Category Archives: USS Calvert

Refueling exercise with the USS Catamount (LSD-17) during rough seas, February 15 1964

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On February 15, 1964 the the USS Calvert and the USS Catamount (LSD-17) attempted a refueling exercise in rough seas while enroute to Yokosuka, Japan. Here are the Calvert’s deck log entries for this exercise:

  • 0800 Stationed the fueling detail.
  • 0812 Catamount commenced her approach to starboard side for refueling.
  • 0845 First line over.
  • 1000 Commenced pumping fuel. Fuel hose parted. Ceased pumping. Maneuvering at various courses and speeds to regain station.
  • 1009 Canceled fueling exercise. Maneuvering at various courses and speeds to regain station.

The Calvert’s log book entry for this day is available here: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/220441141?objectPage=57

Steve Straka (MM2, “A” Division, 1962-1965) provided these photographs from his personal collection, which he took while aboard the Calvert. Thanks also go to Wasey Broussard for providing the name of the Catamount. Thanks to other contributors’ comments below, helping to set additional details for these photographs.

Click on a picture to open a full resolution copy in a new window.

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Calvert Struck by Friendly Torpedo! (Pearl Harbor – 1964)

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Steve Straka (MM2, “A” Division, 1962-1965), was kind enough to provide the following story via email:

After leaving San Diego in January 1964 we went to Hawaii to pick up Marines to take to Japan. As is normal when a convoy leaves Pearl Harbor the submarines conduct war games on the convoys and the surface ships do anti-sub maneuvers. We settled into normal sailing, when over the loud speakers came “General Quarters – General Quarters – This is not a drill – Torpedo Port Side All Hands to Battle Stations.”

I was in the fresh water evaporator room on the port side. I heard a loud bang and felt the torpedo hit just forward of the evap. room, in the engine room. I had on my sound powered phone and heard the engine room say there was a hole in the port side and we were taking on water. This was getting scary.

As luck would have it. the torpedo hit on a heavy steel rib and it was only a small hole in the hull. The damage control party was able to slow the leak and we continued on to Youkoska Japan where a patch was welded on the. hull. If the torpedo had hit one foot either way, it would have been sitting in the steam generators knocking out all the power.

When we left Pearl Harbor we went into a anti-sub convoy formation. The sub had set up a torpedo plot on the USS Paul Revere (APA-248). When they fired a practice torpedo it was set to go under the target ship, it would then rise and continue to run until it ran out of fuel. It was then recovered.  Well the Paul Revere was on our port side. Need I say more! The Captain said that was the fastest the ship ever went to General Quarters.

–Thanks to Steve for sharing this great story!

Calvert’s medical corpsmen, 1943 or 1944

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The photographs below show the Calvert’s medical corpsmen and medical staff in either 1) November 1943 shortly before the invasion of Makin, or 2) June/July 1944 around the time of the invasion of Saipan.

Many thanks to Robert McClellan for providing the first photograph from his father’s collection. His father, H.W. “Mack” McClellan is kneeling in front of the crew member wearing the black coat.

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In the above photograph you can also see parts of the Calvert’s mine-sweeping equipment and rigging, including two paravanes, cradles (holding the torpedo-shaped paravanes) and the sweeping boom (horizontal boom).

This second photograph shows the same group of men, along with additional members of the Calvert’s medical crew. This photograph was provided by Eric Hook (USAF), whose grandfather William J. Hook was a surgeon aboard the Calvert ’43-’46.

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Please contact me if you happen to know the names of any of the other crew members pictured here.

Notes:

  • 2014-04-05 – Edited to improve the post and to add cross-links.
  • 2014-08-02 – Corrected date of photographs from summer 1944 to November 1943 based on information from other crew members and families of corpsmen who served after this photograph was taken. Added Dr. Valcik’s name to the photograph.
  • 2015-02-05 – Changed possible timeframe to either 1943 or 1944 based on additional information and the addition of Jacob A.S. Fisher’s name to both photographs.