The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-04-10
STICK TO YOUR JOB
AND GO UP WITH IT
Slogan OF the Suicide Squadron Which
| Planted Mines In the North Sea.

Planted Mines In the North Sea.
Washington, d. c.. April s--"Stick
10 your job and go up with It,"
! This was the slogan adopted by the
suicide squadron which planted the
mines for the North Sea barrage
which shared the deadly U-boat In
their dens and helped win The war.
The remarkable achievement of get
ting the mines ready for hurried ship
ment was told in a previous National
Geographic Society bulletin by Captain
Reginald Fl. Belknap, II. 8. N, who
mad charge of the operations, and in
second bulletin he describes the
hair-raising episodes and almost un-
believable speed with which the mines
were planted.
On one OF the joint excursions of
British AID American ships, ten
American ships planted $500 mines,
the four British ships planting 1900.
making a total of $500 PLANTED In
four hours. That was the record for
number. The American squadron
alone, a few weeks later. he states,
planted field seventy-three miles
long, making a record for distance.
/ by June 8, 1918, preparations were
going full blast for the first mining
excursion" Captain Beiknap says:
This term. excursion, was adopted
as a cheerful offset to the sense oil
danger. One cargo OF INT had been
enough to devastate Halifax, and our
squadron had ten cargoes. Our course
would lie through areas where 1t was
necessary to search for mines con-
stantly, and we would come frequently
in the regular throughfare for enemy
submarines.
by June all was ready for the
| first excursion. The eve OF depar-
ture brings drizzling. misty weather.
Midnight comes, and without signals
)or lights or any noisa but the clank-
ing chain, the flagship gets under
way and heads out.
straight over to Norway we go;
making Cdsire light; then off TO the
inorthwestward. 1t Is busy night
land early morning. keeping the ships
lin station, going over the mines for
the final touches. watching on every
hand for submarines, and getting all
clear for our first large operation.
AT 4:27 A. M, the signal Is made
that mining will begin one hour later.
The crews go to mining stations, and
in the flagship we look for signals
reporting whether the other ships are
lready. They are ready. 1t is like
ia. horse race when the starters flag
lis up.
The squadron stretches mile and
la half in a beautifully straight line
abreast,
Now the mine-planting signal Is
flying; they will begin when it starts
idown. The commander stands. watch
In hand--'two minutes, one minute.
thirty seconds more, fifteen'-he
looks UP inquiringly. All right. Five
Iseconds--haul down.
And in answer red flags break out
on the other ships, showing that they
have begun to plant. On the flag
ships bridge the call-bell rings, and
from the launching station at the
stern the report comes, First mine
over
Hour after hour the mining goes
ON Tho staff officers watch the
scheduled events and compare the
times with what they should be. A
few seconds out here and there; other
wise all goes without a hitch--just as
planned before leaving the United
States.
| Now we watch the Housatonic, a
new ship, with new. untried install
!lation. doing string of 675 mines. one
every eleven and one-half esconds
'throughout two hours and ten
minutes. Her mate stands by, ready
for any interruption; but the Housa-
tonic completes the task without a
break world record up to that time.
In a later excursion the Canonies lays