John McCain (DL 3) - Naval Cruise Book

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JACK L. WOHLER, CDR, USN COMMANDING OFFICER Commander Wohler was born in Portsmouth, Ohio in December 1921. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in June 1943 and was ordered to a short tour of temporary duty at the Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida. In September 1943 he reported for duty on board the USS Omaha ICL-41 as a Gunnery Division Officer. After having been promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade in September 1945, he reported to Newport, Rhode Island as a part of the pre-commissioning training detail of the USS Tarawa ICV-401. The Tarawa was commissioned in December 1945 and subsequently joined the Pacific Fleet where she took part in the occupation of Japan. During his tour aboard the Tarawa LTJG Wohler served as Gunnery Division Officer, Assistant CIC Officer, and Assistant Communication Officer. On 1 April 1946 he was promoted to L'eutenant. In July 1947 Lieutenant Wohler was ordered to the U.S. Naval Intelligence School for postgraduate instruction, ' ld' I ' F lncu mg comp ehon o the translation and interpreter's course in the Russian language After graduation he was assigned as head of the U.S.S.R. desk of the Office of Naval Intelligence. During .this period he served GS special liaison officer for the Soviet Naval Attache upon return by the Soviets of the Cruiser Murmausk lex-U55 Milwaukeei. At the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950 Lieutenant Wohler d d T k J here he I was or ere to o yo, GPC1111 W served as Assistant Intelligence Officer on the staff of Commander Naval Forces Far East During this tour he d d h was awar e te Commendation Ribbon with Metal Pendant by Vice Admiral Turner 1Joy, USN, COMNAVFF' for the preparation of the Intelligence Plans for the invasion of Inch H I 1 -1 5 1115 on. e a so accompanied Admira oy 0 Intelligence and Briefing Officer during the first two months of the Truce Talks at Panmun-iom. Following this tour of duty Lieutenant Wohler reported to th USS 9151 e Vesole QDDR-878i in December where he served as Gunnery Officer and later as Executive Officer. In January 1954 he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and shortly thereafter in March 1954 WCS ordered to Washington. D.C. for duty in the Office of Naval Intelligence. On 31 AUQUSI 1956 Lieutenant Commander Wohler took command of newly commissioned USS1l'liSSem IDER-4003. V. .IQ Mulch 1:58 ne Xogsqrolgefed lg the rank of Commander and shortly thereafter reported to QUUPIEO: Irglma, w ere e a en e e emor ourse, M r' C S h I . ' ' 1959 Common 6 Wohler departed for the Pacific to I' G me gps C- Dos Upon graduation In May 1 re Ieve as Commanding Officer of the USS Philip IDDE-4981. During his sixteen month tour Philip operated ' I as t fD ' I H rbor Urea and spent seven months deployed in the W G Um O estroyer Squadron 25 In the Pea' G' ' u . estern Pacific as a part of the Seventh Fleet Anti-submarine GYOUP' He was relieved as Commanding Officer of Philip on 16 Novembe 1960 r On 3 December 1960, COmmGnder Wohler took command of the USS John S. McCain IDL-31. i7'l 'T ITi 7 '7'-f9'i'i75' 'vIKItfM1bg,w'I'fIr sQuw.,-...1 -A-.-L., MI..- ....,..,,,..... I I I I I v 'I I ,I I II I I I 'Ti I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I It I- I 'Q in I2 I I I ,I ' I I

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iw is I BUREAU o HlP's HISTORY USS JOHN S. MC CAN DL-3 The USS JOHN S. MC CAIN lDL-31 is the second ship of the MITSCHER frigate class and was constructed by the Bath Iron Works at Bath, Maine. She was launched on 12 July 1952, and commissioned on 12 October 1953. The ship is named for Vice Admiral John S. McCain of whom Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal said, Admiral McCain's conception of the aggressive use of fast carriers as the principal instrument for bringing about the quick reduction of Japan's defensive capabilities was one of the basic forces in the evolution of Naval strategy in the Pacific War . . The USS JOHN S. MC CAIN is one of the five largest gunned destroyer type ships ever built in the United States and in the world. She is bigger and has greater fire power than some ships rated as light cruisers in other countries. Her cost S29,000,000, exclusive of armament. She is specifically constructed as a heavy weather, long- range fleet destroyer type equipped for both anti-air and anti-submarine warfare. The latest surface, underwater and anti-air weapons fwith the exception of anti-air guided missilesl are aboard. Her propelling machinery, of light weight, includes many advanced engineering features not previously installed in fighting ships and produce speeds in excess of 35 knots. MC CAIN numbers among her ports of call, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Kingston, Jamaica, Panama, LimafCallao, Peru, Buenaventura, Columbia, Hilo, Hawaii, Boco-co, Pescadores, Hong Kong, Subic Bay and Cebu City, Philippines, Buckner Bay and Naha, Okinawa, Yokosuka, Sasebo, and Kobe, Japan, Calcutta, India, Rangoon, Burma, Singapore, Guam and Midway. During the Formosa crisis in the summer of 1958, MC CAIN was assigned patrol and convoy escort duties in the Quemoy area of the Taiwan Straits while the island was under fire from Communislt guns on the mainland. In December 1958, MC CAIN was part of a Seventh Fleet Task Group which aded the victims of a fire that ravaged the town of Koniya on the island of Amami Oshima. In October 1959, she carried anti-biotics, donated food, and raised over S 1,000 for flood victims in the Bengal-Orissa lowlands outlying Calcutta, India. In January 1960, the ship rescued the entire 41 man crew of the sinking Japanese freighter SHINWA MARU in heavy seas in the East China Sea. Hoshin Nakamura of Naha, Okinawa is currently attending the University of Hawaii under the auspices of a scholarship funded entirely on a continuing basis by MC CAIN's crew. On 25 February 1960, after a 6 month goodwill tour in WESTPAC, MC CAIN returned to Hawaii and on 15 March she entered the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard to begin a 54.5 million dollar overhaul. The major change to MC CAlN's silhouette was effected with the installation of Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopters QDASHI facilities-a platform landing deck and a hangar to house two of the small pilotless craft. Other alterations included: A new sonar dome three times larger than the old one, two new improved radar antennas, and complete remodeling and enlargement of the Combat Information Center CCIC1. These changes all helped to make MC CAIN one of the most modern anti-submarine warfare ships in the Pacific Fleet. MC CAIN was the receipient of the Commander Cruiser Destroyer Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Battle Efficiency Award for 1959. This marked the second time a frigate had been so recognized. In 1960, MC CAIN received the third battle efficiency pennant ever to be awarded a frigate and became' the first frigate ever to receive the award twice. MC CAIN is the only ship in the Destroyer Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, in which both Operations and Engineering Departments are holders of 1960 departmental excellence awards. The after anti-aircraft director, the forward 5 f54 caliber gun mount and the 3 f70 caliber gun mount also are recipients of efficiency awards. MC CAIN is the flagship of Commander Destroyer Flotilla FIVE, and is homeported in Pearl Harbor Hawaii. The Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard is her home yard. This book is a picture history of her fourth tour to the Far East as a unit of the Seventh Fleet. I

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R. J. TRIBBLE CDR, USN EXECUTIVE OFFICER O CDR Robert J. Tribble, after having been raised in the Honolulu area of Hawaii, completed his formal education at the mainland school, Northwestern University, under the NROTC program from 1942 to 1945. While at Northwestern he maiored in psychology and was captain of the varsity swimming team. In 1947 he won the All Navy backstroke championship and a year later participated in the Olympic tryouts in Detroit, Michigan. Upon his commissioning as Ensign, United States Navy, Mr. Tribble served aboard destroyers from 1945-1948 in the Western Pacific area-USS DORTCH QDD-6701, USS SMITH fDDQ378l and USS CHEVALIER KDDR-8051. Following, he attended General Line School, Newport, Rhode Island, then returned to sea duty with PC's serving as Executive Officer of three and Commanding Officer of a fourth through 1951. He served on the Staff of CINCPACFLT, Admiral Arthur W. Radford, from 1952-1953. Next tour in the Atlantic was spent as Executive Officer of the USS RUCHAMKIN QAPD-891. Returning to the Pacific in 1955, he became Navigator of the USS ELDORADO QAGC-111, flagship of COMSEVENFLT, then Vice Admiral Pride. In 1956, CDR Tribble accompanied RADM George Towner's Expedition to Point Barrow, Alaska, to replenish the DEW line. Prior to reporting as Executive Officer aboard USS FLETCHER, he served as Surface Operations Officer on the Staff of COMBARPAC. In .luly 1960 he became Executive Officer of the USS JOHN S. MC CAIN QDL-31 and was promoted to Commander 1 April 1961. I