NINETEEN SHIPS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 December 1942, Page 4

NINETEEN SHIPS

SUNK BY TWO AMERICAN SUBMARINES SOME VERY NEAR TO COAST OF JAPAN. STORIES OF DAY & NIGHT ADVENTURES. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) '(Received This Day, 10.50 a.m.) NEW LONDON (Connecticut), December 30. The crew of a weather-beaten American submarine told an adventurous story of how they sank eight Japanese ships, including ‘a destroyer, two transports and four freighters, of which some were so close to Japan that the men of the submarine “could almost spit on the coast.” Telling the story of the cruise, 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 one occasion the submarine reconnoitred a Japanese island in preparation for a raid. The crew, itching for action, saw many small ships in a lagoon, but the skipper did not attack. "He waited for five days until a big • transport came out, which he immediately torpedoed and sank, “whereupon considerable anti-subma-rine activity set in.” Questioned about what a depth charge feels like, the skipper replied: “It is very loud, but the crew were not hysterical and continued to smoke, drink, laugh and joke—though in a strained sort of way.” Another submarine has arrived at a Pacific naval base after sinking eleven Japanese ships, totalling 69,000 tons. The crew reports th'at one big transport, carrying 400 soldiers and 200 passengers, almost escaped. They had to chase her for three hours and fire over a hundred shells before the ship was sunk. The skipper gave the position and bearings to the survivors, “all of whom played possum when the submarine emerged.” The biggest catch was “air unusually large and heavilyloaded freighter, which was sunk at night by torpedoes.”