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    Norfolk to Abadan and the Long Way Home: A Story of Uss Soley(Dd-707) 1956-1957
    Norfolk to Abadan and the Long Way Home: A Story of Uss Soley(Dd-707) 1956-1957
    Norfolk to Abadan and the Long Way Home: A Story of Uss Soley(Dd-707) 1956-1957
    Ebook158 pages1 hour

    Norfolk to Abadan and the Long Way Home: A Story of Uss Soley(Dd-707) 1956-1957

    By LOUIS J. CATTERA

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    Norfolk
    to Abadan
    and the Long Way Home: A Story of USS Soley (DD-707)
    1956-1957, is the narrative of a destroyer during the Cold War Era.



    Detached from the Sixth Fleet and
    sent to the Middle East for a tour of duty with COMIDEASTFOR prior to the 1956
    joint British/French invasion of Egypt, USS Soley in
    company with USS Barton made the transit of the Suez Canal and suddenly found
    their selves stranded east of Suez due to its war related closing. This
    unforeseen incident resulted in an unprecedented 15,000 mile voyage home which
    began in Abadan, Iran,
    and ended in their home port of Norfolk,
    Virginia, fifty-five days after
    being detached from the Middle East.



    Based on the personal journals
    and observations of the author, with excerpts provided by Captain Charles H. class=SpellE>Witten USN, (Retired), Commanding Officer, USS class=SpellE>Soley (DD-707), 1955-1957, from his Unpublished
    Autobiography, this is the story of life aboard a destroyer as experienced by a
    young seaman serving his enlistment who found himself in a rare position to see
    a large part of the world before its present day drastic changes took place.



    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAuthorHouse
    Release dateJun 2, 2004
    ISBN9781414059266
    Norfolk to Abadan and the Long Way Home: A Story of Uss Soley(Dd-707) 1956-1957
    Author

    LOUIS J. CATTERA

    Louis J. Cattera is a former Administrator of Plant Operations for Macomb Community College, Warren, Michigan. He holds an AAS in Surveying Technology from Macomb Community College, Warren, Michigan, a BET (Civil) from Wayne State University, Detroit , and an MSA in General Administration from Central Michigan University. He has worked 40 years in the construction industry as a surveyor, field engineer, a project engineer, and document control manager, as well as having held positions in related architectural and manufacturing fields. In 1998 he retired to Homosassa, Florida where he now lives with his wife Vina. His first book, In Search of Sublet: A Story of Wyoming has been recently published.

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      Book preview

      Norfolk to Abadan and the Long Way Home - LOUIS J. CATTERA

      © 2004 by Louis J. Cattera. All rights reserved.

      No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the author.

      ISBN: 1-4140-5926-4 (e-book)

      ISBN: 1-4140-5925-6 (Paperback)

      ISBN: 1-4140-5924-8 (Dust Jacket)

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2004090429

      Contents

      Preface

      Prologue

      Part I The Mediterranean And Middle East Cruise 1956-1957

      Chapter One Norfolk, Virginia To Golfo degli Aranci, Sardinia

      Chapter Two Sardinia to The French Riviera

      Chapter Three Naples, Italy

      Chapter Four Palermo, Sicily

      Chapter Five Passage East

      Chapter Six Aden, Yemen To Abadan, Iran

      Chapter Seven Abadan, Iran and the Shatt-al-Arab

      Chapter Eight | Bahrain Island and the Persian Gulf

      Chapter Nine Karachi, Pakistan To Mombasa, Kenya-East Africa

      Chapter Ten The Equator

      Chapter Eleven Mombasa, Kenya-East Africa And Tsavo National Park

      Chapter Twelve Simonstown, South Africa, Sierra Leone, And The Long Way Home

      Part II Mediterranean And Middle East Cruise 1957

      Chapter Thirteen Norfolk, Virginia to Barcelona, Spain

      Chapter Fourteen Genoa, Italy to the French Riviera

      Chapter Fifteen East to Piraeus

      Chapter Sixteen Piraeus to the Red Sea

      Chapter Seventeen Aden to Bahrain Island

      Chapter Eighteen Bahrain Island to Abadan

      Chapter Nineteen Return to the Mediterranean

      Chapter Twenty The Return Home

      Epilogue

      Appendix A Ships in Task Force

      Appendix B Ship Positions Norfolk, Virginia to Golfo dell’ Asinara, Sardinia 29 July 1956-11 August 1956

      Appendix C Sixth Fleet Anchorage Site Sardinia, NE Coast For 8 and 9 September 1956

      Appendix D Public Information Teletype: 1956 Questions and Answers Relative to Russian Submarines in the Mediterranean

      Appendix E Cape Peninsula Map Union of South Africa

      About the Author

      Ode to a Stranded Ship

      We sailed one day from Chesapeake Bay

      Bound for the Western Med,

      The hopes were high of the single men

      But woe to those who were wed.

      Morale was high as the ports were n’er dry

      And love was free for all,

      Until that day in Genoa

      Sometime in the early fall.

      We had been detached from COMSIXFLT

      To proceed to the Middle East,

      Where the land is dry and the ports as well

      Which means it taint fit for beast.

      Well anyway, we sailed that day

      To the land around the bend,

      Where the warm air blew and the wild dates grew

      And the Arab the only friend.

      The days were hot and the nights were cool

      The weather all round was fine,

      But disaster struck for the Latins aboard

      For here there was no wine.

      All went well round the Suez Canal

      Until that fateful day,

      When Israel decided to cross the line

      To visit Egypt and play.

      The results of their sins and their fanatic whims

      Have undoubtedly kept us here,

      In the land of dates and blowing sands

      And the prohibition of beer.

      But besides our petty gripes and brays

      And lack of good liberty too,

      We have to accept our chosen life here

      And be content with rice and stew.

      After 38 days we set to sea

      Or rather, the Persian Gulf,

      To break the strain of monotony

      And keep the crew up to snuff.

      Now it is evening and at anchor we lay

      Not far from our home in the east,

      Not far from the land where the wild dates grow

      And the liberty taint fit for beast.

      Soon we hope we’ll leave for home

      And the ones we love so well,

      But I hate to think of the hell to be raised

      And the sea stories that we’ll tell.

      LJC/1956

      TO ALL HANDS

      In years to come when you reread this record of our cruise to the Middle East, I hope that each one of you recalls with pride (the fact) that you were one of a crew which successfully met a difficult challenge. During the critical period, you stood guard in an important and sensitive part of the world, representing your country in an outstanding manner, and then steamed half way round the world to come home.

      Each one of you contributed to making the cruise a successful one and I am proud to have been in command of such a crew.

      241309.pdf

      Commander, U. S. Navy

      Commanding

      Image367.JPG

      COMMANDlNG OFFICER OF USS SOLEY(DD-707) IS COMMANDER CHARLES H. WITTEN, USN, OF THE BEECHES, WLLWMSBURG1 VIRGINIA. HE IS A GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AND HAS ALSO ATTENDED THE U.S. NAVAL WAR COLLEGE.

      HIS FIRST SEA DUTY WAS IN USS LA VALLETTE (DD-448) AND HIS DUTIES SINCE THAT TIME HAVE INCLUDED COMMAND OF THE DESTROYER ESCORT USS MAURICE J. MANUEL (DDE-351)AND THE HIGH SPEED TRANSPORTS USS W1 B. COBB (APD-I06) AND THE USS KLINE (APD-120). HE HAS ALSO SERVED ON THE STAFFS OF COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, U.S. ATLANTIC FLEET AND THE SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER ATLANTIC. HIS MOST RECENT DUTY BEFORE ASSUMING COMMAND OF SOLEY WAS AS LOGISTIC PLANS OFFICER ON THE NATO STAFF OF ADMIRAL SIR MICHAEL DENNY ROYAL NAVY5 WHO WAS COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF EASTERN ATLANTIC AREA WITH HEADQUARTERS IN NORTHWOOD, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND.

      The narrative which follows is dedicated to Captain Charles H. Witten USN and the officers and men of USS Soley with whom I was privileged to serve during that time so many years ago. I hope these words will bring back some fond memories.

      Preface

      Spring of 1955 brought with it a myriad of mixed emotions. My first year of college was rough going academically and therefore not progressing as well as I had expected; the Corps of Engineers ROTC Department informed me that I had a physical disability-flat feet-and the Chinese were getting antsy about taking over Taiwan. I too felt antsy as I felt left out, not being able to have met the age limit for service in the Korean War. I actually envied those returning veterans from Korea and most of all those who were attending school under the G I Bill from WWII. Next time I wanted to be a part of it. With the ROTC leaning toward washing me out of the program due to the disability, I requested permission from the colonel in charge to drop out of the program and seek enlistment in the Naval Reserve-this would still enable me to maintain my draft exempt status should I decide to withdraw from school all together. I explained to him that this added course, ROTC, if dropped, would relieve the load on my already heavy academic schedule. He concurred with my logic and wrote a letter of approval to the registrar for my withdrawal from the program. With this phase of my plan in place I enlisted in the Naval Reserve Surface Division 9-202, Hancock, Michigan.

      I lasted until the end of the school year. Anxious to transfer to active duty status, I packed my steamer trunk and had it delivered to the Grand Trunk Railway Express Depot for shipment to Detroit. My parents would have a fit, but I was determined to return to the Hancock Naval Reserve Center to sign the papers for transfer to active duty.

      When I arrived home and laid out my plan, the folks were definitely not happy. My father insisted that I remain home and even went so far as to say that he would gladly send me to a school of my choice, anywhere in the world, rather than see me join the military. My response was that I was over 18, had missed out on the big ones, and had no intention to sit back and wait for the next war to pass me by.

      After bemoaning my intentions, he finally relented and said he would accompany me to Hancock to sign the transfer papers.

      It was a long ride; 1120 miles round trip. We left around 11:00P.M., drove throughout the night and managed to catch an early car ferry across the Straits of Mackinaw. By 10:00A.M. we had arrived at the Naval Reserve Center.

      The signing process didn’t take very long and upon its completion we left the Center, ate lunch at Gino’s Restaurant, then began the long journey home. Our intention was to drive straight through to Detroit, stopping only for the expected queue of traffic waiting for the car ferry at the straits. The wait had been longer than expected and for that I was grateful as it allowed me to get a couple of hours sleep. Despite the nap, I was still unable to drive further than Gaylord in the Lower Peninsula as I began to get white-line fever. Common sense dictated, so I pulled over at the first motel we came across; my father bought two bottles of Miller Beer and booked a room for the night. After a shower and a cold beer we fell asleep and slept until noon the following day. From then on the remainder of the trip was easy.

      I enlisted in the Naval Reserve on 17 January 1955 for 8 years of service; to fulfill my obligation I was to serve 3 years in Standby Reserve; 3 years in Ready Reserve; and 2 years on Active Duty.

      On 28 February 1955 I was assigned a Primary NJC 0015; Potential Striker, Clerical and Administrative Rating (QM).

      In the process of transferring to Active Duty, I discovered that in order to be considered for a rating in the electronics field, which I desired, I would have to enlist for 36 months; I made the decision to extend my enlistment for an additional 12 months. As a result, my rating was changed to Electronic Field Seaman Recruit (EFSR). This, of course, did not necessarily mean I would be accepted as an Electronic Technician Striker; it would only put me in a position where I could be considered. When the time came, after I completed a battery of tests administered during basic training at Great Lakes Naval Recruit Training Center, and the scores tabulated, I was informed by the testing petty officer that there were openings in the Radio and Radar Class A Schools and that I was to make a choice as to which I preferred to attend. He then clarified for me that in order to be considered for assignment to the school which trains electronics technicians I would have to sign on for yet another 12 months as recruit training had eaten up nearly 3 months of my original 36 month enlistment...always a catch! I declined

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