| Just a few minutes later word was passed over Vreeland's 1MC for anyone wanting to go to the cruiser for a photo-op to lay to the quarterdeck. Soon, there were several sailors waiting for our captain's gig to be put into the water, ready to embark on an once-in-a-lifetime adventure. A ship's serviceman had been summoned to fetch a case or two of Vreeland Zippo lighters and they, too, were loaded into the gig before it started for the cruiser. I stood on the fantail watching this drama unfold. I appropriated a pair of binoculars from someone and watched our gig's progress toward the cruiser. A quick scan of her weather decks confirmed what was barely visible to the naked eye - that was one heavily armed ship! There were dozens of deck guns, both large and small, plus plenty of deck hands armed with machine guns. And, for just pure, physical size, she had Vreeland beaten hands-down. Vreeland's gig made a high-speed run straight to the cruiser's port side. Dozens of Russians, those under arms and just plain ol' rubberneckers, gathered at the side for a closer look at Uncle Sam's boys. As the gig approached nearer to the Russian's accommodation ladder, the armed guard at the foot of it began a slow, step by step, backward retreat up toward the main deck. Our gig slowed its engine and bumped against the ladder. The package of Zippo lighters was placed on the platform and then the gig sped away. Sailors on the cruiser could be seen backing away from the side of the ship, not quite sure of what they'd just seen. After a minute or so the guard slowly made his way down to the bottom of the ladder where he carefully poked the package before picking it up. I remember standing there watching through binoculars as that close encounter unfolded, thinking that our gig was going to be blown out of the water any minute. |
| I made six deployments to the Mediterranean Sea during my navy career. The first one was in 1958 and the last one was in 1974. Four of those cruises were made in four different destroyer escorts and two in an aircraft carrier. And on some of those cruises I witnessed some close, confrontational encounters between the US Navy and the Russian Navy. That was during a time when we weren't on the best of terms and spied on one another at every opportunity. The Russians engaged in some dangerous tactics trying to disrupt our exercises, sometimes to the point of sailing right into the middle of our area of operations. Aircraft carriers were their favorite targets and a carrier task force was always shadowed by at least one or two destroyers sporting a red star on their bows. They especially took great pleasure in cutting across the bows of two of our ships during underway replenishment, just to see if we could be forced into making an emergency break-away. But we, too, got up close and personal with our adversaries. There were more than just a few times when we stood-off short distances taking photos and listening to their radio traffic. But I don't recall ever being aboard a ship that deliberately interfered with their maneuvers. However, one destroyer escort I was aboard "escorted" a crippled diesel-powered submarine for several days until it neared Alexandria, Egypt, where a repair ship took it in tow. We got close enough to see dents and patches in the conning tower, which were used to identify it from a list of subs known to be operating in the Med. But, despite the wariness of both sides, there were a few times when the ever-present dangers of the sea overcame our mutual distrust of one another and brought out the best in those that.... "go down to the sea in ships." Sometimes, when we operated with another 6th-fleet destroyer, we highlined personnel, movies and other such freight between the two of us. And, don't you know? - the Russian that was shadowing us would fall in behind on lifeguard station until we finished our transfer. To show our gratitude we threw a couple of cases of fruits or vegetables overboard as we made our break-away, some supported by tattered kapok life jackets, which they retrieved with grappling hooks. One of my close encounters occurred in the fall of 1972 when I was aboard the USS Vreeland, DE-1068. That incident is the one I consider to be the most daring of all that I witnessed. And that was not because of what actually occurred but because of what the results of that encounter could have been. That event occurred when we were playing cat-and-mouse with a Russian cruiser that was a few thousand tons superior to our measly four-thousand or so. Late in the afternoon the cruiser stopped its engines and settled in for the night. (I have no proof but scuttlebutt had it that the Russians sometimes sought out a spot their anchor could reach and rode the hook at night. That was supposed to save fuel.) Vreeland stood-off from the Russian less than a mile or so, gently rolling with the sea, barely making way as we watched, waited and listened. Pretty soon the cruiser put its gig into the water and made a run for Vreeland. The gig made more than a couple of close-in passes around us, barely a couple of hundred-feet away. And during all that time the Russians were shooting away with cameras just like they were tourists in Rome. And, in keeping with the spirit of the day, some of our young sailors standing on the weather decks were giving them friendly waves ....with their middle fingers held high. Our skipper called for one of our Russian-speaking spooks to invite the officers to come aboard for tea or coffee. So, the spook took up a bullhorn and extended the invitation to the gig as it made another pass. The gig came to a stop and the officers were seen to be conferring with one another. Pretty soon they indicated to Vreeland that they accepted the invitation and pointed the gig to come alongside. A young seaman on the bridge said he heard our skipper mutter to no one in particular, "Oh, oh! What've I done now!?" Our skipper was a young man, several years younger than the typical CO for a ship of our size. He was, as a Lieutenant Commander, a rank below that normally assigned as captain to the latest class of destroyer escorts. His elevation to command was the result of a navy program that recognized dedicated young officers who had demonstrated that they were capable of performing duties beyond their present rank. Some were so young that the sobriquet "whiz kids" had been attached to the entire group. While the gig was making passes around Vreeland our spooks below decks listened to the radio traffic between them and the cruiser. And they heard the gig inform the cruiser that the officers were going aboard Vreeland for a visit. But the cruiser responded with an emphatic .... nyet! So, the gig veered away from Vreeland and started for the cruiser. |
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| CAT-AND-MOUSE GAMES ....close encounters with the Russians USS Vreeland DE-1068 1972 |
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| My memory of that incident ends there. Maybe someone who was aboard the captain's gig will give their memory of what happened that day. BTCM Richard "Ozzie" Osburn 9-5-2002 |
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| The following account of Vreeland's close encounter with the Russian was written by a sailor who was aboard the cruiser. The tale is posted on a Russian-language website and I thought someone might like to see how another witness remembered the meeting of the two warships. The original Russian text was translated into English by an on-line translation service. But the English-text translation was, regrettably, virtually indecipherable in several sentences, especially Naval or technical terms. So, there are several passages or paragraphs that I omitted in their entirety. But I believe my transcription captures the gist of the tale well enough to convey the Russian's thoughts. 8-1-2004 ****************************** Episode of "CONTACT" with the FRIGATE of USA VREELAND DE-1068 1972 by: Vladimir Arapov reprinted here with permission of the author Several years ago, while making preparations for this site, I assembled both documentary and photographic material to be used in the various sections. Only a small amount of photographs of the American frigate "Vreeland" remained in the photo album. That is when I developed the thought of writing a separate story about the history of their appearance, and to publish, as far as possible, my memory of that episode which occurred more than thirty years ago. In the beginning of 2004, while "roaming" through the Internet, I found the site for "USS VREELAND". Having attentively "studied" the site, I at long last found what I had searched for. In the history section "THE GREEK YEARS, 1972-1976", is printed a story written by Mr. Richard Osburn. Although the name of the Russian cruiser is not mentioned in the text, and there are no photographs, the time and place indicate it is the KRU "ZHDANOV". I do not manage English well, but I understood the sense of the text sufficiently well by use of different translators. And, as a witness, I confirm that which is described. Well, until those desiring can read the American treatment of that old "contact", I will begin my Russian version. Thus, the year was 1972, at the end of November in the Mediterranean, in the "5th point"... a region near the island of Crete. The control cruiser "ZHDANOV" had concluded her first combat service after undergoing modernization and would depart within several days for Sevastopol. On one of those days, at noon, to the anchorage of the Soviet ships arrived the American frigate "VREELAND" DE-1068. This was the year the frigate began to be homeported at Athens. She arrived at "the point" for tracking the ships of our squadron and, as confirmed by Mr. Osburn, for radio surveillance. The possibility is great that the frigate had some new means of wireless interception. Sometime afterward the order, "Launch into the water" was sounded. That communication generated much interest in our crew, since our boats were put down infrequently. Soon the winch began to drone above the crew's space, getting down from the boat area the commander's launch. Before the boat had time to leave the deck we heard the order, "Group OSNAZ into the launch". This became already entirely interesting! [Could "group OSNAZ" be the equivalent of the U.S. Navy spooks?] The commander of radio intelligence, several staff officers, a regular photographer, and a radio operator went down the portside ladder to the launch. Everyone was well "armed" with binoculars, cameras, and other instruments. I cannot but agree with the American -- "tourists", indeed! The day was warm and sunny. The frigate was on anchor approximately one mile from us. [Vreeland was actually underway, with just a few turns of her engine.] Semaphore greetings were rendered and we behaved tactfully upon arrival. I recall precisely that it was the year agreements were signed in Moscow about averting collisions between surface warships of the USSR and the USA -- it was a hot time of the "cold war". Soon our launch was aimed to the side of "VREELAND". The crew of "ZHDANOV" were on the upper decks and, straining their eyes, they followed the "attack" of their intelligence officers. For the Americans this was a large, unexpected contingency. The sailors on the frigate poured out onto the decks and stood the length of the ship. Our launch approached to a close distance and the group began its "work". (Later I saw the photographs that showed superstructures, antennas, and radars in great detail.) The Americans shouted, they whistled and showed different kinds of gestures. And that caused more rapid "shots" by the shutters of the cameras. I do not remember the matter of the frigate's invitation to visit them. If it was so, then putting it mildly, that was a naive proposal! Intelligence officers of the task force do not visit! After completing the necessary photography, our launch returned to the cruiser. On the basis of "parity", the Americans could not remain in our debt! And after a certain time near KRU appeared a launch under the American flag. Our launch was already onboard, but the portside ladder was still down. To it was aimed the "Yankee". Security on the cruiser was well set and "armed" sailors saw the Americans through binoculars. The launch approached the ladder and one American attempted to stand. Our executive officer shouted to them to end their attempts at the "penetration into Soviet territory". But I do not remember in which language the warning was sounded. They placed something on the ladder and retired. But before leaving our area, the launch of Americans completed "Zhdanov's circuit". Moreover, they were not just "amateurs of adventure" as suggested by the American teller, for there was evidence of a large quantity of powerful optics. They did not hear our greetings, but were shown our upward raised fingers, and a not less expressive Russian gesture in the form of a hand [fist?] and bent elbow. As far as the left packet is concerned, there were actually several "Zippo" lighters discovered. Our reaction to this type of "gift" was double. It was desirable to believe that this was a human attempt from one side at adjusting to the contact between our fleets. This present from another, along with gestures and camera flashes -- the "alms from Uncle Sam" -- swept away the provocation. In the subsequent three or four years these same two ships repeatedly encountered one another on the expanses of the sea. Now that the "Cold War" has become history, it would therefore be desirable to see and to read the truthful accounts of the events of those years. Indeed, for example, the Americans did not simply pull a "Med Cruise", but stood watch in the immediate proximity of the ships of our squadron. I will agree with the seaman of the frigate "VREELAND" as to sequence of time. And now, let us look to our "garrets", let us rummage in old trunks where are stored many interesting histories of our fleets. And then, without superfluous patriotism and snobbery, let us publish them on our web sites. Vladimir Arapov 4-12-2004 http://kreiser-zhdanov.boom.ru/ Some of the photos taken by the Russians during this encounter can be seen at this URL: http://kreiser-zhdanov.boom.ru/Zapiski/Vreeland/Vreeland.htm |
| Pictures provided by Gilbert "Doc" Douglas, III |