The Pensacola journal., 1919-12-28
By Admiral William SoWden


make no calculations which would have
much practical value.
A Wireless Story.
In the afternoon the Aubrieta, the
British mystery ship which was sailing
thirty miles ahead of the convoy re-
ported that she had sighted a subma
rine. Two or three destroyers dashed
for the indicated area, searched it
thoroughly, found no traces of the
hidden boat and rexurned to the con-
voy. The next morning SIX British de-
srroyers and one cruiser arrived from
Davenport. Up to this time the convoy
had been following the great trunk
line" which led into the channel, bua
it had now reached the point where the
conveys split up. part going to English
ports and part to French. These British
destroyers had come to take over the
twenty ships which we're bound for
their own country, while the American
desesoyers We're assigned to escort the
rest to Brest. The following conversa-
tion-typical of those that were con-
stansly filling the air in that area
now took place between the American
flagship and the British:
Conyngham to Acbates: This is the
Cunningham, Commander johnson.
would like to keep une convoy together
until the evening I will work under
[ your orders until leave with convoy
for Brest.
| Acbates to Conyngham: Please make
your own arrangements for mixing
French convoy with you tonight
| Acbates to Conyngham. What time
do you propose leaving with French
convoy tonight?
/ IOnyngharp Aah har
m in order to arrive at Brest to-
night
Devonport Commander-in-Ch 40
iConyngham: Proceed in execution -Ad-
miralty orders Acbates having relieved
you. Submarine activity in Lat. 4S-41,
Long. 451.
| The Aubrietia had already given
warming of he danger referred to in
the last words of this final message. 1t
had been flashing the news in this
way:
lis p. m. Aubrietia to Conyngham.
submarine sighted 1890 N 6-S. Sighted
submarine on surface. Speed is not
enough. Course southwest by south
| magnetic.
| 1850 D. m. Conyngham to Acbates:
Aubretiato all men of war and Lands
End. Chasing submarine on the sur
iace 1880 6-S w course southwest
py south. waiting to get in range. He
is going faster than I can
| 200 p. m. Aubrietia to all men of
war: Submarine submerged 1920 N
o6-12 w. Still searching.
| The fact that nothing more was seen
OF that submarine may possibly de-
tract from the thrill of the experience
but In describing the operations of this
convoy. I am not attempting to tell a
saory of wild adventure, put merely to
set forth what happened ntnety-nine
out or hundred times. What made
destroyer work so exasperating was
| that. in the majority of cases, the
Ieption of fighting or not fighting lay
with the submarine. Had the subma-
rine decided to approach and atnac cl
the convoy, the chances would have
been more than even that il wouiC
have been destroyed. In accordance
with its usual practice, however, il
chose to submerge, and that decision
ended the affair for the moment This
was the way in which merchant ships
were protected. AT the aime this sub
marine was sighted it was headed
directly for Ais splendid aggregation
o. cargo vessels; had not the Aubrietis
discovered it and had not one of the
American desNoyers started in pur.
suit. the U-boat would have made ar
attack and possibly would have sen
one or more ships to the bottom The
chief business of escorting ships al
through the war, was this unspectac.
uiar one of chasing the submarine:
away; and for every underwater yes
sci actually destroyed there We're hun
dreds of experiences sucn as the on,
which l have just described.
|, The rest of this dip was uneyentful
H NJ S. Cumberland--tne ocean es
cort which had accompanied the con
, Voy from Sydney-to Devonport: tn
rest of the American escort took If
Iquoa of merchantmen into Brest. an,
from that point sailed back to Queens
town, whence, after three or four day
III port, it went out with another con
| voy. This was the routine which wa
, repeated until the end of the war.
, The on II and the HIS IA form a,
Illustration Of conveys which mad
, their trips successfully. Yet these sam
cestroyers had another experienc
which picshres other phases of tn
) convoy system.
{ The Luckenback.s Fate.
On the morning of October 10, Com
mander Johnson's division was escort
ing great convoy OF British ships O.
, It's way to the east coast Of England
suddenly out Of the air came one O
those calls which were daily occur
t ences in hhe submarine zone The ]
: l. Luekenhack signaled that she wa
ninety miles ahead of the CONVOY an
/ was beinS shelled by a submarine. In
) Jew minutes the Nicholson, one of tn
| nestroyers of the escort started to th
rescue For the next Few hours OF,
I snaps began to pick out of the air th
j messages which detailed the progress
Of this adrenl1ra--r,,.-ss ..i:,I :,