World's War Events Volume III Part 34

[Sidenote: Crossing the channel.]

_The Cross-channel Transport Service_ was brought into being to render indispensable a.s.sistance to the British in ferrying United States troops across the channel from England, in whose ports over half of our troops were landed from British s.h.i.+ps. At the time of inspection late in September four United States vessels were in service, and four more were expected in the course of a few weeks. The vessels in service were superior in capacity to British vessels engaged in the same work and combined with the efficiency of their naval personnel made them the subject of favorable remark by the British transport authorities.

[Sidenote: Subchasers at Plymouth.]

_Subchaser Detachment One_, based on Plymouth, Captain L.A. Cotten, had been operating for some time. A very compact and efficient base was in process of completion and should, with the aid of the subchaser tender _Hannibal_, amply suffice for the requirements of a larger number of chasers than that now available. This base is to be expanded into a United States naval base, of which Rear Admiral Bristol will be in charge. The upkeep of chasers is effected entirely with the resources of the base; operations are initiated by the British commander in chief at Plymouth. A great deal of development work in listening devices is being carried on at and from this base. The work of the subchasers from this base has proved their usefulness up to the limit of their sea-going capacity.

(_a_) _United States Naval Aviation in England_ is carried on by cooperation in two British commands.

[Sidenote: Seaplanes at Killingholme.]

(_b_) _The United States Seaplane Station, Killingholme_, Commander K.

Whiting, is under the vice admiral commanding on the east coast of England. It has been in operation for some time and does escort of coastal convoys, escort of mine layers in the southern part of the North Sea, and some reconnaissance work in the direction of the Dutch coast.

[Sidenote: Day and night bombing squadrons.]

(_c_) _The Northern Bombing Group_, Captain D.C. Hanrahan, is under the vice admiral commanding at Dover, whose jurisdiction extends to naval aviation units in northern France in the vicinity of Calais and Dunkerque. The day bombing squadrons are manned by marines; the night bombing squadrons by the Navy. There has been some delay in the acquisition of suitable night bombing planes, but their delivery will find all in readiness to go immediately to work. The British prescribe the objectives and designate the available free flying time; the operations themselves are carried out by our own personnel. The seaplane station at Dunkerque has operated successfully under the handicap of limited and difficult water area in which to take off and to land.

[Sidenote: The base at Eastleigh.]

(_d_) _The a.s.sembly, Repair, and Supply Station at Eastleigh_ was brought into being primarily for the Northern Bombing Group because of the difficulties of transportation to and from the general aviation base at Pauillac. It also does necessary work for Killingholme and for the air stations in Ireland. This base, when visited, was in process of completion and gave every evidence of purpose and capacity to meet all requirements likely to be made of it.

III. _Activities in Cooperation with the French._

[Sidenote: Vice Admiral Wilson's command.]

Aside from the cooperation effected by the force commander with the French Ministry of Marine through the naval staff representative in Paris on matters of general policy, actual cooperation is carried on by Vice Admiral H.B. Wilson, commander United States naval forces in France, whose headquarters are maintained in Brest.

[Sidenote: The coastal convoy system.]

It is deemed worthy of special remark that whereas practically all cooperation with the British is effected by operating as units under British control, cooperation with the French is arranged on a basis that leaves to the United States naval forces a very large measure of initiative. This is particularly true in regard to troops.h.i.+ps destined to French ports, which are provided with escort and routed in and out wholly from the Brest headquarters which is kept fully informed as to routes and positions of British-controlled convoys and as to locations of submarine activities and has to so adjust routes on and off the coast as to keep clear of both. Three out of eight escort units are provided by United States vessels for the coastal convoy system, which is operated by the French. Unity of purpose and sympathy of understanding have combined to make the handling of cargo convoys on and off the coast a matter of ready adjustment to the general conditions obtaining in regard to destination of cargo s.h.i.+ps and availability of escort vessels.

[Sidenote: Rate of movement of troops by transports.]

At the end of the fiscal year United States naval forces in France are stated to have been escorting troops into France at the rate of 134,000 per month. Since May 1, 1918, the number of troops.h.i.+ps and cargo-vessel convoys east and west bound have averaged more than 1 a day, and the number of s.h.i.+ps over 200 a month. No convoy of troops.h.i.+ps has failed to be met by destroyer escort before entering the area of submarine activity, and no pa.s.senger intrusted to the care of the United States naval forces in France has been lost.

[Sidenote: Destroyers controlled from Brest.]

(_a_) _The destroyers based on Brest_ are controlled directly from headquarters at Brest and are at present maintained in readiness for service with the aid of the fleet repair s.h.i.+p _Prometheus_ and lately also by the destroyer tender _Bridgeport_. Additional repair shops on sh.o.r.e are in process of completion.

[Sidenote: Gunnery and torpedo exercises.]

(_b_) Arrangements are now in hand for the carrying out of gunnery exercises including torpedoes, the need of which has been recognised but had hitherto been deemed impracticable on account of press of work.

[Sidenote: Facilities for repairing vessels.]

(_c_) The United States naval repair facilities here as well as elsewhere on the coast of France have to be made use of not only for the upkeep of the United States naval vessels based on the coast, but also for necessary repairs to troops.h.i.+ps and cargo vessels, whether naval, Army, or s.h.i.+pping Board, the guiding idea being to keep the s.h.i.+ps moving.

[Sidenote: French divided into districts.]

(_a_) _Coastal Districts in France._--The north and west coasts of France are divided into districts which correspond with the French prefectures maritimes, and the district headquarters are in every case located in the same place as those of the several prefects maritimes.

These headquarters are communication and operating centers and provide naturally by arrangement as above described for full and ready cooperation with the French district activities.

[Sidenote: Port officers.]

(_b_) The princ.i.p.al ports have a.s.signed to them a port officer whose function in regard to all United States s.h.i.+ps is to expedite their "turn around," and in addition, where vessels carrying United States naval armed guards are concerned, to inspect the armed guards and adjust such matters as are beyond the capacity or authority of the armed guard commander.

(_a_) _United States Naval Aviation in France_ includes all that the t.i.tle implies, except the northern bombing group mentioned above, and aviation matters are immediately in the hands of Captain T.T. Craven, aid for aviation on Vice Admiral Wilson's staff.

[Sidenote: Stations for seaplanes, dirigibles and balloons.]

(_b_) There are eight sea-plane stations, three dirigible stations, and three kite-balloon stations, all of which are operated by district commanders in cooperation with the French naval air services in the several corresponding prefectures maritimes. There is also an a.s.sembly, repair, and supply base at Pauillac for the general service of all air stations in France and a sea-plane gunnery and bombing training school at Moutchie, both of these activities being directly under the headquarters in Brest.

(_c_) Of the eight seaplane stations, five have been in operation for periods varying from 12 to 3 months, and the remaining 3 are now about ready to begin.

(_d_) Of the three dirigible stations, only that at Paimboeuf has been in operation for any length of time, and is to be used also for training and experimental work. The station at Guipavas will shortly be in operation. The station at Gujan has been delayed to let material go to other stations which it was deemed advisable to complete first.

[Sidenote: Experimental balloon work at Brest.]

(_e_) Of the three kite-balloon stations, only that at Brest is ready for operation. Test and experimental work have been carried on here since August, 1918, in connection with destroyers and yachts. The station at La Trinite is nearing completion and that at La Pallice is progressing rapidly. The utility of the station at La Trinite seems to be somewhat in doubt, as the original purposes for its establishment have undergone some change due to alterations in the methods of handling convoys, coastal as well as on and off sh.o.r.e.

[Sidenote: Repair and supply station at Pauillac.]

(_f_) The a.s.sembly repair and supply station at Pauillac is under the command of Captain F.T. Evans, under whose forceful and able direction the station has progressed rapidly to completion and is deemed ready to undertake any and all demands that may be made on it.

[Sidenote: Devices used in training aviators.]

(_g_) The training school at Moutchie, under the command of Commander R.W. Cabaniss appears to have a thorough system of instruction, founded on sound bases, and includes study and lectures, as well as ample, practical work. Endeavor is made to keep in touch with and to adopt, where deemed advisable, the best British and French methods. Some of the devices in use for training are ingeniously adapted to the simulation of the conditions obtaining while flying.

IV. OTHER COOPERATING ACTIVITIES.

[Sidenote: Liaison with the United States Army.]

_Liaison with the United States Army in France_ is carried on by maintaining a naval liaison officer (Commander R. Williams) at the Army general headquarters, chiefly for the purpose of rendering a.s.sistance in effecting cooperation as to the handling and routing of troops.h.i.+ps and of cargo vessels consigned to Army account.

[Sidenote: The radio station near Bordeaux.]

_Trans-Atlantic Radio Station._--The erection of the trans-Atlantic radio-transmitting station at Croix d'Hins, near Bordeaux, is being done by United States naval personnel under the direction of Lieutenant Commander G.C. Sweet. The French authorities are putting in the foundations. The personnel is well taken care of and the work of construction appears to be progressing favorably. It is hoped and expected by those in charge that a four-tower unit will be ready for operation about March 1, 1919.

[Sidenote: The naval railway batteries in France.]

_The 14-inch Naval Railway Battery_ was built and equipped by the Navy and manned by naval personnel for service in France with the United States Army. It arrived in France in July last under the command of Rear Admiral C.P. Plunkett and was ready for service during August. A part of the battery has been operating with the French against Laon and vicinity, and is understood to have rendered what the French consider very valuable service against the enemy. The entire battery is now with the First United States Army, but data as to what it has accomplished are not yet available. This test of our naval guns of late design and large caliber in long-range firing and the opportunities given to naval personnel to study and observe the artillery work on the western front are considered to be of great value to the service.