HAVING DISTINGUISHED HERSELF IN THE MAKASSAR STRAITS, IN THE BATTLE OFF BALIKPAPAN, BORNEO, (1) AND AGAIN IN THE BALI STRAITS, IN THE BATTLE OF BALI, PLUS A BIG BATTLE IN THE LUMBOK STRAITS (2), THE USS POPE HAD EARNED QUITE A REPUTATION AS A FIGHTING SHIP, AND AFTER TWO SURPRISE ENCOUNTERS AGAINST TWO RATHER LARGE JAPANESE FLEETS, ACCOMPANIED BY OTHER ALLIED SHIPS, THAT HAD LEFT HER UNSCATHED AND WITH NO CASUALTIES TO THE CREW, IT SEEMED THAT THE POPE  MUST CERTAINLY BE LEADING A CHARMED LIFE.

www.navsource.org

WE HAD RECEIVED A MESSAGE FROM THE C-IN-C (COMMANDER IN CHIEF), WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS TO “DEFEND THE ISLE OF JAVA TO THE LAST”.  WE THEN GOT THE FEELING THAT THINGS WOULD START GETTING A LITTLE TOUGHER FOR US, AND THAT WE WOULD PROBABLY BE ENGAGING THE ENEMY IN MORE AND MORE SEA BATTLES IN THE FUTURE.  THE MAIN BODY OF THE ALLIED ASIATIC FLEET ATTACHED TO THE D.E.I. (DUTCH EAST INDIES) UNDER THE COMMAND OF A DUTCH ADMIRAL, K. DOORNAN, LEFT SURBAJA (3), JAVA ON THE NIGHT OF FEB 26, 1942 TO ENGAGE AN ENEMY FLEET IN THE JAVA SEA. (Map developed from Dull, "A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy." Original map by Donald Hoegsburg)

USS CANOPUS & DesDiv 59, Manilla, 1939

THE ATTACK FORCE CONSISTED OF SHIPS OF THE AMERICAN, BRITISH, AND DUTCH NAVIES; NAMELY THE CRUISERS USS HOUSTON AND MARBLEHEAD, THE BRITISH CRUISERS HMS HOBART, EXETER, JUPITER, AND EXPRESS.  THE DUTCH CRUISERS WERE THE JAVA, DERUYTER, AND PIETHIEN.  ALL OF THESE WERE EITHER HEAVY OR LIGHT CRUISERS.  THE BALANCE OF THE TASK FORCE WAS MADE UP OF ABOUT 20 DESTROYERS FROM THE THREE COUNTRIES’ REPRESENTED FLEETS.  USS Houston, Flagship of the US Asiatic Fleet USS Marblehead     MY SHIP, THE USS POPE, HAVING DEVELOPED A BAD LEAK IN THE HOTWELL (EVAPORATORS TO MAKE FRESH WATER), WITHOUT WHICH A SHIP CANNOT OPERATE, WAS UNABLE TO ACCOMPANY THE TASK FORCE, WE WERE FORCED TO STAY IN SURBAJA, TIED TO THE DOCK, TO EFFECT THE EMERGENCY REPAIRS TO THE HOTWELL.

BY THE FOLLOWING EVENING, WE HAD COMPLETED THE NECESSARY REPAIRS AND WERE ONCE AGAIN PREPARED TO RETURN TO ACTION.  WE WERE ASSIGNED TO PATROL THE MINEFIELDS OUTSIDE THE ENTRANCE TO THE HARBOR OF SURBAJA.  DURING THE COURSE OF OUR PATROL, WE SPOTTED TWO SHIPS APPROACHING AND WERE MANNED AND READY TO FIRE ON THEM, WHEN WE RECOGNIZED THEM AS ALLIED SHIPS.  AFTER THE PROPER RECOGNITION, WE ESCORTED THEM THROUGH THE MINEFIELDS.      THE TWO SHIPS PROVED TO BE HMS EXETER AND HMS ENCOUNTER, A HEAVY CRUISER AND A DESTROYER.  THE EXETER HAD TAKEN A FISH (TORPEDO) IN ONE OF HER TWO BOILER ROOMS AND THE ENCOUNTER WAS ESCORTING HER BACK TO PORT.  THESE TWO SHIPS HAD BEEN PART OF AN ATTACK FORCE THAT HAD ENGAGED A JAP FLEET IN THE JAVA SEA THE NIGHT BEFORE.

USS Houston & USS Peary (sister of Pope) , Darwin, Australia, Feb. 1942

HMS EXETER, IN BANKA STRAIT      THE DAMAGE TO THE EXETER WAS BAD ENOUGH TO MAKE HER UNFIT FOR ACTION.  SHE PROCEEDED TO RECEIVE TEMPORARY REPAIRS HERE IN SURBAJA.  THE REPAIRS HAVING BEEN COMPLETED, THE POPE  AND ENCOUNTER WERE ASSIGNED TO ESCORT HER TO CEYLON, INDIA, FOR EXTENSIVE REPAIRS IN THE NAVY YARD.

HMS ENCOUNTER (Tony Tully)

THE THREE OF US LEFT SURBAJA AT ABOUT 2200 HOURS, THE NIGHT OF THE 29TH OF FEBRUARY.  AFTER STEAMING NORTH INTO THE JAVA SEA, THEN VEERING WEST AND STEAMING THE BALANCE OF THE NIGHT, WE WERE GREETED BY A BRIGHT SUNNY DAY.  THE PROSPECT OF OUR BEING SPOTTED BY ENEMY SPOTTER PLANES WAS GREAT AS WE WERE STEAMING IN WATERS WHERE THE ENEMY WAS OUT IN FORCE.     NO AIRCRAFT OR SHIPS WERE SPOTTED UNTIL ABOUT 0715 HOURS.  WE THEN SAW A SINGLE PLANE, IT WAS REPORTED AS A FRIENDLY ONE.  WE THEN ENTERTAINED HIGH HOPES OF POSSIBLY REACHING CEYLON, INDIA, AND WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO A GOOD TIME THERE.  LITTLE DID WE KNOW THAT WE WERE HEADED FOR A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT AND WHAT WOULD PROVE TO BE THE LAST VOYAGES FOR THESE THREE SHIPS.  IN FACT, A VOYAGE WHOSE DESTINATION WOULD NEVER BE REACHED.

THE 0400 TO 0800 WATCH HAD JUST BEEN RELIEVED AND WAS ABOUT TO PARTAKE OF BREAKFAST, WHEN HERE ON THE MORNING OF MARCH 1, 1942, OUR JOURNEY WAS INTERRUPTED BY ENEMY FORCES.  GENERAL QUARTERS WAS SOUNDED; WE LEFT OUR BREAKFAST IMMEDIATELY AND PROMPTLY MANNED OUR BATTLE STATIONS.     IN A VERY FEW MINUTES, AN AIRCRAFT WAS SPOTTED; IT WAS IDENTIFIED AS AN ENEMY.  THE EXETER’S ANIT-AIRCRAFT GUNS TURNED LOOSE A SALVO AND THE PLANE WAS BLOWN TO BITS.  AFTER ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES MORE AT BATTLE STATIONS, AND NOT SPOTTING ANY ADDITIONAL ENEMY PLANES OR SHIPS, GENERAL QUARTERS WERE SECURED AND WE RETURNED TO OUR QUARTERS TO EAT BREAKFAST.

USS Whipple, sister ship of the the Pope, which had scuttled the USS Langley  two days before the Pope went down. US Navy in the Pacific War

WE WERE ABOUT HALF WAY THROUGH WHAT PROVED TO BE OUR LAST MEAL ON THE POPE, WHEN WE WERE INTERRUPTED BY GUNFIRE.  GENERAL QUARTERS SOUNDED ONCE AGAIN AND IN PRACTICALLY LESS TIME THAN IT TAKES TO RELATE, WE WERE ONCE AGAIN AT OUR BATTLE STATTIONS, DETERMINED TO DO OUR BEST TO FEND OFF OR DESTROY OUR ENEMIES AND PROTECT OUR SHIP.     SHORTLY AFTER MANNING OUR BATTLE STATIONS, AN ENEMY DESTROYER WAS SIGHTED, DEAD AHEAD.  OUR SHIP WAS MANEUVERED TO STARBOARD AND COMMENCED FIRING AT IT, AT EXTREME RANGE.  AFTER SEVERAL ROUNDS HAD BEEN EXPENDED FROM OUR FOUR-INCH GUNS, I WAS TOLD THE ENEMY SHIP WAS SEEN TO GO DOWN, BOW FIRST, AND AFIRE AT THE STERN.

WE IN THE ENGINE ROOM WERE SURPRISED WHEN TOLD THAT WE WERE SURROUNDED BY ENEMY SHIPS, THIRTEEN TO BE EXACT, FIVE CRUISERS AND EIGHT DESTROYERS.  THEY WERE STEAMING IN COLUMN, ON BOTH OUR PORT AND STARBOARD SIDES.  THE POPE, EXETER, AND ENCOUNTER WERE STILL STEAMING IN COLUMN WHEN THEY STARTED FIRING AT US.  AFTER THE JAP CRUISERS AND THE EXETER HAD BEEN EXCHANGING GUNFIRE FOR AWHILE, A SALVO HIT THE EXETER IN HER ONE REMAINING BOILER ROOM.  WITH NO FURHTER MEANS OF PROPULSION, SHE SLOWED TO DEAD IN THE WATER.  TO FIGHT ON WAS FUTILE AS SHE WAS A SITTING DUCK WITH NO MEANS TO MANEUVER.  SHE WAS, BY ALL BATTLE TACTICS, OUT OF COMMISSION.

HMAS EXETER, GOING DOWN BY THE BOW (Tony Tully)

AS THE EXETER CARRIED THE SENIOR OFFICER IN CHARGE OF OUR FORCE, A MESSAGE WAS SENT TO THE POPE  AND THE ENCOUNTER, VIA SHIPS RADIO, TO PROCEED ON INDEPENDENTLY; “MAKE A RUN FOR IT AND DO NOT PICK UP SURVIVORS”, THAT WERE ABONDONING HER.    EVEN THOUGH WE WERE HEAVILY ENGAGED IN ACTION, OUR SKIPPER DECIDED TO CIRCLE THE EXETER, ONE TIME, TO LAY A SMOKE SCREEN TO BETTER ENABLE THE MEN TO SAFELY ABANDON SHIP WITHOUT TOO GREAT A LOSS OF LIVES.  WE PROCEEDED WITH THE SMOKE SCREEN EVEN THOUGH WE WERE UNDER HEAVY ENEMY FIRE.

THE ENCOUNTER, WHO HAD BEEN BRINGING UP THE REAR OF OUR COLUMN HAD BY NOW PULLED UP ABREAST OF THE EXETER, AT THAT PRECISE MOMENT SHE TOO WAS HIT BY AN ENEMY SALVO.  SHE MUST HAVE BEEN HIT IN THE AMMUNITION MAGAZINE, AS SHE BLEW UP AND SUNK IMMEDIATELY.    WE SAW NO MORE OF EITHER OF THE BRITISH SHIPS, AS BY NOW WE WERE ATTEMPTING A RUN TO FREEDOM.  WE WERE HOPELESSLY OUTNUMBERED AND OUTGUNNED BY THE ENEMY.  BY NOW THE CRUISERS HAD LAUNCHED THEIR PLANES (S.O.C.’S) AND STARTED DIVE-BOMBING / STRAFING RUNS AGAINST US.

AS LONG AS WE STILL HAD OUR MAIN BATTERY OF “FISH” INTACT, THE ENEMY CRUISERS DID NOT CLOSE WITH US.  THEY STAYED BEYOND THE RANGE OF OUR SECONDARY BATTERY (GUNS).  THEY CONTENTED THEMSELVES WITH LOBBING SIX AND EIGHT INCH SHELLS AT US.      THEY USED A FIRING PATTERN THAT IS KNOWN AS “THE LADDER”.  THEY LOOSE A SALVO THAT IS PURPOSELY SHORT OF THE TARGET, INCREASE THEIR RANGE, FIRE, INCREASE THEIR RANGE, FIRE, UNTIL THEY FINALLY HIT THEIR TARGET.  WE WERE RUNNING A ZIGZAG COURSE AND THE SHELLS FORTUNATELY FELL HARMLESSLY INTO THE SEA.  EITHER THEIR GUNNERY WAS POOR OR WE WERE DAMN LUCKY.  I PREFER TO BELIEVE THE LATTER.

OUR SHIP WAS CONSIDERABLY SLOWER THAN ANY OF THEIR SHIPS.  WE EVEN HAD THE SAFETY VALVES LASHED DOWN, SO THEY COULDN’T POP, IN AN EFFORT TO GAIN SOME SPEED, IN AN ATTEMPT TO OUTRUN THEM, ALL TO NO AVAIL.  ABOUT THE ONLY RECOURSE WE HAD LEFT WAS TO FAN OUT OUR FISH AND FIRE THEM IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF THEIR SHIPS AND HOPE FOR A LUCKY HIT.  WE ALSO DROPPED OUR DEPTH CHARGES IN AN EFFORT TO LIGHTEN THE SHIP, WITH THE HOPES OF INCREASING OUR SPEED.     THE JAP SHIPS STOOD OFF MOMENTARILY UNTIL OUR FISH HAD COMPLETED THEIR RUNS AND WERE SPENT.  WHEN THEY REALIZED WE NO LONGER HAD ANY TORPEDOES, THEY CLOSED THE RANGE AND TO FINISH US OFF.  OUR GUNS WERE NOW FIRING AGAIN AS THEY HAD MOVED WITHIN RANGE OF OUR FOUR-INCH GUNS.

I WAS MACHINIST MATE 2/C, MY BATTLE STATION WAS THE AFTER ENGINE ROOM, WHERE MY FUNCTION WAS “THROTTLEMAN”.  OUR SHIP WAS DESIGNED WITH TWO ENGINE ROOMS, ONE FORE, AND ONE AFT.  EACH ENGINE ROOM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROPULSION OF ONE OF THE TWIN SCREWS THAT THE SHIP WAS EQUIPPED WITH.     DURING BATTLE ACTION, ALL THE HATCHES OF BOTH ENGINE ROOMS WERE CLOSED AND BATTENED DOWN.  EVEN WITH THE FRESH AIR THAT WAS SUPPLIED FROM THE OUTSIDE, THEY SOON BECAME ALMOST UNBEARABLY HOT, TEMPERATURES REACHED 100 TO 115 DEGREES.  THE NERVOUS REACTIONS, WHILE ENGAGED IN BATTLE, MADE IT SEEM EVEN HOTTER.  SWEAT RAN OFF OUR BODIES IN RIVULETS.     AT EACH FIRING OF THE 4” GUNS, THE REVERBERATIONS WOUL BE TRANSFERRED THROUGHOUT THE SHIP.  THE ¼” STEEL PLATES, AND ½” GRATING THAT COMPRISE THE DECK OF THE ENGINE ROOM, WOULD RAISE ABOUT AN INCH OR SO, THEN DROP BACK IN PLACE, MOST OF THE TIME.  THIS GAVE ONE THE FEELING THAT THE SHIP HAD BEEN HIT.     MANY WAS THE TIME THAT I WOULD LOOK AT THE 3/8” STEEL PLATE THAT WAS THE SKIN OR BULKHEAD OF THE SHIP, AND EXPECT AT ANY MOMENT TO SEE A SHELL PENETRATING IT.  IF IT HAD, OF COURSE, I WOULD NEVER HAVE LIVED TO TELL ABOUT IT.     I WOULD ANSWER THE ANNUNCIATOR FROM THE BRIDGE AND ADJUST THE THROTTLE ACCORDINGLY, GIVING THE BRIDGE THE SPEED IT WAS REQUESTING.  I WOULD PRAY TO THE GOOD LORD SILENTLY TO PROTECT THE CREWMEN FROM INJURY AND THE SHIP FROM DESTRUCTION.     TWO THROTTLEMEN ARE ASSIGNED TO EACH THROTTLE DURING BATTLE, AT ABOUT TEN OR FIFTEEN INTERVALS, WE WOULD TAKE TURNS GOING TO THE HATCH LEADING TO THE MAIN DECK, UNDOG IT, AND GULP IN A FEW BREATHS OF FRESH AIR, WHILE GLANCING AT THE ACTION THAT WAS TAKING PLACE ABOVE DECKS.

GETTING BACK TO THE ACTION ITSELF, WHILE THIS WAS TAKING PLACE, WE WERE BEING CONTINUOUSLY BOMBED, SHELLED, AND STRAFED.  NOW, ON THE HORIZON YET ANOTHER  THREAT TO OUR SURVIVAL APPEARED: SEVEN HIGH BOMBERS.  THESE STARTED MAKING BOMBING RUNS AT OUR SHIP.      AT THIS POINT, THE SKIPPER HAD ONE OF THE CREWMEN LIE DOWN ON HIS BACK WITH A PAIR OF BINOCULARS.  THE MAN WAS TOLD TO WATCH THE BOMBERS AND LET THE SKIPPER KNOW THE MINUTE THE PLANES RELEASED THEIR BOMBS.  WHEN THE SKIPPER RECEIVED THE WORD “BOMBS AWAY”, HE WOULD HAVE THE SHIP VEER HARD TO PORT OR STARBOARD, VARYING THE DIRECTIONS, AND THE BOMBS WOULD FALL HARMLESSLY INTO THE SEA.  AFTER THE HIGH LEVEL BOMBERS HAD SPENT THEIR LOADS, WITH NO EFFECT, THEY LEFT.

THE CRUISER PLANES THEN FORMED UP TO CONTINUE THEIR DIVE-BOMBING TACTICS.  WITH EACH PASS OVER THE SHIP, THEY WOULD STRAFE THE SHIP WITH MACHINE GUNS.  OUR AERIAL GUNNERS WOULD RETURN THE FIRE BUT WITH NO APPARENT SUCCESS.  WE FULLY REALIZED THAT WE IN A BATTLE FOR THE SURVIVAL OF NOT ONLY THE SHIP, BUT OF OUR VERY LIVES AS WELL.  WITH THE ODDS BEING SO HEAVILY IN THEIR FAVOR, WE FELT WE WERE FIGHTING A LOSING BATTLE.     I WOULD LIKE TO DESCRIBE THE WEAPONRY AT OUR DISPOSAL TO FIGHT THIS BATTLE.  WE HAD ONE 3.25” A.A. GUN MOUNTED ON THE FANTAIL, WE HAD FOUR 50 CALIBER MACHINE GUNS MOUNTED ON THE GALLEY (GUN) DECK, ONE FOUR INCH GUN ON THE FORE DECK, TWO FOUR INCH GUNS ON THE GALLEY DECK, AND ONE ON THE AFTER DECK HOUSE.  WE HAD, OF COURSE, OUR MAIN BATTERY, FOUR NESTS OF THREE TORPEDOES EACH, TWO NESTS ON THE PORT AND STARBOARD EACH.  THESE HAD ALREADY BEEN EXPENDED.

BY NOW IT SEEMED THAT OUR ONLY SALVATION LAY IN HEADING FOR THE RAIN THAT LOOMED AHEAD.  THIS WAS ATTEMPTED IN A FINAL EFFORT TO SAVE THE SHIP.  AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT, THE RAIN LASTED ONLY ABOUT HALF AN HOUR, BUT AT LEAST FOR THAT LENGTH OF TIME, WE HAD A SHORT RESPITE FROM THE HEAT OF BATTLE.     DURING THE LULL IN THE BATTLE, MY THOUGHTS TURNED TO THE MEN TOPSIDE, WHO WERE DIRECTLY ENGAGED IN THE BATTLE: THE GUN CREWS, AMMUNITION HANDLERS, GUN LOADERS, MACHINE GUNNERS, TORPEDO-MEN, THE OFFICERS DIRECTING THEM, AND THOSE INVOLVED IN DIRECTING THE SHIP.  THEY HAD THEIR HANDS FULL LIKE THOSE OF US BELOW DECKS, AND WERE SWEATING TO KEEP UP THE PACE.  I FELT ASSURED THAT OUR WELL TRAINED CREW WOULD GIVE THEIR ALL, EVEN THOUGH THE TASK WAS HOT AND DEMANDING.  MANY OF US FOUND TIME TO SAY FEW PRAYERS OF OUR OWN.

AS SOON AS THE RAIN DISPERSED, WE WERE SPOTTED BY THEIR AIRCRAFT, THEY WERE ON US LIKE A BUNCH OF VULTURES AGAIN.  ONCE MORE, THEIR PLANES FORMED UP AND MADE THEIR STRAFING AND BOMBING RUNS.    FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME THEY WAGED THEIR AERIAL ATTACK AND OUR GUNNERS RETURNED FIRE.  NEITHER THEY NOR WE INFLICTED ANY TYPE OF SEVERE DAMAGE.  EVENTUALLY, THEY DROPPED A BOMB THAT NARROWLY MISSED THE SHIP AND EXPLODED IN THE WATER ON OUR AFTER PORT QUARTER.  ON EXPLODING, IT OPENED OR SPLIT SOME OF THE PLATED NEAR THE STERN, AND WATER BEGAN POURING INTO THE AFTER SECTION.  THE EXPLOSION ALSO BENT OUR PORT PROPELLER SHAFT, WHICH SENT A STRONG VIBRATION THROUGHOUT THE SHIP.  THE VIBRATION BECAME SO STRONG, COUPLED WITH THE HIGH RPM’S THE TURBINES WERE TURNING, THAT THE SHIP FELT LIKE IT WAS SHAKING TO PIECES.  THE DECISION WAS QUICKLY REACHED TO SECURE THE PORT TURBINE TO STOP THE VIBRATION.  AFTER SECURING THE TURBINE, WE SLOWED DOWN, AND WE TOOK ON WATER MORE RAPIDLY.

A SHORT TIME LATER, WE WERE LISTING HEAVILY TO PORT AND THE AFTERDECK WAS AWASH, IN FACT UNDER WATER.  WE IN THE ENGINE ROOMS HAD BY NOW SET THE BILG EPUMPS IN OPERATION.  WE’D EVEN CONVERTED OTHER PUMPS INTO BILGE PUMPS BY “JURY RIGGING”, IN AN EFFORT TO PUMP OUT THE FLOODING WATER.  THIS EFFORT SEEMED FUTILE, WE WERE TAKING WATER ON FASTER THAT WE COULD PUMP IT OUT.  BY NOW MOST OF US REALIZED WE WERE GOING TO LOSE THE SHIP: “WE WERE FINISHED”.     THE WORD WAS PASSED TO “STANDBY TO ABANDON SHIP”.  THE FIRE ROOMS AND THE ENGINE ROOMS WERE SECURED, VALVES WERE SHUT, FIRES EXTINGUISHED UNDER THE BOILERS, ETC.. THEN WE MADE OUR WAY TOPSIDE.  ON DECK, THE DECK CREWS WERE READYING THE MOTOR WHALEBOAT, THE WHERRY, AND THREE CORK RAFTS FOR LAUNCHING.  I SHOULD MENTION AT THE TIME THE WORD WAS PASSED TO ABANDON SHIP, ONE OF THE MEN WAS OVERLY ANXIOUS TO GET OVER THE SIDE AND JUMPED INTO THE WATER.  ABOUT TEN MINUTES LATER THE WORD CAM ETO ABANDON SHIP, AN ORDER WE HAD HOPED WE WOULD NEVER HEAR ON OUR SHIP.

PRIOR TO HEARING THE ABANDON SHIP ORDER, I WAS ATTEMPTING TO SEEK COVER FROM THE STRAFING BY DUCKING UNDER THE TORPEDO MOUNTS, WHICH OFFERED SOME PROTECTION.  I WAS UNLUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE BEEN HIT BY A MACHINE GUN BULLET THAT CUT THE FLESH OFF MY RIGHT KNEE.  THERE WAS NO PAIN CONNECTED WITH IT, IT WAS MORE LIKE SOMEONE HAD TOUCHED WITH A HOT IRON; LUCKILY IT DID NOT HIT BONE.  A COUPLE MINUTES LATER, I GUESS THE JAPS REALIZED WE WERE ABANDONING SHIP AND THEY CEASED FIRING AT US.  THOUGH MY WOUND WAS OF A SUPERFICIAL NATURE, SEVERAL OTHERS RECEIVED MORE SERIOUS WOUNDS.     AFTER THE CREW STARTED TO HIT THE WATER, MR. ANTRIM, THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER, APPEARED ON THE FANTAIL, AND ASKED “WHO’S GOING TO VOLUNTEER TO HELP ME BLOW UP THE SHIP?”  ANOTHER SHIPMATE BY THE NAME OF MATHEWS AND MYSELF WENT WITH HIM TO SET OFF THE CHARGES.  THERE ARE FOUR CHARGES OF TNT, TEN POUNDS TO THE CHARGE, PLACED NEXT TO THE SKIN OR HULL OF THE SHIP, WHICH WHEN BLOWN, ALLOWS THE WATER TO POUR IN ATA RAPID RATE AND SPEED UP THE SINKING OF THE SHIP, BETTER KNOWN SCUTTLING.  THIS WAS DONE TO PREVENT THE ENEMY FROM BOARDING A SLOWLY SINKING SHIP AND GATHERING INFORMATION OR CHARTS ABOUT OUR FLEET OPERATIONS.  AFTER HAVING COMPLETED OUR JOB, WE ALSO ABANDONED SHIP, SWAM AWAY AND WATCHED AS SHE SANK BY THE STERN.  WE HAD TO GET AWAY FROM HER FAST TO KEEP FROM BEING SUCKED UNDER AS SHE SUNK. Photo of USS Pope, down by the stern,  taken by Japanese Plane, courtesy of Maru Special

BY NOW THE ENEMY HAD RESUMED FIRING AT THE POPE.  WHEN THE STERN OF THE SHIP WAS COMPLETELY UNDER WATER, AND THE BOW POINTING TO THE SKY, AN EIGHT INCH SALVO FROM ONE OF THE CRUISERS HIT HER AT THE WATERLINE, WHICH TENDED TO SPEED UP HER SINKING.  AS THE POPE SLID OUT OF SIGHT BENEATH THE SEA, WE REGRETFULLY REALIZED THAT WE HAD NOT ONLY LOST A FIGHTING SHIP, BUT ALSO OUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME.  WITH SADDENED HEARTS, WE KNEW WE WOULD NEVER WALK THE DECKS OF THE POPE AGAIN. WE WERE, POSSIBLY TO THE MAN, THINKING SHE WENT DOWN AS ALL GOOD SHIPS SHOULD: FIGHTING.

WE HAD FOUGHT THE ENEMY FROM ABOUT 0800 UNTIL ABOUT 1350 HOURS.  WE NOW FOUND OURSELVES IN THE WATER.  AFTER OUR GATHERING IN A GROUP AROUND THE MOTOR WHALEBOAT AND ROLL WAS TAKEN, WE REALIZED THE MAN WHO LEFT THE SHIP EARLY WAS MISSING.  THE MOTOR WHALEBOAT WENT OUT AND BROUGHT HIM BACK TO THE GROUP.  ALL HANDS WERE ALIVE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ONE WHO HAD BEEN KILLE DINSTANTLY BY SHRAPNEL TO THE HEAD.  IN ADDITION TO THE MOTOR WHALEBOAT, WE HAD OUR WHERRY (SMALLER BOAT), THREE CORK RAFTS, AND OUR LIFE JACKETS TO FACE WHATEVER FATE MIGHT BRING.

WE WERE SURE THE POPE WOULD GO DOWN IN THE ANNALS OF NAVAL HISTORY, IF NOT FOR ANY OTHER REASON THAN THAT OF HAVING PARTICIPATED IN THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL NIGHT TORPEDO ATTACK AGAINST AN ENEMY.  THAT, REMEMBER, WAS IN THE BATTLE OF BALIKPAPAN, BORNEO, IN THE STRAITS OF MAKASSAR.