Norwich bulletin., 1918-10-29
STORIES OF THE WAR
Arrival of American Transports.

HfTiVat cI AnerICan transports. Correspondence of The Associated
 Press.
 When the latest convoy of Ameri- can transports arrived at the Ameri- can. naval base in France it was an inspiring scene to see this stately pro- cession under the bright midday sun, with a stiff breeze whipping the flags, the decks crowded witii American sol diers. and the piers and castle walls biack with cheering people, as the fleet moved majesticGlly past the outer capes to the sheltered inside harbor. Often the entrance is under cover of darkness, to cheat the submarines which have appeared of late off the harbor mouth. But the entrance this day was in broad daylight su that the whole city had chance to turn out and see the sight
 1t was just 40 when the first de- stroyer was seen on the silTery water out between the capes. At that dis tBnce, three miles, it looked only a sDeck as it turned the capes, leaving q thread Of smoke behind This vas 1 the scout ship, far ahead, piloting the way and on the lookout for any dan ger along the path. It came straight l into the harbor, its work done. while 1 ] gether to file between the Capes. Ahead was a large destroyer with four stacks and behind it on either flank two other four sta ekerS. This was the forward protecting barrage of destroyers in d great arc.
 Now q huge prov pushed out be- lyond the white cliff of the cape, and grew radually-towering decks, fun nels, belching smoke, and then the mammoth htA of a 20.000-ton trans port, formerly a German trans Allan ,ic liner. Soon another appeared another former German liner-aho then still another German liner
 "Of to the right of the big ships was a line of destfoyers-the starboart bai'rag age-and to the left another line the port barrage, and satern was an other one of destroyers forming the
 rear barrage. Thus enTeloped. the big
 ships passed into the anchorage, th' destroyers drew off to their nueys, ant
 soon lighters were alongside bearlnt
 ashore this new consignment of man!
 thousand American troops.
 It is a scene oft repeated now as da! after day and night after night, bu often as it is, it is always stirring l sight and one which makes the bloot } jingle as these thousands of fghtin;
 men pour out of the west
 E The American naval base presente' a wonderful panorama this bright da , spread out across the water and alon
 the shore Besides the fleet which ha , just arrived there was the throb 0 . huge naval activity ashore and afloa' ever twenty miles of shore line envel oping this deep blue basin. In iron 5 lay a score of the Dig transports whic - had come during the last week, mos : of them like those just in, Gern1a a liners
 The irony of fate" remarked tn
 observer as he pointed out the man
 German ships freighted with Ameri can troops.
 A hospital ship now passed to tn
 left On the decks lay long lines (
 stretchers, each bearing wounde . soldier. bathing in the sunlight an salt air. "They are going home,'' sai n the navy doctor. They are cases = which the wounds incapacitate thel |! from returning to military service
 legs off, arms off, or other permaneI g disability. But they are well enoug z, along to recovery to permit travelin :. and so they are going home for the Il wooden legs and arms, and after tha
 we'll"
 = At o'clock that night--fve hou, it after the fleet of transports hadsreacl
 ed the anchorage, the huge debarkmel if had been accomplished, and the la ,t man was ashore and in camp.