The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-11-25
1rilling Days and
Nights in War Zone
Are Recounted

KNOXVILLE, Nov. 2l.-Disclalm-
a desire for applause, but claim
for the patrol and escort vessels
she U. S. navy credit for what they
{ e done. John C. Shelton, of
rden. Tennessee, who recently
discharged from the, navy, after
ing graduated from the U. S. Ma
Electrical School, has given an
punt of the experiences of the L.
urveyor in the Mediterranean coa-
service. On account of the haz-
the patrol and escort ships work
out from the base OF Gibraltar
erienced they were known as the
|icide fotilla."
Fhe story of thrilling days and
F 1to in the submarine infested wa
!, traversed by the U. S, s. sur
or, and companion vessels, as told
Mr.. Shelton, one Of the wireless
rators, follows:
The public is not hearing much
] ut the patrol and escort ships of
navy. | will try and give them
q of the credit which is due them.
U. S. S. Surveyor had an exciting
L during her years service in the
zone. The Surveyor left New
4 k with the U. S. Montauk, tug
h a French subchaser in tow. Ber-
Tia Islands was the first stop, the
|veyor conveying them as far as
Azores. On February 16, 1918,
h the U. S. submarines L-3 and L.
convoy, she sailed for Bantry Bay,
and, passing over the exact spot
re the Lusitania now lays. Leav-
Bantry Bay on the 23rd for Penn
ke Dock, Wales, to pick up a con-
of 32 merchantmen, she escorted
|n to the Rock of Gibraltar, reach
there after a nine days trip. On
wing off the Rock of Gibraltar she
ordered the following morning to
iced to Oran, Africa, to escort the
tlish ship, Sardenia which was la
|torpedoed, to Gibraltar. Her ma
|y's ship, Ravensake, accompanied
|n. She escorted her ship to Gil
/ tar in safety. Gibraltar, being
base for all American ships OPP
ling in the Atlantic ocean. The !
Eeyor was busy escorting ships to
GA, Italy, and Bizerta, Africa,
bout loss until on May II, 1918, |
B 40 a. M, the French ship Su-
|e Franssenette was torpedoed, no
e of the submarine being found. |
brpedo was sighted in our course, |
missed the vessel by a bare 100
HIS. This was the first ship con-
I'D by the Surveyor to belost. The
ling occurred between Gibraltar
Bizerta. /
On May II, we had our second
erience with q sea-slug, At Gas !
b., submarines made an attack on
convoy escorted by the Surveyor,
3. S. Venetia, U, S. S. Wheeling,
several French submarine chasers.
S. S. Sculptor was the first vic
of the U-boats, but was not sunk
Il they tried to beach her off Oran,
lea, when she blew up, killing ev-
one on board. She was loaded
valuable cargo for the Allied
les in the Far East. As yet there
been no sign Of a submarine. At
p. M, the S. S. Marsbrock was
eek and sunk.
Unable to Aid Them.
It certainly was hard to see men
be cold water calling for help, and
being able to pick them up, as a
-of-war cannot stop to pick up
crew during an engagement. Ow-
to the darkness the submarine
not seen. At 1920 p, m, the
fish steamer Elzwick Grange was
ck. The Surveyor at that time
astern the convoy, rounding up
stragglers, when the lookout on
bridge sighted periscope on the
bow. Swinging the ship to port
Fash-can" depth bomb) was drop
in the wake. A moment later,