Petersburg High School - Missile Yearbook (Petersburg, VA)

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The Missile ii our own ship, and as for the other ships we had no idea where they were. We were in constant danger of running down or being run down by some of the other ships. There were sixteen torpedo boats scattered around the battle ship. Lights of every description were posi- tively prohibited when in the submarine zone, still, to safe- guard the lives of thousands of sailors, and the ships too, we were forced to use our large searchlights, which, as strong as they are, failed to pierce this thick fog for more than about five hundred feet. We also ran great risks in blowing our siren every few minutes to warn the other ships. The fog got thicker, and we reported to plotting room that visibility was zero. The uncanny stillness was often broken by the dull, abrupt sound of a siren, now on this side and then on the other. The ships had be- come separated and were groping about blindly. Sud- denly, on our port bow, coming through the fog like a ghost, we caught the faint glimmer of a light. We could not tell whether it was headed towards us or going par- allel with us. It seemed to grow brighter. On it came. We could not tell whether this light was being focused over the bow of the ship or over the side. Each second now its brightness increased until suddenly the huge for- ward guns of the Texas broke through the fog and bore down on us, and we could see that she was headed straight for our port beam, and not six hundred feet away. She was too close and going too fast to stop in time. We thought we would be crumpled and sunk. (My battle station at this time was in the forward “crow’s nest,” and I instinctively looked down into the dark North Sea to see just how far I would have to fall or jump.) We rang for full speed ahead and hard left rudder.

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10 The Missile minutes later one of the lookouts reported a torpedo on port beam. A torpedo was headed directly for us. We again sounded the siren and by a quick movement we swung to starboard, the torpedo running down our star- board side not ten feet away. A narrow escape that was. Several minutes later the Wyoming and Delaware were fired at, but missed. The Delaware sighted the subma- rine that fired at her and retaliated with her five inch bat- tery. No definite knowledge could be obtained as to whether any submarines were destroyed. We headed southwest and got out of the nest of sub- marines, but as soon as darkness descended we went back again and picked up our convoy. This is just one of a great many exciting adventures that we had while performing duty in the winter months. February , igi 8 — TheU. S. S. Texas arrived at Scapa Flow about 1:05 P. M. to join the Sixth Battle Squadron, after having made the trip overseas alone and without accident. March 8 t igi 8 — The Sixth Battle Squadron left Scapa Flow at 12:10 A. M. to make a usual convoy trip. We had fairly good weather on the 9th and 10th, and put our con- voy into Bergen about 10 P. M. on the 10th. We steamed around in circles that day and night, intending to pick up our return convoy and start back about 6 A. M. the next morning. The next morning we were called at four A. M. to mount our battle stations, as we were in the heart of the submarine zone. German cruisers and raiders were also frequent visitors in this vicinity. About 4:45 P. M., just daybreak, we could see the day was going to be cloudy and dark. About 5:15 A. M. an excedingly dark fog settled. We could not see parts of

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12 The Missile The Texas blew four quick blasts, signalling that she was backing the engines, but on she came. We swung just in time, and the Texas passed us not twenty-five feet astern, cutting our towing spar line in half. We felt very fortunate indeed. The fog lifted about seven o’clock. The Florida, Wyoming, and Texas were still together with four torpedo boats. It was the next day before we found the New York, Delaware, the other twelve torpedo boats, and our convoy. We carried our convoy safely to an English port and returned to Scapa Flow. We were never for an instant in fear of the German navy, but we did recognize the dangers of the North Sea fogs. (To be continued .) Customer; Waiter, do you know it is nearly half an hour since I ordered this soup?” Waiter: “Yes, sir; but you know turtles are slow.” Mary had a Thomas cat It warbled like caruso A neighbor swung a baseball bat Now Thomas doesn’t do so. FOREGONE. That man has never been known to tell a lie. Then no woman has ever said to him “Don’t you think I am getting thinner?”