Return of the Zipper Fleet, was produced by the

[Music] these are the vessels of a phantom fleet lying at anchor in 14 coastal ports are over 2000 silent ships ships of our vast reserve fleet tucked away in mothballs their decks shrouded with plastic cocoons long ago stripped of their cruise their guns muzzled these lumbering veterans world war ii today offer strange contrast the mighty warriors which once plowed through treacherous enemy waters these were the ships which shell the beaches of Normandy Guam Okinawa raining retribution upon the would-be conquerors of the world with the enemy defeated our victorious fleet returned home but a peacetime America no longer needed such a vast Armada of fighting vessels what was to become of them were they to rot away or to be dismantled and sold for scrap or to be used for target practice as we did with our ships after the first world war leaving us unprepared for the unsought of a new aggressor no we were determined to retain our fleet this time as a deterrent to any future aggressor but a nation at peace cannot afford to maintain an active fleet of wartime proportions indefinitely so 2/3 of our naval vessels were placed in reserve status and retired to storage areas to store these vessels successfully for any length of time meant that we had one more great battle to win against the deadliest enemy which metal ships faced rust scientists said the double task of Bank wishing rust and using a process which would permit these ships to be reactivated quickly the scientists came up with a solution to fight rust men fighting moisture the notorious corrosive agent everything on deck which was not easily removed was covered with a protective plastic sheath all moisture within the cocoons was removed and purified air pumped in mothballs in the form of silica gel a drying agent were placed everywhere to absorb whatever humidity might still be present below decks giant dehumidifier machines eliminated whatever invisible moisture might be in the air on the walls even in the paint the hatches were subsequently sealed other metal surfaces were painted or sprayed with corrosion preventative material to keep them safe from their insidious fall there they were a massive fleet of Viking ships destroyers submarines aircraft carriers ships of all types zippered up in a state of suspended animation ready to be called back to service whenever needed this was truly one of the greatest experiments in conservation ever undertaken but an experiment it was the big unanswered question the question which everyone hoped would never have to be answered was will the mothballing really work will these ships be in as good condition years hence as they were when they were put in storage the test was not long in coming the sudden communist aggression struck at the security of all three nations and had to be resistant to repulse the invasion meant great forces of men and equipment it meant plane ships for supplies ships for transportation ships for battle as the call came for more and more ships the Navy was prepared the task of returning the zipper fleet to action began at once when a ship is to be recommissioned it is told from its storage area to the work dock a crew of specialized officers and men is assigned to each vessel to be recommission plans are worked out for the task ahead the first job is to make the ship habitable for the men working on it hatches which for these many years have been sealed are now open d humidifying machines are turned off their job done the main switchboard is turned on to give the ship temporary power and now the ventilating system can be put into operation once more so far so good the mattresses and bunks have been so well preserved that they can be used immediately since the working crew must eat the galley is prepared for operation as soon as possible food medicines clothing and other necessary items are brought aboard to provide for the needs of the men who will be living and working on this vessel from now on before long the men who are to be the ship's permanent crew who joined the others in putting their vessel in order they lose no time in making themselves at home running a ship is a complicated operation involving a great deal of record-keeping and paperwork so the ship's office starts to function almost immediately the supply office - gets into operation and so does the sickbay and the ship store and post office as soon as the ship has been made livable work proceeds towards putting the ship itself into operating conditions the protective sheets are stripped from the topside equipment the metal seems to have been well preserved anti-aircraft guns emerge from their cocoons clean and fit as they were the day these fantastic blisters first descended upon them preservative paint is washed off the bulkheads with special paint removing sprays a diver is lowered to check the condition of the propeller and the shaft meanwhile belowdecks engines are inspected and prepared for operation detachable parts are returned to the ship once more last-minute repairs are made and in the radio room the latest electronic equipment is installed to add to the effectiveness of the ship straining at the bit eager to get back into service but DeMuth bald ship is a beehive of activity within 30 days the average vessel is ready for recommissioning this is a proud day for a veteran of the Navy there is the usual speechmaking and recommissioning ceremonies the usual bands but there is nothing usual about this for our veterans ship or this is her day of vindication the proof that she is not a husband but that she can yet serve her country with glory but the day of most satisfaction to her comes when she is about to be taken out for her first shakedown test or trial run now for the first time since her reawakening the vessel is reminded that she is a fighter and her belly is filled with the potential of destruction whether she be a destroyer aircraft carrier or submarine this is the stage when the big wallet is packed below decks engineers are busily at work preparing the engines for operation after all the years of idleness will there be trouble getting the great turbines started the torch of life is applied Suns which the engine-room has almost forgotten fill the room once more it's a good feeling to be moving by one's own power again and now the real test begins runner forward runner backward speed her up slower down is shivering to starboard how's the radar working just that magnetic compass that gyro compass must be right on the nose the rangefinder goes into action how are those guns operating for her greater tests are yet to come for many recommission veterans the tests came in the fiery battles off Korea whether the job was to bless the enemy stronghold or to transport troops and supplies or to help land troops for the Incheon invasion these ships served with gallantry and distinction [Music] but lest the korean episode proved to be but a forerunner in a larger battle the reactivation of our reserve fleet continues unabated in new london veteran submarines are ripped out of their cocoon in charleston a hibernating destroyer is rudely awakened from her sleep in philadelphia and aircraft carrier is being prepared for action and lightning speed jet planes are loaded aboard returning to service about two shifts a day the Navy has added to its active fleet many hundreds of ships since Korea the Navy's foresight in devising the reserve fleet program after World War two has moreover saved the country countless billions of dollars not to mention the vital material and manpower that would have had to be diverted from other defense work to build new vessels and these not been stored so successfully but the ultimate test Zipporah fleet is in its fighting [Music] they are growing fleet serve as a warning to would-be aggressors that America is strong and intends to remain strong as long as power-mad tyrants threaten the security of the free world [Music]