Transcriber’s Note Italic text displayed as: _italic_ [Illustration: THE CORSAIR RESCUES THE CREW OF THE SINKING CALIFORNIAN (_page 234_)] THE CORSAIR IN THE WAR ZONE BY RALPH D. PAINE AUTHOR OF “THE FIGHTING FLEETS” _With Illustrations_ [Illustration: Decoration] BOSTON AND NEW YORK HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY _The Riverside Press Cambridge_ 1920 COPYRIGHT, 1920, BY JOHN PIERPONT MORGAN ALL RIGHTS RESERVED “_North, East, South, and West, The Corsair sails and knows no rest._” CONTENTS I. THE CALL OF DUTY OVERSEAS 1 II. “LAFAYETTE, WE ARE HERE!” 29 III. AT SEA WITH THE BRETON PATROL 55 IV. TRAGEDIES AND RESCUES 76 V. WHEN THE ANTILLES WENT DOWN 101 VI. ADMIRAL WILSON COMES TO BREST 122 VII. SMASHED BY A HURRICANE 146 VIII. THE PLEASANT INTERLUDE AT LISBON 174 IX. UNCLE SAM’S BRIDGE OF SHIPS 198 X. THE CORSAIR STANDS BY 225 XI. IN THE RADIO-ROOM 251 XII. THE LONG ROAD HOME 266 XIII. HONORABLY DISCHARGED 289 XIV. THE SHIP’S COMPANY 296 ILLUSTRATIONS THE CORSAIR RESCUES THE CREW OF THE SINKING CALIFORNIAN _Frontispiece_ ADMIRAL H. B. WILSON, COMMANDING THE U.S. NAVAL FORCES IN FRANCE 4 COMMANDER THEODORE A. KITTINGER, U.S.N., COMMANDING U.S.S. CORSAIR 10 LIEUTENANT COMMANDER WILLIAM B. PORTER, LATER COMMANDING U.S.S. CORSAIR, AND LIEUTENANT ROBERT E. TOD, NAVIGATOR 16 FITTING THE CORSAIR FOR THE WAR ZONE 22 NUMBER TWO GUN CREW ON WATCH 26 THEY ARE ALL SEA DOGS TOGETHER 26 SOME OF THE OFFICERS AND CREW, BEFORE LEAVING NEW YORK 32 WITH AMERICA’S FIRST CONVOY: TROOP-SHIPS HENDERSON, ANTILLES, MOMUS, AND LENAPE 38 THE MINE FUNCTIONS AND A LURKING U-BOAT WOULD FIND IT EXCESSIVELY UNHEALTHY 38 THE KIND OF “GOBS” THE COUNTRY WAS PROUD OF 44 THE GERMAN SUBMARINE WAS A TINY TARGET EVEN WHEN ON THE SURFACE 44