Macomb (DD 458 DMS 23) - Naval Cruise Book

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? 4 S il 5 i i t i 5 5 1 i i The course Mr. Brock chose was not the straight line to the ship. Ah, no. He chose to circle practically every ship in the harbor, Brit- ish and American alike, zipping up the gaHgW2lY, waiting until challenged by the O.D., and then shouting taunts and curses in reply, then giving the motor the gun and racing for the next victim. This was real sport, and was carried out with great zeal and glee, until he was informed that there was little if any fuel left. So Mr. Brock steered giddily for the Macomb. After some dif- ficulty he found the ship, and made a masterful approach to the gangway. The only trouble was that he forgot to give the signal to reverse in time, and they rammed the ladder with enough force to rattle the chains on every bunk on the ship. With some dilliculty, Mr. Brock made the quarterdeek. After insulting the 0.0.D., he started walking aft. under the impression that he was heading for the wardroom. After bodily eontact with several depth-charges. K-guns, and the like. he found himself on the fantail. The figure' of the sentry loomed before him, rifle in hand. The sentry paused. shocked into immo- hilily by this sudden apparition. But the exec was not faxed. not one hit. Crahbing the rifle from tht- seanianis hands. he raised it to the dark sky. fired two rounds. returned it to the sentry, and said in a matter-of-fact voice, Hit worksfi and with great dignity turned and weaved his way forward to his room. DRILUS EPOCHAL FLIGHT Autumn, 1943. Lt. Walter Lloyd Drill. QCD USNR, had reported aboard the Macomb only two days before his momentous voyage, one that was to make his name known through. out the ship--and the story of that perilous trip was whispered from ear to ear, until it became legend. Upon reporting aboard he became communi- cations officer, and it was in this capacity that he ventured forth in the lVlac,s indomitable whaleboat, The New Jersey had been sighted steaming down the Delaware Bay. A conference of communication officers had been planned to take place on this battleship that afternoon and Drill was to be one of the participants. It was assumed that the NJ. would shortly anchor in the vicinity of the DD,s. Soooo, our story begins .... The Mar s whaleboat, with Drill aboard, and two or three other whaleboats from nearby destroyers shoved off for the approaching ship. The Mae's repre- sentative, naturally, was in the lead .... The New Jersey swept down on the anchorage, past it, and on out to seal Other whaleboats soon became discouraged, but not Mr. Drill and his craft. Lighting off all boilers, jamming the OIJCII throttles against the stops, the whaleboat leaped through the water and for awhile it looked as though they might be gaining on the ponderouS battlewagon, which apparently took no notiCC of the frail boat .... Q 'Wil 1 f ., - , ft f qw! t OUR INTREPID A ' ' tw I WHALEBQAT , ty X 'and l'f's crew .... , if T E i, .AV A i - B , Xa .W fe- g ' fa up f ff .e t' 't ll l with 3 EW-'Q f 4 i A f ,.,!,f W t i i Q'v 51515335555 14 ,L -. T25 vu T! i - - -- 2.4 ,A f- 'UU' HT Q f . . Q, B 6 9 , D , p HS-ST f 1 A J uhfam' l 1 2 Q yWll fs.- ' ia -' fi-7'4 fx? K ','f f 'aWW . X-,Tb-, 4,7 'gg Z:55 , :- 1? A .A 5' ii 1 i I 4 N p it Q ,Je P' , i I I

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fi Z 5 'X f M 4 cxfcvfivf OFUCEK X 2 1 Q 3 lp f' ' Xi ii. 'i ' f C' L hilt 'Il ,. -.,:!f in-4 ix lf AE' xx .gl--lift. J 6 x -A 4- I i .'.'il Yfi 3'--4 Nb' xxx- 'H ff' X i id HZ? -. 1, A., ,, I -Q V 7 9 M LQM . l didn t want at In-avr anyway hundred lllttll turn' at hzittlc' stutiuns. grinnly lJl't'llZll'f!tl tn duff-nd thu ship tu tht- lust. 'lihvn :mer the l'.A. systf-in tvzunev tht- unrtl. Swtin- from gent-ml qimrtvrs. Que-stiuns im-xituhly nrusv. What was it all ulmut? Was it an drill? And whvn thu dupe' got around that it was ull lwrnttsef tht- lfxvl' wnntvd u nwss hm. nf-Il. hi- wzts 1-ull:-it se-vt-rail nznnc-s ln-side-s llr. lhwwlx thin night. Wu vain only say in passing that ne- sin- 1'e't't'lt' hupi' that he' gut his t'ull4'f'. 'lihvn lllt'I't' was tht- time- nh:-n this Slllllt' flint'- uvtvr. having lwc-mnv 54llllt'lNllill mit-rstinmlutt-tl nn tht- lwalvll. rt'turnt'd tu tht- ship at Iittlt- lute- lur tlinnvr. The' vaptztin lu-ing uhsvnt. ht- ttmls his plum' at tht- hvud nl tht- tnhle' und stnrtt-tl In inhztli' his suup. Uni' of tht- utln-r nlliw-rs. llllYlll2 vmiiplt-t4'tl his mvul. llftltit' In le-nw. X tvrrillit' roar l-l'tlIll Mr. llriwlx drnppvd hiln haul in his scat us if ln-'tt lwvn ruppt-tl with u uzillvx m . 0 - lnsvutt. l.it'utt'nunt liruclu ruse' lrmn his vhuir. wvnt tn his romn. and in u lnuttvr nf sm-owls was lmcli. Carrying his scrvicv 43. Wt-uviiig slightly. ht' l't'Slllllt'tl his chair. Slillllllllllg tht- pistnl flmsn beside his plate. hv conlnmmlctl tht- uttvntiun of the table. v Noun said hc. l'll shunt tht' lirst man uh-1 lvavcs lmeforc lim finished. Buy. svrw tht- nn-ut... And he pruceedccl with his meal in il tlmnl silence. Needless to say. not a man stirrecl. lint inn-t lun:-ins -ft all his 1-xplmts vunu- 'tt x x -I lllllf' lWll ll tw iw!-' --pvmlin: mth tht- liflllill 1 . - A n llunn' l'ls'e't tn lvvlttnl Nwipt l'ltm. :tml ntl XUIWXQIN. Iht- XIQU-.null nn- .mrlmiwl in llxatll- pmlnt .it tht- tinnv. .nnl tht-nv xms nun-h xlsitlnp lnuls .tml twill: lwtnwn tht- unit- 1-l tht- lhtlish and Kim-:ruin lil.-vt-, l'rih.ip- tht- lut thi! llll'lt' sm- Nutt h. um. gmel :nan I-v ln' lmil til--.intl the' '.. . . lllIllNll -hips inns lmw lwvn lll'lIllllll'lllill Ill plu- I uniting -nth inte-in.itlwn.nl .inntx. ln- that av- it nmx. mn XII. ll:-HL, was riuhl in llll'Il' pitrlnngg i .ts nsnzil. XM- hun- it nn gpml .lIIlllHlllX. lmln it nuztn Q ish-v nn- ilu-it-. th.il Nli. lh'-'lt nn this pan'- tivtilnl' night NJN ln-.nel lu Ivll .1 liigli-mnltingi ullirwl' ul mn- ul lla- Nlnp--tx s fllll'-VI' that ua- vwnltl and sh-'nhl tram: unl 1-nr Iurpvfln Inlwf- :intl smlt hi- gntltlnrn tnlf nlth mu' -zulu., 'Ilii- nns prulmlvlx his Itll'iI nl :trim-iitiuy ullif-fl l'l'lil- llttllFlllll', Xflf-1' ri-svsnnug him lrmn thc' f'UIIN'- 'llivm-e-s 1-l this lm-mill nl hn- lnrnmnt re-lute-s that ho' IIlIl!lZl2 fl . 3 ' pitzilitx . our in- mth gr:-nt fluf- hf-uliy tt. Ha-I Xlr lvrtwl-t mtv Ihr- ships lmztt. mlm-h fiwttiiiaitf-ly sm- -tzinfling hy at thi' gang- ttm, Un the' trip luirlt ln tht- ship nu grvzit :lis- lanl-p Hfqyrk il.-4-iflml lib iillit' UXVT llll' iillvl' and 1-unit tht- lmut hnnse-ll. l nfl:-r Ihr- N-'glut nl su lllllt'lI unltl. tht- ri-gulnr vnx-until had no 4-h,,p-p sm-1-vmlt-I-.-tl llle' ltllvl' lu lifrwli and triwl lu t'f'llN'H1l'f'V lllP Pm? f'I'F. 51 3 i 1 1 il S is 1 l l

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From the bridge of the Macomb, the situation appeared definitely foolhardy, and the Captain ordered the boat recall signal made in all avail- able manners .... Meanwhile, the whaleboat, braving the ele- ments in true navy fashion still strove to gain on the unflagging New Jersey. The coxswain noticed an urgent blinking light coming front the Mac, and brought it to Drill's attention. Mr, Drillf' he said, HI think theyire trying to recall usfi Wlihat canit be coming from the Xlacontbf' Drill declared, alive got to get to that confer- 17 CDCC. The Macomb finally gut underway and tht- strangost chase in history clcveloptftl in th-- stroyer chasing a whzilfrhoat chasing a battleship. lnevitalrly the uneven race was ttf-tfitlml against the vuliztnt 26-foot craft. untl the tlisln-arte-nt-rl llrill. tlretu'lu'fl in hotly and spirit. lrourth-fl tht- Xlm' atntitl tht- not-so-gracious tiller-rs ul' his Hlliplllilit'S. Wl'II.l.MAN A NU IHNLA RT Wlwn tht- Ntighty Nlzu' urrivctl in llztkur. l rt'nt'h Wa-st Africa. tht- flnu-rivztn :Xtlniirul pt't's- ent thought that czutse enough for at party. 'l'lu-rv were lllso tht- f'hlllt'l'lt'ilIl tlcstroyers llztll mul lhtllignn its wt-II as at l5U troupe- lu-auh-tl by lltlIllltlll't'N llogztrt und his wife. Nluto Nlvllttrt rt-rtuinlx enough :Xnu-rit'uns to warrant at gala: ttllatir. So tht- ollivers ol tht- tltrm' runs untl tht- liogurt group. local tlignitztries. anal .Xriny nurses were invitvtl. Cognac' atntl lvruntly lloxwtl. ln- evituhlv during tht- evening the Xlaafs lfnsign Zeke Wellntznt. lllllylliltl rt'cling from tht- potent punch. t't-rtninly no less i'tttlcly-clit-ekt-tl than usual. inet haul-nutn liogt'tu and entered ltttu at now-luntous conversation. Claritameetcha. Bogey' Good to know you. Zeke. Suv, Bogey. whois that pig youirc out with tonight '? Why thatis no pig. thatis my wifeli' And that was when Zeke bade Bogey aclieuf And might this not be the reason why had mall Bogey is now Mr. Lauren Bacall? NDYNAM ITE Black flashing light. bearing tt3tl'. came the report from the starboard sky lookout. hatlu ejaculateil the otlicer-of-tlte-dec Wllefef l'luts'fl ilillvtl nwiltulttil reportu that? ' llynaunite is statrboartl skx. sir.. Uv iiuntiti-'fi' N vs lluuserf' t ll I '.. .Xml thus another rvtttmkitlvli- rt-port hint comm ltont tht- fertile nnu-'tnattton of the most st-ns -N t tional of all Xian-otnb lookouts. llvnnnutt llaittser. tht- num who .mtv unxtlting und. pt-rltatps ns at rt-sult. rt-portt-tl luttth-sltips. sulnnatrints ent-nn atitvtxtlit. aunl all ntaunn-r ul' lt.u1tr1ls ol lltt' tlmtp, Xt unotln-i tune. .ts st-ntrv on tht- lxotlinnn llxnnnntt- shot it st-tt :ull with tn tntrx rilh s5' lk ltt'tt !t'tllt'1l tts lu txltt ltt' lttttl tluttt' lltl-. ltt' tt F phwl th.tt ht' hit-I shot tht- ltntt in st-ll-th-lt-It tl XX hen lltlhtlltllt' it-pottvtl .tlto.tttl his his . .1 NWS. lu' .iskt-tl lot gttultt-nw with tht- rnptaun llts git-cling tml'-. llilllHt'l s nn natnu what tours! Xrtstu-it-tl hx nn vxpn-ssion ol punhtl tnrrt-tlulttx. ht- ltowt-tl out with. 1-ull on nu .toxttntv will not-tl on-. anptattn. llmt wus llxnt ut. 'im tnttv. ptwpvtttttl se-ttnmn pe ttntnw-nt lot-to ,. , 1 :atnttmn vttnsnnu-i ol tht- gootl :mtl lvanl It -I 'stills nl -full.-t t-llott, Inttik-sl,tppa'l .intl liivntl tl ztll. l wontlvr whx wt- me-r truth-al into oll to ilu is llotlnmuf x is Q N gm, LUJMWI to . 1.-.-.- Q lsltlp