The sun., 1919-01-26
Naval
Task of War Out
side Of CONVOY
Dutykept Squad.
ron Of Ten Lay
ing Vessels and
Another Of Carry
ing Craft Busy
By Captain REGINALD r. BEL
KNAPP. U. S.N.. Commanding Mine
Squadron I, u. 5. Atlantic Fleet.

Squadron ], Y. >. Atlantic Fleet.
From the time the United States Joined
IN the war our Navy Department urged
strong measures, essentially offensive, to
hem in the enemy bases, so that fewer
submarines might get out, or, II already
out get back Among the many projects
put forward a new American invention
came to the notice of the Bureau of
Ordnance. where its possibilities were
quickly perceived. A few quiet but
searching experiments developed It into
q nine Of more promising effectiveness
than any ever before used. especially
against submarines This gave the United
States Navy the definite means to offer
for an antl-submarine barrage on the
German coast or elsewhere, and the re-
suit is the present northern mine barrage
in the North Sea. stretching from the
Orkneys 230 miles to Norway The
Secretary Of the Nays annual report
characterizes this as ''the outstanding
antieubmarlne offensive product Of the
year"
Mine Squadron One of our Atlantic
fleet. Familiarity known as "the Yankee
Mining Squadron" has just returned
from It's six months activity In the North
Sea. laying mines In the northern bar
rage. The squadron. commanded by
Capt. Reginald r. Belknap. L. S. NJ,
consists OF the flagship San Francisco,
Capt, II. V Butler, and her consort Bal
timore. Capt. A. w. Marshall, crack
cruisers of the vintage of 1890. stlll 60
ing strong, and eight former merchant
vessels converted into naval mine plant
ou
Eight Merchant Craft Converted.
-Four of these were Southern Pacific or
Morgan liners now named the Roanoke,
Capt. c. n. Stearns: Canonicus. Capt r
L. Johnson; Housatonic Capt. J. w.
Greenslade, and Canandaigua. Com
rander w. II. Reynolds. Two were
the Old Dominion passenger lines JEFF
ferson and Hamilton. running between
New York and Norfolk, now named
Quinnebaug, Commander n. Pratt Man
nix. and Saranac. Capt. Sinclair Cannon.
The other two were the fast Boston and
New York passenger steamboats,, Masss-
onusetts and Bunker hin Of the Eastern
Steamship Corporation. renamed Shaw
NUT Capt w. r. Cluverius. and Aroo-
stock. Capt J. Harvey Tomb.
All are in regular naval commission,
each carrying 20 officers and 400 men.
They are armed only lightly for defence
against submarines and aircraft. their
capacity being devoted to carrying as
many mines as possible ready for plant
ing.
When the United states entered the
war the Mine Squadron contained only
three mine planters, the San Francisco,
Baltimore and Dubuque. Invaluable az
well trained nucleus this force was
small in capacity. the three vessels to-
eether carrying only 400 mines. Thus
when the project Of planting mine field
across the North Sea was taken up ff-
teen months ago, dealing with mines by
the tens of thousands, more vessels to
make over into mine planters of larger
capacity had to be found. converted and
trained-and all this had to he done
quickly. In the rush traffic congestion.
fuel shortage. labor difficulties and Sc
we're weather Of last winter this work
suffered delay along the other war prep
aratons then in hand: but in five
months FIVE vessels aggregating 1000
mines capacity were completed, and after
a months training with the San Fran
cisco they sailed with her for the North
Sea
The Baltimore had gone over earlier.
In March. 1913. In response to request
from the British Admiralty for vessels
coast, and thus she was the first Ameri-
can vessel to plant mines against the
enemy. The Roanoke, too. preceded the
rest to assist the Baltimore but was not
employed until the squadron arrived. A
month later the remaining three FOL
lowed. making the squadron Of ten YES
sels complete Twice on this latter crosse
Ing Capt Bulmer with the Black Hawk
tosk the Shawmut and Aroostook in tow
IL. Ill r.
alton to all hands-likewise new ships,
new crews, half a gale of wind and oil
hose twice as heavy as proper-yet 1t
was neatly done.
Squadron Much Admired.
The converted vessels proved very Sue
cessful for their purpose and we're nuch
admired by British officers as well as
our own for their compact. capacious ana
well ordered arrangement. especially inc
Roanoke class. each Of which carried 500
mines, all Of them on tracks. ready TO De
pushed aft and overheard. These snips
had been ftted with several elevators by
The Otis company, 30 that all the mines
carried on the lower decks could be
quickly raised to the launching deck
thus permitting the ships entire load 10
be planted in one unbroken line.
TThs two Of the Quinnebaug class are
fiIrilar but smaller. carrying 600 mines
each. but the Shawmut and Aroostook
are different. having higher speed with
only moderate capacity for mines-S5o
each-sll carried on one deck.
The total of 1000 to $500 mines, each
approximately OF the value Of a Ford
car, carried by the squadron on It's trips
as one load. alone represented what
would in former days have been consfd-
cred an enormous mine ield requiring
numerous planting operations At least