The 378' High Endurance Cutter

[EX-CG-GM]

Stan,

Not being a GM, I did get the "opportunity" of sitting in the fusesetter position in the 5" on Sherman so I spent more time watching the mount action vs. doing anything. In a purely 'rounds down range' mood, I like the 76mm rate of fire vs. the 5". Oh, and even though it's fiberglass, the fact that I'm not sitting IN it, works for me too.

 

Best regards,

Larry               

larry.

The 76 certainly has a much higher rate of fire.  I'm just an old fart that liked the teamwork and additional weight and range of the 5".

[Cupamud]

Teamwork? Ya wanna see teamwork, just watch the RDs gathering in the berthing areas prior to the liberty pipe!

Or lifting their head off the scope when they hear the lookout report a contact first. 

 

[CGRDCS]

Or the RM's hiding out in Crypto, or the QM's with emergency chart corrections, when  there was outside maintenance or a washdown to be done.

You know, I don't ever recall, seeing a Yn or Yn striker, ever painting , or a SK actually handling stores.

Biggest ***** session, I ever got, was aboard RUSH.  Ops division had maintenance assignment for the Port side 01 and 02 decks, from aircastle to forward edge of flight.  Dockside availability, the O's decide that the entire area needs to be taken down to bare metal and redone, including the deck.

Trying to get help from the other departments was like pulling teeth, other than the QM's

So, when the job is done, I go to the XO, have my guys taken off watches, get money form Morale fund, and the QMC, and I take our  crews who did the majority of the job, to dinner at Bennihanna's in San Francisco.  To say that the other Chief's were pissed, is an understatement.  But we did it.   

Three months later, we went to REFTRA and aced, all the QM and CIC drills.

Hawk

[Cupamud]

Hey Hawk,

I knew I could get an RD with that--j/k 

STs had that area you speak of when I was on Sherman '80-'82. I loved cranking up the grinder after a particularly boozy weekend, and counting the seconds until someone poked out the forward QAWTD to yell at me to knock off the work. 

Ah, nothing like using red lead and green death too--before environmental concerns and MSDS. 

    


Larry         

[CGRDCS]

Cup,

Now that you mention it, I do seem to remember all  that maintenance that had to be done, down in lower sound.

Hawk   

[Cupamud]

Maintenance??

 

Oh, yes, maintenance! Yep, that's what we did down there. 


 

[CGRDCS]

Larry,

What ever happened to Joe Maguire?


Hawk

[sparky]

My first actual work assignment on board ship after getting out of EM A school was to swab out the EM shop...woo hoo

[LTGunner]

Home Ports: Alameda, California


(Photo: LTGunner Collection)

I reported to Pre-FRAM USCGC MIDGETT in 1982, four 378 WHECs were home ported at the "Reefer Dock" in Alameda, CA. 


(Photo: BoatingSF)

The Post-FRAM 378 WHECs were moved to Coast Guard Island (formerly known as Government Island) where I was stationed aboard the cutter BOUTWELL. 

[EX-CG-GM]

The pre-FRAM ships were better looking!   

[1110]

Perhaps GMCM Wells can comment about the decision made at CGHQ in the '80s (by an FT WEPS/Gunner CWO...sorry Tim, I know it wasn't you and well before your time) who choose the MK-75/76mm GWS over the 5".

Too bad, not just because it reduced the capability of WHECs as a Naval Gunfire Support (NGFS) platform, but the pre-FRAM WHECs had better lines IMO.

Of course 25 yrs later with the FFG-7 OHP class going away, it's getting harder and harder for the CG to get 76mm BLM&P rounds. The 5" still remains in the Navy inventory though. I hope we do not have the same ammo availability issue with the 57mm 20 years from now.

[LTGunner]

Perhaps GMCM Wells can comment about the decision made at CGHQ in the '80s (by an FT WEPS/Gunner CWO...sorry Tim, I know it wasn't you and well before your time) who choose the MK-75/76mm GWS over the 5".

Too bad, not just because it reduced the capability of WHECs as a Naval Gunfire Support (NGFS) platform, but the pre-FRAM WHECs had better lines IMO.

Of course 25 yrs later with the FFG-7 OHP class going away, it's getting harder and harder for the CG to get 76mm BLM&P rounds. The 5" still remains in the Navy inventory though. I hope we do not have the same ammo availability issue with the 57mm 20 years from now.

I suspect the decision to go with the 76mm / Mk 92 GFCS was a NAVGARD Board issue.  At the time, the FFG 7 Class was being procured and common systems were considered IAW OPNAVINST 4000.79A POLICY FOR U.S. NAVY SUPPORT OF THE U.S. COAST GUARD , the USN would provide the weapon systems as Navy Type / Navy Owned or NT/NO for both the 270 WMECs & FRAM 378s:

Excerpt from the OPNAV INST: "On 25 November 1980, joint instruction OPNAVINST 5420.91/COMDTINST 5420.23 (NOTAL) established a Navy and Coast Guard Board (NAVGARD Board) consisting of senior officers from both services. Among its functions is the responsibility to consider and make recommendations to the Chief of Naval Operations and the Commandant of the Coast Guard on naval warfare doctrine, objectives, capabilities, and related requirements to support the national strategy. Day-to-day inter-service logistic support derives directly from policy decisions of the NAVGARD Board. "

Additionally, the requirements to support the USN / USCG are agreed upon under the terms of the combined Navy-Coast Guard National Fleet Policy statement signed by both the CNO & Commandant of the Coast Guard. 

[CGRDCS]

Ah,  The REEFER Docks.  The Posey Tube, the girls at Jack London Square.  The small boats in the Estuary.  The CG promising that ONE day, we'll moor at GI.

When RUSH was first assigned to San Francisco, we bounced from the reefer dock, to NAS, to Nav Sta Treasure Island.   We, never knew, where we would dock for the first 8 months, in 1969-70.  It was not un til just after the first Ocean Station November, that we settled at the Reefer Docks.

Hawk

[Cupamud]

Hawk,

Joe MacGuire...the name is ringing a bell, but I can't place a face to it, and I feel bad, since we were such a small group. Hell, I see names now from the sonar field, and I don't recall if I was student or instructor half the time. 

My apologies in advance, Joe, if you're out there shaking your head at a dain-bramaged fool that I am.


Oh, and the refeer docks. Remember the Cuttermans Club they finally put in the parking lot? Saved a long walk down to Crowls when you just wanted a beer and a big screen TV. 

I still gotta find my Heinhold's First and Last Chance postcard. I loved that place 

[LTGunner]

Dallas Being Built



Louisiana - In this historical photograph taken Oct. 1, 1966, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Dallas can be seen being built in the Avondale Shipyards in Louisiana.

(U.S. Coast Guard photograph)