The _Albert Watts_ and _Westoil_, oil tankers, had a thrilling encounter Nov. 28, 1917, with two submarines which, when first observed, were within 300 yards. Blazing away with all their guns, the ships compelled the enemy to dive to escape shelling. Then ensued a running fight that continued for four hours. Every now and then a periscope would bob up, in an effort to get in position to launch torpedoes. But the ships would fire again, and the periscopes disappear. At 10:30 the _Watts_ struck a mine, and was damaged, but remained afloat. The rest of the convoy got to port that afternoon, and a few hours later the _Watts_ arrived, crippled but still in the game. The _Westoil_ had another brush with the enemy March 12, 1918, when a "sub" appeared some distance astern. After a running fight the submarine gave up the contest, though she was of big type, and her guns were apparently heavier than those of the _Westoil_. The vessel's fire was too accurate for her; for the armed guard commander was a "sure shot," a gun-pointer from one of our dreadnaughts who in five years had never missed in short-range battle practice. They were "some gunners," those men of the armed guards! I could fill a book with the exploits of these guards, for the Navy furnished guns and gunners to 384 vessels, and this service at one time or another employed 30,000 men. Begun March 12, 1917, in accordance with the President's order, the arming of merchantmen proceeded until nearly every American ship crossing the Atlantic was provided with this protection. The Bureau of Ordnance scoured the country for all the guns of proper calibers that were available, and some were even taken from cruisers and older battleships, to be replaced later when more could be manufactured. But crews were always ready and the guns were secured and installed in record time. Statistics compiled by an officer of the Armed Guard Section show that: The 384 merchant ships armed made 1832 trans-Atlantic trips while in armed guard status. 347 sightings of enemy submarines were reported. 227 attacks by submarines were classified as "actual." Only 29 ships carrying armed guards were torpedoed and sunk. Two ships were sunk by shell-fire, both after long engagements. 193 attacks were successfully repulsed. 34 attacks resulted in probable damage to enemy submarines. Of the 2,738,026 tons of American merchant shipping armed, only 166,428 tons was sunk by submarines. As a result of attacks repulsed, 1,400,000 tons of American shipping were saved. Could there be better evidence of the success of this undertaking, or the courage and efficiency of the gunners who protected our merchant ships? CHAPTER XVII WHEN THE U-BOATS CAME TO AMERICA