Posted on 10/19/2004 10:28:37 PM PDT by SAMWolf
Stessel had become separated from the rest when the men had let go of each other to wave. The others saw the shark fin break the surface and head straight for him. There was no time to warn Stessel before the shark attacked. The sailor went under. Momentarily, he reappeared, bathed in crimson. The water frothed as he went under a last time, spreading a red cloud on the surface. The rest of the crew positioned themselves, back to back, and drew their knives.
From under the sea came somber volleys fired in requiem for Petty Officer Stessel. K-74's armed depth bombs detonated, exploding in a mournful salute, as if, paying homage to this Navy hero lost in battle.
Dahlgren soon arrived and the Jacob's ladder was thrown over the side for the survivors. Small arms fire kept back the circling sharks while the crew of K-74 climbed to safety. A launch of bluejackets, with a Thompson submachine gun in the bow, searched in vain for any sign of Stessel.
After the war, German Submarine Command records revealed U-134 reported downing a U. S. Navy airship. The sub cited sustaining battle damage to her No. 5, main ballast tank and No. 4 diving tank. After surviving two more attacks, U-134 was ordered to return to base in France for repairs. Enroute in August, her luck ran out when two Royal Air Force bombers intercepted her in the Bay of Biscay and sent her to the bottom. A blimp for a sub: the wages of war.
If the airship had not joined the battle, the U-boat would have come upon the tanker and the freighter before Dahlgren or shore based aircraft could have intervened. Because of the blimp crew's actions, the merchant ships got through.
www.kilroywashere.org
gallery.flight100.org
www.geocities.com/ CapeCanaveral
www.uboatarchive.net
www.navsource.org
www.history.navy.mil
www.naval-airships.org
www.nastillamook.org
www.centennialofflight.gov
19 July, 1997 - 54 years after the loss of AMM2c Isadore Stessel, as a result of enemy fire, 12 family members, former crewmembers, and invited guests of the Friends of NAS Richmond, returned to the Gulf Stream to commemorate his death. Aboard a 41 foot, U.S. Coast Guard, patrol boat, the somber party left the dock at Coast Guard Base, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at 09:00, Saturday, 19 July, 1997. They proceeded several miles offshore for Divine Services at Sea, En Momento Mori. On station by 09:30, YNC Anthony Attwood brought the group to order, and the Chaplaincy pennent for the Jewish faith, was hoisted on the after flag staff. Chief Attwood then reiterated the conditions of Seaman Stessel's death. Mr. Robert H. Bourne, former ARM3c, radioman aboard the K-74 read a verse of the Navy Hymn followed by a verse each by Peter Simpson and Francis Brophy LT James McGibbon then read the committal service. A ceremonial wreath of red, white and blue carnations, was put over the side by Mr. Nelson G. Grills, former Lieutenant and pilot of K-74, and Mr. Saul Stessel, cousin of Isadore Stessel. Accompanied by Chief Attwood on guitar, all aboard sang three verses of the Battle Hymn of the Republic. The service was concluded by Chief Attwood, and the boat returned to Fort Lauderdale. In attendance were Nelson G. Grills and his wife Reva M. Grills, Robert H. Bourne and his wife, Earline Bourne, Leonard Simpson, Sally Simpson, and Peter Simpson, Saul Stessel, Timothy Brophy, Susie Brophy, Francis Brophy, Francis E. Brophy, LT James McGibbon, YNC Anthony Attwood, and CAPT Charles M. LaBow. |
Back to work bump for the Foxhole...OOOO-RAHHH
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
Off to bed bump back to you!
Lots to do again tomorrow. Good night Sam.
Evening alfa6.
I get to say goodnight before good morning today. :-)
Good Night Snippy.
Walls by the end of the week!!
Not trivial firepower. Two double-barrelled 13.2mm (.52 caliber) Breda-Fla-MG with high cyclic rate and usually one 20mm autocannon. The deck gun was a naval 88 mm, not the same as the famous 88, and could only be elevated 30 degrees, and so could engage the airship only up to twice the airship's altitude in horizontal distance. (Ain't the Net grand?)
Lighter than air has possibilities yet today. Hard to beat as a sigint platform, the darn satellites are always below the horizon! And boy, are they ever expensive, besides!
Good morning, Snippy and everyone at the Foxhole.
Read: 2 Corinthians 8:7-15
You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor. 2 Corinthians 8:9
Bible In One Year: Isaiah 59-61; 2 Thessalonians 3
In high schools in the US, being elected homecoming queen is a great honor for any young woman. But when a high school near Houston, Texas, crowned Shannon Jones, it was a special moment for her and for everyone in the community. Nineteen-year-old Shannon, who is an award-winning athlete and an active member of her church youth group, has Down syndrome.
Shannon knew this once-in-a-lifetime experience was a gift from her younger sister Lindsey, who was the catalyst to elect her. Their dad said, "I'm so proud of Lindsey. Probably somewhere in the back of her mind, this is something she'd like to do." But she made it happen for Shannon.
The most inspiring acts of human love are only a shadow of the immeasurable gift our Savior has given us. Paul wrote, "You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9).
Christ left His glory in heaven and died on the cross for our sin so that we could be forgiven through faith in Him. His sacrifice was based on His love, not on our merit. All we are and all we have are the Savior's loving gifts of grace to us. David McCasland
On This Day In History
Birthdates which occurred on October 20:
1632 Sir Christopher Wren England, astronomer/architect
1812 Austin Flint 19th century heart research pioneer
1819 Mirza Ali Mohammad [Babi faith], forerunner of Baha'i
1854 Arthur Rimbaud France, poet/adventurer (Illuminations)
1859 John Dewey philosopher, educational theorist/writer (Learn by doing)
1874 Charles Edward Ives Danbury Ct, composer (Holliday Quick Step)
1874 Viscount Palmerston (Whig) British PM (1855-65)
1889 Margaret Dumont actress-Marx Brothers' foil
1896 Nat Holman basketball coach (CCNY)
1900 Wayne Morse (Sen-R/D-Ore)
1908 Arlene Francis Boston Mass, radio/TV hostess (What's My Line?)
1911 Will Rogers Jr actor (Down to Earth)
1913 Barney Phillips St Louis Mo, actor (Dragnet, Felony Squad)
1918 Anton Diffring Koblenz Germany, actor (Assignment Vienna)
1921 Pierre Laporte Canada, journalist/statesman (Revolution Script)
1922 John Anderson Clayton Ill, actor (Virgil-Legend of Wyatt Earp)
1923 Herschel Bernardi NYC, actor (Peter Gunn, Arnie, Voice of Charlie the Tuna, The Front)
1925 Art Buchwald Mt Vernon NY, columnist/author (Have I Ever Lied to You)
1926 Ursula Happe Germany, 200m backstroke swimmer(Olympic-gold-1956)
1930 "Grandpa" Louis M Jones Niagra Ky, country singer/banjoist (Hee Haw)
1931 Mickey Mantle NY Yankee, home run slugger (1956 Triple Crown)
1932 Roosevelt Brown Virginia, NFL hall of fame tackle (NY Giants)
1932 William Christopher Evanstown Ill, actor (Father Mulcahy-M*A*S*H)
1934 Martin Landau actor (Mission Impossible, Space 1999, Tucker)
1935 Jerry Orbach actor (Law & Order, Dirty Dancing)
1937 Juan Marichal baseball pitcher (SF Giants)
1937 Wanda Jackson Maud Okla, country singer (Let's Have a Party)
1946 Connie Chung Washington DC, news anchor (NBC, CBS)
1948 Andrei Suraikin USSR, pairs figure skater (Olympic-silver-1972)
1953 Keith Hernandez SF Calif, NY Met 1st baseman (9 golden gloves)
1953 Tom Petty Gainesville Fla, singer (Heartbreakers-Refugee)
1958 Eric Scott Hollywood Calif, actor (Ben-Waltons)
1967 Susan Tulley British actress (Michelle-EastEnders)
1970 Tiffany [Renee Darwisch], rocker (I Think We are Alone Now)
(Ain't the Net grand?)
Yep it sure is.
Later in the war they got even more serious firepower, still in the long run in an aircraft vs U-Boat fight the aircraft usually won.
Some boats had a 3.7cm gun and others featured the quadruple 2cm 38/43 U with shield.
Morning Aeronaut.
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