History of the U.S.S. Leviathan, cruiser and transport forces, United States Atlantic fleet: Compiled from the ship's log and data gathered by the history committee on board the shipU.S.S. Leviathan History Committee
History
History of the U.S.S. Leviathan, cruiser and transport forces, United States Atlantic fleet: Compiled from the ship's log and data gathered by the history committee on board the ship
U.S.S. Leviathan History Committee
Leviathan (Steamship); Vaterland (Steamship); World War, 1914-1918 -- Naval operations, American
Brest is a seaport in the northwest of France, department of Finisterre.
It has one of the best harbors in France and is the chief station of the
French marine having safe roads capable of containing 500 men-of-war
in from eight to fifteen fathoms at low water. The entrance is narrow
and rocky and the coast on both sides is well fortified. The design to
make it a naval arsenal originated with Richelieu and was carried out by
Duquesne and Vauban in the reign of Louis XIV, with the result that the
town was made almost impregnable. Brest stands on the summit and sides of
a projecting ridge, many of the streets being exceedingly steep. Several
of the docks have been cut in the solid rock, and a breakwater extends
far into the roadstead. The manufactures of Brest are inconsiderable, but
it has an extensive trade in cereals, wine, brandy, sardines, mackerel,
and colonial goods. It is connected with America by a cable terminating
near Duxbury, Mass.
The English and Dutch were repulsed at Brest in 1694. In 1794 it was
blockaded by Howe, who won a great victory off the coast over the French
fleet.
Our escort of destroyers remained with us until the following morning,
May 6th, seeing us safely through the war zone. The remainder of our
voyage was accomplished at a speed of twenty knots without event of
importance until arriving off Ambrose Light, the entrance to New York
Harbor. Here a thick fog again delayed us, causing us to drop anchor
until late in the afternoon of the same day, May 12th. The sky cleared
about this time and we proceeded up the channel and to our regularly
assigned berth, making fast to the dock in Hoboken at 9:28 P. M.
When the members of the crew went ashore they were subjected to excited
cross-examination by many people, for rumor had decreed that we had been
torpedoed and sunk with a tremendous loss of life. Of course we were not
permitted to divulge any information along this line, but it was amusing
to hear what interesting stories were narrated by the home-folk and it
was with much satisfaction that we assured them, after the manner of Mark
Twain, that the report of our deaths had been very much exaggerated.
_Fourth Overseas Trip_
The ship remained at her berth in Hoboken from the 12th to the 22d of
May, giving the crew a reasonable amount of shore leave, the men living
in nearby states thus had an opportunity to visit their homes.
At 4:03 on the afternoon of May 22d, we left on our fourth eastward bound
voyage with the following troops:
Troops, 10,577. 43rd Engineers; 108th Supply Train; 131st Infantry; 318th
Infantry; Base Hospital No. 13, Female; Major General A. Gronkhite, 80th
Div.
We followed the regular channel in leaving New York Harbor, and once more
at sea, started on our fourth venture to slip through the blockade of
German U-boats and to land 10,000 more troops to assist in breaking down
the high pride of the German autocracy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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