The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1939-11-09
City Of Flint Story Is
Told In Every Detail
CONTINUED from Page u

took our passports. :
II was sick at the time. It took
hours for all of this business and :
told them / was sick, but The Rus
slams didn't pay any attention.
Take Germans or
"A little after 4 o'clock in the
morning they took the Germans on
When 1t got light, we hoisted the
American flag again and painted
the name of our ship back. (The
Germans had painted out city Of
Flint" substituting, "Alph.") The
old man took us into the messroom
and told us we had been pretty good
and were not making any trouble
and that he was going to send a
message to Washington to ind out
what to da.
'Tt was cold. The Russians came
aboard again and looked at the
cargo.
"Then, on the 9th, the Germans
came back and told us that we didn't
need to. be scared. We were going
safely to Germany and everything
was fixed up. So they took down our
flag and put up their own.
(When the City Of Flint first ar
rived at Murmansk, the Russians
took Off the German prize. Later
they returned the ship to the Ger
mans.)
Russians Leave Orders
"The Russians told us we would
have to leave within "a hours, but
the German lieutenant said we
couldn't do that, that he had to take
the engine apart.
1--WE left at 8 p. M, on the 28th,
with all lights out. I had the wheel
from 10 to IL. About a quarter
past midnight, another ship was
following. They ordered me to
change course and head for Land
The ship following changed too, fol-
lowing us still. After that, the lieu
tenant gave roders to call every
body Of the prize crew to be ready
for her. But we put on speed and
lost her. The off-watch then went
back to bed.
"About an hour later, we saw the
ship and the Germans had to get
out Of bed again. The lieutenant
thought we were In water too close
to land and had us head out again.
The last we saw of the ship was at
daybreak. Some Of the sailors
thought 1t was q Russian armed
trawler coming to take us back
We speeded up again and left her
behind.
In Thomsoe Again
"Then we got in Tromsoe the
second time and took q pilot and
went along the coast. The ships
name was painted out again. North
Of Bergen, a British cruiser put a
search light on us but we had an
escort (two Norwegian war ships
which saw that the ship did not
violate Norwegian neutrality while
travelling in Norwegian waters) and
1t didn't do anything.
Later German freighter passed
use close and someone aboard her
shouted to the Germans on our
bridge. I wasn't on watch and I
didn't hear anything except Meet
me at the hotel.
"Then, in a little while, we
dropped anchor and then the
Norwegians came aboard and took
the Germans Off"
"You don't talk like an Ameri-
can" said. "Your accent is heavy"
IT was born in Germany" he
replied. land am a naturalized
American"
"What did the German lieutenant
think Of that?"
"The lieutenant was pretty good
to me. He saw my trouble being
German. When we were In the
wheelhouse alone, he told me: Now
we talk German together because I
don't want to do that when the
others are around. I don't want TO
make trouble for you
"But the other Germans and the
Americans were always talking with
one another. Some OF those Ger
mans know pretty good English by
now"