This story was initially revealed as “The Wonsan Incident” within the May 1951 problem of Outdoor Life. The writer, Daniel Jordan Carrison, served in World War II and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V” for “meritorious service as Gunnery Officer of the USS Yorktown, during operations against enemy Japanese forces on the Japanese Mainland” in summer season 1945. This story, nonetheless, was written throughout his publish as Commanding Officer of the united statesO’Bannon from December 4, 1951 to April 2, 1953 in Korea. His service there earned him a Gold Star.
A couple of skeptics could doubt my story, however I’ve proof that I’ve engaged in one of many strangest duck hunts within the annals of gunning. The scene is Wonsan Harbor, North Korea; the time, January, 1952; my weapon, a bolt-action Springfield of classic 1918; my duck boat, considered one of Uncle Sam’s 2,100-ton destroyers. The field rating: eleven geese (Communist, after all), eight on the wing and three sitting.
Official press releases have given the united statesS. O’Bannon credit score for destroying quite a few targets in Wonsan. During our bombardment of this North Korean visitors hub we scored hits on every part from oxcarts to locomotives; we burned buildings, destroyed bridges, sank sampans, and knocked out gun emplacements. In reality, we had orders to shoot at every part that moved—however simply how that got here to incorporate geese takes a little bit explaining.
Now, maybe I ought to clarify {that a} destroyer skipper typically has time on his palms. After having been in command for a yr or so, the skipper who does every part himself isn’t value his salt. It’s a practice on small ships that the officer of the deck be a succesful seaman. A teen in his early twenties, a yr out of school NROTC, has extra authority as a destroyer O.O.D. than a Naval Academy graduate, class of ’38, would have on a battle wagon. Happy is the destroyer skipper who, after a yr’s supervision, can boast 4 younger officers who can get the ship underway, take it out and in of a harbor, and combat the ship if want be. Then his job turns into considered one of supervision, and most of his hours are spent sitting within the “Old Man’s” chair on the bridge, troubleshooting solely when mandatory.
By the time the O’Bannon arrived in Wonsan for her bombardment mission, I had been gently however firmly kicked upstairs by a bunch of very succesful gents who, a yr earlier, had been (a) a paint-and-dye salesman, (b) a junior government in an promoting agency, (c) a school-teacher, and (d) a filling-station operator. So I’d sit in my chair on the bridge and stare on the enemy shore for targets, or stroll up and down the bridge and swap jokes with the signalmen and lookouts.
One morning the port lookout, a hawkeye who acquired his early coaching looking squirrels in Tennessee, gave me an thought. “Cap’n,” he stated, “I’ve been starin’ at this water for 3 days now and haven’t seen a mine but, however them gol-dern geese are gettin’ on my nerves. Every time I see a dot on the water and prepare to yell ‘Mine on the port bow,’ it simply shakes its tail and flies away.
“Now,” he continued, “ifn I had my ol’ 12 gauge shotgun, I’d fix those ducks and make this a decent place for a seagoin’ destroyer.”
The solely shotguns a destroyer carries are the sawed-off riot weapons that the touchdown pressure takes ashore; the one ammunition is 00 buckshot. A person may as effectively throw rocks as attempt to hit a duck with a mixture like that.
Yet on each destroyer bridge you can see a rifle—both an M-1 Garand or the outdated trustworthy Springfield. It’s saved helpful for sinking mines or any floating objects that resemble mines. The Japanese internet floats that drift round these waters have added grey hairs to most destroyer males. I’ve sunk over a dozen previously month. Mines could be taken care of properly with a Springfield—they both sink or explode after a number of well-placed hits.
By the time we began our bombardment mission, I had turn into the official ship’s sniper. Any tin can, field, internet float, or aircraft stomach tank that floated by was truthful recreation. It was a helpful factor to do, for once I sank every offending object that resembled a mine, it made the probabilities of recognizing the actual factor that a lot higher. And don’t suppose that we who experience these waters with solely a half-inch metal plate between us and Davy Jones aren’t mine-conscious.
“So,” I stated to myself, “these ducks are bothering my lookouts and detracting from their efficiency. By golly, they’re actual hazards to operations.”
It didn’t take me lengthy to determine that they had been official targets for my Springfield.
“Operation Duck Hunt” acquired underway instantly. I bagged three birds the primary day at ranges of about 100 yards, however they had been (disgrace!) sitting.
Now I’m not one to sneeze at capturing a sitting duck as long as I’m utilizing a rifle and the vary is lengthy sufficient to present him a good likelihood. But my pal from Tennessee would snort his displeasure.
“Sittin’ ducks!” he’d mutter, simply loud sufficient for me to listen to. “The Old Man is out of line.”
Before I knew it I had a tacit settlement with Tennessee that I wouldn’t hearth till the geese had been air-borne. Though it took extra ammunition, it was additionally much more enjoyable. After two days’ blazing away I hadn’t hit something, however the geese had a brand new respect for the U. S. Navy.
Since Wonsan Harbor isn’t very massive, the O’Bannon was endlessly altering course, dodging an island right here and there, with a view to hold the shoreline beneath surveillance. It additionally helped to be a transferring goal in case the Commie shore batteries determined to take a pot shot on the ship. As a matter of reality, vessels had particular directions to not cease whereas within the harbor. After lacking so many transferring targets myself, I might see the logic of that. So as we cruised round we pressed our battle towards the shore targets fairly efficiently. But we additionally had many a spell of quiet steaming between such bombardments.
DURING THESE LULLS my battle with the geese went on. Finally I caught the knack and began to bag them on the fly. Some hits had been actually unbelievable, and although I do know that there was lots of luck concerned, I now fancy myself fairly a marksman and am simply ready for my subsequent furlough in South Carolina; if I can get ’em on the fly with a rifle I needs to be homicide with a shotgun.
Anyhow, when our tour in Wonsan was up, the field rating was three a-settin’; eight a-flyin’. Now, no sportsman likes to shoot recreation and depart it, however I had an issue. A 2,100-ton destroyer is not any rowboat and doesn’t spin on a dime. As a matter of reality, once you placed on the brakes by backing full velocity, the ship continues forward for the size of two soccer fields earlier than coming to a cease. Besides, I had orders to not cease.
Tennessee got here up with the answer. “Cap’n,” he stated, “ifn you could mark that duck as we passed by, we could git him the next time around.” That was a partial resolution—however it had its shortcomings. First there was the set and drift, as we within the Navy name the results of wind and present. In half an hour a floating object in Wonsan Harbor drifts about 500 yards. It took the O’Bannon a very good half hour to retrace her steps as she patrolled the harbor. But even when I might deliver the ship to the duck, how was I to retrieve it with out stopping?
A boatswain’s mate remembered a type of trout internet that was saved within the ahead maintain, so he rigged it to the tip of a ship hook. This supplied a very good ten-foot attain, which wasn’t value a hoot from the fo’c’sle, the place the deck is twenty ft above water. But it was sufficient again on the fantail, which has solely about eight ft of freeboard.
So we labored out a plan by which we retrieved 9 out of 11 geese. When I bagged one I’d yell “Mark, 100 yards on the starboard beam.” The quartermaster would take a fast bearing, plot within the ship’s place, and, 100 yards from our observe, make a circle marked “Duck.” On our subsequent time across the harbor we’d permit for the duck’s drift via the water and steer for his predicted place. When we sighted the duck we’d bead proper for it, and when it was about fifty yards useless forward, we’d put the ship’s rudder onerous proper (or left) and throw the fantail up towards the carcass. The stern lookout would nonchalantly scoop it up in our trout internet. Then we’d regular up and proceed our bombardment of the shore.
Simsuango, our Philippine steward, is a grasp cook dinner, however he virtually went over the hill once I requested him to cook dinner these geese. They smelled to excessive heaven and refused to react to roasting, stewing, frying, or another cooking process. After a bout with a type of cussed creatures, Sim would wash his palms in a combination of water and lemon juice, and report sadly that he had thrown the duck and pan over the aspect. So regardless of how I boasted that I used to be lowering the wardroom mess invoice with my looking prowess, a a lot anticipated duck dinner by no means materialized.
However, Ed Brandhorst, the ex-school-teacher, is comfortable. His dad mounts birds as a pastime and, based on Ed, has a beautiful assortment. Ed skinned every totally different species and has the skins fastidiously stowed within the ship’s freeze field. “Wait till the folks in Denver see these,” he gloats.
I’ve one nice satisfaction from Operation Duck Hunt. Last fall a pal of mine saved his destroyer on the Wonsan bombardment line so lengthy he began calling himself the “Mayor of Wonsan.” Since then each destroyer skipper has been attempting to outdo that publicity hound. Yesterday I fastened his wagon. I despatched him an image of myself standing on the bridge in a Teddy Roosevelt pose-duck in a single hand, rifle grasped nonchalantly within the different. I autographed it “Fish and Game Commissioner, Wonsan County.”