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In one of the legend buster sites, the following story is passed off as a joke in the same vein as an Aircraft Carrier ordering a lighthouse to alter course. But somehow that "explanation" has disappeared. Perhaps friends of mine back East who validated this story notified them that it is TRUE.
The following is taken directly from the pages of a book I have written on the history of the Long Beach Naval Shipyard (HELP. I need a publisher).
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One story I heard about the ship seemed too good to be true and I passed it off as a scuttlebutt joke. But years later, Steve Torres who was a crewman aboard the USS Bronstein (FF-1037) confirmed that it actually did happen.
One night, in the Gulf of Tonkin, the Bronstein was on patrol and spotted a ship approaching on RADAR. By signal lights, Bronstein challenged the ship. “This is a United States warship. Identify yourself or you will be fired upon.”
The reply was, “This is the United States Battleship New Jersey. You may fire when ready.”
Now, the above has been debunked as an “Urban Legend” and the incident never happened. However, Steve swore up and down that it really did happen and the bridge crew were nearly falling on the deck laughing that they had just challenged a Battleship. But proper signaling techniques and code words were used instead of the above version as told today. A Battleship normally would never have identified herself by her actual name and would have used her code name instead (I have heard it was On Rush). Also her escort, the USS England (DLG-22), should have also been within Bronstein’s RADAR scan. Though IFF (Identification, Friend or Foe) electronic signals would have been transmitted from New Jersey, as a matter of procedure, until identification could be made and confirmed through voice or visual contact, Bronstein still had to challenge the ship.
It could have been a cargo ship carrying war materials to Haiphong. It could also have been a merchant ship converted into an unarmored cruiser/raider like the German Q ships Atlantis and Penguin of World War II. Even the U.S. used Q ships but of a smaller size for reconnaissance and spy work. The movie and TV series "The Wackiest Ship in the Army" was loosely based upon the actual sailing ship USS Echo. I saw a picture of the actual Echo in Naval Institute Proceedings that showed how the stowed “lifeboat” amidships would actually split in two to expose a 40mm gun.
So, the Bronstein was merely carrying out standard procedures.
Then one evening I received an email from a Battleship enthusiast back east. He contacted Admiral Snyder, the New Jersey’s commanding officer at the time of the purported incident, to ask if the story was true or not. Here is his answer:
“I do not remember the name of the ship but do remember the skipper was a Lieutenant.
“My policy was not to release messages without my personal O.K. My OOD ignored the first two messages from the small Naval vessel since they had her on radar and the visual call sign identified the sending ship. But when the flashing light message saying ‘unknown vessel identify yourself or we will open fire’ my OOD called me right away. The reason I had our signalmen use the 24-inch searchlight is that I was slightly ticked that the other Naval vessel (sending ship) should have been able to tell the difference between a Battleship on radar and a North Vietnam gun runner or fishing boat.
“I was in the habit of not signing messages with our name since the message always had a heading telling who sent it and to whom it was addressed. I admit my reply was rather tense and not in the best Naval tradition but we on the New Jersey felt nothing could hurt us and the crew enjoyed my reply which was ‘AA (standing for ‘unknown vessel’) NEW JERSEY BB 62 OPEN FIRE WHEN READY, FEAR GOD, DREADNOUGHT.’
“I do not think your quote is that far off.”
J. EDWARD SNYDER JR.
Well folks, there you have it, straight from the Commanding Officer of the New Jersey.
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