Renville (APA 227) - Naval Cruise Book

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1 Pwr:-an ' li- QW: L-R1 me BILEKA croucu suc- rufrws ere- PLXLAUOKALANI SM1 M , , 1 A . 1 ' Y er e , 5 ERCHANT SN-I-IICKS SN-MEIA . HAINSBERRX, sx,serunrr-.ra 1: rs V- . , . t ' 1 5 RM3 ENS MACARDLE, , x , uuuxx, Russ, LOSER, RM2, BEIGHLER, RM35 PITMAN, RMc,,KAPAKiJ, Slvfl D I V I S I G has the primary job of effecting the voice of command through OC Division is composed of Signalmen and Radiomen, and external communications. The Signalmen, known to us as Sl-civvy Wavers, utilize flaghoists and semaphore, flashing light-of-sight Communica- tions. The Signalmen are an integral part of the bridge team LTJG. R. VV. BILISK dLu'ing tactical maneuvering, and are an important asset to the conning officers. The smartness with which the Signalmen I execute their signals and render honors reflects the smartness of ' the ship to all in company - and we have a smart ship. The Radiomen live in a maze of electronic gear - transmitters, receivers, tcletypes and patch panels. They must be highly trained in CW, radiotelephone, teletype, and crypto proce- dures, as well as the proper handling and accounting of volumes of classified and unclassified information which they process every day. All long range communications are conducted by the rarlioincn-they are the source of administrative as well as operational message traffic. Although these two groups of men are physically separated, they work together as the communications team. After many months of constant operating and training, they have shown that they are fully capable of meeting the greatly increased require- ments of special operations, such as those which occurred off Xi ietnain. 29

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,X H i LT. J. AVILA 'ny- OPER TIO S The Operations Department is a huge paper motuitain, OD WP of which the command has a clear View of its commitments and requlfe' ments. Operation orders and plans, training schedules and required. d reports, and administrative, operational, and tactical messages bull this mountain to a peak from which Renville's part of the big OPGF' ational picture can be seen. The radio gang keeps their teletype, morse code, and radio-tele- phone circuits crackling with the rapid transmission and reception of vital message traffic. Occasionally the Beatles can be heard better than the OTC on the maneuvering net, but our gang continues UI1' daunted to work around the clock, providing rapid, reliable, and se- cure communications. The radar gang keeps an alert watch both night and day on radar. repeaters and radiotelephones to keep the command informed of taCi11 cal facts, especially ship movements for miles around. A report of possibly dangerous or hostile craft in the vicinity turns the usually Fe' laxed CIC into the hottest spot on the ship. , The electronics teclmicians are on call constantly to keep th1S highly electronic modern Navy functioning. RIlNVlLLE'S capabiliti' for detection and communication is contingent to a great extent upOI1 the skill of these men to repair our complex electronic equipmerlt quickly. u The judgement of a ship's alertness and smart appearance is very often based on the operation of its signal bridge. Our sigrlfll sang does not let RENVILLE down. In addition to speed and COITCCUIQSS n 1 with semaphore and flaghoist, they take particular pride in their S1411 at burning out other ships with rapid-fire ,flashing light messages' The Operations Department, officers and men, work long IIOUYS with real skill to keep the command informed, to help keep RENVILIL ready to serve the fleet. 28

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