Bright and early, at 4:45 a. m. (not long after midnight in this country), a German submarine began bombarding Ponta Delgada, the principal city in the islands. The U-boat was one of the largest type, with powerful guns, and she poured a rain of shells that crashed into stores and residences, and exploded in the streets. People were panic stricken. The antiquated forts were no defense. Their guns were not of sufficient caliber to cope with the enemy. Knowing this, the Germans thought they would have a picnic, without any risk or interruption, shelling an undefended city and terrorizing its helpless inhabitants.
But relief came from an unexpected source. The United States naval collier Orion was in port, and three minutes after the enemy began operations, her guns were in action. This was a surprise for the submarine. When the shells began to fall around her, the Germans could not imagine where they came from. The Orion was at a dock 2,000 yards away on the other side of a point of land that juts out into the harbor. She could not sail out immediately, as her stern had been hoisted to make repairs. But she promptly turned her guns on the intruder, and in a few moments the enemy found he was faced by a formidable foe.
The Orion's fire was too hot for the Germans. Its shells were falling uncomfortably close; its gunners rapidly getting the range. Not many minutes later the U-boat, baffled and disappointed, disappeared. The submarine, it was discovered later, was the famous Deutschland, the U-155.
Proclaiming that the American collier had saved the city, the whole town joined in a spontaneous celebration. The captain of the Orion, Lieutenant Commander J. H. Boesch, was cheered and fêted, as was his whole crew. Officials tendered him their formal thanks, and he became a hero in the Azores. All kinds of honors were paid him, and later he was presented with a handsome gift, expressing the gratitude of the Delgadans. They even named brands of cigars for him, with his picture on the boxes—and I know no more conclusive evidence of popular favor than that.
These islands—the "half-way point between America and Europe"—were vitally important in our naval operations, and soon after war was declared, we began negotiations with Portugal for permission to establish an American naval base at that strategic point. U-boats of large type were already operating in that region. Had the Germans succeeded in establishing a base there or in utilizing the islands for supplying or refueling submarines, they could have seriously menaced our troop and cargo transportation, and trans-Atlantic lines of communication.
The necessity of protecting this locality was emphasized in a dispatch from our London headquarters on July 13, and letters of July 30, 1917, in which we were informed that England had sent a mystery ship and two submarines to the Azores, and the hope was expressed that the United States would do the same. "The advisability," said the report, "of the United States sending one of the older battleships with perhaps two or three auxiliary craft to the Azores to prevent the use of these islands as a base during the coming winter should be considered." The Germans had, about that time, sent out the former Deutschland to cruise in the vicinity of the Azores.
Early in August, 1917, the U. S. S. Panther and five coal-burning destroyers arrived at Ponta Delgada "to operate against enemy vessels, to assist torpedoed vessels and rescue survivors, and to deny the island to enemy submarines which might try to use them as a base." In September the Wheeling, with two destroyers, arrived, relieving the Panther and destroyers, which had been ordered to French waters. The Wheeling's captain was acting base commander.
On October 28, a division of U. S. submarines, the K-1, K-2, K-5 and K-6, arrived, and later the E-1. These submarines and our destroyers patrolled the waters around the Azores, and from the time operations began there was practically no enemy submarine activity around the islands, although the German Government had declared this a "barred zone."
As a result of the Allied Naval Conference at London, in September, 1917, it was decided to establish a British naval intelligence center in the Azores and to build a radio station eight miles west of Ponta Delgada. Our Navy mounted a seven-inch gun on a high bluff for its protection. This radio station was of great value, for prior to its construction communication from the Azores was by cable to the United States and thence to Europe. By arrangement, all British naval units served under the general direction of the United States senior naval officer.
As soon as the diplomatic negotiations with Portugal were completed, I directed Admiral H. O. Dunn to proceed to Ponta Delgada and establish a regular naval base. He embarked on the Hancock, with a complete advance base outfit, and a detachment of Marine aviators with aircraft. Guns were mounted at Ponta Delgada to defend the harbor, and nets and other torpedo defenses were stretched across the entrance.