Evening star., 1945-08-30

lCc hutIllTdl NJ CIllCdTd 1OZuKa
Sc. formally surr enders his COM
of staff. and Rear Admiral OscaI
HoIsey Used ?
As Boit-for Jap
Ey the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Aug. 3O-The l3,.
0O0-mile odyssey of two wounded
ships, the new heavy American
cruisers Houston and Canberra, wa!
made public today by the Navy il
a proud account of a series of night
battles last October in the Pacific
which cost the two ships the lives
of 78 crew members.
The Houston and Canberra
blasted by japanese torpedoes il
an engagement off the Island oil
FormoSa, were used by Admira
William F. Halsey as bait in tire.
mendous hoax which nearly lurec
the Imperial japanese fleet to de-
Struction by the American Sd Fleet
CThe Houston was named after
the old USS Houston. which has
been listed by the Navy as over
due and presumed lost" since
February %, 1912, when she met
an enemy naval force in the
Netherlands East Indies waters
and never was heard from again
An officer of the Office of Strate-
gic Services announced Tuesday
in Washington that approximate
ly 300 survivors OF the old HouS-
ton had been loca ted at a Japa-
neSe prison camp IN Thailand
'Air evacuation of prisoners of
war in Thailand, including many
Of the Houston survivors, began
yesterday. They were to be taken
to Calcutta.
tThe Canberra bears the name
Of an Australian cruiser sunk dur
ing surprise japanese attack
near Savo Island, off Guadalca-
nal. on the night of August 8,
1912. 1t Is the first United States
naval vessel honoring a foreign
city. in this case the capital of
Australia)
Both cruisers, which had gambleG
and won against the enemy and the
sea, limped half way around the
world to haven at East Coast ports
1t was a striking parallel to the fea,
of the light cruiser Marblehead
which also made 13000-mile trip
to safety in the United States after
1t had been bombed by the Japs il
1912.
Censorship Lifted.
Not until today did the Navy lifr
censorship restrictions to permit
publication of the story. although
Navy officials took reporters aboare
the Houston last April at The
Brooklyn Navy Yard to view the
agony of fire and twisted stee
which the ship endured and to heal
from her skipper. Capt. William II
BehrenS. stories of heroism anC
dogged determination by members
of the crew.
Capt. Behrens makes his home al
1906 Arlington Ridge road, Arling
ton, Va.
The Canberra is being repaired
at the Boston Navy Yard; repairs tC
the Houston have been completed
Damage to the two cruisers caused
Tokyo Rose" and other radio COM
mentators to announce to a jubi-
liant Jap public that most of the
Sd Fleet had been sunk. Hoping
that Jap admirals might believe
their own radio and try to finish
of the cripples, Admiral Halsey
ordered the Houston and Canberra
to maintain course in Jap waters
The ruse nearly worked Out
came the Jap fleet, but when less
than 200 miles from the bait-and
an equal distance from Admiral
HalseyS main force-the japanese
fleet turned tail and ran for the
cover of Japan.
The Canberra was hit first. 1t
was participating in mission
against the FormoSa naval base on
October 81 when seven Jap planes
roared from an overcast to attack
the American force. Ali were shot
down-but not until one had put a
torpedo in the Canberra.
A ball of flame shot mast high
FireroomS ana engine rooms and
4 were flooded, killing % men, and
the ship went dead in the water
The skipper of the Canberra, Capt
Alexander r. Early of 3705 Military
road NV, Washington, D. c., had
his ship taken in tow by the U. S. S
Wichita, and the stricken cruiser
began the long withdrawal which
finally brought it to Boston.
About 40 men received burns or
other injuries in the explosion; 20
were hurt seriously.
Meanwhile the Houston took the
Canberra's place in the fight. On
October IA, IA torpedo planes en-
gagged the task force under cover of
black, moonless night. Three of
four planes which attacked the
Houston were shot down by the
ships gunners-more than so in all
were ,downed by American ships
but torpedo tore into the Houston S
rudder.
Then began salvage operation
never before accomplished in naval
history: The saving of a ship in
which the decks and longitudinals
had begun to buckle.
When the torpedo hit, power
failed. Deck armor was ruptured
Several thousand tons of water cas-
caded into the ship, pouring down
escape scuttles in the center section
as the crew came up from below.
The ship was in danger of cap
sizing or breaking in half.
That night 5000 tons of water
poured into the Houston. Capt
Behrens said later: II thought we d
lose her that first night. To saw I