Evening star., 1943-11-10
Luftwoffe Made 22 Attacks
On Gen. CIork|s Ship at SoIerno

filled with petrol tins, was hit. It
burned brightly until almost mid
night, making an ideal beacon for
relays of German bombers. To this
nature had added a moon approach
ing the full and the Luftwaffe a
lavish display of parachute flares.
Six Bombs Within IS Yards.
just before mess call, six bombs
had dropped within 75-yard radius
around the ship. Almost as terrify-
ing was the roar Of our antiaircraft
guns; their recoil sent tremors
through the ship Out on deck the
rain of splinters from our own and
nearby ack-ack guns made fresh air
rather risky luxury. Inside. the
heat was sitting. All safety doors
were secured; the ventilation system
was cut off because the intake of
what should have been fresh air
sucked the smoke of battle into the
ship.
We perspired and waited. Some
times we went on deck, f1attening
ourselves against the nearest wall.
The sky made grotesoue panorama
of fire, flares and tracer. Etched
against the eerie light ] could make
out the figures of the crew passing
ammunition along a human chain
Then inside again, We paced up
and down the wardroom. 1t. Col.
Vincent Sheean muttered as he
passed me, Il don't like this I don't
like it one bit Sometimes near
miss shook the ship with such fury
we thought we were hit. A bridge
officer came in for a swallow of
coffee, just AS a tremendous crash
sent vicious tremor through the
ship. I asked him if we'd been hit.
Don't worry, buddy" he said.
When we're hit, you won't have to
ask"
Climax Nears.
LuftWaffe attacks on shipping and
the beach area gained greater in
tenslty during Friday afternoon and
night. The enemy was losing sub
stantial numbers of planes-five to
eight on every attack involving 80
or more planes-hlt the manner in
which their pilots came diving
through our fighter screen drew
praise even from their intended vic
Tins.
On Saturday climax was reached
in the Luftwaffe's attempt to carry
through its assigned task in the
German ground plan. From first
light enemy bombers broke through
every hour. as though they were
punching a time clock in the clouds.
Shortly after 9 am, when ack-
ack guns were barking all over our
section of the bay, crash was
heard which by its immensitv in
vested all other noise with a muf-
fed quality.
She's been hit" shouted sailor.
pointing.
About $50 yards off our bow I
saw an American ship take a sud
den list to starboard. Figures darted
quickly about her forward deck. I
trained my field glasses on her. The
crumbled barrel of a gun lay close
to blackened smoking hole In the
deck.
Ammunition Explodes.
A British monitor steamed close
to the stricken ship as though to
support her. The latter's list was
now more pronounced and her bow
was down. But she was moving
under her own power Together the
two ships steamed across our bows.
slowly, ever so slowly. All eyes were
trained on them. Suddenly billoW
of greenish yellow smoke belched
from the deck of the wounded ship.
Ammunition had exploded But the
gallant vessel kept moving, the
monitor by her side.
Late on that flaming SATURDAY.
afternoon the Ancon's radio room
reported the interception of an i'm
portant enemy message. MANY
enemy messages were intercepted
that afternoon.
But this one message was too
~[n~~f219l~Z