Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-02-09
Submarine
Continued From First Page.)

the name Mush has stuck with me
since" said Skipper Morton. And
my real action started of Musha
Island. New Guinea, so we called it
Mush Harbor.
Harbor Not on Charts.
"A few weeks after leaving our
base We we're looking for Wewak
Harbor and couldn't find 1t on our
charts but one OF the crew dug up
25-cent atlas which had it and we
made q chart from it. We thought
it was Wewak Harbor but 1t proved
to be Finger Bay Musha Island We
discovered ship deep in the narrow
harbor. We approached submerged
and found it to be destroyer, ap-
parently taking on water and an
chored.
lMusha. or Mushu. Island lies
some Is miles OF the coast of
Northeastern New Guinea almost
directly north of the mainland
port of Wewak. 1t is approx
imately 300 miles northwest of
the Japanese positions at Lac
Salamau and about $50 miles
southeast Of the Dutch New
Guinea Northeast New Guinea
border)
AS We were moving into range it
lifted anchor and came out but in
stead OF heading our way it turned
south. We sent four torpedoes after
it. They missed. 1t was the first
evidence that the destroyer knew
we were there when it saw the tor
pedoes coming. and the destroyer
came charging after us at 20 knots.
When within 800 yards I loosed
the last Immediately available tor
pedo and we were headed for each
other. At 500 yards it smacked
amidships and the explosion was so
terrific we did not know but what
We had been hit The destroyer
broke in two Japs we're all over
it, in the yardarms, on gun mounts.
and on masts, ell white-clothed
lookouts. Although disabled and
cut in two. with the bow sinking, 1t
fired on us and we hightailed it out.
Helped Stranded Fishermen.
This was January "a. The next
day We intercepted Malay fish,
ing boat with six Malayans aboard
becalmed and we gave them water
and rations It was funny sight.
crew member handing over a loaf
OF bread with one hand and with a
tommygun in the other. We had to
be sure they were not hostile.
The next day, January rs, we
met convoy Of four japanese
ships. These were headed. We be-
lieve, for Wewak. We found them
about 240 miles north Of Wewak
Early in the morning we contacted
them and chased them until noon.
Then We torpedoed the leading
freighter and the second ship, a
transport. Both were of about 1000
tons. We destroyed both and Grip
pied third ship which started
away. The transport was fully
loaded with troops We figured
there were at least 1900 aboard but
later we're led to believe there must
have been 5000 Jap troops. After
the torpedoing the ships engaged in
battle with US but we destroyed
! them.
In fact, it was a 14-hour battle
! that day before we finished the
convoy. After finishing the first
/ two we chased the third and about
! sunset caught it and destroyed it.
/ At 8 o'clock that night we caught
the fourth ship, tanker, and sent
it to the bottom,
The destruction of the transport
was the most spectacular Executive
Omcer OKane was at the periscope
and he can tell you about it."
Spectacular Explosion.
We'll. We knocked the stern of
the first freighter." 1t. O'Kane said.
THE transport destruction was an
indescribably spectacular explosion
The whole midships went up so high
I had to elevate the periscope to see
it all. Davits boats and debris went
into the air"
Comdr Morton resumed:
The next day. the 9th. we ran
into another convoy of six ships
which We believe were bound for
Rabaul, New Britain. We had no
torpedoes left. but went after them
with surface gun attack 1t was
| 10 o'clock IN the morning. The ships