The destroyer USS Reuben James was torpedoed in the icy North Atlantic in the fall of 1941, the third American destroyer torpedoed in the undeclared war of the Atlantic.
Lacking the latest improvements, unlike the USS Kearney, the 21-year-old Reuben James went quickly down from the torpedo blast. The Reuben James’ sister ship, the Greene was the target of two torpedoes on the same North Atlantic a month before, but the missiles somehow missed.
Of the seven officers and 69 members of the crew, 44 were rescued. According to the Navy Department, the destroyer was fully equipped with lifeboats, rafts and life preservers for the crew, plus 15 per cent.
At the Wilson Theatre, Gary Cooper was starring in “Sergeant York,” along with Joan Lesley, Walter Brennan and Ward Bond. In midweek, the feature was “Whistling in the Dark,” with Red Skelton, Ann Rutherford and Virginia Gray. Finally at the end of the week, it was Robert Montgomery, Claude Rains and Evelyn Keyes, in “Here Comes Mr. Jordan.”
Next door, at the El Patio, it was Roy Rogers starring in “Bad Man of Deadwood,” while midweek saw Lloyd Nolan and Marybelle Hughes in “Dressed to Kill.” Over the weekend, it would be “Harmon of Michigan,” with the college star himself, and Anita Louise, and “Prairie Pioneers,” with Robert Livingston, Bob Steele and Rufe Davis.
With the fall of Odessa, German troops concentrated on Sevastapol in the Crimea and on Novorossisk across the Black Sea at the foot of Russia’s oil-producing Caucasian Mountains. Those were the last two major bases left for Russia’s mighty and modern Black Sea fleet. The Germans were trying to cut off the fleet from its line of supply.
At the same time, the Nazis rushed fresh troops, tanks and guns into the battle for Moscow, the Soviet capital. Russia claims that the Germans have lost at least four million men in the 19-week battle around the city.
The Germans were said, in the area near the town of Tula to be throwing in ever-increasing reserves, and attacking day and night. The reports said that the Soviets were holding ground firmly against the two or three attacks nightly.
Japan was considered to be considering the possibility of a limited agreement with the U.S. to avoid a showdown between the United States and Japan, and at the same time, enable the Nippon Empire to resume the purchase of American oil.
The report indicated that Tokyo’s plan for a compromise was based on
1. U.S. resuming normal trade relationships with Tokyo, especially oil shipments.
2. Japan, in return, was to overlook Berlin’s contention that the U.S. attacked Germany first in the North Atlantic.
3. Japan would agree to refrain from interfering with American, British or Dutch interests in the Southern Pacific.
In the Nov. 1941 general elections, Republicans swept Blair County. William M. Parker won as Judge of the Supreme Court, Charles E. Kenworthy won for Judge of the Superior Court, George G. Patterson won for Judge of Common Pleas Court, John B. Elliot won for Prothonotary and Clerk of the Court, and John E. Harvey won for sheriff.
Republicans also won all Tyrone-based offices. In the election for school directors, A.J. Hickes, Jesse J. Woodring, Foster E. Barr were elected to six-year terms over Democrats George C. Wilson and Robert Rothrock. Frank W. Acklin was re-elected over Democrat Albert “Mick” Morrison for a four-year term, and Luther Wagner was elected to a two-year term over Rothrock.
Burgess Raymond A. Hagerman was re-elected for his fifth consecutive term, running on both Republican and Democratic tickets, as was John I. Dewey as tax collector, and Oscar A. Miller ran unopposed for borough auditor.
The justice of the peace scramble was unscrambled as both Wesley B. Robinson and Howard D. Prough were re-elected. The Fall, 1941 primary ballot was marked incorrectly “vote for one.” The error was corrected to read “vote for two.” Robinson ran on both tickets and Prough ran a sticker campaign and received the other justice of the peace position.
Ending the 1941 season in a blaze of glory, the Tyrone Golden Eagle football team (10-1) scored touchdowns in three of the four quarters to defeat Hollidaysburg 20-7 on Armistice Day, Nov. 11, 1941, at the County Seat on Tuesday afternoon.
Tyrone’s Elvin “Red” Rhodes recovered a Hollidaysburg fumble at the H-21 early in the contest. Ralph “Red” Thomas carried to the 10 and minutes later Elmer Parker passed to Dick Fisher, who made a one-handed catch in the end zone for the touchdown, the only score of the first half. Hays Bickel kicked the extra point.
In the third quarter starting from their own-45, Parker rumbled over right tackle for eight yards to begin the series. Raymond Robinson snuck for three and a first down. Parker picked up two, before Thomas blasted through right tackle for nine. Calvin Noel lost 10, but Parker passed to Fisher for 19 to get the ball to the H-21.
From the H-11, a Thomas pass to Fisher was lateraled to Jim Glenn on the two, fumbled and recovered back at the four. Parker went over right guard for two, and Thomas bowled through right tackle for the two-yard TD.
Near the end of the quarter, Hollidaysburg was forced to punt and Tyrone took over at the H-48.
Charlie Foust on an end around, took a handoff from Parker for five yards, on the first play of the fourth quarter. Thomas went off tackle, and cut back for seven and a first down. Parker cut through left tackle for four yards, Thomas passed to Glenn for four. On a sneak, Robinson slipped through into the clear from the 27 and raced for a touchdown. Bickel split the uprights for the PAT and a 20-0 advantage.
Hollidaysburg scored on the next series, but the Tigers last threat was stopped by a Robinson interception at the T-26.
