Columbus (CA 74) - Naval Cruise Book

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V i hose spaces run from frame 95 to frame 127 port, the 03 level, anj the mainmast? The Sixth Division, of course! We do our best to keep these spaces looking the best on the ship. Our duties also include the operation of No. 3 Motor Launch and the Captain ' s gig. We had the honor of operating the Admiral ' s Barge for Admiral Lynd D. McCormick, SACLANT, during the Operation Mainbrace exercises. Below decks, the spaces of the First Class, Ships Store, Crew ' s Lounge, and Post Office passageways, also reflect the hard work put in by the Rip-roaring Sixth. Due to the traffic in these spaces, they are some of the hardest to keep clean. We also run the paint locker. Without this the ship would not always be looking as slick as it does. There are a number of outstanding bluejackets in the division. The guy in the lover department is Ace O Keefe; then for the right joke at the right time we have hlotrod hHerrod. Who is it that gets stuck with the potatoes after every replenishment? You guessed it! The division is composed of eighty-one men and is one of the largest of the deck divisions. It is very ably run by Chief Jones with the help of Wolf, W. J., BM2, LPO, and his other PO ' s. It is supervised by the good guidance of LTJG Wallace P. Behnke and LTJG Loren A. Dubois. Now, a little about the other part of the division. We have the honor of running the port three-inch battery, which is our pride and joy. The gun gang consists of twenty-four gunner ' s mates and strikers, who are kept in line by Chief Jake Behar and Eldridge, GM I , along with six other trusty PO ' s. On one occasion while operating here, we had the luck of firing at the only small drone to be shot down. We have also had some very good bursts in firing at sleeves. On the next cruise we hope to do a lot better, when the three-inch will not be so new to us. We have in the gun gang what some people might call, the Three Musketeers. They are Cooper, Harper, and Kmg. The reason? They are sure to be at the gangway when liberty call goes. It has been said that the only times they stayed aboard was while at sea. Well, we hope we can keep up the good work and have many more cruises as enjoyable as this one.

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he Seventh Division, under the direction of LTJG Miller and Ensign Thayer, is considered one of the hardest working divisions on board the COLUMBUS. It can readily be under- stood if an inspection was to be held of the superbly kept topside spaces on the starboard side between frames 93 and 127. These spaces are under the supervision of C. B. Pursel, BM3. A word must be said for the expert handling of the Seventh ' s numerous fueling hoses and stations which are headed by A. B. Christofferson, BM2, the leading petty officer. Of course we must not forget the boys who work aloft on the 03 and 04 levels and the stack, and on the lower decks under Vanhook, C. C, BM3. As in every other division, we have our characters, such as B. E. Luke the drifter. Bishop and Daniel (Steel Mill) Gahagan. We are not left out of the lover department either. Such people as Bill (The Steamer) Dorton and Guy Ruscito take care of that. We also have our athletes, K. J. Triptow, boxer, and A. G. Kopsky, football star. And if you ever have a police case, by all means see Maxie (Private Eye) Drews. As a whole, and I ' m sure that we all agree, the Seventh consists of a wonderful bunch of sailors. What keeps the Seventh Division gun gang on its toes? Some of us know the answer. Maybe you think it ' s MacDoughall, GMI, or Boggs, GMC. But if you stop and think you will find that the men themselves take pride in their ship and in their work. They want their working spaces to look the best on the ship. They also like someone to appreciate their work and compliment them on it. You ' ll always find the guns ready for any occasion. You ' ll always find us ready to cooperate with all hands. Some things make it hard to achieve our goal. For instance. Mount 3010, on the fantail. These men take a lot of kidding about their mount being the garbarge barge. But you ' ve got to give credit where credit is due. Many mounts don ' t have to contend with a salt spray or the black soot that always appears when they blow tubes. Things like this always keep the men busy. And If you ever walk into the gun shack you will always find the men in a friendly debate. There ' s nothing they would rather do than argue. It ' s like an old ladies tea party, except that they drink coffee. The men are proud of their division and ship and will do anything to make them outstanding.