Smalley (DD 565) - Naval Cruise Book

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Hsylnn Falling like a tear drop from the tip of India. the island of Ceylon lies in those latitudes which divide the Indian Ocean from the Bay of Bengal. Steady steaming, with only an occasional break in routine to conduct competitive exer- cises or independent ship maneuvers, carried the four little ships of the globe circling Thunderbolt Dog Division through the Straits of Mallacca and across the Bay of Bengal. On the last night in November they skirted the southern tip of Ceylon and turned north. 'The following morning the Smalley passed through the breakwater and into the artificial harbor of Colombo. Consisting of several long concrete jettys which extend out from the shore, the harbor at Colombo is said to be the largest artificial anchorage in the world. The method by which the ships were required to moor was indeed unique and demanded the utmost in ship- handling. To take advantage of every yard of space, ships moored to buoys both fore and aft. This mooring arrangement enabled the Ceylonese to literally pack their harbor. The city of Colombo itself offered little in the way of recreation. There was of course the Calle Face llotcl and the resort at Mo, Lavinia, the latter being a few miles outside the city and offering fairly good bathing facilities. The Slmtterbugs, of which the division boasted many, had their usual field day. There were colorful scenes of Buddhist Priests garbcd in golden yellow robes march. ing in groups or singly through the streets begging their food and in return casting a blessing on those of the faith who offered them sustenance. There was the contrast of the ox drawn carts rattling along side by side with modern automobiles. A sailor who walked along one of the fairly modern main streets Q.. 'A Q: ' , Sf nw? 12 1,5 1 1: 9 af i. i r' , , . ,Q 1 an E, , K. if r' if , 1- if s M 'D 6 fi 'Q 5. is 5 uni t' H af , V f 'X l . 14 is si iiif' with its well paved roadway, its tall stone and cement buildings and its wealth of familiar items of merchandise might feel himself in relatively familiar surroundings. All he need do though was to turn down any one of the side streets and he would discover another world. These side streets were unpaved, dusty and contained an astoundingly large assort- ment of indigenous odors and cacophonous sounds. The top-heavy ox carts bounced along, merchants hawked their wares and bare foot brown bodies clad only in loin cloths darted back and forth, filling the street with noise and apparent confusion. The open front shops displayed a profusion of brass pots and pans, Cobra crazy me f. St K. ii 5 a 2 ' l Q l x Y E C I '4 1- XVK' inecls ltasl 5' 83 ' b 'l 32 L l 3. i Ml I ' 4 3 54'

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Siugapvre A warm sun and a soft breeze greeted us at the tip of the Malayan Peninsula as we sailed into broad Singapore Harbor to anchor. Unlike the mountain-surrounded cities of japan and Eastern Asia, Singapore is set on a plain which is almost level with the sea. The white build- ings and spires, which seemed to rise out of the flat earth, rested gently in the morning sun and clothed the melting-pot city in an unex- pected serenity. The British Colonial stamp of law and order was clearly apparent in Singapore. There is quiet harmony between the thousands of Malayans, Chinese, Indians and other national- ities mainly because of the supervision of a British Colonial caste. Malaya, famous for its rubber, tin and gold deposits, is actually a peninsula seething with communist inspired unrest. In spite of all the guerilla warfare which plagues the independ- ent northern Malayan states, the island of Singapore remains peaceful and continues to grow wealthy. In the Moslem section of the city we found clusters of gold jewelry shops, in the Malayan quarters were native arts and crafts and in the Chinese sections were the tailors. The heart of the city, near Rallies Square, con- Cross over the bridge 37 ii H , Malayals Astoria tained The Raffles Hotel, Raffles Museum and Raffles University-all named after the first British colonizer of Singapore, Sir Stafford Raffles. There was little of the mysterious oriental intrigue which Sydney Creenstreet, Peter Lorre and Humphrey Bogart have made the stigma of Singapore. As a matter of fact, most people could not find a Singapore Sling, much less a smoky bar with bamboo curtains. More- over, after the spending spree in Hong Kong, most of us could not afford much more than an afternoon at one of the sunny swimming pools, or an evening at one of the three popu- lar amusement parks. VVe left the sunny city after a frugal, but relaxing visit. g I

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i Punjab fruits and vegetables, meats and dried fish. The whole scene was lorded over by the heat and blinding brightness of a penetrating equa- torial sun. A few Smalley sailors with a little more of the Wanderlust than the majority of their ship- mates made the trip from Colombo through the jungle to Kandy. Kandy, in the days of the Sinhalese Kings, was the capitol of Ceylon. Though there were many interesting sights in Kandy, including the Temple of The Sacred Tooth of Buddha and the Botanical Gardens with their rich array of tropical plants, the most interesting thing about the trip was the ride through the jungle. The road from Colombo to Kandy twisted and turned as it wound its way through the mountains to the center of the Island nearly 4,000 feet above sea level. Along the road could be seen rice paddies, rubber plantations, tea plantations and finally the deep, dark, clamp jungle itself. For most of the Smalley 39 sailors this was the first real jungle any of tlleln had seen, and lived up to all expecta- tions of what a jungle should be. After three days of tugging at their moor- ings under the perpetual eye of the Ceylonese sun, the ships of Destroyer Division 302 made all preparations for getting underway and on the morning of the fourth of December steamed out of Colombo, pointing their bows westward toward Arabia. s B K S S On the road to Kandy Fashion center