10-276 Garand Picture of the Day Dec 8

U.S.S. Walton (DE-361)

Hard Right Rudder!

We were in the South China Sea, patrolling off the coast of Viet Nam. It was a warm, quiet day on a table flat ocean. I wasMessenger of the Watch in the pilothouse when Catp. Rogers called me out to the bridge.

“Go down and have Mr. Annan get me some bloody, raw meat, some small line, and a plastic bag.”

“Aye, Aye captain!” and off I went. I found Mr. Annan on the foc’sle with two other officers, relaxed and sunning themselves.

I delivered my message, “Mr. Annan, the Capt. wants some bloody meat, a small line, and a plastic bag.” The three officers looked at me and Mr. Annan said, “You tell the Capt. Rogers he can eat lunch in the wardroom withh the rest of the officers!” The other officers got a good belly laugh out of that, but I must have looked somewhat startled because he then said, “Never mind, don’t tell him that. Come with me.”

With that, I followed him to the galley where he assembled the requested items. I carried them to the bridge and delivered them to the Captain. He did nothing with them at first, just set them aside. I returned to the pilothouse and it was my turn to take a trick at the wheel. I had just settled in when Capt. Rogers had someone assemble his requested materials and throw them over the side.

Sure enough, here came one nice shark looking for his lunch. Not as good as Jaws mind you, but a viable target none-the-less.

Then, through the speaking tube, Mr. Bowles, the OOD, gave the order, “All ahead Full! Hard right rudder!,” and over went the helm! BANG! BANG! BANG! “Port back standard, Starboard ahead full! Hard left rudder!” BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! “All ahead full! Hard right rudder!, BANG! BANG! and so it went. Captain Rogers chased those two sharks all over the South China Sea. Apparently, he considered them North Vietnamese sharks, and therefore, the enemy. I don’t remember if he ever hit anything. If you know, let me know, will ya?
I thought, “Isn’t it neat to be the Captain of a 306′ American Destroyer Escort? It sure more fun than owning a 16′ runabout! “Hard right rudder!” Oh, oh! Here we go again…..!


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Officer firing M1 from the O1 level, near the fantail

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I know thousands don't understand, but personally I do.

Maybe he was reading Hemmingway at the time :)

Maybe he was on USS Indianapolis

What year is this?

No date on that story. Found this on skipper
CAPTAIN
LCDR R. G. Rogers, USNR, a native of California whose home has been in the San Francisco Bay Area, is a graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, New York. As a merchant marine officer Rogers served on various ships in World War II, one of which was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic. He was first commissioned as ensign in 1944. Later, as a LTJG he was Communications Officer on the USS Stickell (DD 888). During the Korean War he wa Navigator on the USS Ozbourne (DD 846), and as a LT he next toured as Operations Officer and Executive Officer on the USS Currier (DE 700). He wears the Korean Service Medal with 2 stars for blockage duty on the Ozbournein Korean waters. In November 1953 while on the Currier, Rogers received a personal commendation fromCOMCRUDESPAC for his rescue of a drowning man off San Diego. Later, he was Commanding Officer of a Reserve Training Center in Texas until he left the Navy in 1954. As a civilian reservist he affiliated with various drilling units and was promoted to LCDR n 1956. In the Selected Reserve program he was appointed Executive Officer of the Walton and later hiked to Commanding Officer upon the ship’s mobilization in 1961. Rogers has always been a sailing enthusiast and is building his own 62-foot schooner. He was formerly employed by the State of California Division of Highways, in the Civil Engineering Branch.

---------- Post added at 09:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:56 PM ----------

SHIP
UNITED STATES SHIP WALTON

DESTROYER ESCORT THREE SIX ONE

Built by Consolidated Steel Company, Orang, Texas in 1944, the ship is named for Platoon Sergeant Merritt Cecil Walton, U.S. Marine hero who gave his life at Guadalcanal in 1942. The ship’s principal mission is anti-submarine warfare, but also is used for escort and patrol duty. In World War II the Walton was fought at Leyte Gulf in January 1945. The ship was used in the evacuation of U.S. prisoners and foreign refugees in S.E. Asia immediately following the war. From 1947 to 1951 the Walton was put out of commission in the mothball fleet. When the Korean War broke out the ship was recommissioned to join Escort Division 92 in Korea, and in 1952 fired over 2000 rounds of 5 inch ammunition at Communist targets. Later the Walton was a Pearl Harbor based ship, cruising to the Far East for patrol duty off Formosa. In 1956 the Walton took part in Operation Redwing in the South Pacific Atomic bomb tests, where she monitored radioactiviiIn 1958 San Francisco was named home port for the ship, which would now be used in thhe training of reservist. In October 1961 the Walton was mobilized by the Selected Reserve crew. This cruise book tells the rest.

Posted 1 year, 3 months ago at 8:43 am.

best I can tell from the web site 1961-1962

Wonder if the enblocs ended up in the water?

enblocs would not have been the most expensive thing this crew watch go to Davy's locker
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Playing with the Subs by Tom Loftis, 1958

Hello Shipmates,

One of the things we did week in and week out was leave Pearl Harbor on Monday along with submarines from the sub base Pearl and practice ASW for a few days and then return back to Pearl on Friday. Thursday, May 7th. 1958 was not routine. We were steaming with the USS Silverstein (DE 534) and the others of our squadron exercising ASW with a sub named USS Stickleback (SS415) when at 13:15 the Sub fired a dummy torpedo at the Silverstein then went into a steep dive.

Racing at 17 knots, the Silverstein headed for the sub’s position to simulate depth charging. At 100 feet the sub’s main power unit failed, throwing the diving planes out of control. Raising swiftly the sub surfaced 200 yards from and directly in the Silverstein’s path. The DE could not stop in time to avoid a collision and struck the sub’s port side just forward of the conning tower. The DE cut about half way through the sub and miraculously no one was seriously hurt.

The USS Walton along with the other DE’s were standing by to assist and take the sub personel aboard. The sub rescue ship Greenlet arrived and attempted to take the sub in tow but as soon as the Silverstein backed out of the hole the sub sank bow first in two miles of water.

I stil have the article I cut from the Honolulu news paper with pictures. All in all it was a successful day at sea considering we lost no sailors. It was a much quieter evening that night at the old Block Arena over at the Sub Base where we all hung out rather than going down town.

For info about day-in, day-out life aboard a destroyer escort that was a sister to this one, this in WWII, read Little Ship, Big War, the Saga of DE343 by its first lieutenant, Ed Stafford. It takes DE343, the William Warner Abercrombie*, from build and fit in Orange, Tx, to the Ping Line at Okinawa, to war's end, decommissioning, and eventual disposal, and is a howling good read.

Bob

* Pilot of a torpedo bomber with Torpedo Squadron 8, lost at Midway. Navy Cross, posthumous.