Souvenir Edition Pat O'Pinion

DEC. 29- Weighed anchor at Calcutta, 12:30, and began the 84 mile trip out of the Hooghly River.

DEC. 30- Reached mouth of the Hooghly at 23:00.

DEC. 31 - At noontime, situated 18 degrees, 02 minutes N., 36 degrees, 28 minutes E., having travelled 188 naut. mi. since departure.

JAN. 1 - Noon position: 11 degrees, 52 minutes N., 83 degrees, 06 minutes E.

JAN. 2 - Anchored at Trincomalee, Ceylon 08:14 to refuel and fill up reserve water tank. (948 naut. mi. from Calcutta). Trip from Calcutta took 3 days, 20 hours averaging 13.1 knots.

JAN. 3 - Weighed anchor at 08:00, and proceeded on the 1,475 naut. mi. trip to Singapore. Had travelled 70 nautical miles by noontime.

JAN. 4 - 12:00 pos.: 06 degrees, 59 minutes N., 88 degrees 54 minutes E.

JAN. 5 - Passed Nicobar Islands at dawn. noon position: 06 degrees, 12 minutes N., 95 degrees, 16 minutes E.

JAN. 6 - Sailed thru Straits of Malacca. Passed French battleship, Richelieu, (one of largest in world) at 17: 20.

JAN. 7 - Dropped anchor in Singapore Harbor 12:25 (3 days, 17 hours after leaving Trincomalee--averaging 14.9 knots) for purpose of picking up sealed orders. In late afternoon, the Patrick's sister ship, Gen. R.E. Callan, (scheduled as leaving Karachi on Dec. 29th) anchored near us---also bound for the U.S.A.

JAN. 8 - Weighed anchor 07:00, and proceeded on the 7,500 naut. mi. scheduled course to Seattle.

JAN. 9 - 12:00 position: 03 degrees, 54 minutes, N., 111 degrees, 24 minutes E. -- in the South China Sea.

JAN. 10 - Peak of Mount Kina Balu (20 miles inland, 60 miles from the ship) on North Borneo visible on our starboard. To our port, Island of Balabac (S.W. tip of Palawan group) could be seen. During day, also passed by the Coral Lumbacan, and the Nasubata and Roughton Reefs in the Sulu Sea.

JAN. 11 - Sailed into philippines group during late hours of morning, passing Islands of Negros visible on our port, and entering the Mindanao Sea. Also sighted on ourt port, during afternoon, islands of Siquijor, Bohol and Camiguin. Shortly before dark, the PATRICK sailed
(Continued page two)

When the PATRICK ties up in San Pedro she will have completed over 16 months of active duty for Uncle Sam, made 2 com- plete trips around the world plus thou- sauds of miles in Pacific battle areas, logging a total of 113,350 miles since her commissioning.

Built in the Richmond, Cal. shipyards by Henry Kaiser for the Maritime Commis- sion, the PATRICK was commissioned on Sept. 4, 1944 and went to San Pedro on her shakedown cruise. Her speed (over 17 knots) and her fire power (5", 20 & 40mm machine guns) facilitated her un- escorted travel thru dangerous waters, while her complete hospital facilities made her invaluable in evacuating woun- ded

The ship is named in honor of General Mason M. Patrick, who died in 1942. Gen. Patrick served in France in World War I with the Engineers, and later was Chief of Air Service, A.E.F. Always an ad- vocate of the principle "Flyers in com- mand of flyers", he learned to fly at the age of 60 and was a strong propon- ent of a powerful Air Force for the U.S.

The PATRICK was designed primarily as a cargo ship, and will probably be converted to thet task when her job as a troop ship is completed. Displacing 14,000 tons, she is 522' 10 1/2" long and 71' 6" across the beam. The top of the foremast is 105' above water level, with the main deck 25' from the water. She fraws 26 to 27 feet of wrter at normal speed. Her boilers produce superheated steam (740°F. at 440 pounds pressure) that powers the two turbines (9,000 HP) which, geared down, turn her 22 ton propeller at 80 RPM. A distillation plant with a 40,000 gal. daily capacity supplies her fresh water. In keeping with Navy trecition of plenty of good food for all hands, the PATRICK was stocked for this cruise with enough food to feed the whole population of any one of the following cities for one day: Sacremento, Cal; El Paso, Texas; Utica, N.Y. or Lowell, Mass.

The PATRICK is commended by Captain A. L. Pleasants, USN, a Navy veteren whose 28 years of service date back to the beginning of World War I.

LOG OF THE PATRICK
(Continued from page one

thru Surigao Straits passing Panaon and Leyte on our port.

JAN. 12- Headed out into the Pacific, pitching and tossing.

JAN. 13- Pos. noontime: 13°48'N., 131°15'E.

JAN. 14- 12:00 position: 16°54'N., 136°37'E.

JAN. 15- Situated between the Marianas and Volcano island groups at about 21:00.

JAN. 16- Crossed Tropic of Cancer, enter- ing the North Temperate Zone, during the late afternoon .

JAN. 17- At 10:00, 70 miles North of Marcus Island. Announcement made; regarding change of destination to San Francisco

JAN. 18- 12:00 position: 28°25'N., 161°19'E.

JAN. 19- Noon position: 30°27'N., 168°26'E.

JAN. 20- New destination announced as San Pedro. 12:00 pos:tion: 32°25'N., 175°27' E.

JAN. 21 (#1)- Crossed International Date Line at approximately 02:00. Passed 185 miles North of Midway Island at 10:00.

JAN. 21 (#2)- At 09:00, approximately 330 miles North of Laysan Island in the Hawaiian chain. Position at noontime: 31°20'N., 168°57'W.

JAN. 22- Situated 600 miles North of Pearl Har- bor during late aftornoon.

JAN. 23- 12:00 position: 32°01'N., 153°42' W ..

JAN. 24- 12:00 position: 32°33'N., 145°54' W.

JAN. 25- 12:00 position: 32°32'N., 140°29'. W.

JAN. 25(cont..)- At 19:30, passod tho USS Rescue, a Navy Hospital Ship -- sailing in the opposite direction.

JAN. 26- Noon position: 32°46'N., 134°29' W.

JAN. 27- 12:00 position: 33°30'N., 125°30'W.
(Approximate)

JAN. 28- Shangri-La !!!!!

  SOUVENIR EDITION "PAT O'PINION" PAGE 3

This simplified diagram of our "Yacht" is necessarily out of proportion, and many parts of the ship are not shown, in order to indicate the more important compartments. However, with this plan you can trace your path from 2 Dog to the mess hall and back, show the route followed -n the days you carried ship's stores and where you sat topside to watch the movies at night.

  SOUVENIR EDITION "PAT O'PINION" PAGE 4   SOUVENIR EDITION "PAT O'PINION" PAGE 5 INFORMATION ABOUT GOVT. BENEFITS FOR OVERSEAS VETS OF WORLD WAR II   SOUVENIR EDITION "PAT O'PINION" PAGE 5

Five Charlie fall in the mess line ..... chow is something to do ..... and after that, the standing ..... waiting ..... a place at the rail ..... a place to sit down ..... not a chance ..... perhaps in the library ..... something to read anyway -- good for a half hour ..... can't concentrate ..... play cards, maybe ..... or argue about the news ..... find a place where we can sit down together ..... iron is hard ..... standing is harder ..... get some sun ..... "All troops go below for muster" ..... into the hotbox, the smells ..... Jackson, Jackiewicz, Jameson ..... let's get out of here ..... to stand and wait ..... if I only had a chair ..... we could watch the boxing ..... not exciting but it's something to do ..... or play bingo ..... get a real coke ..... gotta wash some clothes ..... salt water's so useless with greasy dirt ..... hair blowing from the fantail barbers ..... "One foot on the deck, fella" ..... hit the sack 'til chow ..... damp sweat ..... One Able fall in the mess line ..... damn hot ..... then later too damn cold ..... go below out of the wind ..... stale air ..... that trapped animal feeling ..... always something to get away from, but no place to go ..... all over in February .....