Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-26
BRITISH AND AMERICAN
FLEETS AMALCAMATE
Do Not Simply Cooperate With
Each Other, but Form
Great Unit.
MEN HAD TO LEARN SIGNALS
This Was One Of First and Hardest
Tasks, but Everything Is Running
Smoothly, and BIuejackets Know
British Code.
ny II. C. FERRAny

LONDON. August 25.-Among the
grey grey mists t OF the northern seas in
spectacle that few OF us ever antici-
pated. United States battleships lying
In the line win the the British neet; an
umpteenth Battle Squadron OF Sir
DI kear! geh1tys c GnEh kedman who
commands the squadron. was talking
about the task entrusted to It. and
he quickly Corrected o fimseif "Am man
gamation is the right word" he said
That is SO. The United States battle
Grand Fleet. They have been absorbed
into 1t. Now. that is no simple matter.
II is not enough for the two command
for the senior to say. wei. don't you
know, your ships might just drop into
the line after Admiral Smiths squad.
The tactical handling OF fleets is not
so simple az that Every ship must
be able to communicate with every
flags at the yard arm mean. what the
wild gyrations OF the soma hore arms
mean. what the mystic figures and let
room mean. Every navy has it's own
system OF signaling. a flag that re-
pre- presents the letter in the British n
the American code. and an American
ignaltnan reading signal from the
British flagship in his own, lettering
would get instead of Flag to V. y.
Tenth SQUADRON: Raise steam for one
THIS VISA VISA X &. p pI le. aWeTtiy I
zxcvb dfghj wer khfsr nhytgb."
HAD TO FORGET THEIR
CODES AND LEARN AGAIN
That was one of the first problems
that had TO be faced when the Ameri-
STATS, from the nag lieutenant, down
TO the boys. had 10 forget all they
had Learned and start school again at
few weeks TO do it in. for it was es-
sential that the new battle squadron
should receive TACTICAL training at sea
with, its new colleagues. and until it
could talk it could not safely walk.
stood on the signal platform OF
the flagship this week. bare eight
months after the ships Joined us. and
watched the American yeoman of sig
nails reading of bunting from British
ship two miles away, with ease. There
elbow. but he had no need TO say
Word, for the newcomer had II pat:
boy at his sas 'ook t deWn w shs
called out, writing them on British
modes signal pad. and pattered away
snp~ An later 70 the
over the great searchiight began to
click, as reply message was Morsed
in code. and not in straightforward
language. but he .rappe,d it out With
never a pause. as though he had been
in the day when was on board a
British flagship I mentioned the Incl
dent. and the British othcer to whom
energy and the concentration with
which the American officers and men
had applied themselves TO q tremend.
with which they had become pro-
hcient.
it in the Grand Fleet
They do Every ship does Signals
audible the whole air would hum with
the noise of their talking.
GUNNERY AND TORPEDO WORK
NOT SO MUCH AFFECTED
Gunnery and torpedo work have not
been affected 10 the same extent The
on Outside sources. At The same time
shey haEe pseE snd up have by
Wrinkles they had not thought of for
neen Garfield oSs IN Company With
other soaudrons in all sorts of wealth
er. and to-day SIR David Realty knows
ing cooperation from his new battle
squadron in any emergency. but also
on skilled and practised work. And IN
so highly technical a matter as naval
skill is more important even
than will.
Orders go to Admiral Rodman from
do TO every flag orhcer's ship in the
leet He ranks in seniority with other
admirals. and II. as has hap
is detached for special service, the ac-
light cruisers and destroy
ers. all Of them British. come under
That is where amalgamation differs
it is probable that a British flag Of
also, to command the British ships.
The relations between the American
and British officers in the Grand Fleet
Lion. for example. found that a., al
the officers 1 had met IN the American
Lions and were greatly liked. More
the Grand Fleet has LIVED Sedn through rsvs,
!ation to the Americans they nave
had ono winter in the North Sea. ana
their description or 1T would not %
zine. The constant tension, the con-
inement 10 the narrow limits OF inc
ship for weeks on end. the enoisss
enemy were new to the American OIL
fcers, and they marvel that after -FOUR
years OF it our men are sun as k ISeu
we're in the first months Of the the wa var r
admitted TO me that In the eight months
ne had been in European waters snIs ne
dozen times.
MUST ALL BE CONSTANTLY
READY TO GO TO SEA
That is one of the penalties Of big
~ ready to put to sea. Half or three;
Quarters of a battle fleet Is not good
enough. And the departure OF the
heet at the moment REQUIRED ca ,nITS be be
he complements on twenty -four hours
shore leave - -
seldnm realizes. He thinks that when
he fleet comes into se haFSor on all wates
IAN pour ashore for relaxation. That
S not so. bare three three a hoIrs sh fT5 IS
ali that can be risked. And with the
retet so constantly ct sea 1t IS nor
often that each mans turn comes round
when there are more than thousand