The Union County journal. [volume] (Marysville, Ohio) 1875-1951, 1946-04-18

bergs. BY the end of the first week
we had reached the operating area
in Davis Strait between Green
land and the Baffin Islands.
AS we hunted out storms and
rough weather and headed into it,
the ships were ice-covered most of
the time due to the sea spray and
sleet. The carrier had several
snow plows on board to clear her
flight deck of ice and snow during
heavy weather.
When we sighted the first ice
berg, we broke formation and filed
around il to get a better look. The
other cans fired a few times at it
but didn't "sink" it.
A good many times it was too
rough to eat or sleep and as we
couldn't control trays of food, sand
wiches were distributed among the
crew.
The task force was not allowed
to steam into the Arctic so we
didn't go beyond four degrees OF
the Circle.
Church services were carried on
each Sunday by different members
of the crew. This was done under
very difficult conditions as any
can" sailor will agree.
The destroyer Ware" left on
the eleventh for Newfoundland to
get mail for the group. The tanker
"Allegash" alias Dragon Lady"
caught up with us the sixteenth
and had mail aboard for all hands.
1t was February's mail but still
interesting. We refueled from her
the same day but it was so rough
we slammed into her broadside to
broadside and ripped couple of
dozen rivetS out of one OF our
seams. She refueled two at a time,
the carrier on one side all OF the
time as she was so big it took ten
hours to fill her. Each can in sue
eession filled on the other side.
In a drill one forenoon, just to
show you how we're doing, the
carrier dropped one of the rescue
baskets 1000 yards ahead of us and
told US to retrieve it. The Stormes
pulled alongside and our Chief
Bosun's mate just whirled a grapp-
ling hook around mis- head q few
times and grabbed it. The basket
was on board in less than eight
minutes after it was dropped and
the Stormes received a That was
snappy work back there, from
Admiral Cassidy.
On the eighteenth the Ware
caught up with the group and had
some later mail, which was really
welcome.
The ships investigated some ice
fields, shortly after the Ware got
back in formation, which proved
very interesting. These were large
chunks of floating ice in very quiet
water as far as you could see.
After leaving the ice area we again
encountered rough water and 40
degree rolls, which came too often
and too Unexpectedly.
The severe weather didn't lessen
the efficiency of the firing drills
any. We had general quarters
practically every day and three
sleeves, pulled by target planes,
were shot down in the three firing
runs one afternoon. We received
a well done" from Admiral Cas-
sidy, commander of the operation.
This was accomplished on the
same day as a three-minute rescue
by the Stormes, for which we also
got a well done. These being the
only ones given to any of the cans
except the one for the operation as
a whole. Our ship was very proud
We turned in all Arctic foul
weather clothing today and had
payday in preparation to entering
port tomorrow. No one on board
regretted this duty.
We haven't seen land since leav'
ing Norfolk, but plan to make uE
for it when we reach the Brooklyn
Navy Yards tomorrow.
Robert l.. McKitrick,