incident is probably best remembered by Commander Taussig’s simple remark upon reporting to the British admiral in charge: “I shall be ready when refueled, sir.” D e s t r oy e r s  b e c a m e  a  p r i m a r y  s y m b o l  o f British-American cooperation during WWI. Destroyers were the main defense against German U-boats, which were practicing unrestricted warfare and terrorizing the seas. U-boat attacks were one reason for our entry into the war. The  British  and  Americans  exchanged  signals, codes,  and  inventions  in  combining  their  destroyer forces to seek out and attack the German submarines. Destroyers served as escorts for troopships and supply convoys for the Allies, helping to ensure their safety. On November 17, 1917, the destroyers USS Nicholson and USS Fanning were the first U.S. ships to sink an enemy submarine. When the United States entered World War I, naval aviation assets were limited. The nation had only 54 aircraft, 1 air station, and 287 personnel assigned to aviation. The nation had no armed forces or operations abroad. In spite of its size, the air arm proved its value as a supporting unit to surface antisubmarine (ASW) forces. Navy pilots served with Allied units in France and England. The airplane created a new breed of hero, the ace. Nineteen year-old Lieutenant David Ingalls, later Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Air), flew a Sopwith Camel to become the Navy’s first ace. In World War I, the women’s role in the Navy came into its own. In 1811, a Navy surgeon recommended employing women in hospitals to care for the Navy’s sick and wounded. The idea was not acted upon at that time. NOTE In the Civil War, women nurses, although not part of the Navy, served aboard the hospital ship USS  Red Rover  in the medical department. In the war of 1898, the first trained nurses in the Navy,  though  not  an  official  unit,  were stationed at the Norfolk Naval Hospital to care for the injured. A decade later (in 1908), the Nurse Corps was officially born. As the nation readied itself for World War I, it needed Yeomen and personnel in related jobs to handle the growing demand from headquarters and naval shore stations. Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy, asked his legal advisors, “Is there any law that says a Yeoman must be a man?” The answer was no, but until that time only men had been enlisted. “Then enroll women in the Naval Reserve as Yeomen,” the Secretary said. In such jobs, he added, they would offer the best “assistance that the country can provide.” Immediately after the United States entered World War I, women were enlisted on a large scale “in order to release enlisted men for active service at sea.” By the time the armistice was signed, 11,275 women were enlisted in service as Yeomen (F). They handled most of the clerical work at the Navy Department, in addition to many highly important special duties. Yeomen (F) were stationed  in  Guam,  the  Panama  Canal  Zone,  and Hawaii, in addition to the United States and France. About  300  “Marinettes,”  as  the  female  enlisted personnel of the Marine Corps were designated, were on duty during the war. Most of them were stationed at Marine Corps Headquarters at the Navy Department, although a number were assigned with Marine Corps recruiting units. All Yeomen (F) were released from active duty by July 31, 1919. Secretary Daniels sent the following message to the Yeomen (F): “It is with deep gratitude for the splendid service rendered by the Yeomen (F) during our national emergency that I convey to them the sincere appreciation of the Navy Department for their patriotic cooperation.” REVIEW 4 QUESTIONS NOTE All questions in this review concern World War I (WW I). Q1.  Before WW I, the Navy built surface ships and submarines. What other development occurred then  that  is  still  a  big  part  of  today’s  naval arsenal? 5-17 Student Notes: