Caught between two typhoons in the PAC on Independence we took whitewater over the bow - had to pull my forward lookouts in even though they were tied down they were getting pummeled all to hell.
Wind picked up to 80 kts from 20 so fast they didn’t have time to fold the blades on the rescue helo - so when the wind hit 120 it folded the front blade for us straight back over the top.
One of the Japanese destroyers with us lost their mast - whole antenna structure thing whoosh gone. One of our boys sonar dome was destroyed and another escort lost a radar. This would’ve been ‘93 I think maybe early ‘94.
She’s beautiful but when the dander is up watch out boys she’s not to be taken lightly
Saw the same thing on the Indy while we were in the No Atlantic. Tore up our starboard forward sponson.