The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1918-02-07

~ 61alsSsl h Losl.
~ 0orAa possible here that sur.
~ Brifish crew OF the yes-
v0Doeled h war department ad-
U1odt account for the difference
Drss - 10 the number Of missing.
M ykere vss some speculation among
unsd eIiicerp % the posiibjlity that The
1nDooals might have struck q mine.
~ Rilests1 location OF the disaster
= h ! rsgioa not previously frequenttd
b submsrinss. The Official announce
GssiA however. cay the 'hip "" tor
root Different Route.
h 10 doubtfsi that the Tuseana was
h rosie Usually followed by Amefi.
csa transports. As British vessel
upder British convoy, the security Of
~ American troops beyond question
vas entrusted to British handling. SO
ar a Is now known no American naval
esaii shared 10 the task Probably nu-
Gerous other transports or army supply
vessels were in the convoy.
The process OF conveying has become
almost routine through practice in both
British and American nayies.
Dsvicee Hear Conveys.
A screen Of desroyers or other swift
craft travels ahead Of a conveyed fleet
The destroyeu are spread out over a
considerable area. II is known that
virtually oil OF the Germap U-boatS are
equipped with listening devices Of con.
siderable distance, so tbe approach OF
the 6estroyer may have become known
10 the U.boat commander before the
vessel, themselves were sighted Fear
Of depth bombs would drive the U.boAt
below. 10 lurk motionle,s at some depth
within sound OF the destroyera The
U.bat probably would com, to the sur
iafe 10 explore.
Navy officials say tnat the one
Chance against which absolute precau-
tion will not guard is tina, the sub
marine Sill come up in the path oil the
approaching transport, obtain a sight
that will permit her TO train her tor
psdo tubes by compass. and again sub
merge. As the listening devices show
That q ship IL within range, q torpedo
could be fired by the submarine while
still submerged Sometimes under the
laws Of chance II might find ii' mark
and this may have happened with the
Tuscania.
Wont Halt Transport.
While the loss indicated was ihlly
appreciated by officials here there was
q general air OF relief about the war
and navy departments that the total was
not larger. The army will continue TO
70 TO Europe in the face OF the sub
marines, but the government meanwhile
WI bend every energy to find additional
means Of checking the undersea raiders.
Confusion Over Engineers.
When the war department. made -.
nouneepent last night OF the units
aboard the Tuseania, there was some
confusion as TO whether the Twentieth
engineers or the 10Th engineers were
included in the list
II finally was established that the
10Th engineer regiment was not on
board. (This Is a separate crganira-
ton from the 10Th engineer train
which was on board)
"a headquarters company and COM
panies ID, Z and T Of. the Twentieth
engineers we're on board. These units
comprise the SIKH battalion OF the
Twentieth which is a forestry regimen,
not attached to the Thirty-second di-
vision. II 10 one Of the forestry regi
ments specially organized for work IN
France.
The list OF units on the ship we're;
Headquarters detachment and
companies d, Z and r Of the Twen-
tieth engineers.
io7th engineer train.
io7th military police.
i07th supply train
tooth aero squadron,
fs6th aero squadron.
7iSth aero squadron.
Replacement detachments Nos
4 and 2 Of the sand division.
Fifty-one casual officers.
First Direct Victim.
Although the American transport
Antilles was torpedoed and sunk IN
the war rome while rturning from
FtaneeNan fourteen soldiers and $50
others were lost, the Tuscana is the
first ship carrying American troops to
Europe to be sunk by submarine
American warships conveying troops
last June twice fought off Submarine
stacks and since then there have
been no reports OF attacks on ships
carrying American troops TO France
. The Tdscania until last fall had
been in the transatlantic trade She
carried British crew and a British
armed naval guard and was conveyed
BY British warships. The use Of Brit.
iah ships to carry American troops has
been hinted at recently in connection
with decision OF the supreme war coun.
ell TO make every effort to increase
General Pefshinss army
May Be Beginning Of Drive.
Navy department officials. have be.
/, lieved that the Germans might concen
trate their Submarines on ships trans
porting American troops and the re-
csll of many submarines to their base'
recently was interpreted as preliminary
70 such q campaign.
. " DESPITE the most careful plans. nav,