History of the U.S.S. Leviathan, cruiser and transport forces, United States Atlantic fleet / Compiled from the ship's log and data gathered by the history committee on board the ship

by U.S.S. Leviathan History Committee

Liverpool

J. M.

The first liberty party from the Leviathan while in Liverpool, left the ship at 4.30 P. M. on December 24th, and was due back at noon on the 25th, which was Christmas, and it turned out to be a gloomy, cheerless Christmas, for most of the boys had never been away from home on that sacred day before. Their first impression of the city was a poor one—dimly-lighted streets, cold rain, dark alleys, and foggy river. Dismal, indeed, after leaving a land of sunshine and bright lights and coming to a land mostly of darkness and rain. The sun did not rise during this time of the year until nearly 9 o’clock, at least that was the time that it was supposed to rise, but it was seldom that we had the pleasure of seeing it even for a full hour. Sunset was at 3.30 P. M., or in the vicinity, so it will be seen that the days were real short during this season. To think that we were to spend two months or more in this country! We certainly were sorry for the men who were stationed there and we would not change places with them for a Navy clothing contract. The city appeared remarkably true to type and character described by Conan Doyle in his books. Without a doubt our impression would have been much better if we had been there in time of peace. We did not realize the trials that England had been through in the years before we entered the war. Her best men had gone to fight and her streets had to be kept dark because of air raids. Then there was a food problem. The German U-boats sunk everything possible that came within the range of a torpedo or a gun, so it may be seen that England depended mostly on her ships to bring food to her brave people and armies. When our crew went ashore it was with great dismay that they viewed the food problem—a meat card, a bread card, a tea card, a butter card, were all necessary for a fellow to get a meal, and what was worst of all, there was no sugar for our coffee and not being tea drinkers we were very much grieved to find out that we must use a chemical called saccharine to sweeten our coffee. However, we soon got used to it, but whenever possible we stayed on the ship for meals to make sure of things. It may be mentioned that at the time there was no American Y. M. C. A. in Liverpool. The English “Y” was as bad as the restaurants as far as eating was concerned. The English mode of travel was another puzzle to the American Bluejacket, there being three different class distinctions. It seemed queer to an Englishman that an American sailor should ride in a first class compartment on a train supposed to be only for the “higher class” people. It took our bluejackets quite some time and cost a few black eyes and bumped noses to convince some Englishmen that an American would not stand for any inferior rating.

The English money was not such a puzzle as we had expected to find it. In a few days and with the loss of a few dollars in short change we soon learned to count it. We even have reason to believe that during our first few liberties ashore we actually received full value for our money in some instances. One of the many questions asked us on our return was: How and what are the English girls like? Gee! what a question to deal with. Well, here goes for a hard try to be fair in all cases. We found that most English girls are not stuck up and are always willing to speak to a “gob” if he so desired. They are more masculine than our girls. Girls run after a car and hop on it while it is going at a good speed, and as far as good looks are concerned there are pretty girls and then there are others—of course this may be found the world over and in any country. The streets of the city were, for the most part, narrow and nearly always muddy and if a fellow came back to the ship without wet feet it was something unusual. There were shows of different kinds: vaudeville, drama, and musical comedy, not forgetting the movies and Charlie Chaplin. The shows helped to fill up a great lot of our time.

We were not at all sorry when we were told that we were to leave in a few days, as all the necessary work had been finished. The ship had been camouflaged in a most queer design by English experts, which made it appear more grotesque than ever.

The camouflage design was so perfect that when the destroyer convoy met us at sea it was necessary for them to approach us in the shape of a fan to make sure as to the direction we were going. Many persons have been misled as to the real use of camouflage on ships. Contrary to most beliefs it is not to make a ship absolutely invisible to a submarine, but to deceive the eye of the periscope in the submarine. A ship is disguised so that from a distance it appears to be going in an opposite direction, or on an angle to the real course traveled.

On Lincoln’s Birthday the Leviathan left Liverpool. We had gone through a rough vigil. If one were to ask us what it was we liked best in Liverpool we would have answered, “The first ship back to the states,” for Liverpool, with its bleak, dimly-lighted streets and the piercing, foggy atmosphere was no attraction.

We were in a heavy sea practically from the time we left the Mersey until within a day or two of New York.

One interesting event occurred soon after our departure. The Porter, one of the crackerjack destroyers, sighted a suspicious spar in the water. With an abrupt change of course, and almost turning in her own length, she made direct for the object, dropping a 300-pound depth charge of T. N. T., which blew the spar to atoms. At this time the crew was down “chowing,” enjoying the famous Leviathan “turnovers.” The explosion of this charge shook the ship and all hands rushed on deck.