Cinderellas of the fleet . o boats and ourchasers brought the attacking squadron up to about 35 vessels. Therewere also 45 airplanes in the engagement, some for bombing and somefor fire direction. To avoid a possible attack from the Austro-Germanfleet from the north, a screen of British, French and Italian ships ofvarious types had been sent about 50 miles to the north of Durazzo. Our part of the work was to screen the larger vessels against sub-marine attack and to prevent the escape of any vessels from the harbor. All day of Tuesday, October 1, we were busy with our prepara-tions. Provisions
Cinderellas of the fleet . o boats and ourchasers brought the attacking squadron up to about 35 vessels. Therewere also 45 airplanes in the engagement, some for bombing and somefor fire direction. To avoid a possible attack from the Austro-Germanfleet from the north, a screen of British, French and Italian ships ofvarious types had been sent about 50 miles to the north of Durazzo. Our part of the work was to screen the larger vessels against sub-marine attack and to prevent the escape of any vessels from the harbor. All day of Tuesday, October 1, we were busy with our prepara-tions. Provisions were made for the destruction of the ships in theevent of imminent capture, for a U. S. ship may never were provided for the last minute disposal of all code books,confidential pubHcations and the like, ammunition was tested, gunstried out, in fact everything brought up to the highest point of per-fection. After all the mechanical appliances had been gone over, the THE Ol- rill: 105. The Otranto Barrage from the heel of Italy to the Island of Corfu. men themselves got theirs. Navy regulations provide that beforegoing into battle the men shall bathe and put on clean clothing, toguard, as much as possible, against infection in case of wounds. Itwas not until they were ordered to bathe that the men seemed torealize what lay before them. The usual good-natured banter wasjust a little more boisterous than usual and their spirits never flagged. It was a 90-mile run to Durazzo, and the chasers were to leave A. followed at intervals first by the Italians and then theBritish. One of our chasers had the misfortune to wrap a wire liawseraround one of her propellers in leaving her berth at Brindisi, and,while the rest went on, I was ordered to stand by to help her getclear. After an hours delay it was necessary to leave her behind asit was impossible to clear the propeller without a diver. Brindisiharbor is very intricate and narrow, and
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, bookidcinderellaso, bookyear1920
