Only one of the 17 ships that split off convoy PQ17 made it to Murmansk through the ravaging U-Boat wolfpacks. It was mid 1942. The Soviets were our wary allies and they needed materiale support. There were many more ships in PQ17. Most were lost in the attacks. The British Fleet command pulled support off PQ17 to bottle up the German Battleships - Tirpitz and Prinz Eugen. This left the convoy "naked" and totally exposed to destruction in the cold and deadly Barents Sea. Ivo Duvall was there. His tiny corvette was virtually useless in defense of the merchant ships. Duvall's full hour long interview is on DVD and will be presented to the Library of Congress as part of the Veterans History Project. Duvall also participated in many Pacific battles. More about our efforts at www.me3tv.org.
SOME OF HIS BOOKS
SOME OF HIS BOOKS
2 comments:
Vic, another incindent with Stevens our famous lookout that I Forgot tell you about.
Someplace up along the Norwegian coast I was on the bridge with Captain W. H. Kurvin and Stevens was on the starboard side of the bridge as lookout. He started laughing and I walked over to see what was so funny. He was pointing to a stream of bubbles in the water and thought it was funny. I was so shocked that I couldn't make a sound, I pointed to the Captian and the water,he realized that it was a torpedo headed for the convoy. He blew the whistle and turned the ship hard to port. The torpedo wasn't for us. It had missed us and hit a merchant ship. Smile and have fun.Ivo
Mr. Campbell,
Message received. I just went over the talk I am giving at the CLL meeting Oct. 24th. There are 125 signed to hear my speel (?). Dr. Job promised me an A if I can put two semesters into the time alloted. I got an F in history in high school. The ship building part won't be a problem but the navigation is another thing. I have boiled it down as much as possible. Dr. Job will be doing the Grand Canal and the history the rest of the time is up to me. I have received a preliminary book review of "Admiral Halsey's Cyclone." The book isn't for sale yet. It is very well written. The ship I was on, the DD 669 USSCotten, picked up 24 of the survivors. I remember one in particular, the Chief Watertender. He told us that when the Hull turned on it's side he walked out on the stack and jumped into the water.I was the chief quartermaster and have my own opinion of Admiral Halseys not knowing the cyclone was coming and the seamanship of the ship's captains. One had only been in command 8 days. What did he expect of the top heavy buckets of rivets? Only one captain survived. The captain of the Hull.
Ivo
----- Original Message -----
From: Vic Campbell To: 'IVO DUVALL'
Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2007 9:00 AMSubject: ME3TV - vet interviews..http://www.eggzono.blogspot.com/
I hope you like this .. the full dvd will be made for you and for the library of congress soon. I just HAD to include the crowsnest relieved on you... funny
hope all is well.. vic
More from Ivo:
10/27/07
Mr. Campbell. There was one incident that occurred on the rusted up fishing boat that I forgot to tell you about. I think you will get a kick out of it.
The first trip we made was from Cardill, Wales up the Irish Sea to Londonderry, Ireland. We stopped near the pilot station at the entrance to the channel to take a pilot on board. We signalled for a pilot and they sent a message back to send a boat for him . We launched the lap strake thing called a life boat with six men in it. When we turned it loose they went adrift. No one knew how to row. The pilot station seeing them drifting away sent a powered pilot boat, took them in tow, and towed them back to the ship.
Another interesting incident. In the town at the square was a Woolworth store. There was a beautiful blonde girl working there. I tried to get a date with her. The store manager came over to see what I was talking about. He said, " We are fighting this war for you". I won the fight but didn't get a date.
The lecture about Chines ship building and navigation went over great. No eggs or rotten tomatoes on the platform.
Ivo. (posted by vic from his email)
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