Tarawa (CV 40) - Naval Cruise Book

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gi This is l'he view TARAWA sailors go'l' from 'lhe hangar I 1. deck as lheir ship sfeamed pasi' Gibraliar on 'lheir way home. The smoofh, whiie slope b,e'l'ween rhe +wo peaks is a concrere rain cafch from which 'lhe inhabiianis of 'lhe Brifish crown colony ge'l' fheir In wafer supply. GIBRALT A bobby , in his bes'r cockney , direcis a TARAWA sailor 'lo some place such as Cornwalls Lane in f 'rho quaini' liHle 'lown a+ fha fooi' of ihe Rock. E Lasf minufe souvenir buyers gave ihe Brirish Exchequer a boosl' as +hey picked up ifems in The many liHle shops along Main and Irish S+ree+s. This Giloralhurian is feeding a proieciorare of +he A crown. The hairy liH'le fellow is one of 'lhe Barbary 1 IBRALTAR, known to the ancients as one of the pillars of Hercules, will always be to TARAWANS the place where we were relieved by the better-late-than-never Wasp. Known to generations of Britons as an anchor in their lifeline of empiren, Gibraltar will be remembered by Tarawans as the home of fabulous bargains in woolen goods and Rolls Razors, the place where Bobbies gave directions in unfamiliar British accents. It was also where you could walk down the gangplank onto dry land instead of having to take a long boat ride in to a landing. For some it was the place from which tours were taken into the quaint old Spanish cities of Seville and Malaga. Half-day tours were made through a portion of the tunnels in the famous Rock and other places of interest in the tiny British crown colony. But to most Tarawans the most welcome sight of the entire cruise was the western side of Gibraltar dwindling from the fantail. 1 -'Q-L l Apes 'rhar have ihe run of +he colony.

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l This gafe leads fo fhe fairly modern Dolme Bahci palace, fhe splendor of which rivals fhe ornafe gingerbread decorafions of ifs enfrance walls. At prayer time i'rnuezzines climbed to their tiny circular balcony on the graceful minarets and from these spires called the faithful to prayer. This happens five times a day and nothing could be calculated to make you feel so thoroughly outside the realm of western civilization as the sound of their voices floating out across the clear blue skies. One of the most interesting market places we encountered on the entire cruise was the bazaar in the old section of Istanbul. It would be difficult to state the area of this fascinat- ing place, but a conservative estimate would be no less than 20 acres. Filled with an atmosphere of intrigue, a labyrinth of ceilinged paths that were little more than tunnels led us past countless shops. An occasional slit window let in a shaft of sunlight that only heightened the creepy feeling We felt. Countless displays of rich Turkish rugs with strange garments of silk and satin hung in the narrow shops. Wicked looking swords, cavalry sabers, and curved daggers were prominently displayed and the merchants proudly attested to their murderous qualities. 5'f-1? If ,ee ' ,ns b I if ye . L V l'0Wr7 e s are sufffci s.. 0 efiff , Ver, Y Gloquenf h f e W of-ld Whefher fhey wore a snappy fell' haf or a Moslem furban, none of us could deny fhaf once inside fha bazaar fhey were fhe world's mosf consummafe salesmen of meerschaum pipes.

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h h ve been on 'the Riviera T HS W 0, a . + ilwd, lo:gal:3aP Slorles will old lilillllUiSiSliEf:snpS Capi. C. H. Duerfeldf, C. O. USS Tarawa, decides he O they await iransporlahon +0 9 has carried 'rhe ball long enough as he prepares fo Mission accom I, h as pass if on to Capt. B. C. McAfree. C O. USS Wasp. .man sfeerg 'f lS.ed' llle Pirate ship's helms- D RELI F The dispatch arrived, the predictions from the supposedly wise old salts as to when, where, and even whether we would be relieved were for the most part proven wrong, and the cables and air mail specials bearing the hot word were sent to wives and girl friends. - . . . TO BE RELIEVED IN GIBRALTAR TWO JUNE . . . Tarawans had had an extra month to dream up ideas-the weirder the better. Old clothes were hacked to shreds, hats were stripped down, and souvenir lids of every description were dusted off. Mustaches were preened and mops became long white beards. The morning of the big day came. The USS TARAWA, six months out of the states eased into an anchorage in Gibraltar harbor. Nearby was the USS WASP, her deck a mass of roaring combat planes being tuned up, ready for business, and in the background was the Rock, a bristling fortress. But on the quarter deck of the TARAWA stood the motliest looking assortment of crew seen on any ship since the days of Noah. They were waiting for a small pirate ship that had just been lowered from the TARAXVA's starboard boat-boom. A few minutes later YVASP personnel were packing the catwalks and listening in amused amazement as the boatload of animated whiskers and tatters slowly circled their ship with a small band mournfully playing It's Been a Long Long Time . The TARAWA welcoming committee boarded the WASP, swapped a few short speeches, many healthy laughs and handshakes, then returned to their ship to prepare for the Gibraltar-Norfolk trip. V Some say it was a result of having been out too long, and others will tell you that Americans are crazy anyway, but Tarawans know it was just an old Navy tradition colored up with a healthy dose of that traditional American wit that makes life so much fun. I wlfh :fs car f 1. H1 90.0 old s d b o e USS TARAWAs quarfeliadecclif ack Whife-whislcered Cai S+ C black whlsker d P - H. Du f B . . er eldf' . e llldliih Navy porf ogfijiills a bewildered. was quarter deck. Oh the USS The irale shi a TARAWA moior-launch,'and her crew P P 1 provide +ransporl'a+ion for 'the assorimenl' of Mediferranean- wise members of 'lhe welcoming commi'Hee. Black flag af 'lop of masi' bears skull and crossed bones.