This month I've added a new "slide show" function to the site, which addresses a couple of goals: first, to make it easier for site visitors to see a collection of photos on a single page instead of having to page through them one at a time; and second, to accommodate different sized browser windows. You will see this new function in some of the new pages listed below. You can click on any picture to view a larger version, and then leaf forward or backward through the photos from there. Input on any issues with the new slide show function would be welcome.
I hope you are all enjoying the spring. It's been a bit strange here in Maine, with some record-setting hot weather. Chances are we will still see at least one more frost, though, so it's not time to put the tomato plants out yet.
Todd Woofenden, Editor
Poole Gun Photos
Jack Hudock submitted some diagrams and photos of the Poole 3"/23 caliber deck gun, showing excellent close detail of the gun.
Images include shots of the gun sight form a couple of different angles, and a shot of the gun breech.
Hodgdon Yacht Article
Barbara Rumsey, of the Boothbay (Maine) Historical Society, recently wrote an article which appeared in the Boothbay Register, on the participation of Hodgdon Yacht in the submarine chaser construction efforts in WWI.
Two chasers were built at Hodgdon, SC 137 and SC 138. SC 137 served overseas at Plymouth (Base 27), and SC 138 served in the First Naval District.
Nice to see submarine chasers in the news!
William Barker Photo Sets
Two new photo sets from the collection of chaser crewman William Barker, Sr., show chasers traversing a canal and at sea, and crewmen/officers.
The Chaser Photo Set includes some nice close-aboard images of the wherry under canvas.
The Crewmen Photo Set shows officers and crew, and some excellent close images of a Lewis machine gun mounted on the bridge wing.
French Chaser Pages: Additions
A few more pages of translated text have been added to the document on submarine chasers sold to France.
Also added to the section on French chasers are more entries on individual chasers (C 17 through C 30).
Fueling at Sea
To pull together several images on a common theme, I've added some images to create a new page on Taking on Fuel While Under Way.
Since submarine chasers didn't hold enough fuel for an overseas journey, the crossings required a combination of stops along the way (Bermuda and the Azores), and re-fueling at sea. The latter was done while traveling at roughly 8 knots, with the chasers tethered to the fuel ship in various ways. For the men on the chasers, this meant working to keep the chaser moving at the correct speed while keeping away from the much larger fuel ship.