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History of the Atlantic Cable & Undersea Communications
from the first submarine cable of 1850 to the worldwide fiber optic network

CS Restorer
by Dirk van Oudenol

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Winter Cable laying

Wartime Winter Cable Laying in the Bering Sea - Grim Reality

The Japanese had only recently been removed from Attu and Kiska, and the threat of their closeness hung over the operation. The often foul weather was an additional factor as the Bering Sea and the North Pacific Ocean are not kind to anyone, particularly in the winter.

The strategy was simple. Move slowly, let the cable pay out from the large cable tanks and around the brake drums, and over the bow sheaves, until arriving at the island of destination. At that point a coxswain with four oarsmen manned a surf boat and brought the line ashore, then buried a "dead man" or found something to which a large single sheave block could be firmly fastened. There would be round trips back to the ship and the beach, as subsequently larger lines were hauled to the shore by the ship's cable engine(s). The beach was a misnomer, as the steep sucking black lava stone approaches were anything but a beach, and bitterly cold. Then, hopefully, there would be an Army unit with the proper heavy equipment to assist in bringing in enough slack to satisfy their needs, and then it would be slowly on to the next island. It was bitter cold work, and the surf boat crews never seemed to be warm or dry. Work went on 24 hrs. a day.

The weather where the Bering Sea and the North Pacific Ocean meet can be some of the world's worst, as a strange phenomena known locally as "will-o-wahs" takes place. The gale winds go in one direction and the waves in the opposite to create this strange force. It was both an eerie and awesome sensation to see and feel rain, sleet and snow driven in one direction, while huge waves would move across the grain of the elements, or in complete opposition to it.

Severe weather would halt the laying of cable, and the cable would have to be severed with the cable end being marked with a buoy, held in position with a "mushroom" anchor. The Restorer hove to or took shelter in the lee of an island. When the weather subsided, the buoy and the cable would be brought back on board. If rapidly deteriorating weather didn't give time to attach a buoy, the cable would be dropped, and grappled for later. The Army cable splicing team would then join the cable ends and the operation would resume. A faulty cable, or one damaged by unknown causes on the ocean floor, would create additional problems, as the cable would have to
Be found in mid-ocean, grappled for, then brought back on board and repaired. The return of the cable to the ship's deck and subsequently to the cable tanks, was an additional cold wet task, as the cable was not only ice covered, but slimy and mud covered as well. The cable had to be wound into the tanks by hand, so that it could be used again. Despite oil skin foul weather gear and boots, the cold salt water and mud penetrated to the skin, as the cable was brought back aboard ship. Every grasp on the cable let icy water run down the arms of the mud splattered deck crew. Deck hands looked forward to the crowded, pungent warmth of the crew's quarters after a long night of bringing cable back on board. Meals were provided at all hours during cable work. The resupply of cable was done at the dock in Seward. This break in the routine of cable laying was looked forward to, despite the wartime severity of that port.

A Few Loose Ends

There was a storm that winter so bad that oil was dumped in the heads to calm the waters, as the ship drifted rapidly towards an island, dragging both anchors. Entertainment, such as it was, was provided by a wind up record player (78 rpm's of course), and records of Frances Langford and others. The Canadian Bosun was an old hand, and brought the green deck crew along smoothly and professionally. The scenic trip back to Seattle down the inside passage of Alaska and B. C. almost made the crew forget the cold and the wet. Almost, but not quite. One didn't realize how valuable the hard learned seamanship experiences were, until shipping out later, on a ship that did not demand the same skills that were required that winter of 1943. The step from Ordinary to Able Seaman came easily for most of the deck crew. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, an education, and an unforgettable way to "learn the ropes". After the Restorer's January, 1944 return to Seattle, two of her veteran crew members left the ship, Cable Jointer Pragnell going into well earned retirement, and Purser Sid Pearce going to an administrative position in Seattle. This saw him working every remaining day of the war except Christmas Day.

NOTE: When the ship arrived in Dutch Harbor on 17/12/1943, Ch. Off. Thacker became Acting Captain. On 19/12/1943, Captain Cantell was flown from Dutch Harbor to Seattle, with a terminal illness. Captain Lovering became Master on 31/12/1943, in Seward. Clearly, this makes the above Gate Pass one of the first items signed by Captain Lovering in his capacity as Master of USAT Restorer.

ARMED GUARD PERSONNEL REMOVED                  9/2/1944

NAME
RATING
BRANCH
SERVICE NO.
Clark, Joe Junior
S1c
USN
351 09 15
Chavez, Paul Romero
S1c
USNR
564 24 56
Mc KINNEY, Lennie Lee
S1c
USNR
670 67 63
(TO: PD 13 for assignment 2/2/1944)      
POTTS, Donald Leroy
GM3c
USN
386 13 10
(TO: AGC 2/2/1944)      

 

 ARMED GUARD PERSONNEL PUT ABOARD

BRADFORD, Junior Erwin
S1c
USN
765 00 44
(FROM: PD 13 from assignment 2/2/1944)      
GRAY. Leon Dee
S1c
(SV)
876 55 52
(FROM: PD 13 from assignment 7/2/1944)      
     
Port Director
C. N. INGRAM
Commander, USN
Routing Officer

 

The Tenth Naval Armed Guard Report, 19/4/1944

(The usual preamble, part 1, and parts 3 to 12 are omitted.)
2. 7/2/1944 Departed from Seattle, Washington at 1625.
14/2/1944 Arrived at Pleasant Island, Alaska at 0230.
14/2/1944 Departed from Pleasant Island at 1600, convoyed by YMS-328 and YMS-332.
16/2/1944 Arrived at Kodiak Island at 1808.
17/2/1944 Departed from Kodiak at 0759, convoyed by seagoing tug Oriol.
19/2/1944 Arrived at Dutch Harbor at 1415.
21/2/1944 Departed from Dutch Harbor at 0835, convoyed by PC-571.
23/2/1944 Arrived at Nayan Bay, Atka Island at 0951.
23/2/1944 Departed from Nayan Bay at 1736, convoyed by PC-571.
24/2/1944 Arrived at Adak Island at 0923.
25/2/1944 Departed from Adak at 1417, convoyed by Coast Guard Cutter Cyane.
25/2/1944 Anchored off Ulak Island at 1708.
27/2/1944 Proceeded from Ulak Island at 0630, convoyed by Cyane.
27/2/1944 Arrived at cable grounds at 0805, and proceeded to work cable.
28/2/1944 Arrived back at Adak at 2000.
1/3/1944 Departed from Adak at 1310, convoyed by DE 14.
2/3/1944 Arrived at Kiska at 0905.
2/3/1944 Departed from Kiska at 1845, convoyed by DE 14.
3/3/1944 Arrived at Attu at 0951.
4/3/1944 Departed from Attu at 0848, convoyed by DE 14.
4/3/1944 Arrived at cable grounds off Shemya Island at 1143.
4/3/1944 Departed from cable grounds at 1527.
4/3/1944 Arrived at Attu at 1828, still convoyed by DE 14.
9/4/1944 Departed from Attu at 0938.
9/3/1944 Arrived at Shemya Island at 1225, still convoyed by DE 14.
11/3/1944 Departed from Shemya Island at 1425, convoyed by DE 14.
11/3/1944 Arrived at Attu at 1715.
16/3/1944 Departed from Attu at 0944, convoyed by PC 782.
16/3/1944 Arrived at cable grounds at 0912.
16/3/1944 Departed from cable grounds at 2009.
16/3/1944 Arrived at Attu at 2052, still convoyed by PC 782.
17/3/1944 Departed from Attu at 0821, convoyed by PC 782.
17/3/1944 Arrived at Shemya at 1124, and proceeded to work cable.
18/3/1944 Departed from cable grounds at 1604, convoyed by PC 782.
18/3/1944 Arrived at Attu at 1710.
30/3/1944 Departed from Attu at 1341, in company with Diamond Cement and Alencon, convoyed by seagoing tug Avocet.
1/4/1944 Arrived at Adak at 1115.
3/4/1944 Departed from Adak at 1831, in company with Diamond Cement convoyed by M 152.
5/4/1944 Arrived at Dutch Harbor at 0855.
6/4/1944 Departed from Dutch Harbor at 1336, convoyed by M 152.
7/4/1944 Arrived at cable grounds at Cold Bay at 0410, and proceeded to work cable.
11/4/1944 Departed from cable grounds at 1732.
13/4/1944 Arrived at cable grounds off Kodiak Island 0903, convoyed by M 152.
14/4/1944 Departed from cable grounds at 0630, convoyed by M 152.
16/4/1944 Arrived at Pleasant Island at 0021.
16/4/1944 Departed from Pleasant Island without convoy at 0152.
19/4/1944 Arrived at Seattle at 0703.

Back in the South Pacific

After the Restorer's April, 1944 return to Seattle, it was readied for a return to its more familiar tropical climes. The Restorer now came under Central Pacific Base Command, her duties to keep open lines of communication between advance forces and base command. This was very dangerous work. In 1944 Captain Gagnon returned to command, and in 1945 took Restorer back to the Philippines. It was at Leyte that the ship was almost lost when it ran aground and the crew had to abandon ship. Later, with the incoming tide, the crew was able to reboard and refloat the ship. It was experiences like this that made three different reports of the ship's loss reaching Victoria seem creditable. Reassurance to those on the home front was gained by the appearance of mail that was of course, heavily censored. USAT Restorer worked so close to the enemy that there were times when she worked cable the other end of which was still in use by the Japanese.

Main Menu
| Home | Contact Email | Prologue | 1901 - 1904 | Joint Reports 1903 - 04 | Early Operations | First World War | Peace | Second World War | 3rd Naval Armed Guard Report | Winter Cable Laying | 11th Naval Armed Guard Report | Peace Again | Home And Back To Work | C.S. Restorer's Final Days Part 1 | C.S. Restorer's Final Days Part 2 | Services Rendered by C.S. Restorer | The End For C.S. Restorer|

Copyright © 2006 Dirk van Oudenol

Last revised: 22 July, 2006

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