Randolph (CV 15) - Naval Cruise Book

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I- r il I i' X 2-If ur--f ' ,wr x ...,,.iu ,,---anti W: R X i I HULL DEPARTMENT GENERAL QUARTERS, GENERAL QUARTERS, ALL HANDS MAN YOUR BATTLE STATIONS, and Three minuTes IaTer, SET CONDITION ZEBRA THROUGH- OUT THE SHIP! These were The words ThaT all hands heard very early each morning ThaT The Randy was in combaT waTers, buT Tew oT The crew really knew whaT a iob Iay ahead Tor The numerous repair parTies when These words were passed, The quick acTion ThaT Tollowed-closing all Z haTches, opening This TiTTing, closing ThaT valve, manning various conTroI sTaTions and diTTerenT repair uniTs were The pro- ducT oT consTanT pracTices, drills and never ending work oT The Hull DeparTmenT. This deparTmenT's prime pur- pose in baTTIe condiTions was To keep This powerTul ship aTloaT and TighTing. AT The Time commissioning of The USS Randolph, The Hull deparTmenT consisTed of ThirTeen oTTicers and ap- proximaTely nineTy men. The problems and responsi- biliTies oT This small group were many. Training a new crew in damage conTroI meThods and pracTices while aT The same Time accomplishing many urgenT aITeraTions and changes Tor oTher deparTmenTsg organizaTion of The boaT- swains group, supervision of The general messing TaciliTiesg checking, sTowing, and insTalIing many arTicles of The de- parTmenTsg preparing The ship Tor baTTIeg These and many oTher deTaiIs were The TirsT duTies To be discharged by The Hull DeparTmenT. When The TirsT members oT This organizaTion came aboard, They Tound already hard aT work LieuTenanT Commander Smedley, who was The FirsT LieuTenanT and Damage ConTrol OTTicer. To serve under him were Lieu- TenanT Commander Clark, IaTer To become head oT The deparTmenT and LieuTenanT Commander Gaffney. WiTh each oT These assisTanTs in charge, The work was divided inTo Two divisions-damage conTroI and mainTenance. ATTer a Teverish period oT yard work and loading of sTores and provisions, The Randolph embarked on her TirsT TesTs-The shakedown cruise. The urgenT obiecT oT This cruise was preparing boTh ship and crew Tor baH'le. Yes, a large iob considering The shorT period oT Time available and The newness of The crew, buT we were will- ing Tor There was a daTe To be kepT. Training of The crew in Tire-TighTing and general damage conTroI meas- ures was necessary if The ship was To survive damage. especially Trom Tire. Accordingly a ship-wide program was sTarTed. Training Tilms were shown beTore The regular movieS- Divisional insTrucTion in damage conTroI and TirsT aid were insTiTuTed. Ship-wide baTTIe problems involving mulfiple hiTs were held whenever pracTicabIe. DeTaiIs oT damage. The TrequenT use oT smoke bombs and simuIaTed casual- Ties, The seTTing oT maTeriaI condiTions were all included as parT oT The Training. AT The same Time, The depefi' menT was working hard To prepare The ship as well as TI19 crew. Such problems as check-oTiT lisTs, Tire main Se9f99a'

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fion, checking of valves and liHings, organiza'I'ion of rhe- damage con+rol parries, communica+ions plans, dis+ribu- Hon of personal equipmenl' such as gas masks, gloves and flash clofhing and many ofher problems arose. Every new ship has cer+ain problems, and faulis no+ eviden? al' commissioning. The Randolph was no excep- tion. Valves were insialled backwards. The fire main pressure was +oo low: some diagrams and blueprinis were incorrecfg hydraulic confrols were faulfy in places, and +he damage con'l'rol books and char+s did noi' arrive un+il lafe. In addilion fo Damage Confrol fraining, oiher work had fo be accomplished. Liferafrs and nefs had fo be rigged and provisioned. The deck divisions had ro be 'rrained in such imporlani' irems as fueling al' sea, frans- ierring of passengers and gear, sfreaming of paravanes, and ouffiffing of 'rhe boafswains locker. The shipfiffer and carpen+er shops had fo be organized and frained even while working. The climax fo 'I'he shakedown period came wirh fhe damage con+rol inspecfion and pracfice given by The USS Shangri-La. Affer a hecfic day of bomb hifs, for- pedo hils, smoke bombs, wri'Hen 1'es'rs and equipmenf in- specfions, lhe Randolph was declared Fil' fo join rhe fleef. During +he firsl' combai' cruise, much valuable experi- ence was gained. Fueling al' sea became parl' of fhe daily rourine. Daily drills and problems al' morning gen- eral quariers were ins+i+u+ed. A roufine of daily maferial inspecfions was sfaried, and damage con'rrol pafrols learned more and more abou? +he ship wi+h each wafch. The 'rime for seH'ing condi+ion Zebra was improved. All