The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1943-11-04


cruiser HELENA. AS the HELENA
is admitted to have been one of the
"fightingest" ships ever on the ros-
ter of the American Navy, the peo-
pie of Montana and other readers
of this newspaper will be interested
III the detailed account of this noble
ships action in the service of our
country. The story follows in two
installments. the first one this week,
the concluding installment next
week.
THE STORY OF THE U. s s.
HELENA
Snatched from the sea and the
steaming Jap-infested South Pacific
jungle, nearly 1000 men of the
lost II. S. S. Helena today stand
fit and ready to fight again.
The story of their rescue by de-
stroyers after their ship went down
fighting to the end in Kula Gulf
July T. 1943, which has been told
in part, like the history of the
Helena herself, will live always
as an inspiration to new genera
tons OF American sea-fighters
Perhaps a new Helena will join
the fleet to avenge her namesake-
but the new ship will have to step
lively to be worthy of the traditions
Of the old one which, in her brief,
hell-roaring life, fought in ID en-
gagements in the Southwest Pacific
before Jap hits sent her to the bot
tom at the close of brilliant Amer
rtrfN at
Nip warships turned into flame
swept, sinking wrecks and five 9TH
ers badly battered.
On that fateful early morning
when Captain Charles P. Cecil, u.
S. NJ, of Flat Rock, NJ G., reluctant
Nv ordered Abandon ship, his bat
tle-begrinned crew began a new
fight-this time agailst the oil
coated sea and the ever-present per-
il of capture, or of strafing enemy
planes, for the battle took place
deep in Jap-controlled waters.
At the same time there was ended
the imperishable saga of the Helena,
one of the "fightingest" memo war
that ever secured the seas in con-
formity with the stirring order to
Seek out and destroy the enemy"
The Helena 's7War record discloses
that she turned the terrific punch of
her batteries upon Lunga, Koli and
Kokumbona Points on Guadalcanal
Island, and on Villa, Munda, Kolom-
bangara, Enogia Inlet and Bairoko
Harbor in the New Georgia group,
blasting enemy airfields, gun posi-
tons and troop areas alike; that
she participated in two of the most
fiercely-fought surface actions in
the Southwest Pacific and came out
of them with but minor material
damage and the loss of only one
man, and that when not Wreaking
death and destruction upon the en-
envy, she was busy escorting troops
and supply ships and aircraft car
riers bearing men, planes, tanks and
other implements of war to estab
1ish or reinforce the South Pacific
bases from which the United States
has carried the fight to the Japan
ese.
On one occasion, japanese propa
gandists unWittingly complimented
the Helena's gun crews. Following
a bombardment of Kolombangara,
the Tokyo radio announced that
United States Naval forces employed
"a new secret Weapon-a 6-inch
machine gun" 1t was a Well-de
served tribute to the proficiency of
the personnel manning the Helena's
guns.
Commissioned at the New York
Yard on September Is, 1885, the
Helena was on her shakedown
cruise under the command of Cap |
tain Max B. DeMott, U. S. ~, of
Jamestown, R. l., now retired, when |
she had her first sight of the vio-
lence of naval warfare.
Putting in at Montevideo, IRA
quay, the Helena passed close
abroad the German pocket battle
ship Graf Spec, which her crew had
scuttled rather than face the British |
Royal Navy units which had dam
aged and chased the Graf Spec into
Montevideo and then stood or the
harbor awaiting her temperance.
A portion of the Graf Specs super
structure, jutting above the water, /
marked the spot where the ship /
had gone down.
The Helena was at Pearl Harbor
when the Japanese struck on De-
cember 7, 1941 Her antiaircraft /
batteries opened with roar and
during the raid six enemy planes
were doWned by her guns
The Helena was hit, but tempo
rary repairs were made to the ship, /
and she was sent to the Mare
Island, Calf, Navy Yard for per
manent repairs.
During the time she was out of
action the Helena underwent three
changes in command. The late Read
Admiral Robert H. English, u. S. NJ,
e MYael, .ru4nr, n q rrtha I'D r.