Staten Island (AGB 5) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 53 text:

.. ya M.. ,. v . lb-gjjlfiaz V 4' i .1 BINDER GMSN sfraddles gums. MARTIN QM3 Sgfmis -xm- ofher ship while POWER RM3 Qopies The Hee? of o3c i :a5r during the working day, but after hows its relaxanom in The crew's lounge for STATEN ISLAND crew members, fr- -i-151, ii, ' v , ,-8 L, r ' , ,, A . Vo ' jf ' 5 -'f,2. if 2. .yy , s ,t ., H :X J lb.. I ...f-' X Sn . w. 'XA gi' X ' 4' ,A I lv' XX li

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il 7. AT ORK Upper left: MARTINEZ SH3 with helpers PRESCOTT, REN- TERIA and GUIDRY, all seamen, baling out The laundry after a small catastrophe that was merely routine to This group. Upper right: Although never fired in anger for even for practicej AO mm's require constant maintenance and this they received from The capable gun crews. Lower left: MARCHMENT AGT in his office, whence came all sorts of information and predictions about the weather, which proved highly accurate and very useful. Lower center: Clipping the curly locks of TOMES, ENC, is the busy ship's barber, FERNANDEZ SH2, whose job con- tinued no matter what the weather or scenery outside. Lower right: Senior man in terms of service aboard STAT- EN ISLAND, SAMPSON BM2 concentrates hard in the sail locker, thinking of those days when the ship was returned from Russia. 48 X

Page 54 text:

BACK AGAIN l Wie arrived at Lyttelton on February 19th, and spent three days the1'e taking on supplies, passengers and mail for the return trip to the ice. At last all was in readiness and we pointed the bow south once more. There was one stop along the way this time, at a tiny New Zealand weather outpost on Campbell Island to deliver mail and some supplies. The voyage down was rough once more. and added to the seas there was thick fog to hamper our movements. But navigating by feel and sixth sense, we managed to reach our destination at McMurdo Sound on the 2nd of March. All the ice had departed for parts unknown, but the thermometer had dropped below zero and an icy wind blew down the slopes we unloaded our mail and provisions. Passengers were embarked, and then the toughest task of all came: to move two YOC's around Hut Pt. to the lee side. W'hat could have been a simple towing job was compli- cated enormously by the freezing weather, the shallow bottom and the huge amount of ice still frozen to the YOG's. YVhen it was found that the LCVP and Green- land cruiser could not accomplish the movement, the icebreaker had to go in close to the treacherous beach to take the first YOG in tow. It was slow frigid work, but finally the YOG was safely around to the other side. But now the seas and wind increased, and opera- tions had to be suspended for the day. As night came on, the anchored STATEN ISLAND was in danger of broaching, and, with a deadline to meet back at Lyttel- ton, she was forced to leave McMurdo and head for Hallett. Two views of Campbell Island tbelovvi and offloading operations by LCVP at McMurdo during below zero Weather Cabovej.