The particulars in the above paragraph refer to United
States naval forces operating in the war zone from French ports.
During the same time--July and August--destroyers based on British ports
supplied 75 per cent of the escorts for 318 ships, totalling 2,752,908
tons, and including the escort of vessels carrying 137,283 United States
troops. The destroyers on this duty were at sea an average of 67 per
cent of the time, and were under way for a period of about 16,000 hours,
steaming approximately an aggregate of 260,000 miles. There were no
losses due to enemy action.
The history of the convoy operations in which our naval forces have
taken part, due to which we have been able so successfully to transport
such a large number of our military forces abroad, and so many supplies
for the army, is a chapter in itself. It is probably our major operation
in this war, and will in the future stand as a monument to both the army
and the navy as the greatest and most difficult troop transporting
effort which has ever been conducted across seas.
(The Secretary says the convoy system was "suggested by President
Wilson." He continues:)
This entire force, under command of Rear-Admiral Albert Gleaves, whose
ability and resource have been tested and established in this great
service in co-operation with the destroyer flotilla operating abroad,
has developed an anti-submarine convoy and escort system the results of
which have surpassed even the most sanguine expectations.
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