December 8
At 6 a.m., the 1st MGB (Headquarters, 77th and 81st Companies)
entrains and leaves Quantico, Virginia, for Newport News, Virginia,
arriving at 2 p.m. the same day, and embarks on board the USS
DeKalb for overseas expeditionary duty.
A.R. Appenheimer writes in his diary: "Left Quantico for Newport News
Dec. 8th at 6.30. Arrived 3.50 and loaded on transport De Kalb
(former German Raider Prince Ille. Fredrick) at 4.45 Sat Dec
8th."
December 9 & 10
A.R. Appenheimer with 1st Machine Gun Battalion aboard the USS
Dekalb, in harbor at Newport News, as it continues to take on
cargo & additional military units.
December 11
At 4 p.m, (according to the battalion history) the transport USS
Dekalb sails from Newport News, Virginia, for New York, N.Y.
~~AR Appenheimer writes in his diary: "Left Newport News, Dec 11,
8.30.".
December 12
USS Dekalb arrives in New York harbor at 6 a.m. & anchors off Staten Island.
~~AR Appenheimer records in his diary: "Arrived Staten Island N.Y. Dec 12, at 9 a.m. Pulled in N.Y. Harbor Dec 12, at 9 a.m."
December 13
AR Appenheimer with the 6th MGB anchored off Staten Island on the USS
Dekalb. He writes to his mother:
"Dear Mother: I am well and as fat and sassy as ever. I wrote America
a note today at Coldsprings Ky. and wrote her one yesterday and day
before at Toulon. I don't know which place she will be at, as the
last letter from her said she was going to toulon in about a week and
its been more than a week This may be the last letter you get from me
mailed in U.S. I wonder if Chink has enlisted yet, and what in, and if
he has sold the suplus stock and fat hogs yet. Now be sure and write
me all the news, for I have an idea that I'll look forward for letters
from you and America.
Your Loving son, Al."
December 14
USS Dekalb, according to
the battalion history, sails from NY harbor at 8.30 p.m.
AR Appenheimer writes in his diary: "Left N.Y. at 8.30."
December 15
AR Appenheimer with 6th MGB on board USS Dekalb, sailing in convoy to
France.
December 16 through 22
AR Appenheimer with 6th MGB on board USS Dekalb, sailing in convoy to
France. Writing to his mother from Germany after the Armistice,
Appenheimer described his trip across the Atlantic on the Dekalb:
"I had a headache and fever and went to the Sick Bay for
some CC pills, and the Dr. said I had the measles. There were several
cases on board and they put me in Quarenteen withy the rest of the
measles cases. I was all right in a day or two and I don't believe I
had the measles, but I got a good state room out of it and my meals
brot to me the rest of the trip. So it wasn't so bad after all."
Among Appenheimer's military papers was a news clipping from
1938 which had this to say about the Dekalb during the war: "Strange
as it seems, on the strength of a pounding crankshaft sawed
four-fifths through by German sabotageurs, hung the fate of thousands
of American soldiers who crossed the Atlantic on the USS De Kalb
during the World War.
Formerly the North German Lloyd liner, Prince Eitel
Frederich, built in 1904, 15,000 gross tons, the De Kalb was one
of 120 German ships interned in the United States at the outbreak of
the war with Germany.
The skeleton crews aboard these ships attempted to put them
out of commission so that they would be rendered unfit for transport
service ~ at least until Germany had time to gain an advantage in the
conflict.
The United States Navy department consequently found itself
with the task of repairing smashed cylinder heads, scored bearings and
other mechanical defects resulting from this sabotage.
Strange as it seems, a complete going over of the De Kalb
refused to disclose anything wrong with her, so she was placed into
transport service and made eleven successful crossings to France,
carrying thousands of ‘doughboys' to the Big War.
Confident that all was well, men and officers alike were
blissfully unaware that the pounding, vibrating crankshaft that drove
them through the ocean waters was ready to shear off at any moment.
Not until the end of the war was the damage discovered ~ the
Germans had craftily sawed four-fifths of the way through the shaft
and filled the cut with grease to hide it!"
December 23
AR Appenheimer with 6th MGB on board USS Dekalb, sailing in convoy to
France. He writes in his diary: "Arrived in Bay of Biscay,
Sun Dec 23, 1917."
December 24 through 26
AR Appenheimer with 6th MGB on board USS Dekalb, sailing in convoy to
France.
December 27
AR Appenheimer with 6th MGB on board USS Dekalb, sailing in convoy to
France. He writes in his diary: "Submarine battle, chased and sunk by
Destroyer V. Jenkins ~ 92." [From what I have been able to uncover in
my research, the Jenkins did engage a submarine on this date, but its
destruction was never confirmed."
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