Evening star., 1941-09-01
Suicide Fleet Boats
Skim Wafer al Pace
OF IS 10 SO Knots
Provide More Thrills
Than Ride on Fire
Truck, Reporter Says
BY CLAUDE A. MAHONEY,
Star Staff Correspondent Aboard
BattIeship North Carolina Dur
ino Tests Last Week,

BattIeship North Carolina Dur
ing Tests Last Week.
rode boat in Uncle Sans sui
eide fleet" the other day. but it was
on a kindly errand of water chauf-
feuring at the time.
The P. T. is a small, fast water
spider about 10 feet. The Navy
won't tell you how fast it really is,
but admits coyly that it will do
from As to 60 knots. A knot, the
nautical mile, is slightly longer than
q land mile. So anybody who has
driven an automobile at those speeds
knows how fast it is. If he ever
has driven a stripped car, close to
the ground. he knows more clearly
how it feels to skim the water in the
Iow-Slung P. T.
The Navy Department unleashed
three of these craft from their pier
at a navy yard after they had been
loaded with neWSpapermen, radio
men. photographers and great heaps
of baggage and Photographic equip
ment. The little boats backed out
from the pier with the agility OF
passenger car on the ground, and
then turned forward, heading for
the U. S. S. North Carolina lying IN
the stream.
Surpasses Ride OH Fire Truck.
From then on it was the ride that
Is every small boys dream. Land
lubbers, many slightly scared, plant
ed their feet firmly on the sloplng
decks and held onto heavy ratings
around the half-sunken operators
cabin. It was better than the first
ride on the rear of volunteer fire
truck, standing on the step and
hanging onto the rail.
I was on the second boat and 1t
rode in the center of a great trough
made by the first. We swooped
down the stream, getting respectful
whistle salutes from passing ships
and tow-boats. Then the leader be-
gan to show the maneuverability OF
the craft. He ducked to one side,
and then back to the other.
We followed the white wake, deep
In the twisting trough OF foam. 1t
was like a fast variation OF the
childish game of fox and goose" or
follow the leader" in fresh snow.
The leader in this case did almost
everything except cut figure eight.
The Navy was demonstrating what
II hopes these boats would be able to
do in wartime. They never have
been really tested in heavy actual
combat by any nation-to the
knowledge of the Navy Department
although many have been shipped
to Great Britain. But here is the
assignment for them in time OF at
tack.
Garry Four Torpedoes.
They would depart hastily from
shore base If they had had reports
of enemy craft approaching. They
would sweep past the larger ships
from their own fleet, and by weaving
and lodging. attempt to get in close
enough to fire one or all Of the
four torpedoes each one carries, 1t
would be hard to train ships guns
on them; the Navy knows that from
trials; every time the rate of speed
and course is estimated. the little
P. T. is weaving out of line, doing
another of the curves negotiated the
other day for fun.
The Navy shrugs its shoulders
when you ask what will happen after
the torpedo has been fired. How is
the little stinging boat to escape?
The answer is that it is to escape
the way it attacked, by weaving and
dodging. If it doesn't escape, we'll
the Navy has lost small boat. a
boat that costs little in comparison
to the damage it can inflict, little
indeed, when its potential torpedo
fire is considered against the cost of
q larger ship.
The ships on this trip didn't try
any torpedoing They simply
swooped up to the gigantic North
Carolina and delivered group of
dazed and svaying folks to the side
of ship that looked sky-high.
They delivered these men to a sea
ladder-another horrifying nautical
gadget-for climbing aboard the
North Carolina. 1t took some of the
boys an hour to recover, and there
are no stronger stimulants aboard
naval craft than coffee and tea!