CHAPTER FIFTEENFinishing the Barrier
The conference at Malta at which Rear Admiral Strauss was the American representative recommended extensive mine barrages in the Mediterranean, in locations where the depths of water were much greater than any yet mined, involving winter operations for us. As a first step, Captain Murfin was sent down to Bizerta, near Tunis, to establish a base there, like his two in Scotland—though under much less favorable conditions. Considerable experimenting at home was likewise involved, to develop a suitable extra-deep mine and its moorings. Experienced personnel being needed for this, orders came placing theBaltimoreat disposition of our Naval Bureau of Ordnance for the purpose. Accordingly, on the tenth excursion, 26 September, she parted company off Scapa Flow, sailing thence two days later for home. In the nine other ships, 97 per cent of the mine capacity remained, but as an experienced vessel of regular man-of-war type, theBaltimore’svalue in the squadron had far exceeded her proportionate capacity.
The minelaying squadrons were now doubling and trebling the barrage, which had been carried clear across the North Sea on the eighth excursion, 7 September. Hitherto we had been favored by good weather, but the season of frequent storms was approaching and already the lengthening hours of darkness made a considerable difference.
Our one loss of life at sea occurred just as theBaltimoreleft us. TheSaranac’sport paravane was running badly and, in clearing it, George C. Anderson, chief boatswain’s mate, stepped out on the davit—a sudden jerk! and he was gone. Although search was made, he was never seen again. He had been an energetic yet safe leader, never allowing another man to go overside without a bowline around him, but of himself had been less careful.
An almost unbroken record of ten excursions carried through without breakdown or delay made such a performance now seem a matter of course. The artificer personnel of all ships made a fine showing in upkeep and in steady steaming at sea, notwithstanding that overhaul time was very limited. On returning to port, the squadron would prepare immediately for another excursionand would then wait from day to day for the escort, under notice too short for the extensive overhaul desirable. As the operation progressed, making more wear and tear, the intervals between excursions became shorter and bad weather frequently necessitated keeping steam ready, in case the anchors dragged, as often they did, all which reduced the repair time. Unfinished details of conversion, hard usage in former hands, absence of spare feed pumps and similar secondary dependencies, and a large amount of auxiliary machinery for the vessels’ size,—all these were work-making factors. Yet, except for wear, the general condition of all machinery steadily improved.
A large amount of self-repair was done, theRoanokebeing almost wholly self-sustaining, resorting very little even to our own repair shipBlack Hawk. TheSan Francisco’scarpenter gang built an excellent emergency cabin under the bridge in about 10 days. Then theShawmutandAroostookby themselves increased their oil fuel capacity by 50 per cent, which later enabled them to make the run homeward unassisted and unescorted.
Procedure in conducting the squadron aimed at steadiness in steaming and steering. No unnecessary chances were taken, but neither was the treatment tender. The ships always worked near their speed limit, with only the reserve needed for tactical reasons. Their good performance was due to careful, intelligent foresight, and the rarity of even minor disablements is proof of noteworthy ability and fidelity on the part of the engine and fireroom personnel. No ship was ever late, no minelaying operation ever interrupted, only one hot bearing occurred, only once did a ship’s engine have to stop—for but a few minutes—in 8400 miles steaming.
As for steady station-keeping, some ships, notablyCanandaigua, were always there—hour after hour, night and day—and the others were seldom out. Approaching and during the minelaying, they were very accurate. As one visiting officer from the fleet said, “You’ve got it on the battleships,” and it was officially reported by Admiral Mayo that
The minelayers, though of diverse types, maneuvered well together and kept station very well indeed; they appeared to be under excellent control, both individually and as units, at all times. The laying operation which was witnessed was carried out according to plan without hitch of any kind, thus indicating the efficacy of the preparation, including planning, and the thorough understanding of the work by all concerned.
The minelayers, though of diverse types, maneuvered well together and kept station very well indeed; they appeared to be under excellent control, both individually and as units, at all times. The laying operation which was witnessed was carried out according to plan without hitch of any kind, thus indicating the efficacy of the preparation, including planning, and the thorough understanding of the work by all concerned.
Much official interest was taken in our operation and brief visits to the bases and the ships were made during the summer by Vice Admiral Sims, Admiral Sir Rosslyn Wemyss, the British First Sea Lord, Vice Admiral Ommaney of the Admiralty, Rear Admiral Clinton-Baker, R.N., the House of Representatives’ Naval Committee, and Assistant Secretary Franklin D. Roosevelt. Several of our naval officers went out on excursions, and Lieut. Commander DeSalis, R.N., always a welcome, enthusiastic supporter, went on several of them. They all admired the orderly, complete, and ample arrangements of the mine assembling bases and were especially complimentary about the new minelayers.
Officers and men felt intense pride in their ships, and spared no effort to keep them in regular man-of-war condition. The ten made a handsome squadron, and in capacity for carrying mines, in equipment for handling and planting them continuously, and general arrangement and quality, the new American minelayers were admittedly superior to any others.
Their capacity and performance was the subject of much favorable comment and careful study by the British Admiralty. Besides large mine capacity, their mine elevators were a striking feature. The very first thing considered in the plans had been how to get the lower deck mines up to the launching deck, so that a ship’s entire load might be planted in one unbroken string. The Otis Elevator Company’s representatives had been called in at the outset and, after several alternatives had been examined, their standard platform type was decided upon, each elevator lifting two mines every 20 seconds. Six elevators in the four largest ships, four in two others, were in use 9 months in all kinds of weather at sea. Only one of the 32 elevators ever failed, and that one just once!
The British minelayers had had trouble from the mine tracks opening and closing with the working of the ship in a seaway. In ours, the tracks were secured to steel crossties mounted on wooden bolsters, the strength and stiffness of the tie, with the elasticity of the bolster, keeping the rails true to gauge, notwithstanding they were lighter rails than the British used. Special interest was taken also in the simple, light switches used in our ships’ mine tracks. Some of the Admiralty officials were hard to convince that these switches actually worked, even when operated before their eyes.
While the ships were embarking mines and coaling for the twelfth excursion, Admiral H. T. Mayo, Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet, accompanied by Captain O. P. Jackson, his Chief of Staff, Rear Admiral Strauss, and Captain N. C. Twining, Chief of Staff to Vice Admiral Sims, made an informal ship inspection, after which Rear Admiral Strauss published the following:
8 October, 1918.Admiral Mayo, commander-in-chief, left the headquarters of the mine force yesterday evening for the south.He expressed himself as highly pleased with the zeal, loyal coöperation and efficiency of the mine force both ashore and afloat and congratulated us on the work we have accomplished.The commander of the mine force is unable to give any data as to the number of enemy submarines that have been destroyed as a result of our efforts, but it is practically certain that the toll is considerable.The commander-in-chief emphasized the part that the mine force is taking against the enemy as a distinct military offensive, thoroughly known and appreciated at home.
8 October, 1918.
Admiral Mayo, commander-in-chief, left the headquarters of the mine force yesterday evening for the south.
He expressed himself as highly pleased with the zeal, loyal coöperation and efficiency of the mine force both ashore and afloat and congratulated us on the work we have accomplished.
The commander of the mine force is unable to give any data as to the number of enemy submarines that have been destroyed as a result of our efforts, but it is practically certain that the toll is considerable.
The commander-in-chief emphasized the part that the mine force is taking against the enemy as a distinct military offensive, thoroughly known and appreciated at home.
Admiral Mayo found things in their normal condition, with no preparation made for him, as some ships were coaling, others embarking mines. He was evidently pleased with all that he saw, and he remarked how fortunate it was that we had been training in that kind of work, in the old, small mine force, for two years past.
Bad weather during some part of an excursion became now the rule. Coming through a narrow passage in Westray Firth one morning, strong tide against a strong wind made an ugly cross sea, knocking us down to eight knots. One destroyer broached to, and for a few moments lay between our columns, wallowing heavily, as if the next roll would surely take her under.
Shortly afterwards, one arm of theQuinnebaug’srudder quadrant broke, and the other arm bent almost to the point of fracture. Had it too gone, she could not have escaped wreck on the rocky channel side. Fortunately she was able to gain partial shelter; in two hours she made repairs and, taking after the rest at top speed, she arrived at Invergordon only 45 minutes behind them. As a coastwise merchant liner, she was often behind time, but in naval hands she developed speed to spare, frequently maintaining on natural draft 10 per cent more than her former best speed under forced draft.
Passing mines adrift was a frequent occurrence. Occasionally we would have to turn out for them. If of the moored typeoriginally, broken away from their anchors, they should be safe when drifting. But of course safety devices, like all others, not infrequently fail to function, especially after immersion in sea water. We let the mines alone, but occasionally an escort destroyer would fire a few rounds, to sink them.
A German floating mine, upon one occasion, was sighted nearly ahead by theQuinnebaug, at a moment when her port paravane, running foul, had been hauled in, to clear it. Thrown overboard bodily, the paravane fell on its back, and fortunately righting itself, came in contact with the floating mine, which apparently had a mooring line attached to it, and towed it along with the ship for probably 30 seconds—when the mine detached itself and floated astern. While this was going on on deck, a fire broke out below, in the midst of the mines on the stowage deck. The ship’s cooks, who were in the galley at work, with the greatest promptness seized hand fire extinguishers, climbed over between the mines and extinguished the flames. TheQuinnebaugstarted planting within two minutes after this danger was averted.
How such a fire would have spread in one of these ships, so full of woodwork, was shown on board the sister ship,Saranac, after our return, in January, 1919, at Hampton Roads. The very night after discharging her mines a fire broke out, spreading with such rapidity that the sleeping officers had to escape in their night clothes, losing all their effects, and the men in the engine room were barely able to attend the pumps without suffocation.
The longest single minefield on record was the twelfth, laid on 13 October,—first an 8½ mile stretch 5 lines wide, then 65 miles 3 lines wide, 73½ miles in all. It was begun at 7.33 a.m. and finished at 2.52, over 7 hours. In the latter part, we ran closer than usual to the adjacent field, to keep inside the proclaimed barrage limits. That night, steaming at easy speed so as not to make the entrance to Westray Firth before daylight, radio orders were received from the Commander-in-Chief, Grand Fleet, about 11 o’clock, to proceed with despatch into Westray Firth. Other messages were intercepted, indicating that enemy vessels were out, and as we passed Pentland Skerries next forenoon an unusually large number of British destroyers and sweepers and an observation balloon were searching that vicinity for mines and submarines. Quiet was returning, after a night of greater activity than for a long time.