Mahlon Tisdale (FFG 27) - Naval Cruise Book

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Tisdale simulates The Bering Sea was choppy as gusting 45 knot winds blew across the foc ' sle of the guided missile frigate Mahlon S. Tisdale. The bow on the 445-foot ship rose over each wave and crashed down the other side as she continued on course for Adak, a small island in the Aleutians off the coast of Ala- ska. It ' s 8 a.m. and cold. The Bridge crew is trying to keep warm while maintaining a careful watch, as the USS Tisdale patrolled its screen sector. Nearing the coast a sudden underwater explosion split the quiet routine and rocked the ship. This is a drill — GENERAL QUARTERS! GENERAL QUARTERS! All hands man your battle stations ... this is a drill! blared the ship ' s IMC (PA system). The ship had been at sea for the past 12 days providing ocean es- cort services during PACEX 89 (see Maritime Exercise Pg. 4), one of the largest maritime ojjeralions since the Korean War. Tisdale was one of four Naval Reserve frigates participating in PACEX 89. But for the next four hours, the Tisdale ' s crew had to battle the sea, wind and cold alone while try- ing to perform an exercise scen- ario, based on the USS Samuel B. Roberts mine explosion in the Persian Gulf. EXERCISE — EXER- CISE PRIORITY ACnON AC- TION read the message of sent out by Tisdale to Adak. Severe imderwater explosion. Amplifying information to follow. As the drama unfolded, the ship simulated extensive damage — it was now dead in the water, rolling back and forth in the brisk choppy seas, making walking below decks difficult for the crew as they ru- shed to save the ship. Ffre! Fire in the main engine room. Evacuate the space and release halon, ordered the Engi- neering Officer of the Watch. Flooding in auxiliary machinery rooms 1 and 2; Repair Five send flooding team, barked the Da- rnage Control Assistant EXERCISE — EXER- CISE ACTION ACTION ... many casualties, request immediate as- sistance. Fire and flooding ... heavy damage and numerous pieces of equipment destroyed by fire, fires continue unabated below ... need unmediate assistance, continued the next message sent out. OfTicer of the Deck, surface contact bearing 135, a lookout sang out as the salvage and rescue ship Safeguard appeared on the horizon — help is on the way. The crew has brought the simu- lated fires under control, some were out and the rest were being overhauled, but both of the ship ' s gas turbine engines and three ship service diesel generators were si- mulated out of commission, and Tisdale would need a tow back to Adak. As the USS Safeguard made her approach on the stricken frigate, Tisdale ' s boatswain mates, brac- ing against the cold winds blow- ing across the foc ' sle, were mak- ing ready for the tow. Soon a battle damage assessment team would arrive and determine the extent of the damage caused by the mine blast and assist in emer- gency repairs to get the ship alongside the repair ship Cape Cod in Adak. The battle damage drill was one of 12 such drills conducted to test the forward repair and recovery of damaged ships in their operating areas during PACEX 89, while demonstrating the batde force ' s ability to make repairs and get as many damaged ships back on line as possible. Secure from General Quar- ters, instructed Tisdale ' s com- manding officer, Cmdr. Oliver H. Perry, III. Restore all damage control equipment, start both main engines. The ship ' s two gas turb-ne eng- ines sprang to life as the Officer of the Deck instructed the helmsman, Ahead one third for IJ knoto, right standard rudder... And the all-night patrol in a stormy Bering Sea continued as the underway routine settled in once more. IS '

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. S ' OH NO, NOT THE COOKIES CAPTAIN! Kk 4 A VIEW FROM WAITING STATION

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mine hit off Adak READY TO TOW — The sal- vage and rescue ship Safeguard makes its approach to tow a 445-root frigate duriog a simu- lated battle-damage drill.