Show AIRMEN MISS FIERY DEATH SAN DIEGO Call Call ov 0 22 22 rove officers and enlisted men of the aircraft squadrons battle battlo crew of tn T-G-L T L 5 seaplane ln engaged In spotting torpedoes 25 s off Point Loma Lorna had an al- al almo al almost mo most t miraculous escape esC from bo- bo boIng be being ing blo blown n to pieces or 01 rowne h hen n their aircraft caught fire tire ex- ex exploded ex Cx exploded and sank In CO 60 fathoms of water liter shortly after noon Wednes Wednesday day All five were rescued by the Kennedy after they had been swimming for more moro than 20 minutes Chief Electrician Nel- Nel Nelson Net son son was the only man Injured l iho te fire tire was started by the eC ec- ci of A a smoke bomb about to te le thrown from the movIng plane to mark the spot pot where a aspen spent torpedo tired fired by a II destroy destroy- destroyer er Vas vas van r resting on the surface or of orthEl the thEl sea MASS O OF PLums MES NAlson had Just raised the bomp bom to drop It over the side Bide when the rush o ot air nil carried It out of his bin hands and smashed It against as his chest Nelson was knocked down and amid tho the bomb carried b by the wInd flow flew against the starboard I shattering It I and send send- sending sending ing splinters tl tiling fling Ing In all directions directions send send-I lions The bomb or what wa wan loft left of it was hurled burled Into the bilge of the seaplane where the I chemicals mixing with the water Ignited In a fraction traction of a sec sec- second sec second ond end the tha seaplane was as a 0 mass of lames flames tan Earl Brix Bric pilot nosed the tho ship downward down ar and shout shout- shouted shouted ed for the tho others to lump jump over over- overboard overboard board The seaplanes seaplane's life lite Shout Shout-I pro pre servers pro servers In the middle of the fu- fu fuselage fu fuselage were a mass of flames flamez and first concern was to see whether all his men could swim They could TAiK TAN K EXPLOSION EXPLOSION- Two minutes after afler the flaming t seaplane hit the surface of the sea ea one ono of the gasoline tanks ex cx exploded I sending a a shower how of ot burn burn- burnIng burn Ini In Ing struts and sections or of o the fu- fu Cu tu seh over the tha men who wore were swimming for tor their lives a short nce away A small patch of oil and driftwood showed where thE plane had sunk I The Kenned Kennedy eight mile miles away the cloud of smoke molo and steamed at top speed to the ran ree- res rescue cue All Ul of the tho men were exhausted then hon the destroyer er hOse ho hoIn hOsein horIn In tIght sight Cheers greeted each flier tiler as hn lie was hauled to the tho Kennedy Kennedys decks The Kennedy raced to port Ith the survivors survivor rho rhe crew of the F- F F L L beside belldo Dna and Nelson who was slight slight- slightly I 1 ly nuit nUlt Included W seaman first clo class s C D chief aviation rigger niger E J B Thorn Thorn- Thornton Thornton ton Thorn ton radio man first class and Nelson chief chlof electrician Th Tho seaplane at te the time lime of the was flying at a speed of 70 miles an hour at n an altitude of about fee feet 00 00 |