Evening star., 1920-01-04


OF suds. and suspicious disturbances
on the water; yet now and then there
were engagements with actual boats
and flesh-and-blood human beings. To
spend weeks at sea with no foe more
substantial than an occasional foamy
eXcrescence on the surface was the
fate of most sailormen in this war:
yet few exciting moments, when
they finally came, more than compen-
stated for long periods of monotony
One afternoon in November, 1917, an
American destroyer division COM
manded by Commander Frank Berrien.
with the Nicholson as it's flagship, put
out of Queenstown on the usual mis-
sion of taking, a westbound convoy to
its rendezvous and bringing in one that
was bound for British ports. This out
ward convoy was the O Q 90, and con-
sisted of eight fine ships. After the
usual preliminary scoutings the ves-
sells passed through the net I'm single
file. sailed about ten miles TO sea. and
began to take up the stipulated forma-
tion, four columns of two ships each.
The deStroyerS were moving around.
they were even mingling in the con-
voy, carrying messages and giving in
structions; by a quarter past all
the ships had attained their assigned
positions. except one the Rene which
was closing up to it's place as the rear
ship OF the first column. Meanwhile
the destroyer flaming was steamine
rapidly to it's post on the rear flank.
Suddenly there came a cry from the
bridge of the flaming. where Coxswain
David ID. Loomis was on lookout
"Periscope"
or the starboard side of the Tanning.
glistenins in the smooth water a peri
scope of the Ginger variety, one so
small that it could usually elude all but
the sharpest eyes, had darted for few
seconds above the surface and had then
just as suddenly disappeared. Almost
directly ahead lay the Welshman.
splendid British merchant ship: the
periscope was so close that torpedo
would almost inevitably have hit this
vessel in the engine room. The haste
with which the German had Withdrawn
his perscope, after taking a hurried
glance around, was easily explained;
for his lens had revealed not only his
tempting bait, but the destroyer Fam
ming close aboard and bearing down on
him. Under these circumstances it was
not Surprising thai no torpedo wis fired
1t was clearly military wisdom to beat
a quick retreat rather than attempt to
attack the merchantmen. Lieut.. Walter
$. Henry. who was the officer of the
deck, acted with the most commenda BILE :
dispatch. 1t is not the simplest thing,
even when the submarine is so obvious
ly located as this one apparently was,
to reach the spot accurately.
The destroyer has to make wide
and rapid turn and there is every dan
ger. in making this maneuver. that the
location will be missed. Subsequent
events disclosed that the flaming was
turned with the utmost accuracy AS
the ship darted by the spot at which
the periscope had been sighted, depth
charge went over the stern, and ex-
ploded so violently that the main gen
orator of the flaming itself was tenn
porarily disabled. Meanwhile the
Nicholson had dashed through the
convoy. made rapid detour to the
left. and dropped another depth.
charge short distance ahead of the
flaming.
The disturbances made on The water
by these "ash cans" gradually sub
sided; to all outward appearances the
submarine had escaped unharmed. The
Tanning and the Nicholson COM
pleted their circles and came back
TO the danger spot. the officers and
crew eagerly scanning the surface for
usual oil patch and air bubbles, even
hoping that n few pieces of wreck
ase--those splintered remnants of
the submarines wooden deck that al
most invariably indicated a consid-
erable amount of damage. Eut none
ol these evidences of success or half
success. rose to the surface; for ten
or hfteen minutes everything was as
quiet as the grave. Then something
happened which happened only. few,
times In this strange war The stern
OF submarine appeared out of the
water, tilted at about thirty degrees.
clearly revealing its ugly torpedo