The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-22

tain specified units of her navy and
 hand them over to the grand fleet for
 interrment. q good many British and
 American officers believed that the per
 sonnel of the high sea fleet would have
 decency enough left to scuttle their ships
 before they would undergo the humilia
 tion of handing them over.
 Suppose" said one of them on the
 Texas, as he glanced about the snowy
 decks, the decks which were home to
 him, suppose we were ordered to hand
 over the Texas to the Huns!"
 Had the German battle cruisers, ap-
 preaching the grand fleet over the hor-
 izon on November 21 suddenly turned
 treacherous and moved 8 turret, there is
 no doubt but what every British and
 American officer would have accorded
 them an atom of eleventh-hour respect.
 Against this possibility, the grand fleet
 was prepared. Not that the grand fleet
 expected treachery. It is merely the
 habit of fleets to be prepared.
 The fleet moved out of the Firth of
 Forth at 12 knots, but every boiler was fired up ready to go full speed. They
 went at general quarters with guns
 trained fore and aft and unloaded, but
 With the correct range and deflection
 kept on the sights and in the turrets the cage sup and loaded, ready for ramming home. They went out with battle flags flying and the ships in that state of nervous suspense in which you fire first and tell the bridge about it afterward. i The operation orders, circulated to the fleet beforehand, stipulated that eight flotillas of destroyers, consisting Of about 160 vessels, would proceed to sea ahead of the fleet as a lookout screen: Behind them the grand fleet was to pro- ceed in two columns about six miles apart, with five repeating ships taking specified positions between the columns. At the rendezvous about 50 miles east of May island, the German ships were
 to be led toward the Firth of Forth. down the avenue between the two columns. Under this scheme, there would be three miles between each column of the grand fleet and the column of German ships enough distance to make ramming im- possible and torpedoingS practically im- possible
 The northern column was to consist of the first and sixth light cruiser squad rons the first cruiser squadron; the fifth, sixth and second battle squadrons; H. M. $. Queen Elizabeth, the flagship of the fleet; H. M. $. Lion and the first battle cruiser squadron; and the fourth 1 light cruiser squadron. Of these squad- rons, the sixth battle squadron is the American squadron. It consists of the U. S. S. New York, flying the flag of
  and the U. s. S Texas, Arkansas, Flori- da and Wyoming. Eleven months of grilling watchfulness in the Firth of I Forth had won sfor them the privilege | of participating in the receipt of the | German surrender. They have played good part in the work of the grand fleet | but it must not be forgotten that Novem- | Der 21 was primarily a British day. The l Americans had waited Il months for the ~ mt. fhn Qriti hof ff waited 51 months. The American per- sonnel n the grand fleet numbers 750ol l the British numbers 1000. The Ameri- 1 can tonnage is 125,000; the British IS | 1,300, GOO
 1 Ships kept the same station going I out as they did coming back, the first 1 light cruiser squadrons leading the north ern column going out and the fourth l light cruiser squadron leading it coming | back. In addition to the destroyer screen which was flung out far in advance be- tween the two columns of the fleet and the repeating ships which were formed between the two columns of the fleet, three British light cruisers, flying the blue ensign, were designated as guide ships to the Germans, one of them towing balloon to take station ahead of the German battle cruisers and battleships, a second ahead of the German light cruis- CTS and third ahead of the German destroyers. A British airship and Brit ish seaplanes were also detailed.
 The sixth battle squadron weighed an- chor at 3:20 a. m., on the day of the great
 surrender. All about in the Firth, ships talk punctured the cold night with si- lent, peppery dots of white. It's running 1 lights were burning for the first time since it left the states: "The wars gonna 1 be over in about 10 minutes now"
 LIGHTS ON AGAIN
 1 It passed down the Firth, keeping sta- tion on that triangle of running lights which was the New York, and talking in- l termittently to the flagship in a soft, ra- Did clack of searchlight shutters. Fidra Gap light blinked white at it, blinked
 grayely and went out blinked gravely