The Nereus Dent

Clifford McGinnis

I have just discovered the web site and enjoyed reading your memories. I was standing on the bow with a Lt Martin when "Crash" Field made his "approach". It was a week day and thankfully there were no other boats in the nest. I told the Lt that I thought we were going to hit. He didn't think so until the engines went dead, and then said "grab the hatch". We hit and bounced around pretty good.

The lads on the tender sounded the collision alarm and we didn't do anything. Somebody from the forward torpedo room yelled up "what happened?" I said we hit the tender. All they said was "oh"

We did put a good dent in the tenders side. I was standing there when the four striper from the tender came down (It was the Nereus I believe). Captain Schloesser walk over to him and coolly said: "Sorry about your paint job!" Also I think we got the bow off the Queen Fish not the Sea devil.

You also talked about Bubba Smith. He was a real beauty. I was coming off watch with him on one occasion and we had a young cook somebody nicknamed "diapers" who had burned the chow. Bubba walked over and said: Diapers you are a scientist. Your the only man I know that can turn food to "shit" before it goes through your stomach! Diapers started crying and ran into the XO. The XO came in and told Bubba to quit picking on Diapers. Thanks for the memories

Cliff McGinnis EM2(SS) mcginni@uswest.net