Souda Bay,Crete - Kythria Encounter

Some personal rememberances of Russian warship tweaking by the USS Leahy......

by William (Bill) Crowe et al.

Where:

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Who:

Kashin Class Destroyer

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The Tales:

I have a Leahy story I am surprised hasn't been told yet:  I believe it was the same cruise where Leahy, Belknap and Kennedy did our surprise sortie to the Med. Capt. Hoffmann decided that he was going to tick off the Russians and circle their deep water anchorage near Souda Bay, Crete¹ - well he did with blue (inert) missles on the rail and the National Anthem (actually "Stars & Stripes Forever" playing, per David Wallace - see below comments) blaring from the topside speakers.  Man did we have some fire control radars pointed our way, we left at flank speed and one of their new gas turbine missle destroyers (Kashin class?) got underway and chased us.  We went to GQ - I was the port battle lookout, and that sucker passed us and left us in the dust.  When they passed they were close enough to see their bridge crew on their starboard bridge wing, no one was waving on either side. I can also say he (Capt. Hoffmann) wasn't a happy camper when that gas turbine destroyer passed us..... 

NCC(AW) William (Bill) Crowe, USN, Retired

It was Sousa's "Stars & Stripes Forever" on the 1MC that day. After the initial pass through the middle of the Soviet ships anchored, Captain Hoffmann then turned us around and we went back through with missiles and Sousa on full display. The ship that attempted to get underway was more of a small DD-type. It let out a good size plume of very black smoke and immediately went dead in the water. Captain Hoffmann had the Signalmen one deck up ask if they needed any assistance; no response and she was still DIW as we sailed away. The bridge watch let out a large-size cheer as we cleared the site. Captain Hoffmann kept his cigar clamped tightly for the entire evolution!

David Wallace
Navigator, USS Leahy (DLG-16) 1972-73

Amplifying comments:

¹"CO (Capt. Hoffmann) was pissed but proud - the site was the Soviet working anchorage at Kythera (Kythria), as I recall, just North of Souda Bay, Crete"

H. Lane Mashaw, CDR. USN, Retired

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Russian Ship Links:

Kashin Class   and