▁of ▁Cuba , ▁he ▁thought ▁the ▁Con y ng ham ▁ought ▁to ▁spend ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁time ▁on ▁gun fire ▁support . ▁The ▁computers ▁in ▁the ▁Con y ng ham , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁last ▁of ▁the ▁Adams - class , ▁H ank ▁knew , ▁were ▁digital ▁and ▁worked ▁on ▁Cart esian ▁coordinates . ▁The ▁procedure ▁" was ▁border line ▁un work able ," ▁he ▁said . ▁" The ▁fire ▁support ▁doctrine ▁had ▁guys ▁c ran king ▁north - s outh - east - west ▁d ial s ▁trying ▁to ▁get ▁a ▁vector ▁at ▁ 4 5 ▁degrees , ▁so ▁I ▁invent ed ▁a ▁whole ▁new ▁procedure ▁in ▁which ▁you ▁used ▁north - s outh - east - west ▁coordinates ▁instead ▁of ▁polar ▁coordinates ." ▁To ▁avoid ▁the ▁hand ▁c ran king , ▁he ▁had ▁his ▁department ▁use ▁a ▁Cart esian ▁plot ting ▁board ▁that ▁cut ▁time ▁by ▁ 7 0 ▁percent ▁and ▁increased ▁accuracy . ▁Wh olly ▁counter ▁to ▁the ▁commander ' s ▁existing ▁doctrine , ▁his ▁solution , ▁despite ▁record ▁scores , ▁earned ▁the ▁ship ▁pen alt ies ▁during ▁the ▁force ▁compet itions ▁at ▁Gu ant an amo ▁for ▁not ▁following ▁procedure . ▁He ▁pers isted ▁and ▁eventually ▁got ▁appro val ▁for ▁his ▁new ▁gun fire ▁support ▁procedure , ▁which ▁was ▁used ▁throughout ▁the ▁destroy er ▁force ▁and ▁later ▁employed ▁extens ively ▁for ▁naval ▁gun fire ▁support ▁in ▁Vietnam . ▁For ▁this ▁work , ▁he ▁got ▁a ▁Navy ▁Ach iev ement ▁Medal , ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁rarely ▁awarded . ▁ ▁The