“You’ve got to be kidding me. How much power does it use?” Donner asked.
“Absolutely none. It’s totally passive. I understand it has only come out this past month, but we are putting these things on every ship in the fleet,” said Smalls
“Well, maybe it will look better with a coat of paint,” said Donner, warming up to the idea.
“Oh no sir. You can’t paint it. You leave it exactly as it is when we leave it. Painting will negate its effectiveness. I know it doesn’t look like much, but those are the orders. Any painting will be classified as a SHIPALT. You can’t even tighten the bolts or take it down. Sorry, but that’s the word we got from on high. You’re getting one on the bow, one astern and two on each side. There will be one switch in CIC and another on the bridge to turn it on and off. The instructions will explain the rest,” Smalls said.
It was hard to imagine just a few plates would do what they said, but he actually had no choice. “It’s still damned ugly. It’s not even the right shade of gray,” Donner said.
Smalls chuckled. “They all say that. My understanding is that this is the way it comes out of the oven. I guess we’re just stuck with it,” he said.
Donner nodded. “How long will it take?”
“We’ll be done later today. I’ll test it before I leave,” Smalls said.
That surprised Donner. Test it? He just threw up his hands and gave in to the inevitable. He never understood the techno geeks at NAVSEA anyway.
Captain Doug Rhodes was up to his ears in paperwork just getting all the people aboard the ship. USS Iowa had recently been used as an emergency platform during the earthquakes and the systems were all up and ready to go. As before, when he commanded the ship during the kidnapping in Venezuela, the veterans had returned. They were bolstered by additional newer faces from when the ship had been in commission just six years before. Many were still there from the earthquake, but some of the vets were getting much older. It would be his duty to ask some of them not to make the trip. At the same time, ten busses of active duty crewmen had arrived to begin their duty aboard, along with another ten of reservists. The Administrative Officer was pulling his hair out.
Commander Russ Sampson was already getting drills set up to get the crewmembers acquainted with the ship and its operation. He had been aboard when the ship was in Korea — the second time. Placing veterans in each division had helped out. Like before, they helped make sure each crewman knew exactly how the ship ran. The publication “Battleship Standards” had already been reprinted and issued.
There was a knock at the cabin door and the Marine stuck his head in and announced the XO. Sampson came through the door. “Fueling will commence tomorrow morning at 0800. I got the Chief Engineer on it. We’ll take on about a million gallons,” he announced.
“Good. I understand we won’t need a weapons onload,” Rhodes said.
“No sir. We have a full complement of five inch and sixteen inch. The only thing we will take on is small arms and the .50 caliber. Seal Beach will bring that by truck. I have ordered the Phalanx to be loaded and brought up to a ready status. If they shoot at us again, we’ll be ready,” Sampson said. He held out a sheet of paper. “Did you see this?”
Rhodes scanned the sheet and his eyebrows flew up. “Transferring to Norfolk. Well, that’s interesting. I thought we would be staying on this coast.”
“I did too, but since we’re in a shooting war, you never can tell. I heard through the grapevine that something is brewing over there. Maybe they want us in on it,” Sampson said.
Rhodes glanced at the door to make sure it was closed. “I actually talked to a friend of mine in the Pentagon. There’s a special force being put together. You know who’s heading it up?”
“Who?”
“Chris Hustvedt.”
“From the Sea of Japan?”
“None other.”
“Oh hell! I want in on that one,” exclaimed Sampson.
“Oh yea. So we need to be ready as we can be. I also got a call from NAVSEA. They are coming out to install new equipment beginning tomorrow. Make sure we are set to help them out. SURFPAC wants us ready to get underway in fifteen days,” said Rhodes.
“Fifteen days! That’s pushing it, but if we can get in on this new thing it will be worth it. I’ll tell the wardroom to plan on some 12 hour days for a while. Duty sections will be at it all night. We’ll get underway on time, Captain,” said Sampson with a grin.
“We better. I’d hate to have to break in a new XO,” Rhodes grinned back.
“That’s why they pay me the big bucks. I’ll set up a stores onload two days before we get underway so we will be full up. You need anything?” asked Sampson.
Rhodes shook his head. “I’ll take care of all I need. Let me know when you have the fueling brief.”
“Will do, Captain. I need to get that set up. I’ll let you know if I hear anything more,” Sampson said getting out of his seat.
“I appreciate it,” said Rhodes as he watched the XO leave the cabin. He had actually heard more, but couldn’t share it yet. The plan was for Iowa to be in Norfolk for only three days to refuel, and provision. Then she would be underway to join one of the largest fleets ever assembled and head for the Mediterranean.
Lt. Rod Jeffers was bone tired. In the three weeks since the war began, he and Hustvedt’s staff had worked mercilessly trying to not only get the final plan complete, but to also assemble the assets to make it work. True, Jeffers couldn’t give those kinds of orders, but working with the staff, the fleet and air units were being brought together and the troops assembled to make it all work. Every day the message center buzzed with new requests for information and to detail orders.
The results were impressive. It involved three carriers, two LHAs, four LHDs, six LPDs, eight LSDs and twenty other transport ships, along with three battleships, four cruisers, fifteen destroyers, six frigates and several submarines. In all there were over 120 ships being assembled — and that was just in the Atlantic and from the American side. Another two carriers, an LHA, two LHDs, four LSDs, a battleship, six more cruisers, ten destroyers five frigates and other support ships were being assembled on the west coast. This would be a two ocean war. With the Kennedy being damaged, it had made the effort much more difficult. Everything was hinged on getting one of the carriers back online. Newport News was doing just that.
Jeffers sat back at his desk and read the latest message traffic that had come into the office just a few minutes before. It was 2010 hours — late in the evening, and he anticipated going home, maybe by 2200. There was a knock at his door. Jeffers looked up to see Vice Admiral Hustvedt standing there with a smile on his face.
“You look like shit,” said Hustvedt.
Jeffers’ face broke into a grin. “Only because I’m up to my ears in it,” he said as he stood.
Hustvedt motioned for him to sit down. He took a seat next to the desk. “Rod, you need to put all this down. For the last three weeks you have been getting home between ten and eleven at night and being back here by six. The Chief of Staff says you have put in the work of ten people. You can’t help me if you kill yourself,” he said.
“I’m okay, Admiral. I just want to make sure this all gets together right. We can’t afford to be left in the lurch once this thing starts,” said Jeffers.
“I know, but this is going very well — largely because of you. I signed the final plan today. Today is Wednesday. I want you to go home and not come back until Monday. Get a little Christmas time with your family,” Hustvedt said. Before Jeffers could object he raised his hand. “I know, there is still a lot to do, but the plan is sound. We need to move on. I do have others on the staff to get last minute things done, and even I have been known to get a few things done in my career. Rod, take a short break. When you get back we need to get ready to move to Norfolk. By Wednesday we will be aboard the America. In two weeks we will be underway. You have been my right hand man in all of this and I appreciate what you’ve done. You’re going to help me win this war. Then, once this is over, I am going to see to it that you get back to sea like a regular surface line officer. Who knows? Before this war is over, you may have a command of your own.”