Evening star., 1942-11-10


1t didn't do them any good. Instead
of in neat formations their planes
approached from all directions and
all levels in an unorthodox cart
wheel.
Crews Equal to New Attack.
1t took quick thinking and quick,
shifty firing to repel this new kind
of attack, but our men were well
stocked with both abilities.
Three Japanese carrier escorts
were sighted by our patrols early
in the morning. Two of the carriers
were together to the northwest.
Our men took battle stations, eager
for the action signal.
Presently we saw our planes take
off from carrier group, take form
alton and disappear over the hori-
zon. Fighter planes circled above
them protectively.
An AFRAID alarm was sounded,
and we knew the Japs had sighted
us, too, and we're heading our way.
In moment our loud speaker
beloved Prepare to repel air at
tack!"
The Japs first attacked a task
force unit several miles to our
stern. The sky filled with black
clouds of ack ack bursts. Then we
saw specks of enemy planes wrig-
Cling through the barrage. But our
fighter planes were working on
them, and soon they began to fall.
When you see plane falling In
flames you know it is Jap because
out planes don't burn like that when
hit.
Through glasses watched six
Japs go down. A spotter near me
who had more powerful telescope
said he saw 10 fall in that first at
tack. We also saw big gushers of
white spray where japanese bombs
had dropped.
Destroyer Hit by Torpedo.
This preliminary attack astern of
us lasted about 20 minutes. Then
it was quiet for while and a
gentle wind blew away the smoke.
Then the Japs came in again.
at another force but still did not
approach our unit. Our attention
was attracted, however, by an ex-
plosion aboard destroyer near our
ship. It had been hit by a torpedo
Later another ship removed the
crew from the damaged destroyer
Finally Jap dive bombers screamed
down at us-the first three air at
tacks on our unit. We had cotton
stuffed into our ears but the ack-
ack fire from our ship ratified our
heads.
The Japs, about 80 of them alto
gether, started from above the
clouds and came gliding down from
many directions.
I followed the course of one plung.
ing toward the stern of carrier. He
was blanketed with shell fire from
our cruiser and other warships. Fol
a time it looked as If he would gel
through it to release his bomb, but
we finally smacked him. About Isl
yards astern and 1000 feet up he
began to smoke, then to blaze, anc
finally, twisting and turning, he hit
the water with a sickening plunge
The gunners near me swung theil
gun around and trained it on an
other diving Jap.
High above, our single-seateC
fighters were battling Japs in a wilC
encounter. Some distance from ou1
ships we saw many columns o.
smoke rising from the sea. These
were burning Japanese plane!
knocked down by the fighters before
they came close to us.
Some enemy bombs, however
dropped amid our task force, with
the carrier as target. Sometime
columns of water from near misse
would hide the carrier entirely from
our view. Then a few seconds late.
the good old flat-top would emerge
her rudder so hard over she seemed
to be capsizing. She wriggled ant
twisted magnificently and the bomb
fell harmlessly in her zig-zag wake
Only Brief Respite.
Then there were no more Japs TO-
a while and our men wiped off tn,
PRESENTATION and waited grimly TO
another attack. Not long afterwart
word came to look out for enem,
plenes ahead and to keep an eve ou
for torpedoes.
During the quiet interval I ha,
been listening on the radio to ou
pilots conversations high above
Their conversations showed ou
forces were giving the japanese
pasting. I heard one pilot tell an
other, "You can go down and ge
that destroyer if you have time"
didn't have time to find ou
whether that pilot had time to ge
that destroyer because at that mo
ment Jap torpedo planes accom-
panied by dive bombers begal
coming. In previous battles tina
had come in formation and ha
peeled off in regulation fashion bu
this time they came from a dozel
different angles.
There was no time for firing or
ders. It was matter of picking
target and banging away unit
you got him and then spottinl
another.
The lads at the guns, now vet
erans Of several battles, showed re
markable coolness, loading and hrinl
without lost motion or q waste,
word. Outwardly they showed n
excitement, nor did they cheer whel
q Jap fell. There was no time t
cheer. You had to get that mex
Jap or he would get you.