USS MULLINNIX DD-944
D&S Piers/Dry Dock/Virginia Capes
26 Feb - 6 July, 1960 
Excerpt from "The Last Gun Ship - History of USS Mullinnix DD-944"
A Historical Novel By Frank A. Wood
[Note: Remember the definition of "Historical Novel" as McGee & Smythe are from my imagination!]
No rest for the weary. At 0505 the following morning the electrical load was shifted to the engineering diesel generators and shore power was secured. Underway on a dead plant, with the assistance of YTB 536 and 222, Naval pilot Captain L. W. George guided the ship to W-1 anchorage at Hampton Roads, Virginia. The crew commenced to unload all 5"/54, 3"/50, small arms ammunition, hedgehogs, and other miscellaneous ammunition on board.
6 hours later, the crew had empty the ship of all explosives. With the guidance of Naval pilot Captain Rice and YTB 502 and 501, she headed to berth 30, pier 4, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia. The next couple of weeks were for preparation for entering dry dock for the first time in her life. After a new ship’s first significant voyage, it is common practice for her to enter into a rather short dry dock period to insure that everything is still shipshape and watertight.
The day had dawned wet and dreary. At 0650, Mullinnix was undertow from berth 30 in route for Dry Dock #4. By 0725 her bow had passed over the still. The crew was somewhat in awe as a vast majority of them had not sailed through the Panama Canal in their careers. With the caisson in place, shipyard personnel began pumping water out of the dry dock. Slowly but surely, the big ship settled onto the keel blocks until, at 1306, she was completing out of water. A strange site indeed, to see your ship out of water - literally.
With the ship on the blocks the focus was in preparation to receive wave after wave of shipyard workers. These workers would inspect, test, repair, re-inspect, and fix anything and everything that needed it. A near-new ship arriving would leave as a brand new one in short order. Everyone headed to their regular duty stations.
In route to his duty station, FTG2 Howard McGee stepped in the mess decks for some coffee. Pulling two mugs from the collection, he poured them full of coffee that was nothing more than high-octane sludge and dumped five heaping spoons of sugar into his. Setting the other one in front of FTG3 Brian Smythe, "You didn't want sugar did you?"
Smythe answered, "How do you drink that shit?"
"Gives me energy."
"How much energy do you need to run preventive maintenance on a computer all day?"
"Good point."
Though the crew remained berthed on the ship, during shipyard working hours, the ship took on a new and unusual look. Un-uniformed masses of humanity were everywhere, working on everything, acting like the crew were annoying gnats. There was no doubt, they had a plan and a schedule, but it was invisible to the crew. To most, they felt like they were working for civilians. A feeling that simply went against the grain.
At 1300 on 9 May, the ship stationed the special sea and anchor detail. Under the tranquility of a blue sky with a tumble of white clouds, shipyard personnel began flooding the dry docks. To insure watertight integrity, flooding was stopped at 1410 just before Mullinnix would have lifted off the keel blocks. Good thing, because at 1440 the crew reported a minor leak in #2 fireroom. Diagnosed as minor and very repairable, flooding was recommenced and by 1542 the ship floated free of the keel blocks with a draft of 10' 0" forward and 13'9" aft.
With the aid of civilian pilot White, all services were disconnected from the ship. C15-220 began the delicate task of pulling Mullinnix clear of the dry dock - backwards. At 1809 the stern passed over the sill and shortly after, at 1815, the bow passed. Once completely clear of the dry dock, YTB 282 and 499 maneuvered Mullinnix to berth #29, pier #4 at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.
After several weeks of additional repairs and final checks were completed, and in accordance with verbal orders from Commander, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, the ship was underway to conduct PRT trials on 9 June. Will all four boilers on line, she entered international waters at 0944.
Approximately one hour later, the ship commenced vibration survey tests followed by a full power run at 35 knots. Two things will bring goose pumps and tears to a sailor: One, the roar of the main armament and two, the site of a 30' rooster tail spawned by 35 knots. Simply awesome. Breath taking. It sent chills to their spine.
McGee and Smythe were on the fantail, unofficially of course. "We are haulin' balls now McGee!"
"She's only has one setting and that's full throttle," answered McGee proudly.
"Look at that shit, will ya'! If someone had told me this before seeing it firsthand I'd said 'In-fucking-possible'!"
As the pair hung onto MT53, Mullinnix slammed through five-foot swells, the crew slipping on the wet deck every time the ship crested another wave, rode on air for a split second, and then fell from under them. Each time it felt like hitting concrete from four stories up. The sea rushed past the steel grey hull with a roar. The rooster tail was an avalanche of churning foam with a heavy green odor of the sea.
The bow hissed through the water and the decks became soaked by flying spume. Tasting the salt on his lips, Smythe offered, "And I thought this was going to be a shit day."
"Let's go get some chow, this show will be over soon," said McGee.
"What'r-they-servin'?" asked Smythe.
"Shit in a sea-bag."
"WTFO?"
"Stuffed green peppers, you maroon."
As the pair headed towards the mess decks the captain ordered all emergency back full. That left everything, and everybody that wasn't tied down, headed forward at 35 knots, pissing up a rope. The astern full power run continued through chow. While disposing of the mess trays the captain ordered ahead emergency flank at 1300 - thirteen hundred hours. It was really a pain in the neck after noontime, but at least in the morning you didn't have to count off on your fingers.
Reducing her speed to 15 knots the ship commenced taking sonar noise level test. This required her to slowing increase her speed AND shifting the rudder, WHILE conducting steering engine tests. The pinnacle of which was 32 knots with the rudder at 30 degrees. The screws would leave the water momentarily and the entire ship would shudder like a murder victim's death. You had to pity the guy in after-steering-watch as well as the green mess cooks with caked vomit on their boondockers.
With all the test passed successfully, pilot Captain White returned, and the ship arrived at pier 4, berth 27, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia.
With the final tweaks and fixes completed, the ship finally pulled out of Portsmouth in route to FOXTROT ammunition anchorage with the guidance of pilot Captain W. D. Rice on 23 June. Once ammunition on-boarding was complete from ammunition barge 284, she headed towards pier 21 berth 2 at D&S Piers.
The following morning, the ship was underway once again, in route to conduct yet another full power run in Virginia Capes free lane in accordance with VCOAC exercise schedule 51-60. These full power runs can take a toll on the engine and fireroom crews as evident by BT2 H. R. Pecori collapsing in the forward fireroom due to a brain concussion suffered the day before. "Pec" was transferred to Little Creek naval Base Dispensary for treatment. By 1648 the ship was anchored in anchorage LA#2, Little Creek, Virginia in 34 feet of water, the day's excitement supposedly over.
However, at 2115 the winds had reached 45 knots. Shuddering drafts of rain swept overhead, the waves were jagged and surging. Mullinnix was bucking and twisting - showing her feminine side. Suddenly, Smythe's dinner was speaking to him. Hangin over the life-line, he was perfecting his version of the Technicolor yawn. He straightened up as McGee came and stood behind him, wiping his mouth on the sleeve of his dungarees. "Fuck, I just lost my dinner!"
McGee laughed, "you lost your fucking hat to, dickhead."
By 2145 the rain had increased, cutting visibility considerably. The clouds cracked with electricity. The rain slashed coldly across Smythe's face.
"I think I feel a little better."
Bolts of lightning shot up from the sea and split the sky. In their brilliant but unstable flashes, McGee appeared to move with the discontinuous motion of a hand-cranked nickelodeon film. The air was unnaturally green and contained the dense, heavy odor of the sea.
"FTN!"
"Fuckin' A," answered McGee. "Let's get out of this shit."
On 25 June, the ship was underway in compliance with SOPA (Administrative) Hampton Roads Area EXSKED 52-60. While steaming, the ship conducted hedge hog calibration exercises. By 1951 she was anchored in Lynnhaven Anchorage #12, Lynnhaven Roads, Virginia in six fathoms of water.
The morning clouds thinned to haze above Mullinnix as she commenced preparations for getting underway. By 0852 she was continuous circling while conducing checks of electronic radiation patterns. During this exercise, Mullinnix had to maneuver to avoid an Italian Merchant ship. An unusual short day, she was anchored at Lynnhaven anchorage by 1326. Following an all hands Captain's Personnel Inspection, the ship, once again, was underway for Virginia Operating Area in accordance with Virginia Capes Operation Area Coordinator OPSKED 51-60.
The following day, 28 June, found the ship steaming in the company of USS Sierra AD-18. Shortly after midnight, she was lying to in the free lane while removing packing in the port shaft. Repairs completed, the ship commenced steering casualty drills at 0300. By first light, Mullinnix had completed yet another full power run and had performed a successful transfer of personnel. Under a light wind and a wrinkled sea that stretched deeply blue under an almost cloudless sky, the Captain exercised the crew at general quarters while conducting gunnery exercise Z-24-G.
GQ was followed by ASW exercises that required the ship to dodge a closing torpedo. After successfully conducting man overboard drills, Mullinnix rejoined USS Sirago SS-485. After a unusually long day, the ship returned to D&S Pier 21.
To be continued...
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1960 Mullinnix Deck Logs
January 1960 (PDF)
February 1960 (PDF)
March 1960 (PDF)
April 1960 (PDF)
May 1960 (PDF)
June 1960 (PDF)
July 1960 (PDF)
August 1960 (PDF)
September 1960 (PDF)
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December 1960 (PDF)
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