The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-01-08
The Greatest Transportt t
Remarkable War Record of The
Transatlantic Liner
Olympic.

London, Dec. Correspondence Of
the Associated Press)-Dodging Ger
man submarines in the Mediterranean,
trying to save sinking warships in the
North Atlantic, and fighting off VIC
ious u-ooat attacks while carrying
American troops are some Of the
achievements credited to the White
Star liner Olympic during her adven-
turcus career of the wartime. These
were only incidents of her experience,
because, on account of her great pas
senger capacity, she was steadily and
faithfully keeping to the task Of
armies in Europe. First it was Chi
nese coolies for road building. then
farmer boys from Canada to replace
the losses of Viny Ridge, and finally
many thousands of Americans to face
the German 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
greatest number ever carried by any
!. lip-following upon her gallant at
tempt off the north of Ireland to tow
the water-logged dreadnaught, Au-
dacious, was sufficient to put her in
the first rank of the transports, but
her subsequent work in bringing Ca
madam troops and Chinese labor bat
talions, and then her wonderful ca
reer since Christmas, 1917, when she
arrived in New York for her first load
Of American troops must put her in
class by herself as a trooper
She has carried we'll over 100000
people while on war service.
cit would not be correct to say that
Captain Hayes has brought her
through without a scratch, but her
scars are marks of honor. She ocrt
and fractured some of her plates
when, in the darkness early one morn
ing she 'strafed' one of Germary's $
finest u-boats.
THE Olympic had most Of her ad-
ventures while she was carrying
American troops. During March,
April, and May 1918, the German sub
marine commanders made at ieost
seven daring attacks on her. Not
once did the enemy have time TO
launch a torpedo, for in every case ne
was greeted by 6-inch shell or one
of the destroyers was on his track
with her depth charges. Perhaps
some Of Gerniany's missing subma-
rines are now lying below the track
of the Olympic.
"The most thrilling experience
which the Olympic had took place n
the darkness Of early morning OF Nay
1918, near the entrance to the English
Channel. It was just about four
o'clock when the lookout man picked
out of the almost total darkness the
outline of a lurking submarine which
was wing on the surface. Immediate
ly after his warning shout one Of our
forward guns blazed out, and the ship
with her helm hard over, spun aroucd
like a great racing yacht and crashe3
into the enemy.
''The blow was, Of course, not
clean one, or there would have been
few survivors from the submarine.
Judging from the damage on the bo'vS
Of the ship when dry locked few
days later the blow cut one end OF
the submarine. The rest drifted past
the stern of the Olympic. and OF
the gun crews on the poop plar.. Il g
6-inch shell squarely into it. One of
the destroyers in the escort dronped
behind. and by the light Of star she,;s
picked up 81 survivors three Of whom
died on the way to por The total
crew of the submarine was over co.