El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-11-24

CLEAR and calm opens the first day
\ Of July. A strange ship is over
taken and passed; an incident that
in ordinary times would have coca
stoned no comment, but somehow we
don't care Tor anybody else 10 be using
this ocean without our express con-
sent.
Signals by means Of flags and flash
lights pass rapidly among the ships
Of our convoy and back and forth
with the cruiser ahead The heavily
armed auxiliary Virginia, the trans
port which has been our next neigh
Dor IN the front rank, passes ahead and
takes position IN file following the
cruiser.
an Iookouts are doubled and others
take post, watching keenly for any
thing that might excite suspicion.
Preparations are made for accident.
Unusual activity among the crew. We
have several practice formations under
arms.
Overtake large merchant convoy and
pass It; we wish It well, but It has no
naval vessel IS escort. Our wireless
news from Arlington tells Of German
submarine activities back Of US and
around British waters.
The ships now begin active maneu-
Fers, changing fleet formation BY sig
nal Il Is interesting to watch the
ships change their courses and move
into their appointed places. Now the
convoy is IN three ranks, Of five and
five and three; now one ship slips
ahead, and others change place, so that
the ranks are five and three and four.
The maneuTers continue.
Most interesting Of al is the z trad.
II is explained to US that the object
Of all these maneuvers and changes Of
direction is to deceive any submarines
in the vicinity as to the direction IN
which the convoy is moving, its dis
lance, and rate Of speed The ships
are eamouflaged so that at a distance
across the water, the ships Officers
tel US, and at the surface Of the sea
from a submarines Periseope It would
be hard to ain q torpedo accurately
or gage the rate
The 2 or zigzag tran is resumed at
intervals all day, Of course considerably
reducing our actual rate Of progress.
The method is for each ship, az signal
from the cruiser which is the flagship,
to Teer sharply at a IS degree angle
and proceed. The movement is much
like fright oblique7 OF ''left oblique" in
the infantry dim, and the neat ranked
formation is apparently all broken up,
but at another signal each ship Veers
in the opposite direction and the ranks
are Just as they we're originally; then
another zigEag the other WaY, and 90
on, sidestepping al over the ocean and
without any object IN life.
so that part Of the time we are sail
ing east or southeast, part Of the time
north, west, OF northwest. We get our
afternoon tea lust the same.
The big ship In the center Of the
front rank is the Justicis, one Of the
largest ships afioat and carrying 5000
men on this little tour. On the left
flank is the Cretic. Behind Us IS
big snowy Australian mail boat. Some
Of the smaller ships seem now and then
to be having a bit Of difficulty keep
ing up with the crowd, but they fire
up at intervals and run into place
again.
2 July 191s-Clear and mild In
the forenoon our cruiser suddenly
turns back, and runs at fun speed to
the rear left flank Of the column. She
spends an hour scouting widely on the
far horizon. Suspicious object on sea
Ships msneuTer rapidly and actively
Signals. Later we hear that
q submarine was sighted.
Our rate is about $50 miles TO SIS
miles per day.
3 July i91s-Heavey seas, head
winds, light rains. Turquois wave
crests, ieweled foam incredibly beauti-
full. The auxiliary cruiser Virginia
left the convoy during last night and
does not reappear during the day. Our
ships captain SAYS: "She was given
q bit Of 9 job to do"
We zigzag all over the ocean, chang
ing course often by signals formation