Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-28
j, 5. NAVY PART
IN WORLDS WAR
TOLD BY ADMIRAL
American Warships in First Line,
but Germans Refused
Lure to Fight.
U-BOAT RAMMED FLAGSHIP

tempting to bait the German ships to
combat; how L boat had rammed
has super-dreadnought and how every
effort to lure the enemy from its base,
WAS told of Yesterday by Rear Admiral
Hugh Rodman on the flagship New
York II was he who commanded the
American battle division in the Grand
Fleet under Sir David Beatty.
In the words of the Admiral, the
submarine ran amuck,' dented the
ships plates, smashed a propeller blade
and undoubtedly was sent 10 the bottom
NJ the next turn of the screws, he SAID.
There were dreary winter days IN
the North Sea for the Americans, he
went on. and there was one occasion
when the Allied ships, within few
rmles of cutting oil the German vessels
in mid-sea, were compelled 10 leave IT
10 the Yankee vessels TO open hre II the
Germans were met.
lie told also of the ignommious herd
ING of the German fleets for surrender
and the final acts Of the American fleet
after the enemy had been conquered
Thss Is the AdmiraTs story.
GRAND FLEET THE BACKBONE
TT n needless, in fact supcYhuo,e,
fer me To reitcrAte that which Is known
.ad recognized throughout the civilized
world namely, that il WIS the Grand
Fleet which has been the very backbone
of thr structure which has made a VIC
nar,cwH peace a certainty. Without 1t
shcre is no question that the war long
ago would have been drsastrolisly
concluded with just the reverse con-
diasons obtaining from those which now
east.
no mention csn bc made Of the
Gssnd Fleet without our thoughts nat
1ally turing TO its Commander in Chief
Admiral Sir David Beatty; a man of rare
accomplishments. natural born, tired,
trusted and gallant leader.
Under him our combined forces
operated. Just as later all of the Allied
armies were placed under the direction
c1 command OF Marshal Foch.
And now as to our operations with
he Grand Fleet. 1t need be only suf-
hrient for me 10 say that when We
arrived We were at onoe, thanks TO our
homo training, able to coordinate and
co-opcrate with the British fleet: that
IN order 10 work homogeneowly we
sdopted their signals and methods Of
~wumunicatpn, their plans. pohcns,
uon<ruvrer and tactics That we took
ou- share OF the work, patrol, search
and Of protecting conveys, mining and
other forces.
Sometimes wc verr Commanded by
British Admirals, sometimes they served
under my command. that there was
never the slightest friction. mlsunder-
standing or petty iealousIeS In fact,
our mutual ASSOCIATION IN this war ;
work has drawn US So close together
that in the Grand Fleet II was instru-
mental in ripening friendship with brother
hood.
PLACE or HONOR IN BATTLE LINE.
'1t Is most gratifying to state that
within very short time after joining,
and after our first operations with the
Grand Fleet. we were ASH gned to one OF
The two places Of honor and Importance
In the battle line, avoided seton and taken
refuge behind his defcnScs as usual be-
fore re could catch him
at was our policy To GO after hum every
time he showed his nose outside OF his
ports no matter when or where, whether
in sInSIs ships, by diviHone or his whole
Acct, out we went, day u night, rain or
%9ne land there was mighty htsle day
iiRhf and much less SHINE IN the u1ntry
Months. blow high or blow Low. and chase
6n back N hls hole
AlKn GERMAN YLygT INTO nDI,G.
80 persistent Was this performance
- o<H part, 20 sure ~err we 20 get after
Inn, that toward che end, be rarely vrn-
tired more than few miles from his
bose; immediately we would start after
6n, back he would go IN hIs hole, and
hnuJ hH hole IN after him.
'Evory indueement was offered him
10 come out Inferior forces were sent
down into the Heligoland Blight 10 IN
dnce him TO attack; valuable conveys
vere dispatched, apparently w1thou,
usptection, and o4heY devices TO temp
- ous but he would no. come
1T ie al but need1ex 10 add that
snch expeditions, on every cccanon,
weSx wei guarded and we were ready
- pounce on him with unseen forces
hnd he attempted 10 take advantage
e the seemingly small forpes or unpro-
tscsed vessels
TN o.u operations ~ che North SeS
ve vese frequently attacked bv sub
nar1nee, and our battIeahIp- hxd nu-
meSous escapes. often only by prompt and
Siilkul handling
NV YORK RAmhEp AND vI.ED os
"On one occasion q submarine ramnned
the flagship New York, dented the
bottom and demolished the starboard
propeller But there n every reason to
believe that the blown from the propeller
sank the submarine En- route 10 dry
dock, n make repairs and install a new pro-
Y.eIier. three torpedoes in rapid sue
e~ssion were fred al her by hostile sub
MARINES, but again she avoided them By
clever mar osuvrIng and escaped
"Oncs, when guarding or supporting
convoy Of thirty or forty vessels on
the coast of Norway IN midwinter a
bunch % hostile subs fired six torpe-
does II VI AgaIn only our vigilance
and instantaneous naEouvnng saved
N, bur ~ i very close margin
There were stI. other attacks Dy
submarine which necesSitatcd qlnck
artipa ID avoid them
1T would be superfuOus 10 70 INTO
the details of our operations IN the North
Sea or 10 mention the rigorous climate.
when the latitude D. north oi Sltka, IN
Alaska, or about equal 70 that oi Petrograd
~ Russia, or the terrific weather the
cold, eleet snow. Ice and heavy seas
the ird and dangerous navigation.
the continuous cruising ~ close formation
- high speed without lights who're the
winter nights lasted IS hours. or tho
dangers Of nlne fields our own some
tirnes, a. well ~ those ~ tho enemy
or the repeated attacks of hostile sub
marine- on our battleships. before
mentionel and e. Z ne er eD ing readi-
ness and vigilance Of the whole fleet to
put u sea on al but instant notice
CONSTANTLY READY FOR ACTION.
Let u Dc sufficient 10 say that during