Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1918-07-05
Germans Fail in Raid on Great
est United States
Transport.
CARRIES 10000 SOLDIERS
Eye Witness Gives Thrilling Account
Of Trip Across Atiantie-High
Praise for Work of American
Navy-Men on Transport
Behave spIendidIy in
Time Of Danger.

count of an attack by three submarines
on The United States transport Lee
yiathan and the destruction of two of
she U-boats by United States destroy
ers, is contained in letter from Capt.
Charles A. Harmon of this city to his
son. Sergt Carl A. Harmon, at Camp
Custer. The Leviathan, formerly the
German Vaterland, is the largest vessel
afoat and was seized by the United
States when this country entered the
war.
Captain Harmon is in the motor me-
ehanies division of the aviation corps,
now safely in France, while his son
is a member of the ambulance COM
paDy
The Leviathan carried 10000 soldiers
GA that particular trip and every pre-
caution of camoufiage and zigzag nav
igatiHn was employed to protect it
from 1he submarines, since the Ger
man GOV Iument is said to have offered
a fortune md great honors to the com
mander ana crew of the U-boat that
succeeds in sinking it,
All Obey Orders.
Most of the men aboard were raw
recruits" says Captain Harmon. "but
when the emergency came the constant
drill and training told and not man
disobeyed orders. Twenty hours from
our destination, at daybreak. we picked
mp the destroyers in a bowling gale.
They came swoopng at us out of IA
rain squat like flying fish. Boy They
looked good. They are little. long, in
trepid devils all engine and wicked
ness. We were tearing along al high
speed, trusting to luck not to hi any
thing. but those little devils curved
and circled and zigzagged around us as
IL we were at anchor
Even with eur thousand feet of
length we could hardly keep our feet
on deck, but they. with their 200 feet
or less. were simply doing the impos,
sible. Seas too high TO ride they dived
through. actually disappearing Mt times.
And when, IN their circles, they fell
into the trough. they took list that
would make your heart stop.
'They carry two spars about SO feet
high. On top of each is crows nest,
nth man in each watching for peri
scopes. The gunners are dashed to
their guns. They must be amphiblous.
The ride those crow's-nest birds took
that day would curl your hair.
Taking No Chances.
"All day long it howled and rained
and blew, and most of the following
night too. 1t was ZOO rough for u
boats, but we were pitching over the
bones OF the Lusitania and hundreds of
other good ships and the destroyers
were taking no chances.
ANY time the United States navy is
mentioned you just get onto your legs
and salute-just on general principles.
When you cross you will understand
why. They are there. those lads.
Il went on duty in a troop section
below the water line that evening at
five and was on duty for t. hours sta
Toned on a stairway where I could
pack OFF the first bird that batted an
eye. About midnight the sea went
down. Then we did expect trouble any
minute. II was a tough, long night.
We knew that If torpedo ever hit in
that section we hadn't a chance in the
world. AT five in the morning wss re-
heFed and went up topside, to the for
ward upper deck. 1t was tGSt break
Ang daylight. clear, no Ulnd sea as
smooth MS glass. Six rcTe destroyers
had Joined us some time during the
night and they we're coursing like
panthers near end far. in great,
swooping curves all around us.
Finally They Came.
We were roaring along in sharp
zigzags, the ship trembling like Il
nervous dog, with the best speed in
her. ! thought to myself as ! took it
all in:
Wen, this is the time and the
pince Now where in h. are those
doggoned Huns%
las il in answer to my question, the
nearest destroyer turned on her tail
ana shot straight ri our cutwater as If
so head something of, az the same
time firing rapidly at something the
otbcr side of her and close by. In
stantly the others pointed in toward
nv and came Garting in like diving
sharks.
The nearest destroyer was not more
fhan 80 Ards distant. Next il swung
around in "a smother Of white water,
nnd 10 an instant l saw the bluek stern
Of submarine as it upended In a
dive so close to the destroyer that they
actually bumped Then. the destroyer
Fat back Of the sub only d few feet
under the surface.
U-5oat Blown to Atoms.
There was terrific explosion; Il
shook our ship as If it had been struck.
That sub just was naturally blown to
atoms. ii almost cut the DESTROYER in
fRc, nearly blew the stern of her off.
But that is just a part of the job for
those boys. Their business IS 10 get
subs. What happens to them is an
Bther matter entirely.