Bare-Faced Messiah (PDF) - Apologetics Index

were men of experience, displayed an astonishing accuracy, bursts and shells converging on the
target.
'The target disappeared for several minutes and then, to test the guns not brought to bear on the
first burst, the ship was turned in case the object reappeared. The object appeared again closer to
the ship. Once more fire was opened and the target vanished.'
Ron stressed that he considered it likely this target was no more than driftwood, but he thought it
was good for the morale of the gunners to ensure the newly-installed guns worked. The USS PC-
815 mounted four further attacks on the elusive submarine in the hope of forcing it to the surface,
without success. At the end of the sixth attack the ship's supply of depth charges was exhausted.
Urgent signals requesting more ammunition at first met with no response.
At nine o'clock in the morning, two US Navy blimps, K-39 and K-33, appeared on the scene to help
with the search. By noon, Ron believed that the submarine was disabled in some way, or at least
unable to launch its torpedoes, since the PC-815, lying to in a smooth sea, presented an easy
target and had not been attacked. In the early afternoon a second, smaller, sub-chaser, the USS
SC-536 arrived, but was unable to make contact with the target.
On the bridge of PC-815, Ron offered to lead the other ship on an attack run, blowing a whistle to
signal when to drop its depth charges. 'With the bullnose of the SC nearly against our flagstaff,' Ron
wrote, 'we came to attack course . . .' Five depth charges were dropped on the first run and two on
the second.
"The observation blimps began to sight oil and air bubbles in the vicinity of the last attack and finally
a periscope. This ship also sighted air bubbles . . . At 1606 oil was reported again and this ship
saw oil. Great air boils were seen and the sound of blowing tanks was reported by the soundman
. . . All guns were now manned with great attention as it was supposed that the sub was trying to
surface. Everyone was very calm, gunners joking about who would get in the first shot.'
But the submarine did not surface. Far from being discouraged, it seemed that Ron was by then
convinced that there was not just one but two submarines lurking somewhere beneath them. His
sonar operator had reported making a second, separate, contact a few hours earlier.
Shortly before five o'clock, a Coast Guard patrol boat brought in further supplies of ammunition.
Manoeuvring alongside, twenty-seven depth charges were transferred on to the USS PC-815 and
made ready for firing. Not long afterwards, a second Coast Guard patrol boat, the Bonham arrived,
followed by another sub-chaser, the USS SC-537. There was now a total of five ships and two
observations blimps involved in the search for the enemy submarines off the coast of Oregon.
All through the next day, sweep and search operations continued, although not all the
Commanding Officers were as keen or convinced as Ron. 'Neither the SC-537 nor the Bonham', he
noted 'showed any understanding whatever and refused by their actions to cooperate.' The SC-537,
he added with barely concealed disgust, failed to drop a single depth charge. As if in
compensation, the USS PC-815 made one attack run after another, forging back and forth at high
speed, dropping barrage after barrage.
Still no wreckage, no bodies, floated to the surface. Ron was not in the least deterred. 'Because we
had three times found two sub targets on the previous day, we considered from her failure to
surface that one sub was gone down in 90 fathoms. The other still had batteries well up for it made
good speed in subsequent attacks . . .