Three major hurricanes, Carol, Edna, and Dolly, originated and flexed their muscles a short distance east of the Bahamas during the hurricane season of l954, while Hazel, the fourth major hurricane, built her force in the Caribbean.
Of these four, Hazel played havoc with the Atlantic States from the Carolinas northward during a 7-week period. The most vivid memories Larry Adcock, RD2, holds today were aboard the T-Bone LST 1156 during a time of riding out the tail of this hurricane season.
It seems “The Can Do Ship” had been playing war with the Marines in the Caribbean and was heading back to Norfolk, while the storm was traveling up the Eastern seacoast. Through ENS George McClure, I learned the T-Bone, as the flagship, always carried more electronics such as radios, teletypes, radar, Loran and Fathometer, which became his responsibility as Operations Officer, before he left the ship.
As everyone knows, the radar shack aboard ship is one of the busy, active, lively and focused duty stations, especially during major storms. The skipper at that time was Captain Williams and the XO was LT Lemaire.
Unfortunately the LST 1156 tied on to the tail of the hurricane and, according to Larry, started to get into some serious 10 to 15 feet waves. Once reverse orders were given, they headed toward Bermuda trying to let the hurricane go on up the coast. Within a few short hours though, because of the ship’s course and speed, they intersected the hurricane. Mother Nature presented them with waves estimated at 30 feet, so they could enjoy 30- degree rolls along with some white knuckles and weak knees.
Larry was on radar that night for some 18 hours during which his radar picked up an old WW II (SO10) ship headed toward them on a collision course just 20 miles out. Now radar screens on the older ships were about softball size, so true degree readings were not always possible. When on a collision course, Naval Regulations require, contact course and speed reports every 3 to 4 minutes. Just about this juncture, they took a roll that Joe Klinger, BM2, indicated was one degree from the capsize mark.
They lost the top part of the mast, and it was flailing all over the main mast being held only by electric and electronic cables. It simply had to be secured.
Joe Klinger (a few pounds lighter and a lot more agile) volunteered, and up the mast he goes in those 30-degree rolls. At risk of his own life he battens down the top part of the mast. In the mean time, the other ship continues to close in about seven miles off the LST 1156 bow, tracking 2000 yards off their starboard beam.
Well, needless to say, there was a lot going on in that radar shack that night. Larry could not stay in front of the radar screen during a full roll from starboard to port. His solution was to simply turn loose of the handles on the radar and ride the chair to the port bulkhead, bang into it, and on the starboard roll, he would ride the chair back, grab the radar handles and obtain another bearing on the other ship.
A short time later, the order was given for our old Terrebonne Parish (LST 1156) to come 90 degrees to the port and full speed ahead with the other ship doing likewise, a sigh of relief could be heard from every crewmember aboard, as they headed home to Little Creek.