USS MULLINNIX DD-944
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
6 July to 11 August, 1960 
Excerpt from "The Last Gun Ship - History of USS Mullinnix DD-944"
A Historical Novel By Frank A. Wood
Under a haloed moon, typically an omen that meant bad weather was on its way, the fires were lit under 1A boiler. On 6 July, the ship began independent steaming to U. S. Naval Base, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for refresher training in accordance with COMDESLANT Quarterly Employment Schedule. The term ‘independent steaming’ may imply a leisurely trip down to Gitmo, kind of like the calm before the storm. That wasn’t the case. In the first day alone the ship conducted a steering casualty drill, GQ, engineering casualty drill, abandon ship drill, and exercised the crew at GQ for a fire drill - all before 1900.
Smythe and McGee were on the fantail enjoying a smoke before the movie on the mess decks at 2000. The Atlantic was hidden by night. The only sound was that of the ship slipping through the growing wavelets.
"Did you feel that?" ask Smythe. He meant the way Mullinnix was taking the sea. The wind was off her port side now. "We've turned more easterly."
"Don't panic, but it might mean a storms brewing ahead."
The chop crew larger. Nothing in view except endless waves rolling blue-green against a dark blue backdrop of sky. By the time they'd lit their second smoke, the seas were running at six feet. Mullinnix creaked and moaned in the swells, but held her course.
Smythe watched with satisfaction as a new crew member turned green and leaned over the lifeline, dry heaving nothing into the sea.
"Ya'know," mused Smythe. "They don't call Cape Hatteras the 'Graveyard of the Atlantic' for noth'n."
McGee was about to answer when the 1MC cracked. "Darken Ship! Show no white light topside."
The sound of dry thunder like crackling cellophane leaked from the clouds that gave no rain. Moments later the clouds broke loose and hailstones as big as mothballs clattered down on the decks of the ship.
"It's time to hit the movie Smythe. Let's move!"
The two ran to the aft starboard hatch near the base of MT52 and headed forward up the main passageway to the mess decks. Upon entering, the screen already having been assembled, a gray-blue cloud hung above the tables. The snack machine contained petrified snacks. The coke machine -well- coke. Coke in little paper cups covered with a film of wax, supposedly to prevent the coke from eating through it. The challenge was getting a firm enough grip to keep from dropping it on the deck while at the same time keep from crushing it in two. five cents bought you a disposal cup filled with a pre-measured amount of syrup and fizzy water mixed at the last minute before running into the cup. Tasted something like slightly chilled carbonated bug juice. Ice? In your dreams.
The rain began to fall like silver arrows in the running lights, each drop exploding in a white blur against the bridge windows then streaming down it so copiously that the wipers could not clear it fast enough.
Smythe grabbed a cup of charred coffee. McGee halfheartedly picked up something that superficially resembled a cinnamon Danish.
"Damn man, this coffee is so strong it could walk to the bridge by itself," suggested Smythe.
McGee, settling in for the movie, only provided, "hurmph." Leaning back, he studied the overhead. Although there was nothing up there to look at other than the occasional roach racing forward or aft on its choice of miles of shielded electrical wiring bundles, his thoughts wondered to what lay ahead in Gitmo. Week after week of relentless training in an attempt to perfect a score that only a few understood.
"What's the movie tonight?" someone asked.
"The Man Who Knew Too Much!"
"What the fuck's that about?"
"Alfred Hitchcock, asshole. Shut up and watch. It's a good flick!" someone announced.
Once most had settled down, coffee cups continued to rattled in their saucers. The overhead lights were snapped off; the space darkened as Zippo lighters clicked to life. Immediately, the Bell and Howell sixteen millimeter projector ground to life. The credits rolled and blue cigar and cigarette smoke swirled before the screen.
One hour and twenty minutes later, after only one real change (short movie), the projector stopped, then was threaded for re-wind. Eyes blinked as bright lights flashed on in the smoky room, snapping the crew back to reality. Time for the sack. Some of them would be up at 2330 for the midwatch.
The following morning the storm had abated although the seas were still large and Mullinnix was still wallowing and dolling like an angry hippopotamus.
She arrived in Gitmo on the morning of 9 July, tying up to pier VICTOR. After 'arrival inspection' by the Fleet Training Group on 11 July, the intensive six week period of underway training featuring daily gunnery, communications, engineering, anti-submarine warfare, damage control and operations exercise began.
Day after day after day were filled with getting underway, exercising the crew at GQ, engineering and gunfire support drills, and target acquisition and designation exercises. The training was intense and not without injuries. Fireman Donald Bradley, fractured a finger on his right hand while securing the main steam stop in the forward fire room. Meanwhile, above decks, Gunners mate striker Dick McAllister sprained his left ankle while jumping of MT31. Most evenings the ship would return to Gitmo. For those who wanted, there was liberty. But who wanted it?
Some of the ships and submarines that Mullinnix exercised with included USS Balao ACSS-285, USS Strong DD-758, USS D. H. Fox DD-779, USS Charles S. Sperry DD-697 and USS J. C. Owens DD-776. Afternoons were often spent with only the Weapons Department at GQ. They would focus their attention on trying to down aircraft towed sleeve or sleds pulled across the ocean’s surface by tugs. By the weekend of 16-17 July, the crew was given the Saturday and Sunday off to rest up and relax a bit - in sunny Gitmo Bay, Cuba.
On the ensuing sunny Monday AM, Mullinnix was swapping personnel with USS Mitscher DL-2. All of this training by the ship’s fleet was managed by Rear Admiral F. E. Fenno, USN, COMNAVBASE, GTMO. When they weren't practicing high-line transfers, they were participating in AA defense exercises or sneak attack by aircraft drills. And, just to keep things interesting, they’d throw in the occasional man overboard drill or full power run or even a casualty drill.
20 July found the training intensified. The ship commenced flaghoist and interpretation drills with the signal bridge and conn, followed by ABC defense drill for simulated underwater nuclear burst. The following week, the ship, along with Fox, Owens, and Strong conducted exercises the brought the guns to bear on attaching aircraft. Refueling with USS Canisteo, more gunnery exercises, AS exercises with USS Harder SS-568 kept the crew from becoming bored.
Just because the crew was in daily exercises didn't mean the ship's equipment couldn't, nor wouldn't break down. At 1310 on 9 August, the ship had to shift steering compass repeaters to the MK23 master gyrocompass due to erratic operations if the MK19 Gyrocompass.
The 'final exam' was on 10 August with the ship teeming with Fleet Training Group observers watching their every move and decision. The exam began with the stationing of the low visibility navigation team at 0749. Once in the open sea the real test began. The Mullinnix would face an ORI battle problem - maneuvering on various courses and speeds while conducting drills under simulated wartime fighting conditions. The bridge suffered a direct hit at 1044, forcing steering to be shifted to after steering - using hand steering power. Shortly thereafter she set material condition CIRCLE WHISKEY - in preparation for an underwater nuclear burst.
After the Operational Readiness Inspection on 11 August, Mullinnix had completed her Refresher Training. The morning of 12 August, the Mighty Mux was headed back to Norfolk and a welcomed rest. By 1430 on 14 August the crew found themselves at D&S pier #21.
To be continued...
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1960 Mullinnix Deck Logs
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