So when the U 148 and the U 88
got to Sandy Hook the other day
ahead of the U C 97 and the TJ 117
officers made haste to land and go
to Fort Hancock where with one ac
cord they demanded the bathtubs
of the fort's garrison.
"And I can tell you that that bath
was the best of my life," said Lieutenant-Commander
Edward O'Keefe
of U 148 in describing the voyage.
The U Boats numbered five when
they set out with the submarine
tender Bushnell from Harwich, Eng
land, the U 111 being the fifth. Each
had a crew of approximately 27 men
and three officers, all Lieutenant
Commanders. The largest of the TJ Boats Is the
117. She is 216 feet long with a
beam of 22 feet and draws twelve
feet and eight inches. She has a
deep Interest for America, aa she Is
believed to be the U Boat which
made a raid off the American coast,
attacking with ' true Hun chivalry a
barge with woman and children
aboard off the New England coast.
She is a combined mine layer and
cruiser having apparatus for laying
mines and for discharging torpe
does. The others are 190 feet long with
a beam of 18 feet 10 inches and
draw 11 feet and 4 inches of water
when they are navigating on the
surface.
The little fleet was manned for
the trip across by men detailed from
other ships and not of necessity
familiar with submarines. Hence it
was decided to make the voyage on
the surface. The fleet set out, five
U Boats and the submarine . tender
Bushnell from Harwich, England,
on April 8. They kept together and
reached the Azores on April 10.
