Bunker Hill (CV 17) - Naval Cruise Book

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ants, Ensign T. A. Sofos, 1944 Naval Academy graduate, went aboard the S. S. MafYland after six months in the division. is FOUR WARRANTS IN DIVISION Four warrant oiiicers were attached to the division: Electricians A. M. Plascjak, who returned States-side for duty, and L. E. Lentz, I-I. A. Manuel and R. C. Pennington, who was ':..'2.'Q-:7 - l- W cggggggfiiffifif Si' Si 45 1 P' A :U 4- ' 1 ,.:.,g.1.g. QL 7- Y 1, g M 4' A, ' iijggfi' -geifl Q ai is A 3 it , . - ' '- gf 159 497 -3' f izi:55Qi ., Mi'4'iA Qui . ig 5 ..ff,f::rgif:,:1 ' 1 ' ' w'g, 't,5' W, ..,,-. -.. .. - - l Q it 5- ,. ,A ' 'M' QQQvl?'w.'iL 1-3 Q , 1 .5 ,if . ,Q -: :iw V' Q A rffsgir I' ,gigE2'?i7ETiE fi-T? ' x '-- D. A i V ,f 444fig:.i4g,1.1,i.gii,i 555' t t if ,, L . .., I ...r...- 1 -. t --ee. -. gr.: ... .TT. ,gl-pgfigy .. . ,Y 5- ?5f'ff5Q.jf:f:if, t , lift detached at the iirst of 1944. Lentz, one-time battleship sailor, took charge of electrical dis- tribution and the auxiliaries and lighting in the machinery spaces, While Manuel majored in supervision of the I. C. circuits. Directly concerned with the maintmtamd the thousands of miles of electrical cable, gg the machinery and appliances nf Tilt zhipwm six Chief Electricians Mates and EM1c's who helped train the newcemuu. They included such Chiefs as C. A. Clark, Lowe, J. H. Brown, W. B. Garlington, L. D. Swinford, il. M. Croker and C. L. Pace, and the EMlc's H. Nise, lil. M. Woodman, C. VV, Wolfe, G. Renken, Finney, A. M. Adams, and A. P. Moylan. Moylan's caliber work won him promotion to Warrant Electrician and a transfer. JE- ALERT AND CONSCIENTIOUS Lieutenant M. C. Jorgenson, USN, Wim fifteen years of naval experience behind him, headed the unit the first year, with die exception of the shakedown era when Lim- tenant J. H. Millington, USN, ran the divi- sion. Jorgenson's j.o. was Lieutenant fjgl H. G. Dutch Phelps, Brown University graduate, who had been attached to Bethle- hem Steel Company at Quincy before moving aboard. Originally, two station officers also were on the roster, Chief Machinist L. M. Estridge, and Machinist R. A. Brumlow, both USN. Brumlow was transferred in March, 1944, however, and the combined duties fell to Estridge. Estridge joined Jorgensen and Phelps in forming an ideal combination fer engineering eliiciency. Alert, conscientious men of the M Divi- sion on many occasions prevented major cw- ualties to the ship's power plant by their tlwf- ough familiarity with the division's machlmfl' and to the men who helped train them MW go credit. A few of those who gave freely' ef their knowledge and experience include Machinist Mates F. Crane, W. E. Brennlfif Stuhli S. Wnorowski and P. M. Sdtw, S. Horak, I. L. Bocox, Gray, S. we Ostrowski, K.. F. Madsen, Gabarra, C. 0 and S' Baifczie, First Class Machinist

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Lieutenant Williams took it over maintained its high level of efiiciency. B Division junior oH'icers were Lieutenant W R. T. Church, fueling officer, and Ensign E. A. Merritt. As in other divisions, the oiiicers were the men directly respon- iihk for the operating maintenance of the machinery. Chief Machinists A. L. Ernest and R. Simmons, together with twenty hard- working boiler repairmen, constantly kept the division's equipment in top shape. ln a division embodying almost two hun- dred men, the spirit and industry of those men is, in the last analysis, the thing that malta the division go. Working, as they do, in the hottest spaces of the ship, it is to their everlasting credit that the will to work and the willingness to cooperate with each other and with other divisions made the B division one of the best. While it is difhcult to single out individuals, the mention of a few names of those who helped make the division an eiiicient operating unit would include: Chief Watertenders A. J. Anderson, W. H. Makin, W. M. Martin, E. D. Nico- laus, G. L. Picard and R. M. Venningg Chief Machinist Mate F. J. Eienesg H. L. Grath- wohl, CB, T. Allen, D. M. Bishop, W. Bryan, D. Girard, I. Monette, W. P. Page, J. E. Puterbaugh, A. R. Restall, R. W. Webb and S. Wenschreider, Watertenders Firstg G. W. Austin and J. C. Entringer, MMlc, and O. Nichols, Blc. Custodian of everything electrical on the ship, from foretruck to keel, stem to fantail, is the Electrical Division, plagued with a maze of installations ranging from the tiny light in the pilot house binnacle to the huge motor-generators. The division's responsi- bilities also extend to upkeep of all electric motors on the ship, from pumps to gun mounts, and maintenance of the interior com- munication network of ship's service and sound-powered telephones, the general an- nouncing system, and the various squawk boxes. Guiding force of the division from early Quincy days was Lieutenant N. Nelson, USN, quiet-voiced, current-wise former War- rant Electrician with a sixteen-year record of duty in the work. A steady, conscientious Workman, an able division officer, Nelson left the ship late in 1944 to put his vast knowl- edge to work at SupShips, Quincy. Only one of the three junior oflicers re- mained of the original team, Ensign C. I. Shaw, USN, former Warrant Electrician and holder of the dubious distinction of having two ships sink under him in three days. He was aboard the ill-fated U. S. S. Langley when the ,laps caught her taking a load of P-40s out to the Philippines and bombed her to the bottom. Picked up by the U. S. S. Whipple, he was transferred to the U. S. S. l l Pecos, which was sunk while trying to get out of the battle area. Rescued again by the Whipple, he returned to the States via Aus- tralia, helped Ht out and commission the U. S. S. Fraser, and shortly thereafter re- ported for duty for commissioning and fitting out of the Bunker Hill. Lieutenant J. E. Alford was an E Divi- sion junior ofiicer from early pre-commissiom ing days but was detached in June, 1944, and the third of Lieutenant Nelson's first assist-

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E GUN ERY ,K ,::--...-- ,t , hm ,,,. y ,,k,,m,t,,,,,,,,,,-,A , H -we s. dx dv 'M ----...,,, X A JN L xx Clime and again the gunners proved the knew their jobs well The long line, two abreast, halted. Several hundred strong and clad in undress blues, the string of young manhood stretched out from the very tip of the huge South Boston Drydock to the portside brow of a new carrier whiclz lay moored to the sides of the freshbf flooded dock. Her steel was a new and resplendent gray, her lines were sharp, interrupted evidences Q' power and kinetic energy. 1 W . ,W . . Y , -:....,....-v. ... .-.ww hen came a word from the quarter- deck : Bring them over the port brow. The line moved, single file this times and the Gunnery Department per- sonnel, having left their Fargo barracks be- hind, climbed aboard their new home-which for many was their lirst sea-going home. They came aboard, seven deck divisions or- ganized, including a Marine Detachment, and began the long, strenuous process of learning and practicing. Ahead of them lay a task that few of them could visualize, defending the ship against intruders that would find their way through a Hghter plane cordon . . . real enemy planes that would be shoot- ing at you and dropping bombs down a line of sight that always pointed at your right eye. They were undertaking a job that would re- quire twenty four hour vigilance, in addition to an expert knowledge of the variety of weapons provided in the ship's armament. Now these same men who a year ago were little more than boots are tried and experi- mm- W.-.-.. -.--an-f -F s...-,M ..,, -me Ja- 1-f.,a-,.,..fs.fg,m.,-ws-.. w.1,..f,...-.-...fav--..a S..-n,1......-...-....m. -,m.,.,,,.,,.,..,.,,, enced gunners. While they trained-there were tow planes and lifeless sleeves-it was beyond their scope of imagination to visualize what was in store for them. Track that imag- inary target . . . keep your sight steady . . . watch that low Hying torpedo plane . . . there come the dive bombers out of the sun-there! right there! now simulate reload . . . ah, hell . . . it goes on day afterday. Then one day of-F Hawaii they got their lirst taste of what real smoke from a burning plane smelled like. Subsequently, a memor- able November 11 came, and the heat of a South Pacific sun became more intensified. But some Vals came down burning, as did several Ka-tes and Zekes. From there the story is best measured by events, for weeks and months are hard to keep separated. A night oli' Tarawa, when between the ship and the sun sixteen tiny specks appeared, low on the water. These specks grew fantastically fast, and in a matter of seconds guns were blazing and the air was heavy with the smell