Toledo (CA 133) - Naval Cruise Book

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SNIPE-any of several long-billed limicoline birds, frequenting marshes and much sought by gunners. That's what the dictionary says. And if you ,don't think they're longbilled, you should see how far an MPC can stretch between paydays. Limicoline 'P That means shore-inhabiting, believe it or not. Most of them wish they were, anyway. But sea-loving birds or short-time birds, the snipes all have vital iobs to perform on the TOLEDO. Cruisers are built to shoot, and that is why the gunners are aboard. Cruisers have to be in the right spot with the power to shoot, and that is why the snipes are aboard. When snipes are much sought by gunners, it means the gunners have shooting to do. The TOLEDO's snipes get her guns where they are most needed and supply the power to aim and shoot them. There is some dispute over the phrase frequenting marshes. Some say it refers to the ship's bilges, and others say it refers to parts of Yokosuka. But either way, working or seeing the sights, the snipes are always in the midst of the action. There are two main-propulsion type snipes, the Baker bird and the Mike bird. Basically speaking, TOLEDO moving. Damage-control type snipes are either Able birds or Roger birds. The Able bird is the widest ranging of the species, pecking over bits of machinery from the anchor windlass to the steering mechanism. The Roger bird, with his cry, Make anything, fix anything, will do just that, from building a table to patching a hole in the side of the ship. The electrical type snipe, the Easy bird, is the power of the cruiser. His electricity aims the guns, fires the powder, lowers the boats, lights the chart, even warms the Captain's coffee. All these snipes together make the TOLEDO livable, movable, workable and fightable. the Baker bird makes a lot of steam and the Mike bird uses it up. Between the two of them, they keep the S .Q 3' rv W , Conf. alt? ff I ?'X TQLEEIC7 i wi se .LJ Q A , ive- E-sig?-f .-,..--1 K f! 5,L...g,., gli' . .li i f C. regtif l ,,, M '-T . as .fut- -cT- f' U H L --M T475-Q55 'fi 'O x ff' LT J. W. INGALLS LT N. A. ALGIERS

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LTJG V C ESHELBY CHMACH C. E. FINCH ...the Baker bird makes a lot of steam . .. BAKER stands for Boilers--the heart of the TOLEDO. Except for a few flashlights and two emergency diesel generators, nothing runs on the TOLEDO that is not basically dependent on her boilers. Even the normal lighting and electrical power on the ship come from turbo-generators driven by boiler steam. Everything, from the Boatswain's electric razor to the ship's main engines, depends on the boilers and the men who operate them. I There are four of these boilers, each as big as a small house, and each occupying a separate fireroom. Besides the boilers, the firerooms enclose dozens of pumps and other auxiliary machinery that come under the care of the division. BAKER DIVISION is the largest division on the ship, consisting of some eighty men. Their ratings are boilermen, machinist's mates, and firemen. They perform some of the grimiest yet most important tasks on the ship. Though covered with soot they emerge from a boiler, knowing that their vital equipment is ready for service. In addition to the men who maintain and operate the boilers, there are two other significant gangs in the division, the machinery repair gang and the oil and water kings. The machinist's mates of the repair gang operate the turbo-generators and air compressors in the firerooms, and are responsible for the repair of the auxiliary machinery belonging to the division. The oil and water kings control the TOLEDO s 7'l7,000 gallons of fuel oil and I3l,0O0 gallons of water. Deck hands have their complaints against BAKER DIVISION. During fueling opera- tions at sea, oil may drip on the holystoned decks, a hard bell may bring black soot drifting down from the stacks, but without the men who pump that oil and make that smoke the TOLEDO would be as silent and as dead as a ship in mothballs.