Evening star., 1943-08-09
,,Axis Hospital Ship
3tYmies PT Boats
Watching for Conveys
BY THOMAS r. HENRY,
Star Staff Correspondent.


{ ABOARD UNITED STATES P, T
sBOAT, Among Lipari Islands. Aug
IS Delayed Picture a stage Sc
suspended under the stars over tht
Gulf Of Milazzo in the smoky dark.
ness of the Mediterranean mid.
night--a titanic Christmas tree Of
orange lights glittering against the
icicles blown by the cosmic wind.
Balls of fire now and then burst
into branches-all is beautiful anC
serene. Suddenly a white ship OF
light appears on the surface of the
sea below, with red lights on the
side which seem to form bleeding
heart. In reality they probably
make uD red cross.
The great Christmas tree is in
reality composed of suspended flares
dropped by Allied aircraft lowering
over the Gulf of Milazzo. They sit
in the sky and watch for German
troop carriers bringing new troops
from italy to Sicily through the port
Of Bilazzo in the Crooked Finger
Cape just east of Messina.
This part of the area is believed
| to be used often since the dock in
Oscillations of Messina itself were de-
astroyed.
: Watch for Convoys.
: A little group of PIT boats has
job to do tonight. They are to
watch for and spot a convoy ex-
tpected to turn up during the long
.evening hours. Their orders are to
ldestroy the convoy or report its po
isition.
I They disgustedly turn away north
ward when the ship of light appears,
shaving been foiled either by unfor-
.tunate accident or by design. The
EPT crews call this particular ship
t'Dirty Gertie" 1t is a German or
italian hospital ship. Every night
fshe appears moving slowly north
FEAST from MilaZzo - probably on
..quite a legitimate errand, such as
tevacuating Axis wounded.
{ Queerly, however. this ship al
ways happen to get in the way of
sthe PIT boats searching for their
prey. The convoy hasn't been spotted
yet, but. the PTS don't approach any
closer. They are leaning over back
ward to respect international con-
vention on hospital craft, and un-
ehappily they turn, then speed home
through the sea like wingless sea-
planes. seeming always in the act of
taking off from the water.
Pass Erupting Volcano.
Now that the disappointment has
worn off bit they begin keeping
sharp lookout, speeding through the
Lipari Straits, looking for what
game may be abroad. It's dull
night for the Mediterranean though.
The only excitement comes when we
pass the erupting volcano Stromboli,
Form 20 miles at sea it looks much
like another Christmas tree floating
in the air, but with red instead of
orange lights.
From a closer range it is like a
suspended ball of red fire. affording
almost nightly entertainment.
The PIT crews had started out just
before sunset on an all-night peril
Gus mission as a part of the joint
Army Air ,Force-Navy effort to stop
Axis reinforcements from reaching
Sicily. Precise coordination is i'm
possible, so PIT crews must look out
not only for enemy ships and air
craft, but must dodge flares from
our own planes which, in the dark
ness, cannot tell them from enemy
landing boats. Every night the boys
on the PIT boats have a new adven-
ture under the August sickle moon
as they leave behind. the red islands
of sunset in the purple dusk and go
out into the Mediterranean haze.