The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1918-12-17
BEMIDJI BOY WITNESS
III. OF HUN SURRENDER

Writing to his mother, Mrs. Arthur
Brose, under date Of November 20,
Albert Brose, member of the crew
Of the u. 8. 8. Arkansas, a Bemidji
boy who was present at the surrender
Of the German battle fleet, gives q
most interesting narrative from per-
sonal observation. vi In part he says. II,
Yesterday was day that Will
never forget About 3 o'clock in the
morning "a we hoisted anchor Il and
steamed out OF the Firth OF Forth and
about two hours later general quar-
tiers We're sounded, everybody going
to their battle stations and staying
there until breakfast, returning to
their stations after breakfast. The
American flag was flying from both
nasts and at the yard arm. which
meant that we were ready for battle.
And believe me we were ready. .sS
Everybody was at their battle
station and about $50 o'clock we
sighted the German feet. We train
ed our guns on the German ships
ready for action, taking no chances
with them as everybody knows how
trickey they are The British grand
feet and the five American. battle
ships and a couple of French destroy
ers and French cruiser were repre-
sented. I don't know how many
battleships were out as the British
have the largest navy in the world.
1--WE were all in one line. The
British were leading and there were
about five or six ships behind the
American ships, so there must have
been about thirty-fiye or forty battle
ships, besides all OF the destroyers
and couple Of balloons and one d.
rigible. With all those ships against
her, 1t would have been foolish for
Germany to have resisted In any
manner. IL '3-@ a. s:1 r =7z@C,
AS the enemy ships came closer
and closer we could see them plainly
and believe me there weren't any
small looking ships. Every one was
as big as any British or American
ships, rgBattleships came first and also
battle cruisers, then a long line OF
destroyers and torpedo boats. There
were about fifteen or twenty first
class battleships. = - a"s e.:
.. THE Arkansas was instructed to
watch the -Hindenburg, which was
opposite us. It was large battle
ship, about our size About thirty
minutes after we sighted them, the
German admiral signalled over to the
flagship saying he could not make
more han ten knots per hour, SO they
must have, had small crews. as they
were instructed to have, but never
theless we took chances. .. Their guns
looked long and business-like. They
had only one mast, just like the Brit
ish ships and are almost alike except
there aren't so many control plat
forms and lookout stations on the
German ships as there are on the
British vessels. -. - ..- =. &-.,.. -.
II don't know how the Germans
felt, but think they should feel
themselves lucky they were alive It
would have been suicide for them to
have come out and fought, because
there were so many against them: 1t
was certainly wonderful that SO large
a feet should surrender without a
shot being fired. 1t am thanking my.
stars that we left New York in time
to get in on this wonderful trip. p
We'll, we escorted them, to the
Firth of Forth and they dropped an
Choir outside the nets. e$ They were
guarded well and / suppose they Will