Ranger (CV 61) - Naval Cruise Book

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UNREP Fuel, stores, ammunition. These are the three basics which most Ranger sailors take for granted. From some limitless bin in the awe- some hollows ofthe ship, they feel, comes a per- petual supply of those three constants. . .ammuni- tion, stores and fuel. The boatswain mates know better, however. It is they who are responsible for the rigs which transfer everything-black oil to blackshoe polish -from the supplying ship to the Ranger while the two vessels steam parallel. Were it not for sea refueling and replenishment, even a ship the size ofa carrier would be a slave to logistics and seriously hampered in its strategic role. In other words, it would spend a lot more time in port. Damn boatswain mates. The work of replenishment itself, assuming the weather does complicate things, is always always long, hard, and dangerous. The order to Hhlan stations goes at anytime during the day or night while on the lineg usually, four or five hours pass before the lines can finally be unrigged. During these operations, thousand pound net loads or the swaying bulk of a fuel hose must often be grappled into place, and the bosun mates in their blue helmets and orange jackets approach such tasks with all the cautious energy of prehistoric men subduing mammoths. Relief is evident in every face as the hectic strains ofthe Lone Ranger Overture bid farewell to the departing ship. Now, however, equip- ment must be stowed, lines coiled, and wire re- wound for tomorrowls unrep.

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THE BRIDGE TEAM ACT I, scene II lThe curtain opens on the navigation bridge of a large aircraft carrier somewhere in the Pacqic nightb A figure slowly feels his way across the dark stage, stubs his nose on the alilade, and curses softly. The OOD la pillar of calm, strong-jawed, steely eyedj : Ahhh...rny relief...it's about time you got here. The Relieflirritatedj: OK, OK...so Ilm a little late... it just talfes a while to acquire night vision, that's all. lVell...fill me in on the big picture. OOD lswitching on the red light of the plastic poop boardj: Here it is...we're steering course 050, checking 0417, twenty-two lfnots. Flight Ops start in half an hour and will continue until 0220. If the wind stays steady, your fox corpen should be about 234. No contacts, DD406, code name Nlillfshalfe, 2000 yards astern...I have the conn...oh yes...be sure to notify' the Flag when... The JOOW' QUIJ la young but spirited ensignj: Sir... the radar shows 40 to 50 blips closing on us...I estirnatefrom my manutvering board that all of them will come within a hundred yards... The OOD llfindly butfirmlyj: You should have told me sooner, Ensign Thu.rnblfnaclfer...prornpt report- ing of contacts is the lnarlf ofa good ,IOOW QUIQ... but now it's time for action... lOrders are given and the entire bridge team of ojfi- cers and crew become a harmonized whole...a verit- able extension of OOD...The JOOD speedily noti- fies the Captain. Flag, CIC and the Signal Bridge ...the JOOIVQUU hunches over the radarscope and rnanuvering board, extracting solutions for course changes...the llelrn and leehelmsnmn. listen intently the conngs every cornrnand...j Q Mllightfive degrees rudder HRight five degrees rudder, aye, sirmmyrudder is rightfve degrees GGVGI'-X' 1cell...indicate 114 RPMW 'gllefl RPM indicated and answered for, sir llleftly the Ranger steams a sinuous course be- tzceen the converging cloud of suicide sampans and arrives fifteen minutes later on the other side of it, not a hair off course.j ' The Reliefladmiringlyj: I relieve you ,qir,,,,,,,,1m1,Y the u'ay...that was smartly done. i h The OO IJ lblushingj lVonsense...any normal Rm, ,,.,- . . .I t. QITWQV OI lllf? Defflf could have done the sanue, I stand relieved. lThe curtain falls on contentment. safely 1' 108 secure shipj ' I H i