"Swayback Maru"

Time of March 8 carries the following facts on Capt. Ernest Small's '10 now famous cruiser, the old Salt Lake City: " the oldest heavy cruiser the U. S. has .... 'Swayback Maru' Because she never got hit hard enough to be sent home for repairs, she never got much publicity .... on performance the Salt Lake City was No. 1 U. S. cruiser of the war.

".... has been in more engagements. .... Japs have sunk her twice and left her burning once .... somewhere in the Pacific last week Swayback was still serving.

"The Salt Lake City rose to her most heroic moment for a new skipper, Captain Ernest G. Small ('Shorty'), on the night of Oct. 11-12....5 he was hunting destroyers. She found more: six cruisers, six destroyers, a transport and auxiliaries. Her ten guns set a light cruiser ablazing. Twenty rounds were enough to finish a heavy cruiser.... the Boise had been badly damaged she was in flames Shorty Small did not hesitate he sailed in front of the Boise .... silenced a Jap heavy cruiser .... four more salvos sunk the enemy ship. The Boise was saved. Old Swayback proudly escorted her from the battle area."