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

later that both the cruisers we have
engaged are beached, but this is not
confirmed.
9:30-A submarine is spotted of
our starboard bow but the captain
tells us to ignore him. We are zig
tagging at 80 knots, too fast for him
to hit us-we hope A few minutes
later another submarine is sighted to
port
9:35-We are ordered to return to
Fedhala to protect our transports.
9:49-We are told French destroy
ers are coming out OF Casablanca.
Our orders told us to destroy them.
Our battleship smacked a French
cruiser, setting her ablaze.
10:01-We are doing wonderful
Job, radio message says.
10:09-Shells appear from no
where Their bursts are peculiar
magenta color. I think we are gone
this. time. Shells whistled over my
head They are shortening range
now. They have us. That last one
hit about 20 feet away to port We
turn and their range is short by 400
yards. We open with rapid fire and
straddle destroyer behind a smoke
screen. These cagy Frenchmen are
hiding in the sun and all we have
to fire at. is flashes.
10:20-Their subs are in on us,
firing torpedoes. We hit destroyer
as torpedo goes by our port side.
Ship Escapes Five Torpedoes.
10:23-Two French submarines
have periscopes up. Five torpedoes
head at us. Watching their wakes,
we reel into a zigzag and luckily
60 in between them.
10:29-they stradled us again and
we can't see them. We go into
furious rapid fire. Our ship is reel
ing from our own gun fire. sud-
denly notice number of birds
swimming in the water. They are
totally unaware of the battle.
10:47-Lookout reports periscope
to port. Boy, how we could use
some planes.
10:57-A battleship is coming to
help us. We are going to box in
those destroyers and let them have
it from all sides. Our guns thunder
steadily and my head is mass of
pain.
11:30-The French ships appear to
be running away Thank God we are
returning to Fedhala to guard trans
ports.
11:40 am-From ashore the
Army sends word our officers are
comforting with the French on
whether naval gunfire must cease
during an armistice I run down to
the captains cabin-where I am
living. I find blood all about. How
ever, our four wounded are not in
critical shape.
1917 p.m.-We scatter from gen.
eral quarters. We had all been at
battle stations since 1910 last night,
had been firing since 6 o'clock this
morning, and have had no food. Our
flyers return and tell us how we
pounded the Chergui battery to
pieces.
1855 p.m.-The French Navy is
ignoring the armistice at Fedhala
Two cruisers and two destroyers Just
left Casablanca and are heading
for us. In addition a French bomber
attacked the beach during the
armistice.
Navy Dive BOmbers Appear.
1:08-We contact the French
squadron and blaze away. 1t turns
back toward Casablanca-and lets
us have it. Our flagship falls back
and we find ourselves fighting all
four ships. The bursts are coming
nearer and nearer.
1:30-Our flagship gets in the
battle. Our planes depth-charge
A submarine off our port bow. The
French are using submarines with
their surface ships but they have
had no luck. Some Navy dive
bombers appear and we shout with
JOY. One of the French destroyers
is reported dead in the water. Our
dive bombers road in on the French
ships and one of the destroyers is
hit.
2:03-Planes report that the
French cruiser is being towed toward
Casablanca, and Is minutes later
the planes tell us a French de-
stroyer has been beached inside the
harbor. We believe we hit at least
three ships.
2:26-The Army tells us Fedhala
has been taken and that mine
sweepers have been ordered to clear
out of the French mine fields. The
officers and I limp below for coffee
and sandwiches.
3:20-French bombers attack our
soldiers on the beach.
4:27-We don't even get up when
planes drop depth charges off the
starboard. We want to rest and
eat. We expect a night riddled with
submarine attacks, and French
planes at dawn.