Telfair (APA 210) - Naval Cruise Book

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The traveling benefits of the Navy were quite evident at this time Malta is one place that few tourists ever get to although it is a regular port of call for both U S and British Naval Ships Here St Paul was shipwrecked on his way to Rome here the crusadlng Ixnights of St John settled and developed a prosperous colony for England and here because of its strategically crucial position In WWII more bombs fell per square foot than any other place in the world The Maltese people Sailors and Marines gave them ample opportunity to display these qualities A nother well run tour program included visits to the Old Cathedral the Catacombs at Rabat and the prehistoric temple ruins Night life was varied and lively The Maltese were quite easy to make friends with and many of us were invited into homes for meals and visits The men of TF 61 engaged in several worthwhile prolects including carpentry and masonry at an orphanage and donations to charitable organizations. are noted for their courage, warmth, and business acumen: The arrival of 3000 A combined Marine-Navy rifle team won the Cassady Cup in competition with a Royal Army team. We left Malta with regret and turned northward to Naples where we had two weeks tender availability awaiting us. Sailing along the East Coast of Sicily pro- vided us with a spectacular view of Mt. Etna, already capped with snow. We then entered the narrow straits of Messina, known in Mythology as the place Hercules swam across in a storm and also as the locale of the sirens who lured mariners to their death on the rocky coast. Evidently our navigator did not hear the temp- ting refrain and we were soon well through. The spectacular bay of Naples is a stirring sight, even to the salts who have been there previously. The gentle sweep from Sorrento to Pozzuoli has been writ- ten about, sung about, and photographed so much that nearly everyone had a mind's image of the area but actually seeing it for oneself was an experience to be remembered. The city of Naples is a treasure-trove of art and beautiful struc- tures. The trick is to enioy these places while being harrassed by the countless hucksters whose desire is to sell you anything and everything at the highest pos- sible price. The tour group, which by now had ielled into a tightly-knit semi-professional band of camera-snappers, found much to interest them. Pompeii, Vesuvius, the Islands of Capri and Ischia and the museums of Naples offered fertile ground tothe Yashica, Leica, and Polaroid set.The shops of Naples were well-stocked, attractively displayed and possessed one of the best looking shop girls to be seen anywhere. Many of us spent much time and Iire frequenting them. For Captain BUNTINQ it was a return to his most recent duty station and it turned out to be a grati- fying one as the TELFAIR basketball team edged the IOCGI SUBFLOT team 'n an overtime contest. , mm,-1

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On the morning of October, T8 simultaneous sightings of the Spqnish and .North African coasts generated excitement throughout the ship. The anticipated view of the fabled Rock of Gibralter never did materialize because of very low visibility, but a secondary thrill was provided by the presence of several Soviet Bloc Re- connaissance Ships who appeared to be waiting our arrival. Once the straits were cleared, we came under the operational control of COM- SIXTHFLT. Our orders directed us to proceed to Almeria, Spain for the turnover from PHIBRON 4. On October 21 we became part of Task Force 61, the Amphi- bious ready force in the Mediterranean. Two turnaway landings at Almeria gave us a test of our operational tasks to come, and offered the initial chance to work together with the other elements of the Squadron on the mechanics of a larger scale waterborne landing. Any traces of envy that existed as we watched the departing Squadron sail westward were dispelled as we ourselves headed for Marseille, France. The weather could not have been more unpleasant as we arrived at Frances Largest Sea Port. Nonetheless, the sight of the historic old city perched on the high hills that fringed the bay was awe inspiring to those visiting for the first time. The old Cathedral, Notre Dame De La Garde, dedicated to seafarers, dom- inated the metropolitan skyline. We were initially upset that we had been assigned an achorage well outside the breakwater, but upon our first visit ashore and seeing the curious crowds that thronged fleet landing we were glad to have a haven to return to aboard ship. Marseille offered something for everyone. Many took advantage of the tours offered to the ancient cities of Arles and Aix. Others spent time shopping and touring Marseille itself. Another large group found the numerous waterfront cafes to be an endless source of fascination. The week in Marseille passed quickly and TELFAIR was soon on her way to AranciBay, Sardina for our first complete landing exercise. During the six days there, no one was permitted ashore but we did enioy the. temporary absence of the Marines and the chance to perform routine in-port maintenance. lAVAeI:eft Aranci Bay on November and followed a course that took us to Valletta, a a.

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From Naples we had several days at sea and then ioined with some Italian Army forces to conduct a landing operation at Porto Scudo, on the southwest tip of Sardinia, the primary diversion in another week of waiting for the Marines to return was watching the low-level attack planes strafe the beach area, both by day and night. Genoa, Italy hosted us from December 20 through January 3. We found Genoa to be totally unlike Naples. Businesslike, efficient, lacking the overwhelming and undesireable element, the city was an acceptable home away from home although all would have preferred to be elsewhere for Christmas and New Years. Med- moored to the Municipal pier, TELFAlR's stern was practically in downtown Genoa and large crowds of curious people appeared daily, sometimes giving us the im- pression that we were on exhibit. The fan-tail proved a splendid place for the girl-watchers on the ship. Genoa sits on the southern end of the Italian Riviera. Even though it was not beach season, the resort towns in the area were bustling. Among the favorites were Portofino, where a coke costs a dollar, and Nervi. Some of the more ad- venturesome took leave and headed for the hills of Austria and Germany for ski- ing and other forms of the good life. New Year's eve in Genoa may be the most dangerous in existence. It is an old custom to throw out the window, no matter what floor you live on, any household item no longer needed lranging from flower pots to bathtubsl, without any warning to pedestrians in the streets below. Several sailors swore they would never touch another drop of grog after nearly being beaned by chamber pots. We ushered in T966 withaNATOsponsoredlanding exercise in Corsica. Two French ships, the LST ODET and the LPH ARROMANCHES participated in the training. Visits were exchanged by men of all ships and several beach parties livened the spirits of all hands. The squadron split up after Corsica and half of the units went to Livorno, Italy, while the GRANT COUNTY, FORT SNELLING, and TELFAIR went to La Spezia, some 90 miles south of Genoa. La Spezia is a commercial city most noted for the large Italian Naval Base located there. lt is not highly rated as a liberty port by experienced liberty hounds, but after nearly a solid month of beach time the relaxation was welcome. La Spezia was near enough to a small ski resort for some of us to take advantage of that. While we were at La Spezia, FORT SNELLING was .called to ioin other units of the SIXTH FLEET engaged in the search for the missing Nuclear device near Palomares, and would not steam with the formation anymore during the cruise.