Puget Sound (AD 38) - Naval Cruise Book

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ARRIVING ON STATION ' ' N nl 16 1-

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THE BIG DI TCH ' The Suez Canal is a man-made waterway in Egypt connecting the Mediterranean and Red Seas. The canal extends approximately 105 miles, from Port Said to Port Taufiq, shortening the trip between England and India by 6,000 miles. It is a lockless sea-level canal that allows ships to steam northbound or southbound. Since the canal only allows for one lane of traffic, the convoy of ships anchor in the Great Bitter Lake, located north of Port Taufiq, to allow the other convoy of ships to pass. Beginning the 15-hour journey from the Mediterranean, the canal tapers down to 302 feet wide at the Red Sea. Construction of the canal, built by the French, cost 392,414,000 and took nearly 11 years before its com- pletion on November 17, 1869. The Suez Canal was closed twice due to wars. The first time was in 1956 to 1957 and then again in 1967 to 1975. The canal was nationalized in 1956 by Egypt. PUGET SOUND transited the Suez Canal Feb. 18 and May 3. Dur- ing the Hrst transit, Egyptians man- ning anti-aircraft guns served as quick reminders of our impending and uncertain voyage into Operation Desert Storm.

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JEDDAH, SAUDI IA ' If-1? :Evil N Y- reeiilliieilisim ,H r These are our first glimpses of the Arab port city on the Red Sea as we pulled in to relieve USS YELLOWSTONE CAD- 41D on February 20. YELLOWSTONE, deployed since August 1990, was ecstatic as we moored bow-to-bow in the Islamic City. Initially, there was excitement as we pulled into Jeddah. Our only other stop since departing Norfolk nearly a month before had been a brief Capproximately 10 hoursj refueling visit in Augusta Bay, Sicily. Uncertainty accompanied that excitement, however, as the crew was given a list of appropriate behavior in the Islamic nation. Women and men are segregated in public, dress codes for women are strictly enforced, males should never look into the eyes of a Saudi Woman, never sit with the soles of your feet showing, never eat with or offer your left hand, alcohol is forbidden, public executions are held frequently, and the first of these - no photography - was passed on to the crew as we happily clicked away pulling into port. This restric- tion was lifted toward the conclusion of our 11-week stay in Jeddah. Operation Desert Storm - Feb. 20: There are 55 U.S. fatali- ties. In one day-long engagement 100 kilometers above the border, U.S. artillery and tactical aircraft attack 300 vehicles in rivetted positions, destroying 28 tanks and 28 vehicles. No Iraqi aircraft have flown in 10 days. 17