Diphda (AKA 59) - Naval Cruise Book

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Her Crew ---- The Officers and Enlisted Men of the DIPHDA-two hundred diverse- individuals-all work together each in his own position in the team to accomplish the ship's mission. The Team is headed by Cdr. W. M. Kaufman, USN, our Commanding Officer. A T936 graduate of the Naval Academy, Captain Kauf- man has many years of sea duty in destroyers and battleships behind him, and several years of varied staff duty in the United States and overseas. The Executive Officer is Lcdr. C. E. Wood Jr., USN, of the Naval Academy's Class of l942,,who also has had varied duty afloat and ashore. The other officers and men are -divided into four Departments-Deck and Gunnery, Engineering, Oper- ations and Supply. Each department has a particular function within the ship's organization, and each must accomplish its function for the ship to accomplish its mission. Teamwork, too, is necessary between the- Departments, and DlPHDA's people have achieved a high degree of iust that. The Deck and Gunnery Department, with three officers and fifty men assigned, is responsible for the care and operation of the cargo-handling gear, boats, anchor and mooring lines, the cleanliness and painting of our sides and main deck, and the upkeep of our guns and ammunition. Considering the large expanse of open deck and sides, and the amount of cargo-handling gear needed for five hatches, the Deck Department has a very big job in accomplishing its function. The three officers and eighty men of the Engineering Department take care of the ship's machinery and minor repair work. The- latent energy contained in our fuel oil is transformed into working energy in the boilers, and this energy in turn drives our propelling machinery, our auxiliaries, pumps, electrical generators, etc. The repair gang makes repairs to the ship and equipment, cares for our plumbing and ventilation needs, and keeps our damage control equipment in top condition. The Engineers always get us there in one piece. The Operations Department is the eyes and ears of the ship. Here again, three officers direct the work of the twenty-two me-n assigned in collecting information by mail fpost office, and ship's officej, radio, ra- dar and navigation instruments-information that tells us where we are, what we are doing there and where we are going, when. The Ship's Office takes care of all personnel matters and the correspondence involved in operating and administering our ship and crew. The Post Office provides us with complete mail service, including money orders, registry and parcel post. Food? Pay? Supplies? The Supply Department takes care of all that, and more. DIPHDA is one of the best feeding ships in the Fleet due to a happy combination of natural cooks and bakers working under the intereste-d guidance of the Commissary Officer. He also supervises the paperwork involved in transporting cargo. The Paymaster hands out the money at pay-day twice a month, and supervise-s the Ship's Store and the Uniform'Store on board ship. Giving overall guidance to these two officers, the Sup- ply Officer also insures that we have on board the necessary electronic tubes, machinery, spare parts, rags-all the thousands of items that go into keeping the ship ope-rating. How well does he succeed in all these multitudinous duties?-DIPHDA never yet has failed to sail because of lack of supplies! Which Department is most important? Without the Engineers, we certainly couldn't move. But Oper- 1:35:E5i:5Egg::55gggg215:555:5:I-1:g:j.,q4255:gi:33,3114:ggi:5155:3115535355555:5135354155:5:5255gig:555:21313155353355131555555555553g:,:35:325:3515155355:555:f:3:5:5:333513515353235154z5:22 3:3:vgg5:5E55:5E5E335125:51531515:-515:E353151511135Egg3:51-3Z:E:2 g:Mg:531535511152523355'Z-2355.,31522113215233FEES.girzrz51525132-5:25213525-:I2515525121515.'EL:E5:?5Eff2-512If-Iifirif'31:ErE2iZ5f:2:153I1'iifilzfifiif122-:1?E221SfE2?3E1E1t6Ff?ES2:-2E13152351513522543:-2532225252122:Z-223515231:'E5f?E51FE?51?1?2f'?H-335251555i'If35E1E5iSE5E5E1E519325535535155152525EI2523359E2E2?E5E5E5E3i5151E223513351S1345555351521552EIEIEIEIEE523257515f3fE2E1EfF5E2E1E2E''rhfE2151i555i51E-I - . . . ations has to tell us where to go, and the Deck Department has to keep the cargo equipment working to get the cargo aboard and handle the lines to dock and tugs, and the Supply Department has to feed us on the way and provide spare parts that might be needed during the trip. If any one of the four fails, the ship fails. Each Department is as important as the others in accomplishing its own particular function, and each must work in coniunction with the other three departments to enable DIPHDA to fulfill its mis- sion. The Battle Efficiency Plaque presented DIPHDA testifies to the high degree of success achieved by thie ship's officers and men working individually and together in accomplishing the iobs assigned us during t e year.

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HerAchievements . . . . ' The tangible- awards that a ship of this type may get are not numerous. However, the DIPHDA has made a name for herself in many fiel-ds of endeavor. In 1954, the ship received the award from her type command, Service Force, U. S. Pacific Fleet, for excellence in Battle Efficiency Competition for fiscal 1954. 'his award, represe-nted by a bronze plaque, signifies a whole year's effort in performing battle effi- ency exercises. Each department on the ship has certain requirements to fullfill over the year's time. e quality of this work is grade-d according to a standard, and the results are compared with those re- nlts of all Navy ships in our class in the Service Force, Pacific Fleet. Turning to sports, the ship fielded a softball team during the 1954 season, which walked away with more honors. Competing among all Navy units in Southern Japan, the DIPHDA Fifty-niners copped the championship of that league, with a record of twe-nty-four wins against six losses. The team then was sent to Yokosuka, Japan, to participate in the Far East Softball Championship. The Fifty-niners were not eliminated until the semi-finals, in an extra inning game. A ln recognition for the fine work performed by the ship, over the six month tour as AKA station-ship in Sasebo, Japan, from May to October 1954, this message was received upon completion of that duty: From: Commander, Service Squadron Three J A To: U. S. S. DIPHDA QAKA 591 You have achieved the outstanding Fleet Issue performance record of a WESTPAC AKA station ship X Smooth sailing X Sayonara X RADM Gano And in addition to all of this, in the words of the Ship's Bos'n, We have the cleanest living compart- ments in the Navy! . J. Battle Efficiency Plaque awarded ' to USS DIPHDA for the fiscal year 1954 by the Commander, Service Force, U. S. Pacific Fleet.

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A W K : -'-'-1- --'- -'- ' , ., 4 - Ship's Company 8 July I955