Aboard the USS Towers, Luzon Strait, S. China Sea - 1986
We were a day or two out of Hong Kong on our way back to our homeport of Yokosuka, Japan. Steaming solo - without any other US ships. It may have been a Sunday since it seems like things were pretty casual that day. It was time for my watch and I took over as Boatswain's Mate of the Watch on the bridge.
About an hour in the watch, there was a report of a surface contact closing on us at about 25 knots. I went around the tell the lookouts to keep a sharp eye and try to be the first to spot whatever it was...
The activity was increasing when I returned to the bridge, lot's of conversations with CIC (combat Information Center), the Captain arrived on the bridge and started getting briefed by the OOD.
Now an aircraft was in bound. Not good. The inbound ship or plane must have been barking out orders demanding to know who we were.. but in the process, we figured out who they were...
Tha Captain went to the navigator station and was going over things with the NAV Officer. All I remember hearing clearly and LOUDLY, was "I need to know exactly where we are and I need to know now!"
Now, I got to tell you that doesn't sit well in a Third Class Petty Officer's stomach. I figured we were someplace we were not supposed to be and the Chinese Navy is bearing down on us looking for a reason to shoot.
I was half right.
The forward lookout calls down he has black smoke on the horizon off the Port bow.
I hear the Captain's voice... Something about "One F*&%# Mile!"
Seems we had strayed into Taiwanese territorial waters... By one mile. It wasn't the Communist Chinese Navy bearing down on us - it was an old US WWII destroyer, now operated by the Taiwan Navy and I guess they figured we were the Chinese looking for trouble because they had that old bucket doing close to 3o knots!
There were sudden orders to change course, increase speed and send all kinds of radio traffic and even flash some signal on the signal light... We kicked it in gear and got out of there.
A couple Taiwanese Jets flew over us. They looked like old trainer jets... They circled once and left.
I don't know how big of a deal this was or wasn't. I only know as a spectator on the bridge when it all went down... It put a little knott in my stomach - but it was a lot of fun.
I imagine someone took heat for it.
It could have been far worse. Had the Taiwanese shot first and asked questions later it would have gone quite poorly for everyone on both sides.
Something to remember: Know exactly where you are, so you can be prepared for what could happen.
