I had the pleasure of corresponding with Edward Ellsberg’s Grandson today. The copy of Pigboats in my possession was my Grandfathers and it was a signed copy (by his Grandfather). Check out his web site (listed at the end of this reblog)
Pigboats
“With his heart in his mouth, Tom glimpsed a dim bow as it came hurtling toward him out of the night. Firing had ceased; they were evidently too close to fire; evidently they meant to ram. Hadn’t he got his recognition signal right?
He pressed a button; below him klaxons shrieked a warning through the boat, he yelled wildly down the voice tube”
“Close all watertight doors! Blow all ballast tanks! Stand by for collision!”
He looked up from the tube. Heeled far down, port rail awash, helm had over, propeller churning full astern. spinning almost on her tail, the destroyer was shooting by his starboard bow, not twenty yards away.”*
*excerpts from the Novel “Pigboats” by Commander Edward Ellsberg, 1931
Imagine being caught on the surface, in the Atlantic, in the night, with a destroyer charging at you…
I have a faded old copy of Edward Ellsberg’s novel
View original post 1,303 more words
theleansubmariner 