The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-03-02


The reorganization stresses the
growing Importance of the air arm,
1t brings all air activities under a
single head, including training and
special troops such as enineers, sig
nal, quartermaster and medical
units that are attached to the air
force. Under this arrangement, the
office of chief of the air corps,
which was held by Lieut.. Gen.
George H. Brett, deputy supreme
commander of the southwest Pacific,
and of the air force combat COM
mand, now held by Maj. Gen. Carl
Spaatz, are eliminated.
Matters of supply for the entire
army now are merged under the new
office headed by Somervell.
Under Three Heads
"In brief, the reorganization
groups army activities within the
continental United States under
three heads, a commander of all air
forces, commander Of all ground
forces, and q commander of the
services of supply, the last quite
similar to the organization created
in France under Gen. James G.,
Hartford during the last war;" slim
son said. at provides two great
coordinate fighting arms, air and
ground and relieves them of the
distraction and effort required by
supply, procurement, and general
housekeeping duties, except for eX-
detrimental development and pro-
curement peculiar to the air forces,
which remain with that arm"
Stimson said that the reorganiza-
ton, which had been under constant
study for the past year, was based
upon sole objective: ITO win this
war"
In connection with the streamlin-
ing, Stimson said that small,
alert, compact air-ground general
staff" viii be provided to aid Gen.
Marshall.
He said that this staff, only a
fraction of the present size, will be
in charge of strategic planning
direction, and coordinating" the
activities of the three big new COM
mands. 1t will provide the COM
manders of field operations with
1.-THE broad directives and with the
means for conducting" actual war
operations.
Stimson said the effect of the re-
organization is to provide practical
autonomy for air and ground eX-
cept where joint effort is required.
He added that it will permit him
and Gen Marshall to delegate "the
great mass Of detail" Of organiza-
tional and administrative work to
responsible commanders.
FIRST-Add Roosevelt of Coure ..
9th Ship Sunk
Norfolk, Va, March q CUP -
Three enemy submarines striking at
midnight, torpedoed, shelled and
sank the 9,215-ton American ore
carrier Marore off the Atlantic coast
on Feb. 26, it was revealed today,
The Marroe, 9th ship attacked
and oath sunk of the United States
coasts since the beginning Of the
Axis assaults on Jan. IA, was sunk
after the three enemy submarines
apparently had stalked an oihtanker
which outdistanced them.
Publication of news OF the attack
was authorized today by the Navy
department in Washington.
None of the Marore's crew Of 80
was lost. All escaped injuries and
the survivors showed little effect
from exposure although they were
adrift from II to IA hours. Twenty
FIVE were adrift for II hours before
arriving at the Naval operating base
here abroad a coast guard cutter,
The other IA survivors reached Cape
Hatteras, N. c., in a lifeboat after
being darift IA hours Oh a calm but
cold sea-
The Marore withstood the impact
of one torpedo before the three sub
marines opened fire with deck guns
at a range of less than a mile.
OF the "a ships sunk off the U. s.
Atlantic Coast, 13 have been tank
ers. The loss of the Marore brought
to- 176,042 the total tonnage lost.
A total of IS ships have been at
tackled and 81 sunk by submarines
off the United States and Canadian
coasts and in the Caribbean since
Jan. Ia.
What Captain Said
Capt. Charles E, Nash, Haring-
ton, Me. master of the Marore, said
he was on the bridge when the tor
pedo struck.
1--WE had no warning" he said
"the torpedo struck amidship on the
port side. l gave the order imme-
diately to abandon ship. Although
all the crew but nine were in their
hunks, the conclusion had an alarm
clock effect
"All members of the crew were on
deck almost instantly. They went
to their respective lifeboats withou;
confusion. In ten minutes the ship
was abandoned"
AS soon as the men were In the
lifeboats, Nash said the shells began
to fly, coming from three directions
off the bow to port, and starboard
Alto RATTONINC