The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-09-03

Ia .
 German submarine and air at- tacks marked my voyage.
 Not one day passed without ac- ton. The British crew was either manning gun and depth-charge stations to fight off a U-boat, or manning anti-aircraft stations to fight attacking warplanes.
 I saw one British merchantmen take 8 long range torpedo squarely arnidships and sink within a half hour. The next day our destroyer evened the score.
 A "tin fish" meant for us, missed by a scant 30 feet as we whipped around. Then we rocked from the concussion of our own depth charges and I saw an oil patch spread slowly over the surface, marking that U-boat's end.
 Typical Convoy Job
 The destroyer was engaged in typical convoy job and its duties were something between those of a conscientious sheep dog and sis- ter of charity leading bunch of orphans across Times Square.
 We were one destroyer and one smaller warship escorting a 30 ship convoy spread over 15 square miles of ocean. Watching the line of hulls stretching out behind us, I re- membered what naval officer in a convoy control room in west coast port told me just before sailed.
 Give me 50 over-age American destroyers," he said. land I will guarantee to cut our shipping losses by considerably more than 60 per- cent"
 Our operation orders were to take . an outward bound convoy to 8 point near Atlantic, out of range of subs, and pick up an incoming convoy and shepherd it through the danger area to coastal waters where it would be divided, she ships pro- ceeding to various ports.
 Submarine Appears
 On the fifth day, after we had picked up the big inward bound convoy of almost 50 ships, a sub marine appeared. We were plough ing through heavy seas. The tail end of a gale was blowing. was on the bridge. There was a dull boom among the ships stretched be- hind us and a column of smoke rose from the side of the leading ship on the port string of freight CTS, about half mile away.
 The destroyer lurched so quickly that it wheeled around and in al moment our bows were. scooping up mountains of sea, hurling them back high over the bridge and into the yardarms in geysers of spray and foam.
 The shot struck a 4,000 ton freighter squarely abeam. Our cap tain signaled a sloop which had joined us that morning, to help track down the U-boat, while the smaller warship = nicked Heart Disease - was sent to pick up survivors.
 In the gathering darkness our search was virtually hopeless. We were drenched to the skin when we gave up and rejoined the con- voy. Our detectors had not picked LID a trace of the U-boat. We found 26 survivors from the freighter, but five were missing and presumed killed by the torpedo explosion.
 U-Boat Pays Price
 The next day a U-boat paid for the lucky shot. It was slightly calmer. We had just finished lunch. The call came Man the depth charge stations!" We raced up the steps onto deck.
 Heart Disease had just signaled a torpedo track which passed 20 feet behind her stern. -t came from the opposite side of the convoy and the torpedo must have passed through the column of ships without scrap ing one.
 After 20 minutes began to think Heart Disease merely had had Jit- ters. Suddnely blue and yellow attack" signal ran up her yard and she loosed of 8 depth charge. Wei picked up the U-boat ourselves a few minutes later, widowed for a moment as the captain took his detector bearings, and then lunged to attack.
 We loosed depth charges. Some one on the bridge shouted. A line of bubbles and spray moved across the port bow, about 30 feet from us. It was torpedo, but it appeared to be spent.
 A big Sunderland flying boat 7oomed overhead. Our signal lamp flashed "U-boat somewhere around here" and like a big bird. the Sum- derland banked and began skim ming the water ahead of us. A smoke flare dropped from her wing and aho circled back to 1t. saw a bomb leave her racks and explode duly beneath the surface.
 Four Charges Dropped
 We raced into that spot, dropping four charges over the stern. saw ANMMMNMMAMMNNMMAMM INSTRUMENTATION