Evening star., 1928-04-01

CAPT. DUDLEY w. kNOA.
to enable these vessels to hunt down
enemy submarines.
Use Of Navy Planes. -.
Creation of naval aviation force to
assist In both escort and hunting work.
Augmenting the American Army by
furnishing quotas OF Marines and
great gun units.
The frst American vessels. divi-
sion OF destroyers. reported at Queens
town, May 4. 1917, less than a month
following the declaration OF war. and
they were assigned TO patrol duty In
given areas. the idea being TO force
submarines 10 keep submerged. Then
the convoy system was instituted, and
from the beginning this was declared
to be q success II was put into ef-
feet gradually and by the end OF July,
1917, more than 10000 ships had been
conveyed and only one-half OF per
cent lost The service aboard the
small vessels was ardnous. Capt. Knox
says, because the small ships had 10
keep up with the large troop ships In
all kinds OF weather .~
During the 10 months OF convoy serv-
ice 1873 attacks were made by Ameri-
can war vessels upon submarines.
Twenty-four submarines were damaged
and two known TO have been destroyed
A total of 1858 ships were escorted.
carrying vast quantities Of freight to
the armies In France and the civilian
population OF the allies. as well as
more than 100000 troops.
THE fact" Capt. Knox says, "that
not q single American soldier, Ell route
tSA
United States Navy, was lost through
submarine attack. II. very largely due TO
the efiicient and unremitting work OF
the American destroyers."
German Threat Failed.
After telling OF putting the interned
German ships In commission as troop
ships and placing them In service, he
says that the effort OF the Germans TO
prevent America from landing an army
in France failed even more completely
than any one expected. II was sur
prise 10 both Americans and 10 the
Allies that the Germans did not have
more success in carrying out their
threat and 1t was their failure 10 ac-
compllgh this that leads naval opinion
today 70 refuse to accept the doctrine
that the advent Of the submarine Speils
the doom OF the surface vessel.
Prom q beginning Of two vessels with
guns and Navy gun crews, the supply
service he says, grew until II contained
$50 vessels OF more than 5000, 900 tons.
with another 100 vessels OF an adui-
tional 900, 900 tons In process OF be-
ing taken over The personnel neceA~
sary TO man and operate the supply
feet was 4, $50 officers and 2a,047 men,
only IL OF the officers being from the
Regular service. This was distinct from
the troop transport fleet.
The battle feet was kept home and,
with Us crews materially reduced by the
necessity Of furnishing armed guards
and crews for the yacht and her craft,
WAS used as training machine 10 NIL
the increasing demand for officers and
men, Some idea Of the scope OF this
problem may he gained from the fact
that In the beginning there were TO-
900 men In the Navy. whereas at the
time Of the armigtiee the number had
been increased 10 538 900
However. In September. 1917, acting
on A request of the British, four Ameri-
can battlcships were sent 10 Join the
grand fleet. which later had been re-
duced owing to the necessity OF laying
up some of the ships 10 provide person.
mel for newly completed cruisers flo
lean ships engaged In escorting impor~
tant conveys. which sailed at regular
! intervals between Scotland and Norway
| and engaged In one submarine attack.
Mine Fields Put Down.
The mine fields used In The North
Sea barrage were worked out after the
beginning 0f the war, and, cnri0uRly
enough, The electrical devices used on
them were provided by a civilian on anr
other Invention submitted. When The
plans we're completed In October, 1877,
preparations were made IN America Ia
manufacture 1875, 900 mines and t0 com
vert eight merchant ships into mine
layers, as well ss organizing a special
! mine transport of ~ ships 10 get the
| mines across the Atlantic II was the
laying ~ these mines In early 1918 and
the subsequent damage ~ German unr
derwater boats that indicated definitely
~ Germany the imp0ssibility 0f c0ntin~
uing the submarine campaign The
| mine harrage idea also was extended 10
| the Mediterranean.
American submarines were placed In
| the hunting scheTie when The nsed for
surface vessels, such as destr0ysFs and
| yachts for tr00pship protection, became
| pressing The U~b0ats then became
active in the English channel, irish
4 Sea and other coastal waters, and this
yas followed by an American reply In
the way Of sub ehsssrs and souad-dss
teeiins devices.
The passage NJ these ANAL vessels,
only 10 feet long. across the Atlantic