USS LOCKRIDGE (DD-5314) Action Report RE: 15JUL2205

DATE: 17JUL2205
FROM: COMMANDING OFFICER, USS LOCKRIDGE
TO: COMNAVFOR SIX
SUBJ: Action Report RE: 15JUL2005

• As per request in your letter of 16 July the following is an account of the operations of USS LOCKRIDGE (FF-3517) on the 15th of July of this year.


• Per orders USS LOCKRIDGE was conducting a routine patrol in accordance with COMNAVINST 2205.321 when at 1600 Hours we received word that several unidentified warships were closing on SS FRIEDA DOWNS, a US Flagged vessel. I issued instructions to Comms to request more information to FRIEDA DOWNS and to send a message to fleet headquarters, advising them of the situation.


• FRIEDA DOWNS reported that two ships were closing on them from astern and had ordered FREIDA DOWNS to heave to and prepare to be boarded for inspection. The radio operator aboard FREDIA DOWNS also transmitted her location and commented that she thought the person issuing the order sounded French and she asked of instructions. I had this information relayed to Fleet. While waiting for the reply FREIDA DOWNS decided to continue on course. She then declared that a shot had been fired across her bow. Her Captain declared and emergency stating that her hull had been breached by additional shots.


• I ordered the navigator to plot a course to intercept. As soon as the plot was in I ordered the OOD to head to the position at flank speed. I notified my intentions to Fleet. I received conformation of my orders and was reminded that the rules of engagement as per COMNAVINST 2202.1912 were in effect. I acknowledged receipt of instructions. Comms attempted to raise FREIDA DOWNS to inform them of our arrival but were successful.


• We received word that COMCUR Three was sending USS Boston (CG 320 and USS Payton (DD 4159) to rendezvous with us at the coordinates provided by FREIDA DOWNS


• After 6 hours at flank speed we arrived near the location indicated in the previous transmissions however, FREIDA DOWNS was not to be seen. Radar picked up a contact off the starboard bow. I ordered General Quarters and depressurization of the ship. Once that was accomplished and all crew donned combat uniforms and breathing apparatus I ordered a turn in the direction of FRIEDA DOWNS. After moving in closer it was discovered that it was debris, presumably from FRIEDA DOWNS. We found a life boat, unmanned and damaged.


• Operations indicated they picked up an engine signature along the bearing we were heading. I requested further instructions from fleet as we started search and rescue efforts. Both our launches set about a search grid of the area. After two hours on patrol Mosquito 2 reported a contact. Before we could ascertain what type, Mosquito 2 was destroyed. Secondary explosions, most likely her two missiles, were reported. None of the crew of 4 survived. Combat reported a contact on the same bearing heading in at high speed. I ordered PDS weapons free. I realize this technically violated COMNAVINST 2002.1912 as we had not been directly fired upon, however I considered the attack on one of our launches as an attack on my command its self. I take full responsibility for the destruction of the fighter.


• As can been seen on the accompanying photo (see attachment 1) the attacking fighter was a Dassault Gazelle strike fighter in French Navy markings. The fighter launched two flight to ship missiles at us. The PDMS destroyed one and another of our missiles destroyed the fighter.


• The Gazelle’s second missile struck USS LOCKRIDGE amidships, starboard side. The impact knocked the LRR-24c long range radar off line and destroyed our SRR-15 array. No hull breach was reported.


• At 2002 hours Combat reported two new contacts to the starboard quarter, via Mosquito 1’s onboard radar. At this time Mosquito 1 reported that they had discovered a life boat belonging to FREIDA DOWNS. We finished repairs and turned to face the new contacts as recovery operations were conducted. 7 souls were rescued.


• Combat identified the two contacts as a French Light Carrier of the Majesté Class and a light cruiser of the Cannes Class. I ordered recovery of Mosquito one. I sent Fleet HQ the information on the contacts. The reply, as our deck log shows, was that Fleet had received word directly from the pentagon that France had declared war on the United States of America. We were ordered to shadow the Carrier and wait for USS Boston to arrive.


• The Cannes Class Cruiser turned and laid in a course for us. Once detected I felt it was best to engage the carrier rather then let it go. I ordered flank speed on an intercept course for the carrier. I ordered the XO to get firing solutions for the torpedoes and missile batteries for the cruiser as soon as we got in range.


• We closed to maximum range for the missiles. We held fire until the cruiser opened with her main guns. I ordered the Weapons Officer to fire a full spread of torpedoes ahead and to the starboard track of the cruiser, whose initial rounds missed. We closed half the distance and I ordered the missile batteries to open fire with two missiles each The Cruiser fired another broadside; I executed hard turn to starboard. The cruiser began to evade our missiles by turning to her starboard track where she ran into four of our torpedoes.


• With the French light cruiser out of action I ordered our two guns to open up as we passed her. She fired he main guns on last time. One of the 6 rounds hit us, destroying the aft missile mount. At this time it appears the cruiser suffered internal explosions and she apparently lost electrical power.


• We changed course back to intercept the carrier. Change reported that there were fires in three compartments from the missile hits we had taken. Weapons reported the aft battery was out of operation until we could get to a yard.


• We received warning that the Carrier had launched four fighters. I ordered weapon free. We launched eight air to air missiles and powered up the CIWS.


• Two of our missiles hit their marks and destroyed two of the fighters. The remaining two launched their missiles at us. I ordered evasive action and fired chaff. One missile went after the chaff, the other three locked on to USS LOCKRIDGE. Radar reported that the carrier had launched six more craft.


• CIWS opened up at 2140 destroying one of the three vampires. One missed us cleanly the other struck amidships. Power was lost through out the ship. CHANG reported that the main engines were on line, however the electrical generator was damaged. Six compartments were partially breached. DC teams were deployed. Lookouts reported that there were six fighters inbound. Emergency power was activated and the forward missile battery opened fire. I ordered WEPS to fire all Ship to flight Missiles at the inbounds. We were still not in range of the Carrier. Her captain stayed jut beyond our range.


• At 2154 power was restored through out the ship. I ordered Radar on line ASAP, I turned to run parallel to the carrier. three of the inbound fighters were destroyed. Of those two managed to launch one missile each, one being a wild shot that missed. The other was destroyed by CIWS The remaining two fighters launched one missile each. I fired a decoy and turned hard to starboard to face the missile and present a narrower target. One missile went for the decoy and the other was destroyed close the ship.


• At 2156 the missile that went after the chaff reacquired USS LOCKRIDGE. It struck on the port quarter, destroying the main machinery room, venting it and three fuel tanks.


• It was at this point that the starboard lookout reported multiple explosions in and on the carrier. The two fighters strafed the bridge, killing the helmsman, the Petty Officer of the Watch and the XO. CIWS destroyed one of the Gazelles. Radar lost contact with the other one.


• Mosquito one reported two successful hits with her missiles, on in the hanger bay and reported that the carrier was ablaze from stem to stern.


• at 2230 CHANG reported all fires were out excepts for the fire in MMR control room.


• 0127 CHENG reported all fires out and patching of the hull started. USS BOSTON arrived on scene.


• 0258 Tow lines and power lines from USS BOSTON rigged.


• Damage Report


• Main Machinery Room/Main engines destroyed


• Aft Mk 232 Launcher Destroyed


• LLR-24c damaged


• SSR-15 Array damaged


• Sick Bay Destroyed


• Four Fuel tanks vented, loss of all fuel in said tanks


• Casualties:


• 23 Dead


• 44 wounded (18 released back to duty)


• Enemy losses


• One Majesté Class Light Carrier Destroyed


• One Cannes Class Light Cruiser Rendered inoperable


• Seven Gazelle Strike Fighters destroyed

1. I accept full responsibility for the damage to USS LOCKRIDGE and the loss of 23 lives.

Respectfully

Fredrick J. G. Holmes
CDR, USN

March 1987

March 1987

It was hot, not in the sense that it was uncomfortable, but hot and muggy in the sense that you know it’s only going to make your two month old case of athlete’s foot just another days worse.  Sweat was flowing form every pour and the blue long sleeve flight deck jersey was already off and tied around my waist.  My float coat was rubbing my skin raw, but it had to be on at night.  It was just after three in the morning and I was chewing on my whistle.  I was bored, tired and ready to start the FD SCRUBEX or as it would be explained to a friend months later, the nightly flight deck scrubbing exercise.  The SCRUBEX was the reason I had the foot fungus so bad that my feet bled daily.  

We were in the Gulf of Oman going on 80 days and I was on night check.  We came up an hour before the last recovery of the day’s flight schedule and helped day check put in the nightly maintenance spot.  After that we moved the birds around the flight deck as needed.   Every other day we would start the SCRUBEX, the days we didn’t scrub we would re-painted the VLA. Visual Landing Aids are the White, Yellow and Red lines painted all over the deck to let pilots and the deck crews know what was safe and what wasn’t.  After eighteen hours of flight ops a day too much rubber from the tiers, too much hydraulic fluid, and a few cups of coffee being spilled all took its toll on the VLAs and made the deck slippery so each night we painted or cleaned.  

As I said it was hot.  We were moving an F-14, 211 on the starboard finger for a low power turn.  This required tripling the number of tie down chains and a monster low power turn chain.  There were only a few spots that could hold the low power tie down so you had to get the plane in just the right spot.  I was getting annoyed because we had been jerking this tomcat off for ten minutes, back and forth, back and forth.  ABH3 Edwards just couldn’t get it on spot.  As soon as we got this in we would start the four hour scrubbing then we could start on the morning spot for the first launch of the day.

I chewed on the end of the whistle as I did when I was frustrated and couldn’t smoke.  I was on the port main mount carrying the old style aluminum chalk waiting for the signal to throw it and grab my two chains.  McFadden was on the Starboard side, he and I had an ongoing contest as to who could properly tie his half of the bird down fastest.  Blue shirts, plane handlers had to chalk the bird and put six chains on the bird; to on each main wheel and two on the nose.  The brown shirts, the plane captains would put on any other ones needed.  McFadden and I were the fastest on the deck , day or night check and we always raced each other to be the fastest, the key to winning was properly tie it down.  It was one of the little things that made the mind numbing nights tolerable.  I had arranged my three chains on the back of the tractor already, all I had to do was grab em and go, where as Terry would have to untangle his first. The bird shifted forward, again and I chomped on eh whistle then I smelled something burning.  We were over the galley (five decks below) and sometimes the smell of burning food would waft up from the vents.  There goes any home of a decent breakfast.

I look forward at Edwards when this wave of smoke billowed down the flight deck from the island aft to where we were.  At that instant, over the 5MC the bell started ringing widly “Fire, Fire, Fire. Fire on the Flight Deck,  Elevator Two, Away the Flying Squad” followed by the bells and a repeat of the announcement.  When the location was was given Edwards blew his whistle and rand forward, followed by Gates, the tractor driver.  I threw my chalk and grabbed my chains.  I don’t remember who was first to tie her down, but McFadden and I were headed forward when I stopped to let the plane captain out of 211.  

Chaos.  Impromptu hose teams formed to fight the fire, just like we practiced every couple of days, the Airwing and the ships company forming up to battle the blaze I saw. The fire reached up into the night sky. It was at least as tall as the bridge. The ordanence crews were rapidly moving the missiles and iron bombs aft, away from the bomb farm into the deck proper.  The Red shirts were setting land speed records for bomb skids that night.  The rest of my division and some of the Airwing guys were putting A-triple-F (Aqueous Foam Forming Film) onto the flames.  I looked forward seeing where I could help when I noticed that there were two A-6e Intruders tied two El-2.  The fire was just aft of elevator number 2.  Not good.  I hopped on a tractor and pulled it up to the 503.  The flames were licking the tail of the plane.  I was not an aircraft  director, I wasn’t even a tractor driver but I had seen “Trial by Fire” and knew that flames and loaded aircraft were not considered to be a good things to mix.  I saw a VA-165 Brownshirt and grabbed him, “Get in the cockpit” I told him. I a guy I knew from the Viking squadron. “You got a tractor license?” I asked.
“Um, for a land tractor”
“Get on it.” At that point I grabbed the nearest person I saw standing a round. “Hey Ensign, pull chalks and chains on that wheel” I looked around and found two more guys. We pulled the A-6 across the deck into the landing area where we tied it down.  We then went back and got the second one out of the way, me directing a very nervous mechanic driving tractor, one officer and two fuels guys walking wings.  

As we were tying it down I noticed that two more hose teams formed up. One was using the 12 foot applicator to form a water curtain around the other hose while they went into the catwalk to fight the fire.  ABHC John Immoreimportantthanyou came running up to me. “Who the hell moved these birds?” he demanded of me.
“I did Chief, the fla…”
“You puss-nutted, poop-for-brains stupid arse airman apprentice!  Do you know how much fracking trouble you just bought yourself?  You moved an air plane on your own?  Who told you? Your not qualified, you can’t do this, I’m writing you up, your going to see the old man!” He kept going for what seemed to me to be about three days, but was really about 10 minutes.  The Young officer walked up and tried to set the record straight but the Chief turned on him. “This don’t concern you, Sir” he told him.  I stood there, hearing the 5MC announce that the fire was out.  I noticed we were making circles keeping the smoke blowing off to the starboard side so it wouldn’t hamper the fire crews.  “Chief…” began the butter bar, but ABHC cut him off again.  “You get your supervisor and we will explaine to you that this is MY flight deck and I will run it MY way” The ensign looked at him a moment then at me.  He looked ABHC in the eyes. “O.K. Chief.” He disappeared down into the port catwalk. Chief continued to yell at me, and I was beginning to think that I did something wrong.  
     You see we drilled, and each person had a job to do. Being a lowly E-2 Airman Apprentice and not even a shellback yet, I was to be a runner. I was to stand in a line near the scene leader and run messages.  Other were to grab the stokes baskets and act as stretcher bearers. Some were to line up and relieve the hose team members, moving up one spot until they were the nozzle man then they would be relieved so no one would get fatigued. I did act out of turn, I didn’t follow the plan.
     
While ABHC was taking me to task, his protégé, ABH1 Hoover, came up and assumed his “Yes, Chief” operations.  The suction was so strong I reached out for the tie down I’d put on the nose wheel to steady myself.  Now I had two of them going off on me, threatening me with not just Captain’s Mast, but with a court martial.  I’d only been in the Navy 7 months and I was looking down the barrel of a court marshal. Man this sucked.  The chief stopped shouting at me and popped tall, I followed suite, I didn’t know who was there but when a chief comes to attention its not the worst of ideas to follow suite.  See I did learn a thing or two in those seven months.  
     “Chief?”
     “Yes Sir?”
     “Are you congratulating this young sailor for moving two aircraft across the deck and preventing them from catching fire, while your aircraft directors were playing fireman?”
     “No, sir. I was telling him why moving them was wro…”
     “I’m sorry Chief, perhaps you did not hear my question. Are you congratulating this young sailor for moving two aircraft across the deck and preventing them from catching fire, while your aircraft directors were playing fireman?”  ABHC got a subtle nudge from ABH1.
     “Wha… Oh.  Oh.  Yes sir I was.”
     “Good this fire could have been much worse if those two Intruders have burned up.  I’m glad you are training your men to take the initiative in drastic situations.  Carry on.”  With that the man whose name I didn’t know walked away.
“Go help night check clean up” ABHC barked at me.  I was only too happy to escape the curtain of khaki that had surrounded me.  I went over to the scene leader who he had me drain and roll up some of the hoses.  A little while later my Fly PO cam over and asked me why I was having a conference with the Chief and COMCRUDESGRU Two.  I said I didn’t know.  Inside I was thanking my lucky stars that for whatever reason that particular ensign was on the flight deck when he was.