During a Med deployment in the 1970's

[locksly]

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http://navysite.de/cruisers.htm#cgn35

During a Med deployment in the 1970's -- the usual visits to the usual ports -- dullsville for an experienced crew. Shortly after the anchor was hoisted from yet another unnamed anchorage, the skipper came over the 1MC to tell us about a"special assignment."

Because of our ability to operate in a stealthy mode, we had been selected to try a bold venture, we were to slip into the Black Sea and join up with a Russian task force "undetected."

We played hide and seek games throughout the day and into the darkness of the night. A little past midnight the Russian task force was found. I don't know if it was by luck or if it was planned, but the Russians were in a long line taking on fuel from a support ship by the over the stern method. One could only guess that the bridges and the CICs of the Russkie ships were busy keeping station and either did not notice or chose to ignore one additional ship among the others. This bold venture was about to become a little more bold.

The skipper had us fall into last place in the line of ships to be fueled. We were in the darkened ship mode and slowly made our way up to the support ship. As the last Russkie ship pulled away, we made our approach.

A Russian speaking crewman was on hand to handle the radio traffic. As expected, the support ship asked how much fuel we would need. "Just a token amount," was our reply. We continued making our approach, the yards between us and the support ship closing every second. I don't know about anyone else, but my heart was pounding and the ol' adrenaline was pumping.

When we were even with the support ship, the radio hailed us again - "What ship are you?"

"United States Battle Cruiser Biddle," we replied in perfect Russian.

The radio went silent -- then all **** broke loose. Gongs, whistles, lights all seemed to go off at once on board the Russkie ships, as they scattered in every direction away from us.

We the changed course and came alongside the support ship. Our skipper and the Russian skipper exchanged pleasantries as we slowly slipped away into the darkness - unmolested, unfueled and pleased with ourselves.

Despite our victory over the Soviet Navy, it was not until we steamed past Izmir, Turkey and headed for the open sea that I felt a little more comfy, and ready for an old familiar port - I'd had enough excitement for one week.

HTCS Richard Outland (1976 - 1981)
quote:
http://navysite.de/cg/cg34.htm

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http://www.ussbiddle.org/history/sov_refueling.html
The Biddle vs. the Albany Task Force
by Thomas Galyen (FTM2, 67-70)

The story of the USS Biddle's adventure with the Russian Black Sea fleet brought to my mind a similar adventure under Captain Olsen off the coast of Puerto Rico.

I was an FT2 in 2nd Div when this happened. We were operating by ourselves (of course) in the Caribbean, and if I remember correctly, had just completed a successful missile shoot. A task force had come down from Norfolk consisting of the cruiser Albany, the tanker Neoshoc, and about 5 or 7 FRAMMed destroyers, none of which had any missiles. The Admiral on the Albany (name unknown, maybe Capt. Olsen could help here) decided to have a little unscheduled war game. The Biddle was to act as a surface raider and attack the task force. Our primary target was the tanker, then as many of the other ships as possible

I should say here that the main reason for the Admiral's test was, perhaps, the fact that Biddle had been fitted temporarily with a Pathfinder surface radar to test. This radar was used almost exclusively by civilian ships and small Navy ships such as tugs, etc. No warships had one, except us.

We cruised off the coast of Puerto Rico with the island behind us so our silhouette would not be seen and went into a form of EMCOM with the exception of our Pathfinder. The bridge and CIC people took the info from the Pathfinder and entered it manually into the ships computer, updating once or twice with a one scan sweep with the 10 DOG radar, our normal surface search radar. The missile computers got this info from the ships computer and trained the 55B, missile radars to the proper co-ordinates. Soon we had all their positions closely plotted. When challenged by one of the screening destroyers which could see us on radar but not visually because of the island behind us, we answered with the ID of a local coastal freighter that was at that time in San Juan harbor. One radar blip looks like another, and the only electronic signal coming from us was the Pathfinder radar, so the destroyer went on by without coming over for a look-see.

When the Task Force was in the perfect position, we made another quick sweep with the 10 DOG radar to confirm the positions of all ships, then we turned on our missile radars and shined them on the Albany and Neosho. None of the destroyers were within range so could do nothing. The range for our simulated missiles was so short that the Albany and Neosho were sunk before Albany could get a bearing on us and fire a missile. We then sank all of the destroyers but one or two.

We received a Bravo Zulu from the Admiral who congratulated "Olsen's Raider's."

I also tell this story in view of the recent news article of the Faked War games. Using unorthodox tactics is nothing new to the Navy and there have always been imaginative captains who could do it. The Biddle and the Revolutionary Naval Captain, Nicholas Biddle, for whom she was named are but two examples of a long history of such actions.
http://www.ussbiddle.org/seastories/albany.html

Please listen to the story of the californias decommisioning by her first captain. The last nuclear guided missle crusier and all the non nuclear sisters of her are gone now and cut up for scrap . They will never be again and are only memories for us old sailors as our navy reduces from the once proud 590 ship navy to the small navy our leaders want.
CGN-42 AEGIS Modified Virginia
The Navy originally planned to procure 11 ships of the Virginia (CGN-38) class. However, after four units of the Virginia class had been laid down, further orders were suspended while consideration was given to a Modified Virginia design fitted with the Aegis system. The construction of the Modified Virginia cruisers was cancelled in January 1979, and the proposal was resurrected in March 1981 only to be cancelled once again (for the final time) in February 1983. All of these projects have been abandoned in favor of the conventionally powered Ticonderoga (CG-47) class and there are no further plans for any further nuclear powered cruisers to be built.


U.S.S. California
DLGN-36 / CGN-36
The Golden Grizzly
In The Beginning, Memories of a Plank Owner


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Captain "HOSS" Miller, served as the 1st California Commanding Officer. He was assigned to the USS California from August 1971 to March 1976.
After the California he served on the Staff of the Chief of Naval Operations where he was selected for Flag in March 1977 and immediately returned to sea as Commander Cruiser Destroyer Group One, making two deployments to the Western Pacific.
In 1979 he reported for duty as Commander Navy Recruiting Command remaining until his retirement as RADM. on 1 September 1982.
He presently serves as Trustee of the Long Island Maritime Museum.
"Hoss" has attended all of the California "CPO Plank Owner Reunions" and last year accepted an honorary CPO (HCPO) Certificate from the CPO Mess. "Hoss" is an active CPO Mess Sponsor and recently obtained a piece of the California's Superstructure for display in the California CPO Mess.


Listen to:
Rear Admiral Miller's Deactivation Ceremony Speech

DATE: 28 August 1998
Speech Length: 21 Minutes 36 Seconds
http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/6636/deact.html

[BLUEHAWK]

Great reading... thanks.