Hamner (DD 718) - Naval Cruise Book

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K7 3 'N lg X l Q X fNN M o K SHGM J N N1 'x X X Ae THREE INCH GUNNERS' MATES-Front Row GIBBS IDDINGS MALTBIE, HUNSBURGER5 Back Row: LTJG GOTTSCHALK RENKEN BOWEN, WAGES, FLANAGAN. THREE INCH GUNNER'S MATES While gazing at those lumbering well sheltered five inch mounts, don't forget us up here in the open, fast slewing, rapid firing 3 f50 mounts. Maybe the bigger guns have more range, but during the last minute to few seconds before an attacking aircraft is overhead, the period that counts, our three inch guns can put out twice to three times as many rounds with as good or better accuracy to triple the HAMNER's short range fire power. ln maintaining our guns in top condition and striving for our E, we of the three inch gun gang have two big problems. The first problem is the constant infiltration of salt air and spray into every corner and barely accessible area of the mount, resulting in hundreds of rust spots, despite the canvas covers normally kept over the guns while at sea. The second is the relative delicateness of the loader mechanism, installed over the basic single fire guns to convert them to rapid fire antiaircraft weapons, in comparison to the loader of the simpler, shorter range and out dated 40mm guns which the 3 f50s replaced. Facing these problems squarely, rolling up shirt sleeves in warm weather and zipping up foul weather jackets during the cold, armed with a pot of red lead, another ot grey and a third of grease, dangling four or five wipe rags from dungaree pockets, as needed, and hiding for our use only wire and paint brushes borrowed from other sections of the ship, we repeatedly tackle our job to check the onrush of salt corrosion and repair the material casualties which threaten to leave our guns inoperative at the very time we will need them.

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FIVE INCH GUNNER'S MATES-Front Row: FULMER, C. R., RUSSEL, 0'NEIL, SAUION, WILSON, I. F., MILLER, R.: Back Row: FLANAGAN, MARTIN, PURDY, BAIN, WARD, H. H., RYAN,- LTIG GOTTSCHALKQ Missing: POOLE. ...5fn,:.:..,! !,!l'F! FIVE INCH GUNNER'S MATES Three primary design factors, concentration of fire power forward for aggressive sea action, accuracy for providing close-in fire support for troops ashore and rapid defensive fire against oncoming aircraft at either high or low elevations are all combined into the HAMNER's three 5 f38 mounts which we of the five inch gun gang so meticulously guard. Experience has proven that our guns will provide reliable fire in actual battle for the accomplishment of these missions only if the pre- ceding days, months and even years have shown careful cleaning, lubricating, protective oiling and constant performance checks by the assigned gunner's mates. ln accord to these standards, we can boast freely that our guns of the HAMNER's main battery are ready! ! We're not seen much topside except for chipping and painting of the exterior of the mounts, cleaning and oiling the bores, or greasing up the bare metal portions of the barrels. Most of our work takes place inside the mounts or handling rooms where no salt, grit or dirt can 41 be toleratedg the hundreds of fittings, gears and cams, the chain hoists and the various motors must be kept thoroughly lubricated, and areas of bare metal such as the recoil and slide assemblies, loading trays, breech block and breech areas are maintained smooth, shiny and cov- ered with a thin protective layer of oil. Whenever a casualty develops, it must be expeditiously repaired, and we are constantly probing to find advancing stages of future trouble. On days of scheduled firings, we take our guns through complete pre-firing checks to minimize the possibiliies of a casualty during the actual firing runs, and immediately after General Quarters, its turn to to erase the corrosive or damaging potential of residue powder, burnt-off oil and general soot which seems to appear from everywhere during the shock of firing. Overall, our one main peacetime objective is to get that big white E painted on the side of the mount and keep it there! ! ! S A 2 2 slevi as gf XI f X f do I! I I 1 fir ON..-Zi

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N- i FIRE CONTROL TECHNICIANS- Front Row: HOVER, O. A., BALDWIN, CROWDERQ Back FT 4, --T Row: RAMSEY, STEWART, C. E., MAIENKNECHT, KAIN, JOHNSON, C. N., ENS CAMERON. Hardly anybody had ever beard of a Fire Control Technician in the Fleet twenty years ago or dreamed of their forthcoming widespread use. However, with the advent of fast moving, highly maneuverable aircraft and the necessity of firing at surface or land targets obscured from vision by fog, haze or darkness, control of gun laying passed, for the most part, to us FTs manning gun directors and plotting rooms equipped with automatic or semi-automatic tracking equipment. This equipment, housing numerous electronic and mechanical computers, leads the aim of the guns ahead of the target enough to compensate for the relative motion between the HAMNER and its target, the target's elevation, the projectile trajectory, the propelling force of the powder and the amount of gun barrel erosion caused by past firings and will keep the guns pointed at the correct position in space despite the perpetual rolling and pitching of the ship. Highly skilled, electronically inclined men such as we are vital in operating and maintaining the complicated radars, consoles, computers, stable elements, servo-mechanism, ampli- dynes, etc., any of which can develop a casualty at the most inoppor- tune time to disrupt an otherwise perfect target acquisition and gun laying solution. On the first indication of such a casualty with the ship at General Quarters, we have to determine immediately which compo- nent the casualty is in, open it up, locate the faulty parts among the maze of wires, tubes, resistors and capacitors, race to the tube or spare parts locker for the replacement, install the part and check the equipment for proper operation, all in a manner of minutes. To be able to do this takes many hours of on the job training probing through the various components to become familiar with each part, its function and FIRE CONTRO I-E ff if 625-I Q XT!! ow qi? ff? ' fl ' I SEQ the possible resulting system or component casualty based upon its failure. Normally we run daily performance checks to detect improper operating levels or telling signs of forthcoming failures and make what- ever repairs or adjustments deemed necessary. For, whenever General Quarters is sounded, we will not accept anything but peak performance from the fire control systems so necessary to the accomplishment of the HAMNER's mission, whether it be striking for the E or an actual war engagement, , l TECHNICIANS