Wasatch (AGC 9) - Naval Cruise Book

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Front row: Robinson, D. Smith, Ruth J.F. Smith Q ggggtegzegel Biagzo, Walker, Giffen., Middle row: WJ?a3or:l:gnTczewgzjngldzrfo, Pfoertner mgztersogndgadgel Heaton, See, Rentachler' Goodyear' Lester' Fay' uartin' Bode Ed i M Ki , r w c , Purdy, Petrlck, Sutton, Piciachia, Terry. Back row: 2 1' 'f C HWY, Raed. Crm. Pam-oth, Par-zych, sem-racks, Williams, Quunn. CC DIVISICDN BY W. PFOERTNER, RDM 2C 8: J. MORRISON. RDM 2C The C.I.C. of the Wasatch started with the assignment of sixteen men who graduated from the Radar Operators School at Point Loma, California. After graduation the group t aveled to Ne rt Rhode Island where it joined the C.I.C. officers and more enlisted r wpo personnel. There we received more training aboard the U.S.S. Chilton and later attended the C.I.C. Group Training Center at Brigantine, N.J. During this period of training, Lt.CjgD Ware was in charge of the group. He was later replaced by Lt. Frederick, the present division officer. Upon completion of this training, the group reported for duty aboard the Wasatch. After the Morotai operation, we were joined by six more men, also Point Loma graduates, and by men transferred, by request, into the division, thereby completing the present C.I.C. Many changes were made and new methods learned from experience, and by incorporating these changes, the group was molded into a smoothly functioning team. The C.I.C. team is charged with the responsibility of keeping the C.0. and higher commands informed of the location, identity and movement of friendly and enemy aircraft, and surface ships within the area, this usually being about 100 miles in radius. Target d f 1 e and navigation indication, control of aircraft ln the area, both offensive and e sns v , are also required of the C.I.C. All combat information from all available sources must be evaluated and quickly disseminated to the flag, the com anding officer and to other stations concerned. To facil- l i f rmation is passed by ltate the assembly and transmitting of this information, vo ce n o means of interior communications circuits. d l es otherwise in distress back to their bases, and lending Guiding lost planes, an p an any assistance possible to any planes in the area, is another duty of the C.I.C. This has i or at night been of great assistance to pilots flying in heavy fog, ra n, . In closing, we might add that the team has received several compliments and Wwell donesn from other ghipg, Plghgg under this C.I.C.'s control at Leyte were credited with shooting down over 200 Japs, and that isn't bad. L an---.--F------N ....................s.a.s,.:.:4f3a-, V-Q, ,-l,..f -A it ' 1 ,:,,-g., nf. ,.-gg ' W g v f .- .-l. ,..g. wa...-m-p---.-...........-.-..asg.:,:..-: ' -A -1:..:- - '- -- -5.-.,,.. , ... tj fl, ,bl 0 A: -up

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..,.-1 mx 5 7' , ..., . f f -V it.. - .-X -- e- - - -H IIIIIIllIIIllllll!!!l!Ql!lQQ!!IIlIllIIIIIIIIIIllIIIIIlllllI5Fl-IInup-,Q,-EEFQIM,-'-F-55m,,,.-11 x v Front row: Emerson, Heft, Andrew, O'Donnell, Lt. Riley, Capt. Robertson, Lt. Maynie, Lt. Meyerson, Driscoll, Masten, Heiman, Warren. Second row: Engstrom, Johnson, Inglese, Clark, Chadrjian, Goedecke, De Waay, Connelly, Moore, McCarthy, Graff, ' Sykes. Third row: Coleman, Onofer, Swiss, St.John, Grady, Ross, Dennis, Garrison, Micheal, Cobert, Ralphs, Coppolla. , CA DIVISICN 1 On 25 April 19LA, an Army detachment were grouped around their Commanding Officer, lst Lt. C.E. Robertson, in their barracks at Fort Hamilton, New York, to hear their orders. They were about to become sea-going soldiers. The group consisted of four officers, one. first sergeant, twenty radio operators, nine cryptographers and one teletype repairman. U Actually, none of us knew exactly what the Navy expected from us. Our first view of the type ship that was to be our home for the coming eighteen months was on 25 May at pier two, in South Boston Navy Yard. Apprenensively the group filed up- the gangway of the U.S.S. Mt. Olympus, and in newly learned Naval jargon, requested permiss- ion to come aboard. It was during the shakedown cruise of this ship, in Chesapeake Bay,. that we soon learned that the radio operators were to handle the ship's press and work in Radio Central with Navy radiomen, while the cryptographers worked in the Coding Room. The general purpose of the set-up was to provide communications between Army and Navy during Amphibious operations. .Our crucial test did not come until the Leyte operation when . ' General Krueger and his Sixth Army Staff came aboard. Contact was established and main- tained with the Filipino Guerrilas throughout the operation and our circuits and those of the Sixth Army ashore kept them and the Seventh Fleet in constant radio communication. During this time we became more and more familar with Naval terms and procedures. .De- spite the difference in uniforms, we began to be recognized as tried HOld salts'. Scrubbing and waxing decks were added to our list of accomplishments, and no working party was come g plete without one of us. Even when the Wasatch was drydocked one could find the Army serv- ing as side-cleaners.' Naturally we also took our turn at the beer parties and inter-d1vie- ional activities.l The softball team met all comers,taking occasional defeats in stride, but continually striying to overcome our blueejacketed opponents. But in spite of daily, routine and a common fraternity, our group has remained unique, being subject to Army as well as Navy regulations. ' A a If having an Army Signal Detachment on board a Navy ship to improve the efficiency of amphibious communications was an experiment, then the Eight Signal Detachment feels the venture has been successful. s y IIIIIIIIIIIlllllllIIIIIIIllIllllIIIlIllllllllllllllllllIIH-I-----------eee -

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1 J J 1 i 1 Q BY R. H. JENKINS, RM1C V, Here's a few words about the Gophers three decks below who handle a good part of 1 4 the ship's communications. Contrary to popular belief, radiomen do work. This subject 2 is questioned by all hands, except the 'Sparktricians', who of course know they are the 3 most expendible division on the ship. What would a communication ship do without a comm - V 5 nication Department? Submit your answers-to the Chaplain.. - I . we have some characters in Radio Central. Nobody as yet has blown his top over l A copying code, so the number one position is still open. .'PudgieN Krantz has pulled his Brownsville style on the Japs over here in Japan by 'Banging 'em on the headn and making some-good deals. Senor Rodriquez is doing o.k. too. The current topic in Radio One at the present time is, Ula or is not Rodriguez a Jap? He's picking up the lingo mighty quick. a Uwillie the whipn is living up to his name these days. Have you noticed the fellows cringe 2 when he comes on watch? Watch out Willie we'll all be PFC's again soon And who was the ' . - - BUY who, when someone told him WQBKW, sent back WQPZ QBKN on one of the circuits???? So that's the kind of stuff th h ese sc ools put out. I think you fellows will all agree with me that we all miss,nSchnookyN Cooper but at least now we have Jo twenty four hours a day Still - O think our big Jo pot is somewhere on the bottom out here. You know fellows I get awful tired y ,of seeing Cnief Klein running around this place so if youlll turn in your contributions at the Su ' ' d k ' ' ' ' ' pvr s es we ll buy him a pair of skates as soon as we hit Stateside. Also some W cigarettes. fG.A.K. please notel. Yeah man this old radio shack-has come up in the world from the time of commissioning. None of us ever dreamed we'd handle the amount of traff' w d'd d ' ic e 1 uring the Leyte operation. f What a time we had! Remember the day Mac told the guy on 355 to send a boat after radio messages instead of giving him them on the circuit? And the time the radioman from the Currituck came over and found out we were classifying urgent messages into, hot, routine and deferred. He thought we were all crazy. Do you guys remember Popeye, Donald Duck and Ding grosby on 2716 kos back in Hollandia? I'd like to see some of those boys who partic- a ft p e a er they get out of Portsmouth . A I Don t have m ch,room on this page so will have to cut the story short. After seven- teen months out here in the Pacific I know those gals in the States a re going to look good.