| Show UNDERSEA TERROR CHIEF TOPIC ON TROOP TROOPSHIPS SHIPS Soldiers Talk About the U-Boats U but Have No Desire to Meet Them Dy Associated Press LONDON Jul July 5 Although troop troopships troopships troopships ships that bring over American soldiers sol MI- sol sol- diers are ore so well protected that the tho submarine Is H menace virtually negligible ble submarines throughout tho the trip are probably tho the chief subject of ot con con- Usually the references to tho undersea terror are aro Jocular but It ItIs itIs Is apparent that much serious thought I is Ig given Iven to U-boats U antI and that the they loom lar largo large o In Imn Imagination This applies to officers as aR well as ns to the tho men All AU on say frankly they have no desire for a a. abrush abrush brush with the slinking enem enemy craft The Tho reason for this was neatly put by a a. major of Infantry who ho recently landed In England Fighting submarineR submarines submarines rines rineR he said our game e-ame In that thai pithy pith explanation ho he summed up the soldiers soldier's attitude exactly Fighting tho the submarines Isn't th the army's game ame and soldiers cant can't play pIny It because they dont don't kno know how If It their ship Is attacked there Is nothing for them to do except march on deck deckand deckand deckand and prepare to take talco to the lifeboats Defensive measures rest with Ith the transports transport's naval guns and with tho the escorting destroyer The They as the sol soldier soldier sol sol- ol- ol dier sees It have all the fun tun while the soldier must stand b by eager cager to fl fight ht but helpless to take a a. hand OFFICERS FEEL RESPONSIBILITY The Tho army officers feel keenly their responsibility In such an nn unfamiliar situation It devolves upon them to clear the ship of every cery man and get set them into their proper boats bOltl In order to do this with the greatest possible celerity and precision tho the I commanding military officer and his I assistants care carefully full work out their plans before the ship sails On a lar large e vessel carrying several thousand troops It Is necessary to quarter tho the men on all decks some far tar down In the vessel The Tho task then Is Js to get set them all upon upon uPon up I on the tho boat deck with the least delay and without confusion contusion Boat drills begin so n after the ship leaves port Each man is assigned to toa toa toa a particular boat and it Is highly important im Ira- that when tho the troops in re response response response re- re to the alarm signal are arc moving up UI from the lower decks that there be beno beno beno no interference and congestion on the stairways sL The problem presents a n. number of difficulties each of which Is studied with care So perfect was sas the system employed on one big ble- transport that the troops on board could be brought from all parts of the ship to their stations stations stations sta sta- on the upper deck within less than five lve minutes When hen a transport approaches the submarine zone pre precautions are arc In Increased Increased Increased In- In creased All officers and men must w wear ar their life preservers constantly and when the ship has got sot well Into the zone orders aro are issued for Cor the themen themen themen men to sleep Bleep In their clothes NO LIGHTS SHOWN No lights of ot course are shown To guard against the Inadvertent striking of a 1 match whose flare might reveal the vessels vessel's presence to a n lurking submarine submarine submarine sub sub- marine no one Is permitted on deck after atter dark with tho the exception of the ships ship's crew Sentries posted to see that this order Is strictly obeyed An amusing incident occurred on a n. huge British transport which was carrying car car- a A. particularly large number of ot American soldiers About 9 0 o'clock one evening while full speed was being beinS' made mado through the heart of ot the zone a sentry noticed a a. aray aray ray of light playing In a small email circle on a Ii distant part of ot the deck which ho he was guarding He called another sentry and together the they crept toward the point where the tho light momentarily had appeared Tho The night wa was ver very dark and arid at first the sentries could see nothing Then the they made mado the out figure figuro fig fig- lg- lg ure uro of ot a n man bending over the deck They immediately seized him and told him he was under arrest But Im I'm the watch officer In command corn com mand of tho the ship the prisoner com I ex ex- ex claimed I have o to use uso a a. flashlight for the work Im I'm doing dolne- here However the sentries had their or or- ders The They were to arrest anybody that showed a lI light ht on ot deck So their captive protested In vain The soldiers soldiers sol sol sol- I diers called their theli officer of or tho the da day Ho lie decided to turn the thc prisoner oner over overto overto overto to the ships ship's captain Up to the bridge the watch satch officer wa was taken and when the captain saw him and heard tho the details he almost choked with laughter It will bo be a long time before that officer officer of of- is permitted to forget his arrest on his own ship by br American soldiers I |
