Evening star., 1941-08-31
BY JOHN A. MOROSO, Sd,


Associated Press staff Writer.
ABOARD THE u. S. S. NORTH
CAROLINA AT SEA Delayed -
Standing on the WindsWept fore
castle of this mighty battleship to-
night I saw and heard Uncle Sans
sailors fire the greatest Salvo from
one ship in naval history-a collec-
tive blast which sent more than 90
600 pounds of metal from the fame
belching muzzles of 19 glistening
gray guns.
Making a new era in the hitting
power of fighting ships, this terrific
Salvo sent me reeling blindly across
the slippery. spray y-drenched deck
while / clutched my cotton padded
ears and thought of hell and heaven.
The majestic bow of the $4,000
ton North Carolina-one of the
Navy's two newest and largest bat
tleShips-quivered sharply to port
and starboard. the ship gave slight
list and settled quickly as the shells
screamed into the night air.
Crew members and guests sent up
a mighty cheer when they learned
that the North Carolina had passed
her tests. No one had known how
she would react because never had
such a powerful salvo been fired
from a single vessel.
Touched OFF at $50 PM.
It was touched off at $3.50 pm.
when Capt. Olaf M. Hustvedt, 55,
Stern-faced but calm. climbed onto
the foretop high above the main
deck and took his place beside the
trigger.
His stocky strongly built figure,
silhouetted against brilliant back
ground of stars, was a source of
strength to the frightened newsmen
crouching on the forecastle.
Informed that his crew was at
battle station, Capt. Hustvedt
stepped forward and gently squeezed
the trigger which made naval his
torv.
A huge flame of red, blue, green
and purple burst from the nine To-
inch guns trained over the port side
Short, sharp flames darted from the
ten 5-inch dual-purpose guns and
the crescendo of thunder seemed
to carry beyond the horizon as the
shells whistled away
Most of us Wilted after the big
noise but we felt like better men
and we were proud of our Navy
We had been conditioning our guns
end our bodies for three days with
single, double and triple shots, and
We. thought our numbed eardrums
and powder-choked eyes had ex-
perienced the worst.
Salvo Cost s23,75O.
The terrible blast, We learned later,
was much worse than any that
would be fired from the s7O0OO.0O0
vessel If she were to engage in bat
tie. Trial tests include every pos
sible type Of fire to prove the
strength of structure and guns.
1t Comdr. Thomas B. Hill, Grip
pie Greek, Colo, the gunnery officer,
gave this as his reaction:
The news here is that We got
them all fired without hurting any
one"
This Salvo cost S23.750.
It's effect on some of the green
sailors was magnificent. In a few
moments raw country boys from
nearly every State in the Union be-
came sailors, Strutting and swagger-
ing along the main deck and brag-
ging of the featS of their individual
turrets and batteries.
The result showed that the North
Carolina was real sea lady, strong,
proud, brave and ready for the call
to join the line.
The three-day firing did slight
damage usual to new ships. A few
light bulbs burst and some light
weight frame locker doors buckled
under the pressure waves which
swept the ship from stem to stern.
Ride on Mosquito Boat.
We boarded the North Carolina,
sister ship of the Washington, after
a thrilling dash on new motor tor
pedo boat, one of the feet of craft
commonly known as mosquito boats
and famed for their speed, rough
riding and well-trained crews.
The Navy treated us to a ring
side view of the catapulting of three
new, fast Navy scout planes as our
ship and her eScoring vessels put
out to sea, The planes roared away,
circled the ship and darted off to
their land base.
The first night out fog enveloped
the ghostly, blacked-out ship and
the fog horn kept up awaye, shiver-
Ing, in our deck cots.
The next night was clear and the
serene beauty of the northern
lights lulled us to sleep as the
mighty craft plowed through cold
and calm seas.
Watching the gupf1re in between
tours of the ship and satisfying
rayenous appetites in the Wardroom
took up most of our time.
CritiqueS with Comdr. Andrew G..
Shepard, executive officer, gave US
tastes of naval background and |
technical knowledge at night.
Underwater Sound Detected.
The first night out an accompany |
Ing warship detected an under
water sound which might have come |
from submarine, whale or black
fish. The usual investigation was
,oade opd avnruhorlv ho-bl1pppoed OF |