Des Moines (CA 134) - Naval Cruise Book

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Div' ion Flashing light is more adaptable for messages of an administrative nature and certain tacticalsmessages. One man is employed to send or to receive, and one man to record each Word as received. Flashing light is sent in lnternational Morse Code by means of a 12 inch signal searchlight, a 24 inch signal searchlight, or yardarm blinkers. s Semaphore is the least used of all means of visual communications because it is not adaptable to use over long distances. In the present day Navy, semaphore has taken a back seat and is used mostly for adminis- trative messages in port. Panels and pyrotechnics are reserved for use in emergencies. Panels are useful for identification during time of War. Pyrotechnics have several varied uses. The most common and Widely known use of pyrotech- nies are those used with man overboard to indicate the status of recovery. The signalmen through the years have acquired many nicknames. One which has Weathered all gales is 6'Flags. The signalmen of the DES MOINES, like any other signal gang, have as their center the ujoe potfi Any ship could do Without a rudder as easily as it could do Without a aj oe pot on the signal bridge. The men of the HCSQ, Division are always ready to handle all problems concerned with visual communica- tions for administration, tactics, or emergency with efficiency and interest. 32 Hauling down a signal. Sending by semaphore Lookout for signaling ships. Making up a Hag.

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I l i 1 l Signal flags up. FRONT ROW: G. W. Hughes, SA G. L. Hughes, SA: K. W. Strat: tard, SA: D. L. Clayton, SA: C U. Voshall, SA: R. E. Delesder- nier, SA. . . . SECOND ROW: .I R. Adams, SN: R. .I. Williams, QM2: A. G. Chinchar, YNT1: H L. Touchstone, QM1: C. T. Kess- ing Ens L G Cou le QM1 T: , .: . . g , tl D. G. Wilfgen, QMHTJ: V. C Rasmussen, QM3: J. E. Parr QM3 .... THIRD ROW: .I. .I Doran, QMZKTJ: C. P. Zacharos SA: G. R. Wournell, QM3: B. C Robbins, QM3: H. L. Miller QMS3: L. P. Church, SN: S. E Higginbotham, QMS2fTJ: E. R Lynch, QM3: R. Michaud, SA. I o CS , HEN MEN first started going down to the sea in ships a system by which one could communicate with the other was needed. Therefore visual communi- cations Were developed. From the days of the sailing ships of yesteryear to the present day task fleets, the grandfather of all types of seafaring communications, visual communications, has remained the most re- liable means of communication. The present day visual communications are handled by experts called signalmen. These signalmen, consist- ing of petty officers and seamen, are formed into Watch standing sections and placed, for administrative pur- poses, in the HCS,' Division. The CS Division, headed by the Signal Officer, is a vital element of the Opera- tions Department. The Signal Officer is responsible to the Communications Officer who in turn is responsible to the Operations Officer. The signalman's primary responsibility is all visual communications including flag hoist, flashing light, semaphore, panels, and pyrotechnics. Flag hoist is the fastest means of relaying visual communications of a tactical nature. Anyone who has been to sea or stood on shore Watching a man-of-war running up the bright- ly colored flags has Watched that part of visual com- munications called flag hoist. Each flag or group of flags are called hoist and each hoist has a separate and distinct pre-arranged meaning. A

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S-1 Div'sion EMEMBER Way back in 1941 When the United States became involved in a iishootin, fracas,'7 commonly dubbed WWII? Our country was presented with the problem of engaging an enemy, destroying or demoralizing him far, far away from our shores. But the science of tactics was not alone our primary concern. The iihandw of tactics had to be fitted into a iigloven of logistics so that definite, effective blows could be dealt the enemy. Just what is logistics, then? Well, its ultimate goal is to provide the right amount of the right kind of material and the right number of the right kind of personnel at the right place at the right time and in the right sequence. To use the Words of some oft- quoted composer-alt ainit easyf' Logistics is not con- fined to the supply department exclusively, but the supply department does play an important part in logistics, intimately. Thus may be found the S-1 Division of the Supply Department on board the good ship Des Moines, as in other ships of our great Navy. The storekeepers in S-l Division are mainly concerned with the procuring, storing, custody, issuing, and accounting for materials and monies of this vessel. Personnel Working in the SEATED: John J. Shea, SKG3, Roland R. Ketchum, SKSN7 Stan- ley Takulia, SKG2p Lt. Ci.g.J W. C. Nelson, Division Officer: Fran- cis A. Latos, DKCQ Melvin H. Balk, DK2: Joseph A. Cook, SK2, Theodore H. Bivans, DK3. . . . STANDING: Vincent D. McGraw, SK3: Robert H. Bliss, SN: Ashby L. Lawhorne, DK2: George A. Lenhart, Jr., DK3p Norman E. Simmons, SK37 Joseph C. Don- nelly, AKAN7 William B. Shu- man, SKSN7 Glenn D. Hutchin- son, SK37 Dale D. Mahlum, SKSN: Robert J. Pausig, SKSA7 Gerald C. Shupe, AK1p Gordon E. Tully, DKSN. SEATED: Malcom G. Fee, SKSN7 Earl F. McCormick, SKT37 Wil- liam B. Enox, SK1: John C. Haas, SK27 PACT Robert H. Hancock, Junior Division Officer: John P. Koloclnicki, SK27 David S. Booth, SKG3, Robert M. Reilly, SKSN. . . . STANDING: James E. Law- ton, SK37 Donald F. Weaver, SK2: David H. Farrer, SKSN7 William H. Barlow, SKSN7 Paul R. Germain, SK37 Arthur C. Pot- ter, SK37 Clifton H. Davis, SKSN: Stanley M. Burgard, SKSN7 Frank J. Dellolio, SKSN7 Charles W. Nix, Jr., SKSN.