_April 6th._ This is the first anniversary of our entry into the war. In consequence, all the American vessels had to dress ship. We coaled all day and will finish to-morrow. In again, out again, coal again, Finnegan! The _Martha Washington_ discharged her troops. They were cavalry and nigger infantry. They were held up for several hours and the darkies had us rocking all the time. They claimed they saw four submarines sunk the other day after being attacked by eleven or nine. _April 9th._ I got in trouble to-day. In the storm last night an American ship came in and anchored four miles off. I was on signal watch and read her flag hoist as LDBC, the _Rangely_, and reported her as such. Discovered to-day that she was the LDQC or _Graster Hall_. I caught all the blame. The _Q_ they had up was so terribly dirty that in the distance and bad light it could not be taken for anything else than a _B_. There was no alibi for me, however, and I don’t know whether the bawling out I got will be all of it or not. It was my mistake, an unavoidable one, but in war-time that makes no difference in this man’s navy. _May 10th._ Captain Kittinger is to be transferred to command a big transport and Commander Porter is coming back to take this ship. I shall be glad to see Captain Porter, but we are mighty sorry to see Skipper “Bill” Kittinger go. The _Wakiva_ dropped over one of the new 300-pound depth bombs and pretty near blew herself up. She busted several things in her engine-room. _May 22nd._ Just as we came off watch at 4 A.M. in a dense fog we got an S.O.S. from our old friend, the _Wakiva_. She was rammed and sunk by the _Wabash_ of her convoy. She went down rather deliberately and only two men were lost. We are sorry to cross her off the list, as she was a willing worker, although slow. At 8 P.M. we met the largest convoy of troop-ships that has come overseas. The first group of fourteen ships carried forty-five thousand soldiers, to say nothing of the naval crews aboard, and there were twelve destroyers in the escort. The second group of nine ships had twenty-five thousand troops. It was a great sight. They will be landed at Brest. [Illustration: THE FAITHFUL WAKIVA, WHICH WAS SUNK IN COLLISION] [Illustration: BIG TRANSPORTS IN BREST HARBOR] _May 24th._ Hooray! We have thirty-five German prisoners to shovel the coal from the lighters into the buckets. And, by gosh, these square-heads went on strike and the kindly French let ’em get away with it. If any prisoners went on strike in Germany it’s a cinch they’d be shot full of holes. They don’t treat ’em rough enough in France. After looking over several of these _Corsair_ diaries, Commander Kittinger had this shrewd and good-humored comment to offer: