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From: Roy N. Baty
Remote Name: 209.179.142.40
Hi Frank:
Enjoyed your web pages on the AO-22. I served on the Cimarron from 1962 to 1964 and enjoyed being aboard. I was sorry to see they scrapped the "old lady" in 1969. She was a memorable ship indeed. Although we did not have the exciting times aboard that you did there were still plenty of things to keep us jumping.
I remember the time we had about 100 cases of single roll toilet paper stored in tank number 1 right forward, and one of the engineers decided to partially flood it with black oil. We had to send guys down to the bottom of the tank to get the toilet paper rolls out one by one in a bucket brigade. There were a lot of tired and oily sailors after that one.
Another incident I remember was the "crossing of the equator" during 1964 Westpack cruise. A lot of us had to go through the Shellback initiation as we were only poly-wogs at the time. A very memorable time I can tell you that.
This was to participate in "Operation White Hat" during which we left Yokuska and sailed all the way around to a place just off the coast of Africa. During this cruise we were at sea for 28 straight days. While this was a long time for me it was probably nothing for you guys. During this time we transferred oil to another AO that was with us in the task group. This was so they could stay on station after we sailed back to Yokuska.
I don't remember the name of the other AO any more but what I do remember was that the inch and one half metal pin that was in after steering, and joined the bridge controls with the after steering controls "fell out". The other AO was on our starboard side and our rudder was 20 degrees starboard at the time. We side swiped the other AO and caved in 100 feet of the after housetop at the main deck level.
We had to go into Sasebo and have that whole side of the housetop cut out and new sections welded in. This was good for two months of "yard time". As this was the berthing area for all of us in the operations gang we had to find other places to sleep while the repairs were made.
We turned their motor whale boat, which they were carrying on the port side of the their after house top, into splinters, but I don't know what other damage we did. The after black oil transfer station on the starboard side had the "quick release" valve on the 10 inch transfer hose jam aboard the other oiler. When we did the emergency break-away from them, the hose at that station was torn in half because the other AO could not release our hose. That was pretty exciting too and made a big mess to clean up.
I don't know if you knew it or not but there is a part of the history of the USS Cimarron that is usually missed. In early 1939-40, she was sailing in the same task group as the USS Reuben James, (a destroyer), when that ship was sunk by a German submarine while they were enroute to Newfoundland. If you read early WWII history you will see that this was one of the famous incidents that helped to get attention of the need for US evolvement in the war with Germany before the Japanese struck us at Pearl Harbor. During this time AO-22 saw many enemy submarines but was able to avoid them because of her great speed. I kind of laugh at that one cause we could only hit about 18 knots top speed when I was on her.
Well I know other stories but I am sure you have some of your own too. It is good to meet someone who served in the same ship I did. Take care my friend and thank you for what you did during the war to help secure the freedom that I now so richly enjoy.
Roy N. Baty QM3 roynbaty@earthlink.net
From: robus77@dodaele.org
Remote Name: 67.18.28.236
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