The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-05
OLYMPIC
 MADE WONDERFUL
 RECORD IN THE WAR
Carried Over 300,000 People on War Service, From China to Gallipoli
 to Atlantic Ports

London, December -(Correspondence Of the Associated Press. .)-Dodging Ger man submarines in the Mediterranean. trying to save sinking warships in the north Atlantic and fighting off vicous O-ooat attacks while carrying American troops are some of the achievements credited to the White Star liner Olym- pic during her adventurous career of the war time These were only incidents of her experience because, on account of her great passenger capacity, she was steadily and faithfully keeping to the task of transporting men and material for the armies in Europe First it was Chinese coolies for road building, then farmer boys from Cafaaa to replace the losses. of Vimy ridge. and finally many thousands of Americans to face the Ger man on the western battle front Her work during the Gallipoli cam paign,' writes a member of the crew to the Daily News. when she carried about SUO0 troopS-at that time the greatest number ever carried by any ship-follow, | ing upon her gallant attempt off the north of Ireland to tow the water logged dIeadnaught Audacious, was sufficient to put her in the first rank Of transports
 
 Canadian troops and Chinese labor bat talons and then her wonderful career since Christmas. 1917 when she arrived in New fork for her first load of Amer. lean troops must put her in a class by herself as trooper"
 She has carried well over 5000 peo- pie while on war service.
 Tt would not be correct to say that Captain Hayes has brought her through a. rh hut marks of honor. She bent and fractured some of her plates when, in the dark ness early one morning sine 'strafed' one of Germany's finest U-boats.
 'The Olympic had most of her ad- ventures while she was carrying Ameri- can troops During March, April and May, 1918. The German submarine com manders made at least seven daring at lacks on her. Not once did the enemy have time to launch a torpedo, for in every case he was greeted by a 6-inch shell pr one of the destroyers was on his track with her depth charge. Per haps some of Germany's missing sub- marines are now lying below the track of the Olympic.
 'The most thrilling experience which the Olympic had took place in the dark ness of early morning of May 1918, near the entrance to the English channel. It was just about o'clock when the look out man picked out of the almost total darkness the outline of lurking sup- marine which was lying on the surface Immediately after his warning shout one of our forward guns blazed out, and the ship. with her helm hard over. Spun around like a great racing yacht and crashed into the enemy.
 '"The blow was. of course, not a clean one, or there would have been few sur vivors from the submarine. Judging from the damage on the bows of the ship when dry docked a few days later tho bow cut off one end of the submarine. The rest drifted past the stern of the Olympic and one of the gun crews on the poop planted a six-inch sheIl sQuarely into it. One of the destroyers in tho escort dropped behind and by the light of star shells picked up S1 survivors three Of whom died on the way to port. The total crew of the submarine was over O."