The Topeka state journal., 1919-01-10

The New York was the flagship of
Admiral Hugh Rodman, U. S. N, who
commanded the Sixth Battle Squad
ron of the Allied fleet, operating in
the North Sea and the English Chan
mel. Patton said:
I'VE heard that the Germans were
going to play the last card in their
hands, by rushing out their hitherto
inactive fleet and making a grand
attack on us. So everything was in
readin. SIS to give them u warm recep-
ton. Every ship in our fleet was
thoroly stripped for action and ready |
to enter battle at an hours notice. and
our gunners were trained to ths high
est pitch of efficiency. In fact, at
recent gunnery practice we had scored
8 hits out of 10 shots with our four
teen inch guns at range of ten miles;
and the men on the other ar ships
were just as efficient, so the Huns
would haverbeen decidedly up against
it had they tried conclusions with US.
Subs Quit First.
However, fate had decreed that
there was to be no battle, news came
to us of the breakdown of the Ger
man military machine and of mutiny
in the German navy. Finally came
the report of the armistice, and
little later that the Germal. battle Seet
was coming out to surrender to us.
Indeed we had seen actual evidence
of the breaking of the enemy's NOR
ale, before the armistice, for the Ger
man submarines had been surrender
ing to our vessels in the North Sea
for as much as two weeks before that
event. This fact, 1 believe, is un-
known to the public in general.
when we heard that the enemy's
fleet was coming out we Were. or
course, very glad, but we decided to
take no chances with them, and were
thoroly on our guard against treach-
cry and subterfuge. Therefore. when
on November 81, the allied fleet of
400 vessels met the German fleet bout
thirty miles east of the Firth OF
with all Of its teeth barred to bite at
the first sign OF sculduggery.
''It was a fine day. The enemy's
fleet consisted of ten battleships, six
destroyers and six or eight subma-
rines Despite the fact that the Hun
sailors had mutinied when their Of
ficers started to make the projected
grand attack on US, had refused to
go, and had killed many of their Of
ficers-ten on one ship in one in
formation and there was a semblance
of discipline.
Glad To Give Up.
''The German sailors, for the most
part, seemed very glad to surrender.
Their offers were not SO sjubilant. NO
prisoners were retained, the crews of
the surrendered ships returned to
brought along for the purpose. The
sailors did not appear as tho underfed
and -thier uniforms were in good con-
ditiolL Some of the ships were in
pretty bad shape. however.
I'VE had some interesting and ex-
citing experiences during the year that
was on the New York Among these
was a peculiar encounter with a sub
marine at the entrance of a harbor
on the west coast of Scotland last No
vemi .er. An opening had been made
in the harbor net, and we Were pass
ing thru, when there was fearful
jar and crunch, the vessel stopped,
and our captain thought we had hit
a rock. Divers were Immediately low
cred to ascertain the damage. 1t was
found that submerged German u
boat had gotten close under our stern
and had attempted to follow US into
the harbor: In doing this it had run
against our propellers, was torn to
pieces. and at the same time tore all
of the blades off one of our screws
and all but two off the other one. The
entire crew of the submarine perished
This trick of trying to get into har-
bors in the wake of some larger ves-
sci was one quite common with the
enemy's U-boats. and sometimes it
succeeded"
He Liked Navy.
Patton was quite satisfied with the
treatment accorded to enlisted men
while he was in the navy, and that
the officers were very kind. Also that
the food and accommodations were all
that could be asked. He would like 10
remain in the service, but his father
Kansas farm George Patton, ST., is
Civil war veteran of distinguished
record and was severely wounded dur
ing his service in that conflict