Homeward Bound

The tow was moving along at speeds varying from 3 to 6 knots and had just crossed the International Date Line (two Sundays in a row and it was Charlie Zobie’s birthday - two birthdays) when the weather began to deteriorate. The tow got in the tail-end of a typhoon with waves up to 30-40 feet. This bucket of scrap is in no shape to weather much of this kind of seas.

The line to the BOBOLINK parts, followed by the tow line to the GULF STAR. The FOOTE is adrift and wallowing helplessly in heavy seas. There were several attempts to reestablish the tow by BOBOLINK with no luck. Normal approaches to get a line over by the BOBOLINK proved unsuccessful, so the skipper of the BOBOLINK, Ensign Reed, (A mustang), one of the best in the Navy, decided he would have to put the tug in the same trough (between waves) with the FOOTE in order to pass a line. This he did, and one minute they would be looking at the bottom of the FOOTE and the next they would be looking down the stacks. Once in the same trough the two ships began riding together and they were able to get a couple of lines across.

However, the going was too dangerous and Ensign Reed ordered the lines cut with fire axes to free the BOBOLINK before the FOOTE sunk her. The only alternative left was to wait for calmer seas.

The FOOTE rolled around helpless for three days. One of the FOOTE’S resourceful Machinest Mates fashioned a large fishhook to go fishing for sharks. This fishhook and a length of manila line plus a generous portion of good old New Zealand mutton was rigged through a block attached to the forward port boat davit. The baited hook was tossed overboard and almost immediately a large shark grabbed the bait (and the FOOTE had been floundering in these waters for three days). A dozen eager sailors grabbed the line and two-blocked the shark on the davit. One brave sailor with a pair of pliers in hand scurried up the davit determined to extract some teeth from the shark. This whole operation was being observed by the bridge and when the skipper saw this activity he ordered the shark released. Some say the shark was 12-feet long (it has grown over the past 62-years) and in retrospect it should have been shot, hauled aboard and butchered for steaks. The going price for shark steaks is around $6/lb. in today’s market. I’m sure the crew would have preferred shark to the mutton that Chief Commissary Stewart Frank Collins was serving the crew that day. Of course, Chief Collins had no choice because that was about all the meat on board.

After 62-years can anyone remember the Machinest Mate who made the fishhook? Who was the brave sailor who was going to do the dental work on the Great White Shark? Is there a picture out there somewhere that can settle once and for all, the size of the shark?

After the seas calmed, shortly after dawn on the fourth day, the SS GULF STAR was able to take the FOOTE in tow and make way for Pago Pago, Tituila, American Samoa to await the arrival of new cable. It was another two days before the cable arrived and the tow was able to continue the miserable, monotonous, anxious trip to San Pedro. The progress was slow and the food was bad. The only thing that sustained the crew was the fact that they would get a 30-day leave once the ship was in drydock stateside.

At dawn on 4 March 1944 when the crew was called to morning G.Q. the good old U.S.A. was visible on the horizon. Lieutenant I. E. Elrode, harbor pilot, came aboard at 0743 and took the conn. The FOOTE cast off the SS GULF STAR tow cable at 0857. Yard Tug #239 assisted the BOBOLINK in bringing the FOOTE along starboard side to Pier #2, in Berth 22, Terminal Island, San Pedro and she tied up with standard mooring lines. The time was 1016. THE FOOTE WAS HOME.

After giving docking assistance to the FOOTE, the BOBOLINK gave a farewell salute with her whistle after the 43-day and approximately 8,000-mile saga and headed for Long Beach for overhaul and refitting.

(USS FOOTE War Diary and USS FOOTE Deck Logs.)

PURVIS BAY TO ESPIRITU SANTOS

At 0541 on 23 November the Captain of the USS BOBOLINK ATO-131, Ensign F. G. Reed, USN, came aboard the FOOTE as pilot and took the conn. The BOBOLINK was alongside to port - FOOTE’S anchor was aweigh at 0554 and the ship was underway in accordance with ComThirdFlt Order 210519 using various courses to clear the harbor. At 0610 the FOOTE passed through the anti-submarine net and set course 224-degrees True for 20-minutes and then changed course to 190-degrees True. The Port Bungana Light was abeam to port. The USS ADROIT AM-82 and the USS DARING AM-87 (173-ft. steel-hull diesel-electric Minesweepers) joined the tow as anti- submarine screen.

As the group was organized, it was joined by APC 26, 31 and 32 (wooden-hulled 103-ft. diesel-powered coastal transports) and the USS SELFRIDGE DD-357 (A Porter Class Destroyer with the bow missing back to the bridge). The Captain of the BOBOLINK left the ship at 0645 and the BOBOLINK cast off and commenced making fast a tow line - 30 fathoms (6-ft.=1 fathom) of FOOTE anchor chain veered out. BOBOLINK took up slack and began the tow at 0723 on course 190-degrees True. SELFREDGE took position 1,000-yards astern with the ADROIT and DARING as anti-submarine patrol around the tow.

The forward speed was 6-knots. Winds and seas were almost dead ahead, but the ship towed very badly - yawing as much as 70-degrees each side of the base course. An effort was made to correct this condition by securing APC-32 to the port quarter of the FOOTE to aid in control and steerage. Changed course to 130-degrees True. Yaw was reduced to 15 to 25-degrees each side of the tow course. Lengthening the tow increased the yawing - shortening the tow line increased the cable snap at the tug’s stern. With the APC-32 secured firmly to the undamaged portion of the port quarter and using her engines and rudder to keep the nest pointed fair for the BOBOLINK, the FOOTE’S bow did not move off course more than 6-degrees. Forward speed was gradually increased to eight knots with this arrangement. At 1615 winds increased to about force one. The ship began to roll and pitch slightly - the motion of the alongside APC increased to a point where damage was possible. A decision was made to use the APC-31 as a sea-anchor by taking her in tow. This arrangement kept the ships within 15-degrees of the base course. The speed was reduced to 7-knots and later to 6-knots as seas increased to slightly more than force one.

On the 8-12 watch the FOOTE received a message from the SELFRIDGE stating she had developed a slight leak in her forward tanks, but could control it without any problem. Shortly after noon the APC-32 ceased to aid in steerage and acted purely as drag. The tow steadied with this drogue effect. Speed of advance is 6.5-knots. Boiler No. 2 is on the line for auxiliary purposes. Base course remains 130-degrees True

On Saturday 27th at 0002 the base course was changed to 177-degrees True. At 0730 the DARING, ADROIT, SELFRIDGE, APC 32, 31 and 26 left the convoy and proceeded to port in accordance with previous instructions. The tow changed course to 270-degrees in preparation to enter the channel at Espiritu Santos. The USS PAWNEE AFT-74 (Fleet Tug) came alongside to port at 0843 and made fast her lines and the FOOTE cast off her tow to BOBOLINK. This would not be the FOOTE’S last encounter with the BOBOLINK.

Using various courses and speeds to approach the harbor the SHAWNEE/FOOTE passes through the anti-submarine nets at 1010. The SHAWNEE moored the FOOTE starboard side to the USS EATON DD-510 in nest with the Destroyer Tender USS DIXIE AD-14 in Berth #25, Segond Channel, Espiritu Santos, New Hebrides. The FOOTE secured from Condition II Mike and set the port readiness watch. SOPA (Senior Officer Present Afloat) is ComSeronSoPac (SubCom) in DIXIE.

The FOOTE has received ComInCh Order 232040 designating .the Navy Yard, Terminal Island, San Pedro, California as the ultimate repair yard stateside. There is no definite schedule for planned repairs in Espiritu Santo. Both drydocks in port are occupied with the first one available about December 5th. Meantime, authorization was received to continue cutting away damaged portions aft of frame 182. The No. 3 Boiler is on line for auxiliary purposes.

The USS PATTERSON DD-392 was undocked by ARD-5 (Floating Drydock) at 0723 on December 2nd and the USS CARLSON DE-9 was drydocked at 1053. ComSeronSoPa informed the FOOTE that drydocking availability has been delayed until December 7th to permit propeller shaft strut repairs to be made to the USS PARKS and change a propeller on the USS HUDSON.

Captain Ramsay received approval for three days leave plus travel time from ComSoPac to visit Sidney, Australia. The Captain left the ship at 0140 on December 4th - air travel was authorized. In the Captain’s absence Lt. Commander M. S. Schmidling, USN, is acting Commanding Officer of the FOOTE.

The FOOTE was informed early on December 7th that Drydock ARD-5 would be ready to receive the ship at 1500. At 1430 the FOOTE cleared the nest with Yard Tugs YT-204 and YT-153 secured on port and starboard sides respectively - the remainder of the nest breasted in. Proceeded to ARD-5 and at 1520 the FOOTE headed fair for the drydock entry and received lines from the drydock. The ship bow crossed the sill at 1524 being towed by power winches. Both Yard Tugs cast off at 1530. The ship was secured in the drydock at 1535. Commenced pumping the drydock at 1600 and the ship rested on keel-blocks forward of Frame 155. There was considerable oil that was trapped in the upper portion of the ruptured fuel oil tanks and powder magazines that flowed out into the dock. At 1800 the drydock was completely water free. It was necessary to hose the dock down to get rid of the fuel oil. Inspection of the ship indicated conditions to be essentially the same as in the official report of battle damage submitted earlier.

On Wednesday morning December 8th workers commenced taking ammunition from #3 Magazine and transferring it to a Lighter. The total transferred was 263 rounds of 5”/38 flashless, 413 rounds of smokeless and 215 empty 5”/38 powder tanks to NAD (Naval Ammunition Depot), Espiritu Santos for further disposition. Captain Ramsay returned aboard from leave at 1800.

The FOOTE remained in ARD-5 (Floating Drydock) for the next 24 days undergoing battle damage repairs in preparation for the voyage back to Terminal Island, San Pedro, California. On December 10th is was necessary to secure the No. 3 Boiler used for auxiliary purposes due to a shortage of feed water. Life for the crew during this period was difficult at best. Most of the crew was sleeping on the deck - mosquitoes and insects were horrible and there were “water hours” because the ship was receiving electric power, compressed air and flushing water from the ARD-5 and potable water from a barge secured to the port side of ARD-5. And, of course, every morning there was the repetition of quarters for muster, reports from all departments, daily inspection of forward magazines and smokeless powder samples and the long daily drudgery of work details.

Finally, the work by the drydock was completed and on 1 January 1944 (New Year’s Day) the dock was flooded and the FOOTE undocked at 0700. Two Yard Tugs moved the ship to Berth #25, Segond Channel where the FOOTE moored to a buoy with 5 fathoms of chain through the bullnose. The crew continues to attend to things necessary prior to crossing the Pacific (Approx. 8,000-miles) under tow. The marine experts have decided to make the FOOTE more stable, she needs some additional strategically placed ballast, so on January 6th 19-tons of magnesium ingots were brought aboard from the Navy Supply Depot as cargo and ballast.

On 21 January all preparations were complete and a tow was available (S.S. GULF STAR, a tanker owned by Gulf Oil Co. built in 1919). The BOBOLINK ATO-131 was in port undergoing general maintenance and was told to complete their repairs in 48-hours because they would accompany the FOOTE back to the states. All hands turned to and 48-hours later they were ready to get underway. The BOBOLINK had been in the Pacific about a year before the attack on Pearl Harbor and those crew members who were not Asiatic had malaria. They were ready to go stateside. At 0740 the FOOTE received 2,148 gallons of fuel oil from YO-20. Then, at 0930 all preparations were completed for going to sea and the special sea detail was set. Yard Tug-463 made fast to the starboard quarter and Ensign Davis, Commanding Officer of the tug, boarded the FOOTE and took the conn. At 1040 the S.S. GULF STAR got underway and stood out to sea. The FOOTE got underway at 1050 in accordance with ComThirdFlt Order 170515 as modified by Order 200627. Yard Tug-463, assisted by Yard Tug-153 and Yard Tug-204 used various courses and speeds to clear the harbor with the FOOTE. The FOOTE passed through the anti-submarine net at 1118 and the BOBOLINK took the place of Yard Tug-463, 153 and 204 and the three Yard Tugs cast off and stood by. At 1215 the tow passed through Bogacio-Tutuba Island Passage. The speed was slowed to receive a tow line from the S.S. GULF STAR. The towing cable was secured to FOOTE’S anchor chain and the chain veered to 30 fathoms. GULF STAR veered their tow cable to 200 fathoms and proceeded at a very slow speed. At 1330 the BOBOLINK cast off from the port quarter and fell astern in tow (for drogue effect) with 100 fathoms of towing cable. The pilot and three Yard Tugs bade the FOOTE farewell with a blast of their whistles, did a 180-degree turn, and headed back to port. This pitiful towing convoy set course 142-degrees True with speed of 6-knots. The “Homeward Bound Pennant” was streaming from the yardarm and the crew’s moral had taken a turn for the better - they were going home..
(USS FOOTE War Diary & USS FOOTE Deck Logs.)

What a Difference a Second Makes

On the night of 2 November 1943 when the FOOTE was torpedoed at the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay she lost 19 crew members and approximately 55-feet of her stern. For this damage to occur it is estimated that the torpedo impacted 26.5-feet aft of the 5-inch gun mount No. 5.

The ship was steaming at 31-knots (52.4 feet per second).



If we use the point of impact as a fixed reference and arrive at that point one second sooner (52.4-feet) the torpedo would have passed about 24-feet astern - missing the ship altogether.

On the other hand “what if “ the ship had arrived at the reference point two and one-half seconds later (131-feet) then the torpedo would have impacted amidship - causing greater loss of life and in all probability, sunk the FOOTE instantly.









What a difference a second can make in an individual’s life.
(This scenario was suggested by Charlie Zobie, Chief Radioman on the FOOTE, about 10-days before his unexpected death on 12-12-91.)