Lexington dispatch-news. [volume] (Lexington, S.C.) 1917-1919, 1919-03-26
Nayy Boy Writing Home.
: Gerantanamo Bay Cuba
us S Texas March Z 1919

= Gerantanamc Bay Cuba
us S Texas March 1919
Editor of The Dispatch-News:
receive a copy of your paper ev-
cry Wvsgs and / see very little about
the boys in tae Navy from Lexington
county and if pohsible through your
paper I would like very much to an
-swer a. few of the many questions ask
ed me while on leave In January This
ship is OF the superdreadnaught type
and carries ten IA inch and twenty
one S inch guns with TWO anti-air
craft guns and four airplanes
After six months of service in
home waters we were called to join
our squadron in the Orkeny Islands
Northern Scotland and sailed from
New York. on Jan Goth 1918 and af-
ter ten days Of very stormy weather
we reached the North Sea and later
met the New, York Wyoming Dele
ware and Florida and made up the
sixth Battle Squadron of the British
Ernd Fleet: and from that Base we.
made several trips to different ports
: la Norway which were very danger
Gus for US with only five ships for at
chat time the Huns Kept that port Of
the North Sea well guarded with
Boats and destroyers s
In June we were ordered to proceed
to a new Naval Base in the Firth of
Forth near Edinburgh which looked
a little like civilization for the orkeny
Islands are no, place for scenery and
at this Base we were treated fine not
J ony by, our own officers but the Bri-
tssh did everything they could for our
welfre
IN July the Arkansas relieved the
! Delaware and she returned Ito New
York sometime in Auguht
81 Evrgbody seemed to be enjoying
themselves until the night, of. Nov 9Th
WIN a message was received from the
command er-in-chief that prospects
{ for battle were brighter then than
ever before and if the Germans were
going to fight he expected every man
ia the American Squadron as well .ah
the British to do his part towards
making the world safe for Democracy
for the Huns had only a few hours
left to beside and during these few
hours the HIM Sailor played wise
and brought about mutiny in the.
Kiei Canal and aboard their hhips
rather than meet the Grand Fleet
Then COMMUNICATIONS began be-
fseen the TIVE COMMANDMENT chiefs
everysship was ready TO leave at mo
nantss notice and on the morning OF
Nov 21st our squadron with three Of
the British and several flotiIlass OF
destroyers steamed out OF the Firth
for a certain rendezvous about one
s hundred miles OFF May Island arriv-
Ing there about $3.50 m we were lin
ed up in two paralelled lines consisting
of two Battle sqnadrons each the de-
stroyers were lined up. likewise and by
10:o0 m we were really to receive
the German High Sea Fleet which a
few minutes later was seen approach
ing oyer the horizon in formation by
the British commander chief and
steamed up between our lines Our
guns were manned and ready for
any crooked move they might have
made But without any resistance at
all they were escorted to tne Firth of
Forth and searched The crews were
sent back to Germany and the ships
taken to the Orkney Islands forintern-
naent December End The Britihh bic
us farewell as we raised our home
ward bound remnants and sailed for
Portland England arriving there four
days later we ancored for a week and
the Arizona Utah Oklahoma and Ne
vada joined US; who come over few
weeks before On the 18th Dec we
sailed to meet the George Washington
that was bringing over the President
escorted by the u S S Pennsylvania
and two FIotilla. of Destroyers and i'm
Inediately after meeting the President
each ship fired twenty-one gun sa-
lutte then proceeding to Brest France
arriving at 1000 m Dec 18th
The next morning we again hoisted
the homeward bound pennant and set
sail towards home for thief irst time
in ten months arrived in New York
Z Dae-y2Rff of g.. fo,,u