Damato (DD 871) - Naval Cruise Book

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BENKEN, a mf a 0 e age controlman firemz prentice, son LofBM1ig us we are satisfiedff you can bet I want every bit of M152 Heimatl ' fm ABOARD THE Uss Damaro irq the engineers, war is. no Speed I can eiffmMr,Sn1pes give I f ?j3a2mf3,rQ2gf1'gfmgg2fi OFF VIETNAM - The unsung different from peace. They are if to U19 evghri' ie' th heros of the Norfolk-based de- always in a ready alert status- tail: godegt jiglisntheefvhzlig ,qattemes near Dong I stroyer, USS Damato QDD-8713, currently off the coast of North Vietnam on operation Sea Dragon, are the machinlstsmates and boilermen In the engineering department. Snipes, as those who work in the hot, noisy firerooms and engine rooms are fondly called by their shlpmates, make the ship go where the captain directs and as fast as he wishes. They are the men who are ready to make the destroyer leap from normal cruising speed to all ahead flank ln a matter of seconds when the need arises. When the enemy is firing, and the 'fsnlpes are called upon to get us out of here , their value is recognized. The Snipes of Damato, un- der the direction of engineering officer Lieutenant Cjgb M. Scott Pirnie of Atlanta, Georgia, have never missed an assignment. They are so enthusiastic about their work that one ingenious snlpe, Chief Machinist Mate Rob- ert H. Drake, of Emporia, Kansas, has rigged the inter- com system between the bridge and combat information center so he can monitor all communi- cations. I can get- them on the speed they want before they even give me the word - they never do understand how Ido it, he proudly relates. Do they miss the glory thatthe gunners receive when a target is 'destro ed? A little, relates Y . ' Boilerman' Chief Marvin Ensley of Middletown, Rhode Island, Ubut as long as we are dolngour job and doing everything asked od , ' 1 BACK IN VIETNAM Fire Control Technician Se- cond Class Allen H. Downs,USN, son of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert B. Downs of 66 Marked Tree ,road Needham, has returned to the Gulf of Tonkin aboard the destroyer USS Damato. 'I'he Damato, which had been undergoing repairs on damage sustained from enemy shore bat- teries, announced its return to Operation Sea Dragon by closing a strategic enemy supply road skirting the North Vietnamese coast. they have to, be. That ls one reason why they are often taken for granted and don't receive all the credit they ,deserve during combat conditions. Eash of the destroyer's two turbines develop 35,000 horse- power. Each of the four boilers operate at 600 poundsfper square in of pressure and at a temper- ature of 500degrees.Thls makes the. atmosphere ln which the Snipes work at 14.7 psiandkeeps the temperature ranging near the 150 degree maker. There is no ...hi-by . is it l . 1 . '15, i -5 qi, - nr l ,nun Q f: -1 l f -'LL-1' ff. --' ,if-X oy f gf N , 1 such thing as a 'little mistake' at those operating conditions, says Lt. Og! Pirnie, You're playing for keeps. The destroyers commanding officer has complete confidence in his engineers. Commander Henry T. Dietrich Jr., of Vir- ginia Beach, Virginia, says, When I'm off Dong Hoi QDamato was hit there by enemy counter battery fire several weeks agob and the enemy starts shooting, 'NE TIMES Hits scored directly on the road and the cliff behind-'lf left large boulders- strewn over, the throughway. Huge craters closed the road to traffic. The Damato also took retalia- tory action against the enemy shore batteries at Dong Hoi that put lit out of action early in September. Spotter aircraft re- ported large craters on two of the sites and lingering smoke and dust long after the Damato's gunds had ceasedflrlng, the Navy says, ' Y thing. We can move them all ahead flank whenever they want, says Third ClassMachlnist Mate James Hershberger of Dover, Ohio, HI 'wish I knew why they wait. sdlong to ask for it. Sites Bomburded. worth Vietnam hit th .before leaving the oiiicers of the Damat notified by a spotter that the destroyer's u had scored a direct the enemy shore bat' The first action oz in September when A .- I . E 77 ' Q . Q O l the Gulf of Tonklil ire upon and close Damato upon its retwlz a tegic enemy SUPP13' If Destroyer Fron1Norfollt Avenging Viet Gun Hits NORFOLK--When t h e Nor- folk-based destroyer D a ni a to took two hits from enemy -guns at the North Vietnamese port of Dong Hoi early in September she swore vengeance, and reports reaching Norfolk indicate that she's getting it. Back on the line following nec- essary repairs, the Damato has been sitting off Dong Hoi and polmding the 'sites that brought her the wounds. . 'Spotter aircraft from the car- rier Oriskany reported large cra ters on two of thc sites with lin C gering smoke and dust. Moving up the coast, the Da- , a mato bombarded the Vinh Ang A Miss Marjorie A. King of military area for two days of pounding. This was followed by an as- sault on a radar site 39 miles northwest of Dong Hoi which it put out of commission. The Damato's captain, Cmdr. Henry T. Dietrich Jr. of Virginia Beach, is getting his vengeance. Another destroyer which left Norfolk last summer as a unit of Destroyer Squadron 22 is also getting in its licks. Recently it destroyed two com- mand posts, two supply routes, a bunker, an automatic weapons positon, and aided in a search and destroy mission, by softening up a helicopter landing zone. Armed Forces Chief Petty Officer Rober Drake, USN, son of Mrs. I V- Drake of 307 Sunnyslope andthe husband of the fo-1 r w South Neosho St., all of POFIH, has returned to the of Tonkin aboard the dest USS Damato. The Damato, ' has been undergoing- repair: damage sustained from en shore batteries, announced return to Operation Sea Dr, by CIOSHTS a strategic en Slfpply road skirting .the IN Vietnamese coast. Hits sc d1F9Cf1Y on the road and cliff behind it left large boul strewn' over the th-rough' Huge craters. closed the . to traffic.