Chandler (DDG 996) - Naval Cruise Book

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40 crewmen lifted off blazing ship 11) n stnlf irnorlcr n piiiclcd iiiisiiledc5lio)cr, rciuleicd help lo the ciew of the Pivot oil hunianllar- AN IRANIAN fiigale nimiiig «itli Inn grounds; ' the chopper used by nn dcnclly ncciiiacy set nblaze a Anictlcan IV coinpnny iiindc seveinl C)i)ikit tanker caiiyiiig a lull load snilies to pluck ciew fiom the blazing or Saudi ciudc out of the Gulf ' ' i™l. shipping sources said. cslciday. and a US Navy l.clicop- ' I ' = ' ' ■ ' ■ ' ' ' , ' ' ' , ' ' ' ' ' , , . Shipping Company of Cyprus is now tcr and another carrying a camera J ' J . „,,, ' „ „„ „„,„ „, ,|,e cicw weie encaccd in a diainalic .,, ic .iiii ,.r,r l iiowii. ntcnis said. 6mit.i said t)ota missiles passed as- tern of the Chandler, the last ship in the convoy, but one suddenly changed course and passed along the starboard side of the ship before veering away. Seconds later it deto- nated. Cmdr. Steve Smith, captain of the Chandler, said he was concerned because Iraqi pilots often fire at radar blips without making sure what their targets are. Please see GULF: A-4, CoL 2 On Saturday, the Cypriot tanker I ' ivol caught fire alter it was attacked by an Iranian attack. Tlic U.S. guided-mi.ssilc destroyer Chandler and a hehcop- ter cari-ying a CBS news crew helped rescue about 40 people from the Pivot, including a preg- nant woman. HSL-33 helps make heroic joint rescue By YN2 Carey Fedele HSL-33 Asst. PAO On Dec. 12, Helicop- ter Anti-Submarine Squadron (Light) De- tachment SiH deployed aboard USS Chandler, teamed up with a CB5 news, helicopter to make a heroic joint rescue of 40 Merchant Marine sailors from the flaming 232,l64UQn Cypriot Oil Tanker Pivot The Pivot had been ' struck by weapons from an Ira- nian Warship in the Per- sian Gulf. flFhe H3L-33 crew, Lieutenant Com- mander ' lylike Critz, Lieutenant junior Grade Tom Coogan Aviation Anti-Submarine Warfare Operator CAW21 Jose Melende? and ' AWS Britt Akins, wRre ' able to re- spond almost immediate- (See Rescue page 7) A record number of attacks: the Cypriot tanker P(Vo after it was hit last month Missile fired near U.S. ship No injuries reported after incident in Persian Gulf MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) - An Iraqi jet bomber fired a cruise missile within eight miles of the San Diego-based USS Chandler in the Persian Gulf after the American destroyer warned the warplane away with flares. Rescue- Continued from page 1 ly when the Mayday was received. Following a scramble launch and approach through the bil- lowing smoke, Seasnake 2rs crew lowered Akins to reported hitting a very large maritime target, oi pertanker, at Sirri island at about the same time. Reporters could not determine whether any tai embarkation of passengers in each aircraft.. Due, to the helicopters ' small passen- ger cabins, they were (limit- ed to hoisting only, three aboard on each run. The USS Chandler.is part 13 CDR Bill, Sigler.. Execu- tive Officer of HSL-33, de- scribed-; the • operation as • a dramatic rescue. Com- menting on press coverage of the event he reported that, As I watched theiair-