Ports starting from Kearny Point

Let’s start at the sixth boro’s own Kearny Point.  Federal Ship Building & Dry Dock used to be there.  On December 1, 1943, a time when that place was turning out a vessel a week or so, hull #303 was delivered as USS Stern, DE-187.     After eight years as a USN vessel, she was transferred to the Netherlands as F-811, HNLMS Van Zijll, her identity until 1967 when she was returned to the US and scrapped.

John van der Doe, frequent contributor on this blog, sailed on F-811 around the world in 1954–55, as he says “employed with the US Naval Task-force Pacific fleet 4 or 6 (forgot the number) during the Korean war.”

Port Said, 1954, north entrance to the Suez Canal.  The large statue shows Ferdinand de Lesseps.  A few years later, the statue was dynamited as celebration of the nationalization of the Canal.

Aden, stop for bunkers.

Hong Kong, awaiting orders.

Yokosuka, Japan, here and

here.   That background landscape is still recognizable today.

Papeete.

Click here for some more of that era.

 

Pacific side of the Panama Canal, now 1955.

Original “mule” style.  Click here (and scroll) for photos of the mules from 2012.  I wonder what the next generation will be.

 

And here’s a photo of the Kearny-built vessel taking on stores in Ponta Delgada, Azores.

Later, Jan took this photo in then-Leningrad.  I believe that’s St. Isaac’s Cathedral.

 

Many thanks to Jan for these photos from long ago and faraway.