50 Years Ago (Yesterday) - Mux Heads For the Med
Excerpt from “The Last Gun Ship - History of USS Mullinnix DD-944” - A Historical Novel By Frank A. Wood
Thursday, 2 February – a day that single, divorced, and unhappy sailors live for. The same day that makes family men, and their families, gloomy. Can anyone say, “Med Cruise?” In accordance with CDS 32 OP-ORDER 1-61, as a unit of TG 25.2, Mullinnix pulled away from her berth at D&S piers headed for Rota, Spain, entering international waters at 1145. She would be gone 7 months as the flagship of Destroyer Squadron Thirty Two. Seaman Recruit Jack Rothwell would have to catch up with his ship at a later date having been AWOL since 4 January.
These operations by the U.S. Sixth Fleet were such that peaceful and progressive relations were furthered with countries bordering the sea. European and Middle Eastern areas were stabilized by the sea based defensive forces, and the crew was ready to assist these neighbor nations in distress or too retaliated in defense of the United States.
Shore visits as well as underway periods for Mullinnix were utilized in support of these objectives. Diverse visits by the ship to major ports in France, Italy, Spain, Greece and Turkey assisted the President’s “People to People” Program, as well as providing time for relaxation in preparation for the extensive at-sea periods.
While underway, Mullinnix participated in all phases of air defense, anti-submarine, gunnery, amphibious and replenishment operations, as well as innumerable drills and competitive exercises in communications, engineering and damage control. Repeated participation in those activities led to increased operational readiness and better individual performances by the ship and he crew. While deployed to the Sixth Fleet, Mullinnix won excellence awards from Commander Destroyer Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet for outstanding performance in communications, operations, gunnery, and anti-submarine warfare.
By the next day, Task Group 25.2 was completed and included Mullinnix, USS Shenandoah AD-26, USS Suribachi AE-21, and DESRON 32 less USS Lowry DD-770 and USS Stormes DD-780.
The Atlantic in February just might be the ugliest sailor-unfriendly sea in the world. Howling wind, driving rain and sleet, mountainous waves of icy salt water coined the phrase, "pity the poor sailor on a night like this!"
McGhee and Smythe were grabbing a quick smoke on the 01 level, just forward, and above, the aft 3-in gun mount. It was a gray, raw morning with low clouds beginning to spit frozen rain. Two long banks of dark clouds with serrated edges straddled the horizon towards the sea. The sea was a heavy chop and the water was gray-green. Glancing down at the twin barrels of MT32, Smythe commented, “Fuck, there’s icicles hanging off the barrels.” With Mullinnix running more or less with the wind, McGhee pointed to the dimpled surfaces of snow that were started to form on the decks of the ship. A snow storm at sea - you didn’t see that every day. Within two drags of their smokes, it started snowing so hard the pair couldn’t see MT53 from where they stood. Smythe squinted against the stinging cold and took in the vague halos of the running lights. Taking a final drag and flicking his butt overboard, McGhee said, “Let’s get the fuck inside. It’s time to hit the maintenance schedule on the radar. Chief wants it completed before we see Spain.” They walked to the starboard hatch, opening it to a gust of warm air so heavy with moisture it seemed to have come from a humidifier, not the ship’s insides.
To be continued...
Cheers,
Woody
Thursday, 2 February – a day that single, divorced, and unhappy sailors live for. The same day that makes family men, and their families, gloomy. Can anyone say, “Med Cruise?” In accordance with CDS 32 OP-ORDER 1-61, as a unit of TG 25.2, Mullinnix pulled away from her berth at D&S piers headed for Rota, Spain, entering international waters at 1145. She would be gone 7 months as the flagship of Destroyer Squadron Thirty Two. Seaman Recruit Jack Rothwell would have to catch up with his ship at a later date having been AWOL since 4 January.
These operations by the U.S. Sixth Fleet were such that peaceful and progressive relations were furthered with countries bordering the sea. European and Middle Eastern areas were stabilized by the sea based defensive forces, and the crew was ready to assist these neighbor nations in distress or too retaliated in defense of the United States.
Shore visits as well as underway periods for Mullinnix were utilized in support of these objectives. Diverse visits by the ship to major ports in France, Italy, Spain, Greece and Turkey assisted the President’s “People to People” Program, as well as providing time for relaxation in preparation for the extensive at-sea periods.
While underway, Mullinnix participated in all phases of air defense, anti-submarine, gunnery, amphibious and replenishment operations, as well as innumerable drills and competitive exercises in communications, engineering and damage control. Repeated participation in those activities led to increased operational readiness and better individual performances by the ship and he crew. While deployed to the Sixth Fleet, Mullinnix won excellence awards from Commander Destroyer Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet for outstanding performance in communications, operations, gunnery, and anti-submarine warfare.
By the next day, Task Group 25.2 was completed and included Mullinnix, USS Shenandoah AD-26, USS Suribachi AE-21, and DESRON 32 less USS Lowry DD-770 and USS Stormes DD-780.
The Atlantic in February just might be the ugliest sailor-unfriendly sea in the world. Howling wind, driving rain and sleet, mountainous waves of icy salt water coined the phrase, "pity the poor sailor on a night like this!"
McGhee and Smythe were grabbing a quick smoke on the 01 level, just forward, and above, the aft 3-in gun mount. It was a gray, raw morning with low clouds beginning to spit frozen rain. Two long banks of dark clouds with serrated edges straddled the horizon towards the sea. The sea was a heavy chop and the water was gray-green. Glancing down at the twin barrels of MT32, Smythe commented, “Fuck, there’s icicles hanging off the barrels.” With Mullinnix running more or less with the wind, McGhee pointed to the dimpled surfaces of snow that were started to form on the decks of the ship. A snow storm at sea - you didn’t see that every day. Within two drags of their smokes, it started snowing so hard the pair couldn’t see MT53 from where they stood. Smythe squinted against the stinging cold and took in the vague halos of the running lights. Taking a final drag and flicking his butt overboard, McGhee said, “Let’s get the fuck inside. It’s time to hit the maintenance schedule on the radar. Chief wants it completed before we see Spain.” They walked to the starboard hatch, opening it to a gust of warm air so heavy with moisture it seemed to have come from a humidifier, not the ship’s insides.
To be continued...
Cheers,
Woody
posted by Frank A. Wood at 07:48
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