Renshaw (DD 499) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 37 text:

-tl . N N 'fs 'i 4 rf Radiomen Faustman, RMSN, Smith, f RM3, and Christenson, RMSN, on . their freshly painted 01 level. Radlds Query' RM3' 66 K 'Ol'!w'in gqu... M .gg Q fs I' 4pi 'i'i C f . V-f- 1 RCU I lf . X, '99 Crabb, SN, turns too on screen protectlng antenna. Sammons, RM3. Harris, RM3, relaxing. A-vi

Page 36 text:

W ,il Radios s three senior PO S from the left are Wilson, RM1, Nash, RM1 and Zink, ' ' RM3. Left, Ah, the joys of mess cooking. , Newcomb, SMSN. R Visitors to the RENSHAW'S radio central, where all the transmitters and receivers are located, are dumbfounded by the small space in which these people work. The job of getting messages out to various units at sea and ashore leaves the problem of space, however, far behind. There is too much to do to think about ten extra square feet. Radiomen tear information off teletype machines, much like those used by radio and TV stations to copy news service broadcasts, and make paper copies for the persons who need to know. They set up voice radio equipment for the bridge or the combat information center and then make that final adjustment to get the garble from the voice coming from the other ship. At times, Radio central is a total uproar of activity. Other times it is calm and the radiomen can take a deep breath and relax. But always there looms behind them the awesome fact that the ship is next to blind without the information they collect and disseminate. As with the tasks of all other destroyermen, theirs is a 24 hour plus job. Only absolute heads-up performance is tolerated. The reason is obvious enough. ,X . c. From left, Potter, RM3, RMSN's Walters and Crabb. At left Chief Signalman Jore mans - the 12-inch light.

Page 38 text:

. 1911 x X Wi STANDING port and starboard didn't bother signalmen, a close knit group. From left, p 5 Epling, SM3, Hughes, SM2, Nowlin, SMSN and Newcomb, SMSN. Flag Ba s And Flashin Lights Sinalmen are a valuable asset to a destroy- er that relies so much on communications. These men must be quick and absolutely sure of them- selves. Misreading a number could result in catas trophe. Of all destroyermen, signalmen are most exposed to the whims of the weather and the seas. They are constantly waiting for the light in the dark or the flag hoist to signal a turn 180 degrees. They freeze in the cold rain and sweat in the heat of a south China sea sun. lt's simply all in the job and the challenge. 34 .f THE UNIFORM FOR WASHING DOWN NEWCOMB uses 12-inch flashing light to communicate with another ship Morse code 1S used for messages. , , i f' at ,f 2 , - Q E f 4 n ' Q' ' 5 7 . 9' .,,, if X I I