Our Navy in the War by Lawrence Perry
page 51 of 226 (22%)
page 51 of 226 (22%)
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forth.
There was Andrew Copassaki, chief boatswain's mate, for instance, who was transferred from the battleship _Arkansas_ to take charge of the gun crew of the steamship _Moreni_. He commanded this crew when the _Moreni_ was sunk by a German submarine on the morning of June 12. This gun crew put up a fight on the deck of that sinking vessel which was so gallant as to elicit words of praise from the commander of the attacking submarine. Copassaki, when the ship was in flames, from shellfire, rushed through the fire to the forward gun and continued to serve it against the submarine until the gun was put completely out of commission. This gallant hero was born in Greece, and had been in the navy twenty years. Then there was Harry Waterhouse, a chief turret captain, transferred from the dreadnought _New York_ to command the armed crew of the _Petrolite_ which was sunk by a U-boat on June 10. The vessel sank so rapidly after being torpedoed that the guns could not be used. The navy men, however, under the command of Waterhouse, assisted in getting out the boats and lowering them and getting the crew to safety, to a man--although the _Petrolite_ went over on her beam ends in less than a minute. No member of the armed guard left the sinking vessel until ordered to do so by Waterhouse. These are but a few of the instances of signal gallantry which have filled the records of our navy since we entered the war. And while our merchant crews were thus at work the navy was busy sending soldiers to the other side. Not a mishap had occurred on the eastbound traffic--and at this writing none has yet occurred--but on October 17, the transport _Antilles_, which had made several safe journeys with |
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