The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-01-25

as the greatest naval offensive of the
war"
The feat which these men achieved
was the mining of the entrance to the
North sea from Scotland to the coast
of Norway, a distance of 240 miles. 1t
was an undertaking unprecedented in
naval history.
1t was Americas solution of the
German submarine problem, a solu-
ton sc thorough and effective that 1t
rendered the German submarines al
most impotent.
The British previously had mined
the English channel. but the enemy
submarines came out from the bases
at Ostend and Zeebrugge and into the
North sea, there to work their havoc.
Invite Yankee Aid.
The British naval authorities, realiz-
ing late in 1917 that the North sea
would have to be blocked, invited the
American naval authorities to attempt
to lay the barrier. The American
navy, having just at that time com
pleted with success experiments on
mining apparatus far more dangerous,
delicate, and powerful than any here
tofore used, took up the task.
For that purpose the mining cruiser
squadron was organized In December.
1917. This squadron is made up of ten
vessels and is under the command Of
Capt. II. II. Belknap. U. S. N. One of
the officers told a graphic but brief
story of the desperately dangerous job
to which he and his squadron mates
were assigned.
Navy men now call it the greatest
offensive of the war;" he said. 1T
solved the submarine problem and 1T
might have been the agency for the
destruction Of the German navy soon
er or later had not the war ended
when it did. We mined almost direct
ly across from Bergen On the coast of
Norway to the coast of Scotland. The
length of the mine field was 240 miles,
and we made it % miles wide. 1t
was so complete that no ship could
pass either over or under 1t without
absolute destruction.
1--WE have q record of about twenty
submarines that we know were de-
stroyed, and often in running parallel
with the field we came upon the bodies
of dead German sailors, so probably
many more than we actually figured
on were destroyed.
'Our men, in fact the entire fleet,
faced a constant danger of being
blown off the face of the seas, for we
carried on the ships 100000 pounds
of II. N. r., which is the most power
full explosive known.
Exposed 10 Germans.
Despite all this, we kept at the
task, and at the end of about five
months had completed 1t. We stayed
constantly on the inside of the field,
that is, on the side nearest Germany.
We left only a narrow passageway
near Pentland Firth between the Ork-
ney islands and Scotland for our own
passage out.
"Our most dangerous task strange
ly was not the laying of the mines, as
dangerous as that was. The most
dangerous one came after the mine
field had been completed. 1t was an
attempt to draw the German fleet out
into the North sea where we were to
engage 1t, so that the British fleet
could get in behind the enemy to de-
stroy it by gunfire or drive it into the
mine field.
ION October % last the British gov
eminent made it known to the German
naval authorities through its agents
in Germany that we were engaged In
mining operations. We were ordered
to lay about as though busy at the
task, to act as a decoy for the Ger
man fleet. We did it, but in doing II
we faced positive destruction our
selves.
II want to hand 1t to those new
navy lads. There were about 4,5OO OF
! them and $50 officers O. the ships, anc
/, while we waited through that fearful
day which we never expected for G
moment to see the end Of alive, they
went about their duties, laughed, sang
and stood to their guns as only Amer
lean lads can do such things.
"Well, all that day we worked
along calmly, watching and waiting
for the sight Of the Germans tina
meant certain death.
"The Germans never came out aftel
us, and so here / am"