Evening star., 1941-10-29
Kearny Rushed
To Convoy,
Navy Reveals
Attacked Submarine
Before Torpedo Hit
Her, Text Shows

The U. S. S. Kearny had left a
convoy of merchant ships she
was eScorting and was respond
ing to distress signals from a
second group of vessels that were
being attacked by several Ger
man submarines when the de-
stroyer itself was torpedoed, the
Navy Department revealed late
today in making public addi-
tional information on the
Kearny episode.
On arriving at the scene of the
attack, the Navy said, the kearny
dropped depth bombs when she
sighted a merchant ship beset by
a submarine.
Some time afterWard. the report
said, three torpedo tracks were OBJ
served approaching the Kearny.
One missile passed ahead of the ship,
one astern and the third struck the
Kearny on the starboard side in the
vicinity of the forward freroom.
1t caused damage to her boiler room
and midsection and cost II dead
and 10 wounded Today's report
was the first official confirmation
that the IL men were considered
dead. Previously, they had been
reported missing.
First Definite Informa ton.
This was the first definite in
formation given out regarding the
actual skirmish, although President
Roosevelt said yesterday that the
Kearny was chasing a submarine
which had been attacking a convoy.
Text of the Navy's announcement
today follows:
"On the night of October 1917,
the u S. S. Kearny, while escorting
a convoy of merchant ships, re-
ceived distress signals from another
convoy which was under attack from
several German submarines The
U. S. S. Kearny proceeded to the aid
of the attacked convoy.
ON arriving at the scene of the
attack, the U. s. S. Kearny dropped
depth bombs when she sighted
merchant ship under attack by a
submarine. Some time afterward
three torpedo tracks were observed
approaching the U. S. S. Kerny.
One passed ahead of the ship. one
astern and the third struck the U. S.
S. Kearny on the starboard side in
the ViPjJ1lty- 0f tho forward
Men in Boiler Room Die.
THE force of the explosion
preached the side of the ship well
under the water line. flooding the
boiler compartment and killing the
men stationed in the boiler room on
the steaming watch. The force of
the explosion was forward and up
ward. The deck above the fireroom
was ruptured with such force that
Wreckage was thrown onto the
bridge.
Eleven men we're killed as result
Of the attack. In addition two men
were seriously injured and eight men
received minor wounds. Here the
Navy report gave the names of the
IL men, which previously had been
announced.
The U. S. S. Kearny was forced
out of action by the explosion, her
commanding officer. It. Comdr. A.
L. DAMS, United States Navy, i'm
mediately invoked casualty and ship
damage routine and by prompt ac-
ton prevented the ship from sink
ing. The United States Kearny was
escorted to port by other destroyers
OF the United States Rect.
"On arrival in port the men seri-
ously injured were removed to the
Army hospital for treatment. Those
receiving minor injuries were given
out-patient treatment and returned
to the ship.
Comes in Under Own Power.
In the report made by Rear Ad-
miral S. M. Robinson, United States
Navy, chief of the Bureau of Ships.
to Undersecretary of the Navy
James V. Forrestal it was pointed
out due to the arrangement of the
ships boiler and engine rooms the
commanding officer was able to shift
from the damaged fire room to an
other fire room and able to take the
ship into port under her own power.
Other features of the report
were:
The force of the explosion not
(See KEARNY, Page 2-X)