Evening star., 1920-02-29

land under the command OF Capt
Lyman A. Gotten. L. 8. N. The L. S.
destroyer Parker. commanded by
Commander Wilson Brown. had been
assigned to this detachment as a sup
porting ship. The area which now
formed the new field OF operations
was one which was causing great
anxiety at that time. 1T comprehend
ed that section OF the channel which
reached from Start Point to Lizard
Head. and included such important
shipping ports as Plymouth. Devon
port and Falmouth.
This was the region in which the
conveys after having been escorted
through the submarine zone. were
broken up. and from which the indi-
Nidual ships We're obliged to find their
way to their destinations with great
ly diminished protection. 1t was one
OF the sections in which, as described
above. the Germans, forced to aban-
don their submarine campaign on the
high seas. were now actively conccn-
trating their efforts.
n *x X
Until the arrival OF the subchasers
sinkines had been taking place in
these waters on q considerable scale
In company with number of British
hunting units. Capt. Cotten's detach-
ment kept steadily at work from
June 80 until the middle Of August,
when it became necessary to send it
elsewhere. The historical fact Is that
not single merchant ship was sunk
hetw cen Lizard Head and start Point
as long AS these sLbchasers were as
sisting In the operations. The one
sinking which at first seemed to have
broken this splendid record was that
OF the Stockforce; this merchantmen
was destroyed off Dartmouth. but it
was presently announced that the
Stockforce was in reality a my ystery"
ship. sent out for the express purpose
of being torpedoed. and that she got"
the submarine which ended her own
career.
This happening therefore hardly de-
tracted from our general satisfaction
over the work done by our little ves-
sels. Since many ships had been sunk
in this area in the month before they
arrived. and since the sinkinGs start
ed in again after they had left. the
Immunity which this region enjoyed
during July and August may properly
he attributed largely to the American
Navy.
Not only were no bona fide mer-
chant ships destroyed, but no mines
We're laid from Start Point to Lizard
Head during the time that the Ameri-
can forces maintained their vigil
there. That this again was probably
not mere coincidence was shown
by the fact that the very night after
these chasers were withdrawn from
Plymouth Ave mines were laid in
front OF that harbor in preparation
for large convoy scheduled to sail
the next day.
BY the time that Capt. Cotten's
squadron began work the hunting
tactics that had been developed dur
ing their training ut New London had
been considerably improved. Their
procedure represented something en-
tirely new in naval warfare. Since
the chasers had to depend for the de-
lection OF the foe upon an agency so
uncertain as the human ear. 1t was
thought to be necessary, as a safe
guard against error, and also to in
crease the chances OF successful at
tack. that they should hunt in groups
OF at least three.
The fight against the submarine,
under this new system, was divided
into three parts-the search. the pur-
suit and the attack. The first chap
ter included those weary hours which
the little group spent drifting on tho
ocean, the lookout in the crows nest
scanning the surface for the possible
glimpse Of periscOpe. while the
trained listeners on deck, with
strange little instruments which
somewhat resemblcd telephone re-
ceivers glued to their ears. kept con-
stantly at tension for any noise which
might manifest itself under water 1t
WAS impossible to use these listening
devices while the boats We're under
way. for the sounds Of their own pro-
prllers and machinery would drown
out any other disturbances.
The three little vessels therefore
driftcd abreast--at a distance of a
mile or two apart--their propellers
hardly moving. and tho decks as ST.
lent as the grave: they formed a new
kind Of fishing expedition. the officers