Hamner (DD 718) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 32 text:

S SHIPFITTERS-Front Row: ENS. HIATT, HEARNE, BROADWATER, MacNEAL, JONES. Back Row: DAVIS, M. A., HAWN, HOMFELD, SAFFORD. Missing: MOREN. AUXILIARY MEN-Front Row: HELMS, W. H., RAU, CAPORALI. Back Row: NELSON, L. A., JENKINS, H. S., HENSON, A. E., BERGMAN, CAIN, JONES. HIPFITTERS AND AUXILIARY MEN Want some special work done such as welding a shelf bracket, fabri- cating a much needed bulletin board, repairing a badly worn chair or punching a hole through a bulkhead? If this be your problem, then neatly fill out a ship's force work request, have it approved by your de- partment head and turn it into the Repair Gang for ACTION! We guar- antee your pet project will receive weighty consideration while it is filed amongst the backlog of other work requests after being assigned a priority ranging anywhere from Rush-Rush Cto be accomplished within three weeksj to Temporarily Deferred Cnever happenj. We do not like to be sarcastic when referring to your requests, but you must realize that we, too, have a mammoth job in taking care of our assigned spaces, equipment and material. Don't ever develop a complacent attitude that all the intermingled steam and fresh water systems carrying services throughout the ship just happen to remain in good working condition or, when using a fire hose, the fact that the water spouts out under a good pressure head is natural. If we let one duct of the intricate ventilation system stop supplying air, there is always plenty of howling, and when the turbo generators suddenly fail, immediate response is expected from the diesel generators to bring the lights back on. Maintaining the above requires plenty of man-hours, but this isn't all by any means! The BTs and MMs always have plenty of work to be mounted on the lathe or drill press, and while at sea, in addition to our normal damage control watches, we supplement them in the firerooms and enginerooms where personnel shortages arise. How about General Quarters? Here you find the key damage control party billets occupied by our personnel whether it be for fire-fighting, flood arresting or emergency repairs, and all of the bulky damage control equipment has to be maintained and properly stowed by us during off GQ hours. We can't overlook ABC warfare for it most certainly isn't going to overlook us. No one enjoys struggling into the tight, oil im- pregnated protective clothing of the monitoring and decontamination teams, and for how many hours during this cruise have you watched us installing the vast washdown piping system stretching from bow to stern, side to side, and main deck to bridge only to witness, not nearly as dis- couraged as we, the dismal results of the first full scale test? Yes, as with the BMs cleaning and painting, our job of repairing and fitting out the HAMNER is NEVER DONE! Gite le?-Zi 1 E-C'Q'3!If diff, X Q ME,DC.,EN giiive AFP

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AFTER ENGINEROOM, Front Row: WILSON, C. N.: DEBENEDETTI, DAVIS, P. P.: Mc- CARTNEY, MANN, I. D. Back Row: BENNER, DURBIN, FISHER, FLOYD, R. T., WEBB, R. W., DEANDA: Missing: GUNN. we may lose the electrical load, have to slow, stop or lock the propeller shaft, or, in the worst instance, be a victim of a violent steam explosion engulfing the entire watch with a scorching suffocating fog! Despite the ever present element of danger, there are plenty of ad- vantages in belonging with the Machinist gang. The senior officers very seldom tour through our spaces to scrutinize us and our equipmentp the uniform of the day lasts only so long as it is convenient, and it's damned comfortable in the enginerooms when the HAMNER plows the cold winter waters. Like the BTs we never lack for anything to eat or fresh water to drink, and boiling water for coffee can be had for a quick twist of the de-aerating tank test valve. Our attestation to learning a civilian trade combining the characteristics of the plumber, the ma- chinist and the janitor is based on the infinite number of valves we repair, our honing of turbine shafts and replacing of pump bearings and our endless scrubbing of bulkheads, pipe insulation, deck plates and oily bilges. The ultimate aim of the career Machinist Mate is to attain the position of Chief of the Watch, the key billet in the control of the engineering plant. With this watch stationed around the clock while underway, the Chief of the Watch is the man who determines how much super-heat can be safely carried, which unusual conditions warrant being brought to the attention, of the Chief Engineer and upon the occurrence of an unannounced casualty, which isolation steps shall be taken im- mediately to prevent further damage. During the four hours each indi- vidual chief or first class petty officer has the watch: the safety and proper operation of the HAMNER's engineering plant rest solely with him.

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ELECTRICIANS AND IC MEN-Front Row: MAXEY, B. G., LAFLEUR, DAVISON, LAW- SON, TIDWELL, DAFOE. Back Row: ENS. HlATl', MARTINDALE. ATCHLEY, LARSON, MCCAUSLAND, TRAWCZYNSKI, COLE, WARR, JONES. Missing: RAMOS. EMSIC. 2 xf QQ 0 J I f f ll ? ls? 'Neovo 52 A N5 SW Q5 fx. 5 With many compartment lights flickering dimly or completely blacked out after an afternoon of gunnery firing exercises, we electricians, armed by past experience with repair kits and spare bulbs, are busy men as we pass from compartment to compartment replacing damaged or shattered bulbs and testing for possible power shorts. Yes, though we are only responsible for cleaning one compartment, our electrical shop, the job of maintaining the HAMNER's far flung lighting system, its portable or permanently installed blowers steering, pump, drive or fan motors, the degaussing coils, the numerous distribution panels and the assorted cabling leads us to every compartment in the ship. Saddled continuously with two routine guards as the duty electrician for emergency repairs and the power panel-distribution board watch for whichever of the two 450 kilowatt main ship's service and two 100 kilowatt emergency diesel generators is currently carrying the load, we take gratifying pleasure in performing our additional movie operator duties which highlight limited audi- ence premiering, after taps and behind the dogged hatch of the electrical shop, of each new movie boarding the HAMNER. Though there are only three of us, we IC men cater to the needs of two of the HAMNER's most important systems. The first is the vast internal communications system ranging from the IMC which regulates shipboard life to the various sound powered circuits over which vital battle information will flow even though the ship has lost all electrical power. Our second system is the complicated, delicate and temperamental master gyro system which, through compass repeaters and radars, provides the HAMNER with it's sense of direction. ' ELECTRICIANS AND IC MEN