Macomb (DD 458 DMS 23) - Naval Cruise Book

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The South Dakota spent all of two hours replac- ing the paint we scratched. Soon after the 1n1t1al landings at Oklnawa we steamed into Kerama Retto for fue l and stores We haVen't always come out second best in these arguments. In Toulon we made the C. F. Hughesi side and promptly put our anchor into their chief's quarters. This was a grave tactical error since they were packing the command burgee of ComDesDiv 14. It was only a small hole, but, Oh! the points we lost. That was the day it was decided by popular vote that we would be better off on patrol. That area was jinxed for us. It was around there that we left the Brooklynis side to go along- side a French tanker for fuel. The anchor now rates two flags-one American and one French. It was very rough the day we started to anchor and dropped something like one hundred fathoms of chain in seven fathoms of water. l'ivcrybody loves us in the Med. Charleston, C.. was uneventful fin some ways! but we made up for it in Norfolk. We got there Christmas llay and bad luck was in our wake. It was so foggy that it was common practice to baek around bends in the river to make it easier running from oncoming trafhc. One nice night. shortly after coming out of dry dot-k lwe got there by trying to run 14- feet of ship through l2 feet of watert, we started through the thick fog toward the de- perining dock. navigating by fog horns. ive reached the entrance safely enough and were about to enter when a Sunday driver in a ferry boat came tearing down on us. The 0.0.D., who was the one and only Mr. Lawrence ty pride of Brooklynt made a mad dash for the uP.A.i7 and yelled. Standby for collision to starboardfi which was the wrong side anyhow. The captain threw the Mac into emergency forward, back, and then forward again. They missed us but if there had been another coat of paint on the port side it would have been scraped off. Nice people these Norfolk pilots. We got through the Canal with nothing more than a slightly bent depth charge rack and for a while it looked like old man trouble had finally left us. But it was not to be. if 56 and were assigned an APA who was ab friendly looking as' a bobcat with his fan bared. Life rafts jutted out from her sides and as we were in a helpful mood we decided to clear some of it away. As Bogiesw were an ever present menace wehad to choose the expeditious means available, so we scraped it out as gS most off. Once again we came out second bestg our only boat was stove in and one machine gun was put out of action. Since some of her life rafts were splintered our wounded pride was assuaged in a small degree. Since then we have found nothing to really test our mettle. A Norwegian freighter had a boom rigged out to carry away our rigging, but we foiled her treacherous schemes without any difficulty. Then there was the supply ship that crossed our path while we were steaming off Okinawa. They wanted the right-of-way merely because the rules of the road said she had it, and although some of the Macombis hotlieads wanted to contest it, cooler heads prevailed and we charitably complied with their request. Everyone knows that the Macomb is a regula- tion ship, and doesnit go around looking for arguments, but woe to the ship that defies us, be it the Oueen Mary or the Flying Dutchman. THE RECOGNITION 0FFICER'S RISE TO FAME It had been a sleepless, tense night, climaxed when the U-boat surfaced, abandoned, and WHS sunk by the combined gunfire of the EllyS0llf Hambleton, Emmons and Macomb. All hands breathed easier as our seven destroyer forma: tion formed line of bearing, cranked up 23 knots, and headed for Oran. Then at noon came two explosions close astern, later ascertained to be acoustic torpedoes launched at the M30 by a lurking U-boat. Quickly battle stations were manned, and all ships streamed Hfoxerv gearfo lure any more acoustic fish away from the Sill?- All was quiet on the bridge again, until surl- denly Ensign Hartl, newly-promoted recogllg tion officer screamed out uThere goes one- dea

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gl-een, snapped a perfect regulation salute. and dashed madly away, no doubt in search of a gin- mill. His unconscious donkey he abandoned to its unhappy fate. As Walsh turned to stagger up the gangway. 3 peculiar sight met his eyes. Bill Tschercll. ex- iceman, and Sweeney. midget quartermaster. friends of long standing. were engaged in a drunken argument about Uawd knows what. .-'ts Walsh watched this scene with bleary eyes. liotll men raised their dukes and prepared for a round of fisticufls. That devils brew. cognac. was get- ting in its licks. llut up stepped Ytialsh. and spoke as follows: Whynt-ha pick on shonu-body your shize. llill'!i' As 'l'scherch turned to confront this new menace. Walsh swung a mighty right hand. the same one that had just dropped the donkey. 'l'sclu-rch prudently ducked. lint Sweeney was not so fortunate. and Walshis piledrixer list t'iltIgl'll him smack on his right optic. lfxit Sweeney. lgnoring his mistake. Walsh stepped ou-r Swcene-y's prostrate liotly lo liollow 'list-ln-rt-li aboard. lit now' he was really worked up to a lighting fury. and was swinging at eu-ry thing he saw. or thought he saw. .Xt the quarterdl-ck. luckilv. he stumbled and fell. and lu-lore he could regain his feet. llr. tilark was upon him. With sonic fancy judo. hc soon rcntcred this mad hattlcr unconsicous. and ten men carted the great lmlk below' to his sack. lixit Walsh. 'lihc lvattlc ol llakar was now in lull swing. :ks we latcr discoxercd. all the places ol amuse- ment had closed in thc afternoon. no doubt for a siesta. and all that was available was bottled cognac. So all the boys had spent the afternoon Swigging the potent stutl. and each and exeryone was rip-roaring. fighting drunk. Un the lantail. liallaus. hlhl lp ff c. suddenly ran amok, and commenced to swing his arms scythe- like among his comrades. felling them like ten- pins. Owens. FC Zfc. happened to be in the way. With great presence of mind. he dropped beneath Kallaus' murderous fist. and grasped him around the ribs in a terrific bear hug. Kallaus made a noise like a main gasket blowing. and collapsed. He recovered quickly. however. and would have resumed hostilities except for the fact that Ur. Clark arrixed on the scene with his little old needle. and it was exit Kallaus. Thus commenced a night ol continual excite- ment. in which each member of the crew. return- ing from llln-rty loaded with tighting juice. saw in t'Lll.'ll erstwhile shipinatc a menace tu ltir life and happiness. and forthwith attacked with xigor and fury. the lloctor and his pharmacist mates were kept busy. racing from thc lucislt' to fantail. from lvritlgc to cttgitn' ltousc. witll ln po and jlttlo rendering these wine-crazed men liannless. linallx. the last ol-strcperous imlnlver had come aboard. the last tight had l-een qucllcd. and the gladiators were all nestled snug in their beds. sleeping the deep. dleamless sleep ull tired nu-n. llnly sputktellt' outlvlcaks ol xiolt-nee lvrokc the l '4u'elul night. lln- l-attle ull llakar was oxcr. IXISSHS NNI! NIISSICS 'lhouuh ol tutll ' the ISF. Xldrolltll is a stlltvtllvl -llll' 'ltr' -ltll ltd- ll.t1l llc! slltttt' all Vul' ltsltllls and .tltllwsl-. lln' t-.oln--t one oe'4'tlllce in tht- Xolllt Xtlanti- .is we were eiuisinp along preparing lu ln--l ond.-iw.o. ks we slanted nttl' glpploavlt, tln- punt lv.lI:w' wa' Nt'll'tjlllllQ,1illUllQ' side tontl-sled out snpcliotitx ln l4'lll'-llttl to nioxc. When llnallx wc ggol -lcal. out lovsle' ltnnlxrtl lilo- .in .n'1ouli.in with ltolvs. lull toll slllllllll lptxa' sawn lllo' nlllrt gtlt. lt ulllt llllllx IIS IT JM. in I1.,.l..,, Xmtl In it-pair our ulaniapc. I. xx ,-:ff -pai. fs I: Wifi? s I -tt,-Ar,A-.....- V-X,Q X 1. ffh 'V' fa. ff,-F' . W -- -, ' -xx ',1'!' All f if -ef, ' it -'Zh i 1 f ' ' X . , . . 2 1 ,If X I N .. f-I in ff' I-IAQNAZ Wx x I, MN-I '-4: -' v,,'m'- --f ff, f' s - rx 6,5 1 ,z . f X :I s.-X ,Y ,,..N! ,.,, , .,,. .117 WIIINI. Ll 1 IIIUKIY 55 .o.4t-4-1an- mms---.-.-1 ,...-f,w-- ,,,-.... sp.. ,. -as l i l l rl l 1 E a s l

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asm-nl Over the TBS, Captain Hutchinson urgently put out the warning. There were some dgubters on the bridge, however, but not after Ensign Harry blurted out, Wfhere it goes again! Callously, machine gunner Jackie Wynn reported that the 'ftorpedoi' was nothing more than the ufoxeri' gear, under strain of the 28 knots the ship was making following from side to side far astern of the ship. All was reserve again in the underway life of the Mighty Mae for many months to come. AUSTIN'S LEAP TO FAME William Henry Austin had as wicked a gleam of mischief in his eye as would be found in that of any fox. He had many forms of amusement. his favorite being, on his return from liberty.. In heap abuse upon the head of the officer-of-the- deck. One of his stock quotations was, lull chiseled a free education out of the government. und, lt took an act of Congress to make a gen- tleman out of you. fle also delighted in chal' lenging the 0.D. to diverse forrns of athleti- cornpetition. such as l'll race you around the deckhouse for ten bucksf' 'l'hese. and like antics. kept him in continual hot water. but did not pre- vent him from becoming one of our most popu- lar characters aboard ship. It was a lovely day in l'alerrno. Sicily. when our hero, well-lubrir-ated. returned to the ship with his bosom buddy. lieggie Sherrnan. who was also well-lubricated. After dishing ulli the proper allotment of abuse lu the ollicer--of-tho deck. these two inebriates swaggered their w ai to the fantail. Presently those topside heard a loud barrage of taunts. jeers. and insults. orig- inating on the fantail. It seemed that our friend Austin was trying to pursuade Sherman to do a little post-liberty high diving. fle was getting nowhere. lfach verbal explosion left Reggie more indifferent to Austirfs scheme. lfinally. thoroughly disgusted. Austin left in a decided huff. A few minutes later found our friend poised on top of the flag stand on the director deck. about sixty feet above the placid surface of Palermo harbor. Great contempt showed upon his face-contempt for his friend Sherman who had deserted himg contempt for the laws of grav- ilrr and ,lllfi plain contempt for all earth-bound mortals. Before anyone could question his in- tention' PUP 'BS he was called aboard shipi thrust himself out into nothingnes. His first 19315 WHS the laziest journey into space ever. He seemed lu literally defy the law of gravity by 5U5Pf Nlillg himself in space in an armchair posi- tion for long impossible seconds. 'lihen suddenly llt? llfuppetl all r'Xpt'r'Ss-lraitt speed to lik' Sllt'f:ll't' f llltf llllflnir. liacl-tlvorre first he cleaved a gap- r trip wound rn the sea and disappeared from the ken nf man. lip this time. all hands had rushed In the port side' to ln-hold rtns spectacle. lhcy neednt have hurrir-dl l'op ex idently had no intention of leax- ing the bottom until he w as gunil and readx. XX e had about nrade up ultt' minds that he was breaking through the crust ral tlnna. when a A, v sight disturbance was tioterl rn the water. lt was the livin: carpenter s mate. alright. but not l'li' tltttl uf llitll lllgtl he ll1trlr'Xlu'r'lr'il. lllht't'ltil1g with bi- di-r'cp.rrrl for the inrpo--ible he carrie to lin- -rrrface fr-ct fir-ti lfxcntuallx riplrlinp hint- -r'll-. lla- pitlllctvul up lllr' lift'-lite'-r'tXr'l's tu' lliltl tiirown hint. and -warn nonchalantlx lvack to the Slip. ' iff p I A ' 4' fl Q f 1 wilt rt . t i f u'l . 1 ' ,J 5711 li l l xi 2 il 1 A ', a, A' , N - ,-. j . f -, L., L ,- 57