Stevenson (DD 645) - Naval Cruise Book

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. I i I W.,.,,....---. -mmm a i cg motto DOCK G or TAS P 5 PUT IN Oi P ec.P.o.u..aNewt pape fl , OVEMBER 16, 194 I cherrrowm, Union of sourhf Africa. Nov. 17 IIB-The United I States fleet ls in today, and its men I are buying engagement rings looae diamonds like peanuts. More than 6.000 omeers and men, from' two United State: battleship: andt alx destroyers are 'goin ond over Capetown's vast assor ent of' RUM. dealers said. They a are' ltocking up on leopard skin lm' curloa, and other souvenirs. T I ' The highest price reported phid by an American has been 53,200 for a white diamond weighing fouri and a half carats. Nine out of 10 mert are , buying engagement rings, the jewel- Vers said, and many are purchasing 'loose stones as investments. I The battleships, the California and 'the Tennessee, and the destroyers, the Lardner, Thorn, Nelson, Lans- downe, Stevengyhiand Stockton, put fin herefgr the week-end. OFFICIALS G0 OUT TUGS GEORGE YOUNG, Cape Times Shipping Correspondent. . DENSE fog which hung over Table Bay and threatened to delay the arrival of the United States Tank Group yesterday morning did not deter scores of officials from arriving at the port at an early hour to meet the vessels and put Cape Town's programme of entertainment for the American visitors into top gear. When I went out in the pilot tug James Searle shortly after 10.30, a, thick bank of fog lay off Green Point and the ships were nowhere to be seen. But, to- gether with another tug, Bland. we stood out to the south-west - I I ENTERTAINME T OF U.S. 1 I ' VISITOR I I I FULL PROGRAMME FOR NAVAL I I OFFICERS AND CREWS !TllE full programme of enter-I 1 .tainment arranged for the lofiicers and crews of the United IG -l p.m.: U.S.S. California vi U.S.S. Tennessee, 7 m' Dance for crews p. .. at ood Cheer Club, arranged by i States Navy task force whichIS'A.w.A.S. K Iarrived to-day is as follows: I T0-NIGHT 7 p.m.: Dance for crews at Good Cheer Club, given by the S.A.W.A.S. 7.30 p,m.: Dinner for senlorl otiicers at the Marine Hotel, Sea Point, given by the United States Naval Attache and Mrs. McManus. Reception and dance yfor negro personnel at Ex-i 'servicemen's Institute, arranged . by Cape Coloured Advisory ' Council on behalf of S.A.W.A.S. I 8 p.m.: Dance for crews at 'Mayors Garden Canteen. given by S.A.W.A.S. 8.30 p.m.: Dance for officers. l T0-MORBOW t a.m.: Commanding officer Ireccives oflicial return calls 'aboard the Califoinia. 5 12.45 p.m.. Civic luncheon ln 'Banqueting Hall, given by the City Council. 1 Specia. train takes Mvtzenberg fort ten ., ard dancing' by s.A.w.A.s.. who free tickets. Battle- two destroyers open until 4.30 p.m. 2.30 p.m.: Baseball at New- lands rugby ground. U.S.N. v. Cape Town and Stellenbosch 'Universities combined. I 4.45 p.m.: U.S.N. v. Western 'Province. I 5.30 to 8 p.m.: Tea-dance for Icrew members staying at :Muizenherg beach. given by QS,A.W.A.S I 5.30 p.m.: Reception and cock-I itail party at Bohemian Club,i lgiven by U.S. Minister, Generali 'Holcomb. 7 p.m.: Dance for crews at Good Cheer Club, 'given by S.A.W.A.S. 7.240 p.m.: Party for chic! petty officers at Garrison N.CO.'s Mess, Wynberg, given by Union Defence Force. Recep-I tion and dance for negro per-I sonnel at Ex-Servicemcrfs In- stitute. given by Mayor and City Council. I 8 p.m. Dinner at Admiralty IHouse, Simon's Town. given by Vice-Admiral Sir Robert and Lady Burnett, Dance for men at Mayors Garden Canteen, given by Mayor and City Council. SATURDAY ll 1.30-4.30.: Ships open to pub-I ic iafayor and 1.30 u.m Il,000 men ff- Ibathing, ',, IArranp,cd N 'will issue 'ships and to public 2 p.m.: Special train takes 1,000 men to Muizenberg for bathing and tea. Arranged by' S.A.W.A.S. who will issue free: tickets. Baseball at Newlands: American Consul-General and Mrs. Russell. Social, dance and bridge for negro personnel at Cape Coloured Soldiers' Club, given by SA.W.A.S.. Dance for officers at Garrison Officers' Mess. Wynberg, given by Union Defence Force. - 8 p.m.: Dance for crews at Mayors Garden Canteen, given by S.A.W.A.S. SUNDAY 11 a.m.-1 p.m.: Drinks H.M.S.A.S. Unitie. given by S.A.N.F. 4.30 p.m.: Tea and dance aboard U,S.S. California to in- vited guests of the United States MONDAY Task force resumes its voyage to U.S.A. Navy. VISITS TO SHIPS I There will be onlv one-way' road grease ol. the Duncan idasint o-morrow and Saturda whenl t Y four of the American warships I are open to visitors-the battle- sbips California and Tennessee, lying at J and K berths, respec- tively, and the destroyers Stock- ton and Stevenson. double- banked at L berth. The public will not be allowed on board the other ships. Special precautions have been taken by the harbour and I American naval authorities to avoid a repetition of the inci- 'dents when the British battle- ship Howe was rushed by visi- lurs in Se tember. Strong barriers have geen erected along the quayside o posite the ships, and a large Body of railway :olicemen will be available to eep order. 7.30 p.m.: Dinner given by at' and the kept steaming until we met warships. The port's full muster of pilots turned out. and each pilot given a list of the ships was WHS showing in what order they had be bcrthed and where they to bctied up. HEAVY SWELL The James Searle also carried Commander George McManus, United States Naval Attache. his staff, and there were to had and representatives of the Royal Navy who were to make ar- rangements for the disembarking the S.A.N.F. personnel who of were returning in the ships from Far East for de-secondment. the When we were about eight miles out the battleship Cali- fornia was seen coming out of the fog bank. and then the whole c e could be seen momentarily a break in the mist. The battleships were running behind the other. with the for in one California leading, and the de:- troyers in two single columns on seaward side. the The heavy swell did not facili- tate easy boarding for the offi- cials, but in a matter of minutes both tugs were speeding from ship to ship putting pilots on board and giving instructions for entering port. CAPE TOWN NO. 1 When I went on board the destroyer Thorn I found that the officers and men did not need to be told of the hospitality they could expect in Cape Town. They said that British naval frie them that Cape Town was Number One Pniority for hos- pitality. When we were still outside a message was received from the nds in Singapore had told two British destroyers Eskimo and Roebuck, which had left port for England shortly before the Americans arrivedf They sent the Americans greetings. saying that they were sorry they could not meet them in Cape Town. - After the Thorn had been pdocked I went out to the Stock- and came into port in her. the Stockton I was again ,ton -On verwhelmed with generosity nd offee. 1 The first thing'the Americans skecl when I went on board was 'hether there was any mail for hemf When I assured them hat there was a big consign- ent they told me it would be iheir first for more than three ynonths. l The United States battleship California photographed from the City of Tokio shortly after she had tied up in Duncan Block, Cape4Town, yesterday. was hurried below for The United States battle ship caii'f,,,aia eprerinlg the 6, A S Duncan Dock, Cape Ton n, yesterday. They told me that they were treated magnificently by the British at both Singapore and Ceylon during their voyage to the Cape. When we entered the Duncan Dock I found that we were to have the privilege of being the' first ship to tie up at P Berth, near the yacht harbour. Officers in the wardroom ofI f Cape Town Jitterbu , Beer and Steaks another destroyer were discus-' sing their menu forftheir first meal ashore. I was asked if there was fresh milk in Cape Town, and whether there were tomatoes, lettuce and cauli- flower. When I assured them that they were commodities that were not controlled or rationed, the said that the were i those items. 'Fresh vegetables and fruit were not easily ob- tained on Far East service. TRIBUTE T0 BRITISH One commanding officer told me tlrdt he was anxious that mention should be made of the service being rendered by the Royal Navy in providing the ships with their provisions in British ports. In British ports visited during the present voyage nothing was left undone when providing the vessels with service from the shore. This, if anything, he said, was lend-lease in reverse, Another officer said that the entertainment programme in Calle Town was such a highly- Begfed one that he felt sure the ships complements would be time came round on Monday, A However, we have been look- ing forward to coming here, and it looks as though it's going to be the high-spot since we left h0m9. he concluded. Rugbl' Ground, South Africa v.I United States Navy. .- -Ar-T-'W I 'ro-mom I T0-Ylillht tlic Cape Command has arranged a party for U,S. chief. pettv ufliccrs in the gnrrisonDN C.O.s' Mess at. Wyn- 'FL ' ance: for thc mcn. Slirinsored hv the Mayor and City In POT! LGS! Night Slounr-il. will he hr-ld in thc IDOCK, - 8V0l s laidcn Recreational B Berth: Ch 1 Hall and. for nrgrn personnel. at NOV- 19- emunz or USA the Ex-Scrviromcrfs Institute, E Bfgfhf G- C' Brf-wil. for Abram, faommr-rrzal-strM't, Thr-rc will FG BIBSLYOWGS D C n so bc n SA.W.A.S, dance fur ' , QL' ' 'UWT' Nl'- lhg' rncn at the Good Cheer Club' H A R B 0 U R L O G ?'?':l'-nat .mdowim for USA this l'vr'ning. G Berth: U.S. Destrc-:yer Lardner, orrzn 'ro VISITORS ' --g M M I H BH if-Situ Nov- 1 - ' Thr Unttr-rt State' ships will 1 -,.,.lj-I -' --- 'W 'IDN' U1 vlfltfirs from L30 to m I Ht Lat- J Berth- Uss 4.30 nm . 2 .x A us.AI, Noivf in. C'mo 'Q' An .ippoal is made tn all 1 1 ' Ill K Barth: u.s.s. 'rennaun ' . nn . , ,V U . mr fiftujns uhm run do so to take 1 ,, I -S-A.. Nov. ID. l'lf 'I! sailors for drives and y tr :. 4 .I . :pf L Bjghi 3-5' Dellrayern Sbeven- to f'Vlll'l'lFtlfl them in their homes. N -' ' f- -, I No., 'R s'0Ck'0 - 'ol' 49-At. . .,,,,,,,,, , U . - . - . .eg M Berth: Fluor, D k 4... I oc. P BQIUI7 U.S. Doa Y Nh, Y h I ,,, A U-SA., Nov Itaroyer 'l'harn.lor A-MERICANS last night took Cape 'Town by storm. A Sailors, marines and airmen who only a few weeks ago walked the cold and devastated streets of Tokio, where aloe-eyed Japanearwomen ran at their approach, ,rejoiced in an atmosphere of warmth and conviviality Iwhich many of them described aa iuat like home. The social tempo of the city was heightened by the influx of the 6,000 men of the American ,task group which arrived in Table Bay early in the after- noon. The force consists of the battleships Califomia and Ten- nessee, and six destroyers. The men started coming ashore shortly after 2 p.m. By mid-afternoon they were to be seen everywhere in the city, . even at Sea Point, where some plunged into the pool fully clothed. Those more particu- y y go ngt to have a full meal on just: I l I lar borrowed gaudy two-pieces' from 'women hat-horaf - , I In the city itselfjhey crowded 1 the streets. the cafes, the cine- mas and later the .dance halls. . Waitresses and volunteer f workers coped magnificently l exhausted by the time sailingf .MORE LIKE HOME with the ncver-ending throngs of hungry and thirsty men. Where they gathered the fTexas drawi vied with the im- 'ing accents of men from the Southern States. the lin o of 8 'the Bronx contrasted with the New England and New Hamp- shire twang against a back- ground of Brooklynese and Broadway vernacular. o i Cape Town was not what most of them expected, they said . . . A palm-fringed shore, the beat of the tom-tom, men in white ducks and loin-clothed natives . ,... yes! But Cape Town was nearer America than they had thought. Why, this place is wonder- ful! said Philip Hanratty. of .Minneapolis, Minnesota. philo- sophically drinking his beer. It's a lot like Minnie, this place, where a man can drop into a pub and talk to friends. The JIVING IN AFRICA The bigger ones in the city were .partitioned off for dancing and eating and in one of them was found the smallest sailor in the task force. Augie Ficarra. a chirpy boy from Brooklyn, N.Y.. height 4ft. l0in.. and an atomic I .. ljittcrbui exponent. A 'oc e in civilian lifc hc ls, . J Y - , nfrom the destroyer Lardner 487. Asked how he was liking Cape nTown. hc said: Pretty good son far . and winked at his bright partner. , Cape Town glrls gave their American sisters keen com- petition ln jitter-bug dancing last night. Although a hit' short of breath and dis- hevelled. they stolcally kept- uD oontortlons. These efiorts drew such admir- Cny of Tokto, u,,d,, ,bi :ng remarks from their loose- imbed partners -as You're in fthe groove all right! You're rAl?:i :!'and 'Fancy jivlng in Sumo of the best dancers: were to be found among the l0n'Elll'0P0Hl1 men of the? force who were entertained at , the Mavor's Ex-Servlcemen's- Club in Commercial-street.: first thing I wanted when I came ashore was a good cold beer, and I found it. Like hundreds of the men it had been his second spell in the Pacific. He had served at Sai- pan, Luzon, Okinawa and in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. He was longing to get home. Cape Town was making him feel nearer there. I CRAVINGS . Marion L. Wolf. a seaman from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. said that fresh food was what he had craved for most when hg chme ashore, and soon enbug he was doing justice to a supcr steak and chips. Cape Town against ,the background of Table ountain was the most beautiful harbour he. had seen. His pal, Stanford S. MacMillan, of Decatur, Illinois. echoed his Captain Lunsford Muon. Jun.. commander of the United States task group which ar- rived at Cape Town yesterday on a four days' visit. He ls also the commanding olllcer of the U.S.S. Callfornla, one of -the two battleshl s ln the D group. There are also six destroyers and an auxlllary tanker. tribute to the beauty of the cityfs surroundings and said that his craving had been ham and eggs. With a great show of loyalty he told everybody about Illinois but finished ol! graciously by saying that Cape Town was a good place .... full of homey folk. By 9 p.m. overly restaurant and cafe. in the e ty had been cleaned out ol' food completely. A cafe ln St. Georgfa-street which had trehled its order tor the day and was forced to close at 1.30 expected an evoa greater mah to-day. Fortunately there were volun- tary rervlce clubs open ln the city and suburbs and those catered for hundreds of men. Liven up The music here was spirited and the dancing was infused with an abandon reminiscent of film shots at Harlem. Before they left their ships the Americans had issued to them many thousands of pounds in South African currency by parties of U.D.F. paymasters. They exchanged amounts vary- ing from 255 to 22 l0s. It was stated that the average amount exchanged was about 5110. Throughout the afternoon there was a steady stream of sightseers to the Duncan Dock and last night large crowds flocked there again to see the spectacle of the two giant flood- lit battleships. They will be fioodlit every night of their stay. No visitors were allowed on board the battleships yesterday, but they will be open to the pub- lic from 1.30 to 4.30 p.m. to-day and to-morrow. COMMA.NDER'S CALLS Captain Lunsford Y. Mason. jun., Commanding Dtftcer of the Task Group and the battleship Calitomia, yesterday afternoon paid official calls in the city. He saw the Acting Administrator. Mr. J. D. de Villiersg the Mayor of Cape Town, Mr. A, Bloom- bergg Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Burnett, Commander-in-Chief. South' Atlantic: Brigadier B1 R. Armstrong, Officer Commanding, Cape Command: and the Ameri- can Minister, General Thomas Holcomb. Senior officers were the guests of the U.S. Naval Attache and Mrs. McManus at ' Sea Point hotel Thcre were European Cheer Club Canteen. the responsible for A reception and for negro Servicemen Cape Coloured on behalf of the dinner at a nig . ht or S ht? dance was also o ccrs. Programme To-day E the the p.m. I' Clllln uni-mans f the Weatem .0.T.H. hu invited from the two hattleahlpg ehnrabanc trio to Franaeh to-morrow afte Dtihldhj