The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-02-15

Corfu Tor service IN 1eQILeT
Those boys can't bring a ship
-as. The ocean," someone remarked
CAPTAIN Gotten, who commanded
f. "~sc squadron of subchasers to
-~.ve at Plymouth, after he had re-
-.4i the story Of one of these voy-
.sas
Perhaps they can't" replied Captain
-5tan-himself an Annapolis man who
slmircs these reservists as much as
10. But they have"
Ard ne pointed to thirty-six little
.asss.s lying at anchor in Plymouth
7ar5or just about a hundred yards
rom the monument which marks the
pot from which the Mayflower sailed
i. che new worId-all of which were
svigated across by youngsters, Off
ars and men, of whom almost none
I'D any nautical training until the
a- the United States declared war on
.ermany.
lssuIsr Officers of Navy Trained
Civilians.
Capable as they were, however, / am
ire that these reservists would be
e first to acknowledge their obliga-
OTIS to the loyal and devoted regular
Ulcers of the navy, who labored so
1gently to train them for their
5-k. One of the minor tragedies of
b war is that many of our Annap-
Is men. whose highest ambition it
as to cross the ocean and engage
70 he game" had to stay on this
la in order TO instruct these young
BEN from civilian life.
wish that ] had the space ade-
.a.eIy to acknowledge the work in
rganiza ton done by Captain John T.
-ompkins; in listening devices by
S S. Robinson, Cap
ans Frank H. Schofield. Joseph H.
letrees. Commanders Clyde 5. Nc
lowell and Miles a. Libbey. and the
.aay scientists who gave us the bene-
?. 0f their knowledge and experience.
IS impossible to overpraiSe the work
( such men as Captain Arthur ].
hepburn Lyman A. Gotten and Will
am p Cronan, in licking the
lendid raw material into shape.
reat credit is also due to Rear Ad-
lal T. p. Magruder, Captain David
Boyd = Y. Graham. Arthur Cren-
faw. F. 2. Jessop, c. NJ. Tozer, H.
e. Sparrow. and c. p. Nelson and
NAVY others who had the actual re-
possibility of conveying these vessels
rass the ocean.
] assume that they will receive full
ljt when the story of the work Of
Re navy at home is written; mean
z1.ie they may be assured of the APP
'-eciation Of those of us on the other
je who depended so much for sue
'ss upon their thorough work of
.rep3ration.
Chance for Offensive.
'T5e unexpected sea qualities which
.a Suhchaser displayed, and the de-
aopment of listening devices which
-ada 1t possible to detect all kinds of
ou1ds under water at a considerable
s.anre Immediately laid before us
ao possibility of direct offensive
1erauons against the submarine. 1t
II anne apparent that these listening
fuoes could be used to the greatest
vantage on these little crafts. The
@rics which We're soon developed for
-eir use made it necessary that we
lould have large number of yes
is; nearly ali the destroyers were
zen engaged in convoy duty and we
'uid not enter.<I the idea of de-
"Ans many II them for this more
z less experimental work.
Happily the subchasers started COM
* or the ways just in time to fill
-9 need; and the several Allied ma
PCS began competing for these new
'af, in lively fashion. France de-
landed them in large numbers to |
erik in cooperation with their air
,jons and also patrol her coastal |
,ers, and there were many REQUESTS |
nm stations in England, ireland. Gil
altar. Portugal and Italy. The
esrion of where we should place /
en- was therefore referred to the
led Naval War Council which. at |
y suggestion, considered the matter |
OF from the standpoint of the indi
a1di nation, but from the stand !
'.1, of the Allied cause as whole. |
Mapping Our Their Work.
general survey clearly showed that !
-Te We're three places where the
,D'h2sers might render the most |
-'ient service The convoy system
ID ny this time not only greatly re-
20 The losses, but it was changing /
policy of the submarines. Until |
system was adopted, sinking on |
, 80 seal" were taking place far out (
f..s sometimes three or four hun |
q,. '"'Ies west of Ireland. The sub !
rs...- mad adopted the policy of !
|s.r,-'s me unescorted ships in the
5ssa., and Of torpedoing them long
H.. 'neE could reach the zones |
s,v t. e destroyer patrol might pos I
'0'e protected them. But Sailing