ADVENTUROUS SUBMARINE CREWS

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLXI, Issue 15238, 31 December 1942, Page 3

ADVENTUROUS SUBMARINE CREWS

SECOND EDITION

ON VERY SHORES OF JAPAN HEAVY TOLL TAKEN AMAZING STORIES RECOUNTED. (Received 11.10 a.m.) United Press Assn —bv 'Electric Telegraph—Copyright. NEW LONDON. (Connecticut) Dec. 30. Tiie crew of a weather-beaten American submarine told an adventurous stoi*y of how they sank eight Japanese ships including a ( destroyer, two transports aaid four freighters of which some wer©. so close to .Japan tliat “we could almost, spit on the coast. ’’ Relating the tale, an officer commented: “Even if they get us before the war ends we are so far ahead of the Japanese? that they will never catch up.” On on© occasion submarine reconnoitred a Japanese island in preparation for an American raid and the crew itching for action, saw many small ships in a lagoon but the skipper did not attack : lie waited for five days until » pig transport came out which was immediately torpedoed and sunk, whereupon considerable anti-submar-ine activity set in.. Questioned as fo what- a depth charge feels like, the skipper replied. “Tt is very loud but the crew did not become hysterical cj’d continued to smoke, drink, laugh ;tfid joke—though in a strained sort, of way.” Another submarine arrived at a Pacific naval base after sinking If Japanese ships totalling 69.000-tons, and the crow reports on© big transport carrying 400 soldiers and 200 passengers jinost escaped. They had to chase her for three hours and fire over 100 shells before the ship was sunk. The. skipper gave the }>ositioji and bearings to the survivors, all of whom played possum wheai the submarine emerged Th. biggest catch was an unusually large and heavily loaded freighter which was sunk r.t night by torpedoes.