Smalley (DD 565) - Naval Cruise Book

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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'

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Destroyer Division 302.

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CAPTAIN BENEDICT I. SENIIVIES, USN Commander Destroyer Dioision 302 Commander Collingwood was graduated in 1941 from the University of Washington in Seattle where he won his commission as a member of the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps. During World War 11 Commander Colling- wood participated in the invasions of North Africa, Sicily, Salerno, Anzio, Southern France and the D day assault on the Normandy beaches. He has served five years in destroyers and three as commanding officer of destroyer escorts and of the attack transport llfantuolc CAPD-1252. Commander Collingwood whose home is now Snoqualmie, Washington, reported to the Smalley from the staff of Commander VVestern Sea Frontier, San Francisco, where he was attached to the planning Department. He relieved Commander N. C. Bliven, USN, on 27 March 1953. The Commander wears the Bronze Star Medal with KVS, Navy Unit Citation Commen- dation, American Defense Ribbon, American Campaign Ribbon, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Ribbon, World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Medal, Korean Campaign Ribbon and the United Nations Ribbon. A Naval Academy graduate of the class of 1934, Captain Benedict 1. Semmes, USN, saw his first duty aboard the Battleship M issis.sippi. This was followed by a year of staH duty in the U.S .S . California. He subsequently served in the capacity of Gunnery Officer on the old four piperv destroyers Claxton and Badger and in 1940 helped put the U.S.S. llfasp CV-7 in commis- sion. He remained aboard until she was sunk in the Battle of the Coral Sea two years later. In 1944 Captain Semmes returned to de- stroyers as commanding officer of the U.S.S. Picking DD685. While in that capacity he won the Navy Cross at Okinawa. Captain Semmes took part in the Guadal- canal, Gilberts, Marshalls and Palaus offensive actions against the japanese, as well as the Leyte, Linguyan, Corregidor, Mariveles, Biak and Okinawa Campaigns. After the war Captain Semmes served in several important shore billets with a 20 month interlude as commanding officer of the U.S.S. Ault DD698. Among his assignments ashore was that of Liason Odicer to Field Marshal Montgomery's Headquarters for Commander U. S. Naval Forces in Germany. In July 1958 Captain Semmes received orders to relieve as Commander Destroyer Division 302. COBIBIANDEH JOHN F. CoLLINGwooD, USN Comrnantling Offcer 4