Arthur W Radford (DD 968) - Naval Cruise Book

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ifh. Al ' GlST 30, 1976 PASCAGOLLA THE TOWN INGALLS THE NAME IN SOUTH MISSISSIPPI SHIPBUILDING THE GAME JANl ARY THE MONTH THE TWENTY FOURTH DAY FOG WAS Ql ITE HEAVY THE RADFORD UNDERWAY TRIALS THE PURPOSE MANY TEST TO RUN HOPES RUNNING HIGH THE JOB CAN BE DONE SOME PROBLEMS EXPECTED AND HOPES FOR GOOD WEATHER WE CAN ACCOMPLISH OUR MISSION IF CRAFTS WORK TOGETHER WHEN THE WATER GETS ROUGH PEOPLE START TO MOAN SEA SICKNESS IS NEAR THEY WISHED THEY STAYED HOME TWENTY FIFTH HAS ARRIVED ALL HAD SOME REST BACK TO THE SCHEDULE AND ON WITH THE TEST SOME TEST UNSATISFACTORY I GUESS MANAGEMENT ' S MAD PROBLEMS WILL BE CORRECTED MAKING NAVY QUITE GLAD OUR SCHEDULES BEHIND Bl T WERE ALL WORKING HARD TO COMPLETE ALL OUR TEST AND GET BACK TO THE YARD THE TWENTY SIXTH IS HERE TEST LOOKING BETTER SOMEONE SAID A PRAYER WE ' VE HAD SOME GOOD WEATHER IF ALL GOES AS PLANNED AND WE DON ' T WATCH THE CLOCK A.M. OF THE TWENTY SEVENTH WE WILL BE .AT THE DOCK WHEN THE RADFORD ' S COMPLETED AND NAVY ' S ON DECK ON TO THE NEXT ONE MORE BOATS TO CHECK BE PROUD OF YOUR CRAFT TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR WORK DO THE BEST THAT IS POSSIBLE YOUR DUTIES DON ' T SHIRK WHEN YOU LOOK BACK ON LIFE YOU CAN BLOW YOUR HORN SAY 1 HAD A SMALL PART TO HELP THE RADFORD BE BORN

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■:i3:i»lr »- jihip ' History ISS ARTHl R VV. RADFORD (DD-968) is the sixth SPRUANCE class destroyer and the second to join the Atlantic Fleet. RADFORD will be homeported in Norfolk. Virginia. Designed and built by Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries, in Pascagoula, Mississippi, RADFORD is a member of the first class of major combatant surface ships in the l . s. NAVY to be powered by gas turbine engines. Four General Electric LM-2.500 engines, marine versions of those used on DC-10 and C-.5A aircraft, drive the ship at speeds in excess of 30 knots. Twin controllable-reversible pitch propellers provide RADFORD with a degree of maneuverability unique among war- ships her size. A highly versatile multi-mission destroyer, RADFORD is capable of operating independently or in company with amphibi- ous or carrier task forces. Her overall length is 563 feet, her beam is 55 feet, and she displaces 7,800 tons. RADFORD ' S sonar, the most advanced underwater detection and fire control system yet developed, is fully integrated into a third generation, digital Naval Tactical Data System (NTDS), providing the ship with faster and more accurate processing of target information. Integration of the ship ' s digital gun fire control system into the NTDS provides faster gun reaction time in the performance of the ship ' s other mission areas of shore bombardment, surface warfare actions, and anti-aircraft warfare. Ship ' s weapons include two Mark 45 lightweight 5 guns, two triple-barrelled Mark 32 torpedo tubes, an anti-submarine rocket (ASROC) launcher, and facilities for embarkation of anti- submarine helicopters. Space, weight, and electrical power reservations have been allocated in the design of the ship to provide for the addition of future weapons systems, enabling RADFORD to keep abreast of future technology. Crew comfort and habitability are an integral part of RAD- FORD ' S design. Berthing compartments are spacious and the ship is equipped with amenities not found aboard other destroyers, including a crew ' s library, lounge, hobby shop, and gymnasium. Automated weapons and engineering systems allow this ship, the size of a World War II light cruiser, to be manned by a crew of 18 officers, 17 chief petty officers, and 244 enlisted person- nel.