Skip to main content
Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Diary of Commander Joseph K. Taussig, Commander, Little

[Extract]

Saturday

Aug 10

At sea

. . . Yesterday (Friday) I wrote letters and then went ashore to get my orders. Found that five destroyers were to take out four transports. Saw Madison who will be the convoy commander.1 Also saw Lieutenant Dannenhower N.N.V.2 He was with me on the Kansas in 1907, and resigned to become interested in a wrecking company. When we went into the war he volunteered his services and now has charge of the wrecking vessel Favorite which has just arrived at Brest.

     After lunch the commanding officers of the destroyers to go out with me came on board; They were Williams (Monaghan), LaRoche (Flusser) Wellbrock (Preston) Davidson (Reid) Strother who is going to relieve Williams also came on board.3

     At three o’clock we were underway and stood out with the Susquehanna, Kroonland, Taormina and Ophir. Just after leaving received an “Allo” giving a position over which our route orders take us.4 I decided to carry out the orders as All Allos|4 are not always submarines, and if a submarine was really seen in that place he knows it and will not stay there in all probability. As I have been writing we passed through the location given in the allo of yesterday. Had to send the Reid back to Brest on account of leaky condenser, so we have only four destroyers with four ships – an unusually small escort for transports. The weather has been fine so far – which is much appreciated.

Source Note: D, RNW, Joseph K. Taussig Papers, Mss. Coll. 97.

Footnote 1: Cmdr. Zachariah H. Madison, commander of Susquehanna.

Footnote 2: Sloan Dannenhower.

Footnote 3: These officers were: Lt. Raleigh C. Williams; Lt. Francis A. La Roche; Lt. Cmdr. John H. Wellbrock; Lt. Walter S. Davidson; and Lt. Cmdr. Edmund W. Strother.

Footnote 4: A general message akin to an all-points bulletin.

Related Content