Evening star., 1942-07-12

crashing into the VeSSelS nun.
ing big game hunt in the world-tc
hunt and to be hunted.
We maintain submerged patro
during the daytime and surface al
night, when we charge our batteries
and air banks.
We have to watch not only the
sea these days, but the air. Fol
;. it is out of the sky that one of oul
worst enemies may come, slammins
down in a screaming dive at miles
a minute.
AS we cross, running on the sur
face, the lookout yells:
Aircraft astern coming down out
of the SUM-"
I yell Clear the bridge" and I'm
the last down the ladder to hit the
steel plates as the diving alarm, a
klaxon, barks through the ship.
Wait Tense for Bomb.
We are dropping fast, water wash
ing over us in a white rolling wake
that the aviator overhead can see
I stand tense, the back of my legs
aching with strain, waiting for that
bomb. The diving officer is calling
off the depths as we look for safety
far below the water.
1 ring the bell for battle stations
Word is paralleled over the phones
| "All hands man battle stations"
Time passes. We are at safe
depth now and I can feel sigh
leaving me. We surface again and
there is sea tern wheeling over
head.
/ 1t was the tern that was reported
as aircraft. And we have diveo
for them before and will dive again
We are not alone in this. Other
submarine commanders dive fol-
terms, for albatross and gulls.
| That sleek pair Of wings sailing
4 down at you may be q bird Andait
may be a Jap patrol plane loadec
with high explosive death.
| We have no friends once we leave
port. There is no time to blinl
recognition signals or to look up tn,
a silhouette and identity the plant
on our chart.
We dunk-fast.
Now that we are cruising on tn,
japanese coast there is no ques
ton that everything in the sky, OF
and under the surface is hostile.
This Is our first patrol and W
!. have crossed the Pacific and eatel
: our Christmas turkey with home
. sick sailor playing Christmas carol
! on his accordion.
It is a dark night when I turn Il
on my blankets on the steel plate
of the coming tower. I am shake
awake. A merchant ship is run
: ming close to us on a parallel course
!, I swing up to the bridge, hot wit
!. excitement.
I P0ise for Attack.
r It's a Jap all right. We swim
the submarine for attack and wal
r for him to cross the line Of fire,
! Over the phone I am giving or
ders to the torpedo nest.
Get No. / and 2 ready!"
The phone comes back at me:
"One and two ready!"
I tell the helmsman to hold he
!, steady. The Jap is looming u
! across us, steaming along unsus
: pecting across our tubes. I can sc
the wake boiling under her sterl
My mouth is dry as I reach for tn
button that will dump the app
o cart
;. Stand by on / and 2!'
3 The phone responds.
Fire II" The ship jars as IL
: torpedo leaves the tube.
). "Fire a."
Another jar. The phone say
quietly. Il and fired, sir!"
: can see the torpedoes awe
= down the track, and I yell into II
phones:
y - There they go, hot, straight ar
=. ~ normal"
1t is black as pitch, but we ca
see the Jap's silhouette as the
If fish ram into her side. There is
Al muffled explosion. They must ha'
,e rammed into an empty compar
l. ment, and the explosion is inside.
al A big cloud of black smoke 70,
,e up from the ship as she falters.
IT In five minutes she is down
ye the bow, stern high. We cam
Ia see any boats launched, and Il
f. ship is lucky if she gets life raj
20 over.
E. We watch her sink and ma
preparations to get away quick. S.
ct may have radioed that she W
st attacked. and planes will be buzzil
$? around before long.
o. Crew Grins Happily.
t. Below, the submarine crew
ay slapping backs and grinning fro
st ear to ear. The submarine jun
st under the motors, and we leave
er wreckage spreads over the eal
re. morning sea.
CHI We are on the last days of patl
e. of the Japanese coast. Fuel
.ss getting low and so are provisions
On the bulkhead one of the or,
of has painted three Japanese fla
We with torpedoes going through the
a one for each ship we have sunk.
X But we need rest. Our cook is
of wizard at turning out pies, doug
ev nuts, cakes and cookies. Some
IT, our torpedomen are amateur COG
of and turn out pies for the fun of
,st Still, it is nerve-racking. this r.
ITS on the Japanese coast, and we Y
OF, be glad for our rest in home pc
ey We sight another Jap freigh
IS at long range again at night a
4 sirak har She raAuer saM fiA 4