John Thomason (DD 760) - Naval Cruise Book

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E challenge for both the ship and the crew. The challenge began in Subic Bay a few days earlier when the ship received i orders to get underway in forty-eight hours for the gunline. In the midst of repairs, this was a stiff challenge, but lf lf On The Gunline 1 The THOMASON only spent one week par- ticipating in Naval gunfire support in late July and early August, but it was a great two days later the ship was enroute to l Vung Tau and its duties. Heavy seas along y the track did not slow the TI-IOMASGN,'9.nd l she anchored in Vung Tau Harbor at the ' t dh d

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? Replenishment Highline t0I'6S HIFR BM3 Qote. gives the command as the midships station crew heaves around, Men of the forward refueling station heave around on the in -haul line, V 7. Q. ,remain 7

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The next three days were spent along the coast of the MekongDe1ta haras- sing Viet Cong activities in the area. Rain squalls, fog, and poor radar aids to navigation made gunfire support difficult, but the job was done with a minimum of effort from airborne spotters. Then, the THOMASON was assigned a gunfire station in the Nga Be River where she could fire on selected targets on all sides. The terrain in this area was completely de- foliated, which gave us an excellent opportunity to observe shells landing on their targets. Moving down river at night to the more secure waters of Vung Tau harbor, the THOMASON continued its harassment of the Viet Cong in the Delta. On the last day of its gunfire assignment, USS THOM- ASON moved northeast along the coast to provide pre-assault gunfire sup- port for a vertical assault by units of the U.S. Army. When the week was over, THOMASON had expended more than 2000 rounds on the enemy. The efforts of the crew in answering each call for fire were outstanding. Spotting was at a minimum and the quickness of the mount crews wascom- mented on by several spotters. For most, this week meant twelve hours of watch a day. Then, at night, the ship twice put to sea to rearm and re- fuel, cutting even further into the few free hours of the day. Yet everytime there was a gunfire mission, the THOMASON crew responded in a pro- fessional manner.