Hull (DD 945) - Naval Cruise Book

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HULL MAKES HEADLINES 112 H114 xrgn Hman Son Dlegan Knew Hu Under Attack A San Diegan sitting 1n a windowless sonar cubicle aboard the destroyer Hull last week knew his ship was being shelled in the Tonkm Gulf be fore anyone heard a shot Sonarman 2 c James Magoon 722 Cardiff St San Diego heard an unusual ping on the underwater electronic warning system His analysis of what it was an artillery shell fallmg through the water alerted Cmdr G A Cnuich 570 Alame da St Coronado to take eva sive sactlon The incident saved the San Diego based destroyer from possible damage according to a spokesman for the Pacific Fleet Cruiser Destroyer Force The shelling occurred oft G10 Linh in the area near the De mllitarized Zone of Vietnam the Navy disclosed The 1nc1dent has given the Navy a new use for one of llS most effective pieces of elec tronic equipment the Navy sal Enemy forces generally fire. one shot for range and bearing usually far short of the intended target and hopefully out of sight and hearing of Navy lookouts. Where' 1t lands in relation to the ship is used by the enemy for following shelling Sonar sends out underwater impulses which bounce off an object and back to sensitive listening gear aboard ship Son ar operators can distinguish be tween objects such as sunken hulls whales and other under water objects Magoon picked up the pinging return sound from the flrst ar tillery shell as it sank through the water Quick identification and not1f1 cation to tne ship s captain can result in evasive action before later rounds are fired a Navy spokesman said He added the adapted use is particularly valuable at night ox in heavv fog when v1s1b1l1ty 1S Or Magoon s wife Jan and their two children Joanne 5 and James Patrick 4 live at the Cardiff Street address She IS the daughter of Mr and Mrs Elwm Fisher of 452 Cardiff St V A Magoons parents Mr anc Mrs Ray Magoon live at 1104 Judd St. The San Diego 'man left f01 Vietnam Jan 19 1 This 1S hi third tour of duty there A He is a graduate of San Diegf High School He entered the Navy three years ago N VI lbuns 0 n 1reOn Son D1egoSh1p SAIGOZN CAPJ The Navy de- stroyer Hull, home-based in San iego, has come under attack from North Vietnamese shore atteries four times 111 the last 10 days but crew members said yesterday they were get ting fused to it I was on the signal bridge and heard the first round come histlmg in said Signalman 2 C Ray Rigney of Manchester, Tenn After three attacks there IS no mistaking that sound EARLY EVENING ' It was early evehingpand the ship was conductinglhtarassment Jmissions against' targets. ' near' rthe De1n1l1tarized,'Zone, Some. ,crew members aware having dm ner-when the first enemy shells I was usl eo the lst Diiusion 3518 gmt ment when I hear fwg dull thuds said Seaman Jon Chap man of Washington 111 The flashing guns on shore were barely V1S1bl6 through 3 heavy mist and drizzlmg rain as the Shlp began to open fire After directing about 30 rounds at the Communist battery the Hull ceased fire and returned to normal duty CLOSE SHAVE The day before the Hull had a close shave when a North Vietnamese shell hit only 10 yards from her bow The de stroyer was bombardmg an au tomatic Weapons pos1t1on 4 m1les north of G10 Linh when Lf fl sl Dan James of Falls Church Va heard two bI.lI'StS and saw double columns of water r1s1ng from the sea I thought we would catch the next round right on the main deck ' said James, 'and I began to brace- 'A I .By that time, however the Hull was maneuvering and be gan returning the fire That was the third, time for us said Seaman Philip Case of Tulsa Okla 'Everyone knew what to do Suhr ngllrws . . ..AAL AYIR RI 968 8Hr Days Dont Exist For DD Crews There are two things men an the San Diego-based de- stroyer USS Hull are not promised--an e i g ht -hour work day and a chance to be- come a one-job specialist. Most of the ship's crew members put in several ex- tra hours of work a day. They might find themselves scrambling eggs in the morning and then carrying ' projectiles to the gun maga- zine before noon The Hull like many other destroyers serving off :the coast of Vietnam stands ready to carry out a variety of different missions 24- of time it takes a radio tele- type to click out a message she may have to exchange the role of gunfire support ship for that of a search- and-rescue vessel. There are no specialists trained to do only one job' Each man must be a gpg- cialist in many tasks. If the destroyer's mission sud- must be ready to aggurne 3 h0U1'S' a day In. the length' denly changes, then her men new role and do the new jobjust as wellas the former task Seamen Gary Blanchard 20 of Springfield Mass acts as one of the ship helmsmen as she plows her Wal' across the South China Sea to the Vietnam Coast loads the five-inch guns when thel' begin hammering enemy targets in the DMZ, and is part of a pilot rescue team if the destroyer is serving as a rescue ship. Seamen Allen Burns, 22, of Idabel, Okla., may be found behind a typewriter in the weapons office during a normal day, manning part of the fire controlmadar system when on his battle station or serving as a communiCa tions talker while the ship is steaming from one missi0n to the next When the Hull finds it necessary to refuel or take on ammunition at sea everl' man, or a man lend whether he s a Welder storekeeper a signal' or a sonarman muSt a hand to get fueled. armed and then underWaY- Time away from the assigned mission is precious and each member performs whatever job he must to keep it to 4 minimum: APRIL 19. 1968

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25000th RCUND 17 june 1968 - From: Commanding General, First Marine Division 1 To: USS HULL lt 1. The timely, accurate and effective naval gunfire support from USS HULL during the recent 6' amphibious operation and subsequent operations ashore is very much appreciated. 2. The firing of 25, OOO rounds in support of troops in the field during your current deployment is a measure of the professionalism and responsiveness of our naval gunfire support ships. 3. WE LL DONE. iw Major General Robertson Yu..--,,,,,..... 69 Each man must do all in his power for his country. Commodore Isaac I-lull ,....1--

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