The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-11-16

anu CRUISERS, just dS I1ey QlQ d CELL
fury ago. The British did not have
ships enough available for this pur-
pose and here again the American
we had q number Of pre-dreadnaughts
and cruisers that were ideally adapted
to this kind of work
On April 3oth 1 received message
from Admiral Jellicoe asking me to
come to the admiralty. When I arrived
he said that the projected study of
the convoy system had been made and
he handed me a copy of it. It had
been decided to send one experimental
convoy from Gibraltar. The admiralty,
he added, had not yet definitely de-
cided that convoy system should be
adopted, but there was every intention
of giving 1t a fair and thorough trial.
That same evening at dinner, I met
Mr.. Lloyd George. Sir Edward Carson
and Lord Miner and once more dis
cussed with them the whole convoy
idea. I found the prime minister es-
pecially favorable to the plan. In gem
era1 civilians were more favorably dis
posed toward the convoy than seamen,
because they were less familiar with
the nautical and shipping difficulties
involved.
Naval officers were Immediately
sent to Gibraltar to instruct the mer-
chant masters in the details of assem-
bling and conducting vessels. Eight
knot ships were selected for the ex-
pertinent and number of destroyers
were assigned for their protection. The
merchant captains. as was to be ex-
pected regarded the whole enterprise
suspiciously, but entered into it with
the proper spirit.
The First Convoy 4 Great Success.
On May Goth that first convoy ar
rived at its English destination in
perfect condition. The success with
which it made the voyage disapprov-
| ed all the pessimistic opinions which
the merchant sailors had entertained
about themselves. They suddenly dis
covered. as I had intimated. that they
could do practically everything which,
In their conferences with the admiral
Ity, they had declared that they were
unable to do. In those meetings they
had asserted that not more than two
ships could keep station; now they
discovered that the whole convoy
could sail with stipulated distances
between the vessels and keep this for
nation with little difficulty. They
were drilled in manoeuvring on the
way-a practice carried out subse-
quently with all convoys-and by the
time they reached the danger zone
they found that, in obedience to pre-
arranged signal. all the ships could
turn as single one and perform all
the zigzag evolutions which the sit
uation demanded. They had assert
ed that they could not sail at night
without lights and that an attempt to
do so would result in many collisions.
but this experimental convoy proved
that this was another case of self-de-
fusion. Naturally the arrival of this
convoy caused the greatest satisfac-
ton in the admiralty. but the most
delighted men were the merchant cap
tains themselves. The whole thing
was to them a complete revelation of
their seamanly ability and naturally it
flattered their pride. The news on this
arrival, whispered about in shipping
circles. completely changed the atti-
tude of the merchant sailors and the
chief opponents of the convoy became
tits most enthusiastic advocates.
A Great Date of the War.
Outside of shipping circles. however,
nothing about this convoy was known.
Yet Nav 90. the date of its arrival
marked one of the great turning points
| of the war. For that critical voyage
meant that the allies had found the
way of defeating the German subma-
rine. The world might clamor for a
specific invention" that would de-
stroy all the submarines overnight.
Tor demand that the allies should block
them in their bases. or suggest that
they should do any number of impos-
| sible things but the naval chiefs of