The helm was put hard over to dodge, but the torpedo hit near the after engine room on the portside.

The explosion was terrific. The ship shivered from stem to stern, listing immediately to port. A lookout on the main top was thrown clear of his five-foot canvas screen and killed. Guns were manned instantly but no submarine was seen. The engine room filled with ammonia fumes from the hoist machine and dynamo, and it was believed everyone on duty in the engine room was instantly killed or disabled, except one oiler. Within a few seconds after the explosion the water was over the crossheads of the main engines, which were still turning over slowly. Of the twentyone on duty in the engine and fire room only three escaped. Two firemen got through a ventilator safely.

That only four boats out of ten succeeded in getting clear was due to several causes, the short time the ship remained afloat, the headway left on the ship due to the fact that the engine room personnel was put out of action, rough seas, listing of the ship, and destruction of one boat by the explosion. The behaviour of the men was equal to the best traditions of the service. The two forward gun crews remained at their stations while the ship went down, and made no move to save themselves until ordered to leave their stations. Radio Electrician Ausburne went down with the ship while at his station in the radio room. Ausburne and McMahon were asleep in the adjacent bunks opposite the radio room.

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Ausburne told McMahon to get his life preserver on, saying as he left to take his station at the radio key, "Good-bye, Mac."

McMahon later finding the radio room locked and seeing the ship was sinking tried to get Ausburne out, but failed. The Henderson made a thick screen of smoke which completely hid her from view as soon as she saw what had happened. The Willehad made off at her best speed. The Corsair and Alcedo circled for two hours when the Alcedo began the rescue of survivors, and the Corsair continued to look for the submarine. The Antilles had 234 men on board. Too much credit cannot be given to the officers and men of the Corsair and Alcedo for their work, wholeheartedness and generosity. The work of their medical officer was of the highest.

An instance comes back to me of the coolness of the gun's crew. One member was rescued from the top of an ammunition box, which by some means had floated clear, and in an upright position. He semaphored the Corsair not to come too close, when he saw her approaching to pick him up as the box contained live ammunition.

The reports of Commander P. W. Foote, of the President Lincoln, and Captain R. D. Hasbrouck, of the Covington, tell very similar stories. After the President Lincoln had sunk, a large German submarine emerged and came among the

boats and crafts searching for the commanding officer, and some of the senior officers whom they desired to take prisoners. The submarine commander was able to identify only one officer, Lieutenant E. V. M. Isaacs, whom he took on board.

During the last year of the war the appropriations by Congress for the navy amounted to $3,250,000,000. In the regular appropriation bill signed on July 1, 1918, several changes of policy in connection with the navy were embodied. Among them was the abolition of the seniority rule, and the establishment of the method of promotion by selection throughout the navy. This was strongly approved by Secretary Daniels. Another was the abolition of the National Naval Volunteers, and the transfer of the members thereof to the Naval Reserve. The permanent enlisted strength of the navy was increased from 87,000 to 131,485 men, and it was provided that an increase of officers should come automatically with the increase of ships and the men to man them. In the end the new law will give eighteen additional rear admirals, seventy-two captains, 125 commanders, and over sixteen hundred of the lower grades of service. The Marine Corps was permanently increased to seventy-five thousand men, with one new major-general, one temporary major-general, six brigadier-generals, twenty-two colonels, and twenty-two lieutenant-colonels. The sum of $220,000,000 was provided for aviation, and large appropriations made for ordnance. The bill also directed the construction of a modern dry-dock at Charleston, S. C., which could be used by ships of only the dreadnought type.

CHAPTER XXII

THE STORY OF THE MARINES

T is fitting that separate record should be made of the

I'

United States Marine Corps' share in the World War. This famous organization has a tradition that makes of it one of the corps d'elite of the world.

Although it is part of the organization of the Navy Department it operates on land and in the air as well as at

sea.

Its insignia-the globe, the anchor and the eagle-are emblematic of the variety of its service.

The record of the marines in the World War is in keeping with the best traditions of that spirited organization. No branch of any service on either side had a prouder record.

That portion of the marines in France which served with the 2d Division formed the 4th Brigade and consisted of the 5th and 6th Regiments and the 6th Machine Gun Battalion. Their activities were as follows:

There were 30,821 marines sent overseas as follows:

Naval Headquarters, London....

Expeditionary Detachment, Azores.

.Oct. 30 to Nov. 11, 1918

Of these 59.4 per cent were engaged in actual battle.

77

120

69

97

1,300

937

27,721

500

In addition to the individual citations given in the above table two regiments of marines, about 3,000 men each, and one machine-gun battalion of 600 men were cited, and two of the organizations were cited twice. This gives every man in the organizations the croix de guerre. The casualty list is given in detail below:

The marines who served at Château-Thierry sector, Bouresches, etc., etc., were mainly the 5th and 6th Regiments and the 6th Machine Gun Battalion. Other units, from which replacements were drawn and a portion of whose personnel fought in different actions as such replacements, were the 11th and 13th Regiments and various base detachments, etc. The average percentage of marines with the Service of Supplies back of the lines was 18.6.

Marine Corps aviators formed the day wing of the Northern Bombing Group. Marine avaiators served with Squadrons 213 (Pursuit Squadron), 217 and 218 (Bombing Squadrons), of the Royal Flying Corps of Great Britain, and with pursuit, observation and bombing squadrons of French Flying Corps.

A tribute to the valor and vigor of the entire 2d American Division with which the marines were brigaded at ChâteauThierry was given in the following report of the German Intelligence Section which was captured later by the French: