The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1919-03-18
SEA ACTIVITY OF
U. 5. IN GREAT WAR
ESCORTED MORE THAN 100000
TROOPS TO FANCE

London, Feb, 24.-(Corespondence
United States had 374 vessels on
duty in European waters and a per-
sonnet of S0,711 afloat, at base or
headquarters when the armistice was
signed, according to summary OF
United States Naval activities pre-
pared at headquarters here. Numerl-
cally the submarine chasers headed
the list with 100, then came the des-
troyers with 20 while the third class
was the unheralded SIS cclliers that
assited in keeping a steady stream
of coal moving from Cardiff TO main
tain the allied armies and prevent
France from freezing.
Of the fifteen classes of ships
enumerated in the report the work
of the destroyers stands first III
dramatic interest The twenty that
were here on July /, 1917, immedl-
ately became active in the war game
and that activity constantly increased
as number of boats gradually swell
ed until it reached the maximum
number on November II, 1918.
With 25 converted yatchs and
few other vessels they escorted
100000 troops of the United States
Expeditionary Force to Europe with
but the loss Of man from enemy
action. and they escorted q percent
CT all United States allied and neu-
trail shipping to France and England
from April 6, 1917 to Nov 9, 1918.
In this and other work they steamed
approximately 275,O00 miles every
thirty days.
The convoy system was not adopt
ed until shortly after the United
States entered the war, but in the
year and seven months from then
until the end, 1858 ships were
brought oven in 1,474 conveys that
numbered from one ship to as many
as forty. United States destroyers
based at Queenstown and Brest es-
corted more than 600 single ships
through the danger zone and in this
work encounter some Of their great
est hazards. Only the largest, fastest
ships were sent across alone, and in
rough weather the destroyers were
considerably battered when forced to
maintain high speed against heavy
seas.
Reports of contact with the enemy
by American vessels total 256 and
the most of them came from destroy
er commanders. A submarine was ac-
tually in the vicinity in 1873 of these
cases but the others have been listed
as false alarms. Methods Of determ-
lining the presence Of a submarine are
varied but usually are based upon
charts which show with surprising
accuracy the day to day movements
of the underwater craft.
The report gives list of % encoun-
ers, the majority of which resulted
in the submarine being probably
slightly damaged" or possibly slight
ly damaged" One is given as "pos-
sibly sunk" there as sunk and one cap
tured. >The accuracy Of information
of the movements of submarines is
evidenced in the case Of the yatch
LydOnia in command of Commander.
R. F. Mccullough who was credited
with sinking a submarine although he
never saw it. The Lydonia dropped
depth charges after a torpedo had
been fired at conveyed ship. The
submarine had been reported in that
vicinity and as it did not return to
its base it was considered sunk in
that engagement. --
1t is known three American fight |
ing ships were lost through e"cmv
3 ction-the destroyer Jacob Jones
and the armed yatch Alcedo and the
yatch Owasco which was used m
patrol work There were sunk as the
result of collisions and the revenue cut
ter Tampa was sunk by an explosion
the cause of which has never been rs
certained.