Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1946-05-23
Loss of Cruiser
One of Greatest
Dramas of War
Narrowing Experiences of
Survivors and Epic
Story of the Sea.

WASHINGTON. One Of the great
est dramas Of the Wharf.-The loss Of
the light cruiser Juneau and the
narrowing experiences Of her 10 sur
vivors-has been pieced together
from scattered sources.
The Juneau had been In service
just eight months when she was
mortally wounded in her second
major action in the battle Of Quad
alcanal. which marked the end Of
Jap aggression to the south.
Badly crippled by torpedo, the
Juneau was forced to retire from
the action. Later the same day.
November 49, 1912. she was again
torpedoed. She sank within min
ute. Among the victims were the
Ave Sullivan brothers. Waterloo,
Iowa
When the water Gained after the
ship went under, the small group
Of survivors huddled on and around
life RATS, life boats and debris.
A grim night followed, during
which several Of the group died. The
next day a shark ripped the skin of
one mans hand. says the Associat-
ed Press.
Swims Amidst Sharks.
That day plane dropped an un.
inflated rubber raft about 200 yards
away. Despite the sharks Signal
man lie Joseph P F. Hartney. New
Britain. Conn. decided to swim for
1t.
He reached the raft, inflated II
and padded back. He had an idea
that land was about SIS miles away.
After receiving permission from one
of the injured officers, he decided
to make try for 1t. James Fitz-
gerald. Seaman lie Of Manchester,
Conn. volunteered to go with him.
1t. C.g) Charles Wang Of Phila-
delphia, torpedo officer OF the Jul
neau, was badly hurt. Hartney and
Fitzgerald put him aboard their
craft and padded away,
They had neither food nor water
They padded until exhausted, rest
ed. and then padded some more.
They fished for food, using Lieu
tenant Wang's shoelaces for line
and his collar pin for hook. They
caught rain water in the bailing bag
On the third day they spotted
planes, which turned out to be Jap
anese. They fell fiat on the raft and
escaped detection,
On the same day they saw a low
haze in the distance, and knew land
was there. They were sure II was
San Cristobal island. at the lower
end of the Solomons..
Sights Navy Patrol.
Then, on November 20, came bit.
ter disappointment. They sighted
ply navy patrol bomber and sig
nailed it with the bright blade Of the
aluminium paddle. The ply pilot
saw them, but before he could come
in close, a squat plotted them out.
A terrific storm followed. For nine
hours the men had all they could do
to keep aHoat. When the weather
cleared they we're within sight OF
San Cristobal.
Early the morning Of November
81 they grounded on coral reef.
They found friendly natives who fed
them and got word to white trader
on a nearby island who sent boat
for them. On the traders island,
they signaled a passing patrol plane
which picked them up.
A rescne party was sent after
those who had stayed behind. But
1t never reached them. Seven OF
them finally we're saved.
Gunner's Mate Allan c. Heyn Of
Washington, the sole survivor OF q
group Of IL who became separated
from the others, told how his com
panlons, crazed by the ordeal, fell
or dived from their raft to be killed
by circling sharks.