Welcome to the Sea Stories section. What do you remember about the Somers? How about places that you have been on the Somers? Please share them here. Do you have sea stories of your own? Send 'em to me, and I'l put them up.
Alan Cantu: I was on the "Helo Crew", so whenever "Flight Quarters was called, I was there. The Somers, being so small, of course had to do personell transfers via the helo hovering over the back of the ship, and the person being raised or lowered. I remember one new crewmember, being lowered to the ship, clutching a guitar next to his chest. He did *not* want to let that thing go. But the most interesting helo transfer was when the CO, (I believe it was Kennealy) was being transferred to the Connie for a C.O.'s conference. They started to raise him from the deck, when a sideways gust of wind caught him, and *BOING* he went bouncing against the lifeline. He wasn't hurt, but I'm sure he got the wind knocked out of him. The OOD on the helo deck *RAN* over, grabbed him, and held on to him, to make sure he was stable until he was clear of the ship.
One other thing I will always remember is "breakaway songs." Usually, when breaking away from an UNREP, we'd play the "Superman" theme. However, there were a few exceptions. "On the Road Again...." the theme from "Hawaii 5-0", but there are two that I will always remember. Our last unrep before we started to head east back toward Hawaii, they played "Eastbound and down" from Smokey and the Bandit." We did one last refuel the night before we returned home to Pearl from Westpac, and the breakway song was "Honolulu City Lights", as we could see the lights of the city in the distance. That song will always have a special spot in my heart.
Carl Posey: My name is Carl H. Posey. I am a retired Senior Chief Signalman. I was attached to the USS Somers DD-947 as ship's company from Precom school until 31 Mar 1961.I was a seaman deuce trying to be a signalman. I was part of the "Battling Hose Crew" against the HMAS Queenborough while we were tied up alongside her in Singapore, (I think in 1960). We won the water hose fight because of higher water pressure in our watermain, and literally swept them off their feet. Then during the night we stole their brass kangaroo "Harvey" from atop their pilot house. We hid it while a massive search went on, and we went to sea for allied ops and the Queenborough had no "Harvey". When, during the ops, went alongside the Queenborough for hi-line, we proudly displayed their "Harvey" on top of the Somers pilot house. You talk about Pissed. It all worked out well in the end, and the Queenborough presented the Somers with "Harvey,II" My memories of the Somers and my shipmates are the best and was instrumental in my decision of making the Navy a career. After retiring from the Navy I moved to Charlotte, NC (MY HOMETOWN) and taught Naval JROTC for 17 years and retired again. 41 years in the Navy uniform, of which I have no regrets.
Russel Hartley: I remember going for Breakfast one morning & there were 2 sailors sitting in the mess deck with signs around their necks. They were from a ship tied up with us. (I don't remember it's name.) The signs spoke of their love & admiration for The Somers & that they promised never to try to stealing Harvey again. If I remember, They had it unbolted & were at the Quarterdeck when they were caught. If any can ad to this story, please do so. Hartley mm2
Leon Cakowski: I served on the Somers from May 1969 until July 1973 just before I was separated. A few of the memories I have: 1) Three West-Pac cruises 2) Restricted to the ship while in Bangkok for falling asleep on watch in after-steering 3) I was in Gun Plot the first time we were shot at - it sounded real close. I still have a picture someone took from on deck of the "hole in the water" from the shell hitting off the fantail 4) Being in the gun director during the time we returned fire - the time that earned us the Combat Action Ribbon 5) Snorkeling around Grande Island, Philippines with a LTJG and I believe Eddie Halligan when Eddie cut his hand on coral. Blood gushing out of his hand when we look up and see a school of about a hundred barracuda swim past us no more than fifty feet away. We got out in a hurry 6) Manilla Rum 7) A Bar B Q on deck off the coast of Nam with our special guests - the artillery spotters from shore. They donated a couple AK-47's to be put on display, one I believe ended up in the officers mess the other in the crews mess. 8) Two Equator crossings, still have a scar on my leg from falling trying to get away from the "pre game activities" - Does anyone else remember the Captain sending an Ensign to his room "to calm down" when he made a stink about how he shouldn't be picked on during his initiation from pollywog to shellback? I won't mention names 9) We were the first US Naval vessel to visit British Columbia in I forget how many years when we made port in mid 1969 (with a couple other ships ). 10) Skeet shooting off the fantail 11) Even though I wasn't a Plankowner, I was bonged off the ship when I was separating - I guess 4 years 3 months on board was close enough, I didnt miss the commissioning by all that much. There are many more memories but they can come later.
One afternoon, as I was up in my perch in the signalshack, Gab was out on the ASROC deck hitting golf balls off the port side into the ocean. All was going fine until one of the first classes came up to him and they had a small conversation. Being up in the shack, attached to the forward stack, I couldn't hear what was being said. But Gab kept shaking his head. Finally, he slowly hands the club to the first class and takes a few steps back. The first class grabs a ball, tees up, and swing......out into the ocean goes the ball.......and the club. I wish that I would have taken a picture, because from my view, Gab just stood there with his mouth open. The first class stood there with his jaw on the deck staring out to sea, waiting for Gab to send him after the club.
By the way, did I happen to mention the they were brand new clubs, matching set and very expensive?!
Mike Tull: It was about 28 may 72 when I was on the port wing of the signal bridge with Clifford Reutsch, when we saw approx. 200 rvns receiving incoming fire on the beach and they went right into the south china sea. A BMP (soviet built APC) flanked by two T54 tanks came out on the beach. Cmdr. Vollmer came out on the port wing of the bridge and was looking through his binoculars, but a ov10 "bronco" came flying in and didn't hesitate. He fired his white phosphorus rockets hitting the BMP and three F4 "phantoms" dove on them the first one getting a direct hit on the BMP. It was still burning 10 hours later. We were approximately 800 yards from all of this , thats within machine gun range not to mention range of the tanks 100mm gun and our five inch gun, and we never fired a shot at each other.
Charlie Fatum: Typhoon Olive: We were in Hong Kong and the SP's roamed the streets getting us back to the ship. The Typhoon was headed to Hong Kong and the ships had to get outta there. We left the harbor and ran smack dab into Olive and couldn't shake it for I believe 3 days. Course changes were in the hands of the waves as the ship had to hit them at a slight angle so as to slice through rather than hit straight on and have the waves stop our forward motion. Capt Cummings stayed on the Bridge in his chair the whole time in order to make slight course changes with the wave direction changes. We had horsecock sandwiches as no cooking with the ship pitching 45 degrees. I was helmsman and got to stare at the inclinometer. Word was that at 55 degrees, the stacks were designed to snap off to relieve some of the top heavy weight so the ship wouldn't keep going over. We didn't get much sleep. It was an exciting time. When we returned to Hong Kong, We learned that the Olive did not go there.
Russell Hartley: I never will forget the time we were refueling from the Coral Sea. We were heading home after a 7 Mo. West Pac cruise in 1963. It was after it had been announced " We are now leaving the Land of sliding doors & slant eyed whores & going to the Land of wide eyed whores & slamming doors."
I was at the after fueling station, fuel was being pumped. the band on the Carrier was playing, California Here I Come, everyone was relaxed & excited about going home. Suddenly we lost our steering & ran into the Coral Sea. I don't know if something happened to our steering engine or if whoever was at the helm got his port & starboard mixed up. I suspect the last, because it worked fine after it all happened. We hit the starboard side elevator on the Carrier right at the after refueling station.
People scattered like a flight of birds. The band disappeared from the edge of the flight deck. People on the elevator took off running . The after fueling station was on the 0 1 deck & when I saw the elevator coming at me I just knew as it was going to hit us up high & it would flip us over. I thought " I got to get to the fantail where this thing won't tip over on top of me. I did not use the ladder to get to the main deck, I dropped down to it.
When I dropped the last thing I saw on the 01 level was LTJG Andrilla spread eagle face down & the Coral Sea's elevator over the top of him. When I got to the fantail I was blowing on my life Jacket with a great effort. Oil was pouring every where . It was a mess. No one was hurt in any way but our feelings, because we had to go back to Youkuska for repairs. We come to Calif later. Only one guy I know of did good with this deal. Everyone had spent their money before we left Japan & we went back broke. This guy ran a slush fund. However I do know he was not at the Helm.
I was on the U.S.S. "Never Sail" between 1978 and 1980. Yeh, we flunked a few boiler inspections too before going on WestPac.
I enjoyed my time on the Somers. First, I would like to thank the C.O. who replaced CDR. Schillingsburg(can't remember his name) for dismissing charges of "disrespecting an officer" brought on me by Lt. CDR. Moses. I guess he thought he was the C.O. or something because I said,"good morning sir" without saluting him while swabbing the deck after morning colors and no hat on(we didn't need one). I hope after all these years he figured out what the UCMJ has to say about that!
Since the captain laughed that one out of mast, Moses didn't like me(I enjoyed the look on his face). He promised he would make my life miserable onboard, and believe me he did. I never did get a chance to go TAD to try out for UDT/SEALS, but I did manage to get into NAVY BAND at Pearl. I even managed to prove him wrong and get a Teaching Degree. See, X.O.'s don't know as much as they think they do.
(Editor's Note: The next C.O. was CDR. Siepel.)
I'll never forget when I first came aboard the Somers: 18 years old and fresh out of seaman apprentice training in Orlando. I had only been on board for two weeks and I had duty the second weekend, starting Saturday morning. I went to a local nightclub with a few other guys from deck division. Does the name "Lil Orphan Annie's" ring a bell, along Nimitz Highway, next to the Airport? You older Somers bros might remember it as "The Sandbar."
We had gotten there around 1800, just in time for their three hour happy hour. It was like 5 or 10 bucks for all you could drink. Anyway, we were partying it up until about 0100. My buddies and I were supposed to start duty that weekend. So, we wanted to get our money's worth. Me and about 2 or 3 other dudes were hittin' on this fine Hawaiian/Philipino chic. You know, the kind married or engaged to an officer on WestPac? With my buddies calling me by my nickname, "Balut," which they so affectionately bestowed upon me since my first day on the ship, I was surprised she chose me for her prey for the evening!
Anyway, what was supposed to be a quick and enchanted evening, turned out to be a weekend AWOL from the ship. The other guys warned me to go with them while I could, but me and two jar-heads from Kaneohe ended up leaving with this girl and her two friends. Now, I'm not gonna cheapen this webpage by getting into kinky details. If I wanted to do that, I would've at least sent it to Penthouse and took twenty dollars. Instead, I'll skip to what happened when I got back to the ship on Sunday morning, one day late for duty.
I get back to the ship and the same guys that were with me at "Orphan Annies" swamped me with all sorts of questions and asked if I realized I was AWOL. I said,"yeah" and proceeded to tell them this wild story of these kinky chics with handcuffs, whipped cream and Guava Jelly. Needless to say, no one believed me. They all thought I must have been rehearsing my story for my division officer(who was supposed to report me missing and eventually send me to Captain's Mast) and the 'Ole Man Himself.
Well, I got up the nerve to knock on my division officer's door. Believe me Lt. JG Andy Buschak was not a man you just walk up to and say, "hey dude." This guy was about 6'4", all-American fullback for the Academy, and ate half a roast in the Officer's Mess and still walked away hungry. When he told me "it had better be good," I managed to squeek out,"you ain't gonna believe it, sir." When I told him the same story I told the guys, he said, "what?!...you're right...even if I did believe you, if I told the Captain what you told me, he would laugh both of us off the ship and courts-martial. I tell you what- you're restricted to the ship for two weeks and don't you even tell that story to anyone! I'll tell the captain there was a mix up."
With a big "yessir, thank you sir," I took off and got into my uniform real quick and did'nt go anywhere near Buschak for about a month. The funny part about this story is that it was so wild and unbelievable, my division officer wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole because he valued his rank and reputation. I just want to say, twenty years later, thanks Mr. Buschak and yes, it's true and it wasn't a tall-tale to keep me out of trouble.
Alan Cantu: We had a young O.S. onboard, who was obviously not cut out for sea duty. The very first time he went out to sea.... *BWWAAAGHHH....* Here came lunch!
Before too very long, it was obvious that he was not long for the ship, as every at sea period it was the same thing. The poor kid just couldn't get his sea legs, and was eventually transferred from the ship.
In true Navy fashion, his division gave him a going away gift. The gift? A toilet seat!!!
Dan "AJ" Ward: I served on board as a BT from 73 - 75, through the WESTPAC & OVERHAUL . Arrived on board in Long beach two weeks befor we changed home ports, Just out of boot,reported to ship after my 30 days leave.
Durring my leave I got a new girlfriend, I mean REALLY IN LOVE , or so I thought. It's a 5 day crossing to HI. and I have to get off this ship! I had heard that if you're a sleep walker they give you shore duty, THATS IT!!! So I got up the 2nd nite out and " sleepwalked" all over that damn ship. NO ONE EVER SAW ME!! She married some guy befor the WESTPAC was over,. Thank God.
Kurt Heinen: I was working on an old "Bell and Howell" movie projector one evening in the "IC Shop" and Bill Walker relieved me for dinner. Approximately 20 minutes later I was on the messdeck and saw the Chief Corpsman and I think the XO running down to the IC Shop.
I went down to the shop to discover that Walker had been seriously electrocuted. Apparently he had been unconscious for a length of time and had stopped breathing. He was working on the projector that I had been working on. We were on operations off the coast of Hawaii at the time and a helicopter was sent to evacuate him to the hospital. He never returned. I don't know if he fully recovered or not.
(Editor's note: If anyone has any information on Bill, please pass it on. Thanks!)
Tom Alexander: During the 1970-71 Westpac cruise we had a navigation officer (JG) who was not too popular with the enlisted men. I forget his name. It's probably just as well. He was an Annapolis man. he seemed to act as if he were God's gift to the world. His wife met him at several ports of call and it was rumored that she was motivated out of because of jealously.
Near the end of our cruise we had a ships part at Little Grande Island in Subic Bay. We snorkeled, played softball, and had a bar-b-que. There were also some girls there to dance with and talk to. As far as I knew they wern't bar hogs. Just girls to dance with. This JG was dancing--just dancing-- with one of the girls. Being ship's photographer I thought that I'd get a picture. I wasn't thinking any nefarious thoughts. Just a sailor relaxing and having a good time. Period. When I pulled my Nikon up to shoot, he spun around to avoid being caught on film. Now, the hunt was on. The was now a predator and there was prey. I slipped a wide angle lens onto the camera body an walked accross the room. As a passed my victim I shot a picture from my hip.
This JG had never given my the time of day before. I was below him. Well he came over to my table and smiled and said "Say Alexander, that's a pretty nice camera you have. May I see it? I replied, "No Sir." He said "I'm not kidding, let me see your camera!" I replied, Sir, I respectfully refuse to hand my camera over to you. there is official Ship's business on that roll of film." We were deploying the very next day. He then told me "I want that negative as soon as it is developed!" to which my reply was "Aye-aye, Sir!"
We were out for quite a while. I ended up going to the Hancock by chopper for a few days to spend time in the darkroom there. it turned out that the negative never really turned out. When I was flown back to the Somers, the chopper dropped me off. Within minutes this JG confronted me wanting this special negative. I could honestly look him in the eye and smile ( a bit wickedly, I must admit) and declare, "sorry Sir, it didn't turn out." I may have imagined it but it did seen that he was kinder to me and my buddies after that. Less apt to hassle us for petty reasons.
Reading the story about Pabst not being able to take the Somers anywhere without hitting anything, reminded me of Cdr Vollmer's helmmanship. I referred to him as driving this boat like it was sports car. He wouldn't let tugs push us up to piers, bouys, and I believe didn't like having pilots on board either.
On time as we returned to Long Beach, we pulled up to one of the piers out on on Destroyer alley, and the yard tug came alongside to mooch (beg) some chow off the duty cooks. I happened to be in the galley at the time and stuck my head out the porthole in the scullery to hear what the BM on the tug wanted and remember the Capt standing out on the port bridge yelling, something to the effect that "that SOB didn't do anything to warrant free handouts from this crew!"
Dennis Griffin SK2
Perhaps one of the most memorable experiences that I can I recall was during the Westpac Cruise of 1961. The Somers visited Hobart, Tasmania and the Australian ports of Adelaide, Melbourne and Brisbane.
There were local citizens lined up for blocks waiting for the opportunity to take a tour of our ship. Needless to say, the greatest percentage of these visitors were the local Australian girls who were quit anxious to take members of the crew out for a night on the town.
I remember while on duty one evening and unable to leave the ship, a person on the quarterdeck announced over the PA "If there is anyone on still on board who is not on duty and would like to be escorted around town by two young ladies, please report to the quarterdeck."
Everyone truely enjoyed that visit downunder and wonderful hospitality of the Australian people. Bags of mail kept coming for weeks following that visit.
Herm Engelhardt, SN. 1960-1962
In June 1972, I remember it well. I was standing in the aft head taking a whiz, the hatch was open, and it was really hot on the gun line.
All of a sudden, I hear this explosion and about 15 feet off the side of the ship, the water flew about 30 feet in the air, then "G.Q., G.Q., all hands man your battle stations!!!"
Boy, I about pissed all over the place.
I was on board during the 72 Westpac cruise in the gun gang. One nite during a stop in Subic Bay some of the Boatswain's Mates snuck some beer aboard and were drinking it in the boatswain's locker. Somebody said to me, "Hey there's some beer up forward". Like a dummy, I went up and had one.
Well the next moring we were underway and somebody squealed to the old man. Before you know it, several others including myself were up in front of a captains mast held on the tarter launch pad. I ended up with 30 days extra duty, suspended to the ship for 30 days, and loss of Asroc roving watches (which were gravy watches) for 30 days. I was only a seaman, so they didn't bust me any lower. That was the most expensive beer I ever had during my 2 year stint in the USN.
During the Somers' 1972 deployment to the Gulf of Tonkin, we spent many a day something like 900 yards off the demilitarized zone doing Naval Gunfire Support. Working very long hours in the Combat Information Center, I didn't get to see much of the outside, but I will always remember how we knew the coastal batteries off Quang Tri were trying to hit us:
We'd hear the Signalmen running to find cover in the signal shack after they'd seen flashes of hostile fire on the shore. Moments later, the Boatswains Mate's voice would be heard on the 1MC: "Now General Quarters, General Quarters; all hands man their battle stations; this is not a drill; now General Quarters!"
There was a "mutiny" on our Somers in the shipyard. The engineers had a sit down strike (aka mutiny) because Pabst demanded incredibly long hours of them endlessly in pursuit of being the first ship in eons to meet the shipyard due date. As I recall, it made the Honolulu news as a modern day mutiny.
Besides the long hours, our barracks were too old and condemned to be improved. We had a hobby in the barracks, Knife throwing, (Really!) which worked fine until one went through the wall into the 'head'. Luckily, no casualties.
What follows is clearly one of my most memorable experiences on the Somers. I will never forget the incident described below, it is one of my great sea stories revolving around the Somers.
One morning in 1978 the electrician mates from "E" division were grouped together for our morning muster (Quarters) on the fantail. It was early on a clear warm morning and the seas were calm. Our position was a few days off Hawaii and the Somers was smoothly making way at 10 knots or so.
The Chief and the First class were facing us with their backs about an inch or two from the rail on the starboard side. As our Chief was droning through the plan of the day he occasionally looked up at his bunch of bleary electrician mates. The group was facing the chief and over his shoulders the ocean on the starboard side.
As we stood there in silence listening to the Chief, a porpoise suddenly jumped up out of the water and popped into view directly behind the Chief and the First class electrician! The porpoise was so close the Chief could have touched him had he simply turned around. As the porpoise flew past the Chief, the porpoise's head turned and he was looking straight at us over the Chief's shoulder at the peak of his arc. Well we all exploded from our bleary dispositions in an instant, yelling and pointing (straight at the Chief) and generally roaring with surprise. This all came as a huge surprise to the Chief and the First Class. They both leaped back in horror with wide eyes and slammed into the lifeline. They hit the lifeline with such force that they both lost their balance and started to fall backwards over the line. The whole bunch of us rushed at the two of them (which really completed the terror) as their feet left the deck and pulled them off the line and back on board. Neither man saw the porpoise initially, just the bunch of us reacting to the porpoise. Needless to say it took several minutes for the Chief and the First class to start breathing again. We were all laughing so hard I thought my sides would burst and the shocked look on the Chiefs face didn't help.
The porpoise continued jumping several more times along side the ship but nowhere near as close as that first pass he made directly behind the Chiefs head. Other porpoises soon joined the rebel porpoise and the school of them swam with the ship for a few minutes before heading off to start trouble elsewhere.
The following morning the Chief and the First class walked out to a new position to conduct the morning muster and stood in the center of the fantail. As we all stood there grinning, we occasionally looked over our shoulders hoping the porpoise would somehow appear again.
Philip Rakowski (EM3)
In charge of that fireroom that morning was BT1 William Carter. He recognized what had happened and promptly overrode the automatic controls that wanted to increase the firing rate in the boilers in order to respond to what they sensed was a demand for more power. Bringing things quickly under control, Carter insured that damage was minimized, and -- more importantly -- saw to it that no-one was injured.
It was one of several memorable moments during my brief command of SOMERS. I was glad to find Carter's name among those in the shipmateslist.
Tyrone G. MartinCDR, USN (Ret)
Well on one night, somehow the reels got put in 1,3,2. We had an unusually large turn-out this particular night because the movie was a John Wayne "classic", RIO LOBO. I showed the first reel. When it ended, I put on what I thought was reel 2 and was actually the last reel. Amazingly the movie seemed to make sense and NO ONE NOTICED ! The total length of the movie was about 55 minutes.
After the movie ended, I looked in the box to find reel 2. Someone turned on the lights, everybody got up and left, and I didn't say a damn thing. (Till now !)
One time we were steaming along about 20 knots off the coast of Hawaii and the Captain was going to hold a mast on the asroc deck. I was on the fantail talking to the XO and all of a sudden his jaw just dropped open. I spun around just in time to witness a guy, awaiting mast, dressed in dress whites doing a perfect swan dive off the asroc deck into the ocean. The XO said something like "Holy Shit" and ran up to the asroc deck. Even in calm seas it was difficult getting that dumb SOB back on board. The Captain wanted to kill him and he was kept locked in sick bay till we got back in port. Never saw him again after that.
One other thing, when we ran aground at Ford Island in Hawaii, I went to the enlisted man's club that night and " Somers on the rocks " was the big hit that night.
I recall the hazing ( greasing ) of many a boot. The best was when we caught the sea bat. I don't recall the count. I do remember there were a few officers which got their first glance and not to happy about it.
I always felt strongly about the Somers. Her keel was laid January 4,1959. The same day and year I was born. The last ship I served on was DDG 43 out of Norfolk. Odd how my Navy expierence started with DDG 34 and ended with DDG 43. I still say If I could live it all over again I would without hesitation. You are doing an awesome job with this site. Keep it up. Someday maybe we all could get together and reminis. BT1 Kegley
If you were below deck, and you smelled that smell, you knew that you were at the mouth of the harbor and were either A: At sea, or B: Just about home.
We did lots of plane guarding, North SAR, and of course - the gun line. We even took some counter-battery (the bad guys shot artilery back at us for you non-military types) on a couple of ocasions.
The first time, we just hauled-a** off the gun line. They discovered that since we didn't fire back, we didn't qualify for the Combat Action Medal. So the second time we had incoming, the gun division officer happened to have the watch in the gun director. He said he saw some "puffs of smoke" on the shore, took manual control of the 5" 54 mount and fired back. We got the Combat Action Medal. Great web page! Keep up the good work. Patrick Bartkus - FTMSN
I was on sound&security watch at the time When I came on the fantail, there was some guys drinking and hanging out like we were on the love boat. The thing that still gives me chills is one of the guys was hanging over the sides with his feet dangling in the surf, one slip from a watery death. That was all for me. I did like a good sailor. I took me a shot of rum and split.
The next day when the locker was found open and those idiots came to muster pissy drunk, well...Johnnie Cochran couldn't save their asses.
Not too long after the "Cheech and Chong" incident, the ship got the movie "Private Benjamin." We were watching it one afternoon, and the film came to a scene where Goldie Hawn and her army buddies are out in the woods, passing a joint around the campfire.
As the joint in the movie made it's rounds, someone up in front yelled... "THE XO DIDN'T GET THIS ONE!" Everyone just *roared* with laughter.
Somers was one of the few ships in Pearl during that time to consistently be able to take part in exercises around the islands. She went into the shipyard in '75, for a major overhaul, and my last time out was attempting to pickup ammo & do a shake down. Unfortunately, she ran aground in Pearl while waiting for the barge. She was towed back to the shipyard and had divers blow off one of her damaged props. Shortly after that, I was transfered to Subic, and got out of the Navy in February '77.
The running aground was kind of my Somers send off & fitting in so many ways. I was on forward watch at the time and I recall all the other watches telling the bridge we were inside the channel buoys and being ignored. So we hit bottom, tipped about 15 degrees, and sat there stuck for about an hour while people on shore sat, watched, laughed & took pictures...
I remember the previous captain - PABST - having two nicknames...Bligh for his general attitude & treatment of the crew (but it kept us all with a common feeling) & Captain Crunch for his inability to take the ship to port without shearing off anything that stuck out from the ship we were docking next to...always wondered what he ended up doing. Lots of stories relating to him I won't often mention.
One thing I have always wanted to get ahold of is a Somers ball cap...I always regretted leaving without one.
The photos on the Somers site appear to be of my westpac cruise...as I said, I joined it in Hong Kong...lovely spot. Singapore was the best though. Karachi was the absolute opposite...the hole of the world...
It started with the approach of a patrol ship about the size of a small D.E. (Frigate.) It's approach was head on and at first I thought it was playing chicken with us. It passed close to starboard and turned to follow us but the Skipper had a different idea and called for more speed . As I recall we were cruising with one boiler on line which is not ideal if you want speed. However, we had enough steam to move away from this unwelcome visitor.
About an hour or so later, it became visually apparent why we had the visit from the patrol boat .The horizon looked like a scene from Victory at sea. Only this was the real thing, and I knew those weren't our ships.
Seems we were in the Russians back yard and they were playing their war games when we happened upon them.
While talking to Capt. Cummings lately he mentioned how humorous it was approaching a surfaced sub of theirs that thought we were one of them. The crew members that were on deck were waving to us and we waved back. Then when we were a side of them they finally woke up. Bells ,horns and whistles filled the air as the crew headed for the hatches and the sub started to crash dive. There must have been some explaining to do for those on watch that day.
I was told shortly after that we were being shadowed by their subs on three points. About a half hour later a PT Boat showed up just skimming the top of the waves. It kept circling us untill it got enough pictures of the crew giving them the "high sign" We weren't very good ambassadors that day.
Once the PT. moved away everything turned back to normal. That North Atlantic cruise was the best. The crew of the Somers was treated like royalty every where we went. More on that later.
Two creative Somersmen from WM Division were reputed to have run up these "colors" one night after a BS session in the 48 radar room. Man, was it dark that night at the foot of the mast…so I'm told at any rate....