Debarkations

During the war, debarkation on the first two trips to Liverpool was simply to march the troops over the G-deck forward, F-deck amidships, and G-deck after gangways on the landing stage in reverse order of embarkation, where they mustered by organizations and entrained. On the third trip to Liverpool, in November, 1918, the Leviathan ran her nose into the Mersey mud off the Gladstone dock in a heavy fog. The tide ebbed and the ship began to list. All the Mersey ferry boats were commandeered and the 8,000 troops were debarked on them from F-deck gangway amidships and G-deck gangway aft, in three hours. Gangways to the ferries in several cases were at an angle of sixty degrees. Debarkation was rushed to lighten the ship, and she was backed off on the rising tide that evening under her own power.

At Brest, during the war, a different plan was followed. Coaling began soon after the ship was moored. G-deck gangways aft, port and starboard sides, were the only gangways available to debark troops onto lighters. B-deck and the troop mess hall were used as debarking mustering stations. Organizations moved to them from their compartments, according to prearranged plan, as it was essential to send the troops ashore by organizations. B-deck held about 1,800 men with their packs and the mess hall about 1,200. When assembled, they moved to lighters lying at the after gangway. These held at first according to size, from 600 to 2,200 men and they were packed tight. Their capacity was reduced on later voyages.

The troops cheered the old Leviathan as their lighters drew away, and our men responded. The Leviathan carried many organizations which later paid heavy toll of casualties in battles.

When the armistice was signed and the westbound tide set in, it required considerable work to reverse the procedure of embarking at Brest and debarking at Hoboken. The entire embarkation was over G-deck gangway for all compartments up to the thirteenth voyage, as it proceeded during coaling.

The procedure of filling compartments was the same, but it was necessary to unload lighters quickly and get them away so the line of troops to compartments was extended to fill A-deck, B-deck, D-deck forward and aft, from whence the line of troops fed down into the compartments.

From 1,100 to 2,200 sick and wounded were embarked at the same time as the other troops, this was done under supervision of the medical officer, assisted by the hospital corps. The casuals were taken to sick bay or E-deck compartments especially set aside for them.

Debarkation at Hoboken was the quick and happy event following the reception the ship received coming up the harbor. G-deck forward, C and F-decks amidships, and G-deck after gangways are used. The troops march out on them in reverse order of embarking. Units muster on the dock according to their organizations. Briefly, the procedure resembles pouring liquid out of three different pitchers, just the reverse of filling the compartments upon embarkation. The debarkation of troops was completed in about three hours.

The dock was always a lively place with throngs of reporters and welfare workers present with refreshments and smokes for the boys. The canine mascots generally got aboard unobserved, but in debarkation they proceed with their proud masters down the gangways and are admired as returning heroes by those upon the dock. Many of the dogs were “prisoners of war,” having come over to the American trenches from the enemy.

Such, briefly, is the story of the loading and unloading of the Leviathan’s human cargo. The doughboys have bravely done their part in winning the war. We of the Leviathan have had the happy and important duty of getting them over safely and bringing them back home.

Abandon Ship Drill

E. E.

Abandon ship drill is the most important drill on board ship as the saving of the lives of all would depend upon the degree of perfection, organization, and speed of execution. It is easily seen that a ship the size of the Leviathan by reason of her water-tight doors would not sink for several hours after a torpedo attack or after striking a mine; thus the great danger to be avoided is the panic attendant upon such a contingency. The end to be attained is the conducting of all the troops in an orderly and expeditious manner to the weather decks where, equipped with life jackets and canteens, they can climb over the side on sea ladders rigged for the purpose and reach the rafts and boats already lowered into the water.

The abandon ship organization requires the second in army command to be in charge of the troop movement. He has as his assistants thirty-five captains as troop compartment officers—they are the senior officers in each troop compartment—and seventy lieutenants, the junior compartment officers. As a special abandon ship detail there are twelve majors acting as abandon ship mustering station officers and twenty-four captains and lieutenants acting as assistants to these officers.

The abandon ship mustering stations are distributed over the ship and include all available space on the weather decks except such space as is necessary to the lowering of boats or to the actual navigation of the ship. The routing of the troops to these stations is worked out on the principle that all watertight doors will be closed as soon as abandon ship signal sounds. The capacity of these stations is limited to a minimum of three cubic feet of deck space per man, giving also due consideration to the disposition of the ship’s boats.

During the war the first abandon ship drill was held prior to the sailing of the ship. All men aboard were obliged to keep their life jackets within reach at all times. For the first three drills the troops were sent below to their compartments at the call “assembly” on the bugles so they would become familiar with their abandon ship route. After the first three drills, troops already up on deck proceeded directly to their mustering stations.

Going to Bring the Doughboys Home

Troops were not required to wear their life jackets when hostilities ceased, but when abandon ship drill was held they were sent below to assemble in their compartments, put on their life jackets, and then at the abandon ship call proceed over the abandon ship route to their mustering stations to stand by for further orders or until “secure” is sounded.

The plan followed throughout the ship called for the emptying of the lowest compartment first. Other compartments using the same abandon ship route stand fast until the troops in the lowest compartment have filed past.

It was found that by this drill all compartments could be emptied and all troops assembled at their abandon ship mustering stations within fifteen minutes of the sounding of the abandon ship signal, or within one half hour of the blowing of the “assembly” which sends the troops to their compartments.

The Gunnery Department

Gunnery Officers

Assistant Gunnery Officers

(Lieut. Malloy was detached as assistant Gunnery Officer in order to take over the duties of First Lieutenant of the ship.)

Ship’s Gunners

(Gunner Williams served on board as a Chief Gunner’s Mate from August, 1917, until he was made Gunner in January, 1919.)

Lieut. Boucher, Lieut. Malloy and Lieut. Dorsey, were the officers in charge of the installation of the battery, fire control system, etc., the training of gun crews and lookouts, and in fact all the numerous details required to have the ship in readiness for sea and action when she cleared the net in New York Harbor. Great credit is due these officers and the men of their department for the excellent manner in which this work was carried out. Much credit is also due the officers and men who succeeded them for the excellent manner in which they maintained the high standard of efficiency that had been set for them.

There were also six Chief Gunner’s Mates and seven gunner’s mates of lower ratings attached to the ship during her voyages across the Atlantic.

No technical discussion of ordnance and gunnery will be attempted in these pages, just a general description of guns, fire control systems, etc., and their method of operation.