Current (ARS 22) - Naval Cruise Book

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DELIVERING THE MESSENGER AND TOW WIRE TO THE VICTORY. BARGES ARE PLACED ALONGSIDE THE GROUNDED SHIP TO OFF LOAD HEAVY CARGO. FLASH I I I I PRESS RELEASE ... the navy salvage ship current and four fleet tugs, ON MAY 23, WRESTLED A STRANDED MERCHANT VESSEL FROM THE NORTH REEF OF THE PARACEL islands SOME 240 MILES N ORTHEAST OF DANANG. THE SS MINOT VICTORY HAD BEEN AGROUND JUST SEVEN DAYS WHEN AT 0745 THIS MORNING SHE SLID OFF THE CORAL. THE WW 11 VICTORY SHIP WAS CARRYING SIX THOUSAND TONS OF MACHINERY AND SUPPLIES FOR THE ALLIED FORCES IN VIETNAM WHEN SHE WENT AGROUND LAST TUESDAY. THE SHIP WAS ENROUTE FROM THE UNITED STATES TO DANANG VIETNAM AND HAS NOW RESUMED THE TRIP UNDER THE ESCORT OF THE USS HITCHITI. NAVY DIVERS FROM THE SALVAGE SHIP CURRENT SAID HULL DAMAGE WAS MINIMUM, IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT THE SHIP WAS FIVE HUNDRED TONS AGROUND ON THE REEF WHEN SHE SLID OFF. THE AVERAGE DEPTH OF THE WATER WHERE THE SHIP WENT AGROUND WAS ABOUT 18 FEET. THE FIRST SHIP TO REACH THE STRANDED SHIP WAS THE FLEET TUG USS MATACO, FROM THE TONKIN GULF. WITHIN TWO DAYS AFTER THE MINOT VICTORY GROUNDED THE FOUR OTHER NAVY SHIPS, INCLUDING THE FLEET TUG USS TAWAKON I AND AUXILIARY TUG USS MAHOPAC ARRIVED ON THE SCENE. IN A COMBINED EFFORT LAST FRIDAY, THE SHIPS FAILED TO REFLOAT THE STRANDED VICTORY SHIP. TWO BARGES FROM DANANG WERE PLACED ALONGSIDE THE FREIGHTER SUNDAY AND NAVY PERSONNEL BEGAN OFFLOADING THE SHIP ' S CARGO. BY MONDAY MORNING SCUBA DIVERS REPORTEC THE PREVIOUSLY GROUNDED AFTER SECTION OF THE MERCHANTMAN WAS AFLOAT, BUT THE BOW WAS STILL WEDGED INTO THE REEF. (MORE)

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CURRENT ' S STAY IN SUBIC WAS SHORT, ONLY TWO DAYS, AS A MERCHANT HAD RUN AGROUND IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA. QUICKLY Al l MACHINERY WAS PUT BACK TOGETHER AND COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT BEING OVERHAULED AT THE TENDER WAS RETREIVED AS CURRENT SINGLED UP ALL LINES TO GET UNDERWAY. S S Minot Victory Aground North Reef, Paracel Islands

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DIVER INSPECTS THE HUI-I OF THE SOUNDED SHIP. BEACH GEAR RIGGED ON DECKS OF MINOT VICTORY. ANOTHER DAY OF OFFLOADING AND THE STRANDED SHIP SLID OFF THE REEF AFTER 26 MINUTES OF PU1 1 - ING THIS MORNING. 1 CDR G. M. GIGANTI, COMMANDER TASK UNIT 73.4.1 WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF THE SALVAGE SAID, ALTHOUGH MINOR DIFFICULTIES WERE ENCOUNTERED, THE JOB WENT QUITE WELL. WE WERE ABLE TO SAVE THE SHIP AND ALL CARGO MAKING (T SUCCESSFUL SALVAGE JOB. CURRENT AND MATACO IN IRONS