Evening star., 1952-09-26

Plane Falls i'm Sea.
Shortly after Willie took over
the binoculars from Keefer for the
afternoon watch, q Navy Corsair|
came flying across the northern|
hills Of the island toward the
Caine. All at once it burst into
rosette Of flame, and arched into
the water with . great splash
halfway between the minesweeper
and another patrol vessel, the new
destroyer Stanfield. Willie tele-
phoned the captain.
"Kay, head over there at 2O|
knots" was the sleepy reply. Queegl
arrived on the bridge wearing
khaki shorts and bedroom slippers,
yawning, as the Caine and the
Stanfield were closing to within 81
thousand yards Of each other at|
the place Of the crash. There was
no remnant Of the plane on the
water: only rainbow-colored film
of gasoline.
"Bye-bye, Corsair," said Queeg.
Towers of white water suddenly
grew out Of the sea on both sides
Of the Stanfield. For half al
second Willie was puzzled. and
thought they might be q queer
tropical weather trick. Then the
words burst from his throat:
Captain! The Stanf1eld'S being
straddled!"
Queeg looked at the subsiding
splashes and shouted into the
pilothouse, "All engines ahead full!
Hard right rudder!"
There, captain!" Willie pointed
to an orange flash followed by a
puff of orange smoke, high on a
cliff to the north. ''That's the
battery, sir!" He ran out on the
wing, and shouted up to the flying
bridge, Gun watch!"
JorgenSen poked his head over
the bulwark, Eyes. Mr.. Keith?"
"Shore battery bears O45 relative.
distance 1000. top Of the cliff!
There, see that flash? Train the
main battery on It'll"
"Aye, aye. sir! All guns,
shore battery, 045 relative. eleva-
ton 10. distance 4,000!"
The Stanfield was whriling in a
tight circle through q rain Of
Splashes. and even as it turned it
blasted an earsplitting Salvo from
its 5-inch guns. Willie saw the
Gaines gun crews jump to their
places. The line Of 3-inch guns
swung parallel, pointing more and
more astern each second as the
ship turned.
"Rudder amidships! Steady as
you go!" Willie heard Queeg say.
The minesweeper was now headed
directly away from the shore bat
terry, leaping through the water
at 20 knots. Willie ran into the
pilothouse.
Captain, main battery manned
and on target!" Queeg seemed
not to hear. He stood at an open
window. with squirting smile on
his face. Captain, request per-
mission to come broadside and fire
at the shore battery! We're on
the target. sir!" The guns of the
Stanfield roared two more salvos
astern. Queeg paid no attention.
He did not turn his head or his
eyes. Sir" said Willie desperate
ly, II request permission to open
fire with No. 4 gun! A clear shot
over the stern, sir!"
Queeg said nothing. The officer
of the deck ran out on the wing
and saw the destroyer, a dwindling
shape, fire it's guns again. A thick
ball of dust enveloped the place
on the cliff where the battery
had been. Flames darted out of
the dust as the salvo struck. Again
the Stanfleld was straddled. It
fired four rapid salvos. There were
no answering shots; at least there
seemed to be no more splashes ris-
ing near the destroyer. Already
the Caine was too far away for
Willie to be certain.
The old minesweeper went on
with the carrier to Eniwetok, and
was sent back to Kwajalein with
some LISTS, and then to Eniwetok
again with a tnaker. The year
rounded into August and the
Caine still piled among the atolls
Of the Central Pacific, trapped
once more in tedious shutting,
this time in the grip of the Com
5th Fleet.
(Copyright, 1852. BY Herman Wouk
j Distributed by Doubleday syndicats.)