From the collection of Gene Gardner.
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| U.S.S. Allen M. Sumner DD-692 | |||||
| Mediterranean/Middle East -
February to August 1959 From the collection of Gene Gardner. | |||||
Official Ship's Deck Log - 1959
Charles "Ed" Williams Photo Collection
The Sumner departed the D&S Piers in Norfolk in February 1959 along with the USS Roosevelt and the USS Intrepid for deployment with the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. After passing Gibraltar the ship visited Golfe Juan, France, Naples, Menton, France, Genoa, Souda Bay, Crete and Beirut, Lebanon while participating in Fleet operations and training. In May the Sumner entered Port Said, Egypt and transited the Suez Canal.
Upon completing passage of the canal she became a part of ComMidEastForces and steamed on primarily independent duty to such countries as Eritrea, British Somaliland, Aden, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Pakistan. This duty continued until July when a northerly passage of the Suez Canal brought her back to duty with the Sixth Fleet.
The remainder of the deployment saw her make stops at Iskenderun, Turkey, Rhodes, Greece, Athens, Venice, Taranto, Italy, Majorca, Pollensa Bay and a final stop at Gibraltar. The D&S piers came back into view at the end of August.
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