The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-01-11

suggested that we walk all around it
and see if we could point out from a
close inspection the location of the
guns. We searched carefully but were
utterly unable to discover where the
guns were. The captain then sent the
crew TO quarters and told us to stand
clear. AT the word of command, one
of the plates of the perpendicular side
of the deckhouse slid out of the way as
quickly as a flash The rail at the
ships side in front of the gun fell down
and a boat davit swung out of the way
At the same time the gun crew swung
the gun out and fired primer to in
dicate how quickly they could have
fired a real shot. The captain also
showed us a boat upside down on the
dockhouse. Merchantmen frequently
carry one boat in this position. At a
word a lever was pulled down below
and the boat reared up in the air and
revealed underneath it a gun and its
crew. On the poop was a large crate
about 6x6xS or 10 feet At a touch of
the lever the side of this crate fell
down and revealed another gun.
For the greater part of 1917 from
twenty to thirty OF these ships sailed
back and forth in the Atlantic, always
choosing those parts of the seas where
they were most likely to meet sub
marines. They were merchantmen"
of all kinds-tramp steamers. coasting
vessels, trawlers and schooners. Per-
haps the most distressing part of ex-
istence on one of these ships was it's
monotony; day would follow day; week
would follow week, and sometimes
months would pass without their en-
countering a single submarine. Cap
tain Campbell himself spent nine
months on his first mystery ship be-
fore even sighting an enemy, and many
of his successors had a similar exper
ience The mystery boat was a patient
constantly expecting a bite
and frequently going for long periods
without the slightest nibble. This kind
of an existence was not only disap
pointing but also exceedingly nerve
raclxing; all during this waiting period
the officers and men had to keep them
selves constantly at attention; the
show which they were main
tanning for the benefit of a possible
periscope had to go on continuously;
moments forgetfulness or relaxation
might betray their secret and make
their experiment failure. The fearful
tediousness of this kind of life had a
more nerve raching effect upon the
officers and men than the most exciting
battles, and practically all the mystery
ship men who broke down fell victims
not to the dangers of their enterprise, /
but TO this dreadful tension of sailing
for weeks and months without coming /
to close quarters with their enemy.
Mystery Boat Loved Fight.
About the most welcome sight to a |
ship, after a period of inactiv-
ity. was the wake of a torpedo speed |
ing in its direction. Nothing could pos
siblv disappoint it more than to see
this torpedo pass astern or forward |
without hitting the vessel. In such a I
contingency the genuine merchant ship |
would make every possible effort TO I
turn out of the torpedo's way; the /
helmsman of the mystery ship, how
ever. would take all possible precau-
lions to see that his vessel was hit +
This. however, he must do with the
utmost cleverness. else the fact that he I
was attempting to collide with several /
hundred pounds of gun cotton would in /
tself betray him to the submarine. I
Not innprobably several members of the I
rev might be killed when the torpedo
struck. but that was all part OF the
"a me which they were playing. More
than the lives of the men
vas the fate of the ship: if this could
.emain afloat long enough to give the +
runners a good chance at the subma-
.ine. everybody on board would be sat
SIZED. There was. however, little dan
-a,- that the mystery ship would go
,oy-, immediately; for all available
a,pa space had been filled with wood. i
,-bieb gave the vessel sufficient buoy Il
'ncv sometimes to survive many tor
,edocs.
OF course this as all the other details