Santa Fe (CL 60) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 132 text:

1 , Ai , , ft-, ,,,1 ,HE First Division's proud domain is the forecastle tl with its two six inch turrets, its anchor gear, and itg at broad expanse of deck. Here the men skillfully handle the heavy chain and 14,000 pound anchors, and with equal facility put mooring lines to a dock when required. They rig the big towline sometimes used when fueling at sea and also one of two paravanes that keep mines from the ship. In gunnery they are equally ver- satile. The two turrets they man have spoken valiantly from Attu to Iwo Jima, and five inch and 40 mm mounts have had them as competent crews during tedious con- dition watches when air attacks threatened and often became a reality. These men, who must also keep squared away the forecastle with its recreation space , for officers and men, are indeed an essential part of the i - SANTA FE's crew. ig l With shined shoes, trimmed hair, andfresh-laundered whites, the men present a neat and smart appearance at skipper's inspection. 1 i l ' ' When there is no liberty, skylarking on the foreeastle when work is done Handling the heavy lines necessary to safely maar the SANTA FE 1 means a workontfor some and relaxationfor all the men. to a dock requires plenty mf manpower on the foreeastle. i 'i if E! li 'I il il S ll .1 ,. li qi l 1 ll 1 I 4 I 1 l L4 YY-W it -H-M -V-- ----. Y .... ,,,, ,, ,fe-gr, -. 4 --1.ff.ff:ff-J..:e--.f-me .,. .,. W A- - - '- ' ' ' ' A ' ' - -- ' ' - ,,

Page 131 text:

. GH .Nl Qaiixiiii' fa . ,f . . we, g .. - L 'fr J' vbyliyll. 5 ,,a' I 'f 4 ,L-fili' LA' L ffiilc' ., i- ,yffrfl , V 1 ' J,- ' W' f ,. . i capabilities, and the methods and equipment used in controllingthem. Of 1200 men on the ship,700 are in the Gunnery Department. But even these are not enough to man all the G.Q. battle stations, Gunnery must train oflicers and men of other departments soithat they can assist in manning the guns. The department has many other responsibilities outside the guns themselves and theirf ammunition. Among these are fire control, radar, aviation, lookouts, photog- raphy, and athletics. While these activities seem some- what unrelated, they all contribute to the primary func- tion of getting the guns into action to destroy the Jap. VVhen not behind their guns, the personnel ofthe Gun- nery department perform many other important tasks in the administration ofthe ship. The officers and men stand security watches, bridge watches underway, and quarterdeck watches in port. The ship's boats are manned by coxswains and seamen from the gunnery divisions. The Gunnery Department handles the lines and hoses for the all important tasks of fueling and ammunitioning at sea, fills key stations during anchoring or mooring the ship, loads stores as well as ammunition, and bears the brunt of keeping the ship a clean and live- able home. With the end of the war comes the silencing ofthe guns and the scattering of the crack teams that made the Gunnery Department and the ship the best in the whole Navy. Peace brings the responsibility of continued train- ing so that if the need for a fighting ship again arises there will be a nucleus crew of experienced men. The Jeorehoard shows SANTA FE record: sunk'-I CVL, I CL, I DD, 4 luggersg .vhol down'-7 planes, hlastedee-IZ Yap beaches. These are the ojfcer: Qf lhe Gunnery Department, the men in charge of afghling ,fhip'.f gun and eontrol stations at General Quarters.

Page 133 text:

ONTROLLING most of the main deck aft, the Second Division has an eventful life. At sea these eighty men and officers maintain and fight the after two turrets of the main battery and form an integral part of all aircraft launchrngs and recoveries The men perform an indispensable part of seagorng routine, handling lines alongside docks or other ships rigging sea ladders, setting up the movie screen, and providing men for fire, rescue, or general working parties In port thev operate the air plane crane for the nurnberless jobs like hoisting the ship s boats in and out, taking supplies aboard, or loading am munrtron for The Ladw s guns The Division is made up of men who understand the intricacies of modern ordnance equipment and yet are versed rn the ancient Ways of deck seamanshrp It rs a tvprcal division on an American man of War I lax' I' Wien replenzrhzng the :hip Seeond Dzvzxzon men operate the crane to Serabamg down the mam deck aft I5 an early mormng ehore 'wlzzclz ts an load pfgpmgn, fm wgrkzng partzey to ,flow betow eveeltent method of .vorkzng up an appetzte for breakfast C . , c C I ' . . . . . , . . H , ,, . . . . Y , V lj XX .X X H XXX . x Q .XX X X . 1 be 1 T' li ' .4 !A,'.,,e5 dd V tx 5 -,Q , lj, If. x '- I -St 1 ,eq J 1 . ' qt. If I A ! ' N X X 6 I