The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1942-09-10

uOlu on luIdSl ana OIlleG ISLANDS IN
is his story as related to veteran
I The marines had plenty of trouble
there
We transferred to lighter trans
port used for taking tanks ashore and
spent that night and the next night
aboard. We ate army field rations
which really were delicious. You're
supposed to take one hour to eat a
can of these rations, but we gulped
them down in five minutes.
During Friday some Japs swan to
the wreckage of a four-engined flying
boat off Gavutu. Only one wing was
above the water with the hull sub
merged, but somehow the Japs set up
machine gun and started firing on
our boats approaching Gavutu.
The marines finally located the
source of the firing and silenced it.
Saturday we stood by ready to
land troops and kept circling while
our bigger ships-transports and war
ships-maneuvered in the big road
stead between Tulgai and Guadal-
canal.
At mid-morning we received word
Jap bombers were coming, and at
1870 we saw a dogfight over the
channel Just before noon we saw
twenty three big bombers coming in
from the east over Florida island
They were flying real low-just off
the water Our ships were vancouver
ing, one off Tulagi, the other off
Guadalcanal. The Japs flew right be-
tween them.
Seven laps Bagged
Our anti-aircraft from all ships
opened as soon as the Japs came into
range, and the sky was a solid sheet
Of fire. saw seven laps go down.
Four of them received direct hits
from one of our cruisers.
When hit, the planes became balls
of fire, plunged into the water
burned briefly, then sank without a
trace. The remaining planes went out
Of sight, and we learned only one left
the area entirely-With its port motor
on fire and two fighters on it's tail.
A destroyer was hit by bombs
Saturday, We learned that ON Friday
one transport had been set afire by a
plane crashing into its deck We saw
the fire Saturday, and it seemed
under control then.
We tied up to our transport Satur-
day night. High winds broke us loose,
but we kept near the ship. At a M.
Sunday word passed from the ship
all is we'll" Then hell broke loose,
r Over to the west, toward the chan
mel, there was a sudden rumble of
gunfire. Instantly three ships were
burning, great blazcs of light against
the black night
One Ship EXplodes
One ship seemed to explode and
looked as if it was lifted right out
Of the water by the explosion. | saw
scarchlights briefly illuminating a
ship. Then there were big gun flashes
both from the ships with the search
lights and from the ship that was
being Illuminated. We knew it was a
fight between Jap and American sur
face vessels
1t was impossible to tell whether
we were winning or losing or what
was happening. We heard conflicting
reports and three times before sun
rise we were lifted aboard the trans
port. which prepared to leave the
area.
AT $50 a m. the transport pulled
out and we thought we were aban-
doned. We went over to another
transport nearby where we were told
the landings would continue as schcd-
3led.
We took supplies aboard and headed
inshore. BY mistake we landed on
Gavutu instead Of Tulagi Marines
were walking along the beach only
few feet from us. Frequently one
would kneel and fire at some target
we couldn't see.
Five raiders came along the beach
and suddenly opened fire with tom
nyguns at a coconut tree We thought
they'd gone crazy A few coconuts
dropped from the tree. Then a dead
Jap fell down, and we decided the
raiders weren't crazy
Land on Wrong Beach
The marines commanding officer
told US we were on the wrong beach
and we had Just started to shove off
for Tulagi when two big marines,
each wei lover six feet tall, appeared
with a diminutivc Jap. They were car
vying him easily by the arms. They
set him down in front of the COM
handing officer and he suddenly
squirmed and ran away. The marines
shot him
We went over to Tulagi. getting
shot at from Tanambogo en- route,
but the shots fell short. AS | had no
duties, | walked along the beach while
the boat was unloading. Fires were
burning everywhere, Tin and wooden