The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-05-17

the straits, the Indian ocean the Rec
sea, through the Suez canal and the
Mediterranean to Gibraltar, where they
did yoeman service in convoy duty from
that center of ocean traffic. Thus, dur
ing the war the navy's activities liter
ally belted the globe.
Before hostilitieS ended we had in
service in European waters 37S vessels,
including 70 destroyers, 3 gunboats. 5
coast guard cutters, 100 submarine chas-
ers, 81 armed yachts, IL submarines 13
mine sweepers. 10 mine planters, bait
tleships, cruisers, 16 tugs, cross
channel transports, So vessels, carrying
coal for the army, Is tenders and repair
ships, and vessels of miscellaneous
types. In addition, there were 30 other
vessels assigned to the European force
then undergoing repairs or being pre-
pared to go into commission. So that
the total number assigned to the Euro.
pean forces was over 400.
BIG FORCE ENGAGED
Over $4,000 officers and men of the
navy were In service in Europe. Thirty
thousand marines were sent overseas
for service with the army and 800 for
naval duty ashore. That makes a total
of over 10000 Officers and men of the
navy and marine corps that were in
service in Europe
But that by no means covers all the
service we performed for the allies and
our own forces in Europe. The entire
cruiser and transport force. with its SO
vessels manned by 5000 officers and
1000 men; and the naval overseas
transportation service, with 37S vessels
In operation manned by 1852 officers
and 29.175 men, were in transatlantic
service, carrying troops and supplies
to our armies and our allies. Practi-
cally all the merchant ships and others
which carried naval armed guards and
navy guns were carrying food, ma
terials and other articles to allied
countries. The navy armed 1884 mer-
chant and cargo ships, and 10000 of
the navy personnel were, at one time
or another, engaged in this service.
100000 OFFICERS AND MEN
Thus, a total of S34 vessels and ap-
proximately 100000 officers and men of
the United States navy and marine
corps We're engaged either In actual
European service or in transatlantic
service to and from Europe. That is al
most three times as many as were in
the entire navy and marine corps be-
fore the war.
But that was not nearly all we were
preparing to do, and would have done,
IL the war had continued into 1919. as
was expected Many thousands of men
were in training to man the new de-
stroyers and other vessels we were
building and the hundreds the shipping
board had under construction. Our war
building programme included a thousand
vessels, of all types, from battieshps to
submarine chasers. We contracted for
275 destroyers in 1917. The builders
were breaking all records in construc-
ton; a number had been completed and
put into service before the armistice.
But we were just reaching the peak of
production when they would be turned
out by the score. The shipping board
was building cargo ships so rapidly
that the total number Of vessels al
ready assigned to the naval overseas
transportation service was 400, which
would bring that fleet UP to total of
100000 lightweight tons. And we
would have been called upon to man
hundreds more had the war continued
another year.
100000 MEN IN NAVY
The navy had grown, by the time of
the armistice, to force of over 100000,
including marines. Beginning with
1915 officers and 62,667 men in the
regular navy when war was declared,
and $4,000 reserves and naval militia,
the total increased to 532,931. including
the 5000 of the coast guard
Tho marine corps grew from 13, 725
to a total force of $4,000.
Recruiting and training this immense
personnel, the largest by many thou
sands ever possessed by any navy. was
tremendous task, carried out with a
success that surprised even our allies
It we'll merited the tribute of Sir Eric
Geddes. first lord of the British ad-
miralty, who said:
"The dauntless determination which
the United States has displayed in Gre
ating huge, trained body of seamen
out of landsmen Is one of the most
striking accomplishments of the war
Had 1t not been effectively done. one
would have thought it impossible"
But only those who did it can know