Damato (DD 871) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 101 text:

1 Bears Scars estroyers Home From War Duty NORFOLK-The scene was one that is getting to be quite familiar again in Norfolk-the gaily colored crowd on the pier and the slim, gray warships edging in-. It was another homecoming, a wartime homecoming, for the four destroyers were returning from action off Vietnam. Only one of them, the Damato, was on the wrong end of enemy fire-she was struck twice by North Vietnamese shells which injured no one-but all dealt heavy blows against the tnemy heavy blows against the enemy ing the myriad chores of destroy- ers at war. The Damato took her hits on Sept. 13 off the coast of North The communist gunners are good, both men agreed. They're getting better. Each time they shot at us they were a little bet- ter, Dietrich said. Clement -has had further ex- perience with the accuracy of the guns. He and his staff shifted to another destroyer, the Mansfield, Vietn-am. One struck the cap- tain's cabins- It wiped me out completely, said Cmdr. Henry TL Dietrich Jr.-and the other landed admidships between the destroyer's stacks. It was just lufck that day that no one was hurt, 'and I'm thank- ful to the Lord' for it, Dietrich said. He and Cmdr. Robert R. Cle- ment, commodore of Destroyer Division 222, said the shells were 85mm. Further north, where U.S. cruisers operate, the North Viet- namese guns get bigger, Dietrich added. and on Sept. 25, in almost 'the same spot in which the Damato was struck, the Mansfield was hit. One man was killed and sev- eral were wounded. The other ships of Clement's division are the Leary, the Wal- dron and the Cony. ' The Leary traded shells with the North Vietnames guns: But her main role was supplying gun- fire support 'for ,embattled U.S. and South Vietnamese forces be- low the Demilitarized Zone. That was the principle role of the Wal- dron and the Cony too. It was interesting, but it's good to be home, Clement said. Homecoming - ' ' ' ' 'th th anticism of their elders as h1S mother A destroyer membeitgf DdeilsliimngiitStdgmslibliziaoagis ghses lfezlioliiisband welcome home The ships came January 5 t eine at last ' ' N f lk p y O 'V - .' O 'gtaiolgr iilnsegrrtegisirs the impatience of the young In Tl1SSdaY- Story 15 011 Page 19

Page 100 text:

4 1 x .f 4 ' ' 'E A 1 , I w I I1 . 7 ' -'ff 'ff . f+:117,. '1 '17-J j '.'-'LT-71'.' :i:'7- nfs- 'ffl' 44--' ': ' N'-'--7 ' ,- 1' :ff '- -- ' 'L 5 - ' ' ' '- - ' - I T -'31 if ':TY7.-:E-fi'. -?Sl1-Z'1LZ77','?L1f'ii'7-'c1.'Ii'?f':7JlviZL'117?112:27Z:71:'12f7:'2 5.1ZZlt':v?i2?f I5f:PiSJJ-,z'I:l'1J fi? 43i3'dEi1i':i7iJLSJS-9-721-T19':HYuiIG 16l1L-' -xii-',f1'fP7', 2-' ' -5 V. '. , 5 35 W - R ' v- . V

Page 102 text:

QIllIlIllllllllllllllllllllllIlIIlllllllllllllllIlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllIIllllllllllllIIlllllllllllllIIlllllllllIlllIlllllllllllllllllIlllllllllllllllllllllIIIIIIIIIllllllllllllllllllllllIllll . Viet Shore Fire Closer to argef E By JACK KESTNER ,Ledger-Star Military Writer NORFOLK-The commanding officer of a destroyer that re- turned today from dueling with coastal artillery in North Viet- n a m believes' the Communist gunners are getting moreaccu- rate. ' I think they're getting bet- ter, said Cmdr. Henry T. Die- trich Jr. after his destroyer Da- mato tied up at Pier 23. I TheiDamato carries the scars to bear out his contention. 'Within minutes last Sept. 13, she took two hits that wiped out the cap- tain's cabin and did s e v e r e electrical damage amidships. We had just turned to sea when we saw flashes on the beach, Dietrich related. We took the first hit within the first 10 rounds. We were going to sea with everything we had, and I thought we were beyond range when we took the second hit. I still don't know how we were lucky enough not to suffer any personnel casualties. Damage was sufficient to force the Damato to Subic Bay in the Philippines for repairs. Cmdr. Robert R. C 1 e m e n t, commodore of Destroyer Divi- sion 222, said that the Commu- nists are particularly accurate with their first rounds. They're within 20 yards most of the time, he said. The Damato came under fire some nine times during which over 550 rounds fell within 20 to 100 yards. The ship was assigned to Oper- ation Sea Dragon aimed atinter- dicting communist craft slipping supplies down the coast. She is credited with sinking 20 and damaging 21 more. The Damato and the three oth- er ships of the division that re- turned today-the Leary, Wal- dron and Cony-fired more than 27,000 rounds during their seven- month deployment and are cred- ited with more than 150 enemy structures destroyed or d a m- aged, more than 55 cargo craft sunk or damaged,and 29 gun em- placements neutralized. Clement estimated that the di- vision spent 80 per cent of its time at -sea, replenishing as they operated. He also said that one of the things that had impressed him most was the way -the crews re- sponded to combat and the long, strenuous hours' of -operations. f'A lot of the men are not as old as their ships and they were tremendous, he said. . Both Clement and Dietrich be- liever that arrival of the battle- ship New Jersey on thefiring line will result in a tremendous asset to the operation. The destroyers workedin coop- eration with aircraft, and the re- turning officers believe this is the way the job should be done. It requires a mixed bag' out there, Dietrich said. The Leary, under command of Cmdr. Ramon W. Leary of Nor- folk, operated with the cruiser Canberra and also served as es- cort for the carriers Constella- tion, Oriskany and Coral Sea. The Waldron, under command of Cmdr. Gerald L. Wilda of Nor- folk, spent .53 days and nights in direct support of troops. The Cony, under command of Cmdr. W. P. St. Lawrence Jr., spent 55 days on the gunline and expended' 9,628 rounds. She cele- brated her 25th 'birthday' on the line. The four destroyers served as p a r e n t ships for numerous' Navy Swifts and 'Coast Guard cutters who came alongside for food, r e p a i r s, water, fuel, a shower and hot meals. Staff Photo by William Abourjilie Homecoming Scenes Like' This Were Common As Desiroyers Docked