Crittenden record-press., 1918-04-18

X2
The lookouts were ordered to report every.
thing they saw. Not bit Of driftwood or a
patch Of floating seaweed was to be missed. Al
most every minute call came down from the
tops 10 the fore or aft gun control.
All at once down the speaking tube to the
forward fire control came IN excited voice:
"Fore top, fore top. fore top"
"Aye, aye. fore top
Steamer at 1856 degrees; range, 1000 yards"
AYE, aye. fore top"
There was a steamer, and she wns coming
down fast. smoke boiling out Of her single stack,
her bow driving white bursts Of foam along ahead
of her. The cruiser charged toward her The
gun crews on the Ramapo were fighting TO bring
their pieces TO bear.
ITS German raider" the whisper ran about
the ship.
"She hove 10 only few hundred yards
away" relates member Of the crew. "All Of our
guns were on her. You could see their gray muz-
zes rise and dip as the ship rolled and the gun
pointers held them true on their mark. All ut
once realized loved those guns and the men who
were handling them. 1t was funny I'd never
thought Of them at all before Now they seemed
to be the biggest thing in the world ONE"
There was a sudden gasp Of relief all over the
ship. The tramp had broken out the British flag.
On her bridge someone was semaphoring fran
tcaly The Ramap0 men picked up the hysteri-
cal message.
Submarine encountered one hour direct east.
Believe II is pursuing. Advise caution"
Then the smoke came bursting from her fun
mel again and she went laundering on her way over
the sea, like frightened duck.
Then all at once whisper ran through the ship.
II was repeated as those on the walls Of Luck
now must have told Of the advancing British col
umn. The destroyers were coming. Somewhere
out Of that gray, cruel sea the American war boats
were sweeping down on the convoy. Our destroy.
ers. our men, they coming to see their breth-
ren safe through the war zone.
~ shall never forget the way they came II was
a gray afternoon, when the maintop reported the
flicker OF blnker signaling far out over the
waves. We didn't see them when they came. They
seemed to materalze suddenly out Of nothing.
"All at once we saw the first one. She was only
few hundred yards of our bows. and We had to
watch her closely to see her at ALL That sounds
foolish; but II Is literal fact. She was camou-
naged-streaked and dotted and splashed In a
dozen colors, and she melted away into the bnck-
ground Of the sea as though she weren't made Of
STEEL but Of mist.
"Then We realized that they were all around
U.S. Eight Of them. All dappled and harlequin
patterned, all practically invisible at half mile
Their flagship hung for moment on a wave,
then there was a spurt Of white at her stern and
she came flying down on us. There was no foam
by the bow. There was no smoke from the short.
rakish tunnels, only the culver Of heat from her
oil fires. She slipped through the water like a
fish. and as she passed u.s. slim. high bred with
her razor bow and her lean curving aanks, driv.
a.. A. st,~ ...taA
no visible effort and as smoothly as a canoe she
broke out the American flag on her stern. We
broke out ours, and that was our greeting-that
and the yells Of the soldiers who were acting like
madmen. As she flashed by We caught glimpse
Of her guns. all cleared for action and the depth
bombs ready at her stern. One Of her men, his
feet braced to her roll looked up at US, grinned
and then yawned. We knew that was only show.
ing OF. He couldn't shame the troops by be-
ing bnse. They acted like bunch Of kids"
The worst Of the war zone was ahead Of them,
but they didn't worry any longer They knew the
destroyers were oil the watch. They ranged here
and there. They shot away for mile or so and
came back to swim circles about them. They
were nll new boats-the best ever built The
British will tell you so. too. They are modelling
their new boats on ours.
The submarine couldn't trouble the transports
men now. II one started to worry oil he had
to do was to look over the side and the picture Of
the destroyers, running the hills Of the sea like
hounds was full comfort to him.
few days later the Ramapo and her consort.
were shepherded by the destroyers Into the har
Dor Of "A Port In Fnncc"
The troops stood at the rail and cheered and
laughed and shouted, but We didn't. We were toe
tired. Just plain worn out. Anyone who has been
on transports crew knows all there is to know
about the agony OF anticipation. We Just sa,
and looked at the green hills and the green roof
and the green waters Of the bay, and presently
those who weren't on watch went to their bunki
and had good Sleep
They had brought their men across safe. which
has come to be habit Of the transport service
Somehow, was glad that they put me on trims
port, instead Of dreadnaught. II seems n,
though we were doing more TO help win the wnr
somehow, even II no one ever hears about US"