Heywood Edwards (DD 663) - Naval Cruise Book

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X V V —I -. Tlio V THE SKIPPER BRIDGE GANG

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l.iKikoiils repoitcd u luif;i ' Diiin i ' llasli ju l iiiiniitcs iiflcr the ilfsliiiM ' rV l.ir| c(li)c went into ihc wati-r. Iluii the ii-w i ' ;liliMl a Ja|) lii|) and It-nlatiM-lx iik-nlitu-tl it a a Kiim) la- lialll.-liif). Thai i.l.ri lilicalioii. iiii ' idi-iilally. wa- latii Miiln-d. I In- «lii|i ' il f iIh ' llt ii ui,l I.. F.itit(iiil ' iiirri a si lil llii- will llfMT fiii fl llii- toui-iiiii; sii|ii-| ll llrlun- id a ' T ' lisii illidin ' tlrd ill a liiiid uiaiiiic- halo nf d - lnii • linn. And llicii silt- wa hai k. and Iiit |iri ' d diuppfd In fi ' o. and she la In and li-lcncd In llic halllc nil liri radius a ain. On IIk- llnri nll lln- EiIhUkIs ' |nnknllt fu a v inan liics four, (i f. six. and af;ain the hi aiii- niillinc id a ■■Kusn -t pt- liattlfship. And with ih. ' dauii a Iru iiiiiiiili ' s lali ' r. six nr iiinrc inltinins nf sninkf rose (|uiilK into tin- n fnasl and tlu-rc was n(ithin : inort-. The Hf uooil I.. Edntiiils l -d dotrnMTs into ihr fnrward scu-.-n and -Inml -.niith aiiain a- tin- lii;lil ini rrascd. SilciitK ihi- |inwi-iful aira nf wai-hi|i- sti-aim-d diiwri ihr Strait their iiiin liaim-d and Sfanhinf; fnr the lirsi si n nf imiin aiii i| . lln columns cd sninkc disappeared, sniilfed niil li the lifiht hhie waters nf the ■zulf. Then the Innknuts re- ported a slii|). deliniteK ei ein . di ' ad in the water a lifiht eruiser. nr perhaps just a an. down h thi ' stern, hnw -hnl nil. niie sta( k tinni ' . nr did she ever lia e Iwn . ' (!lnser and ( Inser. slill in silenee. the Anierieari units inn ed. The water wa- pi.irid and nnl llie ripples nf the ships wake di liiiheil the -iirface. Then at a enininaiid the leading ships npeiied lire on the iiallered Japani ' se eripple. The ■ « ( .. EdiKinls aw her shell- -li.iddle .ind thin ilri e hnin.-. Smoke and (lame leaped from the eiienu iraft and then suddeni) she was f. ' orie. The Eiliiiirils swunj; out and alieail of tin- fni malinn and -I I mer Inward the nil-en ered walei when- the eiieniN had fioiie down. Survivor- appiMii ' d. lifts .1 hundred — sev- eral hundred floatin ! in a • rolesque posture of death, or swimmin;i without purpose or direrljou aiound two Imliliiii ' irmtni laum lies. I h -ie wa- little deliii- a -wamped whalelmat Ijnali ' d with it- ;:unwliale- awa-li. and -ileiit siir- i ni- ( liiiif; In its siile-. - the Eillidlils pnked lii-r Ih,w iiiln ihi ' I lii-tei of Japan. -e the turned ill tlie water and stared hai k at her. I lure was no sound on the ship or in the water. Mu le- nf -mall f;im- iiinved gently as the shiji rolled in the sli iht -well, their •;unner- -(piinliii under helmet isors at the Idaiidfaeed |apaiii-se. Thill on the port side. Iifti-en ards from her hridiie. a lar ;e moon-faced Jap hei;an to slrufifrle with annlher survivor - a M un r Japanese who was one of the few slll i nl- eipiippeil with a life lieil. l lii-l ihi- wall hers on the llf nouil L. Edutinls llinui;lil liiev were fi hliiig for pos.sessioii of the life jaikel. Mniiplh ihe hue realization of what tlii- saw dawned mi the -hoiked .American oHicers and men. The lai;;er Jap was quickU hut elTeeli el killing his felli.w in .11111-. Hi- ii;;ht hand enclosed a small dnuhle ed,::ed knife, whii il he -iashe.l hark and forth acrnss the oth.-r - thrnat. nd the iiicre lihle part of il wa- that ihe Jap -eiincd eaf;er for the duhious iiniinr. The jnh dniie. the larficr man shnxed ihe nther roufihh awa and hrandished his stained knife at the lliyunod L. Kditards ' steel sides. His v.dce -rie.iiiied Words not understood. The ll, II 1X1,1 L. Ediinrds sIo.mI hy to taki- ahoaril an Japanese willini; to come. She was prepared to rescue and f;i e medical aid to wounded enein sur- vivors, hut the eiiemv showed no iiii lination to he hauled ahoard and niaile prisoner: he seemed to pri-fer possihie laplure and prohahle slarvulion on one of the nearliv islands. So. in response lo u radio rninni.ind. the Ediiiirds slowlv hacked clear, swuii); ■ III her fanlail. and stood hack North !■ rejoin the l Hllle force.

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•» . i ' FORWARD FIRE ROOM TORPEDO GANG J. ' . ll v tf 1 RADIO GANG ' 44 S , GUN NO. 2 GUN NO. 1 GUN NO 41 tokWAKD tNoINt ROOM