Mount Vernon (AP 22) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 37 text:

'lin-.., Jw X ,inf W MW , , X ,giqaid ,.,4.g,-49g I Y' 'W , X 1 Q 3 , . mln' il 'YZ fd.. N re A1 i 6, ZZ 1,4 3 A V ai fag 4 1- Q ' f M f S 4 1 3 34, 5 -in 'F' Mid

Page 36 text:

N if H N X X K , f 01 WMM Am if A . X X, .-N - .- ,, x ,f X. X ,Q , r. Q 4 gg. sr ff X- , . x , ., . x .. f , f, ,R , . W Wssixxxx a-CY 'WX ' A -Q fXw+.-A-.w M 1 4 - Abrm kk - . Q N , -1, - 4 Q xf, , . V0 . X in '- N ' ' f..,,,,,:n.,,,,,1x ,,4ff'y,f7p?fjim1ifw,,3Q,,,5gfA , em ' 7942 WM at , fy M., A y Q, f 1 ,.. 'f J f ii? f ,Q ,kk x . X f .A ,X-xw,,,k AY, R Q Q . 1 E Aw I

Page 38 text:

view. The planes could be heard overhead searching for fhe ship. They came over in waves, forfy in all. The M.V. fied up fo debarlc froops. A Brifish oil fanlcer came along- side fo fuel. The +anlcer's claim was fhaf every ship she had fueled had been losf wifhin fhree weeks. The M.V. ruined her record by sfaying afloaf. Barfering for souvenirs began befween bofh ships. The crew wanfed Singapore memenfos, fhe Brifish wanfed cigareffes. There was no liberfy, as fhe cify was under enemy siege buf somehow all hands managed fo gef off fhe ship. Dog fighfs befween Jap and Brifish planes became commonplace. ' Thursday morning I5 January is fhe day sfill discussed. Af 0945 an air raid alarm senf fhe ship fo General Quarfers. .All morning, fense wifh excifemenf, fhe ship waifed, fhe gun crews aware fhaf our guns were nof enough. If was sfill cloudy. All fhe cify lay in complefe silence. Af I230, Condifion ll was sef. Half fhe baffle sfafions crews wenf fo chow. The chow line had iusf grown from fhe affer mess hall ouf onfo fhe fan fail, when a Jap plane dropped six bombs. Forfunafely fhey landed in a field abouf a hundred yards from fhe ship. The ominous sighf was fheir paffern: fhe exacf lengfh of fhe ship. The gunner's mafes were fo lceep fhe guns ready for acfion for fhe nexf four years. This was fhe only J 'im' swf' f