San Marcos (LSD 25) - Naval Cruise Book

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LA 4 E 3 CLOSE-UP OF THE ROCK Much time was spent shopping for Spanish Laces and Rolls Razors. It is rumored that a few of our Lads managed to cross into Spain, only one man however will admit crossing ------ He came back in love and refuses to talk, taking solace in his ministrations for the health of the crew and troops. ' EUROPE gm. .. . , I u 5 ' i rc: tar .2353E2E2:' 52525. .5 ., CONUS Norfolk . fififififffizizizizizizigggfiiiiifgigf:1:3:2:3:!:1:2i-4' . 1:35. 0 Morehead 2121211111212123112:ZIZQZQIIZZIZZIIQIQZ ' . V1 -.,.5:5,. AFRICA 'NORFOLK to MOREHEAD CITY... .. 261 miles I 5 MOREHEAD CITY to GIBRALTAR .... 3, 339 miles. A ' TOTAL Mll.ES STEAMED... ,, 3,600 42

Page 47 text:

da out the word was received of the collision of the Carrier WASP and the Destroyer Mine Sweeper HOBSON, Seven ys , both of which were to be part of the Sixth Fleet during our tour of duty in the Mediterranean, one of the Navy's worst f ll h d F ll win closely on the heels of 'the WASP-HOBSON peacetime disasters, put a damper on the enthusiasm o a an 5 Q 0 g disaster, the 5811 Marcos Suffored a minor disaster of her own. A crew member ttuned into sickbay with the MEASLES, and the rumor factory came up with the best scuttlebutt to date, a 30 day quarantine and NO LIBERTY in Gibraltar, the, Gateway to the Medlterraneanfh Fortunately the MEASLES cleared up before the ROCK hove into sight early in the false dawn, May 3rd. The Rock Of Gibraltar D ' ' ' th Task Element along with the other relieving units of the Sixth Fleet, formed entry column and slowly slipped into the Shadow of the Rock to t eir g ' ' th S Marcos down on an ammo. barge, there were trying mo stiff 35 knot wind. With the wind and currents setting e an ments before the moor was completed. Due to the small -size of the settlement and the number of ships present, liberty was greatly restricted. Only a 'few The eneral opinion expressed by these seemed to be that liberty on the lucky crew members and troops got ashore. g ' t d. Many enjoyed the changing of the guard at ROCK was not exceptional. However a few places of mterest were no e ' ha in of the guard' at Windsor Castle in England. Some wandered the Governors Palace, an exact reproduction of the c ng g ed TRAFALGAR CEMETERY in honor of the menwho died in the Battle of through a small but beautiful cemetary nam ' f the ROCK to see as much as was -allowed of the defenses T f l d are interned there. Many took taxi tours o ll t test the defenses of Gib- ra a gar an We were left quite speechless and hoped our Amphibious Attack Group would never have ca o raltar. 41 After a fourteen day fair weather crossmg, e , ' ' ' h ' assi' ned moors amid rain squalls anda

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W'5'5Z The Blue M edlterraneqn h -Two -Bits' to d h l fter, all lines were clear for the Mig ty 5May ---- Revielle sounded early that morning, an s ortya he Blue Mediterranean, bound for Sardinia. sortie into t zo' 1. nz l Q in ,n ,.4, .,,4x I, K :7 ii. Units of Amphibious Force anchored in Asinara Bay awaiting relief. Standing into the bay of Asinara, Sardinia, the morning of 7 May, we saw the units of Amphibious Force we were relieve anchored in line, waiting anxiously for our anchors to go down and the jacks to go up, so the business of reliey- ing could commence. Truthfully, it seemed they could already smell the green hills of home . The San Marcos relieved the USS BELLE GROVE QLSD Zi, and also received aboard a Seabee Beachmaster Unitnwith ' c ncelled due to the very touchy polit- h'b' us o eration scheduled for this date was a their equipment, fortunately an amp 1 io p ical situation ashore. It was election time. BELLE GROVE departed in company with other relievedQunits, andthe dawn found the San Before. dawn 8 May, the S' th Fleet Our Med cruise was really underway. Marcos officially part of the Amphibious Force, 1X , 43