Evening star., 1940-05-08
Rain of Bombs Sank Worships
Fleeing Norway, Says Newsmon
80 German Planes Attacked IncessontIy
To Down Three Allied Destroyers
MARSHAL TIMOSHENKO.

made notes-of which I was re-
lieved promptly by the Admiralty
when I arrived in Britain.
Bombed 80 Times.
The bombings continued. We were
paid 80 visits in all with from Is to
20 bombs on each visit.
Our ship alone fired more than
100 3-inch shells and several thou
sand rounds Of machine gun bullets.
Seemingly from nowhere a dive
bomber laid perfect shot on the
Bison. British cruisers and de-
stroyers removed the survivors and
wounded.
Returning again and again, Ger
man Junkers and Heinkels finally
singled out the Afridi. Disabled and
tagging, she sank. too.
AS night fell the attacks ceased
and only once the next day did we
see plane. 1t promptly retreated
when anti-aircraft shells framed it.
During the first days fighting one
Heinkel was struck behind the cock
pit and dived into the ocean. AS a
destroyer speeded over to rescue the
crew the planes nose turned down
and the last seen of it was its tail
with the Nazi cross and black-red-
black stripping.
French Hunt Souvenirs.
Men and officers bunked where
they could, mostly In corridors Of
what were dining rooms when the
ship was in passenger service, and in
the crews quarters without water
and with little rations.
The French crew, which had been
away from its home port for three
months, carried on almost without
sleep for the entire trip of Ave days.
They were accomplishing fellows,
but the most souvenir hunting
sailors afloat.
Everything mysteriously disap-
peared, my pukka from Finland-a
hunting knife-and the Tommies'
regimental insignia.
From the third day out the trip be-
came a pleasure cruise-for the re-
turning troops, that is. but not for
us Americans, who still were in
protective custody"
Nearing.a secret northern military
zone, a French naval ofncer herded
us together and explained We were
entering a secret area and must 60
below.
Detained "A Hours.
We did-into q small detention
room, where we were kept without
food or water for "a hours, appar-
emily forgotten.
Finally, Capt. "K," who had been
our custodian, learned of our fate
and personally brought us hardtack
and red wine. He tried to get us
turned back to the British, but
without success.
However, the troops transferred
to British ship and when we sailed
from the prohibited area-of which
maps are readily obtainable in Fleet
street-we were taken to the ward
room mess, wined, dined with pro-
visions brought aboard that night,
apologized to at every turn and
treated like ranking diplomats.
Dead Buried at Sea.
While we were hove to in the
prohibited area" last Monday, serv-
ices for the dead of the Bison and
Afridi were held aboard the flagship.
As a slight breeze flickered the
candles on the altar, Able Parquin,
spiritual adviser of the French
sailors, chanted a requiem mass and
sprinkled water on the sea for those
whose last resting place was beneath
the waves.
Earlier, Protestant services were
held aboard the British cruiser York.
The sound of the low chant of the
service could be heard in our deten-
ton room, and, through a minute
crack in our battened porthole we
could see the Pickering candles.
For the next SO hours we had the
run of the ship, hammocks for
sleeping and plenty of food.
|. Arriving at q northern British
port, however, trouble appeared
again in the form ofentry officers.
Landing permission readily was
given. But how do you do it?
Promised = Dinner.
The French, who had refused to
turn us over to the British, insisted
now that the British should send q
gig for us. The British insisted the
French were our custodians. We
fumed and waited.
Finally. after waiting offshore in
sight of the first gree grass we
had beheld in many months, we
were taken ashore, turned loose and
promised a dinner in London by
the headquarters major who orig
inally had prevented our return to
Formofoss.
Throughout the entire shot ridden
trip, both in the Namsos area and
$3TS @.5-&.l