RECOLLECTION

Floyd Nelson 1988

“Collision with the U.S.S. Roe”

On July 10, 1943 we arrived off the coast of Sicily as part of an invasion force. At 0200 hours we went to General Quarters and my station was in a Handling Room for number 3, 5”/38 Caliber gun.

At some time before daylight, we were rammed by the U.S.S. Roe, one of our destroyers. We were hit in the Forward Fireroom and Engineroom on the port side.

The men on watch sure did a good job in controlling the flooding of those spaces. They stuffed mattresses into the hole and got the pumps working to save the ship.

As the ship was struggling along in the water at about 5 knots, a German Fighter Bomber ME110 tried to sink us. The Fire Control men did a good job. They had the 5” guns trained on him when they saw him coming in and shot him down.

I walked out on the main deck from the Handling Room and saw the plane still floating in the water.

My good friend , the late Oliver Mollett was a Chief Machinist Mate in charge of the Forward Engineroom at the time and played a large role in saving the Swanson. The Navy Department awarded Mollett the Navy and Marine Medal, which was presented to him by Captain Robertson at a formal ceremony at the Pier in Brooklyn Navy Yard. Later Mollett was promoted to Ensign.

R-32