Macomb (DD 458 DMS 23) - Naval Cruise Book

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' I taking 75 hours from first contact to sinking. For this engagement Captain Hutchinson re- ceived the Bronze Star Medal, and our gunnery officer, Lieutenant Rengel, the Navy Commenda- tion Bar, and the crew added a star to their campaign ribbons. We had come face to face with death that night, and though we had es- caped unharmed, no one who participated in that battle came out of it with the same burning desire for action. From now on, we would con. tinue to do our part, but with a different per. ception. W e knew now that our careless assump. tion of immortality was indeed false, and that we were engaged in a desperate struggle for life, in which any one of us might be the eternal loser. TORPEDO RUN It was our second night on the Easy Line. the cordon of destroyers that was outer screen for the transport area at the St. Tropez heaeh- heads in the early days after the invasion of Southern France. One moonlit night had passed without threat, although our destroyers persisted in regularly illuminating each other or in lohhing a few shells at returning l'.'l'. patrols. Sunset CQ. was long since secured and the cans re- solved lhcrnselves In the now-routine task of dodging each other in the impossihle task of staying in phase. when at surface contact was picked up some 20 mile- olll from the Nlacoinlfs sector. 'lille Destroyer llutle was nlrearly in the xan- Q.1llllI'tl when the word ln send the 'Wlighty linen into the fray was reeeixed. Cena-ral llltmrtels elanged with urgency. The sttriatre raideis. now live distinct radar pips. were making Xguutl spec-4 and were growing rapidly larger. 'XII four lioil- ers were put on the line. and tht- props cliurm-1 up it great mike in the calm water. ilihcn tht- lloyle reported one-two-three lorpedoes lirer aeross her how hy the enemy. The Captain calmly lnnlt the loud speaker ant announced: this is going ln lie a lightf Stand hy to make torpedo attack! ililie contact was now reported to he two enemy cruisers and at least three destroyers. Back on the torpedo tuhes. there was consternation. Our torpedoes had only heen reaequired three days previously at Taranto. having heen left behind during the original invasion assault. Now only one was ready to tire. and its gyro was not tested. Chief 'l'orpedoman Uillourke fumed hut guaranteed he would get the C . . D . . . id things!! oil if he had to throw them over the side. Now the gap was rapidly elosing. We might he ahle to inlliet some serious damage. maybe get one or two of them. hut this superior force would undouhtedly slaughter the Macomb. Was this the end? Then the report from the Doyle-f r- recognition signals exchanged properly! The charging enemy veered oil on charted course ul a night-retiring shore homhardment unit of two lfreneli cruisers and three trigger-happy lfrench destroyers. who may well have fired lorpedoes at the onrushing Doyle. 'lihe sigh of relief could he heard over the entire ship. Allied intelligence was not mis- taken: there were still no operational enemy capital ships in the lVlediterannean. On the fol- lowing morning the torpedo gang worked hard and long: there would be no more nights on the Easy Line without torpedoes ready to fire! E , C 4

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f:l'l'lll1lll sub still nl lllillll lnnnths nl' training. lXlll'llt'1'lkl'. llclin Ilfv. haul int-rltnps llu- Hurst singular vxpv- rivnm' ul us ull. Ili- nas nmnning hi- lrttllll' stutinn. whivll wus Nu. ltt tm-ntx niillinu-tv: lnnunt. wlu-n tlu- sul, npr-ru-tl lin-. llt- lt-It swim'- tllillg slrilu' his lvg. mul ri'zu'lu-al tlnnn tunl pivlu-il ull tlu' ill-t-It llu' still lint slug lrnni at lu-rnuin iuurhilu' gun. l.ute-1' it uns ltnnul tluit llu- ltnl- It-t haul hit tlu- vunlning ul tlu- llt'1'lxllHll't'. unn- nllwtl ntl llu' tnrpe'4ln nuvttnl. anul. its lnr1'u- -pvnt. strurlt hint just In-Inu tlu- luu-v. nut vu-n lnwunlt- ing tlu- skin. 'l'his uns tht- nnly mu- nl tht- linl- lvts that haul struvlt tlu- Xlzu-. Xll the- ri-st lnul nwrshnt. Wi- latte-r li-arm-tl that tht- snlv thnnglil sw ni-rt' nn uirplnnv. tlne- lu tlu- lin-t that .it lirst Ullt' St'ill'l'lllla1llll haul lu-e-n ale-pre-s-ml intn tlu- watt-r. lltlr lvaltllt' with tlu- l-hllv uns nut lini-lu'-l lltlWt'X'i'l'. ilihis was only tht- initial t'llgilQll'lIlt'lIl. Wt' lllllllvtlltllvlt nnule- sntnul vnnttu-t with tho' slllmu'rgt'4l sulr. anal pi-nt-tw-tl.-tl tn nttavls nith tlvpth l'llilI'gl'S. Wit' tnaulv lun runs me-r tht- turgvt. dropping t'llllfQ1t'S vau'h tinux annl as tlu' vltarges vxplntlt-tl th-vp untlvr tlu- snrfiuw-. ut- watt-ln-tl anxiously fnr signs that nt- hail nnulf- Il kill. The Mac was shalwn from ste-in tn ste-rn by the terrillic harragv. hut thvrv was still nn sign of damage to thc sulv. Thus began a night nf continual alertness. the ships of Desllon 10 attacking again anfl again as Contact was made with the sulw. The llvrinan was rum' trying cu-ry trick in his hunk in a desperate attcnxpt tu vsvapc. :intl ht' had a writahlc t-in-yt-lupvtlia. :Xt um' tinu' tht- llam- lvlctnn was tiring lmth main lvattt-ry :uul nut- lflllllt' guns at what has lu-lic-xt-tl tn ln- a puri- sfupef. liut uhh-li turni-tl nut lu ln- at rzulzn' ale-vny lulllnun. rt-lt-.ist-tl ln tht- will llun. 'Xt 0.3-ln. tht- Xlgu- svrtirt-tl lfrnin gt-in-ml qtntrtn-rs. null tlu- lurlxy uni-s nhu ilulnt luiw llu- unit-ln turnml tn fur at lun ltutll'- -lvvln, liul nul ful' lung, ll ul'-'ul lltlw. llu' lltunltlvtnu luault- t-nntau'l uillt llli' !'llt'lllX Ltluvttl 't'Xl'll ttlllvs sutllll all lllt' -1 --nv ul llu- Xlgtvis initial gittgult. guul tin-tl at alt-vp ttllllvlll 'rl t'llLlltl1 . llti llu' m'Xl gtllxtrlt tlu-x lll't'tl gi lull putt'-in .it NNI l--vt. lln- lxllxsnn tlu-n minu- in lllllllllllllil.ll'll'1'lllll: .itt.u'lt. nilh tlu- lltnnlulv- t-in .1--i-ting. lint ennt.u'l nga- lu-t lu-lun' th.- Vltgtlgvs llvttlnl lvl' tllnlnluwl, llvf- l'll2lll -il ilu' l-tilt: uns tum gtmstll: 'l 'l -'l - lill-mu-i -it n.ii lv-tinn-nt l.lll'l ituli- nnte-l that 'luring tlu ini-I threw- tlgtxs tlu-3 haul lwvn -nll.ut--l unlx .tn i--Innate-tl Ii lunn'-, 'Ilif- 1'-tnlinn.altl:-ptlitlmiginu li.ul tLlllNt'tl lnlugivssixi- 1l.nn.t:t-, .intl lv.itte-iu-- ut-lv t-xllatttsle-tl. 'lilu' l -lHr.ll - I 4vlltIll.tIteli'I llhlllt' llle' elrrlslnlt In svltlllt' tlllll tllltlllllllll. Xt HILHIZ ntl tlu' nu-lining nl Xl.tx li. llu- lhlul. l'lIlll'l -tnnulf-tl un-v num- lltmugluvul llu' Xl.u-nnlv. .itul thu-v nu'n ulu- lXl'I4' ull' unit-It r.uf'al li-1 llulu lniltlo- -t.itl--li'-. llxvl llu' l'.:l. -x-tu-nl uinu' llu' 1-lvfttilxing in-nl, Sul: ?-lll'- l.uiwl -'tl tlu' lu-it lH'.Illl.-i ls tu- n'4u'lu-al Inli- -itll-. .ill mv- turn'-al tu putt. :uul tlu'ra- it ual:-, lvl.u'lt nun in tlu- nuuning -tlllllgllll. mul alvzul in llu- xmtvr, ll'-unul lu-I tm- QI Vlllilllp Illlfl nl tlvstrnu-r-. -in-nting ll.nn.- .uul sta-rl. 'l'lu' unto-r rnnnfl tlu- -nl, uns lllll'Il4'll nitlt -lu-ll splnslu-s. 'lilu' lla -' nilv jninwl in. nt at Fillljll' nl THIN! xarul-. mleling lu'r lvit lv tht- hnnl cle-s-trtu'linn nl tlu- snlv. N- -lu-ll nltf-r -lu-ll pnurs-tl intn tlu- hnll nl tht- l -lvlfi. -lu' slfmly szinlt. sto-rn hrst. .incl lllf'll. stulilvnlx. uns gum-, Swwuuls lutvr vanu- lun le-rrilif' rl'-tnnatinns. as tht- flvlnnlitinns rlmrge-s plan-ml ln lu-r ziluzuulnniug vre-ts. :rx- plntl.-tl. ilillt' lflltsult HHN 1-Inst-fl lll ln UID ,nnitnrm uhm numln-rf-fl 53. nut nl a 1-rms nf 55. 'lihus f-nfl:-rl what has lie-f'n flffsvrilurcl as the set-nnrl lnngvst sur-r-vssful sul, hunt in history, 43

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lui' l't'lillt'lltl in ti awww in lx'-i.iiii.i lwttti X- llll- Ill lluli in 1- -nliexlinllv-l Q- ? l 'HIE l','Yl'Rl ISI INIUX UI lxlltllll IH IIH ilillt' NIU!! Nl. lluw lltlw' tlittiv'sxxa'a'ltt't- tml iiiim-lm:-i. the' Nl.u'itmli. twin'--t tl--t---it if itklll. lutliul tliviiisrlxvs liiivxiu-vtvtllx tw th minlst nl tui ttlktlsllitl. ls In-,Intl-It ttt-- Mitt, ul its lxllltl in the' htstwix -it N.ix.il it vtiit llillt' lilsl frm tlitN' ul' tltv' sttlttwlltlvil lllxttv tt-it 'iN!'t'lllllLZ uin'i'gititm umm' i'tviiiplf't-'il tivttl Ht: tlllll Nils stlptiusml IH I't'iiile'lxt-its with ,i t.if'stf . . . , . ll' r- Nllllli saiilvil tliiuiigli tht' :mix-ws. tivtt.iimli.ir f trailwi' tu tht- txt-ixiiim ttt-ilu .tmttt-r.ig--. ttvft itlllllll lllt'lIIWt'lXl's Vttltglll iii tht' iiiitltllf' -it ti t'l'nss-lin' lu'tm'e'ii jaiptirivsf- -ttttiv lnittviiivs .init Xiiiwiraiii ships guilt vrulit st.m-ling in t-itmift ' ' i llll' lN'ill'll. Fulttvllim. tht- luiiiiiimltiif' lm-l iw :Utlvll tht- mural that tht- IIIXLIHIHII --t lxvi'.i1rt.1 livttn Imtt lwvn dt-tnyt-it limit' txwritx-tw-itil' lit-iris Xinpliiliiuus tanks unit lamliiig vrtitit l--.ntl-il with troops pourvtl in tmturtl tht' slittrv limi ti- the uinam-nwnt of tht- DXlS's.. while- 4-ii tht- tw-.wilt tilted the air. Hy this timv tht- sxwvpt-rs iw-latin-it iiiltt lit otlll Hitt t 1 t.1,,...M.i.i. t.. tm.. A tlt- slimy- IlllIllt't'1l Mitt ,qs tlisx tu'i1'1l v P H' Kilim--it ,ffl -'iiilwcl t.itt1aif'- -iitlflviilx ' ,twin ,it:iil.iltlrt:iigg1l. - 'flux -'tif thuiiilvs :iiifl 1 wiv- mari-it-.lx tltliiltlff Xl' Xl 1- ' llmt 't-.is :Ill lltitt with ? t with! ul tha- VIIHIA of iw it tts. X'-9-Y tlzf Xififfttiilv limi sinrll lill't' li t-AHL 'Q ' 1' shutter, tlzf' -lwrv lim- with smt- ft' it Har f-ttwiwt -titxfm that 4l'?llf'll up ii fzixv. tttf- -tzwz int tif tttfiht' ei tm-it flvpzlrtlirv. t-its mf.. tt..it -.tvilfl it'-t tw flum' until ziftvr thi' tti -tml ziwigfztf-i' hail lffl thi- iiitrf-pill. un- rtvt iii' gi liliiafl zillf-x tthirh f'ilUSfPll -Him .iivxi ii- rvt-i:itf-iit- fit turning ziruiiml in 8 f . the cliattvr uf lllill'llilN' gun tin' nt' tmth t'--i'w'- mfr-txt. i...f lmrtf-fl flmrtm-l. thus f'llflf'fl mir: uf thi- tix'-t iiifi-'l'-rtt- in uzirlzirr' in ishiffh a Sup- lllat tlwy wen- llltkilllltll intrutlvrs. uint tm-lin: it-is'-ftlx rdtittmt unit uf -hips imkmmiiigzly sailed like the pl'ovQrhial paiaiiiu-vlail imlixitlual at gi lvlinrllx iiit-- tht- tlliflfllf' nf an imiasiuii. 45 i ......,... ,......W 5 E i I t i t t l t i E t s t l