1966 - 1973 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 |
||
1966 |
||
| 12 Jan |
• |
LITTLE ROCK relieved as
flagship of ComSecondFleet by USS Newport News CA148. |
| 17 Jan |
• | Entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, VA for 32 wk. repair and overhaul period. |
| 01 Feb |
• |
Rating Exam for E4 personnel. |
| 18 Jan - 27
Sep |
• |
At Norfolk Naval Shipyard. |
| 03 Feb |
• |
Rating Exam for E5 personnel. |
| 08 Feb |
• |
Rating Exam for E6 personnel. |
| 10 Feb |
• |
Rating Exam for E7 personnel. |
| 07 Mar |
• |
Charles de Gaulle, President of France, announces plans to withdraw France from NATO, and subsequently orders all American military forces to leave France by 01 Apr 1967. President Johnson asks US Secretary of State Dean Rusk to seek further clarification from President de Gaulle by asking whether the bodies of buried American soldiers must leave France as well. Rusk recorded in his autobiography that de Gaulle did not respond when asked, "Does your order include the bodies of American soldiers in France's cemeteries?" |
| 28 Sep | • | At Norfolk Naval Shipyard
conducting Inclining Experiments. See
NavSource Photos |
| 29 Sep - 14
Oct |
• |
??? |
| 15 Oct | • | Dependents’ Cruise for friends
and relatives. |
| ?? Oct |
• |
At Naval Weapons Station,
Yorktown, VA to load ammo and missiles. |
| 17 Oct |
• |
Depart for training exercises
off Virginia Capes. |
| ?? Oct |
• |
Port Everglades, FL |
| 30 Oct |
• |
San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| 04 Nov |
• |
Roosevelt Roads, PR |
| 07 - ?? Nov |
• | Shakedown and training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. |
| ??? |
• |
St. Thomas, VI |
| ??? |
• |
Montego Bay, Jamaica (R&R) |
| ??? |
• |
Roosevelt Roads, PR to refuel
prior to returning to Norfolk |
| ??? Dec |
• |
Returned to Norfolk, VA to
prepare for deployment to Mediterranean. |
| 1967 |
||
| 16 (??) Jan |
• |
U.S.S. LITTLE ROCK departs
Norfolk for duty as flagship of ComSixthFleet. |
| 19 Jan |
• |
First U.S.S. LITTLE ROCK wives
arrive in Gaeta, Italy. |
| 20 Jan |
• |
USS Springfield CLG7
ComSixthFleet flagship departs
Villefranche-sur-Mer, France as homeport changes from Villefranche to
Gaeta, Italy. (See
New York Times Article) |
| 24 Jan | • |
LITTLE ROCK arrives at U.S. Naval Station, Rota, Spain |
| 25 Jan |
• |
In port, Rota, Spain. U.S.S. LITTLE ROCK
relieves U.S.S. Springfield
CLG-7 and assumes duty as 6th Fleet Flagship to be homeported Gaeta,
Italy. |
| 26 - 28 Jan |
• |
At U.S. Naval Station, Rota, Spain. |
| 30 Jan - 02
Feb |
• |
Casablanca, Morocco |
| 02 Feb | • | At anchor, Gaeta, Italy |
| 16 Feb |
• |
LITTLE ROCK gets underway
approx. 1030 hrs. Click to see a copy of the "Steaming Orders" |
| ?? Mar | • | At anchor, Gaeta, Italy (Picture) |
| 11 Apr | • | Capt. John J. Mitchell relieves Capt. Oscar F. Dreyer in Gaeta |
| 19 May | • | Blue Angels perform
first show in Europe over U.S.S. LITTLE ROCK in Gaeta. |
| 29 May |
• |
USS SARATOGA, USS AMERICA
rendezvous with USS LITTLE ROCK (VADM Martin COMSIXTH FLEET) in the Sea
of Crete accompanied by the cruiser GALVESTON and 10 destroyers. |
| 05 Jun | • | Arab-Israeli Six Day War begins. |
| 08 Jun | • • • |
LITTLE ROCK operating in
formation with USS
America CVA66, USS Sherman DD931, USS Sampson DDG10, USS Thomas
DD764, USS Roan DD853, and USS Lawe DD763 as part of Task Group TG
60.1. 1403 hrs. USS Liberty AGTR5 is attacked by Israeli ships and aircraft. 1719 hrs. USS Massey DD778 and USS Davis DD937 receive orders to proceed at once to USS Liberty to provide assistance. |
| 09 Jun | • • • • • • |
0627 hrs. USS Massey and USS
Davis
rendezvous with USS Liberty. 1205 hrs. LITTLE ROCK detached from TG 60.1 close with USS Liberty. 1340 hrs. LITTLE ROCK arrives at USS Liberty. Lowered #1 Utility boat to begin transfer of injured personnel from USS Liberty. LITTLE ROCK assisted in evacuating wounded from USS Liberty. Damage control and medical assistance provided. 1423 hrs. USS LITTLE ROCK Chaplain (LCDR Bradley?) arrives on board USS Liberty. |
| 10 Jun | • | Lt. John Cockram and two Corpsmen transfer to USS Liberty to render assistance. |
| 30 Jun | • | Six Day War ends. |
| 31 Jul | • • |
Underway from Naples, Italy. (Picture) American Eagle becomes official ship’s seal emblem. |
| 04 - 08 Aug |
• |
Valletta, Malta |
| 24 - 28 Aug |
• |
Monaco |
| 13 - 26 Nov |
• |
Naples, Italy |
| 27 - 30 Nov |
• |
Taranto, Italy |
| 01 - 24 Dec |
• | ??? |
| 25 Dec |
• | Christmas in Gaeta |
1968 |
||
| 11 - 15 Jan |
• |
Toulon, France |
| 02 - 07 Feb |
• |
Lisbon, Portugal |
| 07 - 12 Feb |
• |
U.S. Naval Station, Rota, Spain |
| 12 -17 Feb |
• |
Tangier, Morocco |
| 13 Mar |
• • |
From the Plan of the Day for 13 Mar 1968: Duty Section: Three Duty Division: E 0800 - Station the special sea and anchor detail 0900 - Underway 1000 - General Quarters for AAW gunnery practice and missile firing 1030 - Commence gunnery practice 1100 - Commence missile firing 1300 - Flight Quarters. Prepare to launch helo 1400 - Launch helo 1430 - Station the replenishment detail 1500 - Commence underway replenishment Movie Schedule: Wardroom - "So This is Paris" CPO Mess - "The Way West" 1st Class Mess - "Wait Until Dark" Crew's Mess - "Those Fantastic Flying Fools" |
| 14 Mar |
• |
From previous day's Plan of the Day: "The ship expects to enter port tomorrow at 0900." (Thursday 14 Mar) "Liberty will commence for sections Two and Three on arrival." |
| 24 Apr | • | Capt. W. F. V. Bennett relieves Capt. John C. Mitchell |
| 11 - 12 May | • | Athens, Greece |
| 13 - 14 May | • | At sea |
| 15 - 16 May | • | Naples, Italy |
| 17 - 31 May | • | Gaeta, Italy |
| ?? Jun | • | First USSR warship presents honors to 6th Fleet flagship in Med. |
| 25 Jun |
• |
USS LITTLE ROCK participates in NATO 20th Anniversary "Power for Peace" parade of ships. Approximately 50 ships were arranged in two columns, with LITTLE ROCK steaming between them. Aboard LITTLE ROCK was General Lyman L. Lemnitzer, Supreme Allied Commander , Europe. More than half of the ships of the Sixth Fleet passed on both sides of the LITTLE ROCK with the USS Indpendence and the USS Shangri-La heading the formation. |
| 01 - 23 Jul | • | Gaeta, Italy (See Below) |
| 12 Jul | • |
LITTLE ROCK renders assistance
to Italian fishing vessel “Olimpia” #CT
1717. (See also "Mystery Photo #7".) |
| 17 Jul | • | Dependent's cruise. More than
1000 guests board LITTLE ROCK for a cruise around the islands of Ischia
and Capri, near the Bay of Naples. During the eight hour trip the
guests were treated to a concert by the Sixth Fleet Band and watched an
air demonstration by aircraft from the carrier Shangri-La and a
highline transfer of personnel at sea with the USS Tattnal. |
| 23 - 24 Jul | • | At sea |
| 25 - 28 Jul | • | Valencia, Spain |
| 29 Jul | • | At sea |
| 30 Jul - 02 Aug | • | Palma, Majorca, Spain |
| 03 - 04 Aug | • | At sea |
| 05 - 13 Aug | • | Gaeta, Italy |
| 14 Aug | • | At Naples, Italy for change of 6th fleet
command from VADM William I. Martin to VADM David C. Richardson on
board USS Independence CV62. (Click HERE for more U.S. Sixth Fleet info.) |
| 15 - 17 Aug | • | Gaeta, Italy |
| 18 - 27 Aug | • | At sea. 17 - 23 Aug conducting
Exercise "Deep Furrow 68". |
| 28 Aug - 02 Sep | • | Gaeta, Italy |
| 03 - 04 Sep | • | At sea |
| 04 - 08 Sep | • | Izmir, Turkey |
| 09 Sep | • | At sea |
| 10 - 13 Sep | • | Athens, Greece |
| 14 - 15 Sep | • | At sea |
| 16 - 19 Sep | • | Tunis, Tunisia |
| 19 Sep | • | At sea |
| 20 - 27 Sep | • | Gaeta, Italy |
| 27 - 30 Sep | • | At sea |
| 30 Sep - 02 Oct | • • |
Argostoli Bay, Greece Annual Sixth Fleet Commanders' conference on board USS Independence CV62. |
| 02 - 04 Oct | • | At sea |
| 04 - 13 Oct | • | Naples, Italy |
| 14 - 15 Oct | • | Gaeta, Italy |
| 16 - 18 Oct | • | At sea |
| 19 - 23 Oct | • | U.S. Naval Station, Rota, Spain |
| 24 - 30 Oct | • | At sea with TF 60.1
participating in PHIBLEX 5-69. |
| 28 Oct |
• • |
USS LITTLE ROCK sails in close
proximity off the starboard beam of the Soviet cruiser "Mikhail
Kutuzov" (CAPT Nikolai K. Fedorov). Click HERE to see
photos. The Kutuzov a Sverdlov class cruiser is the last remaining ship of her class. She is now a museum ship in Novorossiysk on the Black Sea in southern Russia. |
| 01 - 13 Nov | • | Gaeta, Italy |
| 14 Nov | • | At sea |
| 15 - 18 Nov | • | Valletta, Malta |
| 19 Nov | • | At sea |
| 20 - 22 Nov | • | Taranto, Italy |
| 23 Nov | • | At sea |
| 24 Nov - 04 Dec | • |
Gaeta, Italy |
| 28 Nov |
• |
"Wardroom Tigers" flag football team beats OI Division by a score of 38-18 to win the first "Pasta Bowl" flag football championship at Gaeta. |
| 05 Dec | • | At sea |
| 06 - 09 Dec | • | Toulon, France |
| 10 Dec | • | At sea |
| 11 - 31 Dec | • | Gaeta, Italy |
1969 |
||
| 01 - 03 Jan |
• |
At Gaeta, Italy. |
| 04 Jan |
• |
At sea - Naples, Italy |
| 05 Jan |
• |
Naples, Italy |
| 06 - 10 Jan |
• | Naples - At sea Ops. PHILBEX 8-69, Tyrrhenian Sea - Sardinia |
| 11 - 13 Jan | • | Taranto, Italy |
| 14 - 15 Jan |
• | Taranto - At sea |
| 16 - 18 Jan | • | Villefranche-sur-Mer, France |
| 19 Jan | • | Villefranche - At sea |
| 20 - 26 Jan | • | Gaeta, Italy |
| 27 Jan | • | Gaeta - At sea |
| 28 - 29 Jan |
• |
At sea Ops. Tyrrhenian Sea - Sardinia |
| 30 Jan |
• • |
Casablanca, Morocco. Governor of the City of Casablanca visits USS LITTLE ROCK |
| 31 Jan - 02 Feb | • | At Casablanca |
| 03 Feb | • | Casablanca - At sea |
| 04 Feb |
• |
At sea - Lisbon, Portugal |
| 04 - 07 Feb | • | Lisbon, Portugal (Photo) |
| 08 Feb |
• |
Lisbon, Portugal - At sea
(Possible stop in U.S. Naval Station, Rota, Spain.) |
| 09 Feb | • | At sea |
| 10 - 11 Feb | • | At sea - Barcelona, Spain |
| 12 - 14 Feb | • |
Barcelona, Spain |
| 15 Feb | • | Barcelona, Spain - At sea |
| 16 Feb |
• |
At sea |
| 17 Feb - 02 Mar | • | Gaeta, Italy |
| 03 Mar | • | Gaeta, Italy - At sea Ops in Ionian Sea |
| 04 - 05 Mar |
• |
At sea - Souda Bay, Crete |
| 06 - 07 Mar |
• |
Souda Bay, Crete - At sea |
| 08 Mar | • | At sea - Gaeta, Italy |
| 09 - 12 Mar |
• |
Gaeta, Italy |
| 13 Mar | • | Gaeta, Italy - At Sea Ops in Tyrrhenian Sea |
| 14 Mar |
• |
At sea |
| 15 Mar | • | At sea - Gaeta, Italy |
| 16 - 26 Mar | • | Gaeta, Italy |
| 27 - 28 Mar |
• |
Gaeta, Italy - At sea |
| 29 - 31 Mar | • | La Spezia, Italy |
| 01 Apr |
• |
La Spezia, Italy - At sea |
| 02 Apr | • | At sea |
| 03 - 14 Apr | • | Gaeta, Italy |
| 09 Apr | • | Some of ship's company and Admiral's staff attended papal audience in Rome. |
| 15 Apr | • |
Gaeta, Italy - At sea |
| 16 - 17 Apr | • | At sea |
| 18 - 20 Apr | • | Palma, Majorca, Spain |
| 21 Apr |
• |
Palma - At sea |
| 22 - 30 Apr | • | At sea - Nato Exercise "Dawn
Patrol" |
| 24 Apr |
• • |
Underway. CDO: LCDR Klish 0200 Rendezvous with TG 502.2. CHOP to NATO Control. |
| 26 - 27 Apr |
• |
Visit by Admiral Thomas H.
Moorer CNO |
| 01 May | • | At sea - Gaeta, Italy |
| 02 - 11 May | • |
Gaeta, Italy - Moored to Buoy A2 |
| 12 May |
• • |
Depart Gaeta Arrive Naples, Italy |
| 13 May | • | Depart Naples |
| 14 May | • | At sea |
| 15 - 21 May | • | Venice, Italy |
| 22 - 26 May |
• |
At sea. Ops National
Week III with Task Force 60 |
| 26 May |
• |
Underway for Gaeta, Italy |
| 27 May - 02
Jun |
• | Gaeta, Italy |
| 31 May - 15
Jun |
• |
6th Fleet Band on tour to
Portugal. Band concerts are scheduled to be held in Santarem,
Abrantes, Leiria, Alcobaca, Caldas de Rainha, Peniche, and Tomar, |
| 03 - 07 Jun | • | Gaeta, Italy - At sea -
Operation Olympic Express |
| 08 Jun | • | At sea - Rhodes, Greece |
| 09 - 12 Jun |
• |
Rhodes, Greece |
| 13 Jun | • | Rhodes, Greece - At sea |
| 14 Jun |
• |
At sea - Gaeta, Italy |
| 15 Jun - 06 Jul | • | Gaeta, Italy |
| 07 July |
• |
Gaeta, Italy - At sea |
| 08 - 10 Jul | • | At Sea - Malta Missile Range -
Rearm / Refuel - Ionian Sea |
| 11 Jul |
• • • |
At Sea - Op Area 9 to
Principality of Monaco. 0909 Anchored in outer harbor in 35 fathoms of water. From the Ship's Log: • 2000 ANCHORED AS BEFORE. • 2036 PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF MONACO ARRIVED FOR FORMAL DINNER PARTY. • COMSIXTHFLT ARRIVED. COMMANDING OFFICER ARRIVED. • 2255 PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF MONACO DEPARTED. • COMSIXTHFLT DEPARTED. COMMANDING OFFICER DEPARTED. |
| 12 - 14 Jul | • | At Monaco |
| 15 Jul | • | Depart Monaco - At sea |
| 16 - 18 Jul |
• |
At sea. |
| 19 Jul |
• |
Arrive at Gaeta, Italy |
| 19 - 29 Jul | • • |
Gaeta, Italy - Buoy A2 20 Jul - US spacecraft Apollo 11 lands on the moon. |
| 30 Jul - 01
Aug |
• • • |
At sea - Transit
Straits of Gibraltar. USS LITTLE ROCK encounters four Soviet AGI "trawlers" (intelligence gathering ships). Helo is launched to obtain photographs. LITTLE ROCK approaches within 500 yards of one AGI. |
| 01 Aug |
• |
Arrive at U.S. Naval Station, Rota, Spain |
| 02 - 04 Aug | • | Rota, Spain |
| 05 Aug |
• |
Depart Rota - Transit Straits of Gibraltar. |
| 05 - 10 Aug |
• • |
At sea for amphibious landing
exercise
PHIBLEX 2-70. LITTLE ROCK fires 6" guns in off-shore Naval Gunfire Support Exercise off Sardinia. |
| 10 Aug |
• |
Replenishment at sea. |
| 11 Aug | • | At sea - Arrive Gaeta, Italy |
| 12 - 24 Aug |
• • |
Gaeta, Italy Ship's basketball team wins Gaeta-Formia tournament |
| 25 Aug | • | Depart Gaeta, Transit the
Straits of Messina that evening. |
| 26 - 28 Aug | • |
At sea - At sea - National Week IV - Ionian Sea |
| 29 Aug |
• • |
Arrive back at Gaeta, Italy TWA Flight 840 (Rome-Athens-Tel Aviv) is hijacked to Damascus, Syria. |
| 30 Aug - 03 Sep | • • • • |
Moored at Gaeta, Italy On Saturday, 30 Aug General Recall Bill is put in effect with plans to get underway at 2000 hrs 30 Aug - plans to get underway delayed (changed to 1000 hrs, Sunday, 31 Aug). 31 Aug - plans to get underway are canceled. |
| 04 Sep |
• |
Underway from Gaeta |
| 04 Sep - 12
Sep |
• • • |
At sea. To Eastern Mediterranean Special Ops with Task Group 60.1 LITTLE ROCK maneuvers within visual range of Soviet "aviation cruiser" MOSKVA 104. |
| 11 Sep | • • |
At sea - At sea - Refueling
rendezvous Arrive Taranto, Italy |
| 12 Sep |
• |
Taranto, Italy |
| 13 Sep |
• • • |
At Taranto. Underway for Gaeta, Italy Arrive Gaeta |
| 14 - 22 Sep | • | Gaeta, Italy |
| 23 Sep | • • • • • |
0001 In port, Gaeta, Italy Embarq guests for guest cruise. 0900 Underway for Ponza Conduct exercises with USS Elokomin A0-55 and USS Sellers DDG-11. 1700 In port Gaeta. Moored to buoy A-2 |
| 24 Sep |
• |
Depart Gaeta, Italy - At sea - Bad storm. |
| 25 - 29 Sep | • • • • • |
At Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia USS LITTLE ROCK is first US Navy ship to visit Dubrovnik since USS Springfield visited in 1966. Sixth Fleet band entertains 10,000 in 14th century Luza Square. LITTLE ROCK basketball team wins both games of a two game tourney against a local team. Over 3,000 guest toured LITTLE ROCK on Saturday and Sunday (27-28 Sep). |
| 30 Sep | • | Underway from Dubrovnik. |
| 01 Oct |
• |
At sea |
| 02 - 05 Oct | • | In port. Athens, Greece |
| 06 Oct |
• |
Depart Athens |
| 07 - 08 Oct | • | At sea |
| 09 - 14 Oct | • | Gaeta, Italy |
| 15 Oct | • | Depart Gaeta. |
| 16 - 20 Oct |
• • |
At sea for NATO exercise "Deep
Furrow 69" in eastern Med and off the coast of Turkey. Helo crew rescues one of two crew from a downed F-4 Phantom jet from USS Kennedy. Helo crew participating in search-and-rescue effort were; Pilot LT E.G. Moninger (Short Hills, NJ), co-pilot LT(jg) R.J. Haggerton Jr. (Kingsville, TX), and crewman AE-2 Wayne Sease (Bismark, ND). |
| 21 - 24 Oct |
• |
At sea - Operations Aegean Sea
to
Saros Bay, Turkey |
| 25 Oct - 03
Nov |
• • |
Planned Tender Availability
Period (TAV) port call in Naples is canceled. At sea - Operations Eastern Mediterranean to NW Crete |
| 04 Nov |
• • |
Arrive Athens, Greece USS Kennedy CVA-67 and USS Sea Wolf SSN-575 also at Athens. |
| 05 - 07 Nov |
• |
Athens, Greece |
| 08 Nov |
• |
Depart Athens |
| 10 Nov |
• • |
Arrive at Naples, Italy for
annual Tender Availability Period (TAV). Destroyer-tender USS Grand Canyon AD-28 to provide TAV. |
| 09 - 21 Nov | • | At Naples, Italy |
| 15 Nov |
• |
Capt. Charles E. Little relieves Capt. Walter F.V. Bennett |
| 22 Nov | • | Depart Naples - at sea - arrive
Gaeta, Italy |
| 23 Nov - 30
Nov |
• • |
At Gaeta, Italy Missile transfer exchange with ammunition ship USS Nitro AE-23, complicated by bad weather, requires duty and stand-by sections to work through Thanksgiving. |
| 27 Nov |
• |
Thanksgiving Day. Family and
friends invited to share Thanksgiving Dinner aboard. |
| 30 Nov |
• |
Underway from Gaeta. |
| 01 Dec |
• |
At sea |
| 02 Dec |
• • |
Arrive at Valletta Harbor,
Malta. Fired and received a 21 gun salute. LITTLE ROCK moored to buoy in line with other US Sixth Fleet ships. Clearance between ships 100'. |
| 02 - 06 Dec | • • |
Valletta, Malta Tours to the catacombs of St. Pietro, the "silent city" of Medina, and the Neolithic temple Hypogeum. |
| 07 Dec | • | Depart Valletta, Malta |
| 08 Dec |
• |
At sea |
| 09 Dec | • | Arrive at Toulon, France |
| 10 Dec | • |
Depart Toulon |
| 11 - 13 Dec | • | At sea - Conducting operations
with French Navy |
| 14 Dec |
• | Arrive at Gaeta, Italy |
| 18 Dec | • • • |
Bob
Hope USO Tour
performs at 1400 hrs. on board USS Saratoga
(CVA-60) with Miss World 1969 Austria's Eva Rueber-Staier, Hollywood stars Connie Stevens, Suzanne Charny, the Golddiggers, Ellen Farley, and Les Brown and his "Band of Renown" while moored in Gaeta harbor, Formia Bay, Italy. Over 6000 Sixth Fleet sailors attended the event held in the carrier's hanger bay. (Picture) USS Saratoga moored to buoy Alpha 1, USS LITTLE ROCK moored to buoy Alpha 2. Other ships in harbor included five destroyers and one fleet oiler. |
| 25 Dec |
• |
Christmas in Gaeta |
| 26 - 31 Dec |
• |
At Gaeta |
1970 |
||
| 01 - 06 Jan |
• |
Gaeta, Italy |
| 07 Jan | • | Gaeta, Italy - At sea |
| 08 Jan | • |
At sea |
| 09 Jan | • | Arrive Villefranche, France |
| 11 Jan |
• |
Sixth Fleet Band performs at St.
Laurent-du-Var's annual Majorettes Parade. |
| 12 Jan |
• |
Twenty-four LITTLE ROCK crew depart for U.S. Armed Forces Recreation Center in Garmisch, Germany for five days of sight-seeing and skiing. They planned to meet the ship in Gaeta. |
| 13 Jan " " |
• • • |
Depart Villefranche Under-Secretary of the Navy John W. Warner aboard for transit to Genoa. Arrive Genoa, Italy same day. |
| 15 Jan |
• |
Garmisch tour group returns to
LITTLE ROCK just before midnight. |
| 16 Jan " |
• • |
Depart Genoa for Gaeta,
Italy. Replenishment at sea. |
| 17 Jan |
• | Arrive Gaeta, Italy |
| 19 Jan |
• |
Ship's Bosun CWO Marvin Curry
departs for Naval Station, Brooklyn, NY. |
| 21 Jan |
• |
Depart Genoa for exercises with
USS Forrestal CV-59, USS F.D. Roosevelt CV-42, and USS Columbus CG-12
the "Tall Lady". |
| 30 Jan - 06 Feb | • | At sea - Operation "National
Week
V" - Ionean Sea |
| 07 - 19 Feb | • | Gaeta, Italy |
| 20 - 22 Feb | • | At sea - Op. Area 9 to Tangier, Morocco |
| 23 - 26 Feb " " |
• • • |
Tangier, Morocco. 600 Moroccans visit LITTLE ROCK. LITTLE ROCK crew spend two days renovating a basketball court at a Moslem high school and performing repairs at the Cheshire Foundation Homes orphanage. |
| 27 Feb " |
• • |
Depart Tangier for two hour trip
to Gibraltar, British Crown Colony. Moored at Gibraltar. |
| 27 Feb - 02 Mar | • | At Gibraltar. LITTLE ROCK
hosts 1400 visitors. |
| 03 Mar " " |
• • • |
Depart Gibraltar As LITTLE ROCK departs British Admiral sends message: "The Big Rock will never be the same without the LITTLE ROCK alongside." Arrive Lisbon, Portugal |
| 03 - 06 Mar | • | Lisbon, Portugal |
| 07 Mar | • | Depart Lisbon, Portugal - At sea |
| 08 Mar " " " |
• • • • |
Arrive at U.S. Naval Station,
Rota,
Spain USS LITTLE ROCK's basketball team defeats team from submarine tender USS Holland AS-32 LITTLE ROCK departs NavSta Rota in the afternoon, bound for Barcelona, Spain. Transit Straits of Gibraltar |
| 09 Mar | • | At sea |
| 10 Mar |
• |
Arrive Barcelona, Spain |
| 11 - 13 Mar " |
• • |
At Barcelona, Spain. Ship offered a one-day tour to the Benedictine monastery at Montserrat, and a three-day skiing tour to Andorra, Spain. |
| 14 Mar |
• | Depart Barcelona, Spain |
| 15 - 16 Mar |
• |
At sea |
| 17 Mar - 02
Apr |
• | Gaeta, Italy |
| ??? Mar -
??? Apr |
• |
Marseilles, France ??? (Need
verification) |
| 03 - 06 Apr |
• |
At sea - National Week VI Ops
Area |
| 07 Apr |
• |
Operating with TG 60.1 |
| 08 Apr | • | At sea - Valletta, Malta |
| 09 - 10 Apr |
• |
Valletta, Malta |
| 11 - 13 Apr | • | Tunis, Tunisia |
| 14 Apr | • | Depart Tunis for Gaeta, Italy. |
| 14 - 28 Apr | • | Gaeta, Italy |
| 18 Apr |
• |
Bruce Bowmer OS3 (69-72) is assigned as Duty Driver by CWO4 Milam. |
| 29 Apr | • • |
At sea. Arrive Rapallo, Italy |
| 30 Apr - 04 May | • | Rapallo, Italy |
| 05 - 07 May | • | At sea with TG 60.2 Exercise
TRANSITEX. |
| 08 May |
• |
At sea. Underway replenishment. |
| 09 - 22 May | • | Gaeta, Italy |
| 23 - 25 May | • | At sea |
| 26 - 30 May | • | Palma, Majorca, Spain |
| 30 - 31 May |
• |
Ciuadella, Minorca |
| ??? Summer |
• |
Twelve (12) Midshipmen arrive by helo from USS Austin (LPD-4) for training cruise. |
| 01 - 08 Jun |
• |
At sea - Exercise "Dawn Patrol
'70" |
| 09 - 11 Jun |
• |
Athens, Greece |
| 12 Jun | • | At sea - Phaleron Bay to Gulf of
Laconia |
| 13 Jun | • • |
At sea - enroute to Gaeta, Italy. USS LITTLE ROCK (CLG4) is in a collision with the Greek destroyer Lonchi HNS D-56 in the Gulf of Laconia off Greece during NATO exercise "Dawn Patrol 70". (See Note 1.) |
| 14 Jun |
• |
At sea - Athens, Greece to
Gaeta, Italy |
| 15 - 16 Jun |
• |
Gaeta, Italy |
| 17 Jun | • • • |
Local operations area with TG
60.1 25th Anniversary of USS LITTLE ROCK. Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird arrives aboard by helo. |
| 18 Jun |
• |
Gaeta, Italy |
| 19 Jun |
• |
At sea - Valletta, Malta |
| 20 - 26 Jun | • | At Valletta, Malta for temporary
repair to bow. (Photo) |
| 26 - 27 Jun |
• |
At sea. |
| 27 Jun - 08
Jul |
• |
Gaeta, Italy |
| 08 Jul |
• |
Weighed anchor and departed
Gaeta for missile firing area west of Corsica. |
| 09 Jul |
• |
Missile firing postponed because
of surface craft in the down-range area. |
| 10 Jul |
• • |
At sea - Arrived at Monaco
Harbor. Rendered and received 21 gun salute. Anchored out. Fleet Landing directly across from Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton's yacht "Kalizma". |
| 11 - 14 Jul | • • • • • |
At Monaco. Princess Grace and Prince Rainier visit LITTLE ROCK. Prince Rainier opened the olympic pool and exotic gardens to the crew, free of charge. Formal reception for 100 prominent citizens, including Jacques Cousteau on the forecastle. 14 July - Some of LITTLE ROCK's crew joins in Bastille Day celebrations in Nice, France. |
| 15 Jul |
• |
Depart Monaco for Gaeta, Italy. |
| 16 Jul |
• |
At sea. |
| 17 - 28 Jul |
• |
Gaeta, Italy |
| 29 Jul |
• |
Depart Gaeta for Valencia, Spain. |
| 30 - 31 Jul | • |
At sea |
| 31 Jul |
• • |
Arrive at Valencia, Spain in
time for annual "Festival of Flowers". Twelve (12) Midshipmen arrive by helo from USS Austin (LPD-4) for training cruise. |
| 0l - 04 Aug | • • |
Valencia, Spain. Crew visits Plaza de Toros to see three of the world's greatest bullfighter perform. Matadors were "El Viti", "El Cordobes", and Julian Garcia. |
| 05 - 07 Aug |
• |
At sea - to Porto Scudo, Sardinia and Capo Teulado, Sardinia |
| 08 Aug |
• | Arrive Gaeta, Italy for last
visit during this cruise. |
| 16 Aug |
• |
Ship hosted an "Arrivederci"
Reception which was attend by nearly 400 guests of the officers and men
of the LITTLE ROCK. Festivities included informal tours, exchange of
gifts with the Mayors of Gaeta and Formia, and a missile demonstration. |
| 20 Aug | • • |
0800 hrs. USS Springfield CLG-7
arrives in
Gaeta to relieve LITTLE ROCK as
Flagship. A message was sent to Springfield saying, "It took three and one-half years to go full turn. Benvenuti a Gaeta." 0900 hrs tugs bring Springfield alongside LITTLE ROCK. |
| 22 Aug |
• • • • • • • |
In port Gaeta, Italy CDO: LCDR Cohen BM: Pasquale Guido 0201 hrs (Zulu) Flag Com Guard shifted to U.S.S. Springfield CLG-7 1000 hrs (Z+1) ComSixthFleet shifts his flag to U.S.S. Springfield. After 3 1/2 years LITTLE ROCK is relieved as US Navy's Sixth Fleet flagship. Liberty Call. Last liberty in Gaeta for this cruise. Plan of the Day indicates that alcoholic beverages will be accepted for transportation to CONUS between 1300 and 1400 hours by LTJG Woodard outside of compartment A-407-AE. |
| 23 Aug |
• • |
Transfer of ComSixthFleet is
completed. A flotilla of fishing boats, pleasure craft and tugboats jammed with Gaetaians embarked from city landing in the evening and circled Springfield and LITTLE ROCK with whistles sounding and flags and hands waving. |
| 24 Aug | • • • • |
1100 LITTLE ROCK departs Gaeta
with
26 wives and 10 children aboard. The 300' homeward bound pennant was half the size "earned" by the LITTLE ROCK crew, however, a 600' pennant would have trailed in the ship's wake. The Italian signal station hoisted "Good-bye". U.S.S. LITTLE ROCK replied with "Ciao". Vice Admiral Richardson transmitted "Well Done" to LITTLE ROCK. |
| 25 - 26 Aug |
• |
At sea |
| 27 Aug | • • |
0700 Arrive U.S. Naval
Base, Rota, Spain (Picture)
for refueling. 1700 Depart for CONUS (Newport, RI) |
| 28 Aug - 03
Sep |
• |
At sea |
| 04 Sep | • | 1000 Arrive Newport RI. First cruiser to be homeported in Newport. |
| 06 Sep - 04
Oct |
• |
At Newport, RI (Pre-overhaul
tender availability period.) |
| 14 - 18 Sep |
• |
Insurv Inspection |
| 21 - 22 Sep |
• |
Supply Dept. and Medical Dept.
Inspections |
| 06 Oct | • | Depart Newport, RI for US Naval Weapons Station, Yorktown, VA to off load ammo. |
| 07 - 09 Oct |
• |
Yorktown Naval
Weapons Station |
| 10 Oct |
• |
Norfolk, Virginia |
| 11 Oct |
• |
At sea underway for Boston, MA for 6 month overhaul. |
| 12 Oct | • | 0830 USS LITTLE ROCK arrives in Boston, MA (Charlestown Navy Yard) (See Note 2.) |
| Oct - Nov |
• |
LITTLE ROCK in drydock at
Charlestown Navy Yard (Boston, MA) |
| ?? Dec - 31
Dec |
• |
LITTLE ROCK undergoing overhaul at South Boston Naval Annex (Boston, MA) |
| 1970 Notes: | (1) |
There are some "reports" of a collision between LITTLE ROCK and a 'Turkish' destroyer about the same time. These appear to be erroneous reports of the same incident. The name of the Greek destroyer is Lonchi not Lonzhi or Longhi as sometimes reported. |
| (2) | The Boston Navy Yard is on the Mystic River in Charlestown, MA. Charlestown is just slightly northeast of downtown Boston. The shipyard was originally called Charlestown Navy Yard, later renamed Boston Navy Yard, and finally Boston Naval Shipyard in 1945. | |
1971 |
||
| 01 Jan |
• |
At South Boston Naval Annex (Boston, MA) undergoing overhaul. |
| 28 Mar |
• |
Undergoing inclining experiments. (Picture) |
| 19 Apr | • | Overhaul completed at Boston NSY. Returned to Fleet Readiness. |
| 20 Apr |
• |
At sea - Newport, RI |
| 21-27 Apr |
• |
Newport, RI |
| 23 Apr | • | CDR Joseph L. Dick reports aboard as Executive Officer |
| 28 Apr |
• |
Newport, RI to Provincetown, MA |
| 29 Apr |
• |
Provincetown, MA to Newport, RI |
| 30 Apr - 04
May |
• |
Newport, RI |
| 05 May |
• |
At sea - RFS / ISE Op Area |
| 06 - 07 May |
• |
Newport, RI |
| 08 May |
• |
At sea - Underway for US NWS,
Yorktown,
VA. |
| 09 - 12 May |
• | NWS Yorktown, VA |
| 13 - 16 May |
• |
Norfolk, VA |
| 17 May |
• |
At sea |
| 18 - 26 May |
• |
At sea - Virginia Capes Op Area |
| 27 May - 12
Jun |
• |
Newport, RI |
| 11 Jun | • | Capt. Gordon R. Nagler relieves Capt. Charles E. Little |
| 12 Jun | • | Depart Newport, RI for 10 week REFTRA and shakedown in Caribbean. |
| 13 - 16 Jun | • | Underway for Caribbean. |
| 17 - 30 Jun |
• |
Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico to
Puerto Rico Op Area 7 |
| 18 Jun |
• |
Talos missile firing goes awry
with missile making a "u-turn" seconds after launch. Missile crashes
into sea astern of LITTLE ROCK. |
| 01 - 02 Jul |
• |
At sea operating in Southern
Puerto Rico Op
Area |
| 02 Jul |
• |
Arrive at St. Thomas, Virgin Islands |
| 03 - 06 Jul | • | At St. Thomas, Virgin Islands |
| 07 - 09 Jul |
• |
Puerto Rico Op Area |
| 10 - 12 Jul |
• |
San Juan, PR |
| 13 - 16 Jul |
• |
At sea - Op Area W369D to Puerto Rico Op Area 7 & 8 |
| 17 - 20 Jul |
• |
Roosevelt Roads, PR |
| 21 Jul |
• |
At sea - Op Area W329 |
| 22 Jul |
• |
At sea - Virgin Passage to
Southern Area |
| 23 Jul |
• |
N. Puerto Rico Op Area |
| 24 - 26 Jul |
• |
Roosevelt Roads, PR to
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba |
| 27 Jul - 13
Aug |
• |
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for
Refresher Training. |
| 14 - 15 Aug |
• |
At sea Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to
Roosevelt Roads, PR |
| 16 Aug | • • • • |
At Culebra Island, PR for shore
bombardment training in company with USS
Robert Wilson DD-847. Conducted 12 exercises with the following scores: four 100's, seven high 90's, one 88. Overall scores: 6" turret: 96.7, 5" mount 95.7. ComAtlFltWeaps sends: "An outstanding performance. Seldom equaled on the Culebra Range" |
| 16 - 19 Aug |
• |
At sea - Underway for Newport, RI |
| 20 Aug | • | 0900 Arrive Newport, RI. Berth Pier 1, starboard side to for Habitability Renovation Program. |
| 21 Aug - 21 Sep | • • • |
Undergoing Habitability
Renovations. "Hab Team" consisted of Senior Chief Claude Vincent, SF2 Gary Sell, DC3 Bruce Pedrich, RM3 Joe Grieco, SN George McMahon, SA Jay Adams, SN Michael Donoghue and SN Dave Mitchell, plus other volunteers. LITTLE ROCK Wives Club becomes "official". Officers are: President Jo Ann Robbins Vice-President Dawnne Benoit Secretary Carol Kathrein Treasurer Pat Jones. Wives Club holds its first bake sale on 15 Sep. Profits will go towards Chapel refurbishment. |
| 22 Sep |
• |
Depart Newport, RI for US Naval
Weapons Station, Yorktown,
VA to load ammunition. |
| 23 Sep | • | At US NWS Yorktown, VA to load ammunition. |
| 24 Sep |
• |
Move ship from NWS Yorktown to
Norfolk, VA. |
| 25 Sep |
• |
Depart Norfolk for Caribbean and Roosevelt Roads, PR. |
| 26 Sep - 01 Oct | • • • • |
Underway for Caribbean for 4
week CNO
Project C/S-68. LITTLE ROCK maneuvers to remain 250 miles from Hurricane Ginger (100 mph winds). LITTLE ROCK gets 14-16' seas in spite of traveling to avoid hurricane. Ginger makes landfall at Morehead City, NC on 30 Sep . |
| 02 - 07 Oct |
• | Underway Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. Op Areas 7, 8, 9, 10 AFWR |
| 08 - 11 Oct |
• |
At Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas,
U.S. Virgin Islands |
| 13 - 21 Oct |
• |
At sea. Underway for NWS
Yorktown,
VA. |
| 22 Oct |
• |
At NWS Yorktown, VA. |
| 23 Oct |
• |
Underway NWS Yorktown, VA to
Newport, RI. |
| 24 Oct | • |
Arrive Newport |
| 25 Oct - 30
Nov " " |
• • • |
At Newport, RI On 15 Nov USS LITTLE ROCK Wives Club held an on-board Bake Sale. Profits to go towards refurbishing the ship's Chapel. Wives Club President is Mrs. Jo Ann Robbins. (See Feb 72 below.) LITTLE ROCK's CCTV system WCLG4 goes on line. |
| 01 Dec | • | Depart Newport RI for 5 month
Med cruise in company with USS Harry E. Yarnell DDG-17. |
| 02 Dec |
• |
Joined at sea by USS John F.
Kennedy CVA-67, and COMDESRON TWO consisting of: USS Barney DD-711, USS
Owens DD-827, and USS Leary DD-879. |
| 09 Dec |
• |
Arrive at U.S. Naval Station,
Rota, Spain for overnight layover. |
| 10 - 16 Dec " |
• • • |
INCHOP to Mediterranean. At sea. Conducted operations with USS Springfield Flagship 6th Fleet (VADM Gerald E. Miller). Note: On 14 Dec the crew of the USS Puget Sound AD-38 (at Newport, RI) gave a Christmas party for the children of LITTLE ROCK dependents. The event was video-taped and sent to the LITTLE ROCK. |
| 17 Dec |
• |
Arrive at Naples, Italy |
| 18 - 25 Dec " " |
• • • |
At Naples for Christmas. Some of the crew visits Rome to hear Pope Paul VI say Mass. Ship rigs "Med Lights". Click HERE to see a picture of the LITTLE ROCK so rigged in Gaeta.) |
| 26 - 28 Dec |
• |
At sea |
| 29 - 30 Dec | • | Malaga, Spain |
| 31 Dec |
• |
At sea. New Year's Eve underway! |
1972 |
||
| 01 Jan |
• |
At sea - Russian helo hovers near LITTLE ROCK.
Photo Ops! |
| 05 Jan | • | Underway in Mediterranean Sea. (Picture) |
| 12
- 17 Jan |
• | Livorno, Italy |
| 18 - 26 Jan |
• |
At sea. Operating with Task
Group. |
| 24 Jan |
• |
At sea. Talos missile shoot. Two
missiles - two hits! |
| 25 - 26 Jan |
• |
At sea. Operating with Task Group. |
| 27 Jan - 04
Feb |
• |
Athens, Greece |
| ??? Feb |
• |
FTG2 Dean Zaharis chosen as U.S.S. LITTLE ROCK "Sailor of the Month" for his work on the ship's radio station WCLG4. |
| 05 - 11 Feb |
• |
At Sea |
| 12 - 16
Feb |
• |
Trieste, Italy |
| 17 Feb | • | Three helicopters on the deck at the same time set LITTLE ROCK record. |
| 18 - 23 Feb |
• |
At Sea |
| 24 Feb - 08
Mar " " |
• • • |
Athens. LITTLE ROCK
wives use
two DC-9's to fly 500 dependents from NAS Oceana to Athens. Athen's seven member "Orchestra Club" entertains crew and guests on fantail. EW1 Robbins is transferred. In addition to losing a good shipmate, his wife Jo Ann Robbins will have to relinquish her position as President of the Wives Club. |
| 09 - 13 Mar |
• |
At Sea |
| 14 - 17 Mar |
• | At Thessaloniki (also called "Thessalonica", or "Salonica"), Greece. |
| 18 -
29 Mar |
• |
At Sea |
| 30 Mar - 04
Apr " |
• • |
Athens, Greece. EM1 Terrance Scribner departs for shore duty at Roosevelt Roads, PR. EM1 Scribner is the sailor with the longest time on the LITTLE ROCK (from Apr 66 to 01 Apr 72). |
| 05 - 14 Apr " " |
• • • |
At Sea 10 Apr received recall notice to return to CONUS to assume duties as flagship ComSecondFleet. Recall necessitates cancelling planned visits to: Gaeta, Genoa, Villefranche and Barcelona. |
| 15 Apr |
• |
U.S. Naval Station. Rota, Spain. |
| 16 -
22 Apr |
• • |
At sea. Underway for Norfolk, VA. Heavy weather experienced at sea. (No hurricanes or tropical storms are recorded for Apr 72.) |
| 22 - 23 Apr |
• |
At Norfolk, VA to relieve USS Newport News CA-148 as Flagship of COMSECONDFLEET (Vice Admiral Vincent P. de Poix). USS Newport News to deploy to Vietnam for gunline duty. |
| 24 Apr |
• |
Depart for Newport, RI. |
| 25 Apr - 02
May |
• |
Newport, RI. |
| 03 - 15 May |
• |
Norfolk, VA |
| 16 - 25 May |
• |
At Sea |
| 26 May - 21
Jun |
• |
Newport, RI. |
| 22 Jun |
• |
Underway for New York City, NY |
| 22 - 26 Jun |
• • • |
Port call New York City. Tied
up
on
Manhattan West Side. Future USS LITTLE ROCK sailor Bob Mengelli GM3 (1976) visits as a Sea Scout. The Prudential Insurance Co. presents USS LITTLE ROCK with a "Now you 'Own a Piece of the Rock'" pennant. |
| 27 Jun - 21
Jul |
• |
Norfolk, VA |
| 22 Jul - 10
Aug |
• |
Newport, RI. |
| 27 Jul | • | Capt. Robert E. Morris
relieves Capt. Gordon
P. Nagler at Norfolk, VA. Ship's Company is inspected by RADM Thomas R. Weschler ComCruDesForce Atlantc Fleet. |
| 11 - 24 Aug |
• |
Norfolk, VA |
| Aug 24 |
• |
Depart Norfolk, VA for North
Atlantic as Flagship for ComSecFlt (VADM Douglas C. Plate). |
| Aug 30 |
• |
US Sixth Fleet Singers depart
Naples for Munich, Germany to perform at Munich Olympics. |
| 01 - 03 Sep | • |
Liverpool, England |
| 04 Sep |
• |
At sea |
| 05 - 07 Sep |
• |
Cherbourg, France |
| 05 Sep |
• |
Israeli olympians are taken
hostage at Munich
Olympics. Eleven olympians die in the ensuing battle. |
| 08 Sep |
• |
LITTLE ROCK at sea |
| 09 - 11 Sep |
• |
Rotterdam (Amsterdam),
Netherlands |
| 12 - 13 Sep | • • |
Participating in NATO exercise "Strong Express"
(Norwegian Sea north of Norway and above the Arctic Circle), the
largest NATO exercise ever held. Other ships include USS John F. Kennedy, USS Intrepid and HMS Ark Royal. |
| 14 Sep | • |
Crossed Arctic Circle at 7° 49' East Longitude. All CLG4 crew members on board at this date qualify for Blue Nose Certificate. (Above info furnished by IC2 Bob P. Jones 1971-72) |
| 15 - 30 Sep |
• |
Participating in NATO exercise "Strong Express". |
| 01
-
04 Oct |
• |
Rosyth (Edinburgh), Scotland |
| 05 Oct |
• |
At sea |
| 06 - 08 Oct |
• |
Bergen, Norway |
| 09 Oct |
• |
Underway |
| 10 - 12 Oct ??? ??? |
• • • |
Hamburg, Germany via Rhine River LITTLE ROCK hit a sandbar with damage to sonar dome (later removed). Greeted by loud anti-American protesters. (As soon as the TV cameras left it was quiet.) |
| 13 - 15 Oct |
• |
At Sea. |
| 16 - 19 Oct |
• |
Lisbon, Portugal |
| 20 - 25 Oct |
• |
At sea. Underway for Norfolk, VA. |
| 26 - 31 Oct |
• |
Norfolk, VA |
| 01 Nov - 07
Dec |
• |
Newport, RI |
| 07 - 31 Dec |
• |
USS LITTLE ROCK at Charlestown Navy Yard (Boston, MA) |
| 11 Dec | • | At Boston Naval Shipyard undergoing inclining experiments. (Picture) |
| 31 Dec |
• |
New Year's in Boston! |
1973 |
||
| 01 Jan - 14
May |
• |
USS LITTLE ROCK at Charlestown Navy Yard (Boston, MA) undergoing conversion from heavy fuel oil to light fuel oil, referred to as Diesel Fuel Marine or DFM. |
| ?? Mar |
• |
Cdr. Roger O. Simon reports
onboard as new XO. (See RADM R.O. Simon's "Oral History") |
| 15 May |
• |
Underway from Boston to Newport,
RI. |
| 15 May - 11
Aug |
• |
At Newport, RI. for work on fuel
tanks. |
| 24 Jul | • |
Capt.
Peter K. Cullins relieves Capt. Robert E. Morris
at Newport, RI |
| 11 Aug |
• |
Underway for NWS Yorktown, VA |
| 12-13(?) Aug |
• |
NWS Yorktown, VA for ammo load-out. |
| 14 Aug |
• |
Norfolk VA. Embark Gitmo
training team. (Note: LITTLE ROCK did not go to Gitmo, but to the Med.) |
| 15 Aug |
• • |
LITTLE ROCK departs Norfolk,
VA
for 3-year
Mediterranean deployment with a crew about 800, short of normal
personnel
allowance of 915. Part of "crew" includes 30+ pet dogs and cats heading for their new home in Gaeta |
| ?? Aug |
• |
USS LITTLE ROCK crew and USS
LITTLE ROCK Marines perform a burial at sea, with
full military honors for Petty Officer First Class (Retired) Paul
Howard HOLLENBECK, a 20 year
Navy veteran. (Ed Sapp, BMSN 73-75
recalls "...I stood watch over the coffin by the missile launcher.") |
| 26 Aug | • | At U.S. Naval Station, Rota, Spain for refueling and to disembark FltTraGrp from Gitmo. |
| 27 Aug (?) |
• |
LITTLE ROCK passed into the Straits of Gibraltar and receives the usual “What Ship” visual signal from the British. Capt. Cullins replies “What Rock?”. |
| 29 Aug | • • |
LITTLE ROCK arrives in Gaeta,
Italy to relieve USS
Springfield CLG-7 as 6th Fleet
Flagship. LITTLE ROCK receives about 150 personel from USS Springfield and transfers about 75 to Springfield. |
| 29 Aug
- 11 Sep |
• | In port, Gaeta, Italy. Berthed
at NATO fuel pier. |
| 11 Sep | • | Underway, enroute Athens, Greece |
| 14 Sep |
• • |
Arrive Athens, Greece. Captain's gig runs aground on uncharted concrete block in the harbor. |
| 14 - 18 Sep | • | Athens, Greece |
| 18 - ?? Sep | • | Antalya, Turkey |
| ?? -30 Sep | • | Participating in NATO exercise "Deep Furrow 73". |
| 01 - 05
Oct |
• |
Istanbul, Turkey |
| 05 Oct |
• |
Depart Istanbul |
| 06 Oct | • • • |
1973
Arab-Israeli (Yom Kippur) War begins. (See
Note 3.) LITTLE ROCK underway to join TF 60 in the Eastern Mediterranean USS LITTLE ROCK receives message for emergency sortie and to take station off Crete and stand by for evacuation of British nationals. |
| 06 Oct - 07
Oct |
• |
At sea. |
| 08 - 13 Oct | • | LITTLE ROCK joins Task Force 60 and USS Independence |
| 14 Oct - 05
Nov |
• • |
Underway Arab-Israeli War ends on 26 Oct . |
| 06 - 07 Nov | • | Gaeta, Italy (2 days) |
| 08 - 16 Nov |
• |
At Sea. |
| 08 Nov |
• |
Racial tensions aboard USS LITTLE ROCK resulted in fighting among the crew. Walter Cronkite on the CBS Evening News Feb 13, 1974 reported that racial tension broke out on USS LITTLE ROCK on November 8 and that blacks involved in the incident said a fair trial was impossible to get. The Navy declined comment. (See Notes 5 and 6 below.) |
| 09 Nov |
• |
At 1500 three personnel considered to be the principal focal points of tension on board LITTLE ROCK, were transferred by helo to NSA Naples. |
| 10 Nov |
• |
Six (seven?) more suspects transferred by helo to NSA Naples. |
| 18 Nov |
• |
LITTLE ROCK returns to Gaeta,
Italy. |
| 18 Nov - 05
Dec |
• | In port Gaeta, Italy |
| 28 Nov |
• |
Italian government announces
strict energy conservation measures, including a ban on driving on
Sundays and Italian holidays. Gasoline rationing is reduced by 50%. |
| 05 - 09 Dec | • | Tunis, Tunisia. First American ship to visit an Arab port since the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. |
| 10 Dec |
• |
Depart Tunis for Gaeta, Italy. |
| Date
uncertain |
• |
First U.S. military fiber optic
telephone link is installed on the LITTLE ROCK. (See Note 4.) |
| 11 - 31 Dec |
• |
Gaeta, Italy |
| 31 Dec |
• |
New Year's in Gaeta! |
Notes: |
||
| 1. |
Date shown for
ports generally indicate arrival
date. |
|
| 2. |
Port stays are
typically 3-5 days. |
|
| 3. |
The Yom Kippur
War, Ramadan War or October War, also known as the
1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from
October 6 to October 26, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab
states led by Egypt and Syria. The war began with a surprise joint
attack by Egypt and Syria on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. Egypt
and Syria crossed the cease-fire lines in the Sinai and Golan Heights,
respectively, which had been captured by Israel in 1967 during the
Six-Day War. The Egyptians and Syrians advanced during the first 24-48 hours, after which momentum began to swing in Israel's favor. By the second week of the war, the Syrians had been pushed entirely out of the Golan Heights. In the Sinai to the south, the Israelis struck at the "seam" between two invading Egyptian armies, crossed the Suez Canal (where the old ceasefire line had been), and cut off the Egyptian Third Army just as a United Nations cease-fire came into effect. (Extracted from Wikipedia). RADM Simon relates: " They called it the Arab-Israeli conflict of October of 1973. That spawned, and I’m quoting now from the military magazine Sea Power that said, “This conflict spawned the most severe naval crisis of the Cold War.” The Soviet leader, Brezhnev, threatened to enforce a ceasefire with unilateral intentions. The Soviet Union had eighty ships available, including fifty-seven combatants capable of launching at least forty cruise missiles in the first salvo. Admiral Joe Moorer, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said, “We would lose our ass in the Eastern Mediterranean if war broke out there.” Initially, there were forty-eight American warships against fifty-seven Soviet vessels. The American fleet consisted of the USS LITTLE ROCK, located south of Crete; four attack subs; Task Force 60, consisting of the carrier Franklin D. Roosevelt and its DD escorts; Task Force 61, with the Independence and its DDs; against the Soviet force of the Fifth Escadra, including thirteen submarines, several missile-equipped cruisers, destroyers, LSDs, minesweepers, and regular destroyers. The Kremlin sent word to the White House that said, “Interfering with the Fifth Escadra would be met with full force”. Soviet anti-carrier groups had been targeting the FDR, the Independence, and the LITTLE ROCK, and our amphibious task group was also under targeting. Our DOD ordered a DEFCON Three. On October 26 the Soviets launched an intensive anti-carrier exercise using each American task group as a virtual missile target." RADM Simon continues...."By 3 November the Soviet force consisted of ninety-five ships capable of launching eighty-eight cruise missiles in a first salvo, approximately thirteen at each of the task groups. We now had sixty ships, including the carrier Kennedy that had just checked in. Admiral Murphy stated: “The two fleets are sitting on a pond in close proximity and the stage was now set for a war at sea.” On February 19 a Soviet official briefing on anti-carrier operations stated that the battle would be encapsulated as a ’battle of the first salvo’, meaning all Soviet ships would fire all their weapons on the order to shoot. On 30 October, Washington authorized our carrier groups to finally leave the area and head west. Our battle groups had been very vulnerable this entire period within range of missile attacks because they had been denied freedom of maneuver by Washington. The Soviets prepared to land troops on the eastern bank of the Suez Canal. By now, 3 November, they had ninety-five ships and we had sixty." |
|
| 4. |
Various sources
refer to the installation of a small fiber optic
link telephone system aboard the LITTLE ROCK. It would seem from the
data we've accumulated that the system (a) may have been installed as
early as 1973, (b) that it may have been limited to 6 stations
(phones), (c) that it was installed to verify the limited
susceptibility to electro-magnetic interference from other equipment,
or (d) it provided "secure" communications between the stations. There
are also references to a Mr. Don Williams of the Naval Electronics
Laboratory Center (NELC) in San Diego as the person heading up this
project. |
|
| 5. |
On
Aug 10, 1974 the Washington Post reported in part "....The civilian court overseeing the
military justice system blocked the courts-martial yesterday of 10
black sailors charged with rioting Nov. 8, 1973, aboard the USS LITTLE
ROCK, flagship of the Mediterranean 6th Fleet." |
|
| 6. |
For
a more detailed description of the racial incidents on board LITTLE
ROCK, refer to Captain
Cullins' Oral History. |
|
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