Hancock Harrie Irving - Dave Darrin and the German Submarines. Or, Making a Clean-up of the Hun Sea Monsters стр 19.

Late to-night I expect that we shall enter the outer edge of the Danger Zone.

If the Huns and their subs are there to meet us it will kill a lot of the monotony, declared another soldier.

I wonder if the Huns will put up any real excitement for us in that line, said a third.

Getting nervous, Pete? asked the first speaker, with a short laugh.

Not a bit, replied Pete, hiding a yawn with his left hand.

Nothing to get nervous about, spoke up a fourth soldier. The Huns are bully at sinking unarmed freighters, but so far, if they know anything about getting convoyed troopships they havent used much of their knowledge.

Still, they do get a troopship once in a while, spoke up another soldier, in a serious tone. They may get us.

Wont amount to much if they do, declared Pete, boldly. Some of us would get off in the boats, and the rest of us would drop into the water with our life-belts on. Then wed soon be picked up by a destroyer and wed be all right again. Pooh! This so-called submarine menace makes me tired. With all their submarines and all their bluster the Huns dont do enough damage to our troopships to make it worth all the bother they have to take.

Anybody going to stay awake all night, to see if we get it during the dark hours? inquired another.

No; whats the use? If we dont get hit there is no use in losing our sleep. If we do get hit theres always plenty of time for the men to turn out and fit their life-belts on.

If I thought wed be attacked during the dark hours Id like to stay up here on deck to-night and be on hand to see what happens when the attack comes, said a soldier in a group that was moving bow-ward from the port rail.

Forget it, advised a corporal. The guard would chase you below if you tried to stay on deck. After hammocks is sounded no man is allowed on deck unless he is on duty. If there is an attack to-night the guard will have all the fun to divide with the forward gun-crew.

A young naval petty officer standing just behind the bow gun wheeled abruptly, eyeing the soldier lot.

Dont you fellows get nervous, he said. This is my seventh trip across on a troopship, and to date the only thing Ive seen to shoot at is the barrel that is chucked overboard when were to have target practice.

Whos nervous? demanded Pete.

All of you, replied the bluejacket calmly.

Dont you believe it!

That is not calling you cowards, either, the bluejacket continued. And let me give you a tip. If were still afloat when daylight comes, dont any of you strain your eyesight looking for submarine conning towers sticking above the water. There wont be any. No matter how many subs there may be about, they know better than to expose themselves with

so many destroyers around and all the troopships armed. The most that any Hun submarine commander would show would be a foot of slim periscope for a few seconds, and it would be so far away that no one but a fellow used to looking for such things would see it. Want my advice?

If its any good, nodded the corporal.

Its as good as can be had, retorted the young bluejacket. Here is the line of thought for you. Unless youre detailed for guard or lookout duty, dont bother looking for subs at all. Dont even give any thought to them unless the attack starts. Keeping your mind off submarines will give you a better show to keep your hair from turning gray before you reach the trenches.

This troopship was one of the pair that led the fleet. A long double line of ships it was. Some of the vessels were of eight or nine thousand tons; others were smaller and still others much smaller. They moved in two lines that were widely separated, and even in the lines the intervals between ships looked long to a landsman. Ahead a torpedo boat destroyer of the United States Navy scurried briskly, often scooting off to one side of the course. Other destroyers were out to port or starboard, while one craft manned by vigilant officers and men brought up the rear of the long fleet.

Every now and then a destroyer, for no reason apparent to a landsman, darted between ships and took up a new post, or else turned and scurried back to its former relative position.

This fleet was the present ocean home of the One Hundred and Seventeenth Division, United States Army. On one of the ships the most important passenger was Major General Burton, division commander. On another troopship the big man was Brigadier General Quimby, commanding the Three Hundred and Twenty-second Infantry Brigade. Brigadier General Seftons Three Hundred and Twenty-first Infantry Brigade was also with the fleet, along with Brigadier General Strongs brigade of one heavy field artillery regiment and two light field artillery batteries.

There were Engineers and Medical Corps units on the ships of this fleet, Quartermaster field transportation units, Signal Corps men, and units of various other auxiliary branches of the service. First and last, some twenty-four thousand officers and men of the Army. Some of the ships carried horses and mules, others tractors. Great quantities of ammunition of all types were carried by this fleet; stores of food and medicines, batteries of artillery, ambulances in a word, all the vast quantities of equipment, ordnance, clothing and the other items that go to meet the demands of troops on foreign field service.