MAIL BAG - PAGE 39

(top) August 8th '44

Dear Bill,

Here I am back in the same old dump. So far I haven't met anyone. My husband is in the Navy now. Still waiting to hear form you. Yours, Blanche.

(The VILLAGE BARN Restaurant, New York's Nite Club, at 52 West 8th Street, between 5th and 6th avenues in New York City, is the quaintest and most typically rural restaurant in the world. Its special features are exceptional cuisine, unusual entertainment and extraordinary dance music. Besides these, backwoods games and square dances of the Gay 80's are offered for the participation of the guests. There is NO COVER CHARGE at the BARN.)

June 28 1944

Hi Bill,

Remember the next alarm I'll see you there.

Pete

(Granby Street, Norfolk Virginia)

NO REST FOR THE WEARY - PAGE 38

The way to Bizerte was littered with sunken ships. A week was spen there but there was not much sight seeing in this war torn town and the crew was charged having met with its first real taste of war. It would not be its last or its worst.

At the end of the week they were to head back west in a convoy of 107 merchant ships, 12 DEs, a Coast Guard cutter, and the British AA cruiser Delphi. Below is a picture of William in Bizerte.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE SAFE - PAGE 37

The USS Pride made it through this first contact with the enemy, a bit shaken up but ready as ever. The rest of the trip to Bizerte was without incident.

We tried asking Dad what they did when not sleeping, eating, or on duty and all he said was, "Not much." Cards seems to have been a large pasttime. But different endevors arise. Apparently William took to drawing. Here are some of the pictures that survive.This is the woman, Frances, that he eventually married.

TORPEDO SIGHTED! - PAGE 36

Full engines ahead! With two torpedoes heading straight for the Pride depth charges were dropped in order to divert the torpedoes from their intended target. A call came out from the port side. A torpedo passed close by but pass it did. But the danger was not over for a German torpedo plane passed over head. The Pride crew reacted by spewing the air with gunfire covering the deck with shell casings until the place disappeared. The threat was over.

For now.

(These reports taken from the Pride Reunion magazines.)

SHIPS HIT! - PAGE 35

The air was filled with lights from bullets, tracers, and torpedoes. The USS Hamilton exploded sending fire and smoke a hundred feet in the air when the ammunition it was carrying exploded. When the Hamilton sunk it took 580 lives with it. Also sunk were the destroyer Landsdale (a radar destroyer that was the eyes and ears of the convoy) with 47 men and the merchant ship Royal Star that stayed afloat until the following day. Other damaged ships were towed to Algiers.

But the fear level for the Pride was just beginning. A transmission came from another DE, “Pride, there are two torpedoes heading in your direction!”

TO BE CONTINUED

FIRST ATTACK 20 APRIL 1944 - PAGE 34

C. R. Peck writes, “At about 35 minutes after sunset USS LOWE reported radar contact on enemy planes from dead ahead to the east. They came in low over the water in poor visibility at twilight using the nearby Algerian coast to advantage. The USS Pride had visible contact to starboard with several attackers which were fired upon without apparent result. It is estimated between 18 and 24 JU-88s and/or HE-111s took part in the raid on the convoy from dead ahead in 3 separate waves using only torpedoes. They flew down the columns of ships and received anti-aircraft fire from escorts. From my gun control station on the flying bridge I could see numerous explosions on the convoy.

TO BE CONTINUED

ON THE VERGE OF HELL - PAGE 33

Though the first trip across the ocean escorting more than 100 merchant ships, fully loaded on the way over, empty on the return was without incident, it would be on this second convoy that the Pride would gain her fighting spurs. After the short stop for repairs and supplies they set out again for the Mediterranean with a large convoy headed for Bizerte, Tunisia.

According to the writing of Captain Ralph R. Curry, USCG, “On April 20 1944, we passed Algiers during the day and all seemed well. But all hell was just in front of us.”

The above pictures show the USS Pride DE323 being refuled at sea.