U.S.S. YANCEY AKA-93

Ken Grooms's Navy A story for the USS Yancey

Captain K's Way is not the Navy Way

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It was March 2, 1953 in Sasebo, Japan and just two short weeks after Captain "K" took command. Captain "K" had been a merchant marine captain and was used to doing things different - with a flair. Some even went so far as to say "he had a little slack in his sea bag" - as the saying goes.

From the facts I have heard and remember, we were tied up along side of the USS Warrick (AKA-89) - our port side to their starboard. We started getting underway in the morning with a load of Navy passengers bound for Yokosuka, Japan.

In order to show the ships in the harbor how they did it in the Merchant Marines - we were not going to use tugs.

From Bosun mate Ernest Todd I am told that the plan was to cast off the forward lines and use number 4 spring line as sort of a hinge; then back down the ship and with the help of the wind and the tide to allow the ship to move its bow away from the Warrick. The Yancey would then point the bow out to the main channel with the ship's engines going full power (from that single screw) at the right time. A little like paddling a canoe with one paddle - you just need the right correction of forces to make it work.

What actually happened was sort of like watching a "roadrunner cartoon". The wind, the tide and other forces were not quite in tune with the intended action. The result was that the aft hawsers went from a normal 8 inch size to about a 2 inch size in a matter of minutes as the bow continued to cling to the Warrick's bow.

Bosun Todd, in fear of a snapped hawser and the danger of harming the crew ordered the crew to "slack off the lines" - Captain "K" responded by telling Todd to just obey orders - The Bosun did and at the same time told the crew to stand aside. The hawsers snapped like a whip. In the meantime, several "M" boats from both ships were used to counter the forces - but with little real help. The picture I am sending is one of a series that was taken by a storekeeper named Harold Hegler. Radioman Ray Wilson was also observing the events and captured pictures from the signal bridge, of the M boats doing their best to overcome the forces of nature. But, as evidenced by the photos - it did draw a crowd and attention - granted it may not have been the intended attention.

The Yancey log at the time reads" Slight dents put in hull of ship to port side at frame 45 when getting underway from alongside USS WARRICK (AKA-89)". Warrick's logs read simply - "USS Yancey underway".

Story Contributed by an Unknown Source
1211/1999

Submitted 2/10/07
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