Down to the Sea (42 page)
Authors: Bruce Henderson
“those confused”: Morison,
Liberation of the Philippines
, p. 68.
“two of theâ¦this typhoonâ¦small boysâ¦Typhoon!â¦chance toâ¦fooled byâ¦maneuvering right”: DeRyckere interview.
“so thick and”: Morison,
Liberation of the Philippines
, p. 69.
“fixing theâ¦approximately 10”: Bowditch,
American Practical Navigator
, p. 288.
“Jack Assâ¦ready theâ¦too topâ¦button theâ¦stow belowâ¦Stow theâ¦dipping inâ¦Permission deniedâ¦Get off”: Schultz interview.
“report toâ¦got his”: John Valverde interview.
“expected toâ¦about 124,000â¦above the”: Marks testimony.
“steady 70â¦washed rightâ¦about twelveâ¦frozen inâ¦Sirâ¦What areâ¦All handsâ¦Sure, sirâ¦Why don'tâ¦dirty look”: Schultz interview.
“fairly wellâ¦leaks inâ¦troubles in”: Action Report,
Hull
, Jan. 1, 1945.
“pandemonium onâ¦huddle aroundâ¦obeyed forâ¦sillyâ¦ten feetâ¦not to beâ¦felt saferâ¦did notâ¦damage controlâ¦deniedâ¦made
foolsâ¦swallowâ¦going toâ¦too muchâ¦reduce theâ¦very salty”: DeRyckere interview.
“We'll be”: Schultz interview.
“Sir!”: Drummond interview.
“in irons”: DeRyckere interview.
“every combinationâ¦ship's headâ¦turn awayâ¦blown bodilyâ¦the trough”: Action Report,
Hull,
Jan. 1, 1945. 184â
“let anythingâ¦ride theâ¦incompetencyâ¦in a stateâ¦did notâ¦He's sinkingâ¦If I takeâ¦The bastardâ¦Even if”: Schultz interview.
“functioning properly”: Wouk,
Caine Mutiny
, p. 329.
“could beâ¦action was”: DeRyckere interview.
“two or threeâ¦basket for”: George Sharp testimony, Court of Inquiry.
“many tons”: DeRyckere interview.
“not throwing”: Schultz interview.
“tremendous noise”: Action Report,
Hull
, Jan. 1, 1945.
“Let's goâ¦did notâ¦Within 20â¦400 poundsâ¦hanging onâ¦kidding andâ¦put usâ¦to settleâ¦the ceilingâ¦more thanâ¦done forâ¦tremblingâ¦turned intoâ¦really whistlingâ¦breaking overâ¦whole bunchâ¦beat to deathâ¦We gottaâ¦faster than”: Stealey interview.
Chapter Fourteen
“I am unableâ¦heading ofâ¦caught inâ¦given up”: Calhoun,
Typhoon,
pp. 75â76.
“manned by⦔: Adamson and Kosco,
Halsey's Typhoons,
p. 59.
“Use moreâ¦Cannot getâ¦had the”: Adamson and Kosco,
Halsey's Typhoons,
p. 88.
“Have tried”: Calhoun,
Typhoon,
p. 75.
“out of control”: ibid., p. 75.
“You areâ¦racked and”: Baldwin,
Sea Fights and Shipwrecks,
p. 28.
“slammedâ¦grave jeopardy”: Adamson and Kosco,
Halsey's Typhoons,
pp. 88â89.
“between 122,000â¦putting onâ¦come backâ¦not withoutâ¦flying aroundâ¦coming tooâ¦luckily itâ¦rolling soâ¦fire andâ¦pump seawaterâ¦just plainâ¦feel theâ¦the storm brokeâ¦holding onâ¦praying asâ¦all communicationâ¦couldn't findâ¦volunteered withoutâ¦deserved some”: Joseph McCrane, Narrative Statement of Senior Surviving Petty Officer, Court of Inquiry.
“say forâ¦stopped quiteâ¦pick up”: Joseph McCrane testimony, Court of Inquiry.
“shudderinglyâ¦Thanks, Dear”: Baldwin,
Sea Fights and Shipwrecks,
p. 28.
“about fortyâ¦Please bringâ¦seven orâ¦difficult jobâ¦beating upâ¦the fellowsâ¦no confusionâ¦everyone tryingâ¦with absolutelyâ¦pulling everyoneâ¦about theâ¦so nervousâ¦Waves wereâ¦carrying fellowsâ¦lost allâ¦a whirl-poolâ¦knocking upâ¦beat myâ¦right onâ¦took meâ¦thrown outâ¦strength wouldn'tâ¦impossible toâ¦almost zeroâ¦an eternityâ¦and thanked”: McCrane narrative statement.
“very few”: McCrane interview.
“seventy feet”: Baldwin,
Sea Fights and Shipwrecks,
p. 25.
“beaten off by”: U.S. Navy press release, Feb. 11, 1945.
“water-gaugeâ¦everything onâ¦waited toâ¦tangled upâ¦helluva timeâ¦big huskyâ¦spray was”: Fenn interview.
“began to ripâ¦bridge ripped”: Doil Carpenter testimony, Court of Inquiry.
“never once”: Fenn interview.
“one or two”: McCrane testimony, Court of Inquiry.
“gagging onâ¦relived anâ¦regretted nowâ¦freshly-paintedâ¦bulwark ofâ¦screaming andâ¦the chaosâ¦to stayâ¦shocked dazeâ¦suction of”: Krauchunas, “USS
Spence
: The Typhoon and the Senior Survivor.” 197â
“essential recordsâ¦no thoughtâ¦push theâ¦gusts of”: Krauchunas narrative. 198â
“rumbling blastâ¦out fromâ¦pretty consciousâ¦full of waterâ¦two newâ¦funny feeling”: Wohlleb interview.
“climbed theâ¦just fellâ¦just clung”: Greenfield (Mass.)
Recorder,
Oct. 1983.
“rolled overâ¦bobbing likeâ¦very longâ¦rolled theâ¦blown wayâ¦the pressure”: Rosley interview.
“huge roundâ¦the mostâ¦sink slowly”: Krauchunas narrative.
“Mr. Krauchunasâ¦You'll have”: Wohlleb interview.
“about 70â¦increased toâ¦laid theâ¦held herâ¦80 degrees”: James A. Marks Narrative Statement, Court of Inquiry. 200â
“to be inâ¦broken andâ¦Would youâ¦didn't come”: Schultz interview.
“pleading with”: Ernie Price, “The U.S.S.
Hull
DD 350,” Owin,
Typhoon Cobra
, p. 40.
“When weâ¦Yes, sirâ¦guns andâ¦kept hittingâ¦just sunk”: DeRyckere interview.
“sweating itâ¦one of the bestâ¦one of the menâ¦terrific poundingâ¦wet fromâ¦annoyed forâ¦plunking dropsâ¦the shipâ¦Panic ensuedâ¦60 or 80â¦ship descendedâ¦kicked andâ¦chin barelyâ¦halyardsâ¦making anâ¦steaming hotâ¦the mostâ¦angry enoughâ¦panic-strickenâ¦all gotâ¦hammeredâ¦like breakingâ¦loose timberâ¦about thirtyâ¦spinning likeâ¦shot upâ¦inhale asâ¦just asâ¦had a littleâ¦chances to”: Franchak interview.
“not goingâ¦toughest guyâ¦What areâ¦sitting onâ¦too muchâ¦very coldâ¦assumedâ¦gonerâ¦
This is really
”: Drummond interview.
“couldn't seeâ¦worst thingâ¦put theâ¦the lastâ¦all kindsâ¦quite upsetâ¦not doingâ¦kept changingâ¦stuck itâ¦not beenâ¦incompetent ship handlerâ¦It hitâ¦hitting theâ¦came backâ¦rushed in”: Rust interview.
“not knownâ¦probably savedâ¦didn't makeâ¦taking onâ¦Where's yourâ¦Couldn't getâ¦Hang onâ¦weren't doingâ¦swim over”: Watkins interview.
“answering bellsâ¦17 knotsâ¦lurched toâ¦possibly carried”: Sharp testimony, Court of Inquiry.
“hung upâ¦a waveâ¦almost drownedâ¦it swallowedâ¦so muchâ¦going toâ¦resigned to”: Rust interview.
Chapter Fifteen
“latticework”: Fenn interview.
“let theâ¦fish aroundâ¦tired andâ¦shaky conditionâ¦waves wereâ¦started toâ¦who wasâ¦a large pieceâ¦a big holeâ¦very coldâ¦pray toâ¦The starsâ¦I can't seeâ¦went toâ¦hold forâ¦spent veryâ¦just absorbedâ¦very goodâ¦plenty scaredâ¦fruitlessâ¦as fast asâ¦seemed toâ¦on edgeâ¦if we brushedâ¦difficult timeâ¦slapped himâ¦all in vainâ¦some ofâ¦too waterâ¦unscrewed theâ¦still soâ¦impossible toâ¦no oneâ¦push itâ¦pretty badâ¦Farther out most ofâ¦put saltâ¦whistle andâ¦Go aheadâ¦Where areâ¦Don't worryâ¦short swimâ¦right backâ¦calmer thanâ¦all inâ¦keep upâ¦more planesâ¦prayed likeâ¦to letâ¦catch ourselvesâ¦good drinkingâ¦right overâ¦almost speechlessâ¦Thinking ofâ¦prayer ofâ¦the most wonderfulâ¦steaming atâ¦dying dayâ¦never forgetâ¦the Mightyâ¦brilliant roleâ¦fight forâ¦trying to”: McCrane narrative, Court of Inquiry.
“force-feedings”: Adamson and Kosco,
Halsey's Typhoons,
p. 92.
“I don'tâ¦just circling”: Fenn interview.
“I can't see”: Navy Department press and radio release, Feb. 11, 1945.
“little fazed”: Fenn interview.
“nosing overâ¦deafening roarâ¦befitted the”: Adamson and Kosco,
Halsey's Typhoons,
p. 92.
Chapter Sixteen
“right intoâ¦lungs wouldâ¦one bigâ¦deep funnelâ¦started flappingâ¦right onâ¦sailing 30â¦stripped offâ¦beat theâ¦beaten to deathâ¦clear upâ¦the bigâ¦circles ofâ¦swimming withâ¦thirteen guysâ¦one guyâ¦pulled himâ¦running onâ¦a messâ¦nobody inâ¦started toâ¦dead, justâ¦exposure, exertionâ¦down theâ¦They're gonnaâ¦egged himâ¦You knowâ¦When youâ¦in tortureâ¦bare-assedâ¦little fishâ¦didn't evenâ¦eaten byâ¦as muchâ¦starting toâ¦in the backâ¦came backâ¦monkey's fistâ¦no muscleâ¦unbelievably goodâ¦I'd sureâ¦Fix you”: Stealey interview.
“to the pointâ¦cussing theâ¦headed intoâ¦at the mercyâ¦pure panicâ¦hanging on toâ¦our onlyâ¦in orderâ¦kicking myâ¦never getâ¦foolish thoughtâ¦thrown outâ¦tied to aâ¦higher powerâ¦praying motherâ¦swept upâ¦pinned againstâ¦a great guyâ¦high windsâ¦Fight onâ¦kept beingâ¦came togetherâ¦heads poppedâ¦all aloneâ¦a lot ofâ¦deep enoughâ¦ears wouldâ¦impossible toâ¦chopped upâ¦riding withâ¦depth wasâ¦if anyâ¦When willâ¦keep meâ¦never lostâ¦beautiful wifeâ¦to be a widowâ¦never toâ¦thinking ofâ¦finding anâ¦little lightâ¦Who's thereâ¦Pat Douhanâ¦Get overâ¦some company”: Douhan interview.
“self-assured”: Edwin Brooks Jr. interview.
“started to settleâ¦pulled underâ¦it was all overâ¦compartment fillingâ¦killed byâ¦their headsâ¦pulled meâ¦more than”: Richmond (Va.)
News Leader,
March 30, 1945.
“not in very”: Douhan interview.
“picking fruitâ¦get the machineâ¦wasn't qualifiedâ¦right overâ¦What doâ¦Don't giveâ¦wasn't anythingâ¦sucked downâ¦ears were burstingâ¦sucked backâ¦a whole bunchâ¦floating byâ¦protection fromâ¦kill Marksâ¦keep away”: John Valverde interview.
“looking forâ¦our legsâ¦made a bigâ¦no one reallyâ¦started callingâ¦some kindâ¦sharks stillâ¦go downâ¦Model T”: Douhan interview.
“did not knowâ¦didn't setâ¦had to be”: Edward J. Price interview.
“pounced onâ¦strange delusionsâ¦how deepâ¦I guess”:
Time,
“Perils of the Sea,” Dec. 29, 1944.
“Task forceâ¦a littleâ¦rubbed theâ¦sure enoughâ¦little onâ¦all our wavingâ¦make us cryâ¦lighting offâ¦our rescueâ¦knowing they⦔: Douhan interview.
Chapter Seventeen
“poor little Tabbyâ¦The gang is pretty”: Henry L. Plage letter, Oct. 27, 1944.
“rugged character”: Henry L. Plage and Robert M. Surdam radio and press conference, Jan. 16, 1944.
“smart-aleckâ¦his weight and”: McClain interview.
“Waitin' on Purvisâ¦Purvis eatsâ¦I run thisâ¦But this isâ¦Purvis is outâ¦My God, whatâ¦Don't worryâ¦Look what Cookieâ¦Stay awayâ¦good buddies⦔: Phillips interview.
“pretty roughâ¦rode it okayâ¦saved money onâ¦weren't very hungryâ¦the bridge would callâ¦damn phone rangâ¦the cool waterâ¦rest of the coatâ¦in all my gloryâ¦maintain disciplineâ¦everyone is laughingâ¦Vienna sausage”: Henry L. Plage letter, Nov. 14, 1944.
“everybody who eatsâ¦evenhanded fairness”: William A. McClain interview.
“finally got someâ¦meats, orangesâ¦back up”: Henry L. Plage letter, Dec. 5, 1944.
“really have takenâ¦different person teachingâ¦I am veryâ¦It means a lotâ¦of course with noâ¦we have someâ¦choir or gleeâ¦nine or ten fellowsâ¦usually drift offâ¦joins inâ¦there is a deadâ¦singing some songâ¦happy hourâ¦kids whoâ¦just plain longing”: Henry L. Plage letter, Nov. 14, 1944.
“first return”: Howard Korth diary, Nov. 17, 1944.
“fine shipâ¦first-class guyâ¦someone you could”: Korth interview.
“18,582 gallonsâ¦79,256 gallons”: Log of
Tabberer,
Dec. 15 and 17, 1944.
“force 12â¦above 75â¦seaman's descriptionâ¦calmâ¦light”: Bowditch,
American Practical Navigator,
p. 52.
“close proximityâ¦get clear ofâ¦put the vesselâ¦ahead full onâ¦riding quite wellâ¦rolling up toâ¦over 100 knotsâ¦greatest ferocityâ¦rapidly with noâ¦this type of vesselâ¦withstand rollsâ¦broken looseâ¦created a delicate situationâ¦in the troughâ¦swaying about eightâ¦operated without serious”: Commanding Officer, USS
Tabberer,
Report of Storm Damage, Dec. 24, 1944.
“high moraleâ¦those big wavesâ¦ripples compared toâ¦handling the shipâ¦nervous or takingâ¦the captain jokinglyâ¦more than whenâ¦persistent poundingâ¦would give outâ¦whole ship wouldâ¦crack the seamsâ¦watery hell of”: Frank Burbage letter, Jan. 13, 1944.
“finding my seaâ¦stopped throwing upâ¦walking the bulkheadsâ¦wash off theâ¦in full controlâ¦didn't try toâ¦let the typhoonâ¦would have been”: George Pacanovsky interview.
“almost a certaintyâ¦just looking atâ¦encourage exaggerationâ¦they looked likeâ¦93 feet aboveâ¦nine seconds forâ¦blew away atâ¦life nets
allâ¦quick 60-degreeâ¦such precious devicesâ¦no one couldâ¦all in the lapsâ¦without even dentingâ¦freed of the irons”: Adamson and Kosco,
Halsey's Typhoon,
pp. 118â20.
“close-knit crewâ¦loved the skipper”: Bellino interview.
“As deaf asâ¦highly populatedâ¦courses to steerâ¦pitched and poundedâ¦weird soundsâ¦left the scene”: Adamson and Kosco,
Halsey's Typhoon
, p. 122.
“terrific rollingâ¦until two days”:
Boston Globe,
Jan. 24, 1945.
“Man overboard”:
Tabberer
Report of Storm Damage.
“terrifying wordâ¦All hands”:
Tabberer
anonymous officer's diary, Jan. 14, 1945.
“not one ofâ¦another ship”: Plage and Surdam radio and press conference.
“rose and sankâ¦waving manâ¦large seas andâ¦calculated and highlyâ¦in their gripâ¦huge hunk of”: Adamson and Kosco,
Halsey's Typhoons,
p. 123.
“demonstrated outstanding ability”: Henry L. Plage letter to the Chief of Naval Personnel, Sept. 28, 1944.
