PRACTICAL HINTS ON HANDLING A DESTROYER
By Lieutenant R.O. Glover, U. S. Navy
The large building program that our government inaugurated in 1918 to combat the submarine menace in the World War has given the navy 300 destroyers of the flush deck type. These vessels are more nearly homogeneous in hull design than any other types that make up our fleets. In addition, they are all turbine driven, with two out-turning screws. The main engines are either Parsons or Curtis design, or some slightly modified design that permits the altered type to be included under one of the two main heads. These facts are of particular interest to the destroyer commander, for it permits him more easily to learn the maneuvering qualities of the vessels as a class. At the same time, it simplifies the presentation of these "hints," and, unless it is specifically pointed out to the contrary, the information given in this article refers to any destroyer of the flush deck type.
This large destroyer force demands for its efficient maneuvering a very much larger percentage of regular officers than the smaller force of destroyers of pre-war days needed from the navy as a whole. But the expansion of our navy has placed the experienced officers of our pre-war force high up in the grades of naval rank, leaving the present force with but few of these able destroyer commanders to teach the present personnel.
It requires no effort to admire the ease and simplicity with which the destroyer handles when controlled by the experienced commander. The type has a grip on your imagination that thrills. You would like to feel the vessel under your feet yourself, and be master of this vessel, with its graceful lines of a gray-hound and the hidden power of a battleship.
The field is open, destroyers are waiting for commanders. The lieutenant is in line for captain, and orders are issued daily sending him to this duty. It is this thought that has prompted me to put on paper these " hints." The naval officer is required to spend hours over books, ordnance, law, engineering, etc., but ship handling is evidently a heaven-sent gift, or assumed to be so. Such training as he may get is learned in the hard school of experience. The lieutenant is expected to take a destroyer out without possibly ever having been aboard one before. He learns his lesson under the lash of "get away with it." It is, therefore, the mission of this article to help bridge the gap, giving to the inexperienced destroyer captain the ideas, observations, and personal experience of one who has been through the initial test.
The first trick that you may be called upon to do in handling a destroyer may not come to you until you have been on board for some time. If this is the case you are lucky, for this period can be used in watching your captain make landings, get underway, or turn in a crowded harbor. Your attention at these times should be on the effect produced by the orders that are given to the engines. What happens with one engine backing, the other two-thirds ahead, and the rudder hard over? How far does she carry her headway after the engines are stopped from one-third ahead on both? These and similar thoughts should be constantly in your mind. At the same time, the effects of the wind and tide must be noted. The learning of these points is what is meant by "learning your ship," and it is your chief study. At the same time remember that a ship is as changeable as a woman and that you cannot take anything for granted. For this reason, keep a few tricks up your sleeve to pull in case the old girl riles up a bit.
I was one of the lucky ones in my first job, having had some three months of destroyer service. One day the orders to move came unexpectedly, and the captain was not aboard (orders have this habit in the boats). So it was up to me to get the ship underway, and go to the oil dock for oil. At the time, we were tied up port side to another destroyer, and the dock was down the bay a few hundred yards. It was a case of perfect weather and tidal conditions, so I decided to back away. But it is not my intention to tell you how I got underway and then made a landing alongside the oil dock. I will leave the methods of making landings and getting underway for treatment later. However, I believe at this moment, you will be interested to know if I was nervous. I admit that I was. But I also remember that my nervousness wore off and after the maneuver was well underway was entirely gone. I believe that this is the experience of all officers. You can, therefore, expect to be a little nervous when you first step on the bridge, but don't let your nerves get the upper hand.
In regard to the maneuver, everything went as I had planned, and I put the ship alongside the oil dock without a hitch. The effects of the maneuver on my own morale were marked. It gave me self-confidence. However, I have made plenty of poor landings since then—and found that a landing is just something in the day's work of a destroyer skipper. So if you bungle—don't worry.
Before going on with the manner of making a landing, getting underway, etc., there are some most important speed adjustments of the main engines that should be made for good maneuvering. These are best made at sea, with plenty of room, and after they are once made you are fixed for your cruise.
The maneuvering speed for both engines standard ahead is 15 knots. A few "old timers" have used 20 but the consensus of good practice does not back them up. In fact, at 20 knots things happen too fast for most of us. One novice tried 20 knots as standard speed for maneuvering in leaving the New York Navy Yard for the first time, and for the first time he had handled a destroyer. The results were disastrous, as might be expected, and he took his ship out of the yard after ramming two lighters, and giving a battleship tied up in there enough thrills to last a year. Talking to his executive, who was an old destroyer officer, he laid the blame on the speed, since the situation was out of control before it could be sized up properly.
Having decided on 15 knots for maneuvering speed, and with your ship at sea, or with plenty of room, adjust the turns of the engines so that with one engine backing one-third and the other making ahead one-third the resultant force will give the destroyer a little headway. Similarly, make the adjustments for two-thirds, and for standard ahead and back full. This arrangement will keep headway on the ship, when using equal power for turning with both engines. Full ahead is 20 knots, and back emergency full at least 20 plus whatever else they have below.
Let us now consider the most elementary point in maneuvering, namely turning a destroyer with the engines. The turning circle of a destroyer making 15 knots through the water is 850 yards, but by using the engines, you can cut this circle, with ordinary conditions of wind, down to 350 yards. The points to be remembered in this maneuver are, first, to keep headway on as long as possible, and, second, when forced to back, to go astern for as long a reach as possible before coming ahead again. The problem of turning was of almost daily occurrence in entering San Diego harbor (the tide is never right, you can nearly always bet). The harbor there was on an average 500 yards wide. Destroyers were moored in groups of six to one buoy, which was about 300 yards from another buoy. The larger ships were 500 yards apart. In addition a ferry crossed as noted in the sketch (Fig. 1). The tidal current at the flood or ebb was on an average from three to five knots. The term "crowded harbor" could at most times be correctly applied, and the situation demanded a quick turn. In meeting this situation I used the following general plan: Referring to Fig. 1, I would stand into the harbor at 10 knots (required by the force commander's orders), until abreast of the Melville. Here I would ring "standard speed" (15 knots), and steer the course indicated by the dotted line. Immediately after passing the Charleston (note flood tide), "Right rudder, 25 degrees," "Starboard engine stop," and waiting for the ship to start swinging rapidly (about 15 seconds) "Starboard engine back two-thirds." The headway of the vessel was gradually slowed by the backing engine, and by the time the ship was half through the turn (point R), I was able to size up the situation ahead, and, if a bit doubtful of the sea-room would give "Port engine ahead two-thirds." The effect would of course further slow the headway, but, having the engines adjusted, the vessel still kept a little headway, and continued to turn. Usually, I found that this was all that was necessary to complete the turn. However, in some cases when a strong wind was blowing on the starboard bow, I could see soon after passing point R, that there was not room to complete the turn. In this case "Port engine stop," "Shift the rudder" (as soon as the vessel lost headway), and back. On gaining sternway, the stem either fell off to port, or held steady. After going astern, as far as I had room, "Port engine stop," "Port engine ahead standard" "Shift your rudder" (as soon as the vessel loses sternway) . After gaining headway, backing the starboard engine would generally complete the turn.
In giving this concrete example of turning, I have in mind some fundamental ideas that were illustrated therein, and which I reiterate for emphasis:
- Size up the situation before starting the maneuver, and pick a turning ground that is relatively clear.
- Before starting the turn, get good headway on the ship.
- Use the power that you have. You will notice that standard and two-thirds were used entirely, and the full kick of the propellers thus secured. At the same time, the headway of the vessel was killed by the backing engine, thus keeping the situation well in hand. The use of power is, therefore, not poor seamanship, and the idea must be differentiated from speed through the water. I have watched destroyer skippers try this maneuver of turning, with favorable conditions, in San Diego harbor, and back and fill for a half hour, to the discomfiture of other shipping, their own crews, and themselves, because they would not use more power than two-thirds.
- In case it is necessary to back, go astern as far as possible; or, if this total distance is not necessary, back until you are sure there is room ahead to complete the turn.
In discussing the subject of turning, you no doubt noticed that reference was made to the effect of the wind. The design of a destroyer requires you to keep the effect of the wind constantly in mind. This factor must be considered in sizing up the situation before starting the turn. It is good practice to make the turn, if possible, so that the bow of the ship will go through the wind shortly after starting the turn. At the same time remember that a destroyer tends to back up into the wind sharply. One captain overcame the effect of the wind on the bow of his destroyer, by keeping the after awnings spread and the vessel down by the head.
We have now carried this discussion up to the problem of taking a destroyer alongside another vessel or dock. As the method is the same whether going alongside a vessel or a dock, the more frequent case of going along side another vessel will be considered.
Let us, therefore, take the situation as represented by Fig. 2, with practically ideal conditions of wind and tide, and see how to go about making a landing. Before starting to stand in on the course to bring the destroyer alongside, maneuver the vessel approximately into position B, at which place the engines will be making two-thirds speed ahead and the distance from the bow of the vessel that it is desired to moor to, D, will be about 1000 yards. From this position, head in on a converging course of approximately 15 degrees, keeping the jack staff of vessel D a little open on the inboard bow. When about 400 yards astern of D, slow to one-third speed and steer a course to bring the jack staff of D finer on the bow. When 100 yards astern of D, stop, and when the bridge passes the after deckhouse of D back two-thirds on both engines. As soon as the headway is checked, stop the inboard engine. When the headway is killed, or in time to land in position alongside, stop the outboard engine.
You no doubt readily agree, that the maneuver of making a landing is one in which judgment of distance is of primary importance. In developing this judgment (seaman's eye), I have found it most advantageous to follow the general plan outlined above. Into this plan I fitted, by mentally estimating, the effects of the local conditions of the wind and tide, and then proceeded with my general plan, modified to meet these conditions. I believe that you will have good success in following this method, if you consider these points during the maneuver, namely:
First.—Get a long reach, and come in at an angle of 15 to 20 degrees.
Second.—Make the landing at slow speed. I have noticed that the more experience a destroyer captain has, the more slowly he goes alongside. Everyone will admit that a 15-knot landing and backing down full is pretty, but the fellow you are going alongside of has some rights, and possibly prides himself in the looks of his ship. Also remember that these are the "piping days" of peace and that the powers-that-be want to know why in case of a smash-up.
The above plan for going alongside should be followed, whenever conditions, as will be generally the case, can be made to fit. Local conditions, however, may make it impossible to follow this plan, in which case the problem may be attacked, in the following manner: Referring to Fig. 3, suppose there is not sufficient room astern of destroyer D to make the landing as illustrated in Fig. 2, and that other conditions are such that we must take B as the starting point.
In this case stand-in on course BR (dotted line) at two-thirds speed, keeping as far over to the left as possible. When at R stop both engines, and put the rudder hard right. Back two-thirds on the starboard engine, at the same time steadying up with the jack of D on the port bow. The ships will by this time be in
the relative positions indicated by Fig. 4, and the problem becomes
one of " walking the stern in " with the engines. To do this, keep
the rudder right, go ahead one-third on the port engine, and continue
to back two-thirds on the starboard engine. The destroyer
C is still going ahead slowly at this point. Get out a bow line, but
leave it slack, and when the bow of C has overreached D
about ID yards, stop the port engine and put the rudder amidships.
As soon as the ship C starts astern through the water go ahead
two-thirds on the port engine. The effect of the starboard engine
backing, and the port engine going ahead will be to kick the stern
to port, and it is this kicking effect that the term " Walking the
stern in " implies. When C and D are almost parallel stop the
engines, and moor with the lines.
This maneuver requires exceedingly good judgment and is made
very difficult, if not impracticable, when there is a tide and a wind.
Referring to Fig. 3, if the resultant force of the wind and tide is
as indicated by X, due allowance must be made for this set
towards D while turning from point R and paralleling D with
the engines. On the other hand, if the force is as indicated by Y
the bow of C must be placed close alongside that of D and full
power used to walk the stern in.
Before passing to the methods of getting underway from alongside another vessel, I should like to point out that, due to the good steering qualities a destroyer has when making sternway, it is possible to back alongside. One of the prettiest cases of backing down that I have seen was made by the commanding officer of the U.S.S. Simpson when he placed his ship alongside the port side of the Cuyama in the Bay of Santiago del Sur, Chile, January, 1921. In making this landing the wind was from astern. The maneuver was made by backing two-thirds on both engines on a course that paralleled the Cuyama, and which was about 25 feet away until the stern was one-third of a ship's length from the bow of the Cuyama. Both engines were then stopped, and the rudder put left momentarily to start the stern left, and then shifted to amidships. As soon as the rudder was amidships, both engines were signaled standard ahead. In this maneuver it is the handling of the rudder that must be carefully watched, for it is apparent that if the rudder had remained left, and then the engines had been put standard ahead, the stern would have swung right, and possibly into the Cuyama.
The problem of getting underway from alongside another vessel is generally solved by backing away, and this method has more advantages than the method of going out ahead. The tender part of a destroyer is the propellers, and by keeping them clear one avoids much trouble. Backing away has the advantage of getting the sterns apart and the propellers free from danger. It is for this reason considered the better plan. It is also frequently the only practicable method, as when getting underway from between two vessels.
In making this maneuver, I found it the best plan to back one-third on both engines, with the rudder amidships. On gaining sternway, the bow usually fell off to one side or the other, but this tendency could be met by putting the rudder right or left, as the case demanded. My plan was, therefore, to go astern on a parallel course. For example, suppose that you are moored starboard side to. The first order would be ''Rudder amidships," "Both engines, back one-third." As the vessel gains sternway, suppose the bow falls off to starboard. When this tendency is first noticed, put the rudder right 20 degrees, and then, if the rudder effect is not sufficient, stop the starboard engine. As the destroyer goes astern the kick of the propellers will force the ships apart.
The maneuver of going out ahead from alongside another ship requires particular attention to the rudder. If moored starboard side to I found it best to put the rudder right before giving any orders to the engines, and then to go ahead two-thirds on the port engine. In this manner, the stern did not swing to the right before the full effect of right rudder took charge, as would have been the case if the rudder was given "Right rudder" after way was on. This trick in handling the rudder is worth remembering. I have seen destroyers rub the side of another vessel time and again when going out ahead, and am firmly convinced that it was all due to waiting until after way was on before putting over the rudder.
The ordinary situations that a destroyer skipper has to meet in moving his ship have been presented to you, while the exceptional, or trick maneuver has been avoided. As pointed out in the introduction, it was the intention of the writer to help bridge the "gap" for the novice destroyer commander. But after all, actual experience is the only method that will perfect you, and no amount of reading can replace it.