Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-12-05

anger only once-at a. rusty and prob
ably emasculated mine in the Mediter-
ranean.
Our first alarm came on the first day
out Of the United States. We had been
batting along through a fog, with the
whistles sounding and tell-tales strung
out behind each ship as guides for those
behind.
A Probable Hit.
1t may have been that the fog, lift
ing suddenly, had COMPOUNDED an en-
rant U-boat commander. At any rate,
while we were at supper three depth
charges sent shudder through the ship
and, being tyro in such matters, de-
cided We had been torpedoed. This
hasty and inaccurate decision was
reached while clambered up the fore
castle ladder in pursuit of the officers.
A destroyer was scudding back
through the convoy at top speed.
She had let 60 the three ashcan pat
fairly close to home by any standards.
The alarm was lifted. Had a sub
marine actually been sunk? Travelling
in convoy is like living in vacuum.
However, it finally developed that the
three depth charges brought up sew
eral black life rings, crates, rubbish and
Diesel oil--and a probable" was re-
corded
Through the Atlantic and Mediter-
ranean there is a systematic changing
OF escort, both surface and air.
1t is a somewhat bewildering, but ex-
tremely workable arrangement of chang
ing the guard. American, British.
French, Greeks, Dutch, Poles and prob
ably others engaged in booting our
convoy along.
Beating the Sub Menace.
Air cover in the Western Atlantic was
provided by land-based craft, blimps and
the small American carriers now being
turned out at pace which moved Herr
Goebbels to complain that the U-boat
offensive had suffered setback.
In the estimate of the merchant
mariners the carriers are the best kind
Of company
However, the heaviest task still falls
on surface craft, ranging from the
sleekest new escort ships from America
to little fellows which appear to have
strayed too far from home but which
keep the pace and-do the job, too.
Like Sheep Dogs.
The small craft, looking like fugitives
from Sheepshead Bay, usually do cour-
Ter work as well as guard against the
enemy. Keeping a large convoy in
order Is no small job, and they 20 yap-
ping at the sterns of their big, pom
derous charges like sheepdogs driving
home the flock.
Ammunition carriers seem to be the
orneriest, rovingest critters af1oat. The
angel buggy" astern our ship turned
up one morning with badly twisted
nose after collision which fortunately
did not strike deeply enough to set
her off.
In all, three of the convoy ships
reached their destination with Dashed
bows.
This is probably good enough record
for a convoy of this size.
The escort also is charged with doing
whatever is possible for stragglers
which have 8 chance of about ! in Z
of avoiding enemy action while play
ing the sitting duck role.
This estimate applies only to convoy
speed vessels without the knots to out
run submarines or the maneuverability
to do anything under air attack.
When an Alert Sounds.
The grimmer part Of escort work
comes, of course, when the detection
devices cause an alert, as they did in
the Eastern Atlantic one evening at
dusk. 1t was not until $50 that the
depth charges let go, followed by some
lighted action in the same area.
Off-duty officers and cadets gathered
in the saloon, showing tendencies to
be jumpy at the slam of a door-as
who would not? There is a definite
unease while the escort is hunting.
At the sight of land few days later
there was general whooping, but we
were only entering the Mediterranean,
where Sicily still was being contested,