TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ARKANSAS GAZETTE NOVEMBER 10, 1918 P. 5
Well, I finally got in here, and believe me I had some time. I came in here with half of my crew sick in bed and one man with his back broken, so you can see that I had a merry old time: 11 days of heavy gales one after the other.
Since the war is over I'll tell you some of my experiences. The first trip out of Hampton Roads we were 45 ships in convoy, not counting our ocean escorts, which consisted of a large cruiser, four destroyers and six flying machines. The flyers left us the first night out. We were in nine columns and five in length, one behind the other.
There was so rest or sleep for the captains from the time we left the United States until we got to our destination, which was 18 or 19 days. We had fleet maneuvers both day and night and it was great. I would not have missed it for anything, even if I did get a lot of gray hair. My ship loaded cost about five millions, so you can see that it kept a fellow thinking and worrying day and night.
Five days out of England we met our destroyers and that was the grandest sight, 16 destroyers meeting us from all directions, and the nwe felt fairly safe, and airships in galore, too.
The nearest I was in any danger was two days out of England on my first trip, when we met a Hun, and believe me, there was some excitement. One of our destroyers let go a depth charge and my ship was rattling and shaking as if she were falling to pieces, but we got Mr. Hun and we were ready to receive him with a six or three inch gun. You know my boat is a young battleship, having two guns and 24 men for an armed guard. Well, when I got up the English channel I passed by a mine and I nearly got cold feet, but my time was not up, so there you are.
I got into Le Havre, a fine city in France, stayed there two weeks and went across Suicide Alley--some name--but as bad as it sounds, nothing but mine fields and subs, but again I was lucky and got into Plymouth, England; stayed there two days and left in a large convoy for home. By the way, Suicide Alley is the English channel. My next trip was from Hampton Roads to Sidney, Nova Scotia, and there we were 54 ships in convoy and again everything went all right. I went to Brest, France, then to La Rochelle and on the way down the French coast we met Mr. Hun again, but this time he got three charges and we never saw him again. While I was in Le Havre we had an air raid and again there was some excitement. They got the Hun, however.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Captain Charles A. Olsen to his father-in-law Louis A. Dava of Jacksonville, Arkansas. Olsen was serving on the transport Hewitt. He was writing from Newport News, Virginia on December 2.
TRANSCRIBED BY PETTER GEAN SOWELL
Well, I finally got in here, and believe me I had some time. I came in here with half of my crew sick in bed and one man with his back broken, so you can see that I had a merry old time: 11 days of heavy gales one after the other.
Since the war is over I'll tell you some of my experiences. The first trip out of Hampton Roads we were 45 ships in convoy, not counting our ocean escorts, which consisted of a large cruiser, four destroyers and six flying machines. The flyers left us the first night out. We were in nine columns and five in length, one behind the other.
There was so rest or sleep for the captains from the time we left the United States until we got to our destination, which was 18 or 19 days. We had fleet maneuvers both day and night and it was great. I would not have missed it for anything, even if I did get a lot of gray hair. My ship loaded cost about five millions, so you can see that it kept a fellow thinking and worrying day and night.
Five days out of England we met our destroyers and that was the grandest sight, 16 destroyers meeting us from all directions, and the nwe felt fairly safe, and airships in galore, too.
The nearest I was in any danger was two days out of England on my first trip, when we met a Hun, and believe me, there was some excitement. One of our destroyers let go a depth charge and my ship was rattling and shaking as if she were falling to pieces, but we got Mr. Hun and we were ready to receive him with a six or three inch gun. You know my boat is a young battleship, having two guns and 24 men for an armed guard. Well, when I got up the English channel I passed by a mine and I nearly got cold feet, but my time was not up, so there you are.
I got into Le Havre, a fine city in France, stayed there two weeks and went across Suicide Alley--some name--but as bad as it sounds, nothing but mine fields and subs, but again I was lucky and got into Plymouth, England; stayed there two days and left in a large convoy for home. By the way, Suicide Alley is the English channel. My next trip was from Hampton Roads to Sidney, Nova Scotia, and there we were 54 ships in convoy and again everything went all right. I went to Brest, France, then to La Rochelle and on the way down the French coast we met Mr. Hun again, but this time he got three charges and we never saw him again. While I was in Le Havre we had an air raid and again there was some excitement. They got the Hun, however.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Captain Charles A. Olsen to his father-in-law Louis A. Dava of Jacksonville, Arkansas. Olsen was serving on the transport Hewitt. He was writing from Newport News, Virginia on December 2.
TRANSCRIBED BY PETTER GEAN SOWELL