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
Every shot fired was greeted by cheers and shouts of encouragement
from the enthusiastic soldiers on the decks, who crowded to favorable
positions to witness the accurate firing of our gun-crews. The Army
Nurses left their luncheon to take a peek at the “fun,” and their
calmness and enthusiasm in the face of a deadly menace were an
inspiration to the sailors manning the big guns. An apt comparison to
this battle would be the excitement incidental to a World Series baseball
game, eleven innings, score: 0-0, and a home-run hit made. Wow!
After the attack no evidence was noted of any of the “subs” having been
sunk, such as oil or scum or floating bits of wreckage. Of course, we did
not turn around or stop to look for this evidence, but inasmuch as none
of the enemy was allowed within torpedo range or cared to show himself
again, he certainly must have taken the accuracy of our gun-fire into
serious consideration.
A disadvantage of our freedom of the press was typically demonstrated in
the U. S. at this time, for the leading newspapers contained all sorts
of misleading accounts, full of far-fetched descriptions of the attack.
One paper stated that twenty U-boats had attacked the _Leviathan_ and
that we had evaded a school of torpedoes. The exact number of submarines
encountered on this day is not known, but it is believed that there were
at least three, and very probably more.
We had a narrow escape though, for just after the first submarine was
sighted, at 12:29 mid-day, our zigzag clock on the bridge rang, 12:30,
notifying us to make an abrupt change of course to port. If this change
had been made the “sub” would have had us broadside on and our entire
length would have been exposed to torpedo attack. Captain Bryan saw this
immediately and issued the above-mentioned order to hold the course.
Arriving in Brest after all this excitement the ship was made fast to our
usual mooring buoy. The crew as before, turned to on the coal barges and
inspired by the enthusiasm and excitement and experience of that morning,
heaved the necessary amount of coal, 4,500 tons, into the bunkers in
record time. The big ship had discharged its living cargo of thousands
of troops, hundreds of officers and many passengers, had sent loads of
stores to the grim destroyers, including thousands of bags of welcome
mail from the folks at home and then proceeded to sea inspired with
the hopes and desires of clashing with the submarine that had sunk the
_President Lincoln_ the day before. “Up and at ’em” was our slogan.
SECOND SUBMARINE FIGHT
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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