50 Years Ago, Mux Prepares to leave Tampico for Boston!
(Excerpt from “The Last Gun Ship - History of USS Mullinnix DD-944” - A Historical Novel By Frank A. Wood)
Mullinnix received 2363 visitors on 8 August and an additional 2751 on the 9th. The crew continued to show that they were adept at making friends and extending the good wishes of the American People in every port.
Goodbye Tampico. So said the crew as tugs Tames and Panuco came alongside to port to assist Mullinnix in her departure to Boston, Massachusetts in accordance with COMDESLANT Modified Movement Order 20-58. The ship would spend most of the rest of 1958 in the shipyards during which time many modifications would be made to her original construction. At 0955 she passed Southern Breakwater Light abeam to starboard. Four minutes later the Special Sea and Anchor Detail was secured. State-side her we come! Well, no so fast. At 1446 all engines were stopped, laying to off Tampico Breakwater, received fishing boat Almirante alongside to starboard to debark official guests.
The crew’s prayers were answered. Mullinnix found pristine steaming conditions with cloudless skies and star-studded nights. They were closing in on Boston and by 16 August were within spitting distance of mooring stateside when a storm was building. In the south the sky was the blue-black of gunmetal, the waves capping as far as the eye could see. The thunderheads rippled with electricity.
A network of lighting bloomed, all the way to the top of the sky. While brilliance lit the clouds and waves you could see shipmates on the fantail smoking - like fire flies on a summer night doing a slow burn. The temperature dropped suddenly and chains of dry lighting pulsed inside the clouds, flooding the Mullinnix with a white brilliance that turned the stacks the pale color of old bone.
Fog rolled over Mullinnix smudging out her entire outline. At 1801 she commenced sounding fog signals and stationed lookouts to be the eyes of the ship. For the next several hours ship’s speed was limited to 5 to 7 knots. At 0135, the morning of 17 August, all engines were stopped – visibility was zero. The fog so thick, the crew thought they were steaming inside a light bulb. Would they ever get to Boston?
By 0222 visibility had increased to 700 yards and Mullinnix was able to increase her speed to 15 knots. At 0559 she sighted Cape Cod light bearing 291 true distance 2 miles. You could smell the clam chowder.
To be continued...
Cheers,Woody
Mullinnix received 2363 visitors on 8 August and an additional 2751 on the 9th. The crew continued to show that they were adept at making friends and extending the good wishes of the American People in every port.
Goodbye Tampico. So said the crew as tugs Tames and Panuco came alongside to port to assist Mullinnix in her departure to Boston, Massachusetts in accordance with COMDESLANT Modified Movement Order 20-58. The ship would spend most of the rest of 1958 in the shipyards during which time many modifications would be made to her original construction. At 0955 she passed Southern Breakwater Light abeam to starboard. Four minutes later the Special Sea and Anchor Detail was secured. State-side her we come! Well, no so fast. At 1446 all engines were stopped, laying to off Tampico Breakwater, received fishing boat Almirante alongside to starboard to debark official guests.
The crew’s prayers were answered. Mullinnix found pristine steaming conditions with cloudless skies and star-studded nights. They were closing in on Boston and by 16 August were within spitting distance of mooring stateside when a storm was building. In the south the sky was the blue-black of gunmetal, the waves capping as far as the eye could see. The thunderheads rippled with electricity.
A network of lighting bloomed, all the way to the top of the sky. While brilliance lit the clouds and waves you could see shipmates on the fantail smoking - like fire flies on a summer night doing a slow burn. The temperature dropped suddenly and chains of dry lighting pulsed inside the clouds, flooding the Mullinnix with a white brilliance that turned the stacks the pale color of old bone.
Fog rolled over Mullinnix smudging out her entire outline. At 1801 she commenced sounding fog signals and stationed lookouts to be the eyes of the ship. For the next several hours ship’s speed was limited to 5 to 7 knots. At 0135, the morning of 17 August, all engines were stopped – visibility was zero. The fog so thick, the crew thought they were steaming inside a light bulb. Would they ever get to Boston?
By 0222 visibility had increased to 700 yards and Mullinnix was able to increase her speed to 15 knots. At 0559 she sighted Cape Cod light bearing 291 true distance 2 miles. You could smell the clam chowder.
To be continued...
Cheers,Woody
posted by Frank A. Wood at 07:31
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