The pointers at the destroyer's gun sighted its
periscope several times for several seconds; but it disappeared each
time before they could get their aim, which the zigzagging of the ship
impeded. Presently the _J_ passed about twenty-five yards ahead of a
mass of bubbles which obviously came from the submarine's wake. A deep
charge was fired just ahead of these bubbles. Several pieces of
timber, quantities of oil and debris then came to the surface. Nothing
more was seen of the submarine. There was plain evidence that it had
been sunk.

Two days later--on the morning of June 28, 1917, at 10 o'clock--the
destroyer _K_ opened fire at an object, about three hundred yards
ahead, which appeared to indicate a submarine. Admiral Gleaves
described it as a small object rising a foot or two high out of the
water, and leaving a small wake. Through binoculars he made out a
shape under the water, too large to be a blackfish, lying diagonally
across the _K's_ course. The port bow gun fired at the spot, and the
ship veered to leave the submarine's location astern. Then the port
aft gun crew reported sighting a submarine on the port quarter, and
opened fire. The lookouts also reported seeing the submarine under the
water's surface. The ship zigzagged and the firing continued. Not only
was the submarine seen but the lieutenant in charge of the firing on
the _K_ destroyer, as well as the gun crews and lookouts aft,
testified that it fired two torpedoes in the direction of the convoy.
The latter, however, had sheered off from its base course well to the
right when the alarm was sounded. The _K_ continued to zigzag until
all danger had passed, and duly joined the other escorts. The convoy
then formed into column astern.

No submarine ambuscades awaited the third group of transports. Their
voyage was quite uneventful. Apart from the probability that much of
the commotion marking the passage of the first and second contingents
might well have been due to groundless fears, the success of the
American expedition in safely landing in France registered Germany's
first defeat at the hands of the United States. It was her boast that
her submarines would never permit any American army to reach its
destination.

General Pershing was in Paris when the first transport contingent
arrived, and immediately set out for the French port to get in touch
with his troops. They were debarking in long lines when he arrived,
making their way to their tempora