In the summer of 1963, the U. S. government proposed placing a U. S. Navy ship at the disposal of interested NATO countries for the demonstration of certain aspects of the multilateral force concept, primarily the practicality of mixed-manning in a warship. This offer was accepted, and the USS Biddle (DDG-5) was selected as test ship for the demonstration. Nations agreeing to participate, in addition to the United States, were Great Britain, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, and West Germany. In June 1964, foreign personnel began to report to the ship at Norfolk, Virginia. (Turkey’s contingent of one officer and ten enlisted men was withdrawn from the demonstration by the Turkish government in February 1965.)
On 28 July 1964 in ceremonies at Norfolk, the Biddle was renamed the USS Claude V. Ricketts in honor of the late Vice Chief of Naval Operations. NATO personnel continued to report aboard the ship through December 1964, many having first attended up to four months of specialized missile, electronics, or engineering schooling in the United States. The American personnel they replaced usually remained on board for a short period, during which turnover and training were carried out. At right, an American and his West German shipmates light off one of the ship’s boilers. During this phasing-in period, the Ricketts conducted operations and training off the East Coast, with numerous NATO and press media representatives observing. Her schedule included a visit to New York and one to Washington, D. C., in October 1964, where Secretary of State Dean Rusk spoke at ribbon-cutting ceremonies.
Of the Ricketts’ crew of 335, ten officers and 174 enlisted men are U. S. personnel. Officers and men participating from other NATO countries are: Great Britain—two officers, 24 enlisted; Greece—two officers, 30 enlisted; Italy—two officers, 24 enlisted; the Netherlands—one officer, 17 enlisted; and West Germany—two officers, 47 enlisted. At left below, a Dutch and an American seaman share a watch at the wheel. A West German lieutenant has the conn, right below; his JOOD is a lieutenant in the Italian Navy. At bottom left, a U. S. lieutenant briefs his men for boat drill, and at bottom right, a West German and a U. S. fire control technician service a Tartar missile.
On 15 February 1965, the Ricketts departed Norfolk for a European deployment. For the duration of the mixed-manning demonstration she will remain a unit of the U. S. Navy, and will continue to take part in regular independent and fleet exercises normal for ships of her class. At left, the Ricketts mans the standby station, as a Sixth Fleet task group conducts replenishment operations in the Mediterranean. Above left, the refueling detail wrestles the end of a six-inch hose aboard during refueling, and above right, two crewmen stand watch in swim gear during carrier plane guard duty. At top, a helicopter from the USS Intrepid (CVS-11) winches in a Ricketts crewman during an at-sea transfer.
Although the ship’s daily routine in general conforms to that of other U. S. Navy ships, many adjustments have been made to meet more fairly the varying traditions and customs of the several navies represented. Personnel continue to wear the uniforms of their respective navies. German, Italian, Dutch, English, and American cooks provide a menu catering to the tastes of all on board. The ship’s movie schedule includes foreign- language films, and the library contains titles in several languages. Personnel are paid by their home navies, but in U. S. dollars, and generally at rates adjusted to compare with the American pay scale. In accordance with British regulations, the petty officer at lower left may wear a beard, a privilege his American counterparts do not share; however, he must be content with a daily 3i-cent allowance in lieu of the grog ration he could normally receive in a British warship.
The Ricketts and her crew were quietly but well received in European and Mediterranean ports, including Malta, at left; Florence, Italy; and Taormina, Sicily, at right above. During her deployment, the ship visited ports in all of the countries represented on board. European personnel usually managed to take short leaves when the ship was operating in their home areas.
Mixed-manning operations in the Ricketts involving NATO officers and enlisted personnel in both supervisory and technical capacities have included use of all of the ship’s armament: shore bombardment with the 5-inch battery, ASW exercises involving ASROC weapons, and firing of Tartar missiles. Over 50 per cent of the jobs in the Combat Information Center, above, are assigned to non-Americans. While the ship’s captain and executive officer are both Americans, other important billets are held by foreign officers, including those of engineering officer (West German), navigator (British), CIC officer (Italian), damage control assistant (Greek), and ASW officer (Dutch).
With five months of cruising behind her, the Ricketts will return from the Mediterranean this month. She will conduct the remainder of her exercises as an element of the U. S. Second Fleet, and the demonstration is scheduled to end officially on 1 December 1965.