Sanborn (APA 193) - Naval Cruise Book

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,.a.e-...N REWQRD The anchor is nearly hawsed, engines are 'ahead one-third', and the U.S.S. SANBORN QAPA-1935 is be- ginning her first cruise to the uloveliest of seas , the Mediterranean! This is the climax of weeks of work. Supplies and provisions are aboard. Eight hundred Marine Corps personnel are embarked with their equip- ment, trucks, and jeeps. Every piece of gear is in top shape, and the ship is moving out. A glance at the Navigator's chart shows a planned track laid down across the Atlantic, through the 'Gates of Hercules' at Gibraltar, and into the old world of Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans. As the pages of the calendar turn, and as you leaf the pages of this book, those ports which are merely dots on the chart will spring to like when the experiences of the officers and men of the SANBGRN are told. Every sailor of the Mediterranean Sea is haunted by the seagoing men of long agog for through the thou- sands of years in which the blue Mediterranean has been sliced by craft under oars, sails and steam, every detail and mood has been described by those early seaman, and we can only share their sea with them. Yet the modern sailor might show the crafty Phoenician skipper a trick or two, for in the middle of the world' today sails one of the mightiest fleets in existence, the United States Sixth. Normally composed of aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers, submarines, amphibious force vessels, tenders and supply ships, the Sixth Fleet is a self-supporting, mobile, powerful naval force. lts more than thirty ships are manned by approximately 20,000 officers and men, plus a reinforced battalion of Marines for good measure. The purpose of such a fleet is simply stated: lt is there to fulfill the United States' responsibility in maintaining world peace. ln doing so, the U. S. Navy gains invaluable experience in mock battles and landings, often in conjunction with forces of the NATO countries. During the leisure hours ashore in the historical ports ofthe Mediterranean, the U, S, sailor learns from the countries and their people, and he, in turn, teaches about the United States. Genuine good will comes as natu- rally to the American sailor as it does tothe friendly citizens of the Mediterranean countries. The men of the SANBORN are perhaps thinking of these things as the ship gets underway. Many are also taking inventory of themselves, for they know that it is each man's job successfully com- pleted which will combine to make an efficient fighting team. Only the best can be called upon to work long hours, often under adverse conditions, and still merit a place in the mighty Sixth Fleet. But they also know that they can look forward to the pleasant experiences to be found only in the Mediterranean, the sunning on the beaches, the sound of strange but friendly languages, the sights of the ancient world. This, then, is what they are heading for as they set their course across the wintry sea. Steady on zero seven zero! All ahead fulll

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Us ...aa . .. 4.--.. ,.- ,Mus-L r SANBORN'S HISTORY The U,S,S. SANBORN QAPA-1935 slipped downnthe ways at the Kaiser Yard in Vancouver, waghingtgn, in August of 1944. She was commissioned on the third of October of that yearnat Astoria, Oregon, and by the end of December found herslf completely fitted out, loaded with troops and equipment, and a full-fledged member of the Fifth Amphibious Force of the Pacific Plein. January of 1945 the SANBORN left Honolulu, where she had Spent her. first few commis- sioned months, and began her first trip to a battle area - Iwo Jima. The eighteenth of Febru- ary 1945 was D-Day on the bloody island, and the SANBORN played a dual role of supplier of men and lethal good s to the beach, and a refuge for wounded troops evacuated from the battle lines. On the second day of the assault her beach party suffered heavy personnel losses. D-Day plus ten saw the SANBORN put to sea again, carrying casualties to Guam. . She soon switched to a more deadly role when she loaded the First Battalion, Second Marine Regiment, at Saipan, and rehearsed at Tinian for her part in the invasion of Okinawa. Interest- ingly enough, the job of the SANBORN and the ships in her transport group was to conduct a 'demonstration landing' off the southern approaches to Okinawa, while the main attack force was to be put ashore on the western beaches. D-Day on Okinawa was the first of April 1945, and the grim men on the actual beach head found their going a little easier, thanks to the successful trick. To add to the enemy's confusion, a second 'demonstration landing' was conducted the followin mornin . Ten gdays lair, the SANBORN was on her way back to Saipan for a seven week stay, and then - home to San Francisco. News that Japan was willing to quit the war was received on the way, making the return trip even more enjoyable. But the SANBORN was given the word to re- turn to the western Pacific later in the summer. On the eighteenth of July, with the Eighty-sixth Division Field Artillery aboard, she pulled away from San Francisco, bound for Leyte, Philip- pine Islands. Later, she transferred occupation troops to Japan. By three October 1945, after one year of commissioned service, the SANBORN had sailed 44,000 miles, had visited ten western Pacific ports, and had transported 7,000 troops. Until March of 1946, she took part in the Magic Carpet' operation which brought thousands of battle- weary troops back home. Then, on three March 1946, the SANBORN joined the 'mothball' fleet at Stockton, California, to take a well earned rest. On six January 1951, the SANBORN was recommissioned at Stockton, with orders to proceed to San Diego to get back into fighting shape. She later sailed for the east coast for duty with the Amphibious- Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. She was justin time that year to participate in four ma- jor amphibious exercises. A yard period in Norfolk in 1952, and refresher training at Guant- anamo Bay Cuba witha stopover at Kingston J amaica for liberty prepared the SANBORN for her general mark of excellent in amphibious training exercise that year ' From January through March of 1953 the ship transported troops to Vieques in amphibious assault exercis l h Fl es n t 9 Spring the SANBORN reported to Commander Service Force Atlantic eet to transport several relief mobile construction battalions from Davisville Rhode Island to ggsgglanca French Morocco and Guantanamo Bay Cuba Then she rejoined the Amphibious ustlnbggll' the ZANBORN became the Afloat Gunnery School for the Amphibious Force In Aug I'SSum her earlier occupation of transporting mobile construction battalions from D ll glfaitvgnenfgei'-g1ngana'U0 BHY returnlng to Norfolk for amphibiou training and a moment of held aboinsic leet presented a Battle Efficiency Plaque to the U S S SANBORN in ceremonies Th Schoolenllesrgngf 1954 was consumed by another month as the Amphibious Force Afloat Gunnery pe md In Bostozf Sem? Box TRAEX 3 54 LANTAGLEX 54 a two month yard s BORN wah graded as exceue fe feshef ffamlns at Newport Rhode Island fwhere the SAN After a holida l nt In performance, and LANTFLEX 1 55 1955 1 f N y eave period in December the SANBORN rigged for sea and on five J anu y S t orfolk for her first cruise to the Mediterranean U. S. 'Atl 1 F ,epfembef 1953. ViCG Admiral F. G. Fahrion, Commander Amphibious Force. r' ' , ' , ' . , ' ' S ' . l . . - , D U . , . ar

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wM,, ,.. if iff.. vf N.. ,MMA ,, C - ' ' MH, 195 Zammanding Offiver Slccuticfc Ufficer Lieutenant Commander Charles W, Ward, U.S.N, was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1918. He attended New York University, joined the Navy July 1941 and was commissioned in January 1942. He was first assigned to duty in the Atlantic aboard the PC 465, after six months becoming Commanding Officer of that ship. Almost two years later, he was transferred to the Pacific, where he served in APD, AF, AP and AKA TYPES. He later became the Commanding Officer of the DE 449. In 1952, Mr. Ward attended the General Line School at Monterrey, California, after which he became the Forcie Operations Officer on the staff of Commander Service Force U S Atlantic Fleet On 14 December 1954 Lieutenant Commander Ward re rted bo d the SANBORN for duty po a ar ll I ' ' za.1:....,fetl Captain Louis A. Bryan, U. S. Navy, Commanding Officer of the U.S.S. SAN- BORN QAPA-1935, was born in Lexington, Kentucky in 1908. He attended the Univer- sity of Kentucky and was graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy in 1932. The first years of his Naval Career in- cluded service aboard the U.S.S. NEVADA and U.S.S. INDIANAPOLIS, duty as a ferry pilot at Naval Air Station, Anacostia, atour of duty in the U.S.S. DALE, and a period as football coach at the U.S. Naval Academy. During World War ll, Captain Bryan served as Executive Officer of the U.S.S. DUNCAN, as Commanding Officer of the U.S.S. SHUBRICK and, after duty on the Staff of Commander Destroyer Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, as Commanding Officer of the U.S.S. BLUE. He emerged from the war with the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and the Purple Heart. ln the early post-war years, Captain Bryan served as Executive Officer of the Naval Academy's Physical Training Depart- ment until 1949, when he was ordered to Bainbridge, Maryland, as Commanding Of- ficer of the Navy Preparatory School. Later, he became a student himself at the Naval War College in 1950. After serving as Commander, Escort Division 62 in 1951 and 1952, and two years on the Staff of Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, Captain Bryan assumed command of the U.S.S. SANBORN QAPA-1931 on 21 July 1954.