Current (ARS 22) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 8 text:

THE FOLLOWING WEEK WAS SPENT PROVIDING SERVICES FOR COMFLETRAGRU PEARL AND THE WEEK OF THE THIRD OF JULY WAS SPENT INPORT. CURRENT SHIFTED TO THE SHIPYARD ON THE 7TH OF JULY FO R ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. MONDAY THE I8TH OF JULY THE SHIP GOT UNDERWAY FOR LOCAL TRAINING BUT ENROUTE FROM PEARL HARBOR RECEIVED A MESSAGE FROM COMSERVRON FIVE DIVERTING CURRENT TO THE USS HISSEM (DER-400) WHICH WAS HAVING EN- GINEERING PROBLEMS 1000 MILES FROM OAHU. EARLY THE FOLLOWING MORNING THE HISSEM RECEIVED ASSISTANCE FROM ANOTHER SOURCE AND THE CURRENT PROCEEDED ON HER PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED MISSION: SALVAGE AND DIVING TRAINING. SHE ARRIVED OFF THE COAST OF LANAI AT NOON ON THE NINETEENTH. SHE SURVEYED THE AREA AND LAID TWO SETS OF BEACH GEAR TO AN ABANDONED YOS-30, WHICH WAS HARD AGROUND ON KALOHI REEF. AFTER SUCCESSFULLY COM- PLETING THREE DAYS OF SALVAGE TRAINING THE SHIP RETRIEVED HER BEACH GEAR AND SHIFTED ANCHORAGES TO LAHAINA MAUI FOR FOUR DAYS OF DIVERS ' TRAINING AND REQUALIF ICATION. CURRENT PROCEEDED TO PEARL HARBOR ON THE 26TH OF JULY WHERE SHE HELD UNDER- WAY TRAINING EXERCISES THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. DECK FORCE TURNS TO ON TAMARIN ' FRIDAY THE 29TH OF JULY THE SHIP ENTERED THE SHIPYARD FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WHERE SHE REMAINED UNTIL THE 8TH OF AUGUST. THE 8TH THROUGH THE I5TH CURRENT PROVIDED SERVICES FOR COMFLETRAGRU PEARL. SHE REMAINED INPORT FOR THE FOLLOWING WEEK BUT AGAIN RETURNED TO SEA TO PROVIDE SERVICES THE 22N D OF AUGUST. THE 4TH THROUGH THE 14TH OF SEPTEMBER SHE REMAINED INPORT THEN AGAIN PROVIDED SERVICES FOR THE FLEET. tss vRammammxmtmmmasT- EX YOS-30 WELL AGROUND ON KAUOH I REEF SINCE WORLD WAR II

Page 7 text:

r. THE PAST YEAR ON THE 5TH OF FEBRUARY CURRENT ARRIVED IN PEARL FROM HER 1965 WESTPAC DEPUOY— MENT AND BEGAN HER UEAVE AND UPKEEP PERIOD WHICH LASTED UNTIL THE FIRST PART OF MARCH. THE WEEK OF THE 7TH WE CONDUCTED SEAMANSHIP, GUNNERY AND DIVERS ' TRAINING IN THE LOCAL HAWAIIAN OP AREAS. MARCH 15TH CURRENT WAS UNDERWAY FOR MAUI WHERE ALL DIVERS WERE REQUALIFIED IN ISO FEET OF WATER OFF OFLAHAINA. CURRENT RETURNED TO PEARL HARBOR ON MARCH 18TH TYING UP IN THE SHIPYARD WHERE SHE WAS TO UNDERGO MODIFICATION FOR PROJECT TAMARIN. THE PROJECT ENTAILED LAYING A LARGE BOUY AND INSTRUMENTATION PACKAGE EXACTLY 800 FEET BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE OCEAN IN 2400 FATHOMS OF WATER. THE SHIP WAS MODIFIED TO WITHSTAND THE HEAVY STRAINS ENCOUNTERED DUR- ING HANDLING OF THE SYSTEMS, TO PROVIDE THE SCIENTISTS AND PROJECT WORKMEN A LABORATORY TO HOUSE THEIR EQUIPMENT AND INSTRUMENTS, AND TO IMPROVE THE RECORDING AND ACCURACY OF OUR PRESENT FATHOMETER. TO ACC- OMPLISH THIS THE AFTER BOOM WAS STRENGTHENED WITH HORIZONTAL METAL STRAPS WHERE IT COULD EASILY HANDLE LOADS UP TO 8 TONS. A WORKSHOP AND INSTRUMENT CONTAINER WAS WELDED OVER THE AFTER SALVAGE HOLD AND A RAYTHEON PRECISION DEPTH RECORDER WAS INCORPORATED IN THE SHIP ' S PRESENT FATHOMETER SYSTEM. WITH THE MODIFICATIONS COMPLETED, TWO COMPLETE BOUY SYSTEMS WERE LOADED ABOARD UNDER THE DIRECTION OF LCDR STINNER, WHO WAS A REPRESENTATIVE OF TAMARIN. THE SHIP WAS READY FOR TRIALS BY 26 APRIL. THE REMAINING WEEK IN APRIL WAS SPENT REHEARSING FOR THE PLANNED DROP WHICH WOULD TAKE PLACE OF F THE ISLAND OF HAWAII. MAY 1ST THE SHIP WAS UNDERWAY ENROUTE TO 19— 30N 156-30W, A POINT OFF THE KONA COAST OF HAWAII WHICH WAS THE INTENDED DROP AREA. TWENTY FOOT DECOMPRESSION STOP THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS WERE SPENT CONDUCTING A BOTTOM SURVEY TO FIND AN AREA SUITABLE FOR PLANTING THE SYSTEM. THE FIRST BOUY WAS SUCCESSFULLY DROPPED ON THE SIXTH OF MAY AND THE SHIP THEN RETURNED TO PEARL TO PROCURE MORE MATERIALS NEEDED FOR THE SECOND DROP THE PERIOD OF 11 TO 16 WAS SPENT IN AN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO PLANT THE SECOND BOUy! 17-19 IN PEARL PICKING UP MORE SUPPLIES. THE 20TH OF MAY MARKED THE END OF THE SHIP ' S PARTICIPATION IN PROJECT TAMARIN WITH THE SUCCESSFUL PLANTING OF BOUY NUMBER 2. AFTER A BRIEF STOP IN KAILUA, HAWAII THE SHIP RETURNED TO PEARL ON THE 26TH OF MAY FOR DEMODIFICATION. THE SHIP REMAINED IN THE SHIPYARD UNTIL THE I3TH OF JUNE. CURRENT SAILED FROM PEARL WITH YFN 913 IN TOW ENROUTE TO LOCAL OP AREA ALFA FOUR. THE YFN WAS MANNED AND HER MISSION WAS TO COLLECT SAMPLES OF WATER FROM VARIOUS DEPTHS TESTING FOR GAS CONTENT. CURRENT AND TOW REMAINED WITHIN A 5 MILE SQUARE AREA UNTIL THE 26TH OF JUNE WHEN THEY RETURNED TO PEARL HARBOR.

Page 9 text:

THE 19TH OF SEPTEMBER THE TIDES SHIFTED AND IT WAS CURRENT ' S TURN TO DO THE TRAINING. SHE SPENT THE FOUUOWING TWO WEEKS PREPARING FOR A TRE AND ORI THAT WAS SCHEDULED FOR THE NEAR FUTURE. THE WEEKS OF THE 8TH AND I7TH OF OCTOBER CURRENT PROVIDED SERVICES FOR COMFUETRAGRU PEARL, REMAINING IN PORT THE WEEK OF THE lOTH. THE EVENING OF THE 17TH DURING A TIDAL WAVE ALERT THE CURRENT GOT UNDERWAY FOR HONOLULU HARBOR WHERE SHE TOOK THE USS ELK- HORN (AOG-7) in TOW. HER MISSION WAS TO KEEP THE ELKHORN, WHICH WAS UNDER MODIFICATIONS IN THE HONOLULU YARDS, A SAFE DISTANCE FROM SHORE IN CASE A WAVE HAD BEEN GENERATED. NO WAVE WAS FORMED AND WE LEFT ELKHORN IN THE CUSTODY OF A CIVILIAN TUG TO BE RETURNED TO HONOLULU SHIPYARDS. CURRENT RECOVERS EXERCISE TARGET NAVY DAY, 29 OCTOBER, CURRENT HELD OPEN HOUSE AT KILO PIERS WHERE SHE WAS THE CENTER OF ATTRACTION WITH HER DIVING OPERATIONS AND SALVAGE PUMP DEMONSTRATIONS. CURRENT RETURNED TO THE SHIPYARDS ON THE 30TH AND REMAINED THERE UNTIL THE IST OF NOVEMBER. THE FIRST PART OF NOVEMBER WAS USED FOR UNDERWAY TRAINING. CURRENT ' S ATTENTION NOW SHIFTED TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND P RE- DEPLOY M E NT INSPECTIONS. WHICH WERE GIVEN TO THE SHIP ON THE 18TH THROUGH THE 2IST. THE FINAL GRADE FOR THE TWO INSPECTIONS WAS OUTSTANDING. THE SHIP WAS TRULY READY FOR DEPLOYMENT. THE FOLLOWING LETTER WAS RECEIVED FROM COMSERVPAC: COMMANDER SERVICE FORCE, U.S. PACIFIC FLEET HAS REVIEWED THE CURRENT ' S ADMINISTRATIVE INSPECTION AND TAKES PARTICULAR PRIDE IN ASSIGNING A FINAL GRADE OF OUTSTANDING (95.35). IT IS NOTED THAT THE GRADE ACHIEVED IS THE HIGHEST ASSIGNED TO ANY SERVICE FORCE SHIP SINCE SEPTEMBER 1965, AND IS EVIDENCE OF THE CONTINUANCE OF EXCELLENT LEADERSHIP SINCE THE OUTSTANDING GRADE ACHIEVED IN CURRENT ' S LAST ADMINISTRATIVE INSPECTION CONDUCTED IN SEPTEMBER 1963. THE OPERATIONAL READINESS INSPECTION WAS NEXT ON CURRENT ' S LIST. COMFLTRAGRU PEARL GAVE US THEIR BATTLE PROBLEM AND THE REMAINING EXERCISES WERE ADMIN- ISTERED BY USS TAKELMA, ATF-110. THE FINAL GRADE FOR THE ORI WAS GOOD . THE SHIP REMAINED IN PORT IN AN UPKEEP STATUS UNTIL THE lOTH OF DECEMBER WHEN SHE DEPARTED FOR BREMERTON, WASHINGTON .... ALOHA H AWA 1 1 1 1