Downes (FF 1070) - Naval Cruise Book

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THE COMMANDING OFFICER Commander George M. Coshow II is a native of Carpinteria, California and received his Bachelor of Arts from Sacramento State University in 1962. He entered Officer Candidate School in October 1962 and was commissioned in March of the next year. His first tour of duty was in USS EPPERSON (DD-719) as Main Propulsion and Damage Control Assistant and as the deck controller for the drone ASW helicopter. Following tours included Assistant Navigator in USS ARNOLD J. ISABELL (DD-869) and Engineering Officer in USS MCGINTY (OE-365). He graduated from the Destroyer School, Newport, Rhode Island, in 1968; subsequently served in USS EDSON (DD-946) as Engineering Officer and was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal. Commander Coshow ' s first tour ashore began in 1970 as an engineering instructor at Destroyer School. He returned to sea as Main Propulsion Assistant in USS AMERICA (CV-66). While on AMERICA he received the Navy Commendation Medal. In 1976 he reported aboard USS OUELLET, the Naval Sea Systems Command as project manager of the Destroyer Engineered Operating Cycle Program. Commander Coshow is married to the former Alannah Danaher of Meriden and East Hampton, Connecticut. They have three children, Maura, Oliver, and Sarah.

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THE DOWNES . . . USS DOWNES (FF1070) is a Knox-Class Frigate especially designed for locating and destroying enemy submarines. In addition to performing anti-submarine warfare (ASW), DOWNES is capable of such varied missions as surface action, anti-missile defense, search and rescue, patrol, evacuation blockade, visit and search or surveillance. She is 438 feet long, displaces 4,000 tons under full load, and has a beam of 47 feet and a draft of 26 feet. DOWNES is equipped with three modern long-range underwater sound detection (SONAR) systems, one hull-mounted, one variable depth, and a towed array passive sonar, as well as long range air and surface search radar, modern communications equip- ment and a sophisticated electronic warfare system. The DOWNES armament includes: one 5-inch 54 caliber gun for use as an anti-aircraft, anti-surface weapon, or for shore bombardment; a NATO Seasparrow Missile System that may be directed at both enemy surface and air targets, and the Surface to Surface HARPOON Missile System capable of long range engagements of enemy surface units. The ship also has four torpedo tubes. an anti-submarine rocket group (ASROC) and the LAMPS ASW helicopter. DOWNES is manned by 16 officers and 260 enlisted men. She has spacious modern living compartments, messing facilities, recreation and lounge areas, post office, ship ' s store, laundry, barber shop, and dispensary. FF-1070 had her keel laid on 5 September 1968 at Todd Shipyards Corporation Seattle, Washington, and was christened DOWNES on 13 December 1969 during launching by her sponsor Mrs. Philip L. Kelton, the great grand daughter of the late Commodore John Downes. The ship is powered by two combustion engineering boilers providing 1200 PSI steam through turbines developing 40,000 shaft horsepower through a single screw. DOWNES is capable of speeds over 27 knots. Her distilling plant produces 24,000 gallons of fresh water daily for personal use and for feeding the ship ' s boilers. Two gyrocontrolled fins protruding from the ship ' s underwater hull actively stabilize the ship for fire control and for better control of the LAMPS helicopter when embarked.

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