Tulare (AKA 112) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 6 text:

About the hip U.S.S. TULARE, a newcomer to the Am- phibious Force, Pacific Fleet, is the Navy s biggest and fastest Attack Cargo Ship. An Attack Cargo Ship carries combat cargo of all kinds to assist ground forces in amphibi- ous invasions once troops have landed on enemy beaches. . TULARE was converted from her Marin- er-Class merchant hull to a Navy ship by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation in San Francisco. Cn lanuary twelfth, l956, she was commissioned, and Captain Donald W. Todd, USN., commanded her early days. Cn September tenth, l956, Captain Colin l. Mackenzie, U.S.N., relieved Cap- tain Todd and remained skipper until Sep- tember sixteenth, l957, when Captain Earl R. Crawford, USN., relieved him of com- mand in Pearl l-larbor and brought the ship back along the last leg of her Western Pa- cific cruise. TULARE is a modern ship. We have a large helicopter platform on our fantail to off-load cargo urgently needed Gt the beaches. Cur main battery consists of twenty-seven amphibious landing craft, but we also have six twin 3 f5O automatic mounts and six twin 20 mm mounts. Guy holds are large, and three of the booms on the guadrupod masts are capable of lift- ing loads in excess of GO tons. Cur speed is greater than 22 knots. Length: 564 feet, Beam: 76 feet. Registered tonnage: l8,0UU, Our living compartments are large and comfortable. The food is wonderful-as the dedication of this cruise book proves! TULARE is proud to be named after Tulare County, in southern California. . But a ship is more than the steel hull and fittings which make up her physical ap- pearance. A ship will always be a reflec- tion of her commanding officer - the old man-and the officers and crew who man her. Life aboard a Navy ship is the military life of these men as they work together, and rest, and train, and face the sea. Cn the next few pages we would like you to meet the men who give life to our ship. ,. .,.-Qf- A f-f. yr 't B

Page 5 text:

7f1Qf flffl 0 3 g ' .lil 1 ig 'ff s A Ai t 7? FEEtf 26 X I1 'S X ff XEP X X X 1: K f Q X 1 I X .1 , - ..-5 -f 1957 X FAR EAST CRUISE DEDICATION Our first cruise book is dedicated to Douglas D. Richardson, Chief Commis- saryman, for his untirina efforts to maintain the morale and Welfare of the crew. l-lis skills and courtesies in servina us have Won for himrhis share of laurels and hiah respeotf i V ' ii if U lf, ft 1 Awitxyns if 5 f Q. 5 li Z f 1 5 li IS E 1 l E s 'NL fl . -i i t 4 1 I l

Page 7 text:

.Tl X 5 224049 ' I algywa-I ' lv 'ns M , ms, ,,,.,m, .,,, .IA M W , 7 Q f A Message from Captain Mackenzie ' -I ' 'Q 74 .NQ , f V X f X 1 ff f f X f f f f X ffm-gf f ' y my , ff X f f,xJ ., ,fg i gfy, , f ,, As this memorable cruise to the Western Pacific nears its end and We look back over the past eight months since leaving San Diego in February, all of us cannot but feel a sense do ship. l6 September l957 Pearl Harbor, T. H. C. I. MACKENZIE of accomplishment and self-satisfaction. We have traveled far and wide-more than 32,- UOO miles. We have moved fast-21.5 knots for l2,- OOO miles. We have played hard in Honolulu, Syd- ney, Yokosuka, Yokohama, Tokyo, Sasebo, Kobe, Hong Kong and Singapore. We have worked hard and long hours during BEACON HlLL, in the Philippines, RED CROSS, in lapan, and OSDEXH in Korea, and in our many training exercises. We have won awards: the Assault Boat lnsigne, the Engineering and the Gunnery E for 20 mm mounts. We have gained a fine reputation as a can- We left as the freshman of the Amphibious Force. We return as a mature veteran. l hope that this book, a memento of our trip, will keep alive the memory of The Big T and the good comradeship that now exists. As l leave you here in Honolulu l say good-bye and Well Done'to my many shipmates and Wish you all the best of luck in the years ahead. if X, ,ff f fy , 'ff-,fzfnfd ' f' Sf iffifl 4 , Q . , ff., , 'f ' W, f 'WW 5 'a Y f- 4755 kf W..2 5 f Q7 if ,. f f 1 MQW-W W .1 M f f f X xfj' W X ff 2 Z! J