Lexington (CV 16) - Naval Cruise Book

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11:54 11:55 11:56 11:57 11:58 128 THIS IS STORK ROGER OUT. ALERT EVERYBODY. HANCOCK HAS LOST STEERING CONTROL. ALERT EVERYBODY. THIS IS STORK THOSE ASSIGNED STAND BY HANCOCK. THOSE ASSIGNED STAND BY HANCOCK. BUT ALERT. THIS IS DURANGO SHALL I STAND BY HANCOCK. THIS IS STORK AFFIRMATIVE. AFFIRMATIVE. OUT. One of the oHicers asks me if I know how to adjust my lifehelt. Yes, I think I can Work it out. I take off the fool thing I have, self-consciously, worn around my waist every time there was general quarters, blow it up, squeeze it, find it holds air, carefully deflate and strap it around my waist again. So this is it . . . I think of the Liscome Bay. The lighting with the enemy continues, in less than a minute after the torpedo hit, the fight to save the ship is under way. The Captain receives telephone reports from all parts of his ship, where the torpedo hit . . . how much she has settled and what is happening to the steering mechanism. brief commands. HANCOCK GIVE ME DETAILS WHEN YOU CAN. ROGER. WE HAVE TWO PORT ENGINES OK. STARBOARD ENGINES OUT. ENDEAVORING TO RESTORE STEERING CONTROL. BELIEVE WE ' , WILL BE OK IN FEW MINUTES REGARDS STEERING. OUT. ADVISE WHAT YOU CAN BEND ON. WAIT. STAY IN VICINITY TO HELP US TAKE CARE OF HANCOCK IF NECESSARY BY DAYLIGHT. OVER. WE JUST LOST ALL POWER ON STEERING All reports are answered by sharp THIS IS STORK STORK THIS IS HANCOCK HANCOCK THIS IS STORK FROLIC THIS IS STORK THIS IS HANCOCK

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:Sli LN. l 4 11228 HELLO LOCUST EMERGENCY TURN 500 EMERGENCY TURN 500 ' THIS IS STORK MAKE IT LEFT MAKE IT LEFT EXECUTE p EXECUTE ANTONIO ACKNOWLEDGE 11229 BOGIES NOW o2o S AND 270 6 AND 110 7 S CLOSING SAINT JO OUT ANOTHER PLANE COMING IN ON STARBOARD BOW 6 MILES SAINT JO OUT Our own radar reports enemy planes coming in low on port bow. I 11230 HELLO BEAGLE HELLO EXECUTE T0 FOLLOW BREAK TANGO ROGER BEAGLE THIS IS STORK PLUS 10 I SAY AGAIN EXECUTE TO FOLLOW TANGO ROGER PLUS 10 STAND BY EXECUTE CANEBRAKE DURANGO ACKNOWLEDGE OVER THIS IS CANEBRAKE WILCO OUT HELLO STORK THIS IS WILCO OUT DURANGO BOGIE NOW CROSSING AHEAD 080 6 MILES SAINT JO OUT I 11:51 Our five inch guns fire at two to four planes reported approaching from starboard bowg our 40 mm guns just below the bridge open up, their tracer shells suddenly illuminate the under side of a lap plane as it banks sharply to the right and gets away without being l 3 hit . . . that lap was too close . . . I am holding my breath . . . our guns stop firing ' . . . we are swinging under a full right rudder . . . BRRUUMMMMMMMPH. . . . The Lexington gives a thumping bounce followed by violent up and down whipping movements along the full length of the ship. MATTAPAN THIS IS MASooT DID You RECEIVE FRoLIo'S LAST TRANSMISSION OVER . HELLo STORK IS HANCOCK HIT BY TORPEDO. HAVE LOST STEERING T THIS Q CONTROL. OVER. l 1 5 1 3 ? A l v S 127

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11:59 11:42 11:45 ENGINE. WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE THE SPEED BUT I'M AFRAID WE WON'T BE ABLE TO STEER. WE'RE SHIPPING WATER FAST AFT. OTHERWISE OK. REPEAT HANCOCK. WE'RE SHIPPING WATER FAST AFT. I THINK WE WILL LOSE STEERING CONTROL. I THINK WE WILL LOSE STEERING CONTROL. WE'RE DOWN ABOUT IO FEET BY STERN. THREE ENGINES OK. OUT. WE WILL WATCH YOU AND STAY WITH YOU. CANEBRAKE STAND BY IN DAYLIGHT TO HELP US WITH HANCOCK. WILCO OUT. BOGIES ON STARBOARD BEAM 6 TO 8 MILES. SAINT JO OUT. EXECUTE TO FOLLOW TANGO KING PLUS 50. I SAY AGAIN EXECUTE TO FOLLOW TANGO KING PLUS SO. STAND BY. EXECUTE. OVER. The ship is swinging hard left in circles, considerable list to starboard. Reports from THIS IS STORK STORK FROM HANCOCK THIS IS STORK THIS IS CANEBRAKE THIS IS STORK damage control center and engineer ofliceg one propeller lost . . . all steering controls disrupted . . . rudder locked 30 degrees left . . . attempt being made to use hand- operated hydraulic steering control. All damage and repair work difficult, due to toxic smoke from broken smoke tanks stowed on fantail. Gas from ruptured air-conditioning machinery is sucked up and blown into the steering control room by the Ventilating system . . . water leaking in through seams of the bulkheads sloshes all over the place. The men in steering engine room send up word that their position is becoming too diflicult and request permission to come out. The Captain steps quickly to the phone. Tell them that if they are positive they cannot stand it any longer they may come out, but before 129