Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-21
THE VICTORY AT SEA X

tected the worlds shipping. For this
purpose have selected typical instances
which illustrate that everyday routine
experiences of escorting destroyers and
other experiences in which their work
was more spectacular.
One day late in October 1917. a
division of American destroyers at
Queenstown received detailed instruc-
tions from Admiral Bayly to leave at
a certain hour and escort the outward
convoy 100 IT, and bring into port the
inbound convoy his a." These de-
tailed instructions were based upon
general instructions issued from the
admiralty, where my staff was in con-
slant attendance and cooperation. The
symbols by which these two groups of
ships were designated can be easily IN
terpreted. The 90 simply meant that
convoy "No. 1.-THE seventeenth when
had left that port-was outward bound
from Queenstown, and the HIS signifled
that convoy mo. IA" was >homeward
bound from Sydney. Cape Breton.
Queenstown, during the first few
months, was one of those places
at which ships. having discharged
their cargoes, assembled in groups
for dispatching back TO the Unit
ed States. Later Milford Haven,
Liverpool and other ports were more
often used for this purpose. Vessels
had been arriving here for several days
from ports of the Irish sea and the east
coast of England. These had now been
fnr ;pt
ready for a destroyer escort to take
them through the submarine zone and
start them on the westward voyage to
American ports.
This escort consisted of eight Amer-
can destroyers and one British special
service ship; the latter was one of
that famous company of decoy vessels
or mystery Ships which. though to
all outward appearances they were I'M
protected merchantmen, really carried
concealed armament of sufficient power
to destroy any submarine that came
within range. This special service ship,
the Aubrietia, was hardly a member of
the protective escort. Her mission was
to sail about thirty miles ahead of the
convoy; when observed from the peri
scope or the coming tower of a SUBJ
marine, the Aubrietia seemed to be
merely helpless merchantmen sailing
alone, and as such she presented n par
ticularly tempting target to the U-boat.
But her real purpose in life was to be
torpedoed.
After landing its missile In a vessels
side, the submarine usually remained
submerged for a period. while the crew
Of its victim was getting off in boats;
it then came to the surface and the
men prepared to board the disabled
ship and search for valuables and deli
cacies, particularly ror Information
which would assist them in their cam
paign, such as secret codes, sailing in
structions and the like. The mystery
ship had been preparing for this mo-
ment and, as soon as the submarine
broke water. the gun ports Of the dis
guised merchantmen dropped, and her
hitherto concealed guns began blazing
away at the German. BY October, 1917,
these special service ships had already
accounted for several submarines; and
it had now become a frequent practice
to attach one or more to convoy,
either ahead, where she might dispose
OF the submarine lying in wait for the
approaching aggregation, or in the rear
where U-boat might easily mistake