Evening star., 1947-06-07
Training Cruise
Begins for 1000
|hidshipnlen
Naval Academy Men
Sailing for Scotland
In Big Task Force
BY . s.aff Correspondent, Of n. Ste.


ANNAPOLIS, June 7.-Approxi-
mately 10000 midshipmen OF the
Naval Academy sailed early today
on q summer cruise that will take
them to Scotland and then on to
Scandinavian waters.
They went aboard one of the most
powerful summer cruise task forces
ever to sail from the waters of the
Severn and Chesapeake Bay-a
force which includes the carriers
Randolph and Kearsarge, the bat
tleships Wisconsin and New Jer.
sey, and four destroyers.
The midshipmen have been pre-
pairing for the long trip even dur
ing the busy days of June Week.
which came to a conclusion yes
terday morning with the graduation
of All Navy ensigns and Marine
Corps second leutenants.
Scarcely had the 1000, represent
ing the three remaining classes at
the academy, marched out OF Dahl
gren Hall after witnessing the COM
missioning of the first-clasSmen, be-
fore they turned to"-packing sea
boxes, duf1e bags and small suit
cases.
Destroyers ut Docks.
The midshipmen assigned to the
destroyers had an easy job OF EN-
barkation this morning-they simply
filed up the gangways while the
ships lay at the academy docks.
The "battlewagon" and "fattop"
crews had to take launches to their
ships, which rode at anchor in
Chesapeake Bay.
Although restrained by regula-
tions which limit their emotions, the
undergraduates were obviously in q
holiday mood as they started on for
what most of them described as a
summer vacation" Equipped with
small cameras, they are prepared to
go sightseeing In ports In Scotland,
Sweden and Denmark very much as
any bona fide American traveller.
The task force-designated OFF,
cially as No. 81-will clear Cape
Henry in the predawn hours Of to-
morrow and will not stop until 1t
reaches Rossyth, Scotland.
Helicopters Taken Along.
Various operations, including those
connected with carrier-based planes,
will be conducted on the two-week
Atlantic crossing to acquaint the
officers lobe with ship handling
and warfare at sea. Several hell
copters have been taken on the
carriers In addition to the compile
ment Of 118 conventional type air.
craft to demonstrate liaison work
at sea.
When the last members of the
graduating class quit Annapolis over
the week end for their homes and
Ia months leave, the academy will
be all but deserted except by staff
members. On June IL, however,
next seasons class of "plebes," near
ly 300 strong, will begin arriving.
Weddings of newly commissioned
officers, which commenced immedi-
ately after the graduation cere-
monies, will continue today and
Monday at st. Andrews Chapel at
d1aAOAlJs n Oobd1 OI AZ. WCu-
dings will take place in the chapsl,
but an undisclosed additional UNI
Der will be performed in the home
towns Of other officers or their
fiancees.
Annapolis Settles Down.
After a June Week as festive as
any within recollection of the towns
people, Annapolis settled down again
today, its aspect something akin
to that of a deserted city.
Rooms at hotels, tourist estab-
lishments and private homes once
more could be obtained, following
the exodus of several thousand fam
lily members, sweethearts and friends
of academy graduates and under
classmen who journey from all parts
of the country to witness the acad-
emy's big show Of the year.
1t was the academy's 9th COM
mencement.