The Hawkins was qualified in gunnery, but we had one more live fire exercise before heading back to Newport. We left our station off of Calibre and headed to Vieques. We arrived in the early evening, anchored off the range, and around 2200, began the exercise. i think in the world of Allied Tactical Publications it was designated as Z-49-G, a night time gunnery mission.

The key figure in this exercise was the Sky One Director, Joe McMakin, who had surprised everyone when his counter battery fire in the qualifying exercise at Calibre.

The ship would get a call for fire from a forward gunfire liaison officer (GLO) — on ranges, this would be the range director. To abet the vision of the GLO, the after-mount, 53, would fire rounds carrying white phosphorous we called “willy peter” into the sky. They were timed to off above the area for the call to fire. When they detonated they released the willy peter on a parachute, which would slowly descend to the range, lighting up the area for firing.

The after mount would continue this alternating with each of its two guns, coordinated by Sky One, the director officer. The GLO would would send the coordinates for the area target to the ship’s Gunfire Support Director — i sure i have erred in the names of some of the positions in the fire control system — which was now Ralph Clark, the new director in Combat (CIC). He would send the directions to the officers on the MK 1 computer below and then give the order to fire with forward mount 51. Sky One would coordinate the firing of “willy peter” rounds from the after mount.

At least that was the way it was supposed to go. But Joe got a little confused and not much was going right. i stood by the captain as his voice over the fire control circuit. Big but taciturn CDR Max Lasell was growing frustrated, very frustrated. He turned to me and told me to notify him in the best way possible if some emergency occurred. With that warning, he stepped back into the pilot house, strode across it, exiting on the starboard side. From there he headed aft and climbed the ladder to the O4 level.

i could see him again as he scaled the side of the Sky One director. Joe was sitting at the top frantically trying to get the guns coordinated without much success. He had on that ginormous sound powered phone battle helmet and completely unaware the captain was climbing up the outside of the director. It was noisy.

When Max reached the top and his yell could not gain Joe’s attention, he began to beat…er, tap, on Joe’s battle helmet with his binoculars.

i don’t know what Captain Lasell said to Joe. i wish i did. The conversation was short. The captain descended from his precarious perch and returned to the bridge wing where i awaited.

Miraculously, the gunfire became coordinated, we took the GLO’s spots and moved the rounds until we were on target and began firing for effect. The night shoot went from looking like a complete disaster to a success.

Standing by the captain is the primo spot for watching a night gun shoot on a FRAM destroyer. i was lucky. i wish everyone could have that opportunity, now vanished. i still have no need to watch fireworks. If i do, it’s because i’m being accommodating for someone else to watch.

They always pale in comparison to that night shoot off of Vieques about fifty-five years ago.