The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1918-12-31
DETAILS ARE MADE PUBLIC
Official Of United States Shipping
Board Describes Conveys Activity
From Time II Left
New York.

/ DOdTus 1DEJ IhN0C BhbAAN III 80
of convoy management and the proper
camoufaging of grouped ships to make
their destruction by undersea craft
difficult.
One Of the officers begins his de-
s%cription of a conveys activity from
the time 1t left the port of New York.
"Once we were out in the stream
he says, 1--WE headed down the chan
mel for the lightship, beyond which
our convoy and escorts were waiting
for US. All were slowly under way
when we reached them. The ships OF
different columns took their places,
and after a few minutes confusion,
and lively work on the signal halyards
the other ships of the convoy got into
place.
Guarded above by dirigibles, hydro
planes and anchored balloons, and on
the surface by a fleet of patrol boats
as well as our ocean escort. we pro-
ceeded, and America oon dropped be-
low the western horizon. At sunset
we were well out to sea.
Back to Primitive Methods.
"As In the army we have turned
back to medieval helmets and armor,
so on the water we have turned 10
medieval naval tactics but instead Of
conveys of Spanish galleons and fri
gates of the seventeenth century from
the new world to the old, our conveys
were American transports and de-
stroyers.
"Even the old sailmaker aboard u
ship, who had been on the ocean ever
since he shipped as cabin boy on board
a down East blue noser so years ago,
admitted the convoy game was a new
one on him, and hung over the rail
watching our many w~ar-eolored neigh
bors.
at is not hard to see why the con-
voy system was effective. Take the
case of a convoy of % ships (72 is the
largest number I've. heard OF In Uur
convoy; our mate told me of being
caught In a 72-ship convoy in a sail
ing ship in the Bay of Biscay). When
these ships went in convoy instead Of
there being % different units scattered
all over the zone for the U-boats to
find, there was only one. That is, the
Hun had only one chance of meeting
a shin where he had % before. And
II he did meet the convoy he found
it usually with a naval escort, whose
sole business was sinking submarines.
He found, too, rs lookouts on watch
for him, % sets of guns ready for him,
where there were but one each before.
II the Hun showed himself to a con-
voy and its escort, the odds were that
he was due for a quick trip to the bot.
tom.
'The usual convoy formation was In
columns in a rough square. This was
the most compact, and the inside ships
were practically immune from attack
The escorts clrcled the convoy, If
necessary, and the outside ships con
centrated their fire on any submarine
that appeared.
Conveys were made up at different
speeds, and even the rustiest ole
tramps were provided for In a six-kno
class.
"In spite of this, some captains i'm
agination always tackled a couple O
knots to their ships speed. Their
seemed to be a nautical version o
Home, Sweet Home-'be 1t ever 81
humble, there's no ship like mine ant
vessels making nine knots on Broad
way make a bare seven off Fire island
at vas remarkable what a snapp.
escort commander could do with hi
charges. After a day or two togethe
he had them maneuvering In position
like a second grand fleet; zigzagginI
dark through a black night, not a ra.
Of light showing anywhere IL the.
were in the danger zone or a tin hsI
was reported near.
Color Schemes Are Bizarre.
"The war brought no stranger spec
tacle than that of a convoy of steam
ships blowing along through the mid
die Of the ocean streaked and bespOi
ted Unfortunately with every colo
of the rainbow in a way more bIzarr
than the widest dreams of a sailor
first night ashore.
"The effect of good camoufiage wa
remarkable. l have often looked at
fellow ship in the convoy on on
quarter on exactly the anne course
we were, but on account of her canon
fage she appeared to be making rigf
!. for us on a course at least ~forty-fv
. degrees different from the n she wa
actually steering.
"The deception was remarkable eve
under such conditions as these, and {
course a U-boat. with Its hasty Unite
observation. was much more likely I
be fooled.
Each nation seemed to have a cha.
acteristic type Of camouflage, ard af
er a little practice you could usual
spot a ships nationality by her styl
of camoufiage long before you coul
, make out her ensign"