At War45-02-2085Battle Report-Pearl Harbor To The Coral Sea

Words at war. I will tell you my story. A story of a lady who died. Hey, listen to the old lady fellas. Some gag, huh? I am a submarine tender USS Canopus, known to my men as the old lady.

Or rather, I was the USS Canopus. For now I'm dead. On the day that the tan fell, on April 9, 1942, I was proudly sent to the bottom by my own men. Sent to my death forever.

Listen, old lady, don't make us laugh. I'm one of your boys, one of the guys who helped send you to the bottom of that day off the tan. I died in a jap prison camp. When a man dies, nobody can bring him back.

But if you think the United States Navy has let you die, listen old lady, don't make me laugh. National Broadcasting Company, in cooperation with the Council on Books in War Time, presents another in the distinguished series Words at War, dramatizing the most important books to come out of the present great world conflict.

Tonight we bring to life an excerpt from an outstanding new book, written from official sources by two officers of the United States Naval Reserve. The book is Bethel Report, Pearl Harbor to Coral Sea by Commander Walter Kerrig and Lieutenant Wilburn Kelly.

Our dramization tonight concerns a little-known story of the Navy's part in the heroic but ill-fated battle to defend Batan and Kuregador. It centers around the gallant submarine tender USS Canopus, The old lady to her men, and that weird but wonderful collection of seagoing land fighters who have now entered our nation's history and legend as the foot-sailors of the time.