it steamed in the South China Seas carrying a detachment of 7000 combat-loaded Marines. Another unique feature of the cruise was our double extension in Hong Kong, B.C.C. Normally, one extension in the Pearl of the Orient is a once in a lifetime occurrence PROCYON was extended twice Once by ComServ Pac for additional well deserved rest and relaxation and once by ComSeventhFlt while our Captain spent some time in conference aboard the USS MOLALA About the time we departed Hong Kong we were informed that our cruise had been extended for I4 extra days lthis was our itll cruise extensloni as a result of TONKIN GULF activities The extension came as no surprise most of us expected it The surprise extension came a month later as PROCYON lay berthed in Yokosuka Japan poised to belch forth a puff of black ieconomy hazel smoke and lurch out of the harbor for home No such luck our relief the USS PICTOR had belched forth some black smoke of her own Cwhich was definitely not economy hazel a few days out of San Francisco and it was reported that she was wallowing In the ocean at a much reduced SOA Ispeed of advancei She was ordered to limp into Pearl Harbor for repairs and PROCYON was ordered to remain on station to maintain maximum 7th Fleet support capability During this second extension four Olympic Yachts Call medal winnersi were loaded on board as part of our cargo loadout from Yokosuka for transport tothe States To our knowledge no AF has ever gone to WESTPAC with fresh frozen milk and returned with Olympic yachts After I7 days of being held in the constant suspense of not knowing when we would leave the word finally arrived that the PICTOR had been fixed by Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and that PROCYON would be allowed to depart Yokosuka at II00 on 23 November and steam for San Francisco thus bringing to a happy end a most successful cruise As a post script tothe cruise we would like to make It known that the officers and men of PROCYON are extremely proud Cand rightfully sol of The following CRUISE ZEROES ZERO COMMITMENTS MISSED ZERO OPERATIONAL CASUALTY REPORTS ZERO SERIOUS SHORE PATROL INCIDENT REPORTS ZERO COURTS MARTIAL ZERO SERIOUS PERSONNEL CASUALTIES ZERO MESSAGES MISSED BY THE RADIO GANG ZERO PORTS MISSED BY NEW NAVIGATOR AND CHIEF QUARTERMASTER ZERO DEGREE TEMPERATURES MAINTAINED IN NUMBER 3 HOLD ' 1 ' I 1 . . I . V . Q . , . f Q ' 1 1 ' ' My . , . , I I 0 I l I I .. . . In . . F' . I I I . II Il o , . , . I A . . 1 ' ' .I S I. , 2. , 3. 4. - 5. 6. 7. 8,

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If , UPON ARRIVAL f W fr f fb? FINAL SEA DETAIL U.S. CUSTOMS C11 I Q, 't uf - 'X f11 T,,C 'A .M lg - - ' S' 'WM T QT 1 ,. T f-'fff W 755 Q: CQI1' If fx- A S I nk 3 , .L WY if 6 A .-Cv?'?F'f DEPENDENT5 . . . DEPENDENTS . . . DEPENDENTS . . . C.O. GREETS MRS. A FIVE NEW DEPENDENTS JOINED THE PROCYON CLAN DURING THE CRUISE. CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER FOR THE PROUD PARENTS. THEY ARE: THE MOORES, THE BULACANS, THE STUDERS, THE VALDEZES, AND THE MCFARLINS.

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August .... -- August .... ..... - August ....u. ...... August ...... ------ August 17-23 August August ...... . ..... 28 August .... -- August ....,. September September September September September September 9-27 September ..2, ...... September October ...... ----- October -. .... ,,.,, - October ....., - ,---- October October ...... October October ,... -- -...--- - October ..,.. - ---- October u,.. ------ October ,... -- ,,-,. - October .,.. ------ October ------ - ---- - October ------ ------ October ------ ------ October November November November November November November November November December December CRUISE ITINERARY looo Deporf Berlh Kilo, Naval Supply Center Oakland Enrout Y k k Japan. 1 129-LCDR Peters and Lt. Keener complete first Acey Ducy gaswe gf Efullisgl VietNam crisis breaks. A Cross International Dateline. No Sunday ! Chop from 1st Fleet, join 7th Fleet. Arrive, Yokosuka, Japan. Consolidate cargo load from Naval Supply Depot Yo- kosuka. ' Logistic Support in-port Yokosuka. 8 ships replenished in-port UNREP1. Shlp's Party at Kanko Hotel. Depart Yokosuka. Enroute VietNam Area. First underway replenishment CUNREP1. USS TRATHEN IDD 5301 on Taiwan Patrol Total Unrep Tonnage. . . 15 tons. Unrep .USS TICONDEROGA QCVA-141 and five destroyers-Total tonnage. . . 280 tons. Unrep USS CONSTELLATION CCVA-641 and four destroyers with USS TOPEKA CCLG-81-Total tonnage . . . 234 tons. ' Unrep USS RAINIER CAE-151, USS MOLALA CATF-1061, and USS SAFEGUARD CARS-257-Tonnage . . . 18 tons. Unrep USS BON HOMME RICHARD KCVA-311 and 4 destroyers-Tonnage . . . 142 tons. Unrep Task Force 76, including nineteen amphibious ships. Tonnage...415 tons. CShips alongside for 20 consecutive hoursll Unrep USS VALLEY FORGE CLPH-81 and three accompanying vessels-Tonnage . . . 261 tons. -----Arrive Subic Bay, Philippine Islands. Logistic support in-port Subic. Inrep 44 ships. EnEroute Unrep Area Creceived notice of our tirst cruise extension-14 daysJ. Unrep USS KEARSARGE CVS-331 and 7 destroyers-Tonnage . . . 139 tons. 1600 Hrs.-Enroute Hong Kong. Arrive Hong Kong, British Crown Colony. Inrep 3 ships. Extended two days in Hong Kong. Extended one more clay in Hong Kong. 0800 Hrs.--Depart Hong Kong, enroute Subic Bay. Arrive Subic Bay, ottload 400 tons to Naval Supply Depot, Subic Bay. Depart Subic Bay, enroute Sasebo, Japan. Arrive Sasebo, Japan. Ottload all frozen cargo f40,000 lbs. of butter and 6000 lbs. of liver. lnrep 1 ship. Depart Sasebo, enroute lwakuni, Japan. Arrive lwakuni. Guest ship for Eighth Annual lwakuni Festival CLocal Japanese Holidayl. Host Ship, NAVY DAY. Open huose on board ship 1300 hrs.-1700 hrs. Depart Iwakuni, enroute Yokosuka. Arrive Yokosuka. Final cruise consolidation-oftload 88 tons provisions. USS PICTOR breaks down enroute Yokosuka. PROCYON informed by Com-Serv- Pacot prospective second extension of indefinite length. ZVVEIRS BT1 requests transfer from USS PICTOR to USS BELLATRIX. Ensign Cagalj promoted to Lieutenant Uunior Gradej Supply Corps. Ens. Curtis new Bull Ensign. Load Olympic yachts. 1100 . . . depart Yokosuka. Enroute CONUS. PROCYON S Third Birthday. Thanksgiving Day. Chop from 7th Fleet, join 1st Fleet. Crossed International Dateline. Two Mondays !? Ensign D. Curtis promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade. Ensign Molling new Bull Ensign. 23rd anniversary ot Pearl Harbor Attack. LCDR Peters and Lt. Keener complete 1231st acey-ducy game Cfinal of cruiseb. PROCYON ARRIVES GOLDEN GATE 0809 and NAVAL AIR STATION, ALAMEDA 0925. Q.E.D.