Claude V Ricketts (DDG 5) - Naval Cruise Book

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--31-1 Y The weapons of the CLAUDE V. RICKETTS reach high into the sky and under the ocean to attack her enemies. The ship possesses two of the U.S. Navy's most modern systems - the TARTAR anti-aircraft missile system and the ASROC fAnti- Submarine Rocketj system. TARTAR is launched from a twin-arm launcher and homes on aircraft targets tracked by radar. The missile itself is a medium- range, supersonic. weapon powered by a dual-thrust, solid pro- pellant rocket motor. Coupled with the radar fire control system, TARTAR gives CLAUDE V. RICKETTS the capability of de- stroying aircraft at ranges and altitudes beyond the limit of conventional gun batteries. In most instances, the targets attacked by TARTAR will be destroyed before they are sighted visually by ship's personnel. ASROC, the U.S. Navy's newest anti-submarine weapon, is a surface-to-underwater solid propellant rocket torpedo that can be employed against all types of enemy submarines. ASROC is actually two missiles in one. Fired from surface ships, it is projected to the target area and upon. entering the water it be- comes an acoustic homing torpedo. I . sau: 33.

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U15 Marr - Cfltzudc 'Il Ricketts Claude Vernon Ricketts was born in Missouri on February 23, 1906, and was graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1929. For duty in World War Two he received a Letter of Commendation with Ribbon and the Legion of Merit with Combat ' ' V . After instruction at various staff and war colleges he reported in June 1949 as Commanding Officer of USS ALSHAIN KAKA-551. In July 1952 he became Head, Amphibious Warfare Branch, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. After Commanding the USS SAINT PAUL KCA-731 and serving as Commander De- stroyer Flotilla Four, he became director of Strategic Plans, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. On February 1, 1961, he became Com- mander, Second Fleet, and on September 25 of the same year, he assumed his last duty in the U.S. Navy as Vice Chief of Naval Operations. While serving as Vice CNO he devoted his enormous energy and talents to many projects of importance to the U.S. Navy and the NATO alliance. On July 6, 1964, Admiral Ricketts died of a heart attack. On July 28, 1964, USS BIDDLE was renamed and recommissioned USS CLAUDE V RICKETTS CDDG 51 in memory of the former Vice Chief of Naval Operations At the name changing ceremony the Honorable Paul H Nitze Secretary of the Navy spoke of the appropriateness of renaming the ship in honor of Admiral Ricketts because of the great contri butions and effort the Admiral had given to the concept of mixed manning and the Multilateral Force CLAUDE VERNON RICKETTS CY' CMU fr SHIP S EMBLEM ln the absence of a verifiably accurate RICKETTS Family Crest the present emblem WQS adopted when USS BIDDLE KDDG 51 was renamed USS CLAUDE V RICKETTS IDDG 51 on 28 July 1964 At this time RICKETTS was participating in the mixed manning demons tration by seven NATO countries Therefore the four pointed star is similar to the NATO symbol except the colors are reversed it being impractical to go through all the red tape of obtaining permission to use the exact NATO symbol The four stars are indicative of the full Admiral and his dis tingmslyed Sefvwe and in international relations and NATO affairs The trident 1S retained from the BIDDLE emblem and IS the symbol of sea power The emblem was selected for its s1mPl1C1fY and its being easily f6PF0C1l1C1ble . T .fy Ui 4 1 - t I !. g I y V . f 1 .' . . . 1 Cf all . I u . ' I l 1 - , . . . . - 'A - . . . . U, 4 . .fe ,ls-A HQ, gr 1 in

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DDG-5 built by the New York Shipbuilding Company, was commissioned USS BIDDLE, in ceremonies held at the Philadelphia Naval Ship- yard on 5 May 1962. This ship, the fourth of the DDG-2 Class, was named for Captain Nicholas Biddle, a hero of the Continental Navy, and be- came the third naval ship to bear his name. Her predecessors were Torpedo Boat Number 26, and the DD-151. The ship's sponsor was Mrs. Fred A. Bantz, wife of the former Under Secretary of the Navy. The ship was commanded upon commissioning by Commander Paul Roth, USN. After commissioning, DDG-5 was fitted out at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and put to sea on 19 June to join the Atlantic Fleet. Embarking immediately upon Independent Ship Exercises and Ship's Qualification Trials, the ship com- menced operations in East coastal and Caribbean waters. In March 1964, DDG-5 was designated as the U.S. Navy warship to participate in the mixed manning demonstration with navies of the United Kingdom, West Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Greece and Turkey. During the demonstration. the ship was manned by 5073 non-U.S. personnel. On 28 July 1964 the ship was renamed and re- commissioned USS CLAUDE V. RICKETTS in memory of the former Vice-Chief of Naval Oper- ations, Admiral Claude V. Ricketts, USN, who had devoted a great deal of his effort to the concept of mixed manning and the Multilateral Force. fMLFj. In the eighteen months of a successful mixed manning, demonstration, the CLAUDE V. RICK- ETTS steamed over 5000 miles,visiting ports in the United States and each of the countries participating in the demonstration. The ship operated as a unit of the U.S. Second Fleet in the Atlantic, and with the U.S. Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. She participated in major oper- ations, including underway replenishments and refuelings, missile firings, gunfire exercises, and tactical exercises. With many distinguished guests in attendance, including the Secretary of the Navy, the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic, and the Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, the mixed manning demonstration was terminated with ceremonies at the Norfolk Naval Station on 1 December 1965, ln 1966 RICKETTS deployed for a six month Mediterranean cruise. Operations in the Sixth Fleet included two major NATO exercises, ASW exercises, an underway replenishment each month, and numerous other smaller operations. Many ports were visited. The ship returned to home port on 19 May 1967. Since that time, the ship has embarked with forty-one Naval Academy Midshipmen on a training cruise including several missile firings, an ASW exercise, and port visits to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Galveston, Texas, and continuously participates in major and minor Atlantic and Second Fleet Training cruises and exercises. On 6 March 1968, RICKETTS again departed for the Mediterranean Sea. This book is a brief history of that cruise. I