The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-04-26

pase even more lnacceSSlDle 10 the enemy.
 Before this final base was determined for the Atlantic fleet however, it was moved from Guacanayabo to Hampton Roads. The order to steam north was gwen March 2]. 1917.
 READY FOR SUBMARINES
 The possibility of submarine attack on this voyage was clearly recognized. and instructions were given that for the greater safety of the fleet the larg CT battleships and destroyers should proceed at maximum speed via Cacos channel, while the train, mine force and old battleships-al slower vessels should go in company via the Crooked Island passage.
 The dreadnaughts and destroyers reached Hampton Roads at 9;30 o'clock on the morning of March 27. The slow | CT ships arrived three days later. Hampton Roads was a most convent ent and desirable base in many ways but it was too well known and too much exposed We brought Armira, Mayo to Washington, and the whole matter was discussed. Charts were ex- amined and a new base selected, to which the admiral was given orders to shift the fleet.
 On the very day on which President Wilson delivered his war message to Congress the fleet sailed from Hampton Roads for it's new rendezvous
 This was Base g." Throughout the war it was never called anything else. Tn conversation and dispatches it re- mained thus mysteriously designated. The newspapers were requested if they should discover where the fleet was sequestered to keep it as profound a secret as the navy department had tried to make 1t.
 KEEP NAVY'S SECRET
 Necessarily persons residing in the neighborhood of the base became aware of the presence of the battleships, but for the most part, like good Americans, they held their tongues. It was months before there was any general knowl- edge of where the fleet spent its days curing those early weeks of the war.
 Base 2" was one of the most historic spots in Americsa-Y orktown, Va. l Throughout the war our battleships were almost in sight of the place where Corvallis surrendered to George Wash ington.
 The York river affords a wonderful harbor, with water deep enough for the largest battleships and spacious enough for whole fleet to ride at | anchor. With defenses at the en- trance to Chesapeake bay, and nets and patrols across York river, no sub marine could ever hope to penetrate | this safe haven.
 NOT THERE TO HIDE
 It should not be supposed that the fleet went into the York river either to rest or to hide. Far from it. Dur ing the entire war there were fewer buster places in the United States than this base. Every ship was carrying g on intensive training day and night l training gunners, engineers, firemeu, deck officers and crews, armed guards for merchant vessels, men of every rank and rating to man transports, destroyers, patrol craft and all the many vessels put into European and transatlantic service.
 In addition to new men in their own crews, the bastleships trained more than 45,000 officers and men for ser l vice in other vessels.
 Every man from Admiral Mayo to the stokers wanted to get into action. Not man in the navy but knew in his heart it would be all over with tho Germans is only they would give the Atlantic fleet a chance.
 l The Germans, probably, knew it, too, for the chance was never given. This was the navys undying regret. Admiral Beatty expressed the feeling when, in his farewell address to Admiral Rod man on the departure of our battleships from the grand fleet, he said: '1 know quite well that you, as well as all of your British comrades, were bitterly 1 disappointed at not being able to give | effect to the efficiency that you have so well maintained"
 l Both countries pursued what naval | officers considered the best possible | course under the circumstances. Un- | occasionally the existence of these two great fleets, and the French and Ital- l ian forces, held the German fleet in