March 5, 1942
Aboard USS Gridley
Location: Pearl Harbor
Course: None
Attached to: Disbanded in port
Mission: None
Ship's Status: Sys damage 3
Fuel: 525 (100%)
It was widely believed by Gridley’s crew that their captain, Lt. Commander Stickney, was incapable of smiling. And it was true that his usual expression was serious, even dour. It was often hard to tell whether he was pleased, angry, or somewhere in between. Some of the new officers aboard ship found this rather unnerving.
More experienced hands had learned to read the subtle signs. When a slight furrow appeared between Stickney’s brows the barometer was dropping and the wise treaded softly. If the edges of his prominent ears began to turn read then the storm was upon you. Not that Captain Stickney yelled, or raged. But many men would rather face a firing squad than be subject to one of his flat-voiced, biting dressing-downs.
It would have astounded many of the crew, therefore, to see their captain in one of the officer’s clubs at Pearl Harbor, laughing heartily with several of his friends. These were former Annapolis classmates, and the fact that so much of the fleet was currently gathered at Pearl gave them a chance to get together and reminisce about old times.
At the moment the subject of discussion was Harold “Hal” Tiemroth, currently captain of destroyer Balch. Stickney had run track with him at Annapolis. Tiemroth was shaking his head but laughing with the others as they recalled the day he had appeared in formation without a shirt.
“I can still hear old Painter,” said George Quillman, now gunnery officer aboard Chicago. “ ‘Mr. Tiemroth, you seem to be out of uniform.’ He never even blinked.”
“I never did find those shirts,” said Tiemroth when the laughter died down. “Or figure out who did it.”
“It’s just one of those mysteries, I guess,” said Stickney. The corners of his mouth twitched as he looked down at his glass of scotch. Tiemroth had been in the class just ahead of his at the Naval Academy and had delighted in tormenting the serious young Stickney when Stickney was a plebe.
The conversation became more serious as it moved from tales of the past to the current war situation. Everyone knew that the Japanese would be difficult to stop and that there would be hard fighting ahead.
“I hear,” said Quillman, “that they are thinking of trying to send a small convoy to the Philippines. Volunteers only.” The Japanese had the combined US/Filipino forces on Luzon bottled up around the Bataan peninsula and seemed content to starve them out. By the sound of things it was working. Starvation and disease were rampant among the defenders, who nonetheless still held their lines with determination.
“It would be a one-way trip,” someone said. “You might get there, with a lot of luck. You’d never get back.”
“It would have to be via a northern route,” Stickney said. “Above the Marshalls and past the Marianas. The only reason it might work is that the Japs might not be looking for us to try anything so desperate.”
“Yeah,” said Tiemroth. “Get close, beach the ships, and try to unload as much as possible before the Jap bombers found them.”
“They say,” Quillman said, “that there’s no lack of volunteers.”
“The Japs have guts,” said Tiemroth. “But if they think they’re the only ones they have another think coming.”
“Luck to them if they try it,” said Stickney sincerely. He raised his glass. “Here’s to guts.” And the men raised their glasses and drank.
Ship of Steel, Men of Valor - Cuttlefish (A) versus Cribtop (J)
Moderators: wdolson, MOD_War-in-the-Pacific-Admirals-Edition
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Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
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- Location: Oregon, USA
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Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: RE: March 10, 1942
March 6-10, 1942
Aboard USS Gridley
Location: Pearl Harbor
Course: None
Attached to: Disbanded in port
Mission: None
Ship's Status: no damage
Fuel: 525 (100%)
After several more days in port the refit is complete. In addition to the new equipment a host of minor repairs have also been done. The somewhat battered destroyer that arrived at Pearl Harbor sixteen days ago now gleams with new fittings and fresh paint.
The crew is also noticeably less battered. Days off from long days at sea and the constant blare of the general quarters klaxon has put a spring in the step of the men that had been noticeably lacking. Time ashore hasn’t hurt, either.
As is often observed, however, the Navy’s reward for completing one job is another job. Gridley is no sooner pronounced ready for service when a flash message addressed to the destroyer arrives in the radio room. It is quickly decoded and handed to Captain Stickney. Several officers, sensing that the captain is looking at their next assignment, gather nearby as Stickney reads the message. When he is done he looks up.
“Convoy duty,” says Stickney. “We’re to serve as the flagship on an outbound troop convoy.” This is not bad news. Convoy duty is often boring but it also offers a less hectic pace than escorting, say, an aircraft carrier.
The question is, where are they going? To some exotic Polynesian island? To Australia, perhaps? Stickney listens to the speculation for a moment and then holds up a hand.
“Check the cold weather gear,” he says. “We’re going to the Aleutians. Dutch Harbor.”
Aboard USS Gridley
Location: Pearl Harbor
Course: None
Attached to: Disbanded in port
Mission: None
Ship's Status: no damage
Fuel: 525 (100%)
After several more days in port the refit is complete. In addition to the new equipment a host of minor repairs have also been done. The somewhat battered destroyer that arrived at Pearl Harbor sixteen days ago now gleams with new fittings and fresh paint.
The crew is also noticeably less battered. Days off from long days at sea and the constant blare of the general quarters klaxon has put a spring in the step of the men that had been noticeably lacking. Time ashore hasn’t hurt, either.
As is often observed, however, the Navy’s reward for completing one job is another job. Gridley is no sooner pronounced ready for service when a flash message addressed to the destroyer arrives in the radio room. It is quickly decoded and handed to Captain Stickney. Several officers, sensing that the captain is looking at their next assignment, gather nearby as Stickney reads the message. When he is done he looks up.
“Convoy duty,” says Stickney. “We’re to serve as the flagship on an outbound troop convoy.” This is not bad news. Convoy duty is often boring but it also offers a less hectic pace than escorting, say, an aircraft carrier.
The question is, where are they going? To some exotic Polynesian island? To Australia, perhaps? Stickney listens to the speculation for a moment and then holds up a hand.
“Check the cold weather gear,” he says. “We’re going to the Aleutians. Dutch Harbor.”
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Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: RE: March 11, 1942
March 11, 1942
Aboard USS Gridley
Location: Pearl Harbor
Course: None
Attached to: TF 107
Mission: Amphibious
Ship's Status: no damage
Fuel: 525 (100%)
The force that Gridley will lead north consists of two other destroyers, Worden and Dale. They will escort four troop transports; President Madison, Sarpedonia, Rangitiki, and Rangitata. In addition there is one freighter, Chios.
Until a few months ago the four troop transports were all civilian passenger liners, plying the peaceful waters of the Pacific. President Madison with the American Presidents Line, Rangitiki and Rangitata with the New Zealand Shipping Company, and Sarpedonia as part of the Blue Funnel Line. Drafted into the war effort along with many other civilian ships, they now carry men and supplies to many far-flung outposts.
The troops these ships will be carrying are the more than 4000 men of the 161st Infantry Regiment. Dutch Harbor has engineers, artillery, and anti-aircraft guns. What it lacks are enough trained troops to repel a Japanese attack. These men are intended to address that lack.
All day long troops file aboard their ships while their gear and other supplies are also loaded. By nightfall the operation will be complete and the eight ships of Task Force 107 will depart Pearl for the long voyage north. Dutch Harbor is almost 2300 miles away. This, Gridley’s crew knows, will not be a milk run. There will be danger from submarines all along the route and at Dutch Harbor they may face air attack from the Japanese-held islands to the west. And, of course, there is the climate, which in the Aleutians can be a bigger danger than the enemy.
***
SS Rangitiki:
Aboard USS Gridley
Location: Pearl Harbor
Course: None
Attached to: TF 107
Mission: Amphibious
Ship's Status: no damage
Fuel: 525 (100%)
The force that Gridley will lead north consists of two other destroyers, Worden and Dale. They will escort four troop transports; President Madison, Sarpedonia, Rangitiki, and Rangitata. In addition there is one freighter, Chios.
Until a few months ago the four troop transports were all civilian passenger liners, plying the peaceful waters of the Pacific. President Madison with the American Presidents Line, Rangitiki and Rangitata with the New Zealand Shipping Company, and Sarpedonia as part of the Blue Funnel Line. Drafted into the war effort along with many other civilian ships, they now carry men and supplies to many far-flung outposts.
The troops these ships will be carrying are the more than 4000 men of the 161st Infantry Regiment. Dutch Harbor has engineers, artillery, and anti-aircraft guns. What it lacks are enough trained troops to repel a Japanese attack. These men are intended to address that lack.
All day long troops file aboard their ships while their gear and other supplies are also loaded. By nightfall the operation will be complete and the eight ships of Task Force 107 will depart Pearl for the long voyage north. Dutch Harbor is almost 2300 miles away. This, Gridley’s crew knows, will not be a milk run. There will be danger from submarines all along the route and at Dutch Harbor they may face air attack from the Japanese-held islands to the west. And, of course, there is the climate, which in the Aleutians can be a bigger danger than the enemy.
***
SS Rangitiki:
- Attachments
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- rangitiki.jpg (120.84 KiB) Viewed 260 times
RE: RE: March 11, 1942
Have to say, again I am compelled to check the AAR section daily for an update of your tale. Excellent reading [&o]
Terje
Terje
"Hun skal torpederes!" - Birger Eriksen
("She is to be torpedoed!")
("She is to be torpedoed!")
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Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: RE: March 12, 1942
March 12, 1942
Aboard USS Gridley
Location: 200 miles north of Pearl Harbor
Course: North
Attached to: TF 107
Mission: Amphibious
Ship's Status: no damage
Fuel: 510 (97%)
Captain Stickney stands in the dimly lit charthouse gazing down at the radar plot. The eight ships of the task force stand out clearly, the blips of the transports noticeably larger than those of the escorting destroyers. The four troop ships are in line behind Gridley, with freighter Chios bringing up the rear. Worden and Dale are out on the flanks.
The new radar gear makes keeping station and monitoring the task force a snap, even in darkness. If one of the transports lags or one of the destroyers strays too far afield it can be spotted and reported immediately. Not that there has been much of that so far, just one day into the long voyage north.
Stickney looks up from the display and murmurs for the men in the room to carry on. He climbs back up to his accustomed place on the bridge. The new gear, he thinks, is no substitute for vigilance and seamanship, but there is no doubt that it’s handy to have.
Gridley’s captain is used to being responsible for the over 220 men that now comprise the destroyer’s crew. But now he is responsible not only for his crew but the crews of all the other ships, and over 4000 soldiers – soldiers badly needed to guard against a Japanese incursion in the north that is already troublingly close to the United States and Canada. Stickney feels the pressure keenly.
So far he has resisted the impulse to monitor and correct every little error in the task force. The crews of Dale and Worden know their business, and the merchies would not appreciate being constantly chivvied back into position like sheep being herded by an overly enthusiastic sheepdog. But Stickney understands the urge to control every little thing that turns some officers into petty tyrants, indeed he does.
He reflexively checks the ship’s course and speed and then stands in apparent serenity, hands clasped behind his back, gazing ahead at the sunlight dancing on the waves. It is a fine warm day here in the waters around Hawaii. Stickney doubts they will find conditions nearly so pleasant at Dutch Harbor.
Aboard USS Gridley
Location: 200 miles north of Pearl Harbor
Course: North
Attached to: TF 107
Mission: Amphibious
Ship's Status: no damage
Fuel: 510 (97%)
Captain Stickney stands in the dimly lit charthouse gazing down at the radar plot. The eight ships of the task force stand out clearly, the blips of the transports noticeably larger than those of the escorting destroyers. The four troop ships are in line behind Gridley, with freighter Chios bringing up the rear. Worden and Dale are out on the flanks.
The new radar gear makes keeping station and monitoring the task force a snap, even in darkness. If one of the transports lags or one of the destroyers strays too far afield it can be spotted and reported immediately. Not that there has been much of that so far, just one day into the long voyage north.
Stickney looks up from the display and murmurs for the men in the room to carry on. He climbs back up to his accustomed place on the bridge. The new gear, he thinks, is no substitute for vigilance and seamanship, but there is no doubt that it’s handy to have.
Gridley’s captain is used to being responsible for the over 220 men that now comprise the destroyer’s crew. But now he is responsible not only for his crew but the crews of all the other ships, and over 4000 soldiers – soldiers badly needed to guard against a Japanese incursion in the north that is already troublingly close to the United States and Canada. Stickney feels the pressure keenly.
So far he has resisted the impulse to monitor and correct every little error in the task force. The crews of Dale and Worden know their business, and the merchies would not appreciate being constantly chivvied back into position like sheep being herded by an overly enthusiastic sheepdog. But Stickney understands the urge to control every little thing that turns some officers into petty tyrants, indeed he does.
He reflexively checks the ship’s course and speed and then stands in apparent serenity, hands clasped behind his back, gazing ahead at the sunlight dancing on the waves. It is a fine warm day here in the waters around Hawaii. Stickney doubts they will find conditions nearly so pleasant at Dutch Harbor.
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Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: RE: March 13, 1942
March 13, 1942
Aboard USS Gridley
Location: 440 miles north of Pearl Harbor
Course: North
Attached to: TF 107
Mission: Amphibious
Ship's Status: no damage
Fuel: 489 (93%)
Shoulder to shoulder in a common cause, the men aboard the ships of Task Force 107 sail north to the Aleutians.
Well, mostly shoulder to shoulder. The regular Navy officers regard themselves as a bit better than the reservists. All the officers, regulars and reservists alike, know that they are a cut above the able seamen and ratings that they command.
The officers and men of the US Navy regard themselves as better than the members of the merchant marine. The merchant mariners (while resenting the Navy men as mincing prima donnas) look down their noses at the soldiers they are carrying. To them the soldiers are just cargo, cargo that complains and pukes a lot.
The soldiers, for their part, view all the sailors with equal loathing. The sailors aren’t responsible for getting them assigned to the Aleutians, or for the wretched rolling of the sea, but they are the instruments inflicting all of these indignities upon them.
But all the men, of whatever rank or service, are united in one sense at least. All of them want to beat the Japs. It isn’t personal for all of them, not yet anyway. But it is the Japanese who started this war through an act of treachery, the Japanese whose conquests and cruel deeds are the reason they are out here.
So - shoulder to shoulder in a common cause, the men aboard the ships of Task Force 107 sail north to the Aleutians.
Aboard USS Gridley
Location: 440 miles north of Pearl Harbor
Course: North
Attached to: TF 107
Mission: Amphibious
Ship's Status: no damage
Fuel: 489 (93%)
Shoulder to shoulder in a common cause, the men aboard the ships of Task Force 107 sail north to the Aleutians.
Well, mostly shoulder to shoulder. The regular Navy officers regard themselves as a bit better than the reservists. All the officers, regulars and reservists alike, know that they are a cut above the able seamen and ratings that they command.
The officers and men of the US Navy regard themselves as better than the members of the merchant marine. The merchant mariners (while resenting the Navy men as mincing prima donnas) look down their noses at the soldiers they are carrying. To them the soldiers are just cargo, cargo that complains and pukes a lot.
The soldiers, for their part, view all the sailors with equal loathing. The sailors aren’t responsible for getting them assigned to the Aleutians, or for the wretched rolling of the sea, but they are the instruments inflicting all of these indignities upon them.
But all the men, of whatever rank or service, are united in one sense at least. All of them want to beat the Japs. It isn’t personal for all of them, not yet anyway. But it is the Japanese who started this war through an act of treachery, the Japanese whose conquests and cruel deeds are the reason they are out here.
So - shoulder to shoulder in a common cause, the men aboard the ships of Task Force 107 sail north to the Aleutians.
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Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: RE: March 14, 1942
March 14, 1942
Aboard USS Gridley
Location: 710 miles north of Pearl Harbor
Course: North
Attached to: TF 107
Mission: Amphibious
Ship's Status: no damage
Fuel: 468 (89%)
With Gridley’s crew well on their way to Dutch Harbor now is probably a good time to produce the first list of our cast of characters so far.
***
Lieutenant Commander Fred Russell Stickney. Gridley’s captain, an intelligent, serious, dedicated officer.
Lieutenant Frederick Steubens. The ship’s executive officer, a little green but enthusiastic.
Lieutenant JG Coszyk, ship’s communication officer.
Lieutenant JG Cameron, gunnery officer.
Dr. Albert Corwin, ship’s medical officer. Naval reservist, had a practice in the Bay Area prior to the war.
Jake Reedy: Gunner’s Mate 1/c. From Scranton, Pennsylvania. Short, stocky, and quick-witted. Has a girl named Cathy back home.
William “Bill” Bonderman, radioman 1/c. From Lubbock, Texas. Long, lean, and taciturn, joined the Navy as a result of trouble and settled down. Formerly served aboard West Virginia.
Joe Beaumont, Seaman 2/c. Farm boy from northern Michigan, enlisted after Pearl Harbor. Striking for loader on turret 54. Very large and strong, a little slow of thought but very steady.
Gus Becken, Gunner’s mate 2/c. Loader for Reedy’s 20 mm. Short and a bit brash, fancies himself a ladies’ man.
Morris Crenshaw, quartermaster division.
Jerome “Marbles” Jenks, signalman. Teller of tall tales.
Earl “Fish” Herring. 20mm gunner.
Edward Barnecott. Engineering, striking for gunner. A small, wiry, quiet man, formerly served aboard Reuben James.
Al Tanner, deck force. An unpleasant trouble-maker.
Rudy Bronkhorst, deck force, striking for radioman. A large man without much education and a reclamation project of Bonderman’s.
Gus Belchik, loader on turret 52.
Dan Rucker, fuse setter on Turret 54.
Chief Petty Officer Marcus "Black Mark" Helquist, engineering. There is little he does not know about Gridley’s engines.
Chief Petty Officer Odell. An old navy hand, master of the deck force.
Harry Starkweather, gun captain of turret 54. Shrewd and determined to make his gun crew the best on the ship.
Aboard USS Gridley
Location: 710 miles north of Pearl Harbor
Course: North
Attached to: TF 107
Mission: Amphibious
Ship's Status: no damage
Fuel: 468 (89%)
With Gridley’s crew well on their way to Dutch Harbor now is probably a good time to produce the first list of our cast of characters so far.
***
Lieutenant Commander Fred Russell Stickney. Gridley’s captain, an intelligent, serious, dedicated officer.
Lieutenant Frederick Steubens. The ship’s executive officer, a little green but enthusiastic.
Lieutenant JG Coszyk, ship’s communication officer.
Lieutenant JG Cameron, gunnery officer.
Dr. Albert Corwin, ship’s medical officer. Naval reservist, had a practice in the Bay Area prior to the war.
Jake Reedy: Gunner’s Mate 1/c. From Scranton, Pennsylvania. Short, stocky, and quick-witted. Has a girl named Cathy back home.
William “Bill” Bonderman, radioman 1/c. From Lubbock, Texas. Long, lean, and taciturn, joined the Navy as a result of trouble and settled down. Formerly served aboard West Virginia.
Joe Beaumont, Seaman 2/c. Farm boy from northern Michigan, enlisted after Pearl Harbor. Striking for loader on turret 54. Very large and strong, a little slow of thought but very steady.
Gus Becken, Gunner’s mate 2/c. Loader for Reedy’s 20 mm. Short and a bit brash, fancies himself a ladies’ man.
Morris Crenshaw, quartermaster division.
Jerome “Marbles” Jenks, signalman. Teller of tall tales.
Earl “Fish” Herring. 20mm gunner.
Edward Barnecott. Engineering, striking for gunner. A small, wiry, quiet man, formerly served aboard Reuben James.
Al Tanner, deck force. An unpleasant trouble-maker.
Rudy Bronkhorst, deck force, striking for radioman. A large man without much education and a reclamation project of Bonderman’s.
Gus Belchik, loader on turret 52.
Dan Rucker, fuse setter on Turret 54.
Chief Petty Officer Marcus "Black Mark" Helquist, engineering. There is little he does not know about Gridley’s engines.
Chief Petty Officer Odell. An old navy hand, master of the deck force.
Harry Starkweather, gun captain of turret 54. Shrewd and determined to make his gun crew the best on the ship.
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Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: RE: March 15, 1942
March 15, 1942
Aboard USS Gridley
Location: 960 miles north of Pearl Harbor
Course: North
Attached to: TF 107
Mission: Amphibious
Ship's Status: no damage
Fuel: 447 (85%)
Joe Beaumont had begun to think that sea sickness was not going to be a problem for him. He had not been troubled by it on the peaceful voyage from San Francisco to Pearl Harbor, nor during Gridley’s first few days out on this mission. In fact he rather enjoyed the gentle motion of the sea.
But on the fourth day out of Pearl the weather had turned a little worse. The skies were mostly clear but the wind had kicked up to force 5, edging towards force 6. The old hands on board scarcely noticed. But Joe no longer thought sea sickness was not going to affect him.
He lay in his bunk, one listless hand keeping a grip on the handy nearby pail to keep it from sliding away. His ruddy complexion was an unhealthy color and actually did appear greenish in the light from the steel-caged bulbs. Nor was he the only one; most of the new hands were suffering. The Gridley-class destroyers were not known for their stability in rough weather and in fact had a tendency to roll quite a bit even in moderate seas.
Jake Reedy and Gus Becken came clattering into the bunkroom, talking animatedly to each other. On his way to his locker Reedy stopped and looked down at Beaumont.
“Hey, Big Joe,” he said, “you don’t look so good. How are you feeling?” Joe turned a stolid face towards him.
“I’m okay,” he said, his voice lacking its usual strength. “I sure do wish things would stop moving around, though.”
“You’ll get used to it,” Reedy assured him. “Give it a day or two, you’ll be just fine.”
“Yeah, probably,” Becken called over from his locker. “Most guys do. Of course, there are a few that just never get over it.”
“Shut up, Gus,” said Reedy affably. Beaumont struggled to sit up.
“I have to get better!” he said. Worry overrode the misery on his pleasant features. “Mr. Starkweather, he needs me! He told me to rest today, but I can’t lay around too long, no matter how bad I feel.”
“Relax,” said Reedy, motioning for Joe to lie back down. “You’ll be fit as a fiddle in no time.” Becken strolled over.
“Yeah,” he said helpfully. “Why, pretty soon you’ll think this is nothing! Wait until you see a real storm. When you walk down a companionway you walk on the walls as much as on the floor. Left wall, floor…right wall, floor…left wall, floor…” His litany was interrupted by Joe clutching hastily for the pail and retching noisily into it. Reedy and Becken looked on in silence for a moment. When Beaumont had finished and collapsed weakly back onto his bunk Reedy turned to his friend.
“Nice work, Gus,” he said. He picked up the bucket and handed it to Becken. “Here. You get to go empty this.” He glanced as Beaumont stifled a moan. “And hurry,” he added.
***
Aboard USS Gridley
Location: 960 miles north of Pearl Harbor
Course: North
Attached to: TF 107
Mission: Amphibious
Ship's Status: no damage
Fuel: 447 (85%)
Joe Beaumont had begun to think that sea sickness was not going to be a problem for him. He had not been troubled by it on the peaceful voyage from San Francisco to Pearl Harbor, nor during Gridley’s first few days out on this mission. In fact he rather enjoyed the gentle motion of the sea.
But on the fourth day out of Pearl the weather had turned a little worse. The skies were mostly clear but the wind had kicked up to force 5, edging towards force 6. The old hands on board scarcely noticed. But Joe no longer thought sea sickness was not going to affect him.
He lay in his bunk, one listless hand keeping a grip on the handy nearby pail to keep it from sliding away. His ruddy complexion was an unhealthy color and actually did appear greenish in the light from the steel-caged bulbs. Nor was he the only one; most of the new hands were suffering. The Gridley-class destroyers were not known for their stability in rough weather and in fact had a tendency to roll quite a bit even in moderate seas.
Jake Reedy and Gus Becken came clattering into the bunkroom, talking animatedly to each other. On his way to his locker Reedy stopped and looked down at Beaumont.
“Hey, Big Joe,” he said, “you don’t look so good. How are you feeling?” Joe turned a stolid face towards him.
“I’m okay,” he said, his voice lacking its usual strength. “I sure do wish things would stop moving around, though.”
“You’ll get used to it,” Reedy assured him. “Give it a day or two, you’ll be just fine.”
“Yeah, probably,” Becken called over from his locker. “Most guys do. Of course, there are a few that just never get over it.”
“Shut up, Gus,” said Reedy affably. Beaumont struggled to sit up.
“I have to get better!” he said. Worry overrode the misery on his pleasant features. “Mr. Starkweather, he needs me! He told me to rest today, but I can’t lay around too long, no matter how bad I feel.”
“Relax,” said Reedy, motioning for Joe to lie back down. “You’ll be fit as a fiddle in no time.” Becken strolled over.
“Yeah,” he said helpfully. “Why, pretty soon you’ll think this is nothing! Wait until you see a real storm. When you walk down a companionway you walk on the walls as much as on the floor. Left wall, floor…right wall, floor…left wall, floor…” His litany was interrupted by Joe clutching hastily for the pail and retching noisily into it. Reedy and Becken looked on in silence for a moment. When Beaumont had finished and collapsed weakly back onto his bunk Reedy turned to his friend.
“Nice work, Gus,” he said. He picked up the bucket and handed it to Becken. “Here. You get to go empty this.” He glanced as Beaumont stifled a moan. “And hurry,” he added.
***
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Capt. Harlock
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RE: RE: March 14, 1942
Harry Starkweather, gun captain of turret 54. Shrewd and determined to make his gun crew the best on the ship.
Nice roll call so far. If I'm not mistaken, AE records enough detail so that damage to each individual turret is displayed, but not enough so that hits from individual turrets are noted. We'll have to see what damage is taken, but you should have a free hand as to success in combat.
Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?
--Victor Hugo
--Victor Hugo
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Cuttlefish
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- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: RE: March 16, 1942
March 16, 1942
Aboard USS Gridley
Location: 960 miles southeast of Dutch Harbor
Course: North
Attached to: TF 107
Mission: Amphibious
Ship's Status: no damage
Fuel: 426 (81%)
Between the Hawaiian Islands and the Aleutians the waters of the North Pacific are unbroken, marred by no reef, island, or islet. Most of the sea floor is a vast abyssal plain, three miles or more below the surface. Atop this wilderness of water steam the eight Allied vessels, less than specks in the vast emptiness.
Gridley has now led them past the halfway point. Dutch Harbor is less than one thousand miles away. So far the voyage has been completely without incident. There have been no sub contacts and few false alarms. There has been no hint of recent Japanese activity in these waters or in the Aleutians. There have not even been any major mechanical difficulties aboard any of the ships.
Not everyone aboard is happy, of course. The weather gets no worse, but it does not improve, either. Hundreds of soldiers share Joe Beaumont’s misery, and many are worse off than he is. For these men being stalked and sunk by a Japanese I-boat would seem like a merciful end to a voyage of unending misery.
But thus far the Japanese do not seem inclined to be so obliging. The ships toil northward, undisturbed in a wide and empty sea.
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Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: RE: March 17, 1942
March 17, 1942
Aboard USS Gridley
Location: 720 miles southeast of Dutch Harbor
Course: North
Attached to: TF 107
Mission: Amphibious
Ship's Status: no damage
Fuel: 408 (77%)
Al Tanner was the kind of guy who would, if you were carrying a full tray of food in a cafeteria, trip you and then bray with laughter as milk sprayed everywhere and you sat up with mashed potatoes on your chest. He would do it, that is, if he thought he could do it without fear of retribution. Al Tanner’s first concern, always, was the safety and well-being of Al Tanner.
In the small, enclosed community of a warship such as a destroyer, it is not possible to hide unpleasant character traits for long. Most of the crewmen aboard despised Tanner, and some hated him. Tanner knew this. He was, however, one of those men with a knack for manipulating people. He maintained a cadre of friends through a combination of favors and threats. The weak he could bully and intimidate; the strong he could cajole or avoid. The purpose of all of this was to ensure that he got the easiest and safest jobs and did as little work as possible.
On a lax ship he would have had an easy time. Unfortunately, he was aboard Gridley. His chief nemesis was Captain Stickney; the ship’s commander terrified him. Just behind Stickney was Petty Officer Masterson, a grizzled veteran and former boxer, his immediate supervisor in the deck force. Masterson kept a sharp eye on him and time and again thwarted his efforts to slack off.
There were several crewmen he had also been unable to get around. Among these was Jake Reedy, who made no secret of his contempt for Tanner. Reedy was very popular with his shipmates, however, which made him difficult to work against openly. Tanner was pretty sure he could take Reedy in a fight; Tanner was tough and nasty. And if he couldn’t, his buddies “Beans” Ranker and George Vick could. But it would cause too much trouble.
What Tanner really needed was an “in” with the officers. He needed someone under his influence who could intercede for him with Masterson. In the tight-knit ship’s company as it existed before the war, this was impossible. In fact, Tanner would have been appalled if he had known the extent to which Stickney and Steubens were aware of his corrosive influence on the crew and worked to minimize it. But the war, while bringing more work and more danger, had also brought new opportunities.
One of these was Ensign Lawrence Courtney. Courtney was fresh out of OCS and Gridley was his first assignment. He had joined the crew during the recent refit and Tanner, with his ability to sense weakness in others, was already eyeing him with speculation. Courtney’s bluster and tension betrayed a lack of confidence and, perhaps, fear and loneliness. These were traits Tanner could exploit and use. Courtney might just need a friend aboard, someone who could give him a sympathetic ear.
Al Tanner kept his head down but his eye on the green young officer. He had a suspicion he would not have to wait long for an opening.
Aboard USS Gridley
Location: 720 miles southeast of Dutch Harbor
Course: North
Attached to: TF 107
Mission: Amphibious
Ship's Status: no damage
Fuel: 408 (77%)
Al Tanner was the kind of guy who would, if you were carrying a full tray of food in a cafeteria, trip you and then bray with laughter as milk sprayed everywhere and you sat up with mashed potatoes on your chest. He would do it, that is, if he thought he could do it without fear of retribution. Al Tanner’s first concern, always, was the safety and well-being of Al Tanner.
In the small, enclosed community of a warship such as a destroyer, it is not possible to hide unpleasant character traits for long. Most of the crewmen aboard despised Tanner, and some hated him. Tanner knew this. He was, however, one of those men with a knack for manipulating people. He maintained a cadre of friends through a combination of favors and threats. The weak he could bully and intimidate; the strong he could cajole or avoid. The purpose of all of this was to ensure that he got the easiest and safest jobs and did as little work as possible.
On a lax ship he would have had an easy time. Unfortunately, he was aboard Gridley. His chief nemesis was Captain Stickney; the ship’s commander terrified him. Just behind Stickney was Petty Officer Masterson, a grizzled veteran and former boxer, his immediate supervisor in the deck force. Masterson kept a sharp eye on him and time and again thwarted his efforts to slack off.
There were several crewmen he had also been unable to get around. Among these was Jake Reedy, who made no secret of his contempt for Tanner. Reedy was very popular with his shipmates, however, which made him difficult to work against openly. Tanner was pretty sure he could take Reedy in a fight; Tanner was tough and nasty. And if he couldn’t, his buddies “Beans” Ranker and George Vick could. But it would cause too much trouble.
What Tanner really needed was an “in” with the officers. He needed someone under his influence who could intercede for him with Masterson. In the tight-knit ship’s company as it existed before the war, this was impossible. In fact, Tanner would have been appalled if he had known the extent to which Stickney and Steubens were aware of his corrosive influence on the crew and worked to minimize it. But the war, while bringing more work and more danger, had also brought new opportunities.
One of these was Ensign Lawrence Courtney. Courtney was fresh out of OCS and Gridley was his first assignment. He had joined the crew during the recent refit and Tanner, with his ability to sense weakness in others, was already eyeing him with speculation. Courtney’s bluster and tension betrayed a lack of confidence and, perhaps, fear and loneliness. These were traits Tanner could exploit and use. Courtney might just need a friend aboard, someone who could give him a sympathetic ear.
Al Tanner kept his head down but his eye on the green young officer. He had a suspicion he would not have to wait long for an opening.
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Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: RE: March 18, 1942
March 18, 1942
Aboard USS Gridley
Location: 440 miles southeast of Dutch Harbor
Course: Northwest
Attached to: TF 107
Mission: Amphibious
Ship's Status: no damage
Fuel: 387 (73%)
Elkton “Elk” Bowers, ship’s baker, did much of his work at night, after the last of the crew had been fed and the galley was empty. He and his assistants had their own work area on the port side of the galley, but since they used the same ovens as the rest of the cooks most of the bread, biscuits, and other baked goods needed for the following day were prepared the night before. The finished products were stored in the bread locker at the starboard end of the galley passageway, to be pulled out and served as needed on the following day.
At the moment Bowers was putting the finishing touches on the last of two dozen apple pies. He crimped the crusts on the last of them, then looked over his work. He sprinkled a little more cinnamon on one or two pies and indicated to his men that they were ready to go into the big oven. The crew did not get pies every day, of course, but Bowers liked to bake them at least once or twice a week. Cakes and other pastries were also often prepared.
While the pies baked Bowers and the others cleaned up. At least it wasn’t too hot. It was almost chilly above decks this evening and cool air gusted down the galley passage every time a sailor came in from the night to snag a cup of coffee.
By the time the pies were ready to come out of the oven and go into the bread locker the galley was spotless. The countertops and fixtures gleamed. Bowers always took pride in leaving the galley cleaner than he found it.
One man remained on duty to ensure that the vital supply of coffee did not run out during the night. Bowers and the others departed for their bunks. Before he fell asleep the baker thought of his wife, Elizabeth, back home in Kokomo, Indiana. Liz was probably about to wake up and start her day, he thought. He sure did miss her. He touched the gold band he wore on his left ring finger, as he often did when he thought of her, then lurched upright, whacking his head on the bunk above him. This brought a sleepy mutter from the man asleep there.
Bowers hardly noticed the blow. He gazed at his hand in the dimness, spreading his fingers. Where was his wedding ring?
Aboard USS Gridley
Location: 440 miles southeast of Dutch Harbor
Course: Northwest
Attached to: TF 107
Mission: Amphibious
Ship's Status: no damage
Fuel: 387 (73%)
Elkton “Elk” Bowers, ship’s baker, did much of his work at night, after the last of the crew had been fed and the galley was empty. He and his assistants had their own work area on the port side of the galley, but since they used the same ovens as the rest of the cooks most of the bread, biscuits, and other baked goods needed for the following day were prepared the night before. The finished products were stored in the bread locker at the starboard end of the galley passageway, to be pulled out and served as needed on the following day.
At the moment Bowers was putting the finishing touches on the last of two dozen apple pies. He crimped the crusts on the last of them, then looked over his work. He sprinkled a little more cinnamon on one or two pies and indicated to his men that they were ready to go into the big oven. The crew did not get pies every day, of course, but Bowers liked to bake them at least once or twice a week. Cakes and other pastries were also often prepared.
While the pies baked Bowers and the others cleaned up. At least it wasn’t too hot. It was almost chilly above decks this evening and cool air gusted down the galley passage every time a sailor came in from the night to snag a cup of coffee.
By the time the pies were ready to come out of the oven and go into the bread locker the galley was spotless. The countertops and fixtures gleamed. Bowers always took pride in leaving the galley cleaner than he found it.
One man remained on duty to ensure that the vital supply of coffee did not run out during the night. Bowers and the others departed for their bunks. Before he fell asleep the baker thought of his wife, Elizabeth, back home in Kokomo, Indiana. Liz was probably about to wake up and start her day, he thought. He sure did miss her. He touched the gold band he wore on his left ring finger, as he often did when he thought of her, then lurched upright, whacking his head on the bunk above him. This brought a sleepy mutter from the man asleep there.
Bowers hardly noticed the blow. He gazed at his hand in the dimness, spreading his fingers. Where was his wedding ring?
RE: RE: March 18, 1942
It took me weeks, no months, to get over my withdrawl syndrome after "small ship" ended.
Unbelievable, I missed this one for so long.
Definitely subscribed!
Oh, and I´d like to add myself to the list for a release of "small ship" as a bood/e-book (again) !
PS:
Hilarious, simply hilarious !!!
Unbelievable, I missed this one for so long.
Definitely subscribed!
Oh, and I´d like to add myself to the list for a release of "small ship" as a bood/e-book (again) !
PS:
ORIGINAL: Cuttlefish
“That,” he drawled, “is the stupidest story I ever heard.”
Hilarious, simply hilarious !!!
"Tell the King: After the battle my head is at his disposal, during the battle he may allow me to use it!
GenLt. Seydlitz to Frederik the Great after disobeying an order to attack
R. Hoenig, Germany
GenLt. Seydlitz to Frederik the Great after disobeying an order to attack
R. Hoenig, Germany
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Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: RE: March 19, 1942
March 19, 1942
Aboard USS Gridley
Location: 150 miles southeast of Dutch Harbor
Course: Northwest
Attached to: TF 107
Mission: Amphibious
Ship's Status: no damage
Fuel: 367 (69%)
As the task force drew near to the Aleutians the weather went from partly clear to gloomy and from cool to downright cold. Nighttime temperatures dipped towards freezing. Gridley's sailors above decks shivered through night watches that held a damp chill no amount of hot coffee seemed able to ward off.
At least the seas remained somewhat calm, though they were rough enough to create endless misery aboard the transports. The clouds overhead were heavy and low. This was not entirely a bad thing. The task force was close enough now to the Aleutians to be sighted by long-range Japanese flying boats out of Amchitka or Adak.
The ships plowed their way north through gray seas and under gray skies. By tomorrow they would finally reach Dutch Harbor.
***
Rudy Bronkhorst loved apple pie. His mother used to make it a lot. She had been born in the Netherlands and so made them Dutch style, with raisins and cinnamon. They were still the best pies Rudy had ever eaten. But the ones Elk Bowers made were pretty good. He used cinnamon too, when he had it.
There was enough pie for all the enlisted men to have a generous slice. Rudy gobbled his quickly, hoping to snag a second slice from someone who didn’t want theirs. It was a small chance, but you never knew. The big radioman took big bites, pausing just long enough to savor the taste of every fork full.
As he was in a hurry he didn’t bother much with chewing. As one of the last bites slid down his throat, however, a funny look came over his face. He made a sort of “urk” noise and then swallowed convulsively and with obvious difficulty. Bill Bonderman, across the table from him, looked up from his own slice of pie.
“You okay there, Rudy?” he asked. Bronkhorst put a hand over his chest and looked up at him.
“Oh hell,” he said. “I think I just found Elk’s ring.”
Aboard USS Gridley
Location: 150 miles southeast of Dutch Harbor
Course: Northwest
Attached to: TF 107
Mission: Amphibious
Ship's Status: no damage
Fuel: 367 (69%)
As the task force drew near to the Aleutians the weather went from partly clear to gloomy and from cool to downright cold. Nighttime temperatures dipped towards freezing. Gridley's sailors above decks shivered through night watches that held a damp chill no amount of hot coffee seemed able to ward off.
At least the seas remained somewhat calm, though they were rough enough to create endless misery aboard the transports. The clouds overhead were heavy and low. This was not entirely a bad thing. The task force was close enough now to the Aleutians to be sighted by long-range Japanese flying boats out of Amchitka or Adak.
The ships plowed their way north through gray seas and under gray skies. By tomorrow they would finally reach Dutch Harbor.
***
Rudy Bronkhorst loved apple pie. His mother used to make it a lot. She had been born in the Netherlands and so made them Dutch style, with raisins and cinnamon. They were still the best pies Rudy had ever eaten. But the ones Elk Bowers made were pretty good. He used cinnamon too, when he had it.
There was enough pie for all the enlisted men to have a generous slice. Rudy gobbled his quickly, hoping to snag a second slice from someone who didn’t want theirs. It was a small chance, but you never knew. The big radioman took big bites, pausing just long enough to savor the taste of every fork full.
As he was in a hurry he didn’t bother much with chewing. As one of the last bites slid down his throat, however, a funny look came over his face. He made a sort of “urk” noise and then swallowed convulsively and with obvious difficulty. Bill Bonderman, across the table from him, looked up from his own slice of pie.
“You okay there, Rudy?” he asked. Bronkhorst put a hand over his chest and looked up at him.
“Oh hell,” he said. “I think I just found Elk’s ring.”
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Canoerebel
- Posts: 21099
- Joined: Fri Dec 13, 2002 11:21 pm
- Location: Northwestern Georgia, USA
- Contact:
RE: RE: March 19, 1942
I hate to tell you this, but Gridley is going to be sunk by I-5 south of Pearl Harbor on June 17, 1942. You ask: "How can you know this?"
All I can tell you is: "I know this from personal experience." [:(]
All I can tell you is: "I know this from personal experience." [:(]
"Rats set fire to Mr. Cooper’s store in Fort Valley. No damage done." Columbus (Ga) Enquirer-Sun, October 2, 1880.
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Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: RE: March 19, 1942
ORIGINAL: Canoerebel
I hate to tell you this, but Gridley is going to be sunk by I-5 south of Pearl Harbor on June 17, 1942. You ask: "How can you know this?"
All I can tell you is: "I know this from personal experience." [:(]
Hm, remind me to have Gridley avoid those waters when June rolls around...
RE: RE: March 19, 1942
ORIGINAL: Canoerebel
I hate to tell you this, but Gridley is going to be sunk by I-5 south of Pearl Harbor on June 17, 1942. You ask: "How can you know this?"
All I can tell you is: "I know this from personal experience." [:(]
I-5 did have a pretty good day that day, didn't she? She got the AP George Elliott that turn too.
One of the few success stories for me in our game...<sigh>
Chez
Ret Navy AWCS (1972-1998)
VP-5, Jacksonville, Fl 1973-78
ASW Ops Center, Rota, Spain 1978-81
VP-40, Mt View, Ca 1981-87
Patrol Wing 10, Mt View, CA 1987-90
ASW Ops Center, Adak, Ak 1990-92
NRD Seattle 1992-96
VP-46, Whidbey Isl, Wa 1996-98
VP-5, Jacksonville, Fl 1973-78
ASW Ops Center, Rota, Spain 1978-81
VP-40, Mt View, Ca 1981-87
Patrol Wing 10, Mt View, CA 1987-90
ASW Ops Center, Adak, Ak 1990-92
NRD Seattle 1992-96
VP-46, Whidbey Isl, Wa 1996-98
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Capt. Harlock
- Posts: 5379
- Joined: Sat Sep 15, 2001 8:00 am
- Location: Los Angeles
- Contact:
RE: RE: March 19, 1942
I hate to tell you this, but Gridley is going to be sunk by I-5 south of Pearl Harbor on June 17, 1942. You ask: "How can you know this?"
All I can tell you is: "I know this from personal experience."
Sending Gridley to San Diego in May for ASW training might not be a bad idea . . .
Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?
--Victor Hugo
--Victor Hugo
RE: RE: March 19, 1942
& here i was thinking that Tanner had prob'ly stolen it! Still, he's the front-runner in the Gridley's "Jonah's Lift" sweepstakes - or mebbe he's fated for redemption during combat?ORIGINAL: Cuttlefish
March 19, 1942
Aboard USS Gridley
“Oh hell,” he said. “I think I just found Elk’s ring.”
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Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: RE: March 19, 1942
ORIGINAL: jmalter
& here i was thinking that Tanner had prob'ly stolen it! Still, he's the front-runner in the Gridley's "Jonah's Lift" sweepstakes - or mebbe he's fated for redemption during combat?
Time will tell. I almost never plan where the story is going to go ahead of time.