Steinaker (DD 863) - Naval Cruise Book

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1 ,x rf gi fiyf 52 Pg! L awww- , was vm-.mvv-nv-vnnmuvunv ,,.,..,.-....-...i -v.-s..-.f 5 n F r 4 'Lvl wt' 1 , ,- ima-a GPERATICNS DEPARTMENT fconhj Have you ever heard the term ccPing Jockeys? That's a phrase used when referring to sonarmen, and they play a very vital part in the anti-submarine phase of our navy. The only reward for the many long une- ventful watches is an occasional SONAR CONTACTn at which time all sonarmen man their attack team stations and assist the Captain in making a successful attack. In the recent fleet wide advancement in rating examinations the sonar gang batted 100 CX, Three men were recommended for advancement and all three came through with flying colors by passing the exa- mination and being advanced to the next higher pay grade. W The post war era left the U.S. Navy with the tremendous task of patroling the seas of the world. In order to coordinate the activities of it's global units the navy relies chiefly on its radio communications. The major systems of radio communications are radio telegraph, radio telephone, and radio teletype. Radio- telegraph is the primary system in use because it is best adapted where large distances and poor atmo- pheric conditions are to be contended with. Radio- telephone is the voice radio system that is controlled by C.I.C. personnel and is used for short distances only Q15 - 50 milesj. Rapid radio communications in peace and war are one of the important factors that make the U.S. Navy the ruler of the seas and we of the STEINAKER are fortunate in having a well trained, efiicient Radio gang. ISTANBUL Istanbul, formerly Constantinople and named after Constantine the Great is located on the European Continent at the southern entrance of The Bosporus, that narrow strait where Europe and Asia face each other. It commands the gateway between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, which 160 miles away opens out into Mediterranean waters through' the Dardanelles. The Hellespont - as the Dardanelles were formerly called - has a wealth of historical and romantic memories about it - memories of ancient Troy that once dominated its southern entrance, legends of Leander who swam the I-Iellespont to visit his sweetheart, Hero, and of Alexander the Great leading an army into Asia by a bridge of boats in 330 B.C. Since prehistoric times there has been a settlement on the site of Istanbul. The Golden Horn, a iive-mile- long inlet from the Bosporus, provided an attractive, safe harbor. At about 667 B.C., seafaring Greek colonists from Megara took possesion of the place and called it Byzantium. Nearly 1,000 years later the Romans, 11nder Constantine the Great, captured the city, en- larged and beautified it and strengthened its fortifica- tions. In 330 A.D. Constantine gave it his name and made it the capital of his empire. It continued as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire fByzantine Empire, until the Ottoman Turks captured it in 1453. The Byzantine Empire was the strange oriental after-glow ofthe sinking Roman Empire. Constantinople became the capital of the Christian Roman Empire. Constantinople became the capital of the Christian Roman Empire after the fall of Rome. Roman law and the ancient Roman traditions persisted in the East, though Greek soon replaced Latin as the popular tongue, and life and art became more and more oriental in tone. It is precisely for its preserva- tion of the civilization of Rome and Greece, and for its service as a bulwark against invasion from Asia, that the Byzantine Empire is credited with a work of incalculable value. To be sure, the scholars of Constantinople were so dazzled by the wealth of learning they had inherited that they did little with it except study it and compile books of extracts and summaries. v The emperor Justinian ruled the Byzantine Empire during the period of its greatest glory from 527 to 565. At this time the empire extended from southern Spain to the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates, and from the Danube River to upper Egypt. In Justinian's glowing church of Santa Sophia the sunlight poured down from 40 windows in the great dome, washing in golden light the gold mosaics with their bright-colored saints, the columns of jasper, marble, alabaster and porphyry, and the designs of mother-of-pearl. Heart of the life of Constantinople was the Hippodromes where 30,000 people sat under purple awnings of silk to watch the chariot races and to enjoy the triumpllal processions of victorious generals, who distributed to the crowd loot taken from the Vandals. Constantinopl0 grew more and more oriental in tastes and sympathies- gayer, and also weaker. , When the Crusaders came at the close of the 11th century, they were amazed to find a city of a million people, with paved and lighted streets, great parks, hospitals, theatres, efiicient police, fine palaces, and v Ll., I

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ISTANBUL Cconej excellent schools. In 1204- the Crusaders captured and looted the city. Many great works of art of the past were destroyed, and the famous bronze horses were carried off to St. Mark's in Venice. A ghost of the Byzantine Empire survived for a time, until in l4153 the fierce Ottoman Turks closed in on the doomed city of Constantinople, killed the emperor Constantine XIII, plundered, murdered, and took slaves. Since then Quntil l453j the city has been the Turkish capital, and the crescent has replaced the the cross over Santa Sophia. A century later the Turkish armies were thunder- ing at the gates of Vienna in the very heart of Europeg while Asia and Egypt and northern Africa formed part of their vast and barbarous empire. The Black Sea was practically a Turkish lake, and Turkish corsairs, reinforced by pirates of other nations, ruled the Mediter- ranean. ,Solyman the Magnificent was lord of 50 million Moslems and Christians of some 20 races. Constan- tinople was transformed into a fabulously rich and from colorful Mohammedan city, drawing its wealth the trade that passed through its gates. But within two centuries this magnificent capital of the world, with its 65,370 square miles of territory, was on the decline due to poor ruling and high taxes which caused revolt of the Balkan countries. Its territory was reduced to a triangle of 30 by 40 miles immediately around Constantinople. G-hazi Mustapha Kemal, who later added the surname of Ataturk, became the president of the new Turkish Republic after overthrowing the gultan in 1922, and because of the unwillingness of war-tom Europe to fight, won for Turkey possessions that new total about 300,000 square miles. The population is more than l6,000,000. Until he died in 1938, Kemal worked tirelessly to introduce modern methods of farming and manufacture among a people still plod- ding in the ways of 2,000 years ago. As a Mohammedan state, the law of Turkey was based on the Koran, but after the califate was abolished, a new civil code, based on the Swiss code, was adopted fin 19261 to replace to Koran. The religious orders were abolished and monasteries closed. In l930, the name of Istanbul fStamboulj, formerly applied only to the old Turkish quarter od Constantinople, was made the official name of the whole city. Turkey's strategic position, athwart a major land route between Europe and Asia and its control of the Dardanelles, has given the country a key position in world diplomacy. During the second World War Turkey was exposed on both sides to attack, and so from the outset held fast to a policy of armed neu- trality. With weapons provided inparty by Germany and in part by Great Britain, the Turks built up their armaments, then, as the power of the Axis waned, gradually strenghtened their ties with the Allied powers, and at the present time they are a member of NATO. LEMNOS ISLAND, GREECE The chief importance of Lemnos is its strategic location near the entrance of the Dardanelles. The history of the island parallels that of the mainland of Greece down through the centuries, but because of its insular remoteness, the ravages of occupation have been slight in comparison with other parts of Greece. In World War II, the island was occupied by approximately 8,000 German troops. Our visit to Lemnos was at the town of Kastron, the capital of the island, which is situated on the west coast. Kastron has a population of about 3,500. A rugged hill overlooks the town and its small harbor and on it are the ruins of a 13th century Venetian castle and fort. There is a legend about the history of Lemnos: lphistoa, the son of Jupiter and Juno, landed on Lemnos when he was thrown bodily from the com- munity of gods for being over zealous in his atten- tions to Aphrodite. As further punishment, Zeus inflicted the women of Lemnos with balitosis and the resulting disinterest of Iphistoa and the other men of the island led to an uprising by the women who killed all the men at Atrophone, just north of Kastron. Later when Jason and Argonauts, returning from their quest of the ccGolden Fleecen, put into Lemnos they found themselves so welcome in the manless island that they decided to make it their home. Twentieth-century Kastron is no longer the stage for capricious Greek gods, but it has a charm and quaintness that makes it most unusual -among liberty ports. It is even most unusual among places noted for their charm and quaint beauty. Cape Cod appea1'S like a carnival midway when compared with the quiet charm of this fishing village of little cobble- stone streets and small shops. The miniature harbor and breakwater where fishing boats anchor and the gaily painted stucco houses appear like an artist s picture in the bright Aegean sun light. There may be some who missed the aesthetic aspect of Kastron, but few if any, missed the good time of a lively American soft ball game played on the town SOCCGI' field. Another enjoyable event was the entertaining of thirty orphans and underprivileged children on board. Lunch, followed by a tour of the ship, left the children Kready to join the Navyv: according to the director of the school. The toys which had been bought 111 the States were distributed to eager hands. The tour was highlighted by an unscheduled landing of 3 flying boat containing the Naval .Attache to Greece.