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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Schedule of Employment Mine Squadrons One, Two and Three

     SECRET.                               1 April,1918.

SCHEDULE OF EMPLOYMENT

MINE SQUADRON ONE and TWO

MINE SQUADRON THREE.

Before leaving.

Get 100 Mark III or Mark IV mines(drill) at Port Jefferson.1 Arrange with Inspector of Ordnance at Iona Island.2

First day after completion.

Underway for shakedown 4/6/18.

Carry out orders for shakedown cruise.

Adjust compasses 4/7/18.

Get turning data enough at 12 knots speed to determine

(a)    Approximate rudder angle for turning circle of 1000 yards in diameter.

(b)    Turning diameter with full rudder right and left.

Seven days after completion report to Squadron Commander or

Senior Officer present Mine Force, at Hampton Roads.

On arrival at Hampton Roads get cargo of Mark VI mines from Pier #4 as follows;

ROANOKE   Class  660 each.

SARANAC    Class  460 

SAN FRANCISCO    30.

Each tug gets a 9-foot kite at Norfolk; keep her 12-

     ft.kites.3

First day.

Issue instructions and tentative schedule to ships.

Underway and anchor outside.

Second day.

6 a.m. underway in succession and stand outside.

Form line, distance 500 yards, guide center. SAN FRANCISCO 500 yards in advance of the guide. Steam for one hour in this formation.

Form column after one hour and exercise at turns – column 8 points right, left/repeat 4 points right, left, repeat; then make simultaneous turns 8 points. right,left,repeat; 4 pointsright, left, repeat. In all turns note particularly rudder angle. Standard diameter, 1000 yards. Tugs try out 9’ and 12’ kites, in 20 fathoms water or deeper.

Third day.

Maneuvers as previous day, at 12 knots, begin at dawn.

Reduce speed to 10 knots.

Form for night cruising, steam so for one hour.

Exercise as for submarine attack from this formation.

Form for planting. Planters alternate. Exercise as for submarine attack. Speed 13 knots, 1-1/2 knots reserve.

Fourth day.

Maneuver as on previous day, speed 14 knots.

Repeat tactical exercises as necessary.

Form for planting, planting pairs alternate, speed 13 knots, 1-1/2 knots reserve.

Double column for check telescope training. Open out to 3000 yards for fire control and sub-calibre.

Fifth day.

Repeat tactical exercises.

Form line and hold “man overboard”drill (for boat drill).

Short check telescope drill or sub-caliber drill.

Anchor, moor ship.

Standardize at 7, 10, 12, and 14 knots.

Sixth day.

Underway at 6 a.m.,or as signaled, to continue standardization runs.

Get mines ready for planting at mine exercise field.

Tugs try out 12’ and 9’ kites in deep water.

Seventh day.

Underway at 6 a.m. to continue standardization runs.

Get mines ready for planting at mine exercise field.

Underway for tactical exercises; check telescope and sub-caliber drill.

Hold night general quarters.

Eighth day.

Underway at 6 a.m.for mine exercise field.

Tactical exercises as signaled.

Ships detailed plant mines for experimental firing.

Other ships practice planting, mine recovery for tugs.

Be prepared to moor.

Ninth day.

Underway at 6 a.m.

Continue experimental planting.

Continue practice planting.

Be prepared to moor.

Tenth day.

Underway at 6 a.m.

Continue practice planting.

Hold night fire quarters.

Eleventh day.

As previous day.

Twelfth day.

Underway at 6 a.m.

Tactical exercises as signaled.

Gunnery training.

Anchor overnight at Base 12.4

Thirteenth day.

Underway at 6 a.m.

Tactical exercises as signaled.

Anchor off Thompkinsville,5 ships in succession landing practice mines at Fort Jefferson.

After landing drill mines, ships anchor as directed.

Complete arrangements for coal and stores.

Fourteenth day.

Fifteenth day.

Sixteenth day.

Seventeenth day.

Inspection by Squadron Commander6

Take on stores and make final preparations to sail.

Get Burney Gear.7

Boresight.

NOTES

Signal drill to be held as follows:

Semaphore 8:30 to 8:50 a.m.

Flag hoists 11:00 to 11:20 a.m.

Flag hoists 1:10 to 1:30 p.m.

Semaphore 3:30 to 3:50 p.m.

Blinker tube 8:00 a.m. to 8:20 p.m.

     (Blinker message 12:30 a.m.and 4:30 a.m.)

There may be other signal drills.

Record all signals and send by next boat to be checked, corrected and returned. Drills to be short and fast.

While underway the period from 10:45 to 11:45 a.m.will be set aside for gunnery training.

Attention is invited to paragraph 3, Mine Force Training Instructions.8

Regular lookout stations to be manned at all times.

At all times in getting underway, tugs to sweep ahead of column.

Source Note: Cy, DLC-MSS, John W. Greenslade Papers, Box 4. Document reference: “Op-32-G.”

Footnote 1: This fortification is located on the North Shore of Long Island.

Footnote 2: A bedrock island of the Hudson River in the town of Stony Point, New York, the depot there supplied much of the munitions used in World War I and II. The Inspector of Ordnance at this time was Lt. Cmdr. John N. Ferguson.

Footnote 3: That is, kite balloons.

Footnote 4: Base 12 was located at Newport, Rhode Island.

Footnote 5: Tompkinsville is a neighborhood in northeastern Staten Island, located along the waterfront facing Upper New York Bay.

Footnote 6: Capt. Reginald R. Belknap.

Footnote 7: A sounding line containing fathom points that was used to measure the depth of shallow waters, particularly those near the coast.

Footnote 8: This document has not been located.

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