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Biddle – A Young Warrior
James Treadway
Soon after the Battle at PIRAZ Biddle assumed additional duties as SAR Coordinator for all forces in the Tonkin Gulf. One month later, on 29 August, Long Beach relieved Biddle at PIRAZ, at which time Biddle left for three days liberty in Hong Kong and two days in Subic Bay. With the MiG attack still fresh in their minds, it is possible that there may have been a little extra partying during those days.
Biddle returned to the Gulf to relieve USS England at NSAR on 22 August, Truxtun relieved Biddle at NSAR on 27 August, and Biddle relieved Long Beach on 29 August at PIRAZ. Typhoon Elsie unleashed her fury in the Gulf of Tonkin on 1 September, forcing Task Force 77 to evacuate the Gulf until 4 September. Long Beach relieved Biddle at PIRAZ on 17 September, thus ending Biddle’s last tour of duty in the Gulf of Tonkin.
Biddle offloaded equipment in Subic Bay from 20 to 24 September then got underway for her return voyage to the United States without Captain Carter, who was in Pearl Harbor to brief CINCPAC, CINCPACFLT, and CINCPACAF on Navy and Air Force operation in the Gulf of Tonkin. No doubt, as Biddle stood out of Subic Bay with a four week Pacific transit in front of her, most of her crew had time to reflect on recent events. Biddle’s 1972 Command History summarized the events:
During its three line periods in the Gulf of Tonkin, totaling 105 days in the combat zone, BIDDLE directed 102 Navy and 56 Air Force strikes over North Vietnam. BIDDLE’S air intercept controllers directed the destruction of 13 enemy MiG’s, 7 by U.S. Navy Fighters and 6 by U.S.A.F. fighters. One additional MiG was destroyed by ship’s missiles. BIDDLE directed and/or conducted Combat Search and Rescue Operations which were responsible for the rescue of 5 Navy, 8 Air Force and 4 Marine pilots downed on combat missions. The ship’s LAMPS Detachment (HSL-30 Det 4 from NAS Lakehurst, N.J.) flew a total of 711.6 flight hours on ESM/ASMD patrols and CSAR missions during the deployment. During these flights the LAMPS helo conducted extensive electronic surveillance of the North Vietnamese coast, and made the first combat SAR rescue by an SH-2 LAMPS helo on the night of September 11.
Biddle departed Pearl Harbor on 6 October with Captain Carter aboard. After a short Shortstop test for the benefit of embarked Rear Admiral J.E. Rice, COMNAVELEX, Biddle continued her passage eastward to San Diego, and then transited the Panama Canal, finally arriving in Norfolk on 26 October. The crew and ship enjoyed a three week standdown, which was followed by a successful completion of a Naval Technical Proficiency Inspection in December.
Biddle greeted the New Year in a leave and upkeep status. After successfully completing a Material Readiness Inspection (MRI) in early February, Biddle was underway in the Jacksonville Operating Area with the USS John F. Kennedy as Kennedy prepared for deployment. Biddle and aircraft from Kennedy collectively dispatched EX DD-602 Meade to the deep in a SINKEX firing. Captain Al Olsen explained that “SINKEX is an acronym for ‘sinking exercise.’ It is an alternative to selling a ship for scrap and usually limited to 12 ships a year. The ship is thoroughly cleaned so that it doesn't present any environmental risk, towed out to sea where the depth of water is several thousand feet, and serves as target for other ships or aircraft. Besides giving the ships and aircraft practice, a SINKEX is a way to test ship and aircraft weapon performance. I think I'd rather have my ship scrapped than sunk.”
In late March Biddle participated in the joint exercise Exotic Dancer VI (EXDAN VI), a joint U.S. military exercise involving an amphibious landing force and blockade of a foreign coast. In this case, the “foreign coast” was Cape Hatteras. During the exercise, multi-purpose Biddle provided AAW protection during the landing, was task group Electronic Welfare Coordinator, and assumed blockade duty. In mid-April Biddle completed her annual ORI in the Virginia Capes OPAREA.
Biddle’s next assignment was to serve as host ship for a group of four French warships. Following four days of visiting, all ships got underway for the VACAPES OPAREA for four days of joint exercises. After returning to Norfolk, Biddle’s crew was awarded five Bronze Stars, 14 Navy Commendations, 19 Navy Achievement Medals, and 46 letters of commendation related to her performance in the Gulf of Tonkin. Vice Admiral D.W. Cooper, Commander of Task Force 77 during Biddle’s 1972 deployment, presented the awards.
Biddle loaded ammunition at Yorktown Naval Weapons Station in early June then loaded missiles in early July for LANTREDEX in the Western Atlantic-Caribbean OPAREA. While serving as task group electronic warfare commander and flagship at LANTREDEX, Biddle fired four missiles scoring two direct hits, had one missile failure, and one no-test. Biddle also re-qualified in Naval Gunfire Support during the exercise.
Next on Biddle’s agenda was an INSURV Inspection scheduled from 30 July to 3 August. A Senior Board Member noted in his report of inspection that Biddle was exceptionally well prepared for the INSURV Inspection and commended the attitude and cooperation of Biddle’s crew as “outstanding throughout.” The inspection found Biddle “fit for further service.”
On 15 November, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Elmo Zumwalt received an original painting depicting the MiG engagement from the previous summer from Captain Carter and five members of the crew. The painting was slated to hang in the Naval Museum at the Washington Navy Yard. Following a combined Canadian and US Naval exercise CANUSEX 1-74 in late November, Biddle returned to Norfolk for leave and upkeep for the remainder of the year.
The remaining notable event for the year was an awards presentation during which Biddle received the Navy Unit Commendation and the Charleston, South Carolina, Chamber of Commerce Anti-Air Warfare Trophy. Vice Admiral D.C. Plate presented the Navy Unit Commendation “For exceptionally meritorious service from 4 May 1972 while engaged in combat operations against the enemy in North Vietnam.” Rear Admiral R.S. Wentworth, COMCRUDESLANT, presented the AAW trophy because “During the fiscal year ending 30 June 1973, USS BIDDLE (DLG-34) was unsurpassed in Anti-Air Warfare Readiness in the Cruiser-Destroyer Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet.” The two awards were a fitting finale for a fantastic year.
Just as she had in January 1973, Biddle began the New Year in a leave and upkeep status. From January through May, Biddle conducted two FAST cruises, participated in OPERATION SAFE PASSAGE in the Caribbean, conducted type training in the VACAPES OPAREA, and completed NGFS qualifications.
In June Biddle joined the U.S. Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. She completed turnover procedures with Conyngham (DDG-17) in Rota, Spain, and then departed on 26 June to assume duties during ASW operations as screen commander for TG 60.2. Upon conclusion of her ASW assignment, Biddle enjoyed five days liberty in Finale Ligure on the Italian Riviera. The Command History reported, “A warm reception was given by the townspeople. BIDDLE was able to anchor 2,000 yards from the beach in deep water and was one of the few U.S. ships to visit that city since World War II.” Biddle then made a five day working visit in Valencia, Spain, where she debarked midshipmen on their summer cruise. Next, Biddle departed for San Remo, where, after anchoring off the beach, Biddle again received a warm greeting from the townspeople.
In spite of the great liberty in the sunny Mediterranean, not all Biddle sailors exhibited their best behavior. Biddle sonarman Bruce Reynolds recalled, “We had a bunch of snipes (engineering department personnel) jump overboard at our first stop in the Med - I think it was in San Remo. The sight was unbelievable. All you saw were plastic bags containing their civies floating off. They got slammed hard - restriction to the ship for the entire cruise.”
Following a COMSIXTHFLT directive, Biddle got underway on 22 July for waters near Cyprus, which had been recently shocked by a coup. A month later, the U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus was assassinated and Biddle, along with Task Group members Inchon (LPH-12), Little Rock (CLG-4), Santa Barbara (AE-218), Detroit (AOE-4), Richard L. Page (DEG-5), Blakely (DE -1072), Manley (DD-940), Wood (DD-715), and Barry (DD-933), proceeded to Cyprus to help evacuate Americans living in Cyprus, if needed. The Task Group dissolved a few days later and Biddle proceeded to Naples, Italy, for a well deserved break after having been underway for 39 consecutive days.
On 5 August, while patrolling the waters near Crete, Captain Francis L. Carelli relieved Captain Edward W. Carter as Biddle’s sixth commanding officer. Captain Carter had commanded Biddle for 26 months. A Massachusetts native, Captain Carelli graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in June 1950 and enlisted in the Navy in December 1950 where he served in Salamonie (AO-26). Captain Carelli was commissioned in 1953 then served in Chemung (AO-30), Arequipa (AF-31), John A. Bole (DD-755) and Harry E. Yarnell (DLG-17). He commanded Skill (MSG-471) and Blakely (DE-1072).
Biddle had quite a company when she arrived in Naples on 24 August - anchored with her in the outer harbor were Forrestal (CVA-59) and Independence (CV-62). Dahlgren (DLG-12), Fiske (DD-842), Harold J. Ellison (DD -864), and William H. Wood (DD-715) were anchored in the inner harbor. After ten days in a very crowded port, Biddle stood out for Gaeta, Italy, where she participated in a Sixth Fleet change of command ceremony on 5 September. Soon after the change of command ceremonies, Biddle and USS Independence departed for operations in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Occasionally, Navy combatant crews are called upon perform an unusual duty. That was the case on 8 September 1974 when Biddle received a report of a jet liner crash. The 1974 Command History explains: “On 8 September BIDDLE received a report of a TWA jetliner Flight No. 841 (Boeing 707) having crashed in the Ionian Sea off Kefallinia, Greece. BIDDLE proceeded to the area at flank speed arriving at approximately 2030 local time and began search and rescue operations for survivors, bodies, and debris. During the night, boat crews, with the aid of helicopters from Independence, recovered 12 bodies from the rough, shark infested waters. The search for survivors continued for two days without success. “
Sonarman Bruce Reynolds remembers the event clearly: “I was a sonarman on board from December 1972 through August 1976. I recall the TWA encounter very well. The TWA thing was something else. I was in sonar. They turned that system off so I was rerouted over to help with the recovery. We used our hangar and the torpedo work shack to control the operation. I have some photos, but they don't come close to the horror of shark eaten bodies. Things like Gunners Mate shooting sharks without permission, grappling hooks, body parts all over the hanger, and we had only three body bags on board! “
Biddle departed the search area and headed west on 10 September to prepare for a firepower demonstration for the Secretary of the Navy, J. William Middendorf, on 14 September. The next day Biddle entered Augusta Bay, Sicily, for two days then was underway again to the Eastern Med. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral J. L. Holloway visited Biddle on 19 September.
Biddle, with Dahlgren, Page, and Barry, conducted torpedo and gunfire exercises on 20 September, with Biddle credited with “outstanding shooting” by COMDESRON FOUR. Following two days at training anchorage at Souda Bay, Crete, Biddle again joined Dahlgren and Page for missile exercises. Each ship fired a missile at an airborne target and a surface target. After anchoring at Souda Bay for the night, Biddle got underway for Civitavechia, Italy, to claim a boat that had been left behind for repairs. Inclement weather forced a delay, which “forced” the crew to take five days liberty in Rome.
At the conclusion of what must have been tough duty – five days in Rome – Biddle left to rendezvous with Richard E. Kraus (DD-849) to participate in OPERATION SILVERFOX. Biddle’s 1974 Command History explains SILVERFOX as
OPERATION SILVERFOX is the name given to periodic U.S. Naval ship transit into the Black Sea and associated fleet maneuvers. The purpose of the visit is to exercise our right to operate in International Waters; exercise the provisions of the Montreux Convention, which governs passage through the straits; and to familiarize U.S. Navy crews with Black Sea environment. On 11 October, after five days of steaming in the Black Sea, investigating various contacts and being constantly investigated by Soviet Navy and Air Force units, BIDDLE departed the Black Sea. During the transit southward through the Aegean Sea, the ship received a directive to commence Bystander ops with the Soviet Fleet, south of Crete. Finding the Soviets on 12 October, BIDDLE maneuvered among various units obtaining close looks at the new KARA class cruiser, KASHIN class frigates, KOTLIN class destroyers and MIRKA class destroyer escorts.
OPERATION SILVERFOX, as well as the rest of the cruise, had some lighter moments, at least in some eyes. Sonarman Reynolds recalled “I remember hooking up an 8-track tape player to the Sonar and playing Allman Bros to the entire Black Sea basin underwater at 2000 amps and ¼ Million watts. We knew there were three Russian subs and six surface ships around. We just thought they wanted some entertainment. A very funny story, but I know the Captain hated it, was when we lost our helm. We were scheduled to leave port, the charts were out, the tugs were hooking up, and someone noticed that there was no helm! That's a great story. Did anyone find out who shot that hole in the missile bay ID badge box? Someone shot it with a .45. I was on that security guard force for a while. I remember things like a full party going on in after steering. All the bolts were secured on the hatch. I remember wives being locked in the torpedo hanger bay with their husbands for a bit of privacy.”
With OPERATION SILVERFOX concluded on 13 October, Biddle steamed west, through the Straits of Messina to Naples, and then to Barcelona, Spain. On 15 October, she responded to a distress call from the British yacht Khalidia, off the west coast of Corsica. Khalidia, with 17 aboard, had lost her rudder in heavy seas and was floundering in violent swells. Even though Biddle had been directed to clear the area, she remained on the scene until the French destroyer La Galissonnière arrived. (God bless the French!)
After arriving in Barcelona, Biddle entered a standdown condition for two weeks. Biddle departed for Naples on 30 October and conducted a successful 20-knot economy run while enroute. An eight day tender availability alongside Yosemite (AD-19) in Naples followed. Refreshed after eight days of “tender” loving care, Biddle satisfactorily completed Basic Engineering Casualty Control Exercises (BECCE) and Basic Damage Control Exercises then participated in OPERATION POOPDECK, a simulated air attack on Spain by TG 60.1, consisting of USS Independence, USS Page, USS Waccamaw, USS Sampson, and USS Vreeland.
After detaching from the group for a port call to Genoa, Italy, Biddle rejoined the Task Group on 19 November for Western Med Operations. General Alexander Haig, Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, and Vice Admiral Turner, Commander, Sixth Fleet, toured the ship on 20 November. (I can only imagine how clean the ship was for that visit.) Following their departure, Biddle got down to the serious work of ASW operations with Pargo (SSN 650) the next day. Biddle then detached from TG 60.1 and proceeded to Palma de Mallorca, Spain, firing an ASROC missile and a torpedo at a telemetry buoy enroute. After a week in Palma, Biddle left for her last port-o-call, Rota, Spain, before heading home. With her turnover with Tattnall (DDG-19) and mission in the Mediterranean completed, Biddle stood out of Rota on 5 December and headed home. Biddle arrived in Norfolk on 14 December and was in standdown until the end of the year.
Biddle’s first Med cruise spanned exactly six months – from 14 June to 14 December. Although combat was not involved as it was in her first three deployments, Biddle got a close look at some of her potential adversaries during OPERATION SILVER FOX and our Soviet counterparts got to listen to the Alllman Brothers band. There were somber moments dealing with the death and destruction from the TWA jet crash in the Ionian Sea, and light moments for some of the crew partying in the after steering room and “getting lucky” with their wives in the torpedo bay. Comparing itineraries and time in port, Biddle’s first Med cruise had fewer demands than her previous deployments to the Gulf of Tonkin. But, that is how it works when you are in the United States Navy – you train hard, preparing for the worst but hoping for the best. You do what you are told to do, when to do it, and how to do it. But that’s okay; everybody up the chain of command does the same thing.
Biddle greeted 1975 as she had most previous years – in a leave and upkeep status. On 23 January, she completed offloading weapons at the Naval Weapons Station, Yorktown, in preparation for her upcoming complex overhaul, which was to be done by Norfolk Naval Shipyard. The contract was awarded to Bath Iron Works instead, so a request for homeport re-assignment was made and Biddle continued to prepare for the overhaul. The AN/SPS-40 radar antenna was removed on the same day a TEMPEST (compromising electronic emanations) inspection was conducted – 28 January. Other inspections that would quickly follow were the Annual Supply Inspection on 29 January and a Comprehensive Readiness Inspection from 19 to 21 January. The dismantling process for Mount 54, Mount 32, and the starboard CHAFFOC launcher began on 28 January.
With all appropriate inspections passed and other preparations completed, Biddle got underway for Bath, Maine, on 15 April with 19 U.S. Naval Sea Cadets embarked. (Those cadets should be approaching retirement as I write this in 2004.) Biddle arrived at BIW on 18 April and remained there for the remainder of the year. The crew moved to NAS Brunswick, a few miles down the road, and administrative work was done aboard a barge moored ahead of the ship. Additionally, Bath Iron Works had purchased a local church and converted it to a messing facility for Biddle’s crew. Meals were catered by NAS Brunswick.
On 30 June, as part of a broad reclassification that brought the US Navy’s classification system more in line with the rest of the world, Biddle and all ships of the Belknap and Leahy Classes were designated a CG - Guided Missile Cruiser. The reclassification system also classified Attack Carriers (CVA/CVAN) as multi-mission carriers (CV/CVN), all WWII cruisers as CG, DL/DLG became CG cruisers, and ocean escorts (DE/DEG) became FF/FFGs.
In August Biddle was awarded an “E” for CIC Operations, Surface to Air Missile, and Engineering by the Commander Naval Surface Atlantic Fleet.
Biddle’s overhaul at Bath Iron Works was nearing completion in January 1976. NTDS improvements included the installation of an Extended Core Memory Unit, Refresher Memory Unit, Keyset Central Multiplexer, Control Formatting Unit, and Model 4.0 Operational Program. Combat Information Center received the AIMS Identification, Friend or Foe (IFF) MK XII system and the Missile Fire Control System was upgraded to Mk 76 Mod 6 Digital Fire Control System. The SPS-48 radar was upgraded to an AN/SPS-48A(V) model and the SPS-10F surface search radar was upgraded with IFF capability. A new 5-inch/54 caliber MK 42 Mod 10 gun mount was installed. Habitability improvements were made to messing areas as well as environmental improvements to meet environmental pollution control requirements. Other weapons systems were overhauled, as were many auxiliary and engineering types of equipment.
Biddle’s Executive Officer from September 1975 to September 1977, Commander Gilbert H. McKelvey, came aboard Biddle during the latter half of the overhaul. His recollection of the overhaul is favorable for the crew, but not for Bath Iron Works.
I reported onboard Biddle in September 1975 while she was in a Complex Overhaul (COH) at Bath Iron Works (BIW) in Bath, Maine. The Commanding Officer was Captain Frank Carelli, now deceased. Biddle at that time was the first commissioned ship to undergo overhaul at BIW, which created continuous problems throughout the COH. The Navy’s expectations for proper administration and functions of a commissioned ship were not relieved, while the BIW workforce and management thought of Biddle as simply “Hull 1033”, the original BIW designation when the ship was under construction, and believed they could do the overhaul without reference or concern for the ship’s company responsibilities to the Navy. The change in scheduled location from Norfolk Naval Shipyard to Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine caused serious personal disruptions for the crewmembers and impacted negatively on retention and morale. The satisfactory completion of the COH under these circumstances is testimony to the true grit and professionalism of the crew. The Maine winter had a severe impact on exterior work progress while schedule required timely completion disregarding this issue. The ship was icebound from time to time in the Kennebec River and periodically a tug would slam into the side of the ship to break up the ice pushing the ship away from the pier. Everyone greeted the departure from BIW in the spring of 1976 with a high level of enthusiasm, especially the families who had been left behind in Norfolk. The end result was that the Navy received Biddle back into the fleet in first rate condition and readiness as proven by a superior performance in Refresher Training in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Fleet Exercises, and deployment performance in the Mediterranean.
On 23 January, Biddle’s crew returned to the ship and the tremendous job of getting Biddle checked out and combat ready. The first major test event occurred on 9 February with the arrival of the System Integration Test (SIT) team from Fleet Combat Direction System Support Activity, Dam Neck, Virginia, who commenced the NTDS Model 3.3 Operational Program Functional Checkout (OPFCO). Their purpose, according to the 1976 Command History, was “to check out the integration of the NTDS/WDS (Weapons Direction System) Mk 11 Mod 0 Interface to ensure proper channelization, intersystem functions, functioning of the NTDS operational program and training the operating personnel in the use of the new program. This team was on board for five weeks completing the OPFCO when the ship departed the yards.”
After conducting a FAST cruise on 24 February, Biddle got underway the next morning for three days of sea trials. The Command History reported, “During this underway period, air services were provided which flew two F-4B Phantoms against the ULQ-6 (electronic warfare system) in a Z-40_EW drill on 25 February and one B-52 in a low flight profile against the AN/SLQ-27 SHORTSTOP system. That day the ship completed a ninety-five per cent full power run which logged 238 rpms or 4 rpms over 32 knots for a four hour period; a successful sixty fathom anchor test drop and high speed maneuverability drills, which included several forty degree rudder orders at 32 knots. Each of the three days underway the ship exercised both the five-inch and three-inch gun batteries. She returned to Bath Iron Works on 27 February for an additional two-week period in order to correct outstanding overhaul discrepancies. “
On 17 March, with the first phase of her complex overhaul complete, Biddle sailed south to Bayonne, New Jersey, for the dry dock phase. Interestingly, while draining the dock, strong winds dislodged several docking blocks, upon which the ship rests while sitting in dry-dock, requiring the dock to be reflooded and the badly behaved blocks realigned. Biddle was floated on 24 April and left the dry dock, resplendent in her new hull paint and fresh rubberized paint on her sonar dome.
OS2 Terry L. Bowles, who had reported aboard Biddle the previous summer, recalled that
When I reported aboard Biddle in the summer of 1975, the ship was in Bath, Maine, for an overhaul. After we left Bath, we headed south for Bayonne, New Jersey, for more outer hull work. After a couple of months of enjoying Manhattan and the surrounding area, we were finally ending the ships overhaul. Our last task before we departed was to conduct shoreline wake tests on the banks of the rivers around lower Manhattan. The local government wanted to know what possible damage to the shorelines could be done by differing speeds up and down the rivers. This test was conducted for the upcoming Fourth of July celebration of our Nation’s 200 birthday of independence. The celebration plan was to include tall ships from all around the world and numerous other ships of varying sizes cruising the rivers around Manhattan. After several passes up and down the rivers of Manhattan, we finally left for our homeport of Norfolk Virginia.
Biddle returned to Naval Weapons Station, Yorktown, on 26 and 27 April to load an inventory of ASROC, 3-inch, five-inch ammunition, and Standard missiles. The following day Biddle returned to Norfolk after a 54-week absence. Biddle would remain in port for one and a half months catching her breath before a succession of demanding exercises and tests would bring her to combat readiness.
Ships Qualification Trials began in earnest on 18 May when Biddle got underway for local operations in the VACAPES Op Area. Helicopter Certification Training Readiness Inspection quickly followed, as did TACAN (an electronic navigation aid for aircraft) and SONAR certification. On 2 June Biddle fired the 5-inch and 3-inch guns for training purposes in the VACAPES Op Area then set sail for Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. Biddle fired five rounds from each gun on 7 June then three Standard missiles on 8 June. Only the second missile shot was a success - the first had a defective fuse and the last bird failed to ignite. Things were not going well that day – the Mk5 Mod 8 missile launcher also failed, delaying completion of the SQT missile tests until the launcher could be repaired
The Weapons Systems Accuracy Team (WSAT) team embarked and completed the inport phase of the test, which included firing a torpedo pierside at Roosevelt Roads. The SHORTSTOP system was tested at the Electronic Warfare range south of Puerto Rico and the island of Vieques on 14 June. Biddle then sailed for Fredericksted, St. Croix, and the WSAT range where a large part of the test was conducted. The ASROC test was postponed due to the CASREP missile launcher.
Refresher training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, began on 18 June soon after Biddle’s arrival. She passed her ASW exam the first week then the Navigation and Low Visibility piloting, ASCM, BECCE, BDCCE, UNREP NGFS, Anti-Air Gunfire and Condition I Battle Problem. Repairs to the missile launcher were made on 1 July, enabling Biddle to reschedule the remainder of SQT and WSAT after refresher training. Refresher training continued after a three day break in Port au prince, Haiti, until completion three weeks later. The final hurdles of completing SQT and WSAT remained, however.
OS2 Bowles recalled that
A short while later the Biddle left Norfolk heading for the Caribbean for Refresher Training at Guantanamo Bay Cuba. Every day at sea was long and filled with numerous training evolutions, and the much-needed Cinderella Liberty in Guantanamo Bay was too short lived. Finally, a much-needed break was headed our way with the 4th of July and the crew voted to spend the time off from training at Port-au-Prince Haiti. Arriving in Port-au-Prince we anchored out in the harbor, a first for me as a watch stander taking bearings on landmarks to ensure the Biddle was not drifting from its anchorage. Finally, my time came for me to take the motor whaleboat into port for liberty. I was amazed at the poverty and the vast visible presence of the police. After stepping off the motor whaleboat, I was suddenly over run by children begging for handouts. The police began to beat them off the pier with their nightsticks, until finally we could walk unencumbered off the pier. The city itself was impoverished, as were the people. We were told their per-capita annual income was a meager $80.00, and they preferred to trade for goods rather than receive money. A carton of cigarettes sold for $2.00 in the ships store. Not being a cigarette smoker myself, however, I found gold in those smokes. In Port-au-Prince a pack of cigarettes could buy you a meal, a few packs for trinkets, and a carton for a hotel room for the night. During our stay in Port-au-Prince, we observed our National Holiday, and learned of the numerous ships and boats in the rivers around Manhattan. The river wake tests we conducted was a success as the model correctly predicted the potential damage to the riverbanks. I felt pride in knowing the Biddle and her crew was a major contributor to the success of the biggest nautical celebration ever in Manhattan. Then reality sunk in for me regarding the everyday life struggle of the Haitians. The United States, the greatest nation on the face of the earth, was celebrating the Fourth of July, a day of independence and the people of Haiti were in a struggle of their own to survive from one day to the next. Independence that day became to mean more to me than just the Fourth of July. It became a day of realization of how people from another nation are simply struggling to live and in desperate need of personal independence from poverty. The over whelming knowledge that you cannot help everyone around you set in. During the remainder of my stay in Port-au-Prince, I began to personally interact with the Haitians I met. I found them to be a fine people with similar dreams and goals much like my own. We spoke about the world’s current events, and their genuine generosity became more apparent to me. I left Haiti a changed person forever with a fever to contribute to society, to make a difference in the lives of those around me and those I do not know.
Missile SQT requirements were met on 25 July when, off the southern coast of Puerto Rico, Biddle fired four missiles and all shots were evaluated as successful. The next day, off the northern coast of Puerto Rico, Biddle successfully completed her Missile SQT after firing the last missile at a surface target. NFGS requirements were met on 29 July at the Naval Gunfire Support range south of Vieques Island where Biddle fired 160 5-inch rounds during the day and well into the evening. I expect Biddle’s gunners mates slept very soundly that night. WSAT was completed the next day at St. Croix and a very tired crew was soon on their way home.
Biddle arrived in Norfolk on 2 August. With only a month before her scheduled departure to northern Europe to participate in Exercise TEAMWORK, there was still much work to be done and training to endure. The Nuclear Weapons Training Group, Atlantic, conducted nuclear weapons training in preparation for Nuclear Weapons Acceptance Inspection (NWAI) later that month. In the meantime, Biddle welcomed aboard her seventh commanding officer, Captain Albert L. Henry, Jr. A 1956 Naval Academy graduate, Captain Henry’s assignments included Bremerton (CA-130), Gearing (DD-710), and W. C. Lawe (DD-763). He commanded Seneca (ATF-91), was Ouellet’s (DE-1077) commissioning Commanding Officer, and Commander River Assault Squadron 15 in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.
Biddle stood out of Norfolk on 3 September to participate in the NATO multinational exercise in Northern Europe, Exercise TEAMWORK. Biddle rendezvoused on 4 September with Atlantic Fleet units out of Mayport, Florida, and Charleston, South Carolina, to form Task Group 400. During the nine week cruise, Biddle operated independently, with Task Group 400 elements, and with units of the Federal German Navy in the Baltic Sea, Norwegian Sea, Norwegian fjords, and the Skaggerak. During that time Biddle was a permanent magnet for a host of Admirals and assorted dignitaries. Flags and pennants were broken and hauled down for Commodore R.K. Albright, Commander Destroyer Squadron 22; Vice Admiral J.J. Shanahan, Commander, Striking Fleet Atlantic; and Rear Admiral F.F. Palmer, Commander, Amphibious Group 2. Biddle and her crew enjoyed liberty in ports such as Scapa Flow, Scotland; Copenhagen, Denmark; Travemunde (Luebeck), Germany; Hamburg, Germany; Antwerp, Belgium; and Cherbourg, France. Biddle participated in several amphibious assaults. The first was an amphibious landing in Norwegian fjords, another on the Jutland coast of Denmark, and once each in the beer halls of Hamburg and Travemunde, Germany, and Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen. The final exercise was a land assault on fine French restaurants in Cherbourg. Completely exhausted from multiple assaults that rivaled D-Day, Biddle departed Cherbourg on 29 October for Norfolk. She rendezvoused with USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) and elements of Task Group 22.6 for the final push home.
With the exception of a brief underway period in late November for the Atlantic Fleet Operation Propulsion Plant Exam (OPPE), Biddle remained in port for the remainder of the year. NTDS Model 4.0 Operation Program, which gave Biddle increased ASW capabilities and a two-way link 4A interceptor control link capability with F-14 Tomcats, was delivered in late November as well.
Biddle celebrated her 10th anniversary while underway from 17 January to 21 February with U.S., NATO, and South American Naval Forces units participating in a Caribbean Readiness Exercise (CARIBREX). Biddle’s 1977 Command History stated that “Highlights were a missile exercise with COMCRUDESGRU TWO embarked as Chief Observer, exercise firings of a torpedo tube launched torpedo and an ASROC, and port visits in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Frederickstead, Saint Croix.” After passing an inspection by the Board of Inspection and Survey in March, Biddle participated in a Competitive Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX 4-77) from 11 to 22 April. In June, prior to her next overseas deployment, her second Med cruise, Biddle passed numerous inspections including an Operation Propulsion Plant Examination, a Nuclear Technical Proficiency Inspection, and a Combat Systems Readiness Review.
Pronounced fit and ready, Biddle stood out from Pier 21, D and S Piers, Norfolk, on 11 July for a 22 week Mediterranean deployment as a unit of the Sixth Fleet. After an 11-day Atlantic crossing on “glassy seas,” Biddle arrived at her first port, Tangier, Morocco, and relieved sister ship Standley (CG-32). An intriguing, hot, dry North African city, Tangier provided activities not normally available stateside – riding camels and visiting the Kasbah.
At the next port, Biddle was an eager, if not victorious participant, in the First Annual Motor Whaleboat Race at Golfo di Palma while anchored in the training harbor. Inexplicably, Biddle’s entry came in second place.
Biddle’s crew enjoyed liberty in Naples, Italy, and the surrounding area from 11 to 14 August. Taking advantage of the hot August weather, some Biddle sailors vacated the narrow streets and crazy drivers of Naples for the sandy beaches and bikinis at the Isle of Capri in the Bay of Naples. Good choice.
Biddle continued her travel backwards in time when she visited her third major port, Athens, Greece, from 27 August to 7 September. From Syntagma, a shipyard eight miles north of Athens, Biddlemen took tours to almost every part of Athens and to Delphi, 100 miles distant. The Acropolis, which is visible from anywhere in the city and older than most Biddle Senior Chiefs, was a favorite spot to visit and take pictures. Some Biddle sailors, not willing to give up their sea legs, took cruises to islands in the Saronic Gulf while, not surprisingly, some Biddle sailors chose to sample wine at a wine festival on an ancient pass leading into the city.
The second Italian port Biddle visited was the quiet town of Gaeta, located on the west coast approximately midway between the great cities of Rome and Naples. The grandeur and close proximity of Rome was irresistible – most Hard Chargers took advantage of both organized and unorganized tours to see the ancient city. Those Biddlemen who stayed in Gaeta were not disappointed with the small town atmosphere and outstanding Italian food, southern style. After leaving Gaeta, Biddle sailed for Naples to embark British Vice Admiral Roderick Macdonald, Commander Naval Forces South, for participation in NATO exercises including Exercise Display Determination.
Palma de Mallorca, situated off the coast of Spain in the Balearic Islands, was the port many Biddle wives chose to visit their husbands for a two week vacation. Biddle sailors whose wives or girlfriends visited had numerous activities to choose from in the famous resort city – most of which they could write home about.
Biddle’s third Italian port, La Spezia, is located at the top of the “boot,” 65 kilometers north of the city of Pisa and its famous leaning tower. Not only did La Spezia offer the Italian Riviera and close proximity to Pisa, it also had Camp Darby, an Army post near Pisa with an “EM Club, an Officer’s Club, a movie theater, a recreation center, hobby shop and, of course, an exchange,” according to the ’77 Med Cruise Book.
Biddle visited her last port, Toulon, France, twice – first on 15 November for one day, and again from 28 November to 5 December. Situated on the French Riviera, Toulon offered a unique snapshot of the French culture, cuisine, way of life, and an opportunity to snap up a few last minute Christmas presents.
With Biddle’s mission complete, she anchored again at Tangier, Morocco, where she was relieved by South Carolina (CGN-37). The ’77 Med Cruise book reported that “There was some confusion as to whether we would stay the night, but right after sunset, we were underway for Norfolk, Va! There was a wild roar as crewmembers lined the rails to gaze of into the sunset and think about home 11 days away.” Biddle returned to Norfolk on 22 November and entered a post deployment standdown period.
Sandwiched between commissioning and decommissioning are millions of hours of administration, paperwork, problem solving, maintenance, repair, inspections, overhauls, exercises, and training. For enlisted and officer alike, life aboard a U.S. Navy combatant is often routine and predictable, but periodically punctuated by a call to an exotic port, or a call to action. 1978 was a year that did not involve a call to action or an overhaul, but involved virtually everything else that could happen to a ship. It was a very busy year.
The new year found Biddle in a post deployment stand down mode until her eleventh birthday on 21 January. COMCRUSDESGRU EIGHT broke his flag on 30 January only to haul it down on 3 February, after an official call from the commanding officer of the Federal German ship Luetjens. Most of February was spent preparing for ASWEX 1-78, an experimental ASW exercise “designed to test and evaluate proposed tactics for protection of a Carrier Task Force,” which was Biddle’s primary mission. Biddle was underway for the Caribbean and ASWEX 1-78 on 24 February with HSL-34 Detachment 4 helicopter crew aboard and both COMCRUDESGRU TWO and COMSUBRON FOUR embarked. Biddle’s 1978 Command History notes “During ASWEX 1-78 Biddle exercised her Sonar and ASW Weapons System often and well, holding contact on submarines for over one hour and conducting exercise torpedo attacks with installed launchers and with the LAMPS helicopter.”
With ASWEX 1-78 completed and after a brief respite in Roosevelt Roads, Biddle participated with units from the Federal Republic of Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States in exercise SAFE PASS, which exercised NATO’s ability to protect shipping routes in the Western Atlantic. Biddle arrived in Norfolk on 16 March, long enough to receive the usual flurry of congratulatory messages, and then got underway again, this time to provide services for operational readiness inspections for USS John F. Kennedy and USS Forrestal.
Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX 2-78), designed to prepare a ship for overseas deployment, was next on Biddle’s schedule. The 1978 Command History stated, “Although not immediately scheduled for a deployment, BIDDLE’S participation was needed in the exercise as a substitute for another cruiser which was unable to participate.” Over and above her preparation for COMPTUEX 2-78, Biddle was also given a Technical Standardization Inspection/Nuclear Technical Proficiency Inspection “to evaluate all aspects of safety and security associated with the ship’s special weapons capability.” Biddle passed the inspection with a grade of excellent.
With preparations for COMPTUEX 2-78 complete and a successful Nuclear Proficiency Inspection under her belt, Biddle got underway on 10 April for three weeks of concentrated training at sea. Twelve U.S. Navy ships, one Coast Guard cutter, and two French destroyers joined Biddle in the exercise. Biddle’s 1978 Command History reported “During the COMPTUEX, BIDDLE was able to utilize almost all aspects of her combat system suite, conducting successful torpedo attacks using LAMPS, ASROC, and deck launched torpedoes and firing Terrier Missiles at surface and air targets.” Biddle enjoyed a few days liberty in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and then completed an Operational Readiness Evaluation (ORE) during transit to Norfolk.
Following a brief stand down, Biddle was underway again on 15 May to prepare for the upcoming Operational Propulsion Plant Examination (OPPE) and to conduct a family cruise to Yorktown, Virginia. The OPPE was “terminated before completion due to inadequate fire room performance,” claimed the Command History. After an Administrative Inspection by COMCRUDESGRU EIGHT on 12 June, a formal personnel inspection on 14 June, and underway engineering casualty control training from 5 July to 11 July, Biddle passed her OPPE inspection. The remainder of the month was spent in preparation for getting underway on 28 July for COMPTUEX 4-78.
With COMCRUDESGRU EIGHT and Staff embarked, Biddle got underway on 28 July for the Puerto Rico Operating Area with Saratoga (CV-60), Valdez (FF-1096), John King (DDG-3), and Milwaukee (AOR-2). The Mobile Sea Range (MSR) part, which “involved live firings of the HARPOON Cruise Missile in the Atlantic Fleet,” according to the Command History, was completed, at which time Biddle departed for a two day port visit in Ft. Lauderdale. Next, Biddle sailed to Newport, Rhode Island, for a reception with direct descendants of Nicholas Biddle in association with the Seaport ’76 Foundation.
Captain John N. Ryan, U.S. Navy, reported aboard as Prospective Commanding Officer on 21 August and assumed command as Biddle’s eighth commanding officer on 25 August. A native of California, he was commissioned an Ensign on 14 August 1954. Captain Ryan served as Executive Officer of Estero (AKL-5), Keenfish (SS-393), Argonaut (SS-475), and Standley (CG-32). Captain Ryan commanded Charles R. Ware (DD-865)
The helicopter detachments that served aboard Biddle throughout her career were an essential part of Biddle’s life. During Biddle’s three deployments to the Gulf of Tonkin, they were used to rescue downed pilots and to bring mail and supplies from Yankee Station. They were also an ASW platform and a general utility transportation vehicle.
The pilots who landed them on Biddle’s postage-sized landing area in any weather had nerves of steel and extraordinary flying skills. The remainder of the detachment that supported “Big Mother” or whatever the current, endearing, epithet happened to be, were dedicated and skilled professionals too – they were Hard Chargers! There was more than just a symbiotic relationship between Biddle and her helicopters. Over the many months that helo detachments served in Biddle, bonds were made and friendships were formed between the two crews. So, when Biddle arrived in Norfolk on 23 August and lost the services of HSL-34, the LAMPS Helicopter Detachment that had been aboard Biddle intermittently since December 1976, the crew of HSL-34, wrote an inspiring letter of appreciation to the crew of USS Biddle. The letter follows:
As most of you already know, your LAMPS detachment from HSL 34 will be re-assigned to another ship in September. Since December 1976 when Detachment 4 joined the BIDDLE, it has enjoyed successful operations in numerous exercises ad a long Med deployment. In recognition of these and other detachment’s work our squadron has recently been awarded the Isabel Trophy for ASW excellence and the CNO Safety Award for safe and efficient operations. We, the men of your LAMPS detachment, know full well that these awards and also our everyday operations would be impossible without the dedicated efforts of all Hard Chargers. Although our favorite announcement is “Flight Quarters, Flight Quarters for helo launch…”, we know the sacrifices demanded of you to support our efforts. Our appreciation goes to all hands but in particular: To flight deck party members who share the harsh elements, and the long and often unusual working hours, to the HCO and phone talkers who are a superb team, to the crash boat party and fire suitmen who we hold in high esteem as they stand ready to risk their lives to save ours, to the ASAC’S and Operations Department who direct and control us in our operational mission and help us return safely in all weather conditions, to the Supply Department for providing the steady stream of parts and equipment that keeps us 100% Op ready and for good food at very unusual hours. To the Weapons Department who supply our operational equipment of sonobouys, smoke markers, torpedoes and take care of our hangar while we’re gone. To the Engineers who make all things possible as well as giving us power to start and good pure fuel to burn and to the bridge team for fair winds and steady deck from which to work. Those members of the detachment who came aboard in ’76 as well as those who have joined more recently pass their thanks for being accepted as true shipmates and wish you fair winds and following seas in all future operations. Our aircraft, “Hard Charger 34”, has been working a little too hard of late and has developed problems with its main transmission. She accumulated 100 hours in this last exercise with a total of 500 hours since January. This is 10% of the total of all Atlantic Fleet LAMPS (four entire squadrons), but even though she might disembark by crane at pierside we hope you feel she has earned your call sign, “Hard Charger”.
Biddle departed for her third Mediterranean deployment on 3 October. Enroute, she conducted a missile exercise and gunshoot with Saratoga (CV-60) and other units of the transit group. Biddle relieved Yarnell (CG -17) in Lisbon, Portugal, on 14 October and assumed duties in the U.S. Sixth Fleet. Biddle arrived in La Spezia, Italy, on 24 October after operating with units of Task Group 60.2 for six days. Departing La Spezia on 27 October, Biddle again rendezvoused with Saratoga and Task Group 60.2 and proceeded to the Ionian Sea where Biddle and Conyngham (DDG-17) entered Phaleron Bay, Athens, Greece, on 4 November.
An interesting account in Biddle’s Command History regarding the port visit is recalled: ” On 9 November Brigadier General Nikolopoulos, Chief of the Athens Metropolitan Police Department, plus several other police officers, attended a memorable and touching luncheon in the Wardroom. Following an exchange of gifts, General Nikolopoulos made a memorable speech regarding the sense of security and friendship he and other Greek people felt when units of the Sixth Fleet are present in Greek waters. General Nikolopoulos’ statement was given credence when, during daily playing of the U.S. National Anthem at morning colors, Greek fishermen fishing from small boats near BIDDLE would stop their work and rise to attention for the duration of the anthem.”
Biddle departed Athens on 14 November and proceeded to Soudha Bay, Crete, to participate in a missile exercise and gun shoot. She returned to Athens on 20 November to embark the Commander Submarine Force Atlantic, Rear Admiral P. B. Tomb, and then proceeded through the Bosporous and Dardanelles (The Bosphorous channel connects the northern Marmora to the Black Sea while the Dardanelles is a channel connecting the north Aegean Sea with the south end of the Sea of Marmora) to visit the Socialist Republic of Romania. Escorted by a Romanian Naval vessel, Biddle arrived in Constanta on 22 November. Biddle was one of only four U.S. Navy ships to visit Romania in half a century. Soon, Rear Admiral Tomb, Captain Ryan, other Biddle officers, and the Defense Attaché Bucharest, made official calls to a long list of Romanian dignitaries. Following the official calls, the protocol party and 40 enlisted men laid a ceremonial wreath at Victory Monument in Constanta. There was a reception; there were tours and general sightseeing in the city as well as numerous luncheons, sport competition, and cocktails. Biddle’s visit to the port city of Constanta in the Socialist Republic of Romania was a significant diplomatic event and spoke highly of Biddle and her crew.
On the Biddle web site at http://www.ussbiddle.org HTCM Richard Outland recalled an adventure that involved Biddle and elements of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea. That story is reprinted here.
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 hell 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.
Biddle departed Constanta on 30 November to return to her normal duties. Four days of intense ASW exercises followed, and then Biddle enjoyed a five day visit in Kalamata, Greece. She left Kalamata on 7 December to join Task Group 60.2 for missile and gunnery exercise near Soudha Bay, Crete. On 15 December, Biddle joined Conyngham and John King in a transit to Naples, Italy, where Biddle rested until 2 January 1979.
One exciting incident that was not mentioned in the cruise book or the Command History can now be told. A very out of breath HTCM Richard Outland tells the story:
Biddle deployed, inport Naples, Italy. Christmas time, Med moored to downtown pier, Cinderella liberty – crew returning from Blue Bird Club and CincSouth. Commotion at hand near foot of brow and on quarterdeck, crowd gathering, quarterdeck watch running back and forth. Closer observation shows circus wagons on pier being staged for loading on ferry, Hard Chargers full of Christmas cheer, one who opens door to lion cage – lion leaps out and heads for ship – up the brow and onto fantail/quarterdeck. OOD EMC Randy Crider going out of his mind and pulls 45 caliber from messenger/Petty Officer of the Watch holster, chambers a round and with a shaky hand tries to point it at the lion which is now cavorting all over the fantail but only in a showmanship fashion – non-threatening. OOD Crider calls the wardroom – CDO for instructions not covered in the standing orders. The POW now with a broom in his hand had spooked the lion which now had climbed the ladder to the flight deck, needless to say panic had set in; I slowly made my way past all of the ruckus and went to the CPO galley and got some of left over chicken parts and went back to the flight deck and by offering tasty chicken to the lion (which he ate in haste) finally I lured him back to his cage and bolted the door. All of the armchair lion tamers in and around the quarterdeck said I was a nutcase. Somewhat true, I guess. Later as I reflected on the evening’s events, I thought that just maybe I had just enough Christmas spirits in me to not be intimidated by a hungry Italian speaking lion.
Biddle, after checking all spaces for circus animals, celebrated the new year by participating in SHAREM 30, “an ASW exercise conducted for the purpose of gathering data used in the research and development of ASW tactics,” according to Biddle’s 1979 Command History. Conyngham, John King, Brumby, and McCloy accompanied Biddle during the exercise. Enroute to a five day visit to the port of Bizerte, Tunisia, Biddle took part in PASSEX, in which Tunisian Naval ships and Air Force aircraft conducted a simulated attack on Biddle. Following the visit to Bizerte, Biddle shadowed the Soviet Navy’s Kiev Task Group in the Eastern Mediterranean until 19 January when Biddle rejoined the Saratoga Task Group. From 22 January to 6 February, the crew enjoyed the mild temperatures and Spanish hospitality in Palma de Mallorca, located approximately 100 miles south of Barcelona, Spain.
February’s activities began with participation in ASW Week from 6 to 10 February. During the exercise, Biddle not only located, tracked, and acted against submarines with her ASW weapons, she also “took advantage of local air assets provided by USS Saratoga (CV-60) for anti-air warfare freeplay, and also conducted test firings of ships guns,” again according to Biddle’s Command History. Following ASW Week, Biddle visited Spain’s leading port city of Alicante for a week, then conducted communications, ASW, CIC, and Engineering exercises in the Western Mediterranean while simultaneously conducting logistic replenishment exercises. The ending of that series of exercises marked the preparation for the next exercise, National Week XXVI.
National Week XXVI simulated a conventional war between the theoretical Blue and Orange nations. The elaborate conflict required Blue nation’s task force to simulate a combined amphibious landing in Capo Teulada, Sardinia, with Biddle securing control of the seas during the transit to the landing area. Three Turkish observers, a Turkish Air Force officer and two Turkish Naval Officers, went along for the ride. Captain Ryan and several other officers attended a post exercise debriefing aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69).
Biddle enjoyed a flurry of port visits in March – Barcelona from 6 to 13 March, Cadiz from 17 to 22 March, and Rota from 23 to 25 March. Sandwiched between Barcelona and Cadiz was Biddle’s last exercise of the cruise, a series of AAW exercises with Saratoga (CV-60). While in Barcelona, Biddle took aboard a civilian contractor, Dennis O'Neill, to accomplish Ships Force Overhaul Management System (SFOMS) training. Mr. O’Neill was working for PERA [CRUDES] (Planning and Engineering for Repair and Alteration, Cruiser/Destroyer) at the time. His contribution to Biddle’s story probably reflects what most civilians who came aboard Biddle feel about her.
We rode the ship from Barcelona to Cadiz during which time [then] Lieutenant Commander Tom Marfiak, her Chief Engineer, and I became friends and are to this day. I was berthed with the Operations Officer and Biddle lived up to the Belknap Class' reputation of, "Cadillac of the Sea." A steady quartering swell from the Southeast gave her a motion that I found conducive to a good nights rest even though the two Department Head's staterooms were well forward and I tried to get as much aft as possible when riding a ship since that end is more likely to stay in contact with the ocean. At one point, however, we encountered the "100th Wave" and I still remember the feeling in the pit of my stomach. The bow rose and stopped as usual and I awaited the descent to the next trough when, suddenly, the bow continued rising! It seemed to go on forever and when it finally started back down I reached out with both hands to grab a frame member and hung on for dear life. My head said we were surely falling off the edge of the earth! When Biddle settled into the next trough I'm sure she took green water close to the bridge windows. She seemed to shudder from end to end and then settled back into her regular motion. That was the only episode of its kind in a 4-day transit but it's still quite clear in my memory. The other thing I remember about my visit to Biddle was the professionalism and courtesy, to a man, that I found in the ships company. SFOMS was considered to be another 'paper drill,' among so many requirements foisted upon ships in those days. Biddle's attitude seemed to be, "Well, if it's required, let's figure out how to get it done." We got complete cooperation from every work center in loading their work package into the SFOMS data base. During light-off in the After Engine Room in Barcelona a petty officer approached Mr. Marfiak and asked if he could extend on Biddle past the end of the upcoming overhaul. "Why do you want to do that?" Tom asked. "Because I've seen our overhaul package and they're going to do quite a few upgrades to my main feed pumps and forced draft blowers and I'd like to see how they work afterwards. "Tom," I said, "Did he say ‘my’ feed pumps and blowers? I haven't heard that on a ship in at least 5 years!" My involvement with SFOMS lasted three years; the second half with PERA [CV]. Biddle and Waddell (DDG-24) under Commander Brian Moynihan were the two high points of that time and Biddle was the highest.
USS R. K. Turner (CG-20) relieved Biddle at Rota and Biddle headed home. Arriving Norfolk on 5 April, Biddle entered a post deployment stand down until 30 April.
For the next three months Biddle entertained a variety of visitors. On 27 April, thirteen congressional staff members and officers from the Office of Legislative Affairs and CINCLANTFLT toured Biddle for a “naval orientation” tour. During May, June, and July, Biddle hosted U.S. Naval Academy and NROTC midshipmen, and on 11 May, Biddle was visited by a group of senior officers from ten countries that were sponsored by the U.S. Army War College. A week later, forty COMNAVSEASYSMCOM civilian employees visited Biddle to study her operation capabilities and habitability.
August’s schedule included two exercises – SEABAT 3-79 from 6 August to 11 August and COMPUTEX 3-79 from 20 August to 31 August. SEABAT 3-79, a joint U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force exercise, tested the ability to link NTDS with the USAF Electronic Warfare Platform. COMPUTEX involved 13 U.S. Navy Second Fleet ships, a carrier wing, four U.S. Air Force tactical fighter wings a tactical reconnaissance wing, a tactical air control wing, Air National Guard units, and Royal Navy units. The elaborate six-phase 12 day exercise, as reported in the COMPUTEX 3-79 press release, was designed “To improve overall unit readiness and to exercise the forces assigned in task group operations.”
Regular Overhaul at Philadelphia
Biddle returned to Norfolk in late August to offload ammunition and prepare for a scheduled regular overhaul (ROH) at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Both of Biddle’s 3-inch 50 caliber guns, the AN/SPG-55B missile radars, and portions of the SLQ-27 SHORTSTOP system were removed at Norfolk before departing for Philadelphia on 24 September. The ROH officially began on 28 September and Biddle entered drydock on 22 October. The overhaul would install two Phalanx Close-In Weapons Systems (CIWS), the HARPOON missile system, AN/SPS-48C (ADT) Radar, Mk 76 Mod 8 GMFCS, and the computerized communications system NAVMACS.
Biddle would be the first CG to receive the Phalanx CIWS – the carriers America, Enterprise, and Coral Sea received the installation first. Developed by General Dynamics in the early seventies after a study showed that a radar-directed, high-rate-of-fire gun could be effective against close-in anti-ship missiles if the system employed a closed-loop spotting concept. The system’s radar would detect the position of both the target and the projectile then adjusted the gun’s aim accordingly. A test unit was built and underwent a successful ground test in 1970. Prototypes were installed on King (DDG-14) in 1973 and the decommissioned Cunningham in 1975. All missiles fired at Cunningham were destroyed. In 1976, the Phalanx was installed on the destroyer USS Bigelow (DD-942) for operational evaluation testing. Testing revealed that the Phalanx was four times more reliable than requirements and repair times were better than specified minimums. Phalanx was approved for production in 1978, deliveries began in 1979, and initial installations were made in 1980.
The gun’s characteristics are impressive. The 12,500 pound 20 mm M-61A1 system could fire 3,000 rounds per minute of a ¼ pound depleted uranium 6-inch projectile at a muzzle velocity of 3,600 feet per second. Later models could fire at 4,500 rounds per minute and the system weighs 13,600 pounds. The gun’s rate of train was 100 degrees per second and rate of elevation was 86 degree per second.
The Harpoon missile was designed to engage warships at a range of up to 60 nautical miles, allowing Standard and Terrier missiles, which were adapted for anti-ship use, to be used exclusively for AAW defense. The Harpoon boasts a sea-skimming cruise trajectory and mid-course active radar guidance capabilities. Before firing, target information is programmed into the harpoon. The booster section, which contains a solid fuel rocket motor and arming device, separates once sustained flight is achieved. The sustainer section, with a JP-10 burning jet engine, provides the thrust required to keep the missile airborne. Once airborne, the missile locates the target with its on-board radar and flies to the target without further operator control. The versatile, multi-service missile can be launched from submarines, aircraft (without the booster), or trucks. Given the missile’s proven track record, budget restraints, continued improvement projects, and no successor on the horizon, we can expect the Harpoon to be around after 2015.
Naval Modular Automated Communications System (NAVMACS) was, according to co-author and computer/communications specialist Dave Boslaugh, an “automated message preparation, routing, and distribution system aboard ship similar to the shore based Local Digital Message Exchange (LDMX). NAVMACS installations were modular like NTDS and could be tailored to large or small ships by using different amounts of the standard modular units. NAVMACS used AN/UYK-20 standard Navy minicomputers.” Biddle was equipped with NAVMACS V2, which was designed for 15 different classes of ships from AOs to CGs.
Biddle’s air search capabilities were enhanced with the installation of the AN/SPS-48C radar with Automatic Detection and Tracking (ADT) features and a Moving Target Indicator (MTI) capability, giving Biddle multiple target detection and tracking capability. The 17 foot square, 4,500 pound antenna used changes in frequency to steer the beam in elevation, which provided the target’s height. Elevation coverage was from zero to 45 degrees and targets could be detected up to a low angle range of 265 miles. |