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I fa hIJ Sw H' rß'-O M Um uO jii ImLW'f; 9 its ■ Wfi •» ‘/r w m (In Fm >? s /toj/ Lfyjjgfig; I VrJ M | If j LI E332 Submarines Have Little Chance To Sink American Troopships; Navy Protects Transports Like Mother Guarding Her Children A DETAILED STORY, FULL OF THRILLS AND FASCI- N ATI ON, DESCRIBING THE SAFE PASSAGE OF A VESSEL LADEN WITH THOUSANDS OF KHAKI CLAD MEN THROUGH THE “ALLEGED BARRED ZONE.” There is not a man in the thirty tvro cantonments who has not spec ulated at some time or other on what the trip through Germany’s alleged “barred zone" on the Atlan tic would be like while going “Over There” on a troop transport. And it is quite natural that the American soldiers, thousands of whom have never crossed the ocean, even in times of peace, should draw upon their imagination to figure out the experiences and sensations pos sible while on the ocean with sub marines lurking about to send the transport to Davy Jones’ Locker if possible. One of the most interesting, thrilling and informative articles thus far written on the voyage of an American troopship through the “barred zone" was penned by Ray mond G. Carroll, whose fascinating detailed narrative has been copy righted by the Philadelphia Public Ledger and is published in Trench and Camp by special permission. It follows; Entering the “barred zone” upon a troopship loaded with Yankee lighters, the emotions are kindred to those experienced in an initial crossing of the equator; one almost expected to see a visible line of de marcation rise out of the water. I was on the bridge when we went in. Tn fact, for several nights back I had slept in a hammock loaned me by the ship’s master—God bless him —slung up on the boat deck just rear of the bridge. My pillow was a life preserver. Not even a pour ing North Atlantic rain succeeded in driving me from that hammock. Courage, “red badge’’ or any other brand of that much sought after headline article did not tug very hard toward the occupancy of the warm, soft bed in the stateroom to the exclusion of an opportunity to be where tfte panorama of events cn a major scale was bound to un fold. Some of the young army offi cers, doubtless in a spirit of bra vado during the concluding nights of the. voyage sought their state room beds, but I observed that the veteran commanders took no such chances. The older men bunked within a stone’s throw of their sleeping men, picking the spot where they would be able to grapple with any situation that might arise and keep it in hand. • “I am sleeping in my berth every night,” boasted a young lieutenant. “How lucky a double sense of re sponsibility has not reached you yet,” replied one of the majors. With the compactness of sardines in a tin where we were passing through the submarine zone both officers and men were strewn about those decks of the ship located well above the water line. Orders had been issued for everybody to sleep in his clothing. The purpose of the commanding officers was to avoid she possibility of any surprise. The result was that to pick one’s way, after dark, from the bow to the stern required masterly footwork. Now and then, as you crept along, you landed lightly upon an extend ing leg or elbow, but the boys were good-natured and quickly dropped back into slumber. Destroyers Sighted I was seated in the skipper's of fice shortly after 2 o’clock of the day we began to traverse the much advertised danger zone when the senior naval commander opened the door leading from the bridge. He said: “Come quickly now, and you will see a pretty sight.” Getting behind a large marine telescope I saw a sight that was thrilling in the highest degree; the gallant approach of ae fleet of American destroyers and other units which was to convoy us to the European mainland. They spanned the eastern horizon and swept down upon us in a “search curve.” The newcomers were from that portion of the navy that has been for some time in European waters. They were hunting for us along a certain degree of latitude. I would like to Page 10 TRENCH AND CAMP That Rookie from the 13th Squad. ?. l. Crosby./ ~~ fIT NEVER WAFT WOfiRYfN % <WORTH AJHILE \ I so- J Jul your V , L.ES INYOUR /■SMILE. Smile. 1 , 0 KIT BAG xL. f Wk == _. Courtesy of THE McCLURE NEWSPAPER SYNDICATE, New York tell the details of their formation, but it is not in wisdom to do so. It Is enough to say that they were sufficient in number to cover in a chain of easy visibility an advancing front of considerable width. Not to have seen what next hap pened—it is the crowning incident awaiting the vision of every Amer ican soldier who goes to France— is not to have lived in these stirring times. Like a loving mother throwing her arms around her children the destroyers on the north and south wings of the curve closed about the transports and the navy units of the transatlantic convoy. It was our navy in a supreme moment of its trained intelligence standing by our army. It was the warm em brace we had been waiting for. People at home hugging their se cluded firesides can hardly appre ciate it. That portion of the army on my troopship cheered and the band stationed in the forward part of the ship started to .play "The Stars and Stripes Forever.” I wish every slinking, faint-hearted Amer ican citizen could have been aboard to witness this event, for in the presence of brave men cowards are put to shame. The flagship of the torpedo flo tilla, a low, rakish destroyer, swung alongside the chief unit of the navy convoys, in whose care we had left the American mainland. They were observed speaking confiden tially to each other. Never mind how. In the navy conversation flows in many automatic tongues; flag signals, semaphore signals, radio wireless, blinkers and searchlight flashes. Hardly had the naval com mander of the transatlantic convey ers exchanged conversation with the new arrivals when certain units of the navy which were scheduled to turn back, changed their course and left us, soon dropping out of sight in the westward. Change of Convoy We in the transports had been passed over without hitch from one set of floating forts to another. It was the biggest moment I have ever passed through. Here is a great subject for a marine artist to paint. We had connected with Europe un der the folds of “Old Glory.” Our navy was right there on the rim of the “barred zone” with teeth set, full of actual experience in fighting submarines and possessing the lat est “dope” about the enemy. Cheer for the navy! Right about where we took up the gauntlet thrown down by the Kaiser the currents of the Gulf Stream spread into a fan and carry their warmth in various directions. Hidden somewhere in these cur rents were the German submarines. The average speed of a submarine' is ten knots under water and double that on the surface. To come to the surface was to come into the range of an American gunnery which they have learned to respect. They can run under water at a depth of sixty feet and can submerge to 200 feet. The high explosive bombs with which the English destroyers have fought them burst at a depth in the water of eighty feet and more. These bombs have an effec tive exploding radius of 200 square feet. Inasmuch as overmuch has been written of the menace of the sub marine, I want to show that our troopship, aside from the pavy guns and their operating jackies on our decks, aside from the protecting units of the navy itself with us, as well as any other army transport, has a tiptop chance to escape the undersea craft. From the spar of the forward mast in the ship, about eighty-flve feet above the upper deck, the human eye commands an area of 380 square miles in which a submarine emerged can be seen. At the same altitude the periscope of a submarine is visible for an area of twelve square miles. Good watchers combined with high speed are in themselves enough to get away with provided there is no haze or fog around the ship. To enforce order, to protect prop erty and to deny access to certain portions of the ship on each trans port there is organised a guard of Oct. 24,1917. soldiers. There are a score of posts to be covered. Men have to be sta tioned at the magazines, some at the hatchways and others at the fire caps. The guard was divided into three shifts and required the activities of sixty men, a sergeant and three corporals. All are under the direct control of the officer of the day, who saw to it that the sen tinels remain at their posts, making repeated inspections, at least one of which was made every twenty (Continued on page 8) HOW ABOUT IT? That Cartoon or Draw ing for The Trench and Camp Wrist Watch Contest? Some soldier is going to get this wrist watch and it might as well be you. Every soldier believes he can do three things—sing, write a < book and draw a picture. ; Perhaps you may not be the , best artist in the world, but your , idea and execution may be so i unique as to get the verdict at the hands of the judges. Draw a patriotic cartoon which would appeal to the soldiers in . the thirty-two cantonments, or a [ sketch of army life as it impresses you. Draw anything you think would be suitable for this contest and mail it to Room 504 Pulitzer Building before noon, November 15. Be sure and write your name and the name of your company and regiment plainly when you send in the cartoon so that prop er credit may be given you. Each soldier m the canton ments may send in as many car toons or sketches as he desires. The watch - winning cartoon or drawing and as many others as possible will be printed in Trench and Camp.