Evening star., 1942-09-12
Ship Captain Tells
OF 1o5 Air Raids in
al Days al Murmansk
Says Soviet Fighting
Spirit Will Corry Reds
To Victory Cser Nozis
Ey the Associated Press.

Hy the Associated Press.
MIAMI, Fla, Sept 12--An Amer
lean merchant marine captain who
lived through 1876 air raids in one
4l-day period while German planes
were attempting to destroy Muir
mansk expressed confidence yester-
day in the Russians ability to hold
out until their foe is beaten.
The Russians are great fighters
Every man, woman and child is
filled with the spirit to win" related
Capt. A. w. Pearson of Brooklyn.
who went to the Far Northern port
to carry out an assignment for the
American Maritime Commission
Capt. PearSson's adventures start
ed in May when the British ship
carrying him to Murmansk was
sunk. The only casualty was the
captains interpreter, who was killed
by the explosion.
Picked Up by Escort.
Capt. Pearson was picked up by
one of the naval vessels escorting
the convoy, and was landed at Muir
mansk just as the Germans started
determined drive to knock out the
port through which war materials
were flowing to the Russians.
They blew up Murmansk, but
they never hit the docks for which
they were aiming" he declared.
There was some damage to the city
when l arrived but it was mostly
intact. When l left there was moth
Ing standing except the docks.
The Russians destroyed hundreds
OF the attacking planes. One day
the Germans sent over 12l planes
set to blow Murmansk off the map
They didn't do it that time, and the
Russians got 40 of the bombers.
Lands Soviet Airmen.
Those Russian airmen are real
fighters. If they run out of ammu-
milton, they try to ram the German
planes. They don't care about their
own lives
And what an anti-aircraft bar
rage those Russians could put up!"
The German assaults with huge
bombs were so bad, the veteran
mariner continued, that even the
dogs and the goats ran for the
shelters when they heard the alert"
There isn't rat hole in Muir
mansk that / haven't been into"
Capt, PEARSON said. when that
alert went off, you had to go some
where quick"
Russians were so anxious for the
supplies, he added, that soldiers on
furlough came to Murmansk to help
unload the ships so they could get
materials through to their chums on
the fighting front.
Women and Children Help.
Women and children turned out
and helped. An American skipper
laughed at me when I told him
when his ship would be unloaded.
But won the bet
When the wind was blowing from
the northwest, those in Murmansk
could hear the sound of fighting on
the far northern front.
Going to Archangel by train, Can't.
PEARSON came within IA miles of
the front. He had to change trains
because one bridge had been de-
stroyed by shellfire.
The captain saw one air raid at
Archangel, which he said was little
damaged. He went by train to Mos
COW and to Kuibishev, from where
he started a l4,000-mile air journey
to the United States.
Capt. Pearson exhibited a log
book In which he recorded all the
raids during his stay in Murmansk
On three occasions there were ID
raids in one day. German planes
were grounded by the weather for
six days, in all.
He told of one incident when
ship bringing tanks to Murmansk
was attacked from the air. and the
Russians used anti-aircraft guns
On the tanks against the enemy.
one raid caught Capt. Pearson
ana some companions on a small
boat In the middle of the river. A
plane was shot down, and British
sailors in a small boat started out
10 rescue the pilot, who bailed out
The German came up with a mis-
tol IN his hand and tried to fire at
the would-be rescuers, so a sailor
cracked his head with an oar. Cant
Pearson said.