Patrolling and listening was dangerous work, for the little boats lying in the shipping lines, with all vessels running without lights, might be run down or mistaken for enemy craft. This was the fate of S. C. 209. Shelled and sunk off Fire Island by the steamship Felix Taussig, two of her officers, Lieutenant Henry J. Bowes and Ensign E. H. Randolph, and fourteen enlisted men lost their lives.
Keeping open the shipping lines from Mexican and Gulf oil fields was an important duty; it was considered probable that the U-boats would extend their operations to Mexican waters. Consequently we organized a special hunting squadron of 12 sub-chasers, headed by the U. S. S. Salem (Captain S. V. Graham), as a part of the American Patrol Detachment commanded by Rear Admiral Anderson, which patrolled the waters of the Gulf and Caribbean.
Twelve sub-chasers served in the Panama Canal Zone, eight being stationed at the Atlantic entrance, and four at the Pacific entrance to the Canal, which it was their mission to protect.
Six chasers were assigned to duty in Nova Scotia, three based on Halifax, and three on Sydney, Cape Breton. Arriving in May, 1918, they were engaged in patrol, convoy and guard duty, and conducted a number of submarine hunts when the U-boats were active in that region. Two were sent with the Explorer to Alaska, for protection against alien enemies and disturbing elements which threatened the fish pack and other industries of that region. Sub-chaser 310, to which was assigned the section between the Canadian boundary and Petersburg, visited 112 canneries and other points, covering 6,079 miles. The S. C. 309, which patrolled the remainder of southeast Alaska, visited 132 points and covered 8,500 miles.
Perhaps the most remarkable voyage of these small craft was made by the group built at Puget Sound Navy Yard, near Seattle. These chasers, under command of a reserve officer, Lieutenant Roscoe Howard, all manned by reservists, who were trained at the station while the boats were building, were brought down the Pacific Coast, through the Panama Canal and up to New London, and from there several of them sailed for Europe, reaching the Azores, arriving just as hostilities ended. Sailing from Bremerton May 6, 1918, this group was joined by others at San Diego, Magdalena Bay and Pinchilinque until there were fifteen in the party. August 4th, at 8 p. m., they arrived at New London, where officers and men began their training in listening and anti-submarine tactics. They had successfully negotiated a voyage of 7,470 miles; escorted 2,985 miles, unescorted 4,485. Three of the Pacific coast boats were in the convoy of 10 American and 19 French chasers which left New London, October 24th, for Europe, Captain H. G. Sparrow, in the cruiser Chicago, commanding the convoy. They proceeded via Bermuda, and were only a day off the Azores when the news came that the war was over.
After the armistice, sub-chasers were sent on various missions, to Austria, Turkey, Norway, Sweden, Holland and Denmark. They served from Northern Russia to the Black Sea.
When the work abroad was ended and the homeward bound pennant was flying over these glory-bedecked Cinderellas, the spirit of contest and mastery of the sea did not permit them to be towed back to the United States or to come quietly and deliberately under their own power. Eternal youth and love of victory was in their blood, and ships which had won world applause at Durazzo decided upon a race from the Bermudas.
Six which had rendered conspicuous service—the S. C. 90, 129, 131, 217, 224 and 351—were selected for the contest. Starting at 4:21 p. m., August 16th, their progress was followed with general interest, being reported by the Ontario, their escort, and bulletined all over the country.
The race was won by S. C. 131 (Lieutenant Joseph L. Day), which arrived at Ambrose Channel lightship at 1:17 a. m., August 19, 1919. Her running time was 56 hours, 56 minutes—8 hours and 43 minutes less than that made by the Dream, which had set the fastest pace in 1914. Four of the others also beat the best previous record.
The sub-chasers, after long and wearing service in the war zone, had excelled the speedy light pleasure craft.