Word: lighter
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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Trie Committee had made its original report on the Navy's tank-lighter program on Aug. 5, 1942. It withheld the report at Navy request. It was made public by the Committee last week, "first, because its publication was delayed originally solely at the request of the Navy Department . . . and, second, because the committee believes that procurement officials . . . should bear constantly in mind the fact that improper decisions will be brought to the attention of Congress...
Told of the Navy's great need, Higgins designed and built a 45-ft. lighter in two and a half days. In two weeks, he turned out nine more. The forces afloat liked them, still distrusted the Bureau design...
...desk-bound BuShips, full of admiration for its own design, continued to cold-shoulder Higgins. It went on passing out contracts for lighters blueprinted from its own pet theories. With 1,100 of the Bureau's design on order, a test was finally arranged between a BuShips lighter and a Higgins boat...
Reported an official Army observer: ". . . it became apparent that the Navy Bureau-type tank lighter was in trouble. She appeared to have a tendency to dive . . . was taking considerable water aboard. She stopped several times and members of the crew could be seen manning hand pumps. . . . Once when under way . . . it appeared that the lighter was going to overturn . . . the coxswain had left the pilot house and was steering the vessel from the rail" (obviously preparing for a quick getaway if she foundered...
...afford it. We had a test down in Norfolk yesterday. Captain Edward L. Cochrane (now rear admiral and head of the Bureau) went down, Commander Daggett went down, the Army went down [interrupted]. Well, they had a showdown at Norfolk, but a little breeze blew up. . . . The Bureau tank lighter almost capsized. They couldn't steer it. They just drifted around...