This blog is based on the book, “Hard Charger! The Story of the USS Biddle (DLG-34)”, published in 2005 by iUniverse. The book, co-authored by James A. Treadway (me), RADM Thomas F. Marfiak USN (Ret.), CAPT David L. Boslaugh USN (Ret.), and many other Biddle sailors, told the story of a ship and it’s crew. Adm. Marfiak has described the book as,
It is a first hand account of what life was like aboard a front line missile cruiser in the middle of the Cold War. The combat sequences have not been equaled anywhere – and the story is by the people who lived them. The book tells the story of a ship from start to finish, a story mirrored by many others, but distinguished in this case by her performance in combat. A ship is just a hull, without her crew. Here is the opportunity to see into who they were, and what they meant to each other and the ship, and so to the Navy and the nation. The tradition continues.
The book did exactly what Admiral Marfiak stated, but now it is time to add to the story by inviting contributions from ALL Biddle sailors (and others as well) using the Internet as the medium. I have copied the entire manuscript from the book to the chapters in this blog and added numerous photos to the chapters, “Biddle at Bath’ and “Commissioning”. I will continue to add photos from my archive and photos from Biddle sailors as well to all chapters.
So, I ask readers to submit stories, photos and suggestions, as well as pointing out my errors in grammar, spelling and form. To submit material, use the Comments section in each chapter or send an e-mail to jatreadway@gmail.com and put HARD CHARGER BLOG in the subject line. Photos should be in JPEG format. I reserve the right to include material as I see fit.
To date, the following contributions have been offered:
- Jim Parks will write about the 1974 TWA crash in the Med
- Your contribution goes here. Think about it, write about it and send it in.
I created the last item on the Table of Contents, Biddlegram, to keep you informed of what is new in this blog, much as Captain Scott did with his Bidlegram 47 years ago. Check the Biddlegram page from time to time to learn what’s new in the blog, or click the blue “Follow Hard Charger” button on the right sidebar if you have a WordPress account, otherwise click the Follow Blog By E-Mail button to get update of new posts.
This blog is a work in progress and will be for a long time.
Jim
(Also, don’t forget to rate each chapter with the radio buttons at the top of each chapter)
Hard Charger! 
Fantastic book! I did find one sort of minor pre-NTU error:
“https://ussbiddle.wordpress.com/battle-at-piraz-18/
CWO Van Cleave confirmed Muse’s account, “Just as I was hustling up the starboard ladder to SUPRAD I heard the second set of Terriers leave the rail. If my memory serves, that was about a minute (maybe less) after the first two. A few minutes after (or during) the second terrier firing the OOD (Jim Mleziva) executed a hard starboard turn and increased to flank speed. I assumed that Jim was initiating a high-speed zigzag.
OS1 Kronvall, contrary to Muse’s and Gunner’s accounts, recalled a different sequence of events after the hostile targets were detected: “Captain Carter ordered the missile personnel to engage the MiGs. Two SM2′s departed the ship when the MiGs were about five to six miles from us. The ship warning alarms were located in CIC as well as the bridge, and the Quarterdeck. Captain Carter then pushed the button for the general quarters alarm. The alarm sounded about three times and another two missiles left the rail.”
No pre-NTU ship used SM-2. BTW, I was Missile Engineering Division Manager at what was Naval Ship Missile Systems Engineering Station (NSMSES, pronounced “NEMESIS”), later to become Naval Ship Weapon System Engineering Station and lastly NAVSEA Port Hueneme Division. Before that I go back to pretty early TERRIER (Missile S/N 41) at Convair San Diego in 1951 and about 11 years at General Dynamics Pomona. Incidentally, our Missile Systems Department at Port Hueneme ran NAVSEA’s “Fair Share” missile inventory management and we emphasized the best we could for PIRAZ participants. The best we had in production was SM-1 Extended Range Block 5. I’m currently on the Board of Directors of the Nemesis Alumni Association and we support the Command’s Historian.
Hank Morris
Great addition, Hank. When I was putting this book together, I remember reading the SM2 referral and I thought it was too early to have SM2s aboard but I neglected to check it out – my mistake. So, either Mr. Van Cleave’s recollection was faulty, or I copied it wrong. Thanks for the correction.