Evening star., 1938-01-01

of another scene Of horror more
paralyzing than those that had pre-
ceded.
Wounded Men Are Attacked.
When the sampan was about half
way to the shore there came that
terrifying descending hum. Right
down at the helpless little boat with
its burden Of wounded men raising
their plaster white faces to the sky
dived two Japanese pursuit planes.
They cut loose at the defenseless
sampan with their machine guns, fly
ing down within a few hundred feet
OF the Yangtze waves. We could see
the bullets whip the water into white
froth and the yellow splinters fly
from the boats gunwales as the lead
struck. One plane dropped bomb.
1t mercifully missed, but the wounded
seamen. Ensminger and Kozak, had
received additional wounds.
SO fascinated were we by this sight
that We had not noticed the plight
of our own ship. Suddenly I felt
water rising around my boots. I
looked down, the main deck of the
Panay was awash. 1t would be mad
ness to remain aboard any longer. 1t
was then you could see exhibited to
the full the matchless courage OF our
American sailors. Their only thought
was for us civilians as they made their
calm preparations to go ashore. I
saw four OF them-Huffman, William
son, johnson and Adams-dive over
board so as not to burden the rescue
sampans. Table tops and hatch COW
ers with their only life belts" They
had given their regulation belts to
us civilians. Ruffman threw me his
with a grin.
Next moment I was being helped
down into the crafty bobbing shell of
little motor sampan. 1 was the last
civilian to get off the boat. just as
had been the last to board her. The
first last couldn't help. The Sec
ond one was intentional. I wanted to
shoot the final plunge of that gallant
little vessel, which had lived up to the
most glorious traditions of our Navy.
I sat at the stern of the shallow
sampan as We slid away from the
shattered hulk. High above us in the
binding blue, the Jap planes circled,
like vultures around a dying lion.
Protective Shores Reached.
They didn't attack us, but it seemed
hours under nervous pressure before
the nose Of our little craft touched the
soggy shore Of the reedy swamp that
was our only possible landing place.
We thought the reeds would at least
give us some cover from the sky.
Tenderly We lifted our wounded men
ashore. My leg was beginning to
stiften, but there was no time to think
of that. There was Sandri, writhine
and muttering feebly in his native
Italian. He was going fast
For half an hour there was quiet as
We administered to the wounded. Sud-
denly we heard yell. We turned, and
there on the river was a japanese
patrol boat full OF soldiers. approach
ing the Panay. At last-they had re-
pented and were coming to help.
Some of us sloshed to the waters
edge. We were just about to call out
to the patrol boat when from its bow
burst flashes of flame. Machine gun
fire.
They were shooting at the bridge
Of the sinking ship. Wildly one Of
our men cried out They're after us
again.
In a frantic, disorganized rush we
dragged all our wounded even deeper
into the reeds and there crouched be-
side them silent and waiting-waiting
for Japanese attack We felt sure
would follow when they discovered the
ship abandoned and realized most of
us might have reached the shore. For
what other motive, than that of seek
ing to mop up all Of us, could we
attribute to them after We had seen
them machine-gunning the already
sinking Panay?
tCopyrieht 1898. by Register and Tribune
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