The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1919-07-03
Tactics Worked Out At the Direction
ief Admiral sims-vesse's Change
:. Course At Regular Timed
Intervals


Rear Admiral Sims at the college, has
lived in Newport twice. ),
Captain Phelps last command was
one of the largest ships in the navy,
the transport Leviathan, and In this
connection he spoke interestingly OF
the transportation Of the thousands OF
our troops from New York to Brest.
Although strict censorship prevailed
during the war relative to this hazard
Gus service, it is now permissible to
speak of the work of these transports.
Navigating to Avoid U.6oats.
Here are a few facts CAPITALS
Phelps related:
During a voyage the Leviathan's
course would be changed at regular
intervals. from port to starboard,
making a wide zigzag. In daylight
she would steam at % knots. or the
bow on each side, and likewise off the
stern, would be- destroyers, making
four close to the big ship. These de-
stroyers also at timed intervals would
Eigzag, but in shorter turns. first to-
wards the ship. and then away from
1t. Then guns were trained, and depth
bombs were ready to go down the
slide. Steaming at 30 knots, just
ahead of the transport, would be an
other destroyer, making sharp zigzag
: directly across her path. Her speed
would be so great that she would have
!. to slow down to use her deck guns,
AS volumes of water would come over
her PROV. In the distance would be
still another destroyer, five miles
!; ahead, also running on time and act
ling as a scout, or like the pickets In
the army.
4, All zigags were made. according TO
exact time, so as to eliminate any
chance for collision. Captain Phelps
: said that at night, running at high
sspeed without lights, the timing made
! the trips possible without collision.
& Tfles most al Ysasded5 hours were the
: long twilights n the north steamship
:iane, which sometimes lasted until
: ten o'clock, and frequently for hours
: afterwards the northern lights would
make it possible tor the dreaded SUBJ
marines to see the big transport win
,uut themselves being discernible.
Made Fastest Trip.
Captain Phelps has the distinction
of making the fastest, round trip on
: record when, with the transport
Great Northern last July, he went
from Sandy Hook to Brest, unloaded
his troops and returned to New York
. in ID days, ~ hours. The sea was
favorable for this record, which has
only been exceeded at any time but
once, when In December, 1913, on a
: special Christmas trip, the Maure-
tania made the same Transatlantic
voyage in just 143days.
When the trips across the Atlantic
with the big troop ships began there
were many tactics worked out, emanat-
! ing from Vice Admiral Sims. One Of
these was depth bomb practice, just
as the battleships have target prac
tice. One of these explosives set of
800 yards from the big ship Leviathan
was sufficiently powerful to shake
and jar her, yet 1t must be remem-
bered that the effect on vessel on
top of the water is different from the
effect upon one submerged. It lifts
NJ. the vessel on top, in much the way
4 huge wave would, but it brushes the
underseas craft with pressure.
4 How do you make sure of getting
a submarine with depth bomb? Cap
tain Phelps was asked. Captain Phelps
explained, that destroyer would
steam at top speed in circle around
the spot in which the U-boat was
seen, and drop bomb every few
yards. The speed Of the surface craft
.&s so much greater than the other that
when the. circle is completed it Is
positive that one Of the bombs did its
work, for, whichever way the under
sea craft turns, she cannot get out OF
the circle.