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The Corsair in the war zone cover

The Corsair in the war zone

Chapter 2: ILLUSTRATIONS
By Ralph Delahaye Paine
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History - AmericanHistory - Modern (1750+)History - Warfare

About This Book

A close narrative account follows a naval vessel’s wartime service in European waters, detailing convoy escort duty, anti-submarine measures such as mines and depth charges, rescues of torpedoed ships’ crews, violent storms and emergency repairs, and visits to ports for refit and respite. Chapters weave action at sea with shipboard life, the radio-room, engineering work, and profiles of the ship’s company, offering scenes of daily routine, leisure, and crisis. The prose balances operational detail with human moments, showing how discipline, improvisation, and camaraderie sustained hazardous missions in a contested maritime zone.

ILLUSTRATIONS

The Corsair rescues the Crew of the Sinking Californian Frontispiece
Admiral H. B. Wilson, commanding the U.S. Naval Forces in France 4
Commander Theodore A. Kittinger, U.S.N., commanding U.S.S. Corsair 10
Lieutenant Commander William B. Porter, later commanding U.S.S. Corsair, and Lieutenant Robert E. Tod, Navigator 16
Fitting the Corsair for the War Zone 22
Number Two Gun Crew on Watch 26
They are All Sea Dogs together 26
Some of the Officers and Crew, before leaving New York 32
With America’s First Convoy: Troop-Ships Henderson, Antilles, Momus, and Lenape 38
The Mine functions and a Lurking U-Boat would find it excessively Unhealthy 38
The Kind of “Gobs” the Country was proud of 44
The German Submarine was a Tiny Target even when on the Surface 44
Boatswain’s Mate Seger, from Passaic 50
Pharmacist’s Mate Feeley and Mess Attendant Martinez 50
Winning Boat Crew in Fourth of July Race with Aphrodite 56
“The Bridge Gang” 56
Starting the Swimming Race from a Mooring Buoy 62
Water Sports on the Fourth of July: The Race between Life-Rafts with Coal Shovels for Paddles 62
A Wet Day for the Deck Watch 66
French and Underhill are dolled up for the Camera 66
The Burning American Schooner Augustus Weld 70
From the Corsair’s Main-Top: The Convoy steams out 70
“Coal on the Corsair, Fill every bin. We work like hell, boys, Till it’s all in” 74
A French Fishing-Smack which dared the Ruthless Warfare 78
The S.S. Manto, which sped through the War Zone At Five Knots 78
A Group of Chief Petty Officers 84
A Liberty Party at Brest 84
The Gunner’s Mates and the Long Row of Depth Charges ready to plop over the Stern 88
Another View of the Mine Track, showing the Y Gun or Double Mortar 88
French Fishermen who were set adrift 92
The Castaways find a Hearty Welcome on the Corsair 92
Gunner’s Mates Barko and Moore, and a Depth Charge 98
Watching the Aphrodite go out on Patrol 98
Engineering Force of the Corsair 102
Lieutenant J. J. Patterson, Engineer Officer, and his Husky “Black Gang” 102
A Boat-Load of Survivors from the Antilles coming alongside 106
Naval Officers rescued from the Antilles, with General McNair, U.S.A. 106
The Antilles crowded with Troops on her Last Voyage to France 110
The Alcedo picks up the Antilles Survivors 110
The Corsair drops a Mine and shakes up Fritz 114
The Finland, just after she was torpedoed 118
Destroyer Preston, which was caught in the Hurricane and also found Refuge at Lisbon 118
Chief Yeoman Paulson 122
Gunner’s Mate Wiley 122
Bucking into the Winter Seas 128
She takes ’em aboard Green 128
The Ship’s Cooks and the Wardroom Steward 134
The Noble Job of peeling “Spuds” 134
Boatswain’s Mate Houtz in the Navy’s Storm Clothes 140
Swollen Sea, from the Forward Crow’s-Nest 140
A Letter from Home: Coaling Ship must wait 144
Carroll Bayne gets his Ensign’s Commission 144
How the Hurricane Seas pounded the Yacht: “The Poor Old Ship was a Mess” 150
What was left of the Emergency Wheel 156
When the Hurricane slapped the Windows 156
Assistant Engineer Hawthorn and his Watch 160
The Crew of Number Three Gun 160
Temporary Repairs, after the Hurricane 164
What the Forward Deck-House looked like while running for Lisbon 164
Cleaning up at Lisbon, after the Hurricane 172
Lisbon Harbor and the Tug that towed the Corsair to the Dockyard 176
The American Legation at Lisbon where the Corsair’s Crew found a Home 176
The Corsair in Drydock at Lisbon 182
At her Mooring Buoy, Brest 182
“Doc” Laub agrees that “this is the Life if you don’t weaken” 188
Coxswain Dave Tibbott waits with the Launch 188
The Cheery French Pilot, Lieutenant Mejeck 194
Chief Quartermaster Benton 194
The Home of the American Naval Officers’ Club in Brest 200
American Yachts clustered inside the Breakwater, Brest 206
The Faithful Wakiva, which was sunk in Collision 212
Big Transports in Brest Harbor 212
Chief Quartermaster Farr stands with Folded Arms and indicates that he has his Sea-Legs with him 216
Commander Kittinger says Good-Bye to Lieutenant Commander Porter as the Latter takes over the Command 216
Lieutenant Schanze, Ensign Gray, Lieutenant Commander Porter, Chief Engineer Hutchison, Commander Kittinger, and Lieutenant McGuire 220
At Rosyth: Lieutenant Nolan, Dr. Agnew, Commander Porter, Lieutenant McGuire, Ensign Acorn, Lieutenant Patterson, Ensign Wangerin, and Paymaster Erickson 220
Rolling out to find a Convoy 226
A Little Water on Deck 226
The Sinking Californian: Going, Going, Almost Gone! 232
Californian Survivors aboard the Corsair 232
A Mascot from the Californian, known as “The Mutt” 238
The Newfoundland Pup saved from the French Fishing Bark 238
The Dagfin, broken down and helpless. The Corsair stands by 244
Admiral Henry T. Mayo, Commander-in-Chief of the Atlantic Fleet 248
H. A. Breckel, Chief Radio Operator 256
Electricians Swan and Plummer, of the highly Efficient Radio Gang 256
At the Emergency Wheel: Heavy Weather Offshore 262
The Trim, Immaculate Navy Man: After Coaling Ship 262
Boatswain’s Mate French bought a Pet Parrot in Lisbon 268
“Tommy,” the Ship’s Cat, who finished strong in the Hurricane 268
“Teddy,” who was given a Military Funeral when he swallowed a Nail 268
With the Grand Fleet at Rosyth 274
Surrendered German Submarines tied up at Portland 274
The Corsair at Queenstown as Flagship of Admiral Sims 278
Seaman Henry Barry, before they wished Another Job on him 282
Gunner’s Mate Simpson hopes to spot that Sub 282
The Homeward-Bound Pennant: “We’re off for Little Old New York, thank God” 286
The Corsair when in Commission as a Yacht before the War 290
Admiral William S. Sims, commanding the U.S. Naval Forces in European Waters 294
Map showing the Corsair’s Wanderings in the War Zone 304