The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1942-03-16

when It recklessly surfaced within
a few hours and within few miles
Of the torpedoing of OH allied ship,
1t was undoubtedly the same sub
marine that launched the torpedo.
1t is probably that the enemy
submarine skipper and every men,
Der of his crew paid with their lives
for their temerity.
Full responsibility for all OF the
above statements rests on this re-
porter. Even the quoted words In
the first paragraph are mine to sci
off personal opinion. The quoted
words were certainly one" ano
very possibly three"
Official navy ir formation regard.
ing the incidents in this story is still
withheld, In accordance with the
stated navy policy of refusing to
divulge specific information Of the
submarines 1t sinks.
1t was this reporters incredible
good fortune to be aboard the navy
airship for q patrol hop on the day
that all the above ACTIVITY took place
I saw the whole dramatic show
from a grandstand seat.
1t was a show that included In It's
cast army and navy bombers, des-
troyers, an armed tug, the Coast
Guard cutter, our navy blimp-and
the enemy. 1t was played with the
very shadow of our shores and In
three widely separated spots. That
navy airship seemed to be every
where that day.
Cannot Tell All
All Of what saw cannot be writ
ten here for obvious reasons. can-
not say when or where or all of the
how. I cannot identify the officers
and men, or specifically, the ships,
that engaged In the attacks, but I
can say saw an alert, smashing
navy offensive strike three times
within q few hours at the Axis SUBJ
marine feet. can say that my hon
est opinion Is that all three blows
may have had a deadly effect.
The flrst blow that I saw deliver
ed was struck by one Of the old
World War Eagle boast now press
ed once again into service for pa
troll duty.
It happened Just after dawn, in
the same vicinity that a freighter
reported submarine less than an
hour before,
saw the eagle boat dump an
"ashcan" overheard, heard the rum
BILE Of the explosion as the water
boiled and spouted into the air.
We were working with the Eagle
boat, acting as observer and spot
ter from our point Of vantage about
100 feet above the furface. Our ship
rocked violently from the concus-
sion, we were so close.
Immediately we swooped down
over the spot and saw hundreds Of
fragments Of wreckage bob TO the
surface and float lazily there In thu
heavy oil black swells.
Less than an hour later we saw
a destroyer salt the water will
heavy charges Of T. N. T. when 1
picked up o submarines motor
with Its listening apparatus severa
miles south Of the flrst incident.
We had been sent by our squad
ron station, by radio, to aid the de
stroyer after 1t reported, shortly be
fore dawn, 1t was stalking the I'm
dersea Inarauder.
With trim navy bomber for com
pany, we swept the seas In the vicin
ity In widening circles, Will
the destroyer, knitting GRACEFUL
through the water, swung slowl
back and forth below.
Destroyer In Action
Suddenly the destroyer spran
into action. Men literally poure
out of the holds onto the decks an
the ship lunged forward at a rap
Idly accelerating speed.
shes picked up something" on
airshlp skipper said, as he an
every man aboard trained btnoculal
on the destroyer.
There 60 her Y-guns," shoute
la lookout. A glistening, barrel
shaped object was slung from eac
side OF the destroyer and an instant
" later two more rolled of run
ways ct the stern. n
A few seconds later, while Of
skipper swung the airship quick
upwards TO avoid the conclusion
four great geyserS Of water shl