| |
| |||
| U.S.S. Allen M. Sumner DD-692 | ||||
| Our Jobs | ||||
Each member of the crew from the Captain to the Mess Cook had a specific job to do. We performed as a team and each member of the team was vital to the fulfillment of the missions assigned to us. What follows are brief descriptions of the different jobs we had and what we did to keep the Sumner ready for any emergency.
Boiler Technician - Ed Izzi (BT2 66-69)
Barely Trainables (BT's) kept the ship going. When everyone went on
liberty...we refueled...every 600 hours of steaming we did Firesides (this is cleaning the
black soot from the tube outer surfaces...scraping and using a steam lance with steam
pressure...then shocking the tubes with colder water. Took 2 days to do it right) and
after 1800 hours of steaming we did Watersides (this is cleaning the internal surfaces of
the tubes with an airbrush. We had over 1000 one inch tubes and a few hundred two inch
tubes and a few downcommers. Doing this was tough - working conditions, breathing in all
kinds of dust and particles). Most of the crew were clean, we as Boiler Techs.. were
grimy..dirty and always oil stained. We worked in 100°F heat often...took salt tablets
and...breathed in asbestos. We steamed the ship when...conditions were calm or rough. A
typhoon near Okinawa...made us sick...24/7. We were the last to go on Liberty and the last
back...we were Brothers all the way. I remember in 69...the English Channel...following a
carrier...so they could make a Speed Run...two mess deck personal tried to empty trash
cans and fell overboard...the carrier slowed down and we (I was top watch in the Forward
Fire Room) picked them up in 11 minutes...great job by the bridge. We laid smoke screens
while the HMAS Hobart fired on the VC.. We did a lot we were never sited for. I deal with
Combat Systems on destroyers now...32 years...my life...and often I want to stand and tell
these Captains and Combat Systems officers "Pay attention to your engineering, you
won’t do your job if they fail." Love the Boiler Tech Trade.. we stuck
together...fought together and were AMS Brothers all the way. A note: I had a Uncle,
brother-in-law and me all AMS sailors.
Deck Force - Bo'suns Locker - Dan
Coli (SN 66-69)
The Bo'suns Locker was the ship's seagoing utility shed. It was located in the
forward section of the ship under the forecastle. The hatchway leading down into
the Bo'suns Locker was just forward of the first gun mount (51 Mount). Tools of
every description were stored there including hammers, scrappers for chipping
paint, and marlin line for upkeep of the lifelines as well as dogging wrenches
for the hatches and wooden, cone shaped "Fids" for separating heavy
lines in addition to screwdrivers and pliers, bolt cutters and shears for
cutting sheet metal and penetrating oil for their protection from the corrosive
effects of the salt air. Protective gloves, life vests, rain gear and heavy
coats for standing bridge watch and after lookout in the cold weather were
stored in lower areas called voids below decks. Other areas below decks were a
good place to store 10 gallon cans of haze grey paint with read lead and green
chromate for priming bare metal before painting and black water line paint which
doubled as a protective covering for the "webbing" for the lifelines.
Non-skid material to make a rough surface on the painted decks was also stored
below. Every once in a while a ten gallon can of paint or non-skid would pop
it's top and the enclosed space would be engulfed with fumes that made it very
hazardous when cleaning up the mess. Canvas awnings for shade during the hot
weather months were stored there as well as the standard brooms, mops and water
buckets for swabbing the decks. Other accessories included Navy issue brass
polish and kitchen cleanser which when mixed together made a good way to strip
and polish the corrosion of the brass fittings on the lifelines. We found that
it was best to buy our own civilian "Brasso" and add it to the mix.
Bundles of rags would be put in the forward lamp room which was in the very bow
of the ship. The Bo'suns Locker was First Division territory but whoever ran it
had to be diligent enough to remember that the entire ship relied on it for many
if it's daily essentials. It was a good idea to see to it that any extra
supplies that you could not find a space for in the Bo'suns Locker were
distributed to the rest of the ship according to need and proximity to the deck
force. Gunner's Mates first, because they were the closest to us, the
"Snipes" down below in the engine rooms second and then everybody else
according to need. The "Snipes" in the engine rooms were always
grateful for anything they could get. The especially liked getting liquid soap
and cleanser and occasionally I could give them two or three large bundles of
rags. The Deck Force was not the cleanest job on the ship but it was always the
"Snipes" that had the dirtiest jobs. Any replenishment would not have
been complete without a substantial shipment of something that would have been a
major morale buster if we didn't have it, Toilet Paper. In port it was always a
good idea to make contact with the Bo'sun Locker Seaman on the other ships and
if you had any extra cleanser or anything else you could spare, it was a good
idea to trade it for as much toilet paper as you could get. I'm proud to say
that during the Med cruise of 1969 we may have gotten low on toilet paper but we
did not run out of it. There were time, however, that we did run low on paint.
Requisition forms?, "we don't need no stinking requisition forms".
Just break out those 10 gallon cans of haze grey paint or red lead and come back
with 500 rolls of the old Navy issue two ply which is exactly what I did when
with just two weeks left on the Med cruise I traded 150 gallons of haze grey
paint to get those 500 rolls. Otherwise it would have been a long trip back. Who
would object to that? I never heard any complaints, but if we had run out of
toilet paper I would have heard it plenty. There was only one way in and out of
the Bo'suns Locker and there was a caged area on the port side as you entered
the hatch. It had a wooden desk inside and more than one sailor studying for
advancement who needed a quiet place to study after hours was welcome to make
use of it. The Bo'suns Locker was also a place where a clash of personalities
could be resolved. Two young men who didn't like each other could get it out of
their systems in a private setting. They didn't have to like each other
afterward but any excess of aggression was best put behind then when they were
through and the Bo'suns Locker was the best place to leave it. It was second
only to the berthing compartment as the center pf shipboard life of the 1st
Division on the Sumner.
Disbursing Clerk - Don Gillis (DK3 70-71)
The Disbursing Clerk (DK) did paperwork relating to pay and allowances and helped the crew
to understand pay and allowances. On ships like the Sumner, there was usually only one DK
or one and a "striker". The DK would get your orders and payrecord from the
Ship’s Office after you reported to the ship He would do your travel claim. When it
came time to get paid, he would be sitting next to the Disbursing Officer and probably
check your pay receipt before handing it to the DO to pay. If you had a question about
sending money home (an allotment) or whether you qualify for a dependant’s allowance
(E-4 over 4 or above) he would tell you. The Disbursing Clerk rating evolved from a
Storekeeper specialty and earlier DK’s were SKD’s or SK(D)’s, i.e.
Storekeeper, Disbursing. The DK worked for the Disbursing Officer who was usually the
Supply Officer as well on a destroyer. DK’s were part of the Supply Department, with
the cooks, stewards, ship’s servicemen and storekeepers.
Electricians Mate - Bob
Kelly (EM3 68-71)
Our job was to keep the electrical circuits on the ship up and in good
shape. We did shipboard repairs on all motors,lighting, and we also stood underway watches
in the engine room on the main switchboard. In port we stood sound and security watches,
and we were the duty electricians. One of the jobs I remember we had to do when we pulled
into a foreign port, was rig the "Med lights". They were the lights that went up
and over the mast , and down both sides of the ship. With pulling the shore power cable
and rigging the Med lights we didn't get off the ship for a couple of hours after every
one else. Then all the things have to be taken down and put away before getting underway.
So I guess we all had our nuisance jobs we remember. On some occasions we would help the
IC electricians with their work.
Electronics
Technician - Hank Lunki
(ET1 68-71)
I was part of a small crew that maintained the two DASH remote-controlled
drone helicopters. Dick Burton and I maintained the avionics which
allowed the DASH officer to fly the things. A drone carried one torpedo. When sonar located a target, the
drone was launched and tracked by radar until it was superimposed over
the sonar contact. Then the torpedo was released and its guidance system
located the sonar contact. It worked pretty well most of the time. Drone up-time was a problem with some ships but we were always ready to
launch when ordered. Of course, there was the time when a drone lost its
brains while being flown to a target and was never seen again. And
another time when a drone tipped over while lifting off and threw lead
shrapnel everywhere when it's blades hit the ship. Dick Burton was
assisting the officer behind the control console on the flight deck and they
both dropped to their knees behind the shield. Nobody was injured but it
was exciting.
Executive Officer - Bill Moye (LCDR 66-68)
The executive officer is called the "business manager" of the ship. He is
responsible to the captain for the readiness, seaworthiness and cleanliness of the ship,
and for the welfare and training of the crew. The XO is second in command and must be
ready to take over in the absence of the CO. Whereas all ship dealings with the external
world are the direct responsibility of the CO, the XO is responsible to the captain for
all internal matters. Aboard destroyers the Exec often serves as Evaluator in the Combat
Information Center when battle stations are manned and may also be the Navigator.
Fire Control Technician - Frank Presfield (FTG3 66-69)
Ron Babuka and I had asked Frank about Fire Control and this is his response: I’m
going to try and answer your inquiry about fire control as simply as possible. Some of the
crew just kind of figured we pointed those 5" 38’s and let the bullets fly. Of
course that wasn’t the case. Sumner was a hybrid weapons system at the time of her
launching taking the best of her predecessors and adding heavier armament. So many factors
have to be taken into account to make a single projectile hit a target. Simplicity says if
you keep throwing something at something long enough something will stick or hit. That is
not the case with weapons systems. Ideally, if you can hit the target everytime that has
the effect of minimizing costs in terms of munitions, fuel, etc. not the least of which
keeping the crew out of harms way for shorter periods of time. Each type of situation asks
fire control and CIC to formulate a different task. Naval gunfire support or target
acquisition of the stationary type is probably the simplest. You enter ships speed,
course, distance and figure the type of target (buildings, piers, staging areas, troop
concentrations, etc) and get some help from time to time from air recon, maps,
intelligence. Put the pieces together and fire for effect. Now that sounds pretty simple.
But it goes beyond that. Keeping the muzzles of those guns trained at the same point while
the ship is moving, pitching, rolling, turning and the such. Ah, that’s the secret.
Let’s go back to the "Battle of Ormoc Bay". What if the target is moving
and he wants to "hit you". At Ormoc Bay she had it all. Trying to hit moving
targets, shore targets, air targets and all of them trying to hit her while she is
maneuvering. I truly doubt without the excellence of the whole crew acting as one and the
fire control system working on all cylinders, she could have survived that incredible
night. Capt. Baty told me just after I had gotten squared away in ‘66. FT’s
don’t mess cook. This is a "Gun Platform" and they’re too important to
the mission. Sounds trite, but I really believe he felt that way. Let me relate a simple
story from the "Beau Charger" mission. No one really knew this mission would be
as long as it turned out to be. But, it was one of the type that physically wears a crew
down. 24 hours non-stop GQ and firing all the time. I was ready for some sack time and the
director officer let me get relieved to go sack out for a couple hours. Next thing I knew
this flashlight was in my face. Wasn’t a messenger, it was the "Gun Boss",
Lt. Thompson. He said the mounts were jerking back and forth and I needed to get it
stopped or we wouldn’t hit the side of a barn with a bass fiddle. I went into the
barbette and pulled an amplifier out (vacuum tube type) and sat with it on my lap for most
of the rest of the mission keeping it in balance with a screwdriver. It worked and the
mission was completed. But, oh my, that next day. We had fired everything we had so we had
the largest and toughest single at sea rearming detail of the Vietnam deployment. Surely,
I could go on and on for several pages and not even scratch the surface.
Fitter Pipes (later called a Ship Fitter Pipes)
- Jim Walker (FP3 53-55)
Anyone that served aboard ship and went to the head should be grateful
for the pipe fitter, especially when we missed the supply ship and had to eat
beans for days.
A pipe fitter must be part mathematician, construction worker, maintenance
worker, welder, and magician. Most people upon seeing piping takes those bends
and welds for granted. They usually don’t realize the precision it takes to
allow the liquid or air to travel through the pipes- up, down, and around to its
final destination.
During my years on the AMS, being a pipe fitter was quite different than the
years spent aboard other types of ships (tenders) and in civilian life for 35
years after the Navy. On the AMS, we served mostly as maintenance workers rather
than the precision it took on a tender.
On the AMS, a pipe fitter was responsible for repairing all piping, including
repair of the heads (hey, those valves don’t work and you’re in deep!). It
was our job to make any repairs to the miles of pipe that runs throughout the
ship. During rough seas, it was up to the pipe fitter to keep the chain locker
pumped out. We stood sounding watches, which consisted of taking soundings
(checking for water) in the chain locker, bilge’s, and aft steering, which
needed to be clear of water. We made sure all compartments were maintained as
airtight compartments.
During Battle stations, we were part of Damage Control serving as firemen, using
fire hoses to extinguish any fires and keep the ship afloat.
The guys I served with on the AMS worked as a team. My most vivid memory of that
teamwork was when the cook would bring to the pipe shop a loaf of freshly baked
bread. We would then, as a team, sneak up to the galley and "secure" a
few potatoes, a can of milk, a couple of eggs, and a little flour. Upon our
return to the shop, this team would set out making our favorite potato pancakes
using a rasp to shred the potatoes. We’d add the milk, eggs, and flour and
cook them. They went great with our coffee; we brewed in our coffeepot we had
made from a 5" shell casing, using a steam line to boil it. To this day, I
can taste those potato pancakes, bread, and coffee, but to date, I’ve never
been able to duplicate it. Yes, being a pipe fitter required precision and
teamwork; without it, that meal wouldn’t have been the same.
Gunner's Mate - Gary Carnot (GMG3 66-70)
The job of Gunner’s Mate (GM) is an important function on a ship of war. In
coordination with the Fire Control Technicians (FT’s), a GM is responsible for the
actual firing of the armament of a ship. In the case of the Sumner, we had three main
batteries. The were 5"/38gun mounts. The forward mount located on the main deck was
Mt. 51, the Forward mount on the 02 level was Mt. 52, and the mount located aft on the
main desk was Mt. 53. In addition to keeping the mounts in good working order, we
were responsible for their cosmetic appearance as well. The GM’s also were
responsible for the magazines, where the ammunition is actually stored, and the upper and
lower handling rooms where ordnance was transferred just prior to combat operations.
All signal flare lockers and hedgehog mounts were also maintained by our guys, with
the assistance of the Signalmen and the Sonar Techs. Temperatures had to be taken daily in
all spaces containing any type of ammunition or ordnance. Small arms carried onboard
during the 60’s consisted mainly of .45 caliber pistols, Browning Automatic rifles,
M-1 Garands, M-14 rifles, and M-1 Carbines. M-16 rifles replaced the M-1 Garand towards
the late 1960s. Sumner also had two .50 Caliber Machine Guns that could be mounted on the
Focsle or the wings of the bridge, in case we needed to repel borders. During
replenishing operations, it was a GM that would fire the line-throwing gun that would
enable lines, cables and hoses to be ran between the ships taking part in refueling,
rearming, or the taking on of stores. A miss the first time would be a very annoying thing
to the Captain who would stand on the bridge and eyeball that first shot . All in
all the job of the GM was interesting and at times could be fun. Small arms training for
the crew enabled us to fire all of the weapons from the weapons locker, something the
entire crew did not usually get to do. Of course, we also had to go below afterwards and
clean all of those weapons! During Operation Sea Dragon off the coast of Vietnam in
1967, the GM’s had plenty to do, and the time of day or night was not a factor with
regard to how well we performed our duties. I was, and still am proud to have been
associated with the 2nd Division of the USS Allen M. Sumner DD-692.
Interior Communications Electrician - Paul
Delasco (IC2 61-64)
The IC Electrician rate was a break-off of the Electrician (EM) rate in the late
1940's. In the late 1970's, as ships became more computerized, the IC rate was
absorbed into one of the new technical rates. The IC & plotting room
was located just aft of the mess deck on the Sumner. We shared the space
with the Fire Control Technicians (FT). When I reported aboard in August
of 61, the Sumner was in Charleston, S.C. going through FRAM (Fleet
Rehabilitation And Modernization). The ship consisted of the main deck and
below. It took another five months of work in the yards before Sumner was
ready to get under way. We worked for Dave Smith IC2. He was a
quiet, very patient man with us new kids. It was our job to take care of all the
communication and electrical indicating gear within the ship. The most
important piece of gear was the ships gyro compass. The Sumner had a
Sperry navigation and fire control compass with compass repeaters on the bridge,
main control, secondary con and after steering. The IC gang also took care of
the engine order and engine revolution telegraph, the rudder angle indicator and
ship's speed indicator. Also the fire detector and fire indicator alarms.
I spent most of my time working on the sound powered telephones. the
sailors were always breaking the tinsel cord wires that connected the earpieces
to the transmitter on the headsets. Other gear we took care of was the 1MC
public address system or "bitch box" as it was called. Also, the
21MC station to station communication units which were located in the pilot
house, captain's cabin, main control, ward room and IC room. We had three
jobs I did not like; replacing the wind speed and direction transmitters,
replacing salinity sensors, and setting the super heater alarms. There were
two wind speed transmitters which looked like model airplanes without wings and
were located up on the ends of the yardarm. These units sent wind
information the pilot house and fire control computer. The salinity
indicators were located in the engine rooms. There were five sensors on
various parts of the evaporators for the different stages of desalination.
(Making fresh water). On occasion we would have to replace one of the sensors.
The heat was so bad you had to do the job in less than five minutes. Every time
the ship got underway we had to set the superheater alarms. They were
located behind the boilers, another hot job. The best part of the IC rate
was showing the movies. We took care of the 16mm movie projectors, and had to
get the movies from the base movie exchange or trade with other ships underway.
If you got good movies you were a "hero", if you got bad movies you
were a "zero". At sea, movies were about the only form of
entertainment on a tin can. This gave IC men a certain amount of prestige.
In November of '63 I made second class petty officer. My two main motives were
money and not having to stand in the chow line. Dave Smith was in charge so I
would not have that responsibility. Wrong! Two weeks later Smitty was
transferred to shore duty at Great Lakes and I was in charge. My shipmate
Ed Sparks made second class shortly after, so we split the responsibility for
the next 3 months until we were discharged in early April of '64. Looking back
now, the IC rate was one of the best rates in the Engineering Department!
Machinist Mate - Irvin R. Williams (MM2 52-55)
The Machinist Mates main job is to maintain and operate the ships main
engines and the ships generators for electric power. It is the Machinist Mates job to keep
all of the engine room space clean and safe at all times. If a piece of machinery breaks
down it is the Machinist Mate job to repair it. They will have a lot of spare parts on
board for small repairs. They also have to take care of the refrigeration units onboard to
keep the crews food supply from spoiling. There are Machinist Mates in two different
divisions on board ship. The M division is the main propulsion division and then there is
the A gang. They are the ones that take care of the refrigeration (or ice machines) as
they are called on board. While under way, at sea, the M division (MM) will stand watch at
the main engines and all support machines such as, main feed pumps, booster feed pumps -
they were used to pump the condensed steam back to the ships boilers to be reheated to
steam again. There are also other machines to watch such as the main generators, bilge
pumps, propeller shaft bearings and anything else to do with the main engines and power
train. The normal watch was for (4) four hours. One watch must be on duty at all times so
you were relieved after four hours by someone else. While the ship was at anchor there
were also Machinist Mates on watch to keep the main generator operating and supplying
power to the ship. Also, some times while tied up at a dock there were Machinist Mates on
watch in the engine room. There were always some Machinist Mates on duty in port or at
sea. The main title would be steam engineering as that is their main purpose - to operate
steam driven engines and pumps.
Machinist Mate - Chuck
Kaake (MM2 66-68)
Machinist’s Mates are assigned to all types of steam driven surface ships.
Most Machinist’s Mates are assigned to "M" division where they operate and
maintain ship propulsion equipment and associated equipment. The nature of the
Machinist’s Mates duties depends largely on the type of ship to which he is assigned.
Machinist’s Mates assigned to the "M" division operate and maintain the
ship’s main engines and associated equipment such as: pumps, desalinization plants,
compressors, valves, lubricating oil purifiers, heat exchangers, gear sets, shafts and
shaft bearings. Machinist’s Mates who are assigned duties other than in enginerooms
maintain and repair machinery such as: steering engines, anchor windlasses, cranes,
winches, elevators, laundry equipment, galley equipment, and air conditioning and
refrigeration equipment. Machinist’s Mates also perform duties in the generation,
stowage, and transfer of the following gases: oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and
acetylene.
Radarman - Jim
Georgantas (RD3 66-69)
The
duties of a radarman varied. In addition to the usual cleaning spaces and various
upkeep duties in our work area, we kept track of all the other ships we
encountered on the radar. We plotted their course and speed, kept track of who
was where, what they were doing. In Vietnam we plotted course for the gun line,
tracked Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) for incoming missiles. We kept track of all the ships on the Video
Presentation Board in the Combat Information Center (CIC). We spent hours watching the radar screen looking
for "targets". We were responsible for keeping the bridge informed on
all the activities of other ships and aircraft around us. I think the hardest
time we had was when we went to Portsmouth, England for the NATO review. There was
hundreds of all types of water craft. The only disadvantage to being a
radarman for me was the fact that during all sea details I was inside and didn't
get to see anything as we pulled into or out of all the different ports we visited.
Radarman -
Dean Price (RD2 66-69) 
When I first came aboard as a RDSN my job included maintaining our
designated spaces, i.e., 01 level (Mount 52 and HedgeHog deck) not the
HedgeHog racks or the gun mount, Aft Crews Showers, Berthing compartment and
Combat Information Center. Those were our duties as sailors and
shipmates. As Radarmen we were responsible for monitoring Surface Search
Radar, Air Search Radar, Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) monitoring,
real time situational awareness through displays and plotting tables. We
also were responsible for maintaining both Navy and Joint Operations Manuals
as well as navigational chart updates. When we were at anchor
we also tracked weather and reported conditions to the OOD. On sea
detail we plotted our position with Radar Navigation and recommended course
and speed to the bridge. In man overboard situations like the one with
Gary Carnot we marked the spot where the man went overboard and reported range
and bearing to the bridge. As I progressed in rate my duties changed
from cleaning and painting on the 01 deck to being responsible for
cleaning the aft crews showers to cleaning CIC. We also had various
duties at special details, Sea Detail, Underway Replenishment (UNREP),
and Condition II Watch. I was also responsible for
maintaining currency on classified publications (COMTAC Custodian) and
navigational charts. I really enjoyed the time I spent on the aft
fueling rig during underway re-fueling and replenishing. I was a line
handler for a time and eventually worked on the rig. I wanted to stay on
the rig but was told that as an RD2 I was needed in CIC during special
details.
Radioman - Mark Henry (RM2 69-72)
PRIORITY 181529Z MAR 99 UNCLAS - EFTO
On board SUMNER in the late sixties and early seventies, there were 10-12 Radiomen. At
sea, depending on how many men we had, we would work an 8 or 12 hour shift. In port, if we
were short handed we would work port and starboard shifts 24 on and 24 off so we could get
liberty and "see the world". We had several methods of communicating with the
rest of the world. CW (continuous wave or Morse code) was one of them, we used teletype
machines, and of course voice radio. I believe our voice call sign then was ROADBLOCK and
our CW call sign was NHSO. To me the work of the Radioman was very interesting. You
usually knew what was going on and where you were going. You got to see all of the
transmissions (except the ones that came in or went out in code and read Captain's eyes
only). I got to see most of those too though, because I worked in the little code room we
had in the main "Radio Shack". One of my jobs was to encode and decode those
messages for the "Old Man". We had two other radio spaces too. Radio one and
Radio two, where spare transmission equipment with both high and low frequency
transmitters were kept in case Radio Central became a battle casualty. There were several
advantages to being a Radioman. Our space was generally air conditioned, to keep the
equipment cool, but we got to enjoy it too. Except in unusual circumstances, we got out of
scrapping, painting, refueling and the transfer of ammunition and stores. We didn't stand
bridge watches at sea or quarterdeck watches in port. Although, during refueling I was
generally the Captain's sound powered phone talker. I would relay messages from the
captain of SUMNER to the oiler using the sound powered phones. I remember seeing a sign on
one of the oilers which said "Pig Tail, Probe, NATO, Rob, bring her along side and
we'll finish the job." I think the name of the ship was the USS Mississinewa (AO-59)
but, I am not sure. I saw that sign a lot though. Our training started in Great Lakes
after boot camp where you were taught basic electricity and electronics at Radio
"A" school. Upon graduation from there, you went to Bainbridge, Maryland where
you were taught Morse Code/CW. I can still hear the dits and dahs of the CW key. Later, if
you wanted to earn some "pro pay", you might attend a more advanced school. I
was accepted at Teletype Repair school in Norfolk, VA. I was the only teletype repairman
on board the SUMNER at that time and with my assigned duties and the extra work of
teletype repair I was very busy. But, with the "pro pay", I think it stood for
professional pay, I made a few extra bucks. They came in handy when we got ashore. We had
six or seven teletype printers on board the SUMNER. And they chatted night and day. We
would read the traffic on the teletype paper and see if it applied to our squadron or
ship's movement. I remember at first trying to make heads or tails out of words like
COMCRUDESLANT, COMCRUDESRON, COMCRUDESFLOT, DESRON 14, and many others. You had to initial
all the messages, file them all, and route the ones that applied to SUMNER to the
appropriate Officer for action. Each Radioman on SUMNER had his own special way of
initialing the messages. This way you could tell right away who took the message off the
machine and filed them. Every once in a while, you would miss a message that was for
SUMNER and the Captain would demand to know why he hadn't been informed. We would go back
through the messages of that day and it was either with great relief or pure dread when
the offending message was found and it either didn't have your initials on it or it did.
If it did, you would be having a chat with the Chief or the Operation Officer.
Fortunately, those missed messages were rare and never once were they of the sort that
caused SUMNER to miss any crucial assignments or ship movements. When it was really busy
and there was a lot of traffic coming in and out of the radio shack, there would be yellow
teletype tapes with little holes punched in them draped all over the radio shack on bent
paperclips waiting for their chance to be sent. All messages were sent out in order of
importance. As I recall, there were Flash messages, Operational Immediate, and Routine.
Flash was the most important and they went out pronto. Followed by Operational Immediate
and then Routine. Some Radiomen had ham radio licenses and we would set up telephone calls
from the ship to shore during Christmas for the guys. We would contact a ham radio
operator on shore and ask him to patch us through to whatever town and phone number we
needed. Than we would let the guys talk on the radio aboard the ship and his loved ones
back home could hear him through their phone. All it cost was the collect call from
wherever the ham was in the states to the sailor's home. We all appreciated what the hams
did for us. They were great. I hope we remembered to thank them enough. I remember we made
calls from the Med. and off the coast of Cuba. We got to "talk" via CW or
teletype to all of the other Radiomen on the other ships and to Radiomen stationed on
shore, so we had the skinny as to what was going on in the fleet. You also got to keep
track of and talk to the friends you had made who were stationed at other radio sites. I
believe one of the radio sites we talked to in the Med. a lot was NGR in Greece. We spent
much of our time tuning the big transmitters and receivers looking for just the right
frequency depending on the weather and time of day to make contact with the correct ship
or shore station. We also performed much PMS on the equipment and antennas trying to keep
them all in working order. I hope this gives you a little idea of what it was like in
Radio Central aboard the SUMNER. I have tried to be as accurate as I can remember, but I
am sure I made a couple of mistakes. However, it has been over 25 years since I got out so
what can I tell you.BT
IN VIA ORESTES TOR:1529Z/18 MAR 99
WU//HEN
Signalman - Vins Holbrook (SM2c 43-45)
It was with some sadness that I read in "Thru the Porthole" that the
rate classification of signalman was to be discontinued. Sadness, but
not surprise, there has been a steady advance of electronic/communications
technology that has required ever-changing human responses and the consignment
of the signalman to the scrap-heap of the technologically unemployed is just
another part of the process. The role of signalman has been on the
decline for many years, really, ever since the introduction of the old TBS
short-range voice radio during WWII when, on emergency occasions and during
actual combat, individual ship commanders and task group leaders could
converse with each other directly. Actually, visual communication
devices and techniques were only of real importance to the more routine
matters of conducting the navy and the war. Those matters where enemy
interception of signal content was not critical. The really important
stuff, routes, destinations, strategies, defenses and the like required the
more secretive confidentiality of coded radio, something that the enemy could
not easily see and read. A significant change in the visual signal
process occurred with the Allen M. Sumner class destroyers early in 1944 when
the NAN technology was introduced. I don't remember what the acronym NAN
actually stood for but it was quite a simple innovation and involved clamping
a heavily smoked glass cover over the face of the regular 12" signal
lights, closing off the visible light range of the spectrum and allowing only
infra-red waves to show through. With special binoculars the infra-red
was visible to the receiver and messages could be safely sent throughout the
night. While this change probably had no great effect on the war, it
certainly impacted the life of the signalman! Until this new equipment
was installed the signalman had nothing much to do during the long hours of
the night watches. We sat on the flag-bag, drank coffee and talked.
Once every hour we had to make entries into the weather log but other than
that there wasn't too much to do. Then, with the introduction of the NAN
gear, all of the here-to-fore routine communications restricted to daylight
hours, fuel reports, bulletins from BUPERS and whatever, could all be
handled 24 hours a day. The night watches became a nightmare of
signals. No more sitting on the flag-bag or nodding off to sleep.
We very quickly came to prefer day watches to night! As well, there also
developed a network of rumor and lore concerning the equipment.
Those special binoculars we had to use in order to receive all of this traffic
became critical objects of concern. They contained a small disk of
material that was activated by the infra-red beams to make them visible, a
kind of green flash. The story quickly spread that the disk was made of
radium and by using the binoculars one might become sterile or go blind, or
worse! Nothing official came down the pipe relating to their use or
dangers and of course in those days we had never heard of radioactivity, so we really
were confused and a bit fearful.
When I was a signalman striker aboard the Henley, DD391, the Chief Signalman,
"Dutch" Werdin, used to brag about the time he sent a fuel
report 50 miles across the Canal Zone from Panama City to Colon by
bouncing a light-beam from a 24" arc light off of the bottom of a
cloud formation. As a naive young sailor, I thought that would be the
greatest thing in the world for a signalman to do. When the Sumner
made her first voyage through the Canal in 1944 I thought maybe my dream
would come true, but, no such luck! I never got the chance.
It was interesting to note that the NAVADMIN bulletin stated that
"signal competencies will become part of the QM rating". While
I never served on anything larger than a destroyer, the two ratings were
typically combined on smaller vessels such as destroyers. Our watch
assignments on the Sumner, as well as on the Henley, were indistinguishable.
There were some task assignments in the chart room, having to do with
navigation, that only the higher rating QM's did, but other than that we all
did pretty much the same things. Of course, a certain level of
proficiency in the various signal devices and techniques was required for
promotion in the ratings but the QM's seemed to be as proficient as the SM's.
Sonarman - Frank
Nekrasz (SO1 50-54)
The Sonarman operates and maintains sonar equipment which is used to detect
submerged submarines and other objects in the ocean. Sonar is an acronym for SOund
NAvigation and Ranging. A basic Sonar system consists of a transmitter, receiver, display
and antenna. The antenna is called a transducer which consists of a series of
electro-mechanical elements which convert electrical energy into mechanical (sound) energy
and vice versa. The heart of the element is a ceramic cylinder that is connected to a
metal front face via a rod. This "piston sub-assembly" is allowed to move within
it's housing because of a vulcanized rubber interface between the metal front face and
housing. A ceramic crystal has the property to vibrate when it is subjected to a magnetic
field. Thus, when the sonar transmitter generates electrical energy to cause the ceramic
to vibrate it causes the piston sub-assembly to move in and out within the housing. The
movement of the front face in contact with the ocean causes a mechanical sound wave to be
generated in the water. When this sound hits an object (submarine) in the water a part of
the sound wave is reflected back to the transducer. This reflected "echo" hits
the face of the sub-assembly which causes the ceramic to vibrate and produce an electrical
signal which is fed to the receiver. The receiver processes this signal which is displayed
on a TV-like display and audibly for the Sonarman to analyze and classify the returned
each as belonging to a submarine, whale, wake made by another ship or some other object in
the water. Current sonars through the use of computers, which are part of the sonar
equipment, have stored data to aid the Sonarman in identifying the source of the returned
echo. The previous generations of sonars consisted of vacuum tube circuitry which required
the Sonarman to troubleshoot failed equipment and repair it. Present day sonars are
equipped with fault finding computers built into them which prompt the Sonarman where the
micro-circuitry is at fault and suggests which pre-assembled plug-in circuit board should
be replaced. It is easy to compare the sophistication and capabilities of our modern day
sonar to WWII sonars with the Wright Brothers plane and flight at Kitty Hawk to today's
Stealth Fighter.
Storekeeper - Fred
Willshaw (SK1 67-69)
The Storekeepers worked in the Supply Division and aboard Sumner there were many functions
to be performed. We were responsible for ordering, receiving and accounting for thousands
of different parts and items that kept the Sumner at sea. They ranged from the
simple roll of masking tape to a new CRT unit for the Sonar. We were the people who
did all the paperwork for the food you ate, the ammunition you fired, and the fuel that
kept us going. The Supply Office was paperwork central where it appeared we never
accomplished anything, but being an agency of the Government nothing happens without the
appropriate paper trail. Monthly reports were prepared that went to many levels above us
such as COMCRUDESLANT. Items that were ordered were of two types - those that went
directly to the people needing the item and second, those that were stored for future use
in "Store Rooms" located throughout the ship. These items had to be stored
so that they could be retrieved for use as quickly as possible. Records were
maintained of every item indicating where they were, how many we had, how many we should
have and if on order, to whom we had ordered, how many and for how much money. The money
part comes from the ship having to operate within a budget known as an Operating Target.
We kept the records of Equipage Items such as binoculars which other Division Officers had
to sign for. When not doing any of these duties we helped out anywhere we could, loading
ammunition, baking bread, paying the crew, working the ship's radio station, etc. Probably
the most important function was assisting other Divisions in finding the proper codes,
descriptions and procedures used by the Supply System to get the items they needed.
Yeoman/Personnelman - Gary M. Whitehead
(YN3 66-69)
It's the Yeoman's responsibility to make sure all the administrative functions are done properly. We worked directly for the Executive
Officer and the Commanding Officer. Each Department had a Yeoman assigned for that specific department, i.e. Weapons; Operations;
Engineering. The Yeoman take care all of incoming and outgoing correspondence; work with the officer service records. We were usually
the Captain's phone talker during General Quarters. The Personnelman handle the enlisted service records. The first person a new shipmate
would meet would be the PN as it's our responsibility to check the new shipmate onboard. We would do all the leave papers; transfers;
discharges; and transfers to the Fleet Reserve for those lifer's. Both the YN's and PN's would work on the family grams that were sent back to
the dependent's back home. It was a tough job but someone had to do it.
Tell us about your Sumner Job, write it up and send it in |
 |