[cbear]

I think we did this mainly to haze the new junior officer. It's not unheard of for the line to slack, and dunk the basket.

 

[RiverRaider68]

Makes me wonder if the Junior Officers new in advance they may get a dunking ...............Nice pics but the swells are making me seasick already.

Regards
Art

 

[Mike]

I'll take a nice safe stinking steamy jungle anyday.
Confirmed landlubber here.

 

[samamara]

Have seen a few of these high line transfers. Yep and things can get very interesting very quickly. We were taking on ammunition and the USS Vesuvius
lost steering control and hit the starboard elevator. We had all sorts of bombs
on the hangar deck waiting to be transferred below. And yes I'm aware that the fuses were not installed. But one does not want to tempt the hands of fate. Frank

 

[Ole Sailor]

I never saw any personnel high-lined about but as with Frank, we were refueling one night when the tanker lost steering and hit us. Luckily only a few very minor injuries (mostly scraps and bruises) but we all had a MAJOR pucker-factor till we cleared away from the tanker.

 

[cbear]

We did unreps (underway replenishment) all the time for supplies, but this was the only time I saw a personnel transfer done. I was on a Spruance class destroyer, and we usually unrepped from the battle group carrier, or a supply ship.

Here's two shots of refueling at sea. The first one is taking fuel from the USS George Washington as we crossed the Atlantic, going to the Med. in 1996. The second is us waiting in line to refuel, as the USS Barry & Stout take on fuel from the USS Monongahela. This was in 1995 as the Atlantic fleet sortied from Norfolk to get out of the path of Huricane Felix.

 

[Slyhuntr]

Realy neat pictures. Thank you for sharing. My father was in the Navy around 53, he has told me some stories.

 

[RiverRaider68]

We did unreps (underway replenishment) all the time for supplies, but this was the only time I saw a personnel transfer done. I was on a Spruance class destroyer, and we usually unrepped from the battle group carrier, or a supply ship.

Here's two shots of refueling at sea. The first one is taking fuel from the USS George Washington as we crossed the Atlantic, going to the Med. in 1996. The second is us waiting in line to refuel, as the USS Barry & Stout take on fuel from the USS Monongahela. This was in 1995 as the Atlantic fleet sortied from Norfolk to get out of the path of Huricane Felix.

Out of curiosity how much fuel is transfered (I assume ship size dictates capacity) also how long does it take to refuel the ships in need?

Regards
Art

 

[cbear]

We would take on fuel whenever we could, we tried to keep the tanks topped off. It was good practice, and gave us longer legs if we ever had to shit and get. I think we made it a point to refuel if we were down to 80%. I could be wrong, but I don't think we were allowed to go below 50% unless we were at war.

How long a fuel transfer would take naturally depended on how much we needed. I think fueling usually took from 1-3 hours from start to finish. We'd usually run two fuel lines, or fuel at one station and take on supplies from the other.

Here's a pick on wikipedia from the same med cruise of us refueling from the GW.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5f/DD968in1996.jpg

I found this info on fuel consumption.

"For instance, the US Navy’s Spruance-class destroyers that displaced about 8000 tons carried 1400 tons of fuel, giving them an operating range (endurance) of 6000 nautical miles at 20 knots."
http://www.journal.forces.gc.ca/vo9/no1/10-haydon-eng.asp

The Spruance class, Ticonderoga class, and Arleigh Burke class are powered by four LM2500 gas turbines. While gas turbine use more fuel, it give the ships the ability to go from "cold iron" to underway in 15 minutes. The older boiler ships would need a full day to get the steam built up. A great advantage in a Pearl Harbor or 9-11 situation.

 

[Chukpike]

Should have served aboard the USS Bainbridge DLGN-25. Ran 7,000 miles in 11 days with The USS Enterprise. Did not refuel either ship in this crossing. San Francisco to Subic Bay in the Philippines.

On the Bainbridge we did refuel on occasion when running low on JP5 for helos.

Highline transfers were rare, we did one in the 4+ years I was on the Bainbridge. One thing on Highline transfers, is that the main support line is manned and hauled by hand. The automatic tension rig used to transfer supplies is not used. This is supposed to be safer.

 

[samamara]

Served on the USS Franklin D Roosevelt CVA42 and spent many lighting off watches in the engine room. When in a foreign port normally steamed 2 engine rooms and 6 boilers. Could cross connect from the operating engine rooms and use steam from them to hasten getting underway in case of an emergency or bad weather. From a cold start usually could get steam up in the shutdown boilers and engine rooms in about 8 hours. Still can remember getting up on the platform where the three main steam stops were located and opening them up while the drains were opened. Looked like a drowned lobster after all three stops were opened. What fun!!. Frank

 

[cbear]

I think I saw the Bainbridge in Norfolk shorly before or during decomming. I did see the Mississippi being dismantled at the yards. Also the Long Beach stopped by, now that was a BIG cruiser.

One thing about not being nuclear, we never needed marines around

 

[cwo4uscgret]

I spent 2 years on the MIDWAY (CVA41) during Viet Nam. When the chaplain was highlined across and got dipped it was referred to as baptizing the chaplain...every other time if I remember right!

 

[RiverRaider68]

cbear----Tnx for the info............

Regaeds
Art

 

[jimlay]

If I remember correctly, highline transfer of personnel required a minimum of 25 bodies to tension the line. I did a year on Stalwart Class T-AGOS surveillance ships, and 25 people was every soul on board, so we didn't unrep anything heavier than circuit boards and the occasional box of lettuce or movies. I did 3 months as 2rd Mate on the USNS Contender (T-AGOS 2), 3 months as Chief Mate on the USNS Assurance (T-AGOS 5), and 6 months as Master on USNS Indomitable (T-AGOS 7). Fun ships, but lively in a seaway!

 

[oldracer]

What years were you on the Baindridge? I was on there in 76 to 78 when it did a refueling in Bremerton and then a westpac afterwards. Lets see, Newell was one of the COs and Almstead was the other one I had. I sort of got "tagged" as a good nuclear refueling chief and did 5 of them during my 20 years in the Navy! Strange as it was since I ealkly hated being a shipyard and many years later ended up working at NASSCO in SD on their computer automation stuff as a civilian.

 

[Chukpike]

What years were you on the Baindridge? I was on there in 76 to 78 when it did a refueling in Bremerton and then a westpac afterwards. Lets see, Newell was one of the COs and Almstead was the other one I had. I sort of got "tagged" as a good nuclear refueling chief and did 5 of them during my 20 years in the Navy! Strange as it was since I ealkly hated being a shipyard and many years later ended up working at NASSCO in SD on their computer automation stuff as a civilian.

Served on board from 1971-late1974 got transferred when th ship was heading to Bremerton for its upgrade and refueling. It went in as DLGN-25 and came out as CGN-25 when it came out.

You may want to search Internet and join the Bainbridge Association or PM me and I will give more info.

 

[aspann]

Saw a German admiral dunked coming or going to the USS Forrestal back around 1960 or 61. I got a picture of him just as he is coming up out of the water. The basket was a fancy one with all the white ropes and knots etc. I took the picture with a Polaroid. It was one of the first ones out. Weighted about 10 lbs. it seemed. Lugged it all around the Med. Still have it.

 

[DCman]

We dunked a new Ensign that was brought aboard that way. Just our way of saying welcome aboard.