Rochester (CA 124) - Naval Cruise Book

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I CASTING OFF LINES is a more complicated job than it might seem at first glance. Certain lines are left to the last to keep the ship from drifting into dangerous waters. at, h -4, ar Li THE ROCHESTER'S ANCHORS weigh eight tons apiece, and it takes many men and a lot of machinery to drop and weigh them. In Keelung, getting underway means first unmooring from the dock and then weighing anchor. f sa Ili: FROM THE BRIDGE comes the word, 'I Secure the anchors for sea. When two stoppers have been passed to completely insure safety the bridge will order, 'IPipe down the fo'c'sle. X , WW W ,,-, , W ' ' ' f' f i W Wm ' H BQTQG 'U 'X ff ' I - W 1 I 4 .aw-a . E 1 s,i,r.y.,y aw., mpyzfilyvf --we rfng.,,,-NW vga HANDLING LINES is hard work. It takes coordinated teams to heave 'round or pay out line at the proper rate. Working together they are able to help the conning odicer man- euver the ship. Using the lines along with the engines and the rudder he can put the ship in the best possible position. ONCE THEY ARE ABOARD all lines must be stowed properly for sea. Keeping all the mooring lines in excellent condition is one of the boatswain mate's most important jobs.

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BRINGING iN THE BROW is one of final jobs before moving out. In Yokosuka this is a routine task, in Keelung it can get hectic when the cranes, vintage 1920, refuse to move. U nderway CCONTINUEDD The focal point when the ship gets underway is the open bridge, connected to all other control stations by an eleborate network of sound-powered phones. There the conning officer-usually the captain or the pilot-receives reports, makes his decisions, issues his orders-the orders which start 17,000 tons of cruiser moving in the right direction. To assist him on the bridge by supplying a steady stream of information, the captain or pilot has the ship's navigator and his team of quartermasters keeping a constant second- by-second plot of the ship's position. He has the officer of the deck and two junior officers under him to tend to more routine matters, check bearings on contacts and distances to land or other ships, and relay the orders of the conning officer to the helmsman and engineroom. He has a phone talker who puts him in constant touch with all the main deck The Anchor Detail ----- THE SHlP'S BOATSWAIN keeps his eye on all details of handling anchors. MANNING THE ANCHOR WINDLASS MACHINERY CONTROLS is the job of these men who Walk the anchor out or heave 'round when it is being weighed. 3 1 ANCHOR'S in sight, sir! And the hoses are trained to clear it of mud and sand. Links marking every fifteen fathoms of chain are checked as they arrive on deck and those that need it are painted,

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NO JOB IS MORE PRECISE than navigating a ship in close waters. Navigator and quartermasters get constant fixes of the ship's position in order to recommend courses. EVERYTHING IS DOUBLE-CHECKED when the ship gets underway. In the pilot house men watch gyro repeater and engine order telegraph to make sure no one mis- understands what the bridge has ordered. I ON THE BRIDGE transmitting the cap- tainis speed orders to the engine room is the man at the annunciator. At slower speeds the engines can be used to turn the ship more readily than does the rudder. U CCONTINUEDQ line handling and anchor detail stations. Another connects him with engineering spaces, steering control points, damage control central and the other stations concerned with the maneuvering of the ship. A third gives him a direct line to CIC and the lookouts, from whom a steady stream of information flows to the bridge. A fourth is manned to give him communications with the signal bridge. Below, in the pilot house, are the men who actually steer the ship and carry out the orders from the bridge. Throughout the ship at other control points are dozens of men watching dials, checking the strain on the anchor chain, making sure radios are operating properly, seeing to the details of the evolution. The modern navy has become less nautical in many respects as new equip- ment changes the seaman's language from salty to technical, but the sea detail is one of the places where the layman can still hear pure sea-going terminology used. The special vocabu- lary used to give orders to line handlers and steersmen, to the engines and to men manning the anchor windlass machinery has changed very little in centuries. Today's sailor, like his predecessor, must know instantly that Come left handsomely means to do so slowly, but Come left smartly means bring her around fast. Reports of the strain on the anchor chain are given in a stand- ard phraseology which tells all the facts the conning officer needs to know and burdens him with no useless infor- mation. Engine orders are issued in a standard, nautical form, the wrong phrase might easily lead to confusion and a tight situation in restricted waters. The special sea detail is one of the most important assignments a sailor on the ROCHESTER can have. He has to work with the rest of the men manning all the sea detail stations and, most of all, he has to do his job right every time the first time. IN THE AFTER STEERING ROOM, keeping up on all engine and course orders, another group of men waits, ready to take over instantly if a casualty should occur to any equipment. 5 . xiii? 1 T ifffffiit 1 ,Z STEERING THE SHIP during sea detail is done by most experi- enced helmsmen. In close waters half a degree can be an important difference. Orders come down through voice tube. . - i