Stevenson (DD 645) - Naval Cruise Book

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f emailanccz iganllmuecf 'On the outskirts of town, the Sultan's Palace draws the primary interest of any sightseer. An immense mansion with its carved figures of bronze and stone embellishing its exterior, surrounded by acres of green earth, a private pool for goldfish, and three military guards, clearly signified the wealth and importance of the man who symbolized these religious, political and financiai aspects of his race. On the perimeter of Casablanca, the Americans had es- tablished their air base, its fields packed with bombers and fighters ready for use, others still crated, undoubtedly some of which made the same 3500 mile journey we had just completed. On the shoreline, stretching north and south, one could see a maze of striped canvas tents, a bivouac of ,French colonial troops, who kept their horses nearby in groups, some taking theirs into the surf and bathing them. The second route leading back into the city brought us past the American Army field hospital, where soldiers, wounded in the fighting further north, were taken for medical treatment and recuperation. f Moving through the shopping district once more, we could see 'a glare of lights shining brightly from the square, defying the possibilities of a sudden air attack. It was night and time for revelry, the attitude of Casablanca's inhab- itants seven nights a week. Le Cafe Internationale was transformed from its cheerful, clean and quiet atmosphere of early afternoon to a noisy, smoky hall, smelling of beer, cheap wine and tobacco. ' Retracing the course of the boulevard, there were few people to be seen. The beggars had cleared their squatting places in the street and had slunk away to their quarters, sleeping out the night in some dark alley, doorway or gutter of the Medina. Leaving the cab where we had hired it, we passed through the gates fronting the landing pier and boarded a boat for return to the Stevenson. Riding toward the ship, we noticed the absence of the native rowboats and pilot boats but the other identifying marks made the harbor familiar looking even in the darkness. Qzdvmlzizfz On the fourth of the five trips this ship made to Casablanca we were for- tunate in being detailed to proceed with part of our convoy up through the Straits of Gibraltar. Upon entering the Straits the convoy was taken over by British escorts and proceeded to their destination at ports farther eastward in the Mediterranean. Meanwhile we were ordered to tie up at the dock for re- fueling. Though, our stay was short it was a memorable one. Onlyftwo sections were allowed to go ashore owing. to the fact that a certain percentage of the ship's crew had to remain aboard during wartime as a security measure. How- ever, the fellows who went ashore had an enjoyable time. 15

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