History Of The U.S.S. Leviathan, Cruiser And Transport Forces, United States Atlantic Fleet - free ebook by U.S.S. Leviathan History Committee

“LEVIATHAN”

Adele M. Marshall...

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FOREWORD

This is the story of the Leviathan’s part in the Great World’s War. The story of her career since the Stars and Stripes displaced the three barred flag of Germany at her taffrail constitutes one of the most remarkable and brilliant chapters in the maritime history of the world. She was seized by the U. S. Customs officials in the early morning of April 6, 1917, turned over to the Shipping Board to be manned and operated, but after nearly three months’ effort on their part without the ship leavin

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DEDICATION TO SECRETARY DANIELS

To our leader—honored in the nation; To our friend—steadfast and true; To our shipmate—of happy memory; The Bluejackets offer this dedication in gratitude and appreciation. Secretary Daniels and Mrs. Daniels on Board the U. S. S. “Leviathan”...

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PREFACE BY SECRETARY DANIELS

The record of the U.S.S. Leviathan , queen of the troop transport fleet which made possible the successful participation of the United States in the war with Germany, is a record of consistent service and remarkable efficiency which upholds the best and noblest traditions of the United States naval service. The nation owes and gladly gives a great meed of praise to every officer and man, regular and reserve alike, who shared in the hardships, the dangers and the successes of the Leviathan’s grea

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CAPTAINS

Note : Captain J. W. Oman, U.S.N., assumed command on July 23, 1917, being relieved by Captain Henry F. Bryan, U.S.N., on March 3, 1918, who in turn was relieved by Captain W. W. Phelps, U.S.N., on Sept. 21, 1918, who in turn was relieved by Captain Edward H. Durell, U.S.N., on April 4, 1919, and who now is in command....

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WARRANT OFFICERS

Secretary of War Baker and Welfare Secretaries A. R. C., K. of C., Y. M. C. A., J. W. B., A. U. A. PAY CLERK G. F. POGGI CHIEF PHARMACIST C. I. CAMPBELL LT. E. E. JONES PAY CLERK C. W. WATERS PILOT W. S. McLAUGHLIN LT. D. A. GRANT LT. STANLEY MORRILL SHIP’S HISTORY COMMITTEE...

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SHIP’S HISTORY COMMITTEE

HERBERT B. ROWEDDER ENSIGN, U.S.N. SR. WATCH OFFICER GUNNER H. BURNS MACHINIST W. A. DUNDON BOATSWAIN FRED. C. WATTERSON BOATSWAIN W. JOHNSON Carpenter E. P. Hudgins...

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Executive Order

Whereas , the following Joint Resolution adopted by Congress was approved by the President May 12, 1917: “Joint Resolution Authorizing the President to take over for the United States the possession and title of any vessel within its jurisdiction, which at the time of coming therein was owned in whole or in part by any corporation, citizen, or subject of any nation with which the United States may be at war, or was under register of any nation and for other purposes.” Resolved , by the Senate an

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REPAIRING THE “VATERLAND” Organization and Trial Trip

O. J. H. When the Vaterland of the Hamburg-American Line was taken over by the United States Navy it was found to be in urgent need of repairs throughout and the work of fitting the ship out for service as a Navy Transport was accomplished by civilian labor and the ship’s force. The force at that time consisted of men of the Regular Navy and the United States Naval Reserve Force. These men worked long and faithfully to accomplish a task which the Germans claimed could not be done. One of the har

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Seizure of the “Vaterland” by the United States

When the World War broke out the Vaterland , Germany’s largest passenger ship, was at her pier in Hoboken, New Jersey, ready to sail August 1, 1914. A mass meeting was held on this date at Atlantic Garden, Hoboken, by firemen, seamen, oilers and machinists of German ships in Hoboken, to discuss the war. All German ships that were in Hoboken had been ordered not to sail. Being a part of the German Naval Reserve they were subject to the orders of the German Admiralty. The Vaterland had booked 720

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Description of the Vaterland and General Data

The Vaterland was built at Cuxhaven, Germany, by Blohm and Voss, shipbuilders, of Hamburg, assisted by German naval architects and German army engineers. It was launched in the early part of 1914. The ship is equipped with 46 Yarrow boilers, German built, and are arranged in four firerooms separated by four watertight bulkheads. 8,731 tons of coal are carried and an average of 700 tons at 17½ knots up to 900 tons at 21½ knots, is burned during twenty-four hours. 5,670 tons of fresh water are car

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A German Account of the Seizure

The following is a translation of a clipping from a German newspaper, the Tageblatt of Wurtemberg, taken from a dead German soldier, by a first-class private of Headquarters Troop, 27th Division, A. E. F.: It was translated and loaned by him to the ship’s history committee while en route from France to the United States on board the Leviathan . The soldier while serving as an interpreter and doing intelligence work with the headquarters came upon this clipping in a queer manner on or about Augus

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Damage Done to Ship Before Seizure

The lower decks were found to be in a filthy and unsanitary condition, only the upper decks, open to inspection, were found clean and inviting. The ship’s furnishings in the staterooms and public assembly rooms were magnificent and showed a high degree of taste and art. The paintings of different notables, Bismarck, Lincoln, Washington, Roosevelt, etc., were later removed. In the engine room, fire room and dynamo space, much deterioration had taken place. The vast accumulation of ship’s stores a

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Named “Leviathan”

On September 6th the name of the German ship Vaterland was changed by order of the Secretary of the Navy, without ceremony, to the U. S. S. Leviathan , meaning monster of the deep and mentioned in the Book of Job in the Old Testament. Small fire on board, September 23, 3.50 A. M., “F” Deck, aft. Upper—Troop Galley (kitchen). Center—Troop Mess Hall. Lower—The Ritz-Carlton and the Winter Garden. Troop Spaces On September 26th there was a large amount of “Imperial” sausage received aboard. In the l

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The Crew—Ship’s Organization

Before describing the trial trip it is well to say something here of the crew and the ship’s organization, which was a vital factor in the successful operation of the Leviathan and its participation in the World War. The crew of the Leviathan is divided into two main parts, one part consisting of the deck divisions and the other of the engineer’s division. The deck force is composed of nine divisions all told, four of which do the deck work proper and five of which are special branches. The deck

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The Trial Trip

G. B. G. “I have to report that the Engineering Department of this vessel is in all respects ready for sea.” Thus read Lieut. V. V. Woodward’s official report to Captain J. W. Oman, November 16, 1917, an expression of confidence not unanimously shared by the crew or public. The Captain, Engineer Officer, the Navy Department, were confident she would leave despite boasts to the contrary by German agents and sympathizers. Promptly at 9:30 A. M., November 17, 1917, upon signals from the bridge, ste

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Anxious Hours

These were anxious hours for the officers and crew alike. Sleep was forgotten, personal comforts were of secondary importance. Lieut. Woodward haunted the steering engine room, pored over blue prints, conferred with assistants, advised and worked with the men. New stems fitted to replace the broken ones, permitted runs of short duration, then they, too, broke under the strain. A quantity of these stems, broken and twisted, were found in a store room, an indication that its former operators had e

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Catching Shark

L. G. M. While lying at anchor off the beautiful harbor of Guantanamo Bay, those of the crew who were off watch were lounging around the open decks and enjoying the heat of the tropical sun. Among the crew were some old navy men who had visited this port before and knew from experience that these waters were infested with sharks. They suggested that a line, hook and bait of some kind be procured and an attempt be made to catch sharks. The necessary articles were obtained, the hook being double-p

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FIRST VOYAGE TO LIVERPOOL

S. H. At 7.34 A. M., December 15, 1917, the Leviathan left her pier in Hoboken for her first trip across the Atlantic. Twelve tugs were employed to assist in swinging the bow of the giant ship toward the sea. The following organizations and numbers of troops were on board, in addition to some notable passengers: No. 7,254. Organizations—Base Hospital, No. 31, Female; Base Hospital, No. 34, 82nd Brigade Hdqts., 163rd Inf., 164th Inf.; Commanding Officer, Brig. General Edward Vellruth, 82nd Brigad

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The Outer Guard

A tribute to the Destroyers by John Oxenham A submarine was reported on the surface of the water in the early afternoon, about seven miles off the starboard beam, but upon her flashing out the recognition call we immediately knew her to belong to one of the Allies, very probably British. Soon after this a British dirigible was sighted dead ahead. She was painted aluminum color, rendering her almost invisible in the distance and apparently she was doing scouting duty in these waters. At 5 P. M.,

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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 t

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High Seas

The violent seas broke over our fo’castle, throwing the spray as high as the flying bridge, 100 feet above the water. It tore gun rails apart, lifted lifeboats from their fastenings, opened shell cases and did considerable all-around damage. Some good came of it—the first division men found no reason to wash down decks for some time to come. The destroyers were unable to keep up with us, and it is remarkable that they stayed with us as long as they did. The sea proved too much for them. When cau

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Second Trip to Liverpool

After a stay of thirteen days in New York, during which time our supplies were replenished and minor repairs and alterations were made, we steamed out of New York Harbor on March 4th, for our second trip overseas. On board we had 8,242 troops, with the following organizations: 120th Field Artillery, 121st Field Artillery, 2nd Motor Mechanics, 9th and 10th Brigades, 20th F. A., 5th Div. School; Maj. Gen. J. T. Dickman. Accompanying us was H. B. Davison, Chairman of the War Council, American Red C

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German Prisoners

On April 9th, thirty-seven German prisoners, captured by the destroyers Fanning and Nicholson when they bombed and sank the U-58, were brought on board under guard for transportation to the United States. These prisoners consisted of thirty-three enlisted men, one warrant officer, and three commissioned officers. They were young men, their senior officer had been awarded the Iron Cross. Previous to their arrival arrangements had been made by the ship to guard them on the trip over. Twelve shot-g

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Third Trip Overseas

Late in the afternoon of April 24th, the Leviathan cast off her lines once more, after a short stay of only seven days in Hoboken. The patent log, which registers the speed of the ship, was streamed from the taff-rail upon our departure and a standard speed of eighteen knots was maintained until past Ambrose Channel Light Vessel. Troops and organizations on board were as follows: Troops, 8,909. Men in 11th Infantry; 15th Machine Gun Battalion; Base Hospital No. 20, Female; Base Hospital No. 30,

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Precautions Taken

In addition to these we gave wide berth to any floating objects observed, such as barrels, spars, wooden cases, etc., for fear that these were dangerous mines. On one occasion, while in the danger zone, our starboard guns were fired on a suspicious object which later proved to be a spouting black-fish. Absolutely no chances were taken. Our motto, because of the 12,000 souls aboard, was “Safety First.” A transport, especially one nearly 1,000 feet long, presents a huge target for a U-boat, and mu

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Brest

Brest is a seaport in the northwest of France, department of Finisterre. It has one of the best harbors in France and is the chief station of the French marine having safe roads capable of containing 500 men-of-war in from eight to fifteen fathoms at low water. The entrance is narrow and rocky and the coast on both sides is well fortified. The design to make it a naval arsenal originated with Richelieu and was carried out by Duquesne and Vauban in the reign of Louis XIV, with the result that the

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Fourth Overseas Trip

The ship remained at her berth in Hoboken from the 12th to the 22d of May, giving the crew a reasonable amount of shore leave, the men living in nearby states thus had an opportunity to visit their homes. At 4:03 on the afternoon of May 22d, we left on our fourth eastward bound voyage with the following troops: Troops, 10,577. 43rd Engineers; 108th Supply Train; 131st Infantry; 318th Infantry; Base Hospital No. 13, Female; Major General A. Gronkhite, 80th Div. We followed the regular channel in

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“Carlton” Torpedoed

At 6:37 A. M., May 29th, our escort of destroyers was picked up, immediately taking up their respective positions abeam and ahead of the ship. Everything went well until 4:25 this same afternoon, when we received an S.O.S. from the U. S. S. Carlton that she had been torpedoed in 47° North Latitude, 11° 20´´ West Longitude, and upon referring to our charts we found that we would be in that same position at 9:30 that same evening. It was advisable for us to change our course in order to steer clea

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Engagement with Submarine

Communication made with Brest the next morning, May 30th, informed us that the pilot and pilot destroyer would meet us. However, for a very good reason we did not pick up a pilot, for on this date, which has proven memorable in the history of the Leviathan , “Fritz” did his best to make it a Memorial Day for the Leviathan and a Decoration Day for himself. On the spot that we expected to take our pilot on board we had our first real engagement with the pirates of the sea. With the hills of Brest

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Second Submarine Fight

We sailed out of Brest late in the afternoon of June 1st, having on board many notable passengers. The destroyers Nicholson and Wadsworth , two of our most famous sea-fighters, accompanied us. All hands were set for another attack. It was not long in coming. At 7:16 P. M. this same evening, the wake of a periscope was observed on the starboard quarter by Lieutenant Haltnorth, who quickly passed the word to the bridge where it was received by Lieutenant J. J. Jones, the Officer of the deck. A hur

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The Sunset Prayer at Sea

(Offered Every Evening at Sea by the Ship’s Chaplain) Thou, O Lord, art in the midst of us, and Thine holy name is called upon by us; leave us not, O Lord our God. O Lord, hear our prayer; and let our cry come unto Thee. Remember, most gracious Virgin Mother, Star of the Sea, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy aid and sought thy intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, we fly to thee, Virgin of Virgins, our Mother, to thee we come;

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Fifth Trip Overseas

Eight days was ample time to give half the crew a five-day leave, and five days’ leave gave many of the boys who lived within traveling distance of New York, an opportunity to see home again for a few days. It was at this time that the one-third fare rate was put into effect for soldiers and sailors on furlough and it is needless to say this greatly assisted many boys who did not have the full fare to reach home. By evening, June 14th, all necessary supplies were loaded in our holds. Our quota o

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Sixth Trip Eastbound

Another eight days in New York and another five-day leave for the men of the crew. The five-day leaves were most welcome after a trip of seventeen or eighteen days at sea especially when the days consist of vigilant activity and high tension. The five days soon passed and as soon as we were provided with sufficient supplies of coal and water our troops came aboard. Troops, 10,534; 313th Infantry; 314th Infantry; 311th Machine Gun Battalion; 310th Machine Gun Battalion; Base Hospital No. 67; Base

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McGonigle

Among our wounded soldiers was a man named McGonigle who had made the first overseas trip with the first batch of troops the Leviathan carried across. We landed them in Liverpool. McGonigle belonged to a bombing squad and was wounded. His squad was in a shell hole hurling bombs into the enemy trenches for thirty-six hours. The men were tired and hungry. The Sergeant in charge was giving instructions to the men when a bomb held in the hands of McGonigle exploded blowing off both of his hands and

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Seventh Voyage Overseas

With the following troops and passengers on board we left New York at 3:25 P. M., August 3rd: Troops, 10,893; 55th Infantry; 56th Infantry; 20th Machine Gun Battalion; 36th Div. Displacement Det.; 111th Trench Motor Battery; 88th Div. School Det.; July Auto Replacement Draft; Colonel W. O. Johnson, 56th Inf. For the first time in the history of the ship we now traveled with other transports—the Great Northern and Northern Pacific , sister ships from the Pacific coast. These could speed along wit

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Eighth Overseas Voyage

The following is an extract copy of the readings in the ship’s log upon our leaving New York for the eighth trip overseas. This was on the 31st of August and for the second time the transports Great Northern and Northern Pacific accompanied us. SHIP’S LOG Troops, 10,541; 142d Field Artillery; Evacuation Hospital No. 16; Base Hospital No. 54, Female; Base Hospital No. 63; Base Hospital No. 81; Base Hospital No. 82; Infantry Auto Replacement Draft; 59th Pioneer Infantry; 808th Pioneer Infantry; Co

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Ninth Overseas Trip

We left our pier at Hoboken, September 29th and our ninth voyage overseas was underway. The following troops were on board: Troops, 9,366; 57th Pioneer Infantry; September Auto Replacements Drafts from Camps McArthur, Humphreys, Hancock and Jackson; Medical Replacement, No. 73; 401st Pontoon Train; 467th Pontoon Train; 468th Pontoon Train; Water Tank Train No. 302; 323rd Field Signal Battalion; Base Hospitals No. 60 and 62, Female; Debarking and Billet Party 31st Div.; Major General Leroy S. Lyo

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Burial of the Dead

Upon our arrival in Brest we had on board 96 dead soldiers and three sailors. 58 of the former were buried in France, 33 were brought back to the States and seven were buried at sea in the war zone on the morning after we left Brest. We remained in Brest three days and left on the third evening at 5:30 P. M. The next morning at sunrise, after an imposing prayer by the chaplain, the flag was half-masted, taps were sounded, three volleys fired and the coffins containing the bodies of the dead sold

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Tenth Overseas Trip

At 11:10 of the morning of October 27th we left New York bound overseas for the tenth and last trip. We had no idea that this was to be our last run of the German blockade with our precious cargo of Yankee doughboys. On this trip we carried the Tank Corps, who had for their motto: “Treat ’em rough!” Troops, 8,123; Adv. School 8th Division; Casual Companies A, B, C, 487, 488, 489, 490; Tank Corps; 335th Btn. Tank Corps.; Adv. Debarking and Billet Group 8th Division; 336th Btn. Tank Corps; 337th B

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Christmas Aboard the Leviathan—1918

J. M. Four days after our arrival in New York the crew was paid and it was suggested that we have a Christmas party on board ship for as many orphans as could be taken care of. The idea met with unanimous approval and as each man was paid he donated as much as he could afford. The amount collected was sufficient to take care of 1,200 homeless children. Notices were sent to different orphan asylums and on Christmas morning the happy children came aboard for a good day’s fun. The children were sho

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Notes on Handling the U. S. S. “Leviathan”

By Captain William W. Phelps, U. S. Navy The power to drive the Leviathan is distributed into turbines driving the four propellers. In the open sea the steam is distributed in what we call the high pressure cruising combination, whereby the turbines operate at their highest economy. But in this combination the engines cannot be thrown back instantly, so that in the open ocean in considering her safety and manœuvering, the rudder effect only can be relied upon. She must be considered as having no

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New York Harbor

Ambrose Channel is dredged to forty feet at low water. On the spring tides the low water may fall another foot, leaving but thirty-nine feet in the Ambrose Channel at low water. As the ship draws between thirty-nine and forty feet on arrival at New York, it is not safe to try to enter at any other stage of the tide than at high water. Owing to her great bulk it is improbable that any amount of tugs could dock the ship at Hoboken when the current is running in the North River, so for docking at H

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Docking and Undocking

Directing the Docking of the U. S. S. “Leviathan” In docking the Leviathan there is no particular trick that must be known, but on undocking her it must be so timed that while on the New Jersey side at Hoboken the water is dead slack, the flood on the New York side has just begun to make. This helps the operation in two ways. First, by getting her away from the dock before the flood current begins to press her against the dock, and second when she backs out, the beginning of the flood current on

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Drydocking the U. S. S. “Leviathan” in Gladstone Dock, Liverpool, England

By Lieut. A. W. Minuse, U. S. N. R. F. Drydocking a ship in a graving dock means placing the ship in a dock or basin at the entrance of which is a gate or caisson, accurately centering the ship over a system of blocks or beds, previously prepared according to plans and then pumping the water out of the dock. When a ship is designed the Naval Architect always prepares a docking plan showing in detail just how to prepare these beds so that the ship will rest evenly without straining her in any way

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The Liverpool Drydock

The Gladstone Dock in Liverpool was the only drydock in the world at the time that would take the Leviathan. The entire development of this dock, which included a tidal basin, was not completed when the war broke out, so the tidal basin was abandoned and one of a pair of docks was finished up and a long channel dredged to the River Mersey. The ship drew so much that we could not enter the dock except at the spring tides, or in other words, only about two days out of a month would permit us to en

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Blocks and Beds

An idea of the blocks used in building the beds can be had by referring to the photograph. They consisted of 3 cast steel wedges, which, when placed upon each other, were about 3 feet high, 15 inches wide at the bottom, and 3 feet 6 inches long. On top of these steel wedges was placed a hardwood block 12 inches square and 4 feet long, and on top of the hardwood blocks was placed a soft wood cap 12 inches wide by 4 inches thick by 4 feet long. To prepare the main, inner and outer beds, it was nec

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Entering the Dock

On January 14, 1918, the ship proceeded down the Mersey River to the entrance of the dock, but the wind was too high to attempt making the entrance, and we had to return to Princess Landing. On the 15th conditions were much better but none too favorable. However, as it was the last day of the spring tide we had to make the attempt. The spring tides are about 21 feet, and the current is very swift, so we had less than an hour in which to enter the dock and close the caisson. The entrance was very

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The Bridge

W. J. General conditions on the bridge were good. Instruments had deteriorated somewhat, owing to the long stay in port and not being used. All signal flags and navigation instruments, including the three chronometers which comprised part of her equipment were removed. The ship was equipped with two master gyroscopic compasses installed on “G” deck and seven repeaters for use on the bridge in steering and taking bearings; these were all found to be more or less in need of repairs and after days

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The Deck Force

F. C. W. When the Leviathan was taken over by the Navy, the chief difficulty that presented itself was the scarcity of men available for the deck force. Only a few of the crew that had been assigned to the ship had ever been to sea. A few—gun crews, for the most part—had had some experience, but not enough to qualify them as seamen. This was partly due to their short terms of service. As a result, the brunt of the work fell upon the shoulders of a few experienced petty officers, who fortunately

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Embarkation and Debarkation of Troops

W. S. A. This is a brief description of how the Leviathan’s human cargo was loaded and unloaded. The plan had been followed from the beginning with slight changes made by experience in carrying troops over before the armistice and carrying them back afterwards. The ship’s troop capacity began at 6,800 and on the 13th voyage it was approximately 12,000. Throughout the war it averaged about 10,000. In addition, officers’ space has varied between 400 and 600. Throughout the war, carrying troops eas

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Rules Observed

A company officer would go into the compartment being filled and assist the Navy detail; troops got into their bunks as soon as found, and stayed there until embarkation over that gangway was completed. No smoking was allowed in compartments. Without strict adherence to these rules, embarkation was hindered. Generally it was possible to take troops aboard nearly as fast as they arrived on the dock and many times the dock would be emptied before the next organizations would arrive. The troop mess

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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 t

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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 i

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The Gunnery Department

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

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Armament and Equipment

The armament and equipment of the Leviathan consisted of the following: The six-inch guns were installed on October 5, 1917—four aft and four forward. The distance between the forward and after guns was about seven hundred feet, which is a greater distance than the entire length of any battleship we have in commission. The work of installation was carried on by ordnance men from the New York Navy Yard, assisted by the ship’s gunnery department. Splendid co-ordination existed at all times between

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Depth Charges

The original depth charge outfit of this vessel consisted of the earlier type of depth charges, containing only fifty-two pounds of TNT as an explosive. We were allowed ten of the charges and a chute was rigged over the stern for launching them. On July 27, 1918, two “Y” guns were installed which throw a charge of TNT weighing 300 pounds. These were tested out by filling four large paint drums with wet sand, to bring them up to the required weight, and firing them from the “Y” guns. The cans lan

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Machine Guns

The two Colt machine guns were mounted forward on C-deck gallery, abaft No. 3 and No. 4 guns, and the Lewis machine gun aft by the depth charge station. The primary object of the machine guns was for sinking floating mines. The crews were kept in practice by firing at driftwood, floating boxes, fish, etc. The 1-pdr. crews also engaged in this kind of practice....

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Range Finders

The range finders were mounted on the forward superstructure just abaft and above the signal bridge. The large range finder being mounted on a specially constructed stand amidships between the port and starboard fire control stations, and at a height of 124 feet above the water-line. Both control stations were always within easy means of communication with this range finder by means of voice tubes. The two small range-finders were mounted on platforms—one on the outside of each fire control stat

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Ammunition

The ammunition allowance for the ship was: In addition to the above, blank ammunition for rifles was carried for training with ex-caliber. Forty shells were carried in shell racks at the guns at all times, and twenty rounds of powder at each gun while at sea. The rest of the ammunition was carried in the magazines forward and aft (seven decks below) and supplied to the guns by means of elevators and ammunition parties....

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Gun Drills

Gun and fire control drills were held daily to keep all hands in practice. These drills were discontinued while in the war zone. Actual conditions were simulated as much as possible at all drills....

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Gun Watches

When not in the war zone two guns forward (one on each side) and two guns aft, were manned by a crew of six men at all times, with a man at the telephones of each of the guns off watch. The men off watch had to remain in the vicinity of their quarters ready for instant call. While in the zone all guns were manned by a crew of six men with six men standing by in reserve. The guns were kept loaded, both in and out of the zone, with powder and shell—ready for instant firing by inserting a primer...

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Lookouts

Good lookouts are absolutely essential to a ship’s safety. They have one of the most important positions on the ship. On their alertness depends the discovery of any submarine or suspicious object in his arc of lookout and the immediate and accurate reporting of it to the fire control officer, so that the guns may be brought into action in the quickest possible time against the enemy. There were twelve lookout stations on this vessel—six on each side—so arranged that each lookout had an arc of t

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Personnel

The personnel of the gun crews, lookouts, etc., showed excellent qualities and sense of duty during the period of the war. In all attacks by submarines, and false alarms, every man performed his duties as he had been taught at drill, showing no undue excitement, always on the job and ready for more. The letter from 6-inch gun crew No. 2 quoted below is an example that well shows the spirit of the men. U. S. S. Leviathan, April 26, 1918. From Number Two Gun Crew To Commanding Officer, Via Executi

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Target Practice

Our first target practice was held November 27, 1917, while returning from our trial trip to Guantanamo, Cuba. During the time the ship was being prepared for sea at Hoboken, little time was had for drills and preparing the gun crews. However, they were all drilled in their various duties and every effort was put forth to get them in shape. The practice was held in a choppy sea with a stiff wind blowing and an overcast sky, making it difficult to pick up the targets—two spars, so weighted as to

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Score

Shots fired, 78; hits made, 63; percentage of hits, 75.42 per cent. This good shooting called forth the following note of commendation from the Gunnery Officer to all gun crews. U. S. S. Leviathan, December 7th, 1917. Memo from Gunnery Officer To All Gun Crews: The Gunnery Officer is highly pleased with the results of the late target practice. Such accurate firing in action would almost surely put a submarine out of action in short order, and if we are ever called upon to fight for our lives, th

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Score

Shots fired, 38; hits made, 28; percentage of hits, 70.62. Gunnery Officer, Lieut. A. H. Bateman, U. S. N.; Chief Umpire, Lieut. R. H. Jones, U. S. N. The third and last practice was held on our way from New York to Brest, France, on October 4, 1918. We had unfavorable conditions as to weather and visibility. A high wind and a large swell on the starboard quarter rendered the ship a most unsuitable gun platform. The speed was twenty knots. However, it proved valuable because of the difficulties

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Score

Shots fired, 32; hits made, 18; percentage of hits, 51.66. Gunnery Officer, Lieut. A. H. Bateman, U. S. N.; Chief Umpire, Lieut. R. H. Jones, U. S. N....

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Submarine Attacks

The submarine attacks and alarms are described in detail in Part II of this book. See the following dates: May 6, 1918; May 30, 1918; June 1, 1918; June 25, 1918; September 2, 1918; October 31, 1918. F. I. Collup, Chief Gunner’s Mate, U. S. N....

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The Electric Plant

W. S. Lieutenant W. H. F. Schluter reported for duty July 29, 1917. The electrical plant at that date was in charge of Mr. Joe. O’Donnell, head electrician, Navy Yard, New York. The civilian force were scattered over the ship, tracing out and locating circuits. This was a most difficult procedure because there were absolutely no plans of circuits nor any descriptive matter of electrical apparatus. On August 13, 1917, the first Navy electrician reported for duty and a few days later more reported

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Lighting, Ventilation and Interior Communication

The first problem was light. To solve this so as to be able to have battleship control, it was necessary to locate every light on its proper circuit. There are about fifteen thousand lights, controlled from eighty-one lighting or power stations and each station containing from eighty, the highest, to ten the lowest, local branch circuits, which in turn are supplied from seventy-six main circuit switches and these again from eight main switchboard feeder switches. When this lighting is distribute

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Tracing the Lighting Circuit

During the day the electricians would search out lighting stations, turn off lighting switches, test out circuits and do all minor repair work. At night after the main working force had knocked off, the electricians would muster in primary station number two, main lighting distribution station. Then a main distribution switch of either general lighting, police gangway, or police cabin lighting would be cut off. Emergency lighting was never cut out. The men would then leave in squads and make not

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Ventilation

The next problem was the ventilation of the ship. There are 113 ventilating blowers (51 exhaust and 62 supply) and after all blowers were located the problem that remained was to locate the compartment they ventilated. No plans were available. This system was traced out by starting a blower and then tracing up the ducts and recording the particular section that it ventilated....

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Interior Communication

All interior communication was traced out in the same manner, i. e. , start from the transmitting apparatus and from there on trace the piping and wiring until finally we arrived at the receiving end. Then there were two Anshutz Gyro compasses, which no one knew anything about, but here, again, through the close co-operation of the Navy Yard force and the ship’s electrical force, the secret of operating these compasses was successfully solved. To sum up the whole, one may say, it was the dogged

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Steering Engine Data

E. P. H. The control and manœuvering of a large ship such as the Leviathan is a responsible job. This vessel’s steering arrangement, or steering gear, is of steam engine type, connected to a hydraulic telemotor. The gear is so easily manipulated that a small boy standing on the bridge of this great ship can control any course or given route that is desired to be taken. The engines, of which there are two, one port and one starboard, are connected to the rudder head, which is approximately thirty

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The Black Gang

BY ONE OF THEM—H. E. The fire room boys of the Leviathan came from almost every State in the Union. They worked hand in hand from about August 1, 1917, until the end of the war. The success of the big ship is due to their hearty co-operation. The part taken in the war by the Leviathan is known the world over, and the spirit of the “black gang” merits commendation and a chapter in this book. While in the dreaded war zone, trip after trip, these boys plugged the fires, day and night, determined to

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Radio Data

G. A. No original records or blueprints were found on the ship for the radio equipment when she was taken over by the Navy. This necessitated tracing out each and every individual circuit and making blueprints of the same for future use. All apparatus installed was of German make—Telefunken Wireless Telegraph Company of Berlin. There were three complete telegraph transmitters on board and three receivers. The large transmitter was rated at ten kilowatts and was what is known as an “undamped tran

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The Engineering Department

By Commander Vaughn V. Woodward, U. S. N. On July 26, 1917, the Commandant ordered me to report to the Vaterland for duty, which I did, and on the above date the vessel was commissioned. When I arrived on board, the engineering department was in charge of the Shipping Board Engineers and personnel. There had also recently arrived about 200 Navy firemen and a few petty officers; this was the total of Navy engineering personnel on board. In company with one of the junior engineers I went below for

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Gland Steam Turbine Supply

In order to further increase economy a radical change was made in the method of supplying the turbines with gland steam. As installed, all turbine glands required the use of live steam, which with turbines of such large dimensions, was quite an item. By a simple change in pipe leads and valves, the leak off from the H. P. ahead glands, which formerly led to the condenser, was piped to supply the glands of all astern turbines and the I. P. and L. P. ahead turbines, thus utilizing a three-inch lin

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The Medical Department

By Dr. Dunlap The Medical Department is represented by the Senior Medical Officer, Commander F. A. Asserson, M. C. U. S. N., four Junior Medical Officers with the rank of Lieutenant each, one Chief Pharmacist, one Pharmacist, two Chief Pharmacist’s Mates, and about one hundred and thirty Hospital Corpsmen. There are also eight nurses, in charge of Miss Mary M. Robinson, Chief Nurse, U. S. N. The units composing the Department are as follows: Office of the Senior Medical Officer; office of the Me

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The Influenza Epidemic

The following are extracts from reports of the influenza epidemic submitted to commanding officer by Lieut. Com. H. A. May, M. C., October 11th, 1918: There were 260 officers and 8,873 enlisted men of all grades reported as present when the ship left the dock in Hoboken. These made up the personnel of several organizations—the 323d Field Signal Corps, the 401st, 467th and 468th Engineers, the 302d Water Tank Train, a September Automatic Replacement Draft, the 57th Pioneer Infantry, and the 73d M

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Course of the Epidemic

This was influenced materially by these main factors: First, the widespread infection of several organizations before they embarked, and their assignment to many different parts of the ship. Second, the type of men comprising the most heavily infected group. These men were particularly liable to infection. Third, the absolute lassitude of those becoming ill caused them to lie in their bunks without complaint until their infection had become profound and pneumonia had begun. The severe epistaxis

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Horrors of War

The conditions during this night cannot be visualized by any one who has not actually seen them. The morning of October 2nd brought no relief. Things seemed to grow worse instead of better. Cleaning details were demanded of the army, but few men responded. Those who came would stay awhile and wander away, never to be seen again. No N. C. O.’s were sent, and there was no organization for control. The nurses made a valiant effort to clean up and the navy hospital corpsmen did marvels of work, but

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Pneumonia

It is the opinion of myself and the other medical officers attached to the ship that there were fully 2,000 cases of influenza on board. How many developed pneumonia there are no means of knowing. Over 75 cases of the latter disease were admitted to the sick bay, most of them moribund. Of these, 3 improved so much that they went back to their compartments, 29 were transferred to hospital ashore, and about 40 died. As the records required to transfer patients from the army to the navy medical off

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Deaths

Ninety-one deaths occurred among the army personnel, of whom one was an officer, as follows: The sick officer was treated in the open air on B deck, had a special army nurse during the day, and a navy hospital corpsman at night....

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Hospital Corps

I cannot speak in terms of sufficient commendation of the work of the hospital corps of this ship. Every man was called upon to exert himself to the limit of endurance during the entire round trip. No one complained, every man was on the job. Many of them worked twenty-four hours at a stretch amid conditions that can never be understood by one ashore or on a man-of-war. Some of the embalming detail, worked at their gruesome task forty-eight hours at a stretch without complaint, and at the end I

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Commissary Department Feeding the Troops

F. L. F. As soon as the decision was made that the Navy would have charge of the commissary departments on the transports, plans were promptly made to effect the most complete and satisfactory arrangements for the subsistence of the troops en route. A board of three expert commissary officers was appointed with instructions to prepare a well-balanced standard bill-of-fare for use on board all of the transports. The bill-of-fare for a fourteen-day period submitted by the board, was approved and c

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Horseshoer Thinks Cooking Easy

Each man reporting aboard was required to fill out a questionaire blank stating experience, etc. This was done so that men could be placed to the best advantage in the galley, bakery, storerooms and offices. Some of the answers were laughable. For instance, one stated that his sole experience was cooking for his sisters when mother was obliged to go out. Another had been a horseshoer for about eighteen years, another had no experience, but he knew that cooking was very easy to learn and that he

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German Secret Service Interested

During this time it was well known that the German Secret Service was much interested in the Leviathan and for that reason all new arrivals were carefully watched. One suspicious commissary recruit was picked out and turned over to the authorities. He was so clearly German, both in speech and appearance, that it would have been impossible for him to get by, and although nothing was heard of his fate, it is safe to assume that he was interned in a safe place until the end of the war. The actual f

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Storage

Another phase of the preparation presented itself, the storage of provisions. The combined experience of the leading men in the department was brought into play to solve the many problems involved, to provide for storing and keeping of over two millions of pounds of provisions in the space allotted. The principal items and their quantities required for this loading were as follows: 200,000 lbs. of flour, 60,000 lbs. tinned meats, 25,000 lbs. salt meats, 120,000 lbs. smoked meats, 260,000 lbs. fr

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World’s Feeding Record

The system holds the world’s record for feeding the largest number of men in the shortest period of time, ashore or afloat. Nine thousand men in an average time of ninety minutes were fed. The best time, however, for the same number of men was sixty-seven minutes; this means that during the messing one soldier was served a ration every thirty-six seconds. It must be remembered that these huge commissary problems has been solved with deep thought and precision, overcoming the enormous difficultie

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Who Said Pie?

Because the Leviathan was expected to arrive in port on Christmas eve, a regular navy holiday dinner with all the fixings was given to all hands on the day before. This dinner was given complete and went off smoothly with but one hitch. As said before, soldiers have healthy appetites and a strong affection for pie, and, in order to get more pie than their share, a great many doubled back in the mess lines and perhaps more than once, for there were over 15,000 rations of pie served out on that st

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Improvements

The big feat was accomplished and the rest given by the necessarily long stay in Liverpool was well earned and enjoyed. As a result of the experience of the trip, many improvements were made in the messing organization and galley installation, the most noteworthy of which was the abandoning of the galley forward, moving the kettles, etc., to the troop galley and giving up the two other mess hall spaces for berthing—messing all the troops in the present large mess hall. This brought about a conso

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The Supply Department

G. F. P. “When do we eat? When’s pay day? When can I draw a pair of shoes? Got any ‘Bull’-an’ soap-an’ peanut brittle? Can you get us a piano, an anchor, a car of lumber and a dozen 13 inch gadjets before we shove off?”—questions that are part of the sailors’ existence and the cause of the Supply Officer’s dilemma. How well they are answered speaks volumes for the organization, zeal and efficiency of the Supply Department. To feed fourteen thousand men (and a thousand or so women, generals, admi

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Sales Division

The Sales Division comprises live ship’s stores (canteens) and the clothing and small stores issue room. With troops on board, the canteens, which are located in accessible parts of the ship, make approximately ten thousand separate sales each day, with a total daily cash receipt of about $5,000. The largest day’s business amounted to $6,498, another record to be added to the many laurels already won by the Rainbow Division, units of which were being transported at the time. As one of the cantee

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Roster of Crew

Upper—The Helmsman. Center—The Band. Lower—The Home Coming of the 27th Division....

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Comparison of the Fifteen Leading Transports

(From The Transport Ace , Newspaper printed on board the “Leviathan”) The following comparison shows the number of round trips made, and the number of troops carried to Europe, by the fifteen leading transports up to the time the Armistice was signed, November 11, 1918. * The total of 119,215 for the Leviathan includes Naval Supernumeraries and crew carried on the first ten Eastbound trips. The present voyage makes the 14th round trip for this vessel. The greatest number of persons carried by th

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The U. S. S. Leviathan

The Leviathan is 954 feet long, 100 feet beam, and, when leaving New York, draws 41 feet 10 inches of water. Place her on Fifth Avenue and she would spread from 42d Street across 45th Street. Stand her on end alongside the Woolworth Building, and she would overtop the Woolworth Building more than 50 feet. She weighs 69,000 tons; more than twice the displacement of the world’s largest dreadnought. She stows 8,700 tons of coal and carries 5,000 tons of fresh water. If we would be permitted to run

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List of Sick and Wounded Carried by Leviathan

The following list shows the number of sick and wounded transported by the Leviathan on our return trips from Liverpool and Brest:...

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NOTES

Not only did the Leviathan carry a total of 14,300 persons on board her 16th trip, 23 more than she has ever carried before, but her trip from Sandy Hook to Brest and return is the fastest she has ever made. The Leviathan cleared Ambrose Channel on May 27th at 6:56 P. M. and arrived June 11, at 3.00 A. M., or in a total elapsed time of only 15 days 8 hours and 4 minutes. Her best previous trip was when she did the same circuit in 15 days 15 hours and 3 minutes, sailing on May 6th and next arrivi

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