USS MULLINNIX DD-944

           1959/60 - Med (Part 2 of 2)           

First Trip to "The Med" by Mullinnix
7 August 1959 to 26 Feb 1960


Unknown Date & Location

Excerpt from "The Last Gun Ship - History of USS Mullinnix DD-944"
A Historical Novel By Frank A. Wood

0000-0004 Mid watch, Friday, 1 January, 1960:

New Year's finds Mullinnix Med moored in Naples
Made fast to the sea wall with nylon and cable
Our berthing assignment is Quebec fifty-one
To Molo San Vincenzo the mooring lines run

The bow is held steady with anchor and chain
With ninety fathoms out we expect to remain
Secure in our nest in eleven fathoms water
And with mud bottom it seems like we "oughter"!

Alongside to port are two other DD's
Johnston and Vogelgesang make our next three
With fires in 2A there's plenty of steam
For 3 and 4 generators and auxiliary machine

The starboards ashore bringing in the new year
While we in the port like sentinels peer
Protecting our ship from dangers impending
With condition six watches and an OD unbending

Most of the fleet of Vice Admiral Anderson
Are here in the harbor for the holiday season
M.C. Fox and Stormes and the tender Yellowstone
The William R. Rush, Walworth County and Cone

Boston and Essex are the two heavies
Then service force ships, who keep us ready
Rigel and Chuckawan, and out in the bay
Unprotected by sea wall the Mississenewa lay

SOPA in Naples is COMFAIRELM
Watching closely over his realm
Embarked on Mux is CDS 32
Captain R.B. Kelley and his crew

Since last New Year's Eve, which found us in Boston
Much ocean we've covered, we've been on the run
In these following verses let's look once again
To see what we've done and where we’ve been

We left dear old Boston on January the fourth
And sailed for Norfolk, our new home port
But for only a month did we stay there
Then off to the South for a cruise so rare

Port-of-Spain, Trinidad was our first stop
Where COMSOLANT set up his shop
Four new DE's joined us then
Also a sub, and ashore PatRon 10

Again we turned South, onward to Rio
While in route 90 pollywogs met their old foe
From Rio on Southward, to Montevideo
Mardel Plata was next, then northward we go

At Recife we stopped for only a day
Then again Port-of-Spain; here ship's parties were gay
LaGuaria was next, here we changed XO’s
Port-of-Spain once more for a little more limbo.

Here Admiral Stephan then hauled down his flag
Of he and his staff our crew still does brag.
We left for the states after four months away
And this time it wouldn't be such a short stay.

We arrived in Norfolk on the sixth of May
And CDS 32 came aboard to stay
Alongside the Tidewater we spent some time
To get men and equipment up to prime.

Strikeback and Lantflex, Intex and Riptide
All this was new, but taken in stride
As we welcome break to these operations
We helped New York City with their celebrations.

Towards the end of the summer, twas 31 July
We bid Captain Anderson a found good-bye
And welcomed aboard in a ceremony grand
CDR John C. Hill, who took over command.

On the seventh of August we bid all adieu
And sailed eastward for our Med debut
After relieving the Bigelow at Golfo de Palmas
Many tough operations were waiting to try us.

But scattered between the periods at sea
Were many new ports, and many a spree
Marseille, Genoa, Leghorn, Pyreas
Rhodes, Mittiline - all these did greet us

St Raphael, Palma, Golfo Juan, and Athens
Tunis, Toulon, and Bahia Pollensa
That leaves only Naples where we are now
56 more days, and homeward we'll plow.

One more event that does deserve mention
The change of Commodores is worth some attention
Captain R.B. Kelley of PT boat fame
Relieved Captain Small - "Lem" by nickname.
So went the Mullinnix throughout 59
Who knows what the new year will assign
But we're not worried, for with this crew
We've shown CINCLANTFLT our mottos "can do"!

ENS J.C. Klosterman USNR
Approved: John C. Hill II, Commander; J.H. Ratliff, LCDR, XO

_______________

The "Colonel Bogey March" was a popular march that was written in 1914 by Lieutenant F. J. Ricketts (1881–1945), a British military bandmaster who was director of music for the Royal Marines at Plymouth. It was introduced to the rest of the world in the 1957 dramatic film The Bridge on the River Kwai.

The holidays behind them and the sun no more than an orange glow on the horizon, the ship said farewell to Naples on Monday 4 January, back to extended fleet operations with the fast carrier attack group of the Sixth Fleet. This included ECM exercises with USS J.C. Ownes DD-776 and USS Lowry DD-770, and ASW exercises with sister-ship USS Decatur DD-936 and USS Pier SS-409,rescue destroyer duty with USS Saratoga CVA-60.

The fantail fell into shadow and the wind came up and wrinkled the sea, flattened the barber-AWOL haircuts of the sailors smoking their squares. The iodine smell of the sea encompassed their noses. The scudding clouds were racing in a vortex of white and pale blue.

She conducted a highline detail on 8 January, transferring BT1 S. F. Lanier, mail and movies from USS Des Moines CA-134, followed by a man over board drill using the motor-whale boat to recover the dummy.

Saturday, 9 January found Mullinnix once again conducting a light mail transfer from Des Moines followed by a helicopter mail transfer with Saratoga and closing out a busy day with plane guard duty with USS Essex CVA-9 during evening flight operations. The sun had burned a hole in the blue sky and was like a magnifying-glass with Mullinnix as the old newspaper kids would burn holes in. The following day the ship deployed the Destroyer Squadron 32 Chaplin to the USS Fiske DD-842, retrieving 'the Padre' after services.

In port, Sundays are a day of rest for most sailors. However, this isn't the case at sea. After church services, the crew prepared for highline transfer of ammunition from USS Suribachi AE-21. While alongside Suribachi, the ship received LT G. L. Lockhart via helicopter after he completed his temporary duty. After stowing the ammunition in the magazines, Mullinnix prepared to refuel from USS Canisteo AO-99.

While Mux was conducted operations with USS W. R. Rush DDR-714, USS Stormes DD-780, USS M. C. Fox DDR-829, and USS Denebola AF-56, shortly after 1200 hours on 12 January, Stormes lost steering control. The alertness of the other ships prevented what could have been a major disaster. USS Rush assumed the guide.

She replenished from Denebola the following day, as well as transferring SKSN H. T. Hayes onboard, before anchoring in 5.5 fathoms of water in a Mediterranean moor with standard mooring lines in berth 6 to Molo Garibaldi, La Spezia, Italy on Thursday, 14 January.

GO TO Liberty Call Molo Garibaldi, La Spezia, Italy 14 Jan 1960


Picture to the left is from Malta, 1960.

The ship was underway at 0857 on Friday, 20 January for Pollensa Bay, Mallorca Island, Spain. The first drops of rain hit like dimes. Within minutes, the needle rain of a winter thunderstorm starting spearing Mullinnix like a frontal attack during the Boar Wars. By 0939, gray sheets of rain had obscured visibility to two miles.

While in route to the Mallorca Islands, Mux performed a personnel transfer via the motor whale boat from the USS Lowry DD-770. Five hours later, she was anchored in Pollensa Bay with the majority of the fleet. Ships present included Des Moines, Boston, USS Johnston DD-821, Lowry, sister-ship USS Manley DD-940, USS Cone DD-866, USS Gearing DD-710, USS Wrangell AE-12, USS Altair AE-12, USS Piper, Nantahala, and USS Robert H. McCard DD-822.

On Monday, 25 January it was back to sea and back to work: Narrow weaving exercises with Boston; general quarters drill; refueling from Nantahala; collision, abandon ship, and man overboard drills; plan guard duty; and refueling with USS Truckee AO-147. Surface firing exercises were conducted on 29 January with the sip expending 38 rounds BL&P, 10 rounds AA common, with 48 rounds of 5"/54 flashless powder plus 4 rounds of 3"/50. By Saturday, 30 January she was headed to Barcelona, Spain for one week tender availability. Upon arriving the ship moored alongside USS Yellowstone AD-27 with a nest of four destroyers at the North Head of Muella del Contradique in Darsena del Morrat, Barcelona, Spain. While moored, Mullinnix received miscellaneous services from the tender.

This tender availability period afforded the crew the opportunity to see bullfights and senoritas in Spain's largest seaport.

GO TO Liberty Call Barcelona Spain 1960

Saturday, 6 February, found the ship back with the fleet conducting various NELM exercises and drills. She anchored at Golfo di Palmas, Sardinia on the morning of 12 February and returning to sea the following day. While import, DESRON 32 was relieved by DESRON 22. She conducted maneuvers with USS Benham DD-796 and USS Hale DD-642 on the 15th. At 0837, Mullinnix commenced building up speed for a one hour full power trial. She peaked at 34 knots at 0920. The rooster-tail that is generated by a ship of this size steaming at 34 knots is one of Navy's most thrilling sights.

Friday, 19 February was a day the crew had been waiting for - they were headed home. Steaming in the company with units of Task Force 26 in accordance with CTF-26 Op-Order 2-60, she was ordered to leave the area of Sardinia and head to Norfolk, Virginia. Homeward bound at last!

In the company of tin-cans Lowry, D. H. Fox, Hale, Decatur, Benham, Stormes, Rush, Laffey, and J. C. Owens plus Nantahala, Canisteo, Boston, and Essex, steaming at 14 knots, the fleet headed east across the Atlantic.

For two days, Mullinnix steamed on the surface of a mirror. Two suns traveled with her. One that was placed appropriately in the blue sky, the other staring hauntingly from the hull-side. There was no horizon. The sky and sea were one. To brake this watery outer-limits experience, one had to look off the fantail. The ship's wake burning reality back to the forefront of their minds. The crew could look at the sea and see replicas of the clouds above, as if Mullinnix was on the aircraft-side of these sky-borne pillows. This couldn't last. Mother-nature, of course, would try to throw herself in front of the voyage home.

The crew woke up to a squall line that blew in out of nowhere, shrouding Mullinnix in wind and rain on 21 February. The chop was about three feet, white caps to the horizon. The clouds turned a putrid green color as sleet pellets pounded the ship - resonating off the bulkheads, gun-mounts, and directors, dancing across the deck like snow-white Mexican jumping beans on steroids. At dusk the storm had past, sunlight dappled Mullinnix, the blue sky was tinged with green.

She had calm seas the rest of the journey. At 0623 on the 26th of February, with a morning sky that was a clear pale blue above a narrow smudge of grey clouds, the Captain ordered the stationing of the navigation team. The special sea and anchor detail was set 29 minutes later. Anticipation grew as the ship slipped past Thimble Shoals Light abeam to starboard 720 yards. Then past Fort Wool at 0816 followed by Sewalls Point at 0831. By 0840 she was maneuvering to go alongside pier 20 (starboard side, berth 201 in a nest with Stormes and Lowry) at Destroyer-Submarine piers, amidst the cheering crowd of family and friends.

The captain secured the special sea and anchor detail at 0905 and set the regular in port watch. Before the top of the hour, RADM H. G. Knoll, COMDESFLOT 4, paid an official visit on COMDESRON 32.

GO TO Liberty Call Norfolk, Virginia 1960

To be continued...

_______________

1960 Mullinnix Deck Logs

January 1960 (PDF)
February 1960 (PDF)
March 1960 (PDF)
April 1960 (PDF)
May 1960 (PDF)
June 1960 (PDF)
July 1960 (PDF)
August 1960 (PDF)
September 1960 (PDF)
October 1960 (PDF)
November 1960 (PDF)
December 1960 (PDF)




GO TO D&S Piers; Portsmouth Dry Dock; Virginia Capes Area 1960

GO TO Liberty Call Molo Garibaldi, La Spezia, Italy 14 Jan 1960
GO TO Liberty Call Barcelona Spain 1960

Back to Med 1959 (Part 1 of 2)
Back to Ship History
Home