Evening star., 1942-10-13
100 japanese Planes
In First Attack on
Cruiser, Survivor Says
Men Refused to Leuve
Vincennes When Ordered,
Chicoeoon Declares
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, Oct. 13-The Chicago
Tribune, in a copyrighted article
tdoay. published an interview with
Milton A. Schneider, 34-year-old
Chicagoan, electricians mate, first
class, who was aboard the u. S. S.
Vincennes of Tulagi Harbor during
the battle of the Solomon Islands
in August.
Schneller told Roy ]. Gibbons,
Tribune staff writer, that the first
Jap counterattack came by air on
August 7 and there were about 100
Jap planes in the attacking squad
ron.
They came down to within what
appeared to be only few feet of
the water" Schneider said, "and
were in such close order that we
were able to blast many of them
from the sky with our 8-inch shells,
which were fired point blank into
their midst"
He said the Japs pursued the
same tactics" on the second and
third days of the battle, but I'VE
had come through the fight un-
scathed and our defense was i'm
proving"
All He'll Broke Loose.
Schneider said he was asleep when
the general alarm was sounded and
when all hell broke loose and the
old Vincennes seemed to shiver
from stem to stern.
THE first Jap hit smashed our
sky aft Tear range finder to
pieces. " Then we took a torpedo
right in our CUTS. We shuddered
again. Came another direct hit,
and all lights went out. Shells and
torpedoes meanwhile were coming
fast. Number one fireroom was hit
| directly after us. The third torpedo
hit the number four fireroom. The
fifth hit the forward engine room
| and the sixth struck forward at the
bow.
Then firing ceased almost as
abruptly as it had started We were
still afloat, but listing badly"
Schneider said Comdr. R. A.
Hansen appointed him to the upper
deck Ito see how things looked"
Was Raging Inferno.
"On opening the hatch into the
marine compartment, I found the
place to be raging inferno"
Schneider told Gibbons. When
I came down the ladder into our
control quarters two and half decks
below topside. I reported to Mr.
Hansen that in my opinion it would
be possible to escape if we went
straight up and not through the
officers forward passage.
There were 48 men in that area
Of the ship and Mr.. Hansen, on
receiving my report. said those who
wished to go could do so, and that it
was every man for himself.
Mine of us got out. I can't recall
too vividly the order in which went
up the ladder ="
Schneider said that on deck the
discipline of the crew was wonder
full We had to throw some of the
men into the water. They refused to
leave the ship even after being
ordered to do SO.
Floated for Hours.
| 1--WE f1oated for what seemed like
hours. Hundreds of men were bob
bing around in the sea. In my
immediate vicinity some IS men
were floating in the neighborhood
OF raft on which were 20 wounded
sailors. I was stationed about 100
1eet out from one of the corners
OF the raft to act as guard against
sharks. Other men occupied SINH
lar positions"
Schneider said he was picked up
by a destroyer and transferred to
another ship and taken to a base
and transferred aboard a transport
and taken to the west coast.
Schneider told the Tribune writer
that I'VE lost lot of fine boys
aboard the Vincennes and the other
ships that were with it. These
lads were my buddies. From now
on I fight for Uncle Sam and for
vengeance, too.'