{"id":5677,"date":"2022-01-04T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-04T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/?p=5677"},"modified":"2022-01-01T17:31:38","modified_gmt":"2022-01-01T22:31:38","slug":"108-emergency-breakaway-this-is-not-a-drill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/108-emergency-breakaway-this-is-not-a-drill\/","title":{"rendered":"#108\u2014Emergency Breakaway\u2026 This is NOT a Drill!!!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end)<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Who said, \u201cA mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work if it is not open.\u201d<\/em>?<\/li>
  2. In what movie did we hear, \u201cHey, hey! What’s this I see? I thought this was a party. LET’S DANCE!\u201d<\/em>?<\/li>
  3. In what song (and who sang it) did we hear the following?
    When I was a young boy<\/em>
    Said put away those young boy ways<\/em>
    Now that I’m gettin’ older, so much older<\/em>
    I long for those young boy days<\/em><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n
    <\/div>
    Blog #108 (Audio)<\/div><\/div>
    <\/div>

    Listen to the audio of this blog, read by Andy Adkins. Click the \u201cAudio<\/strong><\/em>\u201d button below.<\/p>\n<\/div>

    Published: <\/span>December 31, 2021<\/span><\/div>
    <\/div>Audio by Andy Adkins<\/a><\/div><\/form><\/span>15<\/span> Downloads<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>
    <\/div>\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    Happy New Year from Gainesville, Florida!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Earlier this year, I wrote a blog about General Quarters<\/a><\/strong> and the simple fact that every<\/em> sailor who ever served aboard a US Navy ship had experienced going to General Quarters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Most of the time, the GQ alarms are drills: ways to practice your skills, your GQ stations, and what to do\u2014you know\u2014in case there really<\/em> is an emergency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I would imagine, in most cases, GQs deal with events on your own<\/em> ship. Since I worked on the flight deck of USS Kitty Hawk<\/em><\/strong> (CV-63) as an aircraft Crash <\/strong>firefighter, events such as an aircraft crash<\/a><\/strong>, a main engine room flooding<\/a><\/strong>, or a man overboard<\/a><\/strong> might<\/em> bring about a GQ alarm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But imagine this\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2026 an aircraft carrier (more than three football fields long) cruising about 15 knots alongside another ship (only<\/em> two football fields) within a hundred or so feet apart, and passing fuel & cargo from the supply ship to the carrier via multiple high wires, pulleys and fuel lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Kitty
    USS Kitty Hawk <\/em>(CV-63), refuels from the USNS Rappahannock<\/em> (AO 204) during a replenishment at sea (RAS), 9\/28\/2000. Photo credit: USN<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Then\u2026 imagine the other ship, an Ocean Escort, edging closer and closer to your ship\u2014whether it\u2019s the carrier moving off course or the OE, in this situation\u2026 it don\u2019t matter!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    That\u2019s when you\u2019re likely to hear over the ship’s 1MC: \u201cEmergency Breakaway, Emergency Breakaway. This is NOT a Drill!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Teenagers\u2026 Invincible<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    \"Andy<\/a>
    Andy Adkins (1972). Photo credit: Anne Adkins Berkey. (Click to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    When I was a teenager and before<\/em> I was old enough to buy beer (like that<\/em> never stopped me), there were those Friday nights where a few of us would just drive around Gainesville: \u201ccruising the streets,\u201d so to speak. Me in my \u201954 Willy\u2019s Jeep and other friends in their more elaborate<\/em> \u201956 Chevy\u2019s, \u201969 GTOs, and \u201971 Plymouth Roadrunners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You know what I\u2019m talking about\u2014the \u201creal\u201d muscle cars of yesteryear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Several of my friends were high school seniors, eighteen years old, and old enough to buy beer. At that time (1972), the \u201clegal\u201d drinking age in Florida was 18. Although I was also a senior, I was only 17. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Now imagine driving down the main city drag, side-by-side, and my friend sticks his arm out holding a nice cold Schlitz. What\u2019s a fella to do? Drive alongside him, grab the beer, and start drinking, of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Am I the only one who ever did that? Be honest\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Underway Replenishment<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    An UNREP<\/strong> is not<\/em> that much different\u2026 except <\/em>the ship is much larger than my Jeep, the two ships are traveling faster than we were, and there are far more people on the ship than in our cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Only a few<\/em> slight differences, but it\u2019s still the same principle as passing beer back and forth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Today\u2019s nuclear-powered aircraft carriers can remain at sea for more than 20 years without replenishing fuel. They do, however, need to replenish supplies. After all, the galley makes about 17,000 meals every<\/em> day for 5,500+ sailors\u2014that is a lot of food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kitty Hawk<\/em> was not nuclear powered and also<\/em> needed to be refueled every week or so. All the aircraft in the air wing also take a lot of fuel. It was quite a spectacle to watch Kitty Hawk <\/em>approach an Ocean Escort <\/strong>ship about a hundred feet off the starboard side, cruising with us about fifteen knots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Connected Replenishment<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    The alongside connected replenishment, also known as CONREP<\/strong>, is a standard method of transferring fuel, ammunition, and bulk goods between ships when at sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"UNREP<\/a>
    A crewmember aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) fires an M14 rifle equipped with a line throwing device for use during underway replenishment operations with the Neosho class oiler USNS Kawishiwi <\/em>(TAO 146). Photo credit: PHAN B. Collins. (Click to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    The supplying ship (usually an Ocean Escort<\/strong>) holds a steady course and speed, generally between 12 and 16 knots. The carrier then comes alongside at a distance of approximately 30 yards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A Boatswain\u2019s Mate shoots a shot line between ships used to pull across a phone and distance line, which is marked every 20 feet by a flag. Once across, these visual markers make it much easier to determine the distance between the two ships, as opposed to guestimates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This initial line also establishes the communications between the two bridges via sound-powered phones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The supply ship is in command of the replenishment operation, providing all lines and equipment needed for the transfer. Additionally, the supply ship directs all commands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Next, another shot line is sent over for other replenishment stations, allowing the fuel-transfer lines to be pulled over and to establish high-wire lines to transfer cargo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    At the completion of the cargo & fuel transfer, the teams on deck unhook and send back (or retrieve) the wire rigs. Once the lines are retrieved, the approach ship (e.g., the carrier) slowly widens the gap, steering away from the escort ship and increasing speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Multiple Supply Lines<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Because of the relative position of the ships, it is possible for some escort ships to set up multiple transfer rigs, allowing for faster transfer or transferring multiple types of stores. We would often have two or three rigs operating at one time on the carrier. Besides fuel, we would take on ordnance, food, and other much needed supplies like the standard Navy-issue<\/em> essentials: coffee & non-skid (toilet paper). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We didn\u2019t have a neighborhood Super Wal-Mart, but this did the trick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Ocean Escorts always replenish aircraft carriers from the starboard (right) side of the carrier. The overhanging angled flight deck doesn\u2019t permit replenishment from the carrier\u2019s port side. The rigs and supplies would come onboard Kitty Hawk\u2019s<\/em> hangar deck through two of the elevators lowered on the starboard side of the ship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Resupplying More Than One Ship, Simultaneously<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    \"UNREP<\/a>
    USNS Tippecanoe<\/em> (TAO 199) (center) conducts an UNREP with the Japanese destroyer Haruna<\/em> (DD 141) (left) and the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk<\/em> (CV 63) on Oct. 8, 1998. Photo credit: CPO Mahlon K. Miller. (Click to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Additionally, many escorts can service & supply two ships simultaneously, with one on each side. I witnessed this several times during our Westpac ’75 cruise: Kitty Hawk<\/em> on one side and a destroyer or cruiser on the other side. Truly a sight to behold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    CONREP is a risky<\/em> operation, as two or three ships running side-by-side at matching speed must hold to precisely the same course and speed for a long period, sometimes several hours. A slight steering error by one ship could cause a collision. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For my one <\/em>nautical engineering friend, a one-degree course variation traveling at a speed of 12 knots would mean about 20 feet sideways drift per minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kitty Hawk<\/em> Collision<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Just before I arrived aboard Kitty Hawk<\/em> in March 1975, during the earlier RIMPAC exercise off Hawaii, Kitty Hawk<\/em> collided with the ammunition ship USS KISKA<\/em><\/strong> (AE-35). Not bad, but enough of a bump to damage a good part of the catwalk, and this was right outside the Crash <\/strong>crew quarters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Fortunately, there were no personnel casualties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In case of an emergency during a CONREP, crews practice emergency breakaway procedures where the ships will separate in less than optimal situations. Although this exercise saves the ships from collision, it is possible to lose stores, as the ships may not have finished the current transfer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    While I never experienced a collision (on a ship or passing beer as a high school teenager), we practiced these emergency breakaway procedures almost every time after completing the replenishment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    One More\u2026<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    And then there was that time when I drove my \u201954 Willys Jeep up next to a school bus full of kids, including my high school girlfriend, whom I was trying to impress. I passed her a Coke through the bus window. I’ll spare you the details about what the bus driver said as I passed by. But I\u2019m sure she used some words I\u2019d never heard (before <\/em>I joined the Navy). \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Footloose<\/a>
    Scene from Footloose (1984). (Click to launch YouTube video)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Then there\u2019s Hollywood\u2026 a scene from the movie, Footloose<\/em><\/strong> (1984) where Ariel (Lori Singer) is standing up with one leg on a car, the other on her boyfriend\u2019s (Chuck, played by Jim Youngs) truck. Yeah, you know the scene. In case you didn\u2019t see it, here\u2019s a link to a 2\u00bd minute YouTube video. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=H3JNte39neY<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Crazy scenes, I tell ya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I never did that before. But there was a time in my younger <\/em>“deer hunting” days when I\u2019d jump from the back of one pickup truck to another. Of course, we weren\u2019t going too fast and thank God my father didn\u2019t see me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Crazy teens, I tell ya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    OK\u2014confession time is over. Happy New Year to all my friends & shipmates! May 2022 be better than 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Until we meet again,
    Andy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Previous posts mentioned in this blog<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n