YMP-1

My experiences aboard the YMP-1;
by Seaman James Robinson

Seaman James Robinson near the Starboard Bollards
c1955 @ JRobinson

Last update: 3309

Comments, Corrections or Additioins are Welcomed !

Marty Dwyer
Martyk9 @ Webtv.net

NOTE: To send me an e-mail, please delete the two spaces in the above address. Thanks!

Any responses will be forewarded to Seaman Robinson.

During my service, c1955, I served as mess cook at my arrival for several months and then I worked on deck.

The main objective of the YMP-1 was to test acoustic mines.

Acoustic Mines

Mines on left side of picture
c1955 @ JRobinson

The pictures interspersed through the web site can speak for themselves. They are mostly of myself or friends. but do show details of the ship as background.

Engine Room; Starboard Engine
c1956 @ JRobinson

Mine Test

Once a month, on a Friday, we would set one of the mines off, thus leaving a lot of fish and crabs stunned and floating on the surface of the water. Our little "El" boat ( L-Boat) went around scooping up our Friday night fish fry.

We were out in the mine field on the day of the Huntington experience. I was stationed at the starboard side of the boom with the guide line attached to the cleat. The Chief yelled "LOOK AT THAT ASS, Bringing that destroyer so close to us at that speed!!!" The swells were heavy to begin with, when the destroyer HUNTINGTON, came by at an illegal speed and caused heavy wakes. We had a mine hanging on the end of the boom being swung over the side to hook up to the cathead. The YMP started to roll very badly to about 40 degrees. I was so scared that I unhitched my line and ran towards the bow. Items that were not latched down (tools being used etc...) started to move everywhere. When I thought the YMP was going to turn over, I was ready to go over the starboard side. One of the P.O.s (Petty Officer) told me to stay down. While I was down, I could see the Chief Warrent Officer (Moore) jumping up on the tripod as it was swinging from the boom. If he hadn't done that, he would have been killed or seriously injured and knocked overboard. As I looked on, I saw a boot on the deck. Mr. Terry, our Commanding Officer called out "Who does that boot belong to ?" The boot belonged to one of the mine-men. He ran from the staboard to port side and his boot got caught under the concrete stanchion of the tripod. It didn't stop him from moving. Luckily he was able to keep moving and he didn't get hurt. Another mine-man was sitting on the port bits doing some electrical work when one of the concrete stanchions slid between his legs and hit the bit. He jumped into the companion way before it came back for a return journey. After everything calmed down, we broke for lunch. You could have heard a pin drop untl one of the more glib men started talking and then everyone was into the act. You should have heard them at the bar. It was like the "Big one that got away". Remember this, I was just out of boot camp and this was my first assignment. The only thing I knew how to do was "To be scared"

YMP-2 Crew member on
YMP-1 Forecastle
c1955 @ JRobinson

Jim coming out of sleeping quarters
for non-rated men
c1955 @ JRobinson

Ship's Layout

The crew's quarters was just forward of the boom. One of the photos shows me coming out of the Crews Emergency Hatch (Bobby Hatch). I'm not sure, but I think there were about 14 men berthed there, including 3rd Class P.O.'s. It had no water-closet, one sink and a mirror. All 1st Class and 2nd Class P.O.'s were berthed aft, near the Chief's quarter's. The Chief, a Warrant Officer (Chief Boatswain's Mate/Engineering Officer) was Mr. Moore. The only other way to get to the crews quarters was through the forward hold via the engine room. You could get to the engine room by coming forward from the aft staterooms (lower deck) or by a ladder from the passage-way forward of the galley (main deck). In the hold you had to climb a ladder to a cat-walk and go through a hatch.

While stationed at Norfolk ( Little Creek) we heard about the Wiskey Accident when it took place. Just past Hampton Roads, the Battleship Wisconsin ran admid-ship of the destroyer Kentuckey, and to keep from writting long names they called it "WISKEY RUN". get it, Wis - Ky for the two States.

Jim at Gyro-Compass
YMP-1, c1955 @ JRobinson

Repairs:

In the time I was aboard, we had 2 yard periods. One at Berkley Shipyard at Newport News and one at Barbour Boatworks in New Burn, North Carolina. I wish I had taken photos in the ship yards while we were in drydock.

To get to New Burn, NC we went down the Inter-Coastal Waterway which was very interesting. We ran aground somewere near Ahoskie, NC. We had no water from amid ship to the bow. The bow was stuck in 6 feet of swamp mud and we were at he widest part of the waterway. A couple of the men swam across the waterway to the other side. and hooked a cable to a cypries stump and we towed us off backwards with the capstan. That same day we had a bad electrical storm, My friend Korzenoski and I were sitting in a doorway and lighting struck the Gunwhale near were we were sitting and the force knocked us through the door. No one was hurt, but my friend was eating an apple, and the shock caused his teeth to stick in the apple and it went over the side. There was no "Apple Overboard Drill", so he went without teeth for almost two week.

On the way down to New Burn, NC we went through the Albemaria Sound and the Pamlico Sound. The sounds were about 12 to 14 feed deep. We drafted about 12 feet so we went "bump" through both sounds.

On a mine layer, a lot of heavy work is done. Most of it being done while under-way, thus causing a lot of the heavy "stuff", being moved around, to hit here and there. (Remember this is a wooden ship). The area called "the Buoy Patch" was hit by tripods and mines when putting them down and picking them up, causing leaks here and there. Nothing to the point of our possibly sinking, but causng us to go to the shipyards for repairs

Forecastle YMP-1
Anchor hauser winch
c1955 @ JRobinson

Civilian support for the Navy

While stationed at Norfolk area, I made a lot of friends with civilians. I met them through a yardbird, Wallace Revelle, who was connected with a church. Through his friendship, I met a lot of girls and guys (platonical bases). We did roller skating, beach parties, movies and plays. I was invited to a lot of homes for dinner. They made my stay very enjoyable.

Eugene Korzenowski
standingforward
of the mine deck
c1955 @ JRobinson