Thanks for filling us in on the details.

Wes

Ed...great to know of you sir, and thanks for the exciting 8mm pics of the incoming "Charlie" rounds. I was a gunner's mate gunner on the Cochrane some 20 years after this action, but the footage is no less intriguing, excititng and thought provoking. Looking over the film more than a few times, I sort of deduced that the incoming surface to sea rounds were not sophisticatedly guided, but, more seemingly shot manually by a shore battery utilizing the bracket and ladder method of target aquisiton. You seem to also agree in your reference to them "bracketing" the Cochrane. It's a good thing for "Charlie" that none on the Cochrane could get a visual on the origin of the incoming, because I know for a fact that the Cochrane could have, and would have, fired back with superior fire-power and precision. Hang "10" Ed, but watch out for those pescky sharks they seem to be attacking very frequently at least here in the contiguous. Sal

Yea old charlie extensively used the ladder and bracket method.When he tried to triangulate with his mobile radars, our shriek missiles would keep him shut down. Probably the most exciting mission for our ship was the night of October 25-26 1972 mentioned in the history section. That was the night we ran interference for a cruiser, the Oklahoma City I believe, in Haiphon Harbor. Our firing leg was 18,000 yds from the shoreline of Hanoi. The mission was for the cruiser to shell the pt boat pens on the coast and they were out at 28,000 yards for their firing leg.. All hell broke loose for the approximately 9 or 10 minutes we were on the firing leg. I had no trouble putting both mounts to remote and firing at any of the approximate 300 muzzle flashes from the city. During the debriefing the next day it was announced to us by the cruiser they had lost us on radar due to the number of shell explosions around us turning Cochrane into one big blob on the scopes. The estimated number of rounds per minute we recieved on that mission was 200-300, half of which were air bursts. Remember the Mk68 Director was sixty feet above waterline and air bursts just happen at sixty feet. If you think my scivies were worth wearing after that mission think again. We took alot of scrapnel that night but no direct hits. If any shipmates remember anything different about that particular night please let us know. By the way, for anyone interested and those of you who were aboard with me know I wrote a song about our ship to the tune of snoopy and the red baron. I will share it with you in another e-mail. It was good enough that Washington got a copy, don't know what the hell they did with it though. Take care shipmates and talk to you all later....
Ed



Edited by - ej on 08/27/2001 08:38:20

...nor does Washington know, no doubt!

Marc Tuton STG3,Uss Cochrane jan 74-sept 76- "The pearl of the Pacific" STG2 USS Glover, nov 76-nov79,"The Cow Killer"

Okay, It's been a few days, where's the song? Us older guys know the tune so we should be able to put it to a hummable (is that a word) version right away.
Speaking of old, I turned 55 yesterday. I have offically entered Old Fartdom and now qualify for a senior discount at Hardee's. I was hoping to retire at 55 but looks like I'll just have to settle for a discounted burger instead. Maybe Burger King does it too? I hate Hardee's.

Wes

hERE'S THE SONG i WROTE AND IT GOES TO THE TUNE OF SNOOPY AND THE RED BARRON.. WRITTEN IN 1972.....

THIS IS THE STORY OF OUR DDG
HOW WE FIGHT AND SWEAT WHEN WE'RE OUT AT SEA
WE SUPPORT OUR TROOPS THOUGH THE JOB IS LONG
AND WE'RE PRAYING FOR PEACE IN VIET NAM

THE ORDERS COME DOWN LOAD TO THE TRAYS
SO WE TRAIN OUR GUNS AND STARTED FIRING AWAY
THEN SOMEONE YELLED "COUNTERBATTERY"
THE CONG WERE SHOOTING AT OUR DDG

(CHORUS)
20, 30, 40 ROUNDS CAME THROUGHT THE AIR
SOME MEN TREMBLED BRAVE MEN STARTED TO SWEAR
THE SHIP CAME AROUND AND WE HEADED FOR SEA
BUT WE KEPT ON A FIRING AT THE ENEMY

FOR TEN LONG MINUTES WE CONTINUED TO RUN
SAYING OUR PRAYERS TO THE MIGHTY ONE
HE MUST OF BEEN WATCHING OUR SHIP THAT DAY
WHEN THE SMOKE HAD CLEARED WE HAD GOTTEN AWAY

20, 30 40 ROUNDS CAME THROUGH THE AIR
SOME MEN TREMBLED BRAVE MEN STARTED TO SWEAR
THE SHIP CAME AROUND AND WE HEADED FOR SEA
BUT WE KEPT ON A FIRING AT THE ENEMY

NOW WE CAN LAUGH AND WE CAN REST
THAT'S ONE MORE TIME WE CAME OUT BEST
BUT WE ALL KNOW WHAT THE ORDERS SAY
WE'LL DO IT AGAIN ANOTHER DAY

SO THAT IS THE STORY OF OUR DDG
HOW WE LIVE AND FIGHT WHEN WE'RE OUT AT SEA
WE SUPPORT OUR TROOPS THOUGH THE JOB IS LONG
AND WE'RE PRAYING FOR PEACE IN VIET NAM

I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT.....ED