| A warship is sometimes considered tactically to be a floating gun
platform, all other ship's functions being means to the end of having the guns ready to
fire when and where they are needed. If this is true, then the men of the Gunnery
Department must be the most important men on the ship. There are probably those among us
who would be inclined to dispute this statement, but no one can deny that these men do
their share in keeping the HOPEWELL ready for any emergency. The gunner's mates have as
their responsibility keeping the 5" and 3" guns ready to fire. At GQ, these men
are usually the mount captains, the men in charge of handling rooms, and in other
responsible positions. In addition to knowing their guns, the GM must also be adept with
chipping hammer and paint brush to keep the mounts clean and painted. The boatswain's
mates' specialty is deck and marlinspike seamanship. He works with boats, lines, ground
tackle, and uses many skills common to the seaman of the old sailing ships. In addition he
fights the never-ending battle to keep the remainder of the topside areas clean and
painted, and the frequent presence of red lead and roped-off areas attribute to the
diligence with which he attacks this problem. Aboard ship one can never escape the
influence of the boatswain mate, for from reveille to taps his pipe, the symbol of his
rate, can be heard over the 1MC. The fire control technicians have charge of the upkeep
and operation of all fire control gear. From their "office" down in main battery
plot these men make certain that whenever the guns are called on the fire that they will
be able to report "solution," and know that the guns are on target. The
torpedomen and sonarmen work together as a team in the ship's ASW warfare program, the
sonarmen locating the submerged submarine and the torpedomen attacking it with depth
charges. In addition the torpedomen maintain our torpedo battery in a state of readiness.
As a final duty, entering or leaving port always finds the Gunnery Department on deck,
standing by mooring lines, anchor, and gig, ready for whatever is needed of them. |
