Mahlon Tisdale (FFG 27) - Naval Cruise Book

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A D A K w ' ES - -v i

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5 E A T T L E 1 1 IH ■ Pljia w s 1 E H J ■

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Reserves rescue sinking ship As the four guided-missile frig- ates of Surface Squadron One headed West of the Aleutian Islands in the Northern Pacific during early October towards WESTPAC and their rendezvous with ARG Bravo — the four Na- val Reserve Force ships were tas- ked by Commander Third Fleet to locate and provide assistance to the sinking Korean freighter. Pan Dynasty. The SAR began at 3:45 a.m. on Oct 4 when ComSurfRon One received a message from the Northern Pacific Search and Res- cue Coordinator that a Korean freighter was taking on water at a rapid rate and was in danger of sinking. Her three-ton-per-hour pump couldn ' t keep up with the flood volume. Upon receiving the SAR task- ing, the squadron ' s commander, Capt. H.E. Bailey turned all four ships to provide a direct track to the distressed vessel which was about 170 nautical miles distant. As the commodore ' s fbgship began to close on the sinking freighter, radio communications intensified, including communica- tions between Coast Guard Air Rescue, a launched Sea Sprite LAMPS I helo from the squa- dron ' s embarked air detachment and the commodore ' s staff. The helo ' s voice report soon came back. She ' s listing to port, and about five degrees down by the bow, the pilot ' s voice crack- led. At about this time the voice of Pan Dynasty ' s master became au- dible over the bridge to bridge radio. U.S. Navy, he said, can you take us off our sinking ship? Should we put our life rafts in the water when you approach our ship? No, Commodore Bailey re- plied, we ' ll transfer your people by helicopter — Standby. Oh, very good, the master responded, his voice sounding hollow and dis- tant. This is contrasted with the Commodore ' s easy confidence as he directed the rescue from the bridge of his flagship, the USS Lewis B. Puller, commanded by Cmdr. Christopher A. Nintzel. The rescue included helo passen- ger transfer lifts by the embarked helo dets of the USS Mahlon S. Tisdale, commanded by Cmdr. Ol- iver H. Perry, III and the USS Wadswonh, with Cmdr. John W. McGillvray commanding; the USS Duncan, commanded by Cmdr. Dennis M. Lunghofer, was plane guard for the rescue. As the last of the 24 Kcxean crew members was cross-decked, Bailey, with obvious pride in the professionalism demonstrated by his squadron, concluded his radio communications, Mission ac- complished, gentlemen. WELL DONE! M V PAN DYNASTY M