Grandfather and the ''Mystery Ship'' by Karl F. Stephens, MD
s a boy I was fascinated by an old sepia-toned photograph that sat in the corner of my vanBenschoten grandparenrs' dimly lit parlor in Providence, Rhode Island. Ir showed a small World War I-era submarine awash on the surface, with several blurred crewmen crowded around the conning tower. In answer to my queries, I learned that it had something to do with my grandfather's service in the Navy. However, since I could never quite envision my austere and rornnd physician grandfather being involved with something so dashing as submarines, it remained an enigma. Ir wasn't umil after my grandparents had died and their belongings were dispersed that I saw the next pan of the mystery: a tray with a painting of a four-masted schooner labeled USS Charles Whittemore done for my grandfather by a grateful patient. It was said to be a "mother ship" for submarines, on which my grandfather had served in WWI. A shon time later this appeared to be verified when we discovered a photograph that showed grandfather in a WWI naval uniform sranding on the deck of a large sailing vessel. Seeing this picture of my then-trim grandfather in such a setting was enough to make me regard him in a different light, but my perception of him really changed when, years later, his log of his naval service surfaced and revealed the true role of USS Charles Whittemore.
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A Long Trip "Asked Chief our probable destination and he said it would be a long trip this time." Thus ominously begins my grandfather's account of the October/November 1918 cruise of USS Charles Whittemore, the Mystic-built schooner of 1905 purchased by the US Navy earlier that year, on which he served as medical officer. He briefly speaks of the vessel and its outfitting: Schooner four masted without power. ... especially fitted out for this service at Providence, West Mystic, New London . ... Was rushed through with many cuttings of red tape and without requisitions usually required, no questions to be asked .... Equipment provided 3 machine guns, rifles, revolvers, clubs, cutlasses and depth charges. Cargo of submarine stores, such as spare torpedoes, cylinder oil, TNT war heads for torpedoes, acid for torpedoes. (Fine for attack on us or fire aboard. ) Called to Quarters by C. and told of our mission and what was expected of us and our duty- Submarine with us and our duty with them.
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"C." then revealed to the crew that USS Charles Whittemore was to serve as America 's first "mystery ship." The British and Germans were already using such disguised armed vessels. More than being a "mother ship," this former lumber schooner would pretend to be an innocuous merchant vessel, luring German submarines into the sights of L8, the submarine she would tow on this voyage. M y grandfather relates some of the details involved in the deception: Crew-picked men passing tests as to fitness, etc.-have hair clipped, raised beard and become the hardest looking lot of sailormen possible .... Sailing from port crew gets into civilian clothes-worse possible appearance. By orders, only few men to be exposed on deck at time espec. when ship sighted .... Radio outfit concealed in rigging.... Sub submerged and towed ... . Plan of action on attack by enemy explained. Method of communication with sub by us explained .... Everyone to be ready at all or any time to take station. Hoping to amplify on some of the entries in my grandfather's diary, I obtained a microfilm copy of USS Charles Whittemore' s log for that period. Some of the daily entries seemed more fitting for a Patrick O'Brian sea novel than a WWI warship: "Sailing on a course of94° in tow ofL8 with Fore, Main, Mizzen, foretopsail, main topsail, mizzentopsail, jib, and forestaysails set"; "Hauled down flying jib"; "Block on spanker topsail carried away which caused it to be lowered" ; and the often repeated "Patent log contin ually fouling. " However, in most instances I found my grandfather's acco unts of incidents more interesting than those in the log. One dramatic event in the diary-which included a man-overboard- does not even appear in the ship's log. Nov. 1118- Heavy rain and wind squalls during the night. Torrents of rain fell and during early morning hours tow line to L8 parted. We jumped ahead at great rate. Sail shortened-high seas making up . L8 following us-heavy rain all morning-wind going into N and colder. Several minor injuries. At noon again passed lin e to L8 which later in afternoon parted again . Dark cloudy sky, high swell with breaking sea. Late in afternoon again floated a line down to L8 who , while maneuvering to get it lost a man overboard. A life line was thrown to him and he was pulled aboard although it looked for a few minutes that they might miss him. A fine examp le of endurance and strength was given by 2 or 3 men ofL8 in getting hawser aboard and securing it.
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