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USS CONE DD-866
continued 1970 .....
On 1 January, 1970, Cone switched from DesDiv 42 to DesDiv 62. Cone contined to operate as a member of the U.S. Sixth Fleet through the end of March. She underwent all the usual training during this time but only one moment really stood out. On the night of 2 March, a Cone sailor, SA Plummer and FTCS Wright from the USS Sampson were instrumental in rescuing a drowning civilian, Giadano Schultz, thus enhancing the reputation of this ship and the U.S. Navy in Europe. The Navy Commendation Medal was subsequently awarded to SA Plummer. The remainder of 1970 saw Cone operate in all conditions up and down the eastern seaboard. As usual, the Cone did well in most exercises, etc. However, on 21 July, she attempted to fire naval gunfire support for qualification but sustained a mechanical casualty to the fire control system. After repairs, Cone successfully fired for qualifications. LCDR G. J. Jenkins, Jr., USN relieved LCDR W. H. Batts, Jr., USN, as the Executive Officer on 3 September, 1970. On November 3-4, the Cone underwent the Nuclear Technical Proficiency Inspection. The ship received a score of Outstanding. The score of 96.55 was the highest recorded of all Charleston based ships for the year at that time. The Cone finally got to spend a Christmas stateside. She returned to pier side at Charleston on 18 November, 1970 and remained until 17 January, 1971. With all preparations completed, Cone was again underway to the Caribbean and operation Springboard '71. During this exercise, Cone delivered shore bombardment under simulated wartime conditions in conjunction with other air and surface units. Upon completion of Springboard, Cone underwent her annual Operational Readiness Inspection. Cone's highly successful completion saw her released for the transit home. Mother nature intervened. A howling storm moved into the area with weather so inclement that Cone was unable to refuel from the USS Nantahala. ComDesRon Four ordered Cone to refuel in San Juan. The rest of the squadron, already refueled, sailed on home. Cone followed, hosting the entire squadron staff for the transit home, arriving in Charleston on 8 February, 1971. Cone remained in Charleston for shipboard training, etc., until March 29 when she was once again underway, this time for exercises in the Virginia Capes area and gunfire support at Bloodworth Island, Maryland. Having successfully completed her Naval Gunfire Support qualifications, Cone returned home on Friday morning, 2 April. The next two weeks were busy with all hands making preparations for the upcoming Mediterranean deployment. On Thursday, 15 April, Cone got underway with Destroyer Squadron Four enroute to the Mediterranean. The transit was made in electronic silence with all communications being conducted by flag hoist or flashing light. Cone's first port of entry was in Rota, Spain on the 25th of April. Incidentally, Cone observed her first of many Soviet ships seen during the cruise, patrolling off Rota, Spain. After port of calls in Tangiers, Morocco and the British Crown Colony of Gibraltar, Cone participated in Anti-Submarine warfare exercises and was also tasked with observing Soviet warships anchored off Tunisia, North Africa. The next two weeks were spent in Naples for a tender availabililty alongside the USS Cascade. On May 22, Cone got underway for Argostoli, Greece where she would rendevous with other ships of the Sixth Fleet and join operation National Week, a large scale air, surface, and sub-surface exercise involving most units of the Sixth Fleet. The initial phases of this operation saw Cone operating with the flagship of the Sixth Fleet, USS Springfield (CLG 7). On 24 May, Cone was overflown by high flying Soviet aircraft for the first time on this cruise. Cone's next port was Taranto, Italy. However, after only a few short hours, she was ordered to get underway to conduct special operations observing the Soviet Mediterranean Fleet. With no sightings, she made port at Catania, Sicily on 6 June. While there,Mr. Hugh Mulligan, an Associated Press Correspondent joined Cone. The ship then headed back to sea to observe Russian ships thus providing Mr. Mulligan with an opportunity to write a feature story about Cone, her crew and the Russian presence in the Mediterranean. Most of the next ten days the crew observed Soviet vessels in the Kithira, Greece anchorage, north of Crete. At various times, Cone was tasked with accompanying specific vessels such as the helicopter carrier LENNINGRAD and a new prototype destroyer which was observed transiting from the Baltic to the Black Sea. Thus, all hands were afforded an opportunity to observe the ships forming the impressive Soviet Fleet in the Mediterranean. After various exercises and ports of call, Cone returned to the business of operation National Week on the 16th of August. On the 17th, a fire broke out in the after steering. The quick action of the crew, and especially the damage control and fire fighting parties, prevented any major damage except the loss of a large number of light bulbs stored in the area. After successful operation, participants of National Week anchored in Soudha Bay, Crete for the post- exercise critique 27 August. The following morning found Cone transiting to Ibize for a port visit and a Change of Command ceremony. September 6, Commander H. L. Hinkley, USN was relieved by Commander B. M. Ervin, USN as Commanding Officer. The rest of the deployment was uneventful and held no moments of importance. On 7 October, Cone transited the Straights of Gibraltor with Destroyer Squadron Four and "chopped" to Second Fleet. She arrived in Charleston on October 16 to a joyful reunion of family and friends. Cone began a thirty day stand-down period until 16 November when she sailed with Destroyer Squadron Four for eight days of local operations and a port visit to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Embarking Commodore Fay while in port, she returned to Charleston on November 23. The Christmas holidays were again spent in port and the ships crew began preparations for a shipyard overhaul beginning in January, 1972. Cone entered the Charleston Naval Shipyard on 19 January for approximately three months of refurbishing and repairs. A rejuvenated ship returned to sea early in May for sea trials and other evolutions in preparation for refresher training. On 31 May, she set sail for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The four weeks following were very busy as the crew earnestly undertook refresher training and brought the ship to a peak of operational readiness. Upon completion of refresher training and following a relaxing Fourth of July holiday at Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, V.I., Cone had a highly successful day of Naval Gunfire Support qualifications at Vieques Island. The busy schedule continued with Weapons Systems Accuracy Trials off St. Croix, V.I.; again Cone's crew demonstrated their proficiency and operational readiness in the very early and successful completion of all tests, which resulted in certification of the ships anti-submarine suit. The crew finally got underway for home 16 July arriving in Charleston on the 18th. September 5, Cone put to sea for three weeks of duty as school ship for the Naval Destroyer School, Newport, R.I. In the next several weeks the crew assisted the Destroyer School instructors in teaching some of the Navy's future destroyer department heads every phase of shipboard operations. Early in October, Cone headed for Port Canaveral, Florida to serve as support ship for the submarine USS Robert E. Lee (SSBN 601) during DASO operations. On the morning of October 5, Cone hosted approximately 100 dignitaries and dependents to a day at sea during which they witnessed, from a distance of only 1100 yards, the live firing of a Polaris A-3 missile from the submarine Robert E. Lee. While at Cape Kennedy, word was received that the ship would deploy to the western Pacific on 1 November. With a very short notice the crew worked overtime the next few weeks in preparing the ship for a seven month deployment to a combat zone. On November 1, Cone in company with USS R.E. Kraus (DD-849) sailed from Charleston. They were later joined by USS W.C. Lawe (DD-763) and USS McCaffery (DD-860) and all transited the Panama Canal and, after a brief stop at Rodman, Canal Zone, for fuel, entered the blue Pacific with the next stop Pearl Harbor. Cone and company departed Pearl Harbor on 20 November enroute to Yokosuka, Japan. The ships high speed transit was interrupted briefly on Thanksgiving morning with a stop at Midway Island for fuel. The next six days were spent in a Pacific gale as Cone battered her way through heavy weather toward Yokosuka. On 26 November, Cone officially became an operational unit of the U.S. Seventh Fleet. Following a brief but busy upkeep period in Yokosuka, Cone sailed for the coastal waters of the Republic of Vietnam on 5 December. On arrival late on 9 December the ship joined Task Group 75.9 and was assigned gunfire support duties for the 1st ARVN Division just north of DaNang. However, Cone's entrance into action was delayed one day by the impromptu landing of the UH-46 Sea Knight helicopter on the fantail. The helo, which had engine failure while delivering Christmas mail to the ship, made a forced landing on the fantail with only minor damage to the ship and minimal damage to the helicopter. Quick reaction by the ships crew and pilot prevented any personnel injuries or fire. The helicopter was secured to the deck and off-loaded in DaNang the next morning. The next several days were spent providing Naval Gunfire Support to friendly forces in the Republic of Vietnam. Cone was assigned several stations from just north of DaNang up to just below the Demilitarized Zone. From 15 to 19 December Cone was assigned to Task Group 77.7 as mutual support ship for USS Ranger (CVA 61) while operating on Yankee Station in the Gulf of Tonkin. Early on the 19th, Commander Task Force 75 recalled Cone to the gunline. The ship spent two days providing gunfire support before commencing special operations as part of Task Unit 77.1.1 in the Tonkin Gulf north of the DMZ. The last 11 days of 1972 were spent in a very hostile environment with most of the crew experiencing their first real combat action. Except for the brief Christmas respite, Cone participated in two to three strike missions nightly, often in the face of intense hostile fire. Cone had the distinction of conducting the final surface strike mission of 1972, and just before midnight New Year's Eve, fired the last round of surface ordnance for the Seventh Fleet in 1972. The ship had worked and fought hard since her arrival off Vietnam 9 December. Several thousand rounds of 5 inch 38 caliber ammunition were fired in combat, and several hundred rounds of incoming hostile fire were taken close aboard. Although some superficial scars from shrapnel resulted, no significant damage was suffered by the ship. 1973 opened as '72 had ended, with Cone still conducting surveillance operations during the day and strike operations against high value military targets at night. This continued through the 3rd with little free time along the way. On 3 January Cone was detached from the Task Unit and ordered to proceed to Subic Bay, Republic of the Phillipines, for a period of rest and refit. The transit to Subic Bay in company with USS Ranger (CVA 61) took two days and Cone arrived on the morning of 5 January. During the eight days spent in Subic Bay Cone underwent extensive repairs and refitting from the Ship Repair Facility. Several new items were introduced aboard the ship which would serve to decrease vulnerability to air attack and to detection, but none of the items were ever used. On 13 January Cone once again weighed anchor bound for Yankee Station in the Gulf of Tonkin. From 13 to 15 January Cone operated with Ranger as plane guard. On 15 January the ship was detached to report to the gunline. Cone conducted gunfire support operations from 15 through 23 January, leaving only briefly to refuel, rearm, and replenish as necessary. On 23 January Cone rejoined Ranger as plane guard during flight operations, but the stay was brief and the ship was ordered to return to the gunline. Late that evening Cone was once again conducting gunfire support off the coast of South Vietnam. From 25 to 29 January Cone again accompanied Ranger but the respite was a brief one and on 29 January Cone again reported to the gunline commander, ready for duty. From 29 January until 6 February Cone remained on station, serving as a support element after the signing of the ceasefire. On 6 February Cone bid what proved to be a final goodby to the gunline and coastal waters of Vietnam, departing for the first liberty port of the WESTPAC deployment, Keelung, Taiwan, Republic of China. After a stormy transit through the Straits of Taiwan, Cone entered Keelung harbor on the morning of 8 February. The crew of the Cone enjoyed the sights of Taiwan for four days before once again weighing anchor, bound for Hong Kong, British Crown Colony. Two days later, on 14 February, the ship moored in Hong Kong. This was a busy stop for the ship and crew. There was a great deal that needed to be done in the way of upkeep and repair as well as a change of command ceremony. On 19 February Cdr. B. M. Ervin was relieved as Commanding Officer by Cdr. V. Sylvester. Hong Kong was perhaps the most memorable port visited in WESTPAC, since it was there that it was learned that the deployment was to be cut short and that from Hong Kong the course would be set for Charleston, South Carolina. That alone, aside from the excellent liberty and Oriental hospitality afforded by the "Pearl of the Orient", made the stay unforgettable. On 20 February, with an eager and refreshed crew and a new Captain, Cone set sail for Yokosuka, Japan, a port to be visited only briefly prior to beginning her lengthy trek across the Pacific Ocean. On the morning of 24 February, Cone arrived at Yokosuka to prepare for the long journey to the Panama Canal, the next Port-of-Call after Japan. Cone was once again underway the following morning in company with USS Schofield (DDG 3), USS O'Hare (DD 889), and USS Rich (DD 820) bound for home. The transit of the Pacific was long and uneventful with plenty of good weather, fair winds, and blue skies. The pace was an abrupt change from the frantic hustling of the war zone, and a welcome one. Ship and crew were seasoned veterans; had proven themselves under impossible circumstances and under fire. They were enjoying this particular cruise in a way it is rarely possible to enjoy any cruise, in short, they were going home. The days and weeks were interspersed with refuelings and replenishments at which the crew had become quite proficient in WESTPAC. The frequent shift of time zones became an occasion as each new zone was a step closer to home. On 15 March Cone arrived at Rodman, Balboa, Panama Canal Zone. Spending only a single night in Rodman, the ship was underway the next morning and passed through the locks out into the Atlantic Ocean. After five days in transit Cone reached her homeport of Charleston, S.C. after an absence of four and one-half months on 20 March 1973. During the period 20 March through 20 April the ship was in a stand-down but a great deal of emphasis was placed on improving the material condition, cleanliness, and liveablility of the ship, and bringing the equipment status to a peak of readiness. The time was also spent in training, molding the new personnel reporting aboard into an effective team, and keeping those who had been aboard for some time current in the areas of their particular skills. Not until 29 May did Cone get underway for an appreciable amount of time. On that day the ship departed Charleston to participate in LANTREADEX 3-73 in the azure waters of the Caribbean. LANTREADEX offered the first opportunity for the ship to perform as a team since WESTPAC, and the first chance to evaluate the long hours of training and work that had gone into the ship since returning from Vietnam. The training received during LANTREADEX proved invaluable and the ship performed well as a unit, individually or as an element of a task force. On 4 June Cone entered Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, for a brief respite from the rapid pace of LANTREADEX and to debrief on the portion of the exercise completed. The ship departed on the afternoon of 5 June to conduct the final phases of the exercise. On 7 June after anchoring briefly at Roosevelt Roads to deliver the final data package, the ship left for San Juan arriving on the afternoon of the seventh. Four days later, after some rest and excellent liberty, Cone sailed toward Isla de Culebra for NGFS qualifications. With experienced personnel and a viable training program, qualifying at Culebra proved surprisingly easy. The ship had gained a wealth of experience in this short period of operations. Aside from underway time, steaming independently and in formation, valuable training for Bridge and CIC personnel were obtained in numberous ESM exercises. Gun crews and weapons personnel were involved in a live firing exercise, many for the first time. When Cone headed for Charleston late on the evening of 11 June, with LANTREADEX behind, a great deal in the way of experience and readiness had been gained. On the morning of 14 June Charleston harbor was once again in sight and late in the afternoon the ship was berthed at the Naval Station facing another long period of inactivity. Not until 6 July, when a brief period was spent in Charleston Naval Shipyard for extensive repairs and improvements to the crew's messing area, did the ship move. On 10 July Cone returned to the Naval Station. In August it was announced that Cone would become a unit of Destroyer Squadron 34 in September. It was also in August that Destroyer Squadron 4 presented Cone with a Meritorious Unit Commendation for service in Vietnam. On 1 September 1973 USS Cone became a member of the Naval Reserve Force with the mission of training Reservists in order to maintain a strong and ready Reserve. On 14 September Cone's crew of Selected Reservists reported aboard for their first drill. They were immediately swept into the vortex of activity; training, maintenance, improvements, and a thousand other things taking place. The transition was an easy one, for the ship and crew were geared to assimilate these new personnel as rapidly and with as little difficulty and confusion as possible. It was a very short time before the necleus and Selected Reserve personnel found themselves working as a team. September moved quickly into October and Cone remained in port. During October Cone began conversion to Naval Distillate fuel. The conversion meant extensive modifications to the engineering plant which in turn meant more time alongside the pier. The time spent in port was put to good use as crew members attended courses at the various Fleet Training Centers and training visits from mobile training units became a matter of course. The ship moved steadily toward a peak of cleanliness and material readiness. A great deal of effort was exerted to refurbish the interior spaces of the ship from the bilges up and the time was well spent. During this long period in port Cone went through two especially productive periods of Tender Availability with USS Yellowstone (AD 27) and ship's force was supplemented with aid from various Reserve units which came aboard for Active Duty for Training. A great deal of work was accomplished in a minimal amount of time and conditions throughout the ship reflected the efforts. The remainder of October, and the entire months of November and December were spent in port. The Naval Distillate conversion was accomplished on schedule, the final work being finished on 14 December and tested on 19 December, when fires were lighted in number two and number four boilers and the plant was steamed successfully on its new source of energy. The ship was in a period of Holiday stand-down from 10 December through 10 January for purposes of Christmas and New Years leave and the crew spent the holidays with families and friends. The memories of Christmas in WESTPAC seemed far away and a long time past. 1974 brought a new factor into naval operations, the energy crisis, and USS Cone (DD 866) spent more time in port than in any operational year in her 30 year history. In the first month of the new year Cone had only five days at sea. From the fourteenth to the seventeenth Cone spent 3 days in the Charleston Operating Area evaluating her new source of energy, Naval Distillate fuel, and working off the lethargy of the long holiday stand-down period. Cone again went to sea on 25 January with her selected reserve crew for underway training in the Charleston Op-area, returning the following day. Not until 7 February did the ship again get underway, bound for Mayport, Florida, arriving on the eighth and moving immediately into an intensive period of tender availablility with USS Yosemite (AD 19) until 24 February. During this period the energy crunch was severe with long lines of automobiles at gas stations and many stations closing due to the unavailability of gasoline. In view of this situation operating tempos were dramatically reduced and the two week period of underway training scheduled for Cone was reduced to daily operations five days a week. This schedule was followed from the 24th of February through 8 March. In this period Cone trained the Selected Reserve crew of the USS Steinaker (DD 865), which was undergoing overhaul. This training period was especially significant not only for the Steinaker crew but for Cone as well because it included the most rigorous preparations; preparations which culminated in an Operational Readiness Inspection which evaluated the ship as a combat capable and combat ready unit. All phases of the ship's performance were tested, Engineering, Operations and Weapons. The result was a successful ORI with the ship scoring well in every phase and a significant improvement in the overal capabilities of the ship. On 8 March Cone left Mayport and arrived in Charleston the next day, facing a long period of inactivity. From 9 March until 12 August Cone remained in Charleston except for the week-end of 20 July when the ship trained her Selected Reserve crew in the Charleston Op-area. Several significant events took place during this period. In April the annual Intermediate Unit Commander's Inspection was conducted with the ship showing excellence in every category, especially in the PMS portion. In June Cone was the host ship for DESRON 34 change of command. This long period in port was put to good use in training and in the upkeep and improvement of the ship, but the long period away from the demanding environment of the sea could only be detrimental to the overall readiness of the ship. In July rumors began to circulate that the ship might possibly be going to the Mediterranean and preparations began so that the ship could be ready for any eventuality. It was in July also that the quick action of the ship's inport damage control party averted a near catastrophe when a fire broke out in the U/B plot. Although the space was heavily damaged by smoke and fire, the actual damage was not as severe as feared and, through a determined effort the ship's sonar gang had the Underwater Battery fully operational within 48 hours. The fire took place on 11 July and the ship was ready for sea by the twentieth, the regular Selected Reserve training week-end. Cone remained inport through 6 August, spending one day at the Naval Weapons Station on the 6th, and returning to the Naval Station to remain through 12 August. In August the ship received word that it would participate in "Exercise Northern Merger", a NATO exercise in the North Atlantic, and preparations were made to deploy in September. On 12 August Cone embarked her Selected Reserve for two weeks of training in COMPTUEX 2-75 in the Virginia Capes Operating Area. This period of intensive training would be the only opportunity to prepare for "Northern Merger" and the ship used the time to good advantage. Arriving in Norfolk on 15 August for a brief port visit through 19 August, the ship entered into the exercise and was swept into a vortex of activity. Surface and air gunnery exercises, anti-submarine warfare exercises, underway replenishment, and helicopter operations were all a part of the myriad activity of COMPTUEX and all a necessary prelude to the upcoming deployment. Cone returned to Charleston on 24 August to remain there until 5 September when the ship was scheduled to get underway for the North Atlantic. Cone was unable to get underway on 5 September do to an attempted sabotage of the engineering spaces when a large amount of sugar was detected in the lube oil system. Through the massive efforts of the ship's engineers, working around the clock, Cone got underway late in the afternoon of 6 September. Cone joined the "Northern Merger" task force on 9 September to begin the long trek across the North Atlantic. "Northern Merger" was an experiment in minimal manning for Cone. There would be no augmentation of the regular crew by reservists during the entire period. The ship would operate with a crew approximately two-thirds the size of a normal crew yet would be expected to perform in the demanding environment of the North Atlantic on equal footing with the other exercise participants. Though the exercise was scheduled to begin on 16 September, the inclement and capricious North Atlantic weather brewed high winds and seas to delay the separation of the transit task force into the various elements of the exercise. Not until the 18th when the force reached the lee of the Faroe Islands could Cone refuel and safely detach to join the Orange Forces. The exercise continued through 26 September and Cone performed well operating as an intelligence gatherer and later as an attack platform against the Blue Forces. The weather remained severe throughout the exercise and proved a true test of the ship and crew. Upon completion of the exercise on 26 September Cone rejoined several of the transit group for a port visit to Pourtsmouth, England arriving there on 29 September. |
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