Chief Machinist's Mate, U.S. Navy, 1939-1945, U.S.S. Lexington "Plankowner"
Interview
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The flight deck people were kept very busy daily and so were the engineers. The airplanes that we carried, SBD dive bombers, F6F fighters and TBF torpedo planes required about 30 knots of air speed across the flight deck for take offs, so if if the wind was blowing at 15 knots, the ship only had to make about 15 knots. But if the wind speed fell off the ship had to make up for the drop in wind speed. Thus, at times, we would have to run at 20 or 25 knots.
The ship had a draft of about 36 feet and the Chesapeak Bay, in many places, was not much greater than that. However, we did stay in the deeper water, but at times we could stand at the stern and see a muddy trail behind us for miles. I often wondered what the oysters on the bottom thought as we turned their beds upside-down!
Well after the Chesapeak Bay drills that must have lasted about 3 or 4 weeks, we went back to Boston and in drydock to paint the bottom, for our scraping of the oyster beds and other sand bars, we had a fine polished bottom, less any paint at all in some places.
Q. What did you think of your commanding officers? Did you like them or were they a pain in the neck?
A. I always had a good relationship with all offiers my entire time in the Navy. Some were quite strict at times, but if you gave attention to your duty they had no quarrel with you. The one officer that was the M Division Officer, (Willam Grant) [and] who was the first officer I met when reporting for duty, was a former Chief Petty Officer that had been recalled from retirement and made Chief Warrant Machinist, and later, Senior Grade Lieutenant. This man was like a grandfather to most of us young men. I was about 21 then. Wm. Grant remained for most of the war on the Lexington and I discovered, after the war, that he and I lived about 4 city blocks from each other in Washington DC. My wife and I had many happy social visits and we were great friends until his death in 1965.
I should also tell you . . . to back up my story a little. When on the U.S.S. Babbitt, I was detached for three months and sent to Machinist's School and upon my completion I was promoted to MM 2/nd Class, (Machnist's Mate, Second Class).
Q. Your rank while in the Navy was Chief Machinist's Mate, #2 Engine Room. What can you tell me about the work your performed on a regular day?
A. The #2 Engine Room was manned by about 24 men which would allow about eight men on each watch. The Engine Room had two main steam turbines that drove two reduction gears connected to shafts and propellers, two main condensers, two main circulating pumps, four lubricating oil pumps, four condensation pumps, two oil coolers, two 1,500 gallon oil sumps, two air ejectors, one oil purifier and one 2,000 gallon de-aerating feed water tank. Without giving you a short course in marine engineering, I'll just say that ay dockside not much of the above was running. whereas, at sea, most of it was running and needed close attention.
The first few months after commisioning our daily routine consisted of maintaining the Engine Room in a neat, ship-shape condition [as] if at dockside or anchored. At this time I was rated MM 2/nd Class and I stood underway watches at the throttles, maintaining speed and direction. This was also my special sea detail and battle station.
(Special sea detail is when certain men are called upon to man certain stationd upon entering or leaving port.)
Later as a First Class Machinist's Mate, I still had the special sea detail, but served as a roving over-seer [while] underway and at dockside. I made repairs to pumps and various valves and assigned work to others.
Later, as Chief Machinist's Mate, I more or less ran the Engine Room under the direction of the M-Division Officer.
Q. On December 5, 1943, the U.S.S. Lexington was hit with a torpedo and lost steering capabilities. What do you recall about this event?
A. We had been at general quarters almost all day with the same men, (about 12) in the Engine Room. The temp. was unbearable and everybody was dead tired. Amid [the] air operations during the day there had been sporadic air raids on the ship and there had been spates of gunfire during the day.
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About Me
References
Send Some Love to "Iraqi Bill"
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