The sun., 1918-12-27

Gle starring in "a tidy squadron action.
At midnight showing no lights. they
stood out through Pentland Firth and
steamed around north OF the Orkneys,
getting AZ far toward the pole as Fair
Island in hope of cutting Fritz off
The night was black. The island
| lights were doused. The channels
were not buoyed, and those seas are
one scrambled mess OF tiny rocky
islets and sunken lodges, so that the
expedition would have been rather
more than chancey, even without the
nine knot tide that complicated things.
| They didn't find Fritz n he had
come out he had thought better OF It.
They we're feeling their way back,
dead s,ow and disconsolate, and turn
ing sharply every few minutes to
Dodge one rock or another-when the
New York. in turning, Slowing a little
because OF the tide. swung her stern
| over some bobbsh thing submerged
! that bumped and slitehered along the
! bottom plates. II caught the screw,
which Chewed it up, 30 some of the
! New Workers think. In return 1t took
of two blades of the propeller.
| Another U-BOat sunk.
| There was no light to see oil slick
or wreckage by and you would not find
the ship credited with strafing n Turk
ing U-boat unbeknownst. But the
younger spirits will always believe
that happened, and there are older
heads-and multiple gold strlpers-
who agree with them. Tho New York
limped back and got herself repaired.
Perhaps It is only coincidence; still.
II was shortly after the alarm on that
raid attempt when the Sixth Division
OF our Atlantic Fleet. Rear Admiral
Rodgers commanding, was ordered
across TO station near the southwest
point OF ireland. at Berehaven. Under
Admiral Rodgers. besides his flagship
the Utah, were the Nevada, the Okla
homa and the Arizona. Their part
in the higher strategy, so far as the
North River pageant knows 1t now.
was something like the defensive
quarter backs Job. waiting yards be-
hind the scrimmage line on the chance
OF a hostile runner breaking through.
They were beautifully placed to in
! tercept and tackle any raider who
!
the North Sea.
Tell you about the thrills?" said
n youngish gold strtper OF Admiral
Itodman's. The whole thing was
thrill, from the day we started over,
camoutiage painted. 10 the day the
arrnistice was signed--with one last
triple Y thrill OF II special kind in
the German surrender. Speaking about
that. do you know, as those fellows
came in, In line ahead. the one thing
you could think OF was Il string of
whipped yellow ours? 1t made a man
sick TO see them. As for the ships,
though, III say they're al right. the
battle cruisers especially. Fritz had
good gear, so far as 1t went / never
will understand how he could bring
himself to surrender II.
But in the meanwhile, through the
twelve months OF war service We saw.
the edge, the keenness, never began
TO wear or. The men kept it fully as
| well as the offiCers-and this Is no
bouquet I'm throwing us for publica-
ton, I assure you. You see, we never
knew what might not happen within a
few hours. Each day there was the
fresh hope OF getting action and
getting It quick.
I. y. Tars Already Ready.
"Of the two Grand Fleet anchora ges
the Firth OF Forth was the better ir
every way. II was close to big towns
which helped, because We were always
kept on four hours sailing notice while
on leave which meant that We
a.
our ships. Recreation and diversion
near at hand were hefty advantages
II the Germans were reported moving
the notice was cut 10 two hours, anC
then TO half an hour and scorching
sole leather TO get aboard quick
AS say. we went over camou-
naged. but when we got there we
found the British had given that style
OF painting up so we resumed the reg
ular gray. There's nothing in camou.
fiage in tho North Sea Visibility is
practically always 50 bad that there's
no such thing as target practice at 10 :
900 yards-l0,000 TO II 900 Is about the
limit and that's uncommon. The Brit.
ish navy would never need guns OF ex.
IRENE range II all its fleet actions were
to be fought near home. CamoutiaEe
under those conditions is simply paint.
ing the lily.
AT first two battle squadrons, one
of which was ours, We're at work right
along with conveys, frcighters bount
for Norway and Sweden mostly. Wed
take EN- across the North Sea and kiss
en- good-by in sight OF Norway. We
were sent out on those Jobs about once
in three weeks. and during the time w,
were at 1t some OF our ships turned
loose their secondary batterles-on fly,
different occasions, as we'll as l re.
member. Yes. perisCopes--or that was
the idea. Whether any OF 'em were the
cal thing ! can't tell you. Naturally
you don't wait to botanize much. YOU
shoot on sight Yes youIl hear scut.
tie butt rumors around the squadron
Of wakes OF torpedoes having beer
seen, and all that. ! doubt If there's
anything in It,"
There were others who did no
doubt; but our Gold Striper has tn,
noor.
Later We only went out when thu
whole grand fleet did. Our place wa.
we'll up front, in one OF the lines O.
the double column, which meant tina
our business was protecting the granC
fleets flank. Tho grand fleet did NJ
perfunctory routi:ie maneuvring. L
went out on Information received,
otherwise II stayed in. Where did the
information come from? \Ve-clI thai