Smalley (DD 565) - Naval Cruise Book

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,flvrzfss the Pacwc Group. These small islands composed entirely of dazzling white coral sand are scarcely more than a few feet above sea level. On all sides they are encircled by a reef. The sheltered waters inside the reef are a clear turquoise color and as smooth as polished steel. The Bronson and the Daly proceeded through the narrow channel in the reef and moored to a pier on Sand Island to fuel. The Cotten and Smalley continued to screen the Mt. Katmai and awaited their turn outside the harbor. At 1000 we steamed in and while the engineers refueled, the remainder of the crew was given two hours liberty to udiscoverv the Isle of the Cooney Birdf, , .. 'X 5 ,. ,:,.m.aw1.-z,1,1'S5-.rf ax f Q 0,4 -1-1 Q. 7-, -. - gyaaf-vwa V, -f f V-all ,i .,, A- 4, :21'Af 3jv.s1Q2.,fgi,j...i' sf:-f 217 4 ' 's't . -' ' ,QM,-fgf,'1i.:g:zQ:,?4p,W,, , will 'V T uf 2 , if' W , f .roy aw.q1911.-fwzf:::.:w - ' :. f ' I Q ' ff .:i.. ., ., -Q.. - i':,' 1-af,',ifW .w' ' ,zu ' - - ' -. iff1 :2g,v 1 ' f' ' ,. ww' .Z-if , 4 ' x ,aa -fvii , 1. '- .1l..,:- -w we H QM- - . . , , , - f V, ' f , . . X' 3 , 1 : i t Vw., w,fwf.5ae'1,f , ' ' ,' .. ,f ffssicy 1' . -. vi evgfi ,ry '11 .. .- - fff?Y' i: 5-2: I f 1 .2 Q z., 217'-'7I: ' '5'-a i , 3-.-'-I4-jxff' x i, X ,, 4 - A K' , .F ' 1 . ,Z2ff'f'I :.:? . ,f i f' SY- F135 : Ll'ffLp'J2 11. I A A f. ' .- 'i v-1.-,y ,. ,fr . ,: f , '-, -.1-2 V Q ,, .i., , , Z ,.,. ., M, in ,. , , , - 'X' 'ffl 1 . , , f'flllfi: H 1 if 5 fi 'V aiwf 'ff' , 52,527 'fffi' a I' .,,-'1lf13z:I,ff7fQfEil - 1 , 'Wen' V ' : -V j ' l ,i-4,5554ffxgfyg gig.-1,5 '-f,f ,. fijuiwlf' f' ,fw.,Wy,,, .1 I4 l - fi 1 526' ag ,fi in ' lijf if.-,,f:.13V., .I p f ' ,I ,a-5,..':fz,1C1,ff,A.,'35,,,,ml.,V3 -f .1 M f V- l Rope yarn Sunday 13 Snipes getting the word amy ,Q s VVherc,s the cigar, Padre?

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Three thousand miles to the West of San Diego lay the Midway Islands. These two little spots of coral sand with a total area of less than two square miles were the Svnalleyfs' objectives. Calm seas and sunny skies provided an excellent setting for the trip across the greatest expanse of water in the world. WVith a speed of advance of fifteen knots, the journey stretched out into nine days. lt was nine days well spent though, for the ships of Destroyer Division 302 were escorting the ammunition ship U.S.S. Mt. Katmczi. During the long trek several cooperative whales provided uservicesi' for the Division. The words Sonar Contactv blared out from the ping jockey shack on numerous occasions and without regard for the hour of the day or night the entire ship went to General Quarters. To an observer high above the formation, it would have been a beautiful sight to watch one of the screening ships pull out of the forma- tion, settle down on her haunches with a puff of smoke from her stacks and go charging off after a suspicious contact. There is nothing And Iflfl in Midway more awe-inspiring than a destroyer knifing through clear blue water leaving behind her a brilliant white wake. It was with a feeling of relief, however, that we learned our contact was just another curious whale, for we were under orders to attack with live ammunition. Seamanship, engineering and damage control drills along with tactical maneuvers augmented our training. Nevertheless, '4All work and no playn was not the featured motto of the Smalley. Every evening the fantail was crowded to capacity as Chaplain Little ran his gymnastic enthusiasts through their paces with bar bells and weights. Deck horse shoes, reading and just plain bull sessionsn competed equally for the waning rays of light as the sun dipped into the multi- colored Pacific horizon. VVhen the sky had turned to a dark blue and the stars began to twinkle, the scheduled activities of the day were drawn to a close with movie callf, Early on the morning of 14 june, two thin white streaks were sighted along the horizong Eastern and Sand Islands of the Midway 12 Z F Q71 'T 5 ? f1S'?'2f ?'? ' L wa .f-1-M X 3

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LE... f-1 ' -' ,--.-I It works . . . sometimes It was a little discouraging after ten days at sea to find the EM Club closed, and even the familiar coke machine was moth-balled on that hot Sunday morning. However, the Smalley sailors found the Cooney Birds to be natural clowns and excellent entertainers. The padlock on the EM Club was soon forgotten. The more athletic declared swim call in a breakwater on the north-east end of the island . . . and, of course, Chief g'Stew,' fished with his piscatorial students from the fantail. For some the brief stop at Midway brought back memories of a major Naval engagement of World War 11, and for others a realization dl . v .fu J , ' '- a31oRMm of being a link in the long chain of Naval tradition. By 1300 we were underway again and on the last leg of our journey to japan. The next day we crossed the International Date Line and suddenly jumped from 14 to 16 june. For the Smalley there was no 15 june 1953. Our training continued and we became more and more proficient in our duties. On 22 june, sixteen days after leaving the United States, we arrived in Yokosuka, japan. We had traveled nearly 11,000 miles since leaving New- port and looked forward to seeing the sights of what, to many of us, was a new world. Pier at Midway Alongside thc fuel pier 14 4