Report of Admiral Gleaves
Destroyer Force,
Atlantic Fleet, Flagship,
———, France, July 12, 1917.
| From: | Commander, Destroyer Force. |
| To: | Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet. |
| Subject: | Attacks on convoy by submarines on the nights of June 22d, June 26th, and June 28th, 1917. |
1. About 10.15 P.M., June 22d, the first group of the expeditionary force of which the flagship was the leader, encountered the enemy's submarine in latitude ———., longitude ——— W.
2. At the time it was extremely dark, the sea unusually phosphorescent; a fresh breeze was blowing from the northwest which broke the sea into whitecaps. The condition was ideal for a submarine attack.
3. (Paragraph 3 gives the formation and names of the vessels, together with the speed they were making and method of proceeding; nothing else. It is therefore omitted for obvious reasons.)
4. Shortly before the attack the helm of the flagship had jammed, and the ship took a rank sheer to starboard; the whistle was blown to indicate this sheer. In a few minutes the ship was brought back to the course. At this time the officer of the deck and others on the bridge saw a white streak about 50 yards ahead of the ship, crossing from starboard to port, at right angles to our course. The ship was immediately run off 90° to starboard at full speed. I was asleep in the chart-house at the time. I heard the officer of the deck say, "Report to the admiral a torpedo has just crossed our bow." General alarm was sounded, torpedo crews being already at their guns. When I reached the bridge the A and one of the transports astern had opened fire, the former's shell fitted with tracers. Other vessels of the convoy turned to the right and left, in accordance with instructions. B crossed our bow at full speed and turned toward the left column in the direction of the firing.
5. At first it was thought on board the flagship that the wake was that of a torpedo, but from subsequent reports from other ships and in the opinion of Lieut. X, who was on the bridge, it was probably the wake of the submarine boat itself. Two torpedoes passed close to the A from port to starboard, one about37
