Smalley (DD 565) - Naval Cruise Book

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Destroyer Division 302.

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World Cfruisc of the .S.S. SMALLEY DD-565 MAY I953 JANUARY I954

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Pralvgue On 9 Feb1u11y 1943 1 single red lc 1ded stt el be 1n1 was l11d XVltl1OUt cuemony 111 the build mg 11 1ys of tl1e Seattle T1com 1 Sl11py 11d amidst a maze of 11VCtS be 1n1s and steel pl 1te a destioy G1 of the F letchei Class which slipped 111to the waters of Puget Sou11d o11 77 October 1043 as the US S Smzlley KDD 565j Chris tened in honor of Captain Anthony A Smalley USN a Civil Wai hero of Fort Fisher tl1e ship was co111m1ss1oned after a series of t11als on 31 March 1944. Subsequently she completed her shakedown cruise and left the United States as an escort for troop transports enroute to the Hawaiian Smallczfs fn t vc 11 111 service as 1 retlcad After l1e1 overh 1111 the ship returned to Gitmo Biy for six wteks of 1ef1esl1er training She 1953 when sl1e steamed So11th o11 Operation Springboard 111 company with the ships of DesRon T111rtv Visits to Puerto Rico St Thomas St Kitts and Martinique highlighted the cruise Upon l1e1 return to tl1e U111ted States sev eral weeks were SpC1lt in Newport, and on 27 March 1953, just prior to entering the Bos- to11 Naval Shipyard, Commander Bliven was relieved as commanding officer by Commander Jol1n F. Collingwood, USN. E X ' 1 N N 1 7 1 . . -Jr , 9 L ,gpg Jak- - - .1 2 -,f . x ' 172 1 .- 1 a ' z' . 2 - ' Q - - -' ' I x From this Ainglorious beginning, there arose then operated out of Newport until 19 January Q X X '1 1 Islands. While in the Pacific War Zone, sl1e took an active part in offensive strikes i11 tl1e Aleutians, Kuriles, Bonins, and the Japanese home islands of Honshu and Hokkaido. The Smalley participated in the occupation of Japanese held installations until tl1e latter part of 1945. On 1-0 July 1946 she was decommis- sioned at Charleston, S.C., and entered tl1e motl1-ball fleet. Almost five years later, on 3 July 1951, tl1e Smalley was recommissioned with Commander Nelson C. Bliven, USN in command. After leaving Charleston in September, the ship visited Jacksonville, Norfolk, and finally her home port-Newport, R.1. After an eight week Shakedown cruise at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which took her to Puerto Rico and Trinidad, several months were spent operating out of Newport. A month tour on Convex Three fol- lowed by a three month overhaul in tl1e Charleston Naval Shipyard completed the Q 1' , 'W Preparation was the keynote of the Smalleyis active April in the Boston Yard. Machinery was overhauled, decks were painted, boats repaired, guns checked and radios tested. Food supplies, spare parts and even landing party equipment was brought aboard in constant lines by busy working parties. Conferences were held, reports were prepared and traini11g was emphasized u11til it seemed that tl1e ship was just bidi11g her ti111e with an endless pro- fusion of detail. The11, early in May, after tak- i11g on a full load of ammunition, tl1e Smalley returned to Newport for a few u11easy days to await tl1e begi1111i11g of l1er greatest undertak- ing since Wo1'ld War 11. This is tl1e story of that extended tour of duty which was to take tl1e Smalley completely around tl1e globe. Join us 11ow as we retrace l1er wake through S1111 and squall, cal111 and storm, across tl1e oceans of tl1e world. 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 N 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 IAS Ill I IIJJJQ5, ,,,l1s 5 X X A S wut'