Mount Katmai (AE 16) - Naval Cruise Book

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VERTICAL REPLENISHMENT Flight Quarters! Flight Quarters! Man the helo deck! Flight Quarters! Dressed in blue, red, and yellow high neck cotton jerseys, the helo crew prepares for vertical replenishment operations. Fire hoses are charged and manned. Damage Controlmen in their silver asbestos protective clothing stand tense and ready. The red flag goes down and the green one is hauled up signify- ing readiness. The helo circles around the ship. Seeing the green flag, the helicopter pilot manuevers his craft in closer to the helo deck which is marked like a pistol target with its painted white lines guiding him to center. No one on deck wears a hat as a precautionary measure. The suction caused by the turning of the rotor blades and the intake of the power- ful engine would sweep any loose gear like a hat up into the helicopter. The helo hovers like a large hummingbird and those without goggles have to turn their heads due to the fantastic currents of air caused by the spinning blades. The colored jersey-clad helo crew attaches the long poles from the netted loads of bomb fins to the hook on the under- side of the helo. The chopper lifts up swooping the load of fins off the helo deck and into the air. After twelve lifts the helo deck is barren except for the men in the jerseys.