FLEET COMMANDER PREPARES EXPLOSION REPORT

  The commander of the fleet In this area began Tuesday assembling a full report regarding the explosion that ripped apart and sank a United States destroyer near the entrance of lower New York Bay Monday.  An official announcement said the reports would be forwarded to Washington and that  "following established Naval practice, the number of dead casualties list and other related data will be made public through the Navy Department in Washington." While there was no statement regarding the number of men aboard or the cause of the blast, the Navy disclosed that Coast  Guardsmen rescued 163 persons, including 108 injured soon after the ship sank in a mass of flames six miles northwest of Sandy Hook, NJ.

REDS SHORTEN NAZI COMMUNICATION LINES

  The Red Army stormed and captured the important railroad town of Belaya Tserkov 45 miles south of Kiev Tuesday in a new bid to pinch off the Nazi still deep in Southern  Ukraine while 350 miles further West the Germans were falling back into prewar Poland in widespread rout pursued by swift charging Cossacks, Premier Joseph Stalin announced the fall of Tserkov In an order of the day saying this strong German Bastion guarding the enemy's left flank in the Southern Ukraine had been seized after four days of stiff fighting.  There was nothing to indicate that the Germans were able to make a stand anywhere yet as the time of war was carried back to the the first week of the German Invasion In 1941.

   Privates are hereby informed: Fresh water showers are available on the Parker today.... LOST: One push-up promoter. Finder may return to Capt Breen (cap with captain’s bars) ... NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN, The look on Capt (sea dog) Klein's face as he negotiated the length of a stateroom from starboard to port aboard a chair which was powered by Atlantic Locomotion..... ADD SHIPBOARD CHATTER One captain to another captain {the latter a Chaplain},,, what did you do in civilian life? ...FOUND: One wristwatch. Owner may claim by identification at  Troop Headquarters THINGS YOU OUGHT TO KNOW ... That web strap, with fasteners, which is attached to many of the life jackets is designed for the purpose of fastening the wearer to a life boat, raft, etc., in case of en emergency.

FRENCH REVOLT BREWS

   A Paris radio commentator declared Tuesday that countermeasures are being take in France to prevent a revolt  vent a revolt planned to coincide with the Allied invasion.

MORE FLYING BOATS ORDERED  gs

   Orders for 20 more of the giant Mars Flying Boats, the first of which has set new records for cargo transportation and over [cut off] flight have been placed with the Glenn L Martin Co., of Baltimore [cut off] Secretary of the Navy Knox announced today.  He discolored th[cut off] original Mars, biggest operating airplane in the world, shor[cut off] go into service in the Pacific

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  The ship that sank off the coast of Sandy Hook, NJ was the USS Turner (DD-648), a Gleaves-class destroyer, commissioned on 15 April 1943 at the New York Navy Yard, less than 20 miles from where it sank 9 months later on 3 January 1944.

After escorting a convoy from Casa Blanca and Gibraltar, the Turner arrived off Ambrose Light late on 2 January and anchored.

   Early the following morning, the destroyer suffered a series of shattering internal explosions. By 06:50, she took on a 16° starboard list; and explosions, mostly in the ammunition stowage areas, continued to stagger the stricken destroyer.

   Then, at about 07:50, a singularly violent explosion caused her to capsize and sink. The tip of her bow remained above water until about 08:27 when she disappeared completely taking with her 15 officers and 123 men. Some 163 others were rescued from the waters following the sinking.

   The ship was stricken from the Navy register with the cause of "internal explosions".