Zellars (DD 777) - Naval Cruise Book

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NORWAY IN PICTURES H -I A... N-, ,,,,,,, My tubal N f yxkrqrw , 4. .- If . -. ' , 'Wu W HQ pn... ., g5ff1,if ffl lI f ' ' fqiramm-' 1, 1 ll' , uP- A 1 uw 1 'I-Uh 'Ili Familiar Sights: Everpresent FPB'sg Dean with admirersg and a few of the many fishing villages.

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Leaving Hamburg we parted company with friend BERWICK, who was being relieved by the destroyer EURALAS. The Brits in cahoots with ZELLARS' signal gang had contrived to make an Erik's Raiders flag which they broke under their own skull and cross- bones. The Captain, thinking his personal flag had been lifted and was , G 1 4 'Y 9 XJ ..-bt .. -f.:'.1.-,.,--., 1: ok , um.,-frvgf A. f,fca1:f:.'f1.::-.f::A,Q'13 + - ',1'f-41'f': A - : 155125f,:.'I+k1-1945,-..z'iJf'!-ZJ ,,m.1.v. a, , - Y M- f being blasphemed roared with pain. But as BERWICK passed close aboard, Erik struck back, firing two sacks of surveyed spuds out of the forty- four tube. BERWICK was afine ship,a real credit to the British Navy, and we would miss her both underway and on the beach. NORWAY During Birthex , sonamedbecause SACLANT's Chief of Staff's birthday fell on the day the operation began, ZELLARS puttered in and out of the maze of fjords alternately pursuing and being pursued by Norwegian FPB's, frogmen, and miniature subs. Even a Russian tug bristling with antennas, got in on the act. Navigation was an unqualified night- mare. X.C., who looked like walking dead, muttered that the Russians had cut the string which attached the ship to Bodo. We were all thankful for X the presence of LTJG Bob Roto Roetering who carried part of the navigation load. Tromso, describedzin a Chamber of Commerce movie as the Paris of the North, had the usual Grand Hotel plus a couple of restaurants, notably the MERCUR and ROGERS. In ad- dition, there was another group of Mormons who again decimated us in basketball. While in Tromso, DCl Drake received the happy news thathe had made Chief in the February exams. 1 ,, .Q - f fax K 1' i fm' - v 9 A F- ' 6,7 Sp Q:-V' . sm

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On the Fourth of April, the Squadron crossed the Arctic Circle with the temperature a balmy 44 degrees' It was no use hiding: although .the Peak Tank seemed a likely POSSlb111tY- Everyone trooped dutifully up to the focs'cle and had their noses painted blue while newly arrived Ensign Emmenderfer did the hOHOI'S OH the bullnose. RMI Sullivan went around i fm ff W A ,, ,,,,,,m swabbing the late sleepers, and those who had lost their old cards also got nailed--yes even ET1 Pappy Turner. Other old men in the line included SM1 Roberts and FT1 Hensler. The Chiefs all hid down in CPO land and would have eaten alive any funloving fool who tried to paint them. Sea Detail above the Arctic Circle. Harstad and Bodo are medium sized fishing villages which lie at the foot of the mountains lining the northern coast of Norway. The people are as friendly to strangers as they are in other parts of this land,and the night that passed without a dance was the exception. In Harstad, several from ZELLARS tried their hand at cross country skiing, which is the bread and butter of Norwegian sportslife. Among them were Lamie, Ramsey, Serrell, and representing the of- ficers, LT Anderson, LTJG Cost, 0 ' Q t ,QM L y H-W Wf-f,,,, ., I I 'f ','Aff,3fH 2 H 4, ,f ,, f A it A ,G ff W , LTJG Noe, and ENS Wilson. They can all testify to America's need for more emphasis on physical fit- ness. ln a land where everyone over the age of five is doing every- thing but flying on skis, AmericanS generally finished the course looking slightly asthmatic. Captain Erikson satisfied a secret life long ambition by racing a forty Plus knot Norwegian FPB. Here again the Norwegians were in better shape, but we gave them quite arun.