Stribling (DD 867) - Naval Cruise Book

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,B-lam' . . J 1- 3. 1 i' Commissioning ceremonies were held 22 April, and sea trails begun. On 12 May the STRIBLING completed her FRAM overhaul and moved out to sea to begin refresher training at Guantanamo Bay, CUb0- Upon completion of refresher training, on 18 August, the ship sailed to its new home port, Mayport, Florida, and ioined DESRON 14. From September to December 1961, the STRIBLING ioined the NATO FORCES IN Exercise LlME JUG in the North Atlantic. The ship docked GT S thh f E ' ' ' ou amp on, ngland, and Belfast, lreland, and many persons visited London and Dublin. The return trip was rough. Stanchions were torn off, ladders were twisted like pretzels a hole was torn in the CPO bulkhead paint was washed off d th an e numerals 867 were barely showing. One man had an attack of appendicitis. When the ship finally arrived at Mayport, The c0ndifi0f' of the ship, together with the ambulance standing by, caused many families to worry for it looked like the STRIBLING had fought a war . In February 1962, the STRIBLING with the USS NOA and other ships went on range for the MERCURY shot which resulted in the recovefY of ll COL John H. GLENN, USMC, by the NOA. In March during ASW exercises with Task Group ALFA, the STRIBLING responded to the call of distress signals from the SS GEM which was In trouble off Cape Hatteras. In spite of rough weather, a life raft was launched and 26 men were saved from the stern of the tanker. A hero's welcome awaited STRIBLING when it returned to Mayport where TV, radio, national and local news media interviewed the ship's crew and the grateful men Who had been rescued. As one British merchantman said, I was never so glad to see the American Navy . A lull in trips occurred, but not in the work because in .l I th , u y e STRIBLING was selected as one of three ships to go to Washington to be insliecled by the Chief of Naval Operations, members of the Senate and Hous f R ' , I c e o epresentatives, and military and civilians of the various milital'Y organizations responsible for the types of ships the Navy will have in the future. On retur eet deployment, the STRIBLING proudly displayed another E for efficiency in DESRON 14. n to Mayport, while making preparations for SIXTH Fl The crew bade farewell to their families on 3 August and began a MED Cruise with the SIXTH Fleet.

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. - 4 . . . , . . wt V ' . ' i ' P' 'fl 7'J ' .wi ,QM ' Y-,,,e..,..--. ..f: - ' .- - Q . .- 'ef ' Just four and one-half months after returning from the MED, the STRIBLING departed Norfolk once again with DESRON SIX and SIXTEEN for a six and one-half month cruise with the SIXTH Fleet. Ports-of-call in the MED included Naples, Genoa, and Trieste, Italy, Cannes and Sete, France, Valencia and Barcelona, Spain, Istanbul, Turkey, Palermo, Sicily, and Gibraltar. During the 1959 MED Cruise the STRIBLING was visited by Admiral Arleigh BURKE, Chief of Naval Operations. This was the most important single event of the cruise. Upon retum from the 1959 MED Cruise the STRIBLING spent the remainder of 1959 in an UPKEEP status. Ship's force and tender personnel spent many long hours during this period bringing the tired STRIBLING back into a first class material condition. January 1960 found the STRIBLING back at sea off the Florida coast acting as rescue destroyer for the USS INDEPENDENCE CCVA 62l. During this cruise the STRIBLING received word that the ship would definitely take part in the Fleet Rehabilitation and Modemization Program and was scheduled to enter the Charleston Naval Shipyard in June 1960 for a FRAM MK 1 conversion. The remainder of the winter and spring were spent preparing for the coming overhaul and participating in various local operations including the rendering of assistance to the West German Freighter Barndt Leonhardt after her collision with the USS SARATOGA lCVA 607. The STRIBLING received a WELL DONE from COMCARDIV SIX and her assistance to the SARATOGA and Bamdt Leonhardt. The STRIBLING entered the Charleston Naval Shipyard on 1 June 1960 to begin FRAM I overhaul. Many of the crew were transferred to other ships and those remaining moved to the barracks at the U.S. Naval Base, Charleston. The old ship was stripped down to the maindecks as 3 l50 guns, anti-aircraft guns, depth charges racks, torpedo tubes, and other armament were removed. Most of these were not to be replaced, but the forward 5 l38 guns and new, improved torpedo tubes were installed. The main deck was torn out and compartments were made more serviceable with air conditioning and better arrangements of tables and other necessary equipment. Bulkheads rose in different locations and new compartments were sealed off. A flight deck and hangar were added and an ASROC launcher installed amidships. L J I .Y L .ijt ' ' 'H' -1... -lg.. ,......1:liik F1- L--- - 'Y' H g g ,A 2 1-: - . it.. 'is' E S S - T- e 5:2 , ewan EQWH' Ma,.om,M.af.f-,. ..,- -so ...-pr+Q?HQMT - 1 -, f r i.. +..'1, . me ' ' 4 1' , , ' -- .. Y- --'-ffffwf. L- ' v'.4 .'w.,i -4'- .,'.,f,,at,g.5 QAA, . if. , . qg,5,w,,f,-call..-lf ,V . ...K M, 1' T - ,sl s i,.Ty..'g .iiaii S-:BEA -,Fm g . 1? sg.:Qg,g1x.,3.M ' uf' . :.,.i, ,. ...eff e '

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'K ' 'P IX 'Y if, . ei .. so-til' -ilu- ,,' I 1 NIH, Ogg.. 000009. .OO Q.. , Nga. ' . . W ar, . 5, 4 s . l,'L9,5l Secretary ofthe Navy John ll. CIIAFEE, lrightl, and Assistant Secretary ofthe Navy For Financial Management Charles A. BOWSIIER sit in high line chairs aboard the Destroyer USS STRIBLING IDD-8671. It was a smooth trip across the Atlantic and only a few days could be considered rough as the ship ioined others of the American, French, and British Navies for Exercise RIPTIDE Ill in the Atlantic. Prior to transitting the Suez Canal on I September to report for duty with the Middle East Forces, the ship visited Naples and Athens. On 7 September the ship moored at Djibouti, French Somaliland, and on the l6th at Bahrein Island in the Pursian Gulf. On the l9th, the STRIBLING, USS PERRY, and USS GREENWICH BAY, with units of the Iranian Navy, conducted exercises off Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf. On the 24th of September, the STRIBLING broke the COMIDEAST FORCE flag as Rear Admiral SEMMES and his aide rode the ship that day. b f th Saudi Arabian Navy came aboard for an inspection and underway exercise in On 29 September, at Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia, mem ers o e which they observed S 138 gun firing, and took part in fire drills, and were allowed to maneuver the ship for man overboard drill. The sound of the Arabic Language over the IMC system was very strange indeed. Before departing from the Middle East, the ship visited Aden, and then having been relieved on I 5 October, transitted the Suez Canal for the Sth time, and reioined the SIXTH Fleet. During the period I5 October to I December, while operating with the SIXTH Fleet, the ship visited Golfe Juan, France, Gaeta and Naples, Italy, and Messina, Sicily. Homeward bound in the latter part of February I963, STRIBLING arrived at Mayport on 2 March. The cruise had been rewarding in many respects From Kharg Island, Iran, and Diibouti, French Somaliland, to Barcelona, Spain, STRIBLING had come in contact with many different climates ' ' ' ' d'ff tf m our own. In addition the and peoples, conveying to these people an insight to America and gaining an awareness of cultures and ideas I eren ro , t with the SIXTH Fleet gave the ship important experience in the complex and demanding operations and logistics of a mobile strike group and the our pride of being a part of a very vital and effective element of this country's first lme of defense. lronically but understandably, the most enioyable part of such an experience is the homecoming. STRIBLING had been gone from 3 August 1962 to 2 March l9'63, a period covering nearly two-thirds of a year but which seemed longer to many.