 Soldiers of the press night patrol I'm Clinton B. Conger United Press here my credential What's your business here, Mr. Conger? I don't know Admiralty informed me this afternoon that if I came down here tonight, then boys would see do it that I had an interesting time I was told to say strawberry control. Yes, sir. I think you'd have an interesting time. All right Would you mind signing this please your United Press staff correspondent Clinton B. Conger signed a waiver releasing the British government from responsibility in case of injury or death Then he was taken down deep into a great concrete structure along the waterfront Thus began one of the many exciting adventures of United Press staff Correspondents who bring you eyewitness accounts of world news as it happens Listen to Clinton B. Conger story of night patrol Here you are, sir. This is me. Hello, Clint. How are you, Fraser? Hey, what's the pitch here? Where are we headed for? Holland. I don't want to go to Holland. They've got Germans there That's just where we're going at the same promised me an interesting time But that's after to be just a little too interesting How are we getting to Holland if I may ask motor torpedo boats, you know, we call them PT boats back home Murder I get seasick as a dog just looking at a bowl of goldfish. I should have stood in bed I gripe loudly and fervently but just the same I was pretty excited about the whole thing I was going to get my first ride on one of Britain's highly secret patrol boats that sweep across the English Channel nightly to disrupt German shipping As I stood talking with other correspondents in the underground dock I became increasingly certain of one thing Before the night was out a whole mess of Germans probably would be taking potshots at me I anticipated the prospect with what might be called mixed emotions Power so the door opened again and a Navy officer came in he was carrying a hat. Good evening gentlemen I have a head full of numbers here each of you will please draw one What's the idea the numbers will determine which of the patrol boats each of you is to accompany? So will you draw please one by one? We drew folded slips of paper out of a hat. I picked number one the first boat That meant I'd be in a position to see all of the action But it also meant I'd be in the boat that the Germans would likely concentrate their flower pond My shirt suddenly became very tight around my neck. Who has drawn the first boat? I did Will you come this way mr. Conger Thanks, you're locked I Followed the British Naval officer from the underground sharp room into what at first appeared to be a storeroom of some kind It was pitch-black Smell of gasoline As my eyes became accustomed to the dim light I gradually made out the outlines of one of the British Hornets, which is what they call their PT boats We went aboard the 80-foot craft Vibrated gently underfoot from the throbbing of its three great motors The young ensign met us on the wing of the bridge. Uh, mr. Selfridge. This is Clinton Konger of United Press Very happy to know you mr. Konger and have your board. I'll let you know later whether I'm glad I came or not Well, I think I leave you now mr. Konger. You're in good hands. I'll see you when you get back That sounds encouraging. I'll see you later. We're about to shove off mr. Konger I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to go down below and we'll see All this very hush hush stuff, you know Sorry and all that but there isn't any alternative. I understand. Which way do I go? Evans, take mr. Konger below and see if he's comfortable, he'll have a I followed a seaman down through a narrow folding hatch that evidently was closed off during rough weather And on another short ladder into the cruise quarters The seaman left me there and I sat down thought about life and things about how many bullets there are flying around Loose on the world that a man can get to the way of Cars go all four or not. Take it one and two Take it in both. Take it in two All clear. Stand by. Next station is for getting underway The thin hull of the torpedo mode vibrated a trifle more and I could faintly sense that we were moving From time to time I could hear orders being shouted over head. Evidently something was being done about a huge door I had the least idea of where we were How we were going to get out to sea and I still don't know All I know is that after a half hour or so the boat began pitching and tossing heavily and I heard the officer parking All hands put on your mewests man blessing station So I put on the life preserver that the seaman had given me and I tried to make myself as comfortable as possible on that narrow bunk After a while the motion of the boat humming of the engine slowed me to sleep Mr. Konger Mr. Konger I went up on deck with him It was dark now and I could barely see the other boats in the formation lined up behind us I went up on the flying bridge and you have a good nap, mr. Konger. Yeah any excitement? No, not yet I thought I might as well let you sleep on the way out Very dull really, but we're getting close now another hour or so will be in the thick of it I shouldn't wonder not too thick. I hope And they told us to give you fellas a good show So we're going a bit further in than usual They're quite likely to have a first rate rompers. That'll be nice. Excuse me The quartermaster tell the engineer to stand by for emergency changes of speed. I watched while the quartermaster crawled after Along the narrow deck to the engine room where he opened a little hatchway in the deck Then a head appeared in the opening a quartermaster shouted into the ear of the engineer Ye grin nodded and then disappeared I asked Selfridge about the engine room. It seemed awfully small from where we were standing. It is small Chaps have to crawl around on their hands and knees down there. Oh, there's more than one Oh quiet two men three engines. Greatly bad job there I shouldn't like to have it. We have plugs ones ears all the time, you know go deaf otherwise Engines kick up a horrible bus and hit top speed. You mean we aren't going top speed now? Heavens no, only about half. We can make 70 knots, you know I didn't know but 70 knots is a healthy 80 miles an hour I had a sudden great respect for these boats and for the men who run them As we raced for the dutch coast I looked at the boat over from end to end hanging for dear life to a railing thoughtfully provided for that purpose The forward end of the boat was high out of the water now The stern was dug down deep as the propeller screwed into the sea Everywhere I looked there were machine guns torpedo tubes The ensign's elbow was a small deck gun All together this was the evil's deadly looking weapon of war I'd ever seen And I was on it hurtling at top speed toward german occupied holland Let's go carefully now mr. Cunger minefields all around us minefields uh hours are theirs We must be getting close. I should say so practically there actually Coats is a mile and a half off in that direction I looked very pointed expecting the blackness to open up with the flash of gunfire nothing happened. I couldn't see a thing Then self-rejorted the engines muffled and an amazing quiet descended on our fleet was vaguely disappointed I'd expected great things and a terrific amount of gunplay Instead we cruised up and down the dutch coast as though we were in a lake back home Seemingly we owned the entire english channel and no one was in a mood argue with us about it Hours went by I was on the verge of going below and returning to the arms of morpheus when self-rej spoke uh-huh A big pardon I said uh-huh. Yes, but why business the convoy jerry's where there I couldn't see a thing. I was about to tell self-rej I thought he was imagining things when the night cracked wide open with a blaze of light The germans turned to search light on us take off mufflers full speed all right brother Hang on mr. Conker I hung on The torpedo boat almost leaked out from under us as the engines opened up Then we twisted around in a complete circle faster than I can tell you about it Search light tried to follow us, but couldn't Then the whole fleet of torpedo boats dashed off in all directions. Self-rej grabbed his microphone. Hello. Hello. Hello. Come in strawberry All for orange calling strawberry come in please. Hello jack strawberry here. Good boy, tom I think we have them rattled you go left. I'll go right We'll come in behind them. Is that understood over to you. Yes, I understand orange. See you later over and off We raced through the darkness at full speed I kept thinking about those minefields all around us But evidently self-rej didn't worry about them because we never slack and speak until we were on the other side of the german convoy Then the mufflers were put on the motors again and we crept slowly in towards the enemy ships Everybody was tense and quiet And then dimly at first I saw a large shape looming up ahead of us An enemy ship Stand by to fire torpedoes standing by sir stand by old guns and train on target standing by sir Quietly we edged toward the german ship She was about a mile away when we first saw her We covered about half the distance when the blinker light flashed at us from her bow They're challenging us sir answer them. What shall I say sir? I don't know they're cool. Send anything Just keep their minds occupied a few seconds longer until we can get in range. Aye aye, sir The quartermaster picked up a blinker tube and flashed an answer to the german ship which questioned our identity Meanwhile, we crept closer and closer And the guns on the german ship erupted into flame and the night was filled with whining billets Open mufflers full speed their collision course all guns fly Now our boat leafed through the water again directly at the german ship right into the teeth of our machine guns in three inch shells I ducked down below the bridge and stayed there crossed behind the bulkhead Occasionally I stuck my head up for a look The enemy ship was really a small one, but she looked bigger than a battleship to where I sat I felt acutely unhappy especially so since we were steering directly from the enemy ship and going like a fat out of brooklyn Selfish stood up with the tracers whistling around him and kept his eyes on the enemy ship I was content to keep my eyes on selfish Healed over to get out of their way I learned afterwards we went right by the torpedoes and kept on going past the german ship I wasn't watching I was huddled behind the comforting protection of the bulkhead A few seconds after we healed over and raced away the whole sky seemed to fall in on us I thought for a second he got us. I wasn't gonna say so I got up off my hands and knees some bridge helped me up. Did you fall mr. Cunger? No, I uh dropped my handkerchief when those bullets started whistling bomb It's a nice bucket you got there. Yes, right be much nicer. However, we're on a place Isn't that? Very not it's just plywood you can spit through it. I um, I think I'll go lie down It was quite an adventure Several heavy german escort vessels came out after us and we decided to call it a night for which I was duly grateful On our way back to england the ensign apologized to me for not having been able to show us more excitement I accepted his apology You have been listening to united press correspondent clinton b conger's story of his experiences as a reporter Abort one of the lightning fast british motor torpedo boats that patrol the english channel conger is one of a worldwide staff of united press Correspondence who are eye witnesses to events that are news We will bring you another program dramatizing the experiences of these men of up in the near future Your local announcer will give you the time of that broadcast in just a moment Be sure to listen and meanwhile listen for united press news on the air Look for united press dispatches in your favorite newspaper. 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