John McCain (DL 3) - Naval Cruise Book

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nal destination was Moii but that she is now repairs. 0500 SHINWA MARU reports 1151 hold is 0503 Second ship lying off our starboard beam is HAISHATT. 0504 Continued to maintain station 1,000 yards on port quarter of the distressed ship. High line transfer appears possible because of difficulty in steering both the SS SHINWA and this ship. 0525 Officer of the deck. assumed the conn. Captain assumed the conn. 0711 Officer of the' deck assumed conn. 0718 Closing SS SHINWA MARU to a range! off500 in preparation for attempt to transfer a P-500 by lifeboat. 210720 Captain assumed the conn. 0722 Maneuvering on various' courses at various speeds to close SHINWA MARU to a range' of approxi- mately 100 to 150 yards to fire a line throwing gun. 0747 SHlN-' WA MARU is the only ship other than this one in the area. D.H. LE SIEUR, LTJG, USN' 08-12 Maneuvering as before. 0815 Shotline over to SHINWA MARU. 0819 Shot line parted. Maneuvering to close SHINWA MARU for another attempt to get shotline over. 0831 Shotline over and messenger of 2 manila being payed out for transfer of P-500 gear. 0835 Life raft for transfer of P-500 in the water. 0836 Life raft punctured and capsized in heavy seas. 0839 Life raft broken loose at 250 1o'N, 1240 WE. 0843 Recovered line ffem SHINWA MARU. 0859 SHINWA MARU is abandoning ship, maneuvering to pick survivors. 0932 Secured line to life boat ,C proceeding to bring its along side. 0940 Line to life boat parted , maneuvering to come? close aboard , port side to, of life boat. 0947 Life boat alon side, proceeding to take on survivors. 0955 All survivors on board, 41 in all, no iniuries. 1000 Secured the special sea detail , set regular underway watch. Maneuvering at various courses and speed, to make final search of the area. 1047 cfc to 074, cfs to 20 knots. MJ. HURLEY, ENS, usN 52

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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-

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