Our Navy in the War

E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland, Thomas Amrhein, David King, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net/)


THIS BOOK IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED TO THE HON. JOSEPHUS DANIELS
A NEWSPAPER MAN WHO BROUGHT TO HIS TASK AS SECRETARY OF THE NAVY THOSE GREAT QUALITIES OF MIND AND CHARACTER WHICH FITTED HIM TO MEET WITH SUCH SIGNAL SUCCESS THE IMMENSE PROBLEMS WHICH THE WAR IMPOSED UPON HIS OFFICE. TO HIS FAR-SEEING VISION, HIS BREADTH OF VIEW, HIS FREEDOM FROM ALL BIAS, HIS JUDGMENT OF MEN AND OF AFFAIRS, AND TO THE STERN COURAGE OF HIS CONVICTIONS ARE DUE TO-DAY THE MAINTENANCE OF THOSE HIGH TRADITIONS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY OF WHICH AMERICANS HAVE EVER BEEN PROUD.
First Experience of Our Navy with the German U-Boat—Arrival of Captain Hans Rose and the U-53 at Newport—Experiences of the German Sailors in an American Port—Destruction of Merchantman by U-53 off Nantucket—Our Destroyers to the Rescue—Scenes in Newport—German Rejoicing—The Navy Prepares for War
Our Navy Arms American Merchant Vessels—Death of our First Bluejacket on Service in the War Zone—Vice-Admiral Sims—We Take Over Patrol of Waters of Western Hemisphere—The Naval Advisory Board of Inventions—Work of this Body—Our Battleships the Largest in the World—Widespread Operations
First Hostile Contact Between the Navy and the Germans—Armed Guards on Merchant Vessels— Campana First to Sail—Daniels Refuses Offer of Money Awards to Men Who Sink Submarines— Mongolia Shows Germany How the Yankee Sailorman Bites—Fight of the Silvershell —Heroism of Gunners on Merchant Ships—Sinking of the Antilles —Experiences of Voyagers

Destroyers on Guard—Preparations of Flotilla to Cross the Ocean—Meeting the Adriatic —-Flotilla Arrives in Queenstown—Reception by British Commander and Populace— We are Ready Now, Sir —Arrival of the Famous Captain Evans on the American Flag-Ship—Our Navy a Warm-Weather Navy—Loss of the Vacuum
British and American Destroyers Operating Hand in Hand—Arrival of Naval Collier Jupiter —Successful Trip of Transports Bearing United States Soldiers Convoyed by Naval Vessels—Attack on Transports Warded Off by Destroyers—Secretary Baker Thanks Secretary Daniels—Visit to our Destroyer Base—Attitude of Officers Toward Men—Genesis of the Submarine—The Confederate Submarine Hunley