The unhappy event occurred without warning on October 17th when the transport _Antilles_, a fine, seven-thousand-ton steamer of the Southern Pacific Company, was sent to the bottom with many of her people. It was no fault of the escort, for there was never a sight of a periscope nor any other indication that a submarine was near. The _Corsair_ did what she could and did it well, saving survivors from the sea with the readiness and courage that might have been expected. The convoy had sailed from Saint-Nazaire two days earlier, waiting at Quiberon for one of the ships to join. With the _Antilles_ were the _Henderson_ and the _Willehad_. The escort comprised the _Corsair, phrodite_, and the _Kanawha_, which replaced the _Wakiva_ after this smaller yacht had returned to port because of leaky rivets in the main boiler. With the circumstances as they were, no better protection could have been given this small convoy of three transports. The Queenstown destroyers were employed in guarding the laden ships inward bound, meeting them far offshore, but the American Patrol Force in France had to take them to sea again as best it could, with the yachts and whatever aid the French Navy was able to offer. The small flotilla of coal-burning destroyers which was sent to base on Brest had not yet arrived and was _en route_ from the Azores. Captain W. B. Fletcher, who commanded the Patrol Force at this time, and who was superseded by Admiral Wilson a little later, received a certain amount of adverse criticism because of the loss of the _Antilles_, but the fact is evident that he had taken all the precautions within his power to send this convoy safely through the danger zone. [Illustration: ENGINEERING FORCE OF THE CORSAIR] [Illustration: LIEUTENANT J. J. PATTERSON, ENGINEER OFFICER, AND HIS HUSKY “BLACK GANG”] The three transports and the three large yachts proceeded without incident until the morning of the second day at sea, when a freshening wind kicked up a boisterous sea and the _Kanawha_ found herself in trouble. She was taking the water green over her bows and the decks were flooded. To avoid being seriously battered, she was compelled to reduce speed, and, to make matters worse, the weather was growing rougher and a gale threatened. Unable to maintain the standard speed of the convoy, which slowed down, for a little while, to nine knots in order to let the _Kanawha_ attempt to regain position, her captain signalled for permission to part company and return to port. This was granted, as the heavy weather had made her of no service to the convoy. Thereafter the formation was maintained in this wise: Corsair O O Alcedo O Henderson Antilles O W | O Willehad S—+—N | E