Cinderellas of the fleet . ce to a German U-boat, and at night with all lightsout and with the gun crew^s of every freighter on edge and eager tolet fly at the first suspicious object, there is little wonder that suchaccidents occurred. There was, for instance, the regrettable case ofS. C. 209, which was shelled and sunk by the Freighter Felix Taussigoft Fire Island, when Lieut. lienrv J. Bowes, Ensign E. H. Randolphand fourteen enlisted men lost their lives. In the face of the ever-present menace of the submarine and hisactual presence on this side of the Atlantic during most of the summerof
Cinderellas of the fleet . ce to a German U-boat, and at night with all lightsout and with the gun crew^s of every freighter on edge and eager tolet fly at the first suspicious object, there is little wonder that suchaccidents occurred. There was, for instance, the regrettable case ofS. C. 209, which was shelled and sunk by the Freighter Felix Taussigoft Fire Island, when Lieut. lienrv J. Bowes, Ensign E. H. Randolphand fourteen enlisted men lost their lives. In the face of the ever-present menace of the submarine and hisactual presence on this side of the Atlantic during most of the summerof 1918, it was necessary to keep the sea lanes open for the steadystream of troop and supply ships going to France and to protect thecoastwise shipping as well. To be sure some fifty vessels were actuallysunk in our waters but the fact that the losses were not infinitelygreater was due to the tireless eftorts of our patrol boats. The first of the chasers to be finished were hurried across the 140 THE CIXDERELLAS OF THE FLEET. Draicii by Ilany RicharJson. The midnioht challenge—a Sub Chaser cross examines a camouflaeed merchant- Atlantic to points where the need for them was the greatest so thatwhen the first Fritz appeared on this side, about May 25th, theChaser fleet here was just going into commission and many of theboats did not have their batteries, depth charges or hstening devicesaboard. These had to be fitted hurriedly as the boats could be sparedfrom the arduous and varied duties they were called upon hurriedlyto perform. Troop and merchant convoys had to be escorted hundredsof miles to sea, the coastwise shipping lanes had to be kept wellpatrolled, besides the never-ending hunt for mines, disabled seaplanesand the crews of torpedoed vessels. No greater test of the ability of the officers and men coukl havebeen devised, than this coastwise work in a submarine zone whereshipping was congested and where no lights were permitted. The?officers for the most part had just bee
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