Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-05-11
n. O. T. S. AID
BIG FACTOR IN
WINNING WAR
400 Ships in Service and Only
Eighteen Lost Is Rec
ord.
CYCLOPS FATE MYSTERY
BY JoSEPHUS DANIELS,
Former Secretary of the Navy.
ARTICLE 26.


Mystery has always attached itself
to the sea, and romance to the lives
of those who go down to the sea in
ships.
This article is to deal with what
was, in way, a prosaic branch of
the service, but it will tell of both
mystery and romance.
The initials IN. o. T. S" may not
be as familiar to the landsman
reader as some others which were
in frequent use during the war, but
every sailor knew them and knew
them well-not only the sailors of
our own country, but of all other
countries having ships on the At
lantic in 1918
"N o. T. s." stood for the largest
cargo feet on earth operating under
single management-the naval overseas
transportation service.
On Jan. 1, 1913, it did Eot have even
a paper existence; on Jan. it was for
mally organized and named; by July 1t
comprised 19S vessels, and when the
armistice came in November its feet
consisted of 900 assigned ships, Of which
3TS were in actual operation and the
rest in course of construction or pre-
pairing to go into commission. Its total
maximum tonnage was 100000 dead
weight
$4,000 MEN
IN SERVICE.
This was a development of the Navy's
work which got less attention than its
magnitude and Importance merited. 1t
was one of the biggest things we did,
and among the chief reasons why we had
to raise and train such an enormous
personnel. There were some five thou
sand officers and thirty thousand men in
this service.
Had the war continued through 1919
according to our estimates, we would
have required at least twenty thousand
officers and two hundred thousand men
Tor this branch Of the service alone. The
shipping board schedule for 191S-19 con-
templated the delivery of 1924 vessels.
the large majority of which would have
been put into war service and main
tained by the Navy.
n. o. T. s. was the ferry to France"
carrying millions of tons Of munitions,
guns, food. fuel. supplies, materials to
our Army and naval forces abroad. Five
tons Of supplies a year were required
for each soldier.
But I am not going to burden you
with statistics. The story Of what this
prosaic ferry service meant to the men
engaged in it may be best told by Civ
Ing you the ''log" Of one ship-a typical
ship and a typical experience in the
n. o. T. s.
The George G. Henry-prOsaic. mater
of-fact name-had made seven round
trips to France. averaging sixty seven
DAYS to the trip. which allows for load
ing and unloading fine record for a
? cargo steamer.
TACKLES
A U-BOAT.
She was on her eighth trip and far
out at sea, alone, footing her way IN
der full speed, when she sighted a U-boat
about 5000 yards distant. This was at
6. 80 in the morning Of Sept. %. 1913.
Full left wheel" was ordered. Gen
eraI quarters" was rung in. The forward
gun went into action and the after gun
followed quickly. Then the submarine
opened fire. Some shots fell short. others
went over the Henry. The latter's shells
were dropping in pretty lively fashion
around the sub" and presently It with
drew beyond range. but kept in pursuit.
For two hours it followed. firing an
occasional shot, but giving small chance
to the Henry.
Then It scOred a hit.a real hit.
A six-inch shell struck the Henry.
piercing the after deck. 1t plunged dag
onaIly downward. breaking the exhaust
pipe Of the steering gear and explod
ing against a magazine filed with
powder and shells.
SHIP SOON
IN FLAMES.
The Ammunition exploded, spreading
destruction. The whole after part Of the
ship was soon in flames. The after gun,
the one bearing on the enemy, was for
the time being useless.
The crew turned to fighting the fire,
smoke bombs were exploded, and a dense
smoke screen Overhung the stern.
Thinking he had crippled the ship. the
U-boat sailed past the weather end Of
the smoke screen, redoubling his fire.
using shrapneI and solid shot. Though
the vessel was not hit again, the shrap
mel exploding over it descended in a
rain on the decks and fourteen men of
the crew were struck by flying frag-
ments.
BY steering the vessel obliquely. the
Henry brought its forward gun to bear,
but the sub" ran out of range. At 1915
the fire having been got under control,
two shells We're fired from the after gun,
both striking extremely close to, If not
hitting the enemy. Clouds Of yellOwish
smoke rose from the submarine, which
ten minutes later ceased firing and soon
submerged.
The smoke was dense and the distance
so great that the Henry's gunners could
not tell positively whether they had hit
the U-bOat but they were confident It
had been damaged, as otherwise it would
not have submerged and given up the
fight
The enemy disposed of. the Henry pro-
ceeded on its way, running with all
lights out. according to instructions.
HENRY SINKS AMERICAN
SHIP.
Plunging along IN the darkness, five
days after its encounter with the sub
marine. the Henry was nearing the Amer
lean coast An outbound convoy, shFOud-
ed in darkness. was proceeding from
New York. It was midnight. pitch dark,
Continued on Page Five.)
WEATHER