The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-06-24

3l0 today the toll of vessel marines and submarine-laid hemiSpherical waters since tn Altogether S53 United Nations vessels have been victims of tor- pedoes, shells and submarines in this area, but 34 reached port.
 This compilation, believed con- servative, shows 148 ships lost along the Atlantic seaboard, o6 In the Caribbean, p in the Gulf of Mexico. IS in the South Atlantic and g off the Canadian coast.
 The B vessels the Navy diScolsed yesterday had been sunk in the Car- tbhean went down from June to i4. inclusive. The Navy said that 770 persons, including lS5 passen. gers, were aboard the ships and that 65S persons, including 126 passengers, had been rescued They were brought to this port, or made their way to 1t.
 Tn two instances, crews were on sinking vessels twice before they reached here. The ships that res cued them were torpedoed and sunk.
 Heaviest Death Toll
 But one of the heaviest death tolls recorded since the Axis sub- marine campaign began was on medium sized United States cargo passenger ship sunk off the United States Atlantic coast. Survivors revealed yesterday that 38 lives were lost. The second sinking off the east coast revealed yesterday was that of a lnedium-Sized British ship. The lS Caribbean singings in- cluded:
 June S-A small Norwegian cargo ship.
 June IA United States cargo, ship.
 June 8--A British merchant ship, an American owned, Honduran reg istered cargo vessel.
 June 1O-For British ships, a Dutch passenger vessel.
 June 11-An American cargo ship.
 June l2-An American passenger freighter.
 June lS-A small American mer- chantman.
 June l4-A United States freighter.
 Survivors described their experi- ences.
 Woman Describes It
 Ms. Edna Theresa JohanSson, 40, of New Orleans, stewardess on one of the American ships, and the only woman on 1t, said the ship l, was Storpedoed a few hours after leaving port.
 Hearing an explosion, she grabbed bag she had packed for such an emergency, and shouted. we've been torpedoed,"
 'someone said, not yet" She related, land then another torpedo struck about 50 feet aft Sron where the first had exploded"
 All aboard were able to get away in hfehoatS. and about $50 feet from their sinking ship they met the submarine. It flicked its Search- lights on the lifeboats Q few minutes, then disappeared.
 Additional explosions rent the, ship. and 1t soon sank.
 The ships third officer, James R. Glover, 25, of $50 West 20th street, New York, said they were adrift four hours before they were rescued. He said the captain ofOthe submarine, in riding boots, flared brooches and Q leather jacket, emerged from the coming tower and tried to find out the ships destina- ton. The survivors in Glover'S life- boat game him a false answer, and he asked whether they needed any thing. Told that they could use cigarets, he said the submarine could spare only 24.
 "We'll see you in hell first" the survivors told him, but as the sub- marine pulled away. the com naander, nevertheless, threw some cigarets into the boat.
 Captain Robert N. Pierce of San Pedro, Cal, master of another American ship sunk June il, said the first torpedo struck at l0:40 a. 1n., killing three members of the crew and injuring four. A second and a third torpedo exploded in a few seconds and the ship slid down.
 Captain H. 6. Beck. SS, of 4lS West Clay street. Houston, Texas, was master of a crew that was twice on Q sinking ship. His ship 'sank like lead" after it was torpedoed, trapping 12 of the crew below deck.
 Twice TOrpedOed
 Seventeen survivors of the crew of 8 were able to get away. Next day Q British cargo vessel rescued them and .on June 10 the British ship was torpedoed and sunk. Once u1ore Beck found himself adrift, and with only nine of the original l7 survivors of his ship.
 The British ship was sunk 175 miles from the eastern entrance of the Panama Canal
 On June 10, Dutch passenger ship. with e crew of 6T officers and men and 27 passengers was torpe- doed and sunk. A United States frelghter picked up the survivors