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CORRY action report 2

3. H-50 minutes, upon arrival assigned positon # 3, stopped and anchored
at short stay, as current was flooding at 1 1/2 knots at this time.

4. H-40 mins. Silenced shore battery firing on CORRY after having expended
about 110 round 5"/38. Visibility poor, sea calm, wind force 1. FITCH
having been fired upon considerably had by this time moved to position
that appeared to be about 3 mi. due N St. Marcouf Islands. QUINCY bore
070 degrees T, about 9,000 yds.

5. H-30 minutes. Commenced firing on assigned beach (10 minutes late)
target # 80, bearing about 218 degreesT, range about 5200 was 1st target.
Fired 12 salvos direct fire using navigational and optical ranges. Then
shifted to #82, with same procedure.

6. At about H-20 mins., smoke screens laid so completely by planes that all
vessels Force UNIT appeared to be screened very effectively except the
CORRY. Screen lay to seaward; seemed to extend from St. Marcouf Isls.
N. for several miles.

7. Immediately after laying of smoke screen, about H-15 mins., enemy fire
concentrated on the CORRY. Anchor was lifted from short stay and abrupt
maneuvers were commenced to throw off salvos, by giving ahead flank speed,
stop, backing, right full rudder, and left full rudder, giving due
regards to reefs which extended nearly the entire seaward side.

8. Rapid continuous fire commenced on flashes of nearest battery, which was
firing in salvo at CORRY, bearing about 252 l/2 degrees T, range about
10,000 yds., behind town of St. Marcouf. Flashes very prominent but
battery itself unseen. No outside ship spotting available. Firing con-
ducted by obtaining true bearing on flashes and residual smoke, introducing
same to computer and director, while coaching director on. Optical ranging
on flashes was attempted. Rapid continuous fire to seek range. As CORRY
drew to northward, the bearing of the shore battery decreased to 246 de-
grees T. Meanwhile CORRY fired on by other batteries as well.

9. At 0633 (H & 3 minutes)CORRY hit a mine under the engineering spaces
that caused the immediate flooding of the forward engine room, the forward
fireroom and the flooding of the after fireroom very shortly thereafter.
This [inserted]was[end inserted] accompanied by the loss of all electric power and lighting at the
same time.

10. Just previous to hitting the mine, right full rudder had been given and
25 knots had been rung up because of the proximity of a near miss on
the starboard side (firing was to port). When the ship was mined it
was just starting a right turn at increasing speed. As a result of mining
effect, the rudder jammed hard right and a high-speed circular movement
commenced. Hand steering got the ship headed towards sea, but at 0637
all steam was lost in the after engine room, the only engineering space
not yet flooding.

11. Boats were lowered for purposes of towing ship through shoal water towards
the open sea (the fire support area of the larger ships). The general
signal "This ship needs help" was hoisted, as all communications were
out.

12. At about 0639 word was passed to prepare to abandon ship, as at this time
water had reached the main deck, though the ship was on an even keel but
sagging badly.

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