Manatee (AO 58) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 61 text:

QM3 EIHL watches skeptically as a gun- ner ' s mate demonstrates the use of gren- ades during quarterly small arms instruc- tion. On the bridge, the part of command team watches aerial gunnery during September shoot. Left to right : LTJG WEED, LCDR MUMFORD, CAPT GILLOOLY, DK: DUGGINS. The Fighting MANATEE in action. SMI HESSEN sends semaphore signals to a signalman during a drill.

Page 60 text:

DRILLS As the MANATEE lies hove to dead in the water, the whaleboat speeds to recover the lost man. Within minutes after the man overbuard alarm is sounded, the motor whaleboat is manned and ready for lowering. With OSCAR the MANA TKK ' s man overboard dummy safely aboard, the crew readies for hoist- ing and securing. Each quater, the ship conducts a series of exercises to keep the ship ready for any emergency. These include man overboard, gunnery and engineering exercises simulating breakdowns. Although precautions are care- fully enforced, there is always the possibility that a man could fall over- board. The possibility of drowning requires swift recovery. In the ex- ercises, the men accomplish the re- covery in less than 14 minutes. The regular exercises insure that if a man should fall overboard, the ship and the men will be prepared.

Page 62 text:

u l UE DE REAM TO HON KHOA ' - ' f1 t: ■ ■ Captain GILLOOLY looks over the at rigs following the offshore moorinj with the USS KRISHNA. Although manatee ' s primary mission was underway replenishment, she was required to go close ashore to provide fuel for support activities. On the final trip to the line, MANA- TEE carried fuel to the western edge of Vietnam, the Island of An Thoi off the Cambodian border. The area had re- cently been secured and the patrol and support was being carried on by Swift boats and riverine craft whose mother ship, the USS KRISHNA (ARL-36) was anchored in An Thoi. The approaches to the harbor are shallow, and to replenish, the KRISHNA has to come out. The MANATEE an- chored off the coast and the KRISHNA moored alongside. The crew of the KRISHNA had been away from civilization for over 60 days, and were eager for the mail and oppor- tunity to use manatee ' s store and exchange news with the crew. After provisioning her, MANATEE weighed anchor and headed south, back on the Market Time swing. INREP A barge crew services the fuel rig- .; - ' li '