Evening star., 1943-02-15

message warned 6f submarines dead
ahead. We changed course abrupt
ly, almost 80 degrees, and maneuv-
cred carefully for several hundred
miles. Some IS hours later we re-
turned to a direct course without
having seen trace of the enemy.
Up on the bridge a gunnery officer
read special significance into this
side-stepping.
1T is very gratifying to the men
on this ship adrift from France" :"
he commented, Ito realize that Off
GERS in Washington are studying
charts and plotting our course
carefully steering us around danger
Gus places"
The storm struck on February 8.
hundreds Of tons Of water crashing
across the bow and damaging the
foc'sle. At the stern. where tenn
porary hull had been built over a
4O-foot rent caused by a British
torpedo, great timbers were used to
bulwark buckled steel plates. The
crippled ship, operating also with
but three of her four propellers
banged and shuddered in the tumul-
tuous seas for "a hours, but she rode
out the ordeal without material
harm.
Destroyers Out of Sight.
The escorting destroyers mean
while virtually disappeared into the
waves, provoking the liaison officer,
1t. y. g. T. B. Moreland Porter. jr ..
of Erie, Pa, to wonder out loud, IF
those boys over there shouldn't be
getting submarine pay"
Fog closed tight about the ship on
| the final day of the voyage and
Capt. Deramond. hesitant about en-
| tering mined waters under such
conditions, twice ordered the an
chors lowered. Twice before the
order could be carried out one of
the destroyers cut across the bow out
OF the thick haze to lead the way
into port. And before the harbor
was reached a big friendly blimp
sauntered down from nowhere to
say Hello" and offer a helping
hand.
Half of the battleship's crew oc-
cupied battle stations during the
entire trip, high spirited and anxious
for action Eighty per cent were
old timers. tested previously in bat
tie, but only few had been to sea
| before on the Richelieu. Those as
signed to the four and six inch
armament practiced daily, and the
| crore ~ tho 1Sirrh o,,pe dayot q 4
two entire afternoons to loading
drills.
For job we'll done they received
a personal word of appreciation
from Admiral Fenard who came
aboard the ship at New York before
she had docked
Il was anxious to come aboard the
Richelieu as soon as she arrived in
New York" he said. TO express my
satisfaction to her officers and crew
Thanks to their skill and to their
devotion, the Richelieu has sue
ceeded in accomplishing a dificult
crossing which does the utmost
honor to all"
Headed Cardinal Convoy"
The Richelieu and the escort YES
sci went into Navy records as the
Cardinal Convoy" at the start OF
the voyage. memorialiZing hel
namesake. the 17th century Cardinal
who laid the foundation for Frances
sea power. Symbolically the trip
put the French Navy on the ascent
once again, turning page on the
two years of suspended animation
in which it sought to retain inde-
pendence of the Axis and Allies
alike.
The Richelieu had been at Dakar
since June, 1910. having sailed there
uncompleted from Brest a day be-
fore the German Army entered
the city. A few weeks after her
arrival, British forces sought to
knock her out. and succeeded in
scoring the torpedo hit Striking
astern on the starboard side, it
smashed a propeller shaft, bent the
keel, blasted the great hole in the
hull. and flooded nearly one-fifth
Of, the ship.
A Golfer dam had been f1oated
under her and repairs just begun
when British and Free French
forces launched their attack of Sep
tember, 1910, on Dakar In re-
pelling this assault the Richelieu
lost the use of some of her guns
and suffered damage to her super
structure.
The men now aboard believe that
ability to absorb this punishment,
remain at anchor two years in trop-
ical waters and then ride out
severe gale in crossing the Atlantic
with but temporary repairs, are
fair indicatio of her worthiness
I'D Eot