Trippe (FF 1075) - Naval Cruise Book

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As the only ship from Charleston in this battlegroup, we traveled independently the last two days of 1986, conducting extensive training to get the ship back in the swing of things after our lengthy inport period. The first day was deceptively calm, but by the second, the real winter North Atlantic had reared its ugly head and we began to do some heavy rolling. We began to judge the weather by not how severe the rolling from side to side was, but by more common place things such as how many seconds you could leave a coffee cup unattended before it went sailing off into space. We soon became used to the rocking and rolling, and prepared to rendezvous with USS NIMITZ. Once join- ing the Carrier Battle Group, the remainder of the Atlantic crossing was a continuous series of activities to sharpen our sea-going and fighting abilities. It has long been a tradition in the Navy to write the new year's midwatch entry in the deck log in the form of a poem. QM1 Dewaard, QM3 Whelan, and LT Shane composed the following entry which more than aptly described our first few days underway with the Nimitz Battle Group. Today is the day we start the new year, the cooks served us pizza without any beer. The winds are high and the seas are rough, the job we set out on is going to be tough. We are crossing the pond, with the NIMITZ Battle Group, and enough ships out here to really mix up the soup, the bird 's in the barn, we won 't let it out, the drivers watch movies, on their faces a pout. Base course is set by COMCARGRU EIGHT, 1 14 true toward GibraIter's gate. Twenty knots is rung up, for our base speed, 4...gg.:2:E5:E:f:5:::g:g:-.f K7 1:kE:5:'5S:Q2:7:1:?:1:55:l:f:5:f:1. -:-121' 1:- ':t1 :5:1:1:5:i'1:1:1: - mc-'-Ei:-152:gzigzgz-zgizggz-1 Y:-fd-:k1:-:-:iz-:-5:-:5-:-:-:A if 5:1 352555252532121Z2i1E5E2EI7'E2E1E15E: Q.-if25:21I:T521:155:2215:f:3:5'2:2:5:2:E:g:2 12-9 32355541113353921351E1i1E:ErErE2Er:12- 5' xfgzzzigi21'h '4ft'5:1S2151551122:f:Q. 5:52 iff-57 ' ' :'5iE2:7:2:15: ' :iflfffli ol ' ,I ,' LC'-VI-1121.1-IQ-1'11.' .1-Till'-1-In1-11.1-2'--f'.j-1' '.'-'f3f':.2'5,Zful.'f-:.1fg'ff-2'-'.-,.,. '. ' . - 1:-', -:-1-.3-.3.-Q-:iz'9.21:125-:Q-skfrifi-I-:J-ng. ' ' ' ' '- 7-75 -. 5-1-1-1:-1+-A ' ' ' - . U.S.Nc1vol Stcition Roto, Spoin Gcitewciy to the Ivlediterroneon The Naval base of Rota, located on the Bay of Cadiz, is a joint Spanish American base over which flies the Spanish flag. Ground- work for mutual defense agreements and construction was laid in 1951. The U.S. has an initial 10-year lease on the base sites, subject to two 5-year extensions. Facilities includea naval air station, port facilities, magazine area, communications center, fleet weather central, overseas cargo terminal, and fuel depot, among others. Although the U.S. activities at Rota are under U.S. control, the area encompassing the naval base is under the command of a Spanish Rear Admiral Jefe De La Base Naval De Rota. South Carolina has taken the lead. ln NIMITZ, Sopa and OTC are COMCARGRU EIGHT, all plans have been laid, we will not be late. The ship 's watch is set at condition three, lt looks like it will be a long time at sea and for we think not we sail as a joke, the ship has been set at material condition yoke. The plant is steaming and running so strong, with one bravo boiler pushing us along. Number one afc, evaps one and two, are keeping things comfortable for all the crew. One alpha, one charlie SSTG 's provide us with power as we sail the seas. Fire pumps one and three are now on the line, just in case of emergency, they'll be ready in time. Attached to the rudder are the unit and cable, tonight it is starboard, with port willing and able. EMCON delta is set throughout the ship, Happy New Year to all, the crew of USS TRIPPE. So went this transit. With gunnery drills, shiphandling exercises, underway replenishments, and enumerable other activities, those 12 days passed quickly and on 11 January we detached from the group for a quick stop in Rota, Spain.

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f -2? -,ai -wi! vt: I G' ' l - 7'?2,,,f,',, 55' ,fav V , K , . .. A .,,, ,ff.,, W .- yn -fxmgp, ry, A 4 ' 7-W:-W-E. H- of ff., .'l-'tit i ff ,Q ., . fl - -. , 1 Our visit to Rota was noteworthy for one predominant reason, it rained the whole time we were there. The visit was primarily a working one, with many ship's personnel receiving briefings on Mediterranean logistics and standard operating procedures. This first visit was only the first of three. Later visits allowed us time to explore Spain and join in the Spanish festivities, such as the running of the bulls festival. We did not stay long in Rota and early on 14 January we left on our way to the Med. That afternoon we passed through the straits of Gibraltar Cbetween the Rock of Gibraltar and the mountains of Moroccoj and were officially welcomed to the Mediterranean Sea. We couldn't have asked for nicer weather. The Rock of Gibraltar and Mount Abyla, across the Strait, were known to the ancients as the Pillars of Hercules and marked the end of the known world until the days of the Phoenicians. The two are geologically identical, but the rock differs from any other land on the Spanish side, lending credence to the legend that Hercules split apart the land bridge once connecting the two to open a route from the Mediterranean to the Island of Atlantis. During WWI and WWII, the Rock was used to control access to the Med.