THE U-BOAT HUNTERS
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BOOKS BY JAMES B. CONNOLLY Published by CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
THE U-BOAT HUNTERS. Illustrated _net_ $1.50 RUNNING FREE. Illustrated _net_ 1.50 HEAD WINDS. Illustrated _net_ 1.50 SONNIE-BOY'S PEOPLE. Illustrated _net_ 1.50 WIDE COURSES. Illustrated _net_ 1.50 OPEN WATER. Illustrated _net_ 1.50 THE CRESTED SEAS. Illustrated _net_ 1.50 THE DEEP SEA'S TOLL. Illustrated _net_ 1.50 THE SEINERS. Illustrated _net_ 1.50 OUT OF GLOUCESTER. Illustrated _net_ 1.50 JEB HUTTON. Illustrated _net_ 1.20 THE TRAWLER. _net_ .50
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THE U-BOAT HUNTERS
by
JAMES B. CONNOLLY
With Illustrations
[Illustration: "Where you-all going?... Can't you-all see where you're going? Keep off--keep off." [_Page 117_]]
New York Charles Scribner's Sons 1918
Copyright, 1906, 1918, by Charles Scribner's Sons
Published June, 1918
Copyright, 1916, 1917, 1918, by P. F. Collier & Son, Incorporated
FOREWORD
What a great thing if we could do away with war!
But men are not cast in that mould. We shall continue to have wars; and some day the world is going to have a war to which the present will serve only as a try-out.
When that war comes our country will probably have to bear the burden for the western hemisphere. In that war our navy will be our first line of defense; and what we do for our navy now will have much to do with what our navy will be able to do for us then.
Our navy to-day is made up of good ships and capable, courageous, hard-working officers and men. There are some fuddy-duddies and politicians among them, but most of them are on the job every minute. Their highest hope is the chance to serve their country. The chapters in this book which tell of their U-boat hunting only prove once more their great qualities.
There are chapters in this book which have nothing to do with U-boat hunting, but have much to do with the navy. Such are the two opening chapters and the three closing chapters. The motive of four of those chapters will probably be obvious; the chapter on the workings of a submarine is included in the hope of interesting our young fellows in that type of craft.
The need of such a chapter? Take this illustration of what people do not know about submarines: Three years ago an admiral on the other side was called into conference on the U-boat problem. When it came his turn to speak he said: "Gentlemen, it is child's talk to say that the U-boats will ever amount to anything! Disregard them utterly!" Only three years ago that was, and that naval officer was considered for commander-in-chief of the Grand Fleet! Three years ago, and last year the U-boats sank 6,600,000 tons of shipping!
Right now Germany probably contemplates, or is actually constructing, U-boats with armor and guns heavy enough to engage on the surface any war craft up to the battle-cruiser class. How far from that to fighting the heaviest of surface craft--even to the battleships?
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: The U-boat hunters by James B. Connolly
- 2: The navy will always be our first line of defense
- 3: It was first those impressive battleships
- 4: So the Mayflower steams down the four long lines in review
- 5: And the target was bobbing up and down
- 6: The American navy has fought pretty well
- 7: 000 of our bluejackets and marines allowed shore liberty
- 8: He pretty generally passes up the grog shop
- 9: Other groups of destroyers followed that first one
- 10: Meaning the war ship of most tonnage
- 11: And then one day came a slaty gray sea and a slaty sky
- 12: The fleet was in direct column ahead
- 13: Smoke broad off the starboard bow
- 14: But he had read about periscopes
- 15: I went back down the passageway jumping
- 16: This time the chief was sure she was torpedoed
- 17: I asked him to describe the action of the periscope
- 18: She must show her periscope again to locate her target
- 19: With one transport ramming and sinking one U boat
- 20: Ships lay between the jetties and the breakwater
- 21: We waited and waited and waited
- 22: Tid kept to himself what she said
- 23: You chased that passport down the line
- 24: She slipped like running oil from the jetty
- 25: But he did not have charge of the naval base
- 26: He recounted the enormous villainy of that newsman
- 27: They had gone with the second load of shrapnel
- 28: The same in his own handwriting
- 29: The rest walked the waterside street
- 30: Word was sent to the Luckenbach that we were on the way
- 31: Don't let 'em get your attenay
- 32: The foretop then reported the U boat
- 33: It was right about the Luckenbach having nine injured
- 34: The skipper left the surgeon aboard
- 35: Doc was no mean little operator
- 36: On him Doc worked with great care
- 37: The old captain did not know about the zigzagging
- 38: So the old skipper began to talk to Doc
- 39: Doc took it down and began to read it
- 40: That was when Doc horned in on the old skipper
- 41: This one was hit amidships bam
- 42: Engine and boiler compartments were amidships
- 43: Then the 343 was in for a bad time
- 44: They made out to heave a line aboard the 343
- 45: And ashore was a pub there were other pubs
- 46: From the pub window they saw him board his ship
- 47: The doorkeeper smelled something
- 48: We resume our voyage from Malta
- 49: And let the U boats get the hindmost
- 50: A great specimen of camouflaging
- 51: Her skipper passed the word by radio to the 384
- 52: They see an American bluejacket smoking a cigarette
- 53: Said Chisholm to his watch officer
- 54: Proceed to sea and come in by East Channel
- 55: Chiz was one of the sociable souls
- 56: And Chiz barks out in his turn No
- 57: I didn't mention John Paul Jones
- 58: After the other fellow had gone Lanahan turned to us
- 59: The mine sweeper skipper looked up Feelers
- 60: Sister destroyers were oiling up with him
- 61: And their officers and crews roistering ashore
- 62: Once our destroyers are back to port and tied up to moorings
- 63: Lets himself go and there he is back to her skid deck
- 64: And they are still heartening them up
- 65: The next outpost was six miles away
- 66: And half a minute or so later another ping
- 67: This time instead of a fine bam
- 68: They finished driving the piles and setting up the stringers
- 69: He has known Alaskan waters and the coral roads of Guam
- 70: The Marine Corps is made up of companies
- 71: And such do still have to be holystoned on special days
- 72: Enlistments are of four years for men
- 73: They thereafter go on up exactly as any Annapolis graduate
- 74: Officers and men in the turret explosion
- 75: Said the fireman You're making your five or six yes
- 76: This was the diving rudder man
- 77: The captain at the periscope was
- 78: Unless he be the periscope man
- 79: Looking through the periscope so
- 80: She has a turn at porpoising then
- 81: Kick that toy balloon and what does it do
- 82: A great little sea boat a submarine