John McCain (DL 3) - Naval Cruise Book

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2 :-I iqq-uf I ii X 21 391 i F as ,E E 9 6, F 1 Getting ahead , , ....,,,..-,,. ,,,X W... MN, .Ww...N-r- w 1 t Y i I A visit to the Royal Dentist

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Mitch keeps 'em in line The parade of the Pollywogs The Royal Court

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heavy seas, we arrived to find the 4482 ton SHINWA MARU WA MARU I HAVE SPRUNG A LEAK GAINING RAPIDLY MY 1IO0Z 26 124-25 EAST ON COURSE 208 6 X DESIRE YOU PROCEED ASSIST AT BEST SPEED Minutes after receiving this message, MC CAIN was detached operations with the KEARSARGE and headed for the disabled vessel. After a rough six hour run through high winds and Iof Osaka, Japanl down by the head with a cracked hull and 'a flooded number one hold as a result of striking a huge log. Attempts to rig a high line and to float a pump across to the stricken ship were thwarted by 20 foot waves and 45 mph winds. The same heavy weather combined with the clogging of the freighter's pumps by her cargo of iron ore forced the crew of 41 to abandon its ship at 0859 despite all efforts to save her. The entire crew of the Shinwa Maru took to one lifeboat. f ter a hazardous passage in the lifeboat and maneuvering by he MC CAIN, the boat and crew were brought alongside. The 5 degree rolling of MC CAIN made the use of ladders impossible. II 41 Japanese boarded MC CAIN by iumping and being caught by MC CAIN sailors as the ship rolled and the lifeboat came longside. W We brought the survivors to Naha, Okinawa and arrived to nd ourselves and our rescue mission front page news. Of the CUNY accounts of the rescue published, however, the tersest, yet erhaps the most dramatic, is found in the ship's log for the of January. NITED STATES SHIP JOHN S. MC CAIN IDL-3l I SATURDAY 23 JANUARY 1960 2535755 0? 77475 5777270 771,-4271 20-24 Steaming as before. 2005 cfc 055 by turn movement. 2105 detached from formation to proceed at best speed to a position of 26N 124.75E to render aid to a ship in distress identified as the SHINWA MARU. cfc 320, cfs 23 knots. 2300 cfc 310. J.N. DARBY, LTJG, USN UNITED STATES SHIP JOHN S. MCCAIN IDL-31 SUNDAY 24 JANUARY 1960 00-04 Steaming independently to render assistance to the Japanese merchant ship SHINWA MARU. Present course is 315 speed 23 knots. 0135 clc to 285. 0233 cfs to 25 knots, clc to 290. 0245 clc to 205. 0304 clc to 310. 0311 cfc to 320. 0336 cfc to 310. Captain assumed the conn. 0343 Maneuvering at various courses at 25 knots while approaching distress ship. K.W. BARNES, LTJG, USN 04- 08 Steaming as before. 0404 cfs to 20 knots, cfc to 330. 0405 cfs to 10 knots. Approaching ship to our port side. 0411 cfc to 215, cfs to 5 knots. Approaching ship to our starboard side. 0413 cfs to 7knots. 0417 Stopped all engines. 0418 cfs to 4 knots. 0419 Stopped all engines. 0418 cfs to 4 knots. 0419 cfs to 7knots. 0420 cfs to 10 knots. 0423 Stopped all engines, cfc to 200. 0427 Maneuvering on various courses at various speeds standing by the distress ship's port quarter at a range of 1,000 yards while rigging high line. 0429 Distressed ship identified as SHINWA MARU with a total crew of 41 men on board. 0443 SHINWA MARU reports her flashing light is inoperative and requests all messages be sent by radio. 0450 Ship lying off our starboard quarter at 3 miles identified as SS SHIMANE MARU. 0457 SS SHINWA MARU reports her origi-