Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-16

thing is wrong.
1905 amour first motorboat
leaves the transport and we start
loading troops into landing barges.
AS am.-Destroyers go almost te
the beach to help barges land. The
swell is heavy and some boats are
damaged. The Rev. Francis OLeary
of Boston offers prayer. 1t. Comdr
George K. Williams of Salt Lake
City gives the last-minute instruc.
tons.
4:55 a.m.-Our troops machine CUR
a searchlight that appears on THE
beach. Red tracer bullets scream
through the night air. Minutes
later a destroyer machine-guns anc
then shells the French tanker Lor.
raine, which disobeyed a command
to stop. The Lorraine fires back and
then gives up to boarding party.
French Battery Answered.
5:47-The captain asks for the
range on the powerful Chergui bat
terry.
GA submarine surfaces on our
starboard beam, but proves to be
American. We gave him grand
stand seat for the battle.
6:07-Heavy gunfire is heard dead
ahead.
6:l2-Chergui opens with a ter
rifle cannonading and our ships
reply instantly. The sky fills with
flame and smoke.
6:2O-a destroyer says Chergui
has his range and he will need help
We help him plenty after closing
to 1880 yards.
6:35-We give Chergui rapid fire
that obliterated our target in smoke
and dust.
6:45-We give Chergui round OF
firing. An oil storage tank
and two buildings break into fire
our plane spotter tells us. Three OF
four guns have been knocked out
Suddenly I note that our landing
boats loaded with soldiers are max
ing their way ashore in the midst
of this inferno.
6:53-Our plane reports the fourth
gun smashed. Three minutes late,
two OF their guns reopen fire. The
Army reports no resistance was Of
fered to the landing.
7:0l-Chergui is silent again anc
we close to 10000 yards, making Il
knots. Later, one gun puts a shell
400 yards from us and water cas-
cades skyWard
Landing Boats Push Shoreward.
7:O8-Seventeen American plane!
approach us.
7:10-Scores of landing boats ar,
now in the water, heading shore.
ward. We fire so rounds in five min.
utes.
.E18-Eleven friendly planes zoon
over us. We need them because
shells are coming closer and sub.
marines have been detected.
7:21-A tremendous salvo shatter.
the glass on our bridge.
7:25-Cherugi has been silent five
minutes, 1t. Eugene Bertram. senior
aviator from Spokae, Wash, reports
7:30-Our planes are bombing ane
straf1ng Cherugi. Thirteen Grum.
mans, United States Navy fighte,
planes, join them.
7:32-The French battleship Jear
Bart begins long-range duel witt
one OF the battle wagons. Huge
flashes spring up and the Jean Bar
takes few pot shots at us from s
distance of II miles. More glas.
skaters on the bridge.
7:36-My head is Keeling from tn,
blast.
7:39-They have fixed the gun a,
Cherugi and are shooting at u.
again. We pound him brutally ane
IN two minutes score direct hit.
7:4l-These Frenchmen are tough
Two of Cherugi's guns are going anr
we silence them with a round n
rapid fire.
7:58-One of our destroyers fire,
at one OF our planes and we war;
him. VIVA
Batteries Blast at French Planes.
7:59-Our starboard 5-inch bat.
terles blast away at French plane.
straflng soldiers on the beach anc
men in small boats.
8IPlanes begin attacking trans.
ports and all hell breaks loose, Right
IN the middle of this those obstinate
frenchmen at Chergui get anothe,
gun going.
8:05-We put up two more planes
for spotting.
s:1o-They report chergui is
silenced.
8:14-The planes tell us the loca
ton of the French anti-aircraft gun,
ashore. We blaze away at them
8:19-The French ships escape
from Casablanca under a smoke
screen. We are ordered to dfstro,
two cruisers coming our way ane
steam away at Is knots.
8:28-Our destroyer screen report,
the cruisers are firing on them
8::35-We fire two batteries al
the cruisers. We hear that some
French ships have headed for thu
open sea.
8::50-We make contact with the
French cruisers. Shells begin tx
fall all around us and we and oul
flagship give them plenty. Tht
cruiser lookouts report one French
cruiser is hit and possibly the other
8:59-After a furious action thu
Frenchman reverses his course to-
ward Casablanca. We speed up to sc
knots to chase them. Right In the
middle of this the Army sends lis
this message: Admiral refused to
see me. I delivered message To him
at Casablanca. French army does
not wish to fight. Citizens of Casa
blanca welcome us and hold us in
high esteem" We learned later that
only the French navy wants to con-
tinue the battle and they fight Ike
mad dogs. A shell plunks into the
water 20 feet from me.
% Hits on One Cruiser
9:05-We fire away with renewed
energy and our lookout reports we
have % hits on one cruiser. She is
smoking but continues to firesat us
- Il. -