The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-11-15

UnlteQ states as
a member OF a Giraud naval mission,
TO piece together the details of what
was perhaps one Of the most mirac-
ulous escapes or the war,
AS the American and British con
voy sailed into Casablanca to make
the landing that memorable morn
ing, all of the Vichy French naval
vessels supposed TO be defending the
harbor were under orders to fire on
any United Nations ships which
should attempt to force an entrance
or O landing. The French subma-
rine commander had his pig boat in
excellent position TO defend his
base. He Gid not have TO give away
! his position by moving, Here came
I the convoy, straight at him. All
he had to do was wait TIL the ships
came within range, then let go. The
French commander picked out the
cruiser as his first victim, waited
patiently, then gave orders to fire
six torpedoes at the supposedly un-
suspecting American ship. Miracul-
ously, every torpedo missed.
MYSTERY OF SIXTH TORPEDO
After Casablanca, of course, Adj
miral Darlan turned over the French
fleet in African waters and his forces
| became allies of the United Nations,
The commander of the French sub
which had fired at the U, S. cruiser
became supporter of the Free
French and In time was sent to the
United Sttaes as part of naval
mission from he headquarters of
General Giraud, who had succeeded
Darlan.
When the French sub commander
got to Philadelphia on his tour OF
inspection, one of the officers who
received him was Capt. Humbert w.
Zlroli, then In command of the U.
S. cruiser. Filled with curiosity, the
French sub commander asked how 1t
was that every one Of his torpedoes
had missed. Ziroll himself didn't
know. He had not been on board
the ship during this action, but his
executive officer had been in COM
mand of the cruiser and, from the
ships log, II might be possible to
piece out the details.
The log was duly consulted. Yes,
there was the record. Nov. 8, 1912,
But six torpedoes? The log showed
that there had been only five. All
had gone by the cruisers side and
had been spotted by the cruisers
watchers.
The French sub commander con-
fessed. Yes, there had been only
five. The sixth had stuck In the tube.
But still, why did all five of the
torpedoes missp
WELL-TIMED HUNCH
Then the executive officer remem-
bered. The cruiser had been adj
vancing on a straight course, just
as the French sub commander had
described. The log showed that.
But at the precise moment when
the French officer must have been
giving his command to launch the
torpedoes ut the U. s. cruiser, then
broadside TO the sub, Commander F.
G. Lane, the navigating officer, had
called to the shippers attention the
fact that their ship had been on
this set course for some little time,
and suggested that the course be
changed.
The executive officer gave his as
sent, and ordered the course changed
20 degrees AS the cruiser swung
around, the torpedoes from the
French sub were speeding toward
the spot where their target would
have been. AS the change in course
was completed, the five torpedoes
SKINNED harmlessly past.
A split seconds difference in the
timing OF the ships change of course
might have meant that the U. S.
Navy would today have one less
cruiser afioat. The French and the
American officers, allies now, toasted
that lucky change of course, and
the hundreds OF lives 1t unquestion-
ably saved.