The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-06-18

Every man gave every ounce of his strength and action stations were maintained almost every hour of the entire battle.
 Gondon Daily Mail air corre- spondent reported that the Axis planes used a new type of rocket bomb, which when dropped from a low-fiying plane emitted showers of sparks from its tail and shot down at a velocity far greater han that of ordinary bombs. The bomb was designed to give greater accuracy and great pentration, the corre~ spendent wrote).
 Again and again I heard the whistle of bombs coming down from pitch darkness when there were no flares in the air. Never one during the night bombing did the main fleet units respond be- cause even one shell, by its flash, would have aided the enemy planes in their attacks.
 We sailed from Alexandria under a moonless sky.
 A few hours after we had left the enemy planes contacted us. They did not attack until we were out of range of our fighters, hurri- canes, Beau fighters and American made Kittyhawks.
 Started On Sunday
 The attack began early Sunday morning when the Germans threw in their Junker-8SS and Junker- SIS at a point about 100 miles from Crete and the same distance from Derna, on the Libya coast.
 Hour after hour, throughout Sum- day, they bombed us but we lost only one merchant ships. It settled slowly in the water and there was ample time to take of survivors.
 The fleet plodded steadily on, the destroyers sweeping the sea in search of submarines.
 The crew was cool at all times, and joked between raids. A search light crew was playing with pet turtle, which drew in its head hur- ried when the Red alarm flag shot up and the Pom PomS and the A. inches started going.
 At nightfall all the German Dorniers launched Q high level bombing attack there were torpedo tracks to starboard.
 These attacks continued until 9 D. m. Frequently the gunnery off, cer gave running commentary on the batle to the crew over the loud speaker.
 Action stations of first and second degree were maintained through out Sunday night and Monday morning in view of the presence of motor torpedo boats.
 I was taking a cat nay on top of a pile of kit at about 4:30 a. m. when a lookout station on the star board side of the lower bridge sounded:
 Alarm to arms!"
 Torpedo On Way
 reached the side just in time to see a motor torpedo boat Spot- lighted by the searchlight and then I saw the track of torpedo com ing towards us.
 "Bit of a thrill,' remarked another.
 Amid similar trivial remarks we speeded up to get out of the way of the torpedo and the U-boat which had fired 1t.
 Gave us a bit of a shake, that one" 8 sailor said.
 We were aware now that enemy battleships were ahead.
 In the distance, away from the drakened convoy, l saw the des- troyers firing Pom Poms at enemy torpedo boats.
 We had been 12 hours at action stations when about 11:30 Monday morning the bombing started again, and 1t lasted all day.
 A 500-pound bomb fell about 50 yards astern and others fell all around.
 In the thick of the fight, about midday, I went to the bridge, where the admiral was sitting in his shirt sleeves.
 Did you have your moneys worth yesterday?" he asked, and smiled.
 The only casualty in our ship was Charlie, the pet parrot. He had most of his feathers blown of and was squawking and cursing violently when seamen retrieved him and his cage from debris.
 Monday ended in a furious aerial torpeo attack. We got four planes.
 With the light fading, the cruisers and destroyers maintained hurri- cane of fire and discouraged any further torpedo attempts.
 It seemed endless, and when 1t was over the gunners dropped right down by their guns and slept like dead men.