World's War Events Volume III Part 36

[Sidenote: The submarine takes an officer prisoner.]

While this work was under way and about half an hour after the s.h.i.+p sank, a large German submarine emerged and came among the boats and rafts, searching for the commanding officer and some of the senior officers whom they desired to take prisoners. The submarine commander was able to identify only one officer, Lieutenant E.V.M. Isaacs, whom he took on board and carried away. The submarine remained in the vicinity of the boats for about two hours and returned again in the afternoon, hoping apparently for an opportunity of attacking some of the other s.h.i.+ps which had been in company with the _President Lincoln_ but which had, in accordance with standard instructions, steamed as rapidly as possible from the scene of attack.

[Sidenote: After dark signal lights.]

By dark the boats and rafts had been collected and secured together, there being about 500 men in the boats and about 200 on the rafts.

Lighted lanterns were hoisted in the boats and flare-up lights and Coston signal lights were burned every few minutes, the necessary detail of men being made to carry out this work during the night.

[Sidenote: Water and food limited.]

The boats had been provided with water and food, but none was used during the day, as the quant.i.ty was necessarily limited and it might be a period of several days before a rescue could be effected.

The s.h.i.+p's wireless plant had been put out of commission by the force of the explosion, and although the s.h.i.+p's operator had sent the radio distress signals, yet it was known that the nearest destroyers were 250 miles away, protecting another convoy and it was possible that military necessity might prevent their being detached to come to our rescue.

[Sidenote: Destroyers _Warrington_ and _Smith_ arrive.]

At about 11 p.m. a white light flas.h.i.+ng in the blackness of the night--it was very dark--was sighted, and very shortly it was found that the destroyer _Warrington_ had arrived for our rescue and about an hour afterwards the destroyer _Smith_ also arrived. The transfer of the men from the boats and rafts to the destroyers was effected as quickly as possible and the destroyers remained in the vicinity until after daylight the following morning, when a further search was made for survivors who might have drifted in a boat or on a raft, but none were found, and at about 6 a.m. the return trip to France was begun.

The performance of Lieutenant Commander Kenyon, commanding the U.S.

destroyer _Warrington_, and Lieutenant Commander Klein, of the U.S.

destroyer _Smith_ deserves great commendation, as they located our position in the middle of the night, after having run a distance of about 250 miles, during which time the boats and rafts of the _President Lincoln_ had drifted 15 miles from the position reported by radio, and it had been necessary for the commanding officers of these destroyers to make an estimate of the probable drift of the boats during that time.

The only thing they had to base their estimate on was the force and direction of the wind. The discovery of the boats was not accidental, as the course steered was the result of mature deliberation and estimate of the situation.

[Sidenote: Drift of the boats accurately estimated.]

[Sidenote: The missing.]

Of the 715 men present all told on board, it was found after the muster that 3 officers and 23 men were lost with the s.h.i.+p and that 1 officer, Lieutenant Isaacs, above mentioned, had been taken prisoner. The three officers were Pa.s.sed a.s.sistant Surgeon L.C. Whiteside, s.h.i.+p's medical officer; Paymaster Andrew Mowat, s.h.i.+p's supply officer; and a.s.sistant Paymaster J.D. Johnston, United States Naval Reserve Force.

[Sidenote: Two officers taken down with the s.h.i.+p.]

The loss of these officers was peculiarly regrettable, as they could have escaped. Both Dr. Whiteside and Paymaster Mowat had seen the men under their charge leave the s.h.i.+p, the doctor having attended to placing the sick in the boat provided for the purpose, and they then remained in the s.h.i.+p for some unexplainable reason, as testified by witnesses who last saw them, and apparently these two excellent officers were taken down with the s.h.i.+p. Paymaster Johnston got on a raft alongside the s.h.i.+p, but in some way was caught by the s.h.i.+p as she went under, as C.M.

Hippard, s.h.i.+p's cook, third cla.s.s, United States Navy, states that he was on the raft with Paymaster Johnston and that they were both drawn under the water, but when he came to the surface, Paymaster Johnston could no longer be seen.

[Sidenote: Men working below decks.]

Of the 23 men who were lost, the following 7 men were engaged in work below decks in the forward end of the s.h.i.+p, and they were either killed by the force of the explosion of the two torpedoes which struck in that vicinity, or were drowned by the inrush of the water.

H.A. Himelwright, storekeeper, second cla.s.s, United States Navy; F.W.

Wilson, jr., yeoman, second cla.s.s, United States Naval Reserve Force; B.

Zanetti, c.o.xswain, United States Navy; A.S. Egbert, seaman, second cla.s.s, National Naval Volunteer; G.B. Hoffman, seaman, United States Navy; J.A. Jenkins, seaman, second cla.s.s, United States Navy; F.A.

Hedglin, seaman, second cla.s.s, United States Navy.

[Sidenote: One raft probably went down.]

The remaining 16 men were apparently caught on the raft alongside the s.h.i.+p and went down, this being probably caused by the current of water which was rus.h.i.+ng into the big hole in the s.h.i.+p's side, as the men were on rafts which were in this vicinity.

[Sidenote: Danger from submarine.]

Although the German submarine commander made no offers of a.s.sistance of any kind, yet otherwise his conduct for the s.h.i.+p's company in the boat was all that could be expected. We naturally had some apprehension as to whether or not he would open fire on the boats and rafts, I thought he might probably do this, as an attempt to make me and other officers disclose their ident.i.ty. This possibility was evidently in the minds of the men of the crew also, because at one time I noticed some one on the submarine walk to the muzzle of one of the guns, apparently with the intention of preparing it for action. This was evidently observed by some of the men in my boat, and I heard the remark, "Good night, here comes the fireworks." The spirit which actuated the remark of this kind, under such circ.u.mstances, could be none other than that of cool courage and bravery.

[Sidenote: Instances of self-sacrifice.]

There were many instances where a man showed more interest in the safety of another than he did for himself. When loading the boats from the rafts one man would hold back and insist that another be allowed to enter the boat. There was a striking case of this kind when about dark I noticed that Chief Master-at-Arms Rogers, who was rather an old man, and been in the Navy for years, was on a raft, and I sent a boat to take him from the raft, but he objected considerably to this, stating that he was quite all right, although as a matter of fact he was very cold and cramped from his long hours on the raft.

[Sidenote: The Balsa rafts excellent.]

Fortunately, the splendid type of life raft known as the Balsa raft, as it was made of balsa wood, had been furnished the s.h.i.+p, and these resulted in saving a great many men who might otherwise have been lost, due to exhaustion in the water.

[Sidenote: Inspiring conduct of the men.]

The conduct of the men during this time of grave danger was thrilling and inspiring, as a large percentage of them were young boys, who had only been in the Navy for a period of a few months. This is another example of the innate courage and bravery of the young manhood of America.

The Germans, hard pressed by the Americans and French in the Meuse-Argonne, and by the British in Flanders, at last saw the futility of further resistance, and asked for an armistice, on November 11. The terms of this armistice, dictated by the Allies, were as follows:

ARMISTICE TERMS SIGNED BY GERMANY

[Sidenote: Operations to cease.]

One--Cessation of operations by land and in the air six hours after the signature of the armistice.

[Sidenote: Invaded countries to be evacuated.]

Two--Immediate evacuation of invaded countries: Belgium, France, Alsace-Lorraine, Luxemburg, so ordered as to be completed within fourteen days from the signature of the armistice. German troops which have not left the above-mentioned territories within the period fixed will become prisoners of war. Occupation by the allied and United States forces jointly will keep pace with evacuation in these areas. All movements of evacuation and occupation will be regulated in accordance with a note annexed to the stated terms.

[Sidenote: Inhabitants to be repatriated.]

Three--Repatriation beginning at once to be completed within fifteen days of all the inhabitants of the countries above enumerated (including hostages, persons under trial or convicted).

[Sidenote: Surrender of war material.]

Four--Surrender in good condition by the German armies of the following war material: Five thousand guns (2,500 heavy, and 2,500 field), 25,000 machine guns, 3,000 minenwerfer, 1,700 airplanes (fighters, bombers--firstly, all of the D 7's and all the night bombing machines).

The above to be delivered in situ to the allied and United States troops in accordance with the detailed conditions laid down in the note (annexure No. 1) drawn up at the moment of the signing of the armistice.

Five--Evacuation by the German armies of the countries on the left bank of the Rhine. The countries on the left bank of the Rhine shall be administered by the local troops of occupation. The occupation of these territories will be carried out by allied and United States garrisons holding the princ.i.p.al crossings of the Rhine (Mayence, Coblenz, Cologne), together with the bridgeheads at these points of a thirty-kilometer radius on the right bank and by garrisons similarly holding the strategic points of the regions. A neutral zone shall be reserved on the right bank of the Rhine between the stream and a line drawn parallel to the bridgeheads and to the stream and at a distance of ten kilometers, from the frontier of Holland up to the frontier of Switzerland. The evacuation by the enemy of the Rhinelands (left and right bank) shall be so ordered as to be completed within a further period of sixteen days, in all, thirty-one days after the signing of the armistice. All the movements of evacuation or occupation are regulated by the note (annexure No. 1) drawn up at the moment of the signing of the armistice.

[Sidenote: Allies to occupy left bank of Rhine and princ.i.p.al crossings.]

[Sidenote: Inhabitants of evacuated territories to be protected.]

Six--In all territories evacuated by the enemy there shall be no evacuation of inhabitants; no damage or harm shall be done to the persons or property of the inhabitants. No person shall be persecuted for offenses of partic.i.p.ation in war measures prior to the signing of the armistice. No destruction of any kind shall be committed. Military establishments of all kinds shall be delivered intact, as well as military stores of food, munitions, and equipment, not removed during the time fixed for evacuation. Stores of food of all kinds for the civil population, cattle, &c., shall be left in situ. Industrial establishments shall not be impaired in any way and their personnel shall not be removed.