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Show FORMER PROVO ROY CITED FOR BRAVERY For coolness and courage displaved in risking his life to save his ship and all on board from destruction by one of tho ship's own depth bombs. Ensign Ellwood L. Houtz, son of Mrs.. Edna iL. Houtz, formerly of Provo, has been commended to Secretary Daniels of the navy for bravery. Such Is the information received here from Washington, D. C. Ennlgn Houtz has risen from the ranks of an ordinary seaman to the grade of a commissioned officer in United Statts navy and only recently was in Salt 'Lake on a furlough visiting visit-ing family and friends here. The ensign was on duty on the Corsair, Cor-sair, a converted yacht that is now used as a submarine destroyer. These dostroyers are supplied with depth bombs, which are used to drop upon "emerged submarines to destroy them. As explained by local navy men, the bom Is attached to a cable and fastened In a stable position under the forward hold in readings for dropping when a U-boat is to be destroyed. de-stroyed. ' ' According to the story received here of Ensign Hcutz' feat, a depth bomb tethered to the Corsair became detached from Its moorings. The vessel ves-sel was riding a very rough sea and the bomb it as bobbing around in the water under the ship, still attached to the cable, but free from Its moorings. moor-ings. At any inatant a roll of the ship or a bob of the bomb might have brought the firing pin of the bomb In contact with the hull of the vessel. Such contact would have exploded the charge and blown the ship to ; pieces. At the imminent risk of being hurl- ed into the sea or blown to pieces at ; any instant Ensign Houtz climbed I down the gangway on the side of the , ship, followed up tho cable until he reached the bomb, unfastened the cable and securely moored the bomb so that the rolling of the ship would 1 not explode it, Jlis act, It is reported 1 undoubtedly prevented an explosion that would have demolished the ship 1 and probably would have killed every I one. aboard. |