The Little Red Lightship that brought a Big Aircraft
Carrier to a Stop
By James F. (Jay) McCarthy
 |
A Lightship on Station faces
many daily challenges. Some life threatening, some exciting, some routine and
others like the following “True Story”, just plain different.
06:00 … Called duty cook 06:50 … Secured Main and Anchor lights 07:00 … Reveille, called all hands 07:35 … Approaching out of the
early morning haze on the Port Side, with a heading that would take her into New
York Harbor, was the U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier Roosevelt. Chief Carter and the rest of the
ships crew came up on deck. By now
the Roosevelt had stopped all engines and was dead in the water, a little less
than a ¼
mile off our port side. Now, there are many things we on
Lightships can do, however, if there was one thing on the “Old Relief
78/505” that we had difficulty with. It was reading a message from a fast and
fully experienced Signalman. Chief Carter didn’t have to ask if anyone could
read the message, as the blank look on our faces told him “we didn’t have a
clue” as to it’s content. Chief Carter went below and came
back up with a signal manual. He then climbed on top of the Wheelhouse to the
signal light, and using the manual, attempted to signal the Roosevelt back.
Obviously the Navy Signalman, being used to “blinding speed” was
unable to read the “slower” message Chief Carter was sending, or perhaps,
not all of the dots and dashes we sent were in the proper order. Whatever the reason, and unable to
reach the Roosevelt by radio, an exasperated Chief Carter, gave the order to
“lower the small boat”. In the finest tradition of a USCG Chief Boatswain
Mate (I shall leave out, a large portion of the actual words used,) Chief
Carter ordered the small boat crew to go over to the Carrier and ask them what
we could do to help them. He also gave instructions to tell them our
“Signalman” had an appendicitis attack, was hospitalized ashore, and we had
not received a replacement. In reality, there are NO billets on Lightships for a
Signalman. “Away the small boat”!
The “motor whale boat” traveled over to the Roosevelt, which by this
time had a gangway lowered; an officer and several enlisted men climbed down to
greet our small boat. After a short discussion, the
small boat got under way again. With out any further hesitation,
we contacted the Pilot Boat. A short time later, the Pilot Boat
arrived and a Pilot boarded the Roosevelt; she got underway again and headed
into New York Harbor. FOOTNOTE: Year Built 1904 … Year Sunk 1960 At approximately 04:11 on 24 June 1960, while
anchored on AMBROSE Channel Lightship Station in heavy fog and zero visibility.
A collision occurred between the anchored RELIEF 78/505 and the freighter
SS GREEN BAY. Approximately 10 minutes later, the RELIEF 78/505 sank. All 9 of
the crew aboard, managed to abandon ship safely. The date was somewhere around
April 1958.
Location: AMBROSE Channel
Lightship Station, relieving AMBROSE Lightship WLV 613
I was standing the 04:00-08:00
Deck Watch
Weather: Cool, calm seas and ½
mile visibility with early morning haze
Vessel in Status “Alfa”
Shortly after observing her, she
began signaling us with her signal light.
As I couldn’t read her message
(signal was too fast ), I tried to reach the Roosevelt on the radio, but was
unsuccessful.
I notified OINC, Louis C. Carter,
BMCM, as Commanding Officer, Mr. Brower, CHBOSN W-1, was ashore on leave.
When she returned and while the
small boat crew was still handling the “falls” …
Everyone was shouting over the
side at them, “what did the Roosevelt want?”
They’re looking for the Pilot
Boat and wanted our help to locate it, was the reply!
The Pilot Boat!
We were incredulous, and couldn’t believe it. All that, for the Pilot
Boat!
And that, is the story of how;