Bare-Faced Messiah (PDF) - Apologetics Index

the war in the Pacific was of bitter fighting and heavy casualties. US Marines were working their way
from island to island towards Japan, but at shocking cost. In the attack on Tarawa Atoll, more than
a thousand Americans were killed and two thousand wounded: news pictures of the beaches
littered with dead Marines shocked the nation and brought home the terrible reality of war. On 15
June, two divisions of US Marines began an assault on Saipan in the southern Marianas, and in
the battle that followed 16,500 Americans were killed or wounded.
The USS Algol was commissioned in July and immediately put to sea for trials. Through August
and most of September she was exercizing at sea; as Navigating Officer, Ron signed the ship's
deck log every day, but there was little to report except 'under way, as before'. He seemed to have
had second thoughts about wanting to see action, for on 9 September he applied for an
appointment to the School of Military Government, citing among his qualifications his education as
a civil engineer, membership in the Explorers Club, wide travel in the Far East and experience of
handling natives. The Algol's Commanding Officer approved Ron's application, noting on his
fitness report that while Lieutenant Hubbard was a capable and energetic officer, he was 'very
temperamental and often has his feelings hurt'.
On 22 September, the Algol was at last ordered to Oakland, California, to start taking on supplies in
preparation for sailing to war. The excited rumour among the crew was that the ship was to take
part in a major new offensive in the Pacific aimed at the final defeat of the Japanese.
At 1630 on the afternoon of 27 September- the day before Ron was due to leave for Princeton - the
ship's deck log recorded an unusual incident: 'The Navigating Officer reported to the OOD [Officer
On Duty] that an attempt at sabatage [sic] had been made sometime between 1530-1600. A coke
bottle filled with gasoline with a cloth wick inserted had been concealed among cargo which was to
be hoisted aboard and stored in No 1 hold. It was discovered before being taken on board. ONI, FBI
and NSD authorities reported on the scene and investigations were started.'[15]
No further mention was made of the incident. There was no explanation of why Lieutenant
Hubbard, the Navigating Officer, was poking around in cargo being loaded on to the ship or of how
he had managed to find the 'petrol bomb'. Neither was the result of the investigations recorded.