Evening star., 1943-06-24


There's nothing like EN-"
He said that after six war pa
trols-the first begun at 6 pm. De-
cember 8. 1941, from Manila Bay
he was offered shore job. He re-
fused, with thanks but speed.
A shore job might have meant re-
union with his wife and daughter
Jeannette, but even that was not
enough to induce him up from the
depths.
Left Airplane Job.
Ensign H. A. Montgomery, "a, of
Newark, Ohio. came to submersibles
from-of all places-airplanes. Un-
til year ago he was civilian chief
of B-24 bomber ground crew at
Chanute Field in Illinois. Then he
decided to go underSea.
Ensign Ray E. Stewart, "a, of St.
Petersburg, Fla, was graduated from
the University of Florida, then man.
aged dairy at Norwich, N. Y, be-
fore coming into submarines seven
months ago.
Other officers on the ship in
of Chicago, gunnery and torpedo
officer; his assistant, 1t. q. g. John
NJ Barrett, %, of Les Angeles and
formerly of Oak Park, ILL.,, and 1t.
q. g. Jack J. Hinchey, "a, Omaha,
engineer and diving officer.
All came into submarines because
they thought they'd like the life and
excitement. No one mentioned the
SO per cent extra pay their skipper
gave as a probable lure.
Of all the ships personnel. 1t
Comdr. Ovid McMaster Mack But
Ter, %, of Washington, D. c., the
executive officer and navigator, said
he didn't exactly volunteer.
Il was on destroyer one day and
my orders came through to go to a
submarine school, so I went and
here I am. They had said they
needed submarine men and I said I
was willing, so they picked me-
Glad He Made Change.
But he's glad he made the change
and so is Comdr. Ross, who has rec
commended him for medal and ex-
poets him to be commanding a sub
marine of his own one of these days.
Comdr. Butler, who has wife and
daughter. Mary Elizabeth, months
old, in San Diego, found the Aleu-
tianS "a pretty nasty place to operate
but not too bad. We didn't run into
much except lot of whales. They
scare you to death-they look like a
periScope at night
Crew member Albert Smallcomb.
10. of Buffalo, N Y, came into the
service two years ago by accident. Il
wanted diesel motors and had to
come to submarines to get them.
But I wouldn't trade with nobody" ="
he said.
Torpedoman First Glass Andrew
Dawson, %, of Norwich, N. Y, gets
his biggest thrills from hearing his
Tin Fish" explode against Jap
eneSe ships. That's one reason he
wouldn't go onto surface ships.
There are % japanese rising suns
painted on the torpedo tutes-each
representing a hit on a japanese
ship. This sub has an exceptionally
good craftsmanship record The %
torpedoes accounted for 10 ships
sunk or damaged.
n o. Thomas From a little town
up in Washington" came to the ship
from an old S-type submarine.
Boy, she looked like a hotel be-
side that old S-boat," he said. Il
had a chance TO 60 back to her.
That meant six weeks leave in the
States, but no thanks, like it here
too we'll"
The sub was clean and bright,
the air fresh, the hunks looked COM
Portable and the food was delicious
We've had steaks for breakfast .
Lake volunteered. I'VE could have
three times a day if we wouldn't get
tired Of them"
There's an easy camaradery among
submarlnerS.
Enjoy Listening to Radio.
There is discipline, have no de-
lusions as to that, but men don't
live SO closely SO long without get
ting well acquainted.
And there's a radio, on which they
listen to Toxic Rose and Moscow
Mary and japanese propaganda
broadcaSts when they're in Nip
ponese waters
There's scme guy, I forget his
name, who always opens his pro-
grams Hello, America, you build em,
we sink en-" the captain said. 1--WE
get big kick out of that-then go
sink another Jap.
"One night we heard United States
prisoners singing a South American
song"
Skipper Ross was born in Alaska
and went to Kemper Military Acad-
emy at Goonville, Mo-, before he de-
cided on Annapolis and navy life
Comdr. Ross had year on the
battleship wyoming before he turn
ed to submarines.
He has wife and son, Philip
H., jr., in Annapolis. He said his
wife-none of the inducements he
lists as Turing others into subma-
rines-sent him into submersibles.
She wouldn't let me 60 into avia-
ton"