Bernard W. Wolff
1000 Lackey Road
Roswell, Georgia 30075
Telephone: 770 740 9066
Telefax: 770 753 0003
April 14, 2003
Old Infamous
In his remarks given when his tour as Captain of the SHIELDS came to an end, Commander John F. Tarpey emphasized the fact that “the SHIELDS is a proud ship”. This she was from the minute I first came aboard to the day I left her for combat duty in Viet Nam. Some ships consistently excel, others drop the ball when the chips are down. The SHIELDS always found a way to excel regardless of the challenge. This was due to the outstanding crew who manned her, as well as the strong character that seemed to reside within her soul.
When I reported on board the SHIELDS in mid 1965, she had been assigned to the Reserve fleet for training Naval Reservists. I assume that this was done due to the unique boiler configuration of the ship: she had a 600 psi “D” type boiler installed to prove the technology of 1200 psi “D” type boilers subsequently adopted by the Fleet. While she could out accelerate and outrun most ships in the fleet, the unique design complicated servicing during a deployment to WestPac.
The SHIELDS’ activities were limited to cruises up & down the West Coast USA with reserve crews aboard, practice gunnery at San Clemente Island with the Gunnery School in San Diego, and AntiSubmarine Warfare training with submarines assigned to San Diego (the SHIELDS had the highest “ping time” in the fleet, giving it an edge over other ships in ASW exercises).
We trained two categories of Reservists: A “Regular” reserve crew that would join us if the SHIELDS were activated, and those Reservists who were engaged in two weeks’ active duty. Our “Regular” Reserve Crew was outstanding, proving themselves in Gunnery and ASW exercises.
In 1966, the SHIELDS was given a chance to show her mettle in a Fleet Exercise off the coast of San Diego. She was to act as a “Surface Raider” in the mode of a USA ship that has been captured by the enemy, and used to disrupt fleet operations and inflict damage. We were given a free hand to disrupt communications, use stealth and deception to disrupt the Fleet Exercise, and engage ships within the fleet with simulated gunfire by transmitting “golf golf golf” with our flashing light.
The SHIELDS was commanded by Cdr John F. Tarpey. The Executive Officer was LCDR George C. Lowry, who had joined the SHIELDS after serving as Captain of a troop carrier. Both were exceptional officers, leaders, and tacticians. We were blessed with outstanding Petty Officers and crew. Our collective talents would be brought to bear with dramatic effectiveness as we joined the Fleet Exercise.
At the outset of the Exercise, we attacked the Fleet communications. After monitoring the radio net used by the Fleet Exercise, we familiarized ourselves with the call signs used by the ships involved. We then engaged in “Gingerbread” activities in an attempt to spread confusion and disrupt operations. Lt Ron R. Thomas, Operations Officer, Ltjg Tim Steele, Communications Officer, and the crew members in CIC compromised cryptographic “challenges” to our transmissions by addressing the same cryptographic ”challenge” to another ship in the Exercise, and then using the “reply” we received to answer the challenge we received.
Soon afterwards, monitoring the Radio Net revealed that one of the ships in the Exercise was returning to port. After a few hours delay, we used the call sign of this ship to involve ourselves in certain activities. We used this tactic to lure a ship in the Exercise to rendezvous with us. We took her under fire with our Signal Light. When the embarrassed ship radioed that the SHIELDS was engaged in “dirty pool”, LCDR Lowry referred them to the page and paragraph in the OP ORDER that granted us the ability to use such deceit.
We would place ourselves in the path of certain ships in the Exercise, and act as if we were a cargo ship on “Iron Mike”, sailing into their path such that we had the right of way. I recall one such encounter late at night while I had the OOD with Capt Tarpey on the bridge monitoring the radar. The ships had figured out what we were doing, and refused to yield to us. As I stared nervously into the gloom of the night & monitored the surface radar, Capt Tarpey ordered me to “come to all stop”, followed shortly afterwards by “all back full” as the ships steamed closely off our bow.
Through continued deception on the Radio Net, we learned the hull number of the ship that had returned to port, whose call sign we had adopted. We returned to port, hurriedly painted over “596” on our hull, replaced it with the hull number of the other ship, and rejoined the Exercise.
I had the OOD watch from 2000 to 0000 on the night after we had applied the counterfeit hull number. We were chasing down the main formation of the Fleet Exercise, with the USS Oriskany carrying the Flag of the Admiral in charge of the Exercise. When I was relieved, we had not yet found the Fleet, so I turned in for the night.
At about 0200, while I was asleep and unaware of what was transpiring, the SHIELDS found the Fleet Formation. We steamed into the formation, signaling “Alpha Station” with our signal light, and taking station as assigned by the Oriskany. No one challenged us for the remainder of the night as we moved through formation changes using the call sign of the ship we were impersonating.
As daylight approached, Captain Tarpey put out the word to find every light on the ship, and bring as many people as we could muster on deck to man them. Signal lamps, flash lights, reading lamps, whatever shone was used. As the sun rose and our presence was revealed, we pulled close along side the Oriskany, and everyone with a light began to flash “golf, golf golf” at the bridge of the Oriskany.
The humiliation was complete. The Admiral signaled “Bravo Zulu” and promised Captain Tarpey a case of Scotch. A connoisseur of Martinis, Capt Tarpey requested his favorite gin instead.
During the post Exercise briefing, the Admiral made mention of the success of “The SHIELDS, the INFAMOUS SHIELDS”.
We had excelled in accomplishing our mission, as usual.