RECOLLECTION

Richard L. Bradley 1989

“Flashbacks to World War II”

Following my graduation from boot camp in Norfolk, Va., in March 1941, I was assigned to the U.S.S. Swanson DD443 which was scheduled to be placed into commission May 29, 1941 in Charleston , South Carolina.

Even today I still have a vivid minds eye picture of arriving in Charleston and seeing for the first time two state of the arts fighting ships docked one in front of the other at a pier and numbered 443 (Swanson) and 444 (Ingraham). At the time they resembled two sleek greyhounds as they were painted in the regular battleship grey color.

My major recollection is the North Atlantic campaign especially the period prior to the sneak attack upon Pearl Harbor. The United States was not at war with Germany but U.S. destroyers such as the Swanson were engaged in escorting and protecting British convoys crossing the Atlantic from attack by German Naval forces particularly the German U-boats, who during that period were enjoying success. The destroyer Greer was fired upon, the Kearny was torpedoed and the Reuben James was sunk, but of course we were fighting back and the Swanson during this period did drop depth charges on sonar contacts.

Some of the things most vivid in my memory concerning this period of time were:

The intense cold in the North Atlantic (this kid from New Orleans had never seen snow until he joined the Navy.) The angry seas with waves which appeared to a young sailor to be as high as a ten story building or higher. The incredible rolling of the Swanson up to 45 degrees at times. Eating hardtack and wormy bread. Wearing a bulky kapok life jacket at all times. As a engineer trying to get a propulsion plant designed to do 30 plus knots throttled down to stay abreast with ships doing 6 knots. Making sweeps through a convoy of 40 to 60 plus ships while operating our sonar for submarine contacts due to the large number of wolf packs in the area.--------and ----- the night our sister ship the USS Ingraham DD444 was sunk losing over 300 men in a matter of seconds due to a collision with a convoy ship. The Ingraham depth charges and magazine exploded annihilating most of the crew.

These are just a few of my recollections of the North Atlantic campaign, I was constantly cold, scared, and questioned my own sanity to put myself in this position when my country was not even at WAR!

The majority of my shipmates and I were 17 to 19 years of age. Just kids, who had suddenly been thrust into the life and death struggle of World War II, with the stresses burdens, responsibilities and duties of a fighting ship sailor. Some how or other we did rise to accept the challenges of the time. I find this incredible everytime I look and observe my own fine young 18-year grandson.

“How different from the present man was the youth of earlier days !”

OVID (43B.C. –A.D. 18) Heroides