Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-05-11
CHAPTER 30.

During those memorable Novem-
Der days and nights spotted bloodily
by hours and half-hours in which
thousands of men died Henderson
Field buzZed and SWarmed with
activity. ReinfOrcements came from
everywhere and for everybody, for
the Army, the Navy and the ma
rines, and even the inveterate crap
shooters on Gaudalcanal got rein
forcements. The land forces had
very little to do in the battle and
the influx Of fresh money and new
talent combined with the unusual
amount of leisure time available
stirred the sporting fraternity as
they had not been stirred since
August Z.
In the middle of the battle, Tor
pedo 8 got the news hat its long
awaited relieving squadron vas on
the way But, in the meantime, it
still had some loose ends to pick IN,
A Jap battleship crippled by cruis-
ers the night before, lay smoking
and houndering within sight of
Henderson Field.
That was November 10. Friday.
and a little after noon. Larsen,
EVarts, Divine and EnGel Joined by
TWO marine planes went I'D to hut
some torpedoes into it. The nrob-
lem was comparatively simple. Al
though five deStroyers were guard
Ing the battleship, there was good
cloud cover near it. But Swede was
not the man to take chances. not
on a Friday the 18th on what
was likely to be his last attack
mission before going home. So, be-
fore taking off. he synchronized
watches with Maj. Joe Sailer who
was leading dive bombers against
the ship.
The writer saw Swede 90 off on
that attack and saw him come back
few moments later and then took
his picture. SWede was carving
his gear when he left. His hair
was freshly brushed and he was
freshly shaved. as a man should
be when he starts off to work. He
was smiling. too. The news of the
battle was all good The Navy re-
Inducements that had come in in
Guided many old friends of his and
there was so much gossip back and
forth about what so-and-so was
DONG and what so-and-so had told
the commander that a man had
no time to think of what lay ahead
OF MN when he got into the air.
Swede Smiles on Return.
SWede was smiling, too. when he
got back. His hair was only little
rumpled where his helmet had sat
and he seemed eager as he came
up the hill to the ready tent. He
said he was eager to hear more Cos
sip. The chances are against that
being exactly true. Young men are
resilient and recover very RAPIDLY
from the shocks of battle. But thev
are not that resilient They do not
have rubber bands for hearts.
And for a second there. when he
vas very close to the battleship il
looked to SWede as if he were rot
going to live to get his leave. The
approach to the target had been
planned perfectly. When Swede
get into the cloud he had picked
IS his snringboard for the q assault
he heard Joe talking to him.
Mark one said Joe, and Swede
lolterine. held his wrist watch IN
tefore him, Mark two. Mark three
Mark four, and and and
60! Then Joe went and Swede
went, their formation following on
behind.
A Jap gunner got a bead on
sWede. SWede knew it. but he
oldnt panic. He remembered the
Jap torpedo planes of the dav be-
lore. He saw Joe's plane diving and
thought, this was split-hair stuff
TINS was walking tight rope on
split hair, and kept throwing his
plane around, linking and cork
screWlng. That Jap gunner wouldn't
get of him. He followed Swede's
every move and SWede knew that
When he leveled off to drop his
torpedo and gave the man steady
target, 1t was going to be bad
business.
Perfect Timing.
But what had to be had to he
and SWede leveled off at the time
he had planned to and at the time
he had figured on with Joe and
cropped his torpedo. Then nothing
happened. SWede got awav, as
did all the others and Joe and the
dive bombers, too. An officer. f7ving
over the scene as an observer in
scout plane, reported that Joe's
l.OOO-pound bomb had hit the bat
tleshlp amidships a few seconds
before Swede's torpedo had hit it.
there. The torpedo had gone in
right under where the bomb had hit
Which meant that Joe's bomb had
wiped out the gunner who had
been about to get SWede.
When Joe and Swede heard this
they said, We'll. why not? We've
got very good watches"
The last day Torpedo 8 spent on