Evening star., 1942-03-03
Three u-Boats' Attack
On Freighter Likened
To Target Practice
80 Aboard Morore,
Torpedoed in Atlantic,
Reach Norfolk SofeIy
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NORFOLK, March 3-The So
man crew of the American freighter
Marore reached port safely Friday.
"a hours after their 8,2l4-ton ore
carrier had been riddled and sunk
by a torpedo and 100 shells from
three Axis submarines. the Navy
announced yesterday.
The ship, owned by the Ore
Steamship Co. of New York, was
northbound with $4,000 tons OF ore
when she was attacked on the
Middle Atlantic Coast.
Capt. Charles E. Nash, Dundalk,
Md, said the freighter had been
running without lights but switched
on mast and running lights just
before the attack to avoid possible
collision with two other ships
sighted nearby.
The ship was abandoned 10 min
utes after the torpedo struck. 1t
wrecked the radio antenna so no
call for aid could be given.
Crew members said the three sub
mersibles. forming rough triangle.
then blasted away at the ship for
more than an hour.
Shells Bounce About Cra1iIy.
at looked like target practice" ("
said Howard Book, first assistant
engineer. Baltimore, adding that
tracer shells bounced crafty about
on the surface of the ocean.
The bronZed 42-year- -old captain
couldn't keep a tinge Of sadness out
Of his voice when he told newsmen
that he had wished to stay close
enough" to see his ship take Its
death dive. but that they had te
pull away because things were toe
hot around there"
The shells going over our head.
sounded like freight trains" was the
way Radio Operator Christopher w
Core, Richmond. described it.
Deck Engineer Pat Ryan, %, Sa-
vannah, said the men in his life
boat sent up distress flares on sight
ing q ship Friday morning, >. but the
ship passed up our signal" Later
they sighted another ship and fired
more rockets. Two Navy planes
appeared, circIed over two Of the
lifeboats, few toward the approach
ing ship, circled 1t, then returned
to the lifeboats, thus directing the
vessel that packed up the first %
crewmen.
Rode at Anchor During Night.
Mr.. Book, one of IA men in the
other OF the three boats which put
OF from the sinking ship, said they
rode at anchor most Of Thursday
night and then rigged a sail and
headed for shore. They declined
rescue offers from two passing tank
ers, Mr.. Book said, because the tank
ers were going in the wrong di-
rection for u.s."
The torpedoing was no new ex-
perience for at least two members
of the Marore's crew-ordinary Sea-
man H. L. Baublitz of York. Pa
and 62-year-old Charles Trolson
able seaman. New Orleans. The
torpedoing of the Marore was the
seventh such experience for him
including six during the first World
War, the 50-year-old Baublitz said
Mr.. Trolson said It was number four
for him.
The only crewman aboard the
Marore who saw one of the attack
ing submarines was Henry M. Jack
son. wiper, Tilghman, Md, who
said he saw "the dim outline of a
coming tower which passed about
20 feet astern of our lifeboat."
Mr.. Jackson was asleep when the
ship was torpedoed and was knocked
from his bunk. He ran to the deck
clad only in shorts and entered a
lifeboat. my feet and legs became
numb from the cold weather" he
said. but later managed to borrow
shirt and trousers from his ship
mates.