Strong (DD 758) - Naval Cruise Book

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Pictured here are four types of strike aircraft presently on duty in the Gulf of Tonkin. Top left an A6A Intruder Attack Bomber returns to her carrier following a dawn attack. Top ri ht an F41 Phantom Fighter-Bomber is picturef just prior to landing. Directly left is an RA5 Vigilante Attack and Reconnaissance Plane returning from a morning patrol. Below left an A7 Corsair Low Level Bomber comes home from a successful bombing run. Bottom left a Phantom returns from a late afternoon strike. Bottom ri ht is the USS STRONG QDD-7585 as seen from tge fantail of the USS RANGER qCVA-613.

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Iciihiii YANKEE STATION 17,-... ltuuvw-fry-. A U 5 I S' . r yu If 1 ' K is f ,Q K ,, ,,,. .. ,, 43, X, , M ,,,WW,,,, ME, , ff I I A H . X A K - ' ' f f Q-Xu-. .. :rw -l-.......,.., mf ,,,,4,,.,p- fl' A f x 4 X ,f X , X , H ff 'A' ' KW by 0, ' K M7 f- ,, . 'Y tW'1 Q. , t f plea! ,Mita A 3, a , fm -X ,, fy, s+3ya,,,ft- W' X- -S WW' ' M 0 2-'ww arf .wg ' 9' M' -N' Wx V was - V ', A W ' 7wm ' ' f, . W, ,sw ' f , s.,5 m-1 . X fn' 1 w my, f , xl X - V M r ,Wm-, ,, , a,.,,a,.,,,, 9? JQSM ,v 4 nv, V Y, - X Q. I , V, 5 ra M I W, ff , L A f A rr ,K 1, fl 1 wvbbq '-0 ' Q- W' 'M ,ws :, w-11 J , ,, Leif WNV .lf A X Q. -- ff ' Jaan.. ' 'M'-ti W - ' A 'E rf M W-ff f- W X f ' S' S fwfsuw A t, . X ,, ,, . , 5 r . ,, 7 2 ,, M F 5 YW 4' ,W VM 'rf X, if S K ' I W QM., ' ' WW ta -' W A E ' ' 'G+ -4 W NI X rf ,mx WM A X, S- :aww W' ,x f K V N 0' ' 4. X, 5 Q ,Jaw . .W-qv., 'WW' X-.new 'rf -, f - ,.. f, A ' ff ' , -, r ' - ' - - , ff , t,., s W f f f f' ' - W X 'W ffl rs' A W0 L-S. an ' i'N'-W 'A 'W I , , . X X 3. V ,X . . . E 0 1 A , k, ,X ,. , 5 M M. ,cus -Y -f 1 ,. M, ..2'C'7H..n.- - , USSR RANGER CVA-61 Yankee Station is the Navy's name for that area of the Tonkin Gulf where its attack carriers ply their trade. On the average, a carrier launches eighty missions per day, all bound for targets in North Viet Nam. Destro ers operatin in twos and threes, stay close to the carrier and provide rescue servilces for the ungortunate pilot who splashes on take-off or recovery, While in Westpac, the STRONG operated with the USS CORAL SEA QCVA -435, USS RANGER CCVA-615, and USS TICONDEROGA fCVA-141. Although the STRONG did not have to fish any pilots out of the drink, the experience her personnel gained will benefit them in future assignments. The ood thin about Carrier Ops--the almost daily mail service--the bad thing-- 8 S those long monotonous hours between air ops when we merely followed along behind our carrier. 39

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CHANGE or COMMAND H Y' ...ov1'4' XXW1 ' 2 ., ,. ?!..,,g I KL 1 ' I 3' 4:-'Q rf'- 'f iq AW XAN, -4-.t In Y a . -- S T 'Wh' N 147'-at I ' 3+ ,..., - -fs 'ff M -.. A. ,-. at , X 7 -lr, , T A' s if M. I mn' 3 1 ., f Q On Monday January 22, 1968 in a ceremony that took place in tie Gulf of Tonkin, command of the STRONG was passed from Commander Louis F, Brown, USN to Commander George C, Lowry, USN, Com- mander Brown, a veteran of twenty-four years, entered retirement after serving as CommandirigOffi- cer of the STRONG since November of 1965. During our Westpac deployment, Commander Brown was in command when the STRONG partici- pated in Operation Sea Dragon off the coast of North Vietnam. While attached to Sea Dragon, STRONG sank ten Water-borne Lolgistics Craft QWBLCJ, destroyed three Coastal efense sites, and stopped a convoy of seventy trucks carrying supplies south. Commander Lowry assumed command while STRONG was attached to the USS CORAL SEA CCVA-435 in the Tonkin Gulf. The next two months were spent operating with the carriers TICONDEROGA and RANGER, Part of February and March found STRONG in the sea of Japan with the RANGER, April was STRONG'S busiest month. During April, STRONG operated in Corps Tactical Zones ll, H, IV, and the Rung Sat Special Zone. The ship is credited with destroying or damaging 104 enemy structures, 9 bunkers, 11 meters o trench line, and sinking or damaging 14 WBLCS, STRONG is also credited with 13 enemy killed in action plus 6 probably killed in action.