CREW'S STORIES
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Collisions and Minor Mishaps
Collisions and Minor Mishaps
Having been aboard in 1960, as well as 1959, 1961, and 1962, I remember only too well the collision with the USS Richard S. Edwards off the California coast. I was in my bunk after 12 hours of flight ops when the collision alarm sounded and I felt a "slight" tremor. We were berthed under the aft flight deck landing area on the O-2 level. Our compartment emptied into the aft gun tubs, both port and starboard. I rushed out to the starboard side, as I had watched a little refueling before sack time. There to my suprise was the Edwards sliding down the side of the ship. She was opened up for 3 decks, the port side of the bridge was open, we had a torpedo tube in the deck edge elevator and parts of the Captains barge stuck hither and yon. No one was hurt during this, one of many, fiascoes we had.
We were tied up at the foot of Broadway for a weekend open house and when we left on Monday, we took out the floating dock that all of the Admiral and Captains barges tied up to. There were a couple there and was it funny to watch the Boatswains mate rush to get them under way.
We were tied up port side to at Juliet pier at North Island (the one the nickel snatcher' ferried you to). We were at quarters getting underway again and instead of turning to starboard and leaving the pier, we went to port and took down the crane that was there.
During our cruise of that year, I know of two and I think three times we drenched the same destroyer with fuel during the crossing to Hawaii. We turned right and they went left. So much for a pretty and clean ship. I have film of one of those daring events after the fact.
This was the same skipper for all events and the crew often wondered how he got his license.
The ship is dead, long live the USS Bennington and her crews!!!!!
Jon Easley
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