Winchester Journal, May, 1942
Ernest (Tag) Huffman, U.S. Navy
"I'd rather look back on it than have it coming up."
"Tag" a member of the crew of the U.S.S. Marblehead, came home Sunday, arriving from an eastern port where the badly damaged cruiser was docked for repairs after a sensational 13,000 mile voyage following the Battle of Macassar Straits with the Japanese last February.
Here is Tag's story as told to this writer:
The day before the battle, a group of Japanese bombers enroute on a mission of destruction had sighted U.S. warships while they were returning to join a group of Dutch based boats after encountering a superior enemy force the day before. Knowing too well something was going to happen, everyone on the Marblehead was ready, so said Tag.
Twenty minutes before the attack, reconnaissance planes notified the coming of the Japanese and every man was at his gun, waiting.
As soon as the enemy planes were spotted we started firing plenty soon, but our anti-aircraft guns were to small-although we forced them to make three runs at us before they could make a hit.
The speed of the ship and the clever maneuvers under command of the captain caused them a lot of trouble in hitting their mark. There were 37 Japanese "Betty" high-level bombers in the attack force, four groups of nine each and the leader. A smoke screen was thrown up to make them think the whole ship was on fire and thinking it was doomed they dropped no more bombs on the Marblehead, although the formation passed back and forth over it while bombing other ships.
When asked how they felt when the bombs hit, Tag said it gave you the most helpless feeling when they never even broke formation and just kept coming on with bombs falling like someone throwing sand at you.
In these simple words Tag made this reporter feel the utter helplessness and hopelessness of that crew of sailors on board, fighting against such great odds.
Two direct hits were made on the Marblehead, one well forward and one at the stern. A close hit damaged the side to such an extent that upon reaching dry docks, workers worked from the hole in the side like it was a large door. The hole was approximately 12 feet across the bottom of the ship, although they did not know this until reaching Java. The only inkling of so much damage was the fact that instead of drawing the usual 18 feet of water, they were drawing 27 feet.
The forward hit was the one which damaged the 'sick bay' where Tag was stationed. Whether it was psychic or an act of providence, it will never be known why the idea struck the third class pharmacist mate (Tag) to clear the hospital of patients. He and the other helpers got their patients out on deck and in the passageway and along with them, lay down on their stomachs.
In describing the wreckage of the sick bay, Tag said the hospital beds, made of 2-inch pipes, were twisted and wrapped as though they were made of little wires. All of the medical supplies were lost, but for just such emergencies these supplies are set up in various points on the ship so no lack of medical care resulted. As for casualties, five sailors were killed outright from shrapnel, 11 men died from burns and concussion injuries and two died from the effects of lethal gas caused from the fires.
Tribute to these last two who gave their lives was given by Tag for their bravery. They were ship fitters and after the bombing were checking for leaks in the smoke and water filled bottom of the ship. After the first one fell, on going down in the bottom, the other man thinking he had just tripped, followed him down and was also killed by the gas.
Of unusual interest was the description of the damaging of the ship's rudder. The direct hit had jammed the rudder, which made it impossible to steer the ship. One of the ship fitters went down into the wreckage and with an acetelyne torch cut it loose, so that with clever manipulation it might be guided. This ship fitter, Aschenbrenner, was to have been awarded the distinguished medal of honor, but tragedy intervened as he was one of the two men who died later from the lethal gas.
The ship was in drydock in Tjclatjap, Java for one and a half weeks and it was here the wounded were taken ashore, the more seriously wounded to a hospital up in the mountains, the less seriously to a local hospital. The latter, 17 in all, were later returned to the ship before sailing and the rest were rescued and sent to Australia before the Japanese came.
From Java the ship sailed to Tricomola, Ceylon, where beams that had been damaged were reinforced. Due to the rough passage they knew would be between Ceylon and South Africa, this was necessary or the boat, in it's present condition would have broken in two.
In South Africa, the important stop for repairs was made. This took three weeks, but from there they were on the last lap headed for South America. By that time they were all ready to get their feet on terra firma, so two days were spent there so that everyone might have a few hours leave.
They came into the Port of Pernambuco, or what used to be called the Port of Recife.
From there they were headed for the land of the free and in every word this reporter could feel the relief and happiness on reaching home port.
Asked why the ship took the route half way around the world, Tag said that it was not only to fool the Japanese, who thought the Marblehead had gone down, but because it was the least infested waters. In all the trip, their only time of sensing danger was the spotting of three submarines, but enough so that the ship could be turned toward them and there was nothing else for them to do but submerge. The speed of the engines was exceptionally good and the submarines did not bother much as it is the slower ships which usually become the prey.
Most of the injury to the men under Huffman's care was from burns. Most of these were more serious because of the light, tropical uniforms worn by the crew. As Tag said: "It was a lesson learned-whenever we are in action again we will put on all the clothes we can find. The heat and quickness of combustion of the bombs cause the first degree burns suffered."
Of course this reporter was interested in what was done for hospitalization after the sick bay had been so badly damaged, but again the keen-minded men in command of the ship took care of that. The hospital was set up in the torpedo work shop, according to Tag, where just across was a room full of bunks, four deep.
"It was bad," Tag said, "all the bunks were filled: they were lying on tables and even on the deck. But if you could have seen the reaction of all on board when the call came! We needed blankets and other supplies. Everyone gave more than his share. And talcum powder. We sent out a call for that and everyone on board, I believe, had some. I never saw so much at one time.
Tag paid high tribute to his captain when he said:
"He wasn't afraid of anything. He challenged every ship and well knowing the crippled condition of the Marblehead, he wouldn't run."
Tag is now a pharmacist mate third class and will, after his furlough has expired, enter a naval hospital training school for advanced medical training.
He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. O.M. Huffman, south of Winchester, and is now home on a thirty-day furlough, the first since August of 1939.
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