Evening star., 1941-11-01
Dim Hope Held
For Missinq
In Ship Sinking
Several Days Needed
To Check Personnel
Of Reuben james
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Heavy loss of life in the torpedo
sinking of the U. S. destroyer
Reuben James was feared today
even after the Navy announced that
"A enlisted men had been rescued.
That left some rs members OF
the ships company unaccounted for,
since about 120 officers and men
formed the normal complement Of
the vessel, which was sunk Thurs
day night on convoy duty west of
Iceland
Taking as hopeful a view as was
possible under the circumstances,
naval authorities mere speculated
that some additional survivors mighs
have been picked up by other craft
in the convoy If so, it might bs
several days before complies
check could be obtained of the
entire personnel, because ships IN
combat zones use tileir radios only
for the most urgent communica-
tions
The Reuben James. built 81 years
ago. was of far less advanced design
that the U. S. destroyer kearny,
which made port successfully after
surviving a torpedo hit October II,
in the same general area OF the
North Atlantic The Kearny is clad
with the latest armor and its hull Is
divided into waterught compart-
ments, but even so II men we're
killed and 10 were wounded by the
smashing underwater attack.
Ample Life Preseryers.
Two motor whaleboats, at least
six life RATS and ample life pre-
servers were carried aboard the Reu-
ben James. lending some hope TO the
anxious families of men known to
have been aboard her.
The latest official word was this,
released by the Navy last night:
The Navy Department has re-
ceived a report that "a members Of
the crew of the u S. S. Reuben
James have been rescued. The sur-
vivors who have been accounted for
are all enlisted men.
The Navy Department has no
further information at this time. but
additional details will be released
when received
At the same time the Navy mads
public the names of the seven off.
GERS who were aboard the DESTROYER.
1t. Comdr. Haywood L. Edwards Of
San Saba. Tex. was in command.
The others were 1t. BENJAMIN
Ghetzler, Annapolis. Md: Its. d.gD
Dewey G. Johnston, Ell Cajon, Calf:
John J. Dsub. Salisbury. Pa. and
James M Belden. Syracuse. N. Y,
and Ensigns Craig Spovers. East
Orange. N. j., and Howard v. Wade,
Glen Ridge, N. J.
First L. S. Warship Sunk.
The Reuben James was the first
United States warShip to be sunk in
| the battle of the Atlantic In fact,
only one United States combat yes.
sci. the destroyer Jacob Jones, was
sunk by torpedo during the World
War. although a DESTROYER and a
submarine went down after corli-
slons, and the cruiser San DIEGO
sank after striking a mine.
The Navy's laconic announce
ment OF the attack on the Reuben
James did not say whether the tor.
pedo was launched by submarine.
plane or surface raider, but the gen.
| eral assumption was that the hit
was scored by an undersea boat
President Roosevelt had little
comment on the incident at his
press conference yesterday. He said
the Reuben James was simply carry
ing out duty assigned to her The
President went to his Hyde Park,
N. Y, estate last night. pauSing,
however. at Claremont. N j.. to
telephone the Capital for the latest
word about the destroyer.
1t. Comdr. Edwards. 35. skipper Of
the Reuben James. was born in San
Saba. and was an outstanding ath-
lete at the Naval Academy from
| winch ne was graduated IN 1925. He
saw service in the submarine forcs
before joining the destroyer.
Ghetzler Wed Two Months.
1t GhetZler, "a executive officer
was born in Brooklyn and educated
in Texas He married the former
Miss Katherine Lindell of Annapo-
lis, two months ago and they have
been making their home at An
napolis. A graduate of the Naval
Academy class of 1881. he was AS
signed to the Reuben James a year
ago.
1t. Dewey G. Johnston. 81. had
been on the detroyer since 1888.
He was born in New Castle, Okla =,
and was on the Naval Academy
track team from 1882 to 1894.
1t. Daub. 80, was graduated from
the Naval Academy in 1886 and saw
early service on the aircraft car
rier Ranger He was on the de.
tSee REUBEN JAMES, Page A-40
Nil