Evening star., 1944-10-29

| forward ana DelOW the SnlpS lSlanQ
structure. When the ack-ack firing
began fthe flyers dispersed but 1--WE
had no idea of its seriousness. |"
Smoke already was beginning to fill
the wardroom and Goodrich saw his
first casualties-men badly burned.
In a communications Office under
the flight deck 1t. Charles Avery,
AZ, Terrebonne, Greg, veteran of
"a years with the Navy, felt slight
jar and thought plane had
crashed while landing.
No Worry at First.
mo one was particularly worried
until 20 minutes later" he said,
when smoke started eeming into
the passageway. 1t got thicker
We put on gas masks.
Il was so feet away when a big
explosion tore away the elevator,
or part of the flight deck, but I don't
remember any conclusion and was
not hurt. After the second explo-
sion farther aft word was passed
to put lines over the side"
Frederick A. Plath, 20, McAllen,
Tex, chief commissary steward, was
in the provision issue room, about
amidship on the starboard side of
the second deck.
He was reading "The Last Flight
of Butch OHare," magazine &C
count of the exploits of the Navy
flying hero. Plath had just pre-
pared the lunch menu. The enlisted
men were going to have asparagus
tips, mashed potatoes, boiled red
beans, chile and mince pie.
240 Pies Baked.
I'VE baked 240 pies the night be-
fore" the tatooed Texan related
Il remember We baked 400 mince
pies on the Hornet the night before
she was sunk, two years ago today.
Il had taken off my flash-proof
clothing just before the explosion.
The pay clerk hit the deck in front
of me. An ash tray fell off the
deck. The light bulbs smashed.
Some one in the galley yelled help.
After the second explosion on
the hangar deck the smoke was so
thick a f1ashlight was no help at
ALL"
The bomb hit overhead, aft the
engine room Chief Machinist's
Mate Leo j. Soboad, jr., 27, Balti-
more, who survived the September
Is, 1912, sinking of the Wasp, was
in forward part of the ship. In
five minutes he couldn't see in front
of him.
| The smoke became unbearable-
so bad that the crew was granted
permission to leave the engine room
No Hysteria.
On the way up a short, wavy-
haired chief noticed a man who
had lost a good part of his face.
But nobody was hysterical.
Plath feF his way around bulk
head and an ensign told him to go
forward From the catwalk Avery
climbed to the forward part of the
flight deck and saw pharmacist
mates working over several
wounded.
Ensign Goodrich, who had gone
to the side of 1t. Ralph S. Taylor
Kerns, w. Va, after the bombing,
started to help a fellow flyer who
received an injured leg in aerial
combat. Ensign Goodrich himself
had a plaster cast on his head to
support a brace on his nose, which
had been broken in a sports acci-
dent
Zilligen saw two fighter planes
being showed off the deck to pre-
vent further fires.
Mulgrew got hallway down the
hangar deck but found it 'an in
ferno."
| Zeiders was forced to leave the
enlisted mems ready room when
the temperature there topped 120
degrees. He threw gun clips over
side from gun mount.
All seven made their way to the
foc'sle. Word spread to abandon
ship. One by one they slid down
| lines or anchor chains into the wa
ter. where some remained as long
as four hours.
Destroyer Comes Alongside.